Saturday 6-2-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 08:44 AM

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Washington Capitals Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

1st June 2018 by Gracenote
the washington capitals attempt to take the lead in the stanley cup finals when they host the vegas golden knights on saturday night for game 3, but they may have to do it without the leading scorer in the playoffs or one at less than 100 percent. washington center evgeny kuznetsov, who boasts 25 points in the postseason, suffered an upper-body injury in wednesday's 3-2 victory and will likely be a game-time decision.

"he's a heck of a player with a pretty unique skill set," capitals defenseman matt niskanen told reporters. "we have a little bit of a different look if he can't play. ... we'll see if he's ready to go for game 3 or not, but we'll cross that bridge when it comes." washington goaltender braden holtby, who made a remarkable save to preserve the lead late in game 2, said his team must take advantage of their own rink while vegas looks to convert its chances better after outshooting the capitals 39-26 on wednesday. "nobody said it's going to be a 4-0 series," vegas center erik haula told reporters. "it's going to be ups and downs. we've been here before. we've been good on the road. just put this behind, learn from your mistakes, just try to do things better, and that's it." reilly smith owns a goal and two assists in the series for the golden knights, tying fellow forward jonathan marchessault for the team lead with 19 points in the playoffs.
tv: 8 p.m. et, nbc sports network, cbc, sportsnet, tva
about the golden knights: coach gerard gallant is looking for his team to win a few more battles in front of the net to capitalize on opportunities and get the home-ice advantage back in the series. "they played a grittier game than we did," gallant told reporters of wednesday's setback. "we still has chances to win that game, and we didn't play a real bad game. it's just that we didn't pay a price enough to win. there were some things we've got to get better at." defenseman shea theodore has a goal and an assist in the first two games of the series and leads the team's blueliners with nine points in the playoffs while posting a plus-5 rating.
about the capitals: veteran defenseman brooks orpik scored wednesday for his first goal in 220 games, including playoffs, since feb. 26, 2016 and leads all players this postseason with a plus-16 rating. captain alex ovechkin scored his 13th goal of the playoffs in game 2 to push his total to 24 points - second on the team behind kuznetsov - and has hit the scoresheet in 16 of his 21 postseason contests. center lars eller, who ovechkin calls the team's "secret weapon," would get a bigger role if kuznetsov cannot go and the 29-year-old from denmark registered a goal and two assists in the game 2 triumph.
overtime

1. vegas g marc-andre fleury has allowed seven goals in the first two games after yielding six in the previous four.

2. ovechkin needs one goal to tie john druce (14 in 1989-90) for the franchise lead in a playoff season.
3. the capitals have converted one of their three power-play opportunities in the series and the golden knights are 2-for-6.

prediction: capitals 4, golden knights 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:11 AM

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago White Sox Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
the chicago white sox turned the tables on the visiting milwaukee brewers in the opener of a three-game interleague set and look to clinch the series when the teams meet saturday in the windy city. the white sox entered friday with the worst record in the american league while the brewers sported the top mark in the national league, but the hosts rallied for an 8-3 triumph friday night to snap a four-game slide.

each chicago hitter had at least one hit and the club went 6-for-8 with runners in scoring position while improving to 2-8 in interleague play. the white sox have also claimed 13 of their last 16 meetings with the brewers, who left 10 runners on base friday while blowing an early 3-0 lead. ryan braun went deep with a man on for his first home run since april 20 as milwaukee dropped to 30-6 when scoring first. the brewers stand 18-35 all-time at guaranteed rate field and are in danger of losing their sixth straight series against the white sox.
tv: 2:10 p.m. et, mlb network, fs wisconsin (milwaukee), nbcs chicago
pitching matchup: brewers rh jhoulys chacin (3-1, 3.69 era) vs. white sox rh james shields (1-5, 4.54)

chacin was charged with a season-high five earned runs in a no-decision against the new york mets on sunday. he allowed a total of four runs over his previous four starts while giving up just 11 hits in 23 1/3 innings. the brewers have won nine of the 12 starts made by the 30-year-old, who won his only career start against the white sox last year and is 6-6 in interleague play.
shields has completed at least seven innings in three straight starts while posting a 2.53 era. he is 0-5 over a span of 11 outings (10 starts), despite recording six quality starts in that stretch. the 36-year-old spun seven scoreless innings while striking out nine in his one previous matchup with the brewers in 2016.

walk-offs

1. brewers cf lorenzo cain is 1-for-15 over his last four games.

