The Bum's MLB News-Stats and POD'S Thru The World Series !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (74-69) at Mets (64-78)
Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 10, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Gio Gonzalez and the Washington Nationals nearly no-hit the New York Mets on Monday, adding to their offensive woes at home.

Things might not be much easier for the Mets on Tuesday night as Washington sends Jordan Zimmermann to the mound looking for his NL-leading 17th victory.

The Nationals (74-69) claimed their 16th victory in 20 tries at Citi Field and their fifth in six games overall on Monday with a 9-0 win. Gonzalez yielded only a seventh-inning single while recording his second career shutout.

It was a continuation of New York's yearlong struggles at home. The Mets' 235 runs at home are the fewest in baseball and their .224 batting average is the lowest. They've tallied 24 runs while losing seven of nine at home, which even includes an 11-3 victory over Philadelphia on Aug. 29.

"Fortunately, we put a ball in play where no one was at so we go home at least knowing we didn't get no-hit," manager Terry Collins said. "Obviously, we feel very fortunate."

New York (64-78) appears to again have its work cut out Tuesday against Zimmermann (16-8, 3.30 ERA), who is tied with Adam Wainwright for the league's most victories.

Since matching a career worst by allowing eight runs in a loss to the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 19, Zimmermann's posted a 2.82 ERA in three starts - though that includes a 3-2 defeat to the Mets on Aug. 30. The right-hander allowed three runs and six hits over 7 2-3 innings, falling to 0-3 in four starts versus New York this year despite a 3.29 ERA. He's received a total of two runs of support over 27 1-3 innings in those games.

Washington's offense appears poised to provide better support given its recent play. The Nationals have totaled 24 runs and 36 hits while winning three in a row despite being without Bryce Harper, who likely won't return until Wednesday due to a sore left hip.

"All the tests, the MRI and all that didn't reveal any structural damage," manager Davey Johnson told the team's official website. "There is just some inflammation in there. If you take care of that, he is good to go."

The Nationals opened Monday's game with back-to-back homers from Denard Span and Ryan Zimmerman, with Span's extending his hitting streak to 20 games. Span also collected two more singles and is 34 for 83 (.410) during the streak whiles scoring 14 runs.

They'll face Dillon Gee (11-9, 3.53), who has foiled Nationals before. He's 4-1 with a 2.16 ERA in five starts versus Washington this year, though he has surrendered five homers over 14 2-3 innings in the last two.

The right-hander is riding a 10-start stretch overall in which he's 5-2 with a 1.94 ERA while throwing at least seven innings seven times. He's also gone at least six frames in 13 straight outings.

Washington catcher Wilson Ramos, who also homered Monday, is hitting .427 in 25 career games versus New York with 22 RBIs.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Mets
Mon, Sep 9 Final 9 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Nationals at Mets
Tue, Sep 10 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Mets
Wed, Sep 11 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Nationals at Mets
Thu, Sep 12 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (61-82) at Reds (82-63)
Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 10, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


While the Cincinnati Reds were hoping to continue their playoff push against the last-place Chicago Cubs, manager Dale Sveum's club played the role of spoiler in the opener of this three-game set.

Another victory, though, could be hard to come by for Chicago, which hasn't posted back-to-back wins over Cincinnati in almost two years.

The Reds try to avoid consecutive home losses for the first time in well over a month as these NL Centrals rivals meet again Tuesday night.

Cincinnati (82-63) had won four straight overall and 22 of 26 against Chicago (61-82) before falling 2-0 on Monday. The Reds went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, dropping one game behind Pittsburgh for the wild-card lead and two in back of division-leading St. Louis.

"We've been rolling and winning some ballgames," said losing pitcher Bronson Arroyo, who was outdueled by Travis Wood. "It was just a hard-fought game where you don't feel you pitched that bad, the guy on the other side just does a little better job than you."

Ryan Sweeney and Luis Valbuena both homered for the Cubs, who despite Monday's win are an NL-worst 13-27 since July 29. They haven't pulled out consecutive victories over Cincinnati since Sept. 7-12, 2011, while the Reds haven't dropped two in a row at home since July 21 and Aug. 2.

Chicago could have its hands full against rookie Tony Cingrani (7-3, 2.80 ERA). After missing two weeks with a strained lower back, Cingrani allowed two runs in 5 1-3 innings to beat St. Louis 6-2 on Thursday.

