BASEBALL MLB ARTICLES

In the third game of a four-game weekend series, the Washington Nationals will face the Arizona Diamondbacks down in the desert as they try and get back to the top of the NL East. After a slow start, the Nationals have been playing better baseball, but is that enough to contend with the team with the NL’s best record? With Stephen Strasburg on the mound opposite a fill-in option for the D-Backs, they’ve certainly got the pitching matchup on their side. ... 

A big four-game series between two National League contenders wraps up on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball this weekend as the Arizona Diamondbacks play host to the Washington Nationals in this series finale. The D-backs will look to maintain—or extend—their NL West lead in the game as they play a sudden hot Nationals’ squad. Jeremy Hellickson will take the hill for the Nationals against Zack Godley of the Diamondbacks.... 

The Los Angeles Angels were one of the primary competitors for the Minnesota Twins in the race for the second AL Wild Card spot in 2017. Now, the two meet for the first time in 2018 on Thursday—for the first of four in Anaheim—under very different circumstances. Both teams were looking to build off positive momentum in 2017. For the Angels, that’s put them neck-and-neck with the Astros atop the AL West while the Twins have struggled a bit through the first month and a half. ... 

ESPN gets the national television rights for Game 2 of the series pinning the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the Big Apple. On the mound in Game 2 of this three-game series, the Yankees have a pitcher who has been cruising along much like the rest of the team in Masahiro Tanaka whereas the Sox will hope that David Price can rediscover his command after slumping through his last five starts. ... 

You cannot put too much on any series that’s played in May, but any series pinning the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees is a fun one and with the two atop the AL East and separated by a single game, there’s more meaning. Still, even after this series, there will still be 13 more meetings between these clubs. Of course, if one can grab the early momentum in the season series, it could certainly help build confidence for the next rivalry showdown. ... 

The New York Yankees will host the first place Boston Red Sox in the first of three Tuesday night. It’ll be the fourth installment of classic Yankee-Red Sox rivalry for the 2018 season. After a lull the rivalry, these two teams are back atop the AL East standings and battling for divisional supremacy. Kicking off this series, the Bronx Bombers are going with their best arm, Luis Severino, while the Red Sox have Drew Pomeranz lined up to take the ball. ... 

The Minnesota Twins split their first series in a National League park. They open another series with the pitchers stepping to the plate on Monday as they travel to Busch Stadium to take on the St. Louis Cardinals. Both these teams entered the season with playoff ambitions. Behind Monday’s likely starter Carlos Martinez, the Cardinals remain in a solid position to deliver on those expectations while the Twins will look to a rookie making his second career start in Fernando Romero to outduel the two-time All-Star. ... 

Not exactly a premier matchup, but the Detroit Tigers do sit in second place in the AL Central despite a lackluster 13-17 record. In the third game of a four-game series, the Tigers will face a familiar, divisional foe in the Kansas City Royals. The Royals are at the beginning of a rebuild and currently sit with the second worst record in the American League though they did take the first game of the series aginst the Tigers. ... 

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres will meet in the second game of a three-game international series held in Monterrey, Mexico. While the Dodgers were a World Series team last year, this showcase of Major League Baseball in Mexico may not quite be what it was supposed to be given the struggles of Los Angeles in both the box score and the injury list. The loss of Corey Seager still weighs on this team, but they may also still feel the loss of Rich Hill whose turn comes up again in this game. The Padres send Bryan Mitchell to the bump in this series middle game. ... 

Wrapping up a three-game set south of the border, the Los Angeles Dodgers should have their ace ready to make the start in this showcase game, giving fans in Mexico a real taste of Major League pitching. While Clayton Kershaw hasn’t been in peak form yet in 2018, he’s still pitching well and will have a chance to polish up against a lackluster San Diego Padres team that’ll counter the ace with a 23-year old rookie southpaw, Eric Lauer. ... 

One of the game’s best rivalries takes center stage on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals playing host to the Chicago Cubs in the finale of a three game weekend series. In the last couple years, the Cubs have had the edge in this series, but St. Louis is looking to close the gap in 2018. Starting in this game for the Cubs is veteran lefty Jon Lester while the Cardinals haven’t yet announced their starter. They could go with Michael Wacha on normal rest. ... 

The third game of a four-game rematch of the 2017 ALCS, the Houston Astros play host to the New York Yankees in a nationally televised Wednesday Night ESPN showing. Perhaps the best pitching matchup of the bunch, Luis Severino will oppose Dallas Keuchel. Keuchel had the better series in the ALCS, can he also win this matchup or is a beefed-up Yankee offense too much to overcome, particularly with Severino on the bump? ... 

The New York Yankees and Houston Astros are poised for a fun four-game series, a rematch of sorts to the 2017 ALCS where the Astros squeezed by the Yankees in a hard fought seven-game series. This series could be just as close. On the mound, Houston has the apparent advantage—at least to start—with Charlie Morton, Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. opposite Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka. The bullpen, however, is stronger in New York. Both teams though have the offense to overcome good pitching. ... 

