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

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday, August 4

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chi. White Sox - 1:08 PM ET Detroit -210 500
Detroit - Over 8.5 500

Cleveland - 1:10 PM ET Miami +116 500 POD # 3
Miami - Over 7.5 500

St. Louis - 1:10 PM ET Cincinnati -127 500
Cincinnati - Over 8 500

Kansas City - 1:10 PM ET NY Mets +130 500 POD # 2
NY Mets - Over 7 500

Seattle - 1:35 PM ET Baltimore -185 500
Baltimore - Over 9 500

Arizona - 1:35 PM ET Arizona +184 500 POD # 4
Boston - Under 9.5 500

Colorado - 1:35 PM ET Pittsburgh -187 500
Pittsburgh - Over 7.5 500

San Francisco - 1:40 PM ET San Francisco +182 500 POD # 5
Tampa Bay - Under 8 500

Houston - 2:10 PM ET Houston +170 500 POD # 1
Minnesota - Over 8.5 500

Washington - 2:10 PM ET Washington +107 500 POD # 6
Milwaukee - Over 8 500

LA Dodgers - 2:20 PM ET LA Dodgers -117 500
Chi. Cubs - Under 8 500

Toronto - 3:35 PM ET LA Angels -127 500
LA Angels - Under 8 500

Texas - 4:05 PM ET Oakland -118 500
Oakland - Over 7.5 500

NY Yankees - 4:10 PM ET NY Yankees -103 500
San Diego - Under 7.5 500

Atlanta - 8:05 PM ET Philadelphia -122 500
Philadelphia - Under 7.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Monday

August 5, 2013


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Indians are 13-0 since April 30, 2013 at home when they are off two wins in which they never trailed for a net profit of $1327.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Red Sox are 11-0 OU since June 14, 2009 as a road favorite after a win in which they had more than ten team-left-on- base for a net profit of $1120 when playing the over.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Jeremy Guthrie starts the Royals are 10-0 since August 14, 2012 at home after a quality start for a net profit of $1104.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Cardinals are 16-1 (+$1,553) since May 24, 2011 in night games following a win where their starter pitched at least eight innings. 3-1 this season.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Mariners are 12-0 since April 22, 2013 as a favorite it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1200.

-- The Giants are 0-9 since April 26, 2013 after a one run loss and it is not the last game of a series for a net profit of $1130 when playing against.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (64-45) at Indians (62-49)
Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 05, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The top contenders in the AL Central have been flexing their muscles lately with the Detroit Tigers winning eight straight and 12 of 13 while the Cleveland Indians have won 10 of 11.

The Tigers have been winning even without Miguel Cabrera and they won't have Jhonny Peralta in the lineup for Monday night's opener of a four-game set in Cleveland.

Peralta, the former Cleveland shortstop, has accepted a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball for his links to the Biogenesis of America clinic, which was accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Batting .305 with 11 homers and 29 doubles, Peralta's loss could spell trouble for Detroit (64-45), which has a three-game lead over the Indians (62-49).

The Tigers, though, tried to prepare for the expected suspension by acquiring Jose Iglesias from Boston at the trade deadline. He is 2 for 11 with a homer in three games for the Tigers.

Cabrera has started three times in Detroit's last 11 games due to hip and abdominal problems, with the Tigers losing once in that span. He returned from a three-game absence Sunday with a pinch-hit single in the 12th inning and Detroit went on to score the winning run in that frame for a 3-2 victory over the White Sox that capped an 8-0 homestand.

The Tigers haven't been able to gain much separation on the Indians, who have won 11 straight at home for their best streak since a 14-game run April 3-May 10, 2011. That's the same year the Tigers last won nine in a row overall Sept. 2-14.

"They've got a real good team. You know they led the division more games than we did last year," manager Jim Leyland told the Tigers' official website.

Cleveland is one-half game ahead of Texas for the AL's second wild-card slot entering the Tigers' final 2013 visit to Progressive Field.

"I'd rather be 10 up,' Indians manager Terry Francona said. "But this makes this really exciting. We get to play the best team in our division and see how we can do."

The Tigers have taken nine of 12 meetings, with Cabrera leading the way with five homers and 14 RBIs. Torii Hunter has added 10 RBIs, Victor Martinez is hitting .370 and Andy Dirks has scored a team-high 11 runs.

Michael Brantley leads the Indians with 11 RBIs in the 12 matchups, but no other Cleveland hitter has more than six. Jason Kipnis has struggled in going 10 for 49 (.204) with 17 strikeouts.

