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(TSX / STATS) -- ST. LOUIS -- Max Scherzer can act as a speed bump to anyone's winning streak.
The St. Louis Cardinals found out that hard truth Sunday night when they managed no runs and two hits and fanned 12 times against the potential National League All-Star starting pitcher in a 7-2 loss to the Washington Nationals that snapped a four-game winning streak.
"He was very good and didn't make a lot of mistakes," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "He had the stuff to make up for it if he did get too much of the plate. It was moving pretty late and hard."
St. Louis will try to regain the momentum it built up in winning six of its previous seven games when it starts a four-game series against the Miami Marlins on Monday night in Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals (39-42) were also playing well when they last saw Miami (36-44) in early May at Marlins Park. The result was a three-game Cardinals sweep in which they tallied 22 runs and jumped into first place in the NL Central for just over a week.
Despite the Sunday night defeat, St. Louis is just 3 1/2 games out of first in a division that no one is grabbing by the throat. The Cardinals will turn to Adam Wainwright in an attempt to mute the Miami bats.
Wainwright (8-5, 5.17 ERA) is coming off a 4-3 win Wednesday night at Arizona, where he fanned eight and scattered eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, limiting the power-packed Diamondbacks offense to two runs.
In his career against the Marlins, Wainwright is 5-2 with a 2.37 ERA, including a shutout last July at home. He faced them on May 9, giving up four runs over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision as the Cardinals rallied to take a 6-5 decision.
Miami counters with left-hander Jeff Locke (0-4, 5.52 ERA), a one-time All-Star with the Pittsburgh Pirates who is struggling to find success in his first season with the Marlins. After missing the season's first two months due to left biceps tightness, Locke was unable to work more than 5 2/3 innings in any of his six June starts.
Locke absorbed the loss Wednesday night when Miami fell 8-0 to the New York Mets at home, allowing four hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings with a walk and four strikeouts.
In 11 career outings, 10 of them starts, against St. Louis, Locke is 2-4 with a 4.98 ERA. Third baseman Jedd Gyorko was particularly hard on Locke last year, going 5-for-7 with a pair of homers.
The Marlins come home after a series loss in Milwaukee, although they at least salvaged a game Sunday with a 10-3 romp. Left fielder Marcell Ozuna, who will start the All-Star Game on July 11 in his home ballpark, cracked a pair of homers to give him 22 for the year.
Ozuna's second home run, a 455-foot wallop to left, came after plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt made him change bats. His first bat had pine tar exceeding 18 inches, almost reaching the barrel.
Miami manager Don Mattingly was on the field for the George Brett pine tar controversy in 1983 when Brett clubbed a two-run homer in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees, only to have it overturned for too much pine tar. The homer was later reinstated by American League commissioner Lee MacPhail.
"I don't worry about a guy who's got pine tar. I know it's not going to help him hit," Mattingly said of Ozuna. "He probably could pick up a 2-by-4 and hit with it."
This is "The Line Drive", MLB and baseball news brought to you by the UNB! Network!
Monday, July 3, 2017
Pirates' Nova goes against Phillies' Nola
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(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- The Pittsburgh Pirates start a four-game series against their Keystone State foes, the Philadelphia Phillies, on Monday night in Philadelphia.
Both teams enter looking for a burst before the All-Star break after dropping weekend sets.
The Pirates will send right-hander Ivan Nova to the mound in the opener. Nova (8-5, 3.08 ERA) has been one of Pittsburgh's most consistent starters this season, and he enters the Monday start with a 3.08 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 16 outings.
Nova earned wins in three of his four decisions in June, including his start against the Rays last Wednesday. Nova lasted only five innings -- his shortest outing of the year -- but held Tampa Bay to two runs on seven hits.
Nova, who is averaging 6.8 innings per start, admitted he did not have his top stuff in his last start.
"Obviously not my best today," Nova said after the game. "One of the guys told me, 'Don't feel bad because you throw five innings because a lot of the time, you go seven or eight and you don't get the win. You got the win today.' (My teammates) always find a way to make me feel good."
Nova is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies. He earned the win in his only previous start against Philadelphia this season, allowing nine hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings on May 20.
The Pirates (37-45) are off to a 0-2 start in July, but they went 13-13 in June -- the first month they were not below .500 this season. They received a large offensive lift from their 2013 MVP.
