Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Sunday, April 15, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Sunday’s games
National League
Braves (8-6) @ Cubs (7-7)
Teheran is 0-1, 7.07 in three starts this season (over 2-1).
Chatwood 0-2, 4.91 in two starts this season (over 1-1).
Atlanta lost three of its last five games; six of their last seven games stayed under the total. Cubs lost three of their last five games. Under is 7-3-1 in their last 11 games.
Cardinals (8-7) @ Reds (2-12)
Martinez is 1-0, 0.63 in his last two starts; over is 1-1-1 in his starts this season.
Bailey is 0-2, 3.78 in three starts this year (under 3-0); Reds scored 0-2-1 runs in those games.
St Louis won six of its last seven road games; under is 7-3-1 in their last 11 games overall. Reds lost 12 of their first 14 games; five of their last seven games stayed under.
Rockies (8-8) @ Nationals (7-8)
Anderson is 0-0, 5.65 in three starts this season (under 2-1).
Strasburg is 2-1, 3.10 in three starts this season (over 2-1).
Colorado won six of its last eight road games; eight of its last 11 games stayed under. Washington lost eight of its last 11 games; six of their last eight games stayed under.
Brewers (8-7) @ Mets (11-2)
Chacin is 0-1, 8.56 in three starts this season (over 2-1).
Syndergaard is 2-0, 4.50 in three starts this season (under 2-1).
Milwaukee is 4-6 in its last 10 games but is 6-2 on road; over is 4-2-1 in their last seven road games. Mets won 11 of their first 13 games; four of their last five home games stayed under.
Pirates (10-4) @ Marlins (4-10)
Nova is is 1-1, 5.19 in three starts this season (over 3-0).
Urena is 0-2, 5.06 in three starts this season (under 2-1); Miami scored 4-2-2 runs in his starts.
Pirates won 10 of their first 14 games (over 9-5). Miami lost eight of their last 10 games; under is 4-2 in their last six home games.
Giants (6-8) @ Padres (6-10)
Beede allowed two runs in four IP (87 PT) in his first ’18 start, a 5-4 win vs Arizona.
Lucchesi is is 1-0, 2.87 in his first three MLB starts (under 2-1).
Giants lost five of their last seven games; under is 5-2 in their road games. Padres won four of their last six games; nine of their last 11 games stayed under.
Diamondbacks (11-3) @ Dodgers (4-9)
Godley is 2-0, 0.64 in his first two ’18 starts (under 2-0).
Kershaw is 0-2, 1.89 in three starts this year (under 3-0); Dodgers scored 0-1-2 runs in those games.
Arizona is 11-3 in its first 14 games, 5-2 on road; their last four games went over. Dodgers lost seven of their last nine games; over is 4-1 in their last five 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. Severino is 2-1, 3.44 in his first three ’18 starts (over 2-1).
Liriano is 1-1, 2.13 in his first two ’18 starts (under 2-0). Boyd is 0-1, 1.39 in his first two ’18 starts (under 2-0); Detroit scored one run in the two games.
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 (5-10) @ Red Sox (12-2)
Bundy is 0-1, 1.80 in three starts this season (under 3-0); Orioles scored 3-2-1 runs in his three starts.
Sale is 1-0, 1.06 in three starts this season (over 2-1).
Baltimore is 4-10 in its last 14 games; under is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Red Sox won 12 of their first 14 games; over is 5-0-2 in their last seven games.
White Sox (4-8) @ Twins (7-4)
This whole series has been snowed out. Maybe they should’ve put a retractable dome on the Minnesota stadium.
Rangers (5-11) @ Astros (10-5)
Colon allowed one run in six IP (89 PT) in his only ’18 start, a 3-1 loss in Oakland.
Verlander is 2-0, 1.93 in three starts this season (under 2-1).
Rangers lost six of their last eight games; under is 5-1 in their road games. Houston lost three of their last four games; under is 6-2 in their home games.
Angels (13-3) @ Royals (3-10)
Ohtani is 2-0, 2.08 in two starts this season (over 1-1).
Skoglund allowed five runs in 4.2 IP (84 PT) in his first ’18 start, an 8-3 loss to Seattle.
