MLB viewing guide: Monday schedule spotlight
Justin Upton’s back in Arizona, the Rangers try to gain a bigger division lead than they had all of last season, and the Yanks & Tribe play the elusive afternoon doubleheader.
Day | Home SP | Visit. SP | Time | Where |
13-May | Justin Masterson (5-3), 3.67 ERA, 3.29 FIP | David Phelps (1-1), 5.02 ERA, 3.67 FIP | 12:05 pm ET | SportsTime Ohio, YES Network |
13-May | Trevor Bauer (1-1), 2.70 ERA, 6.81 FIP | Vidal Nuno (0-0), 0.00 ERA, 1.67 FIP | 3:35 pm ET (pending) | SportsTime Ohio, YES Network |
Originally a mutual off-day, the Yankees and Indians are making up two rainouts with a rare back-to-back doubleheader -- the second game will start half an hour after the first game ends. The Tribe turns to Justin Masterson to put a stop to the Yankees' five-game winning streak, with three of those wins against the Indians' fellow surprising AL Central team, the Royals. However, Phelps and Nuno will also have their hands full trying to cool down the Cleveland lineup, which has helped them take 11 of their last 13 games. Nuvo will be making his first career start and just his second appearance. Drafted by Cleveland before an abrupt cut in 2011, he has a chance for vengeance.
Day | Home SP | Visit. SP | Time | Where |
13-May | A.J. Burnett (3-3), 2.57 ERA, 2.51 FIP | Marco Estrada (2-2), 6.05 ERA, 5.76 FIP | 7:05 pm ET | FOX Sports-Midwest, ROOT Sports |
It was not so long ago that the Brewers finished up a successful April in which they went 14-11 with a nine-game winning streak. The calendar has flipped and the Brew Crew has since flat lined: they are in a 1-9 spiral this month, sending them five games under .500. Having had teams go through similarly appalling stretches of baseball over the past 20 years, Pirate fans realize that now is the opportunity to strike and feast on a struggling team, especially with a match-up as seemingly lopsided as Burnett vs. Estrada.
Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports
Day | Home SP | Visit. SP | Time | Where |
13-May | Pedro Hernandez (1-0), 5.96 ERA, 6.08 FIP | Hector Santiago (1-1), 1.69 ERA, 3.33 FIP | 8:10 pm ET | CSN, FOX Sports-North |
After matching zeroes with Matt Harvey in his sixth career start last Tuesday, Santiago hopes to further solidify his spot in the ChiSox rotation against the surprising .500 Twins. He'll have to find some way to cool down star catcher Joe Mauer, who's on a .533/.600/.833 roll in the past week.
Day | Home SP | Visit. SP | Time | Where |
13-May | Wade Miley (3-1), 2.93 ERA, 3.27 FIP | Mike Minor (4-2), 2.96 ERA, 3.56 FIP | 9:40 pm ET | FOX Sports-Arizona, Sports South |
Baseball's home run leader, Justin Upton, faces his old team for the first time as a visitor in Chase Field with the Braves needing some victories to recapture that early-season form. Atlanta's 12-1 start while the rest of NL East slumped demonstrated that blazing beginnings do not mean that that path to the division title will be a breeze; they have gone 9-15 since then. These clubs have nearly identical records now at 21-16 and 21-17, with similar run differentials as well (+21 and +23). Two solid pitchers in Miley and Minor are on the mound today, but both offenses are certainly capable of putting crooked numbers up on the scoreboard.
Day | Home SP | Visit. SP | Time | Where |
13-May | A.J. Griffin (3-3), 3.83 ERA, 4.58 FIP | Justin Grimm (2-2), 3.45 ERA, 3.34 FIP | 10:05 pm ET | FOX Sports-Southwest, CSCA |
The two division rivals square off with the Rangers having put a decent-sized total of games between them and the AL West’s current second-place squad. Texas owns a six-game lead in the division, and can stretch that further with a series win. Although they dominated the AL West for most of last year, they never had a division lead that big all season long. Every other AL West club is under .500, and the A’s are the only other team with a positive run differential (a slim +1).
