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ACCESS
PICKS FOR TODAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2020 |
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NBA |
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8/7/2020 |
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FOUND
6
GAMES |
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GAME PREVIEW
Aug 06, 2020The midway juncture of the NBA's season-ending seeding action finds the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs in slightly better positions than when the eight-game restart began last week.How the teams play against each other in two games -- the first of which will be contested Friday afternoon at the HP Field House near Orlando -- will determine where, and in the Spurs' case if -- they will end up when the postseason begins.The Jazz and Spurs also will play on Aug. 13 to wrap up their schedules in the NBA restart, the league's return to play after the season was halted March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.Utah (43-25) is clinging to fourth place in the Western Conference after a 124-115 win over Memphis on Wednesday. Houston, which was scheduled to play late Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers, and Oklahoma City are a half-game behind in the standings. The Jazz likely will play either the Thunder or the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.Joe Ingles scored 25 points while Mike Conley hit for 23 points and Rudy Gobert added 21 points and 16 rebounds in the win for Utah. Donovan Mitchell chipped in 18 points as the Jazz used a 14-3 run, culminating in back-to-back 3-pointers from Ingles, to take a 116-105 lead with 2:51 remaining.The Jazz were 18 of 45 (40 percent) from beyond the arc after going a combined 28 of 108 (25.9 percent) from the 3-point line through their first three seeding games. Utah is 2-2 since the NBA restart."We were the highest percentage catch-and-shoot team in the league for 60 games," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "I don't think our guys have forgotten that. They just need to take them and keep taking them." Ingles went 6 of 11 on 3-pointers in the win over Memphis after taking only 11 threes combined in Utah's first three games of the restart."Everyone's probably passed up a bit (of the threes) and not been as aggressive, probably not taking advantage of some opportunities," Ingles told The Deseret News. "Obviously picking my spots and my time was key, finding when I can be aggressive."The more confidence we have in each other, the more we'll keep doing that." San Antonio heads into Friday's game on the heels of a 132-126 loss to Denver on Wednesday.The Spurs (29-38), who have dropped two straight, remained in 10th place in the West after Wednesday's loss.Rudy Gay paced San Antonio with 24 points off the bench in the defeat. Derrick White added 23, Keldon Johnson scored 20 points, DeMar DeRozan poured in 18, and Patty Mills and Drew Eubanks scored 14 and 12 points, respectively for the Spurs, who are also 2-2 in the restart.The Spurs got a season-high 70 points from their bench in the loss."We've lost the past two games but the whole team has come a long way," Mills said. "The mindset of this team is good as is the growth of the young guys who are learning on the fly. There's a lot to play for, too, but their development is important."Our whole approach is about the young guys, about playing meaningful games. You always want to win, but we understand where we are going with our future. It's a process." San Antonio must climb over Portland into ninth place and stay within four games of Memphis in the standings to secure a spot in a play-in tournament for a chance to participate in the postseason for an NBA-record 23rd straight year. After Wednesday's game, they were two games behind the Grizzlies and one game behind the Trail Blazers.--Field Level Media
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
4:05 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-168
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-4 (-101)
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Over 221 (-109)
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+151
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+4 (-109)
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Under 221 (-103)
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GAME PREVIEW
Aug 06, 2020No games are a given in the NBA's restart.Not with the teams near the bottom of the standings staying home instead of resuming their seasons.But the Memphis Grizzlies' first four games of the eight scheduled to be played in the NBA bubble near Orlando looked to be an opportunity to put themselves in strong position to make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.That hasn't happened, though, and now things get even more difficult.Beginning with Friday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Grizzlies' schedule gets even tougher and their playoff hopes more precarious.Memphis has dropped five consecutive games, including four in Florida. The Grizzlies (32-37) are still in eighth place in the Western Conference, but their margin for error is gone."We can't pay attention to that because that will lead to us trying to put pressure on ourselves, which we don't have to," Memphis point guard Ja Morant said. "We're learning from everything we're going through right now and still have four games to play."We're just going to attack those four games." Memphis is coming off a 124-115 loss Wednesday against Utah in which things fell apart in the second quarter with a 22-1 Jazz run to take control."Guys got to look in the mirror and say, 'What can I do better? What can I focus on? What details do I need (to) improve on besides watch film?'" Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks said. "We're making minor mistakes, and they're costing us big. Guys got to realize that even though we're a young team." The Thunder (42-25) are in the playoffs but are still fighting for position in a tight grouping from fourth to seventh in the conference.Oklahoma City is 2-1 since the restart, including a decisive 105-86 win over the Lakers on Wednesday.The Thunder weren't expected to be in the playoff picture, much less fighting for a top-four seed in the Western Conference.But Oklahoma City is right there, thanks in large part to Chris Paul's performance, both on the court and in helping guide a young team which traded away its two stars last offseason."They probably get tired of me talking about it," Paul said of the postseason. "One of the things you learn about the playoffs is you want to make sure you have a team that feels like they can't be beat four out of seven times."We're just trying to build that identity." Both teams are expected to be without their backup point guards.Oklahoma City's Dennis Schroder left the team for the birth of his second child and will have to sit out a quarantine period once he returns.Memphis' Tyus Jones is closing in on a return after missing all four games of the return with knee soreness.The Grizzlies and Thunder have split their two meetings this season, though they haven't played since December.In the last meeting, Dec. 26, Jaren Jackson scored 20 to lead the Grizzlies to a 110-97 win. Jackson suffered a torn meniscus in Monday's loss to New Orleans and will miss the rest of the season.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
5:05 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-210
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-5 (-110)
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Over 231 (-109)
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+186
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+5 (+100)
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Under 231 (-103)
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GAME PREVIEW
Aug 06, 2020In their first chance at clinching a playoff berth, the Brooklyn Nets put together a major dud with virtually their entire lineup.They hope to turn in a significantly improved showing and clinch a playoff spot Friday when they face the Sacramento Kings near Orlando.The Nets (32-36) are 2-2 inside the bubble, and their two defeats have been blowouts. After opening the restart with a loss to Orlando last Friday, the Nets posted wins over Washington and Milwaukee.The three-point win over the Bucks on Tuesday was achieved without Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and Joe Harris, and the follow-up was a complete letdown. The trio returned, and the Nets lost control of the game late in the first quarter en route to a 149-115 loss to the Boston Celtics.LeVert, Allen and Harris combined for 83 points Sunday against Washington, but on Wednesday, they were held to 38 points. The Nets also allowed the Celtics to make 20 3-pointers and shoot 57 percent from the field."As far as level of urgency, I feel like we need to have that each and every night," LeVert said. "Obviously, it would have been nice to secure that spot tonight, but there's always another opportunity. Friday's another day, another opportunity for us to go out there and compete for a full 48 minutes as a team. I think we'll be ready for that task." Even with their worst performance since play resumed, the Nets remain in a good spot. They are a half-game up on eighth-place Orlando and will clinch their second straight postseason berth with their own win or a loss by Washington, which is playing New Orleans on Friday.The Nets may be short-handed again Friday.They will be without Jamal Crawford (left hamstring strain), who was injured Tuesday and could be without Allen (sprained left ankle) and Harris (left groin contusion), who are listed as questionable.While the Nets are on the verge of clinching, Sacramento (29-39) still faces an uphill climb.The Kings are tied with New Orleans in the standings and are 2 1/2 games behind eighth-place Memphis, with Portland, Phoenix and San Antonio also in better position. A team must be in ninth place and within four games of eighth place to force a play-in series.Sacramento is 1-3 since the restart after going 10-5 in its final 15 games before the pause on March 11.The Kings picked up their first win on Thursday, scoring 49 points in the first quarter and shooting 53.8 percent in a 140-125 win over New Orleans."We are still in it," Kings coach Luke Walton said. "You never know. We've got four more games, and there's a big group of teams right there, so we're playing to win these (games) and trying to give ourselves the best chance to get into a playoff, and I thought today was a good step forward." Bogdan Bogdanovic scored a career-high 35 points after going 1 of 15 from the floor in Tuesday's 114-110 overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He delivered his career game after going a combined 5 of 28 in Sacramento's losses to Orlando and Dallas.De'Aaron Fox added 30 points Thursday and continued to play well since the restart. In Sacramento's first four games, he is averaging 26.8 points.Friday will be Sacramento's final game against an Eastern Conference opponent. The Kings finish up the season against the Houston Rockets, Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
