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Eastern Conference Finals
By Alex Smith

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Head-to-Head Meetings (2013-2016)

Feb. 20, 2016 - Tampa Bay 4 at Pittsburgh 2 (Lightning -105, Over 5)
Feb. 5, 2016 - Pittsburgh 3 at Tampa Bay 6 (Lightning -115, Over 5)
Jan. 15, 2016 - Pittsburgh 4 at Tampa Bay 5 (Lightning -130, Over 5)
Jan. 2, 2015 - Tampa Bay 3 at Pittsburgh 6 (Penguins -120, Over 5.5)
Dec. 23, 2014 - Pittsburgh 3 at Tampa Bay 4 (Lightning -130, Over 5.5)
Dec. 15, 2014 - Tampa Bay 2 at Pittsburgh 4 (Penguins -120, Over 5.5)
Mar. 22, 2014 - Tampa Bay 3 at Pittsburgh 4 (Penguins -165, Over 5.5)
Nov. 29, 2013 - Pittsburgh 3 at Tampa Bay 0 (Penguins -135, Under 5.5)
Oct. 12, 2013 - Pittsburgh 5 at Tampa Bay 4 (Penguins -115, Over 5.5)
Apr. 11, 2013 - Pittsburgh 6 at Tampa Bay 3 (Penguins -120, Over 5.5)

Tampa Bay Recent Trends

-- 6-7 SU Last 13 Road Games

-- 8-2 SU Last 10 Games as a Favorite

-- 6-1 SU Last 7 Home Games

-- Team has held opponents to 2 goals or fewer in 9 of last 12 games

-- Penalty Kill Unit: 38/45 (88.4%) this postseason (#1 among remaining teams)

Starting Goalie

-- Ben Bishop: 14-4 SU Last 18 Starts Overall

-- Lifetime Record vs Pitt: 2-2, 3.97 G.A.A; .884 Sv% in 7 GP

Pittsburgh Recent Trends

-- 22-7 SU Last 29 Games Overall

-- 8-1 SU Last 9 Home Games

-- 6-1 SU Last 7 Games as a Favorite

-- 5-3-3 O/U Last 11 Games Overall

-- Power Play Unit: 11/40 (27.5%) this postseason (#1 among remaining teams)

Starting Goalie

-- Matt Murray: 16-5 SU in 21 GS (Season & Playoffs combined)

-- Lifetime Record vs TB: First-ever meeting

Series Odds
Lightning +185
Penguins -220

Exact Game Props
5 Games Penguins Win 5/2
7 Games Penguins Win 3/1
6 Games Penguins Win 7/2
6 Games Lightning Win 6/1
4 Games Penguins Win 7/1
7 Games Lightning Win 7/1
5 Games Lightning Win 8/1
4 Games Lightning Win 18/1

Odds Subject to Change

Western Conference Finals
By Alex Smith

St. Louis Blues vs. San Jose Sharks

Head-to-Head Meetings (2013-2016)

Mar. 22, 2016 - St. Louis 1 at San Jose 0 (Blues +120, Under 5)
Feb 22, 2016 - San Jose 6 at St. Louis 3 (Sharks +105, Over 5)
Feb 4, 2016 - San Jose 3 at St. Louis 1 (Sharks +100, Under 5)
Jan 8, 2015 - San Jose 2 at St. Louis 7 (Blues -175, Over 5.5)
Jan 3, 2015 - St. Louis 7 at San Jose 2 (Blues +110, Over 5)
Dec 20, 2014 - St. Louis 2 at San Jose 3 (Sharks -130, Push 5)
Dec 17, 2013 - San Jose 4 at St. Louis 2 (Sharks -110 Over 5.5)
Nov 29, 2013 - St. Louis 3 at San Jose 6 (Sharks -120 Over 5.5)
Oct 15, 2013 - San Jose 6 at St. Louis 2 (Sharks +115, Over 5.5)

