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ACCESS
PICKS FOR TODAY THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017 |
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NFL |
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8/17/2017 |
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FOUND
3
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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8/17/2017 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+125
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+2.5 (-110)
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Over 37.5 (-110)
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-145
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-2.5 (-110)
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Under 37.5 (-110)
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COMING
UP
7:00 PM EST |
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8/17/2017 7:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+170
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+4 (-105)
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Over 38.5 (-109)
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-200
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-4 (-115)
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Under 38.5 (-111)
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COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
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8/17/2017 8:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-138
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-2.5 (-105)
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Over 40.5 (-110)
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+118
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+2.5 (-115)
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Under 40.5 (-110)
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MLB |
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8/17/2017 |
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FOUND
11
GAMES |
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GAME PREVIEW
After rainout, Twins host Indians in doubleheader Thursday 28m ago• 4 min read MINNEAPOLIS -- Rain has been a big problem for the Minnesota Twins in their eighth year in the outdoor Target Field. Cleveland has been a problem for Minnesota, too, but the Indians have had their share of the weather-related headaches at Target Field.The Wednesday game between the teams never began, and it was officially postponed 30 minutes after the scheduled start time. It was the fourth postponement of the season at Target Field this season and the second involving Minnesota and Cleveland. The two teams were rained out on April 19, as well.The game will be made up Thursday as part of a split doubleheader. Thursday's original day game will start at 12:10 p.m. CT, and the makeup will start at 6:10 p.m. CT.The Indians won the series opener on Tuesday 8-1. Cleveland is 8-0 in Minnesota this season and has outscored the Twins 56-15 in Target Field."It doesn't really make sense, but there's a lot of things in our game that you spin your head around trying to figure out," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said of the Indians' dominance in Target Field. "I'm well aware that they've come in here and dominated us in our own park. We've got a couple more chances to get in the win column against them here before we go there and play them there in September." The two teams had only one other common day which could have been used as a makeup, Sept. 25. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said pregame that he hoped for a doubleheader instead of returning to Minnesota for one solo game, but the schedule was in the hands of Major League Baseball.Carlos Carrasco (11-5, 3.83 ERA) will start the first game of doubleheader for the Indians with Ryan Merritt (0-0, 3.60) recalled as the 26th man for the doubleheader to start the second game. Mike Clevinger, originally scheduled to start Thursday, will be skipped in the rotation and be available out of the bullpen, according to MLB.com.Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson (6-9, 6.02) will matchup with Carrasco in the first game after the two were originally scheduled for Wednesday. Jose Berrios will have his scheduled start moved back, with Minnesota calling up right-hander Aaron Slegers for his major league debut in the nightcap.Whoever is on the mound for Cleveland lately is getting the job done. After trailing much of the league for the first part of the year in ERA, the Indians now own the AL's best starting pitching ERA at 3.98. They also lead the league in strikeouts from their starters, and the rotation has a league-high 51 wins."I don't think you get too satisfied in the middle of August," Francona said. "I think we're trending in the right direction. But I think with those types of things, you just show up every day and keep plugging away or the trend can go the other way, until you're done. But it does feel better. When you show up and you feel like you're going to get a pretty well-pitched game, that helps everybody." Carrasco is 3-6 with a 4.43 ERA in his career against the Twins. He beat Minnesota on June 16 when he allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings.Merritt has faced the Twins twice in his career, producing a 3.60 ERA. The young left-hander also made a spot start in the earlier doubleheader between the two teams because of the first postponement. Merritt gave up three runs (two earned) in four innings on June 17.Gibson is 2-5 with a 5.75 ERA in 12 career starts against Cleveland. He is 0-2 with a 3.94 ERA in three starts against the Indians this season.Gibson has yielded 20 earned runs in his past 27 1/3 innings. The team has tried to get Gibson to be more aggressive in the zone and early in the counts, trusting his ground-ball tendencies will be successful."We've seen him definitely improve down those lines," Molitor said. "(Cleveland's) lineup for anybody, the way they're playing right now, is going to be challenging. But you don't want to add to their cause, at least minimize times you're going to give them counts where they can just swing from their heels or free baserunners with base on balls."If you don't pitch from ahead, you're going have a lot of trouble. The hard part about that is that they can ambush that first pitch, so you've got to make a quality pitch to start the sequence, and then hopefully be able to get weak contact from there." Slegers, 24, is enjoying a strong season in his first year at the Triple-A level. He is 13-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 21 starts for Rochester, with 97 strikeouts and 27 walks in 130 1/3 innings.The Twins' fifth-round draft pick in 2013 out of Indiana University, Slegers is 9-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his past 10 starts.The Indians have won five games overall and look ready to defend their AL title. Francona was asked why his teams have a tendency to play better in the second half of the season."I think some of it goes to our pitchers' work ethic," Francona said. "Our pitchers don't seem to tire as you get into August, September. I think that helps a ton. I'd like to think that our clubhouse, our chemistry, however you want to say it, we don't bail on each other. We keep plugging away, and I think it's a good characteristic. It's helped us a lot."
