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Am going to post my results from Thursday and Friday night.....Since i forgot to place my results from Thursday Day and Night....


RECAPPING THURSDAY'S & FRIDAY'S ACTION:


MLB: 15 - 12 - 0 ( THURS. 3 - 7 ) ( FRIDAY 12 - 5 )


WNBA: 5 - 6 - 1


CFL: 2 - 2


NFL: 3 - 5 - 0



WNBA JUNE/ JULY RECORD/ AUGUST :


*****...............................20 - 22 - 2
DOUBLE PLAY....................47 - 40 - 1
TRIPLE PLAY......................24 - 16
SLAM DUNK.......................30 - 22


MLB RECORD FOR JUNE/JULY/AUGUST:


*****.............................109 - 129 - 1 .....................,........- 10.27
double play......................169 - 176 - 2 ..............................- 17.98
triple play........................89 - 82 - 2 .................................. - 17.32
grand slam......................98 - 97 - 4.....................,.,............- 22.91
double grand slam.............13 - 13.......................................- 3.20
.
CFL JUNE/JULY/ AUGUST RECORD:


SINGLE PLAY.................................1 - 1
DOUBLE PLAY................................8 - 14
TRIPLE PLAY..................................10 - 4
BLOW OUT.....................................4 - 3


NFL PRESEASON RECORD:


SINGLE PLAY..................................... 8 - 6
DOUBLE PLAY.................................... 6 - 9
TRIPLE PLAY ..................................... 1 - 5 - 1
BLOW OUT......................................... 1 - 0
 

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MLB MONEYLINE


MLB > (907) ARIZONA@ (908) CINCINNATI | 2015-08-22 19:10:00 - 2015-08-22 19:10:00
Play ON ARIZONA using the money line in All games as a road underdog of +100 to +125
The record is 16 Wins and 5 Losses for the this season (+13.25 units)

MLB > (921) KANSAS CITY@ (922) BOSTON | 2015-08-22 19:10:00 - 2015-08-22 19:10:00
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the money line in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 28 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (+19.05 units)


MLB > (927) CHI WHITE SOX@ (928) SEATTLE | 2015-08-22 21:10:00 - 2015-08-22 21:10:00
Play AGAINST SEATTLE using the money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 14 Wins and 25 Losses for the last three seasons (-24.4 units)


MLB > (929) LA DODGERS@ (930) HOUSTON | 2015-08-22 19:10:00 - 2015-08-22 19:10:00
Play AGAINST LA DODGERS using the money line in Road games in night games
The record is 15 Wins and 24 Losses for the this season (-19.1 units)


MLB > (901) SAN FRANCISCO@ (902) PITTSBURGH | 2015-08-22 16:05:00 - 2015-08-22 16:05:00
Play ON PITTSBURGH using the money line in Home games in day games
The record is 14 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+12.5 units)


MLB > (919) MINNESOTA@ (920) BALTIMORE | 2015-08-22 19:05:00 - 2015-08-22 19:05:00
Play ON BALTIMORE using the money line in Home games in night games
The record is 71 Wins and 33 Losses for the last two seasons (+33.15 units)


MLB > (913) ST LOUIS@ (914) SAN DIEGO | 2015-08-22 20:40:00 - 2015-08-22 20:40:00
Play ON ST LOUIS using the money line in All games against right-handed starters
The record is 60 Wins and 28 Losses for the this season (+25.65 units)


MLB > (917) TEXAS@ (918) DETROIT | 2015-08-22 19:05:00 - 2015-08-22 19:05:00
Play ON TEXAS using the money line in All games in road games
The record is 33 Wins and 29 Losses for the this season (+18.92 units)
 

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MLB RUNLINE


MLB > (921) KANSAS CITY@ (922) BOSTON | 2015-08-22 19:10:00 - 2015-08-22 19:10:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON using the in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 1 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (-15.65 units)


MLB > (929) LA DODGERS@ (930) HOUSTON | 2015-08-22 19:10:00 - 2015-08-22 19:10:00
Play AGAINST LA DODGERS using the in Road games in night games
The record is 10 Wins and 29 Losses for the this season (-21.85 units)


MLB > (901) SAN FRANCISCO@ (902) PITTSBURGH | 2015-08-22 16:05:00 - 2015-08-22 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)


MLB > (911) NY METS@ (912) COLORADO | 2015-08-22 20:10:00 - 2015-08-22 20:10:00
Play ON NY METS using the in All games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 36 Wins and 19 Losses for the last two seasons (+22.2 units)


MLB > (917) TEXAS@ (918) DETROIT | 2015-08-22 19:05:00 - 2015-08-22 19:05:00
Play ON TEXAS using the in All games in road games
The record is 45 Wins and 17 Losses for the this season (+20.05 units)


MLB > (925) TORONTO@ (926) LA ANGELS | 2015-08-22 21:05:00 - 2015-08-22 21:05:00
Play AGAINST LA ANGELS using the in All games in August games
The record is 3 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (-15.45 units)
 

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MLB > (911) NY METS@ (912) COLORADO | 2015-08-22 20:10:00 - 2015-08-22 20:10:00
Play OVER NY METS on the total in Road games in August games
The record is 16 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.2 units)


MLB > (909) PHILADELPHIA@ (910) MIAMI | 2015-08-22 19:10:00 - 2015-08-22 19:10:00
Play OVER MIAMI on the total in All games in August games
The record is 14 Overs and 3 Unders for the this season (+12.2 units)

MLB > (901) SAN FRANCISCO@ (902) PITTSBURGH | 2015-08-22 16:05:00 - 2015-08-22 16:05:00
Play OVER SAN FRANCISCO on the total in Road games in games played on a grass field
The record is 37 Overs and 20 Unders for the this season (+16.5 units)
 

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August 21, 2015


HOUSTON (AP) Mike Fiers has pitched the second no-hitter in the major leagues in nine days, leading the Houston Astros to a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.


Fiers (6-9) struck out Justin Turner on his 134th pitch to end it and threw his glove high into the air for his first no-hitter and fifth in the big leagues this season. Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma tossed a no-no on Aug 12.


Acquired by the Astros at the trade deadline to help with their playoff push, Fiers has been stellar in his three starts for Houston. This was something else, though.


Having never thrown a complete game in his five-year career, Fiers was dominant Friday. He struck out 10 and walked three, retiring the final 21 batters.


Nolan Ryan applauded from a suite as Fiers was mobbed by his teammates at the mound after finishing the 11th no-hitter in Astros history.


INDIANS 7, YANKEES 3


NEW YORK (AP) - Carlos Carrasco struck out 11, Carlos Santana homered and Cleveland stopped New York once again.


The last-place Indians improved to 4-1 against New York this year. A night after a 3-2 victory at Yankee Stadium, Cleveland remained the only sub-.500 team in the majors with a winning record on the road.


Carrasco (12-9) outpitched Masahiro Tanaka (9-6), giving up one run and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. Carrasco has permitted just six runs in his last five starts. Soon after he left, the Yankees got close.


