What to expect in the major leagues today:
Hitless again?
On July 26, Rays right-hander Matt Garza fired the first no-hitter in franchise history by shutting down the Tigers at Tropicana Field. Tonight, he will face Detroit again, this time at Comerica Park.
Matt Garza will have a tougher time shutting down the Tigers’ offense tonight.
In that no-no, Garza walked only one while striking out six. On that night, the Tigers were without second baseman Carlos Guillen and third baseman Brandon Inge, both of whom have returned from the disabled list (outfielder Magglio Ordonez remains sidelined).
Sponsored link: Tigers tickets available
Now it is Tampa Bay that is battling injuries, with starters Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis on the disabled list. With so much rotation uncertainty, the Rays need another strong effort from Garza.
NLCS rematch
The Phillies and Dodgers have met in the NLCS the past two years, but a third consecutive meeting is unlikely. Thanks to its improved play recently, despite several of their key players being on the disabled list, Philadelphia has positioned itself for a possible playoff run. However, Los Angeles faces a sizeable deficit in both the NL West and wild-card races.
The teams will continue their three-game series at Citizens Bank Park tonight, and trading deadline acquisition Roy Oswalt will try again for his first win with the Phillies. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 4.38 ERA in his first two starts since being acquired from Houston.
Lack of support
Royals right-hander Zack Greinke recently made headlines when he questioned the franchise’s ability to win before his contract expires in 2012. His frustration is understandable, as the reigning AL Cy Young award winner has suffered from a lack of run support the past two seasons.
Greinke will aim for win No. 8 tonight against the Angels. Starting for Los Angeles is a pitcher with a legitimate gripe of his own. Jered Weaver has an MLB-best 171 strikeouts and a sub-.300 ERA but is just 11-7.
Chris Bahr is Sporting News’ baseball editor. E-mail him at cbahr@sportingnews.com.
What to expect in the major leagues today:
Hitless again?
On July 26, Rays right-hander Matt Garza fired the first no-hitter in franchise history by shutting down the Tigers at Tropicana Field. Tonight, he will face Detroit again, this time at Comerica Park.
Matt Garza will have a tougher time shutting down the Tigers’ offense tonight.
In that no-no, Garza walked only one while striking out six. On that night, the Tigers were without second baseman Carlos Guillen and third baseman Brandon Inge, both of whom have returned from the disabled list (outfielder Magglio Ordonez remains sidelined).
Sponsored link: Tigers tickets available
Now it is Tampa Bay that is battling injuries, with starters Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis on the disabled list. With so much rotation uncertainty, the Rays need another strong effort from Garza.
NLCS rematch
The Phillies and Dodgers have met in the NLCS the past two years, but a third consecutive meeting is unlikely. Thanks to its improved play recently, despite several of their key players being on the disabled list, Philadelphia has positioned itself for a possible playoff run. However, Los Angeles faces a sizeable deficit in both the NL West and wild-card races.
The teams will continue their three-game series at Citizens Bank Park tonight, and trading deadline acquisition Roy Oswalt will try again for his first win with the Phillies. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 4.38 ERA in his first two starts since being acquired from Houston.
Lack of support
Royals right-hander Zack Greinke recently made headlines when he questioned the franchise’s ability to win before his contract expires in 2012. His frustration is understandable, as the reigning AL Cy Young award winner has suffered from a lack of run support the past two seasons.
Greinke will aim for win No. 8 tonight against the Angels. Starting for Los Angeles is a pitcher with a legitimate gripe of his own. Jered Weaver has an MLB-best 171 strikeouts and a sub-.300 ERA but is just 11-7.
Chris Bahr is Sporting News’ baseball editor. E-mail him at cbahr@sportingnews.com.
