San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano and closer Mason Miller after defeating the Seattle Mariners 5-2 at Petco Park on April 16, 2026, in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres’ offense has been very potent to begin the 2026 season. One of the early contributors has been Luis Campusano. He is off to a hot start because Campusano finally feels free from the pressure of fulfilling others’ expectations
It has allowed him to play carefree baseball.
Stammen’s belief never wavered
Padres skipper Craig Stammen put trust in his game. It began in Spring Training, when the manager proclaimed that Campy was the team’s backup catcher, despite the pleas for a more reliable option. The support for the one-time top minor league prospect came as a surprise.
It was not too long ago when the front office thought Campy was a defensive liability. They felt he regressed in framing pitches, blocking balls in the dirt, and throwing out would-be base-stealers. When Campusano started, he lasted five or six innings before a defensive replacement was put into the game.
It was obvious there was no trust that he could navigate a pitching staff to a victory. Unfortunately, the organization never took into consideration that the position was too encompassing for a young player. The demands overwhelmed Campy, but those days are over.
Campusano turning a new leaf
So far, you have to give Campusano high marks in fulfilling his catching duties. He has become more attentive in having pitchers execute the game plan. Stammen has given him some latitude to call certain parts of the game from what he has observed behind the plate. Finally, Campy has effectively utilized the ABS system, turning it into an advantage for getting ahead in counts.
In the batter’s box, you might describe what Campusano is experiencing as an offensive renaissance. Currently, he is batting .310 with a .885 OPS in 10 games. Let’s not forget that Campy did not record a base hit in 27 plate appearances last season.
He has made the necessary adjustments that allowed him to make quality contact with a more level swing. Despite all the early-season success, Stammen has to be smart in how he uses Campusano in the lineup.
What is next in Campy’s development
The burning question is whether his offensive value gives Campy more playing time. The organization may not be ready to have that conversation at this moment. However, starting receiver Freddy Fermin is struggling at the plate, hitting .161 with two RBI this season.
There has been no talk of Campy replacing him in the lineup, but that could change if he maintains good offensive and defensive metrics. Right now, Fermin is the better catcher. He ranks second in the defensive runs saved category and throws the ball down to second base in 1.89 seconds. No question, Fermin has elite defensive skills behind the plate.
Campusano is slowly gaining the trust of the coaching staff. Still, the Friars cannot sacrifice defense for another bat in the lineup.
However, he is a work in progress, as Campy is improving his footwork, becoming a solid blocker of pitches in the dirt, and making more accurate throws to second base.
Finally, confidence is in his professional vocabulary.
Feb 20, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Coleman Crow poses for a portrait during photo day at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers will take on the Miami Marlins in Florida on Friday night, as right-hander Coleman Crow makes his MLB debut.
Crow, who was already on the 40-man roster, was recalled from Triple-A Nashville earlier today. Right-hander Easton McGee was optioned to Nashville to open up the active spot.
Ranked as the team’s No. 27 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Crow was a 28th-round pick by the Angels back in 2019. He came over to Milwaukee from the Mets in exchange for Tyrone Taylor and Adrian Houser. After spending 2025 between Double-A and Triple-A, he started 2026 with the Sounds, making three appearances (two starts) with a 4.02 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 15 2/3 innings. Crow will match up with Janson Junk, a former Brewer who has found a home in Miami’s rotation over the last season-plus.
Crow will be backed up by Sal Frelick, William Contreras, and Brice Turang at the top of the order. Gary Sánchez bats cleanup as the DH, followed by Jake Bauers and Luis Rengifo. Garrett Mitchell, Greg Jones, and David Hamilton fill out the bottom of the order, as Joey Ortiz gets the day off.
First pitch is slated for 6:10 p.m. You can catch the television broadcast on Brewers.TV or listen to the game on WTMJ 620 and the Brewers Radio Network.
