Preview: Padres at Giants
Gracenote
Jun 23, 2018
The San Francisco Giants are trying to jump over .500 and stay there, and shortstop Brandon Crawford is leading the way. Crawford will try to follow up a big game and lead the Giants to a series win when they host the San Diego Padres in the finale of a four-game set on Sunday.
Crawford was 0-for-18 over a five-game stretch before exploding on Sunday with a triple, two doubles and three RBIs in a 5-3 triumph, boosting his team-best batting average to .313 with the big game and joining Brandon Belt atop the team leaderboard in RBIs with 35. San Francisco improved to 39-39 overall - 23-13 at home - with the win and four games left on the 10-game homestand, with Colorado coming to town on Tuesday. The Padres remain in last place in the National League West and are losers of six of their last seven. San Diego will try to get some length out of starter Eric Lauer on Sunday while the Giants send rookie righty Dereck Rodriguez to the mound.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Eric Lauer (3-4, 5.47 ERA) vs. Giants RH Dereck Rodriguez (2-1, 4.56)
Lauer was strong against Oakland on Tuesday but could not factor in the decision while allowing an unearned run on three hits in six innings. The rookie from Ohio snapped a string of four straight starts without completing six innings in that outing and surrendered three or fewer earned runs in each of his last four games. Lauer started at San Francisco on April 30 and yielded three runs on seven hits over five innings without earning a decision.
Rodriguez picked up his second major league win on Tuesday against Miami, allowing three runs and seven hits over five innings. The 26-year-old did not walk a batter in either of his last two turns and owns 22 strikeouts against six walks across 23 2/3 total innings. Rodriguez is making his first career appearance against San Diego and is 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two home starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Giants optioned LF Mac Williamson to Triple-A Sacramento and recalled OF Austin Slater on Saturday.
2. San Diego RHP Jordan Lyles was scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday due to tightness in his forearm.
3. San Francisco LHP Tony Watson did not allow a run in any of his last 12 appearances.
PREDICTION: Giants 6, Padres 3
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Preview: Blue Jays at Angels
Gracenote
Jun 24, 2018
The Toronto Blue Jays lost the first two contests of their four-game series against the host Los Angeles Angels but hope to earn a split when the teams square off in Sunday's finale. Toronto bounced back from the setbacks with Saturday's 4-1 victory, which featured key performances from Marcus Stroman and Steve Pearce.
Stroman returned from a shoulder injury to toss five scoreless innings in his first outing since May 8 while Pearce snapped a 1-1 tie in the ninth inning with a three-run homer. The 35-year-old Pearce has come back strong from an oblique injury that had shelved him since May 3, going 4-for-6 in two games. Los Angeles outhit the Blue Jays 9-8 on Saturday but was unable to register a fourth consecutive victory. Rookie David Fletcher recorded a pair of singles, giving him back-to-back two-hit performances and multi-hit efforts in three of the four games in which he's been in the Angels' starting lineup.
TV: 4:07 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, TVA (Toronto), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Sam Gaviglio (2-2, 3.75 ERA) vs. Angels RH Felix Pena (0-0, 5.40)
Gaviglio returns from paternity leave to make his first start since last Sunday, when he allowed three runs and six hits over four innings of a no-decision. The 28-year-old native of Oregon is winless in four turns since posting a victory at Philadelphia on May 25. Gaviglio made his only career start against the Angels last season, suffering the loss on the road after yielding three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 frames on July 1 while with Seattle.
Pena is coming off his first major-league start, a no-decision against Arizona on Tuesday in which he gave up one run on two hits and three walks in four innings. The 28-year-old Dominican, who also made two relief appearances for the Angels earlier this season, went 1-2 with a 3.51 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) for Triple-A Salt Lake this year. Pena's lone outing against Toronto took place last year as he came out of the Chicago Cubs' bullpen and struck out the side in his only inning Aug. 19.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels LHP Tyler Skaggs, who was scratched from the series opener with tightness in his right hamstring, is expected to start in Kansas City on Monday.
2. Los Angeles claimed RHP Hansel Robles off waivers from the New York Mets and optioned him to Salt Lake.
3. Toronto placed LHP Jaime Garcia (shoulder) and RHP Aaron Sanchez (finger) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled LHP Tim Mayza from Triple-A Buffalo.
PREDICTION: Angels 7, Blue Jays 4
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Preview: Phillies at Nationals
Gracenote
Jun 24, 2018
The Washington Nationals continue to slump at the plate and are sliding down the standings as a result. The Nationals will try to break out of the funk and avoid a sweep when they host the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a three-game series on Sunday.
Washington dropped nine of its last 12 games and is averaging three runs in that span, including losing the first two games of the current series by a combined 17-5. The heart of the Nationals order is not producing up to par, and star right fielder Bryce Harper is batting .149 with one home run, five RBIs and 24 strikeouts in 19 games this month. The Phillies surged in front of Washington in the National League East standings with victories the last two days and won nine of the last 12 overall to put pressure on the Atlanta Braves atop the NL East. Philadelphia will try to polish off the sweep behind right-hander Nick Pivetta while the Nationals give righty Jefry Rodriguez his second major league start.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Nick Pivetta (4-6, 4.08 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Jefry Rodriguez (0-0, 4.66)
Pivetta is winless in his last five turns but dominated last time out against St. Louis. The Canada native struck out a career-high 13 over 7 1/3 innings but yielded two runs on four hits and a walk while being held out of the decision. Pivetta was not nearly as sharp at Washington on May 4, when he was ripped for six runs on five hits and three walks in one-plus innings and surrendered a pair of home runs to Harper.
Rodriguez tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in his first career appearance on June 3 at Atlanta but did not have as much success in his first start. The Dominican Republic native was reached for five runs on four hits and three walks over five innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. Rodriguez went 5-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 13 starts for Double-A Harrisburg before being recalled.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals RHP Brandon Kintzler (forearm) will make a rehab appearance at Class-A Potomac on Sunday.
2. Phillies RHP Pat Neshek (shoulder, forearm) made his first rehab appearance on Saturday with Class A Advanced Clearwater and struck out a pair in a scoreless inning.
3. Philadelphia 3B Maikel Franco went 4-for-4 on Saturday, matching his hit total from his previous 11 games.
PREDICTION: Phillies 6, Nationals 4
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