Worldwide Sports News

The Mariners are on a run of playing the AL West, facing Anaheim, Texas, and Houston in a row over the next two weeks. They got off to a bad start against what should be the soft part of that schedule, dropping the weekend series to the Angels as the bats continue to scuffle; they’ll now face an uphill task in Texas, facing the three-headed monster of Texas’s rotation: Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and the Rangers’ newest and shiniest acquisition, Mackenzie Gore.

The Mariners aren’t off to the start they’d like, but the Rangers aren’t exactly in clover either, fresh off a sweep by the Reds after a hot 4-1 start. Unlike the Mariners, where the pitching has been top-5 in baseball and the offense bottom-third, there’s no real culprit to point to with Texas, although the bullpen continues to be a liability, especially as their starters have had trouble getting deeper into games.

The Rangers brought in Brandon Nimmo this off-season and so far he’s proved a valuable pickup, providing thump and on-base for the Rangers out of the leadoff spot. Wyatt Langford, hitting out of the two-hole, has been slower to get it going, but you know that, like with some of the Mariners’ own struggling stars, it’s just a matter of time. Corey Seager, batting third, has continued to be Corey Seager, and Jake Burger, with two homers on the year already (aka the same number Cole Young has), bats cleanup. The Nimmo-Langford-Seager-Burger set gives the Rangers, who are pretty evenly balanced handedness-wise (Must Be Nice), a nice L-R-L-R punch at the top of the lineup. 

Beyond that things get a little murky: Evan Carter is off to a strong start, but buried in the bottom of the lineup for some reason. The two Joshes (Jung and Smith) and Ezequiel Duran are in a time-share among the non-Seager infield positions. Joc Pederson continues to exist to make Rangers fans Mad Online. So far, this is looking similar to Rangers teams of the past, but Nimmo at the top of the lineup is an x-factor, much like Donovan is for the Mariners. Hopefully the Mariners will be getting their x-factor back for this series.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

Last year, Jacob deGrom made 30 starts for the first time since 2019 and crossed the 150 IP threshold for just the fifth time in his career. That health was the result of a conscious effort to pitch with a little less intensity. His fastball velocity was down about a tick from where it was at his peak, though it still averaged 97.5 mph. From a results standpoint, he ran his lowest strikeout rate since 2016 and the highest FIP of his career. Even in his diminished form, he was still one of the better pitchers in baseball, and as they say, the best ability is availability.

Nathan Eovaldi has also been forced to figure out how to do more with less (fastball velocity). Last year, he dropped the usage of his four-seam fastball by nearly 15 points, added a sinker to his repertoire, and increased the usage of his cutter and curveball. The result was a pitch mix that was a lot less predictable and a lot less dependent on his deteriorating velocity. Unfortunately, elbow and shoulder injuries derailed the success he was seeing with his new approach, and he spent most of the second half of the season on the shelf.

MacKenzie Gore was the Rangers’ big offseason acquisition in January. After being included in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade (the first one from Washington to San Diego), Gore has established himself as a solid frontline starter over the last few years. His secondary weapons are all fantastic — he’s the only pitcher in baseball to feature four pitches with whiff rates north of 35% — but he’s often let down by an inconsistent fastball. When he’s locating his heater well, it can give opposing batters fits. But too often — and particularly during the second half of the season when he’s worn down significantly — his locations will leak into the middle of the zone and batters will punish the pitch.

The Big Picture:

Do yourself a favor and do not look at this table. I haven’t and I’m writing the article. There’s really no benefit in it for you. Instead I invite you to look at some of my favorite works of art, one for every team in the AL West: 

• Joseph Cornell’s Setting for a Fairy Tale
• Emily Carr’s Untitled (Seascape)
• Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne
• Piet Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie
• Jean-Honore Fragonard The Swing

The Mariners are on a run of playing the AL West, facing Anaheim, Texas, and Houston in a row over the next two weeks. They got off to a bad start against what should be the soft part of that schedule, dropping the weekend series to the Angels as the bats continue to scuffle; they’ll now face an uphill task in Texas, facing the three-headed monster of Texas’s rotation: Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and the Rangers’ newest and shiniest acquisition, Mackenzie Gore.

The Mariners aren’t off to the start they’d like, but the Rangers aren’t exactly in clover either, fresh off a sweep by the Reds after a hot 4-1 start. Unlike the Mariners, where the pitching has been top-5 in baseball and the offense bottom-third, there’s no real culprit to point to with Texas, although the bullpen continues to be a liability, especially as their starters have had trouble getting deeper into games.

The Rangers brought in Brandon Nimmo this off-season and so far he’s proved a valuable pickup, providing thump and on-base for the Rangers out of the leadoff spot. Wyatt Langford, hitting out of the two-hole, has been slower to get it going, but you know that, like with some of the Mariners’ own struggling stars, it’s just a matter of time. Corey Seager, batting third, has continued to be Corey Seager, and Jake Burger, with two homers on the year already (aka the same number Cole Young has), bats cleanup. The Nimmo-Langford-Seager-Burger set gives the Rangers, who are pretty evenly balanced handedness-wise (Must Be Nice), a nice L-R-L-R punch at the top of the lineup. 

