The Bum's July's MLB POD'S-Stats-News

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (51-36) at Royals (40-43)
Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: July 06, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


Although he's pitched well lately, Jarrod Parker hasn't gotten to play much of a role in the Oakland Athletics' resurgence.

After having to leave his most recent start, Parker will try to lead the A's to their eighth win in 10 games Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.

Parker (6-6, 4.11 ERA) is 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in his last seven starts and had pitched 3 2-3 scoreless innings against St. Louis last Saturday before developing problems with his right hamstring. Oakland lost 7-1 after he left.

"He wanted to try to finish the inning but he still felt it," manager Bob Melvin said. "It's not a prudent thing to do. The unfortunate thing was that might have been as good as stuff as he's had all year."

The A's (51-36) haven't suffered too many defeats lately, however, and continued the momentum from a successful homestand with a 6-3 victory in Friday's series opener. Oakland had dropped seven of 10 before winning six of eight at home.

Coco Crisp drove in three runs in his team's fifth straight win over the Royals (40-43), and Josh Reddick tripled, doubled and had a pair of RBIs. Grant Balfour, meanwhile, tied Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley's franchise record from 1991-92 by converting his 40th consecutive save and 22nd this season.

"You know, it's an accomplishment. Definitely," Balfour said. "I don't like to look into it too much - I'm superstitious, obviously. But I never knew about this, and it's not something I set out to do. It just happened. I still have a lot of work to do."

The A's will try to help Balfour claim the record while adding to Ervin Santana's winless stretch. Santana (5-5, 2.84) hasn't earned a victory since June 13 despite a 3.32 ERA in his last three games.

The right-hander has more wins over Oakland than any opponent, going 14-6 with a 2.09 ERA in 25 starts, but has lost each of his last two matchups despite a 2.08 ERA in those games.

He allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings May 18 but the Royals fell 2-1 in Oakland. That start is one of 16 in a row in which he's pitched at least six innings, the longest active run in the majors.

He gave up four runs over six frames in Sunday's 9-8 win in Minnesota but also walked a season-high four after posting a 1.56 ERA in his first five starts in June.

"I didn't have my best stuff today," Santana said. "I did not have good command, but I made good pitches and gave my team a chance to win."

The Royals are hoping Alex Gordon can return as soon as possible after learning from the team's medical staff that he did not have a concussion. The outfielder hasn't played since hitting his head on the bullpen fence in Wednesday's 6-5 win over Cleveland.

The team was still awaiting clearance from MLB's independent physician.

"I'm following all the rules and they've cleared me to go, so I'm just going to get back in action and get things going," Gordon said Friday.

Gordon is batting .350 in his last 10 games against Oakland and is 2 for 6 all-time against Parker.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Royals
Fri, Jul 5 Final 6 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Royals
Sat, Jul 6 - 2:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Athletics at Royals
Sun, Jul 7 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Marlins (32-53) at Cardinals (51-34)
Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: July 06, 2013 2:15 PM EDT


The St. Louis Cardinals have fielded baseball's best starting rotation this season. But ever since an injury in late May, they've been without a consistent fifth starter.

Saturday gives Joe Kelly a chance to stake his claim to that role.

Kelly makes his second start of the season Saturday as the Cardinals host the Miami Marlins.

St. Louis' starters' ERA of 3.22 is the best in baseball, with Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller and Jake Westbrook combining for 35 of the club's 51 victories. Jaime Garcia also accounted for five but was lost for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery May 24.

Since then, the fifth spot in the Cardinals' rotation has been in flux. Because of a scheduling oddity - they've had three off-days over the last two weeks - they've been able to go without one.

Now that the schedule has caught back up with them, though, Kelly (0-3, 3.86 ERA), a second-year right-hander, steps in. He's been primarily used as a long reliever this year, giving up one run over his last 13 innings.

He took the loss in his lone start, allowing two runs - one earned - over 5 2-3 innings in a 10-3 defeat to Arizona on June 5.

"I'm taking it as a regular day," he told the team's official website. "Especially if they need me to start again, my pitch count could be up near 100 pitches without being too gassed."

Kelly, whose last appearance saw him throw 79 pitches in 5 1-3 innings of relief at Oakland on June 28, made 16 starts last year, going 4-6 with a 3.74 ERA. He didn't record a decision in two against Miami, limiting the Marlins to two earned runs and seven hits over 12 innings.

The bullpen for the Cardinals (51-34) hasn't been nearly as stingy as the rotation, but it bounced back nicely in Friday's 4-1 win over Miami (32-53), which entered with wins in 10 of its last 13.

Trevor Rosenthal and Edward Mujica followed Westbrook's seven innings of one-run ball by each throwing a scoreless inning of relief. Mujica blew his first save a night earlier in the club's 6-5 road loss to the Angels, but converted his 22nd save in his 23rd opportunity Friday.

"Everybody has bad days sometimes," said Mujica, who owns a 2.55 ERA. "You try to get here and turn the page. I knew what I did, I made a couple mistakes, and I went right after them."

Allen Craig is 19 for 44 (.432) with 15 RBIs over his last 13 games after going 1 for 3 Friday while driving in two runs.

Craig has never faced Miami starter Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 2.00), who has been solid since making his season debut June 18 after being sidelined by shoulder inflammation.

He threw six shutout innings despite not recording any strikeouts in his last outing, a 6-2 win over San Diego on Sunday.

"When I was attacking, they were putting the ball in play and the defense was there," Eovaldi said.