Angels won 13 of their last 15 games; over is 5-4-1 in their road games. Royals are 1-7 at home; under is 8-2-1 in their last 11 games.
A’s (5-10) @ Mariners (8-4)
Manaea is 1-2, 1.74 in three starts this year (under 3-0).
Hernandez is is 2-1, 6.60 in three starts this season (over 2-1).
A’s lost six of their last eight games; their last three games went over. Seattle won five of its last six games; over is 9-3 in their games this season.
Interleague
Phillies (8-5) @ Rays (3-11)
Lively is 0-1, 5.56 in his first two ’18 starts (over 1-1).
Rays are 0-4 in bullpen games, with four one-run losses.
Phillies won seven of their last eight games; they’re 3-4 on road. Over is 6-6-1 in their games this year. Tampa Bay lost 11 of its last 13 games; under is 4-2 in their home games.
Umpires
Col-Wsh: Favorites won last six Meals games.
StL-Cin: Six of last nine Porter games went over.
Atl-Chi: Under is 11-2-1 in last 14 Estabrook games.
Pitt-Mia: Five of last six Fletcher games stayed under.
Mil-NY: Home side won seven last nine Wendelstedt games.
SF-SD: Under is 4-1-1 in last six Muchlinski games.
Az-LA: Underdogs won seven of last nine TGibson games.
Balt-Bos: Over is 9-2 in last eleven Cederstrom games.
NY-Det: Eight of last ten Bucknor games stayed under. O’Nora
Tor-Clev: Six of last nine Carlson games went over.
Tex-Hst: Five of last seven Hamari games stayed under.
LA-KC: Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Wolcott games.
A’s-Sea: Seven of last nine Nauert games stayed under.
Phil-TB: Five of last seven Reyburn games stayed under.
Preview: Orioles at Red Sox
Gracenote
Apr 14, 2018
The Boston Red Sox began the season strong on the mound but took a little longer to get the bats going. The bats don't seem to want to quit now, and the pitching remains strong as the Red Sox will try to continue the best start in franchise history by clinching a series win when they host the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday in the third of a four-game series.
Boston averaged 3.4 runs while winning six of its first seven games but turned the offense around last weekend and is dominating of late, averaging 8.9 runs while taking six of the last seven to make it a 12-2 start. Hanley Ramirez is leading the way with 15 RBIs while newcomer J.D. Martinez is making an immediate impact with 13 RBIs, and both Ramirez and Martinez hit their third home runs in Saturday's 10-2 drubbing. The Orioles aren't doing nearly as well offensively and dropped four of their last five games while averaging 2.6 runs. Baltimore could find runs hard to come by on Sunday as the Red Sox send ace Chris Sale to the mound to oppose Orioles righty Dylan Bundy.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Baltimore), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (0-1, 1.35 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Chris Sale (1-0, 1.06)
Bundy is one of the bright spots for Baltimore in the early going but is still looking for his first win despite surrendering a total of three earned runs in 20 innings through his first three starts. The 25-year-old struck out 10 in seven innings against Toronto on Monday but yielded two runs on four hits to absorb the loss. Bundy made five starts against Boston last season and went 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA.
Sale is picking up right where he left off last season, when he finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting and owns 23 strikeouts in 17 innings through his first three starts. The Florida native took advantage of his team's offensive explosion to earn his first win on Tuesday, coming out on the good end of a 14-1 final. Sale earned the win in all three of his starts against Baltimore in 2017, posting a 2.05 ERA while recording 33 strikeouts in 22 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Orioles placed 2B Jonathan Schoop on the 10-day DL on Saturday with an oblique strain.
2. Red Sox RF Mookie Betts left Saturday's game and was diagnosed with a contusion on his left foot after x-rays came back negative.
3. Baltimore starters Chris Tillman and Alex Cobb were reached for a combined 13 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in the first two games of the series.
PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Orioles 1
Preview: Brewers at Mets
Gracenote
Apr 15, 2018
The Milwaukee Brewers finally derailed the New York Mets' express train, ending their nine-game winning streak and handing them their first defeat since the third game of the season with a 5-1 victory on Saturday night. Visiting Milwaukee has a chance to send New York to its first series loss but must overcome ace Noah Syndergaard in the rubber match Sunday at Citi Field.
