Saturday 5-26-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

JEFF BENTON

Your Saturday freebie is the Over in the Rockets-Warriors game.

The last 2 games of this Western Conference Finals series have been played well Under the posted total. Neither team has been able to reach 100 points, as Game 4 ended 95-92 in favor of the Rockets, and Game 5 saw a Houston 98-94 final.

Now we have a Game 6 total that has dropped a full 7-points. Of course a lot of that drop has to do with Chris Paul being sidelined for this one with a hamstring injury, and even with the totals drop, it is still very tempting to play the Under based on the past series results as 4 of the 5 in the books have landed Under the total. But, I am NOT going with the Under here tonight. I have a strong feeling that Golden State is sitting on another one of those 120-points plus results when the final buzzer sounds.

Also keep in mind that James Harden who just went 0-for-11 from the three-point arc and is 3-for-22 in the past 2 games from behind the arc. I have to believe that The Beard is about ready to contribute some distance points for the Paul-less Rockets tonight at Oracle Arena.

No Chris Paul, potentially no Andre Igoudala, and a 4-1 Under ledger through the 5 games played...no problem! This is the NBA, and when something looks obvious, it has a way of making you scratch your head. Watch as this one does indeed climb Over the lowest total of the series this Saturday night in Oakland.

Rockets-Warriors Over.

2* HOUSTON-GOLDEN STATE OVER

[Can'tPickAWinner]

JACK BRAYMAN

While goaltending and quickness are the strength of the Golden Knights, there is plenty of playoff experience on Washington's side. And Ovechkin, of all people, has been waiting a long time for this.

Ovie looks like a man on a mission right now - just watch the first 1:02 of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, as he wasted no time in getting the scoring underway.

And we can talk all we want about Fleury, but when you combine the explosiveness of Ovechkin and his linemates, with the play of Capitals goalie Braden Holtby - who hasn't allowed a goal since Game 5 of the conference final - and you get a team on the brink of a championship.

The Golden Knights are a fairy tale for the NHL, and all of sports, but Vegas is also facing a team of destiny in the Capitals, who have put their past playoff disappointments behind them to get this far. It's the second time in their history and first time since 1998 the Caps are in the Stanley Cup Final.

The x-factor for this series is special teams. The Capitals have proven to be much better on the power play, than Vegas. They've proven they can capitalize with the man advantage, while the Golden Knights are relying on too Fleury too much.

Ovechkin has shown he is a true leader and is very much still a dominant offensive force, and Holtby has re-established himself as a stellar netminder at the right time.

I also think Washington has gotten here after tougher competition, and will be battled tested, more so than Vegas.

Take the Caps, and look for them to wrap this up in 6.

3* CAPITALS (series)

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Atlanta Braves vs. Boston Red Sox Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

25th May 2018 by Gracenote
the boston red sox followed up a significant roster makeover with another win and will try for their eighth in a 10-game span when they continue a three-game interleague series with the visiting atlanta braves on saturday. the red sox activated second baseman dustin pedroia from the disabled list friday and made the somewhat surprising corresponding move of designating veteran first baseman hanley ramirez for assignment.

hours later, four boston hitters went deep in a 6-2 win in the series opener, including the major league-leading 17th home run for mookie betts. pedroia, who was recovering from offseason knee surgery, did not appear in the contest but is expected to make his season debut saturday. the braves will start lefty sean newcomb, who hails from middleboro, mass., roughly 50 miles from fenway park, in saturday's tilt. the red sox counter with drew pomeranz, pitching for the first time in over a week.
tv: 1:05 p.m. et, mlb network, fs southeast (atlanta), nesn (boston)

pitching matchup: braves lh sean newcomb (5-1, 2.39 era) vs. red sox lh drew pomeranz (1-2, 5.97)
newcomb's phenomenal run continued last saturday against miami, as he won his fourth straight start while allowing one run in six innings. it is the only run he has allowed in 25 innings during his four-game winning streak, during which opponents have managed only nine hits. the 24-year-old gave up seven runs on nine hits and five walks in 9 1/3 innings over his first two career interleague starts.

