Cnotes Sports Page For Sunday July 26th Best Bets-Trends-News !

Preview: Dodgers (56-43) at Mets (50-48)
Game: 4
Venue: Citi Field
Date: July 26, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

The longest shutout streak in 27 years was put on hold as Zack Greinke attended the birth of his first child.


Now, he's back and looking to dominate the New York Mets for the second time this month in the finale of this four-game series Sunday.


Greinke (9-2, 1.30 ERA) enters this game having thrown 43 2-3 consecutive scoreless innings, the longest such streak since Orel Hershiser set the major league record of 59 with the Dodgers (56-43) in 1988. Only Don Drysdale (58 in 1968) and Bob Gibson (47 in 1968) have had longer streaks during the post-1960 expansion era.


"I don't think about it at all. I'm just not making a bunch of mistakes and making good pitches," said Greinke, whose ERA is the lowest in the majors since Gibson finished with a 1.12 mark in 1968, known as "The Year of the Pitcher."


The right-hander has had plenty to think about lately, as his scheduled start was pushed back two days so he could be with his wife for the birth of their son - Bode Nicholas Greinke - in Los Angeles.


Greinke's chances of extending his streak should bode well despite the layoff. The fourth of his six consecutive scoreless outings came against the Mets (50-48) on July 4, when he scattered four hits in seven innings of a 4-3 victory to improve to 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his last four starts against them.


Additionally, Greinke is 8-1 with a 1.73 ERA in 13 starts when getting six or more days of rest over the past four years. The three-time All-Star has allowed one run with 15 strikeouts in 14 innings in two such starts in 2015, winning his only decision last Sunday - 5-0 at Washington.


Greinke had a season-high 11 strikeouts in eight innings, giving him 42 against four walks to go with a 0.53 WHIP during this run. As opposed to Hershiser, Drysdale and Gibson - who all had at least five complete games during their streaks - Greinke has not tossed more than eight innings in any outing and threw a season-high 119 pitches versus the Nationals.


Though the Mets are tied with San Diego for the lowest average in the majors at .236, they erupted for their best offensive showing in five years Saturday, pounding out 21 hits with four homers in a 15-2 win.


"This is one of those nights where everything went right for us," manager Terry Collins said. "You're going to have them once in a while and you need them."


Highly touted prospect Michael Conforto went 4 for 4 with an RBI. He was 0 for 3 and drove in a run on a fielder's choice in his major league debut in Friday's 7-2 defeat.


Kirk Nieuwenhuis also had four hits and matched his season high with four RBIs, while Kelly Johnson added a solo homer and a single in his Mets debut after being acquired in a trade from Atlanta a day earlier.


Johnson and Nieuwenhuis are a combined 0 for 9 against Greinke.


Jacob deGrom (10-6, 2.18) will try to upstage Greinke again. The right-hander struck out the side on 10 pitches in the All-Star game July 14 after Greinke served up a leadoff homer to Mike Trout.


DeGrom followed that by allowing two runs and three hits with eight strikeouts in six innings of Tuesday's 7-2 win at Washington. He's 7-2 with a 1.50 ERA and 9.58 strikeouts per nine innings over his last 11 starts.


He struggled in losing both meetings with the Dodgers last year, allowing eight runs and four homers in 12 innings.


DeGrom has limited Jimmy Rollins to one hit in six at-bats, but the shortstop is 5 for 9 in this series - connecting for a solo homer in each of the first three games.


He's 16 for 38 (.421) with six homers in his last 11 games at New York.


Adrian Gonzalez is 3 for 6 with two homers off deGrom. He singled Saturday after a stiff neck sidelined him for one game, but he's 15 for 35 (.429) with four homers in his last nine contests.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Dodgers at Mets
Thu, Jul 23 Final 3 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Dodgers at Mets
Fri, Jul 24 Final 7 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Dodgers at Mets
Sat, Jul 25 Final 2 to 15
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 4
Dodgers at Mets
Sun, Jul 26 - 1:10PM EDT

Preview: White Sox (45-50) at Indians (45-51)
Game: 4
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 26, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

Chicago White Sox pitchers have performed at a high level in recent road games. Their lineup has joined in on the fun in Cleveland.


The White Sox will try to finish off an impressive showing with their first four-game road sweep of the Indians in 10 years Sunday.


Chicago (45-50) has registered a 1.23 ERA in a 7-1 stretch away from home and has given up just four runs in this series. The White Sox's hitters, meanwhile, have plated 24 while totaling 36 hits.


"They've outplayed us in every way," said Indians manager Terry Francona, whose team has dropped five straight at home. "They've pitched better than us. They've hit better than us. I hope that changes (Sunday)."


Melky Cabrera has driven in seven runs while going 7 for 13 in the series. Alexei Ramirez, batting .224 in his first 89 games, has gone 6 for 13 with five RBIs.


Jose Abreu brought home three runs in a 10-3 victory Saturday, including two in a five-run first inning, and Tyler Saladino went 3 for 5 while scoring three runs.


"We're just putting it together. We've got a six-run lead and we've got guys diving for balls in the outfield, hustling down the line," pitcher Chris Sale said. "This is what we know we can play like."


The White Sox will next seek their first four-game sweep in Cleveland since July 14-17, 2005, and will likely need a better performance from Carlos Rodon (3-3, 4.48 ERA) to accomplish that goal.


The left-hander gave up seven runs in four innings in an 8-5 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday, dropping to 1-3 with a 6.98 ERA in his last six starts. That stretch includes six scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs on July 10.


