Cnotes Best Bets For Monday June 15th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

MLB MONEYLINE


MLB > (917) LA DODGERS@ (918) TEXAS | 06/15/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play ON TEXAS using the money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 16 Wins and 5 Losses for the this season (+17.32 units)

MLB > (919) COLORADO@ (920) HOUSTON | 06/15/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play AGAINST COLORADO using the money line in All games as a road underdog of +150 to +175
The record is 5 Wins and 31 Losses for the last three seasons (-23.1 units)

MLB > (929) SEATTLE@ (930) SAN FRANCISCO | 06/15/2015 - 10:15 PM
Play AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO using the money line in Home games in June games
The record is 9 Wins and 22 Losses for the last three seasons (-19.9 units)


MLB > (907) WASHINGTON@ (908) TAMPA BAY | 06/15/2015 - 07:10 PM
Play AGAINST TAMPA BAY using the money line in All games at home when the total is 7 or less
The record is 20 Wins and 34 Losses for the last two seasons (-24.85 units)


MLB RUNLINE


MLB > (919) COLORADO@ (920) HOUSTON | 06/15/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play AGAINST COLORADO using the in Road games in an inter-league game
The record is 5 Wins and 17 Losses for the last three seasons (-18.25 units)


MLB > (917) LA DODGERS@ (918) TEXAS | 06/15/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play ON TEXAS using the in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 18 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+13.75 units)

MLB > (921) KANSAS CITY@ (922) MILWAUKEE | 06/15/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 23 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (+19.7 units)


MLB > (913) NY YANKEES@ (914) MIAMI | 06/15/2015 - 07:10 PM
Play AGAINST MIAMI using the in All games when playing on Monday
The record is 0 Wins and 9 Losses for the this season (-11.1 units)

MLB > (923) MINNESOTA@ (924) ST LOUIS | 06/15/2015 - 08:15 PM
Play ON ST LOUIS using the in Home games when playing with a day off
The record is 19 Wins and 7 Losses for the last three seasons (+15.65 units)


MLB TOTALS


MLB > (909) ATLANTA@ (910) BOSTON | 06/15/2015 - 07:10 PM
Play OVER ATLANTA on the total in All games in games played on a grass field
The record is 37 Overs and 19 Unders for the this season (+17.1 units)


MLB > (923) MINNESOTA@ (924) ST LOUIS | 06/15/2015 - 08:15 PM
Play UNDER ST LOUIS on the total in All games in June games
The record is 9 Overs and 27 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.75 units)


MLB > (927) OAKLAND@ (928) SAN DIEGO | 06/15/2015 - 10:10 PM
Play OVER SAN DIEGO on the total in All games in all games
The record is 40 Overs and 23 Unders for the this season (+16.5 units)


MLB TOP POWERLINE


MLB > (911) TORONTO @ (912) NY METS | 06/15/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: NY METS -111 BTB PowerLine: NY METS 168
Edge On: NY METS (59)


MLB > (909) ATLANTA @ (910) BOSTON | 06/15/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: BOSTON -160 BTB PowerLine: BOSTON 115
Edge On: BOSTON (50)


MLB > (913) NY YANKEES @ (914) MIAMI | 06/15/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: MIAMI +135 BTB PowerLine: MIAMI 184
Edge On: MIAMI (24)


MLB > (917) LA DODGERS @ (918) TEXAS | 06/15/2015 - 08:05 PM
Line: TEXAS -105 BTB PowerLine: TEXAS -143
Edge On: TEXAS (38)


MLB > (915) CLEVELAND @ (916) CHICAGO CUBS | 06/15/2015 - 08:05 PM
Line: CHICAGO CUBS -130 BTB PowerLine: CHICAGO CUBS -155
Edge On: CHICAGO CUBS (25)


MLB > (923) MINNESOTA @ (924) ST LOUIS | 06/15/2015 - 08:15 PM
Line: ST LOUIS -185 BTB PowerLine: ST LOUIS -209
Edge On: ST LOUIS (24)

NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (11) TAMPA BAY@ (12) CHICAGO | 06/15/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play ON TAMPA BAY using the in Road games when trailing in a playoff series
The record is 13 Wins and 3 Losses for the since 1992 (+13.6 units)


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (11) TAMPA BAY@ (12) CHICAGO | 06/15/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the total in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 9 Overs and 21 Unders for the this season (+12.3 units)

Preview: Phillies (22-42) at Orioles (31-31)
Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 15, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The Baltimore Orioles couldn't keep their longest win streak of the season going but might have a prime chance to start another run this week.


The Orioles will play four consecutive games against the major league-worst Philadelphia Phillies beginning Monday night.


Baltimore (31-31) gave up three runs in the fifth inning in a 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday while ending a six-game win streak and a five-game run at home. The Orioles produced six hits after batting .325 and averaging 6.5 runs in their streak.


"We made some headway over the last few games," manager Buck Showalter said. "We've just got to keep grinding through it."


Baltimore's attempt to get back in the win column will come against a Philadelphia team that's gone 0-6 on its eight-game road trip, lost 16 of 19 and has dropped 10 in a row away from home. They endured their second extra-inning shutout in three games Sunday with a 1-0 defeat in 10 innings in Pittsburgh.


"Today we couldn't get the big hit or couldn't scratch a run out across," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "It was a tough series as far as the offense has gone."


Philadelphia (22-42) also fell 1-0 in 13 innings Friday and has totaled seven runs in its last five games. The Phillies have gone 5 for 40 with runners in scoring position in that span and were 1 for 25 in the three matchups against the Pirates.


Wei-Yin Chen (2-4, 3.21 ERA) will try to keep the Phillies mired in their slump while building on his first win in six starts, a 5-2 victory over Boston on Wednesday. The left-hander allowed two runs in five-plus innings and limited an opponent to three earned runs or fewer for the 11th time in 12 starts.


The Orioles would like to get some innings out of Chen, with none of their starters completing seven innings since May 30.


Chen will face the Phillies for the first time while Aaron Harang (4-7, 3.04) will make his first start against Baltimore since an 11-8 loss at Camden Yards on Aug. 2, 2013, while with Seattle. The veteran right-hander is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in three career matchups against the Orioles but is 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA in his last four starts against AL teams, including a 4-2 win over Boston on April 8.


He'll try to help the Phillies avoid matching their 11-game road losing streak from July 20-Aug. 11, 2013. Philadelphia lost seven in a row overall to finish this past month.


Harang will also seek to avoid losing in five consecutive starts for just the second time in his career. He had his other such streak in 2009.


If he repeats his latest outings, it's doubtful that he can break his skid. Harang has allowed 13 runs in 11 2-3 innings in his two starts this month and gave up a season-high seven runs in six innings in an 11-2 drubbing in Cincinnati on Tuesday.


"The (two) first-inning walks killed me. That's what got me. I was too tentative, picking at the corners," Harang told MLB's official website.


J.J. Hardy has the most experience of any Orioles hitter against Harang, going 6 for 28 (.214) with three homers.


Baltimore's Manny Machado is batting .455 with three homers and seven RBIs during an eight-game hit streak. He's a career .339 hitter in interleague play, going 8 for 23 this season.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Phillies at Orioles
Mon, Jun 15 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Phillies at Orioles
Tue, Jun 16 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Orioles at Phillies
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Orioles at Phillies
Thu, Jun 18 - 1:05PM EDT

Preview: White Sox (28-33) at Pirates (35-27)
Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 15, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Carlos Rodon has shown why he's a top pitching prospect in his recent starts, and the Chicago White Sox could use another strong outing from the left-hander Monday night.


