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Preview: Twins (54-50) at Blue Jays (54-52)
Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: August 03, 2015 1:07 PM EDT

David Price felt mixed emotions after being traded from Tampa Bay to Detroit at last year's deadline, sending him from the only organization he'd known since being drafted with the No. 1 pick in 2007 and into a playoff race.


That experience has him feeling much more comfortable with his latest move.


Price has had success against the visiting Minnesota Twins no matter what uniform he's donned, and he'll face them Monday night in his Toronto Blue Jays debut.


The Tigers acquired Price (9-4, 2.53 ERA) at last year's deadline and he helped lead them to their fourth straight AL Central title. Detroit then decided to move the free-agent-to-be this year, sending him to Toronto for a package of highly rated prospects Thursday.


The Blue Jays (54-52) added Price in a flurry of moves that included trades for Troy Tulowitzki and Ben Revere as they look to reach the postseason for the first time since winning a second straight World Series in 1993.


Price has gone 7-0 with a 3.86 ERA in nine career starts at Rogers Centre.


"You can feel the excitement when we were in the dugout. I felt it in the locker room," Price told MLB's official website. "This is a group of guys who want to win and this is a management and front office that wants to win. So whenever you can kind of put those things together and put it in this city, this country, and it's very important, that's what matters."


Price ended his tenure in Detroit with a rough outing, giving up five runs and two homers in six innings of Tuesday's 10-2 loss to the Rays. It didn't get much better when he arrived in Toronto as a flat tire delayed his introductory press conference.


The left-hander's outings against the Twins (54-50) have gone much more smoothly. Price has won all three of his starts against Minnesota this season while posting a 1.17 ERA and striking out 20 with five walks in 23 innings.


He's gone 6-1 with a 1.87 ERA in seven outings against the Twins over the last two seasons. This outing carries plenty of importance as the Blue Jays and Baltimore are one game behind Minnesota for the AL's second wild card.


Toronto heads into this crucial four-game series after taking three of four from AL-best Kansas City, winning 5-2 on Sunday. Chris Colabello hit a two-run homer, Tulowitzki had an RBI single and Revere also drove in a run for the Blue Jays, winners of four of five.


Toronto is the majors' highest-scoring team by a wide margin, but Ervin Santana has been stingy the road.


Santana (2-1, 3.78) has made five starts since returning from an 80-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, most recently allowing eight runs - six earned - in 5 2-3 innings of Wednesday's 10-4 home loss to Pittsburgh.


The right-hander, though, is 2-0 with a 0.76 ERA in three outings on the road while pitching into the eighth in each. Santana has gone 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA in his last five at Toronto, and he'll look to help the Twins bounce back after they fell 4-1 in 11 innings to Seattle on Sunday.


Brian Dozier forced extras with a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the ninth for Minnesota, 5-10 since the All-Star break.


'We've got to bounce back quickly,' manager Paul Molitor said. 'There's not a lot of time to dwell on what's transpired here.'


The Twins have won six of the last eight meetings with Toronto and took two of three at home May 29-31.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Twins at Blue Jays
Mon, Aug 3 - 1:07PM EDT


GAME 2
Twins at Blue Jays
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:07PM EDT


GAME 3
Twins at Blue Jays
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:07PM EDT


GAME 4
Twins at Blue Jays
Thu, Aug 6 - 7:07PM EDT

Preview: Diamondbacks (50-53) at Nationals (54-49)
Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 03, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

With their NL East lead virtually erased, the Washington Nationals will try to begin their turnaround by continuing their recent dominance of the Arizona Diamondbacks.


Doug Fister will try to provide a boost Monday night by winning back-to-back starts for the first time this season, but the slumping Nationals lineup will have to face a pitcher seeking to open his career with three straight wins.


Washington's advantage over New York in the division is down to less than half a percentage point after a three-game sweep at Citi Field this weekend. Jordan Zimmermann gave up three homers in one inning in a 5-2 defeat Sunday, the Nationals' 10th in 15 games.


Washington (54-49) is hitting .203 with 15 runs in a 2-5 stretch and .121 with runners in scoring position. The Nationals plated just five runs in the series in New York.


"It didn't go our way this weekend, but we're fine," Zimmermann said. "We're going to bounce back and there's nobody in here that's panicking right now."


Washington will try to avoid its four-game losing streak since dropping a season-high six in a row in April by earning a 17th win in 22 games against Arizona (50-53). The Nationals took two of three at Phoenix from May 11-13 and have taken eight of the last nine matchups in the nation's capital, including a four-game sweep last August.


The up-and-down Diamondbacks head into Washington after dropping back-to-back games in Houston following a string of six wins, their longest streak in four seasons. Before that run, they dropped nine of 11.


Fister (4-6, 4.39 ERA) will try to send Arizona to another defeat by building on a 7-2 victory in Miami on Wednesday. He yielded two runs in six innings after going 1-5 with a 6.19 ERA in his previous seven outings.


Fister won four or more consecutive starts on three occasions last season en route to finishing a career-best 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA. He did not get a decision in a 5-1 victory against Arizona on May 14, 2014 - the lone matchup in his career - despite allowing one run in seven innings.


The right-hander will square off with Zack Godley (2-0, 2.25), who will seek to continue his auspicious start since being called up from Double-A on July 23 to take over for an injured Chase Anderson.


Godley, acquired from the Chicago Cubs in December in the Miguel Montero trade, tossed six scoreless innings in his MLB debut, an 8-3 win over Milwaukee on July 23. The righty then yielded three runs in six innings in an 8-4 victory in Seattle on Tuesday.


"The more you go out there the more comfortable you get and the more you get settled in," he told MLB's official website.


Anderson is the only Diamondbacks pitcher to win his first three major league starts, going 5-0 last season.


In his attempt to join that list, Godley will likely have to face NL MVP candidate Bryce Harper, who is hitting .440 in a seven-game hit streak against the Diamondbacks. Yunel Escobar is batting .452 in his past nine matchups, including a 5-for-5 performance in an 11-1 win May 11, but is hitting .179 in his last seven games overall.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Mon, Aug 3 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Thu, Aug 6 - 4:05PM EDT

Preview: Cubs (57-47) at Pirates (61-43)
Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 03, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Jon Lester's latest gem helped begin one the best runs of the season for the Chicago Cubs as they took advantage of facing last-place clubs to get even for the NL's second wild card.


With an upcoming slate against postseason contenders likely presenting a significantly more difficult challenge, the Cubs again turn to their surging ace to make a statement.


The visiting Cubs look to match a season high with a sixth consecutive win in the opener of a three-game series with the wild card-leading Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.


Lester (6-8, 3.26 ERA) has been a workhorse since July 1, pitching at least seven innings in all six starts while going 2-2 with a 1.66 ERA. He gave up two runs while striking out a season-high 14 in eight innings of Wednesday's 3-2 win over Colorado, becoming the first Cubs left-hander to fan more than 12 since at least 1914.


No Cub had struck out 14 since Mark Prior had 16 punchouts Sept. 30, 2004.


'You've got to figure out a way to go as deep as you can,' Lester said. 'It was nice for (manager) Joe (Maddon) to let me go out for the eighth, especially for a one-run game.'


