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MLB Betting News and Trends For Sunday 5/20/18

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Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Sunday 5/20/18

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 8:03 am
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Sunday’s games
National League
Dodgers (19-26) @ Nationals (24-20)
Wood is 0-1, 2.25 in his last three starts (under 5-4). Team in his starts: 4-5.
5-inning record: 1-5-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-9

Strasburg is 3-0, 3.05 in his last three starts; over is 3-1 in his last four. Team in his starts: 5-4.
5-inning record: 6-2-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-9

Dodgers lost nine of their last 13 games, but swept a twin bill yesterday; under is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Washington won 13 of its last 17 games; under is 6-2 in their last eight.

Padres (19-28) @ Pirates (26-19)
Lyles is 1-1, 1.42 in his last two starts (under 2-0). Team in his starts: 1-1.
5-inning record: 1-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-2

Williams is 2-1, 3.42 in his last four starts; under is 5-1-1 in his last seven. Team in his starts: 6-3
5-inning record: 4-2-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-9

Padres won five of their last seven games; under is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Pittsburgh won eight of its last 11 games; four of their last six games stayed under.

Diamondbacks (25-20) @ Mets (22-19)
Buchholz is making his first ’18 start; he is 81-62, 4.01 in 190 MLB starts, 1-1, 2.93 in five minor league starts this year. Team in his starts: 0-0. He started two games for Philly LY, 21 for Boston in 2016.
5-inning record: 0-0. Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-0

Syndergaard is 1-1, 3.28 in his last six starts; under is 5-2-1 in his last eight. Team in his starts: 6-3
5-inning record: 6-1-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-9

Arizona lost nine of its last ten games; over is 12-3 in their last 15 road games. Mets lost nine of their last 13 home games; over is 6-3 in their last nine.

Cubs (24-19) @ Reds (16-31)
Darvish is 0-3, 6.46 in his last five starts; under is 5-1 in his last six. Team in his starts: 4-3
5-inning record: 1-4-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-7

Mahle is 1-2, 5.02 in his last three starts (under 6-2-1). Team in his starts: 4-5
5-inning record: 3-6. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-9

Cubs won eight of their last 12 games; under is 7-2 in their last nine road games. Cincinnati won eight of its last 12 games; under is 7-3-2 in those games.

Marlins (17-28) @ Braves (27-17)
Chen is 0-2, 10.03 in his last three starts (under 3-1). Team in his starts: 2-2.
5-inning record: 2-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-4

Teheran is 3-0, 1.89 in his last three starts; over is 3-1 in his last four. Team in his starts: 7-2
5-inning record: 5-2-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-9

Marlins lost nine of their last 13 games; under is 4-2 in their last six games. Atlanta won eight of its last 11 games; four of their last five games stayed under.

Phillies (26-17) @ Cardinals (24-19)
Nola is 5-0, 1.82 in his last five starts; under is 6-1-1 in his last eight. Team in his starts: 6-3.
5-inning record: 3-3-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-9

Flaherty is 0-1, 2.81 in three starts this year (under 1-0-1). Team in his starts: 0-3
5-inning record: 2-0-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-3

Phillies won eight of their last ten games; under is 5-3-1 in their last nine games. St Louis lost seven of its last 11 games; under is 7-4-1 in their last 12 games.

Rockies (25-21) @ Giants (23-24)
Anderson is 3-1, 4.32 in his last five starts; over is 4-2 in his road starts. Team in his starts: 6-3
5-inning record: 3-3-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-9

Blach is 1-1, 5.63 in his last three starts; under is 5-1-2 in his last eight. Team in his starts: 5-5
5-inning record: 4-4-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-10

Rockies won seven of last nine road games; under is 9-4-1 in their last 14 road games. San Francisco lost nine of its last 13 games; over is 10-4-3 in their last 17 games.

American League
A’s (24-22) @ Blue Jays (22-24)
Mengden is 1-1, 2.55 in his last three starts (over 5-4). Team in his starts: 5-4
5-inning record: 5-3-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-9

Biagini is 0-2, 7.98 in three starts this year (over 2-1). Team in his starts: 1-2
5-inning record: 0-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-3

Oakland won five of its last six games; over is 9-5-1 in their last 15 road games. Toronto lost 11 of its last 15 games; over is 3-1-1 in their last five games.

Orioles (14-30) @ Red Sox (30-15)
Hess allowed three runs in six IP (78 PT) in his first MLB start, a 6-3 win over Tampa Bay. Team in his starts: 1-0
5-inning record: 1-0. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-1

Rodriguez is 0-1, 5.85 in his last four starts (over 4-2-2). Team in his starts: 7-1
5-inning record: 4-3-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-8

Baltimore won six of its last ten games; under is 4-1 in their last five road games. Boston is 14-13 since its 17-2 start; over is 11-7-2 in their last 20 home games.

