MLB Betting Info - Monday 5/2

StatFox Super Situations


MLB | WASHINGTON at KANSAS CITY
Play On - Home teams (KANSAS CITY) with an excellent bullpen whose ERA is 3.00 or better on the season against opponent with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.00 or better on the season (NL)
292-192 since 1997. ( 60.3% | 90.0 units )
0-1 this year. ( 0.0% | -2.0 units )




StatFox Situational Power Trends


MLB | ATLANTA at NY METS
NY METS are 18-3 (+16.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was: NY METS (5.3) , OPPONENT (2.9)

MLB


Monday's games


National League games
Cubs @ Pirates
Hammel is 3-0, 0.75 in four starts this year (under 2-1-1).


Cole is 2-1, 3.00 in his last three starts, all of which went over.


Cubs won six of last eight games; over is 4-0-1 in their last five road games. Pirates are 8-2 in their last 10 games; over is 15-5 in their last 20 games.


Giants @ Reds
Former Red Cueto 4-1, 2.65 in five starts this year (over 2-2-1).


Finnegan is 1-1, 5.14 in five starts this year; three of his last four starts went over. .


Giants lost six of their last eight road games; nine of their last ten overall went over total. Reds lost eight of their last ten games; over is 4-0-1 in their last five home tilts.


Braves @ Mets
Foltynewicz is making his first '16 start; he is 4-7, 5.64 in 34 MLB games (15 starts). He is 1-2, 2.05 in three AAA starts this year.


Colon is 1-1, 3.63 in four starts this year (over 2-2).


Mets won eight of last nine games; over is 11-4 in their last 15 games. Atanta is 2-9 in its last 11 games; six of its last eight road games went over.


Phillies @ Cardinals
Hellickson is 2-0, 1.45 in three road starts; three of his last four starts went over.


Wainwright is 1-3, 7.16 in five starts this year; three of his last four starts went over.


Phillies won nine of last ten games; their last five games all stayed under. Cardinals lost their last four e games (over 6-0-2 in last eight).


Rockies @ Padres
Gray is 0-0, 11.42 in two starts this year (over 2-0).


Shields is 0-2, 2.70 in his last three starts; San Diego is 0-5 in his starts, scoring total of six runs (under 4-1).


Colorado is 8-4 on the road this year; eight of its last ten road games stayed under. San Diego lost six of last eight games; four of their last five stayed under.




American League games


Rangers @ Blue Jays
Griffin is 3-0, 2.88 in four starts this year (over 3-1).


Dickey is 0-3, 8.31 in his last four starts (over 3-2).


Texas won four of its last five games, but they've lost four in row on road; seven of its ten road games stayed under. Toronto is 4-7 in its last 11 games; its last four all stayed under the total.


Twins @ Astros
Berrios allowed five runs in four IP (93 PT) in his MLB debut, vs Indians.


Keuchel is 1-3, 4.91 in his last four starts (over 3-2).


Twins are 1-10 on road; they lost last four games overall. Over is 8-3 in their last 11 games overall. Houston lost nine of last 12 games; over is 5-3 in their last eight.


Mariners @ A's
Karns is 2-0, 3.12 in his last three starts (over 2-2).


Graveman is 1-2, 4.03 in four starts this year (over 2-2).


Mariners won eight of last 11 games; under is 6-2 in their last eight road games. A's won four of last five home games; under is 8-3 in their last 11 hjome games.




Interleague


Angels @ Brewers
Weaver is 3-0, 3.86 in four starts this year (over 2-2).


Nelson is 3-1, 4.50 in his last four starts (under 3-2).


Angels lost seven of last ten road games; under is 6-1-1 in their last eight road games. Milwaukee lost six of its last eight games; over is 4-0-1 in their last five at home.


Nationals @ Royals
Gonzalez is 1-1, 2.13 in four starts this year (under 3-1).


Volquez is 3-0, 0.96 in three home starts this year (under 4-1)


Washington won five of its last six road games; under is 5-1-2 in their last eight games on foreign soil. Royals lost five of their last six games; under is 9-2 in their last 11.




Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:


Chi-Pitt-- Hammel 3-1; Cole 2-2
SF-Cin-- Cueto 4-1; Finnegan 2-3
Atl-NY-- Foltynewicz 0-0; Colon 2-2
Phil-StL-- Hellickson 3-2; Wainwright 2-3
Col-SD-- Gray 1-1; Shields 0-5


Tex-Tor-- Griffin 3-1; Dickey 1-4
Minn-Hst-- Berrios 0-1; Keuchel 2-3
Sea-A's-- Karns 3-1; Graveman 1-3


LAA-Mil-- Weaver 3-1; Nelson 3-2
Wsh-KC-- Gonzalez 2-2; Volquez 4-1




Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:


Chi-Pitt-- Hammel 0-4; Cole 1-4
SF-Cin-- Cueto 2-5; Finnegan 2-5
Atl-NY-- Foltynewicz 0-0; Colon 2-4
Phil-StL-- Hellickson 2-5; Wainwright 2-5
Col-SD-- Gray 1-2; Shields 1-5


Tex-Tor-- Griffin 1-4; Dickey 2-5
Minn-Hst-- Berrios 0-1; Keuchel 2-5
Sea-A's-- Karns 2-4; Graveman 1-4


LAA-Mil-- Weaver 2-4; Nelson 1-5
Wsh-KC-- Gonzalez 0-4; Volquez 0-5

Preview: Rockies (11-12) at Padres (9-15)


Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: May 02, 2016 10:10 PM EDT


Colorado's Nolan Arenado has been to an All-Star Game and won a Silver Slugger Award thanks in part to the kind of torrid stretch he's riding right now.


Now the third baseman will try to build on his lofty numbers versus James Shields on Monday night when the Rockies chase their first four-game winning streak since July in the opener of a three-game road series against the San Diego Padres.


Arenado has picked up where he left off last season when he tied Bryce Harper for the NL home run title with 42 and led the league with 130 RBIs and 354 total bases.


On Sunday, the three-time Gold Glove award winner surpassed rookie teammate Trevor Story to take the major league lead with his 11th homer in a 6-3 win at Arizona. He also knocked in three runs, raising his MLB-leading total to 25.


Arenado is 10 for 22 with four homers in his last five games for Colorado (12-12), which moved into a tie for first place in the NL West following its first sweep at Arizona since 2004.


"He literally impacts the game on both sides of the ball almost every single day," manager Walt Weiss told the league's official website. "That's why it's so hard to give him a day off."


Arenado will try to lead the Rockies to their longest winning streak since they last ran off four straight from July 9-12. He's batting .322 with five home runs in his last 16 games at San Diego and is 12 for 23 with four homers versus Shields.


