Category: MLB

Entering the season, the concern among Athletics’ fans and baseball experts was that the team had not done enough to improve their bullpen sans closer Mason Miller. Through ten games, that concern is fully warranted. It is likely that good players with a history of success did not want to sign with the A’s to play at a minor league home field, or the team was unwilling to offer these players the contracts they wanted. As a result, middle relievers Scott Barlow and Leiter Jr. were the best the A’s could do in this past offseason’s free agency relief market.

The A’s have a bunch of iffy relievers, none of whom have extensive closing experience at the MLB level. So then it falls to the team’s manager Mark Kotsay to best position his players for success. Yet, right now it is hard for Kotsay and A’s fans to trust any reliever that enters the game in the seventh inning or later. In Sunday’s series finale against the Astros, Barlow entered with a four-run lead and did not record an out, combining with Leiter to blow that advantage.

Last night, Kotsay thought Leiter’s experience at Yankee Stadium could lead to him getting through the eighth inning, a decision that massively backfired. If Kotsay had switched pitchers after Stanton’s at-bat or before Rosario’s, the game’s outcome might have been different. Yes, two of the first three hits Leiter Jr. gave up were not hit hard, but they still found grass resulting in base runners and runs scored.

Right now, it feels like right-hander Justin Sterner and left-hander Hogan Harris are the A’s two most reliable relievers. Right-hander Elvis Alvarado could join them as he certainly has closer stuff, although his tendency to walk batters remains a problem.

While it’s still early in the season, time remains for the A’s to resolve this bullpen problem as the current mix of guys is not working. Kotsay and the team’s general manager David Forst must make the necessary roster moves or role changes sooner rather than later as this team has too talented of an offense to watch late leads disappear every single game.

What do you think needs to happen for the A’s bullpen to perform better or will this be a problem that lasts the whole season? Is it too early to make wholesale changes? Can they find anyone willing to come who will be any better? Or do we just chalk this up to another rebuilding year?

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Bullpen Blows Yet Another Game
• Luis Morales Optioned to Triple-A
• A’s Add Former Yankees Reliever as Bullpen Depth Option
• Armchair 101: The Challenge Of Judging Decisions In Real Time
• Las Vegas Single Game Ticket On Sale
• A’s Biggest Camp Question is Already Becoming a Strength in 2026
• A’s feed off electric crowd in breakout opener
• Extensions To Colt Emerson And Konnor Griffin A New Trend?
• Here’s where all of the Athletics’ Top 30 prospects will begin 2026 season
• A’s see timing, benefits of move to Las Vegas as a precursor to a dynasty
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Observes The Wild Denzelope In Its Natural Habitat
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Toes The Rubber With Pitching Coach Scott Emerson
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Catches Up With Starting Pitcher Jacob Lopez

MLB News and Interest:

• Amid scandal, is MLB headed for an international draft?
• Hard-charging teams challenge Dodgers atop Power Rankings
• Horton needs elbow surgery that will end his 2026 season
• Scherzer (forearm) exits early as strained Blue Jays staff takes another hit
• MLB 2026 Watchability Index: Ranking most fun teams to watch
• Here are the 10 most prospect-packed rosters in the Minor Leagues
• Unreal bounce helps Twins shut down Tigers in crucial spot
• Hit 24 times by Brewers pitches, Willson Contreras is fed up
• These Mason Miller numbers don’t look real — but they are
• White Sox starting to jell in first homestand of season
• 5-6(?)-4-3 … Royals turn rare double play not seen since 1995
• Hungry Giants not panicking amid early-season funk
• Pirates, Grifffin working towards record-breaking extension
• Orioles’ Samuel Basallo makes MLB’s first game-ending ABS challenge
• Trevor Bauer returns to U.S. with minor league Ducks
• Today in Baseball History
  

Best of X

Starting pitcher Aaron Civale is off to a great start with the Athletics. He has pitched well in two straight starts against tough opponents.

How many blown saves do you think A’s pitchers will have accumulated by the end of the season?

The Athletics need a couple guys to step up and prove they can handle the pressure that comes with pitching in the eighth and ninth innings of MLB games.

I’ve watched a lot of baseball in the last 60 years and have rarely been moved like I was on Opening Day when young Zane Gore stepped to the mound and threw a perfect strike to Alex Gordon. I’m not ashamed to admit that it brought me to tears, and judging by social media, many others felt the same. The Royals organization has had a rough ten years, first losing Yordano Ventura and now Terrance Gore. The organization has done a nice job honoring both men.

Speaking of Gore, the last time I saw him play in person was on July 29, 2017. If the date sounds familiar, that’s because it was the first game after the Royals made a much-celebrated “subtraction by addition” trade with the Padres, in which they dealt three perfectly good players to San Diego for a trio of pitchers (Ryan Buchter, Trevor Cahill, and Brandon Maurer). The Royals, gasping for one last playoff run, came into the game on a nine-game winning streak, with three of those coming in walk-off fashion. The conventional wisdom was that the three new arms would put them over the top.

The game itself was exciting. Cahill got the start, and all three former San Diego arms pitched. Ned used seven pitchers that night, as did the Sox, in a game that lasted almost five hours. Joakim Soria, in his second stint with the team, blew a one-run lead in the eighth inning. Salvy led off the ninth with a single, which brought out Terrance Gore to run for him. Everyone in the stadium knew what he was going to do. It was the most exciting and tense inning of the entire game. Sox catcher Sandy León managed to throw out Gore in one of those crazy challenge situations, where Gore came off the bag by a quarter inch. It didn’t matter, as Mike Moustakas and Brandon Moss both went down swinging to end the inning. The Sox manufactured a run in the 10th, and that was that.

