Betting news, trends, odds and predictions for Sunday, May 6, 2018 from various handicappers and websites
Sunday’s games
National League
Phillies (18-14) @ Nationals (17-17)
Arrieta is 3-1, 4.44 in his last four starts (over 4-1). Team in his starts: 3-2
5-inning record: 2-1-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-5
Scherzer is 5-0, 1.84 in his last five starts, last four of which went over. Team in his starts: 6-1
5-inning record: 5-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-7
Phillies lost five of their last seven games; over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Washington won six of its last seven games; over is 3-2 in their last five games.
Marlins (12-20) @ Reds (8-25)
Straily allowed four runs in four IP (78 PT) in his first ’18 start. Team in his starts: 1-0
5-inning record: 1-0. Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-1
Finnegan is 0-2, 7.79 in his four starts (under 2-1-1). Team in his starts: 0-4
5-inning record: 2-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-4
Marlins won seven of their last ten games; under is 10-2 in their last 12 games. Miami is 2-5 vs lefty starters. Cincinnati lost fsix of its last seven home games; over is 8-4-1 in their last 13 games.
Rockies (19-15) @ Mets (17-14)
Freeland is 1-4, 4.24 in six starts this year (under 4-2). Team in his starts: 2-4
5-inning record: 2-2-2 Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-6
Syndegaard is 0-1, 3.28 in his last four starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six starts. Team in his starts: 5-2
5-inning record: 5-1-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-7
Rockies are 7-3 in their last ten games; under is 8-2 in those ten games. Mets lost seven of their last eight home games; over is 9-4-2 in their last 15 games. New York is 5-3 vs lefty starters.
Giants (18-15) @ Braves (19-13)
Suarez is 0-1, 8.22 in two starts this year (over 2-0). Team in his starts: 1-1
5-inning record: 0-2 Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-2
Soroka allowed one run in six IP (80 PT) in his MLB debut. Team in his starts: 1-0
5-inning record: 1-0. Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-1
Giants won six of their last seven games; over is 8-2 in their last ten games. Atlanta won five of its last seven games; over is 11-3-2 in their last 16 games.
Pirates (18-16) @ Brewers (20-14)
Kuhl is 1-2, 8.81 in three road starts this year (over 6-0). Team in his starts: 3-3
5-inning record: 4-2 Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-6
Anderson is 3-1, 3.38 in his last four starts (under 4-2-1). Team in his starts: 5-2
5-inning record: 4-2-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-7
Pirates lost nine of their last ten road games (under 6-3-1). Milwaukee won seven of its last eight home games; under is 9-3 in their last 12 games.
Cubs (16-14) @ Cardinals (19-12)
Lester is 1-1, 2.89 in his last three starts (over 3-3). Team in his starts: 5-1
5-inning record: 3-0-3 Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-6
Wacha is 4-0, 3.25 in his last five starts (over 4-2). Team in his starts: 5-1
5-inning record: 3-2-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-6
Cubs lost their last four games; under is 8-2 in their last ten games. St Louis won nine of its last ten home games; four of their last five games stayed under. Cardinals are 6-3 vs lefty starters.
Dodgers (15-18) vs Padres (12-22) (Monterrey, MX)
Stripling allowed four runs in four IP (66 PT) in his first ’18 start. Team in his starts: 0-1
5-inning record: 0-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-1
Lauer is 0-1, 11.25 in his first two MLB starts (over 1-1). Team in his starts: 0-2
5-inning record: 0-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-2
Dodgers won three of their last four games; under is 5-2 in their last seven games. LA is 7-5 vs southpaw starters. San Diego lost 12 of its last 17 games; over is 5-2 in their last seven. This series is in Monterrey, Mexico.
American League
Indians (17-16) @ New York (23-10)
Clevinger is 2-0, 2.82 in six starts this year; three of his last four starts went over. Team in his starts: 3-3
5-inning record: 2-3-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-6
German is making his first MLB start; he allowed six runs in 14.1 IP in five relief stints this year, and was 7-2, 3.07 in 13 AAA starts LY. Team in his starts: 0-0
5-inning record: 0-0 Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-0
Indians are 5-7 in their last 12 games, over is 10-1 in their last 11 games. New York won 14 of its last 15 games; under is 7-3 in their last ten games.
Blue Jays (18-16) @ Rays (15-16)
Estrada is 1-2, 8.53 in his last four starts; over is 4-1 in his last five. Team in his starts: 4-2
5-inning record: 2-2-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-6
Archer is 0-1, 7.02 in three home starts this year (over 6-1). Team in his starts: 4-3
5-inning record: 3-4 Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-7
Blue Jays lost their last three games; over is 6-2-2 in their last ten road games. Tampa Bay won its last six home games; over is 7-1-2 in their last ten home games.
