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

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MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, August 1

National League

New York Mets at Miami, 12:40 ET
Harvey: Mets 10-2 SU in last 12 road series finales
Koehler: Marlins 1-5 SU when Koehler starts at home

St. Louis at Pittsburgh, 7:05 ET
Kelly: Cardinals are 1-5 SU in last six road series finales
Morton: Under is 24-10-2 when Morton starts at PNC Park

San Francisco at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
Cain: Over is 13-6-2 when Cain starts on the road in 2013
Hamels: Phillies are 6-16 SU when Hamels starts this season

Colorado at Atlanta, 7:10 ET
McHugh: Rockies 6-16 SU last 22 games as a road dog
Teheran: Under is 6-1 when Teheran starts a night game

Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs 8:05 ET
Nolasco: Under is 3-1 in Nolasco's starts for the Dodgers
Rusin: Cubs 6-3 SU in home night games in 2013


American League

Chicago White Sox at Cleveland, 12:05 ET
Sale: Under is 17-8 when Sale starts on the road
Masterson: Indians 9-3 SU in last 12 home day games

Kansas City at Minnesota, 1:10 ET
Shields: Under is 6-2 in Shields last eight road starts
Diamond: Twins are 3-12 SU in Diamond's last 15 starts at home

Houston at Baltimore, 7:05 ET
Lyles: Astros have lost last five road series finales
Tillman: Under is 7-2-1 in last 10 home starts for Tillman

Seattle at Boston, 7:10 ET
Hernandez: Mariners 4-1 SU in 2013 in a Hernandez road start after team lost in his last outing
Dempster: Under is 5-1 in last six Red Sox home series finales

Toronto at Los Angeles Angels, 10:05 ET
Johnson: Blue Jays 0-5 SU in Johnson's road starts
Richards: Under is 7-1 in Angels' last eight series openers


Interleague

Arizona at Texas, 7:05 ET
Delgado: Under is 21-8-3 when Delgado pitches away from his home park
Darvish: Texas is 19-8 SU when Darvish starts at home
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, August 1

Hot pitchers
-- Harvey is 1-0, 1.64 in his last three starts.
-- Pirates won six of last seven Morton starts (3-1, 4.78). Kelly is 1-1, 2.70 in four starts this season.
-- Cain is 1-0, 2.25 in his last couple starts.
-- Teheran is 0-0, 0.69 in his last two starts.
-- Rusin is 1-0, 1.46 in his last couple starts.

-- Darvish is 2-2, 2.16 in his last four starts.

-- Masterson is 2-0, 1.27 in his last three starts.
-- Shields is 2-1, 2.42 in his last four starts.
-- Hernandez is 3-0, 0.90 in his last four starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Koehler ia 1-1, 5.14 in his last four starts.
-- Hamels is 0-2, 3.60 in his last three starts.
-- Bettis is 3-4, 3.71 in 12 AAA starts; this is his MLB debut.

-- Spruill is 4-3, 3.24 in 12 AAA starts this year; he's allowed one run in 4.1 IP in bigs- this is his first MLB start.,

-- Sale is 1-8, 3.45 in his last ten starts; White Sox were blanked in three of his last five starts.
-- Diamond is 0-3, 5.81 in his last six starts.
-- Former Astro Norris is 0-2, 8.47 in his last three starts. Lyles is 0-3, 9.40 in his last six starts.
-- Dempster has a 6.66 RA in his last five starts.
-- Johnson is 0-4, 8.27 in his last six starts. Richards is 0-2, 6.11 in last three.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. You're reading ***************.com. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Harvey 4-21; Koehler 5-12
-- Kelly 0-4; Morton 2-8
-- Cain 7-21; Hamels 4-22
-- Bettis 0-0; Teheran 7-20
-- Nolasco 6-21; Rusin 1-3

-- Spruill 0-0; Darvish 6-19 (1 of last 9)

-- Sale 6-20 (0 of last 5); Masterson 3-22
-- Shields 9-21; Diamond 6-19
-- Lyles 5-16; Norris 7-21
-- Hernandez 3-22; Dempster 7-20
-- Johnson 3-14; Richards 0-5

Totals
-- 13 of last 15 Marlin games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last ten St Louis games stayed under total.
-- Last four Philly games went over the total.
-- Last six Colorado games went over the total.
-- Last five Dodger games stayed under the total.

-- Under is 8-2-1 in last eleven Texas games.

-- Eight of last twelve Cleveland games stayed under total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Kansas City games.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Baltimore games.
-- Six of last nine Boston games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Angel home games stayed under total.

Hot teams
-- Marlins are 6-4 in their last ten home games.
-- Pirates won seven of their last eight home games.
-- Braves won six of their last seven games.
-- Dodgers won 27 of their last 34 games.

-- Rangers won four of their last five home games.

-- Indians won their last seven games, scoring 44 runs.
-- Kansas City won its last eight games, allowing 15 runs.
-- Boston won 15 of its last 21 games at Fenway Park.
-- Blue Jays won five of their last seven games.