Despite the loss, seeing a game at Fenway is always a good time. Sox fans love their baseball and know how to make a party out of it. Plus, there’s something special about singing “Sweet Caroline” with 37,000 other people. The loss sent the Royals into a tailspin. The team won only 26 of its final 61 games as the San Diego curse took hold.

Speaking of former Royals, how about the start that Joey Wiemer is having in Washington? Through 26 plate appearances, he’s slashing a cool .476/.577/.857 with ten hits, including two home runs. It goes without saying that it’s an incredibly small sample size, and he will cool off. It’s also possible that he’s turned the corner in his age-27 season and could become the next Brent Rooker-type castoff. I understand that he didn’t do anything notable in his Kansas City tenure, where he hit just .182 over 72 games, at Omaha, no less. He’s got the physical tools at 6’4″, 226, with good speed. Here’s hoping he’s figured it out.

The Royals stand at 5-6, hoping to get back to .500 today. Saturday’s first game also happened to be the first time this season I’ve seen them play, thanks to some strange television blackout rules. Much like last season, the bats are early-season AWOL. The starting pitching has been mostly great this season—until this game. Luinder Avila, whom many were pining to have on the Opening Day roster after his stellar showing in the WBC, crapped the bed in his 2026 Royals debut. He’s young and has a live arm. He’ll be okay. The bullpen, at times, has been scarier than a gas station bathroom, but the Royals have had a knack for finding capable relievers.

By and large, Royals fans, including me, are a pessimistic and fickle bunch. We’ve endured a lot of losing over the past 30 years, and it’s worn on us. We’re not at the dish-throwing stage yet, but we can get there in a hurry if the boys don’t start hitting and scoring some runs.

Of course, the big change for 2026 has been the introduction of the challenge system. I’ve been calling for it for several seasons, primarily because one missed strike or ball call can change an at-bat, which in turn can change a game. And many times, playoff berths are decided by one game.

Say, for example, there are two outs with men on second and third, and the count on the batter is two balls and one strike. The next pitch is an inch or so out of the strike zone but is called a strike. Last season, that means 2–2, and the pitcher is now in control. He’d most likely throw a slider down and away, looking for the punchout.

If the call is challenged and overturned, the count goes to 3–1, and the batter is in control. A 3–1 count is a prime hitter’s count, and if I were at the plate, I’d be looking for a fastball.

A base hit scores two.

The system has been very popular with the fans, and some umpires (here’s looking at you, C.B. Bucknor) have taken it in the shorts. I feel some sympathy for the umpires. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to try to gauge a ball moving at 95–100 mph with vertical or horizontal movement over a 17-inch target. Some of the overturns have been egregious misses. Others have been on balls that were less than a half inch off the zone. Pull out a tape measure and look at half an inch. Tough job, but it’s what they’ve been trained – and paid – to do.

I was out at what remains of our mall the other day, looking for clothes in Von Maur, and stumbled across a nifty little leather-bound book called The Ballpark Bucket List by James Buckley Jr. Inside are several pages dedicated to each of the majors’ ballparks, where you can take notes on your visit. The book set off an obsessive search of programs and ticket stubs from games I’ve attended at various parks around the country and brought back many terrific memories.

Surprisingly, in 53 years of attending games, I’ve only seen two extra-inning games. I’ve seen Reggie Jackson hit home runs for three franchises: New York, Baltimore, and California.

I’d forgotten that I’d seen Steve Busby pitch several times. It’s a shame that this generation of Royals fans hasn’t been exposed to Busby’s greatness.

Along with Busby, I’ve seen some other great pitchers: Jim Kaat, Bert Blyleven, Randy Johnson, and Nolan Ryan come to mind.

One game program had an autograph from Buck O’Neil. I wish I’d gotten a picture with him.

My brother Shane and I love visiting ballparks and sporting venues. We’ll send each other selfies in front of some sporting palace in a “guess where I am” game. If you’re like me and enjoy documenting your baseball visits, take a look at this cool baseball book.

Good day folks!

It’s been a tough stretch for the Mariners, who fell again in a one-run contest to the Rangers to move their season record to 4-8. They’ll look to get back in the win column during a day game today against MacKenzie Gore, with first pitch at 11:35am PT.

For those of you on the west coast, how do you like morning baseball games? It’s been a minute since I got to experience one, but I remember enjoying that I got a baseball game that day and also got to enjoy a rare baseball-free evening.

In Mariners news…

• Daniel Kramer reported that the Mariners have approached Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo about contract extensions, and presumably the club remains in contact with other young players about potential deals.

Around the league…

• The Pirates officially announced the signing of a nine-year, $140M contract extension with super prospect Konnor Griffin.
• Astros ace righty Hunter Brown was diagnosed with a grade 2 shoulder strain and has been shut down from throwing from a few weeks.
• Young Cubs right-hander Cade Horton will require elbow surgery, ending his 2026 season.
• Blue Jays righty Cody Ponce will undergo knee surgery, forcing him to miss around six months.
• Jays backstop Alejandro Kirk is expected to miss six weeks after undergoing surgery on his left thumb.
• Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom was limited during his start against the Mariners due to knee discomfort. The team is currently awaiting his MRI results.
• White Sox utilityman Brooks Baldwin underwent an internal brace procedure to repair his right UCL. He is expected to miss all of 2026.
• David Adler wrote about Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai and his unique “wrong-way” slider.
• It’s early, but catchers have had a much better success rate in their ABS challenges than hitters so far. I suppose this should not come as a surprise, since catchers have a better vantage point of the strike zone.
• Unfortunately, I have to hand it to the Astros for being funny.

