Cnotes Best Bets For Monday May 18th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

MLB MONEYLINE


MLB > (909) OAKLAND@ (910) HOUSTON | 05/18/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play AGAINST OAKLAND using the money line in All games in all games
The record is 13 Wins and 25 Losses for the this season (-16.9 units)


MLB RUNLINE


MLB > (913) MILWAUKEE@ (914) DETROIT | 05/18/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play ON DETROIT using the in Home games in an inter-league game
The record is 15 Wins and 5 Losses for the last three seasons (+14.75 units)


MLB TOTALS


MLB > (909) OAKLAND@ (910) HOUSTON | 05/18/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play OVER OAKLAND on the total in All games in all games
The record is 26 Overs and 10 Unders for the this season (+16 units)


MLB > (911) CLEVELAND@ (912) CHI WHITE SOX | 05/18/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play OVER CLEVELAND on the total in All games in May games
The record is 12 Overs and 2 Unders for the this season (+10 units)


MLB TOP POWERLINES


MLB > (903) ARIZONA @ (904) MIAMI | 05/18/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: MIAMI -140 BTB PowerLine: MIAMI -107
Edge On: MIAMI (13)


MLB > (905) PHILADELPHIA @ (906) COLORADO | 05/18/2015 - 08:40 PM
Line: COLORADO -110 BTB PowerLine: COLORADO 103
Edge On: COLORADO (13)

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (55) TAMPA BAY@ (56) NY RANGERS | 05/18/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play AGAINST NY RANGERS using the money line in Home games after a 3 game unbeaten streak
The record is 40 Wins and 55 Losses for the since 1992 (-50.05 units)


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (55) TAMPA BAY@ (56) NY RANGERS | 05/18/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play AGAINST NY RANGERS using the in Home games after a 3 game unbeaten streak
The record is 40 Wins and 56 Losses for the since 1992 (-43.8 units)


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (55) TAMPA BAY@ (56) NY RANGERS | 05/18/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play UNDER NY RANGERS on the total in All games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 20 Overs and 41 Unders for the last two seasons (+20.6 units)

Preview: Diamondbacks (15-20) at Marlins (16-21)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: May 18, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

A managerial change quite obviously had been on the collective mind of the Miami Marlins' brass well before the club came within one out of being no-hit.


Mike Redmond lost his job mere minutes after the final out capped Miami's latest loss, and the club said his replacement will be named before the opener of a four-game set against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.


Redmond received the news almost immediately after the Marlins (16-22) were held without a hit until Justin Bour's single with two outs in the ninth inning of Sunday's 6-0 loss to Atlanta.


Miami has been outscored 39-17 while dropping six of seven, the latest stretch of disappointment after it made headlines in the offseason by signing Giancarlo Stanton to a record $325 million contract.


Stanton's array of tape-measure homers and MLB-leading 36 RBIs weren't enough to save Redmond, who went 155-207 in two-plus seasons and signed a two-year contract extension on the final day of last season.


The Marlins expected to be much more competitive after an offseason that included the acquisitions of Dee Gordon, Mat Latos, Michael Morse, Martin Prado and Ichiro Suzuki. But they lost 11 of their first 14 and still are struggling to find some consistency outside of Stanton and Gordon, who is hitting .420.


The Marlins also fired bench coach Rob Leary as they prepare to name their sixth different manager since firing Fredi Gonzalez in June 2010. Owner Jeffrey Loria fired Jeff Torborg when the Marlins started 16-22 in 2003, and Jack McKeon then led them to their second World Series title.


"We are looking for a new voice," president of baseball operations Michael Hill said. "We haven't played up to our abilities, and we hope that a new voice will spark our team."


Dan Haren also was acquired in the offseason, and he'll take the mound looking to bounce back from a rough outing. Haren (4-2, 3.70 ERA) won his previous three starts while posting a 2.00 ERA before allowing six runs and 11 hits through 4 1-3 innings of Tuesday's 11-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.


The right-hander was hit on the glove hand by a batted ball in the first, but didn't blame the incident for his performance. Haren is 5-2 with a 3.63 ERA in seven starts against the Diamondbacks since they traded him to the Los Angeles Angels in July 2010.


Chris Owings is 9 for 14 in his career against Haren, and he's 13 for 26 during a six-game hitting streak after going 1 for 4 in Sunday's 6-0 loss to Philadelphia.


The Diamondbacks (15-21) have dropped four straight after suffering their sixth defeat in their last eight on the road.


"It was a tough series," manager Chip Hale said. "They beat us every way they could, and we didn't respond. We're just going to have to go to Miami and figure it out."


Rubby De La Rosa gets the ball looking to help Arizona get back on track. De La Rosa (4-2, 4.50) has won back-to-back starts, giving up three hits in seven innings of an 11-0 victory over San Diego on May 7 before allowing four runs in seven innings of a 14-6 win over Washington on Tuesday.


The right-hander, who also added his first career RBI against the Nationals, had a 5.40 ERA through his first five starts.


