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Preview: Capitals (56-18) at Penguins (48-26)

Date: May 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH (AP) Matt Murray isn't in the mood to think about what it all means, this ride that he's on. The NHL's best team on the other side of the ice. His mentor watching from bench. An arena chanting his name.

For the moment, there is only the next game, the next shot. That's all that concerns the Pittsburgh Penguins rookie goaltender. Not the ripple effects his playoff run will have on his career, the franchise he plays for or the long-term future of Marc-Andre Fleury, whose guidance is one of the reasons Murray has become so good, so fast.

'I want to win,' Murray said. 'On a personal level, I think it really doesn't matter. Everything else is noise to me.'

And just like everything else thrown at Murray these days, he's blocking it out.

The 21-year-old with the thatchy beard and the waistline that looks like it could use a good meal or two is perhaps the biggest reason the Penguins take a 2-1 lead into Game 4 of their contentious Eastern Conference semifinal against Washington on Wednesday night.

Murray stopped 47 shots in a 3-2 victory in Game 3 on Monday, keeping his head - not to mention his well-padded arms and legs - during three periods of duress in which the Capitals appeared to put an invisible fence at the Pittsburgh blue line, hemming the Penguins in their end for 60 minutes of hockey that appeared one-sided everywhere but the scoreboard.

And Murray did it with Fleury at the ready in case his protege's seemingly imperturbable veneer started to show signs of weakness. Active for the first time since sustaining a concussion on March 31, the winningest goaltender in Penguins' history skated onto the ice at Consol Energy Center for warmups with his teammates before Game 2 then traded his helmet for a baseball cap while getting an eyeful of Murray's spectacular performance.

'It's more stressful when you don't play than when you play,' Fleury said. 'You just sit there and keep on cheering the guys.

Fleury might want to get used to the view. Barring a meltdown, coach Mike Sullivan has no plans - at least in this round - from making any sort of switch.

'We feel as though right now we have two guys in Marc and Matt that we think are terrific goaltenders,' Sullivan said Tuesday. 'When we have healthy people at that position, that's a good thing for our team.'

Sullivan coached Murray briefly early in the season when both were at Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and was well aware of what he had on his hands. Murray set an AHL record for longest shutout streak in 2014-15 and supplanted Jeff Zatkoff as Fleury's primary backup in March.

If Murray is intimidated by the stage, it doesn't show. At 6-foot-3 and 178 pounds, he looks like an unwieldly collection of limbs with his gear off. Yet he seems much larger with his No. 30 jersey pulled over his thin shoulders and is just as comfortable stepping out to cut down shooting angles from the point or creep deeper into the crease to allow himself a split-second longer to react.

He's made a believer out of the Capitals, holding Alexander Ovechkin and the rest of the President's Trophy winners to seven goals in nearly 190 minutes, including a relentless barrage near the end of Game 3.

'He's very talented,' Washington coach Barry Trotz said. 'We knew that going in. It's not a surprise to us. He's looking like a franchise goaltender.'

Which is where the picture down the road starts to get blurry.

Fleury has three years left on a deal that pays him about $5.75 million annually, a contract that includes a limited no-trade clause. While Fleury remains a vital part of the club - his stellar play early in the season almost singlehandedly kept the Penguins afloat before Sullivan's arrival in mid-December - he also understands the business side of things. The longer Murray - making $640,000 this season - stays in net, the more tenuous Fleury's prospects of getting his old job back becomes, at least in Pittsburgh.

'I'm not there yet,' Fleury said. 'I think focus is still on winning this year. That's where it has to be then when that's done, we'll see.'

So Fleury will continue to serve as Murray's sounding board, offering advice when needed or cracking a joke to break the tension.

'Maybe if I didn't play (a puck) quite as well as I could have, I can come over and ask Flower what he thought about it, if he thought I could have done it better or whatever it may be,' Murray said. 'I always bounce ideas off of basically anybody who's around.'

Not that there's much to work on at the moment. Murray is thriving. The Penguins are winning. The rest can wait.

Preview: Hawks (48-34) at Cavaliers (57-25)

Date: May 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue celebrated his 39th birthday on Tuesday and proudly showed off a few gray hairs - silvery-speckled souvenirs of job-related stress.

'I dyed mine gray,' Lue joked. 'My Barack Obama look.'

Well, Lue may soon be grayer than the president if King James doesn't get to the free-throw line more often.

LeBron James attempted just one foul shot - completing a 3-point play with 2:09 left - in Cleveland's Game 1 win over the Atlanta Hawks, who overcame an 18-point deficit before fading in the final four minutes and losing by 11.

Over the course of his 13-year career, James has played in 183 playoff games, and this was just the first time he attempted only one free throw. Twice he took zero.

Lue wasn't about to risk a fine from the NBA for complaining about the officials heading into Game 2 on Wednesday, but he thought James deserved more whistles than were heard.

'When he attacks the basket, he's so strong and athletic and he goes with so much force that a lot of times, guys are bouncing off of him, but still, those are fouls,' said Lue, who improved to 5-0 in his first postseason in charge. 'We just got to continue to play through it and got to continue to keep attacking and, hopefully, we'll get those calls.'

On one late sequence, James got whacked in the face as he drove to the basket by Atlanta's Paul Millsap and crashed to the floor. Sprawled next to a few photographers on the baseline, James held his head as play continued without him. The Hawks then enjoyed a 5-on-4 advantage for several seconds before James lumbered up the floor still smarting from Millsap's blow.

James gets his share of favorable calls, no doubt. But to this point in these playoffs, the four-time MVP has only tried 16 free throws in five games.

That's hardly preferential treatment for a superstar.

Atlanta did all it could to slow him down, and James still posted 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and five steals in 40 minutes as the Cavs improved to 9-0 against the Hawks in the postseason. The Hawks may need a new strategy to prevent the Cavs from taking a 2-0 lead.

While they did a serviceable job on James, the Hawks were unable to stop Kyrie Irving (21 points) down the stretch, they scored one field goal in the final 4:29 and they couldn't handle Tristan Thompson, who snared 14 rebounds, including a vital one on the offensive end that led to James' game-sealing 3-point play.

Thompson's uncanny ability to come up with rebounds has been an issue since last year's Eastern Conference finals when he averaged 11 rebounds during Cleveland's four-game sweep, outplaying Millsap and Al Horford, a pair of All-Stars.

