Preview Roundups
May 13, 2014
Detroit at Baltimore 7:05 PM ET
The Detroit Tigers look to improve upon the best record in baseball when they visit the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday in the second of three straight games in Baltimore. There might be an extra dose of intensity for this one after the teams engaged in a bases-clearing incident in the series opener, which resulted in a 4-1 Tigers win. Orioles starter Bud Norris hit Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter with a pitch following an Ian Kinsler home run in the eighth, prompting the benches to empty.
LA Angels at Philadelphia 7:05 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels fell short of a four-game sweep at Toronto on Monday but are enjoying an impressive stretch as they visit the Philadelphia Phillies for the start of a two-game series on Tuesday. The Angels are winners of eight of their last 13 games and took three of four from the powerful Blue Jays despite slumps by Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. The Phillies dropped four straight to Toronto last week and had a tough finish to their road trip on Sunday.
NY Mets at NY Yankees 7:05 PM ET
The New York Mets entered the Subway Series with the second-fewest homers in the major leagues, but it took just one visit to Yankee Stadium for them to discover their power stroke. The Mets swatted four homers to erased a pair of three-run deficits and continue their domination of the Yankees with their fifth consecutive victory in the series.
Cleveland at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians are making a strong push to get back over the .500 mark as they have captured five of their last six contests. The Indians try to keep rolling along when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays for the start of a three-game series on Tuesday. The Blue Jays avoided a four-game sweep with a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday and will make things difficult for Cleveland with the depth and power of their lineup.
San Diego at Cincinnati 7:10 PM ET
The San Diego Padres are suddenly scoring runs and hope to continue touching home plate when they visit the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday to begin a three-game series. San Diego scored 24 runs while beating the Miami Marlins on three consecutive days after being the worst team in the majors in that category entering the four-game series. Cincinnati won two of three from Colorado over the weekend to improve to 10-8 at home.
Boston at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox spent more than a month trying to get over the .500 mark and finally found their way past even over the weekend. The Red Sox will try to keep pushing forward when they visit the Minnesota Twins for the opener of a three-game series on Tuesday. Boston was nearly no-hit in the opener of a three-game series at Texas but recovered to take the final two games and pull to 19-18 - marking its first time with a winning record since improving to 2-1.
Colorado at Kansas City 8:10 PM ET
The Colorado Rockies lead the major leagues in runs scored at 5.8 per game, but are starting to slow down as they continue their seven-game road trip with the first of two contests against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. That average is well below Colorado's eye-popping 7.7 at home but significantly better than its 4.2 on the road, where the Rockies (23-17) have lost three of their last four - including their first time being shutout this season - to fall to 10-12.
Texas at Houston 8:10 PM ET
Dallas Keuchel stopped a five-game losing streak last time he took the mound and the Houston Astros left-hander will be out to stop a longer string of futility when he opposes the visiting Texas Rangers on Tuesday in the second of a three-game set. The Astros' 4-0 loss in Monday's series opener was their 14th defeat in the last 15 meetings with Texas, including 10 straight setbacks in Houston. The Astros have been shut out in three of four losses to the Rangers this season.
Pittsburgh at Milwaukee 8:10 PM ET
The Milwaukee Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday in their first meeting since a bench-clearing brawl on April 20 in Pittsburgh. In the third inning of what became a 14-inning win for the Brewers, players went at it after Pittsburgh starter Gerrit Cole had words with Milwaukee center fielder Carlos Gomez, who took his time leaving the box following a drive off Cole. Gomez was one of four players - two on either side - to be suspended, and the ruling on his appeal is expected soon.
Chi. Cubs at St. Louis 8:15 PM ET
Playing the St. Louis Cardinals seems to bring out the best in this year's Chicago Cubs. Chicago snapped out of an offensive funk to smack a season-high 20 hits in a 17-5 win in the opener of a four-game set at St. Louis, and it will try to continue the momentum when the series continues Tuesday. The Cubs are 4-3 against the Cardinals this season — the only team against whom they have a winning record.
Washington at Arizona 9:40 PM ET
The Arizona Diamondbacks attempt to get past another damaging home loss when they take on the Washington Nationals on Tuesday in the second of three straight between the teams. Arizona is an abysmal 3-16 at home after Monday's 6-5 loss in the series opener, which may have been the most painful of the lot. The Diamondbacks took a 5-4 lead into the ninth before closer Addison Reed served up two solo homers and the hosts wasted a single and a double in the bottom half.
Chi. White Sox at Oakland 10:05 PM ET
Drew Pomeranz makes his first start Tuesday since replacing an ineffective Dan Straily in the Oakland rotation when the Athletics host the Chicago White Sox, who have lost four of their last five. If Pomeranz can pitch into the late innings with the lead, it’s anyone’s guess who Athletics manager Bob Melvin will call on as his closer. Jim Johnson appeared primed to reclaim the role, but he’s struggled in his last two appearances, including Monday’s series-opening 5-4 win.
Miami at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET
The Miami Marlins have to move forward without 21-year-old ace Jose Fernandez, who was placed on the disabled list Monday with what could be a season-ending right elbow injury. The Marlins send Jacob Turner to the mound Tuesday to try lift their spirits and snap a four-game losing streak when they visit the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yasiel Puig’s three-run homer helped the Dodgers take the opener of the three-game series 6-5 on Monday, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
Tampa Bay at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
Tampa Bay ace David Price is trying to recapture his consistency as he takes the mound against Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma when the Rays visit the Mariners on Tuesday in the second contest of a three-game series. Price has rotated stellar starts with rough outings over the season's first six weeks despite a stellar strikeout-to-walk ratio of 58 to 6. Iwakuma tossed eight shutout innings while beating Kansas City last Thursday in his second start since returning from a finger injury.
Atlanta at San Francisco 10:15 PM ET
The Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants rode two of the best pitching staffs in baseball to the top of their respective divisions, but San Francisco has won the first four meetings between the teams this season. The Giants captured Monday’s series opener 4-2, riding Tim Lincecum’s season-high 11 strikeouts. Atlanta has posted quality starts in 29 of its 37 games and leads the majors in ERA at 2.66.