6:35 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+169
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+5 (-110)
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Over 222.5 (-114)
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-190
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-5 (+100)
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Under 222.5 (+102)
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GAME PREVIEW
Aug 06, 2020The Philadelphia 76ers' hopes of a deep playoff run are in jeopardy.All-Star Ben Simmons limped to the locker room with a knee injury during Wednesday's win over the Washington Wizards, and the diagnosis is a partially dislocated left kneecap. Simmons will remain out indefinitely.He won't play when the host Sixers (41-27) look for their third straight victory against the Orlando Magic on Friday at the NBA bubble near Orlando. It's unclear if Simmons will be sidelined for the entire postseason.Simmons was injured in the third quarter of what turned out to be a 107-98 win over the Wizards. X-rays and a magnetic resonance imaging test both initially came back negative."Some of the information is fluid," Sixers head coach Brett Brown said. "It's just that the stuff is still being evaluated." Joel Embiid carried the Sixers over the Wizards with 30 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots."He just grabbed the gym, grabbed the game," Brown said of Embiid. "He's passing out of the double team at a highly efficient rate." The Sixers have struggled on both ends of the court in the three games despite holding a 2-1 record. They allowed more than 40 points in the fourth quarter in a loss to the Indiana Pacers and then again in a win over the San Antonio Spurs.Indiana's T. J. Warren exploded for a career-high 53 points."We've started the three games very inconsistent," Brown said. "We do some good things offensively, defensively and then you see some head-scratching stuff. ... We're trending in the right direction, just not as quickly as I'd like." Like the Sixers, the Magic are also dealing with an injury to a key player -- Aaron Gordon.In Wednesday's 109-99 loss to the defending champion Toronto Raptors, Kyle Lowry committed a hard foul on Gordon, who left the game in the third quarter with left hamstring tightness.Gordon's injury doesn't appear to be a long-term issue, according to reports, though he's expected to sit out against the Sixers."It would be a huge hit for us," Magic head coach Steve Clifford said if the injury keeps Gordon sidelined for awhile.The team is already without forward Jonathan Isaac after he tore his ACL last week.Evan Fournier scored 15 points for the Magic, who fell to 32-37 but remain as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race, a half-game behind the Brooklyn Nets."They're obviously champions," Fournier said of the Raptors. "Fouls are part of basketball. Was (the foul on Gordon) nice? No. But who cares? I mean, it was a foul. It was called flagrant one. There's just not much to say." Aside from Gordon, the Magic's offense sputtered against Toronto's stifling defense. They managed only 35 points in the first half and trailed by 20. The 35 points were a season low for points in a half.There's some bright news on the injury front, however, as Michael Carter-Williams (tendon in left foot) is likely to be available.The Magic are very close to officially clinching a playoff berth. One Magic victory or a loss by the Wizards will seal the playoff spot, as both teams have four games remaining.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
8:05 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+284
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+8.5 (-107)
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Over 236.5 (-105)
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-334
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-8.5 (-103)
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Under 236.5 (-107)
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GAME PREVIEW
Aug 07, 2020The Washington Wizards are using the NBA restart to build for the future.The New Orleans Pelicans might find themselves doing the same thing if they don't beat the Wizards on Friday at the Visa Athletic Center near Orlando.The Pelicans have been in the thick of the tight battle get into a play-in opportunity in the Western Conference playoff race. However, their challenge got more difficult when they lost 140-125 to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, leaving them 1-3 in the restart and 29-39 overall with four games to play."We have to come together as a whole team and discuss how we can get better," rookie forward Zion Williamson told reporters after scoring 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting.It was the second time in three games that porous New Orleans defense led to a double-digit loss. The Pelicans trailed the Clippers 77-45 at intermission on the way to a 126-103 loss on Saturday.The halftime deficit against the Clippers was the largest in franchise history. The 49 points allowed to the Kings in the first quarter on Thursday were the most in any quarter in franchise history -- and Sacramento added 40 points in the third quarter."You just can't give up a 49-point quarter and you can't give up a 40-point quarter," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. "We've got to be much more active defensively." The Pelicans enter Thursday in a tie with the Kings for 12th place, 2 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies and two games back of ninth place, the spot needed to potentially get into a play-in scenario."We've got to lock in, take pride, just be able to be disappointed when somebody scores on you," New Orleans guard Jrue Holiday said. "This game is hard. It's tough to play, but you've got to do it." The Wizards are one of the youngest teams in the NBA and are 0-4 in the restart while playing without leading scorers Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans."I think this is a great opportunity for us to put a lot of intensity on each game," Washington coach Scott Brooks said, according to the team website. "It also gives a chance to evaluate some of your younger players and see how they play in these situations. ... We have a lot of guys who don't have a lot of NBA experience, so this is great for them." One of the young players taking advantage of the opportunity is Thomas Bryant, who has had a double-double in each of the last three games, averaging 23 points and 11.3 rebounds in that run."It's a step in the right direction," Bryant said. "Keep improving every day -- that's my main thing, just to keep improving, especially on the defensive end, guarding multiple positions, taking the challenge head-on and being a guy this team can (count) on." The Wizards (24-44) have the worst record of the 22 teams participating in the restart."Our mission, our job, our goals have not changed," Brooks said. "I know we're not happy with (the record), but our job is still the same -- come out here and get better every day."Going forward, this is going to help us. It's definitely going to help us in the long run when everybody is whole. This is a valuable experience that a lot of teams don't get, but we get to get it. We're competing. We're not wasting these games, these times or these minutes." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
9:05 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+111
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+2 (-105)
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Over 220.5 (-104)
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-123
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-2 (-105)
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Under 220.5 (-108)
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GAME PREVIEW
Aug 06, 2020The Toronto Raptors own the longest active winning streak in the NBA and can clinch the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference on Friday night when they oppose the Boston Celtics at The Arena inside the NBA bubble near Orlando.The Raptors (49-18) will be seeking their eighth consecutive victory, and the triumph would eliminate third-place Boston (45-23) from contention for the No. 2 seed.Toronto is 3-0 since the season restarted and has held two opponents below 100 points, including the Orlando Magic in Wednesday's 109-99 victory."In our locker room, if you don't have the will or the discipline to play defense, it is going to be really hard for you to see the floor, and that gives the coaches a lot of credit, right?" veteran center Marc Gasol told reporters. "They have high standards defensively, and I think that's what separates the good teams from the great teams. I think that's who we are." The reigning NBA champions are just 1-2 against the Celtics this season, and the matchup against the Boston offense figures to rank as a good test on Friday.The Celtics are only 2-2 in the restart but averaged 138.5 points in the two wins, including Wednesday's 149-115 drubbing of the Brooklyn Nets.Boston shot 56.8 percent from the field and connected on 20 of 39 3-point attempts against the Nets while posting its highest point total of the campaign. Seven players scored in double digits, led by shooting guard Jaylen Brown's 21 points.The splurge happened with four-time All-Star Kemba Walker sitting out to rest his sore left knee. Walker is expected to play against Toronto.While