Cubs, White Sox To Close Out Weekend Series, Season Sunday On TBS

Courtesy: TBS

TBS will close out its coverage of Major League Baseball’s 2020 regular season Sunday.

The network will carry a cross-conference matchup between the Chicago Cubs and their cross-town rivals, the Chicago White Sox.  Sunday’s game is the closer in a three-game series between the teams.

Coverage is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET.  Joe Simpson will anchor the broadcast.  Ron Darling will provide additional commentary.

Neither team has announced the starting pitcher for Sunday’s game.  The White Sox (34-21) sit atop the American League Central and are second in the American League as of Wednesday.  Additionally, the team has already punched its ticket for the postseason, which starts Sept. 28.

The White Sox aren’t the only ones with bragging rights.  The Cubs (32-23) lead the National League Central and are fourth in the National League as of Wednesday.

The host White Sox are 5-5 in their last 10 games and 17-10 at home so far this year.  The Cubs meanwhile are 6-4 in their last 10 games and 13-9 on the road.  By comparison, the White Sox have proven just as good on the road (17-11) as at home while the Cubs have shown their own success at home, going 19-14 at Wrigley Stadium.

Looking at the numbers for Sundays game (and this weekend’s series), neither team is favored more over the other, which will make for an engaging finale for each team in the series and season.

More information on TBS’ Major League Baseball coverage is available online now at:

 

Website: http://tbs.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tbsnetwork

 

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 Cross-Conference Matchups Sunday In Double Header Broadcast Schedule

The Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins will close out their three-game weekend series Sunday live on ESPN.

The teams are scheduled to take the field live at 7 p.m. ET.  on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell. Matt Vasgersian will have the call for the broadcast.  World Series Champion and EPN analyst Alex Rodriguez and ESPN Senior MLB Insider Buster Olney will join Vasgersian with additional commentary.

Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton will have the call for the game on ESPN Radio.

Yu Darvish (7-2) is scheduled to get the start for the host Cubs in Sunday night’s game.  His last time on the mound was Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians.  Darvish pitched seven innings in the game, allowing nine hits, two earned runs, and one walk while striking out seven batters during his time on the mound.

Chicago eked out the 6-5 win in Tuesday’s game against Cleveland.  Jeremy Jeffress (4-1) was credited with the win in the matchup.

Jose’ Berri’os (4-3) is scheduled to get the start for Minnesota in Sunday’s game.  His last time on the mound was Monday against the Chicago White Sox, who have punched their ticket to the post season.  Barri’os pitched five innings in the game, allowing six hits, one earned run, and one walk while striking out two batters.

The White Sox won the noted game 3-1.  Taylor Rogers (1-4) took the loss for the Twins, having pitched less than an inning. He allowed two hits, two earned runs, and two walks.  He struck out none.

The Cubs took the lead game in this weekend’s series, 1-0.  The series’ second game is scheduled to take place tonight.  Alec Mills (5-3) is scheduled to get the start for the Cubs in tonight’s game.

Mills’ last time on the mound was Sept. 13 against Milwaukee.  The Cubs dominated the Brewers 12-0 in that game.  Mills made headlines that night, having pitched a perfect game.

Michael Pineda (1-0) is scheduled to get the start for the Twins in tonight’s game.  His last time on the mound was Sept. 13 against Cleveland.  Minnesota won that game 7-5.  Caleb Thielbar was credited with the win, pitching less than an inning, allowing one run, one earned run, and wo walks while striking out one batter.

Sunday night’s series closer and tonight’s game are toss-ups, looking at the noted figures and the teams’ overall stats.  Each team is comfortably in the postseason fight in its respective conference and division.

Minnesota is looking to rebound tonight after Friday night’s loss to the Cubs.  The team 5-5 in its last 10 games, though.  Chicago meanwhile is 8-2 in its last 10 games.  Adding to the interest is that Chicago is 19-12 at home so far this season versus going 12-8 on the road.

The Twins have also proven far better at home this season (21-5) than on the road (10-17).

Sunday night’s game is just one of two in a double header schedule for ESPN.  the network will offer a matinee game live at 4 p.m. between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics in yet another cross-conference matchup.

That game is the closer in the teams’ three-game weekend series.  The American League West leading Athletics (32-19) took the series’ opener Friday 6-0 against the Giants (25-25) who sit third in the National League West.

