San Francisco and Washington begin a series on Monday night. Ryan Vogelsong is 10-5 with a 2.27 ERA in 21 starts for the Giants. He has the second best ERA in baseball and he has been great at home. The righty is 5-3 with a 1.42 ERA in 11 home starts giving up just 14 runs in 76 innings. Vogelsong has never faced Washington in his career. The Nationals are hitting .257 against right-handed starters and they are inconsistent as a unit. San Francisco

Atlanta and New York wrap-up their series on Sunday Night baseball. Ben Sheets goes for the Braves and he has been a great story going 4-1 with a 1.41 in his first five starts. Sheets' first victory came against New York when he allowed just two hits and one walk in six innings of work back in July. He has allowed just 1 run and 12 hits in his two road starts this season. The Mets

Manny Machado made his presence felt with Baltimore on Friday night as he hit two home runs in a 7-1 Orioles victory. Kansas City will now turn to Luis Mendoza as he tries to slow the Orioles down. Mendoza is 4-7 with a 4.33 ERA in 15 starts for the Royals. He has lost two straight road starts while giving up 4 runs in each game. The Orioles have won six of their last seven games and they are now 29-27 at home. They are hitting almost .260 at home and they are still alive in the A.L. playoff race.

Chris Tillman has been great for Baltimore. He's 5-1 with a 2.38 ERA in six starts. Two of those starts have come at home where he has allowed just 3 runs and 10 hits striking out 10 while walking only five. Kansas City is 27-32 on the road where they are hitting right around .250 as a unit. The Orioles

Johan Santana makes his return to the rotation on Saturday as the Mets host the Braves. Santana is 6-7 with a 3.98 ERA in 19 starts for the Mets. He was in awful form before hitting the DL giving up 19 runs and 28 hits in his last three starts. The Mets

The White Sox and Athletics begin an important series in Chicago on Friday night. Brandon McCarthy comes off the disabled list for Oakland as the team hopes he can throw 80-90 pitches. McCarthy hasn't been strong on the road where he has a 3.46 ERA while giving up 43 hits in 39 innings of work. McCarthy last saw Oakland back in May of 2011; he lost at home after giving up 4 runs and five hits in seven innings. The White Sox are 30-25 at home where they are hitting .267 as a unit. They have won five of their last eight games as they continue to hold off the Tigers.

Chicago

The Orioles look to start a new winning streak on Friday night when they host the Royals. Luke Hochevar is 7-9 with a 5.00 ERA in 22 starts for the Royals. He has allowed 16 runs and 20 hits in his last three starts coming against the Rangers, Indians, and Angels. Hochevar has a 4.88 ERA in 11 road starts. This will be his third start against the Orioles this season; he has allowed 6 runs and 14 hits in just over 10 innings of work in those games. The righty has struggled to get Chris Davis (5-12), Adam Jones (8-20), Nick Markakis (7-22) and Matt Wieters (3-11) out. Baltimore is hitting over .270 in their last eight games and they are 28-27 at home.

Miguel Gonzalez is 3-2 with a 4.29 ERA in six starts for Baltimore. He is coming off a 7 inning scoreless effort in Tampa Bay where he allowed two hits while walking four. Gonzalez is 3-2 with a 3.80 ERA in nine appearances with three of those coming out of the bullpen. Kansas City has not faced the righty in his short career so far. The Royals are 27-31 on the road hitting right around .250 as a unit in those games. Baltimore's bullpen continues to be spectacular going 20-8 with an ERA right around 3.00. We expect Baltimore to bounce back strong with a solid home win over Kansas City on Friday night.

9* Play ORIOLES (-) (action).

The Yankees head to Toronto to start a series with the wounded Blue Jays who are without three of their better hitters in Brett Lawrie, JP Arencibia, and Jose Bautista. Their absence showed during the Tampa Bay series when the team only managed to score 4 runs on 12 hits. This helps out Freddy Garcia who has a 3.95 ERA over his last seven starts striking out 31 while walking only 13. Toronto is hitting right around .230 in their last eight games. The Yankees

Cleveland snapped their 11-game losing streak yesterday, and now they

St. Louis will look for a series split on Thursday afternoon as they host the Giants. Adam Wainwright enters this start in good form having allowed 5 runs and 18 hits over his last three starts. One of Wainwright

San Diego and Chicago wrap up their series as the Padres look to continue their hot play. San Diego has won three straight games and four of their last five games overall. They will send Clayton Richard to the mound where he is 5-4 with a 3.46 ERA at home; the southpaw pitches a whole lot better in San Diego. The Cubs are 12-20 against left-handed starters and they are hitting right around .200 in their last eight games. The Padres

Tampa Bay continues their series with the Orioles in a rematch of a pitching match-up that took place back on July 24th in Baltimore. Jeremy Hellickson got the win in that game after allowing just 1 run and three hits in just over six innings of work. Hellickson has allowed just 4 runs and 10 hits in his last three starts while winning his last two. The Rays

The Mets have enjoyed their West Coast trip so far having split a series with Arizona while taking three of four games from the Giants. Tonight they begin a 3-game set in San Diego with R.A. Dickey on the mound. Dickey is 14-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 21 starts striking out 147 while walking only 33. Dickey is coming off a winning performance in Arizona where he allowed 1 unearned run and four hits in seven innings. Dickey beat the Padres at home back in May after giving up just three hits while striking out 10 in just over seven innings. Dickey gets a Padres squad that is 22-29 at home where they are hitting just .228 as a team.

Clayton Richard isn't exactly entering tonight

Detroit will be glad to see their home fans as they begin a series with the Indians on Friday night; the Tigers just finished a 9-game road trip. Anibal Sanchez will make his second start as a member of the Tigers. He gave up 5 runs and eight hits in six innings pitched against the Blue Jays his last time out. The former Marlin faced the Tribe back on May 19th in Cleveland and he gave up just 2 runs and seven hits in seven innings. Cleveland is hitting less than .200 in their last eight games. Detroit's bullpen is 10-6 with a 3.19 ERA at home blowing only 4 saves in 14 chances.

Justin Masterson is 7-9 with a 4.47 ERA in 22 starts for Cleveland. He has been awful on the road going 3-5 with a 6.05 ERA allowing 42 runs and 64 hits in 58 innings. Masterson allowed 10 runs and seven hits his last time out in Minnesota. Masterson is 1-4 with a 5.08 ERA in eight career starts against Detroit. The Tigers are 28-21 at home where they are hitting .268 while putting up 4.7 runs per game. The Indians

Philadelphia will send Cole Hamels to the mound on Thursday in Washington DC. Hamels is 11-5 with a 3.31 ERA in 20 starts with 138 strikeouts and just 39 walks. Hamels has beaten the Nationals in both starts this season allowing just 1 run and nine hits over 16 innings of work. Hamels will face a Nationals team that is hitting .250 against left-handed starters this season. The Phillies

Oakland continues to rise up the A.L. West standings as the wins keep piling up. Jarrod Parker makes the start at home on Wednesday afternoon; he is 3-2 with a 2.28 ERA in nine home starts. Parker has allowed 15 runs and 44 hits in just over 59 innings. Overall, Parker is 7-4 with a 3.37 ERA. Tampa Bay is hitting right around .200 in their last eight games, and they are scoring less than 4 runs per game in the daytime. The Oakland bullpen continues to pile up the wins at home where they have an ERA right around 2.50 on the season.

Alex Cobb is 4-8 with a 4.93 ERA in 12 starts for the Rays. Cobb has given up 8 runs and 16 hits in his last three starts which were all losses. Cobb is 2-3 with a 5.18 ERA in five road starts. Last year, Cobb lost to Oakland after giving up 5 runs and seven hits in just over four innings of work. Oakland is hitting right around .270 in their last eight games, and they are doing the little things in order to win. Tampa Bay's bullpen has an ERA over 4.00 and a losing record on the road. We expect Oakland to bounce back strong with solid home win this afternoon.

