MLB Betting News and Trends For Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Wednesday’s games
National League
Pirates (8-2) @ Cubs (5-5)
Brault allowed one run in five IP (80 PT) in his first ’18 start, a 5-2 win over the Reds.

Lester is 1-0, 3.86 in two starts this season (over 1-1).

Pirates won eight of their first ten games (over 7-3). This is Cubs’ home opener; they won three of last five games. Under is 5-1-1 in their last seven games.

Reds (2-8) @ Phillies (5-5)
Castillo is 0-2, 9.00 in two starts this season (over2-0); Reds’ bullpen allowed 17 runs in seven IP in those two games.

Pivetta is 1-0, 2.79 in two starts this season (under 1-0-1).

Reds lost eight of their first ten games (over 5-5). Philly split its first ten games; four of their last five games went over.

Braves (6-5) @ Nationals (6-5)
McCarthy is 2-0, 3.97 in two starts this season (over 2-0). Braves scored 23 runs in the two games.

Cole allowed ten runs in 3.2 IP (75 PT) in his first ’18 start, a 13-6 loss in Atlanta.

Braves lost three of their last four games; their last four games stayed under. Washington lost five of its last seven games, but won last two; over is 5-3-2 in their last ten games.

Brewers (6-6) @ Cardinals (5-6)
Guerra is making his first ’18 start; he was 1-4, 5.12 in 21 games (14 starts) for Milwaukee LY.

Wainwright allowed three runs in 3.2 IP (99 PT) in his first ’18 start, a 3-1 loss to Arizona.

Brewers lost five of their last seven games (under 4-2-1). St Louis is 5-6 in its first 11 games; three of their last four games went over.

Mets (9-1) @ Marlins (3-8)
Wheeler is making his first ’18 start; he was 3-7, 5.21 in 17 MLB starts LY, after missing all of 2015-16 with injuries.

Garcia is making his first MLB start; he is 1-2, 4.26 in 70 MLB games, all in relief. He’s allowed two runs in 10 IP in two relief stints this season.

Mets won their last seven games; under is 5-3 in their last eight games. Miami lost six of its last seven games; over is 6-5 in their games.

Padres (4-8) @ Rockies (6-6)
Perdomo is 1-1, 6.00 in two starts this season (over 1-1).

Marquez allowed seven runs in 4.2 IP (93 PT) in his first ’18 start, an 8-3 loss to Atlanta.

Padres lost eight of their first 12 games, but won last two; six of their last seven games stayed under. Colorado lost four of its last five games; five of its last seven games stayed under.

Diamondbacks (8-3) @ Giants (5-5)
Ray is 2-0, 6.55 in two starts this year (over 1-1).

Suarez is making his MLB debut; he was 6-6, 3.55 in 15 games (13 starts) in AAA LY- he threw four scoreless innings in his only AAA start this season.

Arizona won six of its last eight games; under is 5-2 in their last seven. Giants won four of their last six games; six of their last eight games went over.

American League
Tigers (4-6) @ Indians (6-5)
Zimmerman is 0-0, 8.71 in two starts this season (over 2-0).

Carrasco is 2-0, 5.40 in two starts this season (over 1-1).

Tigers won four of its last seven games (under 6-1). Cleveland won four of its last five games; their last six games stayed under.

Blue Jays (8-4) @ Orioles (4-8)
Estrada is 1-0, 2.77 in two starts this season (over 1-1).

Gausman is 0-1, 8.00 in two starts this season (over 1-1).

Toronto won eight of its last ten games; under is 8-4 in their games. Baltimore lost three of its last four games; three of their last five games went over.

New York (5-6) @ Boston (9-1)
Tanaka is is 1-1, 2.84 in two starts this season (under 2-0).

Price hasn’t allowed a run in two starts (14 IP) this year (1-0, 0.00, under 2-0).

New York lost four of its last five games; seven of their last eight games went over. Red Sox won their last nine games; their last three games went over.

Angels (9-3) @ Rangers (4-9)
21-year old Barria was 2-0, 2.45 in three AAA starts LY; he threw only two innings in his one AAA start this season.

Moore is 0-2, 11.74 in two starts this season (over 2-0).

Angels won nine of their last 11 games; over is 8-4 in their games. Texas lost six of its last seven home games; over is 6-1 in their last seven home games.

Rays (3-8) @ White Sox (3-7)
Its a bullpen game for the Rays; they’re 0-3 in bullpen games this year, with all three losses by one run (under 2-1).

Former Devil Ray Shields is 1-0, 5.73 in two starts this season (over 2-0). White Sox scored 21 runs in those two games.

