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

[StarDust Bum]

Monday, September 2

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chi. White Sox - 1:05 PM ET NY Yankees -146 500
NY Yankees - Under 9 500

NY Mets - 1:10 PM ET NY Mets +193 500 POD # 4
Atlanta - Over 8.5 500

St. Louis - 1:10 PM ET St. Louis +105 500 POD # 5
Cincinnati - Under 7.5 500

Detroit - 1:35 PM ET Detroit +126 500 POD # 6
Boston - Over 9 500

Minnesota - 2:10 PM ET Minnesota -115 500
Houston - Over 8.5 500

Seattle - 2:10 PM ET Kansas City -103 500
Kansas City - Over 7 500

Pittsburgh - 2:10 PM ET Pittsburgh -131 500
Milwaukee - Over 8.5 500

Miami - 2:20 PM ET Miami +125 500 POD # 1
Chi. Cubs - Under 7 500

San Francisco - 3:40 PM ET San Diego -135 500
San Diego - Under 8 500

Baltimore - 4:05 PM ET Cleveland -132 500
Cleveland - Over 8 500

Texas - 4:05 PM ET Texas -107 500
Oakland - Over 7.5 500

Toronto - 4:10 PM ET Toronto +139 500 POD # 2
Arizona - Over 9 500

LA Dodgers - 4:10 PM ET Colorado +192 500 POD # 3
Colorado - Under 9 500

Washington - 7:05 PM ET Washington -120 500
Philadelphia - Over 6.5 500

Tampa Bay - 9:05 PM ET Tampa Bay -116 500
LA Angels - Over 7.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, September 2

National League

NY METS at ATLANTA, 1:10 PM ET
MATSUZAKA: 34-19 OVER against division opponents
MAHOLM: 17-6 TSR in home games

ST LOUIS at CINCINNATI, 1:10 PM ET
WAINWRIGHT: ST LOUIS is 17-8 SU in road games in day games
LATOS: 25-13 OVER in day games

PITTSBURGH at MILWAUKEE, 2:10 PM ET
MORTON: PITTSBURGH is 75-55 UNDER when the money line is +125 to -125
THORNBURG: MILWAUKEE is 14-23 TSR in home games after a los

MIAMI at CHICAGO CUBS, 2:20 PM ET
ALVAREZ: MIAMI is 7-3 SU in road games after allowing 1 run or less
WOOD: CHICAGO CUBS are 27-42 SU in home games

SAN FRANCISCO at SAN DIEGO, 3:40 PM ET
ZITO: 21-12 TSR after a win
KENNEDY: 1-10 TSR against division opponents

LA DODGERS at COLORADO, 4:10 PM ET
KERSHAW: 12-16 TSR against division opponents
BETTIS: COLORADO is 24-15 SU after 2 or more consecutive overs

WASHINGTON at PHILADELPHIA, 7:05 PM ET
STRASBURG: WASHINGTON is 52-29 SU after a one run win
HAMELS: 10-18 TSR in all games


American League

CHI WHITE SOX at NY YANKEES, 1:05 PM ET
QUINTANA: CHI WHITE SOX are 24-45 SU in road games
HUGHES: NY YANKEES are 19-11 SU against AL Central opponents

DETROIT at BOSTON, 1:35 PM ET
FISTER: 5-13 TSR on the road when the money line is +125 to -125
LACKEY: BOSTON is 21-5 SU in home games after having won 3 of their last 4 games

SEATTLE at KANSAS CITY, 2:10 PM ET
HERNANDEZ: SEATTLE is 25-33 SU off a loss to a division rival as a favorite of -150 or higher
DUFFY: KANSAS CITY is 28-11 UNDER after 2 straight games with no home runs

MINNESOTA at HOUSTON, 2:10 PM ET
ALBERS: MINNESOTA is 15-7 SU against AL West opponents
CLEMENS: HOUSTON is 38-98 SU in day games

BALTIMORE at CLEVELAND, 4:05 PM ET
NORRIS: BALTIMORE is 10-5 SU as a road underdog of +125 to +150
MASTERSON: CLEVELAND is 30-41 SU in home games after shutting out their opponent

TEXAS at OAKLAND, 4:05 PM ET
HOLLAND: TEXAS is 37-25 UNDER when the money line is -100 to -150
STRAILY: OAKLAND is 43-25 UNDER after having won 4 of their last 5 games

TAMPA BAY at LA ANGELS, 9:05 PM ET
ARCHER: TAMPA BAY is 14-27 SU after a loss by 4 runs or more
RICHARDS: LA ANGELS are 53-43 OVER in night games

TORONTO at ARIZONA, 4:10 PM ET
ROGERS: TORONTO is 5-16 SU after having won 3 of their last 4 games
MCCARTHY: ARIZONA is 7-0 SU in home games in an inter-league game

[gimmemoney]

Diamond Trends have been good lately. Any Diamond Trend today?