10* Play ATHLETICS (-) (action).

Stephen Fife finally gets a normal pitching opponent for his third Major League start. Fife opposed Matt Cain and Roy Halladay in his first two outings and he stood the test against both of them. Fife allowed just 2 runs and 10 hits in those two games. Fife will face an Arizona team with a losing record on the road. The Diamondbacks are hitting right around .240 in their last eight games, and they didn't make a big move to bolster their lineup at the trade deadline. The Los Angeles bullpen has been stellar at home putting up an ERA right around 2.30 with a winning record as a unit.

Patrick Corbin gets another crack at the Dodgers as he returns to the Major League rotation. Corbin went 2-3 with a 5.27 ERA in his first stint with Arizona giving up 16 runs and 32 hits. His last start came on May 21st at home against Los Angeles when he allowed 2 runs and seven hits in just over five innings. The Dodgers added Shane Victorino to their lineup and he will be bolstering a unit that is hitting over .260 at home. The Dodgers should be able to get more runners on base for Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Hanley Ramirez. Arizona's bullpen has a losing record on the road and a save conversion rate of just over 50%. We expect Los Angeles to get a solid home win in this game on Wednesday afternoon.

9* Play DODGERS (-) (action).

The Orioles will try to salvage one game from the surging Athletics on Sunday afternoon. Baltimore is sending their best starter in Wei-Yin Chen to the mound. He is 8-6 with a 3.82 ERA in 20 starts with one of those wins coming against the A

The Nationals look to start a new winning streak on Saturday when they take on the Brewers. They've got the right pitcher on the mound with Jordan Zimmermann. He is 7-6 with a 2.31 ERA in 20 starts having gone six innings or more in every game. He's entering tonight

Minnesota hopes some home cooking will turn things around as they host the Indians on Friday night. Scott Diamond takes the mound with an 8-4 record and a 3.17 ERA in 14 starts. He is 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA in seven home starts walking only seven in 46.3 innings. He beat the Indians in Cleveland back in June after allowing 3 unearned runs and seven hits in seven innings. Cleveland is 10-20 against left-handed starters while hitting just .232 in those games. They have lost four straight games against southpaws with their last win coming after scoring only 1 run. The Indians are hitting right around .230 in their last eight games while scoring less than 3 runs per game.

Josh Tomlin is 5-7 with a 5.15 ERA in 15 starts this season. He is an awful pitcher on the road going 3-3 with a 6.13 ERA. He has given up 27 runs and 48 hits in just over 39 innings. Tomlin lost to the Twins back in June after giving up 5 runs and 10 hits in six innings. Minnesota

The White Sox and Rangers begin a series on Friday night in Arlington. It will be Chicago's first look at Yu Darvish who has had success when seeing a team for the first time. He is 11-6 with a 3.88 ERA in 18 starts while striking out 132 batters in 116 innings of work. At home, Darvish has won seven of eight starts and he has walked only 20 of his 64 batters overall. Darvish will face a road weary White Sox team that is hitting .248 away from home. The Texas bullpen is 11-7 with a 3.22 ERA on the season and only 5 blown saves in 28 chances.

Chris Sale is 11-3 with a 2.37 ERA this season for Chicago. But his ERA inflates to 3.08 ERA on the road, and he is not in good current form. He has allowed 6 runs and 17 hits in his last two road starts coming against Detroit and Kansas City. Texas is hitting .264 in their last seven games and they are 17-14 against left-handed starters. They are hitting .282 in those contests while scoring over 5 runs per game. Chicago's bullpen is 15-13 with a 3.89 ERA and 14 blown saves in 36 chances. The Rangers have won 7 of their last 12 games at home against the White Sox, and we expect another solid home win tonight.

9* Play RANGERS (-) (action).

The Phillies stole a win on Monday night after scoring 4 runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Brewers 7-6. Cliff Lee gets the start tonight as he looks for his second win of the season; he owns a respectable 3.72 ERA in 16 starts. Lee has allowed just 6 runs and 18 hits in his last 22 innings pitched. He gave up 1 run and two hits in eight innings in his last outing and picked-up a no-decision in Los Angeles. Last year, Lee faced the Brewers twice and allowed just 5 runs and 14 hits in 13 innings. The Brewers are hitting right around .226 on the road where they are 18-28 on the season.

Zack Greinke takes the mound after getting some time to recharge his batteries. Greinke has allowed 10 runs and 14 hits in his last three starts. Greinke has been a different pitcher on the road walking 16 of his 28 batters away from home. Greinke has a 9.00 ERA in July, and he will be facing a Phillies team that is hitting .268 against right-handed starters and they are finally at full strength as a unit. The Milwaukee bullpen is 15-23 on the season with 16 blown saves in 36 chances. Francisco Rodriguez just got the job last week and he managed to blow Monday night's game. We expect Philadelphia to ride their momentum and notch a solid home win on Tuesday night.

9* Play PHILLIES (-) (action).

Toronto returns home after a surprising sweep of the Red Sox in Boston. They get the Athletics who had a surprising weekend of their own by beating the Yankees in four straight games in walk-off fashion. Brett Cecil gets the start for the Blue Jays; he's 2-2 in six starts. He lost in New York in his last outing although he allowed only 3 runs and six hits in six innings. The southpaw faced the Athletics twice last season and he only gave up 5 runs and eight hits in 14 innings. The Athletics are hitting .225 against left-handed starters and they are 23-24 on the road.

Travis Blackley makes his ninth start of the season for Oakland. He is 2-2 with a 3.40 ERA giving up 42 hits in just under 48 innings. Blackley is 1-1 in four road starts; he averages less than six innings an outing. He'll face a Toronto team that enjoys facing left-handed starters to the tune of a .263 team batting average. Toronto is 25-20 at home where they are putting up over 5 runs per game. Toronto

Colorado wraps up their series with the Padres on Sunday afternoon in San Diego. They'll send Christian Friedrich to the mound; he will be making his third appearance against the Padres this season. His first two outings against them went well as he gave up just 2 earned runs and 10 hits in 11 innings striking out 12 while walking only one. The Rockies

Jeremy Guthrie is now with the Royals and he will make his first start for them on Sunday afternoon. Guthrie's numbers are ugly this season, but that is because his pitching style is not conducive for Coors Field. With a change of scenery, Guthrie should be much improved. Today he will face a Twins team that he has past success against. Last year, Guthrie allowed 3 runs and 12 hits in two starts against the Twins. Minnesota is hitting under .240 on the road where they are 20-25 this season. Kansas City's bullpen continues to be solid posting an ERA right around 3.20.

Samuel Deduno will be making his third Major League start for Minnesota. He allowed 4 runs and six hits with five walks his last time out against the Orioles. Deduno will face a smoking hot Royals

A huge series in the A.L. West begins on Friday night in Anaheim as the Angels host the Rangers. Jered Weaver gets the call for Los Angeles. He is 6-0 with a 1.63 ERA in his last eight starts winning five straight decisions. Weaver has been a lot better against Texas at home in his career allowing just 4 earned runs in his last four starts against them. The Rangers

Philadelphia returns home after a road trip through Colorado and Los Angeles. The Phillies will host the Giants for a 3-game series beginning tonight. Tim Lincecum continues to be a wreck. The righty is 1-6 with a 9.00 ERA on the road this season. Lincecum has allowed 17 runs in his last three road starts against Pittsburgh, Washington, and Oakland. He lost to Philadelphia back on April 16th and that was against a Phillies team without Chase Utley and Ryan Howard; they are both back now.