Cold teams
-- Mets lost four of their last six games.
-- Cardinals lost their last seven games, scoring ten runs.
-- Giants lost nine of last ten games; Phillies lost eight of last ten.
-- Rockies lost four of their last five games.
-- Cubs lost three of their last four games.

-- Arizona lost 13 of its last 18 road games.

-- White Sox lost nine of their last ten games.
-- Minnesota lost five of its last seven games.
-- Astros lost 14 of their last 18 games; Baltimore lost six of last eight.
-- Mariners lost four of their last five games.
-- Angels lost nine of their last eleven games.
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MLB

Thursday, August 1

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Trend Report
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12:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. CLEVELAND
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

12:40 PM
NY METS vs. MIAMI
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami
NY Mets are 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Miami
Miami is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Miami's last 15 games

1:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. MINNESOTA
Kansas City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kansas City
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. PHILADELPHIA
San Francisco is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
San Francisco is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Francisco
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games

7:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

7:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. TEXAS
Arizona is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Arizona's last 11 games when playing Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games

7:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. BALTIMORE
Houston is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Baltimore
Houston is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Baltimore's last 8 games
Baltimore is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games

7:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. BOSTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Boston
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Boston's last 14 games at home
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. ATLANTA
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Colorado is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

8:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 9 games when playing Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi Cubs's last 9 games when playing LA Dodgers

10:05 PM
TORONTO vs. LA ANGELS
Toronto is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
LA Angels are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Angels's last 7 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, August 1

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chi. White Sox - 12:05 PM ET Chi. White Sox +124 500 POD # 8
Cleveland - Over 6.5 500

NY Mets - 12:40 PM ET Miami +155 500 POD # 1
Miami - Over 6.5 500

Kansas City - 1:10 PM ET Kansas City -150 500
Minnesota - Over 7.5 500

Houston - 7:05 PM ET Houston +236 500 POD # 4
Baltimore -

San Francisco - 7:05 PM ET San Francisco +103 500 POD # 7
Philadelphia- Under 7.5 500

St. Louis - 7:05 PM ET St. Louis +104 500 POD # 2
Pittsburgh - Over 8 500

Arizona - 7:05 PM ET Arizona +176 500 POD # 3
Texas -

Seattle - 7:10 PM ET Boston -109 500
Boston - Under 8.5 500

Colorado - 7:10 PM ET Colorado +201 500 POD # 6
Atlanta - Under 8 500

LA Dodgers - 8:05 PM ET Chi. Cubs +137 500 POD # 5
Chi. Cubs -

Toronto - 10:05 PM ET Toronto -102 500
LA Angels - Over 8 500

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Preview: Dodgers (58-49) at Cubs (49-59)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 02, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


The last time the Los Angeles Dodgers tried to match a franchise record with a 12th consecutive road win, they were based in Brooklyn and the Chicago Cubs put an end to that run at Wrigley Field.

The host Cubs will try to play spoiler again Friday when their series with the NL West leaders continues.

With Thursday's 6-4 series-opening victory and Arizona's 7-1 loss at Texas, the Dodgers (58-49) have moved a season-high 3 1/2 games in front in the West. They've also won 11 straight away from home for the first time since April 14-May 10, 1955. That streak ended the following day at Chicago, 10-8.

The franchise mark for consecutive road wins stretched from Aug. 25-Sept. 6, 1924, when the club was known as the Brooklyn Robins.

"It was a win. That's what I like," said manager Don Mattingly, whose team is averaging 6.9 runs during its surge outside Los Angeles. "It was a little bit of a battle."

The Dodgers, winners of 27 of 35 overall, continue this four-game set with left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (9-3, 3.14 ERA) facing the Cubs (49-59) for the first time. Ryu, 4-2 with a 4.62 ERA in 10 road starts, could set the major league record for most single-season wins by a South Korean rookie pitcher - he shares that with Jae Seo - after throwing seven innings of one-run, two-hit ball in Saturday's 4-1 victory over Cincinnati.

"It was probably one of his better performances tonight," Mattingly told the Dodgers' official website. "He had a little extra on his fastball. ... I expected him to really be good. He seems to rise to the occasion all the time."

Los Angeles has won Ryu's last six starts.

Chicago, loser of four of five on its homestand, has not fared as well with Travis Wood (7-7, 2.79) on the mound even though he's among the majors' leaders with 18 quality starts. The All-Star left-hander yielded one unearned run in seven innings Sunday as the Cubs won just for just the second time in his last 10 starts, 2-1 at San Francisco.

Wood has one of the lowest run-support averages in the majors at 3.26, but he's one of the best-hitting pitchers. He went 2 for 3 with a homer against the Giants, increasing his batting average to .293.

"I'm not up there trying to hit homers," Wood, who leads all pitchers with three home runs, told the Cubs' official website. "I'm just trying to put good swings on it."

The Cubs have an NL-best 72 homers at home after Junior Lake and Anthony Rizzo both went deep twice Thursday. The last time two Chicago players hit two homers in the same game was June 27, 2011, when Carlos Pena and Aramis Ramirez did it.

