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Baseball Capsules


August 26, 2015


NEW YORK (AP) Carlos Gomez and Evan Gattis both homered and drove in four runs, sending Dallas Keuchel and the Houston Astros to a 15-1 blowout of the New York Yankees that briefly got testy Tuesday night.


Keuchel (15-6) held New York scoreless for the second time this season and became the first 15-game winner in the American League.


Gomez busted out of a hitting slump along with several teammates and rankled the Yankees with his flashy style.


The center fielder jawed with players in New York's dugout after flipping his bat aside when he flied out in the sixth inning, then stood nose to nose with young catcher John Ryan Murphy before they were separated. Both benches and bullpens emptied, but the teams quickly went their respective ways without any pushing or shoving.


His next time up, Gomez launched a three-run homer into the Yankees' bullpen in right-center to cap a six-run seventh.


BLUE JAYS 6, RANGERS 5


ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Troy Tulowitzki had a game-tying RBI single in the ninth inning before Adrian Beltre's throwing error allowed another Toronto run to score as the AL East-leading Blue Jays rallied for a victory over the Rangers.


Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson walked two of the first three batters he faced. After pinch-hitter Justin Smoak flied out, Tulowitzki looped a single to left to tie the game 5-5. Josh Donaldson then hit a high chopper to Beltre, the four-time Gold Glove third baseman who fielded the ball before a wide throw to first base.


It was only the second blown save this season for Tolleson (5-3), who has 25 saves and had converted his last 12 chances.


LaTroy Hawkins (3-1) gave up three singles in a scoreless eighth before Roberto Osuna worked the ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances.


ANGELS 8, TIGERS 7


DETROIT (AP) - Albert Pujols homered and the Angels scored three times on wild pitches in a victory over the Tigers.


Both teams came into the game with four-game losing streaks, dropping the Angels 1 1/2 games behind Texas for the second American League wild-card spot and the Tigers to sixth, 5 1/2 games back.


Jered Weaver (6-9) picked up the win, despite allowing six runs on seven hits in 5 2-3 innings. Weaver struck out one batter and didn't issue a walk.


Huston Street got the final four outs for his 30th save.


Alfredo Simon (11-8) struggled badly, giving up eight runs on nine hits, four walks and three wild pitches. He struck out two.


INDIANS 11, BREWERS 6


CLEVELAND (AP) - Josh Tomlin shook off three home runs and lasted six innings to win his season debut at home and Michael Brantley homered twice, leading the Indians to a win over the Brewers.


Tomlin (2-1) allowed solo homers in the first and second innings before retiring 12 straight until the sixth, when Ryan Braun hit a two-run shot.


The right-hander was making his third start since being activated from the disabled list following shoulder surgery in March. He had been 0-5 in eight starts since his last win at Progressive Field.


Brantley hit a pair of two-run shots for the Indians, who chased Wily Peralta (4-8) in the third inning. Jason Kipnis, who came in tied for the AL batting lead, had three hits and rookie Francisco Lindor had three RBIs for Cleveland.


Jonathan Lucroy homered twice and Domingo Santana connected for Milwaukee.


TWINS 11, RAYS 7


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Brian Dozier, Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario all homered as Minnesota beat the Rays for the Twins' fifth straight win.


Dozier gave Minnesota a 7-5 advantage on a two-run drive off reliever Matt Andriese (3-4) in the fourth. It was his third homer in 11 at-bats against Tampa Bay this season.


Eduardo Escobar hit a two-run double during a three-run fifth that extended the Twins' lead to 10-6.


Tampa Bay catcher Curt Casali made it 10-7 on his ninth homer since the All-Star break and 10th overall later in the fifth, but appeared to take an awkward step near first base and had to leave the game after slowly going around the bases.


Sano opened the scoring on a towering three-run drive to center off Nathan Karns in the first.


J.R. Graham (1-1) allowed one run over two-thirds of an inning for his first major league win.


METS 6, PHILLIES 5


PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Michael Cuddyer hit a go-ahead two-run, pinch-hit single in the sixth inning and Noah Syndergaard finally won on the road as the Mets beat the Phillies for their fifth straight victory.


Yoenis Cespedes homered for the Mets, who have won 17 of their last 23 to remain 5 1/2 games up on the Nationals in the NL East.


Ryan Howard and Freddy Galvis homered for Philadelphia, which has lost seven straight to the Mets.


Syndergaard (8-6) did just enough to earn his first road victory of the season in his 10th try. He entered 0-5 with a 5.05 ERA away from Citi Field while 8-1 with a 1.82 at home. In five innings, Syndergaard allowed four runs, two earned, and four hits with nine strikeouts and two walks.


Jerome Williams (4-10) took the loss.


NATIONALS 8, PADRES 3


WASHINGTON (AP) - Stephen Strasburg allowed two hits over six innings, Ryan Zimmerman hit a grand slam and the Nationals beat the Padres.


Wilson Ramos also homered for the Nationals, who are chasing the first-place New York Mets in the NL East.


Strasburg (8-6) struck out seven and walked one. The right-hander retired the final 15 batters he faced. Strasburg is 5-1 with a 1.51 ERA in his last seven starts and 5-1 in his career against the Padres.


Zimmerman connected in the sixth off Bud Norris for an 8-2 lead. It was his fifth career slam, the first since 2013.


Jedd Gyorko homered twice but San Diego lost its second straight after five consecutive wins.


James Shields (9-6) gave up four runs, eight hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. San Diego has lost 12 of his 15 starts since June 9.


ROCKIES 5, BRAVES 1


ATLANTA (AP) - Chad Bettis pitched five solid innings in his return from the disabled list and the Rockies scored four unearned runs, taking advantage of three errors by Atlanta third baseman Adonis Garcia in a victory over the Braves.


Bettis (6-4) allowed five hits, walked two and struck out four in his first big league start since July 18. He was coming back from right elbow inflammation.


The Rockies scored two runs in the first after Garcia misplayed a grounder to his left that could have been an inning-ending double play. Garcia let Nick Hundley's grounder get right through him to start the fourth, allowing the Rockies to tack on two more runs when DJ LeMahieu came through with a two-out, bases-loaded single.


Garcia made another error in the fifth.


Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz (4-6) went five innings and took the loss.


DODGERS 5, REDS 1


CINCINNATI (AP) - Alex Wood took a shutout into the sixth inning, and Justin Turner and Jimmy Rollins each hit two-run home runs as the Dodgers snapped their five-game losing streak with a win over the Reds.


Rollins also doubled and scored while the NL West-leading Dodgers matched their run total from their previous four games combined.


The Reds have lost 10 of their last 11 games.


Cincinnati got its leadoff batter on base in four of the first five innings, but never pushed anybody past second with Wood (9-8) on the mound. He left after Brandon Phillips singled with two outs in the sixth, and reliever Chris Hatcher then gave up Todd Frazier's RBI double.


John Lamb (0-2) allowed three runs in five innings.


MARLINS 5, PIRATES 2


MIAMI (AP) - Major-league batting leader Dee Gordon tied a career high with four stolen bases, had two infield hits and scored twice, helping the Marlins beat the Pirates.


Miami's Brad Hand (4-3) pitched into the ninth inning. He came into the game 7-20 as a starter, worst among all active pitchers, according to STATS, but has won three of his past four starts.


A.J. Ramos came on with two on and no outs in the ninth and earned his 22nd save in 27 chances.


Gordon scored the Marlins' first run and reached on a bunt single to begin their three-run sixth against Charlie Morton (8-5). Gordon turned two double plays at second base, including a nifty one started by third baseman Martin Prado.


Gordon hiked his average to .333, and he leads the majors with 156 hits.


ROYALS 3, ORIOLES 2


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Kendrys Morales hit a solo homer, Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer also drove in runs and the Royals leaned on their bullpen to beat the Orioles.


Danny Duffy (7-6) dodged trouble for most of 5 2-3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks. The left-hander struck out five in a start that began in crisp efficiency and ended with the Orioles threatening to pull ahead in the sixth inning.


Luke Hochevar calmed things down with an inning of relief, though. Kelvin Herrera had no trouble with the rest of the seventh and eighth, and Wade Davis pitched a perfect ninth in place of closer Greg Holland to earn his 12th save.


Miguel Gonzalez (9-10) allowed all three runs on six hits and three walks in 4 1-3 innings.