Having missed nearly the entire 2017 season due to a partially torn lat muscle, Syndergaard is struggling to regain the form that made each of the fireballing right-hander's home starts an event. The Mets had scored at least four runs on seven occasions during their nine-game run but were limited to three hits and suffered their second loss - both by 5-1 counts. “It never feels good to lose but I think we were playing the game the right way," New York manager Mickey Callaway told reporters. "We have to tip (our) cap to their pitchers tonight." Milwaukee scored all its runs via the long ball in Friday's 6-5 loss and rode that same formula in the streak-busting victory, getting a three-run blast from Jonathan Villar and solo shots from Jeff Bandy and Orlando Arcia.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Jhoulys Chacín (0-1, 6.59 ERA) vs. Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (2-0, 3.94)
Chacin has as many walks as strikeouts (seven) through his first three starts and has failed to make it through five innings in two of them. He made his second consecutive start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday and lasted only 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision, allowing three runs on five hits. Chacin is 2-5 with a 6.10 ERA against the Mets and has been tormented by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who is 8-for-22 against him.
Although he is unbeaten, Syndergaard has not been the dominant force Mets fans expect even though he did strike out 10 batters in an Opening Day win over St. Louis, when he allowed four runs on six hits. He threw 92 pitches in four innings versus Philadelphia in his second start and worked six innings of two-run ball for the win at Miami last time out. Syndergaard has won both starts versus the Brewers, striking out 16 in 13 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Brewers LF Ryan Braun left Saturday's game due to back tightness.
2. Mets 2B Asdrúbal Cabrera went 0-for-4, halting his 11-game hitting streak.
3. Brewers C Manny Pina (calf) has missed three straight games and is expected to sit out the series finale.
PREDICTION: Mets 6, Brewers 2
Preview: Phillies at Rays
Gracenote
Apr 15, 2018
The Philadelphia Phillies look to continue an offensive surge and extend their winning streak to six when they attempt to complete a three-game sweep of the host Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon. The Phillies scored six times in the second inning Saturday and finished with 13 hits overall to register a 9-4 victory, pushing their total to 55 runs while winning seven of their last eight contests.
Shortstop J.P. Crawford homered for the second time in three contests Saturday while center fielder Odubel Herrera recorded three hits to raise his average to a team-best .348 for Philadelphia after going 7-for-18 during a four-game hitting streak. Right-hander Ben Lively tries to complete six innings for the first time this season as he gets the call on the mound for the Phillies against rookie left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, who will be making his first major-league start. The Rays are off to the worst start in franchise history (3-11) after losing their third straight contest Saturday and have dropped five in a row at home since winning the season opener against Boston. Outfielder Mallex Smith has been a spark plug of late for Tampa Bay while going 9-for-19 over the last five games with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Ben Lively (0-1, 5.56 ERA) vs. Rays LH Ryan Yarbrough (0-0, 2.25)
Lively did not get a decision Monday when he gave up five runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings of a 6-5 victory over Cincinnati. The 26-year-old Floridian suffered the loss in his season debut on April 3, as he surrendered two runs over 5 2/3 frames in a 2-0 setback against the New York Mets. Lively, who boasts 12 strikeouts in two starts, faces Tampa Bay for the first time in his career and is 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two interleague starts while Denard Span is 1-for-5 against him.
Yarbrough, who was acquired from Seattle in the Drew Smyly trade before last season, has allowed two runs over eight innings in three relief appearances in 2018 against Boston. The 26-year-old Texan has struggled with his command a bit with seven walks and threw exactly 73 pitches over four innings in two of the outings while tossing nine in the other. Yarbrough went 13-6 with a 3.43 ERA in 26 starts with Triple-A Durham last year, collecting 159 strikeouts in 157 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia OF Nick Williams is 8-for-22 during a seven-game hitting streak after registering a double and a single Saturday.
2. Tampa Bay’s 26-year-old OF Johnny Field went 0-for-3 with a walk in his major-league debut Saturday.
3. Philadelphia C Andrew Knapp (stomach virus), who has not played since April 10, is expected back in the lineup Sunday.
