We have, this weekend, an interleague sighting. It's going to be a brief one -- we're back to your regularly scheduled intraleague games on Monday -- mostly harmless and, in some rare cases, maybe even a tad entertaining. Definitely worth tuning into a game or two.
Here's a first-weekend interleague play primer ...
Gotta see 'em
Braves at Red Sox
The best teams in their respective leagues -- they're the top two in this week's Power Rankings, anyway -- meet in Fenway Park. The Braves are the second-most successful National League team in interleague history (behind the Marlins), but they have a brutal interleague schedule this year that includes the Sox, Detroit, Minnesota and Cleveland. But, then again, if you just lost three of four to the Nationals, anything seems daunting.
Cardinals at Tigers
Any other year this would look like a dog of a series, but this is a rematch of the '06 dog of a World Series, which should at least make for some amusing reflection. These two teams are moving in different directions these days. The defending World Series champion Cardinals are stinking it up, giving last year's vanquished Tigers a pretty good chance of avenging themselves. Now, if the Detroit pitchers can just avoid throwing the ball all over the park ...
Dodgers at Angels
For a possible World Series preview, this one is better than most. The American League West leaders, the Angels, take on the NL West leaders in the annual Freeway Series. If scoring's your thing, you're probably not going to get it here. These teams are among the worst in their leagues at slugging. Still, that'll make the good pitching -- both teams have it -- look that much better.
Might be worth it
Twins at Brewers
The Twins' interleague intermission probably couldn't have come at a better time. The defending AL Central champs have lost four straight and are 4-11 this month. The formerly soaring Brewers need a break from a tough part of their schedule, too, with losses in five of their past seven. The problem: Who gets the break now?
White Sox at Cubs
If we're lucky, we might see another A.J. Pierzynski-Michael Barrett donnybrook. Instead, we'll get the chokingest bullpen in the NL against the most pathetic offense in the AL (a .300 OBP? Ugh).
Yankees at Mets
We know all about the Yankees' pitching problems. We also know that Alex Rodriguez has stunk lately (.239 in his last 21 games, with one homer and five RBIs), and that Robinson Cano, Bobby Abreu and Johnny Damon are struggling. The Mets don't get many chances to kick the Kings of NY while they're down. This one will be tough to pass up.
Giants at A's
The Giants' Barry Zito faces his former team in the Friday night opener of this Bay Area beatdown. While with the A's, Zito was barely mediocre in interleague play (8-8, 3.53 ERA), which probably should have tipped us off to what he's done in the NL so far (3-4, 4.29).
