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Preview: White Sox (39-44) at Cubs (46-38)
Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 10, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

The White Sox enjoyed a dominant four-year run in their rivalry with the Cubs, but the tide appears to be shifting more recently in favor of their National League counterparts.


The Cubs hope that trend continues as Joe Maddon makes his first foray into the Crosstown Classic on Friday night when these teams open a three-game series at Wrigley Field.


The South Siders went 16-8 against the Cubs from 2009-12, winning each season series to take a 52-46 advantage in the all-time series. The Cubs, however, have won five of eight meetings since the start of 2013, and currently hold the NL's second wild-card spot while the White Sox own a worse record than all but two AL teams.


Maddon has plenty of experience managing against the White Sox, going 30-37 with the Rays from 2006-14.


"Coming from the American League I've known (the White Sox) for a long time, I know what they're all about," Maddon told MLB's official website. "But it will be exciting to see this rivalry firsthand."


Though the Cubs (46-38) have raised hopes on the North Side playing better than expected - they will reach the All-Star break above .500 for the first time since 2008 - they enter the series on a sour note. They swept a doubleheader Tuesday versus St. Louis, but settled for a split of the four-game set after a 6-5 loss Wednesday. Pedro Strop surrendered the go-ahead home run with two outs in the ninth inning.


At 39-44, the White Sox have been one of baseball's biggest disappointments, but they are surging to the finish of the season's first half. Thursday's 2-0 victory against Toronto was their seventh in nine games, a span in which the pitching staff owns a 2.12 ERA.


Melky Cabrera, who homered against the Blue Jays, is slugging .568 over his last 20 games after he slugged a major league-worst .277 through his first 62 contests. Alexei Ramirez is 10 of 28 in the last nine games, Avisail Garcia is batting .370 over his last 12 and Jose Abreu has hit safely in 11 straight.


"If we go out and do our job, we know what the outcome is gonna be," said Jeff Samardzija, who threw a four-hitter Thursday. "If we don't, and we don't have a strong last couple weeks of the month, we know what results gonna be, too.


"It's in our hands here in the clubhouse and we need to take care of it."


Taking the mound are two young hurlers whose seasons appear to be heading in opposite directions.


The Cubs' Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 3.82 ERA) has weathered a rough five-start stretch from June 2-24 in which he went 1-3 with a 5.88 ERA. He has given up eight hits over 13 1-3 shutout innings in back-to-back wins over the New York Mets and Miami, bringing a career-best 15 1-3 scoreless innings streak into this game.


Carlos Rodon (3-2, 4.18) is 1-2 with a 7.32 ERA over his last four outings and has surrendered three home runs in his last two after allowing one all season previously. He walked four and allowed four runs over five-plus innings in a 9-1 loss to Baltimore on Sunday.


"I'm not really happy about much," he told MLB's official website. "No one likes to lose."


The White Sox are 6-6 in interleague play while the Cubs are 5-5.


Chris Coghlan is batting .387 in his last nine against AL teams, while Anthony Rizzo is 8 for 21 with four homers in his last five.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
White Sox at Cubs
Fri, Jul 10 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 2
White Sox at Cubs
Sat, Jul 11 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 3
White Sox at Cubs
Sun, Jul 12 - 2:20PM EDT
 

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Preview: Nationals (46-38) at Orioles (43-42)
Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: July 10, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The All-Star break will provide a respite for several injured Washington Nationals as the NL East leaders attempt to get healthy for a run at a third playoff appearance in four seasons.


Washington hopes having the last couple of days off will help it get on track offensively in the opener of a three-game Battle of the Beltways series against Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Camden Yards.


The Nationals (46-38) were already without Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman when Stephen Strasburg joined them on the disabled list with an oblique strain suffered Saturday against San Francisco.


Denard Span then confirmed after Wednesday's series finale against Cincinnati was postponed that he would not be playing against the Orioles (43-42) and instead would see a specialist to deal with his lingering back pain.


"I'm definitely not helping the team by doing what I've been doing for the last three, four weeks," Span told MLB's official website. "Missing games here and there, (then) playing four games. Definitely, I've been putting the team in a bad spot."


The Nationals haven't been very good offensively lately, falling 3-2 on Monday and 5-0 on Tuesday to the Reds. They've scored three or fewer runs six times in a 3-4 stretch.


Baltimore had its own troubles at the plate during a three-game sweep at the hands of Minnesota, which concluded with Wednesday's 5-3 defeat. Manny Machado hit his third homer in five games and Chris Davis made it back-to-back shots leading off the eighth, but the Orioles have scored 19 runs over their last seven - nine coming during their only victory in that span.


'We're just not giving our pitchers much margin for error,' manager Buck Showalter said.


Chris Tillman turned in another rough start in an inconsistent season his last time out, though he's won four straight decisions.


Tillman (6-7, 5.57 ERA) gave up six runs in 1 1-3 innings of a 13-9 victory over Toronto on June 21, then bounced back to pitch seven innings to beat Cleveland 8-0 on June 28.


The right-hander struggled again Saturday, though, giving up two runs and 10 hits while throwing 103 pitches in 4 2-3 innings of a 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.


'It was a grind,' Tillman said. 'They spoiled a lot of good pitches. I felt for the most part I had command of most of my stuff.'


Tillman has posted a 4.86 ERA in three career starts against the Nationals, failing to get a decision. He gave up two runs in seven innings of an 8-2, 11-inning win the last time he faced them July 7, 2014.


He'll oppose Gio Gonzalez, who has lost his last four starts against the Orioles with a 4.97 ERA. Steve Pearce, hitting .391 over his last seven, homered off Gonzalez in the Orioles' 4-3 victory last July 10 and improved to 4 for 9 in their matchups.


Gonzalez (6-4, 4.16) was scheduled to start Wednesday but now looks to snap his skid against Baltimore on six days' rest. He's won back-to-back starts, pitching seven scoreless innings of a 9-2 victory over Pittsburgh on June 21 and allowing one run in seven innings of last Friday's 2-1 win over San Francisco.


Both of those outings came at home, though, and the left-hander is 2-3 with a 5.89 ERA in eight road starts. Washington, loser of three of four on the road, has dropped 14 of 19 at Camden.


Baltimore reinstated outfielder Nolan Reimold from the paternity list Thursday and released Delmon Young.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Nationals at Orioles
Fri, Jul 10 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Nationals at Orioles
Sat, Jul 11 - 7:15PM EDT


GAME 3
Nationals at Orioles
Sun, Jul 12 - 1:35PM EDT
 

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Preview: Yankees (46-39) at Red Sox (41-45)
Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: July 10, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

It's a common aphorism that objects in your rear-view mirror are closer than they appear.


That's a saying New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi may want to invoke after he made what has to be a rare NASCAR reference in discussing the state of the AL East and the rivalry with the Boston Red Sox.