Lester went seven innings while allowing one run - a homer to Sean Rodriguez - and striking out seven in a 4-1 win over the Pirates on May 16. Beating Pittsburgh again would keep Chicago rolling (57-47) after it completed a four-game sweep of Milwaukee with Sunday's 4-3 win to improve to a season-best 10 games over .500.


Addison Russell homered as the Cubs forced a tie for the second wild card with San Francisco, which fell 2-1 at Texas later in the day. The Cubs and Giants, who are four games behind the Pirates (61-43), begin a crucial four-game series Thursday at Wrigley Field.


Chicago, which last won six in a row May 11-16, is 6-4 this season against a Pittsburgh team which split a four-game set at Cincinnati over the weekend with Sunday's 3-0 win. Neil Walker homered as the Pirates finished with three hits, their fewest in a non-shortened road victory since having three in a 3-0 win over Montreal on April 5, 1989.


Francisco Liriano (7-6, 2.92) hopes to limit Cubs baserunners after a so-so outing Wednesday, when he gave up three runs and a season-worst 10 hits through 5 2-3 innings of a 10-4 win over Minnesota.


Despite that rough outing, the left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA over his last five.


'Just one of those days. It was tough," Liriano said. "You have to go out there and battle and at least give a chance to win to your team. That's what I tried to do.'


The Pirates have won Liriano's last six outings, and they're used to Liriano putting them in position to beat the Cubs. Since signing with Pittsburgh in 2013, Liriano has gone 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA in nine starts against the NL Central rivals.


He struck out nine and allowed three runs in five innings before Chicago rallied for a 9-8 road win April 21. Kris Bryant had an RBI double off Liriano, but Starlin Castro (3 for 22) and Anthony Rizzo (4 for 20) haven't had much success against him.


It's unclear if Bryant will be in the lineup, though. He left in fifth inning Sunday after sliding head-first into second base and hitting his neck and upper back on Jean Segura's leg.


'I was going as hard as I can,' said Bryant, who was ruled safe after a review. 'I'm feeling better. We'll see what it feels like (Monday).'



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cubs at Pirates
Mon, Aug 3 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Cubs at Pirates
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Cubs at Pirates
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:05PM EDT

Preview: Giants (57-47) at Braves (47-58)
Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 03, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Buster Posey is in the midst of the kind of stretch that can lead to an MVP award. There's little reason to believe the All-Star won't be able to keep it going back home.


The Georgia native looks to continue his lengthy tear at the plate as the San Francisco Giants try to avoid their first back-to-back losses in almost a month Monday night against the Atlanta Braves.


Posey has batted .446 in his 16 games played during the Giants' 14-4 stretch that has helped the defending World Series champions close the gap in the NL West. However, they fell 2 1/2 games back Sunday with a 2-1 loss at Texas and a win by the Los Angeles Dodgers.


San Francisco had been hitting .311 while averaging 5.8 runs in its previous 17 games before Posey had one of the team's four hits and drove in the only run Sunday. The Giants loaded the bases in the ninth inning before Hunter Pence grounded into a game-ending double play.


'We all think we're going to win until the last out is made," Pence said.


Posey, who grew up in Leesburg, Georgia, should be able to help the Giants (57-47) avoid their first back-to-back losses since July 6. In nine games at Turner Field since 2012, Posey is batting .486 with seven doubles and 10 RBIs.


The 2012 NL MVP also hit a first-inning two-run homer off scheduled starter Mike Foltynewicz in a 4-2 home win over the Braves (47-58) on May 29. Foltynewicz allowed two runs while striking out eight over 6 2-3 innings in his only career meeting with San Francisco.


Posey went just 2 for 11 but Brandon Belt was 5 for 13 with two homers as the Giants split that four-game series. San Francisco won all three meetings at Turner Field last season.


Foltynewicz (3-3, 5.04 ERA) returned to the rotation Wednesday after a brief stint at Triple-A Gwinnett, allowing two runs over six innings in a 2-0 loss at Baltimore.


The right-hander will be opposed by veteran Matt Cain, who will try to keep Atlanta from winning consecutive games for only the second time since July 6 and 7. He's 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA in his last five starts against the Braves, though he's only faced them once since 2011.


Cain (2-2, 4.50) has alternated between shaky and strong outings in five starts since missing the first three months of the season with a flexor tendon strain in his right arm.


The right-hander should be on track for a better performance after giving up four runs and eight hits over six innings in Tuesday's 5-2 home loss to Milwaukee.


After hitting .217 while totaling 16 runs during a 1-9 stretch, Atlanta finished with 11 hits in Sunday's 6-2 win at Philadelphia that snapped a six-game losing streak. Jace Peterson went 3 for 4 with a three-run home run, while Ryan Lavarnway and Eury Perez added two hits apiece.


'It's always nice to get the win before you get on the plane,' manager Fredi Gonzalez said.


Peterson, who hit .132 in his prior 11 games, went 7 for 17 with two triples against the Giants in May.


Andrelton Simmons might miss his second straight game due to a sprained right thumb, while San Francisco's Joe Panik could miss his fourth in seven days because of back stiffness.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Giants at Braves
Mon, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Giants at Braves
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Giants at Braves
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:10PM EDT

Preview: Mets (55-50) at Marlins (43-62)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 03, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Lucas Duda is the muscle behind the New York Mets' power surge that's moved them within percentage points of first place in the NL East.


His production has been largely absent on the road this season, however, and he's routinely struggled against Miami's Tom Koehler.


Duda tries to continue to feast on opposing pitching in the Mets' opener of a three-game series with the Marlins on Monday night.


Duda is the first Met to hit nine homers in a span of eight games. New York is 6-2 over that stretch at home, which includes Duda batting .393 with 12 RBIs while the team has totaled 17 homers - one fewer than the previous 29 overall games.


Of the first baseman's five hits in the last two games, three have left the park and he plated five runs to help the Mets (55-50) sweep a three-game set from first-place Washington. They're just four ten-thousandths of a point back of the Nationals, who host Arizona.


Duda, Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy homered over a span of five pitches in New York's five-run third of Sunday's 5-2 win over Washington.


'It's so much fun to be a Met right now,' Sunday's winning pitcher Noah Syndergaard said.


The Mets are looking for this surge to continue during a six-game road trip but they've hit just three homers during a 7-6 stretch as the visitor.


Duda is batting .194 with three homers and nine RBIs on the road compared to .296, 18 and 41 at home. He's homered once in his last 12 games at Miami - none in the past seven.


He's also 3 for 22 (.136) with two doubles against Koehler. Only Duda's .087 average against Aaron Harang is worse for a pitcher he's faced at least 22 times.


New York may need another big offensive display with Bartolo Colon (9-10, 4.96 ERA) getting the ball.


The 42-year-old right-hander has been backed by two total runs over his last seven starts but that hasn't mattered much since he's 0-6 with a 6.16 ERA. He's matched the longest losing streak of his career set over eight games with the Los Angeles Angels in 2007.


Colon was hammered for six runs and 10 hits - two homers - before being pulled with one out in the third of a 7-3 loss to San Diego on Wednesday.


He's 2-1 with a 3.48 ERA in three starts against the Marlins (43-62) this year. However, he gave up four runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 7-3 loss at Miami on April 29.