Outfielder Andrew McCutchen hit .411 with a 1.193 OPS in 26 games last month after scuffling to a .223 average during the season's first two months. He didn't play Sunday to get a rest, but he is expected to return for the series opener in Philadelphia.
McCutchen and the rest of the Pirates' order will be facing Phillies righty Aaron Nola (5-5, 4.13 ERA). Nola, Philadelphia's first-round draft pick in 2014, also had a sharp June.
The LSU product had a 3.24 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings in five starts last month, and he pitched at least seven innings three times. Nola notched a season-best nine strikeouts in his last outing, when he gave up just two runs on five hits and worked around four walks in seven innings against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.
"It was great to see Nola pitch well, like we've grown accustomed to. He's been pitching really well," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "His ball-to-strike ratio wasn't the greatest, but he just kept nibbling in the right spots. He really kept us in the game. He set a good pace during that game, like he was attacking the hitters. It was great to see."
Nola has a career record of 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA against the Pirates. He yielded just one run and four hits in seven innings in his only start against Pittsburgh this year on May 21, but he got the loss.
The Phillies (27-53) are just 16-44 since April 27, but Nola won each of his past two starts.
Pittsburgh (37-45) took two of three when the two sides met earlier this season at PNC Park. This week's series marks the last time the two sides will face each other in 2017. The Pirates won the 2016 season series 4-3 and split a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park last September.
(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- The Pittsburgh Pirates start a four-game series against their Keystone State foes, the Philadelphia Phillies, on Monday night in Philadelphia.
Both teams enter looking for a burst before the All-Star break after dropping weekend sets.
The Pirates will send right-hander Ivan Nova to the mound in the opener. Nova (8-5, 3.08 ERA) has been one of Pittsburgh's most consistent starters this season, and he enters the Monday start with a 3.08 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 16 outings.
Nova earned wins in three of his four decisions in June, including his start against the Rays last Wednesday. Nova lasted only five innings -- his shortest outing of the year -- but held Tampa Bay to two runs on seven hits.
Nova, who is averaging 6.8 innings per start, admitted he did not have his top stuff in his last start.
"Obviously not my best today," Nova said after the game. "One of the guys told me, 'Don't feel bad because you throw five innings because a lot of the time, you go seven or eight and you don't get the win. You got the win today.' (My teammates) always find a way to make me feel good."
Nova is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies. He earned the win in his only previous start against Philadelphia this season, allowing nine hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings on May 20.
The Pirates (37-45) are off to a 0-2 start in July, but they went 13-13 in June -- the first month they were not below .500 this season. They received a large offensive lift from their 2013 MVP.
Outfielder Andrew McCutchen hit .411 with a 1.193 OPS in 26 games last month after scuffling to a .223 average during the season's first two months. He didn't play Sunday to get a rest, but he is expected to return for the series opener in Philadelphia.
McCutchen and the rest of the Pirates' order will be facing Phillies righty Aaron Nola (5-5, 4.13 ERA). Nola, Philadelphia's first-round draft pick in 2014, also had a sharp June.
The LSU product had a 3.24 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings in five starts last month, and he pitched at least seven innings three times. Nola notched a season-best nine strikeouts in his last outing, when he gave up just two runs on five hits and worked around four walks in seven innings against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.
"It was great to see Nola pitch well, like we've grown accustomed to. He's been pitching really well," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "His ball-to-strike ratio wasn't the greatest, but he just kept nibbling in the right spots. He really kept us in the game. He set a good pace during that game, like he was attacking the hitters. It was great to see."
Nola has a career record of 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA against the Pirates. He yielded just one run and four hits in seven innings in his only start against Pittsburgh this year on May 21, but he got the loss.
The Phillies (27-53) are just 16-44 since April 27, but Nola won each of his past two starts.
Pittsburgh (37-45) took two of three when the two sides met earlier this season at PNC Park. This week's series marks the last time the two sides will face each other in 2017. The Pirates won the 2016 season series 4-3 and split a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park last September.
Mets open pivotal series against Nationals
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(TSX / STATS) -- WASHINGTON -- The New York Mets may not be dead yet.
The Mets were 11 1/2 games behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East before Thursday's play, but New York's deficit is down to 9 1/2 games as the teams begin a three-game series Monday in the nation's capital.
The Nationals (48-34) have lost four of seven games while the Mets (38-43) have won four of five after a 7-1 home loss Sunday afternoon to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Washington will field a lineup that is expected to include top National League All-Star vote-getter Bryce Harper, and two other NL All-Star starters, first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and second baseman Daniel Murphy. Harper hit two homers and a double Sunday night in Washington's 7-2 win at St. Louis.