Giancarlo Stanton has played in all 23 of the Marlins' games since returning from a strained right hamstring June 10, but might receive a day off either Saturday or Sunday against St. Louis, manager Mike Redmond told the team's official website. Redmond's decision might be expedited considering the .244 hitter is 2 for 22 over his last six games.

Miami's Logan Morrison homered for the second time in three games Friday and owns an OPS of 1.005 since making his season debut June 9.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Cardinals
Fri, Jul 5 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Marlins at Cardinals
Sat, Jul 6 - 2:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Marlins at Cardinals
Sun, Jul 7 - 2:15PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (47-38) at Indians (45-41)
Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 06, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


Based on the success Detroit's Anibal Sanchez has achieved versus Cleveland in the past, the Indians might not have an easy time ending their current slide against the Tigers.

Set to be activated from the disabled list, Sanchez looks to help the visiting Tigers to a seventh straight victory over the slumping Indians on Saturday.

Cleveland (45-41) held a one-half game lead in the AL Central on Tuesday, but now trails Detroit by 2 1/2 games after dropping its third straight, 7-0 to the Tigers on Friday.

"I don't really pay that much attention to the standings until September,' Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "If this was a four-game series in September, I'd say it's probably a big series but I would not say that on July 5.'

Winners in four straight overall, the Tigers (47-38) have outscored the Indians 40-18 during their six-game series winning streak. Detroit's also won three in a row and six of eight at Progressive Field.

"In perspective, for us as a team as we go through this, we still got a lot of baseball so I think we're excited to get some learning curves here and there and be able to move on to the next one," losing pitcher Justin Masterson said.

Sanchez (6-5, 2.76 ERA) had not faced Cleveland until last season when he went 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA in four starts.

The right-hander last pitched June 15 when he allowed a two-run homer, four other hits and walked four in 3 2-3 innings while not factoring in the decision of a 6-3 loss at Minnesota. He was placed on the disabled list two days later with shoulder strain.

Sanchez lasted 1 2-3 innings in a rehab start at Class A Lakeland on Monday after he took a line drive off his left leg. The Tigers were hoping Sanchez would throw at least 60 pitches, but his shoulder felt fine and his leg is not expected to be a problem.

"It wasn't near as many (pitches thrown) as we would've liked," Leyland told the Tigers' official website. "But he felt great (pitching-wise) and we expect him to start on Saturday."

Sanchez has received an average 6.39 runs of support from his teammates, who have totaled 31 runs and 45 hits over the last four games.

With three hits and two RBIs on Friday, ex-Indian Victor Martinez is batting .431 with 21 RBIs in his last 17 games versus Cleveland.

Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera has hit .370 with 11 RBIs in his last six at Progressive Field.

Not of that likely bodes well for scheduled Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco (0-3, 8.17), who gave up six runs and 10 hits over four innings of a 6-4 loss at Detroit on June 8.

The right-hander will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus for the second time in a week after he also yielded six runs and 10 hits, this time over 5 2-3 innings, of a 9-8 victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on June 28.

Carrasco, who missed all last season while recovering elbow surgery, is 0-8 with an 8.04 ERA in his last 11 starts dating to 2011.

Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis has reached base safely in 36 consecutive games, and is batting .446 during a 16-game hitting streak. He's 3 for 9 with a double against Sanchez.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Indians
Fri, Jul 5 Final 7 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Tigers at Indians
Sat, Jul 6 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Tigers at Indians
Sun, Jul 7 - 1:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Tigers at Indians
Mon, Jul 8 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Padres (40-47) at Nationals (44-42)
Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: July 06, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


Jordan Zimmermann has been throwing the ball over the plate all season, and that's helped keep him near the top of the major leagues in wins. So has his complete dominance at home.

He'll try to tie for the major league victory lead when the Washington Nationals host the San Diego Padres on Saturday.

Zimmermann (12-3, 2.46 ERA) was shaky his last time out but managed to move to 12-0 in his past 13 home starts, giving up four runs in six innings of a 10-5 win over Milwaukee on Monday. The right-hander has posted a 1.57 ERA in those 13 home outings, and he's 9-0 with a 1.50 ERA there this season.

He hasn't lost at Nationals Park in 21 games.

Zimmermann has won three straight starts, and running that streak to four would tie him with Detroit's Max Scherzer for the most victories in baseball. He should be happy to see the Padres, against whom he has a 1.33 ERA in four career starts.

He held San Diego to two runs - one earned - with no walks in a seven-hitter May 18, but lost 2-1 on the road.

Zimmermann ranks third in the major leagues with 1.27 walks per nine innings.

Jason Marquis (9-4, 3.74) will provide a study in contrasts, as the right-hander easily leads baseball with 5.35 walks per nine innings.

He walked a career high seven in a 4-0 loss to Miami on Monday, surrendering four unearned runs in 6 1-3 innings while throwing just 57 of 110 pitches for strikes.

"I'm not going to give in to the hitter,' Marquis said. "Sometimes you fall behind and make good pitches and you just don't get the results you want."

He'll face a Washington club that has scored at least eight runs in four of six games. The Nationals (44-42) have seven home runs and 14 doubles during that stretch, led by Ian Desmond, who has three doubles while batting .391 and recording at least one hit in all six games.

Denard Span has four doubles in those six contests, including one in an 8-5 win Friday.

"That's what I've been looking for," manager Davey Johnson said. "It takes the pressure off everybody in the lineup. They feel like they can stay within themselves and not try to do too much.'

