Cnotes Sports Page For Monday August 31st Best Bets-Trends-News !

B]Baseball Capsules[/B]


August 31, 2015


LOS ANGELES (AP) Jake Arrieta pitched the sixth no-hitter in the majors this season and second against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 days, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 2-0 victory Sunday night.


Arrieta (17-6) struck out a season-high 12 and became the first 17-game winner in the big leagues by throwing baseball's third no-hitter in less than three weeks.


Astros right-hander Mike Fiers blanked the NL West leaders 3-0 on Aug. 21 in Houston. Never before had Los Angeles been no-hit twice in one season.


Arrieta got the benefit of a close call for the official scorer in the third inning, when Kike Hernandez reached on a fielding error by second baseman Starlin Castro.


With the crowd roaring, Arrieta struck out all three batters in the ninth: Justin Turner, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. Those were the same three hitters - in a different order - that Fiers retired to finish his gem.


Arrieta tossed the 14th no-hitter in team history and became the first Cubs pitcher to throw one since Carlos Zambrano on Sept. 14, 2008, against Houston in a game that was moved to Miller Park in Milwaukee because of Hurricane Ike.


Arrieta finished 6-0 with a 0.43 ERA in August.


Kris Bryant hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Alex Wood (9-9). The Cubs had 13 hits and snapped the Dodgers' five-game winning streak.


BLUE JAYS 9, TIGERS 2


TORONTO (AP) - Edwin Encarnacion homered for the fourth time in two days, Josh Donaldson also connected and Toronto beat struggling Detroit to complete a three-game sweep.


Russell Martin and Kevin Pillar each hit a two-run shot for Toronto, which leads the majors with 184 home runs. The AL East leaders had their second straight four-homer game and sixth of the season.


Encarnacion hit three home runs and matched a Blue Jays record with nine RBIs in Saturday's 15-1 rout. His latest drive extended his hitting streak to 25 games, the longest in the majors since a 28-game run by Colorado's Nolan Arenado in 2014.


The home run was Encarnacion's 30th of the season, 11 in August. He has a major league-leading 35 RBIs this month, breaking the club record he shared with Carlos Delgado, who had 34 in June 2003.


Encarnacion has at least one extra-base hit and one RBI in eight consecutive games.


Mark Buehrle (14-6) allowed two runs in six-plus innings as the Blue Jays improved to 21-5 in August, matching the team record for wins in a month. Toronto went 21-9 in May 2014.


Alfredo Simon (11-9) allowed all four Blue Jays homers in five innings as the last-place Tigers lost for the ninth time in 10 games.


YANKEES 20, BRAVES 6


ATLANTA (AP) - Jacoby Ellsbury hit a three-run homer, Chase Headley and Stephen Drew each added a two-run shot and New York routed Atlanta to finish a three-game sweep.


All three homers, which helped build an 8-2 lead, came with two outs. Headley and Drew, who had four hits, both drove in four runs.


After the Braves cut the lead to 8-5, pinch-hitter Alex Rodriguez drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the Yankees' nine-run seventh inning.


The U.S. flag at Turner Field flew at half-staff and a moment of silence was observed before the game in memory of Gregory K. Murrey.


Murrey, a Braves season-ticket holder, died after falling from the upper deck to the lower-level seats on Saturday night. He was 60. The Braves displayed a photo of Murrey on the video board during the moment of silence.


Despite the sweep, the Yankees gained no ground on first-place Toronto, which leads New York by 1 1/2 games.


The Braves have lost five straight and 12 of 13. They've dropped nine consecutive interleague games since a win over Boston on June 17.


Nathan Eovaldi (14-2) allowed five runs and eight hits in five-plus innings.


Julio Teheran (9-7) gave up nine hits and eight runs in 4 1-3 innings.


CARDINALS 7, GIANTS 5


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Matt Carpenter, Brandon Moss and Mark Reynolds homered, Yadier Molina drove in two runs and St. Louis beat San Francisco.


Jason Heyward added three hits and drove in a run for the Cardinals, who won for the seventh time in eight games. Greg Garcia also drove in a run.


Jaime Garcia (7-4) allowed season highs in hits (10) and runs (four) but was effective enough to improve to 4-0 over his past six starts. He did not walk a batter and struck out one, a season low.


Marlon Byrd celebrated his 38th birthday with a pair of doubles, a triple and four RBIs. Kelby Tomlinson also drove in a run for the Giants, who ended a 3-3 homestand.


Chris Heston (11-8) gave up five runs in 3 2-3 innings.


METS 5, RED SOX 4


NEW YORK (AP) - Michael Cuddyer hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and the NL East-leading Mets stopped their five-game home skid, averting a sweep by Boston.


Cuddyer kept up his three-week surge since coming off the disabled list, going 3 for 3 with a walk. His go-ahead hit came after Daniel Murphy stole second base with two outs.


Boston slugger David Ortiz lined his 494th home run, moving past Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for 27th place on the career list.


Tyler Clippard (2-0) got four outs for the win. Jeurys Familia struck out Mookie Betts with runners at the corners to close out his 35th save in 40 chances.


Before the game, the Mets completed their trade to get reliever Addison Reed from Arizona.


Robbie Ross Jr. (0-2) took the loss.


NATIONALS 7, MARLINS 4


WASHINGTON (AP) - Jayson Werth homered and drove in three runs, and Clint Robinson added a pinch-hit homer as Washington had 13 hits and rallied past Miami.


Michael Taylor added two singles and scored twice for Washington, which got hits from all eight position players.


Doug Fister (5-7) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Stephen Strasburg for the win.


Strasburg was lifted after throwing 60 pitches in four innings with upper back tightness. He gave up four runs on seven hits.


Miami starter Brad Hand (4-4) allowed five runs on eight hits over 4 2-3 innings.


RANGERS 6, ORIOLES 0


ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Derek Holland struck out every Baltimore batter while throwing a three-hitter for his eighth career shutout, leading Texas to a three-game sweep.


Holland (2-1), in his third start since coming off the disabled list, matched a career high with 11 strikeouts. He walked none and hit a batter with a pitch. The left-hander struck out each of the Orioles' nine starters at least once, getting Adam Jones and Chris Davis twice.


At 68-61, the Rangers are seven games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2013 season. Their 68 wins are already one more than all of last year.


The Orioles have lost 10 of 11, falling 5 1/2 games behind the Rangers in the AL wild-card chase.


Miguel Gonzalez (9-11) allowed four runs in 5 1-3 innings. He is 0-5 in his last seven starts.


ROCKIES 5, PIRATES 0


PITTSBURGH (AP) - Jorge De La Rosa pitched into the seventh inning before being ejected, and Ben Paulsen hit a two-run triple as the Colorado Rockies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.


De La Rosa (8-6) allowed four hits in six-plus innings while striking out seven and walking one. The left-hander's only other win since July 11 - a span of 10 starts - came Aug. 7 at Washington.


Scott Oberg, Christian Friedrich, Jairo Diaz and John Axford completed the four-hit shutout.


De La Rosa and manager Walt Weiss were ejected for arguing with plate umpire Jeff Nelson as Weiss went to the mound to remove De La Rosa from the game.


Charlie Morton (8-6) allowed five runs (three earned) over six innings.


RAYS 3, ROYALS 2


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Brandon Guyer and Kevin Kiermaier homered, and the Tampa Bay bullpen held Kansas City to one hit over five innings.


