Sports World: 08/10/10

Los Angeles Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Streaming

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

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7:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

Despite a lineup ravaged by injuries, the Philadelphia Phillies keep rolling along. Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Vicente Padilla could make it difficult for them to continue their winning ways. In the teams’ first matchup since the 2009 NLCS, Philadelphia looks to continue its playoff push Tuesday night when it faces a Dodgers team that has dropped nine of 10 on the road. Despite Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard being out the last six games, the Phillies won five times. They are 14-3 since a 1-6 skid left them seven games behind NL East-leading Atlanta on July 21. Thanks in large part to Raul Ibanez, the Phillies are now within striking distance of the top spot. The left fielder is batting .407 with four home runs and 16 RBIs during a career-best 16-game hitting streak.

The Phillies have batted .297 and averaged 5.3 runs in seven games this month. They have won 19 of 23 at home. They’ll be facing a Dodgers club that is hitting .156 and averaging 1.8 runs during a five-game road losing streak. Padilla will be trying to help Los Angeles avoid tying its longest skid of the season away from home. The right-hander faces the Phillies for the first time since allowing six runs in three-plus innings of a 10-4 loss in Game 5 at Citizens Bank Park on Oct. 21. Padilla, though, returns to Philadelphia following the best outing of his career. He threw a two-hitter and struck out nine in a 9-0 victory over San Diego on Wednesday. He had a no-hitter through 6 1-3 innings.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Detroit Tigers Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

Jeremy Hellickson’s outstanding season in the minors and sharp major league debut have the Tampa Bay Rays feeling even better about his future prospects of becoming a staple in their rotation. They could also use his help now. Hellickson will start in place of injured teammate Wade Davis as Tampa Bay tries to beat the fast-fading Detroit Tigers for the sixth consecutive time Tuesday night. The Rays had lost a season-high five straight before beginning their series in Detroit on Monday night, but their 6-3 victory pulled the club within 1 1/2 games of AL East-leading New York. Tampa Bay also swept a four-game home series with the Tigers from July 26-29, part of Detroit’s dismal start to the second half. The Tigers’ 6-20 record since the All-Star break is the worst in the majors, dropping them nine games behind Chicago and Minnesota in the AL Central.

Detroit is batting .239 and averaging 3.2 runs in that stretch, but the Rays’ primary concern is with their banged-up rotation after shoulder problems forced both Davis and Jeff Niemann to the disabled list Monday. Hellickson has a chance to ease those worries. The 23-year-old right-hander is regarded as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, a reputation bolstered by his 12-3 record and 2.45 ERA in 21 starts for Triple-A Durham in 2010. The right-hander posted similar results in his debut with Tampa Bay, holding the Twins to two runs and three hits in seven innings of a 4-2 win Aug. 2. Hellickson was immediately sent back to the minors but didn’t make another start for Durham because the injuries necessitated his return. He said he’s not nearly as nervous as he was last week.

Florida Marlins vs Washington Nationals Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

Stephen Strasburg is back, but not for long. The 22-year-old phenom is scheduled to return from a shoulder injury when the Washington Nationals open a three-game series against the visiting Florida Marlins on Tuesday night. Strasburg was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 29, two days after being scratched minutes before his last scheduled start. The hard-throwing right-hander, however, is expected to be limited to 90 pitches against the Marlins. He beat them July 16 by allowing four hits and striking out seven in six innings of a 4-0 win. Strasburg, who threw a side session Saturday, is also restricted to no more than 160 innings this year, and he’s logged 109 2-3 over 20 games between the Nationals and the minors.

A return to Nationals Park could help Washington rebound from Sunday’s 8-3 loss at Los Angeles, which capped a 3-4 trip. The Nationals have won four of six at home and Strasburg has been impressive in five starts there, going 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA and 46 strikeouts with only four walks in 31 innings. Florida manager Edwin Rodriguez feels aggressive at-bats could be the key to beating him. The Marlins are hoping they didn’t lose any momentum at the plate after the finale of a three-game set with St. Louis was rained out Sunday. They collected nine hits with three homers in Saturday’s 5-4, 10-inning win after hitting .206 with three homers during a five-game slide. The expected returns of first baseman Gaby Sanchez and center fielder Cody Ross could keep Florida productive.

