Sports World: 04/21/10

Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens Live Streaming

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

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7:00 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

The Washington Capitals have regained the edge in their first-round series with the Montreal Canadiens. Without any contributions from the NHL’s top-ranked power play, the Capitals have scored 11 goals in two straight wins over Montreal to regain home-ice advantage heading into Wednesday’s Game 4 in their Eastern Conference series. Washington won its Bell Centre playoff debut 5-1 on Monday night. Its vaunted power play went 0 for 7, though, and played no part in silencing the Canadiens’ fans. That was handled by a four-goal outburst in the second period, started by Boyd Gordon’s short-handed goal and capped by Alex Ovechkin’s second goal in as many games. The Capitals, who lead the series 2-1, have yet to score in 14 opportunities with the man advantage against eighth-seeded Montreal. They haven’t scored a power-play goal in five games, including their last two regular-season games.

Washington coach Bruce Boudreau noted that any added contributions from the power play won’t necessarily result in the Capitals blowing the Canadiens off the ice. After reviewing the previous night’s game Tuesday, Boudreau said the Capitals’ four-goal margin of victory in Game 3 had pushed to the back of his mind the fact that the Canadiens had numerous good scoring opportunities early in the game. He said goalie Semyon Varlamov’s play in the first was the key to Washington keeping it scoreless through the first 20 minutes. Varlamov replaced Jose Theodore early in Game 2 after the former Canadiens goalie was beaten on the first two shots he faced. The Capitals chased Montreal starter Jaroslav Halak midway through Game 3. Carey Price, who played each of the Canadiens’ four regular season games against Washington, relieved and stopped 21 of 23 shots.

Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins Live Streaming

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7:00 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

The Boston Bruins have been able to come from behind, and now they have the lead in their first-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins took a 2-1 lead over the Sabres in the best-of-seven series, winning two straight despite allowing the first goal in all three games. Game 4 is Wednesday night in Boston. The Bruins improved to 6-3 this season against Buffalo, which had 100 points to win the Northeast Division and earn a No. 3 seed in the playoffs. But on Monday night, Dennis Wideman scored and then assisted on Patrice Bergeron’s winner to help sixth-seeded Boston rally from another 1-0 deficit and steal home-ice advantage.

The offense-challenged Bruins—they’ve scored the second-fewest goals in the league this year, and the fewest of any playoff team—have been able to stay in games thanks to their goaltending. Tuukka Rask, who won the starting job from U.S. Olympic backup Tim Thomas, has allowed 14 goals in 10 games since March 27, losing just twice in regulation. That’s allowed the Bruins to stay with Buffalo, which has U.S. Olympic starter Ryan Miller in net and was expected to have the goaltending advantage. Buffalo has struggled to make up for the loss of top scorer Thomas Vanek, who had 28 goals in the regular season. He left Game 2, a 5-3 Boston win, with an undisclosed injury and did not play on Monday night. Jochen Hecht, who had 21 goals, is expected to miss two weeks after pinkie surgery.

Vancouver Canucks vs Los Angeles Kings Live Streaming

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10:00 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson have been the Los Angeles Kings’ distant shining future on defense ever since the club acquired the pair of top-three draft picks a few years ago. After watching these youngsters run Los Angeles’ power play during their first three playoff games, it’s undeniable the Kings’ future has already arrived — and it’s equally obvious the Vancouver Canucks have little future themselves unless they figure out how to stop the Kings’ dynamic defensive duo. Playing together on the power play for the first consistent stretch of their brief careers, Doughty and Johnson have scored five points apiece while propelling the Kings to seven man-advantage goals and giving Los Angeles a 2-1 first-round series lead over the Canucks.