Atlanta's dilemma - and this is true for any Cleveland opponent - is that when a second player commits to guarding James, it makes it easier for Thompson to rebound.

'If you help, then he's active on the boards,' Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. 'I know it's more important that we make them miss first. That's our priority and then we have to have all five guys in there getting after it. Credit to him. He's a good player. He plays off their penetration and shots well. If we continue to make the first shot difficult and then all five guys participate, that gives us our best chance.'

The Hawks won't have any chance if Kyle Korver doesn't get going.

Atlanta's sharpshooter attempted just one shot - and missed a 3-pointer - in nearly 37 minutes as he was unable to shake free from Cavs guards J.R. Smith, who hounded him all over the court. But while Cleveland's strategy on Korver worked, Hawks guard Dennis Schroder made the Cavs pay by dropping five 3-pointers and scoring 27 points.

Lue made a late adjustment, going over screens instead of under them, to make it tougher on Schroder.

Cleveland's only concern coming out of Game 1 was the health of Kevin Love, who banged his right shoulder when he got Hawks guard Kent Bazemore off his feet with a pump fake and drew a hard foul while trying a 3-pointer.

Love, who scored 17 points on just 4 of 17 shooting in Game 1, was not spotted at the team's facility when the media was allowed in following practice, but Lue said the forward was 'fine.'

'No problems,' Lue said.

And maybe one less gray hair.

Wednesday's NBA playoffs betting preview and odds: Hawks at Cavaliers

The lone game on the NBA schedule for Wednesday features the Atlanta Hawks attempting to even their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. We break down all the action so you can cap the game like a pro.


Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers (-7, 198)

Cavaliers lead 1-0

The Cleveland Cavaliers keep knocking off Atlanta in the postseason and look to do it for the 10th consecutive time when they host the Hawks in Wednesday's Game 2. Cleveland continued its playoff mastery of Atlanta with a 104-93 series-opening victory on Monday as it held the Hawks to 37.9 percent shooting from the field.

The Cavaliers let an 18-point third-quarter lead get away in Game 1 but outclassed Atlanta down the stretch to deal the Hawks another loss. "They're a great team," Atlanta shooting guard Kyle Korver told reporters. "They beat a lot of people. It's not just us. Are we getting closer to getting over the hump? I don't know. ... We definitely got to get that win first." Cleveland drained 15 3-point baskets and received a stellar all-around effort from forward LeBron James, who had 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and five steals. "We played an OK game," James told reporters. "I don't think we played to our standards. The first game is always kind of a feel-out."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Cavaliers opened at 7.5-point favorites at home for Game 2. By Tuesday morning the public, somewhat surprisingly, bet the Hawks enough to force the books to drop the line to -7. The total opened at 199 and came down a half point to 198.5. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (52-37, 45-43-1 ATS, 39-50 O/U): Backup point guard Dennis Schroder was superb with a playoff career-best 27 points in Game 1, and he made five of Atlanta's 11 3-pointers. His play helped the Hawks make the second-half charge on a night in which starting guards Jeff Teague (eight points on 2-of-9 shooting) and Kyle Korver (three points, 0-of-1 shooting) were highly unproductive. "I think we can play better," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "Obviously, Dennis had a great game for us but overall, the whole group, we can play better. Defensively, we had some possessions where we gave ourselves a chance and we just couldn’t come up with a couple of rebounds late when it was tied (at 86)."

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (62-25, 40-44-3 ATS, 43-44 O/U): Power forward Kevin Love had 17 points and 11 rebounds while struggling through a 4-of-17 shooting performance in the opener. He also appeared to tweak his right shoulder late in the contest - it was his left shoulder that he dislocated in last season's playoffs - but insisted the injury was minor. "I’m fine. I was telling (general manager David Griffin) after the game I can't catch a break with that shoulder, but I'm fine," Love told reporters. "It was just one of those plays. You've always got to watch it when you pump-fake at that 3-point line on a jump shot. You can take a hit, but I feel good."

TRENDS:

* Hawks are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Cavaliers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. NBA Southeast.
* Under is 7-0 in Hawks last 7 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Over is 7-2 in Cavaliers last 9 Wednesday games.
* Hawks are 0-5 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

Game 2 - Hawks at Cavaliers
By Brian Edwards

Even with Kevin Love out with a shoulder injury and Kyrie Irving missing Games 2 and 3 of last year’s Eastern Conference finals, Cleveland made easy work of Atlanta in a four-game sweep. For the first 2.5 quarters of Monday’s East semifinals lid-lifter, everything looked the same between the Cavaliers and the Hawks.

When Dennis Schroder committed a turnover that turned into a Cleveland fast break and a LeBron James’ dunk, Tyronn Lue’s squad took a 72-54 lead with 3:56 remaining in the third quarter and Game 1 appeared to be a done deal. Ah, but folks, that’s why they play these games.

On a night at Quicken Loans Arena when franchise stalwart Al Horford played one of his worst games in recent memory and Kyle Korver was smothered and covered to the extent that he only was able to get one shot off despite playing 37 minutes, Schroder sparked a 26-7 run and Atlanta took its first lead of the game on an alley-oop pass from Schroder to Horford for an emphatic dunk in traffic with 8:00 remaining.

Kyrie Irving answered with a 3-pointer, but Schroder came right back and penetrated to the rim for an easy layup to knot the score at 82-82. Again, however, Irving responded with a bucket in the lane, but a Paul Millsap basket pulled Atlanta even once more. Irving put the Cavs back in front with a 15-footer, only for Schroder to answer with a layup of his own.

With the game tied, the Hawks had three straight empty possessions resulting in a pair of 3-point misses and a turnover by Kent Bazemore. Nevertheless, after a Tristan Thompson free throw gave Cleveland a one-point advantage, Horford put the Hawks back ahead by one with a short jump hook at the 4:28 mark.

From there, however, the Cavs went on a 10-0 run over the next three minutes. The spread cover was still in doubt when Millsap made a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 97-90 with 1:28 remaining. But Cleveland scored seven straight to capture a 104-93 win to hook up its betting backers as a 7.5-point home favorite.

The 197 combined points dipped ‘under’ the 200-point total.

Cleveland (62-25 straight up, 40-44-3 against the spread) led 30-19 at the end of the first quarter to easily cover first-quarter wagers as a three-point favorite. Lue’s squad enjoyed a 51-41 advantage at intermission to cover first-half bets (-4.5).

