Cnotes Best Bets For Monday June 8th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

MLB MONEYLINE


MLB > (961) HOUSTON@ (962) CHI WHITE SOX | 06/08/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play ON HOUSTON using the money line in All games on the road when the total is 7 or less
The record is 11 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.65 units)

MLB > (963) KANSAS CITY@ (964) MINNESOTA | 06/08/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play ON MINNESOTA using the money line in All games in all games
The record is 32 Wins and 23 Losses for the this season (+15.25 units)


MLB RUNLINE


MLB > (961) HOUSTON@ (962) CHI WHITE SOX | 06/08/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play AGAINST CHI WHITE SOX using the in All games as a home favorite when the run line price is +135 to +160
The record is 4 Wins and 35 Losses for the last three seasons (-28.95 units)


MLB > (963) KANSAS CITY@ (964) MINNESOTA | 06/08/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play ON MINNESOTA using the in All games in night games
The record is 21 Wins and 5 Losses for the this season (+15.15 units)


MLB TOTALS


MLB > (959) ARIZONA@ (960) LA DODGERS | 06/08/2015 - 10:10 PM
Play OVER LA DODGERS on the total in All games in home games
The record is 69 Overs and 39 Unders for the last two seasons (+30.15 units)

MLB > (955) SAN DIEGO@ (956) ATLANTA | 06/08/2015 - 07:10 PM
Play OVER SAN DIEGO on the total in All games in games played on a grass field
The record is 36 Overs and 20 Unders for the this season (+15.9 units)


MLB TOP POWERLINE


MLB > (951) MILWAUKEE @ (952) PITTSBURGH | 06/08/2015 - 07:05 PM
Line: PITTSBURGH -160 BTB PowerLine: PITTSBURGH -175
Edge On: PITTSBURGH (15)


MLB > (955) SAN DIEGO @ (956) ATLANTA | 06/08/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: ATLANTA -160 BTB PowerLine: ATLANTA -139
Edge On: ATLANTA (21)


MLB > (953) PHILADELPHIA @ (954) CINCINNATI | 06/08/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: CINCINNATI -116 BTB PowerLine: CINCINNATI -102
Edge On: CINCINNATI (14)


MLB > (961) HOUSTON @ (962) CHI WHITE SOX | 06/08/2015 - 08:10 PM
Line: CHI WHITE SOX -150 BTB PowerLine: CHI WHITE SOX -104
Edge On: CHI WHITE SOX (26)


MLB > (957) ST LOUIS @ (958) COLORADO | 06/08/2015 - 08:40 PM
Line: COLORADO +120 BTB PowerLine: COLORADO 110
Edge On: COLORADO (10)

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (5) TAMPA BAY@ (6) CHICAGO | 06/08/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play AGAINST CHICAGO using the money line in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 29 Wins and 36 Losses for the last two seasons (-27.95 units)


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (5) TAMPA BAY@ (6) CHICAGO | 06/08/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the total in All games in non-conference games
The record is 8 Overs and 21 Unders for the this season (+13 units)


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (5) TAMPA BAY@ (6) CHICAGO | 06/08/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play AGAINST CHICAGO using the in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 29 Wins and 36 Losses for the last two seasons (-27.95 units)

Preview: Marlins (23-33) at Blue Jays (27-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: June 08, 2015 7:07 PM EDT

In order to continue playing their best baseball of the season, the Toronto Blue Jays need to turn it around against a team they rarely face yet frequently struggle against.


The Miami Marlins play the first of three games Monday night at Rogers Centre, where they've never lost a series.


The Blue Jays (28-30) extended their winning streak to a season-best five with Sunday's 7-6 home win over Houston. They completed the three-game sweep in dramatic fashion with three runs in the ninth, capped by Chris Colabello's walk-off two-run single.


The hit extended Colabello's career-best hitting streak to 17 games - the longest active run in the majors.


"There has to be one or two guys like that - whether it's in the pitching staff, the bullpen, or a guy like Chris, who consistently is able to give you something that you did not expect," starting pitcher R.A. Dickey told MLB's official website. "I couldn't imagine where we'd be without a guy like that."


Jose Bautista hit a pair of solo homers, giving him four in four games. He went 3 for 4 and is batting .405 on an 11-game hitting streak that's two shy of a career best.


"He's more in his comfort zone," said manager John Gibbons, whose club is averaging 7.00 runs and batting .310 on the streak. "But it was just a matter of time."


Edwin Encarnacion was sidelined after the slugger left Saturday's game with a shoulder injury. He received a cortisone shot, but no decision has been made on when he'll return.


The Marlins (24-33) have won 10 of 12 meetings in Toronto and all four series for their top winning percentage (.833) at any ballpark, and their 18-6 record against the Blue Jays accounts for their top winning percentage (.750) against any team.


The clubs last met in June 2012 in Miami with Toronto taking two of three for its first series win against the Marlins, though the .250 winning percentage stands as its worst against any team.


The Marlins have also won consecutive series after taking two of three in Colorado. Adeiny Hechavarria homered in the top of the 10th in Sunday's 3-2 victory.


Toronto's starting staff has also gotten it done with a 1.76 ERA in six games, which right-hander Marco Estrada will try to continue.


Estrada (2-3, 3.77 ERA) helped start the streak with a 7-3 win in Washington on Tuesday in the second game of a doubleheader. He allowed three runs - two earned - and six hits in six innings for his first win in six starts since joining the rotation.


As a starter, he's 1-2 with a 7.20 ERA in four outings against the Marlins, including a 9-5 loss on May 23, 2014, in which he allowed four homers. Giancarlo Stanton hit two of them and is 2 for 8 against Estrada.


He'll be opposed by Brad Hand, who is making his third start after appearing out of the bullpen 14 times. Hand (1-1, 4.24) earned his first win in Tuesday's 5-2 home victory over the Chicago Cubs, surrendering two runs and six hits in six innings.


He's never faced Toronto, but Jose Reyes is 2 for 4 with a home run off the left-hander. Reyes hasn't faced the Marlins since they traded him after the 2012 season, but he's batting .343 on a 15-game hitting streak against them.


That 12-player deal also sent Hechavarria to Miami.


"I think if you judge it fairly, it was a good baseball trade for both that probably was unfairly and overly scrutinized at the time because it appeared that the Marlins were throwing in the towel when, in truthfulness, we were hitting the reset button," said Marlins manager Dan Jennings, who was assistant general manager at the time.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Marlins at Blue Jays
Mon, Jun 8 - 7:07PM EDT


GAME 2
Marlins at Blue Jays
Tue, Jun 9 - 7:07PM EDT


GAME 3
Marlins at Blue Jays
Wed, Jun 10 - 12:37PM EDT

Preview: Brewers (20-36) at Pirates (30-25)
Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 08, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

A pitcher's win-loss record is becoming an insignificant form of evaluation in this age of advanced analytics, but A.J. Burnett doesn't need any fancy stats to make him realize the Pittsburgh Pirates' offense is most responsible for his last two victories.


Similarly, his 0-3 mark in his last four starts against the Milwaukee Brewers doesn't tell the story of how well he's pitched in those outings.


The Pirates send Burnett to the mound as they look to beat the visiting Brewers for the fifth straight time in Monday night's series opener.


Burnett (6-1, 2.20 ERA) has won six straight starts, but he's had his struggles in each of the last two. He gave up five runs - four earned - in 5 2-3 innings of an 11-5 victory over San Diego on May 28 before allowing four runs in a season-low five innings of Tuesday's 7-4 win over San Francisco.


The right-hander tied his season worst with eight hits allowed in each start.


