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

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Saturday, August 24

National League

Arizona at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
Delgado: D-backs have won second game of a road series four straight times after losing first game
Martin: Phillies 13-3 SU when facing Diamondbacks at home since 2008

Milwaukee at Cincinnati, 7:10 ET
Peralta: Under is 6-1 in Peralta�s last seven road starts
Arroyo: Reds 11-4 SU when Arroyo starts at home

Colorado at Miami, 7:10 ET
Manship: Rockies 7-18 SU on the road after a win in 2013
Fernandez: Marlins 10-2 SU when Fernandez starts at home

Atlanta at St. Louis, 7:15 ET MLB
Teheran: Under is 5-2 in last seven starts for Teheran
Miller: Cardinals 9-4 SU when Miller starts at home

Chicago Cubs at San Diego, 8:40 ET
Samardzija: Under is 4-2 in last six road night starts for Samardzija
Stults: Padres 14-5 SU when Stults starts at home

Pittsburgh at San Francisco, 9:05 ET
Liriano: Pirates 5-2 in last seven road starts for Liriano
Lincecum: Giants 3-8 SU in last 11 home starts for Lincecum


American League

Oakland at Baltimore, 4:05 ET FOX
Milone: Athletics 3-6 SU when Milone starts a road day game
Tillman: Orioles 7-1 SU in last eight home starts for Tillman

Minnesota at Cleveland, 7:05 ET
Hendriks: Twins 13-25 in road night games in 2013
Kazmir: Indians 7-3 SU when Kazmir starts at home

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay, 7:10 ET
Sabathia: Yankees 3-6 SU in last nine road starts for Sabathia
Price: Under is 9-0 last nine times Rays have faced a southpaw at home

Toronto at Houston, 7:10 ET
TBA: Blue Jays 9-26 on road after allowing more than 10 runs in previous game
Peacock: Over is 6-2 when Peacock starts for Astros

Texas at Chicago White Sox, 7:10 ET MLB
Darvish: Under is 4-1 in last five Darvish road starts
Santiago: Under is 6-1 in last seven home starts for Santiago

Los Angeles Angels at Seattle, 9:10 ET
Vargas: Over is 4-1 in last five road starts for Vargas
Ramirez: Mariners 5-1 when Ramirez starts a game


Interleague

Detroit at New York Mets, 4:05 ET FOX
Scherzer: Tigers 9-3 SU when Scherzer starts on road in 2013
Harvey: Under is 4-1 when Harvey starts a home day game

Boston at Los Angeles Dodgers, 4:05 ET FOX
Lester: Over is 7-2 in 2013 when Lester starts on road after team won in his last outing
Ryu: Dodgers 9-2 SU when Ryu starts at home

Washington at Kansas City, 7:10 ET
Zimmermann: Nationals 5-1 SU since start of 2012 in a Zimmermann road start after team lost in his last outing
Davis: Royals 4-7 SU when Davis starts at home

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, August 24

Hot pitchers
-- Martin is 2-1, 3.31 in his last three starts.
-- Arroyo is 3-0, 1.80 in his last three starts.
-- Fernandez is 4-0, 1.72 in his last seven starts.
-- Teheran is 3-1, 1.80 in his last five starts.
-- Liriano won his last two starts, allowing one run in 16 IP.

-- Scherzer is 5-0, 1.90 in his last six starts. Harvey is 2-2, 2.16 in his last six.
-- Ryu is 4-1, 2.16 in his last five starts. Lester is 1-1, 2.49 in his last three.
-- Davis is 2-0, 3.27 in his last four starts.

-- McAllister is 2-0, 2.19 in his last couple starts.
-- Parker is 3-0, 2.30 in his last four starts.
-- Price is 3-0, 2.03 in his last six starts.
-- Peacock is 1-0, 2.19 in his last two starts.
-- Darvish is 3-0, 2.15 in his last four starts.
-- Mariners won last five Ramirez starts (4-0, 5.22), scoring 27 runs.

Cold pitchers
-- Delgado is 0-1, 6.00 in his last three starts.
-- Peralta is 1-4, 7.24 in his last five starts.
-- Manship is 0-3, 7.80 in three starts for Colorado.
-- Miller is 1-2, 5.32 in his last five starts.
-- Stults is 0-3, 5.77 in his last six starts. Samardzija is 1-1, 6.87 in his last three.
-- Lincecum is 1-4, 5.40 in his last six starts.

-- Zimmerman is 2-4, 6.08 in his last seven starts.

-- Tillman is 1-1, 4.62 in his last four starts.
-- Hendriks is 0-1, 3.94 in three starts this year.
-- Sabathia is 2-3, 9.16 in his last seven starts.
-- Santiago is 1-2, 4.60 in his last five starts.
-- Wang lost his last two starts, allowing 13 runs in 3.1 IP (last start July 2).
-- Vargas is 1-2, 5.40 in his last five starts.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Delgado 3-12; Martin 0-4
-- Peralta 4-26 (0 of last 13); Arroyo 4-25
-- Manship 1-3; Fernandez 4-24 (0 of last 7)
-- Teheran 7-24 (0 of last 10); Miller 5-23 (0 of last 10)
-- Samardzija 7-26 (1 of last 7); Stults 9-26 (5 of last 9)
-- Liriano 4-18; Lincecum 9-25 (0 of last 5)

-- Scherzer 4-25 (0 of last 10); Harvey 4-25 (0 of last 6)
-- Lester 8-26; Ryu 7-24 (1 of last 6)
-- Zimmerman 4-25; Davis 9-22 (4 of last 6)

-- Parker 8-25; Tillman 6-25
-- Hendriks 1-3; McAllister 5-17 (0 of last 5)
-- Sabathia 8-26 (3 of last 4); Price 6-19
-- Wang 0-5; Peacock 3-8
-- Darvish 7-23; Santiago 4-17
-- Vargas 2-16; Ramirez 3-6

Totals
-- Under is 10-1-1 in last twelve Philadelphia games.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Colorado games.
-- Six of last seven Milwaukee games went over the total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five St Louis games.
-- Four of last five Cub games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight San Francisco games.