-- San Jose has won 6 of Last 10 Meetings vs St. Louis

-- Over is 7-2-1 Last 10 Meetings

-- Underdog has won 6 of Last 8 Meetings

St. Louis Recent Trends

-- 10-2 SU Last 12 Road Games

-- Over is 10-5-4 Last 19 Games Overall

-- 11 of Last 16 Games have been decided by 1 Goal

Starting Goalie

-- Brian Elliott: 20-8 SU Last 28 Starts

-- Lifetime Record vs SJ:5-4, 2.67 G.A.A; .918 Sv% w/2 SO in 11 GP

San Jose Recent Trends

-- On a 9-4 SU Run Last 13 Games Overall

-- Over is 6-2-4 Last 12 Games Overall

-- 6-1 SU Last 7 Home Games

-- 13-6 SU Last 19 Road Games

Starting Goalie

-- Martin Jones:10-6 SU Last 16 Starts

-- Lifetime Record vs STL:2-2, 2.08 G.A.A; .925 Sv% in 4 GS

Series Odds
Blues -135
Sharks +115

Exact Game Props
7 Games Blues Win 3/1
5 Games Blues Win 4/1
6 Games Sharks Win 4/1
7 Games Sharks Win 9/2
6 Games Blues Win 5/1
5 Games Sharks Win 6/1
4 Games Blues Win 10/1
4 Games Sharks Win 12/1

Odds Subject to Change

Preview: Sharks (46-30) at Blues (49-24)

Date: May 17, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS (AP) The San Jose Sharks got just three power plays in their Game 1 loss to open the Western Conference finals, and no call when Joe Thornton's bushy beard got tugged on by St. Louis Blues captain David Backes in the first period.

Coach Peter DeBoer didn't make a big deal about it Monday. Still, he believes his team deserved a lot more chances with the man advantage, and is hopeful referees will have a firmer grip in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

'St. Louis is one of the most-penalized teams in the league, regular season and playoffs,' DeBoer said. 'They need to call the game accordingly. Need to make them pay a price for being the most-penalized team in the power play, which we didn't last night.'

The Blues were the ninth-most penalized team in the regular season and they've got the second-most minutes in the postseason, although they've played more games than anybody.

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, informed of those comments, wanted to know whether DeBoer was 'whining for calls.'

'Well, we were told not to whine for calls, so we're not going to whine for calls,' Hitchcock said. 'We'll play the game, we'll play it the right way, we'll play it honest, but we'll play it hard, let the refs decide.'

Five minor penalties were called, three on the Blues, and there were none in the second period when the Sharks were at their best, ringing up a 16-6 shots advantage but coming up empty and falling behind for good on Jori Lehtera's unassisted goal.

Thornton shrugged off the beard-tugging incident, saying it might have actually helped him.

'It's all good for me,' Thornton said. 'I think it gets you more involved in the game.'

Backes joked off the tactic, too.

'Yeah, just seeing whose was real and making sure they weren't glued on,' Backes said.

Blues players spent little time celebrating their hard-earned 2-1 victory, showing up to the rink to dissect areas in need of improvement before sitting down with Hitchcock.

'Everyone knows this was kind of like a heavyweight fight, round one, just jabbing a little bit,' defenseman Carl Gunnarsson said. 'Now we know how they play. We'll make some adjustments and off we go.'

The Sharks weren't disappointed in their effort, just the bottom line.

Both teams seemed to sense they might be in for a long haul, perhaps a seven-game marathon.

The Blues have twice gone the distance, putting them in the conference final for the first time since 2001. The Sharks dispatched the Kings in five games in the first round but needed seven to eliminate the Predators and earn a first trip to the conference final in five years.

Entering Game 2, the Sharks trail in a series for the first time this postseason.

'I think this team has shown short memory,' Thornton said. 'Get the last game out of your head and focus on the next game. We'll see if we can do it again tomorrow.'

The Blues took the opener despite getting outshot 32-23, relying heavily on another standout effort from goalie Brian Elliott. He's 4-0 with a 1.29 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in five career playoff appearances against the Sharks.

'Whenever it seems like he's down and out and we may give up what we call a bad scoring chance, he has a knack for really just working to get back and getting a piece of it,' defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. 'It's not only in games, we see him do it every day in practice.'

Backes scored his seventh goal, matching sharpshooter Vladimir Tarasenko for the team lead, with his fourth deflection of the postseason. He has 13 points, matching his career postseason total from 2006-07, and also was credited for 11 hits, most ever by a Blues player in a postseason game.

The Sharks were shut out on the power play for the first time since Game 2 of the second round.

'We stepped up to the challenge,' Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. 'It was a big topic for us all week.'

DeBoer said the team isn't going to 'overreact' to power play failures or anything else.

'It was a winnable game,' DeBoer said. 'We probably had more quality chances than they did.'