"You can pitch well and lose, and pitch like I did (Tuesday) and still win," Burnett said. "That's the way it goes, and why I'll never complain about the support I'm getting."


The Pirates (31-25) have scored a total of four runs in Burnett's last five starts against the Brewers, though. He's lost three straight outings against Milwaukee - none since May 24, 2013 - but has a 3.04 ERA in the last four.


Pittsburgh is 5-1 against Milwaukee (20-37) this season, with Jimmy Nelson dealing the Pirates the only defeat.


Nelson's best start of 2015 was his first, when he allowed two hits in seven innings of a 6-0 win over Pittsburgh on April 11. He also faced the Pirates six days later, giving up three runs in five innings of a 6-3 defeat.


Nelson (2-6, 4.41) has struggled in back-to-back outings, though, giving up four runs in six innings of a 7-5 loss to Arizona on May 29 before allowing a season worst-tying seven runs in five innings of Wednesday's 7-4 loss to St. Louis.


The right-hander had allowed three runs in 13 2-3 innings over his previous two outings.


'It's just really frustrating on my end,' Nelson said. 'I have two, three good outings and finally feel like you're in the right place where you need to be, and then you have two or three tough ones. It's a long season, and you've got to be consistent.'


The Pirates have shaken off their early struggles, going 13-3 since falling a season-worst four games under .500 on May 20. Josh Harrison went 3 for 4 and Starling Marte had a two-run single in Sunday's 3-0 win over Atlanta.


Andrew McCutchen hit .458 over his previous 16 but had a seven-game hitting streak snapped by going 0 for 5. He also couldn't run out a grounder in the ninth inning because of discomfort in his knee, though he remained in the game and downplayed the injury.


"I'm not Superman. I'd like to be, but I'm not," McCutchen said. "It just felt a little off."


The major league-worst Brewers know the feeling, advancing one man past first base - a Ryan Braun double - in Sunday's 2-0 loss to Minnesota.


Milwaukee had four lead-off singles and couldn't capitalize.


"All the balls that we hit hard (were) right at somebody," said Carlos Gomez, who went 0 for 4 to snap a nine-game hitting streak.


The Brewers were swept in a three-game series in Pittsburgh from April 17-19 and have been outscored 22-10 while dropping five of six at PNC Park.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Brewers at Pirates
Mon, Jun 8 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Brewers at Pirates
Tue, Jun 9 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Brewers at Pirates
Wed, Jun 10 - 7:05PM EDT

Preview: Padres (29-28) at Braves (27-28)
Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: June 08, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

With Melvin Upton Jr. activated from the disabled list this weekend, the San Diego Padres will likely have three motivated players available for their series against the Atlanta Braves.


Upton, brother Justin Upton and Braves all-time saves leader Craig Kimbrel will make their return to Atlanta in Monday night's series opener


Justin Upton was the first of those three players to exit Atlanta, leaving in a six-player deal Dec. 19. The Braves and Padres got together on another six-player trade April 5, sending Kimbrel and Melvin Upton Jr. to the West Coast for Cameron Maybin, the now-retired Carlos Quentin and a pair of prospects.


Justin Upton had 56 homers and 172 RBIs in two seasons with the Braves, and drove in a career-best 102 runs in 2014. He's batting .297 with team highs of 12 homers and 37 RBIs for the Padres.


Kimbrel had 186 saves in his five seasons in Atlanta, including 50 in 2013, and is 13 for 14 on his opportunities with the Padres.


San Diego (29-29) activated Melvin Upton - formerly known as B.J. - from the disabled list Sunday, and he hasn't played in the majors since the trade because of an ailing left foot. He wasn't nearly as successful as his brother in Atlanta with a .198 average, 21 homers and 61 RBIs in two years.


"Unfortunately, it happened the way it did for the Braves and on my side. I'll take the blame for that. I can't point the finger at anyone else," he told MLB's official website in April.


Shelby Miller (5-2, 1.89 ERA) could be the first pitcher to face the Upton brothers this season and will take on a Padres team that batted .307 and scored 29 runs over a season-high four-game win streak, which was snapped Sunday. San Diego had four hits in a 4-0 loss in Cincinnati.


Atlanta (27-29) was batting .315 with 50 runs in a seven-game stretch before a 3-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Maybin had three hits of Atlanta's six hits and is batting .415 with eight RBIs in his last nine games.


The Braves haven't taken advantage of that hitting, losing four of their last five - a result of allowing 33 runs in those contests.


The usually steady Miller began that stretch by allowing four runs over 4 1-3 innings in Tuesday 7-6 loss at Arizona. He had a 1.48 ERA in his first 10 starts and was 2-1 with a 0.95 ERA in his five in May.


"I didn't get in the groove-type thing, but those kind of days happen," Miller said. "You are still human."


Miller was 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts against the Padres last season while with St. Louis.


He'll pitch opposite Ian Kennedy (3-5, 6.60), who snapped a four-start losing streak Tuesday. The right-hander yielded two runs in six innings in a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets after registering a 9.31 ERA in his prior four outings.


Kennedy gave up one run and two hits in five innings in his only start against Atlanta last season, a 3-2 win in 12 innings Aug. 2. Freddie Freeman doubled in one of his two at_bats against him in and is 6 for 10 lifetime.


Jonny Gomes is 0 for 5 with three strikeouts against Kennedy but is batting .439 in a 12-game hit streak versus San Diego.


Yonder Alonso is batting .371 in 11 career matchups against Atlanta.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Padres at Braves
Mon, Jun 8 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Padres at Braves
Tue, Jun 9 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Padres at Braves
Wed, Jun 10 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Padres at Braves
Thu, Jun 11 - 12:10PM EDT

Preview: Phillies (21-36) at Reds (23-31)
Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: June 08, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies haven't earned too many wins lately but claimed a pair in last week's three-game series against Cincinnati.


Given his splendid record versus the Reds and the way he's been pitching lately, Cole Hamels could give the Phillies the opportunity for another win in Monday night's series opener at Great American Ball Park.


Philadelphia claimed just its fourth victory in 16 games Sunday, 6-4 against San Francisco, with Jeff Francoeur hitting a key two-out double in the seventh. He had a grand slam in a 7-5 loss Saturday.


The Phillies (22-36) will seek to avoid a season high-tying fifth consecutive road defeat when they head to Cincinnati (24-31), winners in five of eight at home and five of the last six meetings there in the series. The Reds needed a 4-0 win Sunday to avoid getting swept in their own park by San Diego, and Jay Bruce drove in all those runs on two homers.


They allowed Philadelphia to rally for a pair of victories last week, including a 5-4 win in 11 innings Wednesday. Hamels (5-4, 2.88 ERA) gave up two runs in seven innings while striking out eight, and he has yielded two runs or fewer while going at least seven innings in a career-high six straight starts.


"I'm just trying to do what I can," Hamels said.


The left-hander is 10-0 with a 1.45 ERA in 14 career starts against Cincinnati, including one in the postseason. The last pitcher to win his first 11 career decisions - including the postseason - against any team was Jon Lester against the Orioles (14 straight) from August 13, 2006-April 28, 2011. The last to win his first 11 career decisions against the Reds was Roy Oswalt (15 straight) from May 14, 2001 to September 1, 2005.


Mike Leake (2-4, 4.40) took a no-hitter into the seventh opposite Hamels last week, but was denied his first win in five outings. The right-hander gave up two singles to open the ninth and was charged with two runs when closer Aroldis Chapman gave up Chase Utley's sacrifice fly and Maikel Franco's three-run homer.


