MLB Betting Info - Wednesday 4/13

Francisco Liriano has been scratched from his start Wednesday against the Tigers with right hamstring discomfort.

The veteran left-hander is being listed as day-to-day for now. Ryan Vogelsong will start in his place at Comerica Park. Liriano was terrific in his 2016 debut last Sunday against the Cardinals, striking out 10 batters over six scoreless innings, but he gave up three runs in five innings Friday in a no-decision versus the Reds.

Orioles: 28th team since 1903 to start 7-0 or better.


5 of those teams went on to win the World Series (incl. 2015 Royals)

ATL is 0-7 for the 1st time since 1988.

Yankee bullpen ...


0.84 ERA / .190 BAA / 32 K in 21.1 IP

Brian McCann is day-to-day with a bruised foot.

McCann made an early exit from Tuesday's defeat of the Blue Jays after getting struck in the foot by a hard foul tip, but tests taken at Rogers Centre showed no fractures. He'll sit Wednesday against the Jays but shouldn't be out much longer. Austin Romine will fill in. McCann homered Wednesday and is batting .500 (9-for-18) to open the 2016 season.

Lucas Duda is out of the Mets' starting lineup Wednesday afternoon against the Marlins.


Travis d'Arnaud and Michael Conforto will also get the day off.

Marcell Ozuna is not in the Marlins' starting lineup Wednesday afternoon against the Mets.


Ichiro Suzuki will start in center field and hit second against Mets right-hander Logan Verrett.

StatFox Super Situations


MLB | MIAMI at NY METS
Play On - All teams when the money line is +125 to -125 (NY METS) terrible offensive team - scoring <=3.8 runs/game on the season (NL) against opponent good offensive team - scoring >=4.8 runs/game on the season (NL)
63-35 over the last 5 seasons. ( 64.3% | 31.8 units )
0-1 this year. ( 0.0% | -1.2 units )




StatFox Situational Power Trends


MLB | SAN DIEGO at PHILADELPHIA
SAN DIEGO is 18-5 (+15.2 Units) against the money line vs. a bullpen that averages less than 2.75 innings per game over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was: SAN DIEGO (4.4) , OPPONENT (2.7)

Preview: Marlins (2-3) at Mets (2-4)


Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: April 13, 2016 1:10 PM EDT


The New York Mets won the pennant last season largely due to their vaunted rotation that featured some of the best young arms in baseball.


One of them could be headed for the disabled list already.


With Jacob deGrom scratched, the Mets send Logan Verrett to the mound as they try to shake out of their offensive slump and snap a four-game slide Wednesday against the Miami Marlins.


Pitching was instrumental to New York reaching the World Series last fall, leaning on a rotation that still includes deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz.


For now, deGrom is taking a hiatus. He's being skipped after tightness in his right lat forced him to exit his season debut Friday against Philadelphia.


While the Mets (2-5) are claiming the move is precautionary, a trip to the DL is possible.


"We're trying to stay away from that," manager Terry Collins said.


Coincidentally, the injury allowed deGrom to be with his wife for the birth of their son on Tuesday.


The Mets' offense have been virtually non-existent. They're hitting .187 with 18 runs this season, scoring just six times during the four-game skid.


Getting the offense back in gear would be a huge help to Verrett, who allowed one run in one inning in a 5-2 loss to the Phillies on Sunday in his only appearance.


"I feel good about going into this one," Verrett told the team's official website. "I did it quite a bit last year, so I feel like I'm a little used to it. You just go out there and try to put up zeros every single inning. Not a big deal."


The right-hander went 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in four starts with New York last year. That includes yielding one run and three hits in five innings of a no-decision in a 4-3 home win over Miami on Sept. 14.


New York has scored more than three runs in just one game this season. Curtis Granderson has been ineffective in the leadoff spot, going 2 for 27 with five walks and two runs.


Neil Walker is also struggling with a .214 average, while tying Granderson, David Wright, Yoenis Cespedes and Lucas Duda with a team-high eight strikeouts.


The Marlins (3-3) are trying to sweep their first three-game series in Flushing since Sept. 8-10, 2009.


Dee Gordon came through in the clutch Tuesday after striking out a career-high four times. He singled on the 16th pitch of his at-bat in the eighth, stole second and advanced to third after consecutive walks before scoring the decisive run on Martin Prado's sacrifice fly.


