Sports World: 05/20/10

Philadelphia Flyers vs Montreal Canadiens Live Streaming

Thursday, May 20, 2010

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7:00 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

The NHL’s goalie of the moment, and maybe the player most responsible for the Philadelphia Flyers ’ unexpected run toward a Stanley Cup, arrived in Montreal with one simple wish for his 29th birthday. As busy as Leighton has been in registering consecutive shutouts by stopping all 58 shots Montreal has fired at him in the first two games of the Eastern Conference final, the Canadiens are vowing to make it even tougher on him. A day after a 3-0 loss at Philadelphia, Canadiens coach Jacques Martin spent much of a 45-minute meeting attempting to erase 120 minutes of futility by stressing to his players the importance of getting more traffic in front of Leighton as the best-of-seven series shifts to Montreal for Game 3 on Thursday. Defenseman Josh Gorges is buying in because at this point, scoring a goal— just one—has become the Canadiens’ primary objective, no matter how it comes.

The Canadiens have been resilient this postseason. Seeded eighth, they’ve already rallied from series deficits to knock off both top-seeded Washington and defending champion Pittsburgh in seven games each. The seventh-seeded Flyers pulled off maybe the greatest comeback in NHL history just to get here, coming from three games down against Boston and three goals down in Game 7 to beat the Bruins. And they’re doing it with a journeyman goalie. Claimed by the Flyers off of waivers in December, Leighton has grabbed the spotlight since taking over the starting job after Brian Boucher hurt his knee in Game 5 against Boston. Leighton has now won four straight, and has been invincible this series. Leighton became the first goalie to register two consecutive shutouts in the NHL playoffs since Detroit’s Chris Osgood did it against Pittsburgh in the 2008 Stanley Cup final. His shutout streak of 165:50 is second among Flyers goalies, behind only Boucher, who went 184:45 without allowing a goal in the 2000 playoffs.

Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Indians Live Streaming

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12:05pm ET

Thursday

May 20, 2010

Live Telecast : MLB.TV

Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Streaming

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1:05 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

Ryan Dempster has lasted at least seven innings in six consecutive outings, held opponents to a batting average just north of .200 and racked up strikeouts at a rate unprecedented in his starting career. All he has to show for those accomplishments is one win. Dempster’s four straight losses haven’t included much help from his offense, something he hopes will change Thursday afternoon as he tries to pitch the visiting Chicago Cubs to a season-high fifth straight victory and a two-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies. Dempster hasn’t been spotless since April 18, but his 3.25 ERA, .206 opponents’ average and 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings - his highest rate as a starter - suggest a better fate than a 1-4 record and four consecutive defeats.

In only one of those outings have the Cubs scored more than three runs while Dempster’s been pitching, an 8-1 win in Milwaukee on April 23. Four seems to be the magic number for the right-hander - he’s 25-0 when Chicago provides that many runs to work with when he’s in the game since Dempster joined the rotation in 2008. In Dempster’s last six starts, Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez are hitting a combined .161. Dempster’s issues Saturday against Pittsburgh were self-inflicted, however. He gave up two hits and two walks in spotting the Pirates three runs in the first, then settled down to post six scoreless innings. The early damage cost him, though, in a 4-3 loss. Dempster, who has never started at Citizens Bank Park, is 0-1 with a 6.92 ERA in two starts against Philadelphia since 2008.

Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves Live Streaming

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1:05 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

Tommy Hanson made 75 appearances for five different minor-league teams before making his debut for the Atlanta Braves, while Mike Leake went straight from Arizona State to the Cincinnati Reds. Despite their different paths, the results have been similar for the two promising young right-handers, who will square off Thursday as their clubs finish a two-game set in Atlanta. Originally a 22nd-round draft pick in 2005, Hanson developed into one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball, and the 23-year-old has lived up to the hype through 29 major league starts. Leake, meanwhile, quickly burst onto the scene after the Reds selected him with the eighth overall pick last year. Following a brilliant collegiate career, the 22-year-old has made a smooth transition to the big leagues and is still unbeaten through seven starts. Leake posted his fourth consecutive quality start Saturday against St. Louis, beating Adam Wainwright and holding the Cardinals to two runs in six innings of a 4-3 victory.

