Sports World: 06/27/10

San Diego Padres vs Florida Marlins Live Streaming

Sunday, June 27, 2010

San Diego Padres vs Florida Marlins Live | San Diego Padres vs Florida Marlins | San Diego Padres vs Florida Marlins Streaming | San Diego vs Florida MLB Live Stream | San Diego Padres vs Florida Marlins Live Webcast | MLB Live Streaming TV

1:10 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

San Diego Padres pitcher Mat Latos has impressed managers around the majors over the last two months, but the young left-hander hasn’t done much to distinguish himself to anyone in the Florida Marlins dugout. Latos looks to continue his recent dominance Saturday in Miami, where the Padres finish a three-game series against the Marlins, who have had no problems solving the 22-year-old. Latos has come on strong for San Diego this season, and he’s been especially effective lately. He held Tampa Bay to three hits while striking out eight in seven scoreless innings of a 2-1 road win Tuesday, getting the attention of Rays manager Joe Maddon. Maddon isn’t the only manager that’s had to acknowledge Latos’ success lately. Since the start of May, Latos is 7-2 with a 1.92 ERA in 10 starts. He has allowed more than two runs in a game just once in that stretch.

A strong outing against Florida could help prove just how far Latos has come. He had his worst outing of the season April 26 against the Marlins, getting tagged for seven runs and lasting only 2 2-3 innings in a 10-1 road defeat. He was only marginally better in his first game against Florida, allowing five runs in 3 1-3 innings of a 6-4 defeat Aug. 30. The Marlins, though, haven’t shown much offensive punch in the first two games of this series. They fell 3-0 in Friday’s opener and 2-1 on Saturday night, dropping to 1-3 under interim manager Edwin Rodriguez, who formally interviewed for the permanent job earlier in the day. The NL West-leading Padres have won four of five on this six-game road trip in Florida heading into the finale, with three of those wins coming by one run.

Cleveland Indians vs Cincinnati Reds Live Streaming

Cleveland Indians vs Cincinnati Reds Live | Cleveland Indians vs Cincinnati Reds | Cleveland Indians vs Cincinnati Reds Streaming | Cleveland vs Cincinnati MLB Live Stream | Cleveland Indians vs Cincinnati Reds Live Webcast | MLB Live Streaming TV

1:10 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

The Cincinnati Reds haven’t won six straight in nine months. If Bronson Arroyo can replicate his last performance, the Reds could have a good chance at equaling that mark. Arroyo looks to win his third consecutive start Sunday afternoon when the NL Central-leading Reds try to sweep their series against a Cleveland Indians team that’s dropped a season-high seven in a row. Cincinnati regained a one-half game division lead over St. Louis with Saturday’s 6-4 win over Cleveland. For the third straight season, the Reds also won the Ohio Cup, given annually to the team that wins this battle of the Buckeye State. The Reds, who clinched their seventh consecutive series win against Cleveland on Saturday, look to extend their overall winning streak to a season-high six in the finale. Cincinnati last won six in a row Sept. 20-26. The Reds have to like their chances if Arroyo can pitch as well as he did his last time out. After walking a career-high six in a 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 17, the veteran right-hander did not allow a free pass in Tuesday’s 4-2 victory at Oakland. It was the first time this season he didn’t issue a walk.

Arroyo, who is 7-1 with a 3.45 ERA in his last 11 starts, yielded four runs and seven hits in a 7-4 victory at Cleveland on May 21. The Indians, who have lost eight of nine at Great American Ball Park, are 4-13 against the NL and a season-low 21 games below .500. They’ll complete their interleague schedule Sunday with Mitch Talbot on the mound. The right-hander was solid in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Philadelphia, giving up two runs in seven innings of four-hit ball after getting tagged for eight runs in his previous outing. Talbot will make his first start versus Cincinnati. Looking to help the Indians avoid their first eight-game slide since an 11-game skid Sept. 13-24, Talbot faces a Reds team that is batting a NL-best .275 with 4.9 runs per game. He should be careful pitching to Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, who is 4 for 10 in the series and batting .435 during the team’s winning streak. Phillips is 9 for 21 versus the Indians this season.

