BASEBALL MLB ARTICLES

The Los Angeles Dodgers earned a series split against the San Francisco Giants at home to kick off the 2018 season after dropping the first two games, each by a final of 1-0. The Dodgers’ offense took a while to get cranking, but picked it up as the series progressed. Now, with a three-game series on tap between these teams in the second weekend of the season, there’s a chance for one of the clubs to break the tie in the season series.... 

After an opening series against the Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers find themselves in a difficult part of their schedule here in the early going. After a tough three-game set against the Cardinals, the Brew Crew will face the Chicago Cubs in a tough four-game series with a late afternoon start time scheduled for Game 3 on Saturday. After a rough start against the Cardinals, Zach Davies will be given a chance at redemption against the Cubs while Yu Darvish will be given a chance to justify his large contract in his second start of the year.... 

Wrapping up a three game series at Miller Park, the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals finish an important, early three-game series as both clubs expect to compete with the Cubs for the NL Central title.These two teams are often lumped together in conversation as part of a deep Wild Card field, but both teams have their sights set higher, at least for now. While Milwaukee had the upper hand at home earlier in this series, the pitching matchup favors the Cards with Carlos Martinez making his second start of the season opposite Jhoulys Chacin.... 

The season is now one series in and some teams are left licking their wounds while others have made an early statement. The Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Indians fit into opposite groups with the Angels topping the Oakland Athletics in three of four games while the Tribe dropped two of three against the Seattle Mariners. The sole loss for the Angels came on Opening Day with Garrett Richards on the mound. He’ll get another shot on Tuesday against Josh Tomlin and the Indians. Cleveland is looking to make good on their preseason projections after a rough first series.... 

The Los Angeles Angels get to ease into the season, but after four games against Oakland, the Halos will get their first real test of the season on Monday, kicking off a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians before circling back for another series against the A’s. Shohei Ohtani pitches on Sunday so that’s when all the press will be out for the Angels, but a Monday’s pitching matchup of J.C. Ramirez against Mike Clevinger may be the better matchup, at least until Ohtani gets his footing in the states.... 

After an opening series against the Twins in Baltimore, the Baltimore Orioles’ difficult schedule goes up a notch with a series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park beginning on Monday. The second series of the season for the O’s features a mismatch on the mound with Chris Tillman and Charlie Morton slated to get their first starts of the season after very different results in 2017. Can Baltimore make some early noise against the reigning World Series champions or will Houston use this series to get out to an early lead in the AL West? ... 

Despite finishing second to the Red Sox in 2017, most pundits have the New York Yankees winning the AL East in 2018. In fact, the Baby Bombers as they’ve been called are amongst the favorites—alongside Houston—to represent the AL in the World Series. Meanwhile, their opponent in Monday’s series opener are the likely cellar dwellers in the same division. Can the Tampa Bay Rays hobble together enough quality arms to get them through a game against a prolific offense like the Yankees? And, can they plate enough runs against the team’s weakest arm in Jordan Montgomery before the vaunted bullpen takes over?
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The third game of the season opening series between the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres will feature a pair of pitchers on the mound needing to make strong impressions. For the Brewers, it’s Brent Suter who is getting a chance as a set part of the rotation after sitting on the Triple-A shuttle last year. For the Padres, its Luis Perdomo who is full of promise, but has yet to really establish himself in his first two big league season. ... 

This Easter Sunday meeting in New York marks the finale of a season opening series between two likely NL Wild Card contenders: the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Both teams missed out on postseason play a season ago, but come into the new season having added some offensive firepower, but still have significant questions to address around the pitching staff. Sunday’s pitching matchup features Luke Weaver and Steven Matz. Weaver was the better arm last year, but Matz—if healthy—still has a ton of potential.
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ESPN’s first Sunday Night Baseball showcase game will feature division rivals as the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers square off in a series finale southern California. This nationally broadcast game is an excellent forum for the Giants to show they’re a vastly improved team over the 2017 version, but the injury-plagued roster will have its work cut out for it against the NL pennant winning Dodgers who, after a taste of the Fall Classic, have some unfinished business. Rich Hill gets his first start in this one while the Giants rotation remains in flux.
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After an All-Star bid last season and some postseason heroics in the rotation and out of the pen, Lance McCullers Jr. enters the 2018 season as the Houston Astros’ No.3 starter, getting the nod on Saturday against the Texas Rangers. Texas hasn’t officially tabbed the next one off the starter carrousel after their first two starters, but it figures to be Matt Moore who desperately needs a good outing to put his horrible 2017 season behind him. In any case, the interdivisional battle between these in-state rivals continues Saturday.... 