The White Sox and Rodon, though, will have to take on a red-hot Pittsburgh Pirates club that's produced plenty of stellar pitching lately.


Rodon (2-0, 2.66 ERA) appears to have gotten comfortable in the majors over his last four games, going 1-0 with a 1.11 ERA. Last year's No. 3 overall pick earned his lone win in that stretch Tuesday by tossing six scoreless innings in a 4-2 victory over Houston.


"He has that bulldog mentality of just going out and gutting his way through it and just battling," manager Robin Ventura told MLB's official website after his rookie threw a career-high 116 pitches. "I think that's an impressive part of what we're learning about him: the way he goes about it, how much he cares and how much he puts on his own shoulders."


After taking on the AL West leaders, Rodon will face a Pirates team that got its 17th win in 22 games Sunday with a 1-0 victory in 11 innings against Philadelphia. Pittsburgh (35-27) began its three-game sweep of the Phillies with a 1-0 win in 13 innings Friday.


The Pirates have scored nine runs in their last six games but their staff has allowed nine in that same stretch. Pittsburgh pitchers have yielded just three runs on a four-game win streak while recording three of the team's six shutouts.


The Pirates have a major league-best 2.05 ERA in their past 22 contests, including a 2.12 mark by the starters.


Francisco Liriano, however, couldn't overcome meager run support in a 4-1 loss to Milwaukee on Tuesday, his first defeat in four games. The left-hander gave up three runs in eight innings after going 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA in his prior three starts.


"You score one run, there's no safety net for the starter," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Good work by him, again. This is good stuff. This is hard-to-hit stuff."


Liriano (3-5, 3.25) is meeting the White Sox for the first time since leaving to sign with Pittsburgh following the 2012 season. The left-hander made 12 appearances and 11 starts for Chicago after being traded from Minnesota on July 28 of that year.


Liriano last faced Chicago in his final start for Minnesota on July 23, 2012. His most recent interleague start came against the Twins on May 19, and it wasn't a memorable one as he allowed seven runs in two innings of an 8-5 defeat.


That loss came in Pittsburgh, where he's 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA in six starts. He's 2-1 with a 1.52 ERA in six road games.


In this outing, he'll take on a Chicago team that was swept in three games at Tampa Bay this past weekend while Ventura was attending his daughter's college graduation.


Chris Sale had the White Sox (28-33) in line for a win Sunday until giving up a two-run homer in the seventh in a 2-1 defeat.


Chicago swept Houston in three games before heading on its five-game trip.


The White Sox are 17-9 all-time against Pittsburgh and have won eight of the last nine meetings, but haven't faced them since a three-game sweep at PNC Park from June 15-17, 2010.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
White Sox at Pirates
Mon, Jun 15 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
White Sox at Pirates
Tue, Jun 16 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Pirates at White Sox
Wed, Jun 17 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Pirates at White Sox
Thu, Jun 18 - 8:10PM EDT

Preview: Braves (30-33) at Red Sox (27-37)
Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 15, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Boston Red Sox have surrendered 43 runs during a season-high six-game slide, including 31 over the weekend.


It seems unlikely that Rick Porcello will help the last-place club end those woes.


Porcello has dropped his last four starts heading into Monday night's home matchup against the Atlanta Braves.


Boston (27-37) is closing in on its longest skid since an eight-game drought Aug. 17-24. The Red Sox have a 6.96 ERA in their last six games, posting a 9.31 mark in a weekend home sweep by Toronto capped by Sunday's 13-5 defeat.


'We're not in a good place right now as a team, but it's not because we're not giving effort,' manager John Farrell said. 'We're not executing completely.'


The starters have a major league-worst 4.94 ERA, and Porcello (4-6, 5.26 ERA) has certainly been part of those problems. The right-hander has registered a 7.30 ERA in his four-start slide - his longest since he dropped six in a row Aug. 12-Sept. 10, 2012, with Detroit.


Porcello was charged with five runs and 10 hits over 5 1-3 innings in Wednesday's 5-2 defeat at Baltimore.


He won his lone career start against Atlanta (30-33) by yielding three runs in 6 1-3 innings in a 7-4 victory April 27, 2013. A.J. Pierzynski has faced him the most among Braves hitters, going 5 for 25 with one homer, while Nick Markakis is 9 for 24 with a homer in this matchup.


Porcello will face some surging hitters.


Freddie Freeman is hitting .365 with five homers and 14 RBIs in his last 13 games, Jace Peterson is batting .400 during an eight-game hitting streak and Cameron Maybin is at .420 with 10 RBIs over his last 11 contests for the Braves.


"I feel like we've been swinging the bat pretty well together as a team from top to bottom," Peterson said.


The Red Sox have won six straight over the Braves, with these teams meeting twice at Fenway Park before playing two games in Atlanta starting Wednesday.


Boston outscored Atlanta 22-12 in four meetings last year. Xander Bogaerts went 7 for 17 and Dustin Pedroia was 6 for 16.


David Ortiz has three homers and seven RBIs in his last four games, and has gone deep eight times in 27 games versus Atlanta.


Mike Napoli, who is batting .200 and is in a 1-for-20 slump, has been out of the lineup for Boston's last two games.


Atlanta will start rookie Williams Perez (2-0, 2.70), who went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts before he earned a save with a scoreless inning in Friday's 5-3, 12-inning win over the New York Mets.


The Braves are confident that won't affect him Monday, saying that Perez was supposed to use Thursday or Friday as a throwing day.


"We held him back on purpose because we were a little short," manager Fredi Gonzalez told MLB's official website. "The plan was for him to be used in an emergency, and (Friday) was an emergency."


The right-hander gave up an unearned run in seven innings to earn Wednesday's 4-1 win over San Diego.


The Braves dropped two of three against the Mets to start a five-game trip, blowing a five-run lead in falling 10-8 on Sunday.


It was the fourth time this year that Atlanta lost when scoring at least eight runs - three of them since June 3. Braves relievers rank last in the majors with a 4.64 ERA.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Braves at Red Sox
Mon, Jun 15 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Braves at Red Sox
Tue, Jun 16 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Red Sox at Braves
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Red Sox at Braves
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:10PM EDT

Preview: Yankees (34-28) at Marlins (27-37)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 15, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The New York Yankees are facing interesting lineup decisions as they head to Marlins Park for the first time in regular-season play.


Alex Rodriguez figures to be on the bench for New York, which will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to face the Miami Marlins on Monday night.


New York and Miami (27-37) meet for the next four days, with the first two games in Marlins Park and next two at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees (34-28) last visited Miami in 2009, though they opened Marlins Park with two exhibition games before it officially opened in 2012.


Rodriguez returns to the city where he grew up, though manager Joe Girardi has said he does not want to use the 39-year-old on defense for the remainder of the season. The slugger, who is five hits shy of 3,000, has started once in his career in Miami.


Girardi also does not expect to start Carlos Beltran at Marlins Park because of the spacious dimensions there. The manager gave Garrett Jones a start Sunday in right field and may do the same Monday and Tuesday.