PREDICTION: Rays 5, Phillies 4
Preview: Pirates at Marlins
Gracenote
Apr 15, 2018
Having squandered a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time this season, the Miami Marlins will try to rebound from a heartbreaking loss when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday in the finale of a three-game set. Miami has limited the National League Central-leading Pirates to three runs in two games as it vies for its first series win of 2018.
The Marlins wasted a masterful pitching performance by Trevor Richards when Pittsburgh sandwiched a pair of bunts - the latter one popped up - around a single to produce the only run in the ninth inning of a 1-0 victory. Starlin Castro went 2-for-4 and has hit safely in 12 of 14 games for Miami, which has lost eight of 10 and is anchored at the bottom of the NL East. Corey Dickerson extended his hitting streak to nine games with the pop-up bunt to drive in the winning run and boost his RBI total to 10. Pittsburgh's Ivan Nova looks to remain perfect against Miami when he opposes fellow right-hander Jose Urena in the rubber game of the series.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Ivan Nova (1-1, 5.19 ERA) vs. Marlins RH José Ureña (0-2, 5.06)
It took Nova three starts to crack the win column after he went seven innings and permitted three runs on seven hits while striking out six to beat the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The 31-year-old Dominican had a solid outing in his season debut with five innings of two-run ball at Detroit, but was tagged for five runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss to Minnesota. Nova is 2-0 against Miami and has not allowed a run in 15 innings.
Urena has run into early trouble in two of his first three starts - all at home - and lost both of them, giving up three first-inning runs against the Cubs in his season debut and falling into a 3-0 hole last time out versus the New York Mets. He had to settle for a no-decision against Boston on April 3 despite seven stellar innings of one-run ball. Gregory Polanco is 3-for-6 off Urena, who is 1-1 with a 7.31 ERA versus Pittsburgh.
WALK-OFFS
1. Marlins RHP Dan Straily said he felt "great" after Friday's rehab start and he will make another Wednesday.
2. Pirates RHP Felipe Vazquez is 5-for-5 in save opportunities.
3. Marlins C J.T. Realmuto (back) homered in his first at bat at Class A Jupiter on Saturday.
PREDICTION: Marlins 3, Pirates 2
Preview: Cardinals at Reds
Gracenote
Apr 14, 2018
The St. Louis Cardinals are the latest team to take advantage of the struggling Cincinnati Reds and they aim for a road sweep of their National League Central division rivals when the teams complete a four-game set Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals have outscored the Reds by a 24-8 margin through the first three contests, including Saturday's 6-1 triumph behind seven strong innings from Miles Mikolas.
Greg Garcia slugged a pair of homers and doubled while Tommy Pham went 3-for-4 with a walk for St. Louis, which moved above .500 (8-7) for the first time this season. "We throw accolades on guys all the time and one of the best ones you can have is how great of a teammate you are and Greg wears that really well," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Garcia, who had just 14 at-bats prior to Saturday. "One of those guys the whole clubhouse kind of lifts him up when he gets those opportunities and shines like he did today." The defeat gave Cincinnati (2-12) its worse start since 1931, when the team lost 17 of its first 19. Scooter Gennett has been one of the few bright spots and he had three hits Saturday to raise his average to .328.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (1-1, 2.41 ERA) vs. Reds RH Homer Bailey (0-2, 3.24)
Martinez has 19 strikeouts and just 14 hits allowed in 18 2/3 innings through his first three starts, but he's issued 10 walks in that span. The bulk of those came in a rocky season debut, after which the 26-year-old rebounded by allowing one run in 14 1/3 innings over his last two outings. Martinez is 6-3 with a 3.84 ERA in 19 career games (eight starts) against Cincinnati, and Reds slugger Joey Votto is just 3-for-19 against him, although Martinez has walked Votto eight times.
Bailey has allowed a run in six innings in two of his first three starts but his team is 0-3 in his outings. The veteran from Texas struck out seven and yielded two hits in his six innings of work at Philadelphia on Tuesday, getting through a start without allowing a walk for the first time in 2018. Matt Carpenter is 18-for-33 and Yadier Molina is 15-for-39 against the 31-year-old Bailey, who is 6-13 with a 5.86 ERA in 23 career starts against the Cardinals.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pham is 9-for-16 over his last four games.
