Can’t get enough baseball action? Well tonight’s your lucky night as the MLB has served up a pair of high-quality ballgames that will definitely be worth all your attention. Opening festivities tonight is the American League East clash between the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics.
Then, the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals square off in a tantalizing National League showdown. Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two mouth-watering ballgames and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the upcoming Wimbledon semifinal between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
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Oakland Athletics vs. New York Yankees (7:05 PM ET)
Line: Oakland Athletics (EVEN) at New York Yankees (-110); total: 8.0 – view all MLB lines
The New York Yankees stumbled to their second consecutive defeat Tuesday with a gut-wrenching 4-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees will look to exact some revenge later tonight when they square off with the A’s again in the second game of their three-game set.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Starting for the New York tonight is C.C. Sabathia (3-8, 5.59 ERA). He picked up his eighth defeat of the season in his last start, allowing four runs on six hits in 7.1 innings of action in the Yankees’ 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees have lost three of their last four games with Sabathia as their starter.
Oakland, on the other hand, will counter with veteran left-hander Scott Kazmir (5-5, 2.56 ERA). The A’s have won four of their last five games with Kazmir as their starter. Kazmir was phenomenal in his last start, throwing eight shutout innings in Oakland’s 4-0 victory against Seattle on July 2.
Writer’s Prediction
Oakland wins, 5-2.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals (7:05 PM ET)
Line: Cincinnati Reds (+150) at Washington Nationals (-170); total: 7.5 – view all MLB lines
The Cincinnati Reds stretched their unbeaten run to two games with an emphatic 5-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. Johnny Cueto dazzled for the Reds in this victory, pitching a two-hit, complete-game shutout. They will look to complete the three-game sweep tonight when they take on the Nationals in their series finale. Starting for the Reds tonight is Michael Lorenzen (3-3, 3.58 ERA). He struggled in his last start, allowing three runs on five hits in just four innings of action in Cincinnati’s humiliating 12-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 3.
The Nationals, on the other hand, will have Gio Gonzalez (6-4, 4.16 ERA) on the mound tonight. Washington has won three of its last four games with Gonzalez as its starter. He was superb in his last start for the NL East leaders, surrendering just one run on five hits in seven innings of work in Washington’s 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on July 3.
