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Preview: Lightning (46-31) at Islanders (45-27)

Date: May 06, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) - Despite a disappointing overtime loss in their last game, the New York Islanders were pleased with their improved play.

Now, after falling behind in their second-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Islanders know they'll have to keep it up to have a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

'It was our best game so far,' center Frans Nielsen said. 'Just have to come out and try to be even better next game.'

After a bad loss in Game 2 in Tampa, the Islanders came out with the increased aggressive play coach Jack Capuano was looking for back in front of the raucous home crowd in Brooklyn. New York was 39 seconds from taking a 2-1 series lead, but the Lightning's Nikita Kucherov gave the seesaw game its fourth tie, and then Brian Boyle won it less than three minutes into the extra period.

That gave the Lightning the series lead with Game 4 on Friday night back at Barclays Center before shifting to Tampa for Game 5 on Sunday.

Capuano said the players need to forget the loss and just focus on the things they did well.

'It's a short memory,' Capuano said. 'It was probably one of the best games we played all year so there's a lot of positives you can take. We finally got our D activating more than we want in the offense. ... Hopefully, we can build on some of those things. That was Islander hockey, we played to our identity. And that's the way that we're going to have to play if we're going to have success in this series.'

One of the things they did better was get more shots on goal, finishing with 39 in Game 3 after totaling 42 in the first two games.

The Islanders also were more physical with 44 hits, compared to 34 for the Lightning. Those included several punishing jolts, including the two that gained national attention. The first by New York's Thomas Hickey on Jonathan Drouin, who was knocked out of the game in the second period before returning in the third and assisting on the tying score in the final minute of regulation. The other was by Boyle on Hickey in the OT just before Boyle went down the ice and scored.

Capuano believed Boyle's hit was too high and thought he could be suspended a game by the NHL. However, the defenseman was not sanctioned and the Lightning expect the physical play to continue. Tampa Bay, which reached the Stanley Cup Final last year, isn't taking anything for granted.

'This series has so much more, so long to go,' coach Jon Cooper said. 'Everybody that's watching this series is looking forward to Game 4.'

Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman added: 'We're going to have to play at the same level the next game on Friday. It's going to be a tough game again so we have to be ready.'

The Islanders are trailing in a series for the first time this postseason. They alternated wins with Florida in the first five games of the first round before closing it out in Game 6 at home for their first playoff series win in 23 years. Then, they won the opener against the Lightning, but have lost two straight since.

'We just got to keep pushing,' said forward Josh Bailey, who scored twice in Game 3. 'I think we'll tweak some things, refocus. ... The next game is the most important now and our focus won't change.'

New York needs a win to avoid going back to Tampa in a 3-1 hole.

'It's for sure a must-win for us, it feels like now,' Nielsen said. 'We just got to come out and play the way we did (Tuesday) and give ourselves a chance to win.'

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

Date: May 06, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Cleveland Cavaliers attempted the most 3-pointers in the Eastern Conference in the regular season and have simply upped that number to lead all teams in average attempts in the playoffs.

The Cavaliers turned in an astounding long-range effort their last time out and try to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their conference semifinal series Friday night on the road against the Atlanta Hawks.

Cleveland averaged 29.6 attempts from beyond the arc during the season and are hoisting up a league-best 35.7 during the playoffs. The strategy is working - the Cavaliers are the only unbeaten team left in the postseason and shooting an NBA-best 45.3 percent from long range.

Game 2 of this series featured an amazing display of marksmanship as Cleveland set a record with 25 3-pointers in Wednesday's 123-98 rout. J.R. Smith made seven and LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each sank four.

'Tonight was a special night for all of us who played,' James said. 'This league has seen so many great teams, so many great players and great shooters and for us to set an all-time record is truly special.'

The Cavaliers surpassed the previous postseason high of 21 set by the Warriors in 2015 and the regular-season mark of 23, accomplished by two teams. Cleveland attempted 45 3-pointers - one shy of the playoff record set by Golden State last season.

'I don't think we searched out 3s until we heard on the Jumbotron that we tied the record,' said James, who scored 27 points. 'And then we felt like we came this far so we might as well try and break it.'

The Hawks are second in the postseason with 31.6 3-point attempts per game. They have made 22 in this series compared to 40 for the Cavaliers.

'When they put those shots down, I don't know if anyone can beat them, to be honest,' Atlanta's Kyle Korver said. 'We were hoping that they'd start missing at some point.'

Atlanta has lost 10 straight playoff games to Cleveland, and this series is looking alarmingly familiar to the Cavaliers' sweep in last year's conference finals.

Smith has made 11 of 20 attempts from long range, Irving has drained 7 of 10 and James is 6 for 10.

The Cavs led by as many as 18 while shooting 44.6 percent and making 15 of 31 3-pointers in a 104-93 victory in the series opener. Two days later, they shot 47.1 percent overall and led by as many as 41.

'That was overwhelming,' Hawks guard Kent Bazemore said. 'I thought they shot (really well) in Game 1, but that was amazing.'

The defeat was so thorough that seldom-used backup center Mike Muscala, who scored 10 points in 14 minutes, appeared at the postgame news conference with NBA teams required to send at least one player. The Hawks know they are in trouble if Muscala continues to see action in this series.

"We need to get better in a lot of areas, probably starting with our transition defense and all the way through, and execute better offensively to take some pressure off our defense," coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Paul Millsap has totaled a team-high 33 points and 24 rebounds in the series for Atlanta, with Dennis Schroder scoring 32. Jeff Teague has been ineffective, making 5 of 19 shots for 22 points and 10 assists.

The Hawks have a 68-56 advantage in points in the paint in this series. That has been a meaningless statistic given the Cavaliers have scored 54 more points via 3-pointers.

Preview: Spurs (67-15) at Thunder (55-27)

Date: May 06, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

The Oklahoma City Thunder survived a frenzied and controversial finish in Game 2 to seize home-court advantage from the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs can regain it by earning a rare playoff win in Oklahoma City when the well-rested teams square off again Friday night.

The Thunder nearly blew a four-point lead in the final 15 seconds before holding on for a 98-97 victory Monday, and the NBA ruled the next day that there were five incorrect non-calls in that closing stretch. Oklahoma City's Dion Waiters was part of perhaps the most high-profile one, pushing Manu Ginobili away with his elbow on an inbounds play with 13.5 seconds to go.

