MLB News
Tyler Glasnow makes his second start of the season for the Dodgers (5-2). Right-hander Jake Irvin starts for the Nationals (3-4).
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Sunday brings a full 15-game MLB slate, and with it, plenty of opportunities to find value across the board.
Early-season markets are still adjusting, which means prices can be off if you’re paying attention.
Read on for my MLB picks for April 5.
| Matchup | Pick |
|---|---|
 Oriolesvs  Pirates | -122 |
 Dodgersvs  Nationals | -186 |
 Marlinsvs  Yankees | -285 |
 Padresvs  Red Sox | +122 |
 Cubsvs  Guardians | +104 |
 Brewersvs  Royals | -122 |
 Raysvs  Twins | +104 |
 Blue Jaysvs  White Sox | -177 |
 Redsvs  Rangers | +117 |
 Philliesvs  Rockies | +186 |
 Astrosvs  Athletics | -117 |
 Marinersvs  Angels | -170 |
 Bravesvs Diamondbacks | -104 |
 Cardinalsvs  Tigers | -104 |
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Pirates win probability: 55%
Braxton Ashcraft pitched well in his debut, but the Pirates lost 2-0. However, the outing showed command and should help build confidence.
I’ll back him against Chris Bassitt in this matchup. Expect a sharper effort and better run support overall.
Dodgers win probability: 65%
Roki Sasaki vs. a back-end starter is a significant talent gap on the mound.
The Dodgers' lineup will chase Foster Griffin early, and they have a good enough bullpen to get the job done.
Yankees win probability: 74%
Max Fried is dominant at home, and Chris Paddack has never fully recovered his early-career form after Tommy John.
Miami's small-ball approach is the worst style to bring against a shutdown lefty.
Padres win probability: 45%
Walker Buehler is a proven veteran arm and is coming off a tough start, but Ranger Suarez is a gas can that the Padres' lineup can hammer for a solid road win.
Expect a bounce-back outing for Buehler and a Padres plus-money victory.
Guardians win probability: 49%
Parker Messick shut out the Dodgers in his opening start and gets a Cubs offense that has scored fewer than three runs in three of their last five contests.
The Guardians’ sticks should get the best of Edward Cabrera and his history of command issues.
Royals win probability: 55%
Kyle Harrison is a quality young arm, but Kris Bubic is coming off a two-hit outing against the Twins.
Bobby Witt Jr. hits .313 lifetime at home against lefties, and I expect the Royals to win.
Rays win probability: 49%
Nick Martinez has the sharper stuff right now and looked solid in his first outing. Simeon Woods Richardson is steady, but his history against this Rays lineup is sketchy.
Tampa Bay needs a win and gets it on Sunday.
Blue Jays win probability: 64%
Eric Lauer faces Davis Martin, and the gap is clear. Martin profiles as a replacement-level arm, while Toronto’s lineup should create plenty of chances regardless.
The price is steep, but the talent edge heavily favors Toronto.
Reds win probability: 46%
Chase Burns is a legitimate arm, and Elly De La Cruz has been on a tear.
The Reds' offense will inflict enough damage against Jack Leiter, and Burns should hold up his end for a solid road win.
Rockies win probability: 35%
Taijuan Walker has been a disaster early in 2026, and Coors is the last place you want to back him.
Tomoyuki Sugano looked sharp in his first start, holding Toronto to two hits, and while he's prone to the longball, so is Walker.
Back Colorado in what shapes up as a high-scoring slugfest.
Astros win probability: 54%
Mets win probability: 51%
Kodai Senga gets a generous matchup against a struggling Logan Webb.
Webb coughed up nine earned runs and five walks over his last two starts.
The Mets got the lumber going on Friday night, and with Webb hard to trust right now, I'll back the Mets.
Mariners win probability: 63%
Luis Castillo is a true top-of-rotation arm going up against Angels starter Ryan Johnson.