Indians (22-22) @ Astros (29-18)
Carrasco is 1-2, 6.00 in his last four starts (over 3-1). Team in his starts: 5-4
5-inning record: 6-2-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-9

McCullers is 4-1, 1.74 in his last five starts (under 3-1-1). Team in his starts: 5-3
5-inning record: 3-2-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-8

Indians are 5-8 in their last 13 games; under is 11-6 in their last 17 road games. Houston won eight of its last 11 games; seven of their last eight home games stayed under.

Rangers (18-29) @ White Sox (12-30)
Minor is 0-1, 9.58 in his last two starts; his last four starts went over. Team in his starts: 4-4
5-inning record: 2-5-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-8

Lopez is 0-1, 6.85 in his last four starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six. Team in his starts: 2-6
5-inning record: 3-4-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-8

Texas lost nine of its last 14 games; seven of Rangers’ last nine games stayed under. White Sox lost ten of their last 13 games; over is 8-6 in their last 14 games.

New York (29-13) @ Kansas City (14-31)
Gray is 1-3, 7.39 in his last six starts (over 5-2-1). Team in his starts: 3-5
5-inning record: 3-4-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-6

Skoglund is 0-1, 4.82 in his last three starts; under is 3-1 in his last four. Team in his starts: 3-4
5-inning record: 2-4-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-7

New York won 20 of its last 24 games; under is 6-3 in their last nine road games. Royals lost eight of their last ten games; under is 6-2 in their last eight home games.

Rays (22-22) @ Angels (25-21)
Bullpen game for Tampa Bay. Rays in bullpen games: 6-8 Over 6-7-1
5-inning record: 6-4-4. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-14

Ohtani is 1-0, 2.19 in his last two starts (over 4-2). Team in his starts: 5-1
5-inning record: 5-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-6

Rays won their last six games; over is 4-3-1 in their last eight games. Angels lost seven of their last nine games; under is 4-2-1 in their last seven games.

Tigers (20-25) @ Mariners (26-19)
Liriano is 0-0, 5.28 in his last three starts (under 5-3). Team in his starts: 4-4.
5-inning record: 4-2-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-8

LeBlanc is 0-0, 0.60 in his three starts (under 3-0). Team in his starts: 2-1
5-inning record: 2-0-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-3

Detroit is 4-10 in its last 14 road games; under is 5-4 in their last nine road games. Seattle is 6-8 in its last 14 home games; over is 5-2 in their last seven home games.

Interleague
Brewers (28-18) @ Twins (18-23)
Guerra is 1-3, 4.91 in his last four starts (under 5-2). Team in his starts: 4-3
5-inning record: 4-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-7

Odorizzi is 2-0, 2.82 in his last four starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven. Team in his starts: 4-5
5-inning record: 4-3-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-9

Brewers won seven of their last nine games; over is 8-4 in their last 12 road games. Minnesota lost five of its last six games; under is 4-3 in their last seven.

Umpires
Phil-StL: Four of last five Wendelstedt games stayed under.
LA-Wsh: Home side won all four Visconti games.
Col-SF: Over is 8-6 in last fourteen Conroy games.
SD-Pitt: Home side won nine of last 12 Woodring games.
Az-NY: Under is 6-3 in last nine Gibson games.
Mia-Atl: Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Ortiz games.
Chi-Cin: Over is 7-2 in Tumpane games this season.

A’s-Tor: Five of last six Gorman games went over.
Clev-Hst: Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Porter games.
Balt-Bos: Over is 5-3-1 in Lentz games this season.
Tex-Chi: Under is 10-3 in last 13 Hernandez games.
NY-KC: Five of last seven Torres games went over.
TB-LAA: Six of last seven Nelson games stayed under.
Det-Sea: Four of last six Muchlinski games went over.

Mil-Min: Under is 8-5-1 in last fourteen West games.

