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Preview: Giants (59-49) at Cubs (59-48)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 07, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Joe Maddon doesn't want his Chicago Cubs to make too much of this four-game home series with the San Francisco Giants. He just wants them to enjoy playing meaningful baseball in August.


After taking the opener, the Cubs try to increase their advantage over the Giants for the NL's second wild-card spot Friday.


Rookie Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run homer for his first at Wrigley Field as Chicago (59-48) moved one-half game ahead of San Francisco for that final wild-card position with Thursday's 5-4 victory. While this has the potential to be a season-defining series for the overachieving Cubs, their manager wants to keep things in perspective.


"Whenever you're playing that game, you should not be nervous, upset, concerned or having to turn a dial up or turn a dial down because you're used to playing that game," Maddon told MLB's official website. "Just play for today."


Winners in seven of the last eight, the Cubs certainly understand the potential importance of the set but have followed their manager's lead.


"It's a huge series for us, but we're having fun with it," said Schwarber, 6 for 14 with half of his six home runs plus six RBIs in four games this month.


The Giants (59-49) are 4-5 since a 12-1 stretch and now face Jon Lester (6-8, 3.26 ERA), who is back on the mound after rain halted his start after 31 pitches during Monday's postponement at Pittsburgh.


'They're a talented club,' San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. 'They're not going anywhere. That's a good club.'


Lester has a 1.66 ERA while going 2-2 and lasting at least seven innings in each of his last six starts. He set season highs of eight innings and 14 strikeouts while giving up two runs in a 3-2 victory over Colorado in his last official outing July 29.


'You got to figure out a way to go as deep as you can,' Lester said.


He's allowed one run over 17 1-3 innings to win both starts against the Giants, but last faced them in 2013.


Mike Leake was scheduled to make his second start since being acquired by San Francisco last Thursday, but was scratched due to a mild hamstring strain.


"He thought it was a cramp, but it didn't go away," Bochy said.


Instead, Ryan Vogelsong (7-7, 4.16) makes his first start since yielding four runs, two homers and walking three in 5 2-3 innings while not factoring in the decision of an 8-5 victory over Philadelphia on July 11. The right-hander, who has made six relief appearances since, is 6-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 16 starts this season.


He's 5-6 with a 5.86 ERA as a starter against the Cubs.


Anthony Rizzo is 14 for 25 with 10 RBIs in the last seven games, and 3 for 5 with two homers and a double against Vogelsong.


Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford each hit two-run homers in the opener.


Crawford has hit seven of his career-high 19 home runs and recorded 14 RBIs in his last 14 games. He's hit .343 in 13 career games at Wrigley Field.


Teammate Nori Aoki is batting .176 in nine games since missing a little more than a month with a fractured fibula, but is 4 for 9 against Lester.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Giants at Cubs
Thu, Aug 6 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Giants at Cubs
Fri, Aug 7 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Giants at Cubs
Sat, Aug 8 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Giants at Cubs
Sun, Aug 9 - 2:20PM EDT

Preview: Red Sox (48-61) at Tigers (53-55)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 07, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

The Detroit Tigers insist they are still in contention in the crowded AL wild-card race.


The Boston Red Sox are probably just looking to score some runs on the road for a change.


Ian Kinsler is enjoying a red-hot stretch for the Tigers, who look to hand the Red Sox their 10th road loss in 11 games in Friday night's opener of this weekend series.


Detroit (53-55) gained much-needed confidence after taking the last two games of a three-game home set with AL-leading Kansas City, including Thursday's 8-6 victory on Kinsler's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning.


'We're not that far out, and we know we've got a lot of games to play,' Kinsler said. 'No one in this room thinks this season is over.'


Kinsler drove in three runs as he improved to 15 for 29 with nine runs scored and six RBIs over his last seven games after connecting following Jose Iglesias' leadoff single.


"Ian's been our hottest hitter," manager Brad Ausmus said. "He's very capable of not only getting a hit and moving a guy to third but hitting a double and driving him in and obviously capable of hitting a home run."


Victor Martinez went deep twice for his first multi-homer game since 2010 and drove in a season-high five runs.


Boston (48-61) is 1-9 on the road since the All-Star break, averaging AL worsts of 1.9 runs and 0.50 homers. The Red Sox opened this six-game trip by batting .175 and totaling six runs with 28 strikeouts while dropping two of three to the New York Yankees after Thursday's 2-1 defeat.


They fell to 11-18 against left-handed starters while facing CC Sabathia in that contest and meet another one in Daniel Norris (2-1, 3.23 ERA), who will make his Detroit home debut.


Norris was acquired from Toronto in the David Price deal on July 30 and yielded one run over 7 1-3 innings in Sunday's 6-1 victory at Baltimore in his Tigers debut.


"You always want to make a good impression," he said. "If you go out there and try to do too much, the wheels can fall off rather quickly."


The only Red Sox hitter he has faced is David Ortiz, who struck out in that at-bat. Ortiz is batting .172 off southpaws for one of baseball's worst marks.


Xander Bogaerts leads the majors with a .388 average versus left-handers. He was 0 for 11 in the Yankees series while Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 12.


Boston will give Joe Kelly (3-6, 6.11) his first start against Detroit. Kinsler, who is 1 for 2 against him, is the only Tigers hitter he has faced.


The right-hander is 0-3 with a 6.88 ERA in his last seven road starts. Kelly has failed to record an out past the fifth inning in his last five outings - a stretch in which he has posted an 8.06 ERA and in which batters are hitting .357 against him.


