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Diamondbacks News

Merrill Kelly Makes Season Debut
Merrill Kelly brought the team a vintage Kelly performance when he took the mound to make his 2026 debut against the Orioles in Baltimore.

Bullpen Holds Off Orioles, Giving Kelly Win in Season Debut
After blowing a 7-1 lead the previous night, it was understandable that there was some tension when the Diamondbacks needed to protect a two-run lead for 11 outs, the same number of outs as they needed on that dreadful night.

Kelly’s Return Pushes Pfaadt to Bullpen
A flurry of moves was made yesterday to accommodate the return of Merrill Kelly. Perhaps the biggest was hte moving of Brandon Pfaadt to the bullpen.

Pfaadt to Bullpen and Soroka to Rotation the Right Call – For Now
There exists a litany of easons that this will continue to be a fluid situation.

Moreno to IL
Gabriel Moreno has been placed on the IL as part of five moves made by the Diamondbacks. Aramis Garcia has been called up to take Moreno’s place for now. Pavin Smith was moved to the 60-day. Merrill Kelly was activated and Taylor Rashi was optioned to AAA-Reno.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to Start Rehab Assignment
Gurriel suffered a torn ACL on 1 September of last season. The rehab assignment now puts a ticking clock on Moreno’s return to the 26-man roster.

Blaze Alexander Discusses Facing Former Club
The utility man speaks about facing some of his old comrades as the Diamondbacks try to take down his new club, the Baltimore Orioles.

Craig Albernaz has Fractured Face
A scary incident occurred on Monday night when a foul ball was rocketed into the Orioles bullpen and struck manager Craig Albernaz in the face. Albernaz returned to duty Tuesday night, despite numerous cheek fractures and a broken jaw. He’s currently unable to blow his nose for six weeks but looks to be able to avoid surgery.

Other Baseball News

Top-100 Prospects Making Promotion Noise
The fact that only three names are listed here gives some idea of just how slow some players can get started when it is still chilly out.

What Players Think About ABS
Now that we have a few weeks of ABS in the bigs, players have been asked to weigh in on what they think.

Jarren Duran Gets Obscene with Fan Who ‘Crossed Line”
Jarren Duran being classy as alawys.

Worcester: L, 4-9 (BOX SCORE)

“Struggling” out of the gate seems relative now with consecutive poor performances by Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray, but Patrick Sandoval doesn’t quite seem ready to rejoin the Major League roster in a few weeks (due to being a pitcher, he gets a month of rehab time.) He struck out just one through two innings, allowing five runs, and taking 59 pitches to do so with just 30 falling in for strikes. For the second consecutive start, he just generally looked like he couldn’t find the strike zone. Tyler Uberstine, usually a beacon of good stuff, even got knocked around by this Nashville (Brewers AAA) club, even though the staff did keep it in the park.

Offensively, you don’t stand much of a chance when the pitching walks eleven batters, or when the defense commits three errors, but the offensive support wasn’t awesome, either. Catcher Jason Delay hit an early home run, but it was downhill from there, as the WooSox left nine stranded.

Portland: W, 4-2 (BOX SCORE)

Franklin Arias, who’s been hitting to the tune of a .500+ batting average on the young season, hasn’t really showcased his power tool yet. That changed on Tuesday night in Altoona (Pirates AA) as he hit his first home run of the season. The team didn’t particularly look great offensively outside of that home run, though Nate Biaz got himself a couple knocks. But Isaac Coffey, Cooper Adams, Cade Feeney and Patrick Halligan kept it a winnable game despite with thirteen strikeouts and only two runs allowed.

Greenville: L, 0-3 (BOX SCORE)

Shea Sprague had a blip, as he allowed two Hot Rod (Rays High-A) home runs in five innings. It’s honestly funny how serviceable the page the 2024 13th round draft pick has been for Greenville so far this April: his ERA is exactly 4. On Tuesday, he gave up four hits and a walk in five innings (for a WHIP of 1) struck five out, but did have those balls leave the park. But, the truth is, Sprague could have been a lot worse… or he could have been a lot better… but it wouldn’t have mattered HOW good he was, because Greenville could not hit the Bowling Green pitching, settling for just one baserunner all night, when Yophery Rodriguez, a return from the Quinn Preiser trade now residing at the bottom of the lineup (he hit first or second for most of the season in 2025), broke up the perfect game with a double in the bottom of the sixth.