Alex Rodriguez bounced an RBI single in the eighth off Zach McAllister that made it 4-2. With two outs, second baseman Jose Ramirez let an easy grounder roll between his legs for an error that produced another run.


Closer Cody Allen retired Stephen Drew on a long fly with the bases loaded to end the inning, protecting a 4-3 lead.


GIANTS 6, PIRATES 4


PITTSBURGH (AP) - Madison Bumgarner homered in his second straight start and struck out six in 6 1-3 innings to lift San Francisco over Pittsburgh.


Bumgarner crushed a Jeff Locke (6-8) fastball 418-feet over the wall in left field in the second inning, a two-run shot that gave the Giants an early four-run lead and all the cushion Bumgarner would need on the mound. Bumgarner (15-6) allowed two runs and five hits, walking one while winning his fourth consecutive decision. Santiago Castilla worked the ninth for his 30th save.


Marlon Byrd had three hits, including a two-run home run, in his debut with San Francisco after being acquired in a trade with Cincinnati on Thursday.


Michael Morse scored twice for the Pirates, who lost for just the second time in their past nine games.


TWINS 4, ORIOLES 3


BALTIMORE (AP) - Kurt Suzuki hit a two-run single in the eighth inning to cap a comeback against All-Star reliever Darren O'Day and carry Minnesota past Baltimore.


Baltimore was 51-1 when leading after seven innings, and O'Day (5-2) entered with a 1.15 ERA and a run of 11 straight scoreless appearances.


A walk, a pop single down the right-field line and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Eddie Rosario, who delivered a fly to right. All three runners advanced, and Suzuki followed with a bloop past the drawn-up infield.


Casey Fien (3-5) worked 1 2-3 innings, Trevor May pitched the eighth and Kevin Jepsen struck out the side for his sixth save, the first since coming to Minnesota from Tampa Bay in a July 31 trade.


BREWERS 10, NATIONALS 3


WASHINGTON (AP) - Domingo Santana homered in his Milwaukee debut and the Brewers took advantage of several defensive miscues in a victory over struggling Washington.


Jonathan Lucroy had three hits and drove in a run, and rookie Jimmy Nelson allowed two runs in 5 1-3 innings against Washington, which fell one game below .500 at 60-61.


Bryce Harper hit his 31st home run and Michael Taylor also homered for the Nationals.


Gio Gonzalez (9-6) allowed five runs - four earned - over five innings, and the Brewers added a five-run seventh Washington lost the opener of a nine-game homestand following a 3-7 West Coast trip.


Kyle Lohse picked up his first save.


RANGERS 2, TIGERS 0


DETROIT (AP) - Colby Lewis pitched seven strong innings to help Texas beat Detroit.


Lewis (14-5) allowed six hits and a walk, but the Rangers defense turned three double plays and threw out another runner at the plate. Shawn Tolleson pitched the ninth for his 24th save, despite allowing Miguel Cabrera's third double of the game.


The game was delayed for several minutes in the eighth inning after a female fan seated in the first row behind the Tigers dugout was hit by a line drive off the bat of Anthony Gose. After lengthy attention from three paramedics, she was taken out of the stadium on a stretcher, wearing a neck brace, but appeared to be conscious and speaking.


Justin Verlander (1-6) took the loss despite allowing two runs - one earned - and four hits with a walk in seven innings. Since July 10, Verlander has allowed one or fewer earned runs in six of his eight starts, but is 1-4.


CUBS 5, BRAVES 3


CHICAGO (AP) - Kris Bryant and Miguel Montero had consecutive RBI doubles in the sixth and Chicago extended Shelby Miller's winless skid to 17 games.


Anthony Rizzo added an RBI single in the seventh for Chicago.


Jason Motte (8-1) earned the win in relief, starting a string of four innings during which Cubs relievers didn't allow a hit until pinch-hitter Nick Swisher doubled with one out in the ninth off of closer Hector Rondon.


London recovered to earn his 22nd save in 26 opportunities.


Miller (5-10) dropped his career-high ninth straight decision.


RED SOX 7, ROYALS 2


BOSTON (AP) - Johnny Cueto had his worst start since coming to Kansas City just before the trading deadline, and Boston beat AL Central-leading Royals to send them to their second straight loss.


Cueto (2-2) had allowed just six runs in four previous starts for the Royals. He allowed six earned runs and 13 hits on Friday, striking out three before leaving after six innings. The Royals also committed two errors, leading to another run.


Henry Owens made the longest start of his short career, pitching eight innings of four-hit ball. Blake Swihart had four hits and Mookie Betts three for the Red Sox, who tied a season high with their fourth win in a row.


The Royals entered the series against last-place Boston with a 14 1/2-game lead in the division.


A 23-year-old lefty who is one of Boston's top pitching prospects, Owens (2-1) was making his fourth career start since being called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on Aug. 4.


DIAMONDBACKS 6, REDS 3


CINCINNATI (AP) - Rubby De La Rosa allowed two runs in seven innings and A.J. Pollock homered in his second consecutive four-hit game to help Arizona send Cincinnati to its seventh straight loss.


Pollock scored three runs and Yasmany Tomas added a solo shot for the Diamondbacks.


Joey Votto hit his 23rd homer in the eighth inning off Keith Hessler for the Reds.


De La Rosa (11-5) improved to 5-0 with a 2.54 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break. He allowed seven hits with one walk, six strikeouts and a wild pitch. He also had two hits.


Addison Reed finished the eighth and Brad Ziegler pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.


Reds rookie left-hander David Holmberg set a single-game career high by allowing 11 hits. Holmberg (1-3) gave up five runs with one walk and two strikeouts and hit a batter in five innings.


PHILLIES 7, MARLINS 1


MIAMI (AP) - Jerad Eickhoff pitched six scoreless innings and drove in two runs in his major league debut to help Philadelphia over Miami.


Ryan Howard had three doubles and drove in two runs and Odubel Herrera had two hits and scored twice for the Phillies.


Philadelphia broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning by scoring four runs on four hits off Kendry Flores (1-2), who was making his first career start. Herrera's single and Freddy Galvis' sacrifice fly put the Phillies on top 2-0 before Eickhoff's two-run single.


Eickhoff (1-0) is a 25-year old right-hander, who was one of six players acquired from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade on July 31. He allowed five hits and walked one while striking out five. He threw 52 of his 75 pitches for strikes.
 

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LEADING OFF: Posada honored; Greinke, Leake, Cole start


August 21, 2015


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


TWO-WAY THREAT


Dodgers ace Zack Greinke has won nine straight decisions, gving up just one home run in that span. Baseball's ERA leader (1.58) has been pretty good at the plate, too. He has two bat-flipping long balls in his last three starts. He faces the Astros and Scott Kazmir,


NUMBERS GAME


Jorge Posada will be honored at Yankee Stadium when the team retires the former catcher's No. 20 and gives him a plaque in Monument Park during ceremonies before New York plays Cleveland. On Sunday, longtime ace Andy Pettitte gets the same star tribute when the Yankees retire his No. 46.