"We've got to defend our home territory,' Brantley said. "We'll see where we stand."

The pitching matchup between right-handers Monday could favor the Tigers based on their history against Cleveland scheduled starter Corey Kluber (7-5, 3.77 ERA), who is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three 2013 matchups

Cabrera is 4 for 8 with three homers against him this year. The Indians have won six straight home starts by Kluber, who is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in that span.

Anibal Sanchez (9-7, 2.59) seeks his first three-game win streak for Detroit after allowing two runs over 19 innings over his past three outings. He won his lone start against the Indians on July 6 by allowing one run over five innings in a 9-4 victory to improve to 3-1 with a 1.76 ERA in five outings against them.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Braves (67-45) at Nationals (54-57)
Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 05, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The Atlanta Braves are running away with the NL East.

This could become an even more one-sided race if they can take care of the Washington Nationals in a three-game set starting Monday night in the nation's capital.

Led by Alex Wood's six strong innings and Chris Johnson's ninth multi-hit game in 10 contests, Atlanta (67-45) won 4-1 at Philadelphia on Sunday. The Braves, who also reeled off 10 straight victories from April 5-16, now have multiple 10-game winning streaks in a season for the first time since they had three in 1954 when they called Milwaukee home.

Now 12 1/2 games ahead of second-place Washington (54-57) with the Nationals losing 8-5 at Milwaukee earlier Sunday, Atlanta owns the largest division lead by any team through games of Aug. 4 since the 2005 Chicago White Sox held a 14-game AL Central cushion.

"We have to keep battling," Nationals center fielder Denard Span told the team's official website. "Don't quit trying to win the division until you are mathematically out of it."

While there are still eight weeks left in the regular season, another Braves sweep in Washington - they did that from April 12-14 - would put the Nationals in an even more precarious spot.

These teams play just six more times after this series.

"They are getting to be all important at this point," Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth said.

Washington will get its first look this season at Mike Minor (11-5, 2.75 ERA) in the opener.

The left-hander is 3-1 with a 1.53 ERA in his last five outings after posting a 4.80 ERA in his previous five.

"This is who he is," catcher Brian McCann told the Braves' official website after Minor fanned six and allowed two hits in seven innings of Wednesday's 9-0 victory over Colorado. "He's a guy who takes the ball and knows exactly what he's trying to accomplish."

Minor faces a Nationals team that plated 14 total runs and hit .162 with runners in scoring position on its just-completed 2-3 trip.

"That has been (part of the problem) all year - getting runners in scoring position, don't swing the bat or get the big hit," manager Davey Johnson said.

Stephen Strasburg (5-9, 3.04) is well aware of those issues, as the Nationals have scored eight total runs in his last four starts, losing each time. He's 0-3 with a 5.08 ERA in that stretch after getting tagged for five runs - including a grand slam by Alex Avila - in seven innings of Tuesday's 5-1 loss at Detroit.

"When things are going like they have been lately, you know that there isn't much margin for error,' Strasburg said.

Washington has scored six times in the right-hander's three starts versus Atlanta this season. Strasburg is 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA in those contests, with the last one - a 3-2 victory May 31 - registering as the shortest of his career (two innings) due to a strained muscle on his right side.

Strasburg better be at full strength against a Braves team averaging 6.6 runs since its last defeat.

Johnson is 20 for 40 in that run to up his batting average to an NL-leading .346. He's hitless in six at_bats off Strasburg in 2013, though.

Dan Uggla has three hits in seven at_bats this season when facing the former No. 1 overall pick. Uggla has more hits (11) and at_bats (24) against Strasburg that any player.

Atlanta, winner of seven of 10 from Washington this season, has matched its longest undefeated stretch since a 15-game run in 2000.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Yankees (57-53) at White Sox (40-69)
Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 05, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi doesn't think it will be a big deal if Alex Rodriguez makes his season debut Monday night in Chicago.

Girardi might be one of the few to feel that way.

With the Biogenesis scandal still hanging over his head, Rodriguez could be in the lineup for the series opener against a White Sox team trying to avoid its worst skid in 57 years.

Rodriguez hasn't played this season due to offseason hip surgery and a quadriceps injury that followed, but the three-time AL MVP appears ready to go after completing a rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Trenton.

Rodriguez's injury situation, though, is the least of his concerns, as reports have indicated that he will be suspended by Major League Baseball on Monday for his links to a clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs. He will reportedly be able to play if he decides to appeal the decision, which could call for him to miss the rest of this season and all of 2014.