The theme of Tuesday’s slate of games was “quite a bit of offense, but not enough.” Starting pitching struggled, and even everyone pitching in at the plate wasn’t enough for Worcester and Portland… but it was plenty for Greenville and Salem, who had the help of solid defense. Let’s get into it.

Worcester: L, 10-14 (BOX SCORE)

It was a good night at the plate for the WooSox. The two-through-five hitters combined to go 9 for 20, with Kristian Campbell chipping in with three hits as his season OPS rises over .700. (He did, however, commit a throwing error in right field.) Even the bottom two hitters in the lineup, Vinny Capra and Matt Thaiss, each got a home run. Note Mikey Romero, who still has a batting average well over .300. And Sogard and Gasper continue to get on base at the top of the lineup.

But the team could not surmount some rough waters churned up by T.J. Sikkemma and Jacob Webb to start the game, as they very quickly found themselves in a 7-2 hole that was impossible to climb back from, especially following Noah Song’s three-run blown save. Columbus (Guardians AAA) had eight hits with runners in scoring position (and twenty-five opportunities to do so) so Tuesday was just a matter of the other team getting on the basepaths earlier in the inning and using their opportunities better.

Portland: L, 7-12(BOX SCORE)

It was opening day in Portland. Great! The Sea Dogs’ Hayden Mullins, Jorge Juan and Cade Feeney gave up ten runs to their neighbors from New Hampshire (Jays AA) in the second inning and saw fourteen batters come to the plate while throwing four wild pitches between the three of them. Definitely not great.

Miguel Bleis did have his first home run of the season, but that only cut the lead to 12-6. Patrick Halligan had seven strikeouts and allowed just one hit and a walk in three innings of relief and Max Carlson struck out five more in his two innings of work, but he was only in the game that long because of the prior pitching meltdown. Still, it is good to see some members of the organization turn early struggles around and remind us all that a small sample size is just that… cough cough… I hope?

Greenville: W, 7-2 (BOX SCORE)

No one went hungry and hitless Tuesday in Hub City (Rangers High-A) as every single member of the Drive chipped in at least one knock even if they struck out fourteen times. It did take until the sixth for the Drive to sling a run on the board, but the offense came in spades when it finally emerged. Shea Sprague left with a 2-0 deficit despite pitching three clean innings following the first, but Jojo Ingrassia had three innings of hitless baseball and Shane Ehrlicher had his first save of the season.

Salem: W, 10-2 (BOX SCORE)

While the Red Sox sweated out a W against the Brewers’ Major League club, the RidgeYaks cruised to a win against their Single-A counterparts thanks to plenty of knocks in the third and fourth frames, putting this one out of doubt pretty quickly behind some solid, if not short, pitching from last year’s sixth-round draft pick Leighton Finley. Catcher Kleighver Salazar had a monster day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two doubles. It is funny how much getting runners on the basepaths early in the inning and converting those runners when they get into scoring position can affect the outcome of a game … but of course, I’m just speaking out loud here.

Have a pleasant Wednesday!

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The Philadelphia Phillies will be looking to win the rubber match this afternoon against the San Francisco Giants as they send Aaron Nola to the hill. 

My Phillies vs. Giants predictions are targeting Philly to deliver behind a stellar outing from Nola.

Read more for my MLB picks for Wednesday, April 8. 

Who will win Phillies vs Giants today: Phillies moneyline (-133)

The Philadelphia Phillies lost 6-0 on Tuesday, as Robbie Ray dominated.

However, today, they’re up against strugglingSan Francisco Giants right-hander Tyler Mahle, who has allowed seven earned runs over nine innings in two starts. The Phillies’ lineup is also hitting .308 against Mahle across 52 at-bats.

Aaron Nola, meanwhile, has compiled a 3.18 ERA across his two outings, and he’s held this San Francisco lineup to a .178 average across 73 at-bats. The right-hander gave up a mere one earned run in his most recent game against the Rockies at hitter heaven, Coors Field. 

The Phillies are in a great position to take the series finale in the Bay Area.

COVERS INTEL: Mahle has already allowed two home runs, and opponents are hitting .351 against him in two appearances.

Phillies vs Giants Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-108)

Oracle Park is a pitcher-friendly stadium, and I don’t expect Nola to allow many runs. Plus, even when the Giants get to the Philadelphia bullpen, that doesn’t mean they’re going to magically wake up. 

San Francisco is struggling at the dish, ranking 29th in runs scored, 29th in OBP, and 28th in slugging. While I believe the Phillies will do some damage against Mahle, there’s still value in the Under in a ballpark like Oracle, which is huge. 

Two of the last four meetings have cashed the Under as well.

Phillies vs Giants odds

• Moneyline: Phillies -127 | Giants +122
• Run line: Phillies -15 (+127) | Giants +1.5 (-138)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (-104)

Phillies vs Giants trend

The Philadelphia Phillies have hit the Moneyline in 27 of their last 45 games (+2.90 Units / 4% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Giants.

How to watch Phillies vs Giants and game info

Phillies vs Giants latest injuries

Phillies vs Giants weather

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Jeff McNeil found himself floated in trade rumors throughout his seven years with the Mets, but the infielder was still a little surprised when he was finally moved this offseason. 

McNeil, of course, was one of several long-time members shipped out of town as the front office decided to shake things up with the teams core over the winter. 

