Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Saturday, April 14, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Saturday’s games
National League
Braves (8-5) @ Cubs (6-7)
Newcomb is 1-1, 5.23 in his first two ’18 starts (under 1-0-1).
Quintana is 1-1, 4.50 in two starts this season (under 2-0).
Atlanta won six of its last nine games; their last six games stayed under the total. Cubs lost three of their last four games. Under is 7-2-1 in their last their games.
Cardinals (7-7) @ Reds (2-11)
Mikolas is 1-0, 6.00 in his first two ’18 starts (over 2-0).
Last two years, Finnegan is 12-13, 4.48 in 35 starts; he was hurt LY- this is his first ’18 start.
St Louis won five of its last six road games; under is 6-3-1 in their last 10 games overall. Reds lost 11 of their first 13 games; four of their last six games stayed under.
Rockies (8-7) @ Nationals (6-8)
Gray is 1-2, 5.63 in three starts this season (over 2-1).
Scherzer is 2-1, 2.25 in his first three ’18 starts (under 2-0-1).
Colorado won six of its last seven road games; eight of its last ten games stayed under. Washington lost eight of its last ten games; six of their last seven games stayed under.
Brewers (7-7) @ Mets (11-1)
Anderson is 0-1, 3.38 in his first three ’18 starts (under 2-0-1).
Harvey is 0-0, 3.60 in his first two ’18 starts, both NY wins (over 1-1).
Milwaukee lost six of its last nine games; over is 4-1-1 in their last six road games. Mets won 101 of their first 12 games; three of their last four home games stayed under.
Pirates (9-4) @ Marlins (4-9)
Taillon 2-0, 1.26 in his first two ’18 starts (over 1-1).
Richards is 0-1, 8.64 in his first two MLB starts (over 2-0).
Pirates won nine of their first 13 games (over 9-4). Miami lost seven of their last nine games; under is 3-2 in their last five home games.
Giants (6-7) @ Padres (5-10)
Holland is 0-2, 5.73 in his first two ’18 starts (under 2-0).
Richard is 1-1, 5.29 in his first three ’18 starts (under 2-1).
Giants lost four of their last six games; under is 5-1 in their road games. Padres lost ten of their first 15 games; nine of their last ten games stayed under.
Diamondbacks (10-3) @ Dodgers (4-8)
Walker is 0-0, 3.27 in his first two ’18 starts (over 1-1).
Hill is 1-0, 2.70 in his first two ’18 starts (over 2-0); Dodgers score 14 runs in those games.
Arizona is 10-3 in its first 13 games, 5-2 on road; their last three games went over. Dodgers lost six of their last eight games; over is 3-1 in their last four home games.
American League
New York (6-7) @ Tigers (4-8)
Cessa has started 14 MLB games; this is his first ’18 start. He was 0-3, 6.65 in five starts LY.
Liriano is 1-1, 2.13 in his first two ’18 starts (under 2-0).
New York lost five of its last eight games; over is 9-1-1 in their last 11 games. Tigers lost their last five games; five of their last seven games stayed under.
Blue Jays (9-5) @ Indians (8-6)
Garcia is 1-0, 3.18 in his first two ’18 starts (over 1-1).
Kluber is 1-1, 1.57 in his first three ’18 starts (under 3-0). Indians scored 1-2-2 runs in those three games.
Blue Jays won four of their last five games; four of their last six games stayed under the total. Cleveland won six of its last eight games; seven of their last nine games stayed under.
Orioles (5-9) @ Red Sox (11-2)
Cobb is making his Oriole debut; he was 12-10, 3.66 in 29 starts for Tampa Bay LY but signed late in spring training, so his debut was delayed until today.
Velasquez allowed one run in 5.2 IP (79 PT) in his first ’18 start, a 2-1 win in Tampa.
Baltimore is 4-9 in its last 13 games; under is 3-0-1 in their last four games. Red Sox won 11 of their first 13 games; over is 4-0-2 in their last six games.
White Sox (4-8) @ Twins (7-4)
Lopez is 0-1, 1.38 in two starts this season (under 2-0); White Sox scored two runs in those games.
Hughes is making his first ’18 start. He was 0-2, 7.08 in his last four starts LY; over is 6-2 in his last eight starts.
White Sox lost eight of their last ten games; under is 4-1 in their last five road games. Twins won seven of their last ten games; under is 4-2 in their last six.
Rangers (4-11) @ Astros (10-4)
Minor is 1-1, 2.53 in his first two ’18 starts (over 1-1).