Vance Worley continues to be solid for the Phillies. He has allowed 3 runs or less in eight of his last ten starts and he

The Orioles continue to struggle; they

The Padres host the Astros on Wednesday afternoon. This game features a good home pitcher against a bad road pitcher. San Diego

The Pirates and Rockies wrap up their series on Wednesday afternoon in Colorado. Coors Field has been a house of horrors for Jeremy Guthrie; he is 1-4 with a 9.27 ERA in six starts at home. He has allowed 34 runs, 52 hits, and 10 homers in those games. Guthrie gave up 4 runs and seven hits in his last outing there against the Phillies. Guthrie lost to the Pirates last year in Pittsburgh after allowing 6 runs and 11 hits. The Pirates are hitting over .280 in their last eight games and they are clicking offensively. Guthrie is backed by a Rockies

Kansas City looks to bounce back as they host the Mariners on Tuesday night. The Royals will face Blake Beaven who is 3-6 with a 5.92 ERA in 12 starts this season. He was sent down to the minors after giving up 17 runs and 23 hits in a 13 inning stretch of three games. The righty is 2-4 with a 6.03 ERA on the road this season. He faced the Royals last year and he allowed 3 runs and nine hits in that game. Kansas City is hitting almost .300 in their last eight games while scoring nearly 5 runs per game. The Royals are hitting over .275 at home as well. Seattle

The Orioles hit the road hoping to find the consistency and success they had earlier this season. They will face Scott Diamond and Minnesota on Monday night. Diamond is 7-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 12 starts this season. He is pretty good at home allowing just 9 runs and 36 hits in 40.3 innings while walking only six in the process. Diamond will be plenty rested with his last start coming on July 5th. The Orioles have averaged just 2.8 runs per game since June 15th and they

A series victory is on the line when Toronto hosts Cleveland on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays look for continued success from Carlos Villanueva who will be making his third start of the season. The righty has allowed 3 runs and 11 hits in 11 innings striking out 13 while walking only one. He'll face a Cleveland team that is 21-21 on the road and 15-21 in the daytime. The Indians are using different lineups as the artificial turf has not been good for their guys with sore knees like Travis Hafner.

The road has been unkind to Derek Lowe who is 3-5 with a 5.96 ERA in nine away starts. He has allowed a whopping 72 hits in 51.3 innings and he has actually walked more batters than he has struck out. The righty has allowed 13 runs and 25 hits in his last three starts and he is coming off a phony victory over the Angels where he gave up 11 hits in six innings. Toronto is 24-20 at home and 18-16 in the daytime where they are putting up over 5 runs per game. They are hitting right around .265 in their last eight games and they will be facing an Indians

The Yankees picked up a nice comeback win on Friday night against the Angels. Now the two teams will have a quick turnaround on Saturday afternoon in the Bronx. Jerome Williams is coming off the DL to make this start. Williams is 6-5 with a 4.14 ERA in 12 starts. He has allowed 16 runs and 22 hits in his last three starts losing all three to the Giants, Dodgers, and Mariners. Williams was shelled by the Yankees back in April in New York as he gave up 5 runs and five hits in just over two innings of work. The Yankees

The Midsummer Classic heads to Kansas City as the American League looks to snap the National League

The Red Sox look for the series split on Sunday night when they host the Yankees. They'll hope Jon Lester can keep improving. He has allowed just 8 runs in his last three starts coming against the Blue Jays, Braves, and Athletics. Lester has not faced the Yankees yet this season, but he is 8-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 17 career starts against them. Curtis Granderson (5-21), A-Rod (6-34) and Mark Teixeira (7-34) have had their struggles with the Boston pitcher. The Yankees are hitting only .250 in division games this season and they split a doubleheader against left-handed starters on Saturday.

Ivan Nova is coming off a rough outing in Tampa Bay where he gave up 6 runs and seven hits in six innings. Nova has a 3.55 ERA on the road where he has given up 62 hits in just over 58 innings of work. Nova is 1-1 with a 5.91 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox. Boston snapped a 5-game losing streak on Saturday as they managed to find their bats when they scored 10 total runs in the two games. We expect Boston to build off their win last night so we

Third time could be the charm for heralded Arizona rookie Trevor Bauer who gets the Dodgers on Sunday. Bauer has had his struggles to start the season, but he will not have the nerves of a first time home start in this game. To make things a little easier, he will get a Dodgers

A series victory is at stake on Sunday afternoon as the Mets host the Cubs. Ryan Dempster is coming off the DL after dealing with a sore right lat and he will be operating with an 80 pitch limit. Dempster has allowed 12 runs and 24 hits in his last three starts against the Mets. New York hitters are a combined 22-for-65 against the Cubs

The Athletics look to build off their sweep of the Red Sox as they host Seattle beginning on Friday night. Tom Milone gets the start at home where he has allowed a total of 6 runs and 27 hits in six starts. The lefty has allowed just 2 earned runs in his last three outings overall, including a victory over Seattle. He gave up just seven hits in seven innings in that game and that took place on the road. Milone will face a Seattle team that is 10-16 against southpaws this season and they are hitting just .165 as a unit in their last seven games. Oakland's bullpen is 8-2 at home with a 2.77 ERA converting 9 of their 13 save opportunities.

Kevin Millwood takes the mound for the first time since he left with a groin injury against Oakland back on June 27th. Millwood is 3-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 15 starts this season; he has allowed 13 runs and 18 hits in his last three starts. Millwood has allowed 11 runs and 18 hits in his last three starts against Oakland. Seattle's bullpen has a 4.21 ERA on the road and they

The Pirates keep rolling along as they wrap up their series with the Astros on Thursday night. Houston

Boston looks to bounce back after Dice-K's awful start in Oakland on Monday night. The Red Sox will see Bartolo Colon fresh off the DL due to an oblique injury. He has struggled at home this season going 1-5 with a 6.98 ERA. Colon allowed 6 runs in his last two starts coming against the Padres and Rockies. The righty faced the Red Sox twice last season and gave up 5 runs and 11 hits in just over 10 innings of work. Colon will face a Boston team that is hitting almost .270 as a team this season and they are looking to add to their winning road record (21-17).

Jon Lester has had a rough season, but he has pitched better on the road allowing just 17 earned runs in seven starts. The lefty beat Toronto his last time out after giving up 4 runs and seven hits at home to the Blue Jays. He beat Oakland last year at home after allowing just 2 runs and three hits in six innings. Oakland is 11-16 against left-handed starters while hitting .218 in those games. The team has been hitting much worse over their last eight games as they are struggling to get to .200 as a unit. The Red Sox bullpen is 5-4 on the road with an ERA below 2.50 and only 3 blown saves in 17 chances. We expect Boston to get a solid road win in this game on Tuesday night.

9* Play RED SOX (-) (action).

Trevor Bauer's debut was cut short last time out due to cramps in his groin muscle. He will make his home debut on Tuesday night in Arizona as the Diamondbacks host the Padres. The righty allowed 2 runs and five hits in four innings in Atlanta before leaving the game. He is expected to do much better tonight, especially against a Padres team that is prone to hitting slumps. Even with last night's win, San Diego is 15-26 away from home and hitting right around .225 against the rest of the N.L. West. They have scored 3 runs or less in four of their last seven games.