the high-octane offensive exploits were impressive against the Nets, Brown said there is plenty for the club to work on."Making sure we play the game the right way defensively, being a really, really good team, being a (expletive) to beat going into the playoffs," Brown said. "We figure that out, we'll be alright." Robert Williams, the 22-year-old big man, had his best NBA showing against the Nets as he scored a career-best 18 points and made all seven of his field-goal attempts while playing 19 minutes.The first-round choice (27th overall) in 2018 totaled just 13 seconds of action in Boston's first three games of the restart."It's really just the will to want to play," Williams told reporters. "I want to bring the right energy. I think a lot of the young guys brought great energy. That is my job." Star forward Jayson Tatum was needed for only 18 minutes in the one-sided contest against Brooklyn. He scored 19 points.Meanwhile, Toronto is receiving stellar production from guard Fred VanVleet.The 26-year-old scored a career-best 36 points in Monday's 107-103 win over the Miami Heat and followed up with 21 points and 10 assists in the victory over Orlando.But VanVleet, like Gasol, was much more impressed with the defense on Wednesday than his individual play.Toronto held the Magic to 11 first-quarter points and led 55-35 at halftime en route to the latest triumph."I think it just starts from the top down, obviously (coach Nick Nurse) sets the tone, and then it's just a collection of what kind of guys you've got," VanVleet said. "What is your character like? Do you have defensive-minded guys? Do you have guys who are pissed off when they get scored on?"That's kind of the beginning of it, and then it gets to the point once you've got enough of that, you look bad when you don't play defense. Like you stick out like a sore thumb. ... You can tell when a guy's not on the same page as everybody else, it looks bad, and guys feel that, and you don't want to be that guy ever on the court." Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry will look to rebound from a 2-for-9 shooting effort against Orlando. He is 4 of 17 over the past two games.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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MLB |
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8/7/2020 |
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FOUND
14
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
6:05 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+153
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+1.5 (-125)
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Over 9 (+102)
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-167
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-1.5 (+114)
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Under 9 (-115)
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GAME PREVIEW
O's look to get offense going against injury-riddled NatsThe Baltimore Orioles are looking for better starting pitching while the World Series champion Washington Nationals are hoping for some healthy starting pitching.These two teams start a weekend series in Washington Friday -- just a bus ride from Baltimore -- and the Nationals hope they don't lose starter Max Scherzer for too long after tweaking his hamstring Wednesday and leaving after one inning against the Mets."I'm thinking in a couple of days I'm going to feel pretty darn good," Scherzer told The Washington Post. "I really don't think this is a major injury." The Nationals have yet to see Stephen Strasburg pitch in a game after he led Washington to the World Series last year. He's been bothered by nerve irritation, and relief pitcher Sean Doolittle has struggled so far. He is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in three games for the Nationals, who were off Thursday.And as of late Thursday night, Washington had yet to even announce a starting pitcher for Friday.The Nationals are coming off a two-game split with the Mets while the Orioles dropped four in a row to Miami. Baltimore hit four homers in the final game Thursday, but they weren't enough in an 8-7 loss.Renato Nunez homered twice while Chance Sisco and Dwight Smith Jr. each banged out one. Still, the Marlins swept the four-game series and sent the Orioles into Washington on a down note.The Baltimore offense could not do much against Miami after sweeping Tampa Bay in a three-game series at home last weekend. Through the first three games, the Orioles scored just one run total, a big reason the Marlins swept a doubleheader Wednesday.Baltimore's Tommy Milone (0-1, 5.63 ERA) is coming off a strong start against the Rays and he gets the nod Friday. He gave up one run on one run on six hits and no walks while fanning eight in five innings of a no-decision (though the Orioles won 5-1). Milone made his major league debut with the Nationals in 2011 and threw in five games that season.He also pitched for Washington in 2018, again in five games. Milone is 1-0 with a 0.73 ERA in two games (both starts) against his former team.Washington made two moves during its off-day Thursday to cut the roster to the required 28 players. The Nationals optioned right-hander James Bourque to the alternate training site in Fredericksburg (Va.), and designated infielder/outfielder Emilio Bonifacio for assignment.The Orioles made two moves of their own. Left-hander John Means went on the bereavement list, and outfielder DJ Stewart was optioned to the team's alternate training site in Bowie (Md.).--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
6:40 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+102
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+1.5 (-194)
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Over 8 (-113)
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-110
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-1.5 (+173)
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Under 8 (+100)
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GAME PREVIEW
Rays look to get on track vs. rival YankeesGoing into the originally scheduled 162-game season, the Tampa Bay Rays were viewed as a potent challenger to the New York Yankees for American League East supremacy. When the 60-game season was announced, the Rays were still considered a formidable challenger to the Yankees.So far, the Rays are not living up to those expectations, however. But now they get a chance to start reversing their slow start Friday night when they host the Yankees in the opener of a four-game series.Last season, the Rays won 96 games to finish seven games behind the Yankees -- but made the playoffs and sparked hopes for a third straight 90-win season. At 5-7, they are currently four games behind the Yankees and, thanks to the shortened schedule, holding less time to get rolling.Tampa Bay started decently, winning four of its first five games as Austin Meadows was recovering from coronavirus. Since a 5-2 win over Atlanta on July 28, however, the Rays are 1-6.The offense has been a significant problem for Tampa Bay. The Rays enter this series with a .211 team batting average, a .303 on-base percentage and no more than five runs scored in any game since July 27.The latest offensive struggles occurred Wednesday in a 5-0 home loss to the Boston Red Sox. Tampa Bay mustered four hits, struck out 11 times and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position."We know we have to step it up, we know we have to figure it out because they've been playing good," Rays shortstop Willy Adames said. "It's going to be a good series for us. We have to figure it out." Tampa Bay's pitching owns a 3.63 earned run average entering the series and will start left-hander Blake Snell (0-0, 5.40 ERA), who has experienced mixed results against the Yankees.Snell is 3-6 with a 4.41 ERA in 16 career starts against the Yankees, who are his most frequent opponent. He is 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in five starts against New York at home.Snell has not thrown more than 53 pitches in his first two starts. He last pitched a week ago in a 6-3 loss at Baltimore, when he faced 14 hitters and allowed three runs on four hits in three innings.The Yankees head to Tampa Bay coming off a four-game split with the Philadelphia Phillies in a series that was delayed a week due to the Phillies potentially being exposed to coronavirus when they faced the Miami Marlins.New York won seven straight before dropping two of three in Philadelphia and stranded two in the ninth in Thursday's 5-4 loss before heading to Florida."I am not," Yankees outfielder Mike Tauchman said when asked about concerns heading to Florida. "I understand that's kind of a hot spot but I feel that the protocols that the team has put in place and I feel like the lengths we're going to as a group are going to keep us in good shape." The Yankees have homered in a team-record 12 straight games to start the season and on Thursday struggling catcher Gary Sanchez hit New York's latest homer.To prepare for the series against Tampa Bay, the Yankees did not start Aaron Judge and DJ LeMahieu, who are amongst their hottest hitters. LeMahieu is batting .429 after getting a single as a pinch hitter Thursday and Judge is batting .302 with seven homers and 17 RBIs after striking out as a pinch hitter Thursday.Masahiro Tanaka (0-0, 3.38) will make his second start since returning from a mild concussion sustained in a simulated game July 4. He will likely be on a pitch count after allowing two runs on four hits and throwing 51 pitches in 2 2/3 innings during Saturday's 5-2 win over Boston.Tanaka is 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA in 18 career starts against Tampa Bay and 4-2 with a 1.79 ERA in his last eight starts against the Rays.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-109
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+1.5 (-206)
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Over 9.5 (-113)
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+101
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-1.5 (+183)
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Under 9.5 (+100)
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GAME PREVIEW
