What's Up Tonight in MLB: Syndergaard, Cole meet in PNC showdown
Intriguing pitching matchups, interleague rivalries, and Dan Jennings' quest for his first managerial win highlight an exciting slate of baseball on tap for this weekend.
Here's what you need to be watching:
High-octane pitching
If you're into pitching, look no further than a compelling three-game set at PNC Park featuring six of the best arms the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates have to offer. While much has been made about the emergence of Noah Syndergaard and dominance of Matt Harvey, and rightfully so, Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole is pitching as well as anyone in baseball right now. Pittsburgh would love to see better pitch efficiency from the hard-throwing 24-year-old, but with eight straight starts of three runs or fewer to begin the season, no one's complaining.
| Date | Mets | Pirates | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | Noah Syndergaard (1-1; 3.18 ERA) | Gerrit Cole (5-2; 2.40 ERA) | 7:05 p.m. |
| Sat | Matt Harvey (5-1; 1.98 ERA) | A.J. Burnett (3-1; 1.38 ERA) | 4:05 p.m. |
| Sun | Jonathon Niese (3-4; 3.72 ERA) | Francisco Liriano (1-4; 4.15 ERA) | 1:35 p.m. |
Power up
The Bryce Harper Watch continues this weekend in Washington as the 22-year-old phenom attempts to extend his improbable run of hitting long balls. Harper enters the Nationals' three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies with 10 home runs in his last 13 games, while his total of 10 this month is the most by a National League player since Domonic Brown went deep 12 times in May 2013.
Other big boppers to keep your eye on:
- Alex Rodriguez is one RBI shy of tying Babe Ruth (1,992) for fourth on baseball's all-time list (RBI became an official statistic in 1920), and four away from matching Lou Gehrig's American League record of 1,995 (third place in MLB history).
- Chicago Cubs super rookie Kris Bryant will look to extend his modest 10-game hitting streak Friday in Arizona. Bryant's hitting a red-hot .394/.476/.818 with four homers and 11 RBIs over that stretch.
- San Diego Padres outfielder Matt Kemp makes his second return to Los Angeles (and first since opening week) for a three-game series against the Dodgers beginning Friday. The longtime Dodger, and centerpiece to this offseason's blockbuster trade, has just one home run this year and two extra-base hits in May.
Managing expectations
The Diamondbacks spoiled Jennings' first week as manager of the Marlins after completing a four-game sweep in Miami on Thursday. Jennings, who replaced former skipper Mike Redmond following a 16-22 start to the season, will have an opportunity to get his first managerial win this weekend when Miami hosts the Baltimore Orioles for three games at Marlins Park.
Welcome back: Ron Washington makes his return to the majors Friday in St. Petersburg as an infield instructor for the last-place Oakland Athletics. Washington, who coached under a similar role for the A's from 1997 to 2006, will be tasked with helping fix shortstop Marcus Semien and his MLB-leading 16 errors. The 63-year-old Washington hasn't coached in the major leagues since abruptly stepping down as manager of the Texas Rangers last September.