The Reds come into town sitting at 11-8 (same as the Twins), after finishing 83-79 last year and getting swept in the wildcard round. If, like me, you don’t think a playoff series win is a “real” series win unless it involves winning the divisional series, then the Twins haven’t done it since 2002… but the Reds haven’t done it since 1995. They did get to Game 5 in the 2012 NLDS, behind the bats of Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips, and Joey Votto, and I’m having a hard time remembering who those guys were. The last Reds I really remember were Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey, Jr.
The current squad is led by rookie tater masher Sal Stewart (7 homers) and slick-fielding SS Elly De La Cruz (who Snoop Dogg loves).
Their starting pitcher today is Brandon Williamson, a 28-year-old lefty who spent much of 2024/2025 on the injured list. He throws a low-90s fastball and cutter, plus a change against RHB and a slider/sweeper against LHB. Those offspeed ones are his best pitches.
Williamson is officially One Of Us, born in Fairmont, MN. Fairmont is a south-central Minnesota town with some 10,000 residents (that’s pretty big for the region!). Its Wiki “Notable people” entry lists the Education Minnesota 2018 Teacher of the Year and a gentleman who wears a homemade costume to sci-fi conventions, calling himself Tron Guy:
Hey I’ll betcha he’s gotten more readers than I ever will.
Woods Richardson “was throwing up pregame,” manager Derek Shelton said. “I mean, after the third, he wasn’t in a great spot. We were hoping to get more out of him, and it just looked like he ran out of gas.”
Woods Richardson told the coaching staff he could pitch after chucking up his pregame meal. The Twins already had a shorthanded bullpen, and they were down a reliever because Cody Laweryson is headed to the 15-day injured list.
“I think it’ll be the last day he eats Subway for a long time,” catcher Ryan Jeffers said.
Well, it’s probably just one worker who didn’t wash their hands properly, it can happen at anyplace, not just at Subway. Still, all kudos to SWR for trying his best to help the team. (Hopefully on Wednesday he didn’t eat from “Crazy Eddie’s Sushi Truck.”)
Of course, that’s better than that time in 1972 when Reds management sent a pitcher with a sore arm to… the dentist. The dentist yanked teeth to cure the sore arm. It did not cure the sore arm.
Per Eric Strack and Ted Schwerzler at this site, Tom Pohlad got cranky with a fan who was wearing a “Sell The Team” hat at Sunday’s game, calling her “classless.” Apparently the woman did take some pictures of Pohlad — I don’t like having a camera pointed at me, either — but if he was just crabby about the hat, that’s a bit silly.
Yet another story about how sports gambling ruins lives. Yet another story about how sports gambling companies are trying to subvert laws protecting residents in all 50 states (and get the legal age you have to be to gamble lowered). None of this is going to end well.
Defector’s Diana Moskovitz on being a woman who’s a sports writer. It’s what you’d expect in terms of the rotten stuff. It doesn’t make it any less infuriating.
“Talking Points Memo” is a terrible name for a website, but Peter Dreier has an good post there about how Jackie Robinson’s legacy is much more radical than MLB tends to highlight.
And ESPN the channel may be the all-sports-gambling, all-Screaming Bro network at this point, yet the website still has OK stuff sometimes, and here’s a fun piece about what players think of ABS so far. Basically, they like it, though everyone has a different notion of how the system could be improved. I like Reese McGuire’s idea that offense and defense should get two challenges each. Travis d’Arnaud made a neat point I hadn’t thought of before; umpires like being proved right. I was thinking more about ego-tripping umps not wanting to be proved wrong… but for good umps who really are trying their best to not be ego trippers, it must be nice to know you got a tough call right.
Why does that ESPN piece have no author name? Was it compiled by a bunch of interns? Freelancers? Who knows. Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be writers, it’s usually not for the best.
Words may not be actions, but words certainly speak volumes in their own right.
During the New York Rangers’ breakup day and in their individual exit interviews on Friday from Chris Drury to Mike Sullivan to all of the players, there was a clear message being sent regarding the team’s future direction.
The Rangers are signaling their intent to become a competitive, playoff-caliber team sooner rather than later.
Of course, that vastly contradicts Drury’s letter sent out to fans on Jan. 16 outlining the Rangers’ plan to retool the roster, trade some of the organization's key players, and get younger as a whole.
