MLB Betting Info - FryDay 5/6

StatFox Super Situations


MLB | NY METS at SAN DIEGO
Play Against - All favorites with a money line of -125 to -175 (NY METS) with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.00 or better on the season (NL), good power team - averaging 1.25 or more HR's/game on the season
27-13 over the last 5 seasons. ( 67.5% | 21.8 units )
1-1 this year. ( 50.0% | 0.1 units )




StatFox Situational Power Trends


MLB | TEXAS at DETROIT
TEXAS is 37-26 (+24.0 Units) against the money line in Road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was: TEXAS (4.0) , OPPONENT (3.7)

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.

Preview: Dodgers (14-14) at Blue Jays (14-15)


Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 06, 2016 7:07 PM EDT


It wasn't supposed to be this difficult for the Toronto Blue Jays, who put up a half-run more than anyone in the majors after the All-Star break last season and haven't come close to that level of production in 2016.


Perhaps the breakout performance they've been waiting for will spark a rash of runs.


That theory will face an immediate test Friday night against Los Angeles Dodgers rookie sensation Kenta Maeda, who will try to bounce back from his first subpar outing in America in his debut north of the border.


The Blue Jays' 5.70 runs per game from mid-July on dwarfed anyone else's production, but that number was at 3.90 - 19th in the majors - heading into Thursday's game against Texas.


Toronto (15-15) cracked double digits 26 times last season but waited until Thursday to do it in 2016. Edwin Encarnacion doubled in three in a five-run first inning and hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run third in the 12-2 rout.


'We've been waiting on that outburst,' manager John Gibbons said. 'We really did what we do best tonight.'


Getting Encarnacion going would be huge. He came into Wednesday's game hitting .236 but went 5 for 8 with two homers and two doubles in the final two against the Rangers.


'When I have games like today I know my confidence gets up and I know my game is going to step up,' he said.


The Jays will try to carry Thursday's performance over against Maeda (3-1, 1.41), whose ERA was 0.36 after his first four starts. Venturing outside the NL West for the first time didn't go nearly as well, as the right-hander gave up four runs over 6 2/3 innings April 28 in a 5-3 loss to Miami.


With two off days between then and Friday, the Dodgers (14-14) opted to give Maeda a little extra rest - even if his catcher didn't think he necessarily needed it after the loss to the Marlins.


'He pitched really good,' Yasmani Grandal said. 'It happens, you know - a little blooper here, a little blooper there, all of a sudden it comes back to bite us. I think he did good. I mean, I guess we'll go ahead the next five days and wait for him to throw again.'


It's an awfully small sample, but opponents already seem to be getting a better read on Maeda after seeing him early. Teams are hitting .145 (12 for 83) off Maeda the first two times through the order and .353 (12 for 34) after that.


He'll be opposed by Marcus Stroman (4-0, 3.77), who's had some interesting home/road splits. All four homers he's allowed have come away from Rogers Centre, though he's only surrendered seven runs for a 2.74 ERA. Stroman has given up 11 runs in 20 innings at home for a 4.95 ERA.


A homer was all the damage he allowed in eight innings on his 25th birthday Sunday at Tampa Bay, though, as Stroman struck out nine in a 5-1 win.


'A special kid,' Gibbons said. 'He's got so many things that he can attack you with. He was on today.'


The Blue Jays last faced the Dodgers in 2013, a year before Stroman's major league debut, getting swept at Rogers Centre.

Preview: Phillies (16-13) at Marlins (14-12)


Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: May 06, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


The NL East figured to be a two-team race between Washington and New York with Philadelphia, Miami and Atlanta all fighting to remain out of last place.


As expected, the Nationals and Mets have set the pace early on, but the Phillies and Marlins are surprisingly right on their heels.


Philadelphia's winning ways came to an end this week in the first stop on a 10-game trip, and its next series begins Friday night in Miami for its first meeting with the red-hot Marlins this season.


New York won the East by seven games in 2015 over Washington, with Miami a distant third followed by the Braves and Philadelphia. While the Marlins posted their sixth straight losing season, the Phillies' 99 losses were their most since 1969.


Philadelphia looked like it was on its way to another lost season after opening with four straight defeats, though it followed with a 15-6 stretch before playing in St. Louis this week.


The Phillies dropped three of four to fall to 16-13, but that's a six-game improvement from their 2015 start. They scored eight runs against the Cardinals and hit .186, with the lone win coming by a 1-0 score Tuesday.


"We're not frustrated at all," shortstop Freddy Galvis said. "That's baseball right there. Sometimes you're going to score runs, sometimes you're not. We'll be fine. We just have to keep working."


Philadelphia probably won't need to push many runs across the plate Friday as it sends Vince Velasquez (4-1, 1.44 ERA) to the mound. The right-hander has had three scoreless outings in his five starts, including Sunday when he allowed two hits and four walks over six innings to beat Cleveland 2-1.


Velasquez's .164 opponent batting average ranks second in the NL behind Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta.


"I'm just going with the flow," Velasquez, who has never faced the Marlins, told MLB's official website. "I'm not trying to get my hopes up. I'm really not trying to get to a certain amount of wins or have a certain ERA. I told you guys from the beginning that my job is to help the team win."


He'll be facing a Miami club that's won 10 of 11 following Thursday's 4-0 victory over visiting Arizona. At 15-12, the Marlins are three games over .500 for the first time since being 34-31 in 2014.


Giancarlo Stanton had his second straight two-hit game and is batting .400 with six homers and 12 RBIs in his last 10.


"When you're winning, everything seems fun," closer A.J. Ramos said. " ... It's a good time to be a Marlin right now."


Miami hands the ball to Wei-Yin Chen, who has lowered his ERA in each start following a poor outing in his team debut. The left-hander allowed five runs against Detroit on April 5 but has a 3.38 ERA in his last four.


Chen (2-1, 4.26) won his second straight start Saturday, giving up three runs over 6 2/3 innings of a 7-5 victory at Milwaukee. The seven runs of support matched his total from his first four appearances.


"We had so many runs, they gave me some breathing room," Chen said through a translator. "I tried to make adjustments and settle down, and more or less it helped."


Chen dominated Philadelphia in his first matchup, allowing four hits while striking out nine in eight innings of a 4-0 win June 15. He now opposes a Phillies team that's batting an MLB-worst .166 against left-handers.


"It's concerning, but I think one of the reasons why is we haven't seen enough lefties," manager Pete Mackanin said. "I think we've seen six starting left-handers in 29 games. That's the reason a lot of lefties are effective, because they're not seen as much as righties."

Preview: Brewers (11-16) at Reds (11-17)


Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: May 06, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


Tyler Cravy will make a spot start for Milwaukee on Friday night when the Brewers resume their four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.