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 8:22 am
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Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote

mookie betts gets another chance to take aim at the baltimore orioles' pitching staff when he leads the boston red sox into the finale of a four-game series at fenway park on sunday. betts slugged his major league-leading 15th home run - a two-run shot - to help the red sox secure a 6-3 victory saturday night.

the 25-year-old is 7-for-13 with two homers and two doubles in the series and has gone deep 14 times in 43 matchups with the orioles over the past three years. betts and his teammates will get a look at rookie right-hander david hess, who is expected to be called up to make sunday's start for baltimore. the orioles enter the finale with a 4-18 record on the road, a 1-5 mark against the red sox and a 5-12 showing in day games. they'll face lefty eduardo rodriguez, who has kept baltimore slugger manny machado (6-for-28, no home runs) in check over the years.

tv: 1:05 p.m. et, masn 2 (baltimore), nesn (boston)

pitching matchup: orioles rh david hess (1-0, 4.50 era) vs. red sox lh eduardo rodriguez (3-1, 4.68 era)
hess won his first career start last saturday against tampa bay, allowing three runs - all in the first inning - in six innings before being sent back down to the minors. the 24-year-old is 2-0 with a 2.12 era in six starts for triple-a norfolk this year while recording 29 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings. hess owns a 4.04 mark in five seasons in baltimore's system.

rodriguez followed up five scoreless innings at yankee stadium with five innings of three-run ball in a loss to oakland on tuesday at home. he struck out only four but got through the outing without allowing a walk for the first time this year. the 25-year-old dominated the orioles through six innings to pick up his first win of the season april 13 while improving to 4-5 with a 4.35 era in 11 career meetings.
walk-offs

1. red sox cf jackie bradley jr. is 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the series and is batting .161 in 38 games.

2. orioles dh/3b pedro alvarez slugged a two-run homer saturday and has eight long balls in 86 at-bats on the year.
3. boston is 13-1 in series finales this season.

prediction: red sox 6, orioles 4

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:22 am
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Oakland Athletics vs. Toronto Blue Jays Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote

the oakland athletics have received a lot of mileage from the long ball on their 10-game road trip that concludes with the finale of a four-game set against the toronto blue jays on sunday afternoon. the athletics have homered in all nine games on the trek, including chad pinder's dramatic eighth-inning grand slam in saturday's 5-4 victory.

pinder's blast capped a five-run inning that erased a 4-0 deficit, lifting oakland to its third consecutive victory and fifth win in the last six games. khris davis collected two more hits saturday and is 7-for-13 in the series for the athletics, who are 6-3 on the trip against american league east foes new york, boston and toronto. the skidding blue jays have dropped six of sevento fall two games below .500 for the first time since losing the first two of the season and will try to avoid a four-game sweep when they send winless joe biagini to the mound. toronto's gio urshela belted a two-run homer in saturday's defeat, the 11th loss in the last 14 at home to assure the team of a sixth straight winless series (0-4-2).

tv: 1:07 p.m. et, nbcs california (oakland), tvas, sportsnet (toronto)

pitching matchup: athletics rh daniel mengden (3-4, 3.75 era) vs. blue jays rh joe biagini (0-2, 7.98)

mengden ended a four-start winless string with a strong performance last time out in boston, limiting the red sox to two runs (one earned) on eight hits over six innings. it marked the fifth time in six starts he yielded two runs or fewer, a span in which he has walked a combined three batters. mengden made his lone career start against toronto in july 2016 and was roughed up for seven runs over 3 1/3 innings.
biagini has made three appearances this season -- all spots starts -- and may be running out of chances after failing to get through five innings in his last two outings. he was tagged for four runs over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to boston on may 13 and six runs and 10 hits at cleveland 10 days earlier. opponents are batting .317 against biagini, who has lost 15 of 18 decisions since the start of the 2017 season.
walk-offs

1. oakland improved to a major league-best 8-2 in one-run games.

2. toronto of teoscar hernandez returned to the lineup after a two-game absence but was hitless in five at-bats.

3. athletics lhp brett anderson went on the disabled list after exiting friday's game due to a shoulder strain.

prediction: athletics 6, blue jays 4

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:23 am
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Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Mets Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote

the new york mets own consecutive wins for the first time in more than a month and have a chance to complete a three-game series sweep when they host the arizona diamondbacks on sunday. a two-run homer by devin mesoraco pulled the mets into a tie and wilmer flores' sacrifice fly in the ninth gave them a walk-off 5-4 victory over the reeling diamondbacks on saturday.

michael conforto followed up a four-hit effort in the series opener with a two-run homer for new york and is 9-for-17 with seven rbis in his last five home games against arizona. the diamondbacks have been alone in first place in the national league west since april 1 but their lead is down to a half-game amid a woeful 1-9 stretch. clay buchholz will be making his first start since april 11, 2017, after signing as a free agent with arizona earlier this month. he will be opposed by fellow right-hander noah syndergaard, who has a 2.72 era in his career at citi field.

tv: 1:10 p.m. et, fs arizona, pix 11 (new york)

pitching matchup: diamondbacks rh clay buchholz (2017: 0-1, 12.27 era) vs. mets rh noah syndergaard (3-1, 3.14)
buchholz had a 2.93 era in five minor league starts for kansas city and arizona before getting called up. the two-time all-star made only two starts for philadelphia last season before having surgery in april to fix a torn flexor tendon. buchholz was pounded for six runs in 2 1/3 innings in his only prior matchup with the mets on april 11, 2017, which was also his last outing with the phillies before the surgery.
syndergaard picked up his first win in more than a month his last time out despite lasting only five innings against toronto, allowing two runs and striking out seven. he has a 3.71 era and has allowed 21 hits and seven walks in 17 innings over three starts this month - all at home. daniel descalso is 3-for-6 against the 25-year-old, who is 2-1 with a 2.89 era in three career starts against arizona.

walk-offs

1. arizona has lost six times by two runs or fewer in its last 10 games.