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
2:10 PM EST |
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8/17/2017 2:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+103
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+1.5 (-188)
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Over 9.5 (-109)
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-112
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-1.5 (+163)
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Under 9.5 (-111)
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GAME PREVIEW
Astros host D-backs with pitching staff getting healthier 1h ago• 2 min read HOUSTON -- A cursory glance at the Houston Astros' current disabled list reveals a quartet of pitchers who at one point or another provided reliability for a flexible and versatile staff.On Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park, the Astros opened an eight-game homestand, starting with a two-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks that concludes Thursday. The stretch could prove pivotal to reversing Houston's recent downward trend, one tied in part to those absent pitchers.Two of those arms, right-handers Lance McCullers and Will Harris, appear closer to a return than righty Michael Feliz and southpaw Tony Sipp. Harris' progress is especially timely.While the Astros' overworked bullpen has stabilized recently, Harris' return, potentially on this homestand, would provide a shot in the arm. Harris completed a bullpen session Wednesday and is poised to face live hitters later this week. Should he clear that hurdle without issue, the Astros (74-46) would welcome back a do-it-all reliever capable of recording crucial outs."I miss him terribly," Astros manager A. J. Hinch said. "He answers so many questions that we have throughout games with high-leverage roles to troubleshooting through some messes that we have sometimes in the middle innings. Gets righties out, gets lefties out, a big-moment type pitcher. We'll be happy to get him back." Right-hander Mike Fiers (7-7, 4.36 ERA) will start the series finale for the Astros.Fiers, 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA over four career starts against Arizona, surrendered a season-high-tying six earned runs on five hits over four innings in a 6-4 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday. Fiers paces the club in starts (23) and innings (128) and is tied for second with nine quality starts.Left-hander Patrick Corbin (9-11, 4.52 ERA) will get the start for the Diamondbacks. Corbin, making his first career start against the Astros, is looking to reach double digits in victories for the second in his career. He finished 14-8 in 2013.Corbin is 4-4 with a 4.42 ERA over 11 career interleague appearances (10 starts).The Diamondbacks (66-54) might be approaching a rotation change in the coming week, with rookie left-hander Anthony Banda (1-3, 7.32 ERA) scheduled to make at least one additional start Sunday against the Minnesota Twins.After pitching relatively effectively in his first two starts, allowing five runs over 11 2/3 innings, Banda struggled against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Astros in his previous two appearances, surrendering 11 runs over eight innings.Working against the two best teams in their respective leagues makes for a tall task, though, so Banda will get at least one more chance."That's the game plan," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.The Arizona rotation could change soon thereafter. All-Star left-hander Robbie Ray, on the seven-day concussion disabled list since July 28, is scheduled to make a rehab start for high Class A Visalia on Thursday night. Should Ray, who was struck in the head by a line drive July 27, pitch effectively, he could be eligible for reinstatement Tuesday against the New York Mets."We're going to see how Robbie throws," Lovullo said.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
2:20 PM EST |
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8/17/2017 2:20 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+213
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+1.5 (+115)
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Over 12 (-101)
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-240
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-1.5 (-135)
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Under 12 (-119)
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GAME PREVIEW
Cubs' Lester looks to stay hot versus Reds 1h ago• 2 min read CHICAGO -- Jon Lester hopes to resume a positive post-All-Star break run as the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds wrap up a four-game series at Wrigley Field on Thursday.Lester (8-7, 3.99 ERA) is 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA in six starts since the break with one blip -- allowing four runs (three earned) and seven hits over six innings in a 6-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday."It's like a start over for us at the break," Lester said recently. "As of now, that stuff is going well. There are some clunkers in there I wish I could take it back or grind through better and have a better outcome." The Reds counter with ex-Cub right-hander Scott Feldman (7-7, 4.43 ERA).The Cubs (63-56) will look for a third victory in the series win while the Reds (50-71) seek to avoid their fifth loss in six games.The pressure at least will be off Joey Votto. The Reds first baseman went 1-for-4 on Wednesday and missed a chance to tie a record held by Ted Williams for the most consecutive games reaching base at least twice.Votto's hot stretch -- which included a 17-game hitting streak -- was halted at 20 games, leaving intact Williams' 21-game record set in 1948."To me, he's the best guy going in baseball right now," Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta told WSCR-AM on Wednesday. "What he is able to do is hit quality pitches for power." Feldman makes his second start since coming off a 25-day stay on the disabled list caused