Saturday 8-25-17 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[New York Knight]

GAME: New York Mets (55-71) at Washington Nationals (76-49)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 4:05 PM EST
WHERE: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Mets at Nationals
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

The New York Mets and the Washington Nationals can spend the rest of the weekend comparing their respective injury lists, both of which continue to grow. The Nationals hope to have Ryan Zimmerman back in the lineup sometime this weekend and will try to even the series at one win apiece when they host the Mets on Saturday.

Zimmerman hurt his shoulder sliding into home plate in Thursday’s win over the Houston Astros and sat out Friday as Washington fell to New York 4-2. “I think he hurt his arm or shoulder,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker told reporters. “Really couldn’t swing. I don’t anticipate he’ll be much better (Saturday), but hopefully on Sunday.” The Mets lost their own middle-of-the-order slugger on Friday when Yoenis Cespedes went down with a right hamstring strain, one game after Michael Conforto went down with a shoulder injury. New York will send right-hander Robert Gsellman to the mound on Saturday while Washington counters with surging lefty Gio Gonzalez.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1, SNY (New York), MASN 2 (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Robert Gsellman (5-5, 5.65 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (12-5, 2.39)

Gsellman is winless in his last five turns but pitched well enough to win on Monday, when he held the Arizona Diamondbacks to one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision. The 24-year-old is making his third start since rejoining the team on Aug. 16 and surrendered a total of three earned runs and nine hits in 11 2/3 innings since his return. Gsellman was not as sharp against Washington on June 15, when he was lit up for seven runs and 11 hits in five innings.

Gonzalez dominated in his last four starts, allowing a total of two runs over 27 2/3 innings to cruise to wins in each outing. The Florida native struck out eight and issued only one walk in 6 2/3 innings at San Diego on Sunday and did not yield a home run in any of the last four outings. Gonzalez is making his third start of the season against New York and earned the win in the first two while surrendering a total of three runs and seven hits in 13 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cespedes will be examined in New York on Monday and could be lost for the rest of the season.

2. Nationals RHP Max Scherzer (neck) threw a bullpen session on Friday and could return as soon as Sunday.

3. Washington 2B Daniel Murphy is 4-for-31 in his last eight games.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Mets 1

[New York Knight]

GAME: Pittsburgh Pirates (61-67) at Cincinnati Reds (54-74)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 6:40 PM EST
WHERE: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Pirates at Reds
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing their way out of the race in the National League Central with losses in 10 of the last 13 contests. The Pirates will try to avoid another series loss when they visit the Cincinnati Reds in the second of a three-game series on Saturday.

Pittsburgh began a stretch of 28 straight games against NL Central competition on Friday and entered the key stretch with a dud in a 9-5 loss to the Reds to fall to 61-68. The bright spot for the Pirates was rookie Josh Bell, who belted a three-run homer among four hits. Cincinnati sits in last place in the NL Central but continues to be one of the most entertaining teams in the league with its power arms and power bats, including 24-year-old right-hander Robert Stephenson, who struck out a career-high 11 on Friday. Trying to match that on Saturday will be Reds rookie Luis Castillo, who goes up against Pittsburgh ace Gerrit Cole.

TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (10-8, 4.16 ERA) vs. Reds RH Luis Castillo (2-6, 3.45)

Cole stayed in one inning too long against the Dodgers on Monday, when he tossed six scoreless frames before being rocked for five runs in the seventh inning and not factoring in the decision. The former No. 1 overall pick totaled 16 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings over his last two outings but also surrendered nine runs and 13 hits. Cole is still searching for his first career win against Cincinnati and enters Saturday with a 0-6 record and 5.14 ERA in nine starts against the division rivals.

Castillo is winless in his last four outings despite posting three quality starts in that span. The lone outlier came at Atlanta on Sunday, when the rookie from the Dominican Republic struck out eight and yielded two runs but lasted only four innings. Castillo is facing Pittsburgh for the first time in his career and is 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA in five starts at home.

WALK-OFFS

The Reds placed OF Jesse Winkler (hip) on the 10-day DL on Friday.

2. Pittsburgh C Francisco Cervelli (left quad) left Friday’s game and is day-to-day.

3. Cincinnati LF Adam Duvall homered on Friday to reach 30 for the second straight season.

PREDICTION: Pirates 5, Reds 4

[New York Knight]

GAME: Chicago Cubs (68-58) at Philadelphia Phillies (46-80)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Cubs at Phillies
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

The Chicago Cubs' bats have cooled off while Philadelphia Phillies rookie Rhys Hoskins couldn't be much hotter at the plate. Hoskins will try to keep alive his impressive power surge as the Phillies aim for a second straight win over the visiting Cubs on Saturday.