The last-place Red Sox are playing their best baseball and send the red-hot Clay Buchholz to the mound Friday night at Fenway Park as they look to close the gap on the first-place Yankees.


New York (46-39) has a three-game East lead on Baltimore in a race in which no team can be counted out. Although Boston (41-45) is in last, it has won eight of 10 and a season-high four straight to pull within 5 1/2 games.


"There's a good feeling in our clubhouse right now and we're staying on that run of games," Red Sox manager John Farrell said.


Farrell's counterpart, Girardi, made an interesting reference ahead of this three-game set.


"I talked to someone about our division who's a NASCAR fan," Girardi said. "It's like racing in Daytona or Talladega. If you get out of the draft, you can get from first to fourth in a heartbeat, first to fifth, that's how bunched up we are."


What makes Boston's play impressive is that it has come without superstar Dustin Pedroia, who is eligible to come off the disabled list Friday but does not appear ready to return from a right hamstring strain that has kept him out since June 24.


'Pedey's responded well," Farrell said. "He's going to be on the field when he's first ready without any undue risk.'


The Red Sox's resurgence has come with help from youngsters like Mookie Betts, who is 13 for 39 in his last nine games, and Xander Bogaerts, who is 13 for 30 with eight RBIs over a seven-game hitting streak.


Boston was a season-worst 10 games out of first June 20.


"Obviously they're playing extremely well," Girardi said. "They've gotten back in the picture but I don't think we ever believed that they wouldn't be in the picture."


Another player who has stepped up is Buchholz (7-6, 3.27 ERA), who has posted an 0.87 ERA in winning four straight starts and is 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA in his last seven after pitching a six-hitter in Saturday's 6-1 victory over Houston. His last five-start win streak was from May 22-Sept. 15, 2013.


The right-hander is 0-3 with a 9.74 ERA in four starts against the Yankees over the last two years, with All-Star Brett Gardner going 6 for 11. Alex Rodriguez is 11 for 27 overall in this matchup while Mark Teixeira is 4 for 26.


Teixeira has matched his RBI total from last year with an AL-best 62.


The Yankees will start right-hander Michael Pineda (8-5, 3.79), who is 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA in his last three starts after striking out 10 in seven-plus scoreless innings in Saturday's 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay.


Pineda went 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA in three starts against Boston last year. David Ortiz is 2 for 6 off him and Bogaerts is 2 for 4.


Boston has to be hoping that Ortiz gets untracked with the slugger posting a .761 OPS for his lowest mark with the Red Sox. Ortiz homered in Wednesday's 6-3 home win over Miami.


He is batting a major league-worst .128 against left-handers and could face some tough such matchups out of the Yankees bullpen in Chasen Shreve and Andrew Miller.


Yankees third baseman Chase Headley could return Friday after missing two straight games with a sore right calf.


New York capped a 4-2 homestand with Thursday's 6-2 win over Oakland. The Yankees have taken four straight over the Red Sox, sweeping three road games May 1-3.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Yankees at Red Sox
Fri, Jul 10 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Yankees at Red Sox
Sat, Jul 11 - 7:15PM EDT


GAME 3
Yankees at Red Sox
Sun, Jul 12 - 1:35PM EDT
 

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Preview: Athletics (39-49) at Indians (40-44)
Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 10, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Kendall Graveman's name doesn't spring to mind when discussing the best pitchers in baseball, but he's been in that conversation over the last month-plus.


The rookie aims to win his fourth straight start Friday night when the Oakland Athletics visit the Cleveland Indians.


Graveman (6-4, 3.16 ERA) ranks third in baseball since June 7 with a 1.26 ERA in six games, going 3-2 during that stretch. That's the best ERA by an A's rookie in a span of at least six starts since Tommy Milone posted a 1.10 ERA over six outings from June 20-July 20, 2012.


He has pitched seven-plus innings in all six and received one total run of support in the two losses. Among rookie starters, his six victories trail only San Francisco's Chris Heston, who is 8-5 with a 3.51 ERA.


Graveman has come a long way from his struggles in April, when he was sent down to Triple-A after going 1-2 with an 8.27 ERA in his first four starts. He'll start Friday with a 16-inning scoreless streak after scattering five hits and one walk in seven innings of Saturday's 2-0 victory over Seattle.


"We saw what he had in Spring Training, and since he's come back, he's pitched as consistently as anyone we have in the rotation," manager Bob Melvin told MLB's official website.


Graveman, 4-1 with a 1.91 ERA in seven road starts, has never faced Cleveland.


Oakland (39-49) has dropped eight of 13, going 18 for 92 (.196) with runners in scoring position to largely waste a 2.79 ERA in that span. The Athletics had just three hits in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the New York Yankees.


The Indians (41-44) took three in a row from Houston after dropping the opener in their four-game series, giving themselves a chance to enter the All-Star break with a .500 record for the first time since they were 2-2 after April 10.


Cleveland held the Astros to three runs and 16 hits in the three victories and is hoping the excellent pitching of late rubs off on Danny Salazar (7-4, 4.10). The right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA in his last five starts, failing to complete five innings in three of four. He's been less deceptive than he was earlier in the season, striking out 8.6 per nine innings in those five outings compared to 11.8 in his first 10.


While he fanned seven Sunday at Pittsburgh, he also surrendered five runs and seven hits over 4 2-3 innings in a 5-3 loss. All the runs were scored in the fifth inning, and 18 of the 20 runs he's allowed in his last five starts have been in the fifth or later.


"I think I just need to keep on working and try to figure it out, and see if I'm doing something different than when I start a game," he told MLB's official website.


This marks Salazar's first matchup with Oakland, though Billy Butler is 7 for 12 with four doubles off the right-hander from his time with Kansas City.


The A's took four of six meetings last season and have won eight of 12 at Progressive Field.


Michael Brantley has hit .410 with a 1.090 OPS over his last 11 against Oakland.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Athletics at Indians
Fri, Jul 10 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Athletics at Indians
Sat, Jul 11 - 6:35PM EDT


GAME 3
Athletics at Indians
Sun, Jul 12 - 1:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Diamondbacks (42-42) at Mets (44-42)
Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: July 10, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

It took the Arizona Diamondbacks 13 attempts to get back to .500 for the first time since being 8-8. Getting over that mark and remaining there heading into the All-Star break will require a series win over the New York Mets.


The teams meet Friday night for the first of three games in New York with the hot-hitting Diamondbacks seeking a sixth win in seven games and a fourth straight road victory.


Arizona (42-42) had lost its previous 12 attempts at reaching .500 before Wednesday's 7-4 win in Texas.


"It's important to get to .500," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. "It's important getting into second place like we are, but it doesn't matter until the end of the year."