"I don't suspect it'll be awkward (if Rodriguez is back). Most of these guys know him as a teammate and have laughed a lot with Alex and been around Alex a lot,' said Girardi, whose team is 57-53 and a season-worst 9 1/2 games out of first place in the AL East following Sunday's 6-3 loss at San Diego. "I think it'll be business as usual. I'm sure there will be more media there, obviously ... but I think that's probably more for Alex to deal with than the rest of the guys. I don't think it'll be a big deal.'

While Rodriguez could be manning third base for the first time this season, the left side of the Yankees' infield will be missing Derek Jeter - again. The team captain, who has sat out the last two games, has a mild strain in his right calf that could have happened while making a play in Friday's 7-2 loss.

Jeter, who was activated from the disabled list last Sunday (strained right quadriceps), has played in five games this season after making his debut July 11 following offseason surgery on a broken left ankle suffered in the 2012 AL championship series.

"It's frustrating,' Jeter said Sunday. "It's terrible. The whole season has been a nightmare.'

It's definitely been one for the White Sox (40-69), who limp home following a winless seven-game trip. Chicago has dropped 10 straight for the first time since June 11-20, 1976. The club's last 11-game skid spanned from July 7-18, 1956.

"There are not too many people in here, myself included, that have experience with what's happening here," captain Paul Konerko, whose ninth-inning homer forced extras in Sunday's 3-2, 12-inning loss to Detroit, told the White Sox's official website. "I was never on a team like this and a lot of the guys are the same way.

"We are just trying to get through and you just try to do the best you can at the moments you are in there playing and making decisions to do stuff. That's it. There are not a lot of positives. You have to try to find them as best you can personally and as a team."

Adam Dunn hit .393 (11 for 28) on the trip, but the White Sox batted .213 as a team with 18 total runs.

To help provide some kind of spark, Chicago could call up outfielder Avisail Garcia, who was acquired from the Tigers in the three-team deal Tuesday that sent Jake Peavy to Boston, at some point during its 10-game homestand. Garcia is 4 for 12 with a homer and four RBIs at Triple-A Charlotte.

Jose Quintana (5-3, 3.62 ERA), a former Yankees farmhand, will get the ball Monday after throwing five innings of three-run ball in Wednesday's 6-5, 10-inning loss at Cleveland. The left-hander recorded his major league-high 14th no-decision.

Quintana has faced the Yankees once, a 14-7 victory in the Bronx last June 12 when he gave up six runs in six innings.

New York's Andy Pettitte (7-8, 4.28) has made his last three starts on the road, and the Yankees have lost each time. The left-hander gave up two runs in seven innings Tuesday - his longest start since June 14 - before the Dodgers walked off with a 3-2 win.

Pettitte is 3-7 with a 6.01 ERA in 13 starts at U.S. Cellular Field, including Game 2 of the 2005 World Series while with Houston.

Yankees newcomer Alfonso Soriano will return to Chicago for the first time since he was acquired from the Cubs on July 26. Soriano, batting .241 with a homer since that deal, is 6 for 8 with a homer at U.S. Cellular Field this season, including a 2-for-3 effort against Quintana in a 7-0 Cubs win May 27.

The White Sox won five of seven from the Yankees last season, including a sweep in Chicago from Aug. 20-22.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (61-49) at Cardinals (65-45)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: August 05, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


After struggling mightily during a lengthy skid, St. Louis' hitters have heated up in a big way to start this month.

Things might get a little trickier against the hottest team in baseball.

The Cardinals open a key four-game set Monday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who hope to have their top two hitters available as they look to extend the NL's longest road winning streak in 56 years to 15.

St. Louis (65-45) batted .183 and scored 10 runs during a seven-game losing streak to end July but has changed its fortunes in August. The Cardinals have produced an incredible 44 runs and batted .340 while winning three of their last four games.

They went 10 of 18 with runners in scoring position Sunday in a 15-2 rout of Cincinnati, their most runs in a game since April 13, 2011. St. Louis had three homers among its 19 hits, and All-Star second baseman Matt Carpenter snapped an 0-for-23 slump with a two-run double in the fifth inning.

"Offensively, we did a terrific job," manager Mike Matheny said. "We had a little bit of everything - some power, some good situational hitting."

Matheny's club will face a Dodgers team that's won a franchise-record 14 consecutive road games and finished off a four-game series at Wrigley Field with a 23-inning scoreless streak with Sunday's 1-0 victory. The streak is the NL's longest since Cincinnati's 15-game run in 1957, and is just three shy of matching a 97-year old league record.

