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Apr 24, 2018 TORONTO -- The Toronto Raptors appeared to have control of their first-round series against Washington Wizards when they won the first two games.They also thought they had Game 4 within their grasp, and yet the series is tied 2-2.The pressure will be on the No. 1 Eastern Conference seed when they host the No. 8 seed Wizards in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series at the Air Canada Centre."I feel like both teams protected home court, now it's the best-of-three," Wizards guard John Wall said. "Somebody is going to have to win on the opponent's court to win. We have a good opportunity to go there with some momentum, going into Game 5, and we want to take full advantage and try to get that win." It could have been different. With just under five minutes to play in Game 4 at Washington on Sunday, Wizards guard Bradley Beal fouled out. He had scored 31 points in 32 minutes.The Wizards did not fold, however, but the Raptors did. With Wall leading the way, the Wizards went on to defeat the Raptors 106-98 to even the series."This one was tougher, because I thought we had it under control," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.Wall had 27 points, 14 assists and six rebounds in playing 43 minutes on Sunday.After dropping the first two games in Toronto, Washington won both games at home, including a 122-103 decision in Game 3.The Raptors led by 14 points during the third quarter on Sunday, but the score was tied at 92 when Beal fouled out.The Raptors, who used their full bench successfully during the season, have started to again rely heavily on their All-Star guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.DeRozan had 35 points, six rebounds and six assists Sunday, but also committed four of Toronto's 19 turnovers (the Wizards made 13 turnovers) in 38 minutes. He also made some ill-advised shots down the stretch and was willing to shoulder his share of the blame."I blame myself for a lot of mistakes, for a lot of forced shots late in the game," DeRozan said. "Mental mistakes, turnovers, late-game execution, stabbing in the backcourt in transition late in the game. A lot of things." Reserve guard Delon Wright continued on that theme."I just think we have to make that adjustment to realize that they're not blitzing (DeRozan) as much anymore, they're playing more single coverage," said Wright, who passed up a couple of 3-pointers."Shoot it, man," DeRozan said. "Every one of my teammates, I don't care if they miss 20 shots in a row, if you get a shot, shoot it. That's the confidence we've had in one another all year." Lowry also saw considerable playing time, playing 39 minutes and had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.A key player off the bench for the Raptors all season has been point guard Fred VanVleet, who has played only 2:49 in the series because of a sore right shoulder and is listed as doubtful for Game 5.The Wizards, meanwhile, have been dealing with adversity all season with Wall limited to 41 starts because of a sprained left shoulder and surgery on his left knee. The Wizards were 2-2 against the Raptors during the season even though Wall missed all four games."You have to have resolve to win in this league," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "We've had some tough moments this year with John missing half the season, but we found it, and it put us in a position to make the playoffs through resolve. You win playoff games, and you win playoff series with having that. We have that, and we have to continue to have that because we have to win two more games, and one of them has to be on the road." The Raptors will be trying to avoid making as many turnovers. Another veteran, forward Serge Ibaka, also made four turnovers Sunday."Some of it is Washington's good defense and some of it is just taking out a gun, pointing it at your foot and shooting ourselves in the foot," Casey said. "A lot of it was uncharacteristic. But it just didn't start in Game 3. We had some of the same turnovers the first two games, but we were able to score and have a cushion and live through it. We have to take care of the basketball. Make sure we get quality shots."

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
7:08 PM EST

4/25/2018 7:08 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Indiana Pacers

+237

+6.5 (-110)

Over 204.5 (-110)

Cleveland Cavaliers

-290

-6.5 (-110)

Under 204.5 (-110)

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Apr 24, 2018 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indiana Pacers are in no better position to pull off a historic upset in this first-round playoff series with the Cleveland Cavaliers than when they awoke Sunday morning.The Pacers had a chance to put the Cavs, at the time reeling with playoff inexperience and the crushing weight of expectations with LeBron James, squarely behind the eight ball in this series by winning Game 4.But Indiana fell behind by a huge deficit in the first half for the second consecutive game, erased it in the third and early fourth quarters again, but couldn't sustain the momentum. Kyle Korver and James made enough plays down the stretch for the Cavs to win, 104-100, tying this series at 2-2 with Game 5 on Wednesday in Cleveland.James has never lost a first-round series in 12 previous playoffs. Now, he has two of the next three games at home to try and keep his streak alive."I think just tying the series up and coming back home is something we feel good about," said Kevin Love, who like every other Cav not named James has mostly struggled in this series. "We feel like it's a best-of-three type series and at the end of the day, if it comes to it, we have two games at home. We like our advantage and we're going to use that to our advantage (Wednesday) night." The Pacers trailed by 17 at halftime of Game 3 but steamrolled the Cavs in the second half and pulled out a 92-90 win behind 30 points from Bojan Bogdanovic, a playoff career high. They were down 10 through two quarters in Game 4 but fought back and were ahead 93-91 with 3:49 remaining before Korver connected on two deep 3s.Indiana won Game 1 behind a playoff career-high 32 points from Victor Oladipo, who has struggled since (19-of-53 shooting in the last three games). Domantas Sabonis played a big role in the Pacers' comeback Sunday, scoring a playoff career-best 19 off the bench.The Pacers are getting the best night of someone's playoff career almost each game of this series, and it's been good enough for two wins. Then again, the Cavs' two wins were by a combined seven points, and outside of James (32.5 ppg this series) almost no one is scoring.Love is the next closest at 12.0 points in this series and JR Smith is third with 10.0 points."We're not losing confidence," point guard Darren Collison said, according to the Indianapolis Star. "This team is the defending Eastern Conference champions. Whatever you want to say about them, this is a very good team. They've been through a lot over the last few years. We're fine. There's no need to overreact or panic. We're going to go into their building and we're going to give the same effort." The Cavaliers say point guard George Hill (back spasms) is questionable to play in Game 5. He missed Game 4 with the same injury -- four injections before the game were not enough to ease the pain to the point where he could play.Jose Calderon started for Hill on Sunday and scored five points in 19 minutes. The Cavs are 24-9 this year (regular season and playoffs) when Calderon starts.Hill is the only player on either team listed on the injury report. But Love suffered an injury to his left thumb in Game 1 and it's affected him. He's shooting 17-of-47 in the series with 11 turnovers. Catching and gripping the ball have been obvious problems."I've been able to get up a lot of shots," Love said. "I think initially it was painful and in the few days that followed, but now it's kind of subsided and I'm just getting my feel back in my left thumb."

