Crouching Tigers, Hidden Yankees

Even though the American League has only four games on tap for Thursday, that’s where all the good matchups are…

American League

• White Sox at Athletics, 12:35 p.m. PT — Two of the more disappointing teams of 2007 hook up in Oakland. A resurgent Javier Vazquez and Cy Young contender Dan Haren should make this worth the while. Vazquez, a perennial stathead favorite because of his outstanding peripheral numbers, is living up to the hype for the first time since leaving Montreal after the 2003 season. Haren, meanwhile, leads the AL in ERA and is 13-4 for a sub-.500 club. He also has been death on left-handed hitters this year (.192/.258/.297). That hasn’t always been the case; without having seen Haren actually pitch, I’m guessing he’s improved his off-speed stuff. Long-time minor-leaguer Jack Cust continues to be, along with Josh Hamilton and Rick Ankiel, one of the better feel-good stories of the summer.
• Tigers at Yankees, 4:05 p.m. PT — Both clubs are fighting for a playoff spot. Justin Verlander is one of the best young pitchers in the game, while Mike Mussina winds down a possible Hall of Fame career. The Yankees, given up for dead after going 22-29 over the first two months of the season, are 24-10 since the All-Star break and now find themselves tied with Seattle for the AL wild card.
• Angels at Blue Jays, 4:07 p.m. PT — The Angels are in first place in the AL West, and the Blue Jays have a very remote chance in the wild card race. Another Cy Young candidate (and former Jay), Kelvim Escobar, takes the mound for Anaheim. On the other side is a kid who I think has a chance to be a future Cy Young candidate, Dustin McGowan. He’s inconsistent and his strikeout rate is a tad low for a guy with his stuff, but McGowan has made terrific strides this year and should continue to improve. He will have his work cut out for him this evening against a potent and balanced Angels lineup.

National League

• Giants at Braves, 4:35 p.m. PT — Now that Barry Bonds has completed his pursuit of Hank Aaron’s home-run record, young right-hander Tim Lincecum is one of the few remaining reasons to watch the San Francisco Giants, whose 70 losses this season pace the NL. He’ll be opposed by southpaw Chuck James, who continues to succeed despite not missing bats, possessing great control, or keeping the ball in the park. The Braves were able to turn Horacio Ramirez into Rafael Soriano last winter; I wonder what they could get for James if they decided to move him in the off-season?

One game: Tigers and Yankees if you don’t have an aversion to pinstripes; otherwise, go with the Angels and Jays…