The news wasn't entirely good for Los Angeles (61-49) on Sunday. Hanley Ramirez was forced to leave in the seventh inning after jamming his right shoulder when he fell in the stands to catch a fly ball.

"I just jumped and landed on it," said Ramirez, who was wearing a sling after the game. "I'm not feeling the back of my shoulder. It's really sore and we'll see how it feels tomorrow."

Ramirez's injury came one day after rookie Yasiel Puig hurt his thumb while making a diving catch in right field. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he expected Puig to return Monday, while Ramirez is slated to have an MRI.

Puig is batting .376 with 11 homers in 53 games and Ramirez is hitting .361 in 54 games this season.

The NL West leaders have won 31 of 38 but have dropped seven of 10 to the Cardinals, who trail Pittsburgh by 1 1/2 games in the NL Central. St. Louis took two of three in Los Angeles from May 24-26 in the clubs' first meeting this season.

Adam Wainwright (13-6, 2.61 ERA) will try to help the Cardinals get this series off to a winning start while looking to become the NL's first 14-game winner.

The right-hander has allowed four runs in four of his last six starts, including in a 5-4 loss in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. He was given a trio of two-run leads, but exited after seven innings with the score tied.

Wainwright is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in his last three starts against the Dodgers, the most recent on Sept. 16.

Los Angeles pitchers have given up just 11 earned runs in their last nine games, a run Zack Greinke (8-3, 3.43) will try to continue after having his scheduled Sunday start pushed back a day. The right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts.

He gave up two runs over seven innings and struck out seven before the Dodgers walked off with a 3-2 victory Tuesday against the Yankees.

Greinke is 6-1 with a 1.88 ERA in his last seven starts against the Cardinals, though he hasn't faced them since April 2012 while with Milwaukee.

Greinke has given up one run in 13 innings over his last two outings away from Chavez Ravine after posting a 6.12 ERA in his first six road starts.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (48-60) at Royals (56-52)
Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 05, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Count Minnesota Twins starter Kevin Correia among those impressed by what the Kansas City Royals have been doing.

Correia and Jeremy Guthrie turned in a tight duel last week and will meet again Monday night in the opener of a three-game set in Kansas City.

The Royals (56-52) have won 11 of 12 and trail Cleveland by 4 1/2 games for the AL's second wild-card spot.

The Twins are well aware of how well Kansas City is playing after being swept in a three-game home set last week to drop to 3-10 in the season series.

The middle game of that set saw right-handed starters Correia (7-7, 4.49 ERA) and Guthrie (11-7, 4.22) each pitch six innings and allow two runs. The Royals pitcher earned a 4-3 victory while Correia did not get a decision.

The 10 hits by Kansas City off Correia on Wednesday matched a season high against him. Minnesota (48-60) is 0-3 in his starts against the Royals, with Correia going 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA.

"I faced them early in the year," he said. "I threw well against them, and it seems like every guy on that team has gotten better since then. Now it's a very good offensive team. It's a bunch of young guys continuing to get better. They have a good approach in what they're doing."

Correia gets a break because he won't have to face David Lough, who is 5 for 5 with three doubles against him this year.

Lough left Sunday's 6-2 road victory over the Mets in the fifth inning due to right quadriceps tightness. Manager Ned Yost said he won't play in the Royals' next two games.

Lorenzo Cain is 3 for 5 against Correia this season and Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas are both 3 for 9.

Guthrie improved to 3-1 with a 3.24 ERA in four 2013 starts against the Twins, limiting Joe Mauer to two hits in 11 at_bats and Ryan Doumit to a single in nine.

Guthrie is seeking to win four straight starts for the first time since July 28-Aug. 13, 2008, with Baltimore. The Royals have won eight of his 10 home outings.

He'll have a different batterymate than he did last week since All-Star catcher Salvador Perez has been placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list. Perez was struck in the mask by a foul ball Saturday.

George Kottaras started Sunday and last started one of Guthrie's outings May 30.

Alex Gordon went 6 for 14 last week against the Twins and Moustakas was 5 for 10 with two homers and five RBIs.

Billy Butler was 3 for 13 with four RBIs, although he is still batting .417 with 12 RBIs in the season series.

Mauer went 5 for 12 last week versus Kansas City but was 1 for 11 over the weekend even though the Twins swept a three-game home set from Houston. Justin Morneau was 5 for 13 over the weekend and is hitting .314 against the Royals in 2013.

Kansas City starts this 10-game homestand after an 8-1 trip.