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
9:38 PM EST

4/25/2018 9:38 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Minnesota Timberwolves

+799

+12 (-110)

Over 215.5 (-110)

Houston Rockets

OFF

-12 (-110)

Under 215.5 (-110)

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Apr 24, 2018 HOUSTON -- There was an undeniable inevitability in the Houston Rockets finally unleashing their full potential offensively, with the only legitimate ambiguity being exactly when it would happen.That moment arrived without warning in the third quarter of Game 4, with Houston producing a 50-point outburst that staggered the Minnesota Timberwolves and gave the Rockets control of their Western Conference first-round playoff series. Houston used that eruption to propel it toward a 119-100 victory on Monday night at the Target Center, giving the Rockets a 3-1 lead in the series. It also gave Houston the opportunity to conclude the series at Toyota Center in Game 5 on Wednesday night.The Rockets had trudged along on offense even while establishing a 2-1 series lead, averaging a pedestrian 103.7 points entering Game 4 while producing a modest 31.5 percentage on 3-pointers. Houston flirted with statistical immortality during the regular season, ranking among the most efficient offenses in league history before losing its edge over the final weeks of the schedule, specifically after the Rockets clinched the top seed in the West at the end of March.Over their final six regular-season games, the Rockets posted an offensive rating (101.3) that ranked 26th in the NBA. That lagging momentum carried over into the playoffs until the second half on Monday when the Rockets broke free from their lethargy and reclaimed their identity."We talked about it going into the game about being aggressive, and I think we all just tried to do that," said Rockets guard Chris Paul, who paired 25 points with six assists in the victory."Just the entire team, we were confident," said Rockets guard James Harden, who scored a franchise playoff-record 22 points in the third quarter en route to a game-high 36. "We had a good talk (Sunday), a good practice (Sunday). And even most of the guys stayed after practice just to shoot, shoot the basketball and be aggressive. We had the mentality to be aggressive. Make or miss shots, that's what we do. We shoot the basketball, and eventually, they start falling." In producing the second-most points in any quarter in NBA postseason history, the Rockets not only pushed the Timberwolves to the brink of elimination, they put Minnesota in the precarious position of having to acknowledge what has been obvious all along. The Timberwolves' defense wasn't explicitly responsible for the Rockets' wayward perimeter shooting entering Monday, and when Houston converts open looks at an average clip -- the Rockets shot 16 of 43 on 3s -- the Timberwolves are essentially helpless at stopping the deluge.As postseason series extend, team identities solidify. The Rockets reclaiming their offensive rhythm was as predictable an outcome as the Timberwolves showcasing their defensive warts.Minnesota closed the season ranked 22nd in defensive efficiency (108.4), with the foundation of its four losses to the Rockets set on the defensive end. It might be easy to dismiss a 50-point period as an anomaly, but the reality of the Rockets' offensive momentum can't be denied. The Timberwolves staved off the inevitable for three-plus games and are now left to hope that the Rockets will start missing again in order for this series to include a return trip to Minneapolis."How many points did they score in the third? Fifty? Exactly," Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose said. "Do we even have to say something? It can be seen easily what happened in the game and why they took off. Our job is to look at film, see what our mistakes were, and try to execute a little better on the defensive end." Said Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns: "You've got to give it to them. There's a reason they're the team they are."

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
9:38 PM EST

4/25/2018 9:38 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Utah Jazz

+140

+3.5 (-105)

Over 207 (-115)

Oklahoma City Thunder

-160

-3.5 (-115)

Under 207 (-105)

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Apr 24, 2018 Oklahoma City was built this offseason around three All-Stars with the hopes of contending for the Western Conference crown.The Utah Jazz started the year 18-26 without center Rudy Gobert. But Gobert returned and the Jazz rolled off 11 straight wins into Valentine's Day with the help of a surprise rookie of the year contender.One more win and the Jazz will reach the second round for the second straight year. They'll send the Thunder home with a second straight first-round exit -- despite Oklahoma City's overhauled, star-studded roster.After losing the first game on the road, Utah won decisively in each of the past three games, including a 17-point victory in Game 4 -- a game the Thunder called a must-win in Salt Lake City."It's the playoffs, it's gonna be war," Utah point guard Ricky Rubio, who had a triple-double in Game 3, told the Salt Lake Tribune after Utah's 113-96 victory in Game 4. "We know that it's gonna be another war next game. We just have to be tough but at the same time, mentally ready for that." Game 5 is set for 9:30 p.m. EST Wednesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena.Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell, who averaged 20 points per game during the regular season, has averaged 27.6 points during the past three games -- taking his play to another level to lead a balanced Jazz attack that has five players averaging in double figures. Mitchell, who was the 13th overall pick in last year's draft, has scored 110 points through the first four games, the most by a rookie in his first four games since Michael Jordan's 117 in 1985, according to nba.com."To be honest, a lot of this is surreal. I'm just taking it game-by-game and not really getting caught up in the big picture," Mitchell told the Salt Lake City Tribune. "Just focusing on game-by-game. My teammates have helped me out a lot as far as that goes. But we're playing together." Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook picked up four fouls before halftime in Game 4 and was fined $10,000 for an altercation with Gobert late in the game. Luckily for the Thunder, he was not suspended following his altercation with the Utah center.Westbrook's foul trouble has hardly been the Thunder's biggest issue.Oklahoma City was inconsistent much of the year, but it has had to contend with shooting woes from offseason acquisition Carmelo Anthony, who has hit just 25 percent of his 3-pointers in the first four games of the playoffs."We gotta win, nothing to it," Anthony said after the Game 4 loss. "We've just gotta win. We can sit here and say what we gotta do, or what we didn't do or what we did do, but it comes down to having the will to win that game Wednesday and forcing a Game 6 back in Utah." Winning in Utah won't to be easy, where the Jazz have won six straight. Oklahoma City has to get back to Salt Lake City first and stave off elimination. But Utah hasn't lost three straight games since Gobert's return to the lineup in mid-January."Every game's been physical," Gobert said to reporters. "We just got to watch the tape, see how much better we can get and get ready to play basketball."

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

MLB

4/25/2018

FOUND 15 GAMES

COMING UP
2:10 PM EST

4/25/2018 2:10 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Seattle Mariners

-140

-1.5 (+110)

Over 9.5 (-110)

Chicago White Sox

+126

+1.5 (-130)

Under 9.5 (-110)

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Mariners' Hernandez to start 20th career game vs. White Sox 3h ago• 2 min read The ace known as "King Felix" is about to add another opponent to his 20-start club.On Wednesday, Seattle Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez will face the Chicago White Sox for the 20th time in his 14-season career. The White Sox will become the fifth team to go up against Hernandez at least 20 times, joining the Texas Rangers (55), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (51), Oakland A's (47) and New York Yankees (21).Unlike most teams, the White Sox have had a decent amount of success against the six-time All-Star and 2010 American League Cy Young Award winner. Hernandez heads into the game with a 6-6 record and 3.72 ERA in 125 2/3 innings against Chicago. He has allowed 19 home runs in 19 starts.Seattle (12-10) is hoping for a strong performance from its veteran leader in order to win the series against Chicago (5-15). The White Sox won Monday's series opener 10-4 before the Mariners responded with a 1-0 victory on Tuesday to set up a rubber match at Guaranteed Rate Field.Five times in the last seven games, Seattle's pitchers have given up at least seven runs. Inconsistency has plagued Hernandez as well as the rest of the staff. He is 2-2 with a 5.06 ERA in five starts this year."We need to get more innings out of our starting pitching," Mariners manager Scott Servais told the team's official website. "Ultimately, to put (winning) streaks together, you have to have consistent starting pitching that can keep you in the game." The White Sox want to see a quality start from right-hander James Shields, who much like Hernandez has great career statistics but has slipped in the past couple seasons. The 36-year-old has posted a 1-2 record with a 6.17 ERA in five games (four starts) on the season.In 18 career starts against Seattle, Shields is 5-7 with a 4.59 ERA. He has given up 23 home runs in those outings but has struck out 111 batters in 117 2/3 innings.This season has not started well for the White Sox, who have lost eight of their past nine games. Frustrations bubbled over Tuesday as manager Rick Renteria was ejected for the first time this season and for the 15th time in his career after he argued balls and strikes.White Sox third baseman Matt Davidson said he appreciated his manager's competitive fire."He backs us 100 percent," Davidson said to the Chicago Tribune. "It feels good to have a manager who will do that for you. We all love him, and so do I." White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson will try to build positive momentum off a two-hit performance Tuesday. He is hitting .267 with three home runs, five RBIs and eight stolen bases in 20 games.For the Mariners, right fielder Mitch Haniger continues to swing a hot bat. The 27-year-old homered in four consecutive games from Friday through Monday, and on Tuesday he drove in the game's only run. He is hitting .321 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs in 22 games.Seattle is 7-5 on the road this season. Chicago is 2-9 at home.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
2:10 PM EST