San Diego (40-47) opened its 10-game road trip with a 9-2 victory over Miami on June 28, but the Padres have managed 12 runs in seven consecutive losses since. They've dropped 11 of their last 13.

Mark Kotsay has gone hitless in his last 18 at_bats and 0 for his last 12 with runners in scoring position. San Diego's Chase Headley did break out of a 3-for-22 slump with a home run and a double Friday.

Marquis, who pitched for the Nationals in 2010 and 2011, won both of his starts against them with a 1.93 ERA in 2009. Jayson Werth has eight hits, including two home runs and three doubles, in 15 at_bats off Marquis.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Nationals
Fri, Jul 5 Final 5 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Padres at Nationals
Sat, Jul 6 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Padres at Nationals
Sun, Jul 7 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pirates (53-32) at Cubs (36-48)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 06, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


One of the most taxed bullpens in baseball finally got a rest Friday.

Following Francisco Liriano's complete game, the Pittsburgh Pirates hope to win their 12th game in 14 tries as they face the Chicago Cubs on Saturday afternoon.

Despite a major league-best 3.14 ERA, the Pirates (53-32) became the 22nd team in baseball to record a complete game with Liriano's four-hitter in a 6-2 victory. With Pittsburgh's starters averaging just over 5 1-3 innings per outing, the relievers have been left to pitch 305 innings, the second-highest total in baseball.

"These guys, the game has been over in the fifth inning when they have the lead," Cubs manager Dale Sveum told the team's official website. "Their bullpen has been that dominant. They've won every single game they've been leading. When you get those kind of pieces, it helps."

Sveum's compliment aside, Pittsburgh's bullpen finally displayed some weakness toward the tail end of its recent series against Philadelphia, as it posted a 6.43 ERA and a .345 batting average against over its last two games.

After watching Philadelphia snap its nine-game winning streak Tuesday, Pittsburgh has responded with two wins in three games, paced by an offense that has collected 35 hits.

Starling Marte has led the way, batting .373 during a 10-game hitting streak with nine of his 19 hits going for extra bases. He improved to 8 for 21 (.381) with five stolen bases in his last five games against the Cubs after going 3 for 6 with two steals Friday.

"I see a team that's fighting for every inch and earning every win," Saturday's scheduled starter Charlie Morton told the Pirates' official site. "I wouldn't classify it as luck. I wouldn't. Because that would be selling them short about what they've done so far."

Pittsburgh's bullpen may have needed the rest with Morton (1-1, 2.50 ERA) set to take the hill. The last time he pitched, a two hour and 20-minute rain delay forced him off the mound after two innings. While the right-hander could hardly be blamed for that abbreviated start, he has yet to make it through the sixth inning in four outings this season.

Since allowing a career-worst 10 runs to the Cubs (36-48) on Aug. 14, 2009, Morton is 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA in four starts against them. This will be his first appearance versus Chicago since Sept. 4, 2011.

He'll be facing a struggling Cubs offense that has scored five runs in the past three games and has six hits in the past two. Alfonso Soriano went hitless in four at_bats with three strikeouts Friday, and is 3 for his last 16. Anthony Rizzo is 2 for his last 20 and Darwin Barney is mired in a 3-for-25 skid.

This has been a dismal first season in Chicago for Edwin Jackson (4-10, 5.75), but he does have a chance to win consecutive starts. He allowed three runs over six-plus innings in a 7-6 victory at Seattle on Sunday after posting a 9.00 ERA in his previous two outings.

Jackson is 1-5 with a 6.69 ERA at Wrigley Field this year, but that lone win came against Pittsburgh in his last game there. He threw seven innings of one-run ball and struck out eight en route to a 4-1 victory June 9.

The right-hander has won all four of his home starts against the Pirates while compiling a 2.49 ERA.

Jackson will want to be careful with Andrew McCutchen, who is 7 for 17 (.412) with two homers and two doubles in their matchups. The Pirates' star is batting .423 (11 for 26) during a seven-game hit streak overall.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Cubs
Fri, Jul 5 Final 6 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Pirates at Cubs
Sat, Jul 6 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Pirates at Cubs
Sun, Jul 7 - 2:20PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (38-48) at Reds (49-37)
Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: July 06, 2013 4:10 PM EDT


After making an immediate impact in his return to the lineup, Michael Saunders will try to help the Seattle Mariners add to their dominance over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

Before a 4-2 victory in the series opener Friday, Saunders was limited to coming off the bench after his right middle fingernail was spiked on a pickoff play in a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs a week earlier.

The time off proved beneficial for Saunders as he hit his first home run since May 4 and drove in a pair of runs while helping end the Reds' three-game win streak. He had four RBIs in his previous 48 games.

"You don't realize how much you need something so small until you hurt it," Saunders told the team's website. "To hurt my fingertip, it doesn't sound like anything that would cause too much trouble. But with what we do, our hands are everything, and it's made me realize how important your fingernail or fingertip really is."

The Mariners (38-48) are 3-1 on a six-game road trip after dropping nine of 13. Seattle looks to keep its successful trek going by improving to 5-0 all-time in Cincinnati and 10-1 overall against the Reds (49-37).

Jeremy Bonderman (1-2, 4.05 ERA) will try to help while bouncing back from his shortest outing since returning to the majors. The right-hander gave up six runs in 3 1-3 innings of a 7-6 loss to the Cubs on Sunday after posting a 1.42 ERA in his prior four starts.