"Our ballpark being a shorter distance between home and right, it doesn't play in as much," Girardi told MLB's official website. "But you get to some of these other parks and it plays in a little bit."


Jones returns to Miami after he had a team-high 33 doubles and batted .246 in his lone season with the Marlins last year.


Brian McCann, who is 9 for 25 in his last six games and has 18 RBIs in his last 18, is expected back in the Yankees' lineup after resting in Sunday's 5-3 victory at Baltimore that ended a three-game slide.


He'll be the batterymate for Tanaka (4-1, 2.48 ERA), who has allowed one run in seven innings in winning each of two starts since returning June 3 after being out for over a month with a strained right forearm. Tanaka improved to 4-1 with a 1.49 ERA in five career interleague starts in last Tuesday's 6-1 home win over Washington.


The right-hander has never faced the Marlins, and he has yielded two runs in 20 1-3 innings with 23 strikeouts on the road this year.


The Yankees will see a familiar face in Ichiro Suzuki, who played for them over the last two-plus seasons before joining the Marlins as a free agent. Since Suzuki doesn't start often, he may not face Japanese compatriot Tanaka for the first time.


Tanaka will get a break if Miami third baseman Martin Prado is out. Prado, who has missed only one game, is day to day after he sprained his right shoulder in Sunday's 4-1 loss to Colorado.


'Right now I'm in a lot of pain,' he said. 'We'll just wait until Monday to see how it feels.'


Tanaka will have to face Giancarlo Stanton, who leads the majors with 23 homers and 59 RBIs. The slugger has gone deep eight times in his last 12 games and is 13 for 25 over a seven-game hitting streak.


Marlins starter Tom Koehler (4-4, 4.00) was born in the Bronx and will face the Yankees for the first time. The right-hander has one of baseball's best home ERAs at 1.57.


Miami's Dee Gordon continues to vie for the batting title with a .354 average.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Yankees at Marlins
Mon, Jun 15 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Yankees at Marlins
Tue, Jun 16 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Marlins at Yankees
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Marlins at Yankees
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:05PM EDT

Preview: Blue Jays (34-30) at Mets (34-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 15, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Noah Syndergaard hasn't been at his sharpest in his two starts this month and could have a mammoth challenge when he faces the team that drafted him Monday night.


The highly touted New York Mets rookie will face a Toronto lineup that's seeking to power the Blue Jays to their first 12-game win streak in franchise history.


Toronto matched its longest string of victories with a 13-5 win in Boston on Sunday and had 16 hits to boost its average to .312 in its last 11 games. The Blue Jays (34-30) have scored a whopping 8.0 runs per contest during their streak and totaled 31 in their three games against the Red Sox this weekend.


"Honestly, I think everybody's coming here every day knowing we're going to win," infielder Ryan Goins said after driving in a career-high five runs Sunday. 'You put that with probably having the best one-through-six in the whole league and it makes it easier for seven, eight, nine."


The Blue Jays will try to keep rolling against the pitcher they took in the first round of the 2010 draft. They traded Syndergaard (2-4, 4.15 ERA) to New York in December 2012 in a seven-player deal that sent R.A. Dickey to Toronto.


'I'm just going into it like it's another game,' Syndergaard said. 'I don't really hold any grudges against them for that.'


The right-hander had a 1.82 ERA after his first four major league starts but has allowed 11 runs and 20 hits in 10 innings in his back-to-back losses this month. Syndergaard gave up four runs and 10 hits over six innings Tuesday while San Francisco's Chris Heston no-hit the Mets in a 5-0 defeat.


The 22-year-old Syndergaard's counterpart for Monday's game is on virtually the opposite end of the experience scale, 36-year-old Mark Buehrle (7-4, 4.25). The veteran left-hander has also fared better in his recent outings, going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his past three.


Buehrle yielded two runs in six innings while not getting a decision in a 4-3 win over Miami on Tuesday and couldn't register a third straight complete game. He's gone the distance in each of his last three road starts and will try to become the first Blue Jays pitcher with four consecutive complete games away from home since Dave Stieb in September 1982.


Curt Schilling is the last major league pitcher to do that with a five straight in 1999.


The Mets are the only team the 206-game winner has never beaten. He's 0-3 with a 4.39 ERA in four career matchups, last facing them in 2012.


New York (34-30) enters this game after hitting four homers and rallying from a five-run deficit for a 10-8 win against Atlanta on Sunday. The Mets' third victory in four contests kept them a half game ahead of Washington in the NL East.


New York, 24-11 at home, will face the all-time winningest pitcher in interleague play with Buehrle going 30-10 in 51 starts. He's 5-2 with a 1.97 ERA in nine starts against NL teams since joining the Blue Jays in 2013 and is 3-1 with a 1.25 ERA in his last five.


Michael Cuddyer has faced Buehrle more than any other hitter, batting .318 in 110 at_bats with 11 doubles and three home runs.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Mets
Mon, Jun 15 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Blue Jays at Mets
Tue, Jun 16 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Mets at Blue Jays
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:07PM EDT


GAME 4
Mets at Blue Jays
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:07PM EDT

Preview: Blue Jays (34-30) at Mets (34-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 15, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Noah Syndergaard hasn't been at his sharpest in his two starts this month and could have a mammoth challenge when he faces the team that drafted him Monday night.


The highly touted New York Mets rookie will face a Toronto lineup that's seeking to power the Blue Jays to their first 12-game win streak in franchise history.


Toronto matched its longest string of victories with a 13-5 win in Boston on Sunday and had 16 hits to boost its average to .312 in its last 11 games. The Blue Jays (34-30) have scored a whopping 8.0 runs per contest during their streak and totaled 31 in their three games against the Red Sox this weekend.


"Honestly, I think everybody's coming here every day knowing we're going to win," infielder Ryan Goins said after driving in a career-high five runs Sunday. 'You put that with probably having the best one-through-six in the whole league and it makes it easier for seven, eight, nine."


The Blue Jays will try to keep rolling against the pitcher they took in the first round of the 2010 draft. They traded Syndergaard (2-4, 4.15 ERA) to New York in December 2012 in a seven-player deal that sent R.A. Dickey to Toronto.


'I'm just going into it like it's another game,' Syndergaard said. 'I don't really hold any grudges against them for that.'


The right-hander had a 1.82 ERA after his first four major league starts but has allowed 11 runs and 20 hits in 10 innings in his back-to-back losses this month. Syndergaard gave up four runs and 10 hits over six innings Tuesday while San Francisco's Chris Heston no-hit the Mets in a 5-0 defeat.


The 22-year-old Syndergaard's counterpart for Monday's game is on virtually the opposite end of the experience scale, 36-year-old Mark Buehrle (7-4, 4.25). The veteran left-hander has also fared better in his recent outings, going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his past three.


Buehrle yielded two runs in six innings while not getting a decision in a 4-3 win over Miami on Tuesday and couldn't register a third straight complete game. He's gone the distance in each of his last three road starts and will try to become the first Blue Jays pitcher with four consecutive complete games away from home since Dave Stieb in September 1982.


Curt Schilling is the last major league pitcher to do that with a five straight in 1999.


The Mets are the only team the 206-game winner has never beaten. He's 0-3 with a 4.39 ERA in four career matchups, last facing them in 2012.