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Tuesday

September 3, 2013

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Phillies are 0-11 since May 01, 2004 as a home dog after a win in which they left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $1100 when playing against.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Gio Gonzalez starts the Nationals are 9-0 since May 11, 2012 on the road after going more than 6 innings and giving up no home runs for a net profit of $905.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Cardinals are 18-1 (+$1,878) since September 23, 2010 when they lost by between 2 and 6 runs last game with their starter allowing 6+ runs. 5-1 this season.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Giants are 0-8 since July 05, 2013 as a favorite after a loss in which they had a higher team-left-on-base than their opponent for a net profit of $1122 when playing against.

-- The Royals are 13-0 since September 15, 2008 as a home 140+ favorite when they are off a win in which they came back from a deficit and it is not the last game of a series for a net profit of $1300.

[StarDust Bum]

Hot & Not - NL Edition

September 2, 2013


Labor Day is here, and that means that there are just a few weeks left for teams to jockey for position in the NL playoff race. Some are playing well, and some aren't doing so hot, while others across the National League are playing spoiler roles or are just playing out the string. We've got them all covered today in this edition of Show Me The Money in the NL.

Money-Makers

Los Angeles Dodgers (4-0, +$400 in L/4) – As you can tell, there aren't many teams that are literally on fire at this point, but the Dodgers are definitely a tremendous side. They've got four straight 'W's and are streaking towards having the best record in baseball.

On Deck: There really aren't any tremendously difficult series left for the Dodgers either. Take away three road games against the Reds this week, and all that's left are series against teams that are long since out of the chase. Colorado is where this week starts off for the holiday.

Atlanta Braves (6-1, +$398 in L/7) – The only reason LA doesn't have the best record in the NL right now is because the Braves are so darn hot as well. They were beaten as huge favorites by the Marlins on Sunday, but that can't take away their prior six-game winning streak.

On Deck: Just like LA, the schedule is very easy for Atlanta the rest of the way. There's three with the Mets at home followed by another 10 games against teams below .500. The only series left that might present any challenge is the one against Washington on the road on September 16-18.

New York Mets (3-1, +$344 in L/4) – At least the Mets have a bit to smile at. They lost RHP Matt Harvey and RHP Jeremy Hefner to elbow problems down the stretch of the season, but at least winning three of their last four games has moved them into third place in the NL East.

On Deck: These last few series are crucial for the future of this team and for Manager Terry Collins. He's probably safe, but wins over the Braves or the Indians would really help out his cause this week.

Money-Burners

Miami Marlins (2-10, -$703 in L/12) – The Fish are continuing to flounder, and there is a chance that they don't even score 500 runs this season. Their longest losing streak is 10 out of 12 coming into Labor Day.

On Deck: Does it really matter? There are three on the North Side of Chicago, where the Cubs have only won one series since the middle of June, and then there are seven at home in the second to last home stand of the season.

Cincinnati Reds (3-6, -$484 in L/9) – What a bad time for the Reds to falter! The Pirates and Cardinals both have looked mortal of late, but Cincinnati seems to just mirror everything that both of those teams are doing. It seems like a road game just to get into the main portion of the playoffs is on tap for the Reds this year.

On Deck: These games against the Cardinals at home this week are vital. The Reds had better take at least two of these if they want any chance whatsoever to contend for the NL Central crown in the last three weeks of the year.

San Diego Padres (1-5, -$340 in L/6) – San Diego, like so many of the other bad teams in the western portion of the US, have no offense whatsoever. The team has gone completely into the tank and has lost five out of six games, and anything good that comes from the rest of the year is going to have to come from the pitching staff.

On Deck: There are six at home against the Giants and Rockies, and we can pretty much assure that those are going to all be relatively low scoring games. After that, there is a real nuisance of a 10-game road trip, one that we are glad will make no difference in the pennant chase in the NL West.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (56-80) at Yankees (73-64)
Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 03, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


For much of the season, Hiroki Kuroda was the New York Yankees' most reliable starting pitcher.

With the club trying to chase down a wild-card spot, he has been a liability.

Kuroda tries to bounce back from another subpar showing when he takes the ball Tuesday night against the slumping Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium.

New York (73-64) scored eight times in the fourth inning en route to a 9-1 win in Monday's series opener for its 11th victory in 13 home games. Derek Jeter had a run-scoring single to stop an 0-for-14 slide and had two RBIs, while Alfonso Soriano drove in his 37th run in 35 games since being acquired from the Chicago Cubs.

Determined to make a statement, the Yankees, who are in contention for the AL's second wild card, improved to 16-8 since being swept in a three-game series against the lowly White Sox (56-80) in Chicago last month.

"We've played better, there's no doubt about it. We've added a few pieces here since we played," manager Joe Girardi said. "I feel a lot better."

