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Series Preview

Iowa Hawkeyes (29-18, 12-12 B1G) at #25 Nebraska Cornhuskers (34-14, 17-7 B1G)

Location: Hawks Field at Haymarket Park, Lincoln, NE

Dates: May 8th-10th

Times (all CDT): Friday @ 6pm , Saturday @ 2pm, Sunday @ 2pm

Coaches: Rick Heller (13th season, 785-602-2) & Will Bolt (7th season, 204-140-1)

TV/Stream: Friday is on Nebraska Public Media, Sunday will be on BTN, All games on B1G+

Radio: All Nebraska games on Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App

Well, where have we seen a talented but dazed Husker team take on a “mid” Iowa team before? It’s a nightmare we’ve seen time and time agains in seemingly every sport. After having a lot of “luck” metrics go their way for the entire season, the Huskers seemingly had every break go against them in Columbus last week. So far, a return home has righted the ship in a big way after some struggles away from home. Will the final few (regular season, fingers crossed) home games give them their mojo back? (Shout out, Mojo Hagge!)

Iowa has piled up wins by beating up on the weak sisters of the poor, with the 222nd ranked non-conference schedule. They are not as good as their overall record (which still isn’t great) might make you think. In conference, they’ve been swept by the 2 California teams, and lost to Michigan State. They’ve beaten bottom feeders Maryland, Indiana and Penn State, but have also won series against Minnesota and most recently Illinois.

Barring being swept by Nebraska and then Purdue, Iowa should be in the group that that plays in Omaha for the right to play in the final tournament against the top 4 seeds. I wouldn’t get too attached to that “sweep” thought though. Things rarely go as planned when the Hawkeyes come to town.

Pitching Preview

Game 1: RHP Carson Jasa (8-2, 3.68 ERA) vs. RHP Tyler Guerin (2-2, 6.80 ERA)

Game 2: RHP Ty Horn (2-2, 4.06 ERA) vs. RHP Maddux Frese (4-2, 2.56 ERA)

Game 3: RHP Gavin Blachowicz (4-2, 3.08 ERA) vs. TBD

Coach Bolt and Co. have found their Friday night starter in Carson Jasa. They were protecting him in a way earlier in the year, putting him in a slightly less stressful day in Saturday, usually battling a less superior pitcher on the other team. Now he is “The Man”, and despite picking up the loss, he pitched very well. One ball just trickling out of Case Sanderson’s glove on a tough play was maybe the difference in the game. Going more than 6 innings has to be a goal going forward.

Welcome back to the rotation Ty Horn. He has rediscovered that little bit extra of his fastball that he was without for his last few Friday starts. That along with the confidence/attitude readjustment, and the giving his all on every pitch instead of worrying about going through an order a third time unlocked the Ty we saw at the end of 2025. Bolt said with only one mid week game left, Ty affecting multiple games a week wouldn’t be as important, so made the decision to replace the suddenly struggling Katskee easier.

Bolt also said he thought Gavin Blachowicz just fit better on Sundays when deciding where to place Horn. Blachowicz suffered from a couple bad breaks, especially the 3 RBI triple that Drew Grego just couldn’t quite get ahold of. Even-so, Blachowicz has been the most even keeled starter, even without his best stuff, so expect Championship Sundays to get back on track.

Iowa has been searching for a starting rotation all season. They’ve finally arrived back where they started on Friday nights with Tyler Guerin. The 6’6” righty had a bad start to the season, then regrouped mostly in the bullpen before starting the past 3 weekends. He doesn’t go long, rarely getting to 70 pitches, and is very prone to walking pitchers. Iowa has a lot of relievers it trusts, so the leash isn’t long for its starters.

Maddux Frese has been a revelation over then last month for the Hawkeyes. Not only is he pitching effective, allowing 2 runs or less in 4 of his last 5 starts, but he is going deep into games, with quality starts in each of those 4 games as well. He’s not a big strikeout guy, in fact he gets most of his outs via fly balls. That can be an adventure, depending on the wind at Haymarket Park. Logan Runde has been the third pitcher for the team over the entire year, but has struggled of late, so the team is considering a couple other options, depending on how the series goes for Sunday.