Tampa Bay lost eight of its last ten games, but won last two; over is 6-1 in their last seven. White Sox lost seven of their last eight games; over is 4-3 in their last seven games.

Astros (9-2) @ Twins (4-4)
McCullers is 1-1, 4.35 in two starts this season (over 1-1).

Gibson is 1-0, 1.74 in two starts this season (under 2-0).

Astros won eight of their last ten games; under is 7-1 in their last eight. Minnesota won five of its last eight games (under 6-3).

Mariners (5-4) @ Royals (3-6)
Paxton is 0-1, 7.45 in two starts this season (over 1-1).

Duffy is 0-2, 7.45 in two starts this season (over 1-1).

Mariners are 5-4 in their last nine games; seven of their last eight games went over. Royals lost six of their last nine games; six of their last eight games stayed under.

Interleague
A’s (4-8) @ Dodgers (4-6)
Mengden is 0-2, 8.18 in two starts this season (over 1-1).

Wood was ill over the weekend; he is 0-1, 1.93 in two starts this year. Dodgers got shut out in both games (under 2-0).

A’s lost four of their last four games; under is 6-2 in their last eight games. Dodgers lost four of their last six games; under is 7-3 in their games this season.

Umpires
Atl-Wsh: Over is 4-1-1 in last six Whitson games.
Cin-Phil: Three of last four Meals games went over.
NY-Mia: Last three Holbrook games stayed under.
Mil-StL: Last four BWelke games stayed under total.
Pitt-Chi: Three of last four Bellino games went under.
SD-Colo: Over is 8-3 in last eleven Gorman games.
Az-SF: Over is 6-3-1 in last ten Barry games.

New York Mets Riding Hot Start

It’s been long argued that the best way to bet on baseball is to track starting pitchers. That’s all fine and all, but sometimes that causes bettors to miss the hot streakers. Right now the only team that really fits that bill is the New York Mets, a team that was a long +2000 World Series favorite in the preseason.

The Red Sox, Angels and Astros are all off to great starts as well but nobody expected to see a surge out of the Mets like this. Right now they’re a handsome +950 on the season above the moneyline. There’s nobody even remotely close to them.

Feasting on the St. Louis Cardinals and the always hapless Phillies helped get them cracking out of the gates, but they were favored in virtually all of those matchups. What was more impressive was their grilling of the Washington Nationals, who they stomped by a combined score of 17-7 over three games. A lot of that was built over a decimation of Stephen Strasburg, who gave up 5 hits and 4 earned runs in 6.0 innings before giving way to his bullpen which handedly let him down even further.

Upcoming Schedule for NY Mets
at Miami (April 11)
vs. Milwaukee (April 13-15)
vs. Washington (April 16-18)

The New York Mets are gleefully rolling in runs at a high rate and are riding a pretty unreal momentum when you consider that they’ve never been touted as a great offensive team. Aside from the occasional night that Noah Syndergaard takes the mound, the Mets are virtually off the radar. Not even Matt Harvey moves the needle for baseball bettors these days.

Hot starts from unexpected sources are very tough to measure, but the Mets are already seeing dividends. Their World Series odds have been reduced to +1300, and they’re now being given a 34-percent shot at winning the division according to FanGraphs, who have also elevated their win total to 88. Most of us all want to see Washington’s reign of terror in the pathetic NL East come to a rightful end, and the Mets are exactly the type of team that can get it done.

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One of the big keys to keeping momentum going is ensuring that the offence keeps scoring, and that’s just not possible given how the order is structured. However, Jeurys Familia has been absolutely sensational as a closer and just picked up his sixth save of the season.

Syndegaard and Jacob deGrom are going to be doing all the heavy lifting as they’ve started six games already and the most important tactical element is escaping Matt Harvey games as slippery as possible. He has not looked good, though I don’t mean to pick on him by any means. But he’s a weakness and the offence has fortunately averaged 5.1 runs per game while covering for him.

There’s nothing clinical about the Mets, and you know this because they’re average in home runs with 11 so far on the season, while ranking near the bottom of the barrel in terms of stolen bases. They’ve also piled up a whopping 8 errors, which is the 27th worst mark in the majors. In other words, this meteoric rise isn’t sustainable.

But when that iron is hot, strike it with everything you’ve got. The return date at home against Washington is where I anticipate things to get dicey for the Mets but they’re doing the one thing that a midway team can do early on – pick up lots of early wins to insulate themselves for a cold spell in the summer.

It’s always a simple thing to target the smart pitching matchups and what not, but every spring there’s a hammer fisted underdog who over performs while people back away in disbelief. This streak will end and the win-loss will correct. Baseball is cruel like that.