Girardi would probably feel even better if Kuroda (11-10, 2.89 ERA) would break out of his funk.

Kuroda shut down the Los Angles Angels on Aug. 12 to win his team-best 11th game and lower his ERA to 2.33, the best in the rotation. He has lost each of his three starts since, however, posting an 8.10 ERA while allowing opponents to hit .382.

The right-hander has permitted career highs of seven runs in each of his last two outings, and lasted five innings in Wednesday's 7-2 loss to Toronto.

"To not have my stuff at this stage of the season is pretty frustrating," Kuroda said through a translator

Perhaps if there is any reason to believe he can turn things around it is each of Kuroda's last three starts have come on the road. He has pitched significantly better at Yankee Stadium, going 7-2 with a 1.54 ERA - the lowest in the AL. He carries a 20-inning scoreless streak in the Bronx into this outing.

Of course, facing the White Sox could also help.

Chicago has plated 12 runs while batting .220 during a four-game losing streak, and is the AL's lowest-scoring team with 514 runs. No. 2 hitter Gordon Beckham is mired in a 2-for-23 slump and cleanup hitter Adam Dunn is 1 for 17 in his last five games.

Paul Konerko, who hit his 432nd homer Monday, is 2 for 10 lifetime against Kuroda.

Kuroda allowed three runs in seven innings in a 3-2 loss at Chicago on Aug. 6. He has a 1.93 ERA in two starts against the White Sox with New York.

Chris Sale (10-12, 2.99) outdueled Kuroda last month, yielding an unearned run over 7 1-3 innings, and he owns a 0.60 ERA in two starts in the series.

The left-hander pitched eight innings of one-run ball while striking out 12 in Wednesday's 6-1 victory over Houston, bouncing back from being tagged for eight runs in seven innings in a loss to Texas.

"Any time when you lose, and quite honestly get embarrassed, you always want to get back on the right foot, get out there and help your team," said Sale, who became the first pitcher in White Sox history to have 12-plus strikeouts in four starts in a season.

Excluding that hiccup against the Rangers, Sale is 4-0 with a 1.72 ERA since Aug. 6.

Robinson Cano, who is batting .500 with two homers and 11 RBIs in his last 12 home games, is 3 for 8 lifetime against Sale.

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GAME 1
White Sox at Yankees
Mon, Sep 2 Final 1 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Yankees
Tue, Sep 3 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Yankees
Wed, Sep 4 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Orioles (73-63) at Indians (72-65)
Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 03, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The Cleveland Indians' recent offensive struggles have a playoff spot looking less and less likely.

Those struggles could become even more magnified after a potential huge blow to the pitching staff.

Cleveland will look to break out of its slump Tuesday night and gain ground against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

Ace Justin Masterson was pulled in the second inning of a 7-2 loss to the Orioles on Monday due to soreness in his left side. The sinkerballer is scheduled to undergo an MRI and other tests Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury, which could potentially end Masterson's season and Cleveland's slim playoff hopes.

The Indians (72-65) trail the Orioles (73-63) by 1 1/2 games in the AL wild-card chase.

"He's our best pitcher," manager Terry Francona said. "But when things don't go your way, you can either feel sorry for yourselves or you can find a way to shine. I hope that we are able to come back, whether it takes everybody in the bullpen or guys on the bench, keep fighting."

Cleveland has plated 16 runs while batting .222 in losing six of seven. Francona's club has been solid this year with runners in scoring position, batting .257, but is 5 for 43 (.116) in the last seven.

Scheduled starter Ubaldo Jimenez (9-9, 3.95 ERA) is all too familiar with his club's offensive struggles. He went 1-4 in August despite a 3.10 ERA while receiving a total of seven runs of support.

The right-hander went seven innings in Thursday's 3-1 loss at Atlanta, and all three of the runs against him came on a homer by Brian McCann. It was the first home run he surrendered in six outings.

"Right now we're in the situation where if you make a mistake you're probably going to pay for it with the game," said Jimenez, who has recorded 28 strikeouts in 18 2-3 innings over his last three games. "We're not scoring a lot of runs. That's part of baseball. Sometimes you're going to get in a stretch like that."

Baltimore's Matt Wieters was 4 for 5 with a homer Monday, while Nate McLouth was 2 for 4 with a home run.

The Orioles have won two in a run but are still 8-11 since Aug. 12.

Trying to help improve that mark Tuesday will be Chris Tillman (15-4, 3.61), who became the team's first 15-game winner since Erik Bedard in 2006 after limiting Boston to two runs over seven innings in a 3-2 road victory Thursday. No Baltimore pitcher has had more wins since Mike Mussina had 18 in 1999.

"It's a starting pitcher's goal for the guys to trust you every time we go out there," Tillman said.

The right-hander is 2-1 with a 4.79 ERA over four career starts versus Cleveland. He won the last two, including a 6-3 home victory on June 25.