Kiermaier's sixth-inning homer off Luke Hochevar (1-1) broke a 2-all tie. It was Kiermaier's second homer in two games and sixth of the season.


Xavier Cedeno (3-1) got the win in relief while Brad Boxberger pitched the ninth for his 32nd save.


Four of Kansas City's seven hits came during a two-run third that included RBIs by Ben Zobrist and Lorenzo Cain.


TWINS 7, ASTROS 5


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Ervin Santana struck out 10 to earn his first home win, Eduardo Nunez and Miguel Sano homered, and the Twins withstood a ninth-inning rally to beat the Astros.


Down 7-0 in the ninth, Chris Carter hit a three-run homer and Jose Altuve cracked a two-run shot that made it 7-5 before Trevor May struck out Marwin Gonzalez to end the game.


It was Santana's 15th career game with double-digit strikeouts. He entered Sunday 0-1 with a 9.77 ERA in three starts at Target Field since returning from an 80-game suspension to start the season.


Lance McCullers (5-5) settled down after walking three of the first four batters he faced to begin the game before Nunez hit a 3-2 pitch off the upper deck in left-center field to make it 3-0 in the sixth.


INDIANS 9, ANGELS 2


CLEVELAND (AP) - Abraham Almonte hit his first career grand slam and Josh Tomlin worked into the eighth inning, leading Cleveland over the slumping Los Angeles Angels.


Almonte's fifth-inning homer off Jered Weaver broke open a close game and sent the Indians to their fifth straight win.


Weaver (6-10) didn't get much help from his defense. Center fielder Mike Trout and right fielder Kole Calhoun lost catchable fly balls in the sun, leading to five Cleveland runs.


WHITE SOX 6, MARINERS 5, 11 INNINGS


CHICAGO (AP) - White Sox rookie Tyler Saladino drove in the winning run with a single in the 11th inning and Chicago rallied to beat Seattle.


Alexei Ramirez singled and Tyler Flower walked to start the rally before Ramirez advanced to third on Carlos Sanchez's flyout and scored on Saladino's hit off David Rollins (0-1).


David Robertson (6-3) struck out three in two innings for the victory as the teams split the four-game series.


The White Sox tied the game in the ninth on shortstop Brad Miller's throwing error to first on pinch hitter Sanchez's grounder. Trayce Thompson scored after he singled off Carson Smith and stole second.


Kyle Seager homered for the third straight game and drove in the go-ahead run on a single in the eighth for the Mariners. Austin Jackson also had three hits, including a two-run home run and a triple.


BREWERS 4, REDS 1


MILWAUKEE (AP) - Ryan Braun homered and Wily Peralta pitched seven strong innings to help Milwaukee beat Cincinnati.


Peralta (5-8) held the Reds to one run and seven hits in a battle of teams fighting to stay out of the National League Central cellar. Peralta struck out six and didn't issue a walk.


Braun's two-out solo home run in the first off Reds' starter John Lamb (0-3) gave the Brewers the early lead.


The Reds tied the score in the second when a soft chopper by Brayan Pena got past Milwaukee's drawn in infield.


Milwaukee grabbed the lead again in the third on Jonathan Lucroy's run-scoring single. The Brewers extended their lead in the eighth. Jean Segura drove in a run with a triple then scored on Lucroy's sacrifice fly.


ATHLETICS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 4, 11 INNINGS


PHOENIX (AP) - Marcus Semien's two-run single with the bases loaded and two outs in the 11th inning lifted Oakland over Arizona.


Semien's big hit came after singles by Danny Valencia and Stephen Vogt, who homered earlier. Josh Phegley was hit by a pitch from Brad Ziegler (1-1) to load the bases.


Eric Sogard singled in a run off A.J. Schugel to complete the scoring. Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte (1-2) earned his first major league win with two innings of scoreless relief.


David Peralta hit his 14th homer for the Diamondbacks and a sacrifice fly that forced extra innings.


PADRES 9, PHILLIES 4


PHILADELPHIA (AP) - James Shields pitched seven innings for his first road win since May, and San Diego hit three homers in a victory over Philadelphia.


Shields (10-6) allowed one run and six hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. The right-hander was 0-4 with a 5.63 ERA in his previous eight road starts since his last win away from Petco Park on May 24.


Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Yangervis Solarte went deep for San Diego, which avoided losing all six games versus the Phillies this season.


Cameron Rupp homered and Odubel Herrera had four singles for Philadelphia. Alec Asher (0-1) allowed four runs on eight hits in 5 2-3 innings in his major league debut.

Weekend Sports In Brief


August 31, 2015


BASEBALL

LOS ANGELES (AP) Jake Arrieta pitched the sixth no-hitter in the majors this season and second against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 days, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 2-0 victory Sunday night.


Arrieta (17-6) became the first 17-game winner in the big leagues by throwing baseball's third no-hitter in less than three weeks.


Astros right-hander Mike Fiers blanked the NL West-leading Dodgers 3-0 on Aug. 21. Los Angeles had never been no-hit twice in a season.


Arrieta struck out a season-high 12 - one off his career high - and walked one to help the Cubs snap a four-game skid on the last night of their six-game West Coast trip. He finished August with a 6-0 record, tying Boston's Joe Kelly as the only pitchers with that many wins in the month.


ATLANTA (AP) - A fan died after falling from the upper deck into the lower-level stands at Turner Field on Saturday night during a game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees.


Lt. Charles Hampton of the Atlanta Police Department homicide unit confirmed the death hours after the fall in the seventh inning. Hampton said the man was in his early 60s and was pronounced dead at Grady Memorial Hospital. There was no immediate word on his identity pending notification of his next of kin.


The fall immediately followed the introduction of Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez as a pinch hitter. The game wasn't delayed while medical personnel treated the man for about 10 minutes, applying CPR before putting him on a backboard.


Hampton said police don't suspect foul play at this point. He said no fans were hurt in the 200-level seats where the man fell from section 401, landing close to an area where players' wives and families sit.


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Vin Scully said Saturday that 2016 will be his last season in the broadcast booth for the Los Angeles Dodgers, which would mark the end of his record 67-year tenure with the same franchise.


The Hall of Fame announcer turns 88 in November. The team revealed Friday night he would be back next year, but Scully took it a step further while speaking to the media a day later.


Scully has yet to discuss with the team how much he will work next season. He currently calls all nine innings of home games and road games in California and Arizona for the Dodgers' television home on SportsNet LA, while the first three innings of his games are simulcast on the radio.


AUTO RACING


SONOMA, Calif. (AP) - Scott Dixon captured a fourth IndyCar championship by winning the season finale Sunday to snatch away the title from Juan Pablo Montoya.


Montoya led the points from the season-opening race right until the final lap Sunday. But he finished the race in sixth, which allowed Dixon to tie him in the standings.


Dixon was awarded the title based on wins; Sonoma Raceway was his third victory, while Montoya had only two.


Montoya's day was made difficult on lap 39 when he hit Team Penske teammate Will Power. It sent him to pit lane for repairs and he was mired in the middle of the pack for the bulk of the race.


Although he picked off a few positions, his hard charge to move up to fifth fell one position short.


HORSE RACING


SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) - Triple Crown winner American Pharoah came up short in the $1.6 million Travers Stakes on Saturday, losing to Keen Ice by three-quarters of a length before a sold-out and stunned crowd at Saratoga Race Course.


American Pharoah came into the race as the overwhelming favorite, but the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years lost the lead entering the far turn.


