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.
Houston Astros74-72.507L1
Texas Rangers72-74.493L1
Seattle Mariners68-78.466W1
Oakland Athletics59-88.401W1
Los Angeles Angels56-90.384W2
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.
Cincinnati Reds
Carlos Jorge#38LHBCenter field
Matt McLain#9RHBShortstop
Jose Trevino#35RHBPitcher
Tyler Stephenson#37RHBFirst base
Héctor Rodríguez#43LHB.255hotRight fieldLos Angeles Angels
Zach Neto#9RHB.244hotShortstop
Mike Trout#27RHB.244Center field
Jose Siri#28RHBRight field
Vaughn Grissom#5RHB.245First base
Christian Moore#4RHBDesignated hitter
