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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (39-39) at Mets (32-43)
Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 29, 2013 1:10 PM EDT


All eyes were on Matt Harvey Friday night.

All eyes might be on the New York Mets bullpen Saturday afternoon as it looks to avenge a blown save against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field.

The Mets (32-44) and Nationals (40-39) have squared off six times this year. On three occasions, the Mets bullpen has pitched scoreless baseball and New York has won. In the other three games, New York's bullpen has given up multiple runs and the Mets have lost. Overall, the relievers have posted a 6.32 ERA against Washington this season.

On Friday, the bullpen couldn't hold on after another dominant outing from Harvey and the Nationals rallied from a 4-1 deficit, getting a three-run double by Ryan Zimmerman and a go-ahead double from Ian Desmond in a 6-4 victory.

Desmond enters Saturday among the league leaders with eight home runs in June. His homer in the fifth inning Friday broke up what had been a perfect game from Harvey and he has now gone deep in consecutive games. Zimmerman has doubled in three straight.

"Everybody's been down on what they're capable of doing,' Washington manager Davey Johnson said. "This is a good jump start.'

Washington, which entered Friday having lost 13 of 19 on the road while hitting .199 during that stretch, will look for several other players to emerge Saturday. Anthony Rendon is 0 for his last 9 but managed a critical eight-inning walk in the opener. Jayson Werth, who entered Friday's ninth inning having struck out in seven of his last 12 at_bats, ignited his team's winning rally with a leadoff double.

The Nationals could use the support to guide Taylor Jordan through his major league debut. The 24-year-old right-hander drew plenty of attention with his 9-1 start to the minor league season. Beginning 2013 with Class A Potomac, he was quickly promoted to Double-A Harrisburg, where he was 7-0 with a 0.83 ERA.

"I think the one thing that stands out the most is his fastball command," Harrisburg manager Matt LeCroy told the Nationals' official website. "He has another thing he does really well. He slows the game down and takes it one pitch at a time, and that's something that's hard to teach."

Opposing Jordan is the Mets' Dillon Gee (5-7, 4.82 ERA), who is coming off a disappointing start in Philadelphia. After a rough start to the year, he had been pitching his best baseball, with a 3-1 record and a 1.53 ERA in 29 1-3 innings heading into last Saturday. Gee, though, allowed six runs - including three homers - in five innings but escaped without a decision in an 8-7 loss.

"I had nothing I could command,' Gee said. "It was just a bad day. I was all over the place and they made me pay for it. I just have to pick up the pieces and hopefully start another roll.'

Gee has fared well against Washington, going 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA. Those five wins are his most against any opponent. In his latest matchup versus the Nationals on June 5, the right-hander, who has received 24 runs of support in his other 14 starts this season, cruised through seven innings of one-run ball in a 10-1 win.

Ever since Gee's last start against Washington, David Wright has been on a tear, with a .384 batting average and nine multi-hit performances in 20 games.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jays (39-39) at Red Sox (48-33)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 29, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


The Boston Red Sox have been piling up hits of late.

They'll look to keep turning them into wins as they go for a fifth straight victory Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

Boston (49-33) has posted double-digit hit totals in six of its last seven games, batting .365 with 25 extra-base hits. The Red Sox have been particularly impressive during the current four-game win streak, hitting .436 with runners in scoring position while averaging 7.5 runs.

They continued the hit parade Friday night with 15 in a 7-5 victory over the Blue Jays.

Boston might have to carry on without Stephen Drew, who has three triples and two doubles over the last four games. The shortstop left Friday's game with a tight right hamstring and is day-to-day, according to manager John Farrell.

Dustin Pedroia, meanwhile, had three hits and is 12 for 21 (.571) over the past five games. Jacoby Ellsbury recorded his 15th multihit performance in 26 games, a span in which he's batting .383.

Boston has been particularly hot at home, winning 14 of 18 while batting .319. Ellsbury has hit .414 over his last 13 home games, Pedroia has batted .374 at Fenway Park this season and David Ortiz is batting .351 during a nine-game hitting streak there.

Esmil Rogers (3-3, 3.46 ERA) likely isn't looking forward to facing this Boston lineup. The right-hander has made four appearances against the Red Sox in 2013, all out of the bullpen, and has posted a 23.14 ERA against them. Boston is hitting .462 off Rogers this season with two home runs in 2 1-3 innings.

Rogers, who joined Toronto's starting rotation at the end of May, had surrendered three home runs in his first 50 innings of the season entering Monday. That's when he gave up three straight in the second inning against Tampa Bay, ultimately yielding four runs in six innings of a 4-1 loss.

"I think I lost a little bit of my confidence out there, a little scared to throw my breaking pitch," Rogers told the team's official website. "I don't know why something like that was coming out of my mind. I'll learn about that moment and say it's not going to happen again."

Felix Doubront (4-3, 4.33), meanwhile, hopes the Red Sox's success at the plate carries over for one more day. The left-hander has only one win since April, due in part to an offense that has provided him with 16 runs of support over his last eight starts - he has a 2.89 ERA in that span. Doubront did not get a decision Sunday, allowing three runs - two earned - in five innings of a 7-5 loss at Detroit.

He has not fared well in his last three starts against the Blue Jays, going 0-2 with a 7.80 ERA. Doubront was tagged for nine hits in five innings at Toronto on April 5, yielding three runs in a 6-4 win.