Minnesota Twins vs New York Mets Live Streaming

Minnesota Twins vs New York Mets Live | Minnesota Twins vs New York Mets | Minnesota Twins vs New York Mets Streaming | Minnesota vs NY Mets MLB Live Stream | Minnesota Twins vs New York Mets Live Webcast | MLB Live Streaming TV

1:10 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

After finishing with a winning interleague record in each of the previous four years, the Minnesota Twins enter Sunday hoping to salvage a .500 mark against NL foes in 2010.The New York Mets, who have already secured a far better interleague fate, will be looking to win their sixth straight home series overall as they decide the teams’ three-game set. The Twins went a major league-best 53-19 in interleague play from 2006-09, but have encountered problems this year, causing their AL Central lead to shrink. They were swept at Milwaukee last week and had lost a season-worst four in a row before beating their former ace, Johan Santana, 6-0 on Saturday at Citi Field. Another victory would make Minnesota 9-9 against the NL, but taking two of three in Queens has been difficult for visitors lately. The Mets have won nine of their last 10 home series, boasting a 13-3 record in their last 16 home games to help them challenge Atlanta for the NL East lead.

New York, which took the opener of this series 5-2 on Friday night, hopes a bounce-back effort from rookie starter Jonathon Niese can help it finish 13-5 against AL foes. The left-hander won his first three starts following a stint on the disabled list, posting a 1.57 ERA in that stretch, but that run came to an end Tuesday against Detroit, when Niese gave up six runs in 4 2-3 innings, failing to get credit for the Mets’ 14-6 victory. Niese didn’t allow a hit through three innings of that outing, but he wasn’t the same following a lengthy delay due to rain and the Mets’ eight-run third inning. Niese would seem to have an advantage facing a Twins lineup heavy on left-handed sluggers, but the difference in batting average has been negligible for Minnesota, which hits .270 against lefties and .272 against righties. The Twins scored four runs in the first inning Saturday against the southpaw Santana, getting a brilliant pitching performance of their own as Carl Pavano tossed a three-hitter.

Washington Nationals vs Baltimore Orioles Live Streaming

Washington Nationals vs Baltimore Orioles Live | Washington Nationals vs Baltimore Orioles | Washington Nationals vs Baltimore Orioles Streaming | Washington vs Baltimore MLB Live Stream | Washington Nationals vs Baltimore Orioles Live Webcast | MLB Live Streaming TV

1:35 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

Consecutive comeback victories have the Baltimore Orioles on the verge of their longest winning streak of the season. The Orioles try for a season-high fourth consecutive win and sweep of their home series with the struggling Washington Nationals on Sunday. After overcoming a six-run deficit to win 7-6 on Friday, Baltimore rallied from five down to beat Washington 6-5 on Saturday. The Orioles, 3-2 against their interleague rivals this year, secured their first winning series since taking two of three from Seattle May 11-13. The Orioles have a chance to record their second sweep after winning all three with Boston at home April 30-May 2. The Orioles have never swept the Nationals since the franchise moved to Washington in 2005. Miguel Tejada and Matt Wieters each had three hits as the Orioles scored six runs in the final five innings Saturday and improved to 6-11 in interleague play.

Hitting .330 in June, Tejada has six RBIs in his past three games. While Baltimore looks to continue its winning ways, Jeremy Guthrie hopes to snap his five-game losing streak as he takes the ball in the finale. Trying for his first win since beating Oakland on May 25, Guthrie has a 5.57 ERA while losing his last five starts. He allowed six runs in six innings of a 10-4 loss to Florida on Tuesday. The right-hander has fared well against the Nationals, going 1-1 with a 1.91 ERA in five starts. Guthrie will try to contain Washington’s Adam Dunn, who’s driven in six runs in the series and has 26 RBIs in his past 29 games. The Nationals, however, have dropped three in a row and 11 of 14. Washington, 5-12 during interleague play, looks to avoid a sixth straight road loss.