De La Rosa has never started against the Marlins, making just one relief appearance against them in 2011 while with the Dodgers.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Marlins
Mon, May 18 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Marlins
Tue, May 19 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Marlins
Wed, May 20 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Diamondbacks at Marlins
Thu, May 21 - 12:10PM EDT

Preview: Angels (19-17) at Blue Jays (17-21)
Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 18, 2015 1:07 PM EDT

C.J. Wilson spent the offseason mastering his pitch location after a disastrous 2014 that marked his worst season since becoming a starter in the majors.


The results prove the work has paid off, and he'll take the mound Monday afternoon as the visiting Los Angeles Angels look to deal the Toronto Blue Jays a sixth consecutive defeat.


Wilson (2-2, 2.63 ERA) went 13-10 with a 4.51 ERA last season, his highest since Texas made him a full-time starter in 2010. His average of 4.35 walks per nine innings was the worst of his career as a starter and was the second-highest in the majors.


But the left-hander has had much better control in 2015 with 11 walks in 48 innings, four of those free passes coming in one start. Wilson is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA in five starts since giving up seven runs in a loss to Kansas City on April 12.


He allowed two runs and walked one in eight innings of a 5-2 win over Colorado on Tuesday.


"When you put enough work on one thing, eventually it comes to you," Wilson told MLB's official website. "I keep evolving, trying to learn. I still feel like I have a lot of life left, mentally and in my pitching, that there's still a lot of different things I'm discovering."


Wilson has struggled against the Blue Jays since 2013, though, going 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in four starts. Jose Bautista is 9 for 20 with a homer off Wilson in his career, but he's batting just .216 on the season after going 0 for 3 in Sunday's 4-2 loss to Houston.


Toronto (17-22) finished 1-6 on a road trip and will look to get back on track at Rogers Centre, where it has won seven of nine.


'I'm stating the obvious right now when I say that we stink," Mark Buehrle said. "We are not playing very good in every aspect. When we're pitching good, we're not hitting. When we hit and score runs, which we have done most of the year, we are not doing a good job of pitching.'


The Angels (19-18) had a five-game winning streak snapped with Sunday's 3-0 loss to Baltimore. Albert Pujols and Erick Aybar had two hits apiece, but Los Angeles had only three at_bats with runners in scoring position.


It continues a 10-game road trip with four in Toronto, where visitors have taken issue with a new playing surface that is said to be softer and slower. Manager Mike Scioscia said he could mix up his lineup because of the turf.


"We'll read it and get guys off their feet a little bit, for sure," Scioscia said. "We'll get acclimated to it (Monday) morning and then see how it goes."


The Angels rank near the bottom of the AL in average pitches seen per plate appearance, but they will want to be more patient in facing Aaron Sanchez.


Sanchez (3-3, 4.26) has walked at least four in seven starts, and his 6.87 walks per nine innings is the worst mark in the majors. He struggled with his control again Wednesday, walking four and giving up five runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-1 loss to Baltimore.


"There were a couple of times I had guys (behind in the count), and I didn't put them away," said Sanchez, who allowed each run in the second inning. "I'll take the good from this start, move on and be ready for my next start."


The right-hander has never faced the Angels, who have won seven of eight in Toronto.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Angels at Blue Jays
Mon, May 18 - 1:07PM EDT


GAME 2
Angels at Blue Jays
Tue, May 19 - 7:07PM EDT


GAME 3
Angels at Blue Jays
Wed, May 20 - 7:07PM EDT


GAME 4
Angels at Blue Jays
Thu, May 21 - 7:07PM EDT

Preview: Indians (14-21) at White Sox (16-17)
Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: May 18, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Corey Kluber may never top his last performance, a dominant outing that will be revered for years to come.


The Cleveland Indians are hoping it's a sign that he's back to the form that won him the Cy Young Award.


Kluber faces off with fellow ace Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.


Kluber (1-5, 4.27 ERA) put together arguably the best performance by any pitcher this season to finally win Wednesday versus St. Louis. He struck out 18, the most in the AL since Roger Clemens in 1998 and tying Bob Feller's club record for a nine-inning game, and yielded one hit over eight innings in the 2-0 victory.


The right-hander had dropped four straight starts while posting a 7.43 ERA, hardly resembling the hurler who won 18 games with a 2.44 mark a year ago. The 18 strikeouts were only three fewer than his total in that four-start stretch, and he didn't walk a batter for the first time this season.


"I think we got a taste of why he won the Cy Young last year," St. Louis' Matt Carpenter said. "His numbers this season don't reflect how good of a pitcher he is. He was as good, if not better, than anybody I've ever faced in the big leagues."


Kluber dismissed the talk of a carryover effect moving forward.


"I think each game is a new game," he told MLB's official website. "All you can do is go out there and try to make good pitches."


The right-hander's run of bad outings began with a 6-0 loss at Chicago on April 22, giving up a season-high six earned runs and a personal-worst 13 hits over six-plus innings. He had a 2.45 ERA in five starts against the White Sox last year.


Sale (3-1, 5.09) also comes off his best outing following a rough patch. After being tagged for 13 runs and 16 hits in his previous two outings, he struck out a season-high 11 while limiting Milwaukee to two runs and three hits over eight innings in a 4-2 road victory Tuesday.