by right knee inflammation. He is tied with Michael Lorenzen for the Reds' lead in wins, and tied with Tim Adleman for the club lead in starts, and his nine quality starts are a team high.Feldman pitched for the Cubs in 2013 before a trade to Baltimore. Since then, he has faced the Cubs twice -- both this season, going 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA. He allowed no runs on two hits over seven innings in a 5-0 victory on June 30."My hopes are that he'll be able to maintain what we saw those first couple of months, as far as being able to go out there and take the field and do all the little things that he had to do as a pitcher -- field your position, swing the bat, run the bases, et cetera, without too much issue," Reds manager Bryan Price said recently.Lester is 4-3 with a 3.76 ERA in 14 home starts compared to 4-4, 4.27 in 11 appearances away from Wrigley Field. Lefties are batting only .184 against him while right-handers are hitting .264.Lester is 4-1 with a 4.79 ERA in 11 career starts against Cincinnati, all coming since he joined the Cubs. Lester is 2-0 with a 3.94 in five Wrigley Field starts against the Reds.The Cubs continue their homestand with a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays starting Friday.The Reds next travel to Atlanta for their first games at SunTrust Park. That three-game series also opens Friday.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
3:10 PM EST |
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8/17/2017 3:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+156
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+1.5 (-110)
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Over 12 (-105)
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-174
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-1.5 (-110)
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Under 12 (-115)
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GAME PREVIEW
Gonzalez seeks strong finish as Rockies host Braves 37m ago• 3 min read DENVER -- Carlos Gonzalez is hitting better lately.The Colorado Rockies right fielder was mired in a deep slump for so long, though, his chances of ending the season with a robust bottom line resembling those of past seasons are slim.Instead, Gonzalez is aiming "to just finish strong" and help the Rockies reach the postseason for the first time since 2009, not concerning himself where his own stats end up.Heading into the series finale with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, Gonzalez is hitting .236 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs in 100 games. He has a .191 average with runners in scoring position.Gonzalez, however, has hit safely in nine of his past 11 games, going 13-for-42 (.310) with four doubles and eight RBIs. He feels he is dictating his at-bats."It's different when you don't go to the plate trying to see what happens," Gonzalez said. "Right now, I feel in control. Everyone is going to have bad at-bats and bad games. I think what's important is just to stay positive and feel good about yourself that you're going to get the job done."Most of the time when I get out it's because I got myself out. I chased bad pitches. But I feel like I can control my at-bats, and whenever they give me a good pitch, I'm not missing those as much." The Braves need a win Thursday to split the four-game series.Jeff Hoffman (6-4, 5.15 ERA) will start for the Rockies, while Lucas Sims (0-3, 5.71) gets the ball for the Braves. Both were first-round picks: Hoffman taken ninth overall by Toronto in 2014 and Sims 21st overall by Atlanta in 2012. Neither has faced his Thursday opponent.Sims, 23, made his major league debut Aug. 1 and will be making his fourth career start after losing his first three. His latest outing was Saturday at St. Louis, where Sims, in his first road start, gave up 10 hits and five runs (four earned) in 5 1/3 innings during a 6-5 defeat.Hoffman lost his last start 4-3 at Miami on Saturday when he allowed seven hits and four runs in five innings. Since he last won July 16, Hoffman is 0-3 with a 7.20 ERA in five starts.Hoffman will hope to slow Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, who has hit safely five consecutive games, going 6-for-18. Swanson went 1-for-3 with a double in Atlanta's 17-2 loss Wednesday and was robbed of a hit when Rockies shortstop Trevor Story made a diving catch of a liner in the fifth.Swanson began the season with the Braves but was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on July 26 when he was hitting .213. That move came after a game at Arizona. The Diamondbacks took Swanson, 23, first overall in the 2015 draft but traded him to the Braves in December of that year in an ill-fated deal for Arizona that sent pitcher Shelby Miller to the desert.The Braves recalled Swanson on Aug. 9, when Johan Camargo, who took over at shortstop, sustained a right knee bone bruise.Recalling the day Swanson was demoted to the minors, Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer said, "This is what I told him, 'You need to go down and get confidence again. You need to be in a more relaxed setting to where you can just go play, get your swagger back.' Because this kid knows he can hit, knows he can play, but if you're not walking up there with a swagger to yourself, it's an uphill battle." Seitzer said Swanson was missing fastballs, getting pitches to hit and fouling them off and having nothing to show for it when he did barrel a ball."There comes a point, you start trying harder," Seitzer said. "Then the pressing comes. He was battling. He's a very tough kid. He's very grounded mentally, emotionally. There weren't snaps or pouting. He came with a good attitude every day."Since he's been back, he's been barreling a lot of balls and not getting much to show for it. But he's having good at-bats. We just need to keep that rolling."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
4:07 PM EST |
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8/17/2017 4:07 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-161