Wily Peralta had been scheduled to pitch but was placed on the paternity list after the birth of his daughter, meaning he'll miss at least one game but no more than three.


"Everybody's doing good," said manager Craig Counsell. "He will not be with us for the next couple of days."


Cravy posted a 3.18 ERA in five relief appearances for the Brewers in April before being sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs. The right-hander made seven starts for the Brewers last year among 14 appearances, going 0-8 with a 5.70 ERA.


His first order of business will be containing Reds outfielder Jay Bruce, who homered for the 34th time against the Brewers in a 9-5 series-opening victory Thursday.


Among active players, only Albert Pujols (42) has hit more homers against Milwaukee. Bruce's total against the Brewers is by far his highest against any team. By comparison, he's hit 20 against both the Cardinals and Pirates.


Adam Duvall and Brandon Phillips also homered for Cincinnati, which has won two in a row but just three of its last 11.


The Reds' bullpen, though, extended its dubious major-league record by allowing a run for the 23rd straight game.


Luckily the group wasn't needed much with Cincinnati racing to a seven-run lead while Alfredo Simon became only the second Reds starter to last seven innings. He allowed three runs in 7 2/3 innings, including Alex Presley's two-run homer.


"The bullpen has been pitching a lot," Simon said. "I really wanted to get through the eighth inning."


Meanwhile, Chase Anderson continued to struggled for the Brewers, giving up seven runs - six earned - and six hits in five innings.


"It wasn't a great pitch, let's put it that way," Anderson said of his home run ball to Bruce. "Looking back, I made two or three bad pitches tonight.


"Other than that, I felt pretty good. When you put your offense behind the 8-ball like I have the last few times, it's hard to score runs."


Chris Carter homered for the Brewers, giving him twenty extra-base hits among his total of 26 this season.


"You can't turn away when he's hitting, that's for sure," Counsell said.


Getting the call for Cincinnati will be righty Tim Adleman (0-0, 3.00 ERA), who will start again in place of the injured Raisel Iglesias.


Adleman pitched in independent leagues from 2012-13 before working his way up the Reds organization from Single-A over the past two-plus years. He pitched well in his big league debut Sunday against Pittsburgh, surrendering a pair of runs and three hits over six innings. He also struck out six and walked a pair in a 6-5 win.


"It was a dream come true," he said. "I just wanted to go out there and try to slow things down, make pitches and give the team a chance to win."


The Brewers remain without leadoff hitter Domingo Santana, who was out of the lineup Thursday for the third time in four games because of shoulder discomfort.


"We're in a day-to-day with him still," Counsell said. "I think we'll probably wait until he's much closer to 100 percent before we put him out there again. Again, I still don't consider it anything serious.


"It's not in the rotator cuff or the typical 'throwing injury' places. It's a muscular thing that we think will resolve in a couple days."


Despite the loss in the opener, Milwaukee is 6-4 in its last 10 in Cincinnati.

Preview: Rangers (15-13) at Tigers (14-12)


Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: May 06, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


Jordan Zimmermann is making the Detroit Tigers' investment look wise after a run in April that hasn't been seen very often.


That doesn't bode well for a Texas Rangers team struggling to score.


Texas counters with Cole Hamels in Friday night's series opener at Comerica Park as both clubs look to snap three-game skids.


Zimmermann (5-0, 0.55 ERA) signed a $110 million deal in the offseason after seven years in Washington, and he's started his tenure with the Tigers (14-13) better than even they'd hoped.


He's allowed two earned runs while winning each of his starts and gave up only a solo homer in seven innings of Saturday's 4-1 victory over Minnesota. The right-hander has gone at least into the seventh in each outing and has allowed only four extra-base hits.


Only Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 and '85 and Zack Greinke in 2009 had a lower ERA through at least five April starts since the mound was lowered in 1969. He's also aiming to become the first Detroit pitcher to win his first six starts since George Uhle in 1929.


"I feel like I'm the same person I've always been," Zimmermann told MLB's official website. "Luck's just on my side right now."


The Rangers (15-14) might need some of their own to get to Zimmermann. They lost the final three of a four-game set with Toronto after falling 12-2 on Thursday and scored eight runs in the series.


Adrian Beltre went 2 for 15 against the Blue Jays and is hitting .179 over his last 11.


Texas opens this series by turning to Hamels, who is coming off the shortest of his 19 starts since coming over from Philadelphia at last season's trade deadline. Hamels (3-0, 3.30) allowed four runs in five innings of Texas' 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.


He also walked four and has issued at least three in four of his five starts.


'I've really got to challenge (hitters),' said Hamels, who skipped his previous scheduled start with soreness in his left groin. "You just have to make them earn the bases. (My fastball) was moving in a couple different directions on my release point."


The left-hander wasn't at his best the last time he faced the Tigers either. Hamels gave up six runs in six innings of the Rangers' 7-6 win Sept. 29, surrendering a two-run homer to J.D. Martinez and a solo shot to Bryan Holaday, who is now Hamels' teammate after spending four years with Detroit.


Miguel Cabrera is 8 for 13 with a triple, a double and five walks in his career off Hamels, but he had a nine-game hitting streak snapped in Thursday's 9-4 loss to Cleveland.


Martinez went hitless and is 2 for 21 over his last five for the Tigers, who have dropped three straight following a five-game winning streak.


"I hope our guys are a little ticked right now," manager Brad Ausmus said.


Texas has won five of the last six meetings both overall and in Detroit.

Preview: Royals (14-13) at Indians (12-12)


Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 06, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


The Kansas City Royals hadn't been hitting lately.


Their pitching had been failing, too.


But in the past two years, they could always count on their stellar defense to bail them out when everything else was falling apart. It was the one constant during a surprising run to Game 7 of the World Series two years ago, and to their five-game whipping of the New York Mets last fall for the championship.


So when they committed three errors before recording their first out in a 13-2 blowout loss to Washington on Wednesday - well, that pretty much sealed what everyone was thinking.


This is a team in a slump.


'This thing goes in cycles,' manager Ned Yost insisted a day before Kansas City (14-13) opens a seven-game road trip Friday night in Cleveland. 'We're not firing on all cylinders offensively. We've got guys that are struggling right now, guys that are proven players - guys that have tremendous track records and they're going to break out of it real soon.'


It sure seemed like they had done that Tuesday, when they rallied from a two-run deficit with three in the ninth against Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon.


Lorenzo Cain, slumping more than just about anyone, delivered the winning hit. He was mobbed in the middle of the diamond, and for a fleeting moment it seemed just like last year, when it seemed that Kansas City would rally for victory no matter the odds.


Cain thought it just might get himself going. Yost was optimistic his team was turning the corner.


They followed it up with their meltdown Wednesday.