Philadelphia Phillies vs Toronto Blue Jays Live Streaming

Philadelphia Phillies vs Toronto Blue Jays Live | Philadelphia Phillies vs Toronto Blue Jays | Philadelphia Phillies vs Toronto Blue Jays Streaming | Philadelphia vs Toronto MLB Live Stream | Philadelphia Phillies vs Toronto Blue Jays Live Webcast | MLB Live Streaming TV

1:35 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

The Toronto Blue Jays may not have been thrilled to be displaced from their home stadium because of the G20 Summit, but they’ve found Citizens Bank Park also suits their home run-happy ways. It will only take one homer off Philadelphia’s Jamie Moyer on Sunday to make history. The next home run Moyer allows will give him sole possession of the all-time record in that category, and the Blue Jays hope to do the honors while deciding their three-game series with the Phillies. The financial summit in Toronto forced this series to be moved from Rogers Centre, although the Blue Jays are still wearing their home uniforms and batting last as the teams use the DH while finishing up interleague play. Shut down by former Toronto ace Roy Halladay in a 9-0 loss Friday, the Blue Jays’ bats were more comfortable in Saturday’s 5-1 victory as Aaron Hill, Alex Gonzalez and John Buck all homered to extend the club’s major league-leading total to 114.

Philadelphia’s cozy ballpark, where Toronto had won five straight before this series, has been especially prone to home runs. Since Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004, only Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park and Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field have witnessed more homers. Despite those numbers, Moyer may be happy for the extra start in Philadelphia. The 47-year-old left-hander has gone 3-1 with a 1.36 ERA in his last four home starts, including a 2-1 victory Tuesday in which he limited Cleveland to one run and two hits over eight innings. The only run Cleveland managed was a solo homer by Russell Branyan, the 505th allowed by Moyer during his lengthy career - tying him with Phillies legend Robin Roberts for the major league record. A pair of homers hurt Toronto’s Brett Cecil in his most recent start, a 9-4 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday during which he gave up six runs in five innings. The left-hander has a 9.00 ERA while losing his last two starts after going 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA in his previous five outings.

Detroit Tigers vs Atlanta Braves Live Streaming

Detroit Tigers vs Atlanta Braves Live | Detroit Tigers vs Atlanta Braves | Detroit Tigers vs Atlanta Braves Streaming | Detroit vs Atlanta MLB Live Stream | Detroit Tigers vs Atlanta Braves Live Webcast

1:35 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

The Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers rely upon Tommy Hanson and Justin Verlander for consistency on the mound, and the occasional outstanding performance. Neither pitcher delivered in his most recent start. Hanson and Verlander attempt to rebound from their worst performances of the season Sunday when they start opposite each other as the NL East-leading Braves try to complete a sweep of the visiting Tigers. Hanson is one of the top young arms in baseball, but was roughed up in Tuesday’s 9-6 loss to the Chicago White Sox. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed career highs of nine runs and 13 hits in 3 2-3 innings while failing to record a strikeout for the first time. Verlander, Detroit’s wins leader, wasn’t much better in his outing Tuesday, giving up five runs and five hits with three walks in two-plus innings of a 14-6 road loss to the New York Mets. The right-hander had won seven of nine starts with a 2.71 ERA before turning in his shortest outing since Sept. 1, 2008.

Verlander was impressive in his only start against the Braves on June 23, 2007, yielding one run and striking out 11 in seven innings of a 2-1 victory at Turner Field. Hanson will be facing the Tigers for the first time, as the Braves attempt to sweep this three-game set after winning 4-3 on Saturday. Atlanta has held Detroit to four runs and nine hits over two games, running its home winning streak to seven. The Braves have also won 16 of 17 at Turner Field to improve their home record to a major league-best 26-7 - a major reason Atlanta leads the East by 1 1/2 games over the New York Mets. The Tigers, who trail first-place Minnesota by 1 1/2 games in the AL Central, are trying to shake out of a 4-12 road funk during which they’ve hit .233 as a team. Magglio Ordonez is 3 for 20 in his last five games away from Detroit, including 0 for 7 in this series. The right fielder has a .207 average with no homers and one RBI in eight career games at Atlanta.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Tampa Bay Rays Live Streaming