Salem: L, 5-7 (BOX SCORE)

If the offense was distributed better across the whole farm, we’d be having a different discussion. This seems obvious at its core, but this game looked close on the surface, but Salem pitching got taken for a ride a little bit, namely Adam Bates closing out the fifth for Leighton Finley and not having a particular awesome sixth. Skylar King hit his second home run in less than a week, but although his bat looks dependable, his key moments are in losing efforts. Where have I heard that before…

Have a stress-free tax day Wednesday.

Reminder: I’m on vacation all this week and will be a little briefer than usual this week. Thanks for your patience.

The Cubs can’t quite get momentum going. But they are also staying away from a prolonged skid. They’re treading water in the early going while they try to get as much of the team pointed in the right direction as possible. It’s pretty unheard of for any team to get everyone producing in any sustained way across the whole roster. You just try to keep enough guys grooved in to continually win six or seven out of 10 games. The Cubs haven’t had a stretch like that yet. I’d be stunned though if they don’t get onto that kind of run.

Right at the very second I’m typing this, more than half the league is within two games one side or the other of .500. Only eight are three or more games away from .500. Half of those eight reside in the NL West where there are two teams off to very good starts, including the two-time defending champions who own the best record in the league. The West also contains two teams off to terrible starts.

Things are so bizarre right now that the Astros entered play Tuesday with the most runs scored but occupying last place in the AL West. One of the biggest problems of April baseball is that the bad teams often don’t just accept at face value that they are locked in to being bad. Most of the teams think if they catch a few breaks, that they have a chance to hang in the race. These teams will sort themselves out. But it’s going to take some time.

Increasingly, I think the early goal is to just not play yourself out of the race. The Cubs are a whopping two games out of first place behind the Reds and Pirates. If you believe that is in any way insurmountable, you are kidding yourself. This hasn’t been a glamorous start, but the Cubs could potentially take control of the division with one good stretch of baseball.

The Cubs have scored 42 runs over their last seven games. If we drop the top and bottom scores from that data set, it’s 32 runs over five games. The offense is warming up. I’m sure that has nothing at all to do with Alex Bregman starting to find some gaps with what has been pretty consistent solid contact this year. Unsurprisingly, I think this team can still be elite. Their going to need to sort out and probably add some pitching both internally and externally. But this team has pretty consistently been able to do that in season, so I’m optimistic.

Three Positives:

• Alex Bregman, three hits and three runs driven in.
• Michael Busch, two hits and two walks. Need that bat to get going.
• Nico Hoerner, two hits and three runs driven in. He’s been the most used leadoff hitter and also leads the team in RBI.

Honorable mentions to so many guys, but hat tip to Colin Rea for a “quality start.” He was the bulk guy and allowed three runs over six innings.

Game 17, April 14: Cubs 10, Phillies 4 (8-9)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Alex Bregman (.210). 3-5, 3 RBI
• Hero: Nico Hoerner (.157). 2-6, 3 RBI
• Sidekick: Dansby Swanson (.118). 0-3, 2 BB, 2 R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Seiya Suzuki (-.180). 1-5, R
• Goat: Jacob Webb (-.049). 0.1 IP, 3 BF, 2 H, 0 BB, ER, 0 K
• Kid: Carson Kelly (-.049). 2-4, HR, BB, 3 RBI, 2 R, DP

WPA Play of the Game: Edmundo Sosa’s three-run homer with two outs in the second for the first three runs of the game. (.238)

*Cubs Play of the Game: Nico Hoerner’s two-run single with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth gave the Cubs a two run lead. (.191)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 16 Winner: Dansby Swanson received 74 of 104 votes.

Up Next: The Cubs close out the series in Philly before getting an off day. Shōta Imanaga (0-1, 2.81, 16 IP) starts for the Cubs. Jesús Luzardo (1-2, 6.23, 17.1 IP) starts for the Phillies. The Cubs have fared worse against lefty starters the last year plus. But Luzardo has already had starts where he’s allowed five and six runs in the early going. The one good start (1 ER) was at Colorado. The two bad ones were in Philly.

Win a series.

We spend all season covering the Phillies, their strengths, weaknesses, and storylines that will make up their season.