Colby Rasmus has a .385 average against Doubront, including a double, two triples and a home run in 13 at_bats.

Toronto (39-40) has lost four of five while batting .187, but could take some encouragement after coming from five runs down to briefly tie Friday's game.

"What makes it tough is we came back and tied it," manager John Gibbons said, "but it's never easy playing catch-up and that's what we've had to do."

Jose Reyes recorded his first hit since returning from a sprained left ankle. Adam Lind, previously mired in a 6-for-35 slump, recorded an RBI single. Edwin Encarnacion hit his fifth home run in 10 games and is now third in the majors with 23.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (48-30) at Athletics (46-34)
Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: June 29, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


The St. Louis Cardinals have boasted baseball's best starting rotation this season.

But lately, it's buckled, along with the Cardinals' NL Central lead.

After another uncharacteristically poor pitching performance, St. Louis will look to staff ace Adam Wainwright to right the ship Saturday against the Oakland Athletics.

The Cardinals starters' ERA of 3.14 this season leads baseball, but they've posted a 6.75 mark during a 1-5 stretch after a 6-1 loss at Oakland on Friday. The defeat dropped St. Louis (48-31) a game behind Pittsburgh - which defeated Milwaukee 10-3 - for first place.

Shelby Miller tied the team's second-shortest start of the season, getting pulled after 1 2-3 innings - seven days after Tyler Lyons also recorded just five outs in a loss to Texas. All five runs and five of the six hits charged to Miller, an eight-game winner who had lasted at least five innings in every start this year, came in a second inning during which he threw 51 pitches. That's the most in one inning by any pitcher this season.

Wainwright (10-5, 2.31 ERA) ranks among baseball's top 10 in ERA, but he'll have to end his own two-game losing streak. He didn't agree with manager Mike Matheny's decision to pull him from his last start against Texas on Sunday.

The right-hander had thrown six scoreless innings, then was yanked after surrendering two two-out hits in the seventh, the second of which brought home the Rangers' first run. That was enough for Matheny, who commented later that Wainwright had been "laboring."

"He's wrong," Wainwright said. "You don't want to call your manager out and I would never do that. Laboring is not what I was doing."

Wainwright threw 105 pitches as he averaged 15.8 per inning, compared to 14.1 on the season.

"No, I didn't want to come out of that game," he said. "I felt I was as strong or stronger at the end than I was in the beginning."

After two straight losses at home, Wainwright could be helped by hitting the road, where the Cardinals have won all eight of his starts - he's 7-0 in that span - since an opening day loss in Arizona.

Wainwright will have to deal with a couple of hot bats for the Athletics (47-34). Jed Lowrie went 1 for 3 with a double Friday and is batting .464 during a seven-game hitting streak. Josh Donaldson, who had homered in each of his previous two contests, went 2 for 3 and is at .359 with 10 RBIs in his last 11 games.

They'll look to back Jarrod Parker (6-6, 4.27), who hasn't lost in six starts since May 22. He's 4-0 with a 2.34 ERA in that span, surrendering 25 hits over 42 1-3 innings.

The right-hander yielded three runs - all on two homers - over seven innings in a 6-3 loss at Seattle on Sunday.

Parker, who faces the Cardinals for the first time, is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his last three interleague starts.

Wainwright has never pitched against Oakland.

Matt Carpenter went 2 for 4 on Friday and is batting .382 during an eight-game hitting streak.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (42-36) at Braves (45-34)
Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: June 29, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


Ian Kennedy hasn't taken the mound in nearly two weeks after serving a suspension. Facing the Atlanta Braves in his first start back could prove helpful considering his history in the series.

His counterpart, Tim Hudson, is focused on ending the longest winless streak of his career.

Kennedy gets the nod for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday in Atlanta as Hudson seeks his first win in nearly eight weeks.

Kennedy (3-4, 5.21 ERA) was dealt a 10-game suspension after hitting Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke on June 11 at Dodger Stadium. The ball off Greinke's helmet lead to a bench-clearing scuffle and ultimately five other individual suspensions, though Kennedy's was the most severe.

He dropped his appeal after giving up one run and four hits over six-plus innings in a 4-1 loss to San Diego on June 16, though he did not get a decision. The right-hander disagreed with the severity of the punishment, but felt dropping the appeal would lessen the distraction.

"I kept on getting questions every single day and my teammates and everybody else," said Kennedy, who limited Los Angeles and San Diego to a combined three runs - all on two homers - and eight hits in 12 1-3 innings. "So I figured it was the best thing for the team so we could put it past us."

Kennedy owns a 2.84 ERA in four career starts versus Atlanta with wins in each of the last two, including a 5-3 victory on May 15. He yielded three runs and struck out seven in five innings.

Hudson (4-7, 4.10) has compiled a 1.82 ERA over his last five starts, but it hasn't ended a nine-start winless streak dating to a victory over the New York Mets on May 5.

The 15th-year veteran's victory drought may be due more to a lack of offense than anything else. His 1.66 run-support average over his last nine starts is the lowest in baseball among qualifying pitchers during that stretch.

Hudson received no runs of support for the third time in four starts last Saturday as he yielded two runs over six innings in a 2-0 loss at Milwaukee.

"That's baseball," the right-hander told the team's official website. "Unfortunately, sometimes you lose games like that. You have to go out there and keep plugging along, and hopefully the tide starts turning a little bit."