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Tampa Bay Rays Live | Arizona Diamondbacks vs Tampa Bay Rays | Arizona Diamondbacks vs Tampa Bay Rays Streaming | Arizona vs Tampa Bay MLB Live Stream | Arizona Diamondbacks vs Tampa Bay Rays Live Webcast

1:40 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

Tampa Bay’s series with Arizona didn’t get off to a positive start, but it has a chance for a successful conclusion. The Rays try for a second consecutive victory over the Diamondbacks while going for their first series win in more than two weeks Sunday at Tropicana Field. Less than 24 hours after being no-hit for the third time in less than a year, Tampa Bay bounced back with a 5-3 win over Arizona on Saturday. Stymied by former teammate Edwin Jackson’s 149-pitch performance Friday, the Rays managed five hits to win for the fifth time in 15 games. Tampa Bay has not won a series since taking two of three from Toronto from June 8-10. Sean Rodriguez and Jason Bartlett each drove in two runs, but the Rays stranded 12 runners. Tampa Bay is 6 for 47 with runners in scoring position over the last five games.

The Rays have played the last two games without Carl Crawford in the starting lineup. Batting .306, Crawford is day to day with a sore left shoulder. Even without one of its top offensive catalysts, Tampa Bay was able to benefit from 11 walks and a hit batter Saturday. Rodrigo Lopez hopes to change that when he takes the ball for Arizona hoping to build on his first victory since May 15. The right-hander snapped his personal four-decision skid by holding the New York Yankees to three runs in eight innings of a 10-4 win Monday. Lopez, a former Baltimore Oriole, is 10-5 with a 4.75 ERA in 15 starts against Tampa Bay, but he hasn’t faced the Rays since 2007. Tampa Bay counters with Wade Davis, who tries to avoid losing a fifth consecutive start. The right-hander lasted 4 1-3 innings in a 2-1 loss to San Diego on Tuesday, throwing 103 pitches and giving up two runs with five walks. Davis, who won three of his first five starts, is 0-4 with a 7.32 ERA in June.

Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox Live Streaming

Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox Live | Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox | Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox Streaming | Chi Cubs vs Chi White Sox MLB Live Stream | Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox Live Webcast

2:05 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

Less than three weeks ago, the Chicago White Sox weren’t even worth mentioning in the AL Central race. Riding the franchise’s longest winning streak in 49 years into Sunday’s finale against the Chicago Cubs, the Sox are now the talk of the town. The White Sox were 9 1/2 games behind division-leading Minnesota on June 9, but they have moved within 1 1/2 games of the Twins with 15 wins in their last 16 games. Paul Konerko’s solo homer in the eighth inning propelled the White Sox to their 11th consecutive victory on Saturday, 3-2 over the Cubs. The White Sox have tied the longest winning streak in the majors this season, which is one shy of the club’s longest surge since a 12-game run June 17-27, 1961. Saturday’s victory moved the White Sox into a second-place divisional tie with Detroit and five games above .500 for the first time since July 23.

While the White Sox are averaging 4.6 runs during the streak, the team’s starting pitching has been outstanding during this stretch, going 8-0 with a 2.16 ERA. The last White Sox starter not to complete at least six innings was Freddy Garcia, who went 5 2/3 inning in a 6-4 victory at Pittsburgh on June 15 that started this run. The left-hander allowed three runs in the first two innings of his last start, but retired 15 of the last 18 he faced in Tuesday’s 9-6 win over Atlanta. Danks, 5-1 with a 1.93 ERA in his last six interleague starts, is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in three career outings in the crosstown series. He’ll face a Cubs team that’s a season-low 10 games below .500 at 32-42. Improved hitting would help. The Cubs are batting .193 and scoring 1.2 runs per game while losing four of five. Derrek Lee’s RBI single in the sixth inning Saturday was the team’s first run in 15 innings.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals Live Streaming

St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals Live | St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals | St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals Streaming | St. Louis vs Kansas City MLB Live Stream | St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals Live Webcast