"Other than that they shut us down," Rizzo said.

It's been hard to shut down Hanley Ramirez on the road. The Dodgers shortstop is batting .383 in 26 games outside Los Angeles after going 1 for 5 with a two-run double Thursday.

Ramirez has two doubles in five at_bats off Wood, who is 1-1 with a 6.48 ERA in three starts against Los Angeles.

These clubs have alternated wins and losses in their last 12 matchups on Chicago's North Side.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Cubs
Thu, Aug 1 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Cubs
Fri, Aug 2 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Cubs
Sat, Aug 3 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Dodgers at Cubs
Sun, Aug 4 - 2:20PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (50-58) at Orioles (60-49)
Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: August 02, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


After their newest acquisition helped them get back on track, the Baltimore Orioles appear to have a good chance to keep it going behind one of baseball's winningest pitchers.

Chris Tillman tries for his 14th victory Friday night in the opener of a three-game home series against a Seattle Mariners team he's dominated.

One day after being acquired from Houston, Bud Norris allowed two runs and four hits over six innings in Thursday's 6-3 victory to give the Orioles a series win over his former club.

"These guys got a great club over here," Norris said. "I just want to bring my part to the table."

Baltimore (60-49) certainly bounced back at the plate, going 4 for 6 with runners in scoring position and finishing with 11 hits. The Orioles had totaled 19 runs while hitting .140 (6 for 43) in those situations during a 2-6 stretch.

Slugger Chris Davis hit his second home run in three games after a season-worst 10-game drought, while Manny Machado went 2 for 4 following a 3-for-34 slump.

Machado has hit safely in each of his six career games versus the Mariners (50-58) and is 5 for 13 with three doubles and a homer against them this season.

They'll attempt to continue that production and help Tillman (13-3, 3.62 ERA) pull within one win of Detroit's Max Scherzer for the major league lead.

Tillman has posted a 2.98 ERA over his last 10 starts, winning nine of those after holding Boston to two hits over seven innings in Friday's 6-0 victory. The right-hander matched a career high with eight strikeouts in becoming the Orioles' first 13-game winner since Erik Bedard in 2007.

"He's going out there and doing it," outfielder Adam Jones said. "That's what we ask of him. He's got the talent. He's got the stuff."

Tillman has been outstanding at Camden Yards with a 2.25 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 32 innings during a five-start winning streak there.

He's also been especially dominant versus the Mariners, going 4-0 with an 0.98 ERA in four career starts.

Kyle Seager, Justin Smoak and Dustin Ackley are a combined 2 for 24 in this matchup, though Seager is hitting .400 since July 1.

The Mariners hope to regroup after their bullpen blew a six-run lead in the final two innings of an 8-7 loss in Boston on Thursday. They'll try to avoid their seventh loss in nine games following an eight-game winning streak.

Kendrys Morales had a season-high four hits Thursday, leaving him 9 for 13 over his last three games. He's batting .394 with 10 RBIs in nine career games in Baltimore.

Aaron Harang (5-9, 4.89) looks to give Seattle a solid performance after allowing one run and three hits over five innings in Saturday's 4-0 loss to Minnesota.

The right-hander has gone 1-4 with a 6.03 ERA in six road starts.

Harang helped the Mariners take two of three from the Orioles in Seattle when he allowed two runs and four hits over six innings in an 8-3 win on May 1.

Nate McLouth went 0 for 3 against Harang in that contest, dropping his career average in their matchups to .100 (3 for 30).

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Orioles
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Mariners at Orioles
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Mariners at Orioles
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:35PM EDT

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Preview: White Sox (40-66) at Tigers (61-45)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 02, 2013 7:08 PM EDT


There's a good chance that Miguel Cabrera will be back in the lineup Friday night.

The Detroit Tigers have reason to believe Jhonny Peralta won't be.

Cabrera is expected back for the Tigers, who could give Jose Iglesias his club debut depending on Peralta's status for the opener of a three-game home set with the lowly Chicago White Sox.

Detroit (61-45) played without the reigning AL MVP in Wednesday's 11-1 win over Washington. Cabrera was out after re-aggravating a strained lower abdomen.

"I feel better," Cabrera said. "Hopefully, we can get this out of the way quick and try to be 100 percent Friday."

Athletic trainer Kevin Rand said Cabrera's injury is related to the hip issue that kept the slugger out of four games last week.

Manager Jim Leyland said the situation has been difficult for him as well as Cabrera.

"That's one of those tough things for the player because he wants to play so bad," Leyland said. "It's also one of the tough things for the manager because you don't know if you should give him another day, is he good to be put back in there? I don't really know that."

While Cabrera is no doubt Detroit's biggest threat, Peralta has turned in a solid season with a team-high 29 doubles and a .307 average. The shortstop, however, has been linked to the Biogenesis case and could draw a suspension from Major League Baseball.

"I don't feel nervous," Peralta said. "But yeah, I worry a little bit because I want to play every day here, and I love to be here in Detroit."