Kelly allowed five runs for the third time in four starts, lasting five-plus innings in an 11-7 victory over Tampa Bay on Saturday for his first win since June 6.


Bogaerts went 8 for 14 and Ortiz was 5 for 8 with two homers as Boston took two of three at home over Detroit from July 24-26.


Center fielder Mookie Betts, who has missed the last eight games with a concussion, will join the Red Sox this weekend but there is still no target date for his return.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Red Sox at Tigers
Fri, Aug 7 - 7:08PM EDT


GAME 2
Red Sox at Tigers
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:08PM EDT


GAME 3
Red Sox at Tigers
Sun, Aug 9 - 1:08PM EDT

Preview: Blue Jays (58-52) at Yankees (61-46)
Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 07, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays announced themselves as serious players in the wild-card race by making two of baseball's biggest acquisitions at last week's trade deadline.


Considering the way they're playing - and their many games left versus the AL East-leading New York Yankees - a division crown might even be attainable.


Toronto plays the first of 13 remaining matchups with New York on Friday night in the Bronx.


The Blue Jays (58-52), energized by the additions of Troy Tulowitzki and David Price, swept a four-game series from Minnesota and have won eight of nine, racking up 16 homers while averaging 6.3 runs in that span.


Edwin Encarnacion hit his 250th career homer and second in as many days in Thursday's 9-3 victory against the Twins. He's 14 for 32 during a nine-game hitting streak and will look to continue his recent success at Yankee Stadium, where he's batting .440 with three homers in his last six visits.


Toronto has pulled within one half-game of the Los Angeles Angels for the league's top wild-card spot and trails New York by 4 1/2 games, its smallest deficit in the division since July 11.


The Blue Jays are looking to end a major league-worst 22-year playoff-drought.


"There's just a different feeling," Mark Buehrle said after recording his 12th victory. "I felt the same way in '05 when (the Chicago White Sox) won the World Series."


Toronto would be well-served to take advantage of these precious matchups against the Yankees, against whom they've won four of six this year.


"We know how explosive they are," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "We just have to make pitches."


While Girardi is concerned with the Blue Jays' offense, New York has struggled to score against the Blue Jays this season, totaling 16 runs.


Offense could be particularly tough for the Yankees (61-46) to come by in this series with R.A. Dickey, Price and Marco Estrada on tap for Toronto. Though Dickey (6-10, 4.06 ERA) isn't having a classic season, he's 4-0 with a 1.12 ERA in his last six meetings with New York, and allowed just two runs over 14 1-3 innings in two meetings this year after a victory May 4.


Dickey's been excellent of late overall, going 3-0 with an 0.92 ERA in his last four games.


The Yankees also struggled against fellow knuckleballer Steven Wright in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to Boston, totaling four hits while striking out nine times in Wright's eight innings.


New York bounced back with a 2-1 win Thursday, though, going ahead on Jacoby Ellsbury's fifth home run of the season.


The Yankees are no strangers to the long ball either, homering in 12 straight games, their most since a 14-game run in 2009. Their 146 home runs rank third in the majors and just behind Toronto (147).


Nathan Eovaldi (11-2, 4.30) hopes his charmed season continues after getting strong backing in a 13-6 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday when he gave up three runs in 5 2-3 innings. His 7.8 run support average ranks second behind Toronto's Drew Hutchison (8.1).


This is Eovaldi's first appearance against Toronto.


Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin has made his former team pay in the season series, batting .400 with two doubles, two homers and six RBIs. He was 0 for 12 in the first three games against Minnesota before getting Thursday off.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Yankees
Fri, Aug 7 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Blue Jays at Yankees
Sat, Aug 8 - 1:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Blue Jays at Yankees
Sun, Aug 9 - 1:05PM EDT

Preview: Rockies (45-61) at Nationals (56-51)
Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 07, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals have been unable to gain any traction over the last month, and it's cost them control of the NL East.


They're hoping a three-game series with last-place Colorado can help them build momentum, particularly with Jordan Zimmermann looking to improve upon his already sparkling resume against the Rockies in Friday night's opener.


Washington (56-51) has won two of three following a four-game skid, scoring 13 runs in those victories after totaling nine during the losing streak. The Nationals are hoping Ian Desmond is ready to break out of his slump after homering and doubling in Thursday's 8-3 win over Arizona. Desmond had been batting .129 with 15 strikeouts over his previous eight games.


Washington is 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East after leading them by 4 1/2 games - its largest advantage of the year - before dropping 15 of its last 25.


Zimmermann (8-7, 3.54 ERA) is 0-2 with a 5.09 ERA over his last four outings. He gave up three homers for the first time in two years during a span of five pitches Sunday against the Mets, accounting for the five runs he allowed over six innings in a 5-2 road loss.


He's 2-3 with a 4.76 ERA in eight games when giving up a home run, and 6-4 with a 2.92 mark in 14 other contests. The seven homers he's allowed in his last six starts are two more than he surrendered through his first 16 outings.


Zimmermann, however, is 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA in eight matchups with the Rockies, one of two teams he's unbeaten against in at least five starts. The right-hander has yielded only two home runs over 49 innings against Colorado, though both came in the last meeting, a 7-4 road win for the Nationals on July 22, 2014.


He has completed at least seven innings in four of his last five home starts, though he's won only once there in the last six with eight runs of support over 38 innings.