“That’s the way the organization wanted to go,” he said Tuesday in the Bronx. “There’s a lot of us that were there for a long time that are no longer there, it was a little crazy to see, but it is what it is.”

Just a few months later, McNeil is already set to return to the Big Apple. 

Him and the Athletics kicked off a three-game set with the Yankees on Tuesday night, but it’s the one later this weekend at Citi Field that he’s had circled on his calendar. 

“When I got traded I saw this pretty early on the schedule,” he said. “These three games are like normal road games for me, but when we go to Citi Field it will be a little different, there will be a bit more emotion there.

“Seven years with the Mets, I enjoyed my time and have nothing but great things to say about the organization, but I got traded and I love it here -- we have a great group and we’re having a lot of fun, so it’s been nice.”

The A’s have gotten off to a bit of a rough start, sitting in the basement of the AL West with three losses in 10 games, but McNeil has begun finding his footing at the plate. 

After starting the season in a 1-for-13 funk with six strikeouts, the 34-year-old slugger now has knocks in four straight games following a two-hit effort in in Tuesday’s loss to the Yankees.

While he is yet to pick up an extra base-hit, he’ll certainly be looking to do damage this weekend against his old club.

When 19-year-old Konnor Griffin laced an RBI double to left-center field in his first MLB at-bat, it was a sign of hope for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and their future.

Thanks to a contract announced on Wednesday morning, Pirates fans now have almost a decade of hope and promise to look forward to.

Griffin put pen to paper on a massive nine-year contract with Pittsburgh worth $140 million, the biggest deal in Pirates’ history. That contract eclipses the $106.75 million deal that Bryan Reynolds signed back in 2023, and keeps Griffin in Pittsburgh through 2034.

It also continues Griffin’s meteoric rise through the professional ranks.

Pittsburgh selected the infielder with the ninth-overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, and Griffin did not waste any time impressing his new team. He started in Single-A with Bradenton for the 2025 season, where he slashed .338/.396/.536 over 50 games with nine home runs, earning a promotion to Greensboro, Pittsburgh’s High-A affiliate. Over 51 games with the Grasshoppers in 2025, Griffin slashed .325/.432/.510, belting seven home runs.

Then it was a promotion to Double-A, where over 21 more games he slashed .337/.418/.542 with another five home runs.

Griffin began the 2026 season with the big club for Spring Training, and was listed as the top prospect in all of baseball. He turned heads early in the spring with a pair of home runs against the Boston Red Sox, including this mammoth blast:

There was speculation that Griffin would make Pittsburgh’s Opening Day roster, but after slashing just .171/.261/.488 during Spring Training, the team assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate to begin the year. During a short stint in Indianapolis — just five games — Griffin began the year on a tear, slashing .438/.571/.625 along with three doubles.

That was enough to earn his promotion to the big club, where the 19-year-old made his debut against the Baltimore Orioles last week.

That’s when this happened:

Just five pitches into his MLB career, Griffin had both his first extra-base hit, and his first RBI.

But what followed is testament to his resilience, and why the Pirates likely felt comfortable with the contract announced on Wednesday. Following his 1-for-4 debut against Baltimore, Griffin went 0-for-4 in each of his next four games. Then came Tuesday night’s 2-for-4 outing against the San Diego Padres, including this two-run single that came off the bat at 113 miles per hour:

With the contract came praise from the organization.

“Signing Konnor is a meaningful commitment to this team, this city and our fans,” said Pirates chairman Bob Nutting. “It reflects our belief in Konnor, in this season’s club and in the future of our organization.

“Konnor represents everything we value in a player: exceptional talent, strong character, a team-first mentality and a maturity that stood out to all of us from the beginning. He is the right person, from the right family, and this is another important step in the work we have been doing to build something lasting.”

“Since joining the organization, Konnor has consistently demonstrated the traits we want in a Pirate: a daily commitment to improvement, a team-first mindset and a strong desire to win,” said Pirates general manager Ben Cherington. “He has met every challenge in front of him, and we are excited to watch him continue that growth alongside his teammates in Pittsburgh. We are thrilled he will be a Pirate for a long time.”

Ahead of the 2026 MLB season we made the case that the Pirates might be the most fascinating team in all of baseball, given the presence of young talent such as Griffin and Paul Skenes.

Which is why the Pirates fan in your life might feel a little more hope today.

If you stopped watching the San Diego Padres against the Pittsburgh Pirates after Nick Pivetta and Paul Skenes were replaced on the mound, you would wake up today looking to see if the Padres were able to scratch out a run or two against the Pittsburgh bullpen to come back and win the game. They did not, but things got much worse.

Pivetta delivered five innings of well-pitched baseball. He allowed two runs on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. It is the type of performance Padres fans should expect from a frontline starter. It is also the type of performance that those same fans would expect to see their offense produce enough runs to win a game. Against most pitchers that may be the case, but Skenes is not most pitchers. As good as Pivetta was, Skenes was better. The Pittsburgh ace completed 6.1 innings allowing one run on two hits with two walks and six strikeouts. His one mistake – a one-out 2-2 pitch in the top of the seventh inning to Xander Bogaerts that went 383 feet to left field for a solo home run.

The Padres were unable to do much, but the pitching kept the score, 2-1 until the bottom of the eight inning when Adrian Morejon entered the game. On most nights it is a quick 1-2-3 and the San Diego batters are getting ready to tie the game in the top of the ninth. That was not the case on Wednesday. Morejon lasted 1/3 of an inning and allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on five hits with the one out in his appearance coming on a strikeout.