The Marlins had lost seven of eight games before Adeiny Hechavarria hit a three-run walkoff homer in Sunday's 5-2 win over San Diego.


"I never ended a game that way with a walkoff home run," said Hechavarria, who has a career-high five homers. "Extremely happy."


Miami should have Dee Gordon back after he got the day off Sunday. The second baseman is third in the NL with a .330 average and he's hitting .439 in 10 season meetings with the Mets, including 4 for 9 versus Colon.


Koehler (8-7, 3.38) has failed to get out of the fourth inning in two meetings with New York this year. He's surrendered 12 runs and as many hits with six walks in 6 2-3 innings, while losing his only decision.


Those outings, however, came on the road and the right-hander owns a 1.91 ERA in five career home starts.


Koehler is 4-2 with a 2.32 ERA in eight home starts this season, but he gave up five runs in six innings of a 7-2 loss to Washington on Wednesday.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mets at Marlins
Mon, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Mets at Marlins
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Mets at Marlins
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:10PM EDT

Preview: Astros (60-46) at Rangers (51-53)
Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 03, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Already in the thick of the wild-card race, the Texas Rangers also have a chance to become a factor in the AL West. Giving the ball to Colby Lewis in the opener of this Lone Star Series is a good way to start.


Lewis looks to continue his dominance of the division-leading Houston Astros on Monday night.


Texas (51-53) is three games back of Minnesota for the league's second wild-card spot. The Rangers, who trail Houston (60-46) by eight in the West, are looking to Lewis (11-4, 4.42 ERA) to start whittling that down.


The right-hander, who turned 36 on Sunday, is 7-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 13 games - 10 starts - against the Astros. He's won six straight decisions with a 1.74 ERA in his last eight starts, reaching the seventh inning in all but one.


He's gone that far in all three matchups this year, going 2-0 with a 2.78 ERA after allowing two runs and four hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 7-6 win at Houston on July 18.


Lewis, 3-0 since with a 2.57 ERA since the All-Star break, hasn't won four consecutive starts since 2003-04.


"I try to be that guy, whatever spot you want to put me in. It doesn't really matter if I'm in the front of the rotation or the back," Lewis told MLB's official website.


Lewis allowed two runs in six innings of Wednesday's 5-2 win over the New York Yankees after the Rangers dropped 12 of the previous 13 at home. That started a 4-1 run at Globe Life Park which continued Sunday when Josh Hamilton's two-run, sixth-inning homer was enough for a 2-1 victory.


Hamilton is 6 for 21 with two homers and eight RBIs in those five home games. He's 4 for 8 with a homer, two doubles and two RBIs in the last two meetings with the Astros after going 3 for 35 with 14 strikeouts in his previous nine.


Prince Fielder is hitting .388 (19 for 49) in his last 12 games against Houston.


The Astros have won 10 of their last 13 games, building a four-game lead over the second-place Los Angeles Angels.


Carlos Gomez is fitting in fine in Houston after being acquired in a trade with Milwaukee on Thursday. He has four hits in two games, including a two-run single in Sunday's 4-1 win over Arizona.


He went 2 for 2 with runners in scoring position in those games and is among baseball's leaders in that category with a .387 average.


"My confidence is really good," Gomez said. "I have been hitting with scoring position really well, and I walked up with an idea of 'I got this.' Finally, I put a good swing and hit it the opposite way."


Gomez is a career .351 hitter against the Rangers, and he's 12 for 31 (.387) in nine games at Globe Life.


Lance McCullers (5-3, 2.48) would appreciate some help in his first appearance versus Texas. He's 0-3 with a 3.81 ERA over his last five road starts, getting one run of support in four games and seven total.


The rookie right-hander was terrific against the Angels on Wednesday, yielding one run in seven innings of a 6-3 victory.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Astros at Rangers
Mon, Aug 3 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Astros at Rangers
Tue, Aug 4 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Astros at Rangers
Wed, Aug 5 - 8:05PM EDT

Preview: Rays (52-54) at White Sox (50-53)
Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 03, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Chicago White Sox often have failed to score enough runs to back solid efforts from Jose Quintana throughout the season.


That hasn't been the case lately, though.


The left-hander looks to help the White Sox avoid a fourth loss in five games in the opener of a three-game series with the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.


Quintana (6-9, 3.52 ERA) has allowed two runs or fewer in 13 of his 21 starts, but Chicago scored an average of just 2.63 runs through his first 19.


He's gotten the offensive help necessary to win back-to-back starts, though, pitching his first career shutout in a 6-0 win over Cleveland on July 24 before giving up two runs in 6 1-3 innings of Wednesday's 9-2 victory over Boston.


Quintana has pitched at least into the seventh in four of his last five outings. The White Sox's 14 runs of support over his last two starts are one more than he received in his previous seven combined.


"We're trying to reverse the curse of Quintana," outfielder Adam Eaton said. "It's nice to be able to get some runs for him early and let him settle in and pitch the way he can pitch. It's fun to watch when gets in a groove and starts going with the lead. He's picked us up so many times, kept us in close ballgames."


Quintana allowed three runs - one earned - in 7 1-3 innings of a 4-3 win the last time he faced the Rays on Sept. 19. He'll look to help the White Sox (50-53) bounce back after being routed 12-3 by the New York Yankees on Sunday.


Alexei Ramirez and Geovany Soto hit solo homers for Chicago, which has dropped three of four following a season-high seven-game winning streak.


The White Sox are 3 1/2 games behind Minnesota in a crowded race for the AL's second wild card, with the Rays (52-54) sitting three back. Tampa Bay picked up just its fourth road win in 17 games by beating Boston 4-3 on Sunday.


Asdrubal Cabrera's RBI double tied it in the eighth before James Loney drove him in with a single later in the inning. Brandon Guyer homered leading off the game for the Rays, who were without Steven Souza Jr. after he was hit by a pitch Saturday that fractured his left hand.


Manager Kevin Cash said Souza is expected to miss four to six weeks.


"Obviously not an ideal thing for us or him, because his at-bats are crucial right now," Cash told MLB's official website.


Nathan Karns takes the hill looking to help the Rays win back-to-back road games for the first time since a five-game streak spanning June 7-20. Karns (6-5, 3.37) has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts, a stretch that began when he gave up one run while striking out eight in six innings of Tampa's 2-1 win over the White Sox on June 14.


The right-hander gave up seven runs in a loss to Kansas City on July 9, but he's won both of his starts since after giving up one run in six-plus innings of last Monday's 5-2 win over Detroit.


"I ran into some success through the first six innings, and in the seventh ran into a little trouble," said Karns, who took a one-hit shutout into the seventh before allowing a leadoff homer. "But I felt like things were going smoothly."


Karns' victory in June helped the Rays complete a three-game sweep in the last meeting.


Cabrera is 8 for 19 with a homer and four doubles in five games since coming off the disabled list due to a strained hamstring but is 1 for 16 with five strikeouts versus Quintana.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rays at White Sox
Mon, Aug 3 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Rays at White Sox
Tue, Aug 4 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Rays at White Sox
Wed, Aug 5 - 2:10PM EDT

Preview: Padres (51-54) at Brewers (44-62)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 03, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

With all the speculation about whether he'd be traded now in the past, Tyson Ross hopes to get back to the business of helping the San Diego Padres win ballgames.