Game 4 is Wednesday night at Staples Center, where Los Angeles went ahead in its first playoff series since 2002 with a 3-for-3 power-play performance in a 5-3 victory Monday. With Doughty and Johnson quarterbacking the attack from opposite ends of the blue line, the Kings are 7 for 12 on the power play, by far the NHL’s best percentage heading into Tuesday’s games. With their smooth passes and vicious shots reducing Vancouver’s penalty killers to tentative impotence, Doughty had a power-play goal and three assists in Game 3, while Johnson had three assists of his own. Although the 20-year-old Doughty still is too young to drink in Los Angeles and the 23-year-old Johnson can’t yet rent most cars, the defensemen have been a pair of aces since shortly after they got back from the Olympics, where Doughty starred for Canada and Johnson excelled for the U.S. team.

Charlotte Bobcats vs Orlando Magic Live Streaming

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7:00 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown assembled his team for practice Tuesday, delivering a fiery message to his players. Brown and the Bobcats are looking for the franchise’s first playoff victory, and he’s making sure they’re willing to work for it. While the Magic didn’t officially practice Monday, most players worked out at the team’s facility. Charlotte had organized team practices during both off days, and it’s searching for any means of motivation to even the series when it resumes for Game 2 on Wednesday night. Charlotte swingman Gerald Wallace even went out of his way for the second straight day to make sure it was known his team is not intimidated by the Magic’s Dwight Howard, who blocked nine shots in the opener and won the NBA’s defensive player of the year award for the second consecutive year.

The Magic aren’t expecting so much. But they do want more from their star duo. The Howard-Vince Carter pairing fell flat in its playoff debut offensively. Howard had five points and seven rebounds; Carter had 12 points on 4-for-19 shooting. Both attributed the poor showing to being too hyped up. Howard was texting and calling Carter in the middle of the night before the opener, admitting later he was overanxious. The two have since talked privately about controlling their emotions, knowing they’ll need to produce more if the Magic want to compete for a title. No more late-night chats before games, either. The concern for the Bobcats: They still lost despite shutting down the Magic’s powerful one-two punch. Point guard Jameer Nelson shredded Charlotte’s backcourt, scoring 24 of his 32 points in the first half. The Magic built a 22-point lead, and only sputtered in the second half with Howard in foul trouble.

San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks Live Streaming

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9:30 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

The nickname stems from something Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said following Game 1 of their first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks—and it certainly wasn’t a compliment. Popovich might’ve been letting off some steam. Or maybe he was trying to motivate them. Regardless, how they respond is a major storyline going into Game 2 on Wednesday night in Dallas. Matt Bonner, a backup big man in San Antonio’s supporting cast, said he understands Popovich’s message. Popovich was most irate about the turnovers and fouls. Then there were all the small numbers in the box score. Richard Jefferson scored just four points in 32 minutes. George Hill, Keith Bogans and Roger Mason were all scoreless in a combined 43 minutes. As a foursome, they made 1 of 9 shots.

San Antonio’s trio of stars had good reasons for not sharing more. Ginobili started 8 of 10. Duncan was on his way to scoring 27 points, his most in two months. And Parker logged 34 minutes, his most in nearly two months, even though he’s still getting over a broken bone in his right hand that sidelined him for one of those months. Hill started at point guard in the opener, as he’s done since Parker was hurt. It remains to be seen whether he keeps that job in Game 2. Hill played less than 18 minutes in the opener, but lingering soreness in his right ankle might not have been all that kept him on the bench. He was pulled for good early in the second half, right after Jason Kidd stole one of his passes in the backcourt. Popovich said Tuesday that Hill would be a game-time decision. If he sits, Parker wouldn’t necessarily take his place. Rookie Garrett Temple could get the start because Popovich likes having Parker come in with his second unit. Another likely change is how San Antonio handles Dirk Nowitzki.

