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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (30-33) at Rays (35-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 13, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Home-field advantage has been critical over the last three seasons when the Tampa Bay Rays meet the Kansas City Royals.

That should mean the Rays have a decided edge since they are hosting this four-game series with the Royals that begins Thursday night.

Only two of the last 15 meetings have been won by the visiting team. Kansas City (30-33) has lost seven of eight at Tropicana Field while getting limited to a .199 average and 14 runs. The Royals had 17 runs and 24 hits in sweeping a two-game home set against Tampa Bay (35-30) from April 30-May 1.

Kansas City is brimming with confidence heading into the opener of a seven-game trip after taking two of three from Detroit to pull within 5 1/2 games of the first-place Tigers.

The Royals have won seven of eight overall after a dramatic 3-2, 10-inning victory Wednesday. Lorenzo Cain hit a tying, two-run homer off Jose Valverde with two outs in the ninth, and Eric Hosmer had the winning RBI single in the 10th.

"That was a great win," Hosmer said. "We're down to our last strike with the closer on the mound. That's just the character of this team. We're not going to give up until the last out is made."

Kansas City starters own a 1.90 ERA over the last eight games while the bullpen has yielded one run over its last 25 2-3 innings.

Cain has seven RBIs in his last six games, and Salvador Perez is batting .367 during an eight-game hitting streak. Cain and Perez combined to go 8 for 17 with four RBIs in the first series between these clubs.

Royals manager Ned Yost will miss this game to attend his daughter's wedding. Bench coach Chino Cadahia will manage in his place.

Tampa Bay had been surging offensively with 31 runs over a four-game stretch before being stifled in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to Boston.

"They did a nice job against us because we've been scoring a lot of runs," manager Joe Maddon said.

Evan Longoria will try to homer in four consecutive games for the first time in his career after he had three solo shots as the Rays dropped two of three to the Red Sox.

Both teams will start right-handers Thursday.

Tampa Bay's Jeremy Hellickson (4-2, 5.18 ERA) hasn't lost since April 25, although that's mostly because of a 6.86 run support average that ranks among baseball's best.

Hellickson has been pitching better lately with victories in consecutive starts, including six stellar innings in Saturday's 8-0 win over Baltimore.

He's 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in three starts against the Royals, yielding four runs over five innings in a 9-3 loss May 1. Billy Butler is 5 for 9 against him and Alex Gordon 4 for 9.

Kansas City's Ervin Santana (4-5, 2.99), meanwhile, owns a much lower run support average of 3.20. He earned his 100th victory Saturday by surrendering two runs in seven innings of a 7-2 win over Houston, also ending a personal four-game slide.

Santana's 6.84 ERA at Tropicana Field is his third-worst mark at any AL ballpark, and he's 2-5 in nine starts there.

Longoria (5 for 12 with two homers), Luke Scott (8 for 21 with two homers) and Yunel Escobar (7 for 17) have all fared well against Santana.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Rays
Thu, Jun 13 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Royals at Rays
Fri, Jun 14 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Rays
Sat, Jun 15 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Royals at Rays
Sun, Jun 16 - 1:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jays (28-36) at Rangers (38-27)
Game: 1
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: June 13, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


Though it's been almost a month since Yu Darvish won for the Texas Rangers, the star right-hander won't complain about how he has pitched of late.

Mired in the longest drought of his young career, Darvish makes his second straight start against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night in Arlington.

Darvish (7-2, 2.75 ERA) is 0-1 in four starts since he went 5-0 with a 3.07 ERA over six outings from April 19-May 16. However, the second-year product from Japan has a 2.28 ERA during the winless streak while striking out 32.

"It hasn't really affected me that much," said Darvish, whose previous longest stretch between wins was three starts from July 27-Aug. 6. "I think I've done my job. Wins and losses you can't really control."

His Texas teammates have totaled 10 runs while going 1-3 during that stretch.

"A couple of them, he had to battle. A couple of them, he was crisp," said manager Ron Washington about Darvish, who was given a 9.05 run support average through his first nine starts.

"More than anything, it was us not scoring runs. ... We score some runs for him, he could have a couple of more wins. He's thrown well enough to continue to win ballgames."

Darvish allowed three runs in the third inning and struck out seven while pitching the first seven of a 4-3, 18-inning loss at Toronto on Saturday. He is 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA in four starts against the Blue Jays (28-36), who have dropped three in a row and six of eight at Texas.

The Rangers (38-27), however, have lost two in a row and five of seven. They're coming off a pair of 5-2 losses to Cleveland.

With three hits in Wednesday's defeat, Texas rookie shortstop Jurickson Profar went 5 for 9 in the three-game set against the Indians after going 2 for 16 with seven strikeouts as the Rangers lost two of three at Toronto.

One of those hits came against Esmil Rogers (1-2, 3.60), who makes his third start of the season a day later than expected. Toronto's decisive finale at Chicago on Wednesday was postponed due to the threat of severe weather.

