Sports World: 06/18/10

Milwaukee Brewers vs Colorado Rockies Live Streaming

Friday, June 18, 2010

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9:10 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

The Colorado Rockies know by now what they’re getting every fifth day from ace Ubaldo Jimenez, who’s having one of the best first halves in baseball history. They’re starting to get a similar idea about what to expect from Jason Hammel. The man that follows Jimenez in the rotation has the majors’ longest active scoreless streak for a starter, and Hammel will be seeking his third straight victory in Friday’s series opener against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Jimenez already owns scoreless streaks of 33 and 25 1-3 innings, with the former the longest in the majors this season. He gave up one run in eight innings Thursday afternoon in Colorado’s 5-1 victory at Minnesota, where the right-hander became the second pitcher in the last 80 years to win 13 of his first 14 starts.

Colorado is only two games above .500 despite Jimenez’s dominance, but it may have found a solid No. 2 pitcher behind the ace. Hammel is 3-0 with a 0.99 ERA in his last four starts, and he extended his scoreless streak to 18 by holding Toronto to three hits over eight innings in Saturday’s 1-0 victory. Hammel is 4-1 with a 3.35 ERA in six starts at Coors Field. He’s 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA in two starts against Milwaukee, but he’ll have to be careful against a Brewers lineup that thrives away from home. Milwaukee’s .268 average and 44 homers on the road are both NL bests. The Brewers’ bats were hot Monday and Tuesday in Anaheim, piling up 19 runs and 24 hits in a pair of routs against the Los Angeles Angels. They couldn’t get anything going in Wednesday’s finale against Joel Pineiro, however, managing three hits in a 5-1 defeat. Milwaukee hands the ball to Manny Parra, who’s coming off arguably his best performance since joining the rotation late last month. Parra gave up two first-inning runs but only allowed one more, lasting six innings Saturday in a 4-3 loss to Texas.

Los Angeles Angels vs Chicago Cubs Live Streaming

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2:20 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

Carlos Silva’s successful season for the Chicago Cubs has been an unexpected surprise for most. The Los Angeles Angels, however, know firsthand how difficult it is to beat the right-hander. Following his first loss in nine decisions, Silva will try to bounce back in Friday’s matchup with the Angels, the team he has the most wins against in his career. Despite allowing two runs over seven innings, Silva saw his unbeaten run come to an end in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Silva had been the beneficiary of strong run support before that start, getting average of 6.9 runs in his previous 11 outings. Silva has done better than that in 12 career starts versus Los Angeles, going 7-2 with a 3.81 ERA. He hasn’t beaten any other opponent more than five times. The Cubs hope he can deliver another strong performance against the Angels, who are making their first trip to Wrigley Field, as they try to win three straight for the first time since May 22-25.

Chicago hadn’t won a series since the end of that streak before taking two of three from Oakland this week, as Kosuke Fukudome’s single in the ninth inning Thursday gave the Cubs a 3-2 victory over Oakland. Chicago, however, is facing a Los Angeles team that’s won 10 of 12 on the road, 16 of 22 overall and 20 of 28 in interleague play. The Angels’ 61 wins in June over the last three-plus seasons are most in the majors, although they barely avoided a three-game home sweep by Milwaukee earlier this week. After giving up 19 runs and 24 hits in the first two games of the set, Joel Pineiro and Fernando Rodney combined on a three-hitter in a 5-1 win Wednesday. The Angels improved to 9-1 with a 2.90 ERA when Bobby Wilson starts at catcher.

Chicago White Sox vs Washington Nationals Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

Stephen Strasburg is doing all he can to focus on pitching while trying to deal with his early major league success. Looking for a third win in as many starts, Washington’s rookie phenom looks to help the Nationals avoid a fourth straight loss when they host the surging Chicago White Sox on Friday night. Strasburg has lived up to the hype that preceded his debut last week. He struck out 22 in 12 1-3 innings against Pittsburgh and Cleveland to earn NL player of the week honors. Strasburg, who turns 22 next month, gave the Hall of Fame a hat and ball from his first game, which drew more than 40,000 to Nationals Park on June 8. Amid the media frenzy that has surrounded his brief career, the right-hander is working to keep things in perspective and help a franchise that hasn’t had a winning record since moving to Washington in 2005. The Nationals have lost five of six after being swept at Detroit this week.