4/25/2018 2:10 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Los Angeles Angels

+191

+1.5 (-110)

Over 8 (-119)

Houston Astros

-214

-1.5 (-110)

Under 8 (-101)

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Astros look to bounce back against Angels 1h ago• 2 min read HOUSTON -- For just the second time this season an Houston Astros starter surrendered more than three earned runs in an appearance, a departure from what has been a dominating run for their rotation.Right-hander Charlie Morton had allowed just three runs (two earned) over four starts before scuffling through four innings Tuesday in an 8-7 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. By allowing four runs on five hits and five walks, he joined Lance McCullers as the only starters to allow at least four runs in an outing, a minuscule number considering the Astros have now completed five turns through their vaunted rotation.The Astros (16-9) entered Tuesday leading the major leagues in starter's ERA at 2.12."It's hard to argue that we could get anything better than what we've gotten in the first five rotations through," Astros manager A. J. Hinch said. "I like the camaraderie that they have. They build off of one another's success. They're very competitive internally, which is nice. They help each other, which is nice. Their production and performance have been second to none in the league."They're exactly what we need in order to feel good about every day we come out. Our guy is going to match up well to the opponent. We can pitch to a game plan, we have power stuff, we have different styles and whoever we're handing the ball to right now is setting a great tone." Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (3-0, 1.10 ERA) will start the series finale against Los Angeles. Verlander, 8-8 with a 3.36 ERA over 19 career starts against the Angels, has produced three scoreless appearances this season. That includes his most recent outing last Friday against the Chicago White Sox when he allowed two hits and three walks with five strikeouts over six innings. Verlander extended his regular-season winning streak to 10 consecutive decisions.In three starts against the Angels last season, Verlander went 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA.Right-hander Nick Tropeano (1-1, 3.75 ERA) will make his third start of the season and second on the road for the Angels on Wednesday. It will mark his first start against Houston since May 29, 2016. Originally selected by the Astros in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, Tropeano has not recorded a decision while posting a 3.86 ERA over two career starts against his former club.The Angels (16-8) received a welcome boost from shortstop Andrelton Simmons on Tuesday night, with Simmons going 3-for-4 with two home runs and a career-high five RBIs in their 8-7 series-clinching win. It was Simmons' first game back after being hit by a pitch Sunday and departing in the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants with a right forearm contusion.It marked Simmons' fourth career multi-homer game, and the performance reinforced what the Angels knew all along: that Simmons had dodged a debilitating injury and was poised to contribute both in the field and at the plate."We knew he was OK," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Coming out of the game when he got hit we knew it was just muscular and he felt a lot better (on Monday). We wanted to give him one more day and today he was good to go."

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
3:10 PM EST

4/25/2018 3:10 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

San Diego Padres

+137

+1.5 (-150)

Over 10.5 (-110)

Colorado Rockies

-152

-1.5 (+130)

Under 10.5 (-110)

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Rockies, Padres starting pitchers on different paths 11m ago• 3 min read DENVER -- The seasons for Jon Gray and Tyson Ross have veered in drastically different directions.Gray has lost a career-high three consecutive starts for the Colorado Rockies and has struggled in all but one of his outings. San Diego's Ross flirted with a no-hitter in his last start for the Padres and has pitched at least six innings in his four starts this season.Gray, who is 1-4 with a 7.09 ERA, has gone that distance in one of his five starts. He and Ross, who is 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA, will oppose each other Wednesday in the rubber game of the series.Ross is coming off a 127-pitch outing Friday at Arizona, a magnificent start that saw him hold the Diamondbacks hitless for 7 2/3 innings until Christian Walker doubled home a run and end Ross' workday.Ross walked three and struck out 10. It was the second straight win and second straight superb outing for Ross, who gave up one unearned run in six innings April 13 against San Francisco in Arizona's 5-1 victory.Ross, an All-Star with the Padres in 2016, has made a remarkable comeback from an April 2016 shoulder injury that occurred on Opening Day in what turned out to be his only start for the Padres that season and resulted in surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome that October. He signed with Texas as a free agent but had a 7.71 ERA in 12 games (10 starts) for the Rangers and returned to the Padres as a minor league free agent in December.Ross, who turned 31 on Monday, has also learned to add or subtract velocity from his two- and four-seam fastballs and alter the look of his slider. Padres pitching coach Darren Balsley said Ross doesn't throw his changeup enough to even mention it but essentially has four or five pitches because of his variations to his two- and four-seam fastballs and slider."It's not just one shape anymore," Balsley said. "He has a bigger slider. He has a shorter slider. And he can shape it differently according to who the hitter is or according to whether he needs to throw a strike or throw one in the dirt. He's learning how to do that. And that's just through experience and reps and maturity."In the past, when I saw him throw an 88 mile-an-hour fastball, I'd worry. This year, it's not a bother at all. He's just throttling back, and he uses that to change speeds instead of the changuep. And then you see he's 93, 94 again the next pitch. So he can go back and forth. He's learning how to disrupt the timing because he's throwing strikes." Ross is 1-5, 3.54 in 12 games (10 starts) against the Rockies. The win was April 3 at San Diego when Ross gave up three runs in six innings in the Padres' 8-4 victory. Gray's lone win this year was against the Padres on April 4, when he pitched seven scoreless innings in the Rockies' 5-2 victory. He's 5-3, 2.88 in 12 career starts against the Padres but 0-3, 10.34 in his past three starts."I can't really think about what's happened already," Gray said. "I think it's going to be key. It's just forgetting about all the negativity that's happened and still be able to see the outs in my head when I go for it." While giving up eight hits and seven runs (six earned) in five innings Friday in a loss to the Chicago Cubs, Gray lacked his signature slider and, hence, had just one strikeout as the pitch acted more like a cutter and didn't have a sharp downward break. He said he thought the problem with his slider was mechanical but instead altered his grip between starts and was happy with the results in a side session Monday when he used his index finger to spin his slider."It's a better breaking ball," Gray said. "So if I can take that into the game, I know it's going to make me better."