"I'm happy about the way things are rolling for us - just keep going," Yost told the Royals' official website.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (68-45) at Astros (36-74)
Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: August 05, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


The Boston Red Sox are going to be on the road for most of the next three weeks, but their travels begin in a favorable place.

The AL-leading Red Sox will face baseball's worst team as they send John Lackey to the mound Monday night in the opener of a three-game set against the Houston Astros.

Boston (68-45) begins a 10-game trip and a stretch in which it plays 16 of 19 on the road with its third visit to Minute Maid Park. It dropped two of three in 2008 before sweeping a three-game series in 2011.

The Red Sox have won seven straight over the Astros (36-74), sweeping four home games April 25-28 with Lackey (7-8, 3.23 ERA) capping that series by allowing one run over six innings to earn a 6-1 victory.

The right-hander, who has never pitched in Houston, is 0-2 with a 5.49 ERA in his last three outings after a six-start stretch in which he went 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA.

Lackey has been more vulnerable on the road, going 3-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 11 outings compared to his 4-2 mark and 2.15 ERA at home.

The Red Sox will be without Daniel Nava, who will be placed on the paternity leave list. Nava scored a team-high five runs in the April sweep of the Astros.

David Ortiz was 8 for 15 with two homers and eight RBIs in that series while Dustin Pedroia went 7 for 14.

The Red Sox are 22-14 against left-handed starters as they get their first look at Brett Oberholtzer (1-0, 3.77), making his second career start and fifth appearance.

Oberholtzer's first start probably couldn't have gone much better as he struck out six and yielded three singles in last Wednesday's 11-0 victory at Baltimore.

"You certainly don't expect what we ended up getting, but to his credit he did a tremendous job attacking the strike zone against a really good hitting lineup," manager Bo Porter said.

The outing made Porter's decision to leave Oberholtzer in the rotation an easy one following the trade of Bud Norris to the Orioles. Now the 24-year-old is eager for his first home start.

"I'm excited, and I'm looking forward to it," Oberholtzer told the Astros' official website. "I'm going to pitch to my strengths and see what their weaknesses and strengths are. That's what pitching is about, making pitches at the right time."

One of the Red Sox's few weaknesses is a bullpen that ranks in baseball's bottom half with a 3.70 ERA. That unit could be short one player after left-hander Matt Thornton left Sunday's 4-0 victory over Arizona in the eighth inning with tightness in his right oblique area.

"Thornton's dealing with a little bit of a right oblique issue,' manager John Farrell said.

Boston outscored Houston 28-10 in April with a 5-0 edge in homers.

The Red Sox could see an improved Robbie Grossman after he went 0 for 17 against them in April in games two through five of his career. The outfielder has hit safely in all seven games and gone 12 for 25 since being called up July 27 from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (62-50) at Angels (51-59)
Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 05, 2013 10:05 PM EDT


The Texas Rangers jumped right back into the thick of the AL West race over the last week. Nelson Cruz won't be able to help them moving forward.

Hours after Cruz accepted a 50-game suspension for his involvement in the Biogenesis case, Texas opens a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

Six games back of West-leading Oakland last week, the Rangers (62-50) reeled off six wins in seven games, capped by two of three at the A's over the weekend, to move within 2 1/2 of the top spot.

Cruz hit his team-leading 27th homer in Sunday's 4-0 victory - which also moved manager Ron Washington into first place in franchise history with 582 wins - but the All-Star right fielder won't be around for the rest of the regular season. Cruz also leads the Rangers with 76 RBIs.

Texas continues its 10-game trip with a second visit to Anaheim this season. The Rangers, who took two of three there in April, improved to 7-2 in this divisional matchup by capping off a three-game sweep with Wednesday's 2-1 victory.

Monday's scheduled starter Martin Perez (3-3, 3.93 ERA) logged a career-best 7 1-3 innings in that contest, allowing one run - a homer by former Ranger Josh Hamilton - after surrendering at least four in each of his previous three starts.

"Each time he takes the ball, it's an experience for him," Washington told the Rangers' official website of Perez, who was called up June 22. "You don't become a success overnight. It's going to take some time. He's going to have his issues, but he has quality stuff, and he has the demeanor."

Angels scheduled starter Jerome Williams (5-7, 4.60) had some of his best stuff of the season Wednesday, giving up one run - a homer to Cruz - in 7 2-3 innings.

The veteran right-hander, though, has a 1.29 run-support average in his last four outings.

"We didn't do enough to support Jerome, who really pitched well. Unfortunately, Perez outpitched him," manager Mike Scioscia said after that loss.