WHITE SOX 5, RED SOX 4


CHICAGO (AP) - Rookie Trayce Thompson drove in three runs, including a go-ahead, two-run double, and the White Sox beat the Red Sox.


Thompson, who was called up Aug. 3, finished 3 for 4 and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. His two-out double sparked a three-run seventh inning, when the White Sox erased a 4-2 deficit.


Melky Cabrera added an RBI single in the seventh for Chicago, which had 15 hits.


The Chicago bullpen protected the one-run lead for the final two innings. Jake Petricka (4-3) picked up the win in relief and combined with Zach Duke and David Robertson to close it out.


Robertson pitched the ninth to earn his 26th save in 32 opportunities.


Wade Miley (10-10) allowed five runs and 13 hits in 6 2-3 innings.


CARDINALS 9, DIAMONDBACKS 1


PHOENIX (AP) - Tommy Pham had his second career three-hit game, Jaime Garcia pitched six strong innings and St. Louis cruised past Arizona.


Three days after his first three-hit game, Pham singled twice and got his second career triple. He scored three times.


Six players had RBIs for the Cardinals, two apiece for Jhonny Peralta, Jason Heyward and Yadier Molina. The Cardinals' Peter Bourjos' got his first career pinch-hit home run.


Garcia (6-4) allowed a run and four hits, striking out six and walking one. The Cardinals, 35 games above .500, earned their MLB-best 80th victory and lengthened their lead to five games over second-place Pittsburgh in the NL Central.


Robbie Ray (3-10) lasted three innings plus two batters. He allowed six runs and five hits. Ray walked five, hit a batter and struck out one.


MARINERS 6, ATHLETICS 5


SEATTLE (AP) - Austin Jackson's bases-loaded, two-run single in the fifth inning capped Seattle's rally from a five-run deficit and led the Mariners past Oakland.


Down 5-0 entering the fourth inning, Nelson Cruz sparked Seattle's comeback with his major league-leading 38th home run, a solo shot off Jesse Chavez. He extended his streak of reaching base safely to 35 straight games.


Logan Morrison, on his 28th birthday, finished the fourth-inning rally with a two-run shot, his 13th, off the foul pole in right.


The Mariners added three runs in the fifth, finishing with Jackson's two-out, go-ahead single that chased Chavez (7-13).


CUBS 8, GIANTS 5


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Kyle Schwarber, Miguel Montero and Starlin Castro all hit home runs in support of another solid outing from Jake Arrieta, and Chicago won its sixth straight.


Schwarber's towering, three-run homer in the third set the tone for the Cubs, who have won 21 of 25 games to pull 7 1/2 games ahead of the Giants for the second wild-card spot.


Arrieta (16-6) had his 13th consecutive quality start, the longest streak by a Cubs pitcher in 23 years. He allowed an unearned run on four hits in six-plus innings.


Arrieta, who took over the major-league lead for wins, walked one and struck out eight, lowering his ERA to 2.22, second in the NL behind Los Angeles Dodgers' Zack Greinke's 1.67.


Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his 24th save


Matt Cain (2-4) lasted five innings, giving up six runs and eight hits.

LEADING OFF: Pineda returns, Price keeps winning


August 25, 2015


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


PINEDA BACK IN PINSTRIPES


Locked in a tight race with Toronto atop the AL East, the New York Yankees get a major boost on the mound as Michael Pineda comes off the disabled list to start a matinee against Houston. The right-hander, sidelined since July 30 with a strained right forearm, is 9-7 with a 3.97 ERA and owns the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the majors among pitchers who have thrown at least 100 innings. Collin McHugh (13-7, 3.96 ERA) gets the ball in the series finale for the AL West-leading Astros.


PRICE CHECK


David Price has yet to lose since joining the Blue Jays in a non-waiver deadline deal and puts his 3-0 record with Toronto on the line against Texas. Price has a 1.78 ERA in four starts since coming over from the Tigers. Colby Lewis (14-5, 4.29) will go for the Rangers having won six of his past seven starts.


WHIFF MACHINE


Chris Sale looks to continue a dominant stretch as the White Sox host the Red Sox. Sale's 3.34 ERA this season is the worst of his career, but he's been better of late, striking out 36 over 21 1-3 innings while winning his last three starts. Sale has struck out 12-plus batters in a game eight times this season, twice as often as any other pitcher in the majors. Rick Porcello (5-11, 5.81) is expected to return from the DL for Boston after dealing with a sore right triceps. He also has the worst ERA of his career.


FAST RETURNS


Jerad Eickhoff, the first prospect acquired in the Cole Hamels trade with Texas to reach the majors, will make his second big league start as the Phillies host the Mets. Eickhoff made a promising debut last Friday at Miami, tossing six scoreless innings in a 7-1 victory. The right-hander impressed Phillies manager Pete Mackanin with his curveball and command and also picked up his first two major league RBIs. Bartolo Colon (10-11, 4.90) pitches for the Mets.


SPIDEY FAN FACES FAVORITE


Chris Archer (11-9, 2.77) will face his favorite player growing up, Torii Hunter, and the Minnesota Twins Wednesday night. The Tampa Bay Rays ace is coming off a one-hit shutout Thursday against the Houston Astros. Archer is 4-0 with a 0.74 ERA in four starts against the Twins.

Preview: Astros (70-57) at Yankees (69-56)
Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 26, 2015 1:05 PM EDT

Collin McHugh has gotten almost no offensive support in his last three starts. He'll have to hope that his next one isn't coming one day too late to change that trend.


Following his team's highest-scoring game of the season, McHugh looks to give the Houston Astros a second straight win over the New York Yankees as well as the returning Michael Pineda on Wednesday in the Bronx.


McHugh (13-7, 3.96 ERA) has gone 1-2 in his last four outings despite a 1.67 ERA. The right-hander, who pitched seven innings and gave up one run in a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday, has received no runs of support in his last two games and one in his past three.


McHugh, who's allowed two or fewer runs six times in his previous seven outings, won his only start against the Yankees 3-1 at home June 28 with eight innings of two-hit, one-run ball.


He'll look to turn in the third straight scoreless performance by a Houston starter in this series. Scott Feldman went eight innings in Monday's 1-0 loss and Dallas Keuchel pitched seven and allowed three hits Tuesday.


Astros starters have given up two or fewer runs in 17 of the past 19 games. Houston boasts the best ERA in the AL at 3.32.


McHugh won't need to be nearly that good if the Astros (70-57) can duplicate their latest offensive performance. Houston pounded Ivan Nova and went on to a 15-1 victory Tuesday, one night after managing four hits.


'We needed an offensive outburst like that,' said manager A.J. Hinch, whose team had scored 17 runs in its previous eight games.


Carlos Gomez and Evan Gattis each homered and drove in four runs for the Astros, winners of six of eight and nine of 13. Gattis is batting .333 in his past nine games and .409 in six career contests against New York.


Wednesday's game could be testy after Gomez jawed with players in New York's dugout after flipping his bat aside when he flied out in the sixth inning, then stood nose to nose with catcher John Ryan Murphy before they were separated. Both benches and bullpens emptied, but the teams quickly went their respective ways without any pushing or shoving.


'I don't mean to disrespect anybody,' Gomez said. 'If you're screaming at me, I'm going to scream at you back.'


'I just told him, `Play the game right,'' Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. 'Show a little professionalism to the pitcher.'


The return of Pineda (9-7, 3.97) from a DL stint due to a forearm strain appears timely for the Yankees with CC Sabathia headed to the disabled list with a knee problem. It's anybody's guess, though, what the right-hander will deliver.


Pineda's season-long inconsistency continued in his last two starts July 18 and 24, as he gave up nine runs in 11 2-3 innings in losses to Seattle and Minnesota. Those efforts followed a three-start stretch in which he posted a 1.25 ERA - the first being an eight-inning effort as he allowed two earned runs opposite McHugh on June 28 to suffer the defeat.


The right-hander has posted a 2.57 ERA in two career starts against the Astros. He owns the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the majors among pitchers who have thrown at least 100 innings (117/15).


New York (69-56) has lost four of six, scoring 16 runs, and fell out of a first-place tie with Toronto in the AL East with the latest loss.