2. diamondbacks 1b paul goldschmidt homered for the first time in more than a month saturday and has hit all five of his long balls this year on the road.
3. the mets have a 71-70 advantage in the series.

prediction: mets 5, diamondbacks 3

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:24 am
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Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote

The Chicago Cubs will try to notch another series victory over the Cincinnati Reds when the National League Central rivals wrap up a four-game set Sunday in Cincinnati. The Cubs are 42-19 against the Reds since the start of the 2015 season after splitting a doubleheader with Cincinnati on Saturday.

Chicago has taken two of the first three games of the series to improve to 22-10 at Great American Ball Park over the past three-plus seasons. The Reds claimed a rare win over the Cubs on Billy Hamilton's bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning for a 5-4 victory in the opener of Saturday's twinbill. Chicago dominated the nightcap 10-0 and has outscored Cincinnati 22-6 in the first three games of the series. The Reds have lost four of their last six following a six-game winning streak, while the Cubs have alternated losses and wins in their past six contests.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, ABC 7 (Chicago), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Yu Darvish (0-3, 5.56 ERA) vs. Reds RH Tyler Mahle (3-5, 4.34)
Darvish experienced cramping in his right calf Tuesday at Atlanta and was pulled after four innings for precautionary reasons. The 31-year-old has lasted six innings only twice in his first seven starts with the Cubs. Darvish is 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in two starts against the Reds.

Mahle is coming off his shortest outing of the season after allowing four runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings in a loss at San Francisco on Tuesday. The 23-year-old has struck out 46 and walked 16 in 47 2/3 innings, but he has allowed 10 home runs in nine starts. Mahle dominated the Cubs in his season debut, striking out seven and allowing one hit over six scoreless innings in a win.
WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs OF Ian Happ homered in both games of Saturday's doubleheader, the first Cubs player to do so since Chris Coghlan in 2014.

2. Reds 2B Scooter Gennett has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games, including seven multi-hit games.

3. The Cubs have homered in 21 of their past 25 games at Great American Ball Park.

PREDICTION: Reds 5, Cubs 3

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:32 am
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San Diego Padres vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote

christian villanueva was on the verge of losing his job after going hitless for nearly two weeks, but the same powerful bat that performed so well in april appears to be back. the san diego padres look to secure their first series win in pittsburgh since 2014 on sunday when they face the pirates in the finale of their four-game set.

after hitting .338 with eight homers and 19 rbis in april, the 26-year-old third baseman promptly hit another home run in his first at-bat of may before falling into a 0-for-36 slump that led manager andy green to consider giving more playing time to cory spangenberg. villanueva finally got out of his rut with a single against colorado on may 14 and is 4-for-9 with two homers and four rbis over his last three games, including a solo shot and rbi double in saturday's 6-2 victory over pittsburgh. while san diego is 9-8 this month after going 10-20 in march and april combined, pittsburgh has lost consecutive games after winning eight of its previous nine. the offense that served the pirates so well during their surge (.293 average, 6.3 runs per game) has fallen on hard times over the last two contests, hitting .215 as a team while scoring a total of four runs.

tv: 1:35 p.m. et, fs san diego, at&t sportsnet pittsburgh

pitching matchup: padres rh jordan lyles (1-1, 2.53 era) vs. pirates rh trevor williams (5-2, 2.72)

lyles' bid for a perfect game fell five outs short against his most recent employer tuesday versus colorado, recording a career high-tying 10 strikeouts and the win after allowing a single and a walk. the 27-year-old south carolinian, who is filling the rotation spot occupied by the injured joey lucchesi, permitted one earned run in five frames of a loss to st. louis in his first turn of the season five days earlier. lyles has struggled mightily versus pittsburgh, going 0-5 with a 7.82 era in nine appearances (seven starts).
williams produced his second scoreless start of at least six innings this season tuesday against the chicago white sox, allowing six hits and striking out six while throwing 94 pitches in seven frames. the arizona state product has limited the opposition to two or fewer runs in seven of his nine outings and is 3-1 with a 2.22 era in four turns at home this season. right-handed batters are hitting .200 against williams entering his first career start versus san diego.
walk-offs

1. the pirates' defeats over the last two days mark only the second time this season they have dropped consecutive home games.