New York (34-30) enters this game after hitting four homers and rallying from a five-run deficit for a 10-8 win against Atlanta on Sunday. The Mets' third victory in four contests kept them a half game ahead of Washington in the NL East.


New York, 24-11 at home, will face the all-time winningest pitcher in interleague play with Buehrle going 30-10 in 51 starts. He's 5-2 with a 1.97 ERA in nine starts against NL teams since joining the Blue Jays in 2013 and is 3-1 with a 1.25 ERA in his last five.


Michael Cuddyer has faced Buehrle more than any other hitter, batting .318 in 110 at_bats with 11 doubles and three home runs




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Mets
Mon, Jun 15 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Blue Jays at Mets
Tue, Jun 16 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Mets at Blue Jays
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:07PM EDT


GAME 4
Mets at Blue Jays
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:07PM EDT

Preview: Nationals (33-30) at Rays (35-29)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 15, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Bryce Harper is expected to return to the Washington Nationals' lineup for his first game at Tropicana Field.


He has been at the stadium before, launching a memorable drive as a teenager.


Harper and the Nationals face a tough assignment Monday night when they take on Erasmo Ramirez and the surging Tampa Bay Rays.


Harper sat out Sunday's 4-0 win in Milwaukee after he was hit on the left leg by a 95 mph fastball the night before. It marked the second game missed this year by the superstar, who leads the majors with a .725 slugging percentage and 1.204 OPS and also leads the club with a .343 average, 21 homers and 51 RBIs.


"He's still sore. Good that we were able to get him a day off today and get some treatment on it. We'll see how he is tomorrow," manager Matt Williams said.


Back in 2009, Harper was invited to Tropicana Field for a home run derby among high school players and hit a shot that was measured at an estimated 502 feet - believed to be the longest ever recorded at the stadium.


This time, he'll face live pitching and a quality arm in Ramirez. The Rays right-hander has posted a 1.56 ERA in winning his last three starts after allowing two runs in five innings in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.


Ramirez (5-2, 4.96 ERA) has never faced Washington (33-30) and is 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA in seven career interleague starts.


Washington third baseman Yunel Escobar, who is 4 for 7 against Ramirez, makes his return to Tampa Bay after spending the previous two seasons with the Rays.


Rays outfielder Steven Souza Jr. will face his first big-league team for the first time. Souza was dealt to Tampa Bay in a three-team trade in the offseason after hitting .130 in 21 games for the Nationals last year. He leads all AL rookies with 12 homers and 29 RBIs.


Tampa Bay (35-29) will host Washington for two games before these teams play two more at Nationals Park starting Wednesday.


The Rays completed a three-game weekend sweep of the Chicago White Sox with their 11th win in 15 games, 2-1 on Sunday.


"We came in, we played some really good baseball," manager Kevin Cash told MLB's official website. "It's always nice to be able to get the first two then capitalize and get the third one."


Tampa Bay is 13-8 against left-handed starters entering this matchup against Gio Gonzalez (4-3, 4.42), who allowed two runs in 6 1-3 innings in Wednesday's 5-4, 11-inning win over the New York Yankees.


Gonzalez earned his first career win against Tampa Bay in 2008 and is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts against them between 2008-12.


The Rays hitter he has faced the most is Asdrubal Cabrera, who is 2 for 15 in the matchup. Cabrera ended a 20-game homer drought with a two-run shot Sunday.


Gonzalez has a tough act to follow after Max Scherzer was perfect through six innings and struck out a Nationals-record 16 in a one-hitter Sunday.


These teams last met when Washington took two of three in 2012.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Nationals at Rays
Mon, Jun 15 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Nationals at Rays
Tue, Jun 16 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Rays at Nationals
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Rays at Nationals
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:05PM EDT

Preview: Dodgers (36-26) at Rangers (33-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 15, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Delino DeShields provided a suitable replacement in left field for the injured Josh Hamilton while giving the Texas Rangers a viable threat in the leadoff spot.


Replacing DeShields could prove to be more difficult.


DeShields' status is unclear as Yovani Gallardo takes the hill looking to continue his solid run against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.


Hamilton hasn't played since May 31 and was placed on the disabled list June 4 with a strained left hamstring. DeShields has started in left 11 of his 12 games since Hamilton went down and is batting .269 with 13 stolen bases on the season.


The rookie, May's AL rookie of the month, went 4 for 11 with two doubles in a three-game series against Minnesota over the weekend, but he left Sunday's 4-3 loss in the sixth inning with a left hamstring injury of his own after trying to run down a fly ball.


Manager Jeff Banister isn't sure if DeShields will miss any time, but it appears likely. Jake Smolinski, who is 8 for 58 in 31 games for the Rangers (33-30) and was recalled from the minors June 2, replaced DeShields and struck out in his only at-bat.


'Obviously, (DeShields is) a speed guy, uses his legs,' Banister said. 'We're going to be cautious and conservative.'


Gallardo (5-6, 3.45 ERA) is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA over his last four starts after allowing two runs and striking out a season-high 10 in seven innings before the bullpen faltered in Wednesday's 5-4 loss at Oakland.


"I told myself to make them put the ball in play and I was able to get ahead of guys and pitch the way I wanted,' Gallardo said. 'It's always tough to lose when it happens like that. That's just the way the game is.'


The right-hander is familiar with facing the Dodgers after spending his previous eight seasons with Milwaukee. Gallardo is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA in his last five starts against Los Angeles, most recently allowing one run in eight innings of a 3-2 victory Aug. 16.


The NL West-leading Dodgers (37-26) enter this contest on a roll, though, having won five of six. Adrian Gonzalez, who made his major league debut with the Rangers and played 59 games from 2004-05 before being traded to San Diego, hit a two-run single in the 12th inning to give Los Angeles a 4-2 victory over the Padres on Sunday.


Andre Ethier, who is 8 for 21 with a homer, a triple and two doubles off Gallardo lifetime, homered in the seventh. Joc Pederson's running catch into the center-field wall with two outs and two on in the bottom of the ninth kept the Dodgers alive.


'It was a game where we fought and scratched early and it didn't look good,' manager Don Mattingly said. "It was a sloppy series for us and it feels good to steal a couple of games.'


Los Angeles counters Gallardo with a surging pitcher of its own, sending rookie Carlos Frias to the mound for the opener of this four-game home-and-home series.


Frias (4-3, 3.86) is 1-1 with a 1.77 ERA in three starts since allowing 10 runs and 12 hits in four innings of an 11-3 loss to San Diego on May 24. He gave up one run in 6 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 3-1 win over Arizona.


The right-hander has surrendered three runs or fewer in seven of his eight starts.


These clubs haven't met since the Dodgers took two of three from June 12-14, 2009, in Arlington.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Dodgers at Rangers
Mon, Jun 15 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Dodgers at Rangers
Tue, Jun 16 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Rangers at Dodgers
Wed, Jun 17 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Rangers at Dodgers
Thu, Jun 18 - 10:10PM EDT

Preview: Royals (34-25) at Brewers (24-40)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 15, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Craig Counsell was playing infield for the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers when the club abruptly dismissed manager Ned Yost despite being in the midst of a tight playoff race.


Yost has since guided Kansas City to the World Series and has led the Royals atop the AL Central this year - the kind of success Counsell hopes to match now that he holds Yost's old job.


