Category: MLB

Saturday notes…

• TWO IS USUALLY ENOUGH: The Cubs have allowed no more than two runs in eight of their 13 games, but have lost two of the eight, both by 2-0. Last year, they were 51-7 when giving up two or fewer runs, including 13-5 when giving up exactly two. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• SIX IS USUALLY ENOUGH: In yesterday’s loss, the Cubs made six hits and limited the Pirates to three. Before then, the Cubs had won all six previous games this season in which they had outhit their opponent. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• THE NICO FILES: Nico Hoerner has a 12-game on-base streak in which he is batting .357/.481/.571 (15-for-42) with six doubles, a home run, nine RBI and nine walks.
• GOOD STARTING: Cubs starting pitchers have a 2.47 ERA in the 13 games so far this year, which leads the NL and is second in MLB (Yankees, 2.40).

Cubs lineup:

Game 2.

Catch today’s game on @WatchMarquee. #Cubspic.twitter.com/lIFolYv6SQ

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 11, 2026

The Pirates lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Pirates lineup.

Edward Cabrera, RHP vs. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP

Edward Cabrera has not only been the Cubs’ best starter so far this year, he’s been one of the top starters anywhere in MLB, alllowing just eight of the 41 hitters he’s faced so far to reach base, no runs allowed and nine strikeouts in 11.2 innings. The only little glitch is six walks, and that was an issue for him in Miami, so hopefully it doesn’t become one here.

Cabrera hasn’t faced the Pirates since 2023, and the only current Pirate who has more than a couple of at-bats against him is Marcell Ozuna (2-for-11 with four strikeouts).

Braxton Ashcraft did pretty well in his rookie season last year — 2.71 ERA, 1.249 WHIP in 26 appearances (eight starts). This year he’s going to be a full-time member of the Pirates rotation and he has made two pretty good starts to date, completing six innings in both. In his last outing, April 5 vs. the Orioles, he struck out eight.

He made two starts against the Cubs last year (plus one relief appearance) and allowed four runs in 11 total innings, with 10 strikeouts. Michael Busch homered off him in one of those outings. Pete Crow-Armstrong is 3-for-4 with two doubles.

In case you were wondering, he is not related to Graham Ashcraft of the Reds. But the two families did look into it last year before figuring out that they are not related.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Pirates site Bucs Dugout. If you do go there to interact with Pirates fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Columbus Clippers (7-6) – AAA

COL 5 – WOR 8

Box Score

The Columbus Clippers and the Worcester Red Sox faced off in Worcester Friday evening. The Clippers have been struggling against the WooSox, staying just above .500 with last night’s loss marking 3 straight loses against the Red Sox.

It didn’t take long for Ryan Webb to start running into trouble. In the bottom of the second a lead off triple was converted to a run on a groundout. A one-out walk and hit by pitch put two on. George Valera, on rehab assignment in Columbus, committed a fielding error in left field allowing the runner on 2nd to score.

The Clippers defensive woes would continue for the remainder of the game, racking up 6 errors on the night. Webb fell to 0-2 on the year, pitching 3.1 innings. He allowed 2H, 4R (2ER), 6BB, with 4Ks. Jack Leftwich was the only pitcher to not have runs scored on his watch. Leftwich went 1.2IP, 2H, 0R/ER, 1BB, 1K. Andrew Walters pitched an inning, allowing a run on a solo homer. It was the only hit he allowed. Walters walked no batters and struck out 2. Colin Holderman pitched the remaining 2 innings. He allowed 3 hits with 3 runs, none of which were earned. He struck out 5.

The offense pieced together some runs after their shutout the day prior. Petey Halpin went 1-for-3 with a run and a RBI. Travis Bazzana went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strike out. Milan Tolentino made up for his defensive error, going 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the eighth.

Back in his home run ways #ClipShowpic.twitter.com/rwj0uDWaQx

— Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) April 11, 2026

But the scoring started with George Valera in the 6th inning, hitting the Clippers’ first homer of the series. Valera went 1-for-4 with a run and 2 RBI.

Clutch #ClipShowpic.twitter.com/6CQSE7k6Wt

— Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) April 10, 2026

Akron RubberDucks (4-3) – AA

AKR 8 – HBG 6

Box Score

The RubberDucks were more successful in their Friday night game. Josh Hartle took the mound for Akron and had a solid start. Hartle pitched 4.2 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits. He walked 2 and struck out 5.

A 5⃣ strikeout Friday by @JoshHartle25pic.twitter.com/sYuPGFTVRM

— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) April 11, 2026

Jack Jasiak earned his second win of the season in his 2.1 innings of work. He allowed 2 runs on 2 hits. Alaska Abney pitched 1.2, 1H, 1R, 2BB, 2K. Magnus Ellerts got the save, walking one in his 0.1 IP.

The RubberDucks offense performed well, scoring 8 runs on 7 hits and 9 walks.

Akron’s first run came in the 2nd inning. Nick Mitchell hit a lead off single, stealing 2nd and advancing to 3rd on a wild pitch. Joe Lampe drew a walk, but during Alex Mooney’s at bat, a balk scored Mitchell. Mooney and Jake Fox loaded the bases with walks of their own, but a strikeout and GIDP stopped the rally.

In the 4th inning Mitchell drew a lead off walk. Catcher Interference put runners on 1st and 2nd. Jake Fox hit a single on a liner to left, scoring Mitchell and Mooney.

