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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

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.

Spencer Jones’ girlfriend, Ava O’Connor, shared a sweet message responding to the 6-foot-7 outfielder getting called up by the Yankees after Jasson Domínguez was injured during Thursday’s game.

“Let’s go baby! The most deserving incredible man. I love you!” O’Connor wrote on her Instagram Story, including the MLB breaking news post and a fire flame emoji and a blue heart.

The Post’s Jon Heyman was the first to report the news Thursday.

Jones, the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect on MLB Pipeline, has 11 homers and a Triple-A leading 41 RBIs to start the season.

The 24-year-old slugger will get his chance at the majors after he struggled with strikeouts in the minors this season, tallying 46 through his first 33 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Jones was called up after Domínguez crashed into the outfield wall while making a catch during the first inning of the 9-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday.

Domínguez, who was filling in for an injured Giancarlo Stanton, was emotional as he left the game on a cart.

An MRI revealed a sprain in the AC joint in his left shoulder, sending him to the injured list.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone cited consistent at-bats recently when asked about Jones after Thursday’s game.

“Feel like the last three, four weeks, been having a lot of consistent at-bats,” Boone said. “The power’s been there. Less swing and miss. … The signs have been encouraging.”

Jones will suit up Friday for the start of the Yankees’ three-game series against the Brewers in Milwaukee.

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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
• Red Sox’s Roman Anthony hits IL with wrist injury
• Cubs’ Matthew Boyd injures knee playing with kids; has surgery, out 6-8 weeks
• Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez accepts 5-game suspension for throwing at Red Sox’s Trevor Story
• Reds starter Rhett Lowder exits with right shoulder discomfort
• Latest On Astros’ Rotation
• Nothing to see here, just your everyday 9-4-5-2-6 putout
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

500 base hits for Rooker already? Man, time flies:

Make that 31 straight for Kurtz:

Literally any day now:

Stadium update:

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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.

How to watch Angels vs Blue Jays and game info

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Angels vs Blue Jays weather

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It was a busy day in Yankee land, as the Bombers won an early afternoon game against the Rangers, while also calling up one of the franchise’s more exciting prospects in Spencer Jones. It was an all around good win against Texas, as the Yanks were able to maintain their narrow lead in the East. Despite the action on the home front, there was plenty to take in elsewhere as well. Here’s a look at what went down on Thursday around the American League.

Tampa Bay Rays (25-12) 8, Boston Red Sox (16-22) 4

Despite the final score, the Rays and Red Sox had a tight game going for much of the night on Thursday. After being knotted up for most of the game, late offense from Tampa Bay sealed the deal, as the Rays were able to keep pace with the New York.

The action started in the second inning, when the Rays kicked off scoring with a three piece, coming thanks to an RBI apiece from Ben Williamson, Cedric Mullins, and Yandy Díaz. But, with their backs against the wall early, the Sox countered with three of their own, due in part to some shaky Tampa Bay defense and a single from Caleb Durbin that tied the game. Not an ideal beginning for starters Jake Bennet and Jax Griffin.

Both hurlers, however, settled down in the middle innings, as the score remained knotted at three through the end of the fifth inning. The Rays made their move in the sixth, when the speedy Chandler Simpson poked a single up the middle that scored a pair of runs.

Two innings later, Simpson struck again, this time with a run-scoring triple to give Tampa Bay some insurance in the eighth. Boston countered with a quick run in the bottom half of the inning, but the Rays swung right back. With a runner on in the ninth, Junior Caminero pitched in with a rocket of a homer into center field. His 10th long ball of the season put them up 8-4.

With a four-run lead now in tow, the Rays sent out Cole Sulser to shut things down, and he promptly delivered a perfect ninth inning. With the win in Boston, the Rays keep up with the Yankees in the AL East, as they sit just a half game back.

Other Games

Cleveland Guardians (20-19) 8, Kansas City Royals (17-21) 5: The Guardians jumped out to an early lead and cruised to victory on Thursday. Kyle Manzardo was responsible for a two-run double in the first inning that saw Cleveland go up 3-0. They piled on later in the game, when Bo Naylor belted his second homer of the season in the seventh, a three-run shot. They also benefitted from a gritty start from Gavin Cecconi, who allowed 6 hits and three walks, but just a pair of runs in 5.1 innings.

