BASEBALL MLB ARTICLES

We reached the final day of the regular season, but the situation in the National League is hardly defined as both the NL Central and NL West is going to a Game 163. The odds are impacted accordingly for those looking to bet on who will win it all. ... 

The Chicago Cubs will close out the regular season hosting the St. Louis Cardinals in a best-of-three series with the middle game on Saturday afternoon. Both the Cubs and Cardinals go into this series—and this game—with plenty on the line as the Cubs try to wrap up the NL Central and the Cardinals desperately try to claw their way into the Wild Card. The game also lines up to feature a fun pitching matchup with a former postseason hero, now with the Cubs, in Cole Hamels against a one-time failed prospect in Miles Mikolas of the Cardinals. ... 

The Boston Red Sox have won the AL East the New York Yankees are in the Wild Card and likely to host that game. Despite their postseason futures being decided, this won’t be a game either team will just being going through the motions. Boston could face the Yankees in the division series next week and as much as these two teams have faced each other this year, Saturday’s middle game of the three-game weekend series to close out the year could serve as a chance for both teams to build some confidence against a potential postseason opponent. ... 

These two rivals will close out the 2018 regular season with a three-game weekend series as the San Francisco Giants play host to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are the only one of these two teams with anything still on the line, but the Giants would love to spoil the fun as long as possible for the boys in blue. These two teams kick off their series on Friday night. Rich Hill is in line for the start for the Dodgers while the Giants’ starter remains unclear. ... 

With the 2018 Major League baseball season in its final week, it’s time to look forward to some October baseball. ... 

The Boston Red Sox return to ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball this week as they take on the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in the finale of a three-game weekend set between two division winners. This series could be a preview of the ALCS if both clubs make it past their division series matchup though even if that happens we’re not likely to see this pitching matchup in October as the Indians turn to Adam Plutko for the start and the Sox are expected to counter with Nathan Eovaldi.... 

For those looking for some action at BookMaker Sportsbook, Saturday afternoon’s showdown between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves is an interesting choice. The Braves will be looking to close out the NL East against their divisional foes while the Phillies try to prolong the inevitable a bit longer. The trends, however, won’t favor either team as both send a struggling—but talented—starter to the mound with the Phillies turning to Jake Arrieta and the Braves giving the ball to Sean N... 

The Colorado Rockies will wrap up a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night. This is an important series for both teams as they remain neck-and-neck atop the NL West. With the Diamondbacks seemingly falling out of contention, it may come down to these two teams over the season’s final two weeks and this will be there last head-to-head contest of the year, at least in the regular season.... 

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will square off in the middle game of a three-game series on Wednesday with the game broadcast live on ESPN. While the Sox are seemingly running away with the AL East, the Yankees have plenty to play for as they try to stay ahead of the Oakland A’s for the top AL Wild Card spot. Boston, meanwhile, would like nothing more than to deprive them of homefield advantage in that game as they look to extend their recent dominance over the Bronx Bombers. ... 

The Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up a four-game weekend series on Sunday Night as they square off in ESPN. The Cardinals have been a difficult opponent for the Dodgers in postseason play in the past, but both teams are now fighting to even make it to October. For the Cardinals a red-hot August put them in Wild Card position, but they’ll have to fight to stay there with teams like the Dodgers breathing down their necks. ... 

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros wrap up a three-game series on Sunday afternoon with a nationally televised showdown. Both teams are still battling it out for their respective divisions as the West presents some of the most intriguing storylines in both leagues. The series finale will feature an elite pitching matchup as each team’s ace takes the mound with Justin Verlander toeing the rubber for the Astros opposite the D-Backs’ Zack Greinke. ... 

The Washington Nationals are slated to travel south to take on the Atlanta Braves this weekend for a three-game series, including the middle game on Saturday afternoon. Injuries, ineffectiveness and disappointment have plagued the Nationals’ season this year. Now, they can add a potential hurricane to the mix as Hurricane Florence threatens this game and this series. If the game is played, however, it should be a good one with the Braves’ newest starter slated to make the start for Atlanta.... 

If in the NL, the Seattle Mariners would be just a half a game back of the Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot, but in a top-heavy AL, Seattle finds itself not yet eliminated, but also almost certainly out of a the playoff picture as it gets set to kick off a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels. These divisional foes will battle with little other than a prayer on the line as the Mariners send James Paxton to the hill for the series opener opposite a finally-healthy Matt Shoemaker. ... 