-- Six of last nine Detroit road games went over the total.
-- Under is 9-3-2 in last fourteen Kansas City games.
-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Boston games.

-- Under is 12-4-2 in last eighteen Minnesota games.
-- Eight of last eleven Baltimore games went over the total.
-- You're reading ***************.com. Have a nice day.
-- Four of last six Tampa Bay games stayed under total.
-- Nine of last twelve Toronto games stayed under total.
-- Six of last eight White Sox games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Angel games stayed under the total.

Hot teams
-- Phillies won five of their last six games.
-- Reds won nine of their last thirteen games. Milwaukee won six of its last nine games on foreign soil.
-- St Louis won nine of its last 12 games.

-- Detroit won four of its last six games.
-- Nationals won 10 of their last 14 games.
-- Dodgers are 46-10 in their last 56 games.

-- Indians won six of their last nine games.
-- Bronx Bombers won 10 of their last 13 games. Tampa Bay won seven of its last nine games.
-- Texas won 19 of its last 23 games. White Sox won six of last seven

Cold teams
-- Diamondbacks lost four of their last five games.
-- Miami lost eight of last nine home games. Colorado lost five of its last seven games overall.
-- Braves lost three of their last four games.
-- Cubs lost 14 of their last 20 games. San Diego is 4-5 in its last nine.
-- Pirates lost eight of last thirteen games. Giants are 4-8 in their last twelve.

-- Mets lost four of their last six games.
-- Kansas City lost eight of its last ten games.
-- Red Sox are 5-9 in their last fourteen games.

-- Minnesota lost seven of its last eleven games.
-- Oakland/Baltimore are both 4-6 in their last ten games.
-- Blue Jays lost 11 of their last 15 games. Astros lost four of their last six.
-- Seattle lost seven of its last ten home games. Angels lost four of their last five games, scoring 11 runs.

Umpires
-- Az-Phil-- Home team won last nine Fagan games.
-- Mil-Cin-- Seven of last nine Marquez games stayed under.
-- Col-Mia-- Underdogs are 7-5 in last twelve Fletcher games, with six of last nine staying under the total.
-- Atl-StL-- Nine of last thirteen Eddings games went over the total.
-- Chi-SD-- Six of last seven Cooper games stayed under total.
-- Pitt-SF-- 14 of last 15 Danley games stayed under the total.

-- Det-NY-- Favorites won nine of last eleven Nelson games.
-- Bos-LA--Under is 11-0-2 in last 13 Iassogna games; underdogs are 9-5 in his last 14 games behind the plate.
-- Wsh-KC-- Underdogs won five of last seven TWelke games.

-- A's-Balt-- Underdogs won four of last five Culbreth games.
-- Min-Clev-- Four of last five Wolcott games went over the total.
-- NY-TB-- Under is 7-4-1 in last twelve Meals games.
-- Tor-Hst-- 12 of last 14 Miller games stayed under the total.
-- Tex-Chi-- Underdogs won three of last four Wendelstedt games.
-- LA-Sea-- Five of last six Kulpa games stayed under the total.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

Jeff Goodman is a very good college hoop writer who moved from CBSSports.com to ESPN this summer; here are six of his top 25 X’s/O’s college coaches, from a poll he took this summer………

T24) Fred Hoiberg, Iowa State—2-2 record in NCAA’s. Guys with NBA background are better at drawing up quick hitting scoring plays, since the NBA shot clock is so much shorter than the college one.

T19) Sean Miller, Arizona—11-6 record in NCAA’s. Will get to a Final Four soon.

T16) Mark Few, Gonzaga—15-14 record in NCAA’s. Overall is 374-93 and made Gonzaga his destination job.

T16) John Calipari, Kentucky—38-13 in NCAA tourney games; got freakin’ UMass to the Final Four. You do that, you can coach.

8) Billy Donovan, Florida—31-11 in NCAA’s. Says Vandy coach Kevin Stallings: “He’s the most well-prepared cpach in our league on a game-by-game basis, year-after-ear, in my opinion.” Think they read that quote in Lexington?

1) Tom Izzo, Michigan State- 39-15 in NCAA’s. In case you were wondering, John Beilein was #2 and Rick Pitino #3 in this poll of roughly two-thirds of D-I head coaches.


*****

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Searching for the meaning of life..........

13) HBO’s Hard Knocks is very, very well done, an interesting look inside how an NFL team’s training camp is run.

This year’s subject are the Cincinnati Bengals, who seem likeable enough. Last year was the first time I ever had HBO, so it was the first time I had seen Hard Knocks, when the Dolphins were the show’s focus. Miami had a rookie head coach and a rookie QB, so it wasn’t as conducive to good TV, since everyone just seemed to be getting to know everyone. Lot more laughter around Bengals’ camp.

12) That said, the harsh reality is that all 32 NFL teams will be down to 53 players on September 2. Training camp rosters are at 90, so like we’ve said before, 1,184 players have or will lose their jobs in the next ten days, that’s the harsh reality of professional sports.

Hard Knocks shows some of these difficult conferences, when the coach tells a player he has been cut; there is no easy to do this, you’re telling someone he’s not good enough for your team.

Yet the player is civil/professional, because he doesn’t want to burn bridges in case he could be brought back later on (like the A’s brought back Kurt Suzuki this week). Its just interesting to see how its done.

11) Reality is also setting in now for aspiring pro basketball players who are heading overseas to begin their seasons.

For UNLV’s Anthony Marshall, he is heading to the Ukraine after living his whole life in Las Vegas; I’m thinking he will get on an NBA roster someday, but to go from living in Vegas to the Ukraine, well culture shock doesn’t get much more drastic than that. Hope he dresses warm, plays well and gets back here to play in the NBA. He is a good enough defensive player that he should make it to the NBA eventually.

