Preview Roundups
September 24, 2014
Baltimore at NY Yankees 1:05 PM ET
Nelson Cruz’s major league-leading 40th home run of the season helped the Baltimore Orioles deliver yet another blow to the playoff hopes of a team they have dominated all season in their last outing. The Orioles attempt to officially eliminate the Yankees from postseason consideration on Wednesday when they play the third of four games in New York. Cruz’s solo shot proved to be the game-winner in Tuesday’s 5-4 victory, allowing the Orioles to improve to 12-5 against the Yankees this season.
Chi. White Sox at Detroit 1:08 PM ET
The Detroit Tigers have to face one of the American League’s top pitchers as they try to protect their slim AL Central lead Wednesday. The visiting Chicago White Sox send ace left-hander Chris Sale to the mound in the rubber match of a three-game series a day after Detroit claimed a roller-coaster victory. The Tigers blew a three-run lead in the ninth, but won on Miguel Cabrera’s walk-off single in the bottom of the inning to preserve a one-game division lead over Kansas City.
Arizona at Minnesota 1:10 PM ET
Phil Hughes makes a fourth attempt to record his 16th victory when the Minnesota Twins host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday in the rubber match of a three-game interleague series. Hughes, in his first season with the Twins after signing as a free agent, can become the first Minnesota pitcher to reach the 16-win plateau since Carl Pavano went 17-11 in 2010. Hughes won 18 games in 2010 and 16 in 2012 with the New York Yankees before struggling through a 4-14 campaign in 2013.
LA Angels at Oakland 3:35 PM ET
The Oakland Athletics can move closer to securing an American League wild-card berth when they host the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday afternoon in the finale of a three-game set. Oakland is tied with the Kansas City Royals for the two wild-card spots and just needs to finish ahead of the struggling Seattle Mariners to be part of the postseason. The Athletics are three games ahead of the Mariners with five regular-season games remaining.
NY Mets at Washington 7:05 PM ET
Gio Gonzalez won three of his last four starts, but his only loss in that stretch - and his only loss since Aug. 10 - came against the New York Mets. Gonzalez looks to exact a measure of revenge against the Mets when the Washington Nationals continue their three-game home set with New York on Wednesday. The Washington left-hander needs one victory to reach double-digits for the fifth straight season.
Seattle at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
The Seattle Mariners are fading at the worst time and watching their chances of landing an American League wild-card spot diminish. Seattle is three games behind the Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics with five games remaining as it visits the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. Toronto has won the first two contests of the four-game set by a combined 24-6 to continue the misery of the Mariners, who have lost four straight and 10 of their last 14 games.
Tampa Bay at Boston 7:10 PM ET
The modern version of the Boston Red Sox measure futility in relation to the infamous 2012 team led by Bobby Valentine that went 69-93. The Red Sox will attempt to draw one win closer to eclipsing that record when they host the Tampa Bay Rays in the second of a three-game series on Wednesday. Boston gave up six runs over the final two innings to fall 6-2 in Monday’s opener and sits 68-89 with five games left on the schedule.
Pittsburgh at Atlanta 7:10 PM ET
The Atlanta Braves will end their season Sunday and not advance to the National League playoffs because of a struggling offense, and no pitcher has felt the frustration of their offensive ineptitude more than Julio Teheran. The 23-year-old makes the final start of his All-Star season Wednesday when the Braves host the postseason-bound Pittsburgh Pirates, and Teheran hopes for some support after the Braves scored a total of two runs in his past four starts.
Kansas City at Cleveland 7:10 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians are hanging on by a thread in the American League wild-card race and will be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss to the visiting Kansas City Royals in Wednesday's finale of a three-game series. The Royals are knocking on the door of their first playoff berth since 1985, tied with Oakland and leading Seattle by three games in the wild-card race. Kansas City also is chasing Detroit for the AL Central title, lagging one game behind with five to play.
Milwaukee at Cincinnati 7:10 PM ET
The Cincinnati Reds are limping to the finish line, and so is their candidate to win the National League Rookie of the Year award. Billy Hamilton has five games left to turn his slump around - and finish strong for the voters - beginning with the middle contest of a three-game series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. Since going 2-for-4 against Baltimore on Sept. 2, the fleet-footed center fielder is 6-for-59 to drop his average 18 points to .251.
Philadelphia at Miami 7:10 PM ET
The Miami Marlins ensured themselves a winning home record with a series-opening victory on Tuesday. The Marlins will attempt to treat their fans to a series-clinching win when they host the Philadelphia Phillies in the second of a three-game set on Wednesday. The Phillies managed one extra-base hit – by pitcher Cole Hamels – in Tuesday’s 2-0 setback and are stumbling offensively as the season draws to a close.
St. Louis at Chi. Cubs 8:05 PM ET
With a pair of last-place clubs comprising their final six games, the St. Louis Cardinals had to like their chances of winning a second straight division title. The Chicago Cubs showed the visiting Cardinals the path will not be easy with a walk-off win Tuesday, cutting St. Louis' lead to 1 1/2 games over Pittsburgh atop the National League Central entering Wednesday's rubber match of the three-game series. The Cardinals will send John Lackey to the mound to face Jake Arrieta.
Houston at Texas 8:05 PM ET
Jose Altuve is cruising toward the major-league batting title in what is shaping up as a historic season for the Houston Astros second baseman. As Houston tries to salvage the finale of a three-game set against the host Texas Rangers on Wednesday, Altuve is on track to lead the majors in batting (.343) and hits (221) and the American League in steals (54). Altuve has an eight-point lead over Detroit’s Victor Martinez with four games remaining.
Colorado at San Diego 9:10 PM ET
Justin Morneau continues pursuit of his first batting title when the Colorado Rockies visit the San Diego Padres on Wednesday in the rubber match of their three-game series. Morneau went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Colorado's 3-2 victory Tuesday, and leads Pittsburgh's Josh Harrison (.317) and Andrew McCutchen (.313) in his quest to become the fourth Rockie to win a batting championship in the last eight years — and second in a row.
San Francisco at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a magic number of one for winning the National League West and, appropriately, will have their magic man on the mound when they go for the division clincher. Clayton Kershaw seeks his major league-leading 21st victory as the Dodgers host the second-place San Francisco Giants in Wednesday's finale of the three-game series. Kershaw has won six consecutive starts and can match his career high for victories set in 2011, when he won his first Cy Young Award.