"I was just trying to put on a good battle," Gordon said. "Keep fighting. Keep trying to get on base, that's it."


Gordon is batting .435 during a 19-game hitting streak against the Mets.


Miami sends Adam Conley to the mound in place of Wei-Yin Chen, who was pushed back to Friday against Atlanta due to a bruised left elbow suffered on a comebacker in the season opener.


Conley's season debut only lasted one inning due to a long rain delay. The left-hander gave up three runs with two strikeouts and two walks in Thursday's 6-4 win at Washington in the shortest of his 12 career starts.


Conley has allowed one run in 9 1-3 innings over two appearances against the Mets. He yielded three hits in seven innings of a 6-0 win in his only start against them Sept. 16 at Citi Field.

Preview: Angels (3-4) at Athletics (4-4)


Game: 3
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: April 13, 2016 3:35 PM EDT


If the Los Angeles Angels are to contend in an expectedly top-heavy AL West, they'll need to rely on more than just Mike Trout.


They're doing just that during a three-game winning streak they'll bring into Wednesday's series finale with the Oakland Athletics.


Losses in four of the first five games seemed to signal the beginning of a potentially long season for the Angels (4-4), but they've bounced back well despite Trout's 5 for 27 start. After receiving strong pitching performances from Jered Weaver and Nick Tropeano over the first two games of the streak, the bats came alive during the final two innings of Tuesday's 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the A's.


The Angels scored twice in the eighth before going ahead on Geovany Soto's two-run homer off Sean Doolittle in the ninth.


'It shows that's what we're all about, we never stop, we're always going to keep coming after you,' Soto said. 'You have to beat us 27 outs. It's a good quality to have and it's a good model that we're trying to establish.'


Another win would give the Angels their first three-game sweep in Oakland since Sept. 3-5, 2012, though they may need Matt Shoemaker to improve off a rough season debut to achieve the feat.


Shoemaker allowed six runs and seven hits in three-plus innings in Friday's 7-3 loss to Texas, displaying the same problems that led to a disappointing 2015 campaign and a poor spring. The right-hander allowed 24 home runs in 135 1-3 innings while finishing 7-10 last season and nine in 25 innings in posting a 6.84 ERA during spring training.


The 29-year-old is still trying to recapture the form that produced a 16-4 record and 3.04 ERA and a runner-up finish for the 2014 AL Rookie of the Year Award.


Shoemaker was 1-2 with a 6.04 ERA in five 2015 starts against the A's, surrendering five homers in 25 1-3 innings. He did yield just one run over seven innings in a 6-2 win at Oakland on Sept. 1.


Marcus Semien, who homered twice on Tuesday, is 5 for 12 with a homer off Shoemaker, while Stephen Vogt has two homers in 15 at-bats against him.


Oakland (4-5) had won three straight prior to a 4-1 loss in Monday's opener and entered Tuesday's game with a 1.86 bullpen ERA before Doolittle and Ryan Madson allowed four runs. The A's had the lowest save percentage (52.8) in the majors during a 94-loss 2015 season.


'They had some pretty good hitters get some good at-bats off `em,' manager Bob Melvin said. 'Both guys looked good out there. The bullpen's been great. You gotta give them credit, too.'


Oakland's rotation has performed well despite injuries to Henderson Alvarez and Felix Doubront, who underwent Tommy John surgery Tuesday. Kendall Graveman yielded a run on four hits over six innings Tuesday.


Eric Surkamp gets a second crack at filling Doubront's spot after an effective spot start in Friday's 3-2 win at Seattle. The journeyman left-hander, signed to a minor league contract in December, held the Mariners scoreless through four innings before permitting two runs in the fifth.


The start was Surkamp's first in the majors since July 23, 2013, with San Francisco. He made 35 relief appearances with the White Sox in 2014 and one with the Dodgers last season.

Preview: Rangers (4-4) at Mariners (2-5)


Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: April 13, 2016 3:40 PM EDT


A.J. Griffin's first start in three years wasn't a work of beauty, but it was effective and ended the Texas Rangers' losing streak.


He now attempts to build on that effort and help the Rangers sweep this three-game series with the punchless Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.


Griffin went 14-10 with a 3.83 ERA and a team-high 171 strikeouts in 200 innings for Oakland in 2013, his only full season in the majors. He missed all of 2014 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and the four appearances he made last year came in the A's minor league system.