Morton is 2-0, 0.75 in his first two ’18 starts (under 2-0).
Rangers lost six of their last seven games; under is 5-0 in their road games. Houston won four of its last six games; under is 6-1 in their home games.
Angels (12-3) @ Royals (3-9)
Richards is 1-0, 4.20 in his first three ’18 starts (over 3-0); Angels scored 26 runs in those games.
Junis threw 14 shutout innings in winning his first two ’18 starts (over 1-1). He’s allowed only 7 baserunners in 14 IP this season.
Angels won 12 of their last 14 games; over is 5-3-1 in their road games. Royals are 1-6 at home; under is 7-2-1 in their last ten games.
A’s (5-9) @ Mariners (7-4)
Graveman is 0-2, 9.45 in his first three ’18 starts (under 2-1).
Gonzales is 1-1, 7.27 in two starts this season (over 2-0).
A’s lost five of their last seven games; under is 6-4 in their last ten games. Seattle won four of its last five games; over is 8-3 in their games this season.
Interleague
Phillies (7-5) @ Rays (3-10)
Arrieta allowed three runs in four IP (74 PT) in his Phillies debut, a 6-3 loss to Miami.
Archer is 1-0, 6.48 in three starts this season (over 3-0).
Phillies won six of their last seven games; they’re 2-4 on road. Over is 5-6-1 in their games this year. Tampa Bay lost 10 of its last 12 games; under is 4-1 in their home games.
Umpires
Col-Wsh: Over is 5-3 in last eight Morales games.
StL-Cin: Five of last seven Tichenor games went over.
Atl-Chi: Six of last eight Fairchild games stayed under.
Pitt-Mia: Seven of last ten Diaz games stayed under.
MIl-NY: Eight of last ten Vanover games went over.
SF-SD: Under is 4-1-1 in last six Drake games.
Az-LA: Underdogs are 4-3 in last seven Johnson games.
Balt-Bos: Over is 4-2-1 in last seven Scheurwater games.
NY-Det: Eight of last ten Bucknor games stayed under.
Tor-Clev: Six of last nine Carlson games went over.
Tex-Hst: Over is 8-5-2 in last fifteen Hallion games.
LA-KC: Under is 8-4-1 in last thirteen Hudson games.
A’s-Sea: Last six Danley games stayed under the total.
Phil-TB: Under is 7-2-2 in last eleven Wolf games.
Colorado Rockies vs. Washington Nationals Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
13th April 2018 by Gracenote
colorado star nolan arenado immediately appealed the five-game suspension he was dealt and is expected to again be in the lineup when the rockies visit the washington nationals on saturday in the third contest of a four-game set. arenado and teammate gerardo parra (four games) were penalized on friday for their role in wednesday's melee with the san diego padres.
arenado charged the mound after a pitch from san diego's luis perdomo sailed behind his back and he doesn't agree with the length of his penalty. "five games is a lot of games, you know," arenado told reporters. "i was just defending myself. ... they throw hard out there and reactions happen, and that's all it was." the rockies have won the first two games of the series and have limited washington to one run in each contest. three-time cy young award winner max scherzer takes the mound for the nationals on saturday but he is just 1-4 with a 4.76 era in eight career starts versus colorado.
tv: 1:05 p.m. et, a&t sportsnet rocky mountain (colorado), masn2 (washington)
pitching matchup: rockies rh jon gray (1-2, 5.63 era) vs. nationals rh max scherzer (2-1, 0.90)
gray was roughed up for seven runs and a career-worst 10 hits while losing to the san diego padres in his last turn. the 26-year-old hasn't always fared well on the road, going 9-13 with a 4.21 era in 33 career away starts. gray is 0-1 with a 5.73 era in two career starts against the nationals and has shut down howie kendrick (0-for-10, four strikeouts).
scherzer struck out 10 in a two-hit shutout of atlanta in his last turn and has fanned 10 in two of his three starts. the 33-year-old has 27 strikeouts against three walks in 20 innings while posting a 0.80 whip and holding opposing batters to a .178 average. scherzer has served up three homers to carlos gonzalez in 12 at-bats while holding down arenado (1-for-7, four strikeouts) and parra (1-for-11).
walk-offs
1. the rockies have prevailed in six of the past seven games at washington.
2. nationals rf bryce harper drove in his team's run with a sacrifice fly on friday but is just 2-for-17 over his past five games.