Carlos Correa has recorded two doubles in three at-bats against Pineda.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Astros at Yankees
Mon, Aug 24 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Astros at Yankees
Tue, Aug 25 Final 15 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Astros at Yankees
Wed, Aug 26 - 1:05PM EDT

Preview: Athletics (55-72) at Mariners (58-68)
Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: August 26, 2015 3:40 PM EDT

While he insists there's nothing wrong with him physically, Felix Hernandez hasn't pitched much like the Seattle Mariners' ace during his current unkingly stretch.


On pace for his highest ERA since 2007, Hernandez will try to get on track Wednesday night and lead the Mariners to their ninth win in 13 meetings with the visiting Oakland Athletics.


Even Seattle's stars haven't kept the rotation from posting a 9.11 ERA during a 4-7 stretch. Iwakuma allowed a season-high seven runs in an 11-5 loss in the opener and Hernandez (14-8, 3.74 ERA) has gone 2-3 with an 8.48 ERA over his last five starts.


After giving up a career-high 10 earned runs over 2 1-3 innings in a 22-10 loss at Boston on Aug. 15, Hernandez yielded four runs over six in Friday's 11-4 home defeat to the Chicago White Sox.


The right-hander, who hasn't finished with an ERA above 3.50 in eight years, surrendered a two-run double to Carlos Sanchez in the sixth inning on the way to losing consecutive starts for the first time since dropping four in a row late in the 2013 season.


"I feel really good, outside of that one mistake,' said Hernandez, who still has a chance to match Houston's Dallas Keuchel for the AL lead in victories.


The six-time All-Star has gone 20-8 with a 2.63 ERA in 38 starts versus Oakland. He's 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three meetings in 2015 and 3-0 with a 2.48 mark in four at home over the past two seasons.


Stephen Vogt is 6 for 8 when facing Hernandez this season and 9 for 15 with a home run lifetime, while Marcus Semien is 4 for 8 with two homers.


Semien hit his 11th homer and Billy Burns added three hits Tuesday but Oakland went scoreless over the final seven innings in a 6-5 loss that evened this series.


The AL West-worst A's (55-72) are hitting .339 while scoring 8.0 runs per game in their last three, but they'll try to avoid their 13th loss in 15 road games in the finale.


Oakland rallied from a 5-0 deficit in Monday's win but coughed up a 5-0 lead Tuesday.


'We did it to them and they did it to us,' Billy Butler said. 'It's tough to lose a game like that when you get out to a lead like that.'


They haven't provided much scoring for Chris Bassitt (1-5, 2.48), who since getting called up July 25 has made six starts with a 2.18 ERA - the fifth-lowest in the AL during that span.


The right-hander only has one win over that span while getting 11 runs of support. It was a familiar story Friday when he allowed one run over 6 2-3 innings in a 2-1 home loss to Tampa Bay.


In his only career start versus Seattle (58-68), Bassitt yielded two runs over 5 2-3 innings in a 2-1 home defeat July 5.


Bassitt will have to be cautious with Nelson Cruz, who hit his MLB-leading 38th home run Tuesday. Cruz is batting .347 with 17 homers while reaching safely in 35 consecutive games.


Ketel Marte is 6 for 9 with two doubles and a triple in this series, while Robinson Cano has gone 10 for 23 over his last six games. On Tuesday, Cano became the first player to have 11 straight 30-double seasons to begin a career.


'As far position players go, we all strive for that consistency," outfielder Logan Morrison said.


The Mariners have batted .313 while totaling 19 runs in their last three games and have also scored 5.2 per contest in winning four of five versus Oakland at Safeco.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Athletics at Mariners
Mon, Aug 24 Final 11 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Athletics at Mariners
Tue, Aug 25 Final 5 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Athletics at Mariners
Wed, Aug 26 - 3:40PM EDT

Preview: Angels (64-61) at Tigers (59-66)
Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 26, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

Hector Santiago is supposed to be the All-Star pitcher for a playoff contender entering the prime of his career. Justin Verlander is supposed to be the fragile veteran declining from seasons of dominance.


Over the last six starts for each, those roles haven't held true.


Santiago will try to get back on track Wednesday night with the Los Angeles Angels looking to send the Detroit Tigers' former ace back to his early summer form and his club to a ninth straight loss in the series.


Santiago (7-7, 2.91 ERA) followed his first All-Star selection up with a third straight win, but he's plummeted since, going 0-3 with a 5.06 ERA in his last six. The latest was the worst for the left-hander, as Santiago gave up four runs - two earned - and three hits with four walks in 3 2-3 innings of Friday's 9-2 home loss to Toronto.


His walks per nine innings is at 3.66 during the struggles after he posted a 2.78 mark in his first 19 games.


"I was trying to hit too many spots, and when you try to make too many good pitches, you start missing," Santiago said. "My mechanics weren't there, and I just wasn't driving the ball the way I've been doing it. ... I just kind of fell apart."


He's traditionally been strong against Detroit, posting a 1.71 ERA in six starts and seven relief efforts, though it's resulted in a 1-3 record. Jose Iglesias (2 for 7) is the only Tigers player with multiple at-bats and an average over .231 against Santiago. Alex Aliva (0 for 8 with five strikeouts), Nick Castellanos (0 for 7), Rajai Davis (1 for 10), J.D. Martinez (1 for 6) and Miguel Cabrera (2 for 11) head up the struggles.


Verlander (1-6, 3.86) has his ERA at its lowest mark since his first start of the season, and his last six have been a 180-degree turn from his first six. The right-hander gave up two runs - one earned - and four hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings of Friday's 2-0 home loss to Texas.


The wins aren't yet coming, but Verlander is 1-3 with a 1.67 ERA in six starts after going 0-3 with a 6.62 mark in his first six since returning from a strained right triceps, which cost him more than two months to start the season.


"I do feel better. I've been throwing the ball better than at any point last year," Verlander said. "Obviously I'm pleased with the results, with all the work that I've put in. But it comes down to winning."


That hasn't happened consistently against the Angels with a 4-6 record and 4.07 ERA in 13 career starts. Albert Pujols is 6 for 12 against Verlander while Shane Victorino is 1 for 9.


Pujols starred in Tuesday's 8-7 win in Detroit with a three-run homer, giving him four home runs and nine RBIs in five games against the Tigers this season. His career .437 average at Comerica Park is his best at any ballpark while his 1.346 OPS is second to only Nationals Park.


The Angels (64-61) ended a four-game losing streak and extended the Tigers' slide to five. Detroit (59-66) can match a season-high five-game home skid Wednesday.


Los Angeles might have to figure something out at second base. Johnny Giavotella (undisclosed illness) landed on the disabled list Tuesday and replacement Grant Green left after three innings with a knee injury.


Cabrera was 3 for 5 with three RBIs and is batting .537 during a 10-game hitting streak. He's inching toward eligibility for his fourth batting title in five years.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Angels at Tigers
Tue, Aug 25 Final 8 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Angels at Tigers
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:08PM EDT


GAME 3
Angels at Tigers
Thu, Aug 27 - 1:08PM EDT

Preview: Padres (61-64) at Nationals (63-61)
Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 26, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals don't play the New York Mets for a couple of weeks, but they're already planning ahead for their final two series versus the NL East leaders.


It won't make a difference, though, unless they take care of current business.


After ace Max Scherzer's scheduled start against the San Diego Padres was bumped, Gio Gonzalez will try to lead the Nationals to their fourth straight win Wednesday night.


Washington (63-61) began preparing for a pair of September series against the Mets on Tuesday, announcing that Scherzer would be pushed back to Saturday. The move allows the Nationals to line up Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg for both sets.


Of course, none of that will matter if they can't remain close in the meantime. Washington remains 5 1/2 games back of New York after an 8-3 win Tuesday in the opener of this three-game home series.


Ryan Zimmerman hit a sixth-inning grand slam, Wilson Ramos added a two-run shot and the hot-hitting Nationals won their third in a row for the first time since July 12-17.


"It's too early to be scoreboard watching," Scherzer insisted. "It's still August."


Scherzer will give way to Gonzalez (9-6, 3.98 ERA), who allowed 11 runs and 13 hits in 7 2-3 innings while losing his last two starts. He was 4-1 with a 1.93 ERA in his previous six at home before giving up five runs over five in Friday's 10-3 loss to Milwaukee.


Gonzalez is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in three starts against the Padres, but hasn't faced them since July 2013. Derek Norris has two homers and a walk in three plate appearances against him, while Matt Kemp is 2 for 5 with a homer and Justin Upton 5 for 16 with three.


