Sports World: August 2010

Atlanta Braves vs Chicago Cubs Live Streaming

Friday, August 20, 2010

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2:20 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

Derrek Lee went from a team near the bottom of its division to a playoff contender. In an ironic twist, his first game with the Atlanta Braves will come as a visitor against his former club. Lee is expected to make his debut with the NL East-leading Braves on Friday when they open a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Atlanta acquired the veteran first baseman from Chicago on Wednesday for three minor league pitchers. Lee hit .298 with 179 homers and 574 RBIs over seven seasons with the Cubs and helped lead them to the playoffs in 2007 and 2008. He was batting .251 this season for Chicago, which is fifth in the NL Central. Lee joins an Atlanta team locked in a tight playoff race with Philadelphia. He replaces Troy Glaus, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list this week due to a sore left knee.

The Braves open their series in Chicago after suffering a 6-2 loss to Washington on Thursday, snapping a four-game winning streak. Atlanta had its chances, but went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. After a 5-2 homestand, the Braves now head out on a six-game road trip, including three in Colorado. They have won six of their last seven series at Wrigley Field. The Braves will face a Chicago team that has lost 18 of 22 and was outscored 20-9 by San Diego this week in a four-game sweep. The Cubs lost 5-3 Thursday for their seventh straight defeat at home - their worst losing streak at Wrigley Field since a nine-game slide May 31-June 27, 2006. While the Cubs have struggled overall, Dempster has won his last three starts while giving up three total earned runs. He allowed two in 6 2-3 innings of a 9-7 win over St. Louis on Sunday.

Cleveland Indians vs Detroit Tigers Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

Armando Galarraga’s last start against the Cleveland Indians featured a major controversy, with umpire Jim Joyce blowing a call that cost the pitcher a perfect game. Galarraga is trying to put another kind of controversy behind him heading into this rematch. He’ll face the Indians at home again after getting into an argument with catcher Alex Avila during his last start when the Detroit Tigers open a three-game set Friday night. On June 2, Galarraga came within one out of a perfect game when Joyce called Jason Donald safe at first base after a grounder. Replays showed that Donald was out. Galarraga was praised for his sportsmanship in the aftermath of the call, meeting Joyce at home plate the next day when the teams exchanged lineups to help console the embattled umpire.

Detroit has won 12 of 15 at home against Cleveland, but it was a four-game road series against the Indians that began the club’s slide. The Tigers were one-half game out of first place at the All-Star break before being swept by the Indians from July 16-18. Miguel Cabrera had two singles in 14 at-bats in that series. He went 11 for 25 with two homers and seven RBIs to help Detroit win six of its first eight against Cleveland. Cabrera has hit five homers in his last five games. Three of them came in Detroit’s last two contests, but that wasn’t enough to keep the Tigers from losing the final three games of a four-game set to New York. They fell 11-5 on Thursday after yielding nine runs in the sixth inning.

Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The Philadelphia Phillies got a shaky start and little offensive production Thursday as they missed a chance to cut into their NL East deficit. It’s hard to imagine those struggles continuing when they welcome in the Washington Nationals. A colossal pitching mismatch appears to be on tap for Friday’s opener at Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies look for a sixth straight win from Roy Halladay while trying to add to Nationals right-hander Jason Marquis’ misery. Washington topped Atlanta 6-2 on Thursday afternoon, giving Philadelphia a chance to pull within 1 1/2 games of the division-leading Braves. The Phillies failed to take advantage Thursday night. Philadelphia had one hit through eight innings against San Francisco’s Jonathan Sanchez, and a mild rally in the ninth went for naught in a 5-2 defeat.

The Phillies haven’t lost consecutive games since dropping their final two of July at Washington, but it would be a major surprise if the Nationals can saddle the NL champs with another set of back-to-back losses. Halladay has won his last five starts, allowing one run or fewer in four of them. He lowered his ERA to 2.24 - third-best in the majors - by holding the Mets to four hits over eight innings Saturday in a 4-0 victory at Citi Field. Halladay’s lone start at Washington this season was also his first with Philadelphia. The right-hander gave up one run and six hits while striking out nine over seven innings of an 11-1 opening-day win.

Texas Rangers vs Baltimore Orioles Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The Texas Rangers have built a sizable lead in the AL West in large part by thriving against division rivals. Facing AL East teams, however, has been a different story for the Rangers, even matchups with the last-place Baltimore Orioles. As he searches for a fifth consecutive win, left-hander C.J. Wilson will try to help Texas snap a four-game overall slide and a five-game losing streak to Baltimore on Friday night. The Rangers hold a seven-game lead in their division as they continue a four-game series at Camden Yards. A 23-14 mark against the three other West clubs has helped build that advantage, but they’re just 12-22 against the East—2-5 versus the AL-worst Orioles.

Texas was shut out for the second time this season in its latest defeat to Baltimore on Thursday night, managing six singles and a double in the 4-0 defeat. The Rangers have lost a season high-tying six straight on the road and dropped eight of 11 overall. The Rangers have batted .227 during their four consecutive defeats - 47 points below their season average. Josh Hamilton is hitless in 11 at-bats and 1 for 16 in his last five games. Michael Young went 1 for 4 in his return from neck stiffness Thursday, but Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz are both on the disabled list. The team’s pitching staff hasn’t been much better with a 5.53 ERA over the last 11 games, including a 7.59 mark in its last four. Wilson has been a notable exception to that trend, going 4-0 with a 2.72 ERA in his last six starts.

New York Mets vs Pittsburgh Pirates Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ troubles, on the other hand, are nothing new. A loss to the Mets in Friday’s series opener at PNC Park would guarantee the Pirates an 18th consecutive losing season, extending their record among all major North American professional sports franchises. It’s been all downhill for the Mets since they won eight in a row from June 10-18 to pull within a half-game of Atlanta for first place in the NL East. New York is 21-33 over the past two months, has fallen 11 games out of first and is facing a grievance from the players’ union over how it’s handled the fallout from Francisco Rodriguez’s altercation with his girlfriend’s father. The Mets’ punchless offense, though, remains their biggest problem. They’ve totaled 14 runs in seven games after Thursday’s 3-2 loss in Houston.

While New York’s descent still has it hovering around .500, that’s a place the Pirates haven’t been this late in the season since 1998. Thursday’s 4-2 loss to Florida guaranteed Pittsburgh its 18th straight non-winning season, extending its own dismal streak a year after surpassing the 1933-48 Philadelphia Phillies’ record for futility. Mike Pelfrey would seem to give the Mets an edge as the clubs meet for the first time in 2010, but the right-hander is 1-5 with a 6.64 ERA in his last eight starts and has seen his ERA rise from 2.93 since July 1. He’s been solid in his last two outings, though. Pelfrey held Colorado to four hits over seven innings in a 1-0 win Aug. 10, then limited Philadelphia to three runs in seven innings of a 3-1 loss Sunday.

Seattle Mariners vs New York Yankees Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The New York Yankees have never been swept in a three-game series at their new ballpark. The Seattle Mariners were nearly the first to accomplish that feat in their last visit to the Bronx. New York looks to win its fourth in a row when it begins a three-game set at Yankee Stadium against the last-place Mariners on Friday night. Since the new Yankee Stadium opened last season, New York has posted a major league-best 97-45 home record. Despite Alex Rodriguez missing his third straight game with a strained left calf, the Yankees won their first series this month and improved to 40-21 at home with an 11-5 win over Detroit on Thursday. Second baseman Robinson Cano is batting .417 while homering in a career-best three straight games, and Curtis Granderson is 3 for 10 with two homers during that stretch.

The Mariners are averaging a league-low 3.3 runs and are among the worst in the AL with 75 homers, but they are looking to build on back-to-back victories over Baltimore that improved their record to 6-3 under interim manager Daren Brown. Rookie Matt Tuiasosopo has two homers and seven RBIs in the last two games and could start in the infield Friday with Michael Saunders expected to return to left field after sitting with a sore right shoulder. Seattle continues its season-high 12-game trip against A.J. Burnett, who hasn’t won in his last two starts despite a pair of solid outings. The right-hander has a 2.40 ERA in those appearances, allowing one run and four hits over a season high-tying eight innings in a 1-0 loss at Kansas City on Sunday.

Houston Astros vs Florida Marlins Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The Florida Marlins may be at the .500 mark, but they are seeing steady development from their top prospects. A crop of talented rookies looks to lead the Marlins their fourth straight win Friday as they open a three-game series with the visiting Houston Astros. Florida boasts three of the most promising rookies in the game in Gaby Sanchez, Logan Morrison and Mike Stanton. Stanton earned player of the week honors last week, hitting .583 with four homers and eight RBIs. The 20-year-old outfielder has 14 home runs in his first 59 games in the big leagues. Stanton’s teammate in the outfield, Morrison has shown potential in his 20 major league games. He’s batting .382 during a nine-game hitting streak, and has had at least one hit in all but two games he’s played.

Sanchez hit a three-run homer Thursday night and another rookie, Alex Sanabia pitched 7 2-3 innings of four-hit ball as Florida beat Pittsburgh 4-2. Florida’s young talent should continue to benefit from the example of veteran infielder Wes Helms, who signed a one-year contract extension Thursday. The left-hander is 2-1 with a 4.66 ERA in four starts in an Astros uniform since coming over in the Roy Oswalt trade. He gave up two runs and three hits Sunday in six innings of an 8-2 victory over Pittsburgh. Happ is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in two career starts versus the Marlins. Anibal Sanchez will get the start for Florida. The right-hander gave up two runs in six innings Sunday as the Marlins fell 2-0 to Cincinnati. It marked the fourth consecutive loss in which Florida’s offense supported Sanchez with either one run or none.

Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

As the Boston Red Sox attempt to get back in the playoff chase, they may not mind having the Toronto Blue Jays in town - and they’ll certainly be happy to have ace Jon Lester on the mound. Lester looks to extend his 14 1-3-inning scoreless streak while the Red Sox seek a 10th victory in 13 meetings with the Blue Jays on Friday night. Boston also dominated its season series with Los Angeles, but its lone loss in 10 games against the Angels was a 7-2 defeat Thursday night. That dropped the third-place Red Sox 6 1/2 games out of first in the AL East, and they also played without star second baseman Dustin Pedroia. The 2008 AL MVP was activated from the disabled list Tuesday after recovering from a broken left foot.

Boston struggled offensively without Pedroia, but the club has averaged 6.3 runs while going 9-3 against the Blue Jays this year. The Red Sox may not need much offense if Lester continues to dominate. The left-hander lost his first four starts after the All-Star break, but has responded with outstanding performances in his last two outings. Lester pitched 14 1-3 shutout innings in road victories over New York and Texas, both among the highest-scoring teams in the major leagues. He held the Rangers to five hits without a walk in eight innings of a 3-1 win Saturday. The Blue Jays have struggled to solve Lester, who is 5-1 with a 1.79 ERA against Toronto since the start of last year. He has posted a 1.38 ERA while winning both starts versus the Blue Jays in 2010.

San Diego Padres vs Milwaukee Brewers Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The San Diego Padres have put themselves in position to win their first NL West title in four seasons at the expense of the Central division. The Padres look to win six straight road games for the first time in four seasons Friday and extend their dominance of the NL Central as they begin a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers. San Diego, which owns the NL’s largest divisional lead, is 22-5 against the Central following its first four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs with Thursday’s 5-3 victory. By comparison, the Padres are 26-21 versus the West, including a 12-12 combined mark against the bottom two teams in the division - Arizona and the Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego, a NL-best 37-25 on the road and a season-best 26 games above. 500, will give the ball to Wade LeBlanc as it seeks its longest win streak away from Petco Park since an eight-game stretch April 19-May 14, 2006.

LeBlanc allowed eight hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 9-0 win over the visiting Brewers on April 29. Milwaukee, which lost three of four in San Diego from April 29-May 2, counters with Yovani Gallardo, who is 3-1 with a 4.55 ERA since returning from the disabled list with a right oblique strain. Looking to win his third straight decision, the right-hander walked three and gave up four runs and seven hits over seven innings of Friday’s 5-4 loss at Colorado. It was Gallardo’s longest outing since June 24. Gallardo struck out 11 and yielded one run in seven innings of a 2-1 victory in San Diego on May 1. Brewers third baseman Casey McGehee is 1 for 9 against the Padres this season, but he is batting .383 with five homers and 19 RBIs in his last 15 games.

Los Angeles Angels vs Minnesota Twins Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The Los Angeles Angels shipped out four players in exchange for Dan Haren last month in hopes of bolstering their starting rotation for the stretch run. Without giving up anything, the first-place Minnesota Twins have gotten a major boost from Brian Duensing. While Duensing tries to build on his first career shutout, Haren will be looking for his first road win in more than three months Friday night as the Angels make their first visit to Target Field. Los Angeles sent left-hander Joe Saunders and three minor leaguers to Arizona on July 25, adding Haren in their attempt to make a last-ditch run at a fourth consecutive AL West title. Although Haren hasn’t pitched poorly with his new team, the Angels have lost four of his five starts. They remain seven games behind Texas despite gaining ground with Thursday’s 7-2 win over Boston.

The surging Twins have been doing plenty of that, seizing a four-game lead over Chicago in the AL Central with a major league-best 24-9 run since the All-Star break. Minnesota had won six in a row overall and nine straight at home before losing 11-0 to the White Sox on Thursday, and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire knows his team still has work to do. With struggling starter Nick Blackburn in the minors, Duensing has provided a major lift for the Twins’ rotation, going 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA in five starts after making his first 39 appearances of 2010 in relief. After the left-hander pitched a three-hitter in a 2-0 win over Oakland on Saturday, Gardenhire compared him to former Minnesota ace Johan Santana in terms of his transition from the bullpen.

Chicago White Sox vs Kansas City Royals Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The Chicago White Sox will try to make up ground by taking advantage of a more favorable schedule. Another strong start from surprising recent acquisition Edwin Jackson could get that stretch off to a positive start. The right-hander will try to stay unbeaten with the White Sox as they open a three-game series at the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Chicago routed Minnesota 11-0 on Thursday, but one-run losses in the previous two games at Target Field helped drop the White Sox four back of the Twins in the division. Before meeting Minnesota again Sept. 14, Guillen’s club will attempt to climb back towards first place while playing 16 of their next 22 contests against sub-.500 clubs.

The White Sox swept Kansas City in the most recent matchup July 9-11 at U.S. Cellular Field and enter the opener having produced double-digit hits in six consecutive games, including a season-high 21 on Thursday. They’ll also send out Jackson, who has a string of impressive outings since returning to the AL in a trade with Arizona on July 30. The right-hander lost his final four games with the Diamondbacks but has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his three starts for Chicago. Jackson, who also pitched for Tampa Bay and Detroit, gave up one run over seven innings and struck out 11 in his home debut, a 3-2 loss to the Tigers on Saturday. Jackson is 3-3 with a 5.08 ERA in six career starts against the Royals and 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA in two at Kauffman Stadium.

San Francisco Giants vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Streaming

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8:15 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants have resulted in the clubs falling behind in their respective division races. The wild-card lead, however, is well within reach. The Cardinals try to avoid a season-high fifth straight loss Friday night when they start a three-game home series against a Giants team that has dropped nine of 15. St. Louis has fallen 3 1/2 games behind NL Central leader Cincinnati, while San Francisco trails West leader San Diego by six games. The Giants, though, are one game behind Philadelphia for the wild card, with the Cardinals two back. Despite Albert Pujols’ eight homers in his last 15 games, the Cardinals have had problems scoring lately. Cleanup hitter Matt Holliday is 2 for 15 and Yadier Molina, who has started 21 consecutive games at catcher, is 1 for 13.

St. Louis made a move Thursday that was more about defense, acquiring third baseman Pedro Feliz from Houston. Feliz batted .221 with four homers and 31 RBIs for the Astros, but his .967 fielding percentage is better than slumping Felipe Lopez’s.925 mark at third base and was a major factor in the trade. The Cardinals will get their first look at Madison Bumgarner, who has recorded all of his victories on the road. He gave up two runs over seven innings of a 3-2, 11-inning win over San Diego on Saturday. The left-hander has gone 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in his last four outings after going 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his previous four. The Giants ended a three-game slide with a 5-2 victory over the Phillies on Thursday. Rookie Buster Posey had two hits and two RBIs and Jonathan Sanchez took a shutout into the ninth inning.

Colorado Rockies vs Arizona Diamondbacks Live Streaming

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9:40 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The Colorado Rockies have alternated wins and losses in every game this month. A road series against the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks appears to be a good opportunity to break that cycle. The Rockies begin a three-game set Friday night against a Diamondbacks club that has dropped four in a row at Chase Field. Colorado lost 2-0 to Los Angeles on Thursday to fall to 7-8 in August. A win over Chicago on Aug. 1 was the Rockies’ fourth in a row, but they’ve been alternating defeats and victories since. Colorado was shut out for the fourth time in nine games Thursday, with the club’s only two hits coming on a double by Dexter Fowler and a single from Troy Tulowitzki. The Rockies have batted .187 over the last seven contests.

The Diamondbacks, though, took two of three from the Rockies at Chase Field from June 4-6, with each game being decided by one run. The Rockies have batted .217 while dropping 16 of 22 on the road. Colorado may have a tough time raising that average if Carlos Gonzalez can’t play in this series. The outfielder, who leads the team with a .325 average, 18 homers and 79 RBIs, sat out Thursday with a right knee contusion. He was injured the previous night when he crashed into the wall at Dodger Stadium while making a catch. Manager Jim Tracy said Gonzalez isn’t expected to be placed on the disabled list, but the slugger was limping around the clubhouse Thursday and said the pain hadn’t lessened. Colorado will send Esmil Rogers to the mound Friday. The right-hander was called up Aug. 8 to replace the injured Aaron Cook in the rotation and has gone 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts since.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics Live Streaming

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10:05 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

Jeremy Hellickson has done more than the Tampa Bay Rays could have expected in his first three major league starts. After Friday night’s outing, however, he may be headed to the bullpen. The red-hot rookie will try to improve to 4-0 in what may be his final start of the season as the visiting Rays look to rebound from a series-opening loss to the Oakland Athletics. Hellickson has risen from the minors to fill a void in the Rays’ rotation, providing a major boost with Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann on the disabled list. The highly-touted right-hander held Baltimore to one run and three hits in six innings of Sunday’s 3-2 win, becoming the first player since 1920 to pitch at least six innings and give up three hits or fewer in each of his first three big league games.