2. milwaukee placed rhp zach davies (shoulder) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled 1b/of ji-man choi from triple-a colorado springs.
3. white sox ss tim anderson has 11 rbis in a span of nine contests after recording 11 in his first 44 games.

prediction: brewers 5, white sox 4

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:12 AM

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
it was only a little over two weeks ago that the pittsburgh pirates were a season-high nine games over .500 and leading the national league central, but the losses began to pile up once the consistently good pitching performances came to a halt. with two strong efforts from their rotation over the last three games, the pirates hope to continue rediscovering their previous form when they visit st. louis on saturday for the third of four contests against the cardinals.

pittsburgh outscored the opposition 57-29 while winning eight of nine from may 6-17 to take a one-half game lead atop its division before promptly giving up 59 runs while dropping nine of its next 11 to fall as far as 6 1/2 games off the pace. the pirates watched joe musgrove toss seven strong innings in wednesday's 2-1 victory over the chicago cubs and jameson taillon did him one better friday, holding the cardinals to three hits across eight scoreless frames in a 4-0 triumph to even the series. st. louis has been unable to sustain much success since a five-game winning streak to begin may, failing to win more than two games in a row while going 10-13 overall. despite friday's result, the cardinals have won five of their last six and 12 of their last 15 at home against pittsburgh.
tv: 2:15 p.m. et, mlb network, at&t sportsnet pittsburgh, fs midwest (st. louis)
pitching matchup: pirates rh chad kuhl (4-3, 3.94 era) vs. cardinals rh luke weaver (3-5, 4.63)

kuhl turned in his third quality start in the last four outings but remained winless over that span monday versus the chicago, taking the loss despite permitting one run on four hits and four walks in six frames to the cubs. the 25-year-old delaware native has given up one run or fewer in three of his last five turns overall but has only one win to show for it. matt carpenter is 3-for-10 with a pair of walks versus kuhl, who is 1-2 with a 4.03 era in six starts against st. louis.
following a three-game stretch in which he allowed four runs across 19 innings, weaver suffered his third straight loss after he was tagged for four runs in four frames at milwaukee on monday. the outing may be enough to bump the florida state product from the rotation once carlos martinez returns from the disabled list - likely early next week. weaver took the loss april 29 at pittsburgh, yielding four runs over 5 1/3 innings to fall to 1-1 with a 3.18 era in four appearances (three starts) versus the pirates.
walk-offs

1. pirates of corey dickerson is 11-for-23 in his last six games at busch stadium.
2. carpenter went 0-for-4 on friday, ending a seven-game hitting streak during which he had four two-hit efforts.

3. pittsburgh has tallied eight of its 18 triples this season over the last 10 contests.

prediction: pirates 5, cardinals 3

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:12 AM

Oakland Athletics vs. Kansas City Royals Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
the oakland athletics continue to flourish on the road and can clinch another series win away from home when they continue a three-game set at the kansas city royals on saturday. the athletics hammered out 16 hits - including two home runs by matt olson - in a 16-0 rout to begin the series, improving to 7-1 in their last eight road games.

rookie dustin fowler also homered twice and drove in four runs for oakland, which also improved to 20-9 against teams outside of its division. whit merrifield had three of the royals' eight hits as they fell to 2-2 on their six-game homestand. they'll try to bounce back behind veteran right-hander jason hammel, who is seeking his first victory in five tries at home this year. the athletics, who are averaging 8.6 runs during their five-game road winning streak, counter with trevor cahill.
tv: 2:15 p.m. et, nbcs california (oakland), fs kansas city

pitching matchup: athletics rh trevor cahill (1-2, 2.25 era) vs. royals rh jason hammel (2-5, 5.23)

cahill has three scoreless starts out of seven overall and was unscored upon in eight frames against tampa bay on monday. opponents are hitting .194 and have drawn only nine walks against the california native, although he is 0-2 with a 5.06 era on the road. mike moustakas has two hits and a walk in three career plate appearances against cahill, who has a 6.86 era in five games (three starts) at kauffman stadium.
hammel will be making his 350th career appearance and is looking to stretch his winning streak to three games. he allowed one run and struck out 16 in 12 1/3 innings during the back-to-back victories, both of which came on the road. stephen piscotty is 4-for-13 with a home run, a triple and a double against the 35-year-old hammel, who is 4-2 with a 4.67 era in his career against oakland.
walk-offs

1. royals of jon jay went 0-for-4 in the opener to snap a 12-game hitting streak.