Hudson opposed Kennedy in May, and gave up five runs in five innings to take the loss, the second game in his winless stretch. He had been 7-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his previous nine starts against the Diamondbacks.

Behind Kennedy, Arizona (42-37) should have J.J. Putz back in its bullpen, as he's slated to rejoin the team Saturday. He hasn't pitched since May 7 due to a strained right elbow but yielded one run over four innings in four recent rehab appearances for Triple-A Reno.

It is not clear if Putz, who posted a 4.26 ERA while converting five of nine save opportunities before being injured, would immediately slide back into the Diamondbacks' closer role. Heath Bell has a 4.67 ERA in 19 appearances with 13 saves in 15 chances since May 7.

Atlanta (46-34) didn't give Arizona an opportunity to close out Friday's series opener, winning for the third time in four games with a 3-0 victory. It was the first time the Diamondbacks were shut out since Sept. 26.

Arizona's Martin Prado was 1 for 2 with a walk in his first game against his former club.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (36-40) at Twins (35-40)
Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: June 29, 2013 4:10 PM EDT


The first order of business for the Kansas City Royals is getting back to .500. A few more games for Billy Butler against the Minnesota Twins should help in that pursuit.

Butler looks to continue his hot hitting against Minnesota pitching Saturday when the Twins send Kyle Gibson to the mound for his major league debut.

This hasn't been the best offensive season for Butler, and he seems unlikely to come close to the career-high 29 home runs he hit in 2012. Still, none of that seems to matter when he faces the Twins (35-41).

Butler got the Royals started quickly with a three-run homer - his sixth of the season and first in 136 at_bats - in the opening inning Friday and added a pair of singles in a 9-3 win. He is batting .468 with three home runs and 16 RBIs during a 16-game hitting streak against Minnesota.

Butler has hit .519 (14 for 27) versus the Twins this year, and .252 against the rest of baseball.

Eric Hosmer had his second career multihomer effort and Mike Moustakas also went deep for the first time since May 10, giving the Royals a season-best four home runs. They entered the game last in the majors with 43.

"This is what our offense is capable of doing, and we feel confident that we can put up a lot of runs and then put up days like this," Hosmer said.

The win was only the third in nine games overall for Kansas City, but its ninth in 12 meetings with Minnesota. The Royals (37-40) briefly reached .500 last week but haven't been above that mark since mid-May.

With starter P.J. Walters lifted after three innings Friday, the Twins hope Gibson can provide some innings in his first major league appearance.

The 25-year-old right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday after going 7-5 with a 3.01 ERA in 15 starts. Gibson, the second-ranked pitcher and No. 4 overall prospect in Minnesota's system, is 5-0 with a 2.39 ERA in his last seven starts.

"I think it's always a constant battle," Gibson told the team's official website of finding consistency. "Maybe in the last 10 games I can say that I've found that, but I think being consistent and constant consistency on the major league level is going to be a different thing."

He allowed one unearned run over seven innings and struck out six in a 5-2 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 20 in his most recent outing.

Joe Mauer went 0 for 4 on Friday and is hitless in back-to-back games for only the second time since an 0-for-19 skid in late April. He's 7 for 36 (.194) this year versus the Royals, but 5 for 10 against scheduled starter Wade Davis.

After going 1-3 with a 7.76 ERA in five May starts, Davis (4-5, 4.96 ERA) is 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA in four outings this month. The right-hander limited the White Sox to two runs over seven innings last Saturday before leaving without a decision in a 3-2 loss.

Davis has not allowed an earned run in two starts this season against the Twins, but hasn't been very economical. He beat them April 10 but needed 96 pitches to complete five innings in a 3-0 win, and Davis didn't get a decision as he threw 107 over five frames in Kansas City's 7-3 victory June 6.

His 3-0 record versus Minnesota - in eight career games - is his best against any opponent.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Angels (36-43) at Astros (30-49)
Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 29, 2013 4:10 PM EDT


After relying on their offense for much of the season, the Los Angeles Angels' starting pitching has returned the favor recently. But Joe Blanton hasn't been able to count on much run support or a strong bullpen behind him lately as he continues to chase his second victory.

Blanton and the Angels look for that to change Saturday as they visit the Houston Astros, who already beat him twice this season.

Los Angeles (37-43) has won 10 of 15 after Friday's 4-2 win at Houston. The Angels scored at least six runs in six of the first eight of those victories, but starters Jered Weaver and Jerome Williams limited opponents to a combined two runs in 13 1-3 innings in the last two.

The 4.48 ERA by the starting staff ranks as one of baseball's worst, while the offense ranks in the top 10 in most major categories, including runs (4.7 per game) and on-base percentage (.331).

Blanton's (1-10, 5.26 ERA) lone win came May 23, a 5-3 victory at Kansas City. The Angels' offense wasn't very cooperative in his next four starts, providing five runs of support as he lost three times with a 4.39 ERA. One of those was a 2-1 loss to Houston on June 3 when Blanton surrendered two runs and three hits over eight innings.

Run support wasn't a problem for the AL's leader in losses in his last start, however, as he exited in line for a win after 7 1-3 innings with a 6-3 lead over Pittsburgh on Sunday. Los Angeles' bullpen failed Blanton this time, with Ernesto Frieri giving up three runs, leading to a 10-9 loss in 10 innings.

"Sometimes you have those years," said Blanton, who surrendered thee runs, one earned. "Baseball is a crazy game sometimes, and you've just got to keep executing out there and doing your work between starts and don't give up no matter what happens."