J.J. Hardy is one homer away from becoming the fourth active shortstop and ninth since 1901 to hit 25 or more in three separate seasons. He's 3 for 8 with a homer against Jimenez.

Jimenez gave up two runs - both on homers to Wieters and Nick Markakis - in a 5-2 win at Baltimore on June 24, his only career appearance versus the Orioles

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Indians
Mon, Sep 2 Final 7 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Orioles at Indians
Tue, Sep 3 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Orioles at Indians
Wed, Sep 4 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (69-68) at Phillies (63-75)
Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: September 03, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The Washington Nationals' postseason chances have taken a serious dent of late, and that may only continue at Citizens Bank Park.

Giving the ball to Gio Gonzalez, however, may improve their chances.

Gonzalez attempts to continue his success against the Philadelphia Phillies and help the Washington Nationals earn a rare road win against their NL East rivals Tuesday night.

Washington (69-68) looked to be a viable postseason contender after winning 14 of 19, but the team has since dropped three of four.

The Nationals are 7 1/2 games back of Cincinnati for the NL's second wild-card spot with 25 to play.

The offense is letting them down lately, going 5 for 30 (.167) with runners in scoring position. That includes failing to convert on three such opportunities during Monday's 3-2 loss to open this three-game series.

"That was really a tough one; it really hurt," manager Davey Johnson said. "It was like a stab in the heart."

Washington has dropped 11 of its last 15 games at Citizens Bank Park, batting .218 while the rotation has compiled a 4.03 ERA.

Gonzalez (8-6, 3.56 ERA), though, has been a bright spot against the Phillies (63-75), going 4-1 with a 2.31 ERA in six starts. Five have come in Philadelphia, where he's 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA and Washington has won four of those games.

The left-hander, third in last year's NL Cy Young Award voting, was superb in his most recent game there July 10, yielding one run in seven innings of a 5-1 victory.

Following that matchup, Gonzalez went 0-3 with a 5.94 ERA in seven starts before striking out eight and allowing three hits in seven innings of a 9-0 win over Miami on Thursday.

Bryce Harper is likely to be back in the lineup despite nursing a sore hip. He missed 13 games earlier this season due to a left knee injury, and he's batting .368 over the past 15.

"He keeps saying, 'I'm fine, I'm fine.' He's a tough kid," Johnson said. "That's the way he is."

Harper, 1 for 3 in the series opener, has a .352 career average in 14 visits to Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies, who had four hits Monday's win, are slated to give Ethan Martin (2-3, 6.39) his first start against the Nationals.

The rookie right-hander gave up three runs with three walks and nine strikeouts in four innings of an 11-3 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday. That came five days after he didn't get a decision in his shortest outing of the season, surrendering three runs and three hits with three walks while getting pulled with two outs in the opening inning of a 12-7 loss to Arizona.

"I felt pretty decent almost every start," Martin told the team's official website. "Even (pitching coach Rich) Dubee said something. He said around that 60-pitch mark, I kind of have a little struggle in there. I've got to get through that. Hopefully, I can get to that point this year."

Martin is holding opponents to a .213 average the first time through the lineup, but they're hitting .328 with five doubles and six homers the rest of the way.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Phillies
Mon, Sep 2 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Nationals at Phillies
Tue, Sep 3 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Phillies
Wed, Sep 4 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (81-57) at Red Sox (82-57)
Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: September 03, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Max Scherzer had the help of Miguel Cabrera, among others, in his last start as the Detroit Tigers' offense kept alive his bid to become the second pitcher in history to win 20 of his first 21 decisions in a season.

It's unclear if he'll have that kind of support this time around, as Cabrera's status remains uncertain for Scherzer's second chance to become the first 20-game winner in the majors Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox.

Scherzer (19-1, 2.90 ERA) is looking to join Roger Clemens in 2001 as the only pitchers to begin a season 20-1. He went 6-0 with a 1.48 ERA in his previous seven starts before allowing six runs - five earned - in five innings Thursday.

The Tigers, though, scored four times in the bottom of the ninth, capped by Torii Hunter's three-run homer, for a 7-6 win over Oakland that got the right-hander off the hook.

"He still can go 20-1,' Hunter said. "He was jumping up and down when I came upstairs. He hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe. I'm pretty sure he's excited.'

Cabrera went 2 for 3 in that contest before leaving with an abdominal strain. He had one at-bat in Friday's 7-2 win over Cleveland before exiting, and he's sat out the last three games while also battling a groin injury.

Prince Fielder moved up to the No. 3 spot in the lineup Monday and drove in a run as the AL Central-leading Tigers (81-57) beat Boston 3-0 in the series opener, their fourth win in five contests.

"I feel better,' Cabrera said after taking batting practice prior to the game.

Scherzer could be in good shape with or without Cabrera as he's 11-0 with a 1.89 ERA in his last 19 road starts, including one in the playoffs.

