Tuesday, July 31st (All times eastern) CHICAGO WHITE SOX (48-57) AT NEW YORK YANKEES (56-49), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - Jose Contreras (5-13, 6.22) New York - Mike Mussina (5-7, 4.77)
Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees have been temporarily cooled off and will begin a six-game homestand with the first of three meetings against the Chicago White Sox this evening in the Bronx.
New York had ripped off six straight wins before dropping the finale of a four-game series with Kansas City and the first two contests of a three-game set against Baltimore. The Yankees, though, salvaged the finale with the Orioles by recording a 10-6 win Sunday at Camden Yards.
Johnny Damon went 3-for-5 with two RBI and four runs scored, while Rodriguez went 0-for-2 and was walked three times.
Rodriguez is still one home run shy of 500 for his career. The 32-year-old is trying to become the youngest player in history to reach that milestone.
Melky Cabrera also had a three-hit day and scored two runs with an RBI for the Yankees, who are four games off the AL wild card lead and eight games behind Boston for the top spot in the American League East division. Starter Chien-Ming Wang yielded nine hits and three runs in six innings for the win.
Taking the ball for the Yankees tonight will be Mike Mussina, who is 5-7 with a 4.77 ERA in 17 starts this season. Mussina was 0-2 in a three-start stretch before earning the win over the Royals on Wednesday, surrendering one run and six hits over 5 2/3 innings of a 7-1 victory.
The right-hander, who is 3-4 in eight starts at Yankee Stadium this season, is 15-16 with four complete games and a 4.63 earned run average in 36 career starts against the White Sox. Mussina is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in two starts against Chicago this season.
Meanwhile, the White Sox have lost six of 11 contests and had a three-game winning streak come to an end with Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in the finale of a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.
Chicago’s Javier Vazquez was reached for five hits and four runs — two earned — with five strikeouts and three walks in 7 2/3 innings to suffer the loss. Vazquez took a two-hit shutout into the eighth inning before his outing took a turn for the worse.
Jermaine Dye, who has been the subject of recent trade rumors, homered in the loss for Chicago, which is 12 games off the pace in the American League wild card standings.
Struggling starter Jose Contreras will toe the rubber for the Pale Hose this evening and owns a 5-13 record with a 6.22 ERA in 20 starts this season. Contreras has lost six straight starts and has a 9.41 ERA over that span since his last victory on June 18 versus Florida.
The Cuban righty, who is 2-7 in 11 road starts this season, was reached for nine runs and 12 hits through 4 2/3 innings his last time out, a 13-9 loss to Detroit on Wednesday.
Contreras has lost both of his 2007 starts against the Yankees and is 2-3 with a 2.50 ERA in five career outings against them.
New York is 4-3 against the White Sox this season and 8-5 over the previous 13 encounters between the teams.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (49-55) AT BOSTON RED SOX (64-41), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - Erik Bedard (10-4, 3.05) Boston - Josh Beckett (13-4, 3.27)
Streaking lefty Erik Bedard can stretch his unbeaten streak to nine starts tonight when the Baltimore Orioles head to Fenway Park for the first of three games with the American League East Division rival Boston Red Sox.
Bedard, a sixth-round draft pick of the Orioles in 1999, is 6-0 with a pair of no-decisions since losing, 6-1, to Colorado back on June 10.
He’s given up two or fewer earned runs in seven of those eight starts, including a six-inning, one-run effort in a 6-1 defeat of Tampa Bay in his last outing on July 25.
The 28-year-old Canadian is 6-1 in 12 road starts this season with a 3.76 earned run average and is 3-4 in nine career appearances - eight starts - against Boston.
The Red Sox counter with ace right-hander Josh Beckett, who’s one win off the major-league lead and just three away from tying the career-high of 16 he established last season.
The former first-round draft pick of the Florida Marlins was a tough-luck loser in his last start, allowing four hits and a run in eight innings of a 1-0 loss to Cleveland on July 25.
He’s 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA in three career starts against Baltimore, including a 5-2 win at Camden Yards on April 26.
On Sunday in Baltimore, Johnny Damon went 3-for-5, drove in two runs and scored four times as the New York Yankees outslugged the Orioles, 10-6, in the finale of a three-game set.
Miguel Tejada and Nick Markakis each had three hits, and Brian Roberts homered and drove in three for the Orioles, who saw their six-game win streak come to an end. Daniel Cabrera (7-11) gave up six hits and four runs while fanning five and walking five in six innings.
In Tampa Bay, Dioner Navarro hit a solo home run to break a scoreless game during a five-run seventh inning as the Devil Rays defeated the Red Sox, 5-2, to salvage the final game of a three-game set at Tropicana Field.
Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis accounted for the Red Sox’s only runs with a pair of solo homers. Boston had a brief three-game winning streak halted.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (12-8) was the hard-luck loser. The righty had a solid outing for the Red Sox, giving up two runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out six and walked a batter.