"We got our work cut out for us, but there's no reason why we can't be optimistic and think you're going to have a good second half because our pitching's starting to come around and Yoenis Cespedes is not going to continue to struggle. He's too good of a player," Mets manager Terry Collins said Sunday.
Two pitchers coming off strong starts will take the mound Monday.
Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg (9-2, 3.51 ERA) will face Mets lefty Steven Matz (2-1, 2.67 ERA), who went seven shutout innings with four strikeouts in his last outing Wednesday at Miami.
Strasburg, another NL All-Star, dealt with back spasms at home against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday but still fanned 13 batters in seven innings while allowing three runs (two earned).
"My arm feels really good. I am just taking it one start at a time," said Strasburg, who is throwing out of the stretch all the time this year.
The former San Diego State star is 8-4 with a 2.69 ERA in 14 career starts against the Mets, with a mark of 1-1 and a 3.65 ERA in two starts this year.
Current Mets hitters are 56-for-228 (.246) against Strasburg. That includes success by Jay Bruce (8-for-19, .421) and Cespedes (7-for-12, .583).
"We still have a lot of work to do," Bruce said last week. "We still have to play great baseball to have any chance."
Matz is 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA in three career starts against the Nationals. He lost his only previous start against Washington this season, when he allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings on June 16.
Washington has been dealing with a poor bullpen and injuries all year.
The Nationals lost center fielder Adam Eaton in late April possibly for the rest of the season. Shortstop Trea Turner, who was leading the league in steals, was hit on the wrist by a pitch Thursday. He will be out for several weeks with a broken right wrist.
"You wish it hit you in the back or arm or something -- not the hand or wrist," Turner said.
The same day Turner got hurt, Washington's relievers gave up three runs in the ninth inning in a loss to the Chicago Cubs. Over the weekend in St. Louis, the Nationals bullpen allowed eight runs in eight innings.
"We are a really young team now," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "We still need some help (in the bullpen)."
The Nationals own a 5.09 bullpen ERA, the worst in the National League. The Mets are next-to-last at 4.87.
(TSX / STATS) -- WASHINGTON -- The New York Mets may not be dead yet.
The Mets were 11 1/2 games behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East before Thursday's play, but New York's deficit is down to 9 1/2 games as the teams begin a three-game series Monday in the nation's capital.
The Nationals (48-34) have lost four of seven games while the Mets (38-43) have won four of five after a 7-1 home loss Sunday afternoon to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Washington will field a lineup that is expected to include top National League All-Star vote-getter Bryce Harper, and two other NL All-Star starters, first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and second baseman Daniel Murphy. Harper hit two homers and a double Sunday night in Washington's 7-2 win at St. Louis.
"We got our work cut out for us, but there's no reason why we can't be optimistic and think you're going to have a good second half because our pitching's starting to come around and Yoenis Cespedes is not going to continue to struggle. He's too good of a player," Mets manager Terry Collins said Sunday.
Two pitchers coming off strong starts will take the mound Monday.
Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg (9-2, 3.51 ERA) will face Mets lefty Steven Matz (2-1, 2.67 ERA), who went seven shutout innings with four strikeouts in his last outing Wednesday at Miami.
Strasburg, another NL All-Star, dealt with back spasms at home against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday but still fanned 13 batters in seven innings while allowing three runs (two earned).
"My arm feels really good. I am just taking it one start at a time," said Strasburg, who is throwing out of the stretch all the time this year.
The former San Diego State star is 8-4 with a 2.69 ERA in 14 career starts against the Mets, with a mark of 1-1 and a 3.65 ERA in two starts this year.
Current Mets hitters are 56-for-228 (.246) against Strasburg. That includes success by Jay Bruce (8-for-19, .421) and Cespedes (7-for-12, .583).
"We still have a lot of work to do," Bruce said last week. "We still have to play great baseball to have any chance."
Matz is 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA in three career starts against the Nationals. He lost his only previous start against Washington this season, when he allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings on June 16.
Washington has been dealing with a poor bullpen and injuries all year.
The Nationals lost center fielder Adam Eaton in late April possibly for the rest of the season. Shortstop Trea Turner, who was leading the league in steals, was hit on the wrist by a pitch Thursday. He will be out for several weeks with a broken right wrist.
