• Yankees at Tigers, 4:05 p.m. PT — It seems like these two teams are always playing each other. Anyway, Roger Clemens and Andrew Miller makes for an interesting matchup. Aside from the fact that Clemens is twice as old as Miller, it’s also worth noting that lefties are hitting just .140/.241/.180 against the young southpaw. Granted, it’s in all of 60 plate appearances, but yikes.
• Blue Jays at Angels, 7:05 p.m. PT — Roy Halladay and Jered Weaver hook up at Anaheim. If I didn’t have a softball game, I’d make the drive up for this one. Ah, who am I kidding; I’d pass out on the couch while watching Painkiller Jane or some nonsense.
• Padres at Phillies, 4:05 p.m. PT — Greg Maddux? Jamie Moyer? Stop it, please; my hip hurts…
• Dodgers at Mets, 4:10 p.m. PT — Two playoff contenders and a good pitching matchup (Brad Penny vs Oliver Perez). I’ve been watching Perez since he pitched in the California League. If he ever figures out how to get below 3.5 walks per 9, he could be scary good. Nice to see him at least moving in the right direction.
• Pirates at Astros, 5:05 p.m. PT — Just kidding; there’s no reason to watch this.
• Cubs at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m. PT — Two pennant contenders send 24-year-olds out to the mound. Arizona right-hander Micah Owings gave up three runs in his last start on August 18 in Atlanta. He also knocked two homers and drove in six. It’s not even 50 plate appearances, but the kid is batting .273/.298/.568. Half of his 12 big-league hits are for extra bases. Maybe if the pitching thing doesn’t work out, he can go the Rick Ankiel route.

There it is. Happy Friday, happy watching!

Post from: Knuckle Curve

• Tigers at Yankees, 12:55 p.m. PT — Two teams fighting for a playoff berth, Roger Clemens pitching… Clemens’ career ERA by team: Tor, 2.33; Hou, 2.40; Bos, 3.06; NYA, 3.99.
• Angels at Red Sox, 4:05 p.m. PT — Same as above, but with Curt Schilling instead of Clemens.
• Cardinals at Cubs, 12:55 p.m. PT — Take the NL Central, please. Nobody wants it, and here come the Cards. Gee, I sure hope another 83-win team wins the World Series this year.
• Diamondbacks at Braves, 4:05 p.m. PT — Bobby Cox has his team in the wild card chase. Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine have been replaced by Buddy Carlyle and Chuck James. But, oh, that is a fun lineup.

There you go…

Post from: Knuckle Curve

American League

• Tigers at Indians, 4:05 p.m. PT — A showdown between two teams tied for first in the AL Central come mid-August? Two outstanding young pitchers (Jeremy Bonderman, C.C. Sabathia)? Dude, you are so all over this one. Here’s the thing I don’t understand about Bonderman: How can he possibly have a 4.75 ERA? Ah, here it is: Since the All-Star break, opponents are batting .344/.379/.603 against him. The kid’s got great stuff, though; someone should be able to fix that.

National League

• Reds at Cubs, 5:05 p.m. PT — The Reds are done, but Tuesday night’s starter, Aaron Harang, deserves some kind of medal for posting an 11-3 record on a team with a .427 winning percentage. Carlos Zambrano goes for the Cubs, who continue to pursue the Brewers for NL Central supremacy. Did I say “supremacy”? That’s probably too strong a word, but you get the idea.
• Rockies at Padres, 7:05 p.m. PT — Another fun pennant battle showdown, this time in the NL West. Jeff Francis and Greg Maddux face off in this one. If you enjoy watching pitchers who rely on hitting their spots, you could do a lot worse than watch these two guys. For those interested, I’ve got a more detailed preview of the entire series over at Ducksnorts.

One game? I’ll go with Colorado and San Diego, but I’m biased. If Bonderman is on his game, the Tigers and Indians could be a lot of fun to watch. Enjoy!

Post from: Knuckle Curve