That isn’t the case for now, which means bet away on the New York Mets. I did not think I would write that sentence this season.

Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

10th April 2018 by Gracenote
The Washington Nationals are back above .500 and aim to complete a three-game home sweep of the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, after more good work in the first inning offensively and another gem on the mound carried them to a 4-1 victory Tuesday. One night after Max Scherzer authored a complete-game masterpiece in the series opener, Stephen Strasburg fired eight shutout innings and the Nationals offense scored two first-inning runs for the second consecutive game.

The Nationals have scored in the first inning in nine of their first 11 games, and are hitting .377 with 18 runs scored (accounting for 35.3 percent of Washington's season output of 51) and 10 extra-base hits in the opening frame. Atlanta, which arrived in town leading the majors in runs scored and owning a surprising 6-3 record, did not score until the ninth inning Tuesday after being shut out the night before. Braves hitters are batting .119 in the series with seven hits, three walks and 19 strikeouts, after scoring four or more runs seven times in their first nine games. Second baseman Ozzie Albies finished with two doubles and scored the lone Atlanta run Tuesday, and in his past five games the 21-year-old is hitting .368 with four doubles, two homers and four runs scored.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 3.97 ERA) vs. Nationals RH A.J. Cole (0-1, 24.55)

McCarthy has pitched well in and emerged healthy from his first two appearances with Atlanta. The 34-year-old held Colorado to three runs on five hits over six innings Friday, posting the Braves' first quality start of the season and following up a two-run, six-hit outing across 5 1/3 innings against Philadelphia on March 31. McCarthy has thrown 64 percent of his pitches for strikes and posted a 1.32 WHIP, but has benefited from 23 runs of support from the Atlanta offense.

Cole has made one appearance this season, an April 3 start in Atlanta that turned ugly in a hurry as the 26-year-old lasted 3 2/3 innings and surrendered 10 runs on 10 hits in a 13-6 loss. The Nationals took advantage of an off day to push back Cole's next turn in the rotation from Monday to Wednesday. Cole, who went 3-5 with a 3.86 ERA in eight starts a season ago, may be in danger of losing his rotation spot with veteran Jeremy Hellickson continuing to get stretched out in the minor leagues.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta has yet to record a save through 11 games, the longest stretch by any Braves team since saves were first recognized as an official statistic in 1969.

2. Washington RF Bryce Harper, who entered Tuesday leading the majors with 16 walks, did not draw one for just the second time in 11 games.

3. Braves CF Ender Inciarte, who hit .304 a season ago but entered Tuesday as a lifetime .257 hitter in March and April, went 1-for-4 Tuesday to bump his season average to .213.

PREDICTION: Braves 5, Nationals 3

Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

11th April 2018 by Gracenote
The Minnesota Twins are hovering barely above .500 but they have yet to lose a series this season and can keep that streak intact when they host the Houston Astros in the rubber match of a three-game set on Wednesday afternoon. Despite playing in frigid conditions again featuring temperatures in the 30s, the Twins leveled the series at a game apiece with a 4-1 victory Tuesday night.

Three-time batting champion Joe Mauer has hit safely in all eight games in which he's played, extending his streak by collecting two hits and driving in a pair of runs Tuesday. Mauer also drew a pair of walks batting second behind leadoff hitter Brian Dozier, who reached base in all five plate appearances, including four walks. Since erupting for 35 runs during a five-game winning streak, Houston has seen its offense dry up with only nine runs scored over the the past five games. The reigning World Series champion Astros will send hard-throwing Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound against Minnesota's Kyle Gibson, who hasn't lost in 10 starts dating to last season.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston), FS North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1, 3.48 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kyle Gibson (1-0, 0.87)

McCullers turned in a strong performance in winning his season debut, striking out 10 and allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings at Texas, but took the loss with five innings of three-run ball against San Diego on Friday. The 24-year-old is 0-1 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts versus the Twins but hasn't face them since he was a rookie in 2015. Dozier, Mauer, Eduardo Escobar and Logan Morrison are a combined 1-for-24 against McCullers.

Gibson struggled with his control but otherwise was unhittable in his season debut, tossing six scoreless innings and not allowing a hit to earn the win at Baltimore. He was nicked for two first-inning runs and gave up seven hits over 4 1/3 innings against Seattle last time out but escaped with a no-decision. Although Gibson is 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA against the Astros, the one loss came last season when he gave up four runs in six innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros 2B Jose Altuve, who led the majors with a .346 batting average last season, has hit in 10 of his last 11 games.

2. Dozier is riding a nine-game hitting streak.

3. Houston placed LHP Tony Sipp (oblique) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled RHP James Hoyt from Triple-A Fresno.

