Preview Roundups
April 21, 2014
Baltimore at Boston 11:05 AM ET
Patriots Day is always big in Boston but Monday’s game between the Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles will be extra intense when the teams wrap up a four-game series. In addition to baseball, the Boston Marathon will be run and the recent one-year anniversary of the deadly bombings will be on the minds of everybody. “I think it’s going to be very emotional,” Boston’s David Ortiz told reporters. “There’s going to be happiness around too, more than sadness because the way the city bounced back.”
Kansas City at Cleveland 7:05 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians have something off which to build when they host the Kansas City Royals on Monday in the opener of a four-game series between American League Central rivals. The Indians had lost seven of nine and trailed Sunday until David Murphy’s two-out, three-run double in the sixth inning keyed a 6-4 victory over Toronto. Cleveland is batting only .236 as a team, which has led to an uneven 8-10 start, while the Royals have won five of six and stand second in the AL in ERA (3.20).
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM ET
The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates expected to contend for the National League Central title in 2014, but both are off to disappointing starts going into a four-game set starting Monday in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have lost eight of their last 10 after a 14-inning defeat against Milwaukee on Sunday. That brutal stretch includes dropping two of three last week to the Reds, who have needed to win four of their last five to offset a 3-8 start.
LA Angels at Washington 7:05 PM ET
The Washington Nationals have made a habit of stubbing their toe this season, but it was the Los Angeles Angels’ sloppiness their last time out that kept them from winning a series. The Nationals, who host the Angels for the first of three interleague games on Monday, lead the majors with 20 errors and committed four during a four-game split with the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend. They were mistake-free in Sunday’s 3-2 victory, however, winning despite leaving 17 runners on base.
Chi. White Sox at Detroit 7:08 PM ET
The Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox won their respective series finales Sunday -- in very different fashions. The Tigers defeated the Los Angeles Angels in a 2-1 pitchers' duel while the White Sox offense exploded in a 16-2 rout of the Texas Rangers. On Monday, Detroit and visiting Chicago begin a four-game set -- the first meeting of the season between the American League Central rivals.
Miami at Atlanta 7:10 PM ET
Julio Teheran won 14 games a season ago as a 22-year-old, and through four starts in 2014 is establishing himself as the ace of the Atlanta Braves’ surprisingly fantastic rotation. Teheran starts for the Braves as the NL East leaders open a six-game homestand Monday against Miami, coming off a complete-game shutout at Philadelphia in his last start as Atlanta – whose rotation was devastated by injuries before the season started – leads the majors in starter’s ERA at 1.54. The Marlins have lost a
St. Louis at NY Mets 7:10 PM ET
David Wright began the season hitting .192, but the New York Mets third baseman has put together an 11-game hitting streak to shake off the slow start. The Mets host the Cardinals in the opener of a four-game series Monday with Wright hitting .380 during his streak. including four hits Sunday. St. Louis is 4-3 on its current 11-game road trip but has allowed just nine runs in its past four games.
Arizona at Chi. Cubs 8:05 PM ET
The rebuilding Chicago Cubs won't enter many series with the upper hand this season, but they have a chance to play the role of bully when the woeful Arizona Diamondbacks visit for a four-game set starting Monday. The Cubs have dropped six of their last seven following an 8-2 defeat in the rubber match of a three-game series with Cincinnati on Sunday. The Diamondbacks have been even worse, losing eight of nine en route to a major league-worst 5-16 mark.
San Diego at Milwaukee 8:10 PM ET
Carlos Gomez’s tendency to get under the skin of opponents cropped up again on Sunday and overshadowed the Milwaukee Brewers’ strong play. Gomez and others could be playing under looming suspensions when the Brewers host the San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game series on Monday. Gomez admired a long drive to center field at Pittsburgh on Sunday and a benches-clearing brawl ignited when the Pirates voiced their displeasure.
San Francisco at Colorado 8:40 PM ET
The San Francisco Giants are having some trouble scoring runs of late but will head off to what is traditionally the best run-scoring environment in the league when they visit the Colorado Rockies on Monday. The Giants had scored three runs or fewer in five straight games before snapping a three-game slide with a 4-3 victory in San Diego on Sunday. The Rockies put up nine runs at home on Sunday but still had a three-game winning streak come to an end.
Texas at Oakland 10:05 PM ET
Yu Darvish has been terrific this season, but the Oakland Athletics have posed a constant challenge for the Texas Rangers' ace. Darvish hopes to solve his prior issues against the Athletics when the teams begin a three-game set in Oakland on Monday. Texas also will try to supply Darvish with some offensive support after scoring a total of seven runs in his first three starts.
Houston at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
Two teams looking to end lengthy losing streaks meet on Monday, when the Seattle Mariners host the Houston Astros in the opener of their three-game series. The Astros have lost seven straight, averaging two runs in those games, while the Mariners have dropped six in a row and eight of their last nine. Seattle has struggled to protect leads during its skid, giving up three runs in the last two innings of a 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
Philadelphia at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET
The Los Angeles Dodgers managed only five hits in their series finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, but they made the most of their limited offense with a double, a triple and a home run en route to a 4-1 victory. The Dodgers begin a four-game set with the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Monday and face a tough pitcher who surprisingly has allowed a lot of hits this season. Cliff Lee of the Phillies will oppose Paul Maholm and both of whom are coming off strong outings.