A 2-run single by @Jake_Fox8 ties the game!

TOP 4 | Akron 3 | Harrisburg 3 pic.twitter.com/MQzhExWoUE

— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) April 11, 2026

The walks continued in the top of the 5th. Christian Knapczyk and Nick Mitchell drew back-to-back one-out walks. Joe Lampe hit an RBI single to put the RubberDucks up 5-3. In the next at bat, Alex Mooney hit a 3-run moon shot.

The 2nd homer of the series by @aj_mooney2, who has 7 RBI this week!

103 mph🚀375 feet

TOP 5 | Akron 8 | Harrisburg 3 pic.twitter.com/m7796EJPxT

— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) April 11, 2026

The exciting game ended with flair. Knapczyk had a beauty of a snag at 2nd for the final out of the game.

A game-winning snag by @Cknap1!

FINAL | Akron 8 | Harrisburg 6 pic.twitter.com/IAqHqlusD9

— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) April 11, 2026

Lake County Captains (3-4) – High A

LC 3 – DAY 7

Box Score

Lake County struggled against the Dayton Dragons, losing by 4 runs. Braylon Doughty fell to 0-1 on the season. Doughty only pitched 2.1 innings. He allowed 4R (2ER) on 5H, striking out one batter. In the bottom of the 3rd a one-out fielding error on 2B Luke Hill set the Caps up for failure. Doughty gave up four straight singles, putting the Dragons up 3-2 before being pulled for Donovan Zsak. Zsak has pitched 1.2 innings so far this year. He finished the 3rd inning only allowing one walk before retiring the side. He is maintaining a 0.00 ERA. Jogly García pitched 4.0, securing the loss for the Captains. He gave up 3R (2ER) on 2H and 2BB. He struck out 3. Sean Matson pitched the 8th inning, striking out one and allowing one hit.

The Captains had a strong start. In the top of the first, Jace LaViolette and Dean Curley drew back-to-back one-out walks. Aaron Walton and Bennett Thompson hit back-to-back singles to put two runs on the board.

CAPTAINS STRIKE FIRST! 🔥🔥

Back-to-back RBI singles by Aaron Walton and Bennett Thompson has Lake County out in front going into the 2nd! pic.twitter.com/RwPc00Mkap

— Lake County Captains (@LCCaptains) April 10, 2026

Lake County’s final run came in the top of the 6th. Bennett Thompson drew a lead off walk. He reached 2nd on a wild pitch and 3rd on a flyout. Luke Hill hit a two-out single to score Thompson.

Hill City Howlers (4-3) – Single A

FBG 3 – HC 5

Box Score

The Howlers took a win from the Fredericksburg Nationals. Jacob Zibin had a strong 4.0 inning outing. He allowed 1 run on 3H and 1BB, striking out 5. Luke Fernandez pitched 2 innings of scoreless baseball, striking out 2 and walking 1. Keegan Zinn earned the win and recorded a blown save. In Zinn’s 2.0 innings of work, he allowed 2R/ER, 1BB, and struck out 2. Angel Perez earned his 2nd save of the season, closing the game. He walked 2 and struck out 2.

Cannon Peebles had a great game at the plate. He went 1-for-3 with 1R, 2RBI, 2BB, HR, and a SB.

The Howlers got on the board in the bottom of the 3rd. Juneiker Caceres drew a lead off walk which was followed by Cannon Peebles’s 2-run HR.

Cannon Peebles got ALL OF THAT ONE!! 🚀⚾️

His 2-run home run gives us the LEAD here in the bottom of the third inning!

Howlers 2 | Nationals 1 #SeeYouLaterpic.twitter.com/RIyVRPocNL

— Hill City Howlers (@HCHowlers) April 11, 2026

In the bottom of the 5th, the Howlers tacked on another run. Caceres and Pebbles drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning. Yeiferth Castillo work a one-out walk to load the bases. Luis De La Cruz singled to first to score Caceres.

The final runs were scored in the bottom of the 8th. Luis De La Cruz was hit by pitch to lead off. He stole 2nd, but was caught stealing 3rd for the 2nd out of the inning. Yaikel Mijares drew a two-out walk and hustled to 3rd on Robert Arias’ single to right. Juneiker Caceres singled on a liner to left, scoring Mijares and Arias.

Two weeks into the season and the 2026 White Sox roller coaster already has been twisting us left, right, up and down. In such a tumultuous time, the Sox have swung between being swept to being the sweepers faster than Yermín Mercedes peaked and then abruptly retired from baseball in 2021. Ah, such memorable times with Tony La Russa.

After witnessing the highs and lows of such a small sample size, here are the extremely early, yet prevalent, themes that should be followed through the rest of the season.

---

This Sox crew is a lot more resilient
Now a full year removed from the horrors of 2024, this team is nowhere near cut from the same cloth. Despite playing pitifully on Opening Day and starting 1-5, the Sox have proven that they won’t just roll over and take losses.

As seen in their series against Toronto, the team knows how to step up. In the first two games of that series, the Sox lost but recovered the lead three times. The second game perfectly encapsulates this: After capturing an early lead, the Jays put up two runs in the sixth, quickly tampering the mood. In what would otherwise have been a typical blown win, Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montogmery delivered clutch home runs to pull the Sox ahead, 4-2, in the bottom of the sixth. Even after the Jays cut the lead to one run in the seventh, the Sox capitalized on fielding errors to add two insurance runs in the eighth. Props to Tristan Peters and Murakami’s defensive instincts that resulted in pulling off a bases-loaded, inning-ending double-play.