Baltimore Orioles vs Cleveland Indians Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

Baltimore thrived in its first homestand under new manager Buck Showalter. The Orioles hope that solid play continues as they try for some rare success on the road. The Orioles look for a third straight victory in the opener of a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. Baltimore has the worst record in the majors, but is 6-1 since Showalter took over last Tuesday. The Orioles swept the Los Angeles Angels, then took three of four from the White Sox to win consecutive series for the first time since July 2009. Earl Weaver is the only other manager in Orioles history to win six of his first seven games. Showalter, however, knows the Orioles’ recent success won’t mean much if they aren’t able to sustain it on the road. Looking to avoid a fourth straight road loss, Baltimore is 14-40 away from Camden Yards and has lost six of eight at Cleveland.

Baltimore’s starting pitchers posted a 1.89 ERA on the homestand. Scheduled starter Jake Arrieta contributed to that success despite failing to earn a win in four straight starts. The rookie right-hander is 0-1 with a 6.33 ERA in four starts since winning at Texas on July 11, but allowed two runs and four hits in 7 2-3 innings of a 5-4 win over the Angels on Thursday. Arrieta will make his first appearance against the Indians. Ty Wigginton is a lifetime .352 hitter with three home runs against Cleveland. The All-Star hit his 18th and Brian Roberts added a solo shot in the 10th to give Baltimore a 3-2 win over the White Sox on Monday.

Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays Live Streaming

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7:07 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

After splitting a four-game series with the AL East leaders, the Boston Red Sox are feeling a lot better about the division race. They still have a lot of work to do but could make up ground Tuesday night in Toronto considering Daisuke Matsuzaka will be on the mound. Coming off another solid outing, Matsuzaka seeks his seventh straight win over the Blue Jays when he takes the ball for Boston in this series opener. The Red Sox arrived at Yankee Stadium on Friday six games back of East-leading New York, and they left the Bronx facing the same deficit. Boston won 2-1 in Monday’s series finale, as closer Jonathan Papelbon struck out Mark Teixeira to end the game with the potential tying run on second base. The victory provided a huge momentum boost for the Red Sox, who would have been eight games back with a loss.

Boston could get closer to the division lead in this three-game set, facing a Toronto team against which it has gone 7-2 this year. Matsuzaka has a 2.08 ERA in winning his two outings versus the Blue Jays this season, and he’s 6-0 with a 3.51 ERA in his last eight starts against them with the Red Sox winning each time. He allowed one run for the third time in four starts Thursday, going eight innings in a 6-2 victory over Cleveland. He’s unbeaten in six outings since June 30. The right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.01 ERA in his last seven road starts - a stretch that includes a 3-2 win in Toronto on July 11, when he gave up two runs in six innings.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

The St. Louis Cardinals set up their rotation to have their three best starters go in this three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds in a matchup of the top teams in the NL Central. The plan has worked through one game. The Cardinals will send Jaime Garcia to the mound Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park and can move into a virtual tie atop the division with a victory over the Reds, who counter with ace Johnny Cueto. St. Louis used Skip Schumaker’s first career grand slam as part of a seven-run fourth inning Monday, and that cushion was more than enough for its ace. Chris Carpenter cruised through seven innings in a 7-3 victory that pulled the Cardinals within one game of the Reds.

Carpenter has won his last nine starts against the Reds, a streak that started in 2006. A victory Tuesday would pull St. Louis even in terms of games, and give the Cardinals a better winning percentage than the Reds. The rotation has been juggled with Garcia following Carpenter, and 16-game winner Adam Wainwright pitching Wednesday afternoon. The Cardinals are 46-24 in games started by Carpenter, Garcia and Wainwright for the best mark by any three qualifying pitchers on one team in the majors. Garcia beat the Reds twice in May, posting a 2.92 ERA with left-handed hitters Joey Votto and Jay Bruce combining for eight hitless at-bats against him. The rookie left-hander enters after an ugly outing last Tuesday against Houston. He allowed a career-high eight runs - four earned - over five-plus innings in an 18-4 loss.

Colorado Rockies vs New York Mets Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

Ubaldo Jimenez is on the cusp of setting a franchise mark for wins in a season. Victories have been hard for his team to come by when it has visited the New York Mets. The Colorado Rockies ace looks to become the club’s first 18-game winner in the opener of a three-game set against the sputtering Mets on Tuesday night. Jimenez has tied Jeff Francis, Pedro Astacio and Kevin Ritz for the franchise record for wins. The right-hander has the most victories in the majors and is among the leaders in ERA. He put himself in position to gain sole possession of the record by winning his last two starts with a 1.29 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14 innings. That’s a vast improvement from his six starts before that, when he posted a 7.64 ERA.