Kansas City Royals vs Toronto Blue Jays Live Streaming

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12:37 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

Zack Greinke won his first six starts last season en route to the AL Cy Young Award. Earning one victory would be an accomplishment the way 2010 has started for him. Greinke gets the ball Wednesday in the series finale at Rogers Centre, where the Kansas City Royals try to salvage one game against the Toronto Blue Jays. During his 6-0 start in 2009, Greinke threw three complete games and allowed two earned runs while walking only eight. The right-hander has given up seven earned runs and six bases on balls so far. Pitching in Toronto might not be the place to change that as Greinke is 1-4 with a 7.07 ERA in five career starts there. In his one appearance in Toronto last year, he allowed a season-high seven runs and nine hits over five innings in a 9-3 loss on June 5. The Royals will look for a better outing from Greinke after dropping the first two games of this series. Kansas City’s 4-3 loss on Tuesday clinched a ninth consecutive series loss at Rogers Centre since taking two of three from Aug. 19-21, 2002.

Figuring out a way to get Vernon Wells out might be a good start. Toronto’s center fielder had two doubles and a solo homer Tuesday to raise his batting average to .364. Wells’ major league high-tying seventh home run was also his 737th career RBI, pushing him past Joe Carter for third on the franchise list. Wells has four hits in 19 career at-bats against Greinke. Blue Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay has fared better against the Royals’ ace, going 7 for 15 with two homers and five RBIs. Overbay is 3 for 5 with three walks in the series after batting .080 in the Blue Jays’ first 13 games. Capping off its 10-game homestand, Toronto gives the ball to Shaun Marcum, who is looking for his first victory since Sept. 11, 2008. The right-hander missed a portion of that season with a strained right elbow, and all of 2009 following Tommy John surgery.

San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres Live Streaming

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6:35 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

The San Diego Padres’ pitching has been so good, even getting only one hit wasn’t enough to stop the club’s surprising winning streak. The Padres look to give more offensive support to their pitchers as they try for their sixth straight victory Wednesday night against the San Francisco Giants. San Diego got off to a 3-6 start, but the Padres have posted a 0.98 ERA during the ensuing winning streak - a run that has given them at least a share of first place for the first time since last April 18. Looking to complete a sweep of the Giants, the Padres will be trying for their first six-game win streak since a 10-game run from May 15-25. That’s due mostly to their pitching, which allowed them to win 1-0 on Tuesday. Mat Latos and two relievers combined on a two-hitter, and Chase Headley provided the only offense San Diego needed by hitting a fourth-inning single and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Scott Hairston.

San Diego has won nine of 11 against San Francisco at Petco Park with a 1.60 ERA.Jon Garland looks to give San Diego another outstanding effort on the mound as he tries a fourth time for his first win. Garland battled through five innings Friday before the Padres rallied for 6-3 victory over Arizona. The right-hander threw 96 pitches, allowing three unearned runs and walking five. He has received two runs of support in his three starts. Garland is 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA in three career starts versus the Giants, holding them to one run in eight innings of a 12-1 win Sept. 19 while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. San Francisco is looking to end a three-game slide and will turn to Todd Wellemeyer, who is coming a rough outing. He lasted four innings and surrendered seven runs and three homers in a 10-8 loss to the Dodgers on Friday.

Colorado Rockies vs Washington Nationals Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

Hours after the untimely death of their president, the Colorado Rockies honored Keli McGregor with their best hitting display of the season. The Rockies will try to keep their offense rolling Wednesday night as they look to continue their dominance of the Washington Nationals. McGregor, who was in his 17th season with Colorado and the team’s president since 2001, was on a business trip when he was found dead Tuesday morning in a Salt Lake City hotel at the age of 48. Police said the investigation has been turned over to the medical examiner’s office, and no foul play is believed to be involved. Later that night, Colorado scored eight runs in the third inning, and collected a season-high 14 hits in a 10-4 win.

Before the game, Todd Helton hung a jersey in the dugout with McGregor’s name on it and the No. 88 he wore as a second-team All-America tight end with Colorado State before a brief NFL career in the 1980s. The team will also begin wearing a memorial patch on its jerseys Wednesday. Helton, who hunted and lifted weights with McGregor, is hitting .393 with 25 homers and 78 RBIs in 82 career games versus Washington. The Rockies will try to beat the Nationals for the 11th time in 12 games, and Jason Hammel will take the mound looking to rebound from one of the worst performances of his career. The right-hander was tagged for seven runs and eight hits with three walks in just 1 2-3 innings of a 9-5 loss at Atlanta on Friday. He’s 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA in two starts against the Nationals, winning at Washington on Aug. 20 when he yielded one run in seven innings of a 4-1 victory.