Andrew Cashner is making his third start for the Padres. He dominated a poor hitting Astros team last time out allowing 2 runs and two hits in just over six innings while striking out nine in the process. Cashner threw 101 pitches in that game and he may experience some issues in this game as he feels the effects of his last effort. He was stretched out in the minors, but that was a lot of pitchers for him to throw in his last game. Arizona is scoring over 5 runs per game at home while hitting over .280 in those contests. The Padres

The Nationals return home after another successful series in Atlanta. They host the Giants and Tim Lincecum. The righty is 3-8 with a 5.60 ERA in 16 starts this season having walked 47 in 90 innings of work. His last two road starts came against light-hitting Oakland and Seattle who each beat him up to the tune of 8 runs and eight hits in just 11 innings combined. Lincecum has allowed 34 runs in eight road starts and last year he got lit up by the Nationals as he allowed 7 runs and 12 hits in 12 innings. Ian Desmond (7-9) and Michael Morse (2-3) have good numbers against Lincecum. The Nationals are 20-14 at home and they are hitting .332 as a team in their last seven games. The Giants

Chicago goes for the sweep of the Astros on Sunday afternoon. Travis Wood is 2-3 with a 3.54 ERA in eight starts this season for Chicago. Wood is hot right now giving up just 4 runs and 17 hits in his last three starts while beating the Mets and White Sox. He lost a tough one to the Astros earlier this year after allowing just 2 runs and two hits in just over five innings. Houston is 11-11 against left-handed starters while hitting .229 in those games. They are hitting just over .222 in their last eight games as they have gone into an offensive tailspin. The Cubs

Matt Cain looks to continue his tremendous season on Friday night when the Giants host the Reds. Cain is 9-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 15 starts this season. He has allowed just 9 runs and 28 hits in 56 innings pitched at home. He has also struck out 56 while walking only six batters. Cain did have a blemish against the Reds back in April taking the loss in a game where he gave up 3 runs and five hits in 6.3 innings. That was not the norm for him as he had won two straight starts against Cincinnati prior to that loss. Jay Bruce (2-9), Paul Janish (1-6), Brandon Phillips (6-26) and Drew Stubbs (1-8) have had their struggles against the Giants

Tampa Bay will try to win Game 2 of this series after Detroit won 5-2 last night. Justin Verlander goes for Detroit; he has won his last three starts while allowing just 15 hits over 24 innings. Verlander is 5-2 in nine road starts striking out 65 while walking only 11. He did fall earlier this season to the Rays, but that was against a lineup in better form with Evan Longoria in it. The Rays have scored just 28 runs in their last nine games and they are scuffling big time as a unit. They are hitting right around .223 at home and they will struggle against a hot Verlander.

David Price is 10-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 15 starts. He has allowed 12 runs and 19 hits in his last 19 innings losing his last home start back on June 13th to the Mets. He gave up 7 runs and nine hits in five innings in that game. Price lost to the Tigers at home last year after giving up 2 runs and six hits in eight innings. Detroit's offense is hitting .253 against left-handed starters this season. They have scored 5 runs or more in four straight games and they are getting contributions from the entire lineup. The Tigers have won three of the four meetings with Tampa Bay this season, and we expect that trend to continue on Friday night.

9* Play TIGERS (-) (action).

The Cubs host the Astros on Friday afternoon after Houston

Baltimore hosts Cleveland tonight and they will send rookie Wei-Yin Chen to the mound where he is 7-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 14 starts. Chen has lost only once in seven starts at home sporting an ERA of 2.82. Overall, he has won two of his last three starts. Cleveland fell to 5-16 in games against left-handed starters after losing to Andy Pettitte and the Yankees on Wednesday. They are hitting right around .217 in those games. The Indians are hitting right around .220 in their last eight games overall. Baltimore's bullpen has only 8 blown saves in 34 chances posting a 15-5 record on the season.

Zach McAllister is back in the Majors for Cleveland after an up-and-down first four starts. McAllister is 1-1 with a 3.96 ERA striking out 22 while walking six. He last started on May 23rd when he gave up eight hits and 2 runs to the Tigers at home. He got rocked in his lone road start at Boston back on May 12th. Baltimore is now 21-17 at home hitting right around .260 as a team. They have faced a slew of talented pitchers over their last eight games including RA Dickey, Johan Santana, Jordan Zimmermann, CJ Wilson and Jered Weaver. Tonight they get a major class relief in facing McAllister. The Cleveland bullpen has an ERA well north of 5.00 on the road so they can be scored upon. We expect Baltimore to bounce back strong with a solid home win in this game tonight.

9* Play ORIOLES (-) (action).

The Astros hope to swing their hot bats once again on Wednesday night as they play the Padres. Houston has scored 5 runs or more in four straight games with three of those games resulting in wins. They should have more success tonight against Clayton Richard who has struggled on the road. Richard is 2-4 with a 4.88 ERA away from home giving up 32 runs and 57 hits in eight starts this season. He allowed 5 runs to light-hitting Seattle at home his last time out. Richard's last start in Houston was a terrible one back on April 17th as he gave up 6 runs and seven hits in just over five innings. The Astros are hitting almost .270 in their last eight games and they are 22-18 at home. San Diego's bullpen is 2-7 on the road with an ERA near 4.80 having blown just under 50% of their save chances.

Lucas Harrell enjoys pitching at home for the Astros. He is 4-1 with a 2.48 ERA in six starts there giving up just 10 earned runs and 31 hits. Harrell lost a tough one his last time out when he gave up just 1 run and two hits in seven innings against the Indians. He'll face a San Diego team that is inconsistent offensively. They have scored 3 runs or less in 7 of their last 12 games. Houston's bullpen has blown only one save at home and they have just six blown saves all season. We expect Houston to bag another solid home win in this game tonight.

9* Play ASTROS (-) (action).

Boston and Toronto wrap up a 3-game series on Wednesday afternoon. Jon Lester is 4-5 with a 4.48 ERA in 15 starts this season. But the southpaw has been better as of late giving up only 9 runs in his last three starts. Lester is 10-5 with a 3.08 ERA in 19 career starts against the Blue Jays. In April, he faced Toronto and took a loss despite giving up just 3 runs and three hits. Toronto hitters who hate to face Lester include JP Arencibia (4-17), Jose Bautista (8-42), Rajai Davis (3-16), Edwin Encarnacion (2-17), Ben Francisco (1-11), Kelly Johnson (0-8), Adam Lind (3-24) and Brett Lawrie (0-5). Toronto is 10-11 against left-handed starters this season and they are hitting less than .250 on the road. Boston's bullpen continues to excel as they sport an ERA right around 3.30 as a unit.

Ricky Romero has a great record, but he is very hittable. He has allowed 12 runs and 22 hits in his last three starts against the Marlins, Phillies, and Braves. Romero's control issues continue on the road where he has 29 walks and only 33 strikeouts. Romero is 5-6 with a 6.45 ERA in 14 career starts against Boston. David Ortiz (10-32), Dustin Pedroia (9-26) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2-7) hit the Blue Jays

Kip Wells is making his return to the Majors for the first time since 2009 as the Astros host the Padres. Wells signed with San Diego in May and he hasn

The Yankees and Mets wrap-up their

A series victory is at stake on Sunday afternoon when the Orioles host the Nationals. Jake Arrieta is coming off two solid outings against the Pirates and Mets. He gave up 4 runs in New York, but that came off of a grand slam and one bad inning. Arrieta pitched fantastically against the Nationals in Washington back on May 18th when he allowed just 1 run and six hits in seven innings. He'll face a Nationals team whose offense is going through a lull. They have failed to put up 10 hits or more in their last nine games, and they are hitting less than .200 in their last eight games. Arrieta will be backed by a bullpen that is 14-5 on the season.