2. athletics rhp frankie montas tossed eight scoreless innings in friday's win as oakland's staff reduced its era to 2.47 over its last 14 games.
3. oakland reinstated ss marcus semien from the paternity list and optioned inf franklin barreto to triple-a nashville.

prediction: athletics 5, royals 4

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:12 AM

New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

1st June 2018 by Gracenote
masahiro tanaka has not lost in 6 1/2 weeks and will attempt to win his fifth straight decision when the new york yankees resume their three-game series at the baltimore orioles on saturday afternoon. the japanese right-hander will get a chance to avenge one of his two defeats this season for the yankees, who are a season-high 19 games over .500.

aaron judge slammed his 16th homer as new york won its third straight and moved within a half-game of first-place boston in the american league east with a 4-1 victory in the series opener. catcher austin romine matched gleyber torres by collecting two hits and driving in a run to give him nine rbis in his last six games while extending his hitting streak to 10 games. baltimore managed just a solo home run by manny machado among five hits in tumbling to its sixth consectuve setback. the orioles have scored only seven runs during their current slide and have been held to three runs or fewer in 14 of their last 16 games.
tv: 4:05 p.m. et, yes (new york), masn (baltimore)
pitching matchup: yankees rh masahiro tanaka (6-2, 4.62 era) vs. orioles rh kevin gausman (3-4, 4.31)

tanaka improved to 4-0 over his last seven starts by limiting the los angeles angels to one run on three hits while striking out eight over six innings on sunday. it marked the first time he allowed fewer than three runs in five starts but he continues to struggle with the long ball, giving up six homers in his last four turns. tanaka has stifled machado and chris davis, who are a combined 9-for-50 against him.
gausman has been one of the few reliable options for the orioles but he was pelted for seven runs on six hits over a season-low 2 2/3 innings in a loss at tampa bay on sunday. he has allowed 34 hits in 21 innings over his last four turns but has yielded two runs or fewer in seven of his 11 starts. judge is 7-for-14 with three homers off gausman, who is 7-5 with a 3.53 era in 23 career appearances against new york.

walk-offs

1. judge has 13 homers in 30 games versus baltimore and has hit safely in all five games this season.
2. orioles lhp zach britton (achilles) pitched a perfect inning at double-a bowie on friday night.

3. yankees lf brett gardner has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games.

prediction: yankees 5, orioles 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:12 AM

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Detroit Tigers Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

1st June 2018 by Gracenote
the detroit tigers can match their longest winning streak of the season when they go for their fourth straight victory in the second of a three-game set against the visiting toronto blue jays on saturday afternoon. the tigers welcomed back miguel cabrera to the lineup for the first time in more than four weeks in friday night's 5-2 victory.

cabrera's return was overshadowed by the continued torrid streak of nicholas castellanos, who homered in his third consecutive three-hit game as detroit improved to 7-2 in its last nine. castellanos has multiple hits in eight of his last 12 games, a stretch in which he is 23-for-53. teoscar hernandez had an rbi triple among three hits and scored a run for the skidding blue jays, who have dropped four in a row and 14 of their last 18. toronto has lost eight straight games against left-handed starters -- an ominous sign as they prepare to face tigers southpaw matthew boyd on saturday.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, sportsnet (toronto), fs detroit

pitching matchup: blue jays lh j.a. happ (7-3, 3.84 era) vs. tigers lh matthew boyd (3-4, 3.00)
happ has raised his game since he was pounded for seven runs over 3 1/3 innings by seattle on may 10, winning his last three trips to the mound and turning in a quality start in each. the 34-year-old struck out eight and allowed two earned runs over 6 2/3 innings to win at philadelphia on sunday. castellanos (7-for-13) has tormented happ, who is 3-1 with a 3.74 era in eight appearances versus detroit.

boyd has permitted one run or fewer in five of his 10 starts, including his last outing against the los angeles angeles, when he earned the win with five scoreless innings of two-hit ball. he has not surrendered a homer in six consecutive starts and has pitched at least six innings seven times. boyd has no answers for kendrys morales, who is 9-for-12 with five extra-base hits and seven rbis against him.
walk-offs

1. tigers 3b jeimer candelario, elevated to the leadoff spot friday, has reached base in 26 straight games, the longest active streak in the majors.
2. blue jays 3b josh donaldson (calf) was placed on the 10-day disabled list friday.