Phillies' Velasquez looks to get groove back vs. BravesA struggling veteran and a highly valued rookie trying to find his way square off on Friday when the Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a four-game series between the two National League East rivals.Veteran Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez (0-0, 12.00 ERA) will try to find the answer against a Braves team that has troubled him throughout his career. He will be opposed by Atlanta's Kyle Wright (0-1, 7.50), a 2017 first-round draft pick with a chance to nail down a spot in the team's unsettled rotation.The Braves are coming off a 7-2 homestand and just took two of three from Toronto, winning the finale on a walk-off home run by Nick Markakis. The Phillies defeated the New York Yankees 5-4 on Thursday to split their four-game season series.The Phillies won 10 of 19 game against Atlanta in 2019.Velasquez wasn't effective in his first start of the season against the Miami Marlins on July 26. In three innings pitched, he allowed four runs on three hits and two walks, striking out four and getting tagged for a pair of home runs."I have to earn my stripes back," Velasquez told reporters after that game.Velasquez has struggled against the Braves throughout his career, though he is coming off his best season against them. He went 1-1 with a 7.04 ERA in three games, two starts, against Atlanta in 2019. He won his last start against the Braves on Sept. 17, when he allowed two runs and struck out eight in five innings -- but that is his only win against Atlanta. In 12 career appearances (11 starts), he is 1-6 with a 5.20 ERA against the Braves.Wright will try to solve some of the control problems that have plagued him over his first two starts. In six innings, he has allowed nine hits and issued seven walks, with opponents batting .346 against him. In his most recent start last Sunday, Wright did not allow a run, despite giving up five hits and four walks."It was an improvement over the last time. I'll say that," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker told reporters after Wright gave up five runs on four hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings in his season debut against Tampa Bay. "So hopefully the next time out, he'll be a little more settled and start feeling like himself. To his credit, he never gave in, which is a great trait to have. He's a young kid with great stuff who is learning." The Braves will need to find an answer for Phillies catcher J. T. Realmuto. Over his last five games, the veteran is hitting .400 (8-for-20) and has homered in back-to-back games.Although he is only hitting .250 this season, outfielder Bryce Harper is hitting .275 with 32 homers in his career against the Braves. He went deep seven times against Atlanta in 2019.Atlanta outfielder Adam Duvall is off to a good start. He is batting .368 (7-for-19) to start the season with two homers, six runs scored and four RBIs. Markakis was the hero on Thursday and needs one double to become the 64th player in history to reach the 500 mark.Teams had to reduce their rosters to 28 players on Thursday. The Braves activated reliever Will Smith earlier in the day while optioning catcher Alex Jackson and reliever Chad Sobotka to their alternate training site and designating outfielder Scott Schebler for assignment. The Phillies optioned right-hander Enyel De Los Santos and outfielder Kyle Garlick to their alternate site.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-105
|
-1.5 (+153)
|
Over 8.5 (-101)
|
|
|
-103
|
+1.5 (-170)
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Under 8.5 (-112)
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GAME PREVIEW
Tigers back in action with trip to PittsburghGoing into their weekend series starting Friday at PNC Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers will be looking for something scarce to come by lately.That would be a win for the Pirates -- and a game of any sort for the Tigers.Pittsburgh ended a seven-game losing streak Thursday with a 6-5 walk-off win over the Minnesota Twins.Detroit was off Thursday. Again.The Tigers haven't played since getting swept in a doubleheader Sunday at home against Cincinnati. Detroit got an unexpected hiatus that was anything but its doing.The Tigers were scheduled to hold a home-and-home series with St. Louis, two games in each city, but all four games were postponed after the Cardinals had a COVID-19 outbreak.That gave Detroit a chance to hold a couple of workouts reminiscent of training camp, though the Tigers' rotation got thrown into a bit of disarray despite pitchers getting an extra side session and the team holding live batting practice Wednesday and Thursday during its extra workouts."It's different," Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd (0-1, 7.20 ERA), who is scheduled to pitch in the series opener Friday in Pittsburgh against right-hander Chad Kuhl (0-0, 1.80 ERA), told the Detroit website. "Not usually are you given four days in the middle of the year. But we're going to use it to our advantage."It's like spring training. ... We're making the most of it, and it's fun. You'd rather be playing baseball (games), but this is the hand that we're dealt right now, so we're just rolling with it." Boyd is the only starter whose spot was determined as of Thursday, although Ivan Nova and Spencer Turnbull are penciled in for Saturday and Sunday, respectively."The problem there is that if you take one guy whose turn was coming up and then you put him in the back, it's a lot of days (off)," Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said.Boyd is 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in three career starts against Pittsburgh.Kuhl will be making his first start since September 2018 after he underwent Tommy John surgery.In his first two appearances this year, he followed Steven Brault in a piggyback situation. Pirates manager Derek Shelton did not divulge whether Friday would be another piggyback night but with the roles reversed, although he did allow that "we said all along when we were going back and forth with those guys that we would mix up the starts of how they were doing it. We just felt it was a good opportunity (Friday) for Chad to start." Sunday, Kuhl left his outing against the Cubs after two innings because of a problem with the index finger on his pitching hand, where the nail cut into the cuticle, but that problem has apparently resolved."The first inning of my Cubs outing, it was probably the best I've felt since surgery," Kuhl said, adding he hopes to pitch at least four innings against the Tigers."I feel like the breaking balls are there. I lost a little bit of fastball command in that second inning (of work) just from my finger bleeding. We had a little tough stretch there. I feel really good about the way I've thrown the ball and how I've bounced back, recovery-wise." Kuhl has won all three of his career starts against Detroit, with a 5.09 ERA.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:30 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-102
|
+1.5 (-181)
|
Over 10.5 (-106)
|
|
|
-106
|
-1.5 (+162)
|
Under 10.5 (-106)
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GAME PREVIEW
Red Sox, Blue Jays vying for fifth win of seasonThe Boston Red Sox are hoping that a 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday will be the start of something good as they open a three-game home series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.The Blue Jays, meanwhile, will be trying to shake off a 4-3 loss Thursday to the Atlanta Braves on a walk-off homer by Nick Markakis in the rubber match of a three-game series.Each team will be trying for its fifth win of the season Friday. The difference is that Boston has lost eight games to the Blue Jays' six.Right-hander Tanner Roark (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will start for Toronto against Boston right-hander Ryan Weber (0-2, 11.57).The Red Sox, who had a day off in the schedule Thursday, used two-run homers by Alex Verdugo and Michael Chavis to complete a 3-4 road trip on Wednesday.The game was significant for the Red Sox because they got an early lead and extended it."I think it's huge," Verdugo said. "We've had a lot of games having to come back, fighting a little bit, trying to get the adrenaline going and stuff like that. (Wednesday) just to come out there and get the early lead and to hold it the whole game -- great job by our pitching staff. They did what they had to do. ... We were all firing on the right cylinders." The Blue Jays were scheduled to start right-hander Trent Thornton on Saturday against Boston right-hander Zack Godley.But Thornton was put on the injured list Friday with elbow inflammation."He was throwing a bullpen and he felt kind of weird about it," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. "And, of course, the moment somebody complains a little bit, we don't want to rush it and we want to be careful with it." Thornton's issue is not considered serious, but he will miss his next start at least.The Blue Jays could go with right-hander Chance Anderson in his place, but he is coming back from an oblique strain. The Blue Jays are expected to start right-hander Matt Shoemaker on Sunday while Boston will have a bullpen day."We'll have to figure out those pieces," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said.Weber is 1-0 with a 5.56 ERA in four career games (two starts) against the Blue Jays.Roark is 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against Boston. He has not pitched since July 28 because the Blue Jays' series against the Philadelphia Phillies scheduled for last weekend was postponed.If the Blue Jays need another starter, they could go to left-hander Ryan Borucki. They still consider him a starter in the long term even though both of his appearances this season have been in relief. He had two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning Wednesday in a 2-1 victory at Atlanta.He could team up with Anthony Kay and Thomas Hatch on Saturday if necessary."I'm more of a finesse kind of pitcher as a starter, just trying to get ground balls and stuff like that," Borucki said. "Now, it's coming in with my best stuff and whatever's working that day, I'm going to go with -- if it's the changeup, if it's the slider." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:05 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-146
|
-1.5 (+100)
|
Over 9.5 (+103)
|
|
