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SEC East Preview


August 7, 2015


The SEC East is wide open in 2015. Yes, Georgia appears to have the best overall talent, but the quarterback position is a major question mark. With Hutson Mason graduating after filling a one-year gap preceded by four seasons of Aaron Murray under center, the job falls to third-year sophomore Brice Ramsey.


Not only is there the uncertainty at QB, but there's also the Mark Richt Thing. You see, regardless of whether or not UGA has the best talent or not, it always finds a way to lose at least one game it shouldn't on Richt's watch. For instance, the Bulldogs got pounded 38-20 by a Florida team that threw the ball only six times for 27 yards in the annual Jacksonville showdown last year.


Trailing South Carolina by three with a first-and-goal situation late in the fourth quarter, UGA got away from the ground game, was forced to kick a short field goal, which missed, and it lost in Columbia. Then in the regular-season finale, red-zone fumbles caused the Dawgs to drop an overtime game at home to arch-rival Georgia Tech.


After exploding for nearly 1,600 rushing yards and scoring 16 touchdowns as a true freshman, Nick Chubb is back as a serious Heisman Trophy contender. The offense will revolve around him and his talented back-ups like Sony Michel and Keith Marshall, who is finally healthy after a pair of injury-plagued campaigns.


After more than a decade at offensive coordinator, alum Mike Bobo replaced Jim McElwain as the new Colorado State head coach. Brian Schottenheimer, who was a career back-up to Danny Wuerffel at Florida in the 1990s, is the new OC after spending more than a decade in the NFL, most recently as the OC for the St. Louis Rams.


The defense has a pair of All-American candidates in Jordan Jenkins and Leonard Floyd. Jenkins and Floyd combined for 11 sacks and 41 QB hurries in 2014.


UGA's season win total is nine ('over' -140) and its odds to win the SEC are 5/1. Richt's squad is the +170 'chalk' to win the East and has 28/1 odds to win the College Football Playoff.


Georgia draws Alabama out of the West, but it gets the Crimson Tide in Athens. I have UGA finishing 9-3, losing at Tennessee and at Auburn. I think the Bulldogs will beat Alabama but take a third loss either vs. Florida or at Georgia Tech. I'm on the sidelines for UGA in terms of preseason bets.


Tennessee won four of its last five games, signed another strong recruiting class and takes momentum into the 2015 campaign. However, has the offseason love been a little much? After all, we're talking about a storied program that's basically fallen off the map since the misguided dismissal of Phil Fulmer, one of college football's all-time great coaches. Consider this: UT hasn't won more than seven games since 2007.


Jones is 12-13 with the Vols, but he's energized the fan base by killing it on the recruiting trail. He waited entirely too long to turn to Josh Dobbs last year, though. Dobbs went 4-1 in five starts, but all four wins came over unranked opponents and the Vols mustered only 262 yards of total offense in a 24-17 win at Vanderbilt.


Dobbs had a 9/6 touchdown-to-interception ratio and rushed for eight TDs. He was UT's second-leading rusher behind rising sophomore Jalen Hurd, who ran for 899 yards and five TDs as a true freshman. Hurd will get help in the backfield from juco transfer Alvin Kamara, who was an original Alabama signee that was impressive during spring ball.


Dobbs has a talented array of wide receivers, including veterans Pig Howard and Marquez North. Von Pearson is expected to be reinstated to the team after charges were recently dropped for an off-the-field incident.


Tennessee has lost 10 in a row to Florida and has to open SEC play in Gainesville. After facing the Gators, the Vols have tough back-to-back home games against Arkansas and Georgia. Following an open date, they play at Alabama. There's also a road game at Missouri, in addition to a non-conference showdown vs. Oklahoma at Neyland Stadium in Week 2.


UT's win total is eight ('over' -125). The Vols have 10/1 odds to win the SEC and 65/1 odds to win the CFB Playoff. They are +260 to win the East for the first time since 2007. I have UT finishing 8-4.


In its first three seasons in the SEC, Missouri has made it to Atlanta twice. The Tigers are looking to win the East for a third straight time. They have +490 odds to do so (risk $100 to win $490).


Gary Pinkel's team brings back six starters on offense and five on defense from a team that finished 11-3 straight up and 9-5 against the spread. A sixth returning starter on defense, junior DT Harold Brantley, was lost for the season due to injuries sustained in an unfortunate car crash.


Junior QB Maty Mauk owns a 14-4 record in 18 career starts. He can hurt opponents with his arm and his legs. Despite struggling through a four-game slump in October last year, Mauk still has a 36/15 TD-INT ratio for his career. However, his top four pass catchers from last season have departed.


On the bright side, RB Russell Hansbrough returns after rushing for 1,084 yards and 10 TDs while averaging 5.3 yards per carry in 2014. The defense is led by a pair of elite linebackers in Kentrell Brothers (second-team All-SEC last year) and Michael Scherer (114 tackles in '14).


Missouri will host Mississippi State from the West on a Thursday night, in addition to its regular-season finale at Arkansas. In non-conference play, the Tigers will take on BYU in Kansas City. We should note that the matchup against the Cougars looks easier today after the recent news about Jamaal Williams, the star BYU running back who will miss the 2015 season for 'personal reasons.'


I think Missouri will go 9-3, losing at Georgia and at Arkansas. Where will the third loss come? It may not, but the guess is that the Tigers will drop one of three home games vs. Florida, South Carolina or Tennessee. A Week 4 road game at Kentucky might also be tricky.


I haven't played it yet, but I'm not against a wager for Missouri to go 'over' eight wins because it provides plus money (+115 at most spots). The Tigers have 18/1 odds to win the SEC.


Florida is the division's great unknown. The Gators have a new head coach, a pair of new coordinators, lots of talent on defense and questions galore on the offensive side of the ball. Will Grier, the likely starter at QB, is a redshirt freshman who hasn't taken a collegiate snap yet.


Grier will have to hold off Treon Harris in an open competition throughout August. The Gators have an elite WR in DeMarcus Robinson, a veteran RB in Kelvin Taylor and a solid TE in Jake McGee. The hope is that Brandon Powell is going to have a breakout year playing out of the slot position.


The biggest concern for UF is an inexperienced offensive line. Phil Steele has this unit ranked last in the SEC along with Vandy's o-line.


Defense won't be a problem. Vernon Hargreaves III is considered the country's top cover corner. With outstanding talents like Brian Poole, Marcus Maye, Keanu Neal and Jalen Tabor, UF's secondary might be the nation's best along with the units at LSU and Va. Tech.


UF's win total is seven flat (-115 either way) and its odds to win the SEC are 30/1. The Gators have three huge swing games at home against Tennessee, Ole Miss and Florida State. They have never been home underdogs to the Vols or Rebels, but the Games of the Year have UT and Ole Miss favored for their trips to The Swamp.


I could see UF's season going a number of different ways. If the o-line can avoid injuries and do an adequate job, Grier's life will be easier. If the redshirt freshman QB develops quickly, the offense should be vastly improved and that'll make for a much better team. Remember, UF could've easily won against LSU, South Carolina and FSU last year. It was basically three plays away (a pick-six at FSU, a blocked punt vs. South Carolina and a dropped TD vs. LSU) from being a 10-win team.


Therefore, if things break right, a 9-3 season isn't out of the question. Then again, if the o-line struggles immensely, Grier is going to get beat up. If that's the case, UF could be 3-2 going into a three-game stretch at Missouri, at LSU and vs. Georgia.


After the injuries in 2013 and the three aforementioned heartbreakers from last year, I'm thinking the Gators are due a few breaks. Therefore, I'll call for an 8-4 season in Gainesville.


South Carolina fell to 7-6 in 2014 after producing three straight 11-win seasons that resulted in Top-10 finishes. The Gamecocks lost three games (vs. Missouri, at UK and vs. Tennessee) in which they had double-digit leads in the fourth quarter, and also lost 42-35 at Auburn in a game where they turned the ball over in the red zone three times.


Steve Spurrier's squad returns just four starters on offense and eight on defense. After an abysmal year on the defensive side of the ball, Spurrier has reunited with Jon Hoke, who has been in the NFL for 14 straight years. Before going to the NFL, Hoke served as Spurrier's DC in his last three seasons at Florida from 1999-2001.


This unit can't possibly be worse than last year, but how much will the offense fall off after losing RB Mike Davis, QB Dylan Thompson and All-SEC guard A.J. Cann? The QB job falls to Connor Mitch, who has only taken snaps during garbage time. Mitch will have the SEC's best WR in Pharoh Cooper, who had 69 receptions for 1,136 yards and nine TDs last season. Cooper also had a pair of rushing TDs and two TD passes.


South Carolina draws LSU (at home) and Texas A&M (in College Station) from out of the West. Three of the non-conference games will be tough as well, including the opener vs. North Carolina in Charlotte and the regular-season finale vs. Clemson. The Gamecocks also host UCF.


Spurrier's squad has a win total of 6.5 ('over' -125). Without knowing how Mitch will perform, I don't have any degree of confidence in picking this team's record. My guess is 7-5.


Mark Stoops is hoping Year 3 will bring about a turn of the corner and a return to the postseason. Kentucky was on the cusp of a bowl bid last season when it started 5-1 against the easier portion of its schedule. However, as the slate became tougher, the Wildcats dropped five consecutive SEC games by double-digit margins.


They had a chance to get bowl eligible with a fourth-quarter lead in their regular-season finale at Louisville. But UK couldn't hold on and fell by a 44-40 count to finish 5-7 SU and 6-5-1 ATS.


UK brings back 14 starters, including seven on each side of the ball. Junior QB Patrick Towles, who had a 14/9 TD-INT ratio and rushed for six scores in 2014, will have to hold off redshirt freshman Drew Barker for the starting job.


Stanley 'Boom' Williams will carry the bulk of the rushing load after averaging 6.6 YPC last year. UK's leading receiver Ryan Timmons is also back in the fold. However, the defense lost its two best players in first-round draft choice Alvin 'Bud' Dupree and Za'Darius Smith.


UK's win total is 5.5 ('over' -130) and I think that's a good number. I have the 'Cats finishing 5-7, but they could win at home vs. Florida.


With James Franklin running the show at Penn State now, Vanderbilt appears to be Vanderbilt again. Seriously, how on earth did Franklin win 24 games at Vandy during a stunning three-year tenure?


Derek Mason showed plenty of inexperience in his first season as a head coach. The Commodores finished 3-9 SU and 6-6 ATS, keeping only four of eight SEC games remotely competitive. They lost by double-digit margins in seven of eight league contests.


Vandy returns 18 starters, but it is still has question marks galore. Who will win the QB job? Can the o-line create holes for talented RB Ralph Webb, who ran for 912 yards as a true freshman? How improved will the defense be?


Vandy's win total is 3.5 ('under' -130). I believe the difference between winning three or four games this year will be determined by the Nov. 14 result of a home game vs. Kentucky.

Win Total Best Bets


August 7, 2015




The college football season gets underway in just under one month. If you are like me, it can't come soon enough. There's nothing like the passion of college football, and we're all about finding ways to make money while betting on college football. You can build your bankroll by wagering on games throughout the year, but I see season win totals as another great option as long as you have a large enough bankroll to support them.


