Jeff Grant: Monday MLB Insider Report - 5/28

[Jeff Grant]

Detroit Tigers
-Today's game marks the 21st game of a 24-game stretch in which 19 of Detroit's games will be played on the road
-The Tigers currently have a four-game win streak against the Red Sox, the longest for the club in this series since Sept. 2001
-The Tigers are 6-3 against AL East opponents
-SP Doug Fister has received 2.76 runs per nine innings of support in five starts
-In two previous outings at Fenway Park, Fister is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA

Other Early Items
-Rays SP Matt Moore is 0-3 with a 6.41 ERA in his last four starts
-Moore is allowing left-handed batters to hit .364 against him, the highest mark among LHP in the majors
-Orioles SP Tommy Hunter is 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA in four career starts at the Rogers Centre
-White Sox SP Chris Sale has allowed three or fewer runs in all eight of his starts this year
-Indians SP Josh Tomlin is 0-2 with a 5.29 ERA in three home starts
-New York Yankees are 7-14 at Angel Stadium since 2008, and have lost 23 of their last 34 games at this venue since 2005
-Yankees SP Phil Hughes has a 7.61 career ERA against the Angels in seven appearances (four starts) against the Angels, which is his highest versus any AL opponent
-Mariners SP Kevin Millwood is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts versus the Rangers this year (12 IP, ER)
-Rangers SP Matt Harrison has recorded quality starts in each of his last eight outings against the Mariners (7-0, 1.95 ERA)
-Cubs SP Travis Wood has no record and a 2.45 ERA in three career games (two starts) versus the Padres
-Brewers SP Shaun Marcum is 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA in two career starts at Dodger Stadium

[Jeff Grant]

New York Mets
-New York has won four of its last five Memorial Day games, but is 22-27 all-time when playing on the holiday
-The Mets next eight opponents all are above .500 record wise
-Scored in the first or second inning in nine of the last 10 games (18 runs total)
-Registered a 15-6 daytime record this year, just one win behind the Cincinnati Reds (16) for the most in baseball
-SP Jonathon Niese is 3-0 with a 1.62 ERA in five daytime starts this year (0-2, 9.53 ERA at night)

Cincinnati Reds
-Cincinnati has won eight of its last nine games and carries a 1.5-game lead in the NL Central for the second straight day
-There were 29 home runs hit during the Reds' recently completed seven-game homestand
-The Reds are 8-0 on Sundays and 13-3 in the final game of a series
-The Reds are 2-1 this season at PNC Park, while going 4-5 in 2011
-SP Bronson Arroyo is 7-6 with a 3.92 ERA in 23 career games (16 starts) at PNC Park
-Arroyo was 0-2 with an 8.18 ERA in two starts versus the Pirates in 2011

[Jeff Grant]

Chicago Cubs
-Chicago has lost 12 games in a row, as the franchise has had seven losing streaks in franchise history to reach at least 12 games
-The Cubs are 7-for-51 (.137) with runners in scoring position over their last six games
-Pitching staff has compiled a 5.52 ERA since May 10, which is the second-highest in the majors over that span (Colorado Rockies, 5.69)
-Cubs SP Travis Wood has limited opponents to a .125 batting average in his first two starts this year

St. Louis Cardinals
-St. Louis has outscored opponents by 63 runs this season, trailing only the Texas Rangers (+97) in that category
-The Cardinals are the only MLB team to have a trio of players with double-digit home runs, with Carlos Beltran (15), David Freese (10) and Matt Holliday (10)
-Have gone 21-34 all-time at Turner Field, but are 10-5 in their last 15 games
-SP Lance Lynn is 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in five road starts, with the team going 4-1 in those outings
-Lynn is second in the NL in run support average (7.15)

[Jeff Grant]

Chicago White Sox
-Chicago White Sox have scored nine or more runs in four consecutive games, but have never done so in five straight contests in franchise history
-The White Sox have homered in 13 consecutive games, it's longest such streak since 2006
-Offense ranks second in the majors in run scored, tied for fourth in home runs and sixth in batting average in May
-Chicago is 22-for-46 (.478) with RISP over the last three games, while being second in baseball during the month of May (.300)
-One of just six teams in baseball with a winning record on the road and a losing mark at home
-SP Chris Sale is 1-1 with a 2.49 ERA in 19 career appearances versus AL East opponents

Washington Nationals
-After averaging 3.4 runs per game in April, the Nationals are scoring 4.4 runs per game in May
-The Nationals have hit 32 home runs in their last 22 games
-In a stretch of 33 consecutive games against teams from the NL East (15) or AL East, going 6-3 in the first nine games. Washington is 11-3 overall versus divisional foes.
-SP Jordan Zimmerman matches up with Ricky Nolasco for the third straight time when facing the Marlins, with the club going 1-1 in those games.
-Zimmerman is 0-2 with a 4.55 ERA in five career starts versus the Marlins
-Zimmerman has won three consecutive road starts for the first time in his career

Pittsburgh Pirates
-SP James McDonald has posted a 1.57 ERA in his first five home starts this year, while going 10-4 with a 2.77 ERA at PNC Park in 27 starts in his career with the franchise
-A victory this afternoon would give the Pirates a season-high four-game win streak
-Pitching staff ranks second in MLB with a 2.33 home ERA (Dodgers, 2.26 ERA)
-Today's game matches the top two bullpens in the NL (Reds 2.48, Pirates, 2.50)
-McDonald is 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA in his last five outings against the Reds

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[Jeff Grant]

Houston Astros
-Houston has the second-best ERA in the majors in May (2.89), trailing only the Los Angeles Angels (2.88)
-The Astros have out-hit their opponent in nine straight games, but are just 5-4 over that span
-Game 1 SP Wandy Rodriguez has a 2-0 record and 0.82 ERA in three day time starts

Kansas City Royals
-Kansas City is 9-4 in its last 13 games away from Kauffman Stadium
-The Royals are 20-19 all-time when playing on Memorial Day
-Royals starters have thrown 235.1 innings this year, while the bullpen has tossed 177.1 frames

Miami Marlins
-Over the first six games of this homestand, the Marlins are batting .337 (28-for-83) with runners in scoring position. Miami is .293 overall at home this season in that situation, which ranks third in the NL.
-Drawn an NL-leading 100 walks in the month of May
-SP Carlos Zambrano is 7-6 with a 4.54 ERA in seven career games (six starts) at home against the Washington Nationals