It was an encouraging outing for Leake, who was 0-3 with a 12.86 ERA in his previous three starts.


"Just my head was off for a few games, just something I can't probably explain what was going on," Leake told MLB's official website. "It was just a matter of coming back and re-finding what was making me do well."


Philadelphia also rallied for a 5-4 walkoff win in Tuesday's opener with Franco providing a tying, two-run homer in the eighth and Darin Ruf ending the game with a pinch-hit single. Franco is 10 for 25 with four homers, three doubles and eight RBIs in his last six contests.


Ben Revere is 10 for 21 in his past seven games against Cincinnati. Cody Asche is batting .391 (9 for 23) in his six career matchups but is 1 for 14 in his last four overall contests.


Bruce was batting .412 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs over a 25-game stretch against Philadelphia before going hitless in his final two last week. Joey Votto is hitting .379 in his past 17 meetings and is 13 for 27 (.481) with three homers in his past six.


Votto, however, is 3 for 18 lifetime against Hamels. That .167 average ranks as his fourth-worst among the 44 pitchers he has faced at least 20 times.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Phillies at Reds
Mon, Jun 8 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Phillies at Reds
Tue, Jun 9 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Phillies at Reds
Wed, Jun 10 - 12:35PM EDT

Preview: Astros (34-23) at White Sox (25-29)
Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: June 08, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Chris Sale enters Monday night's outing with 19 2-3 consecutive shutout innings.


He has been nearly that good in his career against the Houston Astros.


The strikeout-prone Astros figure to be hard-pressed to end their season-high four-game slide against Sale in the opener of this three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.


Sale (5-2, 3.27 ERA) has posted three straight double-digit strikeout efforts for the first time, totaling 35 over a stretch of 22 2-3 innings that includes his scoreless run. He's seeking to become the first White Sox pitcher to post four straight double-digit strikeout totals; he's tied with Edwin Jackson (2010), Floyd Bannister (1985) and Ed Walsh (1910).


The left-hander figures to have a good chance to add to his team-high 79 strikeouts since Houston (34-24) has struck out an AL-high 531 times. He has 33 strikeouts in 24 innings in three career starts against the Astros, going 2-1 while allowing one run.


Sale's latest gem was a 13-strikeout performance - a season high - over seven innings in Wednesday's 9-2 win at Texas.


The available Astros hitters who have faced him the most are Jose Altuve (3 for 10) and Chris Carter (2 for 10 with a homer). Luis Valbuena is 1 for 1 off Sale but Houston may be better served not using him since the infielder's .123 average against lefties is one of baseball's worst.


The Astros will counter with rookie Lance McCullers (2-0, 1.88), whose 10.88 strikeouts per nine innings through four starts is better than Sale's 10.77.


McCullers fired a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Baltimore. The 21-year-old right-hander joined Bert Blyleven, Dwight Gooden and Kerry Wood as the only pitchers that young to throw a complete game with more than 10 strikeouts with no walks.


"Whatever pitch I throw, try to throw it for a strike," he told MLB's official website. "Let them kind of, you know, force the pace of the game."


McCullers' previous start came in a 6-3, 11-inning loss to the White Sox on May 29, as he gave up two runs over a season-low 4 1-3 innings.


Houston hasn't won since McCullers beat the Orioles, getting swept in a three-game weekend series at Toronto. Closer Luke Gregerson blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning of Sunday's 7-6 defeat.


'To have this one taken away from us is painful,' manager A.J. Hinch said. 'We needed to win that game and we didn't.'


While Houston leads the majors with 78 homers, Chicago (25-30) is last in the AL with 38. Melky Cabrera is mired in a 4-for-37 slump, has just one homer and owns the majors' worst slugging percentage at .258 among qualifying players.


Star slugger Jose Abreu was held to two hits in 12 at_bats over the weekend as Chicago lost two of three at home to Detroit. The White Sox led 4-1 after two innings in Sunday's 6-4 defeat.


"Offensively you feel like you need to do more from the second inning on," manager Robin Ventura said.


Avisail Garcia homered twice and drove in five runs


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Astros at White Sox
Mon, Jun 8 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Astros at White Sox
Tue, Jun 9 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Astros at White Sox
Wed, Jun 10 - 8:10PM EDT

Preview: Royals (30-23) at Twins (32-23)
Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: June 08, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins own baseball's best record against left-handed starters and have already fared well against the Kansas City Royals' Jason Vargas.


The top teams in the AL Central begin a three-game series Monday night in Minnesota, where Twins starter Phil Hughes has won his last three outings.


Minnesota (33-23) is 15-7 against left-handed starters, including a 1-1 mark against Vargas (4-2, 4.79 ERA), who went 0-1 with a 9.35 ERA in those two April contests. Torii Hunter and Joe Mauer went 3 for 6 off him in those games.


Vargas is 3-1 with a 3.43 ERA in four starts since those outings, limiting Cleveland to two runs in six innings in a 4-2 victory Wednesday. It marked his second start since a stint on the disabled list due to a left flexor strain.


He'll be opposed by Hughes (4-5, 4.96), who has won his last three home starts despite a 5.03 ERA in that span. Hughes wasn't so fortunate Wednesday as he yielded five runs in a season-low 4 1-3 innings in a 6-3 defeat at Boston.


The right-hander, whose .302 opponent batting average is among the majors' worst, hasn't faced the Royals this year after going 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA in four outings against them last season.


Alex Rios is 13 for 27 against Hughes, Alcides Escobar is 6 for 17 and Alex Gordon 9 for 30. The Kansas City hitters who have fared poorly in the matchup are Salvador Perez (3 for 17), Eric Hosmer (3 for 15) and Jarrod Dyson (2 for 12).


The Royals (31-23), seeking their first division title since 1985, trail the surprising Twins by one game. These clubs have split six meetings.


"I kind of look at it as a car race. You know, the quarter way through the race or a third of the way through the race or halfway through the race, it doesn't matter who's in first place," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "The only thing that matters is when that race ends that lap who's in first place."


"We've gotta go in there and take care of business, but it's not a do-or-die situation for us by any means."


Both clubs are struggling to score and avoided weekend three-game sweeps Sunday.


Perez's eighth-inning homer snapped a tie as the Royals beat Texas 4-3 to cap a 2-4 homestand. Kansas City batted .211 and totaled 13 runs in the six games.


Minnesota got eight strong innings from Mike Pelfrey in a 2-0 home win over Milwaukee. The Twins totaled nine runs and three extra-base hits in the series.


Pelfrey's outing came after Minnesota's bullpen worked 16 2-3 innings over the previous five games.


"It's been a tough week for our bullpen in terms of usage, so to get eight innings was really big," manager Paul Molitor told MLB's official website.


Trevor Plouffe, in a 1-for-25 slump, was given Sunday off "to clear his head a little bit," Molitor said. Plouffe might also want Monday off since he's 5 for 30 off Vargas.


The Twins have optioned shortstop Danny Santana to Triple-A Rochester and will recall Kennys Vargas from there before this game. Kennys Vargas hit .248 with 10 RBIs in 29 games in an earlier stint with Minnesota and homered off Jason Vargas earlier this year.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Royals at Twins
Mon, Jun 8 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Royals at Twins
Tue, Jun 9 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Royals at Twins
Wed, Jun 10 - 8:10PM EDT

Preview: Cardinals (38-19) at Rockies (25-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: June 08, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

The Colorado Rockies are the only team that hasn't won a home series, and that's unlikely to change this week with the best team in baseball coming to town.


The St. Louis Cardinals haven't lost a series to the Rockies in nearly five years and will begin trying to extend that success Monday night at Coors Field.


