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 Present Special MLB Double-Header On July 4th

Courtesy: ESPN

Baseball is the great American past time.  So it is just fitting that on America’s birthday, the nation’s leading sports network will help celebrate the nation’s birthday with a special double-header MLB broadcast.

ESPN opens Monday’s double-header schedule at 4pm with a National League West divisional matchup between Colorado and San Francisco.  The game will be the opener in a three-game series between the teams.  There is no word at this time on who will take the mound for the Giants, who will play host to Colorado for the length of the series.  Right now Tyler Anderson is expected to get the start for Colorado.  Anderson is winless so far in his starts with Colorado.  His last time on the mound was June 29^th against Toronto.  Toronto won that game 5- 3 with Anderson taking the loss.  He allowed 3 runs on 8 hits over 6.1 innings in that game.  He only struck out 6 of the 27 batters that he faced, allowing 2 walks, 2 earned runs, and 1 home run along the way, too.  The odds look to be in the Giants’ favor for Monday’s game when one looks at the teams’ numbers.  San Francisco currently sits atop the NL West at 51 – 32 so far on the season.  Its record also makes it one of the top teams in the league heading into the All-Star Break.  Its home record so far this season is 24 – 16 versus Colorado’s current road record of 19 – 23.  Dave Flemming will have the call for Monday’s game.  He will be joined in the booth by Rick Sutcliffe and Eduardo Perez for additional commentary for the game.

The second game on ESPN’s July 4^th double-header pits the Tigers against the Indians in their own divisional showdown beginning at 7pm ET.  The teams Cleveland will play host to the Tigers in the first game of a three-game series between the AL Central opponents.  Cleveland currently sits atop the divisional standings while Detroit trails a distant six and a half games back in third.  Detroit has struggled on the road so far this season, sitting currently at 20 – 22 in its road record. Cleveland meanwhile is 23 – 12 at home so far this season.  On a side note the Indians have been just as successful so far this season on the road, sitting at 26 – 19 so far in that record.  The team is 9 – 1 in its last ten games.  There is no word on who will take the mound for Cleveland in Monday night’s game.  Detroit has Daniel Norris currently listed to take the mound for the series’ opener.  The 23 year-old doesn’t have a lot of experience yet this season.  He is only 1 – 0 so far on the season.  So Monday’s game would be a chance for him to really make a big impact on a national stage.  His last time on the mound was June 29^th against Miami.  He was credited with the win in that game, having pitched five innings.  He had a relatively good game allowed over that time, too, allowing a total of 8 hits but only 2 runs.  He also struck out 8 of the 24 batters that he faced while allowing only 2 earned runs, 1 walk and no home runs.  By comparison, Miami’s Tom Koehler struggled over the course of his 3 innings on the mound.  He allowed 5 runs on 8 hits, 5 earned runs, 1 walk, and only struck out 2 of 19 batters that he faced.  Considering that, Norris had an impressive outing, giving him plenty of motivation for Monday night’s game.  Adnan Virk will have the call for Monday night’s game.  He will be joined in the booth by analysts Dallas Braden and Tim Kurkjian.  Monday’s double-header will be followed up by Baseball Tonight at 10pm on ESPN.  Those that won’t be near a TV for Monday’s double-header schedule can still catch both games online via WatchESPN.

On a related note, ESPN Radio will carry the Orioles an Dodgers at 8pm in a cross-conference game.  Roxy Bernstein and Raul Ibanez will have the call for the game.  More information on Monday’s MLB broadcast schedule 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.

Orioles Look To Stay Perfect Tonight Against Boston On ESPN’s WNB

Courtesy: ESPN

The Baltimore Orioles are off to a hot start in the 2016 MLB regular season.  The team currently sits at a perfect 7 – 0 so far on the season, leaving the team the only undefeated team so far on the season.  It also means that the team currently sits atop the league standings.  Tonight the “Orange Birds” look to keep their success going when they wrap up a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.  The game will be carried live tonight on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball presented by Hankook Tire.

