Preview Roundups
June 17, 2016
Pittsburgh at Chi. Cubs 2:20 PM ET
If the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to climb back into the National League Central race, this weekend would be a good time to start. The fading Pirates have lost seven of their last eight heading into Friday afternoon’s series opener at Wrigley Field against the division-leading Chicago Cubs, who are 24 games above .500 and boast the league’s best home record at 22-8.
Toronto at Baltimore 7:05 PM ET
After winning a showdown with Boston for first place in the American League East, the Baltimore Orioles must prepare for a visit from the hard-charging Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. The Blue Jays have won three in a row and six of seven, including the final three contests of a four-game set against the Orioles last week in Toronto.
Arizona at Philadelphia 7:05 PM ET
The City of Brotherly Love is home to a baseball team that has showing too much love for its opponents of late. The Arizona Diamondbacks look to be the latest to take advantage of the generosity of the free-falling Philadelphia Phillies on Friday when they begin a 10-game road trip with the opener of a four-game series.
Seattle at Boston 7:10 PM ET
Boston Red Sox left-hander Roenis Elias is poised to make his first start of the season, and it will come against the team that traded him away in the offseason. After spending his first two campaigns in Seattle, Elias will be on the mound when the Red Sox host the Mariners on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.
Chi. White Sox at Cleveland 7:10 PM ET
The Chicago White Sox are starting to show signs of life and have an opportunity to gain ground in the American League Central when they kick off a seven-game road trip with three against the Cleveland Indians beginning Friday. Chicago (33-33) lost 14 of 18 before taking two of three from Detroit earlier this week as rookie shortstop Tim Anderson provided a lift since being moved to the lead-off spot in the order by going 6-for-16 against Detroit.
San Francisco at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
The National League West-leading San Francisco Giants look to stay hot when they begin a seven-game road trip with the first of three against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. Buster Posey went 8-for-12 with three RBIs as the Giants (41-26) swept three contests from Milwaukee earlier in the week to push their winning streak to five and improve to a season-best 15 games over .500.
Atlanta at NY Mets 7:10 PM ET
Curtis Granderson has been hitting at a favorable clip and the New York Mets have begun to follow suit. Granderson carries a seven-game hitting streak into Friday's opener of a three-game series versus the visiting Atlanta Braves, against whom the Mets have won five of the first six meetings between the National League East rivals this season.
Colorado at Miami 7:10 PM ET
The Colorado Rockies do not appear ready to contend for a division title, but are at least gaining relevancy as they kick off a six-game road trip with four contests against the Miami Marlins beginning Friday. Manager Walt Weiss had a simple explanation for his club's resurgence -- "um, pitching," when asked by the Denver Post -- despite the Rockies owning the third-worst ERA in the majors at 4.88, including the highest in baseball at home (6.19) and sixth-best on the road (3.63).
Cincinnati at Houston 8:10 PM ET
After ending a long road trip on a positive note, the Houston Astros look to pick on some lesser opponents when they begin a six-game homestand against Cincinnati on Friday. The Astros went 4-5 on their voyage but won the last two in St. Louis, riding George Springer's tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning to a 4-1 victory on Wednesday.
NY Yankees at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
Visiting the worst team in the American League provided the perfect tonic for the New York Yankees, who snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday in the opener of their four-game set. New York looks to make it two in a row over the Twins when it sends Masahiro Tanaka to the mound on Friday.
Detroit at Kansas City 8:15 PM ET
Rookie Michael Fulmer looks to win his seventh straight decision and extend his impressive scoreless streak when his Detroit Tigers visit the Kansas City Royals on Friday for the second contest of their four-game series. The right-hander has pitched 28 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, just shy of the franchise's rookie record of 28 2/3 set in 1967 by John Hiller.
Texas at St. Louis 8:15 PM ET
The St. Louis Cardinals were riding high with a sizzling offense en route to winning seven of eight contests before their bats were cooled considerably against one Lone Star State representative. The host Cardinals look to get back on track versus the other on Friday when they open a three-game interleague series versus the red-hot Texas Rangers.
LA Angels at Oakland 9:35 PM ET
The Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels have combined to claim 11 of the last 14 American League West titles, but most of their remaining matchups this year - including Friday's series opener in Oakland - could be between two teams looking to avoid a last-place finish. The fourth-place Angels have put together a two-game winning streak but have still lost seven of their last 10 and lead the cellar-dwelling A's by two games.
Milwaukee at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET
The Milwaukee Brewers acquired Jonathan Villar from the Houston Astros for a minor-league pitcher in the offseason and appear to have acquired a bona fide starting shortstop. Villar smacked a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning of the series opener against the host Los Angeles Dodgers and strives to continue his solid play when the teams meet again Friday in the second contest of a four-game set.
Washington at San Diego 10:40 PM ET
Bryce Harper ended a 14-game homerless drought in the series opener and looks to follow up a three-RBI performance when the Washington Nationals visit the San Diego Padres on Friday in the second contest of a four-game set. Harper had just four RBIs in June before clubbing a two-run homer and adding an RBI single in Thursday's 8-5 victory over the Padres.