After dominating the lowly Pirates in his debut, he allowed a run and two hits while walking five and striking out eight in 5 1-3 innings of a 9-4 win at Cleveland on Sunday. Strasburg could be in for a tougher test against the White Sox, who have outscored opponents 48-20 while winning seven of eight. Coming off a three-game sweep at Pittsburgh, Chicago faces the Nationals for the first time since the move to Washington. The White Sox, 7-2 in interleague play this season, have won 23 of 31 against NL opponents. Chicago’s Carlos Quentin is batting .213, but went 4 for 8 with three doubles in his last two games. The right fielder, who had two hits and an RBI in a 5-4 win over the Pirates on Thursday, is 5 for 14 versus Washington. With scheduled starter Jake Peavy pushed to Saturday because of a sore shoulder, the White Sox will turn to Gavin Floyd to oppose Strasburg.

New York Mets vs New York Yankees Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

The New York Mets’ resurgence began during the first Subway Series of the season last month. Now the club is in position to move into first place in the NL East as it gets set to face its crosstown rival for the second time. The Mets look to match a season high with their eighth straight win when they open a three-game set with the sputtering New York Yankees in the Bronx on Friday night. The Mets were in last place when the Yankees came to Citi Field for a May 21-23 series. The Mets dropped the opener, but took the next two and have gone 18-6 since the start of that series to move within a half-game of division-leading Atlanta. The Mets, winners of eight in a row in interleague play, may get a boost Friday from Jason Bay, who is expected to return to the lineup. The left fielder suffered a bruised left thigh in a collision with Andy Marte in an 8-4 victory over Cleveland on Wednesday, and sat out a 6-4 win the next day.

Bay went 7 for 10 with two homers and three RBIs versus the Yankees in May. He has batted .402 with five homers and 23 RBIs in 25 games against them since the beginning of 2008. While Manuel’s team surges into the weekend, Yankees manager Joe Girardi leads a club that is suddenly struggling to score runs. The Yankees defeated Roy Halladay to win their season-high ninth straight at home Tuesday, but managed four runs in dropping the final two games to Philadelphia in a World Series rematch. They will try to give more support to Javier Vazquez, who has turned his season around after opening 1-4 with an 8.10 ERA. The right-hander won his last three starts with a 2.57 ERA, lasting a season-high seven innings each time. Vazquez, 10-8 with a 3.24 ERA in 24 starts versus the Mets, threw six innings of one-hit ball in a 2-1 victory at Citi Field on May 21. Making his first career start in that game following 15 relief appearances, Mets rookie Hisanori Takahashi struck out five in six scoreless innings. The 35-year-old left-hander bounced back from two rough outings with a 3-1 win at Baltimore on Saturday, giving up one run in a career-best seven innings.

Cleveland Indians vs Pittsburgh Pirates Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

Pittsburgh needs something to help snap the club’s second-longest losing streak in 55 years. A visit from the Cleveland Indians could help. The Pirates hope to continue their recent interleague success over the Indians and avoid a 12th straight loss as the last-place teams open a weekend series Friday night at PNC Park. Winless since June 5, Pittsburgh lost 5-4 to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Mired in their longest skid since a 13-game slide in 2006, the Pirates have lost 11 in a row for the first time since May 11-22, 1955. The latest setback came hours after team president Frank Coonelly announced contract extensions for general manager Neal Huntington manager John Russell. Pittsburgh has been outscored 60-33 during its current losing stretch and is 0-6 in interleague play. A day after committing six errors in a 7-2 loss to Chicago, the Pirates fell behind 5-1 before rallying for three runs in the eighth inning Thursday. After he went 0 for 2 in his major league debut Wednesday, highly touted prospect Pedro Alvarez was booed after going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in the finale.

The Pirates, though, are 13-11 all-time versus the Indians. They have won two in a row and nine of 11 at home in the series. Pittsburgh took two of three at PNC last season from the Indians. Cleveland, which has lost four straight overall, is 3-6 against NL opponents in 2010. The Pirates could be in for a challenge against Indians scheduled starter Fausto Carmona. The right-hander snapped a personal four-game losing streak with a three-hitter in a 7-1 win over Washington on Saturday. Carmona, 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA in interleague play this season, makes his first start against Pittsburgh. He pitched 3 2-3 scoreless innings of relief versus the Pirates in 2006. Shin-Soo Choo had three hits in Cleveland’s 6-4 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday and is batting .333 in his last 14 games. He went 4 for 12 against the Pirates last season. Pittsburgh’s Paul Maholm makes his second appearance against Cleveland on Friday. He allowed one run and struck out seven in 5 1-3 innings of a 3-2, 10-inning loss at Cleveland on May 21, 2006.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Detroit Tigers Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