What isn’t always discussed is how other teams are doing, especially the teams around them, that can dictate how their season could play out.

The general theory for this series is that if you want to cover the 2026 Phillies properly, you have to cover what is around them as well.

The National League East is in a weird and fun state. The Braves are betting that 2025 was a fluke, the Nationals have begun a full-scale rebuild, the Marlins surprised people last year and might be ahead of schedule, and the New York Mets had as crazy an off-season as anyone can remember.

Atlanta Braves are full of surprises

The Braves are looking to prove their disastrous 2025 season was because of injuries and bad luck, not anything to worry about long-term. They carry themselves like a World Series contender but haven’t won the division the or a single playoff game in the last two seasons.

The off-season Spring training injuries also seemed like a death sentence for them. Ha-Seong Kim broke a finger tendon ice skating, Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep needed elbow surgery, Joey Wentz tore his ACL, and Spencer Strider strained his oblique. This is on top of Sean Murphy and Joe Jiménez missing the beginning of 2026 because of injuries from last season.

So if you mention all of that, then add on that the first 17 games have seen Ronald Acuña Jr. looking mostly mediocre and Austin Riley ice cold, it would make for an ugly start to the Braves season right?

Not so fast, they’re 10-7 with one of the best offenses in baseball, ranking third in wRC+, second in batting average, and second in slugging. The starting pitching has been ok outside of Bryce Elder, but the offense has slugged their way to first place early on.

Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin are leading the way as expected but they’ve gotten several role players to play key roles early on. Dominic Smith, someone who wasn’t supposed to make the team until Jurickson Profar got suspended, is hitting .353 with a 1.025 OPS.

Mauricio Dubon, acquired from the Houston Astros for Nick Allen, is hitting .339 with a .923 OPS. Jorge Mateo has generated offense when he’s gotten chances off the bench and so has Kyle Farmer.

So, as some of the stars have struggled, Acuña with a 104 OPS+ and Riley at 72, they’ve seen almost every other role player carry the weight.

While this is not going to last for them over 162 games, Dubon and Smith aren’t going to win batting titles or MVP trophies, there are still reasons to believe they can maintain the hot start at the plate.

Acuña and Riley will get going, Sean Murphy was set to begin his rehab assignment yesterday, and Ha-Seong Kim could be back in the middle of May. They should be good for reinforcements as some of the role players cool off.

While the results haven’t been there for Michael Harris II, there is a good process going on. It’s a small sample size but his barrel rate has increased by 7.2% and he is hitting the ball a lot harder. He was considered the Braves big lineup X-factor coming into the season and there are good signs for a rebound 2026.

The pitching staff is a different question mark. The leverage arms in Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez have looked good but the starting pitching staff looks depleted because of the injuries. Adding Strider back should help but Bryce Elder probably won’t hold up a 1.03 ERA the entire year.

The Marlins can hit?

Going into the season, it seemed like the Marlins profiled as a pesky offense at best with a strong pitching staff. However, baseball can get weird.

Jakob Marsee hasn’t broken out yet like Marlins fans have hoped for but there have been others. Owen Caissie looks like a strong get from the Cubs early on with a .822 OPS, Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards have looked great up the middle, and Connor Norby is off to a hot start.

The pitching staff has been weird. Sandy Alcantara looks like a front-line starter again with more than a full year removed from elbow surgery but the rest hasn’t been great. Eury Pérez is walking too many hitters, Janson Junk and Max Meyer have looked fine in the middle of their rotation and Chris Paddack is bad.

The bullpen has been weird, too. Pete Fairbanks and Anthony Bender haven’t looked great as leverage guys but John King has looked great in five scoreless innings. Again, it’s still mid-April.

Given some of the unsustainable nature of their offensive results and how the pitching staff has looked, it might look more like a fun early season story than something bigger.

Nationals Rebuild

Griff McGarry did not make the Nationals but Joey Wiemer did and he’s hitting .364 with a 1.068 OPS. Their pitching staff is a mess but James Wood looks like a star.

As the season goes on, it will be more important for the Nationals to figure out who can be flipped to help the future or who can be building blocks for the next run.

CJ Abrams looks more like a piece that gets moved at the deadline. He’s only 25 but has already spent over three seasons in the big leagues. If he can sort of keep up his 191 OPS+ start, he could look like a nice player on a better team.

