Preview Roundups
September 15, 2017
St. Louis at Chi. Cubs 2:20 PM ET
Perhaps fueled by the incredible start to September the St. Louis Cardinals are enjoying, the Chicago Cubs made quick work of their most recent opponent in a dominant three-game sweep. The National League Central rivals will face each other seven times over their final 16 contests, with the first of those meetings taking place Friday afternoon in the opener of a three-game set in Chicago.
Baltimore at NY Yankees 7:05 PM ET
The New York Yankees finish up the season with a boatload of home games and it looks as if they intend on making the most of the favorable stretch. The Yankees will try to bolster their playoff chances and further dampen those of the Baltimore Orioles when the teams continue a four-game series at Yankee Stadium on Friday.
LA Dodgers at Washington 7:05 PM ET
It hasn't taken long for the Los Angeles Dodgers to figure out what they have in 22-year-old Cody Bellinger, and the Washington Nationals hope they may be on the verge of getting similar contributions from 20-year-old Victor Robles. The Nationals' young outfielder hopes to follow up a brilliant performance in his second career start when Washington hosts the Dodgers on Friday for the opener of a three-game series featuring the two teams with the best records in the National League.
Oakland at Philadelphia 7:05 PM ET
Rhys Hoskins' impressive power display has generated enormous buzz for a Philadelphia Phillies team that has owned the league's worst record for much of the season. With 18 homers in 34 contests since being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Hoskins looks to add to his historic total as the Phillies continue their 10-game homestand with the opener of a three-game interleague set against the Oakland Athletics on Friday.
Boston at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
After a week of uncertainty, it was a relief for the Tampa Bay Rays to finally get word that not only would they be going home, but they would get to play games this weekend at Tropicana Field. The Rays will welcome the Boston Red Sox for the opener of a three-game series in Tampa beginning on Friday.
Kansas City at Cleveland 7:10 PM ET
The Cleveland Indians look to follow up perhaps their most dramatic victory in a historic winning streak when they put the 22-game run on the line against the visiting Kansas City Royals on Friday. Down to their last strike in the opener of the four-game set Thursday night, the Indians forced extra innings on a game-tying double by Francisco Lindor and won it in the 10th on Jay Bruce's walk-off RBI double.
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati 7:10 PM ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates are fading to the finish after a handful of years in the postseason race, and individual accomplishments are starting to take center stage. The Pirates will try to tack a win onto the milestones when they visit the Cincinnati Reds for the opener of a three-game series on Friday.
Chi. White Sox at Detroit 7:10 PM ET
The Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox both took hard turns toward rebuilding this season, and one of those teams is starting to see its young players perform. The White Sox will try to pile on again and grab a sixth win in seven games when they visit the Tigers for the second of a four-game series on Friday.
NY Mets at Atlanta 7:35 PM ET
The Atlanta Braves open a three-game home series Friday against the New York Mets with no hope of reaching the playoffs, but in Ozzie Albies they have indications better times may be coming soon. The rookie second baseman extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a two-run homer in Thursday’s 5-2 defeat at Washington, giving Albies a .346 batting average in his past 27 games as he and his teammates look to contend in 2018.
Milwaukee at Miami 8:10 PM ET
The wrath of Hurricane Irma caused significant damage throughout the Sunshine State, with loss of life and massive damage to property far outweighing the "importance" of a simple baseball series. With that in mind, the Marlins' three-game set with the Brewers - including Friday's opener - was shuffled from Miami to Milwaukee as South Florida does its best to recover from the storm.
Seattle at Houston 8:10 PM ET
James Paxton returns to the mound at a good time for the Seattle Mariners as they open a three-game series against the host Houston Astros on Friday. Paxton takes the ball after a 36-day absence due to a pectoral injury as he aims to help Seattle win its fourth consecutive contest.
Toronto at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
The Minnesota Twins scored a dramatic victory in the series opener and aim to record their fourth consecutive win when they host the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday for the second contest of their four-game set. Byron Buxton belted his first career walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Twins a 3-2 victory, bosltering the club's bid for the second American League wild-card spot.
San Diego at Colorado 8:40 PM ET
A six-game winning streak had the Colorado Rockies making a run at the National League's top wild card, but back-to-back losses has them looking over their shoulders again. Colorado plays its next nine games against NL West doormats San Diego and San Francisco, beginning Friday night with the first of three contests against the visiting Padres.
Texas at LA Angels 10:07 PM ET
Two teams who are running out of time in the playoff race square off Friday, when the Los Angeles Angels host the Texas Rangers for the opener of their three-game series. Los Angeles began its nine-game homestand by dropping two of three to Houston, including a 5-2 decision on Thursday that dropped the club three games behind Minnesota for the second wild-card spot in the American League.
Arizona at San Francisco 10:15 PM ET
Riding one of the most dominant stretches any pitcher can hope for, left-hander Robbie Ray looks to win his fifth consecutive start when the Arizona Diamondbacks open a three-game series at the San Francisco Giants on Friday night. Ray has been outstanding during his winning streak, allowing four runs on 13 hits while striking out 45 in 25 1/3 innings.