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ACCESS
PICKS FOR TODAY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 |
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NCAAF |
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9/22/2017 |
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FOUND
2
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
8:00 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 8:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+390
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+13 (-110)
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Over 49.5 (-110)
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-510
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-13 (-110)
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Under 49.5 (-110)
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COMING
UP
10:30 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 10:30 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-170
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-3.5 (-110)
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Over 60 (-110)
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+148
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+3.5 (-110)
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Under 60 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Sep 18, 2017 TUCSON, Ariz. -- No. 23 Utah will open its Pac-12 slate with a road game Friday night against Arizona, a team that has not been kind to Utah in recent seasons. The Utes (3-0) snapped a four-game skid to the Wildcats last season with a 36-23 victory in Salt Lake City. Coach Kyle Whittingham cites the running game of Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez as being problematic. "They run the zone read as well as anyone in the country," Whittingham said of the Wildcats. "They have a quarterback that is an exceptional runner. That is exactly what they look for in their quarterback, the ability to be a dual threat. We have struggled with them. "The games we lost, we did not do a good job defending the run. So, that is going to be job No. 1 this week like it is every week. " Friday's game -- kicking off at 10:30 p. m. ET at Arizona Stadium in Tucson -- will match strength against strength. Arizona (2-1) has a deep group of running backs -- led by Nick Wilson and J. J. Taylor -- and sits atop the conference rushing leaders, averaging 328 yards per game. Utah, with standout defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei in the middle of its defensive line, is allowing only 49. 3 rushing yards per game, second nationally behind Duke. Arizona quarterback Brandon Dawkins, who struggled passing the ball in a week 2 home loss to Houston, bounced back in a 63-16 win at UTEP last week. He rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries, also throwing for three scores. Dawkins, a redshirt junior, received plenty of criticism from Arizona fans for his performance against Houston. Rodriguez noted Dawkins' more serious demeanor in the week leading up to last week's game. "He probably heard a lot of the stuff last week," Rodriguez said. "He's more competitive than he lets on, because he has a happy-go-lucky type of personality. . . . During the whole week, during the warmups and even during the game he had kind of a focus like, 'I'm going to prove myself all over again. '"Both quarterbacks will be in the spotlight. Utah's Tyler Huntley is coming off a four-touchdown performance against San Jose State. Huntley, a sophomore who wrested the starting away from incumbent Troy Williams in fall camp, has looked good as a dual threat in the Utah's new more up-tempo scheme implemented by coordinator Troy Taylor, who was hired from Eastern Washington after last season to spice up the attack. Huntley has completed 80 of 111 passes for 868 yards, with five touchdowns and two interceptions. He's also the team-leading rusher with 212 yards and three scores. "He is a tremendous athlete for starters," Whittingham said. "He has a great arm; he is accurate; he is well coached. Troy Taylor has done a great job of presenting the new offense to him and getting him where he needs to be as far as his reads, progressions and where he is going with the ball. He is a good decision-maker. "I know he has a couple throws that he wishes he could have back this year, but like I said over 70 percent completion, if we can keep that trend, we are going to have a very successful year. " Zach Moss leads the Utah running backs with 192 yards on 44 carries. Helping Huntley has been the addition of Oregon graduate transfer receiver Darren Carrington, who has 26 catches for 409 yards and four scores. Carrington has reached 100 yards receiving in every game this season. "He's a grown man that's got great size and ball skills," Rodriguez said. "The safeties can help a littlebit, but there's inevitably in this day and age, times where people get spread out and your corners have to make plays when they're one on one. We've got to challenge our guys to be able to do that. " Neither team played a game against a Power Five program in the nonconference season, so moving into conference play means a rise in the level of talent on both sides. "Well, the level of competition certainly goes up, we are aware of that," Whittingham said. "You play the games as they are scheduled and we have done what we are supposed to do in the first three, but I don't think there are a lot of teams in the country that know a whole lot about themselves still. . . . This will definitely be our stiffest test of the year. "
 Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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MLB |
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9/22/2017 |
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FOUND
15
GAMES |
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COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 7:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-158
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-1.5 (-105)
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Over 8.5 (-116)
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+142
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+1.5 (-115)
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Under 8.5 (-104)
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GAME PREVIEW
Cardinals continue climb with visit to Pirates 1h ago• 2 min read PITTSBURGH -- The St. Louis Cardinals have a short, steep climb if they are going to push their way into the playoffs.Next up is a club, the Pittsburgh Pirates, that could be spoilers after they got a confidence shot in their last game.St. Louis opens a three-game set Friday at PNC Park, its final road series.The Cardinals finished a series sweep of Cincinnati with an 8-5 victory Thursday to reach 80 wins (80-72) and keep themselves five games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. In a more realistic situation, St. Louis is 1 1/2 games behind Colorado for the final wild-card spot with Milwaukee one back of the Rockies.Pittsburgh (69-84) was off Thursday but might still have been basking a bit after breaking a seven-game losing streak Wednesday with a walk-off 6-4 victory over the Brewers."It's great. It's like you popped a balloon. It's awesome," Pirates starter Steven Brault said after a no-decision. "There's no (more) pressure."Realize that it's been a tough little stretch, but we're still a good team. We're still putting good at-bats together. The pitchers are coming out and pitching. It's just that things weren't going our way. Hopefully, that will change and we can end the season with a really positive eight, nine wins at the end of the year. That would be pretty awesome." That would be disastrous for St. Louis if it happens this weekend."We know every game is precious right now, and we just have to get back to winning some ballgames," Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha, who is scheduled to start Friday, said after his most recent outing."We know that we have a lot of games left with the guys ahead of us, and it's up to us to go out there and win those games." Wacha (12-8, 4.02 ERA) took the loss Saturday in a 4-1 game against the Chicago Cubs. He pitched 5 2/3 innings but was hurt by five walks and a few defensive lapses by his teammates.Wacha is 5-3 with a 3.91 ERA in 14 games (13 starts) against Pittsburgh.The Pirates will counter with Ivan Nova (11-14, 4.20 ERA).Nova is 2-8 with a 6.22 ERA in 11 starts since the All-Star break and could be tiring. He has set career highs in innings (180) and starts (29) this season.He hasn't had a win since Aug. 20 -- against St. Louis in the MLB Little League Classic.In addition, he left his previous start in the seventh because of right calf discomfort. He said it was minor and predicted he would be fine for his next start, and that's how it has played out.In that most recent start, Nova gave up a go-ahead run before the calf problem drove him from what was a 2-1 loss to Cincinnati."(During) some tough times like I've been going through, it's easy to say, 'Don't think about it'," Nova said, "but in the back of your mind you think about it." Nova is 1-2 with a 4.82 ERA in three career starts, all this season, against the Cardinals. That includes a 7-0 Pittsburgh loss to Wacha and St. Louis on Sept. 10, when he gave up five runs in five innings.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