Trailing by 10, Atlanta was made a 1.5-point underdog for second-half bets (+11.5 adjusted). Therefore, when Lamar Patterson hit an otherwise meaningless trey with 18 seconds remaining, he gave gamblers taking the Hawks in the second half a winner.

James produced 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and five steals, while Irving finished with 21 points and eight assists. Love had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but he was just 4-of-17 from the field. Also, he appeared to injure his shoulder and turn his ankle in the fourth quarter. In fact, as of Tuesday afternoon, Love was listed as ‘questionable’ for Game 2.

J.R. Smith had 12 points, five rebounds and three assists without a turnover. He drained a huge 3-pointer when the Hawks were up by one midway through the final stanza. Smith was also terrific with his defense on Korver.

Schroder had a career-playoff-high 27 points to go with six assists. However, he committed five turnovers, but the Hawks wouldn’t have been within spitting distance without his scoring efforts. Like Schroder, Bazemore played poorly at crunch time, but he played outstanding for the most part, tallying 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Mike Scott continued to provide solid minutes off the bench, making all three of his shots while contributing seven points, four boards and two assists without a turnover in only 16 minutes of playing time.

Millsap had 17 points, 13 rebounds, four blocked shots, three assists and two steals, but he was only 6-of-19 from the field. Horford had 10 points, six boards, three blocks and two steals, but he went 4-of-13 from the floor. Teague played only 22 minutes, finishing with eight points on 2-of-9 shooting, but he did dish out four assists without committing a turnover.

Atlanta (52-37 SU, 45-43-1 ATS) can’t count on the type of performance it received from Schroder in Game 1 throughout this best-of-seven set, but it has to feel great about having a chance to win on the road with minimal production from Horford, Teague and Korver, who were All-Stars last season.

For Game 2, the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas opened Cleveland as a 7.5-point favorite with a total of 199 late Monday night. By lunch on Tuesday, though, the number was down to seven while the tally remained at 199 points. The Hawks were +280 on the money line (risk $100 to win $180), while the Cavs were favored by four for first-half wagers.

Cleveland owns a 36-8 SU record and a 22-22 ATS mark at home this year. Meanwhile, Atlanta is 22-23 SU and 21-23-1 ATS on the road.

The Cavs have won eight in a row over the Hawks, going 7-1 ATS in the process. They have won all four meetings this season both SU and ATS.

The ‘under’ has cashed in four in a row for the Hawks and 10 of their last 12. They have seen the ‘under’ go 50-39 overall, 25-20 in their road assignments.

The ‘under’ is 44-43 overall for the Cavs, but the ‘over’ is 23-21 in their home outings.

5Dimes has the updated series price as Cleveland -1100, leaving Atlanta at +700 on the comeback (risk $100 to win $700).

Tip-off for Wednesday’s Game 2 is slated for 8:05 p.m. Eastern on TNT.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Loyal readers know I’m a long-suffering Hawks fan, so you can imagine how I was pacing around my living room during the fourth quarter of Game 1. My reactions to each play had my dog scared to death (she bolted upstairs to my bedroom after Horford’s dunk to put us in the lead). I only mention this to note that I’m not second-guessing here; I first-guessed, though I can’t reference my twitter feed because I had no time or patience to get on my computer or phone to voice this thought. Though it would have been an against-the-grain move that would’ve drawn criticism galore had it not worked, but I knew Schroder was gassed and (as we used to call it on the playground) “shot out” (didn’t have any more made shots left in him) when he asked out of the game midway through the fourth quarter with the game tied. Budenholzer brought him back in for Teague 62 seconds later at the 5:22 mark, but Schroder missed both of his shots and committed a pair of costly turnovers the rest of the way.

-- Horford and Millsap combined to make only 2-of-16 shots in the first half of Game 1. Love was 1-of-10 in the first 24 minutes.

-- From 5Dimes again, the odds to win the East (as of Tuesday afternoon): Cavs -360, Raptors +600, Heat +1200 and Hawks +1800.

-- Doc Rivers stated Monday that the Clippers will not entertain trade offers for Chris Paul, Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan this offseason. Take that for what it’s worth. I’m not saying they will, but things can certainly change on that front.

-- Things I’ve been diggin’ about these playoffs:

1 - Kobe’s Bryant’s absence.

2 - Charles Barkley!

3 - Every second of Inside the NBA, especially the late-night version.

4 - Klay Thompson’s nastiness at both ends.

5 - That insane pass by Tony Parker to LaMarcus Aldridge for the key 3-pointer at crunch time of Game 2.

6 - Atlanta finally beating Boston in the playoffs with that Game 6 pimpslap.

7 - Austin Rivers’ toughness, effort and performance in Game 6 at Portland. After taking an elbow that required 11 stitches and nearly closed his left eye shut with swelling, he produced 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists without a turnover.

8 - Great effort by the Spurs’ fan holding Steven Adams in the corner at the end of Game 2.

9 - Paul George’s overall play and that backdoor cover to hook me up in Game 7.

10A - The fact that I’ll be at Game 3 on Friday night at Philips Arena. It will be the first time I’ve seen LeBron play in-person.

10B - Manu Ginobili's postgame presser on Monday night. He was absolutely right about not blaming the no-call for losing the game. The Spurs got the steal and had a great chance to score and win the game regardless.

-- Things that are chafing me to no end about the playoffs to date:

1 - Chris Webber!!!!!! (to be clear, this assessment is 24/7/365 and has nothing to do with his rant about the no-call at the end of OKC-San Antonio Game 2)

2 - Marv Albert’s stellar (as usual) work being drowned out by Weber’s utter incompetence and propensity for being an insufferable pain in the ass with nearly everything that comes out of his mouth.

3 - James Harden’s effort (or lack thereof) on defense and his deplorable body language when his team is getting spanked.

4 - Injuries to key players like Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Steph Curry, in addition to Chris Bosh, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, who went down in the regular season.

5 - How one of my favorite players ever (Al Horford) is costing himself lots of cash with the way he’s struggled with his shot.

6 - That foul by Serge Ibaka on Aldridge shooting a 3-ball when OKC was up four with 13 seconds left in Game 2 (what on earth was he doing?!).

7 - Kyle Lowry’s immense struggles. Let’s see how he plays against the Heat when he’s not being defended by George Hill.

8 - Not saying the Pacers would’ve won, but that call has to be made underneath on the obvious push when Indiana was poised to get an offensive rebound down by three with 12-13 seconds remaining.