2:10 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

The St. Louis Cardinals took two of three games in each of their first four series against the AL. They’ll have a good chance to do the same at Kauffman Stadium in their interleague finale. Unheralded Jaime Garcia has the majors’ second-best ERA, and the left-hander can earn his rookie-leading eighth victory in Sunday afternoon’s series decider against the Kansas City Royals. The Cardinals haven’t dominated the AL, but heading into this weekend they’d done something only the Chicago White Sox had also pulled off - win each of their interleague series. Garcia has gotten his first taste of the AL in his past two starts, and he’s continued to fare well after missing most of last year due to Tommy John surgery. He gave up two runs over seven innings in a 2-1 loss to Seattle on June 16, then allowed three runs over six in a 9-4 win at Toronto on Tuesday. Garcia’s one area of concern has been walks - he issued 34 in his first 12 starts - but he seems to be resolving his control issues. He didn’t issue a free pass to the Blue Jays, the first time he’s done so.

Issuing walks isn’t usually a concern against the Royals. Kansas City has the fewest in the AL, though its average is among the best in the majors. The Royals have been particularly impatient against the NL. They’ve walked 16 times in their last 10 interleague games, including once in Saturday’s 5-3 loss. One of Kansas City’s freest swingers is Jose Guillen, though lately that strategy has paid off. Guillen extended his hitting streak to a career-best 20 games Saturday, tying Texas’ Josh Hamilton for the majors’ longest this season. He’s hitting .367 during the streak, with three walks in 83 plate appearances. Only one of his 29 hits, however, has left the park, and that lack of power hasn’t been limited to Guillen. Kansas City hasn’t homered in a week’s worth of games, its longest drought since going eight straight without one from July 30-Aug. 7, 2000.

Seattle Mariners vs Milwaukee Brewers Live Streaming

Seattle Mariners vs Milwaukee Brewers Live | Seattle Mariners vs Milwaukee Brewers | Seattle Mariners vs Milwaukee Brewers Streaming | Seattle vs Milwaukee MLB Live Stream | Seattle Mariners vs Milwaukee Brewers Live Webcast

2:10 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

Seattle’s Jason Vargas has more than held his own this season. The left-hander looks to continue his surprise season with a fifth straight victory Sunday in the conclusion of the Mariners’ road series with the Milwaukee Brewers. After entering spring training hoping to simply win a spot in Seattle’s rotation, Vargas is among the AL leaders in ERA with teammate Cliff Lee. He’s also outpitched fellow Mariner Felix Hernandez through the first three months of the season. Vargas, who couldn’t stick with Florida and the New York Mets before going 3-6 with a 4.91 ERA for Seattle in 2009, allowed four hits and struck out seven in seven innings of a 2-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. He is 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA in his last nine starts.

Making his first start against Milwaukee, Vargas may be needed to put forth another long outing to save a short-handed bullpen. Reliever Shawn Kelley is on the disabled list with an elbow injury and Brandon League has moved into the closer role while David Aardsma is away for the birth of his child. Brian Sweeney likely won’t be available after throwing four scoreless innings of relief in Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Brewers. Jose Lopez hit a two-run homer and Milton Bradley added a solo shot as Seattle avoided a third straight loss. The Mariners have won seven of nine overall. Lopez is batting .325 during a 10-game hitting streak. Prince Fielder homered Saturday for the Brewers, who had their season-high five-game winning streak snapped. After totaling 31 runs during that span, Milwaukee was limited to a four-run third inning Saturday.

Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels Live Streaming

Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels Live | Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels | Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels Streaming | Colorado vs LA Angels MLB Live Stream | Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels Live Webcast

3:35 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

The Los Angeles Angels might be trying to avoid overlooking their interleague finale with a key series against the AL West leaders looming. Entering that set with some momentum could be valuable. The Angels look to conclude their interleague schedule in strong fashion Sunday when they host the Colorado Rockies. Los Angeles is second in the West, 4 1/2 games behind first-place Texas with the rivals slated to open a three-game series at Angel Stadium on Tuesday night. While that series is important for the Angels and their bid for a fourth straight division title, they don’t want to look past the Rockies in the finale of this three-game set.Los Angeles evened the series Saturday as Hideki Matsui connected for a grand slam in the first inning, while Joe Saunders and two relievers made it hold up for a 4-2 win. Matsui’s homer was his 150th in the major leagues and 482nd since he began playing with Tokyo’s Yomiuri Giants.