There are less unknowns with season win totals. Anything can happen in one game, but I feel like an entire season is more predictable. With these wagers, I believe offseason homework is even more critical. Which teams have the best depth? Who has a favorable schedule? Who are oddsmakers overrating or underrating heading into the season? The season win total lines give us our first look at what the books think of each team.


Last year, I was able to compile a 3-2 record with my Best Bets and could've gone 4-1 if it wasn't for UCLA coming up short by a game.


Here's a look at my five favorite college football Win Total plays for the 2015 season.


1) Virginia Tech Over 8 Wins


The Virginia Tech Hokies went to Columbus and beat Ohio State last year, and from that point on the season went downhill in a hurry. While most seem to think that Virginia Tech just wasn't very good, the truth is this Hokies team was decimated by injuries. On both sides of the ball, their playmakers weren't on the field for the majority of the season. This team has a very high upside, and you have to assume they'll get more fortunate on the injury front this year.


Bud Foster is arguably the best defensive coordinator in college football, and he has a ton of talent to work with this season. Luther Maddy will anchor a terrific defensive front. Kendall Fuller is the biggest star in the secondary, but Virginia Tech's secondary should be a virtual "no-fly zone." The Hokies have the best defense in the ACC, and that's worth a lot in a league without any amazing teams this season.


Virginia Tech hosts Ohio State in the season opener. The Buckeyes have four key players suspended for that one, but they are still a big favorite for a reason. Things get a lot easier for Virginia Tech after that game. I think 10 regular season wins is a real possibility for Virginia Tech, and I like over eight wins a lot.


2) Pittsburgh Over 6 Wins


Pat Narduzzi is going to do a great job with this Pittsburgh Panthers program. Pitt hasn't had a good defense in several years, but that's going to change with a defensive guru like Narduzzi. He has been the defensive coordinator at Michigan State for a long time, and I think Pittsburgh will look a lot like a less-talented Michigan State team in the coming seasons. James Conner is a battering ram at running back, and Narduzzi is going to use him early and often. Tyler Boyd is one of the nation's best receivers. Chad Voytik improved late last year, and I expect him to be better than expected this year.


No ACC schedule is too tough, and Pittsburgh gets to finish with four of their last five games at home. Even if they get off to a slower start than expected, Pittsburgh has a great chance at reaching seven wins. Narduzzi won't let this team quit. The Panthers should be a surprise contender in the ACC Coastal.


3) Auburn Over 8.5 Wins


The Auburn Tigers are in my preseason top five. I think they have a great chance to be the best team in the SEC. It's definitely a bold statement, but I think there are several reasons to be so high on the Tigers. Auburn has been tremendous offensively the last few years. Will Muschamp was hired in to lead the defense. No matter what you think of Muschamp's work as a head coach, he has proven to be a great defensive coordinator, and he should do a great job here. If this defense improves as much as I expect, Auburn is going to be very tough to beat.


Jeremy Johnson might actually be an upgrade over Nick Marshall at quarterback. Johnson isn't the runner that Marshall was, but he has a much better arm. Gus Malzahn's offense lends itself to a ton of great rushing options. Auburn shouldn't have trouble running the football. The schedule here is friendly also with Ole Miss, Georgia, and Alabama all playing at Jordan Hare Stadium.


4) Boston College Under 5.5 Wins


I respect Steve Addazio a lot as a coach, but I still can't find six wins for Boston College this year. Boston College returns only four guys on offense. Tyler Murphy was a one-man show most of the year for the Eagles last season, and without him this team is going to struggle. Andre Williams isn't walking through the door either. Boston College is going to be awful on offense this season. The defensive line is the strength of the team, and the Eagles will fight on defense, but they are undermanned. The secondary will give up a lot of yards.


The Eagles have a stretch where they play at Clemson, at Louisville, vs. Virginia Tech, vs. NC State, and vs. Notre Dame (in Boston). Realistically, there is a good chance the Eagles will lose all five of those games. I see this team finishing with four wins. It will be a long season in Chestnut Hill.


5) Ohio Over 5 Wins


Frank Solich is a really good coach. He's been underrated since his days at Nebraska. The Ohio Bobcats are being badly underrated going into the 2015 season. Ohio went 6-6 in an injury-plagued disappointing season in 2014. Apparently, the oddsmakers expect things to continue to get worse for the Bobcats in the year ahead. I will be very surprised if that happens. The Bobcats return 10 starters on offense. Derrius Vick is a playmaker who should have a strong senior season. The defense is the strength of the team. The linebackers are awesome led by Quentin Poling and Jovon Johnson.


Ohio has a few "slam dunk" type games vs. SE Louisiana, Miami (Ohio), and probably Kent State as well. With no terrific teams in the MAC this year, Ohio is going to find a way to win at least six games if for no other reason than they have a strong defense and a great coach. Take the season win total over here.

Mullen: Mississippi State more experienced than it appears


August 7, 2015


STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen has a complicated relationship with numbers.


He'll often use them to make a point during a conversation about his team. For instance, he's quick to say that the Bulldogs have been to five straight bowl games - a school record. He's also a big believer in some statistics like turnover margin, which he often says is a huge indicator for winning.


Other numbers make Mullen cringe.


Lately, he has an issue with the number eight. That's the amount of starters the Bulldogs have returning this season - four on each side of the ball.


The perceived lack of experience is a big reason many are picking Mississippi State to finish last in the SEC Western Division this season, even though the Bulldogs are coming off the first 10-win season in school reason.


But Mullen insists this is a veteran football team. The seventh-year coach says last year's rotation was so deep - especially on defense - that the so-called second-string players could have been considered starters.


''You might not play the first play of the game or be in the spotlight of dealing with that pressure of being a starter, but on the field you have that experience,'' Mullen said Friday at the school's media day. ''To me, like Will Redmond for us, he might not have played the first play in a lot of games, but he played the last play in a lot of games.''


Redmond, a 6-foot, 186-pound cornerback, played in 12 games last season, but never started. He finished fifth on the team with 51 tackles and was tied for the team lead with nine pass breakups.


There are others on the defense with similar stats: Linebacker Richie Brown never started but made 50 tackles and had a team-high three interceptions. Safety Kendrick Market made 49 tackles despite just four starts.


Senior quarterback Dak Prescott says experience won't be a problem. The Bulldogs started preseason camp on Monday and play their first game on the road against Southern Mississippi on Sept. 5.


''We've got a lot of guys who have played quality reps in quality games against good teams,'' Prescott said.


Of the eight returning starters, Prescott is undoubtedly the most important and the most accomplished. He was a Heisman candidate for much of last season, throwing for 3,449 yards and 27 touchdowns while also running for 986 yards and 14 touchdowns.


He returned to Starkville for his fifth season after briefly considering a jump to the NFL.


''We need him to have the best year of his career,'' Mullen said. ''I think he's really driven himself and pushed himself this offseason.''


Prescott's success will likely be tied to the development of a revamped running game and offensive line. The Bulldogs have four running backs - Aeris Williams, Ashton Shumpert, Brandon Holloway and Dontavian Lee - who are fighting for the starting job.


They're also replacing three starting offensive linemen. Rufus Warren, a 6-foot-7, 299-pound senior who has spent most of his college career as a tight end, will likely be the starting left tackle.


Prescott didn't seem concerned about the newcomers around him.


''It's just consistency,'' Prescott said. ''I guess I played OK throughout last year, but not great all the time. It's like coach Mullen says, I need to be great from play one all the way to the last play of the season. Can't take a play off or a game off.''

Baseball Capsules


August 8, 2015


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Michael Conforto hit a tying double and Wilmer Flores had a go-ahead single in the ninth inning to help the surging New York Mets beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Friday night for their seventh consecutive victory.


Juan Uribe and Daniel Murphy homered late for the NL East leaders. They improved to 4-0 on a six-game road trip and moved 2 1/2 games ahead of second-place Washington.


Lucas Duda reached first base to start the ninth on a throwing error by reliever Brad Boxberger (4-8). Duda went to second on a wild pitch and came home on Conforto's liner to left-center. The rookie scored to make it 4-3 when Flores blooped a two-out single to right.


Tyler Clippard (1-0) was the winner, and Jeurys Familia got three outs for his 30th save.


The Mets said it was the first time in franchise history they overcame three different deficits in each of the last three innings to win.


Evan Longoria, James Loney and Grady Sizemore homered for the Rays.


BLUE JAYS 2, YANKEES 1, 10 INNINGS


NEW YORK (AP) - Jose Bautista homered with one out in the 10th inning after two of the top slugging teams in the major leagues engaged in a pitchers' duel, lifting surging Toronto past New York for its sixth straight victory.


Bautista connected off Branden Pinder (0-1) to pull Toronto within 3 1/2 games of the AL East-leading Yankees.


Brett Cecil (3-4) got the win, and Roberto Osuna pitched a perfect 10th for his ninth save.


The first of 13 games remaining between the division rivals started as most expected, with a slugfest. Josh Donaldson hit his 30th for Toronto in the first and Mark Teixeira connected for his 30th an inning later - after a replay reversal - giving the Yankees a homer in 13 straight games.


ROCKIES 5, NATIONALS 4


WASHINGTON (AP) - Drew Storen allowed Carlos Gonzalez's eighth-inning grand slam, and Washington blew a four-run lead in the loss to Colorado.


When Storen entered with six outs to go and the score 4-0, Washington appeared well on its way recording a second straight win for only the second time since the All-Star break. Everything changed during a rare ineffective performance by the Nationals' former closer, who lost his job when Jonathan Papelbon was obtained in a July 28 trade with Philadelphia.


With two outs and a runner on first, Jose Reyes and Nolan Arenado singled to load the bases for Gonzalez, who drove a 1-0 pitch into the Washington bullpen in right field. It was the first time in 15 appearances since June 24 that Storen (2-1) gave up a run.


Scott Oberg (3-2) pitched a scoreless seventh inning, John Axford worked the eighth, and Tommy Kahnle got three outs for his first major league save.


PIRATES 5, DODGERS 4, 10 INNINGS


PITTSBURGH (AP) - Pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez lined a bases-loaded single over a five-man infield in the 10th inning to lift Pittsburgh past Los Angeles.


The Pirates loaded the bases with no outs against Jim Johnson (2-4). Jung Ho Kang walked, Francisco Cervelli singled and Sean Rodriguez had a bunt single.


Left-hander J.P. Howell relieved and manager Don Mattingly moved an outfielder into the infield but the left-handed hitting Alvarez singled into right field.


The Pirates won for the 13th time in their last 16 home games and improved to 37-18 at PNC Park this season. They are 12-2 against NL West teams.


Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw had his streak of 37 consecutive scoreless innings end when Gregory Polanco hit his first pitch of the game for a home run.


Antonio Bastardo (4-1) pitched a scoreless 10th for his second win in two games.


CARDINALS 6, BREWERS 0


MILWAUKEE (AP) - Randal Grichuk hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run fifth inning, and Lance Lynn pitched St. Louis past Milwaukee.