NHL

Tuesday's game

San Jose-St Louis (StL 1-0)
Blues won four of last six games with San Jose; three of last four series games stayed under total. San Jose is 3-2 in last five visits here, they've lost last four road games overall, two in OT- over is 3-1-1 in their last five games overall. St Louis won five of last seven games (over 3-1-3); they lost two of last three home games. In Game 1, Sharks didn't score for last 44:22 and lost 2-1 despite outshooting Blues 32-23. San Jose was 0-3 on power play i Game 1, the Blues were 0-2.

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9
Conference finals-- Home 2-1, Over 0-2-1

Conference Finals Series Odds

Home Team listed first - Best of 7 Games (2-2-1-1-1)
(Opening Odds in parentheses)

Eastern Conference - Conference Finals

Cleveland vs. Toronto
Cavaliers (-900)
Raptors (+625)


Western Conference - Conference Finals

Golden State vs. Oklahoma City (Thunder lead 1-0)
Warriors (-440) OFF
Thunder (+340) OFF


Exact Game Props - Prior to Series (5/15/16)

Cavaliers vs. Raptors
5 Games Cavs Win 4/5
4 Games Cavs Win 2/1
6 Games Cavs Win 4/1
7 Games Cavs Win 8/1
6 Games Raptors Win 15/1
7 Games Raptors Win 20/1
5 Games Raptors Win 65/1
4 Games Raptors Win 150/1

Warriors vs. Thunder
5 Games Warriors Win 11/10
4 Games Warriors Win 7/2
6 Games Warriors Win 4/1
7 Games Warriors Win 5/1
6 Games Thunder Win 10/1
7 Games Thunder Win 12/1
5 Games Thunder Win 30/1
4 Games Thunder Win 75/1

Odds Subject to Change

Plenty of big ATS betting trends heading into Game 1 of NBA Eastern finals
By JASON LOGAN

The NBA conference finals are a breeding ground for betting underdogs over the past 22 postseasons, with playoff pups going 141-107-4 ATS with a ticket to the NBA Finals on the line.

That 57 percent winning clip is enough to turn a profit over time, but pales in comparison to the Game 1 winning rate Eastern Conference underdogs have posted in that same span. Heading into Game 1 of the Eastern finals, with the Cleveland Cavaliers set as -10.5 favorites hosting the Toronto Raptors, underdogs are 13-8-1 ATS – covering 62 percent of the time since the 1993-94 season – in the opening contests of the East championship.

Last year, underdogs went 7-2 ATS in the NBA conference finals including a 3-1 ATS mark in the Eastern side of the bracket. The Cavaliers closed as 2.5-point underdogs at Atlanta in Game 1 of the 2015 Eastern Conference finals, and won outright 97-89. The underdog has covered for three straight years in Game 1 of the East finals and is 9-3 ATS in the series opener going back to 2003-04 (75 percent).

The Western Conference hasn’t been so one sided in favor of the dogs. Game 1 chalk is 11-11 ATS since 1993-94, with favorites going 4-2 ATS in Game 1 over the past six seasons. However, underdogs did go 4-1 ATS in the Western Conference finals overall last season, with the Golden State Warriors hosting the Houston Rockets. Golden State is a 7.5-point home fave hosting Oklahoma City for Game 1 of the conference championship series Monday.

Another historic knock going against the Cavs, and in favor of the Raptors, is the size of that Game 1 spread. Since the 1993-94 season, double-digit underdogs in the NBA conference finals are 5-1 ATS (83 percent). Sportsbooks opened Cleveland as a 10.5-point home favorite for Tuesday’s game, having ample rest after sweeping Atlanta in the second round. Toronto is coming off a grueling seven-game set versus Miami – its second full series after going seven games with the Indiana Pacers.

Total bettors may want to take note of that big spread as well, as those six games featuring a double-digit line have finished 1-5 Over/Under. Those games have seen an average of 180.8 combined points scored versus an average closing total of 196.6. Overall, conference finals games are 113-135-3 Over/Under in the past 22 seasons, including a 3-6 O/U count last year.

Preview: Raptors (56-26) at Cavaliers (57-25)

Date: May 17, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

(AP) - LeBron James once stood in Kyle Lowry's sneakers.

Back in 2007, James, with a much thicker hairline and more hops than he has today, made his first appearance in the Eastern Conference finals and carried the Cavaliers past Detroit and into the NBA Finals for the first time. Nine years, five straight Finals appearances, four MVP awards and two championship rings later, James is again on the doorstep of the league's showcase event.

It's all new to Lowry, one of Toronto's All-Star guards, and the Raptors.

Experience is just one advantage the Cavs will enjoy when they open the East finals Tuesday night against the Raptors, who have scratched their way through two Game 7s in this postseason and are on their deepest playoff run.