Drury’s message held an awfully similar tone to the Rangers’ 2018 letter to fans issued by the franchise's previous management group, in which was followed up by a multi-year rebuild.
However, it doesn't appear as if Drury, Sullivan, and company want to go down that same path.
Sullivan has expressed that he believes the Rangers can be more proactive in jumpstarting their competitive window instead of going through a long restructuring of the roster, typical in most rebuilding teams.
He shared that same sentiment on Friday with more time to decompress on the 2025-26 season.
“I think we have the ability to improve and get better in the most immediate future,” Sullivan said. “When you look at our team this year, for most of the year, we were right in the hunt. With some tweaks to our roster, get some guys healthy again, I think we have the ability to become a competitive team.”
The Blueshirts came into the 2025-26 campaign fresh off signing Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract, while Sullivan left a 10-year partnership with the Pittsburgh Penguins to become the head coach of the Rangers, with the hopes of reviving their Stanley Cup aspirations that once seemed promising just one year before.
In spite of Drury’s competitive mindset, the Rangers struggled out of the gate, and by January, it was apparent that they would likely not make the playoffs.
"What I'll tell you is that did I anticipate some of the challenges that we had this year? Probably not,” Sullivan said. “I wouldn't be being honest with you if I said otherwise, but I just think that's the nature of pro sports.”
Shortly after the letter was released, the Rangers traded their franchise leader in points since the 2019-20 season, Artemi Panarin, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional 2026 third-round pick.
Outside of the Panarin deal though, Drury didn’t put his words from the letter into action, as he only made a couple of other minor trades leading up to the trade deadline, and notably held onto veteran forward Vincent Trocheck, who was heavily rumored to be moved.
Now, a Rangers team that just finished in last place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 34-39-9 record and 77 points, are conveying a sense of confidence about the immediate future.
“I'm not going to get into the timelines,” Chris Drury said on how close the Rangers are to becoming a playoff team. “I think we have a lot of good players. We have a lot of talented players. As we said in the letter, certainly wasn't good enough to that point and we're trying to retool and find some different ways to have success. I do like a lot of our pieces, and I'm excited to begin the offseason and take a deeper look at it and try and figure out how to be better.”
What led to this desire for a quick retool?
If you look around the NHL, there are teams that have been able to fastrack their rebuild and become competitive quickly, adding some young talent to an already established core, including the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, and the Penguins.
That is the model the Rangers appear to be looking to copy. Drury emphasized building around the team’s “core” players in his letter. These “core” players are likely headlined by Adam Fox, Igor Shesterkin, J.T. Miller ,and Mika Zibanejad.
There also has to be a level of buy-in from the core players, which seemed to be on shaky ground after the letter was released.
The main source of uncertainty came from Fox, whose noncommittal comments about his future with the Rangers sparked a wave of speculation.
That initial uncertainty from the team’s top point producers has suddenly turned into unwavering optimism, something strongly made transparent during Friday’s exit interviews.
"I’ve been here for 10 years. I’ve gone through the ups and downs. For me, yeah retool or whatever, but you just look around the league and see how fast it can go,” Zibanejad said. “I’m optimistic, especially with the young guys coming in, too, and playing. I don't feel like we need a whole lot. I want to be here to turn this around."
The Rangers ended the season on somewhat of a high note, winning five of their last seven games at home.
During the last stretch of games, the Rangers’ veteran talent was healthy, and a new wave of young talent, headlined by Gabe Perreault, Noah Laba, Tye Kartye, Jaroslav Chmelař, Adam Sýkora, and Drew Fortescue began to emerge.
This hot stretch was viewed as a sign of optimism by Drury and potentially even gives him more of a reason to jump on this trend of embarking on a quick retool as opposed to a mythical rebuild, whether that line of thinking may be irrational or not.
“Although the result of the season was not what we had hoped for, we were encouraged with how the team played to close out the year after the Olympic break,” Drury said. “The brand of hockey we played over the last few months gives us something to build on going into next season.
