MLB-SCHEDULE
Tigers look to rebound following first loss of season
UNDATED (AP) β And then there was one.
The Kansas City Royals are the majors’ only unbeaten team this morning, thanks to Detroit’s 5-4 loss in Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon. The Royals have the day off after improving to 7-0 for the first time in 12 years, but the Tigers are back in action against the Pirates.
Detroit skipper Brad Ausmus (AWS’-muhs) gives the ball to Shane Greene, who allowed an unearned run and just four hits over eight innings against the Twins in his first start of the season. Bucs starter A.J. Burnett gained a no-decision in his first appearance of the year, yielding two runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Pittsburgh is 3-1 since getting swept in its season-opening series against Cincinnati.
The best team in the National League is the Atlanta Braves, who sport a 6-1 mark following last night’s 3-2 win over Florida. The Braves will send Trevor Cahill to the mound against Tom Koehler. Cahill will make his Braves debut after being acquired from Arizona on April 2. Koehler received no support in his last start, giving up two runs and five hits over six innings of a 2-0 shutout loss to Atlanta.
In addition to the Braves-Marlins tilt, the National League schedule includes the Phillies at the New York Mets, Cincinnati visiting the Chicago Cubs, San Diego hosting Arizona and San Francisco entertaining Colorado. Matt Harvey makes his second start of the season for the Mets after limiting Washington to four hits while striking out nine in six innings last week.
The American League slate begins with the New York Yankees at Baltimore, Tampa Bay visiting Toronto and Cleveland taking on the visiting Chicago White Sox. After that, it’s the Los Angeles Angels at Texas and Oakland squaring off with the Astros in Houston.
The Pirates-Tigers clash is part of a three-game interleague docket. Washington stays in Boston to face the Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers host Seattle. The Nationals are just 2-5 after many projected them to be the top team in the National League.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Down the stretch they come
UNDATED (AP) β There are just three NBA games on tap tonight, but all hold playoff significance with just one more day left in the regular season.
The Toronto Raptors visit the Boston Celtics, who are trying to finish seventh in the East just a year after going 25-57. The Celtics have won four straight and clinched a playoff berth when Brooklyn lost to Chicago.
The Indiana Pacers are one game behind the Celts and a half-game ahead of Brooklyn for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth. The Pacers have a five-game winning streak heading into tonight’s clash with the Toronto Raptors. Indiana’s magic number for clinching a playoff berth is two.
The final game has the Los Angeles Clippers facing the Suns in Phoenix. The Clippers are trying to wrap up home-court advantage for the Western Conference quarterfinals.