The Orioles and Red Sox face off tonight on ESPN in the last of a three-game series.  The game Joe Kelly is expected to get the start for the BoSox in tonight’s game.  It will be Kelly’s second start of the season.  His first start of the season was on April 8^th.  And it was a rather inauspicious start for the right hander.  He pitched three whole innings before being pulled in the fourth, having allowed 7 hits, 7 runs, 7 earned runs, and 3 walks, and striking out only four of the twenty batters that he faced over that time.  A base-clearing grand slam by Josh Donaldson in the fourth ended Kelly’s night.  Ubaldo Jimenez is expected to get the start for Baltimore in tonight’s game.  His last time on the mound was April 7^th against Minnesota.  He was credited with the win in the game having allowed only 2 runs on 8 hits, and striking out nine of twenty-eight batters over seven innings.  He allowed only 1 earned run in that time, too.

Broadcast of tonight’s game is scheduled to begin at 7pm ET.  It will be live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes+.  Jon Sciambi will be in the booth for tonight’s game.  He will be joined by Rick Sutcliffe and Doug Glanville for additional commentary.  Before the first pitch is thrown, Karl Ravech, John Kruk, Eduardo Perez, and Tim Kurkjian will have a preview of the game on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight on ESPN2 beginning at 6:30pm ET.  Anyone that won’t be near a TV for tonight’s game can still catch the game online on WatchESPN.  More information on tonight’s game and all of ESPN’s scheduled games is available online 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 Adds NL, AL Matchups To Its MNB, WNB Broadcast Schedule

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN has added two more games to its Major League Baseball broadcast schedule.

On Monday, April 18^th, the Cubs and Cardinals will face off live on ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball presented by USAA.  The game is the series-opener in a three-game set between the NL Central opponents.  The game will also mark the midway point of what will be a six-game home stand for the team.   No announcement has been made at this time in regards to starting lineups or pitching rotations for either team in the game.  The other three games in that run will see the Cardinals host another NL Central opponent, the Cincinnati Reds.  Currently the Reds sit second in the division just behind the Cubs.  Dave Flemming will be in the booth for the game.  He will be joined by analysts Curt Schilling and Eduardo Perez for additional commentary.

Also added to the network’s MLB coverage, the defending MLB champion Kansas City Royals will host the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, April 20^th on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball presented by Hankook Tires.  Currently the Royals sit fourth in the AL Central, one game back from the division-leading Tigers.  The White Sox and Indians currently sit in second and third respectively in the division.  The game will be the second in a three-game set between those two teams.  Coverage is expected to begin at 7pm ET on ESPN.  Jon Sciambi will be in the booth for the game.  Analysts Rick Sutcliffe and Eduardo Perez will also be on hand for additional commentary.  As an additional note, this game will be a full national telecast.

Both the NL Central matchup on the 18^th and the AL Central game set for the 20^th will be simulcast on television on ESPN Deportes and online via WatchESPN.  More information on both of these games is available online 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.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.comphilspicks and “Like” it.

Red Sox, Yankees Renew Their Rivalry Once More This Week On ESPN’s WNB

Courtesy: ESPN

Tomorrow night on ESPN, one of the longest-running rivalries in sports will see its latest chapter written when the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees face off once again.

The Bosox and Yanks will face off live August 5th on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball live from New York in the rubber match of a three-game series between the AL East foes that kicks off tonight. Jon Sciambi will have the call for Wednesday night’s game. He will be joined in the booth by analysts Rick Sutcliffe and Doug Glanville for additional commentary. Luis Severino is currently slated to take the mound for the pinstripers in his major league debut while Steven Wright is expected to start for Boston. Wright’s last time on the mound was last Thursday against the White Sox. He was credited with the win in Boston’s 8 – 2 route of Chicago having faced twenty-nine batters over seven innings. Over that time, he struck out eight batters, allowed only six hits, two runs, two earned runs, two walks, and one home run. And out of his one hundred sixteen total pitches, he threw a total of seventy-seven strikes, which is a roughly sixty-seven percent strike rate.

New York currently sits atop the AL East, leading second place Baltimore by five and a half games while Boston sits at the bottom of the division thirteen games back. Currently, New York is 59 – 45 so far on the season and 6 – 4 in its last ten games. Considering Boston’s struggles this year and New York’s 30 – 17 home record so far this season, the odds are in New York’s favor in not only Wednesday night’s game but in the series in whole. Boston, on the other hand, is 47 – 59 so far on the season and 5 – 5 in its last ten games. It is 20 – 31 on the road verses and 27 – 28 at home.

Tomorrow night’s game will be available both on television and online via ESPN, WatchESPN, and ESPN3. Coverage begins at 7pm ET. More information on Wednesday’s AL East matchup on ESPN is available online 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.