10) Back to Suzuki for a second: the A’s catching situation is messed up; John Jaso has had three concussions, Derek Norris broke his foot during the abysmal 8th inning vs Seattle Tuesday night and Steven Vogt just isn’t good enough to carry the catching load every day.

Oakland didn’t have another catcher on its 40-man roster, so enter Suzuki, who the A’s traded to Washington last June; he is solid defensively and at this time of year, that is so important. A’s need better defense, or this September won’t be nearly as much fun as last September was.

9) Dolphins’ TE Dustin Keller tore the ACL, MCL, PCL in his right knee last week but somehow didn’t sustain any cartilage damage, so it is possible he could rehab his knee and make a comeback in a year or two. Modern Medicine is really impressive sometimes; my knee started to hurt just reading about Keller’s injury.

8) Hall of Famer Cris Carter’s son Duran is a WR for the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL; he caught a 52-yard pass in the Als’ wild 39-39 win over the BC Lions Thursday.

7) This is Pete Carroll’s fourth season coaching in Seattle; only four current Seahawks were on the team before Carroll took over. There is an interesting article on espn.com on how the Seahawks go about their business differently than just about any other pro sports team.

6) Serious question: When a team like the Lions whacks perennial power New England 40-9 in a preseason game, do people get fired up and buy more tickets the next day? Myself I don’t think it’s a big indicator of regular season success (though its obviously better than losing 40-9) but I was wondering if teams see a bounce at the ticket window because of it.

5) Tampa Bay Bucs have a problem with staph infections at their practice facility; this isn’t a small problem- two players have already gotten infected.

4) Colorado Rockies’ closer Rafael Betancourt was having a good season, until he tore the ligament in his pitching elbow Thursday night; that means the Rockies need a new closer for not just the next six weeks, but next season, too.

3) When the Pirates’ Garrett Jones homered into McCovey Cove Thursday, it was the 91st home run hit into the water behind the RF fence at AT&T Park; 63 by the Giants, 28 by SF opponents.

2) Vin Scully is coming back for his 65th year in the Dodger broadcast booth next season, which is excellent news for anyone with the Extra Innings package. Scully started doing Dodger games when Harry S Truman was the President. He has seen an awful lot in his amazing career.

1) If you don’t think scouting/drafting is an inexact science, no matter how much money is spent on it, know that there were six QBs drafted ahead of Tom Brady in the 2000 Draft. Brady was the 199th player taken that year. One team didn’t draft him “….because his feet were too big.” Alrighty then.
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[StarDust Bum]

Evening Pod's:


Arizona - 7:05 PM ET Arizona -106 500
Philadelphia - Under 8.5 500

Minnesota - 7:05 PM ET Cleveland -180 500
Cleveland -

Texas - 7:10 PM ET Texas -185 500
Chi. White Sox - Over 7 500

Milwaukee - 7:10 PM ET Milwaukee +175 500 POD # 6
Cincinnati - Under 8.5 500

Colorado - 7:10 PM ET Colorado +165 500 POD # 1
Miami - Over 7 500

Washington - 7:10 PM ET Washington -107 500
Kansas City - Over 8.5 500

NY Yankees - 7:10 PM ET NY Yankees +158 500 POD # 2
Tampa Bay - Over 7 500

Atlanta - 7:15 PM ET Atlanta +123 500 POD # 4
St. Louis - Under 7.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 8:40 PM ET Chi. Cubs +116 500 POD # 5
San Diego - Over 7 500

Pittsburgh - 9:05 PM ET Pittsburgh -128 500
San Francisco - Over 6.5 500

LA Angels - 9:10 PM ET LA Angels +117 500 POD # 3
Seattle - Under 8 500

[WThotrod]

Best of luck tonight! I am on everything for $300 a piece.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday Afternoon Tips

August 24, 2013


Athletics at Orioles - 1:35 PM EST

Probables: S. Gray (1-1, 1.44 ERA) vs. M. Gonzalez (8-6, 3.81 ERA)

Series recap: These two teams have played a pair of contrasting contests in the first two games with each team winning once. Baltimore rallied for a 9-7 triumph on Friday, while Oakland used a ninth-inning homer to shock the O's on Saturday, 2-1 as short road underdogs.

Pitching notes: Sonny Gray looks to be the future of this Oakland rotation, putting together an ERA of 1.44 through three starts. The A's fell as nearly $2.00 home favorites in his last outing, a 7-4 defeat to the Mariners even though Gray scattered two hits and two runs in seven innings. Gray lost his lone road start at Toronto as a short underdog, 5-4, as the A's have scored at least four runs in each of his three starts.

The Orioles are riding seven consecutive 'overs' when Scott Feldman takes the mound, while the righty snapped a three-start skid in his last outing against the Rockies. In Feldman's five starts at Camden Yards, the average amount of runs scored is 11, which could point to another 'over.'

Yankees at Rays - 1:40 PM EST

Probables: I. Nova (7-4, 3.17 ERA) vs. A. Cobb (8-2, 2.85 ERA)

Series recap: The Rays grabbed the first two games against their division rivals, including a 4-2 victory as a $1.70 home favorite on Saturday. Tampa Bay improved to 5-1 the last six meetings with New York, as the Rays stayed two games behind the Red Sox in the AL East race.

Pitching notes: The Yankees have won each of Ivan Nova's last four starts, even though only one of those victories came away from the Bronx. His last loss came at home to the Rays on July 27, a 1-0 defeat as a short favorite. New York has drilled the 'over' in each of Nova's past two trips to the mound following a four-start 'under' stretch.

Alex Cobb has looked dynamic in two starts since returning to the mound following a line-drive to the head back in June. The Tampa Bay right-hander has allowed just three earned runs in his last two outings, victories over Seattle and Baltimore. Cobb shut down the Yankees in his previous meeting at Tropicana Field, tossing 8.1 innings in late May in an 8-3 triumph as a $1.20 favorite.