He posted a 2-0 record and 2.57 ERA in five games - four starts - against the Astros before losing to them twice this year.

Josh Hamilton has generally sputtered all season, but could be in line to provide some run support as he looks to continue a strong week. He went 2 for 3 with a run and a double Friday and is 7 for 16 with five runs in four games since not starting in last weekend's series versus Pittsburgh due to a sore right wrist.

Hamilton is 4 for 12 with a home run off Houston starter Jordan Lyles (4-2, 3.68), but 0 for 5 this season.

Lyles defeated the Angels both times he saw them earlier this year, allowing five runs in 10 2-3 innings with 11 strikeouts. He's coming off a rough outing Sunday in which he allowed eight runs - five earned - and 10 hits over five innings in a 14-6 road loss to the Cubs.

Carlos Pena was 5 for 10 lifetime off Blanton before going 0 for 6 with four strikeouts this season. Chris Carter, who was 13 for 36 with seven doubles and two homers in 10 games before going 0 for 3 with a walk Friday, has two home runs in six at_bats versus Blanton.

Houston committed two errors Friday and has been charged with 11 over the last eight games, pushing the club's major league-leading total to 63.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Giants (38-40) at Rockies (39-41)
Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: June 29, 2013 4:10 PM EDT


The Colorado Rockies might have found a way to earn some wins during Michael Cuddyer's franchise-record hit streak, a matchup with the struggling San Francisco Giants.

Cuddyer will try to stretch his streak to 26 games and hand the Giants their longest skid in three seasons Saturday.

Cuddyer is batting .381 with six homers and 18 RBIs during his lengthy run, but Colorado (40-41) has posted a 10-15 record. The Rockies had also dropped 11 of 15 before Friday's series opener against San Francisco (38-41).

His two-run homer in the third inning helped deliver a 4-1 victory over the Giants and sent them to a season high-tying fifth consecutive defeat.

"Cuddy's so locked in right now, I don't know if you can swing the bat any better than he is right now," manager Walt Weiss said. "He's doing damage, too, when he gets his hits. He's been huge."

The loss put San Francisco on the verge of its first six-game skid since it dropped seven in a row June 26-July 2, 2010. It was also San Francisco's sixth in a row on the road, one shy of matching its season high.

The Giants' seven-game road losing streak from May 17-June 1 started with back-to-back defeats against Colorado.

Matt Cain (5-4, 4.54 ERA) will try to help his team avoid matching that skid while earning a seventh win in as many starts against the Rockies. He yielded two runs and two hits over five innings in his most recent matchup, a 7-3 victory May 26, but wasn't nearly as dominant in his only start in Denver this season.

The right-hander gave up six runs - on three homers - in 6 1-3 innings May 16 but he got enough support for an 8-6 win. He's 2-1 in his last three starts at Coors Field despite an 8.44 ERA over that stretch.

Cain has received a combined 43 runs of support in his last six starts against Colorado but has gotten 14 in his five outings this month. He has gone 1-1 in his last four games despite a 2.03 ERA, 25 strikeouts and five walks over that span.

Cain gave up three runs over six innings, struck out eight and walked none Sunday but took the loss in a 7-2 defeat to Miami.

"We didn't get the job done. We didn't get some guys in when we needed to and we didn't throw the ball like we needed to," he said. "You just have to say it's over with and move on."

Colorado's Jorge De La Rosa (8-4, 3.19) had also struggled to get run support recently until a 7-6 win at Washington on Sunday. The left-hander has a 2.74 ERA in his last seven starts but had gotten zero runs in each of his previous two.

He gave up one hit in seven scoreless innings June 17 in a 2-0 loss in Toronto and allowed two runs over six innings Sunday.

De La Rosa snapped a three-game losing streak to San Francisco on May 17 despite giving up five runs over five innings. The Rockies scored nine runs during his five frames en route to a 10-9 victory and have won five of the past seven games in the series.

Cuddyer, batting hitting .352 in his career against San Francisco, hit a two-run double his only matchup with Cain on May 26. He was on the disabled list for a bulging disk in his neck during Cain's most recent game in Denver.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Yankees (42-36) at Orioles (44-36)
Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 29, 2013 7:15 PM EDT


The New York Yankees may have a good chance to get even in this three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles based on their history against Zach Britton.

The visiting Yankees have enjoyed success versus the Orioles starter in the past heading into Saturday night's matchup.

New York (42-37) is 15-10 against left-handed starters for baseball's third-best mark while Britton (1-2, 5.51 ERA) owns a 7.82 ERA versus the Yankees for his second-worst against any club.

Britton is 1-3 in six starts against New York, although he has fared better in going 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three at home.

Robinson Cano is 4 for 10 against Britton. The star second baseman has gone 10 straight games without an extra-base hit after collecting three singles in Friday's 4-3 loss.

The Yankees blew a 3-0 lead after CC Sabathia held the Orioles (45-36) hitless through five innings. Baltimore rallied for three runs in the sixth inning before Nate McLouth hit a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh.

"Tonight was a team win because we didn't get anything until the sixth inning,' center fielder Adam Jones said. "We got everything in spurts."

Tommy Hunter got the final six outs for his second save. Orioles manager Buck Showalter opted against using closer Jim Johnson, who has blown five save opportunities but leads the majors with 27.