Mike Moustakas and Omar Infante began the game with back-to-back errors. The Nationals followed with four straight hits. They scored six times in the first inning, and Kansas City wound up allowing 16 hits in a humiliating series-ending defeat.


'It was just one of those really, really frustrating days,' starter Kris Medlen said, 'that's now over.'


The Royals had a day off Thursday to ponder their situation.


After a strong start, they've lost seven of nine heading into this three-game series. They're near the bottom of the league in runs, homers and just about every other meaningful offensive category. Their starting rotation has struggled mightily during the latest swoon, putting so much pressure on their stalwart bullpen that it's starting to buckle.


All-Star outfielder Alex Gordon is hitting .211. Silver Slugger winner Kendrys Morales is batting .200. Cain is hitting .232 while Salvador Perez, like Cain an All-Star last year, is batting .241.


Just about the only one who's been hitting is first baseman Eric Hosmer, and his frustration with the strike zone Wednesday got him ejected for the first time in his career.


Put it all together and a day off before hitting the road couldn't have come at a better time.


'Just forget about the past couple of weeks and get a fresh start heading to Cleveland,' Hosmer said. 'Those guys play us tough. There's always a little more energy when we play those guys because of the past we've had with them. They've played tough against us and we've played tough against them.


'So hopefully this can wake us up a little bit and we can get it rolling.'


The Indians (13-12) are doing that themselves after sweeping Detroit for the second time in two weeks, outscoring the Tigers 20-7 at Progressive Field after Thursday's 9-4 rout.


Kansas City's Yordano Ventura (2-1, 3.67 ERA) was cruising through April until Saturday at Seattle, where he allowed three hits but walked six in four innings that led to five runs in a 6-0 loss. Four of those came on a pair of homers in the first inning.


"I didn't have very good command all game,' Ventura said through a translator. 'I was looking for command of my pitches, but it was off and on. I struggled with it.'


He's usually had it against Cleveland, going 4-1 with a 2.62 ERA.


Danny Salazar (2-2, 2.40) hasn't been so proficient keeping runs off the board against the Royals, going 4-5 with a 4.64 ERA in nine starts. Hosmer has done the most damage, going 8 for 20 with two homers and four doubles.


The right-hander has been better than anyone in baseball at stifling hitters, though. Salazar's .139 opponent batting average is the best in the majors, narrowly ahead of NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta.

Preview: Diamondbacks (12-17) at Braves (7-20)


Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: May 06, 2016 7:35 PM EDT


Zack Greinke entered August last year having allowed 24 runs. To better that, he'll need to establish an MLB record scoreless-inning streak a few times over or take a lengthy vacation.


A good starting point for the pipe-dream feat, however, might be against woeful Atlanta Friday night as Arizona opens a three-game series at Turner Field. It's just that the Diamondbacks are starting to emulate the Braves' struggles.


Greinke (2-2, 5.50 ERA) is a run shy of matching the 24 runs he allowed over 146 1/3 innings of his first 21 starts last season. It's come in six starts and 37 2/3 innings, including two and eight hits in seven innings of Saturday's 5-2 home loss to Colorado.


It wasn't 2015 Greinke, but it far surpassed much of his April with his new club and resulted in a no-decision after a third-inning Trevor Story double scored the first run before the rookie came around to score.


"I felt like I've thrown pretty good ever since the first game of the season," Greinke told MLB's official website. "And this one was pretty good. I made a hanging slider to Story. That was a really bad pitch. I gave up a run on that and he ended up scoring, too. Two runs because of a bad pitch."


The right-hander is 1-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five starts against the Braves. He's 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts at Turner Field, but he hasn't pitched there since 2011. Drew Stubbs (11 for 28), A.J. Pierzynski (21 for 54) and Erick Aybar (10 for 28) have all hit him well, but Freddie Freeman is 1 for 12.


The NL Cy Young runner-up is facing Aaron Blair as the 23-year-old makes his third career start. Blair (0-1, 3.18) suffered a loss in his first but showed plenty of promise in last Friday's 6-1 loss at the Chicago Cubs. The right-hander gave up a run and two hits in six innings.


"I started throwing off-speed for strikes, keeping them off balance," Blair said. "Even when I didn't make the perfect pitch they were still hitting the ball right at guys."


The Braves have scored two runs in his 11 1/3 innings of work, which comes as no surprise. Atlanta (7-20) fell 8-0 at the New York Mets on Wednesday and has scored nine runs over a 2-3 span dating to Blair's last start. The Braves are batting .198 in that time. Daniel Castro is 2 for 30 in his last nine, Adonis Garcia is 4 for 28 in seven, Jeff Francoeur is 1 for 16 in six and Tyler Flowers is 0 for 13 in five.


Nick Markakis missed the game because of a family emergency, but manager Fredi Gonzalez said the veteran is expected to play Friday.


The Diamondbacks (12-18) head to Atlanta having dropped six straight after Thursday's 4-0 loss in Miami. On the skid, they've scored 12 runs and posted a 6.18 ERA with the bullpen accounting for much of the damage - 16 runs in 20 innings of work.


The offense at least got Jean Segura back in the lineup after he missed three games with a sore hip. The second baseman was 2 for 4, but Paul Goldschmidt was 0 for 4 and is 4 for 23 in his last seven games.


The Diamondbacks last won a series in Atlanta in 2007, going 7-18 since.

Preview: Pirates (15-13) at Cardinals (15-14)


Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 06, 2016 8:15 PM EDT


The top two teams in the majors a year ago, the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates are well off that pace.


The streaky Pirates can at least boast a season-opening sweep over their NL Central rivals and will try to add to that success Friday night in their first visit to St. Louis in 2016.


Pittsburgh registered 98 wins last season but was beaten out in the division by a Cardinals team that finished with 100. Both clubs now face a sizable gap to Chicago, which swept the Pirates (15-13) in three games this week.


A 6-2 defeat Wednesday was their fourth in a row following a six-game win streak.


"It's disappointing to get swept but we're good about getting past things," second baseman Josh Harrison said. "We came in, took a shower and now we're moving on."


Pittsburgh kicked off the season with four consecutive wins, including three against the Cardinals from April 3-6. Francisco Liriano (2-1, 3.86 ERA) kept St. Louis off the scoreboard for six innings and struck out 10 in the opener, a 4-1 victory.


He returned to that form in a 5-1 win against Cincinnati on Saturday after going 0-1 with a 6.46 ERA in his previous three starts, all on the road. The left-hander yielded one run in 6 2/3 innings.


Liriano is 3-0 with a 1.97 ERA in five starts in St. Louis and 6-2 with a 2.44 ERA in 14 overall matchups, including one in the 2013 playoffs.


The Cardinals (15-14) took three of four from Philadelphia with a 4-0 victory Thursday after dropping four straight, including a three-game sweep to visiting Washington.