The right-hander, who made 23 appearances out of the bullpen, has a 1.23 ERA without a decision in two starts. He allowed a run and three hits in four innings while striking out six in a 6-1 win over the Rangers on Friday.

"He's part of our five-man rotation now, so we'll just keep everyone in line," manager John Gibbons told the Blue Jays' official website after the postponement.

Rogers, placed in the rotation due to injuries to Brandon Morrow, J.A. Happ and Josh Johnson, had no problem shifting his focus toward a Texas team he faced last week.

"I got already in my mind how I'm going to pitch these guys, how I'm pitching already," he said. "This team is an aggressive team, I have to have all my pitches ready."

Rogers' teammate, Jose Bautista, has three homers in two games this week and is batting .381 in the last four. His solo shot with two outs in the ninth tied the game and paved the way for a 7-5, 10-inning win over the White Sox on Tuesday.

Bautista, however, is 0 for 9 with three strikeouts versus Darvish.

Adam Lind is 3 for 5 against him and hitting .457 in his last 17 contests.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Rangers
Thu, Jun 13 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Rangers
Fri, Jun 14 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Rangers
Sat, Jun 15 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Blue Jays at Rangers
Sun, Jun 16 - 3:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Phillies (31-35) at Twins (29-33)
Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: June 13, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


The bullpen and the lineup are major culprits of the Philadelphia Phillies' longest losing streak of the season.

They hope starting Cliff Lee means they won't have to rely much on either one.

Lee will try to help the Phillies end their skid in the finale of a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night.

Philadelphia (31-35) has seen its relievers post a 4.56 ERA, ranking ahead of only two of baseball's worst teams record-wise - the New York Mets (4.65) and Houston (4.86).

The Phillies' bullpen has been particularly poor during the current five-game losing streak, surrendering nine runs and 18 hits in 11 innings.

The offense hasn't provided much relief, either. Philadelphia is batting .218 with 13 runs during the slide, which has matched the team's worst of the year and would equal its longest from last season with a loss Thursday.

The lineup mustered only one extra-base hit Wednesday in a 4-3 loss at Minnesota (29-33). The relievers wasted a two-run, sixth-inning lead, with the decisive run coming on a wild pitch from Justin De Fratus.

Manager Charlie Manuel was asked if it's possible the Phillies aren't as good as they might look on paper.

"I would never say something like that. If we have the right attitude, play the game right and love to play, we can win more games than you'd ever think we could," Manuel said. "You can go a long way sometimes by just wanting to play, playing right. We got some 'want to.' We're just not consistent."

Lee (7-2, 2.55 ERA) certainly is, going 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA over his last seven starts. He's pitched at least seven innings in all of those games and leads the Phillies with 95 1-3.

However, he wasted a four-run lead in Friday's 5-4 loss at Milwaukee. The left-hander gave up four runs in seven innings and tied a season high with three walks.

Lee is facing the Twins for the first time since a loss while with Texas on Aug. 26, 2010. He's 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA over his last five visits to Minnesota, winning his most recent with Cleveland on June 3, 2009.

The Twins are trying to win five in a row at home for the first time since May 28-June 9, 2012. They're hitting .321 over the last four.

Clete Thomas and Oswaldo Arcia - both recalled from Triple-A Rochester this month - kept Minnesota rolling by combining for seven hits, four runs and two RBIs on Wednesday.

Kevin Correia (5-4, 4.11) will try to complete the first sweep by either team in the all-time series, but he hasn't defeated Philadelphia since he was a rookie with San Francisco on Aug. 10, 2003.

The right-hander has since gone 0-3 with a 10.89 ERA in 10 games - three starts - versus the Phillies but hasn't faced them since 2010.

Correia is 0-1 in his last two home starts while allowing eight runs and five homers in 13 2-3 innings, compared to 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA in his first four.

He gave up three runs with seven strikeouts in 6 1-3 innings of Saturday's 4-3 win in 11 at Washington.

Ryan Howard is 3 for 11 with a homer versus Correia, but the slugging first baseman is batting .222 with no homers and five RBIs over the past 12 games.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Twins
Tue, Jun 11 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Phillies at Twins
Wed, Jun 12 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Phillies at Twins
Thu, Jun 13 - 8:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Six college football teams that lost most '12 games to injuries/suspensions:

6) Maryland 37-- Just 6-18 in two years under Edsall.

5) Tulane 39-- Haven't been to a bowl game since 2002.

4) Ohio U 41-- Bobcats are 36-18 last four years under Solich.

3) Arkansas 44-- Have brutal 4-week stretch in games 5-8.

2) UMass 45-- Went 1-11 in first year in I-AA/MAC.

1) Colorado State 53-- Over last decade, Rams are 1-12 as road favorite.


*****

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind.........