Nationals at Royals - 2:10 PM EST

Probables: D. Haren (8-11, 4.64 ERA) vs. E. Santana (8-7, 3.13 ERA)

Series recap: Washington rallied from a 6-0 deficit to stun Kansas City on Friday night, 11-10. The Nationals won their fifth straight game last night in dominating fashion, a 7-2 blowout of the Royals, as Kansas City has dropped seven consecutive contests.

Pitching notes: Following an 11-start stretch without a victory, Dan Haren has rebounded nicely with wins in four of his last five outings. Haren has allowed just five earned runs in his past five starts, while grabbing road favorite wins at Kansas City and Chicago.

On the flip side, the Royals won five consecutive starts made by Ervin Santana after the All-Star break, but the right-hander has failed to win each of his last two outings as a heavy favorite. Kansas City owns a 3-0 record in Santana's previous three starts as home 'chalk' of $1.20 or less, while beating Boston, Baltimore, and Oakland in this stretch.

Braves at Cardinals - 2:15 PM EST

Probables: M. Minor (12-5, 3.06 ERA) vs. L. Lynn (13-7, 3.97 ERA)

Series recap: Atlanta swept St. Louis at Turner Field last month, but the Cardinals have picked up revenge by winning the first three meetings of a four-game set. St. Louis topped Atlanta on Saturday, 6-2, the third straight game in which the Cards have limited the Braves to two runs or less.

Pitching notes: Mike Minor lasted just 1.2 innings in his last start against the Nationals, while allowing four earned runs in an 8-7 defeat. The Atlanta southpaw quieted the St. Louis lineup at Turner Field on July 26 in a 4-1 win, as Minor scattered four hits in seven innings.

The Cardinals have alternated wins and losses in each of Lance Lynn's last seven starts, coming off a defeat as a road favorite at Milwaukee. Lynn has performed well during the day, as the Redbirds own a 5-1 mark in his matinee starts, while St. Louis is 4-1 when Lynn takes the mound at home off a loss in his last outing.

Red Sox at Dodgers - 8:00 PM EST

Probables: J. Peavy (9-5, 4.29 ERA) vs. C. Capuano (4-6, 4.70 ERA)

Series recap: The Dodgers grabbed the series opener, 2-0 in the first game back from an East Coast swing. Boston tripped up Los Angeles on Saturday as the Red Sox made a four-run first inning hold up in a 4-2 triumph as short road 'dogs.

Pitching notes: Jake Peavy has failed to win each of his last three starts, all of which have come on the road. The Sox blew a 2-0 lead in Peavy's previous outing at San Francisco, as the Giants walked off on a bases-loaded walk in a 3-2 win. Both the Red Sox and White Sox are a combined 0-6 in Peavy's last six road outings since mid-May.

The Dodgers have won each of Chris Capuano's previous seven outings, even though the southpaw has received five no-decisions in this span. Since the Dodgers were blown out by the Phillies in late June with Capuano on the mound, Los Angeles is 4-0 in the southpaw's last four starts at Chavez Ravine.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (57-71) at Indians (70-59)
Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 25, 2013 1:05 PM EDT


Eight days of rest didn't do Scott Kazmir much good in his last outing.

The Cleveland Indians hope he's better with six days in between starts as they continue their playoff push against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Chasing their first postseason berth since 2007, the Indians (70-59) trail Oakland by 2 1/2 games for the AL's second wild-card spot.

"If you get caught up scoreboard watching, it can't really help you out too much," second baseman Jason Kipnis said.

Kazmir (7-6, 4.39 ERA), who pitched 64 innings for the independent Sugar Land Skeeters last year, was granted the extra rest after allowing five runs in three innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 9.

The left-hander then surrendered five runs and a season-high 10 hits in five innings of a 7-3 loss to Oakland last Sunday.

"He's fine. The layoff is good for his arm," manager Terry Francona said. "He didn't command very well. A lot of deep counts."

Kazmir has given up seven first-inning runs in his past two starts. Before his two rough outings, Kazmir was 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his previous nine starts.

Two of his three outings against the Twins in 2013 came in that excellent stretch. Overall, Kazmir has a 1.42 ERA in three starts versus Minnesota (57-71) this season.

The Twins are hitting .179 off Kazmir in 2013, with Justin Morneau (0 for 9), Ryan Doumit (0 for 7), Brian Dozier (1 for 9) and Josh Willingham (1 for 6) especially struggling.

Kazmir will be opposed by a fellow former New York Mets first-round pick, Mike Pelfrey (5-10, 5.19), who has a 2.31 ERA in two starts against the Indians this season.

The right-hander will look to record a third consecutive quality start for the first time since June 8-18, 2011. He surrendered three runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-3 victory over Detroit on Tuesday.

Through the end of May, Pelfrey had a 6.66 ERA and had lasted six innings in just two of his 11 starts. Since then, he has a 4.11 ERA, lasting six-plus innings in 8 of 12 starts.

The Indians picked up their second win in nine tries at Progressive Field on Saturday after winning 11 straight home games from July 11 through Aug. 1. Kipnis and Carlos Santana hit two-run homers and Cleveland had five extra-base hits in its 7-2 victory.

"We needed a nice little offensive day like this," said Kipnis, who broke out of an 0-for-19 slump and is now hitting .426 with four homers and 20 RBIs in 14 games against Minnesota this season.

Nick Swisher had a two-run double on Saturday, just his fifth hit in 47 at_bats (.106) this season against Minnesota.

The Twins' bullpen will be short-handed as manager Ron Gardenhire said Anthony Swarzak and Brian Duensing are unavailable following multi-inning outings on Friday and Saturday.

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

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Indians
Fri, Aug 23 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Indians
Sat, Aug 24 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Twins at Indians
Sun, Aug 25 - 1:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (60-71) at Marlins (49-79)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 25, 2013 1:10 PM EDT


While their struggles at the plate have led to a disappointing road swing, the Colorado Rockies might not need much scoring to end the trip on a positive note.