3. colorado cf charlie blackmon (quadriceps) did running drills prior to friday's game but is expected to miss his fifth straight contest.
prediction: nationals 3, rockies 2
Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
13th April 2018 by Gracenote
the boston red sox continue to roll and are scoring runs in bunches - something that was a big problem for the team last season. the red sox will try to continue the offensive onslaught and clinch at least a split of the four-game series when they host the baltimore orioles on saturday.
boston already has three grand slams in the last week - three more than the team managed all of last season - and got a three-run blast in the first inning of friday's 7-3 win from eduardo nunez to set the tone. the red sox already have four players in double figures in rbis in hanley ramirez (12), j.d. martinez (11), mookie betts (10) and rafael devers (10), while betts is hitting .360 with a .620 slugging percentage and 15 runs scored for the top spot in the batting order. the orioles aren't getting quite the same level of production from their lineup with the exception of free-agent-to-be manny machado, who doubled in a pair on friday and is batting .316. machado gets to take his swings on saturday against red sox righty hector velazquez while betts and company will square off against a familiar face in baltimore's alex cobb.
tv: 1:05 p.m. et, mlb network, masn (baltimore), nesn (boston)
pitching matchup: orioles rh alex cobb (2017: 12-10, 3.66 era) vs. red sox rh hector velazquez (1-0, 3.12)
cobb, who signed his four-year, $57 million contract after the start of spring training, is making his first start with baltimore after spending the first six seasons of his career in the american league east with the tampa bay rays. "it's been a little bit of a wild ride the past month," said cobb, who made 29 starts with tampa bay last season. "it's honestly the most comfortable i've felt being in this locker room, somewhere i'm familiar with, in the clubhouse around guys that i know. just looking forward to getting this whole thing underway and my season started, get back to some normalcy in my life." cobb, who was born in boston, is 6-4 with a 3.43 era in 14 career starts against the red sox.
velazquez began the season in the rotation and earned a win over the rays on april 1, allowing one run and five hits while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings. the mexico native went back to the bullpen when eduardo rodriguez returned from a knee injury and totaled two runs on three hits in three innings, making both relief appearances against tampa bay. velazquez is making his first career appearance against baltimore.
walk-offs
1. ramirez (wrist) sat out on friday but could return this weekend.
2. baltimore 1b chris davis is 2-for-18 with eight strikeouts over his last five games.
3. boston lhp drew pomeranz (forearm) threw 86 pitches in a rehab start for double-a portland on friday and could make his next start in the majors.
prediction: orioles 5, red sox 2
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
13th April 2018 by Gracenote
jose martinez and yadier molina already were hitting reasonably well prior to the start of this weekend's series in cincinnati, and little has changed after facing the reds' woeful pitching staff each of the last two days. buoyed by a resurgent offense, the st. louis cardinals eye their first three-game winning streak of the season saturday afternoon, when they meet the reds for the third of four games at great american ball park.
martinez set career highs with four hits and six rbis in thursday's 13-4 series-opening rout, leading an offensive attack that registered 12 hits - including four homers - and drew 11 walks. molina went 2-for-5 with a home run and two rbis in that contest and continued to pound cincinnati's pitching on friday, belting one of the cardinals' two homers while adding a two-run double to power his team to a 5-3 victory. the reds don't need to look any further than their struggling hurlers as to why they are in the midst of a six-game losing streak and have dropped 11 of their first 13 contests, matching their worst start since 1955. cincinnati already has surrendered at least five runs in a game nine times and owns the worst staff era in the majors by far at 6.56 (miami is closest at 5.29).
tv: 1:10 p.m. et, fs midwest (st. louis), fs ohio (cincinnati)
pitching matchup: cardinals rh miles mikolas (1-0, 6.00 era) vs. reds lh brandon finnegan (2017: 1-1, 4.15)
mikolas kept the ball in the park monday after giving up three homers in his season debut, but he did not factor in the decision against milwaukee after yielding four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. the 29-year-old, who is in his first major-league season since 2014, has helped his cause somewhat by posting a 10:0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. mikolas, who never has faced anyone on the reds' current roster, is 3-5 with a 6.36 era in 12 career starts.
finnegan is expected to get the nod over cody reed for saturday's start after missing most of last season due to shoulder surgery. the tcu product was able to throw 98 pitches on monday in his only rehab start with triple-a louisville, ultimately taking the loss after permitting four runs - three earned - on eight hits and five walks in five frames. molina is 5-for-10 with a homer against finnegan, who was tagged for three runs over three innings by the cardinals last season.
walk-offs
1. cardinals of marcell ozuna is batting .345 during his national league-best 12-game hitting streak.