Milwaukee Brewers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

The Milwaukee Brewers’ lineup appears to be back on track. They hope ace Yovani Gallardo will soon follow suit. Gallardo tries a fourth time for his first win when the Brewers continue their road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. Less than two weeks since signing a five-year, $30.1 million contract, Gallardo is still trying to find his rhythm. He has struck out 15 but walked eight and given up three homers in three outings this season. After allowing 10 runs in losing his first two starts, the right-hander took a step forward by yielding two in six innings of a 5-3 defeat at Washington on Friday. An outing against Pittsburgh could help Gallardo achieve that elusive win. He is 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA in seven starts versus the Pirates.

Milwaukee snapped Pittsburgh’s three-game winning streak with an 8-1 victory in the series opener Tuesday. The Brewers also ended a four-game skid at Pittsburgh and won the first game of a series for the first time this season. Since totaling three runs in losing the first two games of a weekend set at Washington, the Brewers have scored 19 to win their last two contests. After using 12 different lineups the first 12 games, the Brewers finally replicated one Tuesday. Ryan Braun, Casey McGehee, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks each drove in two runs Tuesday for the Brewers, who are 3-4 on a nine-game trip. McGehee is batting .396 with 12 RBIs, while Braun is hitting .365 with 14 RBIs. Braun is 3 for 10 with a home run against Zach Duke, the Pirates’ scheduled starter.

Philadelphia Phillies vs Atlanta Braves Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

After cruising through the early part of the schedule, the Philadelphia Phillies are slumping and coming off perhaps their most disappointing loss of the season. Roy Halladay may be able to quickly help them move past all that. Halladay takes the mound Wednesday night when the Phillies continue their series with the Atlanta Braves, who used a stunning late rally to grab a share of first place in the NL East in the last game. Leading 3-0, the Phillies were one out away from winning the series opener Tuesday. However, Chipper Jones reached on a walk, Troy Glaus hit a two-run homer and rookie star Jason Heyward followed with a solo shot send the game into extra innings. Jose Contreras came on for the Phillies in the bottom of the 10th and surrendered a homer to leadoff hitter Nate McLouth to give Atlanta a 4-3 win.

The Braves have won five of six to move into a tie for the division lead with Philadelphia, loser of three straight and four of five. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, “our bullpen has been a concern,” but he may not need any relievers with Halladay taking the ball. The right-hander, who has a major league-best 19 complete games since the start of the 2008 season, is looking to open with four straight wins for the first time in his 13-year career. Halladay gave up two runs over 16 innings in victories over Washington and Houston before his home debut against Florida on Friday. He yielded two runs in eight innings and the Phillies held on to win 8-6. Nothing appears to have changed for Halladay in his first NL season after winning 148 games and a Cy Young Award with Toronto.

Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

Expectations for Carlos Silva and Oliver Perez were very low entering 2010. Both pitchers, however, have shown signs of regaining the form that earned them big contracts. Silva and Perez are set to start Wednesday night when the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets continue their series at Citi Field. Silva has so far performed like the pitcher who won 24 games over the 2006 and ’07 seasons with Minnesota, allowing one earned run in 13 innings over two starts. He limited Houston to two unearned runs in seven innings of a 7-2 win Friday. Silva’s strong pitching has been critical for a Cubs team that has moved him into the rotation in place of an injured Ted Lilly. He has been much more than Chicago could have expected after acquiring him from Seattle for outfielder Milton Bradley in an exchange of struggling players with hefty contracts.

