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Bit of a slow news day around these parts as the Athletics crawl towards tonight's 7:10 pm first pitch against the Seattle Mariners. There are 14 other major league games, however! Some highlights about those coming up in the next six hours or so. This is your open thread to talk about baseball and other baseball news.
AL West and division leader games
1:05 pm - New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles
Shane Greene gets his second Major League start for the Yankees (1-0, 2.84). He takes on Chris Tillman (7-4, 4.11) of the Orioles. The Orioles, at 51-41, are 6½ games behind the A's at 58-35 and are the third-best division leader. The Yankees enter today's contest at 46-46, in third place in the AL East, 5 games behind the Orioles.
4:10 pm - Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals
At 52-37, the Tigers are 4 games back of the A's amongst the division leaders. Rick Porcello (11-5, 3.53) takes the mound after allowing seven runs and 12 hits last week against the Tampa Bay Rays. It's a good pitching matchup as Porcello faces James Shields (9-4, 3.71).
4:15 pm - Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers
The Angels pulled to within 2½ games of the Athletics last night after shutting out Texas. Texas is sending Miles Mikolas (0-1, 12.46) to the mound. Texas' starting pitching situation is probably best summed up by Adam J. Morris' thoughts on July 8 after Phil Irwin took the loss:
Phil Irwin started today, because Nick Martinez is hurt, and Derek Holland is hurt, and Martin Perez is hurt, and Matt Harrison's career may be over, and Alexi Ogando is hurt, and Tanner Scheppers and Robbie Ross flamed out in their attempts to move into the rotation (and Scheppers is hurt), and Joe Saunders was terrible and got released, and Ross Wolf went to Korea, and Tommy Hanson was so bad he couldn't even make the team out of spring training, and Miles Mikolas started yesterday.
Jered Weaver (9-6, 3.50) starts for the Angels. The Texas Rangers are ½ game behind the Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks for second-worst record in Major League Baseball, and have lost six in a row.