Even though their four-game winning streak was snapped with a 5-4 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday, the Reds remain the surprising leaders in the NL Central, holding a half-game edge on St. Louis. They’ve moved in front by winning nine of their last 11, with their pitchers posting a 2.46 ERA and their defense committing one error in that stretch. The Braves became the first team to score more than four runs against Cincinnati since May 7, when the Reds lost 14-7 to the Chicago Cubs. Atlanta blew a 4-0 lead in the final two innings, with Reds rookie Chris Heisey hitting a pinch-hit home run off Braves closer Billy Wagner in the ninth to tie the game. But Jason Heyward, Atlanta’s own rookie, ended it with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the inning. The 20-year-old had three extra-base hits in the game and leads all rookies with eight homers and 29 RBIs.

Florida Marlins vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Streaming

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1:40 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

Now that Hanley Ramirez has apologized to his teammates, the Florida Marlins believe his lack of hustle from earlier this week is behind them. Ramirez may have problems of a different kind Thursday against St. Louis Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright. Wainwright has dominated Ramirez in the past and is perfect at home this season as he looks to help the Cardinals gain a two-game split with the Marlins at Busch Stadium. Ramirez returned to the lineup with three hits Wednesday in a 5-1 victory after he apologized individually to the Marlins before the game. The two-time NL All-Star was yanked for not running hard after a ball he booted away from him into foul territory in Monday’s 5-1 loss to Arizona. The shortstop initially chose not to apologize Tuesday, saying he “wasn’t trying to give up” on the ball before he criticized manager Fredi Gonzalez. Ramirez backed off that stance a day later.

Dan Uggla and Cameron Maybin homered in the same inning for the second straight game Wednesday for Florida, which has won six of seven. The Marlins will try to hand Wainwright his first loss at home, where he’s 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three outings. He’s 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in four career starts against Florida, and has limited Ramirez to two singles in 16 at-bats. Wainwright gave up a season-high four runs over six innings Saturday in a 4-3 loss at Cincinnati. The Cardinals lost Wednesday for the first time in three games since moving Albert Pujols to the cleanup spot. Pujols is 5 for 10 in that span with no RBIs. St. Louis is averaging 3.22 runs per game since May 11 to rank second-worst in the NL. Colby Rasmus is hitting .200 with two RBIs in that span while Yadier Molina is 3 for 26. Florida will give the ball to Nate Robertson, who will make his first start at Busch Stadium since he gave up two runs over five innings in a 5-0 loss with Detroit in Game 3 of the 2006 World Series.

Detroit Tigers vs Oakland Athletics Live Streaming

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3:35 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

A trio of rookies helped the Detroit Tigers open their road trip on a positive note.The Tigers might again need to rely on their youth while trying to complete a two-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics on Thursday afternoon. After a sore heel kept veteran outfielder Magglio Ordonez out of Wednesday’s lineup, rookie Casper Wells delivered a two-run double in his place to highlight a four-run seventh inning in Detroit’s 5-1 win over Oakland. Wells, fellow rookie center fielder Austin Jackson and second baseman Danny Worth combined to go 7 for 13 with four RBIs as the Tigers opened a seven-game trip with their sixth win in nine contests. Detroit is 9-11 on the road this season. With Ordonez day-to-day with the injury, manager Jim Leyland might need to further count on any or all of those rookies for the rest of the trip. While Wells and Worth made their major league debuts last week, Jackson is batting .331 as the Tigers leadoff man from the start of the season. Jackson is hitting .380 during an 11-game road hitting streak.

After Justin Verlander allowed four hits for his first complete game since July, Detroit hopes Jeremy Bonderman can follow with another strong outing in this contest. The right-hander, who pitched a scoreless inning of relief in a 5-1 win over Boston on Sunday, hasn’t won since beating Cleveland on April 10. Bonderman allowed two runs and struck out a season-high seven in seven innings of an 8-0 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday. Bonderman is 3-3 with a 3.77 ERA in seven starts against the A’s, including 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in four at Oakland. The A’s look to bounce back after losing for the sixth time in eight games Wednesday. Eric Chavez singled in the opener and is batting .320 in his last eight games for the A’s. He’s 6 for 15 with two doubles off Bonderman. Oakland rookie Tyson Ross makes his second career start in place of injured right-hander Justin Duchscherer.