13) New rule that takes getting used to: When a pitching coach goes to talk to his pitcher, if the pitcher doesn't speak English, the coach is allowed to bring an interpreter to the mound, which makes the visit longer.

12) Coming into Wednesday's baseball, there had been 960 games played in 2013, so thats 1,290 starting pitchers: of those 1,290, only 23 threw 120+ pitches in a game, as pitchers are protected by their teams.

11) Turn to college baseball, there is a kid at NC State named Carlos Rodon who has made 33 starts for the Wolfpack,. and threw 120+ pitches in 15 of the 33 games. College coaches aren't as protective as pro teams.

10) Monday-Tuesday was first time EVER the Tampa Bay Rays hit 4+ HRs in consecutive games. Ever.

9) Is the NHL the only pro league where teams announce trades while the playoffs are going on? Flyers-Islanders announced a trade; you don't see that in other sports, they wait until the season is over to announce deals.

8) Former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine is suing ESPN for $11M for defamation, after ESPN ran a story over and over about Fine being an accused pedophile, which was never proven to be true. Fine's career was ruined nonetheless, therefore the lawsuit, which is in federal court.

7) Louisville Cardinals are playing five non-Saturday football games this fall; tremendous national TV exposure should amp up their recruiting.

6) Toronto Blue Jays used 12 starting pitchers in their first 63 games.

5) Five road starts for Barry Zito: 0-4, 14.51.
Eight home starts for Barry Zito: 4-1, 1.93. Go figure.

4) A's 1B Brandon Moss is only 5 for his 40, but all five hits were HRs.

3) Arkansas' football schedule in a 4-week stretch from September 28 to October 19: Texas A&M/@ Florida/South Carolina/@ Alabama. Yikes.

2) Wow, its really been five years since Eldrick Woods won a major?

1) Dodgers-Arizona had major brawl Tuesday, so of course the next day MLB announces the teams will open the 2014 seasion by playing a couple games that count in Australia. Hope they take separate planes.
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

San Francisco at Pittsburgh
The Giants look to bounce back from yesterday's 12-8 loss and build on their 5-0 record in Matt Cain's last 5 starts after giving up 5 runs or more in their previous game. San Francisco is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Giants favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 13

Game 951-952: St. Louis at NY Mets (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 14.357; NY Mets (Harvey) 15.409
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 7
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-135); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+115); Over

Game 953-954: Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Latos) 15.495; Cubs (Samardzija) 13.753
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-125); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-125); N/A

Game 955-956: Washington at Colorado (3:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Detwiler) 15.269; Colorado (Francis) 16.660
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Colorado (-135); 11
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-135); Under

Game 957-958: San Francisco at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 15.928; Pittsburgh (Morton) 14.939
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 6
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-120); Under

Game 959-960: NY Yankees at Oakland (3:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Kuroda) 14.425; Oakland (Parker) 16.073
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Oakland (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-115); Over

Game 961-962: Boston at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Doubront) 16.556; Baltimore (Gausman) 15.086
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-115); Under

Game 963-964: Kansas City at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Santana) 17.358; Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 16.180
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+120); Over

Game 965-966: Toronto at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Rogers) 14.435; Texas (Darvish) 15.767
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Texas (-215); 9
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-215); Under

Game 967-968: Philadelphia at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Lee) 14.840; Minnesota (Correia) 13.126
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-140); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-140); Under
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, June 12

Hot pitchers
-- Wainwright is 4-0, 1.99 in his last four starts. Harvey is 0-0, 2.70 in his last three starts; he has one win in last nine starts.
-- Latos is 2-0, 2.33 in his last three starts.

-- Lee is 5-0, 1.84 in his last seven starts.

-- Parker is 3-0, 2.21 in his last three starts.
-- Doubront is 2-0, 2.13 in his last couple starts.
-- Santana is 1-0, 1.93 in his last two starts. Rays won five of Hellickson's last six starts (1-0, 2.45 in last two).
-- Darvish is 0-1, 2.60 in his last four starts. Rogers allowed one run in two starts, but lasted total of 7.1 IP in the two games.

Cold pitchers
-- Samardzija is 0-1, 5.11 in his last two starts.
-- Francis is 1-2, 5.21 in his last four starts. Detwiler is 1-4, 4.56 in his last five outings.
-- Cain has a 4.88 RA in his last five starts. Morton is 23-45, 5.06 in 88 career starts; he was 2-6, 4.65 in his nine starts LY. He is 1-2, 3.32 in nine minor league starts this year.

-- Correia is 1-2, 5.40 in his last five starts.

