Matchups

The Cleveland Indians continue to claw their way back into playoff contention with five victories in their last six games while surrendering only five runs in that span. The Indians go for a three-game sweep when they host the American League East-leading Baltimore Orioles on Sunday in the series finale. Cleveland is 4 1/2 games out in the race for the second AL wild-card spot and five behind first-place Kansas City in the AL Central, while Baltimore leads Toronto by 6 1/2 contests.

It is starting to appear that six teams will battle down the stretch for the five American League playoff spots - with Detroit and Seattle two of them - as the Tigers host the Mariners on Sunday in the finale of their three-game series. Detroit evened the set with a 4-2 victory Saturday to move one-half game ahead of Seattle for the final wild-card spot while climbing within one-half game of first-place Kansas City in the Central.

The Miami Marlins attempt to win their third straight series when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of their four-game set Sunday. Miami took two of three from both Cincinnati and St. Louis before capturing two of the first three contests of this matchup. Henderson Alvarez returned from a shoulder injury to toss seven superb innings as the Marlins posted a 2-1 triumph on Saturday to pull within 3 1/2 games of San Francisco for the second wild-card spot in the National League.

The New York Mets have benefited from a home run from an unexpected power source and some shoddy defense by the Chicago Cubs to win the first two contests of their four-game set. After mustering just four hits in each tilt, the Mets will look for some more conventional offense on Sunday afternoon as they vie for a series victory. The free-swinging Cubs continue to flail at the plate, striking out on 24 occasions in the series and 101 times in their last nine contests.

David Ortiz was inked by the Boston Red Sox to a one-year deal as a free agent in 2003 and may go down as one of the most astute signings in league history. Eleven years later, Ortiz continues to provide plenty of bang for considerably more bucks, hitting a pair of homers and tying a career high with six RBIs in Saturday's 10-7 victory over the Houston Astros. Ortiz carries a five-game hitting streak into Sunday's series finale as Boston looks to win three of four.

The New York Yankees have put a discouraging five-game losing streak behind them and vie for a series victory in the finale against the host Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. Derek Jeter’s go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning gave the Yankees a 3-2 victory on Saturday to even the series and move within four games of Detroit for the American League’s second wild-card spot. “We need all of them,” Jeter told reporters. “We’re getting down to crunch time. Every game we play is important.”

After having little for which to smile to begin their eight-game road trip, the Toronto Blue Jays could take a major step in reversing their fortunes on Sunday as they vie for the series victory against the host Chicago White Sox. Melky Cabrera isn't to blame for Toronto's troubles as he drove in two runs for the second straight outing in Saturday's 6-3 win. Cabrera has collected 16 hits in his last 11 contests for the Blue Jays, who are 3 1/2 games behind Detroit for the second wild card.

The Kansas City Royals were due to hit a speed bump following a white-hot streak that propelled them to the top of the American League Central, but they will try to get back on track in Sunday's third contest of a four-game series against the host Minnesota Twins. Saturday's 4-1 setback marked only the second loss in 13 contests for Kansas City, which holds a half-game lead over Detroit in the division. It also ended a 13-game streak in which the Royals scored at least three runs.

St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright attempts to maintain his dominance of the San Diego Padres when the teams conclude their four-game series Sunday afternoon in St. Louis. Wainwright owns a 5-2 record with a miniscule 1.20 ERA in seven career starts against San Diego, including a solid eight-inning effort in his most recent encounter on July 21, 2013. Many of those meetings came against some weak-hitting Padres lineups, but the current version has begun to put up a bit more resistance.

The Los Angeles Angels have surged to the top of the American League West thanks to their strong play and Oakland's recent struggles. Los Angeles aims to remain there as it attempts to complete a three-game sweep of the host Texas Rangers on Sunday. The Angels have won four straight contests, including a pair of 5-4 triumphs over Texas, to earn a share of first place in the division with the Athletics, who have lost four in a row and six of seven.

A win against a cellar-dwelling foe is rarely cause for celebration for most teams, but the San Francisco Giants may have given themselves a big boost with their most recent home victory. The Giants eye a rare series win at home on Sunday when they meet the Philadelphia Phillies in the rubber match of a three-game set. San Francisco dug out of a four-run hole in the sixth inning to pull out a 6-5 triumph on Saturday, marking its fourth victory this season when it trailed by that many runs.

After one of the odder postponements in recent history, the host Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds will play a split doubleheader Sunday to cap their four-game series. A water main break outside Coors Field that flooded a street and shut off the plumbing inside the stadium forced a postponement not long after the scheduled first pitch Saturday. It was the latest in a series of issues for the Rockies, who have seen a string of stars go down with injuries and are 19-48 since the start of June.

The Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday try for a three-game sweep of Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium and should be brimming with confidence. First-place Milwaukee, which leads St. Louis by three games in the National League Central, ended Cy Young Award favorite Clayton Kershaw's 11-game winning streak Saturday with a 3-1 victory. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have lost three of their last four games but still own a comfortable 4 1/2-game lead over San Francisco in the NL West.

Adam LaRoche didn't perform well in his last visit to the postseason, but his recent performance – especially against his former team – suggests he wants to make amends. LaRoche and the Washington Nationals seek a season-high sixth straight win on Sunday when they eye a three-game home sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jon Lester has won his first three starts for Oakland, pitching like the game-changer the Athletics envisioned when they acquired him from Boston at the trade deadline. Oakland needs another strong performance from its new ace when it tries to avoid a sweep in Sunday night’s series finale at the Atlanta Braves, as the Athletics – who held sole possession of first place in the American League West for 106 consecutive days – are now two percentage points behind the Los Angeles Angels.

After one of the odder postponements in recent history, the host Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds will play a split doubleheader Sunday to cap their four-game series. A water main break outside Coors Field that flooded a street and shut off the plumbing inside the stadium forced a postponement not long after the scheduled first pitch Saturday. It was the latest in a series of issues for the Rockies, who have seen a string of stars go down with injuries and are 19-48 since the start of June.