Toronto Blue Jays vs Seattle Mariners Live Streaming

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3:40 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

The Toronto Blue Jays have the AL’s best record in May, while the Seattle Mariners are running away with the league’s worst. With Ricky Romero on the hill for the finale of a two-game set, neither team’s path appears likely to change. Romero struck out 12 while tossing his first career shutout in his last start, and he’ll look to build upon that momentum Thursday afternoon while sending the Mariners to a sixth consecutive loss. Seattle was a popular pick to contend in the AL West with the offseason addition of Cliff Lee, while the departure of Roy Halladay made Toronto little more than an afterthought in the East. The Blue Jays are winning with an offense that leads the majors in homers and doubles, but they also might be developing a future ace to fill Halladay’s shoes. Romero has lasted at least seven innings and yielded two runs or fewer in five of his eight starts, and went the distance for the first time in his latest outing.

The left-hander limited Texas to five singles and tied a career high with 12 strikeouts Saturday in the 6-0 win. If there’s hope for Seattle on Thursday, it’s that Romero has at least looked somewhat beatable on the road. He’s 3-1 with a 1.74 ERA at home, limiting opponents to a .143 average, but has a 4.26 ERA and has allowed a .280 average away from Rogers Centre. Romero gave up three runs over 6 1-3 innings at home against Seattle on Sept. 24 - including a two-run homer to Franklin Gutierrez - and left without a decision in the Mariners’ 5-4 win. Gutierrez had two hits Wednesday against the Blue Jays, who were outhit 10-6. But while Toronto’s total included three doubles, nine of Seattle’s 10 hits were singles - two by Milton Bradley in his return to the lineup - in a 3-2 loss, the fifth straight for manager Don Wakamatsu’s club. The Jays improved to 13-5 in May as the Mariners dropped to 3-14. Seattle is 4-11 in one-run games this season.

Milwaukee Brewers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

Trevor Hoffman is getting a few days off to work with Milwaukee Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson, but there’s no guarantee baseball’s all-time saves leader is going to get his job back when he’s ready. Right now, the Brewers don’t look like they’ll be needing a closer anytime soon. Milwaukee tries to avoid losing its 10th straight Thursday night at PNC Park, where the Pittsburgh Pirates look for a fourth consecutive victory over the team that’s tormented them for much of the past three seasons. Hoffman’s struggles have been a season-long issue, but only one of his five blown saves has come during this nine-game losing streak. He failed to retire any of the five batters he faced Tuesday in Cincinnati, turning a 4-2 ninth-inning lead into a 5-4 loss. Milwaukee announced Wednesday that he wouldn’t pitch in this two-game series as Peterson tries to help him straighten out his delivery.

Manager Ken Macha hinted Carlos Villanueva would be first in line to replace Hoffman if the Brewers had a ninth-inning lead, but he didn’t get a chance to follow through Wednesday. Macha allowed Randy Wolf to start the seventh inning with a 4-3 lead despite the left-hander having thrown 100 pitches, and Wolf gave up three runs leading to a 6-4 loss. The Brewers last lost 10 straight Aug. 25-Sept. 3, 2006. The Pirates, meanwhile, are enjoying their newfound success against Milwaukee. Pittsburgh had lost 25 of 30 in the series prior to winning twice at Miller Park last month, and it scored five more runs Wednesday than it totaled in its last three-game home series against the Brewers. Paul Maholm will try to extend the Brewers’ misery, and he’s coming off one of his best starts. The left-hander gave up two runs over six innings and didn’t issue a walk for the first time in a 4-3 win at Chicago on Saturday.

Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

The major league-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat a New York Yankees starter who has given them problems in the past in the opener of this two-game series. They’ll face another such pitcher in Andy Pettitte when they go for their sixth straight victory Thursday night. Tampa Bay won 10-6 on Wednesday to push its AL East lead over second-place New York to four games. The Rays ended a six-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium by scoring six runs against A.J. Burnett, who entered the contest with a 12-4 career mark against them. Pettitte has enjoyed similar success against Tampa Bay, going 16-5 with a 3.88 ERA in 28 starts. Since the Rays posted their first winning season and went to the World Series in 2008, though, Pettitte is 3-3 with a 4.58 ERA against them in eight outings. The veteran left-hander returned to the rotation Saturday after being out since May 5 with inflammation around his pitching elbow. Pettitte yielded two hits over 6 1-3 scoreless innings in a 7-1 win over Minnesota.