-- Kuroda is 0-3, 5.23 in his last four starts.
-- Gausman is 0-3, 8.84 in four starts this season.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Wainwright 3-13; Harvey 3-13
-- Latos 4-13; Samardzija 5-13
-- Detwiler 4-8 (4 of last 4); Francis 4-9
-- Cain 4-13; Morton 0-0

-- Lee 1-13; Correia 4-12

-- Kuroda 5-13; Parker 4-13
-- Doubront 2-10; Gausman 2-4
-- Santana 7-13; Hellickson 7-13 (0 of last 3)
-- Rogers 1-2; Darvish 5-12

Totals
-- Seven of last nine St Louis games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Cincinnati games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Colorado games went over the total.
-- Six of last nine Pittsburgh games went over the total.

-- Six of last eight Minnesota games stayed under total.

-- Nine of last twelve Oakland games stayed under total.
-- Six of last seven Red Sox games went over the total.
-- 11 of last 13 Kansas City games stayed under total.
-- Nine of last twelve Texas games stayed under the total; last three Toronto games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Cardinals won four of their last six games.
-- Reds won 15 of their last 20 road games.
-- Colorado won seven of its last eleven games.
-- Pirates won four of their last five games.

-- Twins won six of their last seven home games.

-- Oakland won its last nine home games.
-- Orioles won eight of their last ten home games. Boston won 13 of its last 19 games overall.
-- Royals won seven of their last eight games.
-- Blue Jays won four of their last five games.

Cold teams
-- Mets lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Cubs lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Washington lost nine of its last twelve road games.
-- Giants lost 12 of their last 16 road games.

-- Phillies lost their last five games, allowing 25 runs.

-- Bronx lost three of its last five games.
-- Tampa Bay lost three of its last four games.
-- Texas lost five of its last seven games.

Umpires
-- StL-NY-- Home team won last eleven Conroy games.
-- SF-Pitt-- Four of last five McClelland games went over.
-- Cin-Chi-- Favorites won seven of last nine Carlson games.
-- Wsh-Colo-- Home side won eleven of last thirteen Hoye games.

-- Phil-Min-- Four of last five Dreckman games stayed under.

-- NY-A's-- Favorites won last five Bucknor games.
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, June 12

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Trend Report
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1:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. NY METS
St. Louis is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games on the road
NY Mets are 4-11 SU in its last 15 games at home
NY Mets are 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against St. Louis

2:20 PM
CINCINNATI vs. CHI CUBS
Cincinnati is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 8 games
Chi Cubs are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games at home
Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games

3:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Colorado's last 13 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing Washington

3:35 PM
NY YANKEES vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games
NY Yankees are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games

7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. BALTIMORE
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games
Baltimore is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home
Baltimore is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. PITTSBURGH
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

7:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. TAMPA BAY
Kansas City is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Tampa Bay
Kansas City is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Tampa Bay's last 22 games when playing Kansas City
Tampa Bay is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Kansas City

8:05 PM
TORONTO vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Texas
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games

8:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. MINNESOTA
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, June 12

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Thursday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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A relatively quiet day around major league parks Thursday, but still an opportunity to look at a pair of streaking pitchers and a pair of slumping hurlers.

Streaking

Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals (9-3, 2.34 ERA)

Wainwright is one of the best starters in the National League and has won his last four starts and five of his last six. He's involved in a marquee matchup Thursday afternoon as the Cards are in New York to face the Mets. Matt Harvey gets the ball for the Mets.

Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies (7-2, 2.55 ERA)

The Phillies lefty has been on fire since early May and has recorded six wins in his last eight starts. His ERA over those last eight appearances is a sparkling 1.84.


Slumping

Hiroki Kuroda, New York Yankees (6-5, 2.84 ERA)

The Yankees started the season winning seven of Kuroda's first nine starts. Since then, they've lost his last four starts. Kuroda has an ERA of 5.23 in those starts.

Ervin Santana, Kansas City Royals (4-5, 2.99 ERA)

Santana started the season in stellar fashion, but he has slowed down recently. The Royals are 1-6 in his last seven starts and they have scored four or more runs in just two of those outings.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, June 12

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ST LOUIS (42 - 23) at NY METS (24 - 36) - 1:10 PM
ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R) vs. MATT HARVEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 16-7 (+11.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 42-23 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 23-11 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
ST LOUIS is 8-1 (+7.7 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less this season.
ST LOUIS is 42-23 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 35-15 (+16.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 19-4 (+14.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
WAINWRIGHT is 51-29 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 20-35 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 24-36 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 13-20 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 9-16 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
NY METS are 24-36 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 15-25 (-13.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 2-4 (-0.2 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. NY METS since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 1-4 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 6.61 and a WHIP of 1.309.
His team's record is 1-4 (-5.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-4. (-3.6 units)