Shields has four quality starts in his first five outings, but he's dropped his first four decisions for the first time in his career. The Padres haven't scored for him in three of those starts, and he has the second-lowest run-support average in the majors at 1.36.


The right-hander is coming off his best performance Tuesday when he allowed one run and three hits over seven innings in a 1-0 loss at San Francisco. He had won six straight decisions versus Colorado before surrendering four runs and six hits - including three homers - over seven innings in a 6-3 road loss April 10.


Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez and Ryan Raburn took him deep in that one. Gonzalez is batting .360 with three homers in 25 at-bats against Shields (0-4, 3.55 ERA).


The Padres (9-16) fell short of their first sweep Sunday when they managed only three hits off Clayton Kershaw in a 1-0 road loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.


'There's more fight in us, and we've got to get that fight out of us,' manager Andy Green said after his team's sixth loss in eight games.


Matt Kemp has been a bright spot, going 12 for 33 with two homers in his last eight games. He's batting .410 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs over his past 15 versus Colorado.


Jon Gray (0-0, 11.42) will try to keep the Padres scuffling, but he's allowed 11 runs and 16 hits over 8 2/3 innings in his first two starts. The third overall pick in 2013 is still seeking his first big league victory, going 0-2 with a 6.57 ERA in 11 starts.


The right-hander, though, has been at his best versus San Diego, surrendering one run and six hits with 11 strikeouts over 10 innings in two career meetings.


The Rockies dropped two of three at home to the Padres from April 8-10.

Preview: Mariners (13-10) at Athletics (13-12)


Game: 1
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: May 02, 2016 10:05 PM EDT


Oakland's sweep of Seattle last month put in motion a road winning streak that stretched on for its first seven games, but that road form has since fallen off.


The Mariners don't have that kind of winning streak, but they've been more than capable away from home and have had similar success in Oakland for nearly two years.


Seattle has a chance to get back at the Athletics this week with three in the East Bay beginning Monday night with Nathan Karns hoping to build off an impressive outing.


Oakland (13-13) won three at Seattle from April 8-10 while holding the Mariners (13-11) to four runs and a .155 average. Seattle, however, has won four straight series in Oakland and is 12-5 there since dropping two of three from April 3-5, 2014.


The Mariners are yet to lose a road series, going 8-4 while taking two of three in four different sets. They also won two of three in both their recent home series, though Sunday's 4-1 loss to Kansas City denied them a sweep. They've won five straight series for the first time since a run of six from May 18-June 5, 2011.


The little offense Seattle got Sunday again involved Seth Smith, who was 2 for 3 with a run scored and is batting .389 in his last five with two home runs and a double. The right fielder is batting .317 with a .990 OPS after being at .241 and .714 on May 2 in his first season with Seattle.


"I think his approach from the first day of spring training has been fantastic," manager Scott Servais told MLB's official website. "He's not trying to do too much. He's used the whole field. He's a guy they typically shift against a lot, and multiple times he's beat the shift because he is using the whole field.


"Just the quality of the at-bat and the consistency of it is great to see."


He'll be out to support Karns (2-1, 3.63 ERA), who didn't need much help in his latest effort. The right-hander yielded two hits with three walks in seven scoreless innings of Tuesday's 11-1 home win over Houston.


"He established it from the get-go, he was going to be in control," Servais said. "When you see that confidence come from your starting pitcher and really good tempo, it really dictates the rest of the game."


Control has held him back from going that deep into more games with Karns issuing 11 walks in 17 1/3 innings of his last three starts. Still, that's been the route to success for him so far after opening the season by allowing four runs and seven hits with one walk in five innings of a 6-1 loss to Oakland on April 9.


Karns has lost both career starts against the A's with a 5.06 ERA and .318 opponent average. Josh Reddick (2 for 5) and Marcus Semien (2 for 7) have both homered off him.


The A's counter with Kendall Graveman, whose start to the season went the other way in his latest outing. Graveman (1-2, 4.03) surrendered six runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings of last Monday's 7-3 loss in Detroit after giving up four runs and 10 hits in 17 2/3 innings of his first three starts. Three home runs were the difference.


"You've just got to execute and not fall behind, and also make more meaningful pitches early in the count," said Graveman, who's 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA in a start and two relief efforts against Seattle.


The A's also just missed out on a sweep because of Sunday's 2-1 loss to Houston, dropping them to an AL-worst 5-8 at home with 2.77 runs scored per game.

Preview: Nationals (16-7) at Royals (12-11)


Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: May 02, 2016 8:15 PM EDT


The Washington Nationals' first three games in Missouri proved fruitful, but the next three come against a team that's been a little more difficult to beat at home.


That might not matter if Gio Gonzalez can keep limiting teams the way he has so far this season Monday night against the Kansas City Royals.


Washington (17-7) canceled out three home losses to Philadelphia with a three-game sweep in St. Louis over the weekend for a fine start to a difficult 10-game road trip that ends with four against the MLB-leading Chicago Cubs.


"For us to be able to come in here and take three games from them, that's huge, especially on this road trip," Sunday starter Max Scherzer told MLB's official website. "This road trip is going to tell us where we're at. We started off well."


It came with Bryce Harper striking out in all four of his at-bats, and the reigning NL MVP is 1 for 17 in his last five games. It's often been Harper and Daniel Murphy pacing the offense, but they'll eventually need Anthony Rendon (.240), Ryan Zimmerman (.219), Jayson Werth (.213), Michael A. Taylor (.190) and Danny Espinosa (.188) to get going. Clint Robinson stepped up with a two-run homer for just his second hit in 23 at-bats this season.


"It's a long season, and it's going to have to come from somewhere other than the same guys every day," Robinson said. "It's got to come from different sources. So today, that was an example of that."


The Washington staff combined to allow two runs in the last two games against the Cardinals, and Gonzalez is one of a few good options to continue the impressive pitching. Gonzalez (1-1, 1.42 ERA) gave up two runs - one earned - and five hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 3-0 home loss to the Phillies on Wednesday and has allowed four total earned runs over his four starts with a .196 opponent batting average.


The left-hander has only faced the Royals once since 2011 but is 3-3 with a 7.49 ERA in eight career starts against them. Salvador Perez (5 for 6) and Eric Hosmer (4 for 6 with two home runs and three walks) have hit him best.


The Washington-Montreal franchise is 9-3 against the Royals and has won two of three in both of its past visits to Kansas City.


Even so, the Royals (13-11) will be happy to return home after a 1-5 road trip on which they avoided going winless only with Sunday's 4-1 win in Seattle. Prior to taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning, they'd gone 27 innings without scoring.


