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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is heating up, and I expect him to continue to provide offense this afternoon in a plus-pitching matchup.

Read on to see why he’ll be the feature player in my Blue Jays vs. Twins predictions and free MLB picks for Sunday, April 12. 

Twins vs Blue Jays predictions

Twins vs Blue Jays best bet: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 bases (+115)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is heating up after a slow start to the season. 

The Toronto Blue Jays slugger has seven hits in his last three games, cruising past today’s posted total of 1.5 bases in each of those outings, averaging 2.33 bases per contest. 

He also has had a lot of success against Minnesota Twins starter Taj Bradley. 

Vladdy is 7-for-14 against Bradley throughout his career with a 1.286 OPS. 

COVERS INTEL: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has a .373 batting average and a career .923 OPS against this Twins pitching staff. 

Twins vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Jesus Sanchez is also swinging a hot bat. The Jays outfielder has doubled in three straight games, and I’m expecting at least another hit tonight against Bradley, who he’s 3-for-6 against in his career. 

Lastly, I’ll take Over 7.5 runs scored in this game. The total has gone over the number in nine of the last 10 meetings between these two teams. I am also expecting some regression from Bradley tonight, who’s underlying numbers aren’t as strong as his 1.08 ERA suggests this early in the season.

Twins vs Blue Jays SGP

• Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
• Sanchez Over 0.5 hits
• Over 7.5

Twins vs Blue Jays home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+440)

This is a half-unit bet. 

Guerrero Jr is starting to see his power return this season. He’s recorded 2+ basis in at four straight games, and Bradly gives up a lot of hard contact, ranking 6th percentile in average exit velocity.

Additionally, this is a good matchup for Vladdy, going up against the Twins starter, who throws the four-seamer 41% of the time. Vladdy hit .314 against the pitch last season with 13 homers and a .560 slugging rate. 

Twins vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Minnesota +115 | Toronto -135
• Run line: Minnesota +1.5 (-190) | Toronto -1.5 (+160)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

Twins vs Blue Jays trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 11 of their last 16 games at home (+5.25 Units / 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Twins vs Blue Jays and game info

Twins vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Twins vs Blue Jays weather

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So far this season, Foster Griffin has been the Washington Nationals best pitcher. The soft tossing lefty has used his craftiness and deep pitch mix to weather the storm against three really good lineups. He has faced the Phillies, Dodgers and Brewers, and has gone at least five innings while allowing two or fewer runs in all of those starts.

Griffin is not the type of pitcher who will overpower you with stuff. That made it crucial for him to truly learn how to pitch. Griffin did just that in his three seasons in Japan. When Griffin left the US to go to Japan, he was a four pitch guy. He threw a 4-seam fastball, a cutter, a changeup and a curveball. 

He has a much deeper mix after three years in the NPB. Griffin added a sweeper, a sinker and a splitter. The splitter is a staple over in Japan, so it is no surprise that Griffin picked that up. However, despite adding the split, he still throws his changeup as well.

Having a changeup and a splitter with two distinct looks is pretty unique and it gives Griffin a real edge. There are not many pitchers around the league who use both of those pitches, and he might be the only lefty to do it. This new look is keeping hitters off balance.

We have to keep in mind that Griffin is doing this against some of the best lineups in the league. When you look at some of the underlying numbers, there are some causes for concern. His FIP is 4.62 and his xFIP is 4.35, which paints a different picture compared to his sparkling 1.76 ERA. 

I think the fact he has faced three elite lineups help explain these underlying numbers. He is not going to sustain a sub-2 ERA all season obviously, but I think he has the craft and moxy to pitch to an era just under 4.

The Nats pitching staff has not had a lot of bright spots so far this season, but Griffin is certainly one of them. You have to credit Paul Toboni for believing in Griffin enough to give him a second chance. Griffin does not have the flashy stuff teams are looking for these days, but he has mastered the art of pitching.

Command and deception is a bit of a lost art these days, but Griffin is trying to bring it back. None of his individual pitches are outstanding, but when you combine seven offerings that all have distinct shapes, it is a tough look for hitters.

Griffin is just on a one year deal, which makes him a prime trade candidate at the deadline. With the way he is pitching right now, there will be contenders that are intrigued by his deep mix and dependability.

I am not sure how long it will last, but I am loving the Foster Griffin experience so far. There is no panic in this guy and he is taking the fight to hitters. For a guy that had not been in the big leagues for three years, he did not look scared at all when he faced the Phillies in his first start.

Griffin has called himself a tactician on the mound, and it fits him. He is constantly thinking on the mound, trying to execute the perfect pitch at the perfect moment. Griffin is a master of mixing and matching. I feel like young pitchers such as Cade Cavalli could learn a thing or two from Griffin. He is just so thoughtful on the mound, and that is something I really appreciate as someone who pitched growing up.