A similar story played out in the first two games against the Orioles, but unfortunately the Sox didn’t prevail.

This team certainly has more pep in its step, and they aren’t spiraling after losses or mistakes. You can feel the difference in this team’s attitude and mentality. If Chicago continues minimizing their number of blown wins and saves, they could creep into the wild card race.

There are no roster locks
No one’s locker is safe on the South Side. That was evident when Korey Lee was DFA’d and outrighted to Charlotte to make room for Reese McGuire, and it’ll only continue.

Opening Day starter Shane Smith only spent 13 days on the 26-man roster before being optioned to Charlotte after shouldering 10 runs in fewer than nine innings. On the same day, the Sox moved Brooks Baldwin to the 60-day IL, shutting him down for the season. Don’t forget that Mike Vasil, who was supposed to be a reliable reliever, also won’t play a single regular season game until mid-2027. While Smith may be able to bounce back and rejoin the rotation, the roster has quickly turned from slightly more predictable to very uncertain. 

This leaves the door open for dark horse players to emerge as unsung heroes. Peters has proven to be one of these guys after hitting a walk-off single in the home opener against the Blue Jays, and making several strong fielding plays. Anthony Kay has stepped forward as one of the top starters in the rotation after a nearly six-inning shutout and first MLB win since 2021 against the Royals on Thursday.

Any win will truly be a team effort from the Sox. As of now, there are no go-to guys who will carry this team. 

The farm will get tested
Chris Getz is getting a jump on the Triple-A talent at his disposal, which could make or break this season. Instead of snatching every free agent available on waivers, Getz has already called up six guys from Charlotte to plug injury gaps in the 26-man roster. While this is expected from a team that is always strapped for cash, nothing is a given with Getz steering the ship.

Unlike last year, expect Charlotte and even some of Birmingham to be drained of talent by the end of the season. Chicago’s development program and coaching staff will be put to the test with big names like Tanner McDougal, Sam Antonacci and William Bergolla Jr. on the fast-track to the Good Guys, and Bham guys including Braden Montomgery, Rikku Nishida and Calvin Harris potentially turning a major curve on their quest to the majors.

The Sox will either be exposed or praised for their youth once again. Hopefully, it goes as well as it did last year.

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

Saturday at the Bank#RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/azOHQXbVs8

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 11, 2026

For the Diamondbacks:

Baseball for brunch. pic.twitter.com/JAPxvz5VuM

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 11, 2026

Let’s talk about it.

Earlier this week, the crew over at OverSlot, a website dedicated to covering the MLB Draft and prospects, released an MLB mock draft simulator, something that the draft community has been sorely lacking on the baseball scene. Not only does the simulator allow you to test out different hypothetical scenarios with any team of your choosing, but it also has the many nuances of the MLB Draft built into it, such as signing bonuses and working within your team’s constrained budget.

I’ve been messing around with the simulator the last few days, and wanted to show off some different ways the draft in July could play out for the Nats, depending on the front office’s strategy. Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline mentioned in an 11-pick mock draft the other day that he thinks the Nationals will go with a college hitter with the 11th overall pick, something I will keep in mind while doing these mocks. I recommend any draft fans also give the free simulator a shot, to help them better understand this years draft class and the kinds of strategies the Nationals could deploy.

Scenario 1: College Pitcher/Slot Value

In my first mock, I get a gift from the simulator, snagging my favorite pitcher and a top 5 talent in the draft in Jackson Flora with the 11th pick, at slot value. If there is any pitcher in this draft class who could speedrun the minor leagues and make an impact in the big leagues in the next year or two, it’s Flora, who features multiple plus offerings and great strike-throwing ability (and as of me writing this, gave up his first run in over a MONTH).

I went into my second pick primarily looking for a college bat with a strong track record of success, but loved the value of getting right-handed pitcher Cade Townsend out of Ole Miss for slot value. Townsend missed a few starts during March with a shoulder injury, but has been electric in the 7 starts he has made for the Rebels in 2026, posting a 1.82 ERA, 2.22 FIP, and 32.5 K-BB%.

I splurged into my bonus pool a little with the Nats’ third-round pick, grabbing Virginia prep shortstop Will Yow, whose excellent speed and defense offer him a higher floor than most prep bats, coming in as my 32nd-ranked prospect in the entire draft currently. The focus with my remaining top 10 picks was college players who I could save bonus pool money on, but also offered some intriguing upside, especially from the pitchers. Overall, I would be thrilled with this draft path for the Nats in July, as they get to add 2 extremely polished right-handed pitchers to their farm system, a toolsy prep shortstop, and a cluster of college arms and bats.

Scenario 2: College Hitter/Slightly Underslot

I went into this mock draft looking for my favorite combination of upside and savings from a college bat with my first-round pick. There were multiple solid choices, but my favorite of the bunch ended up being Sawyer Strosnider, a left-handed hitting outfielder out of TCU. With the 700k underslot savings from the Strosnider pick, I had some wiggle room to buy down some talent with my later selections.

I was willing to use up some of my savings on the second round pick, but ended up not needing to, selecting Tennessee prep catcher Will Brick, my 17th-ranked prospect in the entire draft, as I am a huge believer in his ability to hit and stick behind the dish defensively.