7:05 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 7:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-113
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-1.5 (+140)
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Over 9.5 (-115)
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+103
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+1.5 (-160)
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Under 9.5 (-105)
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GAME PREVIEW
Rays, Orioles cling to slim playoff hopes 45m ago• 3 min read BALTIMORE -- Both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles are mathematically alive in the American League wild-card race.Their four-game series could keep one team on that path while knocking the other out of the running.The Orioles (74-80) gained the upper hand with a 3-1 victory in the opener on Thursday. The Rays (74-79) now must find a way to bounce back on Friday, though they are still ahead of Baltimore in the standings.The Minnesota Twins sit in the second AL wild-card position, 2 1/2 games in front of the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers. The Kansas City Royals are 3 1/2 games back, the Rays and Seattle Mariners are five games out, and the Orioles are 5 1/2 games back."We have to play really well," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "We need some other teams to probably not play so well. We have to keep winning ballgames. We have not found a way to consistently do that for whatever reason, but this is a big series for both clubs." Rays right-hander Alex Cobb (11-10, 3.63 ERA) has been one of the team's most effective pitchers, especially against the Orioles. He is 5-2 with a 2.54 ERA in 11 career starts against Baltimore.In his latest outing, Saturday against the Boston Red Sox, Cobb took the loss after allowing three runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings. He showed solid command with five strikeouts and no walks.Cobb has allowed one earned run or none in four of his past six outings. He has a 2.51 ERA over that span.Cobb will be a free agent at the end of the season and could be one of the market's most coveted pitchers. For now, he is just worried about helping the Rays make an unlikely late run into the playoffs."Your whole season depends on what we do from here on out," Cobb said.Baltimore will counter with Ubaldo Jimenez (6-10, 6.57 ERA). The right-hander is also a free agent after the season. However, he has had a turbulent four years as an Oriole, struggling with inconsistency. This season has not been any different.Jimenez has lost three of his past four decisions. However, he was dominant in his last outing Sunday against the New York Yankees, when he picked up his first win since Aug. 6. Jimenez allowed just one run on three hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts over five innings.He will look to maintain that momentum against the Rays. Jimenez is 5-4 with a 4.55 ERA in 11 career starts against Tampa Bay."I felt good," Jimenez said after the Yankees game. "It felt really good to be able to be able to contribute and be there for the team. I haven't been able to do that too many times, but it feels really good give them a chance." Baltimore got boost for the series opener when Manny Machado was able to return to the lineup after missing the previous game with an illness. He hit his 33rd home run of the season. However, left-handed closer Zach Britton will get a stem-cell injection on his left knee Friday and could be shut down for the year.The Orioles announced that Jeremy Hellickson will start Saturday, but they had not named a starter for the series finale. One option could be Mike Wright, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Sept. 7."We're taking it day-to-day. Tomorrow, Jimenez, Hellickson on Saturday," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "We can make some changes with that depending on what best serves our players and our organization. We're committed to those two to three games and see where we are after that. Past that, I really wouldn't commit to that. I'll adjust it as we go."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
7:07 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 7:07 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-167
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-1.5 (-107)
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Over 8.5 (-105)
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+150
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+1.5 (-113)
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Under 8.5 (-115)
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GAME PREVIEW
Yankees still have regular-season goals while visiting Toronto 1h ago• 2 min read TORONTO -- The New York Yankees have virtually assured themselves a spot in the American League wild-card game, probably as hosts.They could avoid that one-game playoff, however, by winning the American League East, which is still possible, though not probable.When the Yankees (85-67) open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night at Rogers Centre, that will be their goal.They will enter the series trailing the first-place Boston Red Sox by three games. Each has 10 games to play."I'm happy about the way we're playing," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "That's been my focus the whole time here. Let's pay attention to what we do, and I like the way that we're playing. I think that's important, and we need to continue to play that way. And let's see what happens." The Yankees, who had Thursday off, have won three games in a row and eight of their past 10. They are 14-5 in September.They will send out right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (12-11, 4.73 ERA) in the opener Friday. Tanaka is 4-1 over his last five starts."We've been playing really good baseball," Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner said. "We kind of have our backs against the wall a little bit, but we've been playing really good baseball, and we just need to continue to do that and keep the pressure on them, make them keep winning." The Blue Jays, who will finish below .500 this season after losing 1-0 Thursday to the Kansas City Royals, will start right-hander Marco Estrada (9-8, 4.84), who signed a one-year, $13 million contract extension on Wednesday.The Blue Jays have little to play for now that they cannot even reach .500 this year after going to the American League Championship Series in each of the past two seasons."You try to win every night," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "I don't get caught up in (the record). We're more focused on seeing some of the younger guys play. But you play to win. You want to finish strong. At this point I don't know if it's going to make or break my offseason." Gibbons feels that his team has continued to play hard despite being out of contention for quite a while."We've had some sloppy games, no doubt," Gibbons said. "But the effort's been good. The focus has been good. I've been on teams where it's just the opposite. They shut it down. I don't think we have that problem with this group." The Blue Jays do play well against the Yankees. They are 7-6 against New York this season, including a 4-3 mark at Rogers Centre. Since July 26, 2014, the Blue Jays are 37-23 against the Yankees.Estrada, who struggled earlier in the season, has not lost since Aug. 15 and in his six starts since then, beginning Aug. 20, he is 4-0 with a 3.89 ERA.Estrada will be making his fifth start of the season against the Yankees, going 2-1 with a 5.64 ERA in the first four. He is 5-3 with a 4.28 ERA in 14 career games (13 starts) against the Yankees.Starlin Castro (15-for-36) and Aaron Judge (5-for-12) are each batting .417 against Estrada.Tanaka has enjoyed success against the Blue Jays. He is 8-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 13 career starts against them, including a 2-0 record with a 3.63 ERA in three starts this season. At the Rogers Centre, he is 2-1 with a 2.32 ERA in five career starts.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
7:10 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 7:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-129
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-1.5 (+125)