Hoskins went deep for ninth time in 16 games - the fastest to that number in baseball history - since his promotion from the minors in Friday's 7-1 win in the opener of the three-game set. Chicago has scored a total of three runs in its last two games - both losses - after it averaged 7.8 runs during a five-game winning streak. The mini-slide has the first-place Cubs holding a three-game lead in the National League Central over Milwaukee, which also lost Friday. Hoskins will take aim Saturday at Chicago right-hander Kyle Hendricks, who has allowed three home runs in 33 innings since returning from the disabled list in late July after dealing with tendinitis in his pitching hand.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ABC 7 (Chicago), NBC 10 (Philadelphia)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 3.52 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Ben Lively (1-4, 3.70)

Hendricks has yet to win in six starts since coming off the DL last month despite posting a 2.45 ERA. He received a no-decision after surrendering three runs and fanning six batters in six innings against Toronto on Sunday. The 27-year-old Dartmouth product has a stellar 2.61 ERA in three career matchups with the Phillies, holding them to a .178 average.

Since winning his major-league debut June 3, Lively has gone 0-4 over a span of seven starts, although he has allowed three earned runs or fewer in six of them. The 25-year-old let up two runs in six innings at San Francisco on Sunday in his return to the majors after a stint at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Lively is seeing the Cubs for the first time and has a 3.18 ERA in three starts at home.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs LF Kyle Schwarber provided all his team's offense with a solo homer Friday and he is hitting .324 with three blasts over his last 10 games.

2. Phillies 2B Cesar Hernandez is 7-for-13 with three doubles and two triples in a three-game span.

3. Hoskins has gone deep in three straight games and six of his last seven, and the rookie has 16 RBIs in that seven-game stretch.

PREDICTION: Cubs 5, Phillies 4

[New York Knight]

GAME: Detroit Tigers (55-71) at Chicago White Sox (50-76)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, Illinois
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Tigers at White Sox
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

The Detroit Tigers again will have slugger Miguel Cabrera in the lineup when they visit the Chicago White Sox on Saturday for the middle contest of the three-game series between the American League Central rivals. Cabrera received a seven-game suspension for his role in Thursday's benches-clearing brawl with the New York Yankees and immediately appealed, allowing him to continue playing.

Cabrera was hit with the lengthiest suspension as MLB chief executive officer Joe Torre cited him for inciting the first brawl - other Tigers suspended were right-hander Alex Wilson (four games) and manager Brad Ausmus (one). "Major League Baseball can do whatever they want. They have to control the situation," Cabrera told reporters. "But be fair. See the video. See the people throwing punches. See the people go after me when I was on the floor. That's it. I don't ask them to give me less games. But come on." Chicago won Friday's series opener 3-2 behind Yolmer Sanchez's RBI single in the ninth inning while Jose Abreu slugged his 26th homer of the campaign. The White Sox likely will be without rookie phenom Nicky Delmonico (wrist) for the second straight contest after he injured himself while swinging the bat on Thursday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, CSN Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Buck Farmer (2-1, 6.62 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Carlos Rodon (2-4, 3.88)

Farmer earned his first major-league victory on May 27, when he registered a career-high 11 strikeouts while giving up three hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the White Sox. He is back in the majors for the first time in over two months, and his last two starts in mid-June were horrendous as he gave up 13 earned runs in just 4 2/3 frames. The 26-year-old Farmer is 2-7 with a 6.80 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 36 career appearances (12 starts).

Rodon defeated Minnesota in his last turn as he gave up two runs and four hits while striking out nine in 6 1/3 innings. The 24-year-old has yielded fewer than three runs in each of his last five starts but endured a seven-start victory drought before excelling against the Twins. Rodon is 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA in two career starts versus the Tigers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cabrera was hitless in four at-bats on Friday, is 0-for-12 over this last four contests and has failed to homer in each of his last 23 games.

2. Chicago 2B Yoan Moncada (shin) was placed on the 10-day disabled list while 3B Matt Davidson (wrist) was activated.

3. Detroit 3B Nicholas Castellanos was scratched Friday due to a wrist injury.

PREDICTION: White Sox 11, Tigers 5

[New York Knight]

GAME: San Diego Padres (57-70) at Miami Marlins (63-63)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Marlins Park, Miami, Florida
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Padres at Marlins
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

Giancarlo Stanton is smashing records at about the same rate he is home runs in August, and one more blast over the next week will put him in more exclusive company than he is already in. The four-time All-Star takes aim at matching the National League record for most home runs this month on Saturday when the Miami Marlins host the San Diego Padres for the middle contest of a three-game series.