The Mets made another chance in their bullpen on Sunday, designating right-handed pitcher Luis Garcia for assignment.

In a corresponding move, 28-year-old right-hander Joey Gerber is being called up.

The 39-year-old Garcia was signed by the Mets to a one-year deal this offseason and was thought to be a key piece of the major league bullpen, but the veteran struggled on the mound. In six appearances, Garcia allowed six runs (five earned) with a 2.053 WHIP and 7.11 ERA.

"We needed an arm, especially with the way that we’ve used the bullpen the last couple of nights," Carlos Mendoza said on Sunday. "I feel like we needed some protection there in case something bad happens again.

"Yeah, not an easy one. Obviously, Luis had to pitch yesterday on a day that we were staying away from him until [Luke Weaver] got in trouble there. But yeah, felt like we needed to have a fresh arm here."

Gerber was acquired by the Mets in a trade with the Rays last November, with the Mets sending Tampa cash considerations in exchange for the right-hander. 

Gerber has a 3.60 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 10 strikeouts in 20.0 innings in two big league seasons, making his debut back in 2020. He appeared in 17 games for the Mariners that season, and did not pitch in the majors again until 2025, when he tossed 4.1 innings over two games for the Rays.

In 158.0 innings across six minor league seasons, Gerber has a 3.53 ERA and 1.291 WHIP with 10.7 strikeouts per nine. He has pitched to a 5.40 ERA in four appearances with Syracuse this season.

The Mets made another bullpen move on Saturday, calling up Craig Kimbrel while DFA-ing Richard Lovelady.

Having once again built a bullpen that was intended to have plenty of roster churn, the Mets have started churning those spots on the roster. Today, the team has designated right-handed reliever Luis García for assignment and called up fellow right-handed reliever Joey Gerber to take his place in the bullpen.

The Mets signed García to a one-year, $1.75 million deal back in mid-January, and even at the time of the signing, it seemed like the 39-year-old was destined for a DFA at some point this season. He’s been through that before, as he’s now pitched for six different teams since the beginning of the 2024 season.

In six-and-one-third innings with the Mets to start this season, García had a 7.11 ERA and a 2.80 FIP. He joins Richard Lovelady in being DFA’d as the Mets continue to look for improvements during a miserable stretch of baseball.

In five innings with Triple-A Syracuse this year, Gerber has a 5.40 ERA and a 4.60 FIP. He’s thrown just 20.0 innings total in his major league career, having spent time with the Mariners in 2020 and gotten a brief major league stint with the Rays in 2025. He has a 3.60 ERA in that limited major league sample, and he has options remaining and figures to be churned himself before long—barring a major improvement at the major league level, of course.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers go for the series sweep as they host the Texas Rangers this afternoon.

Roki Sasaki will try to right his early-season wrongs, toeing the rubber against veteran Jacob deGrom.

That gives the visitors a massive starting pitching advantage, so I’m siding with the underdog for my Rangers vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks below.

Who will win Rangers vs Dodgers today: Rangers (+110)

Roki Sasaki should be in the Minor Leagues right now, and that’s where he’d be if it weren’t for a wave of Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher injuries. 

The 24-year-old ranks 165th out of 171 starters in Location+ (80), which has led to a 12.2% walk rate. You can’t start at this level with a 1.56 WHIP, and Texas is good enough against RHP (107 wRC+) to capitalize. 

Jacob deGrom has still got “it”, posting a 111 Stuff+ and an elite 32.4 K-BB%. The Texas Rangers have won both of his starts, and here’s betting on another victory.

COVERS INTEL:The projected L.A. lineup has faced deGrom 95 times, collecting 19 hits (.200 AVG) compared to 30 strikeouts.

Rangers vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-105)

If anyone is capable of keeping down a potent Dodgers lineup that's plated 14 runs through the first two games of the series, it’s deGrom. It also helps to have a bullpen with a 2.32 ERA behind you.

The ball isn’t carrying in MLB as it has recently, with home run rates down across the board. On a wet and rainy day in Chavez Ravine, it’ll be a surprise if a few balls leave the yard for either team.

Rangers vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Rangers +110 | Dodgers -130
• Run line: Rangers +1.5 (-220) | Dodgers -1.5 (+160)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Rangers vs Dodgers trend

The Rangers are 4-1 in Jacob deGrom's last five starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Rangers vs Dodgers and game info

Rangers vs Dodgers latest injuries

Rangers vs Dodgers weather

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

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (9-5) won 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

Ullola started for Sugar Land and allowed 1 run over 2.2 innings before leaving with an injury. It appeared to be leg related and not arm related. Fleury went the next 2.1 innings allowing 1 run. The offense got on the board in the 5th on a Winkler hit by pitch. In the 7th, Alexander tied the game with a sac fly. The Sugar Land bullpen continued to pitch well as the game stayed tied into the 9th. In the bottom of the 9th, Sugar Land walked it off scoring a run on a wild pitch as they won 3-2.