The right-hander looks to win a career-high fourth straight road decision as San Diego tries to bounce back with its eighth win in 10 games Monday night against the NL Central-worst Milwaukee Brewers.


Ross (7-8, 3.38 ERA) was one of several Padres rumored to be on the move ahead of Friday's trade deadline. In what many believed was his last with the club, he allowed one run and two hits over five innings in Wednesday's 7-3 road win over the New York Mets.


But with San Diego (51-54) in the midst of a 7-2 stretch, general manager A.J. Preller opted to give the squad he put together in the offseason more time. The Padres are 6 1/2 games back of a wild card spot after their four-game winning streak ended in Sunday's 5-2 loss at Miami.


'I think the fact that the team has played better, that made it a little easier to kind of stay pat and add a guy (left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski from Cleveland) and go from there," Preller explained.


Now Ross will try to help San Diego get back on track in the opener of this four-game series at Miller Park. He improved to 4-1 with a 2.49 ERA over his last eight starts, but has raised his MLB-high walk total to 61 after issuing four free passes at Citi Field.


The 28-year-old is expected to be ready to go despite being pulled after 83 pitches when his quad stiffened up after he was hit in the leg by a comebacker in the fourth inning.


Ross has gone 1-1 with a 4.50 mark in his two career outings at Miller Park. Adam Lind has gone 3 for 3 with a home run off him, while Khris Davis is 3 for 4 with a homer.


The Brewers (44-62) haven't been able to get much going offensively, hitting .200 with one homer while totaling 15 runs during a 1-8 stretch. After batting .182 in his previous 10 games, Ryan Braun had three of the team's eight hits in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.


'You need that next hit to break it open and take a deep breath,' manager Craig Counsell said.


Wily Peralta (2-5, 3.90) will try to help Milwaukee avoid a sixth straight defeat in his second start after spending more than two months on the disabled list with a left oblique strain.


The right-hander had a promising return Tuesday when he blanked San Francisco through six innings before allowing two runs and five hits over six-plus in a 5-2 road victory.


In his only start against the Padres, Peralta gave up two earned runs over 6 1-3 innings in a 4-3 home win in April 2014.


San Diego's Alexi Amarista hit a tying two-run home run in the ninth inning Sunday before Brandon Maurer gave up a three-run shot in the bottom half.


'There's no silver lining in this one,' interim manager Pat Murphy said.


Yangervis Solarte had two hits, raising his average to .412 over an eight-game hitting streak. Matt Kemp is batting .347 over his last 20 games and owns a 14-game hitting streak at Miller Park.


The teams split six meetings last season with the Brewers taking two of three at home.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Padres at Brewers
Mon, Aug 3 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Padres at Brewers
Tue, Aug 4 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Padres at Brewers
Wed, Aug 5 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Padres at Brewers
Thu, Aug 6 - 2:10PM EDT

Preview: Mariners (48-58) at Rockies (44-59)
Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 03, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

Felix Hernandez hasn't had much trouble rebounding from the rare rocky outing, but could have a tougher time doing so when he pitches at Coors Field for the first time.


The Seattle Mariners' star hopes to continue his dominance in bounce-back starts Monday night when Jose Reyes makes his home debut for the NL West-worst Colorado Rockies.


Although he certainly doesn't have many off nights, Hernandez (12-6, 3.02 ERA) allowed seven runs and 12 hits - one shy of his career high - over 6 2-3 innings in Wednesday's 8-2 home loss to Arizona.


The six-time All-Star, who entered the contest with a 2.69 ERA, was coming off a five-game stretch in which he posted a 1.09 mark with 32 strikeouts and four walks in 33 innings.


"His command was off," manager Lloyd McClendon told MLB's official website. "His stuff was plenty good, but his command was off. A lot of pitches in the middle of the plate."


It was the third time in 21 starts that Hernandez surrendered seven or more runs. He's gone 4-0 with an 0.51 ERA in five starts this year after taking a loss, however, and has not been beaten in consecutive starts since dropping four straight from Aug. 17-Sept. 2, 2013.


Now the right-hander will try to help Seattle (48-58) win consecutive games for only the fifth time since May 27. Logan Morrison's RBI double and Austin Jackson's two-run single in the 11th inning keyed Sunday's 4-1 win at Minnesota that earned a split of the four-game series.


Hernandez likely won't have it easy in his first start at Coors, where the Rockies have hit 12 home runs and averaged 7.4 runs in their last seven games. They're also batting a MLB-best a .303 at home.


Carlos Gonzalez has gone 20 for 41 (.488) with seven home runs and 16 RBIs during a 10-game home hitting streak. The slugging right fielder is 0 for 3 with a strikeout versus Hernandez.


Reyes has fared better in this matchup, going 6 for 12 with a home run. The four-time All-Star - acquired from Toronto for Troy Tulowitzki on Wednesday - is a career .254 hitter in 114 at-bats at Coors, though he hasn't played there since August 2012 while with Miami. Reyes went 2 for 15 in his four games with Colorado (44-59).


The Rockies managed just five hits while falling to 5-10 since the All-Star break after Sunday's 3-2 loss at St. Louis. They haven't provided Eddie Butler (3-7, 4.82) with much support, even at home.


The right-hander has received four runs of support while going 0-3 with a 5.95 ERA in his last four starts at Coors. He's 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two outings since getting recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque after allowing three runs over five innings in Wednesday's 3-2 loss at Wrigley Field.


"He got himself into some trouble but got big outs," manager Walt Weiss said. "He threw the ball well."


Butler, who gets his first look at the Mariners, will have to be cautious with red-hot Nelson Cruz.


The right fielder hit his third home run in as many games Sunday and is batting .407 with eight homers and 12 RBIs during a 13-game hitting streak.


Seattle swept a three-game series in its most recent visit to Coors from May 18-20, 2012.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mariners at Rockies
Mon, Aug 3 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 2
Mariners at Rockies
Tue, Aug 4 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 3
Mariners at Rockies
Wed, Aug 5 - 3:10PM EDT

Preview: Indians (48-56) at Angels (55-49)
Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 03, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The Cleveland Indians are the bottom of the AL Central, and David Murphy was one of several veterans shipped out prior to the trade deadline.


Corey Kluber, though, isn't giving up.


Last year's AL Cy Young Award winner will try to build on one of his best performances of the season Monday night when the Indians face Murphy and the sliding Los Angeles Angels for the first time since the deal.


Cleveland (48-56) dealt Murphy, Brandon Moss and reliever Marc Rzepczynski away in separate trades before Friday's deadline - moves signaling the Indians were preparing for the future.


Kluber (6-11, 3.44 ERA) doesn't see it that way with Cleveland six games back of Minnesota for the AL's second wild-card spot.


"It's not over yet. We're not eliminated from anything," Kluber told MLB's official website. "So, I think while the front office does their job, we can't really worry about anything but the 25 guys in here trying to come each day and win. Hopefully, we can win enough of them that we get to play in the postseason."