The Tigers protected themselves from the possibility of losing Peralta by acquiring Iglesias from Boston in a three-team trade Tuesday night that also involved Chicago. Iglesias batted .330 in 63 games for the Red Sox this year.

"If it were a 15-day thing, like a typical injury, I think we could have comfortably dealt with it with the players we already have," general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "But when you start to talk about 50 days and a possible playoff run, we feel better going ahead with Jose."

The Tigers are seeking their first six-game win streak since last Aug. 1-7, and they've won nine of 10 overall.

Detroit's lead in the AL Central is two games over Cleveland, which added to Chicago's woes by sweeping a four-game set this week.

The White Sox (40-66) lost the first three games by allowing the Indians to score the go-ahead or winning runs in their final at_bats before Thursday's 6-1 defeat.

"They just outplayed us," manager Robin Ventura said. "Today is probably magnified because of what happened earlier in the series."

Chicago will try to avoid matching a season-high eight-game slide from May 27-June 4 by sending Hector Santiago (3-6, 3.33 ERA) to the mound. The White Sox have dropped Santiago's last six starts.

The left-hander's lone career start against Detroit was a 6-2 loss July 23 in which he allowed six runs - three earned - over six innings.

Tigers starter Doug Fister (9-5, 3.67) has posted a 1.35 ERA in winning his last three outings. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts against the White Sox, who are last in the AL at 3.7 runs per game.

Detroit has taken four of seven 2013 meetings.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Tigers
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 2
White Sox at Tigers
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Tigers
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:08PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Braves (64-45) at Phillies (50-58)
Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 02, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The Atlanta Braves have powered their way to their largest division lead in a decade.

Perhaps the NL East leaders can carry over some of that offense to a Kris Medlen start.

The right-hander will try to guide the visiting Braves to an eighth consecutive victory in Friday night's series opener against the slumping Philadelphia Phillies.

Led by two homers and five RBIs from Justin Upton and a seventh consecutive multi-hit game from NL batting leader Chris Johnson, Atlanta (64-45) capped a perfect seven-game homestand with Thursday's 11-2 victory over Colorado. The Braves moved 11 1/2 games in front of idle Washington, a first-place cushion they last had on Sept. 21, 2003.

"I feel like this is the best I've seen us play consecutively so far,' shortstop Andrelton Simmons said.

While Atlanta is batting .336 with 7.3 runs per game since its last defeat, it hasn't been doing much to back Medlen (7-10, 3.74 ERA), who has a team-low 3.53 run-support average.

The Braves had scored three total runs in Medlen's previous three starts - all losses - before a 5-2 win over St. Louis on Sunday when he threw six innings of two-run ball.

Medlen hasn't been at his best in two starts against the Phillies (50-58) this season, compiling a 6.97 ERA while losing each time.

The Braves, who plated three total runs in those starts, have scored seven times in three losses to Philadelphia this season compared to 29 in their three wins.

The Phillies moved a game above .500 by winning their first contest after the All-Star break, but they're 1-10 since after Thursday's 2-1 loss to San Francisco. Jonathan Papelbon blew his sixth save in his last 13 chances, and Philadelphia wasted a bases-loaded, no-out chance in the bottom half of the ninth.

"I want to preserve these wins for the starters,' Papelbon said. "Some nights you just scratch your head.'

The Phillies will try to regroup with Ethan Martin making his major league debut. The 24-year-old right-hander, 11-5 with a 4.12 ERA at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, is taking the spot of Cliff Lee (sore neck).

"I want to come up here and show what I got and prove to them that I can be here," Martin, who was acquired in last season's deal that sent Shane Victorino to the Dodgers, told the Phillies' official website. "If Cliff comes back and it's my time to go back down, I want to show to them and put it in the back of their heads whenever they need somebody else."

The Athens, Ga., native has some extra motivation by facing the team he grew up supporting.

"I don't really think it's set in yet," Martin said. "Hopefully, it doesn't until afterward. But, we'll go from there, walk out on the mound and see how it goes."

It hasn't gone well for pitchers facing Johnson, who can tie a Braves record with an eighth consecutive multi-hit game. The last to accomplish this feat was Hank Aaron from September 9-17, 1959, when the team was based in Milwaukee.

Johnson, who has hit safely in 10 straight to raise his batting average to .346, is 6 for 19 with a homer off Phillies pitching in 2013.

The Braves dropped two of three in their only visit to Philadelphia this season from July 5-7.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Phillies
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Braves at Phillies
Sat, Aug 3 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Braves at Phillies
Sun, Aug 4 - 8:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (51-59) at Pirates (65-43)
Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 02, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The Pittsburgh Pirates' pitching staff looked nothing like the best in the majors Thursday, but Gerrit Cole's steady improvement offers hope things will be much different Friday night.

The Pirates try to forget about their most lopsided loss of the season by giving the ball to Cole in the opener of a three-game series against the visiting Colorado Rockies.

Pittsburgh (65-43) came into Thursday with a 3.03 ERA, the best in baseball by more than a quarter-run, after holding St. Louis to seven total in opening a five-game series with four wins.