Scouting Report

This weekend will be a battle between the top 2 hitting teams in the conference. Last week Nebraska was #1 and Iowa was #2, but as you can imagine after Columbus, the two have flipped. It’s a rare Iowa team in that the offense carries the pitching staff. Probably been 2019 since that happened.

The best hitter on the Hawkeyes is easily in the mix of top 5 batters in the conference depending on the criteria. That is second baseman Gable Mitchell, who thankfully is finally a senior. He has taken the conference lead in hits and batting average away from Mac Moyer after last week. He has 75 hits, and is batting .393. At 5’9, 185 lbs, he’s not a big home run threat with 5 on the year, but can pile up doubles, with 14 on the year, and a B1G leading 4 triples as well. He will run on occasion, stealing 11 of 15 bases.

Caleb Wolf is almost a Mitchell clone. The diminutive first baseman is the same size as Mitchell and second on the team in batting average at .370. Wolf also has 12 doubles and 3 home runs.

In fact, the whole team has a similar stat line of piling up singles and doubles, and not really worrying about home run power. The team leader in home runs has only 6, and that is short stop and usual leadoff man Kooper Schulte. Schulte also leads the team with 17 doubles on the season while batting .286.

Iowa likes to run, stealing the second most bases in the Big Ten to Minnesota at 85. Outfielder Kellen Strohmeyer leads the team, going 17 for 17 on the season.

Iowa has numerous arms they turn to during a weekend, with 7 pitchers having over 12 appearances out of the pen on the season so far. Their most trusted arm is do everything reliever Kyle Alivo. He is tied for the team lead with 3 saves, and has thrown 38 innings in mostly relief. That includes a big time outing in his last appearance, going for 5 innings with 8 strikeouts Saturday against Illinois.

Freshman lefty Brolan Frost leads the pen with a 2.94 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. He has made 15 appearances, for 18.1 innings. He’s been used a lot more recently, throwing an inning in one game against Illinois and then coming in for a single left handed batter in another. Expect to see something similar this weekend.

Grad transfer Joe Husak leads the team in appearances with 19 on the season. He has a 5.19 ERA and has struck out 23 batters in 26 innings of work. He should be in multiple games against Nebraska if the score is close.

As always, Iowa is an elite defense. They are currently #1 in the B1G and #3 in the country with a 98.5 fielding percentage.

Series History

Iowa leads the all time series 29-26 against Nebraska. In their last meeting, the Hawkeyes won 2 out of 3 in Iowa City last season.

On Deck

• Jeter Worthley has been hit by 18 pitches this season, tied for 9th most in a season in Husker history. He is 2 behind Riley Silva’s 2025 season for 8th.
• Drew Grego has 38 RBIs on the season, 4th most by a Husker freshman in history. He’s 3 away from Daniel Bruce and 10 behind Alex Gordon.
• With one more hit, Dylan Carey will tie Paul Meyers for 7th all time in hits. He is also only 2 behind Michael Pritchard for 6th place.

Catching a foul ball at an MLB game is a core memory moment, but it can be just as memorable to blow it as spectacularly as this fan did on Thursday afternoon.

Extending for the bare one-handed catch, this man not only managed to flub the catch, but he spilled his beer all over the woman sitting next to him, notably drenching the ballpark nachos in the process. I’m not going to throw too much shade at the attempted catch, because a jumping one-hander at full extension is rough. I’m not sure many people would have made that grab.

However, I will slam this man for not having situational awareness of his concessions situation. I looked up the prices of food and drink at Progressive Field in Cleveland, and he’s drinking the 25 oz stadium beer, which is $12 for a domestic. I’ll go with the low-end and assume he’s not drinking craft. The loaded nachos, they’re $15. I appears there may also be hot dogs on the tray, but I won’t count there only because there appears to be some roughness to the foil — meaning they may have already been eaten.

If we zoom in on the beer right as he’s about the make the catch we can clearly see how much the man had already consumed, thanks to sunlight shining through the translucent cup.

Therefore, he lost two-thirds of his beer and ruined the nachos trying to make the catch for a financial loss of $23 on the attempt. The embarrassment from flubbing this catch on live TV, well, that’s worth a lot more in emotional damage.