Jorge De La Rosa seeks his fourth straight win and 14th overall as the Rockies try for their first road series win in nearly seven weeks Sunday against the Miami Marlins.

Todd Helton, who moved into 96th place on the all-time hit list with 2,496 in 17 seasons, had two of Colorado's four hits off All-Star rookie Jose Fernandez in Saturday's 3-0 loss.

"It's pretty exciting to pitch against that guy who has done a lot of great things in baseball," Fernandez said. "Hopefully he's going to keep doing it.'

Teammate Michael Cuddyer had the only other two hits, raising his average to .419 during an eight-game hitting streak. Troy Tulowitzki, however, had his streak snapped at 10.

The Rockies (60-71) have averaged 3.1 runs and batted .177 with runners in scoring position while dropping six of their last eight on this 10-game trip that concludes Sunday. Helton, Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado are a combined 2 for 20 in those situations during this stretch.

Colorado, though, still has a chance to win its first road series since taking two of three in San Diego from July 8-10 with De La Rosa (13-6, 3.21 ERA) going to the mound.

After allowing 11 runs and 16 hits in nine innings over two starts, the left-hander has a 2.45 ERA while winning his last three. He yielded three runs and three hits over 6 1-3 innings in a 5-3 win at Philadelphia on Tuesday.

"He's been our guy,' said manager Walt Weiss of De La Rosa, who will try to become the fourth 14-game winner in the NL.

De La Rosa has also won three straight against the Marlins (49-79), posting a 1.59 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 22 2-3 innings over his last four starts. He scattered five hits over six shutout innings in the last meeting, a 2-1 win on July 24.

Miami starter Jacob Turner (3-4, 3.02) lost to De La Rosa in that contest, giving up two runs and six hits over six innings.

Turner has allowed 14 walks and 19 hits while failing to make it out of the sixth in his last three outings. He was tagged for four runs and season-worst 10 hits over five innings Tuesday but did not receive a decision in Miami's 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The right-hander has gone 0-3 with a 3.99 ERA in his last seven starts, getting only 11 runs of support in those outings.

Miami will try to reverse that trend, though it has totaled six runs while batting .169 over its last four games.

Christian Yelich (3 for 26), Donovan Solano (2 for 20) and Jake Marisnick (2 for 19) are among those slumping for the NL-worst Marlins.

Following a 2-for-17 slump, Ed Lucas has been a bright spot by going 9 for 23 over his last seven games.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Marlins
Fri, Aug 23 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Marlins
Sat, Aug 24 Final 0 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rockies at Marlins
Sun, Aug 25 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (76-53) at Mets (58-69)
Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: August 25, 2013 1:10 PM EDT


While the Detroit Tigers just got the best of the New York Mets' ace, they face another potential difficult matchup.

The visiting Tigers go for a three-game sweep of the Mets, who send Dillon Gee - one of baseball's hottest pitchers over the last three months - to the mound Sunday.

Max Scherzer outdueled Matt Harvey in a rematch of All-Star game starters, leading Detroit (76-53) to a 3-0 win Saturday. Scherzer, who joined Rube Marquard in 1912 and Roger Clemens in 2001 as the only pitchers to start 19-1 in a season, also delivered an RBI double - one of the team's 15 hits.

The Tigers, who have posted a .328 average in winning five of seven, have collected at least 11 hits in all but one of those games. Omar Infante and Andy Dirks both had three hits Saturday, while Miguel Cabrera, Austin Jackson and Matt Tuiasosopo each added two.

Cabrera, batting a major league-best .356, is 18 for 47 (.383) with seven homers and 18 RBIs in his last 11 road games. Jackson is 12 for 27 (.444) with two homers, six RBIs and eight runs during a six-game hitting streak.

The Tigers, though, could have a hard time keeping things going against Gee (9-8, 3.60 ERA), whose 2.27 ERA since May 30 ranks third-best in the majors in that span.

"This is what we've known him to be in the past," manager Terry Collins said of Gee, who is 3-1 with an even more impressive 1.47 ERA in his last seven starts. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if you look up in the next six weeks, and he's going to have 14 or 15 wins."

Gee had everything working again Monday in a 6-1 win at Minnesota, yielding one unearned run and striking out nine in 7 2-3 innings.

"It helps to have the help that I've had. I've had great catchers calling great games, and Juan (Lagares) tracks down everything there in center field," Gee said. "It gives you confidence to keep attacking."

Gee has been nearly untouchable in three outings against the AL this season, going 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 22 innings. This will be his first matchup versus Detroit.

The punchless Mets (58-69) may need another gem from Gee if they hope to get back on track. New York is hitting .206 and has managed just two runs during a three-game losing streak.

The Mets will try to break out against Tigers starter Rick Porcello (9-7, 4.52), who is coming off his first loss since June 30. The right-hander had gone 5-0 with a 2.62 ERA over a seven-start stretch before surrendering five runs in 4 1-3 innings Tuesday in a 6-3 defeat to Minnesota.

Porcello was hit hard in his only meeting against the Mets, giving up seven runs and 11 hits - one shy of his career high - in 3 2-3 innings in a 14-3 loss June 28, 2011.

Like Gee, he has impressed in three interleague starts this year, going 2-0 with a 2.66 ERA. Porcello is also 5-2 with a 2.36 ERA in his last eight road outings.

Detroit's Victor Martinez, who caught for the first time in more than two years on Friday night, is expected back after sitting out Saturday. Shortstop Jose Iglesias, though, is uncertain to be available again due to a sore left elbow.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Mets
Fri, Aug 23 Final 6 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Tigers at Mets
Sat, Aug 24 Final 3 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Tigers at Mets
Sun, Aug 25 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Brewers (56-73) at Reds (74-56)
Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 25, 2013 1:10 PM EDT


The Cincinnati Reds seem to be comfortably headed back to the postseason, but they're about to have a chance to become a major factor in the NL Central race.

Before beginning a 10-game stretch that includes seven meetings with St. Louis, the Reds will try to avoid overlooking the visiting Milwaukee Brewers and take this three-game set Sunday.