Johnson got lit up in his first start, and the Mariners offense will likely chase him early.
Seattle has dominated the Halos in recent history and is a good bet to secure another road win.
Diamondbacks win probability: 51%
Brandon Pfaadt is 16-7 at home over the last two seasons, and Arizona beat Detroit despite him struggling in his last outing.
Atlanta will likely go with a bullpen game in this one, so I'll ride with the Diamondbacks at home.
Cardinals win probability: 51%
Keider Montero steps in for injured starter Justin Verlander.
Kyle Leahy has decent command, and St. Louis gets a favorable matchup against a Tigers bullpen posting a 4.58 xFIP.
Back the road dogs at -100.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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The Houston Astros (5-3) travel to the Athletics (2-5) this afternoon in Sacrament0 in the second game of a three game series.
Astros game three starterRHP Tatsuya Imai will make his second start of the season for the Astros, this time opposite RHP Luis Morales and the Athletics.
Saturday’S TILT: The Astros and Athletics will play the second game of their three-game series this afternoon as Houston looks to bounce back after last night’s loss.
ON THE HUNT: RHP Tatsuya Imai is making his second career start after getting knocked around in 2.2 innings in game four. He carries am 13.50 ERA with four strikeouts and four walks.
Imai did not give up any runs this spring in more than ten innings of work. He is coming in off a sparkling career in the Japanese Professional League and remains a high ranking rookie of the year candidate this season.
ASTROS VS. Morales: The Astros are squaring off against Morales for the first time. He pitched in only ten games last year as a rookie.
RIVALRY VS. THE ATHLETICS: The Astros and Athletics have squared off 182 times in their history. They have a 101-82 against the Athletics in their lifetime. However, the Athletics were 8-5 against the Astros in the 2025 season and 0-1 so far on the 2026 season.
MR. 500: LF Yordan Alvarez recorded his 500th career RBI last night on a sac-fly RBI in the third inning…became the 15th player in franchise history to record 500 RBI…is also the fastest player in franchise history to record 500 career RBI doing so in just 685 games, passing 1B Jeff Bagwell, who recorded 500 RBI in 717 games.
Game Date/Time: Friday, April 3, 3:05 p.m. CST
Location: Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, CA
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN
Radio: KBME 790 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
SS Jeremy Pena
LF Yordan Alvarez
2B Jose Altuve
3B Carlos Correa
1B Christian Walker
RF Joey Loperfido
DH Yainer Diaz
CF Jake Meyers
C Christian Vazquez
1B Nick Kurtz
C Shea Langeliers
LF Tyler Soderstrom
DH Brent Rooker
SS Jacob Wilson
RF Lawrence Butler
3B Max Muncy
2B Jeff McNeil
Probable pitchers: RHP Shane Baz (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4 K) vs. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (0-0, 4.15 ERA, 8 K)
Where to watch: MASN/MASN+
The Orioles’ Game 1 loss in Pittsburgh followed the same script we’ve seen far too often this young season: the starting pitcher gives up a big inning early and the offense struggles to claw the O’s back into the game. Friday night, the O’s fell just short, with Pete Alonso striking out against former Oriole Gregory Soto to seal a 5-4 loss. This afternoon, Baltimore will look to get off to a faster start and tie the series with the Pirates at one game apiece.
Offseason acquisition and newly minted $68M man Shane Baz will take the ball for the O’s, looking to improve on his first start in the black and orange. Like Kyle Bradish yesterday, Baz ran into early trouble in his Orioles debut vs. the Twins. In the 2nd inning of his start vs. Minnesota, Baz allowed the first four base runners to reach before allowing a bases-loaded double that put Baltimore in a quick 4-0 hole. The 26-year-old right-hander would rebound from there, keeping the Twins off the scoreboard from there and giving the offense the time to rally back for an 8-6 win.