That long road to recovery finally ended Friday, when the right-hander allowed three runs in six innings of a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels.


"I don't even know how to put that into words, but it was a grind," Griffin said. "And to be able to get out here and have the opportunity again is just fantastic.


"I took my time this past offseason and just got my body into the right shape for pitching. I'm not a supermodel or anything, but I'm in good pitching shape and I feel really good."


He's 3-2 with a 3.72 ERA in five career starts against the Mariners but hasn't faced them since Aug. 21, 2013.


The Rangers (5-4) are having little trouble with Seattle (2-6), holding a 15-3 scoring edge and a .351 average in this series after Tuesday's 8-0 rout.


That kind of production would go a long way for Griffin, who is 19-0 in 21 career starts in which he's backed by more than three runs.


Since scoring 19 runs in consecutive wins at Texas, the Mariners have totaled seven during a five-game skid and are 0-5 at home for the first time in franchise history.


'We've got to find a way to get back on our game,' manager Scott Servais said. 'It's the same team that played five, six days ago. I'm pretty sure our roster hasn't changed. We have to pick ourselves up. We have a lot of games left to play. It's a long season ahead.'


Slowing down Adrian Beltre would surely help Servais' team get back in the win column. The third baseman is 10 for 27 (.370) with nine RBIs in his last eight games against his former team, hitting a three-run homer and a two-run double Tuesday.


Seattle gives the ball to Taijuan Walker, who has allowed Beltre to go 4 for 8 with two doubles off him. The right-hander has also had a tough time with Prince Fielder and Rougned Odor, who are a combined 9 for 18 in the matchup.


Walker was hammered in his only career home start against Texas on Sept. 8, surrendering six runs and three homers in three-plus innings of a 9-6 loss. He's 1-0 with a 1.88 ERA in three road matchups - two starts.


He didn't get a decision in his season debut against Oakland on Friday, allowing two runs in six innings of a 3-2 loss. Walker worked his way out of jams in the first two innings, stranding four runners without yielding a run.


"I feel that's kind of where I matured this year, just controlling my emotions and really just making good pitches to get out of big jams like that," Walker told MLB's official website.


Robinson Cano is 2 for 20 with six strikeouts over the last five games after his first four hits of the season in 13 at-bats went for homers, driving in seven runs.


He's 0 for 8 in this series after batting .341 with six homers and 13 RBIs during his previous 11 matchups with the Rangers.


Cano is 3 for 8 versus Griffin.

Preview: Braves (0-6) at Nationals (4-1)


Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: April 13, 2016 7:05 PM EDT


Stephen Strasburg probably couldn't ask for a cushier spot to begin an important contract year.


The Washington hurler draws a second consecutive assignment against the winless Atlanta Braves as he attempts to continue the Nationals' strong start Wednesday night.


Both Strasburg and the Nationals are banking on a better 2016 after an assortment of injuries limited the right-hander to 23 starts last season and contributed to a playoff absence for a team widely pegged as a World Series favorite. The early returns have been promising for both parties, with Strasburg tossing six effective innings in last Wednesday's season debut at Atlanta to help Washington (5-1) to the franchise's best start since the Montreal Expos opened 6-1 in 2001.


Strasburg limited Atlanta's underwhelming lineup to six singles and a run in a 3-1 victory that built off his strong and healthy finish to 2015, when the 2014 NL strikeout leader posted a 1.90 ERA in 10 starts after returning from an oblique strain.


"Just from my experience, I think this is about the time when guys really get it together, when they come together emotionally and physiologically and spiritually," Nationals first-year manager Dusty Baker told MLB's official website of the 27-year-old Strasburg. "They kind of figure it out about this time."


Strasburg has yielded one run over 24 innings in winning four straight starts against Atlanta (0-7), batting .203 with a .291 slugging percentage during its worst start since an 0-10 beginning to 1988.


'It's been a tough stretch. I feel like we're playing good ball and we just can't get that big hit or get that big out or we come up with a little miscue or something that snowballs an inning on us,' said catcher Tyler Flowers. 'We're getting close. We're all still very positive in here.'


The Braves mustered six hits in Tuesday's 2-1 loss, their 12th straight at Nationals Park and 18th in the series' past 22 matchups. It's the franchise's longest road losing streak to a single opponent since a 13-game skid at the Dodgers from 1951-52.