Over a 6-3 span, the Diamondbacks are averaging 5.7 runs and batting .310, but those numbers could dip in New York. A.J. Pollock and Welington Castillo each homered, and Pollock is hitting .394 in seven games this month.


Pollock is 3 for 27 in eight career visits to Citi Field while fellow All-Star Paul Goldschmidt's .190 average in New York is his second worst among NL parks.


The teams split four in Arizona last month, and the Mets have won eight of 13 in New York since 2011 while limiting the Diamondbacks to a .217 average.


The Mets (44-42) are 29-14 at home this season and are coming off their best road trip with series wins against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco, including Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Giants.


"We needed it," Jacob deGrom said of the 4-2 road trip. "It's a good way to go back home."


New York dropped seven straight from June 17-24, and the pitching has been key in the 8-5 span that's followed. The Mets have a 1.41 ERA in that time, and their starters haven't allowed an earned run in six of those.


Noah Syndergaard can't claim any of them, but he's pitching as well as he has all season. Syndergaard (3-4, 3.38 ERA) is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and .174 opponent batting average in his last four starts, and the right-hander limited the Dodgers to a run and two hits in six innings of Friday's 2-1 victory but didn't earn the decision.


It was a major improvement over the rest of his season on the road but like his team, the rookie should be eager to return home. The 22-year-old is 3-1 with a 1.89 ERA in five starts in New York versus 0-3 with a 5.33 mark in five on the road.


He's up against Chase Anderson, who's allowed as many home runs in his last three starts as he had in his previous 20. Anderson (4-2, 3.71) gave up three runs and three hits in six innings of Friday's 4-3 home win over Colorado, surrendering a leadoff homer to bring his total to seven in three starts. The right-hander didn't receive the decision and is 1-1 with a 7.64 ERA in that span after going 3-0 with a 2.25 in his previous nine.


That included a 2-1 home win over New York on June 6 in which Anderson yielded a run and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings but didn't earn the victory. Juan Lagares was 2 for 3 with a home run.


Michael Cuddyer is 2 for 9 with three strikeouts against Anderson but has missed six of eight games with a sore left knee. He's 4 for 40 in his last 13 games, while Lucas Duda is 2 for 29 in July.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Mets
Fri, Jul 10 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Mets
Sat, Jul 11 - 4:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Mets
Sun, Jul 12 - 1:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Astros (49-38) at Rays (43-45)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: July 10, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Houston Astros are in an offensive funk in a three-game slide but their problems pale in comparison to those of the Tampa Bay Rays, who have dropped 11 of 12.


These teams are among baseball's worst hitting teams and look to break out of those woes Friday night in the opener of a three-game set at Tropicana Field.


Houston (49-39) has totaled three runs while batting .170 on its slide as it tries to avoid its longest losing streak since a season-high seven-game skid June 4-10. The Astros are the AL's third-worst hitting team at .242 with their success built on a major league-leading 122 homers.


They fell 3-1 at Cleveland on Thursday to cap a four-game set that started well with Monday's 9-4 victory.


'We didn't do much offensively,' manager A.J. Hinch said. 'After the first night they really kept us in check. Their pitching handled us in this series.'


Tampa Bay (43-45) owns the league's second-worst batting average at .241. The Rays were outscored 33-16 in a four-game sweep by Kansas City capped by Thursday's 8-3 loss that ended a 1-6 trip.


Now the Rays seek to snap a five-game home slide.


'It hasn't been going well for us, obviously,' manager Kevin Cash said. 'We've had times throughout the season where it has and right now it's not going that well. We need to get home and hopefully change that around, turn that around."


The lone Rays pitcher to win on the trip was Erasmo Ramirez (7-3, 3.80 ERA), who gave up one run in six innings in Sunday's 8-1 rout of the New York Yankees to improve to 5-1 with a 1.18 ERA in his last seven starts.


The right-hander's streak of allowing two or fewer runs in seven straight outings is tied for the third-longest in club history.


Ramirez is 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA against Houston in three appearances, with two starts.


The Astros will counter with right-hander Collin McHugh (9-4, 4.54), who went 0-2 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts against the Rays last year. Evan Longoria is 0 for 6 with four strikeouts against him and Kevin Kiermaier has also struck out four times in going 1 for 6.


McHugh gave up four runs over 5 1-3 innings in Saturday's 6-1 defeat at Boston after posting a 2.45 ERA in a three-start win streak.


This will be a special series for Astros rookie Preston Tucker, who was born in Tampa and went to Plant High School in the city. Tucker was 0 for 3 on Thursday after going 8 for 13 in the first three games of that series.


Slugger Chris Carter sat out for the second time in three games. His .190 average is baseball's second-worst, though he has value since he sees a major league-high 4.35 pitches per plate appearance.


"The track record is there," Hinch told MLB's official website. "He's done it. He's up to 100 home runs in his career, 30-plus last year."


Houston's Luis Valbuena is fourth-worst in the majors at .201 and went 0 for 3 on Thursday after missing three games with a sprained big toe.


Longoria is batting .343 in an eight-game hitting streak for the Rays, who took five of seven from the Astros last year.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Astros at Rays
Fri, Jul 10 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Astros at Rays
Sat, Jul 11 - 4:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Astros at Rays
Sun, Jul 12 - 1:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Padres (39-48) at Rangers (41-44)
Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: July 10, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

The Texas Rangers are getting little help from their rotation at home, though Wandy Rodriguez believes he's discovered the root of his troubles there.


The veteran left-hander looks to make the right adjustments and help the Rangers avoid matching their longest home skid since moving to Arlington on Friday night against the slumping San Diego Padres.


Texas (41-44) was a season-best six games over .500 and just 2 1/2 back of the AL West lead June 19 but has since gone 4-13 while dropping all eight of its home games. The starting staff hasn't given the club much of a chance with an 11.75 ERA on the home skid.


The Rangers, seven games back entering Thursday, are one shy of the club record for consecutive home losses since moving to Texas in 1972 following Wednesday's 7-4 loss to Arizona. The Rangers dropped nine in a row at Arlington Stadium in May 1990.


Rodriguez has gone 5-0 with a 2.23 ERA in eight road starts, but he's 0-4 with a 7.42 mark in six at home. He also owns a 2.63 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the road compared to a 1.40 in Arlington.


The 36-year-old suggested the mound was the culprit after allowing five runs over five innings in Saturday's 13-0 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Angels. He sought to fix the problem by throwing off the hill in his side session this week rather than in the bullpen.


"It is a matter of him being comfortable on the mound," manager Jeff Banister told MLB's official website. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it. At least he did something about it."


Rodriguez (5-4, 4.23 ERA) could have an opportune matchup as he faces the Padres (39-48) for the first time since 2012. They've dropped 16 of 23 behind a .215 batting average and 2.82 runs per game after totaling just seven runs during the current five-game skid.


