Preview Roundups
May 24, 2014
Cleveland at Baltimore 12:35 PM ET
Corey Kluber is emerging as a reliable top-of-the-rotation starter for the Cleveland Indians, but the right-hander will face the difficult task of cooling off the bats of the host Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in the third contest of their four-game series. Kluber has yielded more than three earned runs only once this season and is averaging a shade over nine strikeouts in his last six starts.
Oakland at Toronto 1:07 PM ET
The Toronto Blue Jays may not be familiar with being in first place in their division, but they seem to be embracing their recent success. The surging Blue Jays eye their 10th victory in 12 games on Saturday, when they continue a three-game home set against the Oakland Athletics. Toronto has won 14-of-19 since falling a season-low four games under .500 on May 3 and leads the American League East after May 23 for only the second time since 2000.
NY Yankees at Chi. White Sox 2:10 PM ET
While Adam Dunn has made a living by hitting the long ball, his worst ratio of home runs per game versus any opponent has been against the New York Yankees. Dunn took a step toward boosting those numbers with a a two-run walk-off blast to give the Chicago White Sox a stunning 6-5 victory over the Yankees on Friday night - the eighth straight home win for Chicago against New York. Dunn and the White Sox look to extend the streak Saturday in the third of a four-game series.
LA Dodgers at Philadelphia 3:05 PM ET
David Buchanan makes his major-league debut Saturday afternoon when the Philadelphia Phillies continue their three-game set with the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Buchanan, a 25-year-old right-hander, will be taking the place of Cliff Lee (elbow), who landed on the disabled list earlier this week. His first task will be shutting down a Dodgers lineup which has won three of four despite scoring increasingly fewer runs in those contests - nine, four, three and then two in Friday's shutout win.
Texas at Detroit 4:08 PM ET
Rick Porcello looks to win his seventh consecutive start when the Detroit Tigers host the Texas Rangers on Saturday in the third contest of their four-game series. Porcello, who has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his last six outings, is halfway to his career-best wins total of 14 - which he has reached twice. The Tigers posted a 7-2 victory on Friday to halt a season-worst four-game skid that included a 9-2 defeat a day earlier.
Arizona at NY Mets 4:10 PM ET
The New York Mets will try once again to extend their winning streak against Arizona when they host the Diamondbacks on Saturday afternoon. The Mets, who swept three games in Arizona earlier this season, were trailing 2-0 in the fourth inning in Friday's series opener before rain halted the game and forced the teams to schedule a doubleheader Sunday. New York is still aiming for its first winning streak at home in nearly a month.
Boston at Tampa Bay 4:10 PM ET
The American League East was thought to be a race between the reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox and the perennial contender Tampa Bay Rays, but things aren’t exactly moving in that direction. The Red Sox will attempt to snap an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Rays again on Saturday. Tampa Bay had dropped four straight before winning its last two and is in the same boat as Boston - seven games below .500.
Colorado at Atlanta 4:10 PM ET
Freddie Freeman gets to face the Colorado Rockies in two series a season, but the Atlanta Braves first baseman has made the most of those opportunities. The Braves host the Rockies on Saturday and Freeman, who went 1-for-4 in Friday’s series-opening 3-2 victory, brings a .359 career average with 10 homers and 25 RBIs in 23 career contests against Colorado into the matchup. The Rockies will be without Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado, who fractured his left middle finger Friday.
Milwaukee at Miami 4:10 PM ET
The Milwaukee Brewers are beginning to warm up again on offense after a mini-slump, posting 19 runs in the last three games – nine in the series opener against the Miami Marlins. Carlos Gomez and the Brewers look to stay hot when they visit Miami on Saturday afternoon for the second of a three-game series. Gomez has seven hits in 10 at-bats with four RBIs in his last two outings and Milwaukee could get All Star Ryan Braun back after he missed Friday’s game with right oblique soreness.
St. Louis at Cincinnati 7:15 PM ET
The Cincinnati Reds find themselves in an unusual spot when they host the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday in the second contest of a three-game series. Cincinnati is in position to win a series from St. Louis for the second time in the last 11 sets after prevailing 5-3 on Friday. Todd Frazier's three-run homer was the key blow, but speed remains a factor for the Reds as Billy Hamilton stole two bases and closer Aroldis Chapman hit 102 on the gun while fashioning a 90 miles-per-hour changeup.
Kansas City at LA Angels 7:15 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels have enjoyed four different three-game winning streaks this season, including their current stretch. The Angels will attempt to make it four in a row for the first time in 2014 when they host the Kansas City Royals again on Saturday. Los Angeles has taken 11 of its last 14 games and is enjoying some dominant pitching performances during its latest stretch, with a total of five runs allowed in the last three contests.
Washington at Pittsburgh 7:15 PM ET
Pittsburgh starting pitchers have only seven wins, but Saturday's starter — right-hander Gerrit Cole — has accounted for four of them. The top overall pick in 2011 will try to add to that total when the Pirates aim for a fourth straight victory Saturday against the visiting Washington Nationals, who will start a former No. 1 pick of their own in fireballer Stephen Strasburg. Pittsburgh has claimed the first two games of the four-game set and has won four of five overall.
Minnesota at San Francisco 10:05 PM ET
The San Francisco Giants had one of the worst interleague records in the majors last season at 6-14, but they’re well on their way toward reversing that mark. The Giants are unbeaten in their first four interleague games heading into Saturday’s contest against the visiting Minnesota Twins, who lost Friday’s series opener 6-2. Minnesota needs to slow down Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who is heating up with three home runs in his last five games, including a three-run blast Friday.
Chi. Cubs at San Diego 10:10 PM ET
The San Diego Padres broke out for a rare offensive explosion and hope the bats have more hits in them when they host the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. San Diego recorded a season high for runs in Friday’s 11-1 victory and six of its 12 hits went for extra bases, including homers from Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal. The scoring splurge helped the Padres halt a four-game losing streak while the Cubs fell for only the second time in six games.
Houston at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel credits good mechanics for his career-high three-game winning streak and hopes to keep the machine running smoothly as the Astros visit the Seattle Mariners on Saturday in the third contest of a four-game series. "Pitchers are in a habit of pitching down in the zone, and the more you can repeat your motion and stuff, I think that the easier it is," Keuchel told the Houston Chronicle. "My knee and my motion are in sync right now."