Cnotes MLB News-Stats and POD'S Thru The World Series !

September Pitchers Report

September 1, 2013


Like our waistlines after a tasty Labor Day barbeque, MLB rosters have expanded to accommodate the final month of the season. And as College Football and the NFL barge onto the scene, MLB pitchers take the final spotlight in hopes of leading their teams on to the playoff trail. Which ones can we count on and which ones figure to belly up? Check it out.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team starts the last three seasons during the month of September. On the flip side, we’ve also listed pitchers that struggle in September team starts, winning 33% percent or less of their efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each September over the last three years.

Enjoy the September rush to the playoffs…

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS

Bailey, Homer - 11-5

If Cincinnati is going to catch Pittsburgh or St. Louis in the NL Central or host the Wild Card game, they will need Bailey to close strong like he has in other September’s in the past. Bailey is at his best when he is focused and gets his arm in the right slot, which adds speed to his fastball and improves his cutter.

Blanton, Joe - 11-2

Has been taken out of the starting rotation after compiling a 2-14 record and 6.12 ERA.

Cahill, Trevor - 12-3

The right-hander has largely been ineffective all year (5-10, 4.39 ERA) and it is difficult to image he will make many positive contributions to Arizona in the final month of the season in spite of his past.

Fister, Doug - 10-5

Except for a rough period in early July, Fister has been consistent, giving the Detroit offense a chance by keeping his team in games. When he’s on, Fister’s two-seam sinks, the big curveball breaks downward and the change-up fades from right-hand hitters.

Gallardo, Yovanni - 12-4

Having the worst year of his career due to losing 2-3 MPH on his fastball. After four straight years of 200+ strikeouts, sitting at 114 entering this month playing on a mediocre club.

Garcia, Freddy - 7-3

On August 23 was traded from Baltimore to Atlanta. Most likely mop-up duty for the Braves, if and when he sees the mound.

Gonzalez, Gio - 12-4

After a 21-win season a year ago, Gonzalez has come back to career norms. If the left-hander is to finish with a flourish, he will have to do better than have a 1.94 difference in road/home ERA like he has this year.

Guthrie, Mark - 10-4

Since his complete game back on August 5, Guthrie has allowed 38 hits over 24 innings and has not fooled many batters. Needs to get back on track where his pitchers were sinking consistently in the strike zone in the first part of the season.

Halladay, Roy - 11-4

After missing three and half months, Halladay has started twice and seen his ERA sink to a still unsavory 7.94. At 36 with continued shoulder and arm miseries the past few years, hard to imagine he turns into the pitcher of the past, nonetheless, he knows how to throw, which gives Harry (real first name) Halladay a chance.

Hammel, Jason - 7-3

Pitched August 29 in minor stint and is hoping for comeback for the DL to help Baltimore in a return to the postseason.

Holland, Derek - 11-5

A dependable starter who has a 2.78 ERA in his past 10 outings and is a true four-pitch starter. Besides a low to mid 90’s fastball, Holland ruins foes bat speed with a quality curve and changeup. Also does one of the better Harry Carry impersonations.

Hughes, Phillip - 8-4

Having a miserable campaign at 4-13 and body language suggests he lacks confidence. Nothing more than a two-pitch starter and opposing hitters sit on one pitch or the other. Might need a change of scenery unless he finds magic late.

Kennedy, Ian - 11-4

After a 21-4 campaign in 2011, Kennedy is under .500 since and was dealt from Arizona while they were still in the wild card race. Has been permitting about a hit an inning the past two years after being in the 0.835 range of base knocks per three outs the previous two years. He is tough to hit when commanding both sides of the plate.

Lee, Cliff - 11-4

Lack of run support has caused this veteran lefty about four wins in 2013. Lee turned 35 in late August and can still dominate on occasion, just not quite as often. Could have helped a playoff contender, instead, stuck in Philly, though he likes it there.

Porcello, Rick - 9-4

Porcello lacks a real “out” pitch and has to rely on his fielders to help him. Playing in Detroit assures him of runs support, but for the most part, he keeps the Tigers in games and provides them an opportunity to win.

Price, David - 14-3

Price has been right since coming off the DL and has a 2.45 ERA in his past 10 starts. He owns batters in the left side of the box who are hitting .190 against his tosses. Oddly, has an ERA almost one road lower on the road than at home which explains his bulldog intensity.

Verlander, Justin - 12-4

Not having a typical year, with punch-outs down and opponents hitting a slightly slower fastball with less movement. If the Tigers are near or clinch the AL Central in the latter stages of September, might not be a bad idea for manager Jim Leyland to have Verlander miss a start.

Weaver, Jered - 11-4

The Angels might be playing golf in early October; nonetheless, every five days until the end of the season, they will have a chance to win with Weaver climbing the hill. Incredibly reliable.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS

Chen, Bruce - 5-11

After being very effective out of the bullpen, manager Ned Yost needed a fifth starter and returned the veteran Chen to the rotation. He pitched well for several starts, yet recently has been batted around of late and might be tiring and have similar late season results.

Francis, Jeff - 2-10

Doing one-inning stints every five to seven days since being called up by Colorado at the end of July.

Hochevar, Luke - 4-9

Has worked out the Kansas City pen almost all year and might have found a niche with a 1.86 ERA for the year.

Wood, Travis - 3-10

Has pitched better than 8-10 record indicates and has 3.09 ERA, which is certainly respectable. The opposition is hitting only .214 against him; however, playing on another bad Chicago Cubs squad will not help Wood’s record no matter how well he throws.

Preview: Indians (71-64) at Tigers (80-56)
Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: September 01, 2013 1:08 PM EDT


Miguel Cabrera's hunt for another Triple Crown may resume on Sunday.

The Detroit Tigers' domination of the Cleveland Indians has never taken a break.

Detroit looks to wrap up another series sweep and an eighth straight victory over its closest pursuers in the AL Central.

Even without Cabrera in the lineup, the Tigers (80-56) kept rolling Saturday, picking up their 14th win in 15 tries against the Indians behind two Omar Infante home runs.

"Sometimes a team has got your number," Cleveland's Nick Swisher said after his team fell 8 1/2 games behind Detroit and remained 4 1/2 out of the second wild-card spot. "Just got to take it on the chin and keep moving. Keep fighting, that's all we can do."

Infante is batting .361 with two homers, three doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs in nine games against the Indians (71-64).

"Everybody knows Cabrera's a good hitter and we're better with him in the lineup," Infante said. "But we've got a good team. We've got good hitting. We've got everything."

Still, the Tigers hope to have their star back.

After making early exits on Thursday and Friday, Cabrera sat out Saturday's game with a strained left abdominal wall that has been bothering him for more than a month.

Cabrera didn't lose any ground in the Triple Crown chase - Baltimore's Chris Davis has gone three games without a home run - but that isn't general manager Dave Dombrowski's main concern.

"Our primary concern with Miguel Cabrera is his health," Dombrowski said. "As much as anybody would, we'd like to see him win the home run title, RBI title or Triple Crown, but he's playing for the good of the team."

Justin Verlander (12-10, 3.73 ERA) will look to bounce back from a pair of rough starts at Comerica Park in which he surrendered 11 runs in 12 innings.

Walks have been a problem of late, as the right-hander has surrendered three free passes in consecutive starts.

Home runs have also been a problem. After allowing 12 home runs through his first 24 starts, Verlander has yielded a long ball in four straight starts, giving up five overall.

Those two trends accounted for most of the damage Tuesday, when Verlander yielded five runs - three earned - in five innings of a 6-3 loss to Oakland.

A leadoff walk led to a two-run first inning for the Athletics.

