Sports World: 08/06/10

Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs Live Streaming

Friday, August 6, 2010

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2:20 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

The NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds have had no trouble winning series lately, but are still seeking a lengthy winning streak. Manager Dusty Baker feels his team is on the verge of putting one together, and Cincinnati appears to have a decent chance to do so in a series against the Chicago Cubs. The Reds look to beat the Cubs for the sixth time in seven games in Friday’s opener at Wrigley Field. Cincinnati arrives in Chicago with a one-half game lead over St. Louis. The Reds, who host the Cardinals for three games beginning Monday, are in this position thanks to their consistency. With a 9-4 victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Cincinnati won for the sixth time in eight games and moved to 10-1-1 in its last 12 series.

Drew Stubbs and Jonny Gomes have led that charge, with Stubbs driving in 14 runs and Gomes knocking in 12. All-Stars Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips each have three homers against the Cubs. Votto doubled twice Wednesday, raising his league-leading average to .324 after a sore right wrist kept him out of the lineup for two games. Votto has more homers and RBIs against Chicago than any other opponent, but is 2 for 12 with a home run and six strikeouts lifetime against scheduled starter Tom Gorzelanny. The Reds counter with Bronson Arroyo, who allowed two unearned runs and four hits in seven innings of a 5-2 win over Atlanta on Sunday. The right-hander has gone 3-1 with a 1.89 ERA in his last five road starts - a stretch that includes a 12-0 win at Wrigley Field on July 2, when he gave up two hits in six innings.

Minnesota Twins vs Cleveland Indians Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

Francisco Liriano’s recent run of dominance includes a win over Cleveland. Beating the Indians has been a regular occurrence for the Minnesota pitcher this season. Riding a 21-inning scoreless streak, the Twins left-hander tries for a fifth straight victory overall and fourth this season over the Indians on Friday night at Progressive Field. Liriano is in the midst of his second four-game winning streak of the year. He went 23 innings without allowing a run over three starts in April and can surpass that total with another strong effort Friday. He’s allowed two runs and struck out 33 in 28 2-3 innings while winning his last four outings. Liriano has not won five consecutive starts since winning six straight from June 11-July 8, 2006. He gave up two hits and matched a season high with 11 strikeouts over seven innings of a 4-0 win over Seattle on Sunday.

Liriano has been tough on the Indians, winning all three matchups this season while posting a 1.23 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 22 innings. He allowed six hits and struck out eight in seven innings of a 6-0 win July 21. Liriano is 2-1 in four starts at Progressive Field despite a 5.49 ERA. Minnesota, which won two of three in its only series at Cleveland, tries for a third straight victory after taking the final two of a four-game set at Tampa Bay. After blowing a six-run lead, the Twins got a go-ahead single when Jason Kubel’s popup hit a catwalk at Tropicana Field and fell in fair territory during a two-run ninth inning in Thursday’s 8-6 victory. Joe Mauer and Delmon Young each had RBI doubles as Minnesota won for the 10th time in 12 games to remain 1 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago in the AL Central.

Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

If the Colorado Rockies want to remain a postseason contender, they must win on the road. They also can’t afford to keep losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Rockies look to avoid a fourth consecutive loss at Pittsburgh, and eighth straight overall on the road Friday night. With a 5 1/2-game deficit and two teams to leapfrog in the wild-card race, Colorado needs to make a serious push to reach the postseason. That means winning on the road, where the Rockies are 20-33 and in the midst of their longest losing stretch since dropping 13 straight May 10-June 2, 2008. The Rockies, who have scored 14 runs in their last seven road games, have lost three of four to the lowly Pirates this season and five of seven at PNC Park. Troy Tulowitzki had an RBI and three of the seven hits Thursday for Colorado, which had scored 46 runs while winning five of six prior to this four-game set. The Rockies have totaled five runs in their three losses to the Pirates in 2010.

