MLB Betting News and Trends For Tuesday 6/12/18

Tuesday’s games
National League
Rockies (32-33) @ Phillies (33-30)
Gray is 2-2, 8.00 in his last four starts (over 3-1). Team in his starts: 6-7.
5-inning record: 6-6-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-13

Nola is 1-0, 2.29 in his last three starts; under is 6-1 in his last seven. Team in his starts: 8-5.
5-inning record: 4-5-4. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-13

Rockies lost their last four games; they’re 9-2 in road series openers. Last nine Colorado games went over. Phillies lost seven of their last nine games; they’re 6-4 in home series openers. Under is 7-3-1 in their last 11 games.

Giants (33-33) @ Marlins (24-42)
Stratton is 4-0, 5.04 in his last five starts; SF scored 33 runs in those games. Team in his starts: 10-3.
5-inning record: 7-5-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-13

Richards is 0-3, 5.34 in six starts this year; under is 3-1 in his last four. Team in his starts: 2-4.
5-inning record: 1-3-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-6

Giants won eight of their last 11 games; over is 6-2 in their last eight road games. Miami lost six of its last eight home games; under is 4-2 in their last six home games.

Mets (28-34) @ Braves (37-28)
Wheeler is 0-0, 1.38 in his last two starts; over is 6-3 in his last nine. Team in his starts: 3-8.
5-inning record: 3-7-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-11

Foltynewicz is 2-1, 1.29 in his last three starts; under is 4-0-1 in his last five. Team in his starts: 5-8.
5-inning record: 4-8-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-13

Mets lost eight of their last nine games; they’re 7-2 in road series openers. Mets’ last six games stayed under the total. Atlanta lost four of its last six games; they’re 5-4 in home series openers. Over is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Cubs (38-25) @ Brewers (39-27)
Chatwood is 0-1, 4.79 in his last five starts; over is 5-2 in his last seven. Team in his starts: 6-6.
5-inning record: 6-5-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-12

Anderson is 1-3, 6.84 in his last five starts (under 6-4-2). Team in his starts: 7-5.
5-inning record: 7-4-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-12

Cubs won nine of their last 11 games; under is 6-2 in their last eight games. Milwaukee is 3-6 in its last nine games; under is 5-3 in their last eight games.

Padres (31-37) @ Cardinals (36-28)
Bullpen game for the Padres. Team in his starts: 0-0.
5-inning record: 0-0. Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-0

Mikolas is 2-1, 2.25 in his last four starts; under is 5-2 in his last seven. Team in his starts: 9-3.
5-inning record: 9-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-12

Padres are 9-4 in their last 13 games; over is 9-5 in their last 14 games. St Louis won four of its last five games; under is 8-4-1 in their last 13 home games.

Pirates (32-34) @ Diamondbacks (36-29)
Williams is 0-1, 8.50 in his last four starts (over 3-1). Team in his starts: 7-6.
5-inning record: 5-5-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-13

Buchholz is 1-1, 1.88 in four starts this year (over 2-2). Team in his starts: 1-3.
5-inning record: 3-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-4

Pirates lost seven of their last nine road games; Six of Pittsburgh’s last seven road games stayed under. Arizona won five of its last six games; over is 8-3 in their last 11 games.

American League
Red Sox (45-22) @ Orioles (19-46)
Rodriguez is 4-0, 1.90 in his last four starts; under is 4-0-1 in his last five. Team in his starts: 11-1
5-inning record: 8-3-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-12

Hess is 1-1, 0.96 in his last three starts (under 5-0). Team in his starts: 2-3
5-inning record: 2-2-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-5

Red Sox lost three of their last five games; last seven Boston games stayed under. Baltimore is 2-12 in its last 14 games; under is 10-2 in their last 12 games.

Blue Jays (30-36) @ Rays (30-35)
Garcia is 0-2, 5.89 in his last four starts; under is 4-1 in his last five. Team in his starts: 6-5
5-inning record: 2-8-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-11

Bullpen game for Tampa Bay Team in bullpen games: 7-11.
5-inning record: 8-7-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 6-18

Blue Jays won four of their last five games; under is 5-2 in their last seven games. Tampa Bay lost nine of its last 11 games; five of their last six games went over.

Twins (28-34) @ Tigers (31-36)
Odorizzi is 0-1, 5.26 in his last five starts (under 4-1). Team in his starts: 5-8.
5-inning record: 6-4-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-13

Hardy is 2-1, 3.77 in five starts (under 4-1). Team in his starts: 3-2.
5-inning record: 3-1-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-5

Twins lost six of their last seven road games; they’re 2-8 in road series openers. Under is 6-2 in their last eight road games. Detroit lost six of its last nine games; they’re 8-4 in home series openers. Under is 6-1 in their last seven games.

Indians (35-29) @ White Sox (22-42)
Plutko is 3-0, 3.93 in three starts (over 2-1). Team in his starts: 3-0
5-inning record: 3-0. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-3

Shields is 0-3, 4.11 in his last five starts; under is 7-1-1 in his last nine. Team in his starts: 4-9.
5-inning record: 4-8-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 4-13

Cleveland is 12-4 in its last 16 games; under is 6-2 in their last eight games. White Sox are 6-5 in their last 11 games; under is 9-0-1 in their last ten games.

