Wednesday 05/23/18 ... Comps / Bonus Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Requests Etc.

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics

NBA: 8:30 PM EST
May. 23, 2018
TV: ESPN
Latest Odds : CLE -1 Total 206

Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics will take place on Wednesday night from the TD Garden.

The fourth-seeded Cavaliers tied the best-of-seven series with consecutive home victories and are seeking their fourth straight appearance in the NBA Finals. On Monday, Cleveland jumped out to a 16-point lead after one quarter and cruised to a 111-102 victory. The Cavaliers out rebounded the Celtics by a 60-45 margin and shot 51 percent from the field.

LeBron James poured in a game high 44 points on a 17-for-28 shooting performance. Tristan Thompson contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

The Boston Celtics have made a tremendous postseason showing, despite playing without injured G Kyrie Irving. The second-seeded Celtics miss Irving the most on the road, where they fell to 1-6 so far in these playoffs. In Game Four, Boston limited Cleveland to 43 points during the second half and seemed to gain some momentum moving forward in this series. The Celtics missed 19 of their 28 three-point attempts and shot 41 percent overall.

All five Boston starters scored in double figures and were led by Jaylen Brown with 25 points. All-Star F/C Al Horford added 15 points and seven rebounds in a losing effort for the Celtics.
Recent Betting Trends:
Cavaliers are 8-17 ATS in their last 25 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Celtics are 18-6 ATS in their last 24 home games.
Under is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Over is 10-3 in Celtics last 13 home games.
Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
Bonus Betting Pick: Boston Celticsn +1
Boston G Shane Larkin (shoulder) has not appeared in this series and is being listed as doubtful for Game Five. The Celtics have won all nine of their home postseason games by an average margin of 9.6 points. The Cavaliers turned the ball over 19 times last game and that will not get it done on the road. Final Score Prediction, Boston Celtics win and cover ATS 107-99.

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

22nd May 2018 by Gracenote
the cleveland cavaliers recovered to even the eastern conference finals at two games apiece and now look to solve the homecourt mastery of the boston celtics. second-seeded boston is 9-0 at td garden this postseason and cleveland can end the celtics' unbeaten mark if it can win its third straight outing.

boston coach brad stevens didn't get too wound up over monday's 111-102 setback as he simplified the task staring at his team. "it's a best two of three to go to the nba finals. it doesn't get much better than that," stevens said in monday's postgame press conference. "in this deal, it's a blast to have to grit your teeth, get up off the mat and go after it again. that's part of what makes these guys on both sides special." lebron james carried the fourth-seeded cavaliers to monday's win with a 44-point effort that marks his sixth 40-point performance, the most in a single postseason since philadelphia's allen iverson also had six such outings in 2001. "we know it's going to be a hostile environment," james told reporters of game 5. "we know their fans are going to be very energetic. but we have to just have our same mindset we had when we came home for two games. if our minds are there, we put ourselves in a position to be victorious."
tv: 8:30 p.m. et, espn
about the cavaliers: james was 17-of-28 shooting in game 4 as he topped 40 points for the second time in a three-game span. veteran swingman kyle korver (14 points, three blocked shots) is 13-of-20 shooting with eight 3-pointers over the past three games, while center tristan thompson (13 points, 12 rebounds) enjoyed his best showing of the series and third double-double of the postseason. power forward kevin love averaged just 11 points on 7-of-24 shooting in the two victories after averaging 19.5 points in the two losses in boston and is shooting just 37.5 percent in the series.

about the celtics: boston won its two home games by average of 19 points but things didn't go so smoothly in cleveland as it lost by an average of 19.5 points. "we missed a bunch of easy opportunities," shooting guard jaylen brown said of the game 4 loss. "we made some bad turnovers and things like that. but we still had opportunities to get into the game and to win." brown is averaging 20.3 points in the series and his 25-point effort in game 4 was his third 20-point outing in the east finals.
buzzer beaters
1. the cavaliers are 3-4 on the road in the postseason.

2. boston backup pg marcus smart is just 11-of-38 shooting in the series.

3. cleveland pg george hill averaged 13 points in the two victories after averaging just four in the two setbacks.

prediction: celtics 115, cavaliers 109

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

22nd May 2018 by Gracenote
the washington capitals look to put past playoff failures in the rear-view mirror when they visit the tampa bay lightning on wednesday night for a deciding game 7 of the eastern conference finals. the capitals, who sit one win away from their first trip to the stanley cup finals since 1998 after a 3-0 victory monday, have a 4-11 record overall and a 1-3 mark on the road all-time in game 7s while the lightning are 5-2 (3-0 at home) in deciding contests.