Red Sox (24-9) @ Rangers (13-22)
Sale is 2-1, 2.36 in seven starts this year (over 4-3). Team in his starts: 4-3
5-inning record: 3-2-2 Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-7
Fister is 0-1, 3.86 in his last three starts (under 3-2). Team in his starts: 3-2
5-inning record: 3-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-5
Red Sox won five of their last seven games; over is 4-2 in their last six games. Texas lost five of its last seven games; over is 10-3-1 in their last 14 games. Rangers are 3-6 vs lefty starters.
Twins (12-17) @ White Sox (9-22)
Gibson is 1-1, 3.66 in six starts this year; over is 3-1 in his last four. Team in his starts: 3-3
5-inning record: 3-2-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-6
Shields is 0-2, 6.23 in his last three starts; under is 3-1 in his last four. Team in his starts: 2-4
5-inning record: 3-2-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-6
Minnesota lost 12 of its last 16 games; over is 9-1 in their last ten road games. White Sox are 4-11 at home; over is 8-3-1 in their last 12 home games.
Tigers (14-18) @ Royals (10-23)
Boyd is 1-2, 2.48 in five starts this year (under 3-2). Team in his starts: 2-3
5-inning record: 1-3-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-5
Junis is 1-2, 5.18 in his last four starts (over 3-3). Team in his starts: 4-2
5-inning record: 4-1-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-6
Tigers lost six of their last eight road games; under is 6-1 in their last seven games overall. Kansas City is 5-4 in its last nine games; over is 5-3 in their last eight. KC is 7-7 vs lefty starters.
Orioles (8-25) @ A’s (17-16)
Cobb is 0-3, 11.21 in four starts this year (over 3-1). Team in his starts: 0-4
5-inning record: 0-3-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-4
Triggs is 1-1, 6.88 in his last four starts; over is 4-1 in his last five. Team in his starts: 4-2
5-inning record: 1-2-3 Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-6
Baltimore lost six of its last seven games; over is 5-2 in their last seven road games. A’s won three of their last four games; over is 5-3 in their last eight games.
Angels (19-12) @ Mariners (18-12)
Ohtani is 2-1, 4.43 in four starts; his last start was 12 days ago. Over is 3-1 in his starts. Team in his starts: 3-1
5-inning record: 3-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-4
Hernandez is 2-0, 4.15 in his last three starts; under is 3-1 in his last four. Team in his starts: 5-2
5-inning record: 4-2-1 Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-7
Angels are 12-2 in their last 14 road games; under is 6-2-1 in their last nine. Seattle won five of its last seven games; under is 6-3-1 in their last ten home games. Mariners are 6-3 vs lefty starters.
Interleague
Astros (20-14) @ Diamondbacks (22-10)
Verlander is 3-0, 0.75 in his last five starts (under 5-2). Team in his starts: 5-2
5-inning record: 4-1-2 Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-7
Koch is 1-0, 3.18 in three starts this year (under 2-1). Team in his starts: 2-1
5-inning record: 1-2 Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-3
Astros lost four of their last four games; over is 3-1-2 in their last six road games. Arizona lost three of its last four games; under is 12-2-2 in their last 16 home games.
Umpires
Chi-StL: Last four Tichenor games went over the total.
Phil-Wsh: Three of last four Barber games went over.
Pitt-Mil: Three of last four Hudson games stayed under.
Mia-Cin: Five of last seven Carlson games went over.
LA-SD: Over is 6-2 in Marquez games this season.
Col-NY: Underdogs won three of last five Cooper games.
SF-Atl: Last three Carapazza games stayed under total.
Clev-NY: Under is 9-5-2 in last 16 LBarrett games.
Det-KC: Over is 1-0-1 in Visconti’s first two MLB games.
Tor-TB: All four Rehak games stayed under the total.
Min-Chi: Underdogs won seven of last ten Whitson games.
Bos-Tex: Under is 6-3 in last nine Bellino games.
Balt-A’s: Three of last four Wendelstedt games stayed under.
LA-Sea: Six of seven Holbrook games stayed under total.
Hst-Az: Under is 4-1-1 in last six Ortiz games.
Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
5th May 2018 by Gracenote
a five-game winning streak has fueled a sterling 14-1 stretch for the new york yankees, who have ended any talk of being underachievers by racing out to their best start since 2003. the yankees (23-10) bid to extend their home winning streak to nine games on sunday with a three-game sweep of the cleveland indians (17-16), who have dropped six of their last nine overall.
rookie gleyber torres launched his first major-league homer in the opener and added a single and scored a run in saturday's 5-2 win, improving to 16-for-48 with eight rbis since being recalled from the minors. brett gardner drove in a pair of runs to match the sum total of his previous 11 contests for new york, which ends a grueling stretch of games in which it has played 18 times in as many days. although francisco lindor has homered four times during his eight-game hitting streak, the 2016 gold glove recipient lamented his defensive play - highlighted by a double error on saturday that changed the complexion the contest. "both games have been lost because of me. that's unacceptable," the 24-year-old lindor said. "... the only one that's not a good job is me and i put that on me."
