The Bum's Aug. MLB Best Bets + Pod's !

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Saturday

August 10, 2013


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Braves are 20-0 since September 25, 2012 as a 140+ favorite vs a team that has lost at least their last two games for a net profit of $2000.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Tigers are 0-14-1 OU since August 29, 2007 as a road favorite after a loss in which they left 18+ men on base and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1400 when playing the under.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Derek Holland starts the Rangers are 0-8 since June 27, 2009 as a 140+ favorite vs a team that has lost at least their last two games, if he did not win by five runs or more in his last start, for a net profit of $1258 when playing against.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- Zack Greinke has produced a team record of 24-0 ($2,400) as a home favorite of more than -140, if his team did not blow a 5+ run lead in his last start.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Tigers are 14-0 since September 24, 2012 as a favorite when they are off a loss in which they had at least three times as many hits as runs and it is not the last game of a series for a net profit of $1400.

-- The Yankees are 0-11 since May 21, 2006 as a dog after an extra inning win for a net profit of $1100 when playing against.

[StarDust Bum]

The Evening Pod's:


LA Angels - 7:05 PM ET Cleveland -104 500
Cleveland - Under 8.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:05 PM ET Philadelphia -114 500
Washington - Under 7.5 500

Boston - 7:10 PM ET Kansas City +115 500 POD # 6
Kansas City - Under 8.5 500

Miami - 7:10 PM ET Miami +214 500 POD # 5
Atlanta - Over 7.5 500 POD # 10

San Diego - 7:10 PM ET San Diego +182 500 POD # 1
Cincinnati - Under 8 500

Texas - 7:10 PM ET Houston +190 500 POD # 7
Houston - Over 8.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 7:15 PM ET Chi. Cubs +190 500 POD # 8
St. Louis - Under 7.5 500

NY Mets - 8:10 PM ET NY Mets +146 500 POD # 3
Arizona - Over 8 500 POD # 4

Pittsburgh - 8:10 PM ET Colorado +126 500 POD # 2
Colorado - Under 9 500

Milwaukee - 9:10 PM ET Milwaukee +149 500 POD # 9
Seattle - Over 7 500

[WThotrod]

Great night last night and we're looking good so far today. Best of luck, my friend!

[StarDust Bum]

[WThotrod]

Boom goes the dynamite!! Great day, BUM!! This is awesome!!

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Top Action

August 11, 2013

Tigers at Yankees - 1:05 PM EST

Probables: J. Verlander (12-8, 3.50 ERA) vs. A. Pettitte (7-9, 4.71 ERA)

Series recap: New York snapped Detroit's 12-game winning streak on Friday night in extra-innings, 3-2. However, the Tigers bounced back on Saturday, 9-3, as the 'over' of 8 ½ easily cashed.

Current trends: The Tigers are 9-2 the last 11 away games, while winning 13 consecutive games in the favorite role. The Yankees have lost five of their past seven home contests, while posting a 1-6 record the previous seven games against AL Central foes.

Angels at Indians - 1:05 PM EST

Probables: J. Williams (5-8, 4.77 ERA) vs. J. Masterson (13-8, 3.46 ERA)

Series recap: Los Angeles goes for the sweep this afternoon after dominating Cleveland in the first two games. The Angels broke things open late in a 7-2 victory on Saturday, the second straight win in the underdog role.

Current trends: The Indians have lost six straight games, all at home, with five of those defeats coming by at least two runs. The Angels had lost six consecutive road games before beating the Indians twice, while seeking their first road sweep since late June at Houston.

Athletics at Blue Jays - 1:05 PM EST

Probables: A.J. Griffin (10-8, 3.91 ERA) vs. R.A. Dickey (9-11, 4.49 ERA)

Series recap: These two teams split the first two games of this series with plenty of balls leaving the yard. Josh Reddick hit three homers in a 14-6 rout of Toronto on Friday, while knocking out two more bombs in Saturday's 5-4 defeat. The Jays have defeated the A's three of five times this season, while the winning team has scored at least five runs in each matchup.