Ross Detwiler is back in the rotation after Chien Ming Wang couldn't keep his spot. The lefty is 3-3 with a 3.88 ERA in nine starts this season. He has allowed 47 hits in just over 48 innings of work. He fell to the Orioles on May 19th after allowing 6 runs and nine hits in just five innings. Baltimore smacks lefties around going 11-7 in those games while hitting .268 as a team. They are scoring 5 runs per game against them. The Nationals

Boston and Atlanta continue their series on Saturday night. Franklin Morales makes his second start for the Red Sox. He went five innings in his first start and he gave up 2 runs and four hits in five innings against the Cubs; he struck out nine in the game. Overall, Morales is 0-1 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 appearances this season for Boston. Atlanta is struggling offensively as of late putting up just over 3 runs per game in their last eight games. The Red Sox bullpen is a hot unit right now with an ERA right around 3.30 on the year.

Randall Delgado will finally get a road test. The righty lost a pair of home games against the Orioles and Yankees in his last two starts. On the road, the righty is 2-3 with a 4.83 ERA. He has struggled with his control walking 18 in 31.7 innings. Delgado is going to have issues with the Red Sox who are hitting over .300 in their last eight games while putting up nearly 7 runs per game over that span. Dustin Pedroia's return has sparked the Red Sox along with Cody Ross coming off the DL. Boston is 10-3 in games as a home favorite in this price range so we

St. Louis broke out the bats in Game 1 of their series with the Royals in Kansas City. Now it's a rematch of a June 17th game where the Royals won 5-3 after the Cardinals

The Diamondbacks welcome the Cubs to town after smacking around the Mariners in their last series. Charged with slowing them down is Jeff Samardzija who has been through a rough stretch lately. The righty has allowed 13 runs and 20 hits in his last 14 innings pitched while losing to the Red Sox and Twins. Samardzija is 2-3 with a 6.00 ERA in seven road starts this season so he has not enjoyed pitching away from Wrigley. Arizona is hitting .291 in their last seven games while scoring 6.6 runs per game. They are hitting .283 at home while scoring over 5 runs per game. The Cubs

The road continues to be unkind to Zack Greinke of the Brewers. He is 3-2 with a 4.96 ERA in eight starts away from Milwaukee. Greinke has been extremely hittable allowing 64 hits in just over 45 innings of work. He gave up 4 runs and 11 hits in eight innings at Minnesota his last time out. Now he'll face the White Sox whom he faced twice in 2010; he allowed 8 runs and 19 hits in 16 innings pitched. Gordon Beckham (3-11), AJ Pierzynski (19-46) and Alex Rios (10-30) have great numbers against the Brewers

The Indians can pick up a sweep of the Reds with a victory on Wednesday night. Bronson Arroyo gets the start for Cincinnati. He is 3-4 with a 3.84 ERA in 13 starts. The righty has allowed 10 runs and 17 hits in his last three starts. He got shellacked by the Indians last season in Cincinnati giving up 8 runs in just over four innings. Arroyo is 4-4 with a 4.86 ERA in eight career starts against Cleveland. Shin-Soo Choo (6-12), Casey Kotchman (7-15) and Carlos Santana (3-6) hit the righty hard. Cleveland is hitting over .260 as a team in their last eight games and they have picked up momentum with two solid wins over the Reds in this series. Cincinnati

It's a rematch from last week as the Red Sox take on the Marlins with the venue changing to Fenway Park. Clay Buchholz is a different pitcher now; he has given up just 3 runs and 15 hits in his last 24 innings pitched. The righty beat the Marlins in Miami his last time out after giving up just 1 run and five hits in seven innings. Since Buchholz last saw Miami, the Marlins are just 1-3 with their lone win coming in extra innings. Miami is hitting .213 on the road and .169 in their last seven games so it's not like they have much momentum coming into tonight

Toronto hits the road after sweeping the Phillies. They begin a series with the Milwaukee Brewers who took two of three games from the Twins in Minnesota. Randy Wolf is 2-5 with a 5.06 ERA in 13 starts for the Brewers this season. He has giving up 88 hits in just over 74 innings of work. Milwaukee is 4-9 in his starts as the southpaw has struggled with his durability. He is averaging less than six innings per start which means a beleaguered bullpen will have to get work. That unit is 6-7 with a 5.82 ERA at home where they have blown half of their eight save chances. Toronto hitters are a combined 20 for 67 against Wolf with Colby Rasmus (4-7) and Omar Vizquel (5-14) doing the best. Toronto is 9-9 against left-handed starters scoring nearly 5 runs per game while hitting .257 in those games.

Henderson Alvarez is 3-6 with a 3.87 ERA in 13 starts for Toronto. The righty has actually pitched better on the road where he has giving up just 12 runs and 34 hits in just over 35 innings of work. Alvarez has managed to pitch effectively and his overall win/loss record should be better than what it is. He'll face a Milwaukee offense that is hitting right around .232 in their last eight games; the Brewers are just 16-17 at home. Toronto's bullpen has actually pitched better on the road where they are 4-6 with a 3.28 ERA. We expect Toronto to hit Wolf around pretty good which means we

Oakland

The Twins nearly stormed all the way back from a 9-0 deficit to win on Wednesday; they fell short and lost 9-8. They hope to get a series win on Thursday night against the Phillies. Scott Diamond makes the start for Minnesota. He's 5-1 with a 1.61 ERA in seven starts this season. The southpaw has given up just 3 earned runs in four starts at home. He has won two straight outings after giving up zero earned runs in each game against the Indians and Cubs. The Phillies are 6-11 vs. left-handed starters while scoring just 3.2 runs per game in those contests. Minnesota has a solid bullpen that has blown only 4 saves in 18 chances.

Joe Blanton has been horrible for the Phillies. He is 5-5 with a 5.33 ERA in 12 starts for Philadelphia giving up 48 runs and 87 hits in just over 74 innings. Blanton has allowed 16 runs and 25 hits over his last three starts which came against the Orioles, Marlins, and Mets. He has a symmetrical 4-4 record in eight career starts against the Twins with a 4.44 ERA. Joe Mauer (5-18) and Justin Morneau (7-25) each have had their success against Philadelphia

The Indians will try to stave off a sweep on Thursday afternoon as they play the Reds. Mike Leake is scheduled to make the start for Cincinnati, but he's been dealing with a virus and has needed IV's the past two days. Leake feeling weak will not be helped by the early start on Thursday. When healthy, he hasn't been that good. Leake is 2-5 with a 4.97 ERA in 11 starts this season. The righty has allowed 23 runs and 40 hits in six starts at home; he gave up 4 runs to the Pirates his last time out. The Indians are in the final game of a long road trip that took them through Detroit and St. Louis before Cincinnati. They took the first two series because of their strong offense. Cleveland is 16-13 on the road where they are scoring almost 5 runs per game. Leake's sickness may force Cincinnati to go deep into their bullpen which has been touched up lately.

Josh Tomlin is coming off a winning effort in St. Louis where he gave up 2 runs and eight hits in seven innings. Tomlin has preferred the road where he is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three starts. He'll face a Reds team that is hitting right around .250 on the year. Cincinnati has lost five of their last nine games while falling in home series to the Pirates and Tigers. Cleveland's bullpen has not lost on the road while blowing only two saves in the process. The Indians have split their last eight games in Cincinnati, and we expect them to salvage the last game of this series.

9* Play INDIANS (+) (action).

The Yankees pulled out a nice win on Tuesday night against the Braves. They'll try for the sweep on Wednesday behind Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda has allowed just 2 runs and 12 hits in his last three starts beating the Mets and Athletics. He is 5-6 with a 3.46 ERA in 12 starts for New York. The Yankees

The Battle of Ohio continues on Wednesday night as the Reds host the Indians. Cincinnati will get another look at Derek Lowe. The righty has allowed 16 runs and 24 hits in his last 14 innings after getting touched up by the Tigers and White Sox on the road. Lowe's road numbers are ugly; he has given up 24 runs and 53 hits in six starts. Last year, Lowe faced Cincinnati twice and gave up 9 runs and 13 hits in just over eight innings. Ryan Ludwick (9-19), Drew Stubbs (5-9), Joey Votto (3-11) and Jay Bruce (2-6) hit the sinkerballer well. Cincinnati moved to 18-13 at home after Tuesday's win; they are hitting almost .270 in their last eight games.