3. tigers lhp ryan carpenter went on the dl with a right oblique strain.

prediction: tigers 4, blue jays 3

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:12 AM

Cleveland Indians vs. Minnesota Twins Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
eduardo escobar has followed a cold stretch with a red-hot three games, and the infielder hopes to extend that when the minnesota twins host the cleveland indians on saturday in the third of four contests between the american league central rivals. escobar is 6-for-12 over his last three outings with three homers, including a pair in friday's 7-4 victory that ended minnesota's three-game slide, after a 2-for-29 slump.

escobar boasts seven rbis in the hot stretch and slugger miguel sano has knocked in 10 over the last five contests while eddie rosario continues to shine for the twins, going 13-for-31 during his seven-game hitting streak. lance lynn goes after his third straight victory when he takes the mound for minnesota on saturday and the indians will counter with trevor bauer, who sits inside the top 10 of al in era (2.61). cleveland saw its season-high, six-game winning streak come to an end friday as it gave up three runs in the first inning and could never recover. edwin encarnacion takes an eight-game hitting streak into the third contest of the series for the indians after launching his fourth homer and pushing his rbi total to 11 during that span friday night.
tv: 4:10 p.m. et, fox sports 1
pitching matchup: indians rh trevor bauer (4-3, 2.61 era) vs. twins rh lance lynn (3-4, 5.94)

bauer struck out a season-high 13 over 7 1/3 innings sunday in a no-decision against houston as the indians rallied for a 10-9 victory. the 27-year-old ucla product, who has 86 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings overall in 2018, defeated detroit and the chicago cubs in his previous two starts while yielding 11 hits in 14 scoreless frames. rosario is 11-for-29 with a homer versus bauer, who is 4-6 with a 4.85 era in 16 career appearances (15 starts) against minnesota.
lynn is beginning to recover from a rough start, winning his last two turns while permitting just two runs on 11 hits and four walks over 12 2/3 innings combined. the 31-year-old ole miss product managed only one victory in his first eight starts with the twins, completing more than five innings twice in that stretch. jason kipnis is 1-for-2 with a double and a walk versus lynn, who pitched six scoreless innings against cleveland in their only meeting for a win in 2015.
walk-offs

1. cleveland cf greg allen, who doubled and tripled friday, is 11-for-27 during his seven-game hitting streak.

2. minnesota rhp fernando rodney notched his 312th career save friday to pass tom henke for 22nd in major-league history.

3. indians lf michael brantley has gone 0-for-3 in each of the last two contests after stringing together a 19-game hitting streak.

prediction: indians 6, twins 3

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:12 AM

Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
a pair of former american league cy young winners will face off when the houston astros host the boston red sox on saturday night in a battle of division leaders. houston's justin verlander, who leads the majors in era (1.11) for the al west's top dogs, will take the mound in the third of a four-game series, while boston counters with veteran left-hander david price as he goes for his fourth straight win.

verlander will try to clinch a series victory for the astros, who took the first two after friday's 7-3 triumph as star shortstop carlos correa homered for the second straight night to improve his batting average to .418 in his career against the red sox. houston won't have to face the majors' top hitter in this series as all-star outfielder mookie betts (left abdominal strain) was placed on the 10-day disabled list friday, retroactive to may 29. boston received back-to-back homers friday from mitch moreland and j.d. martinez, who has gone deep four times with seven rbis in his last seven contests. jackie bradley jr. takes a seven-game hitting streak into saturday's contest for the al east-leading red sox, going 8-for-22 during the stretch, and needs one double to reach 100 in his career.
tv: 7:15 p.m. et, fox
pitching matchup: red sox lh david price (5-4, 4.04 era) vs. astros rh justin verlander (7-2, 1.11)

price is unbeaten in his last four starts, giving up a total of seven runs on 17 hits and 10 walks across 25 1/3 innings. the 32-year-old vanderbilt product was 2-4 with a 5.11 era through his first seven outings of 2018 but allowed opponents a .217 batting average in may. jose altuve is 7-for-19 against price, who is 5-2 with a 2.79 era in 10 career appearances (eight starts) versus the astros.
verlander has permitted one or fewer earned runs in six straight starts and nine of 10, including monday when he held the new york yankees to one run over 6 2/3 innings. the 35-year-old virginia native has struck out 98 and walked just 15 across 81 1/3 innings - second in the majors through thursday - while surrendering only five homers. moreland is 10-for-29 with six doubles and six rbis against verlander, who is 5-5 with a 2.88 era in 17 career starts versus the red sox.
walk-offs