Tulowitzki, however, is 6 for 15 with three RBIs against Pittsburgh this season. He is 6 for 8 in his last two games overall. After being stymied by James McDonald in his Pirates debut Thursday, Colorado hopes to prevent Zach Duke from beating the Rockies for a third straight time. The left-hander improved to 4-2 and lowered his ERA against Colorado to 6.25 after allowing a pair of home runs over six innings in a 4-2 win at Coors Field on July 27. Duke wasn’t as successful Sunday, when he gave up six runs in five innings of a 9-1 loss at St. Louis. He had posted a 3.18 ERA while winning two of his previous three starts after missing a month with a strained elbow. Colorado counters with Jason Hammel, who looks to avoid losing his fourth straight decision.

Los Angeles Angels vs Detroit Tigers Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

Hard-throwing right-handers Justin Verlander and Jered Weaver are the crown jewels of the first round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft, having posted double-digit win totals in each of their 10 combined full seasons in the big leagues. Verlander looks to improve to 3-0 this year against the visiting Los Angeles Angels, who hope Weaver can put aside his past woes versus the Detroit Tigers in Friday night’s series opener. Verlander was selected second overall by Detroit in 2004, while Weaver fell to the 12th pick and Los Angeles due to contractual demands by agent Scott Boras. They have been the most consistent first-rounders from their class, and the only All-Stars along with Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes.

Weaver leads the majors with 162 strikeouts, while Verlander’s 138 rank fifth in the AL. The Tigers starter is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts against the Angels in 2010, and allowed one run and struck out seven over 8 1-3 innings to hand Weaver his first loss in a 5-1 Detroit victory May 2. Weaver matched his shortest outing of the year, giving up four runs over 4 2-3 innings while striking out six. Weaver has gotten used to facing tough opponents on the mound, going 2-3 with a 3.27 ERA in his last five starts while opposing Texas’ Cliff Lee twice, Oakland’s Trevor Cahill, Seattle’s Felix Hernandez, and Boston’s John Lackey in that span. He outdueled Lee on Sunday by allowing one unearned run over seven innings of a 4-1 victory. Weaver is 2-3 with a 6.51 ERA in seven career starts against the Tigers. Detroit third baseman Jhonny Peralta is 8 for 20 against him.

Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

Now that Alex Rodriguez has finally hit his milestone 600th home run, he and the New York Yankees can turn their focus to a big four-game set when the AL East leaders host the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. Rodriguez ended his 12-game drought without a homer by hitting a two-run shot in the first inning of Wednesday’s 5-1 victory over Toronto. The 35-year-old became the youngest player to reach 600, then immediately turned his attention to this series. New York leads Tampa Bay by one-half game and Boston by six in the East. The Yankees are hoping the home run will cause Rodriguez to relax since that’s his only hit in his last 20 at-bats. He’ll try to find the form that has seen him go 11 for 33 with two homers and eight RBIs against Boston this year.

These rivals haven’t met since splitting a two-game set May 17-18 in the Bronx. New York, which has won five of eight in the season series, was without injured regulars Jorge Posada, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher for those contests. Those players are all available now, while Boston is less healthy. The Red Sox learned Thursday that first baseman Kevin Youkilis will miss the rest of the season with a torn muscle in his right thumb. Dustin Pedroia, Jason Varitek and Mike Cameron were all already on the disabled list. Converted third baseman Mike Lowell, who came off the DL when Youkilis went on it Tuesday, will get most of the starts at first base.

Chicago White Sox vs Baltimore Orioles Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

Early next week, the Chicago White Sox start a crucial set of games that could go a long way toward determining if they win the AL Central. First, they’ll try to stay hot during a four-game road series beginning Friday night against new manager Buck Showalter and his suddenly resurgent Baltimore Orioles. Chicago enters this weekend’s set holding a 1 1/2-game division lead over Minnesota, which it will face in its return home Tuesday night. The White Sox will then host third-place Detroit for three games, before traveling to Minnesota for three more. Chicago made strides against one of its challengers this week by taking three of four road games from the Tigers, improving to 9-2 in its last 11 and a major league-best 38-13 since June 8.
Despite taking a 6-4 victory in 11 innings in Detroit on Thursday, the White Sox still have concerns about closer Bobby Jenks’ effectiveness.

