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GAME: Seattle Mariners (65-63) at New York Yankees (68-58)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 1:05 PM EST
WHERE: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
Preview: Mariners at Yankees
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017
Between ugly brawls, bad losses and suspensions, it's been a rough couple of days for the New York Yankees, who will try to bounce back when they continue a three-game series with the visiting Seattle Mariners on Saturday. After Thursday's brawl-marred loss in Detroit led to the suspensions of catchers Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine, the Yankees saw struggling lefty Aroldis Chapman give up the tiebreaking home run in the 11th inning in a 2-1 loss Friday.
Yonder Alonso was the one who got to Chapman with a drive to center, keeping the Mariners - who have won seven of nine - within a half-game of the second wild-card in the American League. New York still leads the wild card but missed out on a chance to gain ground in the AL East, as it remained 4 1/2 games behind first-place Boston. Chapman, who was removed from the closer's role earlier this month, has surrendered homers in three of his last six appearances and has an ERA of 10.29 over a span of seven games. Mike Zunino also homered Friday for the Mariners, who hope to have star second baseman Robinson Cano (hamstring) back in the lineup after he was reduced to pinch-hitting duties in the series opener.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Yovani Gallardo (5-9, 5.75 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Sonny Gray (7-8, 3.38)
Gallardo is winless in four straight starts and has suffered the loss in his last two outings, although he spun a quality start at Tampa Bay on Sunday. He limited the Rays to three runs in 6 1/3 innings and struck out six, matching his best total since June 7. The 31-year-old has a 6.32 ERA in seven career starts against the Yankees and has been hit hard by several of their regulars, including Todd Frazier (14-for-39), Chase Headley (10-for-29) and Starlin Castro (16-for-45).
Gray failed to strike out a batter for the first time in his career over five innings of a loss at Fenway Park on Sunday. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 10 consecutive starts but has gone eight in a row without completing seven frames. The Vanderbilt product saw plenty of the Mariners from his time in Oakland and is 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 10 career meetings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Sanchez (four games) and Romine (two) are appealing their suspensions.
2. Seattle needs to win one of the final two games in New York to improve to 8-0-1 in its last nine road series.
3. Castro (hamstring) was activated from the 10-day disabled list Friday and 1B Greg Bird (ankle) is expected to be activated Saturday.
PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Mariners 4Comment
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GAME: Minnesota Twins (65-62) at Toronto Blue Jays (60-67)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 1:07 PM EST
WHERE: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
Preview: Twins at Blue Jays
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017
The Minnesota Twins failed to gain any separation in the wild-card chase after playing five games against the American League's worst team earlier this week, but they got their weekend started off on the right foot against another cellar-dweller. The Twins continue their eight-game road trip Saturday when they visit the Blue Jays for the second of three contests in Toronto.
Minnesota began its trek this week by losing three of five to the Chicago White Sox, but Byron Buxton's bat (3-for-5, two RBIs) and glove (a diving catch on the warning track in the eighth inning with two runners on) played key roles in Friday's 6-1 series-opening victory. In addition to stopping a seven-game losing streak in Toronto that dated back to June 11, 2014, the Twins maintained their one-half game lead in the AL wild-card chase with the victory. The Blue Jays (60-68) continued their freefall with their sixth loss in their last seven outings but still remain only six games back of Minnesota despite falling eight games under .500. Toronto left 11 runners on base Friday and has scored only one run over its last two contests after clubbing six homers in Wednesday's 7-6 win over Tampa Bay.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), TVA Sports (Toronto), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Dillon Gee (1-0, 2.84 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (5-8, 5.07)
Gee solidified a spot in the rotation in his fifth appearance and first start since signing with Minnesota in June, holding the White Sox to one run on two hits over six innings to get the win Monday. The 31-year-old Texan is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA since making his Twins debut on Aug. 3, allowing only 13 hits and two walks in 18 2/3 frames. Jose Bautista is 3-for-7 with a home run versus Gee, who is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in two career starts against the Blue Jays.
Estrada turned in his fourth quality start in the last five outings in Sunday's no-decision in Chicago, permitting three runs on five hits over six innings to the Cubs. The Long Beach State product issued only one free pass in the outing, halting an 11-start stretch in which he walked at least four batters seven times and averaged 3.6. Estrada fanned nine over eight strong innings in a no-decision in his only turn versus the Twins last season and is 1-2 with a 4.23 ERA in eight appearances (six starts) against Minnesota.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Twins' 14 wins since Aug. 6 are the most in the majors over that span.
2. Toronto 1B Justin Smoak accounted for the club's only run Friday with his 35th homer, breaking a tie with Jose Cruz Jr. for the most by a switch hitter in a single season in team history.