WOLF BACK


Randy Wolf is set to see his first big league action since June 14, 2014, when the 38-year-old starts for Detroit against Texas.


FEELING FINE


The Cubs' Dan Haren is ready to make his start after being hit in his ankle by a line drive in his last start. He's had success in the past against the Braves, going 6-2 with a 3.25 ERA.


START AGAIN


Mike Leake comes off the disabled list to make his second start for the Giants since being acquired before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. He allowed two runs in 6 1-3 innings in his first start for the Giants on Aug. 2. Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole starts against a favorite foe. He's 3-0 in three outings against San Francisco.


ROOKIE ROYALE


Rookie right-handers matchup when Milwaukee's Taylor Jungmann and Washington's Joe Ross take the mound at Nationals Park.
 

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Giants send pitcher Chris Heston to Triple-A


August 21, 2015


PITTSBURGH (AP) The San Francisco Giants sent pitcher Chris Heston to Triple-A Sacramento on Friday, hoping to give him a small break before the stretch drive.


The 27-year-old Heston is 11-7 with a 3.34 ERA this year and threw a no-hitter against the New York Mets on June 9. Heston, whoever, has had trouble going deep into games in recent weeks, making it past the fifth inning just once in four starts this month.


Manager Bruce Bochy said the team wanted to ''back (Heston) off a bit'' and added there were indications that fatigue may be an issue. Heston was scheduled to pitch for San Francisco on Saturday but instead will be given a few days off before taking the hill for Sacramento.


Heston will return to San Francisco when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
 

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Preview: Indians (57-64) at Yankees (67-54)
Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 22, 2015 1:05 PM EDT


The New York Yankees aren't providing Luis Severino with much run support, and facing the present version of Danny Salazar isn't the ideal scenario to try to change that.


The Cleveland Indians right-hander will try to silence a fifth straight opponent Saturday at Yankee Stadium, and New York has already made that list once.


Salazar (11-6, 3.16 ERA) is 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA in his last four starts, and the three earned runs he's allowed have been solo home runs. He gave up one with a total of four hits in seven innings of Monday's 8-2 win in Boston after adding a third of an inning to the same line in a 2-1 home victory over New York on Aug. 12.


He'll now try to win three straight starts for the third time in his career.


"I'm pretty confident," Salazar told MLB's official website. "Every time I go out there, I feel really strong and I'm ready to compete."


He's especially trusting his two-seam fastball as he's grown used to an altered grip, and Salazar is using the pitch more and relying on his four-seamer less.


"He's starting to realize that even when he turns it over to throw a two-seamer, that thing is still coming out at 94, 95, 96 (mph)," catcher Yan Gomes said.


The Yankees were unable to make anything of the season-high five walks Salazar issued, but the 25-year-old regained his control and handed out one against the Red Sox. Brian McCann provided the home run, but the active Yankees roster is collectively 4 for 24 with eight strikeouts against Salazar.


Severino (0-2, 3.18) has shown promise in his first three major league starts, but he's been given two runs of support in 17 innings. The right-hander surrendered three runs and five hits with three walks and nine strikeouts in six innings of Sunday's 3-1 loss in Toronto.


"I think I'm doing pretty good, and I'll keep working hard so I can do it better," Severino said. "I just try to hit the glove most of the time. Hit the glove and everything's going to be OK."


It followed a 5-4 loss in Cleveland on Aug. 11 as the 21-year-old gave up two runs in six innings and avoided the decision. Recently acquired third baseman Chris Johnson was 2 for 3 for the Indians, and New York manager Joe Girardi is interested to see how his young pitcher handles facing the same lineup twice in 12 days.


"You always wonder how guys respond to that," Girardi said. "I feel pretty good every time he takes the mound. This kid's got really good stuff, and he's got a lot of poise when he goes out there. I think you pretty much have a pretty good expectation of what you're going to get every day."


The Indians (57-64) have won the first two of the four-game set, including Friday's 7-3 victory that gave them six wins in their last seven games against the Yankees.


Michael Brantley had his third straight multihit game and is batting .395 in 29 since the All-Star break. Carlos Santana homered, but the first baseman is a .158 hitter in 15 games at Yankee Stadium.


The Yankees (67-54) have dropped seven of 11 at home while averaging 2.9 runs and batting .205.


Mark Teixeira was out of the lineup for a fourth straight game after fouling a ball of his right leg Monday, but there's a slight chance he could return this weekend. McCann has been moved up to Teixeira's usual cleanup spot for three games and gone 0 for 11.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Indians at Yankees
Thu, Aug 20 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Indians at Yankees
Fri, Aug 21 Final 7 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Indians at Yankees
Sat, Aug 22 - 1:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Indians at Yankees
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:05PM EDT
 

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Preview: Braves (53-69) at Cubs (69-51)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 22, 2015 4:05 PM EDT


By adding to the Atlanta Braves' misery on the road, the Chicago Cubs seem to have rebounded from a minor rough stretch.


After taking the first two of this four-game set, the Cubs look to hand the Braves a season-high eighth consecutive road defeat Saturday.


Chicago (69-51) dropped three straight, and allowed 25 runs with 40 hits while by being swept by Detroit in a two-game home set before holding offensively challenged Atlanta to four runs in the last two contests. Four Cubs relievers held the Braves (53-69) to one hit over four scoreless innings of Friday's comeback 5-3 victory as Chicago maintained its four-game lead over San Francisco for the NL's second wild card.


"Every single game is important at this point," said catcher Miguel Montero, who delivered a tiebreaking double in the sixth. "As long as we win, everything is going to be fine."


Chicago has taken advantage of the reeling Braves, the NL's lowest-scoring team that's dropped seven straight road games for the second time in less than two months. Atlanta has been held to three or fewer runs 19 times while losing 20 of the last 22 away from home.


"We're showing up," Shelby Miller told MLB's official website after his winless stretch reached 17 straight starts. "We're trying to win ballgames and we're obviously on a little rough streak right now. But hopefully we can turn that around."


Atlanta led 3-1 after a two-run double from Nick Markakis in the fourth Friday, but stranded nine men and went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.


Despite Atlanta's road struggles, Markakis ranks among the major league leaders with a .324 average away from home. He's hit .192 with a homer and two doubles in 26 at-bats against Dan Haren (8-8, 3.63 ERA), but last faced him in 2013.


Atlanta has clubbed a major league-low 74 home runs but Haren has allowed an NL-high 27, including six while going 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three starts since Chicago acquired him at the trade deadline. The right-hander served up three in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the White Sox.


Haren gave up two homers and one other hit in seven innings of a 6-2 win at Atlanta for Miami on April 15.


Cameron Maybin hit one of those home runs, and is batting .358 in the last 14 contests.


Michael Bourn, however, is 4 for 39 with 11 strikeouts in 12 games since joining Atlanta from Cleveland earlier this month.


The Braves have dropped the last five starts by Williams Perez (4-4, 4.34), who fell to 0-4 with a 6.75 ERA during that stretch after allowing four runs, seven hits and walking four in 6 1-3 innings of Monday's 5-3 loss at San Diego. Despite that rough stretch, manager Fredi Gonzalez has been pleased with the rookie's effort this season.