"Even in that inning, there were times that I felt like I had really good stuff, but I couldn't control it," Verlander said. "I'd get in a rhythm for a couple pitches, and then get out of sync again."

Danny Salazar (1-2, 3.67) has also struggled with the long ball, surrendering five home runs over his last 21 innings.

On Tuesday, Salazar allowed two runs, three hits and two walks in four innings of a 2-0 loss to Atlanta.

Since throwing 103 pitches in his second start of the season, when he allowed four runs in 7 2-3 innings to Detroit, Salazar has yet to go beyond 77 in three starts.

Salazar's 120 innings between the major and minor leagues this season already far exceed his 87 2-3 in 2012.

"There's going to be a day when we can turn him loose and let that four turn into six or seven, but not right now," manager Terry Francona said.

Cabrera struck out his first three times against Salazar but homered in his final at-bat off the right-hander on Aug. 7, while Austin Jackson also homered.

Verlander has won three straight starts against the Indians, including eight innings of one-run ball on Aug. 6.

New acquisition Jason Kubel is 12 for 41 off Verlander with five doubles.

------------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Tigers
Fri, Aug 30 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Tigers
Sat, Aug 31 Final 5 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Indians at Tigers
Sun, Sep 1 - 1:08PM EDT

Preview: Orioles (71-63) at Yankees (72-63)
Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 01, 2013 1:05 PM EDT


New York Yankees starter Andy Pettitte says his pitches are finally cooperating during his three-start winning streak.

That's usually the case when he faces the Baltimore Orioles.

The veteran has won eight straight regular-season decisions against the Orioles and hasn't lost to them in the Bronx in over 14 years as he tries to help the Yankees complete a three-game sweep Sunday.

Pettitte (10-9, 4.05 ERA) has owned one of the highest opponent batting averages throughout this season, with a current mark of .288. He's limited hitters to a .221 average during this streak in which he has yielded four runs - one earned - over 19 2-3 innings after he was on course to finish with a losing record for the first time in his 18-year career.

"The biggest thing, like I said for several months, the pitches weren't doing what they're supposed to do," Pettitte said. "They're cooperating right now. Hopefully they'll cooperate the rest of the season."

Pettitte is 8-0 with a 2.99 ERA in his last 11 starts against the Orioles (71-63), not including a loss in Game 2 of last year's division series. He's 9-0 with a 2.44 ERA in his last 11 home starts against them since July 5, 1999.

The left-hander's 28 regular-season wins over the Orioles rank him second since the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1954. Fellow southpaw and former Yankees great Whitey Ford is first with 30.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter may want to bench J.J. Hardy, who is hitless in 13 at_bats and 2 for 23 overall including postseason against Pettitte.

Showalter will give Mike Morse his Orioles debut Sunday - the day rosters expand - after the slugger was acquired Friday from Seattle.

"We've got a lot of moving parts right now and hopefully Mike Morse will get a good night's sleep and be ready to start his career as an Oriole we hope," Showalter said.

New York (72-63) moved one-half game in front of Baltimore in the playoff race by winning 8-5 on Friday and 2-0 on Saturday.

Orioles nemesis Robinson Cano is 4 for 7 with four RBIs and three runs scored in the series, returning in strong fashion after missing a game when he was hit by a pitch Tuesday in Toronto. Cano is hitting .365 with three homers and 10 RBIs in a season series even at seven wins apiece.

It's unclear if Alex Rodriguez will be in New York's lineup after he was scratched Saturday because of flulike symptoms. Former Orioles slugger Mark Reynolds moved from first to third base and Lyle Overbay played first.

The Yankees are 25-18 against left-handed starters as they face the first of four straight in Wei-Yin Chen (7-7, 3.76), who is hoping to bounce back in September after going 1-4 with a 6.00 ERA in five August outings.

Chen defeated Pettitte in that division series matchup last year by yielding two runs over 6 1-3 innings in a 3-2 home victory. He's 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA in five career regular-season outings against the Yankees, going 0-2 with a 4.26 ERA in two on the road.

Cano is 4 for 16 overall against Chen, Derek Jeter is 5 for 16 and Curtis Granderson is 2 for 11.

Major league home run leader Chris Davis is 5 for 14 with a homer overall against Pettitte, but 5 for 27 with one homer and 13 strikeouts in the Bronx this year.

-----------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Yankees
Fri, Aug 30 Final 5 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Orioles at Yankees
Sat, Aug 31 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Orioles at Yankees
Sun, Sep 1 - 1:05PM EDT

Preview: Royals (69-66) at Blue Jays (62-74)
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: September 01, 2013 1:07 PM EDT


While the Kansas City Royals arrived at Rogers Centre enjoying one of their longest winning streaks of the season, they haven't seen their success carry over north of the border.

Kansas City tries to avoid a three-game sweep against the Toronto Blue Jays, who go for a sixth win in seven games Sunday.

The Royals (69-66) had won five straight by a 34-8 margin before failing to generate much offense in Friday's 3-2 loss. They suffered another close defeat Saturday, falling 4-2 after Aaron Crow issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks during Toronto's three-run eighth-inning rally.

"We can't be coming in and doing that at this time of year," said manager Ned Yost, who was ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Will Little. "We've got to command the ball a little better in these crucial situations. Aaron does, anyway."

Sitting in sixth place in the AL wild-card standings, Kansas City has gone 3-10 in the series since the start of last year.

The Blue Jays (62-74) have followed a season worst-tying seven-game losing streak with a 5-1 stretch. R.A. Dickey threw eight strong innings and Jose Reyes collected three hits Saturday.

Ryan Goins has also provided a big spark, hitting safely in each of his first eight career games to match Jesse Barfield's team record set in 1981. The second baseman, who was called up last Thursday, has gone 12 for 30 (.400) with seven runs.

The Blue Jays will try to keep things going against Royals starter James Shields (9-8, 3.14 ERA), who is seeking his major league best-tying 23rd quality start.

The right-hander has been nearly untouchable in his last four starts, going 3-0 with a 1.91 ERA. Shields gave up one run and four hits in 7 1-3 innings in Tuesday's 6-1 victory at Minnesota.

"I've got a ton of quality starts this year and I feel like I've been pitching well all year," he said. "The wins are going to come. I'm not really too worried about it. I'm just going to keep grinding out the rest of the season and hope for the best."

Shields had gone 5-0 with a 0.94 ERA during a six-start stretch against the Blue Jays before throwing a two-hitter in a 3-2 loss April 13. Shields has also gone the distance in his last two starts in Toronto, winning both while allowing a combined one run and striking out 19.

Edwin Encarnacion is 5 for 26 in their matchups, and Rajai Davis is 1 for 11.

The Blue Jays counter with J.A. Happ (3-4, 5.46), who has posted an 8.10 ERA in losing his last two starts. The left-hander yielded five runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings in Tuesday's 7-1 defeat to the New York Yankees.

"I know I can pitch better," he said. "I'm going to try not to think about this one too much, try not to overanalyze it. I felt good, I'm healthy, I'm throwing the ball well. I just need to take that next step."

Happ has won both his career starts against the Royals despite a 4.91 ERA. He surrendered four runs in five innings but earned the win in an 8-4 road victory April 12.

Alcides Escobar is 1 for 10 versus Happ, and Justin Maxwell, Mike Moustakas and Billy Butler are a combined 0 for 12. Butler, hitless in his last 11 at_bats, is 2 for his last 42 against the Blue Jays.

-----------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Blue Jays
Fri, Aug 30 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Blue Jays
Sat, Aug 31 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Royals at Blue Jays
Sun, Sep 1 - 1:07PM EDT

Preview: White Sox (56-78) at Red Sox (81-56)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: September 01, 2013 1:35 PM EDT


Tremendous pitching has sparked the Boston Red Sox's recent surge.