Bonderman was pounded for seven runs in three innings of a 9-4 loss in his only start against the Reds on May 19, 2006 while with Detroit. He has never pitched in Cincinnati.

Mat Latos (7-2, 3.03) has gone 1-2 in his last three starts despite a 2.79 ERA, getting four total runs of support and none in two of the three games.

The right-hander gave up three runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 3-2 loss to Texas on Sunday. He committed a throwing error on a squeeze play in the fifth inning that allowed a second run to score.

Raul Ibanez, batting .370 with seven homers during an 11-game hit streak, is 0 for 11 with four strikeouts all-time versus Latos, his worst showing against any active pitcher. Brendan Ryan is 5 for 7 with a double against Latos.

Shin-Soo Choo has the most experience against Bonderman among Reds players, going 4 for 13 with three doubles and a home run. Choo's RBI double in the fifth inning Friday was one of four Cincinnati hits with two outs.

The Reds entered the game last in the major leagues with a .178 average with runners in scoring position and two outs.

"We have to get some two-out hits," manager Dusty Baker told the team's official website. "We had some action. It's kind of been haunting us all year."


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Reds
Fri, Jul 5 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Reds
Sat, Jul 6 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mariners at Reds
Sun, Jul 7 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mets (36-47) at Brewers (34-51)
Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: July 06, 2013 7:15 PM EDT


Shaun Marcum turned in two winning seasons in Milwaukee. He hopes his first return to Miller Park since leaving the Brewers helps him earn a victory when he takes the ball for the New York Mets on Saturday night.

Marcum (1-9, 5.03 ERA) was a combined 20-11 for the Brewers the past two years with ERAs under 4.00 in both, but he hasn't been nearly as effective in 2013.

The Mets (36-47) have picked up wins in his last two starts after dropping nine of the first 11. Marcum followed up eight scoreless innings in winning his previous start by allowing three runs in six innings of a 5-4, 13-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday.

Marcum, who would have the lowest run-support average in the league if he had enough innings to qualify, has gotten 19 runs in his 13 starts.

His fortunes could change Saturday as the Mets appear to be coming around offensively, recording double-digit hits in five straight games, the first time they've done that since July 2011.

New York's Kirk Nieuwenhuis set career highs with four hits and five RBIs to help power Friday's 12-5 win. He's gone 8 for 13 over the past four games.

"I don't know if I have ever done it. It feels great,' Nieuwenhuis said. "I have just been trying to stay more direct to the ball. Other than that, relaxing at the plate.'

Teammate Eric Young has gone 21 for 63 in his last 14 games, and Ike Davis had three hits Friday in his return to the major leagues.

The Mets have won three straight and nine of 13 away from home, posting a 2.45 ERA while holding opponents to a .190 batting average with runners in scoring position.

Milwaukee has lost eight of 10, though its bats are also beginning to heat up. The Brewers (34-51) have scored 23 runs in the past five games after managing 11 in the previous five.

Carlos Gomez has six hits in his last nine at_bats while Norichika Aoki is 11 for 25 (.440) during a five-game hitting streak.

The Brewers' fielding continues to be a problem, however, as they made three more errors Friday to give them 13 in the past 10 games.

``We sure didn't play well,' manager Ron Roenicke said.

Yovani Gallardo (6-8, 4.78) looks to recover from his worst start of the season Monday, when he allowed a season-high eight runs in three innings of a 10-5 loss at Washington.

The right-hander has posted a 6.64 ERA in his last four starts versus New York, which has batted .326 against him in that span.

David Wright is 3 for 16 with eight strikeouts against Gallardo.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Brewers
Fri, Jul 5 Final 12 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Brewers
Sat, Jul 6 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Brewers
Sun, Jul 7 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Astros (31-56) at Rangers (50-36)
Game: 2
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: July 06, 2013 7:15 PM EDT


The Texas Rangers have won six straight over the Houston Astros, and Yu Darvish has been difficult to hit in beating them twice in that span.

Darvish ended his lengthy winless streak his last time out and will look to continue dominating the Astros on Saturday night.

Texas (50-36) won Friday's opener of this three-game set 10-5 and has not lost to Houston (31-56) since an 8-2 defeat March 31 in the Astros' first game as an AL club.

Darvish (8-3, 2.78 ERA) fell one out short of a perfect game in the next meeting, a 14-strikeout performance in a 7-0 victory April 2 that started the Rangers' run over the Astros. He followed that up by yielding three runs and three hits over seven innings to earn an 8-7 win over Houston on May 11.

The right-hander is limiting opponents to an AL-best .190 average, and Houston is hitting .078 against him this year. Darvish gave up two runs over eight innings of a 6-2 home win over Houston last June 15, and he's struck out 33 Astros in 23 2-3 career innings.

Houston regulars Jose Altuve, Jason Castro and Carlos Pena have combined to go 1 for 26 against Darvish. Castro, though, feels the Astros won't be intimidated.

"We're comfortable now, I think, with the way he likes to pitch and the way he goes about attacking hitters," Castro told the team's official website. "We kind of learned and made some adjustments based on that first time we saw him."

Astros third baseman Matt Dominguez became the only player to homer twice against Darvish in one game in May.

Houston has struck out a major league-high 808 times, while Darvish leads baseball with 151.

Darvish had been 0-2 with a 2.93 ERA in seven starts before pitching 6 2-3 scoreless innings to earn a 3-2 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday. The Rangers had dropped his previous four outings.

