Preview Roundups
July 01, 2016
Cleveland at Toronto 1:07 PM ET
With the city still abuzz in the wake of the Cavaliers capturing the NBA championship, the Cleveland Indians look to add to the feel-good story on Friday afternoon when they attempt to extend their winning streak to a franchise-best 14 straight games against the host Toronto Blue Jays. Cleveland, which also won 13 in a row in both 1942 and 1951, breezed to a 4-1 triumph in the opener of the four-game series on Thursday and has outscored the opposition by an 80-26 margin during the win streak.
Cincinnati at Washington 6:05 PM ET
The Washington Nationals have regained their footing following a season-high seven-game skid while the Cincinnati Reds have stumbled their way to a comfortable spot in the basement of the National League Central. The host Nationals will vie for their sixth consecutive victory on Friday when they play the second contest of a four-game series versus the reeling Reds.
Kansas City at Philadelphia 7:05 PM ET
Manager Pete Mackanin was incredulous after seeing his Philadelphia Phillies win three in a row and five of seven to finish a successful nine-game road trip. Mackanin hopes the Phillies' run of good fortune continues on Friday as they begin a six-game homestand with the opener of a three-game series versus the Kansas City Royals.
LA Angels at Boston 7:10 PM ET
With the pressure building in Boston, the Red Sox are likely pleased to see the struggling Los Angeles Angels coming to town for three straight games beginning Friday night. Then again, the Red Sox just dropped two of three to another last-place team, the Tampa Bay Rays, with both losses coming in somewhat embarrassing fashion.
Detroit at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
The last-place Tampa Bay Rays have suffered through plenty of demoralizing losses this season, but Thursday’s opener of a four-game series with the Detroit Tigers may have been the worst. The Rays look to rebound after allowing 12 batters to the plate and eight runs to score in the ninth inning, as they host the surging Tigers on Friday.
Chi. Cubs at NY Mets 7:10 PM ET

The New York Mets swept Chicago in last year’s National League Championship Series, and now they’ve ended a lengthy regular-season losing streak against the Cubs. The Mets will try to make it two in a row when the teams continue a four-game series Friday at Citi Field. 

Miami at Atlanta 7:35 PM ET
The Atlanta Braves' starting rotation has seen its fair share of turnover in 2016, but Julio Teheran remains the constant as he has put together a potential All-Star season. Teheran, who takes the mound Friday as the Braves host the Miami Marlins, looks to continue a campaign far better than his 3-7 record would indicate, ranking second in the National League in WHIP and seventh in ERA.
Chi. White Sox at Houston 8:10 PM ET
Houston begins a 10-game homestand with three in a row starting Friday against the Chicago White Sox and no one is hotter - and more durable - than the Astros' Jose Altuve. The diminutive second baseman, who has played in 170 consecutive contests, is riding an 11-game hitting streak in which he is batting .444 with three homers, eight RBIs, 13 runs scored and a .490 on-base percentage while also enjoying a career-high on-base streak of 32 contests.
Texas at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
Losing two in a row constitutes a slump for the first-place Texas Rangers, who continue a 10-game road trip with the first of three Friday against the worst team in baseball - the Minnesota Twins. Texas, which leads Houston by 8 1/2 games in the American League West, settled for splitting four contests at New York after Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Yankees - its first consecutive setbacks since being swept in three straight outings at Oakland from May 16-18.
Milwaukee at St. Louis 8:15 PM ET
Jaime Garcia recorded the best pitching performance of his career earlier this season when he recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts during a one-hit shutout against Milwaukee at home. Garcia gets the chance to duplicate the feat Friday, when the St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game series against the visiting Brewers.
San Francisco at Arizona 9:40 PM ET
Johnny Cueto produced a rare poor effort in his last outing and attempts to bounce back Friday, when the San Francisco Giants open a three-game series against the host Arizona Diamondbacks. Cueto received a no-decision against Philadelphia on June 26 when he allowed a season high-tying six runs and eight hits in six innings.
Pittsburgh at Oakland 10:05 PM ET
Two days after ending their horrors on the road, the Pittsburgh Pirates continue their nine-game trek on Friday with the opener of a three-game interleague series against the Oakland Athletics. Pittsburgh had lost six straight and 10 of 11 away from home before posting an 8-1 triumph at Seattle on Wednesday to earn a split of the two-game set that kicked off its road trip.
Baltimore at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
The Baltimore Orioles hit 56 homers in June to establish a major-league record for the month and aim to keep their power display going as the calendar changes to July. The Orioles set the all-time June mark but had their seven-game winning streak halted in the series opener against Seattle and look to even the four-game set when they visit the Mariners on Friday.
Colorado at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET
The Los Angeles Dodgers must survive without ace Clayton Kershaw for at least a few weeks after he was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday because of a lower-back injury. The Dodgers wasted no time filling his spot in the rotation by acquiring Bud Norris and the veteran right-hander gets the start Friday against the visiting Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game set.
NY Yankees at San Diego 10:40 PM ET
The New York Yankees utilized some late-game magic to close out a long homestand in successful fashion and get back to .500. They will try to maintain the momentum when they begin a 10-game road trip with an interleague matchup at the San Diego Padres on Friday.