Beyond that things get a little murky: Evan Carter is off to a strong start, but buried in the bottom of the lineup for some reason. The two Joshes (Jung and Smith) and Ezequiel Duran are in a time-share among the non-Seager infield positions. Joc Pederson continues to exist to make Rangers fans Mad Online. So far, this is looking similar to Rangers teams of the past, but Nimmo at the top of the lineup is an x-factor, much like Donovan is for the Mariners. Hopefully the Mariners will be getting their x-factor back for this series.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

Last year, Jacob deGrom made 30 starts for the first time since 2019 and crossed the 150 IP threshold for just the fifth time in his career. That health was the result of a conscious effort to pitch with a little less intensity. His fastball velocity was down about a tick from where it was at his peak, though it still averaged 97.5 mph. From a results standpoint, he ran his lowest strikeout rate since 2016 and the highest FIP of his career. Even in his diminished form, he was still one of the better pitchers in baseball, and as they say, the best ability is availability.

Nathan Eovaldi has also been forced to figure out how to do more with less (fastball velocity). Last year, he dropped the usage of his four-seam fastball by nearly 15 points, added a sinker to his repertoire, and increased the usage of his cutter and curveball. The result was a pitch mix that was a lot less predictable and a lot less dependent on his deteriorating velocity. Unfortunately, elbow and shoulder injuries derailed the success he was seeing with his new approach, and he spent most of the second half of the season on the shelf.

MacKenzie Gore was the Rangers’ big offseason acquisition in January. After being included in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade (the first one from Washington to San Diego), Gore has established himself as a solid frontline starter over the last few years. His secondary weapons are all fantastic — he’s the only pitcher in baseball to feature four pitches with whiff rates north of 35% — but he’s often let down by an inconsistent fastball. When he’s locating his heater well, it can give opposing batters fits. But too often — and particularly during the second half of the season when he’s worn down significantly — his locations will leak into the middle of the zone and batters will punish the pitch.

The Big Picture:

Do yourself a favor and do not look at this table. I haven’t and I’m writing the article. There’s really no benefit in it for you. Instead I invite you to look at some of my favorite works of art, one for every team in the AL West: 

• Joseph Cornell’s Setting for a Fairy Tale
• Emily Carr’s Untitled (Seascape)
• Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne
• Piet Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie
• Jean-Honore Fragonard The Swing

The first week of the year featuring action from all four minor league affiliates of the Cincinnati Reds is in the books, and Farmers Only is here to highlight the best of said action.

We’ll start with the AA Chattanooga Lookouts, seeing as that squad won each of their first three games of the season and sits undefeated at the time of writing this. And helping lead that charge so far is none other than Austin “Fox in the” Hendrick, the 1st round pick of the Reds back in 2020 about whom we’ve almost completely forgotten.

He’s always flashed elite power potential, but the lack of consistent contact and strike zone awareness has dogged him since being selected out of high school in the Pittsburgh area. He’s still somehow just 24 years old, however, and he’s begun the year 6 for 12 with a homer and 5 runs driven in for the Lookouts. Maybe, just maybe, he’s figuring things out a little bit (and we’ll ignore the 4/0 K/BB so far for the time being).

Leo “Shuffle” Balcazar has also been red hot for Chattanooga out of the gates after being added to the team’s 40-man roster this winter. He went 5 for 11 with a homer, a double, and a walk to begin the season.

Chattanooga begins a big six-game road trip in Birmingham on Tuesday.

Alfredo Duno is off to a hot start over in Dayton as the High-A Dragons split their first two games of the year only to have Sunday’s contest rained out. Duno has begun the season 2 for 7 with a pair of doubles and as many walks (2) as Ks (2) so far, while the perennially overlooked Carlos Sanchez has begun the year 3 for 8 with a double, walk, and stolen base.

Dayton opens a big six-game homestand against Lake County on Tuesday evening.

Down in the land of humid air and pitching paradises, Tyson “Super F.” Lewis and the Daytona Tortugas of the Class-a Florida State League dropped two of three against Jupiter to begin the season – and that includes an ugly 14-1 whoopin’ on Saturday. Lewis, though, does have an early homer under his belt after starting 3 for 12, but he’s already struck out an alarming 7 times so far. That’s tied for the most of any player in the FSL so far.

Daytona hits the road to take on Lakeland for the rest of the week with the series opening on Tuesday evening.

Over in Louisville, the 4-5 Bats are chugging along with a mix of potent offense and pitchers who can’t get an out. Each of Chase Petty and Julian “Calendar” Aguiar – two arms with big league experience who are being counted on as depth at the moment – have been shelled, the two combining for 15.1 IP and 16 ER so far. Relievers Zach “Big Sugar” Maxwell and Luis “Gonna Be” Mey have both also been rocked, while Kyle Nicolas has only allowed one run in 3.0 IP.