The wheels came off in the finale, as starter Charlie Morton surrendered five runs in six innings before the bullpen was responsible for an eight-run seventh in a 13-0 loss that cut the Pirates' NL Central lead over the Cardinals to 1 1/2 games.

"We had kept the cat in the bag for four games," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Tonight, we let it out."

Pittsburgh's past two starters allowed a total of 20 hits - the club's worst back-to-back showing this season - and nine earned runs in 10 innings, but there's reason to believe those brief struggles won't continue.

Cole (5-4, 3.56 ERA) won four of his first five starts despite having a 3.94 ERA and striking out just 16 in 29 2-3 innings, but he's been better in his last four starts despite going 1-3. The right-hander has made it through seven innings three times - something he didn't do once in his first five outings - and posted a 3.16 ERA.

He's struck out 21 in 26 innings, including a season-high eight while going seven in Sunday's 3-2 loss at Miami. That impressed his counterpart, young Marlins All-Star Jose Fernandez.

"He's a great pitcher," Fernandez said. "His stuff is good. I saw it hitting, and I didn't like it."

This will be Cole's first look at the Rockies (51-59), and it appears he'll catch at least one big break - if not two. Carlos Gonzalez likely won't play in this series after his sprained right middle finger flared up Wednesday, and fellow All-Star outfielder Michael Cuddyer's status is unclear after he missed Thursday's game to tend to a family issue.

Cole made his major league debut June 11, the same day Jhoulys Chacin (9-5, 3.54) began to reverse his early season woes. Armed with a 4.59 ERA coming into that outing against Washington, Chacin has since gone 6-2 with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts.

What bodes well for him Friday is how he's excelled away from Coors Field. The right-hander has a 1.90 ERA on the road, a mark that's on pace to surpass his own 2010 ERA (2.44) for the best outside Denver in franchise history.

What's far less encouraging for manager Walt Weiss is Chacin's brief track record against the Pirates. He's 1-3 with a 6.97 ERA in four starts and has allowed four homers in 20 2-3 innings - the same number he's surrendered in 127 innings in 2013 for the majors' best home run per nine innings rate (0.28).

Garrett Jones hit two of those, while Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez also have taken Chacin deep.

The Rockies have lost four of their last five series in Pittsburgh, but they have to be thrilled to be anywhere but Turner Field after the past four days. The Braves scored at least nine runs each time in a four-game sweep, capping it with Thursday's 11-2 win.

"I'll make sure that we still compete," Weiss said. "I don't question these guys in that respect. ... That's something that is expected all the time."

Colorado has been outscored 123-60 in losing 17 of 23 on the road.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Pirates
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Rockies at Pirates
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Rockies at Pirates
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (55-53) at Red Sox (66-44)
Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: August 02, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Based on the way Jon Lester has pitched of late and fared against NL opponents in his career, the Boston Red Sox would appear to have a good chance to continue their success during interleague play.

Looking for a third straight winning start, Lester tries to help the Red Sox to a seventh consecutive interleague victory Friday night against the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks.

At 7-2 and with 11 interleague games remaining, Boston (66-44) appears in good position to record a ninth straight winning season against NL opponents. The Red Sox have batted .376 with 31 extra-base hits while outscoring their last six interleague opponents 39-13.

Boston's also averaged 6.0 runs during a five-game home winning streak against Arizona (55-53).

Lester (10-6, 4.27 ERA) is 11-5 with a 3.04 ERA in 22 interleague starts, and though he's 0-2 in his last four against the NL at Fenway Park, the left-hander has posted a 3.10 ERA during that stretch. Lester allowed a run in seven innings of a 2-1 walkoff victory over San Diego on July 3.

He yielded a two-run homer and three other hits in seven innings of a 6-2 win over visiting Arizona in 2010.

Lester has given up two runs over 13 1-3 innings of his last two outings overall, allowing four hits over seven in Sunday's 5-0 victory at Baltimore.

"A Jon Lester pitching to his capabilities is going to be one of the better pitchers in the league," manager John Farrell told the Red Sox's official website. "He's shown it the last couple of times out."

Owner of a one-game lead over Tampa Bay in the AL East, Boston looks for a fourth consecutive win after it scored six times in the ninth to beat Seattle 8-7 on Thursday. Daniel Nava delivered a deep game-winning single less than 24 hours after the Red Sox won 5-4 in 15 innings early Thursday morning.

"We don't quit. Ever," said Farrell, whose team has a major-league high 11 walkoff victories. "We truly believe we have a chance to do something special on a given night or given year. And that happens to be this year."

Shane Victorino drove in three runs Thursday and went 7 for 15 in the series after going 4 for 29 in the previous seven contests.

Victorino has hit .381 (8 for 21) during interleague play this season.

Teammate Dustin Pedroia is batting .394 with a homer and 11 RBIs against NL opponents this year. He's 2 for 2 with a double against scheduled Arizona starter Randall Delgado (3-3, 2.85), who has thrown 14 2-3 scoreless innings while winning two straight starts.

