Community Picks: Chicago Cubs 0% vs New York Mets 0%

Madison Bumgarner will get to hit for himself - even in an American League park. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy says he plans to use his slugging pitcher instead of a designated hitter Thursday night when the Giants visit the Oakland Athletics. It will be the first time a team intentionally used a pitcher to hit instead of a DH since the Chicago White Sox allowed Ken Brett to do it in 1976 - the Rays were forced to bat pitcher Andy Sonnanstine in 2009 because of a lineup card mixup. Continue to Article

June 30, 2016 3:28:am EST

A sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series last fall sent the New York Mets to the World Series for the first time in 15 seasons. The Cubs arrived in New York fresh off a 9-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds that capped a three-game sweep at Great American Ball Park. The sweep snapped the longest skid of the season for Chicago, which lost six of seven prior to facing the Reds. Continue to Article

June 30, 2016 12:28:am EST

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez may be pitching for his spot in the Washington rotation when the first-place Nationals begin a four-game home series Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds. Gonzalez will get the start opposite left-hander Brandon Finnegan of the Reds, who are last in the National League Central by a wide margin. The game comes two days after the major league debut of Nationals right-hander Lucas Giolito, 21, who showed that he is ready for the bigs by throwing four scoreless innings and allowing just one hit to the New York Mets. Continue to Article

June 30, 2016 12:03:am EST

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez may be pitching for his spot in the Washington rotation when the first-place Nationals begin a four-game home series Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds. Gonzalez will get the start opposite left-hander Brandon Finnegan of the Reds, who are last in the National League Central by a wide margin. The game comes two days after the major league debut of Nationals right-hander Lucas Giolito, 21, who showed that he is ready for the bigs by throwing four scoreless innings and allowing just one hit to the New York Mets. Continue to Article

June 30, 2016 12:03:am EST

Ever since he left them, Daniel Murphy has been making life miserable for the Mets. Murphy homered twice, tormenting his former team yet again, and the Washington Nationals completed a three-game sweep of New York with 4-2 victory Wednesday night. The sweep dropped New York six games behind first-place Washington in the NL East. Continue to Article

June 29, 2016 11:53:pm EST