Perez has also shown signs of re-establishing himself as a solid starter, holding opponents to a .190 batting average and no homers over two starts. He yielded one run and four hits in 6 1-3 innings before the bullpen gave up three runs in the seventh of a 4-3 loss at St. Louis on Friday. Perez went 3-4 with a 6.82 ERA last year while being limited to 14 starts due to injuries. He won 25 games over the ’07 and ’08 seasons before signing a three-year, $36 million contract. Perez is part of a Mets rotation that has been outstanding of late. The starters have posted a 0.95 ERA over the last six games, winning four. Mike Pelfrey provided the latest excellent outing Tuesday, yielding three hits in seven innings of a 4-0 victory as New York took the first two games of the four-game series. Chicago has managed 12 hits, six runs and a .207 average during a season-high four-game losing streak.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cincinnati Reds Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

An unreliable bullpen has had a lot to do with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ early struggles. Fortunately, their relief corps hasn’t been needed much when Hiroki Kuroda pitches. Kuroda looks to build on a strong start, and help the Dodgers bounce back from another disappointing loss when they continue a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. After winning the NL West each of the past two seasons, Los Angeles is off to its worst start since opening 5-9 in 2003. Dodger relievers led the majors with a 3.12 ERA in 2009, but have recorded a 6.07 ERA this season—the bullpen allowed four runs in five innings in Tuesday’s 11-9 defeat. Although a poor performance from starter Chad Billingsley put the Dodgers in an early 7-3 hole, the Dodgers charged back to tie the score at nine on Matt Kemp’s three-run homer in the top of the eighth. Kemp has homered six times during a nine-game hitting streak, and has gone deep four times in five games at Great American Ball Park.

The comeback bid came to an end, though, when pinch-hitter Paul Janish singled home the tiebreaking run in the bottom of the eighth off reliever Ramon Troncoso, snapping a five-game skid for the Reds. Kuroda hopes to be up to that task. After struggling through an injury-plagued 2009, Kuroda looks like he has what it takes to carry the Dodgers’ rotation this season. He allowed an unearned run and five hits in eight innings of a 7-3 win over Florida in his season debut, and gave up three runs in seven innings of Thursday’s 6-5, 10-inning win over Arizona. The right-hander struck out seven in each of those outings, and the only walk he has issued was intentional. In his only career start against the Reds on May 21, 2008, Kuroda yielded two runs and five hits in eight innings of a 5-2 win.

Texas Rangers vs Boston Red Sox Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

The Boston Red Sox rallied to snap their five-game losing streak, leaving the Texas Rangers looking to end a similar skid. With ace Josh Beckett on the mound, the Red Sox will try to build on a victory by handing the Rangers a sixth consecutive loss Wednesday night at Fenway Park. Hours after being called up from the minors, Darnell McDonald hit a tying pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning, then delivered the winning single in the ninth as Boston rallied from four runs down to beat Texas 7-6 on Tuesday. After being swept in a four-game home series by Tampa Bay, the Red Sox may have found the spark they need to get back on track. Things appeared to be getting worse for the Red Sox when they placed starting outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron on the disabled list Tuesday. That was before McDonald and fellow call-up Josh Reddick combined to drive in five runs against the Rangers.

Victor Martinez homered and had three hits for the Red Sox, who were outscored 32-9 during their four-game skid. Off to a slow start, Martinez raised his average to .250. He has gone 12 for 24 in his last six games against Texas. Boston hopes Beckett can continue his strong pitching. After lasting 4 2-3 innings in his 2010 debut, he pitched seven innings in each of his last two starts. He gave up an unearned run and struck out eight in seven innings of a 3-1, 12-inning loss to Tampa Bay in his most recent outing. The game was completed Saturday after being suspended Friday due to rain. The All-Star right-hander is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in five starts against the Rangers, who will turn to left-hander Matt Harrison to help end their skid. Harrison allowed one earned run in seven innings, but didn’t get a decision in a 3-2 loss at Cleveland on Thursday.