2. san diego 1b eric hosmer went 0-for-4 with a walk saturday, ending his seven-game hitting streak as well as his four-game rbi streak.
3. pittsburgh ss jordy mercer, who ended a string of 16 hitless at-bats with an infield single friday, went 3-for-3 and knocked in a run saturday.

prediction: pirates 3, padres 2

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:33 am
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Miami Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote

the atlanta braves close out a three-game series sunday at home against the miami marlins after shaking off a recent offensive malaise to put themselves in position to win yet another series. the braves had averaged just 6.6 hits per game in their past five games and had not scored in the opening 13 innings of the series, but johan camargo and dansby swanson sparked a four-run fifth inning as atlanta won 8-1 to stay in first place in the national league east.

camargo, who began saturday mired in a 6-for-41 slump while filling in for swanson at shortstop, moved back to third base and finished 2-for-2 with a double, walk and two rbis, while swanson returned from a wrist injury and drove in a run with a squeeze bunt in the fifth. atlanta's bullpen continues a remarkable turnaround after posting a 4.21 era with 65 walks in 92 innings in april, entering the series finale with a 2.45 era in may with 16 walks in 58 2/3 innings. miami, which plays 14 of its next 17 games away from home, has lost eight of its past 12 games and in that span has surrendered seven runs or more six times. right fielder brian anderson collected two hits on his birthday saturday and is batting .333 in his past 14 road games.

tv: 1:35 p.m. et, fs florida (miami), fs south (atlanta)

pitching matchup: marlins lh wei-yin chen (1-2, 7.56 era) vs. braves rh julio teheran (4-1, 3.49)

chen missed the first month of the season with a left elbow strain and has produced mixed results in his first four starts. he held the los angeles dodgers to three hits in 4 1/3 scoreless innings tuesday after surrendering 13 runs with six walks and 12 hits allowed in losses to cincinnati and the chicago cubs. chen, who is throwing his slider 16.6 percent of the time after throwing it just 8.4 percent a season ago, has allowed six homers in 16 2/3 innings.
teheran is pitching like he did when he earned all-star honors in 2014 and 2016, ranking sixth in the nl in hits allowed per nine innings (6.6) while owning an era one run lower than last season. he gave up four runs on four hits with three walks monday in a victory over the cubs, giving the 27-year-old his third consecutive victory. teheran, who has not allowed a run in three of his past five starts, is 6-5 with a 3.49 era in 17 career starts against the marlins.
walk-offs

1. miami c bryan holaday has thrown out seven consecutive base-stealers.

2. braves c kurt suzuki homered in the seventh inning saturday, and is batting .417 with three homers and eight rbis in the seventh inning and later this season.
3. the marlins gave c j.t. realmuto the night off saturday, but he is expected to return to the lineup sunday.

prediction: braves 6, marlins 2

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:34 am
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Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote

If the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to turn around their disappointing season, finishing off a three-game road sweep of the Washington Nationals on Sunday would be a good place to start. The Dodgers took both games of a doubleheader from the Nationals on Saturday and have won three straight following a string of six straight defeats.

Los Angeles had lost nine of 10 entering the series, but Ross Stripling shut down the Nationals for a 4-1 win in Saturday's opener and the Dodgers rallied in the ninth on Matt Kemp's two-run double for a 5-4 victory in the nightcap. Seven relievers had to combine on a four-hitter for the Dodgers in the second game after starter Rich Hill left with blisters on his throwing hand after just two pitches. Fellow left-hander Alex Wood will need to give the Dodgers a deep start Sunday to preserve the bullpen. The Nationals had won four straight and 13 of 15 before rain killed their momentum - they had not completed a game since Sunday prior to Saturday's twinbill.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SportsNet Los Angeles, MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Alex Wood (0-4, 3.35 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (5-3, 3.28)

Wood is still looking for his first win despite allowing one earned run or less in five of his nine starts, including each of the last three. The 27-year-old gave up two runs (one earned) over six innings in a tough-luck loss at Miami on Tuesday. Wood is 4-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 11 starts against the Nationals, including a no-decision April 22 in which he allowed three runs (two earned) over six frames.
Strasburg has won three straight starts, racking up 25 strikeouts and only three walks over 20 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old had nine strikeouts and allowed one run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings in a win at Arizona in his last start May 12. Strasburg is 2-3 with a 2.45 ERA in eight starts against the Dodgers, including a tough-luck loss April 22, when he gave up three runs (two earned) over seven innings with 10 strikeouts.