Current trends: Oakland has slipped up recently with seven losses in the last nine games, which has resulted in the A's falling behind the Rangers in the AL West. The Jays have hit the 'over' in seven of the last nine games, while trying to avoid their fourth home series loss in the last six tries.

Red Sox at Royals - 2:10 PM EST

Probables: J. Lackey (7-9, 3.21 ERA) vs. J. Shields (6-8, 3.36 ERA)

Series recap: Kansas City's hot stretch continued with two victories in the first two games of this series. However, the Red Sox held off the Royals on Saturday, 5-3, just the fifth loss for Kansas City since the All-Star break. Boston avoided its first three-game losing streak since early July with last night's victory.

Current trends: Kansas City is 9-4 at home since the break, while winning seven of their past eight games off a home loss. The Red Sox have struggled against AL Central opponents on the road recently, dropping seven of their last 10 games.

Orioles at Giants - 4:10 PM EST

Probables: B. Norris (8-9, 3.78 ERA) vs. M. Cain (7-7, 4.47 ERA)

Series recap: Baltimore won the series opener in extra-innings on Friday, 5-2, but San Francisco rebounded with a 3-2 triumph as a home underdog on Saturday. The Orioles look to conclude their West Coast swing at 4-1 with a victory today, while San Francisco goes for consecutive home wins for the first time since mid-July.

Current trends: The Orioles try to fix their inconsistency on the road, as Baltimore has split its last eight away contests after sweeping Texas in mid-July. The Giants are just 1-7 the previous eight games off a victory at AT&T Park, while posting a 2-7 record the last nine home contests as a favorite.

Rays at Dodgers - 8:10 PM EST

Probables: J. Hellickson (10-5, 4.77 ERA) vs. C. Kershaw (10-7, 1.91 ERA)

Series recap: Tampa Bay squandered a 6-0 lead in Friday's shocking 7-6 defeat to Los Angeles, as the Dodgers put up four runs in the ninth inning to win as home 'dogs. Zack Greinke shut down the Rays' offense on Saturday, 5-0 as $1.40 home favorites.

Current trends: The Rays have lost six of their last eight games, including four straight on this road trip against NL West opponents. Tampa Bay continues to be a solid 'under' play by cashing in eight of the last 10 games, while posting a 9-4 mark to the 'under' the last 13 contests away from Tropicana Field. Since the All-Star break, the Dodgers continue to pick up victories at a rapid pace, winning 19 of 22 games. Los Angeles are 12-3 to the 'under' the past 15 games, including a 6-1 mark to the 'under' the last seven home contests.

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Sunday

August 11, 2013


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Reds are 10-0 since April 11, 2010 as a favorite after a loss in which they allowed 6 or fewer hits and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $1000.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The White Sox are 10-0 OU since May 15, 2012 as a home favorite after a win in which they allowed 5+ walks for a net profit of $1000 when playing the over.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Mike Leake starts the Reds are 10-0 since June 21, 2010 after he had a WHIP of at least 2 his last start and they lost in his previous start for a net profit of $1077.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Dodgers are 17-1 (+1,445) since 2011 as a favorite after a win by 5+ runs, where they led by 3+ runs after six innings, if they didn’t win by more than 5 runs two games ago.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Rangers are 10-0 since April 24, 2013 as a road favorite vs a divisional foe that is behind them in the divisional standings for a net profit of $1000.

-- The Brewers are 0-12 since September 26, 2004 as a dog after shutting out their opponent and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $1200 when playing against.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (69-46) at Yankees (58-57)
Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 11, 2013 1:05 PM EDT


A day after having their 12-game winning streak snapped, the Detroit Tigers bounced back for a lopsided victory, simultaneously resuming the New York Yankees' post-All-Star break free fall.

New York's woes could continue Sunday at Yankee Stadium versus Justin Verlander, who seems to be rounding into form after a mechanical adjustment, though Alex Rodriguez has seen success against him recently.

The Yankees (58-57) opened the series with a 4-3 victory in 10 innings Friday, but tumbled back to Earth on Saturday with a 9-3 defeat.