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Over 9 (-110)
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+117
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+1.5 (-145)
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Under 9 (-110)
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GAME PREVIEW
Nationals, Mets renew rivalry at Citi Field 1h ago• 3 min read NEW YORK -- The standings tell the story of the divergent paths taken this season by the Washington Nationals and New York Mets, the two teams that were expected to battle each other all season for the National League East crown. But the Nationals and host Mets will get more reminders Friday night, when they square off in the opener of a three-game series at Citi Field.Washington's Edwin Jackson (5-6, 4.77 ERA in 11 starts with the Nationals) will oppose New York's Robert Gsellman (7-7, 5.22 ERA) in a matchup of right-handers who have experienced different results while being thrust into bigger roles than expected because of injuries to more established members of their respective rotations.Both teams are coming off losses in their most recent games. The NL East champion Nationals fell to the host Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Thursday night. Washington (92-60) is 4 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the No. 1 seed in the NL.The visiting Mets lost to the Miami Marlins 9-2 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep in which they were outscored 27-7. New York (65-87), which made the World Series in 2015 and reached the NL wild card game last year, has the fifth-worst record in baseball.Jackson will be looking to snap a three-start losing streak -- he took the defeat in his most recent appearance Sept. 15 after giving up seven runs over 2 1/3 innings as the Nationals fell to the Dodgers, 7-0 -- that has dampened an otherwise resurgent season.The 34-year-old journeyman, who has played for 12 teams in a 15-season career, has a 12.71 ERA in three September starts, but that stretch came after he opened his second stint in Washington by recording a 2.94 ERA in his first eight starts following his promotion from Triple-A Syracuse on July 18 to replace injured right-hander Joe Ross."I've worked too hard to let a couple starts affect me and I've worked too hard to finish the season up like this," Jackson told reporters afterward. "So I'll definitely continue to work and be ready to bounce back and finish the season up strong like I started." Gsellman is coming off his best start of the year Sunday, when he earned the win after allowing an unearned run over seven innings as the Mets beat the Atlanta Braves, 5-1. The innings pitched tied a season high for Gsellman, who allowed two runs or fewer for just the fifth time in 20 starts.Gsellman, one of only two Mets pitchers to make 20 starts this season, is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in three starts since he was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sept. 1. The strong stretch has given New York reason to believe Gsellman, who went 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA in eight games (seven starts) during his first trip to the bigs late last season, could maximize the potential he showed at this time a year ago."He is being challenged by something, as he hasn't had the kind of year that he anticipated," Mets manager Terry Collins told reporters Sunday. "Right now, he has to show us he can be one of those guys again. Today, he showed us that he could." Of course, in keeping with the theme of the Mets' injury-wrecked season, Gsellman is pitching Friday because ace right-hander Jacob deGrom was scratched because of a stomach ailment. DeGrom, one of only two players on the Opening Day 25-man roster who has remained active and in the majors all season, is expected to start Sunday's series finale.The Nationals got better injury-related news Thursday, when manager Dusty Baker said star outfielder Bryce Harper would travel with the team to New York. Harper suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury when he tripped over first base while trying to beat out a hit on Aug. 12, but he was diagnosed with only a bone bruise and is expected to play during the final week of the regular season.Jackson is 4-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 12 career appearances (seven starts) against the Mets. Gsellman is 1-2 with a 4.35 ERA in four career starts against the Nationals.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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COMING
UP
7:10 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 7:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-131
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-1.5 (+118)
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Over 9 (-115)
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+118
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+1.5 (-138)
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Under 9 (-105)
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GAME PREVIEW
New York native Romano starts for Reds vs. Red Sox 1h ago• 3 min read CINCINNATI -- Rookie right-hander Sal Romano will carry some extra motivation to the mound on Friday night when he and the Cincinnati Reds face the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.Romano is focused on winning a game for the Reds and helping further solidify his spot in the rotation for 2018. However, the Long Island, N. Y., native also grew up a New York Yankees fan. Romano's beloved Bronx Bombers trail the Red Sox by three games in the American League East standings."I'm a big Yankees fan," Romano said. "I've been to a lot of Yankees-Red Sox games at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. I wish we were playing in Fenway Park. I know the Yankees are three games behind them. It'll be pretty cool to face them." Romano will be making his 15th major league start and first against Boston. He is 5-6 with a 4.07 ERA and has 63 strikeouts and 31 walks in 77 1/3 innings.A scheduling oddity has the Reds closing the home portion of their regular-season schedule with an interleague opponent, which has never happened before.Cincinnati (66-87) is 5-12 in interleague play this season. The Reds' .416 winning percentage against AL clubs since the advent of interleague play in 1997 is the worst of any team.Boston leads the all-time series 9-1. The Red Sox have swept three of the four series played between the clubs. The Reds and Red Sox haven't played each other since 2014. The most memorable meeting, of course, was in the 1975 World Series, won by Cincinnati in seven games. It is regarded as one of the most exciting Fall Classics ever played.Boston (88-64) has plenty at stake going into this series. After clinching a postseason berth on Wednesday night in Baltimore, the rest of the champagne remains on ice as the Red Sox continue to chase the AL East title."Given where we are in the standings and what is at stake, every win is important," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Just getting into the playoffs is not our goal. Certainly, it is a steppingstone to other things that we have our sights set on. We still have a lot of work ahead of us." The Red Sox have won 11 of their past 14 games, including six of their past seven. They are a season-high 24 games above .500.There a few compelling storylines for this weekend's series.In addition to Romano's Red Sox hatred, this weekend also will be a homecoming for Boston outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who grew up in the Cincinnati suburb of Madeira, located about 12 miles northeast of Great American Ball Park.Reds right-hander Luke Farrell, who was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 9, is John Farrell's son. Luke wears uniform No. 52, the same number his father wore as a major league player and still wears as a manager.If Luke faces the Red Sox this weekend, it would be the first time a major league player has faced his manager father since the Cubs' Moises Alou faced his dad Felipe's Giants in 2004.Reds manager Bryan Price said he would try to make it happen."Little things like that go mostly undiscussed, but it's little things like that I think go a long way," Price said. "You may not have that luxury if you're in first place by a game, but when you're in last place, you can have those special moments." Boston right-hander Rick Porcello, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, will start the series opener. After struggling for most of the first half of the season, Porcello (10-17, 4.46 ERA) has a 3.76 ERA in 14 starts since July 3. He has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 10 of those starts.Oddly enough, Porcello started the only game in which the Reds ever beat the Red Sox, allowing four runs in five innings of a 6-5, 10-inning loss on June 8, 2012. It was his lone career start against Cincinnati.