Boston has won four of five from the Orioles this season and is 29-12 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign. The Orioles have also struggled in Beantown, where they have posted just two wins in their last 12 visits.
TEXAS RANGERS (46-59) AT CLEVELAND INDIANS (60-45), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Texas - Brandon McCarthy (4-7, 5.52) Cleveland - Fausto Carmona (13-4, 3.31)
Fausto Carmona will attempt to extend a string of winning performances when he takes the mound tonight for the Cleveland Indians, who aim to continue their recent success against the Texas Rangers when the two clubs begin a three-game series tonight at Jacobs Field.
Carmona has won each of his last five starts and has a chance to become the first American League pitcher to reach 14 victories this season. The Dominican standout has compiled an impressive 1.57 earned run average during the win streak and was practically untouchable in his last two outings.
The 23-year-old dominated the Rangers in Arlington on July 20, limiting Texas to three hits and striking out seven over eight shutout innings. Carmona was equally dominant last Wednesday, as he held Boston to just four hits and two walks in eight scoreless frames to lead the Indians to a 1-0 victory.
Carmona has also been tough to beat on the Jacobs Field mound this year. In 10 home starts, the right-hander has gone 7-2 with a 3.68 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 3.95 ERA in two lifetime games against Texas.
The talented young hurler is tied with teammate C.C. Sabathia and Boston’s Josh Beckett, who is also pitching tonight, for the AL lead with 13 wins. Chicago Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano tops the majors with 14 victories, a number that can also be matched tonight by the Dodgers’ Brad Penny.
The Indians enter this set one game behind the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL Central standings despite a disappointing homestand thus far. Cleveland has gone just 2-5 on the 10-game residency and dropped the final two tests of a three-game series with division rival Minnesota over the weekend.
In Sunday’s finale, the Twins scored three times in the eighth inning to spoil a great pitching performance by Sabathia and pull out a 4-1 win.
Sabathia (13-6) shut Minnesota out over the first seven innings, but was let down by his defense in the eighth. The star left-hander allowed three runs — one earned — on six hits without a walk over 7 2/3 innings and matched a career high with 11 strikeouts.
After the Twins tied the game at 1-1 on Mike Redmond’s one-out double, Cleveland second baseman Josh Barfield committed a throwing error that allowed the go-ahead run to score. Justin Morneau followed with an RBI double to make it a 3-1 game.
Jhonny Peralta had two hits and Trot Nixon contributed a run-scoring double for the Indians, who still own one of baseball’s top home records at 36-20.
Texas is currently buried in the basement of the AL West standings and is expected to have a different look when it takes the field for tonight’s opener. On Monday, the Rangers agreed to a deal with Atlanta that will send slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira and reliever Ron Mahay to the Braves. The trade, which is pending a review of medical records, will land four young prospects to the Rangers, including well-regarded young catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
The Rangers may not be done dealing before this afternoon’s trade deadline, with closer Eric Gagne a target of a number of contending clubs.
On the field, Texas began a nine-game road trip by losing three straight to Kansas City. The Royals completed the sweep with Sunday’s 10-0 rout.
The Rangers mustered just five hits on the afternoon, two of which came from Gerald Laird. Starting pitcher Kameron Loe (5-9) was rocked for six runs over 5 1/3 innings.
Texas now must visit a Cleveland team that has won seven of the last eight meetings in this series, including five of six matchups this year. The Indians swept a two-game set from the Rangers at Jacobs Field back in April.
Brandon McCarthy will try to end that string of futility for Texas this evening. The right-hander matched up against Carmona in that July 20 game and suffered the loss after yielding three runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings.
McCarthy was last in action on Wednesday and received a no decision against Seattle. He surrendered three runs on eight hits before being removed after five innings.
The 24-year-old is 3-2 in 11 lifetime games (three starts) against Cleveland, but has posted a 5.84 ERA over that span. TORONTO BLUE JAYS (52-53) AT TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (40-65), 7:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Toronto - Jesse Litsch (3-4, 4.01) Tampa Bay - Edwin Jackson (2-10, 7.00)
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays take aim at their third straight win this evening when they continue their three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field.
In the opener of this set on Monday, Carl Crawford scored the tying run with two outs in the ninth to force extra innings and then homered in the 11th inning, lifting Tampa Bay to a 5-4 win.
Crawford, who came on as a pinch-runner for Jonny Gomes in the ninth, ended the game and capped the comeback by homering over the wall in left-center on a 3-2 pitch from Brain Wolfe (2-1). Crawford didn’t start the game because of an injured wrist and was in obvious pain earlier in the at-bat after swinging and missing.
Gomes and B.J. Upton also homered for the Devil Rays, who rallied from a two- run deficit to win consecutive games after losing eight straight
Tampa Bay reliever Scott Dohmann (1-0) got the win after he pitched himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 11th, striking out Reed Johnson and getting Lyle Overbay to fly out to end the frame.