Cincinnati (74-56) has built a sizable cushion in the race for the NL's second wild-card spot, but the team is also 2 1/2 games back of Central co-leaders Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

The Reds are about to get a good chance to further tighten the chase as they open a three-game road series with the Cardinals on Monday.

They may have a tough task in Sunday's finale against Milwaukee (56-73). Greg Reynolds (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will make just his second major league start since 2011 in place of Tony Cingrani, who is nursing a strained lower back that has bothered him for the last few weeks.

The injury became a serious problem for the rookie left-hander on Tuesday, when he was forced to exit with two outs in the fourth.

"If something happened to him, we couldn't really afford a short outing to use my bullpen again, especially before we get to St. Louis," manager Dusty Baker said.

Reynolds, who arrived from Triple-A Louisville on Saturday, allowed five runs in five innings of a 5-3 loss at San Francisco on July 23, his first appearance since 2011 with Colorado.

"I think I'll be a little more comfortable this time, just having met everybody," Reynolds said. "In San Francisco, things were moving a little fast in that first inning and I was having a tough time slowing it down. I don't anticipate that will be an issue again.

"There was a lot of other stuff that went along with it, with family and friends coming out. This one will be a little more comfortable."

The right-hander has been superb with Louisville, going 12-3 with a 2.42 ERA in 23 games while tossing three complete games. He's compiled a 1.75 ERA over his last five contests - four starts.

Now, he'll try to help Cincinnati win for the 12th time in 15 home meetings with Milwaukee after a 6-3 victory Saturday.

The Brewers have dropped four of six games, and will turn to Marco Estrada (5-4, 4.80).

The right-hander didn't get a decision after allowing four runs and eight hits - two homers - in six innings of an 8-5 loss to the Cardinals on Monday.

That outing came at Miller Park, but Estrada has been far better on the road. He has a 2.88 ERA in eight starts away from home, allowing five homers in 50 innings, and a 7.43 ERA in seven outings in Milwaukee while serving up 12 blasts in 36 1-3.

He yielded one run and five hits over 11 innings in his two latest road outings after returning from a strained left hamstring that sidelined him for more than two months.

Estrada went 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in two starts at Cincinnati last year, striking out 17 in 13 innings but also allowing four homers.

Two of those came off the bat of Jay Bruce, who Estrada will want to be especially careful with Sunday. Cincinnati's right fielder has homered off Estrada once in each of the last four games they've faced one another.

Bruce, however, hasn't gone deep in his past 15 games.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Reds
Fri, Aug 23 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Reds
Sat, Aug 24 Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Brewers at Reds
Sun, Aug 25 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (72-56) at Orioles (69-59)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: August 25, 2013 1:35 PM EDT


While the Oakland Athletics have fallen off the pace over the last four weeks, they picked up a much-needed win last time out.

The A's try to further distance themselves from the Baltimore Orioles in the wild-card race as these AL contenders conclude a three-game series Sunday at Camden Yards.

After dropping Friday's opener 9-7, Oakland (72-56) bounced back Saturday with a 2-1 victory. Jarrod Parker threw eight sharp innings to earn his eighth straight win and Coco Crisp hit a tiebreaking homer in the ninth as the A's snapped a three-game skid.

"It's gratifying that the guys are just able to pick you up," said Parker, whose team improved to 9-13 since July 30. "It's one of those things where it almost seems like it's meant to be when it happens."

The Orioles (69-59), meanwhile, had scored 37 runs and hit .351 with runners in scoring position in taking four of five in the series this year, but they went 0 for 6 in such situations Saturday. Chris Davis, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters, the team's Nos. 3-5 hitters, went a combined 0 for 10.

Ryan Flaherty provided the only offense for Baltimore, which again finds itself three games behind Oakland for the second wild-card spot having dropped seven of 11.

"In the playoff race, it's important. Every game is important," pitcher Chris Tillman said. "A loss always stinks. They're never fun."

The Orioles could be in for another long day at the plate against A's starter Sonny Gray (1-1, 1.44 ERA), who has impressed in three starts since being recalled for the second time Aug. 10. The 23-year-old right-hander has limited opponents to a .135 average and struck out 21 in as many innings during those outings.

Gray allowed two hits over seven innings of two-run ball and was in line for the win Tuesday before the bullpen collapsed in a 7-4 defeat to Seattle. He retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.

"He pitched great again, it's good to see," manager Bob Melvin told MLB's official website. "He's got some presence out there, and certainly has the stuff."

Gray will get his first look at Davis, who leads the majors with 46 homers. While Davis is 4 for 19 versus Oakland this year, two of those hits have left the yard.

The Orioles counter with Scott Feldman (3-3, 4.84), who allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings to beat Colorado 7-2 last Sunday. The right-hander had gone 1-3 with a 7.66 ERA in four previous home starts since joining the team July 2.

Feldman is 4-6 with a 7.22 ERA in 12 career starts against the A's, though this will be his first look at Oakland in 2013. Jed Lowrie is 3 for 6 with two doubles in their matchups while Alberto Callaspo is 1 for 15.

Lowrie is 9 for 25 with four doubles and two triples during a six-game hitting streak. Crisp, 6 for his last 12, has gone deep in three consecutive games.

Crisp is batting .362 with three homers, eight RBIs and 10 runs in his last 12 in Baltimore.

Despite Saturday's loss, the Orioles have taken seven of 11 from the A's at home.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Orioles
Fri, Aug 23 Final 7 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Orioles
Sat, Aug 24 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Orioles
Sun, Aug 25 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (66-62) at Phillies (58-71)
Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 25, 2013 1:35 PM EDT


The Arizona Diamondbacks could desperately use another complete game from Patrick Corbin, something he gave them in his most recent start.

The Philadelphia Phillies certainly can't count on a similarly lengthy outing from Roy Halladay.