Rodon yielded one run in six innings in his lone start against Cleveland (45-51) on May 20, but walked five and did not get a decision in a 4-3 loss.


He might have to face Jason Kipnis after the All-Star second baseman sat out Saturday because of a stiff neck. Kipnis, third in the AL with a .324 average, is 6 for 43 (.140) with 10 strikeouts in 11 games against the White Sox this season.


Danny Salazar (8-5, 3.78) will seek his third win in as many starts versus Chicago. He tossed six shutout innings in his lone 2015 matchup, a 5-2 victory May 21. That was also his only scoreless outing this season, and he gave up no earned runs over 8 2-3 innings in a 5-1 win over Oakland on July 10.


In his only appearance since that start, Salazar yielded three runs and two hits in six innings Tuesday in an 8-1 defeat in Milwaukee. He's alternated wins and losses in his last four outings.


Ramirez is 9 for 13 (.692) with a home run and two doubles lifetime against Salazar, his best average versus any of the 120 pitchers he's faced 11 or more times. Those nine hits are the most the right-hander has given up to any player.


Cleveland's home skid is its longest since a six-game slide Aug. 5-10, 2013. The Indians have lost four in a row overall twice this season with the last coming April 25-28.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
White Sox at Indians
Thu, Jul 23 Final 8 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
White Sox at Indians
Fri, Jul 24 Final 6 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
White Sox at Indians
Sat, Jul 25 Final 10 to 3
Boxscores


GAME 4
White Sox at Indians
Sun, Jul 26 - 1:10PM EDT

Preview: Orioles (47-49) at Rays (49-50)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: July 26, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

While Chris Davis tries to extend his power surge, the Baltimore Orioles will seek consecutive wins for just the second time in nearly a month.


The Orioles will also try to keep the Tampa Bay Rays' lineup mired in its slump in Sunday's series finale at Tropicana Field.


Davis' grand slam in a 5-1 victory over the Rays on Saturday was his third homer in four games and team-best 22nd. He's also batting .313 in an eight-game hit streak, but the Orioles are hitting .181 with 14 runs in the last five games of a 6-15 stretch that began June 29.


"Obviously, when you score you want to keep scoring and you don't want to stop or slow down, but I think we did a great job tonight of having good at-bats, making them work and taking advantage of opportunities to score," Davis told MLB's official website.


Baltimore (47-49), which snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday, earned its only back-to-back wins in its last 21 contests in Detroit last weekend.


The Rays (49-50) are also in an offensive funk, having scored four runs or less in 12 consecutive games, their second-longest such run in franchise history behind a 17-game stretch in September 2000. They've totaled 30 runs in the last 12 while batting .202 and have scored 85 while losing 20 of 29 since June 20.


"Most teams go through something like this," catcher Curt Casali said. "People can say what they want about the depth of our lineup, but I'm not buying that. We have major league hitters on this team and we are going to continue to grind it out and sneak out wins however we can."


Wei-Yin Chen (4-6, 2.86 ERA) will try to keep the Rays' lineup from breaking out and earn his first win in four starts. The left-hander has a 2.47 ERA in eight starts since the beginning of June but has been backed by five runs of support in his last three outings.


Chen allowed 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings on Tuesday but limited the New York Yankees to three runs in a 3-2 loss.


Chen pitched at least six innings while allowing three runs or fewer in two May starts against Tampa Bay but didn't get a win in either game while getting one total run of support.


Matt Moore (1-1, 7.23) opposes him in his fifth start back from Tommy John surgery. The left-hander has gotten through five innings just once and took a 5-3 loss in Philadelphia on Monday, allowing four runs in 4 2-3 innings.


Moore hasn't faced Baltimore since June 9, 2013, when he gave up career highs of nine runs and 12 hits in five innings in a 10-7 loss. He had a 1.89 ERA in his first six career starts against the Orioles.


Adam Jones (9 for 19 with two homers) and Matt Wieters (8 for 14 with two homers) thrived against Moore before his surgery in April 2014. Davis was 2 for 13.


Neither Jones nor Wieters have enjoyed much success at the plate lately, however, with Jones going 2 for 16 in his last four games and Wieters 2 for 23 in his last six.


Brandon Guyer, batting .188 in 15 games this month, is 4 for 8 with three doubles against Chen this season.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Orioles at Rays
Fri, Jul 24 Final 1 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Orioles at Rays
Sat, Jul 25 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Orioles at Rays
Sun, Jul 26 - 1:10PM EDT

Preview: Nationals (52-44) at Pirates (56-41)
Game: 4
Venue: PNC Park
Date: July 26, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Gerrit Cole can accomplish something no one on the Pittsburgh Pirates has done in 44 years.


The Washington Nationals have had trouble against him in the past and figure to have their hands full judging by how Cole has fared against NL East opponents.


Cole can improve to 6-0 against that division and become the Pirates' first 14-game winner before August since 1971 when he starts in Sunday's four-game series finale at PNC Park.


Cole (13-4, 2.31 ERA) can add to his major league-leading victory total and become the first Pirate to reach 14 wins before August since Dock Ellis was 15-4 through July in 1971.


The right-hander missed a chance to earn that distinction Tuesday when he allowed three runs in 7 1-3 innings in a 3-1 loss at Kansas City. He fell to 8-2 with a 2.25 ERA in his last 11 outings.


Cole is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts against the Nationals, with Wilson Ramos 2 for 5 against him and Anthony Rendon 1 for 5. He has a 1.27 ERA in winning all five starts against the NL East.


