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Miami Marlins vs. Milwaukee Brewers Preview and Predictions 04-22-2018
22nd April 2018 by Gracenote
less than 24 hours after rallying from a deficit to post their fifth consecutive victory, the milwaukee brewers attempt to complete a sweep of their four-game series against the visiting miami marlins on sunday. milwaukee trailed by as many as four runs early on saturday evening but scored in the fifth and eighth innings to forge a tie before jesus aguilar capped a 13-pitch at-bat by belting a leadoff homer off junichi tazawa in the ninth.
the 6-5 triumph was a bit of a departure for the brewers, who allowed a total of three runs over the first four games of a winning streak that features three shutouts. travis shaw has gone 5-for-8 in the series, scoring five runs and going deep in each of the last two contests. starlin castro collected three hits while lewis brinson launched a three-run shot for the marlins, who have lost 13 of their last 16 games. brinson also homered twice in the series opener against the team from which he was acquired in the deal for christian yelich in january.
tv: 2:10 p.m. et, fs florida (miami), fs wisconsin (milwaukee)
pitching matchup: marlins lh caleb smith (0-2, 6.89 era) vs. brewers rh junior guerra (1-0, 0.82)
smith is hoping to solve his problems on the road, where he has surrendered eight runs on seven hits and a whopping 11 walks over only 5 1/3 innings in two starts - both losses. the sam houston state product lasted on 2 1/3 frames against the yankees in new york on monday as he was tagged for five runs on five hits and as many walks. smith, who remains in search of his first major-league victory despite making 13 appearances (six starts), will be facing milwaukee for the first time in his career.
guerra has been superb in two starts since being recalled from the minors, allowing one run and five hits with 11 strikeouts across 11 innings. the 33-year-old venezuelan settled for a no-decision against cincinnati on tuesday despite giving up just one hit over 5 2/3 scoreless frames. guerra, who already has matched his win total over 21 games last season, is 0-1 with a 7.71 era in one start and one relief appearance against miami.
walk-offs
1. brewers ss orlando arcia missed saturday's game after rolling his ankle the previous night and is day-to-day.
2. miami rhp dan straily (forearm) is expected to make the third start of his rehab assignment - and first for double-a jacksonville - on tuesday.
3. milwaukee, which is 5-1 on its seven-game homestand, has scored a total of 26 runs over the first three games of the series.
prediction: brewers 7, marlins 3
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Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox Preview and Predictions 04-22-2018
22nd April 2018 by Gracenote
the houston astros ended last season as world series champions, but they struggled to figure out the riddle of the 67-win chicago white sox along the way. the astros are having no such problem with the white sox in 2018, however, and attempt to keep rolling sunday as they attempt to complete a three-game sweep in chicago.
houston dropped four of its six meetings with chicago last year, managing a total of only 16 runs against a pitching staff that finished third-to-last in the american league in era. the astros opened this series against the white sox on friday with a 10-0 rout and cruised to a 10-1 victory a day later as josh reddick homered twice and drove in five runs to back a strong six-inning effort from dallas keuchel. while houston has outscored the opposition 40-5 during its five-game winning streak, chicago has been pummeled 54-15 (11 of which came in one game) during its six-game slide and has dropped 11 of 12 overall. the recently acquired trayce thompson proved to be the only bright spot of another dismal offensive performance for the white sox, belting a solo homer in the fifth inning to avoid what would have been their fourth shutout loss of the season.
tv: 2:10 p.m. et, at&t sportsnet-southwest (houston), wgn (chicago)
pitching matchup: astros rh lance mccullers jr. (2-1, 5.57 era) vs. white sox rh reynaldo lopez (0-2, 1.42)
mccullers recorded a season-high 11 strikeouts in a victory on tuesday, as robinson cano's first-inning solo homer was the only offense seattle could muster against him in seven frames. the former all-star, who has fanned 34 across 21 innings, was coming off a rough outing at minnesota in which he was pounded for eight runs in 3 2/3 frames. mccullers hasn't faced chicago since doing so twice as a rookie in 2015, when he went 0-1 despite posting a 3.18 era.
lopez's mostly dominant start to the season continued to go unrewarded monday in oakland, as he took the loss despite giving up two runs and four hits while striking out 10 across six innings. the 24-year-old dominican has given up only three runs and eight hits while fanning 21 over 19 frames, but his 11 walks rank as the second-highest total in the al for any pitcher with three or fewer starts. right-handed batters are hitting .071 versus lopez, who will face houston for the first time in his career.
walk-offs
1. white sox rhp danny farquhar, who was rushed to the hospital after passing out in the dugout on friday, is in stable but critical condition after being diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage.