Another strong outing would make this their most impressive stretch in nearly a century.

Felix Doubront looks to continue doing his part as the Red Sox attempt to create more breathing room atop the AL East by sweeping a three-game series from the Chicago White Sox at home for the first time in 23 years.

Boston (81-56) leads the division by 4 1/2 games over second-place Tampa Bay, and is showing signs of further widening that gap while winning eight of its last 11 games.

The pitching staff has spurred that stretch with a 2.03 ERA, allowing three or fewer runs in all 11 games, matching a run from April 12-25, 1988.

The Red Sox last accomplished that over 12 straight games from Aug. 3-16, 1915.

Jake Peavy and two relievers got them closer to that mark Saturday, holding Chicago to five hits in a 7-2 win.

Boston now turns to Doubront (10-6, 3.74 ERA), and matching that run from 98 years ago could complete the team's first home sweep of the White Sox since July 30-Aug. 1, 1990.

The left-hander, who is only in his second full year in the majors, has won his last two starts while yielding three runs in 14 2-3 innings. He's also drawing inspiration from Peavy and the rest of the veteran-laden Red Sox rotation.

"It's great," Doubront told the team's official website. "Every time when I see those guys, the veteran guys, (John) Lackey, Jonny (Lester), (Jake) Peavy, they give me more confidence. They've been around for a long time. I'm just looking forward to doing the same and trying to give my best and stay healthy."

Doubront was solid again Tuesday, striking out seven and allowing two runs and four hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 13-2 romp past Baltimore.

"It's late in the season. Those bats are getting tired," Doubront said. "I was working my fastball. I was feeling good. Throwing the ball down was the most important for me the last two outings. It really was working."

Doubront has won two of three starts against the White Sox behind a 3.00 ERA, and he can't be entirely blamed for the defeat. He allowed two runs in six innings while the offense didn't give him any support in a 3-1 loss.

Jacoby Ellsbury is sparking the Red Sox at the plate, going 10 for 22 (.455) with six runs and three stolen bases over the past five games after getting three hits and scoring twice Saturday.

The center fielder is a career .331 hitter against the White Sox (56-78).

Avisail Garcia has three of Chicago's 11 hits in this series, including a homer, and is batting .354 with 11 RBIs and 11 runs in 21 games since being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. He's 10 for 21 (.476) with two homers and six RBIs over the past five contests.

The White Sox will give the ball to Andre Rienzo (1-0, 4.21) for his first appearance against the Red Sox, and the rookie right-hander is trying to rebound from his worst performance of the season.

He was tagged for seven runs and nine hits, including three homers, in six innings while not getting a decision in Monday's 10-8 loss to Houston.

Rienzo is 1-0 with a 2.88 ERA while limiting opponents to a .204 batting average in four road starts.

-----------------------------------------------------------

GAME 1
White Sox at Red Sox
Fri, Aug 30 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Red Sox
Sat, Aug 31 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
White Sox at Red Sox
Sun, Sep 1 - 1:35PM EDT

Preview: Cardinals (78-57) at Pirates (79-56)
Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: September 01, 2013 1:35 PM EDT


A month ago, Joe Kelly helped the St. Louis Cardinals avoid being swept in a five-game series at Pittsburgh.

Facing a more potent Pirates lineup with newly acquired slugger Justin Morneau on Sunday, Kelly looks to continue his recent success as a starter and again help the Cardinals avoid being swept in Pittsburgh for the first time in almost five years.

Pittsburgh (79-56) outscored St. Louis 22-7 to win four straight before Kelly (6-3, 2.91 ERA) allowed three hits in six innings of the 13-0 victory Aug. 1 to help the visitors avoid the five-game sweep.

The Pirates have outscored the Cardinals (78-57) 12-1 through two this weekend to move one game ahead in the NL Central race. A.J. Burnett threw seven strong innings and Neil Walker had three hits as Pittsburgh moved within three victories of its first winning season since 1992 with Saturday's 7-1 victory.

"It's a great feat,' Burnett said. "It's been a long time, but our goals have been higher than that.'

Pittsburgh, however, must get by Kelly in order to sweep its first home series from the Cardinals since Sept. 12-14, 2008.

Kelly is 6-0 with a 2.24 ERA in nine starts since joining the rotation July 6, and he's allowed three runs on two homers over 18 innings while winning three straight outings overall. The right-hander gave up a solo shot in the fifth inning and lasted one more frame during Tuesday's 6-1 victory over Cincinnati.

"He just keeps making good starts for us," manager Mike Matheny said.

Kelly, though, faces a Pittsburgh lineup with newcomer Marlon Byrd and Morneau, who was acquired from Minnesota on Saturday in exchange for outfielder Alex Presley.

Morneau, who played only for Minnesota since breaking in with the Twins in 2003, hit .259 with 17 homers and 74 RBIs in 127 games this season. He arrived at PNC Park in the middle of Saturday's game, but did not play.

"Everybody knows we got better with the addition of Justin,' catcher Russell Martin said. "He's an ex-MVP. He knows what he's doing out there. He's going to give you a productive at-bat and he lengthens the middle of the order.'

Byrd, acquired along with John Buck from the New York Mets on Tuesday, is 5 for 16 with four RBIs for his new team.

Allen Craig had two of the six hits Saturday for the Cardinals, who have totaled one run and 15 hits during a three-game slide that followed a stretch of nine wins in 11 contests.

"I like what our offense has done over the majority of the season," Matheny said. "You don't want to take a couple of games and start making conclusions. We're just going to keep going about it.'

Catcher Yadier Molina ranks among the major league leaders with .328 average, but is 2 for 15 in his last four games overall and 0 for 15 in his last five at Pittsburgh.

Kris Johnson is slated to make his first career start for the Pirates in the finale. In his major league debut out of the bullpen, the left-hander allowed two runs and struck out five while pitching the 11th through the 16th innings of a 4-2 loss to Arizona on Aug. 18.

---------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Pirates
Fri, Aug 30 Final 0 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cardinals at Pirates
Sat, Aug 31 Final 1 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Cardinals at Pirates
Sun, Sep 1 - 1:35PM EDT

Preview: Angels (62-72) at Brewers (59-76)
Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: September 01, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


The Los Angeles Angels' last loss in Milwaukee came more than 16 years ago.

Giving the ball to C.J. Wilson may just keep it that way.

Unbeaten for nearly two months, Wilson looks to help the Angels beat the Brewers for an eighth straight meeting as the visitor Sunday.

Los Angeles (62-72) hasn't lost in Milwaukee since May 11, 1997, when the Brewers were a member of the AL and played at County Stadium.

The Angels' road winning streak in the series started with two wins there before taking all five visits at Miller Park.

Hank Conger kept that run going in dramatic fashion Saturday, putting Los Angeles up for good with a two-run, two-out homer in the ninth of a 6-5 win over Milwaukee (59-76).

"We kept playing baseball," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We got some breaks on the offensive side, a couple balls to fall in, and then there was some big hits at the end."

Sweeping the Brewers would cap the Angels' nine-game road trip with an eighth win, and turning to Wilson (13-6, 3.36 ERA) seems to give them a good chance.

Wilson has never pitched at Miller Park, but he's 9-1 with a 2.78 ERA over his last 14 starts this season. That stretch includes six straight winning decisions on the road as he's gotten 8.43 runs of support per nine innings.

The left-hander didn't get a decision or much help from the bats at Tampa Bay on Tuesday, when he allowed three runs with five walks in five innings while being backed by one run in a 6-5 win.