Stanton clubbed his 15th and 16th homers in August during Friday's 8-6 series-opening victory over San Diego, moving within one home run of matching Willie Mays (1965) and Sammy Sosa (2001) for the most by a NL slugger in the month of August. In addition to helping Miami (64-63) climb within 4 1/2 games of the second wild-card spot, the major-league leader in homers finds himself on the verge of becoming the first NL player to swat 50 in a season since Milwaukee's Prince Fielder did so in 2007. While the Marlins eye their 12th victory in their last 15 games overall, San Diego hopes it can follow a recent pattern that has seen the team alternate wins and losses over its last seven contests. The Padres are getting solid production lately from the top two hitters in their lineup, as rookies Manuel Margot and Carlos Asuaje are a combined 11-for-18 with three RBIs and seven runs scored over the last two games.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, FSN Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Dinelson Lamet (7-5, 4.84 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Odrisamer Despaigne (0-1, 4.42)

Lamet struck out eight but struggled with his command in Sunday's loss to Washington, giving up three runs on three hits and a season-high six walks over 4 2/3 innings to end a four-game winning streak. The 25-year-old rookie has impressed recently for the most part, however, carrying a 2.83 ERA over his last six outings. Lamet is 3-3 with a 5.72 ERA and 51 strikeouts across 39 1/3 innings in eight road turns this season as he makes his first career start against the Marlins.

After posting a 3.95 ERA in nine relief appearances, Despaigne will draw his first start since his season debut on May 6 in search of his first victory since defeating Miami over two years ago. The 30-year-old Cuban worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings at Philadelphia on Wednesday and gets the nod Saturday to help a rotation recovering from Tuesday's doubleheader against the Phillies. Despaigne faced the team that signed him as a free agent in 2014 twice in relief last season, holding the Padres scoreless in 1 2/3 frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Stanton needs two homers to tie and three to break Rudy York's major-league record of 18 home runs in August, set in 1937 with Detroit.

2. Margot is 9-for-17 in four career contests against the Marlins and batting .441 during an eight-game road hitting streak.

3. Miami OF Marcell Ozuna belted a three-run homer Friday to give himself 101 RBIs and the franchise its first pair of 100-RBI sluggers before the end of August.

PREDICTION: Marlins 5, Padres 4

[New York Knight]

GAME: Colorado Rockies (69-58) at Atlanta Braves (56-69)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: SunTrust Park, Cumberland, Georgia
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Rockies at Braves
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

Kyle Freeland, who grew up in Denver, is trying to pitch his hometown Colorado Rockies to their first postseason berth since 2009 and the rookie left-hander takes the mound Saturday for the middle game of a weekend series at the Atlanta Braves. Freeland, one of three Rockies rookie pitchers with 10 or more victories, looks to snap a rough stretch for Colorado on the road, which has dropped 24 of its past 31 games away from home after Friday’s 5-2 defeat.

Center fielder Charlie Blackmon - who leads the National League in hitting at .337 - left Friday’s game with what appeared to be a leg injury and the Rockies hold a 3 1/2-game lead for the second NL wild-card spot. The Braves have split their past eight games, averaging 6.2 runs and 11 hits per contest during that stretch. Atlanta second baseman Brandon Phillips has recorded at least one hit in 18 of his 22 contests played in August, extending his hitting streak to 10 games and moving within seven hits of 2,000 in his career. Left fielder Matt Kemp belted his first homer since returning from the disabled list in Friday’s victory, and is 6-of-11 in his past three games after a three-hit performance.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FSN South (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Kyle Freeland (11-8, 3.71 ERA) vs. Braves LH Sean Newcomb (2-7, 4.13)

Freeland is winless in two August starts, but has posted a 3.86 ERA with a .205 opponents batting average in those outings. The 24-year-old drew a no-decision against the Braves on Aug. 15 in Denver, giving up three runs on four hits with five strikeouts in six innings, but lost five days later to Milwaukee despite allowing just two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Freeland actually has pitched worse on the road than at hitter-happy Coors Field, posting a 4.22 ERA with 10 homers allowed in 59 2/3 innings in 11 road appearances (10 starts).

