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Preview: Padres (17-30) at Mets (25-21)

Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: May 26, 2012 1:10 PM EDT

A longshot to make any major league roster at one point in his career, Mike Baxter appears to be making up for lost time since joining the New York Mets.

He's also making the San Diego Padres regret what they once had.

Baxter tries to continue his solid play and lead the Mets to back-to-back wins as their series continues Saturday with the Padres.

Originally a fourth-round pick in the amateur draft by the Padres in 2005, Baxter steadily worked his way up the team's system until his major league debut in 2010 and appeared in nine games. The outfielder, though, tore ligaments in his thumb late in spring training last year and was placed on waivers in July, and the Mets claimed him the same day.

``He's a solid, fundamentally sound player. I think our minor league people taught him well,' Padres manager Bud Black said of Baxter. ``He's a bright kid, our minor league guys really liked him. The cool thing is when a guy comes back and plays in his hometown.'

He appeared primarily as a defensive replacement in 22 games in 2011, getting 34 at_bats and had started this year doing the same. Recently, though, Baxter has found a groove at the plate, and with it, increased playing time.

After making a leaping catch at the left-field wall to start an inning-ending double play in the first, Baxter had a go-ahead RBI double in the third to spark the Mets to a 6-1 victory Friday night. The native of Queens, N.Y., has hit safely in his last six starts, going 8 for 24 with three doubles and a triple.

``He came to camp to make the club,' Mets manager Terry Collins said. ``Now he made the club. He's pretty tough to get out of the lineup right now.'

Mets scheduled starter Johan Santana (1-2, 3.24 ERA) is hoping for similar strong defensive support as he tries to avoid going winless for a fourth straight start. The left-hander has not had a decision in the previous three, yielding nine runs in 20 innings in that span.

Santana failed to protect a two-run lead in the seventh inning Monday at Pittsburgh, leaving after giving up four runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings of New York's 5-4 defeat. In his previous two starts, Santana watched the Mets bullpen implode in eventual losses.

He is 2-3 with a 2.47 ERA in seven lifetime starts against the Padres.

San Diego's offense, however, was held down after a season high in runs in Friday's 11-5 win. The Padres (17-30) fell to 1-10 on the road when scoring three or fewer runs and 8-24 overall.

Clayton Richard (2-5, 4.63) knows all about that lack of run support - the Padres have backed him with three or fewer runs in six of his nine starts - as he seeks a third consecutive solid start and a second straight win. The left-hander was in line for a victory Monday at St. Louis, where he allowed two runs in 7 1-3 innings, but Jason Motte was unable to hold the lead in a 4-3 defeat.

Richard has allowed two runs in each of his last two starts after doing so twice in his first seven, but he has struggled on the road this year - going 0-3 with a 6.68 ERA in five starts. Richard did not get a decision in his only start against the Mets in 2010, limiting them to one run in seven innings.

Mets third baseman David Wright, whose average dipped to .397 after going 0 for 3 with a walk Friday, is 3 for 8 lifetime against Richard.

Preview: Tigers (21-24) at Twins (15-30)

Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: May 26, 2012 2:10 PM EDT

After an overpowering display last weekend, Max Scherzer is hoping he's put his inconsistency behind him.

Considering how erratic he's been against the Minnesota Twins, it might be too soon to say.

Scherzer looks to build on his 15-strikeout performance as the Detroit Tigers continue a three-game set with the AL-worst Twins on Saturday afternoon at Target Field.

While Scherzer (3-3, 5.73 ERA) has shown flashes of his tremendous potential throughout the year, he's also been knocked around quite a bit.

Five days after surrendering six runs over four-plus innings on the road against the White Sox, Scherzer was at his best Sunday. He yielded a pair of runs and four hits while striking out a career high over seven innings in a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh.

"Even when I've struggled, I've always believed the next time I go out there that I'm going to have a great start, no matter what," Scherzer said. "That's always been my belief ever since I've been in the big leagues, and (Sunday) was no different."

The right-hander became just the second player to record 15 swinging strikeouts since 1988, and has now yielded two runs or fewer in three of four outings.

"I've worked really hard over the past two or three weeks on identifying this," he told MLB.com. " ... I want to be somebody on this team that can step up and help this team win. I know I'm capable of it on a consistent basis."

Scherzer has been anything but against the Twins (15-30), going 1-1 with a 6.45 ERA over six starts in the series. While he's allowed two runs or fewer in three of those outings, he's given up a combined 23 - all earned - over 14 2-3 innings in the other three, including a career-worst 10 during a 10-4 road loss May 3, 2010.

Justin Morneau is 3 for 5 with a pair of homers against Scherzer. Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham have also taken him deep, going a combined 7 for 18.

Scherzer will try to lead the Tigers (21-24) to back-to-back victories for the first time since a four-game winning streak April 15-18. Detroit snapped a three-game skid Friday, beating Minnesota 10-6 behind a 9-for-16 effort with runners in scoring position.

Alex Avila went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and three RBIs while Prince Fielder, Delmon Young and Brennan Boesch - the Tigers' 4-5-6 hitters - each collected three hits.

"This is our team," manager Jim Leyland said. "This is what we've got. That's a little bit more what we're supposed to look like. Hopefully it gets contagious and we get on a little roll."

The Twins, meanwhile, suffered their third straight loss while going just 3 for 16 with men on second and third.

Minnesota gives the ball to Carl Pavano (2-3, 4.91), who was originally scheduled to pitch Thursday before getting pushed back due to a lingering strained right shoulder.

The right-hander, though, is coming off one of his better efforts of the season. Pavano gave up two runs, five hits and struck out six in as many innings during last Saturday's 5-4, 11-inning win at Milwaukee.

"It's always a work in progress, but I thought I was definitely stronger," Pavano said following his 300th big league appearance. "Everything is moving in the right direction."

Pavano, who compiled a 1.48 ERA while winning each of his first four starts against the Tigers from May-August 2009, has since gone 1-4 with a 6.00 ERA in his last eight. Avila is 6 for 16 and has taken Pavano deep twice while Fielder is 5 for 11 with a homer.

Preview: Blue Jays (24-22) at Rangers (28-18)

Game: 2
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: May 26, 2012 3:05 PM EDT

After three subpar performances at the plate to conclude their road trip, the Texas Rangers found their bats again during their return home.

The Rangers will try to keep things going while adding to Toronto Blue Jays' and right-hander Henderson Alvarez's woes Saturday afternoon.

With a .288 batting average, 256 runs scored and 66 homers, Texas (28-18) is again one of the top hitting teams in the majors but hit .167 and scored a combined seven runs while dropping two of three in Seattle earlier this week.

The Rangers bounced back in a big way Friday with a 14-3 drubbing of Toronto (24-22), which matched their second-highest run total this season.

"It was nice to break out like this," second baseman Ian Kinsler said.

Nelson Cruz hit his fourth career grand slam and second this season while matching a career high with eight RBIs, set July 22 against Toronto.

"You dream to have those kinds of days,' said Cruz, who went 4 for 5. "It can't happen every day. When it happens, you should be happy and enjoy it."

Josh Hamilton also hit his first home run since May 12 and recorded his 50th RBI of the season before leaving with a head cold. Hamilton's longball was also a club record-tying 10th in May, and he's the first Rangers' player with 19 homers through the first 46 games of a season.