PREDICTION: Nationals 6, Dodgers 2

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:35 am
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Milwaukee Brewers vs. Minnesota Twins Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote

the first-place milwaukee brewers try for a three-game sweep of the minnesota twins on sunday as they continue to hit - and win - on the road. milwaukee (28-18), which leads pittsburgh by 1 1/2 games in the national league central, improved to 10-2 in its last 12 games away from home with a 5-4 victory saturday and has already wrapped up their fourth straight road series win.

the brewers were ranked 28th in the majors at 3.9 runs per game before averaging 5.8 runs while going 7-2 on a 10-game road trip that ends sunday. minnesota (18-23), which owned a five-game winning streak against milwaukee prior to friday's 8-3 loss, will be without joe mauer for a period of time. the first baseman was placed on the 10-day disabled list saturday with concussion-like systems and a cervical strain after he was removed from friday's contest because of neck stiffness and "balance issues and light sensitivity,'' according to the club. the twins' jake odorizzi is 2-0 with a 2.02 era in his last four starts and opposes junior guerra, who snapped a three-game losing streak in his last start.

tv: 2:10 p.m. et, fs wisconsin (milwaukee), fs north (minnesota)

pitching matchup: brewers rh junior guerra (3-3, 3.08 era) vs. twins rh jake odorizzi (3-2, 3.35)

guerra allowed two runs, three hits and four walks while striking out three in six innings of a 7-2 victory at arizona on monday. the 33-year-old venezuelan yielded nine runs in 10 innings over his previous two starts - losses to cleveland and pittsburgh - after suffering a hard-luck 3-0 loss to the cubs in chicago when he permitted one run and three hits in six frames. guerra allowed two runs in one inning of relief in his only appearance against minnesota as a rookie with the chicago white sox in 2015.
odorizzi received a no-decision after allowing four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in six shutout frames of the twins' 1-0 loss to seattle on monday. the 28-year-old illinois native has lowered his era by 1.15 since going 1-2 in his first five starts with minnesota after he was acquired from tampa bay during the offseason. travis shaw is 4-for-14 with six strikeouts versus odorizzi, who defeated milwaukee in his only start against the brewers in 2014.
walk-offs

1. milwaukee lhp josh hader (2-0, 1.32 era) struck out six in 2 1/3 innings saturday, giving him 56 in 27 1/3 frames this season as the brewers improved to 16-0 when he pitches.

2. twins cf jake cave, 25, homered in the second at-bat of his major-league debut saturday after 634 games in the minors.
3. milwaukee is 17-2 versus sub-.500 teams this season.

prediction: twins 3, brewers 2

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:35 am
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Texas Rangers vs. Chicago White Sox Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote

the chicago white sox have already done something three games into their current homestand they could not do in any of their first three: win multiple games. the white sox set their sights on accomplishing another season first sunday when they attempt to secure a home series victory against the texas rangers in the finale of their four-game set.

chicago entered this series going 1-5 in each of its first three extended stays at guaranteed rate field and fell to a majors-worst 4-16 at home following a 12-5 loss to texas on friday, but jose abreu continued his torrid hitting stretch by going 3-for-3 with a homer and two rbis in saturday's 5-3 triumph. the victory gave the white sox only their third win in 12 games against american league west competition and multiple wins over some other opponent besides kansas city (5-2). the rangers blew an early three-run advantage to continue a troubling early-season trend, as they have only four comeback victories versus 11 losses in games in which they have held a lead. texas has dropped five of seven overall since winning three of four to fall 11 games out of first place - 6 1/2 games behind any of its division rivals.

tv: 2:10 p.m. et, fs southwest (texas), wgn (chicago)

pitching matchup: rangers lh mike minor (3-2, 5.61 era) vs. white sox rh reynaldo lopez (0-3, 3.50)

two of minor's worst two outings of the season have come in his most recent trips to the mound, including tuesday's no-decision in seattle in which he gave up a season-high six runs while working a season-low 3 1/3 innings. the 30-year-old was tagged for five runs and a season-high three homers over seven frames one week earlier in a loss to detroit. minor's lone career start against chicago came back in 2013, but he allowed only one run in five relief appearances spanning 5 2/3 innings last year versus the white sox.
lopez languished through one of the worst outings of his career tuesday in pittsburgh, surrendering a career high-tying six runs on seven hits and a pair of walks while recording only six outs. it was a big step back for the 24-year-old dominican, who had not pitched fewer than five innings or allowed more than two earned runs in six of his first seven turns. lopez's first and only start against texas didn't go much better than his most recent outing, as he gave up six runs across 4 1/3 innings in a loss last august.
walk-offs

1. abreu, who is batting .412 with seven doubles, two homers and 12 rbis over the last 13 games, recorded his 300th extra-base hit in his 655th game saturday - the second-fastest to reach that mark in club history.
2. after driving in four runs over his previous 14 contests, texas ss jurickson profar has five rbis over his last two.