The Brewers, losers of five of six at Miller Park, will counter with Kyle Lohse (9-8, 3.39), who is 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA in five home starts since the All-Star break.

The right-hander struggled through his latest outing at Pittsburgh on Tuesday, giving up five runs and a career-high 13 hits in 5 1-3 innings while not getting a decision in a 7-6 win.

He has an 11.85 ERA over his last three starts against the Angels, but hasn't faced them since 2010.

Los Angeles may opt to start Chris Iannetta behind the plate after he went 2 for 4 with a solo homer Saturday. Iannetta is also 3 for 8 with a double off Lohse.

J.B. Shuck enters his first matchup with Lohse on a six-game hitting streak, during which he's 11 for 26 with four runs. The outfielder has a .417 average over his last 11 interleague games.

The Brewers are getting impressive production from Jonathan Lucroy, who is hitting .386 with 13 RBIs in 19 games. The catcher had three hits while matching his season high by plating four runs Saturday.

"Guys on base ... he's tough. He stays inside the ball, he stays on off-speed stuff," manager Ron Roenicke said. "They try to come in on him and he can still get to it. He's a tough guy to get out."

----------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Angels at Brewers
Fri, Aug 30 Final 5 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Angels at Brewers
Sat, Aug 31 Final 6 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Angels at Brewers
Sun, Sep 1 - 2:10PM EDT

Preview: Mariners (62-73) at Astros (44-91)
Game: 4
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: September 01, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


A string of strong pitching performances have the Seattle Mariners enjoying their best road stretch in more than two years.

Now they have a chance to keep it going with Hisashi Iwakuma on the mound.

The All-Star looks to pick up his 13th win while leading the Mariners to their sixth straight road victory Sunday against the light-hitting Houston Astros.

Joe Saunders provided Seattle its latest solid pitching effort, allowing an unearned run in 5 1-3 innings, as the Mariners won their third straight following a six-game home skid with Saturday's 3-1 victory. While they're nearing a fourth straight losing campaign, the Mariners (62-73) have a 1.80 ERA during their longest road tear since winning six in a row from April 17-30, 2011.

"It's a good turnaround for us," Saunders told the team's official website. "It shows character about what this team is about. It shows a lot. I think we've done that all year, to forget easily and turn the page quick."

Iwakuma (12-6, 3.03 ERA) looks to guide Seattle to its first four-game road sweep since July 7-10, 2005, in Anaheim. He ranks in the top 10 in the AL in wins, ERA, opponent batting average (.225), innings pitched (184) and strikeouts (157).

The right-hander seeks his third straight win, though he allowed three runs - all in the second inning - over six innings in a 4-3, 10-inning loss to Texas on Tuesday. He regrouped to retire 13 of the final 15 batters he faced.

Iwakuma has been particularly sharp on the road, going 3-0 with a 2.36 ERA in his last four starts. The first outing in that stretch came in Houston on July 20, when he allowed two runs over seven innings in a 4-2 win.

He's 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA with 26 strikeouts in three career starts against the last-place Astros (44-91).

Although Jason Castro is hitting .419 over his last 11 games overall, he's 2 for 8 with three strikeouts against Iwakuma and 2 for 17 with 10 strikeouts in his last five versus the Mariners.

The Astros, who are headed toward their third straight 100-loss season, have totaled eight runs and batted .200 while losing five straight.

"We just can't seem to be able to get the big hit,' said manager Bo Porter after his team went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position Saturday.

Houston will try to avoid its 22nd in 27 games at Minute Maid Park by giving the ball to rookie Brett Oberholtzer (3-1, 3.43).

After going 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA over his first four starts, the left-hander allowed season highs of five runs and eight hits over 5 1-3 innings before leaving without a decision in Monday's 10-8 win over the White Sox.

Oberholtzer hopes to bounce back against a Seattle team that has averaged 5.0 runs during its road winning streak. Mariners center fielder Dustin Ackley is 14 for 30 over his last eight games despite going 0 for 4 on Saturday.

Rookie shortstop Brad Miller has gone 4 for 11 in this series, raising his average to .348 over his last 11 games.

------------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Astros
Thu, Aug 29 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Astros
Fri, Aug 30 Final 7 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mariners at Astros
Sat, Aug 31 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Mariners at Astros
Sun, Sep 1 - 2:10PM EDT

Preview: Phillies (62-74) at Cubs (57-78)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: September 01, 2013 2:20 PM EDT


The Chicago Cubs' Jake Arrieta and Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Kendrick are hardly imposing pitchers.

Don't tell that to two of the hottest hitters in this weekend series - the Phillies' Michael Young and the Cubs' Starlin Castro.

Young has never gotten a hit off Arrieta and Castro has come up empty against Kendrick heading into Sunday's matchup at Wrigley Field.

These teams have traded one-run victories in a series highlighted by interim Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg's return to Wrigley.

Young is 7 for 10 with three RBIs through two games while Castro is 4 for 9 with three doubles, three RBIs and his first homer since July 31 in Saturday's 4-3 win.

It's possible - and probably surprising given who they are - that Sandberg and Cubs manager Dale Sveum are using the perfect starters to slow those hitters down.

Young, 10 for 17 against Chicago (57-78) this year, is 0 for 10 against Arrieta (1-1, 4.50 ERA), and the only pitcher he has fared worse against in his career is the now-retired Esteban Yan (0 for 14).

Castro is 0 for 9 against Kendrick (10-11, 4.40) to match his mark against Reds left-hander Tony Cingrani for his worst against any pitcher.

Sunday's right-handed starters have been plagued by poor run support.

Kendrick is 1-5 with a 6.11 ERA over his last seven outings, and his offense has produced 11 total runs of support in that span. Eight came in his lone win since the All-Star break - a six-inning stint against the Cubs in which he gave up five runs for a 9-8 victory Aug. 6.

The Phillies were shut out for the third time in Kendrick's last four outings Tuesday against the Mets as he gave up five runs - one earned - over six innings in a 5-0 loss.

Kendrick is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs, limiting them to a .208 average.

Chicago has scored one run or zero in three of Arrieta's four starts since he was acquired from Baltimore on July 2.

The Cubs gave him no support Tuesday, as Arrieta was charged with four runs over five-plus innings in a 6-2 loss to the Dodgers.

Arrieta's lone career start against Philadelphia (62-74) came June 8, 2012, with Baltimore. He surrendered nine runs over four innings in a 9-6 loss.

Both clubs' bullpens have been busy this weekend with 13 1-3 innings. Each team's starter allowed three runs in five innings Saturday before five Cubs relievers finished with four scoreless innings.

Chicago improved to 4-16 at home since the All-Star break.

"They haven't come around too often lately so it was nice to get the lead and all the relievers did a great job, made the plays when they had to and did a nice job to get a win at home," Sveum said.

Phillies third baseman Cody Asche has missed three straight games with a right hamstring strain, but should return to the lineup Sunday.

---------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Cubs
Fri, Aug 30 Final 6 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Phillies at Cubs
Sat, Aug 31 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Phillies at Cubs
Sun, Sep 1 - 2:20PM EDT

Preview: Twins (58-76) at Rangers (79-56)
Game: 3
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: September 01, 2013 3:05 PM EDT


The Texas Rangers know they'll remain in sole possession of first place Monday when they head into a key road series with their closest pursuer in the AL West.

Whether Elvis Andrus will be ready for that set remains to be seen.

With the status of their shortstop uncertain, the Rangers look to build momentum for their upcoming trip by taking this three-game series from the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Texas (79-56) has a two-game division lead over Oakland, where it begins a six-game California trip on Monday. Before the Rangers can worry about that pivotal series, they'll look to build on Saturday's 2-1 win over Minnesota (58-76).