Alex Rios had two hits, drove in a run and scored twice for the Blue Jays, who have lost three of four on their current six-game road trip.
Getting the call for the Devil Rays tonight will be right-hander Edwin Jackson, who is just 2-10 with a 7.00 earned run average this season. Jackson was pounded by the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, as he allowed six runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 frames.
Tampa has lost five of Jackson’s last six starts, even though he has surrendered one or no runs in three outings over that span.
Jackson has yet to record a decision against the Blue Jays, but has pitched to a 4.72 ERA against them in three games, two of which have been starts.
Toronto will counter with righty Jesse Litsch, who has won two of his last three starts. Litsch was impressive against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, as he allowed a run on five hits in seven innings to run his record to 3-4, while lowering his ERA to 4.01.
Litsch, who is just 1-2 away from home this season, has never faced the Devil Rays.
Toronto has split its matchups with the Devil Rays this season, but have lost three straight and four of the last five meetings. The Jays have also won in 14 of their last 22 visits to St. Petersburg.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS (47-58) AT MINNESOTA TWINS (54-51), 8:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Kansas City - Jorge De La Rosa (8-10, 5.35) Minnesota - Carlos Silva (8-11, 4.76)
The Minnesota Twins try for their fourth straight win this evening when they continue a four-game series with the Kansas City Royals at the Metrodome.
In the opener of this set on Monday, Scott Baker threw eight strong innings and Joe Mauer drove in three runs as the Twins rolled to a 3-1 win. Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save in 25 chances for Minnesota, which had dropped five in a row prior to its current streak.
Baker (5-4) allowed a career-low two hits and one run while striking out seven without a walk. Over the last three games, Twins’ starters have given up just four runs and 11 hits in 21 innings (1.71 ERA).
Jason Tyner had three hits including a triple and Mauer and Morneau had two hits apiece for the Twins, who traded second baseman Luis Castillo prior to the game.
The Twins sent the 31-year-old Castillo to the Mets in exchange for Double-A catcher Drew Butera and Single-A outfielder Dustin Martin.
Kansas City starter Gil Meche (7-8) went seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts. David DeJesus and Mark Grudzielanek accounted for the two hits by the Royals, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Getting the call for the Twins tonight will be right-hander Carlos Silva, who is 8-11 with a 4.76 earned run average. Silva was tagged with the loss on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays, as he surrendered six runs (five earned) on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Silva has faced the Royals nine times and is 3-2 against them with a 4.18 ERA.
Kansas City will counter with Jorge De La Rosa, who is coming off a brilliant effort against the New York Yankees in his last start. De La Rosa scattered six hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings on Thursday to improve to 8-10 on the year, while lowering his ERA to 5.35 on the season.
De La Rosa surrendered just an unearned run in defeating the Twins earlier in the year and is 1-3 lifetime against them with a 4.76 ERA in six games, four starts.
Kansas City has split its six meetings with the Twins this season, but is just 9-21 in its last 30 visits to Minnesota. DETROIT TIGERS (61-44) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (49-57), 10:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Detroit - Justin Verlander (11-3, 3.43) Oakland - Dan Haren (12-3, 2.42)
An All-Star mound matchup will be on display tonight at Oakland’s McAfee Coliseum as the host Athletics and the Detroit Tigers resume a three-game series.
The American League Central-leading Tigers will send young star Justin Verlander to the hill in hopes of earning a second straight win over Oakland. It won’t be an easy task, however, as they’ll be facing Athletics ace Dan Haren in this evening’s showdown.
Haren was the AL’s starting pitcher in this year’s All-Star Game and currently leads the junior circuit with a 2.42 earned run average to complement an outstanding 12-3 record. The standout righty has remained strong after the break, having posted a 2-0 record with a 3.20 ERA in three second-half starts.
In his most recent outing, Haren limited Seattle to two runs on seven hits while registering seven strikeouts over seven innings in Thursday’s 6-2 Oakland victory.
Haren has been sensational at home this season, with a 7-1 record and 2.45 ERA in 11 Coliseum starts to his credit in 2007, but he is still searching for his first career victory over Detroit. In three regular-season starts against the Tigers, he is 0-2 with a 5.31 ERA.
The 26-year-old last faced the Tigers in Game 4 of the 2006 AL Championship Series and allowed three runs while striking out seven in a five-inning no decision.
Verlander enters tonight’s encounter having won six of his last seven decisions but hasn’t factored in the outcome of his two most recent starts. On Thursday, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year held the White Sox to three runs on just three hits over seven innings, but was denied a win when the Tiger bullpen faltered late.
The hard-throwing right-hander has excelled when pitching away from home this season, bringing a 6-1 record with a 2.97 ERA in 10 road starts into tonight’s tilt.