The Angels turn to Ervin Santana as he tries to improve upon a strong performance in Tuesday’s 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The right-hander allowed three runs in seven innings after losing his previous two starts with a 9.00 ERA. Despite some recent struggles, Santana has won six of eight outings behind a 3.46 ERA after going 1-3 with a 4.40 ERA in his first seven games of 2010.He’s faced the Rockies once, allowing two runs in seven innings while not getting a decision in a 6-2 home loss on June 28, 2006. The Rockies will give the ball to Jhoulys Chacin, who is looking to build on his first win in a month. The 22-year-old right-hander was solid in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Boston, yielding four hits with five walks in 6 2-3 scoreless innings while out-pitching Jon Lester. That performance ended a personal four-start losing streak, during which he posted a 5.32 ERA.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Oakland Athletics Live Streaming

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Oakland Athletics Live | Pittsburgh Pirates vs Oakland Athletics | Pittsburgh Pirates vs Oakland Athletics Streaming | Pittsburgh vs Oakland MLB Live Stream | Pittsburgh Pirates vs Oakland Athletics Live Webcast

4:05 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

The Oakland Athletics couldn’t get much offense going in their last series. A matchup with the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates has helped change that. The A’s go for the three-game sweep Sunday afternoon when the Pirates try to snap a 16-game road losing streak. After scoring six total runs and getting swept by Cincinnati to open its six-game homestand, Oakland has found its hitting stroke in two games against the Pirates, totaling 19 runs and 25 hits. The A’s won 5-0 on Saturday to improve to 23-1 this season when they score at least that many runs. Coco Crisp has been a sparkplug at the top of the lineup in this series. After coming a homer shy of the cycle in Friday’s 14-4 win, Crisp scored three runs for the second straight game Saturday and went 2 for 3 with a walk. He has at least one hit in each of his four games since coming off the disabled list.

With Crisp getting on base directly in front of him in the order, A’s first baseman Daric Barton is enjoying his best series of the season. He drove in two runs Friday, then matched a career high with four RBIs on Saturday when he tied a franchise record with three doubles. While the A’s are seeking their first three-game winning streak since a four-game run May 26-29, Pittsburgh has not won a road game since May 25. The 16-game skid is the club’s longest on the road since dropping 19 straight July 23-Aug. 30, 1985. Having Ross Ohlendorf on the mound may not be the answer the road-weary Pirates are seeking. The right-hander has lost three straight starts, and hasn’t won since Aug. 18. Ohlendorf needed just 36 pitches to retire the first 10 batters Tuesday in Texas, but was out of the game after 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs and five hits in Pittsburgh’s 6-3 defeat.

Boston Red Sox vs San Francisco Giants Live Streaming

Boston Red Sox vs San Francisco Giants Live | Boston Red Sox vs San Francisco Giants | Boston Red Sox vs San Francisco Giants Streaming | Boston vs San Francisco MLB Live Stream | Boston Red Sox vs San Francisco Giants Live Webcast

4:05 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

The Boston Red Sox overcame the losses of their emerging ace and former MVP to continue their interleague success. Doing that against Tim Lincecum will be a much tougher challenge. The Red Sox will try to solve the two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner as they conclude their interleague schedule against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Boston was already reeling after Dustin Pedroia was placed on the disabled list after breaking his left foot by fouling a ball off it during Friday’s loss. The following day, 10-game winner Clay Buchholz hyperextended his left knee running the bases in the second inning, but the Red Sox were still able to beat the Giants 4-2 to even this three-game series. Boston is 12-5 during interleague play, which has spurred a 23-11 stretch overall. Buchholz’s status for his next start is uncertain, but replacing Pedroia’s bat is a problem. The second baseman and 2008 AL MVP was hitting .491 with four homers and 13 RBIs in his last 14 games.