Dontrelle Willis was a major disappointment during his time in Detroit. He’s off to a better start with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Making his first appearance against the team that traded him earlier this month, Willis looks to help the Diamondbacks avoid a 14th consecutive road loss and snap the Tigers’ six-game winning streak Friday night at Comerica Park. The former NL Rookie of the Year helped Florida win the World Series in 2003, but Willis was a bust in Detroit. Acquired by the Tigers along with Miguel Cabrera after the 2007 season, Willis went 2-8 with a 6.86 ERA in 24 appearances - 22 starts. He was placed on the disabled list three times with knee problems and an anxiety disorder. After going 1-2 with a 4.98 ERA this season, the Tigers designated Willis for assignment before trading him to Arizona for pitcher Billy Buckner on June 1. Through two starts for the last-place Diamondbacks, Willis is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He gave up two runs and six walks in four innings of an 11-7 loss to Atlanta on June 10. This is his first appearance against Detroit since going the distance in a 9-2 win June 13, 2004.

Making their first trip to Detroit since 2005, the Diamondbacks have lost three in a row overall and are mired in the longest road skid in club history. The Tigers look to extend their interleague winning streak to eight games. Ramon Santiago had four hits, Magglio Ordonez added three and Cabrera drove in three runs as Detroit recorded a season-high 19 hits in an 8-3 win over Washington on Thursday. The Tigers totaled 37 runs and 70 hits while sweeping last-place clubs Pittsburgh and Washington over the last week. Ordonez, who went 8 for 13 versus the Nationals, is 11 for 22 with six RBIs in interleague play. Armando Galarraga looks for another strong outing for Detroit on Friday. He did not get a decision Sunday after allowing two runs in 7 2-3 innings of a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh, his second start since coming one out shy of a perfect game on June 2.Galarraga is 4-3 with a 4.73 ERA in 10 interleague starts. His first came May 17, 2008, when he gave up two runs and one hit in six innings of a 3-2 win over Arizona.

Minnesota Twins vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

The AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins couldn’t get much done against the most dominant starter in the majors. They seek to bounce back to continue their strong play in NL ballparks Friday when they open a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Looking to cap off its nine-game homestand with a sweep of Colorado, the Twins failed to score until the eighth inning a 5-1 loss Thursday as Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez improved to a major league-best 13-1. Winners of five straight interleague series on the road, Minnesota faces a Philadelphia club that’s dropped 17 of 20 at home versus AL foes. Having Joe Blanton on the mound may not help the Phillies improve that mark. The right-hander gave up career highs of nine runs and 13 hits in four innings of Saturday’s 10-2 loss at Boston, falling to 0-3 with a 10.18 ERA in his last four starts. Blanton is 1-4 with a 5.05 ERA in his last five starts versus Minnesota. The Twins will counter with Nick Blackburn, who is also looking to bounce back from a rough stretch. After yielding five runs and 10 hits in each of his previous two outings, the right-hander allowed two runs over seven innings of Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Atlanta, striking out a season-high five.

Blackburn, who has never faced Philadelphia, is 0-2 with a 8.10 ERA in three starts this month after going 5-0 with a 2.65 ERA in five May outings. He’ll take on a Phillies club trying to win three straight for the first time since a four-game streak May 14-17. Philadelphia took the final two of their three games at the New York Yankees this week including a 7-1 win Thursday, marking the first consecutive wins for the two-time defending NL champs in nearly two weeks. The Phillies now host the Twins for the first time since dropping two of three June 21-23, 2002, at the old Veterans Stadium. The last matchup between these clubs was also at a now-defunct venue. Philadelphia won two of three at the Metrodome in 2004. Then a rookie, Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer was 4 for 8 with a homer in that series. The defending AL batting champion is expected to be in the lineup Friday after manager Ron Gardenhire used him as a pinch-hitter Thursday.