Counsell goes head-to-head with his former manager for the first time as Yost makes his return to Miller Park in the opener of a four-game, home-and-home set Monday night.


The Brewers had a 5 1/2-game lead for the NL's only wild-card spot after a victory Aug. 31, 2008, before dropping 11 of 14 and slipping into a tie Sept. 14.


Following a loss that day, Milwaukee fired Yost with two weeks left in the season and turned the club over to Dale Sveum, who led the Brewers to their first playoff appearance since they came within a victory of winning the 1982 World Series.


"It's not something you ever saw (and) you don't remember ever seeing with any team," Counsell recalled on MLB's official website. "It was one of those spots where we weren't playing well and they made a decision.


"Was it surprising? Of course, it was very surprising."


Yost is now in his sixth year with the Royals (34-25), who after many difficult seasons lost to San Francisco in Game 7 of last year's World Series in the club's first playoff appearance since winning the title in 1985.


Counsell was given his first managerial job May 4 after the disappointing Brewers (24-40) fired Ron Roenicke and is in a much more difficult situation than Yost with his club not close to contending.


Milwaukee didn't have a baserunner Sunday until Carlos Gomez's broken-bat single in the seventh accounted for its only hit off Max Scherzer in a 4-0 loss to Washington.


The Brewers are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the majors and have a .232 average that is the worst in the NL.


"Stuff like that, I mean, I don't enjoy it," Gomez said. "I got lucky."


Kansas City could use some luck at the plate, too. It is hitting .199 over its last 12 while scoring fewer than four runs nine times.


"We're a good offensive team," left fielder Alex Gordon told MLB's official website. "We'll get out of this (offensive) slump."


The Royals didn't have a chance to do so Sunday after their series finale in St. Louis was postponed. Chris Young was scheduled to start, but he'll be pushed back to Tuesday.


"It gives (Young) a day to get his homework done and prepare himself to pitch against Milwaukee, and then stay on regular rotation after that," Yost said.


Yost decided to go with Edinson Volquez for his first game managing at Miller Park since being fired by the Brewers. Volquez (5-4, 3.07 ERA) is coming off a solid outing after allowing one run in seven innings of Wednesday's 7-2 win over Minnesota.


The right-hander made five starts against the Brewers while with Pittsburgh last season, going 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA.


Kyle Lohse (3-7, 6.27) opposes Volquez as both clubs look to avoid a third straight defeat. Lohse went 0-2 with a 10.43 ERA over his previous three starts and again wasn't at his best while allowing two runs and 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings of Wednesday's 2-0 loss to Pittsburgh.


"That was grinding," Lohse said. "That was what I do when I'm not on my best stuff. It'll get easier when I have all my pitches working."


Yost last faced his former team June 12-14, 2012, when the Royals swept a three-game series in Kansas City.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Royals at Brewers
Mon, Jun 15 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Royals at Brewers
Tue, Jun 16 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Brewers at Royals
Wed, Jun 17 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Brewers at Royals
Thu, Jun 18 - 8:10PM EDT

Preview: Rockies (28-34) at Astros (36-28)
Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 15, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Houston Astros started to remedy a seven-game losing streak with a series win over the weekend, and given their next opponents' track record against the AL, they might be in a position to continue in the right direction.


The Colorado Rockies visit Minute Maid Park Monday night for the first of two games before the clubs head to Coors Field for two more.


The Astros (36-28) won two of three at home against Seattle to begin to recover from the skid, on which offense was hard to come by. They scored at least 10 runs twice against the Mariners, including Sunday's 13-0 win.


Evan Gattis was 4 for 5 after a 2-for-19 stretch, and Jose Altuve sat out a second straight game due to a strained right hamstring. He's listed as day to day.


The Rockies (28-34) ended a four-game skid with Sunday's 4-1 win in Miami, but their offensive issues continued with just five hits. They've scored eight runs in five games while batting .188.


Corey Dickerson wasn't in the lineup after aggravating a sore left foot Saturday. He went on the disabled list in May with plantar fasciitis.


"You never know how bad it can get or when it's going to act up," Dickerson said.


Colorado has lost 11 straight in AL parks, which is the third longest road losing streak ever in interleague play. It is 2-14 against AL opponents dating to May 8, 2014, while the team's 27-67 road record from that same date is the worst in the majors. The 16-game stretch against the AL includes three runs per game and a 5.77 ERA, which doesn't bode well against Dallas Keuchel.


Keuchel (7-2, 1.90 ERA) is 1-2 in his last four starts after beginning the season 6-0 through nine. Even so, his ERA has only jumped from 1.67 to 1.90.


The left-hander gave up only a two-run homer and six other hits in seven innings of Tuesday's 4-2 loss at the Chicago White Sox. It was the first time all season he didn't get any run support.


"Dallas was very sharp early," manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "He kept his pitch count extremely low early, and they got a couple singles to build that inning, but I thought he showed a lot of character coming out of that."


He is 6-0 with a 1.52 ERA in his last 10 starts at Minute Maid Park. Since Houston joined the AL for the 2013 season, Keuchel is 2-3 with a 2.47 ERA in six starts against the NL, though he's never faced Colorado.


Keuchel with pitch opposite Chad Bettis, who has given the Rockies a chance to win in each of his starts.


Bettis (2-1, 3.05) suffered his first defeat in Wednesday's 4-2 home loss to St. Louis, giving up three runs and six hits in five innings. It was also the first time the Rockies have lost in his six starts. Since allowing seven runs in 11 innings of his first two outings, he's gone 2-1 with a 1.98 ERA in his last four.


The right-hander has struggled in limited work against the AL, going 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA in a start and four relief appearances.


The clubs last met in 2013 with Houston winning three of four split between Minute Maid and Coors.


Troy Tulowitzki has reached base in 20 straight games in the series since the start of 2010 while batting .359.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rockies at Astros
Mon, Jun 15 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Rockies at Astros
Tue, Jun 16 - 2:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Astros at Rockies
Wed, Jun 17 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 4
Astros at Rockies
Thu, Jun 18 - 3:10PM EDT

Preview: Twins (34-28) at Cardinals (41-21)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 15, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

While being 20 games over .500 isn't out of the ordinary for the St. Louis Cardinals, getting there with 100 to play is rare even for the most successful club in NL history.


The Cardinals, who haven't reached the mark this quickly since World War II, will try to keep rolling Monday when they open a two-game home series with the Minnesota Twins.


St. Louis (41-21) went 20 over for the first time this season with Saturday's 3-2 victory, doing so in just 62 games. It marks the club's fastest pace since 1944, when it hit the plateau in 54 contests.


That team is one of nine in franchise history to beat the current club to the mark. Six of them predate 1890 and two of the three since went on to win the World Series.


Manager Mike Matheny doesn't want his team slowing down to consider an accomplishment that has followed some serious adversity, including the offseason death of Oscar Taveras and current injuries to Adam Wainwright, Matt Adams, Lance Lynn and Matt Holliday.


"I'm proud of the fact that they're not getting distracted, because it's a story," Matheny said. "It's being fed to them from everybody on the outside, even some of their closest friends are saying, 'Hey, this is amazing that this happened and that happened.'


"As long as they don't buy into it, and they look at that lineup and say, 'We've got a plenty good team here to win today, and what we're doing is going to be enough.' And as soon as they back off that, we would be in trouble."