Leonys Martin hit a bases-loaded single with two out in the ninth to give Texas its 23rd win in 30 games.

"We put ourself in a position to win, and Leonys came through,' manager Ron Washington said.

However, the victory didn't come without a price after Andrus left in the first inning because of tightness in his lower back. Batting .364 with seven RBIs in his last 11 games, Andrus continues to deal with back problems that have plagued him most of the season.

Teammate Adrian Beltre drove in the other run with a sacrifice fly, but is 1 for 7 in the series.

The Rangers could be in for a stiff test Sunday against Kevin Correia (8-10, 4.32 ERA), who gave up six hits in eight innings of a 5-0 victory over them April 28.

The right-hander has a 1.93 ERA over his last four starts despite a 1-2 record. He gave up six hits and struck out seven over seven scoreless innings while not factoring in the decision of a 6-1 loss to Kansas City on Tuesday.

"A strong effort by him throwing the ball," manager Ron Gardenhire told the Twins' official website. "He used all of his pitches, he had them all working for him."

Hours after trading longtime star and fan favorite Justin Morneau to Pittsburgh in exchange for outfielder Alex Presley, the Twins managed five hits while losing for the sixth time in seven games Saturday.

Brian Dozier homered for one of his two hits. Three of his seven hits in the last 26 at_bats have been home runs, and Dozier is 7 for 22 against the Rangers this season.

Minnesota faces Travis Blackley (2-1, 4.80), who is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts since he was acquired from Houston on Aug. 14. He allowed three runs in six innings of an 8-3 victory at Seattle on Monday.

"He has an idea of what he is doing out there," Washington told the Rangers' official website. "He's able to change speeds, use his changeup and curveball and move his fastball around."

The left-hander allowed a homer to Trevor Plouffe and two other hits over five innings while not factoring in the decision of his only previous start versus Minnesota, a 5-4 loss while pitching for Oakland on May 28, 2012.

----------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Rangers
Fri, Aug 30 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Rangers
Sat, Aug 31 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Twins at Rangers
Sun, Sep 1 - 3:05PM EDT

Preview: Rays (75-59) at Athletics (77-58)
Game: 3
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: September 01, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


The next time the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays meet, they could be facing off in the American League wild-card game.

For now, the Athletics can avenge their April sweep at the hands of the Rays completing their own on Sunday.

By winning the first two games of this series - and five of its last six overall - Oakland (77-58) has taken a 1 1/2-game lead over Tampa Bay for the first wild-card spot, which carries home-field advantage.

The A's won with timely hitting and good pitching Saturday as Coco Crisp's sixth-inning RBI single and eighth-inning solo homer provided the offense in a 2-1 victory after they had scored 38 runs in the previous five games.

Crisp, who had been 2 for his last 15, had three hits on Saturday and has five home runs in his last 10 games.

The Athletics have homered in 13 straight games - with 20 home runs during that stretch. They finished August with 35 home runs, third in the major leagues.

The Rays (75-59) might not make it to the postseason if they can't spark their offense. They've scored just 16 runs while losing six of seven and gone 58 innings without a home run.

"Offensively, we have to stir it up," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We've pitched well and caught it but we haven't hit well. The offense has to pick it up. We've got a lot of it in place; we just need to get it going."

David DeJesus is 1 for 9 during the Rays' current three-game losing streak, and Yunel Escobar is 2 for 11.

Evan Longoria is mired in a somewhat longer slump. After homering in three consecutive games, the third baseman is 2 for 23 with eight strikeouts in his last six.

"There's no doubt I'm frustrated," Longoria said. "It seems I can't put it all together over a long period. I keep doing the same things but it's eluded me."

Longoria and the Rays will hope to find their power stroke against A.J. Griffin, who has struggled all year keeping the ball down.

Griffin (11-9, 3.94 ERA) has allowed a major league-worst 32 home runs, with 14 coming over his last eight starts.

Those problems were again magnified Monday, when he allowed two home runs and four runs overall in five innings, but he still got the win in Oakland's 8-6 victory over Detroit.

"I was just trying to battle and keep the ball down good," Griffin said. "It's good to win, a good battle. It felt like a playoff atmosphere."

Griffin did solve some of his control problems in the win with just one walk after issuing 15 over his previous three starts. He has faced Tampa Bay just once, allowing three runs in seven innings of a 4-3 Oakland victory on July 30, 2012.

Jamey Wright (2-2, 2.97) will make his first start since 2007 for Tampa Bay. The veteran right-hander has made 54 relief appearances this year and was rewarded for a strong August in which he allowed one run in 11 2-3 innings spanning nine outings.

He last appeared Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels, throwing 19 pitches in 1 1-3 scoreless innings. Wright has gone three innings on two occasions this season and threw a season-high 45 pitches in one of them on May 24.

Wright faced one Oakland batter this season, hitting Brandon Moss with a pitch on April 19. After posting a 6.63 ERA in three starts versus the Athletics, he has a 0.61 ERA against them in 15 relief appearances.

-------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Athletics
Fri, Aug 30 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at Athletics
Sat, Aug 31 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rays at Athletics
Sun, Sep 1 - 4:05PM EDT

Preview: Reds (76-60) at Rockies (64-73)
Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 01, 2013 4:10 PM EDT


Brandon Phillips is on a tear, and that may only continue against the Colorado Rockies.

The Cincinnati Reds may be hoping he can keep it up beyond that in order to further tighten the NL Central race.

With another important series against St. Louis looming, the visiting Reds could use another impressive performance from Phillips in order to beat the Rockies again in Sunday's finale.

Phillips is 7 for 14 over his last three games with a homer, two doubles, a triple and four RBIs.

He turned in his best performance of that stretch in Saturday's 8-3 win at Colorado, becoming the first Red to come a single shy of the cycle since Adam Dunn on May 10, 2007.

"It would have been nice to get it done," Phillips said of possibly hitting for the cycle for the first time.

Cincinnati (76-60) could use another strong performance from the All-Star second baseman before returning home to open a four-game series with the Cardinals.

The Reds dropped two of three at St. Louis before arriving in Denver.

Cincinnati is 2 1/2 games back of second-place St. Louis, and 3 1/2 behind division-leading Pittsburgh. However, the Reds have a six-game cushion on Arizona for the NL's second wild-card spot.

Phillips will try to help them close those gaps Sunday, and he's 15 for 31 (.484) with seven extra-base hits, 12 RBIs and nine runs over his last eight meetings with the Rockies.

A big day at the plate may be important with Mike Leake (11-5, 3.27 ERA) on the mound. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 6.44 ERA over his last five starts, and that includes surrendering nine runs in 11 1-3 innings in two road outings.

Leake had a 1.94 ERA to go with his 7-1 record over his previous 12 away starts. He was hit hard Monday at St. Louis, giving up five runs in 6 1-3 innings of an 8-6 loss.

Leake will now make his first appearance at Coors Field. He's 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in two starts versus the Rockies.

Colorado (64-73) will counter with Tyler Chatwood (7-4, 3.15), who will make his return from right elbow inflammation.

The right-hander has been out since the worst outing of his career July 31 at Atlanta, when he gave up eight runs and 10 hits in 2 1-3 innings of a 9-0 loss.

He was impressive in a rehabilitation start with Triple-A Colorado Springs on Tuesday, yielding one run in 5 1-3 innings.

"Chatty seems ready to roll on Sunday," manager Walt Weiss told the team's official website.

He lost his only career meeting with Cincinnati on June 3, allowing one run in four innings of a 3-0 defeat.

Todd Helton went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts Saturday after hitting two homers to match his career high of six RBIs in the series opener.