Astros (42-25) @ A’s (34-32)
McCullers is 1-1, 7.16 in his last three starts; under is 4-2 in his last six. Team in his starts: 8-4.
5-inning record: 5-3-4. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-12

Mengden is 4-1, 2.91 in his last five starts (over 7-5-1). Team in his starts: 8-5.
5-inning record: 8-4-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-13

Houston won its last five games; they’re 8-2 in road series openers. Over is 7-2 in their last nine games. A’s won four of their last five home games; they’re 5-5 in home series openers. Under is 8-2 in their last ten home games.

Angels (37-30) @ Mariners (42-24)
Barria is 4-0, 2.15 in his last five starts (under 4-3). Team in his starts: 5-2
5-inning record: 6-1. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-7

Leake is 2-0, 2.12 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Team in his starts: 10-3.
5-inning record: 6-3-4. Allowed run in 1st inning: 2-13

Angels won six of their last eight games; under is 10-2-1 in their last 13 games. Mariners won 18 of their last 23 games; over is 5-2-1 in their last eight games.

Interleague
Washington (36-27) @ New York (42-19)
Roark is 1-2, 3.37 in his last five starts; under is 7-1 in his last eight. Team in his starts: 5-7.
5-inning record: 4-6-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 3-12

Sabathia is 1-1, 7.59 in his last four starts (over 5-5-1). Over is 4-1-1 in his home starts. Team in his starts: 6-5.
5-inning record: 5-4-2. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-11

Nationals are 4-5 in their last nine games, 8-2 in road series openers. Under is 14-2 in their last 16 road games. New York won nine of its last 11 games; they’re 6-4 in home series openers. Last six Bronx games stayed under.

Reds (23-43) @ Royals (22-44)
Romano is 1-4, 10.57 in his last five starts (over 4-1). Team in his starts: 5-8.
5-inning record: 2-6-5. Allowed run in 1st inning: 6-13

Kennedy is 0-2, 7.71 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Team in his starts: 3-10.
5-inning record: 3-7-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 5-13

Reds lost six of their last eight games; they’re 4-6 in road series openers. Over is 9-1 in their last ten games. Kansas City lost seven of its last eight games; they’re 3-7 in home series openers. Under is 5-1 in their last six games.

Rangers (27-41) @ Dodgers (33-32)
Colon is 1-2, 7.53 in his last four starts; under is 5-1-1 in his last seven. Team in his starts: 6-5.
5-inning record: 4-4-3. Allowed run in 1st inning: 1-11

Bullpen game. Team in his starts: 0-0.
5-inning record: 0-0. Allowed run in 1st inning: 0-0

Texas lost its last four games; they’re 2-8 in road series openers. Under is 7-2 in their last nine road games. Dodgers won seven of their last nine games; they’re 5-6 in home series openers. Over is 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

Umpires
SF-Mia— Underdogs won five of last seven Wegner games.
Chi-Mil— Four of last five Estabrook games stayed under.
SD-StL— Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Segal games.
Pitt-Az— Under is 5-3 in last eight Reyburn games.

Bos-Balt— Over is 7-0-2 in last nine Carlson games.
Tor-TB— Five of last six Fairchild games stayed under.
Clev-Chi— Under is 5-2 in last seven Woodring games.
LAA-Sea— Last seven Hamari games stayed under.

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Preview: Nationals at Yankees
Gracenote
Jun 11, 2018

The New York Yankees have seen their notoriously loud bats fall silent of late as the club matched a season low with three hits in its last outing and is batting .176 over the last four games overall. The Yankees (42-19) look to avoid hitting the snooze button once again Tuesday when they open an abbreviated two-game interleague series against the visiting Washington Nationals (36-27).

Gary Sanchez is mired in a 4-for-53 stretch while teammates Greg Bird (1-for-16) and Aaron Judge (2-for-23) are also slumping. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who has answered a six-game hitting streak by striking out five times in his last two contests, scored a run in the last meeting with Washington - a 3-3 deadlock on May 15 that was suspended after 5 1/2 innings. While the Yankees became the final major-league team to get shut out when they were blanked by the cross-town Mets on Sunday night, the Nationals also lost a 2-0 decision to San Francisco hours earlier to fall to 4-5 in their last nine outings. Anthony Rendon, who belted a solo homer in the suspended game versus the Yankees, is 6-for-16 with five RBIs and six runs scored in his last four games.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), WPIX (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Tanner Roark (3-6, 3.56 ERA) vs. Yankees LH CC Sabathia (3-1, 3.59)

Roark recorded his first win since April 30 after allowing two runs on six hits in an 11-2 romp of Tampa Bay on Wednesday. The 31-year-old worked six innings in that contest, marking the 11th time in 12 starts that he has ventured that far into a game. Roark will be making his first career start versus the Yankees, although he is very familiar with Stanton (8-for-33, four home runs) from the slugger's time with Miami.