Note: VanWey has a 1.93 ERA this season.

• Jax Biggers, 2B: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB
• Carlos Perez, 1B: 3-for-5
• Jack Winkler, SS: 0-for-4, RBI
• CJ Alexander, LF: 0-for-4, RBI
• Collin Price, C: 3-for-3
• Kellen Strahm, RF: 1-for-3, R, BB

• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Jose Fleury, RHP: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Bennett Sousa, LHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Amos Willingham, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (WIN)

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (4-4) lost 4-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the 2nd inning scoring a run on an error. In the 3rd inning, Sacco added a solo HR. Gillis got the start and pitched well allowing 1 run over 4.2 innings while striking out 6. Garcia would add a solo HR in the 5th to extend the lead. The bullpen was solid until the 9th when Chirinos allowed 2 runs. The game went to extra innings and in the 10th, San Antonio walked it off as the Hooks fell 4-3.

Note: Mancini has a 0.00 ERA this season.

• Garret Guillemette, 1B: 0-for-3, R, BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, RF: 1-for-4, 2B
• Trevor Austin, 2B: 1-for-3, BB
• John Garcia, C: 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Tommy Sacco, SS: 2-for-3, R, HR, RBI, SB

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Joey Mancini, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Ramsey David, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Railin Perez, RHP: 0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (3-5) lost 11-6 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville jumped out to a big lead early scoring 6 runs in the first inning on a Frey RBI single, Call RBI single, Daudet hit by pitch, Holy RBI groundout, Brutcher sac fly and Hernandez RBI single. Howard got the start for Asheville and went 3.2 innings allowing 3 runs. The pen struggled allowing 8 more runs as the Grasshoppers took the lead. The Asheville offense was quiet the rest of the way as they fell 11-6.

Note: Brutcher is hitting .294 this season.

• Caden Powell, CF: 2-for-5, R
• Ethan Frey, RF: 1-for-3, R, RBI, 2 BB
• Alejandro Nunez, 2B: 1-for-4, R, BB
• Jason Schiavone, C: 0-for-1, R, 4 BB
• Chase Call, LF: 1-for-5, R, RBI
• Max Holy, SS: 0-for-5, R, RBI, SB
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 1-for-2, RBI, BB
• Cesar Hernandez, DH: 2-for-4, RBI, BB

• Dylan Howard, RHP: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Eurys Martich, RHP: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• Colby Langford, LHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
• Nate Wohlgemuth, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (1-7) lost 6-3 (BOX SCORE)

Pecko madę another rehab start and after allowing a leadoff home run, he settled down striking out 3 over 3 innings. The Woodpeckers offense got on the board in the first inning on a Monistere sac fly. They got another run in the 2nd inning on a Diaz solo home run. In the 5th, Neyens connected on a solo home run, his first professional home run. The pen allowed five runs as the RiverDogs took the lead but the offense was unable to respond as the Woodpeckers fell 6-3.

Note: Neyens home run had a 116 MPH exit velocity.

• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 1-for-5, R, 2B
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI, BB, SB
• Nick Monistere, 2B: 1-for-3, R
• Yosweld Vasquez, C: 1-for-3, BB
• Camilo Diaz, 1B: 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI

• Ethan Pecko, RHP: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Curtis Hebert, RHP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: TBD – 2:05 CT

CC: Trey Dombroski – 1:05 CT

AV: Nolan DeVos – 1:00 CT

FV: TBD – 4:05 CT

The Mariners are swinging slower and hitting worse, but connecting these dots isn’t as simple as it seems.

Bat speed is down for half the Mariners’ lineup over the first 2 1/2 weeks of the season. These batters are swinging 0.7 mph slower on average than they were last year. It’s become a fixation in the early going, especially as the team entered the weekend with a 79 wRC+ — bottom five in the majors. Some blame the slower swings for the disappointing start at the plate, and others point to Seattle’s frigid temperatures as the culprit for the decline.

These points were brought to Dan Wilson before Saturday’s game. He shot down either premise.

“That’s pretty negligible from what we’ve seen before,” Wilson said of the decline in bat speed. “It’s colder weather- there’s just a lot of different factors that could be involved there. That’s not something that’s concerning us. Obviously, we track, we monitor, but there’s nothing that’s discernible. We’re fourteen games in, there’s so much more season to go. We want to get off to a good start, obviously as a player you want to get off to a good start, but you know, sometimes those things take a little bit of time to get going. It’s not anything different.”

I pretty much agree.