"I think he's leading the league in appearances, he pitched three out of four days, threw 60-something pitches in three days," said Showalter about Johnson. "I just wanted to give him one more day. He feels good and I want to keep him that way."

Showalter indicated after the victory that the Orioles may consider calling up a pitcher from Triple-A Norfolk since they do not have a long reliever available Saturday. It's because Kevin Gausman pitched 4 1-3 innings of relief for his first career victory after T.J. McFarland lasted 2 2-3 in his first career start.

The Yankees will start David Phelps (5-4, 4.01), who was originally listed to start Friday. Manager Joe Girardi insisted the mix-up stemmed from a miscommunication between pitching coach Larry Rothschild and the team's public relations department.

"In my mind, it was always CC on Friday and Phelps on Saturday,' said Girardi, whose team has lost three straight since he notched his 599th career victory.

Phelps threw four innings of scoreless relief while allowing only one hit in New York's 5-3 loss to Baltimore on April 13. He also recorded three scoreless relief appearances against the Orioles last year, but posted an 8.31 ERA without a decision in two starts.

Major league home run leader Chris Davis is 0 for 7 with four strikeouts against the right-hander. Davis is 9 for 25 with two homers and 14 strikeouts against the Yankees, with the Orioles leading the season series 4-3.

Phelps is 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA over 10 starts this season, and New York has won his last six versus AL East foes.

He'll have to be wary of Matt Wieters, 3 for 7 against him with two homers.

The Orioles expect to be once again without Brian Roberts, out since the first week of the season with an injured hamstring. Roberts is slated to rejoin Baltimore on Sunday.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (45-34) at Rangers (46-33)
Game: 2
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: June 29, 2013 7:15 PM EDT


The Texas Rangers haven't allowed a run in their last 20 innings while the Cincinnati Reds haven't scored in their last 22.

The Rangers look for a ninth win in 10 games and struggling starter Nick Tepesch will try to extend the Reds' offensive woes in Saturday night's matchup in Arlington.

Texas starters are 5-0 with a 2.91 ERA over the last nine games. The Rangers (47-33) have a 2.01 ERA over their last six, winning five times despite scoring more than four runs just once.

Tepesch (3-6, 4.60 ERA) will seek to continue this scoreless run, which includes Thursday's 2-0 victory over the Yankees and a 4-0 win Friday in the opener of this three-game set. The rookie, however, is 0-3 with a 5.17 ERA in seven outings since beating Houston on May 12.

The right-hander took a step in the right direction Sunday in St. Louis, surrendering one run in 5 2-3 innings in a 2-1 victory at St. Louis.

"That's what you were working for and I've still got a lot of work to do," said Tepesch, who has never faced the Reds.

He'll face a struggling offense that went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position Friday. The Reds (45-35) are losers of three straight and six of seven, batting .215 in that span, and have dropped eight in a row on the road in interleague play dating to 2012.

Shin-Soo Choo is in a 1-for-19 slump, Todd Frazier a 2-for-19 slide and even Joey Votto is mired in a 3-for-17 rut.

"We're not doing anything. It seems like we're not putting any ABs together. We get a hit, then we make an easy out," shortstop Zack Cozart said. "They say hitting's contagious when you're going well, but it's not contagious, too, when everybody's not hitting."

The anemic offense is a major reason there will be pressure on starter Mike Leake, who also will be tasked with providing some innings after Friday's starter, Johnny Cueto, left in the second inning due to tightness in his right upper back muscle.

Leake (7-3, 2.61) is 5-0 with a 1.09 ERA in his last six road starts. His five-start road win streak ended last Saturday even though he retired the first 17 batters and yielded two runs over eight innings at Arizona, with closer Aroldis Chapman failing to protect a ninth-inning lead in a 4-3 loss.

Leake is 2-2 with a 2.27 ERA in nine interleague starts, including 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three on the road. The right-hander has never faced the Rangers, and the only Texas hitters he has faced are backup catcher Geovany Soto (1 for 12 against him) and Lance Berkman (1 for 11).

It's unclear if Berkman will be available. He sat out Friday with a sore right knee suffered from slipping on the team plane the previous day.

"Before I knew it, I was on my back kind of like a hurdler's stretch," Berkman told the Rangers' official website. "That's how I ended up. Thank goodness I had a hold of the hand rail or else I might've broken my neck, because I could've tumbled down the stairs."

Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips had two hits in his return to the lineup Friday after missing two games due to paternity leave.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Brewers (32-45) at Pirates (48-30)
Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 29, 2013 7:15 PM EDT


As the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to roll, the Milwaukee Brewers find themselves in another slide.

Alone atop the NL Central, the Pirates look to extend their longest winning streak in nine seasons to eight games while trying to hand the Brewers a fourth consecutive defeat Saturday night.

Pittsburgh (49-30) won six straight to conclude a 7-2 trip, then used a seven-run second inning to win 10-3 in Friday's opener to take a one-game division lead over St. Louis.

Owners of the best record in the majors, the Pirates have averaged 7.0 runs and clubbed 14 homers during the seven-game run - their longest since winning 10 straight from June 26-July 5, 2004.

"We're just playing really well," rookie pitcher Gerrit Cole told the Pirates' official website after he became the first Pittsburgh pitcher to win his first four career starts in more than a century Friday.

"Nothing crazy. When you play with that swagger, you put a lot of pressure on the other team."

Andrew McCutchen homered and had three RBIs, and Pedro Alvarez extended his hitting streak to 11 games Friday.