Miguel Cabrera homered for the third time in four games despite playing on a bandaged leg, and Torii Hunter and Austin Jackson also went deep as Detroit (69-46) improved to 17-4 since the break. Jackson is 10 for 21 over his last four games with nine runs, four doubles, two triples and two homers.

The Yankees are 7-13 since the break - the worst mark by any team with a winning record - though another loss Sunday would see them slip to .500 for the first time since being 5-5 on April 13.

Rodriguez wasn't in the lineup Saturday for the first time since making his season debut. He was 0 for 4 and struck out three times Friday in his first game back in the Bronx, getting relentlessly booed, but manager Joe Girardi said it was a routine off-day for the third baseman. Rodriguez is 3 for 15 with two walks in four games.

"It's a quick turnaround and he's coming off an injury," Girardi said. "If we don't have that late night, maybe I play him today."

It's hardly been a career year for Verlander (12-8, 3.50 ERA), whose ERA is his highest since 2008. However, he's coming off back-to-back wins for the first time since early June, limiting his last two opponents to two runs over 14 innings while striking out 13.

Verlander said he changed his motion toward the plate in his last start, which saw him throw eight innings in a 5-1 victory at Cleveland on Tuesday.

"The adjustment that I made obviously made not just a little impact but a pretty big impact," said Verlander, who gave up three runs over 7 1-3 innings of a 7-0 defeat to New York on April 7.

"Everything I've been searching for I was able to find it today."

Verlander has given up at least three runs in six of his last seven starts versus the Yankees, posting a 1-3 record with a 3.83 ERA.

Given his track record against the former Cy Young Award winner, Rodriguez could be a big asset to the Yankees on Sunday. He's 8 for 24 lifetime off Verlander with three homers and four walks. Two of the home runs came last year as he was 4 for 6 against him.

New York starter Andy Pettitte (7-9, 4.71) comes off his worst showing of the season as he gave up seven runs and 11 hits - 10 singles - in 2 2-3 innings of an 8-1 road loss to the Chicago White Sox on Monday.

Three of those runs came in the first inning against the left-hander, who is the first Yankees pitcher since at least 1920 to allow at least one run in the first inning of seven straight starts in a single season. Pettitte has given up 14 first-inning runs in that span, and opponents are hitting .396 against him in the first frame this year.

Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson are a combined 8 for 52 (.153) off Verlander with 16 strikeouts since the start of 2010, including the postseason.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Yankees
Fri, Aug 9 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Tigers at Yankees
Sat, Aug 10 Final 9 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Tigers at Yankees
Sun, Aug 11 - 1:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (65-50) at Blue Jays (54-62)
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: August 11, 2013 1:07 PM EDT


No pitchers have served up more homers this year than the ones who will start Sunday in Toronto. That fact should be particularly enticing to Josh Reddick and Jose Bautista.

The duo has accounted for seven home runs through the first half of this four-game set. Five of them have come from Reddick, who takes on R.A. Dickey looking to extend his domination of the Blue Jays while Bautista faces A.J. Griffin and tries to keep tormenting the Oakland Athletics.

Griffin (10-8, 3.91 ERA) has given up a major league-high 28 homers, including 10 in his past four outings. He's the first Oakland pitcher to allow at least two in four straight starts since Mark Redman in 2007.

"He's not pitching poorly," said manager Bob Melvin, who seeks win No. 700. "The home runs just stand out."

Dickey (9-11, 4.49) is tied for second in the majors with 25 home runs allowed, including 18 in 12 starts at home. No current A's player has homered off the knuckleballer, but Reddick has never faced him.

Reddick homered three times Friday, snapping an 0-for-20 slump, as Oakland won the series opener 14-6. He had five RBIs that night and added three more Saturday on a pair of home runs, though Toronto won 5-4.

"I'm going into the batter's box a lot more comfortable and feeling like they can't get me out right now," Reddick said.

Bautista also went deep in both games and is 6 for 9 in the series. He's batting .467 with eight extra-base hits, including four homers, in his last nine games against the A's (65-50).

While Bautista is hot in general - 15 for 30 during an eight-game hitting streak - and among the AL leaders with 27 homers, Reddick has struggled nearly all season after hitting 32 home runs last year. Half of his 10 this season have come in the last two days, and all 11 of his RBIs over his last 15 games have been against the Blue Jays.