Colorado (45-61) defeated Seattle 7-5 in 11 innings Wednesday, earning just its sixth win in 18 games on Michael McKenry's two-run homer.


Carlos Gonzalez has nine home runs and three doubles - with one of each Wednesday - along with 20 RBIs in his last 14 games. He appears to have two factors working against him in this matchup - he's 2 for 13 with six strikeouts against Zimmermann and hit .146 with 23 strikeouts in his last 11 meetings with Washington.


The Rockies are seeking consecutive victories for the first time in more than three weeks behind Jorge De La Rosa (7-4, 4.87). He gave up six runs in back-to-back starts before bouncing back with a better showing Saturday at St. Louis, limiting the Cardinals to two runs over 6 2-3 innings in a 6-2 victory.


The left-hander owns a 5-2 record in eight career starts against the Nationals despite a mediocre 4.07 ERA. He finished one strikeout shy of a career high in the most recent one July 23, 2014, recording 11 while giving up one earned run over 7 1-3 innings of a 6-4 home victory.


Bryce Harper struck out in all three career at-bats against De La Rosa.


Washington outscored Colorado 36-19 in winning five of last year's six meetings.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rockies at Nationals
Fri, Aug 7 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Rockies at Nationals
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Rockies at Nationals
Sun, Aug 9 - 1:35PM EDT

Preview: Dodgers (62-46) at Pirates (62-44)
Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 07, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

When Zack Greinke's scoreless innings streak ended 13 1-3 shy of Orel Hershiser's all-time record, he mentioned that maybe someone eventually will break what for so long seemed to be an unreachable mark.


It hasn't even taken two weeks for another member of the Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation to threaten Greinke's streak as baseball's longest in 27 years.


Clayton Kershaw can't reach Hershiser's 1988 record for a few more starts, but he can eclipse Greinke's outstanding run by going the distance Friday night at PNC Park as he opposes Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates.


Greinke's streak ended at 45 2-3 innings July 26 against the New York Mets, the fourth-longest stretch of scoreless baseball in the expansion era, but the Dodgers (62-46) simultaneously had another run going courtesy of Kershaw (9-6, 2.37 ERA).


The reigning MVP was at 29 straight scoreless innings after throwing a three-hitter July 23 in Queens, and after getting eight days off due to some lingering hip soreness, Kershaw held the Angels to two hits over eight in a 3-1 victory Saturday.


"I felt all right; I don't think I was quite as sharp as usual," Kershaw said. " ... I was fortunate to get to eight today. I think my fastball command got better as the game went on.


"It's crazy what two or three days off will do. I don't like days off."


Now at 37, Kershaw can pass Greinke's mark with his third complete game in five starts. That would mean he'd also eclipse his own record of 41 consecutive scoreless innings set last season.


Should the left-hander at least do that, five of the seven longest spotless streaks since 1960 will belong to Dodgers.


Kershaw has allowed eight hits and one walk while striking out 32 in 25 innings since the All-Star break.


The Pirates (62-44) have avoided him since a month before the 2013 Midsummer Classic, missing him in both series last season while winning five of seven.


They saw Kershaw twice in 2013 and could only manage five hits and one run over 14 innings in a pair of losses. He's held Pittsburgh to a .172 average in eight career outings, the best he's done against any NL opponent.


Andrew McCutchen has had some success off Kershaw, going 6 for 19 with a homer, while Chris Stewart - Cole's personal catcher - is an unlikely 6 for 12 and has also gone deep.


McCutchen homered in Wednesday's 7-5 win over the Chicago Cubs to bump his average to .327 since May 7. His 1.283 OPS with runners in scoring position this season trails only Paul Goldschmidt's and Mike Trout's.


"I'm having a good season, but I don't assess all that until the end of the year," McCutchen told MLB's official website. "I'm stringing together good at-bats, and feel I'm getting stronger as the season continues, and that's always a plus. ... Things are coming together."


They've been doing the same for Adrian Gonzalez, who hit a three-run homer in Thursday's 10-8 win over Philadelphia to help Los Angeles overcome a rough outing from Greinke. Gonzalez is hitting .359 since the break.


Few pitchers have the stature to push Cole (14-5, 2.29) to second billing, but the major league wins leader might not mind being somewhat of an afterthought Friday simply because he doesn't have to face Cincinnati.


The right-hander has made it through six innings in all 17 of his starts that haven't been against the Reds. Pittsburgh is 15-2 in those outings behind Cole's 1.68 ERA, but fell to 0-4 when he pitches against Cincinnati after he gave up three runs in Saturday's 4-3 loss.


Cole is 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts against Los Angeles, only striking out four over 12 innings. Yasiel Puig is 5 for 6 with a pair of doubles in their matchups.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Dodgers at Pirates
Fri, Aug 7 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Dodgers at Pirates
Sat, Aug 8 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Dodgers at Pirates
Sun, Aug 9 - 8:05PM EDT

Preview: Twins (54-54) at Indians (49-58)
Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 07, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

As the frustration continues to mount, the Minnesota Twins move forward trying to keep what looked like a promising season from fading away.


In danger of falling below .500 for the first time in more than a month, the visiting Twins try to avoid a season-high sixth consecutive defeat Friday night against the Cleveland Indians.


Minnesota (54-54) led the AL wild-card race on July 17, but after losing 14 of the next 18, it's three games out of the second wild-card spot and looking to avoid its first losing record since sitting 11-12 on May 1. The Twins last lost six in a row to end the 2013 season.


