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The Boston Red Sox visit the Cleveland Indians in the second of a four-game series after taking the first game 4-1. Tonight’s game starts at 7 PM ET.

The Boston Red Sox (34-25, 16-11 away) season looked to be headed for disaster after having high hopes for another playoff appearance in the pre-season. After winning seven of their last nine games, they are back in the race for the AL East trailing the Rays by 4 and the Yankees by 2 for the wildcard.

Victor Martinez made his first return to Cleveland yesterday after nearly seven season with the Indians. Martinez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and received a standing ovation from the Cleveland faithful.

The Cleveland Indians (21-35, 8-15 home) are coming off of their first series win since mid-May after taking two of three from the Chicago White Sox.

Starting for the Indians is David Huff (2-6, 6.08 ERA). The left-hander will try to keep the major-leagues most prolific run-producing offense. He hasn’t played well this season and is coming off of a stinker against Detroit that saw him give up five earned runs in just three innings of work. Huff has never faced the Red Sox.

Boston counters with another struggling pitcher in Tim Wakefield (1-4, 6.02 ERA). The 43-year-old will be looking to get back on track after going 0-2 in his last two starts with a painful 13.97 ERA. He played well in two starts against Cleveland last season going 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA.

On Friday, June 4, the Los Angeles Angels will take on the Seattle Mariners in Seattle. Just recently, the Angels have gotten their record back up to .500 and are hoping to move above it. This goal could become a reality as they take on the worst team in the AL West tonight.

The Los Angeles Angels have won seven out of their last nine games and have been on quite a streak. This is after going 3-7 at the start of the season. Their most recent win over Kansas City is what bumped them over the .500 mark.

Starting on the mound for the Angels will be Joe Saunders who wasn’t too impressive last time these two teams met. He let seven runs go and gave up 10 hits before the Angels pulled themselves together and won the game.

The Seattle Mariners will be answering with Ian Snell on the mound, who only let three runs go and walked four in the four innings that he played. Ian is a right handed pitcher who has an ERA of 4.00 and is 0-1 since entering the rotation.

Seattle has also recently added some good depth in the bullpen since the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. (on Wednesday) by adding Chad Cordero from the Triple A. Cordero has previously been one of the best closers in the game but has frequently been plagued by injuries. He just went through a rehabilitation stage after tearing his biceps and labrum.

Look for the Mariners to give the Angels a bit of a run, but ultimately the Angels should be able to easily close this one out after riding the momentum of their last ten games.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves both had an excellent month of May and they hope to continue that success tonight in the first of a four-game baseball betting series at 10 PM ET.

The Atlanta Braves (31-22, 12-16 away) are in the hunt to return to the playoffs after missing the playoffs for the last five consecutive years after winning the division 14 consecutive times. They just swept a three game set against NL East rival the Philadelphia Phillies that gave them a 2.5 game lead in the division.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (31-22, 18-8 home) are on a four game winning streak, but they barely eked out three of those wins at the final at-bat. Andre Ethier hasn’t found his swing since returning from a broken pinkie finger. He is just 1 for 14 in three games despite hitting .360 on the year.

Hiroki Kuroda (5-3, 3.55 ERA) will get the start for LA. He struggled badly in his last start surrendering seven runs on 10 hits in just four innings of work against Colorado. He has just two career starts versus the Braves going 1-1 with a 1.20 ERA including a 1-hitter at Dodger Stadium in 2008.

On the mound for the Braves will be Kris Medlen (2-1, 2.85 ERA). Medlen has only just joined the rotation going 1-0 with a 3.22 ERA in just four starts. The right-hander hasn’t started against the Dodgers yet.

The Toronto Blue Jays host the Tampa Bay Rays in the final game of a three-game set after splitting the first two games. The first pitch is at 7 PM ET at the Roger’s Centre in Toronto.

The Tampa Bay Rays (35-18, 20-6 away) have been struggling a bit, but they got a much needed win last night. Down 5-3 in the ninth, the Rays drove home four runs. The Jays rallied in the bottom of the ninth scoring one before falling short 7 to 6.

The Rays status as top team in the majors is under threat after going just 4-6 in their last ten, so last night’s win was badly needed.

The play of the Toronto Blue Jays (31-23, 15-12 home) has been the biggest surprise in the bigs this year. They were pegged by many to finish at the bottom of the NL East, but instead they are in striking distance of the top spot and in the conversation for the Wild Card.

The Blue Jays success can be largely attributed to their hitting. They lead the majors in home runs by 20 with 89 homers total. Naturally, their slugging percentage is tops at .472 and only the Yankees have scored more runs.

Taking the mound for the Jays will be Shaun Marcum (5-1, 2.59 ERA). Marcum is on a four-game winning streak and is 5-0 in his last seven starts with a 1.76 ERA. In three career starts against the Rays, he is 1-0 with a 0.83 ERA.