tv: 1:05 p.m. et, mlb network, sportstime ohio (cleveland), yes (new york)
pitching matchup: indians rh mike clevinger (2-0, 2.82 era) vs. yankees rh domingo german (0-1, 3.77)
clevinger has made himself at home on the road by winning 10 of 15 decisions with a 3.28 era in 23 career away contests, including a pair of scoreless starts this season. the 27-year-old recorded his fourth straight no-decision at home, however, on tuesday despite permitting three runs in 6 2/3 innings versus texas. aaron judge greeted clevinger with a three-run shot in the latter's lone appearance versus the yankees, an 8-1 loss on aug. 6.
german earned his first major-league start following four scoreless innings of relief versus houston after jordan montgomery exited with a left flexor strain, an injury that is expected to sideline the latter for as many as two months. "i didn't make the team out of spring but i knew i was a phone call away and therefore i needed to be ready," the 25-year-old dominican told newsday through his translator. "i couldn't lose focus on my training and my work because i knew an opportunity was going to come eventually." dellin betances has labeled his curveball as "really filthy" and that he has "electric stuff," perhaps an appropriate assessment considering german has struck out 18 in 14 1/3 innings.
walk-offs
1. cleveland 1b yonder alonso is 2-for-22 with 10 strikeouts in his last six contests.
2. new york rf giancarlo stanton is 4-for-23 with 13 strikeouts in his last six games.
3. the indians are just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position in this series.
prediction: indians 4, yankees 2
Colorado Rockies vs. New York Mets Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
5th May 2018 by Gracenote
the colorado rockies look to win their fifth straight contest to finish a solid road trip when they wrap up a three-game series at the struggling new york mets on sunday. the rockies have taken the first two games of the set by a total of three runs, handing the mets their third shutout loss in the last four outings with a 2-0 triumph saturday night.
nolan arenado provided colorado with all the offense it would need with a solo homer in the top of the first inning and the star third baseman is 9-for-27 with four homers during a six-game hitting streak. the mets have lost five straight and eight of their last 10 while struggling to score runs. they've managed three runs or fewer seven times during the 2-8 slide and produced just six hits - five singles and a double - in saturday's loss. colorado is 14-8 away from home and will try to maintain their solid road play behind southpaw kyle freeland, who opposes noah syndergaard in the finale
.
tv: 1:10 p.m. et, at&t sportsnet rocky mountain (colorado), sny (new york)
pitching matchup: rockies lh kyle freeland (1-4, 4.24 era) vs. mets rh noah syndergaard (2-1, 3.10)
freeland lasted seven innings in each of his last two starts while allowing three combined runs and striking out 13. he is 0-3 with a 5.57 era in four starts on the road while giving up 21 hits and eight walks in 21 innings. the 24-year-old faced the mets just once in his career, tossing three scoreless innings of relief.
syndergaard allowed a season-high 10 hits and fanned a season-low three in six innings against atlanta last time out while suffering his first loss. the hard-throwing texan has allowed one home run over his last six starts and one walk in his past three. arenado has a homer in three career at-bats against syndergaard, who is 1-0 with a 3.46 era in two prior starts versus colorado.
walk-offs
1. mets 2b asdrubal cabrera is 4-for-9 with a home run and a triple in the series.
2. the rockies are 6-3 in one-run games.
3. colorado 1b/lf ian desmond was 0-for-4 on saturday as his average fell to .177.
prediction: mets 4, rockies 3
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
6th May 2018 by Gracenote
the tampa bay rays, who won just three of their first 15 games this season, look to finish off a three-game series sweep and reach the .500 mark when they host the american league east rival toronto blue jays on sunday afternoon. wilson ramos knocked in a run and extended his hitting streak to 13 games as the rays edged the blue jays 5-3 on saturday for their sixth straight win at home.
mallex smith has been a key to the turnaround while taking over for injured kevin kiermaier in center field and followed a day of rest with two hits, two walks and two runs scored in saturday's victory for tampa bay, which sits 1 1/2 games behind toronto for third in the al east. "i don't think that anybody is settling for .500," rays manager kevin cash told reporters. "but we've got to get there first. we've been close a couple times." chris archer will try to keep it going when he takes the mound for tampa bay in the finale and faces fellow right-hander marco estrada, who has struggled to a 1-8 record in his career against the rays. the blue jays have dropped four of their last five games, allowing 39 runs in that span, and are not likely to have curtis granderson (hamstring) in sunday's contest after the veteran outfielder suffered the injury in friday's 6-2 setback.