The Padres stepped to the plate in the top of the ninth inning trailing 7-1 and went down in order to end the game with Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado striking out before Bogaerts grounded out to end the game. San Diego will look to win the series in Pittsburgh this morning at 9:35 a.m. PST.

Padres News:

• The Padres pitchers are doing what they can with Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish not in the rotation. The likes of Walker Buehler and German Marquez are trying fill the back of the rotation roles until reinforcements arrive, resulting in some tough decisions for Stammen and the San Deigo front office. The hope is the offense can start producing that will allow the pitching staff to compete without having to be perfect.

• Stammen stepped in to the role of manager with no managerial experience at the major league level – at any level for that matter. After three-and-two-thirds series in, how would Gaslamp Ball readers grade his performance so far?

• Joe Musgrove is trying to get back to the San Deigo rotation and that cannot come soon enough for a team that needs a boost to kickstart its season.

• Kyle Hart made some adjustments during his time in the San Diego minor league system last season and it appears to be paying dividends at the MLB level this season.

• Dennis Lin of The Athleticput together his first piece since soliciting information rom Padres fans and it would lead anyone to believe he has more to come in future articles.

Baseball News:

• Fans in Los Angeles went to see a baseball game between the Angels and the Atlanta Braves and what they got was a boxing match that resulted in ejections for both sides.

• Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto dominated the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Toronto manager did not stick around to see it.

• Amed Rosario hit two home runs to help the New York Yankees earn yet another win.

• Minnesota Twins pitcher Taj Bradley struck out 10 Detroit Tigers batters and outdueled Tarik Skubal en route to the win.

• The Boston Red Sox sent their ace Garrett Crochet up against the Milwaukee Brewers and their young fireballer Jacob Misiorowski and the veteran propelled the Red Sox to victory.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have completely transformed their lineup for the 2026 season, but there is still a debate as to who should be playing third base for the club between Jared Triolo and Nick Gonzales. While neither one of these players will likely be long term answers to fill this vacancy, the Pirates should prioritize playing Gonzales over Triolo.

The way that the roster is currently constructed there is an emphasis on having a strong offense to support a stellar pitching staff. To build this lineup the Pirates did take some liberties with sacrificing overall team defense to compensate for what was the worst offense in baseball a year ago. With that in mind it’s clear that Gonzales has more of a roll on a team that is willing to sacrifice some defense with the goal of scoring more runs and being able to frustrate opposing pitchers from top to bottom in a lineup.

Over the last couple of seasons, there has been few utility defenders as versatile as Triolo. He was the first utility man recipient of the Gold Glove Award in 2024 and can play nearly anywhere in the field. With the departure of fellow Gold Glover Ke’Bryan Hayes, Triolo was the incumbent at the hot corner. Triolo also regularly played at third when Hayes was injured or out of the lineup, so there is definitely a case to be made for him to be the Pirates’ regular third baseman.

Even with his credentials however, the positives do not outweigh the negatives in the case of Triolo. The 28-year-old Houston alum is absolutely the best defender on Pittsburgh’s roster, but offensively, he is mostly dead weight in the team’s lineup. His power is inconsistent and he doesn’t get on base at a very high rate. Before he was placed on the ten-day IL Triolo had a batting average of .217 and is only a career .236 hitter. He has just one extra base hit in 2026 and just one RBI.

Gonzales on the other hand would not be considered an elite defender. While capable he certainly does not have the range and versatility that Triolo has. However, Gonzales has gotten off to a red hot start this year at the plate. In nine games the New Mexico State product is slashing .297/.350/.351 with a .701 OPS, 11 hits and seven RBIs. Gonzales has the third most RBIs on the team and this season seems to always find a way to deliver a clutch base hit when the Pirates absolutely need a spark. In Pittsburgh’s most recent contest against San Diego Gonzales deliver with a bases loaded two-run single in the eighth inning to stretch the Pirates’ lead and ignited a five run inning for the Buccos. He’s far from an offensive superstar, but he does find a way to clutch up with consistent contact.

While neither of these players are consistent power threats the consistency that Gonzales has over Triolo for pure contact is still very valuable to this lineup. It was only six years ago when Gonzales was one of the best hitters in college baseball, and now really seems to be coming into his own at the major league level. He fits in perfectly between power threats like Oneil Cruz and Brandon Lowe as more of a small ball type of player who can consistently get on base and keep runners moving on the base pads.

To reiterate, neither one of these players are likely long term answers to be Pittsburgh’s every day third baseman, but for the time being Gonzales and his play style are more complimentary to the Pirates’ lineup than Triolo.

What do yinz think? Who would you want to see be the Pirates’ third baseman? Let us know in the comments!

Good morning! The Red Sox won a baseball game last night, which is something we haven’t gotten to say much this year. It was a close one, and another game where the bullpen played a key role. Holding onto leads has been tough for the Sox so far. Like, real tough:

But Zack Kelly of all people got the job done last night, so how are you feeling about the bullpen now that Garrett Whitlock’s back? The Red Sox front office treated it like it wasn’t much of a concern this offseason, but bullpens have a way of luring you into a false sense of security.

Talk about the pen or whatever else you want in this space and, as always, be good to one another.

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It's a getaway day in the MLB schedule, with plenty of early-afternoon games and the latest first pitch just 7:40 p.m. ET.

We've got MLB best bets for today spanning the entire slate, with the best prices available at Polymarket — a prediction market that allows users from coast-to-coast to join in on the baseball action.