2. cincinnati 1b joey votto is two walks shy of 1,000 for his career. when he achieves the feat, he will become the second-fastest player in club history to reach that mark since 1900.
3. all 11 of martinez's rbis this month have come in three games.
prediction: cardinals 8, reds 5
New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
13th April 2018 by Gracenote
the detroit tigers dropped their fifth straight game on friday, but the way they hit in the last few innings should give the team some positive momentum going into the weekend. the tigers will try to keep the bats going and even the series when they host the new york yankees in the second of a three-game series on saturday.
detroit managed five runs while being swept in a four-game series at cleveland earlier this week and scored one through six innings in the return home on friday before finally pushing five runs across in the last three innings. new york still walked away with an 8-6 victory and watched aaron hicks pick up a slumping middle of the order. hicks homered twice - once inside-the-park - and drove in three runs while giancarlo stanton, didi gregorius and gary sanchez combined to go 1-for-13 out of the three, four and five spots in the order. those three will take their cuts on saturday against left-hander francisco liriano, while the emerging detroit attack will face off against right-hander luis cessa of the yankees.
tv: 1:10 p.m. et, mlb network, yes (new york), fs detroit
pitching matchup: yankees rh luis cessa (0-0, 0.00 era) vs. tigers lh francisco liriano (1-1, 2.13)
cessa is making a spot start in place of left-hander cc sabathia (hip), who is expected to return next week. the 25-year-old cessa threw a perfect inning of relief in each of his two appearances out of the bullpen while recording a total of three strikeouts. cessa is 2-7 with a 4.54 era in 14 career starts and made his major-league debut against detroit on april 8, 2016, when he surrendered one run in two innings of relief.
liriano was sharp in each of his first two outings, allowing one runs in 6 2/3 innings against kansas city on april 2 and surrendering two runs on three hits in six frames monday at cleveland. the veteran from the dominican republic got the win against the royals but came out on the wrong end of a 2-0 decision against the indians. liriano won his lone start against new york last season and is 4-4 with a 3.34 era in 12 career games - 10 starts - against the yankees.
walk-offs
1. yankees rf aaron judge hit safely in each of the last 11 games.
2. tigers ss jose iglesias singled and doubled in his last two at-bats on friday, matching his hit total from his previous 10 games.
3. detroit 3b jeimer candelario hit his first homer of the season in the series opener.
prediction: tigers 8, yankees 5
Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
13th April 2018 by Gracenote
the minnesota twins hope to have the opportunity to extend their winning streak to four games on saturday, but their contest against the visiting chicago white sox again is in jeopardy due to snow after friday's contest was postponed. minnesota recorded its third straight victory on thursday, a 4-0 triumph in the opener of its four-game series against chicago.
jose berrios and joe mauer were the stars for the twins, as the former recorded 11 strikeouts and allowed only three hits over seven innings while the latter registered three rbis on two hits - including the 2,000th of his career. mauer became the third player in minnesota history to reach the mark, joining rod carew and kirby puckett with a two-run single in the seventh inning. the white sox were limited to three singles on thursday as they suffered their sixth loss in seven games. nicky delmonico recorded one of those hits and is 7-for-19 over his last six contests while tim anderson also singled to extend his hitting streak to five games.
tv: 2:10 p.m. et, wgn (chicago), fs north (minnesota)
pitching matchup: white sox tbd vs. twins rh lance lynn (0-1, 5.00 era)
chicago manager rick renteria has yet to decide on a starter, but all signs point to either reynaldo lopez or miguel gonzalez. the 24-year-old lopez, who was slated to pitch on friday, has been superb in the early going - allowing two runs (one earned) and four hits with 11 strikeouts over 13 innings but walking seven in two starts. gonzalez originally was scheduled to start on saturday after being tagged for 10 runs (nine earned) and 16 hits over 9 1/3 frames in his first two turns of the year.
lynn will be looking to last more than five innings for the first time with his new team as he makes his third start of the season. the 30-year-old native of indiana, who logged at least 175 innings in each of his last five campaigns with st. louis - eclipsing 200 twice in that span - allowed five runs on three hits and six walks over four frames of a loss at pittsburgh in his season debut. lynn, who is 1-0 with a 1.40 era in three career turns versus chicago, walked four and yielded three hits over five scoreless innings in a no-decision against houston on monday.
walk-offs
1. twins of byron buxton has been successful on 28 consecutive steal attempts and has recorded 45 stolen bases in his career while being caught only five times.