"He's been trying to find it and get a groove going," manager Robin Ventura said. "This is a little more vintage of what you'd expect out of him."


Sale is 3-4 with a 4.92 ERA in 10 career starts against the Indians, failing to complete six innings in four straight prior to his most recent matchup Sept. 5.


The White Sox (17-17) won 7-3 in Oakland on Sunday for their seventh victory in eight games, reaching .500 for the first time.


"Being .500 is important," said Jeff Samardzija, who went eight innings. "You want to be around .500 come summer and fall, knowing you're in the hunt."


Cleveland (14-22) failed to secure its first three-game winning streak Sunday, losing 5-1 at Texas. The offense has scored three runs or fewer four times in the last seven and eight-plus in the other three.


Kluber is hoping to catch his batters on a good day. He's averaging 2.4 runs of support compared to 4.39 last year.


Michael Brantley has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 with eight doubles, four homers and 16 RBIs but hasn't had much success against Sale, going 3 for 22 with 10 strikeouts. Carlos Santana is 7 for 15 against Sale since the start of 2013 but enters in an 0-for-16 slump.


Jose Abreu is 8 for 21 against Kluber and homered off him last month, while Melky Cabrera is 5 for 11.


Chicago is 3-2 in the season series and has won nine of the last 13 meetings at U.S. Cellular Field.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Indians at White Sox
Mon, May 18 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Indians at White Sox
Tue, May 19 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Indians at White Sox
Wed, May 20 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Indians at White Sox
Thu, May 21 - 8:10PM EDT

Preview: Athletics (13-25) at Astros (24-13)
Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 18, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The upstart Houston Astros have not allowed youth to prevent them from racing towards the top of the AL.


Looking to extend yet another winning streak, the Astros will get even younger Monday night when they turn to Lance McCullers, who will face the sputtering Oakland Athletics in his major league debut.


Houston (25-13) became the first team to 25 wins and pushed its winning streak to five with a 4-2 victory over Toronto on Sunday. Collin McHugh pitched seven strong innings for the Astros, who have enjoyed three winning streaks of four or more games despite rostering no active position players older than 29.


Elder statesmen Luis Valbuena (29) and Colby Rasmus (28) hit home runs Sunday to cap Houston's four-game sweep.


"It's a great tribute to the players and leadership we have," manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind, but you're never out of it. That's the way we're going about it."


Their youngest active player is now McCullers, whose call-up came in a somewhat surprising move.


The 21-year-old right-hander dropped from Houston's fifth-best prospect in 2014 to No. 10, according to MLB.com, following a 5.47 ERA in 97 innings last season at High-A. But he began 2015 at Double-A Corpus Christie where he dazzled with a 0.62 ERA in six appearances, allowing only 15 hits and two earned runs while striking out 43 through 29 innings.


McCullers was promoted to Triple-A on Thursday, but had yet to make an appearance. He fills the rotation spot vacated by Brett Oberholtzer, who suffered a blister on his pitching hand.


"We believe he's got the repertoire and stuff to pitch in the big leagues and be successful," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "There are other pitchers we have in Triple-A and Double-A that are close, but when we looked at our options, he gives us the best chance to win on Monday."


McCullers will face an Oakland team that has lost 10 of 11 and is last in the AL West, 12 1/2 games behind the division-leading Astros.


Exactly one year ago, last-place Houston trailed the first-place Athletics by 12 games.


The A's (13-26) fell to the Chicago White Sox 7-3 on Sunday for a fourth straight defeat and now head back on the road where they've lost five straight.


Drew Pomeranz (2-3, 4.42 ERA) is 0-3 with a 6.86 ERA in four road starts this season, which includes allowing four runs in five-plus innings of a 6-1 loss at Houston on April 15. At home against the Astros 11 days later, the left-hander gave up five runs - three earned - in five innings of a 7-6 defeat.


Jose Altuve is 4 for 6 against Pomeranz this year, batting .444 (12 for 27) in the season series and has hit safely in 29 straight games against Oakland. The White Sox's Luke Appling has baseball's longest hitting streak against the Athletics, hitting safely in 31 straight from 1939-1940.


Pomeranz allowed one earned run and three hits over seven innings of Tuesday's 9-2 victory over Boston - the Athletics' only win since May 6.


"Sometimes his confidence goes the other way and he starts taking a little more time, it kind of snowballs on him," manager Bob Melvin said. "But (Tuesday) ... as the game went along you could see the confidence grow and grow."




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Athletics at Astros
Mon, May 18 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Athletics at Astros
Tue, May 19 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Athletics at Astros
Wed, May 20 - 2:10PM EDT

Preview: Phillies (15-23) at Rockies (13-20)
Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: May 18, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

As the strong starting pitching continues for the Philadelphia Phillies, so does the success.


Now turning to perhaps their most reliable arm, the Phillies will try for their best winning streak in nearly three years Monday night when Cole Hamels faces the Colorado Rockies.


Philadelphia (16-23) has won five straight after completing a three-game sweep of Arizona with a 6-0 victory Sunday, matching the team's longest winning streak since a seven-gamer Sept. 5-12, 2012.