Tampa Bay’s original plan had been to use the 23-year-old Hellickson in relief, as the club did with left-hander David Price when he was first called up in 2008. That outcome may come to fruition next week if Davis and Niemann can return from shoulder strains. First, Hellickson hopes to help the Rays regain a share of the AL East lead. While Tampa Bay slipped one game behind New York on Thursday night, the club still leads Boston by 5 1/2 games for the wild card. The Rays had won five straight before opening this four-game series with a 4-3 loss. It was their first game against the A’s since May 9, when Dallas Braden pitched a perfect game against them.

Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Streaming

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10:10 pm EDT Fri Aug 20, 2010

The Cincinnati Reds have their first six-game winning streak of the season after their offense broke out during a three-game sweep to begin a lengthy road trip. They’ll need every bit of momentum they can muster heading into Los Angeles. The NL Central leaders have lost 12 consecutive road games against the Dodgers, but they’ll hope for better luck in Friday’s series opener as Homer Bailey tries to build upon an impressive return to the rotation. Cincinnati swept Florida prior to departing on its nine-game road trip and didn’t let up against NL West-worst Arizona. The Reds hit .348 and totaled 26 runs at Chase Field, finishing a three-game sweep with a 9-5 win Thursday that increased their division lead to 3 1/2 games over St. Louis.

Dusty Baker’s club last won seven straight Aug. 31-Sept. 6, but reaching that mark Friday won’t be easy. Cincinnati has not won at Chavez Ravine since 2006, getting outscored 78-39 in that span. Then again, the Reds have a good chance to snap their skid if Bailey pitches as well as he did Sunday against Florida. Making his first start in nearly three months, the former first-round pick held the Marlins to three hits in six innings without a walk in a 2-0 victory. Bailey is 1-1 with a 6.19 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers, one of which extended Cincinnati’s slide in Los Angeles. The right-hander gave up nine runs - six earned - over 2 2-3 innings in a 12-3 loss July 21, 2009.

Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves Live Streaming

Thursday, August 19, 2010

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1:05 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

Derrek Lee is not expected to play for the Atlanta Braves until the club visits Chicago this weekend. They’ll try to have their new acquisition join a team on a five-game winning streak when they go for a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals on Thursday. In its push for the NL East title, Atlanta picked up Lee and cash considerations from the Cubs for three pitching prospects Wednesday. Knee injuries to third baseman Chipper Jones and first baseman Troy Glaus compelled the Braves to make the deal. Jones is done for the year, while Glaus went on the 15-day disabled list before Wednesday night’s 3-2 win over the Nationals.

The first-place Braves have a 2 1/2-game edge over surging Philadelphia, staying ahead of the Phillies by winning 11 of 14. Atlanta’s latest victory came on Jason Heyward’s two-out single in the ninth inning. Martin Prado had two hits and is 5 for 8 since returning from the DL on Tuesday. The victory Wednesday was the Braves’ 21st on their final swing, the most in baseball. Atlanta improved to a major league-best 44-16 at home. Derek Lowe will try to help his team to its first five-game win streak since June 16-20 while adding to his string of strong outings this month. The right-hander has posted a 2.08 ERA in three starts in August. Lowe was outstanding again Saturday but didn’t get much support, suffering a 2-1 loss to Los Angeles after giving up one run over six innings.

Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees Live Streaming

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1:05 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

The New York Yankees have shown plenty of power against the Detroit Tigers this week.
There may be another kind of fireworks on display as the teams finish their four-game set. Tempers have begun to flare after a series of incidents in the Bronx, but the Yankees would prefer to settle the score with a third consecutive victory Thursday afternoon. It’s unclear if Alex Rodriguez will be able to play after missing the last two games with a calf injury, but the Yankees haven’t missed his bat. New York has piled up 15 runs and five homers while winning consecutive games to keep pace with Tampa Bay, which is tied with the Yankees atop the AL East.

The barrage of home runs has been no surprise considering there have been more homers at Yankee Stadium than any ballpark this year, but the rising tensions were unexpected. After Detroit’s Carlos Guillen was injured on a hard slide by Brett Gardner in Monday’s series opener, Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman hit Gardner with his first pitch Wednesday. Both benches were warned, but no players were ejected after the Yankees hit Cabrera and the Tigers threw behind Derek Jeter later in the game. Tigers manager Jim Leyland was the only man ejected after arguing with crew chief Eric Cooper. Hughes, however, will be trying to snap a trend of alternating wins and losses that has lasted for seven starts. He pitched six innings in an 8-3 victory at Kansas City on Saturday, winning despite not recording a strikeout for the first time this season.

San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs Live Streaming

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2:20 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

San Diego, which had dropped five in a row at Wrigley prior to this series, has outscored the Cubs 15-6 in the first three games this week and is 25 games above .500 for the first time since its pennant-winning season of 1998. The Padres will now go for their first sweep of any length in Chicago since May 12-14, 2006. The San Diego Padres have never swept a four-game series at Wrigley Field. Mat Latos could help them accomplish that feat. The NL West-leading Padres look to win their season-high fifth straight road game Thursday when the impressive Latos takes the mound against the slumping Chicago Cubs and Carlos Zambrano - making his first start at Wrigley Field in nearly two months.

San Diego has won nine of 10, with its starting pitchers going 9-0 with a 1.58 ERA in that stretch. Latos continues to be the most impressive member of the rotation. The 22-year-old right-hander is 7-1 with a 1.43 ERA while going a franchise-best 11 straight starts allowing two runs or fewer. He struck out a career high-tying nine and yielded one run in six innings of Saturday’s 3-2, 11-inning loss in San Francisco. This will be Latos’ first career start at Wrigley. In a 7-1 home loss to Chicago on Aug. 19, 2009, he lasted 3 2-3 innings, walking four and giving up five runs and seven hits. The Cubs, losers of 17 of 21 overall, give the ball to Zambrano as they try to avoid their seventh straight defeat at Wrigley, which would be the club’s longest such skid since an 0-9 stretch May 31-June 27, 2006.

Texas Rangers vs Baltimore Orioles Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

The Rangers remain comfortably ahead of Los Angeles and Oakland as they chase their first division title since 1999, but they allowed 24 runs while getting swept in a three-game series at Tampa Bay this week. Texas first must end a five-game road losing streak and improve its 4-12 record in AL East ballparks this year. The Rangers are 12-21 overall against that division, including 2-4 against the last-place Orioles. Baltimore swept a four-game series in Arlington from July 8-11, which remains the Orioles’ lone road sweep this season. Showalter, who replaced interim Orioles manager Juan Samuel on Aug. 3, managed Texas from 2003-06 and still lives in Dallas. He said he has always supported the Rangers.

The Baltimore Orioles were solely responsible for the Texas Rangers’ last four-game losing streak, sending the AL West leaders stumbling into the All-Star break with a sweep. This time, they’d settle for simply extending Texas’ skid, which is at three as the Rangers arrive in Baltimore to begin a four-game series against their former manager Buck Showalter’s Orioles on Thursday night. The Orioles won eight of their first nine games under Showalter, but they’ve dropped four of their last five, including two of three to visiting Seattle this week. Their problems may continue against Texas’ Colby Lewis, who continues to pitch well despite going 0-4 in his last five starts. Lewis hasn’t won since July 16 at Boston, but poor run support has been the primary reason. The right-hander has a 2.76 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 32 2-3 innings in his last five outings, but the Rangers have scored a total of four runs for him in that stretch.

Florida Marlins vs Pittsburgh Pirates Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

Florida swept Washington in the nation’s capital from Aug. 10-12 - giving it four straight wins overall - before ending up on the other end of a sweep in Cincinnati. The slide extended to four with a 7-1 loss Monday at Pittsburgh, but the Marlins have made a bid to end the trip on a high note. Ricky Nolasco pitched six strong innings in a 6-0 win Tuesday and Josh Johnson snapped his five-start winless streak by going eight innings in Wednesday’s 3-2 victory. The Florida Marlins would love to close their 10-game road trip the same way they opened it - with a third straight victory. Consecutive wins over the Pittsburgh Pirates have given them a chance, and they’ll try to wrap up just their second series victory at PNC Park in nine years Thursday night.

Florida has never won three in a row at PNC Park, and it’s only won one road series against the Pirates since 2002. It’ll try to end that drought Thursday against Paul Maholm, and should have a good chance. The Marlins are hitting .323 against left-handers since July 23 while winning six of the seven times a southpaw has started against them. A pair of rookies have led the way. Left fielder Logan Morrison is 6 for 17 with three RBIs and three walks versus lefties in that stretch, while right fielder Mike Stanton is 6 for 19 with a homer, four doubles and six RBIs. Maholm lost for the fourth time in five starts Saturday at Houston, but delivered his best outing of the bunch. Maholm had a 9.90 ERA in his previous four starts before holding Houston to three runs over 6 2-3 innings in a 3-2 loss.

San Francisco Giants vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

The Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants are battling for the NL wild card, and the Phillies have a chance to gain a significant edge in the race. Philadelphia will look to complete a three-game sweep of the Giants and win its fifth straight overall Thursday night. The Phillies began this set tied with San Francisco in the wild-card race, but have an opportunity to end it with a three-game lead after beating the Giants 9-3 in the series opener and 8-2 on Wednesday. Philadelphia, which is a major league-best 20-5 since a July 21 loss to St. Louis, trails NL East leader Atlanta by 2 1/2 games. Jimmy Rollins led the way for the Phillies with a three-run homer and a triple in Wednesday’s win while double-play partner Chase Utley got his first hit since returning from thumb surgery, breaking an 0-for-7 slide with a swinging-bunt single.