And although the Cavs are recharged following a nine-day break between playoff series and have been in this spot before, James doesn't think his or Cleveland's postseason resume gives them any edge.

'It's not an advantage,' James said after practice Monday. 'They're here for a reason. You got to go out and play. They also played two seven-game series and we didn't. So they can have the upper edge on that. So, there's no advantage to either team. Both teams are 0-0 and it's the first to four.'

The Cavs have yet to go five games in this postseason, completing four-game sweeps over Detroit and Atlanta. James has been his usual dominant self, averaging 23.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists. But unlike last year when Cleveland lost Kevin Love in the first round to a shoulder injury and Kyrie Irving went down with a broken kneecap in the Finals, James isn't on his own, which is why the Cavs are an overwhelming favorite to make their second straight trip to the title round.

And as if the Raptors didn't have enough to worry about, Lowry, who scored 35 points in Toronto's series-clinching win over Miami, has already taken a swipe at James.

Asked during an on-court interview Sunday about the upcoming matchup with the Cavs, Lowry said, 'LeBron's probably one of the best players in the league - besides Steph (Curry).'

Probably?

James, who last week said he felt Curry deserves to be this year's MVP but questioned the meaning of the award, said he's not offended, offering 'none taken,' when presented with Lowry's comment. Still, Lowry's slight - unintentional or not - may provide the Cavs with some extra motivation, not that they seem to need any.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey came to his guard's defense, saying on a conference call that Lowry's comments were overblown and that "There's nothing but respect in our locker room and our organization for LeBron James."

The Raptors will be without center Jonas Valanciunas in Game 1 and maybe for the entire series. The 7-footer is still recovering from a sprained right ankle sustained in Game 3 against the Heat, and his loss damages Toronto's depth and rebounding.

The injury gave backup Bismack Biyombo more playing time and the Congolese player has delivered.

The 23-year-old scored 17 points with 16 rebounds and two monster dunks in Game 7 against Miami. The Cavs know they'll need to account for him.

'He's the kind of guy that's a spark for their team,' Love said. 'He runs the floor, cleans the glass on both ends and he's really been the X-factor for them that got them over the hump.'

While being without Valanciunas could pose problems inside for the Raptors, the Cavaliers have caused plenty from the outside. The Cavs made 77 3-pointers in their sweep over the Hawks, dropping an NBA record 25 in Game 2. Atlanta chose to protect the paint with defenders and paid for it.

Casey said stopping Cleveland's outside game is crucial.

'That's going to be the issue,' he said. 'They're such a great transition team, such a great penetrate, pick-and-roll team that you try to stop everything and you don't stop anything. We have to pick our poison. They're very lethal.'

NBA

Toronto-Cleveland (0-0)
Cavaliers won four of last six games with Toronto; four of last five tilts in series went over total. Raptors are in Final Four for first time; they won Game 7 over Miami Sunday afternoon, Cavaliers have been off for nine days- they're 8-0 in playoffs, 5-3 vs spread (over 4-4). Toronto is 1-3 in its last four road games (under 3-1).

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 13-8, over: 12-9
Conference final: Favorites: 0-1, over: 0-1

Yonkers: Tuesday 5/17 Analysis
By Brewster Smith

DRF HARNESS

MEET STATS: 120 - 514 / $759.30 BEST BETS: 12 - 53 / $51.40

Best Bet: FAT MANS ALLEY (5th)

Spot Play: CAPOZZO (12th)


Race 1

(3) VILLAGE BEAT moves back inside where he was a sharp second two trips ago; capable despite the 0 for 11 tries this year. (1) MC RUSTY closed strongly to land down the placing in his latest. (8) FASHION DELIGHT was flashing good speed in his Hawthorne finale and figures to be right in the thick of it.

Race 2

(5) SCOTTISH CROSS might have found a perfect spot for her to score over these trotters and has every right to take them wire to window. (3) FOX VALLEY STEFFEN did not fire in his last try but moves back to a flat mile and that could help his cause; maybe. (2) CARNEGIE needs to return to his Freehold victory three trips ago; we shall see.

Race 3

(3) IN RUNAWAY BAY N seems sharp when this gelding moved down in class last out and this could be the time he finally gets the job done against this weak group. (1) LUCKY MCTRUCKY gets class relief and that should help his chances. (7) SIR ZIGGYS Z TAM put in a mild rally for the fourth spot last out.