Lynn (9-6) stranded nine runners in six innings as the NL Central leaders became the first major league team to reach 70 wins this season. He allowed six hits and four walks while throwing 109 pitches.


It was the second consecutive shutout and 12th this season for the Cardinals (70-39), who beat Cincinnati 3-0 on Thursday behind All-Star Michael Wacha.


Carlos Villanueva pitched three perfect innings for his second save.


Brewers rookie Tyler Cravy (0-3) was the loser.


CUBS 7, GIANTS 3


CHICAGO (AP) - Rookie Kyle Schwarber had two hits and two RBIs to back Jon Lester, and Chicago beat San Francisco for its eighth victory in nine games.


Schwarber, who homered the previous two games, also scored two runs to help put the Cubs 1 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco for the second wild card. They also moved 12 games over .500 for the first time since the 2008 NL Central championship season.


Schwarber doubled and scored in the first, then drove in two and came around in the fifth. The Cubs scored five in that inning to break open a 1-1 game.


Dexter Fowler homered and had three of Chicago's 12 hits.


Lester (7-8) gave up two runs and six hits over seven innings. Hector Rondon worked the final 1 2-3 innings for his 18th save in 21 chances. Ryan Vogelsong (7-8) was the loser.


RED SOX 7, TIGERS 2


DETROIT (AP) - David Ortiz homered and Hanley Ramirez and Xander Bogaerts added two-run doubles to lead Boston past Detroit.


J.D. Martinez hit his 30th homer for the Tigers.


Daniel Norris (2-2) gave up three hits in a 39-pitch first inning, including Ramirez's double that staked Joe Kelly (4-6) to an early lead.


Ortiz made it 4-0 in the third with a drive to deep right field, his 22nd of the season. It was his 20th homer at Comerica Park, the most by a visiting player in the 15 seasons since it opened. He averages a home run almost every 10 at-bats at the park in his career.


Boston's Justin Masterson loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Koji Uehara killed any hopes of a rally and earned his 25th save in 27 chances by striking out Jose Iglesias and getting Ian Kinsler to meekly ground out.


ROYALS 3, WHITE SOX 2


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Edinson Volquez pitched seven strong innings and Lorenzo Cain doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth to help Kansas City beat Chicago.


Volquez (11-6) limited the White Sox to one run and four hits and has allowed three or less runs in seven straight starts, lowering his ERA to 3.11.


Left-hander John Danks (6-9), who has a 9-2 career record against the Royals, gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in six innings.


Greg Holland gave up a home run to Adam LaRoche in the ninth, but earned his 24th save in 27 chances.


DIAMONDBACKS 2, REDS 0


PHOENIX (AP) - Chase Anderson pitched seven innings of four-hit ball in his return from the disabled list, and Welington Castillo homered again in Arizona's victory over Cincinnati.


Anderson (5-4) struck out seven and walked two in his first win since June 28. He was activated before the game after missing almost three weeks with right triceps inflammation. Brad Ziegler pitched the ninth for his 20th save


Two singles, a flyout and a walk produced the first run of the game. David Peralta drove in Ender Inciarte with a one-out single off Raisel Iglesias (2-4) in the first.


Castillo's seventh-inning shot, an opposite-field drive off reliever Manny Parra, gave the catcher seven home runs in his last 10 games. Castillo has hit 12 of his 14 homers this season since being acquired from Seattle on June 3. The Diamondbacks are 10-1 this season when Castillo goes deep.


BRAVES 6, MARLINS 3


ATLANTA (AP) - Nick Markakis had three hits, including a tie-breaking two-run double in the seventh inning, and Atlanta beat Miami.


Markakis extended his hitting streak to 14 games, finishing 3 for 4 with two RBIs.


Ross Detwiler (1-5) earned the win by getting one out after coming in for starter Julio Teheran with two outs in the seventh. Arodys Vizcaino picked up his second career save with a scoreless ninth.


Teheran gave up three runs and six hits with one walk and three strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings.


Kendry Flores (0-1) took the loss in relief of Jose Fernandez.


ATHLETICS 3, ASTROS 1


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Josh Phegley had two hits and drove in a run, Danny Valencia hit a home run and Sonny Gray won a pitching duel with Dallas Keuchel in Oakland's victory over Houston.


Gray (12-4) improved to 5-1 over his last 11 starts by giving up one run and five hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter in his third complete game, all within his last six starts.


Billy Burns had two hits and drove in a run and Marcus Semien had three hits to help the A's improve to 4-3 over their past seven games.


Luis Valbuena hit his 21st home run for the Astros. They have lost four of five.


Keuchel (13-6) gave up three runs and 10 hits in 7 2-3 innings.


TWINS 10, INDIANS 9


CLEVELAND (AP) - Torii Hunter hit a ninth-inning homer to lift Minnesota past Cleveland, ending the Twins' five-game losing streak.


Hunter connected against Bryan Shaw (1-2) to complete a comeback for the Twins, who couldn't hold an early 6-0 lead. Hunter also drove in two runs in the Twins' six-run third.


Trevor May (8-7) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Glen Perkins worked out of trouble in the ninth for his 30th save. Carlos Santana drew a one-out walk and pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn singled with two outs, but Jerry Sands struck out on three pitches to end the game.

LEADING OFF: Strasburg back, Price vs Yanks, trading places


August 7, 2015


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


GOOD TO SEE YOU


Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg comes off the disabled list to pitch at home against the last-place Rockies. He has been sidelined with an oblique injury.


PRICE CHANGE


David Price pitches at Yankee Stadium in his second start for Toronto. He had 11 strikeouts in an electrifying debut with the Blue Jays. But the ace left-hander has struggled in his last two starts against New York, allowing eight runs each time. He's not worried: ''Two starts ago, I gave up nine straight hits. Nine straight hitters got a hit,'' Price said. ''Nobody walks, nobody lined out. Nine straight. Whoever is throwing BP for the Yankees today won't give up nine straight hits.''


WELCOME BACK


Mike Napoli heads back to the Rangers after the first baseman was acquired Friday in a trade with Boston. Napoli was a fan favorite during two productive years in Texas before signing with the Red Sox and helping them win the 2013 World Series. He batted .320 with a career-high 30 homers as the Rangers won their second straight AL pennant in 2011. Texas hopes he can provide some needed punch from the right side.


TRADING PLACES


Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn are expected to be in the Braves' lineup against the Marlins after both were obtained Friday in a trade with the Indians. Atlanta sent third baseman Chris Johnson to Cleveland in a swap of disappointing players. The speedy Bourn was acquired by the Braves at the 2011 trade deadline and made the All-Star Game the following season before signing with Cleveland as a free agent.

Red Sox trade 1B Mike Napoli back to Rangers


August 7, 2015


SEATTLE (AP) Mike Napoli is headed back to Texas, where he played in a World Series before going on to win one with Boston.


The first baseman was traded Friday to the Rangers from the Red Sox for a player to be named or cash. Boston also sent money to Texas as part of the deal, which came a week after baseball's deadline for trading players without placing them on waivers.


Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said reacquiring Napoli fills the team's need for a right-handed bat with power.


''He is a guy who always hits lefties. It's an area where we have struggled this year,'' Daniels said on a conference call Friday night. ''He is a guy we know. We know he's going to fit our culture. He has a winning makeup.''


Minutes before the first pitch of Boston's game at Detroit on Friday night, Napoli was removed from the lineup. He batted .207 with 13 homers and 40 RBIs in 98 games for the last-place Red Sox this year and can become a free agent after the season.


Napoli, 33, was a fan favorite during two productive years in Texas before signing with the Red Sox and helping them win the 2013 World Series.


He batted .320 with a career-high 30 homers as the Rangers won their second consecutive American League pennant in 2011. He hit .350 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in the World Series loss to St. Louis.


The following season, Napoli had 24 homers in 108 games and was the AL's starting catcher in the All-Star Game.


With his return to Texas, Napoli is back in the playoff chase. The Rangers (54-53) had won four straight entering Friday night's series opener in Seattle and were 2 1/2 games behind in the race for the second AL wild card. Texas was 5 1/2 back of first-place Houston in the AL West.


''This is really about 2015. He fills a need for us,'' Daniels said.


Hoping to make a postseason push, the Rangers' front office has been aggressive lately. Texas acquired ace lefty Cole Hamels and reliever Jake Diekman from Philadelphia at the trade deadline, plus reliever Sam Dyson from Miami.


While the three pitchers obtained last week are under contract or Rangers control for multiple seasons after this, Napoli is not.


Mitch Moreland started his 70th game at first base Friday night, while Prince Fielder was the designated hitter for the 90th time, along with his 15 starts at first base. They were among five left-handed batters in the lineup against the Mariners.


Napoli is expected to join the club Saturday, when the Rangers are set to face Seattle lefty Mike Montgomery. Daniels said the initial plan is for Napoli to be the DH or first baseman against left-handers, and only be used as an emergency third catcher, similar to the role he has had with the Red Sox.


The Rangers were hitting just .238 against left-handed pitching, ranking 24th in the majors.


That's been one of Napoli's strengths in the past, but he's batting only .229 against lefties this season. Before this year, Napoli was a .279 hitter in his career against left-handers.


Texas transferred Kyle Blanks to the 60-day disabled list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. The Rangers will need to make another move to open a spot on the 25-man roster when Napoli arrives.

Giants place Leake on DL with leg strain


August 7, 2015


CHICAGO (AP) San Francisco Giants right-hander Mike Leake was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left hamstring.


Leake (9-6), acquired from Cincinnati last week for two prospects, was scheduled to make his second start for the Giants on Friday against the Cubs. He was scratched in favor of Ryan Vogelsong after his hamstring tightened during routine sprints Monday at Atlanta.


Leake threw before Friday's game to test his leg.


''We decided to go ahead and put him on the disabled list and give him the full 15 days to make sure he's fully recovered,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ''It's not worth the risk to try to get him ready for the next start.''


The Giants recalled left-hander Josh Osich from Triple-A Sacramento before Friday's game to take Leake's roster spot.


It's likely that Leake will miss two starts. But Bochy said he wants the right-hander, the Giants' lone trade deadline acquisition, fully healthy down the stretch.


Defending champion San Francisco is in a tight wild-card race and entered Friday's game three games behind first-place Los Angeles in the NL West.


Leake lost his first start with the Giants at Texas on Sunday. He allowed two runs, both on a homer by Josh Hamilton, in 6 1/3 innings.


''I'd rather have him for nine completely healthy starts than maybe one or two where he's not 100 percent,'' Bochy said. ''Then you have the risk of going ahead and starting him with the hamstring still lingering there and losing him for the rest of the way.


''This is the wisest move. With the way he bounces off the mound and the way he plays the game, he uses his legs so much.''

MLB betting cheat sheet: Cleveland does not rock for the Indians


Aug 07, 2015


Here's a comprehensive look at betting notes for the weekend major-league schedule:


Home Sick


The Cleveland Indians have really struggled at home this season, in fact they have a major league low 20 home wins. They've dropped six of their last seven home games heading into a home series versus Minnesota this weekend. The Twins though have lost eight of their last nine on the road.