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-1.5 (-105)
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Over 9 (+100)
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+145
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+1.5 (-115)
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Under 9 (-120)
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GAME PREVIEW
Blue Jays' Rowley soldiers on with career, faces Rays 21m ago• 3 min read TORONTO -- Chris Rowley made history Saturday, becoming the first graduate of West Point to pitch in the major leagues.The Toronto Blue Jays right-hander won the game, holding the Pittsburgh Pirates to one run in 5 1/3 innings.Rowley (1-0, 1.69 ERA) makes his second start Thursday in the finale of a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Rogers Centre.Tampa Bay will start right-hander Chris Archer (8-7, 3.84 ERA).The Rays showed signs of emerging from an offensive slump when they defeated the Blue Jays 6-4 on Tuesday in the second game of the series.They reverted to their recent ways Wednesday, though, with a 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays. Tampa Bay needs a win Thursday to escape with a split against its American League East rival.The Rays stranded nine baserunners Wednesday."Tight ballgame," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "We had our opportunities but just weren't able to capitalize." The Rays (60-62) have been held to two or fewer runs eight times over their past 12 games, going 3-9 in that span.The Blue Jays (58-62) are 9-5 in their past 14 games and have allowed two or fewer runs in five of their past seven contests.The Rays adjusted their lineup for the Wednesday game, moving Corey Dickerson from the leadoff spot to sixth in the order with Brad Miller batting first."Maybe just a change of scenery for both the guys that got flip-flopped will do some good," Cash said. "I like the way that Brad has gotten on base. That helps. And Corey, to be able to drop him down, give him a blow in some of those big pressure situations, might help get him going also." Miller is not likely to remain in the leadoff spot, but Dickerson is likely to remain lower in the order for a while."Giving him some time to get some stuff in order," Cash said.Miller was 1-for-4 with one RBI on Wednesday while Dickerson was 2-for-4 with a double.It was Dickerson's first multi-hit game since Aug. 3. In his 10 previous games, he was 4-for-44.Archer ended a run of 15 consecutive starts in which he had pitched at least six innings when he lasted 5 1/3 frames against the Cleveland Indians on Saturday. He allowed seven hits, two walks and three runs while striking out eight in a 3-0 loss.He will be making his 23rd career start against the Blue Jays.Archer is 6-4 with a 3.13 career ERA against the Blue Jays, his most frequent opponent. In three starts against Toronto this season, he is 0-0 with a 2.57 ERA. He has made 10 career starts at the Rogers Centre, going 3-2 with a 2.98 ERA.Rowley allowed five hits and one walk while striking out three against the Pirates."Awesome, really, and we've been looking for that," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He looked very confident out there. He had good life on his fastball, good sink to his fastball. Threw some good breaking balls. A debut is never easy, but I thought he did a tremendous job. He ought to feel proud of himself and excited." Rowley received a standing ovation at Rogers Centre when he was replaced in the sixth inning."That was really, really cool," Rowley said. "Having my family here to share it with me, walking off and all those people standing, that was something that was really special for me. I don't think anybody really expects to experience that in their life, but it was pretty special."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
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8/17/2017 7:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+125
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+1.5 (-170)
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Over 9 (-105)
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-138
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-1.5 (+148)
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Under 9 (-115)
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GAME PREVIEW
Cardinals, Pirates look to keep pressure on Cubs 1h ago• 3 min read PITTSBURGH -- Two teams scrambling to make headway in the National League Central will clash when the St. Louis Cardinals open a four-game set Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.Neither is coming in hot, unless it's maybe hot under the collar.St. Louis (61-59) blew a two-run lead in the ninth -- an inning that included Cardinals manager Mike Matheny getting ejected -- on Wednesday night and fell 5-4 to the Boston Red Sox. The Cardinals took their third loss in a row.Pittsburgh (58-62) blew a 4-0 lead and allowed five homers Wednesday in a 7-6 loss at Milwaukee, the Pirates' fourth straight setback.The Cardinals are 5-4 against the Pirates this season.The first three games of the series will be held at PNC Park, followed by the first MLB Little League Classic on Sunday night in Williamsport, Pa.St. Louis won eight straight, at one point pulling into a first-place tie in the division, before the current losing streak.Going into the series at Pittsburgh, the third-place Cardinals are three games ahead of the fourth-place Pirates and 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs. The Milwaukee Brewers are tucked in the mix in second place, a game in front of St. Louis.The Pirates have rallied several times this season but keep falling into the cusp of being realistically out of the hunt for a playoff spot.It helps that they are in a weak division, and the series against St. Louis represents yet another chance to stay in contention.Losing Wednesday hurt in more than one way. It not only extended Pittsburgh's losing streak and came against a division opponent ahead in