pomeranz completed only four innings in each of his last two starts while giving up a total of eight runs (seven earned) and walking eight. he was saddled with the loss after a rocky outing against baltimore on may 18 and then was pushed back in order to get in some side work during the week, which he hopes can yield a turnaround. "getting real rotational," pomeranz told reporters of a mechanical issue he thinks he has solved. "it's something exactly what i did last year, it's something that i've struggled with."
walk-offs
1. braves rf nick markakis drove in both of his team's runs in the opener and is 11-for-27 during a seven-game hitting streak.

2. red sox cf jackie bradley jr. has three extra-base hits over his last five games after going 21 straight games without one.

3. boston won 12 of the last 15 meetings.

prediction: braves 5, red sox 4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kansas City Royals vs. Texas Rangers Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

26th May 2018 by Gracenote
after watching their resurgent offense fail to carry its weight in the series opener, the texas rangers seemed to have little issue scoring early and often one day later against the kansas city royals. the rangers attempt to prolong one of their most successful stretches of the season saturday when they host the third of four games against the royals.

texas ended the new york yankees' streak of winning eight straight series with a dramatic 12-10 victory on wednesday and had totaled 23 runs over its previous three games prior to a dud thursday, when it managed only five hits in an 8-2 defeat against kansas city. the rangers rebounded nicely in friday's 8-4 victory, connecting on three home runs while scoring at least one run in five innings for their third win in the last four contests. the loss stopped a season-best three-game winning streak for the royals, who rank sixth in the majors in runs scored this month with 109 after finishing 29th in april with 85. kansas city has picked up the pace offensively over the last four games, totaling 22 runs to match the output it had over the previous nine contests combined.
tv: 4:05 p.m. et, fox sports 1
pitching matchup: royals rh ian kennedy (1-5, 5.30 era) vs. rangers rh bartolo colon (2-2, 3.51)

kennedy hasn't come close to finding the form he had while working six scoreless frames may 4 against detroit, giving up a total of 19 runs and 24 hits across 15 2/3 innings over his last three outings. the 33-year-old dropped his fifth straight decision monday at st. louis, surrendering five runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings. however, nomar mazara (0-for-8) and joey gallo (0-for-7, seven strikeouts) have really struggled against kennedy, who is 0-2 despite a 3.58 era in six turns versus texas.
colon endured his worst start of the season in monday's loss to the yankees, yielding four home runs among the season-high six runs and eight hits he allowed in 5 1/3 frames. the former cy young award winner, who turned 45 on thursday, has been significantly worse at home (0-2, 5.46 era) than he has on the road (2-0, 1.59), surrendering 10 of his 13 homers in globe life park. alex gordon is 4-for-10 with a homer versus colon, who is 15-11 with a 5.04 in 31 appearances (30 starts) against kansas city.
walk-offs

1. rangers 1b ronald guzman is 7-for-15 with four homers, eight rbis and six runs scored over his last five games.

2. kansas city of jorge soler went 2-for-4 and hit his sixth homer friday after entering the contest in a 3-for-35 slump.
3. texas acquired lhp michael roth from the chicago cubs for cash considerations friday and released rhp kevin jepsen.

prediction: rangers 7, royals 5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

26th May 2018 by Gracenote
the pittsburgh pirates will try to continue their recent run of dominance against the visiting st. louis cardinals when the teams continue a three-game series saturday afternoon. an 8-1 win in the series opener gave the pirates six straight wins over the cardinals, including four to begin the 2018 season series.

