Preview Roundups
May 22, 2014
Philadelphia at Miami 12:40 PM ET
The Philadelphia Phillies need Cole Hamels more than ever right now. Fellow starter Cliff Lee is on the disabled list, while Kyle Kendrick hasn't won since last August and A.J. Burnett is pitching through an injury. Hamels is coming off a terrific outing which resulted in his 100th career victory and will look to ride the momentum into Thursday's series finale against the host Miami Marlins.
Texas at Detroit 1:08 PM ET
Prince Fielder won’t be in the ballpark on Thursday when the Texas Rangers open a four-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Fielder played two seasons with the Tigers before being dealt to the Rangers in the offseason for Ian Kinsler, but he didn’t fly with the team to Detroit due to a neck injury. Fielder will miss his fifth straight game but is hopeful of rejoining the squad before the series concludes.
San Francisco at Colorado 3:10 PM ET
The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies hobble into the finale of their three-game series Thursday after three key players left Wednesday's contest. The injury which could have the most impact Thursday is the left index finger inflammation suffered by Colorado All-Star left fielder Carlos Gonzalez. “I got my first at-bat (Wednesday) and then went to left field and it started getting big and fat again,” Gonzalez told reporters after San Francisco evened the series with a 5-1 victory.
Toronto at Boston 4:05 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox are enduring a losing streak unlike anything they have experienced in the John Farrell era. The Red Sox will try to halt the slide at six games and avoid a second straight series sweep at home when they host the Toronto Blue Jays in the finale of their three-game set on Thursday. The first thing Boston needs to do to top the Blue Jays is come up with a different plan against Edwin Encarnacion, who has homered twice in each of the first two games of the series.
Oakland at Tampa Bay 4:10 PM ET
The Tampa Bay Rays need some type of spark to snap them out of their funk this season, and Alex Cobb is poised to provide it. Cobb comes off the disabled list to make his first start in almost six weeks when the Rays attempt to salvage the finale of their three-game series against the visiting Oakland Athletics on Thursday. Cobb will try to give Tampa Bay's offense a chance to wake up and end a four-game slide, while Sonny Gray looks to extend Oakland’s five-game winning streak.
Cleveland at Baltimore 7:05 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians are riding high after a wild three-game sweep of Detroit, but they might not have much left in the tank for Thursday's opener of a four-game set at Baltimore. The Indians needed 13 innings and nine pitchers to outlast the Tigers in an 11-10 victory on getaway day, leaving them hard-pressed to match their season high with a fourth straight win Thursday. Baltimore also played a wild one Wednesday night, getting outslugged 9-8 to split a two-game set at Pittsburgh.
Washington at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM ET
The Washington Nationals haven't been consistent enough at the plate lately to reel off a winning streak, but they hope to change that during a four-game road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning Thursday. Pittsburgh's pitching staff has been knocked around a bit of late, allowing 47 runs over the past nine games. The Nationals would like to continue that trend - they're 20-1 when scoring four or more runs.
Milwaukee at Atlanta 7:10 PM ET
Aaron Harang grabbed people’s attention when he fired six no-hit innings in his Atlanta Braves’ debut April 2 against the Milwaukee Brewers, and the 36-year-old has proven to be one of baseball’s best values in 2014. The Braves host the Brewers in the finale of a four-game series Thursday and Harang, who signed with Atlanta for $1 million in the final days of spring training, has pitched well in May despite a 1-2 record.
LA Dodgers at NY Mets 7:10 PM ET
Zack Greinke can make history when he takes the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday in the finale of their three-game series with the host New York Mets. Greinke has not allowed more than two runs in 21 consecutive starts, the longest stretch in the majors in 100 years, and can break Roger Clemens' major-league mark of 21 straight outings with two or fewer earned runs permitted.
Arizona at St. Louis 7:15 PM ET
Starting pitching has been carrying the St. Louis Cardinals with five straight outings of at least seven innings before "friendly fire" ended the streak. Michael Wacha was working on a two-hit shutout through six innings Wednesday when he was hit in the dugout by a foul ball off the bat of teammate Matt Adams, forcing him to exit with an elbow bruise. Lance Lynn looks to start another run Thursday when host St. Louis goes for a three-game sweep against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
NY Yankees at Chi. White Sox 8:10 PM ET
Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale makes his return to the rotation Thursday at home in the first of four straight games against the New York Yankees. Sale last pitched April 17, allowing one hit and striking out 10 in a career-high 127-pitch outing against Boston before going on the disabled list with a left flexor muscle strain. Following one rehab outing in which he fanned 11 in just four innings, Sale had a successful bullpen session Tuesday and was deemed good to go.
Chi. Cubs at San Diego 10:10 PM ET
The San Diego Padres have been shut out more than any team in the majors and are last in scoring as they begin a four-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs on Thursday. San Diego has scored just 142 runs and was blanked by Minnesota on Wednesday, marking the eighth time in which it hasn’t touched home plate this season. Often-injured outfielder Carlos Quentin (groin) is expected to miss his third straight game.
Houston at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
The Houston Astros will likely be without the future of the franchise - George Springer - when they begin a four-game series in Seattle on Thursday. The rookie right fielder suffered a "hip flexor" or a "right quad" injury while getting picked off first base in the ninth inning, according to manager Bo Porter, during Houston's 2-1 loss to the Angels in Anaheim on Wednesday. "His leg kind of gave out on him," Porter told reporters. "He obviously was in some pain."