The Philadelphia Phillies will host the Washington Nationals for the final game of a three-game series on Wednesday. The Phillies are in desperate needs of wins as they try to stay relevant in their push for the postseason, but they’ve been slipping closer to the Nationals in the standings. This is an important game for Philadelphia and there is an epic pitching matchup in this series finale as the Phillies send their NL Cy Young hopeful, Aaron Nola, to the hill against the Nationals’ Stephen St... 

Heading into September, the Chicago Cubs had a seemingly stable lead in the NL Central, up 4.5-games. Now, the head into a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers up by just a pair. It’s the final showdown between these two divisional foes and the best chance for the Brew Crew to close the gap on the Cubbies. On Tuesday, these two teams will face off in the swing game of the series with Jhoulys Chacin and Jose Quintana scheduled to take the mound.... 

Expected to a battle of the best of the NL at the beginning of the year, the Washington Nationals have been a major disappointment and will, instead, be trying to play spoilers on Sunday afternoon when they host the Chicago Cubs in a series finale in the Nation’s Capital. While Washington has faltered, Chicago holds the best record in the NL and look poised to make some noise in October. Erick Fedde and Mike Montgomery will get the start in this game as the two teams wrap up a four-game weekend ... 

The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros will wrap up a three-game series at historic Fenway Park on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball as the division leaders square off in a potential postseason preview. This will be the last meeting between these two teams in the 2018 regular season as they each send a former AL Cy Young Award winner to the hill with Dallas Keuchel getting the start for the Astros against the Sox’s Rick Porcello. ... 

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ hitters are rejoicing and the pitchers lamenting as they get set for a weekend series against the Colorado Rockies in the altitude at Coors Field. These two teams are both battling for the top spot in the NL West and the head-to-head play in this three-game set could have a major impact on how the race shapes up. When facing off this year, it’s the Dodgers who hold the slight edge, winning seven of their first 13 meetings. ... 

Trying to keep their ever so slim playoff hopes alive, the Seattle Mariners kickoff a tough series at home against the AL Wild Card leading New York Yankees on Friday night. Seattle’s been slowly falling out of the postseason picture over the last couple months and need to make a statement with a big series win. The Mariners are set to put their best foot forward to start this series as they send James Paxton to the mound for this series opener. The Yankees are expected to counter with Masahiro Tanaka. ... 

In a potential postseason preview, the Arizona Diamondbacks will host the NL East leading Atlanta Braves in the first of four on Thursday night. Atlanta’s in a firmer position for October than the Diamondbacks as Arizona is currently third in a three-team race for the NL West. With so much for both teams to play for, this should be an interesting series kickoff as a couple grizzled veterans are lined up to take the mound. ... 

The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers wrap up a crucial three-game series in Milwaukee on Wednesday as the Cubs look to create some distance in the NL Central and the Brew Crew do their best to stay in the race as regular season schedule hits the stretch run. Milwaukee will put its best foot forward in this game, sending Jhoulys Chacin to the mound against the Cubs’ Jose Quintana who has pitched very well against the Brewers in four previous starts this season. ... 

Two non-playoff teams will get a nationally televised showing on Tuesday night as the Texas Rangers play host to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the middle game of a three-game series. These division rivals are pulling up the rear in the AL West while the rest of the division push for a spot in October. The Angels and Rangers are now both looking forward to 2019 and beyond as two southpaws get set to face-off with Andrew Heaney and Mike Minor expected to take the ball in this one. ... 

A battle for the east kicks off on Monday when the NL East leading Atlanta Braves host the AL East leading Boston Red Sox in the first game of a three-game series. The Sox have the far superior record of the two teams, leading baseball in wins, but both teams look destined for October, leaving this as a possible World Series preview. In this series opener, the Sox have David Price lined up to take the mound against Sean Newcomb for the Braves. Neither team have officially announced their rotatio... 

There’s still a month of baseball to play, but the AL postseason seems all but decided and if everything stays the way it is, this series opener between the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics could be a preview of the AL Wild Card matchup though that is likely played in the Bronx rather than out by the bay in Oakland. Even so, this will be an intriguing matchup and one worth following between the league’s biggest Cinderella Story and its favorite villain on Labor Day. ... 

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball this week will take us out to the NL West where the division leading Houston Astros will host the also-ran Los Angeles Angels in the finale of a four-game weekend series. Injuries to the pitching staff took away any chance the Angels had at competing this year and as we embark on the season’s final month, the Angels will have to take solace in the role of spoiler as they shoot for the upset against Gerrit Cole and the Astros on Sunday. ...