francisco cervelli had a three-run double in the victory to help back seven scoreless innings in the season debut for joe musgrove as pittsburgh improved to 16-9 at home and 12-5 against division opponents. st. louis is 3-8 over its last 11 road games and has lost three straight games overall after going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the opener. jack flaherty is coming off the best start of his young career and seeks an encore performance when he gets the start for the cardinals on saturday. trevor williams, who is 3-1 with a 2.97 era at home, goes for the pirates.
tv: 4:05 p.m. et, fs midwest (st. louis), at&t sportsnet pittsburgh

pitching matchup: cardinals rh jack flaherty (1-1, 2.31 era) vs. pirates rh trevor williams (5-2, 3.05)
flaherty struck out a career-high 13 while allowing one run and two hits over 7 2/3 innings to defeat philadelphia his last time out. it marked the third time in four starts this year in which the 22-year-old allowed exactly one run. the one time flaherty gave up more than one run in 2018 came at pittsburgh on april 28, when the pirates got to him for three runs in five frames.

williams gave up a season-high four runs for the second time in his last three starts in a no-decision against san diego on sunday. he has 11 strikeouts and no walks over his last two outings, both of which came at home. the arizona state product defeated the cardinals and flaherty on april 28 after yielding two runs in six innings, but he still has a 6.85 era in seven career encounters (four starts).
walk-offs

1. cardinals cf tommy pham hit a solo homer friday, his only hit in 17 at-bats over the last four games.

2. pirates 2b josh harrison is 10-for-24 in five games since returning from the disabled list.
3. pittsburgh designated rhp george kontos for assignment to make room on the roster for musgrove.

prediction: pirates 4, cardinals 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

26th May 2018 by Gracenote
the toronto blue jays aim for consecutive victories for the first time in nearly a month when they continue a three-game interleague series at the philadelphia phillies on saturday. a ninth-inning rally by the phillies fell short friday night as the blue jays retired the last two hitters with the bases loaded to claim a 6-5 win.

justin smoak clubbed a two-run homer to pace toronto's 11-hit attack as his team improved to 12-10 on the road. philadelphia lost for just the fifth time in 23 games against teams outside of its division and suffered its first setback in five tries versus the american league east. rhys hoskins struck out looking with the bases loaded for the second out in the bottom of the ninth and is 3-for-26 over the course of a seven-game slump. blue jays lefty jaime garcia returns from a shoulder ailment to make saturday's start opposite phillies right-hander aaron nola, who entered friday fifth in the national league in era.
tv: 4:05 p.m. et, sportsnet, tva (toronto), nbcs philadelphia plus
pitching matchup: blue jays lh jaime garcia (2-3, 6.28 era) vs. phillies rh aaron nola (6-2, 2.37)

garcia gave up six runs over just 3 2/3 innings at the new york mets on may 15 before landing on the shelf. the outing left him with a 9.68 era in four road starts, during which opponents have hit .320. the 31-year-old has a 2.92 mark in 12 career meetings (10 starts) with the phillies and has gone through 22 innings at citizens bank park without allowing a home run.

nola gave up a season-high four runs in six innings of a loss at st. louis on sunday that snapped his five-game winning streak. the lsu product is 5-0 with a 2.06 era in five home starts while recording 35 strikeouts in 35 innings. josh donaldson is 3-for-3 with a home run and three walks against nola, who was pounded for 11 runs (nine earned) in eight innings over two previous meetings with the blue jays.
walk-offs

1. philadelphia has drawn a walk in 63 straight games, its longest such run since 2009-10.

2. phillies 1b carlos santana is 5-for-10 with a home run and two walks during a three-game hitting streak, raising his average from .186 to .205.
3. major league baseball extended the administrative leave of blue jays rhp roberto osuna through june 4 in connection with an assault charge.

prediction: phillies 6, blue jays 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Oakland Athletics Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

26th May 2018 by Gracenote
the arizona diamondbacks turned to the top four batters in their lineup to end their seven-game slide and hope the production continues saturday, when they visit the oakland athletics for the middle contest of their three-game interleague set. arizona posted just its second win in 15 games, a 7-1 victory in the series opener that came after it began its nine-game road trip with six losses.

