Rodriguez, Vasgersian To Replace Shulman, Boone On ESPN’s ‘SNB’ Broadcasts

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN will have some new, but well-known new faces this spring when its Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts return.

The worldwide leader in sports announced this week that Yankee great Alex Rodriguez and Matt Vasgersian will join the program’s broadcast team.  Jessica Mendoza will return, too.  Vasgersian will be the program’s new play-by-play announcer, taking the place of Dan Shulman while Rodriguez will serve as analyst, taking over from Aaron Boone.

ESPN announced last summer that Shulman would be leaving the program after last season.  While he stepped away from ESPN’s flagship MLB program, he is still working with ESPN covering Major League Baseball on its ESPN Radio broadcasts.  He is also busy covering college basketball for ESPN.

Boone meanwhile will go from the broadcast booth to the dugout after being named the Yankees new manager during the off-season. Both Rodriguez and Vasgersian said in interviews that they were looking forward to joining ESPN’s MLB broadcast team.

“I’m looking forward to this new chapter in my broadcasting career,” Rodriguez said.  “It’s an exciting time in baseball, and now I get that front row seat to tell that story every Sunday night on ESPN as well as calling my fourth post season on Fox where I started this journey.”

Vasgersian agreed.

“Jon and Dan set the bar super high for Sunday Night Baseball play-by-play, so it’s a real thrill for someone who still remembers his first Minor League bus trip in 1991 to have a chair like this one,” he said. “I know firsthand how passionate both Alex and Jessica are about baseball, and I can’t wait to get started with them.”

Mendoza said she was looking forward to working with her new broadcast partners.

“I am incredibly excited to work with both Alex and Matt,” Mendoza said.  “Matt has been a friend for a long time and someone whose work I’ve long admired. Alex’s achievements as a player speak for themselves, and I’ve been greatly impressed by the passion and dedication he has put into his broadcasting career. We’re going to have a lot of fun.”

Stephanie Druley, ESPN Senior Vice President of events and studio production said the new broadcast team was the right fit for ESPN because of its collective experience.

“Alex is one of the most recognizable personalities in all of sports, and he’s made a well-documented impact on the sports media landscape. His dynamic personality and incredible baseball knowledge, combined with Matt Vasgersian’s expertise, enthusiasm and poise, make for terrific additions to Sunday Night Baseball, with existing commentators Jessica Mendoza and Buster Olney,” Druley said.  “We’re excited about the potential for this team and we’re appreciative to our MLB Network and Fox Sports counterparts, as all parties were more than willing to collaborate in order to serve Major League Baseball fans.”

ESPN’s current Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell schedule is noted below.

Schedule:

Date	Telecast
Apr. 1	San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
Apr. 8	New York Mets at Washington Nationals
Apr. 15	Texas Rangers at Houston Astros
Apr. 22	Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers
Apr. 29	New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels** – Olney’s Pick!
May 6	Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals
May 13	Washington Nationals at Arizona Diamondbacks
May 20	Cleveland Indians at Houston Astros
May 27*	San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs
July 1	Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
July 22	New York Mets at New York Yankees
July 29	Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals
Aug. 19	MLB Little League Classic

*Telecast to air on ESPN2.

Additional Sunday Night Baseball selections for June through September will be made up to two weeks prior to the dates.

This year marks the 29th year of Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN.  Each game will be preceded at 7 p.m. on ESPN by Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet.

More information on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell schedule is available online now along with all of the latest MLB headlines at http://www.espn.com/mlb.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

 

 

ESPN Launches MLB Pre-Season Coverage Thursday; To Carry World Baseball Classic Final Tonight

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN kicks off its Major League Baseball pre-season coverage Thursday afternoon.

The Yankees and the Rays face off in the first of the network’s pre-season broadcasts beginning at 1 p.m. Jon Sciambi will have the call for the Grapefruit League game.  He will be joined by analysts Rick Sutcliffe and Doug Glanville in the booth for additional commentary.

The Dodgers and Angels follow at 7 p.m. on ESPN in a Cactus League showdown.  The Angels currently sit fourth in the league while Los Angeles sits seventh.  Dan Shulman, the voice of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, will have the call for the game.  He will be joined in the booth by his SNB cohorts Jessica Mendoza and Aaron Boone.  Reporter Buster Olney will also be on hand for all of the latest in-game news and interviews.

Karl Ravech and Tim Kurkjian will have a wrap of up the day’s action on the diamond at 10 p.m. on Baseball Tonight on ESPN.