Still, a final line of 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER and 4 K was a disappointing debut for the hard-throwing righty, especially coming immediately in the wake of his five-year contract extension. Baz could have the perfect “get-right game” opportunity against the Pirates, however. In his only previous meeting with Pittsburgh, at the start of last season with the Rays, Baz blanked the Buccos over six innings while collecting 10 strikeouts. That outing came in the hitter-friendly confines of Tampa’s temporary home at Steinbrenner Field, meaning Baz may get even more of a boost in the more pitcher-friendly PNC Park.
However, yesterday’s matchup showed that this is a different Pirates offense in 2026. After finishing last in runs, home runs and OPS in 2025, the revamped Pittsburgh order is putting up nearly five runs/game through their first seven games of 2026. Konnor Griffin, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, sparked yesterday’s game-defining rally for the Pirates with an RBI double in his first career AB. Oneil Cruz, former AL East rival Brandon Lowe and former Oriole Ryan O’Hearn have also been crucial for Pittsburgh’s offensive revival.
Opposing Baz and looking to shut down the Baltimore bats is 27-year-old right-hander Carmn Mlodzinski. The South Carolina native began last season in the Pirates’ rotation, but ultimately ended up back in the bullpen after posting a 5.67 in nine starts and spending a month in Triple-A.
The O’s will look to pounce on Mlodzinski early, as the righty has a 4.45 career ERA as a starter (compared to 2.71 as a reliever) and only averages just over 3.1 IP per start. The former first-round pick out of South Carolina did look solid in his first start of the year against the Mets, posting a line of 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER and 8 K. Mlodzinski is also a reverse splits guy, with opposing RHBs posting an OPS 43 points higher than LHBs. That could set up well for Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso, who have already gotten off to strong starts at the top of the Orioles’ order.
After a deflating blow out loss yesterday, the Nats have to get back on track. That will not be easy against the mighty Dodgers. Hopefully the Nats pitching can give them a better chance of success this afternoon. The Nats have had a mostly positive start, but the vibes will turn sour if this losing streak extends.
The Nats are making a couple of changes in the lineup. Brady House will be back at third base. Curtis Mead will make his Nats Park debut and play first base. That means Luis Garcia Jr. will slide to DH. Jorbit Vivas is preferred to Nasim Nunez at second today. The Nats will continue to rotate at catcher, with Drew Millas behind the plate today. Jake Irvin was sharp in his first start, but he will need to limit the long ball today.
There is only one change to the Dodgers lineup. They have an old friend in the lineup, with Alex Call hitting ninth and playing left field. Otherwise, it is the same faces who terrorized the Nats yesterday. Blake Butera has talked about the depth of this lineup a couple times, and it is really crazy to see. Tyler Glasnow will be on the mound.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Nationals Park
Time: 4:05 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
The Nats have been hitting the ball well, but the pitching has been a problem at times. Jake Irvin looked sharp in his first start, but the Dodgers will be a massive test for him. We will see if he is up for the challenge. Follow along in the comments and let’s go Nats.
The Philadelphia Phillies have won three in a row, including a 10-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies in the opener of their series on Friday night. Jesús Luzardo is scheduled to start for the Phillies against Brennan Bernardino.
Date: Saturday, April 4
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET / 5:10 p.m. PT
Where: Coors Field, Denver
TV Channels: Rockies.TV, NBCSP+
Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Philadelphia Phillies: 4-3 (No. 3 in NL East)
Colorado Rockies: 2-5 (No. 4 in NL West)
Spread: Colorado Rockies +2.5
Moneyline: Colorado Rockies +200 / Philadelphia Phillies -250
Over/Under: 10.5
Philadelphia Phillies: Jesús Luzardo (0-1, ERA: 9.00, K: 7, WHIP: 1.17)
Colorado Rockies: Brennan Bernardino (1-0, ERA: 0.00, K: 1, WHIP: 0.67)
Weather: 63°F at first pitch
Ballpark: Capacity: 50,144 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass
The Colorado Rockies announced Saturday afternoon that they had claimed left-handed reliever Sammy Peralta off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Rockies have optioned Peralta to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.