2. chicago is 3-for-46 with runners in scoring position over its last six contests, stranding 49 over that span.
3. minnesota optioned of ryan lamarre, who went 4-for-8 with an rbi in six games this year, to triple-a rochester on friday.
prediction: twins 5, white sox 2
Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago Cubs Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
13th April 2018 by Gracenote
Role players and rookies are leading the way for the surprising Atlanta Braves, who look to continue their hot start with a second straight win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday afternoon. The Cubs hope to turn things around after dropping three of their first four home games.
The Braves used a big performance from rookie Ozzie Albies and a three-run blast by Preston Tucker to back veteran right-hander Anibal Sanchez in a 4-0 win in Friday's series opener. Albies is 15-for-39 with seven doubles and three homers in his last nine games while Tucker, thought to be a placeholder until top prospect Ronald Acuna Jr. gets the call, is batting .308 with three blasts and 12 RBIs. The offensive outages are a growing concern for Chicago, which has been shut out three times and totaled 11 runs in its seven defeats. The team will try to provide some run support for Jose Quintana, who has gone 5-0 at home since being acquired last season.
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, FS South (Atlanta), NBCS Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Sean Newcomb (1-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jose Quintana (1-1, 4.50)
Newcomb was knocked around in his season debut by Washington, but he rebounded to throw six scoreless frames Sunday at Colorado. The 24-year-old struck out nine Rockies and didn't walk a batter after issuing four free passes in his first turn. Newcomb is 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA in two career starts against the Cubs.
Quintana has gone six innings in each of his first two starts of the year, but the similarities end there. After giving up six runs in a 6-0 loss at Miami in his season debut, the 29-year-old allowed only three hits over six scoreless innings of a victory at Milwaukee on Sunday. Quintana has won both of his career starts against the Braves, allowing five runs over 11 2/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta is 8-0 when hitting at least one homer and 8-1 when scoring at least four runs.
2. Cubs 2B Javier Baez has hit four home runs in as many home games this season and is 4-for-6 with a blast versus Newcomb.
3. The Cubs have allowed a three-run homer in four straight contests after going 22 without surrendering such a shot.
PREDICTION: Cubs 4, Braves 3
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
14th April 2018 by Gracenote
charlie morton enjoyed the best season of his career in his first year with the houston astros in 2017 and is off to another fast start as he prepares to make his third start on saturday afternoon against the visiting texas rangers. a 14-game winner for the astros a year ago, morton has not allowed an earned run in his first two outings to continue his success at minute maid park.
george springer clubbed a pair of solo homers as the astros squeezed out a 3-2 victory on friday to improve to 6-1 at home and beat the rangers for the fourth time in five meetings this season. gerrit cole turned in another overpowering performance by fanning 14 to join nolan ryan as the only pitchers with at least 11 strikeouts in each of their first three starts in a season. with leading hitter elvis andrus (elbow) joining delino deshields and rougned odor on the disabled list, texas had six players at the age of 25 or younger in friday's starting lineup. joey gallo and robinson chirinos hit solo homers for the rangers, who have been outscored 36-12 during their five-game slide.
tv: 4:05 p.m. et, fox sports 1, fs southwest (texas), at&t sportsnet-southwest (houston)
pitching matchup: rangers lh mike minor (1-1, 2.53 era) vs. astros rh charlie morton (2-0, 0.00)
minor was unable to get the final out of the fifth inning in his season debut and was charged with the loss against houston after allowing a pair of runs and three hits. he followed with a strong outing against toronto, allowing a solo homer among two hits while striking out seven in six frames. jose altuve is 3-for-5 lifetime versus minor, who owns a 1-2 record and 4.44 era in seven career appearances against the astros.
morton went 10-3 at minute maid park last year and continues to make himself feel right at home, blanking baltimore on three hits over six innings in his season debut. the 34-year-old then delivered a strong effort against visiting san diego last time out, allowing an unearned run and four hits while striking out seven. he split two decisions versus texas last season, but adrian beltre is 2-for-3 against him.
walk-offs
1. beltre is 0-for-10 this season with runners in scoring position.
2. astros c brian mccann has recorded multi-hit performances four times in his last eight games.