1. houston c evan gattis has recorded four of eight homers and nine of 26 rbis this season in his last five contests.

2. boston 2b dustin pedroia (knee) missed his second straight game friday and is questionable for saturday.

3. astros 1b yuli gurriel is 12-for-35 during an eight-game hitting streak after going 2-for-3 and knocking in a pair of runs friday.

prediction: astros 4, red sox 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:13 AM

Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
A red-hot start provided a big cushion between the New York Mets and the .500 mark, but it's all gone. The Mets are below the break-even mark for the first time all season and have dropped nine of their last 12 heading into the third of a four-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

New York's bullpen has been a disaster of late, as the Mets have allowed 31 runs in the seventh inning or later over their past nine contests - seven losses. That included five runs in Friday's 7-4 defeat, when Zack Wheeler left with two runners on and a 2-0 lead but the bullpen couldn't hold on. The Cubs have won five of their last six overall and six of seven on the road. They have 76 hits over their past six contests, including 24 for extra bases.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Mike Montgomery (1-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (4-0, 1.52)

WALK-OFFS

1. New York RF Jay Bruce left Friday's game after the fourth inning with lower back discomfort.

2. Cubs OF Ben Zobrist is 8-for-15 with three doubles, two homers, and five RBIs over the past four contests - including back-to-back three-hit games.

3. Mets OF Brandon Nimmo homered for the second straight game Friday and has 11 extra-base hits along with nine RBIs over his past 11 games.

PREDICTION: Cubs 5, Mets 2

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:13 AM

Cincinnati Reds vs. San Diego Padres Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
the cincinnati reds have racked up seven runs in each of their last two outings and look to stretch their winning streak to three games when they visit the san diego padres on saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set. jose peraza went 3-for-4 with three rbis as cincinnati posted a 7-2 victory in friday's series opener.

peraza has recorded four consecutive multi-hit performances and has gone 10-for-21 during a five-game hitting streak to raise his batting average to .265. joey votto drew three walks but was hitless in two at-bats to halt a six-game hitting streak in which he went 11-for-25. san diego failed to win a fourth straight game for the first time all season but received a two-run triple from freddy galvis with two outs in the ninth inning to avoid being shut out. eric hosmer was hitless in four at-bats after going 8-for-11 over his previous three games.

tv: 8:40 p.m. et, fs ohio (cincinnati), fs san diego
pitching matchup: reds rh matt harvey (1-3, 5.63 era) vs. padres lh eric lauer (1-3, 7.67)
harvey is 1-1 with a 3.72 era in four starts since being acquired from the new york mets. the 29-year-old served up two homers while allowing four runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings in a loss to colorado in his last turn. harvey is 3-1 with a 3.48 era in seven career appearances (five starts) against the padres and has struggled with hosmer (4-for-4).

lauer was roughed up by miami for five runs and seven hits in his last turn, when he pitched just 2 1/3 innings for the second time in his seven major-league starts. lauer, who turns 23 on sunday, has allowed five or more runs three times and sports a porous 2.08 whip along with an opponents' batting average of .359. lauer has struggled at pitcher-friendly petco park, giving up 11 runs and 14 hits - including four homers - in 4 2/3 innings over two starts.
walk-offs

1. reds c tucker barnhart recorded two rbis in the series opener following a 12-game drought.