That will require major improvement from the offense, which is hitting .236 and averaging 2.6 runs during a 3-8 stretch. Cleveland had a .202 average and totaled seven runs while settling for a four-game split with Oakland after a 2-1, 10-inning loss Sunday.


"We have to do a better job at manufacturing runs or scoring runs," manager Terry Francona said. "We're getting good pitching but we have to win those games."


Kluber finally got some support Wednesday, tossing a five-hitter in a 12-1 win over Kansas City. That increased his average run support from a major league-low 2.61 to 3.15.


Another strong offensive showing will be tough with All-Star Jason Kipnis - the team leader with a .326 average - expected to go on the disabled list with a sore shoulder.


Murphy, who was hitting .296 with the Indians, is just 2 for 11 in four games with Los Angeles (55-49). However, the team is hitting .194 and has totaled 15 runs during a six-game slide that's part of a 1-9 stretch.


The Angels, who hold the AL's first wild-card spot and are four games behind West-leading Houston, haven't lost seven in a row since April 30-May 6, 2010.


They lost 5-3 in 10 innings to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, finishing their first winless trip of six or more games since 1999.


"We're the same team that was winning baseball games a week ago," catcher Chris Iannetta said. "It's a rough stretch. We're not pleased with it, we're not happy about it. But there is nothing we can do about the last 10 days. All we've got to do is focus on (Monday) and try to get a win.


"One win turns into two, and then we're back in it. We're still in this race. It's a long way from over."


Garrett Richards (10-8, 3.37) is facing the Indians for the first time, and he's seeking to avoid losing a career-high third straight start. The right-hander has given up seven runs and three homers in 14 1-3 innings over his last two games following Wednesday's 6-3 loss at Houston.


"I have to keep us in the game. I have to give us a chance to win," said Richards, who is 6-2 with a 2.08 ERA in nine home starts.


Kluber struggled there and was charged with a 6-4 loss in his only meeting with the Angels on April 29, 2014. He was tagged for four runs and eight hits with four walks while hitting a batter in 4 2-3 innings.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Indians at Angels
Mon, Aug 3 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Indians at Angels
Tue, Aug 4 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Indians at Angels
Wed, Aug 5 - 3:35PM EDT

Preview: Orioles (53-51) at Athletics (47-59)
Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 03, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Tyler Wilson returns to the majors trying to prove a capable replacement for one of the AL's most reliable starters of late.


The Orioles' prospect will also try to kick off his playoff-contending club's West Coast trip with a favorable result Monday night against the Oakland Athletics.


Wilson is being recalled for the fifth time this season because Chris Tillman injured his left ankle in a 2-0 win over Atlanta on Wednesday. Tillman, considered day to day, is 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in his past six starts and only Scott Kazmir's 0.88 ERA is better since June 22 among AL qualifying starters.


Wilson (1-1, 2.12 ERA) has made five major league appearances - none since June 19 - and in his only start he yielded two runs in six innings of a 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on May 28.


The right-hander's next opens a nine-game trek that includes three matchups this weekend against a Los Angeles team atop the AL wild-card standings. Baltimore (53-51) trails the Angels by two games and is one back of Minnesota for the second playoff berth.


The Orioles are also tied with AL East rival Toronto after splitting their four games against Detroit with a 6-1 defeat Sunday. They had won five in a row before that series and finished 5-2 on their homestand.


"We did some things well and there's some things we're going to have to be better at to stay engaged in (the playoff race)," manager Buck Showalter said. "We've got a challenging trip ahead of us."


The Orioles, losers in 10 of 15 on the road, are set to face Oakland (47-59) seven times in their next 13 games. The A's, who took four of six from the Orioles last season, will visit Baltimore from Aug. 14-17.


In this three-game set, Oakland will try to win three in a row for the first time since a season-high five-game run June 20-25. The A's had lost seven of eight before taking the final two matchups with Cleveland this weekend, including a 2-1 victory in 10 innings Sunday.


They're batting .198 and averaging 2.7 runs in their last 10 games, but their pitchers allowed a combined seven runs to the Indians.


That stretch began after Jesse Chavez gave up three runs in five innings in Wednesday's 10-7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The right-hander is 2-4 with a 5.75 ERA in his last seven starts.


Chavez (5-10, 3.53), though, pitched six scoreless innings in his most recent game in Oakland, a 14-1 rout of Minnesota on July 19, and his 2.33 ERA at home is in the top 10 among AL qualifying pitchers.


This will be his first start against the Orioles.


Coco Crisp, batting .438 with three homers in his last nine games versus Baltimore, could return from an injured neck that's kept him out since May 19. The outfielder also missed the first month of the season following right elbow surgery and is batting .044 in 13 games.


Crisp is expected to move down to the No. 2 spot in the batting order behind Billy Burns.


"I do like the dynamic potentially of them two at the top," manager Bob Melvin told MLB's official website. "When Billy's on base, certainly there's a lot of attention on him, and Coco's a pretty good situational guy."


Josh Reddick might have to sit out after leaving Sunday with lower back tightness.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Orioles at Athletics
Mon, Aug 3 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Orioles at Athletics
Tue, Aug 4 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Orioles at Athletics
Wed, Aug 5 - 3:35PM EDT

With non-waiver deadline passed, trades can still happen in August


Did you know that with the (non-waiver) July 31st trade deadline passed, trades can still happen?


Yes, trades can still happen after the so-called trade deadline. It's just that all players to be traded have to pass through waivers or not be on a 40-man roster (so prospects).


The trick is to find contracts that teams don't want to be stuck with. One might recall that Dodgers-Red Sox blockbuster a few years ago that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and others to LA. There are always smaller-scale deals as well. We'll use Mike Napoli as our example. Just remember, this applies to anyone who might be traded in August.


Here are the steps that would have to happen for any player to be traded. Again, Napoli is just an example.


Napoli would have to be placed on waivers by Boston.


If more than one team places a claim on Napoli, the one with the worse (or worst, if more than two teams total place a claim) record in the American League at the time wins. If no AL teams claim him, it goes to the National League and again follows the worst-to-best record method to determine which team wins the claim (remember, vice-versa if the player in question comes from an NL team). Playoff tiebreakers apply.


If a claim is awarded, the Red Sox have three options. They could pull Napoli back off waivers and retain him. They can also agree to a trade within two business days or just let the claiming club have him. In the latter case, the awarded team gets Napoli and what's left of his $16 million salary for the season. One might recall that the Cubs claimed Cole Hamels last year, "risking" getting the rest of his contract, but the Phillies wanted to talk trade and the two sides never agreed. Thus, the Phillies pulled Hamels back. If the Padres fall apart in August, James Shields might be someone with salary considerations claimed -- or not claimed, if no one wants the rest of his deal. If the player isn't claimed ...


If Napoli clears waivers, he can be traded to anyone. It's then like the non-waiver deals we discuss in August. All no-trade clauses are still in effect here and teams could eat salary to deal someone. This is where most August trades happen -- after the players involved have cleared waivers.


As Sean Connery's character in The Untouchables would say, "here endeth the lesson."

MLB August trade candidates: Shields, Howard among big-name targets


Now that the dust has settled on the non-waiver trade deadline, it's time to talk about possible candidates to be moved in August. Yes, there can still be trades. If you want to know how, here's a breakdown of how August trades work.