"He's got a nice feel for pitching," Gonzalez told MLB's official website.


The right-hander gets his first look at the Cubs and should see Chris Coghlan, who has batted .444, hit four of his career-high 15 homers and drove in 10 runs over his last six contests. He's hitting .480 with two homers and 10 RBIs in his last seven against the Braves.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Braves at Cubs
Thu, Aug 20 Final 1 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Braves at Cubs
Fri, Aug 21 Final 3 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Braves at Cubs
Sat, Aug 22 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Braves at Cubs
Sun, Aug 23 - 2:20PM EDT
 

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Preview: Giants (66-56) at Pirates (72-48)
Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 22, 2015 4:05 PM EDT


Wins used to be easy to come by for Gerrit Cole, but suddenly Pittsburgh's ace can't buy one during a stretch in which his team hasn't lost very often.


The Pirates have won 15 of 22 and will try to get Cole his elusive 15th victory on Saturday against Mike Leake and the visiting Giants.


Cole (14-7, 2.61 ERA) has three of Pittsburgh's six losses in August and has been stuck on 14 wins since July 26. He missed four chances to become baseball's first 15-game winner and will now try to tie the league's high-water mark.


Opponents are hitting .300 against Cole this month and he's posted a 4.70 ERA in four starts. That stretch without a win ties a career-worst drought set from April 15-May 2, 2014.


But there is good news.


Cole snapped last year's drought with a 4-3 home win over the Giants, a team he's 3-0 against with a 2.11 ERA in his first three years with the Pirates (72-48).


The right-hander held the Giants (66-56) to two unearned runs in seven innings of a 4-3 road win June 1.


That victory was part of six straight for Cole from May 22-June 18, and to get back to that level he'll have to come out of the gates better. Three of the first seven Diamondbacks he faced Monday drilled balls off the PNC Park wall for extra bases, accounting for a third of the hits he allowed over 6 2-3 innings in a 4-1 loss.


Batters are hitting .293 in the first inning off Cole and .238 after that.


"If you don't come out locating the ball early, they're going to punish you," Cole told MLB's official website.


This is the fourth time Cole and Leake (9-6, 3.52) have squared off this season, with Leake's team winning the first three. But the former Cincinnati right-hander will be wearing a different uniform for this one.


Leake is making just his second start for the Giants after spending the past two weeks on the shelf with a strained left hamstring. He gave up two runs in 6 1-3 innings of his San Francisco debut, a 2-1 loss at Texas on Aug. 2.


Leake is 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five starts against the Pirates since last season's All-Star break, and he's 3-0 with a 2.11 ERA in his last seven in Pittsburgh.


Three of the four hitters Leake has faced most in his career are Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez, who have combined to hit just three homers in 158 at-bats. Not far behind in terms of seeing Leake is Aramis Ramirez, who's 6 for 36.


Marlon Byrd homered in his first at-bat with the Giants on Friday night, then later singled and doubled in a 6-4 win that snapped San Francisco's four-game losing streak to the Pirates.


Much like Leake, the Pirates are familiar with Byrd from his days in Cincinnati and they can't like what they've seen. The outfielder is hitting .361 with six homers and 14 RBIs in 14 games against Pittsburgh this season. Two of those long balls came among his six hits in 11 at-bats against Cole.


'He probably wanted to make a good first impression,' San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. 'He did more than that. It's something we need.'


Josh Harrison went 0 for 2 and was hit by a pitch in his first action for the Pirates since undergoing thumb surgery in early July.


Starting pitcher Chris Heston, second on the Giants with 11 wins, was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento to make room for Byrd. Bochy said the move "gives him a little breather" before the rookie gets called up when rosters expand Sept. 1.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Giants at Pirates
Thu, Aug 20 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Giants at Pirates
Fri, Aug 21 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores



GAME 3
Giants at Pirates
Sat, Aug 22 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Giants at Pirates
Sun, Aug 23 - 8:05PM EDT
 

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Preview: Twins (61-61) at Orioles (62-59)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: August 22, 2015 7:05 PM EDT


One of the best bullpens in the majors is coming apart at the wrong time for the Baltimore Orioles.


The Minnesota Twins have taken advantage, and they'll look to take the first three of this crucial four-game set Saturday night at Camden Yards.


Baltimore's relievers entered this series with a 2.68 ERA that ranked second in the AL and fourth in baseball, but it surrendered a season-worst eight runs in four innings of Thursday's 15-2 loss to the Twins.


Gerardo Parra hit a three-run homer and Wei-Yin Chen pitched six solid innings Friday before All-Star reliever Darren O'Day allowed three runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning in the eighth as Minnesota rallied for a 4-3 victory.


O'Day hadn't allowed a run in his previous 11 appearances, and the Orioles (62-59) had won 51 of their previous 52 when leading after seven. Texas beat Detroit to pull even with Baltimore behind the Los Angeles Angels for the AL's second wild card.


"The baseball gods aren't always kind to you," manager Buck Showalter said. "You wear it and try to come back and know tomorrow you have a chance to have a different feeling."


Chris Tillman (9-7, 4.54 ERA) hopes to keep the bullpen's work to a minimum in this contest. Tillman has come on strong since June 28, going 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA while giving up two runs or fewer seven times in eight starts.


He bounced back from a rough outing against Seattle on Aug. 11 - his first start after skipping his turn in the rotation because of a sore left ankle - and allowed a pair of solo homers through seven innings of Monday's 4-2 win over Oakland.


"I feel like right now as long as our starters are giving the team a chance to win and get deep into the game, set up the bullpen how it needs to be set up, I think we will be ready," Tillman said after his last outing.


The right-hander, though, is 0-3 with a 5.06 ERA in five career starts against the Twins and has lasted a combined 9 1-3 innings over the last three. He'll try to prevent Minnesota from winning three straight for the first time since a four-game run July 10-17.


Kurt Suzuki's two-run single put the Twins ahead for good Friday, and he's driven in seven while batting .429 during a five-game hitting streak. He's 8 for 17 in four games against the Orioles, who have dropped all five meetings this season.


The Twins (61-61) are 1 1/2 games behind the Orioles and Rangers in the wild-card race.


"It's a big victory because we're playing a team that's pretty good and they're ahead of us right now, and we're trying to get in that wild card," outfielder Torii Hunter said.


The Twins look to keep rolling behind Kyle Gibson (8-9, 3.99), who has continued to struggle since the All-Star break.


Gibson had a 2.85 ERA while allowing at least five earned runs twice through his first 18 starts, including an 8-3 win over Baltimore on July 7 when he struck out seven in six innings. He's gone 0-3 with a 7.91 ERA in his last six, though.


The right-hander allowed at least six runs for the fourth time in that stretch in Baltimore's 8-7, 10-inning loss to the New York Yankees.