Hamilton and his teammates will try to keep rolling against Alvarez (3-4, 3.30 ERA), who is 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA over his last two starts. The right-hander tied a career high Sunday by giving up six runs over five innings in a 6-5 loss to the visiting New York Mets.

"There are always good days and bad days. I feel like I didn't have a good day today," Alvarez told the team's website through an interpreter. "Things happen when you pitch, but I will learn from this start."

While Alvarez will try to get back on track in his first start against Texas, the Rangers' Colby Lewis (4-3, 3.30) will try to build on his best outing of the month. The right-hander allowed a solo homer and three other hits over eight-plus innings Sunday during a 6-1 victory in Houston after going 0-3 with a 6.52 ERA in his first three starts this month.

"Things didn't go my way in the last couple of starts, so I just wanted to bounce back and go deep into the game," he said.

Lewis gave up a solo homer and a single over 6 2-3 innings in his most recent matchup with Toronto, a 12-2 win in Arlington on July 22.

He will try to duplicate that outing while helping the Rangers register consecutive victories for the first time since May 10-11. Texas has alternated wins and losses over its last nine games but has won four of six at home against the Blue Jays.

Toronto, meanwhile, will try to avoid its first four-game losing streak since April 24-27.

Preview: Royals (17-27) at Orioles (29-17)

Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: May 26, 2012 4:05 PM EDT

Adam Jones has been an emerging star since arriving in Baltimore in 2008.

It appears he's about to be paid like a fully-fledged one.

With the announcement of a contract extension seemingly very close, Jones looks to extend his 16-game hitting streak and lead the Orioles to a sixth straight home win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

Jones has slowly developed into Baltimore's best player since he was acquired from Seattle in February 2008, and the team appears ready to make a long-term commitment to its center fielder. Jones confirmed Friday that his representative, Nez Balelo, was in Baltimore and also said he's taken a physical, a prerequisite to a multi-year extension.

"Hopefully, we can get this done. It would be good for the team, good for the fans,' Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said. "Adam Jones is a good player. We like Adam Jones, like what he does for our team. He is a great defensive center fielder and hits in the middle of our lineup.'

On pace for the best season of his seven-year career, Jones seems likely to make his second All-Star team and first since 2009. He leads the league-best Orioles (29-17) in batting average (.310), homers (14), RBIs (31), runs (33) and steals (7).

Baltimore entered this three-game series having lost three of four but Jones knocked in a pair and Jason Hammel pitched six scoreless innings in an 8-2 victory Friday.

The crowd of 28,954 included nearly 11,000 walk-up fans, a testament to the excitement the Orioles have generated after 14 straight losing seasons.

"Outstanding crowd tonight,' Hammel said. "If they are backing us, we are going to feel even better about ourselves. It's been fun to see the stands filling up now. We want to just continue to play good baseball for them.'

Jones is batting .348 during a career-best 16-game hitting streak in which he has six homers, 14 RBIs and 10 runs.

Chris Davis hit Baltimore's major league-leading 70th homer and had three RBIs on Friday to help the Orioles beat the Royals for the fifth straight time at home and improve to 16-3 in their last 19 games against the AL Central.

Nick Markakis added three hits and is 9 for 19 in his last four games versus Kansas City (17-27).

The victory gave the Orioles three consecutive winning months of at least 10 games for the first time since Sept. 2004-May 2005.

Jeff Francoeur had a two-run homer in the Royals' third straight loss and seventh in nine games since a season-best four-game winning streak.

Hammel's outing improved the Orioles to 22-1 this season when they get a quality start - a trend Wei-Yin Chen (4-1, 3.35 ERA) hopes to continue.

The left-hander allowed more than three earned runs for the first time in eight starts Sunday in a 9-3 loss at Washington. He gave up six runs and eight hits - including Stephen Strasburg's first career homer - in a season-low 4 1-3 innings and failed to become the first starter since Jimmy Key in 1997 to begin his Orioles career with five straight wins.

After pitching brilliantly in his second start this month against the Yankees, the Royals' Felipe Paulino (2-1, 1.42) attempts to do the same versus Baltimore.

Paulino scattered six hits over 6 2-3 innings and struck out eight in a 6-0 win at Yankee Stadium on Monday. He became the first starter to pitch shutout ball against New York in consecutive outings since Boston's Josh Beckett on April 10 and May 14 last year.

The right-hander was outstanding in his first career start against the Orioles, striking out nine in seven scoreless innings May 16 before the Royals lost in 15.

Preview: Yankees (24-21) at Athletics (22-24)

Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: May 26, 2012 4:05 PM EDT

CC Sabathia hasn't suffered three consecutive losses over his three-plus seasons with the New York Yankees. A return home might help him avoid that dubious streak.

The Bay Area native will try to snap out of his slump while leading the Yankees to their eighth consecutive road win over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday afternoon.

Sabathia (5-2, 3.78 ERA) is 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA since winning five starts in a row, and he walked a combined nine batters over those two outings. He issued three of his season-high five free passes and gave up a pair of homers in his final inning, the seventh, during a 5-2 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday.

"It's baseball," Sabathia told the team's official website. "It's a long season, you've got some ups and downs. When it's down, it's time for the pitching to step up and make pitches. I didn't do that."

Sabathia hasn't lost three straight decisions since May 20-June 5, 2008, while with Cleveland and hasn't lost three consecutive starts since April 5-16 that same year.

He'll try to avoid that while improving on his 2-0 record and 1.57 ERA over the past three matchups with Oakland (22-24). The left-hander yielded one run over 7 2-3 innings during his most recent game at O.co Coliseum on July 6, 2010, and gave up three runs over 7 1-3 in the Bronx on Aug. 24 during his only outing in last season's series.

In this start, the native of nearby Vallejo, Calif., will pitch opposite former teammate Bartolo Colon (4-4, 4.09), who is coming off his first win since April 18. The right-hander earned that by giving up two runs over five innings in San Francisco on Sunday.

Colon, 8-10 with a 4.00 ERA for the Yankees in 2011, was 0-3 with a 5.52 ERA over the five starts before that 6-2 victory.

Colon hasn't faced New York (24-21) since July 6, 2007, and he's probably thankful for that. He hasn't made it past the third inning in his past two matchups against the Yankees and has given up a combined 15 runs in those games.

This time, he'll face a team that's produced 17 runs during a three-game win streak - one shy of matching a season high - after scoring a combined 15 during a 1-6 stretch.

Mark Teixeira hit just his third home run since April 21 in a 6-3 win Friday while Nick Swisher had his first since May 6. Robinson Cano also went deep as his team finished with 12 hits, its most since 14 in a 6-2 win over Seattle on May 11.

"We're used to scoring that many runs. It's kind of more normal for us," Teixeira said. "We're a team that's used to hitting a lot of (homers) and we'd like to hit a little bit more.'

Alex Rodriguez, who had two hits Friday, is 22 for 47 with eight home runs against Colon. Derek Jeter, who is three hits shy of passing George Brett for 14th on the all-time list, is 13 for 36 with two homers versus Colon but has also struck out 10 times.

Preview: Nationals (27-18) at Braves (26-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: May 26, 2012 4:05 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals got the best of the slumping Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game set between the top two teams in the NL East.

They appear to have a good opportunity to create further separation in the standings with Stephen Strasburg taking the hill opposite Mike Minor on Saturday afternoon at Turner Field.