Atlanta's punchless offense negated a sharp debut from Jhoulys Chacin, who struck out eight while matching counterpart Gio Gonzalez with six scoreless innings. The game remained tied until Bryce Harper delivered a two-out, two-run double in the eighth.


The Braves hope for a similar effort from Matt Wisler after the 23-year-old produced an encouraging first outing of his second major league season. The right-hander allowed four runs over 6 2-3 innings Friday against St. Louis, taking a lead into the seventh before surrendering a game-tying homer to Jeremy Hazelbaker in Atlanta's 7-4 loss.


"I only gave up a few hard-hit balls and that was definitely the big mistake of the day," Wisler said. "If I execute the pitch, I get an out. I didn't execute it and he took care of it."


Wisler was 2-2 in four 2015 starts against Washington but was hit hard in two on the road, permitting 11 earned runs and 14 hits over 5 2-3 innings in losing both.


Harper is 0 for 4 with four walks against Wisler but Daniel Murphy 3 for 6 with a pair of doubles in the matchup. The offseason addition had two hits Tuesday and is 10 for 20 with seven RBIs.


Freddie Freeman is batting .387 (12 for 31) with three homers off Strasburg - tied with Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the most hit off Strasburg - but is off to a 2-for-21 start after going 0 for 3 Tuesday.

Preview: Padres (3-4) at Phillies (2-5)


Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: April 13, 2016 7:05 PM EDT


Jerad Eickhoff overcame some early struggles last week to finish with an encouraging season debut, considering it was his third start since breaking the thumb on his pitching hand.


The Philadelphia Phillies right-hander will try to keep the positivity going while providing his team with at least another solid performance from a member of its rotation Wednesday night against the San Diego Padres.


Eickhoff (0-1, 3.60 ERA) needed 50 pitches to make it through the first two innings of a 7-2 road loss to the New York Mets on Friday. He finished with a respectable three runs allowed - two earned - in five-plus innings.


Eickhoff was limited to two spring training starts after getting injured before camp opened.


"I threw a bullpen (session earlier this week) in Cincinnati. There were some pitches there where it was like, 'OK, that's it, that's where I need to be.' I think I threw some out there today. It's just I couldn't find it more than I'd like to, so it was kind of frustrating," he told MLB's official website. "But I'm happy to get through it and be healthy on the backside."


Eickhoff's performance is part of a 2.87 ERA for the Phillies' rotation and Charlie Morton went 6 2-3 innings in a 3-0 win over the Padres on Tuesday. Jeanmar Gomez registered his third save in as many chances, bringing stability to a bullpen that had a 12.66 ERA during the team's 0-4 start.


Those efforts also helped Philadelphia (3-5) bounce back from a 4-3 loss in Monday's opener to the four-game series against San Diego.


"I'm really excited for the organization as a whole," Morton said. "I think the future is bright for the Phillies, but also for this team this year."


The Padres (3-5) were shut out for the fourth time and 29 of their 36 runs came in back-to-back wins in Colorado last weekend.


"A loss is a loss. Shutouts aren't fun when you're on the wrong side of them. We've got to take advantage of the opportunities that we have on the field, and we didn't do that offensively," manager Andy Green said. "We can do better."


Colin Rea didn't pitch long enough to benefit from the Padres' bevy of runs in a 13-6 win against the Rockies on Friday, throwing 90 pitches in 3 1-3 innings and allowing five runs.


Rea (0-0, 12.46) was a 4-3 loser in his only matchup against Philadelphia and his fourth MLB start Aug. 29, giving up four runs in five-plus innings.


San Diego's Jon Jay has a hit in each of his first eight games with his new team, going 10 for 33 with three doubles and five RBIs. The longest hit streak by a Padres player to open his tenure with the team is 10, shared by Justin Upton, Tony Fernandez, Wally Joyner and Keith Moreland.

Preview: Yankees (3-2) at Blue Jays (3-4)


Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: April 13, 2016 7:07 PM EDT


The New York Yankees won't have their hottest hitter Wednesday night, although that may not be a break for Toronto Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ.


The visiting Yankees have won their last four games with Brian McCann starting at catcher, but he'll be replaced in the lineup by Austin Romine.