"You wish it hit you in the back or arm or something -- not the hand or wrist," Turner said.
The same day Turner got hurt, Washington's relievers gave up three runs in the ninth inning in a loss to the Chicago Cubs. Over the weekend in St. Louis, the Nationals bullpen allowed eight runs in eight innings.
"We are a really young team now," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "We still need some help (in the bullpen)."
The Nationals own a 5.09 bullpen ERA, the worst in the National League. The Mets are next-to-last at 4.87.
Brewers' Suter starts against Orioles
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(TSX / STATS) -- MILWAUKEE -- Brewers left-hander Brent Suter gets a spot start Monday when Milwaukee opens a three-game interleague series against the Baltimore Orioles at Miller Park.
Suter (0-1, 4.20 ERA) replaces right-hander Chase Anderson, who was lost for four to six weeks when he strained an oblique muscle in the first inning of his last start, costing the Brewers their best and most consistent starter this season.
The Brewers do have their top pitching prospect, lefty Josh Hader, up at the big league level, but manager Craig Counsell said the team wants to leave him in a relief role for now. Counsell opted instead for Suter, who has made one start among eight appearances this season. He allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings June 13 in the first game of a doubleheader at St. Louis.
"I think what we're doing with Josh is we're making progress getting him to a relief role," Counsell said. "You've seen how we've used him. We've been very cautious with how we've used him. I think we're getting through that phase now, and it's important that we get him through that phase, because he's obviously proving to be very valuable. We want to continue with that progress.
"Look, this is about outs for one game. This is about getting 27 outs for one game. It's how to put together 27 outs for one game, and that's what we're going to look at for (Monday), and Josh is going to be involved in that."
After the bullpen covered five innings Sunday because of a short start from Junior Guerra, the Brewers could use a long outing from Suter.
"I hope to get a bunch of outs from him," said Counsell, who added that the team could still make a roster move before the game.
Suter has never faced the Orioles, who send Wade Miley (3-6, 4.54 ERA) to the mound. The Baltimore lefty is looking to snap a personal two-game losing streak.
Miley hasn't finished six innings in any of his past five starts, allowing at least four runs in each of those outings. He gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits over five innings against Toronto his last time out, boosting his ERA to a season-high 4.54.
"What did me in was falling behind guys right out of the gate," Miley said after that game. "Got to figure out how to get the fastball back over the plate. Didn't have it at all tonight. Just lost. Try to throw down the middle, and I was struggling getting it over there. I was a little quick in my delivery at times."
He has had success, though, facing Milwaukee in his career, going 3-1 against the Brewers despite a 5.17 ERA. Miley has not faced Milwaukee since 2014.
The Orioles (40-41) come into the game having won five of their past seven. Baltimore beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1 on Sunday to salvage the finale of a three-game series.
Milwaukee (44-40) is coming off a 10-3 drubbing Sunday at the hands of the Marlins. The first-place Brewers are two games ahead of the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.
(TSX / STATS) -- MILWAUKEE -- Brewers left-hander Brent Suter gets a spot start Monday when Milwaukee opens a three-game interleague series against the Baltimore Orioles at Miller Park.
Suter (0-1, 4.20 ERA) replaces right-hander Chase Anderson, who was lost for four to six weeks when he strained an oblique muscle in the first inning of his last start, costing the Brewers their best and most consistent starter this season.
The Brewers do have their top pitching prospect, lefty Josh Hader, up at the big league level, but manager Craig Counsell said the team wants to leave him in a relief role for now. Counsell opted instead for Suter, who has made one start among eight appearances this season. He allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings June 13 in the first game of a doubleheader at St. Louis.
"I think what we're doing with Josh is we're making progress getting him to a relief role," Counsell said. "You've seen how we've used him. We've been very cautious with how we've used him. I think we're getting through that phase now, and it's important that we get him through that phase, because he's obviously proving to be very valuable. We want to continue with that progress.
"Look, this is about outs for one game. This is about getting 27 outs for one game. It's how to put together 27 outs for one game, and that's what we're going to look at for (Monday), and Josh is going to be involved in that."
After the bullpen covered five innings Sunday because of a short start from Junior Guerra, the Brewers could use a long outing from Suter.
"I hope to get a bunch of outs from him," said Counsell, who added that the team could still make a roster move before the game.
Suter has never faced the Orioles, who send Wade Miley (3-6, 4.54 ERA) to the mound. The Baltimore lefty is looking to snap a personal two-game losing streak.