Saturday's win featured a familiar formula with starter Tyler Lyons limiting Kansas City to two runs before the bullpen took over for four scoreless innings. St. Louis has won three straight and 14 of 19 behind a 2.13 ERA with the bullpen touting a 0.99 mark.


John Lackey (4-4, 3.74 ERA) failed to contribute to that success in his most recent outing with 10 runs surrendered in four innings of an 11-3 loss to Colorado last Monday, but delivered a gem in his most recent meeting with the Twins, allowing only three hits and striking out nine in nine shutout innings on June 18.


Minnesota (34-28) will counter with a revitalized outfield, highlighted by Bryon Buxton. The team's top prospect went hitless in his MLB debut Sunday but scored the winning run in a 4-3 victory over Texas on Sunday which snapped a five-game losing streak. The 21-year-old led the Southern League with 44 runs prior to his weekend callup.


"He's got a beautiful stride," manager Paul Molitor said. "He runs like not too many people we've seen in this game."


Buxton figures to play alongside Torii Hunter on Monday following the completion of his two-game suspension. Hunter has struggled in his last four games, going 1 for 14, and he hasn't driven in a run in his last six.


Hunter was one of eight hitless Twins in Tuesday's one-hit, 2-0 loss to Kansas City, which handed Trevor May (4-4, 4.16) a tough-luck loss. The right-hander, who'll make his first start against an NL team, allowed one run in six innings and has a 0.69 ERA over his last two starts.


Joe Mauer is hitting .324 in 34 career at_bats against Lackey, and he and the Twins have not faced the Cardinals since 2009.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Twins at Cardinals
Mon, Jun 15 - 8:15PM EDT


GAME 2
Twins at Cardinals
Tue, Jun 16 - 1:45PM EDT


GAME 3
Cardinals at Twins
Wed, Jun 17 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Cardinals at Twins
Thu, Jun 18 - 1:10PM EDT

Preview: Diamondbacks (29-32) at Angels (32-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 15, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The Arizona Diamondbacks have leaned on one of the game's best hitters for much of the season, but flipped the script with several strong pitching performances over the weekend.


Fresh off an impressive series, the Diamondbacks seek a fourth consecutive win Monday night against a Los Angeles Angels team struggling to find offense.


Arizona (30-32) allowed only two total runs in its three-game sweep of San Francisco, capped by a 4-0 win on Sunday. Paul Goldschmidt had two hits for his fourth consecutive multi-hit game and Chris Owings added two RBIs to support Rubby De La Rosa, who lasted eight-plus innings.


The Diamondbacks starters entered the series ranked 28th with a 4.77 ERA, yet posted an 0.87 over the three wins.


Trying to continue that stretch will be Robbie Ray (1-1, 1.53 ERA), who has pitched at a similarly high level through three starts with the Diamondbacks, holding opponents to a .227 average - best among Arziona starters with at least 17 innings.


The left-hander allowed two runs over 6 2-3 innings in a tough-luck 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, and has not allowed more than six hits in any outing.


"He did a good job," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. "He had some struggles early, but he battled. He had a nice pitch count and did a nice job. We'll build on that."


The Diamondbacks have given Ray only two runs of support in his last two starts, but could take advantage of Goldschmidt's hot streak on Monday. Goldschmidt has gone 10 for 16 in his last four, is batting a major league-best .359 and ranks behind only Washington's Bryce Harper in both on-base percentage (.478) and slugging percentage (.659).


Goldschmidt has reached base in 24 straight games with a 1.313 OPS in that span.


The Diamondbacks are 2-7 against Los Angeles since 2006 and dropped two of three against the Angels in 2012. Goldschmidt went 1 for 7 in that series, but did not face Monday's starter Jered Weaver, who last faced Arizona in 2009.


Weaver (4-6, 4.61) has struggled in his last two starts, which came on the heels of a strong five-outing stretch last month. He went 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA from May 8-30, but he's posted a 7.43 ERA in his last two starts.


Both of those outings took place on the road, where Weaver has a 5.57 ERA. He's been far more effective at home, compiling a 1.61 mark in his last four.


Los Angeles (32-31) saw its three-game winning streak come to an end with an 8-1 loss to Oakland on Sunday - the Angels' second consecutive one-run performance. Albert Pujols drove in both of those runs and is 7 for 16 in his last four games.


The Angels have lost seven of 11, scoring two runs or fewer six times during that span.


Mike Trout's seven-game hitting streak ended with an 0-for-3 showing Sunday and Erick Aybar is 0 for 15 in his last four, dropping the Angels toward the bottom of baseball with a .242 team average.


Defense has also been an issue for the lately for the Angels, who have committed four errors over their last two games after going 10 contests without one.


"These guys have been playing really good defensively," manager Mike Scioscia said Sunday. "We just let it get away today."




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Angels
Mon, Jun 15 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Angels
Tue, Jun 16 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Angels at Diamondbacks
Wed, Jun 17 - 9:40PM EDT


GAME 4
Angels at Diamondbacks
Thu, Jun 18 - 3:40PM EDT

Preview: Mariners (28-35) at Giants (34-29)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 15, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

The last time the Giants lost nine straight home games, Mel Ott and the rest of the lineup really weren't hitting all that poorly at the Polo Grounds.


Seventy-five years later, Buster Posey and Co. can't seem to find a gap at AT&T Park.


While San Francisco's temperamental offense is making for some streaky play, even its current approach is preferable to that of the Seattle Mariners as the clubs begin a two-game set in the Bay Area on Monday night before heading up to Safeco Field for two more.


The Giants (34-30) are in danger of their worst home skid since moving west and their third of at least five games overall this season, while the Mariners (28-35) have been giving themselves no chance at winning by being shut out in three of their last four.


San Francisco is batting .168 on the current skid with 1.5 runs per game, which comes after a five-game slide May 30-June 3 on which it hit .237 and averaged 2.8 runs. It also dropped eight straight from April 10-17 with .189 and 1.9 marks. In spite of it all, the Giants still lead the league in hitting (.284) and the NL in runs (4.8) dating to May 8.


Those last numbers aren't providing any comfort after Sunday's 4-0 home loss to Arizona marked their first eight-game home skid since 1993. The only time they've reached nine was a franchise-record 11-game slide in 1940.


"This was one of our ugliest games," said manager Bruce Bochy, whose club hit into five double plays and had three errors. "The double plays, the errors; it was not pretty."


Posey is 3 for 21 in seven games on the home skid and was out of the lineup Sunday along with Angel Pagan, who is 0 for 17 in his last five overall. The club is batting .211 on the home streak.


Seattle was about as dour as Bochy after Sunday's 13-0 loss in Houston.


"You only have two options - you can hang your head and feel sorry for yourself or you can get back to work," said Kyle Seager, who is 2 for 14 in the last four, while Robinson Cano is 5 for 31 in eight.


The Mariners had two hits and have had no more than four in three of their last four games. Dating to May 27, they're batting .219 and scoring an MLB-low 2.4 runs per game.


Tim Hudson will try to right things for San Francisco, and while his second year with the Giants has been shaky, his best work has come at AT&T. Hudson (4-5, 4.60 ERA) is 3-4 with a 3.83 ERA in seven home starts as opposed to 1-1 with a 5.93 in five on the road.