david peralta, nick ahmed, john ryan murphy and paul goldschmidt combined to go 7-for-18 with a homer, six rbis and four runs scored for the diamondbacks, who registered four runs and 10 hits during a three-game sweep in milwaukee during the week. goldschmidt doubled and tripled for his first multi-hit performance since going 3-for-5 at philadelphia on april 26. oakland recorded only five hits in friday's setback as it fell to 1-3 on its 10-game homestand. mark canha drove in the lone run for the athletics as he went deep to end his eight-game home-run drought.
tv: 4:05 p.m. et, fs arizona, nbcs california (oakland)
pitching matchup: diamondbacks rh clay buchholz (0-0, 1.80 era) vs. athletics rh daniel mengden (4-4, 3.30)

buchholz made his 2018 debut on sunday and settled for a no-decision at new york despite limiting the mets to one run and two hits in five innings of his third start since 2016. the 33-year-old texan had not pitched in the majors since april 11, 2017, when he was tagged by new york for six runs and eight hits over 2 1/3 frames in his second and final turn for philadelphia. buchholz has posted a 6.85 era but owns a 4-2 record in nine career starts against oakland.
mengden is coming off back-to-back road victories, including an outing at toronto on sunday in which he allowed just two hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings. the 25-year-old, who also hails from the lone star state, has not fared well at home as he is 1-11 with a 5.13 era in 17 career turns at oakland coliseum. mengden has yet to face arizona but is 3-3 with his lone complete game - a shutout - and a 3.74 era in seven interleague starts.
walk-offs

1. athletics rhp santiago casilla exited friday's contest with a strained right shoulder and likely will be placed on the disabled list.

2. arizona of chris owings was the only player in the starting lineup without a hit in the opener and is 0-for-20 over his last five games.

3. oakland traded wilmer font to tampa bay on friday for fellow rhp peter bayer.

prediction: athletics 6, diamondbacks 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

25th May 2018 by Gracenote
the tampa bay rays hope to settle things down after a tumultuous day and change their fortunes at home when they host the baltimore orioles for the middle contest of a three-game set saturday. the rays traded veteran outfielder denard span and closer alex colome on friday before going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position to drop a 2-0 decision - their sixth loss in the last seven at home.

span was tied for the team lead with 28 rbis and colome had 11 saves before being shipped to seattle along with cash for promising minor league right-handed pitchers andrew moore and tommy romero. tampa bay is 1-4 since running off six wins in a row and will start reliever ryne stanek in saturday's contest while baltimore counters with fellow right-hander andrew cashner, who recorded both of his victories on the road this year. the orioles have won two straight games for the first time since running off four consecutive victories may 9-12 and are 4-1 in the last five against the rays. jonathan schoop had a pair of hits friday, including a solo homer, and is 7-for-21 during a five-game hitting streak for baltimore.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, masn (baltimore) vs. fs sun (tampa bay)
pitching matchup: orioles rh andrew cashner (2-5, 4.72 era) vs. rays rh ryne stanek (0-0, 5.40)

cashner has struggled to go deep into games due, in part, to control issues as he has walked 27 in 55 1/3 innings while holding opponents to three or fewer earned runs in seven of 10 starts. the 31-year-old tcu product broke a seven-game winless streak last time out against the chicago white sox, yielding two runs on eight hits and three walks across five innings. brad miller is 2-for-4 with an rbi versus cashner, who won his only outing against the rays in his career.
stanek, a first-round pick in 2013, made 41 starts in 119 appearances in the minor leagues but has been strictly a reliever the last two seasons. the 26-year-old kansas native has given up three runs on four hits (two homers) over five innings with eight strikeouts in six trips to the mound for the rays in 2018. manny machado is 1-for-3 with a homer and four rbis against stanek, who has allowed one run and two hits with six strikeouts in four innings versus baltimore.
walk-offs

1. baltimore of-dh mark trumbo (knee) missed the last two games, but the orioles are holding off on a decision whether to place him on the 10-day disabled list.