PREDICTION: Astros 4, Twins 2

Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

11th April 2018 by Gracenote
The visiting Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals have been working overtime this week at Busch Stadium. After splitting a pair of extra-innings contests, the National League Central rivals play the rubber match of the three-game series Wednesday.

Matt Carpenter's walk-off two-run home run in the 11th inning Tuesday gave the Cardinals a 5-3 win to even the series. Both teams' bullpen woes continued Tuesday, as each team gave up a single run in the ninth and the 10th before St. Louis' Dominic Leone posted a scoreless inning to set up Carpenter's heroics. The win snapped a two-game skid for St. Louis and marked the third time in five head-to-head meetings this season that the game has been decided in the last at-bat. The Brewers have lost five of their last seven and have scored a total of five runs in the five defeats.

TV: 1:15 p.m. ET, No TV

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Junior Guerra (2017: 1-4, 5.12 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (0-1, 7.36)

Guerra has a breakout season in 2016 and was the Brewers' Opening Day starter last year, but he did not continue his success and began 2018 at Triple-A Colorado Springs. The 33-year-old looked good in his only start in the minors, allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings. Guerra is 1-2 with a 5.59 ERA in four starts against the Cardinals.

Wainwright's season debut Thursday against Arizona was a rough one, as he allowed three runs and four hits over 3 2/3 innings in a loss. The 36-year-old uncharacteristically struggled with his command, walking four batters. Wainwright is 15-8 with a 2.31 ERA in 37 games (30 starts) against the Brewers, and he hasn't lost to them since 2015.

WALK-OFFS

1. Brewers CF Lorenzo Cain sat out Tuesday with a strained left quad suffered in the ninth inning Monday when he tripped over Cardinals 1B Jose Martinez's heel while legging out an infield single.

2. Cardinals C Yadier Molina appealed a one-game suspension from Major League Baseball related to his making contact with an umpire during an on-field skirmish with the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

3. Milwaukee C Manny Pina left Tuesday's game in the top of the seventh inning with right calf tightness. Pina has started nine of the team's first 12 games behind the plate.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 7, Brewers 5

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

10th April 2018 by Gracenote
The Chicago White Sox try to avoid a sixth straight setback to start their home schedule when they host the rejuvenated Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series. The White Sox were swept in three by Detroit in their first series of the season at home and have dropped the first two contests against the Rays by a run, despite late rallies.

Chicago left runners at second and third base with none out in Monday's 5-4 loss and scored three times in the ninth the following day before succumbing 6-5 to start 0-5 at home for the first time since 1975. Former Tampa Bay right-hander James Shields will try to end the slide for the White Sox when he takes the mound Wednesday against rookie Yonny Chirinos, who makes his second straight start after coming out of the bullpen in his major-league debut. The Rays have held on for two straight wins after losing eight contests in a row as their offense continues to improve with a third consecutive double-figure hit total. Mallex Smith is 6-for-8 in the series for Tampa Bay and Kevin Kiermaier (foot) could return Wednesday after missing the last two games.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), NBCS Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Yonny Chirinos (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. White Sox RH James Shields (1-0, 5.73)

Chirinos was outstanding in his first two major-league appearances, allowing four hits while striking out seven and walking just one over nine scoreless innings. The 24-year-old Venezuelan made his first start Thursday at Boston, using 54 pitches to get through five frames without recording a decision. The undrafted Chirinos was 12-5 with a 2.74 ERA in 23 appearances (22 starts) at Triple-A Durham last season, registering 120 strikeouts over 141 innings.

Shields yielded seven runs and 13 hits over 11 innings in his first two starts of the season, recording a win at Kansas City before settling for a no-decision at home against Detroit on Thursday. The 36-year-old Californian, who has registered just one strikeout and two walks in 2018, went 5-7 with a 5.23 ERA last season after earning only six wins while splitting 2016 between San Diego and Chicago. Carlos Gomez is 4-for-9 and Wilson Ramos has homered against Shields, who is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three outings versus his former team.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay 2B Joey Wendle has gone 7-for-14 during his five-game hitting streak and has recorded an RBI in three straight contests.

2. Chicago 1B Jose Abreu belted a three-run homer in the ninth inning Tuesday and has gone deep seven times in 26 career games against the Rays.

3. Tampa Bay LHP Blake Snell worked six innings en route to victory on Tuesday, tying RHP Chris Archer for the longest stint by a Rays starter in the first 11 contests.