Minnesota is seeking a third straight road victory for the time since a season-best four-game run April 25-May 9.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Twins at Orioles
Thu, Aug 20 Final 15 to 2
Recaps


GAME 2
Twins at Orioles
Fri, Aug 21 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores

GAME 3
Twins at Orioles
Sat, Aug 22 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Twins at Orioles
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:35PM EDT
 

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Preview: Brewers (53-70) at Nationals (60-61)
Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 22, 2015 7:05 PM EDT


Just as Washington welcomed one of baseball's top infield prospects to the majors, it may be without its veteran third baseman for the immediate future.


While Trea Turner continues to get situated in the majors, it's uncertain if Yunel Escobar will be available for the struggling Nationals on Saturday night against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.


Turner went 0 for 2 after coming off the bench for his much-anticipated debut in Friday's 10-3 defeat. However, it was overshadowed by a rough night from Washington's pitchers and an injury to Escobar.


Batting .305, Escobar was injured when he ran into a railing and a fan's chest while chasing a foul ball in the first inning. His injury is the latest setback for the Nationals (60-61), who have dropped eight of the last 10 and are five games behind the first-place New York Mets in the NL East.


"Try to come back and get ready for them (Saturday)," losing pitcher Gio Gonzalez said.


Unlikely to play third, Turner was at shortstop Friday and could see time at second base. He batted .322 with eight home runs and 54 RBIs in 116 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season. Though Washington has been held to three or fewer runs in six of the last 10, it doesn't expect Turner to provide an instant fix.


"We're not expecting him to be the savior of the offense or the savior of the ballclub," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "We just want him to do what he does best.'


Bryce Harper's 31st homer Friday was the second in his last 21 games, and third while batting .545 in his last seven against the Brewers (53-70), who moved out of last place in the NL Central.


Joe Ross (3-5, 3.86 ERA) allowed two runs and struck out eight in a season-high eight innings of a 7-2 victory at Milwaukee in his second career start July 13.


The right-hander went 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA in his first two starts of August, but is 0-2 with a 9.35 ERA in the last two. He failed to complete five innings in both of those outings.


Jonathan Lucroy went 2 for 4 against Ross, and had three of the Brewers' 14 hits Friday as they won for the fifth time in the last seven contests. Lucroy is batting .350 in the last six games, and .340 in 13 at Washington.


While the Brewers managed one hit against Max Scherzer on June 14, rookie Taylor Jungmann (7-4, 2.23) allowed two runs in five innings of a 4-0 defeat to the Nationals in his second career start.


One of the few bright spots for Milwaukee since debuting June 9, Jungmann has allowed more than two earned runs once in his 13 starts. He gave up three hits and struck out a season-high nine over 6 1-3 scoreless innings of Sunday's 6-1 win over Philadelphia.


That came one start after the right-hander yielded four runs in 2 2-3 innings of a 6-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.


"I was confident he was going to bounce back," manager Craig Counsell told MLB's official website. "There's going to be blips in the road, and he came back and pitched a really nice game."


Jungmann has gone eight straight starts spanning 51 2-3 innings since allowing a home run.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Brewers at Nationals
Fri, Aug 21 Final 10 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps



GAME 2
Brewers at Nationals
Sat, Aug 22 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Brewers at Nationals
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:35PM EDT
 

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Preview: Royals (73-48) at Red Sox (56-66)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: August 22, 2015 7:10 PM EDT


The Kansas City Royals have been producing little offense against the Boston Red Sox, and the latest letdown came against a rookie pitcher who entered with an ERA over six.


The good news is the AL Central leaders will get another shot at exploiting similar numbers from another of Boston's youth Saturday night at Fenway Park, but if the lineup again fails, a win might require a new level of consistency from Yordano Ventura.


The Royals (73-48) have three runs and 10 hits in the first two games of the series after scoring one in eight innings against 23-year-old Henry Owens in Friday's 7-2 loss.


Lorenzo Cain is 0 for 7 in the series, has hit .091 in his last five games overall and is hitless in 18 at-bats over his last five at Fenway.


But with two errors and 14 hits allowed Friday, the Royals' problems ran deeper.


"No aspect of our game was tremendously good tonight," manager Ned Yost said. "It's rare when it happens, but it happens."


Matt Barnes is next in line and can give the Red Sox (56-66) their first five-game win streak this year, as well as an 11th win in 13 games against Kansas City since the start of last season. At Fenway, they've won five straight in the series and could get to fewer than 10 games under .500 this late in a season for the first time since the end of 2013.


Barnes (3-3, 6.59 ERA) gave up six runs and six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in five innings of his first major league start - an 8-2 home loss to Cleveland on Monday. A five-run fourth spoiled what interim manager Torey Lovullo and Barnes himself thought was an otherwise promising outing after his first 26 appearances came in relief.


"I felt really good out there. I felt like I had really good command of all three pitches," Barnes told MLB's official website. "The fastball, when I missed, it was around the zone. Curveball I felt really good with and I was able to use the changeup."


Fenway has so far been his undoing with a 9.17 ERA and six home runs allowed in 17 2-3 innings compared to a 2.89 mark in 18 2-3 on the road.


Ventura (7-7, 4.82) has a shot at going three straight starts without allowing four runs for the first time this season, as well as six straight without a loss for the first time in his career.


The erratic right-hander surrendered two runs and five hits in seven innings of Sunday's 4-3 home win over the Los Angeles Angels but didn't earn the decision.


The 24-year-old is 1-0 with two runs and seven hits allowed over 13 innings in his last two outings, but he's walked seven in that time.


Both of his career starts against Boston have ended in defeats with a 7.15 ERA and .421 opponent on-base percentage. Mookie Betts and Brock Holt are 2 for 3 against Ventura.


Offensively, Boston seems more than capable of again causing him problems. Over a 6-2 span, the Red Sox are averaging 9.1 runs and batting .366.


Travis Shaw is batting .471 with four home runs in his last eight games, and Betts is hitting .382 in his last seven. Blake Swihart was 4 for 4 Friday and is 10 for 16 with four doubles and seven RBIs in his last four games.


"He's a great student of the game," Lovullo said. "He pays attention, and we feel like it's a really good sign of things to come."




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Royals at Red Sox
Thu, Aug 20 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Royals at Red Sox
Fri, Aug 21 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps



GAME 3
Royals at Red Sox
Sat, Aug 22 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Royals at Red Sox
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:35PM EDT
 

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Preview: Diamondbacks (60-61) at Reds (51-69)
Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 22, 2015 7:10 PM EDT


Paul Goldschmidt's slump has him losing ground in the NL batting chase, but A.J. Pollock's torrid stretch has turned him into a contender.


Pollock looks to continue pounding the last-place Cincinnati Reds as the Arizona Diamondbacks try to deal them an eighth straight loss Saturday night.


Goldschmidt entered August with a league-leading .349 average and seemed to be on his way to becoming the first Diamondback to win a batting crown. That prospect has become murky with his average dropping to .326 while he's hitting .208 in 19 games - 2 for 25 in the past six.


Pollock, however, has entered the race thanks to his .438 average over the past 15 games, increasing his season mark 19 points to .321.