San Francisco failed to get a win from its starting pitcher for the 14th consecutive game as Matt Cain yielded five runs in six innings. The Giants’ rotation, usually one of the team’s strengths, is 0-9 with a 5.97 ERA during that stretch. Jonathan Sanchez will try and turn things around for the Giants, who have fallen six games behind first-place San Diego in the NL West, their biggest deficit since July 6. Sanchez guaranteed a sweep of the Padres last weekend, but could not deliver on his promise, giving up three runs in 5 1-3 innings of San Francisco’s 3-2, series-opening loss to San Diego on Friday.

Los Angeles Angels vs Boston Red Sox Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

The Red Sox seek to complete a sweep of their 10-game season series with the Angels when the teams conclude a three-game set Thursday night at Fenway Park. Forced to field a makeshift lineup for much of the season due to a spate of injuries, Boston hasn’t won more than three straight games since June and trails AL East co-leaders New York and Tampa Bay by 5 1/2 games, with the runner-up likely to earn the wild card. The Red Sox got 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia back from a broken left foot Tuesday, but revealed Wednesday that Mike Cameron will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle. Fellow outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury also may not play again this year after re-aggravating a broken rib in his back last week.

The Red Sox won 7-5, improving to 9-0 in the season series with Los Angeles. Boston has averaged 7.3 runs while batting .327 in those games. The Angels, meanwhile, will now try to avoid their fifth losing streak this season of at least four games. Two of the previous four skids concluded with sweeps at the hands of Boston. Scioscia will give the ball to Ervin Santana in an attempt to cool off the Boston bats. The right-hander pitched well at Fenway on May 4, limiting the Red Sox to one run over seven innings, but wound up without a decision in a 5-1 loss. He is 1-2 with a 4.61 ERA in seven starts versus Boston.

New York Mets vs Houston Astros Live Streaming

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8:05 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

The Mets will try to pull off that feat Thursday night against the Houston Astros but facing a rejuvenated Bud Norris might not help their chances. In the latest development concerning Rodriguez, the players’ union filed a grievance Wednesday to challenge the Mets’ placement of their closer on the disqualified list two days earlier. That move came after the team discovered Rodriguez had injured a ligament in the thumb of his pitching hand while punching his girlfriend’s father after a game Aug. 11. Rodriguez is expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery Monday. The team is trying to convert his three-year, $37 million deal to non-guaranteed, meaning it could avoid paying most of that contract. Rodriguez’s salary has also been withheld while he’s on the disqualified list.

In Rodriguez’s place, Manny Acosta earned his first save this season - and fourth of his career - in Wednesday’s 3-2 victory in 14 innings. Jose Reyes scored the winning run and matched a season high with four hits. Hisanori Takahashi picked up the team’s only other save since Rodriguez’s arrest during a 3-1 series-opening win. If the Mets can earn another victory Thursday, it would give them their first road series win since a three-game sweep of Cleveland on June 15-17. Even with two wins in three games over Houston, New York is 10-20 away from home since that series with the Indians. The Mets have also failed to score more than three runs in six straight games and have hit a major league-worst .214 while going 12-20 since the All-Star break.

Cleveland Indians vs Kansas City Royals Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

The Royals will try to build off that game while attempting to earn their fourth straight win overall and sixth in a row over the Cleveland Indians in Thursday night’s series finale at Kauffman Stadium. Yuniesky Betancourt had two hits and three RBIs on Wednesday night as Kansas City endured a Cleveland rally for a 9-7 victory, scoring its highest run total since June 27. The Royals had batted .228 in their previous 14 games - 48 points lower than their season average - and averaged a little more than two runs per contest. Kyle Davies will try to continue that run while building off his own solid outing, Friday’s 4-3 victory over the Yankees. He allowed three runs and seven hits over five innings in that win but hasn’t beaten any team but the Yankees since May 28.

Having lost his past four decisions, Mitch Talbot seems an unlikely candidate to change those trends. The right-hander, who recently spent time on the disabled list, has a 5.53 ERA over his last six starts but has also received 10 runs of support since his previous win June 27. He was tagged for six runs over four innings in his return from a strained back in Saturday’s 9-3 loss to Seattle. In his only start against Kansas City on May 20, Talbot was reached for six runs over six innings as his team fell by the same 9-3 margin. A similar performance on Thursday could help the Royals complete their first home sweep of the Indians since May 8-10, 2006.

Chicago White Sox vs Minnesota Twins Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

The Minnesota Twins have plenty to do before the AL Central crown is theirs, but they can certainly deal a big blow to the Chicago White Sox’s hopes Thursday night. The Twins look to make it seven straight wins by finishing a sweep of the White Sox, who could find themselves six games out of first place with just three left against their division rivals. Minnesota was tied for second in the Central with Detroit on July 21, 3 1/2 games behind Chicago. A lot has changed in a month. As the Tigers have plummeted out of the race, Minnesota is threatening to distance itself from the White Sox. The Twins went a season-high five games up in the Central with a 7-6 win over manager Ozzie Guillen’s club Wednesday.

The Twins have taken seven of nine from the White Sox since the All-Star break, and Mauer has been the catalyst. The reigning AL MVP is hitting .450 with two homers, six doubles and 10 RBIs in that span. Mauer hasn’t always enjoyed facing Mark Buehrle, who will try to help Chicago avoid its first road sweep since April 16-18. Minnesota’s catcher is hitting .256 against the right-hander. Buehrle knows the Twins’ lineup as well as anyone. He is 24-17 with a 4.08 ERA against Ron Gardenhire’s club, can pass Roger Clemens for the second-most victories versus Minnesota on Thursday. Hall of Famer Whitey Ford has the most with 29. While Mauer hasn’t had much success against Buehrle, Denard Span and Delmon Young have. Buehrle has gone 8-3 with a 2.92 ERA in his last 12 outings. He gave up three runs over 6 1-3 innings of an 8-4 win over Detroit on Friday.

Cincinnati Reds vs Arizona Diamondbacks Live Streaming

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9:40 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

The Reds failed in three previous attempts to get to six, but figure to have a great shot Thursday night as they seek an eighth straight road win over the pitching-starved Arizona Diamondbacks. Cincinnati was swept by St. Louis from Aug. 9-11 to fall a game behind the Cardinals in the Central race, and many felt that was the last time Dusty Baker’s surprising club would see first place. Instead, the Reds are threatening to build a commanding lead. Cincinnati is three games up on St. Louis after winning its fifth straight Wednesday, rallying for eight runs over the final two innings in an 11-7 victory over Arizona.

Despite scoring in double digits for the 13th time, Cincinnati would love to get its No. 3 hitter back Thursday. Joey Votto, the Reds’ leader in average, homers and RBIs, was scratched Wednesday due to tightness in his back and is day to day. Votto is the biggest reason why Cincinnati leads the NL with 4.9 runs per game and a .272 batting average, but the club should feel good about its chances Thursday even if he can’t go. The Reds have averaged 6.9 runs in winning seven straight at Chase Field, and they’ll get another crack at Arizona’s dreadful pitching staff. After Wednesday’s bullpen implosion pushed the relief corps’ ERA to a major league-worst 6.29, the Diamondbacks would appreciate a strong start from Joe Saunders. The left-hander gave up four runs and 10 hits over six innings in a 4-2 loss at Washington on Friday.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics Live Streaming

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10:05 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

Sweeping one of the AL’s best clubs was a great way for the Tampa Bay Rays to cap off a homestand. Facing Oakland Athletics ace Trevor Cahill could make it tough for the Rays to open their West Coast trip on a positive note. Tampa Bay tries to extend its winning streak to six Thursday night when it opens a four-game set with an A’s club that’s won its last six home series. Since dropping a season-high five straight, the Rays have won seven of nine, including three from AL West-leading Texas in a series that ended with Wednesday’s 8-6 victory. Evan Longoria, who went 3 for 4 with a homer and a season high-tying four RBIs in the finale, batted .476 in the final five games of a 5-1 homestand.

While the All-Star third baseman feels more comfortable at the plate since Carlos Pena returned from the disabled list three games ago, Longoria hasn’t looked good against Oakland this season, batting .176. He went 0 for 8 as Tampa Bay dropped two of three in the Bay Area from May 7-9. Longoria is 1 for 2 with a double versus Cahill, who will look to move past Nolan Ryan with a modern major league record 21st consecutive start of five innings or more yielding six hits or fewer. Looking to win his fourth consecutive outing, Cahill went seven innings in Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Minnesota, surrendering one run and six hits.

Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Streaming

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10:10 pm EDT Thu Aug 19, 2010

The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to lose ground in the playoff chase, but they certainly can’t blame Ted Lilly. The left-hander goes for his fourth win in as many starts with the Dodgers on Thursday night against the Colorado Rockies, who may be without injured outfielder Carlos Gonzalez. Los Angeles acquired Lilly from the Cubs on July 31 before the non-waiver trade deadline, and he has surely lived up to the team’s expectations with a 1.89 ERA through three outings. Lilly won only three times in 18 starts with Chicago this year, but he has matched that total with the Dodgers. He limited Atlanta to three hits in six shutout innings of a 2-1 victory Saturday.