Like Roark, Sabathia also snapped a prolonged winless drought in his last outing after yielding two runs on three hits in seven innings of a 7-2 triumph over Toronto. The 37-year-old, who won for the first time since April 29, was taken deep twice to raise his home run total to seven in his last five trips to the mound. Mark Reynolds is 4-for-18 with a homer versus Sabathia, but the left-hander owns a 2-1 career mark against the Nationals with a 2.25 ERA and an 0.92 WHIP while limiting the club to a .185 batting average.

WALK-OFFS

1. Washington rookie OF Juan Soto is 20-for-61 and has reached base safely in 16 of 19 games played.

2. New York's bullpen allowed only two unearned runs and struck out 25 in 19 1/3 innings over the past week.

3. Nationals 2B Daniel Murphy (right knee surgery) is expected to accompany his club to Yankee Stadium and could be activated from the disabled list this week, according to the Washington Post.

PREDICTION: Nationals 4, Yankees 2
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Preview: Rockies at Phillies
Gracenote
Jun 11, 2018

The Colorado Rockies have been extremely generous to the tune of surrendering 85 runs en route to losing eight of their last 10 to fall below .500 for the first time since April 11. The Rockies (32-33) aim to stop the bleeding Tuesday when they begin a six-game road trip with the opener of a three-game series versus the Philadelphia Phillies (33-30).

"Pitching is paramount to winning, and these last 10 games or so, we haven't pitched well as a group," Colorado manager Bud Black told reporters after watching his starters permit 15 hits and a 9.00 ERA in the weekend's series sweep at the hands of Arizona. Trevor Story had a stellar series against the Diamondbacks, pushing his hitting streak to five games after going 7-for-12 with three homers, six RBIs and three runs scored. While the Rockies boast a 21-14 mark on the road, the Phillies improved to 20-11 at Citizens Bank Park after snapping a four-game skid with Sunday's 4-3 triumph over Milwaukee. Rhys Hoskins returned from a fractured jaw to launch a three-run homer Saturday before driving in two runs in the series finale versus the Brewers.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountains (Colorado), NBCS Philadelphia

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jon Gray (6-6, 5.66 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Aaron Nola (7-2, 2.35)

Gray streaky season continued as he improved to 2-0 in his last three starts after allowing three runs on seven hits in five innings of Wednesday's 6-3 victory at Cincinnati. The 26-year-old's recent strong stretch comes on the heels of a two-game skid in which he permitted 11 runs on 19 hits - and that string answered a three-game winning streak in which he yielded a total of one run in 20 innings. "When he's been good, he's been really good. When he's been bad, it's been tough to watch," general manager Jeff Bridich told MLB.com. "We need him to step up. This is his third full season at this level. There are still lessons he's learning. But he's no longer a young kid in this league, at this level. He needs to step up, and we need to help him find a way to become more consistent."

Nola overcame a season-high four walks and was in line for the win Wednesday before the bullpen spoiled his six-inning performance by allowing a grand slam in the ninth of a 7-5 setback to the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old looks to continue his dominance at Citizens Bank Park, where he sports a 5-0 mark with a 1.94 ERA while limiting the opposition to a .209 batting average. Charlie Blackmon is 3-for-4 with three doubles against Nola, however the hurler has subdued the rest of the current crop of Rockies (3-for-17, eight strikeouts).

WALK-OFFS

1. Philadelphia CF Odubel Herrera is 0-for-13 with seven strikeouts in his last three contests.

2. Colorado OF Carlos Gonzalez likely will return to the starting lineup after sitting out two games with a rib injury.

3. Phillies 2B Cesar Hernandez has five hits in his last three contests and five runs scored in his last six.

PREDICTION: Phillies 2, Rockies 1
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Preview: Red Sox at Orioles
Gracenote
Jun 12, 2018

The visiting Boston Red Sox will try to clinch their fourth straight series win over the Baltimore Orioles when the teams play the second of three straight at Camden Yards on Tuesday. Two sacrifice flies in the top of the 12th inning accounted for all the offense in a 2-0 win for the Red Sox in the series opener Monday night.

Steven Wright and five relievers combined on a five-hit shutout for Boston, which is 10-1 in the last 11 contests against the Orioles dating to last season and has claimed six straight games in Baltimore. Mookie Betts returned from an oblique strain and had a hit in five trips to the plate in the opener of a 10-game road trip for the Red Sox. Orioles shortstop Manny Machado missed Monday's contest due to an illness and could return Tuesday to face Eduardo Rodriguez, against whom he is 6-for-31 with five strikeouts. Baltimore counters with streaking rookie David Hess as it attempts to end a five-game slide.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MASN2 (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (7-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. Orioles RH David Hess (2-2, 3.07)

Rodriguez has won four straight and already surpassed last season's win total after emerging victorious against Detroit on Wednesday. He limited the Tigers to one run and five hits over 5 2/3 innings while striking out five in his fifth consecutive home outing. The 25-year-old started his current winning streak with 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a victory over Baltimore on May 20, improving to 5-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 12 career meetings.