2. san diego inf corey spangenberg struck out three times in four hitless at-bats on friday and is 5-for-36 with 14 strikeouts over his last 15 contests.
3. cincinnati 3b eugenio suarez is 9-for-16 with a homer, three rbis and six runs scored over his last four games.

prediction: padres 5, reds 4

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:13 AM

Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
the los angeles angels appear to have put their troubles at home behind them as they enter the middle contest of their three-game set against the visiting texas rangers on saturday. los angeles dropped five in a row at angel stadium before winning its last two, including friday's series-opening 6-0 triumph.

ian kinsler continued swinging a hot bat by belting a two-run homer and albert pujols also launched a two-run shot for the angels, who returned home from a 4-6 road trip to see every member of the lineup record a hit. kinsler is riding a five-game hitting streak during which he has gone 10-for-19 with three doubles, two homers and five rbis. texas fell to 2-3 on its seven-game road trip, scoring a total of two runs in the losses and 16 in the victories. adrian beltre was rested friday after going 2-for-4 a day earlier in his return from a stint on the disabled list due to a strained left hamstring but figures to be in the lineup saturday.
tv: 9:07 p.m. et, fs southwest (texas), fs west (los angeles)
pitching matchup: rangers lh cole hamels (3-5, 3.74 era) vs. angels rh garrett richards (4-4, 3.67)

hamels was unable to notch his third straight victory sunday as he surrendered five runs on eight hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings of a loss to kansas city. the 34-year-old from san diego gave up a total of five runs over his previous four turns, and registered a season-low two strikeouts in the setback. hamels has pitched well against the angels in his career, going 4-2 with one complete game and a 2.82 era in 10 starts.
richards' losing streak reached three starts on sunday, when he yielded three runs on three hits and five walks in 2 1/3 innings against the yankees in new york. the 30-year-old, who hails from riverside, has posted a 2.51 era during his slide and a 2.39 mark over his last five turns overall. richards is 9-4 with a 3.11 era in 18 starts and four relief appearances against texas in his career.

walk-offs

1. angels 2b zack cozart (forearm) missed his third consecutive game friday and is slated to undergo an mri exam.
2. texas rhp tim lincecum (finger) allowed an unearned run over two innings for triple-a round rock in the latest outing of his rehab assignment, which expires on tuesday.

3. los angeles optioned akeel morris to triple-a salt lake on friday and activated fellow rhp oliver drake, who was claimed off waivers from cleveland a day earlier.

prediction: rangers 6, angels 3

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:13 AM

Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Francisco Giants Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
joe panik is back at the top of the batting order for the san francisco giants, who continue their three-game series against the visiting philadelphia phillies on saturday. on the disabled list since april 28 due to a torn ligament in his left thumb, panik made an immediate impact in his return friday by reaching base four times in the giants' 4-0 victory.

the giants also activated reliever mark melancon (forearm) from the dl before friday's contest, but the former closer wasn't needed as tony watson, sam dyson and hunter strickland each tossed one scoreless inning to secure the win. the giants have posted back-to-back wins after losing six of seven and plan to have former phillie hunter pence (right thumb sprain) available saturday for the first time since april 19. philadelphia has dropped four of its last six games and struck out 13 times in friday's loss. carlos santana bounced back from a dismal april by recording 22 rbis last month but is 0-for-8 with three strikeouts in his last two games.
tv: 10:05 p.m. et, mlb network, nbcs philadelphia plus, nbcs bay area (san francisco)
pitching matchup: phillies rh vince velasquez (4-5, 4.08 era) vs. giants lh andrew suarez (1-4, 5.65)

velasquez closed out a stellar month by allowing two runs and three hits over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the los angeles dodgers on monday. the 25-year-old californian posted a 3-1 record and 2.30 era with 36 strikeouts over 27 1/3 frames in five starts last month. velasquez made his second career start against san francisco on may 10 and allowed three runs with 12 strikeouts over six innings in a 6-3 victory.
suarez's winless streak reached four games monday, when he came away with a no-decision after giving up four runs - three earned - in five innings against colorado. the 25-year-old rookie likely needs a strong outing to maintain his rotation spot after allowing a total of 19 runs - 17 earned - over 19 frames in his last four starts. suarez owns a 4.91 era in three home turns compared to a 6.38 mark in four outings away from at&t park.
walk-offs

1. the giants optioned inf kelby tomlinson to triple-a sacramento in order to make room for panik.

2. phillies of rhys hoskins (broken jaw) could return from the disabled list as soon as june 9.