Offensively, though, this team is a juggernaut. We detailed how Rece Hinds was destroying baseballs already this year, and he paces the International League with 14 ribbies at the moment (with his 4 homers second most). JJ “Slovenia” Bleday has but a lone homer, but he has 4 doubles and an even 7/7 K/BB to date, while Hector “5 Weight” Rodriguez is showing the kind of plate discipline he’s long been dinged for not having by also posting 7 walks so far (along with a pair of homers and a .934 OPS).

Edwin “I’ll Be” Arroyo, meanwhile, has a bit of a power stroke back. He’s already homered, tripled, and doubled while swiping 3 bags to lead the club (and owns a .350 OBP). Keep an eye on him – he’s going to be back back as a prospect this year.

The Bats take their talents to Indianapolis and begin their six-game road series on Tuesday evening.

The first week of the year featuring action from all four minor league affiliates of the Cincinnati Reds is in the books, and Farmers Only is here to highlight the best of said action.

We’ll start with the AA Chattanooga Lookouts, seeing as that squad won each of their first three games of the season and sits undefeated at the time of writing this. And helping lead that charge so far is none other than Austin “Fox in the” Hendrick, the 1st round pick of the Reds back in 2020 about whom we’ve almost completely forgotten.

He’s always flashed elite power potential, but the lack of consistent contact and strike zone awareness has dogged him since being selected out of high school in the Pittsburgh area. He’s still somehow just 24 years old, however, and he’s begun the year 6 for 12 with a homer and 5 runs driven in for the Lookouts. Maybe, just maybe, he’s figuring things out a little bit (and we’ll ignore the 4/0 K/BB so far for the time being).

Leo “Shuffle” Balcazar has also been red hot for Chattanooga out of the gates after being added to the team’s 40-man roster this winter. He went 5 for 11 with a homer, a double, and a walk to begin the season.

Chattanooga begins a big six-game road trip in Birmingham on Tuesday.

Alfredo Duno is off to a hot start over in Dayton as the High-A Dragons split their first two games of the year only to have Sunday’s contest rained out. Duno has begun the season 2 for 7 with a pair of doubles and as many walks (2) as Ks (2) so far, while the perennially overlooked Carlos Sanchez has begun the year 3 for 8 with a double, walk, and stolen base.

Dayton opens a big six-game homestand against Lake County on Tuesday evening.

Down in the land of humid air and pitching paradises, Tyson “Super F.” Lewis and the Daytona Tortugas of the Class-a Florida State League dropped two of three against Jupiter to begin the season – and that includes an ugly 14-1 whoopin’ on Saturday. Lewis, though, does have an early homer under his belt after starting 3 for 12, but he’s already struck out an alarming 7 times so far. That’s tied for the most of any player in the FSL so far.

Daytona hits the road to take on Lakeland for the rest of the week with the series opening on Tuesday evening.

Over in Louisville, the 4-5 Bats are chugging along with a mix of potent offense and pitchers who can’t get an out. Each of Chase Petty and Julian “Calendar” Aguiar – two arms with big league experience who are being counted on as depth at the moment – have been shelled, the two combining for 15.1 IP and 16 ER so far. Relievers Zach “Big Sugar” Maxwell and Luis “Gonna Be” Mey have both also been rocked, while Kyle Nicolas has only allowed one run in 3.0 IP.

Offensively, though, this team is a juggernaut. We detailed how Rece Hinds was destroying baseballs already this year, and he paces the International League with 14 ribbies at the moment (with his 4 homers second most). JJ “Slovenia” Bleday has but a lone homer, but he has 4 doubles and an even 7/7 K/BB to date, while Hector “5 Weight” Rodriguez is showing the kind of plate discipline he’s long been dinged for not having by also posting 7 walks so far (along with a pair of homers and a .934 OPS).

Edwin “I’ll Be” Arroyo, meanwhile, has a bit of a power stroke back. He’s already homered, tripled, and doubled while swiping 3 bags to lead the club (and owns a .350 OBP). Keep an eye on him – he’s going to be back back as a prospect this year.

The Bats take their talents to Indianapolis and begin their six-game road series on Tuesday evening.

Tonight, Jose Ramirez will become the player who has played in the most baseball games in history while wearing a Cleveland uniform.

Jose Ramirez was born in Bani, Dominican Republic. Is it possible for him to be the most Cleveland of all baseball players? The players he surpasses at the top of this list – Terry Turner and Nap Lajoie – were from Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, respectively. The greatest players in Cleveland baseball history were all not born in Ohio, let alone Cleveland. So, Jose has as much claim to be the epitome of the essence of the city as anyone does, if being from Cleveland was a preferred qualifier.