Hess has a 0.96 ERA over his last three starts after stifling the Toronto Blue Jays through six innings his last time out. The solid stretch began after a rocky effort opposite Rodriguez at Fenway Park last month, when Hess gave up five runs across 4 2/3 frames. The Tennessee native has a 3.00 ERA in two home starts while yielding 10 hits and a walk in 12 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Orioles 1B Chris Davis was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts Monday as his average through 57 games fell to .150.

2. Red Sox LF Andrew Benintendi is 13-for-30 with six walks in eight games against Baltimore this year.

3. Boston 1B Mitch Moreland is 2-for-19 over a six-game span to drop his average from .310 to .287.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Orioles 3
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Umpire Trends - Mark Carlson

Road team is 4-0 in Carlsons last 4 Tuesday games behind home plate.
Over is 4-0-1 in Carlsons last 5 games behind home plate.
Over is 4-0 in Carlsons last 4 Tuesday games behind home plate vs. Baltimore.
Under is 5-0 in Carlsons last 5 games behind home plate vs. Boston.
Home team is 5-1 in Carlsons last 6 games behind home plate vs. Baltimore.
Under is 5-2 in Carlsons last 7 Tuesday games behind home plate.
Orioles are 4-10 in their last 14 games with Carlson behind home plate.
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Preview: Giants at Marlins
Gracenote
Jun 11, 2018

J.T. Realmuto and the Miami Marlins have worn out the San Francisco Giants over the last two seasons, and they'll try to keep that trend alive when the teams continue a four-game series in South Florida on Tuesday. Realmuto was 3-for-4 and slugged the tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the Marlins to a 7-5 win in the series opener Monday.

It was Miami's sixth victory in seven meetings with the Giants since the start of 2017, and Realmuto is batting .400 with two homers and six RBIs in that stretch. San Francisco won eight of its previous 10 before Monday's loss, during which it lost the lead three times. Brandon Crawford, who hit .439 over his previous 36 games, had a rare hitless performance (0-for-3) and was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position for the Giants. He and his teammates will get their first look at Miami rookie Trevor Richards on Tuesday while Chris Stratton goes for San Francisco.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), FS Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Chris Stratton (7-3, 4.63 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Trevor Richards (0-3, 5.02)

Stratton won four straight starts before lasting just four frames in a no-decision against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, allowing three runs on seven hits. He spun six scoreless while striking out seven in his previous turn to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies. The 27-year-old will be facing the Marlins for the first time.

Richards remained winless through six career starts after picking up a loss at St. Louis on Thursday, allowing three runs over five innings in his first outing since being recalled from the minors. The Drury University product recorded seven scoreless innings while surrendering only two hits in his last home start April 14. Richards has given up 29 hits and 14 walks across 28 2/3 innings overall.

WALK-OFFS

1. Marlins 3B/RF Brian Anderson also went 3-for-4 on Monday for his sixth multi-hit effort over the last nine games.

2. Giants CF Andrew McCutchen recorded exactly two hits in six of his last eight contests.

3. Miami RHP Kyle Barraclough has made 13 straight scoreless appearances, spanning 12 2/3 innings.

PREDICTION: Giants 5, Marlins 4
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Umpire Trends - Mark Wegner

Road team is 5-0 in Wegners last 5 Tuesday games behind home plate.
Over is 3-0-1 in Wegners last 4 Tuesday games behind home plate vs. San Francisco.
Over is 7-1 in Wegners last 8 games behind home plate vs. Miami.
Road team is 17-4 in Wegners last 21 games behind home plate.
Under is 12-4 in Wegners last 16 games behind home plate.
Over is 12-5 in Wegners last 17 games behind home plate vs. San Francisco.
Giants are 8-20 in their last 28 games with Wegner behind home plate.
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Preview: Blue Jays at Rays
Gracenote
Jun 12, 2018

Jake Bauers and Willy Adames provided a glimpse of the future in the series opener and the two 22-year-old rookies look to keep making the present better for the Tampa Bay Rays when they host the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Bauers launched his first major league homer and was on base four times while Adames knocked in a pair of runs in Tampa Bay’s 8-4 victory Monday.

Bauers is 5-for-11 with four extra-base hits in the last three games and Adames - acquired from Detroit in 2014 in the David Price deal - made an impact after being recalled Monday when fellow infielder David Robertson (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day disabled list. The Rays, who won for just the second time in 11 games, will go with reliever Ryne Stanek in a starting role in Tuesday’s contest while left-hander Jaime Garcia hopes to break the pattern of good and bad starts as he takes the mound for Toronto. The Blue Jays coughed up a lead three times Monday to see their four-game winning streak come to an end, failing to score in the last five innings. Veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson, who had six RBIs in Sunday’s win versus Baltimore and is 6-for-11 in his last three games, is expected back in the lineup Tuesday for Toronto after being rested against a left-handed starter in the series opener.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Jaime Garcia (2-4, 5.57 ERA) vs. Rays RH Ryne Stanek (1-1, 3.14)

Garcia is winless in his last eight appearances but posted quality starts in two of his last three outings, including Thursday. The 31-year-old Mexico native limited Baltimore to one run on four hits and three walks across six innings in that start after completing just 1 2/3 frames in his previous outing. Carlos Gomez is 12-for-33 with three extra-base hits versus Garcia, who yielded one run over 4 2/3 innings in his only career start against the Rays last year.