3. san francisco 1b brandon belt is listed as day-to-day after leaving friday's game in the third inning due to a stomach illness.

prediction: phillies 7, giants 3

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:13 AM

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Seattle Mariners Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
after going deep just once in may, mitch haniger already has equaled that total this month and did so in dramatic fashion. haniger smacked the game-winning homer in the 13th inning of the series opener and looks to help seattle defeat tampa bay again on saturday, when the mariners host the rays in the middle contest of a three-game set.

haniger's 12th homer of the season provided seattle with a 4-3 victory - its 11th triumph in 14 games. the mariners continue to thrive in close contests as haniger's blast makes them 17-9 in one-run games and 6-0 in extra-inning affairs. tampa bay is just 9-13 in one-run contests and has dropped back-to-back games after winning its previous five. matt duffy registered his second three-hit effort in three games and delivered a tying single in the ninth against seattle closer edwin diaz.
tv: 10:10 p.m. et, mlb network, fs sun (tampa bay), root northwest (seattle)

pitching matchup: rays rh chris archer (3-3, 4.29 era) vs. mariners lh marco gonzales (5-3, 3.60)
archer has allowed just one run and 10 hits in 18 2/3 innings over his last three starts but has recorded just one victory during the stretch. the 29-year had a stellar 2.33 era in six turns in may but was just 1-2 during the month. archer is 1-2 with a 2.80 era in six career starts against seattle and has dominated kyle seager (0-for-15) while struggling with nelson cruz (6-for-17, one homer).

gonzales hasn't allowed an earned run over his last three starts, a stretch of 19 1/3 innings. the 26-year-old has given up just 11 hits during the stretch, including four in 6 2/3 frames while beating texas in his last turn. gonzales, who never has faced the rays, has struck out 53 in 60 innings this season.
walk-offs

1. mariners c mike zunino (quadriceps) didn't start the opener but later entered the 13-inning contest and went 1-for-2.

2. tampa bay rf carlos gomez (groin) was in friday's lineup after a one-game absence and went 1-for-5 with a homer.

3. seattle designated marc rzepczynski for assignment and recalled fellow lhp roenis elias from triple-a tacoma.

prediction: mariners 4, rays 3

**Can'tPickAWinner** · 06-02-2018, 10:13 AM

Miami Marlins vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Preview and Predictions 06-02-2018

2nd June 2018 by Gracenote
the arizona diamondbacks flexed their muscles in the series opener and look to keep the power flowing when they host the miami marlins on saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set. arizona matched the franchise single-game record on friday by belting six home runs in a 9-1 victory.

ketel marte went deep twice, becoming the sixth player in diamondbacks history to homer from both sides of the plate in a game, while john ryan murphy extended his home-run streak to three contests by launching his fifth shot in seven games. miami's losing streak reached four contests friday as it fell to 1-4 on its 10-game road trip. derek dietrich registered three of the team's eight hits while lewis brinson drove in the lone run with a single in the seventh inning as the marlins allowed at least eight runs for the third time during their slide. dietrich has posted back-to-back three-hit performances and is 9-for-17 during his five-game hitting streak.
tv: 10:10 p.m. et, mlb network, fs florida (miami), fs arizona
pitching matchup: marlins lh caleb smith (4-5, 3.51 era) vs. diamondbacks rh zack greinke (3-4, 3.65)

smith looks to win his third consecutive start - all on the road - after defeating the new york mets on may 22 and san diego six days later. the 26-year-old texan worked a total of 13 2/3 innings in those triumphs, allowing two runs and seven hits with three walks and 12 strikeouts. smith, who never has faced arizona, has won three straight road starts after losing his first three of the season.
greinke posted a solid 2.64 era with 30 strikeouts and six walks over 30 2/3 innings in five starts last month but came away with an 0-2 record. both of the 34-year-old floridian's losses in may came on the road, including a setback in oakland on sunday in which he gave up two runs on six hits and three walks in six frames. greinke has yet to lose to miami in his career, going 5-0 with a 3.77 era in nine starts and one relief appearance.

walk-offs

1. the diamondbacks reportedly signed lhp henry owens to a minor-league contract on friday.
2. miami acquired 1b peter o'brien from the los angeles dodgers for cash on friday and assigned him to double-a jacksonville.

3. arizona rhp shelby miller (elbow) will start for double-a jackson on monday after allowing one run and four hits with eight strikeouts in five innings for single-a visalia on tuesday in his first rehab outing following tommy john surgery in may 2017.

prediction: diamondbacks 6, marlins 2

Saturday 6-2-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

Saturday 6-2-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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