Read on to see what our expert's MLB picks are today, along with more best bets from the Covers staff.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Josh Inglis: LAD/TOR u7.5	+108
Jon Metler: TEX ML	+117
Joe Osborne: NYY -1.5	+100
Neil Parker: PHI ML	-127

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Dodgers/Blue Jays Under 7.5

Price: 48¢ (+108) at Polymarket

Back to the Under in this Dodgers vs. Blue Jays matchup on getaway Wednesday afternoon. It’s a strong pitching duel between Shohei Ohtani and Dylan Cease, which is baked into the number... but there are additional factors supporting the Under: Toronto is off tomorrow and can lean on its top bullpen arms, plus its offense is in the worst of slumps — while LA could rest key bats with travel ahead of a Friday series. This sets up as a quick-paced game with limited run production.

Jon Metler's expert pick: Rangers moneyline

Price: 46¢ (+117) at Polymarket

The Rangers are listed as 46% underdogs against Bryan Woo and the Seattle Mariners, and I’m definitely hitting that number — I believe the Rangers should be closer to 53% favorites in this spot. MacKenzie Gore has adjusted his release point since joining Texas, making it even more difficult for left-handed hitters to square him up. With Brendan Donovan setting the table at the top of the lineup and Josh Naylor hitting in the middle — both left-handed bats — it’s fair to question how Seattle will generate offense, especially with Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez struggling at the plate as their primary right-handed threats. On the other side, Corey Seager and Jake Burger both profile well against Woo’s high-velocity, high-spin four-seam fastball.

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Yankees -1.5

Price: 50¢ (+100) at Polymarket

The Yankees have won eight games this season, covering the run line in every one of them, and that trend should continue tonight given the clear pitching edge here. Their lineup has dominated Luis Severino, posting a .963 OPS across 65 at-bats, and he was obliterated for 13 earned runs with 19 baserunners allowed in two starts against them last season. Will Warren was far more effective at home last year, while New York’s bullpen ranks first in FIP. Meanwhile, the A’s bullpen owns an 8.06 ERA over the past week — including four runs allowed to New York yesterday — and the Yankees have scored 5+ runs in six straight games.

Neil Parker's expert pick: Phillies ML

Price: 56¢ (-127) at Polymarket

Phillies veteran Aaron Nola is throwing it back, parlaying two solid showings in the World Baseball Classic into a respectable start to the 2026 season (3.18 ERA and 2.42 xFIP). He's facing a San Francisco lineup that is averaging just 3.0 runs per game, while ranking last in wOBA against righties, plus Giants starter Tyler Mahle has allowed a 17.9 barrel percentage and 42.9% hard-hit rate through two starts. With the Philadelphia lineup checking in sixth in wOBA against right-handed arms, I’m expecting the Phillies to break out at the dish after being blanked Tuesday.

More MLB best bets for today

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Admittedly, there is nothing more challenging than doing analysis on the fly. All numbers that appear in the lab during the regular season are a snapshot in time. In April, the impacts of one or two games can have quite an effect on the overall numbers. However, we are trying to look at things holistically and when that happens the numbers have a little more value.

Coming into play the Rockies, the Astros had the number one offense in MLB. They were number one in almost every category. The most telling category is walks. It seems foolish to say, but nothing gets more giddy and excited than walks. It is the single most underappreciated stat in baseball. Certainly, the season is only two weeks old, but the change has been noticeable.

Before I dive into the numbers I should make a few admissions. First, my username for SBNation is “VBallretired”. I took that name because I am a retired volleyball coach. Admittedly, my career as a coach was short. I quit coaching when my daughter was very young because I wanted to see her grow up. I’ll never regret that decision. I say all that to say that I know how difficult coaching is. I also know that what happens on the field or court is not always a reflection of the message you are giving to the players.

Alex Cintron and Troy Snitker were the guys for the last several years (since 2018 for Cintron). I am not in the clubhouse. I am not an insider. I don’t know the message that was being communicated. I can only see the results. The results were pretty clear. The Astros were less selective overall, more aggressive early in counts, and not particularly effective in situational hitting situations with men on base. Those are the facts. Whether they were coached to do those things or not is unknown.

As a former coach, I can attest to the fact that some teams take to your core message and resemble the kind of team you envision. Some teams don’t. I definitely get it. So, I will not completely crap on Cintron and Snitker except to say that the team was not effective offensively and it was time for a new voice (or voices). Sometimes people’s voices get drowned out for whatever reason. However, the numbers below are a testament to the idea that coaches can have an effect. A number of fans and analysts didn’t think it mattered. Players are who they are. That is certainly true to a certain extent, but it is not universally true.

We are looking at three process numbers do demonstrate what has been happening in the early going. The first number is chase rate. As a reminder, 30 percent tends to be around the league average. We are comparing each player’s 2025 rate with the 2026 rate. So, league norms are not necessarily relevant. The second number is swing percentage. it is followed by zone percentage which is the percentage of pitches that actually wind up in the zone. 50 percent tends to be average on both counts. Again, we are more interested in 2025 versus 2026. Numbers are accurate through the end of the Athletics series.

I should start with the usual caveats and disclaimers. I use the word aggregate because it is the numerical average of all of the numbers. It doesn’t represent differences in who actually gets the plate appearances. It also doesn’t represent the actual roster employed last season. In particular, Nick Allen is much more patient than Mauricio Dubon, so we included Allen because coaches have to be graded based on what they do with what they have and not based on what they have.

Dans Brown’s job is to give Joe Espada the very best roster he can. Espada’s job is to employ that roster to maximum effect. From there, the hitting and pitching coaches are charged with getting as many of their charges to hit or pitch their very best. Given all of those caveats we can begin to digest these numbers to figure out what they might mean long-term.