The league also stated that Ginobili should have been charged with a delay-of-game violation for stepping on the sideline as he was defending Waiters. Potential fouls from the Spurs' Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills affected Oklahoma City's inbounds pass, which was stolen away from Kevin Durant by Danny Green.

LaMarcus Aldridge would have received two foul shots if referees had correctly called a foul on Serge Ibaka for grabbing his jersey when Aldridge was trying to rebound Mills' missed 3-pointer.

Aldridge was 10 of 10 from the line Monday and finished with 41 points in San Antonio's first loss in six games this postseason.

"Now it's our job to react," Spurs point guard Tony Parker said. "Everybody on this team understands that to win a championship, you have to win on the road. So that's our job now."

That could prove to be a challenging one as Oklahoma City has won eight of nine at home, the lone loss coming in Game 2 of its opening-round series against Dallas.

The Thunder have won in 11 of 13 at home against San Antonio, including playoffs, and are 5-1 there against the Spurs in two postseason series since relocating from Seattle.

"We have to come into the game like we're down 0-2," Waiters said. "We know that's how they're going to approach the game. We know they're going to come in and do what they do. We have to match their intensity.

"We know it's important to take care of home-court advantage. We have to come in with the mindset of coming in to win and compete, play hard as possible and play smart."

Oklahoma City averaged 111.5 points and 50.3 percent shooting in two home victories over San Antonio this season, but the Spurs' top players sat out a 111-92 defeat March 26.

Kawhi Leonard was dealing with a bruised right quad while Aldridge, Tim Duncan, Ginobili and Parker were given the night off.

Those five will try to get San Antonio off to a better start than in Monday's defeat, when Oklahoma City scored 17 of the first 21 points. San Antonio missed 12 of its first 13 shots and finished at 42.6 percent after connecting at 60.7 in a 124-92 rout in Game 1 on Saturday.

"We have got to be sharp. We have got to be better, have a better start," said Aldridge, who scored 38 points in the series opener. "We have to focus offensively and defensively, just be locked in and all the way around better."

Aldridge, making his first postseason visit to Oklahoma City, was held to 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in his only game there this season, a 112-106 defeat Oct. 28.

Leonard has totaled 58 points and shot 62.2 percent in his last two road games against the Thunder. His 32 points Oct. 28 tied his career high at the time.

Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, who scored a team-best 29 on Monday, averaged 31 and 53.7 percent shooting in the two home games against San Antonio this season.

Friday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards


**Cleveland at Atlanta**

-- The East semifinals move to Philips Arena in Atlanta for Game 3 on Friday night. Cleveland ventures south with a 2-0 series advantage. The Cavaliers have won nine in a row over the Hawks while going 8-1 ATS. They are 5-0 both SU and ATS in the five head-to-head meetings this season.

-- The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas opened Cleveland (63-25 straight up, 41-44-3 against the spread) as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 200 points. Those number hadn’t budged as of Friday afternoon. The Cavs are -145 on the money line, leaving the Hawks at +125 on the comeback (risk $100 to win $125). Tyron Lue’s squad is a 1.5-point ‘chalk’ for first-half wagers.

-- Cleveland absolutely destroyed Atlanta in Wednesday’s Game 2 by a 123-98 count as a seven-point home favorite. The 221 combined points soared ‘over’ the 196-point total. The Cavs cashed tickets for both first quarter (-2.5, -115) and first-half wagers (-4.5) for a second straight time. With the game tied at 16-16, Lue’s club went on a 19-4 run to go ahead 35-20 heading into the second quarter. That’s when this game turned real ugly, as Cleveland exploded with a flurry of 3-pointers en route to a 74-38 advantage at halftime.

-- Cleveland drained 25 treys in Game 2 to set an all-time NBA record. Ten different players connected from deep led by J.R. Smith’s seven 3-balls. The Cavs shot at a 55.6 percent clip from long range. LeBron James scored 27 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out five assists and made three steals. Smith scored 23 points, while Kyrie Irving contributed 19 points and six assists compared to merely one turnover.

-- Atlanta (52-38 SU, 45-44-1 ATS) was led by Paul Millsap’s 16 points and 11 rebounds. Jeff Teague had 14 points and six assists. Kris Humphries (12), Mike Muscala (10), Al Horford (10) and Thabo Sefolosha (10) were also in double figures. Atlanta head coach wisely rested all of his starters for the entire fourth quarter.

-- I’ve been perplexed with Budenholzer’s decision in these playoffs to give Muscala the minutes Humphries was getting late in the regular season. Humphries played an average of 14 minutes in the 21 games he played after being acquired by Atlanta, averaging 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He has only been given minutes twice in eight postseason games. Granted, they came at garbage time, but Humphries has continued to play well. In Game 2, he produced 12 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one steal in just 15 minutes of playing time. In his only appearance in the Boston series, Humphries finished with eight points, four rebounds and one assists in merely eight minutes of faction.

-- When a team is getting blasted like Atlanta was Wednesday during a seven-game series in the playoffs, you have to show some toughness and pride. Down by 36 at intermission, the game was over. But the mental warfare was still being waged. While the Cavs were gunning for the 3-point record and their bench was basically holding a dance party the entire night, the Hawks didn’t display any physicality whatsoever. You never want to hurt another player but, again, this is the playoffs. It’s completely inexcusable that no Atlanta player didn’t give any hard fouls in the lane in the second half.

-- When meeting with the media afterwards, several Atlanta players, including their two veteran leaders in Millsap and Horford, expressed unhappiness with the way the Cavs went about bombing triples in the final stanza in an effort to break the NBA record. Instead of complaining afterwards, a Hawks’ player should’ve just given a statement foul by knocking a Cavs’ 3-point shooter on his ass. Am I implying a quasi cheap shot? You damn right I am. This is the playoffs. A team has to have a backbone unless it’s resigned to going on vacation sooner rather than later.