Stanek gets his fourth start after allowing two runs on two hits and three walks with five strikeouts over four innings in his first three as the Rays continue to use relievers to open selected games. The 26-year-old Kansas native fanned 18 overall in his 14 1/3 innings this year, but has issued nine walks. Stanek, who faces the Blue Jays for the first time, has yet to give up a run while holding opponents to a .130 batting average in his six appearances at home in 2018.

WALK-OFFS

1. Toronto OF Teoscar Hernandez homered for the second straight contest Monday and is 9-for-22 with six RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.

2. Tampa Bay 3B Matt Duffy has hit safely in seven straight contests, going 11-for-28 in that stretch to push his batting average to .320.

3. Blue Jays 1B Justin Smoak is 1-for-21 with nine strikeouts over his last six games to drop his average to .237.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Blue Jays 4
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Umpire Trends - Chad Fairchild

Home team is 8-1 in Fairchilds last 9 games behind home plate.
Under is 5-1 in Fairchilds last 6 games behind home plate.
Over is 13-3 in Fairchilds last 16 games behind home plate vs. Toronto.
Road team is 12-4 in Fairchilds last 16 Tuesday games behind home plate.
Home team is 9-3 in Fairchilds last 12 games behind home plate vs. Tampa Bay.
Blue Jays are 5-2 in their last 7 games with Fairchild behind home plate.
Over is 15-7 in Fairchilds last 22 Tuesday games behind home plate.
Under is 15-7 in Fairchilds last 22 games behind home plate vs. Tampa Bay.
Blue Jays are 0-5 in their last 5 Tuesday games with Fairchild behind home plate.
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Preview: Twins at Tigers
Gracenote
Jun 11, 2018

The Detroit Tigers just suffered the scheduling misfortune of having to play three of the best teams in the American League - the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians - in consecutive series and took one game from each opponent. After a well-deserved day off, the Tigers will host the division-rival Minnesota Twins on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series.

Detroit battled all three of the likely playoff teams while finishing up a stretch of 18 games in 17 days and managed to go 10-8 before getting a day off. "We're hanging in there," Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters. "We played a lot of close ballgames. One swing here and there could've changed it, and one good pitch here and there. So, 10-8, yes, but we could've been better, and I think that's what keeps driving these guys. We can do better." The Twins are hoping they can do better as well after dropping four of their last six and scoring three runs or fewer in each of the four setbacks. Minnesota will try to get the bats going against Detroit left-hander Blaine Hardy while countering with veteran Jake Odorizzi on Tuesday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Jake Odorizzi (3-3, 4.24 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Blaine Hardy (2-1, 3.66)

Odorizzi is winless in his last five starts and is coming off the lone loss in that span after allowing three runs on six hits and a walk in five innings against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. The 28-year-old is struggling to work deep into games and completed six innings only twice in his last 10 starts. Odorizzi is seeing Detroit for the first time this season and is 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA in four career starts against the Tigers.

Hardy is trying to hang onto a spot in the rotation and followed up two strong performances with a loss at Boston on Wednesday. The 31-year-old was ripped for five runs on eight hits in six innings and allowed a home run - just his third homer surrendered in 32 innings. Hardy was better in a no-decision at Minnesota on May 21, when he scattered two runs and seven hits across five innings while striking out four.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tigers RHP Jordan Zimmermann (shoulder) will make his third minor league rehab start on Monday and could return to the majors this weekend.

2. Twins SS Eduardo Escobar was named AL Player of the Week on Monday after batting .462 with nine extra-base hits and eight RBIs last week.

3. Minnesota 3B Miguel Sano struck out at least once in each of his last 13 games.

PREDICTION: Twins 6, Tigers 4
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Preview: Mets at Braves
Gracenote
Jun 11, 2018

The Atlanta Braves begin a 14-game stretch against losing teams when they host the New York Mets on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series. Atlanta is coming off a 2-4 road trip to San Diego and Los Angeles but remains in a virtual tie for first place in the National League East with the Washington Nationals as it tries to improve on its 7-3 record versus New York this season.

"We had a little stretch here for a week, where it could have been worse and it could have been better," Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters after a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday. "A win would have been nice. But it was just one of those games. We'll go back home and hopefully start something." The Mets begin a 10-game road trip with smiles on their faces after snapping an eight-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday. "We've been waiting for this, and any way to get a win today was huge," Mets third baseman Todd Frazier told reporters after hitting a two-run homer Sunday - his second blast in as many games. "So for us, we'll take it. Hopefully that kick-starts us to where we need to be." Atlanta's Mike Foltynewicz is 3-2 with a 0.97 ERA and .167 batting average against in his last six starts and opposes Jason Vargas, who has an 18.00 ERA in the first inning.

