Preview Roundups
August 04, 2017
Washington at Chi. Cubs 2:20 PM ET
A potential postseason preview is on tap when the Chicago Cubs host the Washington Nationals for a three-game series starting Friday. The Nationals are running away with the National League East, leading Miami by 12 games, while the Cubs are 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Milwaukee in the NL Central.
St. Louis at Cincinnati 6:40 PM ET
A promising start to the season has gone off the rails in a hurry for St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Mike Leake, who aims to get back on track against his former team on Friday in the opener of a three-game series versus the host Cincinnati Reds. Leake has been saddled with a 2-7 mark since May 29 and is 0-4 with a 4.79 ERA in his career against a Cincinnati club with which he spent parts of six seasons.
Detroit at Baltimore 7:05 PM ET
The Baltimore Orioles are trying to make a move back into contention in the American League wild-card race but keep falling just short in their quest to reach .500. The Orioles will attempt to win for the sixth time in seven games when they host the Detroit Tigers in the second of a four-game series on Friday.
San Diego at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM ET
David Freese and Starling Marte have begun to heat up during their respective 14-game stretches, although their hot play at the plate hasn't extended to the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Freese and Marte look to ignite a fire under the Pirates on Friday when the team opens a three-game series against the visiting San Diego Padres.
LA Dodgers at NY Mets 7:10 PM ET
With Clayton Kershaw sidelined, Yu Darvish will assume the role of ace as he prepares to make his debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at the New York Mets. Darvish will have plenty of pressure on his shoulders, not the least of which is facing New York's Jacob deGrom in a marquee pitching matchup.
Milwaukee at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
The Milwaukee Brewers showed some signs of life by taking two of three from the National League Central-rival St. Louis Cardinals to start the week and hope to ride that momentum when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday to start a three-game interleague set. The Brewers had lost 11 of 14 contests before edging the Cardinals twice in the last three days, capped by Thursday’s 2-1 triumph.
NY Yankees at Cleveland 7:10 PM ET
One day after Sonny Gray made his debut with the New York Yankees, left-hander Jaime Garcia will do the same, starting for his third different team in a period of two weeks. Garcia, who had spent his entire career in the National League, was traded to Minnesota on July 24 and promptly shipped to New York after making one start for the Twins.
Chi. White Sox at Boston 7:10 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox did not make any splashy moves at the trade deadline, but some tinkering around the edges is having a big impact on the offense. Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez will try to push the Red Sox to a fourth straight win when they host the Chicago White Sox in the second of a four-game set on Friday.
Miami at Atlanta 7:35 PM ET
The Miami Marlins sat 13 games under .500 in late May, but have slowly climbed back toward an even record entering Friday night's series opener at the Atlanta Braves. The Marlins have won six of their past eight contests, taking two of three from National League East leader Washington before Thursday’s off day, to improve to 51-55 on the season as they begin a seven-game road swing through Atlanta and Washington.
Toronto at Houston 8:10 PM ET
The Toronto Blue Jays took two of three from the Chicago White Sox this week but are still hanging off the fringe of contention for an American League wild card spot. The Blue Jays will see how they stack up against the best the AL has to offer when they visit the Houston Astros on Friday for the start of a three-game series.
Texas at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
Joey Gallo is on a power spree and looks to add to his impressive resume of tape-measure blasts when the Texas Rangers visit the Minnesota Twins on Friday for the second contest of their four-game set. Gallo has belted four homers in his last three games, including a shot estimated at 430 feet in Thursday's series-opening 4-1 win.
Seattle at Kansas City 8:15 PM ET
James Paxton looks to continue a dominant stretch and record his seventh consecutive victory when the Seattle Mariners visit the Kansas City Royals on Friday for the second contest of their four-game series. Paxton was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for July after going 6-0 with a 1.37 ERA.
Philadelphia at Colorado 8:40 PM ET
After winning a series versus one struggling team from the National League East, the Colorado Rockies look to do the same against another when they host the major league-worst Philadelphia Phillies on Friday in the opener of their three-game set. Colorado just took two of three from the visiting New York Mets, scoring five runs in each contest while posting a pair of walk-off victories.
Oakland at LA Angels 10:07 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels attempt to extend their home winning streak and continue their charge toward a wild-card spot when they begin a three-game series against the visiting Oakland Athletics on Friday. Los Angeles posted a 5-4 triumph over Philadelphia on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep and stretch its string of success at Angel Stadium to five games.
Arizona at San Francisco 10:15 PM ET
Paul Goldschmidt aims to build off a mammoth performance when the Arizona Diamondbacks open a three-game series against the host San Francisco Giants on Friday. The five-time All-Star first baseman registered the first three-homer performance of his stellar career on Thursday, an outburst that included a tiebreaking blast in the ninth inning, as the Diamondbacks posted a 10-8 victory over the Chicago Cubs.