Preview Roundups
August 19, 2016
Houston at Baltimore 7:05 PM ET
The Baltimore Orioles slugged six homers in the series opener and look to continue their offensive assault when they host the fading Houston Astros on Friday night. Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy each went deep twice in Thursday’s 13-5 victory as the Orioles pulled within 1 ½ games of Toronto in the American League East and moved into a tie with Boston for the top wild-card spot.
Miami at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM ET
Just as they appeared ready to slide into the Allegheny River, the Pittsburgh Pirates have come alive and surged back into postseason contention in the National League. Riding a four-game winning streak and coming off a 5-1 road trip, the Pirates will host another wild-card contender in the Miami Marlins on Friday night in the opener of a three-game set.
St. Louis at Philadelphia 7:05 PM ET
The road continues to be kind to the St. Louis Cardinals, with the exception of right-hander Adam Wainwright. The struggling veteran will try again to achieve success away from home when the Cardinals continue a nine-game road trip with the first of three contests against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.
Boston at Detroit 7:10 PM ET
Rick Porcello looks to become the second 17-game winner in the majors and do it at the expense of his former team when the visiting Boston Red Sox continue their four-game series at the Detroit Tigers on Friday. The Tigers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Thursday to snap Boston's six-game winning streak and halt their own three-game skid.
Toronto at Cleveland 7:10 PM ET
Two of the three division leaders in the American League meet in a showdown when the Toronto Blue Jays visit the Cleveland Indians on Friday to open a three-game set. The Indians increased their lead to six games in the AL Central with a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday and Toronto owns a 1 ½-game lead in the AL East on a pair of teams.
Texas at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
The first-place Texas Rangers enjoy a comfortable lead in the American League West as they embark on a five-game road trip beginning Friday with the first of three against the Tampa Bay Rays, and their new catcher has played a major role in keeping them ahead of the pack. Jonathan Lucroy, who was acquired from Milwaukee at the Aug. 1 trade deadline, has seven home runs and 14 RBIs in 15 games since arriving, and made an immediate impact with the pitching staff.
LA Dodgers at Cincinnati 7:10 PM ET
The Los Angeles Dodgers look to extend their lead in the National League West and continue their recent dominance over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday as they begin a four-game series at Great American Ball Park. Cincinnati has lost nine in a row to the Dodgers, who are 14 games over .500 and hold a half-game lead over San Francisco atop the division.
Washington at Atlanta 7:35 PM ET
Julio Teheran’s big week continues Friday when he returns from the disabled list to pitch for the Atlanta Braves in the second contest of a four-game home series with the Washington Nationals. The start marks the first outing for the Braves’ lone All-Star since July 30, and the first since the 25-year-old became a father after celebrating the birth of his son Tuesday.
Oakland at Chi. White Sox 8:10 PM ET
James Shields is close to matching his career-worst total for losses in a season and attempts to sidestep that dubious feat when the Chicago White Sox open a three-game series against the visiting Oakland Athletics on Friday. Shields lost 15 games for Tampa Bay in 2010 and is just one defeat shy of matching that amount with one-fourth of the season still remaining.
Minnesota at Kansas City 8:15 PM ET
Starting to resemble the team that won the World Series a year ago, the Kansas City Royals have ripped off five consecutive victories as they continue a four-game series against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Friday night. Kansas City has outscored opponents 32-8 during their streak and permitted one run in each of the past four games.
Chi. Cubs at Colorado 8:40 PM ET

Two of the National League’s top young sluggers will be on display when Nolan Arenado and the Colorado Rockies welcome Kris Bryant and the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series beginning Friday. Arenado and Bryant are tied for the NL lead with 30 home runs heading into the series at homer-happy Coors Field. 

NY Yankees at LA Angels 10:05 PM ET
The New York Yankees still have aspirations for a wild card in the American League but have a lot of work to do in order to capture the spot. They will have a chance to get closer to their goal when they take to the road to begin a three-game series against the struggling Los Angeles Angels on Friday.
Milwaukee at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
The Seattle Mariners continue their quest for a postseason berth when they kick off a six-game homestand Friday with the opener of a three-game interleague series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Seattle dropped a 6-4 decision to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday to conclude a 4-3 road trip and fall three games behind Baltimore and Boston, who occupy the wild-card spots in the American League with identical 67-53 records.
NY Mets at San Francisco 10:15 PM ET
The New York Mets are losing ground in the National League wild-card race, but two important reinforcements will arrive when they visit the San Francisco Giants on Friday for the second contest of their four-game series. Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (quadriceps) and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (knee) both are expected back in the starting lineup after completing rehab stints.
Arizona at San Diego 10:40 PM ET
Zack Greinke was annihilated in his most recent outing and attempts to bounce back when the Arizona Diamondbacks visit the San Diego Padres on Friday for the second contest of their four-game series. Greinke served up three homers while being tagged for nine runs and 10 hits in 1 2/3 innings of a loss to Boston on Sunday.