Williams gets the ball after Los Angeles (51-59) allowed four unanswered runs in the final two innings of Sunday's 6-5 loss to Toronto that prevented a four-game sweep of the Blue Jays.

"It's always frustrating whenever you go out there and they give you the chance to compete, to help the team to win and you don't do your job,' said closer Ernesto Frieri, who took the loss Sunday and blew two save opportunities against Texas last week.

Mark Trumbo has been doing his job, hitting a three-run shot Sunday to become the eighth player in Angels history with at least 25 homers in three consecutive seasons. He was 1 for 13 with a homer last week versus Texas.

Hamilton is 14 for 28 during a seven-game hitting streak off Ranger pitching.

Shortstop Elvis Andrus, who had his career-best 16-game hitting streak snapped Sunday, finished with a team-best six hits in the Rangers' sweep in Anaheim in April.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jays (51-60) at Mariners (52-59)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: August 05, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


After concluding a losing road trip in positive fashion, the Seattle Mariners will try to keep heading in the right direction with help from what they hope is a healthier Hisashi Iwakuma.

The right-hander looks to lead Seattle to a third straight win Monday night by claiming his third in as many starts against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Seattle (52-59) dropped four straight to open a six-game trip and suffered its seventh loss in nine overall contests Friday to Baltimore. The Mariners rebounded with back-to-back wins against the Orioles as backup catcher Henry Blanco's two-run homer in the seventh inning Sunday paved the way for a 3-2 victory.

Seattle had six hits in that game, but is batting .300 with 30 runs over its last five contests.

While hoping to see his teammates shine at the plate again, Iwakuma (10-4, 2.76 ERA) will try to improve on a 3-0 record and a 1.75 ERA in his last four starts. Despite dealing with a knot in his left shoulder, he gave up two unearned runs over 5 2-3 innings in Boston on Wednesday before the Mariners fell 5-4 in 15 innings.

"I'd been having a minor pain in my neck since my last start," Iwakuma told the team's official website through a translator. "It's been bothering me, but nothing major. It did affect my pitches, because I couldn't command to both sides of the plate, but I was able to pitch inside to a lot of the hitters."

Iwakuma has shined in his two starts against Toronto, posting a 1.20 ERA. He gave up one run over seven innings in an 8-1 win at the Rogers Centre on May 4 and fanned a career-high 13 in his lone home matchup, a 4-1 victory July 30, 2012.

That win started the Mariners toward a three-game sweep at Safeco Field, the most recent meeting there between the clubs, and Seattle has won seven of nine overall against Toronto.

The Blue Jays (51-60) snapped a three-game skid Sunday by rallying for a 6-5 victory in Anaheim and avoiding a sweep by the Angels. Toronto scored two runs in each of the final two innings with Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion hitting two-out RBI singles in the ninth.

"That comeback was huge," shortstop Jose Reyes said. "We haven't had a win like that in a long time. We never quit. When you come from behind like that in the ninth inning, especially after the way we've been playing, it was good to see."

Former Mariners pitcher R.A. Dickey (8-11, 4.66) is winless in his last five starts but held Oakland to two unearned runs over six innings Wednesday. The knuckleballer, who appeared in 32 games and made 14 starts for Seattle in 2008, is 1-1 with a 10.03 ERA in two career starts against the Mariners.

He was tagged for seven runs in six innings while being beaten by Iwakuma on May 4.

Pitching in the United States this season, Dickey has been far better. He has a 3.28 ERA in 11 road starts, including a 1.01 mark in his last four.

The Mariners likely won't have manager Eric Wedge for the start of this six-game homestand. Wedge has spent the past two weeks recovering from a minor stroke suffered at the beginning of a seven-game homestand July 22.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Brewers (47-64) at Giants (49-61)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: August 05, 2013 10:15 PM EDT


Chad Gaudin regained his dominant form last time out and will try to maintain that Monday night while helping the San Francisco Giants end their recent woes at home.

The right-hander will also seek to help the Giants end a four-game losing streak to the Milwaukee Brewers in the series opener at AT&T Park.

Gaudin (5-2, 2.64 ERA) is 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA in his last six starts but was tagged for six runs over 3 2-3 innings in an 8-3 loss to Cincinnati on July 24. He bounced back from that difficult outing by giving up just a solo homer and three singles over seven innings in a 9-2 victory in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Gaudin has allowed one or no runs in five of his last six outings, and he'll next try to aid the Giants' attempt to avoid a third consecutive loss and their eighth in nine home games. San Francisco (49-61) won three straight before back-to-back defeats in Tampa Bay over the weekend and couldn't hold on to a one-run lead in a 4-3 loss Sunday.