Before ESPN launches its Major League pre-season coverage Thursday, it will broadcast live the World Baseball Classic Final tonight at 9 p.m.  The United States and Puerto Rico will face off for this year’s title live on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.  The broadcast begins at 9 p.m. ET.

The United States made its way to the Final after defeating Japan 2 – 1 Tuesday. The game marks the team’s first-ever time it has reached the Final.

The re-match against Puerto Rico will not be an easy contest for the Americans.  That is because Puerto Rico is undefeated in the tournament at 7 – 0.  Marcus Stroman is expected to get the start in tonight’s game for the United States while Seth Lugo is scheduled to take the mound for Puerto Rico.

More information on ESPN’s Major League Baseball coverage is available online now along with all of the latest MLB headlines at:

 

 

 

Website: http://espn.go.com/mlb

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBTN

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN To Feature Its Own Battle Of Red Vs. Blue Friday In Postseason Impact Game

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN has added another matchup to its 2016 MLB postseason coverage schedule.

The Blue Jays and Red Sox will face off live this Friday on ESPN. The game, the first in the teams’ three-game weekend series, will be the network’s key MLB Postseason Impact Game telecast presented by Exxon and Mobil.  Broadcast of the game is expected to begin at 7:10pm ET.

Neither team has announced its rotation for the game or who will take the mound.  The weekend series will have extra meaning for Red Sox fans and for star David Ortiz.  That is because this weekend’s series is the last regular season series at Fenway Park for Ortiz.

Ortiz announced ahead of the 2016 season that this season would be his last before he hangs up his cleats and bat for good.  Ortiz will go out on a high note, though as the Red Sox have already clinched a spot in the postseason. So his final season will be extended at least a little bit longer.

Dan Shulman will have the call for Friday’s game.  He will be joined in the booth by analysts Aaron Boone and Jessica Mendoza for additional commentary.  The game will be blacked out in the Boston market.

Friday’s game is just the latest in ESPN’s 2016 MLB season broadcast schedule.  The Indians and Tigers will be live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes+ in a Wednesday double header schedule. The Rockies and Giants cap the night beginning at 10pm ET.  The Indians and Tigers will be live again on ESPN and ESPN Deportes+ at 1pm ET on Thursday.

More information on the ESPN networks’ 2016 MLB regular and postseason coverage is available online now at:

 

Website: http://espn.go.com/mlb

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBTN

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN Closes Out July SNB Schedule With Cross-Conference Showdown

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN has announced the matchup for the July 31^st edition of Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell.

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell closes out July with a cross conference showdown between the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago Cubs.  The game will be the closer in a three-game weekend series between the teams.  There is currently no word on either team’s rotation or who will take the mound on either side of the ball at this time.  The numbers currently favor Chicago not just in the game but in the series in whole.  Chicago is currently 28 – 15 at home so far on the season while Seattle is 23 – 24 on the road.  The Mariners currently sit third in the AL West, 8.5 games behind the division-leading Texas Rangers while the Cubs currently lead the NL Central at 55 – 36.

The July 31^st edition of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell will mark the first time since 2004 that the Mariners have made an appearance on the network’s weekly Sunday night MLB broadcast.  Seattle faced another Chicago team—the White Sox—in that game.  Coverage of the game is expected to begin at 8pm ET on ESPN.  Dan Shulman will have the call for the game.  He will be joined in the booth by analysts Aaron Boone and Jessica Mendoza for additional commentary.  Reporter Buster Olney will also be on hand for all of the latest in-game news and interviews.   Pre-game coverage of the game begins at 7pm ET on Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet.  Karl Ravech will anchor the broadcast and will be joined at the desk by analyst Dallas Braden and reporter Tim Kurkjian.

More information on the July 31^st edition of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell is available online now along with all of the latest MLB headlines at:

 

 

 

Website: http://espn.go.com/mlb

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBTN

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Yanks, Sox Finish Off Weekend Series Sunday On ESPN’s SNB Broadcast

Courtesy: ESPN

The Yankees and Red Sox go under the lights this Sunday on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell.

What is one of professional sports’ most storied rivalries will have its latest chapter written this Sunday night when the Yankees and Red Sox go under the lights on ESPN’s flagship MLB program.  The game will be the finale in the teams’ three-game weekend series.  The game is scheduled to begin at 8:05pm ET.  Masahiro Tanaka (6 – 2) is scheduled to get the start for the Yankees while David Price (9 – 6) will get the start for Boston.  Price’s last time on the mound was July 10^th against Tampa Bay.  He was credited with the win in that game.  He was in prime form throughout the game, too allowing only 4 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, and 0 home runs.  He struck out 10 of 29 batters, too.  This was all over 8 innings pitched.  That is just under half of the batters faced.  Teammate Brad Ziegler played a role in the win, too.  He kept Tampa Bay’s bats completely silent in the game’s final inning, striking out 2 of 3.