The All-Star will try to slow down the red-hot Ian Desmond, who has homered in three straight games for the second time - also doing so June 19-21, 2013. Desmond is 10 for 19 with four homers and seven RBIs in a six-game hitting streak after he was hitless in 16 at-bats.


"He's hit some balls in the middle of the diamond for power that tells me and everybody else that he's staying on the baseball a little bit better," manager Matt Williams said.


Desmond has a homer in four at-bats versus Cole.


Rendon went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and a sacrifice fly in Saturday's 9-3 victory in his return to the lineup after missing 23 games with a strained left quadriceps. Michael Taylor homered among four hits and drove in three runs.


Washington star Bryce Harper has reached base in 22 straight games. He's 3 for 11 in this series and 7 for 33 at PNC Park - the only NL stadium in which he has yet to homer.


Pittsburgh (56-41) fell to 13-2 at home against NL East foes and lost for the second time in 12 games there.


Francisco Cervelli is 6 for 12 in this series while Jung Ho Kang is 13 for 27 in a seven-game hitting streak. Pedro Alvarez homered in the first two games and did not start Saturday, going 1 for 2 after entering as part of a double switch.


Rookie Joe Ross (2-2, 2.70) makes his fifth start for the Nationals (52-44) and second in a row replacing Stephen Strasburg in the rotation since being recalled Tuesday from Triple-A Syracuse. He yielded three runs over 6 1-3 innings that night in a 7-2 home loss to the New York Mets.


The 22-year-old right-hander's previous big league outing was a 11-strikeout performance as he gave up one run over 7 1-3 innings in a 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh on June 19. Six days prior to that, he beat Milwaukee and held Aramis Ramirez hitless in four at-bats.


Ramirez went 0 for 4 on Saturday in his Pirates season debut after being acquired Thursday. He spent his first five-plus seasons with Pittsburgh.


'I never thought I'd be back here but, in baseball, you never know,' Ramirez said.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Nationals at Pirates
Thu, Jul 23 Final 3 to 7
Boxscores


GAME 2
Nationals at Pirates
Fri, Jul 24 Final 5 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Nationals at Pirates
Sat, Jul 25 Final 9 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 4
Nationals at Pirates
Sun, Jul 26 - 1:35PM EDT

Preview: Astros (55-44) at Royals (58-38)
Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: July 26, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Ned Yost was smart enough to name Dallas Keuchel the AL's All-Star Game starter, partially because he's witnessed first-hand how dominant the Houston Astros left-hander can be.


The Kansas City Royals manager knows the challenge that awaits his club Sunday when Keuchel tries to become the AL's first 13-game winner in this decisive series finale.


Though Kansas City (58-38) snapped a seven-game skid to Houston with Saturday's 2-1, 10-inning victory, it has been held to two or fewer runs six times in the last eight meetings. The task only gets tougher against Keuchel (12-4, 2.12 ERA), the AL ERA leader who allowed two hits and struck out a career-high 13 in seven innings of a 10-0 rout of Texas last Sunday.


"It was vintage Dallas Keuchel with a few more strikeouts," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "That's our guy. There's no way around it. He's been doing it like this the whole year.


"He's a threat every time he goes out to put up a game like this."


Keuchel certainly was June 30 while striking out seven over eight innings of a 4-0 victory over the Royals, improving to 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA in three starts against them.


"(Keuchel) utilized both sides of the plate really effectively," Yost said. "He'd get us looking away and then he'd start pounding us in. We couldn't gauge him."


The good news for Yost's club is that Keuchel has been vulnerable away from home, posting a 4.65 ERA in his past six road starts and losing four of the last five.


Fellow Astros starters Scott Kazmir and Scott Feldman dominated the first two games of this set, holding the Royals to one run over 14 2-3 innings. Kansas City has managed 11 hits in the series, but its last from Alcides Escobar blooped in to score Paulo Orlando with the winner Saturday.


"These type of games are character builders," Hinch said. "There are no moral victories around here, but I was proud of our guys."


Kansas City's Eric Hosmer is batting .484 in the last eight games and is 4 for 6 against Keuchel, who will be opposed by Yordano Ventura (4-7, 5.19).


The right-hander was sent down to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, then recalled a day later after Kansas City announced Jason Vargas will need Tommy John surgery. Ventura was demoted in order to fine-tune some things but was the obvious choice to return.


"There were two reasons we sent him down - one, we felt he could have benefited from low pressure starts, but mainly it's because we needed protection," Yost told MLB's official website. "We needed to clear a spot and we needed a long man, and that was (Joe) Blanton. It was more out of necessity to have a long guy."


Ventura allowed a season-high six runs and 10 hits in four-plus innings of Monday's 10-7 loss to Pittsburgh. He fell to 1-4 with a 6.21 ERA in his past six starts.


"This kid has had some success at the major league level," Yost said. "Hopefully he'll get better and better as the second half goes on."


Ventura is 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA in two starts against Houston (55-44) - both came last season.


He'll get his first look at rookie shortstop Carlos Correa, who delivered a sacrifice fly and made a stellar play ranging into the hole to throw out Alex Rios with men on first and third to end the ninth.


Correa batted .379 during a nine-game hitting streak that ended Saturday but has eight RBIs in his last eight contests.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Astros at Royals
Fri, Jul 24 Final 4 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Astros at Royals
Sat, Jul 25 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Astros at Royals
Sun, Jul 26 - 2:10PM EDT

Preview: Yankees (54-42) at Twins (52-45)
Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 26, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi made numerous lineup changes in the middle game of this road series against the Minnesota Twins.


One move he likely won't make in Sunday's finale is to give Alex Rodriguez a rest.