Mat Latos is 4-2 with a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts this season. He has not dropped a decision since April 18th with the Reds going 4-0 in his last four starts. Only Jose Lopez (2-3) has faced the former Padres

A second straight sweep is at stake on Wednesday afternoon when the Nationals play the Blue Jays in Toronto. Stephen Strasburg looks to continue his hot pitching. The righty is 7-1 with a 2.41 ERA in 12 starts and he is coming off a domination of the Red Sox in Fenway Park where he struck out 13 batters while giving up just 2 runs and four hits. Overall, Strasburg has allowed just 10 runs and 27 hits in 37 road innings. He'll face a Toronto team that is hitting right around .245 this season. Outside of a 12 run outburst from Toronto on Sunday, the Blue Jays

The

A series victory is at stake on Sunday night as the Reds host the Tigers. Drew Smyly has allowed 4 runs in each of his last five starts and he hasn't had a quality start since May 9th. Smyly lost at home his last time out to the Indians after going only six innings in the process. He is averaging just over five innings per start which means a Tigers

Atlanta is looking for the series sweep on Sunday when they take on Toronto. The Braves will be turning to Julio Teheran for his first start this season after being called up from AAA. The righty was 5-2 with a 3.15 ERA in 11 starts while allowing just 22 runs. Teheran had a brief taste of the Majors last year going 1-1 in those games. He'll be facing a Toronto team that is 14-17 on the road having lost two toughies in this series so far. The Blue Jays have lost three straight games after winning three in a row. Atlanta's bullpen is back to being their dominant selves saving 21 of their 27 chances.

Ricky Romero is 7-1 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts. The southpaw has had control issues on the road walking 23 while striking out only 27 in the process. Romero has won two straight starts, but he got 17 runs of support in the process. Atlanta is 11-10 against left-handed starters while scoring 4.7 runs per game. The Braves are hitting over .280 in their last eight games and they are in good form. The Blue Jays

Justin Verlander has struggled as of late for Detroit, but a game against the National League could be what fixes him. Verlander has given up just 2 runs on 16 hits over his last 33 innings in interleague play. The righty is 5-4 with a 2.67 ERA in 12 starts. He'll face a Cincinnati team that is still struggling to hit the ball. They are hitting right around .243 as a unit improving slightly from their earlier struggles this season. Detroit's bullpen is getting better although Verlander may not need as many innings covered as he's averaging almost eight innings per start.

Bronson Arroyo is also struggling right now. He has allowed 9 runs and 16 hits in his last two starts which came against light-hitting Pittsburgh and Houston. Arroyo is 2-4 with a 3.91 ERA in 11 starts this season. He has allowed a whopping 82 hits in 69 innings of work so the Tigers will have success against Arroyo. Detroit is hitting over .275 in their last eight games. They have scored 5 runs or more in three straight contests. We expect Detroit to pick up a solid road win on Saturday behind their ace.

9* Play TIGERS (-) (action).

The Twins and Cubs play an afternoon affair on Saturday. Jeff Samardzija is making his 12th start for Chicago. His big problem has been road starts this season. He has allowed 16 runs and 37 hits in six starts. Samardzija got a no-decision in San Francisco in his last outing after giving up 2 runs and seven hits in five innings. The big problem in that game was five walks which led to his demise. Minnesota is hitting .255 in the daytime and slightly better in their last eight games. The bullpen continues to be an issue for the Cubs who have lost multiple games away from home because of a save conversion rate below 50%.

Scott Diamond is 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA in six starts for Minnesota. He has been great at home where he has allowed just 3 runs and 18 hits in three starts, winning two of those games. The southpaw won his last start after allowing 3 unearned runs in seven innings. Diamond has had great control walking only four in almost 39 innings of work. Chicago is woeful against left-handed starters scoring 2.9 runs per game while hitting .229 against them. They have lost 12 of 14 games against lefties and they are hitting right around .210 in their last eight games overall. Minnesota's bullpen continues to be solid blowing only 3 saves in 17 chances this season. We expect Minnesota to get a solid home win this afternoon.

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The Yankees can pick up a series sweep of the Rays with a win on Thursday night. Standing in their way is ace David Price who will be facing New York for the third time this season. He is 1-1 in those outings allowing 7 runs and 16 hits in 13.3 innings of work. Price is a different pitcher altogether away from home where he has allowed 16 runs and 43 hits in 36 innings. Robinson Cano (10-38), Derek Jeter (13-44), Russell Martin (3-11) and Nick Swisher (11-28) all hit the southpaw well. The Yankees

The Diamondbacks wrap up their series with the Rockies on Wednesday night. They'll face Josh Outman who is making his second start of the season as Colorado stretches him out more. The southpaw went only 3.1 innings in his first start and he still isn't at the depth and length that he should be so the Rockies

The Yankees return home after a 6-3 road trip through Oakland, Anaheim, and Detroit. Now they'll try to get closer to the top of the A.L. East as they host the Rays tonight. James Shields will be looking to bounce back after getting roughed up at home by the White Sox. He gave up 6 runs and 10 hits in six innings in that game. Shields has seen the Yankees twice this season, and he has allowed 9 runs and 13 hits in 11 innings. Overall, he is 5-12 with a 4.39 ERA in 22 career starts against the Bronx Bombers. Robinson Cano (25-62), Brett Gardner (9-31), Derek Jeter (22-73) and A-Rod (13-43) all hit the Rays

The Giants will be looking for the sweep on Monday afternoon when they host the Cubs. San Francisco

The Mets have shutout the Cardinals in back-to-back games, outscoring them 13-0 and out-hitting them 17-7 on Friday and Saturday. New York will hope for the same tonight from Jon Niese who has pitched better at home this season than his mediocre 4.50 ERA would seem to indicate as Niese does have a solid 1.08 WHIP in those four home starts with a 25/11 strikeout/walk ratio. He took a loss in his one start versus the Cardinals last season, however he still has a solid 2.63 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in his three career appearances against St. Louis. The Cardinals have averaged just 3.9 runs during their past seven games with a .249 team batting average and teams often struggle to adjust after facing a knuckleball pitcher in the previous game as St. Louis faced R.A. Dickey yesterday.

Jake Westbrook enters in terrible current form as he has allowed 15 runs and 19 hits in his last three starts with a horrible 8.40 ERA and 1.73 WHIP and 0-3 SU team record. He is coming off a 5-4 loss to the Braves after giving up 5 runs in just five innings in that game. Westbrook will now be facing a red-hot Mets' offense that has scored 25 runs in the past four games and they have scored at least 5 runs in seven of their last nine games overall. Westbrook is backed by a Cardinals

The Diamondbacks can pick up a series victory with a win on Sunday in San Diego. Arizona hopes to get more consistency from Trevor Cahill this season. He's 2-5 with a 3.96 ERA in 10 starts. Cahill has given up just 14 runs and 30 hits in six road starts including an April 10th game against San Diego where he allowed 1 run and two hits in six innings. San Diego's offense has gotten a boost from Carlos Quentin, but they are still struggling to get their team average very far above .220. The Padres are 13-17 at home. Arizona's bullpen has an ERA below 3.00 on the road as they continue to try and improve from last season's awful unit.

Eric Stults has made four starts for the Padres this season. He has allowed 9 runs and 19 hits in 24 innings. He lost his last time out to the Cubs at Wrigley Field after giving up 4 runs and seven hits in just over six innings. Stults will face an Arizona team that is hitting over .260 in their last eight games. The Diamondbacks are 10-7 in the daytime while scoring 4.3 runs per game. San Diego's bullpen has a losing record this season with six blown saves. Arizona has won two of their last three games and they seem to be rounding into form. We expect another solid road win by Arizona in this game on Sunday.