Sean O'Sullivan contributed the latest solid outing, dealing six scoreless innings.


Phillies' starters own a 1.69 ERA over the five-game streak with five walks in 32 innings. They previously had a 5.14 ERA with 3.19 walks per nine innings.


"The rotation is kind of feeding off each other," O'Sullivan told MLB's official website. "It's almost like everyone's kind of accountable for their part because you don't want to be the guy that's not accountable for his part. I think everyone's really playing as a unit right now."


Hamels (3-3, 3.53 ERA) kicked off the winning streak with seven innings of two-run ball to beat Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The staff ace has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his past five starts.


Philadelphia is 4-4 in Hamels' starts, with the left-hander posting a 1.61 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in those wins to compensate for a league-worst 2.12 run support average.


The Phillies are a major league-worst 4-13 on the road as they begin a 10-game trip, but they're facing a Colorado team which is an NL-worst 4-9 at home and has lost five straight at Coors Field.


The Rockies (13-21) did snap an 11-game losing streak overall Thursday at Dodger Stadium and ended up splitting a four-game set with the NL West leaders. Carlos Gonzalez hit two of Colorado's five home runs in that four-game series.


"Coming in here and splitting with these guys is not the worst thing," manager Walt Weiss said even after his club managed only three singles in Sunday's 1-0 loss.


The Rockies have totaled only eight runs in the last five games started by Jordan Lyles (2-3, 4.30), and he's gone 1-3 in that span. He exited his last start after taking a line drive off the hand in the first inning Wednesday but suffered no structural damage.


Beyond the injury, Lyles' main issue has been growing ineffectiveness with an increased pitch count.


The right-hander has held opponents to a .217 average with three extra-base hits and five RBIs through his first 45 pitches, but from pitch No. 46 on, opponents are batting .338 with eight extra-base hits and 14 RBIs.


Corey Dickerson may be sidelined after a flare-up of plantar fasciitis forced him out of Saturday's game and limited him to a pinch-hitting role Sunday.


"It's a concern because he's been dealing with it for a long time and he's a little more sore than he's been," Weiss said.


Troy Tulowitzki (quad), who has missed the last two games, could return after successfully completing agility drills Sunday. He is 1 for 9 with a triple in his career against Hamels.


Hamels has a 2.65 ERA in his last seven starts against the Rockies despite allowing four runs in seven innings to lose his only matchup with them in 2014.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Phillies at Rockies
Mon, May 18 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 2
Phillies at Rockies
Tue, May 19 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 3
Phillies at Rockies
Wed, May 20 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 4
Phillies at Rockies
Thu, May 21 - 3:10PM EDT

Preview: Cardinals (25-12) at Mets (22-16)
Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: May 18, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Teams don't often get the better of Matt Harvey. Only one has beaten him twice.


He'll try to knock off the St. Louis Cardinals for the first time in his career Monday night when they visit the New York Mets.


Harvey (5-1, 2.31 ERA) is looking for his first victory in three starts overall after winning his first five, though he's hardly been at fault for the brief drought. He's been backed by one run of support in each of the last three after getting 26 over his first four.


The Cardinals are the only team to give Harvey two losses, and of the 13 he's faced multiple times, they join San Francisco and the Los Angeles Dodgers as the only ones he's yet to beat. He dropped both previous matchups, giving up four runs over 12 innings, though the Mets scored only one run in each game.


That was the case again Wednesday when he matched a season high with nine strikeouts in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs, giving up three hits over seven shutout innings.


"We're gonna put up runs," he said after that game. "We're in a little bit of a rut right now, but, obviously, everybody goes through that."


Harvey proved to be right as New York's offense has woken up over the last two games, totaling 19 runs and 25 hits to beat Milwaukee twice following a season-worst five-game losing streak. The Mets (22-16), a big league-best 15-4 at home, have also benefited from back-to-back gems. Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard each limited the Brewers to one run over six innings, helping the rotation recover after it posted a 5.02 ERA during the skid.


Curtis Granderson homered in both games, Michael Cuddyer had four RBIs in those wins and Eric Campbell went 4 for 8 following his call-up from Triple-A Las Vegas. Lucas Duda doubled twice in Sunday's 5-1 win and is 11 for 30 with five doubles over his last eight games.


"Coming off the (14-1) win (Saturday), you don't want to have the quote, unquote hangover after scoring all those runs," Cuddyer told MLB's official website. "It's nice to have the luxury of all the pitching we have, because you can forget about yesterday and focus on today."


The Cardinals (25-12) had dropped five of seven prior to Sunday's 2-1 win over Detroit, going ahead on Kolten Wong's sixth-inning homer to maintain the best record in baseball.


Though they avoided being swept for the first time, they're struggling offensively, scoring 11 runs and going 4 for 26 (.154) with runners in scoring position over the last five games. Matt Adams is 2 for 33 in his last 11, dropping his average from .309 to .237.