Alcides Escobar was 3 for 5 after going 2 for 24 in his previous six games, while Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain each had two hits.


"We knew we were going to have to find ways to scratch runs across the board, and we did a good job of that," Hosmer, who's 7 for 16 with two home runs in his last four. "We had some things going on the bases today, we had some big hits."


The Royals are 8-3 at home and haven't lost a series of any real consequence in Kansas City since Minnesota took two of three from July 2-4. They went 4-8 with three series losses from Sept. 4 through the end of the regular season last year but entered that span with a 13-game lead in the AL Central.


Kansas City looks to Edinson Volquez to bounce back after allowing a career high in hits the last time out. Volquez (3-1, 3.34) gave up eight runs and 12 hits in five innings of Tuesday's 9-4 loss at the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander's ERA jumped more than threefold from 1.09.


Murphy is 6 for 15 against Volquez, but Harper is 0 for 6.

Preview: Phillies (14-10) at Cardinals (12-12)


Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 02, 2016 8:15 PM EDT


The Philadelphia Phillies are in position to match their longest win streak since 2012, and facing a pitcher with one of baseball's worst ERAs could help their cause.


The struggling Adam Wainwright, however, has fared well against the Phillies in the past and will start Monday night for the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a four-game set at Busch Stadium.


Philadelphia (15-10) has won six straight and nine of 10 as it seeks to match a seven-game win streak from Sept. 5-12, 2012.


"We're having fun out there and everything is coming together," catcher Cameron Rupp said.


The Phillies have been one of baseball's biggest surprises while the Cardinals (12-13) have been inconsistent. St. Louis is one defeat shy of its first five-game slide since losing seven straight from July 26-31, 2013.


Wainwright (1-3, 7.16 ERA), ironically, was the last Cardinals pitcher to win after yielding four runs over 5 1/3 innings Wednesday in an 11-4 rout at Arizona. He added a three-run triple at the plate.


The right-hander has struggled since missing most of last season with an Achilles tendon injury. Wainwright, who has never had an ERA over 3.94 in a full season, failed to strike out more than three batters in four straight starts for the first time since 2007 before he struck out five Diamondbacks.


He is 5-2 with a 2.65 ERA in 10 career starts versus the Phillies. St. Louis native Ryan Howard has faced him the most among Philadelphia hitters, going 6 for 24.


The Phillies have a 1.61 ERA during their win streak, including nearly spotless relief work. Hector Neris allowed a solo homer in the ninth of Sunday's 2-1 victory over Cleveland to snap the bullpen's streak of 20 straight scoreless innings.


Pitching was the story in three weekend one-run victories over the Indians. Vince Velasquez tossed two-hit ball over six innings Sunday.


"Our offense isn't explosive by any means so for us to be successful, we have to win the close games and we understand that," reliever David Hernandez said.


The Phillies are hoping slugger Maikel Franco breaks out of a seven-game homerless drought in which he is 4 for 26. He has a team-high 14 RBIs.


Center fielder Odubel Herrera had his 11-game hit streak snapped Sunday by going 0 for 3. Herrera, second in the majors with 23 walks, batted .385 with 11 runs scored over his run.


Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 3.81) comes off his best outing of the season, a seven-inning stint in which he struck out eight in Wednesday's 3-0 victory at Washington.


The veteran right-hander has not faced St. Louis since 2011. The available Cardinals hitter he has faced the most is Brandon Moss, who is 1 for 6 in this matchup.


Moss went deep for the team-high sixth time Sunday for all the offense St. Louis mustered in a 6-1 defeat to the Nationals. The Cardinals have totaled six runs while batting .206 in this four-game slide.


Yadier Molina went 0 for 3, snapping an 11-game hitting streak in which he batted .378 and an 18-game streak of reaching base safely.


The Cardinals took five of seven from the Phillies in 2015.

Preview: Twins (7-17) at Astros (7-17)


Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 02, 2016 8:10 PM EDT


Dallas Keuchel sorely needs a home start, and having it come against the worst team in the AL could certainly help.


After two trying road outings, the reigning Cy Young winner takes on the Minnesota Twins on Monday night with the Houston Astros needing a win to notch consecutive victories for the first time this season and avoid joining the Twins in the cellar.


Keuchel (2-3, 4.41 ERA) has won a franchise-record 17 straight regular-season decisions at home with a 1.47 ERA over 22 starts with the team going 20-2. He hasn't lost in Houston since Aug. 10, 2014, but even Minute Maid Park might not have saved him from his recent efforts.


After holding Detroit to five hits in eight innings of a 1-0 home win April 15, the left-hander has lost consecutive outings with 11 runs and 19 hits allowed in 12 innings. He gave up five runs and six hits in six innings of Tuesday's 11-1 loss in Seattle.


"Just can't do anything right. That's just the way it's going," Keuchel told MLB's official website. "It seems like I made a few pitches, a bloop single. When it's not going right, it's not going right. The tough thing about it is nobody's going to feel sorry for you."


Keuchel is 2-1 with a 2.30 ERA in three career starts against the Twins. Miguel Sano is 0 for 4 with four strikeouts and Kurt Suzuki is 1 for 9.


The Astros (8-17) set themselves up for their first back-to-back wins with Sunday's 2-1 win in Oakland to avoid a sweep, but offense still isn't coming. They managed two hits and are batting .167 over a 2-3 span with 2.80 runs per game.


One of the hits Sunday was Jose Altuve's fourth leadoff homer of the season, which has him halfway to Craig Biggio's 2001 franchise record.


But Carlos Correa is 2 for 15 with seven strikeouts in his last five, Colby Rasmus is 3 for 21 over six, Tyler White is 2 for 30 over eight, and Preston Tucker is 5 for 38 since opening the season with a five-game hitting streak.


It certainly doesn't help that Carlos Gomez, who has struggled while in the lineup, has missed the last two games because of a rib cage injury. He won't play Monday against his former club, and the disabled list remains an option.


"We're hoping to avoid the disabled list," manager A.J. Hinch said. "That will be determined in the Twins series. If it lingers, we'll need to look for reinforcements, whether that means going with 12 pitchers or making another move."


Regardless, the offense could come against Minnesota (7-18), which was swept in three games at home by Detroit over the weekend, including Sunday's 6-5 final despite three-hit games from Sano and Joe Mauer. The Twins have given up 6.25 runs per game on a four-game skid with opponents batting .327.


They're hoping for a 21-year-old rookie to change that. Jose Berrios is making his second career start after giving up five runs and six hits in four innings of Wednesday's 6-5 home loss to Cleveland.