tv: 1:10 p.m. et, mlb network, sportsnet (toronto), fs sun (tampa bay)
pitching matchup: blue jays rh marco estrada (2-2, 6.19 era) vs. rays rh chris archer (2-2, 6.05)
estrada has allowed at least four runs in each of his last four outings after opening the season with a pair of quality starts and a win over texas. the long beach state product gave up five runs across five innings to beat the new york yankees on april 20 but went 0-1 over the last two while permitting nine runs in 10 frames combined. ramos is 3-for-8 with a homer against estrada, who owns a 4.96 era in 14 career games (10 starts) versus the rays.
archer registered his second quality start in three outings tuesday at detroit but suffered the loss after allowing two runs on six hits with six strikeouts over six innings. the two-time all-star beat baltimore with 5 1/3 innings of four-run ball april 26 in between his two quality starts. kendrys morales (16-for-31, six doubles, three homers) has been menacing against archer, who is 7-4 with a 3.09 era in 24 career games versus the blue jays.
walk-offs
1. morales, who had four homers and 14 rbis against the rays last season, is mired in a 0-for-18 slump over his last four games overall.
2. tampa bay of/dh denard span leads the team with 24 rbis and recorded seven in his past seven contests - one each in the last three.
3. toronto ss aledmys diaz is 4-for-9 with two homers and a double over the last three games to raise his batting average to .210.
prediction: rays 6, blue jays 3
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
5th May 2018 by Gracenote
sunday afternoon's series finale between the philadelphia phillies and washington nationals features two pitchers with a combined four cy young awards between them. jake arrieta, who is a 2015 recipient, aims to provide the visiting phillies with a series victory on sunday afternoon when he is opposed by max scherzer, who won the award in 2013, 2016 and 2017.
rhys hoskins belted a two-run homer and maikel franco added a run-scoring single in saturday's 3-1 triumph for philadelphia (18-14), which is just 4-7 since a torrid 11-2 stretch. franco has boosted his batting average from .241 to .271 after going 12-for-38 with three homers, eight rbis and six runs scored in his last 10 games, but he's just 2-for-21 in his career versus scherzer. wilmer difo launched a solo homer to extend his hitting streak to eight games, during which he is 12-for-22 with eight runs scored for washington (17-17). bryce harper answered his two-homer performance in the opener by going hitless for the second time in three outings heading into a tilt against arrieta, against whom is a respectable 4-for-14 while drawing six walks.
tv: 1:35 p.m. et, nbcs philadelphia, masn (washington)
pitching matchup: phillies rh jake arrieta (3-1, 3.49 era) vs. nationals rh max scherzer (6-1, 1.79)
arrieta paid immediate dividends on his three-year, $75 million contract by recording a 1.82 era in his first four starts before enduring his worst outing of the season on monday. the 32-year-old, who saw the first four batters reach base in the third inning, was blitzed for six runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings in an 8-4 setback to miami. matt adams (7-for-22) and anthony rendon (4-for-11) have enjoyed success versus arrieta, who owns a 1-2 mark with a 5.48 era in nine appearances against the nationals.
scherzer recorded his fifth consecutive quality start on tuesday after allowing two runs on three hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 12-4 out of pittsburgh. the nl pitcher of the month for april has permitted seven runs on 15 hits while striking out 48 batters during his five-game winning streak. odubel herrera is 10-for-33 in his career versus scherzer, however the right-hander has flustered carlos santana (3-for-42, 10 strikeouts) and aaron altherr (0-for-9, six strikeouts) en route to posting a 9-1 career mark against the phillies with an 0.95 whip.
walk-offs
1. washington of michael taylor is 1-for-17 with seven strikeouts in his last five contests.
2. philadelphia 2b cesar hernandez has scored three times during his five-game hitting streak.
3. nationals 2b howie kendrick, who is a former phillie, is 1-for-10 in his last three games after collecting 14 hits in his previous 10.
prediction: nationals 2, phillies 1
San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
5th May 2018 by Gracenote
alen hanson had all of 14 at-bats this season entering the series, but the san francisco giants fill-in second baseman has led a huge offensive uprising coming into the final game of a weekend set sunday at the atlanta braves. the 25-year-old hanson, who came into the series 3-for-14 with three rbis, has four hits and five rbis through the opening two games as the giants - winners of 10 in their last 13 contests - have scored 20 runs with 31 hits in a pair of dominating victories.
the giants did not know if andrew mccutchen would be able to play after he was hit on the left elbow by a pitch wednesday, but the veteran outfielder collected a hit friday then followed up with three hits and two runs scored in saturday's 11-2 triumph. there have been few positives for the braves this weekend, after coming home from a 7-3 road trip in first place in the national league east. right fielder nick markakis extended his hitting streak to 12 games by going 3-for-4 saturday, and is hitting .458 with only one strikeout during his surge. the series wraps up with an intriguing pitching matchup, as san francisco's andrew suarez (the team's 10th-ranked prospect by mlb.com) makes his third major-league start against atlanta's mike soroka, who is the braves' third-ranked prospect and made his big-league debut last tuesday.
