Given the way Arizona's lead in the National League West has slipped to just one game during a recent six-game losing skid, the D-backs may have never needed Ian Kennedy to pitch like an ace more than they do Tuesday night against Jordan Zimmermann and the streaking Nationals.

When the Orioles play the Twins on Tuesday night at Target Field, it will continue to be an emotional time for Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy, who returns this week to Minnesota for the first time since the Twins traded him to Baltimore in the offseason.

Tuesday night's matchup at Coors Field between Houston and Colorado will mark the Rockies debut of Alex White, the rookie right-hander who came over from Cleveland in the Ubaldo Jimenez Trade Deadline bonanza.

This certainly was not a performance that signaled that Jair Jurrjens is ready to immediately regain the dominant form he possessed during the season's first half. But with some good fortune on his side, the Braves' pitcher at least looked better than he had during any of his previous starts since the All-Star break.

Cleveland's Justin Masterson will face off against Seattle rookie Blake Beavan in the first half of a day-night twin bill on Tuesday at Progressive Field.

Much of the Phillies' success has rested on the starting pitching, and Cliff Lee delivered seven scoreless innings as the offense behind him made it an easy Monday in a 10-0 win over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park.

J.J. Hardy hit a go-ahead homer against his former club and lefty Zach Britton pitched five innings of one-run baseball on Monday as the Orioles snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Twins.

Clayton Kershaw takes the ball for the second game of Los Angeles' three-game set in St. Louis, where Kyle Lohse will start for the Cardinals.

Mariners catcher Miguel Olivo scored from third on a sacrifice fly by Franklin Gutierrez in the top of the ninth inning on Monday as Seattle stopped a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Indians.

Milwaukee took a split in its doubleheader against Pittsburgh on Monday, and it will go into Tuesday's game with the biggest division lead (nine games) in franchise history. Ross Ohlendorf of the Pirates will square off against Milwaukee rookie Marco Estrada in the third of four games.

It's a good thing that Boston's John Lackey and Texas' Colby Lewis are answering the bell when it counts the most, and the righties will meet Tuesday in the second game of a four-game series in Arlington.

David Price, who topped the Yankees and Red Sox his last two times out, heads to the hill for the Rays against Brad Penny and the Tigers on Tuesday.

Left-hander Ross Detwiler showed once again that he wants to be in the big league rotation next year, guiding the Nationals to a 4-1 win over the D-backs on Monday night at Nationals Park.

That the other shoe hasn't already dropped for the Indians is a credit to this club's resilience and, yes, the state of the AL Central itself. And given that both of those trends have managed to hold up for three-quarters of a campaign and the Indians still have six games left against the Tigers, it's best not to write them off just yet.

Cubs starter Casey Coleman will have a chance to distinguish himself Tuesday against Atlanta. The Braves will hand the ball to southpaw Mike Minor, and he'll be trying to continue a streak that has seen him win three straight decisions.

A stomach virus struck suddenly on Monday for Angel Pagan, who was removed from the game following his fifth-inning at-bat. Pagan should return to the lineup on Tuesday.

Stephen Strasburg threw 60 pitches (40 strikes) over three innings in his fourth rehab start Monday with Class A Hagerstown. He struck out six but struggled to find command of his breaking pitches.