I dug into those savings with the Nats’ third round selection, splurging 1.1 million dollars overslot for right-handed prep arm Joseph Contreras, one of the more famous names in this year’s class after a gutsy performance against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, during which he got Aaron Judge to ground into a double play. Contreras reminds me of current Nats pitching prospect Miguel Sime Jr. as a prospect, a high school flamethrower who has trouble throwing strikes, but could be a huge hit if developed correctly in pro ball.

The focus of my remaining top 10 round selections was primarily on savings, as I spent a little more than I had saved on Conteras in the 3rd round, but had some fun highlights, such as Eli Willits’ older brother Jaxon Willits, a shortstop at Oklahoma, in the 4th round, and a lefty with big strikeout stuff in the 5th round in Cam Johnson, also out of Oklahoma.

Scenario 3: College Hitter/Heavily Underslot

I went into this final mock with one goal in mind: to mimic Paul Toboni and the Nationals front office to the best of my abilities. That meant my focus, at least with my first round pick, would be on athletic position players who are located up the middle defensive positions, such as catcher, shortstop, and center field, with room to adjust for best player available, depending on how the draft board shook out. In this mock, I got a prospect who checked just about every box in shortstop Tyler Bell, a draft-eligible sophomore at Kentucky with excellent defense and plus power potential. Snagging Bell 11th overall saved me 1.5 million dollars underslot, meaning I could get very creative with my money the rest of the draft.

I thought about different strategies for how to deploy my savings in the next few rounds, but decided I wanted to use them all in one place to snag California prep left-handed pitcher Logan Schmidt with the 42nd overall pick, great value as he is my 16th-ranked prospect in the class currently. Schmidt is just a grade below the top prep arms, Gio Rojas and Carson Bolemon, in this year’s draft for me, but could end up being the best pitcher in this draft class with proper development, as he’s up to 97 from the left side with elite extension and 2 blossoming breaking balls.

I needed to make back about 600k in savings with my remaining draft picks, but I was able to snag a college pitcher with great stuff in the 3rd round in Owen Kramkowski, who has great control and solid stuff, but has struggled to turn it into consistent results so far at Arizona. I also was able to snag a college shortstop having a breakout junior season in Dee Kennedy out of Kansas State in the 4th round (who I played against in high school, where he was also very good).

Overall, I think all 3 of these mock drafts would be successful drafts for the Nationals in real life, especially one like the first one, where they can get a top player in the draft at slot value. Toboni and the Red Sox staff tended to favor certain kinds of prospects during their drafts in the past, but showed a willingness to go off that script when they felt it would benefit them, meaning all bets are off as to what will happen come this July.

It’s been a part of the Yankee Stadium experience for years. The Bombers have runners on base, the visiting manager makes the slow walk out to the mound, and signals to the bullpen in left field. Immediately, the door in the left-field fence opens up, the new reliever steps onto the field, and immediately the Yankee Stadium scoreboard begins to play a rally video, intended to intimidate the new pitcher and pump up the crowd.

Over the last few years, the Yankees have experimented quite a bit with the in-game stadium experience, bringing in a DJ to blast music and sound effects between pitches and implementing various closer entrances for Clay Holmes, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, and David Bednar. Accordingly, the organization has experimented with these rally hype videos. Last summer, for example, they engaged in some subtle advertising with a Jurassic World-themed vide of Yankees batters stalking pitchers like prey, conveniently introduced a few weeks before Jurassic World Rebirth premiered in theaters. Then, as the old scoreboard gave them fits late last season (in fact, I saw the system crash so often I almost wrote an article last year about it), they shifted to a light-centered video, cutting almost all the lights in the stadium and putting a “Public Service Announcement: Yankees Rally Incoming” emergency alert on all functioning screens.

After making a big deal about the new scoreboard installation, it should not be surprising then that the Yankees revamped their rally hype video again. When a new pitcher came into the game this week, the lights in the Stadium were dimmed, and a QR code was put on the screen. This QR code linked to a light show website, which took over the flashlight of each participating cell phone and incorporated them into a stadium-wide light show.

From a technical standpoint, the effect was incredibly cool — thousands upon thousands of lights flashing throughout Yankee Stadium in the night, taking over for the Stadium lights and supplementing the scoreboards and screens as the pitcher reached the mound in preparation for his warmup pitches. And it’s thematically appropriate, too, as between the increased prominence of the DJ and the amount of music played before the game and between innings, it’s clear to me that the team is intent on giving Yankee Stadium a bit of a club vibe this season. These cell phone light shows really help contribute to that atmosphere. And the effect has done its job — many in the crowd used the QR code, and the energy in the Stadium, even on the cold nights when the Yankees were losing to the Athletics, skyrocketed for that short minute.

There’s just one problem: Because of it, Yankee Stadium now needs a strobe warning.

The human body doesn’t always respond well to flashing lights. For many people, looking at it for too long can cause headaches and migraines. For people with photosensitive epilepsy, even a brief exposure to flashes and strobes can cause seizures. These effects are common enough that, when I was the lighting designer of an amateur theatre group back in college, we felt compelled to post strobe warnings outside the theatre even when the show’s most intense light cue was the LEDs changing color a couple of times — after all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Now, you might say, wouldn’t someone who has such sensitivity to light know not to put themselves in this kind of position? Obviously, the answer is yes — but for the most part that involves avoiding concerts with big light shows, fast-paced videogames, or movies with a lot of on-screen explosions. It didn’t used to mean baseball games. But now, suddenly, it does — and people need to be made aware.