Race 4

(4) SURFACE TENSION's last try he was going the long mile and went in the wrong direction. Hopefully this trotter will find his best stride if given a favorable trip; playable. (2) BINGO QUEEN Mare had dull cover but did hang on for fourth money last time around. (1) CALIPARI gets serious post relief and should find these to his liking.

Race 5

(1) FAT MANS ALLEY gets another chance at glory in the series. Gelding was up on the rim at the 3/4 pole but could not get to the winner last time out; should boss these from the fence. (2) MONTANA PABLO N did have good cover but could not get past the top two in his latest. (5) BUBBIE BOY has been game in his last two tries and is not out of this.

Race 6

(3) SHARK FANTASY Gelding was sent down the road in his last start for all the glory. With another effort the rest will have to settle for second money. (1) QUINCY had brief speed but hit the brakes at the 3/4 pole in his most recent outing. (5) INNOCENT VICTIM's last start he was game in the pocket but could not get to Shark Fantasy to lose by a neck; watch out.

Race 7

(5) TENDTOWIN was razor sharp for the victory last time out. Seems to be in good form so two straight is clearly not out of the question; playable. (3) ITS A GOOD THING 10-year-old got the job done wire to window in the series last week. (4) CANT IT BE ME is unbeaten in the series when this 4-year-old held on for win honors recently; beware again.

Race 8

(1) BUZZEN GARLAND put in a nice try in his first attempt at the Hilltop last out. Now he moves to the fence and good to see Sears with the assignment; threat at his best. (6) CHUKKAR has showed good speed upstate and could have a say in the outcome. (5) MASTER CLASS closed strongly to nail down the show spot in his last trip.

Race 9

(8) LILYS SWAN POND has a good chance to put it all together. Trotting gelding put in a mild rally to grab fourth money last out so with a fine-timed drive from Smith he could make today a winning one. (1) COUSIN EDDIE has missed some time between races but he still is the speed of the speed; big player from the fence. (2) MR WEB PAGE moves to the 2-hole and that could help his cause; watch out.

Race 10

(2) APOSTLES CREED Makes his return to Yonkers after facing some good trotters at Pocono; capable of getting the job done with Bartlett at the controls. (3) COUGHLIN has wheeled off three straight victories and his last victory at Philly was sharp; dangerous. (5) ARRAKIS will need a better trip then in his latest; possible.

Race 11

(1) CHINES FOR ALL was quite dull at Philly last out but now he moves his trade to Yonkers and he should roll from the rail; down the road. (3) MADMAN HALL was second best in his last start and has hit the board in his last five. (2) NORTHERN OBSESSION should appreciate the move back inside and could make some noise in deep stretch.

Race 12

(3) CAPOZZO gets serious post relief and makes his return to Yonkers where he got the job done two starts ago; ready for action. (7) HALL OF TERROR closed strongly to nail down the placing last time out. (2) BJS BEQUIA was late on the scene to grab second money in his last try.

SPOT PLAYS

For Tuesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Finger Lakes (3rd) Mistretta, 5-1
(7th) Born in Brooklyn, 3-1


Indiana Grand (6th) Big Kick, 3-1
(7th) Diego, 7-2


Mountaineer (3rd) Piscean Realist, 5-1
(6th) Regarding Opal, 3-1


Parx Racing (1st) Che La Luna, 4-1
(5th) Search for Jazz, 8-1

Preview: Reds (15-23) at Indians (18-17)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 17, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

If Danny Salazar isn't quite as amped up for the Ohio rivalry, it might be a good thing since too much of an adrenaline rush got the best of him last time out.

Another offensive outburst by the Cleveland Indians certainly wouldn't hurt either.

Salazar will try to get a better hold of his emotions Tuesday night when the Indians seek their 15th win in 16 home meetings with the last-place Cincinnati Reds.

Although he allowed one run and struck out a season-high 10 over five innings Wednesday, Salazar (3-2, 1.90 ERA) wasn't nearly as sharp as he had been in previous starts. He walked five in the first three innings and ended up with a career-high six.

The right-hander stranded eight runners in the first three innings, leaving the bases loaded in the first and second of a 5-3, 16-inning loss to Houston.

"I had a lot of adrenaline and was excited to go out there and try to get outs," he told the league's official website after the 106-pitch performance. "I was pulling to my left side when I was throwing the ball, instead of going down."

Salazar hasn't allowed more than three runs or four hits in his seven starts, but he's struggled with efficiency as he's been pulled before finishing six innings three times.