Verlander is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three regular-season starts against Oakland and defeated the A’s in Game 2 of last year’s ALCS after allowing four runs over 5 1/3 innings during Detroit’s 8-5 triumph.
The Tigers halted a four-game losing streak in Monday’s series opener behind a strong mound performance by Jordan Tata. The rookie surrendered just two runs on six hits over the first seven innings to lift Detroit to a 5-2 decision.
Tata, who pitched in eight games as a reliever for the Tigers last season, was filling in for an injured Kenny Rogers. The veteran southpaw was placed on the disabled list Monday due to elbow inflammation.
Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco each had three hits and combined to score four of Detroit’s five runs. Todd Jones earned his 28th save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth.
Mark Kotsay went 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored for the Athletics, who lost for the fourth time in a row. Starting pitcher Joe Blanton (8-8) continued to struggle, as the right-hander was tagged for five runs on nine hits through 6 2/3 innings and fell to 0-4 over his last five appearances.
Monday’s victory extended Detroit’s lead over idle Cleveland to one game atop the AL Central and improved the club’s major league-best road record to 35-23.
Detroit, which swept Oakland in four games during last October’s ALCS, has now taken the last six overall meetings between the teams. Last night’s game was the first encounter between the Tigers and A’s this season.
The Tigers won five of the nine regular-season meetings with the Athletics in 2006 and split six games at McAfee Coliseum. LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (61-43) AT SEATTLE MARINERS (58-46), 10:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: LA Angels - John Lackey (12-6, 3.27) Seattle - Jeff Weaver (2-9, 5.96)
The Seattle Mariners will attempt to further close the gap in the American League West when the resurgent club aims for a second straight victory over the division-leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim tonight at Safeco Field.
Seattle posted its fourth consecutive overall win and moved within three games of the first-place Angels by posting a 2-0 victory in Monday’s opener of this key three-game set.
Miguel Batista (11-7) held Anaheim’s red-hot offense in check over the first seven innings, as the veteran righty yielded just four hits and did not walk a batter. After Brandon Morrow tossed a scoreless eighth, J.J. Putz preserved the shutout in the ninth and picked up his 31st save.
The Angels had won four in a row coming in and were fresh off a three-game sweep of Detroit in which they amassed 34 total runs.
Ichiro Suzuki finished 3-for-4 with an RBI single to lead Seattle offensively. The All-Star outfielder also scored the game’s first run on a Jose Vidro base hit in the third inning.
Kelvim Escobar (11-5) went the distance for the Angels in a hard-luck loss. The Venezuelan righty allowed just the two runs on eight hits and fanned seven over eight innings of work.
Los Angeles will attempt to even things up tonight behind John Lackey, who has struggled some in three starts since earning his first career All-Star selection. The standout right-hander is 1-1 with a 5.82 earned run average following the break and is coming off Wednesday’s no decision against rival Oakland.
In that game Lackey gave up three runs over six innings and recorded seven strikeouts. That was a significant improvement over his previous start, when he was tagged for seven runs (five earned) and 10 hits in five innings during a July 20 setback at Minnesota.
Lackey has been tremendous on the road this season, having compiled a 7-3 record and a 2.85 ERA in 11 starts away from home. One of those victories came at Safeco Field on May 16, when he delivered six shutout innings in Anaheim’s 5-0 decision.
The 28-year-old is 7-8 with a 4.61 ERA in 19 career starts against Seattle.
Ex-Angel Jeff Weaver will have a second opportunity to exact revenge on the team that discarded him a year ago when he takes the mound tonight for the Mariners.
Weaver signed with the Angels prior to the beginning of the 2006 season, but pitched badly over 16 starts before the club designated him for assignment in late June and subsequently traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals. The veteran righty had a 3-10 record and a subpar 6.29 earned run average during his short stay in Anaheim.
The erratic right-hander returned to Angel Stadium to face his old club on April 22, but he lasted only three innings and was stuck with the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits.
Weaver does have a respectable 5-6 record with a 3.03 ERA in 13 career appearances (11 starts) against Anaheim, however.
The 30-year-old will also be attempting to halt a personal three-game losing streak this evening, although he has pitched well in both of his last two starts. Weaver held Oakland to three runs over 7 1/3 innings in a 6-2 loss on Thursday, five days after he threw eight frames of one-run ball in a hard-luck 1-0 defeat at Toronto.
The Angels have won seven of 10 matchups against Seattle so far this season and are 15-5 in the last 20 games played in this series. Los Angeles took two of three games at Safeco Field back in May.
CINCINNATI REDS (45-61) AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS (45-60), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cincinnati - Bobby Livingston (2-1, 3.72) Washington - Matt Chico (4-6, 4.78)
Left-hander Bobby Livingston takes his first turn as a regular member of the Cincinnati starting rotation tonight when the Reds visit RFK Stadium to open a three-game series with the Washington Nationals.