The first thing to point out is only three Mariners have bat speed drops greater than 1 mph. Randy Arozarena has lost 3.5 mph from last year (the largest change in the majors), Leo Rivas has lost 1.6 mph, and Brendan Donovan has lost 1.3 mph. The next thing to point out is Arozarena and Donovan are the top two hitters on the team so far by wRC+. Bat speed is important, but it isn’t everything.

Now, there are several players with <1 mph bat speed drops who have indeed struggled. Josh Naylor, for instance, has lost 0.9 mph, and Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez have each lost about 0.5 mph.

But the further you dig into the decimals of bat speed, the more difficult it becomes to separate noise from signal, especially in just 16 games. Let’s look at Julio’s rolling bat speed, for example:

Bat speed goes up and down naturally over the course of a season. That doesn’t always reflect a change in ability. These ebbs and flows can partially be attributed to the measurement itself. Bat speed is captured at the moment when the sweet spot of the bat crosses with the path of the ball. In other words, it tells us how fast the barrel is traveling at point of contact (or missed contact, in the case of whiffs).

This “point of contact” piece is crucial. A swing isn’t one, constant speed. It starts slow as the batter fires, and gains speed as the batter follows through. The “bat speed” for any given swing not only depends on how fast the batter swings, but how far they progress in their swing by the time the ball reaches the plate.

What does that mean for interpreting bat speed data? Well, that means observed bat speed can change with the pitch type, velocity, location, and the batter’s ability to identify such variables out of the pitcher’s hand. So if Julio took the exact same swing at a 99-mph fastball on the inner-third as he did on an 84-mph sweeper out of the zone away, he’s not likely to record the same “bat speed” on both swings. And that’s before considering how Julio might change his swing to match each pitch. From that perspective, bat speed is not only a matter of physical strength and ability, but a function of timing and circumstance.

For batters like Arozarena, who display very large changes in bat speed, it’s worth considering the underlying changes pushing their swing to new… slows:

But for pretty much every other Mariners’ batter exhibiting a decline (or gain) in bat speed, there simply hasn’t been enough time to say what, if anything, is different. I’m more likely to look at slower swings as a symptom of early struggles, rather than a cause. I kind of think the Mariners’ timing is just off.

Now, one theory that’s cropped up to explain the drop in bat speed is Seattle’s cold weather. Several people have pointed out the relationship between bat speed and temperature, noting swings are slower when it’s cold and faster when it’s hot.

I did some math on this last week for FanGraphs. My conclusion was, yes, bat speed likely depends on the temperature, and colder means slower. As Patrick Dufor points out in an excellent follow-up analysis, some of that could be the drag created by denser air at lower temperatures. But Dufor also notes drag doesn’t quite explain the full change. It’s possible batters might just be less comfortable in the cold. Julio agreed in an interview with the Seattle Times. “We’re not trying to swing slower; it’s just cold as (expletive) in Seattle,” he said, responding to concerns about the team’s bat speed decline.

Regardless, I estimated the change in bat speed at about 0.2 mph per 10 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s not a lot. While Seattle is the coldest city in the majors over the course of the season, it’s typically not the coldest city in the early part of the season. Lots of places are cold right now. In fact, T-Mobile Park is more neutral than you’d expect in April. It’s the late summer, when the rest of the country warms up and Seattle still has some bite after sunset, that we see the park flex its muscles. That’s to say, yes, it’s possible the Mariners are swinging slower because of the cold. But it’s probably not a big issue, and certainly not one unique to them. And it’s not the only thing that could be pushing bat speed down.

Again, my sense is the Mariners were kind of just bad the first two weeks of the season. I think their timing was off, I think they were swinging at bad pitches, and I think they were falling behind in counts. Each of those things could explain their bat speed slump, and I doubt it’s the other way around.

The Mariners entered the weekend with a 79 wRC+. After walking all over Astros’ pitching the last two nights, they enter Sunday with a 93 wRC+. We are not even 10% of the way through the season. It can swing in a jiff.

The New York Yankees (8-6) face the Tampa Bay Rays (7-7) in an AL East matchup. Cam Schlittler, boasting a 1.62 ERA, is expected to start for the Yankees against Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen, who has a 1.80 ERA.

How to watch New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays

• Date: Sunday, April 12

• Time: 1:40 p.m. ET / 10:40 a.m. PT

• Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL

• TV Channels: Rays.TV, YES

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• New York Yankees: 8-6 (No. 1 in AL East)

• Tampa Bay Rays: 7-7 (No. 3 in AL East)

Odds

• Spread: Tampa Bay Rays 1.5

• Moneyline: Tampa Bay Rays +125 (42.6%) / New York Yankees -150 (57.4%)

• Over/Under: 7.5

Starting pitchers

New York Yankees: Cam Schlittler (2-0, ERA: 1.62, K: 22, WHIP: 0.48)
Tampa Bay Rays: Drew Rasmussen (0-0, ERA: 1.80, K: 10, WHIP: 0.80)

Weather: 81°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 25,025 | Roof: Dome | Surface: Artificial Turf

Good morning, folks…

The Texas Rangers fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 6-3 last night.