tv: 1:35 p.m. et, nbcs bay area (san francisco), fs south (atlanta)
pitching matchup: giants lh andrew suarez (0-1, 4.38 era) vs. braves rh mike soroka (1-0, 1.50)
suarez already has been recalled twice from triple-a sacramento due to a rash of injuries that have hit the giants rotation, going 2-0 with a 1.16 era in four minor-league starts. the 25-year-old pitched well in a no-decision tuesday against san diego, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts in seven innings. suarez, who lost his major-league debut april 11 against arizona, only has walked one hitter in 12 1/3 innings with 12 strikeouts.
soroka came up to make a spot start tuesday in new york as atlanta wanted to give julio teheran an extra day of rest and still are waiting on anibal sanchez to recover from a hamstring injury. the 20-year-old did not disappoint, holding the mets to one run on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts over six innings to earn another start. soroka made four starts for triple-a gwinnett to start the season, going 2-0 with a 1.99 era and five walks with 24 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.
walk-offs
1. atlanta 2b ozzie albies doubled and scored in the first inning saturday, and is 16-for-32 in the opening inning this season with three doubles, one triple, five homers and 12 runs scored.
2. giants 3b evan longoria recorded his 1,500th career hit with a bloop double in the third inning saturday.
3. atlanta rhp lucas sims, recalled from triple-a gwinnett earlier saturday, struck out six while allowing two runs in 3 2/3 innings of relief.
prediction: braves 4, giants 2
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
6th May 2018 by Gracenote
ryan braun may not be performing at the mvp level he did seven years ago anymore, but his knack for delivering in clutch moments this season has certainly been reminiscent of such a decorated hitter. still nursing a calf injury that has kept him out of the starting lineup the last two days, braun hopes to lead the brewers to their fifth win in six contests sunday when they host the pittsburgh pirates for the rubber match of their three-game series.
braun struck out as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning but remained in the game and delivered a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth to send milwaukee to a 5-3 victory saturday, giving the brewers their seventh home win in eight tries. the six-time all-star has made a habit of such theatrics in 2018, as saturday's hit was his third of the game-winning variety after doing so twice in his team's first four contests of the season. pittsburgh could muster only four hits in the setback, losing for only the third time in 12 tries against a national league central opponent. starling marte has homered in each of the first two games of this series - including his first career inside-the-park home run in the opener - and driven in five of his team's nine runs so far this weekend.
tv: 2:10 p.m. et, at&t sportsnet pittsburgh, fs wisconsin (milwaukee)
pitching matchup: pirates rh chad kuhl (3-2, 5.01 era) vs. brewers rh chase anderson (3-2, 3.38)
kuhl turned in his worst effort of the season in tuesday's loss at washington, giving up six runs (four earned) on four hits - all homers - and two walks over 4 2/3 innings. that performance came on the heels of two consecutive quality starts in which the delaware native yielded a total of four runs while striking out 12 in as many frames. orlando arcia is 5-for-10 against kuhl, who is 2-0 with a 2.42 era in five starts versus the brewers.
anderson won for the third time in four turns despite issuing a season-high four free passes tuesday in cincinnati, permitting four runs on six hits while throwing 90 pitches in 5 1/3 frames. the 30-year-old oklahoma product has struggled much more at home (1-1, 5.28 era) than on the road (2-1, 2.19), however, allowing opponents to bat .293 against him at miller park. marte is 10-for-19 with a home run against anderson, who is 6-2 with a 2.86 era in 11 starts versus the pirates.
walk-offs
1. marte's 12 home runs against milwaukee are his most against any team.
2. the brewers are 6-13 against opponents with winning records and 14-1 versus foes with losing marks.
3. pittsburgh of corey dickerson went 0-for-4 on saturday to snap a 13-game on-base streak.
prediction: brewers 4, pirates 2
Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
6th May 2018 by Gracenote
the minnesota twins can match their longest winning streak of the season when they go for a third straight victory against the struggling white sox in chicago on sunday afternoon. eddie rosario homered, doubled and knocked in five runs as minnesota rolled to an 8-4 victory saturday that evened its record at 4-4 since a demoralizing eight-game losing streak last month.
joe mauer, who is the active leader in doubles (52) and walks (105) against the white sox, extended his hitting streak to eight contests (10-for-31) for the twins, while rosario is 11-for-26 with three homers and 10 rbis over his six-game run. kyle gibson will try to help minnesota win its first series since beating chicago in a weather-shortened one-game set april 12 and veteran james shields takes the mound for the white sox in sunday's finale. chicago has dropped six of its last seven contests to fall a season-high 13 games under .500 at 9-22 after giving up 19 runs in the first three matchups during the series. shortstop tim anderson belted two solo homers and scored three times, while slugger jose abreu knocked in his fifth run in four games saturday for the white sox.
