Matchups

The Oakland Athletics have posted six shutouts, half of which have come when Drew Pomeranz has made a start. The Athletics hope to extend that streak and avoid getting swept on the road for the first time on Sunday when they conclude a three-game set versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Since making his debut in the rotation in place of an ineffective Dan Straily, Pomeranz has worked five scoreless frames in each of his three turns – the first Athletic to achieve that feat since Ted Lilly in 2003.

Justin Verlander will attempt to quiet the hot Texas bats as the Detroit Tigers close a four-game series against the visiting Rangers on Sunday. Texas has won two of three entering the finale, scoring a total of 21 runs in its victories despite learning that slugger Prince Fielder (neck) likely is done for the season. Verlander has lost two of his last three starts and has gone eight innings just once this season.

The Arizona Diamondbacks suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of the visiting New York Mets last month, but they'll have a chance to return the favor if they can take both ends of a doubleheader Sunday at Citi Field. The Diamondbacks snapped a three-game skid with Saturday's 3-2 win and have a shot at their first series sweep of the season. The Mets have lost seven of their last nine and haven't won a series at home since taking two of three from Miami from April 25-27.

The Miami Marlins have recovered from the shock of losing ace pitcher Jose Fernandez to a season-ending injury and don’t look ready to fade out of the National League East race just yet. The Marlins try for their second straight series victory when they host the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. Miami, second in the East, is 6-4 in its last 10 games while the Brewers own the second-best record in the NL (29-21) despite dropping six of their last eight - including a 2-1 defeat Saturday.

The Cleveland Indians have a number of hitters who are riding hitting streaks and they have been patiently waiting for Carlos Santana to join the party. Santana continued to show signs of emerging from a deep slump by belting a two-run homer and drawing three walks in Saturday's 9-0 thumping at Baltimore, giving him four hits, four RBIs and four runs in his last three. The Indians look to win the four-game series against the host Orioles in Sunday's finale.

A pair of former teammates square off Sunday when the Philadelphia Phillies take on the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of a three-game set. Josh Beckett, who has enjoyed a pleasant resurgence this season, gets the nod for the Dodgers. Another ex-Florida Marlins right-hander, A.J. Burnett takes the mound for Philadelphia.

When the Washington Nationals send offseason acquisition Doug Fister to the mound Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, they need him to be the dominant pitcher they paid him to be. The Nationals have scored only seven runs during their four-game losing streak, so they might need a lights-out performance from Fister to avoid a four-game road sweep. The Pirates have matched a season high with four straight wins.

The Boston Red Sox are finding new and creative ways to keep their longest losing streak in more than a decade alive. The Tampa Bay Rays will attempt to hand the Red Sox their 10th straight setback when they go for a sweep of the three-game series Sunday. The Rays have taken each of the first two games in walk-off fashion, including a 6-5 triumph in 15 innings Saturday that concluded with a walk-off error on the pitcher.

Masahiro Tanaka has made a seamless transition from Japan to the major leagues but he will be in unfamiliar territory when he takes the mound against the host Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Tanaka will attempt to bounce back from his first regular-season defeat in nearly two years in the finale of a four-game series. New York snapped an eight-game losing streak in Chicago with Saturday's dramatic come-from-behind victory and can salvage a series split.

Mike Trout is rediscovering his power stroke this weekend, but the Kansas City Royals still are finding ways to win without the long ball. The Royals try to take the rubber match of a three-game series when they visit Trout and the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Kansas City is last in the majors in home runs and sits at the bottom of the American League in slugging percentage but still is hovering around .500 thanks to some timely hitting and strong bullpen work.

The San Francisco Giants look to improve on the majors’ best record Sunday when they aim for a series sweep of the visiting Minnesota Twins, who have gone 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position in their last two games. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval has four home runs in his last six games for the Giants, who moved to 31-18 after Saturday’s 2-1 victory. San Francisco has won all five of its interleague games while outscoring its opponents by a combined 22-8.

The Chicago Cubs are bidding to win a road series for the first time this season when they visit the San Diego Padres on Sunday in the finale of a four-game set. Chicago edged the Padres 3-2 on Saturday to win for the second time in three games and improve to 8-16 on the road this season. The Cubs are 0-6-2 in road series and hoping to get that elusive first series victory against San Diego, which has lost five of its last six games.

The Houston Astros will try to salvage a split of the four-game series when they visit the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, and their chances are better with George Springer in the lineup. The rookie right fielder returned Saturday after missing two games with a right hip flexor strain and produced career highs with two homers and five RBIs as Houston snapped a four-game losing streak with a 9-4 victory.

The Arizona Diamondbacks suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of the visiting New York Mets last month, but they'll have a chance to return the favor if they can take both ends of a doubleheader Sunday at Citi Field. The Diamondbacks snapped a three-game skid with Saturday's 3-2 win and have a shot at their first series sweep of the season. The Mets have lost seven of their last nine and haven't won a series at home since taking two of three from Miami from April 25-27.

The Atlanta Braves are one week away from finishing a difficult May schedule and still find themselves on top of the National League East. The Braves wrap up a three-game home series Sunday with Colorado before welcoming the defending World Series champion – and struggling – Boston Red Sox to Turner Field for a two-game set. The Rockies, who beat Atlanta 3-1 on Saturday, played their first game without injured third baseman Nolan Arenado.

St. Louis' Yadier Molina is public enemy No. 1 in Cincinnati, and he'll try to inflict more damage on the Reds when the Cardinals visit Sunday for the rubber match of the three-game series. Cincinnati fans won't forget the role Molina played in the 2010 brawl involving the Reds' Brandon Phillips, but it doesn't seem to matter. "I tell them to keep booing - just to myself," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny told reporters after Molina homered in Saturday's 6-3 victory.