"As a starter, if the team doesn't win the day that you pitch, that can be really frustrated, so that was my thing," Darvish said through his translator.

Nelson Cruz hit a grand slam and Adrian Beltre and David Murphy also homered as Texas cruised Friday after building a 10-0 advantage through five innings.

Cruz has a 12-game hitting streak against the Astros, going 17 for 50 (.340) with 16 RBIs. He's homered in the last three meetings.

The Astros outhit the Rangers 10-9 in the series opener but went 5 for 17 with runners in scoring position in their seventh loss in eight games.

"The effort and focus is definitely there," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "That goes without question with these guys. It's one of those things we've played good teams that have played well and we have not played our best baseball."

Texas is 16-10 against left-handed starters as it faces Dallas Keuchel (4-5, 4.65), who is 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two career starts versus the Rangers.

Cruz is the only Rangers player to homer against Keuchel, who owns a 3.03 road ERA compared to 5.62 at home.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Rangers
Fri, Jul 5 Final 5 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Astros at Rangers
Sat, Jul 6 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Astros at Rangers
Sun, Jul 7 - 3:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Braves (49-37) at Phillies (42-45)
Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: July 06, 2013 7:15 PM EDT


The Atlanta Braves hope another extra day of rest will help Tim Hudson's ailing neck. The right-hander hopes it will help him end the longest winless streak of his career.

The Braves will try to avoid matching their worst losing streak of the season Saturday night against the host Philadelphia Phillies.

Hudson (4-7, 4.22 ERA) was slated to start the series opener Friday, but was moved back a day after being treated for a stiff neck earlier this week.

"I'm fine," said Hudson, who will be pitching on six days' rest. "This time of year when you get an extra day, it's not a big deal. It can only be a good thing."

The right-hander's most recent start, however, also came on six days' rest and the results weren't favorable. Hudson's winless streak reached 10 in an 11-5 win over Arizona last Saturday after he allowed four runs in 5 2-3 innings.

The four runs of support he received were the most during his winless stretch, as Hudson got a total of 10 runs in the previous nine outings.

He started opening day against the Phillies on April 1 and gave up three runs in 4 1-3 innings of a 7-5 victory.

The veteran has struggled on the road, going 1-7 with a 5.71 ERA in nine outings on the season. However, he's pitched at least seven innings in two of his last three starts in Philadelphia, allowing no earned runs in both.

Hudson will be trying to end a three-game skid for Atlanta (49-37) after Paul Maholm - who swapped starts with Hudson - took the loss in a 5-4 defeat Friday. The Braves have lost a season-high four straight twice.

Philadelphia would certainly like to keep that slide going as it looks to get back into the NL East race and try to cut down the still-sizable deficit to Atlanta.

``The only way to definitely gain ground on teams ahead of you is to beat them,' left-hander Cliff Lee said. ``We have to win this series and as many games as we can heading into the All-Star break.'

Kyle Kendrick (7-5, 3.59) will take the mound for Philadelphia (42-45). He's 1-1 with a 2.91 ERA in 19 career games - 13 starts - against Atlanta.

Braves left fielder Justin Upton had one extra-base hit in his last seven games before going 2 for 4 with a double Friday. He went 4 for 4 with two homers off Kendrick last year.

The Phillies' Ben Revere went 2 for 4 on Friday and has gone 15 for 33 in his last eight contests.

Ryan Howard, who hit his 11th home run Friday, is tied with Jose Reyes for the second-most hits against Hudson, going 22 for 67 (.328) with seven homers.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Phillies
Fri, Jul 5 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Braves at Phillies
Sat, Jul 6 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Braves at Phillies
Sun, Jul 7 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (41-44) at Giants (39-46)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: July 06, 2013 7:15 PM EDT


If the Los Angeles Dodgers are to continue their current surge, they might have to do it without one of their key players.

The Dodgers could be minus outfielder Matt Kemp when they try to hand the host San Francisco Giants a fifth straight loss Saturday night.

Juan Uribe came a single shy of the cycle and matched a career high with seven RBIs as Los Angeles (41-44) rolled to a 10-2 win at San Francisco on Friday. The Dodgers have recorded at least 13 hits in five straight games and averaged 5.5 runs while winning 11 of 13.

After losing five straight in the series, Los Angeles has won four in a row over a San Francisco team that's totaled 28 runs while dropping 12 of 14.

"We're getting tested,' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Hopefully you get stronger when you're tested."

The Giants (39-46) might not have to worry about Kemp after he irritated his left shoulder Friday, but not in the area that was surgically repaired. Though he's batting .254, Kemp was 6 for 19 (.316) with two of his four homers and six RBIs in four games prior to the opener.

"I don't ever want to get used to getting hurt," he said. "It could have been worse. I felt something weird in my shoulder that scared me. It hurt worse than running into the wall.'

With Kemp day to day, Carl Crawford could see more time after his return Friday from missing more than a month with a hamstring injury.

Kemp, however, is not the only Dodger playing well at the moment.

Hanley Ramirez is batting.492 with 17 RBIs during a 16-game hitting streak and star rookie Yasiel Puig .420 with eight homers and 19 RBIs in 30 career games.

Uribe is 8 for 17 with two homers and 12 RBIs in his last four road contests. He's hit .474 (9 for 19) in his last five against the Giants.

"Every opportunity they gave me, I want to help the team," Uribe said.

