Preview Roundups
May 08, 2015
Baltimore at NY Yankees 7:05 PM ET
Alex Rodriguez has been one of the biggest surprises for the New York Yankees and among the primary reasons why they sit atop the American League East. Rodriguez hit his 661st homer to surpass Willie Mays for fourth place on the all-time list in Thursday's 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles and looks to guide the Yankees to a second straight victory Friday in the second contest of a four-game series versus the visiting Orioles.
Atlanta at Washington 7:05 PM ET
Two teams beginning to turn their fortunes around meet when the Washington Nationals host the Atlanta Braves on Friday to open a three-game set. The Nationals have won seven of their last nine after Bryce Harper’s three homers Wednesday, and Atlanta has gone 4-2 in its past six after taking two of three from Philadelphia for its first series victory since April 17-19.
NY Mets at Philadelphia 7:05 PM ET
The New York Mets have proven they can win when they just manage to get a few runs across for their dominant pitching staff. The Philadelphia Phillies, who host the Mets in the opener of a three-game series on Friday, are not putting up much of a fight when it comes to other teams pushing across runs.
St. Louis at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM ET
The St. Louis Cardinals made history against National League Central Division rival Pittsburgh last week and brace for a rematch when they visit the Pirates on Friday in the opener of a three-game set. The Cardinals set a franchise mark in their three-game sweep of the Pirates a week ago - with all three victories coming in extra innings.
Boston at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox managed to drop from first place to last in the American League East over the past few weeks, and a lack of success against their division rivals is mostly to blame. The Red Sox will start the final series in a stretch of 22 straight games against the AL East when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays for the opener of a three-game set on Friday.
Kansas City at Detroit 7:08 PM ET
The top teams in the American League Central meet for the second weekend in a row when Kansas City invades Detroit for the first of three games Friday night. The Royals, after losing 13 of 19 meetings a year ago, took the first two games of a four-game series with the Tigers last week before dropping the final two over the weekend.
Minnesota at Cleveland 7:10 PM ET
The Minnesota Twins look to stay on the winning track when they travel to Cleveland to open up a three-game set against the Indians on Friday. The Twins have won seven of their last eight games, including a 6-5 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday, to finish 8-3 on their 11-game homestand, and have scored 12 or more runs three times during that span.
Texas at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
After losing 16 of their first 24 games, the Texas Rangers are starting to show signs of life. The Rangers have won four straight games entering Friday's date with the Tampa Bay Rays in the second game of a four-game road series.
Cincinnati at Chi. White Sox 8:10 PM ET

The Cincinnati Reds are frequent visitors to Chicago, but rarely to the South Side. The Reds made an atypical trip to the other side of town to face the White Sox in a three-game series beginning Friday. 

Chi. Cubs at Milwaukee 8:10 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs aren't exactly reeling at a game over .500, but five losses in their last six games have tempered the optimism on the North Side. The Cubs will try to get back on track when they begin a three-game road series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. 

LA Dodgers at Colorado 8:40 PM ET
The Colorado Rockies have lost seven in a row and there's little relief in sight with the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers coming to town Friday to open a three-game series. The Rockies got off to a 7-2 start but they have dropped 13 of 17 since, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers in Los Angeles last month.
San Diego at Arizona 9:40 PM ET
The Arizona Diamondbacks delivered a series-opening salvo and look to thump the visiting San Diego Padres for the second straight night when the four-game series continues Friday. Arizona hammered out 17 hits in an 11-0 trouncing Thursday that also marked another shutout loss for the Padres – their third in the last four games.
Houston at LA Angels 10:05 PM ET
Jered Weaver takes another shot at halting his struggles when the Los Angeles Angels host the Houston Astros on Friday. Weaver is winless in six starts and opposing batters have torched him for a .310 average and eight homers in 34 1/3 innings.
Oakland at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
Sonny Gray looks to win his fourth consecutive start at one of his favorite venues when he takes the mound for the Oakland Athletics on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at the Seattle Mariners. Gray has dominated the Mariners at Safeco Field, posting a 3-0 record and a microscopic 0.98 ERA in four career outings.
Miami at San Francisco 10:15 PM ET
Tim Lincecum isn't the same pitcher that won consecutive National League Cy Young Awards with an overpowering fastball earlier in his career, but he'll try to continue his hot start when the San Francisco Giants host the Miami Marlins on Friday. " ... It’s just about executing down in the zone and kind of seeing what happens from there,” Lincecum told reporters. “I’m not striking out a lot of guys like I used to, so just tried to induce some poor contact.”