Preview Roundups
July 07, 2017
Pittsburgh at Chi. Cubs 2:20 PM ET
The Chicago Cubs are counting on a big second half, and they need to gain some positive momentum with a strong performance in their final series before the All-Star break. The Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates for their final three games before the break, beginning with Friday’s series opener.
San Diego at Philadelphia 6:35 PM ET
The San Diego Padres have endured considerable troubles away from Petco Park this season while the majors-worst Philadelphia Phillies have struggled regardless of venue. The Padres look to rebound after seeing their three-game road winning streak come to a halt when they continue their trek on Friday with the first of three contests versus the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Atlanta at Washington 7:05 PM ET
Even a rain delay during which very little precipitation fell was not enough to keep the Washington Nationals bullpen from continuing its struggles in Thursday’s series opener against the Atlanta Braves. Washington hosts Atlanta on Friday in the second contest of a four-game set, one night after a 3-hour, 16-minute delay due to impending weather which did not materialize only delayed the Nationals’ relievers from surrendering two more runs in a 5-2 defeat.
Milwaukee at NY Yankees 7:05 PM ET
The New York Yankees hope to scramble back toward the top of the American League East and the Milwaukee Brewers aim to fortify their lead in the National League Central as the two enter a three-game interleague set Friday at Yankee Stadium. The teams' final games prior to the All-Star break pit a New York club that has dropped 16 of 22 against a Milwaukee unit that is soaring.
Houston at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
The Toronto Blue Jays answered a five-game skid by rediscovering their offense en route to winning three straight contests. Backed by consecutive seven-run uprisings, the Blue Jays aim to continue flying high on Friday when they host the second contest of their four-game series against the majors-best Houston Astros.
Boston at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
Catcher Wilson Ramos has made quite an impression on his new team with both the glove and the bat since returning from offseason knee surgery to join the improving Tampa Bay Rays. Ramos boasts three homers to go along with eight RBIs in his last four contests and looks to continue his strong play when the Rays host the American League East-leading Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
Detroit at Cleveland 7:10 PM ET
Victor Martinez aims to reach the 2,000-hit plateau against his former team on Friday as the visiting Detroit Tigers open a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. The 38-year-old Venezuelan, who resides one hit shy of the milestone, is vying to become the ninth active player to reach 2,000 when he faces the team with which he played from 2002-09.
LA Angels at Texas 8:05 PM ET
Left-hander Cole Hamels will make his third start since spending seven weeks on the disabled list when the Texas Rangers host the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series. It is the final series prior to the All-Star break for the two teams, who are jockeying for second place in the American League West.
Baltimore at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
The Minnesota Twins are experiencing a wealth of success against the Baltimore Orioles and look to defeat them for the fifth consecutive time this season when they host the second contest of their four-game series on Friday. Minnesota notched a 6-4 victory in the opener and has won 13 of the last 18 meetings dating back to September 2014.
NY Mets at St. Louis 8:15 PM ET
Named to the National League All-Star team, St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez won't have to wait until Tuesday's Midsummer Classic to match up with the game's elite. Coming off a high-profile duel versus Max Scherzer, Martinez will face Jacob deGrom of the visiting New York Mets on Friday in the opener of a three-game set.
Chi. White Sox at Colorado 8:40 PM ET
The Colorado Rockies have been plunging in the wrong direction and aim to regain some momentum prior to the All-Star break when they host the Chicago White Sox in Friday's opener of a three-game series. Colorado lost a 6-3 home decision to the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday and has dropped 12 of its past 15 games.
Cincinnati at Arizona 9:40 PM ET
Zack Greinke has the unenviable task of helping his team rebound from a devastating defeat when the Arizona Diamondbacks open a three-game series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Friday. The Diamondbacks suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of National League West-leading Los Angeles and bottomed out when the Dodgers scored four runs in the ninth inning on Thursday to post a 5-4 victory.
Kansas City at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET
The two winners of the All-Star Game Final Vote competition will share the field Friday as the Los Angeles Dodgers begin a three-game interleague series against the visiting Kansas City Royals. Los Angeles' Justin Turner and Kansas City's Mike Moustakas were added to the All-Star roster by the fans but first will look to help their respective teams continue their strong play heading into the break.
Oakland at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
Home has not provided much comfort of late for the Seattle Mariners, who look to halt an eight-game slide at Safeco Field when they host the Oakland Athletics on Friday for the second contest of their four-game series. Seattle made things interesting in the opener, scoring three in the ninth inning and getting the tying run to the on-deck circle but dropped a 7-4 decision to fall to 0-4 on its seven-game homestand.
Miami at San Francisco 10:15 PM ET
The San Francisco Giants' late sprint to the All-Star break hit a speed bump when right-hander Johnny Cueto was scratched just prior to Thursday's start, resulting in a series loss at Detroit. Still, the Giants return home from their first winning road trip in a year when they host the Miami Marlins on Friday to open a three-game set.