Cincinnati Reds 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes is off to a 3 for 34 start to the 2026 season. In 215 PA since coming over to the Reds from the Pittsburgh Pirates last summer, he’s the owner of a combined .208/.288/.297 (.585 OPS, 60 OPS+) line, and that was enough to make me dive back into the performances of some other notable Reds during their tenures with the club as comparison.

Jack Hannahan (2013-2014)

Hannahan, like Hayes, was primarily a 3B, though he did at least bounce around to other positions on the infield where he also couldn’t hit.

In 212 PA with the Reds across two seasons, he memorably hit .209/.294/.278 (.572 OPS). That was good for an OPS+ of 60 in that era.

Corey Patterson (2008)

Patterson came to the Reds after a stint with the Baltimore Orioles after having also been a half-decent player for the Chicago Cubs for a time. In 2008, he logged 392 PA with the Reds – many in the leadoff spot – and hit a whopping .205/.238/.344 (.582 OPS). In that particular offensive environment, that was good for an OPS+ of just 50.

Skip Schumaker (2014-2015)

Skip was brought in to help anchor the Reds after they’d somehow found a way to twice win 90+ games without him at the early portions of that decade. The veteran veteran hit the ground running in 2014 with a .235/.287/.308 (.595 OPS) in 271 PA in 2014, a mark that was good for a 68 OPS+.

His veteran presence presented the Reds with such a good opportunity that they brought him back for a 2015 season that was significantly better as he hit .242/.306/.336 (.642 OPS). That was a remarkable 76 OPS+!

Paul Janish (2008-2011)

Soft-J was, like Hayes, an incredibly gifted defender, and for that he provided quite the service to the Reds in his time. With the bat, he was – like Hayes – accomplished in the sense that he can actually tell other human beings that he got hits at the Major League level.

In 975 PA across four seasons with the Reds, Paul hit .221/.289/.302 (.591 OPS). That was good for a 59 OPS+.

Shogo Akiyama (2020-2021)

I had actually overlooked that Shogo spent more than just one season with the Reds before the two parted ways. That was a pretty crazy time in the world!

In 366 PA with the Reds after coming to MLB from Japan, Shogo hit .224/.320/.274 (.594 OPS). That was good for a 57 OPS+ in that era.

Doug Flynn (1975-1977)

Flynn, the glue of the Big Red Machine, is notable in that he managed to compile a pretty remarkable -6.9 bWAR for his career spent with 5 franchises across 11 seasons.

With the Reds, though, he swung a mean bat. He hit .275/.310/.341 (.651 OPS) in 411 PA across a trio of seasons. That was good for an OPS+ 0f 82, which was way better than the .238/.266/.294 line he compiled in 4085 career PA at the big league level. That career mark was good for a 58 OPS+.

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The Texas Rangers face the best offense in MLB in game two of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, and it looks like they'll be doing it without a key component of their offense.

An advantage in the starting pitching matchup gives Texas its best chance of the weekend at a win, but our Rangers vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks still have the Dodgers covering the run line.

Who will win Rangers vs Dodgers today: Dodgers -1.5 (+110)

The Los Angeles Dodgers lead MLB in home runs, hits, and batting. At a time when no one hits .300 anymore, the entire Dodger team is batting a combined .297.

In addition to the MVPs at the top of the lineup, Los Angeles has Andy Pages, the hottest hitter in baseball to start the year, and Max Muncy, whose three homers Friday beat Texas, at the bottom.

The Texas Rangers will likely be without Wyatt Langford, who left Friday with quad tightness after apparently hurting himself homering. He is doubtful, handicapping a lineup that has scored three or fewer in seven of eight.

Rangers vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-114)

The Dodgers' 8-7 win over Texas was their fifth time scoring eight or more in the last seven games, including three double-digit scoring outbursts.

L.A. is starting Emmet Sheehan, which could give the Rangers a chance to contribute to the scoring. Through two starts, Sheehan has as many runs allowed as strikeouts (8). His hit, home run, and walk rates are all nearly double last season's.

Texas starter Jack Leiter has struck out 17 batters in 11 dominant innings. He'll be facing a Dodgers lineup that is in the bottom 10 in MLB in strikeouts.

Rangers vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Rangers +165 | Dodgers -200
• Run line: Rangers +1.5 (-130) | Dodgers -1.5 (+110)
• Over/Under: Over 9 (-115) | Under 9 (-125)

Rangers vs Dodgers trend

The Texas Rangers have hit the Game Total Over in 30 of their last 45 away games (+14.65 Units / 30% ROI). 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

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Not just that they started out 3-7, but the way they did it, made it seem like .500 was at the top of the Eiffel Tower while the elevator was being renovated. 3 days later here are the A’s at 6-7 with their pitchers riding a remarkable 26 inning scoreless streak ready to take a shot at .500 this afternoon.

That’s the present. There’s also the past and the future…

Mason Miller & Leo De Vries

Two names that shall be forever intertwined as they swapped organizations in a deal that I loved at the time and still adore. But it’s fair to say that if you were just to zoom in on April 11th, 2026 it’s probably at its zenith.

The trade was not made with the 2026 season in mind but rather the 6 or so years following. But without question the A’s chances of contending right now would be far better with Miller in the bullpen rather that De Vries in AA.