The Cardinals (38-19) have won the season series every year since 2009. St. Louis is 22-11 with four straight victories and nine series without a loss since being swept in three at Colorado in July 2010. In 16 games at Coors dating to that series, the Cardinals are averaging 6.44 runs and batting .302.


The Rockies (25-30) remain the only club in the majors without a victory in a home series after Sunday's 3-2 loss to Miami in 10 innings. It's the longest they've gone without at least one series win, their previous worst lasting until May 29-31, 1998.


That was 24 games into their home slate, and they're 28 into it this season and headed into their 10th series. The last time any MLB team went their first 10 home series without a win was 2003 when Detroit went 13 and Pittsburgh 10.


Carlos Gonzalez homered for a second straight day in the latest loss and is 9 for 20 in his last five, while Troy Tulowitzki is 15 for 29 in his last seven, but it hasn't been enough to get on any sort of team roll.


"We've got to get them all going at the same time," manager Walt Weiss told MLB's official website. "Yesterday we played real well offensively. Today, we didn't play very well offensively."


St. Louis has been putting the pieces together in four straight series wins as part of an 11-3 span. It began its trip west by taking three of four from the Los Angeles Dodgers, including Sunday's 4-2 victory.


Jhonny Peralta was 3 for 4 with a home run, double and two RBIs, giving the shortstop a .396 average with 13 RBIs in the last 14 games.


Pitching has been the most impressive aspect in the last 14 games with a 1.64 ERA. The bullpen hasn't allowed an earned run in 14 1-3 innings over seven games this month, and the club's 2.59 season ERA is easily the best in the majors.


No team has managed an ERA under 3.00 for a season since the 1989 Dodgers (2.95), and the Cardinals last did it in 1969 (2.94).


"Why can't it be sustainable?" manager Mike Matheny said. "I get it that there's a lot of numbers that say it would be hard to (sustain the success), but I don't want them even glimpsing at that."


John Lackey (4-3, 2.93 ERA) is in position to win three straight starts for the first time since stringing four together in July 2011. The right-hander allowed three runs and 10 hits in seven innings of Wednesday's 7-4 home in over Milwaukee.


He's still seeking his first road win in his sixth start, and he's 0-4 with a 5.15 ERA away from St. Louis in eight starts dating to Sept. 5. At Coors, he's 0-1 with a 6.39 ERA in two starts.


Lackey is opposed by David Hale, who is making his third start, all of which have come at home. The right-hander allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings of a 9-8 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.


Hale (1-0, 4.26) pitched four innings of scoreless relief against the Cardinals last season while with Atlanta.


Former Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday is batting .456 in his last 20 games against Colorado. As a visiting player at Coors, he's a .444 hitter with a 1.409 OPS in 17 games.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cardinals at Rockies
Mon, Jun 8 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 2
Cardinals at Rockies
Tue, Jun 9 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 3
Cardinals at Rockies
Wed, Jun 10 - 3:10PM EDT

Preview: Diamondbacks (27-29) at Dodgers (32-25)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 08, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The Arizona Diamondbacks will have made their selection with the No. 1 pick in the draft by the time they take the field against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.


Mike Bolsinger wasn't as high a draft pick, but he's trying to make Arizona regret trading him to Los Angeles in the offseason as he looks to deal the Diamondbacks a seventh straight loss at Dodger Stadium in the opener of a three-game set.


Arizona (27-29) owns the top pick for the first time since 2005 when it selected Justin Upton, who was dealt to Atlanta after the 2012 season. Now a less-heralded pick hopes to spoil the Diamondbacks' draft night.


Bolsinger (3-1, 1.98 ERA) was taken in the 15th round in 2010 and made his major league debut with Arizona last season, going 1-6 with a 5.50 ERA in nine starts and one relief appearance.


The Diamondbacks then traded him to the Dodgers for cash considerations in November, and he's shined since being given a chance in the rotation. He posted a 1.15 ERA through his first five starts before allowing four runs while walking three in five innings of a 7-6 loss to Colorado on Wednesday.


The right-hander is getting his first crack at his former team, which has lost 10 of 11 at Dodger Stadium after being swept in a three-game set there May 1-3. Rubby De La Rosa, roughed up in that series opener, will take the hill again looking to end his funk.


De La Rosa (4-2, 5.09) has an 8.44 ERA in his last three starts after allowing a season-worst seven runs and nine hits in five innings of Wednesday's 9-8 win over Atlanta.


The right-hander has given up two homers in each of his last two, bringing his total to 12 in 11 outings after allowing exactly that many in 18 starts and one relief appearance last season.


De La Rosa, who pitched 14 games for the Dodgers in 2011-12, allowed a grand slam to Joc Pederson and a solo shot to Justin Turner while giving up five runs - all in the second - over five innings of an 8-0 loss in his only career start against his former team last month.


Pederson went 2 for 14 in a four-game series with St. Louis after homering in a franchise-record five straight. He finished 0 for 3 in Sunday's 4-2 loss as the Dodgers (32-25) scored six runs while dropping three of four to the Cardinals.


Howie Kendrick didn't start for the fourth straight game because of a right knee injury, but he entered in the seventh at second base and struck out in his only at-bat. Manager Don Mattingly hopes Kendrick can start in this contest.


"We don't want him to play one and then miss two or three," Mattingly told MLB's official website.


Kendrick is 5 for 12 with a homer in his career against De La Rosa, who looks to help the Diamondbacks bounce back from a 6-3 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday.


The biggest positive came when David Hernandez pitched a scoreless eighth in his first appearance since Sept. 29, 2013, after missing all of 2014 because of Tommy John surgery.


"Definitely good to see," said manager Chip Hale, whose club had won three of four. "I could see a big exhale when he came off (the field)."


Paul Goldschmidt is just 3 for 15 over his last five, but he's hitting .365 with nine home runs in his last 25 at Dodger Stadium. He went 6 for 13 with a homer in the series last month to extend his hitting streak there to eight.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Mon, Jun 8 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Tue, Jun 9 - 10:10PM EDT


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

Royals, Twins square off


June 8, 2015




KANSAS CITY ROYALS (31-23) at MINNESOTA TWINS (33-23)


First pitch: Monday, 8:10 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Minnesota -110, Kansas City +100, Total: 8.5


The Kansas City Royals look to move into a tie for first place in the AL Central when they take on the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.


The Royals are on a mission to prove that their World Series run last year was no fluke and they currently sit in second in the AL Central by a single game. They have fallen on hard times of late after a great start, though, and are a mere 3-9 since May 24th with four straight series losses. Their most recent opponent was the Rangers and they narrowly avoided a sweep with a 4-3 victory on Sunday after scoring a meager two runs in the first two contests. The offense earned the runs despite going 0-for-7 with RISP as they hit five extra-base hits with one of them coming off the bat of 3B Mike Moustakas (.318) who leads the team in average, but has just one extra-base hit in the last 12 games.


The Twins are surprisingly the team currently sitting in front of Kansas City following a May in which they went 20-7. They have not been as hot in the first seven games of June, though, going 3-4 and avoiding a sweep at the hands of the Brewers with a 2-0 victory on Sunday afternoon. Two early runs backed the solid outing (8 IP, 0 ER, 8 H, 7 K) from starter Mike Pelfrey as the defense turned three double plays. OF Torii Hunter (.281) has been having an offensive resurgence with his old team and has been on base safely in each of the last 16 games.


Getting the call for the Royals will be LHP Jason Vargas (4-2, 4.79 ERA) as he takes on RHP Phil Hughes (4-5, 4.96 ERA) of the host Twins. Kansas City can’t be too excited to be back on the road with a record of 12-12 when away from home in 2015 as they face this Minnesota group which is 20-9 in front of its fans.