Justin Upton (3 for 30), Yonder Alonso (5 for 33), Alexi Amarista (1 for 20) and Will Venable (5 for 31) are among those scuffling. Upton is hitless in eight at-bats against Rodriguez since the start of 2011, though he's day-to-day after sitting out Wednesday's 5-2 loss at Pittsburgh due to oblique soreness.


Matt Kemp provided one of the few highlights with his seventh homer among San Diego's five hits. This is the club's longest slide since dropping six in a row last September.


"I think we've actually - the numbers don't show it, this road trip - we've played, in my opinion, the best baseball we've played all season," said Andrew Cashner, who took the loss against the Pirates.


The Padres hope to provide some run support for Ian Kennedy (4-8, 4.84), who has dropped his last three starts despite posting a 2.65 ERA. He's received just one run from the offense over that stretch.


The right-hander allowed three runs over six innings in a 3-1 loss at St. Louis on Sunday. He's given up at least one home run in his last five starts and his 18 allowed overall rank among the most in baseball.


The Rangers, however, have gone deep just three times over their past six games. Prince Fielder, second in the AL in batting, has one homer on this homestand but is hitting .375 over his last 14 games.


This is the first meeting since Texas swept a three-game road series in June 2012.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Padres at Rangers
Fri, Jul 10 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Padres at Rangers
Sat, Jul 11 - 9:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Padres at Rangers
Sun, Jul 12 - 3:05PM EDT
 

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Preview: Blue Jays (44-44) at Royals (50-33)
Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: July 10, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals continued to produce at the plate in the first of many games without Alex Gordon while extending their win streak.


The Toronto Blue Jays' potent lineup, meanwhile, was relatively quiet in its latest series.


The short-handed Royals will try to continue to shine while claiming a sixth consecutive victory Friday night against the Blue Jays, losers in eight of 11.


Kansas City lost its All-Star left fielder for two months when he strained his groin chasing a fly ball in Wednesday's 9-7 win over Tampa Bay. The Royals (50-33) didn't miss him too much Thursday, registering 13 hits in an 8-3 win Thursday to complete their first four-game sweep since September 2008.


Kansas City totaled 33 runs and 52 hits against the Rays, and its six homers were two more than it totaled in its previous nine contests. Lorenzo Cain had his second in as many games Thursday - and eighth of the season - while Jarrod Dyson made a sparkling defensive play while taking over for Gordon.


With that performance, the Royals moved closer to matching their season-best seven-game win streak to open this season.


"We do have a confident team here," manager Ned Yost said. "We think we can get through these things. We think we have the ability to overcome these things."


The Royals might need some more of those hitting performances as they face easily the highest-scoring team in the majors. Toronto (44-44) has plated 470 runs and is among the league leaders with 113 homers, but that didn't show for much of its four-game set against the Chicago White Sox.


The Blue Jays totaled 10 runs while batting .195 and were denied a split in Chicago with a 2-0 defeat Thursday. They were four-hit for their third shutout this season, but R.A. Dickey expressed confidence his team can get back on track soon.


"We've been a very resilient ballclub," Dickey told MLB's official website. "We've fallen off the table a little bit, we jumped back on. That's one thing about this team that I feel is a little bit different than the teams in the past.


"I don't think it's going to be a snowball kind of thing for us here. I think we have an offense that won't let that happen, and our pitching is getting better. I feel good about that part of it."


Marco Estrada (6-4, 3.59) is coming off his fifth win in six decisions, a 10-5 victory in Detroit on Sunday. He yielded two runs in five innings in that game and has a 1.96 ERA in his last four starts, including a pair of starts in which he took no-hit bids into the eighth inning.


Estrada will face Kansas City for the first time, and the Royals players who have faced him previously are a combined 0 for 11.


The Royals turn to Danny Duffy, who is winless in his last six starts but pitched respectably in his most recent one. Duffy (2-4, 5.14 ERA) yielded two runs in 6 1-3 innings Sunday against Minnesota but suffered his fourth straight loss in a 3-2 defeat.


The left-hander is 0-2 with a 9.35 ERA in two starts against the Blue Jays, whom he hasn't faced since April 22, 2012.


Toronto has not been below .500 since owning a 29-30 record on June 8.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Royals
Fri, Jul 10 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Blue Jays at Royals
Sat, Jul 11 - 2:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Blue Jays at Royals
Sun, Jul 12 - 2:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Tigers (43-41) at Twins (46-39)
Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 10, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

For the first time since becoming a full-time major leaguer, Justin Verlander won't participate back-to-back All-Star Games.


Instead, he'll seek to head into the break again looking for his first victory Friday night while extending his road win streak over the Minnesota Twins.


Verlander failed to make an All-Star team in consecutive years just once, in his first two seasons and pitched just two games as a midseason call-up in 2005. A strained right triceps - which resulted in his first trip to the disabled list - has hampered this year's attempt to regain his 2011 MVP and AL Cy Young Award form.


Verlander (0-2, 6.75 ERA) has been limited to four starts and gave up seven runs in five innings in his latest one, a 10-5 loss to Toronto on Sunday. He allowed six runs in his final inning, ruining what the right-hander thought was a promising effort.


"You can look at this in two ways," he said. "You can look at the fifth inning and look at it negatively, or you can look at the rest of it, and look at it positively. My stuff is better than it has been in a couple years. I just need to fine-tune it."


Verlander is 5-0 with a 2.15 ERA in his last six starts in Minnesota and 1-1 with a 2.89 ERA in his past three overall matchups, but he wasn't at his sharpest in an 8-6 win at Target Field on Aug. 23. He allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings.


This time, he'll face a team that had a three-game win streak snapped with a 4-2 defeat in Thursday's series opener. Minnesota (46-40) continued to struggle with runners in scoring position, going 2 for 12 while dropping to 2-8 against Detroit this season.


The Twins are batting .185 with runners in scoring position in their last 10 games and went 1 for 12 in their 5-3 win over Baltimore on Wednesday.


Ian Kinsler, meanwhile, hit a leadoff homer and drove in three runs for Detroit (44-41). Yoenis Cespedes went 2 for 4 with an RBI double while trying to sway the AL's final vote his way over Minnesota's Brian Dozier (0 for 3) and three other players.


Ervin Santana will try to contain the Tigers while building on his encouraging return from an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs and Twins debut Sunday in Kansas City. The right-hander, signed to a $55 million deal in December, yielded two runs and three hits while fanning eight in eight innings, but did not get a decision in a 3-2 loss.


"That was impressive for a guy who hadn't pitched in a major league game," outfielder Torii Hunter told MLB's official website. "It looked like the Santana of old."