What Miller is doing right now is historical (if not hysterical). He has faced 24 batters this season and struck out 19 of them and now has a scoreless streak of 28.2 IP dating back to last year. His 2026 pitching line reads like a misprint:

7.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 1 BB, 19 K. He has struck out 17 of the last 18 batters he has faced, including 8 in a row.

Meanwhile, for those who were incensed that De Vries was optioned to AA to start the season after his great showing there late last season and phenomenal spring training, the fact is he’s not off to a fast start. So far De Vries is hitting just .240/.387/.240 in his first 31 PAs, albeit with a solid 6 BB and 6 K (each 19.4 %). A reminder that he is still all of 19.

ST Stats: What Are They Good For?

Not much. Here are some (admittedly cherry-picked) examples from 2026, 13 games in:

Tyler Soderstrom, spring training:.348/.434/.761

Tyler Soderstrom, regular season: .200/.273/.300

Brent Rooker, spring training: .340/.392/.745

Brent Rooker, regular season: .146/.245/.293

Henry Bolte, spring training: .348/.400/.630

Henry Bolte, AAA: .212/.339/.404

Jeffrey Springs: 6.28 ERA, 14.1 IP, 13 hits, 9 BB

Jeffrey Springs, regular season: 1.47 ERA, 18.1 IP, 8 hits, 6 BB

JT Ginn, spring training: 10.20 ERA (15 IP, 17 ER)

JT Ginn, regular season: 3.27 ERA (11 IP, 4 ER)

JT Ginn

Speaking of Ginn, talk about a 180 degree turnaround so far…His cross to bear has been those pesky batters who insist on hitting left-handed. They tattooed Ginn in 2025 to the tune of .340/.416/.630, .440 wOBA.

In 2026, armed with a diving changeup, a cutter boring in on the hands (which I don’t find boring at all), and use of a 4-seamer up in the zone, Ginn has faced 16 LH batters this season and allowed exactly one single and one BB for a .067/.125/.067, .101 wOBA line.

Let’s see if Jacob Lopez can keep the scoreless streak going — or at least not walk 5 batters this time around. Paging the .500 mark: please be on stand-by…

LOS ANGELES — Max Muncy’s first home run on Friday night tied Steve Garvey for sixth on the all-time Dodgers home run list, and third since the team moved to Los Angeles. But that was just the start of the story.

Muncy hit two more home runs in the series opener against the Texas Rangers, including a walk-off shot in the ninth inning to finish off an 8-7 win at Dodger Stadium.

“Garvey is one of those guys, he’s a Dodger icon, the way he carried himself, the way he played the game, just a model of consistency,” Muncy said Friday night. “He really embodied what being a Dodger was, so to pass him is really, really special to me. It means a lot. Hopefully I can keep climbing.”

Many times in recent years, Muncy stated his desire to remain playing in Los Angeles, where he resurrected his career in 2018 and has kept hitting since. To that end, he and the team signed a contract extension in February that will keep the third baseman with the Dodgers through 2027, plus a club option for 2028, the fifth contract extension Muncy has signed here.

“He knows that we believe in him, and we’ve shown that many times over. I think there’s some peace with that,” manager Dave Roberts said Friday night. “That’s kind of the thought behind what Andrew [Friedman, president of baseball operations] and [general manager Brandon] Gomer [Gomes] did, to free his mind up and just let him play baseball. That’s really played out.”

Three-homer night for Max? It's not his first rodeo. 🤠 pic.twitter.com/whmLcDTWVH

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 11, 2026

He’s well aware of his place in Dodgers history, which includes two All-Star Game, five pennants, and three championships. He’s the all-time franchise leader in postseason home runs with 16, and he’s moving up the regular season list, too.

Most home runs, Dodgers history

1. Duke Snider 389
2. Gil Hodges 361
3. Eric Karros 270
4. Roy Campanella 242
5. Ron Cey 228
6. Max Muncy 213
7. Steve Garvey 211
8. Matt Kemp 203

The only two Los Angeles Dodgers with more home runs than Muncy are Eric Karros and Ron Cey. Just under 60 percent of Muncy’s home runs with the Dodgers have come at home. His 124 home runs at Dodger Stadium are only six behind Karros for the most in the 65-year history of the stadium.

Muncy on Friday also shared Dodgers lore with outfielder Don Demeter, as the only two Dodgers to finish off a three-home run game with a walk-off home run.

Demeter hit a two-run shot in the 11th inning on April 21, 1959 at the Los Angeles Coliseum to beat the San Francisco Giants, finishing off his three-homer game. Muncy’s final blast was a solo shot, as were all three of his home runs on Friday and all four so far this season.

Muncy has the somewhat-funny early season stat line of four home runs and four runs batted in. Entering Friday he was hitting .216/.326/.297 with a 32.6-percent strikeout rate in all of 43 plate appearances later.

“Even in Toronto, when he wasn’t getting hits, he was telling me numerous times, ‘Doc, I’m really close,’” Roberts said. “I think in years past you see a spike and some anxiousness bleed in. Where now he’s in a place where he’s really confident and trusting the process that if he’s in a good place and not getting results, to kind of stay the course.”

Now, with five more plate appearances under his belt, Muncy is hitting a robust .286/.375/.571, a tidy 323-point jump in OPS in one night. In addition to the home runs, Muncy also singled and reached on a fielder’s choice, and scored five times, setting a new career high.