Jenks yielded three ninth-inning runs in the eventual win, blowing his second save opportunity in five tries as his ERA increased to 11.37 since July 17. Mark Kotsay bailed the White Sox out when he delivered a two-run triple in the 11th after hitting a two-run homer in the top of the ninth. If John Danks can regain the form he showed most of last month, Guillen might not need to worry as much. Danks was 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in his first five starts of July, but ended the month by giving up five runs over 6 2-3 innings in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to Oakland. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in his last three matchups with Baltimore. However, he’ll now face an Orioles team that’s 3-0 under Showalter and completed a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 5-4 victory Thursday night.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays Live Streaming

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7:07 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

After surging to the top of the AL East, the Tampa Bay Rays have dropped consecutive games to fall back into second place, with their latest loss especially hard to swallow. The Rays try to bounce back from that heartbreaking defeat and avoid losing three in a row for the first time in six weeks Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. Tampa Bay made up five games and took a one-game lead over New York by winning 10 of 11, a run capped by Tuesday’s 6-4 victory over Minnesota. The Rays lost the final two in the series against the Twins, though, dropping one-half game back of the Yankees. The most recent defeat left a bad taste in manager Joe Maddon’s mouth.

After Tampa Bay’s six-run rally in the eighth inning Thursday tied the score at 6 - a comeback highlighted by pinch-hitter Jason Bartlett’s grand slam - the Rays fell behind in the top of the ninth in bizarre fashion. Jason Kubel’s two-out popup hit a catwalk high above Tropicana Field and fell near the pitcher’s mound for a go-ahead single in the 8-6 loss. The Rays, who have not lost three consecutive games since June 20-23, are hoping to get back on track against a Toronto team they’re 6-3 against this year. A series against the Blue Jays might also help Evan Longoria break out of his slump. The three-time All-Star is batting .167 with a homer and four RBIs in his last 14 games, but is hitting .429 with four RBIs against Toronto this season. He is 5 for 9 with two doubles lifetime against scheduled starter Brett Cecil.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Florida Marlins Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright has been at his best when pitching at home this season, but the Cardinals surely won’t be disappointed to have him on the mound when they kick off a key six-game road trip. Wainwright looks to continue the Cardinals’ recent track record of success in Miami on Friday night against the reeling Florida Marlins, who hope to avoid their first five-game losing streak of 2010. St. Louis trails the first-place Reds by one-half game in the NL Central, a situation that should provide plenty of intrigue when the Cardinals begin a three-game series in Cincinnati on Monday. First, the Cardinals will try for their eighth consecutive series victory at Florida, where they’re 16-6 since the start of 2003.

Wainwright won his only previous start in Miami on June 10, 2009, but hasn’t been as fortunate on the road this year. All of his losses have come away from home, and his 3.38 ERA on the road is more than two runs higher than his Busch Stadium mark. In his last road start, he gave up six runs in five innings of an 8-2 loss to the Mets on July 27, the only time in his last seven outings overall that he allowed more than one run. The right-hander bounced back Sunday against Pittsburgh, pitching seven innings in a 9-1 home win. He’ll have a worthy adversary in Ricky Nolasco, who has gone 7-1 with a 3.38 ERA in his last eight outings, striking out 64 in 56 innings over that span.

San Francisco Giants vs Atlanta Braves Live Streaming

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7:35 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

Despite being one of the majors’ hottest clubs over the past month, the San Francisco Giants likely knew they were in for a challenge with a trip to face the Atlanta Braves. After the majors’ best home team lived up to expectations by beating the Giants ace in the opener, Barry Zito tries to remain unbeaten at Turner Field and help San Francisco avoid a third straight loss Friday night. The Giants entered the series having won 21 of 27 since July 4, but they fell 3-2 on Thursday night as Atlanta’s Eric Hinske hit a go-ahead home run off two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. Alex Gonzalez had a two-run shot to help the NL East-leading Braves improve to 37-14 at home, but they have split 20 games overall since the All-Star break.

Atlanta held a seven-game division lead two weeks ago, but that advantage is at two heading into Friday. The Giants have a 1 1/2-game lead in the wild-card race as they send Zito to the mound. The veteran left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA all-time at Turner Field, surrendering one run in his last 14 innings there. Chipper Jones and Brian McCann are a combined 0 for 9 against him. However, Zito has received zero run support in his last three starts overall, going 0-2 despite a 2.61 ERA. He allowed one run and three hits over seven innings Saturday in a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. His battery mate, rookie Buster Posey, will try to bounce back after a disappointing first game back in his home state. The Leesburg, Ga., native was 0 for 4 on Thursday, but the reigning NL player of the month is hitting .398 in his last 31 games with seven homers and 27 RBIs.