Bill Hall, who went 0 for 2 with a walk Saturday, likely will start in Pedroia’s place. Hall is batting .226 with five homers and 16 RBIs. The Red Sox now have to contend with Lincecum, who has a 1.64 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 22 innings in winning his last three starts. The hard-throwing right-hander was superb Tuesday, yielding an unearned run and scattering seven hits while fanning seven in eight innings of a 3-1 win at Houston. Lincecum has been outstanding in his last six interleague starts, going 5-1 with a 1.53 ERA. However, he’ll make his first appearance against Boston, which is averaging 5.9 runs over 34 games. The Red Sox will counter the two-time All-Star with Jon Lester, who wouldn’t mind getting some support in his first meeting versus the Giants. The left-hander had his eight-game winning streak end in hard-luck fashion Tuesday, when he allowed one run with six strikeouts in six innings of a 2-1 loss at Colorado.

New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Streaming

New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live | New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers | New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers Streaming | NY Yankees vs LA Dodgers MLB Live Stream | New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Webcast

8:05 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

Having dropped to third place in the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers are desperate for wins regardless of the opponent. Getting two straight against the team with the best record in baseball would be an added bonus. The Dodgers hope to achieve that and close interleague play on a positive note Sunday night in the finale of a three-game set against the New York Yankees. After losing the opener of this series Friday in manager Joe Torre’s first game against his former team, Los Angeles rebounded with a 9-4 victory Saturday. Shut down by CC Sabathia the previous night, the Dodgers took advantage of an ineffective A.J. Burnett as James Loney matched a season high with four RBIs. The win was only the second in nine games for the Dodgers, who had dropped four straight at home for the first time since August. Los Angeles improved to 4-10 in interleague play.

Although the Dodgers had a big offensive performance Saturday, slumping Russell Martin was limited to one hit in four at-bats. He is 2 for his last 23 and has only four RBIs in 21 games this month. Mark Teixeira’s three-run homer in the first inning staked the Yankees to an early lead, but another poor start by Burnett sent New York to its second loss in seven games. The Yankees are 10-7 against the NL and assured of a winning interleague record for the 11th straight year. Andy Pettitte will be asked to help New York avoid a series loss. The left-hander is putting together another outstanding season, ranking among the AL leaders in wins and ERA while excelling in nearly every category. He was very good again Tuesday in a 9-3 victory at Arizona, allowing two runs and seven hits in seven innings while striking out seven and walking two. Pettitte has pitched at least seven innings in six straight starts, his longest such stretch since July 15-Aug. 31, 2005. He is 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in five road starts this season.

Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Live Streaming

Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Live | Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers | Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Streaming | Houston vs Texas MLB Live Stream | Houston Astros vs Texas Rangers Live Webcast | MLB Live Streaming TV

8:05 pm EDT Sun Jun 27, 2010

While the Texas Rangers are one of baseball’s hottest teams largely thanks to their powerful lineup, some might not be convinced they have the pitching staff to hold up in the postseason. Adding Roy Oswalt could certainly change that. The Rangers have publicly acknowledged their interest in acquiring the Houston Astros’ long-time ace, and Texas will get a first-hand look at the three-time All-Star in Sunday night’s series finale as it seeks a fourth straight series win over its intrastate rivals. Rangers president Nolan Ryan used the terms phenomenal and special while referring to Oswalt before Texas played last weekend in Houston, and though no significant discussions between the teams have taken place, Oswalt said a potential in-state deal would be fine by him.

The Astros have certainly seen what slugger Josh Hamilton and Texas are capable of. Hamilton singled in Saturday’s 7-2 win over Houston to extend his hitting streak to 20, tied with Kansas City’s Jose Guillen for the majors’ longest this season. He’s hitting .494 with 25 RBIs during his streak, and is batting .486 during a personal eight-game run against the Astros. Saturday, though, Ian Kinsler did the bulk of the damage. Kinsler’s three-run shot in the fourth inning was his first homer in 33 games. While Oswalt could wind up pitching for the Rangers later this summer, he won’t be too thrilled about facing them. Oswalt is 0-4 with a 4.81 ERA in five outings in the series since his last victory, June 24, 2005. Texas is hitting .331 against Oswalt in that stretch, and no player has done more damage than Kinsler. The second baseman is 6 for 13 with a homer, triple and double off Oswalt.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Back to TOP