Peralta, 27, is not related to left-handed reliever Luis Peralta, who is also currently in Albuquerque. He was originally selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 18th round of the 2019 draft out of the University of Tampa. He made his big league debut with the White Sox in 2023 and posted a 4.37 ERA over 45 2/3 innings across parts of two seasons with 37 strikeouts and 24 walks.
Since 2024 Peralta has spent time with multiple organizations—including several individual stints with the White Sox—and was briefly called up by the Los Angeles Angels in 2025. Over five appearances with the Angels he yielded 12 runs—nine earned—over 10 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and six walks.
Peralta utilizes a mix of five pitches, none of which average more than 89 MPH: a slider, a sinker, a changeup, a four-seam fastball, and an occasional sweeper.
To clear space on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher McCade Brown has been moved to the 60-day injured list.
Brown, 25, made his MLB debut directly from Double-A last season. He posted a 7.36 ERA over seven starts and struck out 23 batters through 25 2/3 innings. Brown missed the entirety of spring training with right shoulder inflammation. He was most recently schedule to throw batting practice against live hitters on March 28th.
The Rockies’ 40-man roster is currently full.
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The Chicago Cubs (3-4) face the Cleveland Guardians (5-3) in the second game of their series. The Guardians won the opener 4-1 on Friday. The starting pitchers are Shota Imanaga for the Cubs and Slade Cecconi for the Guardians.
Date: Saturday, April 4
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET / 4:15 p.m. PT
Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland
TV Channels: FOX
Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Chicago Cubs: 3-4 (#5 in NL Central)
Cleveland Guardians: 5-3 (#1 in AL Central)
Spread: Cleveland Guardians +1.5
Moneyline: Cleveland Guardians +115 / Chicago Cubs -135
Over/Under: 8
Chicago Cubs: Shota Imanaga (0-1, ERA: 7.20, K: 7, WHIP: 1.60)
Cleveland Guardians: Slade Cecconi (0-1, ERA: 12.46, K: 5, WHIP: 2.08)
Weather: 69°F at first pitch
Ballpark: Capacity: 34,788 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass
Texas Rangers lineup for April 4, 2026 against the Cincinnati Reds: starting pitchers are Kumar Rocker for the Rangers and Rhett Lowder for the Reds.
Texas looks to break a two game losing streak in Kumar Rocker’s 2026 debut. Skip Schumaker is running back the group from yesterday.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Langford — LF
Seager — SS
Burger — 1B
Pederson — DH
Smith — 2B
Jung — 3B
Carter — CF
Jansen — C
6:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -140 favorites.
San Diego Padres (2-5) at Boston Red Sox (2-5), April 4, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Fenway Park – Boston, Mass.
Listen: 97.3 The Fan
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Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing against the Baltimore Orioles for the first home series of the season at PNC Park.
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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
Following six games of offensive ineptitude, the Athletics’ offense erupted last night in the team’s home opener in front of a sold-out crowd at West Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park. The team defeated the Houston Astros 11-4, all of the A’s runs coming with two outs. Third baseman Max Muncy finished a triple shy of the cycle, while right fielder Lawrence Butler contributed three hits, one of them a three-run home run to left field. Meanwhile, A’s starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs dazzled on the mound, pitching six innings of one-run ball.
This afternoon, the Athletics will look to make it two-straight home victories and continue their recent dominance over the Astros. Last year, the A’s claimed the season series with their division rivals, winning eight of the 13 games played between these two teams.
