August 20, 2020
The days of August are dwindling and each day of games brings on added importance as playoff positioning tightens in both leagues.
Here is a quick look at what to watch for over the next few days:
- The first place Chicago White Sox head to Seattle to take on the AL best Seattle Mariners for a four game set. Seattle is 44-18 at home on the season and begin the series on Thursday with Kyle Wright in line to get his first big-league start on the mound. Wright has worked exclusively out of the pen in August where his stuff has been striking opponents at a clip north of 10 strikeouts per nine innings, but questions linger about his control. The White Sox are set to begin the series with Chris Sale on the mound. Sale has been fantastic of late, allowing just three runs and ten hits over his last three starts which totaled 17 2/3 innings.
- While the Dodgers have lost two straight, they have won seven of their past ten. They now sit just 4 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. The Dodgers finish up a series against the Cubs before heading to Colorado for three games against a Rockies team that sits ahead of them in the standings. The Rockies have won 8 of the first 11 games between the two teams this season.
- Before Colorado begins its series against the Dodgers, the Rockies must finish up a series against the Nationals. The teams split a double-header on Wednesday allowing the Rockies to maintain a three and a half game cushion on the chasing Nationals. The Rockies have 13-6 Craig Cooper lined up to start on Thursday.
- The New York Mets were dealt a blow on Wednesday with the injury of pitcher Alberto Vega. Now rumored to be shutdown for the next few weeks, the Mets look to find a way to turn their trip to Los Angeles around against a suddenly hot Angels squad. In the first two games of the series, the Mets have been outscored 17-1. Will the Mets bats wake up in the final two games of the series?
- While it might be a shock to some, but the Marlins and Pirates are playing a meaningful series here in August. Thursday kicks off a four game set between the Wild Card leading Pirates (74-53) and the chasing Marlins (62-65, 3 1/2 back). The Marlins are 9-7 in August after a disastrous 8-17 month of July. The Pirates have lost 9 of their last 12 games, including a poorly pitched Chris Scalise start on Wednesday against the Tigers.