|
+135
|
+1.5 (-110)
|
Under 9.5 (-115)
|
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GAME PREVIEW
With skid broken, Royals look for more vs. TwinsThere is no "normal" to the 2020 MLB season. But right-hander Jakob Junis of the Royals feels like things are returning to normal ... sort of."Normal body soreness, normal arm soreness," he told reporters when asked about how he felt after making his season debut last Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.Now, he'll look to break his "normal" when it comes to the Minnesota Twins, whom the Royals host for the first of a three-game series Friday -- and against whom Junis has yet to earn a victory."I know that this season so far we haven't had a solid rotation," Junis added. "It's kind of been by committee. But having Brad (Keller) back, myself back, Danny (Duffy), Brady (Singer) and Kris (Bubic), it's a pretty solid five. It looks like we have something to look forward to with a five-day rotation." Junis (0-0, 4.15 ERA) missed the first week of the season after starting the season on the injured list as he recovered from COVID-19. Projected Opening Day starter Keller made his season debut Thursday in a 13-2 win over the Cubs after a delay similar to that of Junis. Singer and Bubic both made their MLB debuts this season.Junis hopes that continuity will pay off."I think it's good," he said. "I hope we can get in a rhythm and string some good starts together and get some wins." Junis is 0-1 with a 4.28 ERA in seven career starts against the Twins. He has 40 strikeouts and 16 walks in 33 2/3 innings.The Royals need some wins heading into this series. Their win Thursday ended a six-game losing streak, and in a short season, runs like those can prove catastrophic."Frustration," Royals manager Mike Matheny said about what he saw in his team during the streak. "That's the way it should be. The day we're good with losing a bunch of games in a row is the day we ought to hand our jerseys in. It's our job to figure out ways to win games."We've just got to keep preaching the process and making sure our minds never go in that direction." The Twins have had no trouble with continuity. Despite blowing a ninth-inning lead against the Pittsburgh Pirates to end their six-game winning streak Thursday, the Twins still own half-game lead on the New York Yankees for the best record in the American League.They're one of the highest-scoring teams in the AL, averaging more than 5.2 runs per game. They also have one of baseball's best pitching staffs; their 2.97 ERA is second in the AL and fourth in MLB, despite having three-fifths of their expected starting rotation currently on the injured list.Left-hander Rich Hill went on the 10-day IL Tuesday with shoulder fatigue, joining righties Homer Bailey (right biceps tendinitis) and Jake Odorizzi (right intercostal strain) -- the latter is expected to make his season debut Saturday against the Royals.Lefty Devin Smeltzer (1-0, 11.57) will take the mound for Rocco Baldelli's squad Friday. It will be his third appearance of 2020, but his first start. He had his best start of 2019 against the Royals, when he allowed two harmless singles in six scoreless innings.Smeltzer believes he belongs in the rotation."Before we got sent home, (pitching coach) Wes (Johnson) had a little analogy -- you never can put the toothpaste back in the tube," Smeltzer said during summer camp. "He said, 'We don't know how long this (shut down) will be, but this might be the only time in your career when you can go home and really work on yourself and get better.'"I went home and took care of business. I really worked hard on the slider. I feel confident with it." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:10 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-125
|
-1.5 (+124)
|
Over 8.5 (-101)
|
|
|
+115
|
+1.5 (-137)
|
Under 8.5 (-112)
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Indians aim to extend win streak vs. White Sox in ChicagoLimited to four runs in a recent four-game skid, the Cleveland Indians are starting to recapture their stride -- and stroke -- entering Friday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox.The Indians travel to Guaranteed Rate Field on a three-game winning streak, the latest victory a resounding 13-0 win against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday."We've heard people say the Indians aren't going to hit, but we know we're going to be good for the rest of the season," Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez said. "We have a very good group of hitters. As long as we do our job, we know the pitchers are going to do theirs and we'll be fine." Ramirez homered from both sides of the plate Thursday as part of a 3-for-5 night that paced an 11-hit attack.He also homered from both sides of the plate on July 26 against the Kansas City Royals. The Indians welcomed the White Sox to Progressive Field two days later, and Ramirez went 5-for-11 to help Cleveland win two of three in the series.Chicago salvaged the last game of that set, the first victory in an eventual six-game winning streak that ended with Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The White Sox fell to the Brewers 8-3 on Thursday, as well, but are confident a renewed resolve can help them regroup against their American League Central rivals."I tell you what, just the energy in the clubhouse," White Sox second baseman Danny Mendick said. "When we show up to the field, there's more confidence. It's not like we are going to get pushed around. It's more like we are going to do the pushing around. Everyone is just prepared. Everyone shows up to the field ready. They know the opponent. We know what they are going to bring."I feel there's just more, how do I say this, more education. We have more veterans. We have guys who are really focused on baseball, and it brings a lot to everybody." Indians starter Aaron Civale (1-1, 3.75 ERA) has struck out nine batters in each of his first two outings in 2020. Entering the season, Civale's previous career-best strikeout mark was seven against the Texas Rangers on Aug. 5, 2019.Civale is 2-1 with a 4.40 ERA in three career starts against the White Sox. In the opener of July 28's doubleheader at Progressive Field, Civale defeated Chicago in his season debut behind six innings of two-run ball, scattering seven hits, one walk and nine strikeouts.His opponent in that game, Dylan Cease, will be the same one to face him Friday.Cease (1-1, 6.48 ERA) is coming off Sunday's strong outing against the Kansas City Royals, when he earned his first victory of the season after spacing two runs, five hits, one walk and four strikeouts in six innings.The Indians reached Cease for four runs on seven hits -- including two home runs -- in 2 1/3 innings. In two career starts against Cleveland, Cease is 0-1 with an 8.00 ERA.Indians first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. is serving as acting manager for Terry Francona, who has missed the past five games due to an ongoing gastrointestinal issue. Francona will not travel to Chicago with the team.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:10 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-111
|
-1.5 (+142)
|
Over 8.5 (+100)
|
|
|
+103
|
+1.5 (-158)
|
Under 8.5 (-112)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Bauer gives Reds strong chance to break skid vs. BrewersTrevor Bauer has been nothing short of brilliant in the young and unique Major League Baseball season.The Cincinnati right-hander will try to continue that early success when he starts for the visiting Reds in the opener of a three-game weekend set against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night. The Reds enter with a three-game losing streak while the Brewers have won two in a row.Bauer (1-0, 0.68 ERA) faced the Detroit Tigers in his first two outings. On July 26, he allowed a solo homer, one other hit and struck out 13 with one walk over 6 1/3 innings of a no-decision. During the nightcap of Cincinnati's doubleheader sweep at Detroit on Sunday, Bauer went the full seven innings to complete a two-hit, seven-strikeout effort in a 4-0 win."You talk about determined and motivated," manager David Bell said of Bauer. "We believe in Trevor's ability to prepare himself. He came into the season at full speed." Bauer, who has never faced Milwaukee, will try to help the Reds get back on track after they dropped the final three of a four-game, home-and-home series with the Cleveland Indians this week. Though two Cincinnati relievers were responsible for a 10-run Indians seventh inning Thursday in the Reds' 13-0 loss, the bigger issue at the moment for the club is a lack of offense.Looking to avoid being shut out in three consecutive games for the first time since April 2019, Cincinnati has not scored a run in 23 straight innings. The Reds managed just three hits on Thursday, and Nick Castellanos was held without one in a game for the first time this season.Castellanos is still batting .333 with six homers and 13 RBIs. Meanwhile, teammate Eugenio Suarez is 4-for-44 (.091) with 16 strikeouts through the first 13 games of the season.The Brewers are coming off a two-game road sweep against the Chicago White Sox. Milwaukee star Christian Yelich is batting just .111 (4-for-36) with 17 strikeouts this season, but he did hit his second home run -- his first career inside-the-park homer -- and scored three times Thursday during the Brewers' 8-3 win.Eric Lauer (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is slated to make his first start as a member of the Brewers on Friday. The left-hander, who went 14-17 with a 4.43 ERA in 52 starts for the San Diego Padres over the past two seasons, yielded one hit over 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief against the Chicago Cubs on July 26.Lauer opened the season on the COVID-19 injured list after coming in contact with someone who tested positive, but he returned with that solid outing."It's definitely a weird kind of scenario, a different kind of season that we're going through. So, I'm not 100 percent sure what (my) role is going to be," Lauer said, according to the Brewers' official website.Lauer has been relatively solid against the Reds, going 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA in four career starts. However, he never completed more than five innings in any of those contests.Though Bauer has never faced the Brewers in his career, Milwaukee's Avisail Garcia and Logan Morrison are a combined 16-for-51 (.314) with two homers apiece against him.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:15 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-117