Miley hasn't finished six innings in any of his past five starts, allowing at least four runs in each of those outings. He gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits over five innings against Toronto his last time out, boosting his ERA to a season-high 4.54.
"What did me in was falling behind guys right out of the gate," Miley said after that game. "Got to figure out how to get the fastball back over the plate. Didn't have it at all tonight. Just lost. Try to throw down the middle, and I was struggling getting it over there. I was a little quick in my delivery at times."
He has had success, though, facing Milwaukee in his career, going 3-1 against the Brewers despite a 5.17 ERA. Miley has not faced Milwaukee since 2014.
The Orioles (40-41) come into the game having won five of their past seven. Baltimore beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1 on Sunday to salvage the finale of a three-game series.
Milwaukee (44-40) is coming off a 10-3 drubbing Sunday at the hands of the Marlins. The first-place Brewers are two games ahead of the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.
Resurgent Royals open 3-game set at Seattle
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(TSX / STATS) -- SEATTLE -- The Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners have faced similar circumstances this season.
Both teams started poorly and rebounded to sit near the .500 mark and remain in the American League wild-card race.
And both are looking to strengthen their position in the final week before the All-Star break. The teams open a three-game series Monday night at Safeco Field.
Right-hander Ian Kennedy (2-6, 4.72 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Royals, who defeated visiting Minnesota 6-2 on Sunday to move into a second-place tie with the Twins in the AL Central.
The Royals (41-40) took three of four games in the series and are a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL's second and final wild-card berth.
Seattle right-hander Andrew Moore (1-0, 3.86 ERA) is scheduled to be recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to make his second career start Monday.
The Mariners (41-42) are coming off a 5-3 road win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday that gave Seattle two victories in the three-game series.
Kennedy gave up two runs in seven innings of his last start, an 8-2 win at Detroit on Wednesday. It was the first time he went seven or more innings since April 22.
Kennedy has made three career starts against the Mariners, producing a 1-2 record and a 4.30 ERA.
He will be throwing Monday to All-Star catcher Salvador Perez. On Sunday, Perez was selected to his fifth consecutive All-Star Game, and he will start for the AL for the fourth year in a row.
"Every one is special," Perez told The Kansas City Star. "As soon as we start the season, this is something we play for. We're going to enjoy it, have fun and try to win the game."
Perez, who is batting .290 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs, will be joined on the AL team by Royals left-hander Jason Vargas, who is tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw for the major league lead with 12 victories.
Moore, just one outing into his major league career, is far from an All-Star team, but he got off to an impressive start.
"We need another starter, and he did a very good job the last time he was here," Mariners manager Scott Servais said.
In his debut June 22 against the Tigers, Moore pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He didn't walk a batter while striking out four in a 9-6 victory.
Seattle is in the midst of a stretch in which it plays 16 of 19 games at home heading into the All-Star break. The Mariners are 7-5 so far in that span.
The Mariners might be without their lone All-Star representative, designated hitter and cleanup hitter Nelson Cruz, who left the Saturday game with a knee injury sustained while sliding into second base.
Cruz, who is batting .287 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs, sat out the Sunday game and was listed as day-to-day.
"I'm not sure how soon he'll be back," Servais said. "It's hard not having him in the lineup. We're a different team when he's not there."
Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano has hit six home runs in the past nine games, including a three-run shot Sunday.
(TSX / STATS) -- SEATTLE -- The Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners have faced similar circumstances this season.
Both teams started poorly and rebounded to sit near the .500 mark and remain in the American League wild-card race.
And both are looking to strengthen their position in the final week before the All-Star break. The teams open a three-game series Monday night at Safeco Field.
Right-hander Ian Kennedy (2-6, 4.72 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Royals, who defeated visiting Minnesota 6-2 on Sunday to move into a second-place tie with the Twins in the AL Central.
The Royals (41-40) took three of four games in the series and are a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL's second and final wild-card berth.
Seattle right-hander Andrew Moore (1-0, 3.86 ERA) is scheduled to be recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to make his second career start Monday.
The Mariners (41-42) are coming off a 5-3 road win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday that gave Seattle two victories in the three-game series.
Kennedy gave up two runs in seven innings of his last start, an 8-2 win at Detroit on Wednesday. It was the first time he went seven or more innings since April 22.
Kennedy has made three career starts against the Mariners, producing a 1-2 record and a 4.30 ERA.