3. texas signed rhp yovani gallardo to a minor-league contract and assigned him to triple-a round rock.
prediction: astros 5, rangers 3
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Indians Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
13th April 2018 by Gracenote
the toronto blue jays look to continue their strong start with the bats when they visit two-time cy young award winner corey kluber and the cleveland indians for the middle contest of a three-game set on saturday afternoon. the blue jays are averaging almost six runs over the last 12 games while winning nine times after rallying from an early 4-0 deficit for an 8-4 victory over the indians on friday night.
aledmys diaz belted a three-run homer to tie the game and outfielder teoscar hernandez, who was recalled earlier in the day to replace injured josh donaldson (shoulder) on the roster, knocked in a pair of runs in the comeback for toronto. newcomer jaime garcia will take the ball for the blue jays to oppose kluber, who makes his fourth start of the season and has struck out 27 in 23 innings during his first three appearances. cleveland saw its five-game winning streak come to an end after failing to score in its last seven trips to the plate friday after scoring twice each in the first two. two-time all-star shortstop francisco lindor is starting to warm up for the indians, collecting seven hits in 14 at-bats with four doubles, a homer, five runs scored and five rbis in his last three contests.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, sportsnet one (toronto), sportstime ohio (cleveland)
pitching matchup: blue jays lh jaime garcia (1-0, 3.18 era) vs. indians rh corey kluber (1-1, 1.57)
garcia earned his first win with the blue jays last sunday after allowing three runs, five hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings at texas. the 31-year-old mexico native was even better in his season debut against the chicago white sox while giving up one run on four hits and striking out seven over six frames in a no-decision before toronto won 4-2. jose ramirez is 3-for-6 with a double versus garcia, who went 0-2 with a 5.59 era last season against the indians - his first two career matchups with cleveland.
kluber boasts three quality starts in three opportunities and produced his best outing last time out against detroit when he yielded two hits over eight scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts. the 32-year-old alabama native went 0-1 in his first two starts despite surrendering just four runs on nine hits over 15 innings combined while striking out 14 and walking three. kluber, who is 2-3 with a 4.46 era lifetime versus the blue jays, will be glad that donaldson is out of the lineup as he is 7-for-19 with a homer and five rbis against him.
walk-offs
1. ramirez is 6-for-17 with two homers and three rbis during a five-game hitting streak.
2. toronto cf kevin pillar has hit safely in six straight games, going 8-for-22 during that stretch.
3. the indians allowed nine runs during a 6-1 stretch before giving up eight on friday night.
prediction: indians 5, blue jays 1
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Indians Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
13th April 2018 by Gracenote
the toronto blue jays look to continue their strong start with the bats when they visit two-time cy young award winner corey kluber and the cleveland indians for the middle contest of a three-game set on saturday afternoon. the blue jays are averaging almost six runs over the last 12 games while winning nine times after rallying from an early 4-0 deficit for an 8-4 victory over the indians on friday night.
aledmys diaz belted a three-run homer to tie the game and outfielder teoscar hernandez, who was recalled earlier in the day to replace injured josh donaldson (shoulder) on the roster, knocked in a pair of runs in the comeback for toronto. newcomer jaime garcia will take the ball for the blue jays to oppose kluber, who makes his fourth start of the season and has struck out 27 in 23 innings during his first three appearances. cleveland saw its five-game winning streak come to an end after failing to score in its last seven trips to the plate friday after scoring twice each in the first two. two-time all-star shortstop francisco lindor is starting to warm up for the indians, collecting seven hits in 14 at-bats with four doubles, a homer, five runs scored and five rbis in his last three contests.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, sportsnet one (toronto), sportstime ohio (cleveland)
pitching matchup: blue jays lh jaime garcia (1-0, 3.18 era) vs. indians rh corey kluber (1-1, 1.57)
garcia earned his first win with the blue jays last sunday after allowing three runs, five hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings at texas. the 31-year-old mexico native was even better in his season debut against the chicago white sox while giving up one run on four hits and striking out seven over six frames in a no-decision before toronto won 4-2. jose ramirez is 3-for-6 with a double versus garcia, who went 0-2 with a 5.59 era last season against the indians - his first two career matchups with cleveland.
kluber boasts three quality starts in three opportunities and produced his best outing last time out against detroit when he yielded two hits over eight scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts. the 32-year-old alabama native went 0-1 in his first two starts despite surrendering just four runs on nine hits over 15 innings combined while striking out 14 and walking three. kluber, who is 2-3 with a 4.46 era lifetime versus the blue jays, will be glad that donaldson is out of the lineup as he is 7-for-19 with a homer and five rbis against him.
walk-offs
1. ramirez is 6-for-17 with two homers and three rbis during a five-game hitting streak.
2. toronto cf kevin pillar has hit safely in six straight games, going 8-for-22 during that stretch.