“We are excited with the future holds with the players we have in our roster, the prospects that we've already drafted, and 11 picks we have in the upcoming draft. We're determined to take the momentum we've created and carry that forward for the 2026-27 season.”
While we haven’t seen this plan of a shortened retool put into action just yet, and there’s no direct evidence to point toward the Drury going in that direction over the offseason, the words heard during breakup day were a clear indication that the Rangers are looking to be a competitive team in the near future, to the possible detriment of the organization.
Detroit Tigers assistant hitting coach Cody Asche (92), left, talks to third baseman Kevin McGonigle (7) during the ninth inning against Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, April 16, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (10-9) vs. Boston Red Sox (7-11)
Time/Place: 7:15 p.m., Fenway Park SB Nation Site: Over the Monster Media: Apple TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Casey Mize (1-1, 3.94 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suarez (1-1, 5.02 ERA)
The first full week of games for three of the four Padres minor league affiliates was less than successful with all teams having losing records thus far. There are some bright spots in these early results with pitching being the biggest issue at the start of the year.
There were a lot of lopsided results as well, with Low-A Lake Elsinore winning 21-0 and Triple-A El Paso losing 19-12 as examples. Several of the top prospects, and a few of the players to watch for this year, have started in an inconsistent manner as well. The small sample size indicates that time (and some better weather) will reveal what these players of capable of in 2026.
El Paso Chihuahuas (6-10 record, 4th in Pacific Coast League, South Division)
The Triple-A Chihuahuas went 1-5 for the week, with five games against the Albuquerque Isotopes and one against the Round Rock Express. Outfielders Samad Taylor and Jase Bowen lead the team offensively, Taylor has a .277 average with a .689 OPS. Bowen has a .603 slug while hitting .259 with four homers but also has 18 strikeouts in 58 at-bats. Swing-and-miss continues to be the big issue with Bowen despite his power and speed. Getting a better contact rate would really improve his chances of getting to the big leagues.
LHP JP Sears has a 4.73 ERA in three games and 13.1 innings pitched with 11 strikeouts and three walks. RHP Matt Waldron excelled early in the Chihuahuas season but has been called up to the Padres with the injury to Nick Pivetta.
LHP Jackson Wolf has been moved into the bullpen this season and has largely pitched well. He has started one game with five relief appearances over 8.2 innings with a 5.19 ERA and 12 strikeouts. Reliever Garrett Hawkins (40-man roster) has four appearances and 4.1 innings pitched with two hits allowed and five strikeouts. Reliever Evan Fitterer has appeared in four games with eight innings pitched, a 1.13 ERA and has 10 strikeouts.
San Antonio Missions (3-7 record, 4th in Texas League, South Division)
The Double-A Missions had a 2-3-1 record for the week while playing the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Midland Rock Hounds. New Padres minor leaguer IF Carson Tucker, 24, leads the Missions with a .412 average and a 1.029 OPS in 17 at-bats. He also leads the team with a .529 slug. First baseman Romeo Sanabria has five RBI and is one of the four players on the team with a home run.
LHP Luis Gutierrez leads the starters with two games and nine innings pitched and has a 1.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts and two walks. RHP Miguel Mendez (40-man roster) has also started two games with 7.2 innings pitched with a 1.17 ERA. Reliever Johan Moreno has appeared in four games and 6.1 innings pitched allowing no runs. Harry Gustin has six innings pitched over three games with a 1.50 ERA and six strikeouts.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (3-7 record, last in Midwest League, East Division)
The High-A TinCaps went 2-4 against the Lansing Lugnuts and Lake County Captains for the week. OF Alex McCoy has started the season on a streak. He is hitting .323 with a .995 OPS, with two home runs with three doubles and has four RBI. He has two walks and six strikeouts in 31 at-bats. The concern with McCoy since his signing was his swing and miss and contact ability. The power has always been there and if he can continue to make consistent contact then the sky is the limit for the 6-5 and 260-pound prospect.