Santana (0-0, 2.25) will face Detroit for the first time since Sept. 14, 2013, and has totaled 14 scoreless innings in his past two meetings. He's also 6-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his last nine.


Kinsler is 20 for 57 (.351) lifetime against Santana, and only Miami's Ichiro Suzuki has gotten more hits (30) among active players. Joe Mauer has the second-most hits among all players against Verlander - going 24 for 65 (.369), including 11 for 26 (.423) in his last six games.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Tigers at Twins
Thu, Jul 9 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Tigers at Twins
Fri, Jul 10 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Tigers at Twins
Sat, Jul 11 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Tigers at Twins
Sun, Jul 12 - 2:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Cardinals (56-30) at Pirates (50-35)
Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: July 10, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Gerrit Cole has had one of the best first halves ever by a Pirates pitcher, and he has one more opportunity to cement himself in the club's record books.


Pittsburgh might need another stingy effort from Cole as they dig in Friday night against Lance Lynn, who has also been dominant for the St. Louis Cardinals.


Cole (12-3, 2.28 ERA) leads baseball in wins and is looking to become the second pitcher in team history to win 13 games before the All-Star break, joining Dock Ellis, who won 14 in 1971. Only five pitchers have won 13 before the break since 2009, with Tampa Bay's Matt Moore and Detroit's Max Scherzer doing so most recently in 2013.


The right-hander appears to be one of the front-runners to start for the NL in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic, vying for the spot with the likes of Scherzer and Zack Greinke.


Cole is 7-1 in his last nine starts with all but one being a quality outing. He gave up three runs over eight innings in Sunday's 5-3 win against Cleveland, with all three runs coming in the first three innings. He retired the final 16 batters.


"He just never gives in," catcher Chris Stewart told MLB's official website. "He wants to win any given situation, no matter what the score is. He's not going to let it dictate what he does out there on the mound."


Cole improved to 12-0 in the 14 starts in which Pittsburgh has scored at least two runs.


He went 1-2 with a 3.42 ERA in four starts versus St. Louis last year.


Lynn (6-4, 2.53) is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in six games since his last defeat. He struck out a season-high 10 while allowing one run over seven innings in a 2-1, 10-inning victory over Pittsburgh on May 1.


He's 5-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 14 career starts against the Pirates, winning just once in the last eight.


Lynn won't have to deal with two players who have given him trouble historically, with Starling Marte (8 for 21) and Josh Harrison (7 for 19) both out. Marte looks likely to land on the disabled list after missing the last four games with a strained oblique, while Harrison is already there due to a torn thumb ligament.


The Cardinals (56-30) increased their NL Central lead to 5 1/2 games over Pittsburgh (50-35) with a 4-1 victory Thursday behind 7 1-3 scoreless innings from Carlos Martinez at PNC Park.


Kolten Wong had a pinch-hit single after being cleared by doctors earlier in the day. He had missed the last two games due to concussion concerns after hitting his head while making a catch Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.


Matt Holliday could be activated from the DL. Holliday, who is batting .303 with 26 RBIs in 52 games but hasn't played since June 8 due to a strained quadriceps, is 6 for 12 with two doubles against Cole.


The Pirates' loss was their first in six games. Andrew McCutchen extended his hitting streak to 11 games with his 11th homer, but he's 5 for 38 (.132) with 15 strikeouts off Lynn, the second-worst batting average among the 23 players with at least 20 plate appearances against the right-hander.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cardinals at Pirates
Thu, Jul 9 Final 4 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Cardinals at Pirates
Fri, Jul 10 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Cardinals at Pirates
Sat, Jul 11 - 7:15PM EDT


GAME 4
Cardinals at Pirates
Sun, Jul 12 - 8:05PM EDT
 

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Preview: Braves (42-44) at Rockies (36-49)
Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: July 10, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Shelby Miller's win-loss record doesn't do justice to how well he's been pitching for the Atlanta Braves and it didn't prevent him from being named to his first All-Star Game.


Besieged by a lack of run support, Miller again seeks his first win in nearly eight weeks Friday night against the Colorado Rockies.


Miller (5-4, 2.07 ERA) has the majors' third-best ERA but has the fewest wins of any pitcher in the top nine of that category. The right-hander has also tossed two shutouts, tying Washington's Max Scherzer for the most in the NL.


He'll join Scherzer at Tuesday's All-Star Game in Cincinnati as the only representative for the Braves (42-44).


"Honestly, when you hear it for the first time, it's pretty awesome," Miller told MLB's official website. "You set goals for yourself every season and this is one of the goals and stepping stones that you want to have at the end of the year.


"I'm just grateful for the opportunity. It's an amazing experience."


The same can't be said of Miller's last nine starts. He has compiled a 2.80 ERA but is 0-3 since he's been backed by seven total runs - none in four straight games.


Miller scattered seven hits with eight strikeouts before leaving with one out in the seventh of Sunday's 4-0 loss in 10 to Philadelphia.


"I'm just trying to go out there and pitch," Miller said. "Whether we score eight runs or one, it doesn't matter. We're just trying to win."


He's 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA in three career starts against the Rockies (36-49).


Miller has held Troy Tulowitzki, Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez to a combined 1 for 13. However, they enter this matchup hot, totaling seven hits - four doubles - as Colorado beat Atlanta 5-3 in the rain-soaked opener of this four-game set Thursday.


Tulowitzki is hitting .354 during a 21-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors this year. Arenado and Gonzalez, meanwhile, have six hits each in two games.


The Rockies were supposed to send David Hale to the mound for the first time against his former team, but he replaced Thursday's starter Kyle Kendrick after the first inning following a rain delay of 2 hours, 6 minutes.


Hale, however, left with a groin injury after just 1 2-3 scoreless innings.


Colorado hasn't named a starter for Friday, but Jorge De La Rosa (6-3, 4.46) could be moved up one day from his scheduled start.


The left-hander has struggled greatly at home, going 2-2 with a 6.81 ERA in eight starts while winning four straight on the road behind a 0.99 ERA.


His last two starts have come away from Coors Field. He was staked to a four-run lead before even taking the mound at Arizona on Sunday, and allowed two runs in six-plus innings of a 6-4 win.


"The only thing I try to do is give the team the best chance to win, keep games close and wait for the guys to start hitting," De La Rosa said.


He is 1-1 with an 8.04 ERA in three career starts against Atlanta, but this is his first since July 29, 2013.


The Braves' Chris Johnson is a career .389 hitter against the Rockies and is 13 for 24 in his last six matchups after getting three hits Thursday.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Braves at Rockies
Thu, Jul 9 Final 3 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Braves at Rockies
Fri, Jul 10 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Braves at Rockies
Sat, Jul 11 - 4:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Braves at Rockies
Sun, Jul 12 - 4:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Angels (46-39) at Mariners (40-46)
Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: July 10, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The Seattle Mariners started a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels with a resounding victory behind a 19-hit attack.