Berrios (0-1, 11.25), considered one of the game's top prospects, had to deal with a rain delay and 44-degree weather in his debut, so he too might prefer Minute Maid Park even if it's against Keuchel.


He was 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA, .143 OBA and 20 strikeouts in 17 innings of three starts with Triple-A Rochester before the promotion.


"When I got on the mound and threw the first pitch, I was excited, but after that, I felt comfortable," Berrios said. "Today I didn't have very good command with my secondary pitches. But that happens. So I'll keep working hard on that for my next start."

Preview: Angels (11-13) at Brewers (8-15)


Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 02, 2016 7:20 PM EDT


The last time the Milwaukee Brewers reached the postseason, Ron Roenicke guided them to their first NL Championship Series appearance in 29 years.


One day shy of the one-year anniversary of his firing, Roenicke may have some mixed emotions when he returns to Miller Park for the first time Monday night.


Roenicke made an impression during his first season as Milwaukee's manager in 2011, leading the club to a franchise-best 96-66 record while becoming only the fourth Brewers skipper to have a winning mark in his first full season.


He finished second in NL Manager of the Year voting that year, but the Brewers were never able to capitalize on that success. Milwaukee (9-15) finished with 83, 74 and 82 victories over the following three seasons before he was let go last May 3 after the team had gotten off to a disappointing 7-18 start.


"I knew it was going to come sometime," Roenicke told the league's official website. "I wish it wasn't that quick. But I think part of managing, when you do it, is you know you're going to have some tough times in different years. I had some great years there, had a lot of fun, and then a couple tough ones."


Roenicke landed on his feet as the Los Angeles Dodgers' third base coach in August before leaving after the season to take over the same role with the crosstown Angels. He's hoping to wave more runners home following Sunday's big scoring effort.


Los Angeles had scored just four times while going 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position in back-to-back losses at Texas before Kole Calhoun and C.J. Cron had three hits apiece and Geovany Soto homered in his second straight game in a 9-6 win.


Calhoun is 5 for 8 in his last two games, while Cron is 8 for 15 in his past four.


Right-hander Jered Weaver (3-0, 3.86 ERA) will try to win his first four decisions for the first time since opening 5-0 four years ago and lead the Angels (12-13) to their first back-to-back road victories since sweeping Oakland from April 11-13.


In his only start at Miller Park, Weaver gave up three hits over six innings in a 5-0 win Aug. 30, 2013. He was 6-0 with a 1.96 ERA over 11 interleague road starts before allowing five runs over five innings in a 5-0 loss at San Francisco last May.


The veteran will face a Milwaukee team that broke out offensively in Sunday's 14-5 home win over Miami that ended a season-high four-game slide. Jonathan Villar, Ryan Braun, Chris Carter and Kirk Nieuwenhuis finished with three hits apiece.


Two of Carter's hits left the yard, giving him seven homers on the season. He has two in his last four games against the Angels dating to his time with Houston, but he's just 4 for 20 with one long ball and seven strikeouts all-time versus Weaver.


"It's pretty clear how he impacts a baseball when he hits it," said manager Craig Counsell, who replaced Roenicke the day after the former manager was fired.


Milwaukee will try to keep it going offensively for Jimmy Nelson (3-2, 3.16) as it looks to win back-to-back games for only the third time. The right-hander had his three-game winning streak end Tuesday when he allowed three runs - one earned - and two hits while walking four over 5 1/3 innings in a 4-3 loss at Wrigley Field.


The Brewers have dropped a franchise-worst eight straight home meetings.

Preview: Braves (5-18) at Mets (15-7)


Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: May 02, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


The New York Mets had their eight-game win streak snapped while Michael Conforto was finally held in check.


The Mets and Conforto will try to start new streaks Monday night at home when Bartolo Colon faces the Atlanta Braves to open a three-game series.


New York (15-8) fell 6-1 to Madison Bumgarner and San Francisco at home Sunday to end its streak. The lefty-swinging Conforto went 0 for 5 with three at-bats against Bumgarner and another against a southpaw.


The outfielder had hit safely in every game of the streak, going 15 for 31 with 10 RBIs, but he is just 3 for 16 off lefties while batting .381 against right-handers. Manager Terry Collins isn't sure he wants to start him too many times versus southpaws.


"It all depends on what the situations are," Collins said. "If he shows us that he can start doing some damage against lefties, he'll get some playing time."


That won't be an issue in this series since Atlanta (6-18) is starting three right-handers.


One reason to like the Mets' chances of capturing the opener is Colon (1-1, 3.42 ERA), who went 4-0 with a 3.66 ERA in five starts against the Braves last year. He seeks his 220th victory to move past Pedro Martinez for second among Dominican-born pitchers.


A.J. Pierzynski has the fourth-most plate appearances in the majors against Colon, hitting .274 in 62 at-bats. Nick Markakis owns a .227 average in this matchup.


Colon has yielded three runs in each of his last two outings, lasting five innings before the bullpen cost him his second victory by blowing a three-run lead in Tuesday's 4-3 defeat to Cincinnati.


Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said the team will likely call up Mike Foltynewicz to make his season debut in this contest. The right-hander has posted a 2.05 ERA in four starts at Triple-A Gwinnett.


Foltynewicz went 4-6 with a 5.71 ERA last year for the Braves in 18 appearances, including 15 starts. His lone start against the Mets was a 10-8 defeat June 14 in which he lasted 4 1/3 innings and was charged with six runs.


New York's Lucas Duda is 3 for 4 with a homer in this matchup.


The Mets have won 14 of 20 versus the Braves, sweeping three road games April 22-24. Curtis Granderson went 6 for 13 with two homers and six runs scored in that series.


Those contests are part of a dismal 1-12 home start for Atlanta, which has found solace in splitting four games to start a trip that's been shortened to seven due to a rainout in Chicago this weekend. The Braves beat the Cubs 4-3 in 10 innings Sunday.


Atlanta prevailed with a 24-man roster after the club called up Emilio Bonifacio and optioned reliever Chris Withrow to the minors. Bonifacio wasn't allowed on the 25-man roster due to a technicality.


"We're going to battle with what we've got," said Mallex Smith, who had three hits with a single in the 10th.


Braves shortstop Erick Aybar has baseball's worst OPS among qualifying players at .377. He's 4 for 38 on the road and hitless in nine at-bats versus the Mets this season.

Preview: Giants (12-13) at Reds (9-15)


Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: May 02, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


Johnny Cueto had one of his strongest performances since joining the San Francisco Giants in his latest start, and he's also been at his best in his first two road outings for his new club.