McCann has hit safely in his five games, going 9 for 18. He has four straight multihit efforts with the Yankees (4-2) winning all of those contests after he went 2 for 3 with his second homer in Tuesday's 3-2 victory in the opener of this three-game series.


The problem is he was diagnosed with a bruised toe after being hit by the ball, and Romine replaced him late in the game. New York has lost the only game Romine - a career .198 hitter - has started.


"You're kind of anxious, wondering what is going on," manager Joe Girardi said. "Is it just a bruised toe, bruised big toe or is it more than that? So hopefully we know here pretty quick."


McCann was only 3 for 19 against Happ, who has given other Yankees issues as well. Chase Headley is 4 for 15 in this matchup, Jacoby Ellsbury is 3 for 13 and Alex Rodriguez 0 for 8.


Happ is 3-2 with a 4.85 ERA in nine starts against New York. The left-hander gave up two runs over six-plus innings before Tampa Bay scored three times in the eighth to pull out a 5-3 win last Wednesday.


The Yankees will counter with Michael Pineda, who will try to be more effective after he gave up six runs with three homers in five innings to get credit for last Wednesday's 16-6 rout of Houston.


The only other times Pineda has allowed three homers have been two starts versus Toronto. He went 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in three against the Blue Jays last season, with AL MVP Josh Donaldson going 0 for 10.


The right-hander has also stymied Jose Bautista, who is 3 for 19 in this matchup, and Kevin Pillar, who is 1 for 10.


"The Blue Jays are a pretty good team, everybody knows that," Pineda told MLB's official website. "I like competing and love the game and will have fun."


New York's bullpen lowered its major league-leading ERA to 0.84 on Tuesday after four relievers combined for four hitless innings.


"(Johnny) Barbato, (Chasen) Shreve, Dellin (Betances) and (Andrew) Miller, outstanding job tonight," Girardi said. "It was neat to see Johnny Barbato get his first win, that's always fun too. Each one got us some big outs so I was impressed."


Toronto (3-5) saw its bullpen fail to match New York when Brett Cecil gave up Ellsbury's go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning. Cecil has blown two saves and has a 10.13 ERA over four games.


'He's off right now,' manager John Gibbons said. 'There's no secret about that.'


Bautista doubled in two runs for Toronto, which had three hits and fell to 0-3 in one-run games after going 15-28 a year ago for baseball's worst mark.

Preview: Tigers (4-2) at Pirates (5-3)


Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: April 13, 2016 7:05 PM EDT


Shane Greene began his tenure with the Detroit Tigers in impressive fashion, then showed only brief glimpses of that stretch for the remainder of last season before landing on the disabled list.


His hard work in spring training kept him in the conversation for the fifth starter's slot before ultimately losing out on the job, but an injury has given Greene another chance in the rotation and put him nearly back to square one - trying to impress his manager with a solid outing on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.


Detroit (4-2) acquired Greene from the New York Yankees in a three-team deal last offseason and he promptly won his first three starts with a 0.39 ERA. He went 1-8 with a 9.20 ERA in his last 13 starts, though, and was sent to the bullpen before an artery issue in his in right hand ended his major league season in early August.


Greene vowed to recapture his early season form during the spring, but Daniel Norris beat him out for the last spot in the rotation. Norris, though, is on the DL with a back injury, giving Greene an audition.


The right-hander earned his first big league save in the Tigers' 8-7, 11-inning victory at Miami on April 5 in his first appearance. He was supposed to start Monday, but Sunday's contest against the New York Yankees was postponed and he was pushed back two days.


"It's almost like he doesn't see anything else going on around him," manager Brad Ausmus told MLB's official website. "I don't mean that in a negative way. He sees the catcher, gets the sign, throws the pitch. His whole world is 60 feet, six inches.


"If he pitches well, he'll stay (in the rotation)."


Another stellar performance against the Pirates (5-3) should earn him at least another start. Greene pitched perhaps the best game of his career April 14 at Pittsburgh, allowing three hits in eight innings of a 2-0 victory in his second start as a Tiger.


He'll be back on the PNC Park mound nearly a year to the day later following the Tigers' 8-2 victory in Detroit on Tuesday to earn a split. Justin Upton went 4 for 5 with his first home run as a Tiger, and he, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez (career high-tying four hits) had two RBIs apiece.