"i don't think there's (another) team i've ever had that i'd want to go into game 7 with," washington's barry trotz, who has coached 107 playoff contests in his career and 1,524 in the regular season, told reporters. "this team has done a lot of special things this year. it's grown. it continues to do that. what an opportunity. ... we'll see if we can earn the right to keep playing." while washington's superstar alex ovechkin looks to take his team to the cup finals for the first time in his tenure, fellow captain steven stamkos of tampa bay (four goals in the series) hopes to make it for the second time in four seasons with vegas awaiting the winner for game 1 on monday. the lightning will have raise their level of play after being outshot by an average of more that 10 per game in the series and take pressure off goalie andrei vasilevskiy, who has turned aside 131 of 139 attempts while winning three of the last four contests. "we wish we would have wrapped it up (monday)," tampa bay right wing ryan callahan told reporters. "at the end of the day, game 7s are fun. you enjoy it. this is why you battle for home-ice advantage throughout the regular season."

tv: 8 p.m. et, nbc sports network, cbc, sportsnet one, tva
about the capitals: washington outhit the lightning 39-19, many of those leading to its 17 takeaways in game 6, and defenseman brooks orpik told reporters: "you try to empty the tank as much as you can. that's probably one area where we have an edge is the size and physical play." right wing t.j. oshie scored two of the three goals monday and has seven points in the series while nicklas backstrom set up a pair of tallies for his first points in three games since returning from a hand injury. center evgeny kuznetsov had an assist monday to extend his point streak to nine games and has 23 overall - a franchise playoff record.
about the lightning: tampa bay has been outshot 209-145 in the series, managing only 24 in game 6, and have not scored a goal since 33 seconds into the second period of game 5 on saturday night. "we've got to execute, that's part of it," coach jon cooper told reporters. "people say executing is passing the puck and putting it on the tape. executing is getting pucks on net, putting them where you can get it back. we just haven't been near aggressive enough at that." right wing nikita kucherov, who leads the team with 17 points in the playoffs, and stamkos each managed one shot on net in game 6 while combining for a minus-3 rating.
overtime

1. tampa bay f tyler johnson has not scored a goal in the last nine games after recording three in the first seven playoff contests.

2. washington g braden holtby notched his fifth career shutout in the playoffs monday and owns a .929 save percentage in 76 postseason games.

3. the capitals have killed off all three power plays in the last two games after giving up six in 14 attempts over the first four contests of the series.

prediction: capitals 4, lightning 2

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

22nd May 2018 by Gracenote
the milwaukee brewers have won four straight series to ascend to the top of the national league central while also knocking the arizona diamondbacks out of first place in the nl west. milwaukee won two of three in arizona as part of its current 9-3 streak and looks to complete a three-game sweep of the stumbling diamondbacks on wednesday afternoon.

after mashing three home runs in a 4-2 series-opening win, the brewers could only muster a sacrifice fly by domingo santana on tuesday that stood up as a 1-0 victory. corey knebel, back in his closer's role, has earned both saves in the series after following a pair of scoreless innings by strikeout machine josh hader. the diamondbacks were 24-11 on may 8 but have dropped 12 of 13 since, scoring a total of nine runs during their current six-game slide. in fact, arizona has failed to score more than two runs in 10 of its last 12 games and had scraped together only six hits over the past two nights against milwaukee.
tv: 1:10 p.m. et, mlb network, fs arizona, fs wisconsin (milwaukee)
pitching matchup: diamondbacks rh zack godley (4-3, 3.78 era) vs. brewers lh brent suter (3-3, 4.72)

godley's winless streak stretched to four starts last time out at the new york mets when he permitted three runs (one earned) on only four hits over six innings. the 28-year-old continued to struggle with his control, walking four batters, and has allowed 22 free passes over his last seven turns. godley has been superb in four appearances (three starts) against arizona, posting a 2-0 record and 1.42 era.
suter is coming off his longest outing, picking up the victory at minnesota on friday by holding the twins to one run on five hits while striking out a season-high six in 5 2/3 innings. his previous three appearances -- two in relief and a start on short rest -- came in a span of nine days. suter is allowing the opposition to hit .321 with runners on base and .304 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

walk-offs

1. diamondbacks 1b paul goldschmidt is 2-for-22 with 10 strikeouts in his past six games.
2. brewers rhp zach davies will come off the disabled list to start against the mets on thursday in his season debut.

3. diamondbacks of steven souza jr. (pectoral strain) went on the 10-day disabled list on tuesday.

prediction: brewers 5, diamondbacks 3

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

23rd May 2018 by Gracenote
the minnesota twins aim to continue their dominant run against the detroit tigers when the american league central foes wrap up a three-game series in minneapolis on wednesday afternoon. brian dozier's three rbis and a strong start from lance lynn led the twins to a 6-0 win in tuesday's matchup, giving them a 9-1 record against the tigers over the last 10 meetings.

minnesota has outscored detroit 68-25 in that span and dozier has reached base safely in 20 consecutive contests against the tigers. detroit, which left eight runners on base and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in tuesday's loss, has scored 10 total runs during a five-game slide. it will take aim at twins right-hander kyle gibson, who has a 5.59 era in 16 career starts against the tigers. michael fulmer gets the nod for the visitors as they try to improve upon an 8-18 mark away from home.
tv: 1:10 p.m. et, fs detroit, fs north (minnesota)

pitching matchup: tigers rh michael fulmer (1-3, 4.35 era) vs. twins rh kyle gibson (1-2, 3.96)
fulmer is winless over a span of seven starts, although he posted a quality outing in a no-decision at seattle on friday - limiting the mariners to three runs and three hits with seven strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. the former first-round pick won his major league debut at minnesota in 2016 and is 3-0 with a 3.50 era in three career meetings. dozier has a home run and a double in eight career at-bats against fulmer.

gibson gave up five runs and a season-high eight hits - two home runs - in 5 1/3 frames in a loss to milwaukee on friday. it left the 30-year-old with a 6.16 era and a 2.00 whip in four home starts in 2018. gibson has had his way with tigers right fielder nicholas castellanos, who is 6-for-32 with 10 strikeouts against him.
walk-offs

1. twins 1b logan morrison has five walks and three hits over his last four games.

