Preview Roundups
July 24, 2014
Boston at Toronto 12:37 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox exploded for a season-high 14 runs in the series opener and appeared on their way to a long winning streak. Instead, the Red Sox will try to salvage a split of the four-game series when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays for the finale on Thursday afternoon. The Blue Jays fixed whatever was wrong with the pitching in that first game and have taken two straight to improve their own outlook after a rough stretch.
Texas at NY Yankees 1:05 PM ET
After outlasting the opposition in 14 innings on Tuesday, the New York Yankees weathered the storm put forth by Mother Nature the following night to defeat the Texas Rangers in five frames. The Yankees look to finish off the four-game series with a victory in conventional fashion when they host the Rangers on Thursday afternoon. Brett Gardner belted the go-ahead homer as New York improved to 5-1 since suffering a 3-1 setback at Baltimore in a rain-shortened five-inning contest on July 13.
San Francisco at Philadelphia 1:05 PM ET
The San Francisco Giants aim for a four-game road sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies when the teams square off Thursday afternoon. San Francisco has won six of its last seven games, including a 3-1 triumph in Wednesday's contest. Philadelphia has dropped seven of eight entering the series finale, which offers a quality pitching matchup.
Houston at Oakland 3:35 PM ET
Less than 24 hours after ending a three-game losing streak against their division rivals, the league-leading Oakland Athletics attempt to win the three-game series when they host the Houston Astros in the rubber match on Thursday afternoon. Oakland won the first five meetings between the clubs this season before dropping a 3-2 decision in the series opener.
Miami at Atlanta 7:10 PM ET
The Miami Marlins play Thursday at the Atlanta Braves before heading to Houston for a three-game series, but Christian Yelich is not complaining about the time away from home. The left fielder carries a 17-game road hitting streak into the series finale, going 2-for-3 with a walk in Wednesday’s 6-1 loss to the Braves to raise his road batting average to .301. Atlanta won its first contest of the four-game set and improved to 3-3 on its current 11-game homestand.
San Diego at Chi. Cubs 8:05 PM ET
The San Diego Padres are coming off a rare offensive outburst and look to keep it going against a pitcher they've hit hard over the years when they wrap up a three-game road series with the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. San Diego evened the set with an 8-3 win in which Tommy Medica and Yangervis Solarte were the unlikely stars at the plate. The Padres will attempt to continue their dominance against Chicago's Edwin Jackson, who never has beaten the Padres.
Chi. White Sox at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
Rookie Danny Santana has made quite the impact in his relatively short stay in the majors. The 23-year-old Dominican looks to continue his good fortune Thursday when the Minnesota Twins conclude their 10-game homestand by opening a four-game set versus the Chicago White Sox.
Cleveland at Kansas City 8:10 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians are showing signs of fatigue on their 11-game road trip while the Kansas City Royals are trying to regain their composure after a recent woeful stretch. The American League Central rivals look to remain within earshot of first-place Detroit when they begin a pivotal four-game series in Kansas City on Thursday.
NY Mets at Milwaukee 8:10 PM ET
The Milwaukee Brewers are fresh off a sweep and look to continue their momentum when they open a four-game series against the New York Mets on Thursday. Milwaukee held Cincinnati to six runs while sweeping the three-game set and the Brewers slugged six homers over the final two contests. New York took two of three at Seattle – including Wednesday’s 3-2 win – and is 3-3 during a 10-game road excursion.
Detroit at LA Angels 10:05 PM ET
The Detroit Tigers will have a new reliever in the bullpen Thursday when they visit Los Angeles for the start of a four-game series against the Angels, but their closer is expected to remain unchanged. The Tigers bolstered their struggling bullpen Wednesday by trading minor league pitchers Jake Thompson and Corey Knebel to the Texas Rangers for Joakim Soria, who has a 2.70 ERA and 17 saves in 35 appearances. Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said Soria will serve as a setup man.
Baltimore at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
The Baltimore Orioles conclude their 10-game road trip against the class of the American League West with a four-game set against the Seattle Mariners beginning Thursday. Seattle holds a half-game edge for the second Wild Card spot in the American League despite going 2-4 since the All-Star break, while Baltimore has gone 13-6 since June 30 and leads the New York Yankees and Toronto by three games in the AL East.