Chris David had this take on the side for Game 3: “After watching Atlanta lose the first two games of this series, it’s certainly hard to make a case for them in Game 3. Catching points at home hasn’t happened often for the Hawks this season, only three times. They dropped double digit decisions to the Spurs and Warriors while knocking off the Thunder. I wouldn’t put the Cavaliers in the same class as San Antonio and Golden State but they are steps ahead of Oklahoma City, which makes this number seem fair.”

-- Cleveland owns a 26-17 SU record and a 18-22-3 ATS mark in its road assignments this year.

-- Atlanta has compiled a 30-14 SU record and a 24-20 ATS ledger at home this season. As David noted, the Hawks were home underdogs three times this year, going 1-2 both SU and ATS.

-- The ‘under’ is 50-40 overall for the Hawks, 25-19 in their home outings.

-- Totals have been an overall wash (44-44) for the Cavs this season. The ‘under’ is 23-20 in their road assignments.

-- VI’s David likes the total to stay ‘under’ in Game 3. He explained, I believe the oddsmakers jumped the gun on the total for Game 3 and sent an opener of 200 after we saw Game 2 close at 196. I believe the number will drop back down by tip off and I’m leaning to the ‘under’ based on what we’ve seen from Atlanta at home in the playoffs. Since head coach Mike Budenholzer took over, the Hawks have seen the ‘under’ go 12-2 at home in the postseason and that includes a 3-0 record this season. Only two teams have scored 100 points on Atlanta during this span and even though Cleveland won both of the postseason meetings last year at Philips Arena, it scored 97 and 94 points.”

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.


**San Antonio at Oklahoma City**

-- Oklahoma City (60-29 SU, 41-47-1 ATS) bounced back from a blowout loss in Game 1 to capture a 98-97 win as a 7.5-point underdog Monday at AT&T Center. The Thunder hooked up money-line supporters with a stellar +320 payout (paid $320 on $100 wagers). Kevin Durant buried a floater with 33 seconds remaining to put his team up 96-91, but San Antonio answered when LaMarcus Aldridge knocked down a 3-ball off an amazing pass from Tony Parker. With OKC leading by four after Russell Westbrook hit a pair of free throws, Aldridge gave Serge Ibaka a pump fake before taking a 3-pointer. Ibaka inexplicably fouled Aldridge in the act of shooting to provide three shots. Aldridge was true on all three from the charity stripe to slice the deficit to one. On the ensuing inbounds play from halfcourt after a timeout, Dion Waiters struggled to find an open man and just before passing the ball nailed Manu Ginobili with an elbow to clear space for a pass. Nevertheless, the entry to Durant was stolen by Danny Green, who eventually passed to Patty Mills, who missed a 3-pointer from the corner. With two seconds left, the teams battled for the rebound under the basket without a call being made. Alas, though it tried to hand San Antonio the game with a slew of knucklehead plays at crunch time, OKC emerged victorious to knot the series at 1-1.

-- Westbrook produced 29 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot in the Game 2 triumph. Durant finished with 28 points, seven boards and four assists, while Ibaka, Enes Kanter and Steven Adams scored 12 points apiece. Adams brought down a game-high 17 rebounds, while Kanter had eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

-- In the losing effort, Aldridge was sensational again with a game-best 41 points to go with eight rebounds, three assists and a pair of rejections. Kawhi Leonard and Ginobili were the only other Spurs in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Tim Duncan missed a bunch of high-percentage shots and had only two points on 1-of-8 shooting. Parker struggled too, finishing with seven points and six assists.

-- For Friday’s Game 3, the Westgate opened OKC as a 1.5-point favorite early on Tuesday morning. The total was 199 points on the send-out. By lunch, however, the Spurs had moved into the 1.5-point ‘chalk’ role. Then on Wednesday, the Spurs were favored by two and that remained the number as of early Thursday night. The total moved from 199 to 200 on Thursday. The Spurs are -130 on the money line, leaving the Thunder at +110 to win outright (risk $100 to win $110). San Antonio is a one-half point favorite for first-half bets.

-- San Antonio (72-16 SU, 48-40 ATS) smashed OKC in the series opener by winning a 124-92 decision as a 6.5-point home ‘chalk.’ The Spurs led by 33 at halftime and by 39 going into the final stanza. Aldridge was the catalyst with 38 points, while Leonard had 25 points, five rebounds and five assists. Leonard made 10-of-13 shots, while Aldridge hit 18-of-23 attempts from the field. Danny Green chipped in 18 points on 5-of-6 shooting from downtown.

-- In the Game 1 defeat, Ibaka paced the Thunder with a team-best 19 points, but he’s been getting destroyed at the other end by Aldridge for eight consecutive quarters. Westbrook (5-of-19, 14 points) and Durant (6-of-15, 16 points) had mediocre performances in the series opener.

-- OKC won both SU and ATS in a pair of regular-season meetings with San Antonio at home. On March 26, the Thunder cruised to a 111-92 win as a 12.5-point home favorite. Durant posted a double-double with 31 points and 10 rebounds, while Westbrook tallied 29 points, eight assists and six rebounds. We should obviously note that Duncan, Aldridge, Leonard and Parker did not play (rest).

-- On Oct. 28, OKC won a 112-106 decision over the Spurs as a four-point home ‘chalk.’ Westbrook led the way with 33 points and 10 assists, while Leonard countered with 32 points in defeat. San Antonio played all of its players in this encounter.

-- Gregg Popovich’s team owns a 29-14 SU record and a 22-21 ATS mark at home this year.

-- Billy Donovan’s team is 34-10 SU and 21-22-1 ATS at home this season.

-- VI’s David is bullish on the Spurs as short road faves in Game 3. David said, “I was very surprised when I saw the Thunder open as a 1 ½-point favorite for Game 3 but that line flipped in a hurry and it’s the right move in my opinion. It’s hard to ignore the fact that the Spurs went 12-0 off a loss in the regular season in meaningful games when the club put out a full squad. Another solid stat that could have you leaning to San Antonio is the record of the Thunder as underdogs. OKC did cash tickets in Game 2 of this series but it’s just 2-12 as an underdog this season. Also, it should be noted that road favorites have done very well in this year’s postseason, going 10-4 straight up and 8-6 against the spread.”

-- The ‘under’ is 46-43 overall for the Thunder, 27-17 in its home games.