Angels, Astros Face Off In AL Divisional Matchup Tonight On WNB

Courtesy: ESPN

All eyes will be on the Astros and Angels tonight as the teams face off in an AL West divisional showdown on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball.

Tonight’s matchup is the rubber match in the teams’ three-game series. It marks only the second time this season that ESPN has traveled to Houston for its MLB coverage. Lance McCullers is slated to get the start for the ‘Stros while Garrett Richards is expected to get the start for the visiting Angels. Richards’ last time on the mound was last Thursday against Minnesota. He took the loss in the game, allowing four hits, three runs, three earned runs, and three walks and one home run over eight innings pitched. He struck out five batters En route to the Angels’ loss. Mike Morin replaced Richards in the ninth, allowing only one hit, no runs, no earned runs, no walks, no home runs, and struck out two batters.

McCullers’ last time taking the mound was this past Thursday against the Red Sox. He pitched five innings in the team’s 5 – 4 win over Boston, allowing six hits, two runs, two earned runs, three walks, and one home run along the way. He also struck out two batters before heading to the dugout. While those numbers paint one picture, McCullers didn’t do too badly having faced twenty-four batters in his time on the mound, throwing fifty-two strikes in eighty-nine pitches.

The Angels currently lead the AL West division sitting near even with the second place Astros. Both teams are far better at home than on the road so far on the season with the Angels going 32 – 21 (h) and 23 – 23 (a), and the Astros going 34 – 17 (h) and 22 – 28 (a). The Angels are 6 – 4 in their last ten games versus Houston’s 7 – 3 record in its last ten games.

Dave Flemming will have the call for tonight’s NL showdown. He will be joined in the booth by analyst Rick Sutcliffe. Fellow analyst Doug Glanville will be in the outfield covering both teams’ defense while analysts Eduardo Perez and Eric Wedge will be in the Astros’ and Angels’ dugouts respectively with all of the latest from both teams. Perez is a former Astros coach and Angels 1991 first round pick. Tonight’s game will be simulcast on television and online via ESPN, ESPN3, and WatchESPN. 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

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 Sets Its Sights On NL Playoff Race Sunday And Monday On SNB, MNB

Courtesy: ESPN

August, for most people, is part of what is known as the “dog days of summer.” It is one of the hottest times of the year weather-wise. It is also one of the hottest times of the year for Major League Baseball. That is because things really start to get heated in the race for the playoffs. And this weekend things will definitely get hot in the Big Apple as the Mets host the Nationals on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell in a National League showdown that will definitely have playoff implications for both teams.

Sunday’s game will be the closer in a three-game series between the NL East foes. The series kicks off Friday evening at Shea Stadium. Noah Syndergaard is expected to take the mound for the hometown boys while Jordan Zimmerman is expected to start for the Nats. Syndergaard’s last time taking the mound was Tuesday against the Padres and was credited with the win in that game. He pitched eight innings, allowing only three hits, no runs, no earned runs, and no walks En route to the win. He also struck out nine batters and allowed no home runs.

Zimmerman’s last time on the mound was Tuesday against Miami. Zimmerman took the loss in Miami’s 4 – 1 win over the Nats. He allowed eight hits, three runs, three earned runs, and two walks over six innings and struck out only two batters before being pulled in the seventh.

The Nationals currently lead the National League East division with the Mets trailing in second place by only a single game. Right now the Mets sit precariously in seventh place in the National League standings only a spot ahead of eighth place Arizona, who sits right now at 48 – 51 on the season. New York currently sits 52 – 48 on the season and split its last ten games going 5 – 5 along the way. However, the team is currently in the midst of a three-game win streak that includes a win Tuesday night against the Padres in New York. Tuesday’s game is part of a three-game home stand against the Padres that wraps Thursday night at Shea Stadium. By the numbers, the Mets are much better at home (35 – 16) than on the road (17 – 32). That bodes well for the Mets as the team continues its home stand this weekend against the Nats as they, too are better at home than on the road, going 28 – 19 at home and 24 – 27 on the road so far this season.