He pulled closer to Keen Ice entering the stretch but was unable to muster the extra energy he usually finds to overtake the powerful final run of the 16-1 long shot.


The upset solidified Saratoga's reputation as the ''Graveyard of Favorites.'' Only one of 12 Triple Crown winners has been able to go on and win the Travers - Whirlaway in 1941.


Keen Ice, a three-time loser to American Pharoah entering the Travers, was ridden by Javier Castellano, who won a record-setting fifth ''Mid-Summer Derby.''


TENNIS


Maria Sharapova pulled out of the U.S. Open for the second time in three years Sunday, withdrawing on the eve of the tournament because of a lingering right leg injury.


The U.S. Tennis Association announced the withdrawal via a press release at about the same time that Sharapova, who won the title in New York in 2006, posted the news on her Facebook page.


In 2013, Sharapova skipped the U.S. Open because of a right shoulder injury. She also missed the Grand Slam tournament played on hard courts in Flushing Meadows in 2008, when she was off the tour for about 10 months because of surgery on her right shoulder.


Sharapova has not played a match on tour since losing to No. 1-ranked Serena Williams in the Wimbledon semifinals in July. The 28-year-old Russian withdrew from hard-court tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati in August, citing a right leg strain.


GOLF


EDISON, N.J. (AP) - Jason Day powered and putted his way to another blowout against a world-class field Sunday at The Barclays.


Fresh off his first major at the PGA Championship, Day pulled away early and poured it on with three long birdie putts on the back nine at Plainfield. A birdie on the closing hole gave him an 8-under 62 for a six-shot victory over Henrik Stenson.


Day closed with a 63-62 weekend and finished at 19-under 261. He won two weeks ago by three shots over Jordan Spieth with a record to par at 20-under 268.


The victory moves the 27-year-old Australian to the top of the FedEx Cup after the opening playoff event, assuring that Day will be among the top five who have a clear shot at the $10 million bonus at the Tour Championship.


LITTLE LEAGUE


SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - Tokyo won the Little League World Series on Sunday, pounding out 22 hits and overcoming an eight-run, first-inning deficit to beat Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, 18-11.


The Kitasuna Little League team, also the winner in 2001 and 2012, gave Japan its 10th title.


Pennsylvania scored 10 times and sent 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first after falling behind 2-0. But Japan, which had given up a total of 10 runs in its other tournament games, responded with seven runs in the second, four in the third inning and five in the sixth.


Masafuji Nishijima had four hits and six RBIs, and Shingo Tomita hit two home runs.


Tokyo's third pitcher, Nobuyuki Kawashima, held Pennsylvania in check most of the game, giving up just one run and two hits over five innings.


ATHLETICS


BEIJING (AP) - Even with its sixth straight title in the men's 4x400-meter relay, the United States still finished behind Jamaica and Kenya with only six gold medals at this year's world championships.


Jamaica again proved it is much more than just Usain Bolt when the country's women's team defeated the Americans on Sunday in the 4x400 relay to win its seventh gold medal and deny Allyson Felix a 10th world title.


Like the botched handoff in the men's 4x100 relay on Saturday, the American women also lost valuable time with a hesitant handover in their duel with Jamaica.


Both Kenya and Jamaica won seven gold medals during the nine-day competition, one more than the Americans.


It was the second time in a row the United States failed to win the most gold medals. It was the first time that Kenya and Jamaica were at the top.


SOCCER


CHICAGO (AP) - Forward Andrew Wooten is getting his first call-up to the U.S. national team for the exhibition against Peru, with Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley staying with their Major League Soccer teams.


Injured defenders Fabian Johnson and DaMarcus Beasley were not on the 23-man roster released Sunday for Friday's game in Washington.


Midfielder Jermaine Jones and defenders Geoff Cameron and Matt Besler, part of last year's World Cup team, are on the roster after not playing in this summer's Gold Cup.


Also back is 22-year-old forward Bobby Wood, who scored the late winning goals in exhibitions against the Netherlands and Germany in June.


Dempsey and Bradley will rejoin the team before the exhibition against Brazil in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sept. 8.


Coach Jurgen Klinsmann will use the exhibitions to decide his roster for the playoff against Mexico on Oct. 10 that will determine CONCACAF's representative at the 2017 Confederations Cup.

LEADING OFF: Giants, Dodgers face off; Salazar back from bug


August 30, 2015


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


HOW WEST IS WON?


The Giants and Dodgers kick off a pivotal NL West three-game series in Los Angeles with RHP Jake Peavy (4-6, 4.21 ERA) scheduled to take on LHP Brett Anderson (8-8, 3.36). The banged-up Giants trail the Dodgers by 3 1/2 games and dropped two of three to St. Louis over the weekend, but expect to get back SS Brandon Crawford (tight left oblique). Los Angeles, meanwhile, was no-hit for the second time in 10 days Sunday, ending a five-game winning streak.


HOME SWEET HOME


The Cubs return home after a six-game West Coast swing on a high note after Jake Arrieta's no-hitter Sunday night, but the team went just 2-4 against the Giants and Dodgers. Chicago is 12-2 at Wrigley Field in August and turns to Kyle Hendricks (6-6, 4.11) in the first game in a six-game homestand. Michael Lorenzen (3-8, 5.46) goes for Cincinnati.


BACK FROM BUG


Indians RHP Danny Salazar was scratched from his start Friday because of a virus that caused him to lose five pounds. Facing a hard-hitting Toronto team might not make him feel any better. Not only will Salazar have to deal with the Blue Jays' deep lineup, he'll be going against ace LHP David Price, who is 4-0 since being acquired from Detroit.


POWER PITCHING


Rays RHP Chris Archer (11-10) could set a team record in Monday night's start at Baltimore. The Tampa Bay ace is coming off a 12-strikeout outing last Wednesday against Minnesota and is tied with Price (2014) for the most double-digit strikeout games in one season at nine. The Orioles starter is LHP Wei-Yin Chen (8-6).


MOSS GROWING ON CARDS


Brandon Moss may have finally turned a corner since returning to the NL and leads the Cardinals into a three-game series against Washington. Moss hit just .167 without a homer through his first 20 games with St. Louis after being traded in late July, but he's 4 for 12 with two homers and a triple in his past four games. RHP John Lackey (11-8, 2.92) goes for the Cardinals against LHP Gio Gonzalez (9-7, 4.11).


WALKING THE WALK


Paul Goldschmidt will set a Diamondbacks record with his next walk after drawing two free passes on Sunday. The slugging first baseman tied Luis Gonzalez's mark set in 2001 with 100 walks this season. He and Arizona will face RHP Chad Bettis (6-4, 4.69) and the Rockies.


U-TURN


RHP Rick Porcello tries to build off his best outing of the season as the Red Sox face the Yankees at Fenway Park. Porcello came off the DL following a triceps injury and tossed seven sharp innings against the White Sox his first time back. It marked a big turnaround for the 26-year-old, who has a 5.47 ERA in 21 outings.


STRONG START


RHP Jerad Eickhoff, acquired by Philadelphia in the Cole Hamels deal with the Rangers, makes his third big league start. He's been effective so far, posting a 2.25 ERA and retiring 16 straight batters during his last outing, a 9-4 loss to the Mets.

Preview: Rays (64-66) at Orioles (63-67)
Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: August 31, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Chris Archer has battled consistency issues since the end of June, but the level of offense Baltimore has displayed in a damaging late-August slump might make his next start a little more predictable.