"Just getting out there and throwing it and getting that same torque on my back and that adrenaline, it was good," he told MLB's official website. "It felt pretty good to get back out there."

Cingrani also came up big at the plate, going 1 for 2 with a run scored and a stolen base. He is 7 for 28 with four runs on the season.

"Love him to death, man," third baseman Todd Frazier said of Cingrani. "I love his energy, I love his poise out there. I'm very happy with what he did, and he's healthy."

The left-hander has recorded a 3.60 ERA and a .182 opponents' batting average while going 1-0 in three starts against Chicago. He surrendered two runs over seven innings in a 12-2 road victory June 11.

Cingrani has held Starlin Castro hitless in nine at_bats, and Darwin Barney and Welington Castillo are both 0 for 7. Castro, hitless in his last 15 at_bats, is 11 for 71 (.155) against the Reds this year.

The Cubs give the ball to Edwin Jackson (7-15, 4.91), the league leader in losses. He is on the verge of a career-worst 16th defeat after going 0-4 with a 5.88 ERA in his last six starts.

The right-hander held Miami scoreless through four innings before giving up three runs in the fifth last Tuesday in a 6-2 loss.

"It's definitely been a disappointing season," he said. "But every lesson is a lesson learned. You either accept it and be complacent with it or you find ways to keep working harder and get ready to bounce back."

Jackson gave up four runs in five innings in a 7-4 loss to Cincinnati on May 5.

While Shin-Soo Choo is 10 for 25 with three doubles in their matchups, Jay Bruce and Ryan Ludwick are a combined 3 for 22. Zack Cozart, who is 0 for 6 against Jackson, is batting .382 during a career-high 14-game hitting streak.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Reds
Mon, Sep 9 Final 2 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cubs at Reds
Tue, Sep 10 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cubs at Reds
Wed, Sep 11 - 12:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (87-58) at Rays (78-64)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 10, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Clay Buchholz looked like a solid candidate for this year's AL Cy Young Award until he missed three months with a strained neck.

Last year's winner, David Price, has hardly looked like one at all.

Buchholz will make his return for the Red Sox on Tuesday night as he opposes Price and a Tampa Bay Rays team struggling offensively as it tries to hang on to a wild-card spot.

Buchholz (9-0, 1.71 ERA) declared himself ready to go after a Sunday bullpen session at Yankee Stadium.

"Everything was good," Buchholz told the team's official website. "I threw all my pitches. Curveball was probably the sharpest pitch I threw, and that's usually the last one I get the feel for in spring training. I threw everything: cutter, sinker, fastball. It all felt fine."

He previously gave up two runs and struck out five in 3 2-3 innings for Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday.

Though manager John Farrell indicated Buchholz will be limited to 75-80 pitches, he has high expectations.

"We're hopeful we get a guy that's close to what he was prior to the injury, and it would be an additional lift to this rotation," Farrell said.

The Red Sox have won 11 of his 12 starts this year as he allowed two or fewer runs in all but one of them.

Buchholz said he wants to get back in that kind of form in time for a potential trip to the postseason.

"I want to make sure that I'm ready for that," he said.

The Rays are likely less than thrilled to see Buchholz. He has a 2.53 lifetime ERA against them including eight innings of two-hit ball in a 5-0 win April 14.

That doesn't bode well for a Tampa Bay team which has scored a major league-low 41 runs since Aug. 25. Matt Joyce hasn't homered in that span and is in 2-for-29 slump, and Evan Longoria is hitting .176 with three RBIs in the last 14 games.

The Rays have lost 11 of 15, with the four wins coming when their pitchers held the opposition to one run.

Four teams are within four games of the Rays (78-64) for the AL's second wild-card spot.

"We've got enough baseball left. We're still in a position to make the postseason," Price told the team's official website. "We still control our own destiny."

Price (8-7, 3.51) has been a bit shaky in his last five starts, posting a 4.78 ERA with 37 hits allowed in 32 innings.

The left-hander yielded six runs and 11 hits in seven innings of a 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.

"It's frustrating when you go out there and don't perform well for your team," said Price, who also mentioned he needs to "make better pitches earlier in the count."

Price has defeated the Red Sox in two starts against them since the All-Star break, allowing two runs in 16 1-3 innings, but both were in Boston. They tagged him for four runs in 2 1-3 innings at Tropicana Field on May 15, and he left with triceps tightness in the 9-2 loss. Price is 6-1 with a 1.88 ERA at Fenway Park but 4-4 with a 4.33 ERA versus the Red Sox at home.