If they want to get some hits Friday night against Hector Santiago, they will be challenged to avoid putting the ball in the air.


Santiago has the majors' lowest groundball percentage, though the left-hander's success is a bit of an enigma as he takes the mound at Safeco Field opposite impressive rookie Mike Montgomery.


Seattle (40-46) had 19 hits for the first time in three years in Thursday's 7-2 victory that snapped Los Angeles' five-game win streak. Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager each had three hits and Logan Morrison homered for the third time in seven games.


"I thought we put together some pretty good at-bats and having said that, we had an opportunity to score a lot more runs, we just didn't get it done," manager Lloyd McClendon said.


Those hitters figure to face a challenge against Santiago (5-4, 2.40 ERA), who has limited batters to groundballs 30.1 percent of the time with the lowest groundball-to-flyball ratio in the majors at 0.66. He pitched seven innings of three-hit ball in Saturday's 13-0 rout at Texas and has allowed two runs and eight hits over 20 innings in his last three outings.


There was talk that Santiago could make the AL All-Star team, though he was omitted despite limiting hitters to a .208 average for one of baseball's better marks.


The Angels (46-39) are likely just hoping he maintains his solid work since his fielding-independent pitching rate is a pedestrian 4.09 and because opponents' batting average in balls in play against him is an AL-best .237. That latter figure was at .288 last year and .291 in 2013.


Santiago's strong three-start run included a 3-2, 10-inning victory June 28 over Seattle in which he allowed one run and three hits in seven innings.


The Mariners' Robinson Cano is 2 for 13 against Santiago and Dustin Ackley is 1 for 10 in this matchup, though he usually sits versus left-handers. Cruz is 1 for 7 versus Santiago and Seager has a double in nine at-bats.


Brad Miller is 3 for 9 off Santiago, but he's hitting .173 against southpaws.


Superstars Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the rest of the Angels will get their first look at left-hander Montgomery (4-2, 1.62), who has a 0.38 ERA in winning three straight starts. The 26-year-old Montgomery gave up one run in 5 2-3 innings in Sunday's 2-1 victory at Oakland after becoming the first rookie to throw back-to-back shutouts since 1980.


"The one thing that we tend to forget that he's a young kid, he's still relatively raw," McClendon said.


Los Angeles lost for the second time in 11 games Thursday and fell to 6-4 in the season series after its third defeat to Felix Hernandez. Trout and Pujols combined for a single in eight at-bats after they totaled five homers and 10 RBIs in their previous three contests.


Erick Aybar went 2 for 4 to improve to 13 for 25 in his last six games.


The Mariners hope center fielder Austin Jackson will be able to play after he missed the opener with back spasms.


The Angels said that closer Huston Street will sit out this series due to an injured right groin that gives Joe Smith the job.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Angels at Mariners
Thu, Jul 9 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Angels at Mariners
Fri, Jul 10 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Angels at Mariners
Sat, Jul 11 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Angels at Mariners
Sun, Jul 12 - 4:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Brewers (37-50) at Dodgers (49-38)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: July 10, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Superb performances from Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke are major reasons why the Los Angeles Dodgers will enter the All-Star break atop the NL West.


Mike Bolsinger looks to contribute by winning for the first time in a month Friday night against the Milwaukee Brewers.


The Dodgers (49-38) have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball with a 3.28 ERA and arguably the best one-two punch in Kershaw and Greinke.


Kershaw dominated Philadelphia on Wednesday, tossing an eight-hitter while striking out 13 in a 5-0 win.


Greinke followed with his own stellar outing in the finale of the four-game set Thursday, retiring the last 21 batters he faced while allowing one hit in eight innings of a 6-0 victory. He extended his career-high shutout streak to 35 2-3 innings and is a favorite to start Tuesday's All-Star Game in Cincinnati.


The Dodgers are hoping Bolsinger (4-3, 3.09 ERA) can draw some inspiration from Kershaw and Greinke.


The right-hander is 0-2 with a 4.94 ERA over his last five starts. He's lost both at home over that stretch, surrendering nine runs with five walks in 10 1-3 innings after winning his first four at Dodgers Stadium behind a 1.01 ERA.


Bolsinger was charged with four runs and nine hits in five innings of an 8-0 home loss to the New York Mets on Sunday.


"A little unlucky," manager Don Mattingly said. "He hung in there. I didn't think it was that bad. He wasn't getting squared up all over the yard. He kind of limited the damage."


Bolsinger allowed seven runs and 14 hits - four homers - in 11 1-2 innings over two starts against the Brewers (37-50) last year, losing his only decision with Arizona.


Yasiel Puig snapped out of his recent slump Thursday, collecting a season-high four RBIs with a homer and a double. He was batting .188 with no RBIs over the previous 14 games.


He's 5 for 13 with in three home games versus Milwaukee.


The Brewers are on a seven-game road winning streak, their longest since a nine-game run that followed the 2008 All-Star break.


Milwaukee avoided a three-game sweep at home to Atlanta on Wednesday when Carlos Gomez hit a three-run shot in the eighth in a 6-5 win.


He's 7 for 17 with three homers and 10 RBIs in his last five games. Gomez has homered four times while going 13 for 30 with eight RBIs in the past eight games at Los Angeles.


Jimmy Nelson (6-8, 4.50) is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers and he takes the mound looking to win a career-high fourth consecutive start.


The right-hander, though, has failed to complete the sixth in the last two, coming one out shy in Saturday's 7-3 win at Cincinnati. He gave up three runs, with two coming after sitting through the Brewers' lengthy six-run fifth.


"He did a really nice job," manager Craig Counsell told MLB's official website. "I just thought that fifth inning, it felt like it was 45 minutes and it's hard for any pitcher to sit there for that long. So I thought he could go longer in the game, but it happens, guys that sit there for that long you get a little bit out of rhythm."



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Brewers at Dodgers
Fri, Jul 10 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Brewers at Dodgers
Sat, Jul 11 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Brewers at Dodgers
Sun, Jul 12 - 4:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Phillies (29-59) at Giants (43-43)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: July 10, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

While Cole Hamels will likely pitch one of his final games for the Philadelphia Phillies, Madison Bumgarner will try to bounce back from one of his worst this season for the San Francisco Giants.


The matchup between the only World Series MVP pitchers in the last 11 years will open a series between their scuffling clubs Friday night.


Hamels (5-6, 3.02 ERA) didn't hurt his trade value Sunday in Atlanta, lasting seven innings in a 4-0, 10-inning victory. The 2008 World Series MVP, however, remains winless in his last seven starts despite yielding two runs or fewer five times in that stretch.