New York Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Streaming

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7:35 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

It’s been more than two months since the Philadelphia Phillies last faced the New York Mets, and the three-time reigning NL East champions would rather not relive the memory. The Mets blanked their rivals throughout an entire three-game sweep from May 25-27, but the surging Phillies appear considerably more confident as they get set to host New York on Friday night. Philadelphia’s mysterious midseason slump is one reason the club remains two games behind first-place Atlanta. The Mets became the first team since 1983 to shut out the Phillies for an entire three-game series, part of a stretch when Philadelphia averaged 1.3 runs in 11 games from May 22-June 2.

Despite lacking injured regulars Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino, the Phillies are playing much better. They’ve won four straight - three since Howard went on the disabled list - and 12 of 14 while averaging 5.4 runs. Raul Ibanez’s RBI double was among the key hits during a game-tying rally in the ninth inning at Florida on Thursday night, and Carlos Ruiz’s home run in the 10th provided the winning margin in the 5-4 victory. The catcher also doubled twice, improving to 18 for 41 with 13 RBIs in his last nine games. Ibanez has been just as hot, batting .447 with 13 RBIs during a 13-game hitting streak. The duo should provide a challenge for emerging Mets rookie Jonathon Niese.

Houston Astros vs Milwaukee Brewers Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

The Houston Astros’ longest winning streak of the season has come to an end. Sending Wandy Rodriguez to the mound against the Milwaukee Brewers could get the Astros started on another run. Rodriguez looks to set a personal record for consecutive scoreless innings with another dominant performance against the Brewers on Friday night. The Astros had their seven-game win streak halted with an 8-4 loss at St. Louis on Wednesday. Their surge included a three-game sweep of Milwaukee last weekend, during which they outscored the Brewers 16-2. Rodriguez tossed a gem in that series, scattering five hits with nine strikeouts in eight innings of a 6-0 win Saturday. The left-hander was nearly as impressive in his previous start against the Brewers on June 30 at Miller Park, yielding one run while striking out six in seven innings of a 5-1 victory.

Rodriguez has gone 5-2 with a 2.81 ERA in eight overall starts against Milwaukee, allowing one or no earned runs in six of them. He has been even better lately, winning six of seven starts with a 1.91 ERA. He’s pitched 15 straight scoreless innings over his last two games, three shy of his personal record set from July 2-21, 2009. While Rodriguez will be looking to continue his dominant pitching, the Astros will be trying to stay hot offensively. Houston has batted .320 with eight homers while outscoring opponents 61-20 over the last eight games. It’s a much-needed hot streak for a club that is among the worst hitting teams in baseball, as the Astros have a .245 average, 411 runs, a .304 on-base percentage and a .363 slugging percentage.

San Diego Padres vs Arizona Diamondbacks Live Streaming

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9:40 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

Given their six straight overall wins over the Arizona Diamondbacks, a trip to Chase Field would appear just what the San Diego Padres need to get back on a roll. The Padres, however, haven’t fared too well lately at Arizona. San Diego will try to win for the fifth time in its last 17 road meetings with the Diamondbacks as the NL West rivals open a three-game series Friday night. The Padres enter the weekend holding a two-game division lead over San Francisco but having dropped four of seven. However, they snapped a 20-inning scoreless drought Thursday night en route to a 5-0 victory at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chase Headley and Yorvit Torrealba kicked off the scoring with a pair of RBI singles and Chris Denorfia sealed the win with a pinch-hit, inside-the-park home run. The Padres’ bullpen lowered its major league-best ERA to 2.79.

As it strives to maintain its division lead, San Diego would seem to benefit from facing the Diamondbacks, losers of six of their last eight at home. The Padres swept a pair of home series from Arizona by a 42-16 margin, but got outscored 14-12 while dropping two of three at Chase Field from April 5-7. San Diego has dropped 12 of 16 at Arizona, and 20 of 30 there since the start of 2007. Friday’s starter Jon Garland wouldn’t seem the best candidate to end those woes. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.87 ERA in his last five games away from home. He’s also 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA as a visitor at Chase Field. Garland, who made 27 starts for Arizona last season, is 4-7 with a 5.72 ERA in 16 total games at the Diamondbacks’ home ballpark.