Newcomb earned the first home victory of his major-league career Sunday against Cincinnati, pitching five scoreless innings and working around five walks for an 8-1 victory. The 24-year-old rookie has recorded a 3.32 ERA in four starts this month, but a WHIP of 1.66 with 17 walks in 21 2/3 innings. Newcomb gave up three solo homers against the Rockies on Aug. 15 in Denver, getting a no-decision after allowing three runs on five hits across six innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta C Kurt Suzuki tied a career high with his 15th homer of the season Friday - his third in his last three games.

2. The Rockies dropped to 11-41 when scoring three runs or fewer.

3. Braves rookie 2B Ozzie Albies finished 2-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base in the series opener, and is hitting .429 during his current six-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Braves 5, Rockies 4

[New York Knight]

GAME: Kansas City Royals (64-62) at Cleveland Indians (70-56)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 7:15 PM EST
WHERE: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Royals at Indians
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

The Cleveland Indians have a host of important players on the disabled list but look to continue to pull away in the American League Central when they host the division-rival Kansas City Royals for the middle contest of their three-game set on Saturday. The Indians took the series opener 4-0 for their 11th victory in 15 contests and maintained their 5 1/2-game lead over Minnesota while pushing the Royals seven back.

Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, Lonnie Chisenhall and pitchers Josh Tomlin, Andrew Miller and Danny Salazar all have been on the shelf, but many others have stepped up to give Cleveland a comfortable spot in the playoff race. Mike Clevinger (2-0 lifetime versus Kansas City) will try to keep it going for the Indians when he takes the mound Saturday while the Royals counter with veteran Jason Hammel, who is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA against Cleveland this year. Kansas City managed eight hits on Friday but stranded eight baserunners and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position to drop 1 ½ games behind Minnesota for the AL’s second wild-card spot. Eric Hosmer recorded two hits in the series opener and is 9-for-19 during a five-game hitting streak while improving his average to .386 against the Indians this year.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FS1, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jason Hammel (6-9, 4.73 ERA) vs. Indians RH Mike Clevinger (6-5, 3.97)

Hammel has lost just once in his last eight turns and has posted four quality starts in that stretch, including an outing on Sunday in which he held Cleveland to three runs over six innings en route to victory. The 34-year-old South Carolina native, who came into the season 0-3 against the Indians, has issued just six walks and registered 31 strikeouts in his last seven starts. Edwin Encarnacion is 8-for-27 with four homers and Bradley Zimmer has gone 2-for-4 with one blast versus Hammel.

Clevinger struggled in his last two appearances after spinning seven scoreless innings at Tampa Bay, allowing two runs in 2 2/3 frames of relief at Minnesota before giving up four runs in 4 1/3 innings against Boston on Monday. The 26-year-old Floridian has registered 99 strikeouts in 88 1/3 overall frames but walked seven in as many innings over his last two trips to the mound. Clevinger beat Kansas City in his season debut on May 7 with 5 2/3 scoreless frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Royals committed one error Friday but still have made the fewest miscues in the majors with 57 while the Indians rank second in the AL with 61.

2. Cleveland RF Jay Bruce was hitless in three at-bats Friday but is 19-for-58 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 16 games since being acquired from the New York Mets.

3. Kansas City 3B Mike Moustakas, who leads the team with 35 homers - including three against the Indians, is day-to-day with a sore knee after missing Friday’s game.

PREDICTION: Indians 7, Royals 5

[New York Knight]

GAME: Tampa Bay Rays (63-66) at St. Louis Cardinals (64-63)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 7:15 PM EST
WHERE: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Rays at Cardinals
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

Corey Dickerson is beginning to find his All-Star swing and hopes to continue surging when the Tampa Bay Rays visit the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game interleague series. Dickerson is 9-for-15 over his last four contests after recording four hits in Friday's 7-3 victory by the Rays, who have won four of the first five contests of their nine-game road trip.

Dickerson batted .312 before the All-Star break but was hitting just .206 since before getting it going over the last four days for Tampa Bay, which is three games out in the race for the American League’s second wild card. Blake Snell goes after his third straight win for the Rays while St. Louis counters with Mike Leake, who has given up seven hits to Tampa Bay's Lucas Duda in nine career at-bats. The Cardinals are going in the opposite direction with five losses in their last six contests and eight in 11, missing out again on a chance to make up ground while remaining 4 ½ games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Kolten Wong homered for St. Louis to extend his hitting streak to eight games - a stretch during which he is 14-for-35 with six RBIs.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Blake Snell (2-6, 4.42 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Mike Leake (7-12, 4.16)

Snell has won his last two outings after a 16-start winless stretch and limited Seattle to two hits while striking out eight over seven scoreless innings on Sunday. The 24-year-old Seattle native has completed at least six innings in three straight starts and permitted three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight turns. Snell, who will be facing St. Louis for the first time in his career, is 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA in five interleague starts.