Rodriguez's magnificent three-homer night helped even this series, and now he'll try to improve on a poor average in day games as he faces Twins starter Kyle Gibson for the first time.


Girardi did not start Brian McCann, Didi Gregorius and Brett Gardner on Saturday, with all three expected back in Sunday's lineup. New York (54-42) trailed by five runs after three innings before rallying for an 8-5 victory behind the fifth career three-homer effort of Rodriguez, who turns 40 on Monday.


'Some people say that life starts at 40. I'll sign up for that right now,' he said.


The slugger went deep twice off starter Tommy Milone before leading off the ninth with a blast off closer Glen Perkins to tie the game. Perkins later allowed a go-ahead, three-run shot by John Ryan Murphy, who replaced McCann at catcher.


'Maybe our best win of the year,' Girardi said.


New York has won 10 of 13 and can capture its sixth straight series. Rodriguez is a .220 hitter in day games, while Jacoby Ellsbury, McCann, Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran and Stephen Drew all bat below .225.


While Gibson (8-7, 3.19 ERA) is 1-2 with a 10.95 ERA against New York for his highest ERA against any opponent, it's deceiving for Sunday since no current Yankees hitter has more than three at-bats or one hit against the right-hander.


Gibson matched a season high by yielding six runs over five-plus innings Tuesday in a 7-0 loss at the Los Angeles Angels. He posted a 1.30 ERA in winning his previous four outings.


'I didn't have my best stuff,' he said. 'The pitch I needed the most was my glove-side fastball. It had been the pitch the last couple weeks that had been pretty consistent for me and allowed me to work off that. So not having that was tough."


Gardner entered Saturday as a pinch-hitter and went 0 for 2 to end a career-high, 25-game streak of reaching base. He batted .333 with 17 runs scored in that stretch.


Perkins suffered his second blown save in three opportunities after converting his first 28 for Minnesota (52-45), which had a four-game home win streak snapped with its second loss in 10 games at Target Field.


The Yankees' Nathan Eovaldi (9-2, 4.43) is 4-0 with a 2.97 ERA in his last six starts as he faces the Twins for the first time. He yielded two runs over 5 2-3 innings and did not get a decision in Tuesday's 3-2 home win over Baltimore.


The right-hander owns baseball's third-best run support average at 7.03. That's why he has an impressive record despite opponents batting .302 against him for the majors' second-worst mark.


Eovaldi has a 5.19 road ERA compared to 3.66 at home. He is 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA in five day starts.


Twins veteran Torii Hunter is 1 for 6 off Eovaldi. Hunter is 3 for 9 with two homers and four RBIs in this series while Aaron Hicks is 3 for 8 with one homer and four RBIs.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Yankees at Twins
Fri, Jul 24 Final 1 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Yankees at Twins
Sat, Jul 25 Final 8 to 5
Boxscores


GAME 3
Yankees at Twins
Sun, Jul 26 - 2:10PM EDT

Preview: Braves (45-52) at Cardinals (63-34)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: July 26, 2015 2:15 PM EDT

No St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff has performed this well in 47 years, and that's why the team is pulling away in the NL Central.


A day after needing just two hits to extend their winning streak, the Cardinals look for Michael Wacha to continue his home success Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.


St. Louis (63-34) owns the best record in baseball, thanks largely to the pitchers' combined 2.64 ERA - the team's lowest since posting a 2.49 mark in 1968.


The staff has compiled a 2.00 ERA during a 7-1 stretch since the All-Star break as the Cardinals have increased their division lead on second-place Pittsburgh from 2 1/2 games to seven. Dominant pitching is why St. Louis has overcome the offense batting .212 with only 12 runs in the past four games.


The only hits Saturday were Kolten Wong's double and Yadier Molina's single, but the Cardinals extended their winning streak to five with a 1-0 win over Atlanta behind Carlos Martinez's eight strong innings. Pinch-hitter Stephen Piscotty got his first career RBI on an eighth-inning sacrifice fly.


"It was just a cool moment and I'm just really glad it came through," said Piscotty, who is 2 for 9 in four games since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis.


St. Louis has won seven of eight at Busch Stadium, part of its major league-best 36-12 home record, and Wacha (11-3, 3.20 ERA) certainly has flourished there. He's 11-2 with a 2.24 ERA in his past 19 home starts, including 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA over the last three.


The right-hander, though, has struggled on the road in his last two starts, surrendering 10 runs in 11 innings. Still, Wacha got the win in Tuesday's 8-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox despite giving up five runs and two homers in five innings, his first start in 13 days due to the All-Star break.


"It really looked to (pitching coach Derek Lilliquist) and I that he was jumpy with his legs," manager Mike Matheny told MLB's official website. "That's something that happens when you get more rest than usual and your legs feel so strong."


Wacha, 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in seven day games, has never started against the Braves but has thrown 2 2-3 scoreless innings in two relief appearances.


Freddie Freeman should face Wacha for the first time in his first start since June 17. Freeman flied out as a pinch-hitter Saturday, hours after he was unexpectedly activated from the disabled list.


"Hand doesn't hurt at all," said Freeman, who missed 30 games with a wrist injury and was supposed to play a rehab game with Double-A Orlando.


Freeman is a .340 hitter in 14 games in St. Louis.


Atlanta (45-52) has dropped a season-high seven consecutive road games and 13 of 16.


Matt Wisler (4-1, 3.60) has a 5.17 ERA in three road starts and didn't pitch particularly well at home Monday but beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up four runs and eight hits in six innings of a 7-5 win.