We will start on the right hand side of the ledger. The zone percentage represents the percentage of pitches that hitters see in the zone. Clearly, teams are not challenging Astros hitters very much. Of course, there are multiple reasons for that. On the one hand, it could be a bigger trend based on past performance. If I were coaching against the Astros, I would probably tell me pitchers to test the Astros hitters and their strike zone judgment. In particular, Diaz, Altuve, and Pena have been free swingers. Why give them a lot to hit?

On the other hand, they have gone up against three teams so far. Even if we include the Rockies, we would see four teams expected to be near the bottom of the standings. The Red Sox might be the notable exception to that rule, but no one has high hopes for the Athletics, Angels, or Rockies pitchers. So, maybe they are just incapable of getting it in the zone consistently.

Either way, the Astros have responded by swinging less often and chasing less often. I’m certain that the actual 2025 numbers would be worse than what we see above. So, the difference is that much more stark. It clearly reflects the messaging going to hitters. Of course, only those inside the clubhouse would know whether the message has changed considerably. Often the key to good coaching is not the message itself, but in how it is communicated. Clearly, the message is the right one and so far it is being communicated in a way most of the hitters can digest. From here, Joe Espada will need to manipulate the lineups to take fuller advantage of those performing and Brown will need to shape the roster by possibly moving some of these guys not performing. That is the way this whole thing works. Of course, the rubber will meet the road when the Astros finally see a good pitching staff in Seattle.

1963
On this date, one of the biggest “what if’s” in franchise history took place.

As per the rules at the time, the White Sox had to choose between two pitchers signed to “bonus baby” contracts, as only one player signed to a deal for more than a certain amount of money could remain in the organization; the other would have to be waived.

With that in mind, rookies Bruce Howard and Denny McLain square off in an intrasquad game to see who would be released and who got promoted to Double-A Lynchburg. Howard won, 2-1. McLain got his walking papers and was claimed by Detroit the following week. He’d go on to win 131 big league games, including 31 in 1968.  

Howard won 26 in his career, and never could find consistent success. He was traded to the Orioles in November 1967. 

1984
After 559 starts in the National League, Tom Seaver made his American League debut in a 7-3 mauling by the Tigers at Comiskey Park. The loss came a day after the South Siders were no-hit by a Detroit team that got out the gate hot and didn’t stop until they won the 1984 World Series. Seaver lasted just 4 1⁄3 innings, surrendering five earned runs, including a solo homer to Kirk Gibson.

After his debut loss, Seaver was defeated again, and took a 7.71 ERA into his third start. The future Hall-of-Famer corrected himself on the season, however, ending up with a 15-11 record and 3.95 ERA/105 ERA+/4.1 WAR. At age 39, he led the White Sox pitchers in wins and was second in WAR.

1991
It was always a “House of Horrors” for the White Sox, but on this day they got the last laugh.

The Sox spoiled the last Orioles home opener in Memorial Stadium by ripping Baltimore, 9-1. Sammy Sosa clubbed homers in the second and eighth innings to lead the rout, driving in five runs on the afternoon. Jack McDowell went the distance for the win, striking out 10.

1995
With teams ramping up quickly to fill out rosters as the labor impasse that cancelled the 1994 World Series ended, the White Sox signed free agent outfielder Mike Devereaux and southpaw starter Jim Abbott for the season.

Devereaux was signed for $1,350,000 and served as the team’s primary right fielder (1.8 WAR, .306/.352/.465, 115 OPS+) before being dealt to contending Atlanta for minor league center fielder Andre King on August 25.

Abbott, famously a star hurler with just one hand, signed for $2 million and had a renaissance season, going 6-4 with a 3.36 ERA and 2.6 WAR in just 17 starts. He was dealt back to his original club, the California Angels, on July 27. Abbott also would mount a comeback with the White Sox in 1998, after sitting out 1997.

2014
The White Sox hit six home runs, including the first two of José Abreu’s career, in a 15-3 rout of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Avisaíl García adds two homers, with Tyler Flowers and Alexei Ramírez getting one apiece. The White Sox scored 11 times in the final three frames, turning a 4-3 squeaker into a 15-3 romp. Jim Margalus covered the rout for South Side Sox.

2021
The Legend of Yermín Mercedes grew, as he clubbed the third-longest home run ever at new Sox Park. Coming against Brad Keller of the Royals, the 485-foot clout was hit in the rain, and in Yermín’s very first 2021 at-bat in front of his home fans.

2025
In just his second career start, Shane Smith threw a no hitter for 5 ⅔ innings, becoming the first MLB pitcher with a least 11 ⅔ innings pitched in his first two starts to allow no more than four total bases. The last pitcher to accomplish this stingy feat was also a South Side hurler: Shovel Hodge, in 1920.

The losing continues for the Detroit Tigers, who dropped their third straight on Tuesday night to the Minnesota Twins, 4-2. To make matters worse, it was the second-straight Tarik Skubal start wasted in defeat.

The ace southpaw struggled in his third game of the 2026 campaign, lasting just 4 1/3 innings while giving up four earned runs on eight hits — plus he issued his first two walks of the season. It doesn’t help that Detroit’s offense has been as robust as a wet noodle, and so now Minnesota is up two games to none in this week’s four-game series.

The Tigers can still force a split, but they need to get things going on Wednesday night behind their high-priced lefty, Framber Valdez. The free agent acquisition has paid off so far, and hopefully, his success continues into his third start.