Karl Ravech will have the call for Sunday afternoon’s game.  Analyst Eduardo Perez and MLB Hall-Of-Famer Chipper Jones will join Ravech and provide additional commentary.

Oakland has not yet announced who will start on the mound Sunday.  Johnny Cueto (2-1) is scheduled to get the start for the Giants.  His last time on the mound was Sept. 13 against the San Diego Padres during a double header that day.

The series’ second game is scheduled to take place at 4:10 p.m. ET today.  Jesus Luzardo (2-2) is scheduled to get the start in this afternoon’s game.  His last time on the mound was Sept. 14 against the Seattle Mariners during a double header schedule that day.

Kevin Gausman (3-2) is scheduled to get the start this afternoon for San Francisco.  He has not thrown a pitch since Sept. 7 against Arizona.  Gausman was credited with the win in the 4-2 victory over the Diamondbacks.  Over the course of six innings pitched, Gausman allowed two hits one run, one earned run, three walks, and struck out nine batters.

The Giants and Athletics are each h6-4 in their last 10 games, and while Gausman won his last game, the numbers still favor the Athletics in Saturday and Sunday’s games.  The As are 19-7 at home so far this season and 13-12 on the road.  The team’s win Friday is also part of a two-game win streak, meaning the team will come into this weekend’s games with some momentum.

The Giants meanwhile have struggled on the road this season, going 9-16 away.That is compared to a 16-9 home record so far.

Sunday’s double header schedule will launch at 3 p.m. with Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown.  Kevin Connors will anchor the broadcast live from ESPN’s Bristol, CT studios.  World Series Champion and ESPN analyst Mark Teixeira will join Connors and provide additional commentary.

ESPN Analyst Tim Kurkjian and Olympic Gold Medalist Jessica Mendoza will join the broadcast remotely.

More information on ESPN’s upcoming MLB broadcasts is available online now along with all of the latest MLB headlines at:

 

Website: http://www.espn.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/espn

 

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.

Cubs, Pirates Face Off In Key NL Central Matchup Tonight On MNB

Courtesy: ESPN

The Pittsburgh Pirates took 2 of 3 against the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend, winning 4 – 1 and 5 – 1 Friday and Saturday respectively.  But the Reds got a bit of revenge Sunday night, taking the last of the teams’ 3-game series 6 – 5 in extra innings.  Now after that tough loss the Pirates look to regroup as they are set to face yet another NL Central foe this week in the form of the Chicago Cubs.  The teams face off this week in a 3-game series that begins tonight.  And ESPN will have full coverage of the series’ opener in this week’s edition of Monday Night Baseball presented by USAA.

Tonight’s game (and the series in whole) will have major implications for both teams even this early in the season.  That is because there’s more than just NL pride on the line.  The team’s cross city rivals, the White Sox, currently sit at 18 – 8 on the season so far.  The Cubs on the other hand are 17 – 6 so far on the season.  In the NL ranks, the Cubs are currently trying to hold off the second place Washington Nationals (17 – 7).  A win tonight (and wins Tuesday and Wednesday) would help the Cubs pad their lead over the Nats.  It would also help the Cubs in their rivalry with the White Sox.  On the other side of the ball, a win in tonight’s series opener (combined with wins Tuesday and Wednesday) would help the Pirates as they battle with the Phillies and the Cubs for position.

Gerrit Cole is currently expected to start for the Pirates tonight.  He is 2- 2 so far on the season.  His last time on the mound was six days ago on April 26^th against Colorado.  The Pirates routed the Rockies in that game 9 – 4 with Cole pitching six innings.  Cole didn’t have the greatest game, allowing 4 runs and 2 earned runs on 8 hits, and 1 home run.  He walked 2 and struck out 3.  This was all against 27 total batters.  Thanks to good fielding on Pittsburgh’s side and just as many problems for Colorado’s bullpen, the Pirates were able to pull off the win.