MATT HARVEY vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
HARVEY is 0-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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CINCINNATI (40 - 26) at CHICAGO CUBS (25 - 38) - 2:20 PM
MAT LATOS (R) vs. JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 319-329 (+51.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 81-44 (+19.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 139-94 (+23.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 67-49 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 304-326 (+34.2 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 55-31 (+16.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 139-94 (+23.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 456-507 (+46.3 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
LATOS is 33-14 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LATOS is 33-14 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 52-86 (-22.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 12-27 (-12.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 86-139 (-36.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 686-656 (-154.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 198-243 (-65.5 Units) against the money line in June games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 7-21 (-12.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 692-717 (-135.7 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 86-139 (-36.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 59-100 (-28.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 10-2 (+6.5 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
8 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.7 Units)

MAT LATOS vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
LATOS is 4-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.91 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 5-2 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-4. (-2.1 units)

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
SAMARDZIJA is 1-2 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 2.55 and a WHIP of 1.135.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

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WASHINGTON (32 - 32) at COLORADO (35 - 31) - 3:10 PM
ROSS DETWILER (L) vs. JEFF FRANCIS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 212-181 (+26.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 20-7 (+12.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 104-90 (+23.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 172-220 (-48.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 94-104 (-29.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 28-49 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 172-220 (-48.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 24-49 (-24.0 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
FRANCIS is 2-16 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 1-1 (+0.8 Units) against COLORADO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

ROSS DETWILER vs. COLORADO since 1997
DETWILER is 0-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 8.00 and a WHIP of 2.111.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

JEFF FRANCIS vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
FRANCIS is 1-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.81 and a WHIP of 1.373.
His team's record is 5-2 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-2. (+2.8 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (33 - 31) at PITTSBURGH (39 - 26) - 7:05 PM
MATT CAIN (R) vs. CHARLIE MORTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 327-341 (+46.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 39-26 (+16.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 23-11 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 38-26 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 39-26 (+16.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 24-16 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 32-19 (+16.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 33-22 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 61-51 (+11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 138-104 (+25.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 138-102 (+27.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 86-60 (+21.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 495-490 (+44.2 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

MATT CAIN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
CAIN is 2-2 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 3.10 and a WHIP of 1.066.
His team's record is 6-3 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-4. (+0.4 units)

CHARLIE MORTON vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
MORTON is 2-3 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.07 and a WHIP of 1.227.
His team's record is 2-5 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-7. (-7.1 units)

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NY YANKEES (37 - 28) at OAKLAND (40 - 27) - 3:35 PM
HIROKI KURODA (R) vs. JARROD PARKER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 40-27 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 71-41 (+28.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 13-4 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in home games in June games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 40-24 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 89-59 (+38.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 27-12 (+16.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
OAKLAND is 68-55 (+23.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PARKER is 17-9 (+8.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NY YANKEES are 44-20 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 26-12 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 4-1 (+3.6 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

HIROKI KURODA vs. OAKLAND since 1997
KURODA is 1-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.12 and a WHIP of 1.118.
His team's record is 1-2 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

JARROD PARKER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
PARKER is 1-0 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 1.13 and a WHIP of 0.750.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.1 units)

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BOSTON (41 - 26) at BALTIMORE (37 - 29) - 7:05 PM
FELIX DOUBRONT (L) vs. KEVIN GAUSMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 110-119 (-29.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 42-52 (-21.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 92-107 (-38.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 74-87 (-28.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 37-29 (+7.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 56-41 (+18.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 24-14 (+12.5 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 65-49 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 18-8 (+10.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 59-46 (+23.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 120-86 (+44.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 15-6 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 38-28 (+13.0 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 19-9 (+10.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
BALTIMORE is 19-11 (+8.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 21-9 (+10.8 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 20-12 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BOSTON is 13-6 (+7.7 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
DOUBRONT is 8-2 (+7.8 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 2-1 (+1.5 Units) against BOSTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

FELIX DOUBRONT vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
DOUBRONT is 0-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.2 units)

KEVIN GAUSMAN vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

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KANSAS CITY (30 - 33) at TAMPA BAY (35 - 30) - 7:10 PM
ERVIN SANTANA (R) vs. JEREMY HELLICKSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 29-29 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 2-0 (+2.1 Units) against TAMPA BAY this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.1 Units)

ERVIN SANTANA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
SANTANA is 5-6 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 5.47 and a WHIP of 1.418.
His team's record is 5-8 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-8. (-4.3 units)

JEREMY HELLICKSON vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
HELLICKSON is 1-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.79 and a WHIP of 1.345.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

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

TORONTO (28 - 36) at TEXAS (38 - 27) - 8:05 PM
ESMIL ROGERS (R) vs. YU DARVISH (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 9-19 (-10.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TORONTO is 60-82 (-24.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 62-33 (+18.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-1 (+1.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

ESMIL ROGERS vs. TEXAS since 1997
ROGERS is 0-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