"It is (disappointing) to come in here and lose two tough ones like this, especially with the little things that got us," manager Bruce Bochy said. "We had a chance to add on runs a couple times. We couldn't do it, and those things usually come back to haunt you."

Before their recent win streak, the Giants had dropped eight of nine, and Bochy is going to insert either Hunter Pence or Marco Scutaro at the top of the lineup to spark his club.

"We're not getting any production from our leadoff hitters," said Bochy, whose leadoff hitters have a cumulative .247 batting average. "We're definitely going through a tough time and we're going to change things up here a little bit. We've talked about Pence going there. (Pence) says he's done it before, and Scutaro has experience there, and he's done a good job of it."

San Francisco will try to end its brief skid and win for the sixth time in eight home games against Milwaukee (47-64). The Brewers, though, swept the only series between the clubs this season April 16-18 and head into this matchup having won five of their last eight road games.

Milwaukee snapped a three-game losing streak Sunday by rallying for an 8-5 victory against visiting Washington. After falling behind 4-1 in the top of the sixth, the Brewers scored five times in the bottom of the frame.

Jeff Bianchi drove in the tiebreaking runs with a bloop single and has nine of his 16 RBIs in his last eight games.

"One inning, sometimes it's just one big at-bat - you don't know what's going to turn things around," manager Ron Roenicke said. "We got some breaks."

Tyler Thornburg (1-0, 2.22) will try to keep Milwaukee heading in the right direction with another strong outing. The right-hander pitched six scoreless innings in his first start this season and fourth in the majors but did not get a decision in a 3-2 win at the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

Thornburg, filling in for an injured Yovani Gallardo, will face San Francisco for the first time and Gaudin will make his first start against Milwaukee since July 31, 2009. Gaudin did not get a decision in an 11-7 win for San Diego after giving up seven runs - three earned - in just 1 2-3 innings.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

LA Dodgers at St. Louis
The Cardinals look to build on their 10-1 record in their last 11 games as a home favorite. St. Louis is the pick (-155) according to Dunkel, which has the Cardinals favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-155). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, AUGUST 5

Game 901-902: Atlanta at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Minor) 16.981; Washington (Strasburg) 14.872
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Washington (-135); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+115); Over

Game 903-904: LA Dodgers at St. Louis (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Greinke) 16.275; St. Louis (Wainwright) 17.772
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-155); 7
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-155); Under

Game 905-906: Milwaukee at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Thornburg) 14.351; San Francisco (Gaudin) 15.770
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-160); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-160); Over

Game 907-908: Detroit at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Sanchez) 16.391; Cleveland (Kluber) 17.464
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-105); Under

Game 909-910: Boston at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lackey) 16.167; Houston (Oberholtzer) 13.874
Dunkel Line: Boston by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Boston (-200); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-200); Over

Game 911-912: Minnesota at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Correia) 15.913; Kansas City (Guthrie) 15.583
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-175); 9
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+155); Under

Game 913-914: NY Yankees at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Pettitte) 15.539; White Sox (Quintana) 16.421
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 7
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+100); Under

Game 915-916: Texas at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Perez) 16.585; LA Angels (Williams) 15.147
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Texas (-120); 9
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-120); Over

Game 917-918: Toronto at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Dickey) 15.468; Seattle (Iwakuma) 14.391
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Seattle (-130); 7
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+110); Under

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, August 5

National League

Atlanta at Washington, 7:05 ET
Minor: Under is 5-1-1 last seven times Minor has started the opener of a road series
Strasburg: Nationals 4-8 SU in last 12 games versus a southpaw starter

Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals, 7:05 ET
Kershaw: Dodgers 6-1 SU in last seven road starts for Kershaw
Wainwright: Over is 12-5 last 17 games that Cardinals have opposed a southpaw starter

Milwaukee at San Francisco, 10:15 ET
Thornburg: Brewers 1-6 SU in last seven road series openers
Gaudin: Uunder is 5-1-2 in 2013 when Giants start a homestand


American League

Detroit at Cleveland, 7:05 ET
Kluber: Indians 6-0 in Kluber's last six starts at home
Sanchez: Under is 12-6 when Sanchez starts on the road for the Tigers

Boston at Houston, 8:10 ET
Lackey: Under is 10-3 in Lackey's last 13 road starts
Oberholtzer: Astros 4-10 SU in last 14 games when beginning a homestand