Dan Shulman will have the call for Sunday night’s game between the Mets and Nats. He will be joined by his SNB cohorts-analysts Curt Schilling and John Kruk—in the booth. Reporters Buster Olney will also be on hand with all of the latest news and updates on the game and from around the league. Broadcast is scheduled to begin at 8pm ET. It will be preceded, as it is each week, by Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet, at 7pm ET. Karl Ravech will anchor the broadcast and will be joined by analyst Rick Sutcliffe and reporter Nicole Briscoe. Those that won’t be near a TV Sunday night can still catch both broadcasts online via WatchESPN. Sunday’s game will be simulcast in Spanish via ESPN Deportes for ESPN’s Spanish-speaking audiences.

*             *             *

Monday night on ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball presented by USAA, the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates open a three-game series between the NL Central foes. This series, too has playoff implications as both teams are in the hunt for the post-season with Pittsburgh currently sitting second in the National League at 58 – 41, five and a half games back from the NL-leading Cardinals. Chicago sits sixth in the National League standings at 52 – 47. Pittsburgh has split its last ten games, going 5 – 5 along the way and has won its last two games. Before hosting the Cubs next Monday, Pittsburgh looks to finish off the Twins tonight in the teams’ two-game series before heading to Cincinnati to face the struggling Reds in a four-game series that wraps this Sunday night. While Pittsburgh is far better at home than on the road, the team’s series against Cincinnati could improve its road record if the Reds’ struggles continue. And that could play into Pittsburgh’s momentum as it opens its series against the Cubs Monday night. Dave O’Brien will have the call for Monday’s game. He will be joined in the booth by analysts Aaron Boone and Dallas Braden for additional commentary and coverage.  Monday’s game will be simulcast on television and online via ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and WatchESPN. Currently there is no information regarding who will take the mound for the Pirates or Cubs for Monday’s game. Fans on both sides of the ball can keep up with that information online now 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 Heads West Again This Weekend For SNB

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell continues its western swing this weekend as the worldwide leader in sports brings audiences a matchup of the Cardinals and Dodgers.

Sunday’s broadcast is the closer in a four-game series between the National League foes. Clayton Kershaw is currently scheduled to take the mound for Los Angeles as it hosts the Cardinals. Kershaw last took the mound Monday night against the Rockies. He pitched 7 innings in the Dodgers’ 11 – 4 shellacking of Colorado, allowing 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk and striking out 7 batters along the way. Currently there is no word on who will take the mound for St. Louis in the game.

Dan Shulman will have the call for Sunday night’s game. He will be joined in the booth by analysts Mark Mulder and John Kruk. Reporter Buster Olney will also be on hand for the latest news and updates throughout the game. Sunday’s broadcast is scheduled for an 8pm ET start time. It will preceded at 7pm ET by Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet. Karl Ravech will anchor the broadcast and will be joined at the desk by analyst Aaron Boone and ESPN MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian.

Before heading back out west this weekend, the worldwide leader in sports will bring audiences the closer between the Dodgers and Rockies in the teams’ 4-game series on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball. Mike Bolsinger is expected to get the start for the Dodgers in the game. Currently there are no details on who will get the start for Colorado. Bolsinger’s last time on the mound was this past Friday against St. Louis. Bolsinger pitched 6 innings, allowing 7 hits, 2 earned runs, 3, walks, and struck out 3 in the Dodgers’ 3 – 0 loss to the Cardinals. Jon Sciambi will have the call for Wednesday night’s game. He will be joined by analysts Rick Sutcliffe and Doug Glanville, and studio analysts Eric Wedge and Eduardo Perez for the broadcast. the game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 beginning at 8pm ET. Along with its broadcast on ESPN, ESPN Deportes will also carry the game live for ESPN’s Spanish-speaking audiences. Audiences that won’t be close to a TV tomorrow night can still catch the game live online via WatchESPN. More information 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 in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN Looks Back At Jeter’s Career With Special Programming This Week

Courtesy: ESPN

Derek Jeter is officially counting down his final days wearing pinstripes. In celebration of the Yankee great’s career, ESPN is offering special programming documenting his career throughout this week. ESPN’s week-long coverage of Jeter’s career begins today as the Yankees host the Orioles in the second game in a four-game series that kicked off Monday. New York won yesterday’s game, blanking the Orioles 5 – 0. Game two is expected to begin tonight at 7:05pm ET. Jon Sciambi will have the call for the game. He will be joined by analyst Rick Sutcliffe and analyst/reporter Doug Glanville for additional commentary.