Starting for the Cubs tonight will be Jason Hammel.  Hammel is currently 3 – 0 on the season.  He has had plenty of time to rest and prepare for tonight’s game.  That’s because his last time on the mound was seven days ago against the Reds.  The Cubs blanked the Reds in that game 9 – 0.  Hammel was credited with the win having pitched 6 innings.  He was in top form in the game, too, allowing 0 runs on only 3 hits.  He walked only 2 of the 23 batters that he faced and struck out 7 while allowing 0 home runs and 0 earned runs.  Red pitcher Alfredo Simon meanwhile struggled mightily in the game, pitching only 2.2 innings before being pulled.  In that short time, he allowed 8 runs, 8 earned runs, and 2 home runs on 10 hits.  He walked only 1 of the 18 batters that he faced and struck out only 3.  So needless to say that Hammel will be on his A-game tonight.

Adding to the interest for tonight’s game (and this week’s series) is that while Pittsburgh and Chicago are evenly matched in their home records—Pittsburgh is 7 – 4 at home so far this season to Chicago’s 7 – 3—the visiting Cubs are 10 – 3 on the road so far to Pittsburgh’s 8 – 6 road record.  Chicago is 7 – 3 in its last 10 games while Pittsburgh is 8 – 2 in its last 10.  So when all of the numbers are added up, they show tonight’s game to be full of fireworks for both sides.  The same can be said of Tuesday and Wednesday’s games, too.

Dave Flemming will be in the booth for tonight’s game.  He will be joined by analysts Dallas Braden and Eduardo Perez for additional commentary.  ESPN Deportes will simulcast the game for the network’s Spanish-speaking audiences.  More information on tonight’s game 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.

President Obama Making Special Call-In Appearance On The Herd This Morning

Courtesy: ESPN

There’s big news for fans of ESPN Radio’s The Herd With Coin Cowherd today.

President Obama will be a special call-in guest on The Herd today.  Cowherd’s interview with President Obama is scheduled for 11am ET.  Along with talking about the Bulls and White Sox—Obama’s home town teams—Cowherd will also discuss the NFL’s conduct policy and NBA players holding their own protest by donning shirts reading, “I Can’t Breathe.”  The shirts are in reference to the recent case in which an NYPD officer was cleared of charges in the death of Eric Garner.  The interview will also include a discussion on the upcoming healthcare signup deadline.

This morning’s call-in appearance is not the first time that President Obama has joined Colin Cowherd.  He joined Colin back on March 20^th to discuss his bracket for the 2014 March Madness tournament, college sports in general, and more.

The Herd With Colin Cowherd runs Monday – Friday from 10am – 1pm ET on ESPN Radio, the ESPN Radio app, espnradio.com, SiriusXM, iTunes Radio, Slacker, and TuneIn.  It is also simulcast on ESPNU.

More information on this morning’s show and upcoming broadcasts is available online at http://espn.go.com/espnradio/show?showId=theherd.

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.

Pirates Host Cards This Weekend On ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN’s 25^th season covering Major League Baseball rolls on this Sunday as the Worldwide Leader in Sports comes to Pittsburgh for a matchup of the Pirates and Cardinals. It all starts at 7pm ET with ESPN’s Baseball Tonight live on ESPN.

Sunday night’s 8PM ET broadcast of the Pirates/Cardinals matchup on Sunday Night Baseball is an important landmark for ESPN as it will be the first time since July 28, 1996 that ESPN has broadcasted a Sunday Night baseball game live from PNC Park and the first time since that day that ESPN has broadcasted its weekly pre-game program, Baseball Tonight. Dan Shulman will anchor Sunday’s broadcast. He will be joined by analyst John Kruk and reporter Buster Olney. Jon Sciambi will anchor ESPN Radio’s simulcast of Sunday night’s broadcast. He will be joined by analyst Chris Singleton for the game. Sunday’s matchup between the Pirates and Cardinals will also be available on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes Radio.

Jon Hamm, start of Disney’s new movie Million Dollar Arm is scheduled to appear on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight live at 7pm ET as part of the network’s lead up to Sunday night’s game. Along with being an actor, Hamm is also an avid baseball fan. He will join Baseball Tonight host Karl Ravech and MLB Hall of Famer Barry Larkin for Sunday evening’s broadcast live from PNC Park. Baseball Tonight will broadcast live on Federal Street near the Roberto Clemente Bridge.