the standings, but it led to a downcast postgame clubhouse."We wanted to win this one bad," starting and losing pitcher Gerrit Cole said.At 21-23 within the division, the Pirates need wins in the series just as badly. Of course, St. Louis needs the victories, too.St. Louis veteran Adam Wainwright (12-5, 4.87 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener Thursday.Wainwright has dealt with some elbow soreness and skipped his between-starts bullpen session but is expected to take his normal turn in the rotation after he played catch Tuesday with no problem.On Friday, the soreness kept Wainwright from throwing a pitch 90 mph or more, and he didn't have a strikeout, but it didn't stop him from posting his fifth win in as many decisions. He gave up one run on four hits in five innings during an 8-5 win over the Atlanta Braves.Wainwright, who is four strikeouts from reaching 100 for the eighth time in his career, likened the pain to what he felt in 2014."A little inflamed area in my joint," he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "In '14, it was a couple of weeks, and I had it one time earlier this year, and it was gone after one start." Wainwright is 13-7 with a 4.11 ERA in 34 career games (29 starts) against the Pirates, including 6-4 with a 5.23 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) at PNC Park.For Pittsburgh, Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.50) will be looking for his third straight quality start Thursday after he allowed a total of 17 earned runs in two starts.On Friday, Taillon allowed two runs in six-plus innings and struck out seven in a 4-2 win at Toronto. He will be looking to get above .500 at home, where he is 3-3 in nine starts.Taillon is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:10 PM EST |
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8/17/2017 7:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-195
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-1.5 (-121)
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Over 7 (-120)
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+175
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+1.5 (+101)
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Under 7 (+100)
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GAME PREVIEW
Yankees go for Subway Series sweep of Mets 1h ago• 2 min read NEW YORK -- A pair of young pitchers coming off pivotal moments in their development will square off Thursday night when the New York Mets host the New York Yankees in the finale of the Subway Series at Citi Field.Mets left-hander Steven Matz (2-6, 5.54 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Yankees right-hander Luis Severino (9-5, 3.32). The Yankees will be going for a sweep of the four-game season series after earning a 5-3 victory Wednesday night.Matz and Severino lost their previous starts, albeit in wholly different fashions. Matz had one of his best starts during a nearly two-month winless stretch Saturday, when he gave up two runs over 5 2/3 innings as the Mets fell to the Phillies 3-1 in Philadelphia.It was only the second time in his past eight starts -- a stretch in which he is 0-5 with a 7.68 ERA -- that Matz allowed two runs or fewer. Mets manager Terry Collins said Wednesday he believed the solid start provided proof to the 26-year-old that he can pitch when he is at less than 100 percent.Matz underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010, had bone spurs removed from his left elbow last October and didn't debut this season until June 10 because of left elbow inflammation."You're talking about a guy (who has) had (multiple) elbow operations -- you're never going to be 100 percent," Collins said. "Out of 30-something starts, you're not going to feel good a majority of the time. You've got to learn how to get through it. And I think his last start really did that." Severino, who made his first All-Star team this season, endured the worst start of his career Saturday. He allowed 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings as the Yankees fell to the Boston Red Sox 10-5 at Yankee Stadium. The 23-year-old entered Saturday having allowed just eight runs (six earned) in his previous six starts, a stretch in which he went 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA."He made some mistakes," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said following the loss. "He's been so good and executing so well, and we haven't seen that for a while. But it just shows that he's human." Matz is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees. Severino earned the win in his lone previous appearance against the Mets on Aug. 3, 2016, when he allowed an unearned run and one hit over 4 1/3 innings of relief in the Yankees' 9-5 victory.The Yankees, who won the first two contests of the four-game, two-stadium series Monday and Tuesday in the Bronx, are looking for the third Subway Series season sweep in the 21-year history of the interleague rivalry. The Mets won all four games in 2013, and the Yankees won all six in 2003.Aaron Judge had an up-and-down game for the Yankees on Wednesday at Citi Field. He hit his American League-leading 37th homer but also struck out in a 33rd consecutive game, setting a single-season record for position players.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:10 PM EST |
|
8/17/2017 7:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
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-126
|
-1.5 (+120)
|
Over 9.5 (-120)
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+114
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+1.5 (-140)
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Under 9.5 (+100)
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GAME PREVIEW