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
3:45 PM EST

4/25/2018 3:45 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Washington Nationals

-145

-1.5 (+110)

Over 7 (+105)

San Francisco Giants

+131

+1.5 (-130)

Under 7 (-125)

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Giants hope to power way past Nationals 20m ago• 2 min read SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants hope to continue their power surge against one of the top pitchers in the National League when they go for a series sweep against Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals on Wednesday afternoon.Brandon Belt homered for the fifth time in the Giants' last seven games, and Mac Williamson broke a late tie with a solo shot, his third homer in five games, as San Francisco extended its winning streak to a season-best three games with a 4-3 win Tuesday night.The Nationals have lost three straight, but they've saved their ace, Scherzer, for the series finale when he and Giants righty Jeff Samardzija will duel for just the second time in careers that began 88 days apart in 2008.Neither Belt nor Williamson has ever homered off Scherzer, but the right-hander with eight career starts against the Giants might expect to see Giants part-timer Pablo Sandoval, who has taken him deep twice in 14 career at-bats.The game matches a team that's been riding its power hitting against a pitcher who is stingy giving up the long ball.The Giants have hit at least one home run in each of their last seven games. More than half their runs this season (42 of 74) have been a product of home runs.Meanwhile, Scherzer has given up just two homers in his five starts, covering 33 innings, this season.Scherzer (4-1, 1.36 ERA) got the better of Samardzija in their only previous head-to-head, limiting the Giants to five hits and one run in seven innings in a 4-1 win at San Francisco in July of 2016.The 145-game winner had gone just 3-4 with a 4.17 ERA in his eight career starts against the Giants. He's 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts in San Francisco.Scherzer will take the mound riding a personal three-game winning streak. He is coming off a 5-2 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he allowed just one run in six innings.After starting their nine-game trip with two wins in three games against the New York Mets, the Nationals have slumped badly on offense and watched four well pitched games go to waste.Frustrations nearly boiled over after Monday's 4-2 loss to the Giants when starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez stormed into manager Dave Martinez's office to complain about having been pulled in the sixth inning of a game the Nationals trailed just 2-1.But less than 24 hours later, Gonzalez insisted the first-year manager had said all the right things to prevent any lingering bad feelings."It's beautiful that our skipper speaks to us," Gonzalez said Tuesday. "It makes a huge difference knowing what's going on. That was a situation that if people keep to themselves, it'd be a different story. Communication. That's all we want. Once we have communication, everything is nice and calm and everything plays out the way it should play out." Samardzija (1-0, 0.00) was impressive in his delayed season debut last week, shutting out the Los Angeles Angels on two hits for five innings in an 8-1 Giants win.The 33-year-old had missed the start of the season because of a pectoral strain suffered late in spring training.He is just 2-7 with a 4.07 ERA in 16 career games (nine starts) against the Nationals. Samardzija was 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts against Washington last year.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
4:05 PM EST

4/25/2018 4:05 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Detroit Tigers

+188

+1.5 (-119)

Over 7.5 (-105)

Pittsburgh Pirates

-210

-1.5 (-101)

Under 7.5 (-115)

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Pirates, Tigers to play two after rainout 3h ago• 2 min read After what amounted to an extra day off, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers will play a doubleheader starting in the late afternoon Wednesday at PNC Park.The teams both had a scheduled day off Monday, and Tuesday's series opener was postponed after a rain delay of 1:37 at the start.Detroit right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (1-0, 7.71 ERA) will square off against Pittsburgh right-hander Jameson Taillon (2-1, 1.86 ERA) in the opener.In the second game, Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl (2-1, 4.57 ERA) will oppose Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd (0-1, 1.40 ERA).Pittsburgh (12-10) has lost four games in a row and is on a 1-6 swoon. It opened the season by sweeping the Tigers in three games in Detroit.The Tigers (9-11), conversely, are coming off a 5-3 homestand, their first winning record for a stretch of eight or more home games since last June-into-July.Taillon, in particular, has been looking forward to this start -- not because it's against the Tigers, whom he has never faced, but because of his last outing.He knew immediately after his last start what he needed to do differently his next time out.Taillon, 26, started the season like gangbusters and took a 0.89 ERA into his start Thursday at Philadelphia. After a nine-pitch first inning that extended his scoreless stretch to 16 innings, the bottom fell out in the second.He gave up five runs, four hits, two walks, hit a batter and needed 43 pitches in the second before leaving after just 1 2/3 innings, the shortest outing of his young but promising career. Three RBI hits came on full counts."You've got to realize you're always one pitch away, and you've got to make that pitch," Taillon said after what was a 7-0 loss. "So next time I'll look to make that pitch, and I'll look not to put myself in that spot -- three-ball counts, hit-by-pitch with two strikes ... I kind of did it to myself." Taillon had breezed through his first three starts, including a one-hit shutout with seven strikeouts a 5-0 win over Cincinnati on April 8.Surprisingly, beyond making his pitches in key spots, he won't be looking to do much different against the Tigers."It obviously didn't play well, but overall, it felt about the same," Taillon said of his pitches against the Phillies compared to his first three outings.In five career appearances against Pittsburgh, Zimmermann is 1-3 with a 4.35 ERA. In three career starts at PNC Park, he is 1-2 with a 3.32 ERA.Boyd, in the nightcap, will be making his second career start against the Pirates and looking for his first win against them. Last Aug. 8 at PNC Park, he got a loss when he gave up six runs (five of them earned) and nine hits, with one walk and five strikeouts in four innings.This season, Boyd has had quality starts in each of his three outings, an extension of his strong finish in 2017. Over his past seven starts dating to Sept. 12, he has a 2.00 ERA over 45 innings with 43 strikeouts."I just focus on hitting the glove," Boyd said. "I focus on changing speeds. My goal is to hit my spots right now and change speeds on all my pitches -- add and subtract with all my pitches and keep hitters off-balance." Kuhl is 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA in two career starts against Detroit.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
6:35 PM EST

4/25/2018 6:35 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Minnesota Twins

+153

+1.5 (-135)

Over 9.5 (-110)

New York Yankees

-170

-1.5 (+115)

Under 9.5 (-110)

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Gregorius, Yankees continue series vs. Twins 2h ago• 4 min read NEW YORK -- Didi Gregorius stood in front of his locker and still insisted he is not a home run hitter, but a hitter whose emphasis is on hitting line drives.Those line drives are going over fences and driving in runs for the New York Yankees.Gregorius attempts to add to the best statistical month of his career Wednesday night when the Yankees continue their four-game series with the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium."Nope, not changing, I'm not a home run hitter," he said after hitting a two-run homer and driving in three runs during an 8-3 win on Tuesday.With six games remaining in April, Gregorius is already up to eight homers while leading the majors with 27 RBIs. He has homered in three straight games and his 27 RBIs through New York's first 22 games are the most since Alex Rodriguez (34 RBIs) in 2007.All eight homers were at home for Gregorius, whose left-handed swing is producing a .417 (20-for-48) average at home. He is the fourth Yankee to hit at least eight homers in any month at the current Yankee Stadium."I don't know if I could describe it, it's incredible," Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge said.Gregorius is achieving his lofty numbers after hitting 25 homers and 87 RBIs last season when he missed most of April with a shoulder injury sustained at the World Baseball Classic."He's the anchor of our team," Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia said.Gregorius is not the only hot Yankee as they are 7-2 in their last nine games since April 12 after beating Minnesota for the 11th time in 12 home games.Gary Sanchez is batting .341 (14-for-41) in his last 10 games after homering twice Tuesday, while Judge is hitting .370 (10-for-27) in his last eight games.Minnesota (8-10) has been outscored 48-18 during its current five-game losing streak, which featured three blowouts and two walk-off losses.During this skid, the Twins are batting .217 (36-for-166) and getting outhomered 14-4. Minnesota also owns a 10.15 ERA after Jose Berrios allowed five runs in four-plus innings Tuesday."Sometimes it rains, sometimes you lose five in a row," second baseman Brian Dozier said. "The beautiful thing about it is we play tomorrow." Dozier saw his 17-game hitting streak end by going 0-for-4 while Miguel Sano is still trying to get going. He is hitting .191 and is 1-for-17 during this skid.The Twins will attempt to end their skid against a struggling starting pitcher in New York's Sonny Gray, who is 1-1 with an 8.27 ERA through four starts and allowing opponents to hit .315 (23-for-73) so far."I've seen a guy that I think is close. I think the stuff is there," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Tuesday's game. "I think he's fallen behind a little bit too much, ball one, strike one, that first pitch. Over time that's going to bear out. It's tough to pitch when you're behind. It's a lot easier when you're ahead, especially when you have the equipment that Sonny has." Since joining the Yankees in a trade from the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 1, Gray is 5-8 with a 4.63 ERA in 15 starts.As a Yankee, Gray has not completed six innings in seven of his starts, including three times this season. The most recent occasion was Friday's 8-5 loss when he was booed off the mound after allowing five runs and five hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings during a no-decision.On Friday, he fell behind on the first pitch to 15 of 19 hitters. This season, Gray has thrown first-pitch strikes to 39 of 86 hitters so far.Gray is 2-3 with a 5.14 ERA in five career starts against Minnesota. All of those starts occurred while pitching for Oakland, and he allowed three homers (Dozier, Sano, Jason Castro) in six innings of a 9-1 loss at Minnesota on May 2.Minnesota will counter with Lance Lynn (0-1, 6.00 ERA), who is making his fourth start with his new team.He last pitched Friday and allowed five earned runs in six innings in a no-decision at Tampa Bay after weather caused him to go 10 days between starts."I was as sharp tonight as I have been all year," Lynn said to reporters. "That's a plus. I threw some good breaking pitches and good changeups. There is still some work to be done." Lynn will be hoping to improve his command of the strike zone. He has issued 15 walks so far, giving him a rate of 9.0 per nine innings.The right-hander is making his second career start against the Yankees. On May 27, 2014, in St. Louis, he threw a five-hit shutout.Brett Gardner is the only remaining Yankee from Lynn's appearance against New York, but Giancarlo Stanton is 5-for-17 (.294) and Neil Walker is 15-for-43 (.349) against him.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
6:40 PM EST