The Cardinals will head back to St. Louis after Sunday night’s game and prepare to host Anthony Rizzo and the Cubs on ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball Presented by USAA live at 8pm ET. Dave O’Brien will anchor Monday’s broadcast. He will be joined by analyst Aaron Boone and reporter Tim Kurkjian. Monday’s game will be preceded by ESPN’s weekly Monday night pre-game show Baseball Tonight. Karl Ravech will anchor the broadcast, which begins at 7:30pm ET. He will be joined by John Kruk and Ozzie Guillen. Monday night’s game (and Sunday’s) will also be available on ESPN Deportes, online and via all mobile internet platforms.

More information on ESPN’s 25^th Anniversary season of MLB coverage is available online now at http://www.facebok.com/ESPNBaseballTonight and http://espn.go.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.

FNF Makes History This Week

Courtesy: ESPN

U.S. Cellular Field, home to the Chicago White Sox, will host its first professional boxing match in over fifty years this weekend.  The last time that the venue played host to a match was on September 25^th, 1962 when Charles “Sonny” Liston knocked out Olympic Gold Medal boxer Floyd Patterson in the first round to take Patterson’s title.  The victory earned Liston the world heavyweight championship.  This weekend, boxing fans will see another huge card as there will be not one, not two, but three matches in a special three-hour edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. 

This week’s edition of Friday Night Fights will be broadcast live at 9pm ET on ESPN2, WatchESPN and broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+.  ESPN Deportes will join programming in progress Friday night at 10:30pm ET.  Friday’s card is anchored by two main event fights.  The first of the night’s main events is a twelve-round matchup between former Light Heavyweight titlist Gabriel “Chico Guapo” Campillo (22 – 5 – 1, 8 KOs) and Andrzej “The Polish Prince” Fanfara (23 – 2, 13 KOs).  Campillo comes into Friday’s fight having won his most recent fight with a fourth-round TKO over Ionut Illie.  Fonfara, a Chicago native, came out on top in his last match having scored a seventh-round TKO over Tommy Karpency.  And before that match, Fanfara added another notch to his “W” column in taking a ten-round unanimous decision over former Light Heavyweight titlist Glen Johnson.

Fanfara was unflinching in his mental preparation for his match against Campillo.  “I’m prepared for this fight,” he said.  “I want to win this fight and show people I’ll be the next world champion.”

Fanfara and Campillo’s matchup is just one half of Friday’s double main event.  The second of the night’s main event fights features a rematch between undefeated Heavyweight Arthur “The Pin” Szpilka (15 – 0, 11 KOs) and Mike Mollo (20 – 4 – 1, 12 KOs).  Szpilka is said to be a fan favorite among Chicago’s Polish community.  He comes into Friday’s fight looking to keep his winning ways going after taking a ten-round unanimous decision over Brian Minto in his most recent fight.  Mollo’s first match against Szpilka didn’t go so well for him [Mollo].  It ended in a sixth-round KO loss to Szpilka.  Fans can get caught up on that match as Friday’s show will open with a recap of that first meeting between the two men. 

In between Friday’s dual main event, fans will be treated to an eight-round fight between Jr. Welterweight Marc “The Rising Shark” Salser (15 – 0,  9 KOs) and Adrian “El Tigre” Granados (9 – 1 – 2, 5 KOs).

The commentary team of Teddy Atlas and Joe Tessitore will be ringside calling all the action for ESPN2 and WatchESPN.  They will be joined by Todd Grisham at the ESPN Studios.  Grisham will have all of the latest boxing news and updates, as he does each week.  Alejandro Palumbo will fill in once again for Delvin Rodriguez.  Palumbo will join Pablo Viruega ringside to call all of the action for ESPN Deportes+ and ESPN Deportes.  The pair will be joined in studio by Leopoldo Gonzalez and Claudia Trejos.  Bernardo Osuna will have live interviews and reports for both English and Spanish speaking audiences.

Friday night’s fight is presented by Corona Extra.  Next up for ESPN’s Friday Night Fights is a twelve-round Jr. Lightweight bout next Friday between Argenis Mendez (21 – 2, 11 KOs) and Arash Usmanee (20 – 1, 10 KOs)  Next week’s fight will be broadcast live from Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.  It will be broadcast live on ESPN2, WatchESPN, and ESPNDeportes+. 