The Tampa Bay ace takes the mound Monday night at Camden Yards, where the Rays will try to send the Orioles to a fifth straight loss overall and at home.


Archer (11-10, 2.88 ERA) surrendered four runs and nine hits with 12 strikeouts in six innings of Wednesday's 5-3 home loss to Minnesota, falling to 2-6 with a 4.13 ERA in his last 11 starts and reaching 10 losses for the first time in his career.


He blamed an unfortunate seventh inning for spoiling what could have been a better result after falling to 1-3 with a 3.18 ERA over the last five outings in which he's struck out at least 10 batters.


"Felt great," Archer told MLB's official website. "Threw the ball well. I think we played well overall. That seventh inning, the ball didn't go our way."


The right-hander hasn't had much success against Baltimore with a 1-3 record and 5.31 ERA in seven career starts. Only one came at Camden, but it was the worst of the bunch as Archer gave up seven runs and 12 hits in five innings of a 7-1 loss on April 14, 2014.


Chris Davis (4 for 10 with a home run), Manny Machado (6 for 16), Steve Pearce (3 for 8 with two homers) and Ryan Flaherty (5 for 14) have hit him well, but Adam Jones' 2-for-20 mark might be more in line with the club's recent run.


After Sunday's 6-0 loss in Texas, Baltimore (63-67) has dropped 10 of 11 and fallen 5 1/2 games back of the Rangers for the AL's second wild-card spot. The Orioles have averaged 2.7 runs and hit .216 in that span while allowing six wild-card candidates to move ahead of them, including the Rays (64-66).


In their last nine games, Davis is batting .121 with 18 strikeouts and Matt Wieters is at .138.


"We're still right in the thick of things. We just have to get on a little winning streak," Jones said. "We're still going to make a run. There's a full month left, so I don't think anybody in this clubhouse has given up."


Baltimore has won seven of 12 in the series with the Rays, though the offense hasn't been much better with 3.2 runs per game and a .208 average.


Tampa Bay is a game ahead of the Orioles, but it has lost five of seven. The Rays avoided a three-game sweep with Sunday's 3-2 home win over Kansas City.


The bullpen has done its part with one earned run allowed in the last 18 2-3 innings over four-plus games, but the lineup managed eight runs in the series.


They'll try to break out against Wei-Yin Chen (8-6, 3.17), who is 4-0 with a 4.08 ERA in his last seven starts, which began with a 5-2 win in Tampa Bay on July 26. The left-hander has seen the Rays four times this season and hasn't allowed more than three runs in his last six starts in the series while going 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA.


Kevin Kiermaier (4 for 9 with a home run), Daniel Nava (7 for 16 with a home run) and Logan Forsythe (7 for 22 with three homers) have hit him well, but Asdrubal Cabrera is 0 for 11. Kiermaier has also homered in consecutive games.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rays at Orioles
Mon, Aug 31 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Rays at Orioles
Tue, Sep 1 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Rays at Orioles
Wed, Sep 2 - 7:05PM EDT

Preview: Indians (63-66) at Blue Jays (74-56)
Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: August 31, 2015 7:07 PM EDT

Edwin Encarnacion is riding a career-best 25-game hitting streak and a run of eight straight games with at least one RBI. He hasn't struck out much in that latter run as he gets ready to face hard-throwing Danny Salazar.


Salazar will try to cool Encarnacion and the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night at Rogers Centre opposite David Price, who has dominated the Cleveland Indians.


Encarnacion is batting .409 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs on his hit streak - the longest in the majors since a 28-game run by Colorado's Nolan Arenado in 2014. He has four homers in his last two games, highlighted by Saturday's three-homer, nine-RBI effort in a 15-1 rout of Detroit.


The slugger went deep again the next day for his 30th homer in a 9-2 victory that completed a three-game sweep. Encarnacion is hitting .484 with seven homers, 24 RBIs and just three strikeouts in his last eight games.


Encarnacion has at least one extra-base hit in eight consecutive games, one shy of Shawn Green's team record set in 1999. His eight-game run with an RBI matched the Blue Jays record shared by Carlos Delgado, Willie Upshaw and Matt Stairs.


The Blue Jays (74-56) totaled 29 runs and 38 hits in the weekend sweep of the Tigers. Josh Donaldson was 6 for 13 with two homers in the series and Russell Martin also went deep twice for Toronto, which leads the New York Yankees by 1 1/2 games in the AL East.


"We're playing great baseball," manager John Gibbons said. "Everything's really clicking."


Encarnacion is 2 for 5 with a homer and a double against Salazar (11-7, 3.30 ERA), who is among baseball's leaders with 10.10 strikeouts per nine innings.


Salazar was scratched Friday because of a virus, and manager Terry Francona said he became ill Tuesday and missed a couple of days of his routine between starts, losing five to six pounds.


"You start losing that much weight, this will allow him to get some of his strength back," Francona said. "I think this has a chance to work out better for everybody."


The right-hander allowed five runs in 4 2-3 innings of a 6-2 loss at the New York Yankees on Aug. 22 after going 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA in his previous four outings.


Salazar is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts versus Toronto.


He'll be opposed by a strikeout artist in Price (13-4, 2.42), who has 179 to rank among the majors' best. Price improved to 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA in five starts with the Blue Jays by limiting Texas to two runs in six innings Wednesday in a 12-4 road victory.


The left-hander is 8-0 with a 3.54 ERA in 11 starts at Rogers Centre, including two with Toronto.


Price is 9-1 with a 2.04 ERA in 12 starts against Cleveland, including 2-0 with a 0.42 ERA in three this year while with Detroit. Jason Kipnis is 5 for 11 versus Price this year and 7 for 20 overall, while Yan Gomes is 0 for 6 in this matchup in 2015 and hitless in 12 career at-bats.


Cleveland (63-66) opens a nine-game trip with this three-game series after going 5-0 at home, beating the Los Angeles Angels 9-2 on Sunday. Francisco Lindor is 17 for 34 during a nine-game hitting streak.


These teams split four games April 30-May 3.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Indians at Blue Jays
Mon, Aug 31 - 7:07PM EDT


GAME 2
Indians at Blue Jays
Tue, Sep 1 - 7:07PM EDT


GAME 3
Indians at Blue Jays
Wed, Sep 2 - 7:07PM EDT

Preview: Yankees (72-57) at Red Sox (60-70)
Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: August 31, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Offense wasn't a problem over the weekend for the New York Yankees despite the absence of two sluggers from the starting lineup.


One will return Monday night while the other may not.


Alex Rodriguez is expected to rejoin the Yankees' lineup, though Mark Teixeira could remain out for the opener of a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.


New York (72-57) totaled 38 runs and batted .364 in a three-game weekend sweep at Atlanta. Didi Gregorius was 7 for 12 with eight RBIs in the series, Carlos Beltran was 6 for 12 and Chase Headley 6 for 11 with a homer and seven RBIs.


The Yankees fell a run shy of their season high with a 20-6 victory Sunday in which Stephen Drew went 4 for 4 with four RBIs.


Rodriguez did not start in the weekend series with no designated hitter in an NL park and will now return to the lineup.


The same can't be said for Teixeira, who has missed the last three games with a bruised right shin and has started only once in the Yankees' last 12 games. He is second on the club with 79 RBIs, and manager Joe Girardi is not sure when he will return.