YU DARVISH vs. TORONTO since 1997
DARVISH is 2-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.077.
His team's record is 2-2 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (31 - 35) at MINNESOTA (29 - 33) - 8:10 PM
CLIFF LEE (L) vs. KEVIN CORREIA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 51-62 (-20.5 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 112-116 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-25 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 9-19 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 112-113 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 16-9 (+9.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MINNESOTA is 37-26 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 3 seasons.
CORREIA is 23-17 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 14-5 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 23-17 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 63-49 (+28.7 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CORREIA is 14-6 (+9.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MINNESOTA is 79-113 (-34.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 73-90 (-35.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 79-113 (-34.2 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-0 (+2.1 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

CLIFF LEE vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
LEE is 8-4 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 3.64 and a WHIP of 1.281.
His team's record is 11-8 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 11-8. (+2.5 units)

KEVIN CORREIA vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
CORREIA is 1-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 9.98 and a WHIP of 2.674.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+0.8 units)

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

[StarDust Bum]

Yesterday's POD'S Go A Perfect 6 - 0....

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

06/12/13 21-*7-*0 75.00% +*6755 Detail
06/11/13 15-*15-*0 50.00% -*930 Detail
06/10/13 10-*9-*1 52.63% +*530 Detail
06/09/13 11-*16-*0 40.74% -*3630 Detail
06/07/13 9-*14-*0 39.13% -*3335 Detail
06/06/13 9-*11-*0 45.00% -*1335 Detail
06/05/13 16-*14-*0 53.33% +*750 Detail
06/04/13 9-*21-*0 30.00% -*6465 Detail
06/03/13 12-*6-*0 66.67% +*3305 Detail
06/02/13 15-*12-*0 55.56% +*1920 Detail
06/01/13 15-*17-*0 46.88% -*1365 Detail

Totals 142-*142-*1 50.00% -*3800


Thursday, June 13

Game Score Status Pick Amount

St. Louis - 1:10 PM ET NY Mets +118 500 POD # 1
NY Mets - Under 6.5 500

Cincinnati - 2:20 PM ET Cincinnati -129 500
Chi. Cubs -

Washington - 3:10 PM ET Washington +118 500 POD # 2
Colorado - Under 11 500

NY Yankees - 3:35 PM ET Oakland -113 500
Oakland - Under 7.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Evening Pod's


Boston - 7:05 PM ET Boston -107 500

Baltimore - Over 9.5 500 POD # 4

San Francisco - 7:05 PM ET San Francisco -106 500

Pittsburgh - Over 7.5 500 POD # 2

Kansas City - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -137 500

Tampa Bay - Over 8 500

Toronto - 8:05 PM ET Toronto +201 500 POD # 1

Texas - Over 9 500

Philadelphia - 8:10 PM ET Philadelphia -137 500

Minnesota - Under 7.5 500 POD # 3

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (33-32) at Indians (32-33)
Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: June 14, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The Cleveland Indians may be thrilled to return home.

Justin Masterson may be the most relieved.

Coming off a lackluster road trip, the Indians hope Masterson can continue his home dominance in Friday night's series opener with the Washington Nationals.

Cleveland (32-33) opened a nine-game road trip by losing seven in a row before finding some solace in winning the last two, including Wednesday's 5-2 victory at Texas.

"It takes a little pressure off," second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "You get a happy flight home, you get a day off, you get a little momentum on your side, you get to go home for a long homestand."

A nine-game homestand may be just what the Indians need to begin cutting into the 4 1/2-game gap on AL Central-leading Detroit. Hosting an NL foe may be even better since they've won seven in a row in Cleveland in interleague play, batting .341 with 15 homers while averaging 7.6 runs.

The pitching staff has been particularly outstanding in four home interleague wins this year, compiling a 1.25 ERA with the rotation getting each victory.

Masterson (8-5, 3.68 ERA) was responsible for one of them, allowing one run with seven strikeouts in six innings of a 5-2 win over Cincinnati on May 29. He's won three straight interleague starts at Progressive Field, yielding two runs with 25 strikeouts in 22 innings.

The right-hander is 5-1 with a 2.36 ERA in seven home starts in 2013.

Masterson, who is making his first career start versus Washington, hasn't been nearly as effective on the road, compiling an 8.06 ERA while losing four starts in a row, two on Cleveland's recent trip.

Kipnis was one of the few bright spots for the Indians during that stretch, going 11 for 28 (.393) over the last seven games. He kept that surge going with his best performance yet Wednesday, getting three hits while coming a triple shy of the cycle and driving in a run.

Michael Brantley, who owns a .184 average with two RBIs over the past 11 road games, could be sparked with a return to Cleveland, where he is hitting .345 with 10 RBIs in his last eight contests.

The Nationals (33-32) are hoping for a similar result for Gio Gonzalez (3-3, 3.59), who is facing the Indians for the first time since Sept. 1, 2011, with Oakland. The left-hander is 5-0 with a 0.72 ERA in six career meetings, winning all four visits to Progressive Field.

He's needed some help from the lineup lately, going 0-1 with a 2.27 ERA while being backed by 11 total runs over his last six games.