Carlos Martinez ended his 4-0 start with a 6-1 defeat to the Nationals in Sunday's series finale, allowing four runs in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander, who gave up three runs on a pair of homers in his final inning, had a 1.93 ERA in his first four starts.


Martinez (4-1, 2.60) was perhaps still ailing from a recent bout of the flu and had another potential distraction, a civil lawsuit. A woman in Florida has alleged that he knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease, and she is seeking around $1.5 million in damages.


"I'm pretty sure I am healthy and I'm pretty sure I'm feeling good and I'm pretty sure I know who I am, and at the same time this is not part of the job," Martinez said. "That's for my lawyer and agent to take care of."


Martinez is 2-2 with a 5.12 ERA in five starts against the Pirates with four coming last season. Gregory Polanco is 8 for 13 with three extra-base hits when facing him while Andrew McCutchen is 4 for 18 with six strikeouts.


Matt Adams' status is unknown for St. Louis after he left Thursday's game with a bruised left leg following a first-inning collision with Philadelphia's Cameron Rupp.


Adams singled before exiting, improving to 8 for 19 on the homestand.


The Cardinals were 6-3 at home against the Pirates last season, winning the first five matchups.

Preview: Rays (12-14) at Angels (13-15)


Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 06, 2016 10:05 PM EDT


While his Los Angeles Angels teammates used their off day to unwind from a tough road trip, Garrett Richards spent his in a doctor's office.


With a fatigued Richards uncertain to make his scheduled start, the Angels may have to lean even more heavily on Mike Trout's hot bat Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.


Richards' status for the opener of this three-game series is in question after he exited Sunday's outing at Texas after four innings due to dehydration. He skipped Wednesday's bullpen session as well, and after undergoing further tests Thursday, the Angels' ace is a game-day decision.


"We're going to wait and see how I feel (Thursday)," Richards told MLB's official website Wednesday. "I'm still a little bit fatigued, body's a little tired. I'm just trying to bounce back. Everything just kind of doesn't feel as crisp right now. We're going to take it day by day."


Los Angeles (13-15) figures to fill the innings with a committee headed by Cory Rasmus in the event Richards (1-4, 2.34 ERA) is scratched. Matt Shoemaker would have been a candidate to fill in, but the struggling right-hander was optioned to Triple-A last week and can only be recalled if a player is placed on the disabled list.


Rasmus (0-1, 4.40) made six late-season starts in 2014 and one last season, allowing two runs over three innings against the Dodgers on Aug. 2.


The Angels are in a better state hitting-wise, having batted .329 with 25 runs in the last four of a six-game trip. They lost four of the first five games until Trout's leadoff homer ignited a four-run eighth inning in Wednesday's 7-3 comeback win at Milwaukee.


Trout went 7 for 13 with seven RBIs in the three-game series and is hitting .407 with six homers and 18 RBIs over his last 14 games.


'Yeah, I feel good at the plate," said Trout, who opened the season in a 5-for-27 slump. "I just made some slight adjustments. I'm getting the foot down. I'm seeing pitches like I should be and not missing pitches.'


Trout is 0 for 7 in the past two seasons against Chris Archer (1-4, 5.01 ERA), who has delivered back-to-back strong starts after going 0-4 with a 7.32 ERA over his first four. After striking out 10 over 6 2/3 innings of a 2-0 win over Baltimore on April 25, the 2015 All-Star yielded one hit - a two-run homer to Jose Bautista - through six in Saturday's no-decision against Toronto.


He's 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA in five lifetime meetings with Los Angeles and was dominant in his most recent Angel Stadium appearance, striking out a career-high 15 over eight innings of a 6-1 win June 2.


Tampa Bay (12-14) also has lost four of six and comes in off a strong offensive display, homering four times in Wednesday's 8-5 victory over the Dodgers. Though last in the AL with a .224 average, the Rays have matched a club record with 34 homers in 26 games.


Steve Pearce had a three-run homer and Brandon Guyer added a solo shot Wednesday. Pearce is 4 for 8 with two homers over his last two games, and Guyer is hitting .406 over his last 10, but both have been part-time players this season.


"They're really igniting us right now," manager Kevin Cash said. "They're making some decisions difficult, how we'll have to factor in just continuing to get them into the lineup. Because they're picking up the offense quite a bit."


The teams split six 2015 matchups, with the Rays winning two of three in Anaheim last June.

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Friday, May 6, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews


What, you thought we had seen the last of the PED suspensions this season? This broken system actually catches players in spring training, but it's not released until a long appeals process is finished. The Marlins' Dee Gordon, for example, dropped his appeal last week and that's why it came out when it did. The MLBPA wants it this way so a false positive doesn't ruin some guy's reputation. Yeah right. ESPN is reporting that any day now, baseball is going to announce another player has tested positive for the steroid Turinabol, a drug that was commonly used by East German athletes in the 1970s and is apparently making the rounds in MLB. It's expected there will be at least a few more announcements after that with other cases being processed. Any first-time offenders get 80 games, second-timers 162 and third-timers a lifetime ban. Obviously this next player(s) could be a nobody but it also could be someone who affects futures odds.




Red Sox at Yankees (-115, 7.5)


Of course, this game is televised by the MLB Network. New York has placed DH Alex Rodriguez on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, and it's likely it keeps the 40-year-old out longer than 15 days because, well, he's 40. I'm not sure the Bombers are too torn up over this since Rodriguez is hitting .194, although he had come alive a bit in the past week. Rodriguez needs just eight more home runs to reach 700 for his career. It's likely that Carlos Beltran moves to DH and Aaron Hicks gets time in the outfield. The Yanks go with Michael Pineda (1-3, 6.33) on the mound. His ERA is inflated thanks to two terrible starts. He was solid Saturday in Boston, allowing two runs and five hits over five innings in a loss. Mookie Betts is 5-for-15 with two homers and four RBIs off him. Boston's Rick Porcello (5-0, 2.76) is rolling right now. He hasn't allowed a run in his past two starts. He was opposite Pineda last Saturday and blanked the Yanks on five hits over seven innings. Beltran is a career .409 hitter off him in 22 at-bats. Jacoby Ellsbury is 12-for-28 with four solo homers against him.


Key trends: The Red Sox are 4-0 in Porcello's past four road starts vs. teams with a losing record. They are 5-2 in his past seven on the road overall. The Yankees are 2-7 in their past nine at home vs. teams with a winning record. The "over/under" has gone under in six of Porcello's past seven in Game 1 of a series.


Early lean: Red Sox and under.