Florida Marlins vs Houston Astros Live Streaming

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8:05 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

As far as the Houston Astros are concerned, their awful start to 2010 is a distant memory. With Lance Berkman back in the lineup, the Astros look to win their fourth straight game Wednesday night when they continue their series with the Florida Marlins. After opening the year with eight consecutive losses - one shy of the franchise record - Houston has regrouped. Hunter Pence appears to be coming around with back-to-back multihit games after starting the season 5 for 41, and the Astros have plated 21 runs in their last five contests after scoring 14 during the skid. The five-time All-Star made an immediate impact, doubling and driving in two on groundouts to help the Astros set a season high for runs scored.Berkman tries to build on that performance against Josh Johnson, against whom he is 3 for 6 with a homer and double.

Johnson looked shaky in his first two outings, yielding seven runs in 10 innings, but was sharp against Cincinnati on Thursday. The Marlins’ opening-day starter allowed one run and five hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings of a 10-2 victory. It was the third double-digit strikeout game of his career. Johnson now hopes to find his rhythm against the Astros, something that has eluded him throughout his career. The right-hander has posted a 7.36 ERA while losing all three career appearances. With Tuesday’s loss, the Marlins have dropped the first game of each of their five series’ so far, but haven’t lost any of them. Florida’s Jorge Cantu continued his red-hot start with a homer and two RBIs to extend his hitting streak to 18 games. He is 6 for 16 with three home runs and six RBIs in his last four contests against Houston, and went 2 for 6 with a solo homer last season against scheduled starter Bud Norris.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Chicago White Sox Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

The last time Mark Buehrle faced the Tampa Bay Rays, he became part of major league history. The Chicago White Sox would likely settle for a quality start from their ace this time. Buehrle faces the Rays for the first time since throwing a perfect game against them last summer when the teams continue their series Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field. With a no-hitter already under his belt, Buehrle recorded the 18th perfect game in major league history with a 5-0 home win on July 23. The left-hander is 6-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 12 starts versus the Rays, and 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA in five home starts against them. Buehrle, however, is coming off an outing in which he allowed six runs and four walks in six innings of a 6-2 loss at Cleveland on Friday. Though the White Sox are off to a disappointing start in 2010, they ended a four-game skid with a 4-1 win Tuesday that also snapped the AL East-leading Rays’ seven-game winning streak.

Paul Konerko had three hits, including his fifth home run. Konerko is 6 for 15 with two homers in his last four games for White Sox, who rank near the bottom of the majors with a .223 batting average. Andruw Jones, though, had two hits including his fourth homer to raise his average to .323. Chicago will get its first look at Tampa Bay’s Wade Davis in this contest. Davis, who went 2-2 with a 3.72 ERA in six starts during his first major-league season a year ago, was solid in his last outing. The right-hander gave up a run and two hits in five innings of a 3-1, 12-inning win at Boston in a game that was suspended by rain Friday and completed Saturday. Carl Crawford homered and had all three hits Tuesday for the Rays, who totaled 46 runs and 63 hits during their winning streak. Crawford is hitting .340 with 10 RBIs this season, and is 12 for 28 all-time against Buehrle.

Cleveland Indians vs Minnesota Twins Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

Francisco Liriano said his last start was the best he’s felt since his remarkable rookie season. If those feelings continue, that could spell trouble for the Cleveland Indians. Liriano takes the mound for the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night, when the club tries to win its fifth straight series to begin the season. After winning the fifth starter’s spot in spring training, Liriano has gone at least six innings in both his outings, yielding four hits in each while holding opponents to a .178 batting average. Making his first start at Target Field on Thursday, the left-hander had a season-high eight strikeouts in seven innings of an 8-0 victory over Boston.