Let’s examine his credentials:

-Despite being an atypical body type and height, Jose is on a Hall of Fame trajectory as a player. Cleveland is often overlooked as a city and glories in its underdog status. Jose embodies the underdog mindset better than any player ever has.

-Jose gives 100% every time he is on the field. In Cleveland, the weather is pretty nasty six months out of the year. Cloud cover is more common than not. The region isn’t home to some billionaire-minting Silicon Valley-type of industry. If you want to make it here, you work hard and refuse to give up.

-To stay in Cleveland, you really have to love the city unreasonably. You have to display an unhinged loyalty to the shores of Lake Erie and our version of Midwest nice/blue collar grit/down home kindness. Jose has openly proclaimed his appreciation for Cleveland fans and displays our ideals every time he takes the field.

There would be no question that Jose is the greatest Cleveland baseball player of all time if Jose had found a way to be part of a team that won a title. But, the title drought of which he has been a part somehow makes Jose even MORE Cleveland. Our joys are always mixed with grief, our happiness with sorrow, our accomplishments always with a sense that we could be more.

For about 10 years now, Jose Ramirez has been a part of my daily life. My children know him by sight and everyone who knows me knows he is my favorite baseball player of all time. He’s a national and local treasure who adds joy and hope to each day of my life, even if he is in a bit of an early season slump right now. I know if he’s chasing too much, he will stop. If he’s just under the ball, he will adjust. My confidence allows me to watch him in anticipation of him breaking out of it instead of dreading that he has entered some kind of steep decline. He has never let us down and I believe he never will.

Tonight, Jose becomes the most Cleveland player of all time, officially. But, he has embodied our city for a while now. And, most importantly, he has three times chosen to stay here and left no doubt that he loves this city, this team, this fanbase and playing ball in the same cold Northeast Ohio air that my children will be entering to play coach pitch. The day José’s extension was announced in 2022 was the greatest day of my sports fandom.

I love him so much. Congratulations, Jose!

Tonight, Jose Ramirez will become the player who has played in the most baseball games in history while wearing a Cleveland uniform.

Jose Ramirez was born in Bani, Dominican Republic. Is it possible for him to be the most Cleveland of all baseball players? The players he surpasses at the top of this list – Terry Turner and Nap Lajoie – were from Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, respectively. The greatest players in Cleveland baseball history were all not born in Ohio, let alone Cleveland. So, Jose has as much claim to be the epitome of the essence of the city as anyone does, if being from Cleveland was a preferred qualifier.

Let’s examine his credentials:

-Despite being an atypical body type and height, Jose is on a Hall of Fame trajectory as a player. Cleveland is often overlooked as a city and glories in its underdog status. Jose embodies the underdog mindset better than any player ever has.

-Jose gives 100% every time he is on the field. In Cleveland, the weather is pretty nasty six months out of the year. Cloud cover is more common than not. The region isn’t home to some billionaire-minting Silicon Valley-type of industry. If you want to make it here, you work hard and refuse to give up.

-To stay in Cleveland, you really have to love the city unreasonably. You have to display an unhinged loyalty to the shores of Lake Erie and our version of Midwest nice/blue collar grit/down home kindness. Jose has openly proclaimed his appreciation for Cleveland fans and displays our ideals every time he takes the field.

There would be no question that Jose is the greatest Cleveland baseball player of all time if Jose had found a way to be part of a team that won a title. But, the title drought of which he has been a part somehow makes Jose even MORE Cleveland. Our joys are always mixed with grief, our happiness with sorrow, our accomplishments always with a sense that we could be more.

For about 10 years now, Jose Ramirez has been a part of my daily life. My children know him by sight and everyone who knows me knows he is my favorite baseball player of all time. He’s a national and local treasure who adds joy and hope to each day of my life, even if he is in a bit of an early season slump right now. I know if he’s chasing too much, he will stop. If he’s just under the ball, he will adjust. My confidence allows me to watch him in anticipation of him breaking out of it instead of dreading that he has entered some kind of steep decline. He has never let us down and I believe he never will.

Tonight, Jose becomes the most Cleveland player of all time, officially. But, he has embodied our city for a while now. And, most importantly, he has three times chosen to stay here and left no doubt that he loves this city, this team, this fanbase and playing ball in the same cold Northeast Ohio air that my children will be entering to play coach pitch. The day José’s extension was announced in 2022 was the greatest day of my sports fandom.

I love him so much. Congratulations, Jose!

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

With a lefty on the hill for the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight, I’m backing Toronto Blue Jays southpaw-killer Ernie Clement to generate some offense.

Find out why with my Dodgers vs. Blue Jays predictions and free MLB picks for Monday, April 6.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays predictions

Dodgers vs Blue Jays best bet: Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases (+135)

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clementcrushed southpaws last season with a .900 OPS, and with Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Justin Wrobleski on the mound today, I’m expecting him to continue that trend.