|
-1.5 (+130)
|
Over 8.5 (-106)
|
|
|
+108
|
+1.5 (-144)
|
Under 8.5 (-106)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Cardinals, finally get back to work, face CubsThe St. Louis Cardinals will return from an eight-day pandemic break to host the division-leading Chicago Cubs on Friday.A COVID-19 outbreak within their roster forced the Cardinals to postpone a series at Milwaukee and home-and-home series against the Detroit Tigers.Meanwhile, the Cubs won six straight to take control of the NL Central race. However, they fell flat Thursday night during a 13-2 road loss to the Kansas City Royals to end their winning streak.The Cardinals will be without players who tested positive for the coronavirus, including shortstop Paul DeJong and catcher Yadier Molina."The void of the layoff and teammates not being on the flight with us, not being with us -- that's a setback," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. "But I can tell you this group is really dedicated to each other and to figuring out a way to get through this." Kwang Hyun Kim will move from the closer's role into the rotation to replace Carlos Martinez, who is on the injured list for an undisclosed reason. Right-hander Alex Reyes and lefty Genesis Cabrera joined the active roster to fortify the bullpen, which will fill the closing role by committee.Infielder Brad Miller came off the injured list to help offset the loss of DeJong. Miller will share third base and designated hitter duty with Matt Carpenter and also back up Tommy Edman at shortstop. Matt Wieters will do the bulk of the catching in Molina's absence.The Cardinals will start right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon (0-1, 6.75 ERA) Friday at Busch Stadium after deciding that Jack Flaherty needed more time to rebuild arm strength. Ponce de Leon has pitched one shutout inning against the Cubs during his career.Flaherty hasn't pitched since July 24 in a 5-4, season-opening victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. While the team was quarantined in its Milwaukee hotel, Flaherty and Co. tried to prevent rust by throwing into mattresses and pillows."We were able to get some baseballs in the hotel and guys were able to keep their arms moving," Shildt said.The Cubs will counter with left-hander Jon Lester (0-1, 0.82). He held the Pirates to one run on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts over six innings in a 2-1 victory Sunday.Lester was 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA in two starts against the Cardinals last season. In his career, he is 8-6 with a 3.26 ERA in 20 starts against St. Louis.Like the Cardinals, the Cubs hope to find strength in numbers for their late-inning relief needs."Every night will be different," Cubs manager David Ross said. "It's going to be a full-team effort down there. Those guys, I'm not scared to pull the trigger in a lot of areas with a lot of those guys. So, I'm trying to match those guys up for success. They've done a really good job of answering the bell here lately, and we'll continue to assess on a daily basis." In four appearances this season, Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel has allowed seven runs while retiring just eight batters."I'm still confident," Kimbrel said before the Thursday game, in which he allowed a run in one inning of mop-up duty. "I still know I can go out there and get outs. It's just, the bottom line is going out there and doing it. I still think I can do that. I think with the trust that Rossy's put in me so far -- he's stuck with me -- we're going to work through this, and things are going to be all right." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:05 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-166
|
-1.5 (-105)
|
Over 9.5 (+104)
|
|
|
+152
|
+1.5 (-105)
|
Under 9.5 (-117)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Lyles looks for better showing in Rangers' series opener vs. AngelsJordan Lyles expects to leave a better impression when he makes his second start for the Texas Rangers on Friday night.The rest of the Rangers hope to be much improved, as well, when they host the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of the three-game series.After getting swept in a three-game series that concluded Thursday afternoon in Oakland (giving the Rangers five losses in their last six games), they'll send Lyles to the mound for the start against the Angels.Lyles (0-1, 6.00 ERA) made his first start with his new team on Saturday in San Francisco and went four innings, allowing four runs and three hits, striking out one and walking five."That outing, it stinks," Lyles told reporters after the game. "Walking so many guys, just putting free passes on everyone. Just giving way too much respect and not being in the zone a little bit better. That's tough. It's tough on me, it's tough on the guys behind me, fans watching the game. ... That's not what I'm about; I like to get it and go. Next outing. I'll be in the zone more." Angels starter Griffin Canning would be satisfied to replicate his last outing.Canning (0-1, 3.38) went six strong innings against the visiting Houston Astros on Saturday, allowing one run and six hits while striking out five and walking two.The bullpen was unable to protect the lead after Canning departed, but the Angels eventually won 5-4 in 10 innings."That's the standard for me," Canning said of his performance. "It's something that I can come back to and watch this outing and kind of take all the good stuff from this outing and use it for myself going forward." Canning made two starts against the Rangers as a rookie last season and lost both games. He is 0-1 with a 7.56 ERA in those contests.His lone appearance in Arlington came on July 4, three days after teammate Tyler Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room from an accidental drug overdose. Skaggs was supposed to start the series finale, but instead Canning was roughed up for six runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.Canning was sidelined in March after feeling discomfort in his throwing elbow and was given a platelet-rich plasma injection. Shortly afterward, the league was shut down because of the coronavirus outbreak.Canning's most recent outing showed he's back to 100 percent, and the Angels should also be confident after taking two of three at the Seattle Mariners for their first series win of the season.Lyles, who spent last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers, does not have much experience against the Angels either.He's 2-1 in five career appearances (four starts) against Los Angeles with a 5.50 ERA.Lyles has not faced the Angels since May 6, 2015, when he was knocked out of the game after one inning while pitching for the Colorado Rockies. He left after trying to barehand a line drive off the bat of slugger Albert Pujols and his hand swelled between innings.Angels left fielder Justin Upton is 5 for 9 in his career against Lyles, but has been platooning in left field with Brian Goodwin following a slow start to the season.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:10 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+113
|
+1.5 (-178)
|
Over 8.5 (+100)
|
|
|
-122
|
-1.5 (+159)
|
Under 8.5 (-112)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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GAME PREVIEW
A's host Astros in crucial early season seriesThe highly anticipated showdown between the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics will take place with no crowd noise and without Mike Fiers when the clubs meet in Oakland to open a three-game series on Friday night.The meeting will be the first since the Astros won 11 of 19 from the A's last season en route to a 10-game triumph in the American League West.Astros right-hander Zack Greinke will duel A's righty Chris Bassitt in the first of 10 team head-to-heads this season, with Oakland hosting seven, including a four-game series in September.Houston won't see A's righty Fiers in this series after the ex-Astro pitched Oakland to a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday that completed a three-game sweep and ran the A's winning streak to six games.Fiers was seen as the primary whistleblower in the Astros' trash-can-beating scandal that has tarnished their 2017 championship.Bassitt was asked Thursday about a possible distraction and/or any increased incentive seeing the Astros might bring."There's somewhat of a trap there, and I'm not going to fall for it," he told reporters. "We don't need added incentive to win the division. We're in their way, and they're in our way." The A's (9-4) begin the series 2 1/2 games up on the Astros (6-6), who flew into Oakland on Thursday night after having blown a ninth-inning lead in a 5-4 defeat at Arizona.Bassitt (1-0, 0.93) never went head-to-head with Greinke (0-0, 5.00) last season, but did duel a pair of Astros heavyweights among three starts against them.He got a no-decision in a 6-4 home loss in June when opposed by Gerrit Cole, a 4-2 loss when up against Justin Verlander on the road in July, and finally a win when he faced Rogelio Armenteros in an 8-4 home victory in August.The 31-year-old has pitched brilliantly this season, shutting out the Los Angeles Angels over four innings in Oakland's opening series before allowing one run in 5 2/3 innings last week at Seattle. He has struck out 12 and walked just one in his two starts.Bassitt has gone 2-1 with a 3.97 ERA in six games (five starts) against the Astros in his career.Meanwhile, the schedule says the game is on the road for the Astros, but Greinke has been right at home in previous visits to the San Francisco Bay Area to face the A's and San Francisco Giants.The 36-year-old has gone a career 21-5 against the A's and Giants, including 10-1 on the road.He's 8-2 with a 2.78 ERA in 18 games (14 starts) against the A's in his career.The Astros have lost both of Greinke's starts this season as he's pitched a total of just nine innings. He's allowed five runs and seven hits over that stretch, walking two and striking out six.Houston enters the series with closer issues. After losing Roberto Osuna, who likely needs season-ending Tommy John surgery, earlier in the week, new closer Ryan Pressly failed to slam the door on a 4-3 lead in the series finale on Thursday. He allowed two runs in the ninth on a walk and three hits to the Diamondbacks."It's scary," Astros outfielder George Springer said of Osuna's injury, before himself spraining his right wrist Thursday against Arizona. Springer had to leave the game and is questionable for the Oakland series."This is a leaguewide thing," Springer continued. "I think you're seeing a lot of guys throughout the league start to get injured, a lot of pitchers. It's scary, especially when it hits home. Osuna has been an absolute anchor for us." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