2. reddick is the first astro to hit two grand slams in the same calendar month since hall-of-famer jeff bagwell accomplished the feat in may 2001.
3. chicago is in danger of becoming the first team since the 1929 philadelphia phillies to give up double-digit run totals in five consecutive games.
prediction: astros 5, white sox 2
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Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals Preview and Predictions 04-22-2018
21st April 2018 by Gracenote
the st. louis cardinals have taken advantage of the dismal cincinnati reds in the first month of the season en route to the early lead in the national league central. the cardinals will aim for their second sweep of the reds in the past 11 days - the first being a four-gamer - when the teams finish a three-game set in st. louis on sunday.
yadier molina's solo homer in the seventh inning snapped a tie and the cardinals escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth in saturday's 4-3 triumph, their 10th straight victory between the divisional foes. six of those wins have come in 2018 and the reds are averaging just 2.5 runs in their matchups this season. cincinnati slugger joey votto drew four walks in saturday's loss but is 1-for-15 against st. louis pitching this year after hitting .418 with six homers and 17 rbis versus the cardinals last season. votto is hitless in three career at-bats against st. louis right-hander miles mikolas, who gets the start in the series finale opposite luis castillo for the reds.
tv: 2:15 p.m. et, fs ohio (cincinnati), fs midwest (st. louis)
pitching matchup: reds rh luis castillo (1-2, 6.75 era) vs. cardinals rh miles mikolas (2-0, 4.26)
castillo helped cincinnati snap an eight-game slide by allowing four runs over 6 2/3 innings in monday's 10-4 victory at milwaukee. he struck out eight batters and has 119 punchouts in 112 innings in the majors. the 25-year-old faced st. louis once last season, limiting the cardinals to four runs (three earned) in 6 1/3 frames despite five walks.
after giving up four runs in each of his first two starts, mikolas buzzed through the reds' lineup in a 6-1 victory on april 14, allowing a run and four hits across seven innings. "it's nice to kind of put that in your back pocket," mikolas told reporters after the win. "i'll be in a good mood the next couple of days." the florida native has an era of 8.00 in 19 career games (five starts) while pitching at home for san diego, texas and st. louis.
walk-offs
1. cardinals of tommy pham was left out of the starting lineup saturday due to a groin issue.
2. reds rf jesse winker has five hits and five walks over his last five games.
3. st. louis ss paul dejong also homered saturday and six of his 16 hits in april have left the yard.
prediction: cardinals 4, reds 3
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Seattle Mariners vs. Texas Rangers Preview and Predictions 04-22-2018
22nd April 2018 by Gracenote
the seattle mariners were stuck in neutral offensively for the better part of their recent seven-game homestand, but a trip to texas appears to be all they need to round back into form. riding high after a pair of late-inning surges this weekend, the mariners seek their first sweep of the season on sunday, when they conclude a three-game set with the host rangers.
seattle scored fewer than three runs in every contest during a 1-4 stretch prior to hitting the road for the first leg of a three-city, 10-game trek. however, the mariners used a four-run surge in the ninth inning on friday to break open a tie game en route to a 6-2 victory before receiving homers from robinson cano and mitch haniger during a five-run seventh to grab the lead on saturday and hold on for a 9-7 win. texas has lost four of five since taking two of three from the astros in houston last weekend, causing it to drop into last place in the american league west. the rangers find themselves in that position mostly due to their inability to win at home, where they are 2-10 overall and have dropped six straight.