3. the indians allowed nine runs during a 6-1 stretch before giving up eight on friday night.
prediction: indians 5, blue jays 1
Milwaukee Brewers vs. New York Mets Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
13th April 2018 by Gracenote
the new york mets own the best record in the majors and thus have not needed much of a contribution from offseason signee todd frazier. that changed on friday night as frazier swatted his first two homers for the mets, who are off to their best start in franchise history and take a nine-game winning streak into saturday's matchup against the visiting milwaukee brewers.
frazier, who belted 131 home runs over the previous four seasons, etched his name in the history books by becoming the first player with multiple-homer games for and against the mets at citi field. new york, on its longest streak since winning 11 in a row in april 2015, learned friday that starting catcher travis d'arnaud will undergo tommy john surgery and backup kevin plawecki will miss three to four weeks due to a broken hand. ryan braun and hernan perez each belted two-run homers while travis shaw added a solo shot as milwaukee's belated comeback felt short in friday's 6-5 setback. losers of six of their last nine games, the brewers send right-hander chase anderson to the mound to oppose new york's matt harvey.
tv: 7:10 p.m. et, fs wisconsin (milwaukee), sny (new york)
pitching matchup: brewers rh chase anderson (0-1, 3.38 era) vs. mets rh matt harvey (0-0, 3.60)
anderson remains in search of his first victory despite a pair of strong performances in his first three starts, including six scoreless innings of one-hit ball versus san diego in his season debut and six innings of two-run ball in a loss to the chicago cubs on sunday. the 30-year-old texan is 1-2 with a 3.27 era in four career starts against the mets. he's been tormented by adrian gonzalez, who is 9-for-18 against anderson.
harvey was staked to a pair of two-run leads at washington on sunday and did not factor in the decision after permitting four runs and nine hits over five innings. the 29-year-old connecticut native was outstanding in his season debut, limiting philadelphia to one hit over five scoreless innings. harvey has made two career starts against the brewers, going 0-1 and surrendering six runs and three homers in 11 innings.
walk-offs
1. brewers c manny pina remained sidelined due to calf tightness
2. mets ss asdrúbal cabrera is riding an 11-game hitting streak.
3. brewers of christian yelich (oblique) is hopeful of coming off the 10-day disabled list for the series finale.
prediction: mets 5, brewers 4
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Miami Marlins Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
14th April 2018 by Gracenote
the miami marlins probably won't have too many winning streaks this season but they have a chance to record their first in 2018 when they continue a three-game series with the visiting pittsburgh pirates on saturday. justin bour homered and four pitchers combined on a five-hitter as the marlins picked up a 7-2 win in the series opener.
it was just the second win in the past nine games for miami, while the pirates lost for the second time in seven road contests this season. j.b. shuck went 4-for-4 with two runs scored in his first game for the marlins and his first contest in the majors since 2016. the top five hitters in the pittsburgh lineup were a combined 1-for-18 with six strikeouts and catcher elias diaz provided all the offense with a two-run homer in the fifth as the pirates - who entered the day leading the national league in runs scored - went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. pittsburgh will give the ball to jameson taillon on saturday as he looks to build upon his first career shutout while trevor richards goes for the marlins.
tv: 7:10 p.m. et, at&t sportsnet pittsburgh, fs florida (miami)
pitching matchup: pirates rh jameson taillon (2-0, 1.26 era) vs. marlins rh trevor richards (0-1, 8.64)
taillon let up just on hit and struck out seven in the shutout of cincinnati on sunday at home, using 110 pitches to complete the gem. "he's focused, he's committed, he wants to get something done, as do all of them in there," manager clint hurdle told reporters of taillon after the win. "he led the way today. and he showed the other guys in that rotation. gave them a nice blueprint to follow moving forward." the 26-year-old allowed one run in five innings to get the win in his only prior career start against the marlins last april in miami.
richards failed to complete five innings in his first two career starts, allowing three runs in four frames in a no-decision at philadelphia on sunday. opponents are hitting .389 against the rookie, who has allowed five doubles and a homer in his first 8 1/3 innings. the 24-year-old richards posted a 2.53 era in 27 games (25 starts) across two levels in the minors last season.
walk-offs
1. marlins cf lewis brinson snapped a streak of 26 hitless at-bats with a base hit in the sixth in friday's win.
2. pirates lf corey dickerson is 15-for-32 during an eight-game hitting streak.