Opposite him is right-hander Baily Ober, who is no stranger to the Motor City Kitties. Detroit won both games against him last year, tallying 10 earned runs on 14 hits (five home runs) but just one walk with nine strikeouts in 11 innings over those two matchups.

Can the Tigers heat up and snap schneid? Tune in on Wednesday night to find out.

Detroit Tigers (4-7) vs. Minnesota Twins (5-6)

Time (ET): 7:40 p.m. ET
Place: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 12: LHP Framber Valdez (1-0, 0.75 ERA) vs. RHP Bailey Ober (0-0, 6.75 ERA)

VALDEZ

OBER

Coming into Tuesday night’s game, the Cubs were third in all of MLB in hard-hit rate, trailing only the Dodgers and Rangers. Here’s what it looked like before the game:

You knew that eventually some of those hard hit balls would start falling in for hits, and that’s what happened Tuesday in Tropicana Field. The Cubs bats kept hitting baseballs hard, and many of them did drop in, leading to a 9-2 win over the Rays. The Cubs had 16 hits in the game, a season high.

The first inning went scoreless, then Dansby Swanson smacked a double to left, hard it. Check out the exit velocity:

Michael Conforto followed with this RBI single [VIDEO].

Matt Shaw scored Conforto with this double [VIDEO].

The Cubs put two more on the board in the third. Alex Bregman led off with a double and went to third on a sharp single to right by Pete Crow-Armstrong.

PCA took off for second. He was safe, and a throwing error allowed Bregman to score [VIDEO].

PCA took third on the error and scored on a sac fly by Moisés Ballesteros [VIDEO].

That was all off Rays reliever Mason Englert, who I thought was going to be used as an opener in this one — but the Rays left him in through two out in the fourth inning and 65 pitches, a career high for the right-hander. The Cubs took advantage and hit him hard. The last batter he faced, Nico Hoerner, smacked a laser of a line drive to left for a single, their seventh hit of the game in less than four innings.

A note on those back-to-back two-run innings from BCB’s JohnW53:

Going into tonight, the Cubs had scored multiple runs in just two of their last 41 innings. Then they did it twice in three innings, back-to-back.

Javier Assad breezed through the early going in this game, retiring the first 12 Rays on just 46 pitches, really efficient work. It was his usual game when he’s on, not throwing real hard, just keeping Rays hitters off balance and pounding the strike zone. Keep up this great work!

PCA was thrown out trying to steal in the fifth. That was the Cubs’ first CS of 2026 after 11 successful steal attempts this year.

Junior Caminero walked to lead off the fifth, the Rays’ first baserunner. An infield hit by Chandler Simpson broke up any thought of a no-hit bid. Assad eventually got out of the inning with a double-play ball.

In the sixth, Ballesteros led off with a single and one out later, advanced to second on a wild pitch. A walk drawn by Conforto and single by Shaw loaded the bases. Nico Hoerner then dribbled a ball up the middle that the Rays defense turned into an out with some fancy flips, but Ballesteros scored to make it 5-0 [VIDEO].

Assad was lifted with two out in the sixth and 80 pitches, having allowed one hit and two walks, with three strikeouts. He was just outstanding. Here’s more on Assad’s outing [VIDEO].

Hoby Milner relieved Assad and allowed a hit, then finished off the inning with a fly to center. More on Assad’s outing from John:

This was the 11th of Javier Assad’s 55 career starts in which he did not allow a run. The longest was 8.0 innings at Cincinnati on Sept. 2, 2023. The Cubs lost, 2-1. He pitched six innings three times, on April 2, May 5 and May 15 of 2024; 5.1 twice, in 2022 and last year; and 5.0 twice, both in 2022. The two other starts were only 4.0 and 3.1. The fewest hits in any of the previous shutout starts of at least 5.0 was four, five times. The most recent was May 15, 2024, vs. the Rockies.

PCA’s bat seemed to come alive in this game. In the seventh, he smashed his first home run of the year [VIDEO].

That was another ball hit really hard by a Cub [VIDEO].

The Cubs added another run in the eighth. Swanson led off with a single and stole second. Conforto walked, and one out later Nico singled in Dansby [VIDEO].

The Rays got on the board in the eighth with a couple of runs off Phil Maton, who has been… not good so far in a Cubs uniform. This is something that’s going to have to improve. Craig Counsell doesn’t have much of a Circle of Trust in this year’s Cubs bullpen so far. One of the runs scored literally off Maton when Ryan Vilade’s line drive hit him in the back [VIDEO].

Maton had to be relieved by Caleb Thielbar with two out and his season ERA at 13.50. That’s gotta improve.

The Cubs added two more in the ninth. PCA singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ballesteros followed with his first home run of 2026 [VIDEO].

This is the sort of offense this team is capable of. Let’s hope it shows up more often in upcoming games.

Jacob Webb, who had also struggled in his first few appearances this year, entered to throw the ninth. He walked the first hitter he faced on four pitches, then retired three in a row to end things. Here’s the final out [VIDEO].

That’s the only complaint department item for this one, still a bit shaky among the middle relievers.

Once again in this game, Ballesteros showed how good he is at ABS challenges. Here, he gets a strike three call overturned [VIDEO].

As JD says on the clip, that’s a dangerous time to use a challenge — top of the second inning. But Ballesteros was correct. Ultimately he flied to left, but that made Englert throw three extra pitches. Every little bit counts. One day, Ballesteros is going to do this and it will come through for him with a key hit.

The Cubs will go for the series win Wednesday evening in St. Petersburg. Colin Rea will make his first 2026 start for the Cubs, and Joe Boyle goes for the Rays. Game time is again 5:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.