The Dodgers, however, can’t seem to gather any momentum. Their 3-2, 10-inning loss to Colorado on Wednesday night dropped them eight games behind Philadelphia in the wild-card race and 12 back of San Diego in the NL West. Los Angeles has been held to two or fewer runs 19 times while going 12-21 since the All-Star break. Rafael Furcal, Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin remain out with injuries. Colorado has had its share of problems at the plate in this series, going 1 for 18 with men in scoring position. Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is 0 for 8 overall. The Rockies’ lineup will have a major hole if Gonzalez can’t play. The budding star leads Colorado in batting average, home runs, RBIs and stolen bases, but he left Wednesday’s game with a bruised right knee after running into the wall while making a catch.

Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays Live Streaming

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

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1:10 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

Although the Texas Rangers are cruising toward their first division title in 10 years, they haven’t done well against the AL East - the division which will almost certainly produce their first opponent in the playoffs. The Rangers will look to avoid being swept by a fourth different team from the East this year Wednesday in the finale of a three-game road set against the Tampa Bay Rays, who have won four straight. Texas holds an eight-game lead over Los Angeles in the West as it heads toward its first postseason berth since 1999. There’s little chance the Rangers won’t face a team from the East, and they are 12-20 against the powerful division after being swept in past series by New York, Baltimore and Toronto. Michael Young is expected to return to the lineup after he was given the day off in Tuesday’s 10-1 loss. Young left Monday’s 6-4 loss after six innings with a stiff neck, and is 4 for 41 over his last 10 road games.

Vladimir Guerrero started in right field for the 11th time, and had a double in four at-bats. Guerrero, with one homer in his last 30 games, will likely serve as the designated hitter Wednesday. Texas fell for the 12th time in 15 games at Tropicana Field after Tampa Bay used a 15-hit attack Tuesday. Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford each had three hits and three RBIs for the Rays, who remained in a first-place tie in the East with the Yankees. Crawford is 12 for 35 during an eight-game hitting streak, with six RBIs in his last three games. He recorded the 100th triple of his career Tuesday, making the 29-year-old the youngest player to reach that total since Stan Musial in 1949.

Milwaukee Brewers vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Streaming

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2:15 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

There’s no tougher challenge for NL teams these days than going up against Adam Wainwright. Facing the St. Louis Cardinals ace at Busch Stadium has been a recipe for a near-certain loss - particularly for the Milwaukee Brewers. The majors’ ERA leader already has two complete game home victories against the Brewers, meaning he’ll have a great chance to extend his 21-inning scoreless streak Wednesday and become the first pitcher to 18 wins in the finale of this two-game set. Wainwright has been tough to hit all season, but he’s taken his pitching to a different level of late. The right-hander hasn’t allowed a run in five of his last seven starts, a stretch in which he’s 5-1 with a 1.31 ERA.

Wainwright improved to 9-0 with a 1.30 ERA in 10 day starts, seven of which have come at Busch Stadium. He’s been virtually untouchable at home regardless of the time of day, going 11-0 with a 1.22 ERA. The Brewers don’t need any reminder of Wainwright’s ability to dominate. He struck out eight in a two-hit, 8-0 win June 4 at Busch, then was nearly as good a month later, allowing only a Corey Hart homer while needing 99 pitches to finish a 7-1 victory. Wainwright is 5-0 with a 0.97 ERA in his last six starts overall versus Milwaukee. Hart, hitting .263 with two homers, has fared the best against him. Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks and Casey McGehee have particularly struggled against Wainwright.

San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs Live Streaming

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2:20 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

No aspect of their game has played a bigger role in helping the San Diego Padres remain atop the NL West more than a pitching staff that boasts the best ERA in the majors. Clayton Richard and the surging Padres will try and extend their lead in the division when they face the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. This is the first time since the 2006 that the Padres have had at least three pitchers in their rotation reach double figures in victories. Kevin Correia, Jon Garland, Mat Latos and Richard all have at least 10 wins this year. Richard will try to follow another impressive outing from a San Diego starter.

Garland scattered four hits in seven innings for his 12th win and Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his major league-leading 36th save in the Padres’ 1-0 victory over the Cubs on Tuesday. The Padres won for the eighth time in nine games and moved five games ahead of second-place San Francisco in the West. San Diego is a season-high 24 games over .500. Since lowering his ERA to a season-low 2.71 on June 13, Richard has a 5.20 ERA in his last 11 starts. Despite some shaky outings, the left-hander is 6-2 during that span. Richard limited the Giants to two runs and six hits over six innings in a 3-2 win Friday. While the Padres have benefited from stability within their rotation, the Cubs will be sending a rookie making his first big league start to the mound Wednesday.

Toronto Blue Jays vs Oakland Athletics Live Streaming

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3:35 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

A strong performance by a starting pitcher has marked each of the first five games of the Toronto Blue Jays’ road trip, and they hope another brilliant outing from Marc Rzepczynski decides their series with the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday afternoon. Beginning his second stint in the majors this season, Rzepczynski kicked off Toronto’s trip by limiting the Angels to two hits in seven innings of a 3-0 win on Friday night. The California native, who had a 3.67 ERA in 11 starts as a rookie with the Blue Jays last year, struck out six without walking a batter for his first career road win.

The Blue Jays have relied heavily on a major league-high 183 home runs, but impressive pitching has led Toronto to three wins already on this trip. Ricky Romero pitched seven innings in a 4-1 win over Los Angeles on Sunday, and Shaun Marcum’s one-hitter Monday keyed a 3-1 victory to open this series. Toronto has also been shut down by a starter in its two losses - including Tuesday, when Oakland’s Dallas Braden held the Blue Jays to three hits and one earned run in seven innings of his 6-2 win. Oakland managed to win despite going without a homer for the eighth time in its last nine games. The A’s rank last in the majors with 71 homers, 112 fewer than Toronto.

San Francisco Giants vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

The Philadelphia Phillies have plenty of work to do to get to first place in the NL East, but their excellent play over the past month is still paying dividends. The Phillies seized the wild-card lead from the San Francisco Giants in their series opener, and they’ll look to add to that cushion Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia was seven games behind Atlanta as of July 21, but has since put together a torrid stretch befitting the two-time reigning NL champions. The Phillies have gone 19-5 over their last 24 games to pull within 2 1/2 games of the Braves. While catching Atlanta remains the goal, Philadelphia’s hot streak - much of which has been accomplished without Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Chase Utley - started to pay off Tuesday. Utley went 0 for 5 in his return from the disabled list, but his teammates pounded out 13 hits in a 9-3 rout of the Giants to grab the wild-card lead.

Philadelphia leads the Giants by a game and St. Louis by 1 1/2. Not that manager Charlie Manuel seems to give that race much thought. San Francisco might have no choice but to care considering its fading position in the NL West. The loss, combined with San Diego’s third straight win, put the Giants five games behind the division-leading Padres. If Bruce Bochy’s club doesn’t start getting better starting pitching, it won’t be catching anyone. San Francisco’s rotation is 0-8 with a 5.97 ERA in its last 13 games since Jonathan Sanchez won at Colorado on Aug. 3. Matt Cain tries to end the drought, and he’ll be looking for his sixth quality start in seven outings. He gave up three runs and struck out nine over six innings Thursday against the Cubs, but left without a decision in an 8-7 win.

Seattle Mariners vs Baltimore Orioles Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

A top-of-the-rotation starter has been a need for the Baltimore Orioles since Mike Mussina departed a decade ago. While Jeremy Guthrie may not completely fit that description, there’s no denying he has pitched like an ace of late. Guthrie looks to match a career high by winning his fourth straight start as the Orioles conclude a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night. Last-place Baltimore has experienced a resurgence since Buck Showalter took over as manager Aug. 3, winning 10 of 15. The rotation has posted 12 quality starts and a 2.82 ERA during that stretch. No Orioles starter has been better lately than Guthrie. The right-hander is 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break, walking seven and striking out 24.

Guthrie is 0-2 with a 5.29 ERA in three home starts against the Mariners despite posting quality starts in two of them. Kevin Millwood provided the Orioles with their latest strong outing Tuesday night. He worked eight solid innings but was outpitched by Luke French, who combined with Brandon League on a three-hitter in the Mariners’ 4-0 victory. Substitute left fielder Matt Tuiasosopo hit a three-run homer and drove in all four runs for Seattle, which improved to 5-3 under interim manager Daren Brown. Tuiasosopo learned 20 minutes before the game that he would start in place of Ryan Langerhans, who was a late scratch with a severe headache.

Florida Marlins vs Pittsburgh Pirates Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

Josh Johnson didn’t look anything like a Cy Young Award contender his last time out, failing to escape the fourth inning in his worst start in more than three years. Following that rough outing with another seems rather unlikely. The Florida Marlins ace gets an ideal opportunity to bounce back Wednesday night when he faces the Pittsburgh Pirates and their NL-worst offense. Johnson seemed well on his way to the Cy Young on July 22, when he was 10-3 with a 1.61 ERA after a 12-start stretch in which he posted a 0.75 ERA. He hasn’t won in four outings since, and struggled through one of the worst games of his career Friday at Cincinnati. The right-hander gave up six runs and 10 hits over 3 2-3 innings, failing to record a strikeout in a 7-2 loss.