The left-hander has received a combined six runs of support in that drought and his teammates don't appear poised to give him much help in this one. The Phillies (29-59) endured back-to-back shutouts to end a four-game visit to the Los Angeles Dodgers and had two hits in a 6-0 loss Thursday, their 12th in 15 games.


Bumgarner (8-5, 3.34) will try to add to those woes while bouncing back from a 9-3 loss in Washington on Saturday, one of San Francisco's eight defeats in its last nine games. The lefty gave up six runs in five-plus innings - three in the first - after logging a 2.03 ERA in his previous four starts.


"It was just one of those days,' Bumgarner said.


Like Hamels, Bumgarner has struggled to get consistent run support with a combined eight in his last five games. San Francisco (43-43) has plated nine runs in its past six contests while batting .183.


The Giants had five hits in a 4-1 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday and are in danger of dropping below .500 for the first time since they were 17-18 on May 14.


"We've got to find a way to get some runs. This offense is too good," manager Bruce Bochy said.


Buster Posey was out of the lineup for the second straight contest because of an ailing right hamstring, and his status is unclear. Posey is batting .364 in 24 career games against Philadelphia and is 9 for 18 lifetime against Hamels.


Bumgarner allowed five runs while striking out 11 over eight innings in a 7-5 victory in Philadelphia on June 6. He is 3-2 with a 3.40 ERA in seven starts against the Phillies, beginning with one in the 2010 postseason.


Hamels is 1-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his past three starts against the Giants, but has a 4.61 ERA at AT&T Park - his highest at any NL park. Hamels and Bumgarner have opposed each other just once with Hamels giving up three runs in seven innings and Bumgarner yielding one over seven in the Phillies' 5-3, 10-inning win in San Francisco on Aug. 15.


"I like going up against the best," Hamels told MLB's official website. "When you're going up against the number ones of teams, it's enjoyable. If you're fearing to go against the best, what does that really describe about yourself?"


The Phillies haven't been shut out in three consecutive games since May 25-27, 2010.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Phillies at Giants
Fri, Jul 10 - 10:15PM EDT


GAME 2
Phillies at Giants
Sat, Jul 11 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Phillies at Giants
Sun, Jul 12 - 4:05PM EDT
 

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Preview: Lynx (8-2) at Sky (6-5)


Date: July 10, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

While the Chicago Sky have easily been the league's top scoring team, the WNBA-best Minnesota Lynx's play on the defensive end has keyed their winning streak.


The Sky hope to avoid their fourth straight loss to the Lynx on Friday night when two of the league's top players meet at Allstate Arena.


Behind Elena Delle Donne's WNBA-high 27.2 points per game, Chicago has been the league's most prolific offensive club with an 84.6 average - well ahead of Tulsa's second-best 80.4 mark.


The Sky are putting up even bigger numbers at home, averaging 92.0 while winning two of three. Delle Donne has scored 34.0 per game there, including a career-best 45 in last month's 100-96 win over Atlanta.


Delle Donne, however, is looking to regroup as Chicago (6-5) returns home for its league-low fourth home game. She had a season-low 12 points on just 3-of-10 shooting in a 77-74 win at Connecticut on July 2.


Delle Donne also had her streak of 58 consecutive made free throws end in the first quarter, falling eight shy of the WNBA record set by Eva Nemcova in the 1999 and 2000 seasons.


'Oh well. Work on the next set of streaks or something,' the two-time All-Star said.


Delle Donne had averaged 20.6 points in her previous three games versus Minnesota before scoring two in 16 minutes of a 74-64 road loss Aug. 7 in her fourth game back from a recurrence of Lyme disease.


The Lynx will be focused on slowing her down again as they go after their fourth straight win. They've been outstanding defensively in their last two, holding Phoenix to 33.3 percent shooting in a 71-56 victory June 27 and Seattle to 38.7 percent in an 82-57 win last Friday.


Minnesota (8-2) is allowing 67.8 points per game, on pace to be its lowest mark since giving up 67.3 in 2005.


The Lynx shot 68 percent in the second half against the Storm and their 46.7 mark overall is ahead of Chicago's 45.4 for the WNBA's best. Maya Moore, fifth in the league with 17.0 points per game, has heated up by scoring a combined 44 on 17-of-30 shooting in the past two.


"I feel like I could be even more efficient (on offense)," she told the team's official website after finishing with 23 points and 11 boards versus Seattle, "but it felt good to be more efficient."


The Sky did a decent job defending the eventual MVP last season, holding her to 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting in a 75-72 home loss in May and 17 on 6-of-14 shooting in August.


Lindsay Whalen has stepped up with 19.7 points per game during Minnesota's run in this series.


Chicago's Allie Quigley totaled 35 points in the two meetings last season. She also scored 19 to lead the Sky's rally from an 11-point third-quarter deficit against the Sun.


Anna Cruz, acquired from New York in April, is expected to make her Lynx debut after missing the start of the season while earning a bronze medal with Spain at the EuroBasket 2015.




WNBA HEAD TO HEAD


Aug 7, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHI 64 Under: 138
MIN « 74 Cover: 1.5

Tools: Recaps


May 26, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN « 75 Cover: 4
CHI 72 Under: 147

Tools: Recaps
 

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Preview: Mercury (6-5) at Storm (3-10)


Date: July 10, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

Diana Taurasi's hiatus along with Brittney Griner's suspension and subsequent return garnered the majority of headlines for the defending champion Phoenix Mercury.


DeWanna Bonner, meanwhile, has been putting up big numbers all along.


Bonner and the Mercury look to stay hot Friday night against the host Seattle Storm in the opener of a home-and-home set.


Taurasi is taking this season off for rest after guiding Phoenix (6-5) to another WNBA title, and the club was further hampered by Griner's seven-game suspension over an offseason domestic violence incident involving former partner Glory Johnson of Tulsa.


Bonner took her role as the first option in stride during Griner's absence and has continued to shine. She ranks third in the league at 18.4 points per game after netting 22 in Sunday's 94-91 overtime win over Los Angeles for her sixth 20-point performance.


Candice Dupree added 21 and assisted on Leilani Mitchell's 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in the extra session as Phoenix won its third straight contest. Griner finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four blocks.


Griner is averaging 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 blocks to help the Mercury win three of four since her return.


"(We're) getting better," coach Sandy Brondello said. "The addition of (Griner) certainly helps us. We're taking better high-percentage shots and we've been trying to just play faster. We need our defense to start our offense, but we weren't really getting enough offense in that early transition phase. We're still working on it, but we've made steps forward."


Griner still was serving her suspension when Bonner scored a season-high 23 in an 84-72 win at Seattle on June 21 - one of four double-digit defeats for the Storm (3-10) during a dismal 1-8 stretch.


