Preview Roundups
September 25, 2018
Kansas City at Cincinnati 6:40 PM ET
The Cincinnati Reds had difficulty locating their bats during their 10-game road trip, with five shutout losses serving as an eyesore on their 3-7 trek. The Reds (66-91) aim to find their offense Tuesday as they host the Kansas City Royals (54-102) in the opener of an abbreviated two-game interleague series between cellar-dwelling clubs.
Miami at Washington 7:05 PM ET
Max Scherzer's bid for a fourth Cy Young Award has taken a big hit of late, but the ace of the Washington Nationals has another chance to boost his resume when he takes on the visiting Miami Marlins in the second of a three-game series Tuesday night. Scherzer is 1-1 with a 5.06 ERA in his last five starts, falling behind Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets in most Cy Young predictions.
Houston at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
The Houston Astros are the hottest team in the majors in September, and their success this month has them on the verge of clinching consecutive division titles for the first time since winning three in a row from 1997-99. The Astros look to take one more step toward making that dream a reality Tuesday when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays in search of a fifth straight victory overall in the middle contest of a three-game set.
Atlanta at NY Mets 7:10 PM ET
The champagne has been popped and the celebratory T-shirts have been printed, but there is plenty of work remaining for the Atlanta Braves entering the final week of the season, starting Tuesday at the New York Mets. The newly crowned National League East champions have secured their first postseason berth since 2013, and look to build on their slim lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second seed and home-field advantage in the NL Division Series.
Baltimore at Boston 7:10 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox have established a franchise record for victories and will continue their postseason preparation as they play the second of a three-game series against the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. A 6-2 victory in Monday's series opener was the 106th of the year for the Red Sox, eclipsing the team mark previously established in 1912.
NY Yankees at Tampa Bay 7:10 PM ET
Veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen hopes to build off a productive night as his New York Yankees look to create more cushion in their fight for home field in the American League Wild Card Game when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. McCutchen, acquired from San Francisco in late August, was batting .212 with the Yankees before recording a double and a solo homer in Monday’s 4-1 victory.
Pittsburgh at Chi. Cubs 8:05 PM ET
The boom-or-bust nature of the Chicago Cubs’ offense has been especially prevalent when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates. After opening their four-game set against the visiting Pirates with another weak offensive output, the Cubs will try to get the bats going and preserve their slim National League Central lead when the clubs meet for the second of four games Tuesday.
Cleveland at Chi. White Sox 8:10 PM ET
All-Star Trevor Bauer looks to get himself ready for the postseason as he makes the start Tuesday night when the American League Central champion Cleveland Indians visit the Chicago White Sox for the second of a three-game set. Bauer, who returned last Friday for a short appearance after missing more than a month with a stress fracture in his right leg, is expected to throw between 60 and 65 pitches Tuesday.
Detroit at Minnesota 8:10 PM ET
The Minnesota Twins picked themselves up after a brief stumble to begin their 10-game road trip by erupting for 19 runs en route to a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers. The Twins (72-83), winners of five of their last seven overall, return to Target Field on Tuesday to face the Tigers (63-93) in the opener of their season-ending seven-game homestand.
Milwaukee at St. Louis 8:15 PM ET
The Brewers can take a huge step toward clinching a wild-card berth and remain within striking distance of winning the National League Central on Tuesday when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals in the middle contest of a three-game set. Milwaukee lowered its magic number to clinch a postseason spot to three following Monday's 6-4 victory over St. Louis.
Philadelphia at Colorado 8:40 PM ET
Trevor Story is back in the lineup after a five-game absence and the All-Star shortstop will look to help the Colorado Rockies win their fifth straight contest when they host the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. Story recorded two doubles as the Rockies rolled to a 10-1 victory in the opener of the four-game series to climb within one-half game of St. Louis for the National League's second wild-card berth.
LA Dodgers at Arizona 9:40 PM ET
The Los Angeles Dodgers send rookie sensation Walker Buehler to the mound Tuesday against the host Arizona Diamondbacks with hopes of moving a step closer toward their sixth consecutive division title. David Freese went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs on Monday as the Dodgers opened the three-game series with a 7-4 victory.
Texas at LA Angels 10:07 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels turned on the power to end their five-game losing streak and hope the surge continues when they resume their season-ending six-game homestand on Tuesday with the middle contest of their three-game set against the Texas Rangers. Los Angeles belted four solo homers in the series opener, including a lead-off, pinch-hit blast by Jose Briceno in the 11th inning that produced a 5-4 victory.
Oakland at Seattle 10:10 PM ET
The Oakland Athletics have clinched an American League postseason berth, but they still have business in front of them as they visit the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game series. Oakland is 1 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees in the battle for the top wild-card spot and home-field advantage in next week's one-game playoff.
San Diego at San Francisco 10:15 PM ET
The San Diego Padres have split the first four contests of their six-game road trip and look to notch a second straight victory when they visit the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game set. The Padres blanked the Giants 5-0 in the series opener on Monday after losing two of three to the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road.