Hot Diggity Dog


The Phillies are coming off back to back home losses to the Dodgers, but they've still won 13 of their last 18. They were an underdog in most of those games, and they'll likely be a dog in all three games at San Diego this weekend. The Padres are coming off three straight losses at Milwaukee.


AL Wild Card


The Texas Rangers have won seven of their last eight, putting them right in the thick of things in the Wild Card race. They trail the Angels by just three games, and they are 2.5 games back of the Blue Jays who currently hold the final Wild Card spot. Texas will be in Seattle this weekend, and the Mariners have won eight of the last 10 games in this series.


Weather Notes


High winds and potential thundershowers are in store for Kauffman Stadium Saturday. There is a 20 to 30 percent chance of rain with winds gusting from home plate to left field between eight and 12 miles per hour.


Pitching Notes


*Clayton Kershaw will look to extend a streak of 37 consecutive scoreless innings in Pittsburgh on Friday night. It's not going to be an easy task, as the Pirates a notoriously tough at PNC Park. The Dodgers road record is below .500, and Pittsburgh has won 42 of it's last 60 home games versus teams with a losing road record.


*The Kansas City Royals are known to have the best bullpen in the major leagues, but after a handful of sub-par performances over the last week, they no longer hold the distinction of the team with the lowest ERA by reliever. That honor goes to the St. Louis Cardinals, who's relievers boast an ERA of 2.26.


Hitting Notes


*Crush Davis - The Orioles slugger is hitting .306 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs since the All Star break, and he was 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs in Thursday's win at Oakland. The Orioles will be in Anaheim this weekend, and Davis has really struggled, hitting just .167 at Angels Stadium since 2012.


*Josh Donaldson is having an MVP caliber season for the Blue Jays, and he's really turned things on recently. He's hitting .306 with eight home runs and 21 RBIs since the All Star break.


Totals Streak


Over the last few years, we've come to think of San Diego's PETCO Park as one of the most pitcher friendly in the majors. That's quickly becoming a myth here in 2015. The bookmakers still set extremely low totals for most of the Padres home games, and the over is 13-4 in Padres last 17 home games with the total set at 6.5 or lower. They host the Phillies this weekend, and eight of the last nine meetings in this series have gone over the total.


Injury Notes


*The Yankees have put Michael Pineda on the 15 day DL with a right forearm strain. That's the last thing they need right now with the Blue Jays hot on their heels.


*Mike Leake was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday versus the Cubs, and he's officially listed as day to day with a sore hamstring.

Inside Baseball: Padres, Reds throw late deadline curves, and other notes


Trade deadline week was one of the best ever, but deadline day itself turned into a surprising dud, with only one true impact player changing teams that day. That was exciting outfielder Yoenis Cespedes -- a rental star who's part of a Mets revival but is ineligible to start next season as a Met as his contract is currently written.


So what happened to what promised to be a thrill-a-minute final ride but wasn't?


Realistically, the responsibility for all the shocking last-day inactivity rests largely with two teams that dangled major players but ultimately stunned folks by basically standing pat -- Cincinnati and San Diego.


Between them, the Reds and Padres wound up doing almost nothing on deadline day, surprising baseball people who spent the day chasing after stars on both teams. Cincinnati earlier in the week traded its two rental stars, Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, which was only logical. But for some reason they kept superstar closer Aroldis Chapman after talking extensively to the Diamondbacks, Astros and others, and also pulled back on a Jay Bruce deal that seemed all but done.


"Cold feet," is how one involved person explained the pullback on Bruce.


Cold water is what fell onto the trade market.


Meanwhile, the Padres, with their playoff hopes on life support at best, shocked folks by keeping everyone (and even adding a last-minute middle reliever), and somehow hoping for better, against all odds. Their lack of movement was in a way even more stunning since San Diego has shown a willingness to think big and be bold under its new GM, A.J. Preller.


In any case, the general consensus is both teams played hands that are bad (Reds) to fair (Padres) much too conservatively.


The Reds have only a year and half remaining before Chapman can become a free agent, and thanks to bloated mega-deals already on their ugly books in baseball's smallest market, they would seem to have almost no chance to keep Chapman past 2016. So why not trade him now, while the value is at an all-time high?


The Padres have by far their highest payroll at $110 million, at least one free-agent star remaining on their roster in Justin Upton and an underperforming new nucleus that seemed to beg for an overhaul. Although, it obviously would have taken some hard swallows; the deadline offers in many cases didn't come close to matching the hauls they sent away to build their new core in a whirlwind winter that turned Preller into a temporary rock star. The question now is this: Will he be a one-hit wonder?


Padres higher-ups say today they understand their playoff odds aren't great. But their moves seemed to suggest otherwise.


Rivals simply don't get it.


"The math just doesn't add up (to a playoff spot)," one rival GM said.


"They have no (bleeping) chance to make the playoffs," said another.


Yet, Padres people insist the inactivity was more about their offers than their chances. They figure they can hold onto stars they control -- notably coveted closer Craig Kimbrel and starter Tyson Ross -- and deal them later if it comes to that. They also didn't love the proposals they were getting for Upton (or the others for that matter).


"It was a combination of things," Preller said by phone in explanation why not a thing was sold. "We considered a little bit of everything. But ultimately, we didn't have the exact match we wanted. In other cases, we weren't going to make a trade just to make a trade. We had a couple things we were trying to get done. They just didn't line up ... On top of it, we're playing better baseball. We played a tough schedule to this point, and our schedule gets a little bit easier. We're realistic. We know it's going to take a big effort. There are good teams in front of us. We understand what's before us."


The Padres could have had top Yankees shortstop prospect Jorge Mateo and two other prospects for Kimbrel, as reported here first, with the Yankees said to be suggesting they might be willing to take Jedd Gyorko and pay some of the $33 million in "dead money" on his deal, as one person put it. Plus, for Upton, as ESPN first reported, the Padres could have had pitching prospects Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa, the very same tandem that eventually went to Detroit for Cespedes.


The Padres, which didn't need to save money, as it turned out, weren't moved by either offer.


They apparently like Mateo but see him as being a couple years away when they need a shortstop now. They think Fulmer is fine but believe they can come close to him with the first-round pick they'll get when Upton declines the qualifying offer (Preller, first lieutenant Logan White and others with the Padres have a good history of finding young talent, and hope they can make up for what they lost).


So instead, the Padres rolled the dice. One rival referred to Preller as a "riverboat gambler." And if you believe Fangraphs, there's a 96-percent chance they come up snake eyes.


"It's a decent core to start with so there aren't a lot of rental players. So we didn't see the need to (make a lot of trades)," Preller explained further about the inactivity. "With Justin Upton, the evaluation was what we're being offered versus the value of the pick and having Justin for the rest of the year. There were offers right on the line, but none that made us move."


So in the end, both teams wound up shocking folks by doing almost nothing beyond talking (the Padres actually did the opposite of what was expected, adding a piece, the much-traveled, hard-to-spell lefty reliever Marc Rzepczynski). There was interest in controllable young pitchers Andrew Cashner and especially Tyson Ross before the Padres decided to keep the whole gang together. And other free-agents-to-be Will Venable and Ian Kennedy drew only limited interest. Some now surmise San Diego spent the days leading up to deadline day deciding whether to go big or go big home, and ultimately decided it was better to do the latter. Whether there's truth to that or not (Padres people say no), it clearly wasn't going to be easy to sell their stars for 50 or 75 cents on the dollar.


The pressure has to be immense after the "rock star" monikers hung on Preller early, and word is, not all his bosses are quite as uniformly enamored after his winter haul according to people who have spoken to them (Preller sounded fine by phone, for the record, and actually anything but overwhelmed by the situation). The whirlwind winter hasn't quickly turned the Padres into a winner, and public reviews are pointing out the escalating expenditure, a so-so first half and the loss of many prospects (six of their top 10 by one accounting). The decision not to undo any of what was done in the winter will prove prescient if the Padres can mount an improbable comeback in a difficult National League wild-card race, something few see happening.


Despite the comments of others, technically, the chances are something slightly better than nil. Fangraphs put San Diego's October hopes at 4 percent on deadline day, and while they might be somewhat better than that considering a weak second-half schedule, and some real underperformance in the first half, one competing GM pointed out that their 50-53 record at the deadline was actually slightly lucky considering their actual first-half performance pointed to a slightly worse record than that.


As for the Reds, considering their situation, they simply played it too safe. It's hard to know what the owners' involvement was, but just as it made no sense to give Joey Votto a $225-million deal in baseball's smallest market -- two years before free agency, no less -- it made almost as little sense to keep a closer a year and a half from free agency when you're probably two years from winning.


The Reds did OK in getting three decent arms for rental star Johnny Cueto ("if Brandon Finnegan can turn into a starter, that deal will be a good one," one rival said), though the suspicion is, all three lefties will be relievers, and it was fine to get pitching prospect Keury Mella in a two-man package for Leake. But the Reds needed to do more. There are gaps throughout their system, including on the positional side of things.


A couple of rivals suggested Reds GM Walt Jocketty is probably better at maintaining than remaking. Jocketty is "not a dealmaker," one rival said in a sentiment heard from others from other as well. (Jocketty made the famous Mark McGwire trade when he was in St. Louis, but the suspicion is that La Russa really ran that show.) The hope was that veteran dealmaker Kevin Towers, added to the Reds' front office during the winter meetings, might loosen up Jocketty, who couldn't be reached. But so far it hasn't happened.


The Reds and Mets, in fact, came close to agreeing to a deal that would have sent Bruce to New York straight up for Zack Wheeler, but Cincinnati pulled out of the deal, according to sources, sending the Mets scrambling. (After their Carlos Gomez trade fell through, they knew they needed to come up with one of Bruce, Cespedes or Upton, and it was becoming more evident Upton wasn't going anywhere). While some suggested the Reds tried to sweeten the deal, one source summed it up, simply: "They got cold feet."


Chapman is obviously an exciting star for a reliever, but rivals saw the asking price as way over the top. From the Diamondbacks, for instance, the Reds sought Brandon Drury, Braden Shipley and a third big prospect, as USA Today reported. That's too much.


In the end it made little sense for Cincinnati to hang on to its closer with contention currently a pipe dream. The Reds have no chance this year. At least the Padres can hang onto that 4 percent.

Around the majors ...



Arizona Diamondbacks News


Club president Tony La Russa still seeks a shutdown closer, and word is they might revisit the Chapman talks at some point after the season. The D-Backs have cut back enough to save some payroll space and will target one of three needs: a closer, a top starting pitcher (someone below David Price and Johnny Cueto in the free agent pecking order), and/or a hitter to bat behind under-heralded superstar Paul Goldschmidt ... Arizona tried Craig Kimbrel, though Chapman was the bigger focus ... Of the players they fielded inquiries on (Cliff Pennington, Oliver Perez and Jeremy Hellickson), they came closest to dealing Hellickson, who drew interest from the Blue Jays and Pirates ... Welington Castillo (11 home runs, .998 OPS in Arizona) has actually outperformed Mark Trumbo (three home runs, .629 OPS) since the trade, and just about everyone else, too.