9 - The thought of being forced to hear C-Webb’s voice/analysis of EVERY game for the rest of the OKC-SA series. Really, TNT? What a nightmare.

10 - Budenholzer giving minutes to Mike Muscala ahead of Kris Humphries.

At the Gate - Wednesday
By Mike Dempsey

Entries were drawn for Friday’s blockbuster 13-race card at Churchill Downs, with the highlight the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1).

The Oaks drew a full field of 14 along with one also-eligible led by Rachel’s Valentina, who was installed as the 7-2 morning line favorite.

The filly won the Spinaway (G1) last year and was second to Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She was second to Weep No More in the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland in her lone start this year.

She is out of the multiple Grade 1 winner Rachel’s Alexandra, and trained by Todd Pletcher.

Weep No More is the co-second choice on the morning line at 9-2 along with Cathryn Sophia, who was third in the Ashland, beaten a half-length for the top spot.

Land Over Sea figures to take some betting action off her sharp win in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). She is 5-1 on the morning line.

There are five supporting stakes on Friday’s card—the $150,000 Edgewwod (G3), $400,000 Alysheba (G2), $150,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G3), $200,000 Eight Belles (G2) and the $300,000 La Troienne (G1).


Lineup for Friday’s $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1)
PP. Horse jockey/trainer odds
1. Terra Promessa Santana Jr./Asmussen 10-1
2. Weep No More Lanerie/Arnold 9-2
3. Lewis Bay Ortiz Jr./Brown 8-1
4. Go Maggie Go Saez/Romans 12-1
5. Dream Dance Hernandez Jr/Howard 30-1
6. Mokat Prat/Baltas 20-1
7. Mo d'Amour Rosario/Pletcher 30-1
8. Royal Obsession Geroux/Asmussen 20-1
9. Paola Queen Jaramillo/Delgado 30-1
10. Venus Valentine Bridgmohan/Amoss 30-1
11. Rachel's Valentina Velazquez/Pletcher 7-2
12. Cathryn Sophia Castellano/Servis 9-2
13. Land Over Sea Gutierrez/O'Neill 5-1
14. Taxable Smith/Asmussen 20-1
AE. Dothraki Queen Stevens/McPeek 30-1
Early Kentucky Oaks wagering is now available.


Here is today’s opener from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:

BEL Race 1 Md Sp Wt (1:30 ET)
#5 Holy Gold 5-2
#4 Summer Sally 8-5
#3 She's Always Ready 9-5
#2 Big Hay Alice 10-1

Analysis: Holy Gold showed good early speed in her debut, setting the early fractions and unable to match strides late with the winner in a runner up finish, sent off at 23-1 in a five horse field. The three firsters do not look all that appealing and she may not need to move forward off her debut effort to win in this spot.

Summer Sally debuts for the RRod barn that is 22% winners (with a +ROI) with first time starters. She is by Ghostzapper (11% winners with debut runners) out of a Maria's Mon mare that has dropped three foals to race, no winners to date. A light work tab with just three morning drills.

Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 9-5 or better.
EX: 5 / 3,4
TRI: no play

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:

BEL Race 8 OClm $80,000N1X (5:13 ET)
#9 At Guard 5-1
#8 Abbot 8-1
#3 Economic Model 2-1
#2 Conquest Harlequin 7-2

Analysis: At Guard was a good looking maiden winner on the inner track at the Big A in his second career outing. The colt checked in third in his debut at Philly in a race in which the top four all won next out, the winner Someday Jones coming back to beat state bred Alw-1 foes at Penn and then miss by a neck versus open Alw-1 foes at Philly in his most recent outing. By Mineshaft out of a stakes placed Harlan's Holiday mare, he is bred to go long. The Tony D. barn has been quiet this year but overall hits at a solid 26% clip moving runners from sprint to route.

Abbot is back on dirt for his third start off the bench. Last out in the Cutler Bay going a mile on turf he checked in third after getting off a beat slow and chasing the early pace. The runner up Highland Sky came back to win the Woodhaven on turf at Aqueduct in his next outing on April 23. Her broke his maiden on turf two back at Gulfstream Park off a seven month break but being out of a Saint Liam mare he should be fine on the surface switch back to dirt.

Wagering
WIN: #9 to win at 7-2 or better.
EX: 8,9 / 2,3,8,9
TRI: 8,9 / 2,3,8,9 / 2,3,7,8,9

Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.

Belmont Park
R1: #2 Big Hay Alice 10-1
R5: #5 Mills 8-1
R5: #4 Little Jerry 10-1
R6: #9 The Undersheriff 12-1
R6: #13 Whiskey Seven 8-1
R7: #5 Ogermeister 10-1
R9: #11 Chelios 8-1

Good luck today!

Northfield: Wednesday 5/4 Analysis + Pick Four ticket
By Jeremey Day

DRF HARNESS

Race 8 - $10,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

Jeremey’s $1 Pick Four Play:

2 / 1 / 2,5,9 / 2,9 = $6


Best Bet: CROWNED WITH GLORY (1st)

Spot Play: CHAMPIONS CLUB (2nd)


Race 1

(5) CROWNED WITH GLORY nice looking 4-year-old comes off an easy victory and is just now back in racing shape. (6) AIRZOOMS IMAGE has been tenacious on the lead so far this year; fires early. (7) CREDIT TO THELIMIT impeccably bred filly has a high ceiling.

Race 2

In a weak and inconsistent field, (9) CHAMPION'S CLUB was an easy winner when last seen at this level. (5) AUTO PILOT rarely wins but is more than capable against this group. (1) CHROME SEELSTER gets the best post down in class.

Race 3

(3) IVA SECRET lightly raced filly made a miscue last start but has lots of ability. (6) PHAT STACKS has placed first or second in thirteen of fifteen career races; threat. (1) WE LOVE CAVIAR should be much closer turning for home starting from the best post.

Race 4

(4) VELOCITY U BET showed a decent burst of speed last week after making a break. The pacer has room to improve for new connections. (6) FORT KENT has been competitive against slightly better on the year; threat. (5) OAKS WARRIOR looks to offer low value and has just been racing evenly.

Race 5

In the toughest race to handicap on the card, (4) TWO DAYS DITTO stayed flat in the qualifier and should offer a big price in a wide-open race. (5) ITS A HORSE doesn't look the best on paper but did close some late ground in the qualifier. (1) SR LILLYSTAR filly gets the best post and just needs to stay trotting for a chance at a piece.