2. the rays activated inf joey wendle from the paternity list friday and optioned ss willy adames to triple-a durham.
3. orioles 1b chris davis has 29 career homers in 114 career games versus tampa bay, but none this season and just one in 2017.

prediction: rays 6, orioles 4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Washington Nationals vs. Miami Marlins Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

26th May 2018 by Gracenote
the washington nationals overcame a rare sub-par effort by their ace in the opener of a 10-game road trip, continuing their stellar play away from home and extending their domination of the miami marlins. winners of eight of their last nine on the road, the nationals go for their 10th straight win over miami when the three-game series resumes saturday.

michael a. taylor and matt adams each belted two-run homers, whiel bryce harper added a two-run double as washington posted a 9-5 victory after blowing a pair of early two-run leads. sean doolittle retired the final five batters for his 10th save, pushing his strikeout total to 35 over 22 1/3 innings. it was a costly defeat for the marlins, who lost third baseman martin prado to a hamstring injury while running out a ground ball. prado, who had a pair of doubles among three hits before he was hurt, is expected to go on the disabled list, according to miami manager don mattingly.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, masn2 (washington), fs florida (miami)

pitching matchup: nationals rh tanner roark (2-4, 3.39 era) vs. marlins lh wei-yin chen (1-2, 6.55)
roark has recorded four straight quality starts but has lost two of his last three outings after giving up three runs and six hits over seven innings versus the los angeles dodgers last weekend. he has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his nine starts and has pitched at least six innings in all but one outing. j.t. realmuto is 8-for-23 against roark, who owns a 5-8 record and 4.19 era versus the marlins.
chen matched his longest outing of the season at atlanta on sunday, giving up two runs and five hits over 5 1/3 innings, but he did not factor in the decision to extend his winless drought to four starts. he worked 4 1/3 scoreless innings versus the dodgers in his previous start after allowing six homers in his first three turns. chen is 1-5 with a 4.69 era in eight appearances (seven starts) against the nationals.

walk-offs

1. taylor is 5-for-16 with a homer, triple, two doubles and four rbis in his last four games.
2. marlins lf derek dietrich clubbed a two-run homer friday to extend his hitting streak to five games.

3. nationals 2b daniel murphy and of brian goodwin will begin rehab assignments at double-a harrisburg on saturday.

prediction: nationals 4, marlins 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chicago White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

26th May 2018 by Gracenote
nicholas castellanos had already settled into a bit of a groove when he moved into the second spot in the batting order earlier this week, and he is giving the detroit tigers no reason to make a change. the 26-year-old right fielder will try to extend his multi-hit streak to a career-high six games on saturday as the tigers attempt to remain perfect against the visiting chicago white sox this season.

manager ron gardenhire made the decision to bump his former no. 3 hitter up one spot in the order after he went 2-for-5 in sunday's loss in seattle, and he hasn't slowed down a bit since. the tigers needed every bit of castellanos' latest hitting exhibition in friday's 5-4 series-opening victory over chicago, as he went 3-for-4 with two doubles - the latter of which tied the game late and put him into position to score the eventual game-winning run during a three-run, eighth-inning rally. the white sox have dropped consecutive games after winning four of five and been unable to figure out a way to solve detroit, which has won all four meetings. two of the games have been decided by one run and contributed to chicago's 13 losses in such contests - the most in the majors.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, nbcs chicago, fs detroit
pitching matchup: white sox lh hector santiago (0-2, 5.17 era) vs. tigers lh francisco liriano (3-1, 3.42)

santiago struck out a season-high seven and produced his first quality start in four tries this season, but it wasn't enough to avoid the loss monday against baltimore after he allowed three solo homers across six innings. the new jersey native has dropped his last nine decisions overall and is searching for his first victory since may 9, 2017. castellanos (3-for-19, seven strikeouts) has not performed well against santiago, who threw 2 1/3 scoreless frames in relief against detroit on april 7.
liriano carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and allowed only a single to go along with three walks over eight frames sunday in seattle, but he got stuck with a no-decision when the bullpen failed to preserve a two-run lead. the outing was a much-needed rebound for the 34-year-old, who had yielded eight runs over 8 1/3 innings in his previous two turns combined. liriano tossed 1 2/3 scoreless relief innings against chicago last year and is 6-4 with 4.39 era in 18 games (12 starts) versus the white sox.
walk-offs

1. castellanos is 9-for-17 with three doubles and a homer batting out of the second spot this season.