Dodgers at Blue Jays (-140, 8.5)


Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pushed Japanese rookie Kenta Maeda back a couple of days here as he wanted Maeda lined up against that right-handed powerful Toronto lineup instead of lefty Alex Wood, who pitched Wednesday at Tampa Bay. Maeda (3-1, 1.41) pitched last Thursday against Miami and had easily his worst outing of the young season, allowing four runs and seven hits in 6.2 innings. I think he's closer to that guy, maybe a bit better, than the guy who allowed just one run in his first four starts. The Jays go with ace Marcus Stroman (4-0, 3.77). He held the Rays to one run and three hits in eight innings last time out, striking out a season-high nine. Stroman has never faced the Dodgers.


Key trends: The Dodgers are 1-4 in their past five series openers. The Jays are 10-4 in Stroman's past 14 at home. The over is 5-1 in his past six there.


Early lean: Blue Jays and under.


Rangers at Tigers (-130, 8)


As good as the White Sox's Chris Sale has been, the best American League pitcher in April, and the league's Pitcher of the Month, was Detroit's Jordan Zimmermann (5-0, 0.55). He was the first Tigers pitcher to earn a Pitcher of the Month award since Justin Verlander in September 2012. Obviously that ERA is not sustainable. The guy is generally a fly-ball pitcher and has allowed just a .087 average on those. Zimmermann's fastball is down this season to a 91.7 mph average. He is looking to become the first Tigers pitcher to win each of his first six starts to begin a season since George Uhle in 1929. Never heard of that guy. Zimmermann has never faced the Rangers. Prince Fielder has seen him, though, going 1-for-2 with a double and strikeout. It's Rangers ace lefty Cole Hamels (3-0, 3.30). On Sunday, he had his shortest outing since being traded to Texas, allowing four runs and seven hits in five innings vs. the Angels. Miguel Cabrera murders Hamels, going 8-for-13 with two doubles, a triple, four RBIs and a walk.


Key trends: The Rangers are 6-1 in Hamels' past seven on the road. The Tigers are 2-5 in their past seven series openers. The under is 7-0 in Texas' past seven on the road.


Early lean: Tigers and under.


Diamondbacks at Braves (+155, 7)


While Shelby Miller looks like a lost cause right now for Arizona, Zack Greinke at least appears as if he's returning to his 2015 form. Greinke (2-2, 5.50) held the Rockies to two runs over seven innings last time out with eight strikeouts, his third quality start in the past four. He faced Atlanta once last year while with the Dodgers and beat the Braves, allowing one run and three hits in six innings. Erick Aybar is 10-for-28 off him with five doubles. Freddie Freeman is 1-for-12 with six strikeouts. Atlanta has a ton of good young pitching in the minors. One of the top guys is Aaron Blair, who was brought up recently. He has allowed four runs and eight hits over 11.1 innings in his two big-league starts but that putrid Braves offense hasn't scored for him so Blair is looking for his first MLB win.


Key trends: The Diamondbacks are 1-5 in their past six vs. the NL East. The Braves have lost four straight series openers. The under has hit in 11 of Atlanta's past 16 at home vs. right-handers.


Early lean: Diamondbacks and under.


Mets at Padres (+150, 6.5)


I frankly hate the Mets, but I like watching Noah Syndergaard (2-1, 2.51) pitch, and he's on the mound here. "Thor" is nasty and is among the NL strikeout leaders. He had thrown four straight quality starts to open the season but lost to the Giants on Sunday, giving up four runs and five hits over 5.2 innings and striking out a season-low six. The worst start of Syndergaard's young career was June 2, 2015, in San Diego, when he allowed seven runs and 10 hits over four innings. But then he faced the Padres on July 28, 2015, at home and shut them out on three hits over eight innings, whiffing nine. Matt Kemp is 0-for-6 against him with three strikeouts. Derek Norris is 2-for-6 with a homer. The Padres counter with lefty Drew Pomeranz (2-3, 2.48). He was a tough-luck loser Sunday at the Dodgers, allowing one run and three hits over seven innings. But Pomeranz has easily been the team's best starter. Only a few Mets have seen him. Asdrubal Cabrera is 1-for-2 with two RBIs. David Wright is 0-for-1 with walk.


Key trends: The Mets have won nine straight Friday games. They are 5-1 in Syndergaard's past six road starts. The over is 6-1 in his past seven vs. teams with a losing record.


Early lean: Mets and under.

MLB


Friday's games


National League games


Nationals @ Cubs
Scherzer is 2-1, 2.77 in four road starts (over 3-1-2).


Lackey is 0-1, 5.93 in his last two starts; four of his five starts went over.


Washington won five of its last seven games. Cubs won eight of last nine games; over is 9-3-1 in their last thirteen games.


Phillies @ Marlins
Velasquez is 4-1, 2.30 in five starts this year (under 3-1-1).


Chen is 2-1, 3.37 in his last four starts (over 3-2).


Phillies lost three of their last four games; under is 7-2-1 in their last ten. Marlins won nine of last ten games; four of their last five home games stayed under.


Diamondbacks @ Braves
Greinke is 1-0, 1.93 in two road starts this year; four of his last five starts stayed under the total.


Blair is 0-1, 3.18 in his first two MLB starts (under 2-0).


Arizona lost its last six games; six of its last seven games stayed under. Braves lost 11 of last 14 games- they're 1-12 at home.


Brewers @ Reds
Cravy is making first '16 start; he is 0-8, 5.40 in 19 MLB games (7 starts).


Adleman allowed two runs in six IP (92 PT) in his MLB debut. .


Milwaukee is 3-8 on road; over is 10-2-2 in its last 14 games. Cincinnati lost eight of last 11 games; over is 7-1-1 in its last nine at home.


Pirates @ Martinez
Liriano is 0-1, 6.46 in three road starts; they all went over the total.


Martinez is 4-1, 2.60 in five starts this year (over 4-0-1).


Pirates lost last four games but won six of last seven on road; over is 9-2 in their last 11 road games. St Louis won three of its last four games.


Mets @ Padres
Syndegaard is 0-1, 5.11 in his last two starts; his last three starts went over.


Pomeranz is 1-3, 3.00 in his last four starts (over 3-2).


New York won 13 of its last 17 games; over is 8-2 in its last ten on the road. Padres are 5-2 in their last seven games; five of their last seven games stayed under.


Rockies @ Giants
Bettis is 1-1, 4.82 in his last three starts; four of his last five starts stayed under.


Bumgarner is 2-1, 1.83 in his last three starts; three of his last four starts went over.


Colorado won five of its last seve games; eight of its last 11 road games stayed under. Giants won five of their last seven home games; over is 12-2 in their last 14 games.




American League games


A's @ Orioles
Hill is 3-0, 1.42 in three road starts; four of his last five starts stayed under.


Jimenez is 0-3, 6.53 in his last four starts; four of his five starts stayed under.