Shawn McFarland’s game story from the loss talks about the team feeling they are able to come back from deficits.

An MRI on Wyatt Langford resulted in his being determined to be day-to-day with his quad strain, which is good news as he won’t have to go on the injured list.

David Laurila has his Sunday Notes column up at Fangraphs.

The Texas Rangers (7-7) face the Los Angeles Dodgers (11-3) in the final game of a tied three-game series. Jacob deGrom is expected to start for Texas while Roki Sasaki pitches for Los Angeles.

How to watch Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

• Date: Sunday, April 12

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET / 1:10 p.m. PT

• Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

• TV Channels: SportsNet LA, Rangers Sports Network

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Texas Rangers: 7-7 (No. 2 in AL West)

• Los Angeles Dodgers: 11-3 (No, 1 in NL West)

Odds

• Spread: Los Angeles Dodgers 1.5

• Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers -130 (53.7%) / Texas Rangers +105 (46.3%)

• Over/Under: 8.5

Starting pitchers

Texas Rangers: Jacob deGrom (0-0, ERA: 3.72, K: 13, WHIP: 0.83)
Los Angeles Dodgers: Roki Sasaki (0-1, ERA: 7.00, K: 9, WHIP: 1.56)

Weather: 65°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 56,000 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

For the first time in seven opportunities this season, all four Dodgers affiliates won on the same day.

Player of the day

Wyatt Crowell put up more zeroes for Double-A Tulsa, with seven strikeouts in five scoreless innings against Springfield. It was the second appearance of the season for the left-hander, who pitched three scoreless frames against San Antonio on April 4. Crowell struck out four in a row at one point, including all three in the second inning.

Crowell, the Dodgers’ fourth-round draft pick out of Florida State in 2023, walked 15.2-percent of his batters faced in his first two professional seasons. But so far this year, he’s walked only three of 33 batters faced (9.1 percent), to go with 10 strikeouts.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Ryan Ward hit a three-run walk-off home run to erase a two-run deficit and lift the Comets over the Round Rock Express (Rangers) in a wild game.

Ward had three hits on the night and stole a base. Austin Gauthier also had three hits, including a double. Ryan Fitzgerald had two hits, including a double.

River Ryan allowed three doubles in a row in a first inning that also included a walk, a hit batter, two runs scored, and needed 36 pitches to complete. He retired seven of his final eight batters faced to get through three innings without any further damage. Ryan struck out four on the night, and threw 56 total pitches, just 20 over the final two frames.

It’s been a rough go so far this season in the Pacific Coast League for left-hander Logan Allen, who allowed only one run in his first three innings of relief but ran out of gas in the seventh. He allowed two singles and two walks before getting pulled with one out, and all of them scored during the frame. Allen this season has faced 59 batters, and 28 of them have reached (19 hits, nine walks) for a .475 on-base percentage and only six strikeouts.

Double-A Tulsa

Zyhir Hope blew open a low-scoring affair with a three-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Drillers the breathing room they needed to beat the Springfield Cardinals.

Hope’s home run was not only against a left-handed pitcher, but was also hit to the opposite field.

High-A Great Lakes

The Loons scored in five different innings to beat the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers).

Third baseman Logan Wagner had three hits, including a double, and scored three times. Center fielder Charles Davalan also doubled, part of a two-hit, two-run game. Designated hitter Jose Meza reached base four times with two walks, a double, and single, with two RBI. Shortstop Jose Izarra homered.

Zach Root needed 32 pitches to record only two outs in his start, pulled with the bases loaded in the first inning. He allowed only one run, thanks to Dilan Figueredo inducing a groundout to strand three runners. Figueredo followed with three perfect innings of his own, earning the win with his 10-up, 10-down performance, including two strikeouts.

Class-A Ontario

Four Tower Buzzers pitchers combined to shut out the Inland Empire 66ers (Mariners), with 10 strikeouts and no walks.

Isaac Ayon, the Dodgers’ 18th-rounder from 2024 out of Oregon, pitched four scoreless innings with four strikeouts, allowing only a pair of singles. Logan Lunceford got the next five outs, with two strikeouts of his own, followed by Robby Porco getting five outs.

Jecsua Liborius earned the save by striking out all three batters in the ninth. He has retired all 10 batters he’s faced this season with eight strikeouts, seven weeks shy of his 21st birthday.

Easton Shelton on Saturday was designated to hit, and that he did, driving in both Ontario runs, with a second-inning double and solo home run in the seventh.

Transactions

Triple-A: Pitcher Chris Campos was activated off the injured list after missing a week and a half, and had a rocky first game back, allowing three of his six batters faced to reach, giving up an unearned run and allowing both inherited runners to score. Right-hander Jordan Weems was placed on the development list.