Kemp went 0 for 3 Tuesday to snap a 15-game hitting streak. Jedd Gyorko was a bright spot with two homers as San Diego (61-64) dropped its second straight after a 9-2 stretch.


Tyson Ross (8-9, 3.32), whose younger brother Joe is now scheduled to start for the Nationals on Thursday, has allowed three earned runs or less in each of his last 12 starts while going 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA.


"It's going to be exciting. I know my parents are going to be excited about it," Tyson Ross told MLB's official website. "How often do you get to see both your boys throw on back-to-back nights?"


Ross gave up one run over six innings last Wednesday but didn't factor into the decision of a 3-2 home win over Atlanta.


The right-hander has been better on the road, going 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA in his last seven starts. He's 1-1 with a 6.10 ERA in two career starts against Washington, though he limited the Nats to two runs over five innings in an 8-3 home win May 14.


Bryce Harper is 2 for 3 with a home run when facing Ross, while Anthony Rendon is 2 for 5 with a homer. Ian Desmond, Yunel Escobar and Zimmerman are a combined 3 for 20.


The Nationals have hit .274 with 10 home runs and averaged 6.7 runs while winning five of seven. They've also won 11 of 15 meetings with San Diego while scoring 6.3 per game.


Washington drew seven more walks Tuesday, giving the club 45 free passes in its last seven. Ross has the second-highest walks-per-nine-innings ratio in the majors at 4.15.


"This lineup we have right now, this is what we wanted all year long," Harper said. "If we play like this, I think we'll be just fine."




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Padres at Nationals
Tue, Aug 25 Final 3 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Padres at Nationals
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Padres at Nationals
Thu, Aug 27 - 7:05PM EDT

Preview: Mets (69-56) at Phillies (50-76)
Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 26, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The New York Mets began their current winning streak by bailing out Bartolo Colon with a big offensive night.


As Colon looks for a more effective outing, the visiting Mets will try to maintain their steady offensive production and their dominance over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.


Colon (10-11, 4.90 ERA) has been plagued by inconsistency while going 1-4 with a 6.08 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break. He's alternated poor and solid efforts during that stretch and might be in good shape to continue that trend after he yielded seven runs and three homers in 3 2-3 innings of Friday's 14-9 win at Colorado.


Beginning with that victory, New York (69-56) has scored 55 runs, clubbed 15 homers and batted .355 during a five-game winning streak. Colon was hit on the hand with a pitch in that contest, but stayed in the game and does not seem to have any lingering issues.


"It did affect me a little bit but it's not an excuse," the right-hander told MLB's official website. "It had nothing to do with my performance. I'm glad the team picked me up."


Colon has posted a 5.25 ERA but is 2-0 this season against the Phillies (50-76), who are 1-10 during the season series and will try to avoid losing eight straight to the Mets in one year for the first time.


It's uncertain if Philadelphia's frustration boiled over Tuesday when the benches emptied in the seventh after Mets reliever Hansel Robles threw a pitch to Darin Ruf before the Phillies batter was ready. The incident was settled and no punches were thrown.


New York, which is 6-1 on a nine-game trip, hasn't won six straight on the road since a seven-game run in June 2010.


Michael Cuddyer hit a go-ahead two-run, pinch-hit single in the sixth and Yoenis Cespedes belted a two-run homer as the Mets won for the 17th time in their last 23 games, 6-5 on Tuesday. Cespedes has seven homers and 20 RBIs in 22 games since joining the Mets.


New York gets its first crack at Jerad Eickhoff, who allowed five hits and struck out five in six scoreless innings of Friday's 7-1 victory at Miami in his major league debut. The right-hander was part of last month's trade that sent Cole Hamels to Texas.


"So far it's a real good trade. He came as advertised," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He told us and we were told that he likes to pound the strike zone with all of his pitches and he showed that he's able to do that."


Eickhoff also delivered a two-run single to add to his special night.


"It's surreal," he said. "You grow up dreaming about this and words can't describe. It's just unbelievable."


Freddy Galvis is batting .375 with five RBIs in the last six contests and .357 against New York this season. He's 3 for 6 with a double while facing Colon.


Ryan Howard has homered in each of the first two games of this set, but is batting .211 with a pair of home runs against Colon.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mets at Phillies
Mon, Aug 24 Final 16 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Mets at Phillies
Tue, Aug 25 Final 6 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Mets at Phillies
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Mets at Phillies
Thu, Aug 27 - 7:05PM EDT

Preview: Brewers (53-73) at Indians (59-66)
Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 26, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Cody Anderson was supposed to pitch for Single-A Lake County to start the week, but rather than a low-level rehab start, the Cleveland Indians rookie is jumping back to the majors to fill in for Carlos Carrasco.


Anderson has been on the disabled list since Aug. 8 with a left oblique strain, and his return will come at least a few days earlier than expected Wednesday night as the Indians host the Milwaukee Brewers in the conclusion of a two-game series.


Considering how his first four big league starts went and the shift that followed, a new beginning might be appealing for Anderson (2-3, 4.31 ERA). The right-hander was 2-1 with a 0.89 ERA in his first four starts. After the All-Star break, he was 0-2 with a 10.19 mark in his next four.


With Carrasco landing on the DL with a sore shoulder, Anderson is hoping health will send him back toward more favorable numbers, though the depth of his rehab was a bullpen session Friday.


"I was trying to rear back and throw it even harder," Anderson told MLB's official website. "That's when I felt it and just kind of became ineffective after that.


"It's just really hard to pitch with that. It's kind of like the backbone of pitching, your side, driving to the plate. It just wouldn't allow me to get through the ball."


Anderson also needs some improvement at home. He's 1-1 with a 5.56 ERA in four starts at Progressive Field compared to a 3.20 ERA in four on the road.


Milwaukee's Jimmy Nelson is further along into discrediting his early season struggles. Nelson (10-9, 3.60) was 3-8 with a season-high 4.64 ERA through his first 14 starts. In 11 since, the right-hander has a 2.39 ERA.


He's been even better since the All-Star break, going 4-0 with a 2.15 mark in seven outings for easily the best stretch of his career.


Cleveland's Abraham Almonte is 2 for 2 with a home run against Nelson, and the center fielder's triple was just a small part of the offense in Tuesday's 11-6 win over Milwaukee.


Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor and Michael Brantley all went 3 for 4 with Brantley connecting on a pair of two-run homers. The left fielder is batting .385 with a 1.083 OPS in 33 games since the All-Star break, and Lindor is 10 for 16 with two homers and five RBIs in four games.


Kipnis is 12 for 17 in his last four games at Progressive to boost his MLB-leading home average to .383.


The Indians (59-66) weren't able to get on any kind of roll on their preceding 5-6 road trip, but they've won six of eight at home with 8.8 runs per game.


The Brewers (53-73) have lost three straight. Despite Nelson's success, the starting staff has a 9.51 ERA over a 2-5 span. Two errors didn't help Tuesday as Milwaukee's 92 for the season matched Pittsburgh's total for the most in the NL.


"We gave them some runs," manager Craig Counsell said. "We have to play a cleaner game. It's hard enough, but giving the other team runs makes it real hard."


Four home runs, two of which came from Jonathan Lucroy, weren't enough for Milwaukee to keep up with Cleveland. Lucroy has three homers in his last two games after totaling four in his first 81 contests of the season. The catcher is a career .322 hitter with a .908 OPS against AL teams.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Brewers at Indians
Tue, Aug 25 Final 6 to 11
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Indians
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:10PM EDT

Preview: Rockies (50-74) at Braves (54-72)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 26, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

On one hand, Shelby Miller is on pace to join elite company for the traditionally pitching-rich Atlanta Braves. On the other, he's nearing franchise infamy.


Miller is hoping to get some run support as he tries to avoid the single-season club record for consecutive starts without a win Wednesday night against the visiting Colorado Rockies.


The right-hander has been outstanding in his first season with the Braves (54-72), allowing two earned runs or fewer in 19 of 25 starts.


Miller (5-10, 2.50 ERA) is on pace to become only the third Atlanta pitcher to finish with a 2.50 ERA or lower while making at least 25 starts since 1990. Greg Maddux accomplished that five times and Tom Glavine did it once during their illustrious tenures.