Ryan Zimmerman went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and Ian Desmond and Rick Ankiel each also drove in a pair Friday as Washington (27-18) earned its fourth win in five games, beating Atlanta (26-21) 7-4 to extend its division lead to two games. The Nationals improved to 10-1 when scoring at least six runs, compared to 17-17 when totaling five or fewer.

Losers of three straight in this series, the Braves have totaled 12 runs while dropping a season-worst five in a row overall, and things aren't about to get any easier with Strasburg (4-1, 2.21 ERA) on the hill.

While the hard-throwing right-hander has lost both of his starts against Atlanta with a 4.35 ERA - his highest against any opponent he's faced more than once in his career - Chipper Jones knows his club will be in for a challenge Saturday. Jones, however, won't be available as he heads to the 15-day disabled with a bruised left leg.

"He has the best stuff, the best repertoire of pitches, that I've seen on any one single pitcher," Jones told MLB.com. "He is like a Kerry Wood in his prime and Justin Verlander hybrid.

"He has the fastball, just like those two, the breaking ball just like those two. The changeup is what sets him apart ... (Strasburg's changeup) is a 90-plus (mph) split that falls off the table. When you are geared up going for 95-96 and he throws you 90 and the bottom drops out of it, it's a pretty lethal combination."

Strasburg yielded three runs - one earned - four hits and struck out eight over five innings of Sunday's 9-3 win over Baltimore before being removed as a precaution due to tightness in his bicep.

"The bicep is fine," he said. "Starting out, I threw a lot of pitches early and then we put up a lot of runs. I got a little tired. (The bicep) got a little tight. It's nothing different than any other outing. It's probably gonna be like this for the rest of the year. It's all part of coming back from Tommy John (surgery). It's something I have to be smart about."

Owner of the highest ERA among NL qualifiers, Minor (2-4, 6.96) - who has also been taken deep a league-worst 12 times - has had an especially rough time in recent weeks.

The left-hander dropped to 0-3 with an abysmal 10.46 ERA over his last five starts after allowing four homers and four walks in six innings of Monday's 4-1 loss at Cincinnati.

Minor is 1-2 with a 4.02 ERA in three starts against the Nationals.

Atlanta hasn't lost six in a row since a nine-game slide April 21-29, 2010.

Braves second baseman Dan Uggla, mired in a 3-for-27 (.111) slump over his last nine games, is 5 for 6 with a homer against Strasburg - the most hits Strasburg has allowed to any player.

Preview: Indians (26-19) at White Sox (24-22)

Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: May 26, 2012 4:10 PM EDT

While Derek Lowe was enduring one of the worst seasons of his career in 2011, the Chicago White Sox's Jake Peavy was dealing with another injury-plagued one.

Now healthy, Peavy will try to add to his promising campaign when he faces a rejuvenated Lowe and the Cleveland Indians on Saturday afternoon.

Peavy, the 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner, hasn't won more than seven games or made more than 18 starts since being acquired by the White Sox from San Diego on July 31, 2009. Surgery on his right shoulder kept him out from July 2010 to May 2011 and he also had a stint on the DL in June for a strained muscle in his right groin.

Peavy (5-1, 2.39 ERA) has tried to make up for that lost time this season and had one of his best outings Sunday against the Chicago Cubs.

Despite the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field, he allowed three hits over 6 1-3 innings and struck out seven in a 6-0 win. It was the sixth time in nine starts he's given up two runs or fewer.

Lowe, meanwhile, was relatively healthy for Atlanta in 2011 but registered a career-high 17 losses and his worst ERA (5.05) since a 5.42 mark for Boston in 2004. The veteran right-hander has rediscovered his groove during his return to the AL and allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last six outings.

Lowe (6-2, 2.15), though, suffered a hard-luck 5-3 defeat to Miami on Sunday, giving up two runs over six innings as his four-game win streak ended.

The Indians (26-19) could use Lowe's help to avoid having their 2 1/2-game lead over Chicago in the AL Central cut even further. The White Sox (24-22) trimmed that deficit with a 9-3 victory in Friday's series opener and ended a three-game win streak for their division rivals, who have also prevailed in eight of 11 contests.

"I think it's fun that way,' Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "It was good (sweeping) Detroit here at home, but now we got to turn our focus to (Chicago). These guys are closer in the division than Detroit is right now ...This team is good and we know that.'

Dayan Viciedo was among four White Sox players with two RBIs on Friday as he hit his sixth homer in 11 games. A.J. Pierzynski had his third in five contests and Adam Dunn hit his third in six games for Chicago, winners in seven of eight and three in a row over Cleveland.

"We have a good feeling," Pierzynski said. "There's been some ups and downs, but at the end of the day, when we come in, we know that there's a positive vibe.

"We know we're in for a dogfight, but at the end of the day, we like where we're at. We like our chances. If we continue to pitch and get some hits like we have, we should be able to win.'

Peavy might not need too much help from his teammates judging by his recent outings against the Indians. He gave up one run over seven innings during an 8-1 victory at Progressive Field and tossed a three-hit shutout in his most recent matchup in Chicago on May 18, 2011.

Lowe will face the White Sox for the first time since June 24, 2010. He's 1-2 with a 3.67 in seven lifetime starts against them.

Preview: Giants (24-22) at Marlins (25-21)

Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: May 26, 2012 4:10 PM EDT

In the midst of their record-setting month of May, concerns at closer continue to plague the Miami Marlins.

Despite another rough outing, Heath Bell is expected to remain the closer as the Marlins look to extend their record win total this month Saturday against the San Francisco Giants.

After converting four straight saves chances, Bell entered Friday's contest with a three-run lead but was pulled after he allowed two runs and three hits in one-third of an inning. Steve Cishek got the final two outs for a 7-6 win, as Miami (25-21) set a record with its 17th win in 24 games in May.

Though Bell is 2-3 with an 8.10 ERA and blown four of his 11 saves chances, manager Ozzie Guillen is sticking with the veteran.

"He gets paid to close games, I get paid to win games," Guillen said. "It's a very hard, uncomfortable move. I needed a different look. But he's going to be back there as my closer (Saturday).'

After dropping two in a row, including Thursday's opener to San Francisco, Chris Coghlan hit a three-run shot and Giancarlo Stanton hit his second long homer this week as the Marlins rallied from a pair of two-run deficits.

Stanton, who hit the left field scoreboard during Monday's 7-4 win over Colorado, become the first player to hit the Marlins' animated home run sculpture. Estimated at 409 feet, the homer is Stanton's 10th this month. All but one of his home runs have come in May, along with 25 RBIs in 24 games.

He's 10 for 22 with four home runs and seven RBIs in five games versus San Francisco this month.

"It's incredible, his ability to hit the ball,' Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera said. "He has amazing power.'

Like Friday's performance, not all of Miami's victories this month have been easy. Scheduled Miami starter Mark Buehrle (4-4, 3.36 ERA) knows that firsthand.

The left-hander has grinded his way to a 3-0 record and 3.38 ERA in four May starts. He allowed four runs for the second straight start, this time over 7 2-3 innings of a 7-4 win over Colorado on Monday.

"When you talk about bulldog, when you talk about gamer, there's a lot of fake out there,' Guillen said. "There's a lot of fake bulldogs. This kid's for real.'

Buehrle is 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA against the Giants, but he has not faced them since 2008.

Cabrera, batting .630 (17 for 27) with two home runs against Buehrle, homered Friday as the Giants (24-22) lost for the second time in eight games at Miami. San Francisco won 14-7 in Thursday opener and jumped out to an early 2-0, but Miami jumped ahead for good after a five-run sixth.