Upton has three doubles but has struck out 11 times in 28 at-bats against Ryan Vogelsong, who gets the ball in place of Francisco Liriano. A clubhouse spokesperson said after Tuesday's game that Liriano is dealing with hamstring discomfort and is considered day to day.


Vogelsong picked up a 6-5 victory in relief Friday against Cincinnati despite giving up two runs - one earned - and walking two in two innings. Starling Marte bailed out Liriano and Vogelsong with a grand slam in the eighth.


The right-hander, who went 8-10 with a 4.50 ERA in 22 starts last season, hasn't faced the Tigers since 2011. The Pirates hope to provide him with more support after registering only five hits Tuesday.


"As much as we were grinding, we just couldn't do anything," said Matt Joyce, who went 0 for 2 with two walks.


The Pirates have dropped three of their last four, scoring two runs or fewer in each defeat. Marte accounted for their only scoring Tuesday with a homer in the sixth.


Marte has 11 hits over the last six after a pair of 0-for-4 games to start the season.

Preview: Orioles (6-0) at Red Sox (3-3)


Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: April 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


Extended winning streaks aren't something the Baltimore Orioles have done a whole lot of over the past few years.


With the offense they've displayed this season, they could become much more commonplace.


The Orioles aim to remain the only unbeaten team in the majors Wednesday night when they close a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.


It's not totally unexpected that Baltimore (7-0) is hitting home runs and producing at a high level offensively, but being perfect after the first week is very surprising for a club that was .500 in 2015.


The Orioles scored nine runs for the second consecutive game against Boston on Tuesday, erasing a 4-2 deficit with seven combined in the sixth and seventh innings en route to a 9-5 victory. J.J. Hardy hit a pair of homers around the Pesky Pole and drove in five, while Mark Trumbo continued his onslaught with a homer, double and single.


Matt Wieters added a pair of RBIs for Baltimore, off to the franchise's best start since opening 9-0 as the St. Louis Browns in 1944.


The Orioles have won seven straight for the first time since an eight-game run in 2005, and are winners of 12 in a row dating to September. They've totaled 40 runs and 13 homers in seven games while batting .309 with runners in scoring position.


'It's just every night,' Hardy said. 'You watch the guys when you're sitting in the dugout and watch everybody's at-bats. It's fun because everybody 1 through 9 can do it.'


Trumbo has homered in both games of this series and is 13 for 28 this season. He has five home runs and 17 RBIs in 12 games at Fenway.


The potent offense has masked the inability of Orioles' starters to pitch deep into games, with only Ubaldo Jimenez completing more than five innings.


That came in a 4-2 win over Minnesota on Thursday, when he allowed one earned run in seven innings with nine strikeouts and no walks.


'I'm not one of those pitchers that's going to have pinpoint command,' said Jimenez, who retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced. 'Definitely every time I have a game like that without a walk it makes me feel good because I know I'm in a good place with my mechanics and everything.'


Jimenez went 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in three starts at Boston last season after he posted a 9.45 ERA in three previous outings there.


This seems like an opportune time for Pablo Sandoval to make his second start of the season for the Red Sox. He has a .359 (14 for 39) average and two homers against Jimenez.


David Ortiz is 2 for 19 in this matchup but is 9 for 20 with two home runs and eight RBIs in his last five games against Baltimore.


Tuesday marked the third straight loss for the Red Sox (3-4), who received another poor outing from a starting pitcher. Clay Buchholz gave up five runs in five innings as the ERA for Boston's starters jumped to 7.32.


Joe Kelly contributed to that ugly number in his first start Friday at Toronto, yielding seven runs and seven hits - including a grand slam to Josh Donaldson - before he was lifted with nobody out in the fourth inning. Kelly escaped with a no-decision when the Red Sox rallied for an 8-7 win.


The right-hander was roughed up to a 7.71 ERA in three starts against the Orioles last season, failing to make it past the fourth inning in the last two.


Chris Davis is 4 for 7 against Kelly and Hardy is 3 for 6.

Preview: Indians (2-2) at Rays (2-4)


Game: 5
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


Carlos Carrasco nearly made history the last time he pitched at Tropicana Field. Following a rough season debut, he'll simply settle for a solid outing in his return.


Back to the site of his near no-hitter, the right-hander tries to help the Cleveland Indians even their three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.


Carrasco was one strike away from recording Cleveland's first no-hitter in 34 years when Joey Butler delivered an RBI single in the Indians' 8-1 victory July 1.