"He's on fire," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "His home runs have been down this year, but he seems to be picking it up."

Reddick has nine homers and 23 RBIs in 13 games versus the Blue Jays (54-62) since the start of last season.

Dickey, meanwhile, is 0-2 with a 7.11 ERA in three home starts since July 1, but he's pitched well on the road in his last two. He allowed another homer Monday but ended a five-start winless stretch with a 3-1 victory at Seattle, five days after giving up two unearned runs in six innings of a 5-2 win in Oakland.

Griffin won that series opener July 29 despite surrendering home runs to Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Lind and Brett Lawrie. He yielded only one other hit in seven innings of the 9-4 victory, improving to 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in three starts versus the Blue Jays.

The right-hander yielded four runs again Sunday en route to his second loss in nine outings, going 6 2-3 innings in a 4-0 defeat to Texas. Griffin had been slated to start Saturday but was pushed back a day, and he's 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in five career starts on at least six days' rest.

He'll try to step up for an Oakland team which has lost seven of nine as its rotation has posted a 5.12 ERA. He's the only pitcher to go beyond six innings in that stretch.

Toronto's Jose Reyes drove in a run for the fifth straight game Saturday and homered for the third time in eight games.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Blue Jays
Fri, Aug 9 Final 14 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Blue Jays
Sat, Aug 10 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Blue Jays
Sun, Aug 11 - 1:07PM EDT

GAME 4
Athletics at Blue Jays
Mon, Aug 12 - 12:37PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Angels (53-62) at Indians (62-55)
Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 11, 2013 1:05 PM EDT


If the Cleveland Indians are to end their slide, they'll likely need ace Justin Masterson to continue his success against the Los Angeles Angels.

The All-Star right-hander looks to remain undefeated against the Angels and help the Indians avoid going winless on their seven-game homestand Sunday.

Cleveland (62-55) began the home stay winners in 10 of 11 and three games behind AL Central-leading Detroit. However, they were swept in a four-game set by the Tigers and dropped the first two with Los Angeles to fall eight back in the division race. Outscored 37-15 on the homestand, the Indians held an early 1-0 lead but were held to two runs and seven hits for a second straight night after Saturday's 7-2 defeat.

Prior to this homestand, Cleveland had won 11 straight at Progressive Field.

"This is a game where how you handle frustration goes so far in how your season is defined, and we're going to find out,' said Indians manager Terry Francona, whose team committed a season-high four errors Saturday.

Cleveland has lost four in a row to the Angels (53-62), who lost four straight themselves prior to this series. Los Angeles' last series sweep at Cleveland came Sept. 3-5, 2004.

Including the postseason, Masterson (13-8, 3.46 ERA) is 3-0 with a 2.11 ERA in 14 games against the Angels. He's 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in seven starts against them, but looks to bounce back from his roughest outing in a month.

Masterson had allowed four runs, 15 hits and struck out 29 over 28 innings while going 3-0 in four starts before he gave up five runs and seven hits in seven innings of a 5-1 loss to Detroit on Tuesday.

Josh Hamilton, 8 for 12 with two doubles and two homers versus Masterson, had two hits Saturday. Hamilton is 3 for 7 in this series after he went 2 for 26 with seven strikeouts in his previous seven contests.

Mike Trout went 0 for 4, but had an RBI and drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 40 games. Orlando Cabrera reached base a franchise-record 63 straight contests in 2006.

Scheduled Los Angeles starter Jerome Williams (5-8, 4.77) is 0-6 with a 7.48 ERA in nine starts since moving back into the rotation June 22. He gave up a run in 7 2-3 innings while not factoring in the decision of a 2-1 loss at Texas to conclude July, then pitched four scoreless innings before he yielded five runs in the fifth and sixth of a 5-2 defeat to the Rangers on Monday.

"I thought Jerome was a little bit more erratic tonight than maybe we saw in Texas last week," manager Mike Scioscia told the Angels' official website. "Ball-strike ratio was not good. Overall I don't think he commanded the counts like he can."

