Preview Roundups
August 21, 2014
Houston at NY Yankees 1:05 PM ET
The New York Yankees have been one of baseball's most dominant home teams over the past 20 years but they are on pace for their first losing season at Yankee Stadium since 1991. The Houston Astros have posted back-to-back wins in New York and can complete a three-game sweep in Thursday afternoon's series finale. The slumping Yankees have dropped seven of nine to fall to 29-31 at home and are five games back in the race for the American League's second wild card.
Cleveland at Minnesota 1:10 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians are hanging around in the American League wild-card race thanks in part to a run of four straight series without a loss. The Indians will attempt to wrap up a three-game sweep when they visit the Minnesota Twins in the series finale on Thursday. Cleveland has won seven of its last nine games to draw within 4 1/2 games of Detroit Tigers in the race for the second wild card.
Detroit at Tampa Bay 1:10 PM ET
Only three weeks after a blockbuster trade that sent him out of Tampa Bay, David Price returns to face his former team when the Detroit Tigers visit the Rays for the finale of a three-game series Wednesday afternoon. “Pitching against friends, it’s always the worst,” Price told reporters. “It’ll be different.” Price won 82 games with Tampa Bay after his major-league debut at the end of the 2008 season and is 1-0 in three starts with the Tigers, who won the first two contests of the series.
Arizona at Washington 4:05 PM ET
The Washington Nationals look to match the team record for most consecutive victories as they attempt to complete a sweep of the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of their four-game series Thursday afternoon. Washington posted its ninth straight win Wednesday, a 3-2 triumph as pinch-hitter Anthony Rendon delivered an RBI single with one out in the ninth inning. It was the fourth walk-off victory in five games for the Nationals, who won 10 in a row from June 2-12, 2005.
LA Angels at Boston 7:10 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels are enjoying the best record in the major leagues and a 1 1/2-game lead in the American League West but suddenly have a big hurdle to clear. The Angels could be without their best starting pitcher for a while starting when they attempt to finish off a four-game sweep of the host Boston Red Sox on Thursday. Garrett Richards went down with a patellar injury in his left knee on Wednesday that manager Mike Scioscia termed “significant.”
Atlanta at Cincinnati 7:10 PM ET
While the Atlanta Braves are scrambling to stay in the National League playoff race, they can help knock another contender out of the picture this weekend. The Braves have a chance to bolster their hopes and help unclutter the race when they begin a four-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. The reeling Reds have dropped five straight and eight of nine to fall five games below .500 and 6 1/2 games out of the second NL wild card.
San Francisco at Chi. Cubs 8:05 PM ET
The San Francisco Giants have a rare opportunity to flip a result from the loss column to the win ledger in the midst of a heated playoff race. The Giants have a chance to pick up two big wins Thursday when they wrap up a three-game road series against the Chicago Cubs. One of those games already was chalked up as a loss, but Major League Baseball upheld the Giants' protest of Tuesday's contest, which will resume at 5:05 p.m. ET before the regularly-scheduled series finale.
San Diego at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET
Clayton Kershaw will start in place of Zack Greinke when the Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Diego Padres on Thursday in the finale of a three-game series. Greinke is dealing with elbow soreness and will be pushed back to Saturday and Kershaw was moved up one day for Los Angeles, which holds a three-game lead over San Francisco in the National League West. The Padres are 2-4 on a 10-game road trip after beating the Dodgers 4-1 on Wednesday.