Preview Roundups
September 17, 2014
LA Dodgers at Colorado 3:10 PM ET
Los Angeles shortstop Hanley Ramirez has only been on the disabled list once this season, but the list of injuries the Dodgers shortstop has suffered would make a football player proud. Ramirez hopes to return to the starting lineup when Los Angeles visits the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday in the rubber match of their three-game series.
San Francisco at Arizona 3:40 PM ET
The San Francisco Giants aren’t ready to abandon their National League West title hopes just yet. The Giants sit three games behind first-place Los Angeles in the division with 11 remaining heading into Wednesday’s rubber match against the host Arizona Diamondbacks. Buster Posey homered in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory and is hitting .454 over his last 24 games for the Giants, who hold a 2 1/2 game lead over Pittsburgh for the top NL wild card spot.
Toronto at Baltimore 7:05 PM ET
The Toronto Blue Jays may not encounter much resistance in the finale of their three-game series against the host Baltimore Orioles, but it may be too late to salvage their fading postseason hopes. With the Orioles having clinched the American League East title on Tuesday and general manager Dan Duquette proclaiming "We're gonna party like its 1969," a letdown appears to be a certainty. Toronto is up against it, trailing Kansas City by five games for the second wild card.
Boston at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates continue their charge toward the postseason when they host the Boston Red Sox in the middle contest of their three-game interleague series Wednesday. The Pirates cruised to a 4-0 victory in the opener to maintain their 1 1/2-game lead over Milwaukee for the second NL wild-card spot. Russell Martin and Starling Marte homered while Charlie Morton struck out six and allowed four hits over five innings in his return from a month-long absence due to a sports hernia.
Washington at Atlanta 7:10 PM ET
The Washington Nationals have 12 games to prepare for the National League playoffs, while the Atlanta Braves’ hopes of joining the newly minted NL East champions in the postseason are fading quickly. The Nationals wrap up a three-game series at Atlanta on Wednesday after winning the division title for the second time in three years with Tuesday’s 3-0 victory, dropping the Braves 5 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot. Atlanta sits one game under .500 after five straight defeats.
Miami at NY Mets 7:10 PM ET
Wilmer Flores is making a case to be a part of the New York Mets in 2015, recording three homers among eight hits and 10 RBIs over his last four games. The 23-year-old infielder looks to stay hot when the Mets host the Miami Marlins on Wednesday for the rubber match of a three-game series. New York pulled within one game of the Marlins for third place in the National League East after a 9-1 victory Tuesday that featured Flores’ second six-RBI game of the season along with two homers.
NY Yankees at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
The New York Yankees get their second shot within a week against Alex Cobb, who they have yet to figure out in his four-year career. The Tampa Bay Rays' right-hander came within five outs of a no-hitter Sept. 11 versus the Yankees and takes the hill at home Wednesday when the teams complete a three-game set. Cobb has been brilliant in both starts against New York this season, allowing one run in 14 2/3 innings to improve to 5-1 with a 1.69 ERA in nine lifetime outings against the Yankees.
Cincinnati at Chi. Cubs 8:05 PM ET
The Chicago Cubs haven't swept a three-game series from the Cincinnati Reds since July 24-26, 2009, but they have a chance to change that Wednesday. The host Cubs aim to continue their dominant pitching after shutting out Cincinnati in the first two contests. The Reds haven't been blanked in three straight games since April 18-21, 1989.
Chi. White Sox at Kansas City 8:10 PM ET
Chris Sale looks to beat Kansas City for the third time this season when the Chicago White Sox conclude their three-game series against the host Royals on Wednesday. The All-Star allowed just one run and struck out 14 in 15 innings while dominating Kansas City's batters. The division rivals split the first two games of the series, with Chicago winning 7-5 on Tuesday after Conor Gillaspie delivered the go-ahead three-run triple.
Cleveland at Houston 8:10 PM ET
With the franchise single-season hits record under his belt, Jose Altuve has shown no signs of slowing down heading into the Houston Astros' third contest of the four-game series versus the visiting Cleveland Indians on Wednesday. Altuve collected three hits in the opener before adding two more to surpass Craig Biggio's club mark of 210 in Tuesday's 4-2 setback.
Detroit at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
The Detroit Tigers take another shot at distancing themselves in the division when they visit the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday for the rubber match of their three-game series. The first two contests have been wild affairs, with Detroit squandering a six-run lead before hitting back-to-back homers in the ninth inning for an 8-6 triumph in the opener.
Milwaukee at St. Louis 8:15 PM ET
Adam Wainwright may not have pitched up to his usual standards this season, but he can join Clayton Kershaw as the only 19-game winners in the majors when he and the St. Louis Cardinals face the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday in the second contest of their three-game set. The Cardinals will be looking for their ace to play the role of stopper after blowing a ninth-inning lead in Tuesday's series opener. St. Louis leads Pittsburgh by 2 1/2 games and Milwaukee by four in the NL Central.
Seattle at LA Angels 10:05 PM ET
The Seattle Mariners continue their push for a postseason bid when they visit the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Seattle thrashed the Angels 13-2 on Tuesday to move within one game of the Kansas City Royals for the second wild card in the American League. The Mariners haven’t been part of the postseason since 2001, while the Angels have a magic number of two for clinching the AL West and have already wrapped up a playoff spot.
Texas at Oakland 10:05 PM ET
A visit from a last-place club in the opener of a nine-game homestand appeared to be just what the Oakland Athletics needed to bolster their postseason position. Instead, the Athletics played like a cellar-dwelling club in a sloppy series-opening loss to the Texas Rangers and have two teams breathing down their necks entering the second of a three-game set Wednesday.
Philadelphia at San Diego 10:10 PM ET
The Philadelphia Phillies have mustered all of seven hits in the first two contests of their four-game series against the host San Diego Padres. With their offense sputtering, the visiting Phillies turn to ace Cole Hamels as he looks to continue his good fortune against his hometown team on Wedneday. The San Diego native owns an 8-2 career mark with a 2.21 ERA versus the Padres.