A's lost their last four games; over is 9-5 in their last 14 games. Orioles lost three of their last five games; under is 10-4-1 in their home games.


Red Sox @ Bronx
Porcello is 5-0, 2.76 this season; three of his last four starts stayed under.


Pineda is 1-1, 8.44 in three home starts (over 3-2).


Boston won 11 of its last 13 games; five of their last sevengames stayed under total New York lost 15 of last 20 games; eight of its last ten road games stayed under the total.


Rangers @ Tigers
Hamels is 4-0, 3.30 in five starts this year (under 3-2).


Zimmerman is 5-0, 1.09 this season (under 3-2).


Texas lost seven of last eight road games; 10 of its 14 road games stayed under total. Detroit lost its last three games; nine of its last 12 games went over.


Royals @ Indians
Ventura is 2-1, 3.67 in five starts, four of which stayed under.


Salazar is 0-2, 3.37 in his last three starts; all five of his starts stayed under.


Royals lost seven of their last nine games; six of their last seven road games stayed under total. Cleveland won its last three games; three of its last four games at home went over the total.


Twins @ White Sox
Nolasco is 1-0, 4.05 in five starts this year; his last four starts went over.


Latos is 4-0, 1.84 in five starts this year (under 4-1).


Minnesota is 2-12 on the road; over is 6-1-1 in their last eight road games. Chicago won 11 of last 16 games; nine of their last 10 home games stayed under.


Mariners @ Astros
Walker is 2-1, 2.40 in five starts this year (under 4-1). .


Fister is 1-2, 2.89 in his last three starts, all of which stayed under.


Mariners won 12 of their last 15 games; four of their last five road games went over the total. Houston is 5-11 in its last 16 games; over is 8-3-1 in its last 12.


Rays @ Angels
Archer is 1-0, 1.42 in his last two starts (under 4-2).


Rasmus is making first '16 start; this will be a bullpen game for Angels, as Richards is out (fatigue) for this start. This year, he's allowed seven runs in 14.1 IP in his eight relief stints this season- he started seven MLB games in his career.


Tampa Bay lost four of its last six games; four of its last five road games went under the total. Angels also lost four of last six games, but they've won four of last five at home-- under is 6-2 in their last eight home games.




Interleague


Dodgers @ Blue Jays
Maeda is 3-1, 1.41 in five starts this year (under 3-1-1).


Stroman is 3-0, 3.03 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under.


Dodgers lost seven of last nine games; four of their last five road games went over the total. Toronto won five of its last seven games; seven of its last seven games stayed under the total




Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:


Wsh-Chi-- Scherzer 4-2; Lackey 3-2
Phil-Mia-- Velasquez 4-1; Chen 2-3
Mil-Cin-- Cravy 0-0; Adleman 1-0
Az-Atl-- Greinke 3-3; Blair 0-2
Pitt-StL-- Liriano 4-1; Martinez 4-1
Col-SF-- Bettis 3-3; Bumgarner 4-1
NY-SD-- Syndegaard 3-2; Pomeranz 2-3


A's-Balt-- Hill 3-3; Jimenez 2-3
Bos-NY-- Porcello 5-0; Pineda 1-4
Tex-Det-- Hamels 4-1; Zimmerman 5-0
KC-Clev-- Ventura 4-1; Salazar 2-3
Minn-Chi-- Nolasco 3-2; Latos 5-0
Sea-Hst-- Walker 3-2; Fister 2-3
TB-LAA-- Archer 2-4; Rasmus 0-0


LA-Tor-- Maeda 3-2; Stroman 4-2




Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:


Wsh-Chi-- Scherzer 4-6; Lackey 2-5
Phil-Mia-- Velasquez 1-5; Chen 3-5
Mil-Cin-- Cravy 0-0; Adleman 0-1
Az-Atl-- Greinke 2-6; Blair 1-2
Pitt-StL-- Liriano 2-5; Martinez 0-5
Col-SF-- Bettis 2-6; Bumgarner 2-5
NY-SD-- Syndegaard 0-5; Pomeranz 0-5


A's-Balt-- Hill 2-6; Jimenez 1-5
Bos-NY-- Porcello 1-5; Pineda 2-5
Tex-Det-- Hamels 2-5; Zimmerman 0-5
KC-Clev-- Ventura 2-5; Salazar 0-5
Minn-Chi-- Nolasco 2-5; Latos 2-5
Sea-Hst-- Walker 0-5; Fister 1-5
TB-LAA-- Archer 2-6; Rasmus 0-0


LA-Tor-- Maeda 0-5; Stroman 1-6

GAME: Washington Nationals (19-9) at Chicago Cubs (21-6)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 2:20 PM EST
WHERE: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A


The Chicago Cubs continue to roll to their best start in a century, thanks in large part to outstanding starting pitching. They’ll have to try to beat one of the league’s top starters when they face Max Scherzer and the visiting Washington Nationals in the second contest of their four-game series on Friday afternoon.


The Cubs have outscored their opponents by a whopping 96 runs – the best run differential in the major leagues – and own the best record in baseball at 21-6, marking their best start since 1907. They added to both totals with a 5-2 victory in the series opener, running their winning streak to four games. The Nationals recorded only three hits Thursday and were shut out until Jayson Werth’s two-run homer in the ninth inning - his third blast in the last six contests. The Cubs look to veteran John Lackey, who has posted quality starts in both of his home outings this season to continue the strong efforts from their starters.

TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Washington), CSN Chicago


PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (3-1, 3.55 ERA) vs. Cubs RH John Lackey (3-1, 4.32)

Scherzer had an uneven April, but he was dominant last time out at St. Louis, racking up a season-high nine strikeouts over seven scoreless innings. More importantly, he kept the ball in the park after allowing five homers over his first five starts of the season. Scherzer is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three meetings with the Cubs, with all three starts coming at Wrigley Field.

Lackey has posted three quality starts and a pair of clunkers to begin his tenure with the Cubs. He worked eight innings Sunday against Atlanta, allowing three runs (two earned) and three hits, but didn’t factor in the decision. Lackey needs six strikeouts to reach 2,000 in his career.


WALK-OFFS
1. Cubs 3B/OF Kris Bryant went 1-for-4 Thursday and is 17-for-43 during his 11-game hitting streak, which is tied for the longest active run in the majors.
2. The Nationals expect to activate OF Ben Revere from the disabled list before Friday’s game after he missed the last month with a strained right oblique.
3. Chicago 2B Ben Zobrist is the only current Cubs player who has homered against Scherzer, but he is 3-for-20 against him.


PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Cubs 2

GAME: Oakland Athletics (13-16) at Baltimore Orioles (16-11)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Baltimore Orioles scored five runs in three games with the New York Yankees and still managed a series win. They will look to get the bats going when they continue a lengthy homestand with the first of three straight against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.