It’s early and I think the Mets are going to be good… however…

Francisco Lindor needed hamate surgery and has a .541 OPS to begin the year. Bo Bichette is playing a new position and it’s probably part of why he has a .569 OPS. Polanco has been battling an Achilles injury and can only DH. He’s at a .571 OPS. Juan Soto is hurt.

The Mets offense is going through it right now. Carson Benge cannot hit velocity now, Brett Baty is cold, Marcus Semien is cold.

Here is a better way to phrase it, if you’re not Francisco Alvarez and Luis Robert Jr, you’re either hurt or not hitting.

The pitching side hasn’t been amazing either in their 7-10 start. Freddy Peralta has given up some homers, David Peterson has looked bad, and Kodai Senga had a disaster start against the Cardinals. Luke Weaver has looked bad out of the bullpen and they called up Craig Kimbrel a few days ago. It’s not looking great.

This could be the low point of the Mets season. If it came in mid-June after a good two months, is anyone seriously talking about it? Who knows.

However, they play the Dodgers two more times and then the Cubs for three games. This start could get a bit uglier if things don’t pick up.

Given some of the stakes for them after missing the playoffs last season and having a demanding owner, they might want things to get better sooner rather than later.

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

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (10-6) lost 8-3 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Biggio bases loaded walk. Mancini started for Sugar Land but struggled with command as he walked four and allowed three runs over 2.1 innings, despite not allowing a hit. In the 3rd inning, Alexander connected on a 2 run home run. The bullpen allowed 5 runs with the Bees extending their lead and the offense was unable to come back as they fell 8-3.

Note: Winkler is hitting .291 this season.

• Jax Biggers, 2B: 1-for-4, R
• Jack Winkler, 3B: 1-for-4, 2B
• CJ Alexander, LF: 1-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI

• Joey Mancini, RHP: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
• Sam Carlson, RHP: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Amos Willingham, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Tom Cosgrove, LHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (5-5) won 8-4 (BOX SCORE)

Nezuh started for the Hooks but struggled a bit allowing 2 runs over 2.2 innings. the offense got on the board in the 3rd inning scoring 4 runs on an Encarnacion RBI single, Sullivan RBI single and Janek 2 run single. They got another in the 5th on a Janek RBI double. In the 8th, the offense got 3 more on an Austin 2 run home run and Sullivan RBI triple. The pen was solid allowing 2 runs over 6.1 innings as they closed out the 8-4 win.

Note: Bush has a .943 OPS this season.

• Joseph Sullivan, LF: 2-for-5, R, 3B, 2 RBI, SB
• Pascanel Ferreras, 2B: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, SB
• Lucas Spence, CF: 1-for-4, BB
• Walker Janek, C: 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI
• Will Bush, 1B: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Trevor Austin, 3B: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Tommy Sacco, SS: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB, SB
• Yamal Encarnacion, RF: 1-for-4, R, RBI

• Jackson Nezuh, RHP: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• Railin Perez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Bennett Sousa, LHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Wilmy Sanchez, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Ramsey David, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (3-7) lost 16-6 (BOX SCORE)

Rodriguez started for Asheville but struggled allowing 6 runs over 2.1 innings. He was relieved by Cruz who allowed 5 runs over 1.2 innings. The Asheville offense got on the board in 4th inning scoring 4 runs on Brutcher and Holy RBI singles and a Rosario 2 run HR. They got another in the 5th on another Brutcher RBI single and then one more in the 6th on a Schiavone bases loaded walk. The pen allowed another 5 runs and the offense was unable to complete the comeback as they fell 16-6.

Note: Brutcher is hitting .381 this season.

• Caden Powell, RF: 2-for-5, R
• Ethan Frey, CF: 1-for-4, BB
• Jason Schiavone, 1B: 0-for-3, R, RBI, 2 BB
• Zach Daudet, 3B: 1-for-3, R, 2B, 2 BB
• Drew Brutcher, LF: 3-for-4, R, 2 RBI
• Max Holy, SS: 1-for-4, R
• Hemmanuel Rosario, C: 1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI

• Luis Rodriguez, RHP: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Anthony Cruz, RHP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Alain Pena, RHP: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Eurys Martich, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (2-8) lost 4-2 (BOX SCORE)

Beck got the start but struggled out of the gate allowing 4 runs over 3 innings of work. The Woodpeckers got a run in the 4th on a Monistere solo HR. Verdugo was solid in relief tossing 4 scoreless innings. In the 9th, Sierra connected on a solo HR but that was it from the offense as the Woodpeckers fell 4-2.