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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9/22/2017 7:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-153
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-1.5 (+105)
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Over 10.5 (-105)
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+138
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+1.5 (-125)
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Under 10.5 (-115)
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GAME PREVIEW
Twins face Tigers with focus on field, not scoreboard 8h ago• 2 min read DETROIT -- Winning is more important than scoreboard-watching for the Minnesota Twins as they seek to stave off the competition for the second American League wild card.Minnesota enters its Friday game against the Detroit Tigers with a 2 1/2-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers in the wild-card hunt."We talked the other day," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We've got to try to win games. What they do is obviously going to be a factor."Shoot, one of those teams behind us (like) the Angels could win nine out of 10 or something. You just don't know. We've got to try to win today." Minnesota will send right-hander Kyle Gibson (11-10, 5.07 ERA) to protect its position in the standings on Friday.Gibson is 1-2 with an 8.20 ERA against the Tigers in four starts this season and 5-7 with a 5.66 ERA when pitching against them over his career. He is 2-4 at Comerica Park.Tigers manager Brad Ausmus waited until after Minnesota's 12-1 win over Detroit on Thursday night to reveal that he would return lefty Daniel Norris to the rotation on Friday.Norris (4-7, 5.38 ERA) threw 58 pitches last Saturday in a three-inning relief appearance and would in theory match up well against a Minnesota team heavy with left-handed hitters.Norris has not faced Minnesota this season but is 1-0 with a 2.76 ERA against the Twins in three career starts.Ausmus is impressed with the Twins' unlikely bid for a postseason berth."No question," he said, "I don't think you imagine that a team that lost 100 and something games is going to bounce back and make the playoffs the next year."I just think they've got a lot good athletes over there that have gained a year of experience. Guys like (Max) Kepler, (Byron) Buxton, even (Eddie) Rosario who had been up a couple three years, has gained another year of experience. He's a much more mature player now."The most remarkable thing is that they're doing a lot of this damage offensively without (Miguel) Sano, recently." Sano hasn't played since Aug. 18 after fouling a ball off his left shin, and Molitor said he is doubtful Sano would return by the end of the regular season."Obviously with 10 games to go, I don't think there's a very high percentage chance we'll see him before that last game against the Tigers," the Minnesota manager said. "He's just got to keep working like he's got a chance." Molitor feels he has the proper perspective on scoreboard-watching and trying to win games."I went to bed pretty early last night after a short night the night before," he said Thursday afternoon. "Woke up this morning and started my routine, went and got coffee, took a little hike and thought, 'Oh yeah, I should check and see what the (Angels') result was.' So I guess that's a good sign, I'm not consumed by it."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:35 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 7:35 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+114
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+1.5 (-190)
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Over 9 (-120)
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-126
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-1.5 (+163)
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Under 9 (+100)
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GAME PREVIEW
Freeman, Braves open last home series vs. Phillies 6m ago• 2 min read ATLANTA -- Freddie Freeman stopped taking batting practice several weeks ago to save some of the remaining strength in his left wrist that was broken by a pitch in mid-May, but don't think about giving the Atlanta Braves first baseman any other kind of rest."I'm going to go out there every day," said Freeman of his goal to not miss any of his team's remaining 11 games.As the Braves conclude their final homestand of the first season at SunTrust Park with a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies beginning Friday night, Atlanta fans can only dream about what could have been if Freeman hadn't missed nearly eight weeks."I mostly don't think about it until an opposing first base coach says something after I get a hit," the left-handed-hitting slugger said. "They remind me of my numbers." Freeman had a .341/.461/.741 slash line and 14 homers through 38 games when he landed on the disabled list. He still ranks in National League Top 10 with a .314 average, .409 on-base percentage and .606 slugging mark, but his wrist is far from 100 percent.Freeman has 28 homers, but he said in late August that the ball was travelling off his bat as if he were "swinging a wet newspaper." That's when he decided less was better than more when it came to wear and tear on his still weak wrist."I stopped having batting practice," Freeman said. "I'm working on saving my wrist, and I feel better." Freeman, who went deep 34 times in 2016, has averaged a homer every 14.2 at-bats and is on the verge of becoming the first Braves player to hit at least 30 in back-to-back seasons since Andruw Jones slugged a franchise-record 51 in 2005 and then 41 in 2006.Freeman will be taking aim at Phillies rookie right-hander Ben Lively (3-6, 3.94 ERA) in the series opener. The Braves will also start a rookie, left-hander Sean Newcomb (3-8, 4.32 ERA).Lively made his second major league start at Atlanta on June 8, when Freeman was on the disabled list. Lively took a loss despite a quality start, giving up three runs in seven innings.Lively is making a bid for a full-time rotation spot in 2018, and Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has been impressed so far, although the 25-year-old's stuff isn't dominant."He's a true competitor," Mackanin said. "He goes out there to beat you. He attacks hitters and does the best he can with what he's got. It's working." Newcomb, a former first-round draft pick acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in the Andrelton Simmons trade, seems assured of a spot in the Braves' rotation next season despite some ups and downs since his major league debut in June.Newcomb has a 3.86 ERA in his past nine starts. He has used his changeup more frequently of late to complement an impressive fastball and curve.The key for Newcomb is better control and resulting lower pitch counts. The 24-year-old has struck out 96 in 89 2/3 innings, but he has walked 51.Newcomb has faced the Phillies twice, going 0-1 with a 2.54 ERA.The Phillies (61-92) are 12-4 against the Braves (68-83) going into the final series, taking the first eight games between the teams at Philadelphia before Atlanta swept a doubleheader there on Aug. 30.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
7:35 PM EST |
|
9/22/2017 7:35 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-109
|
-1.5 (+144)
|
Over 9 (-115)
|
|
|
-101
|
+1.5 (-165)
|
Under 9 (-105)
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GAME PREVIEW