Boston has won three straight series on the road and six in a row overall after taking three of four from the Yankees despite losing 4-3 on Sunday on Brandon Workman's wild pitch in the ninth.

The Red Sox (87-58) are batting .361 with 18 home runs over their last five games.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pirates (82-61) at Rangers (81-62)
Game: 2
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: September 10, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


Francisco Liriano was hit hard in his last outing and now must try to regroup against the team with baseball's best record against left-handed starters.

He'll be opposed by Martin Perez, who is enjoying the longest win streak by a Texas Rangers starter in eight seasons.

Liriano handed Perez his first big league defeat the last time these southpaws met heading into Tuesday night's matchup between the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates and Rangers.

Liriano (15-7, 2.98 ERA) owns the most victories by a Pirates left-hander since Zane Smith had 16 and John Smiley finished with 20 in 1991. He failed in a bid to add to his career-high total last Wednesday, allowing seven runs over three innings in a 9-3 defeat at Milwaukee.

"I was overthrowing sometimes, too, trying to get more sink on the ball," he told the Pirates' official website. "If your location is good, there's a pretty good chance you'll get better results."

The Rangers (81-62) are 28-16 against left-handers, but Liriano is 4-1 with a 3.19 ERA in six starts against them. He has posted a 1.66 ERA in winning the last three.

Liriano gave up one run over 6 2-3 innings in a 5-1 victory at Texas on July 6, 2012, with Minnesota. Perez (9-3, 3.41) suffered the loss, yielding four runs in six innings in his second career start.

It's clear that Perez is a much better pitcher now. He improved to 6-0 with a 2.76 ERA in his last six outings by surrendering one run in seven innings in last Tuesday's 5-1 victory at Oakland.

The six-start win streak is the longest by a Ranger since Kenny Rogers won eight straight April 27-June 5, 2005.

"He's grown leaps and bounds really," manager Ron Washington said. "It's maturity. The experience he had last year up here helped him tremendously. He realized he can pitch up here and he just goes out there and pitches."

Perez, who owns a 2.20 ERA at home compared to 4.04 on the road this year, finished with a 5.45 ERA in 12 appearances in 2012.

"I just tried to learn last year and this year too," he said. "Every day you learn something new."

The only Pittsburgh hitter Perez has faced is Justin Morneau (1 for 3).

Liriano has more extensive experience against the Rangers, enjoying success against Elvis Andrus (0 for 11) and Ian Kinsler (2 for 12).

These starters will be hard-pressed to fare better than the ones that opened this three-game set Monday. Gerrit Cole outdueled Yu Darvish as Pittsburgh (82-61) ended a four-game slide with a 1-0 victory that clinched the franchise's first winning record since 1992.

"As big as this win is for the city of Pittsburgh and the organization, and as big a deal as the media is going to make out of it, we still have a lot of baseball to play," said second baseman Neil Walker, a Pittsburgh native. "We've got a lot of games we need to win, we're in a tight race.'

The Pirates moved within one game of first-place St. Louis in the NL Central and one game in front of Cincinnati in the race for home-field advantage in a possible wild-card game.

The Rangers have dropped six of eight to fall two games behind AL West leader Oakland.

Texas left fielder Jim Adduci exited in Monday's fifth inning, when he sustained a right biceps strain while striking out.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Rangers
Mon, Sep 9 Final 1 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Pirates at Rangers
Tue, Sep 10 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Pirates at Rangers
Wed, Sep 11 - 2:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (82-62) at White Sox (58-85)
Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 10, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


With Miguel Cabrera tossed early in Monday's series opener, the Detroit Tigers failed to manage much offense in a loss to the Chicago White Sox.

The Tigers hope for better fortunes Tuesday night against rookie Erik Johnson in his second career start, and Rick Porcello could certainly use the run support given his recent outings.

Detroit (82-62) lost for the fifth time in six contests as Chris Sale outpitched Max Scherzer in Chicago on Monday. Sale yielded one run and four hits over eight innings while Scherzer gave up five runs and six hits in four innings while being charged with back-to-back losses for the first time this year.

Cabrera was ejected in the first inning after complaining that he had been hit in the leg by a pitch. Manager Jim Leyland was also ejected for the 72nd time in his career after coming out in defense of the reigning MVP.