Cueto will likely have a little extra adrenaline for his next start away from home Monday night as he faces his former team, the Cincinnati Reds, for the first time.


Cueto (4-1, 2.65 ERA) fanned 11 and scattered seven hits while going the distance in a 1-0 win against San Diego on Tuesday, his 100th career victory and seventh shutout.


"I'm not surprised by what he's doing because he's had that kind of career," manager Bruce Bochy said. "That's why we wanted him here. He kept his composure out there and just made some great pitches."


Cueto has allowed one run and pitched at least seven innings while winning each of his two road starts for the Giants (13-13). He'll try to become their first starter to win his first three for the club since Yusmeiro Petit in 2013 in his return to Cincinnati (10-15).


Cueto acknowledged that he was "a little excited" to face the Reds but also told MLB's official website that "it's just baseball." He spent his first eight-plus seasons in Cincinnati until a four-player deal sent him to Kansas City on July 26.


San Francisco signed him to a six-year deal this offseason valued at $130 million, and even he doesn't know what kind of reception he'll get from Reds fans.


"The shock of Cueto not being with the Reds anymore has kind of passed for me," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price told MLB's official website. "However, it will be unusual to see him pitching against our team in Cincinnati. ... I'm sure it will mean a lot to Cueto to come back."


The Giants are heading to Cincinnati after avoiding a three-game sweep to the New York Mets and earning just their second win in eight road games. Hunter Pence homered and drove in three runs in a 6-1 victory Sunday, giving him 11 RBIs in his last seven games.


Cincinnati persevered to end a six-game losing streak Sunday, topping Pittsburgh 6-5 in 11 innings. The Reds blew a two-run advantage and a pair of one-run leads, including one in the ninth, until Scott Schebler's go-ahead double.


Cincinnati dropped three of four to the Chicago Cubs in its most recent home series after winning seven of its first nine games there. The Reds have lost five of their last six home matchups against San Francisco and went 2-5 overall in last season's series.


Brandon Finnegan, acquired from Kansas City in the Cueto deal, will head to the mound to open a 10-game homestand. The left-hander didn't make it past the fourth inning in his most recent start at Great American Ball Park, a 16-0 loss to the Cubs that featured Jake Arrieta's no-hitter, but had a more respectable showing Tuesday against the Mets.


Finnegan (1-1, 3.86) pitched six scoreless innings before giving up Yoenis Cespedes' tying three-run homer in a 4-3 defeat. He will make his first start against San Francisco and his first appearance versus the Giants since facing them in two games in the 2014 World Series.


Angel Pagan's status is unknown for the Giants after he was forced to leave Sunday's win with a strained left hamstring. Joe Panik (groin) will likely sit out for a third straight contest.


Brandon Belt batted .467 with three homers, five other extra-base hits and 10 RBIs in the seven games against Cincinnati last season.

Preview: Rangers (14-10) at Blue Jays (11-14)


Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 02, 2016 7:07 PM EDT


When they last met the Texas Rangers in October, Jose Bautista capped the Toronto Blue Jays' comeback victory with the bat flip heard 'round North America.


The Rangers were clearly angered by that celebration to the shot that cost them the AL division series and it remains to be seen whether they'll seek retribution.


All eyes figure to be on Bautista's first at-bat Monday night when Texas tries to deal Toronto its longest home slide in two years in the opener of a four-game series.


Bautista provided the most memorable moment of last year's playoffs when he turned around a 97-mph heater from Sam Dyson in the seventh inning for a tie-breaking three-run homer in the Blue Jays' 6-3 win in the decisive Game 5.


Bautista stood at home plate to admire his drive, enthusiastically flipping his bat high in the air. Fans proceeded to litter the field after Dyson took exception and walked over to confront the Blue Jays, leading to both dugouts and bullpens to empty.


'It's tough to see,' said pitcher Cole Hamels at the time, also disappointed by Bautista's celebration, 'a lot of us on our team don't carry ourselves that way.'


It should be interesting to see how A.J. Griffin (3-0, 2.52 ERA) handles things after he spent the entire 2015 season with Oakland while recovering from elbow surgery.


The right-hander hopes to build on his best outing Tuesday when he allowed one run and four hits over eight innings in a 10-1 home win over the New York Yankees.


Griffin has gone 2-0 with a 2.66 ERA in four starts versus Toronto, but hasn't faced them since 2013. Edwin Encarnacion is 2 for 9 with a home run off him and Bautista is hitless in five at-bats.


"They like playing in their ballpark," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "We'll have to play good baseball and pitch it well."


Toronto hopes to avoid its first four-game home skid since April 2014 after taking two of three at Tampa Bay. Josh Donaldson hit his AL-leading ninth homer and Troy Tulowitzki's three-run blast keyed a four-run ninth inning in Sunday's 5-1 win.


"It's nice to come through for the team in a big spot," Tulowitzki, who is hitting .172, told the league's official website. "I feel good out there. Obviously things aren't going my way, but it's a long season and I'll just keep on grinding away."


The Rangers had their four-game winning streak snapped in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Angels that capped a 4-2 homestand. Rougned Odor finished with three hits, while Adrian Beltre, Ian Desmond and Delino DeShields had two apiece.


Odor, who has six hits over his last two games, is 13 for 27 with two home runs and four doubles in nine regular-season meetings with the Blue Jays (12-14).


R.A. Dickey, who spent his first five seasons with the Rangers (14-11), hopes to move past his recent struggles at Rogers Centre. He's allowed 13 runs and 16 hits - including two homers - over 11 innings while losing two home starts.


Dickey (1-3, 6.75) is 2-2 with a 3.51 ERA in eight games versus Texas, including playoffs. He gave up one run over 4 2/3 innings in an 8-4 win in Game 4.


Odor is 2 for 3 with a triple off him, but Elvis Andrus is hitless in nine at-bats.


The Rangers dropped four of the six regular-season meetings last year.

Preview: Cubs (17-5) at Pirates (15-9)


Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: May 02, 2016 7:05 PM EDT


The Chicago Cubs have chosen a creative wardrobe on this visit to Pittsburgh.


They certainly enjoyed a raucous celebration the last time they were there.


The Cubs start a three-game series with the Pirates on Monday night in the NL Central rivals' first meeting since last year's wild-card game.


Chicago (17-6) is used to offbeat manager Joe Maddon deciding on unusual themes for road trips. This one is being called a minimalist zany suit trip, with players set to wear ugly suits.


'I saw this website with some cool suits, different,' Maddon said. 'Mine will feature tulips. If you're at any time without part of your suit, it's a hundred-dollar fine, unless you're working out. ... Part of it is that we never get dressed up. If we're going to dress up, I don't want it to be a conventional suit. That was my premise. Then I found these."


