Preview Roundups
August 20, 2014
Texas at Miami 12:40 PM ET
The Miami Marlins' flair for the dramatic has been unmatched in the majors in 2014, and their late-inning heroics are keeping them in the postseason hunt. Miami aims for a two-game sweep of the visiting Texas Rangers on Wednesday after notching a 4-3 win in 10 innings a night earlier. It was the Marlins' 11th walk-off win and their 32nd one-run victory -- both tops in the majors.
Seattle at Philadelphia 1:05 PM ET
James Paxton has set the bar pretty high in his first nine major league starts. The Seattle rookie left-hander puts his unblemished career record on the line Wednesday when the Mariners wrap up their three-game road series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Paxton enters this matchup having posted a 1.88 ERA and a .189 opponents' batting average in his first nine starts, five of which have come this season.
Toronto at Milwaukee 2:10 PM ET
The Milwaukee Brewers eye their second consecutive series sweep and sixth straight win overall Wednesday when they wrap up a two-game home set against the struggling Toronto Blue Jays. Despite scoring six runs or more in four of its last five games during a 5-2 road trip, Milwaukee batted only .214 over the seven-game stretch. A return home seemed to suit the Brewers, however, as they struck for a season-high seven doubles in Tuesday’s 6-1 series-opening victory.
NY Mets at Oakland 3:35 PM ET
The Oakland Athletics are banking on their overhauled pitching staff to propel them deep into the postseason and will be hoping for another solid start from Jeff Samardzija on Wednesday afternoon. The Athletics snapped a five-game losing streak Tuesday and will try to complete a sweep of their two-game interleague series versus the visiting New York Mets. The Athletics are one-half game behind Los Angeles in the AL West with a showdown looming this weekend versus the Angels.
Arizona at Washington 7:05 PM ET
The Washington Nationals look to keep rolling as they try for their ninth consecutive victory when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third contest of their four-game series Wednesday. Washington refuses to give up any ground to second-place Atlanta in the National League East as it posted its season-high eighth straight win with an 8-1 triumph Tuesday.
Atlanta at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM ET
Gerrit Cole makes his return to the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation Wednesday when he leads his club into the finale of a three-game series against the visiting Atlanta Braves. Cole has been sidelined with a right lat strain since throwing five scoreless innings against Philadelphia on July 4. His return comes at a challenging time for the Pirates, who have lost seven in a row and are two games out in the race for the second National League wild-card spot.
Houston at NY Yankees 7:05 PM ET
The Houston Astros vie for their second series victory over the New York Yankees this season when the teams meet in the Bronx on Wednesday. Houston took two of three from New York at home to begin the campaign before Chris Carter rebounded from striking out in each of his first four at-bats to belt the go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 7-4 triumph.
LA Angels at Boston 7:10 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels have shut down the host Boston Red Sox in back-to-back games despite a pair of mediocre pitching performances and now get to send their best starter to the mound in the third of a four-game series. Garrett Richards goes for his 14th win Wednesday night for the first-place Angels, who have won six of seven and hold a half-game lead over Oakland in the American League West.
Detroit at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
The Detroit Tigers look to build off a productive offensive effort when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays for the middle contest of their three-game series on Wednesday. The Tigers rallied from four runs down and received RBIs from seven players to beat the Rays 8-6 in 11 innings on Tuesday, remaining in a virtual tie with Seattle for the second American League wild card and two games behind first-place Kansas City in the AL Central.
Cincinnati at St. Louis 7:15 PM ET
Johnny Cueto looks to become baseball's first 16-game winner and breathe some life into the stumbling Cincinnati Reds when they play the finale of a three-game series in St. Louis on Wednesday. Cueto has won five straight starts and seven consecutive decisions, making him one of the few bright spots in a dismal nosedive for the Reds. They have dropped the first two games of the series, four straight overall and nine of 11 to fall five games behind the second wild card.
San Francisco at Chi. Cubs 8:05 PM ET
The San Francisco Giants might not be eager to get back to Wrigley Field on Wednesday after an unsettling loss a night earlier. The Giants look to regain their hold on the National League's final wild-card spot when they continue a three-game series against the host Chicago Cubs. The Cubs claimed the opener in odd fashion, winning 2-0 in five innings after the grounds crew's failure to properly place the infield tarp during a brief period of heavy rain resulted in an unplayable surface.
Baltimore at Chi. White Sox 8:10 PM ET
After clinching a series victory for the ninth time in 10 opportunities, the surging Baltimore Orioles vie for a three-game sweep of the host Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Baltimore's loud bats receive the majority of the headlines, but the team has cruised to a major league-best 30-13 mark since June 30 behind the 2.89 ERA the pitching staff has recorded in that span.
Cleveland at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians attempt to remain within reach of a postseason berth when they visit the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. Cleveland posted its third win in four contests Tuesday, rallying for seven unanswered runs after falling behind 5-0 in the first inning to stay 6 1/2 games behind first-place Kansas City in the American League Central and 4 1/2 back in the race for the second wild-card spot.
Kansas City at Colorado 8:40 PM ET
The red-hot Kansas City Royals vie for their ninth straight series victory when they visit the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday in the finale of their two-game series. Kansas City on Tuesday maintained its two-game lead over Detroit in the American League Central with a 7-4 victory - its 14th in 16 contests - and moved 15 games above .500 for the first time since 1994. The Royals are 4-1 on a stretch during which they'll play 12 of 13 contests against teams with below-.500 records.
San Diego at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET
The Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping they’ve rediscovered their offense just in time for a final push toward the National League West title. After scoring a total of seven runs in three losses to Milwaukee over the weekend, Los Angeles erupted for an 8-6 win in Tuesday’s series opener against visiting San Diego. Carl Crawford homered for the first time since May 23 and had three RBIs for the Dodgers, who moved 4 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco in the NL West.