"The guy's the best hitter in the game, so it does change the game - the dynamic of it,' White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "But I think the way Chris was throwing tonight and the way we scored I would hope that he would have been able to still do the same stuff."

The Tigers are 2-6 in September. Excluding a 16-2 win at Kansas City on Friday, they've totaled 14 runs this month. Torii Hunter, who is batting .297 on the season, is 4 for 31 since Sept. 1, dropping his average 10 points.

Cleveland's win over Kansas City on Monday trimmed the Tigers' edge to 4 1/2 games in the AL Central.

The White Sox (58-85), who have won two in a row after dropping nine straight, hope Johnson (0-1, 4.50 ERA) can improve on a mediocre major league debut. He gave up five runs - three earned - and seven hits over six innings of a 6-5 loss at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.

Forty-five of the 23-year-old's 105 pitches were balls as he issued three walks.

"It was a great feeling to be out there," said Johnson, who admitted nerves played a factor. "I think I could have just filled up the strike zone a bit better, worked ahead, especially with all my pitches. That was the main thing."

Detroit counters with Porcello (11-8, 4.76), who has posted a 6.55 ERA over his last six starts but still went 3-2, receiving an average of 5.45 runs of support.

Porcello had gone his first 145 career starts without giving up more than two homers before yielding three, along with nine runs and four other hits in five-plus innings of a 20-4 loss at Boston on Wednesday. He had given up three home runs in his previous eight starts combined.

"I didn't think Ricky pitched that bad that he takes a statistical hit with his ERA," Leyland said "They were hitting them out like ping pong balls."

All three homers came against left-handed batters, who have an on-base plus slugging of .839 off Porcello this year compared to a .619 figure for right-handers.

Lefty Adam Dunn is 7 for 19 off Porcello lifetime with two home runs.

Porcello has seen favorable results against the White Sox, going 8-1 with a 2.50 ERA over the last 11 matchups, including a 3-0 mark in four starts this year. Gordon Beckham is 10 for 23 off him with four doubles but Chicago's leading batter, Alexei Ramirez, is 8 for 43 (.186).

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at White Sox
Mon, Sep 9 Final 1 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Tigers at White Sox
Tue, Sep 10 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Tigers at White Sox
Wed, Sep 11 - 8:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (83-60) at Twins (62-80)
Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: September 10, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


After an impressive homestand, the surging Oakland Athletics are hoping to see their momentum carry over on the road.

Giving the ball to Jarrod Parker could help them do just that.

Parker looks to extend his career-best winning streak to 10 on Tuesday night as Oakland renews its season series with the Minnesota Twins, who are coming off their first home victory in nearly a month.

The Athletics (83-60) have climbed into first place in the AL West behind an 11-3 run, a stretch during which they have hit .303 while outscoring opponents 79-47.

Oakland visits Target Field seeking a fourth consecutive win after concluding an 8-2 homestand with Sunday's 7-2 victory over Houston. Brandon Moss went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Seth Smith hit a three-run homer.

"It doesn't matter who we play," catcher Stephen Vogt told MLB's official website. "We have to win every game. And coming away 8-2 on this homestand is a good way to roll into the road."

Winners in 15 of their last 20 against the AL Central, the A's have to be feeling good about turning to Parker (11-6, 3.57 ERA). The right-hander hasn't lost since May 22, going 9-0 with a 2.59 ERA in his last 18 starts.

"He goes out there and shuts teams down," Moss said. "He puts the ball in play and doesn't walk anybody. When he gets in trouble, he finds a way to dig deep and get himself out of it. That's what aces do."

Parker outdueled Texas' Yu Darvish on Wednesday, yielding two runs and five hits in six innings of an 11-4 victory.

"I'm just trying to stay in the moment," he said.

Parker went 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two matchups against the Twins last year, both of which came in Minnesota.

The Twins (62-80) enter this three-game set with some momentum after snapping a franchise worst-tying 10-game home losing streak with Monday's 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Minnesota is 8-21 at home since June 30, the majors' second-worst record over that stretch.

"We all know we've lost a few ballgames in a row here at home," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The people that showed up here were rooting pretty hard, and our guys were playing pretty hard, too. Big win."

Minnesota now turns to Liam Hendriks (1-2, 5.28) for his first home start after making six on the road. The right-hander was tagged for five runs - three earned - and eight hits over 4 1-3 innings in Wednesday's 6-5 walkoff loss at Houston.

