Ramos or Suzuki in '13?

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo says the club;s No. 1 catcher will remain the injured Wilson Ramos in 2013, but that there will be plenty of playing time available for Kurt Suzuki.

Suzuki was acquired from the Oakland Athletics this summer and turned his season around with the Nats. Since the trade, the 28-year-old has batted .271 with a .322 on-base mark and five home runs, all significant improvements over his time in Oakland this season.

Ramos has been on the disabled list almost the entire season, but he's expected to recover fully in time for spring training.

Thursday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers

STREAKING

Dan Haren, Los Angeles Angels (12-11, 4.35)

Haren has won back-to-back starts and four of his last five. He defeated the Chicago White in his last start when he gave up two runs and six hits in six innings. Haren’s top outing of the season was May 24 against Seattle when he struck out a career-best 14 while tossing a four-hit shutout. He is 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in three starts against the Mariners this season. Haren is 12-6 with a 2.57 ERA in 22 career starts against Seattle.

Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants (13-8, 4.18)

After being left off the Giants’ postseason roster in 2010, Zito has secured a spot this year after a strong campaign. He held Arizona to one run in 6 2/3 innings last Saturday, and he’s 3-0 with a 3.17 ERA in his last five starts. Zito has gone 6-8 with a 5.01 ERA in 20 career games against the Diamondbacks.

SLUMPING

Travis Blackley, Oakland Athletics (5-3, 3.75)

Blackley lasted just two innings against the New York Yankees last Saturday, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks. He is 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA in three starts against the Rangers this season. Overall, he is 2-1 with a 5.16 ERA in four career starts against Texas.

Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks (6-7, 4.36)

Corbin turned in his shortest outing of the season last Saturday against the Rockies, giving up five runs over three innings. He’s struggled over the past month with just one win in his last six starts and a 5.91 ERA over that stretch. Corbin took a no-decision in his last start against the Giants on Sept. 3 after allowing four runs over five frames.

Angels prefer Greinke

Last month we wondered what the Los Angeles Angels might do once the offseason in regards to right-handers Dan Haren, Ervin Santana and Zack Greinke. Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports that the club plans to cut ties with Haren and Santana and push hard to re-sign Greinke.

Greinke will hit free agency after the World Series ends while both Haren and Santana have options for 2013. Santana's is for $13 million while Haren's is worth $15 million, and neither pitcher has exactly earned that kind of money this season.

Haren's track record may still earn him a multi-year deal over the winter -- he has seven straight seasons of 200 innings and a career 3.66 ERA -- but his workload and subsequent struggles this season may scare some clubs away.

Santana was battered for most of the season until his last nine starts, seven of which have been quality. His past four outings may have saved his free agency, as he's been nothing short of dominant.

Gonzalez suggests Greinke could get a 5-year deal worth about $125 million.

Ortiz's free agency

David Ortiz will once again hit free agency this offseason and once again he's expected to seek a multi-year deal, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.

Ortiz, who has spent the last month on the disabled list, was having a terrific season at the plate, including a 1.026 OPS and 49 extra-base hits and despite turning 37 this coming November could warrant another large contract, even f it's just another one-year pact.

Ortiz is earning just over $14.5 million in 2012 and whether or not the Red Sox might be willing to commit another hefty deal to Ortiz considering the other holes on the roster is unclear.

If Ortiz moves on, possible fits include the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.

No Furcal, Berkman for playoffs?

The St. Louis Cardinals are not optimistic that they will be at full strength or the postseason, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, with veterans Rafael Furcal and Lance Berkman not likely to return this season.

General manager John Mozeliak said "time is not on our side," with either player. Furcal's elbow injury could linger into next season if he ultimately needs surgery and Berkman, who may consider retirement, has yet to swing a bat during his recover from knee surgery.

The Cardinals are using Allen Craig at first base and a combination of Pete Kozma andDaniel Descalso at shortstop, and it appears that will be the alignment during the postseason, too.

Wednesday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers

Streaking

Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants (15-5, 2.86 ERA)

Cain posted his fifth consecutive win on Sept. 19, when he limited Colorado to one run and four hits in eight innings. The 27-year-old, who has not lost since Aug. 6 at St. Louis, has allowed a total of four runs in 20 1/3 frames over his last three outings. Cain improved to 12-6 lifetime against the Diamondbacks when he yielded one run in five innings on Sept. 14 at Arizona.

Jarrod Parker, Oakland Athletics (11-8, 3.40 ERA)

Parker thoroughly dominated the Rangers on June 4 when he allowed one hit – an eighth-inning single to Michael Young – in eight shutout innings. He took a no-decision against the New York Yankees in his last outing when he gave up one run and six hits in eight innings. Parker has won four of his last five decisions in what has been a solid rookie campaign.