He hopes to settle in while pitching in a comfortable setting at Progressive Field. He's gone 5-2 with a 1.61 ERA over his last eight starts there dating to last season.

Salazar, however, didn't fare as well in his only start against Cincinnati (15-23). He gave up five runs and two homers over four innings of an 8-3 road loss Aug. 6.

Zack Cozart hit a three-run homer off Salazar in that contest, but Jay Bruce, Eugenio Suarez and Billy Hamilton were a combined 0 for 7. Hamilton came off the bereavement list before Monday's 15-6 loss following the death of his 3-year-old nephew.

After batting .227 with five homers while averaging 3 runs during a 2-12 road start, the Reds have totaled 15 runs and 26 hits - three homers - in the last two. Adam Duvall hit his seventh home run Monday while Bruce, Suarez and Jose Peraza had two hits apiece.

Duvall is hitting .390 with five homers, five doubles and 10 RBIs in his last 12 games.

'We scored enough runs to win,' losing pitcher John Lamb said. 'Collectively as pitchers, that's what we're going to be thinking about when we go to sleep.'

Alfredo Simon (1-3, 8.67) will try to do better and help Cincinnati avoid its seventh loss in nine games before the series shifts to Great American Ball Park.

Since going 0-3 with a 20.52 ERA over a four-start stretch, the right-hander has given up six runs and 10 hits over 13 2/3 innings in back-to-back quality starts.

Simon is 5-1 with a 3.38 ERA in seven starts against the Indians (18-17). Jason Kipnis (4 for 17), Marlon Byrd (1 for 7) and Yan Gomes (1 for 11) haven't hit him well.

Cleveland finished with season highs in runs and hits Monday after batting .222 and averaging 3 runs while dropping five of its previous eight.

Byrd, a former Red, went 3 for 5 with a two-run homer, Francisco Lindor also finished with three hits and Gomes homered for the third consecutive contest.

Preview: Marlins (21-17) at Phillies (22-17)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: May 17, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Miami Marlins starter Wei-Yin Chen bounced back from his sub-par start against the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this month, but Vince Velasquez is still trying to find his footing since the same game.

While Chen hopes to continue building to help the visiting Marlins to their fourth straight win on Tuesday night, Velasquez looks to regain his early season form for the Phillies.

Philadelphia (22-17) took two of three from Miami (21-17) from May 6-8, but the Marlins got home runs from Justin Bour and Marcell Ozuna for a 5-3 win in Monday's series opener.

Ozuna extended his hitting streak to 16 games, tying his career high set in 2013. His second-inning solo home run was his fifth during that stretch, in which he has hit .415 with 11 RBIs.

'I got a good pitch to hit and I got it,' Ozuna said. 'I'm thinking make good contact, hit the ball hard.'

Chen (3-1, 4.40 ERA) rebounded from a mediocre start against the Phillies on May 6 with one of his best outings of the season. After allowing four runs in five innings in a 6-4 win over Philadelphia, the left-hander held Milwaukee to six hits and two runs in 6 1/3 of Wednesday's 3-2 victory.

The most surprising statistic was the 12 strikeouts Chen stacked up, the second time in his career he has reached double figures.

Maikel Franco's solo home run was one of 11 hits Chen allowed earlier this month against the Phillies. The southpaw's only other start against them was an eight-inning, four-hit effort in a 4-0 win on June 15 while with Baltimore.

Tyler Goeddel and Odubel Herrera each had three hits in Monday's opener, but the rest of the Phillies lineup managed just four singles. Goeddel had the first three-hit game of his career and is 7 for 14 in his past four.

"The more playing time he gets, the better he looks," manager Pete Mackanin told MLB's official website. "Originally, he didn't really have hardly any good at-bats, but I decided to play him a bit more, because I knew he had to be a better hitter than he showed early."

After opening the season by allowing five earned runs through his first five starts, Velasquez (4-1, 2.70) has surrendered eight in his last two. Half of those came from a six-inning outing opposite Chen earlier this month in which he gave up a season-high seven hits, including a two-run homer to Christian Yelich.

The 23-year-old right-hander followed with another sub-par performance, surrendering five hits and four runs in six-plus innings of Thursday's 7-4 win at Atlanta.

Velasquez tossed six scoreless innings but fell apart in the seventh, giving up four runs without recording an out.

"I just started slipping," Velasquez told MLB's official website.

He struck out 25 batters in his first two outings but has just 24 his last five starts combined.