The bats provided him two runs Saturday, while he allowed three in six innings of a 4-3 loss in 11 at Minnesota.

Washington, though, has since won four of five behind a .292 average after winning 5-4 at Colorado on Thursday. Still, the team is 5 1/2 games back of NL East-leading Atlanta.

"We just need to grind it out and stay where we're at and stay within striking distance," said third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who hit his seventh homer Thursday. "And then hopefully once we get going or maybe this is the start of that, where we can have a good 20-game span. Then all of a sudden we're right back in it."

Ian Desmond is doing his part, batting .404 with 12 RBIs during a career-high 15-game hitting streak. He's been particularly impressive over the last five games, going 11 for 18 with eight RBIs after getting four hits and plating a run Thursday.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (28-37) at Pirates (39-26)
Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 14, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


There's a chance Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig might be healthy enough to return to the starting lineup for the series opener in Pittsburgh.

The question is whether Major League Baseball will give him the chance.

Puig could be among the players suspended for a brawl earlier this week, but Hanley Ramirez is expected to return Friday night to try to help the Dodgers extend their dominance over the Pirates.

After being scratched from the starting lineup because of a strained right shoulder Wednesday against Arizona, Puig entered in the 12th inning and got a hit in his only at-bat in that 8-6 loss. The outfielder is batting .486 with four homers and 10 RBIs in his first 10 games but it's unknown when he'll get to add to those stats.

Puig was seen punching the back of Diamondbacks infielder Eric Hinske's head in Tuesday night's brawl. He was also among four players hit by pitches before the benches cleared and was among the six who were ejected afterward.

"One thing we've learned from Yasiel is there's no half-speed," manager Don Mattingly said. "It's fast, hard and all the time, so I'm really not surprised."

MLB is expected to hand out punishments from that incident Friday and it's unknown which players will be available for the series with Pittsburgh (39-27). The Dodgers (28-37), losers in four of five, likely can't afford to be too short-handed because the Pirates enter having won 13 of 17 at home.

While Puig's status is unknown, Los Angeles is expected to have Ramirez in the lineup. A nagging left hamstring has limited the shortstop to a pinch-hitting role since June 5.

In his first start in a little more than a week, Ramirez will try to lead the Dodgers to their 19th win in 22 games against the Pirates. Los Angeles swept a home series with Pittsburgh from April 5-7.

Stephen Fife (1-1, 3.78 ERA) will also seek his second career victory in his first outing against the Pirates. The right-hander allowed two runs over a career-high 6 2-3 innings Saturday but was saddled with a 2-1 loss to Atlanta.

Fife has given up two runs or fewer in seven of his eight career starts but has received a combined 14 runs from his teammates.

It would appear that Fife would have a difficult time getting better run support Friday as Pittsburgh will send out Jeff Locke (5-1, 2.39).

The left-hander, moving up to take the injured A.J. Burnett's spot in the rotation, has earned a team-best five straight wins and has a 1.21 ERA in his last five starts. He gave up one run and one hit over 5 2-3 innings Sunday but also walked seven and did not get a decision in a 4-1 defeat to the Chicago Cubs.

Locke is 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in two career starts against the Dodgers, who handed him his only loss in 2013. He opened this season by allowing four runs over six innings in a 6-2 defeat in Los Angeles on April 7, but has since compiled a 2.08 ERA over 12 starts.

Pittsburgh hopes to bounce back from its most lopsided defeat of the season, 10-0 to San Francisco on Thursday. The Pirates managed three hits after producing 20 runs and 30 hits in the first two games of the series.

Andrew McCutchen has doubled in each of his last four games, and is 8 for 15 overall in those contests, but is batting .217 (5 for 23) in his last seven versus the Dodgers.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (43-23) at Marlins (19-46)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 14, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The St. Louis Cardinals' rotation has the best ERA in baseball, and it's about to get back the pitcher who had quite a bit to do with that for the first five weeks of the season.

Jake Westbrook makes his first start in more than a month Friday night as the NL Central leaders visit the Miami Marlins for the first of three.

Adam Wainwright lowered the St. Louis' starters ERA to 2.74 by throwing seven shutout innings in Thursday's 2-1 win at the New York Mets. Now, the Cardinals (43-23) are hoping Westbrook (2-1, 1.62 ERA) can seamlessly return to the rotation Friday after spending a month on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation.

The right-hander had a 1.62 ERA through six starts prior to the injury, the best mark in the Cardinals' rotation and one of the best in the majors. Though his peripheral numbers aren't impressive - Westbrook struck out 19 and walked 18 in 39.0 innings - he didn't allow a homer and had a major league-best 76.5 percent ground-ball rate.

He gave up two runs over 10 2-3 innings, walking none and striking out 10, in two rehab starts for Double-A Springfield.

"I've always had elbow issues and I pitched through a lot of it," Westbrook told MLB.com. "I think I'm always going to have something, some sort of feeling in there that's not normal.

