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.
Tampa Bay Rays87-58.600W2
New York Yankees83-62.572W2
Boston Red Sox80-67.544L2
Toronto Blue Jays73-74.497L1
Baltimore Orioles71-76.483W1
Milwaukee Brewers91-56.619W3
Chicago Cubs81-66.551L4
Pittsburgh Pirates73-73.500W3
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.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Konnor Griffin#6RHBShortstop
Brandon Lowe#5LHBSecond base
Bryan Reynolds#10SHB.266Left field
Nick Gonzales#3RHB.305coldDesignated hitter
Oneil Cruz#15LHB.270Center fieldBoston Red Sox
Roman Anthony#19LHBDesignated hitter
Mickey Gasper#30SHB.264Catcher
Wilyer Abreu#52LHB.256Right field
Trevor Story#10RHBShortstop
Nick Sogard#20SHB.266First base