Saturday scores

• Oklahoma City 10, Round Rock 9
• Tulsa 5, Springfield 3
• Great Lakes 9, West Michigan 4
• Ontario 2, Inland Empire 0

Sunday schedule

• 11 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Christian Zazueta) at West Michigan (Gabriel Reyes)
• 11:15 a.m.: Tulsa (Payton Martin) at Springfield (Brandt Thompson)
• 12:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Jackson Ferris) vs. Round Rock (Austin Gomber)
• 2:05 p.m.: Ontario (TBA) at Inland Empire (Jackson Steensma)

Saturday saw all four affiliates in the Atlanta Braves system in action, as the teams earned a split on the day. The biggest highlight on the day had to be the Brett Sears scoreless outing, but we also saw Juan Mateo return from injury, Lucas Braun throw five solid innings, and both John Gil and Tate Southisene reaching base multiple times.

Gwinnett Stripers 4, Nashville Sounds 3

• Aaron Schunk, 3B/1B: 2-2, 2B, 2 BB, R
• Rowdy Tellez, 1B: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI
• Lucas Braun, SP: 5 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Hayden Harris, RP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Box Score

Statcast

This was a back and forth affair with Nashville taking one run leads and Gwinnett tying the game up from there, until the Stripers were able to break the cycle with a walkoff win in the 10th inning. Lucas Braun got the start and pitched five solid innings, giving up a pair of runs on eight hits and a walk. He also recorded five strikeouts to go with a game-high 13 whiffs. Tayler Scott got the next inning and two thirds, allowing a run, before a scoreless inning and a third from Hayden Harris. Ian Hamilton came on for the ninth and 10th innings, not giving up a run, and picking up the win. Combined the Stripers pitching staff allowed three runs on 11 hits, three walks, and 11 strikeouts with 23 whiffs – good enough to claim four of the top five spots on the game’s whiff leaderboard despite not recording any of the game’s top five velocities.

Offensively the Stripers had six guys combine for nine hits, with Aaron Schunk, Rowdy Tellez, and Brett Wisely each having two-hit nights. Schunk also added two walks, meaning he reached base in all four of his plate appearances in this one. Schunk, Tellez, and DeShawn Keirsey Jr. picked up doubles as well, the team’s only extra base hits. Cal Conley was promoted just in time for this game, and came off the bench as a pinch runner, getting caught stealing home in the bottom of the eighth.

Columbus Clingstones 6, Montgomery Biscuits 2

• Drew Compton, 1B: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB
• Adam Zebrowski, C: 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB
• Brett Sears, SP: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
• Blayne Enlow, RP: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Box Score

Brett Sears took the ball for the start and tossed six and a third shutout innings on Saturday night. Sears allowed just four hits and a walk, striking out six and picking up 13 whiffs. He was commanding it well in this one, throwing 61 of his 84 pitches for strikes. Blayne Enlow followed and didn’t allow a run during his inning and two thirds. Ryan Bourassa came in for the ninth, and gave up a pair of runs to put an end to the combined shutout.

This was a pretty complete performance by the offense, as seven starters picked up at least one hit and eight reached base safely. Five Clingstones ended up with multi-hit games in this win, including Drew Compton, Kevin Kilpatrick Jr., Luke Waddell, Tristin English, and Jordan Groshans. Compton and Adam Zebrowski each connected on homers, with Compton’s being a two-run shot and Zebrowski’s being a solo, while Kilpatrick recorded a pair of doubles and a steal. Waddell and Lisandro Espinoza each added doubles in the win as well.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 7, Rome Emperors 6

• Eric Hartman, CF: 1-4, 2B, R, RBI, SB
• John Gil, SS: 1-2, BB, 2 RBI, SB
• Cade Kuehler, SP: 3 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
• Ian Mejia, RP: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Box Score

Cade Kuehler got hit early on in this one, giving up three runs in the first and two more in the second. He lasted just three innings, allowing the five runs on four hits and four walks. Ian Mejia came in for the next two innings, and while he did allow two runs, he also picked up four strikeouts and 11 whiffs in those two innings. Cory Wall pitched the next two innings without giving up a run, before giving way to Logan Samuels. Samuels walked the first batter he faced in the bottom of the eighth inning, but the game was called at that point, so he only faced one hitter.

Despite those five early runs against them, the Rome offense did a good job of fighting back to stay in the game. Once again John Gil and Eric Hartman headlined the performances for the offense, as Hartman doubled, batted in a run, scored once, and stole a base. Gil singled, walked, batted in two runs, and also stole a base. Colby Jones and Dalton McIntyre each had two-hit nights, with each scoring a run plus McIntyre batting one in. Among the other prospects here, Owen Carey was hitless in two at bats, but drew a walk and scored twice. Cody Miller went hitless in four at bats, striking out in each one.