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It's another busy day across the Major Leagues tonight, with a total of 15 games on the schedule.

My MLB player props will feature Dylan Cease, Andy Pages, and Max Fried who I expect to help keep the Yankees rolling in dominant form as their other star arms work their way back to full health.

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, May 8. 

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Dylan Cease	Over 7.5 strikeouts	-130
Max Fried	Under 1.5 earned runs	+125
Andy Pages	Over 0.5 singles	-110

Dylan Cease Over 7.5 strikeouts (-130)

Dylan Cease has been a strikeout machine this season for the Toronto Blue Jays. He's racked up 56 Ks in just 38.1 innings of work. The right-hander currently ranks fourth in the Majors in punchouts. Cease has cashed the Over just once in his last three outings, but it was against the exact team he'll face tonight — the Los Angeles Angels. 

When Cease took the hill against L.A. a couple of weeks back, he struck out 12 Angels across only five innings of work. The veteran has 42 Ks in only 98 at-bats against the Halos lineup in his career, and L.A. ranks dead last in the bigs in strikeouts with nearly 10 per game. 

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SN1

Max Fried Under 1.5 earned runs (+125)

With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon injured, it's been vital for Max Fried to be dominant this season for the New York Yankees, and he hasn't disappointed. The lefty owns a 4-1 record and 2.39 ERA across eight appearances. He's hit the Under in earned runs allowed in two of his last three starts. 

While Fried did surrender three earned in his most recent outing, the southpaw had back-to-back scoreless starts prior. He's also been practically un-hittable on the road, compiling a 0.76 ERA in five starts, and the  Yankees visit the Milwaukee Brewers this evening. 

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: YES

Andy Pages Over 0.5 singles (-110)

Andy Pages has been a breakout star for the Los Angeles Dodgers this year. He's fifth in the Majors with a .336 average, and the Cuban is also second with 33 RBI. Pages has 46 hits as well, which is top-five. Of those 46 knocks, 30 have been singles, and he's easily cashed the Over in six of his last eight contests. 

Pages was 3-for-5 with three homers on Wednesday, and 3-for-4 the night before that with three base knocks. While he's 0-for-2 lifetime against Chris Sale, he's batting .333 against left-handed pitchers. Sale doesn't give up a lot of homers or extra-base hits, but Pages is hot, and I expect him to at least smack one base hit. 

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet LA, BravesVision

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The Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers clash tonight at Globe Life Field for the start of a three-game series. 

My Cubs vs. Rangers predictions are targeting a Chicago victory as they face the struggling Kumar Rocker. 

Read more for my MLB picks for Friday, May 8. 

Who will win Cubs vs Rangers today: Cubs moneyline (-133 at Polymarket)

The Chicago Cubs are arguably the hottest team in baseball right now, having won nine straight games. They just swept the Cincinnati Reds, scoring 18 runs in the series.

The Cubbies' offense is firing on all cylinders, ranking in the top five in most categories. Most notably, they're second in runs with 5.5 per game. 

Chicago will face Kumar Rocker tonight, who has a 4.71 ERA. He's pitched better at home, but Rocker has been poor lately. Although the righty has never faced the Cubs, the hosts are raking at the moment, and he tends to leave a lot of pitches in the zone. 

Also, Ben Brown is on the bump for Chicago, and although this is his first start, he has a 2.10 ERA across 12 relief appearances. Chicago's bullpen also has a 3.90 ERA, and they will likely eat up innings here after Brown is the opener. 

COVERS INTEL: Opponents are hitting .278 against Rocker, and he's given up seven earned runs across his last two starts. 

Cubs vs Rangers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 runs (-110)

The Cubbies are rolling, and they've cashed the Over in two of their last three games. I expect them to do damage to Rocker. They have also hit the Over in two of their previous three contests, although both of those games were losses. 

Rocker is prone to hard contact, while the Cubbies' bullpen can be vulnerable at times. Globe Life is hitter-friendly when the roof is closed, too.

That being said, I believe most of the offense in the series opener will come from the Cubbies, who cannot be stopped right now.  

