MLB on Sling TV: Maybe Second Place Ain’t So Bad Anymore

Aug 31, 2015 by Robb Todd

WATCH MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL on ESPN & TBS with SLING TV

The Pirates and the Yankees haven’t had this much in common since 1960.

Here they are staring into September, and the view from the Bronx is very much like the view from Pittsburgh: Both teams are in second place in their divisions and both teams are clinging to a Wild Card spot.

This week’s games – like all the games that follow them (and all the ones that came before) – matter. It’s a long season. But the narratives that surround those games change with the standings.

Normally, the matchup between the Yankees and the Red Sox has its own meaning, and maybe it still... Read More

MLB on Sling TV: Giants Face Tough Week Ahead Against Cardinals, Pirates

Aug 17, 2015 by Robb Todd

WATCH MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL on ESPN & TBS with SLING TV

The Giants won their third World Series in five years in 2014 but entered this season with some serious questions as to whether they could do it again.

Who would replace Pablo Sandoval at third base? Who’s going to turn double plays with shortstop Brandon Crawford? Will former ace Tim Lincecum ever be the same? Will Matt Cain, for that matter? They even lost outfielder Hunter Pence at the start of the season.

The answers to some of these questions came in the form of third baseman Matt Duffy, second baseman Joe Panik, both of whom were unheralded prospects but have more than made up for the... Read More

MLB on Sling TV: The Rise of the Small-Market Teams (Yes, We’re Looking at You, Pirates and Royals)

Aug 10, 2015 by Robb Todd

WATCH MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL on ESPN & TBS with SLING TV

Footage of the last championships for Kansas City and Pittsburgh is grainy enough to make anyone who remembers it feel very old.

The Pirates last won the World Series in 1979, led by Willie Stargell, and the Royals won in 1985, led by George Brett. Both players are in the Hall of Fame now, and the game has changed a great deal.

Since those last championships, many observers began to worry that large-market teams such as the Yankees, with their ever-thick wallet, had an unfair advantage in free agency. However, baseball’s leadership has made some adjustments to address the issue and, perhaps more importantly, small-market teams have... Read More

MLB on Sling TV: Arms Races in Division Battles

Aug 03, 2015 by Robb Todd

WATCH MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL on ESPN & TBS with SLING TV

The Dodgers and the Yankees held opposite philosophies at the trade deadline.

Los Angles swung a mega-deal that involved three teams and 13 players that included two starting pitchers who will enter the Dodgers’ rotation immediately.

New York added a mediocre bat to its bench.

Part of the reason for the Yankees lack of movement before the deadline was their unwillingness to part with phenom Luis Severino, who is expected to make his major league debut Wednesday in the Bronx against the Red Sox. The Yankees are betting that he’s as much an answer to their starting pitching woes as Cole Hamels, David Price or... Read More

MLB on Sling TV: Cardinals Still Flying High Despite Injuries

Jul 06, 2015 by Robb Todd

WATCH MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL on ESPN & TBS with SLING TV

Is there any way to stop the St. Louis Cardinals?

This team has been hit hard by injuries to ace Adam Wainwright and sluggers Matt Adams and Matt Holliday, among many others, and yet here they are nearing the All-Star break with the best record in baseball, 53-28, which is also good for the best record after 81 games since 1944.

The Cardinals play three times this week on Sling TV, twice against the division rival Chicago Cubs. Entering Monday’s games, St. Louis has an 8.5-game lead over Chicago in the N.L. Central.

The Cardinals lost Wainwright after just four starts but the pitching staff is talented... Read More

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