Preview Roundups
April 28, 2017
Baltimore at NY Yankees 7:05 PM ET
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman hit the nail on the head while summing up his performance in April. "Not very good," Gausman told the Baltimore Sun ahead of his final start of the month on Friday as the Orioles begin a seven-game road trip with the first of three contests against the New York Yankees.
NY Mets at Washington 7:05 PM ET
The Washington Nationals are kicking off a six-game homestand on Friday against visiting New York but have to be a little disappointed to leave the road after going 9-1 on the trip, including a three-game sweep at the Mets last weekend. The Nationals pounded out 42 runs in the final three games at Coors Field in Colorado this week, including a 16-5 drubbing in Thursday's series finale.
Tampa Bay at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
The Tampa Bay Rays have had a tough time holding on to leads lately and hope to turn around their fortunes when they visit the struggling Toronto Blue Jays on Friday for the opener of their three-game series. The Rays have been ahead in each loss during a 1-3 stretch - including Wednesday's setback at Baltimore in which they battled back from a three-run deficit to move in front in the 11th inning, only to give up two runs in the bottom of the frame.
Chi. Cubs at Boston 7:10 PM ET
Interleague play provides a gem this weekend, as the Chicago Cubs travel to Fenway Park for a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox beginning Friday. It’s the first meeting of the storied franchises since 2014, when the Cubs swept three games at Fenway.
Pittsburgh at Miami 7:10 PM ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates are last in the National League and 29th in the majors with 71 runs scored but are hoping a 6-5 win over the defending World Series champs on Wednesday was what the team needed to get the bats going consistently. The Pirates will try to post back-to-back wins when they visit the Miami Marlins on Friday for the opener of a three-game series.
Seattle at Cleveland 7:10 PM ET
The Seattle Mariners are starting to turn around a disastrous stretch on the road while the Cleveland Indians are beginning to piece it together at home. The Mariners vie for their third straight win away from the Pacific Northwest on Friday when they open a three-game series against the Indians at Progressive Field.
Chi. White Sox at Detroit 7:10 PM ET
It's feast or famine for the Detroit Tigers' offense, and right now they're starving. The Tigers managed a total of one run in the last two contests to drop a series to the Seattle Mariners and will try to turn things around on their 10-game homestand when they host the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a three-game set on Friday.
LA Angels at Texas 8:05 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels have matched a season-best four-game winning streak and shoot for their sixth victory in seven games when they open a three-game series against the host Texas Rangers on Friday. The Angels are fresh off a three-game home sweep of Oakland and will strive to improve on their woeful 3-8 road record.
Oakland at Houston 8:10 PM ET
The Oakland Athletics' five-game winning streak seems like a distant memory, as the club has dropped four straight contests - and been held to one run in three of them. Oakland looks to end the slide and record the first victory on its nine-game road trip when it visits the Houston Astros on Friday for the opener of their three-game set.
Atlanta at Milwaukee 8:10 PM ET
Eric Thames has been the biggest story in baseball this season, and the Milwaukee Brewers expect their slugging first baseman to return to the lineup Friday in the opener of a three-game home series against the Atlanta Braves. Thames, who already has set club records for homers (11) and runs scored (27) in April while hitting .370 with a .489 on-base percentage, left Wednesday’s victory against Cincinnati with a tight left hamstring.
Minnesota at Kansas City 8:15 PM ET
Reeling from a miserable road trip, the Kansas City Royals will try to get back on track when they open a 10-game homestand with the first of three against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. The lowest-scoring team in the majors, the Royals dropped all seven games on its recent trek while managing to push across a total of 13 runs.
Cincinnati at St. Louis 8:15 PM ET
Lance Lynn sat out the entire 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but he's starting to show the form that produced 60 victories over a four-year span from 2012-15. Lynn takes the mound Friday, when the St. Louis Cardinals host the skidding Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series.
Colorado at Arizona 9:40 PM ET
The Arizona Diamondbacks reside in first place in the National League West and look to remain on top when they host the Colorado Rockies on Friday for the opener of their three-game series. Colorado sits one-half game behind the Diamondbacks after being torched for 42 runs while losing three straight to Washington.
Philadelphia at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET
The Philadelphia Phillies are the hottest team in the majors, riding a six-game winning streak and sitting two games above .500 for the first since Memorial Day weekend in 2016. Off to their best 20-game start since 2011, the Phillies try to keep the momentum rolling when they visit the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in the opening of a three-game set.
San Diego at San Francisco 10:15 PM ET
The San Francisco Giants possess the worst record in the National League, and manager Bruce Bochy already is feeling the urgency. The Giants look to begin a turnaround on Friday as they open a three-game series against the visiting San Diego Padres, the second-worst team in the NL.