PREDICTION: White Sox 6, Rays 4

Seattle Mariners vs. Kansas City Royals Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

11th April 2018 by Gracenote
The Seattle Mariners have yet to lose a series this season while the Kansas City Royals have yet to win one, but those trends could end Wednesday afternoon as the teams meet at Kauffman Stadium for the rubber match of their three-game set. Seattle bounced back from a 10-0 beating in the series opener by thumping Kansas City 8-3 on Tuesday behind Jean Segura's three-hit, two-RBI effort.

Segura, who fell a homer shy of the cycle in the victory, has hit safely in seven of his first nine games while registering five multi-hit performances over his last seven contests. The Mariners began the year by winning two of three against Cleveland before splitting two-game sets versus San Francisco and Minnesota, while the Royals have lost two series and split another. Mike Moustakas drove in all the runs for Kansas City on Tuesday, hitting a two-run homer in the fourth inning before delivering an RBI single in the sixth. The 29-year-old third baseman, who belted a career-high 38 shots last season, has gone deep in back-to-back games while recording six of his eight RBIs in those contests.

TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), FS Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH James Paxton (0-1, 7.45 ERA) vs. Royals LH Danny Duffy (0-2, 7.45)

Paxton struggled in his season debut but bounced back nicely at Minnesota on Thursday, allowing two runs and four hits with seven strikeouts in five-plus innings. The 29-year-old Canadian kept the Twins scoreless over the first five frames, but he yielded a single and a homer in the sixth before exiting and settled for a no-decision. Paxton has yet to lose to Kansas City in his career, going 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four starts.

Duffy got off to a rough start at Cleveland on Friday, squandering an early 2-0 lead by allowing the first five batters he faced to reach on three walks and two hits. The 29-year-old Californian righted the ship, yielding just one hit while retiring 17 of the final 20 hitters he faced, but still came away with the loss. Duffy is 1-2 with a 2.67 ERA in six starts and two relief appearances against the Mariners in his career.

WALK-OFFS

1. Two of Mariners OF Guillermo Heredia's three hits this season have been home runs.

2. Seattle OF Ben Gamel (oblique) is likely to be activated from the disabled list on Friday.

3. Kansas City placed Alex Gordon (hip) on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday and recalled fellow OF Abraham Almonte from Triple-A Omaha.

PREDICTION: Mariners 5, Royals 3

San Diego Padres vs. Colorado Rockies Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

11th April 2018 by Gracenote
After entering this week's three-game road series against the Colorado Rockies with a total of two wins, the San Diego Padres already have matched that total and can record a series sweep with a victory on Wednesday. Colorado dropped its third game in a row on Tuesday, when they were held to five hits and struck out 10 times in a 5-2 loss.

Trevor Story belted a two-run homer in the loss, but leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon was scratched from the lineup due to tightness in his right quadriceps and is listed as day-to-day. The Rockies are 1-4 on their six-game homestand and have scored three runs or fewer in five of their last six contests. "It's a collective thing," Colorado manager Bud Black told reporters. "You see this a lot across the landscape of this game, where, when your offense is going well, you have five, six, seven guys swinging the bat well. We have maybe a couple." The Padres certainly can relate after opening with a 2-8 mark, but Hunter Renfroe's go-ahead, three-run homer provided a spark in Tuesday's win while Jose Pirela raised his average to .302 with three hits.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Luis Perdomo (1-1, 6.00 ERA) vs. Rockies RH German Marquez (0-1, 6.52)

Perdomo bounced back from a rocky outing against Milwaukee to record the win against Houston on Friday, giving up one run and four hits over five innings. "We've put urgency to him and tried to give him a sense of, 'Hey, it's time to go,'" manager Andy Green told reporters. "He stepped up. He was outstanding." Blackmon is 5-for-13 with two home runs against the 24-year-old Perdomo, who is 0-4 with a 6.68 ERA in seven career games (five starts) versus Colorado.

Control has been a major issue for Marquez, who has issued 10 walks against six strikeouts over 9 2/3 innings in his first two starts. The 23-year-old took the loss against Atlanta on Friday after allowing seven runs on seven hits and six walks over 4 2/3 frames. Marquez is 2-1 with a 6.30 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) against San Diego, including a 2-1 mark and 5.94 ERA in three contests last season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Colorado's pinch-hitters are 0-for-21 with 11 strikeouts.

2. Padres OF Manuel Margot left in the ninth inning on Tuesday after getting hit in the ribs by a fastball and is awaiting X-ray results.

3. Colorado RHP Jeff Hoffman (shoulder) began a rehab assignment with Single-A Lancaster on Tuesday and allowed two runs in three innings.