After Saturday's 18-inning marathon, the Diamondbacks and Phillies will have some beat-up bullpens in Sunday's finale as Halladay makes his surprise return to the hill against Arizona's All-Star left-hander.

The Phillies rallied from a 6-0 deficit Saturday and scored four in the eighth inning to head into extras tied at 7.

No runs were scored until the 18th, when Philadelphia (58-71) was forced to use outfielder Casper Wells on the mound. He got two outs before Arizona erupted for five runs, and the Diamondbacks went on to win a 12-7 marathon that took 7 hours, 6 minutes - setting a mark for length of game for both teams.

"Oh God, it was tough,' Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "I'm pretty tired, I really don't know what to tell you.'

Arizona (66-62) at least got six innings from starter Randall Delgado, while Philadelphia's Ethan Martin didn't even make it through the first. The Phillies' bullpen pitched a franchise-record 17 1-3 innings, and now they'll bring Halladay (2-4, 8.65 ERA) back for his first major league start since May 5 after scheduled starter Tyler Cloyd pitched five innings Saturday.

Halladay, who had arthroscopic right shoulder surgery on May 15, gave up a combined 17 runs over six innings in his last two starts before hitting the disabled list.

So what does interim manager Ryne Sandberg expect from the two-time Cy Young Award winner?

"To give us what he has," Sandberg said. "I believe he was our best option for (Sunday)."

Halladay posted a 3.00 ERA in two starts with the Gulf Coast Phillies, and he wasn't expected back in the major leagues anytime soon. Sandberg said the team made a call to general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., who gave the Phillies the okay to bring Halladay up.

The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, have their innings-eater in place. Corbin (13-3, 2.45) has lasted six-plus innings in 24 of his 25 starts this season, joining St. Louis' Adam Wainwright as the only pitchers with 170-plus innings to last that long in all but one start.

Corbin was particularly good on Tuesday, going the distance for the second time this year in a 5-2 win at Cincinnati. He tied a season high with 10 strikeouts.

"Today I had my best slider," Corbin said. "I felt good warming up in the bullpen. I thought it would be a good game. I knew I could go to my slider at any time."

Sunday's game will begin fewer than 12 hours after Saturday's finally came to an end. Both teams burned through nine pitchers, and each used a second member of its rotation. Philadelphia also used two position players, Wells and John McDonald.

Corbin has faced Philadelphia once in his career, holding the Phillies to a run over 6 1-3 innings in a 2-1 win May 9.

Paul Goldschmidt went 0 for 3 in that game, but he's hitting .389 over the last eight games on Arizona's 10-game road trip. He went 2 for 6 and had four of the Diamondbacks' franchise-record 18 walks on Saturday.

"The team feeds off Patrick (Corbin) and Goldy," Gibson said. "They've been our most consistent guys all year."

Goldschmidt is 0 for 4 against Halladay.

Halladay, ordinarily one of the most pinpoint pitchers in the game with 1.86 walks per nine innings through 2012, has struggled with his control in 2013, walking 17 batters in 34 1-3 innings.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Phillies
Fri, Aug 23 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Phillies
Sat, Aug 24 Final 12 to 7
Recaps

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Phillies
Sun, Aug 25 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Yankees (68-61) at Rays (74-53)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 25, 2013 1:40 PM EDT


While Ivan Nova has been one of the New York Yankees' most consistent starters of late, Alex Cobb has pitched extremely well since returning from a frightening injury for the Tampa Bay Rays.

The talented right-handers square off Sunday when the Rays try to complete a three-game home sweep of the Yankees.

New York (68-61) came into the set winners of five straight and 10 of 12, but managed four runs and 11 hits through the first two. After David Price outpitched CC Sabathia in Saturday's 4-2 loss, the Yankees are seven games back and in fourth place in the AL East and 4 1/2 behind Oakland - with Cleveland and Baltimore in between - in the race for the final wild-card spot.

"It's not what you want, but you've got to turn it around (Sunday),' manager Joe Girardi said. "You can't let this carry over.'

Tampa Bay (74-53), which leads the East by percentage points over Boston, has won eight of 10 overall and 20 of 25 at Tropicana Field.

"Our guys believed we were going to win (Saturday)," manager Joe Maddon said. "Not in a cocky way, just in a very confident way.

"When you get to that point in the year and you get that vibe among your group, it's kind of a good thing."

Cobb (8-2, 2.85 ERA) looks to help the Rays sweep a home series from New York for a third straight season.

He has allowed two earned runs, six hits and overcome six walks in 11 innings to win both starts since he missed two months after being hit in the head by a line drive June 15. Cobb walked four but gave up one of those earned runs and three hits in six innings of a 7-4 victory at Baltimore on Tuesday.

"Physically, he is (OK)," Maddon told the team's official website. "Mentally and emotionally, I think he is. I don't see any after-effects from what happened. He's throwing the ball really well. The ball has been alive."

He has a 1.52 ERA while winning three straight starts against Yankees, including a pair at home this season in which he's yielded two runs, eight hits and struck out 15 over 16 2-3 innings.

Nova (7-4, 3.17), meanwhile, is 5-2 with a 2.30 ERA in eight starts since the beginning of July. However, he hopes for a better effort after matching a season high by allowing four runs and nine hits in 6 1-3 innings of an 8-4 victory over Toronto on Tuesday.

Though Nova has lost both previous 2013 starts versus Tampa Bay, he's posted a 2.63 ERA while the Yankees have been outscored 4-1.

Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria is 5 for 22 with a home run versus Nova, but had three hits Saturday and matched a career high by homering in three straight home games for the second time this season.

Longoria, who delivered a tiebreaking single in the sixth, is 12 for 26 with four home runs and five doubles in his last seven home contests.

Mark Reynolds had two hits Saturday for the Yankees after going 0 for 12 in the previous five games. He's 0 for 5 with three strikeouts versus Cobb.