San Francisco Giants vs Toronto Blue Jays Live Streaming

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7:07 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

The San Francisco Giants enjoyed interleague play during their recent homestand, but they’re still looking for their first victory in an AL park this season. To get one, it will have to come during this weekend’s three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, who face San Francisco’s Barry Zito in Friday night’s opener. The Giants finished a 5-1 homestand against Oakland and Baltimore with a 6-3 win over the Orioles on Wednesday. The most promising sign was their resurgent offense, which has scored at least six runs eight times in the last 13 games. Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe hit back-to-back home runs Wednesday. The Giants’ third and fourth hitters have combined for 13 homers and 33 RBIs since May 26. This is the Giants’ last series of the year at an AL park and they had trouble offensively in their only other one, managing one run while getting swept in three games at Oakland from May 21-23. Their designated hitters went 0 for 11 in the series. Zito also struggled that weekend, but he beat the Athletics on Saturday, allowing two runs in seven innings of a 5-4 win. The left-hander snapped a four-start winless drought and posted his 10th quality start in 13 outings. Zito hasn’t faced Toronto since 2006, his final year with Oakland, but he’s 5-2 with a 3.52 ERA against the Blue Jays.

Toronto was held to 13 runs while losing six of seven from June 6-13 but bounced back this week to win two of three at San Diego. The Blue Jays had four home runs at spacious Petco Park - three by John Buck - and lead the majors with 103. The Blue Jays should be very comfortable at Rogers Centre, where they’ve won 13 of 18 while averaging 6.1 runs and 2.3 homers. Some Toronto hitters, however, are slumping. Jose Bautista ranks among the major league leaders with 18 homers, but he is 2 for 36 with 13 strikeouts and no RBIs in his last 10 games. Adam Lind is batting .130 without a home run in June. Brandon Morrow is considerably hotter as he takes the ball Friday. Although the right-hander is 1-1 in his last three starts, he has allowed a total of three runs and 12 hits in 20 innings in that stretch, striking out 15. He was on the losing end of a 1-0 game Saturday at Colorado.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs Boston Red Sox Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

Homers or hijinks, Red Sox fans never knew what they would get from Manny Ramirez. Now it’s their turn to surprise the enigmatic slugger. Will they think of his leisurely trots down the first base line and boo? Or will they recall his drives over the Green Monster and cheer? Ramirez’s former Boston teammates aren’t predicting how the crowd will react when he brings his act back to Fenway Park on Friday night for the first time since being traded in 2008. He’s expected to be the designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a three-game series. Mike Lowell, one of baseball’s most down-to-earth players, plans to listen closely to the reception for the flaky Ramirez. In 7 1/2 seasons with the Red Sox, Ramirez batted .312 with 274 homers and 868 RBIs. He was the MVP of the 2004 World Series when Boston won the title for the first time since 1918. And he worked very hard in the batting cage.

He also high-fived a fan in Baltimore after making a leaping catch before throwing the ball in to finish a double play. Against the Angels, he dove for a fly then rolled onto the ball that had fallen in front of him. By the time he retrieved it, Maicer Izturis had a triple. And he angered team management. One of the last clashes came when he said he couldn’t play because of a knee problem but couldn’t say which knee hurt. MRIs showed no damage. A few days later, on July 31, 2008, he was traded to the Dodgers. Fans may not get to see a lot of Ramirez. Dodgers manager Joe Torre plans to use him at designated hitter in all three games. Ramirez has hit well in his last four games, going 7 for 13 with two doubles, two homers, six runs and five RBIs. In a 7-1 loss at Cincinnati on Thursday, he pinch hit with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning and grounded out to shortstop.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Florida Marlins Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

The Tampa Bay Rays are sputtering, but the Florida Marlins aren’t doing any better.The visiting Rays look to re-establish their recent dominance of the struggling Marlins on Friday night when the teams begin their second Citrus Series in as many weekends. Tampa Bay is 9-13 since May 23, as its onetime six-game lead atop the AL East has vanished, becoming a tie with the New York Yankees. Third-place Boston looms two games back. After dropping two of three at home to the Marlins last weekend, the Rays lost two of three at NL East-leading Atlanta, including a 3-1 defeat Thursday. Florida failed to build any momentum of its own from the last Citrus Series, getting swept by Texas in three home games. The Marlins fell 6-4 in Thursday’s finale. The Rays have won seven of their last eight road games in this series, hitting .303 with 15 homers and outscoring the Marlins 72-24. Evan Longoria is batting .414 with seven doubles, two homers and nine RBIs in six career games at Florida.

The third baseman is struggling overall heading into this series, going 4 for 23 in his last six contests. Rays starter Matt Garza will try to continue his own success versus the Marlins. The right-hander has won all three of his starts against them with a 2.49 ERA. He earned Tampa Bay’s lone win last weekend, allowing four runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings of Saturday’s 6-5 victory, ending a personal season-high three-game losing streak. Garza was superb in his only previous start at Florida, throwing a one-hitter while striking out 10 in a 6-1 victory June 26, 2008. The Marlins have dropped eight of 11, and struggled in nearly every facet of the game while getting swept by the Rangers. They hit .176 with one homer, the bullpen had a 7.88 ERA, and Florida’s fielders committed four errors in the series with the AL West leaders.