tv: 3:05 p.m. et, root northwest (seattle), fs southwest (texas)
pitching matchup: mariners rh erasmo ramirez (2017: 5-6, 4.39 era) vs. rangers rh martin perez (1-2, 13.14)
ramirez will make his season debut after going 1-3 with a 3.92 era in 11 starts with the club last year after being acquired from tampa bay in late july. the 27-year-old nicaraguan, who has been on the disabled list since march due to a lat injury, went 0-1 with a 2.13 era in two minor-league stops during his rehab assignment. joey gallo is 2-for-3 with a pair of solo homers against ramirez, who is 0-1 with a 6.00 era in 15 career appearances (six starts) versus the rangers.
perez's spot in the rotation figures to be in jeopardy after his last two outings, including monday's loss in tampa bay during which he surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and three walks in four frames. the 27-year-old venezuelan, who is allowing opponents to bat .455 with runners in scoring position, was even less effective six days earlier as he permitted eight runs over three innings versus the los angeles angels. perez has fared well against the mariners in 17 career games (15 starts), however, going 6-4 with a 3.28 era.
walk-offs
1. mariners dh nelson cruz, who played for texas from 2006-13, homered for the 100th time at globe life park on saturday.
2. the rangers' home era is a league-worst 6.64, while its 3.10 mark on the road ranks seventh in the majors.
3. seattle has registered at least 10 hits in 11 of its last 19 meetings with texas.
prediction: mariners 7, rangers 4
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Chicago Cubs vs. Colorado Rockies Preview and Predictions 04-22-2018
22nd April 2018 by Gracenote
The Colorado Rockies will try to earn their first series win at home this season when they host the Chicago Cubs on Sunday for the finale of their three-game set. The Rockies are 3-5 at Coors Field following Saturday's 5-2 victory that evened the series.
Colorado used a five-run inning and a strong pitching effort to even the series, as Chicago was unable to maintain the momentum on offense after posting a 16-5 victory in the opener. The Cubs continued their boom-or-bust trend at the plate - they're averaging 9.4 runs in their nine wins and 1.8 in their nine losses. Chicago will have to try to solve German Marquez, who faced the club twice last season and recorded one victory while allowing two runs - one earned - over 11 innings. Chicago's Jose Quintana will make his third career start at Coors Field, where he is 1-0 with a 3.65 ERA.
TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Jose Quintana (1-1, 8.16 ERA) vs. Rockies RH German Marquez (1-1, 4.34)
Quintana has been hit hard in two of his first three outings of the season, with a dominant start mixed in between. The 29-year-old Colombian lasted just 2 1/3 innings last time out against Atlanta, allowing seven runs and seven hits. He has struggled with his command, issuing 10 walks in 14 1/3 frames.
Marquez has allowed fewer than three runs in three of his four outings to begin the season. The 23-year-old Venezuelan recorded a season-high six strikeouts over six innings in a win at Pittsburgh on Monday, as he yielded two runs and two hits. Marquez walked 10 batters in his first two starts but has issued only two free passes over nine frames in his last two turns.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Cubs placed INF-OF Ben Zobrist on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with tightness in his back and recalled INF David Bote, who doubled in his first major-league at-bat, from Triple-A Iowa.
2. Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado is 5-for-8 with a homer and three RBIs since returning from his five-game suspension.
3. Chicago CF Albert Almora Jr. is 11-for-21 during his five-game hitting streak and 13-for-31 in seven contests in which he hit in the leadoff position.
PREDICTION: Rockies 6, Cubs 4
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Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics Preview and Predictions 04-22-2018
22nd April 2018 by Gracenote
considering their outstanding start this season, it was only fitting that the boston red sox had their eight-game winning streak end in historic fashion. boston looks to bounce back from being on the wrong end of a no-hitter when it visits the oakland athletics on sunday for the rubber match of their three-game series.
the red sox struck out 10 times against sean manaea in saturday's 3-0 loss as they were victims of a no-hitter for the first time since april 22, 1993, when seattle's chris bosio mastered them. boston is 4-1 on its nine-game road trip, scoring a total of 34 runs while belting 13 homers in the victories, while oakland improved to 5-1 in its last six contests thanks to manaea's masterpiece - the 12th no-hitter in franchise history and first since dallas braden tossed a perfect game on may 9, 2010 against tampa bay. jed lowrie is on a tear as he has gone 15-for-32 during his seven-game hitting streak. the 34-year-old has driven in at least one run (12 total) during the string and has collected 16 rbis over his last nine contests.
