Giants collide with Nationals on MLB.TV

With division leads on each coast currently in hand, this weekend’s series between the Giants and Nationals enables the two National League contenders to size each other up.

That includes, most importantly, a good look at the aces each team will have to potentially beat come October.

The Giants’ offense got first crack by facing Washington’s Stephen Strasburg on Saturday night, and ambushed the right-hander for four runs in just 4 2/3 innings in his shortest outing of the year. On Sunday, it will be the Nationals’ turn to see how they fare against Madison Bumgarner. Given MadBum’s track record in the postseason, Washington (and every other team) will appreciate every chance it gets to take notes on the dominant southpaw before the leaves begin to change color.

But Sunday’s showdown in D.C., is just one of a number of matchups to keep an eye on as each game becomes more and more important down the stretch. For starters, Ichiro Suzuki is just one hit shy of the exclusive 3,000-hit club. Baltimore and Toronto — who enter Sunday in a virtual tie atop the AL East — hope to gain an edge. Meanwhile in Detroit, the Tigers and Mets continue to feverishly fight for their postseason lives as they stand on the outside of the Wild Card picture looking in.

In fact, every Major League team will be in action Sunday as part of a packed slate of 15 games, and there’s only one place to see them all: MLB.TV.

MLB.TV Premium has returned with the same features as last year, and is only $79.99 for the rest of the season. This package has the best value and provides access to more than 400 devices and a free subscription to the MLB.com At Bat Premium app (a $19.99 value). It offers the best picture quality ever — a new 60 frames per second — for supported devices. Monthly signups for MLB.TV Premium are now underway as well for $24.99.

The new MLB.TV Single Team package is also available as a $59.99 yearly subscription. You can watch a single team’s live out-of-market games in full HD.

Here’s what to watch for today in the Majors (all times ET):

Bumgarner may be extra mad: SF@WSH, 1:35 p.m. The Nats are catching Bumgarner off one of his worst starts in recent memory, but whether that’s a good thing (or whether he’ll be extra motivated Sunday because of it) remains to be seen. The lefty allowed eight runs (only four earned) to the Phillies over five innings Tuesday, which marked the first time he had allowed eight runs to come across since he coughed up a career-high nine to Colorado on May 17, 2013.

Bumgarner maintained he felt physically after his forgettable outing, attributing his tough night more to Philadelphia’s aggressive approach.

“I had a hard time putting guys away; that was really it,” Bumgarner said. “An aggressive team like that, guys ready to swing the bat, it’s going to work in their favor.”

Washington handed Bumgarner his only loss during his magical 2014 postseason run in Game 3 of that year’s NLDS, so they know they know they have the ability to beat the San Francisco ace in October. Still, the …

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