Clement has also been one of the only Blue Jays this season to hit consistently. 

He has at least one hit in seven of the nine games he’s played, going over today’s 1.5 base total five times in that stretch, and is paying +135 to eclipse that total again. 

Considering he’s averaging 2.4 total bases in his last 10 meetings against the Dodgers, I like that price a lot.

COVERS INTEL: Clement has a career 1.038 OPS against the Dodgers’ pitching staff.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. raked against the Dodgers in the World Series, posting 1.074 OPS with an average of 2.57 total bases per game, going 5-0 to the Over on this prop. 

For my final leg, I’ll bet on Max Scherzer to go deep into the ball game and go Over 15.5 outs. He cruised past this number in his first start against the Rockies, and the team could use a long outing from the veteran after taxing the bullpen this weekend.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays SGP

• Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
• Max Scherzer Over 15.5 outs

Dodgers vs Blue Jays home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+500)

Wrobleski gives up a lot of hard contact, ranking in the fifth percentile in hard-hit rate, and he had the highest average exit velocity in the majors last season. 

Enter Guerrero.

Vladdy hits the ball as hard as anyone, and with the first home run out of the way this weekend, I’m expecting a little more pop from the Jays slugger moving forward.

Additionally, Guerrero has homered five times in 59 at-bats against this Dodgers pitching staff with a 1.169 career OPS.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Los Angeles -140 | Toronto +120
• Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+120) | Toronto +1.5 (-140)
• Over/Under: Over 9 (+100) | Under 9 (-120)

Dodgers vs Blue Jays trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have covered the 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line in 16 of their last 21 games (+11.05 Units / 46% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Dodgers vs Blue Jays and game info

Dodgers vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Dodgers vs Blue Jays weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

With a lefty on the hill for the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight, I’m backing Toronto Blue Jays southpaw-killer Ernie Clement to generate some offense.

Find out why with my Dodgers vs. Blue Jays predictions and free MLB picks for Monday, April 6.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays predictions

Dodgers vs Blue Jays best bet: Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases (+135)

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clementcrushed southpaws last season with a .900 OPS, and with Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Justin Wrobleski on the mound today, I’m expecting him to continue that trend.

Clement has also been one of the only Blue Jays this season to hit consistently. 

He has at least one hit in seven of the nine games he’s played, going over today’s 1.5 base total five times in that stretch, and is paying +135 to eclipse that total again. 

Considering he’s averaging 2.4 total bases in his last 10 meetings against the Dodgers, I like that price a lot.

COVERS INTEL: Clement has a career 1.038 OPS against the Dodgers’ pitching staff.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. raked against the Dodgers in the World Series, posting 1.074 OPS with an average of 2.57 total bases per game, going 5-0 to the Over on this prop. 

For my final leg, I’ll bet on Max Scherzer to go deep into the ball game and go Over 15.5 outs. He cruised past this number in his first start against the Rockies, and the team could use a long outing from the veteran after taxing the bullpen this weekend.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays SGP

• Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
• Max Scherzer Over 15.5 outs

Dodgers vs Blue Jays home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+500)

Wrobleski gives up a lot of hard contact, ranking in the fifth percentile in hard-hit rate, and he had the highest average exit velocity in the majors last season. 

Enter Guerrero.

Vladdy hits the ball as hard as anyone, and with the first home run out of the way this weekend, I’m expecting a little more pop from the Jays slugger moving forward.

Additionally, Guerrero has homered five times in 59 at-bats against this Dodgers pitching staff with a 1.169 career OPS.

Dodgers vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Los Angeles -140 | Toronto +120
• Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+120) | Toronto +1.5 (-140)
• Over/Under: Over 9 (+100) | Under 9 (-120)

Dodgers vs Blue Jays trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have covered the 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line in 16 of their last 21 games (+11.05 Units / 46% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Dodgers vs Blue Jays and game info

Dodgers vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Dodgers vs Blue Jays weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

It seems like only yesterday when the Dodgers won the World Series by winning the final two games on the road at Rogers Centre in Toronto, including coming back from down two runs in the eighth inning in Game 7, setting of a string of improbable highlights that beat the Blue Jays and brought a second straight championship to Los Angeles.

In actuality, it was 156 days ago that the Dodgers mobbed World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound at Rogers Centre. Now the Dodgers are back in Toronto for a series between two clubs well-equipped to potentially meet again in October.

Interleague play began in 1997, and in the early years it was mostly limited to playing only one interleague division each season. So it hasn’t always been possible for the two World Series to meet again during the next regular season.

This is the 18th time the two World Series teams played each other in the next season, and Dodgers vs. Blue Jays is the second-earliest such matchup on the calendar.

The only World Series rematch earlier than this was in 2016, when the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Mets 4-3 on April 3. But that opening day game was at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, in front of a celebratory crowd still basking in the glow of winning the 2015 World Series.

A different reception is expected this week in Toronto, where the Dodgers won the final two games of the World Series and celebrated on that very field.

