Preview Roundups
June 25, 2014
Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay 12:10 PM ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates will likely be without outfielder Starling Marte when they go for a three-game sweep against the host Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon. The team announced Marte had concussion-like symptoms after sliding head first into second baseman Sean Rodriguez’s knee on a failed steal attempt during the 6-5 victory Tuesday and was being evaluated. The Pirates have posted 14 runs in the first two games of the series and own five victories in their last six contests.
Washington at Milwaukee 2:10 PM ET
After exhausting their bullpens in a 16-inning marathon, the Washington Nationals and host Milwaukee Brewers won't have much time to refuel as the division leaders conclude their three-game series with an afternoon contest on Wednesday. Washington extended its winning streak to four games as Ryan Zimmerman's two-run blast effectively put an end to the 5-hour, 22-game marathon on Tuesday.
St. Louis at Colorado 3:10 PM ET
A pair of left-handers make their major-league debuts when the Colorado Rockies host the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday in the rubber match of their three-game series. St. Louis' Marco Gonzales, who grew up in Fort Collins, Colo. - some 60 miles from Coors Field, opposes Yohan Flande. "A lot of guys come in here (Denver) not knowing what to expect,'' Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told the Denver Post about pitching at altitude. "But this is something (Gonzales) grew up with.''
San Diego at San Francisco 3:45 PM ET
After opening the series by struggling against two rookie pitchers, the San Francisco Giants might be happy to see a familiar face Wednesday against the visiting San Diego Padres. The Giants have been outscored 13-2 in the first two games of the series while failing to generate any consistent offense against young starters Odrisamer Despaigne and Jesse Hahn.
Chi. White Sox at Baltimore 7:05 PM ET
Winning at home has been a challenge for Ubaldo Jimenez, who attempts to reverse his fortunes when the Baltimore Orioles wrap up a three-game series against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Jimenez, in his first season with the Orioles, has struggled mightily in his new home ballpark as he is 0-6 with a 6.38 ERA in seven outings. Chicago halted its eight-game road losing streak with Tuesday’s 4-2 victory and is 1-5 on its 11-game road trip.
Cincinnati at Chi. Cubs 7:05 PM ET
The Cincinnati Reds haven't lost a series in three weeks, but they need a road win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday to keep it that way. The Reds, who last lost a series when they dropped two of three to San Francisco from June 3-5, look to bounce back from a 7-3 defeat in which they didn't generate a baserunner until the seventh inning. The Cubs haven't won a home series against the Reds since Sept. 5-7, 2011, and have lost 33 of 45 meetings since.
Miami at Philadelphia 7:05 PM ET
Cody Asche certainly has come out swinging since making his return from the disabled list. The Philadelphia Phillies hope to continue to ride Asche's hot bat as they host the Miami Marlins in the third contest of the four-game series Wednesday. Asche, who ripped a two-run double in Tuesday's 7-4 triumph, has four hits in the series and improved to 7-for-19 since returning from the DL.
NY Yankees at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
The Toronto Blue Jays look to return the favor with a home sweep of the New York Yankees when the teams wrap up their three-game series Wednesday night. The Yankees took three straight from the Blue Jays last week at home, but have had a rough time of it north of the border. Following an 8-3 loss in the series opener, New York fell behind 6-0 on Tuesday night before rallying to tie it and then losing 7-6 on an error in the ninth.
Oakland at NY Mets 7:10 PM ET
The New York Mets look to complete a sweep of the brief two-game series when they host the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. New York soundly thumped major league-leading Oakland in the opener on Tuesday as Chris Young belted two of the team's four home runs in a 10-1 triumph. Curtis Granderson and Travis d'Arnaud also went deep and former Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon worked eight superb innings as the Mets cruised to their fifth win in six games.
Detroit at Texas 8:05 PM ET
J.D. Martinez has presented manager Brad Ausmus with the best kind of dilemma as the Detroit Tigers aim for their sixth straight win Tuesday against the host Texas Rangers. Outfielder Torii Hunter is expected to return after missing seven games with a strained hamstring, forcing Ausmus to juggle four outfielders, including Martinez, Rajai Davis and Austin Jackson.
Atlanta at Houston 8:10 PM ET
Collin McHugh has done his job to keep the Houston Astros in games, but the right-hander could use more support from his offense and defense. McHugh gets the start as the Astros host the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, after having posted a 2.10 ERA in his past six starts but managing only a 2-3 record -- including losses in his last two. The Braves turn to Alex Wood, who began the season in Atlanta’s rotation and moved to the bullpen before going to Triple-A to get stretched out as a starter.
LA Dodgers at Kansas City 8:10 PM ET
As expected, the Kansas City Royals were unable to solve Clayton Kershaw on Tuesday in the middle contest of their three-game interleague series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kansas City goes for its sixth series win in seven tries this month when it hosts Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Royals managed only six singles against Kershaw and fell for the fifth time in six contests.
Cleveland at Arizona 9:40 PM ET
The pitching staffs were ravaged in the 14-inning series opener as the Cleveland Indians look to gain a split of a two-game set against Arizona when they visit the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. The teams used 19 combined pitchers – 10 by Cleveland – as Arizona prevailed 9-8 in Tuesday’s five-hour, 32-minute affair. Diamondbacks outfielder Gerardo Parra tied a career best with five hits and scored the decisive run on Aaron Hill’s single to the warning track in center field.
Minnesota at LA Angels 10:05 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels attempt to continue their dominant homestand when they host the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. Los Angeles improved to 4-0 during its stretch of six straight at home as it posted an 8-6 victory in the opener of a three-game series on Tuesday. Mike Trout belted a two-run homer while Josh Hamilton and Howie Kendrick delivered two-run singles as the Angels took a 5-0 lead in the first inning but squandered it in the second before moving ahead for good in the bottom half.
Boston at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
Clay Buchholz makes his return to the Boston rotation when the Red Sox conclude a three-game series against the host Seattle Mariners on Wednesday. The right-hander has missed nearly a month due to a knee injury and was deemed ready to return after throwing six shutout innings for Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday during a rehab stint. Seattle has won a season-best five consecutive games after racking up 20 runs and 24 hits while winning the first two contests.