LHP Kash Mayfield has had two starts so far with seven innings pitched and no runs allowed. He has eight strikeouts and five walks. RHP Maikel Miralles has started two games with eight innings pitched and 12 strikeouts with five walks but has a 5.63 ERA. RHP Carson Montgomery, who missed all of last season with injuries, started his first game and threw four innings. He has three strikeouts and a walk without allowing a run.
Lake Elsinore Storm (4-6 record, 3rd in the California League, South Division)
The Low-A Storm went 3-3 for the week versus the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and the Stockton Ports. Left Fielder Connor Westenburg, an undrafted free agent from last year, has played in 10 games and 29 at-bats with a .517 average, a .621 slug and a 1.196 OPS. He also leads the team with eight RBI. CF Ryan Wideman, drafted in the third round last year, is another high-upside outfielder who has speed and power, but contact has been the big question. He has started with a .244 average and .378 slug with nine RBI to lead the team.
RHP Bryan Balzer, signed from Japan and had an inconsistent debut last season, has started two games and nine innings pitched with a 1.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts and five walks. RHP Winyer Chourio has started two games with eight innings pitched and has a 1.13 ERA with 12 strikeouts.
The Padres top draft pick last year, LHP Kruz Schoolcraft, has had a disastrous start to the season. With Lake Elsinore, Schoolcraft has yet to make it past the first inning of his two starts. He has pitched a total of 1.1 innings with nine earned runs, one strikeout and six walks for a 60.75 ERA.
Grounds crew members toil to clear snow from the outfield of Coors Field after a spring storm blanketed the intermountain West before the Colorado Rockies host the Los Angeles Dodgers...
DENVER — There was a fight outside Coors Field on Friday afternoon.
More specifically, a snowball fight — with a couple Dodgers fans enjoying an early-spring snow day at the Rockies’ home ballpark.
Snow covered Coors Field ahead of the Dodgers-Rockies game Friday night.
In the hours leading up to the start of a four-game series between the Dodgers and Rockies, a snowstorm swept through Denver, covering the streets, seats and field in and around Coors Field with a pristine layer of frozen white powder.
Like the fans outside, Dodgers players inside the stadium enjoyed the conditions — which were not expected to impact that night’s game.
Connecticut native Emmet Sheehan had a snowball fight of his own with one of the team’s radio broadcasters. A snowman was built on the railing of the visiting dugout along the third base line.
Baseball weather in Colorado!
Emmet Sheehan is making a snowman before things clear up.
The weather didn’t stop the Dodgers from some of their normal pregame routines. Freddie Freeman, for example, cleared an area for his normal afternoon picking session. Dodgers pitchers still played catch in the outfield — where a tractor had cleared snow from the grass Zamboni-style — even as more flurries fell from an overcast sky.
Though the snow was scheduled to let up in time for first pitch, temperatures were expected to keep on plunging into the low 30s.
Not exactly baseball weather.
But, as a glass-half-full Uber driver quipped while dropping a reporter off at the ballpark, “at least the beers will stay cold.”
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 16: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers slides home to score against the Athletics in the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 16, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for April 17, 2026 against the Seattle Mariners: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Logan Gilbert for the M’s.
Texas begins a three game series in Seattle, the final stop on their road trip.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Seager — SS
Langford — LF
Burger — 1B
Carter — CF
Pederson — DH
Jung — 3B
Smith — 2B
Jansen — C
8:40 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +110 underdogs.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 12: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees reacts after giving up a hit against the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on April 10, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Earlier this week, the Yankees played a very frustrating series against the Angels. While it ended in a split of the four games, it sure didn’t feel like it. Both Yankees’ wins required ninth-inning comebacks, while both losses saw the pitching get blow out of the water. That being said, each new series is a chance to get a new winning run going, and they can do that tonight as the Royals come to town.