Pettitte, who has matched his 5-0 start from 1997, has never won his first six decisions. Rays slugger Evan Longoria is 2 for 16 with a homer and nine strikeouts against Pettitte. Longoria has six RBIs in his last three games after going 3 for 4, driving in two runs and stealing two bases Wednesday. The Rays stole six bases to tie Chicago for the AL lead with 45. They have stolen 13 bases without getting caught in splitting four games against the Yankees this season. The banged-up Yankees suffered another injury when Marcus Thames stepped on his own rolling bat and sprained his left ankle Wednesday. Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada are among four regulars who are out, with Posada set to miss three to four weeks with a broken bone in his right foot. New York scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday, but the rally fell short as it lost consecutive home games for the first time. The Yankees’ bullpen has posted an 11.68 ERA over the last four games.

New York Mets vs Washington Nationals Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

There was no inside-the-park home run or any extraordinary defensive plays from Adam Dunn, but his presence in the lineup after missing some time did seem to help the Washington Nationals settle down at the plate. After overcoming an outstanding individual effort from Angel Pagan to snap a five-game losing streak, the Nationals look to win their seventh straight at home over the New York Mets on Thursday night. Washington was limited to 10 runs during its skid, with Dunn missing the last two games due to an undisclosed ailment. Back in his usual cleanup spot, Dunn had a single and two walks as the Nationals ended their woes at the plate with a 5-3 victory in the opener of this two-game set Wednesday night. It was a much-needed victory for Washington, which had Pagan’s stellar game to contend with. Pagan hit an inside-the-park home run and started a triple play, becoming the first player in 55 years to take part in both feats in the same game, but it didn’t help the Mets avoid their ninth loss in 11 games.

The Nationals franchise has won six straight at home against the Mets for the first time since a 10-game run from 2002-03, when it was based in Montreal. Washington, which has a 1.83 ERA during its streak against New York, is now set to send Luis Atilano to the mound. Atilano didn’t receive a decision after giving up three runs and walking four in five innings of a 4-3 loss at Colorado in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday. The rookie right-hander has been mostly effective since being called up from Triple-A Syracuse on April 23, surrendering three runs or fewer in four of five outings. Atilano earned a win in his first start against the Mets, striking out five in 5 1-3 scoreless innings of a 3-2 victory May 10. Mets slugger David Wright, who went 1 for 3 against Atilano, will likely be back in the lineup after missing a game for the first time this season Wednesday. Wright was given a break after striking out three times and making a game-ending error the previous evening in a 3-2 loss to Atlanta.

Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

The Minnesota Twins only played two games at Fenway Park last year, and Thursday night’s series finale will be their second and last contest at Boston in 2010. The AL Central leaders probably aren’t complaining to the schedule makers. The Red Sox hope an attractive matchup of left-handers results in their seventh straight home win over the Twins, who will send Francisco Liriano to the mound against Boston’s Jon Lester. Minnesota hasn’t lost consecutive games to the Red Sox at home in more than nine years, but the Twins can’t seem to snap their skid at Fenway, where their last win was a 3-2 victory on Sept. 30, 2007. They lost by that score on Wednesday, managing only six hits and two runs for the second straight game - both losses. They’ve dropped four of six to begin their road trip, which ends Thursday, watching their lead on second-place Detroit slip to one game. The Red Sox were happy to get eight-plus strong innings from Clay Buchholz, who has steadied the club’s struggling rotation. Boston’s starters rank 28th in the majors with a 5.08 ERA, and Josh Beckett went on the disabled list Wednesday.

Lester was shaky in his first three outings, including a 5-2 loss at Minnesota on April 12, but he has gone 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in his last five starts. The only Red Sox loss in that stretch came Saturday night at Detroit, when Lester struck out 10 but allowed four runs in seven innings of a 7-6, 12-inning defeat. The Tigers and Twins are the only AL teams Lester has never beaten. He’s 0-2 with a 5.96 ERA against Minnesota after losing the inaugural game at Target Field last month.Liriano went 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA against the Red Sox last year, but he pitched seven innings in an 8-0 win over Boston on April 15. That began a three-start stretch during which Liriano tossed 23 straight shutout innings, finally showing a return to form after his 2007 elbow surgery. The southpaw has not been able to continue that pace, losing his last two outings, but he struck out seven without a walk at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, allowing three runs in six innings of a 7-1 defeat.