2. castellanos has three straight two-hit games.

3. minnesota ss ehire adrianza owns three doubles over his last two contests after going 12 consecutive games without an extra-base hit.

prediction: twins 5, tigers 4

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Kansas City Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

23rd May 2018 by Gracenote
the kansas city royals hope to build off their second victory in 10 contests when they visit the st. louis cardinals on wednesday afternoon in the rubber match of a three-game interleague series. alex gordon snapped out of a slump with a homer among three hits as the royals halted a five-game losing streak against the neighbor cardinals with a 5-1 victory tuesday and earned their first win in four interleague contests.

catcher salvador perez also went deep in the middle contest of the series and has seven homers in 28 games since starting the season on the disabled list for kansas city, which scored more than three runs tuesday for just the third time in 10 outings. jake junis, who leads the royals with five victories, gets the call in the series finale while red-hot michael wacha makes his 10th start of the season for the cardinals. st. louis has lost six of its last 10 contests after going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and leaving eight runners on base in tuesday's setback. rookie tyler o'neill saw his three-game home run streak come to an end, but had a single tuesday and has hit safely in five straight contests for the cardinals (8-for-16, three homers, six rbis).
tv: 1:15 p.m. et, mlb network, fs kansas city, fs midwest (st. louis)
pitching matchup: royals rh jake junis (5-3, 3.15 era) vs. cardinals rh michael wacha (5-1, 3.08)

junis permitted two runs on seven hits and one walk over 5 1/3 innings to get the victory against the new york yankees last friday. the 25-year-old illinois native allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last six outings and six of nine overall on the season, but has surrendered 11 homers - five in one game against the chicago white sox - across 56 1/3 innings overall. junis faces the cardinals for the first time in his career and is 2-0 with a 2.95 era in three interleague starts.
wacha has given up two or fewer runs in six straight outings and won five consecutive decisions since opening the season with a loss to the new york mets. the 26-year-old texas a&m product held philadelphia to two runs on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six innings of a 12-4 victory last friday. jorge soler is 4-for-7 with two homers against wacha, who is 3-1 with a 2.81 era in five starts versus st. louis and 5-6 with a 3.86 mark in 16 interleague appearances.
walk-offs

1. st. louis inf yairo munoz went 4-for-4 on tuesday after starting his major league career with two hits in 20 at-bats.

2. kansas city of jon jay has hit safely in 13 of the last 14 games, going 21-of-61 during that stretch.
3. cardinals inf greg garcia left monday's game with lower back tightness and is considered day-to-day after missing tuesday's contest.

prediction: cardinals 4, royals 3

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

San Francisco Giants vs. Houston Astros Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

23rd May 2018 by Gracenote
the houston astros' offense is so potent, even a five-rbi performance by their ninth-place hitter can go relatively unnoticed. the surging astros are a season-high 13 games over .500 and conclude a brief two-game interleague series against the visiting san francisco giants on wednesday afternoon before heading out on a seven-game road trip.

with tony kemp leading the way from the bottom of the order with two hits and a career-high five rbis, the astros rolled to an 11-2 victory on tuesday, giving them five wins in their last six games. alex bregman and jose altuve drove in two runs apiece for the astros, who lead the majors in run differential at plus-107 - which is 28 runs better than the second-place new york yankees. gerrit cole worked six strong innings tuesday, with his only mistake being a two-run homer he served up to brother-in-law brandon crawford. brandon belt doubled in three at-bats for the giants in his first contest since being named the national league player of the week after batting .444 with five homers and 11 rbis in seven games.
tv: 2:10 p.m. et, nbcs bay area (san francisco), at&t sportsnet-southwest (houston)
pitching matchup: giants rh jeff samardzija (1-2, 6.30 era) vs. astros rh justin verlander (5-2, 1.05)

samardzija did not factor in the decision against colorado on thursday after allowing three runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings. the 33-year-old native of indiana is winless in his last five starts, giving up 21 runs while issuing 14 walks in 25 frames. altuve is 7-for-25 with five strikeouts against samardzija, who owns a 6-3 record and 3.51 era in 22 career games (seven starts) against houston - including a 1-1 mark and 3.51 era in six contests (three starts) at minute maid park.
verlander recorded the eighth shutout of his career last wednesday, when he held the los angeles angels to five hits while registering seven strikeouts in a 2-0 victory. "pretty much a clinic on how to pitch," manager a.j. hinch told reporters. "i mean, it's just an epic performance by a really good pitcher." the six-time all-star, who is making his second career start against the giants, leads the majors in era (1.05), whip (0.72), opponents' batting average (.148) and opponents' ops (.449).
walk-offs

1. san francisco lhp madison bumgarner (finger) threw 30 pitches on tuesday and could begin a rehab assignment at triple-a sacramento on saturday.

2. kemp is 6-for-14 with six rbis in five games since being recalled from triple-a fresno last wednesday.