Fans can keep up with all of the latest Friday Night Fights news on the official FNF Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/espn.fnf.  When fans “Like” the FNF Facebook page, they can also download the Live Friday Night Fights Facebook voting app.  The app allows viewers to score the fights themselves round-by-round from the comfort of their own homes.  Audiences can also keep up with all of the latest Friday Night Fights news on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ESPNFNF and http://twitter.com/ESPNBoxeo.

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.

Dodgers Host Bosox August 25th On ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball Presented By Taco Bell

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN has announced the latest addition to its lineup of games on its weekly Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell broadcast.  Coming up Sunday, August 25^th, Hanley Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers will host Dustin Pedroia and the Boston Red Sox as the race to the playoffs heats up.  The game is scheduled to air live at 8pm ET on ESPN.  Dan Shulman will anchor the broadcast.  He will be joined by former Dodgers great and ESPN analyst Orel Hershiser, fellow analyst John Kruk and reporter Buster Olney.

Along with its broadcast on ESPN, the matchup will also be available on ESPN Radio affiliates nationwide and online via WatchESPN.  Jon Sciambi will anchor the broadcast for ESPN Radio.  He will be joined by analyst Chris Singleton.  Spanish speaking audiences can catch the game on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes Radio.  Ernesto Jerez, Luis Alfredo Alvarez, Guillermo Celis, and Ozzie Guillen will have the call for both networks.

The East Coast/West Coast rivalry is just one more rivalry on the Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell schedule.  Coming up this Sunday, August 4^th, the Phillies will take on the Atlanta Braves in a modern day battle of North vs. South on the baseball diamond.  The current schedule of games on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell is available below.

Upcoming Sunday Night Baseball schedule:

Date	Game
Aug 4	Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies
Aug 11	Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Dodgers
Aug 18	New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
Aug 25	Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Dodgers

Upcoming games for the September broadcast schedule will be announced two weeks in advance to the games.  Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell is preceded every Sunday night by Baseball Tonight live at 7pm ET.

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 keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN Announces Another Addition To Sunday Night Baseball Schedule

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN has announced the latest addition to its Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell broadcast schedule.   Officials with the “Sports Leader” have announced that on Sunday, June 30^th, it will broadcast a matchup between Robinson Cano and the New York Yankees and Manny Machado and the Baltimore Orioles live in Baltimore.  Orel Hershiser, John Kruk, and reporter Buster Olney will join host Dan Shulman live beginning at 8pm EDT.

The game will broadcast live on ESPN on cable and online via WatchESPN.  It will also be available on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio.  Jon Sciambi will host the broadcast on ESPN Radio.  He will be joined by analyst Chris Singleton.  Ozzy Guillen, Ernesto Jerez, Luis Alfredo Alvarez, and Guillermo Celis will have the call on ESPN Deportes.

Before that game though, ESPN will have an NL Central matchup between the division leading St. Louis Cardinals and The Cincinnati Reds.  Cincinnati is currently in a very tight points race with fellow NL Central foes, the Pittsburgh Pirates for second in the NL Central, and the National League overall.  Just behind the Reds and Pirates is Atlanta, which will be facing San Francisco on Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell on ESPN on June 16^th.

The current lineup of games on the Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell schedule is available below.  Games for the remainder of July, as well as for August and September will be announced at a later time.  Fans can get the latest news on what those games will be on the official ESPN website at http://espn.go.com/mlb and via the official ESPN Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ESPN.

Upcoming Sunday Night Baseball schedule:

Date	Game
June 9	St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds
June 16	San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves
June 23	Texas Rangers at St. Louis Cardinals
June 30	New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles
July 14	St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
July 21	New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

 

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.

Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry Returning To ESPN, Angels & White Sox Face Off Tonight On ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball

Courtesy: ESPN

One of the biggest rivalries in sports re-ignites in its latest round Sunday, June 2^nd.  David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox will take on Robinson Cano and the New York Yankees will face off at 8pm that evening.  Dan Shulman will host the evening’s broadcast.  He will be joined by analysts Orel Hershiser and John Kruk.  Buster Olney will be on hand with commentary.

Tonight’s matchup pits the Los Angeles Angels against the Chicago White Sox in the “Windy City.”  Dan Shulman will host the evening’s broadcast along with his colleagues, Orel Hershiser, John Kruk and Buster Olney.  The game will be available across all ESPN platforms including:  ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app for mobile media.  Pre-game starts at 7pm tonight.  The ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Crew offered its thoughts on tonight’s games, which can be viewed right here.