-- The ‘over’ had hit in four consecutive games for the Thunder until Game 2 went ‘under’ the tally.

-- The ‘under’ is 49-37-2 overall for San Antonio, 25-17-1 in its road assignments.

-- The ‘under’ is on an 8-2 run in San Antonio’s last 10 games played at OKC.

-- ESPN will have the telecast at 9:35 p.m. Eastern.

NBA Odds and Picks: Friday and Saturday Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

What had been rumored for a few days came true on Thursday: the Indiana Pacers declined to renew the contract of head coach Frank Vogel. On the surface, that seems a stupid move by the team, but I guess you have to trust boss Larry Bird. In six seasons as Pacers coach, Vogel had a 250-181 regular-season record and 31-30 playoff record, including losing in Game 7 to Toronto this season. Remember, Indiana was without superstar Paul George for basically all of the 2014-15 season. I'm not sure there's a better candidate on the market right now unless some big-name college coach is waiting in the wings. Maybe Bird calls former Warriors coach and Pacers player Mark Jackson. I'm quite sure that Bird isn't returning to coaching the Pacers himself. Bird told reporters that hiring Kevin McHale, his former teammate with the Celtics, was out of the question. Right now the Kings, Rockets and Knicks jobs are open, and I'd bet Vogel gets an interview with each of those teams.


Friday's Game 3: No. 1 Cavaliers at No. 4 Hawks (+3, 200)

TNT's Charles Barkley said the Hawks need to "take out a player" after Cleveland's 123-98 win on Wednesday to take a 2-0 lead in this series. Barkley's thinking is that the Atlanta players need to send a message to the Cavs in the wake of that embarrassment or this will be a sweep. Were this Barkley's era, I have no doubt that would happen. But that type of stuff gets you suspended these days, so I don't expect anything in Game 3. The Hawks should be ashamed of Wednesday's loss, which was over before it started. The Cavaliers hit an NBA record 25 3-pointers (regular season or playoff record) on 45 attempts. Cleveland hit 18 3s in the first half alone. There are six NBA teams that have never made 18 3-pointers in any game. The Hawks had just 11 first-half field goals.

J.R. Smith led the way with seven 3-pointers. Every Cavs starter but Tristan Thompson attempted at least four of them and made better than 50 percent. LeBron James led the Cavs with 27 points and had to play just 28 minutes in the blowout. No Cleveland player got more minutes than that. It was 35-20 after one quarter and Atlanta folded like a cheap tent. The Cavs have made more 3-pointers combined in the first two games than 2-pointers! Welcome to the modern-day NBA. About the only positive for Atlanta was that its starters also got plenty of rest since the team was down 74-38 at halftime. This team ranked second in defensive efficiency over the regular season but is allowing 113.5 points per game in this series.

Key trends: The Cavs are 8-3 against the spread in their past 11 Friday games. The Hawks are 2-8 ATS in their past 10 after allowing at least 100 points in their previous game. They are 1-6 ATS in their past seven after a loss. The "over/under" is 5-2 in the past seven meetings.

Early lean: The Cavs have won their past three games in Atlanta, two in last year's Eastern Conference finals. That won't change. Give the points, go over.


Saturday's Game 3: No. 1 Warriors at No. 5 Trail Blazers (+3, 211)

I'm a bit surprised there's a line up on this game, but clearly oddsmakers don't think Steph Curry is going to return from his knee injury on Saturday. And neither do I. It sounds like he will be listed as "doubtful." With a 2-0 lead, I wouldn't rush him back yet. Shoot, I might not play him at all this series. Curry has said he got a platelet-rich-plasma treatment in the knee, which is supposed to speed up healing.

To Portland's credit, it played well for three quarters of Game 2 in Oakland and led for about 43 minutes. The Blazers were ahead by 11 points entering the fourth quarter, but then the Warriors flipped a switch and outscored Portland 34-12 to win 110-99 (and barely cover). The Warriors shot 61.1 percent from the field in the quarter and pulled down 15 rebounds. Klay Thompson had another big game with 27 points (10 in fourth quarter) as did Draymond Green with 17 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four blocked shots, the first player to reach all of those numbers in a playoff game since Tim Duncan in 2003. Green might go down as the best second-round pick in NBA history. Backup center Festus Ezeli hadn't played a minute in this series but was huge in the fourth quarter with eight points and six rebounds.

Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 25 points and C.J. McCollum had 22, but both were quiet in the fourth. Portland managed six points in the final 5:21. The Blazers were 5-for-19 from the field in the quarter, missed all six of their 3-point attempts and turned it over five times.

Key trends: The Warriors were 1-1 ATS on the road in Round 1 and 0-2 O/U. The Blazers were 2-1 ATS at home in the last round and 1-2 O/U. Portland was 1-1 ATS at home during the season vs. the Warriors and 2-0 O/U.

Early lean: No team has beat Golden State twice this season. And Portland won't. This will be a sweep. Give the points, go over

At the Gate - Kentucky Oaks
By Mike Dempsey

It is Kentucky Oaks Day on Friday at Churchill Downs and things get started early at 10:30am ET and the final of 13 races on the outstanding card is set for 7:00 ET. That’s a full work day.

The feature is the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) while drew a full field of 14 and is one of six stakes races on the card.

Things seemed quiet on the backstretch at Churchill Downs on Thursday, with no major defections, and the weather forecast looks perfect for both days of racing.

The stakes action on Friday starts with the $300,000 La Troine which drew a field of seven with Sheer Drama and Curalina the two main contenders. Sheer Drama won the Madison (G1) in her last start while Curalina makes her first start since running third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) last fall.

The $200,000 Eight Belles (G2) drew a field of eight three-year-olds going seven furlongs on the main track. Carina Mia, who was fourth in the Ashland (G1) is the 8-5 morning line favorite.

The $150,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G3) is a five-furlong mad dash on the turf with defending champ Power Alert back. He faces a tough group that includes the Wesley Ward trained Hootenanny and Shakertown (G2) runner up Something Else.

A field of 10 older foes will go in the $400,000 Alysheba (G2) at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The top two from the Ben Ali (G2) Eagle and Noble Bird face off again, and Cat Burglar and Majestic Affair figure to take some betting action.