3. Friday marked only the second time Minnesota has defeated the Blue Jays in their last 12 meetings.
PREDICTION: Twins 5, Blue Jays 2Comment
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GAME: Texas Rangers (64-63) at Oakland Athletics (55-72)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 4:05 PM EST
WHERE: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
Preview: Rangers at Athletics
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017
The Texas Rangers came up short in their attempt for a third straight win but look to bounce back when they visit the Oakland Athletics on Saturday afternoon for the middle contest of their three-game set. Texas began its 10-game road trip by taking three of four from the Los Angeles Angels but dropped a 3-1 decision to Oakland in the series opener.
Elvis Andrus and Delino DeShields each recorded two hits for the Rangers, who are two games back in the wild race for the American League's second wild-card spot. Adrian Beltre drove in the lone run for Texas on Friday and is 6-for-19 with seven RBIs over the first five games of the road trip. Oakland managed only four hits in the series opener, with two being home runs off the bat of Khris Davis. The 29-year-old Californian has hit 36 homers this year - six shy of the career high he set last season - and has gone deep three times in his last three games.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), NBCSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Cole Hamels (9-1, 3.42 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Sean Manaea (8-8, 4.58)
Hamels looks to complete August with a perfect record after going 4-0 with one complete game and a 1.86 ERA in four starts this month. The 33-year-old Californian extended his overall unbeaten streak to six outings on Monday, when he allowed two runs and three hits over seven innings in a road outing against the Los Angeles Angels. Hamels owns a 2-1 record and 2.94 ERA in five career starts against Oakland.
Manaea's winless streak reached six starts on Aug. 18, when he gave up three runs and six hits over six innings in a loss at Houston. The 25-year-old native of Indiana has not won since defeating Cleveland on July 16 and has not been victorious on the road since limiting the Astros to one run in 5 2/3 frames despite yielding nine hits and three walks on June 27. Manaea fell to 1-2 in five career starts against the Rangers when he struck out 10 but surrendered six runs in 5 1/3 innings at Texas on April 9.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers OF Carlos Gomez (shoulder) could be activated from the disabled list on Saturday.
2. Oakland placed Paul Blackburn (hand/wrist) on the disabled list while recalling fellow RHP Michael Brady and 1B Mark Canha from Triple-A Nashville.
3. Texas recalled Nick Martinez from Triple-A Round Rock and sent LHP Jake Diekman (colon) to the Express for a rehab assignment while optioning RHP Nick Gardewine to Double-A Frisco.
PREDICTION: Rangers 6, Athletics 3Comment
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GAME: Baltimore Orioles (62-65) at Boston Red Sox (73-54)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 26 - 4:05 PM EST
WHERE: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
Preview: Orioles at Red Sox
Gracenote
Aug 26, 2017
The Baltimore Orioles need to make a statement this weekend if they hope to remain in the wild card race, and they certainly gave a strong indication on Friday that they intend to do just that. The Orioles will try to follow up one drubbing with another when they visit the American League East-leading Boston Red Sox in the second of a three-game series on Saturday.
Baltimore wasted little time attacking reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello on Friday, battering him for 11 runs - four earned - and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings en route to a 16-3 win. The Orioles are winners of three of their last four games and remain three games behind the Minnesota Twins in a crowded race for the second AL wild card. The Red Sox tied a major league season high with five errors in the sloppy loss but lucked out with the New York Yankees losing as well and managed to hang onto their 4 ½-game lead in the AL East. Boston, which has dropped consecutive games for the first time this month, will try to bounce back behind Eduardo Rodriguez on Saturday while Baltimore counters with Kevin Gausman.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Kevin Gausman (9-9, 5.25 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3, 4.01)
Gausman allowed one or no runs in four straight starts between July 19 and Aug. 4 but posted just one quality start in his last three outings. The LSU product could not even make it through five innings against the Los Angeles Angels last Saturday, when he surrendered four home runs and was charged with five runs on six hits and four walks in four frames. Gausman is 0-2 in two outings against Boston this season while yielding a total of six runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Rodriguez has not won since May 26 and completed six innings in just two of his last eight outings. The Venezuela native struggled with his efficiency again at Cleveland on Monday and left after 5 2/3 innings despite allowing only three runs and four hits. Rodriguez worked six scoreless innings at Baltimore on April 23 but was rocked for seven runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings by the Orioles on June 1 before spending six weeks on the disabled list with a knee injury.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox INF Eduardo Nunez (wrist, thumb) left Friday's game and is day-to-day.
2. Orioles 3B Manny Machado homered five times in the last seven games.
3. Baltimore 2B Jonathan Schoop collected four hits on Friday and has eight RBIs in his last five games.
PREDICTION: Red Sox 8, Orioles 6Comment
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