tv: 2:10 p.m. et, fs north (minnesota), nbcs chicago
pitching matchup: twins rh kyle gibson (1-1, 3.38 era) vs. white sox rh james shields (1-3, 5.35)
gibson has struggled to go very deep into games and remains winless over his last five starts despite allowing two or fewer runs in three of them. the 30-year-old indiana native yielded two runs on five hits and two walks across five innings with six strikeouts tuesday in a no-decision against toronto. abreu (6-for-25) and avisail garcia each struggle (3-for-17) against gibson, who is 6-2 with a 2.26 era in 10 career games versus the white sox.
shields has gone six games without a victory but limited opponents to one run in two of the five starts during that stretch. the 36-year-old california native permitted one run on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts over six innings of a no-decision tuesday after losing his previous three outings. brian dozier is 12-for-36 with five doubles and four homers against shields, who is 8-9 with a 4.32 era in 24 career contests versus the twins.
walk-offs
1. the white sox placed 2b yoan moncada (hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list and inf jose rondon was recalled from triple-a charlotte.
2. minnesota recalled veteran c bobby wilson from triple-a rochester to replace c jason castro (knee), who was placed on the 10-day dl.
3. chicago inf yolmer sanchez is 8-for-17 during a four-game hitting streak to raise his batting average to .295.
prediction: twins 5, white sox 4
Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
6th May 2018 by Gracenote
The Kansas City Royals will try to claim their first series win of the season when they host the Detroit Tigers for the finale of their four-game series on Sunday. The Royals have won two of the first three meetings between the American League Central rivals this weekend and have a 5-4 edge in the season series.
The Royals, who are 0-8-2 in series this season, won the first two games of the set before a ninth-inning rally came up short in Saturday's 3-2 setback. The loss snapped their four-game home winning streak and gave the Tigers a chance to salvage a split of the series. Detroit ended a two-game skid when Shane Greene worked out of a ninth-inning jam brought on when center fielder Leonys Martin misplayed a fly ball off his head. The Tigers haven't won the season series against the Royals since 2014.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (1-2, 2.48 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jakob Junis (3-2, 3.29)
Boyd has posted quality starts in four of his five outings this season, allowing just one run in each. The 27-year-old recorded a season-high seven strikeouts while allowing just one run over six innings to defeat Tampa Bay last time out. Boyd lost a 1-0 decision to the Royals on April 3 and is 2-5 with a 7.05 ERA in 10 career meetings.
Junis has recorded quality starts in four of his six outings in 2018, including a no-decision at Boston last time out. The 25-year-old held the Red Sox's powerful lineup to two runs with five strikeouts over six innings in a bounce-back outing after giving up five homers in his previous start against the White Sox. Junis is 4-1 with a 3.67 ERA in five games (four starts) against Detroit, including two wins this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit RF Nicholas Castellanos is batting .327 with 20 runs, 22 extra-base hits and 24 RBIs in 37 games against Kansas City since the start of 2016, but he's 0-for-10 versus Junis.
2. Tigers DH Victor Martinez has reached base seven times in his last two games after reaching eight times in the previous 12 contests.
3. Royals RF Jorge Soler had his career-high 19-game on-base streak and 10-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-4 showing Saturday.
PREDICTION: Royals 4, Tigers 3
Boston Red Sox vs. Texas Rangers Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
6th May 2018 by Gracenote
the boston red sox appear to have recovered from their brief plunge as they vie for their third straight victory when they visit the texas rangers on sunday for the finale of their four-game series. boston lost five of seven contests after getting off to a 17-2 start this season but has bounced back by winning five of seven.
the latest win by the red sox was a nailbiter as they battled back from a pair of deficits saturday and came away with a 6-5 triumph as andrew benintendi hit a one-out triple in the top of the ninth inning and scored on hanley ramirez's sacrifice fly. benintendi recorded his second three-hit performance in four games and added an rbi while mitch moreland homered in his third consecutive contest for boston, which is in the midst of a 10-game road trip that continues tuesday with a showdown against the new york yankees. saturday's setback was the third in four games for texas, which relied on its power to score its runs. joey gallo belted a pair of solo homers and delino deshields launched a three-run shot as the duo combined to record four of the rangers' six hits.
tv: 3:05 p.m. et, nesn (boston), fs southwest (texas)
pitching matchup: red sox lh chris sale (2-1, 2.14 era) vs. rangers rh doug fister (1-2, 2.88)
runs have been hard to come by this season against sale, who has allowed two or fewer in five of his seven starts and three in each of the other two outings. the 29-year-old floridian settled for a no-decision versus kansas city on tuesday despite giving two runs - one earned - and five hits in seven innings. sale owns a 5-2 record and 3.34 era in 12 career games (eight starts) against the rangers.
fister has yielded two earned runs or fewer in four of his five starts but has worked more than five innings just once. that occasion took place tuesday in cleveland, where the 34-year-old californian allowed two unearned runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings of a no-decision. fister, who spent last season with the red sox, is 2-4 with a 4.36 era in eight career starts against his former team.
walk-offs
1. deshields is riding a nine-game hitting streak during which he is 15-for-39 with six two-hit performances.