Cabrera has batted .487 with seven RBIs in his last nine games.

The Giants hand the ball to Madison Bumgarner (5-3, 2.85), who is 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in his last three starts. The left-hander, however, gave up three runs - one earned - and struck out a season-high 10 in 7 2-3 innings of a 4-3, 14-inning victory Monday.

"His cutter was really on," Milwaukee star Ryan Braun told the Giants' official website. "It's his best pitch, and when he's throwing it well, he's definitely pretty tough to get runs against."

Bumgarner has allowed three runs in six innings in each of his two starts against the Marlins, going 0-1.

Preview: Rays (28-18) at Red Sox (22-23)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: May 26, 2012 7:15 PM EDT

Designated hitter Luke Scott didn't do much hitting in the Tampa Bay Rays' series opener against the Boston Red Sox. Instead, he got hit - and the benches cleared as a result.

He appears to have a good chance to turn the tables given his history against Josh Beckett.

Scott, Carlos Pena, Matt Joyce and the rest of the Rays will take their hacks against Beckett on Saturday night as visiting Tampa Bay looks for a fourth straight win.

Scott hasn't yet had a great effect on the outcomes of the games between the Rays (28-18) and Red Sox in 2012 - his two homers when Tampa Bay visited Fenway Park last month both came in losses - but he's done plenty to stoke the flames of this AL East rivalry. Scott, who badmouthed Boston fans in spring training and then publicly called Fenway a "dump" shortly before the Rays visited in April, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in Friday's series opener, a 7-4 win for the Rays.

His four hitless at_bats won't be remembered for long, but after Scott got hit by a Franklin Morales pitch in the top of the ninth, the benches and bullpens cleared and several heated exchanges took place.

"I had a little adrenaline going and the guys had some adrenaline going, so that's good. Nothing wrong with that," Boston manager Bobby Valentine said. "Maybe it was the ghost of Fenway past remembering that he bad-mouthed all our fans and our stadium or something, just directing the ball at his leg.'

Rays manager Joe Maddon was not amused.

"To be really carelessly incompetent on their side and truly try to hit someone and throw behind somebody and hitting them in the leg for all the wrong reasons eventually they can get their own guys hurt," Maddon said. "That was ridiculous. It was absurd, idiotic. I'll use all those words.

"Our guys got it. We had every reason to be totally into the push-back right there. We didn't start anything. We don't start stuff. We'll finish stuff, but we don't start it.'

Scott may be able to let his bat do the talking against Beckett (4-4, 4.38 ERA), as he's 10 for 24 in their matchups with three homers, five walks and a .517 on-base percentage - highest of any player with at least 20 career plate appearances versus the right-hander.

Pena is 4 for 32 with 17 strikeouts against Beckett, but is swinging a hot bat right now. Pena homered Friday, and is 4 for 12 with two homers, four RBIs and five runs scored in three games since Maddon moved the hulking first baseman into the leadoff spot.

The Rays have won all three of those games after dropping four of their previous five.

Friday's loss marked the fifth time this season Boston (22-23) had a chance to move above the .500 mark and failed. The Red Sox have still won 10 of 14 overall, with Beckett earning two of those victories.

Beckett has allowed one run over 14 2-3 innings to defeat Seattle and Philadelphia. That's a striking turnaround from his May 10 start, when he surrendered seven in 2 1-3 innings of a loss to Cleveland and got booed off the mound following news that he had played golf while skipping a start to rest a strained lat muscle.

Beckett's first win of 2012 came against the Rays on April 13, when he limited them to one run and five hits in a season-high eight innings of a 12-2 victory. He defeated David Price (6-3, 2.88), who will get the ball again for Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Price yielded three runs in a season-low three innings while losing to Beckett last month, but has lasted through the seventh in each of his last four starts. The left-hander held Atlanta to two runs - one earned - over seven innings Sunday, but received no support and got saddled with a 2-0 loss to Tim Hudson.

Joyce provided the biggest blow Friday with his second grand slam in six games. He's batting .421 (8 for 19) in the season series with Boston with at least one hit in all seven games, but is 1 for 15 with five strikeouts against Beckett.

Preview: Angels (22-25) at Mariners (21-27)

Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: May 26, 2012 7:15 PM EDT

Although the Los Angeles Angels are suddenly rolling, they haven't had to face particularly tough starting pitching during their four-game run.

That will change Saturday as they try to extend their longest winning streak of the season against the Seattle Mariners' Felix Hernandez, who has completely overwhelmed the Angels of late.

After floundering for much of the first two months, Los Angeles (22-25) is within three games of .500 for the first time since it was 6-9 on April 21. Albert Pujols is leading the charge, having hit three of his season's six homers during the winning streak.

"He's starting to come to life," manager Mike Scioscia said.

The nine-time All-Star hit a three-run shot Friday in Seattle to help the Angels roar back from a 4-0 deficit en route to a 6-4 victory. Los Angeles completed the comeback with a three-run ninth inning as pinch-hitter Howie Kendrick broke a tie with a two-run single off struggling closer Brandon League.

"Hopefully a couple of months from now we can point back to the things we did right and we can point back on a night like (Friday)," Scioscia said. "It's a good comeback win."

Pujols is batting .400 with seven RBIs during the winning streak, and the Angels have taken advantage of starting pitchers Blake Beavan and Jason Vargas in the first two games against the Mariners (21-27) after squaring off against rookies Jarrod Parker and Graham Godfrey in their final two games in Oakland.

Going up against Hernandez (4-3, 2.80 ERA) likely won't be as easy.

Pujols has never faced Hernandez, and Los Angeles is hoping the three-time NL MVP can help it end its woes against the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner.

This will be Hernandez's first start of the season against the Angels after going 2-1 with a 1.41 ERA in four outings against them last year. The right-hander posted a 0.72 WHIP and struck out 34 in 32 innings.

He is coming off a strong performance Monday against Texas, yielding one run and six hits while striking out seven in eight innings of a 6-1 victory. Hernandez had posted an 8.71 ERA in back-to-back losses in New York and Cleveland in his previous two outings.

Excluding those blemishes, Hernandez has a 0.69 ERA in his other five starts since April 19.

"We're so confident when he's up there, especially when we get runs early for him, we're like, 'We're in the driver's seat right now,'" second baseman Dustin Ackley told the Mariners' official website.

Since the start of last season, Seattle is 16-2 when backing its ace with at least three runs of support, but it hasn't managed to reach that mark in Hernandez's last 10 starts against the Angels. The Mariners have lost seven of those games.

Seattle, which has combined for 10 runs in its last four contests, could again have trouble offensively against Jerome Williams (4-2, 3.74), who has a 1.95 ERA in his last five starts.

The righty wasn't particularly sharp Monday against Oakland, however, yielding five hits, five walks and hitting a batter in 6 1-3 innings. Despite his struggles he only allowed two runs, but the damage was done as he suffered a 2-1 loss, snapping his three-start winning streak.

Williams posted a 3.00 ERA in winning his only two career starts against Seattle last season, and he's limited Ichiro Suzuki to one single in seven at_bats.

Suzuki is 2 for 12 in the last three games after batting .381 during a five-game hitting streak.

Preview: Rockies (17-27) at Reds (25-20)

Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: May 26, 2012 7:15 PM EDT

As well as the Cincinnati Reds have played of late, it still might not be good enough to end their recent struggles against the Colorado Rockies.