Kansas City Royals vs Atlanta Braves Live Streaming

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7:35 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

Not even a team tied for the best record in baseball could give the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves much trouble at Turner Field. The Kansas City Royals, however, could pose a problem. The Braves look to continue their superb play at home Friday night when they face the hot-hitting Royals for the first time in six years. Atlanta leads the league with a 21-7 home record, winning 11 of 12 with a .293 batting average and 11 homers in those games. The club’s starters have compiled a 2.82 ERA during that span. The Braves’ outstanding play at Turner Field has helped them remain atop the NL East ahead of surging New York, which is a half-game back. Atlanta maintained that edge by taking two of three from AL East co-leader Tampa Bay, capping the series with a 3-1 win Thursday. Braves starters allowed three earned runs in the set.

The Royals are getting tougher, winning five of seven while hitting .303 with seven homers after going 3-8 in their previous 11. They batted .346 in taking two of three from Houston, winning the finale 5-2 on Thursday. Billy Butler has helped power Kansas City’s offensive surge, going 12 for 22 with six doubles, one homer and five RBIs over five games. The first baseman leads the Royals with a career-high .339 average. He will try to help Kansas City take another series in Atlanta, as the Royals won two of three in the only matchup between the clubs June 15-17, 2004. Derek Lowe will try to cool off Butler and the Royals in his first start against them since a 9-6 loss with the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 16, 2005. The right-hander did not get a decision despite a strong outing Saturday, allowing two runs in 7 1-3 innings of a 3-2 win at Minnesota. Lowe bounced back from a rough outing five days before, when he gave up seven runs in four innings of a 7-4 defeat at Arizona.

Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros Live Streaming

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8:05 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero are big reasons why the Texas Rangers are one of the hottest teams in baseball. The two sluggers look to guide the AL West-leading Rangers to their longest road winning streak in more than four years Friday night when they visit the Houston Astros in the first Lone Star Series of 2010. Hamilton is hitting .449 with seven homers and 19 RBIs during a career-high 13-game hitting streak, with the Rangers winning 10 of those contests. Guerrero has also put together a 13-game hitting streak - his longest since hitting safely for 16 in a row with the Los Angeles Angels from June 8-27, 2008. The sluggers kept their respective streaks alive with a hit apiece Thursday, when Guerrero’s was a solo homer as Texas beat Florida 6-4 to complete a three-game sweep. The designated hitter’s 15 homers are second on the team to Hamilton’s 16, and he’s among the league leaders with a .335 average and 55 RBIs. The Rangers opened their nine-game road trip with a 6-2 loss at Milwaukee last Friday, but have won five in a row since - their longest road winning streak since a six-game run April 29-May 15, 2006.

A three-game series with the Astros could keep Texas rolling. The Rangers won five of six against Houston last year, including all three games at Minute Maid Park as Hamilton collected five hits with a solo homer. Texas probable starter Scott Feldman is still struggling to resemble the right-hander who won a career-high 17 games last year. He’s 3-2 with a 4.45 ERA in his last five starts, and overcame command issues in Saturday’s 4-3 win at Milwaukee. Feldman allowed four hits with a season-high six strikeouts in six scoreless innings, but also walked three, hit a batter and plunked the home plate umpire twice. He’s 1-0 with a 4.22 ERA in two career starts in Houston. The Astros have dropped five of six, including a 5-2 loss Thursday at Kansas City. Similarly to Feldman, Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez is still trying to recapture his form from 2009, when he led the Astros with a career-high 14 victories and posted a personal-best 3.02 ERA.

Oakland Athletics vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Streaming

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8:15 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

Matt Holliday helped spark the St. Louis Cardinals to the NL Central title after he was acquired from the Oakland Athletics last year, but he has been unable to duplicate that level of production this season. The slugger will try to get on track during a three-game series against the A’s that begins Friday night at Busch Stadium. Holliday batted .353 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 63 games after being obtained July 24, but after signing a seven-year contract in the offseason, he has endured a subpar year. He is batting .284 with six home runs and 25 RBIs during an up-and-down season, and has gone 5 for 33 over the last nine games. Holliday has struggled throughout 2010 with runners in scoring position, hitting .189 and going hitless in his last 10 opportunities. The left fielder batted .321 in those situations with the Cardinals last season. Manager Tony La Russa has moved Holliday from fourth to third and now to second in the lineup, but production hasn’t followed.