We have a west coast, twilight start time for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball as Shohei Ohtani show gets some national, primetime air against the Evil Empire. The New York Yankees are back as a powerhouse team and the Los Angeles Angels have both the biggest name in the international arena and the best player in the game, making a very intriguing matchup. With a pair of southpaws on the mound in C.C. Sabathia and Tyler Skaggs, that just adds an extra wrinkle. ... 

Playing a bit better baseball, the Chicago Cubs got back to, and above, .500 while coming out of the gate slow for the second consecutive season. The Cubs are playing flat. They’ll look to get some momentum going over the weekend heading into the series opener against the Colorado Rockies on Monday. In a potential battle of aces, Jon Gray and Jon Lester are lined up for the start. While neither hurler is a classic ace at this point in their respective careers, they both are taking on that leadership role. ... 

The Los Angeles will host the New York Yankees over the weekend with a nationally televised game on Saturday night. These two teams are nearly even based on record and both will be looking to make a statement. For the Angels, they’ll try and show they can win at home after since their 11-2 road record is the main reason for their early success while the Bronx Bombers will see if their powerful offense can bomb anywhere outside of the Big Apple. A pitching matchup of two talented wildcards in Masahiro Tanaka and Garrett Richards brings added intrigue. ... 

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals meet for the middle game of a three-game weekend series on Saturday with both teams trending in opposite directions. Coming into the year, the Nationals were a favorite to win the NL, but currently sit under-.500 after a weak start. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks are off to an even better start than a year ago. They’ll send the red-hot Patrick Corbin to the hill on Saturday opposite Washington’s second choice in the rotation’s fifth spot, Jeremy Hellickson. ... 

In a 2016 World Series rematch, the Cleveland Indians host the Chicago Cubs in a brief two-game series starting on Tuesday. Both teams took their respective divisions again in 2017, but neither were repeat visitors to the Fall Classic. Here in the early going of 2018, the Tribe has ascended back to the top of the AL Central, but the Cubbies, at a game over-.500 sit in fourth place, eager to start playing better baseball. Some of that improvement will need to come from the rotation where Tyler Chatwood will lead the Cubs into battle on Tuesday as Josh Tomlin takes the hill for Cleveland. ... 

The Houston Astros will face-off against their biggest competition for the AL West crown in a three-game series beginning Monday, playing host to the Los Angeles Angels who come into the series 9-1 away from home. The Astros are an even better team—at least on paper—than the one that won the World Series last year, but the Angels are quite possibly the most improved team in the AL provided the pitching holds up. Prior to a sweep at the hands of the red-hot Red Sox, the Angels were 13-4 and sitting atop the division. Can they curtain their losing ways and regain ground against the ‘Stros in this series? ... 

The Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees kick off a four-game series on Monday with their first matchup since meeting in the AL Wild Card game last October. The Yankees won a wild one in the Bronx that day. They’ll be looking for a similar result, but a much less eventful path to the victory on Monday. So far this year, the Twins have been the better team based on record, but New York has held in there in spite of a rash of injuries. ... 

This week, ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball will feature two teams trying to rebound off tough starts as the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers close out an important three-game series in La La Land. Both teams have had to deal with their share of adversity early, but both have started playing better baseball. With Alex Wood and Jeremy Hellickson on the bump, which team will close out the series with a win in prime time on national television.... 

It’s been a dreadful start to the season for the Baltimore Orioles who are coming off a sweep at the hands of the Tigers. Baltimore is now nine games under-.500 and needs to get back on track quickly. They have another tough matchup on Saturday in the middle game of a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians. The Orioles send their troubled starter Chris Tillman to the hill hoping for better results than he’s shown the last two years while the Tribe has a much more reliable Mike Clevinger toeing the rubber. ... 

Preseason, many saw this Washington Nationals versus Los Angeles Dodgers matchup as a possible early postseason preview. That, of course, could still be the case, but both the Nationals and the Dodgers need to play better baseball to get to October atop their respective divisions. The defending National League champion Dodgers have come out of the gate flat while the Nationals have struggled through some injuries in the cold, unable to capture any momentum either.... 

In the second game of the two-game showcase series in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Minnesota Twins will serve as the home team for the second straight night, ‘hosting’ the Cleveland Indians. Losing two home games as part of the Commissioner’s initiative to spread the game internationally is a concession for the Twinkies, but a win would put the concern behind them. After a battle of Opening Day starters on Tuesday, Wednesday’s pitching matchup may be even better with Carlos Carrasco and Jose Berrios going toe-to-toe as the battle for the AL Central continues. ... 

In an early glimpse into a potential American League Central divisional showdown, the Minnesota Twins will host the Cleveland Indians in the first of 19 match ups on Tuesday night. The Twins figure to be the primary competition for the Tribe as they look for another AL Central title and deep postseason run. Minnesota made several offseason acquisitions to help close the gap including the addition of pitchers such as Jake Odorizzi who gets the ball on Tuesday opposite Indians’ ace Corey Kluber. ...