The Dodgers are used to playing in front of big crowds, and not just because they drew over four million fans to Dodger Stadium last season. They’ve also led MLB in road attendance in four of the last five seasons, including in each of the last two years.

“Being that road team, having a lot of hostile crowds,” manager Dave Roberts said last Wednesday. “Certainly, Toronto is going to be kind of crazy.”

Yamamoto won Games 2, 6, and 7 of the Fall Classic, the only player ever to win three road games in one World Series. He’s not starting on Monday, but will pitch later in the series, to see if he can keep that streak going.

Monday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Blue Jays
• Ballpark: Rogers Centre, Toronto
• Time: 4:07 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, FS1
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

It seems like only yesterday when the Dodgers won the World Series by winning the final two games on the road at Rogers Centre in Toronto, including coming back from down two runs in the eighth inning in Game 7, setting of a string of improbable highlights that beat the Blue Jays and brought a second straight championship to Los Angeles.

In actuality, it was 156 days ago that the Dodgers mobbed World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound at Rogers Centre. Now the Dodgers are back in Toronto for a series between two clubs well-equipped to potentially meet again in October.

Interleague play began in 1997, and in the early years it was mostly limited to playing only one interleague division each season. So it hasn’t always been possible for the two World Series to meet again during the next regular season.

This is the 18th time the two World Series teams played each other in the next season, and Dodgers vs. Blue Jays is the second-earliest such matchup on the calendar.

The only World Series rematch earlier than this was in 2016, when the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Mets 4-3 on April 3. But that opening day game was at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, in front of a celebratory crowd still basking in the glow of winning the 2015 World Series.

A different reception is expected this week in Toronto, where the Dodgers won the final two games of the World Series and celebrated on that very field.

The Dodgers are used to playing in front of big crowds, and not just because they drew over four million fans to Dodger Stadium last season. They’ve also led MLB in road attendance in four of the last five seasons, including in each of the last two years.

“Being that road team, having a lot of hostile crowds,” manager Dave Roberts said last Wednesday. “Certainly, Toronto is going to be kind of crazy.”

Yamamoto won Games 2, 6, and 7 of the Fall Classic, the only player ever to win three road games in one World Series. He’s not starting on Monday, but will pitch later in the series, to see if he can keep that streak going.

Monday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Blue Jays
• Ballpark: Rogers Centre, Toronto
• Time: 4:07 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, FS1
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The weather has cooled down across the board, so finding +EV dingers isn't as easy, but fading the worst starter on the slate and betting on indoor four-baggers is the best recipe for success today when looking at the MLB player props board.

German Marquez might not see the fourth inning, and Oneil Cruz has a good chance to hit his fifth long ball of the campaign. Meanwhile, we're looking at a pair of options from the Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series rematch, with Toronto outfielder George Springer in a fantastic spot to get his team's offense moving. 

These are my favorite home run props and MLB picks for Monday, April 6. 

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Oneil Cruz	+380
Andy Pages	+520
George Springer	+500
💲Today's HR parlay	+16107

Oneil Cruz (+380)

I’m willing to dip below +400 to fade Germán Márquez, who projects as the weakest starter on the slate and is expected to allow the most runs by a wide margin. He lasted just nine outs in his last start, giving up eight hits and two homers, and continues to profile as an extreme fly-ball pitcher with poor Pull Air% metrics over the past couple of seasons.

While conditions are cold in most parks, PNC Park at least has 14 mph winds blowing out to center, boosting the power environment. Oneil Cruz should see plenty of opportunities hitting leadoff, with a strong chance at five plate appearances. He went deep for his fourth home run yesterday and is looking like his best self, batting .314/.368/.657, and three of his long balls have come off right-handers.

And if Marquez gives way to a left-handed reliever, Cruz has actually hit southpaws well (albeit in a small sample) this season, boasting a 2.091 OPS in that split.

Cruz also ranks among the league leaders in barrels per plate appearance and average exit velocity, giving him legitimate Top-10 home run upside if this form continues.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Padres.TV

Andy Pages (+540)

Rogers Centre is one of the better power environments on today’s slate, ranking among the top HR parks by THE BAT. With the Los Angeles Dodgers in town — a lineup leading MLB in home runs per game (1.78) — this is a strong spot to target the HR market.

Max Scherzer is still generating plenty of fly balls, and the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen has been heavily taxed, ranking near the top of the league in innings pitched. The Dodgers also bring familiarity against both Scherzer and this bullpen.

Andy Pages stands out as a value option, likely hitting seventh and entered Sunday on a five-game multi-hit streak. He’s slugging .794 and just went 7-for-13 with 14 total bases and two home runs in a series in Washington.