"I feel like I belong here and I'm confident every time I pitch," said the rookie right-hander, who is 3-0 in his last four starts.


Reliever Steve Cishek could make his Cardinals debut after joining the team Saturday following his acquisition from Miami. The former Marlins closer, who has a 0.71 ERA in 13 appearances since a demotion to the minors, is thrilled to be joining the majors' top team.


"I just remember telling my wife, if I would be traded to the Cardinals it would be the best possible situation," Cishek said. "It's going to be sweet coming out here and every seat's filled and the crowd's just jumping. I'm beyond thrilled to be here."


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Braves at Cardinals
Fri, Jul 24 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Braves at Cardinals
Sat, Jul 25 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Braves at Cardinals
Sun, Jul 26 - 2:15PM EDT

Preview: Phillies (36-63) at Cubs (51-45)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 26, 2015 2:20 PM EDT

With their top three pitchers lined up at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs certainly did not expect to be in position to drop all three games to the team with baseball's worst record.


That's where the playoff hopefuls stand, however, after getting no-hit for the first time in 50 years.


After losing games started by Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta, the slumping Cubs hope to salvage a win against the resurgent Philadelphia Phillies as Jason Hammel goes after his first victory in seven weeks.


Chicago (51-45) was looking to make a push during this stretch against four of the NL's bottom five teams. Instead, the squad has dropped four of the first six against Cincinnati and Philadelphia while falling 1 1/2 games behind San Francisco for the second wild-card spot.


The Cubs are struggling offensively, batting .213 while averaging 2.8 runs over their last 12 games. They went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position in Friday's 5-3, 10-inning loss before Cole Hamels tossed the first no-hitter against the franchise since Sandy Koufax's perfect game in 1965.


"Nothing will top winning a World Series, but this is right under it," Hamels said after what could be his final start for the Phillies with the trade deadline looming.


Kris Bryant, who made the final out in Saturday's 5-0 loss, is batting .132 with 22 strikeouts over his last 14 games, leaving 31 men on base. Fellow All-Star Anthony Rizzo has gone 3 for 24 over his last six.


Kyle Schwarber might able to help as he's expected to start behind the plate. The rookie slugger has gone 10 for 24 with two home runs in nine contests since getting recalled from Triple-A Iowa.


Chicago hopes to turn things around for Hammel (5-4, 2.82 ERA), who has received nine total runs of support in seven winless starts since beating Washington on June 6.


After getting pulled due to a hamstring injury after one inning in his previous outing July 8, Hammel surrendered one earned run over five in Tuesday's 5-4, 13-inning win at Cincinnati.


"It was a stepping stone for me," Hammel told MLB's official website. "Things definitely weren't as bad as last time, but we're still going to keep treating it and make sure we stay on top of it."


The right-hander has gone 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA in his last seven home starts. He's 1-2 with a 6.56 ERA in four career starts against the Phillies (36-63) but hasn't faced them since 2012.


Jeff Francoeur is 4 for 9 when facing Hammel, though Ryan Howard has gone 1 for 8. Francoeur is 7 for 12 with three homers since the All-Star break and Howard had a three-run home run and a double Saturday.


After losing a team-record 62 games before the break, the Phillies have won seven of eight. They've also scored five runs or more six times after averaging a baseball-worst 3.4 per game in the first half.


Aaron Nola didn't get any run support Tuesday in his major league debut, but the 2014 first-round pick yielded one run with six strikeouts over six innings in a 1-0 home loss to Tampa Bay.


The right-hander will try to help the Phillies complete their first three-game sweep at Wrigley since 2009.


According to the league's official website, the Cubs are among the teams pursuing a trade for Philadelphia closer Jonathan Papelbon. Chicago is currently using a committee led by Jason Motte, who blew his first save in seven opportunities in the opener.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Phillies at Cubs
Fri, Jul 24 Final 5 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Phillies at Cubs
Sat, Jul 25 Final 5 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Phillies at Cubs
Sun, Jul 26 - 2:20PM EDT

Preview: Rangers (47-49) at Angels (54-43)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: July 26, 2015 3:35 PM EDT

Los Angeles Angels stars Albert Pujols and Mike Trout are vying for the AL lead in homers and Texas Rangers starter Nick Martinez just got hammered in his first start after being called up from the minors.


That doesn't mean the unheralded Martinez will be intimidated by facing baseball's best power-hitting duo.


He's had astounding success against Pujols and Trout and will try to help the Rangers complete a three-game road sweep Sunday in a matchup with unbeaten rookie Andrew Heaney.


Pujols and Trout have 29 homers apiece and have combined for 121 RBIs. Neither has gone deep against Martinez (5-5, 3.92 ERA), with Trout producing a double in 11 at-bats and Pujols going hitless in nine with three walks.


Martinez, however, was ripped for seven runs over four innings as he escaped without a decision in Monday's 8-7 loss at Colorado after being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock that day. He posted a 6.27 ERA in losing three straight big-league outings prior to his demotion July 2.


The right-hander may be a different pitcher than he was in two April starts against the Angels in which he went 1-0 and allowed one unearned run and scattered 12 hits over 13 innings.


While Pujols and Trout went 1 for 8 against him in those games, Los Angeles (54-43) may be able to count on others. Kole Calhoun was 3 for 3 the one time he faced Martinez this year, and C.J. Cron went 3 for 6 in the two games.


The Angels are 5-0 in starts by Heaney (4-0, 1.57), who has won his last four outings and pitched at least seven innings in each of them after giving up two runs in seven in Monday's 7-3 home victory over Boston.