Colorado Rockies vs Houston Astros Live Streaming

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8:05 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez might be pitching like a Cy Young Award candidate, but Houston’s Roy Oswalt has been the dominant pitcher in this series over the years. Jimenez looks to become the majors’ first eight-game winner while trying to help the Rockies avoid a season-high fourth straight loss with a rare win over Oswalt and the Astros on Thursday night. After suffering his first defeat of the season in a 2-0 loss at Los Angeles on May 9, Jimenez had another excellent outing Saturday in a 6-2 win over Washington, allowing two runs in eight innings. Through eight starts, Jimenez has the lowest ERA of any starter in the majors, 54 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings and has held opposing hitters to a .184 batting average. That’s also the way he’s pitched against Houston of late. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA in four starts versus the Astros, holding them to two runs in 13 innings over his last two meetings. Jimenez looks to help the Rockies bounce back after falling 7-3 in the opener of this two-game set Wednesday. In order to do that, they’ll have to find a way to beat Oswalt.

The veteran right-hander is 7-1 with a 1.78 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rockies, including 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA in his last three. Oswalt has pitched well this season, but the 2.29 average run support he’s getting per game is the lowest in the majors. He allowed two runs and struck out seven in seven innings of a 2-1 loss to Tim Lincecum and San Francisco on Saturday. Oswalt is 0-3 despite a 2.79 ERA in four starts since beating Pittsburgh on April 23. Last in the majors in runs, Houston broke out while snapping a five-game losing streak Wednesday. Jeff Keppinger had three hits with a career-high four runs and Cory Sullivan hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning as the Astros improved to 13-3 when scoring four runs or more this season. Keppinger, 7 for 13 in his last three games, will get more time at second base after the Astros released struggling veteran Kaz Matsui after Wednesday’s victory. The 34-year-old Matsui was batting .141 this season and was hitless in his last 20 at-bats.

Baltimore Orioles vs Texas Rangers Live Streaming

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8:05 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

Josh Hamilton seems to be embracing his new role as the Texas Rangers’ No. 5 hitter. Coming off what should have been a two-homer game, Hamilton looks to continue his recent success as the Rangers conclude a two-game series with the lowly Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night. Texas is coming off its ninth victory in 10 home games, winning the opener of this series 4-3 on Wednesday night when Nelson Cruz hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. If the umpires had reviewed Hamilton’s opposite-field shot in the fourth, the Rangers may not have needed any such theatrics. Hamilton, who already homered in the second, cleared the 14-foot fence in left and the ball ricocheted back into play. However, second base umpire Doug Eddings signaled the ball was still in play and Hamilton was limited to a double. The umpires didn’t come together as a group or look at the television replay.

Hamilton had been slumping and was held out of the lineup Monday night in a 4-3 win over Los Angeles. Hamilton, who hit in the third spot in the order 35 times in his first 36 starts, has hit fifth in two games since then, going 4 for 8 following a three-game stretch in which he had one hit and struck out nine times in 13 at-bats. The slugger is 6 for 15 in his last three home games against the Orioles. Scott Feldman, set to take the mound for Texas, has posted a 2.55 ERA in winning all three of his starts versus Baltimore. Feldman, however, is 0-4 with a 7.42 ERA in his last six starts. The right-hander gave up five runs and nine hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 6-0 loss to Toronto on Saturday. The Orioles will counter with Brian Matusz, who is coming off his best start of the season, striking out six in seven shutout innings before the bullpen blew his chance for a win in an 8-2 loss to Cleveland on Saturday night.

Los Angeles Angels vs Chicago White Sox Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

The Chicago White Sox have struggled at the plate this season. That hasn’t been the case, however, with Jake Peavy on the mound of late. The right-hander hopes for some continued support while trying for his fourth consecutive victory Thursday night as the White Sox look to split their two-game home series with the Los Angeles Angels. Peavy was originally scheduled to pitch Friday against Florida, but manager Ozzie Guillen decided to move him up to avoid left-handers John Danks and Mark Buehrle pitching consecutive games against the same team. Since going 0-2 with a 7.85 ERA in his first five starts, Peavy is 3-0 with a 2.31 ERA in May. In order to do that, he’ll likely need continued support from his teammates. Though the White Sox rank near the bottom of the majors in runs and batting average, they’ve averaged 5.7 runs during Peavy’s last three starts.