Race 6

(1) PICASSO FOREVER filly might need a start making her sophomore debut but looks just as good as any in the race. (9) RED just missed at this level last week. (2) AMBER JOHN finished strong last out against similar; threat.

Race 7

(5) POWERFUL ANTHONY gelding gets a big morning line and might be better than what he shows. (4) LINUS B WORTHY has burned a lot of cash at this level; use caution. (2) PARTYATYOURPLACE gets a much better starting post down in class.

Race 8

(2) ORSE POWER had a tough trip up in class last week. The pacer picks back up the top driver and will be on the move early. (9) STEVIE DIAMONDS is 0 for the year but is one of the faster horses in the field. (4) BLUEBIRD IDEAL also owns a win at this level but just raced evenly last start.

Race 9

(1) HANGIN JUDGE was the easiest of winners last week at this level; short price. (3) LIBERTY BEACH mare gets sent out for a low percentage pilot but showed a good burst of speed two back. (9) PORSCHE GIBSON can hit the ticket at a price with a good spot off the gate.

Race 10

(5) INGLORIOUS MUSTARD has been much better for new connections despite being winless on the year. (2) NOAH'S SHARK picks up a good driver change and was close against better win last seen at this track. (9) WINDSONG DESTROYER was dreadful last week but is a threat with a decent setup.

Race 11

(2) THIRDSTRAIGHT SHOT looks to have lots more to offer coming off an impressive first of the year. (9) UNCLE DONNIE might be the only threat to the top choice. The pacer raced well last week and is just now back in racing shape. (1) WOLF CREEK PEGASUS four-year-old gelding gets the best post at a level where he's been competitive.

Race 12

(1) RAILROAD LANE was tremendous in his sophomore debut and now gets the best post. (9) MIKES MAJESTIC had a ton of late trot last week and was very close to the top choice. (2) HEMLOCK BLITZ looks to be in line for a nice trip up close.

Race 13

(1) GRANDKIDS ATTACK picks up a big driver change down in class with the best post. (3) SALESMAN has been improving but is best used underneath. (5) ALLAMERICAN PEWTER is capable of pacing a fast mile and gets sent out first start for a new trainer.

Race 14

(1) CHRISTINA VICTORY will offer the best price of the contenders and owns a touch of back class. (3) ACTION-EAR-TO-EAR should probably be considered the horse to beat picking up a big driver change. (2) VAYA CON DIOS has just been racing evenly; use underneath.

Race 15

(6) AUDITORIAL just needs a smooth trip for a big piece. (9) WEIRD EARZ faces slightly easier and should be in line for a ground saving trip. (5) MAJOR SPEED has paced the fastest mile of the field on the year; threat.

SPOT PLAYS

For Wednesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Belmont Park (3rd) Galardonado, 6-1
(9th) Frazil, 10-1


Churchill Downs (4th) Leflore County, 5-1
(8th) My Celeste, 4-1


Evangeline Downs (1st) Five One Three, 7-2
(7th) Look Into My Eyes, 7-2


Gulfstream Park (3rd) Addar, 8-1
(6th) Sharp Kitty, 3-1


Indiana Grand (6th) Kiki's Joe, 7-2
(7th) Lookoutboys, 9-2


Mountaineer (5th) Starmark, 3-1
(8th) This Is Eliza, 7-2


Thistledown (5th) Mary Caught All, 6-1
(7th) The Lone Roo, 7-2

NHL

Wednesday's games

Pittsburgh-Washington (1-1)
Washington D Orpik is out two more games (suspension); he is their most physical defenseman, and a solid penalty killer; now Pitt's LeTang is out here-- Penguins are 2-8-1 this season when he didn't play.. Visiting team is 6-4 in last ten series games. Caps outshot Pitt 49-33 in Game 3, 35-15 in last two periods, but 3-0 lead was too much to overcome- they didn't make it 3-2 until last minute. Penguins are 0-10 on power play in series, Washington 1-10. Pens won 10 of last 13 games; over is 7-3-2 in their last 12 games. Under is 6-2-2 in Washington's last ten games. Caps split their last four visits here.

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 8-4, Over: 6-2-4

NBA

Wednesday's game

Atlanta-Cleveland (C 1-0)
Cavaliers won their last eight games (7-1 vs spread) vs Hawks, covered four of last five played here. Four of last six series games went over the total. Cleveland made 15-31 on arc in Game 1 win; all five starters were +15 or better. Atlanta lost five of last six road games; its starters shot 32% in Game 1. Schroder had 27 points in 29:00 off bench. Cleveland is 4-2 vs spread in last six home games.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 4-2, over: 3-3

May Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

Horse racing fans recognize May as the month of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. For baseball purists May is simply the second month of the 2016 pro baseball season. But for die-hard baseball fans, namely those who enjoy handicapping America’s pastime, it signals our annual May Good Month/Bad Month pitchers report.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of May. On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in May, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts.

To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each April over the last three years. And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s May list.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

De La Rosa , Jorge -11-3 (5-1 A)

The Colorado right-hander had a rough April and will look to find his groove this month. The normally reliable right-hander has start and stop windup and still has low 90's fastball with tail action. He will need to spot pitches better and have more control with slider and changeup to match past numbers. Update - Went on 15-day DL on 4/27 with groin.

Hernandez, Felix -11-5 (8-3 A)

Though the "King" does not have the same velocity as a few years ago, he has more pitches he throws for strikes. Thus, he's not going to be as dominant as often, but he's making the transition away from pure power pitcher to smarter hurler to get batter out.

Hughes, Phil -10-4 (6-1 H)

Never the ace many envisioned in his younger days with the Yankees, Hughes is a dependable starter for Minnesota, who commands low-90's fastball and spins a tight-curve. His walk-to-strikeout command is excellent but the biggest problem is staying focused inning after inning and has always been prone of losing concentration.

Porcello, Rick -11-5 (8-1 A)

Sinker-ball pitcher who tried to become strikeout chucker with big contract in Boston last year and failed miserably. Has gone back to what he does best so far this season, which has batters beating the ball into the ground. A true No. 3 or No. 4 starter in the rotation whose not comfortable being depended on for more.

*Sale, Chris -10-1 (5-0 A)

A true strikeout machine who, at 27, has gained the confidence to also be clubhouse leader. At 6'6 and thin, all arms and legs with funky left-side delivery, has mid to upper 90's fastball and catcher seldom has to move once target is set. Headliner of an overabundance of White Sox lefty starters.