After rainout, Twins host Indians in doubleheader Thursday 10h ago• 4 min read MINNEAPOLIS -- Rain has been a big problem for the Minnesota Twins in their eighth year in the outdoor Target Field. Cleveland has been a problem for Minnesota, too, but the Indians have had their share of the weather-related headaches at Target Field.The Wednesday game between the teams never began, and it was officially postponed 30 minutes after the scheduled start time. It was the fourth postponement of the season at Target Field this season and the second involving Minnesota and Cleveland. The two teams were rained out on April 19, as well.The game will be made up Thursday as part of a split doubleheader. Thursday's original day game will start at 12:10 p.m. CT, and the makeup will start at 6:10 p.m. CT.The Indians won the series opener on Tuesday 8-1. Cleveland is 8-0 in Minnesota this season and has outscored the Twins 56-15 in Target Field."It doesn't really make sense, but there's a lot of things in our game that you spin your head around trying to figure out," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said of the Indians' dominance in Target Field. "I'm well aware that they've come in here and dominated us in our own park. We've got a couple more chances to get in the win column against them here before we go there and play them there in September." The two teams had only one other common day which could have been used as a makeup, Sept. 25. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said pregame that he hoped for a doubleheader instead of returning to Minnesota for one solo game, but the schedule was in the hands of Major League Baseball.Carlos Carrasco (11-5, 3.83 ERA) will start the first game of doubleheader for the Indians with Ryan Merritt (0-0, 3.60) recalled as the 26th man for the doubleheader to start the second game. Mike Clevinger, originally scheduled to start Thursday, will be skipped in the rotation and be available out of the bullpen, according to MLB.com.Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson (6-9, 6.02) will matchup with Carrasco in the first game after the two were originally scheduled for Wednesday. Jose Berrios will have his scheduled start moved back, with Minnesota calling up right-hander Aaron Slegers for his major league debut in the nightcap.Whoever is on the mound for Cleveland lately is getting the job done. After trailing much of the league for the first part of the year in ERA, the Indians now own the AL's best starting pitching ERA at 3.98. They also lead the league in strikeouts from their starters, and the rotation has a league-high 51 wins."I don't think you get too satisfied in the middle of August," Francona said. "I think we're trending in the right direction. But I think with those types of things, you just show up every day and keep plugging away or the trend can go the other way, until you're done. But it does feel better. When you show up and you feel like you're going to get a pretty well-pitched game, that helps everybody." Carrasco is 3-6 with a 4.43 ERA in his career against the Twins. He beat Minnesota on June 16 when he allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings.Merritt has faced the Twins twice in his career, producing a 3.60 ERA. The young left-hander also made a spot start in the earlier doubleheader between the two teams because of the first postponement. Merritt gave up three runs (two earned) in four innings on June 17.Gibson is 2-5 with a 5.75 ERA in 12 career starts against Cleveland. He is 0-2 with a 3.94 ERA in three starts against the Indians this season.Gibson has yielded 20 earned runs in his past 27 1/3 innings. The team has tried to get Gibson to be more aggressive in the zone and early in the counts, trusting his ground-ball tendencies will be successful."We've seen him definitely improve down those lines," Molitor said. "(Cleveland's) lineup for anybody, the way they're playing right now, is going to be challenging. But you don't want to add to their cause, at least minimize times you're going to give them counts where they can just swing from their heels or free baserunners with base on balls."If you don't pitch from ahead, you're going have a lot of trouble. The hard part about that is that they can ambush that first pitch, so you've got to make a quality pitch to start the sequence, and then hopefully be able to get weak contact from there." Slegers, 24, is enjoying a strong season in his first year at the Triple-A level. He is 13-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 21 starts for Rochester, with 97 strikeouts and 27 walks in 130 1/3 innings.The Twins' fifth-round draft pick in 2013 out of Indiana University, Slegers is 9-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his past 10 starts.The Indians have won five games overall and look ready to defend their AL title. Francona was asked why his teams have a tendency to play better in the second half of the season."I think some of it goes to our pitchers' work ethic," Francona said. "Our pitchers don't seem to tire as you get into August, September. I think that helps a ton. I'd like to think that our clubhouse, our chemistry, however you want to say it, we don't bail on each other. We keep plugging away, and I think it's a good characteristic. It's helped us a lot."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
8:05 PM EST |
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8/17/2017 8:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+137
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+1.5 (-146)
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Over 11 (-115)
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-152
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-1.5 (+126)
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Under 11 (-105)
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GAME PREVIEW