Baltimore recorded just one run in the final 22 innings of their set with the Yankees but it led to a 1-0 walk-off victory in 10 innings on Thursday, giving them two of three in the series and an 11-4 record at Camden Yards. Among the many big Baltimore bats mired in a slump is slugging first baseman Chris Davis, who was 0-for-11 with six strikeouts in the Yankees series, and star center fielder Adam Jones, who was 1-for-11 in the set and hasn't homered since April 16. The Athletics have lost four straight and nine of their last 12 after being swept at home against Seattle to begin the week. They will turn to surprising veteran Rich Hill - who entered Thursday ranked fifth in the American League in strikeouts - opposite Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), MASN (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Rich Hill (3-3, 2.53 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (1-3, 5.20)

Hill turned in his third straight quality start Sunday against Houston, dropping a tough decision despite allowing two runs in six innings. He limited the Astros to a season-low two hits but had four strikeouts after producing 34 in 23 1/3 innings over his previous four outings. The University of Michigan product, who pitched in 14 games for the Orioles in 2009, has given up 23 earned runs in 21 2/3 innings in his career at Camden Yards.

Since opening the season with a solid effort against Minnesota, Jimenez is 0-3 with a 6.53 ERA over a span of four starts. He failed to get through five innings for the first time in 2016 on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, allowing a season-high six runs on seven hits and four walks. The 32-year-old is 3-1 with a 5.28 ERA in six career starts against Oakland.

WALK-OFFS

1. Baltimore's bullpen owns a 2.45 ERA.

2. Athletics LF Khris Davis had three home runs and five RBIs in the series versus Seattle.

3. Orioles LF Hyun Soo Kim is 10-for-18 on the season.

PREDICTION: Orioles 5, Athletics 4

GAME: Boston Red Sox (17-11) at New York Yankees (9-17)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Rick Porcello and the Boston Red Sox handcuffed the New York Yankees in their last encounter in April, as the right-hander scattered five hits over seven innings to lift his team to an 8-0 rout. The 27-year-old carries a 13 1/3-frame shutout streak into Friday as the visiting Red Sox vie for their 10th win in 12 outings in the opener of a three-game series versus the Yankees.

Boston added eight more runs in their final contest against New York to outscore its American League East rival by a 20-9 margin in the series before winning two of the last three games versus the Chicago White Sox. Dustin Pedroia highlighted his three-hit performance with a solo homer in a 7-3 triumph over the White Sox on Thursday and is batting .369 over his last 14 contests. New York will open its 10-game homestand looking to find its offense, as it dropped seven of its last eight - with 14 of its 20 runs coming in two of those outings. "It's kind of been the story of the season. We haven't hit, and it's not rocket science," first baseman Mark Teixeira told reporters after the Yankees' 1-0 loss to Baltimore in 10 innings on Thursday. "We just need to execute better."

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (5-0, 2.76 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Michael Pineda (1-3, 6.33)

Porcello struck out six for the second straight outing in Boston's lopsided win over New York on Saturday, raising his season total to 36 in 32 2/3 innings. Despite the impressive numbers, the sinkerballer told CSNNE.com that he's still interested in pitching to contact as his primary means of retiring batters. "I've never been a strikeout pitcher. When we get to two strikes then we'll take our shots," he said. "It’s really more mixing speeds, changing eye levels and just trying to induce contact to get quick outs."

While Porcello has enjoyed a memorable start to the 2016 season, Pineda dropped his third straight decision on Saturday despite yielding just two runs on five hits versus the Red Sox. The 27-year-old Dominican, who hasn't won since his season-opening start on April 6, tossed 106 pitches to labor through five innings in his last outing. As for positives, Pineda did keep the ball in the park though, after allowing four homers in his previous contest.

WALK-OFFS

1. Boston LF Brock Holt went 4-for-10 with four runs scored and two RBIs during last weekend's series versus New York.

2. New York CF Jacoby Ellsbury had two doubles among his three hits versus his former team in last weekend's series.

3. Red Sox 1B Hanley Ramirez has nine RBIs and six runs scored during his nine-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Yankees 2

GAME: Los Angeles Dodgers (14-14) at Toronto Blue Jays (15-15)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 7:07 PM EST
WHERE: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Toronto Blue Jays look to extend their winning streak to four games as they continue their seven-game homestand with the opener of a three-game interleague series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. After having their home skid reach four contests with a 2-1 loss to Texas on Monday, the Blue Jays captured the final three of the four-game set - including a 12-2 thrashing on Thursday in which Edwin Encarnacion went 3-for-4 with six RBIs.

Kevin Pillar went 7-for-15 in the series with the Rangers and has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 contests. Los Angeles split a two-game set at Tampa Bay following a disastrous 1-6 homestand, outscoring the Rays by a 15-13 margin. The Dodgers are hoping Yasiel Puig is turning the corner at the plate, as the 25-year-old Cuban has posted back-to-back two-hit performances after recording just one hit in his previous five games. Los Angeles' Kenta Maeda will attempt to bounce back from the worst of his five career starts as he opposes Marcus Stroman, who is unbeaten on the season but owns a 4.95 ERA in three home outings.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), Sportsnet (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (3-1, 1.41 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marcus Stroman (4-0, 3.77)

Maeda is coming off his first major-league loss, a 5-3 setback against Miami on April 28 in which he yielded four runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old native of Osaka, Japan surrendered a total of one run with five walks and 23 strikeouts over 25 1/3 frames in his first four starts. Maeda has yet to allow a run on the road, giving up eight hits and one walk with 12 strikeouts and a .178 opponents' batting average over 12 1/3 innings in two outings.

Stroman has not been defeated since Sept. 15, 2014, winning all four of his starts last year after returning from the torn ACL he suffered during spring training and posted his fourth victory in as many decisions this season after allowing just one run and three hits while registering a career-high nine strikeouts in eight innings at Tampa Bay on Sunday - his 25th birthday. The native of Medford, New York has posted a 0.95 WHIP and held the opposition to a .191 average in six outings this year. Stroman never has faced Los Angeles but is 3-0 with a 0.98 ERA in five career games - two starts - against National League teams.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers 2B Howie Kendrick is expected to be the team's DH in the series opener.

2. Encarnacion has gone 5-for-8 with two homers and eight RBIs over his last two games.

3. Los Angeles has not faced Toronto since 2013 but is 9-6 in the all-time series.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 2

GAME: Kansas City Royals (14-13) at Cleveland Indians (13-12)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A


The defending world champion Kansas City Royals are pitching about the same as last season, but their offense has been letting them down. The Royals are tied for 13th in the American League in runs scored and look to begin turning things around after a 2-7 swoon when they visit the Cleveland Indians to begin a three-game series on Friday.