Both Goldschmidt and Pollock are chasing Miami's Dee Gordon (.338) for the league lead.


Pollock has matched his career high with four hits in each of the first two of this series, coming a triple shy of the cycle in Friday's 6-3 victory.


The center fielder is a career .465 hitter in 13 games against the Reds, going 10 for 18 in five at Cincinnati. Goldschmidt, however, is 1 for 17 in his last four games there.


"I think he'll probably be in the lineup (Saturday)," manager Chip Hale deadpanned about Pollock's availability.


The Diamondbacks (60-61) are giving Randall Delgado (4-3, 2.70 ERA) his first start of the season after Jeremy Hellickson went on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring Thursday. The right-hander is 11-19 with a 4.23 ERA in 47 career starts over the past four years with Arizona and Atlanta.


"With his velocity and repertoire of pitches that he has, I think (senior vice president and general manager Dave Stewart) wants to get an idea if this guy can be a starter for us in the future, so he wants to give him a shot," Hale told MLB's official website. "He's got good stuff, he's started in the past. He's still a young guy. He's 25 years old, so let's see what he's got."


Delgado is 0-3 with a 4.70 ERA in four career starts against the Reds, losing both in Cincinnati with a 7.15 ERA.


These Reds (51-69) aren't exactly an intimidating presence, though. They're in the midst of a 3-13 stretch that's dropped them into the NL Central cellar.


Anthony DeSclafani (7-8, 3.72) will try to help dig them out and become the first Reds rookie to win eight games since Mike Leake in 2010.


The right-hander has fallen short in the last two attempts, going 0-1 while allowing five runs and 16 hits in 12 innings. That includes yielding three runs and 10 hits in six innings of a 4-3 loss in 10 at Arizona on Aug. 9. DeSclafani had won his two previous outings with a 1.38 ERA.


He's struggled with Goldschmidt, who is 3 for 3 with two doubles off him.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Reds
Thu, Aug 20 Final 5 to 4
Recaps


GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Reds
Fri, Aug 21 Final 6 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Reds
Sat, Aug 22 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Diamondbacks at Reds
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Dodgers (67-54) at Astros (67-56)
Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: August 22, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers have relied heavily on Zack Greinke to bounce back from defeats. Now they need him to help rebound from a no-hitter.


Greinke will try to end the Dodgers' three-game slide by extending the longest single-season winning streak of his career Saturday night against the Houston Astros.


Owner of the lowest ERA in the majors, Greinke (13-2, 1.58) is on his way to the NL Cy Young Award. He may also garner some MVP consideration since he's 7-0 with a 1.21 ERA in 12 starts following a loss, helping the Dodgers go 10-2 in those games.


Los Angeles (67-54) is in need of another gem from Greinke after Mike Fiers tossed a no-hitter to lead Houston to a 3-0 win Friday in the opener of this three-game set.


Greinke is 8-0 with a 1.16 ERA over his last 11 starts, two shy of a career-best winning streak that spanned 13 starts from 2014-15.


He has the lowest ERA in team history after 24 starts since Burleigh Grimes posted a 1.55 mark in 1918, when the franchise was known as the Brooklyn Robins.


Greinke is tied for the club's single-season record set by Rube Marquard in 1916 and his ERA is also the lowest in the majors since Greg Maddux's 1.56 with Atlanta in 1994.


"With his stuff, if he's able to execute a pitch and put it where he wants, it's going to be a long day for the other side," teammate Andre Ethier said. "And he's done that all year, for the most part."


The right-hander certainly did that Sunday, allowing one run with eight strikeouts in seven innings of a 2-1 win over Cincinnati.


He's also been a threat at the plate, going 4 for 6 with two homers over his last three games, but he'll give way to a designated hitter in an AL park.


Greinke is 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA in six career starts against the Astros, but he last faced them three years ago with Milwaukee.


Los Angeles may have Yasiel Puig (right hamstring) back for the first time in three games after manager Don Mattingly said he should return in this series. Puig was hitting .333 with two homers and six RBIs in seven games before getting hurt, and he owns a .360 average in 18 road games during interleague play.


The Astros (67-56) are looking for Scott Kazmir (6-8, 2.43) to draw some inspiration from Fiers in order to bounce back from his worst performance since joining the club.


The left-hander matched his season highs with six runs and nine hits allowed in 5 1-3 innings of Monday's 9-2 loss to Tampa Bay.


He's lost three straight starts with a 4.86 ERA after going 2-0 and allowing one earned run in 34 innings over five starts with Houston and Oakland.


"I really don't feel like (I'm) off," said Kazmir, who has made five starts since being acquired in a trade with the A's. "I think it's just a matter of being completely sharp. I feel great. My fastball feels like it's where it needs to be. It's just a matter of executing. That's something when it comes to crucial times I didn't do it."


He's 1-1 with a 6.14 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers, but this is his first since 2010.


Jake Marisnick had a two-run homer and a double Friday, snapping out of a 3-for-24 slump over his previous 16 games.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Dodgers at Astros
Fri, Aug 21 Final 0 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Astros
Sat, Aug 22 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Dodgers at Astros
Sun, Aug 23 - 2:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Mets (65-56) at Rockies (49-71)
Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 22, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

A deadline day trade delivered Yoenis Cespedes to the New York Mets, giving them the much-needed bona fide big bat in the middle of the lineup.


He's making that look like an excellent decision.


Cespedes looks to build on the best performance of his career as the NL East-leading Mets try to continue their dominance of the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.


New York (65-56) may be last in the majors with a .238 average, but its offense has been much better since getting Cespedes from Detroit last month.


The Mets are 12-6 since the deal, averaging 5.33 runs with 29 homers to rank among the best in the majors during that stretch.


Cespedes hit three of New York's five homers Friday, connecting for a grand slam, a two-run shot and a solo blast while going 5 for 6 with seven RBIs and five runs in a 14-9 win. His 15 total bases were one shy of the franchise record set by Edgardo Alfonzo on Aug. 30, 1999.


"Good hitters find a night where they can lock themselves in and they won't miss a ball," Cespedes said through an interpreter. "They will hit it hard. I had that kind of night. This was the best night I have ever had."


Cespedes is hitting .316 with five homers and 15 RBIs with the Mets, including a .390 average while knocking in 12 in nine road games.


He's 8 for 15 with four homers, two doubles and nine RBIs his last three matchups with Colorado.


"Tough to keep him down for long," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He's got big-time power. We saw it on display. It's just a matter of time before he gets rolling over there and he certainly did."


New York has won all five meetings with Colorado (49-71) this season and nine in a row dating to last year.


Jonathon Niese (7-9, 3.50 ERA) will try to push that streak to 10 as he seeks to win a third straight decision. He is 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA in his last four starts and has allowed one run and 12 hits over 22 2-3 innings while going 2-0 in his past three road outings.


The left-hander, though, has a 6.75 ERA in three career starts at Coors Field. He limited the Rockies to two runs in seven innings of a 4-2 win Aug. 10 at Citi Field.