"It was embarrassing," said Hendriks, against whom opponents are batting .302. "I got lackadaisical out there, and I just wasn't myself. I have to get back to getting ahead early, and keeping the ball down."

In his only appearance versus Oakland, Hendriks surrendered four runs in five innings in a 5-1 road loss Aug. 22, 2012.

He will need to be careful against Yoenis Cespedes, who is 13 for 32 with two homers in eight games this month.

"That's big for us," Melvin said. "It just seems like we have better energy when he's swinging the bat."

Cespedes led the A's to five wins in their final six games against the Twins last year, hitting safely in each while going 11 for 24 with two homers and eight RBIs.

Oakland's Josh Donaldson is expected to rejoin the lineup after sitting out Sunday due to a strained right quad. The third baseman is 10 for 22 with two homers, five doubles and five RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Brewers (62-80) at Cardinals (83-60)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: September 10, 2013 8:15 PM EDT


After a home sweep put them back on top in the NL Central, the St. Louis Cardinals are hoping to stay there by continuing an outstanding stretch at Busch Stadium.

Sending Shelby Miller to the home mound against a team he's dominated may help that cause.

The surging Cardinals will try for their 10th win in 12 games on their own field when they open a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

St. Louis (83-60) trailed Pittsburgh by 1 1/2 games heading into their weekend series at Busch, but now leads by that margin after completing a three-game sweep with Sunday's 9-2 win.

The Cardinals have played well during their latest home tear, averaging 5.7 runs while posting a 3.18 ERA during this 9-2 stretch.

Matt Carpenter, who went 2 for 5 on Sunday, is hitting .433 over his last 15 games at Busch. The second baseman leads the major leagues with a .373 batting average at home.

Miller (12-9, 3.19 ERA) has certainly added to the pitching success, going 7-3 with a 1.92 ERA at home that ranks among the best in the majors. The rookie right-hander, though, hopes to get back on track after going 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in his last two starts - both on the road.

"I want the expectation level being there for our young guys," manager Mike Matheny told the league's official website. "I want them to feel that they can do this, they've done it and they're going to continue to do it."

Miller appears to have a good chance to regroup against the Brewers (62-80). He's 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA in three starts - all St. Louis victories - and has struck out 21 in 18 1-3 innings.

Shortstop Jean Segura can't be happy about seeing Miller since he's 0 for 9 with five strikeouts against him.

Teammate Norichika Aoki, however, is 5 for 9 with a homer in that matchup and batting .472 in his last 10 games against the Cardinals. Aramis Ramirez has also fared well versus St. Louis, hitting .424 with six home runs and 16 RBIs in his last 16 meetings.

The Brewers are hoping to have Khris Davis back in the lineup after he missed the past three games with a sore left wrist. The rookie outfielder is 6 for 14 against the Cardinals.

Milwaukee looks for its fourth win in five games by giving the ball to Wily Peralta (9-14, 4.51), who has gone 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA while recording three straight quality starts.

The right-hander allowed nine hits but limited the Pirates to three runs over six innings in Wednesday's 9-3 victory.

"He struggled with his command and then all of a sudden on 3-2 he makes a real good pitch - and he did it more than once - so when he needed to make one, he did," manager Ron Roenicke said.

Peralta, though, hasn't been able to escape from jams against the Cardinals. He's lost both starts behind an 11.57 ERA, allowing 22 hits over 9 1-3 innings.

He gave up six earned runs and 11 hits over five innings in a 7-6 loss at Busch Stadium on May 17.

David Freese homered off Peralta in that game and has gone 3 for 5 with five RBIs in their matchups, while Carpenter is 4 for 6 when facing Peralta.

The Cardinals have averaged 5.8 runs and batted .301 while winning 10 of 13 against the Brewers.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Astros (48-96) at Mariners (65-79)
Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 10, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


Despite being without their lone All-Star again, the Houston Astros used strong pitching and a late rally for a series-opening victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday.

Houston hopes Jordan Lyles' recent run of solid outings continues Tuesday night as the club seeks just its fourth series victory since the All-Star break in Seattle.

As far out of contention as the Mariners (65-79) are, the Astros (48-96) trail them by 17 games. However, they used five pitchers to limit Seattle to five hits in a 6-4 victory Monday.

Catcher Jason Castro - the club's on-base plus slugging leader at .835 - missed his second game in a row with a sore right knee, but it was Jonathan Villar providing a go-ahead two-run single in the top of the ninth. Abraham Almonte had put the Mariners ahead, 3-2, with his first career homer in the seventh inning in front of 9,808, the lowest announced attendance in Safeco Field history.