Leake is winless with a 9.26 ERA in his last five starts and gave up 14 runs on 17 hits and two walks over 7 1/3 innings in his last two trips to the mound. The 29-year-old Arizona State product faced Tampa Bay in 2011 while with Cincinnati, limiting the Rays to four hits over six scoreless frames of a victory. Wilson Ramos has gone deep twice against Leake, who is 6-11 with a 4.35 ERA in 29 career interleague starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. St. Louis 1B Matt Carpenter returned to the lineup Friday after missing two games due to illness and went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

2. The Rays signed INF Danny Espinosa, who recently was released by Seattle and went 1-for-4 with a walk in his club debut on Friday.

3. Cardinals LHP Ryan Sherriff, a 27-year-old 28th-round pick, pitched three scoreless innings in the series opener and recorded four strikeouts in his major-league debut.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Cardinals 4

[New York Knight]

GAME: San Francisco Giants (52-77) at Arizona Diamondbacks (70-58)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 8:10 PM EST
WHERE: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Giants at Diamondbacks
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

Paul Goldschmidt achieved more personal milestones in the series opener and strives to continue his stellar campaign when the Arizona Diamondbacks host the San Francisco Giants on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set. The All-Star first baseman secured the third 30-homer, 100-RBI season of his career after belting a three-run shot in Arizona's 4-3 victory on Friday.

Goldschmidt (101 RBIs) has recorded eight homers and 23 RBIs this month and has an opportunity to surpass his previous career bests of 36 blasts and 123 RBIs set in 2013. David Peralta is 6-for-9 with a walk over his last three games for the Diamondbacks, who have won four of their last five contests and hold a 1 1/2-game lead over Colorado for the National League's top wild-card spot. Giants ace Madison Bumgarner will try to cool down Goldschmidt and see if he can provide a boost to the Giants' poor 5-19 road mark against NL West rivals. San Francisco, which has dropped four of its last six overall games, is a horrendous 21-43 away from home.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, NBCSN Bay Area (San Francisco), FSN Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (3-5, 2.87 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Taijuan Walker (6-7, 3.66)

Bumgarner is 2-0 over his last three starts as he tries to salvage a season interrupted by a dirt-bike accident in April. The 28-year-old is 3-2 with a 2.81 ERA in eight outings since coming off the disabled list and has issued fewer than three walks in each of them. Bumgarner is 9-8 with a 2.58 ERA in 28 career appearances (27 starts) against Arizona, including 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA in two 2017 outings.

Walker is winless in his last 10 starts (four losses) since defeating Colorado on June 21. The 25-year-old settled for a no-decision against the New York Mets in his last turn after scattering seven hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Walker is 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA in three starts against the Giants this season and 2-1 with a 3.75 ERA in four career outings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Goldschmidt is the first player in Diamondbacks history with three 30-homer, 100-RBI campaigns, as former standout Luis Gonzalez registered a pair.

2. San Francisco 2B Joe Panik was activated from the seven-day concussion list and went 0-for-3 while INF Orlando Calixte was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

3. Arizona 3B Jake Lamb was hitless in three at-bats on Friday and is 3-for-21 over his last six contests.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 4, Giants 2

[New York Knight]

GAME: Houston Astros (77-50) at Los Angeles Angels (65-63)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 9:07 PM EST
WHERE: Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, California
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Astros at Angels
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

All-Star Jose Altuve could miss his second straight game when the Houston Astros visit the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. Altuve missed the opener of the three-game series due to a neck injury and manager A.J. Hinch termed his status as day-to-day.

Altuve was hurt while swinging the bat on Thursday, and both the American League batting leader and Hinch feel he could return during the series. "He's fine. He's still having a little bit of symptoms with his neck," Hinch told reporters. "He's not going to play until we feel like he is not going to irritate it anymore. Given the travel we had, I didn't really expect him to play (Friday) coming into the ballpark. So it's no surprise to me it's day-to-day." The Astros posted a 2-1 victory in the opener as Alex Bregman recorded his second straight three-hit performance to improve to 14-for-29 during his seven-game hitting streak. Los Angeles has lost four of its last five games and sits 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the AL's second wild-card spot.