Dexter Fowler wore pink shorts and a matching sports coat for his outfit. Maddon said he bought the suit with tulips as well as one with leopard skin.


The Cubs' early success is putting the idiom that "a leopard can't change its spots" to the test since the perennially woebegone franchise has been baseball's best team. Maddon's first year with the club was a rousing success, and Chicago's postseason run started with a 4-0 road victory Oct. 7 over a Pirates club that won 98 games.


Jake Arrieta struck out 11 in a five-hitter that night to hand Pittsburgh (15-10) its second straight wild-card game loss.


Gerrit Cole (2-2, 2.78 ERA), who lost that night by allowing four runs in five innings, will face the Cubs again Monday. He went 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA in four 2015 regular-season starts versus Chicago, allowing no homers over 25 1-3 innings before Fowler and Kyle Schwarber - currently on the disabled list - took him deep in the playoffs.


Cole is 7-1 with a 2.88 ERA in nine regular-season outings versus Chicago. Fowler is 6 for 17 overall against him.


The right-hander won his second straight start Tuesday by yielding four runs - two earned - in six innings of a 9-4 victory at Colorado.


The Cubs will counter with a pitcher who has been even more effective than the unbeatable Arrieta in Jason Hammel (3-0, 0.75), who has the NL's best ERA. Hammel struck out seven in six innings of a 9-0 rout at Cincinnati on April 24 in his last outing.


The right-hander was 1-2 with a 4.35 ERA in four 2015 starts against Pittsburgh. Andrew McCutchen is a .300 hitter in 30 at-bats in this matchup and Francisco Cervelli is 5 for 10.


Cervelli is expected back in the lineup after he sat out Sunday's 6-5, 11-inning home defeat to Cincinnati that ended Pittsburgh's six-game win streak. The Pirates, who committed a season-high four errors, rallied to tie the game during each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.


'We got in our own way a couple times, but we battled, and everybody kept playing,' manager Clint Hurdle said. 'We scored late, they scored late. It was like throwing punches at one another - and they were able to throw one more than we were.'


Chicago welcomed Kris Bryant back from a one-game absence due to an ankle sprain in Sunday's 4-3, 10-inning defeat to Atlanta.


The Cubs, who have yet to lose two straight, took 11 of 19 matchups in the 2015 regular season.

GAME: Chicago Cubs (17-6) at Pittsburgh Pirates (15-10)

DATE/TIME: Monday, May 02 - 7:05 PM EST

WHERE: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania



The 19 meetings between the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates could end up determining who claims the National League Central title. The first three-game showdown begins Monday at PNC Park with both teams looking to rebound from extra-inning losses.


The Cubs head to Pittsburgh with the best record in the major leagues and a three-game division lead over the second-place Pirates. The last time the rivals met was in the NL Wild Card game in October, when the Cubs jumped on Pittsburgh ace Gerrit Cole early in a 4-0 win that began their run to the Championship Series. Cole gets the start in Monday's series opener, hoping to return to his dominant ways against the Cubs. Chicago won the season series last year for the first time since 2009.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ESPN, CSN Chicago, ROOT (Pittsburgh)


PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jason Hammel (3-0, 0.75 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (2-2, 2.78)

Hammel was outstanding in four starts last month, working six innings each time out and never allowing more than one run. The 33-year-old threw six scoreless frames at Cincinnati in his last outing, giving up three hits and two walks while racking up a season-high seven strikeouts. Hammel has a mixed career record against the Pirates, going 5-5 with a 4.03 ERA in 12 games (11 starts).

After a rocky season debut at Cincinnati, Cole has put together three straight quality starts and picked up the win in each of his last two outings. The 25-year-old gave up four runs – two earned – and eight hits over six innings Tuesday at Colorado but got plenty of support in a 9-4 win. Cole has been dominant against the Cubs, going 7-1 with a 2.88 ERA in nine career meetings.


WALK-OFFS
1. Pittsburgh 2B Josh Harrison is 14-for-36 during his 10-game hitting streak, but he’s 1-for-11 with five strikeouts versus Hammel.
2. Cubs 3B Kris Bryant (ankle) returned the lineup Sunday and went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to seven games.
3. The Pirates are 13-0 when leading after six innings.


PREDICTION: Pirates 3, Cubs 2

GAME: Texas Rangers (14-11) at Toronto Blue Jays (12-14)

DATE/TIME: Monday, May 02 - 7:07 PM EST

WHERE: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario


The defending American League East champion Toronto Blue Jays didn’t get off to the best start in April but started May with a bang. The defending AL West champion Texas Rangers, who visit the Blue Jays for the start of a four-game series on Monday, went the other way with a strong April followed by a loss to begin the current month.

Toronto got strong starting pitching and power from the middle of its lineup in surging to the division title last season but had a hard time getting the two to work in the same game in April. The Blue Jays found the formula on Sunday and started out May on a winning note by getting eight strong innings from Marcus Stroman and home runs from Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki in a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers closed April with four straight wins and allowed a total of seven runs in that span before ace Cole Hamels ended the string of strong starts in Sunday’s 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. The teams are meeting for the first time since a classic playoff series last fall that included an epic bat flip from Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista in Toronto’s clinching Game 5 victory.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), Sportsnet One (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH A.J. Griffin (3-0, 2.52 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (1-3, 6.75)

Griffin allowed three or fewer runs in each of his four outings in April and is coming off his best start of the first month. The 28-year-old held the New York Yankees to one run and four hits over eight innings while striking out five in a win on Tuesday after topping out at six innings in his first three turns. Griffin has never lost to the Blue Jays, posting a 2-0 record with a 2.66 ERA in four starts.

Dickey is coming off the worst April of his career and ended the month getting rocked for six runs on eight hits – two home runs – in six innings against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The veteran knuckleballer started Game 4 of the ALDS against the Rangers last fall and allowed one run and five hits in 4 2/3 innings to help Toronto force a Game 5. Dickey, who was originally drafted in the first round by Texas in 1996, is 2-2 with a 3.77 ERA in seven career regular-season games – four starts – against the Rangers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Donaldson recorded two home runs and five runs scored in the last three games.

2. Rangers OF Josh Hamilton (left knee) had a setback running the bases during a rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco on Saturday.

3. Tulowitzki is 1-for-16 in the last five games, dropping his average to .172.

PREDICTION: Rangers 6, Blue Jays 2

GAME: Atlanta Braves (6-18) at New York Mets (15-8)

DATE/TIME: Monday, May 02 - 7:10 PM EST

WHERE: Citi Field, New York City, New York


The New York Mets had an eight-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday but are in a strong position to start another with the major league-worst Atlanta Braves coming to town for the start of a three-game series on Monday. The Braves are on what constitutes as a hot streak for the team right now with wins in two of the last three games.