9* Play DIAMONDBACKS (-) (action).

Colorado continues their hot play while the Dodgers skid in the other direction. Juan Nicasio gets his third start this season against Los Angeles and Aaron Harang on Saturday afternoon. The righty has allowed just 3 runs and 14 hits in 13 innings striking out 13 while walking only two. Dee Gordon (2-10), James Loney (2-10), Juan Uribe (2-9) and Bobby Abreu (0-3) all struggle with the Rockies

Oakland continued their offensive futility on Friday night as they fell to the Royals 2-0. Now they

Kansas City returns home after taking four of their last five games on a road trip thru New York, Baltimore, and Cleveland. Now they'll host Oakland who has lost eight straight games. Felipe Paulino goes for the Royals; he has a 2-1 record and a 2.03 ERA coming into this game. He has not allowed a run in his two starts at home giving up just nine hits in the process. The righty has struck out 34 in 31 innings while walking just 12. Oakland hitters have just 31 combined at-bats against Paulino in his early career. The Athletics are hitting just .189 in their last seven games, and they

San Francisco continues their series with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. Arizona's Joe Saunders is looking for his first win in five career starts against the Giants. Earlier this month, he took the loss at home against the Giants after giving up 6 runs and 10 hits in five innings. Saunders has given up 13 runs and 25 hits in his last three starts after giving up 4 runs in a win over the Dodgers. Brandon Belt (3-4), Brett Pill (2-6), Freddy Sanchez (2-6) and Ryan Theriot (6-9) all hit Saunders well. The Giants are 9-5 against left-handed starters this season while hitting .245 as a team in those games. They have scored nearly 6 runs per game in their last eight games. Arizona's bullpen has a stellar ERA, but they have five losses and seven blown saves on the road.

Ryan Vogelsong is hot right now. The righty has allowed just 4 runs and 11 hits in his last three starts with wins over the Marlins and Athletics. Vogelsong has allowed a total of 5 runs in four starts at home this season. He has faced Arizona four times in his career giving up just 5 runs and 16 hits in his last three starts against them. Lyle Overbay (1-10), Ryan Roberts (1-8), Justin Upton (1-6) and Chris Young (1-8) have had their struggles against the Giants

The Blue Jays have a good chance to make a run at first place in the A.L. East as they begin a series at home with Baltimore. Toronto will get their third crack at Tommy Hunter. The righty has allowed 6 runs and nine hits in 12 innings pitched against Toronto this season. He has allowed 5 runs or more in his last two outings up North. Hunter is 0-1 with a 7.43 ERA in four road starts this season allowing 20 runs and 30 hits in 23 innings. Rajai Davis (3-9), Yunel Escobar (7-17), Kelly Johnson (4-11), Brett Lawrie (4-13) and Eric Thames (6-18) hit the Orioles

It's a tale of two offenses going in different directions as the Twins host the Athletics. Oakland has been held to 2 runs or less in eight of their last twelve games. They have been shut out eight times this season with four of those coming in the last 12 games. Meanwhile, Minnesota has scored 64 runs in their last 11 games. Travis Blackley is making his first Major League start since 2007 for the Athletics. He has been used as a reliever by both the Giants and A's over seven appearances this year. Minnesota is hitting almost .270 at home this season.

Scott Diamond is making his fifth start of the season. He's 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA striking out 17 while walking only three. He is coming off a losing effort in Chicago after giving up 5 runs and nine hits in six innings. Diamond has not given up an earned run in his two starts at home; he has allowed just nine hits and one walk in 14 innings. He'll face an Oakland team hitting .214 on the road and right around .158 in their last eight games. Oakland's hitting numbers put them at the bottom of most Major League categories as they struggle to find consistency. Minnesota blew only their third save of the season on Sunday so their bullpen has been solid for the most part. Minnesota

Washington can pick up a sweep of Atlanta with a win on Sunday night. They'll turn to Gio Gonzalez who has been one of the best acquisitions any team made this off-season. He's 6-1 with a 1.98 ERA in nine starts striking out 69 while walking only 22. He is coming off a shutout of the Phillies for six innings, allowing just three hits while walking three. Gonzalez has been stellar on the road; he is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in five starts away from Washington. The Braves are hitting right around .180 in their last eight games and they will have lineup issues if Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann are out once again. Freeman is dealing with dry eyes while McCann is dealing with the flu. Washington's bullpen continues to be a strength as they back up the superb Nationals starting pitching.

Brandon Beachy has been good for the Braves

The Mets have found some offense as they wrap up a 4-game series with the Padres on Sunday afternoon. New York has scored 20 runs in their last three games. Edinson Volquez will attempt to slow them down. He is 2-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 10 starts this season. The righty has been awful on the road allowing 8 runs and 17 hits in 17 innings. He has walked 11 while striking out only eight. Volquez lost his last start against the Mets last September after giving up 3 runs and six hits in seven innings. If the Mets are patient, they should get their chances to put runners on base and get runs on the board. New York is 14-7 in the daytime hitting over .280 in those games. The Padres

Chicago continued their hot hitting on Friday with another spectacular effort against the Indians. Jake Peavy hopes to get the benefit of run support on Saturday afternoon. He's 5-1 with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts. The righty has finally pitched up to his potential striking out 55 while walking only 11. The righty beat the Tribe on May 9th in Cleveland after giving up 1 run and seven hits in seven innings. He has allowed only 3 runs and 16 hits in his last three starts against the Indians. Michael Brantley (1-12), Jason Donald (1-9), Jose Lopez (1-7), Lou Marson (0-10) and Carlos Santana (1-6) all struggle with Peavy. The Indians

An important series in the N.L. East begins on Friday night as the Braves host the Nationals. Atlanta will be glad to be home after scuffling in their series with the Reds. They'll face Ross Detwiler who has given up 14 runs and 23 hits in his last three starts against the Orioles, Padres, and Pirates. None of those teams are exactly the best at hitting the ball. Detwiler did beat the Braves last year in Washington after allowing just four hits and two walks in six innings. Atlanta's hitters are 16 for 45 against the left-handed pitcher. The Braves are hitting .281 at home while scoring 5.5 runs per game. They have scored almost 5 runs per game against left-handed starters as well. The Nationals

New York returns home to begin their longest homestand as the Padres come to town. San Diego brings a weak offense into this game as they haven

Miami hopes to extend Colorado's losing streak as they host the Rockies on Tuesday night. Juan Nicasio will make his first start against the Marlins. He is 2-1 with a 4.37 ERA in eight starts this season. The righty has been a bit better in his three road starts allowing 3 runs and 19 hits in those games. He'll face a Marlins team that is 10-7 at home where they hit over .270 as a team. The team has won five of their last seven games and they are beginning to get the hitting they expected from their potent lineup. Nicasio will be backed by a bullpen that has struggled on the road going 3-5 with four blown saves in nine chances.