2. Votto drew 134 walks last season but has just two through his first 13 contests in 2018.
3. The Cardinals open a three-game series at the Chicago Cubs on Monday while Cincinnati does the same in Milwaukee.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 6, Reds 3
Preview: Yankees at Tigers (Game 1)
Gracenote
Apr 14, 2018
The Detroit Tigers finally began to generate some momentum with the bats in the late innings on Friday, only to have Saturday's game postponed. The Tigers will try to fight through the raindrops again when they host the New York Yankees in a split doubleheader on Sunday that is scheduled despite the threat of rain throughout the day.
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 with a pair of home runs - including an inside-the-park blast - 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. "If the weather is awful [Sunday], it's awful, and you could have a situation like today," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters. "I think if it's like this, and it's raining all day, and that's the forecast, I'd like to think that it'll be called intelligently ahead of time. But we'll see." New York ace Luis Severino will take the mound in the opener opposed by Tigers lefty Francisco Liriano while Yankees righty Luis Cessa and Detroit left-hander Matthew Boyd square off in the nightcap.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Luis Severino (2-1, 3.50 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Francisco Liriano (1-1, 2.13)
Severino was not at his best at Boston on Tuesday, when he was knocked around for five runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings as New York went on to lose 14-1. The Dominican Republic native was much better in his first two outings, holding the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays to a combined two runs and six hits in 13 innings. Severino is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three career starts against Detroit, notching 21 strikeouts in 16 2/3 total innings.
Liriano was sharp in each of his first two outings, allowing one run 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 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: Yankees 4, Tigers 2
Preview: Rockies at Nationals
Gracenote
Apr 14, 2018
Matt Wieters has averaged just 87 games played per season since 2014 due to injuries, but the Washington Nationals enter Sunday’s home series finale against the Colorado Rockies hoping their catcher is getting on track. Playing in just his fifth game of the season Saturday after suffering a left oblique strain, Wieters singled and homered in Saturday’s 6-2 victory as Washington snapped a three-game losing skid.
The 31-year-old Wieters, who has battled a series of injuries starting with Tommy John surgery in 2014, began the season 1-for-10 before going 2-for-4 on Saturday with two runs scored. Colorado’s three-game winning streak ended as the Rockies were smothered by Washington pitching, finishing with only two hits, and have just four runs on seven hits the past two days. Center fielder Charlie Blackmon returned after missing the past four games with right quad tightness and hit a two-run homer in the first, the only Colorado hit until Ryan McMahon’s single with one out in the eighth. Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado dropped his appeal of a five-game suspension for fighting and began serving the punishment Saturday.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Denver), MASN2 (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Tyler Anderson (0-0, 5.65 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (2-1, 2.21)
Anderson started his season with a clunker against Arizona, but has rebounded in his past two starts. After allowing seven runs with four walks in 2 1/3 innings on March 30 at Arizona, the 28-year-old has surrendered two runs with two walks and 12 strikeouts in back-to-back six-inning outings against the Padres on April 5 in San Diego and Tuesday at home. Anderson received a no-decision in his only career start against Washington last April, giving up four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Strasburg was outstanding in his last start on Tuesday against Atlanta, firing eight scoreless innings while allowing three hits and two walks and striking out eight. Entering Saturday, the 29-year-old ranked fifth in the National League with 21 strikeouts and has posted a 1.033 WHIP with five walks and 16 hits surrendered in 20 1/3 innings. Strasburg is 4-4 lifetime against the Rockies with a 3.97 ERA in eight starts, but has not faced Colorado since giving up nine runs in a 2016 start in Denver.
WALK-OFFS
1. Blackmon’s homer was Colorado’s 21st of the season, two behind St. Louis for tops in the National League.
2. Washington OF Moises Sierra, making his first big-league start since 2014 for Brian Goodwin (wrist), drove home two runs Saturday.
3. The Nationals also played without 3B Anthony Rendon, who left Friday’s game after fouling a pitch off his left big toe.
PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Rockies 1
Preview: Angels at Royals
Gracenote
Apr 15, 2018
Two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani has been living up to his hype in both facets of his game over the first few weeks of the season. The Japanese right-hander attempts to become the first Los Angeles Angels pitcher to win his first three starts since Jared Weaver in 2006 as the team looks to complete a perfect seven-game road trip when it visits the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
Los Angeles, which has won seven straight overall, is hoping to sweep this four-game series after doing so in a three-game set at Texas to start its trek. Mike Trout was one of three Angels to homer in Saturday's 5-3 triumph, which extended the club's road winning streak to nine games following a season-opening loss in Oakland. The Angels have been clicking offensively during their overall winning streak, outscoring their opponents 49-15 and crossing the plate at least five times in each victory. Kansas City is 1-5 on its seven-game homestand, but no blame can be put on Mike Moustakas, who is riding a seven-game hitting streak that began with five straight multi-hit performances and features three home runs - including one on Saturday.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Shohei Ohtani (2-0, 2.08 ERA) vs. Royals LH Eric Skoglund (0-1, 9.64)
Ohtani finally gets the chance to display his skills on the mound against a team other than Oakland, which he faced in each of his first two major-league starts. The 23-year-old native of Japan allowed three runs and four hits with 18 strikeouts over 13 innings in winning those outings, issuing just two walks along the way. Ohtani was dazzling versus the Athletics last Sunday, when he gave up one hit and one walk while fanning 12 in seven innings as he carried a no-hitter into his final frame.
Skoglund's season debut was a rough one as he was tagged for five runs and six hits while hitting three batters over 4 2/3 innings of a loss to Seattle on Tuesday. The 25-year-old Floridian has not won since his major-league debut on May 30, when he limited Detroit to two hits and a walk in 6 1/3 scoreless frames. Skoglund, who is 0-3 with a 13.23 ERA in five starts and two relief appearances since the victory, will be facing Los Angeles for the first time in his career.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Angels' 13-3 start is the best in franchise history.
2. Kansas City C Salvador Perez (knee) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Sunday.
3. Trout's homer on Saturday was his sixth of the season, tying him with Washington's Bryce Harper for the major-league lead.
PREDICTION: Angels 7, Royals 2
Preview: Braves at Cubs
Gracenote
Apr 15, 2018
One big inning sometimes can be enough to help a team break out of an offensive slump. The Chicago Cubs hope that’s true in their case, and they’ll find out in the rubber match of their three-game series against the visiting Atlanta Braves on Sunday.
The Cubs used a nine-run eighth inning to rally for a 14-10 win over the Braves on Saturday, and perhaps stringing together a few clutch hits in the frame will help them overcome their recent offensive woes. Chicago has been shut out three times already this season and has totaled 11 runs in its seven losses. The Braves are trying to avoid losing a second straight series after winning their first three. Rookie second baseman Ozzie Albies remains red-hot for the Braves, as he is 18-for-44 with eight doubles, four homers and nine RBIs in his last 10 games and has recorded four consecutive multi-hit performances.
TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, FS South (Atlanta), WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (0-1, 7.07 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Tyler Chatwood (0-2, 4.91)
Teheran suffered his first loss of the season last time out despite turning in his best effort of 2018 thus far. The 27-year-old held Washington to two runs and five hits over six innings while recording a season-high seven strikeouts but was on the wrong end of a 2-0 decision. Teheran is 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA in seven career starts against the Cubs.
Chatwood struggled in his home debut with the Cubs on Tuesday, allowing five runs and nine hits over five innings in a loss to Pittsburgh. The 28-year-old registered seven strikeouts and felt good about his stuff, but the Pirates were able to make solid contact. Chatwood is 2-2 with a 5.60 ERA in seven career games (five starts) against Atlanta.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago C-1B Victor Caratini is 7-for-20 during his five-game hitting streak.
2. The Braves lead the National League with 37 doubles, including eight in the first two games of the series.
3. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo (back) is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list on Monday and is expected to be ready to do so for the opener of a three-game series against St. Louis.
PREDICTION: Braves 7, Cubs 5
Preview: Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Gracenote
Apr 15, 2018
The Arizona Diamondbacks have raced out to an early four-game advantage in the National League West after only 15 contests, and much of the credit for that goes to their recent domination of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Diamondbacks seek a fourth consecutive regular-season series sweep of the Dodgers on Sunday, when the division rivals put a bow on their three-game set in Los Angeles.