The All-Star, though, has dropped nine decisions during a 17-start winless streak in which he's had an MLB-low 1.55 run-support average. It's the franchise's third-longest such stretch since 1966 behind Carl Morton's 22-game streak in '75-76 and Jo-Jo Reyes' 18-gamer in '08-09.


He's also tied with Morton and Huck Betts (1935) for the longest single-season drought since 1914.


"It's tough," right fielder Nick Markakis told MLB's official website. "It's frustrating for him and for us. We just got to keep plugging away."


The Braves provided three runs for Miller on Friday, but hurt him with some shoddy defense in a 5-3 loss at Wrigley Field. He allowed five runs - three earned - and struck out eight over 6 1-3 innings.


The 24-year-old has been particularly good at Turner Field, posting a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts. However, he hasn't received any runs there in five of his last seven outings.


Miller gave up a season-high five earned runs and 11 hits over five innings in a 5-3 loss at Coors Field on July 10. But he's 2-0 with an 0.60 ERA in two career home starts versus the Rockies.


Carlos Gonzalez homered off Miller at Coors, but could miss his second straight game after hurting his right knee Monday. Nolan Arenado is just 1 for 9 in the matchup.


Colorado (50-74) batted .158 while totaling eight runs during a five-game road losing streak before DJ LeMahieu went 3 for 4 with three RBIs in Tuesday's 5-1 win that evened this series. Charlie Blackmon extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a first-inning single.


The Rockies are turning to former Atlanta farmhand Yohan Flande (3-1, 3.94) in the finale as they try to win back-to-back games for only the second time since the All-Star break.


The left-hander is 2-0 with a 3.90 ERA in five starts since joining the rotation. He worked a career-high seven innings Thursday, yielding two runs and three hits in a 3-2 win over Washington.


"He's not scared - that's one of the biggest things," manager Walt Weiss said. "He attacks the strike zone, and the ball moves."


Flande will get his first look at an Atlanta team that went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position Tuesday in its eighth loss in nine games. Third baseman Adonis Garcia made three errors.


Markakis stayed hot with two hits and the only RBI, leaving him with a .433 average and six RBIs over his last seven games. Cameron Maybin, who has four straight two-hit home games, is likely to be back in the lineup after getting Tuesday off.






SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rockies at Braves
Mon, Aug 24 Final 3 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Rockies at Braves
Tue, Aug 25 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Rockies at Braves
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:10PM EDT

Preview: Pirates (75-49) at Marlins (51-75)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 26, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Jeff Locke has yet to pitch in the playoffs despite being a member of Pittsburgh's rotation for the majority of the past two seasons, and there's little reason to believe that will change if the Pirates reserve another spot in October.


If he doesn't look better Wednesday night, he might find himself out of a job by September.


Coming off yet another short outing, Locke could be pitching for his rotation spot as the visiting Pirates and Marlins continue this four-game series in Miami.


Locke (6-8, 4.56 ERA) had a 2.40 ERA prior to the All-Star break from 2013-14 that ballooned to 5.29 in the second half, and that downward trend is present again this year.


The left-hander was hardly great in the first half with a 4.03 ERA, but he's been far worse while going 1-2 with a 6.39 ERA in his past six outings. He hasn't completed six innings in any of them, needing 92 pitches to get through five while allowing each run and 11 hits in Friday's 6-4 loss to San Francisco.


"It was poor. Really poor. I just never settled in," Locke said.


Locke has allowed six homers in his last five starts, one fewer than he surrendered in his first 19. With Vance Worley pitching well for Triple-A Indianapolis, another poor start could put Locke's spot in jeopardy with rosters set to expand before his next scheduled outing.


He's 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his last three starts against the Marlins (51-75). One of the two homers he's allowed in those outings was hit by Giancarlo Stanton, who said Tuesday that he's about 10 days away from returning from the broken hand that's sidelined him for two months.


Locke's counterpart Wednesday has seen four balls fly over the fence in his last four outings, which wouldn't sound quite so bad if he had been on the mound at the start of any of those.


Chris Narveson (1-0, 3.86) has been in the Marlins' bullpen since arriving from Triple-A New Orleans on Aug. 5, but with rookie Kendry Flores scratched due to shoulder tendinitis, Narveson will make his first start in the majors since April 15, 2012, with Milwaukee.


The left-hander tore his left rotator cuff in that outing, spent most of 2013 in the minors and 2014 in Japan with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He had a 5.20 ERA in six starts with the Zephyrs this season.


Narveson won't be a complete unknown to the Pirates (75-49). He made five starts against them in 2010 and 2011 while with the Brewers, winning the last four behind a 2.22 ERA. He shouldn't be surprised to find Michael Morse in Pittsburgh's lineup. Morse is 6 for 9 with two homers and three doubles when facing Narveson.


The Pirates didn't have much success against another unimposing left-hander Tuesday. Brad Hand, who had never gone more than 7 1-3 innings in 38 career starts, pitched into the ninth in the Marlins' 5-2 win.


Dee Gordon had two hits and four of Miami's five stolen bases, bumping Pittsburgh's major league-leading total of steals allowed to 114.


"He was the catalyst," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said of Gordon. "He's our spark plug."


Locke hasn't allowed a stolen base in his last four starts, but he could easily find himself dealing with Gordon on the basepaths in this one. The majors' leader with a .333 average, Gordon has been even better (.354) against lefties.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Pirates at Marlins
Mon, Aug 24 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Pirates at Marlins
Tue, Aug 25 Final 2 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Pirates at Marlins
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Pirates at Marlins
Thu, Aug 27 - 7:10PM EDT

Preview: Dodgers (68-56) at Reds (52-72)
Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 26, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers have maintained their lead atop the NL West despite the fact that they've only been able to beat the Cincinnati Reds over the last week and a half.


Los Angeles reached its low point during its slump the last time Brett Anderson pitched, and he'll take the mound looking to help deliver another win over the Reds on Wednesday night in Cincinnati.


The Dodgers (68-56) took the final three of a four-game series with the Reds (52-72) that ended Aug. 16, then proceeded to drop two in Oakland and three in Houston over the weekend.


Justin Turner went 1 for 22 over his previous six before hitting a two-run homer in Tuesday's 5-1 win over Cincinnati that snapped an eight-game road losing streak. Jimmy Rollins, who was 3 for 22 during the Dodgers' five-game skid, also hit a two-run shot and doubled.


Los Angeles' offense came to life after scoring nine times while hitting .163 during its winless stretch. It has kept a slim division lead despite its recent issues with San Francisco unable to capitalize during its own slump.


'It's a very big win - needed,' Rollins said. 'It was good to get back on track. The marathon part of the season is over. Now, it's a five-week sprint.'


Anderson (7-8, 3.52 ERA) went 4-2 with a 2.43 ERA in nine starts from June 16-Aug. 5 to bring his ERA down to 3.06, but he's gone 1-2 with a 6.88 ERA over his last three. His lone victory in that stretch came when he gave up three runs in six innings of an 8-3 win over the Reds on Aug. 15 in his only career start against them.


The left-hander didn't get any support Friday as Houston's Mike Fiers no-hit the Dodgers.


"The only way we would have had a chance is if we would have (held the Astros) scoreless," Anderson said after the 3-0 defeat. "It doesn't matter if I gave up one, two, three or 10, we were going to lose. You just have to tip your cap to Fiers and move on to the next one."


Anderson again will be matched up against David Holmberg (1-3, 6.57), who allowed a career-high seven runs and five hits - including homers from Kike Hernandez, Adrian Gonzalez and Turner - while walking four over two-plus innings in the shortest of his 11 career starts.


The left-hander wasn't much better Friday, giving up two homers, five runs and a career-worst 11 hits in a 6-3 loss to Arizona.


'It was another night when the command I'm looking for wasn't there,' Holmberg said. 'I need to go deeper in the game.'


Reds starters have gotten an out past the sixth inning just twice while posting a 7.01 ERA over their last 14. The offense didn't provide much help Tuesday, mustering only Todd Frazier's RBI double in the sixth after ending a nine-game losing streak with Monday's 12-5 win over Detroit.


Frazier, Brandon Phillips and Ivan De Jesus Jr. finished with two hits apiece for the Reds, who have dropped nine of 10 at home.


Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson, once considered to be among the front-runners for NL Rookie of the Year, is expected to be out of the starting lineup for the fourth straight game. He's batting .093 with 24 strikeouts since July 26 and has four hits in his last 41 at-bats against left-handers.


Yasmani Grandal likely won't play until Thursday because of a sore left shoulder.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Dodgers at Reds
Tue, Aug 25 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Dodgers at Reds
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Dodgers at Reds
Thu, Aug 27 - 12:35PM EDT

Preview: Twins (64-61) at Rays (62-63)
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 26, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Chris Archer is coming off perhaps the best performance of his career in time to possibly continue his dominance against the Minnesota Twins.


The Tampa Bay Rays right-hander looks to remain undefeated against the Twins, who will try for their first six-game road winning streak in eight seasons Wednesday night.


Five days after Archer (11-9, 2.77 ERA) allowed eight runs and 11 hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 12-4 loss at Texas, he tossed a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts in Thursday's 1-0 win at Houston.


'He's the real deal," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said.


With 205 strikeouts, the first-time All-Star reached 200 for the first time in his third full season to join Scott Kazmir, David Price and James Shields as the only pitchers in Rays history to fan that many.


'There's really no better feeling than when you accomplish your goals and it happens so infrequently that it's very exhilarating,' he said.


Manager Kevin Cash continues to be impressed with the mental approach Archer brings to each outing.


'He takes a lot of pride in every five days going out there and giving us an opportunity to win," Cash said. "By knowing what he says and what he's about, he was definitely motivated simply because he expects a lot of himself to help this team."


Archer's received only five runs of support while going 0-2 with a 3.24 ERA in his last four home starts. He hasn't, however, needed much offense against Minnesota (64-61), winning all four outings with a 0.74 ERA. He allowed only his second earned run in those starts over six innings in an 11-3 win at Target Field on May 17.


"Archer is nasty, said All-Star second baseman Brian Dozier, who is 0 for 10 against him but homered in Tuesday's 11-7 victory.


Rookie Miguel Sano had a three-run homer for the Twins, who have won five straight after being swept in a three-game set at Yankee Stadium to open this 10-game trip. Sitting one-half game out of the AL's final wild-card spot, Minnesota last won six straight on the road in August 2007 - four years before its most recent six-game overall winning streak.


Sano has homered in back-to-back games and five times while recording 12 RBIs in the last eight.


Teammate Tyler Duffey (2-1, 4.60) allowed six runs on two homers in two innings of a 9-7 loss at Toronto in his major league debut Aug. 5, but has yielded two runs over 13 2-3 innings to win the next two. He gave up both runs and scattered 10 hits in 7 2-3 innings of Thursday's 15-2 rout of Baltimore.


"For the most part, (the curveball) is always my put-away pitch," the right-hander told MLB's official website. "It's just one of those things where if they are swinging at it, I'm going to keep throwing it."


He'll face a Tampa Bay club that overcame an early 3-0 hole to forge a 5-all tie on Tuesday before its four-game home winning streak ended.


Appealing his one-game suspension for making contact with an umpire Saturday, James Loney recorded his second straight three-hit home game and had three RBIs. He's batting .479 with 13 RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak against the Twins.


It's uncertain when outfielder Desmond Jennings (knee) and catcher Curt Casali (hamstring) will be available for the Rays after both were injured Tuesday.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Twins at Rays
Tue, Aug 25 Final 11 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Twins at Rays
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Twins at Rays
Thu, Aug 27 - 7:10PM EDT

Preview: Blue Jays (70-55) at Rangers (64-60)
Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 26, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Ending a 21-year playoff drought appears inevitable for the Toronto Blue Jays, who should credit general manager Alex Anthopoulos for being aggressive in the trade market.


A night after Troy Tulowitzki's late hit helped put Toronto alone atop the AL East, David Price looks to guide the Blue Jays to a fifth straight victory when he faces the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night in Arlington.


Toronto (70-55) has won 20 of 24 since Anthopoulos traded for Tulowitzki on July 28, and the club moved a game ahead of the New York Yankees with Tuesday's 6-5 victory in the opener of this three-game series.


Tulowitzki's two-out RBI single in the ninth tied it before Josh Donaldson, a front-runner for the AL MVP after being acquired from Oakland in the offseason, hit a high chopper to Adrian Beltre. The Rangers' third baseman made a wide throw to first, and his error allowed Ben Revere to score the go-ahead run.


"(Tulowitzki is) one of the best players in baseball, has been for a number of years," manager John Gibbons said. "Right guy, right time."


Chris Colabello, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion homered for the Blue Jays, who are poised to make their first postseason appearance since winning the second of back-to-back World Series titles in 1993.


Price (12-4, 2.40 ERA) has been doing his part, going 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA in four starts since coming over from Detroit at the non-waiver deadline. He gave up two runs and struck out nine in eight innings of Friday's 9-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.


The left-hander received three runs of support combined in his final three starts with the Tigers, the same amount he got before he even took the mound against the Angels. The majors' top offense has provided him with an average of 6.82 runs per nine innings.


"When you have your go-to guy on the mound and you get three early runs, he was in cruise mode from there," said Revere, who was acquired from Philadelphia at the trade deadline. "(Price) gets that edge. You look in his eyes, and he's all about his game."


Price is 2-2 with a 7.36 ERA in five career starts in Arlington, but he pitched a complete game the last time he was there to lead Tampa Bay over the Rangers 5-2 on Sept. 30, 2013, in a wild-card tiebreaker.


Elvis Andrus is 10 for 23 lifetime against Price and went 2 for 4 on Tuesday. Rougned Odor homered and had an RBI double, but he left with a finger injury suffered warming up before the start of the seventh inning.


The Rangers (64-60) had their three-game winning streak snapped and their lead for the second wild card trimmed to one-half game over the Angels and Minnesota.


"It's not fun to lose, and it's not fun to lose like this," said closer Shawn Tolleson, who blew his second save in 27 chances.


Texas has lost seven of the last eight home meetings with the Blue Jays and sends Colby Lewis (14-5, 4.29) to the hill looking to get back on track.


Lewis' 6.95 run-support average - ranked fourth in baseball - is part of the reason he's looking to become the AL's second 15-game winner after Houston's Dallas Keuchel beat the Yankees on Tuesday.


The right-hander hasn't needed much offense lately, though. He gave up one run in a 12-4 win over Tampa Bay on Aug. 15 before giving up six hits over seven innings of a 2-0 win over Detroit in his first scoreless outing since May 1.


Lewis, though, has a 7.12 ERA in nine career starts against Toronto.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Rangers
Tue, Aug 25 Final 6 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Blue Jays at Rangers
Wed, Aug 26 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Blue Jays at Rangers
Thu, Aug 27 - 2:05PM EDT

Preview: Red Sox (57-69) at White Sox (59-65)
Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 26, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Chris Sale has mentioned throughout his successful career that there's a time to enjoy personal accomplishments. With the Chicago White Sox trying to remain a relevant postseason contender, this is not one of them.


The left-hander can help that cause while trying to win a season-high fourth straight start Wednesday night against the visiting Boston Red Sox.


Sale (12-7, 3.34 ERA) has a 2.11 ERA in his last three starts, and struck out a two-game club record 29 in the last two. He leads the AL with 222 strikeouts - four shy of his career high set in 2013.


Sale's 12.16 strikeouts per nine innings is the highest in baseball since Randy Johnson's 13.41 in 2001. His swing-and-miss percentage of 33.8 also is the highest since Pedro Martinez's 35.8 in 1999. However, with Chicago (59-65) struggling to remain a serious playoff contender, he doesn't have time to really consume that personal success.


'It's something I'll look back on at the end of the season and probably appreciate it a little more then," Sale said.


If Sale's to win a fourth consecutive start for the first time since 2012, he'll need to be better than July 30 when he allowed seven runs and a career-high 12 hits in five-plus innings of an 8-2 loss at Boston (57-69).


That defeat ended a season-high seven-game winning streak for Chicago, and also began its current 10-15 stretch. However, the White Sox evened this three-game series with a comeback 5-4 victory Tuesday.


"You continue to play hard and be optimistic," said Chicago manager Robin Ventura, whose club is five games out of the final wild-card spot but has four teams ahead of it.