Chicago is averaging 5.57 runs per game in May, and they've also hit the Over in five of their seven games this month. Texas has also given up 24 runs across its last four games alone. 

Cubs vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Cubs -136 | Rangers +116
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+120) | Rangers +1.5 (-140)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 runs (-110) | Under 8.5 runs (-110)

Cubs vs Rangers trend

The Chicago Cubs have hit the Moneyline in 20 of their last 24 games (+16.75 Units / 52% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Rangers.

How to watch Cubs vs Rangers and game info

Cubs vs Rangers latest injuries

Cubs vs Rangers weather

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We learned after the game on Thursday that Jake Bennett has been sent down to Triple-A. Jack Anderson, who allowed three runs in 8 1/3 innings in his first stint in the majors, will be the corresponding promotion.

Other moves are likely on the horizon. Justin Slaten seemingly threw his final rehab outing for Worcester on Wednesday night, a scoreless inning. I had expected Slaten to be recalled today, with Bennett going down since Sonny Gray’s return brings the Red Sox back to a full rotation. It’s possible that Anderson is only here for one day and will swap with Slaten over the weekend.

It’s also possible that a second, or even a third move is coming. Greg Weissert and Ryan Watson simply haven’t gotten it done thus far out of the pen. Weissert, despite blowing numerous wins for starters a year ago, finished the season with a 2.82 ERA in 72 appearances. This year has been a different story, allowing four home runs in 14 2/3 innings, and Weissert is now sporting a 5.52 ERA.

Ryan Watson, despite having the Rule-5 tag, probably isn’t safe either. His 6.46 ERA in 15 appearances (23 2/3 innings) is equally concerning, and his K-BB% is just 7.2%.

Slaten’s return is imminent, along with the fact that Tommy Kahnle exercised his “assignment clause” last week. If another team offers Kahnle a major league deal, the Red Sox will either have to promote him or let him go. Kahnle has a 2.38 ERA at Worcester and 11 seasons of big league experience. His ERA in the big leagues from 2019-2025 is 3.33.

I could see a full-line change coming soon, with Anderson, Slaten, and Kahnle in and Bennett, Watson, and Weissert out. Of course, if this happened, Weissert would need to be DFA’d, and Watson would be returned to the Giants by the Rule Five rules.

What would you do with the ‘pen over the next few days? Discuss in the comments, and be good to each other.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (17-19) lost 10-3 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the 3rd inning on an Alexander 2 run double. Gordon got the start but struggled allowing 7 runs, 6 earned, over 4.2 innings. The offense got one back in the 6th but the Isotopes would get 3 more in the 9th and put the game out of reach as Sugar Land fell 10-3.

Note: Nelson is hitting .302 in Triple-A this season.

• Kellen Strahm, CF: 1-for-4, R
• CJ Alexander, RF: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• James Nelson, LF: 1-for-4, R
• Collin Price, 1B: 1-for-3, 2B
• Carlos Perez, C: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
• Jack Winkler, SS: 1-for-3, R

• Colton Gordon, RHP: 4.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Joey Mancini, RHP: 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Tom Cosgrove, LHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (14-16)

Game One – lost 4-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the 4th inning scoring 2 runs on a wild pitch and Whitaker RBI single. Mayer got the start and went 4.2 innings allowing 4 runs, though only one was earned, while striking out 6 batters. The Hooks got a run back in the 6th on a Holy RBI single but that was it as they dropped game one 4-3.

Note: Mayer has 31 K in 18.2 innings this season.

• Max Holy, SS: 1-for-4, RBI
• Trevor Austin, 3B: 1-for-2, 2 BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 2-for-4, R, SB
• Garret Guillemette, 1B: 1-for-4, R, SB
• Tyler Whitaker, LF: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
• Mason Lytle, RF: 1-for-2, R, BB, 2 SB

• Bryce Mayer, RHP: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Game Two – won 4-2 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning scoring 2 runs on a Sullivan 2 run home run. Hicks started for the Hooks and pitched well allowing 2 runs over 6 innings while striking out 6. The offense scored 2 runs in the top of the 7th on a Hernandez sac fly and Holy RBI single. Chirinos tossed a scoreless 7th inning to close out the 4-2 win.