3. the giants placed rhp jose valdez (elbow) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled lhp josh osich from sacramento.

prediction: astros 6, giants 1

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

San Diego Padres vs. Washington Nationals Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

22nd May 2018 by Gracenote
juan soto has played only two full games in the major leagues and the san diego padres already have seen enough of the washington nationals' star rookie. after hitting a three-run homer monday night, soto reached base in all four at-bats and scored the winning run tuesday, putting washington in position for a three-game sweep wednesday versus the visiting padres.

soto was the first 19-year-old to homer in the majors since bryce harper in 2012, and joined his teammate as the only teenagers with three walks in a game since robin yount in 1975. harper is 4-for-8 in the series and has homered in each game to boost his national league-leading total to 15. erick fedde, a first-round draft pick in 2014 and rated washington's no. 4 prospect, is expected to be called up from triple-a syracuse to face padres right-hander tyson ross in the series finale. second baseman josé pirela collected two hits in tuesday's 2-1 loss to extend his hitting streak to five for san diego, which fell to 3-3 on its 10-game road trip.
tv: 4:05 p.m. et, fs san diego, masn (washington)
pitching matchup: padres rh tyson ross (3-3, 3.35 era) vs. nationals rh erick fedde (2017: 0-1, 9.39)

ross ended a five-start winless drought last time out at pittsburgh, overcoming a season-worst four walks to limit the pirates to two runs and five hits over six innings. it marked the eighth time in nine outings in which ross has pitched at least six innings this season and was his sixth quality start. matt adams is 5-for-9 with a homer and four rbis off ross, who is 2-2 with a 5.34 era against washington.
fedde made his first three major-league starts for the nationals a year ago and was hit hard in each of them, giving up 16 runs and 25 hits over 15 1/3 innings. he surrendered five homers in the final two starts, but has done a better job of staying away from the long ball this year. fedde is 1-1 with a 4.35 era in eight starts at triple-a syracuse, striking out 42 and giving up zero homers in 41 1/3 innings.

walk-offs
1. nationals cf michael a. taylor had a walk-off double and threw out a running at the plate in tuesday's win.

2. padres lf franchy cordero his a 449-foot homer tuesday, which was only his fourth-longest blast of the season.

3. nationals lhp sean doolittle has 33 strikeouts versus three walks in 20 2/3 innings after fanning the side tuesday.

prediction: padres 5, nationals 4

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

22nd May 2018 by Gracenote
gleyber torres has joined legendary company just 25 games into his major-league career, and the new york yankees have used his powerful bat to make some history of their own. with the help of their exciting rookie second baseman, the yankees aim for a fourth consecutive victory tuesday as they continue their three-game series against the host texas rangers.

torres went deep in the second and sixth innings of monday's 10-5 victory over texas to become the second-youngest player (21 years, 159 days) in club history to hit at least two home runs in one game, trailing only hall-of-famer mickey mantle (20, 296). new york belted five shots in all, marking the first time in team history it has connected on at least four long balls in three straight contests and the first time since the 2011 rangers any team had done so. texas managed to get three homers from the bottom of its lineup, but that production was not nearly enough to keep it from falling to 7-17 at home. the rangers, who have dropped three straight and seven of nine, already have lost 12 games by at least five runs.
tv: 8:05 p.m. et, yes (new york), fs southwest (texas)
pitching matchup: yankees rh domingo german (0-1, 4.26 era) vs. rangers lh cole hamels (2-4, 3.48 era)

german will make his first career start on the road after producing two drastically different results at home over his last two turns. the 25-year-old dominican struck out nine over six hitless innings against cleveland on may 6 before surrendering six runs on six hits and three walks in another no-decision on may 12 versus oakland. german, who did not give up a run in two road relief appearances spanning seven innings, is holding left-handed hitters to a .163 average as he faces texas for the first time.
hamels was scratched from his last scheduled start due to neck stiffness but is expected to take the mound for the first time since may 11, when he yielded one hit and three walks over six scoreless innings in a win at houston. the four-time all-star seemingly has settled into a bit of a groove after beginning the season 1-3 with a 4.76 era, as he has gone 1-1 with a 1.93 over his last four outings. giancarlo stanton is 13-for-51 with three homers against hamels, who is 1-2 with a 3.24 era in four career starts versus new york.
walk-offs

1. the yankees have connected on 14 homers over the last three games to increase their major league-leading total to 72.

2. nine of texas' 18 wins this season have come in the second game of the series (9-6).

3. new york ss didi gregorius halted a 1-for-48 slide with an rbi double in the sixth inning on monday.

prediction: rangers 5, yankees 3

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

22nd May 2018 by Gracenote
ozzie albies has scored more runs than any player in the national league during his first full season with the atlanta braves, and the 21-year-old looks to lead his team to a series victory in the finale of a three-game set wednesday against the host philadelphia phillies. albies scored all three atlanta runs in a thrilling 3-1 victory tuesday, as the braves topped philadelphia for the seventh time in 11 meetings this season to extend their lead over the phillies in the nl east to 1 ½ games.