McCutchen is 10 for 23 with two homers and five RBIs in his last five games versus Milwaukee (32-46) after going 6 for 25 (.240) in his first six this season.

Alvarez is batting .400 with 14 RBIs during his run to raise his average from .212 to .246. He went 2 for 22 in his first six against the Brewers in 2013, but is 5 for 11 with two homers and six RBIs in the last three.

Scheduled Pittsburgh starter Francisco Liriano (6-3, 2.30 ERA) allowed three runs and struck out 12 in 12 2-3 innings to split his last two starts. He gave up one of those runs in 6 2-3 frames of a 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels last Saturday.

The left-hander has allowed fewer than two runs six times in nine since he made his Pittsburgh debut May 11 after recovery from a broken forearm.

Liriano improved to 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in his last three starts against the Brewers when he allowed a run and struck out seven in 5 2-3 innings of a 7-1 victory May 16.

Pittsburgh has won three straight and seven of nine versus Milwaukee following a nine-game skid in the series.

Outscored 22-9 during their-game skid, the Brewers' latest defeat came hours after they announced versatile star Corey Hart would need season-ending knee surgery. Rickie Weeks extended his hitting streak to 13 games and Carlos Gomez added two hits in his return from missing three games with a shoulder injury.

Despite his team's struggles, Weeks is batting .409 (18 for 44) during his run to raise his average from .195 to .236. However, he's 3 for 14 versus Liriano.

Rookie Donovan Hand (0-0, 2.37) makes his second career start for the Brewers on Saturday. The right-hander has made nine appearances out of the bullpen, including a scoreless inning Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs.

In his first start last Saturday versus Atlanta, Hand allowed two hits in 4 2-3 innings of a 2-0 victory.

"Donovan showed what you can do when you mix up pitches and you're throwing strikes, and how quickly you can get some outs," manager Ron Roenicke told the Brewers' official website.

Hand debuted May 26 when he allowed one run, three hits, a walk and struck out three in two innings of a 5-4 loss to the Pirates.

Milwaukee starters have an 8.57 ERA while losing four of the last five.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (42-35) at Rays (41-38)
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 29, 2013 7:15 PM EDT


Justin Verlander does not seem too concerned about how he's pitched over his last two starts for the Detroit Tigers.

Considering how he's fared against the Tampa Bay Rays of late, the right-hander might not have an easy time getting back on track.

Winless in three starts, Verlander looks to avoid a third consecutive loss to the Rays on Saturday night.

Verlander (8-5, 3.90 ERA) went 4-0 with a 3.82 ERA in five starts before he allowed nine runs, 14 hits with seven walks and nine strikeouts over 10 innings to go 0-1 in the last two. He gave up four runs in five innings of a 7-5 win over Boston on Sunday.

"That's sports," Verlander said. "There's ups and downs. Nobody's at the peak of their game forever.

"I'll get back there. I will. It's just, like I said, finding that click - finding that rhythm.'

Verlander certainly has the talent to turn things around, but it might not come against the Rays (41-39). He was 6-1 with a 3.60 ERA in his first 10 starts versus Tampa Bay before going 0-2 with a 5.02 ERA in two matchups last season.

He yielded four runs and three homers in six innings of a 4-2 loss at Tropicana Field exactly one year to the day of this scheduled start.

Verlander also could have a hard time following up teammate Max Scherzer, who pitched seven solid innings to become the first pitcher to go 12-0 since Roger Clemens in 1986 as the Tigers (43-35) snapped a three-game skid with a 6-3 win Friday.

Miguel Cabrera went 4 for 4 with two home runs and three RBIs to raise his major league-leading average to .377 and RBI total to 81.

"I'm pitching well, but the reason I'm 12-0 is because of my offense,' Scherzer said. "You got to see firsthand (Friday) the best player in the game hitting two home runs on three pitches and going 4 for 4."

Cabrera is batting .490 (25 for 51) with six homers and 12 RBIs during a season-high 13-game hitting streak.

He's hit .433 in his last 18 against the Rays, who have totaled three runs and seven hits while dropping two in a row.

Breaking out of that rut might not be easy with Evan Longoria likely out after he left Friday with an irritation of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The nagging injury is likely a reason Longoria is 1 for 12 in his last five contests.

"Of course I'm concerned, but I don't know the level yet until I get more information," manager Joe Maddon said.

Rookie Rays outfielder Wil Myers had two hits Friday, including a solo homer.

Myers, who made his major league debut June 18, is batting .375 (9 for 24) with all three of his home runs and seven RBIs in the last six games.

Fellow rookie Chris Archer (2-3, 4.21) takes the mound looking to build on Sunday's effort when he allowed a run in six innings of a 3-1 victory at Yankee Stadium. He had yielded six runs in 8 2-3 innings while losing his previous two starts.

"(Pitching coach Jim Hickey) and I talked about some things," Archer told the Rays' official website. "Since my past few starts were not efficient or effective, I was able to apply (the lessons) right away (Sunday)."

This will be the right-hander's 10th career start and first appearance against the Tigers.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Phillies (38-42) at Dodgers (36-42)
Game: 3
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 29, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


A dandy duel at Dodger Stadium could be on tap Saturday night with a pair of stellar left-handers set to meet for the first time.