Castro hasn't caught since aggravating a cyst a week ago and is considered day-to-day, according to the team's official website.

Lyles (6-7, 5.08 ERA) has been credited with quality starts in three of his last four starts, though he's been susceptible to the home run, allowing six in 19 2-3 innings. All three runs he allowed over 6 1-3 innings of a 6-5 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday came on Alex Presley's homer, concluding a 13-pitch at-bat.

"You're just trying to make the next pitch go over the plate" Lyles told the team's official website. "He's pretty much seen everything you have up to that point, so hopefully he rolls over it or pops it up, but he put a good swing on it and put the ball on the barrel."

Lyles was roughed up in a 12-5 loss to Seattle on July 21, allowing a career-high 10 runs and eight hits in four innings. He limited the Mariners to three runs over 13 innings in two other matchups this year.

He'll be opposed by Joe Saunders (11-13, 4.95), who has had difficulty pitching deep into games. He failed to make it through the sixth inning for the fourth time in six outings in a 7-6 loss at Kansas City on Thursday. He yielded 11 hits and three runs, all of which were scored in the fifth of a 4 2-3-inning effort.

"Nothing changed," Saunders said of the fifth. "I made some good pitches. It was just tough to get the last out."

Saunders is 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA over four starts versus Houston this year. He threw 6 1-3 innings of a 3-0 victory in the lone matchup in Seattle on April 8.

Matt Dominguez - who is 2 for 20 over his last five games - is 5 for 11 off Saunders, while Brandon Barnes is 6 for 9.

Mariners rookie Nick Franklin did not start Sunday's game versus Tampa Bay after colliding with Justin Smoak on Saturday, but was 1 for 3 Monday and is 4 for 9 off Lyles with two homers.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Mariners
Mon, Sep 9 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Astros at Mariners
Tue, Sep 10 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Astros at Mariners
Wed, Sep 11 - 10:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (72-71) at Dodgers (84-59)
Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 10, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


Juan Uribe's staggering offensive display has the Los Angeles Dodgers untracked.

Trevor Cahill, however, is looking to slow them down again.

Uribe and the NL West-leading Dodgers attempt to beat Cahill for the first time and extend their longest winning streak over the Arizona Diamondbacks in over three years Tuesday night.

Uribe had a career-high three homers and Los Angeles (84-59) totaled six in Monday's 8-1 series-opening win to end a four-game slide. It was the most homers hit by the Dodgers since connecting for seven on Sept. 18, 2006, and Uribe's sixth career four-hit game.

"He's a great guy and one of the guys that we all look to in the clubhouse," first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. "I know he's taken his share of blows over the last two years, so it's great that he's having a good year and he's been a big part of what we've done."

The third baseman is 9 for 18 in his last four games against the Diamondbacks (72-71), and the Dodgers have made a recent habit out of pounding them.

Los Angeles is hitting .329 while outscoring Arizona 27-8 during a four-game winning streak, the club's longest in the series since reeling off seven in a row from April 15-June 2, 2010.

Cahill (6-10, 4.35 ERA), though, has typically frustrated the Dodgers, going 5-0 with a 2.10 ERA in eight career starts against Los Angeles. The right-hander is also 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in four games at Chavez Ravine, winning his latest 9-2 on May 6, yielding two runs in seven innings.

He was dominant in his only other season meeting with the Dodgers at home April 14, going 7 1-3 innings before Paul Goldschmidt's walkoff single clinched a 1-0 win.

He's also held Uribe to a single in six career at_bats.

Cahill enters having winning three straight decisions behind a 3.29 ERA over his last five games - four starts. He battled through Thursday's 4-2 win at San Francisco, allowing two runs - both in the fourth - while issuing four walks in five innings.

"It's kind of like I have one bad inning where I lose it," said Cahill, who has given up multi-run innings in three of his last four starts.

That could give Los Angeles hope of reducing its magic number in the division race to six. The Dodgers lead the West by 12 games over Arizona with 19 to play.

Gonzalez could be key in solving Cahill since he's 7 for 15 with a homer and two doubles, going 5 for 6 this season. He's also looking to build on his two-run homer and double during the series opener.

The first baseman owns a .426 average with three homers and 11 RBIs during a 12-game hitting streak against the Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers are expected to counter Cahill with Edinson Volquez (9-11, 6.05), who allowed four runs in four innings of Wednesday's 7-5 loss at Colorado in his first start since being signed Aug. 30.