Brewers aim to rebound from heartbreaker vs. Cubs 1h ago• 2 min read MILWAUKEE -- Chicago right-hander John Lackey takes the mound Friday as the Cubs try to push the Milwaukee Brewers further back in the National League Central.Chicago pushed its lead over Milwaukee to 4 1/2 games Thursday, rallying late for a 5-3, 10-inning victory. The Cubs snapped a three-game losing streak to the Brewers, who had outscored Chicago 20-3 during that stretch."This is a fun time of year, September, it's getting late in the year," said Kyle Schwarber, who got the Cubs started Thursday with a home run, his 29th of the year. "To be able to have the kind of race we're in now, it's exciting and it's good for baseball, I think." Lackey (11-11, 4.62 ERA) will be making his first start since being ejected for arguing balls and strikes after 4 2/3 innings last Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals. He is 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA against Milwaukee this season, and he beat the Brewers July 30 at Miller Park.For his career against the Brewers, Lackey is 6-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 14 starts.Milwaukee turns to rookie Brandon Woodruff, who has as many big league starts -- seven -- as Lackey has made in the postseason over the past three years.Woodruff, 24, is 2-2 with a 3.28 ERA in his first major league season. He bounced back from his first rough outing by pitching well his last time out, holding the Miami Marlins to three runs over seven innings on Sunday at Miller Park.He has never faced the Cubs before.Like most of his teammates, Woodruff finds himself in the thick of a playoff race for the first time in his career, but Brewers manager Craig Counsell has been impressed that the pressure and spotlight isn't stunting his young roster."These are the games you want to play in," Counsell said. "You feel like you're playing for something. You've worked really hard to get to this point. You've been on a long journey and have earned the right to play in these games, but you feel like there's a lot ahead of you."More than anything, I think you feel like you've earned the right to play in these games, and that's what makes it exciting. Everybody looks ahead a little bit, everybody knows what's at stake and what could happen. You should allow yourself to do that." Milwaukee has dropped two in a row -- in heartbreaking fashion -- but if there is a bright side to the last two nights it is that the Brewers still have a decent chance to make the playoffs. The Colorado Rockies dropped their fourth consecutive game Thursday, and they lead Milwaukee by just one game for the second NL wild card."It's two tough (losses), but we're still sitting in a pretty good spot," Counsell said. "We can play well for the last nine days and still do something good. Every loss is going to be incredibly tough right now. We just have to wipe it away."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:10 PM EST |
|
9/22/2017 8:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+153
|
+1.5 (-140)
|
Over 8 (-120)
|
|
|
-170
|
-1.5 (+120)
|
Under 8 (+100)
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GAME PREVIEW
Angels look to halt Houston starters' domination 1h ago• 3 min read HOUSTON -- While Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel failed to keep an impressive streak going for the rotation, what Houston starters have done recently qualifies as a positive development.Before Keuchel allowed two runs over six innings in a 3-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, Houston starters had recorded the decision in six consecutive wins.The Astros will aim to bounce back Friday when they open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.Including Keuchel's loss Thursday, the rotation has allowed just nine earned runs on 26 hits and 13 walks with 42 strikeouts over the past 42 innings, good for a 1.93 ERA during that stretch.Houston starters are trending in the right direction at the most opportune time with the postseason upcoming."A lot of that comes with the health, too," Astros manager A. J. Hinch said. "There were times this year where we weren't rolling the same five guys or six guys out in a row, and these guys come out and stay in games long enough."I remember the stretch in the season where the starter wouldn't get through five innings. I remember the part early on where we had a really strong top end of the rotation and we scuffled in the back, and then it flipped when the top of our rotation got hurt. Rolling out a good starting pitcher every game is key for a winning ballclub." Right-hander Justin Verlander (3-0, 0.86 ERA with Houston; 13-8, 3.50 ERA for overall) will make his fourth start for the Astros (93-59) in the opener against the Angels.Verlander is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA over two starts against Los Angeles this season and 7-8 with a 3.55 ERA over 18 starts in his career. While pitching for the Astros on Sept. 12, Verlander tossed eight shutout innings in Anaheim, allowing just one hit.The Angels will counter with right-hander Garrett Richards (0-2, 2.00 ERA).The injury-plagued Richards has made just four starts in 2017 and 10 total over the past two seasons. He took a 1-0 loss against the Astros on Sept. 12 despite allowing just a run on four hits and no walks over five innings.For his career, Skaggs is 5-4 with a 3.58 over 13 appearances (10 starts) against Houston.The Angels (76-76) will arrive in Houston reeling from four consecutive losses and facing a 2 1/2-game deficit behind the Twins in pursuit of the second American League wild card. The Texas Rangers are also 2 1/2 games back of Minnesota.The Twins had lost five of six games before beating the Detroit Tigers 12-1 on Thursday.After losing the past three games to the visiting Cleveland Indians, including a 4-1 setback on Thursday, the Angels now need help."That's neither here nor there, that's a distraction," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We know we do (have to rely on other teams), but we have to focus on our nine innings, what we need to do on the field, don't be distracted by numbers and this and that and where teams are and who's playing who. We'll figure that out after our game."What we need to do is go out there and start to get games on our terms, and part of it's on the offensive side and we've struggled a little bit. The only way we can change the momentum is to focus on how we need to play the game and what we need to do. That's what we're going to do when we get on this plane to Houston and hopefully pick it up (Friday)." The Astros' motivation for the remainder of the regular season involves the race for the top record in the AL and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Houston sits 2 1/2 games behind Cleveland for the league's top spot.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
8:10 PM EST |
|
9/22/2017 8:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-126
|
-1.5 (+127)
|
Over 9.5 (-110)
|
|
|
+114
|
+1.5 (-147)
|
Under 9.5 (-110)
|
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|
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GAME PREVIEW
Royals visit White Sox with slim playoff hopes in tow 2h ago• 2 min read CHICAGO -- The Kansas City Royals will try to preserve their slim hopes for a wild-card playoff berth when they open a three-game road series against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.Kansas City (75-77) is 3 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins with 10 games remaining in the race for the American League's second wild-card spot. The Royals will aim for their third consecutive victory after posting back-to-back wins over the Toronto Blue Jays, 15-5 and 1-0.An up-and-down season coupled with a tight playoff race has the Royals in a strange position. They are trying to secure their third playoff appearance in the past four years while simultaneously trying to avoid their first sub-.500 season since 2012."The goal for everybody is just to keep pressing forward and keep playing good baseball," Royals left-hander Jason Vargas said to the Kansas City Star. "That's all we can control." Meanwhile, Chicago (61-91) is looking to close out its final homestand of the season on an upbeat note. The rebuilding White Sox are coming off a 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros, but Chicago has dropped three of four contests.Right-hander Jason Hammel (8-12, 5.05 ERA) is scheduled to make his team-high 31st start for Kansas City. The 35-year-old has given up 24 home runs, which is one shy of his career high. He will try to bounce back after allowing 11 earned runs on 21 hits in his past two starts covering 9 1/3 innings.In 11 career games (six starts) against the White Sox, Hammel is 2-3 with a 4.30 ERA.The White Sox will counter with right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (2-3, 4.84 ERA), who is slated to make his seventh start of the season. The 23-year-old has walked 12 and struck out 23 in 35 1/3 innings with Chicago.Lopez will face the Royals for the third time in 2017. He is 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in his first two appearances against Kansas City."He shows a tremendous sense of maturity," White Sox manager Rick Renteria told the Chicago Tribune. "He's kind of a fiery guy, even though he's really quiet. You guys see him on the mound and he's just quiet, but internally he has some drive." White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson enters the series looking to build upon a career-high, 12-game hitting streak. Anderson, who ripped his 17th home run against the Astros on Thursday night, is hitting .426 with two home runs, three doubles and six RBIs during his streak.For the Royals, first baseman Eric Hosmer and second baseman Whit Merrifield will try to get back on track after watching their six-game hit streaks fizzle Thursday in the series finale against the Blue Jays.The series marks Melky Cabrera's second return visit to Guaranteed Rate Field since the White Sox shipped him to the Royals just before the July 31 trade deadline. In 49 games since joining his new team, Cabrera is hitting .275 with four home runs and 26 RBIs.The Royals and White Sox have split their first 16 matchups of the season series. Chicago has outscored Kansas City 90-74.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