Due to the waivers process being involved, most of the players we would see moved in August are guys with bad contracts. They either have to clear waivers, have a team willing to eat their remaining contract or come to a mutually beneficial deal with the player's current team.


Thus, a lot of the players you see listed below will seem pretty undesirable. That's how trades in August work.


The players we'll list below are guys who would make sense as August trade candidates. Keep in mind when I list how much a player is making this season that any deal would send over a prorated amount of the salary, depending upon how many games are left in the season at the time of the trade.


OF Rajai Davis, Tigers: He's making $5 million this season and is a great basestealer with eight triples this season. He could be a nice bench player for a contender.


RHP Matt Garza, Brewers: He's a sure bet to clear waivers due to his contract, as he's owed $12.5 million this season and each of the next two seasons with a $13 million vesting option for 2018. He's also injury prone and having a terrible year. If he strings together a few starts, someone gets desperate and the Brewers eat some of the deal, he's possible.


OF Jonny Gomes, Braves: Long hailed for his locker room influence on playoff teams, Gomes is on a one-year deal worth $4 million on a team that isn't contending.


RHP Aaron Harang, Phillies: A 3.97 ERA and a cheap contract ($5 million for the season) mean he could go. Obviously the Phillies wouldn't get much back for him.


1B Ryan Howard, Phillies: I feel confident in saying that he won't be claimed, as no one wants to pick up the full tab of his deal. He's still signed for $25 million a year through next season with a club option (that no one would pick up) for 2017 that has a $10 million buyout. Once he gets through waivers and the Phillies tell teams they are willing to eat almost all of the contract, he could well go. He's having his best power season since 2011, entering Saturday with 20 doubles, 18 homers and a .455 slugging percentage.


OF Austin Jackson, Mariners: Before hitting free agency, Jackson makes $7.7 million this season. A contender could do worse than him as a fourth outfielder.


RHP Kyle Lohse, Brewers: It's hard to see anyone wanting to pay the rest of his $11 million for this season, so Lohse will clear waivers. Like Garza, he'll need to string together some good starts for anyone to even think about him.


1B Mike Napoli, Red Sox: He's making $16 million this season before hitting free agency. Napoli was having a miserable season, but he entered Saturday hitting .317/.417/.659 since the All-Star break.


C A.J. Pierzynski, Braves: Someone might claim him, due to his low salary of just $2 million this year, but it's feasible to see the Braves dealing him even after a claim.


OF Josh Reddick, Athletics: After making $4.1 million this season, Reddick will hit free agency. He has been an outstanding defensive right fielder for much of his career and has big power upside. He might be claimed, but GM Billy Beane could still work out a deal if he was.


C Carlos Ruiz, Phillies: Chooch is 36, unproductive and is set to make $8.5 million next season. So he clears waivers. Will the Phillies keep some of next year's deal in order to move him?


3B Pablo Sandoval, Red Sox: We know he won't be claimed, because no one -- not even the Red Sox at this point -- wants to be responsible for almost all of his five-year, $95 million deal. Boston would have to eat a significant portion of that to move him, but maybe it would be worth it?


1B Carlos Santana, Indians: Would he clear waivers? Maybe not, but it's possible. He's on a two-year, $14.25 million deal with an option for 2017. There's upside, but his .228/.359/.398 line with 12 homers isn't too great for a first baseman/DH.


RHP James Shields, Padres: For now, the Padres want to keep the band together. Should they go through an extended stretch of losing, though, GM A.J. Preller may try to shed some of Shields' four-year, $75 million deal. Shields would surely clear waivers and then the Padres would probably have to eat some of the deal to get a desirable package in return.


RHP Alfredo Simon, Tigers: A free agent after this season, Simon is making $5.55 million this year. He hasn't been consistent this season, but a good stretch and a team needing to fill a hole due to injury could make him tradeable.


RHP Koji Uehara, Red Sox: The 40-year-old closer is still as good as anyone at keeping guys off base. He's signed through next season on a two-year, $18 million deal.


2B Chase Utley, Phillies: He's in the last year of his contract, but is getting paid $15 million during the worst year of his career. If he returns from injury and shows any sign of life with his bat, a contender might take a shot.

Pretending the second half were early April: 10 biggest overreactions


Aside from spring training, which is its own little world, there is no weirder time in baseball than April. Bad teams look like contenders, great teams look like bottom-feeders, players start the season in slumps and it looks like the beginning of the end, others start hot and look like breakout starts. April is a weird, weird time.


We are now in August and all that April weirdness is gone. For the most part teams are now performing in line with preseason expectations, good players who started slow are back to being good players, that sort of stuff. The normalness has returned. There are no small sample sizes ripe for overreaction.


So, in honor of that April weirdness, let's have a little fun with second half stats. Let's pretend the two weeks since the All-Star break are the first two weeks of April and whip up some sample headlines. The kind of wacky stuff you'll only find in April because hey, April is a good time for reading too much into things.


Headline No. 1: Phillies ready to shock the world.


Not only do the Phillies have the best record in baseball in the second half (12-2!), they've also scored the most runs in the NL (78) and have baseball's best run differential (+35). The Phillies had the worst roster in MLB on paper coming into the season, their overall 41-64 shows it, but boy, if they started the season 12-2 back in April, we'd hear lots about them being ready to prove everyone wrong.


Headline No. 2: Padres' rebuilt lineup ready to carry them to postseason.


No team had a busier offseason than the Padres, who swung several blockbuster trades and one big free agent signing (James Shields). It hasn't worked out. The team is 51-53 overall and 6 1/2 games out of a postseason spot, but they are 10-4 in the second half. Offseason headliner Matt Kemp is playing like an MVP too: he's hitting .313/.404/.583 (170 OPS+) since the All-Star break. Imagine if he did that out of the gate in April?


Headline No. 3: Clayton Kershaw is even better than last year, when he was MVP.


Gosh, remember those "what's wrong with Kershaw?" stories back in April? What a weird time. He now has a 2.37 ERA (154 OPS+) on the season and leads MLB in strikeouts (192), strikeout rate (11.7 K/9) and FIP (2.11). This is what Kershaw has done in three starts since the All-Star break: 3-0, 25 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 32 K. Opponents are hitting .099/.110/.099 against him. Instead of wondering what's wrong, we'd all be talking about Kershaw somehow being even better than last year had he started the season like this in April.


Headline No. 4: Jung Ho Kang is the runaway NL Rookie of the Year favorite.


Ask most who they consider candidates for the NL Rookie of the Year award and you'll hear the usual suspects: Kris Bryant and Joc Pederson. Maybe Noah Syndergaard too. Those people wouldn't be wrong, though Kang is hitting .299/.372/.460 (133 OPS+) with eight home runs this year, including .426/.475/.778 (240 OPS+) with four homers since the break. Bryant has a 37 OPS+ in the second half. Pederson? A 48 OPS+. The NL Rookie of the Year race would be upside down if this happened in early April instead of late July.


Headline No. 5: Robinson Cano is still the best second baseman in baseball.