Catch a Glimpse will be a short price in the $150,000 Edgewood (G3). The filly is perfect in five starts on turf including taking the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) last fall at Keeneland.

My selections for the Kentucky Oaks is below.


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

CD Race 1 Md Sp Wt (10:30 ET)
#4 Burma Road 6-1
#7 Modify 6-5
#3 Gurlin 5-1
#6 Linda Mimi 10-1

Analysis: Burma Road stretches out to seven furlongs here for her third career start for the Wilkes barn that usually does not have them fully cranked early. This filly was a good second in her debut, then regressed last out in a fourth place finish. She has nine sibs that re winners and three are stakes winners, top earner Motor City ($172,076). She reunited with Leparoux who was aboard the filly in her debut. Decent value if she goes off near the 6-1 morning line.

Modify ran second in each of her first two career starts, last out as the beaten favorite at Oaklawn Park going six panels. The $475,000 Keeneland purchase earned the top last out speed fig and is the logical one to beat here for the Asmussen barn. She is out of a stakes placed Vindication mare that has dropped two winners. She will be tough here but a short price.

Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 9-2 or better.
EX: 4,7 / 3,4,6,7
TRI: 4,7 / 3,4,6,7 / 3,4,6,7,8

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Churchill Downs:

CD Race 11 The Kentucky Oaks G1 (5:49 ET)
#3 Lewis Bay 8-1
#11 Rachel's Valentina 7-2
#12 Cathryn Sophia 9-2
#13 Land Over Sea 5-1

Analysis: Lewis Bay looks like good value if she goes off near her 8-1 morning line. The Chad Brown trainee has won twice at nine furlongs, winning the Demoiselle (G2) in her stakes debut at Aqueduct last November and winning the Gazelle (G2) in the mud last out. In that outing she tracked the early pace, took command at the top of the stretch and was geared down late, winning by 1 1/2 lengths but the margin could have been bigger. The racing strip that day was also favoring off the pace types. She has a nice pedigree, Bernardini out of the stakes winner Summer Raven ($168,910) who has dropped two other winners and they are both stakes winners—Winslow Homer ($273,365) and Misconnect ($327,100).

Rachel's Alexandra does not have a shabby pedigree herself, by Bernardini out of the multiple Grade 1 winner Rachel Alexandra, who won the 2009 Oaks and went on to win the Preakness (G1). The Todd Pletcher trainee has made just one start this year, beaten a neck in the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland by 30-1 longshot Weep No More, who also is entered here. Last year she won the Spinaway (G1) in her stakes debut and then was no match for Songbird in the stretch in a runner up finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She is reunited with Johnny V. who was aboard for her two wins and should move forward in her second start off the bench. Pletcher has won this race three times, most recently with Princess of Sylmar in 2013.

Cathryn Sophia tracked the early pace, came with a four wide bid to get to the front and did not have enough punch left late in a close up third in the Ashland, beaten a half-length for the top spot as the beaten chalk. It was her first loss after starting her career perfect in four starts, all around one turn. She does have enough pedigree to handle nine furlongs, by Street Boss out of a Mineshaft mare, her first foal to race. She came back with a bullet drill over at Keeneland on April 23 and may be too early to give up on her.

Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 9-2 or better.
EX: 3,11 / 3,11 ,12,13
TRI: 3,11 / 3,11,12,13 / 2,3,11,12,13

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.

Churchill Downs
R1: #6 Linda Mimi 10-1
R4: #6 Smart Emma 10-1
R5: #4 Dasaateer 8-1
R7: #3 Summer Reading 8-1
R10: #13 Heavenly View 15-1
R11: #3 Lewis Bay 8-1
R12: #7 Long Ago 10-1
R12: #6 Will Do It 10-1
R13: #2 Bankers Holiday 12-1
R13: #4 Stonescape 8-1

Good luck today!

Mohawk: Friday 5/6 Analysis
By Garnet Barnsdale

DRF HARNESS

Race 1 - $30,000 Guaranteed Pick Five Pool

Race 4 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool


20-CENT PICK 5: 1,2,5,7,8/3,4/1/2,3,6,10/6,7,10 = $24

EARLY PICK 4: 2,3,6,10/6,7,10/9/2,5,7 = $36

LATE PICK 4: 3,4,6/3,9/2,4,6/1,3 = $36

MEET STATS: 54 - 163 / $351.10 BEST BETS: 10 - 16 / $43.40

SPOT PLAYS: 3 - 16 / $15.40

Best Bet: BURNIN MONEY (3rd)

Spot Play: ART ANGEL BABY (8th)


Race 1

(2) LADY JEN dropped into a claimer last week but got hung the mile and finished well back. She stands a much better chance of clearing early here and if she does she could wire these. (1) CLASSIC COMEDY is capable of showing more early speed and should get a better spot early here which makes her a contender. (7) CASIMIR LUCKY LADY has been facing better and should fit this class and take a big share.

Race 2

(3) UTOPIA raced well last week when claimed and could bridge the gap here on (4) JUSTCALLMERONALD, who beat him last time but was drifting out badly late. Those two look like the main contenders here. (1) GIRL DRAMA hasn't fared well so far in the new barn but she re-qualified okay and is always a threat at this class when she stays flat.

Race 3

(1) BURNIN MONEY raced here Monday night vs. much tougher and finds a field he should be able to handle here. (6) DUH BUBBEES raced much better in his second start and should get a good spot near the front here early which makes him a threat. (8) ODDS ON AMETHYST drops back down to a class that he wired two back and any breathers on the lead will make him tough to overhaul.

Race 4

(10) MARACASSO was bought by Waxman for himself and a partner then qualified showing big speed. Plante is a good one for getting them off the gate. Expect a big speed try here. (2) HOME JAMES improved his overall speed last week and paced a good last 1/4. He should leave better here and can threaten at a price. (6) LIGHT FOOT RD raced well last time on the pace and fits vs. this group. He is another to consider for the early Pick 4.

Race 5

(10) DONNA PARTY used a big third 1/4 move last time to open up but tired late and was nailed right on the wire. She figures here and should be able to leave in the top five. (6) BACK YARD BABY and (7) JUSTABIT MEAN both drop out of the same race won by a classy mare and should be used on Pick 4 and Pick 5 tickets.