The Rockies could use another dominant effort from Jimenez as they try to overcome a daunting history in Queens. Colorado has gone 3-21 in its last 24 games on the Mets’ home field and dropped three of four in its only series at Citi Field from July 27-30. The Rockies have hit .214 during that 24-game span, getting shut out nine times. They will be facing a Mets team that is 33-19 at home. Jimenez, though, turned in quality starts in his two road outings against New York, going 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA. He could also benefit from a red-hot Rockies lineup. Colorado has batted .320 with 14 homers in winning seven of 10, a surge that continued with an 8-4 victory at Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Rockies collected 14 hits, half of them doubles. Carlos Gonzalez, 4 for 5 with a double, a homer and three RBIs on Sunday, has been a major force in the offensive outburst. The center fielder has hit .500 with eight homers and 15 RBIs over the last 11 games.

New York Yankees vs Texas Rangers Live Streaming

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8:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

Atop their respective divisions, the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees both appear headed to the playoffs. The Rangers have maintained their lofty position despite struggling mightily against the Yankees’ division. Texas begins a difficult stretch against AL East opponents Tuesday night in the opener of a two-game series with New York. The Rangers lost to Oakland 3-2 on Sunday to finish a 4-5 road trip against AL West foes. They still have a .621 winning percentage within their division - the second-best in the AL - and own the largest division lead. Texas’ comfortable lead could be in trouble, though, with its next 12 games against the AL East. The Rangers, who open a series against Boston on Friday before visiting Tampa Bay and Baltimore next week, are 9-16 against the East. They were swept at home in a four-game series to the lowly Orioles last month.

Texas was outscored 17-6 in three straight losses at Yankee Stadium in April, and has lost 14 of the last 17 meetings at Rangers Ballpark. Josh Hamilton, the major league leader with a .355 batting average, is in the middle of Texas’ struggles against New York. The slugger is 1 for 11 against the Yankees this year, and hitless in eight at-bats against scheduled starter A.J. Burnett since 2009. Burnett is pitching on seven days’ rest after being scratched Sunday because of a bad back. Burnett is trying to bounce back after being tagged for eight runs and eight hits - six for extra bases in the fifth inning - in 4 2-3 innings of an 8-6 loss to Toronto last Monday. The right-hander had thrown 11 1-3 scoreless innings in winning his previous two starts.

Atlanta Braves vs Houston Astros Live Streaming

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8:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens has yet to win on the road and yet to lose at night. A decision for him will end one of those streaks Tuesday night, and Jurrjens hopes its his winless run on the road as the Braves look to end the Houston Astros’ six-game home win streak. Jurrjens has been an enigma with a 4-0 mark and a 2.02 ERA in six night starts that have mostly been at home. On the road, he’s 0-4 with a 7.63 ERA in six outings that have mostly been during the day. The right-hander was victorious Thursday against San Francisco, allowing two runs over six innings in a 3-2 win. Jurrjens went two innings and gave up one run before leaving due to a lengthy rain delay in a 5-1 loss in his lone career start against the Astros on May 2, 2009. Houston is enjoying its longest win streak at home since a nine-game run Aug. 27-Sept. 11, 2008, after taking advantage of sloppy Atlanta defense in a 10-4 win Monday to open this three-game set. The Braves committed three errors to bring their NL-worst total since the All-Star break to 23.

Atlanta has 15 errors in its last 10 games. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez has five in that span after turning in 13 straight errorless games to start his Braves career following his acquisition from Toronto on July 13. Atlanta’s lead atop the NL East was cut to 1 1/2 games over Philadelphia. Chris Johnson singled twice and drove in three runs to continue his surge for Houston, which ended a four-game skid. The rookie third baseman is hitting .444 with five homers and 22 RBIs over his last 19 games. Houston’s J.A. Happ has had vastly different results in his first two starts with his new club. The Astros acquired him from Philadelphia on July 29 in the Roy Oswalt deal, and Happ gave up two hits in six innings the next day in his Houston debut - a 5-0 victory over Milwaukee.

Minnesota Twins vs Chicago White Sox Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

For the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins, the next 10 days could determine which team has the inside track to the AL Central title. The division leaders will meet six times in that span, with the first coming Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field. With 63-49 records, Chicago and Minnesota have separated themselves from the rest of the Central. The rivals have nine games remaining against each other, including three at Minnesota starting Aug. 17. This 10-day stretch could be crucial, particularly since these teams won’t meet again until mid-September in Chicago. The Twins, 17-7 since the All-Star break, are 6-3 against the White Sox this season and hit .354 in winning three of four in the teams’ most recent series from July 15-18. Minnesota had won six straight at U.S. Cellular before losing its last game there April 11.