Kansas City was sixth in the AL in scoring a year ago and has managed to post just 90 runs in its first 27 games (14-13), matching Tampa Bay while sitting just one ahead of the New York Yankees. The Royals have scored two or fewer runs in six of their last nine games, and it won’t get any easier against Cleveland’s scheduled starter Danny Salazar, who will oppose Yordano Ventura. The Indians started their homestand with a three-game sweep of Detroit, getting three RBIs each from Michael Brantley and Mike Napoli in a 9-4 victory on Thursday. Napoli recorded six of his team-high 17 RBIs in the series while Brantley, who started the season on the disabled list after shoulder surgery, went 6-for-12 in the set.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Yordano Ventura (2-1, 3.67 ERA) vs. Indians RH Danny Salazar (2-2, 2.40)

Ventura is coming off his worst start of the season, a four-inning outing at Seattle in which he allowed five runs on three hits and six walks in a 6-0 loss. The 24-year-old Dominican gave up two runs or fewer in each of his previous four starts but has issued 20 walks in 27 frames. Carlos Santana is 6-for-18 with a pair of homers versus Ventura, who is 4-1 with a 2.62 ERA in seven career turns against Cleveland.

Salazar has permitted three or fewer runs in each of his starts, and two or fewer in four of the five, but still is winless in his last three outings. The 26-year-old Dominican, who has recorded 34 strikeouts in 30 innings, gave up two runs and three hits over seven frames in a loss at Philadelphia on Sunday. Eric Hosmer is 8-for-20 with two homers versus Salazar, who is 4-5 with a 4.64 ERA in nine career starts against the Royals.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kansas City SS Alcides Escobar is 9-for-17 with a pair of RBIs during his four-game hitting streak.

2. Cleveland C Chris Gimenez, who was acquired Wednesday from Texas after C Roberto Perez suffered a fractured thumb, homered in his first game Thursday.

3. The Royals won 10 of the 19 meetings between the AL Central rivals last season, including six of the 10 at Cleveland.

PREDICTION: Indians 3, Royals 2

GAME: Texas Rangers (15-14) at Detroit Tigers (14-13)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Detroit Tigers parted with a pretty penny to acquire the services of Jordan Zimmermann in the offseason - and the right-hander has paid immediate dividends to begin the 2016 campaign. After earning American League Pitcher of the Month honors for April, Zimmermann hopes his good fortune extends into his first start in May as the Tigers open a three-game series versus the visiting Texas Rangers on Friday.

Signed to a five-year, $110 million deal, Zimmermann is attempting to becoming the first Detroit pitcher to win each of his first six starts of a season since George Uhle in 1929. The Tigers can sure use a strong outing from the right-hander after getting swept by AL Central-rival Cleveland for the second time in 2016. For its part, a lack of offense sent Texas tumbling to three straight losses to conclude a four-game road series versus Toronto. The Rangers have totaled just eight runs in their last four contests after averaging six in the previous five games.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Cole Hamels (3-0, 3.30 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (5-0, 0.55)

After being scratched from a scheduled start due to a sore groin, Hamels kept his undefeated record intact on Sunday despite allowing four runs in a season-low five innings of a no-decision versus the Los Angeles Angels. The former World Series MVP is a blistering 10-1 in 17 regular-season starts since being acquired from Philadelphia last summer. Hamels, however, has struggled with his control of late as he yielded a season-high four walks and has allowed 15 free passes in 30 innings.

Zimmermann allowed one run on six hits in seven innings en route to a 4-1 victory over Minnesota on Saturday. The 29-year-old did not walk a batter for the first time this season, although the solo homer he allowed was the first time he has been taken deep in 2016. Prince Fielder had an RBI single in Texas' 12-2 setback to Toronto on Thursday and is the lone active member of his club to face Zimmermann in the majors, going 1-for-2.

WALK-OFFS

1. Detroit 3B Nick Castellanos belted a three-run homer in a 9-4 loss on Thursday to increase his RBI total to 12 in his last seven games.

2. Texas rookie RF Nomar Mazara is 9-for-29 during his seven-game hitting streak.

3. Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler is 21-for-56 with nine RBIs against Texas since being traded for Fielder following the 2013 season.

PREDICTION: Rangers 2, Tigers 1

GAME: Milwaukee Brewers (11-17) at Cincinnati Reds (12-17)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 06 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Cincinnati Reds look to make it three straight wins for the first time since the start of the season when they continue their four-game series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. Cincinnati opened 2016 by sweeping a three-game set versus Philadelphia but has posted back-to-back victories for only the third time since, thanks to a 9-5 triumph over Milwaukee in Thursday's series opener.

Brandon Phillips joined Jay Bruce with a homer and three RBIs to improve to 6-for-15 with two blasts and four RBIs over his last four contests. Milwaukee has dropped two straight following a season-high three-game winning streak to start the month after ending April with four consecutive defeats. Ryan Braun is riding a five-game hitting streak after going 1-for-4 on Thursday but had his RBI run halted at four contests and hasn't homered in eight games. Friday's contest features a pair of pitchers seeking their first major-league victory as Milwaukee's Tyler Cravy squares off against Cincinnati's Tim Adleman, who will be making just his second career start.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Tyler Cravy (0-0, 3.18 ERA) vs. Reds RH Tim Adleman (0-0, 3.00)

Cravy returns to Milwaukee from Triple-A Colorado Springs to start in place of Wily Peralta, who was placed on the paternity list following the birth of his daughter. The 26-year-old Cravy allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings in five relief appearances last month after going 0-8 with a 5.70 ERA in 14 games (seven starts) last season - his first in the majors. The native of California went 0-1 while yielding four runs and eight hits over four frames in three relief outings versus Cincinnati in 2015.

Adleman made his major-league debut on Sunday in place of the injured Raisel Iglesias, allowing two runs and three hits over six innings of a no-decision at Pittsburgh. The 28-year-old native New Yorker posted a 2-0 record and 4.24 ERA in three starts for Triple-A Louisville prior to his recall. A 24th-round draft pick of Baltimore in 2010, Adleman never had pitched above Double-A prior to this year and spent two seasons in independent leagues after being released by the Orioles in 2012.

WALK-OFFS

1. Brewers OF Domingo Santana has been kept out of the starting lineup in three of the last four games due to discomfort behind his right shoulder.

2. Bruce has hit nine home runs in his last 21 games against the Brewers and has belted 34 versus Milwaukee over his career - his most against any team.

3. Milwaukee claimed RHP Michael Kirkman off waivers from San Diego after the 29-year-old allowed four runs and six hits over 1 1/3 innings in his lone relief appearance for the Padres this year.

PREDICTION: Reds 6, Brewers 4