The Diamondbacks have pretty much pounded the five-time defending division champions into submission lately aside from the Dodgers' three-game sweep in the NL Division Series, outscoring Los Angeles 74-29 during their 11-game regular-season streak. Arizona has scored at least six runs in all but one of the five meetings this year, including Saturday's 9-1 rout in which A.J. Pollock led the team's four-homer assault with a pair. The Dodgers will turn to Clayton Kershaw on Sunday with hopes that he can stop a three-game losing streak, but the club's scuffling offense suffered a setback on Saturday as Logan Forsythe - filling in for the injured Justin Turner at third base - was forced from the game with right shoulder discomfort. Los Angeles has surrendered 33 runs in three contests since entering Wednesday's series finale against Oakland with the lowest ERA in the NL.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Zack Godley (2-0, 0.64 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (0-2, 1.89)
Godley has yielded a total of two doubles and six singles through two starts and is coming off one of the best outings of his career, a victory over San Francisco on Monday in which he allowed four hits and struck out nine over seven scoreless innings. The native of South Carolina nearly was as impressive in his head-to-head showdown with Kershaw on April 3, when he yielded one run in seven frames. Chris Taylor is 4-for-10 with a homer against Godley, who is 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA in nine career appearances (five starts) versus the Dodgers.
Kershaw again received minimal help from his offense but escaped with a no-decision last Sunday at San Francisco after permitting one run and six hits in seven innings, The three-time Cy Young Award winner, who is winless through three starts for the first time since 2012, has received one run of support over his first 19 frames of work. Kershaw took the loss versus the Diamondbacks in his previous start as he served up a pair of solo homers among the four hits he allowed over six innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Diamondbacks have won each of their last nine games against a left-handed starter and are 20-3 in such contests since Aug. 12.
2. Los Angeles' 4-9 record after 13 games matches its worst start since 1994.
3. Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt, who has hit all three of his homers this season in his last four games, has more home runs (29) and RBIs (94) against Los Angeles than any active player.
PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 3, Dodgers 2
Preview: Athletics at Mariners
Gracenote
Apr 15, 2018
The Seattle Mariners aim for their fifth consecutive victory and a three-game sweep when they host the Oakland Athletics on Sunday for the finale of their series. Seattle outlasted Oakland 10-8 on Saturday as six players recorded multi-hit performances during a 17-hit attack.
Jean Segura and Mitch Haniger each homered and drove in three runs for the Mariners, who have scored a total of 29 runs during a four-game winning streak that has followed a 10-0 defeat at Kansas City. Nelson Cruz returned to Seattle's lineup Saturday after being activated from the disabled list and went 1-for-5 with a run scored. The 37-year-old slugger, who homered in each of his first two games this year before going down with a sprained right ankle, is looking to reach the 40-homer plateau for the fourth time in five seasons after falling one blast shy of the mark least year. Khris Davis, Mark Canha and Stephen Piscotty each homered while combining for seven RBIs as the Athletics lost for the sixth time in eight games.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), ROOT Northwest (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Sean Manaea (1-2, 1.74 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (2-1, 6.60)
Manaea has allowed a total of four runs and issued only two walks over 20 2/3 innings in his first three starts but has just one victory to show for his efforts. The 26-year-old native of Indiana recovered from serving up homers to the first two batters he faced on Tuesday but suffered the loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers despite those being the only two runs he yielded over five frames in his first turn on the road this year. Manaea has made seven career starts versus Seattle, going 3-3 with a 4.32 ERA.
Hernandez rebounded from a rough turn at San Francisco in his previous outing, allowing three runs over 5 2/3 innings in a victory at Kansas City on Tuesday. The 32-year-old Venezuelan has yet to last six frames in three outings this season and recorded only eight strikeouts over 15 frames. Hernandez has recorded 25 victories - his highest total versus any team - against only nine losses with three complete games and a 2.60 ERA in 46 career starts versus the Athletics.