Red-hot Rangers host weary White Sox 1h ago• 3 min read ARLINGTON, Texas -- Considering the Chicago White Sox just finished getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the best team in baseball, a four-game set against the Texas Rangers starting Thursday will represent a reprieve.Right? Maybe not.The Rangers are one of the hottest teams in the American League, winners of six of their past seven games.In a three-game sweep of the Tigers, Texas swamped Detroit with 28 runs on 39 hits and 55 baserunners, including 25 baserunners in a 12-6 victory Wednesday.Welcome to Texas, Chicago.The White Sox's Reynaldo Lopez (0-0, 3.00 ERA) will meet fellow right-hander Tyson Ross (3-2, 7.11) in the series opener."It'd be tough to point to just one thing," Texas manager Jeff Banister said of the key to the team's hot streak. "It's been the number of baserunners we continue to have. The double-digit baserunners have allowed us to do some things that we're used to doing: run the bases, steal bases, create, and obviously the home run shows up for us in certain situations."But I think it's the combination of all things. The defense we've played, the pitching we've gotten, and the offense has really showed up for us." The Rangers (59-60) are back within a game of .500 and two games behind the second American League wild-card position with 43 games to play. Texas is trying to extend a three-game winning streak while keeping their longshot playoff hopes alive.The White Sox (45-72) are 4-10 in August, and they have lost four straight."We got to put this behind us as quickly as possible because tomorrow is a new day," Chicago manager Rick Renteria said after his team blew a ninth-inning lead to fall 5-4 at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.Lopez, 23, will be making his second start of the season. He allowed two runs and struck out six over six innings in his season debut, a no-decision against the Kansas City Royals on Friday. Thursday will mark his first career start against Texas.Ross comes in following a victory in his most recent start. The 30-year-old allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings in an 8-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday. Ross has worked fewer than six innings in seven of his eight starts this year.He is 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA in three career starts and one relief appearance against Chicago.The White Sox showed some pop with four homers in the finale against the Dodgers, including two from rookie Nicky Delmonico. Leury Garcia hit the first pitch of the game out of the park, just as teammate Tim Anderson did the day before. That marked the first time in franchise history the White Sox homered in consecutive games on the first pitch."We lost a (tough) game in the ninth," Garcia said. "We're still working and playing hard." Anderson has five home runs, four doubles, a triple and 11 RBIs in his past 13 games.Fatigue might be an issue for Chicago, which wasn't expected to get into Texas until early Thursday morning after playing the Dodgers late on the West Coast.Nomar Mazara, Elvis Andrus and Joey Gallo are all going well for the Rangers -- and all three homered Wednesday, as did Adrian Beltre.Mazara has three three-hit games in his past seven outings, and he is batting .481 during that span. The 22-year-old has 20 RBIs in his past 18 games.Andrus' career year now includes a torrid stretch in which he is hitting .359 with 11 doubles, five home runs and 14 RBIs over his past 24 games.Gallo, who is tied for second in the AL with 35 homers, has 10 long balls in August and 14 since the All-Star break."I think everybody's doing their job, we're having really good at-bats, nobody's taking anything for granted, and no matter if it's two outs, we still believe we can have a rally and score runs," Andrus said. "That's our DNA that we need to keep the rest of the season, and hopefully the beginning of something good." The series will also feature a notable homecoming.White Sox lefty Derek Holland, who pitched eight seasons and on two World Series teams with the Rangers, returns to face his former team Saturday.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:10 PM EST |
|
8/17/2017 10:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+102
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+1.5 (-215)
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Over 8.5 (-102)
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-112
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-1.5 (+180)
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Under 8.5 (-117)
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GAME PREVIEW
Spangenberg, Padres aim to keep rolling vs. Nats 4h ago• 3 min read SAN DIEGO -- The Washington Nationals kick off a four-game series with the San Diego Padres on Thursday. That means one of baseball's hottest players will be in America's Finest City."It's just his energy," Padres manager Andy Green said. "The way he flies down the line, the way he flies around from first to third. He never takes a play off, and he's always locked in. I think it's those kinds of things fans appreciate a great deal. It's fun to show up and watch him play baseball." Is Green talking about Nationals All-Star Bryce Harper?Nope. Try the Padres' Cory Spangenberg.While Harper is on the shelf with a bum knee, Spangenberg continues to shine."He's done a great job for us," Green said.Spangenberg remade his swing, ditching his line-drive-based approach. Instead, he is shooting for the fences. His bat angle is different when making contact, and his results have flipped, too.After hitting three homers in his past four games, Spangenberg has already has set a career high with 12. In the second half of the season, he has become one of the Padres' more reliable sluggers."When he stays committed to a small zone, he can take a very aggressive pass, and when he squares the baseball up, he is very good about that," Green said. "His struggles are when he gets above the zone and behind the zone." Spangenberg leads a lineup facing former Padre Edwin Jackson (3-2, 3.86 ERA). Jackson went 5-6 for San Diego last year and he could be a comforting sight for his former teammates.Jackson, who has won two of his past three starts, has gone 0-6 with a 6.63 ERA in his career against the Padres (54-66). However, he was keen against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, recording six quality innings after escaping an early jam. He allowed one run on five hits in a 3-1 win."