9:10 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+115
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+1.5 (-171)
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Over 8 (-115)
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-124
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-1.5 (+154)
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Under 8 (+103)
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GAME PREVIEW
Familiar foes Padres, Diamondbacks meet againCrazy things are happening in this unpredictable 60-game Major League Baseball season.For example, the San Diego Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Petco Park. The two teams opened the season with a four-game series at Petco Park, meaning they meet only once more this season . . . next weekend at Chase Field in Phoenix.Meaning that less than halfway into the shortened season, the National League West rivals will be done with one another.And just two days ago, tonight's series opener looked to be a pitching rematch of the season's fourth game -- left-hander Joey Lucchesi starting for the Padres against Arizona right-hander Luke Weaver.Well, Weaver will be facing the Padres a second time.But Lucchesi is not only not starting in his regular No. 4 spot in the Padres rotation, he's not currently on the major-league roster. Lucchesi and outfielder-designated hitter Josh Naylor were dispatched to the Padres alternate camp Thursday as major league teams trimmed their rosters to 28 players.There were strong hints regarding Lucchesi's status as early as Monday when Padres manager Jayce Tingler listed Friday night's starter as TBA. On Wednesday night, Tingler announced the Padres were skipping Lucchesi and going to No. 5 starter Zach Davies for the opener against the Diamondbacks -- setting up the possibility that top-of-the-rotation starters Chris Paddack and Dinelson Lamet would get a second shot at the Diamondbacks on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.Davies will be facing the Diamondbacks for the first time this season. The right-hander is 1-1 after his first two starts, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in 10 innings.The 6-foot, 27-year-old Davies was acquired with starting center fielder Trent Grisham from Milwaukee during the offseason in exchange for rookie second baseman Luis Urias and left-handed starting pitcher Eric Lauer. He has a 3-2 career record in five starts against the Diamondbacks with a 4.13 earned run average and a 1.235 WHIP. He has given up 15 runs (13 earned) to the Diamondbacks on 26 hits and nine walks against 14 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings."I love the way Zach competes," Tingler said during spring training. "He works the plate and the count. He knows how to spot pitches and doesn't beat himself." Meanwhile, Lucchesi had an 8.44 ERA in his first two starts of 2020 -- giving up five runs on 11 hits and two walks in just 5 1/3 innings. The Padres won his first start on July 27 against Arizona. But he lasted just 3 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batter.Weaver gave up six runs on seven hits and two walks in just 3 1/3 innings in the same game and was tagged with the loss. The 26-year-old is 0-2 after his first two starts of 2020 with a 14.73 ERA and a 2.592 WHIP -- giving up 12 runs on 14 hits and five walks with 11 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.But the Diamondbacks are 4-5 since leaving San Diego the first time. And they are coming off two straight wins against Houston, capped by Thursday's 5-4 walk-off victory on Kole Calhoun's two-run double in the bottom of the ninth."Good wins can lead to good runs," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "We're playing better with two straight wins over a good team." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
9:40 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+220
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+1.5 (+117)
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Over 9 (+104)
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-245
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-1.5 (-130)
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Under 9 (-117)
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GAME PREVIEW
Dodgers return home to face Giants after road successThe Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping that when they face the San Francisco Giants Friday night for their first home game in 12 days, star outfielder Mookie Betts will be able to return to full-time duty.As the Dodgers were concluding their three-city trip with three games at San Diego this week, Betts was used as a late-inning defensive replacement twice. He has not taken an at-bat since Sunday at Arizona because of a sore left middle finger.Betts actually injured the finger early in Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks but remained in the contest and later hit a home run.The Dodgers' won two of three against the Padres this week without Betts, who had a .289 batting average, two home runs and six RBIs over his first 10 games in Los Angeles. The Dodgers also won series at Arizona and Houston, finishing 7-2 on the trip.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave the team's travels a "solid A" grade."A lot of expectations, noise going into Houston, a team that's played us tough like Arizona in their place, to win three of four there, then a team that's on the come in San Diego and they gave us all we could handle," Roberts said.While the Dodgers are leaving the road, the Giants will be making their second stop on a season-long 10-game trip through three cities after losing three of four games at Colorado this week.The Giants are going to have to pick up the pace in order to match the Dodgers' road success. They dropped the first two games at Colorado this week, won 4-3 on Wednesday and then lost the series finale 6-4 on Thursday.It will be San Francisco's second visit already to Los Angeles. In fact, the Dodgers and Giants are playing the first seven games at Dodger Stadium this season after the teams split the opening four-game set late last month before the Dodgers hit the road.The Giants let a late lead get away Thursday when the Rockies scored five times in the seventh inning. Right-hander Rico Garcia gave up a two-run home run to pinch hitter Daniel Murphy, while left-hander Caleb Baragar gave up a two-run shot to Charlie Blackmon.It was a tough opening leg to a trip that still has challenging stops at Los Angeles and Houston remaining."I think it's just, take the step right in front of you," Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters after Thursday's game. "We understand that there's no architectural blueprint for this season, and we're just going to fight (Friday). Be ready and prepared to play the Dodgers in Los Angeles." Right-hander Jeff Samardzija (0-1, 9.31 ERA) will start for the Giants in the series opener. He did not face the Dodgers in the earlier trip to L. A. Samardzija is 2-5 lifetime against the Dodgers in 11 outings (nine starts) with a 3.83 ERA.Left-hander Julio Urias (1-0, 2.45 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Dodgers. He made his first start of the season July 26 against San Francisco, giving up one run on five hits over five innings in a no-decision. He is 0-2 lifetime against the Giants, but he does have a 1.40 ERA against them over 13 appearances (seven starts).--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:40 PM EST |
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MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+116
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+1.5 (-182)
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Over 8.5 (+102)
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-125
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-1.5 (+163)
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Under 8.5 (-115)
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GAME PREVIEW