The Rockies have dropped nine of their last 11 games, including those five defeats to New York. They're batting .199 and averaging 1.9 runs over the last nine matchups despite getting 13 hits Friday - eight for extra bases.


Nolan Arenado hit his 30th homer and also had a pair of doubles in the loss. He's batting .414 with nine RBIs in his last seven games.


Chris Rusin (4-5, 3.99) experienced Colorado's offensive woes against New York on Aug. 11, when he allowed one run in six innings of a 4-0 loss.


The left-hander, however, didn't need much help five days later when he tossed a five-hitter in a 5-0 win over San Diego for his first career complete game.


"I knew I had good location and I was able to hit my spots," Rusin said. "I just used that to my advantage and tried to do that the entire game."


Rusin is 3-1 with a 3.13 ERA in seven home starts.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mets at Rockies
Fri, Aug 21 Final 14 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps



GAME 2
Mets at Rockies
Sat, Aug 22 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Mets at Rockies
Sun, Aug 23 - 4:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Cardinals (77-44) at Padres (60-62)
Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: August 22, 2015 8:40 PM EDT


The St. Louis Cardinals started a long road trip in a sloppy way, but Carlos Martinez is there to help the best team in the majors clean up the mess.


St. Louis has won 82 percent of the games Martinez starts this year, and the right-hander will take the Petco Park mound Saturday night against the San Diego Padres hoping to wash away the taste of an error-filled opener.


The Cardinals (77-44) still have a 4 1/2-game lead over Pittsburgh in the NL Central and six upcoming games against the under-.500 Padres (60-62) and Diamondbacks (60-61) on their West Coast trip.


But San Diego has turned a corner over the last week, winning four straight and six of seven. The Padres will look to take the season series against the Cardinals on Saturday with their fourth win in six tries.


For the Cardinals, Martinez has been the right man for the job. St. Louis is 18-4 when the right-hander starts this season.


Martinez (12-5, 2.78 ERA) didn't get a decision against the Padres in a 2-1 Cardinals win on July 4 after lasting 6 2-3 innings and surrendering eight hits and a run, his only start against San Diego after three rocky relief appearances in 2013-14.


Jedd Gyorko has four singles in five at-bats against Martinez, while Yangervis Solarte is 2 for 5 with a home run that came in last month's meeting. Solarte homered for the third straight game in Friday's 9-3 win, giving him six hits and seven RBIs in this impressive stretch.


"He believes he can play. You can see it in him. Look at the way he responds to a poor at-bat. This kid believes, and I think that's a big part of the battle," interim manager Pat Murphy told MLB's official website.


Errors from Mark Reynolds, Stephen Piscotty and Kolten Wong led to San Diego's five-run fifth inning. Two Wong errors hurt Martinez on Sunday in a 6-4 loss to the Marlins.


"We've done a nice job of not having multiple mistakes in a game defensively and when you do see it, it stands out," manager Mike Matheny said. "We have had a couple of those this year where we talk about the defense looking uncharacteristically off and just on a couple plays, and absolutely every time this happens it's going to cost you in the long run."


Martinez gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings of work against Miami. It was the third time in his last four starts that he lasted five, a stretch that's resulted in a 1-1 record and 5.09 ERA.


Ian Kennedy has been trending in the opposite direction for the Padres.


Kennedy (7-11, 4.20) started the year 2-5 with a 7.15 ERA through eight starts, but he has been solid since June 2. In his last 14 starts, Kennedy has a 2.82 ERA and has allowed more than three runs just once.


That period included a 3-1 loss to the Cardinals on July 5 in which Kennedy tossed six innings and allowed three runs. Yadier Molina went 2 for 3 with a double in that game, and the St. Louis catcher is 5 for 15 lifetime against Kennedy with three doubles.


Three of the four runs he allowed in Sunday's 5-0 loss at Colorado were unearned due to Derek Norris' dropped popup at first base in the seventh inning.


Right fielder Jason Heyward was a late addition to St. Louis' lineup Friday after successfully testing out his sore hamstring. Heyward went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a walk.


San Diego center fielder Travis Jankowski became the ninth player in franchise history to have two or more hits in his big league debut with a pair of singles Friday.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cardinals at Padres
Fri, Aug 21 Final 3 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps



GAME 2
Cardinals at Padres
Sat, Aug 22 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 3
Cardinals at Padres
Sun, Aug 23 - 4:10PM EDT
 

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Preview: Blue Jays (67-55) at Angels (63-59)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 22, 2015 9:05 PM EDT


Josh Donaldson's case for the AL MVP continues gaining steam as the Toronto Blue Jays inch closer to the top of the AL East.


Mike Trout, the reigning award winner, isn't providing much help for the Los Angeles Angels during their playoff pursuit.


The wild-card leaders continue their critical series Saturday night as Andrew Heaney takes the mound for the Angels looking to cool Donaldson and the Blue Jays.


Toronto (67-55) made bold deals to acquire David Price, Troy Tulowitzki and Ben Revere at the trade deadline and they've helped spark the club's 17-4 surge since July 29.


The Blue Jays, however, may have made their most savvy move back in November when they dealt Brett Lawrie and three prospects to Oakland to acquire Donaldson, who set career highs with 29 homers and 98 RBIs in 2014.


Donaldson already has 33 homers and a .939 OPS that's far better than that season's .798 mark with the A's. He had a pair of RBI doubles and drove in another run to give him 94 RBIs while increasing his average to .296 in Friday's 9-2 win over the Angels (63-59).


Price pitched eight solid innings for Toronto, which moved one-half game behind the first-place New York Yankees and four games ahead of Los Angeles for the wild-card lead.


"We've got our eyes on the people in front of us," Price said. "I don't know who's behind us."


Donaldson appears to be the front-runner to take the MVP from Trout, who went 0 for 3 and fanned twice to drop his average to .183 with 23 strikeouts in 20 games this month.


Los Angeles, which has scored five times in its last three, is 9-17 since July 23 and has fallen 3 1/2 games back of Houston for the AL West lead.


"We never gave ourselves a chance," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Fortunately, it's one loss. That's all. We're going to play better (Saturday)."


The Angels, though, have won eight of the 10 times Heaney (5-1, 2.43 ERA) has taken the mound since he made his debut June 24. He allowed one run in six innings of Monday's 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox, escaping a bases-loaded jam on a strikeout with the last of his career-high 100 pitches.


"It was a borderline pitch, but I got the call," said Heaney, who has allowed two runs or fewer nine times.


The left-hander hasn't missed much while walking only 10 in 63 innings, a positive sign after Hector Santiago walked four of the first six hitters he faced Friday. Angels pitchers have issued 19 free passes in five meetings with the Blue Jays this season.


Toronto looks to win a third straight matchup as it sends Marco Estrada (10-7, 3.20) to the hill. Estrada's ERA hit 4.24 after he allowed five runs in a win over Boston on June 14, but he's since surrendered two earned runs or fewer 10 times while posting a 2.31 ERA in 11 starts.