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, ESPN; SNY (New York), FS Southeast (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Jason Vargas (2-4, 7.71 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (5-4, 2.31)

Vargas is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his last two starts after allowing two runs, five hits and a walk with four strikeouts in five innings of a 2-1 loss to Baltimore on June 5. The 35-year-old Californian, who hasn't pitched more than five innings in any of his seven starts this season, has a 1.75 WHIP and .320 batting average against. Nick Markakis is 8-for-30 with two home runs versus Vargas, who is 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA in two starts versus Atlanta this season.

Foltynewicz allowed two runs, five hits and three walks while striking out eight in five innings of a 3-1 loss at San Diego on Wednesday. The 26-year-old Illinois native, whose career-low ERA of 4.31 came in 2016 when he went 9-5 with the Braves, struck out 11 in a two-hit shutout of Washington on June 1. Foltynewicz is 0-1 with a 10.45 ERA in three games (two starts) versus the Mets, but hasn't faced them since 2016.

WALK-OFFS

1. New York 2B Asdrubal Cabrera (.283, 11 home runs, 36 RBIs - all team highs) left Sunday's game with a tight left hamstring, but manager Mickey Callaway told reporters: "It's not a DL move. He felt like he could have kept on going, but he didn't want it to get worse. So we're going to check on him (Monday) and then make that determination."

2. Braves 1B Freddie Freeman (12 home runs, club-best .340 batting average and team-high 45 RBIs) is 10-for-21 with three home runs, five RBIs and six runs scored in his last five games.

3. Atlanta 2B Ozzie Albies (.256, team-most 15 home runs, 36 RBIs) went 2-for-4 with a home run Sunday after going 3-for-36 in his previous eight games.

PREDICTION: Braves 3, Mets 2
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Preview: Indians at White Sox
Gracenote
Jun 12, 2018

The Cleveland Indians received a superb pitching performance in the opener of their four-game series and hope for another when they continue the set against the host Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. Carlos Carrasco recorded 11 strikeouts while allowing only two hits over seven innings as Cleveland posted a 4-0 victory on Monday to improve to 4-0 against Chicago this season.

Lonnie Chisenhall has been swinging a hot bat over the first four contests of the Indians' seven-game road trip, going 8-for-17 as he enters Tuesday with back-to-back three-hit performances. Michael Brantley belted a solo homer in the series opener for Cleveland, which has outscored Chicago 29-10 over their first four meetings of the year. Kevan Smith recorded one of the two hits on Tuesday for the White Sox, who have scored fewer than three runs in four of their last five games. Smith has hit safely in all five of his contests since being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, going 8-for-19 with a double and two RBIs.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), WGN (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Adam Plutko (3-0, 3.93 ERA) vs. White Sox RH James Shields (1-7, 4.92)

Plutko will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus to make his fourth start of the season and first since May 28, when he picked up the win at home against the White Sox despite yielding five runs and six hits in five innings. The 26-year-old Californian gave up a total of three runs over 13 1/3 frames in his first two turns, registering 10 strikeouts while issuing four walks en route to a pair of victories. Plutko made his major-league debut versus Chicago on Sept. 24, 2016, allowing two hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Shields lost his third consecutive start on Thursday as he was tagged for seven runs and eight hits - three homers - in six innings at Minnesota. The 36-year-old native of the Golden State has served up three blasts in each of his last two turns after surrendering a total of two over 40 frames in six outings last month. Shields, who hasn't won since his season debut at Kansas City on March 29, is 4-7 with a 4.01 ERA in 20 career starts against Cleveland.

WALK-OFFS

1. Indians 2B Jason Kipnis (neck) and DH-1B Edwin Encarnacion (ankle) hope to be back in the lineup Tuesday after taking batting practice before the series opener.

2. Chicago OF Avisail Garcia (hamstring) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Charlotte on Tuesday.

3. Cleveland recalled C Francisco Mejia from Columbus and optioned RHP Evan Marshall to the Clippers.

PREDICTION: Indians 6, White Sox 3
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Preview: Cubs at Brewers
Gracenote
Jun 12, 2018

The Chicago Cubs are back atop the National League Central standings, but they’ll have to continue their dominance over the Milwaukee Brewers to stay there. The visiting Cubs aim for a ninth win in 10 meetings with the Brewers this season when the division rivals play the middle contest of their three-game series on Tuesday.

Anthony Rizzo’s tie-breaking home run set off a five-run 11th inning in the Cubs’ 7-2 win in the series opener, moving them one-half game ahead of the Brewers for the NL’s best record. Chicago’s pitchers have held Milwaukee at bay, allowing only 11 runs in the first nine meetings. The Cubs hope command-challenged starter Tyler Chatwood can duplicate his first start against the Brewers this season, a 2-0 victory in which he allowed two hits over seven innings. He will oppose Chase Anderson, who is 0-2 against the Cubs this season despite allowing only three runs over 13 frames in the two outings.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Tyler Chatwood (3-4, 3.86 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Chase Anderson (4-5, 4.57)

Chatwood is winless in his last five starts, largely because he hasn’t been able to pitch deep enough into games. The 28-year-old allowed only one run and four hits in Thursday’s turn against Philadelphia, but he issued seven walks and left after 4 2/3 innings. Chatwood is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in five career games (four starts) against the Brewers.