Liriano is 2-3 with a 5.02 ERA in six career starts against Cleveland, but he’ll look to even that mark and give the Twins their third consecutive series win since opening their new ballpark on April 12. Behind Kevin Slowey’s eight innings of five-hit ball, Minnesota won Tuesday’s series opener 5-1 to snap the Indians’ four-game winning streak. Reigning AL MVP Joe Mauer had his 18-game hitting streak against Cleveland snapped, but the three-time batting champ could be in line to start a new one against David Huff, who gets the start for the Indians. Mauer is 6 for 12 with a double, homer and four RBIs against the left-hander. Huff will try to build off his first career complete game. In Thursday’s 3-2 victory over Texas, Huff struck out four and allowed four hits. Huff is 2-2 with a 5.82 ERA in four career starts against Minnesota, winning each of his last two appearances.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Live Streaming

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9:40 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

The St. Louis Cardinals’ stretch of strong starts came to an abrupt end in their last game. They can begin a new streak behind ace Chris Carpenter. With the Cardinals looking to win their first three road series for the first time in 11 years, Carpenter will try to improve his flawless career record against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night. Every St. Louis starter went at least seven innings while allowing two or fewer earned runs in seven straight games prior to Tuesday. That streak ended when Kyle Lohse lasted three-plus innings and gave up a season-high seven runs in a 9-7 loss to the Diamondbacks, who had dropped five straight. It was the shortest outing by a St. Louis starter this season and the most runs allowed by a Cardinal since Carpenter yielded seven in an 8-7 loss at Milwaukee on April 11.

The right-hander rebounded from that outing with seven innings of one-run ball in a 4-3 victory over New York on Friday. He struck out a season-high 10 and did not allow a home run after giving up five homers in his first two outings. Carpenter is 3-0 with a 3.27 ERA in four career starts at Chase Field, and 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA in seven total starts against Arizona. He can give the Cardinals victories in their first three road series for the first time since they took five in a row away from the old Busch Stadium to open 1999. Yadier Molina is expected to be back behind the plate Wednesday after Cardinals rookie catcher Bryan Anderson went 1 for 4 in his first major league start Tuesday. Molina is 3 for 3 with a homer against scheduled starter Edwin Jackson, who is coming off a strong start. The right-hander allowed three hits in six scoreless innings in San Diego on Friday, but three relievers gave up six runs in a 6-3 defeat.

Detroit Tigers vs Los Angeles Angels Live Streaming

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10:05 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

It appears the Los Angeles Angels have overcome a rough start to their season. Back over .500, the Angels look to extend their winning streak to six games Wednesday night against the visiting Detroit Tigers. After losing six of its first eight, Los Angeles has won five in a row and six of seven to surpass the .500 mark for the first time since winning its season opener. The Angels broke out early Tuesday, scoring six runs in the first five innings then holding on for a 6-5 win over Detroit, which has dropped the first two in the four-game set and five of six overall.Howie Kendrick drove in three runs, and Hideki Matsui had two RBIs for the Angels, who have scored 24 runs during their five-game winning streak. Matsui has helped the Angels keep winning by going 7 for 19 with five RBIs in his last six games. Los Angeles will look for another strong start from Jered Weaver when he takes the ball in this contest.

Coming off a career-high 16 wins last season, Weaver is making a case to claim the role of staff ace after John Lackey signed with Boston. He allowed two runs and struck out eight in seven innings of a 7-5 win at Toronto on Friday. The right-hander, however, is 2-2 with a 7.36 ERA against the Tigers. Los Angeles’ Fernando Rodney, who spent the last seven seasons with Detroit, has saved the first two games of this series against his former team. He’s converted all five save chances while filling in for injured closer Brian Fuentes, who will be activated from the disabled list Wednesday. Miguel Cabrera had three RBIs and Austin Jackson recorded his rookie-leading 19th hit Tuesday for the Tigers, who rallied from a 6-0 deficit but fell to 1-4 on a season-high 11-game road trip.Cabrera is batting .364 with 17 RBIs this season, and has gone 10 for 23 with 10 RBIs in his last five games versus the Angels.