Note: Siera has a .916 OPS this season.

• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 1-for-4, BB
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 0-for-5
• Nick Monistere, 2B: 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Josh Wakefield, RF: 1-for-2, 2 BB, SB
• Camilo Diaz, DH: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 SB
• Juan Sierra, LF: 2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, RBI
• Kenni Gomez, LF: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B
• Nehomar Ochoa, 1B: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB

• Jagger Beck, RHP: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Ryan Verdugo, RHP: 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
• Leomar Rosario, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• German Ramirez, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: TBD – 7:35 CT

CC: Bryce Mayer – 6:35 CT

AV: TBD – 5:30 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

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It’s Jackie Robinson Day across MLB, and with 15 matchups on the slate, every team takes the field carrying that history, wearing #42 in tribute as we reflect on his impact on and off the diamond.

As the league honors his legacy, we’re breaking down all of the action with our moneyline MLB picks for each matchup by blending today’s action with a nod to one of the most important figures in sports history.

MLB moneyline picks for April 15

Matchup	Pick
Diamondbacks vs Orioles	-151
Guardians vs Cardinals	-102
Red Sox vs Twins	+113
Royals vs Tigers	-126
Nationals vs Pirates	-178
Giants vs Reds	-102
Cubs vs Phillies	+124
Angels vs Yankees	+167
Marlins vs Braves	-167
Rays vs White Sox	-113
Blue Jays vs Brewers	-118
Rockies vs Astros	-179
Mariners vs Padres	-109
Rangers vs Athletics	+108
Mets vs Dodgers	-208

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 4-15.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for April 15

Diamondbacks vs Orioles: Orioles (-151)

Orioles win probability: 59%

The Baltimore Orioles lineup is built to apply pressure from top to bottom, blending power with on-base ability. When they’re clicking, they force opposing pitchers into high-stress innings early, which can neutralize the Arizona Diamondbacks' rhythm on the mound.

The Orioles getting traffic on the bases can help their ability to string together extra-base hits, which becomes a major difference-maker.

Defensively, the Orioles also have the edge in terms of athleticism and range, which can quietly swing momentum by turning potential hits into outs.

Guardians vs Cardinals: Guardians (-102)

Guardians win probability: 49%

The Cleveland Guardians' biggest advantage is pitching depth and run prevention. Getting Slade Cecconi to work efficiently and keep traffic off the bases can force a St. Louis Cardinals lineup that can be inconsistent to string together clean, extended rallies.

That’s where the Guardians typically excel by turning games into low-scoring, high-pressure situations.

Red Sox vs Twins: Twins (+113)

Twins win probability: 46%

Pitching is the key here. If Simeon Woods Richardson can get ahead in counts and limit hard contact, it puts pressure on a Boston Red Sox lineup that can be dangerous but also streaky. 

The Minnesota Twins may be behind the 8-ball against Red Sox starter Connelly Early, but the rookie southpaw hasn't gone deep into his starts, failing to finish the fifth in back-to-back outings. Boston's bullpen has a respectable 3.58 ERA, but the 5.10 xFIP suggests its luck may soon run out.

Royals vs Tigers: Tigers (-126)

Tigers win probability: 55%

Offensively, the Detroit Tigers don’t need to overpower; they just need to stay disciplined. Timely hitting and situational execution can exploit a Kansas City Royals squad that occasionally struggles to put hitters away.

Guys like Spencer Torkelson can capitalize with runners on base, and that’s often enough to swing the game.

Another key factor is game flow. If the Tigers grab an early lead, they can lean on their bullpen to shorten the game and keep Kansas City from finding rhythm late.

Nationals vs Pirates: Pirates (-178)

Pirates win probability: 62%

The Pittsburgh Pirates can manufacture runs with speed, situational hitting, and timely extra-base knocks.