Atlanta snapped an eight-game slide that included three home losses to the Mets with a 5-3 win at Boston on Thursday and managed a 4-3 victory in 10 innings at Chicago on Sunday in the rain-shortened series. The punchless Braves have hit a league-low five home runs – six fewer than Colorado Rockies slugger Nolan Arenado has hit by himself – and are last in the National League in runs scored. The Mets pounded out 19 runs in taking the first two of a series from the San Francisco Giants over the weekend but could not offer the same support to Noah Syndergaard in Sunday’s 6-1 setback. New York is trying to keep pace with the Washington Nationals in the NL East and is trying to finish up its nine-game homestand strong before hitting the road for 11 straight beginning on Thursday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (2015: 4-6, 5.71 ERA) vs. Mets RH Bartolo Colon (1-1, 3.42)

Foltynewicz is being recalled to take over a rotation spot from Bud Norris, who posted an 8.74 ERA in May. Foltynewicz failed to earn a rotation spot in spring training but posted at 2.05 ERA in four starts for Triple-A Gwinnett despite issuing 14 walks in 22 total innings. The 24-year-old has made two career appearances – one start – against the Mets and allowed a total of nine runs – eight earned – and 12 hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Colon is trying to earn his 220th career win to move past Pedro Martinez and into second place among Dominican-born pitchers. The hefty veteran did not earn a decision in either of his last two outings while yielding a combined six earned runs in 11 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. Colon is 8-2 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 career starts against Atlanta.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta is expected to add a player on Monday after playing with a 24-man roster Sunday due to a procedural error.

2. Mets LF Michael Conforto went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts on Sunday, ending a streak of six straight games with at least one extra-base hit.

3. New York has taken eight of the last 10 in the series.

PREDICTION: Mets 7, Braves 2

GAME: San Francisco Giants (13-13) at Cincinnati Reds (10-15)

DATE/TIME: Monday, May 02 - 7:10 PM EST

WHERE: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio


The Cincinnati Reds began their roster turnover last summer by trading away ace Johnny Cueto to the Kansas City Royals for a package that included left-hander Brandon Finnegan. Cueto helped the Royals to a World Series championship last fall before signing with San Francisco as a free agent and will face off against Finnegan when the Giants visit the Reds for the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

Cincinnati handed its rotation over to rookie pitchers after sending away Cueto and Mike Leake at the deadline last season and is continuing to build around young arms with varying results. The Reds lead the majors in runs allowed at 145 but got six solid innings from Tim Adleman in his first career start on Sunday and ended up beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 in 11 innings to snap a six-game slide. The Giants turned to ace Madison Bumgarner to end a brief skid on Sunday and knocked off the Mets 6-1 to avoid a three-game sweep. San Francisco has won six of nine to get back to .500 at 13-13 after a slow start.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Johnny Cueto (4-1, 2.65 ERA) vs. Reds LH Brandon Finnegan (1-1, 3.86)

Cueto has gone at least seven innings in each of his first five starts for San Francisco and is coming off his best outing. The Dominican Republic native struck out 11 while scattering seven hits and one walk in a shutout of the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Cueto is making his first start against his former team and is 48-22 with a 2.91 ERA in 98 career starts at Great American Ball Park.

Finnegan posted a quality start in three of his first five turns as he settles into his first season as a full-time starter in the majors. The TCU product allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings at the New York Mets on Tuesday but did not factor in the decision. Finnegan faced the Giants twice in the 2014 World Series with the Royals and was lit up for five runs on as many hits and two walks in one inning in a Game 4 loss.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Reds are 2-10 on the road and 8-5 at home.

2. San Francisco LF Angel Pagan (strained left hamstring) will be examined on Monday and could miss the series.

3. Cincinnati SS Zack Cozart (knee tendinitis) left Sunday’s game and is day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Giants 5, Reds 2

GAME: Los Angeles Angels (12-13) at Milwaukee Brewers (9-15)

DATE/TIME: Monday, May 02 - 7:20 PM EST

WHERE: Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin


Jered Weaver's velocity has dipped to the point where fans may question whether the radar gun is functioning, but the Los Angeles Angels veteran right-hander looks to remain unbeaten when he takes the mound for Monday's series opener at the Milwaukee Brewers. The Angels avoided a three-game sweep at Texas on Sunday while the Brewers halted a four-game skid versus Miami.

Weaver, who posted double-digit victories in his first nine seasons prior to his 7-12 campaign in 2015, is 3-0 despite a fastball that is averaging 82 miles per hour. With the designated hitter not available, playing time at first base could go to Albert Pujols, a career .331 hitter with 19 homers and 54 RBIs at Miller Park. Milwaukee's starting pitchers failed to go five innings in 14 of its 23 games in April and the first contest of May was not much better as Wily Peralta couldn't make it through six innings despite being staked to an early 10-run lead. Jimmy Nelson, the team's most reliable starter, will attempt to give the Brewers back-to-back victories for the first time since April 19-20.

TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jered Weaver (3-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Jimmy Nelson (3-2 3.16)

Weaver managed to stay unbeaten despite a shaky six-inning performance versus Kansas City on Tuesday, when he was charged with four runs on a season-high nine hits - seven of which went for extra bases. The 33-year-old Weaver had his best outing in his previous turn, holding the Chicago White Sox to one run on three hits over seven frames. He tossed six scoreless innings to beat the Brewers in his lone start at Miller Park in August 2013.

Nelson permitted only one earned run on two hits but had his three-start winning streak halted in a 5-1 loss at the Chicago Cubs last time out as his defense and a lack or control betrayed him. It marked the third time in five starts he gave up at least four walks, but Nelson did manage to keep the ball in the park after surrendering six homers in his first four turns. Five of the six blasts have come at Miller Park, where he is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. Brewers 1B Chris Carter broke out of an 0-for-13 rut with a pair of homers among his three hits and three RBIs in Sunday's game.

2. Angels 1B C.J. Cron is 8-for-15 during a four-game hitting streak while RF Kole Calhoun was 6-for-12 versus Texas.

3. Brewers LF Ryan Braun, coming off a three-hit game, is 4-for-11 with a homer and five RBIs versus the Angels.

PREDICTION: Brewers 5, Angels 4

GAME: Minnesota Twins (7-18) at Houston Astros (8-17)

DATE/TIME: Monday, May 02 - 8:10 PM EST

WHERE: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas


Dallas Keuchel hopes to avenge a pair of disappointing road starts on Monday when he returns to the safe haven of Minute Maid Park as the Houston Astros open a three-game series versus the Minnesota Twins. The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner was blitzed for 11 runs in his last two road outings on the heels of scattering five hits over eight sterling innings of a 1-0 home victory over Detroit on April 15.