3. chicago lhp jace fry worked a perfect 1 1/3 innings in relief saturday and has yet give up a hit in 7 1/3 frames over six appearances this season.

prediction: white sox 6, rangers 3

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:36 am
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Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote

philadelphia phillies right-hander aaron nola can become the second pitcher in the national league to reach seven victories when he takes the mound against the host st. louis cardinals on sunday afternoon in the finale of a four-game series. nola looks to win his sixth consecutive outing and also is riding a streak of seven straight quality starts.

the one player on the phillies who has been more consistent than nola is center fielder odubel herrera, who belted a two-run homer and drove in three runs in saturday's 7-6 victory to extend his on-base streak to 45 games -- the fourth-longest in franchise history. scott kingery tripled in the tying run and scored the winning tally on jorge alfaro's pinch-hit single to lift philadelphia to its eighth win in the last 10 games. greg holland, who amassed 166 saves over the four previous seasons with kansas city and colorado, was victimized for the winning rally as his era ballooned to 7.30. tommy pham is 5-for-8 with four runs scored in the past two days for st. louis, which has dropped seven of 11 since opening may with a five-game winning streak.

tv: 2:15 p.m. et, nbcs philadelphia, fs midwest (st. louis)

pitching matchup: phillies rh aaron nola (6-1, 1.99 era) vs. cardinals rh jack flaherty (0-1, 2.87)

nola allowed a season-high nine hits over six innings last time out but limited the damage to one run in beating the mets to win his fifth start in a row. during the winning streak, he has permitted a combined seven runs while striking out 36 batters and walking only four. marcell ozuna is 6-for-19 with two homers off nola, who is 2-1 with a 1.86 era in three career starts against st. louis.
flaherty remains in search of his first major league victory as he makes his fourth start of the season and first at home this year. winless in six appearances a year ago, the 2014 first-round draft pick has allowed five runs in his three starts this season but has nothing to show for it. flaherty settled for a no-decision last time out at minnesota after tossing 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball.
walk-offs

1. herrera, who has six rbis in the series, is 11 shy of mike schmidt's franchise-record, 56-game on-base streak.

2. cardinals lf tyler o'neill belted his first major league homer saturday.

3. kingery's triple saturday was his extra-base hit since april 30.

prediction: phillies 4, cardinals 3

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:37 am
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New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote

the new york yankees will try to extend their streak of series wins to eight when they take on the host kansas city royals in the rubber match of their three-game series sunday afternoon. gary sanchez homered twice among four hits to lead a 14-hit attack in saturday's 8-3 triumph for the yankees, evening the set at a game apiece.

aaron hicks had an inside-the-park homer and scored twice for new york, which has won 20 of its last 24. struggling shortstop didi gregorius, mired in a 1-for-45 stretch for the yankees, was given the day off while outfielder clint frazier had a double and two walks in his season debut. whit merrifield had a hit in four at-bats and is batting .447 during a 12-game hitting streak for the royals, who turn to left-hander eric skoglund on the mound in the series finale. the yankees give the ball to struggling righty sonny gray as they look to improve to 9-1 against the american league central.

tv: 2:15 p.m. et, mlb network, yes (new york), fs kansas city

pitching matchup: yankees rh sonny gray (2-3, 6.39 era) vs. royals lh eric skoglund (1-3, 5.58)

gray allowed two runs and four hits in six innings in back-to-back starts before getting roughed up in a loss to oakland on may 11. he surrendered five runs on a season-high nine hits - including two home runs - in the outing. the vanderbilt product boasts a 2.77 era in four career starts against the royals.

skoglund allowed two runs in 7 2/3 innings - his longest start of the year - against tampa bay on monday. he lasted at least seven frames in two of his four home starts and was limited to 4 2/3 innings in the other two at kauffman stadium, giving up five runs in both of those clunkers. the 25-year-old floridian is facing the yankees for the first time in his career.
walk-offs

1. yankees 2b gleyber torres slugged a three-run homer saturday after reaching base three times in the series opener.