"It was great," Carrasco said after that game. "I almost made it."


Carrasco, who struck out 13 and walked two over 8 2-3 innings, won't have to worry about Butler ruining his night this time. In an interesting twist, the Indians claimed Butler off waivers in December then sent him down to Triple-A Columbus last month.


Carrasco is 2-3 as a starter against Tampa Bay (3-4) but has a 2.91 ERA and 34 strikeouts while walking eight. In the four starts against the Rays prior to falling short of history, Carrasco received four total runs of support.


"When he's on, his stuff is overpowering," Rays third baseman Evan Longoria told MLB's official website. "I remember getting a couple of pitches to hit (in July), and I fouled them back. And then he didn't give anything else."


Carrasco has given up three home runs over his five starts against Tampa Bay, but he served up that many for all four runs he surrendered along with seven hits in five-plus innings while not receiving a decision in a 7-6 win over Boston last Wednesday.


Tampa Bay's 10 homers have been responsible for 15 of its 23 runs. The Rays have homered in a team-record 21 straight games dating to Sept. 20.


Longoria and Logan Forsythe each belted two-run homers in the eighth in Tuesday's 5-1 victory. Tampa Bay has trailed in each of its victories.


'That's why we play nine (innings),' outfielder Kevin Kiermaier said.


Longoria has hit both of his home runs over the last three games and is 6 for 16 in the past four. He's 2 for 16 with a home run and five strikeouts against Carrasco, while Forsythe is 3 for 9 in the matchup.


Tampa Bay's Drew Smyly also gave up three homers in his 2016 debut, allowing five runs over 6 2-3 innings of a 5-3 defeat to Toronto on April 4. The southpaw was extremely disappointed that two of those home runs came against left-handed hitters.


"I'm not going to make excuses," he said. "I take pride in getting those guys out. I'm usually pretty effective against them."


Smyly yielded a homer to Yan Gomes while going 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in three starts against the Indians (2-3). All came with Detroit and none since July 20, 2014.


"It'll be a tough test," he said. "Just looking forward to going out there and giving the team a 'W.'"


Gomes is 4 for 8 with two homers and a double against him.


Francisco Lindor, who has never faced Smyly, is batting .368 with a homer that came Tuesday.


Teammate Jason Kipnis went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in the series opener and has fanned five times in the last three games. He's 1 for 13 with six strikeouts against Smyly.

Preview: Reds (5-2) at Cubs (6-1)


Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: April 13, 2016 8:05 PM EDT


The optimistic numbers John Lackey posted over the past two seasons to earn him a two-year deal with the Chicago Cubs came almost entirely because of success at Busch Stadium, and the reason he didn't get another start there last postseason was in part because he struggled at Wrigley Field in the NLDS.


Answers as to whether that home advantage travels north with him to Chicago will start to come Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds as the right-hander makes his home debut with his new club.


After being traded from Boston to St. Louis at the 2014 trade deadline, Lackey went 18-13 with a 3.13 ERA in 47 starts with the Cardinals, including four playoff assignments. At Busch, he was 13-4 with a 1.91 ERA, .241 opponent batting average, 1.80 walks and 0.58 home runs per nine innings. Away - including three starts at Wrigley - he was 5-9 with a 4.69 ERA, .279 OBA, 2.58 walks and 1.36 homers.


The last of those was a Game 4 no-decision in a 6-4 loss at Wrigley on Oct. 13 that sent the Cubs to the NLCS with the now-37-year-old giving up four runs and four hits in three innings.


The trend held true in his first start with the Cubs as Lackey gave up six runs and eight hits in six innings of Thursday's 14-6 win in Arizona. Lackey settled down for three clean innings after giving up six in the first three and escaped with the win.


"I kept giving the lead back in the first couple innings, which wasn't ideal," Lackey told MLB's official website. "Then I started mixing things up and got in a little groove later on in the game. You definitely know with our offense, you don't have to be perfect, but I'd like to be better than that."


He has been against the Reds, going 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA in nine career starts with Devin Mesoraco (1 for 10), Brandon Phillips (5 for 27) and Jay Bruce (5 for 23) struggling.


Manager Joe Maddon has a theory that has nothing to do with the mound he throws from or the uniform he wears. Lackey didn't pitch in 2012 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and 2015 marked possibly his best season ever with a career-best 2.77 ERA in 218 innings.