Atlanta Braves News


The Braves made an opening offer of $40 million for four years to Hector Olivera and were believed willing to get close to $50 million before the Dodgers outbid them with their $62.5-million, six-year deal, so the Braves saved some serious bucks when they acquired Olivera with 5 1/2 years and only $32 million to go. They like Jose Peraza and know he's going to be a useful major leaguer but word is they weren't sure if he was a second baseman or center fielder, plus power and on-base questions limited the value they placed on him ... Alex Wood was a tough loss, but with a small step back this year, and a bevy of recently-imported young starters, he was expendable ... Jonny Gomes should easily clear waivers ... The intention is to keep A.J. Pierzynski to work with all the young pitchers.

Baltimore Orioles News


The Orioles talked to the Rockies about Carlos Gonzalez but didn't relish giving up a package that included Kevin Gausman, a Colorado product coveted by the Rockies for years ... Gausman was extremely popular, as he was the asking price for Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes, too. Baltimore likes Cespedes and tried a few other combinations, but for whatever reason, they didn't match up ... They spoke to the Dodgers about Carl Crawford, but between the money remaining ($49 million through 2017) and injury history, they decided it wasn't worth the risk ... They believe Junior Lake, expendable with the Cubs' prospect largesse, could be a turnaround candidate.

Boston Red Sox News


The Red Sox weren't seriously involved with Cole Hamels by the end, and there's no word Philly ever came off Mookie Betts or Blake Swihart ... The media rumor of Pablo Sandoval for James Shields, which on the surface makes sense, was "never discussed," one source said ... The Red Sox looked at Carlos Carrasco, but word is, the Indians wanted "a boatload." ... The Red Sox did have talks about Kimbrel, and had potential matches since they have shortstop prospects, including Deven Marrero. But it never got close. They spent less time on Chapman. But the Red Sox do believe they'll be needing a closer soon ... GM Ben Cherington and manager John Farrell are safe after what looks like a third last-place finish in four years (they won the World Series in the other year) ... Sam Kennedy is a popular choice to be elevated to run the business operation after the legendary Larry Lucchino announced he'd be stepping down after the year. Folks around the team believe Lucchino would have stayed a year or two more had he been asked to do so, but higher-ups apparently felt the time was right ... Dave Dombrowski seems like an improbable fit to be hired as baseball president with Cherington already there to run baseball ops, and Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston cited a source suggesting it wouldn't happen ... Xander Bogaerts has been a rare bright spot, as he's having practically the same season as ex-Red Sox shortstop Jose Iglesias. Bogaerts has a slash line of .310/.339/.403/.742, Iglesias .314/.356/.396/.752.

Chicago Cubs News


Pitching pickup Dan Haren, who should help this year, suggested this could be his final season after his trade, and in fact teammates agree he will retire ... It's understandable why the Cubs ultimately didn't part with their prospect stash for a young starter such as Ross or Carrasco, as the Cubs may be a year away. Folks are convinced Chicago will get one of the great free-agent starters. Price will be their top target, but Zack Greinke, Jordan Zimmermann and Cueto could be in play for them as well ... The Cubs decided they ultimately didn't want to sell low on Starlin Castro. They talked to the Padres, who need a shortstop but are wondering if he's worth even his seemingly reasonable contract considering his undeperformance this year. His .236 average and .575 OPS both represent career lows. The Padres also have interest in Javier Baez, though they seem to have some concerns about his all-or-nothing track record at the plate. Look for the Cubs to shop both guys this winter.

Chicago White Sox News


The White Sox got hot just before the deadline, winning seven straight, and briefly caused them to consider rentals such as Cespedes and Upton ... They also fielded interest in Jeff Samardzija, with the Jays, Astros and Giants thought to be the main teams with interest in Samardzija. The return on Samardzija would have been similar as the one on Leake, according to sources, so considering the wide-open AL wild card race, it was worth going for it ... Larry King's Twitter prediction of a deal between the White Sox and Dodgers didn't come true, but we welcome the competition.

Cleveland Indians News


The Indians were actually asked about all of their starters, not only Carrasco but also Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer and even ace Corey Kluber, who got multiple hits. The Dodgers and Cubs, among others, were tied to Carrasco ... The Indians will try Rob Kaminsky as a starter. "He's an aggressive, intense competitor," says GM Chris Antonetti, who also noted the plus curveball and decent changeup ... The Indians once again get kudos for making it clear to Mike Aviles he wouldn't be traded while his beloved daughter Adriana, 4, battles leukemia. Best to Adriana!

Colorado Rockies News


Some teams had the impression the Rockies seemed somewhat less interested in trading Carlos Gonzalez after Troy Tulowitzki was dealt. "(Tulowitzki) was the one they wanted to trade," observed one rival GM. The Tulo situation had become a soap opera hanging over the team, so it was a good idea to move on, even if the package was far less than it would have been a couple years ago. While there were talks involving CarGo, the price tag placed on him was very high. Said one longtime Rockies observer, "They love CarGo." ... The Rockies did not shop Jose Reyes, but his name came up in talks. One club that may have fit was the Yankees, who could have used Reyes at second base (where he played one year with the Mets) and perhaps it might have reinvigorated him. He still lives on Long Island's North Shore. If there were talks with the Yankees, though, they were very brief.

Detroit Tigers News


Word seems to be that Chris Ilitch, son of owner Mike Ilitch, wasn't especially close with Dombrowski, who was released from the final few months of his contract to pursue other interests (i.e., teams). There is further word that Tigers owners weren't thrilled with the $68-million, four-year deal for Victor Martinez, who was ailing most of the first half and perhaps also a couple other contracts. Dombrowski did a very good job overall, but interpersonal relations are a key in these hierarchies, so in retrospect, it shouldn't be such a surprise they let Dombrowski leave ... The press release citing "some" success the Tigers had under Dombrowski seemed to undersell it a bit, though, as they became the perennial power in the AL Central under his watch. Dombrowski also made some great trades, including the one for Miguel Cabrera, which is an all-time great deal ... The Ilitches are said to actually have had a better relationship with Al Avila, a more outgoing sort, who takes over ... Dombrowski should land with a new job fairly quickly. Beyond his overall stellar record, as someone who attended owners meetings in his role as team president, he made several connections. The landing spot could be a surprise team ... Avila is known as a great talent evaluator (he found Cabrera in the first place when both he and Dombrowski were with the Marlins). The Tigers, who once got a tongue lashing from MLB for quickly hiring Phil Garner before considering any minorities, get bonus points for tabbing the Cuban-born Avila, who's in the middle of an impressive baseball lineage. Father Ralph was a legendary Dodgers executive and son Alex is a Tigers catcher ... Dombrowski was praised for the job he did with their quick sale. Daniel Norris was seen as a "good get" for the rental Price. Dombrowski , characteristically, acted decisively in making a quick deal not a day or two after suggesting they may sell. The Giants, Yankees and Dodgers were shut out when Toronto offered up Norris (plus two others) .... Some expect the notoriously free-spending Tigers to pare down their payroll for a change for next season. Considering mid-range revenues, they have spent as liberally as anyone.

Houston Astros News


Houston disregarded early word here and elsewhere that Cole Hamels was unlikely to waive his no-trade clause and still made a big play for Hamels, so big that Phillies people are said to have continually checked with Hamels' agent John Boggs about his willingness to go to Houston. The Phillies were excited enough about the Houston offer that, even after telling Boggs he was "tardy" when he relayed the info that Hamels would accept the Giants, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro is still to have asked once again about Hamels and the Astros. The answer on that one was still no. Hamels liked the fact the Astros have become competitive, but they haven't been consistently competitive over the years, the short left field wall is a challenge for lefty pitchers and he doesn't have family friends in the Houston area as he does in the Dallas-Arlington area (where his wife's family resides) ... There remains no reason to believe Carlos Gomez has a hip issue. He missed one game with what was called a groin/adductor with Milwaukee, and Houston passed him with flying colors ... Carlos Correa may already be the second-best player in the American League.

Los Angeles Angels News


The Angels tested the waters on Cespedes but never got close ...The Angels don't have a permanent GM and Dombrowski has long-term ties to interim GM Bill Stoneman, but they would seem to be an unlikely landing spot for Dombrowski, as all the power already resides with owner Arte Moreno and manager Mike Scioscia. Unlike most managers, Scioscia is said to have "zero fear" of getting fired, which makes for an interesting dynamic ... The meetings that triggered the resignation of GM Jerry Dipoto, a great baseball man, got rather heated, as was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. At least one coach is said to have "gone nuts" over the recommendation that players receive statistical info via email (some coaches apparently took the idea as a suggestion they were underprepared). As one Angels person, in an apparent euphemism expert, put it, "It didn't go exactly as planned." ... It's a tough crowd in that room. Ailing starter C.J. Wilson should be given the benefit of the doubt after starting 31-34 games his first four years after leaving the bullpen, though Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reported there were unnamed Angels skeptical Wilson really needed elbow surgery that will likely end his season, as he said he does. That's a bad sign for the team that such a sentiment should show up on MLB.com, and it's really a continuation of a lot of unnecessary controversy out in paradise.

Los Angeles Dodgers News


The Dodgers were said to have been much more aggressive in their pursuit of Cole Hamels than the other aces, Price and Cueto. What they loved about Hamels was that he's under contract for three more years, which had the potential to give them a safety net (and perhaps a tiny bit of leverage) with Zack Greinke's opt-out an issue ... The Dodgers would not surrender top prospects Corey Seager and Julio Urias in any deal, and word is they wouldn't part with Jose De Leon, generally regarded as their third-best prospect, for any of the rentals. LA was proven right not to surrender Joc Pederson in the past, and it'll be interesting to see whether they made the right calls on Seager and Urias, two consensus top-five prospects in baseball, as they could have made themselves a prohibitive World Series favorite with any of Hamels, Cueto or Price. Seager looks like a future superstar, and Urias is undoubtedly a prodigy, but perhaps a Urias for Price-Soria deal could have worked ... In the end, rivals believe the Dodgers did a good job using their financial might and creativity to fill more obvious needs for mid-rotation starters and bullpen help. By paying for Michael Morse and spending Olivera's $28-million bonus, they added starters Mat Latos and Wood and relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan. They (and others) believe Latos will be at his best with two months to go before free agency ... The Dodgers payroll has gone up by three times in three years, from $90 million in 2012 to more than $270 million now.