TV: 9:07 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston), FSN West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Brad Peacock (10-2, 3.21 ERA) vs. Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (1-4, 3.96)

Peacock lost to Oakland in his last turn, allowing three runs - one earned - and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, after winning his previous seven decisions. The 29-year-old has only worked 10 total frames over his last two turns but has recorded 17 strikeouts during that stretch. Peacock is 3-2 with a 5.15 ERA in nine career appearances (six starts) against the Angels, including a loss on June 9 in which he yielded four runs, seven hits and four walks in three innings.

Skaggs has lost back-to-back starts and is 0-3 over his last four turns. The 26-year-old fell to Texas in his last start, when he gave up five runs - four earned - and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. Skaggs is 2-2 with a 2.49 ERA in four career starts against the Astros and has struggled to retire Altuve (4-for-9).

WALK-OFFS

1. The Astros are working on travel contingency plans in case they can't get back to Houston on Sunday due to Hurricane Harvey. The team is slated to open a home series against Texas on Tuesday.

2. Los Angeles CF Mike Trout is hitless in eight at-bats over his last three games and 3-for-22 over the last six contests.

3. Houston activated C/DH Evan Gattis from the seven-day concussion list and placed C Max Stassi (hand) on the 10-day disabled list.

PREDICTION: Astros 6, Angels 4

[New York Knight]

GAME: Milwaukee Brewers (66-62) at Los Angeles Dodgers (90-36)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 9:10 PM EST
WHERE: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Preview: Brewers at Dodgers
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017

The Milwaukee Brewers are facing the Los Angeles Dodgers at a bad time, but it’s tough to think of a good time to face the majors’ best team. The record-setting Dodgers have 91 wins heading into Saturday’s matchup against the visiting Brewers, who were held to one hit in Friday’s 3-1 loss and remained three games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.

Kenta Maeda tossed six strong innings and Yasiel Puig belted his 23rd homer Friday as the Dodgers improved to 56-11 since June 7. The Dodgers plan to have a bullpen game on Saturday with Josh Ravin, Edward Paredes and Tony Cingrani all backing up spot starter Ross Stripling, who is expected to pitch three or four innings and throw about 40-50 pitches. The Brewers are 3 1/2 games behind Colorado for the second NL wild-card spot and need more production from right fielder Ryan Braun, who is 3-for-26 over the last seven games. Domingo Santana provided the lone highlight Friday with a solo homer to lead Milwaukee, which has scored a total of seven runs over its last four contests.

TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Zach Davies (14-7, 4.09 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Ross Stripling (3-4, 3.41)

Davies recorded his sixth quality start in his past seven outings last Monday, allowing two runs over six innings in a 2-0 loss to San Francisco. The 24-year-old owns a 7-3 record and 2.65 ERA in his last 11 outings while giving up a total of three home runs over that stretch. Adrian Gonzalez is 4-for-9 against Davies, who has gone 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in three career starts against Los Angeles, including six scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory on June 4.

Stripling will move into the rotation to start in place of Alex Wood, who landed on the 10-day disabled list last Tuesday with a left shoulder injury. Stripling is making his first start for the Dodgers this season after switching between the rotation and bullpen in 2016, going 5-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 22 games (14 starts). The 27-year-old native of Texas owns a 6-5 record and 3.80 ERA in 28 career games (eight starts) at Dodger Stadium.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (lower back strain) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday and could rejoin the rotation next weekend.

2. Braun is two homers away from 300 for his career.

3. Dodgers LHP Grant Dayton will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday and could miss the entire 2018 season.

PREDICTION: Brewers 6, Dodgers 4

[New York Knight]

M's are 0-4 in Gallardo’s last 4 vs. A.L. East & Yanks are 9-2 in last 11 with Dreckman behind home.


SEA+170 / NYY-185

[New York Knight]

Rangers are 28-5 in Cole Hamels' last 33 vs. teams sub .500 & A's are 1-5 in Sean Manaea’s last 6.


TEX-110 / OAK+102

[New York Knight]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty was waiting on the Cardinals, which lost, on Friday and likes the Jets, Hawaii and Floyd Mayweather on Saturday. The deficit is 1195 sirignanos.

Three plays:
NY Jets
Hawaii Rainbows
Floyd "Money" Mayweather

[New York Knight]

Red Sox are 6-1 in Eduardo Rodriguez’s last 7 home starts & 5-1-1 in his last 7 starts vs. Orioles.

[New York Knight]

Nationals are 5-0 in Gio Gonzalez’s last 5 starts & 5-1 in his last 6 starts vs. Mets.


NYM+186 / WAS-203