He went 1-3 with a 9.21 ERA in his previous six starts against Boston before allowing two runs, including a solo homer to David Ortiz, in seven innings of a 10-3 home victory June 22.

Ortiz, 0 for 4 on Monday, is 7 for 13 with three homers and a double off Scherzer.

Jon Lester (12-8, 3.99) has gone 2-2 with a 1.80 ERA over his last five starts, though he allowed three runs and three walks in six innings of a 3-2 home loss to Baltimore on Thursday.

The left-hander is 2-1 with a 4.74 ERA in seven home starts.

"What (his lack of command) did was it cut his night short," manager John Farrell said. "He's been on a good run here."

Lester has gone 1-2 with a 5.26 ERA in six career starts against Detroit. He gave up five runs - three on a homer to Cabrera - in a 10-6 victory June 21.

Cabrera is 10 for 16 with a home run, two doubles, five walks and no strikeouts off Lester, while Hunter is 10 for 19 with three doubles against him.

The Red Sox (82-57) had won seven of eight prior to Monday. Daniel Nava went 3 for 3 for Boston.

Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias, acquired from Boston in the three-team trade that brought Jake Peavy to the Red Sox, went 1 for 3 with a double Monday in his first game against his former team. Iglesias has gone 6 for 13 during a four-game hitting streak.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Red Sox
Mon, Sep 2 Final 3 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Tigers at Red Sox
Tue, Sep 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Tigers at Red Sox
Wed, Sep 4 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mets (62-74) at Braves (84-53)
Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: September 03, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Unlike last year, Kris Medlen has encountered his fair share of ups and downs. The right-hander, though, has settled in nicely over the last five weeks.

Medlen tries to win a fourth consecutive home start Tuesday night as the Braves continue a three-game set against the New York Mets.

After going 6-10 with a 3.78 ERA in his first 20 starts, Medlen appears to have recaptured his form from 2012. He has gone 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA in his last six starts while striking out 32 and walking five over 39 innings.

"People were expecting him to do the same thing," manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Medlen's success last year, when he went 9-0 with a 0.97 ERA in 12 regular-season starts after joining the rotation in late July. "That's just a fantasy."

Medlen (11-12, 3.58 ERA) has been especially good at home, where he has posted a 1.35 ERA during a career-high three-start winning streak.

"I'm being aggressive," he said. "Hopefully, I can keep it going through September and October."

Medlen delivered one of his strongest efforts of the season Thursday, scattering six hits over seven scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory over Cleveland.

"His command has been good," Gonzalez told MLB's official website. "Right from the start today, all of his pitches were working. He gave us a (heck of an) outing."

Medlen had gone 4-0 with a 2.36 ERA in his first seven starts against the Mets before yielding four runs in 5 1-3 innings in a 4-1 road loss July 23.

The Braves (84-53) have won seven of eight after taking Monday's opener 13-5. Freddie Freeman went 2 for 5 with a homer and career high-tying five RBIs as Atlanta matched its highest run total of the year.

"When you go out there and face guys you haven't seen, my approach is to go up there and be aggressive," said Freeman, who is 50 for 114 (.439) with runners in scoring position. "It was kind of easier with guys on base. They have to come after you and they don't want to walk you and load up the bases."

The Braves have compiled a 27-4 home record when Freeman drives in at least one run. The slugging first baseman is batting .333 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs in his last 31 games against New York (62-74).

Jordan Schafer had four of Atlanta's 17 hits to go along with three stolen bases Monday before leaving with a strained lower back. He is considered day to day.

Losers in eight of 12, the Mets give the ball to Carlos Torres (3-2, 2.77), who continues to fill in for the injured Matt Harvey. After 13 consecutive relief appearances, the right-hander gave up four hits over 6 2-3 innings of one-run ball to beat Philadelphia 11-3 on Thursday.

"I think of it as, I'm just another pitcher. There is no replacing Harvey," he said. "It's an audition every time you go out there. I'm just trying to show them that I'm willing to do anything."

Torres has made four starts this season, allowing one run in three of those outings and eight in the other. He yielded one run in six innings opposite Medlen in July to earn the victory.

Torres is 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA in six games - one start - against Atlanta. Freeman is 0 for 5 in their matchups.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Braves
Mon, Sep 2 Final 5 to 13
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Braves
Tue, Sep 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Braves
Wed, Sep 4 - 12:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (79-58) at Reds (77-61)
Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 03, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Homer Bailey finds himself on the verge of a career-high fifth consecutive win after shutting down the slumping St. Louis Cardinals last week.

Manager Mike Matheny's club also had a rough time at the plate in the opener of this crucial four-game set.

The Cincinnati Reds continue their playoff push as they try to inch even closer to their NL Central rivals Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park.