With their longest winning streak of the season snapped, the NL Central-leading Reds look to avoid a fourth straight loss to the Rockies on Saturday night at Great American Ballpark.

Cincinnati (25-20) had won six in a row before Todd Helton homered and drove in three runs to help Colorado to a 6-3 victory Friday. Though the Reds still own a one-half game lead over St. Louis in the Central, they have dropped three in a row and 10 of 13 against the Rockies (17-27).

Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker, however, is confident his team can bounce back.

"You can't get greedy," Baker said. "We won six straight. Now we have to start a new streak.

"These guys have been tough on us in the past because they can hit."

Reds starting pitchers posted a 2.41 ERA during the winning stretch, but Johnny Cueto was roughed up for five runs in 4 2-3 innings Friday.

Trying to help the Reds rebound, Mike Leake (1-5, 5.32 ERA) takes the mound Saturday looking to build off his best start of the season. After allowing an earned run in six innings of a 6-3 win against the Mets on May 16, Leake surrendered a homer and two other hits in eight innings of a 4-1 victory over Atlanta on Monday for his first victory in eight starts.

"He was outstanding,' teammate Drew Stubbs said. "That was a big performance for him. He'd been struggling. That should be a big boost for his confidence. I'm glad to see it.'

In his only previous start versus Colorado on Aug. 10, the right-hander gave up 11 hits but two runs in 7 1-3 innings of a 3-2 home win.

Helton, who went 2 for 3 off Leake, homered for the first time since April 29 on Friday. He is 4 for 9 with four RBIs in his last two games after going 1 for 22 in his previous six. He's 7 for 21 with two homers and six RBIs in his last five games versus Cincinnati.

Looking to match a season high with their third straight victory, the Rockies hand the ball to Jeremy Guthrie (2-2, 5.55), who is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in three road starts but looks to rebound from a rough outing at home. Guthrie allowed a run each in his two previous starts - both on the road - before yielding six and three homers in six innings of a 6-4 loss to Seattle on Sunday.

The right-hander has allowed six runs in each of his three home starts in 2012.

Guthrie gave up four runs and four walks in 5 2-3 innings of a 7-5 loss June 26, in his only appearance versus Cincinnati while Baltimore.

He will try to cool off Joey Votto, who had four hits Friday. Votto is 11 for 24 (.458) in his last six games versus Colorado.

Mired in a 1-for-29 slump, Jay Bruce is likely to be back in the Reds lineup after getting the night off in the opener.

Preview: Cubs (15-30) at Pirates (21-24)

Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: May 26, 2012 7:15 PM EDT

After squaring off against several formidable pitchers during his losing streak, it appears Pittsburgh's Kevin Correia could be catching a break as the Chicago Cubs turn to Paul Maholm.

Facing an abysmal Cubs offense should also help Correia's cause.

Correia tries to avoid losing his sixth straight start and send scuffling Chicago to its 11th consecutive defeat Saturday night as Maholm pitches for the first time as a visitor at PNC Park.

Correia (1-5, 4.50 ERA) was in position to end his skid Sunday in Detroit with the Pirates (21-24) leading 2-1 after six innings, but the right-hander didn't record another out while allowing two more runs and was saddled with a 4-3 loss. He gave up three runs and four hits while walking none.

During his five-start losing streak, Correia has opposed Tim Hudson, Johnny Cueto, Stephen Strasburg, Josh Johnson and Max Scherzer. Not surprisingly, he hasn't had much help from his offense. Correia has received either one or two runs of support in all eight of his starts, an average of 2.35 that's fifth-worst in the majors.

"He's had some tough draws," manager Clint Hurdle told the Pirates' official website.

His counterpart Saturday doesn't seem as intimidating, though Maholm (4-3, 4.73) at least has the benefit of facing the team with which he spent the first seven years of his major league career - and one that struggles mightily to score.

The same could be said for Chicago's punchless lineup.

The Cubs (15-30), losers of 10 straight since beating St. Louis on May 14, have plated six runs while striking out 52 times in their last five games.

In dropping Friday's series opener 1-0, Chicago - in the midst of its worst losing streak since opening 0-14 in 1997 - went 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. The Cubs are batting .087 (4 for 46) with runners on second or third and have left 47 on in the last five contests.

"It's unbelievable,' manager Dale Sveum said. "We outhit the opponent every night and can't score.'

Starlin Castro, moved up a spot in the order to No. 2 on Friday, has watched his average drop 16 points during the skid to .315, while cleanup hitter Bryan LaHair is batting .069 (2 for 29) with a solo homer and 12 strikeouts.

Correia split his four starts with the Cubs last season, posting a 1.35 ERA in his two wins - both at Wrigley Field. He had a 20.65 ERA in losing his two outings against them at PNC.

Maholm was drafted by Pittsburgh with the eighth pick in the 2003 draft and made his major league debut two years later. The left-hander never quite lived up to expectations with the Pirates, though, going 53-73 with a 4.36 ERA in 185 starts.

He signed with Chicago as a free agent in January, and has sandwiched four victorious starts between four that were fairly ugly. He has a 1.07 ERA in his four wins, but a 9.30 ERA in his other four outings. Maholm gave up five runs - including three homers - and a season-high nine hits in 6 1-3 innings of Sunday's 6-0 loss to the White Sox.

Maholm should have a decent chance of bouncing back, however. Pittsburgh, which has scored five times in the last three games, has plated a major league-worst 127 runs and is last in the NL in batting at .217.

Andrew McCutchen, the team leader in average (.331), homers (seven) and RBIs (24), was hitless Friday and is batting .200 in his last 10 games against the Cubs. He is 13 for his last 21 (.619) with three homers versus left-handers, though.

Preview: Phillies (24-23) at Cardinals (25-21)

Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 26, 2012 7:15 PM EDT

Wins have been hard to come by lately for the St. Louis Cardinals, who are no longer atop the NL Central.

They appear to have the right man taking the mound to help them avoid another loss.

The Cardinals' Jaime Garcia seeks to continue his recent success Saturday night against a Philadelphia Phillies team looking to run its winning streak to four.

St. Louis (25-21) entered this four-game rematch of an NL division series from last October coming off a three-game sweep of San Diego, but has come up short in each of its first two games against the Phillies (24-23). The Cardinals dropped out of first place in the Central for the first time all season after Thursday's 10-9 loss, then fell 5-3 in 10 innings Friday.

They've won just five times in their last 15 games, although Garcia (3-2, 3.55 ERA) was the starting pitcher for two of those victories.

After recording a 7.71 ERA in his first two May starts, Garcia has posted a 1.88 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 14 1-3 innings over his last two outings. The left-hander didn't get a decision in Monday's 4-3 victory over the Padres after yielding two runs in seven innings.

Garcia would seem primed for another strong showing considering in four career starts against the Phillies, he is 2-0 with a 0.96 ERA - his lowest against any opponent.

He has shut down some of Philadelphia's top bats, limiting leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins to a .091 average (1 for 11) and Hunter Pence to three hits in 15 at_bats.

Pence was the hero for the Phillies on Friday, snapping an 0-for-13 skid with a two-run homer in the 10th inning to send his team to its third straight victory following a season-high four-game skid.

"Every win is big, and to get the lead in the 10th inning is huge, no matter how you get the runs across,' said Pence, who has a team-high 11 home runs.

