Preview Roundups
July 21, 2014
LA Dodgers at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates look to match their longest winning streak of the season when they put a three-game run on the line at home in the first of three straight against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. Neil Walker's homer capped Pittsburgh's comeback 5-3 win over Colorado on Sunday, pulling the Pirates to within 1 1/2 games of first place in the National League Central. It was Pittsburgh's sixth consecutive victory at home and its 12th in the last 14 at PNC Park.
Texas at NY Yankees 7:05 PM ET
Jacoby Ellsbury and the New York Yankees are finding their groove while the sputtering Texas Rangers have continually shot themselves in the foot. After recording his second four-hit performance of the season, Ellsbury looks to keep the Yankees undefeated on their 10-game homestand when they open a four-game series against the Rangers on Monday.
San Francisco at Philadelphia 7:05 PM ET
After missing more than two months with an elbow injury, Cliff Lee returns to the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday when the San Francisco Giants visit to start a four-game series. Lee couldn't have picked a much better team to face in his first game back as he boasts a 5-0 record with a 0.88 ERA in six career starts against San Francisco. The Giants will still be a major test for Lee after they won two of three at Miami and posted 24 runs in their last four games.
Boston at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox are suddenly playing like a team that thinks it has a chance at a postseason berth. The Red Sox will find out where they stand within the American League East after a stretch of 13 straight against division opponents, beginning with a four-game series at Toronto that starts on Monday. The Blue Jays want to make some noise down the stretch as well and are hoping a series win over the weekend pulled them out of a lengthy funk.
Miami at Atlanta 7:10 PM ET
Chris Johnson almost won a batting title last season with the Atlanta Braves, and the third baseman has found his power stroke while raising his average in recent weeks. The Braves host the Miami Marlins on Monday in the opener of a four-game series and Johnson, who hit .327 in June, has belted four of his seven homers in 2014 during his current five-game hitting streak. The Marlins arrive in Atlanta after getting a boost from Casey McGehee in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over San Francisco.
Kansas City at Chi. White Sox 8:10 PM ET
The Kansas City Royals looked primed to make a run at the beginning of the month but have since fallen back to the pack in the American League. The Royals will attempt to pick things back up when they visit the Chicago White Sox for the opener of a three-game series on Monday. Kansas City was five games over .500 and in contention for a wild-card slot in the AL on July 4 but has since dropped four straight and nine of 12.
Cleveland at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians settled for a series victory over the American League Central front-runners while the Minnesota Twins dropped to the bottom of the division after being on the wrong end of a sweep. The Indians look to continue their momentum when they open a three-game series against the host Twins on Monday. Cleveland was unable to complete an historic four-game sweep of Detroit, suffering a 5-1 setback on Sunday to fall 5 1/2 back of the Tigers.
Cincinnati at Milwaukee 8:10 PM ET
The Cincinnati Reds look to continue their success against the Milwaukee Brewers when the National League Central rivals begin a three-game series Monday at Miller Park. Both teams are looking to bounce back after struggling in their first series following the All-Star break, with the Reds losing three straight on the road to the New York Yankees and the Brewers dropping two of three against host Washington. Cincinnati has won or tied seven of its last 10 series with Milwaukee.
Washington at Colorado 8:40 PM ET
The Washington Nationals, tied with Atlanta for first place in the National League East, begin a nine-game road trip Monday with the first of three contests against the struggling Colorado Rockies. "Any time you get a walk-off win, it's big for team morale," Washington reliever Drew Stammen told reporters after the Nationals defeated Milwaukee 5-4 on Sunday when Jayson Werth delivered a two-out RBI double in the ninth inning. "Hopefully, it will send us on a nice little winning streak."
Detroit at Arizona 9:40 PM ET
The Detroit Tigers looked like they might be coming back to the pack in the American League Central but came through the weekend with a comfortable lead intact. The Tigers will attempt to get on a roll when they begin a road trip with a three-game interleague set at the Arizona Diamondbacks that begins Monday. The Tigers started the weekend by dropping three in a row to the Cleveland Indians but salvaged the finale of the four-game set to maintain a 5 1/2-game division lead.
Baltimore at LA Angels 10:05 PM ET
The Baltimore Orioles’ road trip to face the class of the American League West continues Monday against the Los Angeles Angels, who opened the second half by taking two of three against Seattle. Baltimore dropped two of three in Oakland over the weekend, including a 10-2 loss Sunday when they managed just three hits. Center fielder Mike Trout has reached base safely in 57 of the last 62 games for Los Angeles, which has won 21 of its last 26.
NY Mets at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
The New York Mets attempt to wake up their bats when they visit the Seattle Mariners for the opener of their three-game series Monday. New York was held to just five hits in a shutout loss at San Diego on Saturday and didn't record one the following day until All-Star Daniel Murphy doubled with two out in the eighth inning of a 2-1 defeat. Star third baseman David Wright on Monday will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his major-league debut with the Mets.