Anderson pitched well in his return from the disabled list on May 21 but has struggled in three outings since. The 30-year-old allowed three runs over 4 1/3 innings in a loss at Cleveland on Wednesday and has posted a 7.24 ERA over his last three turns. Anderson is 3-4 with a 3.33 ERA in nine career starts against the Cubs.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rizzo has driven in a run in eight straight contests with an at-bat, the longest streak by a Cub since Moises Alou had an RBI in 10 consecutive games in 2004.

2. Milwaukee OFs Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain and C Erik Kratz extended their hitting streaks to six games on Monday.

3. Cubs RF Jason Heyward has recorded an extra-base hit in five straight games and has notched multiple hits in seven of his last 12 contests.

PREDICTION: Cubs 6, Brewers 4
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Preview: Padres at Cardinals
Gracenote
Jun 12, 2018

Jedd Gyorko loves seeing his former team as the opponent and looks to continue inflicting damage when his St. Louis Cardinals host the San Diego Padres on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game series. Gyorko ended a 27-game home-run drought by going deep in Monday's 5-2 victory for his ninth blast in 13 career games against the Padres.

Gyorko, who played for San Diego from 2013-15, is a stellar 23-for-49 against his former club after helping the Cardinals win for the fourth time in five games. Marcell Ozuna and Jose Martinez also homered in the opener, with the latter's blast being his fifth in five games and his three-hit effort being his sixth multi-hit performance in his last seven contests. San Diego recorded just four hits in the opener while losing for just the fourth time in 13 games. Cory Spangenberg continued his recent solid hitting with a solo homer as he is 8-for-24 with three blasts and six RBIs over his last seven contests.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, FS Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Matt Strahm (1-2, 3.07 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Miles Mikolas (7-1, 2.27)

Strahm will be the first reliever on the mound for the third time this season as San Diego once again goes with a "bullpen game" instead of recalling someone to fill the rotation spot of the injured Joey Lucchesi. "We weren't trying to make this happen, but it's a product of our environment," Padres manager Andy Green told reporters. "It makes sense for us to continue on this path at least for the foreseeable future, but you can't even call it a path because anything could happen at any moment that forces you to deviate." The 26-year-old Strahm is holding batters to a .192 average but has more walks (nine) than strikeouts (eight) in his 14 2/3 innings.

Mikolas first reached the majors with San Diego in 2012 and made 27 relief appearances in parts of two seasons with the club. The 29-year-old faced the Padres for the first time in his career on May 10, when he gave up one run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings of a win in San Diego. Mikolas suffered his first defeat of the season on June 1 against Pittsburgh but rebounded to beat Miami six days later as he allowed one unearned run and three hits over seven frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Cardinals have won 46 of their last 62 home games against the Padres.

2. Ozuna is 15-for-38 with four homers and 11 RBIs this month.

3. San Diego C Austin Hedges (elbow) is slated to begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 5, Padres 0
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Preview: Reds at Royals
Gracenote
Jun 11, 2018

A pair of last-place teams will square off when the Kansas City Royals host the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday in the opener of a two-game interleague series. The Reds are kicking off a five-game road trip and come in with some momentum after avoiding a sweep and earning a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

The star of Sunday's win was center fielder Billy Hamilton, who tripled and scored twice while making dazzling defensive plays in the outfield. "That's why he's so important," Cincinnati interim manager Jim Riggleman told reporters of Hamilton, who remains in the everyday lineup despite batting .193 with a .284 slugging percentage. "With all due respect to everybody else that goes out there, nobody else can do the things that he does -- and I mean throughout the league. It was just really special. ... He was on display today." The Royals dropped three of four to the Oakland Athletics over the weekend and failed to score more than two runs in any of the four games. Kansas City's offense will take its chances on Tuesday against right-hander Sal Romano while countering with veteran Ian Kennedy.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Sal Romano (3-7, 6.23 ERA) vs. Royals RH Ian Kennedy (1-6, 5.76)

Romano is trying to battle through a terrible stretch that has seen him post a 1-4 record with a 10.72 ERA over his last five starts. The Connecticut native was ripped for five runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six in a loss to Colorado in his last outing on Wednesday. Romano is making his first start against Kansas City and is 0-2 with a 7.27 ERA in two career interleague starts.

Kennedy has not won since April 7 but was solid last time out, holding the Los Angeles Angels to one run in five innings without factoring in the decision. Kennedy did issue three walks in that outing and is up to 25 walks and 12 home runs allowed in 65 2/3 total innings. The California native is familiar with Cincinnati from his time in the National League and is 5-1 with a 2.33 ERA in seven career starts against the Reds.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals SS Alcides Escobar is 1-for-22 over his last six games and is batting .218 on the season.