PREDICTION: Rockies 7, Padres 5

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Francisco Giants Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

11th April 2018 by Gracenote
With their top three starting pitchers on the disabled list, the San Francisco Giants with turn to another rookie when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday afternoon for the rubber match of their three-game series. One day after Tyler Beede made his major-league debut, Andrew Suarez will do the same when he starts in place of Johnny Cueto, who landed on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained left ankle.

The Giants evened the series with Tuesday's 5-4 victory as Andrew McCutchen delivered a walk-off RBI single after Paul Goldschmidt crushed a two-out solo homer off Hunter Strickland in the top of the ninth. Buster Posey went 2-for-3 and is 12-for-26 during his eight-game hitting streak for the Giants, who hope to have both Cueto and Jeff Samardzija (strained right pectoral) back in the rotation next week. Arizona is playing without middle-of-the-order hitters Jake Lamb (sprained left shoulder) and Steven Souza (pectoral strain), but Goldschmidt showed signs of breaking out of his early-season slump with two hits on Tuesday - including his 440-foot homer. The five-time All-Star is batting .158 but always has enjoyed playing at AT&T Park, where he's a career .312 hitter with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs.

TV: 3:45 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Robbie Ray (2-0, 5.73 ERA) vs. Giants LH Andrew Suarez (MLB debut)

Ray improved to 2-0 with a strong outing against St. Louis on Thursday, when he allowed one run and two hits with nine strikeouts in six innings. The 26-year-old native of Tennessee is 9-1 with a 1.84 ERA in his last 16 road starts dating back to the beginning of last season. Hunter Pence is 7-for-13 against Ray, who is 4-1 with 2.53 ERA in eight career turns versus the Giants - including a 3-1 mark and 1.46 ERA in four career starts at AT&T Park.

Suarez was selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2015 draft and has gone 21-18 with a 3.20 ERA in 62 games (57 starts) in the minors. The 25-year-old native of Miami competed for a spot in the rotation during spring training but was demoted after recording a 7.62 ERA in 13 innings. Suarez had a 2.96 ERA in 11 starts for Double-A Richmond last season before moving up to Triple-A Sacramento, where he posted a 3.55 ERA in 15 games (13 starts).

WALK-OFFS

1. Arizona MGR Torey Lovullo served a one-game suspension Tuesday for his role in last Sunday's fracas with St. Louis C Yadier Molina.

2. The Giants optioned RHP Roberto Gomez to Triple-A Sacramento and recalled LHP Steven Okert.

3. Arizona INF Chris Owings went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Tuesday, snapping his nine-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 6, Giants 2

Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

10th April 2018 by Gracenote
Jose Ramirez hopes to build off a good start to the series when his Cleveland Indians go for a fourth consecutive victory Wednesday against the visiting Detroit Tigers in the third contest of their four-game series. Ramirez, who batted .318 with 29 homers and was third in the voting for American League MVP last season, is 3-for-5 with a blast in the series after opening 2018 with just two hits in 33 at-bats.

Ramirez hit a solo shot on Tuesday and Roberto Perez matched him with a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning as the Indians edged the Tigers 2-1 to move over .500 for the first time this season (6-5). Carlos Carrasco will try to extend the streak and win his third game of the year when he takes the mound for Cleveland against Jordan Zimmermann, who is looking for his first win since August. Detroit arrived in Cleveland after sweeping a three-game set at the Chicago White Sox but has produced a total of one run over the first two contests of the series and two in its last three games overall. Rookie third baseman Jeimer Candelario went 3-for-3 with three doubles and an RBI for the Tigers on Tuesday and is 10-for-42 overall in his first full season as a starter.

TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit Plus, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (0-0, 8.71 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (2-0, 5.40)

After suffering through a difficult 2017 season in which he went 8-13 with a 6.08 ERA, Zimmermann has yet to find his top form despite avoiding losses in his first two starts. The 31-year-old native of Wisconsin has allowed 10 runs and 15 hits with 11 strikeouts and two walks over 10 1/3 innings thus far this year. Yonder Alonso (6-for-16, three homers) and Jason Kipnis (7-for-10, four RBIs) have hit well against Zimmermann, who is 0-4 with a 10.88 ERA in five career turns versus Cleveland.

Carrasco gave up two runs and five hits over six innings in his home debut Friday against Kansas City for his second victory in two starts this season. The 31-year-old Venezuelan, who recorded a career-best 18 wins in 2017, defeated Seattle on March 31 despite yielding five runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 frames and has struck out eight while walking just one batter in his first two turns. Jose Iglesias is 9-for-25 with five doubles against Carrasco, who went 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA in six starts versus the Tigers last year.

WALK-OFFS

1. Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera needs one RBI to tie Chipper Jones (1,623) for 34th place on the all-time list.