Philadelphia improved to 20-6 when plating at least four runs, but is 4-17 when scoring three or fewer. Probable Saturday starter Kyle Kendrick (0-4, 5.23) is plenty familiar with what happens when the Phillies struggle to score.

Filling the rotation spot of the injured Vance Worley (elbow), Kendrick pitched effectively against Washington on Monday, giving up two runs and five hits in seven innings, but didn't receive any run support and got charged with a 2-1 loss. The right-hander has a 2.25 ERA in his last four starts, but has been backed by five total runs of support.

"You can't control run support," he said. "It's totally out of your hands.'

Kendrick, who made two relief appearances against St. Louis last season, is 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA in five career starts versus the Cardinals.

St. Louis slugger Matt Holliday had a rough night Friday, stranding a team-high four runners on base, and could have more trouble against Kendrick, against whom he is 2 for 14 lifetime.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, batting .429 over a seven-game stretch that has raised his season average 24 points to .316, is 2 for 11 with a double off Kendrick.

Preview: Astros (22-23) at Dodgers (30-15)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: May 26, 2012 10:10 PM EDT

There's probably nobody other than Bud Norris that the Houston Astros would want on the mound as they try to match their longest winning streak of 2012.

Norris looks to win his fifth straight start and help the visiting Astros reach the .500 mark with a fifth consecutive victory Saturday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Norris (5-1, 3.14 ERA) went 1-1 with a 5.46 ERA in five April starts, but has allowed two runs - one earned - and 15 hits while striking out 29 over 26 innings to go 4-0 in May.

"He realizes what he has to do and he builds on it,' manager Brad Mills said. "When you get him out there in situations, he's able to make adjustments as he goes along from start to start. If this didn't go right, he finds out why and then he analyzes it, tries to improve and get better.'

Norris allowed five hits and fanned eight Monday in seven innings of an 8-4 victory over the NL-worst Cubs on Monday.

"I'm definitely in a rhythm right now,' Norris said. "Things have been there for me and I just want to keep it going.'

History says he may be able to, even against a Dodgers team with a major-league best 30-15 record.

Norris, 1-1 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts versus Los Angeles, has allowed three hits in 13 scoreless innings while not getting a decision in his last two outings against the Dodgers - both at Chavez Ravine.

After sweeping a three-game home series from the Cubs, Houston (22-23) snapped a four-game road skid with a 3-1 victory in Friday's series opener. Lucas Harrell threw 7 1-3 solid innings and J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer for the Astros, who now will look to get back to .500 for the first time since they were 4-4 on April 14.

Houston, which is 6-13 away from Minute Made Park, has not won two straight on the road since April 25 and 2, at Milwaukee and Cincinnati.

"You want to get to a point where some guys are able to be rewarded for their good play," Mills told the Astros' official website.

Martinez is 6 for 11 with six RBIs in the last three games after going 5 for 54 in his previous 17 contests.

While the Astros are playing well, the Dodgers are trying to avoid a season-high third straight defeat. Los Angeles fell to 19-5 at home after scoring its lone run Friday on a bases-loaded walk.

Andre Ethier went 1 for 4, but is still hitting .421 (8 for 19) in his last five games.

The Dodgers hand the ball to Chad Billingsley (2-3, 3.91), who is 0-3 with a 5.20 ERA in seven starts since beating Pittsburgh on April 11. He gave up five runs - three earned - and walked four in six innings of Los Angeles' 6-5 win over St. Louis on Sunday.

"It's just the way the game is, you can't do anything about it," Billingsley told the Dodgers' official website.

The right-hander wasn't very effective during a 12-0 loss at Houston on April 22, though he also didn't get much help defensively. The Dodgers committed three errors as Billingsley allowed nine runs - five earned - and two home runs while walking four in 3 1-3 innings. He fell to 4-4 with a 4.96 ERA in his career against the Astros.

Preview: Brewers (19-26) at Diamondbacks (20-26)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: May 26, 2012 10:10 PM EDT

Since getting roughed up in his second start of the season, the Milwaukee Brewers' Zack Greinke has been nearly untouchable over the last month-plus.

Rookie Wade Miley has also proved plenty formidable since transitioning to the Arizona Diamondbacks' rotation.

In what sets up as a low-scoring affair, Greinke takes the hill opposite Miley as the Brewers and Diamondbacks continue a three-game set Saturday night at Chase Field.

Greinke (5-1, 2.70 ERA), who was tagged for a season-worst eight runs in 3 2-3 innings of an 8-0 loss April 12 at Wrigley Field, has since gone 4-0 while giving up a combined nine earned over his last seven outings spanning 46 frames. The 2009 AL Cy Young winner has struck out 47 over that stretch and limited opponents to a .225 average.

Greinke has been especially dominant in his last three starts, going 2-0 with a 0.42 ERA while fanning 24 and walking two in 21 2-3 innings. The right-hander gave up a run and five hits over 6 2-3 innings Sunday in a 16-4 win over Minnesota.

"He's nasty, though. Isn't he?" catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. "He's a lot of fun to catch, working his magic out there. Whenever this guy locates down and away, painting and with velocity and bite on his slider, mixing the slow curve ball, the changeup. This guy won a Cy Young, and there's a reason why."

Greinke's 6.12 ERA over four regular-season starts against the Diamondbacks (20-26) is inflated due to giving up career worsts of 11 runs and 15 hits in 4 1-3 innings of a 12-11, 10-inning road loss June 10, 2005, while with Kansas City. He's 0-2 with a 2.61 ERA in the other three outings.

Greinke, though, wasn't very sharp in Game 2 of last season's NL division series against Arizona, yielding four runs on three homers in five innings.

Miley (5-1, 2.14), meanwhile, has been garnering some well-deserved attention thanks to his continued success. The left-hander, who opened the season in the Diamondbacks' bullpen, improved to 4-1 with a 1.91 ERA over six starts Sunday in a 2-0 road win over the Royals.

Miley threw seven innings of six-hit ball, walking two and striking out three in matching the longest outing of his career.

"Miley was that good," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We've watched video on him. He was exactly what we thought he'd be. He's got really good stuff, commands the ball down and kind of throws across his body, has a very quick arm and is tough to pick up. He's got a real good changeup, a nice cutter. He was tough on us."

Miley, who's never faced Milwaukee (19-26), will look to help Arizona regroup from Friday's 7-1 loss - its 15th in 19 home games.

The Diamondbacks went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and couldn't get much going against Yovani Gallardo, who threw 7 1-3 sharp innings.

Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks, meanwhile, hit their 13th, 10th and fifth homers of the season, respectively, for the Brewers. Despite Friday's win, Milwaukee has dropped 13 of 18 as the visiting team.

The Brewers placed shortstop Cesar Izturis on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled left hamstring suffered Friday. Milwaukee, which already lost Alex Gonzalez to a torn ACL, recalled shortstop Edwin Maysonette from Triple-A Nashville.

Arizona's Miguel Montero is uncertain to be available after missing his third straight game Friday with a strained groin. A person with knowledge of the situation said Montero has agreed to a five-year, $60 million extension

Saturday's betting tips: Giants, ump Wegner don't mesh

Weather to watch

Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers – A 14-mph wind will be blowing in from right field. Temperatures will be about 90 degrees.

Who’s hot

MLB: The Red Sox are 11-4 in Josh Beckett’s last 15 home starts.