Tanaka’s last time on the mound was July 10^th against Cleveland.  He had a rough time against the Indians, too allowing 7 runs on 10 hits over 4.2 innings.  He also allowed 3 earned runs, 2 walks, and 1 home run, striking out only 5 of 26 batters.

While New York is playing host to Boston in this weekend’s series, the numbers are pointed more in favor of the Red Sox.  This is even with Boston’s current 19 – 18 road record and New York’s 23 – 18 home record.  The Red Sox are currently in the midst of a four-game win streak and 7 – 3 in their last ten games.  The Yankees meanwhile are 5 – 5 in the team’s last ten games.  New York is   The last two of those games were wins for the pinstripers.

Dan Shulman will have the call for Sunday’s game.  He will be joined in the booth by analysts Aaron Boone and Jessica Mendoza for additional commentary.  Reporter Buster Olney will be on-hand for all of the latest in-game news and interviews.  Sunday night’s  broadcast will be preceded by Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet at 7pm ET.  Karl Ravech will anchor the broadcast.  He will be joined at the desk by analyst Dallas Braden and ESPN MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian.

More information on Sunday’s MLB coverage is available online now along with all of the latest MLB headlines at:

 

 

 

Website: http://espn.go.com/mlb

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBTN

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN To Feature Two Divisional Matchups On SNB, MNB Broadcasts

Courtesy: ESPN

This Sunday night on ESPN, one of baseball’s longet running and most heated rivalries continues.  No, not that rivalry.  Rather, it’s the rivalry between the Giants and the Dodgers.

Buster Posey and the San Francisco Giants will be in hostile territory as they take on Yasiel Puig and the Los Angeles Dodgers live Sunday night on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell.  The game is the third in a three-game weekend series between the National League conference and divisional opponents.  Currently there is no information as to who will take the mound for either team in Sunday’s matchup or either team’s rotation.  The game is scheduled to broadcast live at 8pm ET on ESPN.  Dan Shulman will be in the booth for the call.  He will be joined by analysts Aaron Boone and Jessica Mendoza for additional commentary.  Reporter Buster Olney will also be on hand for all of the game’s latest news, interviews, and more.  It will be shown in all markets as a full national telecast.  Karl Ravech, Dallas Braden and Tim Kurkjian will preview the game live at 7pm ET on Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown.

The action continues Monday night on Monday Night Baseball presented by USAA when Yadier Molina and the struggling St. Louis Cardinals play host to the team’s NL Central foes, Dexter Fowler and the Chicago Cubs.  The game is scheduled to air live at 8pm ET on ESPN.  Dave Flemming will be in the booth for the call.  He will be joined by analysts Curt Schilling ad Eduardo Perez for additional commentary.  The game is currently expected to air nationally in all markets.

More information on these games and all of ESPN’s Major League Baseball coverage is available online now along with all of the latest MLB headlines at:

 

 

Website: http://espn.go.com/mlb

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBTN

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN Kicks Off 2015 MLB Post Season Coverage Tonight

Courtesy: ESPN

The 2015 MLB Playoffs are here!

In only a couple of hours, ESPN will kick off its coverage of the 2015 MLB post season. It all begins with a live broadcast of the American League Wild Card Game presented by Hankook Tires at 8pm ET tonight. Tonight’s AL wildcard game will pit the New York Yankees, who are no stranger to the post season, against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. Whoever wins tonight’s game will go on to face Kansas City in the ALDS. That series kicks off October 8th. While both teams come into the post season on equal footing–NY is 45 – 36 at home while the Astros as 45 – 36 on the road–Houston would seem to have at least a little bit more of an advantage having gone 6 – 4 in its last ten and taken two of three against the D-backs over the weekend. NY meanwhile finished off the regular season on a three-game skid after having been swept by the Orioles over the weekend. The Astros will be hungry to keep the wins coming while the pinstripers will be looking heavily to get back on the winning track.