Minnesota and Kansas City, 8:10 ET
Correia: Under is 7-3 in Correia's road starts for the Twins
Guthrie: Royals 15-4 SU when Guthrie starts at home for Royals

New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 ET
Pettitte: Yankees 1-5 SU last six road series openers in the middle of a road trip
Quintana: Under is 7-3 in Quintana's last 10 starts at home

Texas at Los Angeles Angels, 10:05 ET
Perez: Rangers 3-6 SU in last nine road series openers
Williams: Over is 8-3 in Williams' last 11 home starts

Toronto at Seattle, 10:10 ET
Dickey: Under is 8-3 when Dickey starts on the road for Blue Jays
Iwakuma: Mariners 16-6 SU when Iwakuma starts at home

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, August 5

Hot pitchers
-- Minor is 3-1, 1.78 in his last five starts.
-- Greinke is 5-1, 2.73 in his last eight starts.
-- Gaudin is 3-1, 2.38 in his last six starts. Thornburg blanked the Cubs for six innings in his first '13 start; he was 0-9, 5.79 in 15 AAA starts before that.

-- Indians won Kluber's last five home starts (3-0, 2.61). Sanchez is 2-1, 0.95 in his last three starts.
-- Oberholtzer blanked Baltimore for seven innings in his first '13 start.
-- Guthrie is 3-0, 4.00 in his last three starts.
-- Quintana is 2-1, 2.79 in his last six starts.
-- Iwakuma is 3-0, 2.10 in his last four starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Strasburg is 0-3, 5.63 in his last four starts.
-- Wainwright is 1-1, 4.50 in his last four starts.

-- Lackey is 0-2, 5.40 in his last three starts.
-- Correia is 0-3, 7.11 in his last four road starts.
-- Pettitte is 0-3, 4.60 in his last five road starts.
-- Perez is 0-2, 7.25 in his last four starts. Williams is 0-5, 8.29 in his last eight.
-- Dickey is 0-3, 5.81 in his last five starts.

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........
-- Minor 7-22; Strasburg 5-21
-- Greinke 5-17; Wainwright 6-23
-- Thornburg 0-1; Gaudin 3-9 (3 of last 4)

-- Sanchez 5-18 (3 of last 4); Kluber 3-18
-- Lackey 8-19 (6 of last 10); Oberholtzer 0-1
-- Correia 6-21 (0 of last 7); Guthrie 6-22 (1 of last 7)
-- Pettitte 8-19 (6 of last 6); Quintana 8-22
-- Perez 4-9; Williams 5-15
-- Dickey 6-23 (1 of last 11); Iwakuma 5-23 (0 of last 7)

Totals
-- Six of last seven Atlanta games went over the total; nine of last twelve Washington road games stayed under. .
-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Dodger games.
-- Four of last five Milwaukee games stayed under the total.

-- Four of last five Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Boston games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 8-3-1 in Kansas City's last twelve games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Bronx road games.
-- Nine of last twelve Texas games stayed under total.
-- Eight of last ten Toronto road games went over total.

Hot teams
-- Braves won their last ten games, scoring 66 runs. Washington won four of its last five home games.
-- Dodgers are 31-7 in their last 38 games; they've won 14 in row on road. St Louis won three of last four games, scoring 44 runs.

-- Detroit won 12 of its last 13 games. Indians won ten of their last eleven.
-- Red Sox won seven of their last nine games.
-- Royals won 11 of their last 12 games. Minnesota won its last three games, by a total of four runs.
-- Rangers won six of their last seven games. Angels won three of last four.
-- Mariners won 12 of their last 19 games.

Cold teams
-- Brewers lost three of their last four games. San Francisco lost 10 oif its last 14 games, scoring four run in last two games.

-- Houston lost nine of its last eleven games.
-- White Sox lost their last ten games, scoring 19 runs. Bronx lost 11 of their last 17 games.
-- Toronto lost 14 of its last 21 games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, August 5

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. ST. LOUIS
LA Dodgers are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing St. Louis
LA Dodgers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games
St. Louis is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games

7:05 PM
DETROIT vs. CLEVELAND
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Cleveland is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games

7:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

8:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. KANSAS CITY
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Kansas City's last 12 games
Kansas City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

8:10 PM
BOSTON vs. HOUSTON
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games on the road
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

8:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone OVER in 12 of NY Yankees's last 18 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 7 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
Chi White Sox are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing NY Yankees

10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. LA ANGELS
Texas is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games
LA Angels are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 6 games

10:10 PM
TORONTO vs. SEATTLE
Toronto is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Seattle
Toronto is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

10:15 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing San Francisco
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games