Though the White Sox have won 10 of 15 overall and 20 of 22 at home, they concluded a 4-4 road trip by scoring 10 runs while losing three of four to league-worst Baltimore. Minnesota hopes Scott Baker can further contain the White Sox. The right-hander, 2-0 with a 2.21 ERA in his last three starts, allowed three hits and struck out seven in eight scoreless innings of a 2-1, 13-inning win at Tampa Bay on Wednesday. Minnesota has won six of Baker’s seven starts against Chicago since the start of 2008 as he’s gone 4-1 with a 4.04 ERA. He improved to 3-1 at U.S. Cellular after giving up a run in seven innings of a 2-1 win April 10 in his only start versus the White Sox this year. Chicago counters with right-hander Freddy Garcia, who is 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts against Minnesota in 2010. Garcia, 7-1 with a 3.84 ERA in his last 12 overall, allowed a run in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-4, 11-inning win at Detroit on Thursday.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Milwaukee Brewers Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

Since being called up at the end of June, Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Barry Enright has turned in one quality start after another. The right-hander will try to pitch the Diamondbacks to their fifth win in six games Tuesday night when they continue a four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers. In seven major league outings, Enright has been nothing but consistent. He has yet to give up more than three runs or last fewer than five innings. Enright limited Washington to two runs and six hits over six innings Thursday in an 8-4 victory after he was winless in his previous two starts despite giving up four total runs. Enright will look to build off the Diamondbacks’ 7-4, 10-inning victory over the Brewers on Monday night.

Stephen Drew had a two-run single and Ryan Church added a pinch-hit RBI single in the 10th to help Arizona snap a seven-game losing streak against the Brewers. Milwaukee closer John Axford couldn’t get the job done in the ninth inning, earning his second blown save this season, and Trevor Hoffman was charged with the loss. The Brewers were short-handed in the outfield as All-Stars Corey Hart and Ryan Braun were out with injuries after Jim Edmonds had been traded to Cincinnati earlier in the day. The Brewers sent Edmonds to the Reds on Monday for outfielder Chris Dickerson, who did not arrive at Miller Park as of game time. Hart was out with a sore back, but came in to pinch hit in the ninth inning and grounded out while Braun, who had been swinging the bat especially well of late, is day-to-day with a left wrist strain and contusion. Braun is hitting .517 in seven games this month after batting .200 during July.

Kansas City Royals vs Los Angeles Angels Live Streaming

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10:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

The Los Angeles Angels continue to mix and match players in their lineup without Torii Hunter, and the results haven’t been bad. The Angels will be without Hunter one final time before his suspension ends when they continue this three-game home series Tuesday night against the Kansas City Royals. The absence of Hunter has forced manager Mike Scioscia to put together different lineups for Los Angeles, which has won two of three without him. The center fielder was ejected from last Friday’s victory at Detroit, throwing a bag of balls onto the field to draw a four-game ban. The Angels, though, have not missed Hunter’s presence with 20 runs in this stretch, including a 6-4 win over Kansas City on Monday.

The Angels won the last three AL West titles. They are in third place, 8 1/2 games behind Texas. Dan Haren was acquired from Arizona on July 25 for a possible pennant race, and he’s 0-6 with a 4.27 ERA in 10 starts since his last victory June 12. Haren narrowly avoided his third loss in as many starts with the Angels after he allowed four runs in 6 1-3 innings Thursday in a 5-4 loss at Baltimore. Los Angeles rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie the game to get him off the hook. The veteran right-hander’s 2.11 ERA in six career starts against Kansas City is his lowest against any AL team. He’s 3-1 in those outings, pitching at least seven innings four times. Kansas City’s Bryan Bullington will make his first start since Sept. 28, 2008. Bullington is a former No. 1 overall draft pick by Pittsburgh in 2002, and he’s 0-6 with a 5.09 ERA in 18 career appearances with four different teams, including 0-5 with a 7.15 ERA in five starts.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs San Diego Padres Live Streaming

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10:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

The San Diego Padres failed to take advantage during a road trip last week against the two worst teams in the NL West. Facing the Pittsburgh Pirates, though, gives them a good opportunity to build some momentum before a big division showdown. The Padres look to win their seventh straight against the NL-worst Pirates when the West leaders begin a three-game series Tuesday night at Petco Park. After splitting four games last week in Los Angeles, the Padres were in danger of being swept by last-place Arizona. However, Mat Latos pitched six scoreless innings in a 10-1 rout Sunday that helped San Diego keep its two-game lead over second-place San Francisco.