Teammate Alfonso Soriano is 2 for 27 over the last seven contests following a five-game stretch where he went 15 for 22 with five homers and 18 RBIs.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Rays
Fri, Aug 23 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Yankees at Rays
Sat, Aug 24 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Yankees at Rays
Sun, Aug 25 - 1:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (75-54) at White Sox (53-75)
Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 25, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


Matt Garza pitched well against the White Sox during his time with the team from Chicago's North Side.

He's usually been very good when facing them on the South Side.

Back in the Windy City, Garza looks to continue that success against the White Sox and help the Texas Rangers bounce back from their first road defeat in three weeks Sunday.

During the two-plus seasons Garza (3-1, 4.32 ERA) pitched for the Cubs, he went 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox (53-75). The right-hander allowed an earned run in seven innings of an 8-2 victory on July 8 to improve to 3-0 with a 2.89 ERA in five career regular-season starts at U.S. Cellular Field.

Thanks to an average of 8.56 runs of support, Garza is 2-1 in four August starts despite posting a 5.60 ERA. He yielded four runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings against Milwaukee on Aug. 14, then five and eight more hits in 6 2-3 frames of a 16-5 win over Houston on Monday.

"My last outing, I didn't have a great outing so this outing I wanted to keep attacking and stay in the strike zone," he told the Rangers' official website. "I probably kept the ball too much in the strike zone."

Garza and the AL West-leading Rangers (75-54) hope to regroup after they blew a 2-0 lead in Saturday's 3-2 loss. Texas matched the franchise single-season record of nine straight road wins Friday, but one night later, Adam Dunn tied the game with a two-run homer in the sixth and rookie Josh Phegley delivered a game-winning single in the ninth.

"We battled but they got the big hit it counted,' Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We had our chances but we just didn't deliver."

Ex-White Sox outfielder Alex Rios had a two-run homer for Texas, which also had a four-game overall winning streak end. It was Rios' first homer in 13 games since joining the Rangers earlier this month. He's 3 for 9 in the series and 7 for 20 with four RBIs in five road games with Texas.

Dayan Viciedo added two hits for the White Sox, who have won seven of eight and 13 of 19.

Viciedo is 8 for 17 the last four games following a 3-for-27 stretch.

Teammate Avisail Garcia is batting .364 during an 11-game hitting streak.

Though Austin, Texas, native and Chicago starter John Danks (3-10, 4.22) is 0-4 despite posting a 3.83 ERA in his last seven starts against the Rangers, the left-hander got his first win since July 2 on Tuesday when he gave up seven hits in eight innings of a 2-0 victory at Kansas City.

"You can look at each game and pick out an at-bat or a certain pitch where I didn't do myself any favors. Fortunately, I was able to stay away from that (Tuesday),' said Danks, who went 0-5 with a 4.70 ERA in the previous eight starts. "I felt like I was giving myself the best chance to win."

It's possible Danks won't have to face Texas outfielder Leonys Martin, who left late in Saturday's game with an ankle injury.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at White Sox
Fri, Aug 23 Final 11 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rangers at White Sox
Sat, Aug 24 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rangers at White Sox
Sun, Aug 25 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (65-64) at Royals (64-64)
Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 25, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


Behind a rare offensive surge, the Washington Nationals are on the verge of their longest winning streak of the season.

Giving the ball to red-hot Dan Haren doesn't figure to hurt their chances.

The Nationals look to bolster their slim playoff hopes as they seek their sixth straight win in Sunday's series finale against the sinking Kansas City Royals.

Ian Desmond hit his 18th home run, while Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore each added two hits to help Washington (65-64) roll to a 7-2 victory Saturday.

Since averaging 3.0 runs and hitting .143 with runners in scoring position while losing four of five, the Nationals - who rank in the bottom third of the majors in both categories - have scored 7.6 per game and batted .340 in those situations during their winning streak.

Harper has a .393 average with five doubles over a seven-game hitting streak, while Moore is 11 for 21 in his last five.

Now the Nationals have a chance to move two games above .500 for the first time since July 11. They still trail Cincinnati by 8 1/2 games for the NL's second wild card, but hope to keep chipping away behind Haren (8-11, 4.64 ERA).

After losing a career-worst eight straight while posting a 6.18 ERA, Haren has gone 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA in his last five starts. Opponents are hitting just .164 against him in this stretch.

"It's been unbelievable,' manager Davey Johnson said. "He's been really pitching good. He's shown he's a quality pitcher and he's bounced back and pitched great.'

The right-hander gave Johnson another solid outing Tuesday when he gave up one run and five hits over six innings in a 4-2 win at Wrigley Field.

Haren has been particularly good on the road of late, going 2-0 with an 0.47 ERA with 19 strikeouts over 19 innings in his last three starts. He's also been outstanding in Kansas City with a 4-0 record and 1.99 ERA in six career starts.

All-Star Alex Gordon and Alcides Escobar are a combined 3 for 21 versus Haren, though recent acquisition Jamey Carroll is 7 for 18.

Billy Butler is hitting .333 lifetime against Haren and has a .364 average over his last 20 games overall.

Since 17-3 push put them a season-best eight games over .500 on Aug. 12, the Royals (64-64) have dropped 10 of 12 to fall back to the break-even mark.

"It's frustrating,' Gordon said. "I don't like losing streaks and I don't like losing streaks after we've been playing so well."

Kansas City, eight games out of the final AL wild-card spot, looks to snap a seven-game losing streak by sending Ervin Santana (8-7, 3.13) to the mound.

The right-hander yielded two runs - one earned - and four hits in six frames in a 2-0 defeat to the White Sox on Tuesday. That's his only loss while winning three and posting a 2.45 over his last seven starts.

Santana hasn't faced the Nationals since he was with the Los Angeles Angels in 2011, but has posted a 3.10 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 20 1-3 innings in three lifetime starts against them.

Washington's Jayson Werth hopes to play after sitting out Saturday with an infection between the toes of his right foot.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Royals
Fri, Aug 23 Final 11 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Nationals at Royals
Sat, Aug 24 Final 7 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Nationals at Royals
Sun, Aug 25 - 2:10PM EDT