This will be the 45th meeting between these two AL Central teams since the start of the 2013 campaign and in that time the Royals are 29-15 with a 14-9 record on the road. They have split the six games played this year with the home squad coming away with a series win each time. Trends show that Kansas City is 93-69 (.574) against right-handed starters since the start of last season as the Twins have gone 15-7 (.682) when facing left-handed starters on the year.


C Eric Kratz (Foot) of the Royals continues to ride the DL and will be joined by OF Jordan Schafer (Knee) of Minnesota in missing this contest.


Vargas has moved around quite a bit in his career as a Major League pitcher and has tallied at least 24 starts in each of the last five seasons as a part of three different clubs (Mariners, Angels, Royals). He has been successful in that time too, posting an ERA under 4.00 in three of the years, but has never been much of a strikeout pitcher with a career K/9 mark of 5.9. His control keeps him in games, but his 2.78 BB/9 so far this year is a career-high mark and has led to 1.26 HR/9 while contributing to his worst ERA since 2009.


Despite his overall poor numbers on the year, the Royals are 4-1 in his last five outings as he’s given up eight earned runs over his past four starts (21 IP). When facing the Twins in his career, the lefty is 5-4 (8-4 team record) with a 4.32 ERA (1.54 WHIP) and has seen his club get the win in four of his past five meetings with them. Both 1B Joe Mauer (14-for-33, 2 doubles, 9 RBI) and OF Torii Hunter (16-for-48, 6 doubles, 4 RBI) have had a ton of success against Vargas while 3B Trevor Plouffe and C Kurt Suzuki are a combined 13-for-66 (.197) with a homer and five RBI in the matchup.


The relievers for Kansas City have gone 11-4 with an amazing 1.75 ERA (1.04 WHIP) and are 16-for-25 (64%) in their save chances. Greg Holland (2.03 ERA, 9 saves) has one blown save in his 10 chances and has really struggled with eight walks in 13.1 innings of work.


Hughes was a different pitcher in his first year with the Twins, seeing his ERA drop from over 4.20 in the past three seasons to a nice 3.52 mark in 2015. That allowed him to earn 16 victories on a struggling Twins club as he also showed some of the best control in baseball with a mere 0.69 walks per nine innings. The impeccable control also put his homers allowed mark at a career-low 0.69 HR/9 while he struck out the most batters (8.0 K/9) since being a reliever in 2009. The performance has dipped drastically this year, though, and as he still shows some amazing control (0.9 BB), he is failing to strike out many batters (5.9 K/9). Following that has been plenty of home runs allowed (1.57 HR/9) and a bit of bad luck (.320 BABIP).


He has struck out more than four batters in an outing just twice on the year, but has been able to pitch better lately with the Twins coming away victorious in four of his last six attempts on the mound. He’s had plenty of experience against the Royals in his career, going 7-4 (8-4 team record) with a 5.14 ERA (1.38 WHIP) and has three quality starts against them in his last four tries; compiling an 18:2 K/BB ratio in that period. SS Alcides Escobar (6-for-17, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI) and OF Alex Gordon (9-for-30, 2 doubles, 4 RBI) have both had success against the 28-year-old in the past. On the other hand, OF Lorenzo Cain (1-for-8, 4 K), 1B Eric Hosmer (3-for-15), 3B Mike Moustakas (5-for-22, 3 doubles, 1 HR, 2 RBI) and C Salvador Perez (3-for-17, 1 double, 4 K) have struggled against the righty.


It hasn’t been the best of seasons for the Minnesota bullpen as they are 9-8 with a 3.74 ERA (1.29 WHIP) and are an impressive 23-for-26 (88%) in save opportunities. Glen Perkins (1.67 ERA, 21 saves) has yet to blow a save on the year while leading the AL in the category and has a solid 24:4 K/BB ratio in his 27 frames.

Hamels is 10-0 lifetime against the Reds......wow.

Nice reads CNOTES

Monday's Tip Sheet


June 8, 2015




Houston Astros at Chicago White Sox | 8:10 p.m. ET

It's probable that there's no pitcher in baseball that is as locked in right now as White Sox ace Chris Sale (5-2, 3.27 ERA), who has gone seven innings or more in five straight starts, while registering double-digit strikeout performances in all but one of them, including a season-high 13 K's his last time out in Arlington against a hot Rangers lineup. Fortunately for the 26-year-old southpaw, he has a nice opportunity to keep his sensational run going, as the Astros have the most strikeouts in baseball versus left-handed pitching.

Getting the win won't be as simple, though, as the Astros still have the best record in the American League, and will be trotting out impressive rookie Lance McCullers (2-0, 1.88 ERA) for this series-opening assignment. McCullers has surprisingly been really good since being called up on May 18. The right-hander has made four starts, surrendering two earned runs or less in each of them, though there have been a couple of outings where he did not escape the fifth inning. Even so, McCullers has been solid and is coming off an outstanding 11-strikeout, 0-walk complete game win over the Orioles. He's an intriguing +135 road 'dog matched up against Sale, and the over/under has already settled in at 7 in most places after opening up at 7.5.

Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins | 8:10 p.m. ET

Entering the second week of June, there's probably no one who pegged this series as being important, but it is, even for this early juncture of the Major League Baseball campaign, with the Royals trailing the upstart Twins by a game for first place in the AL Central. Both teams are also trying to gain ground on Detroit while they're down at the moment.


Phil Hughes (4-5, 4.96 ERA) will be tasked with trying to maintain his club's sole residence standing atop the division, but hasn't been particularly sharp as of late. In fact, the right-hander has given up nine runs combined over his past two starts, the second time he's done that in back-to-back outings since the beginning of May. He'll face Royals southpaw Jason Vargas (4-2, 4.79 ERA), who has made two starts since returning from injury. He's allowed a couple of runs in each, seemingly picking up where he left off. The opener for this series features an over/under line of 8.5.

Philadelphia Phillies at Cincinnati Reds | 7:10 p.m. ET

When Cole Hamels (5-4, 2.88 ERA) and Mike Leake (2-4, 4.40 ERA) squared off against each other last Wednesday, the result was an awful, awful bad beat for under bettors. In that well-pitched meeting, Leake had a no-hitter into the seventh inning and ultimately carried a 4-0 shutout into the final frame (it was even 2-0 prior to the ninth), only to yield some base-runners and see elite closer Aroldis Chapman serve up the game-tying three-run home run, paving the way for an over victory for the wrong side.

Flash forward five days later and the two hurlers are tangling again to open up another three-game set between the two clubs. That last start for Leake was very important after amassing allowing 20 runs and 27 hits in his prior three starts spanning 14 innings. Hamels, meanwhile, has been marvelously consistent all year long and is currently on a career-high streak of six consecutive starts going seven innings and allowing two earned runs or less. He has a 1.83 ERA over that stretch. The over/under for this one is 7, which is what it opened up at when they met five days ago, before dropping to 6.5.

Other Monday Notes

-- Shelby Miller (5-2, 1.89 ERA), in undoubtedly pitching like someone on track to make the All Star team, has been an absolute darling for under bets. In fact, he started his 2015 campaign by cashing the under in eight of his first nine starts, and although his last two games have gone over the total, that's hardly had anything to do with Miller, who continues to pitch well, though he is coming off his shortest outing of the season. He takes on Ian Kennedy (3-5, 6.60 ERA) this evening in game one of this San Diego-Atlanta four-game set, which has an over/under of 7.5. Miller is also only a -130 home favorite despite his very notable success this season.