in a tight game tuesday between two teams that have surpassed expectations to rise to the top of the division, the braves handled the pressure better. albies (who leads the nl with 45 runs scored) belted his 14th homer in the third inning and, after collecting a ninth-inning single and moving to second on a passed ball, scored a critical insurance run on 20-year-old ronald acuna's base hit. albies scored his second run in the fifth inning with the help of carlos santana's throwing error - the fourth consecutive game in which the philadelphia first baseman has recorded an error. philadelphia second baseman cesar hernandez drove in the phillies lone run with a fifth-inning single, extending his on-base streak to 26 consecutive games.
tv: 7:05 p.m. et, fs southeast (atlanta), nbcs philadelphia
pitching matchup: braves lh luiz gohara (0-0, 1.29 era) vs. phillies rh jake arrieta (3-2, 2.82)

gohara impressed in making five starts last september, but endured a miserable offseason in which his father died and his mother fell ill, then suffered groin and ankle injuries that scuttled his spring training. but after four rough rehab starts in the minors in which he posted a 6.89 era, the fourth-ranked prospect in the organization by mlb pipeline has posted a 1.29 era with five strikeouts across seven innings in three relief appearances. gohara, who will return to his native brazil to be with his mother after the start, struck out 31 in 29 1/3 innings last season.
arrieta has provided the phillies exactly what they hoped when they signed the 32-year-old to a three-year deal, giving up two earned runs or fewer seven times in his first eight starts. he lost friday at st. louis, allowing four runs (two earned) in three innings with two walks, seven days after firing 7 1/3 shutout innings in a no-decision against the new york mets. arrieta, who has walked two hitters in each start this season, is 3-1 with a 2.76 era in five career starts against atlanta.
walk-offs

1. philadelphia 3b maikel franco snapped a 0-for-13 skid with a fifth-inning single, and added a single in the seventh.
2. atlanta struck out three times with the bases loaded in the fourth inning and 14 times overall tuesday - four by ss dansby swanson - just two off its season high of 16 set april 11 at washington.

3. the phillies are 17-7 with a plus-50 run differential at home, but three of those home defeats have come against the braves.

prediction: phillies 6, braves 3

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

23rd May 2018 by Gracenote
rookie sensation gleyber torres belted three home runs over the first two contests of the series and looks to continue his power surge when the new york yankees conclude their three-game set against the host texas rangers on wednesday. torres went deep twice in the opener and once on tuesday, giving him seven homers in 26 major-league games.

the 21-year-old torres, who has hit four shots over his last four games, has gone 4-for-7 in the series to raise his batting average to .330. miguel andujar and austin romine also homered for the yankees on tuesday, but they dropped a 6-4 decision for just their fifth setback in 27 games. texas won for only the third time in 10 contests and never trailed as jurickson profar hit a three-run homer in the opening inning to set the tone. nomar mazara is mired in an 11-game home-run drought but still ranks second on the club to joey gallo (14) with 10 blasts.
tv: 7:05 p.m. et, mlb network, yes (new york), fs southwest (texas)

pitching matchup: yankees lh cc sabathia (2-1, 2.40 era) vs. rangers rh doug fister (1-4, 3.43)
sabathia is coming off his first loss of the season as he gave up four runs - two earned - and four hits over five innings against kansas city on friday. the 37-year-old issued a season-high four walks after handing out five free passes over his initial 36 1/3 innings this year. sabathia is 11-6 with a 5.12 era in 22 career starts against texas.

fister has gone 0-4 over his last seven turns but is coming off a fantastic effort on thursday, when the bullpen was unable to protect his lead. the 34-year-old was moved up a day in the rotation when cole hamels was scratched and scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings but settled for a no-decision against the chicago white sox. fister is 3-4 with a 5.56 era in eight career appearances (seven starts) versus the yankees.
walk-offs

1. the yankees have hit eight homers in the series and 17 over their last four contests.

2. new york lf giancarlo stanton is 12-for-28 with two blasts during his seven-game hitting streak.
3. gallo struck out three times in four hitless at-bats on tuesday and is just 1-for-14 over his last four games.

prediction: rangers 5, yankees 4

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Los Angeles Angels vs. Toronto Blue Jays Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

22nd May 2018 by Gracenote
kendrys morales hadn't done much to distinguish himself this season before a productive start to his week saw him excel in an impromptu pitching performance and notch back-to-back multi-hit efforts. morales aims to continue his recent surge against his former team as the blue jays (23-25) bid for their first series victory in over a month when they host the los angeles angels (26-22) on wednesday.

morales did his best to silence the masses that are clamoring for top prospect vladimir guerrero jr. to cut into his at-bats by belting a two-run homer to highlight a five-run first inning in tuesday's 5-3 triumph. the 34-year-old cuban has answered a career-worst 0-for-29 stretch earlier this month by collecting five hits in his last three games heading into wednesday's tilt versus left-hander tyler skaggs, against whom he is 2-for-6 in his career. while toronto had lost four in a row and eight of 10 prior to the opener of the three-game series, los angeles opened a 10-game road trip with its eighth loss in 11 outings while mustering just 29 runs in that stretch. mike trout has scored five of those runs in the last four games heading into a matchup versus right-hander aaron sanchez, against whom he is 1-for-4 in a small sample size.
tv: 7:07 p.m. et, fs west (los angeles), sportsnet (toronto)
pitching matchup: angels lh tyler skaggs (3-3, 2.88 era) vs. blue jays rh aaron sanchez (2-4, 4.47)

skaggs turned in his fifth straight strong outing on thursday but saw his winless skid extend to four games after allowing just one run in six innings of a 7-1 setback versus tampa bay. the 26-year-old has permitted just seven runs on 25 hits with 32 strikeouts in his last five outings (29 2/3 innings). skaggs picked up the win against toronto last season after permitting two earned runs in seven-plus innings, improving to 2-2 with a 3.86 era in four career starts.
sanchez permitted four runs for the third time in four outings on thursday, as he allowed four walks to drive up his pitch count to lead to an exit after four innings in a 10-5 setback versus oakland. the 25-year-old has struggled with his control, issuing multiple walks in each of his nine trips to the mound for a total of 29 in 50 1/3 innings this season. justin upton is 5-for-7 with a pair of doubles against sanchez, who owns an 0-1 mark in two career meetings with the angels despite limiting the club to a .200 batting average.
walk-offs

1. los angeles ss andrelton simmons has reached base safely in 27 of his last 28 games.
2. toronto owns a 14-6 mark this season when scoring the game's first run.