Delmarva Shorebirds 7, Augusta GreenJackets 4

• Tate Southisene, 2B: 0-3, 2 BB, R
• Juan Mateo, 3B: 1-2, BB, RBI
• Zach Royse, SP: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Carter Lovasz, RP: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Box Score

This one featured all pitchers from the 2025 draft class for Augusta, along with one undrafted free agent from last year as well. Seventh rounder Zach Royse was the starter, and he had a rough first inning allowing three runs, before rebounding and pitching better for the rest of his night. Overall Royse allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks to go with three strikeouts and 11 whiffs. Next came 19th rounder Ryan Heppner, who allowed two runs in his inning and two thirds, though he did induce nine whiffs. Eighth rounder Carter Lovasz was next, and he allowed a run over two innings of work, picking up three strikeouts and seven whiffs. Undrafted free agent Drew Christo pitched a scoreless frame to finish this one off.

The big story offensively had to be the season debut for Juan Mateo, who just returned from the injured list. The versatile infielder got the start at third base and went one for two with a walk and run batted in, before being removed from the game – something the Braves often do with guys making their return from injury. Nick Montgomery’s solid start to the year after really struggling here last year continued on Saturday, as he recorded a double in four at bats. Last year’s first round pick Tate Southisene was hitless in three at bats, but did draw a pair of walks and scored a run. Alex Lodise and Conor Essenburg were each hitless in four at bats, with Essenburg striking out four times and Lodise three of his own.

Reminder: I’m on vacation all this week and will be a little briefer than usual and one or more pieces could be delayed. Thanks for your patience.

If you’re not one of my longtime readers, this is a great jumping-in point. By about the third inning Saturday, I saw the season declared as over, the team described as garbage and had officially muted my first Cub-focused Twitter user of the season. I don’t have any interest in gloom and doom. Any time I’m looking for that, I can dial into the outside world. Baseball is where I go to unwind and have fun.

For me, the strangest thing that I’ve learned in my time blogging about baseball over the last 10 years is what a significant part of the fan experience doom and gloom is for some portion of the fanbase. Is it frustrating when the Cubs have a pitcher throw six no-hit innings and end up losing anyway? Absolutely. Is it a compound wound when for four innings the next day they haven’t scored? Yes, it is.

I saw one person post in the comments to Game 13 how much this reminded them of 2025. That’s a fair comment. That’s the concern. But I’m certainly not giving up on this team before the weather even warms up. This team benefits greatly from the long ball and it doesn’t help when that is suppressed. Both teams play in those conditions, but not all teams have nine or more players who could legitimately hit double digit homers. They had eight do it last year with their third catcher at nine and Nico Hoerner at 7. I feel like their whole regular nine less Hoerner but possibly also Matt Shaw are legit double digit homer guys. Miguel Amaya or Michael Conforto might challenge double digits with enough playing time.

When the Cubs did play in the dome in Tampa, the ball was jumping and they did win two of three. So I’m going to wait before I rule this team buried. This has been a frustrating stretch. Every season for the best and worst teams includes frustrating stretches. Keep the faith.

Three Positives:

• Moisés Ballesteros was two for two before being lifted from the game. He’s been one of the most productive bats in the early going. I’m not sure I want to see him instantly lifted every time a lefty comes in. I know sometimes a bat gets overexposed when getting extra playing time. But I’d lean a little heavier and see where that point is.
• Alex Bregman had a pair of hits including a game-tying RBI single in the ninth.
• Hoby Milner has been terrific so far. He faced the top of the order in the ninth inning and worked a perfect inning, giving the team a chance to tie in the bottom of the inning.

Game 14, April 11: Pirates 4, Cubs 3 (8-6)

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

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Daniel Palencia (.308). IP, 4 BF, 0 H, BB, 0 R, 0 K
• Hero: Alex Bregman (.196 ). 2-6, RBI
• Sidekick: Nico Hoerner (.075 ). 1-6, RBI

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Seiya Suzuki (-.440 ). 1-4
• Goat: Ian Happ (-.235 ). 0-5, BB
• Kid: Matt Shaw (-.183). 0-1

WPA Play of the Game: Alex Bregman’s game-tying single with two out in the bottom of the ninth. (.468)

*Pirates Play of the Game: With first and second and two outs in the 11th, Brandon Lowe batted with runners on first and second. He reached on an error and the go ahead and eventual winning run scored. (.331)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 13 Player of the Game: Shōta Imanaga received 121 of 123 votes.

Up Next: In the third and final game of the series, Jameson Taillon matches up with Bubba Chandler.

