The written preview lands about a day and a half before the game, once the lineups, the injuries and the market have settled. Until then the boards below carry the matchup: recent form, how the two sides compare, and where each of them sits.
The full preview, matchup keys, probable starters and the storylines to watch, posts closer to game time, once lineups are set.
Where each side sits in its own division, with both clubs marked. These two are in different ones, so the tables are separate and the records are not directly comparable.
Chicago White Sox75-71.514L3
Cleveland Guardians74-73.503L1
Minnesota Twins69-77.473L1
Detroit Tigers67-79.459W1
Kansas City Royals65-82.442W1
Milwaukee Brewers91-56.619W3
Chicago Cubs81-66.551L4
Pittsburgh Pirates74-73.503W4
St. Louis Cardinals72-75.490L3
Cincinnati Reds69-77.473L3Taken from each club's most recent lineup. The official cards post 2 to 3 hours before first pitch, so a name here can still be scratched, and the batting order is the likelier thing to move than the nine men in it.
Cleveland Guardians
Steven Kwan#38LHB.275hotCenter field
Chase DeLauter#24LHB.296hotRight field
José Ramírez#11SHBThird base
Jo Adell#7RHBLeft field
Travis Bazzana#37LHBDesignated hitterChicago Cubs
Pete Crow-Armstrong#4LHB.281Center field
Seiya Suzuki#27RHB.267Right field
Michael Busch#29LHBFirst base
Alex Bregman#3RHB.260Third base
Ian Happ#8SHBDesignated hitter