While bigger names will draw attention, the price is the difference. Rather than laying a short number on Shohei Ohtani, Pages at +450 or better is the preferred play in this matchup.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet LA, Sportsnet

George Springer (+500)

With 50-degree temperatures across the league, staying indoors at Rogers Centre is a smart way to target power. George Springer leading off at +500 stands out, with a fair price closer to +430 and a strong chance at five plate appearances.

This is the most favorable matchup of the series for the Blue Jays, as they face lefty Justin Wrobleski. He’s a regression candidate after overperforming out of the bullpen last year and allowed three runs over four innings in his season debut. With this being a series opener, he could be stretched further, potentially giving Toronto more opportunities early.

Springer’s profile supports the play — he owns one of the top fly-ball rates on the team, and while a .174 BABIP suggests some bad luck, he’s still accounted for 20% of the team’s home runs. Back at home in a controlled hitting environment, this is a strong bounce-back spot at a great number.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet LA, Sportsnet

Today’s HR parlay

Oneil Cruz	Bet Now +16107
Andy Pages
George Springer

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The weather has cooled down across the board, so finding +EV dingers isn't as easy, but fading the worst starter on the slate and betting on indoor four-baggers is the best recipe for success today when looking at the MLB player props board.

German Marquez might not see the fourth inning, and Oneil Cruz has a good chance to hit his fifth long ball of the campaign. Meanwhile, we're looking at a pair of options from the Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series rematch, with Toronto outfielder George Springer in a fantastic spot to get his team's offense moving. 

These are my favorite home run props and MLB picks for Monday, April 6. 

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Oneil Cruz	+380
Andy Pages	+520
George Springer	+500
💲Today's HR parlay	+16107

Oneil Cruz (+380)

I’m willing to dip below +400 to fade Germán Márquez, who projects as the weakest starter on the slate and is expected to allow the most runs by a wide margin. He lasted just nine outs in his last start, giving up eight hits and two homers, and continues to profile as an extreme fly-ball pitcher with poor Pull Air% metrics over the past couple of seasons.

While conditions are cold in most parks, PNC Park at least has 14 mph winds blowing out to center, boosting the power environment. Oneil Cruz should see plenty of opportunities hitting leadoff, with a strong chance at five plate appearances. He went deep for his fourth home run yesterday and is looking like his best self, batting .314/.368/.657, and three of his long balls have come off right-handers.

And if Marquez gives way to a left-handed reliever, Cruz has actually hit southpaws well (albeit in a small sample) this season, boasting a 2.091 OPS in that split.

Cruz also ranks among the league leaders in barrels per plate appearance and average exit velocity, giving him legitimate Top-10 home run upside if this form continues.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Padres.TV

Andy Pages (+540)

Rogers Centre is one of the better power environments on today’s slate, ranking among the top HR parks by THE BAT. With the Los Angeles Dodgers in town — a lineup leading MLB in home runs per game (1.78) — this is a strong spot to target the HR market.

Max Scherzer is still generating plenty of fly balls, and the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen has been heavily taxed, ranking near the top of the league in innings pitched. The Dodgers also bring familiarity against both Scherzer and this bullpen.

Andy Pages stands out as a value option, likely hitting seventh and entered Sunday on a five-game multi-hit streak. He’s slugging .794 and just went 7-for-13 with 14 total bases and two home runs in a series in Washington.

While bigger names will draw attention, the price is the difference. Rather than laying a short number on Shohei Ohtani, Pages at +450 or better is the preferred play in this matchup.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet LA, Sportsnet

George Springer (+500)

With 50-degree temperatures across the league, staying indoors at Rogers Centre is a smart way to target power. George Springer leading off at +500 stands out, with a fair price closer to +430 and a strong chance at five plate appearances.

This is the most favorable matchup of the series for the Blue Jays, as they face lefty Justin Wrobleski. He’s a regression candidate after overperforming out of the bullpen last year and allowed three runs over four innings in his season debut. With this being a series opener, he could be stretched further, potentially giving Toronto more opportunities early.

Springer’s profile supports the play — he owns one of the top fly-ball rates on the team, and while a .174 BABIP suggests some bad luck, he’s still accounted for 20% of the team’s home runs. Back at home in a controlled hitting environment, this is a strong bounce-back spot at a great number.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet LA, Sportsnet

Today’s HR parlay

Oneil Cruz	Bet Now +16107
Andy Pages
George Springer

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

In 2026, I am determined to pay more attention. The White Sox are a team full of exciting young guys who should be coming into their own. A club that signed a noteworthy slugger from Japan in the offseason. A team where Will Venable finally has the coaching staff he wants. By all means, this should be a year of improvement and more wins.

Which is why when the season began in Milwaukee, instead of being excited after three games, there was a collective sigh and feeling of, “here we go again.” This is where I remind myself and everyone reading this that there are indeed 162 games, and September is far away. Thankfully, the home opener was also a reminder of this.

You don’t have time to watch every game, nor do you want to remember every one. However, you want to be able to carry on a friendly conversation and sound like you know what you’re talking about. This is something I can provide to you with a simple recap of the week.