He will be throwing Monday to All-Star catcher Salvador Perez. On Sunday, Perez was selected to his fifth consecutive All-Star Game, and he will start for the AL for the fourth year in a row.
"Every one is special," Perez told The Kansas City Star. "As soon as we start the season, this is something we play for. We're going to enjoy it, have fun and try to win the game."
Perez, who is batting .290 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs, will be joined on the AL team by Royals left-hander Jason Vargas, who is tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw for the major league lead with 12 victories.
Moore, just one outing into his major league career, is far from an All-Star team, but he got off to an impressive start.
"We need another starter, and he did a very good job the last time he was here," Mariners manager Scott Servais said.
In his debut June 22 against the Tigers, Moore pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He didn't walk a batter while striking out four in a 9-6 victory.
Seattle is in the midst of a stretch in which it plays 16 of 19 games at home heading into the All-Star break. The Mariners are 7-5 so far in that span.
The Mariners might be without their lone All-Star representative, designated hitter and cleanup hitter Nelson Cruz, who left the Saturday game with a knee injury sustained while sliding into second base.
Cruz, who is batting .287 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs, sat out the Sunday game and was listed as day-to-day.
"I'm not sure how soon he'll be back," Servais said. "It's hard not having him in the lineup. We're a different team when he's not there."
Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano has hit six home runs in the past nine games, including a three-run shot Sunday.
Athletics' Cotton looks to duplicate success vs. White Sox
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(TSX / STATS) -- OAKLAND, Calif. -- Athletics right-hander Jharel Cotton will make his first start since June 23 on Monday night when Oakland opens a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox at the Oakland Coliseum.
Cotton hopes to pick up where he left off when a blister on his right thumb forced him to leave a gem against the White Sox in Chicago in the sixth inning. He threw five shutout innings in a 3-0 victory, allowing three hits while striking out three and walking one. That was his first career appearance against the White Sox.
"I get to go back out there again and pitch against the same team and give my team a chance to win, go as deep as I can, save the bullpen," Cotton said Sunday before Oakland's 4-3, 12-inning loss to the Atlanta Braves. "Hopefully it stays intact."
Cotton was initially slated to start on Saturday, but the A's decided to give him a few extra days to recover from his injury and prepare. He threw a bullpen session Saturday and experienced no issues.
"I've been through a couple blisters before, but I've never taken this long," Cotton said. "Trainers are doing a good job, so it healed. They took great care of it, and now it's ready to go."
Cotton (5-7, 5.02 ERA) has won consecutive starts for the first time in his career. In his past six starts since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville, he is 2-3 with a 4.28 ERA and a .223 opponents' batting average.
Cotton's outing sparked what turned out to be a three-game sweep of the White Sox. The A's outscored Chicago by a combined score of 18-5 during the series.
Since then, the White Sox have gone 4-3, including a 6-5 victory Sunday against Texas. Chicago took two of three from the Rangers to win the series.
White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon will make his second start of the season on Monday. He opened the season on the disabled list due to left biceps bursitis and made his debut Wednesday in a 12-3 loss to the Yankees.
Rodon (0-1, 0.00 ERA) allowed three unearned runs -- all in the first inning -- on two hits over five innings. He struck out two and walked six. Three of the walks came in the first inning, when he threw 37 pitches.
"It was good to be back on the mound," Rodon said after the game. "A little rough in the first and the second. Walks didn't help. Good team defense, really, got me through the fifth. I was pretty excited. I was going a little fast in the first, but it was good to be out there. Next time out, it'll hopefully be a little better. Arm feels good, body feels good. All you can ask for."
Over his career, Rodon is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts against the Athletics.
Since their sweep of the White Sox, the A's have gone 1-5. They lost two of three at Houston then were swept three games at home by the Braves.
Oakland has lost five straight overall and an ongoing season-high seven straight at home.
(TSX / STATS) -- OAKLAND, Calif. -- Athletics right-hander Jharel Cotton will make his first start since June 23 on Monday night when Oakland opens a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox at the Oakland Coliseum.
Cotton hopes to pick up where he left off when a blister on his right thumb forced him to leave a gem against the White Sox in Chicago in the sixth inning. He threw five shutout innings in a 3-0 victory, allowing three hits while striking out three and walking one. That was his first career appearance against the White Sox.
"I get to go back out there again and pitch against the same team and give my team a chance to win, go as deep as I can, save the bullpen," Cotton said Sunday before Oakland's 4-3, 12-inning loss to the Atlanta Braves. "Hopefully it stays intact."