MLB: Milwaukee is 22-6 in Zack Greinke’s last 28 starts.

NBA: Boston is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games following a SU loss.

WNBA: The under is 4-0 in the last four Tulsa-Washington meetings.

Who’s not

MLB: The Giants are 0-5 in their last five games with umpire Mark Wegner behind the plate.

MLB: The White Sox are 3-8 in Jake Peavy’s last 11 home starts.

NBA: The under is 2-6 in the last eight Philly-Boston games.

WNBA: Los Angeles is 2-5 ATS in its last seven games vs. Phoenix.

Key stat

33 percent – That’s what Celtics guard Ray Allen, bothered by ankle issues, is shooting over the last three games of Boston’s playoff series with Philadelphia. Allen is 8-for-24 in that stretch, including 3-of-14 from beyond the arc. With Avery Bradley (shoulder) out for the rest of the playoffs, the Celts need Allen to regain his shooting form.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman underwent surgery Friday to repair a torn meniscus and will be out 8-10 weeks. St. Louis is hoping to have the veteran slugger back in August. Matt Adams will continue to play first, with Allen Craig (hamstring) due back in a week.

Game of the day

Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics (-5.5, 170)

Notable quotable

“It’s what we have. Clearly Avery is a great defender, but he’s not out there, so I can’t worry about it. I really can’t. Their penetration and their (isolations) without Avery on the floor hurt. They went to a lot of iso’s and they were picking who they wanted [to attack].” – Celtics coach Doc Rivers, on Boston’s inability to guard Philly’s perimeter players without injured defensive ace Avery Bradley.

Notes and tips

Sixers forward Elton Brand has undergone a dramatic turnaround in the last two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals. In Games 1-4, Brand averaged 16 minutes, 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds. The 33-year-old suddenly played 30 minutes in Game 5, getting 19 points and three rebounds. Then in Game 6, he played 34 minutes, posting 13 points and 10 boards. Coach Doug Collins called Brand his team’s “ace of spades” and the 6-9, 254-pounder has the “heart of a lion.”

The LVH has posted odds for Saturday's NCAA Division I lacrosse semifinals at Gillette Stadium. Loyola (Md.) is a -200 favorite over Notre Dame, with the total set at 17.5. Duke is a -160 favorite over Maryland, with that total pegged at 18.5. The final will be played Monday.

Few batters are as dangerous right now as Miami OF Giancarlo Stanton. He hit his 10th May homer in Friday's win over the Giants.

Orioles OF Adam Jones, 26, is reportedly getting a contract extension for six years and about $85 million. It would be the largest deal in franchise history. Entering Friday’s game, Jones was hitting .311 with 14 homers and 29 RBIs.

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

We're going to go thru the over/under win totals for each NFL team in this space over the next week, division-by-division. Today, the AFC South:

-- Houston 10, over -$120-- Phillips improved their defense LY.

-- Indianapolis 5.5, under -$135-- All they need is a lotta Luck.

-- Jacksonville 5.5, under -$135-- New owner, new coach; whos the QB?

-- Tennessee 7, over -$130-- Whatever happened to Chris Johnson?

Remember, what I've listed here are just odds, not any prediction.......


************


Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but........

13) Bought my 86-year old dad a cellphone to text on, which is interesting in itself, but Verizon nails you for a $35 “activation fee” when you buy a new phone. Rotten bastards; they should charge $35 extra for the phone- that would feel more honest. "Activation fees" reek of thievery.

Employees in the store agreed with me, but that’s business these days. Bleed your customers as much as humanly possible.

12) ESPN will be showing the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest from Coney Island again on July 4th. It might be the most bizarre hour of programming on ESPN all year.

11) You watch these NHL games, and they’ve got a sideline reporter down by the benches, Pierre McGuire; he was a scout/assistant coach for the Penguins when they won consecutive Stanley Cups in 1991/1992, and later was coach GM of the Hartford Whalers.

His last coaching job before moving to TV was coaching the Baton Rouge Kingfish of the ECHL; that’s like the coaching job Paul Newman had in Slap Shot. He must have some interesting stories.

10) Given that the Phillies are a combined 5-11 when Halladay/Lee start, and they’re 8-1 when Cole Hamels starts, if they contend later this summer, shouldn’t Hamels get strong MVP consideration?

9) Indiana Pacers’ coach Frankie Vogel played three years of D-III hoop at Juniata College in Pennsylvania, then transferred to Kentucky, where he spent two years as a student manager for Rick Pitino, because he knew he wanted to get into coaching.

Smart move, as the connections he made there got him into the NBA, where he has worked his way up to a head coaching job. Either Vogel is awful smart or he listens to someone who is awful smart.

8) When he was in 8th grade, Vogel appeared on the Stupid Human Tricks on the David Letterman Show, balancing a basketball on a toothbrush while he brushed his teeth. Not sure how someone starts doing that.

7) Georgia football coach Mark Richt got his contract extended three years, a must for recruiting, but he didn’t get a raise, though the money he can earn incentive-wise has risen. Always big expectations for the Dawgs, who have an experienced QB now, which always helps.

6) Why would JR Smith not have a valid driver’s license? How do you let it lapse? You can’t forget it, because you renew it on your birthday every few years. Smith’s given name is Earl, by the way.

5) Padres have a relief pitcher named Alex Hinshaw; turns out that his mother's brother was once Afghanistan's ambassador to Italy. Seriously.

4) I'm in a 16-team keeper fantasy league where you can draft guys in the minor leagues, 25 men on a team, 26 if you have someone on the DL. Well, as I type this, I have 16 batters/10 pitchers on my team; of my 16 batters, one is in the minors, seven are injured, eight are healthy. Nine hitters are in the lineup every week. Not good.

3) Think Texas Tech basketball coach Billy Gillispie enjoyed last season? Um, no. Six players transferred (got run out) of Lubbock after the season, with nine new players coming in to replace them. He'll do a good job there, but the Big X is deep water, with lot of big sharks swimming around. Need lot of good players to win in that league, so changes had to be made.

2) When Central Michigan fired coach Ernie Zeigler in March, his son Trey, who was by far the Chippewas' best player, transferred from Central to Pitt, for obvious reasons. The NCAA has shown unusually good sense and allowed young Zeigler to be eligible this coming season, rather than sit out a year. Zeigler is really good and will be a help for the Panthers.

1) Coming into Friday night's play, Milwaukee's Nyjer Morgan had come to bat with 49 men on base, and knocked none of them in. Zero. None. He is an outfielder, outfielders are supposed to produce runs. Yikes.

Public opinion: Saturday's top consenus plays

NBA:

Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics (-5.5, 170)

The 76ers are younger and quicker, but Boston is a different team at home. The Celtics are 8-2 in potential series closeout games at the Garden. And the last 11 times they came off a SU loss, the Celts are 8-2-1 ATS. To continue that trend, the Celts must do a better job in the paint, where they were outscored 42-16 in Game 6. The home team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.

Consensus: Celtics 62 percent/76ers 38 percent

MLB:

Philadelphia Phillies at St. Louis Cardinals (-160, 9)

Bettors are backing the dog and Kyle Kendrick, who has allowed three earned runs over his last two starts covering 13 innings. The Phillies have won the first two games of the series, scoring 15 runs on 27 hits. St. Louis starter Jaime Garcia also has been outstanding in his last two starts, yielding three earned runs over 14 1/3 innings. However, batters are hitting .300 against him overall as he’s given up 67 hits in 58 1/3 innings.