Bailey (9-10, 3.55 ERA) followed a career-worst four-start losing streak by going 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA in his last six outings. The right-hander struck out seven over 7 1-3 innings of five-hit ball in a 10-0 rout at St. Louis on Wednesday.

Bailey has received an average of 7.62 runs of support during his winning streak, more than three runs higher than his season mark of 4.11.

"Usually, he's been our tough-luck guy, we haven't gotten him many runs," manager Dusty Baker said.

Bailey had gone 3-9 with a 5.61 ERA in his first 15 starts against the Cardinals prior to last week's performance. Matt Carpenter is 8 for 13 in their matchups, and Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina are a combined 20 for 54 (.370) with four homers.

Bailey will try to take advantage of a Cardinals team that has hit .195 in dropping four of five by a 31-10 margin. St. Louis (79-58) was limited to four hits Monday against Mat Latos, who went the distance in leading Cincinnati to a 7-2 victory.

Shin-Soo Choo hit a two-run homer and Joey Votto added a solo shot for the Reds (77-61), who climbed within 2 1/2 games of the Cardinals for the wild-card lead. Both teams are trying to catch division-leading Pittsburgh, which is one game ahead of St. Louis.

Cincinnati has dropped seven straight series to the Cardinals, going 6-10 against them this season.

"It starts at one," Baker said. "Hopefully this is just a beginning because we've got a lot of work to do, a long way to go."

The Reds are hoping to get a boost from speedster Billy Hamilton, who was recalled from Triple-A Louisville prior to Monday's win. The 22-year-old outfielder set a professional baseball single-season record with 175 stolen bases between Class A and Double-A last year.

"Billy is not the focal point here," Baker said. "The focal point is us to win the division and hopefully on to the World Series. We hope that he can help us in some small or large way."

St. Louis will try to bounce back behind highly touted rookie Michael Wacha (2-0, 3.78), who will be recalled for the third time after briefly getting sent down to Double-A.

Set to make his fifth big league start and first since Aug. 10, Wacha earned another shot in the rotation after striking out a season-high seven over four scoreless innings of relief Wednesday.

"The way he threw the ball the other day - it was not like we were doing tryout camp - but he made it very obvious that he's the guy we want to see out there," Matheny told MLB's official website. "He looked great."

While the 22-year-old right-hander was tagged for six runs and 10 hits in 4 2-3 innings in a 7-6, 14-inning loss to Arizona on June 4, he has gone 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA in his other three starts while holding opponents to a .190 average.

Cardinals right fielder Carlos Beltran is uncertain to be available after missing the last two games with a sore back. Molina is listed as day to day after exiting Monday's loss with a sore left wrist.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Reds
Mon, Sep 2 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cardinals at Reds
Tue, Sep 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cardinals at Reds
Wed, Sep 4 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Cardinals at Reds
Thu, Sep 5 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Marlins (51-85) at Cubs (58-79)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: September 03, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


Two starting pitchers hope their respective winless droughts will come to an end at Wrigley Field.

Edwin Jackson and Tom Koehler each look to leave behind a miserable August when the Miami Marlins seek their third straight win on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.

Since pitching a season-high eight innings while beating Milwaukee 6-1 on July 31, Jackson (7-14, 4.90 ERA) is 0-3 with a 5.97 ERA.

Jackson took his third loss in five starts Wednesday when he allowed four runs - two earned - in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-0 loss to Los Angeles. He allowed two solo homers - only the second time he has yielded two homers in 26 starts - and added to his own woes with a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt that allowed another run to score.

"That's just a play I have to make," Jackson said. "But you just have to try not to think about it, get back on the mound and continue to come at them and battle."

Left-handed batters tore Jackson apart in August, hitting .404 (21 for 52) with eight extra-base hits in those five starts. He had limited those hitters to .247 in his first 21 outings.

Jackson lost all three of his starts against the Marlins in 2012 and failed to record a decision in his only start against them this season, surrendering three runs in six innings on April 25. He is 1-6 with a 6.39 ERA in eight starts and nine lifetime appearances versus Miami.

Koehler (3-9, 4.72) hasn't won since August 1, going 0-3 with a 5.93 ERA over his last five starts.

During that stretch, right-handed batters have hit .328 against him, including 5 for 12 in his last start Thursday against Washington, which tagged him for six runs and seven hits in five innings of a 9-0 loss. Run support has also been an issue for Koehler, as the Marlins have provided him only 42 runs in his 18 starts - 10 coming in the last five starts.

The right-hander gave the Marlins (51-85) a chance to take an early lead, stranding five Nationals runners the first three innings, but they failed to take advantage.

"We're not doing the things we need to do to keep the momentum in the game, to come out and score early and take some of the pressure off our pitching," Miami manager Mike Redmond said Thursday.

Koehler, who allowed 10 home runs over his first 17 starts, surrendered two to the Nationals, accounting for five of the six runs he gave up.