With Mason Montgomery opening ahead of Carmen Mlodzinski on the mound, the Pirates need a composed outing between them. If they can limit damage and avoid big innings, it puts the burden on a Washington Nationals offense that has struggled with consistency. Keeping Washington from stringing hits together is key.

Giants vs Reds: Reds (-102)

Reds win probability: 50%

The Cincinnati Reds thrive on speed and aggression, and they can turn singles into scoring opportunities quickly by pushing the pace on the basepaths. That style can disrupt a San Francisco Giants pitching staff that prefers to stay in control and limit chaos.

Getting players like Elly De La Cruz on base early can immediately put stress on both the pitcher and defense.

Cubs vs Phillies: Cubs (+124)

Cubs win probability: 44%

The Chicago Cubs have a balanced offensive attack that blends power with on-base consistency. This is pivotal against a Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff that can be vulnerable when forced into high-leverage situations. If hitters stay patient and avoid chasing, it opens the door for crooked numbers.

Angels vs Yankees: Angels (+167)

Angels win probability: 38%

Offensively, the Los Angeles Angels have tapped into the long ball in 2026, leading the American League with 26 home runs in 18 games.

That includes opening last night's game against the New York Yankees with three big flies in the first inning. With Luis Gil looking rough around the edges in his first start of the season, allowing a home run and three walks in four innings, the potential is there for another early Halos lead en route to a victory.

Marlins vs Braves: Braves (-167)

Braves win probability: 61%

The Atlanta Braves benefit from depth. Whether it’s lineup production or bullpen support, they have more ways to sustain momentum throughout the game compared to a Miami Marlins team that often relies on smaller margins.

If Atlanta gets rolling early and forces Miami to play from behind, their combination of power and lineup versatility gives it a clear path to securing the win.

Rays vs White Sox: Rays (-113)

Rays win probability: 53%

Whether it’s a solid start on the mound or a bullpen-heavy approach, the Tampa Bay Rays are well-equipped to mix and match, keeping Chicago White Sox hitters off balance.

Tampa Bay consistently does the little things well by moving runners, taking extra bases, and limiting defensive mistakes, which can be the difference in a tightly contested matchup.

Blue Jays vs Brewers: Blue Jays (-118)

Blue Jays win probability: 53%

The Toronto Blue Jays have a league-best 18% strikeout rate, meaning the lineup sustains pressure from top to bottom, which can wear Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Chad Patrick down over the course of the game.

Patrick is a pitch-to-contact hurler who has found success in limited action to start the season, with a 0.73 ERA across 12 1/3 innings. However, his 4.30 FIP and 9.8% K-rate are worrying. The Blue Jays counter with prized offseason addition Dylan Cease, who gives Toronto the clear advantage.

Rockies vs Astros: Astros (-179)

Astros win probability: 63%

The Houston Astros work counts, hit for power, and punish mistakes. The Colorado Rockies' pitching staff is already poor (understatement), so a productive Houston lineup only makes matters worse.

On the mound, the Astros typically bring a clear advantage, even if Spencer Arrighetti isn't the most reliable arm in their rotation.

Mariners vs Padres: Padres (-109)

Padres win probability: 51%

When the San Diego Padres' middle-of-the-order bats get going, they’re capable of stacking extra-base hits and applying pressure on opposing pitching staffs.

While Seattle Mariners starter Emerson Hancock has thrived this season, his pitch-to-contact approach can result in some ugly results, as evidenced by his 4.90 ERA in 2025.

Rangers vs Athletics: Rangers (+108)

Rangers win probability: 48%

The Texas Rangers turn to Kumar Rocker to right the ship tonight, and he should have help from the lineup. 

Despite losing last night, the Rangers have a decent road record (6-5) and have top performers like Brandon Nimmo, Jake Burger, and Corey Seager, who have combined for 11 home runs this season and have a prime setting at Sutter Health Park to do more damage against A's starter J.T. Ginn.

Mets vs Dodgers: Dodgers (-208) 

Dodgers win probability: 67%

We get a double dose of Shohei Ohtani tonight, as he brings his fastball that has averaged 97.7 mph since last season, placing him in the 98th percentile among MLB starters. That kind of power plays up even more in familiar surroundings, where command and confidence tend to sharpen.