The right-hander has a 3.03 ERA in five starts versus Arizona since the start of last season. He was solid in the most recent with San Diego on May 5, yielding one run in 6 2-3 innings of a 5-1 victory.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Mon, Sep 9 Final 1 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Tue, Sep 10 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Wed, Sep 11 - 10:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (66-79) at Giants (65-79)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: September 10, 2013 10:15 PM EDT


Jorge De La Rosa continues to build his case for the NL Cy Young Award.

He seeks to win a seventh straight start as the Colorado Rockies continue a three-game road set Tuesday night against the San Francisco Giants.

De La Rosa (16-6, 3.31 ERA) may have a chance to become the NL's first 17-game winner and would become the second left-hander in franchise history to reach that plateau. He would join Jeff Francis, who won 17 in 2007.

Washington's Jordan Zimmermann also has 16 wins and pitches earlier Tuesday.

De La Rosa says he learned to be more effective watching tape while being out last year due to reconstructive surgery. He has also fought through a left thumb bruise that has been bothering him for the past couple of months.

"It's still sore, but I want to pitch," De La Rosa said. "It's not worse. It's not better. It's the same. It just needs rest to get better."

The Rockies are 11-4 when De La Rosa starts against San Francisco, and he's 8-4 with a 3.28 ERA in those outings. However, he is 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA in three matchups this year, and is also 0-3 with a 6.32 ERA in his last three starts at AT&T Park.

Pablo Sandoval is 5 for 9 off De La Rosa this year and Marco Scutaro is 4 for 8.

The Colorado franchise record for consecutive winning starts is seven, set by De La Rosa in 2009 and matched by Ubaldo Jimenez the next year.

The Rockies (66-79) fell to 0-4 on this nine game trip with Monday's 3-2, 10-inning defeat. They have totaled eight runs while batting .195 during this skid.

"We've struggled to score on the road this year and that's been the trend here,' manager Walt Weiss said. "When you score two runs, like we've done a handful of times already on this team, that makes it tough to win games."

Brandon Belt's RBI single in the 10th gave San Francisco (65-79) its second straight walk-off win after Angel Pagan had an RBI single in the 11th in Sunday's 3-2 victory over Arizona.

"We want to finish the season on a positive note heading into next year,' manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's all about playing better baseball. We're playing like the team that we are now. It's all about pride."

San Francisco will start Ryan Vogelsong (3-5, 5.62), who is 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA in six starts since returning Aug. 9 after missing nearly three months with a fractured right hand.

Vogelsong is 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA in seven starts against the Rockies, who he has not faced this year. He's 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA in four career home starts against them - games in which the teams have totaled 15 runs.

Colorado catcher Wilin Rosario could return after missing three straight games with problems with his wisdom teeth. Center fielder Dexter Fowler's status is not clear after he has missed three straight games with a knee injury.

Todd Helton got Monday off and figures to be back in Colorado's lineup a day later.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Giants
Mon, Sep 9 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Giants
Tue, Sep 10 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Rockies at Giants
Wed, Sep 11 - 3:45PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

09/09/13 12-*9-*1 57.14% +*875 Detail
09/08/13 18-*11-*0 62.07% +*2015 Detail
09/07/13 13-*15-*1 46.43% -*2350 Detail
09/06/13 20-*8-*0 71.43% +*5945 Detail
09/05/13 10-*3-*1 76.92% +*4390 Detail
09/04/13 15-*15-*0 50.00% -*760 Detail
09/03/13 11-*18-*1 37.93% -*4115 Detail
09/02/13 13-*16-*1 44.83% -*1875 Detail
09/01/13 16-*11-*1 59.26% +*1985 Detail

Totals 128-*106-*6 54.70% +6110


Tuesday, September 10

Game Score Status Pick Amount

NY Yankees - 7:05 PM ET NY Yankees +111 500 POD # 7
Baltimore - Over 8.5 500

Kansas City - 7:05 PM ET Cleveland -114 500
Cleveland - Over 8.5 500

San Diego - 7:05 PM ET San Diego -107 500
Philadelphia - Under 8 500

LA Angels - 7:07 PM ET Toronto -137 500
Toronto - Over 9 500

Boston - 7:10 PM ET Boston +131 500 POD # 1
Tampa Bay - Under 7 500

Atlanta - 7:10 PM ET Atlanta -158 500
Miami - Under 7.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 7:10 PM ET Chi. Cubs +201 500 POD # 6
Cincinnati - Under 8 500

