Preview Roundups
September 06, 2014
Baltimore at Tampa Bay 1:05 PM ET
Even a loss can't slow the playoff drive of the Baltimore Orioles, who carry a magic number of 14 for clinching the American League East into the second of a three-game series at the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. Despite a 3-0 setback to Tampa Bay on Friday, Baltimore maintained its 9 1/2-game lead atop the American League East when its closest pursuers - New York and Toronto - also lost. The Orioles have won 11 of 17 against the Rays, including five of seven at Tampa Bay.
San Francisco at Detroit 1:08 PM ET
Two of the top left-handed pitchers in the majors square off when David Price leads the Detroit Tigers into Saturday’s matchup against Madison Bumgarner and the visiting San Francisco Giants. Price is in double digits in victories for the sixth straight season – topped by his 2012 Cy Young campaign – while Bumgarner is just four victories away from his first 20-win campaign. Pablo Sandoval homered and had two RBIs as San Francisco won the opener 8-2.
Pittsburgh at Chi. Cubs 4:05 PM ET
Although the Chicago Cubs have played at a high level lately, they haven’t caught much of a break when it comes to dealing with the elements all season. The Cubs, who continue their three-game home set with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday after Friday’s contest was suspended, have won six in a row at home – matching their longest such run since 2008. Chicago will have to wait to extend that streak, though, after rain forced umpires to call the opener in the seventh inning.
Houston at Oakland 4:05 PM ET
The Oakland Athletics might not be sinking like a stone if they could find someone who hits as well as Chris Carter. The Athletics will try to even the three-game series when they host Carter and the Houston Astros on Saturday. Oakland dropped a 4-3 decision on Friday and has lost seven of eight to fall six games behind the Los Angeles Angels in the American League West and trim their lead for the top wild card spot to two games over the Seattle Mariners.
Kansas City at NY Yankees 4:05 PM ET
The Kansas City Royals haven't reached the postseason since 1985, but are showing no signs of wilting under the pressure of a tight playoff race. “A lot of these guys haven’t been here before,” Royals ace James Shields said after pitching a masterpiece in Friday's series opener at the New York Yankees. “Hopefully we can enjoy the moment, embrace it, and have fun with it.” Kansas City is 17 games over .500 for the first time since 1989 entering Saturday's game at Yankee Stadium.
Philadelphia at Washington 4:05 PM ET
A.J. Burnett has only one victory since July 11, but that win came against the Washington Nationals - and in dominant fashion. The veteran takes aim at the Nationals again Saturday, when the Philadelphia Phillies continue their three-game set in the nation's capital. Burnett is coming off a poor outing, but he struck out a season-high 12 Nationals over seven hits on Aug. 25, allowing one run and three hits in a 3-2 win.
NY Mets at Cincinnati 4:10 PM ET
The New York Mets look to build upon their best offensive output of the season when they continue a three-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati on Saturday. The Mets matched a season high with 18 hits in a 14-5 victory to open the set, hammering five home runs for the first time in nearly eight years. Travis d'Arnaud remained hot with a three-run homer and an RBI single as he improved to 9-for-16 over his last four games.
Chi. White Sox at Cleveland 7:05 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians continue their 11-game homestand Saturday as they host the Chicago White Sox in the middle contest of their three-game series. Cleveland went to extra innings for the second straight night in Friday's opener and came away with a 2-1 victory as pinch-hitter David Murphy delivered an RBI single with one out and the bases loaded in the 10th.
Toronto at Boston 7:10 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox are in showcase mode, and players like Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Yoenis Cespedes are proving they deserve a spot in the 2015 plans. The Toronto Blue Jays, who visit the Red Sox for the second of a three-game series on Saturday, are still trying to make a postseason push but are running out of time. The Blue Jays suffered a crushing blow on Friday, when the bullpen blew a pair of leads in a 9-8 loss in 10 innings.
Atlanta at Miami 7:10 PM ET
Alex Wood and Nathan Eovaldi match up for the second time in a week Saturday, when the Atlanta Braves visit the Miami Marlins, and both hurlers hope to replicate their individual performances from Sunday’s contest. Wood tied a career high with 12 strikeouts to lead the Braves to a 1-0 victory, while Eovaldi gave up the game’s only run on Evan Gattis' solo homer. Miami has scored fewer than three runs in 12 of Eovaldi's 28 starts.
LA Angels at Minnesota 7:10 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels are expanding on their lead in the American League West and look to work on increasing it further when they visit the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. The Angels have won eight of their last 10 games and suddenly own a six-game lead over the struggling Oakland Athletics. Los Angeles won the first two games of this series, even surviving a rare blown save by Huston Street to record a 10-inning victory.
St. Louis at Milwaukee 7:10 PM ET
With their lengthy losing streak now behind them, the Milwaukee Brewers look to make it two wins in a row as they continue their four-game set against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. Milwaukee dropped nine consecutive contests, including the series opener, before posting a 6-2 victory on Friday. Scooter Gennett collected two hits and three RBIs while Jean Segura went 3-for-4 and scored twice as the Brewers climbed within three games of first-place St. Louis in the NL Central.
Seattle at Texas 8:05 PM ET
The Texas Rangers could at least point to the stability in the dugout and front office as a reason for hope for the future, but that is no longer the case. The Rangers will try to grab the first win of the post-Ron Washington era when they host the Seattle Mariners in the third of a four-game series on Saturday. Texas players were shocked to learn the news before Friday’s game that Washington had resigned due to an off-the-field personal matter and suffered their seventh straight loss.
San Diego at Colorado 8:10 PM ET
The San Diego Padres were hoping this weekend's visit to Coors Field would help revive their moribund offense, but they might need more than Colorado's thin air to turn things around. San Diego heads into Saturday’s contest against Colorado looking to bounce back from its 17th shutout after Tyler Matzek limited them to three hits Friday in the Rockies’ 3-0 win. The Padres, whose lineup in the series opener included four rookies, have scored a total of eight runs in their last six games.
Arizona at LA Dodgers 9:10 PM ET
The Los Angeles Dodgers attempt to continue their season-long dominance of Arizona when they host the Diamondbacks on Saturday. Los Angeles produced a 2-1 win in the series opener to improve to 13-4 against Arizona and maintain its two-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. Friday marked the sixth time the Dodgers held Arizona to one or no runs in what has been a highly disappointing season for the Diamondbacks.