9:40 PM EST |
|
9/22/2017 9:40 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+226
|
+1.5 (+100)
|
Over 9.5 (-115)
|
|
|
-255
|
-1.5 (-120)
|
Under 9.5 (-105)
|
|
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|
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GAME PREVIEW
D-backs begin final homestand against Stanton, Marlins 38m ago• 3 min read PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks begin their final homestand Friday swimming in possibilities.Can they use their final six home games to clinch a National League wild-card berth? Can J. D. Martinez maintain his record home run pace? Can Zack Greinke continue to patch his Cy Young resume?And more important, can they do anything to slow Giancarlo Stanton?Arizona (88-65) will open a three-game series against the Miami Marlins (72-80) with a firm hold on the first NL wild-card spot. The team that winds up in that position will own home-field advantage for the Oct. 4 winner-take-all play-in game.The Diamondbacks have a six-game lead over the Colorado Rockies (82-71) for the top wild-card spot with nine games remaining. Arizona's magic number to clinch its first playoff berth since 2011 is three. The D-backs would host a wild-card game if they finished tied with Colorado because they won the season series, 11-8.Arizona enters its series with Miami after avoiding a three-game sweep in San Diego on Wednesday. The Diamondbacks overcame a 6-2 deficit against the Padres with 11 runs in the last four innings of a 13-7 victory."To not get swept, and to go home into an off day with a win, regroup and finish off these last six at home ... it's go time," said Arizona setup man Archie Bradley, who pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings Wednesday and also added a two-out, RBI single in a two-run eighth inning for a 9-6 lead.Bradley added: "It's a great day to be a D-back." It has been a great month to be a D-back for right fielder Martinez, who is slashing .380/.416/.958 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in 17 September games. Martinez has won the last two NL Player of the Weeks awards, and he has 25 homers in 54 games since joining Arizona on July 18. He has a career-high 41 this season, in which a record number of homers were hit throughout the majors.Martinez's two-run, opposite-field homer tied the game at 6 in the sixth inning Wednesday, one of nine homers hit by the two teams at normally pitcher-friendly Petco Park."I think the game has adapted," Martinez said. "Pitchers are always ahead of hitters. I think hitters are starting to catch up with pitchers. You don't see too many sinker guys anymore. Everyone wants to throw four-seamers. Everyone wants to throw the ball up. If you throw the ball up, that ball's going to get hit." Martinez is one homer short of tying Luis Gonzalez's franchise record for homers in a month. Gonzalez had 13 in April 2001, the year in which the Diamondbacks won their only World Series championship.Greinke (17-6, 2.87 ERA) is set to oppose left-hander Adam Conley (7-7, 5.20 ERA) in the first game of the series Friday at Chase Field.The Arizona right-hander is tied for the major league lead in victories with Clayton Kershaw, Zach Davies, Corey Kluber, Jason Vargas and Chris Sale. His 2.87 ERA is fifth among NL qualifiers behind Kershaw and the Washington Nationals trio of defending champion Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez.Greinke is third in the NL in WHIP (1.02) and fifth in strikeouts (208). He is 3-0 with a 1.56 ERA in his past four starts, and he would tie Randy Johnson for the franchise record for single-season home victories (14) with his next win at Chase Field.Greinke is 5-0 with a 2.75 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) against the Marlins, the only team that has not beaten him.Stanton leads the majors with 56 homers after hitting one when the Marlins completed a three-game sweep of the New York Mets on Wednesday. He is one of 14 players to have as many as 56 homers in a season, and he has said that he is shooting for one-time season record-holder Roger Maris' total of 61, set in 1961."I'm getting up there with some great company," he acknowledged after tying the biggest years of Ken Griffey Jr. and Hack Wilson on Wednesday.Stanton has 120 RBIs, second in the majors only to Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado's 125. Stanton is 3-for-15 with one homer, two RBIs, three walks and seven strikeouts in 18 career plate appearances against Greinke."I've got 10 games left," Stanton said. "The season's not over. Once you get to the end of the season, you look back. But I don't go each day, 'Hey, I've got this or that.'"Conley can tie career high in wins set last year. He is 4-3 with a 3.33 ERA on the road this year. He has not faced the D-backs this season and is 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA against them in his career.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:05 PM EST |
|
9/22/2017 10:05 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+114
|
+1.5 (-170)
|
Over 9.5 (-105)
|
|
|
-126
|
-1.5 (+148)
|
Under 9.5 (-115)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Rangers visit A's with wild-card berth in sight 2h ago• 2 min read OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Texas Rangers hope to use a break in the schedule to creep closer in the American League wild-card picture when they open a three-game series against the last-place Oakland Athletics on Friday night.Thanks to a three-game sweep in Seattle, the Rangers (76-76) will take the field in Oakland 2 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins (79-74) in the race for the AL's second wild-card spot, tied with the Los Angeles Angels (76-76).Texas has some catching up to do but has a favorable schedule to potentially make it happen. After facing fellow playoff contenders over the past 13 games, the Rangers will see the A's in six of their last nine.However, the A's have been tough on the Rangers so far this season, especially at home. Oakland swept a three-game series against them at the Coliseum in August, evening the season series at 6-6.Rangers right-hander Nick Martinez (3-6, 5.47 ERA) and A's righty Kendall Graveman (5-4, 4.39) will open the series, just as they did on a Friday night last month.Graveman got the better of the previous head-to-head, holding the Rangers to one run despite giving up nine hits in seven innings in a 3-1 win.Martinez gave up only four hits in his seven innings, but two were Khris Davis solo home runs. He yielded three runs and struck out seven.The A's (69-83) open a six-game homestand playing arguably their best ball of the season. They went 6-3 on an Eastern swing through Boston, Philadelphia and Detroit, winning the last four.Powering the surge was first baseman Matt Olson, who homered in five consecutive games before going 0-for-3 on Wednesday in the trip finale against the Tigers. He now has 23 homers in 56 games this season.Olson's past six hits have been home runs, dating back to a single in the trip opener at Boston on Sept. 12."It's been pretty spectacular," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said during the trip. "The expectations are a little unfair, but he's taken off and run with it. He's really turning into a guy that we're going to build around." The A's hope to say the same about Graveman, who was off to a nice start Saturday before a 1-hour, 46-minute rain delay ended his night after two one-hit innings.His previous start was a good one, as he limited the Houston Astros to one run and five hits in six innings in a 10-2 win.Graveman is 3-2 with a 4.57 ERA in seven career starts against the Rangers.Martinez likewise has accumulated a winning record in his career against the A's, going 4-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 13 games, including nine starts.He hasn't beaten anyone in his past nine outings, allowing 28 earned runs in 35 innings. He is 0-3 over the stretch that dates back to June 25.The Rangers can only hope for the type of performance left-hander Cole Hamels delivered Thursday in a 4-2 win at Seattle.Hamels limited the Mariners to one run and three hits in eight innings."When you do get into September, you kind of do see the light at the end of the tunnel. That's when you kind of make your push," Hamels said after the win. "That's just something I've always had."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:10 PM EST |
