Preview: Diamondbacks at Angels
Gracenote
Jun 19, 2018
The Arizona Diamondbacks avoided a third consecutive loss in the series opener and look to make it back-to-back wins when they conclude the two-game interleague set against the host Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. Arizona owned a six-run lead in the fourth inning on Monday and withstood a comeback attempt to post a 7-4 victory.
Paul Goldschmidt belted a two-run homer in the first inning while Ketel Marte and Nick Ahmed also went deep for the Diamondbacks, who recorded their fourth straight win away from home as they kicked off a 10-game road trip. The blast by Goldschmidt, who has hit safely in 15 of 17 games this month, was his seventh in 11 contests and gave him 17 RBIs in his last 12 games. The Angels outhit Arizona 12-10 but still suffered their third straight loss and seventh in eight contests. Justin Upton and Albert Pujols hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning, marking the first time the feat has been accomplished by Los Angeles this season.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, ESPN, FS Arizona, FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Matt Koch (5-3, 4.09 ERA) vs. Angels RH Felix Pena (0-0, 10.13)
Koch bounced back from a rough outing in Colorado to defeat the New York Mets on Thursday, when he gave up two runs and three hits over six innings. The 27-year-old native of Iowa served up a pair of solo shots, however, making it six homers he's allowed in his last two turns. Koch, who is 1-1 in three career interleague games (one start), will be facing the Angels for the first time.
Pena will be making his first start of the season - and his major-league career - after surrendering three runs and five hits (two homers) over 2 2/3 innings in two relief outings. The 28-year-old Dominican has made nine starts and one appearance out of the bullpen for Triple-A Salt Lake this year, going 1-2 with a 3.51 ERA. Pena has yet to face Arizona in his career despite pitching in 36 contests with the Chicago Cubs over the previous two campaigns.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Angels activated Kole Calhoun (oblique) from the 10-day disabled list and optioned fellow OF Jabari Blash to Salt Lake.
2. Pujols' homer was the 626th of his career, pulling him within four of tying Ken Griffey Jr. for sixth place on the all-time list.
3. Arizona LHP Robbie Ray (oblique) is scheduled to throw 65 pitches in a rehab appearance for Triple-A Reno on Tuesday.
PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 6, Angels 4
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Preview: Athletics at Padres
Gracenote
Jun 18, 2018
The San Diego Padres put together a respectable road trip with five wins in 10 games but come home disappointed after watching the bats go cold in back-to-back losses at Atlanta. The Padres will try to put some runs on the board when they host the Oakland Athletics in the opener of a two-game interleague series on Tuesday.
San Diego had a chance to win all three series on the road before stumbling at Atlanta while totaling one run in back-to-back losses and striking out 17 times in Sunday's 4-1 setback. "If we wanna be great, we've got to eliminate the strikeouts," Padres manager Andy Green told reporters. "That's been one of our nemeses all season long. Guys that have an opportunity to bring in a guy from third base in particular, finding a different type of swing to get the guy in. And it's been preached; it's time to execute it." The Athletics struck out 10 times in 11 innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday but managed to come away with a win on Jonathan Lucroy's walk-off single, which pulled the team to .500 at 36-36. Oakland will try to jump over the break-even mark behind right-hander Paul Blackburn on Tuesday while San Diego sends lefty Eric Lauer to the mound.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Paul Blackburn (1-1, 11.05 ERA) vs. Padres LH Eric Lauer (3-4, 6.20)
Blackburn cruised to a win in his season debut with six solid innings against Kansas City on June 7, but was not nearly as sharp Wednesday against Houston. The 24-year-old was roughed up for eight runs on eight hits and a pair of walks in 1 1/3 innings without notching a strikeout against the Astros. Blackburn went 3-1 with a 3.22 ERA in 10 starts for Oakland during his 2017 rookie campaign.
Lauer picked up a win at St. Louis on Wednesday while allowing two runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. The rookie from Kent State surrendered three or fewer runs in each of his last three outings but failed to complete six innings in any of those turns. Lauer is making his first start against an American League opponent and is 2-2 with a 6.89 ERA in four starts at home.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics 2B Jed Lowrie is 6-for-13 with a pair of doubles in his last three games to raise his batting average to .284.
2. San Diego RF Hunter Renfroe went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on Sunday and has been fanned 11 times over the last six contests.
3. Oakland 1B Matt Olson is 1-for-25 with nine strikeouts over the last seven games.
PREDICTION: Padres 5, Athletics 4
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Preview: Marlins at Giants
Gracenote
Jun 19, 2018
The Miami Marlins may have one of the worst records in baseball, but they remain big winners when they face the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins look to frustrate host San Francisco again on Tuesday in the second contest of their three-game series after scoring three runs in the ninth inning of the opener to post a 5-4 victory.
Miami has beaten San Francisco four of five times this season (with the setback coming in 16 innings), has won nine of the last 11 meetings and is a stellar 20-9 at AT&T Park since the start of the 2010 campaign. The Marlins stunned the Giants with Monday's ninth-inning rally as J.T. Realmuto stroked an RBI double, Lewis Brinson delivered a tying single and Miguel Rojas lined the winning base hit. Miami has won six of its last eight overall games - with four of the victories coming against the Giants - while San Francisco has lost seven of its last 10 contests. Buster Posey went 2-for-4 in the opener but hasn't driven in a run in his last 10 games or homered in his last 12 and has gone deep just four times all season.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, FS Florida, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Dan Straily (2-2, 4.23 ERA) vs. Giants RH Dereck Rodriguez (1-1, 4.34)
Straily is 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA in six career starts against San Francisco after not factoring in the decision of Thursday's 16-inning contest. The 29-year-old allowed three runs and three hits in five innings - serving up homers to Andrew McCutchen and Mac Williamson - while registering a season-high seven strikeouts. Straily is winless over his last five overall starts, a stretch during which he is 0-2, and has worked five or fewer frames in each of his last three outings.
Rodriguez was matched up against Straily in the 16-inning contest, allowing two runs and seven hits in a career-best 6 2/3 frames. The 26-year-old bounced back strongly after being torched for five runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings by Washington in his previous turn. The son of Hall-of-Famer Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez has struck out 16 batters in 18 2/3 major-league frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Giants won seven of their previous eight home games before letting Monday's lead get away.
2. San Francisco placed SS Brandon Crawford on the paternity list and recalled INF Kelby Tomlinson from Triple-A Sacramento.
3. Miami rookie RF-3B Brian Anderson is hitless in 10 at-bats over his last three contests but drew a walk in each to extend his streak of reaching base to 16 games, snapping a tie with Realmuto (15) for the team's best stretch this season.
PREDICTION: Marlins 5, Giants 2
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