John Lackey (2-2, 3.22) was plagued by walks in his shortest outing of the season Wednesday, giving up five free passes and two runs over 5 1-3 innings in a 2-0 loss at Cleveland on Wednesday. He has a 5.82 ERA and no quality starts in three road games, compared to a 1.63 mark in four home outings.


Lackey hasn't faced the Mets since 2008, winning 6-1 with the Los Angeles Angels.


Cuddyer, hitting .359 in his last 11 versus St. Louis, is 8 for 25 with four home runs off Lackey.


New York won four of seven meetings last season, allowing six runs in four games at Citi Field.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cardinals at Mets
Mon, May 18 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Cardinals at Mets
Tue, May 19 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Cardinals at Mets
Wed, May 20 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Cardinals at Mets
Thu, May 21 - 1:10PM EDT

Preview: Brewers (13-25) at Tigers (23-15)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: May 18, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell is fully aware of the potency of Detroit's lineup and especially Miguel Cabrera, whom he saw up close while playing in the Brewers' most recent series against the Tigers.


After winning a series over the NL Central leader, Cabrera and the Tigers hope to take advantage of facing the division's last-place club in a three-game set that begins Monday night.


These former AL East foes haven't met since Milwaukee was swept in three games at Detroit from June 19-21, 2009, despite Counsell going 4 for 11 with a home run. Cabrera went 7 for 13 with a pair of longballs and enters this series after having a three-game home run streak snapped in Sunday's 2-1 loss at St. Louis.


The Tigers slugger had an RBI double in the first inning but was hitless the rest of the way. Detroit had won its previous three games, including two over the first-place Cardinals, as Cabrera was 7 for 15 with four homers and eight RBIs.


"You always want to win the series, especially playing against this Cardinals team," manager Brad Ausmus said. "Winning two of three on the road is somewhat satisfying."


Detroit (23-15) batted .400 with 27 runs in those three games even with Victor Martinez out with an ailing knee. The Tigers hit .385 with runners in scoring position in that span before going 0 for 6 on Sunday, including Martinez fouling out in a pinch-hit appearance with a runner on third.


Ausmus said Martinez should be back starting at designated hitter Monday, and Counsell knows how easily the Tigers' lineup can get cranked up again.


Detroit's .281 average, .347 on-base percentage and .431 slugging percentage are all in the top three in the majors. Milwaukee's 4.73 ERA is 28th, and its starters have a 5.03 mark.


"Immediately, to me, you think of Cabrera and Victor Martinez," Counsell told MLB's official website. "You think about getting through the middle of the lineup. It's a challenge to do four times a night. That's the first thing that pops in my head.


"It's a good challenge. Everybody likes that challenge."


The first to face that test is Mike Fiers (1-4, 5.00 ERA), who has performed admirably in interleague play but has never faced Detroit. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA in six games - four starts - against AL teams after giving up two runs in 6 1-3 innings in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.


That defeat was the first of Milwaukee's four in the past five games. The Brewers (13-25) are coming off back-to-back road losses to the New York Mets, getting held to one run in each game.


It's unknown if they'll have Carlos Gomez available after he was beaned by Noah Syndergaard's fastball Sunday. Counsell said the center fielder, batting .259 with 13 RBIs, had bruising to his face but no concussion.


Gomez indicated he could return Monday, but Counsell said he would "wait and see."


"I'm fine, no concussion. The worst thing that happened today is we lost the game," Gomez said.


The Brewers are batting .195 with 13 runs in their last five games with most of that production in Friday's 7-0 win over the Mets. They'll next face a left-hander coming off one of the worst outings of his career.


Kyle Lobstein (3-3, 4.33) allowed six runs in 2 1-3 innings in a 6-2 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday. He had a 2.57 ERA in his prior four starts and pitched at least seven innings in each of his previous three.


Lobstein has never faced the Brewers or any current Milwaukee hitter.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Brewers at Tigers
Mon, May 18 - 7:08PM EDT


GAME 2
Brewers at Tigers
Tue, May 19 - 7:08PM EDT


GAME 3
Brewers at Tigers
Wed, May 20 - 7:08PM EDT

Rangers D faces Tampa Bay's kid line


May 17, 2015


NEW YORK (AP) - Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi have been getting the top defensive assignments for the New York Rangers for years.


In the opening round of the playoffs, they were asked to shut down Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals came in the second round.


In the Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they have drawn ''The Triplets,'' instead of the more well-known line featuring star Steven Stamkos.


Scratching your head? Don't. The line of Tyler Johnson, 24, centering Nikita Kucherov, 21, and Ondrej Palat, 24 has combined for 18 of the Lightning's 35 postseason goals, and Palat had the Bolts' only score on a power play in a 2-1 loss in Game 1 on Saturday.


''They've been their best line so far,'' Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said Sunday, a day before the teams returned to Madison Square Garden for Game 2 on Monday night.


''Not to say that the Stamkos line is not a big threat also, but throughout their first series, Johnson's line has been the more effective. So for that game last night we decided to go that way. Doesn't mean we're going to go that way tomorrow.''


Don't expect a change. McDonagh and Girardi have been very good. They limited Crosby and Malkin to two goals - both by Crosby - and held Ovechkin and Backstrom to three goals in seven games - all by Ovechkin. Joel Ward was playing on that line in Game 1 when he tallied a late winner.


