St. Louis Cardinals vs. Colorado Rockies Preview and Predictions 08-25-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 25th August 2018 by Gracenote
Cardinals vs. Rockies Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 08/25/2018
The St. Louis Cardinals have posted the best record in baseball this month and look to improve it when they visit the Colorado Rockies on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set. The Cardinals, who lead the National League wild-card race, are 18-4 in August and 4-0 on their six-game road trip after recording a series-opening 7-5 victory on Friday.
Rookie Tyler O'Neill and starting pitcher Miles Mikolas homered as St. Louis built a 7-0 lead and held on to remain three games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Colorado pounded out 15 hits in the opener but dropped to 2-2 on its six-game homestand and trail the Cardinals by 1 1/2 games for the top wild card and the Milwaukee Brewers by one game for the second wild card. Ryan McMahon went 3-for-5 with an RBI to match his hit total from his previous nine games as the Rockies yielded more than four runs for the first time in six contests. Nolan Arenado has driven in a run in five of his last six games after belting his 31st homer of the year on Friday.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH John Gant (5-5, 3.76 ERA) vs. Rockies RH German Marquez (11-9, 4.42)
Gant will be making his sixth consecutive start after bouncing between the bullpen and rotation over his first 14 appearances this season. The 26-year-old Georgian took the loss against Milwaukee on Sunday after giving up two runs on six hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. Gant, who has worked six or more innings in only three of his 12 turns this year, will be facing Colorado for the first time in his career.
Marquez is looking to win his third straight start after allowing three runs and eight hits over 14 innings in victories at Houston and Atlanta. The 23-year-old Venezuelan has given up three runs or fewer in each of his last five outings and has gone 3-1 in that span - with the loss coming against Pittsburgh at home on Aug 8, when he surrendered three runs and 10 hits while registering 10 strikeouts in six frames. Marquez has made two career starts against St. Louis and won both as he permitted three runs and 12 hits over 10 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon has registered three two-hit performances during his four-game hitting streak.
2. O'Neill has gone deep in back-to-back contests after hitting only three homers in his first 30 major-league games, with those three blasts coming in consecutive contests from May 19-21.
3. Colorado OF Matt Holliday, who began his second stint with the club with an 0-for-3 effort on Thursday, delivered a pinch-hit single in the series opener.
PREDICTION: Rockies 6, Cardinals 4
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Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview and Predictions 08-25-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 25th August 2018 by Gracenote
Astros vs. Angels Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 08/25/2018
Mike Trout is back with the Los Angeles Angels after missing three-plus weeks due to a wrist injury and the death of his brother-in-law, Aaron Cox. Trout will be in the lineup again for Saturday's game against the visiting Houston Astros after going 2-for-3 in the opener of the three-game series.
Trout tripled off the left-field wall in his first at-bat in 23 days but couldn't prevent the Angels from suffering a 9-3 loss. Marwin Gonzalez hit his second career grand slam while Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa launched solo blasts as Houston maintained its four-game lead over Oakland in the American League West. Altuve recorded two hits for the second straight game and is 4-for-13 in three contests after missing nearly four weeks with a knee injury. Justin Verlander takes the mound for the Astros on Saturday and has dominated Los Angeles hitters while going 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 0.77 WHIP in three meetings this season.
TV: 9:07 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Justin Verlander (12-8, 2.65 ERA) vs. Angels RH Jaime Barria (8-7, 3.41)
Verlander registered his 200th career victory against the Athletics in his last outing but wasn't sharp as he served up three homers while allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings. The 35-year-old delivered a strong performance versus the Angels on July 21, when he struck out 11 and gave up five hits over six scoreless frames. Verlander is 11-8 with a 2.99 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 22 career starts against Los Angeles.
Barria has won three straight decisions and is unbeaten in five outings after going 0-6 over a seven-start stretch. The 22-year-old Panamanian settled for a no-decision against Texas in his last turn after giving up just one run and seven hits over five innings. Barria also did not factor in the decision against the Astros on May 15, when he gave up one run and four hits in seven frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels 1B Albert Pujols was hitless in three at-bats in the series opener and is 0-for-12 over his last four games.
2. Houston OF George Springer (quadriceps) sat out his fourth straight contest on Friday.
3. Los Angeles optioned OF Jabari Blash to Triple-A Salt Lake to open the roster spot for Trout.
PREDICTION: Astros 4, Angels 3
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San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Preview and Predictions 08-25-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 25th August 2018 by Gracenote
Padres vs. Dodgers Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 08/25/2018
The Los Angeles Dodgers took out their frustrations from a three-game sweep on the San Diego Padres in their series opener and continue the three-game set against their visiting National League West rivals on Saturday. Los Angeles, which began its six-game homestand with three losses to St. Louis, scored in all but two innings of Friday's 11-1 rout to climb within 3 1/2 games of division-leading Arizona.
Justin Turner and Max Muncy belted two-run homers while Chris Taylor also went deep for the Dodgers, who have scored at least 11 runs while allowing just one in each of their last three victories. Turner also singled in the triumph, giving him 10 multi-hit performances in his last 16 contests. San Diego registered only four hits Friday as it suffered its third consecutive loss after beginning its six-game road trip with a win. Three of the Padres' hits went for extra bases, with Freddy Galvis recording two - a triple and an RBI double in the eighth inning to prevent a shutout loss.
TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Brett Kennedy (0-2, 8.36 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (6-5, 2.40)
Kennedy remains in search of his first career victory as he makes his fourth start in the major leagues. The 24-year-old native of New Jersey was battered for 11 runs and 20 hits, including four homers, over nine innings in his first two turns - both of which were losses. Kennedy settled for a no-decision in his last outing as he gave up two runs on six hits and three walks in five frames versus Arizona on Sunday.
Kershaw has won three consecutive decisions and allowed fewer than three earned runs in each of his last six starts, including a victory at Seattle on Sunday in which he gave up one run and four hits over seven innings. The 30-year-old Texan has gone three straight turns without serving up a homer and has issued just one walk over 21 frames in that stretch. Kershaw improved to 18-6 with four complete games, one shutout and a 1.89 ERA in 33 career starts against the Padres by permitting two hits over six scoreless innings at San Diego on July 9.
WALK-OFFS
1. Padres 3B Wil Myers (facial injuries) went 0-for-4 on Friday after being kept out of the starting lineup for two games.
2. Los Angeles activated Yimi Garcia (forearm), who allowed a run and two hits in one inning on Friday, and placed fellow RHP Daniel Hudson (forearm) on the 10-day disabled list.
3. San Diego sent RHP Luis Perdomo (shoulder) to Triple-A El Paso on Friday to begin a rehab assignment.
PREDICTION: Dodgers 8, Padres 0
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