Cotton was initially slated to start on Saturday, but the A's decided to give him a few extra days to recover from his injury and prepare. He threw a bullpen session Saturday and experienced no issues.
"I've been through a couple blisters before, but I've never taken this long," Cotton said. "Trainers are doing a good job, so it healed. They took great care of it, and now it's ready to go."
Cotton (5-7, 5.02 ERA) has won consecutive starts for the first time in his career. In his past six starts since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville, he is 2-3 with a 4.28 ERA and a .223 opponents' batting average.
Cotton's outing sparked what turned out to be a three-game sweep of the White Sox. The A's outscored Chicago by a combined score of 18-5 during the series.
Since then, the White Sox have gone 4-3, including a 6-5 victory Sunday against Texas. Chicago took two of three from the Rangers to win the series.
White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon will make his second start of the season on Monday. He opened the season on the disabled list due to left biceps bursitis and made his debut Wednesday in a 12-3 loss to the Yankees.
Rodon (0-1, 0.00 ERA) allowed three unearned runs -- all in the first inning -- on two hits over five innings. He struck out two and walked six. Three of the walks came in the first inning, when he threw 37 pitches.
"It was good to be back on the mound," Rodon said after the game. "A little rough in the first and the second. Walks didn't help. Good team defense, really, got me through the fifth. I was pretty excited. I was going a little fast in the first, but it was good to be out there. Next time out, it'll hopefully be a little better. Arm feels good, body feels good. All you can ask for."
Over his career, Rodon is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts against the Athletics.
Since their sweep of the White Sox, the A's have gone 1-5. They lost two of three at Houston then were swept three games at home by the Braves.
Oakland has lost five straight overall and an ongoing season-high seven straight at home.
Rematch of young pitchers as Twins host Angels
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(TSX / STATS) -- MINNEAPOLIS -- Adalberto Mejia has thrown two straight consecutive starts, adding to the idea that the Minnesota Twins found a rotation stalwart in a trade with the San Francisco Giants last year.
The Los Angeles Angels also believe they acquired a young starter in a trade last season -- from Minnesota.
Right-hander Alex Meyer, who dazzled for Los Angeles during a busy month of June, will make his first start of July against the Twins at Target Field on Monday. Mejia will try to keep his strong run of starts going for Minnesota.
Meyer (3-4, 3.74 ERA) went 1-2 in six June starts but had a 2.25 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 32 innings in the month, which began with six innings of one-run ball in a no-decision against Minnesota.
Meyer was acquired by the Twins as a top prospect from the Washington Nationals but never had much success at the major league level before being traded to the Angels last year along with Ricky Nolasco for Hector Santiago.
In his last outing, Meyer pitched six scoreless innings Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and gave up one hit, but he walked five batters. Control, as it was in his Minnesota days, is still troublesome for the tall right-hander. He had 19 walks last month.
"Every time I get in trouble, a lot of it's because of me, with walks specifically," Meyer said after his last outing. "If I had just thrown strikes earlier in the game, I probably would get to keep pitching."
Meyer hasn't been able to pitch past six innings because of high pitch counts.
"That was an extreme effort for him to get through six innings," manager Mike Scioscia said of Meyer's last outing, a 3-2 Angels victory. "He made some big pitches to get out of a couple innings early, but he found his release point and finished strong through the sixth and gave us a chance to win. It's all you can ask for."
The June 1 start at home was the first time Meyer has faced the Twins. He allowed five hits and two walks, while striking out four batters in an eventual 4-2 Los Angeles defeat.
Mejia was Meyer's mound opponent on June 1, as he will be Monday in Minnesota. The rookie left-hander also ended up without a decision in the game. Mejia pitched six innings and allowed one run on five hits and two walks. It was the only time he has faced the Angels.
Kole Calhoun connected for a home run off Mejia in the game for the only run Mejia allowed. Miguel Sano homered for the Twins off Meyer.
Sano, 24, was named to his first All-Star game on Sunday. He enters play Monday with a .272 average, 20 homers and 58 RBIs in 75 games.
"It's awesome, especially at such a young age to go to my first All-Star Game," Sano told MLB.com. "My career is just starting, so there are a lot of things that can happen, and hopefully this won't be my last one."
Former Angels pitcher Ervin Santana was also named to the All-Star team for Minnesota, while injured star Mike Trout was Los Angeles' named representative. Trout won't play in the series against the Twins, though he is due to start rehabbing his injured thumb with the Angels' in workouts with Class A Inland Empire.