This has been a rough season overall for Cano, who owns a .260/.305/.409 (102 OPS+) batting line overall. It is by far his worst season since 2008. Since the All-Star break though, Cano has a very Cano-like .320/.404/.680 (194 OPS+) slash line with five homers. That's the good stuff right there. That's the MVP caliber Robinson Cano we've seen the last few seasons.


Headline No. 6: Rougned Odor is the next best second baseman in baseball.


Like Cano, Odor got off to a brutal start this season. So brutal the Rangers demoted him to Triple-A for a few weeks. He's since returned and, since the All-Star break, has hit .317/.343/.651 (167 OPS+) with four home runs. That's after the 21-year-old had a 94 OPS+ during a promising rookie campaign a year ago. Odor owns an overall 113 OPS+ this season but not many people have noticed because of that dreadful start. Had he hit in April like he's hit since the All-Star break, everyone would notice.


Headline No. 7: R.A. Dickey has regained his Cy Young form.


It has now been three years since Dickey was named the NL Cy Young award winner -- by the way, Kershaw has won three of the last four NL Cy Youngs, and the year he didn't win, he finished second to Dickey -- and he's never been able to repeat that success with the Blue Jays. Dickey has a 4.04 ERA (98 ERA+) in three seasons with Toronto, including a 4.27 ERA (92 ERA+) this year. Since the All-Star break though, the knuckleballer has a 1.21 ERA and a a 0.85 WHIP in 22 1/3 innings across three starts. Had Dickey started the season like this in April, we'd hear he's finally comfortable in the AL, or something like that.


Headline No. 8: Glen Perkins has fallen victim to "sudden reliever ineffectiveness" syndrome.


Relievers are volatile. They dominate one year then collapse the next. That happens for a few reasons, including the fact most relievers are flawed to begin with. They're pitchers who couldn't hack it as starters because they lacked command or a reliable breaking ball or something like that, and that flaw makes them more prone to "sudden reliever ineffectiveness" syndrome. Perkins was a deserving All-Star again this year, with a 2.36 ERA (178 ERA+) and an AL-leading 29 saves in 2015. He's also allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings in the second half, including three home runs, leading to two blown saves in three chances. Relievers are scary, man. If Perkins had started the season like this, there'd be whispers about him losing his closer's job.


Headline No. 9: Madison Bumgarner might be feeling the aftereffects of last year's workload.


During the Giants' march to the 2014 World Series title, Bumgarner threw a combined 270 innings between the regular season and postseason. It hasn't bothered him this year though -- he has a 3.39 ERA (104 ERA+) on the season. Bumgarner does have a 3.79 ERA in three starts since the All-Star break though, which is below-league average when adjusting for his home ballpark. If he had a three-start stretch like that in April instead of late July, I guarantee there would be questions about last year's workload taking a toll on Bumgarner this year.


Headline No. 10: Oh geez, the Hanley Ramirez contract is a disaster.


True, Hanley has not been great overall this season, hitting .263/.305/.451 (105 OPS+) with 19 home runs to go with his awful outfield defense. The Red Sox were willing to take the defensive hit as long as he mashed, which Ramirez did in April (177 OPS+). But, since the All-Star break, Ramirez is hitting a weak .207/.230/.224 (27 OPS+) with no home runs. Sometimes even good hitters have bad stretches, but when they happen in late July, we hardly notice. When it happens in April, we can't look away.

PERRY: PREDICTING THE WORLD SERIES CHAMPION


First, know this: Predicting postseason outcomes in baseball is utterly a fool's errand. The game has too much built-in, structural parity, and luck and randomness play a larger role then they do in many other sports. That's especially the case when we're talking a miniscule sample of games -- say, a best-of-five or best-of-seven series.


That said, I'm writing to you from international waters, and maritime law does not forbid me -- on pain of incarceration -- to tell you how the current World Series odds look as we head for the dog days. So that's what I shall do.


One consideration that will in part drive the lofty bits of wisdom to come is the value of winning one's division. These days, the wild card entrants of course play that "one and done" game for the privilege of advancing to the Division Series. That extra layer makes the road to the trophy that much more difficult. (Yes, I'm aware that last year's World Series featured two wild card teams -- recency bias, man.) So what we're looking for are teams with good shots at winning their divisions that the World Series odds may undersell. Of course, that's not always possible, so we'll cease following our own advice when necessary.


Alongside you'll see current odds at the Westgate LV SuperBook to win the World Series, followed by each team's chances in the SportsLine Model Projection.


World Series futures board


TEAM ODDS WS % (MODEL)


Royals 7-2 13.8%
Dodgers 6-1 9.0%
Cardinals 6-1 17.8%
Nationals 7-1 9.6%
Yankees 9-1 8.4%
Angels 12-1 6.3%
Pirates 12-1 4.8%
Astros 16-1 12.4%
Giants 16-1 3.7%
Mets 16-1 2.1%
Cubs 16-1 1.9%
Blue Jays 20-1 5.7%
Twins 30-1 0.9%
Tigers 40-1 0.0%
Orioles 40-1 2.5%
Rays 40-1 0.3%
Indians 60-1 0.1%
White Sox 60-1 0.4%
Padres 50-1 0.0%
Mariners 100-1 0.0%
Red Sox 100-1 0.0%
Rangers 80-1 0.0%
Diamondbacks 200-1 0.0%
Braves 200-1 0.0%
Athletics 300-1 0.0%
Reds 500-1 0.0%
Marlins 500-1 0.0%
Rockies 500-1 0.0%
Brewers 500-1 0.0%
Phillies 5000-1 0.0%
Now let's look at a few of the Vegas numbers that stand out ...


Recommended


Astros at 16-to-1. The Astros have played better at the run-differential and deep-component levels than the Angels have, they recently added Scott Kazmir and Carlos Gomez, and George Springer should return from injury in time to play the bulk of the stretch drive. I like their chances to prevail over the Angels in the tight AL West, and they presently have a multi-game lead. Any team that's likely to win its division this late in the season is an excellent World Series play at 16-to-1. So it is with the Astros.


SportsLine Simulation Model: 12.4% probability of winning World Series


Twins at 30-to-1. Minnesota, of course, is presently in second wild card position. To be sure, the Twins are regression candidates down the stretch, and I don't anticipate they'll make the playoffs. But we're not talking about whether I think the Twins will make the playoffs. We're talking about whether a team in playoff position by three games in early August has better than a 3.33 percent chance of winning the World Series. I'd say they do.


Orioles at 50-to-1. The Orioles are right behind Minnesota in the wild card queue. They don't project as well, say, the Blue Jays, but Buck Showalter's club made some under-appreciated improvements at the deadline. The larger reality is that a team within hailing distance of playoff position in August makes a lot of sense at 50-to-1.


SportsLine Simulation Model: 2.5% probability of winning World Series


Diamondbacks at 200-to-1. Here's my favorite longshot. They're 6 1/2 games out of wild card position and behind two teams outside the wild card leaders. That's not insurmountable, at least for a team with one of the NL's best offenses. Arizona almost certainly will not pull it off, but I think 200-to-1 fades their chances way too much.


SportsLine Simulation Model: 0.0% probability of winning World Series


Not recommended


Dodgers at 6-to-1. The Dodgers are very good and, based on their underlying fundamentals, better than their record, probably. That said, 7-to-1 for a team that leads its division by not all that much is not something I'd touch. That's still the case even though the Dodgers added much-needed rotation depth prior to the deadline.