Johnson hadn’t allowed six runs while failing to get through four innings since giving up seven runs over three innings in an 11-1 loss to Minnesota on June 23, 2007. Johnson’s ERA has dropped from easily the best in the majors to fourth, but the Marlins won’t be surprised if he rebounds Wednesday at PNC Park. Pittsburgh is averaging 3.43 runs and hitting .241, both last in the NL. The Pirates mustered six hits against Ricky Nolasco and two relievers in a 6-0 loss Tuesday that evened the four-game set at 1-all. The Marlins held a closed-door meeting after Monday’s 7-1 loss. In Johnson’s only start versus Pittsburgh, he gave up two runs over seven innings, leaving without a decision in a 5-3 home loss July 20, 2006.

Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

The New York Yankees have always enjoyed a great deal of success against Jeremy Bonderman, with Alex Rodriguez leading the way. Rodriguez, though, will miss his second straight game Wednesday night when the Yankees continue a four-game series against Bonderman and the Detroit Tigers. These teams have split the first two games, with Rodriguez exiting after four innings of Monday’s 3-1 loss because of tightness in his left calf. He sat out Tuesday’s 6-2 victory, and said he will not play Wednesday. Rodriguez had an MRI on Tuesday night and it showed a low grade strain. The slugger is not sure how long he will be out. The three-time AL MVP’s absence is good news for Bonderman, who is 3-8 with a 5.42 ERA in 12 career regular-season starts against New York. Rodriguez has enjoyed the most success of any Yankee with more than five at-bats against the right-hander with a .310 average and two homers.

Cano and Curtis Granderson homered Tuesday as New York avoided a third straight loss and remained in a first-place tie with Tampa Bay atop the AL East. Granderson is 4 for 6 in his first two games against his former club. The Yankees got a boost when Nick Swisher returned to the lineup, saying he will be smarter about taking big swings to protect his sore right elbow. Swisher had a two-run single in four at-bats. Detroit had a three-game win streak snapped despite homers from Brandon Inge and former Yankees minor-leaguer Austin Jackson. The Tigers played without second baseman Carlos Guillen, who was out because of a sore left knee. Guillen suffered the injury Monday when he was taken out on a hard slide by Gardner during a game-ending double play.

Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

Tim Hudson may be thrilled for another chance to face the Washington Nationals, a team he has dominated throughout his career. Lately, no one has been hitting the resurgent right-hander. Hudson tries to win his sixth straight start overall and 10th consecutive decision against Washington on Wednesday night, with his Atlanta Braves looking to extend their NL East lead. After missing most of 2009 following Tommy John surgery, the 35-year-old Hudson is looking like a contender for the Cy Young Award. He has given up two total runs in his last five starts, lowering his ERA to the second-best mark in majors behind that of St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright. In each of his last two outings, Hudson worked eight shutout innings while allowing three hits and one walk. The Braves needed his stellar performance in a 1-0 win over Los Angeles on Friday.

Hudson has allowed more than two earned runs once in 16 career starts against the Nationals franchise, which has beaten him only once, on June 5, 2006. Washington slugger Ryan Zimmerman is 5 for 31 against Hudson, while Josh Willingham is 1 for 20. Hudson will try to pitch the Braves to a fourth consecutive win. Atlanta cruised to a 10-2 victory in the series opener Tuesday, winning for the sixth time in seven games and remaining 2 1/2 games ahead of second-place Philadelphia. With three hits, three runs and two RBIs, Martin Prado provided a big boost for Atlanta in his first game since July 30. Despite a stint on the disabled list with a broken finger, the All-Star is tied with Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez for the NL lead with 141 hits.

Los Angeles Angels vs Boston Red Sox Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

John Lackey’s first season with the Boston Red Sox hasn’t gone exactly according to plan, but he’s saved two of his best performances for his former team. The right-hander has a chance to beat the Los Angeles Angels for the third time in as many starts, while Boston can improve to 9-0 against the Angels this season on Wednesday night. Lackey has struggled with consistency after signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract with Boston in the offseason following a successful eight-year stint with the Angels. But he has been sharp in two starts against Los Angeles, going 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA while allowing a total of nine hits in 14 1-3 innings. He was booed during a 4-2 win in his return to Anaheim on July 27.

Lackey is still searching for his first win since that outing. He’s 0-2 with a 6.52 ERA in three August starts, with opponents hitting .321 against him. Boston’s season series with the Angels has included nothing but victories, an especially fulfilling outcome for the Red Sox after they were swept by Los Angeles in last year’s AL division series. The Red Sox began their nine-game homestand by roughing up Angels ace Jered Weaver in a 6-0 win Tuesday night. While Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 in his return from a broken left foot, Boston got more than enough offense from Ryan Kalish’s fourth-inning grand slam.

New York Mets vs Houston Astros Live Streaming

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8:05 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

The New York Mets have few things to be excited about. R.A. Dickey is one of them. The knuckleballer returns to the mound for the first time since tossing a one-hitter as the visiting Mets face the Houston Astros on Wednesday night. New York slipped to 11-20 since the All-Star break with a 4-3 loss to Houston on Tuesday, hours after it placed closer Francisco Rodriguez on the disqualified list. The team is withholding Rodriguez’s pay after he suffered a season-ending thumb injury while punching his girlfriend’s father last week at Citi Field. Rodriguez was charged with third-degree assault.

Wright homered Tuesday, but New York failed to score more than three runs for the fifth consecutive game. Since the All-Star break, the Mets are batting .213 while scoring a major league-low 87 runs. That’s a big reason why Dickey is 2-3 despite a 1.96 ERA in seven second-half starts, the best of which came Friday night against Philadelphia. The 35-year-old right-hander pitched his second career shutout, allowing only a sixth-inning single by pitcher Cole Hamels in a 1-0 win. Dickey hopes to quiet a Houston club that has totaled 17 extra-base hits in the last four games, including four doubles and three home runs by Hunter Pence. The right fielder drove in all of the Astros’ runs with two homers in Tuesday’s win, the 10th for Houston in its last 13 home games.

Cleveland Indians vs Kansas City Royals Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

Solid starting pitching has helped put the Kansas City Royals in position to match their longest winning stretch of the season. With veteran Bruce Chen hoping for another strong effort, the Royals try for a third straight victory overall while looking to extend their winning streak over the visiting Cleveland Indians to five games Wednesday night. Kansas City has totaled three runs but allowed one while winning its last two games. The Royals have won three consecutive games four times this season. After Brian Bullington allowed two hits over eight innings in a 1-0 win over the Yankees on Sunday, and Greinke’s effort in Tuesday’s series opener, the Royals turn to Chen to help secure their first winning series since taking three of four from Baltimore July 29-Aug. 1.

The 33-year-old left-hander is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA as a starter against the Indians, and 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA in two relief appearances versus Cleveland this season. Wilson Betemit and Yuniesky Betancourt each homered Tuesday for the Royals, who have won three of four despite scoring 10 runs over that span. Betemit is 8 for 17 with two homers in his last five games. Though the Royals have outscored Cleveland 25-12 during their four-game winning streak over the Indians, they struggled the last time they faced scheduled starter Fausto Carmona. The right-hander, 5-2 with a 4.11 ERA in 10 starts against the Royals, allowed five hits in five innings of a 4-0 win at Kansas City on May 12.

Chicago White Sox vs Minnesota Twins Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

Continued success against the Chicago White Sox has helped the first-place Minnesota Twins put some distance between themselves and their rival in the race for the AL Central title. Coming off a stunning walkoff victory over Chicago, Minnesota looks to increase its lead over the second-place White Sox as it goes for a sixth consecutive win Wednesday night at Target Field. Former White Sox slugger Jim Thome’s two-run homer gave Minnesota a 7-6, 10-inning victory Tuesday in the opener of this key three-game set. The Twins, four games up on the White Sox, lead the season series 9-4 and have won six of the last seven matchups. Chicago, 2-5 at Target Field in 2010, is struggling to keep up with a Minnesota club that has gone 23-8 since the All-Star break.

Chicago, which dropped two of three at home to Minnesota last week, has lost seven of nine. Thome is 12 for 31 with two homers against his former team this season after going 3 for 5 with three RBIs on Tuesday. He is 9 for 21 with four homers and 10 RBIs in his last six games. Francisco Liriano will try to beat Gavin Floyd for the second time in as many starts Wednesday. Liriano allowed a run in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-1 win at Chicago on Thursday. The left-hander has gone 5-0 with a 1.62 ERA in his last six starts, and is 2-0 with a 2.79 ERA in three games versus the White Sox this season. Floyd allowed six runs while striking out seven in 6 2-3 innings in the loss to Liriano. The right-hander had gone 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA in his previous four starts.

Cincinnati Reds vs Arizona Diamondbacks Live Streaming

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9:40 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

Edinson Volquez feels more confident each time he takes the mound for the Cincinnati Reds. Looking to record a fourth straight strong start, Volquez tries to help the first-place Reds win their fifth in a row and continue their recent dominance of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night. In his sixth start since coming back from Tommy John surgery July 17, Volquez allowed a run and struck out six in six innings of a 7-2 win over Florida on Friday. The right-hander has gone 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA in his last three outings. In his only appearance against the Diamondbacks, Volquez gave up two runs, walked six and struck out eight in six innings of a 3-2, 10-inning win at Arizona on Sept. 13, 2008.