But the home runs were the thing, with the first and third shots hit to right field, and the middle one to left center.

“His second home run was a short, compact swing, that he carried the left field wall,” Roberts said. “I just think that he’s a mch better hitter now. He’s checking down better because he has more time to see the baseball. His swing’s a little bit shorter. That’s something we always felt that he had in him.”

“When I can drive the ball to left center, that’s when my swing is at its best,” Muncy said. “I don’t know if it’s at its best right now — obviously, it was my best night — but anytime I can drive the ball to the opposite field, that’s telling me that what I’m doing is in a really good spot.”

Muncy also homered three times in a game on May 5, 2024, in a rout of the Atlanta Braves, another game at Dodger Stadium. He’s one of only six players to hit at least three home runs in a game twice for the Dodgers. That includes Shohei Ohtani, whose second three-homer game came in Game 4 of last year’s National League Championship Series, a game in which he also pitched six scoreless innings and struck out 10 to clinch the pennant. Friday night at Dodger Stadium, everyone in attendance got a bobblehead commemorating Ohtani’s three home runs in that NLCS game, then got to see a three-homer game themselves in person.

Dodgers with two 3-homer games

• Duke Snider (1950, 1955)
• Shawn Green (2001, 2002)
• Adrián González (2015, 2016)
• Corey Seager (2016, 2017)
• Shohei Ohtani (2024, 2025 NLCS)
• Max Muncy (2024, 2026)

“Anytime you hit a home run in a big league game is special, let alone three. Its the second time I’ve done that. I still think about the first time I did it,” Muncy said. “It’s just a special night, and to get the win on top of it, it’s great.”

Jesús Luzardo dazzled in the second game of the road trip against the Colorado Rockies, striking out 11 in 6.2 innings of one-run ball. It was a strong bounce back start after struggling against Texas to begin the year.

There is one three-pitch sequence that can tell anyone how dialed in he was in Coors.

Jordan Beck’s first at-bat ended in a pop-out to Bryson Stott, seeing one sinker and two sweepers. He swung and missed at the first sweeper and then hit the pop-up.

JT Realmuto and the club did not think he looked comfortable against the pitch and immediately go back to it to start his second at-bat.

They tested him again on a sweeper, looking for a called strike, but Luzardo missed his spot. It was still a solid pitch (although maybe a bit up if you’re looking for a whiff) and Beck swung over it.

Of the five pitches Beck has seen, four of them have been sweepers and the other was a sinker down and away. It’s now clear that the hitter has the pitch locked into his mind, especially if he sees the ball inside again.

Realmuto knows this and calls for a fastball down and in, perfectly off the expected tunnel of his sweeper that gets chases. Beck was just browsing the store, not looking for anything.

Sometimes it’s cool to show quick sequences because they can capture the kind of rhythm a pitcher and catcher have on a particular night. Everyone was in sync which makes it even harder for a weak Colorado Rockies lineup.

Jonathan Bowlan Tweaks

Jonathan Bowlan has looked like a nice get by the front office. It’s early and the ERA is inflated because of the Nationals but there is a lot to like, especially with what the Phillies have tweaked.

Bowlan is now throwing nearly two ticks harder than in 2025 with the Kansas City Royals, while still maintaining the high ride. 97.5 mph with 17.8 Induced Vertical Break will play like one of the best fastballs in the sport and it has early on. Opponents are hitting just .167 on the offering with a 35.3% whiff rate.

The Phillies also gave Bowlan a sweeper for right handed hitters. Compared to his traditional slider, there is nearly 11 more inches of glove-side movement while maintaining the same drop. At 85 mph with 13.7 inches of glove-side movement and 37 inches of drop, it’s probably the second best pitch in a deep and effective arsenal.

There are now six different pitches in the big right-handers’ arsenal: the four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, sweeper, changeup, and occasional curveball.

The Phillies have been on a big trend of trying to find relievers with already established deep arsenals. Jhoan Duran now throws five different pitches with the addition of his split-change, Brad Keller throws five pitches, Bowlan throws six, and Orion Kerkering is working on a splitter, which would give him four different pitches.

That might be something to watch for in the future when they acquire a right-handed reliever; there have been too many examples over the last year that indicate this is a new part of the front office pitching philosophy.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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As you know, the Cubs have had multiple starting pitcher injuries, including the loss of Cade Horton for the season.

Colin Rea and Javier Assad have stepped up admirably, at least in their first starts of the year, filling in for Horton and Matthew Boyd. And we now know that Boyd will likely head out for a rehab start next week, so hopefully he’ll be back soon.

Earlier this week in the SB Nation Reacts survey, I asked you who the Cubs should call on as a replacement starter if anyone else goes down (and let’s hope the answer to “anyone else” is “no one”!). Here’s who you chose:

Jaxon Wiggins appeared to be on a similar path to the one Horton was on last year. Horton was called up in mid-May and had a spectacular rookie season.

But here’s the thing about Wiggins, that we learned since that survey question: He was scratched from a start. And:

Cubs Jaxson Wiggins is dealing with a sore arm. Jed Hoyer confirmed he is being backed up for now.

— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) April 10, 2026

So… that’s not good. Fortunately, as noted, Rea and Assad have stepped up and Boyd will hopefully be back soon. So the Cubs’ starting pitcher depth has been tested and, so far, has held up well.