Miami Marlins News


Dan Jennings put the team first when accepting his bosses' suggestion that he be the one to take over as manager after the team's 16-22 start, and amazingly enough, it's said that's he's kept his usual positive demeanor. And while it is believed he'd be willing to return to managing with a clean slate (and some might suggest that would only be fair considering the impossible spot he was in this year) and he certainly can't be blamed for continuing injuries and underperformance, there's a decent chance the Marlins will be looking for another manager at year's end. Marlins people are all appreciative of Jennings for taking an impossible task, and Michael Hill said, "He's had to face a lot ... I think he's done a very good job." Even so, word is they are likely to look for a permanent manager, with Jennings presumably returning to the front office, where he would be welcomed back. Good news: Ozzie Guillen will finally be off the books. And as for whether he might return, well, there's equally as good a chance of the Marlins hiring Ozzy Osbourne .... Marcell Ozuna is tearing it up in the minors, hitting .301 with an .885 OPS at Triple-A New Orleans, but Hill says his continuing stay in the minors is unrelated to his arbitration clock. "That's a non-story," Hill says. "Marcell Ozuna has been with us since he's 16. All I want is the best for him. When he's right, he helps the ballclub. But we want to make sure he can consistently handle the pitch on the outer half of the plate." Hill, furthermore, says that while he's hitting in the minors, there hasn't been opportunity to show he can handle the tough outside pitch in the minors where pitchers more often miss their spots ... The Royals and Yankees were among teams to check in on Martin Prado ... Miami people love young catcher J.T. Realmuto ... The Marlins are expected to try to lock up their double play combo of shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and second baseman Dee Gordon over the winter. They tried with Hechavarria last winter, but there was no traction.

Minnesota Twins News


Paul Molitor has done a terrific job but the Twins needed a bigger jolt at the deadline than middle reliever Kevin Jepsen can provide ... Few have noticed, but Miguel Sano looks like everything he was hoped to be. He has a .926 OPS in his first 28 games with the team.

Milwaukee Brewers News


The Cardinals showed interest in Adam Lind, and it seems odd St. Louis ultimately went with Brandon Moss, who isn't having nearly as good a year. But Lind, with an $8-million option for next year, has value to Milwaukee for that reason. Moss delivered a walk-off hit in his first game as a Cardinal after having a sub-.700 OPS in three disappointing seasons in Cleveland ... Nerve department: One team, despite Gerardo Parra's .325 batting average, suggested the Brewers chip in to pay part of Parra's $6.8-million salary. Needless to say, that team didn't land Parra ... The Blue Jays showed interest in Parra, too, but their chances faded when they sent Matt Boyd to Detroit in the Price deal ... As it turns out, there was talk at his behest as far back as before the season that Brewers GM Doug Melvin would likely take another role with the organization. The Brewers haven't said what that role may be, but it may be in the senior advisory capacity.

New York Mets News


It was nice that Cespedes suggested he wanted to stay shortly after he got to Queens. Mets fans ate it up, of course not recalling he said very similar things when he got to Boston and Detroit before that. New York got excited about his interest in being there, but let's not forget, it's a positive guy speaking a second language; in other words, not too much should be read into it. The likelihood of remaining doesn't seem great at the moment for a variety of reasons. It has a better chance than a return to Detroit, though, which has somehow become a big narrative. While Tigers baseball people love Cespedes, it doesn't seem likely they'll winning a bidding war for him, much less engage in one ... The Braves gave such a huge price for star shortstop Andrelton Simmons, it wasn't even worth Mets GM Sandy Alderson countering ... The Mets would not give up Amed Rosario or Michael Conforto for Upton. For others, Conforto was a very popular ask ... David Wright may be a week or so away. Joel Sherman of the New York Post made a case here for Wright winding up in the Hall of Fame ... Jerry Blevins, out for the year after re-breaking his left arm falling off a curb, finishes the year perfect. He faced 15 batters and retired them all. Thus, his WHIP for the year is 0.00 (same as his ERA). Best wishes to a smart, interesting character (@JerryBlevins_13) ... The team is much improved, but relief is still needed.

New York Yankees News


The Yankees envisioned Gyorko platooning with Stephen Drew at second base. They always liked Dustin Ackley, who they did get, though.

Philadelphia Phillies News


Chase Utley looks like a trade candidate. He will surely clear waivers, and there's likely to be some believers in him, despite his awful (.179) start ... The name of Angels exec Matt Klentak as a prospect Phillies executive, continues to be heard. While hardly anyone expects Amaro to remain GM, there would seem to be a chance he could stay in another capacity. "The Phillies aren't a firing organization," as one Phillies observer pointed out.

Pittsburgh Pirates News


Of all the great rookies, it may surprise some that Jung Ho Kang has the second highest WAR at 3.4 (Matt Duffy has the highest, 3.6). His performance helps his buddy from the Nexen Heroes, Byung-Ho Park, as executives will realize these guys can play. ... Mark Melancon is quietly having a brilliant season. He's up to 33 straight saves.

St. Louis Cardinals News


There's no timetable on Matt Holliday (quad), but he's said to be hopeful to return around mid September. The recurrence raises the question of whether he returned too soon ... Trevor Rosenthal's agent Scott Boras is said to have questioned whether Rosenthal was overused (Boras has said for postseason success, closers should be limited below 70 appearances, and Rosenthal was on pace for 80-plus at one point). Maybe the Cardinals listened because they added via trade ex-closers Jonathan Broxton and Steve Cishek.

San Diego Padres News


The goal for Wil Myers (wrist) is to be able to return sometime this season. He's said to be progressing, though obviously it's been a slow go. His absence has been a killer for San Diego.

San Francisco Giants News


San Francisco made a nice late run at Cole Hamels, and while Hamels ultimately accepted San Francisco, provided his 2019 option would be exercised, Phillies people told them the acceptance came too late. The Phillies asked for pitching prospect Tyler Beede and young catcher Andrew Susac, among others, though it isn't known what the final offer was ... Mike Leake made all the sense in the world for the Giants, and he may make sense as a free agent. He played youth baseball with Brett Bochy, son of Bruce. Many believe Leake is the one trade-deadline pickup who will stay with his new team. In any case, Leake, an excellent hitter, needs to remain in the National League. "His style is good for our defense. He pitches to contact," GM Bobby Evans says. Leake also is 27 with significant experience. "This is a nice preview," Evans noted ... The Giants limited their efforts to about five top pitchers, including Price and Samardzija. They checked in on Price's availability several times before finding out he was finally available. Then, within a few hours, he was gone.

Tampa Bay Rays News


Defense should count in WAR. But this much? Kevin Kiermaier, a wonderful defender, has a 4.55 WAR despite only four home runs and a .245 batting average. That figure ranks 17th in the league, higher than those of Nelson Cruz, Mark Teixeira and J.D. Martinez ... Despite pre-deadline speculation, rival teams didn't get the impression the Rays wanted to trade top relievers Brad Boxberger or Jake McGee.

Texas Rangers News

Barring something unforeseen, Texas will give the qualifying offer to Yovani Gallardo ... Adrian Beltre became the first player in 80 years to hit for three cycles ... By getting $9.5 million in the deal, and sending Matt Harrison to Philly, in effect the Rangers are paying less than half the $80-plus million remaining on Hamels' deal.

Toronto Blue Jays News


Folks around the game were extremely impressed by GM Alex Anthopoulos' moves at the deadline, and he has given the Jays every chance to make the playoffs for the first time in 22 years by adding five players, including superstars David Price and Tulowitzki, and the result has been immediate ... Anthopoulos seems likely to win an extension with his amazing deadline maneuvers (which also netted Mark Lowe, Ben Revere and LaTroy Hawkins) ... Dombrowski would seem to maker a bit of sense as a possible successor to outgoing team president Paul Beeston, but Dombrowski is used to running the baseball side of things, too, and that may not be needed here.

Washington Nationals News


It's said to be an "unhappy scene" around the Nats, as manager Matt Williams has not be well-received by many players, who find him "not loose" and "never relaxed." One player says that while Williams looks tight as soon as games begin, it isn't affecting the players, saying, "The players are pretty loose. We have a lot of fun. I don't really fell like the players are tight. We're a pretty rowdy, loose, fun-loving bunch. We have a good ol' time regardless of what's goin' on with our skipper. I don't think it affects us. That's just how he is." Players are wondering about Williams' bullpen choices, though, from as far back as failing to use Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard in Game 5 of last year's NLDS vs. the Giants. It was odd again to see Williams not employ Storen and Jonathan Papelbon in two tight games against the Mets last week (while using the pair down five runs in their first game as soon as they left New York). GM Mike Rizzo didn't respond to a message ... Ian Desmond is having a nightmare season in his walk year, with a .616 OPS and 0.1 WAR. But his teammates still believe in his talent.

Major League Baseball News


MLB is keeping quiet the timing of its interview with Pete Rose to this point ... Meanwhile, John Dowd, the lawyer and baseball investigator who reported on Rose's gambling infractions in the Dowd Report to then commissioner Bart Giamatti, should curtail his media appearances advocating continued punishment for Rose. Dowd only comes off as vengeful when he throws out his suppositions and guesses that all happened to be anti-Rose. Wasn't his work done 26 years ago, and wasn't he supposed to deal in facts? Is it really appropriate for the finder of fact to be slinging unwarranted, unsubstantiated claims at this time? Commissioner Rob Manfred will make his ruling on the facts.

MONEYLINES


MLB > (925) MINNESOTA@ (926) CLEVELAND | 2015-08-08 19:10:00 - 2015-08-08 19:10:00
Play AGAINST CLEVELAND using the money line in Home games against division opponents
The record is 5 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (-15.35 units)


MLB > (919) TEXAS@ (920) SEATTLE | 2015-08-08 16:10:00 - 2015-08-08 16:10:00
Play ON TEXAS using the money line in Road games in games played on a grass field
The record is 28 Wins and 20 Losses for the this season (+21.37 units)


MLB > (905) COLORADO@ (906) WASHINGTON | 2015-08-08 19:05:00 - 2015-08-08 19:05:00
Play AGAINST COLORADO using the money line in All games as a road underdog of +150 to +175
The record is 7 Wins and 38 Losses for the last three seasons (-27 units)


MLB > (923) CHI WHITE SOX@ (924) KANSAS CITY | 2015-08-08 19:10:00 - 2015-08-08 19:10:00
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the money line in All games at home with a money line of -100 to -125
The record is 35 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (+21.15 units)


MLB > (927) BALTIMORE@ (928) LA ANGELS | 2015-08-08 21:05:00 - 2015-08-08 21:05:00
Play AGAINST BALTIMORE using the money line in Road games in night games
The record is 8 Wins and 23 Losses for the this season (-16 units)


MLB > (917) HOUSTON@ (918) OAKLAND | 2015-08-08 16:05:00 - 2015-08-08 16:05:00
Play AGAINST OAKLAND using the money line in All games in home games
The record is 24 Wins and 34 Losses for the this season (-19.6 units)


MLB > (929) NY METS@ (930) TAMPA BAY | 2015-08-08 18:10:00 - 2015-08-08 18:10:00
Play AGAINST NY METS using the money line in Road games in night games
The record is 10 Wins and 27 Losses for the this season (-16.5 units)


MLB > (907) ST LOUIS@ (908) MILWAUKEE | 2015-08-08 19:10:00 - 2015-08-08 19:10:00
Play ON ST LOUIS using the money line in All games against right-handed starters
The record is 54 Wins and 25 Losses for the this season (+24.6 units)


MLB > (901) LA DODGERS@ (902) PITTSBURGH | 2015-08-08 16:05:00 - 2015-08-08 16:05:00
Play ON PITTSBURGH using the money line in Home games in day games
The record is 13 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+11.5 units)