23-year-old right-hander Luis Morales is the A’s starting pitcher today. Set to make his second start of the season, Morales aims to rebound from a disappointing first outing against the Toronto Blue Jays. In that start, the Cuban pitcher allowed three home runs and five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. George Springer hit a home run on Morales’ first pitch of 2026, a sign of what was to come that day. Facing the Astros for the first time, their unfamiliarity with him could allow Morales to pitch better, although it would not be a shock for the Astros to pounce on the youngster’s mistake pitches for multiple home runs like Toronto did.
Here’s how the Athletics line up behind Morales in their second home game of the year:
The A’s lineup is the same as yesterday, which makes sense considering that group put 11 runs on the scoreboard. Manager Mark Kotsay is continuing the Nick Kurtz leadoff experiment, despite Kurtz’s batting average in the leadoff spot a woeful .197. It would seemingly make more sense for the slugging first baseman to bat with runners on base to maximize the A’s scoring opportunities. However, the A’s lack alternative leadoff options. Shortstop Jacob Wilson’s contact skills make him a fit, yet the team has him further down in the lineup. Kurtz and designated hitter Brent Rooker continued their early-season struggles yesterday, making the A’s performance even more impressive considering those two did not get any hits.
That lineup will be up against Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who signed with the Astros this offseason in free-agency. The three-time Nippon Professional Baseball all-star was one of this offseason’s most-notable free agents. He seeks to follow in the footsteps of Shohei Ohtani, Seiya Suzuki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the next Japanese star to successfully transition from Japan to the U.S. Imai struggled in his MLB debut, allowing three hits and four runs in only 2 2/3 innings pitched. Making his first road start, the A’s need to take advantage of a pitcher who is likely still adapting to pitching in a new league and country.
Here is the Astros lineup:
Houston’s starting nine is mostly regular starters, with the exception of backup catcher Christian Vàzquez and right fielder Joey Loperfido. Given the concerns surrounding both pitchers, this afternoon’s game could be a high-scoring affair.
It should be a beautiful afternoon in Sacramento. The Athletics are wearing their new Sacramento jerseys, a sign that the team is at least partially embracing its temporary home. What better way to christen these new jerseys than with another win? Let’s go A’s!
The Los Angeles Dodgers (5-2) face the Washington Nationals (3-4) in the second game of their series. The Dodgers won the opening game 13-6 on Friday. Starting pitchers are Tyler Glasnow for the Dodgers and Jake Irvin for the Nationals.
Date: Saturday, April 4
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET / 1:05 p.m. PT
Where: Nationals Park, Washington, DC
TV Channels: SN LA
Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Los Angeles Dodgers: 5-2 (No. 1 in NL West)
Washington Nationals: 3-4 (No. 5 in NL East)
Spread: Washington Nationals +2.5
Moneyline: Washington Nationals +240 / Los Angeles Dodgers -300
Over/Under: 9.5
Los Angeles Dodgers: Tyler Glasnow (0-0, ERA: 3.00, K: 6, WHIP: 0.83)
Washington Nationals: Jake Irvin (1-0, ERA: 3.60, K: 7, WHIP: 0.80)
Weather: 85°F at first pitch
Roki Sasaki makes his second start of the week, looking to build off his season opener when the Dodgers finish off their weekend series against the Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park in Washington D.C.
Sasaki got through four innings on Monday against the Cleveland Guardians, with more strikeouts (four) than walks (two) and threw more strikes (45) than balls (33). That may sound like damning with faint praise, but it was a total turnaround from his abysmal spring training, and he saw positive results in allowing only one run in his four-plus frames.
Left-hander Foster Griffin starts the finale for the Nationals.
A couple of weeks ago we didn’t even think he’d make the Opening Day Roster. Now we’re saying “thank god we’ve got Connelly Early going today.”
Behind Early, Alex Cora is rolling out the same starting nine batting the same order as yesterday. If ain’t broke, yadda, yadda.
In the other dugout, it’s a day-off for Jackson Merrill and, interestingly, for lefty-masher Nick Castellanos. Can the Sox take advantage?
First pitch is at 4:10 PM on NESN.
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