2. chicago stole two more bases friday and leads the majors with 43.
3. detroit 3b jeimer candelario, who drove home the winning run in the opener, returned from the disabled list friday and went 1-for-4 while batting third for the first time in his career.

prediction: tigers 5, white sox 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

New York Mets vs. Milwaukee Brewers Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

26th May 2018 by Gracenote
the milwaukee brewers keep finding ways to win while solidifying their place atop the national league central and go after an eighth victory in 10 games saturday afternoon against the visiting new york mets. the brewers were shut out in the series opener and coughed up a lead in the ninth inning friday before scoring the winner on a travis shaw bases-loaded walk in the 10th for a 4-3 victory.

shaw also homered for the second straight day and infielder eric sogard singled in the 10th before scoring the winning run after being recalled earlier in the day as milwaukee sent 23-year-old shortstop orlando arcia - batting just .194 - to the minors to work on his hitting. chase anderson gets the start for the brewers in the matinee and will face veteran left-hander jason vargas, who is coming off his best outing of the season. the mets had won five of seven, during which they allowed a total of 13 runs, to steady their ship before losing friday night - dropping to 13-9 on the road. shortstop amed rosario homered for the third time in six games friday and asdrubal cabrera had three hits, improving to 4-for-10 in the series for the mets, while jose bautista knocked in his first run with the team in the ninth to tie it.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, sny (new york), fs wisconsin (milwaukee)
pitching matchup: mets lh jason vargas (1-3, 9.87 era) vs. brewers rh chase anderson (4-3, 3.86)

vargas comes in off his first win of the season on monday when he limited miami to two hits and one walk over five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. the 35-year-old californian, who has an 86-84 career record, gave up 19 runs on 26 hits across 12 1/3 innings in his first three starts of 2018. vargas allowed three runs over five innings in a loss during the only career appearance against the brewers and has held lorenzo cain to 2-for-11 with four strikeouts.
anderson permitted two runs on three hits and three walks over six innings of a 4-2 victory against arizona on monday after sitting out two weeks due to illness. the 30-year-old texan has posted five quality starts in nine outings this year, holding opponents to a .214 batting average, but he has given up 11 homers in 51 1/3 innings. adrian gonzalez is 9-for-21 with a homer versus anderson, who is 2-2 with a 2.86 era in five games against the mets.
walk-offs

1. mets of jay bruce boasts 35 career home runs against the brewers, the most he has hit against any team.

2. milwaukee also acquired c erik kratz from the new york yankees on friday and designated c jett bandy for assignment.
3. the mets' bullpen has allowed just five runs over 24 2/3 innings in the last eight contests (1.82 era).

prediction: brewers 5, mets 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

25th May 2018 by Gracenote
The road has not been kind to the San Francisco Giants, who are off to an 0-3 start on their eight-game trip and have dropped nine of their last 10 away from home. They're playing in a tough place to reverse that trend, too, as they head into the middle contest of their three-game series against the host Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

The Cubs snapped their four-game home skid with a 6-2 win in Friday's series opener, improving to 11-2 against the Giants at Wrigley Field since 2015. San Francisco has been outscored 70-25 over its last 10 road games, including 21-5 in the first three of the current trek. The Cubs snapped out of their recent funk with runners in scoring position, recording four hits in those situations on Friday - including Ben Zobrist's tiebreaking two-run double with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and Kris Bryant's two-run single with two outs in the frame. Chicago went just 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position in its previous two games.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Chris Stratton (5-3, 4.92 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jose Quintana (5-3, 4.47)
Stratton has failed to go beyond five innings in his last three starts, but he has notched the victory in each of his last two outings. The 27-year-old has registered only two strikeouts while issuing four walks in his last two turns. Stratton is 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA in five starts on the road this season.