Jessica Mendoza will have the call for tonight’s game on ESPN. She will be the first-ever female analyst to call an MLB post season game. She will be joined in the booth by fellow analyst John Kruk and his Sunday Night Baseball co-host, veteran play-by-play man Dan Shulman. ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney will also be on hand for tonight’s game with all of the latest in-game news. Baseball fans not near a television need not worry about missing tonight’s broadcast. That is because the game will be simulcast on ESPN Radio stations across the country. Dave O’Brien and Aaron Boone will have the call for ESPN Radio. It will also air live online via WatchESPN and on ESPN Deportes for ESPN’s Spanish-Speaking audiences. And tomorrow night, ESPN Radio will also have full coverage of the National League Wild Card Game between the Pirates and Cubs. Coverage begins at 8pm ET. Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton will have the call and commentary for the game. More information on ESPN’s MLB coverage is available online now along with all of the latest MLB headlines at:

Website: http://espn.go.com/mlb

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Red Sox, Angels Face Off This Week On SNB; Mets, Nats Follow Monday On MNB

Courtesy: ESPN

The Home Run Derby is done. Home field advantage for the World Series is set. All that being done, it’s time for the boys of summer to get back to work and buckle down as Major League Baseball makes its way toward the homestretch. That work includes a matchup of the Red Sox and Angels this Sunday on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell.

This week on Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell, ESPN will present a showdown of two American League opponents as the now two-time All-Star Game MVP Mike Trout leads the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at home against the visiting Boston Red Sox. The game is the third in a four-game series between the teams. Curretly no details have been announced in regards to who will take the mound for either team in Sunday’s game. Currently, the Red Sox sit in last place in the American League East at 42 – 47, six and a half games back from the division leading New York Yankees. Boston is 6 – 4 in its last ten games and 20 – 24 on the road versus the Angels’ 25 – 18 home record so far this season. The Angels currently lead the AL West at 48 – 40, but leads second place Houston by only half a game. L.A. is 7 – 3 in its last ten games.

Dan Shulman will have the call for Sunday’s game. He will be joined in the booth by analysts Curt Schilling and John Kruk. Reporter Buster Olney will also be on hand for all of the latest in-game news and more. Sunday’s broadcast will be preceded, as it is each week, by Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet. Karl Ravech will anchor the broadcast and will be joined by analyst Aaron Boone and ESPN MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian. Those that won’t be near a television Sunday night can still catch the game and Sunday Night Countdown online via WatchESPN.

Following Sunday night’s broadcast, the Nats will host the Mets in an NL East faceoff on Monday Night Baseball presented by USAA that could potentially have playoff implications. The game first of a three-game series between the divisional foes. As with Sunday’s game between the Angels and Red Sox, no details have been announed as of yet in regards to who will take the mound on either side. The Mets currently sit second in the NL East, two games back from the Nats, who currently sit at 48 – 39 on the season. The Nats are 5 – 5 in their last ten games, having won their last two games. The Mets are 47 – 42 on the season and 7 – 3 in their last ten games. They are currently in the midst of a four-game win streak as they prepare to face the Cardinals in a three-game series beginning this Friday, July 17th. The broadcast is scheduled to begin at 7pm ET on ESPN and WatchESPN. It will be anchored by Dave O’Brien. He will be joined by Aaron Boone and Dallas Braden.

More information on ESPN’s MLB coverage is available online now along with all of the latest MLB news at:

Website: http://espn.go.com/mlb

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Cardinals, Cubs Face Off In NL Central Showdown This Week On ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN has a big game on tap for this weekend’s edition of Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell.

This  ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell, the league-leading St. Louis Cardinals host the Chicago Cubs in a pivotal NL Central showdown. The game, which could have potential playoff implications as the first half of the season winds down, will be the closer in a three-game series between the NL Central foes. The Cardinals currently sit at 48 – 24 on the season and 7 – 3 in their last ten games. The Red Birds are currently riding high on a six-game win streak. Chicago is third in the division, eight and a half games back from St. Louis, sitting currently at 39 – 32. The team is 5 – 5 in its last ten games and is currently looking to end its two-game skid. Sunday’s broadcast is expected to begin at 8pm ET. The game will be simulcast on ESPN Deportes for the network’s Spanish-speaking viewers. And those that won’t be near a TV during Sunday Night’s game can still catch it online via WatchESPN and on the radio on ESPN Radio. Dan Shulman will have the call for Sunday’s game. He will be joined by analysts Curt Schilling and John Kruk in the booth. Reporter Buster Olney will also be on hand with all of the latest in-game news. As with every broadcast of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell, Sunday’s broadcast will be preceded by Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet at 7pm ET. Karl Ravech will anchor the broadcast and will be joined at the desk by analyst Aaron Boone and ESPN MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian. The broadcast will be simulcast online via WatchESPN.

The second game in the Cubs-Cardinals weekend series will air live on ESPN Radio Saturday night at 6pm ET. Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton will have the call for Saturday night’s game.