Livingston, who reached the majors with three relief outings for the Seattle Mariners last season, took over the spot when the Reds dealt right-hander Kyle Lohse to Philadelphia in exchange for Double-A starter Matt Maloney.
Lohse, who was 6-12 with a 4.58 earned run average in 21 starts, had been scheduled to start the series opener.
Instead, it’ll be Livingston, who’s made three starts this month as the Reds have struggled to fill the slots of injured starters like Eric Milton. The 24- year-old Missouri native has been effective, allowing just 12 earned runs in 29 innings while striking out 11 and walking five.
He’s never faced the Nationals.
Washington lefty Matt Chico looks for just his second win since mid May.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder defeated Atlanta with six innings of five-hit, three-run ball on May 17, but since has won just once while losing a pair and picking up nine no-decisions.
The Nationals are 11-10 in his 21 starts.
Chico, who is 4-1 in 11 outings at RFK Stadium, got a no-decision in his lone career start against the Reds, allowing three hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings.
On Sunday in New York, John Maine tossed five innings of one-hit ball in a game shortened by rain, as the Mets blanked the Nationals, 5-0, in the finale of a four-game set at Shea Stadium.
Ronnie Belliard’s one-out single in the first inning accounted for Washington’s lone hit. Nationals starter Billy Traber (2-2) was tagged for five runs on eight hits in just 3 2/3 innings.
Washington had won three of its last four,
In Cincinnati, Carlos Zambrano combined with two relievers on a three-hit shutout as Chicago blanked the Reds, 6-0, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Great American Ball Park.
Brandon Phillips, Ryan Freel and Javier Valentin had a hit apiece for the Reds, who have dropped two straight after winning the previous three.
Matt Belisle (5-8) allowed four runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings en route to the loss.
Washington won three of four earlier in the season from the Reds, but is just 7-15 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign. COLORADO ROCKIES (53-51) AT FLORIDA MARLINS (49-57), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Colorado - Aaron Cook (7-6, 4.22) Florida - Scott Olsen (8-8, 5.31)
Red-hot right-hander Aaron Cook looks for his third straight win and fourth in five decisions tonight when the Colorado Rockies visit Dolphin Stadium for the first of three games with the Florida Marlins.
Cook, a 28-year-old Kentucky native, is coming off a complete-game victory over San Diego on July 25, during which he struck out two, walked none and threw just 74 pitches in allowing seven hits and two runs.
One start earlier, in Washington, Cook went seven innings and allowed four hits and no runs en route to a 3-1 victory over the Nationals on July 20.
He hasn’t lost since July 8 and has allowed just 15 hits and four runs in 24 innings since.
Cook is 0-1 with a 7.94 earned run average in two career games - one start - against the Marlins.
Florida lefty Scott Olsen was touched for 11 hits and seven runs in just five innings in his most recent start, a 7-0 loss at Arizona. That outing came just four days after Olsen encountered off-the-field trouble, in the form of an arrest for driving under the influence, resisting an officer with violence and fleeing and eluding an officer.
The southpaw has been effective at home this season, going 6-2 in 11 starts with a 4.18 ERA in 66 2/3 innings.
He won his lone career start against the Rockies, allowing six hits and three runs in 6 2/3 innings.
On Sunday in Colorado, Matt Holliday hit a two-run home run and finished with three RBI as the Rockies defeated Los Angeles, 9-6, and handed Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley his first loss of the season.
Yorvit Torrealba went 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored, while Jamey Carroll knocked in a pair of runs for the Rockies, who took two of three from LA in a rain-shortened series.
Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0), meanwhile, pitched six strong innings to pick up his first career win. The right-hander gave up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
In San Francisco, Miguel Cabrera went 4-for-5 with a solo home run, three RBI and two runs scored as the Marlins downed the Giants, 8-5, in the finale of a three-game set at AT&T Park.
Jeremy Hermida went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Hanley Ramirez scored a pair of runs for the Marlins, who snapped a six-game losing streak.
Sergio Mitre (5-5) got the win as he gave up five runs on six hits with a pair of walks in 6 2/3 innings of work.
Florida will be playing the Rockies for the first time this season, but is 11-7 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (49-53) AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES (42-61), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: St. Louis - Adam Wainwright (9-8, 4.45) Pittsburgh - Paul Maholm (7-12, 4.57)
The St. Louis Cardinals will try for their first four-game winning streak since April when they open a three-game series tonight against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
St. Louis hasn’t won four in a row since April 8-11, but just took the last three tests of a four-game series versus the Milwaukee Brewers. In Sunday’s 9-5 victory at Busch Stadium, Albert Pujols had two hits and three RBI to lead the way for the Cardinals.
Ryan Ludwick drove in a pair of runs and David Eckstein had three hits, two runs scored and an RBI as St. Louis posted its fourth win in five tries. Relief pitcher Ryan Franklin picked up the win by allowing one hit in 1 2/3 innings, while starter Kip Wells gave up five runs on 11 hits in five frames.