After being swept in a three-game home set by St. Louis last week, the Reds’ four consecutive wins have them two games up on the Cardinals in the NL Central. Janish has batted .302 with eight RBIs in his last 12 games. Cincinnati’s Scott Rolen had three hits with three RBIs on Tuesday. He is 7 for 11 with six RBIs in three games after going 0 for 10 in his previous three contests. The All-Star third baseman is 2 for 3 with a home run against Arizona’s Rodrigo Lopez, who is searching for his first victory in more than a month. Lopez, 0-4 with a 6.69 ERA in his last six starts, allowed seven runs in five innings of an 8-4 loss at Milwaukee on Thursday.

Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Streaming

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10:10 pm EDT Wed Aug 18, 2010

The Colorado Rockies haven’t scored in their last 21 innings at Dodger Stadium. A matchup with Hiroki Kuroda could help them put an end to that streak. The Rockies will try to continue their success against Kuroda and even this three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. While Colorado leads the majors with a .298 average at home, it owns the second-worst average on the road at .232. The Rockies have been shut out in three of their last four road games after losing 6-0 to the Dodgers on Tuesday. Los Angeles improved to 19-6 against Colorado since the start of last season as Clayton Kershaw pitched seven strong innings. The fourth-place Dodgers pulled within a game of the third-place Rockies, who trail NL West-leading San Diego by 10 games.

The Dodgers right-hander has endured some bad luck while going 1-6 with a 4.05 ERA in his last eight outings, including 0-3 with a 3.75 ERA in the last four while receiving five total runs of support. Kuroda yielded one run over seven innings at Atlanta on Friday in a 1-0 loss - his fifth defeat by shutout this year. Kuroda could use the kind of offense the Dodgers provided Tuesday. Scott Podsednik and James Loney had two-run doubles during a five-run fifth inning for Los Angeles, which broke out after totaling six runs in losing three of four at Atlanta.

San Francisco Giants vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Streaming

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

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7:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

The addition of Roy Oswalt is starting to pay dividends for the Philadelphia Phillies. Two more additions to the lineup this week could be just as key. It’s possible Chase Utley and Ryan Howard will return to face the San Francisco Giants during this three-game series, which begins Tuesday night with Oswalt looking to build on his first win with the Phillies. Philadelphia is hopeful Howard and Utley will be available at some point this week as it tries to continue putting pressure on Atlanta atop the NL East. Howard, the team leader with 23 homers and 81 RBIs, is scheduled to come off the disabled list Tuesday, but soreness in his left ankle could cause a delay. Utley, a five-time All-Star, is rehabbing from a thumb injury with Class-A Clearwater and could be back as early as Tuesday. He had a .277 average with 11 homers and 37 RBIs before undergoing surgery in June.

The right-hander was acquired in a four-player trade from Houston on July 29, but needed three starts to get his first win for Philadelphia and he did it in impressive fashion. Oswalt allowed five hits with five strikeouts in seven innings of a 2-0 win over Los Angeles on Wednesday. He had been 0-1 with a 4.38 ERA in his two previous outings. Oswalt is 0-3 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts against the Giants this season, but those came with Houston and he was backed by only two total runs. He’ll be matched up with Barry Zito as this series between the NL wild-card leaders gets underway. Philadelphia is one percentage point ahead of San Francisco. The Phillies, winners of 18 of 23 after beating New York 3-1 on Sunday, are beginning a 10-game homestand, and they’ve won 15 of 17 at Citizens Bank Park.

Seattle Mariners vs Baltimore Orioles Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

In their return home, the Baltimore Orioles ended their first losing streak under Buck Showalter. The Orioles are hoping Kevin Millwood can follow suit to end his lengthy winless drought. Facing the Seattle Mariners, however, may not help the right-hander’s chances to accomplish that feat. Millwood will try to earn his first victory in nearly two months when the teams continue a three-game series at Camden Yards on Tuesday night. Baltimore showcased some of its newfound resilience and improved to 10-4 under Showalter with Monday night’s 5-4 comeback victory in 11 innings. After falling behind in the 10th, the Orioles benefited from a bases-loaded walk to tie the game again. Adam Jones then bunted home Nick Markakis with two outs in the following inning.

Following consecutive defeats to end a 3-3 road trip, Baltimore bounced back for its seventh victory in eight home games since Showalter took over Aug. 3. The victory was also its eighth in 11 home matchups with the Mariners. Millwood hasn’t been as successful in his last 10 games against Seattle, going 1-8 with a 6.31 ERA. He’s 0-1 with a 5.52 ERA in this season’s two meetings and gave up five runs over 6 2-3 innings to the Mariners at Camden Yards on May 13 before the Orioles rallied for a 6-5 win. Millwood enters this matchup 0-4 with a 7.18 ERA since beating Florida at home June 24, but has a 2.77 ERA over his last two starts. He allowed three runs over seven innings Thursday in Cleveland but absorbed a 4-1 defeat.

Florida Marlins vs Pittsburgh Pirates Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

The Florida Marlins’ woes with runners in scoring position have continued, as has their losing streak. The Marlins look to avoid dropping their fifth straight when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. Florida started its 10-game road trip with a three-game sweep of Washington, but then lost all three contests in Cincinnati before falling 7-1 to the Pirates in the series opener Monday. The Marlins went 0 for 27 with men in scoring position against the Reds and that trend continued Monday, when they went 0 for 6. Florida has scored seven runs during its four-game skid. The Marlins have struggled to find any consistency in their last 16 games. They won four in a row before their current slide, a surge that followed a five-game losing streak, which followed a three-game win streak.

Uggla and rookie Mike Stanton have been the only bright spots in the Marlins’ lineup of late, combining for four of the club’s five hits Monday. Stanton is 15 for 27 with four homers and five doubles during the trip. Rodriguez moved him into the fifth spot in the lineup Sunday. Uggla, 12 for 27 with eight RBIs on the trip, is 5 for 11 against Pirates scheduled starter Zach Duke. Duke has gone 0-2 with a 5.82 ERA in his last three starts, giving up three runs in six innings of a 3-0 loss to San Diego on Thursday. The left-hander is 0-3 with a 5.76 ERA in five career starts versus Florida.

Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees Live Streaming

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7:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

Neither Justin Verlander nor CC Sabathia shined when the aces dueled in AL Central matchups. Since Sabathia joined the New York Yankees, Verlander has outpitched him in head-to-head matchups. They will meet for the second time this season Tuesday night when Verlander’s Detroit Tigers continue a four-game road series against the Yankees, who could be without Alex Rodriguez. These aces met four times when Sabathia was with Cleveland, and neither pitched particularly well. Verlander went 2-1 with a 5.12 ERA, and Sabathia was 2-2 with a 6.66 ERA in those games. Verlander is 4-2 with a 3.63 ERA in seven career outings against New York, including 2-1 with a 0.87 ERA in three when opposing Sabathia. The Yankees ace is 1-2 with a 4.29 ERA in those starts, including a 6-0 loss May 13 in which he gave up six runs over six innings while Verlander was sharp in 6 2-3 innings.

New York captain Derek Jeter is 7 for 18 against Verlander, but Yankees hitters batting left-handed haven’t fared as well. Nick Swisher is 7 for 38, Mark Teixeira 1 for 14 and Robinson Cano 4 for 17 against the right-hander. Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera, meanwhile, is 7 for 11 with two homers and nine RBIs against Sabathia. Sabathia has won two straight, and fell one out shy of a complete game Thursday after allowing three runs in a 4-3 victory at Kansas City. The left-hander - tied with Tampa Bay’s David Price and Minnesota’s Carl Pavano for the AL lead in victories - is 13-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last 18 regular-season home starts. That streak began when he outdueled Verlander with seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 victory July 18, 2009.

Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

The Atlanta Braves have been in first place in the NL East since May 31, but they have a losing record against the last-place Washington Nationals. The Braves will try to change that Tuesday night when rookie Mike Minor makes his home debut in the opener of a three-game set. Atlanta is 4-5 against Washington thanks in part to the struggles of its RBI leaders. Troy Glaus is 4 for 32 with two of his team-high 69 RBIs against the Nationals while Brian McCann is 6 for 27 with two of his 63 RBIs. Glaus is 2 for 14 against Nationals starter Scott Olsen while McCann is 6 for 23, but the focus on the mound Tuesday will be on Minor.

Minor made his major league debut last Monday at Houston and allowed four runs in six innings in a 10-4 loss. The 22-year-old left-hander—the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft—was starting in place of Kris Medlen, who is on the disabled list with a right elbow injury. Minor went 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA in six starts with Triple-A Gwinnett before being called up. Atlanta increased its lead to 2 1/2 games in the division over Philadelphia with a dramatic victory Monday. Melky Cabrera’s two-run single off Octavio Dotel with the bases loaded in the ninth inning capped a three-run rally in a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

A strong start to their homestand has helped the Tampa Bay Rays move into a tie atop the AL East. Looking for a fourth straight victory, the Rays hope to fare better than the last time they faced Texas’ Tommy Hunter when they continue their series with the Rangers on Tuesday night. Just off the disabled list, Carlos Pena hit a tiebreaking single to highlight a four-run eighth inning as Tampa Bay beat Cliff Lee and the first-place Rangers 6-4 on Monday. The Rays have won five of seven since a season-high five-game skid, pulling even with New York when the Yankees lost Monday. Tampa Bay, 3-1 on its six-game homestand, has won 11 of 14 at home over Texas, which has an eight-game lead in the West despite losing five of eight.