Note: Holy is hitting .455 in Double-A.

• Max Holy, SS: 2-for-3, R, RBI, SB
• Joseph Sullivan, DH: 1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI
• Luis Baez, RF: 1-for-3, R
• John Garcia, C: 1-for-3, R
• Alberto Hernandez, 2B: 1-for-1, 2B, RBI, BB

• James Hicks, RHP: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (WIN)
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (SAVE)

A+: Asheville Tourists (8-22)

Game One – lost 7-5 (BOX SCORE)

Hertzler started game one but only went 1 innings allowing 4 runs while striking out 3. The offense got on the board in the first on a Nunez solo HR. After the Emperors got two runs in the top of the 2nd, the offense responded with two of their own on a Call solo HR and Walker solo HR. The offense got another run in the 4th on a Walker RBI single and one more in the 5th on a Schiavone solo home run. The Emperors added one more run and the Asheville offense was quiet the rest of the way as they fell 7-5 in game one.

Note: Schiavone has a 1.095 OPS this season.

• Alejandro Nunez, LF: 1-for-3, R, HR, RBI, BB
• Ethan Frey, CF: 1-for-4
• Jason Schiavone, 1B: 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Freuddy Batista, C: 1-for-2, 2B
• Chase Call, DH: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI
• Kyle Walker, SS: 2-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI

• Cole Hertzler, RHP: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Raimy Rodriguez, RHP: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
• Conor Steinbaugh, RHP: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Game Two – won 6-5 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville jumped out to a nice lead in the first scoring 3 runs on a Nunez 2 run home run and Call RBI double. They got 2 more in the 3rd on Brutcher and Powell RBI singles. Santos got the start and went 3.2 innings allowing 3 runs. Asheville picked up another run in the 4th on a Thomas RBI double. Ogando allowed 2 runs in relief but Wohlegemuth tossed a scoreless inning to close out the 6-5 win.

Note: Thomas is hitting .302 this season.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 3-for-4, R, 2 2B, RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, 2B: 1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI
• Ethan Frey, DH: 1-for-3, R
• Jason Schiavone, C: 1-for-2, R, 2B, BB, SB
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 1-for-3, R, RBI, SB
• Chase Call, RF: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, SB
• Caden Powell, LF: 1-for-3, RBI
• Zach Daudet, SS: 1-for-1, R, 2 BB, SB

• Yeriel Santos, RHP: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
• Joan Ogando, RHP: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Nate Wohlgemuth, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (SAVE)

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (12-18) won 3-2 (BOX SCORE) 

Perez started for the Woodpeckers and pitched well allowing 2 run over 6 innings while striking out 6. The offense got on the board in the 4th scoring 3 runs on a Ramirez RBI double and Newman 2 run home run. Weber relieved Perez and tossed a scoreless 7th inning. The game went into a rain delay but was called after 7 innings with the Woodpeckers winning 3-2.

Note: Ochoa is hitting .400 over his last 13 games.

• Nehomar Ochoa, DH: 2-for-3
• Camilo Diaz, 3B: 0-for-2, R, BB, SB
• German Ramirez, SS: 1-for-3, R, 2B, RBI
• DJ Newman, LF: 1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI

• Javier Perez, RHP: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (WIN)
• Charlie Weber, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K (SAVE)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Ethan Pecko – 7:05 CT

CC: Brandon McPherson – 6:35 CT

AV: Parker Smith – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

Hickory starter Kamdyn Perry allowed a solo homer in four innings of work, striking out four and walking one.

Yolfran Castillo went 3 for 5 with a double and two stolen bases. Hector Osorio doubled and stole a base. Marcos Torres was 1 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Daniel Flames was 2 for 4 with a double. Dewar Tovar doubled.

Hickory box score

Hub City played two.

In Game One, starter Dalton Pence threw four shutout innings, striking out five and walking three. Joey Danielson struck out three and walked one in a scoreless inning.

Rafe Perich was 2 for 2 with a homer and a walk. Gleider Figuereo was 2 for 2 with a walk. Yeison Morrobel had a pair of hits. Malcolm Moore had a hit.