Washington - 7:10 PM ET Washington -135 500
NY Mets - Under 7 500

Pittsburgh - 8:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +116 500 POD # 2
Texas - Under 8 500

Detroit - 8:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox +140 500 POD # 4
Chi. White Sox - Under 9 500

Oakland - 8:10 PM ET Oakland -177 500
Minnesota - Over 8.5 500

Milwaukee - 8:15 PM ET Milwaukee +165 500 POD # 5
St. Louis - Over 8 500

Arizona - 10:10 PM ET LA Dodgers -111 500
LA Dodgers - Over 7.5 500

Houston - 10:10 PM ET Houston +139 500 POD # 3
Seattle - Under 8 500

Colorado - 10:15 PM ET San Francisco -112 500
San Francisco - Over 7 500

[WThotrod]

I am on all POD's for $300 a pop, Bum! Best of luck tonight. Let's get those dogs barking!

[WThotrod]

Nice night, Bum! I took home $1,500!

[StarDust Bum]

Very cool Rod..................

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (76-69) at Indians (77-67)
Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 11, 2013 12:05 PM EDT


James Shields saw his longest winning streak of the season come to an end with a dismal showing his last time out.

Scott Kazmir, meanwhile, snapped his longest losing streak of the year with a dominant performance.

Shields takes the mound opposite Kazmir as the Kansas City Royals conclude a crucial three-game road set against the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.

Shields (10-9, 3.43 ERA) had gone 4-0 with a 1.53 ERA over a five-start stretch before getting hit hard in Friday's 16-2 loss to Detroit. The right-hander matched career worsts by allowing 10 runs and 14 hits in 3 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the year.

"It was not a good outing," he said. "I actually went back and looked at the video, and a lot of my pitches they were hitting were below the strike zone. ... I didn't do my job tonight. You've got to move forward, but it was a terrible job by me."

Kazmir (8-7, 4.17), in contrast, was at his best Friday, striking out a season-high 12 over six scoreless innings in an 8-1 victory over the New York Mets.

"Just to be able to throw my fastball consistently in the location I wanted to, that's something I was very pleased with," said Kazmir, who was 0-3 with a 7.11 ERA in his previous four starts. "We're playing for a playoff spot right now. That's the one thing I'm thinking about when I go out to the mound."

Kazmir will try to help Cleveland (77-67) get back on track following Tuesday's 6-3 loss. Lonnie Chisenhall, Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley went a combined 7 for 11, but the Indians hit into three costly double plays.

"We didn't do damage," said manager Terry Francona, whose team dropped 5 1/2 games behind AL Central-leading Detroit. "We gave ourselves a chance in a lot of innings, but couldn't get the big hit to get the ball rolling."

Alcides Escobar homered and drove in two runs for surging Kansas City (76-69), which went 4 for 8 with runners in scoring position to snap a six-game skid at Progressive Field. Winners in 12 of 17, the Royals are 1 1/2 games behind the Indians and three in back of Tampa Bay for the second wild-card spot.

"We're excited," winning pitcher Jeremy Guthrie said after throwing six sharp innings. "We know there's teams ahead of us. If we win games, we have a chance. If we don't, we don't. The scoreboard watching makes it fun. We know we have to win a lot of games. We have to win series to give ourselves a chance."

While Shields will try to build on Guthrie's impressive effort, he is 1-5 with a 4.20 ERA in 12 career starts against the Indians. He posted a 6.97 ERA in two outings spanning a combined 10 1-3 innings in July.

Mike Aviles is 10 for his last 25 with two homers and a double against Shields, and Brantley is 7 for his last 18. Nick Swisher, though, has been limited to three hits in his last 25 at_bats in their matchups.

Kazmir, who yielded two runs in 6 1-3 innings to beat the Royals 5-3 on July 13, is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three matchups against them this year.

He will need to be careful against Salvador Perez, who is hitting .414 with six homers and 20 RBIs in his last 17 games. Perez homered for his only hit in five at_bats against Kazmir.

Kazmir and Shields spent three-plus seasons together in Tampa Bay from 2006-2009.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Indians
Mon, Sep 9 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Indians
Tue, Sep 10 Final 6 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Royals at Indians
Wed, Sep 11 - 12:05PM EDT