tv: 4:05 p.m. et, nesn (boston), nbcs california (oakland)
pitching matchup: red sox lh david price (2-1, 2.25 era) vs. athletics rh daniel mengden (2-2, 4.50)
price limited the los angeles angels to one run despite giving up three hits and four walks in five innings on tuesday after working just one frame against the new york yankees in his previous turn due to a "sensation" he felt in his left hand. the 32-year-old native of tennessee has been superb on the road this year, going 2-0 while allowing one run and striking out 11 over 12 innings in two outings. price has made nine career starts against oakland, going 4-2 with a 3.13 era.
mengden finally broke through at home on monday, as he held the chicago white sox to one run over eight innings to record his first win in 11 career decisions at oakland coliseum. it was the longest outing of the season for the 25-year-old texan, who has issued only three walks in 24 frames this year. mengden made his only career start against boston on sept. 3, 2016, when he was battered for seven runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings en route to a loss.
walk-offs
1. athletics of stephen piscotty delivered an rbi double on saturday after having his eight-game hitting streak snapped in the series opener.
2. boston ss xander bogaerts (ankle) is expected to begin a two-game rehab assignment with triple-a pawtucket on tuesday.
3. oakland activated c josh phegley (fingers) from the disabled list and optioned him - along with rhp josh lucas - to triple-a nashville on saturday while reinstating rhp yusmeiro petit from the family medical emergency list.
prediction: red sox 6, athletics 4
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San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview and Predictions 04-22-2018
22nd April 2018 by Gracenote
after tying a franchise record by giving up eight or more runs in four consecutive games, the los angeles angels settled things down to halt their losing streak. the angels look to put together another complete performance on sunday, when they host the san francisco giants for the rubber match of their three-game series.
albert pujols, mike trout and jefry marte each homered in saturday's 4-3 win for the angels, who were outscored 35-4 during their four-game slide. trout has been happily overshadowed early on by his new teammate, japanese two-way sensation shohei ohtani, but the two-time mvp is quickly heating up with six home runs in his last 12 games. the giants have not won consecutive contests since beginning the season with two victories but have received a much-needed spark from mac williamson, who homered in his season debut on friday and went 1-for-4 the following day. buster posey was a late scratch on saturday with back stiffness but was available for pinch-hitting duty and is expected to start the series finale.
tv: 4:07 p.m. et, nbcs bay area (san francisco), fs west (los angeles)
pitching matchup: giants rh johnny cueto (1-0, 0.45 era) vs. angels rh jaime barria (1-0, 1.80)
cueto came off the disabled list on tuesday and turned in a dominant performance against arizona, allowing two hits while registering 11 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings. the two-time all-star has given up one earned run over 20 frames in his first three starts of the year. justin upton is 6-for-20 with two home runs against cueto, who is 1-0 with a 1.20 era in two career turns versus the angels.
barria will be recalled from triple-a salt lake to make his second career start and first at angel stadium. the panamanian made his major-league debut on april 11 at texas and recorded the win after allowing one run on one hit - a solo homer by ryan rua - in five innings. barria has made two starts for salt lake this season, surrendering two runs and five hits with three walks and six strikeouts over 6 2/3 frames.
walk-offs
1. the angels are 4-7 at home and 9-1 on the road.
2. giants 1b brandon belt has homered in three consecutive games, collecting five rbis during that stretch.