In Game Two, starter Enrique Segura struck out four and walked three in three innings, allowing four runs. Brock Porter struck out five and walked two in 3.2 shutout innings.

Rafe Perich had a hit and two walks. Yeison Morrobel had a hit.

Hub City Game One box score

Hub City Game Two box score

Frisco starter Winston Santos allowed five runs in 3.2 IP, including a pair of home runs, striking out five and walking two. Bryan Magdaleno struck out three in 1.1 IP. Ryan Lobus allowed three runs in two innings, strking out one. Wilian Bormie struck out three in two scoreless innings.

Dylan Dreiling went 2 for 3 with a homer, three walks and a stolen base. Ian Moller drew two walks.

Frisco box score

For Round Rock, Emiliano Teodo allowed a solo homer in an inning of work, striking out two and walking one. Michel Otanez struck out one and walked one in a shutout inning.

Aaron Zavala was 4 for 4 with a double and a stolen base.

Round Rock box score

Happy Friday A’s fans!

The team came away with a series-salvaging win yesterday in the finale against the Phillies. The Green & Gold got their teeth knocked in on Tuesday, dropped a heart breaker on Wednesday, and finally broke out the bats in a blowout victory on Thursday. Now the team is off to Baltimore to take on the Orioles for a three-game weekend series.

But before we get to the preview, the A’s made a trade yesterday that went a bit under the radar. Just a day after being designated for assignment by the club, right-handed reliever Tyler Ferguson found himself on the move as the Athletics traded him to the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations:

The move brings to an end Ferguson’s time with the organization after just over two years. Originally a 6th-round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2015, Ferguson finally made it to the big leagues with the Athletics in 2024 after nine years working his way up the minor league ladder. His rookie season went fairly well as the then-30-year-old pitched to a solid 3.68 ERA in 48 games for that A’s team that finished fourth in the AL West. That quality outing his first time facing big league hitters gave hope that the A’s had found a late-bloomer to help fill out the middle innings.

Unfortunately his second season in the big leagues did not go as smoothly as he regressed to a 4.66 ERA in 56 contests. The struggled were so great that he actually found himself demoted to Triple-A for a month in the middle of the season. Things didn’t improve this year as he struggled during Spring Training and began the year with the Aviators. He was recalled a couple days ago to help a tiring bullpen but got lit up for four runs in his lone appearance with the A’s this year, which led to the DFA. He’ll now head to Chicago and hope to right things with a Cubs squad that looks to be a contender this season.

Anyway, the Baltimore Orioles. Like the A’s they’re a team on the younger side of things led by Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman. And this past offseason they added slugging first baseman Pete Alonso and outfielder Taylor Ward to go with top prospects Samuel Basallo, Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser and Coby Mayo. Even though they only went 75-87 last year, there were raised expectations this year for this group of high-end talent.

Things have improved a bit for Baltimore here in 2026 but not by a whole lot as of yet. They’ve been bitten by the injury bug multiple times already this year, missing Holliday and Westburg for the entire season to date as well as seeing first baseman Ryan Mountcastle hit the IL after just eight games. Thanks to those injuries, a lineup that has some serious talent is around the middle of the pack in most offensive categories. On the bright side for them they’ve managed to tread water and at 17-21 are only a game out of a Wild Card spot. Once they get Holliday and Westburg back, they could become a bit more dangerous than their record suggests.

On the pitching side of things for Baltimore, the team yet again has problems with their starting rotation. Their top-four starters all have below-average ERA’s as guys like Shane Baz (4.99 ERA), Kyle Bradish (5.03 ERA), Trevor Rogers (4.75 ERA and currently on the IL) and old friend Chris Bassitt (5.91 ERA) have all struggled in the early going. The A’s will be seeing the three B’s this weekend in Bradish, Baz and then Bassitt. The A’s offense needs to feast against these struggling arms, though the Baltimore bullpen hasn’t been much better and is also without closer Ryan Helsley against the A’s.

As for the A’s, they’ll be sending Jacob Lopez to the mound tonight, followed by veterans Aaron Civale and Luis Severino on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. This could be Lopez’s last chance to show he deserves to stick in the rotation as he’s coming off a six-run outing and has struggled all year. Civale and Severino, meanwhile, are both on a roll coming into the weekend, and Severino especially will enjoy getting a start on the road away from Sacramento.