-- Is Mike Bolsinger (3-1, 1.98 ERA) about to enter a regression? It's possible after the surprising youngster allowed a season-high four runs in a season-low five innings his last time out. Bolsinger has been a godsend for the Dodgers, surrendering two runs or less in his first five starts prior to his last assignment, and he also helped churn out four unders during that span. He tries to get back on tonight against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Rubby De La Rosa (4-2, 5.09 ERA), who has given up four runs or more in four of his past five. The over/under is 7.5.

Catching up with a decade's worth of No. 1 picks


June 8, 2015


The baseball draft doesn't draw the type of obsessive interest from fans that, say, its NFL counterpart does.


Perhaps that's because it takes place in the middle of the season, when there are actual games to focus on. Or maybe it's because even the very top picks will need a bit of seasoning in the minors before making an impact.


But expectations should definitely be high for whoever is taken with the No. 1 overall pick Monday. The Arizona Diamondbacks own that selection, and for an idea of what they can hope for, here's a look back at the top pick from each of the past 10 drafts.


2005: Justin Upton (Arizona)


MLB Debut: 2007


Career Accomplishments: Upton finished fourth in the National League MVP vote in 2011, leading the Diamondbacks to an NL West title. He's been traded twice since then, to Atlanta and then to San Diego.


2006: Luke Hochevar (Kansas City)


MLB Debut: 2007


Career Accomplishments: The right-hander was a regular starter for the Royals from 2008-2012, never posting an ERA under 4.68 in that span. He was very good as a reliever in 2013, but he missed all of last season because of Tommy John surgery and did not pitch again for the Royals until a month ago.


2007: David Price (Tampa Bay)


MLB Debut: 2008


Career Accomplishments: Price made an immediate impact, earning the save in Game 7 of the AL championship series in 2008 and eventually becoming one of the game's top starters. The 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner was traded to Detroit last year and can expect a huge payday as a free agent after this season.


2008: Tim Beckham (Tampa Bay)


MLB Debut: 2013


Career Accomplishments: After playing only five games for Tampa Bay in 2013, Beckham had offseason knee surgery and didn't appear in the majors again until this year. He does have five home runs in 2015, but he's hitting .213 and recently went on the disabled list again, this time with a hamstring problem.


2009: Stephen Strasburg (Washington)


MLB Debut: 2010


Career Accomplishments: Now 26, Strasburg should be in his prime, but not everything has gone according to plan - from his Tommy John surgery in 2010 to his struggles this year. Still, Strasburg's career numbers - 46-35 with a 3.25 ERA and 10.25 strikeouts per nine innings - are indicative of the underlying talent.


2010: Bryce Harper (Washington)


MLB Debut: 2012


Career Accomplishments: He hit 22 homers in 139 games as a rookie, and although it took a little while for the next step to come, Harper is now indisputably one of the game's most compelling players. An early front-runner for this year's NL MVP, Harper won't turn 23 until October.


2011: Gerrit Cole (Pittsburgh)


MLB Debut: 2013


Career Accomplishments: The Pirates made the playoffs in each of Cole's first two seasons in the majors, and this year he's been even better, posting a 9-2 record with a 1.73 ERA so far.


2012: Carlos Correa (Houston)


Career Accomplishments: The first of three straight No. 1 overall picks by the Astros, Correa has recovered from a broken leg last year and is now ready to make his major league debut. Correa is joining the Astros in time for Monday's game against the White Sox in Chicago.


2013: Mark Appel (Houston)


Career Accomplishments: The 23-year-old right-hander is 3-1 with a 5.20 ERA this season at Double-A Corpus Christi. His 2014 season had its ups and downs as well.


2014: Brady Aiken (Houston)


Career Accomplishments: Aiken's career is on hold at the moment. He and the Astros never came to an agreement on a contract, and he was preparing for this year's draft with the IMG Academy in Florida when he announced he had undergone Tommy John surgery.


So that's 10 years of No. 1 picks - plenty of risk, but the potential reward is impressive.


Here are a few other developments around the majors:


HURDLE KEEPS THE FAITH


Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle has earned respect from his players for sticking by them through slumps and struggles. He says the players who have been with him understand he will stand by them and believe in them.


''They have tangible evidence,'' Hurdle said in San Francisco. ''It reaffirms your actions match your words. It also helps players know there is a safety net.''


On the morning of May 14, infielder Josh Harrison was batting.181. Since then, he's hitting .375. That's one example of Hurdle's patience paying off.


Pittsburgh has won 14 of its last 19.


FANTASY FOCUS


Correa will be in the spotlight with the Astros, but there's also been plenty of chatter about another top infield prospect - Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor.


The Indians did not call up Lindor on Sunday when they sent Lonnie Chisenhall and Jose Ramirez to the minors. But that's clearly a situation worth monitoring going forward, especially if Cleveland's infield replacements don't pan out over the next couple weeks.


LINE OF THE WEEK


Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers, allowed one hit in eight innings and struck out 11 to lead Los Angeles over St. Louis 2-0 on Saturday. Kershaw has been slightly less dominant than usual this year. Consider this start a warning that the reprieve may be over for the rest of the National League.

Baseball Capsules


June 8, 2015




NEW YORK (AP) - CC Sabathia pitched six sharp innings before being ejected for arguing balls and strikes, Brett Gardner hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer Sunday and the New York Yankees won their season-high sixth straight game, 6-2 over the Los Angeles Angels.


Jose Pirela hit his first big league homer and Chris Young also connected off C.J. Wilson (3-5) for New York, which came back to win after building big leads in the first two games of the series. The Yankees swept the Angels, losers of five in a row, in a series of at least three games for the first time since 2003.


Sabathia (3-7) gave up back-to-back homers to Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the first inning but then breezed through a struggling Angles lineup the rest of the way, notching his 2,500th career strikeout in the fifth.


RAYS 3, MARINERS 1


SEATTLE (AP) - Chris Archer became the first pitcher in more than 100 years to reach double-digits in strikeouts without a walk in three straight starts, leading Tampa Bay over Seattle.


Archer (7-4) fanned 11 with zero walks in seven innings. STATS found no other pitcher with such a string in its research dating to 1914.


Archer had five three-ball counts and gave up six hits, along with an unearned run. After striking out 12 against Seattle on May 27 and 15 vs. the Angels last Tuesday, he won his fourth straight decision overall.


Kevin Jepsen pitched the ninth for his fourth save of the season and third in the four-game series.


Mike Montgomery (0-1) pitched well against his former club, but got little run support.


CARDINALS 4, DODGERS 2


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jhonny Peralta homered and singled home the go-ahead run during a three-run eighth inning, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night.


Matt Carpenter drew a leadoff walk from reliever Adam Liberatore, and scored the tying run on a triple down the right-field line by Matt Holliday that skipped past Yasiel Puig - who was playing his second game after missing 39 because of a strained left hamstring.


Holliday's hit came off Juan Nicasio (1-2). Peralta, who leads St. Louis with 34 RBIs, followed with his clutch hit and scored on Mark Reynolds' one-out double to left-center.


Kevin Siegrist (3-0) pitched one inning for the victory. Trevor Rosenthal, the sixth Cardinals pitcher, threw a perfect ninth for his 19th save in 20 attempts.


---


PHILLIES 6, GIANTS 4


PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pinch-hitter Jeff Francoeur drove in two runs with a two-out double in the seventh inning to help Philadelphia beat San Francisco and stave off a series sweep.