(It) was definitely one of those 'dig deep and see what you're made of' days," Jackson told MLB.com. "I was fortunate enough to come out with good results and also help out the bullpen at the same time with a solid six innings. It's one of those days when you really don't have your best stuff." While the Nationals' best player, Harper, is idle, Green agrees that Jhoulys Chacin (11-8, 4.06) has quite a task in front of him Thursday. Chacin is 3-2 in his career against the Nationals with a 3.43 ERA.He won three of his past four decisions, although he didn't get one his last time out on Saturday versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chacin went five innings and surrendered only one run on four hits against a vaunted offense. He will see another one when he opposes the Nationals (71-47), though Washington fell 3-2 Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels."That's a really good lineup, it's a long lineup with a lot of really good players that makes it a really good team," Green said. "Obviously, Bryce is out now and that changes it a little bit. But Daniel Murphy is as dangerous as anybody in the game."They got speed still. They got power. They got hitters. They have been the best team in the NL East for some time now." The rebuilding Padres don't mind playing David to the Nationals' Goliath. San Diego recently played the surging Dodgers tough when talking one game in a three-game set. The Padres are also coming off a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, capped by a 3-0 win Wednesday."It will be a fun challenge for our guys," Green said of facing Washington. "I like how we played in a hostile park at Dodger Stadium. I expect us to play just as good here, if not better."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:15 PM EST |
|
8/17/2017 10:15 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+120
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+1.5 (-205)
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Over 7 (-110)
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-133
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-1.5 (+172)
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Under 7 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Phillies, Giants begin series between NL bottom feeders 3h ago• 2 min read SAN FRANCISCO -- The two losingest teams in baseball with little but 2018 draft order at stake begin a four-game series Thursday night when the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants meet at AT&T Park.Two guys pitching their best ball of the season will square off in the series opener, with the Phillies sending right-hander Aaron Nola against Giants righty Jeff Samardzija.The Phillies (43-75) are coming off a 3-0 loss at San Diego on Wednesday that capped a three-game sweep. The defeat was the Phillies' 10th in 14 games, further distancing them from the Giants (48-74) in the duel for last place in the National League.The Phillies won two of three when the clubs met in Philadelphia in June. Neither Nola nor Samardzija pitched in that series.The No. 7 overall pick of the 2014 draft, Nola (9-7, 3.02 ERA) has faced the Giants just once in his career, and it did not go well. He was bombed for five runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings, yet got no decision, at AT&T Park last season.Nola has allowed just 13 earned runs in his past 10 starts, a stretch during which he limited all 10 opponents to two earned runs or fewer.He has been even better since the All-Star break, accumulating the NL's third-best ERA (1.85) in six starts.Nola will duel new Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval for the first time.Waived by the Boston Red Sox in July, signed to a minor league deal by the Giants three days later and promoted to the majors earlier this month, Sandoval has hits in eight of his 10 games in his return to the team that he helped win 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series championships.He was the only Giant to play in all six games on their just completed trip."With Buster (Posey) out, I wanted to keep him in the lineup," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said about Sandoval's start Wednesday at Miami. "His thing is, 'Hey, I've had enough days off this year.'"Sandoval went 1-for-3 with a walk in San Francisco's 8-1 loss to the Marlins.Samardzija (7-12, 4.74 ERA) will take the mound Thursday on a nice roll, but with no history of success against the Phillies.He opened the Giants' 2-4 trip with a 3-1 loss at Washington, which ended his personal three-game winning streak. He has compiled a 3.29 ERA in those four games.Samardzija has never gone head-to-head with a current member of the Phillies. He has a 1-4 record and a 8.67 ERA in 10 games, including four starts, in his career against Philadelphia.Like Nola, Samardzija should expect to see an unfamiliar opponent on Thursday night. The Phillies demoted their Wednesday starting pitcher, Nick Pivetta, to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after the loss in San Diego, seeking to create a roster spot for an outfielder for the series against the Giants.The Phillies are expected to make the promotion announcement before the Thursday game.Outfield help is needed with Odubel Herrera sidelined due to a hamstring injury."I don't have a definite answer for that," manager Pete Mackanin responded when asked if Herrera, who sat out the Phillies' past two games, might be ready by the weekend. "In the meantime, we need a position player."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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TENNIS |
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| 8/17/2017 |
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FOUND 5 PICKS |
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OTHER |
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| 8/17/2017 |
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FOUND 2 PICKS |
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