With the excitement of a new week of September baseball, there are some great pitching matchups on the horizon. Both established stars and new young stars face off as teams continue a fight fora playoff position. Here are five matchups you’ll want to tune in for this week:
Zac Gallen (Arizona Diamondbacks) vs. Jack Leiter (Texas Rangers) — Tuesday
Zac Gallen and Jack Leiter face off at Chase Field in a game that could impact future NL West standings. Gallen’s sharpness and consistency against Leiter’s strikeout potential. A must-watch for fans keeping track of the playoff picture.
Max Fried (New York Yankees) vs. Framber Valdez (Houston Astros) — Tuesday
The Yankees head to Houston for a Wild Card matchup and there will be plenty of eyes on the mound for this one. Max Fried has been dominant this season with his impeccable command and weak contact ability.
Framber Valdez brings the heavy sinker and ground ball magic. Both left-handers have been great for their team so it will be a great matchup.
Blake Snell (Los Angeles Dodgers) vs. Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates) — Thursday
Blake Snell vs rookie sensation Paul Skenes at PNC Park. This will consist of Blake Snell’s experience and consistency vs Paul Skenes’ fastball and bite wil be an interesting one. Both teams have postseason aspirations so it could be a big one.
Chris Sale (Atlanta Braves) vs. Cristopher Sánchez (Philadelphia Phillies) — Saturday
Chris Sale is back for the Braves against Cristopher Sánchez, who has become one of the most consistent starters for the Phillies. Sale’s past experience and his ability to put guys away compared to Sánchez’s consistency will provide for an interesting matchup.
Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers) vs. Tomoyuki Sugano (Baltimore Orioles) — Sunday
The Dodgers head to Baltimore to play the Orioles in a tremendous Sunday matchup. Clayton Kershaw has carried his experience and command to the mound (3.06 ERA) and he has pitched confidently throughout the season. Tomoyuki Sugano gave the Orioles a stable season while providing all sorts of pitch mixes and variations (4.41 ERA).