4/25/2018 6:40 PM EST (TODAY)

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TOTAL

Atlanta Braves

-106

+1.5 (-210)

Over 9.5 (-101)

Cincinnati Reds

-104

-1.5 (+176)

Under 9.5 (-119)

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Finnegan will try to pitch Reds past Braves 1h ago• 3 min read If you don't think the Cincinnati Reds have a lot riding on left-handed starter Brandon Finnegan, consider this.The last few years, they've dealt away Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips, and all they have to show for it currently is Finnegan.Right now, he is not showing much at all for the team with the worst record in the majors. No wonder the Reds are hoping he starts turning it around when he faces Atlanta Braves right-hander Matt Wisler on Wednesday night in the third game of a four-game series at Great American Ball Park.After beginning the season on the disabled list with a biceps injury, Finnegan is 0-2 with an 11.05 ERA, giving up nine runs on 10 hits and walking eight in 7 1/3 innings. In a 4-2 loss Friday to the St. Louis Cardinals, he threw 33 pitches in the first inning alone en route to allowing four runs on five hits and four walks in only three innings."Two horse-bleep outings. There's nothing you can say about that," Finnegan said. "I felt I got ahead of the hitters better (Friday). It just didn't go my way. I'm not making good enough pitches." That was a sentiment echoed by Jim Riggleman, who served his first game as the Reds interim manager while Finnegan was losing to the Cardinals."He's getting closer," Riggleman said. "He's such a good competitor, but he's struggling with his control. He left some balls up. They (the Cardinals) are a good-hitting ballclub and you're not going to get away with those pitches (against them)." Since coming over to the Reds from the Kansas City Royals in the Cueto trade, Finnegan is 13-16 over four seasons -- only one of which was spent entirely in their rotation. He was 10-11 over 31 starts in 2016 but, due to health issues, is only 1-3 over the last two seasons.He's 25 and is young enough for a career turnaround, and the Reds are hoping it starts about now.The Reds won only three of their first 21 games -- one of the eight worse starts in the majors over the last century -- before beating the Braves on Monday and Tuesday. Cincinnati blew a four-run lead in the ninth inning Tuesday before winning 9-7 on Scooter Gennett's two-run homer, his second of the game, in the 12th inning.Wisler gave the Braves a big lift in his first start after being promoted from the minors, giving up one run on two hits while striking out eight and walking none over seven innings in a 12-4 win Thursday over the New York Mets. As a result, what was supposed to be an emergency start for Wisler -- scheduled starter Anibal Sanchez strained a hamstring the day before -- has turned into a second start, against the Reds.Once a top prospect, Wisler (1-0, 1.29 ERA) wound up making only one start for Atlanta last season, but he's back in the picture now following his strong outing against the Mets. Until he beat the Mets and right-hander Matt Harvey, Wisler hadn't won a game in the majors since a 6-2 decision over the Washington Nationals on Sept. 18, 2016, when he lasted 5 2/3 innings."That's the best I've seen Wisler," Braves manager Brian Snitker said of his most recent start. "He was just on the attack with all of his pitches. He had a really good breaking ball and he was locating his fastball. That was as aggressive as I've seen him." Wisler is 1-1 over four games and 15 2/3 innings, including two starts, in his career against the Reds. Not many of their batters have a history against him, but Joey Votto is 4-for-6 (.667) with one homer and two RBIs, Scooter Gennett and Billy Hamilton are 2-for-5 (.400) and Tucker Barnhart is 1-for-6 (.167).Finnegan hasn't faced the Braves since beating them twice in two starts in 2016, lasting 11 innings in which he allowed three runs but struck out 10 and walked four. Freddie Freeman was 1-for-5 against him with a double.The teams wrap up their four-game series on Thursday. The Reds are getting close to welcoming back third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who has been out since April 9 with a fractured right thumb. He began a rehabilitation assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Louisville, and Riggleman said he doesn't expect him to be there long.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
7:05 PM EST

4/25/2018 7:05 PM EST (TODAY)

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TOTAL

Arizona Diamondbacks

+105

+1.5 (-220)

Over 7 (-120)

Philadelphia Phillies

-115

-1.5 (+184)

Under 7 (+100)

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Phillies' Arrieta faces Diamondbacks' Greinke 2h ago• 2 min read A pair of former Cy Young Award winners will match up Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.The Philadelphia Phillies' Jake Arrieta will face Zack Greinke as the Phillies host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second of a three-game series in Philadelphia. The pair of veteran right-handers are both coming off their best starts of 2018.Arrieta (2-0, 2.04 ERA) struck out 10 and gave up just one hit to the Pirates over seven scoreless innings last Thursday while picking up the win. It was the sharpest of three starts in a Phillies uniform for Arrieta, who won the National League Cy Young Award in 2015 with the Chicago Cubs.Arrieta signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Phillies in mid-March and said he feels like he is getting into a groove with his new team."Three starts in, to be able to do that as well as I did (Thursday), it's a good sign," Arrieta told reporters after silencing the Pirates. "Combined with spring training and my three starts, that's probably five or six starts. I was a little behind, but now I'm caught up." The 10 strikeouts for Arrieta were the most he had in a game since April 9, 2017, and they came after he recorded just six strikeouts in his first two starts of the season combined.Arrieta is 3-3 with a 2.76 ERA and 1.073 WHIP in seven career starts against the Diamondbacks. He faced them twice last year, going 1-1 with a 1.38 ERA.Greinke (2-1, 4.13) has had considerable career success against the Phillies. He is 8-1 with a 2.48 ERA, 0.903 WHIP and .192 batting average against in 11 appearances (10 starts) when he faces Philadelphia.Greinke, who has four All-Star appearances to go with his 2009 American League Cy Young Award, had his best start of 2018 in his last appearance. He surrendered just one run on three hits and one walk over seven innings against the Giants on Thursday."He gave us seven incredible innings, working both edges of the plate," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said of Greinke after the start. "He had a great mixture of pitches. He and (catcher Jeff Mathis) got in a great rhythm and turned it over to the bullpen." Greinke's strong start against San Francisco came after he allowed at least four earned runs in back-to-back outings against the Cardinals and Dodgers.Greinke will try to keep up a string of strong pitching from the Diamondbacks, who have a team ERA of 2.80 in 22 games this season. Arizona pitchers have gone seven straight games without allowing more than four runs.Offensively, the Diamondbacks got three home runs -- one each from Alex Avilia, Jarrod Dyson and Daniel Descalso -- in an 8-4 win in Tuesday's series opener. It marked the eighth straight win for the Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. They swept a series in Philadelphia in both the 2017 and 2016 seasons and have not lost in the City of Brotherly Love since May 17, 2015.A win on Wednesday or Thursday would give the Diamondbacks their eighth straight series win to start the 2018 season.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
7:05 PM EST