2. boston activated eduardo rodriguez from the family medical leave list and optioned fellow lhp bobby poyner, who tossed a scoreless inning on friday after being recalled earlier in the day, to triple-a pawtucket.
3. texas 2b rougned odor (hamstring) began a rehab assignment with double-a frisco on saturday while rhp tim lincecum (finger) will start his with triple-a round rock on monday.
prediction: red sox 8, rangers 3
Baltimore Orioles vs. Oakland Athletics Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
6th May 2018 by Gracenote
the baltimore orioles hope to put an end to their woes on the road and salvage the finale of their six-game trip when they visit the oakland athletics on sunday. baltimore has been swept in each of its last three road series - all three-gamers - and is on the verge of suffering the same fate after dropping a 2-0 decision in 12 innings on saturday.
the orioles limited oakland to just four hits, but two of them came in the 12th - including khris davis' home run that dropped baltimore to 3-15 overall away from home. mark trumbo notched a pair of hits for the orioles in his 1,000th major-league game to improve to 7-for-21 in five contests after missing the first month of the season with a quadriceps injury. davis' blast - his ninth of the season - gave the athletics their seventh victory in eight games at oakland coliseum and followed a single by jed lowrie, who entered the day leading the league in hits. lowrie went 1-for-4, ending his run of three straight multi-hit performances, and is 10-for-25 during his six-game hitting streak.
tv: 4:05 p.m. et, masn2 (baltimore), nbcs california (oakland)
pitching matchup: orioles rh alex cobb (0-3, 9.68 era) vs. athletics rh andrew triggs (2-1, 5.20)
cobb was glad to see april come to an end as he allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings of a no-decision against the los angeles angels on the road on tuesday after surrendering 20 and 30 over 11 2/3 frames in three starts last month. the 30-year-old native of boston has registered only six strikeouts while issuing five walks over 17 2/3 innings in his four turns this season. cobb has enjoyed success versus oakland in his career, going 4-2 with two complete games, one shutout and a 2.33 era in eight starts.
triggs is coming off his first loss of the season, a setback at seattle on tuesday in which he yielded four runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings. the 29-year-old from nashville has made just two starts at home this year, both of which were no-decisions - including the most recent one against the chicago white sox on april 18 in which he was pounded for six runs and five hits in 1 1/3 frames. triggs has allowed three runs and five hits with seven strikeouts over five innings in one start and one relief appearance versus baltimore but owns an 0-1 record.
walk-offs
1. orioles ss manny machado, who went 1-for-4 on saturday, has been held without a hit in only six of his 33 games this season.
2. oakland of mark canha has gone 0-for-12 in his last three contests following a stretch during which he recorded a hit in 12 of 13 games.
3. baltimore 2b jonathan schoop (oblique) began a rehab assignment at double-a bowie on friday but joined triple-a norfolk a day later for the remainder of the stint.
prediction: orioles 4, athletics 3
Miami Marlins vs. Cincinnati Reds Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
5th May 2018 by Gracenote
the miami marlins have a chance to pick up their fourth straight series win when they wrap up a three-game set at the cincinnati reds on sunday. after dropping the opener of the series, the marlins struck early with a starlin castro home run and had four pitchers combine on a four-hitter in saturday's 6-0 triumph.
castro also delivered a two-run double for miami, which is 7-3 since a horrid 5-17 start. joey votto was the only red to produce multiple hits and also had the lone extra-base hit with a double as the hosts fell to 1-4 on their current homestand. second baseman scooter gennett (shoulder) returned to the starting lineup after serving only as a pinch hitter for four straight games but he was 0-for-3 for cincinnati. the marlins look to continue their surge behind former red dan straily, who opposes brandon finnegan for cincinnati on sunday.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, fs florida (miami), fs ohio (cincinnati)
pitching matchup: marlins rh dan straily (0-0, 9.00 era) vs. reds lh brandon finnegan (0-2, 7.27)
strailey came off the 10-day disabled list to make his season debut monday at home against philadelphia on monday. he was reached for four runs on six hits and four walks across four innings while picking up a no-decision in an 8-4 win. the 29-year-old, who won 14 games for the reds in 2016, is 8-2 with a 2.96 era in 18 games (17 starts) in his career at great american ball park.
finnegan has served up five home runs in his first four starts, including two in five innings of three-run ball against minnesota on monday. the former first-round pick lost his only prior career start against miami after giving up four runs in 5 1/3 innings. martin prado is 3-for-4 with a triple against finnegan.
walk-offs
1. marlins rhp drew steckenrider has allowed two runs on nine hits in 16 innings of relief this year.