Freddy Galvis led off the inning with a single. After another hit and a double play, Ben Revere worked a walk to set the stage for Francoeur. He hit a pitch from San Francisco reliever Javier Lopez into the left-field corner, scoring Galvis and Revere.


Right-hander Ken Giles (2-1) earned the victory, getting five outs. He struck out the side in the eighth inning for the Phillies, who ended a three-game losing streak. Jonathan Papelbon allowed a run in the ninth inning, but managed his 12th save in as many opportunities.


Maikel Franco hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, his sixth of the season, to give the Phillies an extra insurance run.


ROYALS 4, RANGERS 3


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Salvador Perez hit a solo home run with two outs in the eighth inning, lifting Kansas City over Texas.


Perez hit his eighth homer, sending a pitch from Keone Kela (4-2) into the Royals' bullpen.


Wade Davis (3-1) picked up the victory, working around Prince Fielder's double in the eighth. Greg Holland pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 10 opportunities.


METS 6, DIAMONBACKS 3


PHOENIX (AP) - Curtis Granderson hit two of New York's three leadoff homers, Jacob deGrom struck out 10 in seven effective innings and the Mets bashed their way past Arizona.


Granderson led off the game with a home run, had another to start the fifth and the Mets hit four homers off Josh Collmenter (3-6) in six innings to earn a four-game split.


Eric Campbell hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Wilmer Flores led off the sixth with a solo shot. Juan Lagares had three hits and deGrom (7-4) recovered after a shaky first inning to win his fourth straight decision.


Jeurys Familia worked a perfect ninth for his 17th save, aided by fine defensive plays from Lagares and Flores.


CUBS 6, NATIONALS 3


WASHINGTON (AP) - Kris Bryant tripled, doubled, singled and scored twice as Chicago sent Washington to its eighth loss in 10 games.


Jason Motte pitched a perfect ninth for his first save since 2012, when he led the NL with 42 for St. Louis before getting hurt. Closer Hector Rondon threw a perfect eighth - a day earlier, manager Joe Maddon said he might put the right-hander in some lower-pressure situations to get settled.


Chris Coghlan and Starlin Castro both had two hits and two RBIs, helping the Cubs take three of four in the series. The Nationals fell out of the NL East lead, passed by the New York Mets.


Kyle Hendricks (2-2) went five innings, giving up three runs and six hits.


Jordan Zimmermann (5-3) had won his last four decisions. He began this game 1-4 lifetime against the Cubs, and ran into more trouble, giving up four runs on 10 hits in five innings.


RED SOX 7, ATHLETICS 4


BOSTON (AP) - Rusney Castillo hit a solo homer and an RBI single during a seven-run rally in the eighth inning that sent Boston over Oakland for a three-game sweep.


Xander Bogaerts delivered a go-ahead, two-run double. The Red Sox got eight hits in the comeback before ambidextrous Pat Venditte, Oakland's fifth pitcher of the inning, got the last out.


Steven Wright (3-2) pitched 3 1-3 innings of shutout relief for the win. Tommy Layne threw a perfect ninth for his first save.


Kendall Graveman took a shutout into the eighth inning before Castillo led off with a homer. Bogaerts doubled off Tyler Clippard (0-3) and Castillo's single capped the scoring.


BLUE JAYS 7, ASTROS 6


TORONTO (AP) - Chris Colabello extended his hitting streak with a two-run single that capped a ninth-inning rally, and Toronto beat Houston for its fifth straight win.


Jose Bautista hit a pair of solo homers and Russell Martin added a two-run shot for Toronto, which scored three times in the ninth to complete a three-game sweep. Colabello's game-ending single increased his hitting streak to 17 games, the longest active run in the majors.


Liam Hendriks (1-0) pitched two innings for the win.


Luke Gregerson (2-1) was handed his second blown save in 17 chances.


Pinch-hitter Munenori Kawasaki doubled to begin the ninth and scored on a single by Jose Reyes.


PIRATES 3, BRAVES 0


ATLANTA (AP) - Gerrit Cole pitched seven strong innings to win his fourth straight start, Starling Marte had a two-run single in the three-run fifth inning and Pittsburgh beat Atlanta.


Cole, the first overall draft pick of 2011, became the first Pirate since Emil Yde in 1924-25 with 30 victories in 53 or fewer career starts.


Cole (9-2) allowed six hits, three walks and struck out seven, throwing 74 of his 116 pitches for strikes. He leads the NL in victories and with a 1.73 ERA. His 13 victories over his last 17 starts lead the majors over that span.


Mark Melancon earned his 18th save in 19 chances, facing the minimum in the ninth by getting pinch-hitter Pedro Ciriaco to fly out and striking out Jace Peterson and Cameron Maybin


Alex Wood (4-3) took the loss. He was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing balls and strikes.


TIGERS 6, WHITE SOX 4


CHICAGO (AP) - Yoenis Cespedes and J.D. Martinez homered in the sixth inning to power Detroit past Chicago.


The Tigers have won consecutive games after dropping eight straight, their longest skid since 2005.


Alfredo Simon (6-3) struck out seven and allowed four runs - one earned - in eight innings. Joakim Soria earned his 16th save in 18 chances.


Detroit finished with 10 hits after getting 18 on Saturday. The middle of the order - Cespedes, Tyler Collins and Martinez - combined for eight hits and six RBIs.


The Tigers rallied with three runs in the sixth on homers by Cespedes and Martinez, who had three RBIs.


Cespedes cut Detroit's deficit to 4-3 with a solo shot, his eighth. Two batters later, Martinez hit a two-run drive, his 10th.


Cespedes added an RBI single in the eighth.


Avisail Garcia homered for the last-place White Sox.


REDS 4, PADRES 0


CINCINNATI (AP) - Jay Bruce homered twice to drive in all four runs and Johnny Cueto earned his first win in almost a month, leading Cincinnati over San Diego.


Cueto and relievers J.J. Hoover and Aroldis Chapman combined to retire the last 15 batters, helping the Reds avoid a sweep.


Cueto (4-4) gave up four hits in seven innings, striking out nine and walking two. It was his first win since May 9.


The right-hander made his second start since missing two outings because of inflammation in his pitching elbow. Last year, he became the Reds' first 20-game winner since 1988.


Odrisamer Despaigne (3-4) lasted six innings. The Padres had won six straight over the Reds since May 2014.


ORIOLES 7, INDIANS 3


CLEVELAND (AP) - Matt Wieters hit his first home run in more than a year and Bud Norris won in his return from the disabled list as Baltimore beat Cleveland.


Adam Jones also went deep to help the Orioles take two of three in the series. They have won three of four after losing five in a row.


Wieters, the All-Star catcher who returned Friday from Tommy John surgery last season, connected in the ninth for his first home run since May 1, 2014. He was 5 for 12 with three RBIs in the series.


Norris (2-4) was activated before the game after missing a month with bronchitis. He allowed one run and struck out seven in five innings to win for the first time since April 26.


MARLINS 3, ROCKIES 2, 10 INNINGS


DENVER (AP) - Adeiny Hechavarria hit a two-out homer in the 10th inning, lifting Miami to a win over Colorado.


Hechavarria drove a slider from reliever Boone Logan (0-2) into the trees in straightaway center field. It was Hechavarria's first homer since April 25.


Marcell Ozuna had a two-out, two-run single in the first inning to help the Marlins take two of three in the series.


Carlos Gonzalez tied the game at 2 in the seventh with a solo homer. The Rockies had a chance in the ninth with two outs and runners on first and second, but Sam Dyson (3-2) got pinch-hitter Ben Paulsen to ground out.


TWINS 2, BREWERS 0


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Mike Pelfrey pitched eight strong innings, his longest outing in three years, and Minnesota avoided a series sweep by beating Milwaukee.