Miami Marlins (17-21) 4, Baltimore Orioles (17-21) 3: After the O’s came back, they ultimately fell to the Fish in walk-off fashion on Thursday. The Marlins took an early lead thanks to a two-run shot from Liam Hicks, his ninth of the year. Down 3-1 in the middle innings, Baltimore eventually tied things up with an RBI from Tyler O’Neill and a two-run single from Pete Alonso a few innings later. Tied up in the ninth, it was the defense that failed the O’s as a throwing error from third baseman Coby Mayo allowed the walk-off run to score in the ninth.

It’s not often you see a nine-run inning, but that’s exactly the kind of damage the Loons conceded on their way to splitting a doubleheader with Lake County.

Player of the day

Between the two games, Mike Sirota was the undeniable standout player, reaching base safely seven times, including all five in the Loons’ 15-13 defeat. Recently elected the Player of the Week, Sirota, showcased his patience by taking multiple free passes in each of these games, scoring four runs, and also driving in four.

The young outfielder is up to a .344 batting average on the season and an OPS of 1.219, easily putting him as one of, if not the most dangerous hitters in High-A right now, making a case for an early promotion in 2026.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

In a bit of a sloppy game with both sides committing multiple errors, the Comets managed to outlast the Bees by a score of six to five, thanks to a three-run shot by leadoff hitter Ryan Fitzgerald, driving forward what became a five-run rally for the Comets in the fourth.

Scoring in the sixth and eighth, the Bees made this a one-run game late—they had the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth against Wyatt Mills, who had come in trying to fix the mess left by Jerming Rosario. Mills had in his way former Dodger Chris Taylor, who ended up flying out to left field.

Kiké Hernández had another solid performance, going up to the plate three times, securing one hit, and scoring a run, once again playing third base. Speaking of rehabbing big leaguers, Mookie Betts will be joining the Comets this Friday for a couple of games as he returns from injury.

Double-A Tulsa

The 3.1 scoreless innings delivered by the Drillers’ bullpen didn’t particularly matter, as more than enough damage to lose the game had been conceded by starter Patrick Copen, who took his first loss of the year, allowing nine earned runs to come across, a season-high for him.

Despite five different Drillers securing multihit performances, the offense wouldn’t get on the board until the sixth inning. Elijah Hainline’s and Joe Vetrano’s home runs weren’t enough to make this a game, as the Drillers fell 9-5 on the road.

High-A Great Lakes

Despite the nine-run inning the Loons conceded in the first game of this doubleheader, they led that one 13-12 heading into the final frame, but Reynaldo Yean couldn’t shut the door on Lake County—the one hit he allowed was a three-run shot to Jeffrey Mercedes that won the game for the home club. With that, the Loons wasted a marvelous performance from Sirota, who went three for three with a pair of walks, reaching base in all of his five plate appearances.

The second game was quiet in comparison as Logan Tabeling shut down Lake County with nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings as the Loons returned the favor, doing it so wth an unlikely source of power. Ninth-hole hitter Jose Izazza had the biggest knock of the game, hitting a three-run shot to cement a 7-2 win for the visiting club. Sirota didn’t record any hits on that one, but reached safely twice on a pair of walks.

Single-A Ontario

There was little to no offense to show for it as the Tower Buzzers lost 2-1 to the Quakes on the road. The two teams combined for just six hits and three runs. Ching-Hsien Ko, who had been one of the better hitters for the Tower Buzzers as of late, went 0 for 4 with three punchouts.

In a game with so little offense happening on both sides, it’s fitting that the winning run would come from a throwing error by second baseman Mairoshendrick Martinus. Striking out a combined 13 times as a team, the Tower Buzzers delivered one of their worst offensive showings of the year.

Transactions

Outfielders Landyn Vidourek and Brendan Tunink were sent by the Ontario Tower Buzzers to the ACL Dodgers for rehab assignments.