3. angels c martin maldonado has two extra-base hits in his last two games to improve to 17-for-44 in may after going 7-for-56 last month.

prediction: angels 4, blue jays 2

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

22nd May 2018 by Gracenote
mookie betts had a terrific april and he has been even better in may as his boston red sox visit the tampa bay rays on wednesday night for the middle contest of a three-game series between the american league east rivals. betts, who leads the majors with a .368 batting average and 16 homers, is at .395 in may after going 2-for-4 with a three-run blast in tuesday's series-opening 4-2 victory.

betts is 12-for-25 with three long balls during a six-game hitting streak for the red sox, who have won five of six overall and eight of 11 against the rays this season after stranding three runners on base in the ninth inning tuesday. boston's david price will get the start in wednesday's contest versus his former team - against whom he is 4-4 overall - and tampa bay's chris archer hopes to improve on a 2-12 record and 5.49 era against the red sox in 20 career games. shortstop willy adames, who was acquired by the rays from detroit in the trade for price in 2015, made his major league debut tuesday and the 22-year-old prospect went 1-for-4 with a solo homer off chris sale. tampa bay is 6-2 since getting routed 17-1 at baltimore, but catcher wilson ramos left tuesday's game with a left hand contusion and starting pitcher jake faria came out of the contest in the third inning with a left oblique strain.
tv: 7:10 p.m. et, nesn (boston), fs sun (tampa bay)
pitching matchup: red sox lh david price (4-4, 4.38 era) vs. rays rh chris archer (3-3, 5.01)

price comes in off his first complete game since 2016 and 17th of his career when he limited baltimore to two runs on five hits and zero walks with eight strikeouts last thursday. the 32-year-old vanderbilt product has earned two straight wins after a three-game losing streak - one against tampa bay - in which he allowed 19 runs in 17 innings combined. ramos is 4-for-11 with a homer versus price, who blanked the rays in his first two starts of 2018 while yielding seven hits in 14 innings.
archer registered his first scoreless outing of the season last thursday, giving up two hits and four walks over 6 2/3 innings against the los angeles angels. the 29-year-old north carolina native has allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last six trips to the mound after permitting at least four in his first four starts of 2018. betts is 12-for-34 with four homers and 10 rbis versus archer, who gave up four runs over six innings in a no-decision against boston on march 29 in the season opener.
walk-offs

1. adames, who is batting .311 at triple-a durham, was recalled after inf joey wendle was placed on the paternity list.

2. the red sox boast 70 homers, a franchise record through 48 games, and have gone deep in 13 consecutive contests.
3. rays of johnny field had a single in the series opener and is 8-for-19 during a five-game hitting streak.

prediction: rays 5, red sox 3

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cincinnati Reds Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

22nd May 2018 by Gracenote
scooter gennett didn't make much of an impact in the cincinnati reds' first series with the pittsburgh pirates, but he sure packed a punch to start the next encounter. the cincinnati native looks to follow up his season-high six-rbi performance on wednesday when the reds (17-32) vie for a series victory against the pirates (26-21) at great american ball park.

gennett, who went 1-for-16 as cincinnati dropped three of four to pittsburgh in april, launched his fifth grand slam in two seasons to highlight tuesday's 7-2 romp. the 28-year-old has 23 hits - including six homers - to go along with 19 rbis and 11 runs scored in his last 14 games overall heading into a meeting with wednesday starter chad kuhl, against whom he is just 1-for-12 with five strikeouts. pittsburgh has answered an 8-1 stretch with losses in four straight, which is one shy of its season high for losses set from april 19-25. austin meadows went deep for the second time in as many outings to highlight a 6-for-15 run with three rbis in his first four career games.
tv: 7:10 p.m. et, at&t sportsnet-pittsburgh, fsn ohio (cincinnati)
pitching matchup: pirates rh chad kuhl (4-2, 4.53 era) vs. reds rh homer bailey (1-6, 6.11)

kuhl recorded his second straight no-decision on thursday after allowing four runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings against san diego. the 25-year-old struggled with his control by tossing just 50 strikes on 85 pitches to drive up his pitch count. kuhl also received a no-decision in his last meeting with cincinnati on april 7, although he yielded just two runs and struck out seven in five innings.
bailey has taken his lumps of late to the tune of surrendering 24 runs on 41 hits in his last five outings, during which he owns a 1-3 mark while seeing his era balloon from 3.68 to 6.11. the 32-year-old surrendered six runs for the second time in three trips to the mound despite keeping the ball in the park for the first time since april 10. bailey was blitzed for five runs while issuing three walks in 4 2/3 innings of a 5-2 setback at pittsburgh on april 5.
walk-offs

1. pittsburgh 3b colin moran belted a solo homer on tuesday to hit safely in eight of his last 10 games.

2. reds 3b eugenio suarez had a pair of hits in the opener to improve to 7-for-17 against the pirates this season.

