MLB on Sling TV: The Astros and Rangers Battle for the AL West
There are four MLB games on Sling TV this weekm and all four of them have playoff implications.
There’s no tighter divisional race in baseball right now than the AL West, where the Houston Astros hold a slim 1.5 game lead over their intrastate rival Texas Rangers. With less than a month to go in the regular season, that’s close enough to make the Astros nervous even if the two teams weren’t scheduled to meet seven more times in 2015, but they are, including Tuesday’s game at 8pm ET on ESPN.
The Rangers are surging, coming off a 12-4 spanking of the Oakland A’s Sunday, where offensive leader Adrian Beltre seemingly found his groove with two home runs and a total of 5 RBIs. Things are not going as smoothly in Houston, where despite holding off the third-place Angels yesterday, the Astros lost two of three in the series, and are just 4-7 in September.
With the Rangers breathing down their neck and the Angels only three games behind the Rangers, now would be a good time for Houston to find some consistency on the road: the Astros are just 29-42 in hostile stadiums this year, and none will be more hostile than Globe Life Park tonight.
The Pittsburgh Pirates sit in second place in the NL Central, 2.5 games behind the Cardinals and four games ahead of the Cubs, who they host in the second of a pivotal four-game series Wednesday night at 8pm on ESPN. A Chicago sweep could flip the standings before each team gets its shot at first-place St. Louis.
Chicago gets first crack at the Cards, hosting a three-game stand that ends with Sunday’s game at 2pm ET on TBS.
And the New York Yankees find themselves in the unfamiliar position of scrambling to make the postseason while just across the river, the Mets are also in unfamiliar territory: first place. Leading the Nationals by 9.5 games, the Mets host a three-game Subway Series concluding Sunday at 8pm ET on ESPN, where the Yanks will try to hold on to their Wild Card berth.
MLB on SLING TV SCHEDULE
All times eastern. Projected starters as of Monday. Some games subject to regional blackout.
Tuesday, September 15
Astros at Rangers, 8pm (ESPN)
Collin McHugh vs. Martin Perez
Wednesday, September 16
Cubs at Pirates, 7pm (ESPN)
Jon Lester vs. J.A. Happ
Sunday, September 20
Cardinals at Cubs, 2pm (TBS)
Yankees at Mets, 8pm (ESPN)
Pitchers TBA