For tonight’s series opener, the Yankees will send Cam Schlittler to the mound. Schlitter has gotten off to an incredible start to the season, but has allowed a couple runs in his last two starts. Tonight, we’ll get to see him try and get back to dominance again Royals’ lineups that’s only been so-so
For the Royals, veteran Michael Wacha will take the hill. Wacha has gotten off to a very good start to 2026, coming in with a 0.43 ERA in his couple starts so far. It’s worth noting that in a signal of how little confidence the Yankees (understandably) seem to have in Ryan McMahon right now, he is sitting despite being a lefty bat who could face the righty Wacha; Amed Rosario will take his place at the hot corner. It’s also not a good sign for the slumping Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells that they’re both batting behind Rosario. But Rosario’s been one of the few consistent bats for the Yanks thus far and has hit righties early on, so he’ll get his shot.
Here’s all the information to know on how to catch tonight’s game, and we hope you’ll come join us in the game thread for all the action!
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY
First pitch: 7:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES (NYY) | Royals.TV (KCR)
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | 96.5 The Fan, Royals Radio Network (KCR)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 11: Michael Wacha #52 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the 1st inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is never a good time to play the Yankees, one of MLB’s most consistently good teams throughout its long history. But the Royals still have to do it. From a certain perspective, maybe this is a good time to face them; if you’re already losing, what’s a few more losses? Then, when you get on a roll, the Yankees won’t be there to stomp on your dreams.
Michael Wacha, the last winner the Royals had, will attempt to closely replicate the eight shutout innings he pitched against the White Sox last weekend. It will probably be harder against the Yankees, but the seemingly rejuvenated right-hander seems like the guy if the Royals have one. Not only has he pitched to a 0.43 ERA, but the underlying metrics suggest he’s pitching the best baseball of his life. Yes, not just as a Royal, but ever.
Wacha did make one start against the Yankees early last year; he allowed 3 runs in 5.2 innings. But even as he’s pitching better now than ever before, the beginning of 2025 was his worst period as a Royal.
The Yankees have been prone to giving up a lot of runs lately. The Royals scored a lot of runs yesterday. Maybe they can finally get something going in New York, where all their left-handed hitters can aim for the short fences in right field. Certainly, if Vinnie hits the ball in New York like he did all week in Detroit, he could have 10 home runs at the end of the weekend. Unfortunately, Cam Schlittler (don’t say that five times fast around impressionable ears!) has been one of the bright spots in the early going.
Schlitter was promoted to the big leagues last July and hit the ground running, immediately becoming one of the Yankees’ best starters. He’s somehow been even better than that this year, with underlying metrics that suggest he might somehow be underrated by his sparkling 2.49 ERA. He has an MLB-leading 35.8% K-BB%. The best pitchers will strike out more than a third of the batters, but he has also only walked only 1 in his 22.2 innings so far this year.
At least he’s a right-hander.
Lineups
Following yesterday’s offensive outburst, manager Matt Quatraro hasn’t changed the lineup much. Michael Massey is back in there at second after being pulled partway through yesterday’s game. Lane Thomas is in left field again, as Isaac Collins is still day-to-day with his knee contusion. We’re just going to have to hope yesterday wasn’t a flash in the pan.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 16: Ramón Laureano #5, Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 and Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres react after defeating the Seattle Mariners 5-2 at Petco Park on April 16, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After going 2-4 in the Opening Week homestand, the San Diego Padres have now improved their record at Petco Park to 9-4 with a perfect 7-0 homestand. The Friars cannot seem to lose.
Last night’s win was particularly fantastic with Walker Buehler proving his last start (0 R, 6.0 IP) wasn’t a fluke. He went five-plus innings, giving up two runs but earning his first win as a Padre.
Tonight the Friars will have their work cut out for them against the Los Angeles Angels. But if the knuckleballer can pull off some magic in Anaheim, San Diego might just eke out a victory.
Taking the mound
José Soriano (LAA) v. Matt Waldron (SD)
Soriano has been absolutely incredible for the Halos so far this year. He’s pitched to a 0.33 ERA across 27 innings. He’s had a crazy breakout this season, limiting batters to a .103 average.
The right-hander has only allowed one run this season. That lone run came in his longest start of the year (8.0 innings) against an Atlanta Braves offense that has been potent. The Padres will have to hope they can do what no other team has yet: get to Soriano. If they don’t, they’ll hope to at least get a shot at the Angels’ lackluster bullpen.