3. pittsburgh 2b josh harrison has four hits in two games since returning from a month-plus-long absence due to a hand injury.

prediction: pirates 7, reds 2

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Miami Marlins vs. New York Mets Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

23rd May 2018 by Gracenote
aside from one abbreviated start due to a hyperextended elbow, new york mets right-hander jacob degrom is on an incredible roll. the surging degrom will try to keep his hot streak alive when he leads the mets into the rubber match of a three-game series against the visiting miami marlins on wednesday.

degrom has allowed one run in 26 1/3 innings over his last five outings and he struck out a season-high 13 in a dominant win against arizona his last time out. that was the beginning of a four-game winning streak for new york that came to a halt with tuesday's 5-1 loss to the marlins, who snapped a three-game slide with the victory. derek dietrich slugged a two-run homer and scored twice while j.t. realmuto had three hits and two rbis to pace miami's attack. the mets signed veteran slugger jose bautista earlier in the day and saw him go 1-for-3 with a double in his debut with the team.
tv: 7:10 p.m. et, fs florida (miami), wpix (new york)

pitching matchup: marlins rh dan straily (2-0, 3.60 era) vs. mets rh jacob degrom (4-0, 1.75)
straily had a 5.54 era through his first three starts of the season before spinning seven scoreless innings in a win at atlanta on friday. he yielded three hits in the outing and opponents are batting .208 overall against the 29-year-old. straily posted a 1.76 era in three starts against the mets a year ago.

degrom has 39 strikeouts in his dominant five-start stretch, during which opponents have managed three extra-base hits - all doubles. one of his rare non-quality starts came at miami on april 10, when he gave up four runs over six innings of a no-decision. the florida native is 4-4 with a 3.94 era in 13 career meetings with the marlins and has had major issues with justin bour, who is 7-for-15 with two homers, one double and two walks against him.
walk-offs

1. the first four hitters in new york's starting lineup combined to go 0-for-13 in tuesday's loss.

2. realmuto has three three-hit efforts in his last 10 games.

3. marlins cf lewis brinson is 2-for-27 with seven strikeouts over an seven-game stretch.

prediction: mets 4, marlins 2

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago Cubs Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

22nd May 2018 by Gracenote
After seeing their pitchers get banged up in the series opener, the Chicago Cubs will ask a reliable veteran to turn things around in the finale of their two-game interleague set against the visiting Cleveland Indians on Wednesday. Jon Lester takes the mound for the Cubs hoping to continue his outstanding month and help Chicago salvage a split of the season series.

The Indians roughed up Chicago's pitching staff in Tuesday's opener, pounding out 11 hits - including Jose Ramirez's team-leading 14th homer - in a 10-1 rout. Cleveland can earn a split of its eight-game road trip with a win before heading home for seven contests. The Cubs were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 in the opener, and they were scoreless until pinch-hitter Ian Happ led off the ninth inning with his eighth homer of the season. The nine-run loss matched Chicago's most lopsided defeat of the campaign.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), NBCS Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Adam Plutko (1-0, 3.68 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jon Lester (4-1, 2.52)
Plutko is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Columbus to make his second start of the year - and his career. The 26-year-old turned in a strong outing against Toronto in the second game of a doubleheader on May 3, allowing three runs and six hits over 7 1/3 innings to record the win. He did serve up three solo homers, however, which could be cause for concern.

Lester is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA over his last four starts and hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of those outings. The 34-year-old was dominant at Cincinnati on Friday, striking out eight while giving up one run and two hits over six innings for his second straight victory. Lester is 7-2 with a 3.09 ERA in 16 career starts against the Indians.
WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland LF Michael Brantley is 17-for-49 with four homers and 12 RBIs during his 11-game hitting streak, the longest active run in the majors.

2. The Cubs have hit 27 home runs in 19 games this month, including two or more in nine contests.
3. Chicago is 14-for-93 with runners in scoring position over its last nine games.

PREDICTION: Cubs 4, Indians 2

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Baltimore Orioles vs. Chicago White Sox Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

23rd May 2018 by Gracenote
after staging a late rally to even the four-game set, the chicago white sox attempt to gain the upper hand when they host the baltimore orioles on wednesday. chicago dropped a 3-2 decision in the series opener but turned the tables on tuesday, scoring three runs in the eighth inning en route to its fourth win in six contests.

yolmer sanchez registered the decisive hit, a one-out rbi single that capped his 3-for-5 performance, while jose abreu recorded his fourth multi-hit effort in five games. baltimore collected seven hits in the loss, four of which came off the bat of mark trumbo. the 32-year-old, who also drove in a run, enters wednesday with a five-game hitting streak during which he has gone 8-for-22. adam jones has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 contests for the orioles, who are 2-4 on their 11-game road trip.
tv: 8:10 p.m. et, masn2 (baltimore), nbcs chicago plus

pitching matchup: orioles rh alex cobb (1-5, 6.56 era) vs. white sox rh dylan covey (0-1, 6.00)

cobb is coming off his first victory as an oriole, a triumph in his native boston on friday during which he limited the red sox to three runs on 10 hits over a season-high 6 1/3 innings. the 30-year-old has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his four turns this month after surrendering at least five in each of his three outings in april. cobb lost both of his previous career starts against chicago as he was tagged for 12 runs and 17 hits over eight innings.
covey remains in search of his first major-league victory as he has gone 0-8 with a 7.58 era in 13 starts and six relief appearances. the 26-year-old californian lost his lone outing of 2018 on april 28, when he yielded four runs on seven hits and three walks in six innings at kansas city. covey lost his only career start against the orioles as he surrendered six runs and 10 hits in four frames at baltimore on may 6, 2017.
walk-offs

1. white sox c welington castillo was back in the lineup tuesday after being pulled from the series opener for not running out a pop-up and went 3-for-4 with an rbi.
2. baltimore lhp zach britton (achilles) threw 20 pitches in a one-inning simulated game on tuesday and will work two frames on saturday before beginning a rehab assignment at triple-a norfolk next week.

