It’s a big week of early baseball action with nineteen games to follow live in the British evening over the next five days.\u00c2\u00a0 We have the first Giants-Dodgers game of the season tonight and two Cardinals-Cubs games at the end of the week, but the headliner has to be the opening game\u00c2\u00a0at the new Yankee Stadium on Thursday.\u00c2\u00a0 Here’s your guide to this week’s early contests (all times listed in BST).\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Note: I’m using a different format this week,\u00c2\u00a0listing all of the games and scheduled pitching match-ups before commenting on them below.\u00c2\u00a0 I think this will make it easier to pick out specific games than you were able to do\u00c2\u00a0with the previous format.<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n Monday 13<\/strong><\/p>\n 18.05 White Sox vs Tigers\u00c2\u00a0– Floyd (0-1)\u00c2\u00a0 Miner (1-0)\u00c2\u00a0 Five early games to finish your\u00c2\u00a0Easter weekend on a good note.\u00c2\u00a0 Rockies-Cubs should be a good one, both with it being the Wrigley opener and\u00c2\u00a0as Ubaldo Jimenez had such an impressive start last time out for the Rockies.\u00c2\u00a0 The first Giants-Dodgers clash of the season should also be worth watching, not least due to the intriguing match-up of the veteran Johnson against the youngster Billingsley.<\/p>\n Tuesday 14<\/strong><\/p>\n 18.05 White Sox vs Tigers – Danks (0-0) Porcello (0-1)<\/p>\n Just the one early game on Tuesday and it’s a rivalry from the\u00c2\u00a0AL Central. Danks got a no-decision against the Royals in his previous start despite pitching a decent game, while Rick Porcello makes his second Major League start.<\/p>\n Wednesday 15 <\/strong><\/p>\n 18.05 White Sox vs Tigers\u00c2\u00a0– Contreras (0-1) Galarraga (1-0)\u00c2\u00a0 Six\u00c2\u00a0early games for the middle of the week,\u00c2\u00a0four from the AL and two from the Senior circuit.\u00c2\u00a0 Marquis’s return to Wrigley should be fun to watch, especially if Harden is his usual dominating self\u00c2\u00a0(when not on the treatment table etc), while the Yankees-Rays game should be another great contest.\u00c2\u00a0 I won’t be able to look any further than my A’s game against the Red Sox.\u00c2\u00a0 Brett Anderson, one of Oakland’s talented young pitchers, has a tough task facing the Red Sox’s line-up.\u00c2\u00a0 Tim Wakefield’s knuckleball will be no picnic for the A’s hitters either (or for the Red Sox’s catcher, for that matter).\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n Thursday 16<\/strong><\/p>\n 17.00 Marlins vs Braves\u00c2\u00a0– Sanchez (0-0) Kawakami (1-0)\u00c2\u00a0 Let’s be honest, the Astros-Pirates game is the ugly sister of this bunch, although PNC Park is a beautiful setting for a ballgame.\u00c2\u00a0 The marquee\u00c2\u00a0match of the day has got to be the opening of the new Yankee Stadium, particularly as\u00c2\u00a0CC will be on the mound against his former\u00c2\u00a0team.\u00c2\u00a0 Cliff Lee will be hoping\u00c2\u00a0that this is the perfect occasion\u00c2\u00a0to bounce back from two poor starts as the reigning Cy Young winner.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The Marlins-Braves game sees a good young starter in Anibal Sanchez facing the latest pitching import\u00c2\u00a0from Japan: Kenshin Kawakami.\u00c2\u00a0 A little\u00c2\u00a0later and it’s the first Cardinals-Cubs game of the season.<\/p>\n Friday 17<\/strong><\/p>\n 18.05 Indians vs Yankees\u00c2\u00a0– Reyes (1-0) Chamberlain (0-0)\u00c2\u00a0 Two great early games to end the working week, both continuing series that started the day before. Joba Chamberlain pitched well for the Yanks in his first start of the season, despite ending up with a no-decision, and Anthony Reyes showed signs in his previous outing that his early promise with the Cardinals could blosson with the Indians.\u00c2\u00a0 Kyle Lohse has won his first two starts this season and he\u00c2\u00a0will be looking to make it three wins from three.\u00c2\u00a0 Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs will have something to say about that.<\/p>\n
\n18.35 Astros vs Pirates\u00c2\u00a0– Moehler (0-1) Duke (1-0)\u00c2\u00a0
\n19.20 Rockies vs Cubs\u00c2\u00a0– Jimenez (1-0) Lilly (1-0)\u00c2\u00a0
\n20.05 Phillies vs Nationals\u00c2\u00a0– Moyer (0-1) Cabrera (0-1)\u00c2\u00a0
\n21.10 Giants vs Dodgers\u00c2\u00a0-\u00c2\u00a0Johnson (0-1) Billingsley (1-0)<\/p>\n
\n19.10 Indians vs Royals\u00c2\u00a0– Sowers (0-0) Ponson (0-1)\u00c2\u00a0
\n19.20 Rockies vs Cubs\u00c2\u00a0– Marquis (1-0) Harden (0-0)\u00c2\u00a0
\n20.35 Red Sox vs Athletics -\u00c2\u00a0Wakefield (0-1) Anderson (0-1)
\n20.40 Cardinals vs D-Backs\u00c2\u00a0-\u00c2\u00a0Pineiro (1-0)\u00c2\u00a0Garland (1-0)
\n21.08 Yankees vs Rays – Pettitte (1-0) Sonnanstine (0-1)<\/p>\n
\n17.35 Astros vs Pirates\u00c2\u00a0– Ortiz (0-0) Karstens (0-0)\u00c2\u00a0
\n18.05 Indians vs Yankees\u00c2\u00a0-\u00c2\u00a0Lee (0-2)\u00c2\u00a0Sabathia (1-1)\u00c2\u00a0
\n19.20 Cardinals vs Cubs -\u00c2\u00a0Wainwright (1-0)\u00c2\u00a0Marshall (0-0)<\/p>\n
\n19.20 Cardinals vs Cubs -\u00c2\u00a0Lohse (2-0)\u00c2\u00a0Zambrano (1-0)<\/p>\n