The left-hander has received 27 runs of support over his last three starts. He is limiting hitters to a .194 average - .169 for right-handed batters. The Rangers (47-49) have never faced him.


Texas has rallied to take the first two games in this series after not coming from behind in a victory since June 30. The Rangers erased a two-run deficit with three runs in the eighth inning in Saturday's 7-6 victory to improve baseball's best road record to 31-23.


'We've talked about games like this and what they could do for us,' manager Jeff Banister said. 'They can be motivators for us, but they're all important right now and we've got to complete the deal tomorrow and let this momentum ride for us. Anytime you're playing an opponent that's on top of you, you try to get yourself back into the mix of things.


'These guys have a lot of fight in them.'


Rougned Odor went 2 for 4 with a homer and Delino DeShields drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth with an infield hit. Closer Shawn Tolleson pitched a scoreless ninth for the second straight night, giving him 17 saves.


Odor is hitting .375 with five homers and 15 RBIs in his last 22 games.


Former Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton did not start, flying out as a pinch-hitter one night after he was heavily booed by fans in his first game back in Anaheim after being traded to Texas on April 27.


Trout is 4 for 8 with a homer in this series and Calhoun is 3 for 9 with three RBIs for Los Angeles, which has dropped three straight following a seven-game win streak.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rangers at Angels
Fri, Jul 24 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Rangers at Angels
Sat, Jul 25 Final 7 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Rangers at Angels
Sun, Jul 26 - 3:35PM EDT

Preview: Athletics (44-55) at Giants (53-44)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: July 26, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

The only San Francisco Giants pitcher to lose over the past 2 1/2 weeks is Tim Hudson. The rotation has put together a brilliant run since that defeat, and now he could extend it by defeating the only team he's never beaten - his original one.


Hudson's first victory in his 40s could come against the Oakland Athletics if he can lift the Giants to their 11th win in 12 games and a three-game sweep of the Bay Area series Sunday at AT&T Park.


Impressive pitching has gotten San Francisco (53-44) on a roll, going 10-1 with a 2.50 ERA since July 10. The lone loss came Monday when Hudson, returning after missing nearly a month with a strained shoulder, needed 94 pitches in four-plus innings as he allowed three runs, five hits and four walks in a 4-2 defeat at San Diego.


"Once I get (on) the mound more, my fastball command will definitely come," he told MLB's official website after throwing 16 of his 28 first-inning pitches for balls.


Since that game, starters Chris Heston, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy and Madison Bumgarner have all posted victories while yielding a combined five runs in 26 1-3 innings and holding opponents to a .176 average.


Hudson (5-8, 4.76 ERA), who turned 40 on July 14, is the only Giants starter who doesn't have a win over the Athletics. When he beat Atlanta - his other former team - on May 29, that left Oakland as the last club he's yet to beat.


A sixth-round draft pick of the A's who won 92 games for them from 1999-2004, Hudson has a 9.58 ERA in two matchups against Oakland and lost both. The only one since 2008 came last July when he surrendered six runs in 5 1-3 innings in a 6-1 defeat.


As San Francisco has taken over the NL's second wild-card spot, Oakland (44-55) is in the AL West basement after losing three straight while getting held to six runs.


Ben Zobrist, among the veterans the A's may look to move before the trade deadline, has hit for the cycle through two games of this series while his teammates have accounted for just two doubles and eight singles.


Oakland is hitting .150 with runners in scoring position since the break after going 0 for 8 on Saturday in a 2-1 loss to Bumgarner.


"We needed one big hit and never got it," manager Bob Melvin said.


The A's will start Kendall Graveman (6-6, 3.78). Since going 3-2 with a 1.26 ERA over a six-start span, Graveman has stumbled to an 8.18 ERA while dropping his last two outings. He gave up six runs and a career-high three home runs over 5 1-3 innings in Tuesday's 7-1 home loss to Toronto.


"I gotta be better hitting locations and move on from here and continue to grow from failure," Graveman said.


The rookie right-hander, 4-2 with a 2.44 ERA on the road, has never faced any Giants hitters. He has a 1.29 ERA in splitting his two interleague starts.


Buster Posey and Hunter Pence are among the most dangerous despite going hitless Saturday. Posey is still batting .463 with 10 RBIs in his last 10 games, and Pence is at .389 with eight RBIs in his past nine.


Teammate Joe Panik, meanwhile, had his fifth multihit effort in eight games since the All-Star break.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Athletics at Giants
Fri, Jul 24 Final 3 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Athletics at Giants
Sat, Jul 25 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Athletics at Giants
Sun, Jul 26 - 4:05PM EDT

Preview: Blue Jays (50-49) at Mariners (45-53)
Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: July 26, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Mark Buehrle has been a model of dependability for much of his career, but his latest streak of consistency is an unprecedented one for the Toronto Blue Jays.


Buehrle will try to extend that run Sunday against the Seattle Mariners while leading Toronto to rare back-to-back road wins.


Buehrle (11-5, 3.23 ERA) has already registered a 15th consecutive season of double-digit victories and is on pace to surpass 200 innings for a 15th season in a row. With Tuesday's win, the left-hander put his name in the Blue Jays' record book.


In a 7-1 victory over Oakland, Buehrle surpassed Dave Stieb and Roger Clemens' record by allowing two earned runs or fewer while pitching six or more innings in nine consecutive starts. He gave up one run to the A's while going at least seven innings for the seventh straight time and could match the AL wins lead depending on how Houston's Dallas Keuchel pitches Sunday in Kansas City.