"There just hasn't been a lot of improvement," Girardi said.


Boston (60-70) has won nine of its last 14 at home and enjoyed taking two of three from the NL East-leading New York Mets on the road over the weekend.


"A couple of the players, I overheard their conversation, and playing the role of spoiler right now and beating the Mets the first couple of days was pretty special to us," interim manager Torey Lovullo told MLB's official website. "We want that to continue."


The Yankees are 8-4 in the season series and expect a difficult trip to face their last-place archrival.


"I think there's a lot of pride that goes into those games," Girardi said. "They have young players that are continuing to try to make a mark for themselves and it's important for them."


New York will start Ivan Nova (5-6, 4.50 ERA), who fell to 1-3 with a 7.17 ERA in his last four outings after surrendering a season-high seven runs over four-plus innings in Tuesday's 15-1 home defeat to Houston.


The right-hander was charged with four runs in 6 2-3 innings in a 5-3 loss at Boston on July 11 to fall to 3-3 with a 5.11 ERA in nine starts against the Red Sox.


David Ortiz is 8 for 22 with a homer off Nova, while Alejandro De Aza is 7 for 10 with a homer in the matchup.


Ortiz returned to the lineup after not starting one game due to a heel problem and drilled his 494th homer with a two-run shot in Sunday's 5-4 loss.


Catcher Ryan Hanigan missed his second straight game with tightness in his right calf, with Blake Swihart replacing him. Hanley Ramirez is out nursing a sore shoulder.


Boston will start rookie Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5, 4.39), who is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts versus New York. Jacoby Ellsbury is 4 for 7 against him and Rodriguez 3 for 6.


The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.41 ERA in his last six home starts.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Yankees at Red Sox
Mon, Aug 31 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Yankees at Red Sox
Tue, Sep 1 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Yankees at Red Sox
Wed, Sep 2 - 4:05PM EDT

Preview: Marlins (52-79) at Braves (54-76)
Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 31, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Atlanta Braves have been swept in three of their last four series, but the latest took the embarrassment to a whole new level.


They'll try to clean things up against an opponent more to their liking beginning Monday night against the visiting Miami Marlins, who have only been slightly better over the closing days of August.


Atlanta (54-76) has followed a 0-7 road trip by losing five of six on a nine-game homestand, most recently being swept in three games by the New York Yankees concluding with Sunday's 20-6 loss.


"You never, as a baseball player, as a competitor, want to be a part of a game like this, unless you're on the other side," first baseman Freddie Freeman told MLB's official website. "It's just something that you never want to happen again. So you go out there and play, and hopefully you can contribute as much as you can so this doesn't happen again.


"Today's over with. Hopefully tomorrow we can play a better game."


In their 1-12 span, the Braves have a 7.61 ERA after giving up 38 runs to the Yankees. They're in position to lose six straight at home for the first time since their final six of 2009, and they could also drop 20 games in a month for the first time since going 9-20 in August 2008.


Adonis Garcia is at least providing some offensive optimism with three homers in his last six games while going 9 for 18 in his last four, and Nick Markakis is hitting .375 during an 11-game hitting streak.


The Braves can fall back on some season success against the Marlins with 10 wins in 13 games. The only other NL team they have a winning record against is Milwaukee (5-2).


The Marlins (52-79) have lost eight of 10, mostly because of a struggling offense. They've scored 2.2 runs per game in that span, though they showed some promise in Sunday's 7-4 loss in Washington.


Adeiny Hechavarria had three hits and Justin Bour and Derek Dietrich homered. Hechavarria had hit .143 in his previous nine games, and Bour has gone deep in two straight contests.


Mike Foltynewicz (4-6, 5.71 ERA) will be charged with turning things around for the Atlanta staff.


The right-hander gave up four unearned runs and five hits in five innings of Tuesday's 5-1 loss to Colorado. He's lost three straight starts with an 8.16 ERA.


"We made some mistakes behind (Foltynewicz) that lengthened the innings and caused him to throw more pitches," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "If we go out there and have a clean game defensively behind him, he might be out there pitching in the seventh. I thought his stuff was good. His secondary pitches were good. He's not experienced enough to cover those (errors) up."


The rookie preceded the losing streak by giving up two runs and five hits with four walks in 5 2-3 innings of a 7-2 win over Miami on Aug. 8, his first victory since May 24.


He's up against Chris Narveson, who's no rookie but felt the pressure in his first big league start since April 2012 on Wednesday. Narveson (1-1, 7.04) surrendered seven runs in 3 2-3 innings of a 7-2 home loss to Pittsburgh.


"I was just missing up a little bit," the left-hander said. "I think I was a little amped up and trying to do a little too much. Obviously I left some balls up and they did what they were supposed to."


Atlanta's Michael Bourn is 5 for 10 in their matchups, but he's batted .093 in his last 17 games.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Marlins at Braves
Mon, Aug 31 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Marlins at Braves
Tue, Sep 1 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Marlins at Braves
Wed, Sep 2 - 12:10PM EDT

Preview: Phillies (52-79) at Mets (72-58)
Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 31, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Bartolo Colon facing the Philadelphia Phillies might be exactly what the New York Mets need to continue their winning ways after a slight hiccup this weekend.


The Mets swept four games in Philadelphia before dropping two of three at home to Boston this weekend and will try to remain dominant against the Phillies in the start of a three-game set Monday night at Citi Field.


Colon (11-11, 4.65 ERA) was part of the previous Phillies sweep, allowing five hits in seven shutout innings in a 9-4 win Aug. 26. It was just his second win in 12 starts and only his second scoreless outing this year. He is 3-0 with a 3.32 ERA in three games against the Phillies in 2015 and 6-1 in seven starts against them in two years as a Met.


The 42-year-old right-hander also worked in relief for the first time in four years on Saturday against Boston, tossing an inning on his scheduled throw day to help manager Terry Collins rest a tired bullpen. The Mets addressed their thin reliever corps this weekend by acquiring right-hander Addison Reed from Arizona.


"He's good for Monday," Collins said of Colon. "He was going to throw 15 pitches. He wanted to throw a bullpen (Saturday) anyway, said he could come in late in the game."


Collins did not start Yoenis Cespedes and rested Travis d'Arnaud on Sunday. Cespedes was 0 for 7 in the first two against Boston after homering in three of four against the Phillies, while d'Arnaud also homered twice and drove in six in three games last week at Philadelphia.


D'Arnaud is batting .400 with nine RBIs against the Phillies this season and Michael Cuddyer is hitting .500 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 12 games. Cuddyer was 3 for 3 with a tiebreaking single against Boston in a 5-4 win Sunday and is batting .375 in 17 games since coming off the DL on Aug. 11.


"With his knee feeling better, he's swinging the bat great," said Collins. "And as we head down the last month, he's going to be important."


The Mets outscored the Phillies 40-21 and slugged 13 home runs last week, but didn't leave the park once last Wednesday against Jerad Eickhoff.


Eickhoff (1-1, 2.25 ERA) was the only Philadelphia starter last week that didn't surrender a home run and on Monday will make his third big league start since being acquired from Texas in the deal that sent Cole Hamels to the Rangers.


He threw six shutout innings at Miami in his first start, then took the loss against the Mets and Colon, allowing four runs - three earned - and six hits in six innings.


"I had a little trouble getting settled," said Eickhoff, who gave up three first-inning runs but also retired 16 straight hitters at one point last Wednesday.