The former A’s manager is 5-1 versus his former team in interleague play. Chris Carpenter could help La Russa improve that record Friday. The right-hander has gone 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA over his last six starts. He posted a 2.08 ERA in his most recent two outings, both Cardinals losses, as St. Louis provided him with two runs of support. Carpenter, 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA in seven starts against the A’s, will face them for the first time since Aug. 13, 2002. He’ll be taking on an Oakland team that has dropped 12 of 18 overall and seven of nine on the road this month. The A’s (33-35) lost two of three to the Chicago Cubs in their last series, falling 3-2 in the finale Thursday. Vin Mazzaro will try to help Oakland avoid a third straight defeat as he makes his first start against the Cardinals looking to bounce back from his first loss.

Baltimore Orioles vs San Diego Padres Live Streaming

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10:05 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

The San Diego Padres finished with at least six victories in each of their two previous nine-game homestands, but they’ll have to earn a sweep over the weekend to do that again. They couldn’t ask for a more favorable opponent. The Padres’ latest lengthy stay at Petco Park concludes with three games against the major league-worst Baltimore Orioles, who have lost 17 of 20 overall and have yet to win a road series entering Friday night’s opener. San Diego won 13 of 18 on its two previous long homestands, but has dropped three of four after taking its first two in this nine-game stretch. Toronto left Petco having won two of three after a 7-1 victory Wednesday, marking the first series the Padres have dropped at home since the Dodgers swept them May 14-16. San Diego might not have too much trouble bouncing back. The Orioles continue to struggle under interim manager Juan Samuel, dropping to 3-9 with him at the helm after a 6-3 loss Wednesday at San Francisco. Despite eight hits and four walks against Giants ace Tim Lincecum, Baltimore left 13 men on base.

Promising young left-hander Brian Matusz has certainly felt the effects of Baltimore’s offensive struggles. Matusz is 0-7 with a 5.19 ERA in nine starts since May 29, but the Orioles have only totaled 18 runs in those outings. Matusz has never faced San Diego, but he’s familiar with Petco. The Colorado native attended the University of San Diego and spent more than his share of time downtown watching the Padres. He’s allowed seven homers in his last five starts but pitched well Saturday despite allowing two solo shots. He held the Mets to three runs and five hits over eight innings in a 3-1 loss. The Padres counter with another southpaw, and Wade LeBlanc has looked like a keeper in his first full major league season. He has bounced back from a shaky three-start stretch by winning his last two, following seven scoreless innings at Philadelphia on June 7 by limiting Seattle to a run over six innings in a 7-1 win Saturday.

Cincinnati Reds vs Seattle Mariners Live Streaming

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10:10 pm EDT Fri Jun 18, 2010

After a brief slump resulted in a three-game losing streak, the Cincinnati Reds reignited their powerful offense to end their homestand with a victory. Scoring runs against Cliff Lee at Safeco Field would be a bigger feat.The Reds open their six-game West Coast trip against last-place Seattle on Friday night, but they will have a challenge on their hands when the Mariners’ ace left-hander takes the mound.The NL’s most productive lineup in terms of runs and batting average has been a big reason for Cincinnati’s surge to the top of the NL Central. However, the Reds totaled five runs in three games between Sunday and Wednesday, causing their first three-game skid in nearly two months. Home runs from Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and pitcher Bronson Arroyo in Thursday’s 7-1 win over the Dodgers helped to quickly end that funk. Phillips has been especially hot, batting .442 since May 28, with at least one hit in 17 of 18 games.

A frequent interleague opponent of the Reds while pitching for Cleveland, Lee has a spotty history against Cincinnati, going 3-2 with a 5.77 ERA. Now, though, he’s looking to stay in a groove after working at least seven innings and allowing three or fewer runs in four straight starts. He has also achieved those results in seven of his nine outings for the Mariners. Minimal run support and a late meltdown by the Seattle bullpen were among the reasons Lee was the loser in Saturday’s 7-1 defeat at San Diego. The Mariners haven’t been able to shake their offensive woes. They have averaged fewer than 2.5 runs over their last 13 games, losing 10 of them, and needed a brilliant outing from left-hander Jason Vargas to beat San Diego 2-1 on Wednesday. Seattle ranks last in the majors in home runs and among the bottom five in runs and batting average.

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