"This is probably as good of a stretch as I've seen him," manager John Gibbons told MLB's official website. "He's just very reliable, year after year. He goes out there night after night. You know you're getting strikes. You know he's working quick and good things usually happen when he's out there. It's pretty impressive."


Buehrle is 5-1 with a 1.52 ERA in his past nine starts and has not issued a walk in four outings this month. He yielded three runs in 7 1-3 innings in a 3-2 loss to Seattle on May 23, and began his streak after a 6-4 win in Minnesota six days later. He's 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in his last three games against Seattle (45-53).


In this one, Buehrle will try to lead Toronto (50-49) to consecutive road victories for only the third time this season. The Blue Jays haven't claimed back-to-back road wins since a five-game run June 2-14 and also won successive road games April 9 and 10.


Toronto rallied from a three-run deficit for an 8-6 win Saturday with Chris Colabello hitting a two-run single in the ninth. Ezequiel Carrera provided a tying two-run homer in the eighth.


Toronto also seeks a fifth win in seven overall games when it faces a struggling Taijuan Walker (7-7, 5.06). The right-hander gave up six runs over 4 1-3 innings in Tuesday's 11-9 win in Detroit to drop to 0-1 with a 9.39 ERA in his last three starts.


"In the course of the season he's going to struggle from time to time," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "But in the end he's going to make you proud and I think he's done that. You expect some clunkers from a rookie from time to time."


Walker is 0-2 with a 3.29 ERA in two lifetime starts against Toronto and gave up four runs in 5 2-3 innings in an 8-2 loss May 24. He then went 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA over a seven-start stretch that immediately proceeded his current funk.


Jose Bautista, who has reached base in 36 consecutive games against Seattle, was not in the lineup against Walker because of a sore right shoulder. He's 1 for 3 versus Walker while Ryan Goins is 3 for 5 with a home run.


Mark Trumbo is 6 for 12 with three homers and two doubles against Buehrle. Robinson Cano has three hits in his past 18 matchups, but is batting .345 in 21 games this month and is 10 for 24 in six contests since moving into the cleanup spot.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Mariners
Fri, Jul 24 Final 2 to 5
Boxscores


GAME 2
Blue Jays at Mariners
Sat, Jul 25 Final 8 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Blue Jays at Mariners
Sun, Jul 26 - 4:10PM EDT

Preview: Marlins (41-57) at Padres (46-52)
Game: 4
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: July 26, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Mat Latos won't dodge the fact there's a good chance the Miami Marlins will deal him prior to next week's trade deadline.


The right-hander can further increase his value by continuing to be tough on one of his former teams, the San Diego Padres, on Sunday.


While some players deny paying attention to trade rumors or don't want to be informed of their status, Latos (4-6, 4.48 ERA) is the opposite.


"I want to know what's going on because I've got a 10-month-old and I've got a family to worry about," he said. "I told (manager Dan Jennings) I do want to be in the loop because I don't want any surprises."


Saddled with lofty expectations, the underachieving Marlins (41-57) already dealt reliever Steve Cishek to St. Louis and continue to receive interest for Latos, Dan Haren and struggling slugger Michael Morse.


Though Latos is prepared for his Miami experience to last less than a season, his immediate focus is to help the club salvage a series split.


'Right now I wear a Marlins uniform so I have to take care of business as a Marlin,' he said. 'This isn't a one-man game so right now I owe it to the 24 other guys in the clubhouse (to give) 110 percent all day, every day, until they kick me out of the clubhouse. That's just the way it goes.'


Latos hasn't let many of his teammates down while going 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in his last six starts, which includes yielding three runs over 20 innings to win two of the last three. He gave up four hits and struck out seven with one walk in seven innings of a 3-0 win at Arizona on Tuesday.


"You know in his last six starts he's really thrown the ball excellent,' Jennings said. "(On Tuesday), he just pounded the strike zone."


Though Latos is 0-1 in three starts against the Padres (46-52) since they traded him to Cincinnati in December 2011, he's posted a 1.35 ERA in those games.


Pitching hasn't been a problem for Miami while dropping two straight 3-1 decisions after opening this four-game set with a 4-0 victory.


After Andrew Cashner and Ian Kennedy both delivered strong outings, San Diego's Odrisamer Despaigne (3-7, 4.98) hopes for some good fortune to continue that trend.


The right-hander is 0-4 with a 5.77 ERA in his last seven starts, but he has received five runs of support during those outings. He was tagged for six and seven hits, including two homers, in five-plus innings of Tuesday's 9-3 loss to San Francisco.


Though Despaigne claimed he wasn't trying to make an excuse, he noted that he might have felt the effects of not pitching since July 10 or starting since July 4.


"I think that is one of the differences," he said. "I think it kind of takes you out of your rhythm a little bit."


This will be his first appearance against the Marlins.


With a pair of hits Saturday, Miami's Martin Prado is batting .355 in the last eight games.


Two shy of 2,900 hits, teammate Ichiro Suzuki is hitless in the series and 1 for his last 20.


Justin Upton is 6 for 56 (.107) in his last 16 games but is batting .471 (8 for 17) against Latos.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Marlins at Padres
Thu, Jul 23 Final 4 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Marlins at Padres
Fri, Jul 24 Final 1 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Marlins at Padres
Sat, Jul 25 Final 1 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 4
Marlins at Padres
Sun, Jul 26 - 4:10PM EDT

Preview: Brewers (43-55) at Diamondbacks (45-51)
Game: 4
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 26, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Though Matt Garza has endured a rough season for the Milwaukee Brewers, his first start off the disabled list offered something positive to build on.


Looking to continue his success against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Garza tries to win consecutive starts for the first time this season Sunday at Chase Field.