"I'm really seeing a renaissance," Maddon said. "I think this is the third year (since the surgery), and watching him the last couple years, I was really impressed with the arm stroke and command of his pitches. I watched him closely this spring and I liked everything about the way he threw the baseball."


A renaissance is exactly what Alfredo Simon needs after a one-year stint in Detroit resulted in his worst season. He's back in Cincinnati where he thrived from 2012-14, and he opened the year with a no-decision in Friday's 6-5 home loss to Pittsburgh. The right-hander surrendered two runs - one earned - and five hits in five innings.


He's 3-0 with a 1.10 ERA in five starts against the Cubs and has held 2016 Chicago addition Jason Heyward to 1 for 8.


The Cubs (6-1) are out to win their third series to start the season after opening their home schedule with Monday's 5-3 win. Chicago had just three hits but Addison Russell connected on a three-run homer in the eighth inning to push the Cubs ahead.


Reds starter Brandon Finnegan had a no-hitter going for 6 2-3 innings, but the bullpen recorded three runs, two hits, two walks and a hit batter in 1 1-3. Cincinnati (5-2) can hang both of its losses on the bullpen.


"We really struggled with the first batter for each pitcher, a walk, a two-strike hit and a three-run homer for the first batters that our bullpens faced," manager Bryan Price said. "They'll be better."


Chicago has won four straight against the Reds and 17 of 23 dating to the last series of 2014.

Preview: Royals (4-2) at Astros (3-4)


Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: April 13, 2016 8:10 PM EDT


A little more than a week into the season, the Kansas City Royals have already shown a knack for winning the close games.


Looking to build on another nail-biting victory, the visiting Royals continue their four-game series with the Houston Astros on Wednesday night.


Lorenzo Cain hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Kansas City (5-2) shut down the Astros after they scored twice in the bottom half in Tuesday's 3-2 victory. The Royals improved to 4-0 in games decided by a run and regrouped nicely after Monday's 8-2 defeat to the Astros (3-5), who have dropped both of their one-run contests.


"We got runs early and our pitching did an outstanding job," Cain said.


The Royals' success in tight games shouldn't be a surprise considering they went 23-17 to boast the AL's second-highest winning percentage (.575) in one-run games a year ago.


Kansas City's vaunted bullpen has already endured some rough moments this season, including Monday when it gave up two runs and five hits in 3 1-3 innings. However, they overcame three walks to strike out seven over four innings, including two by Wade Davis as he stranded two runners in the ninth for his third save.


"He always finds a way,' Royals manager Ned Yost said of Davis, who has walked four in four innings but has yet to give up a run.


'He'll bend a little bit but I've never seen him break. ... His stuff is so good he can get through an inning throwing more balls than strikes with a one-run lead.'


Cain is 5 for 25 with nine strikeouts but two of those hits left the park. He's 7 for 13 against Scott Feldman, who looks to bounce back after he allowed four runs, two homers and three walks in four innings of Friday's 6-4 loss at Milwaukee.


The right-hander, who did not pitch last postseason, gave up a run in 7 2-3 innings of a 2-1, 10-inning loss at Kansas City on July 25.


The Royals counter with Yordano Ventura, who allowed a run in seven innings of a 5-1 victory over the Astros on July 26, then went 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA over two postseason starts against them.


Ventura overcame six walks by striking out six and giving up two hits with two runs in five-plus innings to earn a no-decision in Friday's 4-3 victory over Minnesota.


"Six walks â?¦ that's not me," the right-hander told the Royals' official website. "But I did feel good."


Batting .355, Houston's Carlos Correa is 4 for 5 with two doubles and a home run overall against Ventura. Including playoffs, Colby Rasmus is 2 for 8 against Ventura but is batting .423 with nine RBIs in his last eight games against Kansas City.


Houston rookie Tyler White had a run-scoring single Tuesday, giving him 10 RBIs while going 13 for 25 to begin his major league career.


After opening the season on the disabled list following sports hernia surgery, teammate Evan Gattis went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his 2016 debut on Tuesday.


'He had a tough night getting back in the swing of things,' manager A.J. Hinch said of Gattis, who set career highs with 27 homers and 88 RBIs in 2015. 'He's going to need a few at-bats to get comfortable.'

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