3. chicago ss tim anderson was not in tuesday's lineup due to legs that manager rick renteria said were "a little bit tired."

prediction: white sox 7, orioles 5

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

23rd May 2018 by Gracenote
the seattle mariners look to extend their winning streak to five games when they visit the oakland athletics on wednesday for the middle contest of their three-game series. after sweeping a three-game set against detroit, seattle rallied from a two-run deficit in the opener versus oakland to post a 3-2 victory in 10 innings.

mike zunino belted a two-run homer in the seventh inning to knot the contest before guillermo heredia delivered an rbi double in the 10th as the mariners matched their longest winning streak of the season, which was ended by oakland on april 15. the win came at a cost, however, as mitch haniger exited the game after being hit on the left wrist by a pitch in the fourth inning and is day-to-day. marcus semien recorded two hits and an rbi for the athletics, who had their four-game winning streak halted as they kicked off a 10-game homestand following a 7-3 road trip. semien has registered three straight two-hit performances and eight in his last 13 contests.
tv: 10:05 p.m. et, root northwest (seattle), nbcs california (oakland)
pitching matchup: mariners lh marco gonzales (3-3, 4.66 era) vs. athletics rh daniel gossett (0-1, 11.05)

gonzales settled for a no-decision against detroit on thursday after allowing an unearned run and five hits over 5 2/3 innings. the 26-year-old native of colorado has demonstrated good control this season, issuing only nine walks over 46 1/3 frames while registering 43 strikeouts. gonzales made his second career appearance - and first start - against oakland on april 14, when he yielded four runs and five hits over 3 1/3 innings in a no-decision.
gossett is expected to be recalled from triple-a nashville to make his third start this season after yielding nine runs and 11 hits over 7 1/3 innings in his first two outings - both against the los angeles angels. the 25-year-old from south carolina has enjoyed success with the sounds, however, going 4-0 with a 1.63 era and 42 strikeouts over 38 2/3 frames in five starts and two relief appearances. gossett lost all three starts against seattle as a rookie last year, surrendering 13 runs on 18 hits and nine walks over 12 1/3 innings.
walk-offs

1. athletics dh khris davis missed the series opener after suffering a right groin strain in sunday's win at toronto but hopes to avoid a trip to the disabled list.

2. seattle placed cf-2b dee gordon (toe) on the 10-day disabled list tuesday and recalled 1b daniel vogelbach from triple-a tacoma.

3. oakland may recall rhp kendall graveman from nashville to start the series finale on thursday.

prediction: mariners 6, athletics 2

bmd1803 · May 23, 2018

Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Preview and Predictions 05-23-2018

23rd May 2018 by Gracenote
the los angeles dodgers are on the upswing with five victories in six games, and they look to win the three-game series when they host the colorado rockies in the rubber match on wednesday. los angeles recorded a 5-3 victory on tuesday and looks to further reduce its deficit in the national league west behind the first-place rockies.

chris taylor hit a two-run homer and yasiel puig followed with a solo blast during the decisive sixth-inning uprising on tuesday as the fourth-place dodgers climbed within 4 1/2 games of colorado. the suddenly hot puig has gone deep five times in his last eight games after not homering in his first 28 contests. the rockies have registered only 10 hits over the first two games of the series and are anticipating that nolan arenado soon will arise from a 15-game home-run drought. arenado, who recorded a run-scoring single on tuesday, has collected just five rbis during the power slump.
tv: 10:10 p.m. et, at&t sportsnet-rocky mountain (colorado), sportsnet la (los angeles)
pitching matchup: rockies lh kyle freeland (4-4, 3.17 era) vs. dodgers rh kenta maeda (3-3, 3.89)

freeland has given up just three runs and 13 hits over 20 innings while winning three consecutive decisions. the 24-year-old defeated san francisco in his last turn as he allowed one run and five hits over 6 2/3 frames. freeland went 1-2 with a 4.26 era in four starts against the dodgers as a rookie last season.

maeda received an extra day of rest after a stellar effort in his last turn, when he gave up two hits over eight scoreless innings against miami on thursday. the 30-year-old hadn't worked more than six frames in any of his first seven starts and lasted five or fewer in four of them. maeda is 4-2 with a 2.56 era in seven career appearances (five starts) versus the rockies and has limited arenado (2-for-14) while struggling with charlie blackmon (4-for-11, homer).
walk-offs

1. dodgers 3b justin turner, who is just 1-for-13 over his last three games, is 6-for-11 with three doubles against freeland.
2. colorado 2b dj lemahieu (left thumb) played catch from 50 feet on tuesday and caught balls with a glove but still isn't ready to swing a bat.

3. los angeles lf matt kemp has recorded three straight two-hit performances and is 10-for-20 with five doubles over his last six contests.

prediction: rockies 4, dodgers 3