4/25/2018 7:05 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Tampa Bay Rays

+122

OFF

Over 7.5 (-115)

Baltimore Orioles

-142

OFF

Under 7.5 (-105)

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Rays, Orioles finally get series going 4h ago• 2 min read BALTIMORE -- The Tampa Bay Rays will need to wait one more day to try to extend their four-game winning streak and see an old friend.Tampa Bay's series opener with the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday was postponed two hours before the planned 7:05 p.m. start time as bad weather was heading for the city.The game is going to be rescheduled on May 12 as part of a single-admission doubleheader starting at 3:05 p.m.For Wednesday's series opener, the starting pitchers will remain the same. The Rays' Jake Faria (1-1, 5.82 ERA) will go against former Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb (0-2, 15.43).The Rays pushed back Chris Archer one day, and Baltimore did the same with ace Dylan Bundy. Both will start on Thursday.The sub-plot to the Wednesday game will be the Rays going up against long-time Tampa Bay starter Cobb. He made 115 starts for the Rays from 2011-2017 and had a 48-35 record with a 3.50 ERA in those games.Cobb will be making his first start versus his old team."I miss Cobb a lot," said Tampa Bay infielder Brad Miller. "He was a guy (who was the) ultimate competitor. He's a bulldog, just really intense." Cobb has started poorly this season for Baltimore, allowing 12 earned runs on 20 hits in just seven innings so far.However, his former skipper is not concerned."We felt good when Alex Cobb took the ball every fifth day for us; we felt we had a really good chance to win," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "He's going to get going here. Hopefully, he can wait one more start before he does." Cobb also said the entire experience will be a bit unusual for him."It will be a little odd seeing the jersey," Cobb said to the Tampa Bay Times. "Been part of the family for so long." Faria is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in four career games, including three starts, against the Orioles. He has had just one bad start out of four this season and will be facing a Baltimore team struggling at the plate.Tampa Bay also had the day off on Monday but is coming off a big win on Sunday when Carlos Gomez homered to beat the Twins 8-6 and stretched the team's winning streak to four.Gomez came into the game mired in a 2-for-34 skid. But he ended the game feeling much better about things.The Rays scored 26 runs in their three-game sweep of the Twins, getting at least eight in every game.Cash said he knows the Orioles are banged up, and they may lose another starter as infielder Tim Beckham (groin/foot) appears headed to the disabled list Wednesday. Baltimore claimed infielder Jace Peterson off waivers from the Yankees, and he joins the team for this game.The Orioles also transferred pitcher Gabriel Ynoa to the 60-day disabled list (right shoulder inflammation), but they are hoping to get some quick help from Peterson."Peterson is a versatile player who has experience playing all over the field, who had his best year in 2015 playing second base," Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette told The Baltimore Sun in a text message. "Given our need and his experience, he should be able to contribute right away to the O's." The Orioles need contributions on offense, which has struggled throughout the team's 6-17 start. Cleveland took three of four from the Orioles, who have lost nine of their last 10.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
7:07 PM EST

4/25/2018 7:07 PM EST (TODAY)

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SPREAD

TOTAL

Boston Red Sox

-130

-1.5 (+115)

Over 8.5 (-115)

Toronto Blue Jays

+118

+1.5 (-135)

Under 8.5 (-105)

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Jays aim to build on 'meaningful' win vs. Red Sox 1h ago• 2 min read TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays won the first of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night on a 10th-inning homer by Curtis Granderson.The win had significance beyond defeating an American League East rival. The city of Toronto has been reeling since a van attack killed 10 people and injured 14 others Monday afternoon. A man has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder."I think the city is hurting right now," said Blue Jays starter J. A. Happ, who struck out a season-best 10 and allowed one run over seven innings in a no-decision on Tuesday. "We had some first responders (honored in a pregame ceremony) here today. I hope they enjoyed the game. It was a meaningful win for us on several levels." The win ended a seven-game losing streak against the Red Sox at the Rogers Centre for the Blue Jays. The second game will be played Wednesday night with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0, 3.45 ERA) starting for Boston against Toronto right-hander Aaron Sanchez (1-2, 3.86 ERA)."I think we remember that they played well against us, so I think it's nice to set the tone and get that first one," Happ said. "It's going to be battle all year long." Granderson had three hits on the game. The homer against Boston closer Craig Kimbrel was his third of the season, and his fourth career walk-off blast.He has eight RBIs in his past five games.Granderson also threw out Eduardo Nunez, who was trying to score the go-ahead run from second on Brock Holt's game-tying single to left in the top of the ninth.The Blue Jays outfielder said the positioning from Blue Jays first-base coach Tim Leiper, who also sets defensive alignments, helped give him a chance to make a successful throw."You have to challenge Granderson," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "You've been challenging Granderson for more than five years. He made a perfect throw and threw him out. ... We put ourselves in a position to win the game. It just didn't happen." Granderson, who had been moved from right field to left field in the ninth, repeated what he had heard someone say from the Canadian capital of Ottawa after the tragedy."Somebody in Ottawa said continue to keep going, don't live in fear and don't stop things because of this incident," Granderson said. "So, having a lot of fans come out and continue to support and knowing we have a big game against the Red Sox, it was a big thing for the city and the country." The Blue Jays (14-8) ended a two-game losing skid with the victory on Tuesday, while the Red Sox (17-5) have lost three in a row for the first time this season. They had won 17 of their first 20 games this season.Holt was 3-for-4 for the Red Sox and he will take a seven-game hitting streak into the second game on Wednesday. Holt is batting 12-for-29 (.414) with four doubles, one homer and five RBIs during that span.Sanchez will be making his fourth start of the season. He is 4-2 with a 3.75 ERA against the Red Sox in 15 games, including seven starts.Rodriguez has won each of his past two starts. He is 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA in eight career appearances (seven starts) against the Blue Jays.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
7:10 PM EST

4/25/2018 7:10 PM EST (TODAY)

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SPREAD

TOTAL

Chicago Cubs

+115

+1.5 (-185)

Over 7.5 (-110)

Cleveland Indians

-127

-1.5 (+160)

Under 7.5 (-110)