Trayce Thompson delivered a go-ahead two-run double and had one other RBI as Chicago scored three times in the seventh inning to keep from wasting a 15-hit performance Tuesday. Thompson is 12 for 23 with five RBIs in his first 11 major league games.


'He belongs here and he knows that,' Ventura said. 'The way he's taking at-bats, he's going up there being aggressive and confidence is high with him right now.'


Though Thompson has not faced Rick Porcello (5-11, 5.81), plenty of his teammates have fared well against the right-hander.


Melky Cabrera is batting .545 in 22 at-bats and Avisail Garcia .467 in 15 against him. Meanwhile, Adam LaRoche, Geovany Soto, Carlos Sanchez and Adam Eaton are a combined 15 for 28 against Porcello, who has a 7.90 ERA while losing his last three starts against Chicago.


He'll come off the disabled list from a strained triceps to pitch for the first time since giving up six runs and 10 hits in two-plus innings of a 9-2 loss to the White Sox on July 29.


"He's worked hard to get back to this point," interim manager Torey Lovullo told MLB's official website. "He's had a couple of real good rehab outings. I'm anxious to see what it looks like (Wednesday)."


With two hits Tuesday, Boston's Mookie Betts is batting .327 with nine RBIs in his last 11 games. He's 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles against Sale.


David Ortiz is batting .385 against Sale and Xander Bogaerts is 4 for 8 with a home run.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Red Sox at White Sox
Mon, Aug 24 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Red Sox at White Sox
Tue, Aug 25 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Red Sox at White Sox
Wed, Aug 26 - 8:10PM EDT

Preview: Orioles (62-63) at Royals (77-48)
Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 26, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

It's all but assured that the Kansas City Royals will be AL Central champions and part of the playoffs for a second straight season. It's also becoming apparent that they won't be seeing the Baltimore Orioles there again.


The Royals seek their ninth straight win over the spiraling Orioles on Wednesday night as Johnny Cueto looks to rebound from a dismal performance.


With a 13-game lead in the Central and the best record in the league, it's looking very likely that Kansas City (77-48) will be a division winner for the first time since 1985. The Royals made their first playoff appearance since that year last season and swept the Orioles in the ALCS en route to the World Series.


After scoring seven runs in the sixth inning to take Monday's opener 8-3, Kansas City had no need for a comeback Tuesday in a 3-2 victory. Kendrys Morales homered and three relievers worked 3 1-3 scoreless innings to lift the Royals to their 14th win in 18 games and 12th in 14 at home.


'They did an awesome job,' Royals manager Ned Yost said of his bullpen. 'It's what they do.'


Mike Moustakas added a run-scoring single and is batting .375 with three homers and eight RBIs during a six-game hit streak.


A slumping offense continues to plague Baltimore (62-63), which has scored 15 runs and batted .225 during a season-high six-game skid to fall below .500 for the first time since July 26. The Orioles last dropped seven in row as part of a nine-game slide July 4-15, 2011.


'We've just got to figure out a way to score more runs,' manager Buck Showalter said. 'That's one of the reasons why they're sitting where they are, is they don't give up many."


Several of their best hitters are slumping at the worst time. Chris Davis is 0 for his last 16 with nine strikeouts, while Manny Machado is batting .154 in the losing streak.


Both will get their first look at what should be a very motivated Cueto (2-2, 3.00 ERA), who was roughed up for seven runs and a career-high 13 hits over six innings in a 7-2 loss at Boston on Friday.


That performance came after the right-hander allowed six runs in his first four starts with Kansas City.


"Just a bad outing. I'm going to keep my head up and get them next time," Cueto told MLB's official website through an interpreter.


Cueto has quickly taken a liking to pitching at Kauffman Stadium, going 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA in two starts there since joining the Royals.


He has never faced the Orioles but is plenty familiar with Gerardo Parra, who is 7 for 23 with two home runs in their matchups.


Baltimore hopes Wei-Yin Chen (7-6, 3.13) can continue his string of solid outings. The left-hander is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in his last three starts and was in line to win his fourth straight decision Friday against Minnesota. He allowed one run in six innings but the bullpen faltered in a 4-3 loss.


He'll oppose the Royals for the first time since a 2-1 loss in Game 3 of the ALCS. Chen is 1-2 with a 4.07 ERA in seven career starts against Kansas City but has a 2.55 ERA in the past three.


This has been a very favorable matchup for Eric Hosmer, who is 9 for 20 with two homers and a double against Chen. Lorenzo Cain (.400) and Ben Zobrist (.371) have also hit him well.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Orioles at Royals
Mon, Aug 24 Final 3 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Orioles at Royals
Tue, Aug 25 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores

GAME 3
Orioles at Royals
Wed, Aug 26 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Orioles at Royals
Thu, Aug 27 - 2:10PM EDT

Preview: Cardinals (80-45) at Diamondbacks (62-63)
Game: 3
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 26, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

It's not all that uncommon for the St. Louis Cardinals to reach 35 games over .500 in a season. It's less common for them to do it this early in the year, but when they do, a trip to the World Series has almost always followed.


The next step is ensuring themselves at least a .500 season, and that foregone conclusion can come as early as Wednesday night in Arizona while marking their fastest pace to 81 wins since 2004.


After Tuesday's 9-1 win over the Diamondbacks, the Cardinals (80-45) are 35 over in 125 games or fewer for the 13th time in franchise history.


Of the previous seven times they've done it in the World Series era, they've reached the Fall Classic six times. The only exception came in 1941 when they missed out on the NL pennant by 2 1/2 games to the Brooklyn Dodgers despite finishing 41 games over.


This team also remains in a competitive division race with Pittsburgh sitting 4 1/2 games back and Chicago 6 1/2, giving the Central the top three teams in the NL - though St. Louis hasn't given up any ground on a three-game winning streak.


"We keep track of (the record) but we're right in the middle of a dogfight in our division," manager Mike Matheny said. "I think it's good for us, to be honest with you, just keep pressing and make sure we're not backing off. There's no time for that."


Yadier Molina had two RBIs for a third straight game and Tommy Pham went 3 for 5 to improve his average to .400 in the last six after batting .160 in his first 15.


"They seem to be pretty energized," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "I don't know if it is hitting in our ballpark. Some teams have come in here and done that but they are really playing well."


Arizona (62-63), which has topped out at 81 wins over the past three seasons, is in danger of matching a season-worst four-game home skid.


Paul Goldschmidt was 2 for 2 but is batting .247 in 23 games this month.


The Cardinals have won 11 of the last 12 in the series, but road wins haven't come easily with John Lackey on the mound.


The Cardinals are 10-3 when Lackey (10-8, 2.99 ERA) starts at home and 3-9 on the road - despite being eight games over .500 as a team. He's been given better run support on the road (4.52), so it falls back on his 4.40 away ERA opposed to a 1.91 home mark.


The trend continued in Friday's 9-3 loss in San Diego as the right-hander gave up five runs - four earned - and nine hits in six innings. While it ended a string of 12 straight quality starts, plenty of blame landed on the three errors made behind him in a five-run fifth.


"First couple of innings I felt as good as I have felt all year," Lackey said. "It came down to that fifth inning. I struck out the side that inning. I felt pretty good."


Lackey is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts against the Diamondbacks, but he hasn't seen them since 2010.


He'll face Patrick Corbin (3-3, 4.09), who hasn't lost in his last five starts but deserved to his last time out. The left-hander gave up four runs and eight hits in two innings of Thursday's 5-4 win in Cincinnati for his worst start of the season, regressing after going 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA in his previous five starts.


The 26-year-old is making his 10th start back from Tommy John surgery.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cardinals at Diamondbacks
Mon, Aug 24 Final 5 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Cardinals at Diamondbacks
Tue, Aug 25 Final 9 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Cardinals at Diamondbacks
Wed, Aug 26 - 9:40PM EDT


GAME 4
Cardinals at Diamondbacks
Thu, Aug 27 - 9:40PM EDT

Preview: Cubs (73-51) at Giants (66-59)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: August 26, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

Spending 19 consecutive days in your home city is a rarity during the season, and the Chicago Cubs took full advantage while adding to their lead for the final NL playoff spot.


They seem to be just as comfortable now that they're back on the road.


Chicago can put more distance between itself and the San Francisco Giants in the wild-card race by winning a seventh straight game Wednesday night.