Cliff Lee has won his last seven decisions for the Philadelphia Phillies, who will get their first look at impressive Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Lee (9-2, 2.51 ERA) was working on a six-hit shutout Monday before he failed to retire the two batters he saw in the ninth inning and was charged with two runs as closer Jonathan Papelbon blew a save in a 4-3, 10-inning loss at San Diego.

The 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner has still gone 7-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 10 starts since losing at Cleveland on May 1. His 0.95 ERA against the Dodgers (36-43) is his second-best against any club, and he's 2-1 in five starts against them.

It will be much anticipated when Lee faces rookie sensation Yasiel Puig for the first time. Puig is hitting .424 in June to lead the majors.

Lee has fared well against Matt Kemp (1 for 13) and Andre Ethier (0 for 8) while Adrian Gonzalez (9 for 16) and Hanley Ramirez (5 for 10) have caused him problems.

Ryu (6-3, 2.85), meanwhile, is 4-1 with a 1.81 ERA in eight home starts. He allowed one run over 6 2-3 innings and did not receive a decision in Monday's 3-1 victory over San Francisco.

Although Ryu has not faced Philadelphia (39-42), his lowest ERA versus any division he owns more than one start against is his 1.71 mark versus the NL East. He's 1-0 in four outings against the East.

One hitter he won't face is Ryan Howard, who won't start for the second straight game with the Dodgers starting a second straight lefty after Chris Capuano was on the mound in Philadelphia's 16-1 victory Friday.

Howard is hitless in 16 at_bats with eight strikeouts, and owns a .173 average against lefties.

"Right now he's uncomfortable and he's not seeing (lefties) good,' manager Charlie Manuel said. "It's just a matter of him getting his swing back and getting in a good groove."

The Dodgers' bid for their first seven-game win streak in nine years failed Friday. Capuano lasted 3 2-3 innings and was rocked for seven runs - six over the first two frames.

The 15-run losing margin was the largest for the Dodgers since 1947 - when they were still in Brooklyn.

"This one here, you take a beating and you get ready to play tomorrow," manager Don Mattingly said.

Delmon Young had a career-high six RBIs and Michael Young collected four hits after Manuel gave him a day off in the series opener. Philadelphia finished with a season-high 21 hits and emphatically scored in double digits for the first time all year.

"We've been talking about trying to generate some momentum offensively as a team and producing the way we're all capable of doing," Michael Young said. "I mean, you never expect something like this, but we expect to go out and have good at_bats and play solid fundamental baseball.'

Chase Utley has hit safely in seven straight games, going 9 for 21 on this road trip and 5 for 8 in this series.

Ramirez returned to the Dodgers lineup Friday after he did not start the opener and went 1 for 3. He's batting .472 during a 10-game hitting streak.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Padres (39-40) at Marlins (27-50)
Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 29, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


San Diego continues to have Miami's number.

The Padres will look to make it five wins in as many games against the Marlins in 2013 on Saturday night.

San Diego (40-40) has dominated the season series on the strength of its pitching, posting a 0.75 ERA while holding Miami to a .205 batting average.

"We weren't crisp,' Miami manager Mike Redmond said after his team left nine on base in its 9-2 loss to San Diego Friday. "We didn't give them our best.'

Eric Stults (6-5, 3.20 ERA) was one of the San Diego pitchers to stifle Miami during the Padres' home sweep of the Marlins earlier this season. On May 7, the left-hander held Miami to one run in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-1 victory.

Stults could use a little support from his teammates. Despite compiling a 1.83 ERA over his last six starts, the left-hander has won just twice. He has held opponents to a .201 average over that stretch and surrendered only three walks. Unfortunately for Stults, he has received two runs of support or fewer in five of his last six starts. That includes his last outing against Philadelphia on Monday, when he allowed two runs in seven innings but didn't receive a decision in a 4-3 win.

"Stults has been, over the last six weeks, probably as steady as any major league pitcher," manager Bud Black told the Padres' official website.

The good news for Stults is the San Diego offense came alive Friday, scoring nine runs for its highest total since June 7. The Padres had been struggling without leadoff batter Everth Cabrera, who has a strained left hamstring, batting .242 and averaging 3.5 runs in his absence before breaking out against Miami (27-51).

Logan Forsythe, who had gone 31 at_bats without an extra-base hit, legged out two doubles Wednesday before recording three hits, including a home run, Friday. Will Venable, meanwhile, snapped out of an 0-for-19 skid with three singles. The right fielder is 7 for 13 (.538) against the Marlins this season.

"We strung together some good at_bats," Venable said. "We put the pressure on those guys and just kept it coming with the good at_bats and found some holes and just a good, all-around game for us."

Miami, which had allowed three runs or fewer in 10 straight games leading into the series opener, will look to bounce back with Jacob Turner (1-0, 1.97) on the mound. The right-hander hasn't won since his first start due to an offense that has given him just seven runs of support over his last four appearances. Turner failed to pick up a decision Saturday against San Francisco despite yielding one run over seven innings.

"I've been making those adjustments in starts," Turner told the Marlins' official website. "I'd say out of the starts I've had, I'd say maybe there has been one or two where I've felt everything is clicking. The other ones, I've felt like, 'Hey, this is working, maybe this isn't working.'"

San Diego won the opener of a 10-game road trip that also makes stops in Boston and Washington.