Slumping

Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers (9-12, 4.57 ERA)

Porcello has lost his last six decisions in seven starts, but his overall ERA slightly improved. His last victory was Aug. 7. Porcello is 5-3 with a 4.50 ERA in his career against Kansas City. He gave up two runs over five innings against the Royals Aug. 30 in a loss, but beat them May 1 by allowing three runs in eight innings. Butler is 12-for-38 against Porcello.

Aaron Harang, Los Angeles Dodgers (9-10, 3.80 ERA)

Harang is looking to rebound from a rocky start last Wednesday against Washington when he allowed two runs over 4 1/3 innings. He’s 4-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 15 career games (14 starts) against the Padres. Harang tied a career high with 13 strikeouts and fanned a Dodger-record nine consecutive hitters on April 13 against San Diego. However, he hasn't won since Aug. 18 and is 3-0 in his last five starts.

Carlos Villanueva, Toronto Blue Jays (7-6, 3.88 ERA)

Villanueva will be trying to bounce back after getting crushed at Tampa Bay last Friday. The veteran right-hander was knocked around for seven runs on eight hits in just 2 1/3 innings without notching a strikeout. Villanueva has had a rough time against Baltimore twice in the last six weeks, absorbing a pair of losses while allowing a total of 10 runs in 12 1/3 innings. Chris Davis is 3-for-4 with a pair of homers off Villanueva this season.

New York at Minnesota 8:10 p.m. ET

The New York Yankees are on a roll, and their seemingly favorable schedule could eventually result in another AL East title. 

Phil Hughes is looking to continue his own strong stretch on the mound, and the offense may be of some help again. 

Hughes goes for a fourth straight winning start as the Yankees' bats look to continue their dominance of the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night. 

New York (89-64) has won eight of nine to move 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Baltimore in the East race with nine games left, one more than the Orioles. 

The Yankees appear to have the inside track to win the division since their remaining schedule is against three teams assured of losing seasons - Minnesota (64-90), Toronto and Boston. 

Including a pair of postseason sweeps, they've won 26 of 32 games against the Twins while hitting .290 with 52 homers. 

Hughes (16-12, 4.05 ERA) has certainly benefited from the Yankees' impressive production, which includes a major league-leading 229 homers. He has been backed by 5.6 runs per start this season, one reason why he owns the highest ERA of any major leaguer with at least 15 wins. 

Overall, he's 2-0 with a 2.66 ERA in five games - three starts - against Minnesota. 

Derek Jeter is hitting .370 during his season-high 18-game hitting streak, and he has a .365 average in his last 53 overall meetings with the Twins. The superstar shortstop has hit safely in 48 of those matchups. 

Raul Ibanez is 7 for 16 in four meetings this year after getting two hits, including a solo homer Monday. He's homered three times in three games, going 7 for 12 and driving in five runs. 

Minnesota, which has lost four in a row at home, is giving Esmerling Vasquez (0-2, 6.75) a fifth chance at his first victory of the season. He's failed to complete six innings in each of his past four trips to the mound. 

The right-hander was chased with two outs in the sixth after surrendering three runs and six hits with three walks in Thursday's 4-3, 10-inning loss at Cleveland. 

Vasquez's only meeting with the Yankees was catastrophic relief appearance in a loss with Arizona on June 22, 2010. He was roughed up for five runs while failing to manage an out in a six-run eighth. 

Yankees are 5-0 in their last 5 during game 2 of a series.

Yankees are 5-0 in their last 5 road games with the total set at 9.0-10.5.

Yankees are 8-1 in their last 9 games as a favorite.

Yankees are 8-1 in their last 9 overall.

Yankees are 8-1 in their last 9 games on grass.

Yankees are 6-1 in their last 7 games following a win.

Yankees are 5-1 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.

Yankees are 4-1 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.

Yankees are 4-1 in their last 5 road games.

Yankees are 4-1 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a losing record.

Yankees are 4-0 in Hughes' last 4 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
Yankees are 16-1 in Hughes' last 17 starts as a favorite of -201 or greater.
Yankees are 4-1 in Hughes' last 5 starts as a favorite.
Yankees are 4-1 in Hughes' last 5 starts.

Twins are 6-20 in their last 26 games as a home underdog of +151 to +200.

Twins are 1-7 in their last 8 games as an underdog of +151 to +200.
Twins are 0-4 in their last 4 home games.


Over is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings.
Yankees are 4-0 in Hughes' last 4 starts vs. Twins.
Yankees are 40-13 in the last 53 meetings.
Yankees are 38-18 in the last 56 meetings in Minnesota.

Yankees are 5-0 in their last 5 games with DeMuth behind home plate.

We cashed the Yankees RL last night so let's see if we can have a repeat of yesterday. Hughes should do well as he has most of the season. NY's bats are hot right now and they have quietly won a ton of games lately. Twins on the other hand are losing...a lot - and with Vasquez back on the mound i think their chances are extremely good for yet another victory. Take the Yankees in the 1st half and on the RL tonight. Good Luck

1H NY YANKEES -½-125
NY YANKEES -1½-130

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