"I think right now it doesn't feel good at all," manager Paul Molitor told MLB's official website. "It's how you get there and we're going the wrong way. Coming out of Spring Training, and you hear .500 in August, you might've had some optimism there, but you just have to take a step back.


"I'm not feeling too good about it myself. And I don't think the players are. I think the frustration is continuing."


A lack of offense continues to plague Minnesota, which has batted .140 while scoring more than three runs once in the last seven contests. Trevor Plouffe delivered a two-run homer during Thursday's 9-3 loss at Toronto, but he's batting .182 in six games this month.


All-Star Brian Dozier is hitting .143 and has struck out 15 times in the last 10 games.


Teammate Mike Pelfrey (5-7, 3.65 ERA) went 0-2 with a 9.88 ERA in his final three starts before the All-Star break but has a 1.86 ERA despite going 0-1 in the three that followed. Though the right-hander is 0-5 in nine starts since beating Milwaukee on June 7, he's coming off perhaps his best effort of the season Sunday after he allowed four hits over eight scoreless innings of a 4-1, 11-inning loss to Seattle.


Minnesota has scored six runs for Pelfrey while losing his last four starts.


He's 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts this season against the Indians (49-58), who managed five runs in those outings and totaled 16 while batting .204 on a 3-4 trip through Oakland and Anaheim.


"I know that (hitting coaches Ty Van Burkleo and Matt Quatraro) and our guys are working as hard as possible to get on track," Cleveland general manager Chris Antonetti told MLB's official website. "We've just had a tough time doing it consistently."


The Indians return home, where they scored 14 runs during an eight-game skid that ended with a 12-1 rout of Kansas City on July 29.


All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis remains Cleveland's most consistent hitter, leading the majors with a .376 home average after recording three straight three-hit games at Progressive Field.


Kipnis, however, is 2 for 16 against Pelfrey.


Cleveland's Cody Anderson (2-3, 3.38) went 2-1 with an 0.89 ERA in his first four career starts since debuting June 21, but is 0-2 with an 8.40 ERA in the last three. However, he made strides by giving up three earned runs in 6 2-3 innings of Saturday's 5-1 loss to Oakland.


'I needed to stay focused and locate instead of trying to rear back and throw,' the right-hander said.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Twins at Indians
Fri, Aug 7 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Twins at Indians
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Twins at Indians
Sun, Aug 9 - 1:10PM EDT

Preview: Mets (58-50) at Rays (54-55)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 07, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

After dominating a pair of division rivals, the New York Mets look to maintain their winning ways when baseball's hottest team visits an AL park to open a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.


The revamped Mets make their first trip to Tropicana Field since 2012 atop the NL East following consecutive three-game sweeps of Washington and Miami. They've won nine of 11 as a lineup bolstered at the trade deadline has provided ample support to a strong rotation.


New York outscored the Marlins 25-8 to open its Florida swing, though it had to survive a six-run ninth inning for an 8-6 win Wednesday. The Mets collected at least 12 hits in all three games and have scored five or more runs in four straight, their longest such stretch of the season.


The Mets produced 29 runs in earning a three-game sweep in their last visit to Tampa from June 12-14, 2012. New York is 6-3 all-time at Tropicana Field.


Lucas Duda drove in three runs Wednesday and has 15 RBI while hitting nine home runs during New York's 9-2 tear. Curtis Granderson has eight RBI while batting .355 in a seven-game hitting streak.


New faces have gotten into the act as well. Juan Uribe, acquired from Atlanta on July 24, delivered a three-run homer Wednesday, while Yoenis Cespedes has gone 7 for 22 with five RBI in five games since coming over from Detroit on Friday.


"The additions have made a big difference, not just hitting the ball, but also having veterans this time of year," manager Terry Collins said.


New York's starting pitchers have posted a 1.44 ERA during the win streak.


Jacob deGrom (10-6, 2.09 ERA) tries to continue that trend and extend his own outstanding run in the opener. The All-Star is 2-0 with a 1.30 ERA in his last four starts and has won three consecutive outings on the road, where he's gone 5-1 with a 1.22 ERA in his six most recent efforts.


DeGrom is 2-2 in four career interleague starts but has allowed one run in seven innings in three of those games, including a 5-1 home win over Baltimore on May 6. The Florida native has never faced the Rays.


Grady Sizemore is the only Tampa Bay player with more than two at-bats against deGrom, having gone 2 of 9.


Cespedes is 3 of 9 with a home run against Rays starter Jake Odorizzi (6-6, 2.86), whose 1.41 home ERA would rank third in the majors had he enough innings to qualify.


Odorizzi has yielded one or no earned runs in all but one of his seven Tropicana starts in 2015. He's won both home assignments since returning from the disabled list in mid-July, giving up one run over 11 2/3 innings in victories over Houston and Detroit last month.


The right-hander, who will make his first appearance against the Mets, is 3-3 with a 3.52 ERA in eight career interleague starts.


The Rays return home from a 3-3 trip capped by Wednesday's 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox that snapped a three-game win streak. Asdrubal Cabrera went 4 of 5 with two RBI to increase his hit streak to nine games, but he's uncertain for the opener after being struck in the head by a throw from teammate Curt Casali during a steal attempt by Chicago's Adam Eaton in the 10th.


"Kind of a fluke play," Rays manager Kevin Cash told MLB's official website. "I'm not sure if it took off on Cabby or he put the tag down too early. But it dinged him pretty good."