Seattle surrendered 24 points on a season-high 23 turnovers in Wednesday's 88-65 loss to Indiana to finish winless on a three-game trip. Jewell Loyd, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, scored a team-high 15 off the bench and is averaging 13.6 in her last five.


Sue Bird had six points while hitting 2 of 8 from the field, though, and Crystal Langhorne scored eight. The Storm averaged just 62.0 points on the trip.


"I think just overall we've run out of gas," coach Jenny Boucek told the team's official website. "We've been on the road a lot, haven't had a chance to rest or practice in a while. We played against a really good team that's playing really well. Just didn't have enough to battle them."


Langhorne had 13 points in the first meeting with the Mercury, while Bird and Alysha Clark finished with 11 apiece.


Phoenix, which hosts Seattle on Sunday, has won the last six matchups by an average of 15.8 points.




WNBA HEAD TO HEAD


Jun 21, 2015 Score ATS Results
PHO « 84 Cover: 9.5
SEA 72 Over: 156

Tools: Recaps


Aug 17, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 78 Cover: 8
SEA 65 Under: 143

Tools:


Jul 22, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 89 Cover: 11.5
SEA 71 Over: 160

Tools: Recaps


Jul 9, 2014 Score ATS Results
SEA 58 Under: 136
PHO « 78 Cover: 10

Tools: Recaps


Jun 3, 2014 Score ATS Results
SEA 72 Over: 159
PHO « 87 Cover: 4

Tools: Recaps


May 17, 2014 Score ATS Results
SEA 64 Under: 145
PHO « 81 Cover: 7

Tools: Recaps
 

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CFL underdogs and Unders have oddsmakers on their toes in Week 3

The CFL was a one-sided league in 2014, with the West dominating the East. That may not be the case in 2015, and early underdog bettors are making plenty of bacon – Canadian bacon that is – two weeks in.

Entering Week 3 of the schedule, CFL underdogs are an unblemished 7-0 ATS (8-0 ATS if you got Hamilton as a dog instead of pick'em versus Winnipeg in Week 2) with six of those paydays coming from East Division teams covering the spread against squads from the West Division. In fact, the East holds a 5-1 SU edge over the West after going 12-28 SU in non-divisional clashes last season.

“Bettors generally like to back favorites and when you combine that with the West's dominance from last season, it is no wonder that these early results have been unexpected,” renowned CFL oddsmaker Randall “The Handle” tells Covers.

Week 2 featured four non-divisional matchups and all four went to teams from the East. Hamilton knocked off Winnipeg 52-26 after closing as big as a 1.5-point underdog at most books, Montreal dropped defending Grey Cup champ Calgary 29-11 as a 9.5-point home dog, Ottawa stunned B.C. 27-13 as a 3-point home pup, and Toronto capped the week with a 42-40 OT win in Saskatchewan as a field-goal underdog.

The Week 3 slate has three of its four games between non-divisional opponents, with Ottawa at Edmonton, Montreal at Winnipeg, and Toronto at Calgary. Randall says this week’s CFL spreads will not be shaded toward this trend but he does say he’ll be closely monitoring the betting patterns for Week 3 action.

“It truly is a small sample although we cannot ignore some of the things we are seeing,” he says. “We will gauge both the teams competing and the marketplace but it remains business as usual. As a linemaker, my objective is always to draw good two-way action and week to week action is a component.”

“Faves will start covering some games at some point but no one knows when that may start,” he adds. “We'll see if action dwindles at all this week or if bettors feel that this is the week where things start to balance out. Lines have been sent out. We'll see how it goes.”

Another trend, which has carried over from last season, is the rate Unders have cashed in for total bettors. So far, through two weeks, CFL games have finished 3-5 Over/Under – on the heels of the 2014 season in which CFL games went 34-51 O/U on the year for a 60 percent winning rate for Under players.

Entering 2015, the CFL changed rules regarding pass interference and punt returns, hoping to jumpstart scoring following a 2014 campaign that saw team’s average scoring drop from 26.21 points per game in 2013 to just 22.74 points. So far in 2015, CFL teams are averaging 26.18 points per game but that increase in production hasn’t paid out for the Over.

“Scoring was down a year ago and not too much has changed, despite the rule changes. That said, the new rules are creating more opportunities for scoring but teams have not taken full advantage quite yet,” Randall says. “A slew of quarterback injuries could be a contributing factor. Again, we'll monitor and respond accordingly.”

As of the third week of the CFL calendar, more than half of the league’s teams are missing their designated No. 1 quarterback with Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, and now Winnipeg - QB Drew Willy questionable for Friday’s home stand against the Alouettes – looking down the depth chart at pivot.

Books have started releasing Week 3 odds with the Eskimos opening as 5-point home faves against Ottawa, Montreal opening +3.5 at Winnipeg, BC opening as a 3.5-point home fave against Saskatchewan and the Argos +6.5 at the Stampeders.
 

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CFL
Dunkel


Week 3


Montreal @ Winnipeg


Game 123-124
July 10, 2015 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
112.442
Winnipeg
109.623
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 3
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
by 3 1/2
52 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(+3 1/2); Over


Saskatchewan @ BC Lions


Game 125-126
July 10, 2015 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Saskatchewan
115.415
BC Lions
116.337
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
BC Lions
by 1
43
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
BC Lions
by 3 1/2
48 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Saskatchewan
(+3 1/2); Under
 

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Long Sheet


Thursday, July 9


Friday, July 10


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MONTREAL (1 - 1) at WINNIPEG (1 - 1) - 7/10/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 4-1 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 4-1 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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SASKATCHEWAN (0 - 2) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (0 - 1) - 7/10/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 25-43 ATS (-22.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 115-81 ATS (+25.9 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 50-28 ATS (+19.2 Units) in July games since 1996.


Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 3-3 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
SASKATCHEWAN is 4-2 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
 

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Messages
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Armadillo's Write-Up


Montreal (1-1) @ Winnipeg (1-1)-- First road game for Alouettes, who outscored first two opponents 29-5 in first half, were +1 in turnovers both games, but lost to Ottawa before they upset defending champ Calgary last week. Winnipeg agev up 952 yards in splitting first two games, winning in Regina, losing 52-26 at home to Hamilton last week. Blue Bombers won four in row, six of last seven against Montreal; road team won four of last five series games.


Saskatchewan (0-2) @ British Columbia (0-1)-- Big early game for pair of winless teams in a series where underdog won SU in six of last ten meetings. Roughriders won 31-17/20-16 last two visits here, but they've given up 72 points in losing first two games this year, by total of six points- they gained 1,084 yards and still lost both games. Lions lost in Ottawa last week after a first-week bye. Under is 14-2 in last sixteen BC-Saskatchewan games.
 

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