MLB Games On TV This Weekend

This is the weekend where Fox is experimenting with primetime baseball on Saturday night. Usually on Saturday afternoons, Fox will regionalize as many as three games. This Saturday, Joe Buck returns after a week off. He’ll have done five games out a possible seven for the season. Here’s the Fox Sports schedule and previews for this week.

FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES

MLB on FOX Hits Prime Time with Mets/Yankees, Phillies/Red Sox, Rangers/Cubs, & Dodgers/Tigers

Rosenthal: Critical Week for the Mets and Jerry Manuel’s Future

 

SUBWAY SERIES BATTLE IN PRIMETIME – Lights! Camera! Action! On Saturday, May 22, the FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL GAME OF THE WEEK moves to prime time with four interleague matchups at 7:00 PM ET. The Subway Series reconvenes in New York as David Wright and the Mets welcome Derek Jeter and the World Champion Yankees to Queens. In Philadelphia, Ryan Howard and the NL Champs host the Boston Red Sox. Experiencing a bit of a renaissance, Vladimir Guerrero leads the first-place Rangers into a matchup with the North-Siders in Texas. Also, the Tigers take on the Dodgers out west. This week, the pregame show originates live from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA with host Chris Rose.  Once game action begins, Rose joins the game crew including Dick Stockton and Jose Mota as a field reporter.

For instant updates throughout the week and during games from the entire MLB on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MLBONFOX.Fans can gain more access to exclusive FOX Sports content by logging on to www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.myspace.com/foxsports.

ROSENTHAL: “CRITICAL WEEK FOR THE FUTURE OF JERRY MANUEL & THE METS” – With the Yankees visiting Citi Field this week to face the struggling Mets, MLB on FOX’s Ken Rosenthal gave his thoughts on the latest talks regarding Jerry Manuel’s future in New York. “Manuel is under intense scrutiny right now. When the owner of the Mets flies down to Atlanta to meet with manager and others that is a sign of major concern,” said Rosenthal.  “The real question is: ‘When will the Mets make a move and what do the Mets need to do to avoid this from happening?’  The next week is critical. They start a series with Washington tonight, then they host the Yankees, then they have the Phillies. It’s a big week and if it doesn’t go well I can easily see the Mets replacing Manuel with Bob Melvin, who is with the team in a scouting capacity. Would he be a massive improvement over Manuel? Would he reverse the misfortunes of the Mets franchise? Probably not, but attendance is down and the Mets are going to be looking perhaps for a different voice, something to sell the fans. The easiest thing in the world to do is change the manager.”

New York Yankees at New York Mets, Joe Buck, Tim McCarver  & Ken Rosenthal, going to 49% of USA

Citi Field – Flushing, NY   

MARKETS INCLUDE:  Albuquerque, Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Fort Myers, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Orlando, Portland, Raleigh, Richmond, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Washington, West Palm Beach

Probable Pitchers: Phil Hughes, RHP (5-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. Mike Pelfrey, RHP (5-1, 3.02 ERA)

Chicago Cubs at Texas Rangers, Josh Lewin & Mark Grace, going to 23% of USA

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington – Arlington, TX

MARKETS INCLUDE:  Austin, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, St. Louis, Tulsa

Probable Pitchers: Randy Wells, RHP (3-2, 4.13 ERA) vs. Derek Holland, LHP (2-0, 2.38 ERA)

Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Dodgers, Dick Stockton & Jose Mota, going to 17% of USA

Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, CA

MARKETS INCLUDE:  Detroit, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego

Probable Pitchers: Armando Galarraga, RHP (1-0, 1.59 ERA) vs. TBA

Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies, Kenny Albert & Eric Karros, going to 10% of USA

Citizens Bank Park – Philadelphia, PA

MARKETS INCLUDE:  Boston, Dayton, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh

Probable Pitchers: Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP (2-1, 7.89 ERA) vs. TBA

Now to ESPN’s games on Sunday and into next week.

Sunday Night Baseball (May 23)

New York Yankees at New York Mets, 8 p.m.

(ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Radio, ESPN3.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Mobile TV)

Commentators: Jon Miller, Joe Morgan & Orel Hershiser

Monday Night Baseball (May 24)

Boston at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

(ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN3.com)

Commentators: Dan Shulman, Chris Singleton, Aaron Boone

Wednesday Night Baseball (May 26)

New York Yankees at Minnesota, 7 p.m.

(ESPN2, ESPN2 HD, ESPN3.com)

Commentators: Dave O’Brien, Rick Sutcliffe

When TBS gives us its Sunday game press release, I’ll post it here.