The Marlins' offense has broken out a bit. After scoring three or fewer runs in nine consecutive games, they have gotten at least four in their last three with the help of five home runs. Pitcher Henderson Alvarez helped his own cause for a victory Monday, hitting a go-ahead three-run shot in the second inning that stood in a 4-3 win over Chicago (58-79) on Monday.

"He swings the bat well," Redmond said. "I don't know that you could ever predict that with a pitcher, but he goes up there and he's very athletic."

Christian Yelich, who accounted for the other run Monday with a solo shot, is 10 for 22 (.455) with two home runs in his last six games.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Cubs
Mon, Sep 2 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Marlins at Cubs
Tue, Sep 3 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Marlins at Cubs
Wed, Sep 4 - 2:20PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (62-75) at Royals (71-66)
Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 03, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


After a pair of ugly outings, Bruce Chen got back on track with a solid showing last week.

The Kansas City Royals are hoping for a repeat performance as they try to keep pace in the AL wild-card race Tuesday night against the visiting Seattle Mariners.

Chen (6-2, 2.79 ERA) has given Kansas City (71-66) a lift since joining the rotation July 12, going 3-2 with a 3.04 ERA in nine starts. The veteran left-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in all but two of those outings while limiting opponents to a .200 average.

After giving up a combined 13 runs over nine innings in losses to Detroit and Washington, he regrouped Thursday in a 3-1 victory at Minnesota.

"I went back and tried to be more aggressive," said Chen, who yielded one run and five hits in 5 2-3 innings. "I wanted to make sure I pound the strike zone."

Chen is 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA in nine career starts against the Mariners (62-75), most recently allowing three runs in six innings in a 4-3 road loss July 28, 2012. Dustin Ackley and Kendrys Morales are a combined 0 for 11 against Chen, and Raul Ibanez is 2 for 12.

Currently sixth in the wild-card standings, the Royals have won seven of nine after pulling out a 3-1 victory in Monday's series opener. Reliever Will Smith threw 4 1-3 scoreless innings to earn the win after replacing an inefficient Danny Duffy.

Kansas City's bullpen, which leads the AL with a 2.51 ERA, has surrendered one earned run over 26 innings while striking out 37 in the last 10 games.

The Royals will try to keep things going against Mariners starter Erasmo Ramirez (5-1, 5.18), who will be recalled for the third time after briefly getting sent down to Triple-A Tacoma. The right-hander improved to 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA in his last three starts after yielding two runs in 5 2-3 innings in Thursday's 3-2 victory at Houston.

"Everything is about confidence," he told MLB's official website. "Confidence and being aggressive. That was really what I've done the last three starts, just go out there and not be thinking too much, just be aggressive as I can with all my pitches."

Ramirez has gone 3-0 on the road while holding opponents to a .220 average, significantly lower than his home mark of .304. He has never faced Kansas City.

The Mariners, who went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position Monday, have hit .209 and managed 26 runs during a 3-8 stretch. Morales is mired in a 6-for-45 (.133) slump, and Nick Franklin is 2 for his last 34 (.059).

Seattle's loss was its second in nine matchups versus Kansas City.

Ibanez, hitting .205 with one homer and four RBIs during a 31-game stretch, is uncertain to be available after sitting out the last two.

Royals left fielder Alex Gordon, whose eight-game hitting streak was snapped after going 0 for 3 on Monday, is 2 for his last 20 against the Mariners.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Royals
Mon, Sep 2 Final 1 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Royals
Tue, Sep 3 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mariners at Royals
Wed, Sep 4 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Mariners at Royals
Thu, Sep 5 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pirates (80-57) at Brewers (59-78)
Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: September 03, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


The Pittsburgh Pirates have much bigger goals than simply earning their 81st win, but for a franchise that has been associated with losing for a generation, reaching the break-even mark would be a welcoming sign.

The Pirates try to get 81 wins for the first time in 21 years Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Pittsburgh (80-57) retook the NL Central lead, moving a game ahead of St. Louis with a 5-2 victory over the Brewers (59-78) on Monday. With the win, the Pirates surpassed last season's victory total and put the team on the verge of avoiding its first losing season since going 96-66 to win the NL East in 1992.

Pittsburgh is also seeking four straight wins at Miller Park for the first time since 2002. The Pirates had lost 44 of 51 games in Milwaukee from 2007-2012.

"It's huge to scrap one out here, because they've kind of had our number the last couple of years," Pittsburgh shortstop Clint Barmes said.

The Pirates turn to rookie Gerrit Cole (6-7, 3.80 ERA), who is 2-7 over his last 10 starts, despite a 3.84 ERA. He has been plagued by a lack of run support, as the Pirates have provided him 18 runs in those contests.

He was backed by zero runs in each of his last two starts - both losses - but Cole didn't help his cause Thursday, yielding four runs and 10 hits over a season-high 7 1-3 innings in a 4-0 decision to the Brewers.