WALK-OFFS
1. Davis has gone deep four times during his three-game homer streak.
2. Oakland activated Ryan Dull (shoulder) and placed fellow RHP Liam Hendriks (groin) on the 10-day disabled list.
3. Seattle optioned RHP Casey Lawrence to Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday to make room on the roster for Cruz.
PREDICTION: Mariners 6, Athletics 3
Preview: Giants at Padres
Gracenote
Apr 15, 2018
Hunter Renfroe hasn't done much to change his reputation as an all-or-nothing hitter in the early going, but the power he has supplied recently in Wil Myers' absence has the San Diego Padres feeling pretty good about themselves. The Padres go for a second straight series win against a National League West rival on Sunday, when they wrap up a four-game home set against the San Francisco Giants.
With Myers sidelined for all but three games this season due to injury, Renfroe has taken over as the primary right fielder. A .238 career hitter with more strikeouts (157) than hits (124) who has posted a .190 average in 2018, San Diego's 2013 first-round draft pick has made his hits count lately, delivering a tiebreaking three-run blast in a win against Colorado on Tuesday before belting a go-ahead, two-run shot in Saturday's 5-4 triumph. While the Padres bask in the glory of their fourth victory in five contests, the Giants have dropped five of seven. Despite four- and seven-run outbursts in two of its first three games of this series, San Francisco has scored fewer than two runs in half of its 14 games and is batting a meager .170 with runners in scoring position.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tyler Beede (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Padres LH Joey Lucchesi (1-0, 1.72)
Beede struggled with his command in his major-league debut on Tuesday versus Arizona, settling for a no-decision after permitting two runs on three hits and five walks in four innings. The Giants' 2014 first-round draft pick was sharper in his first start of the year at Triple-A Sacramento on April 5 - giving up one run on one hit and three walks over five frames - but he is only 19-25 with a 3.70 ERA in 72 minor-league starts. Beede went 6-7 with a 4.79 ERA in 19 turns with Sacramento last season.
Lucchesi is coming off consecutive strong outings against Colorado and earned his first career victory Tuesday after yielding two unearned runs while striking out eight across six innings. The 24-year-old fanned seven in five scoreless frames just five days earlier against the Rockies, making up for an uneven major-league debut against Milwaukee on March 30 in which he was tagged for three runs over 4 2/3 innings. Lucchesi went 11-7 with a 2.20 ERA in 24 games (23 starts) in the minors last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Giants are scheduled to face a left-handed starter for the 10th time this season - most in the majors.
2. With multiple hits in four of his last six contests, San Diego OF Jose Pirela has lifted his average 71 points to .304.
3. Outside of his career-high six-hit performance on April 7, San Francisco OF Andrew McCutchen is 6-for-49 with 13 strikeouts in his other 13 games.
PREDICTION: Padres 4, Giants 2
Preview: Yankees at Tigers (Game 2)
Gracenote
Apr 14, 2018
The Detroit Tigers finally began to generate some momentum with the bats in the late innings on Friday, only to have Saturday's game postponed. The Tigers will try to fight through the raindrops again when they host the New York Yankees in a split doubleheader on Sunday that is scheduled despite the threat of rain throughout the day.
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 with a pair of home runs - including an inside-the-park blast - 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. "If the weather is awful [Sunday], it's awful, and you could have a situation like today," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters. "I think if it's like this, and it's raining all day, and that's the forecast, I'd like to think that it'll be called intelligently ahead of time. But we'll see." New York ace Luis Severino will take the mound in the opener opposed by Tigers lefty Francisco Liriano while Yankees righty Luis Cessa and Detroit left-hander Matthew Boyd square off in the nightcap.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Luis Cessa (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (0-1, 1.38)
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 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, 2015, when he surrendered one run in two innings of relief.
Boyd is still looking for his first win despite dominating both the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians in his first two appearances. The 27-year-old surrendered a total of two runs and seven hits while striking out five in 13 total innings but could not get enough run support to come out on the positive side. Boyd did not have much success in two previous starts against the Yankees, allowing a total of 11 runs - nine earned - in 8 2/3 innings to absorb a pair of losses.
WALK-OFFS
1. Yankees RF Aaron Judge hit safely in each of the last 11 games.
2. Tigers SS Jose Iglesias singled 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