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mets at Rays
Fri, Aug 7 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Mets at Rays
Sat, Aug 8 - 6:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Mets at Rays
Sun, Aug 9 - 1:10PM EDT

Preview: Marlins (43-66) at Braves (49-60)
Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 07, 2015 7:35 PM EDT

Jose Fernandez continues to be one of the few bright spots in Miami's dismal season.


He's been quite strong against the Atlanta Braves during his young career.


Looking to remain undefeated on the season, the right-hander tries to continue that success against the Braves and help the visiting Marlins avoid a fifth consecutive defeat Friday night.


Fernandez (4-0, 2.13 ERA) allowed four hits and struck out 10 while walking two over six scoreless innings of a 5-2 victory over San Diego on Sunday. Though he did not factor in the decision, the 23-year-old lowered his ERA to 1.14 while going 15-0 in 24 starts at Marlins Park.


"You just try to make a good pitch, and get people out," Fernandez told MLB's official website after throwing 112 pitches, the second-highest total of his career.


Fernandez is 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA while making two of his six starts since returning from Tommy John surgery July 2 on the road.


He's gone 3-1 with an 0.93 ERA in four starts against the Braves, and yielded five hits while striking out 22 and walking two over 16 scoreless innings to win both 2014 matchups.


Fernandez will look to continue that dominance and provide something positive after Miami starters posted an 11.05 ERA and failed to complete five innings during the current four-game skid. Jose Urena was tagged for five runs before leaving with a bruised knee after two innings Thursday as the Marlins (43-66) fell for the 15th time in the last 20 games, 9-8.


Christian Yelich recorded three hits and ex-Brave Martin Prado had three RBIs, but Miami fell to 2-8 against Atlanta this season.


Rookie Daniel Castro had three hits and Nick Markakis drove in three runs for the Braves, who blew a pair of three-run leads Thursday before Eury Perez delivered a tiebreaking single in the eighth.


Markakis is batting .333 with seven RBIs during a 13-game hitting streak.


"We need more people like this or these type of guys," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He doesn't flinch one bit as far as record or anything like that."


Teammate A.J. Pierzynski is batting .442 during his 11-game hitting streak.


Julio Teheran (7-6, 4.59) is 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in four home starts against the Marlins, and also 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two matchups this season - both at Miami.


The right-hander has lasted at least seven innings in seven of his last 11 starts, including Sunday when he yielded two runs and struck out seven without a walk during a 6-2 win at Philadelphia.


"I was aggressive the whole time and I was pitching inside a little more," Teheran said. "That is something I haven't been doing a lot. But every time I do it, it's a different game."


Against Teheran, Prado is batting .385, Dee Gordon .357 and Yelich .300.


It's uncertain when Atlanta shortstop Andrelton Simmons will return to the lineup after missing a fifth straight contest with a thumb injury.


"It is feeling better. It's definitely improving, thank God," said Simmons, who is 2 for 20 in his last six games. "There's no setbacks. Everything's going good, it's just a matter of convincing them to let me go the extra mile and start hitting and get in the game."



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Marlins at Braves
Thu, Aug 6 Final 8 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Marlins at Braves
Fri, Aug 7 - 7:35PM EDT


GAME 3
Marlins at Braves
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Marlins at Braves
Sun, Aug 9 - 5:10PM EDT

Preview: Cardinals (69-39) at Brewers (47-63)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 07, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

After spending 11 seasons in the AL, a benefit of Jhonny Peralta's signing with the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2014 season is his chance to face the Milwaukee Brewers more often.


As Peralta looks to continue his tear against the NL Central rivals, the MLB-best Cardinals try to extend their recent dominance at Miller Park in Friday night's series opener.


Peralta, who played with Detroit and Cleveland before joining St. Louis, has been one of the NL's top offensive shortstops, ranking second at his position with a team-high 16 home runs.


The All-Star has hammered the Brewers this season, going 15 for 33 with a home run in nine meetings. He's also batted .492 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs in 16 career games at Milwaukee.


Peralta went 7 for 11 with a homer to help St. Louis take two of three at Miller Park in April. The Cardinals are 6-3 in the season series and 17-6 at Milwaukee since the start of 2013.


After getting the day off in Thursday's 3-0 win at Cincinnati, Peralta is expected to be in the lineup as St. Louis (69-39) goes after its third straight win on this six-game road swing.


'It's August already,' Thursday's winning pitcher Michael Wacha said. 'This is the time we start pushing and play the way we have been all year.'


Milwaukee's Tyler Cravy will get another opportunity in the rotation after getting recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Wednesday. He replaces struggling former Cardinal Kyle Lohse.


Cravy (0-2, 3.60 ERA) pitched well in his big-league debut against St. Louis on June 2, allowing one run and four hits over seven innings of a 1-0 road loss. He made another spot start July 7 against Atlanta, giving up four runs over six in a 4-3 home defeat.


'He had a very good start against St. Louis and a so-so start his next time out,' manager Craig Counsell said. 'To me, it warrants another chance. And he's performed at Triple-A as well as anyone there. He's a player that you want to see more of at this level.'


Randall Grichuk went 2 for 3 with a double off Cravy in June. The rookie had batted .375 with six home runs over an 18-game stretch before going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts Thursday.


Kolten Wong delivered the big blow against the Reds with a two-run single in the fourth inning. The Cardinals, however, had just five hits and have totaled 14 runs in their last five games.