2. Cleveland OF Bradley Zimmer owns the best batting average (.179) among players on the team with at least 25 at-bats this season.

3. The Tigers have scored at least six runs in five games and fewer than two in their other five.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Tigers 1

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Baltimore Orioles Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

11th April 2018 by Gracenote
Curtis Granderson picked an opportune time to hit his first home run with the Toronto Blue Jays, delivering a tiebreaking blast in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Winners of three in a row and eight of 10 since opening the season with back-to-back losses, the visiting Blue Jays go for a three-game sweep of the Orioles on Wednesday night.

Toronto has been reliant on its offense for much of the early going, cranking out 18 homers on the season and scoring at least seven runs in five of nine games in April. However, the pitching has surrendered only two runs in the series, including seven innings of no-hit ball by Aaron Sanchez on Tuesday. Baltimore, which bunched all its three hits in one inning Tuesday, has lost four straight at home since a season-opening win and scored just four runs in that stretch. "Sanchez is a good pitcher. He's really good," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said after the latest setback. "But we need to be better offensively. I think everybody knows that."

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Sportsnet1 (Toronto), MASN (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (1-0, 2.77 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Kevin Gausman (0-1, 8.00)

The only bugaboo for Estrada has been the long ball, which was an issue last season when he was taken deep 31 times. He gave up three runs on two homers over seven innings in a no-decision against the New York Yankees before surrendering a solo shot among five hits in six innings to win at Texas last time out. Unbeaten in five starts (3-0, 3.23 ERA) versus the Orioles in 2017, Estrada has held Manny Machado to 4-for-28 with 10 strikeouts.

Gausman was rocked in his season opener, serving up three homers and yielding six runs in seven innings versus Minnesota, but rebounded with five innings of two-run ball in a no-decision at the Yankees on Friday. He dominated Toronto in six starts last season, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.51 ERA while striking out 30 in 35 2/3 innings. Kevin Pillar is 11-for-25 and Granderson has two homers in four at-bats against Gausman.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays RHP Roberto Osuna, 23, became the youngest pitcher in history to reach 100 saves.

2. Orioles 1B Chris Davis is 0-for-10 in his last three games and 3-for-37 on the season.

3. Toronto placed DH Kendrys Morales (hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 4, Orioles 2

Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

11th April 2018 by Gracenote
Scott Kingery is endearing himself to the fans in Philadelphia as the prized prospect has homered in back-to-back contests to help the Phillies win four of five outings on the six-game homestand. The Phillies have outscored the opposition 40-13 during that stretch heading into Wednesday's series finale versus the Cincinnati Reds.

Kingery launched his team's third grand slam of the homestand in Tuesday's 6-1 win for Philadelphia (5-5), which also saw Odubel Herrera rip an RBI double to lift his totals in hits (nine) and runs scored (six) in his last six outings. The 26-year-old Herrera looks to continue his good fortune at the plate against Wednesday starter Luis Castillo, who is permitting left-handed batters to hit an astounding .400 against him this season. Castillo is not alone with his pitching troubles as Cincinnati (2-8) has been outscored 40-18 while losing five of its first six contests on its seven-game road trip. "There hasn't been any particular part of our game so far that has shown up consistently, pitching or offense. ... Right now, it's a challenge," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), NBCS Philadelphia-Plus

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Luis Castillo (0-2, 9.00 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Nick Pivetta (1-0, 2.79)

Castillo showed flashes in 2017 that had many associated with Cincinnati hoping would translate into positive results this season, to no avail thus far. The 25-year-old has permitted 10 earned runs on 12 hits with four walks over 10 innings in losses to Washington and Pittsburgh. "I feel the same. I know these last two starts were not great," Castillo said. "I know I'm going to pick it up, I'm going to pick my pace up, and everything's going to be fine after that."

Pivetta picked up his first win in dominant fashion, scattering four hits and striking out nine over 5 2/3 innings in Thursday's 5-0 victory over Miami. The 25-year-old has relied heavily on his curveball and slider en route to fanning 152 batters in 142 2/3 career innings. Pivetta, who will get his first look at Cincinnati, has yet to be taken deep after surrendering 25 homers in 26 starts last season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cincinnati CF Billy Hamilton has scored five times in his last five contests.

2. Philadelphia 2B Cesar Hernandez has recorded a hit in seven consecutive games and scored a run in six straight.

3. Reds LF Adam Duvall is 1-for-19 with 11 strikeouts in his last five contests.

PREDICTION: Reds 4, Phillies 2

New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

10th April 2018 by Gracenote
Left-hander David Price has been virtually unhittable through his first two starts but he has been beat up routinely over the past two seasons by the New York Yankees. Price looks to continue his sizzling start to the season when the streaking Boston Red Sox go for their 10th consecutive victory against the visiting Yankees in the second of their three-game series on Wednesday night.