Ricky Nolasco is hoping to move into the lead in all-time victories for the Marlins franchise. He needs just one more win and he will face a Rockies team that he's 5-1 against in seven career starts. Carlos Gonzalez (3-13), Ramon Hernandez (1-9) and Dexter Fowler (1-4) have poor numbers against the Marlins

The Diamondbacks return home after winning four of seven games on their road trip through Los Angeles, Colorado, and Kansas City. Tonight they

The Rays hope that a return back to the American League can help them as the Blue Jays come to town. Tampa Bay lost two of three games to the Atlanta Braves. They'll face Kyle Drabek who is 3-4 with a 3.30 ERA in eight starts. The Blue Jays

The Phillies begin a 3-game series with the Red Sox on Friday night in Philadelphia. Cole Hamels is having a tremendous season so far going 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA. The lefty has allowed just 4 runs and 16 hits in his last three starts. He has had success against the Red Sox going 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA in four career starts. Last year against Boston, Hamels allowed just two hits in four innings striking out two while walking none. Marlon Byrd (2-8), Darnell McDonald (1-10) and Cody Ross (9-35) have poor numbers against the Phillies

The Yankees begin an interleague series with the Reds on Friday night. The Yankees will be glad to be home after losing three of four games on their road trip thru Baltimore and Toronto. Now they'll get Bronson Arroyo who is 2-1 with a 3.25 ERA in seven starts. Arroyo has struggled a bit giving up 8 runs and 26 hits in his last three starts. The righty has not faced the Yankees since 2005 when he was rocked by them twice. Raul Ibanez (4-8), Eric Chavez (5-14), A-Rod (5-16) and Robinson Cano (2-3) all hit the Reds

The Padres can pick up a series sweep with a win over the Dodgers on Thursday night. San Diego gets their third crack at Aaron Harang who has had a rough first two games against them. The righty has given up 8 runs and 11 hits in just over 11 innings pitched against the Padres. Harang struck out 19 while walking seven in those two games. John Baker (4-12), Jeremy Hermida (7-18), Cameron Maybin (5-13) and Yonder Alonso (2-4) all hit Harang well. The Padres have won three of their last five games and they have scored 15 runs in their last three games. The Dodgers

A tale of two pitchers going in different directions on Wednesday night as the Mets host the Reds. Cincinnati sends Mike Leake to the hill where he is 0-5 with a 7.10 ERA. The righty is coming off a loss to the Nationals where he gave up 6 runs and seven hits in three innings. Leake lost to the Mets last season in Cincinnati after giving up 2 runs and eight hits in just over six innings. He'll face a Mets team that is 11-7 at home and hitting right around .277 in their last eight games. Their offense has scored 43 runs in their last eight games and that includes being shutout on Tuesday. Cincinnati's bullpen has been shaky at times posting three road losses with two blown saves.

Johan Santana is 1-2 with a 2.92 ERA in seven starts this year. He is coming off a no-decision against the Marlins where he gave up 3 runs and six hits in six innings. The lefty has allowed only 5 runs in four starts at home this season. Santana has not seen Cincinnati since 2010 when he threw a complete game three hitter against them in New York. Overall, he is 4-0 with a 3.16 ERA in six career starts against the Reds. Jay Bruce (2-11), Miguel Cairo (3-12), Ryan Ludwick (4-25) and Joey Votto (3-12) all have poor numbers against the southpaw. Cincinnati's offense has been putrid this season scoring less than 3 runs per game in night games while hitting below .240 as a team. We

After a rough series in Boston, the Indians begin a short series in Minnesota against the Twins on Monday night. Carl Pavano tries to reverse his awful start to the year. The righty is 2-3 with a 5.02 ERA in seven starts. He's been worse at home where he has given up 15 runs and 23 hits in just 17 innings of work. The team did an MRI on Pavano finding inflammation which explained his reduced velocity. Instead of giving him time off, the team will send him out there again on Monday. Pavano has been a mixed bag against the Tribe. Pavano has allowed 11 runs and 25 hits in his last 20 innings pitched against them. Michael Brantley (7-21), Lonnie Chisenhall (4-9), Shin Soo Choo (7-19), Johnny Damon (9-26), Travis Hafner (4-14) and Lou Marson (6-15) have all had their success against the Twins

Atlanta returns home after a 7-2 road trip which included a sweep of the Cardinals. Now they'll see the Reds who won on Sunday in walk-off style against the Nationals. Homer Bailey gets the start. He's 1-3 with a 4.93 ERA in six outings this season. The righty lost his last outing on the road after giving up 6 runs and six hits in just over three innings pitched against the Brewers. Bailey beat the Braves last year in Cincinnati after giving up 2 runs and five hits in six innings. Atlanta's offense has scored the second most runs in baseball and they are hitting .273 at home. The Cincinnati bullpen is 2-3 with a 2.57 ERA on the road converting four of their six save opportunities.

Randall Delgado will get his first crack at the Reds on Monday night. Delgado is 2-3 with a 4.55 ERA in six starts. The righty has given up just 3 runs in his last two starts against the Cubs and Phillies. Delgado will face a Reds

The Rangers can get a series win with a victory over the Angels on Sunday night. Standing in their way is Jered Weaver who is 5-0 with a 1.60 ERA in seven starts. Weaver has been human on the road giving up 6 runs and 17 hits in 18 innings. He has great numbers as of late but they've come against light-hitting Minnesota and Cleveland. The righty is 9-6 with a 3.41 ERA in 25 career starts against the Rangers. His last start in Texas was a disaster; he gave up 7 runs and eight hits in six innings. Elvis Andrus (19-46), Yorvit Torrealba (3-10) and Josh Hamilton (9-34) hit Weaver well. The Rangers are hot right now putting up over 7 runs per game in their last eight contests. Weaver is backed by a bullpen that has been awful this season, especially on the road where their ERA is near 6.00.

Neftali Feliz is 2-1 with a 3.19 ERA in five starts this season. The righty won his last start beating the Orioles in Baltimore after giving up 1 run and four hits in six innings. Angels

Chicago hits the road to play the Brewers who are coming off a home series loss to the Reds. Randy Wolf has been scuffling for Milwaukee going 2-3 with a 6.68 ERA giving up 24 runs and 47 hits in 32 innings of work. Wolf has seen the Cubs 23 times in his career going 6-11 with a 4.22 ERA. His last outing against them came back in September and he gave up 6 runs and 10 hits in six innings. Jeff Baker (10-24), Starlin Castro (7-18), Geovany Soto (10-30) and Ian Stewart (2-5) all have good numbers against the lefty. The Cubs are hitting .249 in their last seven games and they have taken two straight series which came after splitting a pair of road series. Milwaukee's bullpen is 3-4 with a 6.29 ERA at home blowing half of their save opportunities.

Matt Garza has been stellar for Chicago going 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts. The righty held the Phillies to one hit and one walk in over seven innings in his last outing. He dominated Milwaukee in April giving up just three hits and two walks while striking out nine. He has not allowed an earned run to Milwaukee over his last two starts. Ryan Braun (3-12), Alex Gonzalez (3-17), Cesar Izturis (3-13) and Rickie Weeks (2-13) all struggle with the Cubs

It will be an odd pitching match-up in Arlington as Yu Darvish faces off against former Rangers

The Pirates continue their homestand as they begin a series with the Astros on Friday night. Bud Norris gets the call for Houston; he is 2-1 with a 4.58 ERA on the season. The righty has been awful on the road giving up 15 runs and 25 hits in 17.7 innings. Norris has struggled in his career against the Pirates going 3-4 with a 4.04 ERA in eight career starts. He has allowed seven home runs to Pittsburgh which is the second most for him against any team. Garrett Jones (6-22), Andrew McCutchen (7-25), Casey McGehee (3-11) and Neil Walker (8-18) hit Norris well. Pittsburgh is 8-7 at home and they are coming off a series with two wins against the Nationals. Houston's bullpen is 2-4 with a 3.62 ERA on the road blowing half of their save chances.

James McDonald enjoys pitching at home. The righty is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in three starts giving up just 4 runs in almost 20 innings. McDonald has given up just 6 runs in his last three starts against the Astros with the best outing coming in PNC Park. Carlos Lee (3-13), Jose Altuve (1-5), Brett Wallace (1-5) and JD Martinez (1-6) all struggle with the Pirates