With that arsenal working behind him, Ohtani is well-positioned to neutralize the New York Mets once again and dictate the tone of the matchup from the start. He'll be anchoring the offense, too, so the Los Angeles Dodgers are understandably heavy favorites in Chavez Ravine.

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.

On a night where Jacob Misiorowski felt like throwing up every time he threw a curveball, most of Brewers’ fandom felt the same way watching the latest Trevor Megill ninth-inning implosion this season that cost the team a chance to end their five-game losing streak.

It was the second straight outing for Megill where he gave up a crooked number in the ninth inning. Last Friday, in a tie game against the Nationals, Megill allowed four runs and struggled to field his position against a number of bunts. He got another opportunity on Tuesday, this time staked to a one-run lead, and allowed three runs.

The Brewers must make a change in the ninth inning.

Manager Pat Murphy was asked if he’d consider making a change and he said yes. When pressed on if he will make that change, Murphy said, “We’ll see. I don’t know for sure. I like to talk to other people about it. I mean, obviously you can’t have a guy go out there six times and three times not to do the job. The way he’s throwing the ball now, he doesn’t deserve it. But he can earn it back. But what are we gonna do? Who’s throwing the ball good back there that deserves it more? So we’ll figure that out. We won’t make those decisions after a heart wrenching loss like this.”

That’s certainly an understandable position for Murphy to take. He didn’t want to make a full declaration last night in the heat of the moment after a tough loss but instead wants to talk with his assistant coaches and come to a consensus and a plan for that ninth inning. Plenty fair, but the admission of considering it is enough to recognize that it probably should happen.

Megill, to his credit, spoke to reporters and was quite blunt about his performance.

“Just some dog(expletive) out there. That’s about it. Definitely way better than that. Pitches could be a lot better. Pitch execution could be a lot better. A lot of things could be better,” Megill said.

However, Murphy also raised another good point: Who do you replace him with? Abner Uribe would seem like the obvious candidate, but he gave up a run last night and struggled in the outing before, too. Angel Zerpa, who started strong, has also not looked as good of late. The leverage arms the Brewers have relied upon all seem very unreliable at the moment.

So, while you can move Megill off the closer’s spot, there may not necessarily be a ready-made replacement to take it over.

Murphy also wanted to defend Megill as well and spoke out about the fans booing Megill during that ninth inning.

“But the fans booing him after he saved 30 games for this team. A kid that’s been through all that he’s been through and what he did the year before to help us win the division and then what he did last year, and then came out with an arm injury and still pitched, and pitched one of the biggest innings of (NLDS) Game 5, and for them to be booing him up there. That’s just not, not our best fans. That’s for sure. We have great fans, but let’s remind them of that. Are they OK to be disappointed, but sometimes young men go through tough stuff. I was disappointed. And that those people wouldn’t support him when he’s going through that stuff. Does he probably care? No. Is it expected? That’s fine. But let’s not forget these aren’t machines out there. These are people. I thought that was in poor taste, but I’ve done things in poor taste, too.” Pat Murphy said.

The home fans booing their own players is never a good sign for anyone. The players, the fans, the coaches — no one is happy about the situation.

The only way to solve it, really is to play better and pitch better. Winning cures all.

The best way to get there has got to be to move Trevor Megill out of the closer’s spot for the time being. As Murphy said, he can earn it back, but the key word is “earn.” He’s not pitching well enough to deserve to keep it, despite what he did for the team last season. It’s a new year. The closer position, almost more than any other spot on the team, is a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ kind of position. What Megill did last year was great, no one can take that away from him. But with what he’s done lately, the Brewers need to make a change.

Ah, the veteran DFA process for a player without minor league options has come and gone full circle. In the case of Martín Pérez and the Braves, this situation felt like it went from “Huh? He got DFA’d?” to “Okay, maybe he’ll go through the entire waiver wire and not get claimed” to “Oh. He didn’t get claimed but he’s not going to Gwinnett, either. Farewell!” to “Ah, he just signed another minor league deal. He’s back.”

Indeed, Pérez is back with the Braves after having signed a minor league deal with the organization on Wednesday morning. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was the first to report the news.

