Preview Roundups
August 29, 2014
Minnesota at Baltimore 7:05 PM ET
The Baltimore Orioles appear to have smooth sailing toward the American League East title and can continue to build on their lead when they host the Minnesota Twins in Friday’s opener of a four-game series. Baltimore took three of four from Tampa Bay to begin a 11-game homestand and holds a seven-game lead over the New York Yankees. The Twins, who are in last place in the AL Central, defeated Kansas City 11-5 in 10 innings on Thursday.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates have spent the last week gaining ground on the two teams they trail in the National League Central. The Pirates look to stymie the dwindling playoff hopes of the team directly behind them starting on Friday when they host the first of three games against the Cincinnati Reds. Pittsburgh fell behind NL Central leader Milwaukee by as many as seven games on Aug. 19, but shaved three games off that deficit following series wins against the Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals.
NY Yankees at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
The ongoing pursuit of an American League wild card berth will be front and center Friday when the New York Yankees visit the Toronto Blue Jays for the first of three games. New York suffered a 3-2 walk-off loss in Detroit on Thursday afternoon, falling three games behind the Tigers and the Seattle Mariners, who are tied for the second wild-card spot. The Yankees scored two runs, one with the benefit of an error, in the final 15 innings of the series.
Boston at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays met in the American League Divisional Series last October and almost 11 months later they sit at the bottom of the AL East. The fourth-place Rays try to keep their dim playoff hopes alive when they host the cellar-dwelling Red Sox for the first of four contests Friday, beginning a 10-game homestand. Tampa Bay comes in off a 3-4 road trip where Evan Longoria notched 10 hits, including two homers, and knocked in nine runs to give him a team-high 76.
Philadelphia at NY Mets 7:10 PM ET
The Philadelphia Phillies have long since dropped from postseason contention, but they have done their part to impact the playoff race by winning seven of their past nine – all against October contenders. Philadelphia arrives in New York to open a three-game series Friday against the Mets on a four-game winning streak, fresh off a sweep of National League East leader Washington after winning two of three against St. Louis and Seattle.
Miami at Atlanta 7:35 PM ET
The Atlanta Braves return home Friday to open a three-game series against the Miami Marlins, beginning a critical two-week stretch which likely will determine if they have any chance to catch the Washington Nationals in the National League East. The Braves start Ervin Santana in the opener as they begin play six games behind the Nationals, who are at playoff contenders Seattle and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the next six games while Atlanta hosts the Marlins and last-place Philadelphia.
Detroit at Chi. White Sox 8:10 PM ET
The Detroit Tigers needed some momentum going into the weekend and found it in the form of a walk-off victory on Thursday. The Tigers will try to carry that high onto the road when they open up a eight-game trip by visiting the Chicago White Sox on Friday. The Tigers are tied for the second American League wild card spot with the Seattle Mariners while sitting 1 1/2 games behind the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central.
Cleveland at Kansas City 8:10 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians are on a tear and they attempt to keep it going when they visit the American League Central-leading Kansas City Royals in Friday’s opener of the three-game series. Cleveland has won 11 of its last 16 and is suddenly four games behind Detroit and Seattle in the wild-card race and 5 1/2 games behind the Royals. Kansas City leads second-place Detroit by 1 1/2 games after falling 11-5 in 10 innings to Minnesota on Thursday.
Texas at Houston 8:10 PM ET
Beating a team with the worst record in the majors may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but the Houston Astros can claim the Silver Boot for the first time in eight years when they host the Texas Rangers on Friday in the second contest of a four-game series. The Astros are 9-4 against their intrastate rivals this season and have won eight of the last nine meetings following Thursday's 4-2 victory. It marks a dramatic reversal from a year ago, when Texas went 17-2 against Houston.
Chi. Cubs at St. Louis 8:15 PM ET
The Chicago Cubs may have been stealing headlines lately with the arrival of some of their young talent, although the St. Louis Cardinals are probably more than content with getting a six-time All-Star back from injury. The Cardinals expect to activate catcher Yadier Molina from the disabled list Friday when they host the first of four games against the Cubs. The six-time Gold Glove winner tore a ligament in his right thumb July 9 and was told he could miss 8-to-12 weeks, if not the season.
Colorado at Arizona 9:40 PM ET
Colorado dropped out of National League West contention long ago, but it might wind up staging its own race on an individual level. The Rockies conclude their seven-game road trip with three against the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning Friday as Justin Morneau and Corey Dickerson continue their quest for the NL batting title. Dickerson is hitting .315 - one point higher than Morneau - but must average better than four plate appearances per game the rest of the way to qualify.
Oakland at LA Angels 10:05 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels struck first in their battle against the Oakland Athletics but are by no means in the clear in the American League West race. The Angels will try to gain another game in the division when they host the Athletics in the second of a four-game series on Friday. Howie Kendrick provided the walk-off sacrifice fly in the 10th inning of Thursday’s 4-3 series opening win, pushing Los Angeles two games ahead in the division.
LA Dodgers at San Diego 10:10 PM ET
Los Angeles looks to get Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez on track Friday when the Dodgers begin a three-game series against the host San Diego Padres, who have won three of their last four. Puig has two extra-base hits this month while Ramirez has gone 1-for-12 since coming off the disabled list for the Dodgers, who hold a 4 1/2-game lead over San Francisco in the National League West. The Dodgers are 36-19 against NL West opponents this season, including 7-3 against the Padres.
Washington at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
Felix Hernandez is in his first pitching rut of the season and looks to recapture his form when the Seattle Mariners open a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on Friday. Hernandez is just 2-2 over his last five starts and hasn’t made it through the sixth inning in either of his last two outings. He has been bothered by a nagging hip injury and the Mariners held him out of his Wednesday start and pushed him back two days.
Milwaukee at San Francisco 10:15 PM ET
Milwaukee's Wily Peralta in the offseason said he would win 15 games, but he'll have plenty of chances to surpass that goal starting Friday, when the Brewers visit the San Francisco Giants. Peralta, the No. 4 starter coming out of spring training, can join the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw as the only 16-game winners in baseball. Peralta is a big reason why Milwaukee has been in first place since April 5 and sits 1 1/2 games ahead of St. Louis in the National League Central.