Price has received one run of support in 14 innings but he had to feel heartened by the offensive show put up by his teammates in a 14-1 demolition in the series opener. The top three batters in the lineup, Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Hanley Ramirez, were a combined 8-for-9 with eight runs and nine RBIs as Boston ripped off its ninth straight win since dropping its season opener. The one bright spot in an otherwise dismal night for the Yankees was right fielder Aaron Judge, who collected three hits and homered after entering the game 3-for-36 with 14 strikeouts at Fenway Park. Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka will oppose Price for New York, which has lost four of its last five games and been tagged for 37 runs in that span.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, WPIX (New York), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (1-1, 2.92 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH David Price (1-0, 0.00)

Tanaka has split his first two decisions despite turning in a pair of quality starts, holding Toronto to one run on three hits over six innings before yielding three runs in 6 1/3 innings in his last start at Baltimore on Thursday. Tanaka is 7-4 with a 3.65 ERA lifetime against Boston but he has pitched superbly at Fenway Park, allowing six runs over 30 1/3 innings in his last four starts there. J.D. Martinez is 5-for-9 with two homers against him.

Limited to 11 starts in 2017, Price opened the season by blanking Tampa Bay on four hits over seven innings in his season debut before tossing seven scoreless frames of three-hit ball in a rematch with the Rays. Price was 1-4 with 32 runs allowed in his first six starts versus the Yankees since joining Boston before blanking them over eight innings last July. Didi Gregorius (12-for-27) and Gary Sanchez (5-for-11, 4 HRs) have tormented Price.

WALK-OFFS

1. Betts joined Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players with at least four hits, five runs and four RBIs against the Yankees.

2. Sanchez was hitless in four at-bats Tuesday to fall to 2-for-36 on the season.

3. Ramirez has hit safely in eight straight games and has 11 RBIs in his last six.

PREDICTION: Yankees 4, Red Sox 3

New York Mets vs. Miami Marlins Preview and Predictions 04-11-2018

11th April 2018 by Gracenote
The dream pitching quintet of the New York Mets will once again become reality as the team is expected to recall right-hander Zack Wheeler from Triple-A Las Vegas to make his debut in Wednesday's series finale versus the host Miami Marlins. Wheeler joins a red-hot Mets squad that has won seven straight and is off to the best 10-game start in franchise history.

Asdrubal Cabrera extended his hitting streak to nine games after launching a pair of solo homers - one from each side of the plate - in Tuesday's 8-6 triumph. The 32-year-old has collected 14 hits, eight runs scored and five RBIs during that stretch for NL East-leading New York (9-1), which owns a perfect 5-0 mark on the road. Cellar-dwelling Miami (3-8) is heading in the opposite direction with a 2-6 record at home while being outscored 51-20 en route to losing six of its last seven overall. Justin Bour showed signs of busting out of a slump with a pair of opposite-field, two-run homers on Tuesday while four-time All-Star Starlin Castro has hit safely in 10 of 11 contests.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FS Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Zack Wheeler (2017: 3-7, 5.21 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Jarlin Garcia (0-0, 1.80)

Wheeler joins Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz in a rotation that had Mets fans salivating since 2015, although the potent contingent hasn't been healthy at the same time. "It's an awesome rotation. It speaks for itself," the 27-year-old Wheeler said. "I'm just happy to be a part of it. Hopefully I can stay here." Wheeler fared well in his lone start with the 51s, permitting one run on three hits and striking out six in five innings.

Garcia, who will make his first career start on Wednesday, was bidding to be a part of Miami's rotation in the spring before opening the season in the bullpen. The 25-year-old surrendered just one hit over six scoreless innings versus the Chicago Cubs on March 30 before allowing two runs on four hits in four frames against Philadelphia on Thursday. "I feel like he has two starts under his belt already," manager Don Mattingly said. "I think this will be good for Jarlin now that he knows he's a starter. He can get into his routine. He knows exactly when he's going to pitch, and he is throwing the ball really well."

WALK-OFFS

1. Miami rookie 3B Brian Anderson has hit safely in 10 of 11 games this season.

2. New York RHP Jeurys Familia has converted all six save opportunities this season and has yet to allow a run in eight innings.

3. Marlins LF Derek Dietrich has five hits in the series and carries a six-game hitting streak into Wednesday's contest.

PREDICTION: Mets 4, Marlins 3
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