If this process sounds familiar, it’s because we saw it play out a bunch of times with Jesse Chavez near the end of his career. I’m not saying that Martín Pérez is the new Coach Hat Man around here but it’s at least good to know that he’ll be sticking around in the minors for the time being. Pérez was pretty effective as a fifth starter for the Braves as he produced an ERA of 3.14 and a FIP of 4.07 across 14.1 innings of work and three appearances. Those numbers aren’t spectacular but for a fifth starter, that is perfectly fine.

For the time being, it seems like he’ll be staying active at Gwinnett while serving as organizational depth in case the Braves need him for a start or two — then he’ll either pitch his way into staying in the rotation or we’ll just have to do this merry-go-round all over again at some point down the road. We’ll see what happens.

The San Diego Padres improved to 11-6 on the season with their sixth consecutive win last night. The Padres combined a solid start from Michael King with just enough offense off Seattle Mariners starter Bryan Woo to take the first game of the three-game series, 4-1. Xander Bogaerts drove in three of the four runs scored for San Diego and finished the night with three hits. Jackson Merrill also logged three hits in the game. King allowed just one run over six innings, and the bullpen trio of Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Mason Miller secured the win. The start from King was good to see after Padres fans learned prior to the start of the game that Nick Pivetta was going to the 15-day IL with elbow inflammation. The move allowed San Diego to bring Matt Waldron up from Triple-A El Paso and he was joined by Alek Jacob who also joined the MLB club. The Padres will look to continue their winning ways in the second game of the series against the Mariners today at 6:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• Mason Miller has been the most dominant pitcher in the game since he joined the Padres at the trade deadline a season ago. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball points to some minor changes to his mechanics that have allowed him to be even more effective this season.

• Reports have come out that San Diego is interested in bringing in free agent pitcher Lucas Giolito. In a recent interview the right-hander said he has been staying busy throwing bullpens to be prepared for when he gets signed by a team and with Pivetta and Joe Musgrove on the IL, the Padres need another arm.

• Craig Stammen has had an interesting start to his managerial career with the Padres. He has shown he is not afraid to change the lineup, to give veterans days off or to play his superstar right fielder at second base. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune says that is because Stammen is not managing scared.

Baseball News:

• Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed a leadoff homerun to start the game against the New York Mets, but then settled in and shutdown the Mets offense to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-1 win.

• The Los Angeles Angels hit back-to-back-to-back home runs as part of a five-homer effort to beat the New York Yankees, 7-1.

• After hitting his first home run on Monday, Byron Buxton added two more on Tuesday and helped the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox.

• Dominic Smith hit a walk-off home run to help the Atlanta Braves earn a win earlier in the season and he was the hero again on Tuesday with a three-run double to help the Braves complete a comeback win over the Miami Marlins.

• Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen moved into third place on the all-time saves list with his 479th save on Tuesday.

Welcome back to A Pod of Their Own, an all-women led Home Run Applesauce podcast where we talk all things Mets, social justice issues in baseball, and normalize female voices in the sports podcasting space. 

This week, we begin by discussing the Mets’ current losing streak and evaluate our level of concern about the offense, which has been struggling mightily during this stretch.

Next, we talk about how nobody (except the Dodgers) really looks all that formidable across the league. We also highlight two excellent pieces of baseball reporting from the past week: a piece by Alden Gonzalez of ESPN about the tragic death of a Dominican teenager at the hands of a corrupt system and a story by Sam Blum at The Athletic about corruption of a different stripe—a sham frozen yogurt company that managed to scam the Angels and Diamondbacks out of millions of dollars.

Finally, we wrap things up with Walk-off Wins, where each of us talks about what’s making us happy this week, baseball-related or otherwise. 

You can listen or subscribe to all of our wonderful Home Run Applesauce podcasts through Apple Podcasts, where we encourage you to leave a review if you enjoy the show. It really helps! And you can find us on the Stitcher app, Spotify, or listen wherever you get podcasts. You can also support our work by subscribing to our Patreon, which will get you bonus episodes, access to our Discord server, livestream experiences, an exclusive monthly playlist, and more!

You can follow A Pod of Their Own on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky (@apodoftheirown) and you can follow Home Run Applesauce on Twitter and Instagram (@HRApplesauce). You can also follow our co-hosts on Twitter and Bluesky: Allison McCague (@PetitePhD), Maggie Wiggin (@maggie162), and LindaSurovich (@LindaSurovich). You can also email the show at aa.apodoftheirown@gmail.com. 

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