The right-hander is 3-5 with a 5.64 ERA in 10 starts against the AL since the start of 2013. He's 7-2 with a 2.36 ERA in his last 11 against Seattle, but only one of those has come since 2004.


Rickie Weeks (4 for 26), Seth Smith (4 for 21), Logan Morrison (3 for 20), Willie Bloomquist (3 for 16), Mark Trumbo (2 for 11) and Cano (0 for 6) are all hitting .190 or worse against Hudson.


Taijuan Walker takes the mound for the Mariners. Walker (3-6, 5.40) gave up a run and eight hits in six innings of Wednesday's 9-3 victory in Cleveland. The right-hander improved to 2-1 with a 1.64 ERA in his last three starts for his best stretch of the season, but he's lost all three of his career starts against the NL with a 5.40 ERA.


The Mariners have won 11 of the last 14 in the series, but only three of those games have come since the Giants began their World Series binge in 2010.


San Francisco is 11-2 at home against the AL in the regular season since the start of 2014.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mariners at Giants
Mon, Jun 15 - 10:15PM EDT


GAME 2
Mariners at Giants
Tue, Jun 16 - 3:45PM EDT


GAME 3
Giants at Mariners
Wed, Jun 17 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Giants at Mariners
Thu, Jun 18 - 10:10PM EDT

Preview: Athletics (25-39) at Padres (32-32)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 15, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Recent meetings between the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics have taken place in the general manager's office, not on the playing field.


The results of the former will match up in the latter as both Jesse Hahn and Tyson Ross face their former teams Monday night when the Padres and Athletics meet for the first time in three seasons.


Hahn (3-5, 3.84 ERA) enjoyed a 3.07 ERA while with San Diego (32-33) last year, but was traded to Oakland (26-39) in exchange for Derek Norris this offseason. Both trade pieces have been solid for their new clubs, with Hahn recording a quality start in five of his last six outings and Norris' 39 RBIs leading all NL catchers.


Hahn, though, stumbled his last time out and enters this contest following his shortest start of the season. The right-hander was chased in the fourth inning Wednesday after allowing four runs, seven hits and 12 total baserunners in an eventual 5-4 win.


"I just didn't have my stuff," Hahn told MLB's official website. "One of those weird outings, a weird day for me."


Hahn has yet to face the Padres but is familiar with Petco Park after going 3-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 36 2-3 innings there.


Ross (3-6, 3.81) also meets his former team for the first time since Oakland traded him to San Diego in 2012. The change of scenery has been a positive for Ross, who has improved his 5.33 ERA in three seasons with the A's to 3.08 in 60 starts with the Padres.


The right-hander has been admirably consistent since the beginning of May, allowing three or fewer runs in all eight starts. Ross, who has not surrendered a home run over that stretch, yielded nine hits and three runs in a 4-1 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.


Ross follows James Shields, who was pulled after 86 pitches of what became a tough loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.


With the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, Justin Upton was robbed of a winning hit by Joc Pederson's running, over-the-shoulder catch while crashing into the wall before the Dodgers won 4-2 in 12 innings.


"We have to win," Shields said. "We have to win that game. The game was ours to lose and we have to do a better job of bearing down and getting that win right there."


Oakland enters Monday's contest on a higher note after trouncing the Los Angeles Angels 8-1 Sunday to avoid its second series sweep this month.


Ben Zobrist paced the effort with two doubles and three runs to snap out of an offensive funk that had him batting .114 in his previous 10 games.


"This is a guy we need," manager Bob Melvin told MLB's official website. "Get him to square a couple of balls up and get him going. He's got a track record of being a heck of a hitter. ... It looks like he's rounding into shape."


Oakland has won its last two series with the Padres, taking took two of three in 2012 after winning a three-game series at San Diego in 2009.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Athletics at Padres
Mon, Jun 15 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Athletics at Padres
Tue, Jun 16 - 3:40PM EDT


GAME 3
Padres at Athletics
Wed, Jun 17 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Padres at Athletics
Thu, Jun 18 - 3:35PM EDT

Preview: Reds (28-34) at Tigers (33-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 15, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

While the Detroit Tigers are posting some of the majors' top numbers in both hitting and pitching over the last seven games, the Cincinnati Reds are heading into a series with another dreaded opponent: the AL.


Baseball's worst interleague team since the start of last season meets one of the majors' hottest clubs Monday night in Detroit for the opener of a two-game set before the teams head to Cincinnati for two more.


After Sunday's 8-1 home win over Cleveland, the Tigers (33-30) have won five of seven while scoring 5.4 runs per game and batting an MLB-leading .329.


Miguel Cabrera was 7 for 11 with two home runs and six RBIs as Detroit took two of three in the series. He's batting .458 in his last 16 home games, .385 in 22 home games against the NL since the start of 2013, and he's a career .343 hitter against the Reds.


J.D. Martinez was 4 for 8 in the final two games against the Indians with homers in each and has a 13-game hitting streak against the NL.


Yoenis Cespedes is hitting .452 on an eight-game hitting streak and is batting .413 in his last 13 at Comerica Park.


The pitching has also been strong with a 1.74 ERA out of the rotation in seven games, which trails only Pittsburgh. Of those starts, Anibal Sanchez can claim one of the best.


Sanchez (4-7, 5.16 ERA) gave up six hits in 7 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 6-0 home win over the Chicago Cubs for a performance he really needed after going 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in his previous four.


"Today I feel really good," Sanchez told MLB's official website. "I (started) hitting the corners, I (started) throwing my pitch in the right zone in the right situation, too, something that I lost early in the first two months."


The right-hander is 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA in three starts against Cincinnati, but he hasn't faced the Reds since 2010.


He'll be opposed by Jon Moscot, who in his first road start is looking to add to his first big league win. Moscot (1-1, 4.91) is making his third MLB start after surrendering two runs and six hits in six innings of Wednesday's 5-2 win over Philadelphia.


"I was able to just settle in early," Moscot said. "My sinker was effective, I was getting ground balls and (we) played some great defense, made some good plays. I'm just getting ahead of hitters and mixing it up."


The Reds (28-34), however, are coming off consecutive walk-off losses against the Cubs, including Sunday's 2-1 defeat in 11 innings in Chicago. Joey Votto was 2 for 5 and is batting .368 in his last 15 games, but Jay Bruce is hitting .140 in his last six.


The only consistency for Cincinnati right now seems to be failure on the road.


The Reds dropped three of four at Wrigley Field, marking their fifth straight loss in an away series. They've dropped 12 of their last 14 while averaging 2.7 runs, and they're an MLB-worst 19-50 away from home since June 30 with just three wins in 22 series.


Cincinnati is an MLB-worst 7-21 in interleague play since the start of last season. It is 2-16 in AL parks in that time with seven straight losses both on the road and overall.


The Tigers are 18-13 overall against the NL during the same period.


Unsurprisingly, the Reds have dropped their last five series against Detroit while going 5-10.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Reds at Tigers
Mon, Jun 15 - 7:08PM EDT


GAME 2
Reds at Tigers
Tue, Jun 16 - 7:08PM EDT


GAME 3
Tigers at Reds
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Tigers at Reds
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:10PM EDT

Braves, Red Sox clash


June 15, 2015




ATLANTA BRAVES (30-33) at BOSTON RED SOX (27-37)


First pitch: Monday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Boston -145, Atlanta +135, Total: 9


The Boston Red Sox look to avoid their seventh straight loss when they host the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.