The right-hander has never faced Cleveland, but Nick Swisher is 0 for 3 with a walk against him.

Swisher is 5 for 27 in his last eight games after tripling Saturday.

However, teammate Yan Gomes is 18 for 35 (.514) in his last 11 contests.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Angels at Indians
Fri, Aug 9 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Angels at Indians
Sat, Aug 10 Final 7 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Angels at Indians
Sun, Aug 11 - 1:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Padres (53-63) at Reds (64-52)
Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 11, 2013 1:10 PM EDT


The San Diego Padres' struggling offense caught a few breaks from the Cincinnati Reds' defense to help end the team's losing streak, but runs may be even tougher to come by against Mike Leake.

That is, of course, unless Leake's struggles from his last outing carry over into Sunday's contest in Cincinnati.

San Diego (53-63) had scored six runs during a three-game losing streak and learned Sunday that Carlos Quentin, who leads the club with 45 RBIs, is headed to the 15-day disabled list due to a strained knee that has caused him to miss the last eight games.

With Everth Cabrera, the NL's leader with 37 stolen bases, already serving a 50-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, the Padres' offense will need others to step up.

They got help Saturday, as the Reds committed a season-worst four errors - three from third baseman Jack Hannahan - that led to two unearned runs in San Diego's 3-1 victory. Will Venable homered for the second straight game, hitting a solo shot in the eighth.

``You can't do more than you're able to do,' Venable said. ``You know what kind of player you are. Especially being down a couple of guys, everybody needs to do a better job."

Venable will look to extend his seven-game hitting streak against Leake (10-5, 2.94 ERA), who was roughed up in his latest outing.

Leake had gone 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA over his previous four starts before giving up a season-worst seven runs in five innings of a 15-2 loss to St. Louis on Sunday.

That poor outing followed a solid performance against San Diego on July 29, when he gave up four hits in seven scoreless innings before Chris Denorfia hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to give the Padres a 2-1 win.

Leake is having the best season of his four-year career and credits changes in his approach for his success.

"I'm thinking for myself a little more than last year or the year before," Leake told the team's official website. "I definitely feel like I'm not (as) scared to throw certain pitches as I was the last couple of years."

The right-hander will be opposed by Ian Kennedy, who will be making his second start for the Padres.

Kennedy (4-8, 5.14) won his first start since being acquired from Arizona at the non-waiver trade deadline as he allowed two runs and struck out six in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday.

He had gone 0-5 with a 5.82 ERA over his previous 10 outings since beating the Chicago Cubs on June 1.

``A lot of things going on," Kennedy said after the win. "I got the first one out of the way and the offense carried me.'

The right-hander hasn't needed much help against the Reds, though, winning all three starts while posting a 1.27 ERA. He gave up one run and struck out seven in eight innings of a 7-1 victory the last time he faced them in Cincinnati on July 18, 2012, with the Diamondbacks.

The Reds (64-52) had their three-game winning streak snapped Saturday, as Brandon Phillips drove in their only run. They hadn't committed four errors since finishing with five exactly one year ago in a win over the Cubs.

"I have no explanation,' manager Dusty Baker said.

Cincinnati had won four straight home meetings over the Padres prior to Saturday.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Reds
Fri, Aug 9 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Padres at Reds
Sat, Aug 10 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Padres at Reds
Sun, Aug 11 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Marlins (44-71) at Braves (71-46)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 11, 2013 1:35 PM EDT


With their longest winning streak in over 13 years now in the past, the Atlanta Braves hope Mike Minor can help them lay the groundwork for another potential run of success.

Minor looks for a third consecutive win Sunday while trying to prevent the visiting Miami Marlins from building on their first victory in a week.

Atlanta (71-46) averaged 5.9 runs and 10.4 hits during its 14-game winning streak, but was held to three singles by four Miami pitchers during Saturday's 1-0 loss. The Braves fell one victory shy of tying the 2000 team for the franchise's longest winning streak since the 1891 Boston Beaneaters won 18 in a row.

"Yeah, man, we had a good run,' said catcher Evan Gattis, who was unable to stop a wild pitch in the ninth inning that produced the game's only run. "I hate that it ended.'