He's 3 for 4 versus Leake, while Troy Tulowitzki is 3 for 6 with a homer.

----------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Rockies
Fri, Aug 30 Final 6 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Reds at Rockies
Sat, Aug 31 Final 8 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Reds at Rockies
Sun, Sep 1 - 4:10PM EDT

Preview: Padres (60-75) at Dodgers (80-55)
Game: 3
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 01, 2013 4:10 PM EDT


The Los Angeles Dodgers' Zack Greinke has been lobbying to pitch deeper into games, and manager Don Mattingly is listening.

It hasn't hurt that the right-hander has been one of baseball's top pitchers over the past two months.

After winning all five of his August starts in impressive fashion, Greinke will look to carry that success into September on Sunday against the visiting San Diego Padres.

Carl Crawford snapped out of a 2-for-20 slump with three hits and pinch-hitter Mark Ellis singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as Los Angeles won its third straight with a 2-1 victory Saturday.

The surging Dodgers (80-55), who have a 10 1/2-game lead in the NL West, look to build on their 23-6 August - the most wins in a month since moving to Los Angeles in 1958.

They sought to get even better Saturday by picking up veteran Michael Young from the Phillies in exchange for left-hander Rob Rasmussen. Young has been on a tear, going 13 for 26 over his last six games.

"We like the guys that we have, but Michael just adds to it,' said Mattingly, who plans to use Young to spell Juan Uribe at third base or Adrian Gonzalez at first.

While Young figures to make the offense stronger, the Dodgers' pitching staff has certainly been a strength with a major-league best 2.46 ERA - far ahead of Atlanta's second-best 3.07 - during this stretch of 50 wins in 63 games.

Greinke (13-3, 2.86 ERA) has played a major role, going 10-1 with a 2.14 ERA while limiting opponents to a .217 batting average over that span. He's tied with Pittsburgh's Francisco Liriano (10-3) for the most wins in the majors since June 22.

After badgering his skipper for a month to let him continue into the later innings, Greinke came within one strike of his fifth career shutout before giving up a two-run double in Monday's 6-2 victory over the Cubs. He ended up allowing two runs and five hits while striking out nine and throwing 122 pitches over his 8 2-3 innings.

"I'm a little torn with it, honestly," Mattingly said. "I wanted to keep him at 115 (pitches), but he's earned the right to go for it.'

Greinke will attempt to win six straight starts for the first time since winning nine in a row bridging the 2008-09 seasons. He's gone 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA while helping Los Angeles win both his starts against the Padres.

San Diego (60-75) hopes to avoid its fifth loss in six games by giving the ball to Tyson Ross (3-7, 3.05).

Since going 3-1 with a 1.32 ERA with 36 strikeouts in five starts after rejoining the rotation in late July, Ross has allowed 11 runs and 13 hits over 12 1-3 innings while dropping his last two. He was charged with season highs of six runs and seven hits in six-plus innings in a 6-1 loss at Arizona on Monday.

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA in three appearances versus the Dodgers this season. He allowed one run and six hits over 4 2-3 innings in a 7-2 win at Dodger Stadium on April 17 in his only career start against them.

Gonzalez is 3 for 4 with a double when facing Ross, and is hitting .463 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 14 home games against the Padres.

-----------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Dodgers
Fri, Aug 30 Final 2 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Padres at Dodgers
Sat, Aug 31 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Padres at Dodgers
Sun, Sep 1 - 4:10PM EDT

Preview: Giants (60-75) at Diamondbacks (69-65)
Game: 3
Venue: Chase Field
Date: September 01, 2013 4:10 PM EDT


After Patrick Corbin stymied hitters for most of the season, the All-Star left-hander has been mired in extended rough stretch for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Corbin looks to bounce back from his worst outing of the season when he tries to help the Arizona Diamondbacks win their third straight home series Sunday against the San Francisco Giants.

After yielding two runs during his second complete game of the season against Cincinnati on Aug. 20, Corbin (13-4, 2.79 ERA) allowed a career-high nine in 5 1-3 innings of a 9-5 loss at Philadelphia last Sunday.

"It just wasn't my day,' he said. "I left a lot of pitches up. I didn't have my best stuff. I feel bad about not going deeper into the game.'

Since going 12-1 with a 2.31 ERA in his first 20 starts and earning a spot on the NL All-Star roster, the left-hander is 1-3 with a 4.35 ERA in the last six.

Corbin, however, has given up three runs in 14 2-3 innings while not factoring in the decision of two victories over San Francisco (60-75) this season.

Arizona (69-65) snapped a three-game home slide to the Giants by beating them for the second time in eight meetings at Chase Field, 4-3 on Saturday. Eric Chavez delivered a game-winning single in the ninth as the Diamondbacks bounced back after stranding eight runners in Friday's 1-0 loss.

They've posted 12 walk-off victories and 29 comeback wins this season.

"We've been good at it, it's just not a fun way to play baseball,' Chavez said. "We've played so many extra-inning games, you just don't want to play like that. But we are good late. I don't know what that means, but that was a good one.'

That single is Chavez's only hit in 12 at_bats over five games since a stint on the disabled list due to hip and knee problems.

"He came to me during (batting practice) and said, `My swing stinks right now, but I might come through in a big spot,'' Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "He hung tough a got a good pitch.'

Teammate Martin Prado, meanwhile, added three hits and batted .374 with 30 RBIs in 26 games in August.

San Francisco's Hunter Pence had three hits Saturday and is batting .355 in his last eight contests. He's 8 for 17 his last four games at Arizona.

Ex-Diamondback Yusmeiro Petit (1-0, 3.18) takes the mound for the Giants looking to build on his first start of the season when he gave up two runs and struck out six in six innings of a 5-3 victory at Colorado on Tuesday.

"He's been around, knows what he's doing out there," manager Bruce Bochy told the Giants' official website. "He showed it (Tuesday)."

Recalled from Triple-A Fresno to replace the injured Matt Cain, Petit has made three appearances and two starts for the Giants since the start of last season. The right-hander went 9-19 with a 5.05 ERA in 56 games - 35 starts - for Arizona from 2007-09.

----------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Giants at Diamondbacks
Fri, Aug 30 Final 1 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Giants at Diamondbacks
Sat, Aug 31 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Giants at Diamondbacks
Sun, Sep 1 - 4:10PM EDT

Preview: Marlins (49-85) at Braves (83-52)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: September 01, 2013 5:05 PM EDT


Although their rotation has keyed their latest winning streak, the Atlanta Braves needed an offensive boost from an unlikely source to extend the run.

Giving the ball to one of their hottest pitchers should help the Braves resume their dominance on the mound.

Alex Wood looks to win his fourth straight decision and lead Atlanta to its seventh straight win Sunday night when they host the Miami Marlins.

B.J. Upton matched a season high with four hits, including a walk-off single in the 11th inning, as the Braves beat the Marlins 5-4 on Saturday for their 18th win in 21 games at Turner Field. Upton, batting a career-low .195, also hit his first home run since June 15 after going 4 for 40 in his previous 16 games.

"I've been working hard all year and I'm finally starting to see some consistent results,' Upton said. "I've just got to keep playing and keep working hard and stick to what I'm doing.'

Teammate Chris Johnson reclaimed the top spot in the NL batting race with four hits, raising his average to .331. He's hitting .414 in eight home games against the Marlins.

The Braves (83-52), who lead the NL East by 15 games, have scored only 20 runs during their winning streak. Their starters, though, have compensated by posting a 1.62 ERA.

Now they'll turn to Wood (3-2, 2.27 ERA), who seeks his second victory during the streak after limiting Cleveland to five hits over 5 2-3 innings in a 2-0 victory on Tuesday. He struck out five, but had a season-high four walks.