Race 6

(9) KINETIC KING takes a big drop here and Mayotte should have him rolling early; top call. (3) DOMEDOMEDOME also faces easier and should be moving earlier in the mile this time. (1) JUSTASMALLTOWNGIRL should be able to follow along for a share and isn't out of the question for the win end with some luck.

Race 7

(5) DAZZLING ROCKETTE finished quickly last week despite having missed five weeks action. She should be even sharper and should get a good pace setup here. (2) GREYSTONE LADYLIKE couldn't stave off the persistent pressure of the first-over Moonlit Dance last week and tired late. She could take this group a long way on the lead. (7) BAROCKEY gets class relief here and is a threat from close range.

Race 8

(6) ART ANGEL BABY was a win machine last year and debuts for trainer Wallace here who has been sending them ready at this meet; top call. (4) BAD IN PARADISE showed some ability last year and is one of several in with a shot in a wide-open race. (3) SHOCKING BEAUTY couldn't chase down a stubborn leader last time but that was a better effort that she can build on.

Race 9

(3) SHE LIGHTS OUT jumped it off in the stretch last time when it looked like she had the race won. She re-qualified well and can get back on track here. (9) KATIES BEACH made two moves last time in a mile that was quick for the class. She has a chance to take her first of the year here. (8) TWIN B SWEETHEART continues to take purse shares in what has been a productive campaign and she should take a piece of this, too.

Race 10

(2) POP GOES THEWEASEL did all the work only to be overtaken late by the pocket-sitter last week. She is sharp and can turn the tables here. (4) A PLUS faces easier here and should be heard from late. (6) TOPVILLE CHEETAH rode a perfect trip to a new life's mark when beating the choice last week. She is a sharp contender but may have to do more work of her own this time.

Race 11

(3) NAUGHTY LADY B was racing well in January when laid up and re-qualified decently; slight nod in a tough-to-figure finale. (1) PARKLANE GLAMOROUS closed a bit of ground into an accelerating late pace in her qualifier and also looks ready to go here. (5) BRING ME DIAMONDS was a solid winner last out but has now missed five weeks which could leave her short down the lane. (4) TWENTY THREE RED failed as chalk after going first up last week. An easier trip could lead to a better result here. (7) STONEBRIDGE PEARL showed a bit of ability at two and brings three qualifiers into this sophomore debut. She could better this prediction.

Yonkers: Friday 5/6 Analysis
By Brewster Smith

DRF HARNESS


MEET STATS: 113 - 468 / $727.80

BEST BETS: 12 - 49 / $51.40

Best Bet: TIPITINA (9th)

Spot Play: SANTANNA ONE (7th)


Race 1

(1) OR gets serious post relief and seems to like the inside slot; threat at his best. (4) FRATERNITY comes by way of the Meadowlands and here's another that should fare well from the 4-hole. (2) DRIVE EM COWBOY has wheeled off two straight victories.

Race 2

(4) A LITTLE MORE LOVE Trotter is on the dropdown and that should help his cause. Gelding has good speed to boss this group. (3) MONEY MAVEN was sent down the road last out but did not have enough fuel in the tank and settled for the placing. (2) STORMONT PARK should find these to his liking.

Race 3

(3) AMASA AL Sharp from the fence last out to get the job done. Gelding appears to be in solid form so two straight is not out of the question. (1) ROSE RUN QUEST had a 3-hole trip and was second best to lose glory by a 1 3/4 lengths. (2) AUTOMATIC SLIMS could land a share from the 2-hole.

Race 4

(6) SPEAKING OUT Pacer did show signs of life last out with a mild bid to miss the victory by 1 3/4 lengths. With a favorable trip this gelding can put it all together. (1) LEGION OF BOOM comes by way of Canada and gets the best of the draw; threat. (4) EVERY INTENTION flashed good early speed but was flat in deep stretch last out.

Race 5

(3) GALLANT SEELSTER is quite on a roll scoring his third straight. Pacer stays in same condition so he could keep on his winning ways against these. (6) ARI ALLSTAR is clearly better than in his latest flop. (1) WHITE MOUNTAIN TOP retains the rail and does have a fondness for Yonkers.

Race 6

(1) JAG OUT Pacing mare gets another chance from the pole position. If Smith chooses to send this gal to the front the rest might have to settle for place money; factor. (8) DEVIL CHILD put in a good qualifier at Pocono last out; post hurts but is capable. (7) BETTOR N BETTER If you throw out her last try this mare had two wins at the Hilltop; watch out.

Race 7

(2) SANTANNA ONE moves into the claiming ranks and there's an indication this pacer is knocking at the door based on his last two tries. (6) IDEALBEACH HANOVER got the job done via down the road last time out. (1) NASSAU COUNTY was sharp in the pocket last out and missed glory by only a length.

Race 8

(5) CAROLSIDEAL Mare was an easy winner last out in the Matchmaker consolation. Has good form and Dube knows what to do with this 7-year-old; ready to take two straight. (8) SELL A BIT N led every step of the way in the final of the Matchmaker last time around but was caught by a very good Yagonnakissmeornot. (6) KRISPY APPLE did not fire her best last time out but she clearly is better than in her last try.

Race 9

Will try (5) TIPITINA again to put it all together. She fits well in here and was closing down the lane to lose glory by 1/2 length; can boss these at her best. (1) ELM GROVE INARUSH Got the job done wire to window at Vernon last time out. (4) OUR ELS DREAM N was on the rim at the 3/4 pole and grinded out a victory by a nose in her recent outing.

Race 10

(7) HYWAY MARCUS was very sharp to grab the place spot last out at the Big M. Gelding seems to be in good form and if Brennan can keep this 5-year-old on gait he could make tonight a winning one; we shall see. (2) RED HOT HERBIE is knocking at the door based on his last four starts. (1) E R ELLIE is better than her last flop but she is capable.

Race 11

(3) NARCIAN JEWEL was late on the scene and closed well to grab the fourth spot last out. She does know how to win races and good to see Mr. Brennan with the assignment; big threat at her best. (7) SCOOTIN FOR JOY also closed sharply to miss the victory by 3/4 length. (2) LYONS SHADOW did not race badly at Philly in her most recent effort.