The Cardinals, who are six games off the National League Central lead, will send Adam Wainwright to the mound on Tuesday. Wainwright is 9-8 with a 4.45 earned run average over 20 starts this season, but had a personal three-game win streak halted Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. He was reached for six runs and nine hits over five innings of a 7-1 setback.
The right-hander is 1-1 with a 5.09 ERA in seven career games (three starts) against Pittsburgh. He is 0-2 with a 4.00 earned run average in three appearances this season against the Pirates.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, was just swept in three games by the Philadelphia Phillies and has lost 13 of its last 15 contests. On Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, Bucs starter Ian Snell yielded three runs over six innings in a 5-1 loss.
Nate McLouth homered for the Pirates, who are basement dwellers in the NL Central standings.
The Pirates will hand the ball to Paul Maholm on Tuesday, and he is 7-12 with a 4.57 earned run average in 21 starts this season. Maholm has won two straight starts and is 3-1 in his last four trips to the mound, including Thursday’s victory against the New York Mets in which he gave up three runs over six innings of an 8-4 triumph.
Maholm is 1-1 with a 2.94 ERA in three career starts against St. Louis. He did not post a decision versus the Cardinals on April 11 this season, allowing six hits and two runs through five innings of a 3-2 Pittsburgh loss.
St. Louis is 6-2 against Pittsburgh this season, including a three-game sweep in the Steel City from April 9-11. The Cardinals are 39-17 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign.
HOUSTON ASTROS (46-59) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (55-51), 7:35 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Houston - Chris Sampson (7-7, 4.29) Atlanta - Chuck James (8-8, 3.55)
The Atlanta Braves are making some noise at the trade deadline and will play the first of three games against the Houston Astros this evening at Turner Field.
Atlanta reached an agreement on Monday to acquire Texas Rangers slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira in exchange for rookie catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and three minor leaguers. The deal is not expected to go through until Tuesday.
The Braves ended a four-game losing streak with a 14-0 blowout of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of a three-game series Sunday at Chase Field. Chipper Jones knocked in five runs and Jeff Francoeur went 3-for-5 and scored twice for the Braves, who are 2 1/2 games off the National League wild card lead and 4 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for the top spot in the NL East standings.
Willie Harris was 2-for-3 with four runs scored, while Kelly Johnson and Andruw Jones both drove in a pair of runs in the rout. Braves starter Tim Hudson yielded three hits over seven scoreless innings, fanning five and walking one to improve to 4-0 lifetime against Arizona.
Chuck James will take the ball for the Braves tonight, and he is 8-8 with a 3.55 ERA in 21 starts this season. James is 0-1 over his previous three trips to the hill and was beaten by San Francisco the last time out on Wednesday. He was reached for two runs and seven hits in six innings of a 2-1 loss.
James won his only career start against Houston on September 29 of last season, allowing one run and in seven innings during a 4-1 win at Turner Field.
Houston has lost two of its last three games, including Sunday’s 18-11 setback to the San Diego Padres in the finale of a four-game series at Minute Maid Park. Eric Munson, Lance Berkman, Luke Scott and Chris Burke each homered for the Astros, who are 10 1/2 games off the lead in the NL Central standings.
Starting pitcher Jason Jennings was brutalized for 11 runs on eight hits and three walks in just two-thirds of inning.
Chris Sampson will try to bounce back from a rough outing when he takes the ball tonight for the Astros. Sampson, who is 7-7 with a 4.29 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) this season, owns a 1-2 mark in his past three starts and lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers his previous time out on July 23. Sampson allowed four runs in five innings of a 10-2 setback at Minute Maid Park.
Sampson, a right-hander, is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA in two career games (one start) against the Braves.
Atlanta and Houston are meeting for the first time since the Astros went 4-3 in the 2006 season series.
NEW YORK METS (59-46) AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS (57-49), 8:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: New York - Tom Glavine (9-6, 4.51) Milwaukee - Jeff Suppan (8-9, 5.08)
Tom Glavine will try and become just the 23rd pitcher in major league history to reach 300 wins this evening, when the New York Mets open a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
Glavine will be trying to become just the 11th pitcher in the last 60 years, only the fourth since 1990, and the first since longtime teammate Greg Maddux to reach the milestone. And there is a good chance that he may be the last to accomplish the feat.
Arizona left-hander Randy Johnson has 284 victories, but his season was cut short last week due to back surgery and at the age of 43, his career could very well be over. Of the active pitchers with 200 wins, 300 is more than likely out of reach for them, and you cannot make a compelling argument for anyone else.
A two-time Cy Young Award winner, Glavine has won four of his last five decisions and is 9-6 with a 4.51 earned run average on the year. However, Glavine could have trouble getting the historic victory away from home, as he is 0-3 with an 11.96 ERA in his last five road starts.