They've given Lance Lynn (8-6, 2.89) three or fewer runs of support in 15 of 20 starts. The right-hander had gone 5-1 with a 1.94 ERA over his previous nine outings before allowing four runs over five innings of Saturday's 6-2 home loss to Colorado.


Lynn, 6-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 13 career starts against Milwaukee, is facing the Brewers (47-63) for the fourth time this season. He won both outings at Busch Stadium but surrendered a season-high six runs and 10 hits over five innings of a 6-3 loss at Miller Park on April 26.


Adam Lind homered off Lynn in that game, but is just 2 for 11 in the matchup.


Lind had three hits and three RBIs and Khris Davis hit a pair of three-run home runs as Milwaukee took the last three of a four-game series with San Diego with Thursday's 10-1 home victory.


Lind has gone 11 for 23 in his last six games while Davis is 6 for 12 with eight RBIs in the past three.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cardinals at Brewers
Fri, Aug 7 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Cardinals at Brewers
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Cardinals at Brewers
Sun, Aug 9 - 2:10PM EDT

Preview: Reds (48-58) at Diamondbacks (52-55)
Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 07, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

The Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks are both struggling offensively, and their star hitters are at the forefront of those slumps.


They'll look for Todd Frazier and Paul Goldschmidt to turn things around as they open a three-game series in Phoenix on Friday night.


Cincinnati (48-58) is scoreless over its last 18 innings and shut out twice while dropping three of its last four games after being five-hit in Thursday's 3-0 loss to St. Louis. Frazier stayed cold, going 0 for 4 to fall to 4 for 40 with 12 strikeouts over his last 10 games.


"I'm swinging at pitches I should be hitting, fouling balls off, I'm not really squaring them up," he told MLB's official website. "You go through it during the year. It's just a matter of how long it's going to go for."


The Reds have averaged 5.4 runs while winning 16 of 21 at Chase Field, though Frazier's hitting .229 in 10 games there.


While Cincinnati is opening a 10-game trip, the Diamondbacks (52-55) lost four of six to end one of their own after starting it 4-0. They totaled 10 runs in the four losses.


Goldschmidt, who was hitless in four straight games before going 3 for 5 Wednesday at Washington, got his first day off this season in Thursday's 8-3 defeat.


This matchup features two rookie starters seeking firsts.


Arizona's Robbie Ray (3-6, 3.01 ERA) is looking for his first home win, and to achieve it, he'll likely need to perform better with runners in scoring position. The left-hander limited opponents to a .167 batting average in those situations through his first nine games, but they've gone 5 for 12 in his last three.


"It's just tough when you've got guys on base and you're in those high-pressure situations all the time," he said. "Eventually, it's going to catch up to you."


The matchup could favor Frazier, whose .973 OPS against lefties is the highest by a Red since Joey Votto's .987 mark in 2011.


After recording his first victory in six starts, Raisel Iglesias (2-3, 5.13) looks to win consecutive outings for the first time. He threw 6 2-3 innings - his second-most - while limiting Pittsburgh to two runs and four hits in Saturday's 4-3 home victory.


"I'm very happy, I'm excited that I helped the team to win, especially that I went a little bit deeper in the game today," he said through a translator. "I'm very thankful to my teammates because they played a really good game for me, and I just went out there and did my job."


Iglesias will have to overcome his road difficulties, going 0-3 with a 8.16 ERA and opponents hitting .333. At home, he's limited opponents to a .238 average.


The right-hander has also had problems with home runs lately, allowing exactly one in five straight outings after not being taken deep in his first five appearances.


Cincinnati won last season's series 4-3 powered by Devin Mesoraco's four homers and nine RBIs. Mesoraco, though, had season-ending hip surgery in May.


Goldschmidt went 4 for 27 with 10 strikeouts against the Reds last year.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Reds at Diamondbacks
Fri, Aug 7 - 9:40PM EDT


GAME 2
Reds at Diamondbacks
Sat, Aug 8 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Reds at Diamondbacks
Sun, Aug 9 - 4:10PM EDT

Preview: Orioles (55-52) at Angels (57-50)
Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 07, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Angels envisioned upgrading their offense with three trades prior to the deadline, not an adjustment period that has led to an extended slump.


In the meantime, the Baltimore Orioles have made headway in a tight wild-card race.


Los Angeles looks to provide enough support for Andrew Heaney on Friday night as the rookie tries to help prevent the visiting Orioles from winning for the 10th time in 13 tries.


The Angels (57-50) acquired Shane Victorino, David Murphy and David DeJesus last week, but Los Angeles is batting .188 while dropping seven of nine. Victorino (2 for 11), Murphy (4 for 23) and DeJesus (1 for 18) have contributed to the struggles.


Los Angeles was 0-44 when trailing after eight innings until pinch-runner Taylor Featherston streaked home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth of Wednesday's 4-3 win over Cleveland.


C.J. Cron's two-run, two-out single tied it one batter earlier.


"It's been a process," said Kole Calhoun, who homered. "We're right in the middle of a race right now. As soon as we can get jelled together and kind of start playing as a team, the sooner the better. But it's a good group of guys. It's all veteran guys who came in here. They've been around here before, know what it takes to be winning players. I don't think we're far off."


Gerardo Parra has hit safely in four of five games since being acquired from Milwaukee prior to the deadline, but Baltimore (55-52) has mainly relied on Chris Davis during its surge.