SPOT PLAYS

For Thursday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Belmont Park (4th) Say Cin Cin, 4-1
(9th) March On, 4-1


Belterra Park (3rd) Michi Brah, 4-1
(7th) Feisty Rubiano, 8-1


Churchill Downs (1st) Nidge, 3-1
(11th) First Splash, 10-1


Evangeline Downs (3rd) Big Red Cat, 5-1
(8th) Specialeyes, 5-1


Golden Gate Fields (5th) Love the Kids, 9-2
(7th) Art of War, 4-1


Gulfstream Park (6th) Grand Venezuelan, 5-1
(7th) Mr. Kisses, 4-1


Penn National (2nd) Smooth Service, 5-1
(6th) English Manor, 9-2


Prairie Meadows (2nd) Hattaash, 9-2
(8th) De Facto, 8-1


Santa Anita (2nd) Hiking, 3-1
(6th) Smart Win, 6-1

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.

MLB roundup: Cubs top Nats in battle of early elites
By The Sports Xchange

CHICAGO -- Kyle Hendricks allowed just two hits in six shutout innings while Ben Zobrist homered and had four RBIs as the Chicago Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Thursday in matchup of early division leaders.
Hendricks struck out four and walked two in an 87-pitch outing to secure his first victory since April 9.
Nationals starter Joe Ross was pulled with two out in the seventh after allowing a leadoff single to Ryan Kalish and walking pinch hitter Jorge Soler with two gone. Ross allowed two runs on five hits through 6 2/3 innings, walked two and struck out nine.
Tommy La Stella was 3-for-4 with two runs scored as the Cubs captured their fourth straight win. The Nationals lost for the second time in seven games.

Mariners 6, Astros 3
HOUSTON -- Robinson Cano delivered a bases-clearing double in the ninth inning as Seattle twice rallied against Houston's bullpen for a win at Minute Maid Park.
Astros closer Luke Gregerson staggered throughout the ninth, allowing two singles and a walk in advance of his facing Cano. One cutter later, Seattle extended its winning streak to four games.
Cano finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs.

Cardinals 4, Phillies 0
ST. LOUIS -- Brandon Moss hit the longest home run by a left-handed batter in Busch Stadium history -- 462 feet off the third deck in right field -- and Jaime Garcia pitched seven shutout innings, pacing St. Louis against Philadelphia.
Moss' seventh homer is the fourth longest overall in Busch, which opened in 2006. It came with two outs in the bottom of the first against losing pitcher Jerad Eickhoff and staked Garcia to a quick 1-0 lead.
The Moss homer is the fourth longest this season in the major leagues.
Garcia took a no-hitter into the top of the fifth before allowing singles to Cameron Rupp and Tyler Goeddel but kept the shutout intact.

Indians 9, Tigers 4
CLEVELAND -- Trevor Bauer and four relievers combined on a five-hitter and Michael Brantley had four hits as Cleveland completed a three-game sweep of Detroit at Progressive Field.
Cleveland banged out 16 hits, scoring four runs in the first inning, one in the fourth and four in the eighth. The Indians' pitchers took it from there. In the last two games of the series Indians pitchers held the Tigers, who rank second in the American League in hitting, to a .159 batting average.
The Indians swept their second three-game series this season against Detroit.
Rookie Michael Fulmer gave up five runs and 10 hits in five innings to take the loss in his second major league start for the Tigers.

Blue Jays 12, Rangers 2
TORONTO -- Edwin Encarnacion drove in a season-best six runs, J.A. Happ pitched seven innings and Toronto defeated Texas for its third win in a row.
Encarnacion hit a three-run double on the first pitch he saw from Derek Holland in the five-run first inning for a three-run double. Encarnacion also hit the first pitch from Holland for a three-run home run in the third
Holland allowed 11 hits, three walks (one intentional) and 11 runs in 2 2/3 innings for the Rangers.

Reds 9, Brewers 5
CINCINNATI -- Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips hit home runs to stake Cincinnati to a seven-run lead in the second inning, and Alfredo Simon handled Milwaukee over 7 2/3 innings in a win at Great American Ball Park.
This is the first time Cincinnati has won consecutive games since beating Colorado on April 19-20.
Alex Presley's two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning ended Simon's night. Blake Wood relieved Simon and got the final out of the inning.

Orioles 1, Yankees 0 (10 innings)
BALTIMORE -- Pedro Alvarez's 10th-inning sacrifice fly gave Baltimore a victory over New York.
Hyun Soo Kim started the winning rally for the Orioles with a leadoff infield single against Johnny Barbato. Kim went to third when Jonathan Schoop followed with a single to left-center.
Nolan Reimold then came on to pinch-run for Kim, and the Yankees brought in closer Andrew Miller.
Alvarez greeted Miller with a fly ball to medium-deep center.

Marlins 4, Diamondbacks 0
MIAMI -- Adam Conley pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings and the Miami bullpen kept up its brilliant work of late to defeat Arizona, sweeping the three-game series at Marlins Park.
Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Marlins to help put the game out of reach. It was Yelich's third homer of the season but his second in this series.
The Marlins won 10 of their past 11 games for just the fifth time in franchise history. Arizona has lost six games in a row.

Red Sox 7, White Sox 3
CHICAGO -- Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez and Jackie Bradley, Jr. homered and Boston pounded out 12 hits in a win over Chicago in a battle of division leaders at U.S. Cellular Field.
The Red Sox, who have won nine of their last 11 games, jumped out to a lead, thanks to a pair of home runs off White Sox starter Erik Johnson, who was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte earlier in the day.
Boston added three runs off the Chicago bullpen -- including a pair in the eighth inning, capped by a David Ortiz RBI double.

Padres 5, Mets 3
SAN DIEGO -- Colin Rea flirted with the first no-hitter in San Diego history in stifling the New York.
Rea, making his 12th major league start, kept the Mets hitless through 6 2/3 innings.
Yoenis Cespedes stroked a hard single through the infield's right side for the Mets' first hit. Second baseman Jemile Weeks was shifted on the bag's other side and wasn't close to making a play.
The string of 7,519 Padres games without a no-hitter continued. Rea allowed a run, three hits and a walk, with five strike outs, over eight-plus innings.