The right-hander recorded his first career complete game while pitching a three-hitter in last Friday's 10-0 victory over San Diego.

"This is what he's been building up toward," manager Kirk Gibson said about Delgado, who went 5-10 with a 3.98 ERA in 24 starts the past two seasons for Atlanta before being dealt to Arizona in the Justin Upton deal.

Delgado hopes this trip to Fenway goes better than his first one last year when he allowed four runs and six hits in 1 1-3 innings of an 8-4 loss.

Aside from a 7-0 win at Tampa Bay on Wednesday, the Diamondbacks have totaled six runs during four losses over a five-game stretch.

All-Star Paul Goldschmidt is 3 for 28 with 12 strikeouts in his last seven games.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Red Sox
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Red Sox
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Red Sox
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (60-48) at Marlins (42-65)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 02, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The Cleveland Indians are on the verge of their longest win streak in five seasons but are heading on the road, where victories haven't been plentiful lately.

A matchup with the NL's worst team Friday night would appear to help Cleveland's chances, but the Miami Marlins have played relatively well of late and will have All-Star right-hander Jose Fernandez on the mound.

Cleveland (60-48) hasn't won nine in a row since a 10-game streak Aug. 17-27, 2008, but is close to pulling off that feat after sweeping a homestand against Texas and the Chicago White Sox. Ryan Raburn homered twice and drove in four runs in a 6-1 victory over Chicago on Thursday.

"The thing about it, which I enjoy, is the fact that every night it's somebody different. That shows you the kind of chemistry we have," infielder Mike Aviles told the team's website. "We're always rooting for each other. It shows you the type of depth we possess right now. It's a fun way to win every night. Something different."

Raburn is hitting .409 with three homers and nine RBIs in his last six games, and Yan Gomes is 11 for 18 with three doubles, a home run and six RBIs in his last six.

While they've helped push Cleveland's home winning streak to 11, the club has dropped six of eight on the road. The Indians have batted .242 in that stretch but are hitting .307 over their last eight games.

Cleveland also has a 2.28 ERA during the win streak, and Ubaldo Jimenez (8-5, 4.17 ERA) helped by giving up two hits over eight innings in a 6-0 victory over Texas on Sunday.

"It's good competition," Jimenez said of the Indians' pitching success. "You don't want to be the guy who goes out there and doesn't pitch well. Everybody wants to pitch a good game."

In the Indians' first visit to Marlins Park, Jimenez will seek to win back-to-back starts for the first time since a three-game win streak April 29-May 11. However, he's failed to get through six innings in six straight road starts, going 0-1 with a 4.60 ERA in the last three.

The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.98 ERA in four career matchups with the Marlins.

He'll face a team that has hit .172 in its last five games but has won seven of 11. Miami has a 2.55 ERA in that span following a 3-0 victory over the New York Mets on Thursday.

The Marlins (42-65) now try for a season high-tying third win in a row behind Fernandez (7-5, 2.71), who looks to earn a career-best third straight victory.

Fernandez, who has a 2.14 ERA in his last three starts, set a team rookie record with 13 strikeouts and gave up two runs over eight innings Sunday in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh.

"We've seen Jose kind of get to that next level. He was able to do that and he dominated. It was nice," manager Mike Redmond told the team's website.

Fernandez will face the Indians for the first time while the Marlins will have their second matchup with Cleveland in as many seasons. Miami took two of three from the Indians from May 18-20, 2012.

Cleveland won its final two games in its most recent visit to Miami in 2007 after losing five straight there, beginning with Game 7 of the 1997 World Series.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Marlins
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Indians at Marlins
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Marlins
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (54-51) at Mets (48-58)
Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: August 02, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The Kansas City Royals' current string of victories hasn't come against impressive competition, and Friday night's series opener against the New York Mets wouldn't appear to be much more difficult.

They likely won't care if it means the team's longest winning streak in 19 years.

Kansas City aims for its 10th straight victory as it plays in Citi Field for the first time.

The Royals (54-51) claimed a 7-2 victory at Minnesota on Thursday, marking their ninth win in a row for the first time since starting 9-0 in 2003. They were again led by strong pitching, with James Shields allowing two runs in six innings and Luke Hochevar and Louis Coleman combining for three scoreless.

The last six wins have come against the Chicago White Sox and Twins, who are a combined 41 games under .500. The first three were against Baltimore, which was 12-13 in July.

However, Kansas City has received a quality start in all nine wins while the bullpen has allowed three runs in 24 2-3 innings.

The Royals haven't won 10 straight since a 14-game streak July 23-Aug. 5, 1994.

"We're playing some really good baseball and we believe in ourselves right now," Shields said. "Going into this last two months, this is the kind of baseball we need to play."

Scheduled starter Wade Davis (5-9, 5.50 ERA) will look to keep the Royals' run going as he comes off one of his best performances of the season. The right-hander allowed four singles over 7 1-3 innings to outpitch Chris Sale in a 1-0 win at Chicago on Saturday.

