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.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 3-4, -0.75 units
Over/Under bets: 3-5, -2.26 units
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
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Sunday, April 12, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
CW 33, SportsNet LA
Rangers starting pitcher
Jacob deGrom (0-0, 3.72 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Roki Sasaki (0-1, 7.00 ERA)
Rangers vs Dodgers latest injuries
Rangers vs Dodgers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Xavier Neyens #9 of the Houston Astros bats during the third inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
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.
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.
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.
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.
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 07: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners takes batting practice prior to the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Courtney Kramer/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
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.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Chris Martin #31 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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
Feb 22, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Ryan Ward against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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.
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.
Apr 8, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) hits a one run double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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.
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.
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.
BRONX, NY - APRIL 18: A general view of Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, on April 18, 1923 in Bronx, New York (Photo by MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Jack Leiter #22 of the Texas Rangers reacts against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dodgers 6, Rangers 3
One batter into the game, things were looking good for the Rangers.
Pretty quickly after that things stopped looking good.
After looking very good in his first two outings of the season, Jack Leiter hit a speed bump in the first inning against the Dodgers.
On the positive side, Leiter struck out the side swinging in the first. On the negative side, he allowed a solo home run to Shohei Ohtani to lead off the inning, a line drive single to Will Smith, a walk to Freddie Freeman, and a two out, three run homer to Teoscar Hernandez. The Teoscar bomb gave the Dodgers a 4-1 lead, which ended up being all the runs they would need in the game.
That first inning cost Leiter 30 pitches. He had an 18 pitch second inning, a 28 pitch third inning which saw him load the bases on a single and a pair of walks (but give up just one run due to getting Hernandez to hit into a GIDP), and then needed 16 pitches to retire two of the three batters he faced in the fourth.
93 pitches to get 11 outs is not ideal.
Tyler Alexander did good work to get the Rangers through the sixth, Robert Garcia threw a scoreless seventh despite issuing another walk, and Chris Martin gave up another run in his one inning of work.
And the bats? Brandon Nimmo was 3 for 4 with a double and a pair of homers. The rest of the team was 1 for 27 with two walks.
Texas did still manage to get the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth thanks to a Corey Seager walk and Jake Burger reaching on an error. Andrew McCutchen struck out, though, and with Evan Carter due up, the Dodgers brought in lefty Alex Vesia.
It was a rather unpleasant reminder of the problem that the Rangers find themselves in when Carter is due up in a big spot late. An opponent can bring in a lefty to face Carter, and Skip Schumaker either has to take his chances with Carter, who, as is well-documented, has been helpless against lefties in his career, or go to his bench.
With Wyatt Langford unavailable due to his quad strain, the only hitter left on the bench was Danny Jansen. Schumaker went with Jansen, who struck out to end the game.
Had the Rangers tied it up, Andrew McCutchen would have had to have gone from DH to the outfield, meaning the Rangers would have lost their DH spot. And the outfield would have been Sam Haggerty, Brandon Nimmo and Andrew McCutchen, which seems…less than ideal.
Jack Leiter’s fastball maxed out at 98.6 mph, averaging 96.7 mph. Tyler Alexander reached 91.8 mph with his fastball. Robert Garcia touched 95.5 mph with his fastball. Chris Martin’s fastball reached 95.5 mph.
Brandon Nimmo’s home runs were 105.7 mph and 105.5 mph. Josh Smith had a 104.4 mph ground out. Josh Jung had a 103.mph single. Evan Carter had a 101.5 mph ground out. Jake Burger had a 101. mph ground out.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves hits a single during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well the Braves had a bit of a dud on Saturday night, but reinforcements are making their way to Atlanta, as Spencer Strider and Sean Murphy will be on minor league rehab assignments this week. They will also be without Michael Harris and likely functionally Eli White for a few days, as Michael Harris tends to the birth of his child and Eli White tends to a foot injury. They should also be getting Ha-Seong Kim back in a month or two, which should help. Despite the suboptimal game on Saturday, the team has performed pretty well this year, even if the results have been a bit wonky as compared to the performances in various aspects of the team. There is a decent chance that the beginning of the season could be the low point of the season in terms of player availability, so having a strong start is encouraging. Hoping its only upward from here.
Braves News
The Braves had a dud of a night, particularly on offense, on Saturday night, losing 6-0 to the Guardians.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Ramon Laureano #5 of the San Diego Padres rounds the bases past third base coach Bob Henley #20 after hitting a three-run home run during the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 11, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
German Marquez was not sharp in his start against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on Saturday night. The former Rockies ace who was facing his former team for the first time, allowed three home runs and Colorado held a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning. In years past, the game would have been over essentially before it started, but this San Diego Padres team went to work. San Diego put up three runs in the bottom of the third inning after Manny Machado hit a two-run home run. The Padres added three more runs in the fourth when leadoff hitter Ramon Laureano hit a three-run home run to put San Diego ahead 6-4. But the Padres did not stop there. They added another run in the bottom of the sixth on a bases loaded walk to push the score to 7-4 and Jackson Merrill broke the game open with a two-run double through the middle of the infield with the bases loaded to give San Diego a 9-4 lead. The Padres would allow the Rockies to add another run to make the score 9-5 and with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Stammen had to call on Jason Adam to get the final out and slam the door shut.
Padres News:
The San Diego Padres wanted to bring back Luis Arraez, but he wanted to play second base. The Padres could not guarantee Arraez playing time at his preferred position, so he became a member of the San Francisco Giants. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball says without contact-heavy Arraez at the top of the lineup, San Diego is working to find a new offensive identity.
Craig Stammen did not have the best start to his managerial career, but it was not all bad either. Respondents who took part in the Padres Reacts Survey this week on Gaslamp Ball believe Stammen has earned a middling grade to this point in the season.
Fernando Tatis Jr. found himself in a new position in Stammen’s lineup on Saturday night – second base. Xander Bogaerts got the night off, so Jake Cronenworth bumped to short and Tatis Jr. came in to man second base, while Nick Castellanos filled the hole in right field.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune provided some notes on the night that was on Friday, including Walker Buehler, Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada and the run of bad luck that has befallen Tatis Jr.
Houston Astros pitcher and one of the top free agents this past offseason Tatsuya Imai is returning to Hoston for an exam after experiencing arm fatigue on road trip.
Adley Rutschman lands on 10-day IL and Ryan Mountcastle leaves the Baltimore Orioles game against the San Francisco Giants early with a foot pain.
COVERS INTEL:The projected L.A. lineup has faced deGrom 95 times, collecting 19 hits (.200 AVG) compared to 30 strikeouts.