Jon Sciambi will also have the call Thursday night for what will be Jeter’s last game at Yankee Stadium as the Yankees close out their four-game series against the Orioles on ESPN Radio. He will be joined by analyst Chris Singleton for additional commentary. Coverage of Thursday night’s game begins with pre-game coverage at 6pm ET. Freddie Coleman will have a full wrap-up of the game immediately following its conclusion on The Freddie Coleman Show.

SportsCenter Special: Derek Jeter will air this Friday, September 26^th at 7:30pm ET. Karl Ravech will anchor the special broadcast. He will be joined by ESPN MLB analysts Curt Schilling, Aaron Boone, Mark Mulder and ESPN MLB Insiders Buster Olney, Tim Kurkjian, and Keith Law. They will look back at Jeter’s storied career and examine his place in the pantheon of both baseball history and that of the Yankees.

On Sunday, ESPN’s look back at Jeter’s career continues with two more special broadcasts. Sunday morning at 8am ET, Chris Connelly will take a look at reaction by Yankees fans on Jeter’s retirement on Outside The Lines. That’s on ESPN2. Sunday night, Jorge Sedano (ESPN’s Sedano & Stink) will host an ESPN Radio special focusing on Jeter’s career. That will be Sunday night at 7pm ET.

The special programming across the ESPN networks and ESPN Radio is accompanied by additional coverage online via ESPN.com and in print via ESPN The Magazine as well as through ESPN New York. The content will focus on Jeter’s farewell to the game and his legacy and impact on the world. The additional coverage from ESPN The Magazine and ESPN New York is listed below.

• Contributions from ESPN MLB Insiders Buster Olney, Jayson Stark and Jim Caple;
• An examination of the marketing and merchandizing of Jeter from reporter Darren Rovell;
• A Numbers column from Peter Keating exploring Jeter’s ‘marquee value’ rating from the Fansourced issue of ESPN The Magazine, currently on newsstands;
• An exploration of Jeter’s role in American life from J.R. Moehringer for the Cleveland issue of ESPN The Magazine, which hits newsstands on Friday, Oct. 3;
• ESPN New York content from Andrew Marchand and Ian O’Connor exploring Jeter’s relationship with umpires and his future after baseball;
• Social media integration across platforms utilizing the hashtag #FarewellJeter

ESPN.com will offer photo galleries of some of the biggest moments in Jeter’s career as well as his various Topps baseball cards. There will also be an interactive SportsNation ranking of Jeter’s top 10 plays and a quiz asking which retirement gifts were given to Jeter by the league’s teams.

More information on ESPN’s coverage of Derek Jeter’s retirement and the network’s Major League Baseball coverage is available online at 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.

ESPN Networks Covering A’s, Braves Weekend Series

Courtesy: ESPN

Two of the top teams in Major League Baseball will face off this Sunday night on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell.

The Atlanta Braves will host the Oakland Athletics in a three-game series beginning tonight.  ESPN will carry the third game of the series live Sunday night on its weekly Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell broadcast.  Coverage begins at 8pm ET with Dan Shulman at the helm.  He will be joined by analyst John Kruk and reporter/analyst Doug Glanville for commentary.  Looking at the numbers, this weekend’s series is sure to be a close one, despite the vast difference in the teams’ records.  The Athletics currently sit atop the MLB standings at 73 – 48 while Atlanta currently sits at 61 – 60.  Oakland has proven to be much better at home than on the road so far this season.  The A’s are 40 – 21 at home and 33 – 27 on the road.  On the other side of the ball, Atlanta’s home/road record so far this season has been just as rough.  The Braves are 34 – 28 at home so far and 27 – 32 on the road.  Atlanta has gone 3 – 7 in its last ten versus Oakland’s 5 – 5 record in its last ten.  Sunday night’s game will be preceded by ESPN’s weekly pre-game show Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet at 7pm ET with host Adnan Kirk and analyst Eduardo Perez.   Those that won’t be near a TV Sunday evening can still catch the game online and on the radio via ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, and WatchESPN.

Along with Sunday’s coverage of the series’ third game, ESPN Radio will have coverage of the series’ first and second game Friday and Saturday night.  Jon Sciambi will have the call for Saturday’s game.  He will be joined in the booth by Chris Singleton for both broadcasts.  Adnan Virk, Rick Sutcliffe, and Eduardo Perez will have a wrap of Friday’s game live on ESPN and WatchESPN at 10pm ET.

More information on ESPN’s MLB coverage is available online at http://www.facebook.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.