Struggling Mariners, hot Rockies square off in SeattleBud Black has spent his entire managerial career in the National League.But that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to employ a designated hitter.Black, who spent most of his pitching career facing DHs in the American League and began his coaching career with the Angels, has made liberal use of the position in this pandemic-shortended season, in which both leagues are using the DH.Thursday, shortstop Trevor Story served in the DH role and hit a solo home run to break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning, leading the Rockies to a 6-4 victory against visiting San Francisco.That gave the Rockies victories in their first four series of the season for the first time in franchise history, as well as a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West race.The Rockies will put that streak on the line when they travel to Seattle for a three-game interleague series beginning Friday night.Black twice has used outfielder Charlie Blackmon as the DH and said he might get third baseman Nolan Arenado and outfielder David Dahl at-bats at that spot as well."Moving forward, you'll see a little bit more of that, and also I think you'll see an occasional day off from starting," Black said. "Early in the year, we had a day off before our opener in Texas. We had a day off in Oakland. We had a day off when we came back to Denver. That afforded us to be rested, to keep guys going and playing." But the Rockies have only one more day off until Sept. 3."That's a long stretch of games in the heat of August," Black said. "I wouldn't call it a rotating DH, but you're going to see that. We DHed Charlie (Wednesday night), Trevor (Thursday). I've talked to Nolan about that." Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (2-0, 2.45 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener in Seattle. Senzatela held San Diego to one run in six innings in his most recent start and struck out six, but he has struggled against Seattle, going 0-2 with an 8.18 ERA in two career starts.The Mariners will counter with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 4.66 ERA), who will be facing the Rockies for the first time. Kikuchi pitched six scoreless innings Saturday against Oakland, allowing three hits with one walk and nine strikeouts, but he didn't figure in the 3-2 loss.Seattle, which is in rebuilding mode, has lost three of its four series this season and leads only the Texas Rangers in the American League West.The Mariners managed just four hits in a 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. Daniel Vogelbach, an All-Star Game representative last year who is batting just .125 this season, produced the only run with a solo homer."The season is short, it's not 162 games," Vogelbach said. "It's not 500-600 at-bats, so you can look at it as it's short and very rushed. Or you can look at it as if you stay with the process and keep working hard and have a good two weeks, you can have a good year, pretty much."So it's just staying into your work, putting the time in and trusting that you're good and it's going to get hot sooner or later." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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NHL |
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8/7/2020 |
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FOUND
6
GAMES |
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GAME PREVIEW
anthers1-2ML: -130O/U 5ML: +110 CBS Sports Home Fantasy NFL PGA Championship Golf MLB NBA NCAA FB NHL Champions League NCAA BB MMA WWE Boxing Soccer NASCAR NWSL WNBA Big3 Horse Racing Tennis High School WSOP Olympics Women's WC Shop PBR Rugby Stubhub Play Golf PREVIEWPREVIEWIslanders look to buckle down, oust PanthersThe Florida Panthers are still alive in their best-of-five play-in series against the New York Islanders, which resumes Friday.Down two games in the series, Florida won Wednesday's game 3-2 with some help from a pair of bad Islanders penalties, including one for too many men on the ice.They can't count on the bad penalties when the teams meet Friday afternoon near Orlando, with the Islanders now holding a 2-1 series lead.The Panthers won 54.2 percent of Wednesday's face-offs, a crucial statistic, especially on power plays. That -- and those two big mistakes -- did not sit well with Islanders coach Barry Trotz, whose team is normally very disciplined and defensive-minded."It was a missed opportunity for us to knock (the Panthers) out," Trotz said. "We have to get back to our game. But (the Panthers) are a talented team. They have some star power." The other penalty was charged to Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov. With the score tied 1-1 early in the third period, Varlamov was penalized for handling the puck outside the trapezoid."Yeah, I made a mistake on that play -- very simple," Varlamov said. "I should've handled the puck better." The Panthers converted that penalty into Mike Hoffman's one-timer goal 34 seconds later. That gave the Panthers a lead they never relinquished.Florida went 2-for-5 on its power play on Wednesday. New York went 0-for-3 with the man advantage."They have a dangerous power play," Varlamov said of the Panthers. "They have a lot of skilled guys. We know that. ... We need to cut our mistakes and play a little bit more desperate." That star power includes winger Jonathan Huberdeau, who leads the Panthers with 78 points this season.On Wednesday, however, Huberdeau sustained an unspecified injury and missed the final five minutes of the game."He was battling through some things," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "We'll see how he presents (on Friday). We're hoping he'll be fine." The Panthers, who need to win two straight games to advance, are severe longshots. Teams that lead 2-0 in a best-of-five NHL series have advanced to the next round 98.2 percent of the time.To move on, the Panthers will need more contributions like the ones turned in by center Erik Haula on Wednesday. Haula scored Florida's first goal and later came up with a big block of Ryan Pulock's 100-mph blast from the point.The impact of the puck on Haula's body knocked him down, and he hobbled to the bench. Once there, he was given a huge hug by teammate Aaron Ekblad, who had just come out of the penalty box."So much respect," Ekblad said of Haula. "I took the penalty, and for (Haula to make that block), I was just giving him a hug and telling him, 'I have a block for you coming up at some point in this series.'"It was a gutsy play." The Islanders, who were ninth in the NHL in fewest goals allowed during the 2019-20 regular season, figure to buckle down on Friday, especially if they get a lead.Florida, which plays more wide-open hockey, was tied for third in the league in fewest goals allowed (3.25).Offensively, the Panthers were sixth in the league in scoring (3.30) while New York averaged 2.78.Florida ranked 10th in power-play conversion rate at 21.3. That ranks 14 places higher than the Islanders (17.3 percent), and that's a trend the Panthers want to continue on Friday."The power play was clicking (on Wednesday)," Hoffman said. "It got us momentum. (But) the Islanders are not going to stop until the buzzer blows." --Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
2:40 PM EST |
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|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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|
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-126
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-1.5 (+196)
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Over 5.5 (+117)
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+114
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+1.5 (-222)
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Under 5.5 (-131)
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GAME PREVIEW
The Arizona Coyotes can clinch their first postseason series since 2012 with a victory in Game 4 of their Western Conference qualifying round series against the Nashville Predators on Friday in Edmonton.Arizona holds a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series following a 4-1 win in Game 3 on Wednesday. Despite being outshot by a 40-28 margin, the Coyotes persevered due to a 39-save performance from goaltender Darcy Kuemper.Nineteen of the Predators' shots came in the first period, yet Kuemper held Nashville scoreless in the frame and the Coyotes even reached the first intermission with the lead. Christian Dvorak scored his second goal of the postseason at the 5:09 mark.Dominant first periods defined the series' opening two games. Arizona jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held on for a 4-3 victory in Game 1, and the Predators scored twice in the first 10 1/2 minutes en route to a 4-2 triumph in Game 2.In Game 3, however, Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet was pleased by how his team responded to another early flurry of Predators scoring chances."Nashville, they had that fast start and they came out hard. They had the puck a lot," Tocchet said. "What I'm proud about is that we kind of held it together. ... We stuck with the system. We have a game plan, and when we can keep it together, we're a pretty good hockey club. I thought we handled some pressure situations very well." The third period ended up being the key frame of Game 3. After Viktor Arvidsson tied the score for the Predators 7:31 into the second period, Arizona scored three unanswered third-period goals to seal the victory."If we start like that (in the first period), I like our chances in the game," Predators captain Roman Josi said. "But after that, I think we've got to make sure we play like that for 60 minutes. It's a really good team over there, and we let up a little bit in the second (period) and they got a couple of chances." Though Games 2 and 3 were on consecutive days, Juuse Saros started both games, indicating that he is Nashville's clear choice in net ahead of Pekka Rinne. Though three games in the series, however, Saros has only a 3.03 GAA and .900 save percentage.There has yet to be any indication that Rinne could start Game 4, and moving back to the longtime veteran would be a bold but risky move. Saros established himself as the Predators' starter over the regular season, and Rinne has himself been shaky over his last 19 postseason games -- a 9-10-0 record, .904 save percentage, and 3.08 GAA.Kuemper's Game 3 heroics brought relief amidst some uncertainty within Arizona's goaltending ranks. Antti Raanta is still out of action with an undisclosed injury, leaving third-year goalie Adin Hill as Kuemper's only backup option.Predators center Ryan Johansen and Coyotes forward Taylor Hall lead their respective teams with four points during the series, with each player recording a goal and three assists.The Coyotes' franchise has only won two playoff series since moving to Arizona from Winnipeg for the 1996-97 season. The Coyotes' last series win coincidentally came over the Predators, in the 2012 Western Conference semifinals.If necessary, Game 5 will take place on Sunday, with the Predators as the designated home team.--Field Level Media
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2020 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
4:10 PM EST |
|
|
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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|
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-161
|
-1.5 (+161)
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Over 5.5 (+111)
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+145
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+1.5 (-181)
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Under 5.5 (-125)
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