The Major League Baseball regular season may be overlooked by many this weekend because of the United States Open tennis tournament and the beginning of the National Football League regular season. However, there are three very intriguing Major League Baseball series to be played. Let’s take a look.
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Chicago Cubs
Both teams are battling of a Wildcard spot in the National League. The Diamondbacks are second in the National League West at 73 wins and 68 losses. The Cubs are second in the National League Central at 76 wins and 65 losses. The Cubs have the second wildcard spot and the Diamondbacks have the third wildcard spot. Chicago has a three and a half game lead over Miami and Cincinnati for a playoff spot and Arizona leads the Marlins and Reds by half a game.
Offensively, Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger of Scottsdale, Arizona is fourth in the National League with a .320 batting average. Diamondbacks all-star outfielder Corbin Carroll of Seattle, Washington leads Major League Baseball with nine triples and is second in the National League with 42 stolen bases. Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen of Somerdale, New Jersey, who got the start on Friday at Wrigley Field, is fourth in the National League with 14 wins. Cubs ace Justin Steele of Lucedale, Mississippi, who gets the start on Saturday, leads the Major Leagues with 16 wins, is second in the National League with a 2.55 earned run average, and is second in the National League with 19 quality starts. On Thursday in the opening game of the four game series, the Diamondbacks had two home runs from left fielder Tommy Pham of Las Vegas, Nevada in a 6-2 win over the Cubs.
Seattle Mariners @ Tampa Bay Rays
The Mariners are at 79 wins and 61 losses. They are in second place in the American League West and half a game back of the division leading Houston Astros. Seattle also has the second wildcard spot in the American League and lead the Texas Rangers by two and a half games. The Rays are in second place in the American League East at 85 wins and 56 losses, four games back of the Baltimore Orioles, and have the top wildcard spot in the American League.
In the opening game of the series on Thursday, the Mariners won 1-0. Mariners infielder Eugenio Suarez of Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela scored the game’s only run in the second inning, and Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo of Bani, Dominican Republic gave up four hits and zero earned runs in six innings of work.
Miami Marlins @ Philadelphia Phillies
The Marlins are at 72 wins and 68 losses, and the Phillies are at 77 wins and 62 losses. The Phillies lead the National League wildcard, and the Marlins are half a game back of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final National League playoff spot.
Marlins infielder Luis Arraez of San Felipe, Venezuela leads Major League Baseball with a .353 batting average, and is second in the National League with 185 hits. Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber of Middletown, Ohio is third in the National League with 41 home runs.
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