The Phillies followed the dreadful effort against the Mets by winning two of three against San Diego. Odubel Herrera had four hits in Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Padres and is batting .346 this month.


Freddy Galvis is hitting .333 against Colon this season and Ryan Howard has two career homers against the veteran.


Philadelphia is 1-12 against New York this season, including 0-6 at Citi Field. The Phillies have never been winless for an entire season against the Mets in New York, coming close in 1987 with a 1-8 mark. They have lost seven straight in Flushing and haven't taken a series in New York since winning two of three from May 9-11, 2014.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Phillies at Mets
Mon, Aug 31 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Phillies at Mets
Tue, Sep 1 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Phillies at Mets
Wed, Sep 2 - 7:10PM EDT

Preview: Reds (53-76) at Cubs (74-55)
Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 31, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Jake Arrieta's no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers came at the perfect time for the Chicago Cubs.


Kyle Hendricks would probably settle for a quality start.


Hendricks looks to end his struggles as the Cubs host the slumping Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.


Arrieta delivered the Cubs' first no-hitter since Carlos Zambrano in 2008 in Sunday's 2-0 win. Striking out 12, he helped Chicago end a four-game losing streak that had trimmed three games off their lead for the second wild card over San Francisco.


'You see other guys around the league do it and you want to be a part of something like that,' Arrieta said. 'So it's not only special for me and my family and friends, but for the organization and my teammates. They embraced me after the game, and it was extremely special to see how excited they were for what I was able to do.'


Now 5 1/2 up after the Giants lost Sunday, Chicago (74-55) hopes to get the back end of its rotation in order.


Hendricks (6-6, 4.11 ERA) has gone 2-2 with a 5.97 ERA in his last seven starts, a stretch that began with a 9-1 loss to Cincinnati on July 22 in which he gave up five runs in six innings. He faced the Reds on June 13 with better results, throwing five innings of one-run ball in a 4-3 win.


Hendricks made it through six innings for the first time in four starts in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Giants, but he gave up four runs while walking three.


Early inning trouble has plagued the right-hander this year. Opponents are batting .278 against him in the first, compared to the league average of .249.


The Cubs scored twice in the top of that inning in San Francisco on Wednesday, but Hendricks gave up a leadoff home run to Nori Aoki and then walked the bases loaded with two outs before another run crossed on a fielder's choice.


"It was kind of a sloppy first that permitted them to get back in and that pretty much was the difference in the game," Cubs manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website.


The last-place Reds (53-76) have posted the worst record in the majors in August at 7-21. Their 3.43 runs per game, .233 batting average and .364 slugging percentage all rank last in the NL this month.


The Reds have lost 14 of 16 and are 4-9 against the Cubs this season.


Cincinnati recalled right-hander Michael Lorenzen from Triple-A Louisville following Sunday's 4-1 loss to Milwaukee, and the right-hander will make his 18th start this season.


Lorenzen (3-8, 5.46) scuffled to an 0-6 record and 9.82 ERA in his last seven big-league starts, but he earned another shot in the Reds' rotation after going 2-1 with a 1.13 ERA in three minor-league outings.


'It's exciting and it's frustrating. We're having to go through a lot of the growing pains,' manager Bryan Price said of his rotation that includes three rookies and two second-year pitchers. 'Some guys might be up here a little prematurely and that's out of necessity. The benefits and rewards will play out in `16 and `17, but maybe not as much as we had hoped in `15.'


The Reds placed outfielder Brennan Boesch on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right ankle Sunday. Price said the team wouldn't announce his replacement until Monday.




SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Cubs
Mon, Aug 31 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Reds at Cubs
Tue, Sep 1 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Reds at Cubs
Wed, Sep 2 - 2:20PM EDT

Preview: Mariners (61-70) at Astros (72-59)
Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: August 31, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Houston Astros are entering their second-to-last homestand with the right man set to take the mound.


Dallas Keuchel could have as many as four home starts remaining depending on how Houston aligns its rotation, and the first comes Monday night against a Seattle Mariners club which has chosen to rest its ace.


Keuchel (15-6, 2.28 ERA) can become the first to win his first 12 home decisions since Johan Santana went 12-0 in 17 starts for Minnesota in 2006. While Santana won the Cy Young, his 2.19 home ERA doesn't quite rival Keuchel's 1.35 mark entering this contest.


The left-hander is 11-0 in 14 home starts, and the only pitcher to finish with at least 11 wins, no losses and an ERA under 1.50 at home dating to 1914 is Orel Hershiser. The Los Angeles Dodgers' former ace went 11-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 17 starts and two relief appearances at Chavez Ravine in 1985.


In Tuesday's 15-1 win at the New York Yankees, Keuchel gave up three hits with nine strikeouts in seven scoreless innings to become the first AL pitcher to 15 wins and first Houston arm to get there since Roy Oswalt went 17-10 in 2008.


Since that loss to the AL West-leading Astros, the Yankees have scored 40 runs in four games, while Seattle's 3.9 per game rank 13th in the AL.


"(The Yankees have) got a lot of guys that are professional over there and know what they're doing, and I'm lucky enough to have some good quality innings against them," Keuchel told MLB's official website.


The Mariners, however, are one of two teams to tag him with five runs this season in a 6-3 final in Seattle on June 20. The 27-year-old lasted six innings and gave up home runs to Nelson Cruz, Mark Trumbo and Seth Smith as he fell to 3-4 with a 2.88 ERA in eight appearances in the series. Cruz (6 for 12), Trumbo (5 for 10) and Smith (4 for 12) have all homered off him twice, but Robinson Cano is 2 for 16.


The pitching matchup would have been great had Felix Hernandez kept his spot in the rotation, but Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon elected to rest him and go with Vidal Nuno.


"I did the same thing last year to freshen my pitchers up and Felix had the best September of his career," McClendon said. "Everybody thought I was nuts when I did, and I'll do it again because it's the right thing to do."


Nuno (0-1, 3.21 ERA) pitched an inning of scoreless relief Wednesday following a four-start stretch in which he went 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA. The left-hander has a 1.50 ERA in six relief innings against Houston.


The Astros (72-59) fell 7-5 in Minnesota on Sunday, dropping two of three in the series as their division lead was trimmed to three over streaking Texas. The lineup was up and down on a 3-3 trip while being shut out twice, but it could be getting healthier soon.


George Springer (broken wrist) is on a rehab assignment, and Carlos Correa has missed four consecutive games with a sore hamstring but could play Monday.


"I'm really close," Correa said. "I just don't want to force it and then miss September baseball."


The Mariners (61-70) lost 6-5 at the Chicago White Sox on Sunday but have been hitting better lately with 5.4 runs and a .297 average over a 5-3 span.


Austin Jackson was a double away from the cycle, has a nine-game hitting streak and is batting .394 in his last 18. Kyle Seager also had three hits and is 8 for 15 with homers in three straight games.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mariners at Astros
Mon, Aug 31 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Mariners at Astros
Tue, Sep 1 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Mariners at Astros
Wed, Sep 2 - 8:10PM EDT

Preview: Nationals (66-63) at Cardinals (84-46)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: August 31, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

While the St. Louis Cardinals' bats are heating up just in time for the home stretch, the Washington Nationals hope their lineup didn't wake up too late.


The two surging offenses open a three-game set in St. Louis on Monday night with the Cardinals clinging to the NL Central lead and the Nationals looking to climb in the East.