Velasquez could be throwing to catcher Cameron Rupp, who is expected to return after missing the last two games with a left ankle injury. Rupp suffered the injury from a collision with Cincinnati's Eugenio Suarez during Saturday's 4-3 win.

Preview: Braves (9-28) at Pirates (20-17)

Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: May 17, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The last time the franchise that would come to be known as the Atlanta Braves reached 20 games under .500 before the season was 40 games old was the only time they've achieved such a feat. Taft was in the middle of a one-term presidency, New Mexico and Arizona were nearly states, and the 1911 Boston Rustlers were on their way to a 44-107-5 season.

They got to 20 under in 36 games, and while that won't happen to this group, 38 doesn't sound much better. That can happen Tuesday night in Pittsburgh as the Pirates try to take the first two of a three-game series with the worst team in baseball.

Pittsburgh (20-17) opened the series with Monday's 8-5 to drop the Braves to 9-28 and end a four-game home losing streak. Matt Joyce was 3 for 4 with a home run and has gone deep four times in 23 at-bats over his last 15 games. He's 11 for 25 when in the starting lineup.

The Braves haven't won consecutive games over a 5-19 span during which they've averaged 2.7 runs and hit eight home runs, a quarter of which cam Monday. It was the first time Atlanta has gone deep twice in one game since opening day, and it took the first home runs of the season from Jeff Francoeur and Kelly Johnson to pull it off.

The Pirates haven't lost a series to Atlanta since August 2014, going 8-3 since, and the Braves are relying on a winless pitcher to avoid falling 20 under.

Yet Pirates manager Clint Hurdle has at least on occasion been impressed by the Atlanta rotation.

"They have a nice asset over there in young starting pitching," Hurdle told MLB's official website. "All five of their guys have pitched well one time through the rotation, some of them two times."

Aaron Blair is still after his first major league win entering his fifth start. Last time out, he didn't make it far enough to qualify for one. The right-hander gave up four runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings of Thursday's 7-4 home loss to Philadelphia but escaped with a no-decision.

The 23-year-old Blair (0-2, 4.05 ERA) has walked 11 in 20 innings of his debut season while managing just seven strikeouts.

"(Blair) was just behind in the count a lot tonight, which is very uncharacteristic of what he does," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "He usually pounds the strike zone. Tonight, he had a hard time, especially with his offspeed (pitches), and they took advantage of it."

He's up against Juan Nicasio, who has seen his ERA increase by more than a run in his last two starts as he's surrendered eight runs and 13 hits in 10 1/3 innings. Nicasio (3-3, 4.34) gave up four runs and four hits in six innings of Wednesday's 5-4 win in Cincinnati but was stuck with a no-decision.

In terms of control, it was a step in the right direction with the right-hander not issuing any walks after averaging 5.33 per nine innings in his previous five starts.

As a starter, Nicasio has been roughed up by the Braves, going 1-4 with a 9.64 ERA in six assignments. Freddie Freeman has done all sorts of damage against him, going 6 for 12 with four home runs, a triple, a double and four walks.

Preview: Mariners (21-16) at Orioles (23-13)

Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: May 17, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Owners of the AL's best road record, the Seattle Mariners may be eager to escape from a rough weekend.

They begin a six-game trip Tuesday night with a formidable challenge, though, with the Baltimore Orioles playing at an extraordinary level at home.

Seattle enters Camden Yards off three consecutive home losses to the Los Angeles Angels, blowing ninth-inning leads in the first two and managing two singles off Hector Santiago through eight of Sunday's 3-0 defeat.

'We were right in every game, we just didn't get it done. It's going to happen,' manager Scott Servais said. 'As high as we were early in the week, to have it flip on us on the weekend is frustrating, but we've played well on the road."

The Mariners bats have performed better away from Safeco Field, hitting .268 and averaging 5.2 runs in compiling a 13-6 road mark. They're batting .218 and averaging 3.7 runs at home.

Robinson Cano, who had a 13-game hitting streak end Sunday, is batting .363 and hit nine of his 12 home runs on the road. Ex-Oriole Nelson Cruz is hitting .324 on the road compared to a .197 clip at home.

Cano also has had great success in Baltimore and against Ubaldo Jimenez. The star second baseman sports a .362 average with 15 homers in 82 games at Camden Yards and is 6 for 11 with two homers off Tuesday's starter.

Seattle (21-16) had won eight of 10 prior to the sweep and has won four straight started by Wade Miley (3-2, 4.91 ERA), who looks to reverse last season's struggles in Baltimore and against the AL East.