RUNLINES


MLB > (923) CHI WHITE SOX@ (924) KANSAS CITY | 2015-08-08 19:10:00 - 2015-08-08 19:10:00
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the in Home games when playing with a day off
The record is 7 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+11.05 units)


MLB > (921) BOSTON@ (922) DETROIT | 2015-08-08 19:05:00 - 2015-08-08 19:05:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON using the in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 5 Wins and 25 Losses for the last two seasons (-25.3 units)


MLB > (919) TEXAS@ (920) SEATTLE | 2015-08-08 16:10:00 - 2015-08-08 16:10:00
Play ON TEXAS using the in Road games in games played on a grass field
The record is 38 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (+23.35 units)


MLB > (903) SAN FRANCISCO@ (904) CHICAGO CUBS | 2015-08-08 16:05:00 - 2015-08-08 16:05:00
Play AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO using the in Road games when playing with a day off
The record is 9 Wins and 20 Losses for the last three seasons (-21.6 units)

TOTALS


MLB > (903) SAN FRANCISCO@ (904) CHICAGO CUBS | 2015-08-08 16:05:00 - 2015-08-08 16:05:00
Play OVER SAN FRANCISCO on the total in Road games against right-handed starters
The record is 30 Overs and 9 Unders for the this season (+20.85 units)


MLB > (925) MINNESOTA@ (926) CLEVELAND | 2015-08-08 19:10:00 - 2015-08-08 19:10:00
Play OVER CLEVELAND on the total in Home games against division opponents
The record is 16 Overs and 5 Unders for the this season (+11.2 units)

MLB > (905) COLORADO@ (906) WASHINGTON | 2015-08-08 19:05:00 - 2015-08-08 19:05:00
Play OVER COLORADO on the total in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 28 Overs and 13 Unders for the this season (+15 units)


MLB > (927) BALTIMORE@ (928) LA ANGELS | 2015-08-08 21:05:00 - 2015-08-08 21:05:00
Play UNDER LA ANGELS on the total in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 6 Overs and 21 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.5 units)


MLB > (901) LA DODGERS@ (902) PITTSBURGH | 2015-08-08 16:05:00 - 2015-08-08 16:05:00
Play UNDER LA DODGERS on the total in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 5 Overs and 18 Unders for the this season (+12 units)

Preview: Blue Jays (59-52) at Yankees (61-47)
Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 08, 2015 1:05 PM EDT

David Price's first road start for the Toronto Blue Jays may prove exactly why the club dealt for him.


He can pitch the Blue Jays to a seventh straight win and draw them within 2 1/2 games of the first-place New York Yankees in Saturday's matchup in the Bronx.


Price (10-4, 2.45 ERA) was thrilled after he allowed one run and struck out 11 in eight innings in his Toronto debut Monday in a 5-1 victory over Minnesota witnessed by NBA superstar Kevin Durant. He was acquired from Detroit on July 30.


His clubs have won his last six starts at Yankee Stadium, where he is 4-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 41 2-3 innings in that span.


More notable to Price is how he has been tagged for eight runs in his last two outings versus the Yankees (61-47), failing to last past the third inning both times.


"I've given up more runs than I've gotten outs against the Yankees in my last two starts," he told MLB's official website Friday. "I'm going to throw the ball better tomorrow. I have the utmost confidence in myself to go out there and throw the ball the way I'm capable of throwing it."


The left-hander has a long history with many Yankees hitters, with Jacoby Ellsbury (.353 in the regular season) and Brian McCann (9 for 16 with three homers) faring well. Alex Rodriguez (.239 with 18 strikeouts in 46 at-bats), Mark Teixeira (.211), Brett Gardner (.136) and Stephen Drew (0 for 10 with five strikeouts in the regular season) have not.


Chris Young is 1 for 8 in this matchup, though the outfielder will likely start due to his .358 average against lefties. McCann's status is unclear since he often rests in day games after night games and has been bothered by a stiff knee.


New York can improve to 9-1 against lefty starters since the All-Star break and even this three-game set. Jose Bautista's 10th-inning homer was the difference in the Blue Jays' 2-1 victory Friday.


'We won the first game of the series. Everyone knows what our offense is capable of. We've got David Price going,' said Bautista, who has six RBIs in his last three games. 'I don't think they feel good right now, going home.'


The other runs came on the 30th homers of Josh Donaldson in the first and Teixeira in the second. Toronto is second in the majors with 149 homers, with New York third at 147.


"They're very similar to us," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "They have that ability to really hit the ball out of the ballpark up and down their lineup like we do."


Donaldson is hitting .375 with six homers and 14 RBIs in his last 10 games and Edwin Encarnacion is batting .405 during a 10-game hitting streak.


Teixeira is batting .391 with eight homers and 15 RBIs in his last 18 games.


Yankees starter Ivan Nova (4-3, 3.10) has posted a 2.65 ERA in winning three straight starts, his first such streak since a five-outing run in 2012.


New York is 5-0 in the right-hander's home starts versus Toronto, with Nova going 3-0 with a 4.44 ERA. Encarnacion is 8 for 22 with a homer against him and Bautista is 4 for 12 with one homer.


Price has a 1.95 ERA in day games and Nova is at 2.04.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Yankees
Fri, Aug 7 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

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: Astros (61-50) at Athletics (49-62)
Game: 3
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 08, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Confidently and somewhat quietly going about his business, Collin McHugh continues to be a major asset for the Houston Astros.


The right-hander can become the AL's first 14-game winner by winning his fifth consecutive start Saturday against the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum.


Though McHugh (13-5, 4.27 ERA) is part of a revamped rotation that includes more prominent names like Dallas Keuchel and Scott Kazmir, he's recorded the most wins in the majors since Aug. 1, 2014, going 20-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts. Prior to this run, McHugh was 4-16 with a 5.06 ERA in his first 24 starts.


'It's hard to really put into words what it came from, what my first calendar year looked like in major league baseball versus this one,' he said. 'It has been a blessing to play on a good team like this, a good group of guys, and the organization putting faith in me the way they have to put me out there every five days.'


McHugh has yielded one or two runs in three of his last four starts, including Sunday when he gave up one in seven innings of a 4-1 victory over Arizona.


'At one point I looked up there and he had like 15 or 16 balls of like 75 or 80 pitches,' Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. 'That's incredible strike-throwing."


McHugh hasn't had too much trouble finding the strike zone while going 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA, 18 strikeouts and three walks against Oakland (49-62).


He hopes to continue that success and help the Astros (61-50) rebound from Friday's 3-1 defeat. Sonny Gray yielded a Luis Valbuena home run and four other hits to help Oakland even this four-game set.


'We knew going into the game that this was going to be a pretty difficult task on both sides (with Keuchel also starting),' said Hinch, whose team has a 1 1/2-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West. 'They found some hits, they found some holes."


Danny Valencia homered and Marcus Semien had three hits as the A's beat Houston at home for the first time in five tries this season. Semien is batting .409 in seven games this month.


Jesse Chavez (5-11, 3.88) is 0-2 with a 10.03 ERA in his last three starts, and looks to bounce back after he yielded six runs and two homers in 3 2-3 innings of a 9-2 home loss to Baltimore on Monday.


'What's frustrating is I'm physically fine, I feel strong,' said Chavez, who has failed to complete four innings in two of those three outings. 'It's just one little mechanical thing that can make it look like you're dragging.'


As the right-hander tries to figure out what exactly the problem is and avoid extending his AL-leading loss total in day games to seven, he makes his first start this season against the Astros after throwing a scoreless inning of relief at Houston on April 13. Chavez went 2-1 with a 5.32 ERA in four starts against the Astros in 2014.


Carlos Gomez is 1 for 12 in the last three games but 2 for 5 with two doubles against Chavez.


The Astros added help in the bullpen Friday, acquiring lefty reliever Oliver Perez from Arizona for a minor league pitcher.


"They're in a good spot right now," Perez said. "This is why we play baseball. It's going to be a really good opportunity for me."




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 Final 1 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

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


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

Preview: Giants (59-50) at Cubs (60-48)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 08, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Kyle Schwarber is finally making Wrigley Field his own Friendly Confines and giving Joe Maddon the type of headache managers love.


The seemingly indispensable rookie looks to make another contribution as the Chicago Cubs continue their series Saturday versus the San Francisco Giants.


While the 22-year-old Schwarber is batting .345 with six homers and 20 RBIs through his first 26 games, it took him some time to adjust to hitting in front of the home fans. He had gone 2 for 13 in his first seven appearances at Wrigley before picking an opportune time to break out during this four-game series between NL wild-card hopefuls.


Schwarber hit a three-run homer in Thursday's 5-4 victory and added a two-run tiebreaking single Friday that sparked a five-run fifth and powered the Cubs (60-48) to a 7-3 win, their eighth in the last nine games that also extended their lead for the second wild-card spot over the Giants (59-50) to 1 1/2 games


"It's a nice compliment," Schwarber said about Maddon making room for him by dropping Starlin Castro. "I'm going to do whatever I can to help this team win."


It was the fourth time Maddon used Schwarber in left field, a position where he may get more consistent playing time since starting catcher Miguel Montero is healthy again and backup David Ross serves as Jon Lester's personal backstop. While three may be a crowd at the position, Maddon is riding the hot hand as Chicago chases its first playoff berth since 2008.


"At the end of the day it's about the Cubs winning," Maddon told MLB's official website prior to Friday's game. "Schwarber is the impetus regarding this maneuver, more than Starlin. We have to include Kyle right now."


Schwarber is hitting .381 with a 1.157 OPS against right-handers and will get his first crack at Giants veteran Matt Cain (2-2, 4.91 ERA), who is still trying to find his footing after undergoing elbow surgery last year. He's yielded eight runs and 18 hits in 11 innings spanning his last two starts, and opponents are hitting .303 against him in the six he's made since his return.


Cain, though, is 6-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 15 lifetime starts versus Chicago - his lowest ERA against any NL team. He has not recorded a decision in his last five starts at Wrigley dating back to 2008, and his only victory there came in his first outing in 2006.


Montero may be the odd man out Saturday since he's a .204 lifetime hitter versus Cain in 54 at-bats, and Anthony Rizzo is 1 for 16 with seven strikeouts.


San Francisco has dropped four of its last six and may need a deep outing from Cain after Ryan Vogelsong struggled as a fill-in starter for the injured Mike Leake on Friday. Its bullpen has logged eight innings in the first two games, and after throwing four shutout innings Thursday, the relievers were reached for four runs Friday.


"There's a lot of baseball left and that's enough said," manager Bruce Bochy said. "This is a tough group and we'll find a way to come out of this."


Kyle Hendricks (5-5, 3.67) is trying to win back-to-back starts after limiting Milwaukee to one run in seven-plus innings of a 4-2 victory last Saturday. It was a strong bounce-back effort by the right-hander, who had yielded nine runs in 11 innings over his previous two outings.


Hendricks is making his first appearance versus San Francisco.



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 Final 3 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

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


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

Preview: Dodgers (62-47) at Pirates (63-44)
Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 08, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates have thrived against NL West teams the past two seasons and have proved one of the most challenging opponents for the Los Angeles Dodgers.