St. Louis (84-46) has won seven of eight but has added only one game to its division lead over Pittsburgh, which trails by 4 1/2. The Pirates and Cardinals have six games remaining this year, including three at Busch Stadium this weekend.


The Cardinals will first try to add to a sparkling record against Washington over the last three years. St. Louis took two of three against the Nationals (66-63) in April and has won 13 of 16 in the series since the beginning of 2013.


St. Louis will hand the ball to John Lackey (11-8, 2.92 ERA), who got some help from the offense in the club's 7-5 victory April 22. In his third career start against the Nationals and first since 2008, Lackey didn't factor into the decision after allowing eight hits and five runs in just 5 2-3 innings. He exited with the game tied at 5.


The right-hander held Arizona to one run in seven innings of Wednesday's 3-1 win, the 11th time in his last 14 starts he's given up two runs or fewer. Lackey - 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA in his career against Washington - has a 2.30 ERA since June 15.


Not that he's needed the support, but the offense likely will be at Lackey's back after posting back-to-back 13-hit games in San Francisco.


During Sunday's 7-5 victory, Matt Carpenter, Brandon Moss and Mark Reynolds homered, and Jason Heyward finished a home run shy of the cycle. Heyward went 5 for 10 against the Giants and is hitting .375 since Aug. 22.


The Cardinals totaled 33 hits and 17 runs in taking two of three in the series.


"It's coming together right now," Heyward said. "Hitting-wise, we've kept our heads up and kept plugging away."


Now they'll face a pitcher they've struggled against in Gio Gonzalez. In four career starts in the series - one in each of the last four years - Gonzalez (9-7, 4.11) is 2-1 with a 0.93 ERA. Over 29 combined innings, he has allowed just 23 hits and three runs while walking eight and striking out 25.


Following a streak of eight starts without allowing more than two earned runs, however, Gonzalez's ERA has blown up this month with three straight outings of five innings or less and at least four earned runs allowed.


Gonzalez has lost each of his last three starts and his ERA has risen 61 points during the stretch. In losses to San Francisco, Milwaukee and San Diego, the left-hander coughed up 16 runs - 14 earned - and 20 hits over 12 1-3 innings.


Gonzalez has failed to pitch more than five innings in six of his last seven starts.


Washington is trying to chip away at the New York Mets' 5 1/2-game division lead. The Nationals had 30 hits and 15 runs in taking two of three from Miami this weekend. They had 13 hits in Sunday's 7-4 win, including homers by Jayson Werth and Clint Robinson.


"We dug ourselves a pretty good hole here, so we're going to need to get hot and stay hot the rest of the way," said Werth.


St. Louis right-hander Lance Lynn said he expects to make his next start after injuring his right ankle in Saturday's 6-0 win.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Nationals at Cardinals
Mon, Aug 31 - 8:15PM EDT


GAME 2
Nationals at Cardinals
Tue, Sep 1 - 8:15PM EDT


GAME 3
Nationals at Cardinals
Wed, Sep 2 - 8:15PM EDT

Preview: Diamondbacks (63-67) at Rockies (52-76)
Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 31, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

Although their hopes of making a playoff push took a big hit at home, the Arizona Diamondbacks should feel good about winning back-to-back road series for the first time.


Seeking a fifth straight road win, Arizona tries to continue its success against the last-place Colorado Rockies on Monday night in the first of four meetings over three days.


The Diamondbacks (63-67) were five games back of the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 23 after sweeping a four-game series in Cincinnati. Now it'll likely take an improbable run to make up the difference following an ill-timed 1-6 homestand.


David Peralta went 3 for 4 with his 14th homer and drove in the tying run in the ninth Sunday, but Oakland scored three in the 11th off closer Brad Ziegler for a 7-4 victory.


"Just poor play on this homestand. It's disappointing after coming off a pretty good series in Cincinnati," manager Chip Hale said.


Hale's club looks to regroup with its longest road winning streak since May 2013. Arizona then plays two at Coors Field on Tuesday to make up a May postponement.


The Diamondbacks have hit .332 and averaged 6.9 runs while winning eight of 12 versus Colorado.


Paul Goldschmidt is hitting .416 with 19 RBIs in his last 18 matchups and is one walk away from setting a single-season franchise record with 101. Peralta is batting .368 in his past 11 meetings, while A.J. Pollock is batting .390 in his past nine.


They'll try to continue that trend against a Rockies rotation that has posted a 7.34 ERA during a 5-12 stretch at Coors.


Colorado (52-76) is looking to win back-to-back games for only the second time since Aug. 7 after closing a 3-3 trip with Sunday's 5-0 win at Pittsburgh.


In his first start since missing five weeks with right elbow inflammation, Chad Bettis (6-4, 4.69 ERA) allowed one run over five innings in a 5-1 win at Atlanta on Tuesday. The right-hander has limited opponents to three runs or less in 11 of his last 13 starts.


"He picked up where he left off," manager Walt Weiss told MLB's official website.


Bettis has never started against Arizona but has a 23.14 ERA over three relief appearances.


Robbie Ray (3-10, 3.86) looks to avoid becoming the first pitcher in Diamondbacks history to lose six games in a month. He's 0-6 with a 6.25 ERA in his last seven starts.


The left-hander was given an extra day of rest after arguably his worst outing of the season. He gave up season highs of six runs and five walks in Tuesday's 9-1 home loss to St. Louis.


Ray has been much more comfortable on the road, posting a 2.75 ERA in nine starts. In his only career outing at Colorado, he yielded one run in six innings of a 5-1 win May 6.


The Rockies are 5-23 when facing left-handed starters and they'll see Ray and Patrick Corbin in the first two of this eight-game homestand. Charlie Blackmon is batting .230 in 122 at-bats versus lefties, while Carlos Gonzalez is hitting .200 over 110 at-bats.


Blackmon, who had two hits Sunday, is batting .382 over a nine-game hitting streak at Coors. He's also hitting .427 in 22 career home meetings against the Diamondbacks.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Rockies
Mon, Aug 31 - 8:40PM EDT


GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Rockies
Tue, Sep 1 - 3:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Rockies
Wed, Sep 2 - 8:40PM EDT

Preview: Angels (65-65) at Athletics (57-74)
Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 31, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Once seemingly in good position to defend their AL West title, the Los Angeles Angels have posted the worst record in the league over the past 5 1/2 weeks.


Hector Santiago's fall from grace has coincided with his team's struggles in that stretch.


The visiting Angels look to turn it around and avoid a fourth straight loss Monday night against the last-place Oakland Athletics.


Los Angeles was two games up in the division July 22 after winning seven in a row, but the club has since gone 11-25 to fall 6 1/2 behind first-place Houston.


The Angels (65-65), on the verge of falling below .500 for the first time since June 7, have also dropped 3 1/2 behind surging Texas for the second wild-card spot.


"Even though this is a tough stretch, we always talk about, 'Hey, the sun is coming up, and let's go out there and try to create some momentum,'" manager Mike Scioscia told MLB's official website.


After going 7-4 with a 2.30 ERA in his first 18 starts and being selected to his first All-Star Game, Santiago has gone 0-4 with a 5.70 mark in his past seven outings.


The left-hander hasn't made it out of the fifth inning in his last two. He allowed five runs and seven hits - including a career-high three homers - over 4 1-3 in Wednesday's 5-0 loss at Detroit.


Santiago (7-8, 3.13 ERA), however, is 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA in seven career starts against the A's.