The defeat also snapped an eight-game home run for the Braves, who lead the NL East by 14 1/2 games.

Adeiny Hechavarria tripled to lead off the ninth then scored on the wild pitch to help the Marlins (44-71) snap a six-game slide.

"They're a great team,' said Miami's Nathan Eovaldi, who yielded one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. "It was just a great win all around.'

Miami has totaled 13 runs in seven games since a 10-0 rout of Cleveland on Aug. 2.

The Marlins' struggles at the plate could continue against Minor (11-5, 2.76 ERA), who is 3-1 with a 1.74 ERA in his last six starts. He's allowed three runs over 20 innings while going 2-0 in the last three.

The left-hander was not satisfied even after he gave up two of those runs along with eight hits and three walks over six innings of Monday's 3-2 win at Washington.

"I know it very easily could have been five or six runs," Minor told the Braves' official website. "So I'm thankful for only two runs."

He's 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts versus Miami this season.

With a single Saturday, Atlanta All-Star Freddie Freeman is batting .364 (12 for 33) while hitting in nine straight against the Marlins.

Giancarlo Stanton could be in the lineup Sunday for Miami after the struggling slugger was given the night off. He's 4 for 37 with two RBIs and 15 strikeouts in his last 10 games.

"It seems that he is really grinding," manager Mike Redmond told the Braves' official website. "Sometimes just a day to sit and relax and not really think about your swing will help guys. Hopefully that's the case with him."

Stanton's two hits in 12 at_bats against Minor both left the park.

Scheduled Miami starter Henderson Alvarez (2-1, 2.80) has allowed seven runs over 34 innings while going 2-0 in his last five starts. He's yielded five of those runs over the last two, including three in seven innings of a 4-3 loss at Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts versus the Braves this season.

Atlanta's Brian McCann, 2 for 4 with a double against Alvarez, could return after resting his sore knee Saturday.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Braves
Fri, Aug 9 Final 0 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Marlins at Braves
Sat, Aug 10 Final 1 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Marlins at Braves
Sun, Aug 11 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (51-63) at White Sox (44-71)
Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 11, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


The Chicago White Sox are in the midst of their best stretch in quite some time, and it began with a solid pitching performance from Jose Quintana.

He hasn't been nearly as successful against the Minnesota Twins, though.

Chicago seeks a split of its four-game set with visiting Minnesota behind Quintana on Sunday.

After averaging 1.8 runs during a 10-game losing streak, the last-place White Sox (44-71) have won four of six on their 10-game homestand.

They swept the New York Yankees earlier this week before holding on for a 5-4 win over the Twins on Saturday, as Jordan Danks homered in the second inning and Conor Gillaspie singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth.

The White Sox hadn't won four times in a six-game span since June 5-10.

``A win is a win. It doesn't matter how you do it,' said closer Addison Reed, who picked up his 28th save. "Hopefully, it gets a little spark in us and starts a little winning streak.'

Chicago's stretch began when Quintana (6-3, 3.51 ERA) allowed one run in 6 2-3 innings of Monday's 8-1 win over the Yankees. He improved to 3-1 with a 2.58 ERA over his last seven starts and finally got help from his offense.

"That was nice to get good run support," said Quintana, who had been given just six runs in his last four starts. "I tried to think the game was 0-0."

The left-hander didn't fare well last season in three starts versus the Twins, going 0-1 with a 9.20 ERA. He gave up seven runs in just 1 1-3 innings of an 18-9 defeat Sept. 4 the last time he faced them.

Josh Willingham is 5 for 6 with two homers versus Quintana and Justin Morneau is 4 for 7.

Morneau homered again Sunday for the Twins (51-63) after hitting a pair, including a grand slam, Friday in a 7-5 win in the first game of a doubleheader. Oswaldo Arcia, who has gone deep in each of this series' three games, homered in the 10th inning of a 3-2 win in the nightcap and nearly hit a second on Saturday but flied out to the wall for the final out.

Willingham came off the disabled list following knee surgery for this series and has gone 2 for 13 as the designated hitter.