Glavine was hammered in his last outing on the road back on July 19, surrendering six runs and 10 hits in just two innings against the Dodgers.
The 41-year-old left-hander picked up a win in his last start on Wednesday against Pittsburgh, though, as he gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings.
Glavine is 6-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 12 lifetime starts against Milwaukee.
The Mets enter this series having won two of three games and still own the National League’s best record at 59-46. They could be without All-Star center- fielder Carlos Beltran for the foreseeable future, though, as he is expected to go on the disabled list with a strained abdomen.
New York did make a move on Monday, when it acquired second baseman Luis Castillo from the Minnesota Twins for a pair of minor leaguers.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, comes into tonight’s matchup holding a slim one-game lead over the surging Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The Brewers finished an eight-game road trip with just two wins, dropped the final three games of their four-game weekend series with the St. Louis Cardinals, and have lost eight of 11.
Hoping to reverse that trend tonight for Milwaukee will be veteran right- hander Jeff Suppan, who has not beaten an NL team since topping the Cubs back on June 6. Suppan was tagged with the loss on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds, as he allowed five runs and 10 hits in five innings to fall to 8-9 and have his ERA raised to 5.08.
Suppan has faced the Mets seven times previously and is 3-2 with a 2.81 ERA against them.
The Mets took two of three earlier in the season from the Brewers after the teams split the season series the last two seasons. The Mets, though, have won six of their last nine visits to Milwaukee.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (56-49) AT CHICAGO CUBS (55-49), 8:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Adam Eaton (9-6, 5.83) Chicago - Jason Marquis (7-6, 4.20)
A pair of second place clubs will each continue to try and close the gap on their respective division leaders tonight when the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs play the second of four straight games at Wrigley Field.
Philadelphia moved to within three games of idle New York for first place in the National League East after Monday’s 4-1 victory over the Cubs in the series opener. The setback, meanwhile, dropped Chicago a game back of division-leading Milwaukee, which was also off yesterday.
Cole Hamels (12-5) baffled the Cubs for eight innings on Monday, yielding only three hits and a run while striking out eight batters. Aaron Rowand, meanwhile, provided the offensive spark with a three-run homer as the Phillies won their fourth straight game and for the ninth time in 10 games.
Recently acquired second baseman Tadahito Iguchi also homered in the win, which came at a price.
Starting right fielder Shane Victorino left in the fourth inning after suffering a right calf strain while his replacement, Michael Bourn, exited in the seventh because of a sprained left ankle he had injured two frames earlier.
Victorino will have an MRI done on his right calf today, and Bourn will get an X-ray performed on his left ankle.
The pair of injuries are just the latest blow to the Phils’ roster, as All- Star Chase Utley (right hand surgery), reliever Ryan Madson (strained right shoulder) and starters Jon Lieber (right foot surgery) and Freddy Garcia (strained right shoulder) are all currently sidelined.
The Phillies did make an addition yesterday after acquiring starting right- hander Kyle Lohse from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for minor league pitcher Matt Maloney.
Taking the mound for the Phillies tonight will be Adam Eaton, who is 9-6 on the season with a 5.83 earned run average. Eaton got a no-decision his last time out on Thursday, as he allowed four runs on eight hits without a walk in 6 1/3 innings of his club’s 7-6 setback to Washington.
The right-hander had allowed just two runs over 5 2/3 innings of a win over San Diego the week before, and is 5-2 with a 4.31 ERA in eight career starts versus the Cubs.
The Cubs will hand the ball to Jason Marquis tonight. Marquis was hammered for six runs for the third time in four starts on Thursday in addition to five hits and four walks in five innings of work against St. Louis. The right- hander was saddled with the loss, falling to 7-6 with a 4.20 ERA on the year.
Marquis is 3-3 with a save in 16 games (nine starts) lifetime versus the Phillies with a 4.65 ERA. He split two starts against them last year while with the Cardinals.
Marquis will try to fare better than Ted Lilly, who surrendered seven hits and four runs in five innings of work in yesterday’s loss. Lilly (11-5) also walked three and struck out three.
Ryan Theriot’s solo homer provided the offense for the Cubs, who have dropped three of five.
The Phillies took two of three against the Cubs when the two squads clashed from May 11-13. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (58-49) AT SAN DIEGO PADRES (56-48), 10:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Arizona - Brandon Webb (9-8, 3.23) San Diego - Justin Germano (6-5, 4.20)
The Arizona Diamondbacks had their eight-game winning streak halted in less-than-stellar fashion over the weekend. The club will try to rebound tonight in the opener of a three-game set with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
The Diamondbacks used their second eight-game winning streak of the year to get back into the thick of the chase for National League West supremacy with the Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Arizona is just a percentage point behind the Dodgers for first place, while San Diego is a half game off the pace.