3. the angels designated luke bard for assignment and recalled fellow rhp eduardo paredes from salt lake.
prediction: giants 6, angels 3
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San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Preview and Predictions 04-22-2018
22nd April 2018 by Gracenote
an intriguing pitching matchup highlights the rubber game of a three-game series between the visiting san diego padres and the arizona diamondbacks on sunday. the padres will turn to rookie standout joey lucchesi, who has been scintillating over his first four career starts, while the diamondbacks aim for the series win behind fellow southpaw patrick corbin, who is coming off his first career shutout.
the padres took the series opener before falling 6-2 on saturday, as a.j. pollock homered and added an rbi single to pace a 10-hit attack for arizona. the diamondbacks have won a team-record six straight series to begin the campaign and sunday offers up an opportunity for another from a team that has gone 32-13 against divisional foes since aug. 25, 2017. the padres have dropped four of five since winning a season-high three in a row and scored four runs or fewer in every game during the 1-4 swoon. signed to a $144-million deal this offseason, eric hosmer was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in saturday's loss and is 3-for-29 over a seven-game stretch.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, fs san diego, fs arizona
pitching matchup: padres lh joey lucchesi (2-0, 1.66 era) vs. diamondbacks lh patrick corbin (3-0, 1.65)
lucchesi has 25 strikeouts and four walks in 21 2/3 innings after punching out nine batters over six solid innings of a win over san francisco last sunday. the 24-year-old has surrendered only one home run so far in his first taste of the majors and it came at coors field two starts ago. opponents are batting .221 with a .253 on-base percentage against lucchesi.
corbin struck out eight and yielded one hit in his shutout of the giants on tuesday, improving to 3-0 with a 0.82 era at home this year. he has 28 strikeouts and nine hits allowed in 22 innings at chase field after going 9-4 with a 3.15 era in 17 home starts last year. wil myers is 9-for-19 with a home run and jose pirela is 4-for-5 with two doubles against corbin, who has a 4.48 era in 16 career games (11 starts) against san diego.
walk-offs
1. hosmer struck out 104 times in 162 games last season with kansas city but is on pace for over 200 strikeouts this year.
2. pollock is batting .342 with six homers and 16 rbis over his last 20 games against the padres.
3. san diego cf franchy cordero has a home run, a double, a single and a walk through the first two games of the series.
prediction: diamondbacks 4, padres 2
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Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Preview and Predictions 04-22-2018
22nd April 2018 by Gracenote
los angeles dodgers outfielder joc pederson has been a forgotten man early this season, but manager dave roberts remains a believer. one night after rewarding his skipper's faith with a solo homer, pederson could be in the lineup again on sunday as the dodgers host the washington nationals for the rubber match of their three-game series.
pederson has lost playing time to matt kemp while struggling at the plate, but the 25-year-old started his third consecutive game and went 2-for-4 in saturday's 4-0 victory. "we're trying to get him going a little bit," roberts told reporters. "he's a big part of what we're trying to do. i still want to be mindful of joc staying current and getting those at-bats, because we're going to need him." the dodgers have won five of their last six contests while washington is 3-2 on its nine-game road trip and hoping to have third baseman anthony rendon back in the starting lineup as soon as sunday. rendon has missed seven straight games with a toe injury but was available for pinch-hitting duty on saturday.
tv: 8:05 p.m. et, espn
pitching matchup: nationals rh jeremy hellickson (0-0, 3.86 era) vs. dodgers lh alex wood (0-2, 3.91)
hellickson made his nationals debut on monday against the new york mets but did not factor in the decision after giving up two runs over 4 2/3 innings. the 31-year-old native of iowa was signed to a minor-league contract in march after pitching for both baltimore and philadelphia last season. kemp is 7-for-22 with a home run against hellickson, who is 0-1 with a 6.88 era in four career starts versus the dodgers.
wood bounced back from a rocky outing against oakland by giving up an unearned run and two hits over 5 1/3 innings versus san diego on tuesday. the 27-year-old still is seeking his first victory despite limiting batters to a .186 average and recording 22 strikeouts against one walk. wood has gone 4-3 with a 2.51 era in 10 career starts against washington, including six scoreless innings at nationals park on sept. 15.
walk-offs
1. the nationals are 7-13 against the dodgers since the start of the 2015 season.
2. los angeles 3b justin turner (wrist) hit off a tee for the first time on friday and remains on schedule to return in mid-may.
3. washington placed lhp matt grace (groin) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled rhp trevor gott from triple-a syracuse.
prediction: dodgers 7, nationals 3
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