Texas Rangers vs Oakland Athletics Live Streaming

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10:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

Since the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics have excelled on the mound recently, it’s not surprising that Cliff Lee and Dallas Braden each turned in complete games in their last outings, albeit with different results. The left-handers will meet Friday night when Lee and the AL West-leading Rangers begin a three-game road series against Braden and the Athletics. This series pits the teams with the best ERAs in baseball since the All-Star break. Oakland leads the majors in that span at 2.98, while Texas is right behind at 2.99. The Athletics have won eight of their last 11 at home, where they have a major league-best 2.89 ERA. However, the Rangers have won five of nine in the season series, with eight of those games decided by three runs or fewer.

Lee hasn’t lost consecutive starts all year, but fell to 1-2 with a 2.91 ERA in five starts with Texas after scattering nine hits in a 4-1 road loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. The nine straight starts in which Lee has pitched at least eight innings is the longest such streak in the majors since Pat Hentgen’s 12-game run for Toronto in 1996. Lee may have an easy time making it 10 in a row Friday based on his lone previous start against Oakland this year. He struck out a career-high 13 and pitched nine innings in a 3-1, 10-inning victory July 27. Braden, meanwhile, has won consecutive starts after going 0-5 with a 4.10 ERA in his first nine outings following his perfect game May 9 against Tampa Bay. Braden gave up eight hits and threw a season-high 111 pitches in Saturday’s 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Kansas City Royals vs Seattle Mariners Live Streaming

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10:10 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

Zack Greinke doesn’t know what his future in Kansas City will hold. However, the Royals know their ace will have a chance to continue his success against the Seattle Mariners this week. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner looks to remain perfect against the Mariners when the Royals try for a fifth straight win at Safeco Field on Friday night. This season has not gone nearly as well as 2009 when Greinke went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA. With the Royals likely headed for a seventh straight losing season, the right-hander recently said he’s not sure he wants to endure another rebuilding effort. Though the Royals traded key contributors like Alberto Callaspo, Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth, and designated veteran Jose Guillen for assignment on Thursday, they have won four of six.

Greinke is 4-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight starts against the Mariners, including 1-0 without allowing an earned run in two this season. He has given up two runs - one earned - in 39 innings over his last five starts versus Seattle while going 4-0. Three of those wins were at Safeco, where he allowed an unearned run and two hits while striking out nine in seven innings of a 3-2 win July 6. Greinke held the Mariners without a run for the first two innings to set the franchise record with 31 straight scoreless innings against one team. In his last outing, Greinke gave up three runs in eight innings of a 4-3 win at Baltimore to improve to 6-2 with a 3.88 ERA in his last nine starts.

Washington Nationals vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Streaming

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10:10 pm EDT Fri Aug 6, 2010

Having squandered recent chances to make up ground on their division rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers hope to turn things around while playing their next 10 games against NL East foes. The Washington Nationals begin that stretch Friday night by visiting Dodger Stadium, where they’ll try to hold down a Los Angeles offense that continues to sputter. The Dodgers played their last 10 games against the top two teams in the NL West. They went 3-7 against San Diego and San Francisco, slipping eight games behind the Padres and six back of the Giants for the wild card. Manager Joe Torre had hoped his team’s lengthy slump was over when Los Angeles beat the Padres 9-0 on Wednesday, but the Dodgers were blanked for the 12th time this season in Thursday’s 5-0 defeat.

Complicating matters, they’ll be without shortstop Rafael Furcal for the rest of this homestand, and catcher Russell Martin for the season following recent injuries. Offense continues to be the biggest problem. In 21 games since the All-Star break, the Dodgers have been held to two or fewer runs 14 times, a huge reason they’ve gone 7-14. Andre Ethier is batting .203 with 20 strikeouts in that stretch, while team RBI leader James Loney has hit .192 with three RBIs. The Nationals limited Los Angeles to five runs while taking two of three from the Dodgers in Washington from April 23-25, finishing the series with a 1-0 win.

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