David Price (7-2, 2.57 ERA) gets the start for Tampa Bay. In four career starts against the Blue Jays, Price is 3-0 with a 2.92 ERA. His last start was a three-run seven inning performance, that ended in a 4-2 loss to Chicago last Friday. Prior to that loss, he had a four-game winning streak.

Now that the Atlanta Braves have completed their climb from the bottom to the top of the NL East, they’d like to extend their lead as they face division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. Tonight’s game starts at 7:10 PM ET and is the second in a three-game series.

Last night’s win vaulted the Atlanta Braves (29-22, 17-6 home) over the Phillies giving them top spot in the division. As recently as May 17, the Braves were the last team in the division sitting seven games back from Philadelphia. Their stretch of good play coincided perfectly with Philadelphia’s struggles and they’ve managed the improbable in taking the lead.

Chipper Jones had a two-run homer to set the tone in the first. Jones is hitting .340 in his career against the Phillies. His 44 career home runs versus Philadelphia is the most home runs he’s had against any team in baseball.

After going .194 in April, Troy Glaus capped off a much improved May in which he went .330 with a three-run homer.

A lack of run production is the main reason that the Philadelphia Phillies (28-22, 15-12 away) have fallen out of the top spot in the NL East. They have been shut out in five of their last eight games and have dropped nine of thirteen.

Ryan Howard’s play is symptomatic of the team’s struggles. The former MVP first baseman has a measly four hits in his last nine games.

Getting the call for Philadelphia is Cole Hamels (5-3, 3.82 ERA). Hamels dropped his first two career starts against the Phillies, but has been stellar since going 8-2 with a 3.70 ERA in 13 starts.

Tim Hudson (5-1, 2.24 ERA) will be starting for Atlanta. Hudson can blame the batters for his 0-5 career record versus the Phillies. He’s been getting just 1.70 runs while his ERA versus Philadelphia is 4.01. His lone loss this season came against the Phillies when Atlanta’s offense couldn’t muster a single run.

The top two teams in team ERA meet today as the San Diego Padres host the St Louis Cardinals at 6:35 PM ET in the last of a three-game series.

The San Diego Padres (28-18, 14-9 home) are on the verge of their first series sweep of the Cardinals in almost 15 years. They badly needed the first two wins as they try to hold off the Los Angeles Dodgers for top spot in the NL West.

The Padres pitching staff have been particularly good at home where they have a 2.11 team ERA. They haven’t been getting consistent run support, though, which is why they’ve lost nine at home this season. They are currently thirteenth in the NL in runs this season.

After losing two straight, the St Louis Cardinals (26-21, 11-13 away) now sit one game back of the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central race.

The Reds have an easy one against the Pirates today, so the Cards will likely need a win today to keep pace.

One of the main reasons they’ve dropped the first two games is their offense has disappeared narrowly avoiding shutouts in both games. Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday were a combined 0-10 yesterday.

Starting for the Padres will be Wade LeBlanc (2-2, 3.32 ERA). The left-hander is coming off of his worst start of the season when he gave up eight runs in a 15-8 loss on Friday. This will be LeBlanc’s first career game against the Cards.

PJ Walters (0-0, 4.50 ERA) gets the call for the Cardinals in place of the injured Brad Penny. This will be just his second career start. He only lasted four innings in his first start giving up three runs against the Chicago Cubs a year ago.

The Cincinnati Reds just captured top spot in the NL Central and would like to maintain their narrow lead with a win when they visit the struggling Atlanta Braves.

The Cincinnati Reds (23-16, 9-7 away) used a nine wins and one loss stretch to take the top spot in the NL Central from the struggling St Louis Cardinals. They have been getting solid performances from all over their lineup. Their team ERA is 2.20 over the last ten games; they are hitting .313 over the last twelve game; and they have just one error in their last 13.

The Reds are coming off of a dramatic win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Down by two in the ninth, Scott Rolen hit a two-run home run to tie things up. Then, a few batters later, Joey Votto hit a single that drove in the game-winning run giving the Reds their tenth win at the final at bat.

The Atlanta Braves (19-20, 11-6 home) are coming off of a ninth inning victory of their own over the New York Mets, but the victory came off of late-game gaffe’s rather than late-game heroics. Atlanta twice failed to advance runners on sacrifice bunts but were bailed out by a David Wright throwing error that gave the Braves the game-winning run.

For most of the season, Atlanta has been at the bottom of the division. Their improved play of late has helped them catch the Mets and climb out of the cellar. They have won 11 of their last 17 thanks partly to a streaky offense that put up 34 runs in four-straight wins before producing just five in a two-game series split with the Mets.

Kenshin Kawakami (0-6, 5.79 ERA) gets the call for the Braves who are hoping he can finally get his first win of the season. He has just one career start versus the Reds where he got torched for eight runs in just 4 2/3 innings of work.