Davis hit a grand slam in a win over Tampa Bay on July 25 that began the 9-3 run, then hit another in the top of the 10th in Wednesday's 7-3 victory over Oakland. He's hit nine of his 28 homers with an OPS of 1.251 over his last 15.


'When he's hot he carries the team,' closer Zach Britton said. "Some guys get hot, but to get hot and carry the team is two different things. CD's doing that."


The Angels lead the wild-card race, but Baltimore has pulled to within two games. Heaney (5-1, 1.97 ERA) was still in the minors when they took two of three from the Orioles from May 15-17.


Los Angeles won Heaney's first six starts after he was called up June 24 before he gave up two runs in 5 1-3 innings of Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It marked the first time the left-hander failed to get through the sixth.


Kevin Gausman (2-2, 3.97) was on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis during the first series with the Angels. The right-hander has made three starts since voluntarily going to Triple-A for regular work before and during the All-Star break.


Gausman pitched very well in his last two, allowing two runs while striking out 11 and walking one over 14 2-3 innings.


"He's got a pretty fresh arm going right now," manager Buck Showalter said.


Gausman has a 6.46 ERA in three starts and five relief appearances on the road. He beat the Angels 4-3 at home in his only career matchup July 30, 2014.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Orioles at Angels
Fri, Aug 7 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Orioles at Angels
Sat, Aug 8 - 9:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Orioles at Angels
Sun, Aug 9 - 3:37PM EDT

Preview: Astros (61-49) at Athletics (48-62)
Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 07, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

All three AL ERA leaders pitch for the Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros, and two will meet Friday night.


The visiting Astros have won Dallas Keuchel's last six starts against the Athletics, who will counter with Sonny Gray when these AL West rivals continue a four-game series in Oakland.


The league's ERA leader at 2.08 is Scott Kazmir, who was traded from Oakland to Houston on July 23 for a pair of prospects. He will not start in this series, which the Astros (61-49) began with a 5-4, 10-inning win Thursday.


In third is Keuchel (13-5, 2.35 ERA) and second is Gray (11-4, 2.12), who have never matched up.


Keuchel, who can take over the AL lead in victories and has lasted at least six innings in 33 straight starts, figures to have an advantage since Oakland (48-62) is an AL-worst 8-20 versus left-handed starters. The All-Star Game starter is 2-0 with a 1.60 ERA in his last six starts against the Athletics, yielding one unearned run over 16 innings in two this year in which he won once.


Josh Reddick is 1 for 15 against him, Brett Lawrie is 2 for 15, Billy Butler 1 for 9 and Billy Burns is 0 for 8. Oakland does have Coco Crisp, who is 7 for 19 in this matchup, and Danny Valencia - 5 for 9 with a homer and two doubles.


The disadvantage for Keuchel is that he is 1-5 with a 4.87 ERA in his last six road starts. He is 0-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three starts in Oakland.


Gray has allowed one run in his last 16 innings and the Athletics have won six of his last seven outings, with the right-hander going 3-1 with a 2.47 ERA. He is 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA in four career starts versus the Astros, though Houston second baseman Jose Altuve is 5 for 14 against him.


Opponents are hitting .200 off Gray and .207 versus Keuchel.


Houston won for the second time in its last 12 road games and improved to 4-0 at Oakland this year on Jed Lowrie's two-out RBI double in the 10th. The third baseman had an error during the Athletics' tying two-run rally in the ninth.


'I felt like I put us in that situation in the ninth,' Lowrie said. 'Just grateful for the opportunity to come up there in the 10th and come through.'


Lowrie has reached base in all six games against the team he played for last year, going 7 for 20 with seven RBIs and six walks.


Altuve is batting .382 over a 17-game hitting streak in Oakland. He stole two bases Thursday to give him 30 - eight more than Burns for the AL lead.


Astros 20-year-old rookie Carlos Correa hit his sixth home run in the last 10 games in the opener. He is the youngest position player in the majors and the only shortstop in the last century to hit 14 home runs in his first 51 games.


Lawrie and Stephen Vogt homered for the A's, losers of 10 of 14. They have baseball's worst record in one-run games at 11-26.


'It's tough. We've lost many games like this this year,' manager Bob Melvin said. 'It comes down to a bunch of little things. We came up a little short.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Astros at Athletics
Thu, Aug 6 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Astros at Athletics
Fri, Aug 7 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Astros at Athletics
Sat, Aug 8 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Astros at Athletics
Sun, Aug 9 - 4:05PM EDT

Preview: Rangers (54-53) at Mariners (50-59)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: August 07, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

(AP) - After the Texas Rangers finally had a good time at home, Cole Hamels looks to lead them to a fifth straight victory when he makes his second start for Texas on Friday night against the Seattle Mariners.


After struggling so much on their own field, the Rangers completed a three-game sweep of AL West-leading Houston on Wednesday that wrapped up a 7-3 homestand against three playoff contenders.


'It put a lot of energy in that dugout and on that field, and solidifies the belief in where these guys think they can go, the confidence they have,' first-year manager Jeff Banister said. 'It was a big series for us.'


Texas (54-53) enjoyed a day off Thursday with a winning record for the first time since July 3. The Rangers have closed the gap on the Astros for the division lead and are in the thick of the crowded wild-card race.


'No one is running away with anything, and it's relatively early, but these are the things I feel you can get on a roll with,' catcher Chris Gimenez said.