Thursday’s scores

• Oklahoma City 6, Salt Lake 5
• Arkansas 9, Tulsa 4
• Lake County 15, Great Lakes 13
• Lake County 2, Great Lakes 7
• Rancho Cucamonga 2, Ontario 1

Friday’s schedule

• 3:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Wyatt Crowell) at Lake County (Kade Anderson)
• Game 2 of doubleheader: Tulsa (Payton Martin) at Lake County (Nico Tellache)
• 3:35 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Zach Root) at Lake County (Franklin Gómez)
• 5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Christian Romero) vs. Salt Lake (TBD)
• 6:30 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Rancho Cucamonga (Trey Gregory-Alford)

In 2025, the Orioles and the Athletics were largely the same team. They finished within one game of each other (75 vs. 76 wins). They each sported young, promising stars—Gunnar Henderson for the O’s and Nick Kurtz for the A’s. And they were both largely undone by inconsistent pitching, with Baltimore finishing 26th in ERA at 4.60 and the City-less Athletics finishing 27th at 4.70.

Given the offseasons the two teams had, if someone had to guess which team would come into this series in first place, most would’ve guessed the Orioles. Instead, Baltimore comes in sporting a 17-21 record that has them in third in the AL East, while the Athletics are 19-18 and sit a game and a half ahead of the Mariners for first in the AL West.

Neither team has been great of late, with the Orioles going 4-6 in their last 10 and the A’s 5-5. Baltimore comes into Friday’s series opener fresh off a stinging, walk-off loss to the Marlins in Miami, while the A’s demolished the Phillies 12-1 in their series finale Thursday.

Despite the Sacramento residents coming into Baltimore with a winning record, they are largely a similar caliber team to the O’s. Heading into Thursday’s games, they had the 17th-ranked offense at 4.25 runs/game and the 24th-ranked pitching staff with a 4.67 ERA. The Orioles so far have been a better offensive team (11th with 4.62 runs/game) but a significantly worse pitching team (29th with a 4.88 team ERA).

Both the A’s and O’s have outperformed their expected W-L records by one game, and both come into Baltimore with something to prove. The Orioles want to prove they can beat good teams and solidify themselves as playoff hopefuls. The Athletics want to prove that their start isn’t a fluke and that they have staying power in an AL West that’s been largely disappointing.

The Orioles lost their season series to the A’s last year, 4 games to 2, with the Athletics winning both series. If Baltimore wants to avoid the same fate in 2026, they’ll need to slow down A’s catcher Shea Langeliers. The former first-round pick has been the A’s offensive catalyst the first six weeks of the season, slashing .336/.390/.627 while leading the Athletics with 45 hits, 10 home runs and 24 runs scored. Langeliers’ career record against the O’s—.197 average, .672 OPS—isn’t anything special, but he does have five homers in 16 games vs. Baltimore.

The artists formerly based in Oakland will need to try and slow down Oriole sluggers Samuel Basallo and Pete Alonso. Since the start of the Yankees series, the Polar Bear and the big backstop are a combined 17-for-49 (.347) with three homers, six doubles, a triple and 13 RBIs.

Game 1, Friday, May 8th, 7:05pm ET

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+

Probable pitchers: RHP Kyle Bradish (1-4, 5.03 ERA, 35 K) vs. LHP Jacob Lopez (2-2, 6.60 ERA, 23 K)

Bradish has easily been the Orioles’ most disappointing starter this season, with only one quality start in his first seven outings and a complete lack of sharpness in how he’s pitching. Bradish’s 21 walks are the sixth-most of any major league pitcher, and if he had enough innings to qualify, his 1.82 WHIP would be the second-worst mark in the bigs. His last start against the Yankees was his worst of the year, taking the loss after putting up 4 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K and 2 HR.

Bradish dominated the A’s the only time he faced them, earning the W in a 12-1 Orioles’ win back in 2023. Perhaps better remembered as “the game Gunnar Henderson could’ve hit for the cycle, but decided not to,” Bradish pitched six scoreless innings that afternoon, allowing only two hits and punching out eight.