Los Angeles looks to stay hot against scheduled San Francisco starter Madison Bumgarner (8-5, 3.08 ERA), who is in the midst of a stretch where he's 4-1 with a 2.18 ERA. He gave up a homer and three other hits in seven innings of a 5-2 win at Colorado on Sunday.

"Bumgarner has been consistent all year,' Bochy said. "He's been consistent in every start. He's a special talent."

The left-hander's lone blemish in the last five starts came during a 3-1 loss at Los Angeles on June 24, when he allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings. Puig went 2 for 3 with a homer off him.

Bumgarner, who threw 16 straight scoreless innings against the Dodgers prior to last week's start, is 6-3 with a 2.54 ERA in nine starts versus the NL West rival.

He's also 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his last three home starts overall.

The Dodgers counter with right-hander Stephen Fife (3-2, 2.83), who allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings of a 6-1 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday.

Fife, 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two career starts versus San Francisco, allowed three runs, including homers to Buster Posey and Brandon Belt, in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-5 win over the Giants on June 25.

Posey is 0 for 11 in July after he went 11 for 22 with four homers and six RBIs in the final six games of June.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Giants
Fri, Jul 5 Final 10 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Giants
Sat, Jul 6 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Giants
Sun, Jul 7 - 4:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (34-49) at Rays (47-40)
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: July 06, 2013 7:15 PM EDT


While Tampa Bay's Matt Moore was able to recover from a rough three-week stretch, Chicago's Chris Sale hopes a new month is what it will take to end his current drought.

Trying to win his fourth straight start, Moore hopes to help the Rays extend Sale's winless stretch to seven games and record a fourth consecutive victory over the White Sox on Saturday night.

After going 8-0 with a 2.99 ERA in his first nine starts, Moore (11-3, 3.65 ERA) went 0-3 with a 9.31 ERA in the next five. Since then, the left-hander has allowed four runs and overcome 12 walks by striking out 24 in 19 1-3 innings to win three straight.

He gave up two hits and fanned nine in seven innings of a 12-0 victory at Houston on Monday.

"He's going to continue to get better,' manager Joe Maddon said. "That's his 11th win right there and we're still talking about the little foibles that he may have.

"But to his credit he knows that and he knows that there's room for improvement, and because he does he's going to continue to get better.'

Moore improved to 2-1 with a 1.47 ERA against the White Sox (34-49) after he allowed a solo homer to Adam Dunn and two other hits while striking out nine in six innings of a 10-4 victory April 27.

Moore went 1-1 with a 1.46 ERA last season when he squared off both times against Sale (5-7, 2.79), who is 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA as a starter versus Tampa Bay (47-40). Sale allowed two runs, four hits and walked four but struck out seven in seven innings of a 5-2 win over the Rays on April 25.

That victory began a five-start stretch where Sale went 4-0 with a 1.18 ERA. However, after the left-hander missed his next scheduled start May 21 because of shoulder tendinitis, the calendar turned to June, where he went 0-5 with a 3.19 ERA in six outings.

His teammates have totaled 12 runs in those starts, and managed six singles Sunday when Sale gave up three runs and struck out 10 in eight innings of a 4-0 loss to Cleveland.

"Just another tough one,' he said. "Just got to keep your head up, keep plugging along."

Chicago showed little fight while losing for the 25th time in 35 games, 8-3 at Tampa Bay on Friday. Desmond Jennings had three hits and James Loney added two with an RBI for the Rays, who have outscored their opponents 58-28 while winning nine of 12.

"As a team we're doing a really good job of getting better at_bats and that's huge to make sure that the team keeps hitting the way we're doing right now,' Rays catcher Jose Molina said.

Loney is batting .406 during his 16-game hitting streak, while Jennings has hit the same over his last seven.

Jennings, however, is 1 for 6 with three strikeouts versus Sale.

Despite Chicago's struggles, second baseman Gordon Beckham has batted .390 with seven RBIs in his last 11 contests.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Rays
Fri, Jul 5 Final 3 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Rays
Sat, Jul 6 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Rays
Sun, Jul 7 - 1:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (54-34) at Angels (41-45)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: July 06, 2013 10:05 PM EDT


The Boston Red Sox have won five straight as they get ready to face a pitcher working on two days' rest.

Jerome Williams failed to get through two innings three days ago and will be back on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night at home.

Boston (54-34) opened a 10-game trip with a 6-2 victory Friday. David Ortiz had a pinch-hit two-run homer after Shane Victorino scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on a dropped fly ball by right fielder Josh Hamilton.

"In the dugout there's a lot of positive energy," manager John Farrell said. "Somewhere we'll find a way to put something together. It seems like every night there's someone different."

The Red Sox have to like their chances in the middle game of this series against Williams (5-4, 3.89 ERA), who gave up a season-high seven runs over 1 2-3 innings of a 12-2 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday.

With starters Tommy Hanson and Jason Vargas on the disabled list, manager Mike Scioscia opted to bring Williams back after that 55-pitch effort.

"I wasn't a pitcher, but I would think you're chomping at the bit to get out there and get another shot at it after you've struggled," Scioscia told the Angels' official website.

Williams' lone outing on two days' rest came April 19, 2005, when he allowed four runs over four innings for San Francisco in a 5-2 loss at San Diego. That came after a 23-pitch relief appearance and not a start.

The right-hander said he threw 200-pitch bullpen sessions when he pitched in Taiwan.

