Mariners, Red Sox bring big bats into Fenway series
USA TODAY Sports Weekly’s baseball correspondents weigh in on the top series over the next week in Major League Baseball:
NATIONALS AT PADRES (June 16-19)
For Padres fans dealing with another losing season, the visit from the Nationals will provide visual proof that the draft could be a solution to their team’s ills. Washington is a powerhouse in large part because it drafted
and in the wake of poor seasons. It took having majors-worst records in 2008 and 2009 for the Nationals to be in position to draft each player first overall. The Padres are on pace to get a top-10 draft pick for the second consecutive year.
MARINERS AT RED SOX (June 17-19)
Two of the AL’s most prolific offenses meet for the first time this season when the Red Sox play the Mariners at Fenway Park. One or both have been at or near the top of the leaderboard in many offensive categories for much of the season. The fortunes for both teams have changed a great deal since they last met in mid-August at Fenway. At that point both were well below .500 on the way to finishing disappointing seasons. Now, both have postseason aspirations.
WHITE SOX AT INDIANS (June 17-19)
The Indians are one of three teams that have passed the White Sox in the American League Central standings since May 28, and the teams meet for the third time this season but the first at Progressive Field. The Indians have won four of six games against Chicago as first baseman
has gone 6-for-18 (.333) with a triple, two home runs and six RBI and utility player
also has homered twice. White Sox first baseman
has gone 9-for-22 (.409) with three doubles and a home run.
PIRATES AT CUBS (June 17-19)
The Cubs have won five of six games against the Pirates while building a commanding lead in the National League Central, and Pittsburgh will try to cut into its deficit during a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Cubs first baseman is 11-for-26 (.423) with six doubles and two home runs against the Pirates this season, and Pirates center fielder
has three doubles and two homers while going 7-for-26 (.269) vs. Chicago. Cubs right-hander has beaten the Pirates in both starts this season after handcuffing them in the NL wild-card game last fall, and he is scheduled to pitch in the series opener.
ANGELS AT ASTROS (June 20-22)
The fading Angels are hoping to hold ground while waiting for several key pitchers to return from the disabled list. The uneven Astros are trying to reignite a push that lifted them from the AL West cellar but stalled. The teams play each other for the second time this season, the start of a 10-day stretch in which they’ll square off six times. The Angels took two of three last month in Anaheim, the only loss coming when Houston’s ended a five-game losing streak.
ROYALS AT METS (June 21-22)
The first half of 2016 has been a challenge for the Royals, so maybe they’ll be energized by a trip back to the ballpark where they won the World Series last November. They might not be as excited to see the one Mets starter who beat them last fall. As good as Syndergaard was in the World Series, he was even better when he beat the Royals in the second game of this season at Kauffman Stadium, showing off triple-digit fastballs and a slider that topped out at 95 mph. Syndergaard pitched the first six innings of that 2-0 Mets win, which earned a split of the twogame series.