*Scherzer, Max -13-4 (6-1 H)

Since the middle of last season, has been pedestrian performer, more like was with Arizona, with ERA over 4.25. Scherzer depends on clean mechanics for velocity and tilt on breaking pitches. It seems to come and go without warning. Washington is looking for the pitcher they had the first half of last year as right-hand version of Clayton Kershaw when he was unhittable.

*Vogelsong, Ryan -12-3 (6-1 A)

Now with Pittsburgh, lost starting job in spring training and now works in long relief or as spot starter. Not likely to change at 38 unless injuries occur.

*Weaver, Jered -10-2 (6-1 H)

After shoulder issues in the spring related to tightness, which had his fastball topping out at 81-82, Weaver got stretched out and is now serviceable mid-rotation pitcher, who knows how to works counts and change speeds. Fastball still only in mid-80's but throws so many off-speed pitches his fastball is looking quicker to hitter's thus far.

Zimmermann, Jordan -11-5 (7-1 H)

The formers Nats pitcher took an immediate liking to the American League and went 24 1/3 innings before giving up a run in 2016. Has four good pitches he can keep in the zone and is frontline hurler. For whatever reason, seldom pitches beyond the seventh inning.


BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Hamels, Cole -5-12 (2-6 A)

Has fit in comfortably at Texas, with still good fastball that moves late when low in the zone, excellent cutter and still one of the best changes in the game. Part of poor record is he's been on some bad teams of late in Philadelphia and has thrown better when the weather heats up, which is not a problem in Dallas.

Peralta, Wily -3-12 (1-6 A)

Been hit hard thus far in 2016, not keeping fastball down and delivering too many room service sliders. Peralta lacks great stuff and even when he's at his best, not many swings and misses. Note: Figures represent career start marks.

Win Total Update - May

A very exciting first month of the Major League baseball season is in the books with several surprise teams making an early statement.

The toast of the Windy City heading into this season is the Cubs, who have jumped out to an impressive 17-6 record. However, their brothers to the south are starting to grab headlines in Chicago as the White Sox finished April with a 17-8 mark, while starting May with a blowout victory at Baltimore. The White Sox opened the season with an expectation to finish at .500 with a win total of 81, but Robin Ventura’s team is playing nearly .700 baseball so far.

Another major surprise is the Phillies, who were not only predicted to finish at the bottom of the National League East, but to lost nearly 100 games. Philadelphia has won 15 of its first 25 games, which includes a home sweep of Washington and a road series victory over the Mets. The Phillies wrapped up the first month of the season by sweeping the Indians at Citizens Bank Park as Philadelphia is off to a good start to eclipse its win total of 65 ½.

Four of five National League West squads are currently on the wrong end of cashing ‘over’ tickets. Colorado has shown some signs of life away from Coors Field to compile a 12-12 record, as the Rockies began the season with a season win total of 71 ½. The Diamondbacks had high expectations after signing ace Zack Greinke to a massive contract, but Arizona has begun the season 12-15, even though their win total sits at 82. Both the Giants and Dodgers are sitting at .500, as San Francisco (88 ½) and Los Angeles (89 ½) both have work to do following an inconsistent April.

Two of the biggest disappointments in the American League were playoff teams in 2015, as the Astros (8-17) and Yankees (8-15) have fallen into an early hole. Houston owned the highest win total according to oddsmakers among American League West squads (88), but are sitting in last place in its division through one month. New York’s offense ranks second-to-last in the American League in runs scored, while starting 1-5 on the road against division opponents.

Below is the season win totals for each team, their record in April, and whether they are projected to go ‘over,’ ‘under,’ or stay even on their posted number.

National League Win Totals

Team Win Total - 2016 Record on 5/2/16

Arizona 82 12-15
Atlanta 67 ½ 6-18
Chicago Cubs 93 ½ 17-6
Cincinnati 70 10-15
Colorado 71 ½ 12-12
L.A. Dodgers 89 ½ 13-13
Miami 79 ½ 12-12
Milwaukee 70 9-15
N.Y. Mets 89 ½ 15-8
Philadelphia 65 ½ 15-10
Pittsburgh 85 ½ 15-10
San Diego 73 ½ 9-16
San Francisco 88 ½ 13-13
St. Louis 86 ½ 12-13
Washington 89 ½ 17-7


American League Win Totals

Team Win Total - 2016 Record on 5/2/16

Baltimore 78 14-10
Boston 87 ½ 15-10
Chicago White Sox 81 18-8
Cleveland 86 ½ 10-12
Detroit 81 14-10
Houston 88 8-17
Kansas City 85 13-11
L.A. Angels 80 ½ 12-13
Minnesota 79 7-18
N.Y. Yankees 86 8-15
Oakland 76 ½ 13-13
Seattle 82 ½ 13-11
Tampa Bay 82 11-13
Texas 83 ½ 14-11
Toronto 86 ½ 12-14

Preview: Giants (14-13) at Reds (10-16)

Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: May 04, 2016 12:35 PM EDT

Jake Peavy's season might be making the San Francisco Giants wish they'd held onto Tim Lincecum. Particularly his road starts.

While Lincecum shops for a new team, Peavy tries to get his season on track Wednesday on the road against the Cincinnati Reds - a team he's dominated for his entire career.

Peavy (1-2, 8.61 ERA) and Lincecum pitched together the last two seasons, but the latter is still looking for a team and will spend Wednesday preparing for a showcase Friday for those interested. It's thought 20 or more teams could attend.

Peavy's road starts have been awful with 12 runs and 15 hits allowed in six innings. The right-hander gave up six and four hits with five walks in two innings of Friday's 13-1 road loss to the New York Mets.

"It's not a good feeling, just because you know the hole you put the team in," he told MLB's official website, later adding: "But, he added, "It wasn't like I was spraying it everywhere. I felt better than the five walks. ... I was trying to figure out where (plate umpire) Gabe (Morales) wanted it."

Peavy has had no such trouble against the Reds, going 7-0 with a 2.38 ERA in 12 career starts. Jay Bruce is 2 for 11 with five strikeouts against him, while Brandon Phillips is 5 for 24 with six strikeouts.

He's up against Dan Straily, who took his third turn in the rotation in Friday's 4-1 loss in Pittsburgh. Straily (0-1, 3.38) gave up two runs and five hits with a home run and three walks. He's posted a 3.45 ERA as a starter with a .212 opponent batting average.