"I'm just going to go out there and throw," Williams said. "That's my job. I did it numerous times in Taiwan, independent ball. Whatever they need me to do to help, I'll do it."

Williams has posted an 8.31 ERA against the Red Sox in three career appearances, giving up three runs over three innings of a 7-2 loss in relief June 8. His lone start against them came in 2004.

Ortiz figures to be back in the lineup, and he's 3 for 5 with two homers off of Williams. Former Angels slugger Mike Napoli is 6 for 14 with two homers against him.

Hamilton is hitting .382 during a 10-game streak for Los Angeles (41-45), which has dropped two of three following a seven-game win streak.

Star center fielder Mike Trout is batting .409 in 10 career games against the Red Sox.

Trout is 4 for 10 against Ryan Dempster (5-8, 4.11), who has yielded three or fewer runs in seven straight outings as he prepares for his fifth road start in 18 total.

Dempster is 1-2 with a 9.15 ERA in four starts against the Angels after allowing three runs over six innings of a 10-5 victory June 9.

Albert Pujols homered off him in that game, and he's 21 for 60 with eight home runs against Dempster - the most the hurler has allowed to anyone.

Pujols, though, is enduring a 12-game homerless drought in which he is 6 for 49.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Angels
Fri, Jul 5 Final 6 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Angels
Sat, Jul 6 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Red Sox at Angels
Sun, Jul 7 - 8:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (42-45) at Diamondbacks (45-41)
Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 06, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


Having emerged from a difficult stretch, the Arizona Diamondbacks will try to keep rolling by taking advantage of a seemingly favorable pitching matchup.

Diamondbacks left-hander Wade Miley will seek to continue his success against Colorado when he squares off with the Rockies' Drew Pomeranz on Saturday night.

Arizona (45-41) has won three straight since dropping eight of nine, and limited Colorado to three singles in a 5-0 victory Friday in the opener of an 10-game homestand leading into the All-Star break.

"It was great to be back here. It was a long road trip, and it's behind us," said second baseman Aaron Hill, who had two hits and two RBIs. "We started off with a great win and we're looking forward to upcoming games."

The Diamondbacks will try to win again with help from Miley, who is 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA in six all-time starts against the Rockies. He struggled with his control in his most recent matchup April 27, issuing a career-high seven walks, but pitched 4 1-3 scoreless innings in Arizona's 3-2 victory.

Miley (4-7, 4.29 ERA) is 0-2 in his last five starts despite a 2.76 ERA and pitching 5 2-3 scoreless innings in his latest outing Monday at the New York Mets. The Diamondbacks' bullpen blew a three-run lead en route to a 5-4 loss in 13 innings.

Miley might have a chance to snap his winless drought pitching opposite Pomeranz (0-1, 8.31). After being called up from the minors, the fellow left-hander gave up four runs, seven hits and four walks over 4 1-3 innings in his season debut, a 5-2 loss to San Francisco on Sunday.

"I'm really disappointed I didn't pitch the way I've been," said Pomeranz, who had 96 strikeouts and 33 walks in 85 2-3 innings at Triple-A Colorado Springs. "I made some good pitches, but I made some mistakes."

Pomeranz is 0-1 with an 8.03 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks, but he gave up two runs and three hits over five innings in his latest matchup and his only one in Arizona, a 7-5 win Oct. 1.

There's a chance he could get some help from Carlos Gonzalez in this start. The Rockies outfielder, who has an NL-best 23 homers, sat out Friday because of a sore back and could return to the lineup in one of the final two games of the series.

"I feel better than yesterday and that's a good sign," Gonzalez told the team's website after taking batting practice Friday. "It happens to me every single spring training, early when we start playing. But it takes, like, a couple days to feel normal again, sometimes a week. But I can definitely play through it."

The Rockies (42-45) could use their slugger after suffering their 15th loss in 22 games and eighth in the last 10 road contests. They've also dropped 14 of 19 in Arizona, including four of five this season.

Gonzalez, however, is batting .145 (8 for 55) with two homers in his past 16 games against the Diamondbacks and has one single in his last six at_bats against Miley.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Diamondbacks
Fri, Jul 5 Final 0 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Diamondbacks
Sat, Jul 6 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Rockies at Diamondbacks
Sun, Jul 7 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

-- Maybe Brad Stevens just hates recruiting, so he took Boston's $$$.

-- Jose Calderson signs on with Dallas Mavericks, giving them a solid PG to run their offense. He averaged 7.2 assists a game LY.

-- I'm thinking Houston-Lakers could be Opening Night on TNT.

-- Word out of Houston is that Rockets' center Omer Asik wants no part of being Dwight Howard's teammate; rumors have Asik getting traded to New Orleans Pelicans, with Houston using his $$$ to get Josh Smith.

-- Andre Iguodala signs on with Golden State, whose team will be much fun to watch next year, worth the price of the satellite package by themselves.

-- Milwaukee Brewers played the worst all-around ballgame I've ever seen a big league team play Friday night. They did nothing well, and lost 12-5.


*****

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

13) Sabermetricians (math geeks who like sports) like to equate point differential with W-L record; when a team does unusually well/poorly, that team is expected to revert back towards the middle the following year.

Last year’s Indianapolis Colts were first NFL team ever to win 11+ games in a season where they were outscored; many people who like to study numbers are expecting Indy to regress a step or two this season.

12) In baseball, there is a math formula that tells you the expected record of a team, given their runs scored/allowed. Teams that have overachieved the most over their run differential, heading into this weekend’s play, are Pirates/Bronx (+4 wins each), then Texas-Philly-Washington-Dodgers, at +3.