Davis had lost each of his past four starts while posting a 10.91 ERA.

"I got ahead of a lot more guys tonight," said Davis, who threw a scoreless inning of relief with Tampa Bay in his only appearance against New York on June 13, 2012. "I got some early swings to help me get deeper in the ballgame, too."

Dillon Gee (7-8, 4.13) hadn't lost in six straight starts while registering a 3.05 ERA before allowing four runs - all on three homers - over seven innings of a 4-1 loss at Washington on Saturday. He hadn't surrendered a homer in his previous five starts, spanning 33 1-3 innings.

"The balls they hit out, they were mistakes, they weren't good pitches," Gee said.

New York (48-58) was 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 in a 3-0 loss at Miami on Thursday, the first time the club had been shut out since May 25 against Atlanta.

The Mets have scored 15 runs in the past seven games.

"There's no secret," manager Terry Collins said. "If we knew what it was, we'd fix it. Guys aren't driving in runs. There's nothing wrong with the approach. We're not getting good swings at the pitches we can hit and we're fouling them off. Therefore we're not driving them in."

Royals left fielder Alex Gordon tripled for the third time in seven games Thursday and is hitting .383 in 11 interleague contests this year.

Kansas City can earn its seventh straight road victory for the first time since an eight-game streak Sept. 13-27, 2008.

These teams have split six all-time matchups and will be meeting for the first time since 2004.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Mets
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Royals at Mets
Sat, Aug 3 - 1:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Mets
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (63-44) at Reds (60-49)
Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 02, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The St. Louis Cardinals began a daunting 11-game trip leading the NL Central.

They'll enter the final stretch of that trek hoping not to lose any more ground in the division standings.

After snapping their longest slide of the season, the Cardinals try to continue their recent success against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

St. Louis (63-44) held a 2 1/2-game division lead when the trip began in Atlanta last Friday. However, the Cardinals totaled three runs during a three-game sweep at the hands of the Braves, then dropped the first four at Pittsburgh before ending their seven-game skid with a 13-0 rout of the Pirates on Thursday.

The Cardinals trail Pittsburgh by 1 1/2 games after Allen Craig, Jon Jay and Tony Cruz each had two RBIs in helping the club confidently exhale for the moment.

"(Thursday) was a good sign for our team,' said Craig, who went 3 for 9 the last two games after suffering through an 0-for-22 slump. "There was no panic. We brought a lot of energy.

"You hate to go into lulls like we did because we've played so well all season long but I think this game should get us going again.'

St. Louis has won six of nine against the Reds (60-49) this season, and scored 22 runs while taking two of three at Great American Ballpark in June.

Craig, however, is 1 for 14 against Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo (9-8, 3.36 ERA), who is 0-3 with a 4.13 ERA in his last four starts against the Cardinals.

He's 0-2 with a 3.79 ERA in three starts this season versus St. Louis, with five of the eight runs he allowed coming on home runs by Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday and Matt Adams.

A lifetime .344 hitter with two homers against Arroyo, Beltran is 8 for 22 with two home runs in his last five games versus Cincinnati.

The right-hander gave up a run over 16 innings to win two straight starts before he yielded three in 5 1-3 innings of a 4-1 loss at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.

Owners of the NL's second wild-card spot, the Reds snapped a five-game losing streak by ending a 5-6 trip with a 4-1 victory at San Diego on Wednesday. Cincinnati, which has scored nine runs over its last six contests, is 5 1/2 games back of the Pirates and four behind the Cardinals in the Central.

"From the won-loss standpoint, we've been pretty good," Arroyo told the Reds' official website. 'We have to turn it up another notch to keep up with those guys.

"If we don't beat those guys, they're not going to lose enough games elsewhere for us to catch them."

First baseman Joey Votto is batting .375 against the Cardinals this season but he's 0 for 2 against St. Louis starter Shelby Miller (10-7, 2.79 ERA). The right-hander allowed just one hit and struck out seven in six innings of a 1-0 victory over Cincinnati in the final regular-season game of 2012.

Miller held the Phillies to three hits over six scoreless innings in a 4-1 win July 23, but gave up three runs over 5 2-3 in a 5-2 loss at Atlanta on Sunday.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Reds
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Cardinals at Reds
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cardinals at Reds
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Giants (48-59) at Rays (64-44)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 02, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The Tampa Bay Rays ended July on a down note, but it still ended up being the best month in franchise history.

No AL rookie pitcher in the past 92 seasons had a better July than Chris Archer.

The right-hander goes for a fifth consecutive winning start Friday night when the Rays continue their push for the AL East lead with the San Francisco Giants making their second-ever visit.

Going for its 24th win in 28 games, Tampa Bay (64-44) finished with three hits in a 7-0 loss to visiting Arizona on Wednesday.

The Rays, though, went 21-5 in July, and they would have opened this three-game series percentage points ahead of Boston for the East lead had the Red Sox not rallied for six runs in the ninth inning of Thursday's 8-7 victory over Seattle.

"I really can't get too upset," Rays manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday. "It's been a pretty good July, one of the funnest Julys I've ever participated in."