The other reason not to change is that Marc Staal and Dan Boyle were outstanding against Stamkos, Valtteri Filppula and Alex Killorn, limiting them to six shots, one by Stamkos.


Johnson was impressed playing against McDonagh and Girardi on Saturday.


''They can move, they can skate,'' said Johnson, whose eight postseason goals lead the NHL. ''It is always tough when you are playing against defenseman that can skate. They make smart plays and they are going to be a good matchup for us.''


McDonagh said the kids are quick.


''We got hemmed in our zone a couple of times,'' the Rangers captain said. ''We understand that they have some ability on the rush, that's a big strength. With these guys too, their cycle game, their third guy gets lost up high, so we had a couple of looks where we got spread away from our net.


''We have to key on the high side guy so he can't get off a good shot. They have great chemistry, too. They don't need to see where a player is, they can throw it to an area and know he is going to be there.''


It's the same with McDonagh and Girardi on defense. They communicate well, and they know instinctively when they can either jump into a play, or swarm and create a loose puck or when they need to back off and reset.


''Things happen quick out there and you have to trust your instincts and your structure,'' McDonagh said Sunday. ''It helps having good communication with your forward lines, too.''


Former Rangers and current Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman played the past three seasons in New York before signing with Tampa Bay as a free agent. He was a top-four defenseman and got to watch McDonagh and Girardi do their thing.


''I think the key for them is they are usually go in with a really strong mentality, a lot of grit and determination to defense at whatever cost,'' Stralman said.


''I think that is what makes them so successful. They block shots, they do whatever it takes for the team to win. They basically put it on the line every night.''


Lightning coach Jon Copper said his team has to control the puck better in Game 2.


''If you're going to go into zones and be one and done like we were last night, we have no chance,'' he said. ''So we have to possess the puck more. It's been a big part of the reason why we're here, and if we're not going to do that, it's going to be a long night, short series.''


NOTES: After missing the opener with an unspecified injury, Lightning C Brian Boyle did not practice Sunday. His status for Game 2 is uncertain. ... Rangers LW Tanner Glass took a maintenance day on Sunday, but Vigneault expects him to play Monday night. ... Rangers LW Martin St. Louis has not scored a goal in 13 playoff games this season. When someone mentioned that Dominic Moore scored the game winner off his shin guard in Game 1, St Louis said: ''Maybe I should leave the stick on the bench and wear four shin guards.'' ... Both teams practiced at MSG Sunday and both teams allowed opposing coaches to watch each other's workouts.

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Doc Rivers is first NBA coach to lose two playoff series that he led 3-1.

-- Golden State was 4-0 vs Houston this year; in NBA history, teams that were 4-0 against foe in regular season are 55-6 in series if clubs meet again in playoffs.

-- 14 NBA teams won playoff series after being down 2-0; six of those 14 came in the Finals. Nine teams wn series after being down 3-1; none came in the Finals.

-- Rockets are first team since '06 Suns to win a series they trailed 3-1.

-- Troy Tulowitzki (quad) missed his last two games, making him harder to trade.

-- It is going to be a very long summer for the Clippers.

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend........

13) Dick Vitale's gala in Florida this weekend raised $2.38M to fight pediatric cancer; he has done so much good work to raise $$$ to fight cancer, he gives a lot of himself and deserves a ton of credit.

12) Giancarlo Stanton hit a homer way over the CF fence in Miami Saturday; the CF fence is 418 feet away- the ball had to go 500 feet. Funny thing is that a guy sitting way out in the CF bleachers caught the ball bare-handed and it did not seem to hurt the guy. Was just funny to see.

11) All of Stanton's power couldn't save Mike Redmond's job; they're naming a new manager at 11am this morning. If Stanton ever leaves the Marlins, he will be surprised that not every team is as dysfunctional as the Marlins.

The next manager is going to get lucky; Jose Fernandez is on his way back and when he gets there with Henderson Alvarez also healthy now, Miami is going to have a hell of a lot better team than Redmond managed.

10) In his last eleven games, Bryce Harper is 22 for his last 39; he has nine HRs, 22 RBI during that time.

9) Oakland A's have an awful bullpen; its kind of like back in 1980, when Billy Martin led the A's to an 83-79 record after they had been 54-108 in '79. Martin only cared about getting re-hired in the Bronx, so he strip-mined the A's and refused to use the awful bullpen-- using up their starters as much as he could. The team progressed, Martin went back to the Bronx and then the pitching in Oakland went in the toilet, because the five starters all got burned out.

From 1982-86, the A's were an average of 13 games under .500; he set the franchise back five years-- this year, the A's will suck but they won't ruin the arms of the pitchers at least.

8) Don't believe me? Here are the stats for the 1980 A's starting pitchers:
-- Rick Langford, 33 starts, 28 complete games
-- Mike Norris, 33 starts, 24 complete games
-- Matt Keough, 32 starts, 20 complete games
-- Steve McCatty, 31 starts, 11 complete games
-- Brian Kingman, 30 starts, 10 complete games

7) Odd trivia: Matt Keough's ex-wife Jeana was one of original characters on Real Housewives of Orange County-- she was also one of the models in one of the first real popular music videos on MTV, ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man.