Two shy of his career high for losses, Garza (5-10, 5.23 ERA) hasn't had much to feel good about this season. A DL stint that began July 6 due to shoulder tendinitis didn't help matters, but it did give him time to rest.


Pitching for the first time since July 2 and 0-3 with a 6.60 ERA in his previous five starts, Garza allowed six hits and induced three double plays through six scoreless innings of Tuesday's 8-1 win over Cleveland.


"It's been a while since I had that intensity," he told MLB's official website. "I'm happy nothing hurt."


Manager Craig Counsell seems confident the veteran can enjoy more similar outings in the final two months. Garza, who might have some trade value with another strong performance, last won two straight starts June 28 and July 5 of last year.


"I think he's feeling good," Counsell said. "I thought he got a little fatigued in the sixth inning just from not being out there in a while. But I thought he pitched real well and that he pitched with confidence."


Garza is 4-1 with a 2.74 ERA in six starts against the Diamondbacks, and also threw five scoreless innings of relief May 31 to earn the victory in a 7-6, 17-inning victory over them.


He'll try to help the Brewers (43-55) split this four-game set after falling 2-0 on Saturday. Milwaukee totaled 27 runs and hit .352 while winning three of four before being held to five runs and a .196 average in the first three at Chase.


Arizona (45-51), meanwhile, has split the six games that followed a six-game losing streak but hasn't won two in a row since July 7 and 8.


'We always talk about things are contagious, hitting, pitching and it seems like when one guy has a good outing, the next guy wants to do better and keep it going,' Arizona manager Chip Hale said.


Ex-Diamondback Gerardo Parra has a hit in each game of the set and is batting .386 in his last 31.


He's 1 for 5 against Jeremy Hellickson (6-6, 4.87), who has lasted at least six innings in eight of his last 11 starts. That included May 30 when he gave up two runs through six of a 7-3 victory at Milwaukee.


The right-hander is 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts this month, and posted a 2.76 ERA while winning four of his last five at home. He gave up two runs over seven innings of a 3-0 loss to Miami on Tuesday.


It's uncertain if he'll face Adam Lind, who left Saturday's contest with a back issue. Though Lind is batting .285 with 16 homers and 58 RBIs, he's 0 for 9 with four strikeouts in the series.


Leading the NL with a .345 average and 74 RBIs, Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt drove in a run Saturday. He's batting .430 with 28 RBIs in 29 regular season and playoff games against Milwaukee.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Thu, Jul 23 Final 3 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Fri, Jul 24 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Sat, Jul 25 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores


GAME 4
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Sun, Jul 26 - 4:10PM EDT

Diamond Trends - Sunday


July 26, 2015




SU TREND OF THE DAY:


-- The Cubs are 14-0 SU since Jun 13, 2010 as a favorite vs a team that has won at least their last three games and it is not the first game of a series.


PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:


-- The Orioles are 0-13-1 OU since May 03, 2015 Wei Yin Chen starts.


MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:


-- None


CHOICE TREND:


-- The Mariners are 0-14 OU against since Jun 27, 2014 as a dog when they are off a loss in which they held the lead.


ACTIVE TRENDS:


-- The Indians are 13-0 SU since Apr 08, 2012 at home as a favorite after a loss in which they used 5+ pitchers and it is the last game of a series.


-- The Brewers are 11-0 SU since Jun 19, 2015 off a game in which they did not hit a home run.

LEADING OFF: Induction Day at Hall, Greinke can boost streak


July 26, 2015


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


FAMED FOUR


It's Induction Day at the Hall of Fame, where Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio will be enshrined in Cooperstown, New York. There figures to be a sizable crowd for the ceremony on the big field at the Clark Sports Center as Martinez joins Juan Marichal as the only Dominican Republic natives elected to the Hall.


ZACK'S ZEROS


All-Star ace Zack Greinke starts for the Dodgers, taking his scoreless streak of 43 2-3 innings into Citi Field to face the Mets. He returned from Los Angeles this weekend after being with his wife for the birth of their first child. The longest shutout streak is 59 innings by Orel Hershisher in 1988 for the Dodgers.


STILL GOING


Toronto star Jose Bautista has reached base in 36 straight games against the Mariners, including 33 with a hit in a streak that began in July 2009. He could extend it as the Blue Jays close out their series at Safeco Field.


WAIT AND SEE


All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis might return to Cleveland's lineup after sitting out a start against the White Sox because of a stiff neck. Indians manager Terry Francona said Kipnis' neck had been bothering him for a couple of days. The leadoff man is batting .324 with six homers, 38 RBIs and 11 steals.


CHECKUP


The Tigers will learn more about Alfredo Simon's condition, a day after he left a win at Fenway Park with what was termed ''a slight groin injury.'' Simon exited in the seventh inning following a pitch. He later said he didn't think he'd miss a start.

Jackson apologies to fans for profanity-laden outburst


July 26, 2015


COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) New York Yankees great Reggie Jackson says he's sorry for using profanity in public after a confrontation with an autograph-seeking fan in Cooperstown.


Jackson took to Twitter to express his regret on Sunday, saying ''mad or not'' there was no excuse for his language.


The New York Daily News reports (http://nydn.us/1SHy8Jr ) Jackson got angry with an autograph-seeker at a restaurant Friday night, saying the man had tried to get multiple autographs in the same day.


Cooperstown police say no charges have been filed. The Associated Press could not immediately reach Jackson for comment.


The annual inductions into the Baseball Hall of Fame are taking place in Cooperstown on Sunday. The event brings out a slew of baseball greats.