After locating their missing offense in a four-pitch sequence, the Detroit Tigers vie for a series victory when they conclude their three-game set versus the Chicago White Sox on Thursday afternoon. Detroit answered Chicago's big inning in the series opener with one of its own on Wednesday as it erupted for six runs in the first en route to a 7-2 triumph.

While their front offices have been working overtime behind the scenes ahead of Thursday's non-waiver trading deadline, the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies have put in extra work at Wrigley Field the past two nights. After playing 26 innings while splitting the past two meetings, the teams with the two worst records in the National League wrap up their four-game set Thursday afternoon. The Rockies won 6-4 in 10 innings Wednesday, giving them a shot at salvaging a split.

The St. Louis Cardinals look to regroup in time to salvage Thursday’s series finale against the host San Diego Padres following a disheartening 12-1 loss Wednesday. “It was probably our ugliest loss of the year,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told reporters. “It was terrible. It’s just not what we do.” St. Louis has lost six of its last eight to fall 2 1/2 games behind National League Central-leading Milwaukee.

The Baltimore Orioles attempt to complete a sweep when they host the Los Angeles Angels in the finale of their three-game series Thursday. Baltimore took two of three in Los Angeles last week and continued to frustrate the Angels with a 12-inning triumph in Tuesday's opener before posting a 4-3 victory one night later. Adam Jones belted a two-run homer and Kevin Gausman combined with two relievers on a four-hitter as the Orioles jumped out to a 4-0 lead before holding on.

Chris Young has revived his career as he seeks to reach double digits in victories for the first time since 2006 when the Seattle Mariners conclude their three-game series against the host Cleveland Indians on Thursday. Young last recorded 10 or more wins when he went 11-5 for the San Diego Padres in 2006 and had totaled just 11 victories over a five-season span before re-emerging this year. The teams split the first two games of the series.

Having survived a nine-game road trip to maintain a slight lead atop the National League East, the Washington Nationals return home to host the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series. The Nationals have a chance to create separation in the division with eight straight and 18 of their next 24 games at Nationals Park, where they are 30-20. Washington has won six of nine versus the Phillies, including a three-game home sweep in early June.

After winning seven of nine games before the All-Star break, the Cincinnati Reds are quickly fading out of contention in the wide-open National League Central. The injury-plagued Reds look to turn things around when they visit the red-hot Miami Marlins on Thursday for the opener of a four-game series. Cincinnati has lost 10 of 12 while scoring a total of 24 runs in that span to fall six games behind first-place Milwaukee in the Central and the Marlins have won nine of their last 11 contests.

The Toronto Blue Jays are right in the middle of the American League playoff race as the trade deadline looms. The Blue Jays, who reportedly are in the market for pitching help, continue their 10-game road trip against the Houston Astros four hours after the deadline passes on Thursday. Toronto has won 10 of its last 12 contests to draw within 2 1/2 games of first-place Baltimore in the American League East and is taking on a Houston team fighting to stay out of the basement.

The Kansas City Royals are in the mix for an American League wild-card spot and could use more consistent production from outfielder Alex Gordon over the final two months of the season. Gordon looks to follow up his second three-hit outing in a seven-game span when Kansas City closes a three-game series against the visiting Minnesota Twins on Thursday. In between the three-hit contests, Gordon – batting .276 with nine homers – was just 2-for-19.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will wind up a 10-game road trip when they open a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night. Some baserunning follies helped end a three-game winning streak for Pittsburgh, which is 8-4 since the All-Star break and trails first-place Milwaukee by two games in the National League Central. The Pirates, who ended a 20-year playoff drought in 2013, are reportedly among the teams pursuing Boston left-hander Jon Lester.

Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti was quick to dismiss the notion that the team is looking to part ways with Matt Kemp - and with good reason. After homering for the third time in two contests and adding the game-winning hit, Kemp looks to provide an encore in the series finale against the visiting Atlanta Braves on Thursday.