2. castro owns seven hits and one strikeout over his last seven games.
3. reds cf billy hamilton, who had at least 56 stolen bases in each of his past four seasons, has just one in a 22-game span.
prediction: reds 5, marlins 4
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
6th May 2018 by Gracenote
the san diego padres needed only six pitches to accomplish saturday what they could not do in nine innings the night before and, in doing so, they ended their season-long drought against the los angeles dodgers. the padres aim for consecutive wins for the first time in three weeks sunday when they meet the dodgers for the rubber match of their three-game set in monterrey, mexico.
san diego's travis jankowski tripled to lead off the bottom of the first inning and scored moments later on a homer from eric hosmer on saturday, less than 24 hours after the padres found themselves on the wrong end of a combined no-hitter. los angeles eventually pulled in front, but raffy lopez's two-run blast sparked a four-run rally over the padres' final three trips to the plate as they beat the dodgers for the first time in five meetings this season. "it was big for us, after a day like yesterday you want to start fast. then the bullpen gave us the opportunity to come back a couple of times," san diego manager andy green told reporters. matt kemp and chris taylor each went 3-for-4 and combined to drive in all four runs for the dodgers, who were denied matching their season-high four-game winning streak.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, espn, sportsnet la (los angeles), fs san diego
pitching matchup: dodgers rh ross stripling (0-1, 2.33 era) vs. padres lh eric lauer (0-1, 10.13)
stripling will make his second straight start in place of injured rich hill, although he was able to squeeze a perfect inning of relief in against arizona on thursday. the 28-year-old, who made his first 10 appearances of the season out of the bullpen, was pounded for four runs on eight hits monday versus the diamondbacks to fall to 3-7 with a 4.46 era in 17 career starts. stripling managed to pitch a scoreless relief frame against san diego on april 17 despite walking three.
lauer gave up three first-inning runs monday but worked four scoreless frames after that in a loss at san francisco, eventually finishing with seven strikeouts in the outing. the 25th overall pick in the 2016 draft, who was tagged for seven runs (six earned) across three innings six days earlier in colorado, is allowing hitters to bat .400 against him the first time through the order. lauer earned his promotion by going 2-1 with a 3.00 era while holding opponents to a .172 average at triple-a el paso earlier this season.
walk-offs
1. in five games versus the padres this season, kemp is 9-for-17 with three home runs and nine rbis.
2. san diego of franchy cordero has reached base safely in a career-high nine straight contests despite going 0-for-4 through two games in this series.
3. los angeles rookie of alex verdugo failed to reach base for the first time in seven career games saturday.
prediction: dodgers 7, padres 6
Houston Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Preview and Predictions 05-06-2018
6th May 2018 by Gracenote
justin verlander looks to extend his regular-season winning streak to 12 games on sunday as the houston astros visit the arizona diamondbacks for the rubber match of their three-game series. verlander has yet to lose during his time with the astros, who have dropped four of their last five games.
arizona snapped a three-game losing streak with saturday's 4-3 victory as a.j. pollock delivered a walk-off rbi single with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. the diamondbacks improved to 17-1 when scoring four or more runs and received a spark at the top of the lineup from david peralta, who went 2-for-4 with a solo blast and is batting .296 with six homers and 19 rbis. houston outscored its opponents 55-6 during its seven-game road winning streak but came up short on saturday despite the efforts of george springer, who belted his seventh homer. marwin gonzalez is hitting .224 after going 0-for-2 on saturday and has struggled to build on his success from last season, when he set career highs with a .303 average, 23 homers and 90 rbis.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, at&t sportsnet-southwest (houston), fs arizona
pitching matchup: astros rh justin verlander (4-0, 1.13 era) vs. diamondbacks rh matt koch (1-0, 2.37)
verlander tied a career high with 14 strikeouts, allowed just three hits and did not walk a batter in eight innings of a no-decision against the new york yankees on tuesday. the six-time all-star hasn't lost since joining houston last year, going 9-0 with a 1.10 era in 12 starts. alex avila is 3-for-8 with two home runs against verlander, who is 3-0 with a 2.61 era in three career starts against arizona.
koch turned in another solid outing on tuesday, allowing three runs - two earned - and four hits over five innings against the los angeles dodgers. the 27-year-old native of iowa has moved into the rotation in place of taijuan walker, who is out for the year with a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament. a third-round pick of the new york mets in 2012, koch has posted a 14-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his first four games (three starts) this season.
walk-offs
1. houston is 45-20 in interleague play since manager a.j. hinch took over in 2015.
2. the diamondbacks optioned kris medlen to triple-a reno and recalled fellow rhp braden shipley.
3. springer owns a 15-game hitting streak against arizona and is 29-for-64 (.453) with four home runs and 12 rbis in his career against the diamondbacks.
prediction: astros 7, diamondbacks 2