The Rangers, however, appear to have a good chance to even this series with Hunter on the mound. The right-hander began the season on the disabled list with an oblique strain, then pitched a five-hitter to beat the Rays 6-1 in his 2010 debut June 5. Hunter, 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay, has gone 1-1 with an 8.76 ERA in his last three overall. Flu-like symptoms knocked him out after he allowed four runs on solo homers in three innings of a 10-9, 11-inning win over Boston on Friday. Tampa Bay’s Matt Garza is also looking to establish a career high for victories, but he’s gone 0-2 with a 3.05 ERA in three starts since his no-hitter against Detroit on July 26.

Los Angeles Angels vs Boston Red Sox Live Streaming

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7:10 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

The Boston Red Sox have no idea how much having second baseman Dustin Pedroia back will help, but they’re ecstatic the former MVP is ready for the season’s stretch run. Pedroia is expected to be removed from the disabled list Tuesday and start for the Red Sox as they go for an eighth straight win over the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of this three-game series at Fenway Park. With Pedroia sidelined since June 25 with a fractured bone in his left foot, Boston went 23-21 without the 2008 AL MVP and lost ground to the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East race. With the club battling key injuries all year, including Kevin Youkilis being out for the season, the Red Sox could use a boost as they chase a fourth straight postseason appearance.

Ranked among the league leaders in ERA and tied with fellow All-Star Jon Lester for the team high in victories, Buchholz has more than done his part to improve the Red Sox’s playoff chances. He’s 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA in his last four outings. The right-hander has won both of his starts against the Angels this year and Boston has won all seven matchups, including four at Fenway from May 3-6.Trailing AL West-leading Texas by a wide margin, the Angels likely need another solid performance from ace Jered Weaver if they’re going to post their first win over Boston since sweeping last year’s AL division series.

San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs Live Streaming

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8:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

The San Diego Padres were a good team without Miguel Tejada. They’ve been even better with him contributing in a big way offensively. Tejada looks to continue his hot stretch as the NL West-leading Padres go for a third straight victory Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The 36-year-old shortstop went 4 for 5 with two RBIs as San Diego won for the seventh time in eight games, 9-5 over the Cubs on Monday. Since going 1 for 10 in his first three games after being acquired from Baltimore last month, Tejada has batted .351 in 13 contests, including 9 for 14 with four RBIs in his last three. He is a lifetime .324 hitter against the Cubs.

A major-league leading 3.23 ERA has been the key to the Padres’ success this season. Jon Garland looks to build on his latest strong outing when he takes the mound Tuesday. The right-hander allowed one hit and struck out five in six innings of a 3-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday, matching his win total from last season. The veteran has posted a 2.95 ERA in his last six outings. Fukudome has batted .321 with six RBIs in his last seven games. He is a lifetime .315 hitter versus San Diego. Randy Wells tries to avoid a fourth straight loss when he takes the ball for the Cubs. The right-hander allowed seven runs in five innings Thursday but did not get the decision in an 8-7 loss at San Francisco.

New York Mets vs Houston Astros Live Streaming

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8:05 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

Faced with another setback, the New York Mets are doing their best to focus on winning games. Sending ace Johan Santana to the mound should help. Without their star closer, Santana and the Mets try for a seventh consecutive win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night. Hours after learning Francisco Rodriguez will miss the rest of the season with a torn thumb ligament, New York scored twice in the ninth inning to beat Houston 3-1 on Monday. Hisanori Takahashi earned his first career save. With outfielder Jason Bay and catcher Rod Barajas on the disabled list, the team announced Rodriguez will need surgery after suffering the injury during a fight with his girlfriend’s father at Citi Field last week.

Santana is dealing with his own personal issues. A Florida woman who accused him of rape sued Santana in Lee County, Fla., after authorities declined to prosecute the case. However, he will try to win his third straight start Tuesday. The left-hander has allowed nine hits without a run over 16 1-3 innings of his last two starts. Santana, who tossed a four-hitter and struck out 10 in a 4-0 win over Colorado on Thursday, is 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA in nine starts. David Wright had three hits and former Astro Carlos Beltran had two with a homer Monday for the Mets, who haven’t won two straight on the road since a seven-game streak June 11-18.Though Beltran has two home runs in 29 games this season, he is 8 for 18 in his last five contests. He is batting .319 with three home runs and seven RBIs in his last 11 at Minute Maid Park, where he spent part of 2004 playing for the Astros.

Cleveland Indians vs Kansas City Royals Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

Cleveland Indians right-hander Jeanmar Gomez knew he was heading back to the minors prior to making his major league debut last month. The way Gomez has been performing, he might not have to worry about a return to Triple-A. Gomez looks to remain undefeated when the visiting Indians open a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. Before making his major league debut against Detroit on July 18 in a spot start for Justin Masterson, Gomez was told he was returning to the minors after that game, in which he allowed two unearned runs and five hits over seven innings to beat the Tigers 7-2. Gomez was recalled Aug. 1 and is 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA in three starts this month.

The 22-year-old gave up one run over six innings of Thursday’s 4-1 win over Baltimore, setting a franchise record for lowest ERA through his first four career starts. Manager Manny Acta is more than impressed with how Gomez, the youngest player on a club with nine rookies, has responded to major league hitters. Gomez will try to help the Indians win consecutive games for the first since taking three straight July 31-Aug. 2. They ended a 3-6 homestand with Sunday’s 9-1 win over Seattle as designated hitter Travis Hafner returned from the disabled list and hit his 11th career grand slam during a seven-run seventh inning.

Chicago White Sox vs Minnesota Twins Live Streaming

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8:10 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

The Minnesota Twins wasted no time building their lead atop the AL Central after taking first place from the Chicago White Sox in their previous series. The Twins will try to further pad their advantage as the teams open a three-game set Tuesday night at Target Field. Minnesota is a major league-best 17-4 since July 24, winning seven of eight to move three games ahead of Chicago. The Twins took two of three at U.S. Cellular Field last week after they entered the series tied for first. Minnesota’s play at home is a big reason for its run. The club has won seven straight at Target Field, sweeping Oakland there over the weekend. The Twins, though, are 2-4 at home against Chicago.

On Sunday, Kevin Slowey didn’t allow a hit through seven innings but was pulled to start the eighth, while Thome hit a three-run homer in the seventh en route to a 4-2 victory. Slowey, who missed his previous start because of elbow tendinitis, had thrown 106 pitches. Slowey didn’t get a chance to complete a no-hitter, but he continued the Twins’ pitching dominance at home. They’ve allowed eight runs in the last seven home games, and opponents are batting .188 in that span. Scott Baker will try to extend the trend for Minnesota, which hasn’t won eight in a row at home since April 19-May 9, 2008. Baker beat the White Sox on Tuesday for his third straight win. He gave up five runs in six innings of a 12-6 win to improve to 2-0 against them this year and 6-3 over his career.

Milwaukee Brewers vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Streaming

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8:15 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

Just days ago, the St. Louis Cardinals were brimming with confidence and looked like the favorite to win the NL Central after pulling off a convincing sweep to vault into first place. Repeating as division champs no longer looks so simple. Back in second place, the Cardinals try to avoid losing three straight for the first time in more than three weeks when they open a two-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. With last week’s emphatic sweep in Cincinnati, St. Louis made up three games in the standings to take a one-game lead over the Reds. It seemed to represent a shift of power within the division, but the veteran Cardinals were unable to carry any momentum into a weekend series against lowly Chicago.

The Cardinals, who haven’t dropped three in a row since July 22-24, hope to regroup against a Brewers team they’re 6-4 against this year. Albert Pujols is hitting only .278 in those 10 games but has six home runs and 14 RBIs. Pujols has been putting up similarly gaudy numbers lately. The NL’s two-time reigning MVP, who became the first player to hit 30 homers in his first 10 seasons with a solo shot Sunday, is batting .455 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs in his last 13 games. Pujols is 5 for 12 with two doubles since 2008 against scheduled starter Dave Bush, who is coming off a disastrous outing.

Cincinnati Reds vs Arizona Diamondbacks Live Streaming

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9:40 pm EDT Tue Aug 17, 2010

A heartbreaking sweep that knocked the Cincinnati Reds out of the top spot in the NL Central last week was expected to have a drastic effect on their mindset and playoff outlook. The club is proving it won’t be going down lightly. Back atop the division, the rejuvenated Reds look to win their fourth in a row when they open a nine-game road trip Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the teams’ first meeting of the season. In last week’s highly anticipated home series against St. Louis, Cincinnati was outscored 21-8 in losing all three games to go from leading the division by two to trailing the Cardinals by one. The empathic sweep seemed to signal a turning point, but the Reds are refusing to concede.

Cincinnati bounced back by sweeping a three-game series from Florida to retake a one-game lead over St. Louis, which lost two of three to Chicago over the weekend. The Reds, who have the NL’s second-best road record at 31-25, now look to keep it going with a trip out west. Cincinnati outscored the Diamondbacks 26-9 in sweeping a three-game series in Arizona last season and has won five straight there. The trip will get much tougher with stops in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the Reds are a combined 7-19 since 2006.

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