Oakland's Stephen Vogt had three hits and his 18th home run in a 7-4, 11-inning win at Arizona on Sunday. He's gone 6 for 9 with two homers in his last two games and is 9 for 18 in six at home against Los Angeles.


'It was just nice for us to see it, in a game that could have easily just swayed the other way like so many of our games have this year,' Vogt said after the A's blew a one-run lead in the ninth.


Oakland now seeks only its second three-game win streak since a five-game run June 20-25.


Felix Doubront (1-1, 3.70) should be fine after going two innings and leaving after getting hit on the foot by a line drive at Seattle last Monday. He was slated to start Saturday before the club choose to give him two extra days.


The left-hander hasn't given up an earned run over eight innings in two starts since joining Oakland (57-74) on July 31, and he's posted a 1.26 ERA in his last three appearances for the A's.


Mike Trout has doubled twice in five at-bats against Doubront.


Trout was batting .194 in August before finishing with four hits in Sunday's 9-2 loss at Cleveland. The Angels rank last in the majors in batting (.218) and runs (81) this month.


David Freese, out since July 23 with a fractured right index finger, could be activated off the disabled list Monday. He's hit .308 in his last 10 games at O.co Coliseum.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Angels at Athletics
Mon, Aug 31 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Angels at Athletics
Tue, Sep 1 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Angels at Athletics
Wed, Sep 2 - 3:35PM EDT

Preview: Giants (69-61) at Dodgers (72-57)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: August 31, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Engaged in a tight race atop the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants have plenty more than just their longtime rivalry to play for over the final seven meetings.


The first-place Dodgers try to bounce back after getting no-hit for the second time in 10 days, while the Giants look to close the gap in the division race Monday night at Dodger Stadium.


Although Los Angeles (72-57) has been in first place for most of the season, San Francisco has refused to go away, never falling more than 5 1/2 games back due in part to it taking nine of 12 in the season series.


The Giants (69-61) are just 3 1/2 behind heading into this matchup despite dropping the last two of a three-game series with St. Louis. That's because the Dodgers were no-hit by the Chicago Cubs' Jake Arrieta on Sunday, nine games after Houston's Mike Fiers held them hitless Aug. 21.


'We can create a lot of distance or lose a lot of ground,' Los Angeles outfielder Andre Ethier said earlier in the week. 'That series is the most important of the year. We don't want it to come down to the last one when we have to go up there (four games in San Francisco from Sept. 28-Oct. 1).'


The Dodgers, who had their five-game winning streak snapped Sunday, face Madison Bumgarner on Tuesday after drawing nemesis Jake Peavy on Monday.


Peavy (4-6, 4.21 ERA) is 14-3 with 2.30 ERA in 27 career starts against the Dodgers and 6-0 with a 2.51 mark over his last 10 at Dodger Stadium. Chase Utley is 0 for 8 off Peavy, while Ethier is hitting .143 with 11 strikeouts in 35 at-bats.


With Zack Greinke set to pitch Tuesday and Clayton Kershaw going Wednesday, the Giants look to get off to a good start against Brett Anderson (8-8, 3.36) in the opener of a 10-game road swing.


'We're not where we want to be but we're in the hunt,' manager Bruce Bochy said. 'This is a huge series for us. We're behind and I hope we go down there and get back on track.'


Anderson allowed two hits through six scoreless innings Wednesday and didn't give up an earned run over 6 2-3 in a 7-4 win at Cincinnati, his third straight quality start.


After going 0-4 with a 5.67 ERA in his first six career starts against San Francisco, Anderson allowed one run over six innings of a 10-2 win at Los Angeles on June 21.


Brandon Crawford is 5 for 7 off the left-hander and has batted .412 in his last 17 meetings with the Dodgers. He's expected to play after missing five games with a tight oblique, and Joe Panik could also return after missing 27 with a lower back inflammation.


Brandon Belt matched a season high with four hits in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Cardinals, while Marlon Byrd and Buster Posey each had three. Posey is 5 for his last 8, while Belt has batted .400 in his past 10 overall - though he's hitting .188 with 14 strikeouts in 32 at-bats against the Dodgers in 2015.


The teams have split six meetings at Dodger Stadium this season.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Giants at Dodgers
Mon, Aug 31 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Giants at Dodgers
Tue, Sep 1 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Giants at Dodgers
Wed, Sep 2 - 10:10PM EDT

Preview: Rangers (68-61) at Padres (63-67)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: August 31, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The last time the Texas Rangers faced the San Diego Padres, they were stumbling through July. This time around, the Rangers are one of the hottest teams in baseball.


Texas looks to keep rolling as it starts a season-high road trip against San Diego on Monday night.


The Rangers (68-61) look to cap a strong August that boosted them into the second wild-card spot. They've won four straight and are 13-4 since Aug. 13, giving them the most wins in the AL in that span.


Sunday's 6-0 victory over Baltimore completed a three-game sweep as Texas exceeded its 2014 win total.


"It's a big homestand. We still gotta go out and keep playing," Derek Holland said after pitching a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts and no walks. "We gotta turn the page now, it's over, we gotta look forward to San Diego now, that's the big thing, and take those games and go out there and gain as much ground as we can, or take what we think is ours."


The Rangers - starting a 10-game, 11-day trip through San Diego, Anaheim and Seattle - are seven games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 2013 season. They've moved past four teams in the wild-card race since Aug. 13 and cut their deficit behind AL West-leading Houston from five games to three.


Things didn't look as bright when San Diego (63-67) handed them two losses in a three-game set July 10-12. That was part of a 2-10 stretch for the Rangers, who fell to nine back in the division and seven behind in the wild card.


Colby Lewis (14-6, 4.38 ERA) pitched in that series and will try to turn in another strong start as he looks to tie for the AL lead in wins.


Lewis - 8-4 with a 3.71 ERA on the road - pitched seven innings of three-run ball with five strikeouts in a 6-5 loss July 11. Matt Kemp, hitting .340 in his last 13 games, homered off Lewis in that contest.


Lewis struggled with command his last time out, walking a season-high four in a 12-4 loss to Toronto on Wednesday. He surrendered five runs - four earned - over five innings in his shortest outing since July 5.


The Padres will close out an August in which they lost seven of their first nine, won nine of 11 and then dropped five of seven.


Tyson Ross (9-9, 3.42) beat Washington 6-5 on Wednesday, tying his season high with nine strikeouts while allowing four runs in 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander threw 6 2-3 scoreless innings and gave up three hits to beat the Rangers 2-1 on July 12.


Ross looks to benefit from a San Diego offense that broke out in a 9-4 win over Philadelphia on Sunday. The Padres, who had scored six runs in dropping three straight, collected 16 hits and got home runs from Kemp, Yangervis Solarte and Justin Upton.


'As a group the offense has to feel good about today,' interim manager Pat Murphy said. 'Our big guys came up big.'


Texas hopes to have second baseman Rougned Odor back Monday, six days after he tore a fingernail on his throwing hand.


Lewis last batted in July 2014 and has a four-game hitting streak - a Rangers record for a pitcher.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rangers at Padres
Mon, Aug 31 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Rangers at Padres
Tue, Sep 1 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Rangers at Padres
Wed, Sep 2 - 10:10PM EDT

MLB


Monday, August 31




Pitcher change - Michael Lorenzen, Cincinnati


Chi. Cubs vs. Cincinnati on August 31 at 8:05 PM. Previous Starter: David Holmberg.