Quintana has been wildly inconsistent, alternating strong outings with disappointing ones over the past month. The 29-year-old Colombian is coming off a victory at Cincinnati in which he allowed one hit and four walks with seven strikeouts over seven scoreless innings. Quintana is 0-2 with a 4.97 ERA in two career starts against the Giants.
WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo has gone 8-for-29 during his seven-game hitting streak and has walked 11 times in his last 13 contests.

2. Giants OF Gorkys Hernandez has gone 10-for-26 during his seven-game hitting streak and has belted three home runs in his last six contests.
3. Chicago CF Albert Almora is 16-for-41 over his last 13 games.

PREDICTION: Cubs 5, Giants 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Houston Astros vs. Cleveland Indians Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

26th May 2018 by Gracenote
the houston astros look to continue their offensive onslaught when they visit the cleveland indians on saturday for the third contest of a four-game set between two american league division leaders heading in opposite directions. the astros have scored 19 runs in winning the first two games of the series, including 11 in the final two frames of friday's 11-2 comeback victory.

alex bregman carries a nine-game hitting streak (12-for-34) into saturday's game while george springer is 13-for-33 with three homers and eight rbis over his last eight contests for houston, which has won eight of nine to take control of the al west. lance mccullers jr. will attempt to help the astros extend their winning streak to six games when he takes the mound opposite carlos carrasco in a rematch of the may 20th contest won by houston 3-1. the indians still lead the al central despite losing six of 10 and wasted 6 1/3 scoreless innings from two-time cy young award winner corey kluber on friday to lose for the fourth time in five meetings with the astros this year. michael brantley recorded a double and a single on friday to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, a stretch during which he is 22-for-61 with four homers and 15 rbis.
tv: 7:15 p.m. et, fox
pitching matchup: astros rh lance mccullers jr. (6-2, 3.20 era) vs. indians rh carlos carrasco (5-3, 3.65)

mccullers has registered six quality starts in his last seven trips to the mound after limiting the indians to one hit and two walks with eight strikeouts over seven innings on sunday. the 24-year-old floridian has registered 66 strikeouts in 59 innings while limiting opponents to a .212 batting average and three homers overall. yonder alonso is 4-for-10 with two doubles and three walks against mccullers, who is 1-1 with a 3.75 era in two career games versus cleveland.
carrasco lost his last two turns despite posting quality starts against detroit and houston, allowing six runs over 14 1/3 innings while averaging 109 pitches. the 31-year-old venezuelan has completed at least six frames in seven of his 10 starts and owns two complete-game victories in 2018. yuli gurriel is 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles against carrasco, who is 3-2 with a 2.83 era in seven career appearances (six starts) versus the astros.
walk-offs

1. the indians are last in the majors in bullpen era (6.23) after giving up 11 runs in 2 2/3 innings on friday.

2. houston ss carlos correa has gone 60 games without an error, passing roger metzger (1976) for the franchise record at his position.
3. kluber moved into third place on the team's all-time list for strikeouts with 1,279, passing bob lemon and early wynn (1,277 each).

prediction: indians 4, astros 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cincinnati Reds vs. Colorado Rockies Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

26th May 2018 by Gracenote
the national league's surprise leader in rbis is a third baseman who missed 16 games last month due to injury and plays for the cellar-dwelling cincinnati reds. eugenio suarez has driven in 40 runs in 36 games to rank as one of the few bright spots for the reds, who continue their three-game series against the host colorado rockies on saturday.