Miley went 2-7 with a 5.38 ERA in 14 in-division starts with Boston in 2015 and was hit hard in two losses at Camden Yards, surrendering 14 hits and 11 earned runs over 6 1/3 innings. He's been solid lately, however, holding opponents to a .198 average while going 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA over his past four outings.

Home runs have been an issue, though, as Miley gave up three solo shots in six-plus innings of Tuesday's 6-4 win over Tampa Bay.

Baltimore (23-13) leads the majors with 55 home runs and have hit 31 at home, where it's an MLB-best 16-6. Adam Jones has four with nine RBIs over a six-game stretch in which he's 13 for 25, while Manny Machado hit his fourth in seven games in Sunday's 6-5 loss to Detroit.

Machado, hitting .370 with eight homers and 21 RBIs at Camden Yards, is 3 for 7 against Miley. Both he and Jones homered off the left-hander in a 6-5 win over Boston last June.

The Orioles had won seven straight entering Sunday's contest, in which J.D. Martinez and Miguel Cabrera homered on consecutive pitches off Darren O'Day in the eighth inning to send the Tigers ahead.

They're hoping for a bounce-back effort Tuesday from Jimenez (2-3, 4.87) in the erratic right-hander's first meeting with Seattle since 2013. After working a season-high eight innings in a 5-2 victory over Oakland on May 7, he allowed four earned runs on nine hits and walked four in five-plus Thursday against Detroit.

"I didn't think his breaking ball was as crisp," manager Buck Showalter said. "He had really good late finish on the split last time out. He had a little bit more of a tumbler (Thursday). Against (Detroit), it doesn't work too well."

Jimenez has walked three or more in five of his seven starts and issued one or less while pitching at least seven innings in each of his two 2016 wins.

Preview: Rays (17-19) at Blue Jays (19-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 17, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

Tampa Bay's Chris Archer and Toronto's Marcus Stroman are set to square off for the second time, and each will make their third start already against their AL East foes.

While the visiting Rays look to can carry over an offensive outburst from the series opener to Tuesday night, the Blue Jays hope Stroman can settle down a hectic start to their week.

Tampa Bay (17-19) won Monday's opener 13-2, evening the season series at four games apiece. The Rays got home runs from Steve Pearce, Desmond Jennings, Curt Casali and Tim Beckham while logging season highs in runs and hits (17).

Jennings and Steven Souza Jr. each had three hits in the opener of an eight-game, three-city road trip.

'Just a great offensive outpouring by everybody,' Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. 'A lot of balls were hit with authority.'

The loss was the third straight for Toronto (19-21), and it came on the heels of Sunday's brawl during a 7-6 loss at Texas. Jose Bautista was punched in the jaw by Rougned Odor after a hard slide into second base, and Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was one of eight ejected.

Gibbons was also tossed on Monday after arguing a called third strike, and the Blue Jays are still awaiting word of discipline and suspensions from Sunday.

Kevin Pillar was the first player out of Toronto's dugout to defend Bautista, and the center fielder discussed the situation before Monday's game.

"I think everyone in this clubhouse came to the defense of Bautista," Kevin Pillar told MLB's official website. "You don't want to see it escalate to that extent, but in the heat of the moment you have to do what you feel is right. You have to go out there and defend yourself and defend your teammates. Given the circumstances, I felt like he was owed one, and I was going out there to get him."

Stroman is tasked with calming things down on the diamond for the Blue Jays.

Stroman (4-0, 3.54 ERA) has beaten Tampa Bay twice this year, tossing eight solid innings in each outing. He gave up nine hits and four runs combined, besting Archer in a season-opening 5-3 victory on April 3 and then holding the Rays to three hits and a run in a 5-1 win on May 1.

Including two 2014 meetings, Stroman is 3-1 with a 3.67 ERA against Tampa Bay.

Evan Longoria is 6 for 12 with a pair of home runs off him, including one earlier this month, and Pearce, Hank Conger and Corey Dickerson each have homered in the matchup.

Archer (2-4, 4.57) has seen mixed results against Toronto this season, allowing three runs and five hits over five innings in the season opener before tossing six one-hit innings in a 4-3 win on April 30.

He struck out 12 in the first meeting and only surrendered a two-run homer to Bautista in the second.

Archer has a 3.26 ERA in 17 career starts against the Blue Jays, yielding three earned runs or fewer in all but three of those outings.

Edwin Encarnacion has three career home runs against Archer and Bautista has two, but they bat a combined .152 in 79 at-bats against him.