6) 150 plate appearances this year; Yoenis Cespedes has walked five times.

5) People are starting to talk up Adrian Beltre as a future Hall of Famer and rightfully so, but you put his numbers next to Aramis Ramirez' numbers and they're surprisingly similar. Beltre is a much better fielder, but still.....

4) In his acting career, Jim Caviezel has played Jesus, golfer Bobby Jones and the high school football coach who won 151 games in a row. But one of his first roles was as an extra, a college basketball player in Blue Chips, one of my favorite movies. He should write a book someday.

3) Speculation around the Marlins had Wally Backman as a possible manager in Miami, but late Sunday night that was said to be kaput. Eduardo Perez is young, but used to be the Marlins' hitting coach. Miami is still playing former manager Ozzie Guillen-- maybe he is the man.

2) Kevin Durant went to prep school at Montrose Christian, one of those out-of-the-way prep schools that have great hoop teams and not much else. Now word comes out that the school is in financial trouble and may fold- they're out of the bigtime basketball business. Feel bad for the Montrose kids who are going to be seniors next year; now they have to find new schools for this fall.

1) Shelby Miller came within an out of a no-hitter; 26 minutes later, Redmond got fired. Rory McIlroy won by seven shots in Charlotte, Montreal wants a major league baseball team again (Rays??). Just another quiet Sunday.

Diamond Trends - Monday

May 18, 2015




SU TREND OF THE DAY:


-- The Indians are 0-11 since September 21, 2012 on the road vs a team that has won at least their last two games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1186 when playing against.


PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:


-- When Chris Sale starts the White Sox are 11-0 since May 17, 2012 in May for a net profit of $1176.


MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:


-- The Brewers are 8-0 (+$1,160) since August 27, 2013 as a road dog of +130-+165 in the first game of the series.


CHOICE TREND:


-- The Athletics are 0-10 (+$1,115) in database history against an AL team when they committed at least four errors last game and it wasn’t the season opener.


ACTIVE TRENDS:


-- The Tigers are 0-8 since June 27, 2013 at home when their starter went less than four innings in his last start for a net profit of $1011 when playing against.

Monday's Tip Sheet


May 18, 2015


Upcoming Series to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets

Over the weekend, the Cardinals suffered a rare series loss at home to the Tigers, but after avoiding the sweep last night on Sunday Night Baseball, they still maintained the best record in the National League at 25-12. The Mets did a little more than that, putting an end to their season-high five-game losing streak by capping off the weekend with consecutive wins over the Brewers. Now, to kick off this new week in May, two of the NL’s upper echelon squads will square off in a four-game set at Citi Field.

Could we be seeing a playoff preview right here? There should be no question St. Louis makes its annual postseason push, because that's just what they always do. After all, they're continuing to excel on both sides of the ball, especially with their pitching, as they own baseball’s best team ERA. The Mets, meanwhile, aren’t far behind, as they’ve been led up to this point by their own consistent stellar pitching, and just received a jolt of energy with the arrival of top prospect Noah Syndergaard, who looked good through his first career two starts. That being said, you’d think we might be seeing a series of mostly unders. As for who will prevail in the wins column, that appears to be tough to tell. If the Mets are on the verge of another winning run, the Cards might be in for another surprising series loss. New York is a tremendous 15-4 at home this year, while St. Louis brings a 10-7 road record into this series.

Los Angeles Angels at Toronto Blue Jays

It’s usually an interesting get-together when two hard-hitting offenses get together at a point in the season when they’re performing below expectations, as one may springboard out of it, while the other risks falling deeper into a hole. That’s the case we have here for this mid-May four-game set between the Angels and Blue Jays.

The Angels have actually been playing much better as of late, as despite losing the series finale in Baltimore yesterday they’ve won five of their last six to get back over .500 for the first time since the third game of the season. Surprisingly, they’ve accomplished their current run mostly thanks to their pitching, which has allowed three runs or less in all six of those games (producing six straight unders in the process). Toronto, meanwhile, has been going in the opposite direction, carrying a five-game losing streak into this series, and they’ve also lost seven of eight. Their pitching might be considered the main culprit, having yielded four runs or more in all eight of those contests. As a result, and with two loaded lineups, the Angels’ streak of six straight unders looks to be in serious jeopardy. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this series churn out more overs than unders.

Teams to Watch

-- I’ve mentioned the White Sox as a team to watch previously, and while they didn’t quite generate the momentum I anticipated at that point, it appears the club is beginning to hit its stride. Entering the week on a five-game winning streak, including an impressive three-game sweep of the A’s in Oakland (who are much better than their record, by the way), Chicago has stormed to .500 for the first time this season. I had them finishing in second place in the AL Central for 2015 so this current surge doesn’t surprise me, as their offense can be really dangerous. It has the potential to be even better once they figure out how to collectively hit left-handers (.224/.265/.303 opposing southpaws ranks amongst the worst team slash-lines in baseball).