|
9/22/2017 10:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-170
|
-1.5 (-110)
|
Over 8 (-110)
|
|
|
+153
|
+1.5 (-110)
|
Under 8 (-110)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Padres' Lyles looks to extend Rockies' skid 2h ago• 2 min read SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres will turn to Jordan Lyles to stifle the Colorado Rockies on Friday. And that reminded San Diego manager Andy Green of a recent conversation he had with catcher Austin Hedges.Lyles was rocked by Colorado on Saturday, allowing seven runs on eight hits over four innings. When Green took the ball from the right-hander, the manager asked Hedges for report."His stuff is really good," Hedges told Green.However, Lyles (1-3, 7.35 ERA) was getting the stuffing knocked out of him.So Lyles and pitching coach Darren Balsley got busy. They worked in between starts in effort to put a wrinkle in Lyles' easy delivery."They have done some serious work in the bullpen, which is good for me," Green said. "And I talked to Jordan quite a bit about how he pitches and what he features. The truth is his stuff is alive, it's good stuff. But it tends to get hit a little bit more than it should."There has been talk about trying to create some deception, trying to do some subtle things that might make it a little more tougher on hitters. We like his pitch mix, it just hasn't played quite effectively, honestly through his career, as well as it maybe could have." Anything that is different from his last outing against his former team works for Green. Lyles went 0-1 with a 6.94 ERA in 33 relief appearances for Colorado earlier this season before he was released. San Diego signed him to a minor league deal in August, then called him up on Sept. 1.Maybe Lyles' new look will produce fresh results. He is 0-2 lifetime against the Rockies with a 7.27 ERA.Despite a four-game losing streak, the Rockies (82-71) enter play Friday with a one-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the second National League wild-card spot.The St. Louis Cardinals are 1 1/2 games back of Colorado.San Diego (69-84) is eliminated from the postseason picture, but the Padres are trying to make the most of the spoiler role.The Padres beat the Rockies 3-0 on Thursday in the opener of the four-game series."It's a good win for the team, first win of the series against a good team battling for the playoffs," said Padres starter Clayton Richard, who pitched 7 1/3 innings for the victory. "These games mean a lot to them, and we are going to play them like they mean a lot to us." Colorado will try to bounce back behind Jon Gray (8-4, 3.75 ERA).Gray has won five of his last seven starts, and he hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his past 11 starts. In his latest outing, he didn't get the win, but he threw five innings of scoreless ball against the Padres on Sunday. He is 3-2 with a 2.50 ERA in his career against San Diego."Jon is throwing the ball great, has a lot of momentum, and hopefully it continues that's way," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "The fastball location, the good slider, throwing the curve. He's putting three quality ... pitches in play the last number of starts. He's really in a good spot."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:10 PM EST |
|
9/22/2017 10:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
+192
|
+1.5 (-120)
|
Over 7.5 (+100)
|
|
|
-215
|
-1.5 (+100)
|
Under 7.5 (-120)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GAME PREVIEW
Dodgers aim to wrap up NL West vs. Giants 3h ago• 3 min read LOS ANGELES -- The wobbly Los Angeles Dodgers return home Friday with a chance to clinch a fifth consecutive National League West title, knowing the opportunity to rest some tired regulars is on the horizon.The San Francisco Giants, having been left with little to play for much of the season, arrive in Los Angeles knowing they can still make their rival squirm as much as possible.When the 2017 schedule was announced, the late-season three-game series between the Dodgers and Giants that begins Friday at Dodger Stadium figured to carry plenty of drama. Then the Dodgers went on a historic run over the first four months, while San Francisco embarked on one of the worst starts in franchise history.The Giants will carry a 60-93 record into the start of their final road trip of the season, needing three victories over their final nine games to avoid the franchise's first 100-loss season since 1985 and just the second ever for the club going back to 1883, when they were the New York Gothams."It's been a tough year, and we don't like being in this role, this, 'You can be a spoiler,'" Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, according to the San Jose Mercury News. "Despite that, it's easy to get in that shutdown mode when you're out of it." The Dodgers' magic number for winning the division is down to one, so the Giants will have a tough task in trying to prevent their rival from clinching. But San Francisco can still cause problems as the Dodgers work on the best record in the National League, and home-field advantage through the National League Championship Series that comes with it.Los Angeles hold a 4 1/2-game lead on the Washington Nationals for best NL record.And with home-field advantage in the World Series now being decided by best overall record, the Dodgers also have something to play for in that area. They are one game ahead of the Cleveland Indians for best record in baseball.But best records and a World Series spot should be the furthest thing from the Dodgers' collective minds this weekend. Once sitting high above it all with a 91-36 record, the Dodgers have lost 20 out of their last 26 games, and in less than a month have relinquished their role as runaway title favorites."Let's band together, and let's understand what's at stake, because this is a golden opportunity," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "At the end of the season, when that last out is made, we can all look back and know we left everything we possibly could on the field for each other." The Dodgers' offense has been inconsistent since late August and the bullpen has been worse of late. Plenty of players appear in dire need of rest, and Roberts soon will be left to decide if downtime is more valuable than a best-record chase.With ailing starters like Justin Turner (right thumb contusion) and Corey Seager (sore right elbow and left ankle), it remains to be seen how Roberts will handle his starting lineup Friday. One thing that is known is that left-hander Rich Hill (10-8, 3.60 ERA) will be his starter for the series opener against the Giants.Hill is 1-0 against the Giants this season in two starts, with a 1.69 ERA, and is 4-2 with a 2.52 ERA over 60 2/3 innings against San Francisco in 10 career starts.The Giants will counter Friday with right-hander Jeff Samardzija (9-14, 4.42). In his lone start against the Dodgers this season, Samardzija fired eight scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in a May 3 no-decision. In his career, Samardzija has faced the Dodgers seven times (five starts) and has a 1-3 record with a 3.51 ERA (33 1/3 innings).If the Dodgers can clinch the division Friday, their celebration would come on a night when the club is celebrating the 90th birthday of former manager Tommy Lasorda."That's a good birthday present for him, but you know what he wants, he wants that championship," Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen told reporters after the Thursday game at Philadelphia. "But we'll start by giving him (a division title) first."