The Red Sox have run into a few of the hottest teams in baseball over the past week and were swept in three games against both the Orioles and Blue Jays leading up to this contest. During the stretch they’ve been outscored 43-26 and the pitching was horrid against Toronto with 31 runs allowed in the three contests (10.3 runs per game). In Sunday’s 13-5 loss, they managed eight hits and had at least one from each of their first four batters in the lineup. With his two-hit day in the loss, 2B Dustin Pedroia (.309) has a hit in 12 of his last 13 games, batting .373 with a homer and five RBI in that time.


Atlanta had a hot start to the year, but has cooled off of late and is 5-8 in the month of June as it comes off of a 2-1 series loss in New York most recently. They failed to get a victory in the rubber-match on Sunday afternoon, a high scoring affair in which the Braves lost 10-8 after leading by five runs early on in the contest. The offense was an impressive 7-for-13 with RISP while New York was a meager 2-for-12, but it was the four homers by the Mets that gave Atlanta its seventh loss by two runs or fewer in their eight June defeats. Despite the defeat, 1B Freddie Freeman (.306) extended his hit streak to four games and is 7-for-17 (.412) with two homers, five RBI and five walks in that time.


The pitching matchup in this game will put RHP Willams Perez (2-0, 2.70 ERA) of the Braves up against struggling RHP Rick Porcello (4-6, 5.26 ERA) of the host Sox.


When on the road this year, Atlanta is a poor 15-19 as they take on this Boston group which has played to a 15-17 record at Fenway Park. These clubs haven’t played often since the start of the 2013 season, meeting just four times, but the Red Sox have made the most of them with a win each time, two both home and away.


When they met in Boston last year, the Sox outscored the Braves 8-3 and tallied 12 hits in each victory. Trends show that the Red Sox are a putrid 30-52 (.366) at home when the total in 8.5 to 10 in the past two seasons as Atlanta is a mere 86-94 (.478) against right-handed starters in the same timeframe.


The injury report has no significant omissions for the visiting Braves as Boston continues to play without OFs Daniel Nava (Thumb), Shane Victorino (Calf) and Ryan Hanigan (Wrist) while OF Mookie Betts (Back) is listed as questionable.


Perez has been a welcome surprise for the Braves rotation as the 24-year-old has taken time to mature in their system since 2010 and has improved steadily over the past few seasons. Before making the jump to the big leagues this year, he had five starts at triple-A and was borderline dominant with four earned runs allowed (1.33 ERA) and seven strikeouts per nine innings. Perez has now thrown in eight games (5 starts) with Atlanta and as a starter has a 1.80 ERA (1.30 WHIP) with 8.1 K/9; his only issue being control (3.9 BB/9).


In his last eight innings of work (1 start, 1 relief appearance), Perez has a save and a win while allowing one unearned run on six hits. He has yet to take on the Red Sox in his career, but besides the blistering hot Pedroia, Perez will need to work carefully when pitching against OF Hanley Ramirez (.275) who leads the team with 13 HRs and 33 RBI. On the other hand, he may get relief against 1B Mike Napoli (.200) who has struck out in 25.8% of his at-bats and is hitting a meager .193 against right-handers this season.


The Atlanta bullpen has gone 11-15 with a bloated 4.69 ERA (1.38 WHIP) and is 20-for-33 (61%) in save chances. Jason Grilli (3.22 ERA, 16 saves) has not allowed an earned run in his last six appearances, giving up two hits and compiling a 6:1 K/BB ratio in during the stretch.


Porcello was one of the key acquisitions for Boston this offseason and it looked great at the time as the 26-year-old had improved his ERA each year since 2010 from a 4.92 mark to a career-best 3.43 in 2014. Unfortunately, he has not taken those improvements to his new team and despite seeing his strikeouts raise to 7.2 K/9, he has allowed 11 homers in his 75.1 IP (1.31 HR/9) and has now seen his team lose in his last four outings.
His GB%, which he held at 49% or higher in each his other seasons since 2009, is at a mere 43.8% and he is leaving a career-low 65.8% of runners on base. Porcello has seen this Braves team just once in his career, and in the game he earned a win after pitching 6.1 innings of three-run baseball. He will not look forward to seeing OF Nick Markakis (9-for-24, 1 double, 1 HR, 2 RBI) who he faced plenty when he was on the Orioles last year, but could enjoy taking on A.J. Pierzynski who has five hits in his 25 times facing the righty (.200).


The Red Sox ‘pen hasn’t been all too impressive in 2015, going 8-10 with a 3.80 ERA (1.34 WHIP) and are 14-for-22 (64%) in save opportunities. Koji Uehara (2.25 ERA, saves) has two losses and a blown save in his last six appearances, giving up six runs (2 ER) in the 4.2 frames during that period.

LEADING OFF: Blue Jays go for team-record 12th straight win


June 14, 2015


A look at what's happening all around the major leagues today:


TORRID TORONTO, AND THE TRADE


The Blue Jays try for their team-record 12th straight win when speedy shortstop Jose Reyes returns to Citi Field to take on the Mets in an interleague matchup that features several familiar faces. Rookie pitcher Noah Syndergaard was traded with catcher Travis d'Arnaud from Toronto to New York after the 2012 season in a deal for knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Syndergaard starts the opener against the top-scoring team in the majors. ''I'm just going into it like it's another game,'' he said. ''I don't really hold any grudges against them for that.''


MIAMI NICE


Alex Rodriguez takes his pursuit of the 3,000-hit mark to his hometown. The Yankees begin a two-game series in Miami and the attendance-challenged Marlins expect more than 30,000 fans each day, even though it's uncertain how much they'll see him. He has played only six games in the field this season, and there will be no designated hitter. Rodriguez has 2,995 hits, and manager Joe Girardi said his inclination was not to start him. A-Rod grew up in Miami and hasn't played there since 2009. ''Obviously it will be a special homecoming for me,'' he said.


REELING RED SOX


Boston has lost a season-worst six in a row going into the series opener against Atlanta at Fenway Park. ''We're not in a good place right now as a team, but it's not because we're not giving effort,'' manager John Farrell said. ''We're not executing completely.''


REMEMBER ME?


Oakland righty Jesse Hahn (3-5) starts at Petco Park on a mound he knows well. He spent his rookie season with San Diego last year before being traded to the Athletics. Padres righty Josh Johnson, sidelined since 2013 because of elbow trouble, will throw 15-20 pitches in an one-inning simulated game earlier in the day.


TORII TIME


Twins outfielder Torii Hunter rejoins the team in St. Louis after serving a two-game suspension imposed for his uniform-tossing tirade last week. Highly touted rookie Byron Buxton hopes to get his first hit, a day after making his major league debut.

AL has slight edge in interleague matchups


The American League has a slight edge over the National League in interleague matchups this season, owning a 48-41 record heading into a packed slate of IL action Monday.


Here is a look at the three best interleague record in the bigs, and a look at the three worst.


Three best:


Los Angeles Dodgers: 3-0


Houston Astros: 4-1


San Francisco Giants: 4-1


Three worst:


Colorado Rockies: 0-2


Cincinnati Reds: 1-7


Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners: 1-4