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Indians look to get on winning track vs. Cubs 2h ago• 2 min read CLEVELAND -- The Chicago Cubs' first trip back to Progressive Field, where the Cubs won Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, will conclude Wednesday night, with the final game of a brief two-game interleague series with the Cleveland Indians.The Cubs belted four home runs and won the first game 10-3 on Tuesday, snapping the Indians' three-game winning streak. The victory extended a hot streak by Chicago's hitters. The Cubs have won four of their last five games, and in those four wins they have outscored their opponents 43-20.The pitching matchup for Wednesday night will be Cubs left-hander Jon Lester (2-0, 3.10 ERA) vs. Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer (1-2, 2.67). Lester is coming off an outstanding performance in his last start, an 8-5 win over St. Louis on April 19. In that game, Lester pitched six innings, allowing no earned runs, two hits, with seven strikeouts and one walk.The 34-year-old Lester has made 15 career starts against Cleveland, and is 7-1, with a 3.03 ERA. He also had two starts and one relief appearance against the Indians in the 2016 World Series and was 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in those games.In 42 career starts in interleague games, Lester is 20-12, with a 3.36 ERA.Bauer's last start was a 3-1 loss to Baltimore on April 20 in which he pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits, with six strikeouts and three walks. Bauer's only career start vs. the Cubs in the regular season was a 6-0 win on June 16, 2015, when he pitched seven scoreless innings on four hits, with seven strikeouts and three walks.Bauer did make three appearances, two of them starts, against the Cubs in the 2016 World Series, going 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA. In those three games, he pitched 8 1/3 innings, giving up five runs on 12 hits, with 10 strikeouts and two walks.In 21 career appearances (20 starts) in interleague games, Bauer is 7-5 with a 3.03 ERA.Whether Bauer will face Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant remains to be seen. Bryant suffered a cut above his left eye when he got hit in the helmet by a pitch during Sunday's game against Colorado. He passed all concussion tests and took batting practice prior to Tuesday's game, but it was decided he needed another day off as a precaution. Tommy La Stella replaced Bryant at third base in Tuesday's game.Indians left fielder Michael Brantley will return to the lineup Wednesday after being given a day off Tuesday. Brantley, a two-time All-Star who got a late start this season as he completed his rehab from offseason ankle surgery, has been the Indians' best hitter thus far, hitting .320 in 12 games, as manager Terry Francona tries to easy him back into every-day duty."Our team is different when he is in the lineup," Francona said. "It's not just his bat, but his steadiness in left field. It's a nice feeling during games when he's out there."

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
7:35 PM EST

4/25/2018 7:35 PM EST (TODAY)

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SPREAD

TOTAL

Miami Marlins

+329

+1.5 (+144)

Over 7 (+100)

Los Angeles Dodgers

-380

-1.5 (-165)

Under 7 (-120)

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Marlins rookie Richards starts against Dodgers' Kershaw 9m ago• 2 min read LOS ANGELES -- Trevor Richards' first-ever trip to California will end late Wednesday, but not before he has an experience he never will forget.In his fifth career start, Richards will take the mound for the Miami Marlins in an early evening contest at Dodger Stadium and square off against Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. Richards won't have any time to be in awe.So how will he handle his first-ever matchup with a future Hall of Famer?"Kershaw's not that good of a hitter," Marlins manager Don Mattingly joked. "You say he's facing Kershaw, but he's really not. You're facing yourself. Can you execute your pitches and what you want to do? The battle is with you." Richards has yet to win a game, going 0-2 in his four starts with a 6.16 ERA. He gave up six runs (five earned) on five hits and six walks in 3 2/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to Milwaukee in his most recent start on Friday.His rise to the Marlins has been quick, having pitched in independent baseball just two years ago.The Richards story bears a sharp contrast to the one for Kershaw, a former first-round draft pick (seventh overall) in 2006, who was in the major leagues 23 months later.The left-hander enters Wednesday's start just 1-3, but does have a 2.45 ERA. The Dodgers are just 2-3 in his five starts, but that has more to do with a lack of run support. The Dodgers have scored just 13 runs on days that Kershaw has pitched (2.6 per game).Kershaw is 5-4 with a 2.57 ERA in 10 career starts against the Marlins, but he has not faced them since 2016, when he lost both his starts against Miami.The Marlins entered Tuesday's game at Los Angeles on a five-game losing streak and losers of eight of their last nine, but they have given the Dodgers fits in the first two games of the current three-game series. On Tuesday they ended that losing streak with a 3-2 victory.The Dodgers pushed across an eighth-inning run Monday for a 2-1 victory.The Marlins are now 6-17 but they have stayed competitive. Their last three defeats have been by a combined margin of four runs, and 11 of their 23 games this season have been decided by three runs or less.The Dodgers seemed to have found their stride before falling Tuesday. They won seven of their previous eight games before the Marlins got them. After a slow start, they have made up ground, but they are still five games behind first-place Arizona in the NL West."I think we're in a good spot right now, honestly," Dodgers leadoff man Chris Taylor said this week, according to the Orange County Register.A good spot is having Kershaw on the mound looking to close out a series victory against a rookie pitcher.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
8:05 PM EST

4/25/2018 8:05 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Oakland Athletics

+105

+1.5 (-190)

Over 10 (-115)

Texas Rangers

-115

-1.5 (+163)

Under 10 (-105)

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A's hope ace Graveman gets in groove vs. Rangers 2h ago• 2 min read The Oakland A's have been on a tear over the past week and a half but have had that success without much contribution from right-hander Kendall Graveman, their opening day starter and erstwhile ace.Graveman (0-4, 10.07 ERA) will head to the mound on Wednesday at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, to try to get back on track and get a piece of the A's momentum. Texas will send right-hander Doug Fister (1-2, 3.95 ERA), who returns to the team after a stint on the disabled list, to oppose him.Oakland will go for the series sweep on after beating the Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday behind six innings of 1-run, 4-hit from Trevor Cahill and a home run from Mark Canha.The win Tuesday was the Athletics' eighth in their past nine games.Graveman was the losing pitcher in his last start, a 7-3 A's loss to Boston on April 20 in Oakland. In that game, he showcased a modified delivery, keeping his hands near his belt as opposed to bringing them over his head, and also utilized his changeup with more frequency, loosening his grip on the pitch.The results were encouraging -- Graveman's lone blemish was a three-run homer by the Red Sox's Jackie Bradley, Jr. Graveman retired 11 in a row at one point in the game."The mindset is good," Graveman said. "I made really good pitches last week and had a good bullpen session this week, kept it shorter than I have been to save some of my arm, and I just want to continue to focus on location."I'm excited about jumping on board and getting it rolling, too," Graveman added. "That, for me, is the next step, helping this team win. I'm excited where I'm headed, where I'm trending." Graveman's four losses are tied for the major league lead and ranks last in the majors with 25 runs allowed and second in the American League with 35 hits allowed. He has allowed at least four runs while tossing five innings or fewer in each of his first five starts, a mark that matches the longest such streak by an Athletics pitcher at any point in the season since at least 1908.Graveman is 4-3 with a 4.39 ERA in nine career starts against Texas. He was the losing pitcher in his only start versus the Rangers this year, a 4-1 A's loss on April 3.Fister returns from the DL (right hip strain), meaning -- for the time being -- the Rangers will go with six starters on its pitching staff. Bartolo Colon was elevated from the bullpen to a starting role when Fister was on the shelf and performed well, taking a perfect game into the eighth in his first start.Texas manager Jeff Banister said getting Fister back gives his team some maneuverability."It's a lot better than only having four," Banister told mlb.com. "We like the fact we're getting Doug back and we like where (Martin) Perez is trending. Those are positive questions. But we've got some options, and we'll have some decisions to make." Fister is 8-9 with a 3.35 ERA over 19 career starts versus the Athletics, including 0-1, 13.50 ERA in a single start last season as a member of the Red Sox. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings in a 6-2 loss at Oakland on April 4.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
8:15 PM EST

