Seattle Mariners vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview and Predictions 09-14-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 14th September 2018 by Gracenote
Mariners vs. Angels Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 09/14/2018
The Seattle Mariners put together a solid performance in the opener of a 10-game road trip and look to beat the host Los Angeles Angels again Friday in the second contest of a four-game set. Seattle recorded an 8-2 victory over the Angels on Thursday and are 8 1/2 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the American League's second wild-card spot with 16 to play.
Slugger Nelson Cruz smashed a three-run homer for his 50th career blast against the Angels and he stands four away from his fourth career 40-homer campaign. "I guess I've been playing a lot of games," Cruz said in a postgame television interview. "I trust my routine and execute it." Justin Upton homered for the Angels, who lost for only the second time in their past eight games. Mike Trout went 2-for-3 to continue his torrid hitting against Seattle as he is 27-for-59 with six homers, eight doubles, one triple, 10 RBIs, 14 walks and 15 runs scored this season.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports Northwest (Seattle), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners TBA vs. Angels RH Matt Shoemaker (2-0, 3.45 ERA)
Original scheduled starter James Paxton is in Seattle after being diagnosed with pneumonia and the club will use the bullpen approach in his absence. Manager Scott Servais declined to reveal who will start during Thursday's postgame press conference. "We'll let you know. Like what, I'm going to text somebody tonight, 'Oh, you're starting' and give them a chance to get nervous?" Servais said. "No reason to. We'll start a bullpen guy. Those guys don't need much heads-up. We'll come up with somebody."
Shoemaker, who recently returned from a forearm injury, is making his first start at Angel Stadium in 15 months. The 31-year-old missed more than five months with the injury and has allowed three runs and nine hits over 10 innings in two outings since his return. Shoemaker is 4-4 with 4.33 ERA in 14 career appearances (12 starts) against the Mariners.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez (ankle) didn't make the trip to Anaheim but Servais is hopeful the former star will pitch again this season.
2. Los Angeles DH Shohei Ohtani is 14-for-33 with four homers, four doubles and 11 RBIs in September.
3. Seattle SS Jean Segura (illness) has missed three straight contests and OF Cameron Maybin (illness) has sat out the past two.
PREDICTION: Angels 6, Mariners 4
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Texas Rangers vs. San Diego Padres Preview and Predictions 09-14-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 13th September 2018 by Gracenote
Rangers vs. Padres Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 09/13/2018
Catcher Austin Hedges is putting his best foot forward as he battles rookie Francisco Mejia for a starting role with the San Diego Padres. With two homers during his team's three-game winning streak, Hedges aims to continue his surge at the plate on Friday as the Padres (59-88) begin a six-game homestand with the opener of a three-game series against Texas Rangers (62-84).
"Even last year, I think I did some things that you don't see a whole lot of catchers in the big leagues do," Hedges said after he belted his 13th homer in Wednesday's 5-4 victory at Seattle. "Driving runners in, hitting home runs. Now I think I've taken it up to putting together better at-bats, being able to hit for a better average, a better on-base percentage." Hunter Renfroe matched Hedges with a two-run shot of his own for his third homer in six outings and has hit safely in 16 of his last 18 games heading into a tilt with Texas, against which he went 4-for-11 during the teams' previous series in June. The Rangers won two of those three outings but are mired in a 1-6 stretch following Wednesday's 8-1 setback against the Los Angeles Angels. Joey Gallo launched his team-leading 36th homer for Texas' lone offense, giving him two blasts among his six hits and seven RBIs during a six-game stretch.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), FS San Diego, FOX Deportes San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers Yohander Mendez (1-1, 5.27 ERA) vs. Padres LH Robbie Erlin (3-6, 4.42)
Mendez answered his first big-league win by overcoming a homer by Khris Davis to keep Oakland hitless the rest of the way in his four-inning start on Saturday. The 23-year-old Venezuelan walked three batters and struck out as many in that contest, matching the sum total in both categories of his previous three appearances in 2018. Mendez will be making his 14th career appearance and first versus San Diego.
Erlin, who leapfrogged fellow left-hander Eric Lauer in the rotation, dropped his third straight start on Saturday after yielding seven runs on eight hits in three innings of a 7-2 setback at Cincinnati. The 27-year-old was taken deep for the fourth consecutive contest after keeping the ball in the park in his previous seven appearances. Erlin received a no-decision at Texas on June 25, allowing one run on three hits in 2 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Texas OF Shin-Soo Choo went 6-for-14 in the previous series against San Diego.
2. Padres 1B Eric Hosmer has three homers, six RBIs and eight runs scored in his last eight games.
3. Rangers C Robinson Chirinos snapped an 0-for-16 streak with three hits on Wednesday, matching his total in six at-bats versus San Diego this season.
PREDICTION: Padres 4, Rangers 2
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Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants Preview and Predictions 09-14-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 13th September 2018 by Gracenote
Rockies vs. Giants Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 09/13/2018
The Colorado Rockies have kicked it up a notch in pursuit of their first division title in franchise history, posting a 9-3 mark in September to seize a 1 1/2-game lead in National League West. The Rockies (81-65) hope their good fortune travels well as they begin a crucial nine-game road trip against division rivals on Friday with the opener of a three-game series versus the spiraling San Francisco Giants (68-79).
Nolan Arenado homered for the second straight contest in Thursday's 10-3 romp over Arizona, improving to 8-for-20 with seven extra-base hits (four doubles, three homers), seven RBIs and eight runs scored during his last five games. The four-time All-Star is a robust 5-for-11 with two homers and five RBIs in his career against right-hander Chris Stratton for Colorado, which will visit the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers and third-place Arizona to wrap up the road trip. While the Rockies are ascending, the Giants have come up small as their demoralizing 11-game losing skid is the longest for the franchise since 1951. "It's never fun, obviously. Everybody comes out here and puts in the work, grinding daily, trying to do everything we can to win ballgames," said Giants first baseman Brandon Belt, who has seen his team muster just three runs in the last three contests.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountains (Colorado), NBC Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Tyler Anderson (6-8, 4.89 ERA) vs. Giants RH Chris Stratton (9-9. 4.99)
Anderson fell to 0-5 in his last seven outings after allowing four runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings of a 9-6 setback versus the Dodgers. The 28-year-old was taken deep once in that contest, increasing his home run total to 11 in his last seven trips to the mound. Anderson owns a 1-0 mark with a 3.86 ERA in three appearances against San Francisco this season, highlighted by a dominant performance on July 4 in which he scattered two hits and struck out a campaign high-tying nine in eight innings of a 1-0 win.
Stratton fell to 1-2 with a 2.84 ERA while limiting the opposition to a .200 batting average in four games since being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. The 28-year-old was taken deep twice and surrendered four runs on as many hits in a 4-3 setback at Milwaukee on Saturday. Stratton owns a 1-1 mark with a bloated 9.82 ERA in three appearances against Colorado this season, with a disastrous eight-run, 11-hit performance resulting in an 8-1 setback on July 3.
WALK-OFFS
1. San Francisco 3B Evan Longoria is 9-for-27 in his last seven games overall and 13-for-41 with two homers and 10 RBIs versus Colorado this season.
2. Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu has recorded multiple hits in seven of his last eight contests, going 15-for-34 in that span.
3. Giants C Nick Hundley has seven hits in his last six games overall, but is just 4-for-22 against Colorado this season.
PREDICTION: Rockies 4, Giants 3
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