He took the loss last Saturday despite giving up just three hits in six innings against the Yankees. Two hits went for solo homers, one more than he'd allowed in his previous seven starts combined.


"I guess the line looks pretty good, but I missed a lot of spots," Estrada said. "I wasn't my usual self."


The right-hander made his only career start against the Angels while with Milwaukee in 2013, allowing four earned runs - including a homer to Chris Iannetta - with eight strikeouts while going seven innings in the Brewers' 6-5 loss.


Iannetta, though, is batting .094 with 13 strikeouts in his last 10.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Angels
Fri, Aug 21 Final 9 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps



GAME 2
Blue Jays at Angels
Sat, Aug 22 - 9:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Blue Jays at Angels
Sun, Aug 23 - 3:35PM EDT
 

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Preview: Rays (61-61) at Athletics (53-70)
Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 22, 2015 9:05 PM EDT


Erasmo Ramirez struggled quite a bit in matchups with the Oakland Athletics in his days in the AL West, and he did nothing to improve those numbers in his first start against them since being shipped to Tampa Bay just before the start of the regular season.


That outing was nearly three months ago, and the Rays' 25-year-old has revealed a much different side in the 14 starts since that loss to Sonny Gray.


The right-handers meet again Saturday night in Oakland, and the records and ERAs they've put up since last seeing each other are nearly identical.


Ramirez (10-4, 3.57 ERA) yielded five runs, five hits and five walks in six innings of the 7-2 home loss to Oakland on May 24, marking the fifth straight start he's lost against the A's. In seven in his career, the former Seattle starter is 0-6 with a 5.40 ERA, though that's come with success against Josh Reddick (1 for 14) and Coco Crisp (1 for 9). Billy Burns (2 for 3) and Mark Canha (1 for 2) homered off Ramirez in May, though they'll be facing a more confident pitcher this time around.


Ramirez has since gone 8-2 with a 2.23 ERA and .577 opponent OPS and has a chance to drop his overall ERA to the lowest it's been all season (3.54 on July 18).


"I know Sonny Gray's going to be pitching," Ramirez told MLB's official website. "He's a good pitcher, so it's going to be a challenge for me."


In that same 14-start span, Gray (12-5, 2.04), much less surprisingly, is 7-3 with a 2.22 ERA and .541 opponent OPS, which is the top mark in the AL in that time. Other than Gray, only Scott Kazmir (.553) and Chris Archer (.572) have bettered Ramirez.


One of the four runs Gray gave up over 5 2-3 innings of Monday's 4-2 loss in Baltimore was earned as he surrendered seven hits in his shortest outing over his past 14 starts. It was his first start in 10 days due to back spasms.


"I could definitely tell that I hadn't been on the mound in a while," Gray said. "But I felt fine."


He last failed to make it through six innings in the road win against the Rays, but threw just 67 pitches while allowing four hits over five scoreless innings before leaving with a sprained ankle. In four starts against the Rays, the Oakland ace is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA.


Desmond Jennings is 1 for 9 in their matchups, but James Loney (4 for 9) and Kevin Kiermaier (2 for 4 with a home run) have had some success.


Jennings homered and was 2 for 4 for a second straight day in Friday's 2-1 win over the A's (53-70), though neither offense showed evidence of being able to crack either of Saturday's pitchers.


The Rays (61-61) have surrendered a total of one run in consecutive wins after opening their 10-game road trip with losses in five of six, though they've scored seven runs in the last four games.


Oakland saw its five-game home winning streak end and fell right back into the run-scoring problems that have plagued it for a month. In 29 games dating to July 21, the A's 3.0 runs per game are the fewest in the AL and lead only Atlanta.


Brett Lawrie was 2 for 4 for a second straight game but is batting .188 in his last 17. Crisp has more hits in his last three games (8 for 14 with four doubles) than he did in his first 22 (7 for 73 with one extra-base hit) of another injury-shortened season. The duo missed the previous three games due to injuries.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rays at Athletics
Fri, Aug 21 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps



GAME 2
Rays at Athletics
Sat, Aug 22 - 9:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Rays at Athletics
Sun, Aug 23 - 4:05PM EDT
 

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Preview: White Sox (57-63) at Mariners (56-66)
Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: August 22, 2015 9:10 PM EDT


Trying to remain relevant in the AL wild-card race, the Chicago White Sox hope they're in the early stages of a needed surge.


After roughing up Seattle's ace, the visiting White Sox look for a third consecutive victory Saturday night against the Mariners.


One night after snapping a seven-game road skid with an 8-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago (57-63) got to Felix Hernandez for four runs and nine hits in Friday's 11-4 victory. Carlos Sanchez had four RBIs and fellow rookie Tyler Saladino delivered three hits for the White Sox, who have scored two fewer runs in the last two games than they did in the previous eight.


"A nice job of going to the plate and making stuff happen," manager Robin Ventura said.


The White Sox have closed within five games of the AL's final wild-card spot, but they have six teams ahead of them in the standings. Making up that amount of ground with that much traffic in the way might seem like a tall order, but all hope is not lost within the organization.


Chicago has already posted winning streaks of six and seven games during this rather disappointing season.


"We all entered this year with high hopes and high expectations and, to date, we have not met them yet," general manager Rick Hahn told MLB's official website. "There's still time to potentially meet them."


Sanchez is batting .412 with 11 doubles and nine RBIs in his last 20 road games. Saladino has five hits and three RBIs in the last two contests after going 1 for 9 in the previous three.


The White Sox look to take further advantage of a Mariners pitching staff that's allowed 105 hits, walked 28 and posted a 9.53 ERA during the club's current 2-5 stretch.


That trend might continue when Seattle (56-66) hands the ball to Vidal Nuno (0-1, 3.67 ERA), who is 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in three starts since joining the rotation earlier this month. The left-hander has yielded 19 hits, including five home runs, and failed to last more than five innings in any of those starts.


Pitching for the New York Yankees on May 24 of last year, Nuno gave up nine hits but three runs over seven-plus innings of a 4-3, 10-inning victory in his only start against the White Sox.


Chicago counters with rookie Carlos Rodon (5-5, 4.42), who is 1-1 with an 0.87 ERA in his last three road starts in which his teammates totaled four runs. The left-hander allowed his only two runs over than stretch on a pair of homers in eight innings of Monday's 2-1 loss to the Angels.


"After the first homer (in the second inning), the way he responded to it was great,' Ventura said. 'He was really aggressive in the zone with all of his stuff, not just the fastball. He wasn't necessarily relying on his slider as much. He was going after it with his fastball, locating it and making it tough on them.'


Rodon will try to contain Nelson Cruz, who hit his major league-leading 37th home run Friday. Cruz has 16 homers and 23 RBIs while batting .381 in his last 28 games.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
White Sox at Mariners
Fri, Aug 21 Final 11 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps



GAME 2
White Sox at Mariners
Sat, Aug 22 - 9:10PM EDT


GAME 3
White Sox at Mariners
Sun, Aug 23 - 4:10PM EDT
 

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