4/25/2018 8:15 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

New York Mets

+133

+1.5 (-165)

Over 8 (-115)

St Louis Cardinals

-147

-1.5 (+144)

Under 8 (-105)

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Cardinals, slumping Ozuna face Mets again 16m ago• 2 min read It was the kind of situation for which the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Marcell Ozuna.With the game tied at 5, two on and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Ozuna stepped to the plate with a chance to produce the game-winning hit. Instead, Ozuna bounced into a 5-4-3 double play to force extra innings Tuesday night, and the Cardinals lost to the New York Mets 6-5 in the 10th inning.It capped an 0-for-5 night that made Ozuna, who drove in 124 runs for Miami last year, 1-for-his-last-23. It dropped his average to .233, but it doesn't sound like St. Louis manager Mike Matheny is planning to bench him for Wednesday night's matchup with New York in Busch Stadium."He's going to be fine," Matheny said of Ozuna. "Borderline pitches are getting him into bad counts and he's trying to make it up all at once. He's just trying to find the feel for his swing. Nobody's immune to (slumps). He can flat hit." Ozuna, who was batting .328 before his skid, has two homers and 11 RBIs. One way he could help himself is to improve his walk-to-strikeout ratio. He has three walks and 23 punchouts in his 20 games this season.Ozuna has always been an aggressive hitter, sometimes to a fault. But he reined that in somewhat last year, drawing a career-high 64 walks. That was the first time in his career he had drawn more than 43 walks, and his .312 average was 43 points higher than his previous career best.While Ozuna's ninth-inning failure ended a promising rally, it wasn't the only frustrating moment for St. Louis (13-9). Cardinals pitchers walked eight hitters, with four scoring, and coughed up a 4-1 lead."Any time you have a three-run lead and can't hold on to it," Matheny said, "that's going to hurt. You've just got to move on." The Cardinals will try to move on behind Michael Wacha (3-1, 4.22 ERA), who has won three straight since absorbing a 6-2 loss to the Mets on March 31 in New York. Wacha posted a 4-2 win Friday night over Cincinnati, allowing only one run on six hits over 6 2/3 innings with a walk and three strikeouts.The big right-hander is 4-2 with a 2.70 earned run average in six career starts against New York, including a complete-game shutout last July at Citi Field.Left-hander Steven Matz (1-1, 4.42) gets the call for New York (15-6), looking to avenge a 5-1 loss to St. Louis on April 1, when he allowed three runs on four hits and three walks in four innings. Matz is coming off a no-decision on April 18 in an 11-5 win over Washington, when he gave up three hits and three runs in four innings.Matz is 0-2 with an 8.64 ERA in two career starts against the Cardinals.The Mets displayed more of their early-season resilience on Tuesday in overcoming a three-run deficit, finally taking the lead for good on Jay Bruce's solo shot in the 10th inning."You work, you prepare and you try to give yourself a chance to be successful," Bruce said. "I was fortunate to learn that at a young age. You're never really at a finish line, in my opinion."

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

COMING UP
8:15 PM EST

4/25/2018 8:15 PM EST (TODAY)

MONEYLINE

SPREAD

TOTAL

Milwaukee Brewers

-128

-1.5 (+120)

Over 9 (-110)

Kansas City Royals

+116

+1.5 (-140)

Under 9 (-110)

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Hot Brewers conclude interleague series with Royals 2h ago• 3 min read KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Milwaukee Brewers, streaking in one direction, and the Kansas City Royals, going another, will meet Wednesday to conclude a two-game mini interleague series at Kauffman Stadium.The Brewers beat the Royals 5-2 on Tuesday night for their seventh straight victory. The last time Milwaukee has won eight in a row was June 28 through July 5, 2015.On the flip side, the Royals have lost 16 of their first 21 games to begin the season. They are a pitiful 1-8 at home and the Tuesday defeat was the opener of a seven-game homestand. Their lone home victory was a 10-0 tally on April 9 against the Seattle Mariners.Even the Royals welcoming back All-Star catcher Salvador Perez and five-time Gold Glove outfielder Alex Gordon could not help the club land a victory. Perez had been on the disabled list for the first 20 games, tearing a ligament in his knee while toting luggage upstairs at his home the day before the season opener. Gordon sat out 13 games with a left hip labral tear. Perez hit a solo home run and Gordon doubled and singled in their return, accounting for three of the Royals' six hits."We score two runs and they each score one, so it's nice to get their bats back in the lineup," Royals manager Ned Yost said.Milwaukee leadoff hitter Lorenzo Cain, who developed into a Royals star and favorite the past seven years, was given a standing ovation before his first at-bat. He tipped his cap to the appreciative crowd, while Cain and close friend Perez hugged just outside the batter's box. Cain signed a five-year, $80 million contract with the Brewers in January. Cain homered in the seventh, one of two Milwaukee home runs.Royals starting pitcher Ian Kennedy suffered a right foot contusion after being struck by liner off the bat of Ryan Braun in the third. X-rays were negative. Kennedy remained in the game, only to give up a three-run homer to Travis Shaw, the next batter.It is unknown whether Kennedy will miss a start."We're going to wear a boot to take pressure off of it the next 12 hours, just wait and see how it feels," he said. "This is right off my push off leg. I said let me go downstairs and have them look at it. Soon as I took a step to go upstairs, I felt it, and said warm somebody up. It's a tiny little bone, but it means a lot." Brewers right-hander Jhoulys Chacin will start the finale of this series. Chacin is 1-1 with a 4.18 ERA in five starts. He has allowed 28 hits and walked 13 in 23 2/3 innings, while striking out 16. Opponents are hitting .289 off him.Royals first baseman Lucas Duda has had success against Chacin, going 4-for-7, .571, with two home runs and six RBIs. Jon Jay has faced Chacin the most, going 3-for-11 with a home run.Chacin picked up his first victory of the season in his previous start, tossing six scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins and permitting four hits while striking out five. The Brewers are 3-2 when he starts.Chacin is 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two career starts against Kansas City. He last pitched at Kauffman Stadium on May 14, 2014 while with the Rockies, taking a loss when he allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out one. While with the San Diego Padres last year, Chacin topped the Royals 6-3 at Petco Park, surrendering two runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out six in seven innings.The Royals will counter with veteran right-hander Jason Hammel, who is 0-1 with a 3.20 ERA in four starts. Hammel went nine innings in a no-decision in his previous start, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks, with four strikeouts, on Friday in Detroit.Hammel is 10-2 with a 3.13 ERA all-time against the Brewers. He is 4-6 with a 4.86 ERA at Kauffman Stadium as a Royal.

Game Preview from The Associated Press (AP).

NHL

4/25/2018

FOUND 1 GAME

COMING UP
7:38 PM EST

4/25/2018 7:38 PM EST (TODAY)

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TOTAL

Toronto Maple Leafs

+155

+1.5 (-200)

Over 5.5 (-105)

Boston Bruins

-175

-1.5 (+170)

Under 5.5 (-115)

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