Eddie Rosario and Eduardo Escobar had RBIs for the Twins, who otherwise struggled with runners on base. Glen Perkins worked a scoreless ninth for his major league-leading 21st save in as many chances.


Pelfrey (5-2) allowed eight hits and struck out seven. He has yielded only three earned runs over his last four starts, spanning 28 innings. This was his longest performance since April 21, 2012 - his last outing before Tommy John surgery.


Minnesota, which entered fourth in the majors with a .298 batting average with runners in scoring position, finished 2 for 12 in those situations after going 1 for 6 on Saturday

White Sox place Jennings on disabled list, bring up Guerra


June 7, 2015


CHICAGO (AP) - The Chicago White Sox placed left-handed reliever Dan Jennings on the 15-day disabled list due to inflammation on the left side of his neck prior to their game Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.


Jennings, 28, is 1-2 with a 7.83 ERA in 22 appearances. The move is retroactive to June 5.


In a corresponding move, Chicago purchased the contract of right-handed reliever Junior Guerra from Triple-A Charlotte. Guerra, 30, has never appeared in a big-league game and was 2-6 with a 2.72 ERA in 12 games between Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham

Reds option Diaz, promote Adcock


June 7, 2015


CINCINNATI (AP) - The Cincinnati Reds optioned right-hander Jumbo Diaz to Triple-A Louisville and promoted RHP Nate Adcock from the Bats on Sunday.


Right-hander Matt Magill was released to make room on the 40-man roster for Adcock, who was 0-2 with a 2.96 earned-run average and leading Louisville with 11 saves.


Diaz slipped to 2-1 with a 6.65 ERA over 25 relief appearances after allowing two hits, two walks and the two go-ahead runs to get the decision in Cincinnati's 9-7 loss to San Diego on Saturday.


Magill had successful Tommy John surgery on May 8 to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He is expected to return in 2016. He was acquired in December from the Dodgers in exchange for outfielder Chris Heisey.

Rangers place Ohlendorf on disabled list


June 7, 2015


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Texas Rangers put right-hander Ross Ohlendorf on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a strained right groin.


Ohlendorf was 1-0 with one save and a 3.52 ERA in eight relief appearances. The move was retroactive to Thursday.


Rookie right-hander Spencer Patton was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock, where he had a 0.53 ERA with five saves in five opportunities in 16 relief appearances, while holding opposing batters to a .175 average. He struck out 22 in 17 innings.


Patton was up for 10 days in May and gave up three runs in three innings. He was acquired from the Kansas City Royals on July 16, 2014 trade for right-hander Jason Frasor.

Padres activate OF Melvin Upton Jr.


June 7, 2015


CINCINNATI (AP) - The San Diego Padres activated outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. from the 15-day disabled list and sent outfielder Abraham Almonte to Triple-A El Paso after Sunday's loss to Cincinnati.


Upton will join brother Justin on the Padres. He'll be ready to play Monday night in Atlanta - he was traded by the Braves to San Diego with closer Craig Kimbrel in a multiplayer deal on April 5.


Upton has been sidelined by an injured left foot. He hit .280 with one home run and six RBIs in 50 at_bats over 13 games during a medical rehab stint with El Paso.


Almonte hit .186 with four RBIs in 23 games since being recalled from El Paso on May 8.

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up


Monday, June 8


National League
Brewers @ Pirates
Nelson is 1-4, 5.17 in his last six starts; three of his last four went over.


Burnett is 6-0, 3.26 in his last six starts (over 5-1), but he has a 7.59 RA in his last two starts. Pirates scored 26 runs in his last three starts. .


Milwaukee lost eight of last ten games with Pittsburgh; over is 3-0-1 in last four series games. Brewers are 4-6 in their last ten games; four of their last six games stayed under. Pirates won five of their last six games; over is 3-1-1 in their last five.


Phillies @ Reds
Hamels is 4-1, 1.83 in his last six starts; over is 4-1-1 in those six games.


Leake is 0-3, 9.00 in his last four starts, all of which went over.


Phillies are 5-3 in last eight games with the Reds (over 7-1); Phils lost seven of last ten games overall, with last six going over total. Cincinnati lost four of its last six games; seven of its last eight games went over.


Padres @ Braves
Kennedy is 1-4, 7.82 in his last five starts; seven of his last eight went over.


Miller is 2-1, 1.70 in his last six starts; three of his lasf our home starts stayed under the total.


Home side won last six San Diego-Atlanta games; Padres won last three; four of last six games went over. San Diego won four of their last five games; over is 8-1-1 in their last ten. Braves lost four of their last five games; over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.


Cardinals @ Rockies
Lackey is 2-1, 2.42 in his last four starts; seven of his last eight stayed under.


Hale is 1-0, 4.97 in his two starts this year.


St Louis won last four games with Colorado; three of last four series games in Denver went over. Cardinals won in LA last night; they've won five of last six games, with eight of last ten staying under. Rockies are 6-4 in last ten games.


Diamondbacks @ Dodgers
de la Rosa is 0-0, 8.44 in his last three starts; five of his last six went over.


Bolsinger is 3-1, 2.05 in his last five starts; five of his last seven went under.


Arizona lost eight of last ten with the Dodgers; over is 3-1-1 in last five series games played here. D'backs won four of last six games; over is 6-2-2 in their last ten games. Dodgers lost four of last five games; their last three games stayed under the total.


American League
Astros @ White Sox
McCullers is 2-0, 2.33 in his last three starts; three of his four starts stayed under the total.


Sale is 2-1, 1.47 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.


Houston lost four of last six games with Chicago; four of last six series games stayed under. Astros lost last four games; under is 6-2-1 in their last nine. White Sox lost three of last four games; four of last six went over.


Royals @ Twins
Vargas is 3-1, 3.43 in his last four starts; four of his six went over.


Hughes is 4-1, 5.30 in his last six starts; five of his last seven went over.


Royals lost seven of last ten games; under is 6-0-1 in their last seven games. KC is 6-4 in last ten games with Minnesota; over is 4-2-1 in their last seven series games. Twins are 3-4 in their last seven games.


Interleague
Marlins @ Blue Jays
Hand is 1-0, 1.64 in two starts this year (under 2-0).


Escobar is 1-3, 5.19 in his last six starts.


Marlins won eight of last ten games vs Toronto; over is 4-1-1 in last six, but teams haven't met since '12. Miami won four of last five games; five of their last seven stayed under. Blue Jays won last five games, scoring 35 runs.


Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Mil-Pitt-- Nelson 3-8; Burnett 3-8
Phil-Cin-- Hamels 7-5; Leake 3-8
SD-Atl-- Kennedy 3-6; Miller 8-3
StL-Colo-- Lackey 6-5; Hale 1-1
Az-LA-- de la Rosa 7-4; Bolsinger 3-3


Hst-Chi-- McCullers 2-2; Sale 7-3
KC-Minn-- Vargas 5-2; Hughes 4-7


Mia-Tor-- Hand 1-1; Estrada 1-5


Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Mil-Pitt-- Nelson 6-11; Burnett 2-11
Phil-Cin-- Hamels 3-12; Leake 2-11
SD-Atl-- Kennedy 5-9; Miller 1-11
StL-Colo-- Lackey 2-11; Hale 1-2
Az-LA-- de la Rosa 3-11; Bolsinger 3-6


Hst-Chi-- McCullers 0-4; Sale 5-10
KC-Minn-- Vargas 2-7; Hughes 3-11


Mia-Tor-- Hand 0-2; Estrada 2-6