Everything to know about FOX Saturday Baseball: Dodgers-Cardinals, Guardians-Brewers

Major League Baseball

Updated Aug. 16, 2024 10:31 a.m. ET

FOX is home to a pair of must-watch MLB games this Saturday.

The Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers battle at American Family Field in a matchup between two division leaders. Simultaneously, the Los Angeles Dodgers are in the Gateway City to take on the St. Louis Cardinals.

Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s slate!

Guardians at Brewers (7:15 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)

Probable starters: Tanner Bibee, Cleveland (3.39 ERA) vs. Freddy Peralta (4.11 ERA)

Cleveland has been atop the AL Central standings for nearly the entire season, but the Minnesota Twins continue to loom in the divisional race. The Guardians have been able to hold off the Twins, thanks to the likes of José Ramírez being on a tear since the All-Star break. Their pitching staff has also been one of the best in baseball, ranking in the top 10 in ERA, WHIP and batting average against. Bibee has been the star of their rotation, going 4-2 with a 3.15 ERA in his past seven starts.

Milwaukee has also led its division for much of the year, but it doesn’t face the same challenge in the NL Central. Still, the Brewers keep pushing as they hope to get a first-round bye in the playoffs. William Contreras, Willy Adames and Jackson Chourio have all been hot at the plate in August. Milwaukee’s pitching hasn’t been as stellar, with Peralta having a shaky past couple of outings. But his strikeout total is among the best in the league.

Dodgers at Cardinals (7:15 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)

Probable starters: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles (3.50 ERA) vs. Andre Pallante, St. Louis (4.21 ERA)

Los Angeles has been up and down following the All-Star break, opening the door for the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres to close what was once a huge gap in the NL West. Shohei Ohtani is still mashing at the plate, while Mookie Betts made his triumphant return to the lineup earlier this week. He hit a homer in his first game back after missing nearly two months with a hand fracture. Kershaw, meanwhile, has been solid in his past two outings, allowing just two runs total. But he’s pitched more than five innings only once since his return.

St. Louis’ playoff chances have taken a sizable hit in August, but the club remians in striking distance of the third wild-card spot. Nolan Arenado has had a good start to August after not hitting at his usual level in the first half of the season. The Cardinals’ starting pitching has struggled recently, with big trade deadline acquisition Erick Fedde having a pair of bumpy outings since joining the team. Pallante had a solid July, posting a 3.33 ERA in four starts, but he has a 5.23 ERA in two starts in August.

Now, check out some pregame reading from across MLB courtesy of FOXSports.com!

Dodgers, Padres & Diamondbacks battle for NL West Crown

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Paul Skenes or Jackson Merrill? Dodgers or Phillies? Hall of Famer and MLB on FOX analyst John Smoltz weighs in on the NL’s top contenders, award races and major leaguers competing in the Olympics.

Aaron Judge, by the numbers: Judge set another record this week while hitting career home run No. 300. Here are some other jaw-dropping numbers from the Yankees superstar, courtesy of FOX Research.

Aaron Judge hits 300th home run: Is he the frontrunner for AL MVP?

Mookie Betts is back where he belongs: The Dodgers superstar not only returned to the field, he’s back in the outfield. Kavner explains why L.A. made the change now.

All that Jazz: Prior to Jazz Chisholm’s UCL injury this week, Thosar profiled the newest New York Yankees star and the impact he’s already made in The Bronx — and his aspiring rap career.

Power Rankings: Where do the best teams stand through the first two weeks of August? Ben Verlander offers his latest top 10.

Want more betting angles? The return of Betts and the Dodgers’ hot streak has kept them as the favorite to win the World Series. But who else is among the favorites? Here are the latest World Series odds. Meanwhile, the NL Rookie of the Year odds are becoming a bit more interesting. Stop by our betting hub for all the latest MLB odds!

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