2. Reds 1B Joey Votto went 0-for-0 with four walks on Sunday to boost his on-base percentage to .433.

3. Cincinnati RHP Jared Hughes did not allow a run in any of his last 14 appearances.

PREDICTION: Reds 8, Royals 5
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Preview: Pirates at Diamondbacks
Gracenote
Jun 12, 2018

After completing a three-game sweep in Colorado, the Arizona Diamondbacks continued to churn up the offense in the opener of their three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Arizona looks to remain hot at the plate when it hosts Pittsburgh on Tuesday in search of a season-high fifth consecutive victory.

The Diamondbacks used a late rally on Monday to emerge with a 9-5 triumph, scoring five runs in the seventh inning and four in the eighth to overcome a 5-0 deficit. Daniel Descalso and Jake Lamb each registered three RBIs for Arizona, which has notched at least eight runs in each game during its winning streak. Pittsburgh failed in its attempt to record consecutive victories for the first time since a three-game string from May 15-17 as it suffered its seven loss in nine contests. Starling Marte went 2-for-5 with two RBIs for the Pirates, matching his hits total from the previous seven games.

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, FS Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Trevor Williams (5-3, 4.18 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Clay Buchholz (1-1, 1.88)

Williams has yielded at least four runs in each of his last four starts and five of his last six but managed to come away with only one loss in that span. The 26-year-old Californian was superb in the other outing during that stretch, scattering six hits over seven scoreless innings in a win over the Chicago White Sox on May 15. Williams has allowed two runs over 11 frames in two career starts against Arizona, registering seven strikeouts while issuing just one walk en route to a 1-0 record.

Buchholz continued his strong showing with the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, when he allowed two runs and seven hits over six innings of a no-decision at San Francisco. The 33-year-old Texan won his only start at home this year as he limited Miami to one run and six hits in a season-high seven frames on June 1. Buchholz made his only career start against the Pirates on Sept. 17, 2014, yielding five runs and six hits in four innings of a loss at Pittsburgh while with Boston.

WALK-OFFS

1. Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt was named the the National League Player of the Week on Monday after recording a .640 average with four homers and 11 RBIs over six games.

2. Pittsburgh LHP Enny Romero (shoulder) is expected to make a rehab start for Class A Bradenton on Tuesday.

3. Arizona recalled RHP Braden Shipley from Triple-A Reno and optioned 1B Christian Walker to the Aces.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 5, Pirates 2
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Preview: Astros at Athletics
Gracenote
Jun 11, 2018

The Houston Astros are in a stretch when they play 33 of 36 games against sub-.500 teams heading into the All-Star break and look to stay perfect when they begin a three-game series Tuesday against the Athletics in Oakland. Houston kicked off a 10-game road trip with a four-game sweep of Texas over the weekend as Jose Altuve went 8-for-16 with a home run, four RBIs and five runs scored in the series to raise his batting average to .342.

“I think we haven’t hit on all cylinders yet,” right-hander Lance McCullers Jr., who starts Tuesday, told reporters after the defending World Series champion Astros (42-25) began their five-game winning streak with a 7-5 victory over Seattle on Wednesday. “Now we can keep our foot on the gas pedal on the road.” That is a scary thought for the rest of baseball as Houston is the only team with an ERA lower than 3.00 at 2.93 despite giving up 15 runs against the Rangers and sits third in runs scored at nearly five per game. Oakland (34-32) began a 10-game homestand by taking three of four from Kansas City, capped by Sunday's 3-2 victory on Matt Chapman's go-ahead home run in the eighth inning. McCullers is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts versus Oakland this season and opposes Daniel Mengden, who was roughed up in his last start after going 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA in six May outings - including a loss against Houston.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), NBCS California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Lance McCullers Jr. (7-3, 3.94 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Daniel Mengden (6-5, 3.45)

McCullers earned a no-decision after allowing four runs (three earned), seven hits and two walks over six innings of Houston's 7-5 victory over Seattle on Wednesday. The 24-year-old Floridian has recorded quality starts in four of his last five turns sandwiched around his worst outing of the season, when he yielded seven runs against Cleveland on May 26. Marcus Semien is 6-for-11 versus McCullers, who is 3-1 with a 3.66 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 32 innings over six starts against Oakland.

Mengden permitted six runs, five hits - four home runs - and three walks over four innings of an 8-2 loss at Texas on Wednesday. "More than anything just some balls in the middle of the plate that they didn’t miss on,” Athletics manager Bob Melvin told reporters of the 25-year-old Texan's outing. Altuve is 9-for-17 and Carlos Correa 5-for-10 versus Mengden, who is 0-4 with a 6.23 ERA in six starts versus Houston after allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-1 loss May 9.

WALK-OFFS

1. Correa (.264, 10 home runs, 39 RBIs) is expected to play Tuesday after missing the last four games because of right side soreness.

2. Chapman (.245, 10 homers, 26 RBIs) is 7-for-13 in his last four contests.

3. Astros 1B Yuli Gurriel (.295, two homers, 24 RBIs) matched a career high with four hits Sunday and is 6-for-9 in his last two games.

PREDICTION: Astros 3, Athletics 2
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