Baseball Tonight analyst Aaron Boone on the C.J. Wilson- Chris Sale matchup:
With Jered Weaver down, C.J. Wilson needs to assume the head of this rotation. They need to be able to hang their hat on his starts and count on him to be close to an ace. Sale needs to get his slider down. While he’s been pretty good, he hasn’t quite been the dominant ace. I’ve seen a little bit of slider elevation from him. If he can get that pitch down, he’s an ace.

Baseball Tonight analyst Alex Cora on Wilson:
I think that the key storyline is C.J. Wilson. We’ve been talking about the Angels being a contender and Weaver being hurt. Here’s a guy that they signed last year to either be their ace or their number two and he hasn’t done it. For them to turn this around, they need him to pitch the way he’s capable of pitching.

MLB Insider Buster Olney on the Angels’ struggles this season:
Early in every season, there are a handful of teams that quickly move into desperation mode, and little more than a month into the 2013 season, that’s where the Angels stand. They cannot afford to lose more ground, and even though it’s May, this team of great stars will be playing with a sense of urgency. The Angels can turn it around, but because of the lack of depth in the pitching staff, the impetus for a comeback has to come from their offensive stars: Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Mark Trumbo.

MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian on the Angels facing Sale:
This is a big weekend series, especially for the Angels. They are in danger of falling out of the race in the West unless they start winning immediately. Their come-from-behind win Thursday night might be the spark that finally gets this team going but they are up against Chris Sale on Sunday night. I don’t know how anyone gets a hit off of that guy.

Olney on Sale’s delivery and repertoire:
Chris Sale is a one-of-a-kind pitcher, with an unusual delivery, and a nasty slider.  I think  Orel made a fascinating comparison: Sale reminds you a lot of the former Yankees Cy Young winner Ron Guidry, because of the quality of his slider and his angular build.

ESPN MLB Insider Pedro Gomez on the Angels’ struggles:
The Angels cannot afford to continue to spin their wheels and expect to remain in the AL West race. They need pitching to really start to shine and they absolutely need more production from their two cogs in the middle of their order, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.

Cora on Hamilton’s plate discipline:
He needs to take a step back. We get it, he’s an aggressive hitter. But right now, he’s getting 0-2 pitches in the first pitch of the at-bat. They know he’s swinging. They aren’t even trying to get ahead of him. They are going to the put-out pitch on pitch one because he’s swinging. He needs to be more patient. He has two home runs in last few days but still he needs to take some pitches. The whole league knows that he’s been very aggressive and chasing a lot. He must take a step back and see some good pitches.

ESPN MLB Insider Jim Bowden on keys for the Angels to improve:
The Angels can turn it around but they have to stay healthy. There is not enough depth to withstand injuries, as we’ve seen to date. Hamilton and Pujols must get back to MVP form. The key to the team will be the starting rotation. Blanton and Hanson have to be good enough to win 12 games and pitch 180 innings. A trade for more pitching is a must. Hamilton’s not loading and his timing is not in sync. If he corrects those two flaws he will hit. His bat speed is still there. He also must improve his strike zone awareness and cut down at swinging at balls out of the zone which is at a poor rate of 49%.

Boone on the struggling power hitters in both lineups:
If these teams are going to live up to expectations, their big guys in the middle have to get it going. We need to see production from Konerko and Dunn for the White Sox and Hamilton and Pujols with the Angels.

Cora on White Sox Manager Robin Ventura:
It’s Robin’s second year, so right now it’s his team. Obviously last year he had a great season. They made some changes and lost A.J. So, I think now he’s settled in. It has been a tough month for them, so let’s see what kind of manager he is. Last year, they kind of lost it at the end in September and they seem to be in the same pattern now. We need to see what kind of manager he will be.

Next Sunday on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, the Tigers head to the Lone Star State to take on the Rangers.  The latest Sunday Night Baseball schedule is available below.

Upcoming Sunday Night Baseball schedule:

Date	Game
May 12	Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox
May 19	Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers
May 26	Atlanta Braves at New York Mets
June 2	Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
July 14	St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
July 21	New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

*Additional games for June and July will be announced three weeks in advance, while games for August and September will be made two weeks in advance.

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