The new-look, Derek Jeter-led Miami Marlins start their new era in South Florida, hosting the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon. A year after he was an out-of-options fringe player, Jose Urena will lead the charge on the mound for the Fish opposite of veteran southpaw Jon Lester, making his seventh career Opening Day start. It’s been two very different stories heading into this Opening Day matchup for these two franchise and two pitchers. ... 

From their histories in the Big Apple, the rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers is one of the game’s oldest and most storied battles. The latest iteration of the rivalry is set for Thursday evening and will be the first of 19 meetings in 2018 as the two teams meet head-to-head on Opening Day. The Dodgers holding a distinct advantage in the season opener, coming off a 104-win season and sending Clayton Kershaw to the bump opposite Ty Blach for the Giants.
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With the second-best record in the Cactus League, the Cleveland Indians appear ready for Opening Day on Thursday. ESPN has a full slate of games for the should-be national holiday including the matchup between the Tribe and Seattle Mariners. This game will pin two Cy Young Award winners against each other with Corey Kluber and Felix Hernandez each toeing the rubber in this night-time showdown. Who will come out ahead? Cleveland looks primed to take its first step toward a third straight AL Central title though Seattle—with the help of a bounce back season by King Felix—could be a sleeper squad in the AL. ... 

The Houston Astros had all off season to bask in the glory of their first ever World Series title. Now, the title defense begins. Houston kicks off its title defense with an in-state trip to Globe Life Park to take on the Texas Rangers. The Astros owned the Rangers last year and were a better road team than home team, both good signs for those looking for Houston—who sends Justin Verlander to the hill—to get off to a hot start against a Rangers’ team that’s lacking a clear sense of direction and headed by a declining Cole Hamels on the bump. ... 

The San Francisco Giants kick off their season on the road in southern California, taking on their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of the game’s best rivalries, this Giants and Dodgers series brings a ton of excitement for both teams, kicking off the 2018 regular season. While Madison Bumgarner is out, the Giants will still hope to take a couple games in this series, putting a dismal 2017 campaign in the rearview mirror. For the Dodgers, it’s the start of what they hope to be a march back to the Fall Classic.... 

The Cleveland Indians have claimed divisional supremacy over the last two seasons, winning 94 and 102 games in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Prior to the Tribe, the Kansas City Royals sat atop the division in 2015 and the Detroit Tigers held the divisional reigns for several years prior to that.... 

One year ago, the American League West was a tossup. The Texas Rangers won the division in 2016 with the Seattle Mariners in second. In 2017, the Houston Astros leap frogged both teams—as did the Los Angeles Angels.... 

The Boston Red Sox topped the New York Yankees in the American League East division last year in what was ultimately the closest division race in baseball. It was the first time these two storied rivals finished one and two in the division since 2009. ... 

As of August 25, 2017, the Los Angeles Dodgers were running away with the Nationals League West division and on pace to win a record number of games. Up by 21 games over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers were 91-36 and had lost back-to-back games just twice since the middle of May.... 

After a World Series win in 2016, the Chicago Cubs had a World Series hangover that lasted through the first half of the season. That allowed the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals to stay in the race for the National League Central division throughout the season. Still, the Cubbies eventually took hold of the division, winning 92 games and finishing six games ahead of the Brewers.... 

The Washington Nationals won the National League East division each of the last two seasons and four of the last six seasons. The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves each won the division in the other two years. Prior to Washington’s divisional dominance, it was the Philadelphia Phillies who owned the NL East. In the last seven seasons, four of the NL East’s five teams won the division; the only exception: the Miami Marlins.... 

The National League has won five of the last eight World Series, but while a different team has represented the NL in the Fall Classic the last three years, the previous five years, the NL has been represented by either the San Francisco Giants or the St. Louis Cardinals. Until the last couple years, the league was rather predictable. Going back further, there was a seven year stretch where the NL pennant winner was either the Giants, Cardinals or Philadelphia Phillies.... 

The American League is made up of a handful of ‘super teams’ with the division winners a seeming forgone conclusion even before Opening Day. Historically, we get a few surprises every year so it’s likely one—or more—of the divisional favorites will falter, but on paper, it’s hard to imagine.... 

Heading into 2018, we’re in a golden age for memorable World Series with back-to-back seven game series. Better yet, three of the last four series have gone the distance. We don’t always have such drama and excitement, but there’s no denying we’ve had some classics in recent seasons....