SportsLine Simulation Model: 9.0% probability of winning World Series


Royals at 7-to-2. Given the strides made by certain core hitters, the addition of Johnny Cueto, the eventual return of Alex Gordon, the dominant bullpen, and the reasonably accommodating stretch-drive schedule, the Royals would be my World Series favorite. But there's no escaping the uncontrollable realities of the sport. With three layers of postseason awaiting even division champs, I'm not sure I'd bet the '39 (or '27 or '98) Yankees at 4-to-1, much less these Royals.


SportsLine Simulation Model: 13.8% probability of winning World Series

TIERNEY: UNDER-THE-RADAR STARTERS POINT TO UNDER WITH ASTROS-RANGERS


Monday's second-highest Over is 9 with Houston at Texas.


Say what? With these starters, who are stellar though not household names when such households are discussing all-stars, the number should be closer to 8.


Stingy rookie Lance McCullers has allowed zero or one run in eight of his 13 stints. Had he recorded enough starts to qualify for the A.L. list for best ERA, McCullers would rank fourth at 2.48.


Best of all for McCullers, the Rangers have never faced him. They are in for a treat.


Texas' Colby Lewis, 15 years older (as of Sunday), is familiar with the Astros, having restricted them to an aggregate of three runs while going deep in his last two faceoffs. He has won seven games overall in the past month, matching the league high. Historically, he is 7-1 versus Houston, with an ERA just above 1.00.


The SportsLine Model Projection (B grade) is going with the Under. Count me onboard as age and youth will be served.


Tierney's pick: Under; SportsLine's pick: Under

Cubs, Pirates square off


August 3, 2015




CHICAGO CUBS (57-47) at PITTSBURGH PIRATES (61-43)


First pitch: Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Pittsburgh -130, Chicago +120, Total: 6.5


Two teams vying for a spot in the postseason, the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates, will begin an important three-game series on Monday night.


It has been an outstanding campaign for the Cubs in 2015 as they currently remain in the second wildcard spot while being tied with the Giants. The young club has some of the more exciting and talented players in the game and that has led the Cubs to victories in six of their last seven games; including each of the last five.


Most of those were in Milwaukee where they swept the Brewers over four games, giving up eight runs in all and capped it off with a close 4-3 win on Sunday afternoon when the offense was a mere 2-for-11 with RISP, but did enough to back a nice outing (6 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 3K) from starter Clayton Richard. His four-game hitting streak may have ended on Sunday, but 1B Anthony Rizzo (.286) is 8-for-19 (.421) with four homers, 10 RBIs and five runs during the current winning streak.


Since the Pirates have decided to start keeping their young stars, they have begun to win and remain competitive in the tough NL Central while currently owning the top wildcard spot. They’ve also been playing some solid baseball of late, going 7-3 in their last 10-game stretch and will be returning home for just the second series since the All-Star break.


They were able to earn a split on the road against the Reds on Sunday afternoon, riding the stellar effort (7 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 7 K) by Charlie Morton in a 3-0 victory. OF Starling Marte (.288) has helped in making this OF one of the best in the league and has at least one hit in nine of the last 10 games; driving in six runs during that time.


A couple of veteran lefties will battle it out in this divisional matchup with LHP Jon Lester (6-8, 3.26 ERA) of Chicago going against LHP Francisco Liriano (7-6, 2.92 ERA) of the host group.


One reason that the Cubs have been so successful this year is their ability to play well on the road where they are 30-23 (.566) as they take on this Pittsburgh crew which is a solid 35-17 (.673) at home.


The series between these teams since the start of 2013 hasn’t been all too close with the Pirates holding a 30-18 (.625) edge overall while taking 16-of-24 contests at home during that stretch.


The last time the clubs played against each other this year in Pittsburgh was back in April, and Chicago managed a split over four games, outscoring the Pirates 21-19.


Some trends to keep an eye on include that the Cubs are 14-5 (.737) in games with a total of seven or less this year while being a meager 17-39 (.304) after having won five or six of their last seven games going back three years.


Chicago will be keeping an eye on 3B Kris Bryant who left Sunday’s game with dizziness after a slide and they will also be playing without C Miguel Montero (Thumb) who is on the DL. On the other side of the diamond, Pittsburgh has 3B Josh Harrison (Thumb) and SS Jody Mercer (Knee) still missing from the active roster.


After a career year in 2014, Lester has reverted back to his usual stuff, which while still better than most other starters in the league, is certainly not the greatness of last year (16-11, 2.46 ERA). He has kept his strikeouts up (9.2 K/9) and has some of the best control (2.2 BB/9) as he keeps the ball in park (0.75 HR/9).


Most would think that lefties have more trouble against him, but on the year they are hitting .269 over 126 batters faced compared to the .233 mark right-handed batters have posted in their 419 plate appearances. He’s gone at least seven innings in each of his last six outings, throwing five quality starts with a 50:5 K/BB ratio over 43.1 frames.


Lester has done well in his limited time against the Pirates and is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA (1.46 WHIP) while getting the one win this year in a nice outing (7 IP, 1 ER, 9 H, 7 K). The only players on Pittsburgh who have any sort of success against the lefty are 3B Aramis Ramirez (3-for-7) and C Chris Stewart (3-for-7) as superstar OF Andrew McCutchen is hitless in six at-bats during the matchup.


The relievers for Chicago have gone 24-18 with a 3.38 ERA (1.26 WHIP) and are 28-for-43 (65%) in save chances. Hector Rondon (1.88 ERA, 16 saves) has been reinserted as the closer, converting each of the last four save opportunities and 16-of-19 (84%) on the year.


Liriano may not be considered an ace by many, but he is looking to post an ERA south of 3.40 for the third consecutive season as he is striking out more batters (10.0 K/9) than he has since 2006. His control (3.0 BB/9) is also near a career-best as he gives up a respectable 0.71 HR/9. Despite batters hitting a poor .265 BABIP against him, his ERA seems very sustainable with a FIP (Fielder Independent Pitching) of 2.94 as he is getting the opposition to hit it on the ground 53.7% of the time.


Unlike his counterpart in this one, Liriano and his nasty slider have dominated left-handers to the tune of a .185 average over 114 batters faced in 2015. He’s currently riding a six-game quality start streak dating back to June 26th and his team has been able to win each of those contests with Liriano going 3-0. The 31-year-old has had plenty of experience against the Cubs in his career, going 4-2 (6-4 team record) with a 2.56 ERA (1.02 WHIP), but did lose in his one start (5 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 9 K) this year.


The players on Chicago’s roster have combined to go a putrid 12-for-86 (.140) with 33 strikeouts against the lefty as both 1B Anthony Rizzo (4-for-20, 7 K) and SS Starlin Castro (3-for-22, 7 K) have really struggled in the matchup.


The Pirates bullpen has gone 16-13 with a 2.86 ERA (1.22 WHIP) and are a solid 36-for-46 (78%) in their saves. Mark Melancon (1.29 ERA, 33 saves) leads the league in saves and has not blown one since April 21st as he benefits from a .252 BABIP mark from the opposition.