After back-to-back tough starts in mid-June, Mejia hasn't allowed a run in his past 10 2/3 innings while winning his past two starts. Mejia pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to beat the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, giving up five hits and just one walk.
Mejia will need to be on against Los Angeles (43-43) as Minnesota tries to solve its home woes following a disappointing end to a long road trip. The Twins (41-40) open the week three games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians in the American League Central.
After sweeping the Indians in three games to start its road trip, Minnesota lost six of the final eight, including a 6-2 setback in Kansas City on Sunday.
"These last eight games have been terrible," second baseman Brian Dozier told the Minneapolis Star Tribune after Sunday's loss.
Manager Paul Molitor pointed to the pitching.
"I notice we've had two starts past six innings in the past (18 games). It takes its toll," Molitor told the Star Tribune.
(TSX / STATS) -- MINNEAPOLIS -- Adalberto Mejia has thrown two straight consecutive starts, adding to the idea that the Minnesota Twins found a rotation stalwart in a trade with the San Francisco Giants last year.
The Los Angeles Angels also believe they acquired a young starter in a trade last season -- from Minnesota.
Right-hander Alex Meyer, who dazzled for Los Angeles during a busy month of June, will make his first start of July against the Twins at Target Field on Monday. Mejia will try to keep his strong run of starts going for Minnesota.
Meyer (3-4, 3.74 ERA) went 1-2 in six June starts but had a 2.25 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 32 innings in the month, which began with six innings of one-run ball in a no-decision against Minnesota.
Meyer was acquired by the Twins as a top prospect from the Washington Nationals but never had much success at the major league level before being traded to the Angels last year along with Ricky Nolasco for Hector Santiago.
In his last outing, Meyer pitched six scoreless innings Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and gave up one hit, but he walked five batters. Control, as it was in his Minnesota days, is still troublesome for the tall right-hander. He had 19 walks last month.
"Every time I get in trouble, a lot of it's because of me, with walks specifically," Meyer said after his last outing. "If I had just thrown strikes earlier in the game, I probably would get to keep pitching."
Meyer hasn't been able to pitch past six innings because of high pitch counts.
"That was an extreme effort for him to get through six innings," manager Mike Scioscia said of Meyer's last outing, a 3-2 Angels victory. "He made some big pitches to get out of a couple innings early, but he found his release point and finished strong through the sixth and gave us a chance to win. It's all you can ask for."
The June 1 start at home was the first time Meyer has faced the Twins. He allowed five hits and two walks, while striking out four batters in an eventual 4-2 Los Angeles defeat.
Mejia was Meyer's mound opponent on June 1, as he will be Monday in Minnesota. The rookie left-hander also ended up without a decision in the game. Mejia pitched six innings and allowed one run on five hits and two walks. It was the only time he has faced the Angels.
Kole Calhoun connected for a home run off Mejia in the game for the only run Mejia allowed. Miguel Sano homered for the Twins off Meyer.
Sano, 24, was named to his first All-Star game on Sunday. He enters play Monday with a .272 average, 20 homers and 58 RBIs in 75 games.
"It's awesome, especially at such a young age to go to my first All-Star Game," Sano told MLB.com. "My career is just starting, so there are a lot of things that can happen, and hopefully this won't be my last one."
Former Angels pitcher Ervin Santana was also named to the All-Star team for Minnesota, while injured star Mike Trout was Los Angeles' named representative. Trout won't play in the series against the Twins, though he is due to start rehabbing his injured thumb with the Angels' in workouts with Class A Inland Empire.
After back-to-back tough starts in mid-June, Mejia hasn't allowed a run in his past 10 2/3 innings while winning his past two starts. Mejia pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to beat the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, giving up five hits and just one walk.
Mejia will need to be on against Los Angeles (43-43) as Minnesota tries to solve its home woes following a disappointing end to a long road trip. The Twins (41-40) open the week three games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians in the American League Central.
After sweeping the Indians in three games to start its road trip, Minnesota lost six of the final eight, including a 6-2 setback in Kansas City on Sunday.
"These last eight games have been terrible," second baseman Brian Dozier told the Minneapolis Star Tribune after Sunday's loss.
Manager Paul Molitor pointed to the pitching.
"I notice we've had two starts past six innings in the past (18 games). It takes its toll," Molitor told the Star Tribune.
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