"I was a little down, but (catcher John Buck) said to dwell on the fact that I pitched deep and helped save the bullpen,' Cole said. "It's still not as good as a win, but it helped me feel like I did something positive.'

The right-hander was outpitched by Yovani Gallardo in that outing, and the two will oppose each other again Tuesday.

Gallardo (10-9, 4.39) allowed six hits in seven innings, improving to 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA over three starts since coming off the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. He said the two-plus weeks off gave him a chance to reflect and improve.

"Going on the DL took some of the pressure off,' Gallardo said. "I wanted to fix everything all at once. Obviously, it's tough to do that when you're getting ready to compete every four or five days against big league hitters. I was able to tweak a few things and now I feel like I'm in the rhythm to be the type of pitcher I can be."

The right-hander is 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA in four starts against Pittsburgh this season. He has stymied several of the Pirates' leading hitters in Andrew McCutchen (2 for 10), Pedro Alvarez (1 for 8) and Gaby Sanchez (1 for 8).

He has yet to solve Buck this season, however. The former Mets catcher knocked three singles in three at_bats off Gallardo in his Pirates debut, and is 5 for 5 with a homer in 2013 matchups.

One of Pittsburgh's other recent acquisitions, Justin Morneau, is 4 for 8 all-time against Gallardo with two doubles.

Neil Walker, who iced Pittsburgh's win Monday with a three-run home run in the seventh, is 11 for his last 26 (.423) with a double, a triple and two homers.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Brewers
Mon, Sep 2 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Pirates at Brewers
Tue, Sep 3 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Pirates at Brewers
Wed, Sep 4 - 8:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (60-76) at Astros (45-92)
Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: September 03, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


The future is on display this week at Minute Maid Park.

After a pair of rookies squared off in the opener of this three-game series between two of the worst teams in the AL, the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros will send young pitchers to the mound again Tuesday night.

Jarred Cosart (1-1, 1.59 ERA) has shown why he was one of the highest-ranked prospects in the Astros' system in each of the past two seasons. The right-hander burst onto the scene with eight scoreless innings in his major league debut July 12, beating Tampa Bay 2-1, and he's allowed three runs or fewer in each of his eight starts.

That includes Wednesday, when he failed to receive a decision despite allowing one run in six innings of a 6-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

The pressure of facing Chicago ace Chris Sale may have gotten to him early as the White Sox loaded the bases with no outs in the first, but Cosart got out of the jam with one run allowed.

He gave up four hits over his final five innings.

"(Pitching coach Doug) Brocail thought I was working really fast and he asked if I was all right," Cosart said. "I said, 'Yeah, just a little excited.' So I just kind of got back in my comfort zone."

Walks have limited Cosart's ability to pitch deep into games. He issued five for the third time Wednesday, driving his pitch count up to 113 after six innings.

He also hasn't gotten much support from a stagnant Houston offense, which has provided him 13 runs.

Cosart hopes the Astros (45-92) can stage a repeat of Monday, when their six runs and 13 hits marked their highest totals in a week. Houston, though, allowed the Twins to score five times in the last two innings in falling 10-6.

He also wouldn't mind a repeat of his Aug. 2 start against the Twins, when he held them to a run and five hits in seven innings of a 4-3, 13-inning loss.

Pedro Hernandez's introduction to the big leagues has been far less smooth than Cosart's, though he has three times as many wins.

Hernandez (3-1, 5.54) posted a 6.67 ERA in six starts this season before he was sent down to the minor leagues May 20.

He drove from Louisville, Ky., to make an emergency start June 23 in Cleveland, arriving at the team hotel at four in the morning. The 24-year-old left-hander then managed to work around six walks to yield two runs in five innings of a 5-3 win.

"After the third inning, I said, 'Come on. Let's go. This is my opportunity. I want to do my best right now,'" Hernandez said.

The Twins (60-76) hit seven home runs in 11 games before tying a season high with four Monday. Chris Colabello, Brian Dozier and Trevor Plouffe hit solo shots, and Colabello completed Minnesota's comeback from four runs down with a ninth-inning grand slam.

"The biggest goal for a hitter is to go out and be yourself," Colabello said. "Trust your approach. Trust what you do. Believe in what got you here and then go from there. Today was a good step in that direction."

Colabello had gone 42 at_bats without a homer and was 1 for 26 with 14 strikeouts over his previous eight games.

Dozier has four home runs in his last nine games.

Houston All-Star Jason Castro sustained a right knee sprain Monday, and with Max Stassi and Carlos Corporan on the seven-day concussion disabled list, Cody Clark may be the only catcher available.

Clark is 0 for 13 with six strikeouts in his first five big league games.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Astros
Mon, Sep 2 Final 10 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Astros
Tue, Sep 3 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Twins at Astros
Wed, Sep 4 - 2:10PM EDT