"(It) wasn't one of his best outings,' manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He was spraying it around a little bit and got his pitch count up, but he's tough to take swings at.'

The rookie left-hander has been one of the Atlanta's top hurlers recently, going 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA with 35 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .203 batting average in his last six starts.

Wood has been particularly tough at home, going 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA and 28 strikeouts in his last four outings.

He's thrown nine shutout innings versus the Marlins - who have lost seven straight and 10 of 11 - in one start and three overall appearances this year. Wood fanned seven and gave up two hits over six innings on Aug. 10 before Miami pushed across a run in the ninth for a 1-0 victory.

Nathan Eovaldi (2-5, 3.76) outpitched Wood in that contest, striking out eight while allowing one hit over seven frames. He's given up just two runs and nine hits with 21 strikeouts in his last three starts against the Braves.

The right-hander, however, is 0-5 with a 4.30 ERA while receiving just six total runs of support over his last eight starts. Eovaldi lost his third straight start Tuesday, giving up two runs and eight hits in six innings of a 2-1 defeat at Washington.

Although Justin Ruggiano and Giancarlo Stanton hit home runs Saturday, the Marlins have averaged 2.0 runs while batting .176 during their losing streak. They rank last in the majors in average (.228) and runs (424).

"We need to come back tomorrow and act as if we've been winning," said Ruggiano, who is hitting .400 with four homers and 10 RBIs in his last 12 games. "We've just got to get over this little funk we're in right now.'

--------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Braves
Fri, Aug 30 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Marlins at Braves
Sat, Aug 31 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Marlins at Braves
Sun, Sep 1 - 5:05PM EDT

Preview: Mets (62-72) at Nationals (68-67)
Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 01, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


The Nationals have had the Mets' number throughout the Davey Johnson era.

The New York Mets look to exact some revenge Sunday with their first three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals since 2009.

Johnson, whose first managerial job came with the Mets and was highlighted by winning the 1986 World Series, has seen his current team fall 7 1/2 games behind Cincinnati for the second NL wild-card spot after consecutive losses to New York - including an 11-3 defeat Saturday.

The Mets (62-72) will try to further damage the Nationals' slim playoff chances behind Jonathon Niese (6-6, 3.69 ERA), who has had their number of late. Since allowing six runs in 4 1-3 innings the first time he faced Washington, he is 3-0 with a 1.07 ERA against the Nationals.

Niese has been pitched well against Jayson Werth, striking him out eight times while allowing four singles in 17 at_bats.

After a rough start to the year, Niese is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in four starts since returning from a partially torn left rotator cuff on Aug. 11.

"It's kind of rewarding to know I'm 100 percent now," Niese said after throwing a three-hitter Tuesday against Philadelphia for his second career shutout.

While Niese tries to shoulder some of the load the final month with Mets ace Matt Harvey out for the season, Ross Ohlendorf (3-0, 2.49) is simply trying to prove he belongs in Washington's rotation.

Ohlendorf (3-0, 2.49) has a 2.82 ERA in four starts this season, with his best one coming against the Mets on July 26. He limited them to one run in seven innings with a season-high eight strikeouts but left without a decision as Washington got a 2-1 walkoff victory.

Johnson will surely keep an eye on his right-hander after Ohlendorf hit a wall in his two starts back from shoulder inflammation. Against the Cubs, Ohlendorf allowed three of his four runs in his fifth and final frame. On Tuesday, he held the Marlins to two hits over five scoreless innings before Christian Yelich homered off him to lead off the sixth.

"He's done that now several times," said Johnson, who is 28-14 versus the Mets as Nationals manager. "He just kind of ran out of gas like he did the game before."

Ohlendorf has allowed three home runs in 9 1-3 innings in those outings.

The Mets have scored 25 runs over a three-game winning streak after totaling 13 while losing six of seven.

Daniel Murphy is 9 for 14 in New York's three wins, and the second baseman has a .383 average (23 for 60) against Washington this season.

Travis d'Arnaud, who went 3 for 28 in his first 10 games after being called up, has four hits in his last eight at_bats.

"Just always be ready to hit, because you never know when you'll get that mistake," d'Arnaud told the team's official website. "You see less and less mistakes up here compared to down there."

New York's lineup suffered a big loss on Saturday, however, as first baseman Ike Davis is likely headed to the disabled list with a strained muscle on his right side.

"I doubt we see him," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "2013 is going to go down as a real frustrating year for Ike Davis."

----------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Nationals
Fri, Aug 30 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Nationals
Sat, Aug 31 Final 11 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mets at Nationals
Sun, Sep 1 - 8:05PM EDT

Diamond Trends - Sunday

September 1, 2013


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Yankees are 10-0 since September 19, 2007 at home after shutting out their opponent and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $1000.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Diamondbacks are 0-10-1 OU since July 22, 2010 at home after a win in which they had more than ten team-left-onbase for a net profit of $1000 when playing the under.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

When Wei Yin Chen starts the Orioles are 9-0 since April 22, 2012 vs a team that has won at least their last two games and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1030.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

Zack Greinke has produced a team record of 26-0 ($2,600) as a home favorite of more than -140, if his team did not blow a 5+ run lead in his last start.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

The Braves are 11-0 since May 30, 2012 at home after a one run win and it is the last game of a series for a net profit of $1100.

The Rangers are 0-9 since May 22, 2010 as a 140+ favorite when they are off a win in which they had at least three times as many hits as runs and it is not the first game of a series for a net profit of $1391 when playing against.

MLB
Dunkel

NY Mets at Washington
The Mets look to build on their 6-1 record in Jonathon Niese's last 7 road starts with the total set at 7 to 8 1/2 runs. New York is the pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Mets favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+125). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

Game 951-952: St. Louis at Pittsburgh (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Kelly) 15.381; Pittsburgh (Johnson) 14.500
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-110); Under

Game 953-954: Philadelphia at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Kendrick) 14.105; Cubs (Arrieta) 15.482
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-110); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-110); N/A

Game 955-956: San Diego at LA Dodgers (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Ross) 14.191; LA Dodgers (Greinke) 16.024
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-230); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-230); Over

Game 957-958: Cincinnati at Colorado (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Leake) 16.016; Colorado (Chatwood) 14.458
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-120); 10
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-120); Under

Game 959-960: San Francisco at Arizona (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Petit) 14.542; Arizona (Corbin) 15.921
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Arizona (-165); 8
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-165); Over

Game 961-962: Miami at Atlanta (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Eovaldi) 15.288; Atlanta (Wood) 14.982
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-230); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+200); Under

Game 963-964: NY Mets at Washington (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Niese) 15.931; Washington (Ohlendorf) 14.818
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Washington (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+125); Under

Game 965-966: Cleveland at Detroit (1:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Salazar) 14.240; Detroit (Verlander) 16.210
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2; 10
Vegas Line: Detroit (-170); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-170); Over

Game 967-968: Kansas City at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Shields) 15.863; Toronto (Happ) 16.705
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+120); Over

Game 969-970: Baltimore at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Chen) 14.859; NY Yankees (Pettitte) 16.326
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-125); Under

Game 971-972: Chicago White Sox at Boston (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Rienzo) 15.850; Boston (Doubront) 17.380
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-230); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-230); Under

Game 973-974: Seattle at Houston (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Iwakuma) 14.727; Houston (Oberholtzer) 13.275
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Seattle (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-140); Over

Game 975-976: Minnesota at Texas (3:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Correia) 15.633; Texas (Blackley) 14.828
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Texas (-205); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+175); Under

Game 977-978: Tampa Bay at Oakland (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Wright) 14.815; Oakland (Griffin) 16.403
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 979-980: LA Angels at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Wilson) 16.135; Milwaukee (Lohse) 14.783
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+110); Under

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, September 1

Hot pitchers
-- Kelly is 6-0, 1.75 in his last eight starts.
-- Wood is 3-0, 1.46 in his last six starts.
-- Petit won his first '13 start, allowing two runs in six IP.
-- Greinke is 5-0, 1.21 in his last five starts.
-- Niese is 2-0, 0.82 in his last three starts. Washington is 4-0 when Ohlendorf starts (2-0, 2.78).