While the Padres were held to seven runs in the four losses on their trip, they’ve had little problem scoring against the Pirates. San Diego has outscored Pittsburgh 37-15 during a six-game winning streak, and 20-8 while taking a three-game set from July 23-25. The Padres cannot afford to look ahead to this weekend’s series with the Giants that begins a 10-game road trip, and closer Heath Bell said no one is panicking. Wade LeBlanc gets the start for San Diego in Tuesday’s opener, and he could benefit from some greater offensive output. The Padres have scored two runs during his last two starts, and have provided him with two or fewer runs in six of his last seven outings. LeBlanc is 1-6 with a 4.23 ERA in his last nine starts with the victory coming over the Pirates last month. The left-hander gave up four runs and eight hits over 6 1-3 innings Wednesday in a 9-0 loss to the Dodgers.

Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners Live Streaming

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10:10 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

A stagnant offense was one of the reasons the Seattle Mariners fired manager Don Wakamatsu on Monday. Felix Hernandez doesn’t need a reminder of his team’s season-long struggle to score runs. The Mariners ace has received hardly any run support while losing his last four decisions, a skid he’ll try to stop Tuesday night against the Oakland Athletics. With the AL’s second-worst record, Seattle parted ways with Wakamatsu, bench coach Ty Van Burkleo and pitching coach Rick Adair before Monday night’s series opener with the A’s. Daren Brown was promoted from Triple-A Tacoma on an interim basis to replace Wakamatsu, who presided over an offense that ranks last in the majors in runs, batting average and homers. The Mariners won Brown’s debut, a 3-1 victory that featured the club’s first triple play since 1995.

Hernandez wouldn’t mind similarly stellar defense behind him, but he’s also hoping for some help from his offense. The right-hander is 0-4 in five starts since the All-Star break despite a 2.70 ERA. He’s gotten 0.7 runs of support per nine innings in that stretch, and Seattle hasn’t scored in his last 18 innings. Hernandez didn’t allow a run through his first six innings against first-place Texas on Thursday, but he gave up three in the seventh as the Mariners lost 6-0. If Brett Anderson’s last two starts against Seattle are any indication, Hernandez may be forced to match zeros with his opponent again. Anderson faced the Mariners twice in April, pitching six shutout innings each time. He allowed a total of nine hits while striking out 10 in those outings.

Chicago Cubs vs San Francisco Giants Live Streaming

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10:15 pm EDT Tue Aug 10, 2010

It’s been more than a month since San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum lost consecutive starts. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner looks to prevent that from happening while trying to help the wild-card leading Giants hand the Chicago Cubs a seventh straight road loss Tuesday night. Lincecum allowed three runs on two homers in 6 1-3 innings of a 3-2 loss to NL East-leading Atlanta on Thursday. The right-hander, 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA in his previous five starts after losing two straight from June 27-July 2, has dropped back-to-back outings twice this season. He had gone 67 starts without giving up multiple home runs before his last start.

The Cubs have not enjoyed many good swings against Lincecum, 3-2 with a 2.55 ERA and a .199 opponent batting average in six starts versus Chicago. However, he hopes for more support than his last outing against the Cubs when he gave up two runs and struck out seven in seven innings of a 3-0 home loss Sept. 25. Chicago has been held to 10 runs during a four-game skid, including a 4-3 loss to the Giants in 11 innings Monday, and has dropped 11 of 12. The Giants have a one-game lead over Philadelphia and St. Louis for the wild card. They are 1 1/2 games behind NL West-leading San Diego. Pat Burrell had two hits and drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly Monday as San Francisco rebounded from a 2-4 road trip to win its fourth consecutive home game. Burrell is 11 for 30 with seven RBIs in his last 10 games. Burrell is a .320 hitter with five doubles against Chicago’s Ryan Dempster, who will try for a second straight victory after allowing three runs and three hits in six innings of a 15-3 win over Milwaukee on Wednesday. Though the right-hander is 1-7 with a 4.59 ERA in 11 starts versus San Francisco, Dempster went 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in two during 2009.

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