3. miami c j.t. realmuto (back) is expected to begin a rehab assignment at single-a jupiter on saturday.
prediction: pirates 5, marlins 3
Los Angeles Angels vs. Kansas City Royals Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
14th April 2018 by Gracenote
since losing their season opener in oakland, the los angeles angels have been unbeatable on the road this season. they look to extend their winning streak away from home to nine games when they visit the kansas city royals on saturday for the third contest of their four-game series.
los angeles, which at 12-3 has matched the best start in franchise history (1979), is 5-0 on its seven-game road trip and has won six straight overall - outscoring its opponents 44-12 during the run. zack cozart and ian kinsler each recorded three hits while albert pujols went 2-for-5 with a homer and three rbis on friday as the angels overcame a two-run deficit to post a 5-4 victory. japanese two-way sensation shohei ohtani, who is slated to make his third start on the mound on sunday, has recorded at least one hit in each of the seven games in which he's been in the starting lineup - going 11-for-29 with 11 rbis in that stretch. kansas city is 1-4 on its seven-game homestand, but mike moustakas is riding a six-game hitting streak after registering a single - and ending his run of five straight multi-hit performances - in four at-bats on friday.
tv: 7:15 p.m. et, fox sports 1
pitching matchup: angels rh garrett richards (1-0, 4.20 era) vs. royals rh jakob junis (2-0, 0.00)
richards was limited to six starts in each of the previous two seasons due to injuries but already is halfway to that amount this year. the 29-year-old californian has pitched well, but he is struggling with his control as he's issued 12 walks over 15 innings. richards owns a 1-1 record and 3.38 era in 10 career games (four starts) against kansas city.
junis has yet to allow a run this season, scattering four hits over 14 scoreless innings in his two starts. the 25-year-old native of illinois did have control issues in his win over seattle on monday, however, as he walked two and hit three batters in seven frames. junis made one start against the angels as a rookie last season, surrendering five runs and eight hits while also plunking three in 5 1/3 innings of a loss at los angeles on june 17.
walk-offs
1. the angels activated lhp andrew heaney (elbow), who started on friday and struck out seven over five innings of a no-decision, from the 10-day disabled list and optioned rhp felix pena to triple-a salt lake.
2. kansas city recalled kevin mccarthy from triple-a on friday and optioned fellow rhp brandon maurer to omaha.
3. pujols has played nine games at first base this season - three more than his total from last year.
prediction: royals 4, angels 3
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres Preview and Predictions 04-14-2018
14th April 2018 by Gracenote
the san francisco giants brought in evan longoria and andrew mccutchen during the offseason to boost their lagging offense, but the early returns have been decidedly mixed. the veteran duo looks to get untracked saturday when the giants continue their four-game series against the host san diego padres, who have had their own early-season struggles at the plate.
after being held to one hit in thursday's 7-0 series-opening loss, the padres bounced back with eight hits in friday's 5-1 victory, including franchy cordero's second home run in three games. the win came hours after the team learned that promising starting pitcher dinelson lamet will undergo tommy john surgery for a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will be out for the next 12-to-15 months. san francisco has scored fewer than two runs in seven of its first 13 games and needs more production from longoria and mccutchen, who are both hitting below .205 after going a combined 0-for-8 with three strikeouts on friday. mccutchen has delivered two walk-off hits while starting every game but has just 11 hits in 54 at-bats, with six of the hits coming in a single game on april 7 against the los angeles dodgers.
tv: 8:40 p.m. et, nbcsn bay area (san francisco), fs san diego
pitching matchup: giants lh derek holland (0-2, 4.09 era) vs. padres lh clayton richard (1-1, 5.29)
holland was a hard-luck loser against arizona last monday, allowing two runs on two hits with one walk over six innings. after pitching his first eight seasons for texas, holland moved to the chicago white sox last season and struggled in the second half, going 2-5 with an 8.93 era in his final 12 games (nine starts). the 31-year-old is facing san diego for the first time since june 27, 2009, when he allowed seven runs (six earned runs) on 13 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
richard crushed a three-run homer and allowed four runs over five innings in last monday's 7-6 win over colorado at coors field. the 34-year-old native of indiana also registered a pinch-hit single for the padres' lone hit in thursday's loss to san francisco. buster posey is 12-for-29 with two homers and nine rbis against richard, who owns a 6-7 record and 4.11 era in 20 career games (17 starts) against the giants.
walk-offs
1. posey went 0-for-4 on friday, snapping his 10-game hitting streak.
2. san diego rhp luis perdomo received a five-game suspension for his role in wednesday's fracas against colorado.
3. the giants are hitting .168 (17-for-101) with runners in scoring position.
prediction: padres 6, giants 3