"I feel really good right now. I feel really good with the two starts I've had. I feel really encouraged about getting up and down seven times on Sunday, and hopefully it continues to feel that way throughout the year."

He and his teammates should feel quite comfortable on the road. The Cardinals, a major league-best 24-11 on the road, haven't lost a series outside St. Louis since dropping two of three to Arizona to open 2013.

Westbrook went 0-1 with a 2.13 ERA in two starts against Miami last season when St. Louis won five of seven matchups. The Cardinals took three of four in Miami.

After dropping two of three to Milwaukee, the Marlins (19-46) continue their six-game homestand with rookie right-hander Jose Fernandez (3-3, 3.17) on the mound.

The 20-year-old Cuban gave up one run or fewer for the fourth time in seven starts by throwing six innings of one-run ball in Saturday's 2-1, 20-inning win at the New York Mets.

"I've really been trying to make pitches, make good pitches and make them in a good location - that's how it's been," Fernandez told the Marlins' official website. "The catchers, they're calling the right pitches in the right moments, and it's been pretty good."

Fernandez has been outstanding in five home starts, going 1-0 with a 1.55 ERA.

Miami in batting .229 with a major league-worst 3.0 runs per game, but the club is hitting .266 and averaging 4.3 runs during a 6-5 stretch.

Giancarlo Stanton and Logan Morrison could help the club continue its improvement at the plate. Stanton is 3 for 12 with a homer in three games since sitting out six weeks with a hamstring injury, while Morrison is 4 for 9 in three games following offseason right knee surgery.

Morrison likely will return to the lineup after sitting out Wednesday's 10-1 loss.

Left fielder Juan Pierre extended his season-best hitting streak to nine in that game, but he's 1 for 17 off Westbrook.

David Freese should be back in the Cardinals' lineup after getting Thursday off. His career-best 20-game hitting streak, also the longest in the majors this season, ended Wednesday.

Freese is a .464 (13 for 28) career hitter off Marlins pitching.

St. Louis' Carlos Beltran, a career .333 hitter in Miami, will try to hit safely in his 13th consecutive game. He's batting .364 (20 for 55) with four homers and 13 RBIs during his run.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (25-38) at Mets (24-37)
Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 14, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


While the Chicago Cubs are showing signs of breaking out of their slump, the New York Mets haven't been able to overcome their season-long troubles at the plate.

Runs could be tough to come by when these offensively challenged clubs open a three-game series Friday night at Citi Field.

After hitting .161 in losing five of six, the Cubs (26-38) matched a season high with 15 hits in a 6-5, 14-inning win over Cincinnati on Thursday.

Pinch-hitter Julio Borbon singled home the winning run with two outs as the Cubs scored at least five runs for the first time in seven games.

Chicago has lost eight of 11, largely because it's batting .203 with 36 runs over that span.

"I think we needed that win today," winning pitcher Hector Rondon said.

All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro went 3 for 7 after entering in a 4-for-48 slump, while Anthony Rizzo (.135) and Darwin Barney (.205) have struggled this month.

Chicago will be looking to build on Thursday's performance as it meets the Mets (24-37) to open a seven-game road trip.

The Cubs are scheduled to face Shaun Marcum (0-7, 4.96 ERA), who had his best outing of the season in relief Saturday. The right-hander suffered the defeat despite giving up one run and five hits over eight innings in a 2-1, 20-inning loss to Miami.

Marcum is 4-0 with a 2.90 ERA in five starts against the Cubs. Alfonso Soriano (2 for 11), David DeJesus (3 for 23) and Castro (2 for 16) haven't had much success when facing him.

The Mets have had their own troubles at the plate, particularly while losing four of five on this homestand.

New York, which has dropped eight of 10, couldn't get anything going again Thursday except for a Marlon Byrd home run - his second in as many games - in a 2-1 loss to St. Louis.

The Mets are hitting a major league-worst .224 and have scored 13 runs while batting .184 on the homestand.

Right-hander Edwin Jackson (2-8, 5.76) will try to keep their bats quiet after snapping a three-start losing streak Sunday. He struck out eight and allowed one run and four hits over seven innings in a 4-1 win over Pittsburgh.

"Sometimes we take the game too serious and we are kind of confined in a bubble," Jackson said. "I was just able to come out of that bubble and have some fun out there."

He'll make his second start against the Mets this season after giving up three runs and seven hits - two homers - over 6 2-3 innings in a 3-2 loss at Wrigley Field on May 17.

David Murphy and David Wright homered off Jackson in that contest, though Murphy is 2 for 12 against him.

Wright, who went 3 for 4 on Thursday, has been one of the few bright spots with 11 hits in 28 at_bats (.393) over his last six games. He's batting .385 during a seven-game hitting streak against the Cubs.

Chicago lost two of three at home to the Mets last month but has won four of the last five meetings in New York.