Rockies 17, Giants 7
SAN FRANCISCO -- Rookie sensation Trevor Story homered to trigger the highest-scoring inning in franchise history, as Colorado erupted for 13 runs in the fifth en route to a victory over San Francisco.
Nolan Arenado belted a two-run homer, and Gerardo Parra drove in three runs with three hits, helping Colorado win for the fifth time in the first seven games of a 10-game trip.
Two of Parra's hits and all three of his RBIs came in the fifth, during which the Rockies recorded the highest-scoring inning in AT&T Park history.

Preview: Nationals (19-8) at Cubs (20-6)

Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 06, 2016 2:20 PM EDT

Ben Zobrist never hit .300 in his career and hadn't shown much power in years, but the analytics-driven Chicago Cubs pursued him in free agency because of his knack for manufacturing ways to get on base.

He's been clearing them lately.

Zobrist, though, hasn't had much success against Max Scherzer, who takes the mound for the Washington Nationals on Friday looking to help prevent the Cubs from winning a fifth straight game.

Joe Maddon began his first full-time managerial job with Tampa Bay in 2006, the same year Zobrist broke into the big leagues with the Rays. He reunited with Maddon in the offseason when the Illinois native inked a four-year, $56 million deal to join the Cubs (21-6).

Zobrist is hitting .261 but owns a .377 on-base percentage. He hit a two-run single in the fourth inning and a two-run homer in the eighth of Thursday's 5-2 win over Washington (19-9), one day after hitting a three-run shot at Pittsburgh.

'This is a really good team, and we play good baseball,' Zobrist said. "(Thursday) was another good example of that.'

Zobrist's contributions have helped the Cubs get off to their best start since they were 23-4 in 1907, but he's gone 3 for 20 against Scherzer (3-1, 3.55 ERA), who is coming off his best outing of the season.

Scherzer struck out nine and allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings of a 6-1 win at St. Louis on Sunday and didn't walk anyone for the first time in his six outings.

'That's the best I've seen Max this year,' manager Dusty Baker said. 'Sharp with the breaking ball, good velocity. It was Max's day."

It was the right-hander's day the last time he faced the Cubs, too. He fanned 13 in seven innings of a 3-0 win May 27, dropping his ERA to 1.42 in three starts against Chicago - all at Wrigley Field.

The Nationals hope they can provide Scherzer with some offense after mustering three hits Thursday, with Jayson Werth's two-run homer with two outs in the ninth providing their runs.

They totaled 19 runs and 28 hits over their previous two.

'We just didn't square too many balls up,' Werth said. ' ... We were right there. But it's a long series, a four-game series. We just chalk this one up and we got to come back out and get them tomorrow.'

Werth is 7 for 14 with a homer and four doubles off John Lackey (3-1, 4.32), who gets the ball for Chicago. Lackey had his longest outing as a Cub on Sunday, giving up three runs and three hits in eight innings of a 4-3 loss in 10 to Atlanta.

'I felt great, threw the ball pretty well, was locating pretty much everything,' Lackey said.

The right-hander struggled with his command in his last start against the Nationals, though, walking four in six innings Aug. 31. He didn't let that hurt him, giving up one earned run and striking out eight.

Jason Heyward hopes to be back in the Chicago lineup after not starting the previous three because of a right wrist issue. He entered Thursday after Dexter Fowler was ejected.

Preview: Athletics (13-16) at Orioles (15-11)

Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: May 06, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Riding a four-game losing streak into a nine-game trip is less than ideal, but that's the position the slumping Oakland Athletics find themselves in this weekend.

Handing the ball to the pitcher who's done the most consistent work for them early in the season is the best scenario for the A's as they begin a three-game series in Baltimore on Friday night against an Orioles club that's been struggling to score.

Oakland (14-13) moved above .500 with six consecutive victories April 16-22, but the train has since jumped the track with a 3-9 stretch that has featured a few tough losses over the last week. Three of the club's defeats on its skid have come by a run, and it even managed to lose while getting the better of Felix Hernandez.

The A's scored eight times in four-plus innings against the Mariners ace Wednesday, though only four were earned, before the bullpen coughed up a four-run lead in a 9-8 loss that capped a three-game sweep on their home field.

"You get into a four-run lead like that and we have our best guys available for the game, I feel like we're going to win that every time," manager Bob Melvin said. "Would have been a nice game to put away."

Oakland's starters have absorbed three of the losses on the slide behind a 6.29 ERA and .303 opposing batting average, so getting another quality outing from Rich Hill (3-3, 2.53 ERA) would be a big boost to a rotation that took another hit Thursday.

The club announced right-hander Chris Bassitt will need reconstructive surgery on his elbow after he was placed on the disabled list last week. Bassitt, who was 0-2 with a 6.11 ERA in five starts, allowed a career-high seven runs on 10 hits in 3 2-3 innings last Thursday in Detroit before going on the DL.

Fellow starters Jarrod Parker and Felix Doubront were also lost for the year to elbow issues, but the A's have been lucky with the rotation depth they have.

Hill is sitting atop that chart for the moment with the club's lowest ERA among its remaining starters, and the journeyman has a 1.42 mark in his previous three starts. The left-hander was outstanding Sunday with two hits and two runs allowed in six innings, but Houston's Doug Fister was just a bit better in a 2-1 loss to the Astros.

Now he'll try to hold down Baltimore, which has scored one or no runs in three of its last four games. The Orioles were shut out by the New York Yankees on Wednesday and needed 10 innings to break through for a 1-0 win in Thursday's series finale.

Ubaldo Jimenez (1-3, 5.20) takes the hill for the Orioles (16-11) looking to end a string of three straight losses since winning his first start of the season.

Jimenez had little room for error going up against Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale on Sunday and was done in by a five-run fifth in a 7-1 loss. The right-hander gave up seven hits and six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.

"Nothing changed," said Jimenez, who is 3-1 in six career starts against the A's despite a 5.28 ERA. "I think I had everything working. Just one of those innings that you just shake your head and go like, 'Wow, I can't believe this is happening.'"

The Orioles have won four in a row and eight their last 11 at home against Oakland.