"It's huge, especially with a 10-day road trip," Forsythe said. "When you get that first one out of the way, it's nice - a good confidence booster. You've got to ride it out for as long as you can."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (33-44) at Mariners (34-45)
Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 29, 2013 7:15 PM EDT


Based on the way Jeff Samardzija has pitched on the road of late, he might have a good chance to win three straight starts overall for the first time in his career.

The Chicago Cubs right-hander looks to accomplish that feat when he faces the Seattle Mariners for the first time Saturday night at Safeco Field.

Samardzija (5-7, 3.39 ERA) has been dominant in his last three road starts, allowing three runs and 12 hits in 24 2-3 innings with four walks and 22 strikeouts. He's won the last two after losing five in a row away from home.

His most recent victory came at home Sunday when he allowed four runs and nine hits, but he lasted seven innings and did not surrender a walk for the first time this season in a 14-6 rout of Houston.

"Anytime I don't walk somebody, usually the outcome is in the positive side of things," said Samardzija, who has made 49 starts but has never won more than two straight decisions. "I attacked the zone, had a couple of three-ball counts, just wanted to stay there and not give any freebies up."

He'll try to help Chicago (33-45) bounce back after it blew a three-run lead in Friday's 5-4, 10-inning loss at Seattle.

Alfonso Soriano and Dioner Navarro each homered for the Cubs, who went deep in a season-high eighth straight game while falling to 8-4 during interleague play. Chicago's bullpen yielded three runs in three innings after Travis Wood allowed two in 6 1-3 frames.

Underachieving shortstop Starlin Castro was 4 for 10 in two games after sitting out Tuesday at Milwaukee, but he went 0 for 4 against the Mariners. Castro is 0 for 10 with five strikeouts versus Seattle.

Soriano, who will serve as the designated hitter for this series and again next week at Oakland, is batting .370 in his last six interleague games.

However, he's 1 for his last 6 against scheduled Seattle starter Aaron Harang (3-7, 5.29 ERA). The 35-year-old right-hander is 2-0 with a 3.16 ERA in his last four starts against the Cubs, but he's battled inconsistency during his first season with the Mariners (35-45).

Harang is 2-3 with a 4.05 ERA in his last seven starts, recording two shutouts at home but also failing to get past the fifth inning four times. He's 0-1 in his last two starts and pitched five innings in both, giving up three runs in a 7-5 win over Oakland last Saturday.

Jason Bay homered and rookie catcher Mike Zunino hit a game-winning single Friday as the Mariners took advantage of three 10th-inning walks to avoid a third straight loss.

"It was a giant sigh of relief," said Zunino, who is 5 for 14 in four games since a 4-for-24 slump after debuting June 12. "Anything you can do to help the team win."

Fellow rookie Nick Franklin had three hits, including two doubles, to raise his average to .328 in 18 home games.

All nine of Bay's home runs this season have come with nobody on base. He's hit .396 with nine RBIs in his last 14 games against the Cubs.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (42-38) at White Sox (32-45)
Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: June 29, 2013 4:10 PM EDT


The opening games of this weekend's series between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox were hardly showcases of pitching excellence.

The Indians' Ubaldo Jimenez will try to change that Saturday while ending his losing streak against the White Sox and leading his club to its 13th win in 18 games.

Cleveland and Chicago combined to allow 46 runs and 59 hits in Friday's doubleheader, which lasted 7 hours and 53 minutes, an MLB record for a two-game set that didn't feature extra innings.

After rallying from an early five-run deficit for a 19-10 victory in the opener, the Indians scored four runs in the ninth inning of the nightcap and won 9-8.

Nick Swisher's first home run in 24 games provided the winning margin for Cleveland (42-38), which moved within two games of Detroit in the AL Central.

"To kick and scratch and fight," designated hitter Jason Giambi said. "We just kept going and going and going."

Given his recent outings, Jimenez (6-4, 4.58 ERA) could give the Indians a better pitching performance Saturday. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA in his last three starts and 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA in his past six.

He gave up two runs - both on homers - over 5 1-3 innings in Monday's 5-2 win in Baltimore.

"I got in some trouble, some big trouble with bases loaded or two guys on base, and I was able to minimize the damage. It was good. It was good for the team to keep the score close," he told the team's website.

Jimenez hasn't performed nearly as well lately against the White Sox (32-45), going 0-3 with an 8.62 ERA in his last three matchups. He was charged with seven runs in each of his two meetings last season.

Jimenez would appear to have an opportunity to end that losing streak when he pitches opposite Dylan Axelrod (3-4, 4.57). The White Sox's right-hander has an 8.59 ERA and has given up a combined 28 hits over 14 2-3 innings in his last three starts.

Axelrod, who didn't receive a decision during that stretch, gave up 10 hits and four runs in 4 2-3 innings Sunday in a 7-6 loss in Kansas City.

Axelrod has no record and a 4.22 ERA in two career starts against the Indians, but gave up one run and three hits over six innings April 22 in a 3-2 home loss to Cleveland.

He will try to have another strong performance against the Indians and help the White Sox avoid matching their season-high, four-game home losing streak from April 27-May 11.

Chicago likely won't have Paul Konerko available again Saturday as he continues to deal with an ailing back.

"I want to play Sunday, if not (Saturday), but I don't think that's going to happen," Konerko told the team's website. "I'd like to take some swings and just get right back in it."

The Indians will try to take advantage of the struggling White Sox, losers in 11 of 15 overall, to record a season high-tying third straight road win. Cleveland has won six of its last eight away from home after losing 12 in a row.