The Cubs (73-51) began their extended Windy City stay by sweeping a four-game series against the Giants (66-59) from Aug. 6-9. They played three road games on the South Side against the White Sox in that stretch as they became the first team since Pittsburgh and Montreal in 2001 to play at least 17 straight in its home city.


Chicago went 14-3 during that run, capped by Kris Bryant's walkoff homer to beat Cleveland on Monday, then matched its 2014 win total with an 8-5 victory over San Francisco on Tuesday to open a six-game trip.


Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run homer and is batting .342 in 21 road games since making his major league debut June 17. He's the first Cub since 1900 to hit 12 homers in the first 42 games of his career.


The rookie went 1 for 19 over his previous five.


'I've been struggling lately but I felt good in the box,' Schwarber said. 'I still have to learn to put yesterday behind and move on. We're just trying to maintain our focus throughout the game.'


Miguel Montero had a two-run shot and Starlin Castro also homered while finishing with three hits for Chicago, which has won 21 of 25 and leads the Giants by 7 1/2 games for the NL's last postseason slot. It also pulled to within two games of wild card-leading Pittsburgh, which fell to Miami earlier Tuesday.


San Francisco has dropped six of eight to fall further back of the second wild card, which it held by one-half game over the Cubs prior to their series at Wrigley Field. The Giants' best shot of returning to the postseason appears to be winning the NL West, in which they trail Los Angeles by 2 1/2 games.


They had won 13 of their previous 15 at AT&T Park.


Jake Peavy (3-6, 4.35 ERA) pitched the finale of the last series with the Cubs, throwing five innings of a 2-0 loss. He's allowed nine runs and 16 hits in 11 2-3 innings over two starts since, falling 4-0 to Pittsburgh on Thursday.


The right-hander had posted a 1.59 ERA over his previous three starts prior to facing Chicago.


Peavy is 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts against the Cubs since joining the Giants, and he'll oppose Kyle Hendricks (6-5, 4.03) in this contest.


The Cubs have won Hendricks' last five starts, but his ERA has jumped more than a quarter of a run while he's posted a 7.24 mark over his last three. The only time the right-hander went beyond the fifth in that stretch was when he got one out in the sixth of an 8-6 win over San Francisco on Aug. 8.


Hendricks is 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA in his last three on the road.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cubs at Giants
Tue, Aug 25 Final 8 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Cubs at Giants
Wed, Aug 26 - 10:15PM EDT


GAME 3
Cubs at Giants
Thu, Aug 27 - 3:45PM EDT

MLB MONEYLINE


MLB > (923) TORONTO@ (924) TEXAS | 2015-08-26 20:05:00 - 2015-08-26 20:05:00
Play ON TEXAS using the money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 36 Wins and 20 Losses for the this season (+27.82 units)

MLB > (917) OAKLAND@ (918) SEATTLE | 2015-08-26 15:40:00 - 2015-08-26 15:40:00
Play AGAINST SEATTLE using the money line in Home games after a win
The record is 8 Wins and 20 Losses for the this season (-17.5 units)


MLB > (929) MILWAUKEE@ (930) CLEVELAND | 2015-08-26 19:10:00 - 2015-08-26 19:10:00
Play AGAINST CLEVELAND using the money line in Home games in night games
The record is 13 Wins and 24 Losses for the this season (-19.4 units)

MLB > (907) LA DODGERS@ (908) CINCINNATI | 2015-08-26 19:10:00 - 2015-08-26 19:10:00
Play AGAINST LA DODGERS using the money line in Road games in night games
The record is 16 Wins and 26 Losses for the this season (-20.35 units)


MLB > (909) COLORADO@ (910) ATLANTA | 2015-08-26 19:10:00 - 2015-08-26 19:10:00
Play ON ATLANTA using the money line in Home games after a loss
The record is 18 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (+13.1 units)


MLB > (927) BALTIMORE@ (928) KANSAS CITY | 2015-08-26 20:10:00 - 2015-08-26 20:10:00
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the money line in All games in games played on a grass field
The record is 76 Wins and 45 Losses for the this season (+28.1 units)


MLB > (921) MINNESOTA@ (922) TAMPA BAY | 2015-08-26 19:10:00 - 2015-08-26 19:10:00
Play ON MINNESOTA using the money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 37 Wins and 25 Losses for the this season (+18.6 units)


MLB > (915) HOUSTON@ (916) NY YANKEES | 2015-08-26 13:05:00 - 2015-08-26 13:05:00
Play ON HOUSTON using the money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 21 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (+14.15 units)

MLB RUNLINE


MLB > (927) BALTIMORE@ (928) KANSAS CITY | 2015-08-26 20:10:00 - 2015-08-26 20:10:00
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 > (919) LA ANGELS@ (920) DETROIT | 2015-08-26 19:05:00 - 2015-08-26 19:05:00
Play AGAINST LA ANGELS using the in All games in August games
The record is 3 Wins and 20 Losses for the this season (-19.9 units)


MLB > (925) BOSTON@ (926) CHI WHITE SOX | 2015-08-26 20:10:00 - 2015-08-26 20:10:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON using the in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 6 Wins and 26 Losses for the last two seasons (-24.7 units)


MLB > (901) NY METS@ (902) PHILADELPHIA | 2015-08-26 19:05:00 - 2015-08-26 19:05:00
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 40 Wins and 20 Losses for the last two seasons (+25.7 units)


MLB > (907) LA DODGERS@ (908) CINCINNATI | 2015-08-26 19:10:00 - 2015-08-26 19:10:00
Play AGAINST LA DODGERS using the in Road games after a win
The record is 9 Wins and 24 Losses for the this season (-18.75 units)


MLB > (915) HOUSTON@ (916) NY YANKEES | 2015-08-26 13:05:00 - 2015-08-26 13:05:00
Play ON HOUSTON using the in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 72 Wins and 35 Losses for the last two seasons (+35.7 units)


MLB > (923) TORONTO@ (924) TEXAS | 2015-08-26 20:05:00 - 2015-08-26 20:05:00
Play ON TORONTO using the in All games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 17 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (+13.75 units)


MLB > (917) OAKLAND@ (918) SEATTLE | 2015-08-26 15:40:00 - 2015-08-26 15:40:00
Play AGAINST SEATTLE using the in All games after a win
The record is 19 Wins and 38 Losses for the this season (-24.5 units)

MLB TOTALS


MLB > (917) OAKLAND@ (918) SEATTLE | 2015-08-26 15:40:00 - 2015-08-26 15:40:00
Play OVER SEATTLE on the total in All games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 14 Overs and 2 Unders for the this season (+12 units)


MLB > (925) BOSTON@ (926) CHI WHITE SOX | 2015-08-26 20:10:00 - 2015-08-26 20:10:00
Play OVER CHI WHITE SOX on the total in All games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 13 Overs and 2 Unders for the this season (+11.5 units)


MLB > (903) SAN DIEGO@ (904) WASHINGTON | 2015-08-26 19:05:00 - 2015-08-26 19:05:00
Play OVER SAN DIEGO on the total in All games in August games
The record is 17 Overs and 5 Unders for the this season (+12.15 units)


MLB > (905) PITTSBURGH@ (906) MIAMI | 2015-08-26 19:10:00 - 2015-08-26 19:10:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the total in All games when the total is 8 to 8.5
The record is 3 Overs and 15 Unders for the this season (+11.45 units)


MLB > (919) LA ANGELS@ (920) DETROIT | 2015-08-26 19:05:00 - 2015-08-26 19:05:00
Play OVER LA ANGELS on the total in Road games against right-handed starters
The record is 28 Overs and 13 Unders for the this season (+13.9 units)


MLB > (901) NY METS@ (902) PHILADELPHIA | 2015-08-26 19:05:00 - 2015-08-26 19:05:00
Play OVER PHILADELPHIA on the total in All games against right-handed starters
The record is 57 Overs and 36 Unders for the this season (+19.9 units)


MLB > (915) HOUSTON@ (916) NY YANKEES | 2015-08-26 13:05:00 - 2015-08-26 13:05:00
Play UNDER HOUSTON on the total in Road 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 (+14.4 units)


MLB > (913) CHICAGO CUBS@ (914) SAN FRANCISCO | 2015-08-26 22:10:00 - 2015-08-26 22:10:00
Play UNDER SAN FRANCISCO on the total in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 5 Overs and 17 Unders for the this season (+11.55 units)