"I feel good," Straily said. "I'm a little frustrated with tonight because some days you got to go out there and you just have to win the ballgame, 1-0. So from that standpoint, I'm frustrated with myself for giving up those two runs because it turned out to be that was the best chance we had to win, is throwing a shutout."

The right-hander has faced San Francisco once, earning the decision in a 4-1 win while with Oakland in 2013 after giving up a run and four hits in six innings. The Giants' roster is 1 for 17 against him, but they didn't need much offense Tuesday.

The Giants (15-13) have won the first two games of the three-game series, and Tuesday's 3-1 win was the second time they've held an opponent to one run on a three-game winning streak.

Buster Posey had three doubles and is 9 for 17 in his last five games, and he's also hit safely in nine straight games at Great American Ball Park with a .325 average.

Dating to the start of last season, San Francisco has won seven of nine in the series and five straight in Cincinnati.

In addition to facing a sweep, Cincinnati (10-17) has lost eight of nine while batting .199. Bruce is 3 for 23 in his last seven games, while Eugenio Suarez is 3 for 27 in the same span.

Giants second baseman Joe Panik was out of the lineup for the fourth straight game with a sore groin, while outfielder Angel Pagan is still sidelined by a mildly strained left hamstring.

Preview: Cubs (18-6) at Pirates (15-11)

Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: May 04, 2016 12:35 PM EDT

The Chicago Cubs' early success has been keyed by some dominance within the NL Central.

As Jon Lester looks to help continue that trend and his own strong start, the Cubs can sweep this three-game series with a seventh consecutive road win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

Jake Arrieta improved to 6-0 with seven scoreless innings and Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo combined for five hits as Chicago (19-6) rolled to a second straight decisive victory over Pittsburgh, 7-1 on Tuesday.

'We had some good at-bats right out of the shoot,' said manager Joe Maddon, whose team won 7-2 on Monday. 'We did some good things early. We put them a bit on their heels and that's always important."

The Cubs have averaged 6.8 runs while going 12-2 against the Central, and they own a 34-8 run advantage during a five-game division winning streak.

Chicago has opened a five-game lead over the second-place Pirates (15-12), who have dropped three in a row after winning six straight. Including last season's wild-card game, the Cubs have outscored Pittsburgh 18-3 in the last three at PNC Park.

Rizzo, who doubled twice in each game of this set, is batting .333 with 15 RBIs in the last 11 games after hitting .163 in the first 14. He's batting .426 with eight doubles and eight RBIs in 12 regular-season games at Pittsburgh since the beginning of last season.

Lester (2-1, 1.83 ERA) has opened with five straight quality starts for the first time in his stellar career. He's allowed one run in four of those outings, including each of the last three.

Those three runs all came on homers, most recently Friday over seven innings while receiving a no-decision in the 6-1 victory over Atlanta.

Like his teammates, Lester is trying to keep theirs - and his own - success in perspective.

"You play today, you win, you enjoy it, you lose, you move on and show up tomorrow and the slate's clean," he told MLB's official website.

The left-hander went 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA against the Pirates last season. It was highlighted Sept. 15, when he allowed a run, five hits and struck out nine for a complete-game 2-1 victory at PNC Park.

Andrew McCutchen is 1 for 13 against Lester and 2 for 19 with six strikeouts in the last five games.

There's a good chance Juan Nicasio (3-2, 3.33) will keep things close considering he has a 1.89 ERA with 21 strikeouts over 19 innings while winning his three home starts. The right-hander's best outing anywhere on the young season came there Friday, when he allowed three hits and fanned eight in seven scoreless innings of a 4-1 victory over Cincinnati.

"He's a strong man. He's built for endurance," manager Clint Hurdle said.

Nicasio made three relief appearances against the Cubs for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, but hasn't faced them as a starter since 2013 with Colorado.

Rizzo is 0 for 7 with two walks against Nicasio, while Jason Heyward is 6 for 16 with two doubles. However, Heyward could miss a third straight contest with a wrist injury.

"I don't think it's a long-term kind of thing by any means, but his wrist is sore," Maddon said.

Preview: Braves (6-19) at Mets (16-8)

Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: May 04, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

Steven Matz's early season results have almost mirrored that of the New York Mets. It's a trend they hope continues as the club tries to regroup offensively.

The left-hander attempts to win a fourth consecutive start Wednesday when the Mets look to avoid their first back-to-back losses in 20 games in the last of a three-game home series against the MLB-worst Atlanta Braves.

Matz (3-1, 3.86 ERA) had to overcome the worst performance of his first 13 big league outings, including three postseason appearances, after surrendering seven runs over a career-low 1 2/3 innings in a 10-3 home loss to Miami on April 11.

At that time, the Mets (16-9) looked nothing like the defending NL champions while getting off to a disappointing 2-5 start that included four straight defeats.

Matz, however, began to find a rhythm April 17 when he gave up three hits and struck out nine over seven innings in a 6-0 win at Cleveland. That effort began a three-start winning streak and a stretch in which New York won 12 of 14.

"That (first start's) definitely behind me now," the 24-year-old rookie told the league's official website. "I'm just looking forward now and trying to focus a little more each start and take the positives from each start."

Matz has certainly done that, giving up two runs over 6 1/3 innings in an 8-2 win at Atlanta on April 23 before scattering seven hits over six scoreless in Friday's 13-1 home win over San Francisco. He's been solid in two career starts - both on the road - against the Braves (7-19), giving up three runs over 11 1/3 innings in a pair of victories.

Daniel Castro has had success in the matchup with four hits - including a home run - in six at-bats. Freddie Freeman is 3 for 5 with a double versus Matz.

Freeman, A.J. Pierzynski and Mallex Smith had two hits apiece Tuesday when Atlanta improved to 3-3 on an eight-game road swing with a 3-0 victory. Smith, who hit his first home run, has gone 8 for 15 with three doubles on the trip.

It was only the sixth homer for the Braves, by far the fewest in the majors.

"I just tried to put a good swing on the ball," the rookie outfielder said.

Asdrubal Cabrera's fifth-inning single accounted for the only hit as New York fell on the cusp of losing their first series since April 11-13 to visiting Miami.

Jhoulys Chacin will try to keep them scuffling and build on his first victory after giving up two runs over five-plus innings in Thursday's 5-3 win at Boston. He'd also like to go deeper into this contest after failing to go six in his last three starts.