``Getting swings right now is more important and running the bases,' manager Ron Gardenhire said. ``He's already played the outfield down (in the minors during rehab), so I'm not worried about that.'

The Twins, who have won eight of 11 against the White Sox this season, look to get help from starter Kevin Correia (7-8, 4.84) as he seeks to bounce back from a rough outing.

Minnesota has lost seven of Correia's last eight starts since he allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 7-4 win over the White Sox on June 19. He gave up six runs in two innings of Monday's 13-0 loss to Kansas City, marking the second time in three outings he gave up six runs and lasted fewer than three innings.

"I was just not able to get anybody out," Correia said. "I just didn't have good command of my stuff.'

The right-hander's only other career start versus Chicago came May 14, when he allowed four runs in seven innings of a 4-2 defeat.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at White Sox
Fri, Aug 9 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at White Sox
Sat, Aug 10 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Twins at White Sox
Sun, Aug 11 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (71-48) at Royals (60-54)
Game: 4
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 11, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


Jacoby Ellsbury routinely tees off on the Kansas City Royals, and this series has been no different.

The star center fielder will try to continue tormenting the Royals, and help the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox salvage a split of their four-game series at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday.

Ellsbury is a career .400 hitter with 34 runs and 19 stolen bases in 34 games versus Kansas City (60-54).

He's batting .429 during a 21-game hitting streak against the Royals, ranking second for the Red Sox (71-48) in the all-time series to Jerry Remy's 28-game run from 1978-82.

Ellsbury has extended his run with seven hits in the first three games of this series, including a career high-tying four with a pair of RBI doubles to power Saturday's 5-3 win. He also stole his major league-leading 42nd base.

"I'm seeing the ball and driving it, putting some good swings on the ball," Ellsbury said. "I feel like I've been swinging the bat well and all you can do is get hard contact.

"I've put a lot of work into it, into hitting and making good contact."

John Lackey (7-9, 3.21 ERA) may appreciate another big performance from Ellsbury since he's 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA over his last four starts. However, the offense has failed to produce any runs in each of his losses, including Monday's 2-0 defeat at Houston.

The veteran right-hander limited the Astros to two runs while striking out 10 in six-plus innings, the 10th straight outing he's reached at least the seventh. He also overcame an ankle injury suffered in the second inning while trying to field a soft chopper.

"He had good secondary stuff and got a lot of key strikeouts when he needed them," manager John Farrell said.

Lackey is 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA over his last five starts versus the Royals, but hasn't pitched in Kansas City since Sept. 5, 2009, while with the Los Angeles Angels.

Despite Saturday's defeat, the Royals have won 15 of 18, including seven of nine at home while hitting .315 with 49 runs.

Billy Butler has a .457 average in those nine home games, and he's 7 for 13 with four runs and three RBIs in this series. The designated hitter is batting .398 with 19 RBIs in his last 22 meetings against the Red Sox at Kansas City.

James Shields (6-8, 3.36) tries again for his first home win since April 30 while also attempting to rebound from his worst performance of the season

The right-hander is 0-4 with a 4.70 ERA over his last nine games in Kansas City, getting roughed up in Tuesday's 7-0 loss to Minnesota. He was tagged for a season-high seven runs and three homers in six innings and also balked home a run.

"He just had trouble getting the ball down," manager Ned Yost said. "Command was the issue."

Shields didn't have any such issues against the Red Sox on April 20, yielding one run and four hits while striking out eight in six innings before the bullpen wasted his effort in a 4-3 loss.

Shields has struggled against Ellsbury over the past three seasons, allowing him to go 8 for 24 (.333) with two homers and two doubles. He's also had a tough time with Will Middlebrooks, who is 3 for 5.

Middlebrooks had two hits and two RBIs Saturday, hours after being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket as the Red Sox give him another chance to become their everyday third baseman.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Royals
Thu, Aug 8 Final 1 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Royals
Fri, Aug 9 Final 6 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Red Sox at Royals
Sat, Aug 10 Final 5 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Red Sox at Royals
Sun, Aug 11 - 2:10PM EDT