In his only start against the Angels, Peavy allowed three runs in eight innings of a 3-2 loss June 17, 2006, while with San Diego. Danks got little support in 7 2-3 innings of Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to Los Angeles. Juan Pierre had two hits and Paul Konerko hit his major league-leading 14th home run, but Chicago fell to 1-18 when scoring three or fewer runs. The loss came hours after general manager Kenny Williams met with the club to discuss the state of the team as a whole. Konerko is 4 for 6 in his last two games against Los Angeles, but 4 for 19 against scheduled starter Ervin Santana. After Joe Saunders allowed a run in 7 2-3 innings to help the Angels avoid a third straight loss Wednesday, Santana looks to build on his first victory since April 18. The right-hander gave up three runs and struck out six in six innings of a 12-3 win over Oakland on Saturday.

San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks Live Streaming

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9:40 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

The San Francisco Giants matched a franchise worst with six home runs allowed while giving up a season-high 13 runs in their series opener at Arizona. But even the Diamondbacks know a repeat performance Thursday night would be far-fetched, because unbeaten ace Tim Lincecum will be on the mound attempting to steady the Giants and notch his sixth win. San Francisco arrived in Phoenix with a 3.01 ERA that ranked fourth in the majors, but the Diamondbacks homered early and often in their 13-1 victory Wednesday night, including Kelly Johnson’s NL-leading 12th and two from Adam LaRoche. The six home runs allowed by the Giants were twice as many as Lincecum has given up in eight starts. The two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner has not allowed a homer in nine career outings against Arizona, going 5-1 with a 1.87 ERA and racking up 82 strikeouts in 67 1-3 innings. Diamondbacks slugger Mark Reynolds is 2 for 16 with 10 strikeouts against Lincecum, while Chris Young has gone 2 for 27 with 10 strikeouts.

Lincecum is again pitching like one of the league’s best, and even a season-high five walks couldn’t stop him from dominating Houston on Saturday, when he gave up one run and four hits in eight innings of a 2-1 win. It only ended in victory after closer Brian Wilson stranded the bases loaded in the ninth. The bullpen had blown a lead in each of Lincecum’s previous three starts. Arizona’s Rodrigo Lopez could match Lincecum if he pitches like he did Saturday at Atlanta. The right-hander allowed one run and seven hits in eight innings of an 11-1 win. Lopez’s longest outing of the season and Ian Kennedy’s eight-inning effort Wednesday were both important for the Diamondbacks, whose bullpen has been by far the worst in the majors. Arizona relievers have a 7.90 ERA, nearly two runs worse than any other club - a big reason the team is in last place in the NL West.

San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Streaming

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10:10 pm EDT Thu May 20, 2010

Kevin Correia didn’t need to wait long for a chance at redemption against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who suddenly seem a little more vulnerable. After losing to the Dodgers over the weekend, Correia has a chance to help the San Diego Padres sweep a two-game set with a Los Angeles team trying to bounce back from its first defeat in 10 games Thursday night. San Diego beat Los Angeles 10-5 on Wednesday night for its second win in three games after being swept in a three-game set with the Dodgers. The NL West-leading Padres got a homer and a career-high six RBIs from Adrian Gonzalez, increasing their lead to 1 1/2 games over San Francisco and two over Los Angeles. Nine straight wins helped the Dodgers gain ground on the Padres. Two of their victories over San Diego, though, were one-run games. Correia faced the Dodgers on Saturday night, allowing four runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 4-1 loss. He started a week after his younger brother, Trevor, died after falling from a 60-foot cliff while hiking on Santa Cruz Island.

Manny Ramirez, 2 for 9 with three strikeouts against Correia, was scratched from the starting lineup just prior to the start of Wednesday’s game due to an injured left foot. Ramirez, who was hurt during pregame warmups, pinch-hit in the fifth and struck out. His status is uncertain. The veteran slugger has seven RBIs in 10 games following a two-week stint on the disabled list due to a right calf strain. Los Angeles is already without Andre Ethier, who was placed on the 15-day DL Tuesday with a broken finger. Ethier leads the Dodgers with a .392 average, 11 homers and 38 RBIs. San Diego, meanwhile, rested struggling left fielder Kyle Blanks due to a strained right elbow. The severity of the injury is unknown. Blanks is batting .157 and is 0 for 19 with 10 strikeouts over his last eight games. Gonzalez’s breakout game against Los Angeles was all San Diego needed. The two-time All-Star hit .163 in his previous 13 games against the Dodgers. Gonzalez entered the game with 19 RBIs after averaging 106 the past three years.

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