The triumph over the Tigers was just par for the course for Keuchel, who won all 15 of his home decisions and posted a 1.46 ERA in 18 starts at Minute Maid Park last season. AL West cellar-dwelling Houston is in dire need of a strong start as it narrowly avoided a three-game sweep versus Oakland on Sunday to record just its third win in 12 outings. Minnesota isn't singing a better tune in the basement in the AL Central, as it has dropped four in a row and seven of its last nine. The road has been a particularly scary place for the Twins, who enter their six-game road trip with a majors-worst 1-10 record away from home.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), ROOT (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Jose Berrios (0-1, 11.25 ERA) vs. Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (2-3, 4.41)

With fellow hurler Kyle Gibson placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain, Berrios was summoned to make his major-league debut against Cleveland on Wednesday. The top pitching prospect struggled with both his emotions and the cold weather conditions en route to allowing five runs on six hits in four-plus innings of a 6-5 setback. The 21-year-old's fastball topped out at 97 mph, but he got into trouble quickly as the Indians' leadoff men reached base in four of the five innings he worked.

Life on the road has proven to be tough sledding for Keuchel, who yielded six runs on 13 hits in a 7-4 loss in Texas on April 21 before he allowed five runs in six innings of an 11-1 setback to Seattle five nights later. The 28-year-old Keuchel has won two of his three appearances versus Minnesota, with a 12-strikeout performance in the last encounter. Kurt Suzuki (1-for-9, .111) and Brian Dozier (2-for-8, .250) have been held in check in small sample sizes against Keuchel.

WALK-OFFS

1. Minnesota 1B veteran Joe Mauer collected six hits in the three-game sweep by Detroit this weekend and has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 contests.

2. Houston mustered just 13 hits in its last three games.

3. Twins RF Oswaldo Arcia has two homers, six hits and as many RBIs in his last seven contests.

PREDICTION: Astros 2, Twins 1

GAME: Washington Nationals (17-7) at Kansas City Royals (13-11)

DATE/TIME: Monday, May 02 - 8:15 PM EST

WHERE: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri


The Washington Nationals weren't shy about flexing their muscle en route to completing a sweep of St. Louis to begin their three-city, 10-game road trip. The Nationals hope their power surge continues against the other Show Me State representative on Monday when they open a three-game series versus the reigning World Series champion Kansas City Royals.

Clint Robinson and Danny Espinosa belted back-to-back homers in Sunday's 6-1 victory as Washington went deep six times to account for 10 of its 17 runs in the series versus the Cardinals. Daniel Murphy had an RBI double to give him at least one hit in 20 of 23 games this season and is 6-for-15 (.400) against Monday starter Edinson Volquez. While the Nationals (17-7) are off to their franchise-best start through 24 games, the Royals snapped a five-game losing skid by posting a 4-1 victory over Seattle on Sunday. Eric Hosmer homered in that contest and is 4-for-6 (.667) with two blasts and four RBIs versus Monday starter Gio Gonzalez.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (1-1, 1.42 ERA) vs. Royals RH Edinson Volquez (3-1, 3.34)

A lack of run support finally caught up to Gonzalez, who allowed just one earned run for the second time in three starts en route to a 3-0 setback to Philadelphia on Wednesday. The 30-year-old has permitted only six runs (four earned) and 18 hits in four starts (25 1/3 innings) this season. Gonzalez's last outing versus Kansas City eclipsed that run total, as he allowed seven on 10 hits in 3 1/3 frames before escaping with a no-decision.

After scattering five hits over seven scoreless innings on April 21, Volquez was shelled in his next start five days later as he allowed eight runs and a career-high 12 hits in a 9-4 setback to the Los Angeles Angels. The 32-year-old Dominican looks to rebound at home, where he is 2-0 with an 0.96 ERA and 1.02 WHIP while holding opponents to just a .214 batting average. Gonzalez owns a 2-2 mark in six career starts versus Washington, although he has kept both National League Most Valuable Player Bryce Harper (0-for-6) and Jayson Werth (1-for-6) under wraps.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kansas City has won eight of its 11 home games this season.

2. Harper is 0-for-11 with five strikeouts in his last three contests.

3. The Royals issued 18 walks in their last three games.

PREDICTION: Royals 4, Nationals 2

GAME: Philadelphia Phillies (15-10) at St. Louis Cardinals (12-13)

DATE/TIME: Monday, May 02 - 8:15 PM EST

WHERE: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri


Adam Wainwright finally broke into the win column in his last outing and the St. Louis Cardinals are hoping that the longtime anchor of their staff is ready to turn things around. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner will look to help St. Louis snap a four-game losing streak in Monday night's series opener against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.

Wainwright won 92 games over a five-year span (2009-14) for the Cardinals before he was limited to seven appearances in 2015 due to an Achilles tendon injury. St. Louis could certainly use a lift from Wainwright after it was swept by the Washington Nationals over the weekend to open a 10-game homestand. Starting pitching has fueled the surging Phillies, who are riding a six-game winning streak and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Philadelphia took three in a row from visiting Cleveland to register back-to-back three-game series sweeps for the first time since September 2012.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phllies RH Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 3.81 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (1-3, 7.16)

Hellickson is coming off a magnificent performance at Washington in his last start, tossing seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball while registering a season-high eight strikeouts. Hellickson had been pounded by the Nationals less than two weeks earlier and was tagged for 10 runs on 17 hits over 7 1/3 innings in his previous two turns. He has pitched much better away from home, logging a 2-0 record and 0.96 ERA in his three road starts.

Wainwright came away feeling positive about his last outing, even though he lasted only 5 1/3 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits in an 11-4 victory at Arizona. The 34-year-old Wainwright has yet to pitch beyond six innings and has permitted at least three runs in each of his five turns, although he recorded a season-high five strikeouts against the Diamondbacks. Wainwright owns a 5-2 record and 2.57 ERA in 12 appearances (10 starts) versus the Phillies.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Cardinals are 1-8 against teams with winning records and have been outscored 42-19 in those contests.

2. Philadelphia is 8-8 when it scored three runs or fewer after going 9-69 in such games in 2015.

3. Cardinals C Yadier Molina had an 11-game hitting streak and 18-game on-base string snapped in Sunday's loss to Washington.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Phillies 3