Preview Roundups
April 22, 2014
Kansas City at Cleveland 7:05 PM ET
While many in the Cleveland Indians’ lineup are struggling to get going, Michael Brantley has been a consistent force with a team-high 18 RBIs overall and four homers in his last seven games. Brantley looks to stay hot as the Indians go for their third straight win when they host the Kansas City Royals in the second contest of their four-game series Tuesday.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM ET
Coming off a painful loss, the Cincinnati Reds are fortunate to hand the ball to Johnny Cueto on Tuesday -- especially because they're facing the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cueto looks to shut down Pittsburgh's powerful offense for the second time in less than a week as the visiting Reds aim for their fifth win in seven games. The season series is tied at two games apiece after the Pirates rallied late for a 6-5 win to open the four-game set Monday.
LA Angels at Washington 7:05 PM ET
With Albert Pujols’ quest for 500 home runs as well as Bryce Harper and Mike Trout taking the same field for the first time in their careers garnering the headlines, it was a 41-year-old pinch hitter who stole the show in the opener between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels. The Angels, who continue their three-game interleague set in Washington on Tuesday, got a three-run double from Raul Ibanez in Monday’s 4-1 win. Ibanez entered the pivotal at-bat 9-for-61 for the season.
Baltimore at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
The Baltimore Orioles had a little trouble holding onto big leads over the weekend but managed to earn a four-game split in Boston. The Toronto Blue Jays, who host the opener of a three-game set with the Orioles on Tuesday, have the power to make teams pay for being a little loose with their leads. The Blue Jays took two of three from the Cleveland Indians over the weekend, capping off a 5-4 road trip that started with a pair of wins in Baltimore.
Chi. White Sox at Detroit 7:08 PM ET
Detroit's Justin Verlander was scheduled to oppose Chris Sale when the Tigers host the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, but Sale is headed for the 15-day disabled list with a flexor muscle strain in his pitching arm. Chicago general manager Rick Hahn said preliminary MRI results showed the ligament looks excellent. "So, at this point, we figured we are much better off having him miss the start here in Detroit and miss the start against Tampa Bay and then re-evaluate," Hahn told mlb.com.
NY Yankees at Boston 7:10 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox already got a chance to play against Jacoby Ellsbury when they visited the New York Yankees earlier this month. The home fans will get their first chance to welcome back the two-time World Series champion when the Yankees make their first visit of the season to Boston on Tuesday. Ellsbury is off to a strong start for first-place New York and had five hits against the Red Sox when the Yankees took three of four at home from April 10-13.
Miami at Atlanta 7:10 PM ET
Jose Fernandez won’t forget the final start of his 2013 National League Rookie of the Year campaign, and the Atlanta Braves won’t either. Fernandez takes the mound as the Miami Marlins visit Atlanta on Tuesday for the second game of a three-game set, Fernandez’s first appearance against the Braves since Sept. 11, a game in which Fernandez got the win and hit a home run that cleared the benches when Atlanta took issue with his reaction to the homer.
Minnesota at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
The Tampa Bay Rays look to continue their dominance of the Minnesota Twins when they begin a three-game series Tuesday at home. The Rays have won 11 of the last 12 contests against the Twins overall, including six straight in Tampa Bay, and come in after a four-game split with the New York Yankees. The Rays will send ace David Price to the mound against Kyle Gibson, who has been Minnesota’s best pitcher through the first three weeks of the season.
St. Louis at NY Mets 7:10 PM ET
The New York Mets attempt to maintain their mastery of St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright when the teams tangle in the second contest of their four-game series in New York on Tuesday. Wainwright is 2-4 with a 6.02 ERA - his highest against any National League opponent - in eight career games (six starts) against the Mets and has a 6.38 mark in three outings at Citi Field.
Arizona at Chi. Cubs 8:05 PM ET
In a matchup of one of the majors' worst offenses and baseball's most generous starting rotation, the Chicago Cubs' previously quiet bats had the upper-hand in the first game of a four-game series. The host Cubs hope to continue that trend when they face the woeful Arizona Diamondbacks again Tuesday. Chicago claimed the series opener, 5-1, behind a big night on the mound and at the plate from Travis Wood.
San Diego at Milwaukee 8:10 PM ET
The Milwaukee Brewers keep pulling out close wins, in part because their bullpen is on fire. The Brewers will try to push their latest winning streak to five games when they host the San Diego Padres again on Tuesday. Milwaukee is among the major-league leaders in bullpen ERA and has three relievers at the back end - Will Smith, Tyler Thornburg and Francisco Rodriguez - each with an ERA under one.
San Francisco at Colorado 8:40 PM ET
Colorado's Charlie Blackmon tries to continue his assault on major-league pitching while remaining in relative obscurity as the Rockies host the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. "I love it when people say 'overnight sensation.' I've been in the big leagues for parts of four seasons now," Blackmon told The Gazette of Colorado Springs. "It's humbling. Nobody knows who I am. If I walk down the street - right after the game - somebody might recognize me. Probably not. Maybe. But probably not."
Texas at Oakland 10:05 PM ET
Kevin Kouzmanoff has been much more than an injury replacement for third baseman Adrian Beltre while playing in the major leagues for the first time since 2011. Kouzmanoff hit safely in 11 of 12 games since being recalled and looks to stay hot when his Texas Rangers visit the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday for the second of a three-game series. Kouzmanoff followed up being named American League player of the week by going 2-for-5 and scoring the winning run in a 4-3 triumph Monday.
Houston at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
The Houston Astros enjoyed a rare offensive splurge and look to defeat Seattle for the second straight night when they visit the Mariners on Tuesday. Matt Dominguez blasted a two-run homer and lined a run-scoring double off the left-field fence against Mariners ace Felix Hernandez as the Astros posted an impressive 7-2 victory. Houston had nine hits to raise its season average to .196 while snapping a seven-game slide and matching its season high for runs scored.
Philadelphia at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET
Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are hitting like it’s 2006, which is good news for the Philadelphia Phillies heading into Tuesday’s game against the host Los Angeles Dodgers. Howard homered for the second straight game to lead the Phillies to a 7-0 victory in Monday’s series opener, and the 34-year-old first baseman has six hits and five RBIs over his last two games. Utley, 35, is finally healthy after several injury-plagued seasons and off to a strong start while batting .391 with three homers.