-- Wilson is 2-0, 2.59 in his last four starts. Lohse is 4-1, 3.10 in his last eight.

-- Pettitte is 3-0, 1.83 in his last three starts.
-- Doubront is 2-0, 1.84 in his last couple starts.
-- Shields is 3-0, 2.22 in his last four starts.
-- Iwakuma is 2-0, 3.15 in his last three starts.
-- Texas won both Blackley starts (1-0, 4.50) this season.

Cold pitchers
-- Kendrick is 0-3, 7.17 in his last four starts.
-- 28-year old rookie KJohnson allowed two runs in six IP in relief in his first MLB appearance; he was 10-4, 2.39 in 21 AAA starts this year.
-- Eovaldi is 0-3, 9.00 in his last three starts.
-- Arrieta is 0-1, 10.00 in his last couple starts.
-- Leake is 1-1, 6.75 in his last five starts. Chatwood is 3-3, 5.40 in his last six starts, last of which was July 31.
-- Corbin is 1-1, 6.33 in his last three starts.
-- Ross is 0-2, 8.03 in his last couple starts.

-- Verlander is 0-2, 5.67 in his last four starts. Salazar is 0-2, 4.43 in his last four starts.
-- Happ is 0-2, 8.10 in his last couple starts.
-- Chen is 1-4, 6.00 in his last five starts.
-- Rienzo has a 5.79 RA in his last four starts.
-- Oberholtzer is 1-1, 5.00 in his last three starts.
-- Correia is 1-3, 4.50 in his last five starts.
-- Griffin is 3-3, 5.01 in his last eight starts. 18-year veteran Wright has started 246 MLB games, but none since '07; he is 2-2, 2.97 in 54 games this year, throwing total of only 57.2 IP.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Kelly 0-10; Johnson 0-0
-- Kendrick 10-27; Arrieta 2-9 (0 of 4 with Chi)
-- Leake 5-26; Chatwood 5-15
-- Ross 4-10; Greinke 7-22
-- Petit 0-1; Corbin 6-26
-- Eovaldi 4-13; Wood 1-8
-- Niese 6-18; Ohlendorf 1-4

-- Wilson 5-26 (1 of last 14); Lohse (7 of 27, 0 of last 9)

-- Salazar 2-5; Verlander 9-28 (5 of last 8)
-- Shields 11-27; Happ 3-12
-- Chen 4-17 (2 of last 11); Pettitte 10-24
-- Rienzo 0-6; Doubront 5-24 (1 of last 10)
-- Iwakuma 6-28 (1 of last 16); Oberholtzer 1-5
-- Correia 6-26 (0 of last 12); Blackley 0-2
-- Wright 0-0; Griffin 3-27

Totals
-- Five of last seven Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five St Louis road games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Washington games.
-- Eight of last ten Atlanta games stayed under.
-- Under is 7-2-2 in last eleven Colorado games.
-- You're reading www.***************.com.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight San Francisco games.
-- Five of last seven San Diego games stayed under.

-- Eight of last eleven Angel games stayed under the total. Nine of Milwaukee's last twelve games went over.

-- Eight of last ten Cleveland games stayed under total.
-- 14 of last 19 8 Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last eleven Bronx games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last twelve White Sox games stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Minnesota games stayed under total.
-- Six of last seven Houston games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last eleven Oakland games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Phillies won seven of their last eleven games.
-- Nationals won eight of their last eleven games, but lost last two. Mets won their last three games.
-- Pirates won three of their last four games.
-- Braves won their last six games, allowing ten runs.
-- Rockies won five of their last eight games.
-- Arizona won six of its last eight home games.
-- Dodgers won eight of their last eleven games.

-- Angels won seven of their last eight games.

-- Royals won five of their last seven games. Toronto won five of last six.
-- Detroit won its last three games, scoring 24 runs.
-- Bronx won nine of its last thirteen games.
-- Red Sox won six of their last seven games.
-- Rangers won four of their last five games.
-- A's won six of their last eight games.

Cold teams
-- Cubs lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Cardinals lost last three games, outscored 22-1.
-- Marlins lost ten of their last eleven games.
-- Reds lost five of their last eight games.
-- Giants are 5-8 in their last thirteen games.
-- San Diego lost seven of its last nine road games.

-- Milwaukee lost five of its last six home games.

-- Indians lost last five games, outscored 25-10.
-- White Sox lost their last two games, scoring five runs.
-- Orioles lost seven of their last eight away games.
-- Twins lost six of their last seven games.
-- Mariners lost six of their last nine games. Houston lost six of last seven.
-- Tampa Bay lost six of its last seven games.

Umpires
-- Phil-Chi-- Favorites are 18-2 in last 20 Davidson games, with four of his last five games going over the total.
-- NY-Wsh-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Davis games.
-- StL-Pitt-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Barry games.
-- Mia-Atl-- Nine of last thirteen Diaz games went over the total.
-- Cin-Col-- Eight of last eleven O'Nora games went over the total.
-- SF-Az-- Under is 4-0-2 in last six Bucknor games.
-- SD-LA-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Wendelstedt games.

-- LAA-Mil-- Last ten Joyce games stayed under the total.

-- KC-Tor-- Five of last six Darling games went over the total.
-- Balt-NY-- Over is 9-2-1 in last twelve Kellogg games.
-- Cle-Det-- Ten of last fourteen Cederstrom games went over total.
-- Chi-Bos-- 12 of last 16 Hernandez games went over the total.
-- Sea-Hst-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five TWelke games.
-- Min-Tex-- Six of last eight Hudson games went over the total.
-- TB-A's-- four of last five Randazzo games went over the total.
<!-- / message -->

MLB

Sunday, September 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. NY YANKEES
Baltimore is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Baltimore's last 11 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of NY Yankees's last 11 games when playing at home against Baltimore
NY Yankees are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home

1:07 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games
Kansas City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Kansas City
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kansas City

1:08 PM
CLEVELAND vs. DETROIT
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games

1:35 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. BOSTON
Chi White Sox are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Boston is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox

1:35 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
St. Louis is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games at home
Pittsburgh is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against St. Louis

2:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. MILWAUKEE
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
LA Angels are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Milwaukee's last 12 games

2:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. HOUSTON
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Seattle

2:20 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. CHI CUBS
Philadelphia is 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 8 games when playing Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Chi Cubs are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing Philadelphia

3:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TEXAS
Minnesota is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Texas
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Texas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Minnesota

4:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. OAKLAND
Tampa Bay is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Tampa Bay is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oakland's last 9 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

4:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ARIZONA
San Francisco is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco's last 6 games
Arizona is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco

4:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. COLORADO
Cincinnati is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Colorado
Cincinnati is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Colorado is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Cincinnati

4:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Diego's last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of LA Dodgers's last 25 games at home
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing San Diego

5:05 PM
MIAMI vs. ATLANTA
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 12 games when playing Miami
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami

8:05 PM
NY METS vs. WASHINGTON
NY Mets are 8-15 SU in its last 23 games when playing Washington
NY Mets are 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games
Washington is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games when playing NY Mets