Early MLB games this week: the final few days

It seems incredible, but it’s true: we’ve reached the final week of the MLB regular season.  Of the eight potential playoff spots, there are probably only two still up for grabs over these last few days.  The Rockies are still in pole position to win the NL Wild Card, but the Braves are catching them fast and could still snatch it from them at the death.  Meanwhile the AL Central is a genuine two-way battle between the Twins and Tigers and they will meet for a four-game series in Detroit, the final game of which is an early encounter on Thursday.

All times are in BST. 

Monday 28 September

17.35. Dodgers @ Pirates – Kuroda (8-6), Duke (10-15)

We start the working week with an early game from PNC Park. With the Dodgers needing just one more win to return to the postseason, the Pirates staged a stunning ninth-inning comeback yesterday to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 walk-off win.  The Rockies then defeated the Cardinals to leave L.A.’s magic number at one.  Hiroki Kuroda will start for the road team in their quest to get that elusive victory and to start the celebrations, but the Pirates have already showed that they are intent on spoiling the party. 

Tuesday 29 September

There are no early games tomorrow.  At midnight, Tim Hudson makes a start at Turner Field for the Braves against Rick van den Hurk and the Marlins.  Jason Marquis pitches for the Rockies at home to the Brewers (01.40). The Twins-Tigers pitching match-up is Brian Duensing versus Justin Verlander (00.05).

Wednesday 30 September

19.05. Pirates @ Cubs – Morton (4-9), Lilly (12-8)
21.35. Mets @ Nationals – Redding (3-6), Lannan (9-13)

Wednesday brings us two early games from the Senior Circuit.  In both, you have one team who were always going to struggle in 2009 versus a team whose high hopes for the season were extinguished a while ago.  Prior to the season, the Cubs and Mets must have looked at these games as excellent opportunities either to get important late-season wins or to rest a few players with postseason play already secured.  Sadly for their fans, that’s not how things have panned out.

Thursday 1 October

12.35. Cardinals @ Reds – Carpenter (16-4), Maloney (2-4)
18.05. Twins @ Tigers – Baker (14-9), Robertson (2-2)
20.10. Brewers @ Rockies – Parra (11-10), TBD
20.45. D-Backs @ Giants – TBD, Lincecum (14-7)
23.05. Rangers @ Angels – Millwood (12-10), Lackey (11-8)

The final ‘getaway’ Thursday of 2009 takes us directly into the races for the AL Central division and the NL Wild Card.  Scott Baker and Nate Robertson are scheduled to be the starters in Detroit, although the context of the game will be changed greatly if one of the teams has swept the first three games of the series. Colorado will be hoping that this game against the Brewers isn’t the last at Coors Field in 2009.

A seventeenth victory for Chris Carpenter might help him to win the Cy Young Award, taking the place of the ’08 winner Tim Lincecum whose total of a maximum of fifteen wins will probably count against him.

Friday 2 October

19.20. D-Backs @ Cubs – TBD, TBD

Early Friday games from Wrigley are one of the joys of the baseball season for British fans, so it’s fitting that the Cubs are staging a day game on the final Friday of the regular season. 

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, Gameday Audio and MLB.tv), while ESPN America’s MLB schedule can be found here.

3 thoughts on “Early MLB games this week: the final few days

  1. Matt Smith Post author

    TUESDAY UPDATE:

    Marty and Chico were discussing the Detroit weather yesterday in the Comments section of the former’s This Week in MLB column and the gloomy weather predictions turned out to be true: Twins-Tigers was postponed. However, that does give us a bonus early game today, so long as the weather is better. Game one of the double-header begins at 17.05 BST with Nick Blackburn and Rick Porcello on the mound.

    Reply
  2. Matt Smith Post author

    WEDNESDAY UPDATE:

    The weather has once again handed us a bonus early game. White Sox-Indians was rained out yesterday, so they’re playing a double-header today. First game starts at 21.05 with Carlos Torres and Fausto Carmona listed as the probable pitchers. Eric Wedge and his coaching staff will be in charge for Cleveland despite it being announced a short while ago that they will not be brought back in 2010.

    Reply
  3. Matt Smith Post author

    THURSDAY UPDATE:

    No, not another bonus early game, but the schedule has worked out brilliantly today for fans of early games. The Tigers and Rockies can both clinch their playoff spots if they win their respective early games today. Aaron Cook will start for Colorado.

    In the D-Backs-Giants game, Dan Haren will match up with Tim Lincecum.

    Reply

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