We are officially nine games into the season. The White Sox have to rank somewhere between one and 30 in hitting and pitching stats. I can promise you, they are not last for all of them.

HITTING

Home Runs
As my dad used to say growing up, I will give you three guesses and the first two don’t count. If you said the Los Angeles Dodgers had the most homers so far this season, you would be correct. They lead baseball with a whopping 16 long balls. The White Sox have a respectable 10, and are tied with four other teams for eighth. If you are a fan of math, this is an average of 1.11 round-trippers per game. This puts the South Siders on pace for 180 dingers this season. When you consider the New York Yankees hit 274 in 2025, this seems like chump change. However, that is 15 more than the White Sox hit last year. Improvement already! 

Strikeouts
The philosophy is very simple: Hits are good, strikeouts are bad. You know this, and the White Sox know this, yet they have already racked up 97 strikeouts in 292 at-bats, nearly 11 per game. That’s probably a category you don’t want to be at the top of, but one where the Pale Hose find themselves ranked fifth.

These stats are a double-edged sword because, often, where there are home runs, there are also quite a few Ks. No one knows this better than the South Side’s newest power hitter, Munetaka Murakami, leading both categories for the team with four home runs and 13 strikeouts. As if knowing eyes would be on him for the high number of strikeouts, he is attempting to balance this with walks, in which he also leads the team with six. Fun fact: This is roughly 20% of the entire team’s drawn walks (30) so far. 

PITCHING

ERA
I will preface this by saying that when the White Sox finished up in Miami on Wednesday, their team ERA was over 8.00. Turning around and winning three games in a row will help, but not enough. The pitching staff has posted a 6.19 ERA in nine contests and has firmly settled the team at 29th in baseball. This squad still has plenty of work to do there, to say the least.

All-Star representative last year Shane Smith definitely has some tweaks to make after just two starts. The Opening Day starter has served up 10 runs over 4 2/3 innings pitched. While skewed, his ERA sits at 19.50, ranking last on the team. 

On the opposite end of things, Grant Taylor and Davis Martin are looking good thus far. Taylor, who played the opener role on both Friday and Saturday in what is appearing to be a recurring role, has done exactly what was asked of him. He allowed just one run, striking out six, and walking two in his first four innings, setting his ERA at 2.25. Should he remain getting this job done, this leading stat will look great in mid-June. Martin is just behind Taylor in this category with an ERA of 2.45. This is even more impressive, given he has pitched 11 innings to Taylor’s four. Sunday’s start was the longest start for a South Sider this season, with six shutout innings against the Blue Jays.

Strikeouts and Walks
There is no good way to put this after you read the above stat. Our lovely team also ranks in the bottom third of strikeouts and issued walks. 

The Houston Astros have already punched out 109 batters. The White Sox have struck out just 69. That puts the White Sox 24th in baseball. Over in the NL East, the Atlanta Braves have issued 21 walks over 89 innings pitched. I did some math, so you didn’t have to: That is .24 walks per inning. White Sox pitchers have issued 42 walks in 77 innings. The walks per inning for them is .55. There is a big gap between first on the list and 26th.

There is a bright side to this, so please hang with me for just a moment. Starting pitching is something the White Sox have struggled with for the last few years (probably more, but who’s counting). That said, Martin and Sean Burke have each set down 12 batters over their two starts. Seeing as they have only tossed 11 and 10 innings, averaging just above one strikeout per inning would be a good trend to keep going. To Burke’s credit, he has also only surrendered one walk in two games. I again declare improvement!

While the overview of stats is all good and fun. What happened in the games this week?

• Milwaukee: 0-3
  • The Good: Three home runs in three games for Mune.
  • The Bad: Jacob Misiorowski struck out 11 batters in five innings on Opening Day. This was a new franchise record, as were the 20 total strikeouts for the White Sox, a franchise record for a nine-inning game.
  • The Ugly: A 14-2 Opening Day loss, a blown lead in the eighth inning of the series finale, 29 total runs given up. 
• Miami: 1-2
  • The Good: The first win (9-4) of the season! Miguel Vargas and Austin Hays’ home runs. 
  • The Bad: A staggering 23 runs given up in the three-game set.
  • The Ugly: Sandy Alcantara threw a 93-pitch complete game shutout in Wednesday’s loss.
• Toronto: 3-0
  • The Good: A sweep of the reigning AL East Champions. The first shutout win of the season. A mere seven runs allowed over three games. Martin threw the first quality start of the season. Heads-up baserunning by Luisangel Acuña in Saturday’s game to ensure a second run crossed home in the eighth inning.
  • The Bad: An Andrés Giménez two-run homer in Friday’s home opener after leading for seven innings. 
  • The Ugly: The Blue Jays earn this one after the White Sox walked off Toronto in the home opener. Derek Hill tied the game with a two-out bunt, which led to him scoring on a single by Tristan Peters to win the game in the 10th.