"Just want to keep going, keep giving my team the most that I can," he said.

Since posting a 1.89 ERA in his first three career starts against the Mets, Chacin (1-1, 3.27) is 0-2 with a 5.91 mark over his past two. He opposed Matz on April 23, surrendering four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Michael Conforto went 2 for 3 off him in that contest. Curtis Granderson is 2 for 4 with two walks lifetime in the matchup, but Cabrera is hitless in six at-bats.

Preview: Angels (12-14) at Brewers (10-15)

Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 04, 2016 1:40 PM EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers are finally stringing some wins together, doing it on the home field that plagued them previously. It's the opposite story for the Los Angeles Angels.

While the Brewers seek to extend their season-high winning streak on Wednesday, the Angels hope to close a disappointing road trip on a positive note at Miller Park.

Milwaukee (11-15) has won three games in a row for the first time since late September and is in line for its first sweep since the opening three days of that month.

The Brewers opened their six-game homestand with a pair of losses to Miami after dropping five of their previous six, but have scored 27 runs in three consecutive victories. They piled up 14 hits in Monday's 8-5 win in the opener of this series and followed with Tuesday's 5-4 victory after trailing by four early.

Milwaukee had lost its previous eight home games against the Angels dating to August 1997.

Ryan Braun took Tuesday off after exiting Monday's game with "general soreness," but the Brewers still brought their bats. Chris Carter went deep twice, his second multihomer game in the last three to raise his team lead to nine, and Jonathan Lucroy added his first with his third straight two-hit game.

Carter's other two-homer game came in Sunday's 14-5 win over the Marlins. He said his early success was due to 'just hitting the ball wherever it's pitched instead of kind of being more of a pull hitter.'

The Brewers pounded Angels starters Jered Weaver and Nick Tropeano for 16 hits and 12 runs in 10 innings the last two days, raising Los Angeles' starting ERA to 9.82 during a 1-4 road trip.

On the flip side, the Angels were beaten Tuesday by journeyman Junior Guerra in his first MLB start. Mike Trout continued to roll with a two-run single, giving him 16 RBIs in his last dozen games, but the Angels finished with just eight singles and a double.

Los Angeles (12-15) previously closed a 4-2 homestand with three straight wins but will try to avoid its 10th loss in 13 road games since opening 3-0 away from home.

Hector Santiago will be called upon to stop the bleeding while looking to bounce back from his first loss.

Santiago (2-1, 3.34 ERA) was solid through five innings of Friday's 4-2 loss at Texas before allowing three runs while logging just two outs in the sixth. It was his first time failing to get through six.

"For the most part, I made my pitches," Santiago told MLB's official website. "Overall, I felt good about the outing."

The left-hander has never faced the Brewers, though he has seen Carter quite a bit. Milwaukee's first baseman, who previously played for Oakland and Houston, has five hits in 14 at-bats in the matchup, hitting two home runs and a double while striking out six times. Domingo Santana has also homered off Santiago in four at-bats, striking out the other three.

Zach Davies (0-3, 8.78) is off to a terrible start in his second big league season, surrendering 13 runs in 13 1/3 innings while opponents are hitting .411.

A three-run home run hurt him in Friday's 6-3 loss to Miami at Miller Park. Davies holds a 6.33 ERA in four career starts in Milwaukee.

Preview: Nationals (18-7) at Royals (13-12)

Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: May 04, 2016 2:15 PM EDT

Stephen Strasburg may have learned more about himself from his first rocky beginning to a start then he did when he was mowing opposing hitters down from the get-go.

It's pretty common knowledge to the rest of baseball that the Washington Nationals' one-time phenom had it all working in April, and he'll try to continue a pattern of becoming stronger as the game wears on in Wednesday's road finale against the Kansas City Royals.

Strasburg (4-0, 2.25 ERA) only had one rough inning in his first four starts before giving up a pair of first-inning runs and four hits to St. Louis on Friday in the opener of the Nationals' 10-game road trip. The Cardinals only got four more hits through the next six innings as Washington (18-8) won 5-4.

Opponents are hitting just .179 off the right-hander past the fourth inning.

"Yeah, I think it just comes with experience and maturing," Strasburg said. "It's easy to kind of hit the panic button after a couple runs early and stuff. But that's not how I want to go about it. If it's not my day, it's not my day - but I'm going to fight until the very end."

Strasburg's changeup, which opponents hit at a .260 clip a year ago, has been devastating with just a .033 batting average against. But Mike Matheny may have provided a scouting report for the Cardinals' cross-state rivals to keep an eye on a different pitch.

"It looked like a different break to his slider in the middle innings," Matheny told MLB's official website of the hybrid cutter Strasburg has been trying out. "Guys were having a tough time picking it up. Good pitchers do that. They make the adjustments, figure out what they have to do a little bit differently."

The Royals (14-12) came into Tuesday's game wanting to change up a number of things at the plate after getting shut out in three of their previous four games and totaling 11 runs in a 1-6 stretch. It looked like another loss was on the horizon, but Kansas City rallied with three runs in the ninth off Jonathan Papelbon to beat the Nationals 7-6.

'Those are the kinds of wins that help you get going. It's been a rough week for us,' Royals manager Ned Yost said. 'These guys have the character that they'll keep fighting.'

It's only the third time this season Washington allowed more than five runs.

'I don't know what to say,' Nationals manager Dusty Baker said after watching Kansas City improve to 9-4 at home. "Their speed got us. That's what they do. That's what they do in this ballpark. They certainly know how to come back. I've seen them come back many, many times. Boy, that's real tough.'

Kris Medlen (1-2, 4.87) won't find a start against the Nationals unusual after spending five years in Atlanta, but his latest outing certainly qualified as atypical. The right-hander only surrendered one hit - a solo homer - at Seattle on Friday, but five walks limited him to 5 1/3 innings in a 1-0 loss to Felix Hernandez.

"He did a nice job," Yost said. "He had a really good changeup tonight and was using it to his advantage. I thought he pitched great."

Medlen has a 2.16 ERA on the road and has allowed nine hits in 16 2/3 innings, the same total he surrendered in 3 2/3 in his only home start. He had a 6.99 ERA in six appearances at Kauffman Stadium in 2015.

The Nationals are 4-1 on their trip despite Bryce Harper going 1 for 20 with 10 strikeouts.