Archer (6-3, 2.39 ERA) enjoyed a historic July, going 4-0 with a 0.73 ERA in five starts after throwing a two-hitter in Saturday's 1-0 road win over the Yankees. Since 1921, that is the lowest ERA by any AL rookie in July.

"Right now, it's a combination of me being myself and the information that (pitching coach Jim) Hickey gives me," Archer, who has two shutouts in his last three starts, told the Rays' official website. "He tells me what the go-to pitch is for certain hitters. Otherwise, he wants me to pitch to my strengths."

Archer gets his first look at the Giants (48-59), who arrive in St. Petersburg after rallying for a 2-1 victory at Philadelphia on Thursday.

Joaquin Arias and pinch-hitter Roger Kieschnick delivered RBI singles in the top of the ninth inning, then Sergio Romo worked around a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the bottom half.

San Francisco, last in the NL West, has won two in a row following a 1-8 stretch.

"I think I was pretty fortunate," Romo said. "... It was a great win for us."

The reigning World Series champs go for their first three-game win streak since July 11-13 with Madison Bumgarner (10-6, 2.76) on the hill.

The All-Star left-hander leads the Giants in wins and innings, but the club hasn't done much to support him lately, scoring once in his last two outings.

Bumgarner has surrendered one run in those starts after his eight scoreless innings were wasted in Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Cubs.

"What a great job Bum did," manager Bruce Bochy told the Giants' official website. "We're trying to figure out what happened with the chances we had."

Bumgarner, who has never faced the Rays, will have to figure out a way to pitch to rookie Wil Myers, who's batting .457 with four homers and 12 RBIs during a 12-game hitting streak.

The Rays, who had their seven-game interleague home winning streak snapped Wednesday, haven't dropped two straight overall since June 26 and 28.

Tampa Bay won two of three from the visiting Giants from June 8-10, 2004, to even the all-time series at three games apiece.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Giants at Rays
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Giants at Rays
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Giants at Rays
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (52-56) at Brewers (46-62)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 02, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


The Washington Nationals continue to struggle at the plate in key situations, while Jordan Zimmermann hardly resembles the pitcher who was among baseball's best for much of the first half.

Perhaps facing the team his last win came against can help Zimmermann end his slide.

Zimmermann takes the mound in Friday night's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Zimmermann (12-6, 3.19 ERA) joined Detroit's Max Scherzer as baseball's only 12-game winners when he gave up four runs and nine hits over six innings in a 10-5 victory over Milwaukee on July 1. He has since gone 0-3 with a 7.52 ERA in four starts.

The right-hander surrendered five runs and six hits - including two homers to Daniel Murphy - in an 11-0 loss to the New York Mets on Friday, though eight strikeouts were his most in six starts. He threw a career-high 118 pitches in only 6 2-3 innings, and is averaging 17.5 pitches per inning over his last four outings after averaging 13.6 in his previous 17 starts.

"I felt like, you know, I pitched a lot better than what the stat line says," said Zimmermann, who owns a 2.89 ERA while winning all three career starts versus Milwaukee (46-62).

Washington (52-56) has lost 14 of 20, plummeting well behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East. The Nationals have been subpar all season with runners in scoring position, hitting .241, but have been even worse lately.

Since their skid began July 8, the Nationals are 23 for 133 (.180) with runners in scoring position - the lowest in baseball. That average would be even worse had they not gone 9 for 12 in Sunday's 14-1 win over the Mets.

Ian Desmond and Adam LaRoche - second and third on the team with 53 and 46 RBIs, respectively - are hitting .200 and .143 in those situations over that span.

LaRoche and Desmond were 0 for 7 overall with four strikeouts in an 11-1 loss at Detroit on Wednesday, the 12th time the club has been held to two runs or fewer in its last 14 defeats.

"Everybody's got to want it, starting with the manager on down - everybody," said Bryce Harper, who was 1 for 15 with six strikeouts when Washington split four games against Milwaukee from July 1-4. "Everybody wants to win this and keep going. We need to get going and play better, hit better, have better ABs in certain situations and pitch better also. It's just something we need to do."

Harper is batting .333 in 12 games since the break but is 5 for 42 (.119) in 12 career contests against the Brewers.

Scheduled Milwaukee starter Tom Gorzelanny (2-4, 2.83) is coming off his first win in 15 starts dating to May 7, 2011. The left-hander threw 5 1-3 innings while allowing six hits and four runs - all in the sixth - in a 7-5 victory at Colorado on Saturday.

"That inning I could have done a little bit better," said Gorzelanny, 2-1 in three starts against Washington with a 3.15 ERA. "All that matter is we got the win."

Rickie Weeks is batting .119 over his last 16 games but is 3 for 7 lifetime off Zimmermann.

Norichika Aoki was 8 for 20 in the teams' first series while Juan Francisco went 5 for 10.


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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Brewers
Fri, Aug 2 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Nationals at Brewers
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Brewers
Sun, Aug 4 - 2:10PM EDT