the 26-year-old suarez crushed a two-run homer in friday's 5-4 loss and is 6-for-15 with two blasts and eight rbis during his four-game hitting streak. another strong candidate for july's all-star game, joey votto added two hits and scored twice as the reds opened their nine-game road trip by striking out 11 times. colorado was shut out twice during their 4-5 road trip but saw some encouraging signs at home on friday as nolan arenado homered after going 1-for-10 with six strikeouts in his previous three games. charlie blackmon, who recorded two hits in his previous 11 at-bats, went 2-for-4 while batting leadoff on friday while david dahl started in place of struggling right fielder carlos gonzalez and registered two hits from the second spot in the order.
tv: 9:10 p.m. et, fs ohio (cincinnati), at&t sportsnet-rocky mountain (colorado)
pitching matchup: reds rh tyler mahle (3-6, 4.53 era) vs. rockies lh tyler anderson (3-1, 4.74)

mahle lost his second straight start on sunday, allowing four runs over six innings against the chicago cubs. the 23-year-old californian has registered 52 strikeouts over 53 2/3 innings but has served up 13 home runs, including three in his last outing. a seventh-round draft pick of the reds in 2013, mahle has allowed multiple homers in half of his 10 turns this season.
anderson is looking to bounce back from a rough outing against san francisco on sunday, when he yielded five runs over 5 1/3 innings. the 28-year-old native of las vegas has given up 13 runs - 12 earned - and 19 hits over 16 frames in his last three starts. anderson earned the victory in his only previous start against the reds, allowing two runs with seven strikeouts over six innings on may 19, 2017.
walk-offs

1. blackmon is batting .330 with eight home runs and 19 rbis in 28 career games against cincinnati.

2. votto is batting .358 with six homers and 22 rbis in 29 career contests at coors field.

3. colorado ss trevor story has played in 102 consecutive games, the fourth-longest active streak in the majors.

prediction: rockies 8, reds 5

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Minnesota Twins vs. Seattle Mariners Preview and Predictions 05-26-2018

26th May 2018 by Gracenote
after a minor bump in the road, the seattle mariners got back on the right track in the series opener and attempt to continue their winning ways when they host the minnesota twins on saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set. seattle had its five-game winning streak snapped in oakland on thursday but bounced back by edging minnesota 2-1 on friday.

nelson cruz delivered an rbi single in the first inning and mitch haniger snapped a 1-1 tie with a run-scoring base hit in the sixth as the mariners won for the eighth time in 11 contests to improve to 30-20 - their best 50-game start since beginning 2003 with a 32-18 record. seattle has played five consecutive one-run games, going 4-1 while scoring a total of only 12 runs, and have recorded a major league-high 14 victories in such contests (14-8). the twins have suffered back-to-back losses following a three-game winning streak, scoring just once in each setback. max kepler recorded half of minnesota's four hits on friday, including a solo homer in the fifth inning, and was the only player in the team's lineup that was not a strikeout victim.
tv: 10:10 p.m. et, mlb network, fs north (minnesota), root northwest (seattle)
pitching matchup: twins rh jake odorizzi (3-2, 3.17 era) vs. mariners lh wade leblanc (0-0, 2.65)

odorizzi's unbeaten streak reached five starts on sunday as he settled for a no-decision against milwaukee despite allowing just one run and five hits while registering a season-high 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. the 28-year-old native of illinois has given up a total of two runs in 16 2/3 frames over his last three turns. odorizzi is 1-3 with a 4.11 era in seven career starts against seattle, including a no-decision on may 14 during which he scattered four hits over six scoreless innings.
leblanc seeks his first decision saturday as he makes his fifth straight start after five appearances out of the bullpen. the 33-year-old from louisiana has surrendered a total of three runs over 20 1/3 innings since joining the rotation, striking out 15 batters while walking only two. leblanc has worked 8 1/3 scoreless frames against the twins in his career, making three relief appearances before scattering three hits over six innings in a no-decision opposite odorizzi on may 14 in minnesota.
walk-offs

1. the mariners acquired of denard span, rhp alex colome and cash from tampa bay on friday for rhps tommy romero and andrew moore while transferring rhp david phelps (elbow) from the 10-day to the 60-day disabled list.
2. minnesota 3b miguel sano (hamstring) was in the lineup at first base on friday after missing nearly four weeks and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

3. seattle 2b dee gordon (toe), who is eligible to come off the 10-day dl on thursday, fielded grounders and took part in some pregame infield work on friday.

prediction: twins 5, mariners 3