11) Teams that are underachieving, given their run differential, are Orioles/ Tigers/Cardinals (all -5 wins), then Reds (-4) and Braves/Rockies (-3).

10) Generally, that formula favors teams with good bullpens and punishes teams with bad ones. I love numbers, but I’m not convinced this Pythagorean theory means so much; it makes people from fancy private schools sound smarter, but if you chart teams’ records in close (1-2 run) games and not-close (3+ run games), you basically get the same thing, without the big words and fancy math formula.

I went to a state university; I’m still fond of charting things by hand in a notebook. I don’t sound as smart as the other guys, but at the end of the day, we usually get to the same answer.

9) Agents usually take 3% or 4% of a client’s earnings, but new Celtics’ coach Brad Stevens’ agent gets a hell of a lot more than 4%. Terry Stevens is an attorney and her husband’s agent; you don’t see that every day.

8) Wonder what Matthew Graves is thinking these days; the former Butler assistant left Hinkle Fieldhouse this spring to become the new head coach at South Alabama; from what I’ve read, had he stayed at Butler, he almost certainly would’ve been the new head coach of the Bulldogs.

Would you rather be the coach of a team in the Sun Belt, or a team in the Big East that’s been in the Final Four twice in the last five years?

7) We said earlier this week that Rajan Rondo was the 21st pick (by the Suns) in the ’06 Draft; some of the luminaries picked ahead of him were: Andrea Bargnani (#1), Adam Morrison (#3), Rudy Gay (#8), Patrick O’Bryant (#9), JJ Redick (#11) and Paul Millsap (#47).

How on God’s green earth did Redick get drafted ahead of Rondo? You can teach a person how to shoot; hard to make someone a lot more athletic than they already are at age 20.

6) Michigan Wolverines haven’t been shut out on the football field since 1984, when Iowa beat them 26-0; those Hawkeyes, with Chuck Long at QB, hammered Texas 55-17 in the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim.

5) Since 2009, that’s only four years ago, 195 of 351 (55.6%) Division I college basketball teams have changed head coaches. That’s a lot.

4) Eight years ago, only two of the top seven high school basketball players went to college; Josh McRoberts went to Duke, and Tyler HanXXXough went to North Carolina.

Monta Ellis was the #3 player, Louis Williams #7, Mario Chalmers #10.

Funny one is that Greg Paulus was #16 (he played at Duke, but also wound up playing QB at Syracuse for a year and is now an assistant hoop coach at Ohio State) and Danny Green was #18, the same Danny Green who almost shot the Spurs to the NBA title last month.

3) JR Smith will sign a 4-year, $24.7M deal with the Knicks, and he doesn’t even start, though he does get starters’ minutes. What a country.

2) Summer is flying by; Main Event at the World Series of Poker starts Saturday. Might stop by the Rio and take a look next week. Did that once before; its very quiet in that big ballroom, except for the sound of poker chips clicking together.

1) Dwight Howard signing with the Rockets re-affirms my faith in mankind; had he signed with a team that employs Jerry West as a consultant, I'd be lost for an explanation. West is the best executive in NBA history; no way would a team he works for sign a nitwit like Howard.
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Dunkel

Baltimore at NY Yankees

The Yankees look to build on their 9-1 record in Andy Pettitte's last 10 home starts against the Orioles. New York is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Yankees favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, JULY 6

Game 901-902: Miami at St. Louis (2:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Eovaldi) 15.395; St. Louis (Kelly) 16.944
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-175); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-175); Under

Game 903-904: Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs (4:05 a.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Morton) 15.973; Cubs (Jackson) 14.873
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-125); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-125); N/A

Game 905-906: San Diego at Washington (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Marquis) 13.451; Washington (Zimmermann) 15.112
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Washington (-220); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-220); Under

Game 907-908: LA Dodgers at San Francisco (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Fife) 14.124; San Francisco (Bumgarner) 15.317
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 8
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-150); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-150); Over

Game 909-910: NY Mets at Milwaukee (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Marcum) 15.206; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 13.803
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-115); Over

Game 911-912: Atlanta at Philadelphia (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hudson) 15.743; Philadelphia (Kendrick) 16.928
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-105); Under

Game 913-914: Colorado at Arizona (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Pomeranz) 14.763; Arizona (Miley) 13.928
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-160); 9
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+140); Over

Game 915-916: Baltimore at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Tillman) 15.612; NY Yankees (Pettitte) 16.982
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-120); Under

Game 917-918: Minnesota at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pelfrey) 13.380; Toronto (Dickey) 15.246
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Toronto (-210); 9
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-210); Under

Game 919-920: Oakland at Kansas City (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Parker) 15.823; Kansas City (Santana) 16.855
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-110); Over

Game 921-922: Detroit at Cleveland (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Sanchez) 17.072; Cleveland (Carrasco) 14.936
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-150); Under

Game 923-924: Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Sale) 16.528; Tampa Bay (Moore) 15.312
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-145); 7
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+125); Over

Game 925-926: Houston at Texas (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Keuchel) 15.018; Texas (Darvish) 14.755
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Texas (-300); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+250); Over

Game 927-928: Boston at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Dempster) 16.808; LA Angels (Williams) 15.374
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 929-930: Seattle at Cincinnati (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Bonderman) 15.307; Cincinnati (Latos) 14.794
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-230); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+190); Over