Arizona’s bats fell silent on Sunday to curb its winning run, as the club was blasted by Atlanta, 14-0, in the finale of a three-game series.
Starter Livan Hernandez (6-7) was tagged for eight runs and eight hits with three walks and no strikeouts over four innings. Eric Byrnes tripled for the D-Backs, who suffered their worst shutout loss in team history.
Arizona starter Brandon Webb will now try to carry over the momentum created in his last start against the Marlins. Webb threw seven shutout innings on Wednesday against Florida, scattering six hits and three walks while striking out eight. The victory put the right-hander back over .500 at 9-8 with a 3.23 earned run average on the season.
Prior to his win last week, Webb went 0-3 in four starts with one of his setbacks coming against the Padres. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner allowed four runs (three earned) on 11 hits with 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of the 4-0 defeat.
Webb is just 3-6 in 17 career starts against the Padres with a 3.72 ERA.
Justin Germano will counter for the Padres tonight and has lost his last two outings. After allowing four runs in a setback to Philadelphia on July 20, Germano was hammered for six runs and seven hits in five innings of a loss at Colorado on Wednesday. The right-hander fell to 6-5 on the year while seeing his ERA rise to 4.20.
Germano, who turns 25 on August 6, started against Arizona for the first time in his career on July 15 and earned the win behind 6 1/3 shutout frames. It is his lone victory in his last seven starts.
Unlike the Diamondbacks, the Padres had their bats going on Sunday, as they won a slugfest with the Houston Astros, 18-11. Mike Cameron, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff all hit two-run homers in the victory.
Brian Giles, Milton Bradley and Josh Bard also helped pace the attack with two RBI each, as the Padres plated 11 runs in the first inning.
Tim Stauffer, starting in place of injured All-Star Chris Young, lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his first start of the season. The right-hander gave up seven runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Doug Brocail (3-1) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to pick up the win, just San Diego’s third in 10 games.
These two teams split a brief two-game set in San Diego on April 18-19. Arizona has taken four of six against the Padres at home to own a 5-3 edge in the season series.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (45-58) AT LOS ANGELES DODGERS (57-48), 10:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: San Francisco - Noah Lowry (11-7, 3.40) Los Angeles - Brad Penny (13-1, 2.51)
Having failed to tie Hank Aaron’s all-time home run mark at home, Barry Bonds will now take his act on the road for six games, beginning tonight with the first of three consecutive contests against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.
Bonds hit the 754th homer of his career Friday against Florida, but couldn’t match Aaron in the remaining two games of a seven-game homestand. He went 1- for-4 in the Giants’ 8-5 setback on Sunday.
Ryan Klesko and Guillermo Rodriguez each drove in a pair of runs for the Giants, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Matt Morris (7-7) was handed the loss as he gave up six runs on 13 hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings of play.
Bonds is batting .280 (7-for-25) in his career against tonight’s starter for the Dodgers, Brad Penny, with three homers, four RBI, five walks and one strikeout.
Penny will start for the Dodgers after giving the club a scare last time out. He has won his last eight decisions and three starts in a row, including Thursday at Colorado. The right-hander allowed three runs and five hits versus the Rockies over six innings, but left the game due to an abdominal strain.
He came up to bat in the seventh inning and legged out an infield single to third. Penny, though, pulled up and winced just as he crossed the bag at first, and walked off the field with the trainer.
The righty, whose unbeaten stretch spans his last 12 starts, is 13-1 on the season with a 2.51 earned run average. He bested the Giants in his first start of the 2007 season and then took a no-decision against them on April 26.
Lifetime, Penny is 3-2 in 15 games (14 starts) against the Giants with a 3.59 ERA. He is 6-0 at home this season.
The Dodgers lost to the Rockies on Sunday, 9-6, but still remain a percentage point ahead of Arizona for the top spot in the National League West.
Jeff Kent went 4-for-5 with three RBI and Russell Martin homered and scored three runs for the Dodgers, who have lost four of five. Chad Billingsley (7-1) was tagged for four runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings to suffer his first loss of the season.
Taking the mound for the Giants tonight will be Noah Lowry, who is 6-2 over his last eight starts and has won two straight outings. Lowry has allowed just one run in four of his last six starts, including Wednesday against Atlanta. He scattered seven hits and two walks over eight innings against the Braves to improve to 11-7 with a 3.40 ERA this year.
One of left-hander’s losses during his recent stretch came against the Dodgers on July 15 when he was tagged for five runs (four earned) on 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings. He did beat the Dodgers in LA on April 25.
In his career, Lowry is 3-2 in 12 games (10 starts) against the Dodgers with a 3.33 ERA.
The Dodgers own a 6-3 mark against the Giants this year, but have yet to beat them in Chavez Ravine after getting swept by the club from April 24-26. LA went 13-6 against San Francisco last season, winning six of 10 at home.