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
|
COMING
UP
10:10 PM EST |
|
9/22/2017 10:10 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
-131
|
-1.5 (+125)
|
Over 9 (+105)
|
|
|
+118
|
+1.5 (-145)
|
Under 9 (-125)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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GAME PREVIEW
Mariners hope to stay alive against surging Indians 14m ago• 3 min read SEATTLE -- Just as the Seattle Mariners are looking for any break they can muster to remain in the postseason race, they get to welcome one of the hottest teams in baseball history -- not the sort of break they needed.The Cleveland Indians (96-57) come to Safeco Field on a tear, boasting a 27-1 record over their past 28 games, a run that featured an American League-record 22-game winning streak as they ran away with the AL Central division title."They've got a good squad," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "They've played great. Watching the game today, they're not backing off at all." It isn't surprising to Cleveland manager Terry Francona that his club would just keep on winning."I never thought there would be a letdown," Francona said. "All the things that I say, and I know sometimes people roll their eyes, but it's why we do it. We play the game today. If you do that, there's no reason to have a letdown." Meanwhile, Seattle is licking its wounds having lost a season-worst six straight. The Mariners (74-79) were just swept by the Rangers in a three-game series at Safeco Field, capped by a 4-2 Texas win Thursday.The Indians might be on a historical tear, but the Mariners have held their own the past two seasons against the defending AL champions: Cleveland and Seattle are 5-5 head to head in 2016 and 2017.Cleveland has made a couple of improvements however, adding slugger Edwin Encarnacion (.254, 37 home runs, 96 RBIs) in the offseason and outfielder Jay Bruce (.257, 34 home runs, 96 RBIs) in a trade with the New York Mets on Aug. 9."We've played pretty well against them," Servais said. "Obviously, Encarnacion has added a nice element to their lineup." With a victory against Seattle on Friday, the Indians could match the 1884 Providence Grays -- the team that featured 59-game winner Old Hoss Radbourn -- for baseball's best 29-game stretch. More practically, the Indians are a game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball and home-field advantage throughout the postseason."It's refreshing to see that we have a chance to overtake them and hopefully have that best record," Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin said Wednesday night. "If you're going to get to the World Series, home-field advantage will help." The Mariners are still trying to stay in the chase for the second AL wild-card spot, sitting five games behind the Minnesota Twins.Right-hander Trevor Bauer (16-9, 4.41 ERA) takes the mound in the series opener for Cleveland. Bauer took the loss when the Indians' 22-game winning streak was snapped against Kansas City on Sept. 15, pitching 5 1/3 innings and allowing four runs on nine hits.Prior to that, Bauer had won his last nine decisions, a streak that dated back to July 21.Bauer has not enjoyed great success against the Mariners, going 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 31 innings. Kyle Seager has hit .400 (6-for-15) with a homer and five RBIs against Bauer in his career, while Nelson Cruz is 6-for-10 with a homer and three RBIs.Right-hander Erasmo Ramirez (5-6, 4.56 ERA) will start for the Mariners, having gone winless in his past five starts. However, Ramirez has been solid of late, notching quality starts in six of seven outings for a 3.54 ERA over his past 40 2/3 innings.In six career appearances (three starts) against the Indians, Ramirez is 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA, though he hasn't faced them this year.Ramirez has had some success against Encarnacion, limiting him to a .235 average (4-for-17) in his career -- but that has come with two home runs.
Game
Preview from The Associated
Press (AP).
Copyright
© 2017 The Associated
Press, All Rights Reserved.
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NHL |
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9/22/2017 |
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FOUND
8
GAMES |
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POSTPONED |
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9/22/2017 7:08 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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-110
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OFF
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Over 4.5 (+538)
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OFF
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-1 (+174)
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Under 4.5 (-769)
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NO PICKS AVAILABLE |
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COMING
UP
7:08 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 7:08 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+170
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OFF
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Over 5.5 (+110)
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-200
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OFF
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Under 5.5 (-130)
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COMING
UP
7:38 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 7:38 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+170
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OFF
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Over 5.5 (-105)
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-200
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OFF
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Under 5.5 (-115)
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COMING
UP
7:38 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 7:38 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+130
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OFF
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Over 5.5 (+100)
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-150
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OFF
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Under 5.5 (-120)
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COMING
UP
7:38 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 7:38 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+110
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OFF
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Over 5.5 (-105)
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-130
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OFF
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Under 5.5 (-115)
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COMING
UP
9:08 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 9:08 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+210
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OFF
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Over 5.5 (-130)
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-260
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OFF
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Under 5.5 (+110)
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COMING
UP
9:08 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 9:08 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+130
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OFF
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Over 5.5 (-120)
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-150
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OFF
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Under 5.5 (+100)
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COMING
UP
10:08 PM EST |
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9/22/2017 10:08 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+170
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OFF
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Over 5.5 (+110)
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-200
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OFF
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Under 5.5 (-130)
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SOCCER |
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9/22/2017 |
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FOUND
3
MATCHES |
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IN PROGRESS |
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9/22/2017 1:00 PM EST (TODAY) |
MONEYLINE |
SPREAD |
TOTAL |
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+368
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OFF
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Over 2 (+101)
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-111
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OFF
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Under 2 (-113)
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VIEW ALL PICKS |
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MMA |
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9/22/2017 |
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FOUND
11
FIGHTS |
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OTHER |
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| 9/22/2017 |
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FOUND 1 PICK |
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RECENT
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