The only loss for Texas in the last eight games was Hamels' debut Saturday against San Francisco, even though the left-hander worked 7 2-3 innings and left with a three-run lead after allowing five runs.


Texas opened the homestand with back-to-back losses to the New York Yankees, including a 21-5 debacle after taking a 5-0 lead in the first inning. At that point, the Rangers had lost 12 of 13 home games, but they then won the last two for a series split.


The Rangers took two of three from the Giants before capping the sweep of the Astros with consecutive one-run victories.


While Texas is 23-29 with some confidence at home, its 31-24 record on the road matches the Chicago Cubs for the best in baseball.


The Rangers have 23 games left against the teams ahead of them in the AL West and race for the two wild cards (Houston, Los Angeles Angels, Toronto, Baltimore and Minnesota). They also have 10 games versus Tampa Bay and Detroit, the two teams behind them in the wild-card chase.


'From now on, that's the way we have to play, one day at a time, don't try to do too much and enjoy it,' said shortstop Elvis Andrus, one of five Rangers remaining who were part of the 2010 and 2011 World Series appearances. 'It was a really great homestand for us, and we're going to carry that momentum.'


Texas won 3-1 in its first visit to Seattle on April 17 before losing the last two in that series and then getting swept in three at home later that month.


The Mariners (50-59) return home after failing to sweep a three-game set from Colorado with Wednesday's 7-5 loss in 11 innings. Seattle allowed the Rockies to tie it with two runs in the ninth before having a three-game win streak come to an end.


Nelson Cruz doubled and singled to extend his hitting streak to 16 but failed to homer for the first time in six games.


The Mariners will oppose Hamels with Hisashi Iwakuma (2-2, 4.47 ERA), who held the Twins scoreless through 8 1-3 innings Sunday before allowing a tying homer. Seattle went on to win 4-1 in 11.


'Unbelievable, and I told him he was unbelievable,' manager Lloyd McClendon said. 'He just left one pitch up. Other than that, I mean, just an amazing outing.'


Iwakuma is 4-0 with a 2.62 ERA in his last five starts against Texas. Adrian Beltre has gone 11 for 30 with three homers when facing the right-hander.


Hamels has split two matchups against the Mariners behind a 3.97 ERA.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rangers at Mariners
Fri, Aug 7 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Rangers at Mariners
Sat, Aug 8 - 4:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Rangers at Mariners
Sun, Aug 9 - 4:10PM EDT

Preview: Phillies (42-67) at Padres (52-57)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: August 07, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

A 7-1 stretch around the trade deadline gave San Diego's front office hope that it wasn't too late to make a run at a playoff spot and incentive not to move James Shields.


The Padres are now headed in the other direction as they try to avoid a fourth straight loss Friday night when Shields takes the ball against the improved Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park.


The right-hander has posted a 2.57 ERA over his last seven starts but only has one victory in his past 11 while receiving 16 total runs of support. The Padres have gone 2-9 in those contests.


Shields (8-4, 3.74 ERA), who had been the subject of trade rumors prior to the July 31 deadline, didn't get a single run from the offense for a second straight outing Sunday. He didn't receive a decision in a 5-2 loss at Miami after giving up two runs over six innings.


Since entering the month on a roll, San Diego (52-57) has lost four of its last five to fall further back of an NL wild-card spot. The Padres closed a 10-game trip Thursday with a 10-1 loss to Milwaukee.


'It's disappointing,' interim manager Pat Murphy said. 'I'm not going to make excuses, but this team has been on the road twice as much as it has been home over the last 40 games. You can get caught in a rut like this.'


Shields has pitched particularly well at Petco, allowing two runs or less in each of his last seven starts there. He owns a 2.06 ERA while fanning 47 over 43 2-3 innings during that span.


The veteran hasn't been that sharp with a 6.35 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies, but he hasn't faced them since 2013 while with Kansas City.


Philadelphia (42-67) has turned things around offensively after averaging an MLB-worst 3.4 runs in the first half of the season. The Phillies have scored 5.4 per game in winning 13 of 18 since the All-Star break, but lost two straight for the first time over that span Thursday.


Domonic Brown homered off Zack Greinke as the Phillies had double-digit hits for the 10th time in 13 games in a 10-8 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cesar Hernandez is hitting .387 in his last seven, while Ryan Howard is batting .372 in his past 11.


"I don't know about you, but it's fun for me to watch these guys hit," interim manager Pete Mackanin told MLB's official website.


Aaron Nola (2-1, 3.38) will try to continue a promising start to his career after giving up two runs over five innings in a 12-2 home win over Atlanta on Saturday. The Phillies are keeping a close watch on his workload, and he hasn't thrown more than 92 pitches in any of his three starts.


The rookie right-hander will get his first look at a San Diego offense that managed just two hits Thursday after batting .295 while averaging 6.1 runs over its previous eight games.


Yangervis Solarte couldn't extend his 11-game hitting streak, ending the longest by a Padre since Will Venable's 15-game run in August 2013. Venable likely won't play in this series after going on paternity leave before Thursday's game.


The Phillies have dropped six of nine at Petco, including three of four in September. San Diego's Alexi Amarista went 6 for 11 with two home runs in the final three of that series.


Philadelphia's Chase Utley, batting .179 this season, is expected to return after missing 37 games with right ankle inflammation.




SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Padres
Fri, Aug 7 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Phillies at Padres
Sat, Aug 8 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 3
Phillies at Padres
Sun, Aug 9 - 4:10PM EDT