The national questions asked in the survey this week were about who will win each of the six MLB divisions. Here are the results to those six questions:

There’s a bit of recency bias in some of these results, I think. While it’s true that the Brewers have won the NL Central the last four years, many had picked the Cubs to win the division before the season started. It’s not surprising that the Brewers would come out on top of a survey like this, but the percentage of their vote surprises me a bit. Same for the Yankees over the Blue Jays in the AL East.

That’s why they play the games! I still think the Cubs will win the NL Central. As always, we await developments.

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This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.

The New York Mets (7-7), ranked third in the NL East, will host the Athletics (6-7), ranked third in the AL West, for the second game of their series. The Mets are favored with a -160 moneyline and a -1.5 spread. Starting pitchers are Jacob Lopez for the Athletics (0-1, 6.48 ERA) and Kodai Senga for the Mets (0-1, 3.09 ERA).

How to Watch Athletics vs New York Mets

• Date: Saturday, April 11

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET / 1:10 p.m. PT

• Where: Citi Field, Flushing, Queens, NY

• TV Channels: SNY, NBCSCA

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

Team records

• Athletics: 6-7 (third in AL West)

• New York Mets: 7-7 (third in NL East)

Odds (via BetMGM)

• Spread: New York Mets -1.5

• Moneyline: New York Mets -160 (59.1%) / Athletics +135 (40.9%)

• Over/Under: 7.5

Starting pitchers

Athletics: Jacob Lopez (0-1, ERA: 6.48, K: 6, WHIP: 2.28)

New York Mets: Kodai Senga (0-1, ERA: 3.09, K: 16, WHIP: 1.20)

Weather: 65°F at first pitch

1917
The world championship season began in St. Louis, where the White Sox battered the Browns, 7-2. Jim Scott picked up the win, giving up four hits and a run in six innings of relief work for Lefty Williams. Buck Weaver drove in three runs for the Sox on the day. Slightly more than six months later, the Sox would win the World Series in six games over John McGraw and the New York Giants. Jim Margalus provided a detailed snapshot of the Opening Day win back in 2017.

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1959
Early Wynn won his 250th career game, throwing a seven-hitter vs. Detroit. The victory put the White Sox at 2-0 to start the season, and the streak would reach four as a tip-off of a season that would end with the team’s first pennant in 40 years. Sherm Lollar homered twice, and Luis Aparicio clouted a round-tripper in the top of the seventh inning that broke a 3-3 tie.

Wynn went the distance, racking up six Ks against three walks, for a 68 game score.

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1969
The White Sox helped initiate Major League Baseball in Seattle, as the first home opponent for the expansion Pilots. The Sox promptly rolled over and died to the new team, 7-0. They were shut out by future Sox pitcher Gary Bell,who went the distance — and was traded to the Sox that June! That afternoon, the Sox would have nine hits but strand 14 baserunners.

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1982
When a great blizzard hit the Midwest and forced cancellation of the first five games on the schedule, the White Sox had to open on the road the following week, in New York, with a doubleheader. No problem, as the franchise that had already won a regularly-scheduled Opening Day twin bill in 1971 put the wood to the Yankees, winning 7-6 in 12 innings, and then 2-0. It was the start of an eight-game winning streak to open the 1982 campaign — the best start to a season in franchise history. The White Sox beat the Yankees twice, Boston three times and the Orioles three times.

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1995
Despite his career clearly being on the wane, Chris Sabo was inked for the White Sox bench/platoon DH. And boy, it did not work out: The former Reds standout was released less than two months later, on June 5, having cost the White Sox -0.3 WAR over 20 games, slashing .254/.295/.366 with one homer.

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2000
For a man with no speed, he got around the bases fast enough this time! 

Paul Konerko hit an inside the park home run in Tampa Bay. It came in the first inning, off of Esteban Yan, and drove in two runs. The Sox won, 13-6.  

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2008
To commemorate their World Series win three years earlier, the White Sox unveiled their “Champions Plaza” and “Championship Moments” monument prior to the game against the Detroit Tigers. Current players still on the team from the 2005 championship roster assisted in the unveiling of a white, bronze and granite sculpture weighing more than 25 tons that honored the title and featured timeless 2005 playoff images of Paul Konerko, Joe Crede, Orlando Hernández, Geoff Blum and Juan Uribe.

Later that night, the White Sox dropped a game to the Tigers, 5-2, as World Series hero José Contreras took the loss.

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2011
White Sox utility player Brent Lillibridge belted the franchise’s 10,000thhome run, driving out a fastball from Oakland’s Dallas Braden at U.S. Cellular Field. It came in the fifth inning of a game the Sox eventually lost, 2-1, in 10 innings. Jim Margalus had game coverage for South Side Sox, although it being the 10,000 team homer apparently was not yet known, as it’s not in the piece.

Lillibridge hit a career-high 13 home runs that season.

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2016
The White Sox beat Minnesota, 4-1, in the Twins home opener. Josh Nelson had South Side Sox coverage. The loss dropped the team to 0-7, which was the worst start for the Twins since moving to Minnesota.

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2025 
It was a wonderful start to a major league career for White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth, acquired in the deal with Boston involving All-Star pitcher Garrett Crochet. 

Called up to the team and starting against the Red Sox, Meidroth drew three walks and singled in a 11-1 win. He also scored two runs. Meidroth became the first player to get a hit and walk three times in his major league debut since Larry Walker of the Expos on Aug. 16, 1989.