Waldron pitched three scoreless outings in Triple-A after rehabbing his way back from preseason surgery. He’s the last remaining true knuckleball pitcher in MLB. This will be Waldron’s first start with the big-league club since his lone 2025 start against the Philadelphia Phillies.
He’s struggled with consistency in the majors. But if Waldron can get off to a good start against Los Angeles, it’ll go a long way to soothing concerns about Nick Pivetta’s temporary absence from the rotation.
Batter up!
With a right-hander on the mound in Soriano, the Friars will likely go with a similar lineup as yesterday’s. That being said, Ty France has good numbers against Soriano (4-for-8 with 5 RBI) so he could see time at first base.
Ramón Laureano, LF
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gavin Sheets, DH
Ty France, 1B
Luis Campusano, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Campusano will keep getting starts at catcher until Freddy Fermin returns from his recent concussion scare. That’s a-ok for the Friars since Campy has been destroying baseballs lately (and owns a .500 career average against Soriano).
Tatis has also put up some slug against the righty. Perhaps he could finally end his season-long homer drought tonight?
Relief corps
With Buehler going five-plus innings, the winning formula for San Diego was on full display: the starter leaves with a lead, and the ‘pen does exactly what it does best. Never was that more true than last night.
Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Mason Miller covered four scoreless innings. Morejon continues to look more and more like his dominant self, and Adam continues to wow in his return from injury.
Miller took Randy Jones’ place on the Padres’ leaderboard after last night with 30 2/3 scoreless innings pitched. The only one standing in his way from the top spot is Cla Meredith’s 33 2/3 mark.
For tonight’s game, that leaves Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta. The first out of the bullpen if San Diego has a lead would be Hart, given his lack of use in the last few games. But it wouldn’t be surprising to see Morgan come out in a high-leverage spot.
Brandon Williamson gets the start on Friday evening in the Twin Cities as the Cincinnati Reds hit the road after their 3-3 homestand. The Minnesota Twins will counter with Joe Ryan.
First pitch is set for 8:10 PM ET. Lineups for both clubs are listed below!
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 14: Gus Varland #47 of the Washington Nationals reacts after his team's 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a great 5-2 road trip, the Washington Nationals come back home looking to keep the good times rolling. It has been a small sample, but this team has been much better on the road so far. At home, they are just 1-5. The Nats will look to add a second home win tonight.
Blake Butera has shuffled up his lineup a bit. Daylen Lile will be in the 6 spot, the lowest he has been this season. Butera told me this was strictly a matchup based move. After getting hit in the hand yesterday, Jacob Young is not in the lineup, but Butera said he was available off the bench. Joey Wiemer will be in center instead. Jose Tena will be at DH today and Keibert Ruiz will be behind the dish. The dependable Zack Littell will be on the mound.
The Giants offense has not been great so far this year, which has Tony Vitello searching for answers. His top 3 hitters have been reasonably effective, but Rafael Devers has been off to a slow start. The Giants picked up Daniel Susac in the Rule 5 draft, and he has earned more reps behind the plate with his red hot start. Logan Webb has been one of the steadiest and most underrated arms in the league. He will be on the mound tonight.
The Nationals have been playing solid baseball so far, but that has mainly been the case on the road. It would be nice to give the home fans a taste of Butera ball. The Giants are struggling right now, but they have solid talent and cannot be taken lightly. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 11: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants throws a pitch in the fifth inning during a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 11, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/IOS/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants begin a three-game road series against the Washington Nationals this afternoon.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters today’s game with a 5.25 ERA, 3.20 FIP, with 21 strikeouts to nine walks in 24 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, in which he allowed four runs on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks in six innings.
He’ll be facing off against Nationals right-hander Zack Littell, who enters today’s game with a 4.20 ERA, 7.16 FIP, with 10 strikeouts to five walks in 15 innings pitched. His last start was in the Nationals’ 8-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, in which he allowed three runs on six hits with three strikeouts in five innings.