New York Yankees vs Oakland Athletics Live Streaming

New York Yankees vs Oakland Athletics Live | New York Yankees vs Oakland Athletics | New York Yankees vs Oakland Athletics Streaming | NY Yankees vs Oakland MLB Live Stream | New York Yankees vs Oakland Athletics Live Webcast

10:05 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

Although the New York Yankees boast a lineup filled with some of baseball’s best hitters, they’re finding ways to win without swinging the bat. After using walks to their advantage in a series-opening victory over Oakland, the surging Yankees look to win their sixth in a row Wednesday night when they face the Athletics’ Ben Sheets, who is trying to overcome some control problems early in his comeback.New York managed a season-low five hits in Tuesday’s 7-3 win, but showed great patience at the plate with a season-high 10 walks. Five of those batters scored for the reigning World Series champions, who are off to their best start since opening 10-2 in 2003. Alex Rodriguez received three bases on balls, but also came up with the big hit - a three-run homer in the fifth inning that helped the Yankees beat Oakland for the 12th time in 14 games.

New York drew eight walks in Sunday’s 5-2 win over Texas, and lead the majors with 71. Last year, the Yankees also led the majors with 663. The Yankees will try to employ a similar strategy against Sheets. After allowing six runs in 11 innings over his first two starts, Sheets gave up five hits in six shutout innings in Thursday’s 6-2 win over Baltimore. It marked the first victory for Sheets, who sat out all of last season recovering from elbow surgery, since a five-hit shutout over San Diego on Sept. 6, 2008, while with Milwaukee. Now, the four-time All-Star wants to work deeper into games and be more efficient. Sheets walked three Thursday, and has issued 10 in 17 innings. Sheets was brilliant in his only career start against the Yankees, allowing two hits in seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 win for the Brewers in 2005 while in his prime. New York counters with Phil Hughes, who hopes for a crisper outing after laboring through his season debut.

Baltimore Orioles vs Seattle Mariners Live Streaming

Baltimore Orioles vs Seattle Mariners Live | Baltimore Orioles vs Seattle Mariners | Baltimore Orioles vs Seattle Mariners Streaming | Baltimore vs Seattle MLB Live Stream | Baltimore Orioles vs Seattle Mariners Live Webcast

10:10 pm EDT Wed Apr 21, 2010

Surprisingly good pitching from the back of the rotation has put the Seattle Mariners in position for their ace to cap a rare home sweep of the Baltimore Orioles.All Felix Hernandez has to do is earn his first career win at Safeco Field over the major leagues’ worst team. Hernandez will take the ball for the Mariners on Wednesday night against the Orioles, who haven’t been swept in Seattle in more than six years. With a new pitch apparently in his repertoire, Hernandez is coming off his first win. The right-hander struck out a season-high nine while allowing two runs over 6 2-3 innings of his home debut, an 11-3 victory over Detroit on Sunday.Catcher Rob Johnson said on some of Hernandez’s deliveries, the ball’s seams continually caught air, gained speed and darted sharply low and away.

Hernandez will be facing an Orioles team that has managed two runs and nine hits in the series. Last year’s AL Cy Young runner-up, though, is 0-3 with a 4.99 ERA in five home starts against Baltimore. Seattle hasn’t swept Baltimore in a three-game series at Safeco since Aug. 29-31, 2003. After Doug Fister took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of an 8-2 win Tuesday, Jason Vargas gave up three hits over seven innings of a 3-1 victory Wednesday. Fister, Vargas or Ian Snell could be bumped from the rotation when Cliff Lee comes off the disabled list later this month. Kevin Millwood will try again to notch his first victory with the Orioles. A 13-game winner with Texas last year, Millwood has gotten just seven runs of support in his three starts. The right-hander allowed four runs over six innings of a 4-2 loss to Oakland on Friday. Millwood went 1-7 with a 6.56 ERA in his last eight starts versus Seattle. Third baseman Miguel Tejada may back in the lineup for Baltimore. Tejada, who has missed the last three games with a strained groin, is hitting .239 but went 3 for 3 in a 4-3 loss to Oakland on Saturday.

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