The Green & Gold remain in first place as we begin the weekend, and though they’re seeing a Baltimore squad that is reeling, they can still be dangerous. They lost yesterday but won their series against the Marlins. Think the A’s can tame the Orioles and get a series win this weekend?

Have a great weekend everyone!

A’s Coverage:

• A’s demolish Phillies behind big bats and Ginn’s arm, 12-1!
• Kurtz had pets named after Phillies stars
• May Roster Shuffle Could Help The A’s — But They’d Have To Want It
• A’s roster moves: Langeliers reinstated, Wynns DFA’d
• Cubs Acquire Tyler Ferguson
• Phillies Claim Grant Holman
• A’s Blow Late Lead, Fall To Phillies 6-3
• A’s drop one to Phillies 9-1
• A’s trade for Jonah Heim to fortify catching depth
• Langeliers HRs twice on wife’s b-day, then welcomes 1st child; taking time off
• Civale and Soderstrom lead Athletics to a Sunday Victory
• He once struck out Giancarlo Stanton. Now he engineers cars for Ford
• A Walk In The Park Is Nice…To A Point
• Three Things To Watch For The Athletics In May
• A Moment To Appreciate The Awesomeness That Is Carlos Cortes
• Kurtz ‘starting to get back to himself’ — and that’s a scary prospect
• What the Athletics’ Hot Start Means for Their 2026 Trade Deadline Strategy
• When he Reached the New World, Cortes Burned Opposing Pitchers

MLB News and Interest:

• Astros’ Carlos Correa to undergo season-ending ankle surgery
• Yankees promote top prospect Spencer Jones from Triple-A
• Carlos Estévez Diagnosed With Rotator Cuff Strain
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Dylan Cease is among the league leaders in strikeouts this season, and my Angels vs. Blue Jays predictions are expecting him to rack up more punch outs in a plus-matchup against strikeout-prone Los Angeles.

Read on for my free MLB picks for Friday, May 8. 

Angels vs Blue Jays predictions

Angels vs Blue Jays best bet: Dylan Cease Over 7.5 strikeouts (-130)

It’s a high total at 7.5, but this is a plus-matchup for Toronto Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease, who faces off against the most strikeout-prone lineup in baseball. 

Cease K’d 12 Los Angeles Angels batters in just five innings in their April 20 meeting, and owns a 42% career strikeout rate against this current lineup. 

He has nasty stuff with the second highest K/9 this season, while ranking in the 98th percentile in whiff rate. 

L.A. carries a 25.5% strikeout rate and a 27.6% whiff rate. Those numbers grow to a 38% K-rating with a 42% whiff rate against the slider, which is Cease’s put-away pitch with 47% whiff rate against.

COVERS INTEL: Cease has 13.15 K/9, averaging eight strikeouts per game this season.

Angels vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Kazuma Okamoto has recorded a hit in six straight games, going Over his posted base total in five of those contests. 

He also owns a .290 against lefties this season, crushing the fastball, which is LHP Reid Detmers' most utilized pitch.

Myles Straw has been extremely consistent this year, hitting .310 on the season and grabbing hits in each of his last four starts. He also owns a .333 average in 12 at-bats against Detmers in his career. 

Angels vs Blue Jays SGP

• Dylan Cease Over 7.5 strikeouts
• Kazuma Okamoto Over 1.5 total bases
• Myles Straw Over 0.5 hits

Angels vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+450)

I’m only betting a half unit on this one. 

Detmers has only allowed three home runs this season, and doesn’t allow much hard contact. However, Okamoto has shown a lot of pop in his bat lately, homering in four of his last six games with a 1.506 OPS.

Okamoto has six home runs against the fastball, which is Detmers’ most utilized pitch. 

Angels vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Los Angeles +136 | Toronto -162
• Run line: Los Angeles +1.5 | Toronto -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

Angels vs Blue Jays trend

The Blue Jays have covered the run line in four of their last five games at home (+4.20 Units / 69% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Blue Jays.

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