Carlos Martinez is currently expected to take the mound for St. Louis in Sunday’s game. His last time on the mound was Tuesday’s game against the Marlins. St. Louis won that game 4 – 3. He pitched seven innings in the game, allowing eight hits, three earned runs, one walk, and struck out nine batters en route to the team’s win.

Jason Hammel is expected to start for Chicago in Sunday’s game. Hammel’s last time on the mound was Tuesday against the Dodgers. The Cubs won that game 1 – 0 over the Dodgers. Hammel Pitched 7.2 innings, allowing 2 hits along the way, no runs or earned runs, only two walks, and struck out six men.

Monday night on ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball presented by USAA Adam Jones and the Baltimore Orioles will host Prince Fielder and the Texas Rangers on ESPN. Fielder just hit his 300th home run tonight as the Rangers face the Blue Jays. It makes Fielder and his famed father only the second father/son duo since Bobby and Barry Bonds to hit 300 home runs each. Monday night’s game is the first in a four-game series that will run thought next Thursday, July 2nd. Dave O’Brien will have the call for the game. He will be joined in the booth by Eduardo Perez and Mark Mulder in the booth for additional commentary. The game will be simulcast on ESPN Deportes for ESPN’s Spanish-speaking audiences. It will also simulcast online via WatchESPN for those that won’t be close to a television during the course of the game.

Bud Norris is expected to start for the Orioles in Monday night’s game. Norris’ last time on the mound was Wednesday against the Red Sox. Baltimore dropped that game 5 – 1 with Norris pitching 5.2 innings in the game. He allowed seven hits, five runs, no earned runs, one walk, one home run, and struck out three batters in his time on the mound.

Wady Rodriguez is expected to start for Texas in Monday night’s game. His last time taking the mound was Wednesday against Oakland. He struggled in that game, allowing eleven hits, right runs, eight earned runs, three walks and two home runs over the course of four innings and striking out only four batters. By comparison, Rodriguez’s team-mate Anthony Bass only allowed two hits and one walk over the course of four innings, striking out five batters along the way. He allowed no runs, no earned runs, and no home runs in that time, too.

More information on ESPN’s Major League Baseball coverage is available online along with all of the latest baseball news at:

Website: http://espn.go.com/mlb

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN’s SNB Opens Its July Broadcast Schedule With Giants-Nats Series Closer

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN will be in the nation’s capital this year for Independence Day weekend.

ESPN announced today that its Sunday, July 5^th edition of Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell will come live from Nationals Park for the closer in a three-game series between the Nats and Giants. Details on starting lineups and who will take the mound for both teams will be announced soon. The game is scheduled for an 8pm ET start time on ESPN. It will also be broadcast in Spanish on ESPN Deportes for ESPN’s Spanish-speaking baseball fans as well as on ESPN Deportes Radio. Those that won’t be near a TV during the game’s broadcast can still hear it live on ESPN and online via WatchESPN. Dan Shulman will have the call for ESPN’s broadcast. He will be joined in the booth by analysts Curt Schilling and John Kruk. Reporter Buster Olney will also be on hand during the game’s broadcast for all of the latest news and insights on the game and other games around the league.

As is the case with each week’s broadcast, Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell will be preceded by ESPN’s weekly broadcast of Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet at 7pm ET. Karl Ravech will anchor the broadcast. He will be joined at the desk by Aaron Boone and reporters Tim Kurkjian and Nicole Briscoe.

Coming up this weekend on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell, the Giants will face in-state and NL West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sunday’s game is the closer in a four-game series between the rivals. Details on both teams’ starting lineups and their bullpen rosters will be announced soon. San Francisco currently sits second in the NL West three and a half games back from the Dodgers. The Giants are 34 – 31 so far on the season and 4 – 6 in their last ten games. The team is currently in the midst of a five-game skid. So it will be hungry for a win as it hosts Seattle tonight. Seattle currently sits fourth in the AL West at 27 – 39, five and a half games out of first in the division. The team has gone 5 – 5 in its last ten games. The Dodgers lead the NL West at 37 – 27 and have gone 6-4 in the team’s last ten games. It’s next game is tonight in Texas against the Rangers in the second of a four-game series between the two teams.

Looking into the future, the current schedule of upcoming games on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell is listed below.

Upcoming Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell schedule

Date	Game
June 21	San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers presented by Taco Bell
June 28	Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals presented by Taco Bell
July 5	San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals presented by Taco Bell
July 12	St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates presented by Taco Bell
July 19	Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim presented by Taco Bell

*All Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell telecasts begin at 8 p.m.

All of the latest MLB news and updates on ESPN’s MLB coverage is available online now at:

Website: http://espn.go.com/mlb

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPNBaseballTonight

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.