2. the royals placed if cheslor cuthbert (back) on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to may 16, and recalled if ramon torres from triple-a omaha.
3. kansas city lf alex gordon is 0-for-8 with six strikeouts in the series.

prediction: yankees 6, royals 4

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:38 am
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Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

19th May 2018 by Gracenote

san francisco shortstop brandon crawford is as soft-spoken as they come, but his bat is making plenty of noise this month. crawford is batting a major league-best .449 in may for the giants, who look to salvage a split of their four-game series against the visiting colorado rockies on sunday.

crawford went 3-for-5 with a home run and four rbis in saturday's 9-4 win over the rockies and is 15-for-26 during his seven-game hitting streak. buster posey, brandon belt, miguel gomez and evan longoria each added two hits in saturday's victory while andrew mccutchen doubled twice, singled and had two rbi before leaving with a bruised knee. the rockies fell to 3-2 on their nine-game road trip but received another encouraging performance from first baseman ian desmond, who has been mired in a season-long slump but is 3-for-6 with a home run and four rbis over his last two games. "i've been in this position so many times. you just have to go," desmond told reporters. "once it gets going, it gets going. it's pretty much how it's been my whole career. i don't know why, but sometimes i just get in these funks and snap out of them and put them behind me, and that's what i'm hopeful for here."

tv: 4:05 p.m. et, at&t sportsnet-rocky mountain (colorado), nbcs bay area (san francisco)

pitching matchup: rockies lh tyler anderson (3-1, 4.30 era) vs. giants lh ty blach (3-4, 4.05)

anderson won for the second time in his last three starts last monday, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits across 5 2/3 innings in a 6-4 victory over san diego. colorado is 5-1 in his past six starts, with anderson posting a 3.64 era during that stretch. the 28-year-old native of las vegas is 0-2 with a 4.67 era in three career starts versus san francisco, including 0-2 with a 6.30 era in two outings at a&t park.
blach received a no-decision against cincinnati last tuesday, when he allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits over four innings. the 27-year-old native of denver has a 26-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 53 1/3 innings and has pitched six frames or fewer in nine of his 10 starts. nolan arenado is 7-for-11 against blach, who is 1-1 with a 3.33 era in seven career games (three starts) against colorado while holding charlie blackmon hitless in 12 at-bats.
walk-offs

1. san francisco closer hunter strickland is 9-for-11 in save opportunities and has converted each of his last seven chances.

2. arenado has reached base in 27 of his last 28 games.

3. giants rhp mark melancon (forearm) is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment at triple-a sacramento on monday.

prediction: giants 7, rockies 5

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:39 am
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Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview and Predictions 05-20-2018

20th May 2018 by Gracenote

the tampa bay rays have reached the .500 mark for the first time since the second game of the season and look to extend their winning streak to seven when they go for a road sweep against the struggling los angeles angels on sunday. sergio romo made his first major league start after 588 relief appearances, striking out the side in the first inning saturday, and will get the ball to open the game again in the series finale sunday for tampa bay.

romo will become the first pitcher to start back-to-back major league games since 2012, when zack greinke was ejected july 7 and came back the next day to throw the first pitch for milwaukee. infielder daniel robertson belted his first career grand slam in the 5-3 victory saturday for the rays and is 6-for-14 during a four-game hitting streak while c.j. cron had a hit to extend his on-base streak to a career-best 25 contests. rookie shohei ohtani will try to put a halt to the angels' five-game losing streak when he takes the mound in search of his fourth victory sunday. former american league mvp mike trout homered for the second straight game saturday for los angeles after going 1-for-22 over an eight-game stretch.

tv: 4:07 p.m. et, fs sun (tampa bay), fs west (los angeles)

pitching matchup: rays rh sergio romo (1-0, 4.67 era) vs. angels rh shohei ohtani (3-1, 3.58)

romo whiffed zack cozart, trout and justin upton on saturday to get the rays off to a great start and has not allowed a run in 5 1/3 innings over his last five appearances. the 35-year-old, who owns 84 career saves, will most likely be followed by right-hander matt andriese or lefty anthony banda after pitching at least one inning sunday. martin maldonado has a homer against romo, who is 1-0 and has permitted three runs over 12 2/3 innings on the road this year.
ohtani recorded a pair quality starts in his last two trips to the mound, allowing three runs on nine hits and four walks with 17 strikeouts over 12 1/3 innings. the 23-year-old japan native opened the season with a pair of strong outings before giving up seven runs across 7 1/3 innings and suffering his only loss to boston in the next two before turning things around in may. ohtani, who faces the rays for the first time, has struck out 43 and walked 13 in 32 2/3 innings overall in 2018.
walk-offs

1. los angeles ss andrelton simmons went 0-for-4 on saturday to end a 25-game on-base streak.

2. tampa bay placed ss adeiny hechavarria (hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list saturday and recalled rhp ryne stanek from triple-a durham.
3. angels lf justin upton (hand) returned to the lineup after missing one game saturday, but went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

prediction: angels 7, rays 2

 
Posted : May 20, 2018 10:39 am
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