Here’s your weekly injury notes! Must be Sunday! The Mariners guaranteed at least a split of the four-game series against Houston with a thrilling walk-off win to celebrate Humpy shoulder plush night to get to 6-9. The Mariners can secure an important series win today at 1:10 with Logan Gilbert on the mound. Happy Sunday everybody!

In Mariners news…

• Lance Brozdowski broke down how some teams are training their pitchers to add more cut to their fastballs by making subtle differences to their throwing motion, and used the Mariners and Emerson Hancock as heavy focuses in the study to show the effectiveness these changes can have.

• Easy game.

Around the league…

• The Astros continues to hemorrhage pitchers at an alarming rate. Tatsuya Imai flew back to Houston to get his right arm examined after he only recorded one out on Friday against the Mariners.
• The Toronto Blue Jays have another star player with a broken digit! George Springer fouled a ball of his foot in yesterday’s game that broke the big toe on his left foot. I’ve broken a toe. Not fun!
• Orioles infielder Ryan Mountcastle was removed from yesterday’s game after he took a tumble on his way into second base and will be getting an MRI today.
• Lookout Landing’s own Ryan Blake took an in-depth look at the correlation between ambient temperature and swing speed.
• The Mets are calling Craig Kimbrel up to the majors.
• If you ever feel like you’re an impostor and aren’t qualified for the work that you do, remember that there are people with no background in economics who get paid to write up economic impact reports for new stadium projects.

When the Yankees famously purchased Babe Ruth from the Red Sox in 1919, there was always going to be someone who’s playing time was massively cut, if not erased at all. As it happens, that fate mostly fell on Sammy Vick.

Vick’s career prior to Ruth’s acquisition wasn’t especially notable, and it wasn’t anything especially great after then. However, in making way for Ruth and then another move involving him later, he helped shape the first Yankees dynasty.

Samuel Bruce “Sammy” Vick
Born: April 12, 1895 (Batesville, MS)
Died: August 17, 1986 (Memphis, TN)
Yankees Tenure: 1917-20

Vick was one of four children born to farmers Hugh and Lillie. He was born and raised in Mississippi, and attended Millsaps College. Unlike a lot of the people we write about in this birthday pieces, he apparently didn’t play much baseball as a youth, as he was said to have learned the game while attending Millsaps. However, he was apparently quite athletic, as he played several sports in college in addition to picking up baseball.

Despite getting to baseball late, Vick apparently picked it up quickly. By 1917, he had signed a deal with the minor league Memphis Chickasaws, and would soon rise even faster. He absolutely hit the ground running in Memphis, hitting .322 in 126 games. By the end of the season, he was already getting looks from MLB scouts, and the Yankees acquired him in July. On Baseball Reference, he’s listed as having been traded from Memphis to New York. One player that went the other way is future Hall of Fame pitcher Dazzy Vance, which the team would probably later wish they could undo.

After Vick’s season in Memphis concluded, the Yankees brought Vick up to the big leagues for a September cup of coffee. He walked in his first MLB plate appearance and singled in the next in a pretty nice debut. He ended up appearing in 10 MLB games in 1917, putting up right at league average numbers. In 1918, Vick appeared in two games before joining the military to serve in World War I.

Vick returned for the 1919 season and ended up as the team’s regular right fielder. He ended up appearing in 106 games in ‘19, although a 83 OPS+ wasn’t much to write home about. However after the season, the Yankees purchased Ruth from the Red Sox in probably the most well known baseball trade of all time. It also left Vick in a fourth outfielder role. Adding to that was that another young outfielder named Bob Meusel also debuted during the 1920 season. He still ended up playing over 50 games for the 1920 Yankees, but was quickly falling down the pecking order.

One thing of note that happened for Vick in 1920 was getting into a fight with manager Miller Huggins after a game in Cleveland. While you might expect that played a role in Vick’s diminished playing time and eventual departure, Huggins thought the incident was a good thing, as the manager had thought Vick was too shy and timid and not capable of that type of emotion.

Despite that, Vick was headed for a departure after the season, as the team thought had he never lived up to his potential and now had a couple better players. The following December, the team made another deal with the Red Sox, sending Vick to Boston as part of a nine-player deal. This one would also go in the Yankees’ favor as the most notable mover in the trade was pitcher Waite Hoyt, who became an ace for the team as they finally got over the World Series championship hump.

An injury delayed Vick’s Boston debut until June, and he never really got going in 1921, posting a .594 OPS in 44 games. He was eventually sold to the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs (a baseball team, they didn’t make him learn hockey), and he never returned to the majors. Vick continued playing in the minor leagues through 1930, mostly playing for teams in the south near his Mississippi birthplace.

In the years following his baseball career, Vick did some work as a teacher and also bought a farm. He eventually passed away in Memphis in 1986 at age 91.

In a way, Sammy Vick helped set the stage for the first dynasty in Yankees’ history. It just wasn’t in a way he himself might have hoped.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.