Looking to continue their winning ways, the White Sox open a four-game home series with last-place Cleveland, so they’ll have a fine opportunity to keep it going, especially since they’ve won seven of their past ten home games versus the Indians. Don’t be surprised if this is one of the teams that make an extensive run into the summer months, so you might want to try and tail them early on. They’ll have their ace on the hill in game one, Chris Sale, who is coming off a dominant eight-inning performance his last time out, but so is his opponent for the opener, Indians staff leader Corey Kluber.

-- They were my ‘Team to Watch’ in this very column a week ago, and they’ve been so hot, it bares highlighting the Nationals once again, who continue to be a very profitable ride from multiple angles. One, they continue to be over machines, having scored five or more runs in 11 of their past 13 games. In the process, they’ve registered an outstanding 11-2 record for over bets over that span.

And two, they just keep cashing those money-line and run-line tickets, being 12-3 in their last 15. In 11 of those wins, they won by more than a run, offering better value if you grab them -1.5 against any given opponent, apparently. They’ve surrendered less than four runs in only about half those games, so that goes to show how consistently live their offense has been. And you have to believe their pitching won’t continue at that rate, as even Stephen Strasburg looks like he’s getting back on track, while Max Scherzer and Jordan Zimmermann continue to churn out quality starts (both having seven quality starts in eight tries). The Nats’ emergence should continue.

Fearless Prediction

-- If you're a believer in the "underachieving team instantly steps it up after surprising early midseason firing of their manager" theory, then you might want to consider betting the Marlins for the series against the Diamondbacks. All the components are there: a solid team that showed flashes of consistent winning prior to their current losing streak, and the necessary pieces to get the club back on track. Plus, they're facing another team that's scuffling, Arizona, who must be low on morale after being swept by the lowly Phillies. Owner Jeffrey Loria's tactics are very questionable, and while I thought Mike Redmond was fine as Miami's skipper, this move could prove to be a successful sudden wake-up call for a team that needs it.

Marlins GM Jennings becomes manager


May 18, 2015


MIAMI (AP) - Miami Marlins general manager Dan Jennings has been chosen the team's new manager, a person familiar with the situation said Monday.


The person confirmed the move to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the decision wasn't announced. A news conference was scheduled later Monday morning.


Jennings replaces Mike Redmond, who was fired Sunday after the Marlins were nearly no-hit in a 6-0 loss to Atlanta that completed a three-game sweep. The defeat dropped Miami to 16-22.


''We haven't played to our capabilities,'' president of baseball operations Michael Hill said before Jennings' hiring was announced. ''We're hopeful that a new voice will spark and motivate our guys.''


Bench coach Rob Leary was fired along with Redmond.


''I feel bad for them,'' reliever Steve Cishek said. ''It's not their fault.''


Jennings was in his second season as general manager, and has been with the Marlins on the personnel side since 2002. He briefly coached in high school in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1980s.


The Alabama native had a brief tryout as a pitcher in the Yankees organization, and then paid his dues by driving up to 50,000 miles on his car every year while scouting 300 games before he joined the Marlins.


The Marlins' shake-up was the latest orchestrated by owner Jeffrey Loria, reinforcing his reputation for impatience with managers.


''Jeffrey Loria makes me laugh!'' former Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones tweeted.


Jennings is Loria's fifth manager in the past six seasons.


By going with Jennings, Loria will avoid the expense of adding someone to the payroll. Redmond was under contract through 2017. Loria also is still paying Ozzie Guillen, who had three years left on his deal when he was fired as manager in 2012.


Redmond had managed the Marlins since 2013, and in his final game he had a hard time finding anyone who could get a hit. Shelby Miller was one out from a no-hitter when Justin Bour singled.


The Marlins had the same 16-22 record in May 2003 when Loria fired Jeff Torborg as manager. Replacement Jack McKeon led a turnaround that resulted in an improbable run to the World Series title. The Marlins haven't been to the postseason since.


Following a busy offseason highlighted by the signing of slugger Giancarlo Stanton to a record $325 million contract, the Marlins had big hopes of ending their playoff drought. But their bullpen has been woeful, and the batting order has struggled aside from major league RBIs leader Stanton and batting leader Dee Gordon.


The Marlins have lost nine of their past 13 games and are fourth in the NL East.


''We're looking for that consistency,'' Hill said. ''We're swinging the bat well at times, but not when we need to do it. We're pitching well at times, but not when we need to do it. I think the solution is in that clubhouse.''


Loria has a reputation for impatience with managers. Along with the early season firing of Torborg, he dismissed Fredi Gonzalez in June 2010, and fired Joe Girardi and Ozzie Guillen after one season each.


Jennings has long been close with Loria. Last year Jennings recalled his first meeting with the Marlins owner in 2002, when he interviewed for a job.


''All I ever knew of Jeffrey Loria were things I had read, and it had not been very favorable, right?'' Jennings says with a laugh. ''Within five minutes, you would have thought we were next-door neighbors. We talked for four-plus hours and it was great. I was going, `How can people say these things about this guy, and this is how he comes across?'''