Preview Roundups
April 27, 2017
Miami at Philadelphia 1:05 PM ET
Maikel Franco has been saddled with an all-or-nothing tag this season, with the 24-year-old Dominican recording multi-hit performances in three of his last five outings on the heels of a dismal 0-for-21 stretch. After belting his second grand slam in two weeks, Franco will try his hand at providing a consistent presence at the plate as his Philadelphia Phillies vie for a sixth straight win Thursday afternoon against the visiting Miami Marlins.
Atlanta at NY Mets 1:10 PM ET
Freddie Freeman loves hitting against the New York Mets, and he led a breakout offensive performance the visiting Atlanta Braves hope to replicate in the finale of a rain-shortened two-game series Thursday. Freeman was one of six Braves to collect multiple hits as Atlanta emphatically ended a six-game losing streak Wednesday with an 8-2 victory, raising his career average against the Mets to .314.
Seattle at Detroit 1:10 PM ET
Detroit's offensive explosion couldn't last forever, and the Tigers finally met their match on Wednesday in Seattle Mariners lefty James Paxton. The Tigers will try to get the bats going again and win the series when they host the Mariners in the rubber match on Thursday.
Toronto at St. Louis 1:45 PM ET
The St. Louis Cardinals have lofty expectations for Carlos Martinez and the right-hander did nothing to temper them with a 10-strikeout performance in his season debut. Still, Martinez remains winless and will look to halt a three-start losing streak on Thursday when the Cardinals play a doubleheader to complete their three-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.
Washington at Colorado 3:10 PM ET
Bryce Harper is hotter than lava as April nears an end and looks to produce another stellar effort when the Washington Nationals conclude their four-game series against the host Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon. Harper reached base five times on four hits and a walk in Wednesday's 11-4 victory and is 20-for-34 over the last 10 games to raise his average to a major league-best .432.
LA Dodgers at San Francisco 3:45 PM ET
The San Francisco Giants have made a flurry of roster moves this week in an effort to jump-start their struggling offense, and the early returns already have provided reason for optimism. The Giants look to win two in a row for just the second time this season on Thursday as they conclude a four-game series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, who are experiencing their own offensive woes.
Houston at Cleveland 6:10 PM ET
The Houston Astros intend to reach the playoffs and contend for the American League pennant this season and can make an early statement with a series win over the defending AL champs when they visit the Cleveland Indians for the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday. The Astros are tied for the lead in the AL with 14 wins, but missed out on a chance for a series sweep when they fell 7-6 to the Indians on Wednesday.
NY Yankees at Boston 7:10 PM ET
The Boston Red Sox are feeling the absence of David Ortiz in the middle of the lineup as they struggle to generate offense of late. One team happy to see Ortiz drift off into retirement is the New York Yankees, who were frequent victims of the slugger's clutch hits and have a chance to earn a rain-abbreviated two-game sweep of the Red Sox when they visit Fenway Park on Thursday.
Toronto at St. Louis 7:15 PM ET
St. Louis Cardinals veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright benefited from a loud offensive performance in his last outing to help silence the critics after a tough start to the season. Fresh off belting a homer and driving in four runs, Wainwright will look to either swing a hot bat or silence those of the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday when the clubs play the second contest of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium.
San Diego at Arizona 9:40 PM ET
One day after halting a four-game slide with an improbable five-run, ninth-inning rally, the San Diego Padres look to ride the momentum to another victory when they conclude their four-game series against the host Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. Ryan Schimpf hit a go-ahead three-run homer and Yangervis Solarte added a two-run double in the uprising that gave the Padres an 8-5 win on Wednesday.
Oakland at LA Angels 10:07 PM ET
The Los Angeles Angels attempt to complete their second series sweep of the season when they host the Oakland Athletics for the finale of their three-game set on Thursday. Los Angeles, which swept Seattle in its first home series of the year, edged Oakland in 11 innings in the opener before posting an 8-5 triumph on Wednesday.