Taking the mound for Cincinnati is the inconsistent Aaron Harang (2-5, 6.02 ERA). Harang is 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA in three career starts against Atlanta.

The New York Mets visit the Atlanta Braves for the back half of a two-game series starting at 7 PM ET.

Both of these teams have fallen short of their pre-season expectations when they were expected to compete for first in the NL East. Instead they are struggling to stay out of last place with the Mets just a half game ahead of the last-place Braves.

The media sharks were circling in New York smelling a firing earlier this week when the chief operating officer met with the team managers. Nobody was let go, but it’s a long season.

The New York Mets (19-20, 5-12 away) snapped a five-game losing streak last night in a 3-2 win over Atlanta. They showed little to make Mets backers believe that they have left their losing ways behind as they were just 1 for 9 on the night with runners in scoring position.

Third baseman David Wright struggles against Atlanta. The Mets will need his bat to come alive to have a chance at winning. Wright is 2-for21 in six games against Atlanta. No one in the majors strikes out more than him as he has 52 strikeouts including six against the Braves.

The Atlanta Braves (18-20, 10-6 home) had managed to close the gap between them and the Mets by winning five of their last six and even briefly slipped ahead of them before last night’s loss.

Second baseman Martin Prado has been the biggest bright spot in an otherwise dull season for the Braves. Prado was the NL player of the week last week and he was 2-for-3 last night with a triple and an RBI.

The Mets send pitching ace Johan Santana (3-2, 3.88 ERA) to the mound. Santana is just 1-4 in seven starts versus the Braves, but he has had virtually no run support getting no more than two runs in any one game.

In just his second career start, Kris Medlen (1-1, 2.35 ERA) gets the call. Medlen has faced the Mets in a relief role four times striking out six and holding the Mets scoreless for 6 1/3 innings.

The San Diego Padres look to extend their division lead when they visit the team that’s chasing them in the NL West, the San Francisco Giants. The game starts at 10:15 PM ET.

San Diego took the first game of their three-game series 3-2 handing Barry Zito of the Giants his first loss of the young season.

The San Francisco Giants (18-13, 10-6 home) are 0-4 against the Padres this season and need to reverse that trend if they are to have any hope of catching them. Three of the losses came by just a single run, so it’s not like they aren’t close.

Last night’s loss dropped the Giants to 1-3 in their last four, so it might not be the the best of times to be facing a rival who they have struggled against.

Leading the way on offense is Aubrey Huff. The first baseman has a .362 on base percentage and four homers. In last night’s loss he produced two hits and an RBI. He has also had a lot of success against tonight’s starter Clayton Richard going 4-7 in his career.

The San Diego Padres (20-12, 9-7 away) success this season has been one of the biggest surprises. They are tied for top spot in the National League with the Philadelphia Phillies and enjoy a game and a half lead over the Giants for top spot in the NL West.

The Padres success has been almost entirely due to their pitching. They have the second best team ERA in the NL at 2.78. Closer Heath Bell is tied for third in the majors with nine saves and is one of the best closers playing the game today.

San Diego’s hitting could do a lot more to help this team. They are in the bottom six out of 16 NL teams in all major offensive categories.

Starting for San Diego will be Clayton Richard (1-2, 3.34 ERA). This will be the seventh start for the left-hander. In two career starts against the Giants, he is 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA.

Matt Cain (2-1, 2.79 ERA) takes the mound for the Giants. Cain had a disappointing start to the season, but he’s been ferocious in his last two pitching 8 innings againts the Colorado Rockies and 7 against the Florida Marlins. In those two starts, the right-hander has surrendered a combined five hits and two runs while picking up 14 strikeouts. In 19 career starts against San Diego, he is 4-6 with a 2.91 ERA.

The Washington Nationals (14-12, 8-6 home) host the Atlanta Braves (11-15, 3-11 away) in the second of a three-game series in a night game at 7 PM ET.

The Washington Nationals put an end to Atlanta’s three-game win streak with a 6-3 win last night. They are well on their way to having the best season since moving to Washington and are just a game back of top spot in the NL East. Closer Matt Capps leads the league with 11 saves.

The Atlanta Braves road woes continued last night as they have now lost eight in a row away from home and have a 3-11 road record. Their glory days are now barely a memory as the Braves sit last in the NL East.

Rookie Jason Heyward‘s play gives some hope for the future. The right fielder is sixth in the National League with a 1.038 OPS and is batting .289 with 8 homers. Four of those home runs have come in the last five games where he has gone 9-for-16.

Tommy Hanson (2-2, 2.17 ERA) will take to the mound and try to stem the tide of road losses. Hanson is 2-0 in four quality starts versus the Nationals with a 2.28 ERA.

Getting the start for Washington is Luis Atilano (2-0, 2.25 ERA). Atilano is getting just his third start in the bigs after eight years in the minors. His first two starts both went six innings. He’s given up a total of three runs and still hasn’t surrendered a homer.