Consensus: Phillies 59 percent/Cardinals 41 percent

MLB
Dunkel

Toronto at Texas
The Blue Jays look to bounce back from yesterday's 14-3 blowout and take advantage of a Texas team that is 3-13 in its last 16 games following a win. Toronto is the pick (+160) according to Dunkel, which has the Blue Jays favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+160). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, MAY 26

Game 951-952: San Diego at NY Mets (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Richard) 14.877; NY Mets (Santana) 14.201
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-170); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+150); Over

Game 953-954: Washington at Atlanta (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Strasburg) 14.935; Atlanta (Minor) 15.974
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Washington (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+120); Under

Game 955-956: San Francisco at Miami (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Bumgarner) 14.951; Miami (Buehrle) 14.219
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Miami (-140); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+120); Over

Game 957-958: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Maholm) 13.320; Pittsburgh (Correia) 14.565
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-125); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-125); Under

Game 959-960: Philadelphia at St. Louis (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Kendrick) 15.744; St. Louis (Garcia) 14.926
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 10
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+145); Over

Game 961-962: Colorado at Cincinnati (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Guthrie) 14.906; Cincinnati (Leake) 15.553
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-145); Under

Game 963-964: Houston at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Norris) 14.591; LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 16.143
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-140); Over

Game 965-966: Milwaukee at Arizona (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Greinke) 15.495; Arizona (Miley) 14.384
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-125); Under

Game 967-968: Detroit at Minnesota (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Scherzer) 14.050; Minnesota (Pavano) 14.956
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Detroit (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+110); Under

Game 969-970: Toronto at Texas (3:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Alvarez) 16.252; Texas (Lewis) 15.252
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-180); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+160); Over

Game 971-972: NY Yankees at Oakland (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 14.384; Oakland (Colon) 15.276
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-175); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+155); Over

Game 973-974: Kansas City at Baltimore (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Paulino) 15.254; Baltimore (Chen) 15.012
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+110); Under

Game 975-976: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Lowe) 16.171; White Sox (Peavy) 15.414
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+125); Over

Game 977-978: Tampa Bay at Boston (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Price) 15.626; Boston (Beckett) 16.737
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-130); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-130); Under

Game 979-980: LA Angels at Seattle (7:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Williams) 15.286; Seattle (Hernandez) 16.201
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Seattle (-150); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-150); Over

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, May 26

Hot pitchers
-- Richard is 1-0, 2.41 in his last couple starts.
-- Buehrle is 3-0, 3.38 in his last four starts.
-- Kendrick has a 2.77 RA in his last couple starts. JGarcia is 1-0, 1.88 in his last two starts.
-- Guthrie is 2-0, 2.33 in his three road starts. Leake is 1-0, 2.57 in his last two starts.
-- Norris is 4-0, 0.69 in his last four starts.
-- Greinke is 2-0, 0.42 in his last three starts. Miley is 4-1, 2.15 in his last six outings.

-- Paulino is 2-1, 1.42 in four starts this season. Orioles won six of last seven WChen starts, but he has a 5.25 RA in his last four.
-- Lowe is 4-1, 1.55 in his last six starts. Peavy is 5-1, 2.17 in his last eight starts.
-- Beckett is 2-0, 0.61 in his last two starts.
-- FHernandez is 2-1, 0.87 in his four home starts. JWilliams is 3-1, 2.10 in his last four starts.

Cold pitchers
-- JSantana is 1-1, 4.28 in his last seven starts.
-- Minor is 0-3, 10.46 in his last five starts. Strasburg has a 5.14 RA in his last four starts.
-- Bumgarner is 0-2, 5.68 in his last three starts.
-- Ex-Pirate Maholm is 0-1, 6.57 in his last two starts. Correia is 0-5, 6.43 in his last five starts.
-- Billingsley is 0-3, 7.18 in his last six starts.

-- Scherzer is 2-2, 5.67 in his five road starts. Pavano is 0-1, 6.19 in his last three outings.
-- Alvarez is 0-2, 7.71 in his last couple starts. Lewis is 1-3, 6.59 in his last four starts.
-- Sabathia is 0-2, 4.85 in his last two starts. Ex-Bomber Colon is 1-2, 8.05 in his last four starts.
-- Price is 1-2, 4.29 in his last three starts.

Hot teams
-- Reds won six of their last seven games.
-- San Francisco won six of its last nine games. Marlins won four of their last six games.
-- Mets are 8-4 in their last twelve home games.
-- Nationals won four of their last five games.
-- Phillies won their last three games, scoring 19 runs.
-- Los Angeles won six of its last eight games. Astros won five of their last six games.

-- Red Sox won 10 of their last 14 games. Tampa Bay won its last four road games, scoring 27 runs.
-- Orioles won seven of their last ten games.
-- Indians won eight of their last eleven games. White Sox won seven of their last eight games.
-- Bronx won its last three games, allowing eight runs.
-- Angels won last four games, allowing five runs.

Cold teams
-- Cubs lost last ten games, scoring six runs in last five. Pirates lost threw of their last four games.
-- Padres lost four of their last five games.
-- Rockies lost six of their last eight games.
-- Braves lost six of their last seven games.
-- St Louis lost six of its last nine games.
-- Brewers lost six of their last nine games. Arizona lost ten of its last 12 home games.

-- Kansas City lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Blue Jays lost four of their last five games. Texas is 1-7 in game after its last eight wins.
-- Detroit lost nine of its last fourteen games. Twins lost four of five.
-- A's lost even of their last ten games.
-- Mariners lost three of their last four games.

Totals
-- Six of Cubs' last nine road games went over the total.
-- 11 of last 12 Miami home games went over the total.
-- Under is 4-2-1 in San Diego's last seven road games.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in Cincinnati's last ten home games.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Atlanta games.
-- Over is 13-2 in Philly's last fifteen road games.
-- Over is 5-3 in Arizona's last eight games.
-- Seven of last eight Houston road games stayed under total.

-- Five of last six Baltimore games went over the total.
-- Seven of last ten games at Fenway Park went over total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Toronto games.
-- Seven of last eight Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- You're reading ***************.com. Have a nice day.
-- Nine of last twelve White Sox home games went over total. Five of last seven Cleveland games stayed under.
-- Under is 9-4 in last thirteen Bronx games.
-- Six of Angels' last seven road games stayed under the total.

Umpires
-- SD-NY-- Home team won last four Guccione games.
-- Wsh-Atl-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Demuth games.
-- SF-Mia-- Six of last seven Wegner games stayed under.
-- Chi-Pitt-- Seven of nine Bellino games stayed under.
-- Phil-StL-- Lefty starters are 3-1 vs righties in Holbrook games.
-- Col-Cin-- Underdogs won five of last six Barry games.
-- Hst-LA-- Favorites won seven of nine Diaz games.
-- Mil-Az-- Five of last seven Cousins games stayed under.

-- Det-Min-- Visiting team won six of eight Porter games.
-- Tor-Tex-- Five of last seven Foster games stayed under.
-- NY-A's-- Six of eight O'Nora games went over the total.
-- KC-Blt-- Road team won four of last five Johnson games.
-- Clev-Chi-- Four of last five TBarrett games went over.
-- TB-Bos-- Favorites won six of last seven Rapuano games.
-- LA-Sea-- Under is 5-1-2 in Bucknor games this season.