Francisco Liriano will try to lead the Pirates to another win over the Dodgers on Saturday and their 14th in 17 home games.


Pittsburgh (63-44) is 32-14 against the West, including 12-2 this season following a 6-5 win in 10 innings Friday in its first meeting with Los Angeles in 2015. The Pirates scored four runs off Clayton Kershaw while ending his scoreless streak at 37 innings, and Pedro Alvarez's bases-loaded single pushed them to 6-2 versus the Dodgers since the beginning of 2014.


Los Angeles (62-47) lost for the second time in eight games and dropped to 23-30 against NL Central teams in the past two seasons, compared with a 79-46 record against division rivals and a 35-26 mark versus the NL East.


Liriano (7-6, 2.92 ERA) is out to bolster his team's postseason chances during a challenging stretch of its schedule. Pittsburgh has a five-game lead for the league's first wild-card spot but Friday started a nine-game run against the NL's three division leaders.


Liriano is 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA in his last five starts but wasn't at his sharpest in his latest official outing, a 10-4 win in Minnesota on July 29. The left-hander gave up a season-high 10 hits and three runs in 5 2-3 innings, but didn't walk any batters after giving up a combined seven free passes in his previous two games.


He pitched two innings Monday against the Chicago Cubs before the first of two rain delays that totaled nearly 3 1/2 hours and washed out that game.


That leaves Liriano to seek his third win in as many starts while facing a team he's thrived against. He's 3-0 with a 1.37 ERA in as many starts versus the Dodgers and went 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA last season.


Liriano is also 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in his last five home starts but might have to outduel Mat Latos (4-7, 4.29) in this one. The right-hander, acquired from Miami on July 30, gave up one run in six innings in his Dodgers debut Sunday, a 5-3 win against the Angels.


Latos has a 2.79 ERA in his eight starts since returning from a left knee injury June 13, and a 1.73 mark in his four since the beginning of July.


"(My health is) ten times better," Latos told MLB's official website. "It's hard to explain. Imagine having a lot of fluid in your knee, a lot of pain. That's my landing foot so I'm putting all my weight on that knee. It's allowed me to clear that front side and drive the ball down."


Latos didn't fare well in his only matchup with Pittsburgh last year, giving up four runs in five innings in a 6-5 win for Cincinnati on July 11.


Latos is 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 12 career starts against the Pirates. He's 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA in his six in Pittsburgh but hasn't pitched there since Sept. 20, 2013.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Dodgers at Pirates
Fri, Aug 7 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


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


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

Preview: Rangers (54-54) at Mariners (51-59)
Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: August 08, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Texas' inability to contain a sizzling Nelson Cruz led to another loss to the Seattle Mariners, but the Rangers could soon get some help in the next matchup from a familiar face.


After being re-acquired from Boston, Mike Napoli is hoping to arrive in time for Saturday's game in Seattle and the Rangers' attempt at an eighth win in 10 games.


Cruz hit one of Seattle's three home runs off Cole Hamels in a 4-3 victory Friday and Texas' sixth consecutive loss to the Mariners (51-59). Cruz tied the game in the sixth with his 32nd, one fewer than major league leader Mike Trout, and extended his MLB-best hit streak to 17 games.


"You want to get it done, especially when you're (trailing) and you're tired," Cruz said. "To be able to do it when it matters is definitely good."


Cruz is batting .421 with 11 homers during his run and has gone deep in six of the last seven games. He's 14 for 30 (.467) with four homers in the seven games against Texas this season.


Before having a four-game win streak snapped, the Rangers (54-54) picked up Napoli from Boston for a player to be named and cash. Napoli's averages dipped in each of his three seasons with the Red Sox - down to .207 this year - but he was batting .281 in his past 17 games.


His 13 homers and 40 RBIs were his fewest since 2007.


Before signing with Boston, Napoli played from 2011-12 in Texas and had his best season in that initial campaign, batting .320 with 30 homers. He had 24 home runs in 2012 but batted just .227.


Napoli was primarily a catcher in his first stint with the Rangers but is slated to serve as a first baseman or designated hitter this time. He's expected to start mainly against left-handed pitchers, and will see rookie southpaw Mike Montgomery (4-4, 3.07 ERA) if his expected morning flight from Boston arrives on time.


Napoli's .845 OPS against left-handers was second-best among Red Sox hitters who had played at least 42 games. Texas' .239 average versus lefties is 13th in the AL.


"He is a guy who always hits lefties. It's an area where we have struggled this year,' general manager Jon Daniels said. "He is a guy we know. We know he's going to fit our culture. He has a winning makeup."


Montgomery will seek to end a five-game winless drought in his first appearance against the Rangers. He's allowed four runs over 12 2-3 innings in his last two games but has gotten a combined four runs of support.


He yielded one run in six innings last Saturday in Minnesota, but Carson Smith gave up two runs in the ninth in a 3-2 loss.


Montgomery will next try to lead Seattle to its first seven-game win streak against Texas since 1995 and its sixth victory in eight overall contests.


Martin Perez (1-2, 6.64) looks to build on his first win since returning from Tommy John surgery, a 2-1 victory over San Francisco on Sunday. The left-hander yielded one run and two hits in 8 1-3 innings after getting tagged for eight runs in one-plus inning in a 21-5 drubbing to the New York Yankees on July 28.


Perez is 2-1 with a 3.22 ERA in four starts against Seattle with his most recent Aug. 28, 2013. Cruz has never faced him, but Kyle Seager is 6 for 14 with two homers.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rangers at Mariners
Fri, Aug 7 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps


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


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

Preview: Mets (59-50) at Rays (54-56)
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 08, 2015 6:10 PM EDT

Noah Syndergaard has enjoyed an electric rookie season for the New York Mets, though they're still waiting for his success at Citi Field to translate elsewhere.


He seeks his first road victory Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays.


Syndergaard (6-5, 2.66 ERA) is 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his last nine games. Sunday's 5-2 win against Washington marked the second straight outing in which he fanned nine over eight innings. The two runs he allowed to the Nationals came on solo homers, including one on his fifth pitch, but he retired the next 10 batters and didn't issue a walk for the second consecutive start.


His 5.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio is the best in franchise history among Mets rookies with at least 10 starts. The second-highest is Dwight Gooden's 3.8 mark from 1984.


"This guy knows what he's doing out there," manager Terry Collins told MLB's official website. "He's got a feel for it."


Those last two outings were at home, though, where he's 6-1 with a 1.57 ERA in eight contests. On the road, he's 0-4 with a 4.34 mark. Citi Field has been one of baseball's most pitcher-friendly parks this year - the 3.47 ERA there is second-lowest in the majors, narrowly trailing Tropicana Field (3.46).


The Rays' offensive approach could also help Syndergaard's cause. They're striking out every 4.5 plate appearances, and the nine they had in Friday's 4-3 loss to open this series gives them 79 in the last eight games.


New York (59-50) extended its lead over Washington in the NL East to 2 1/2 games with its seventh consecutive win. The Mets, who have trailed in four games during their winning streak, went ahead in the ninth on Wilmer Flores' two-out single after Tampa Bay (54-56) took the lead on Evan Longoria's eighth-inning home run.


Collins' club allowed fewer than four runs for the ninth time in 12 games and is seeking a fifth consecutive road win for the first time since July 25-29, 2011.


"Tonight was pure character,' he said. "I can't say enough. They know these games are big."


The Rays had three solo homers with James Loney and Grady Sizemore also going deep. Longoria is batting .467 during a seven-game hitting streak, while Asdrubal Cabrera is 12 for 21 in his last five.


Another low-scoring game could be in order with Nathan Karns (6-5, 3.37) on the mound for Tampa Bay. He owns a 3-2 record and 2.73 ERA in his last nine outings and has been particularly tough to hit in the last three with opponents are batting .161.


He struck out seven over 5 1-3 innings and gave up a two-run homer in Tampa Bay's 5-4 win against the Chicago White Sox on Monday.


This marks Karns' first appearance against the Mets. He won both previous interleague starts this year, limiting Miami and Philadelphia to one earned run and five hits over 12 innings.


Michael Cuddyer could return this weekend for New York after going 0 for 3 with an intentional walk in a rehab game for Class-A St. Lucie on Friday. He hasn't played since July 21 due to left knee inflammation and was hitting .193 over his last 19 games.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mets at Rays
Fri, Aug 7 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


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


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

Preview: Red Sox (49-61) at Tigers (53-56)
Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 08, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

The baseball season is clearly in the dog days of summer for non-contending teams that have spent more than half a calendar year together with minimal postseason hopes to provide motivation.


The Detroit Tigers don't seem to be handling this unfamiliar situation too well.


The Tigers look to even this three-game home series with the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night after a fight between two of their players in the dugout was the major story of the opener.


These teams look to be finishing up disappointing campaigns. Detroit (53-56) is 11 1/2 games out in the AL Central with six teams ahead of it in the wild-card race while Boston (49-61) is 13 games out in the East.


The Tigers will likely see their streak of reaching the postseason end at four years, and their 7-2 loss Friday was marred by an altercation between catcher James McCann and shortstop Jose Iglesias in the sixth inning that third baseman Nick Castellanos helped break up.


'You spend seven months with each other, there's going to be disagreements and sometimes it leads to pushing and shoving,' beleaguered manager Brad Ausmus said.


'I've seen it dozens of times during my playing career. It's generally just because they care about winning and losing and that's what it was tonight.'


The Red Sox served further notice that they are looking to the future by trading Mike Napoli to Texas on Friday for a player to be named or cash. Napoli batted .207 in 98 games.


Pablo Sandoval was originally given Friday off but replaced Napoli in the lineup and went 1 for 3 with a walk. David Ortiz homered while Xander Bogaerts and Rusney Castillo each had three hits in Boston's second win in 11 road games.


Detroit's J.D. Martinez drilled his 30th homer - his third in the last seven games.


Saturday's pitching matchup features starters with identical 4.55 ERAs who met twice last year for underachieving NL teams. Now Alfredo Simon and Wade Miley are in similar circumstances after switching leagues.


They went 1-1 in their 2014 matchups, with Simon (10-6) posting a 3.38 ERA for Cincinnati and Miley (8-9) at 2.84 for Arizona.


Simon has allowed five runs over 11 2-3 innings in winning consecutive road outings, yielding one run in six innings to earn a 5-1 victory over the Red Sox on July 25 in his first start against them in nearly four years. Ortiz is 2 for 8 with four walks against him and Hanley Ramirez is 3 for 6.


The right-hander, who had this start pushed back three days by groin issues that cropped up the last time he faced the Red Sox, is 0-1 with a 7.64 ERA in his last three home outings.


Boston has dropped five straight starts by Miley, who is 0-2 with a 4.58 ERA in his last six. He has allowed two runs or fewer in three of his last four.


The left-hander has never faced Detroit, with Ian Kinsler 0 for 3 against him. He may be wary of Iglesias, a .372 hitter versus southpaws.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Red Sox at Tigers
Fri, Aug 7 Final 7 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


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


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