Opposing Bradish on Friday is one of the only pitchers currently pitching worse than him, A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez. The lefty has had some of the worst command in all of baseball, as his 6.6 BB/9 would be the worst mark in the big leagues if he qualified. Lopez is also coming off his worst start of the year, having surrendered six runs on eight hits over 5.1 IP in a 14-6 loss to the Guardians. Despite starting his career in Tampa, Lopez has faced the O’s only once before, tossing four innings and allowing just one unearned run in a 5-1 A’s win last season.

Game 2, Saturday, May 9th, 4:05pm ET

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+

Probable pitchers: RHP Shane Baz (1-3, 4.99 ERA, 33 K) vs. RHP Aaron Civale (3-1, 2.95 ERA, 27 K)

Saturday afternoon’s matchup seems like a pitching mismatch on paper, as the struggling Shane Baz takes on the surging Aaron Civale in front of the Camden Yards faithful. Like Bradish, Baz was shelled in the Bronx in his last outing. The 26-year-old finished with a line of 5.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R (5 ER), 5 BB, 4 K and 1 HR in a game the Yankees won 12-1. We’ve seen more good from Baz this season than Bradish, but the lows are equally as low, with the former Ray struggling to generate the number of whiffs we expect from good Shane Baz.

Baz faced the A’s twice last year, going seven innings each time, putting up a 4.50 ERA and racking up a combined 18 Ks. The Orioles would love to get that kind of length and strikeout numbers, as they’ll need the Baz we saw against Pittsburgh and Houston if he’s going to out-duel Civale and the A’s.

The Northern California squad counters the Orioles’ former Ray with a former Ray of their own in the cutter-happy Civale. The 30-year-old has perhaps been one of the luckiest pitchers in baseball this season, posting a 2.95 ERA in seven starts, despite an expected ERA of 4.19 and one of the worst hard-hit rates in baseball. In his last start vs. Cleveland, Civale scattered seven hits over six innings, allowing only one run in a 7-1 A’s win.

The Orioles dominated the soft-tossing Civale in his Tampa days, tagging hime for a 5.81 ERA in five starts with eight home runs. The right-hander did have a solid outing the last time he pitched in Camden Yards, scattering six hits over 5.1 innings while limiting the Orioles to just one run. The O’s biggest weakness offensively is their propensity for strikeouts, which shouldn’t be an issue against Civale and his 6.6 K/9 rate.

Game 3, Sunday, May 10th, 1:35pm ET

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+

Probable pitchers: RHP Chris Bassitt (2-2, 5.91 ERA, 20 K) vs. RHP Luis Severino (2-3, 4.15 ERA, 43 K)

The Sunday matinee pits two veteran pitchers against each other, with one trying to rediscover his best form and the other enjoying a recent hot streak. It looked like the Orioles were finally getting good Chris Bassitt when the former All-Star pitched 6.2 innings of one-run ball in a win over Houston eight days ago. However, the 37-year-old followed that up with a 4 IP, 6 H, 4 ER performance against the Marlins, which once again had him looking like the 2026 version of Charlie Morton.

Despite being a former A, Bassitt has faced off against the California club plenty, sporting a 4.20 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 45 career innings vs. the Athletics. The right struggled in his last start vs. the A’s, allowing five runs over five innings last season in Toronto.

Opposing Bassitt will be a familiar foe in former Yankee Luis Severino. The right-hander’s last trip to Camden Yards was a memorable one for Orioles fans, as the O’s tagged Severino for seven runs in the 1st inning, eventually chasing him in the 4th after he gave up 10 hits and nine earned runs. Severino will hope his current hot streak can help him overcome his career 4.89 ERA at Camden Yards. The 32-year-old has allowed only one earned run in each of his last three starts, posting a 1.45 ERA over 18.2 IP while striking out 16.

Can the O’s do what they failed to do in Miami and sweep the A’s out of Baltimore? Or will the City-less Athletics make themselves feel at home in Baltimore and push the O’s further away from .500? Let us know in the comments.