Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics Live Streaming

Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics Live | Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics | Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics Streaming | Tampa Bay vs Oakland MLB Live Stream | Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics Live Webcast

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.

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Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Streaming

Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live | Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles Dodgers | Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles Dodgers Streaming | Cincinnati vs LA Dodgers MLB Live Stream | Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles Dodgers Live Webcast

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.

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