The Cleveland Guardians, ranked #1 in the AL Central, face the Seattle Mariners, ranked #4 in the AL West. The Mariners are favored with a moneyline of -170 and a spread of -1.5. Cleveland's Slade Cecconi (ERA: 4.30) will start against Seattle's Emerson Hancock (ERA: 4.90).
How to Watch Cleveland Guardians vs Seattle Mariners
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 28: Ronald McDonald, the McDonald's mascot throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers on March 28, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, folks…
The Texas Rangers beat the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday by a score of 5-4.
Evan Grant laments that the Rangers’ closer situation is still a problem, though Skip Schumaker says Robert Garcia and Chris Martin made their pitches and will continue to be run out there in save situations.
Schumaker explained his controversial decision to have Ezequiel Duran pinch hit for Josh Smith in the ninth inning of the opener.
The Rangers were able to keep Mark Canha around on his minor league deal by allowing him to stay in extended spring training.
The Rangers also re-signed veteran reliever Ryan Brasier to a minor league deal, after Brasier had opted out last week.
Caden Scarborough will miss the first 4-6 weeks of the minor league season as he recovers from an offseason melanoma.
In ABS news, CB Bucknor had six — SIX! — pitches overturned through the challenge system yesterday in the Boston/Cincinnati matchup that featured BoSox manager Alex Cora getting ejected.
The Cubs bounced back in a significant way after a disappointing Opening Day performance. Cade Horton got them on the right foot with three perfect innings to start, on his way to 6.1 innings and only two runs allowed. Offensively, the Cubs turned nine hits and six walks into 10 runs as they evened this series at a game apiece. I know we all would have loved to see an opening weekend sweep, but in the opener, the Cubs just didn’t find enough space when they did make contact. On Saturday, that wasn’t a problem. They found space early and often.
Heading into this season, I thought the two questions that mattered to the Cubs most involved Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cade Horton. Is PCA more the monster we saw in the first half or the too-aggressive player we saw down the stretch? Is Cade Horton able to sustain his excellence as he looks to throw 175-200 innings? You can always run up and down the roster and find a question or two for virtually every player. But I feel like PCA is the player that takes the offense and makes it extraordinary and that Horton does the same on the other side.
I believe, if you aren’t being argumentative and obtuse, that the Cubs roster is built to be a powerhouse in a regular season. Recognize that an awful lot about surviving the grind is depth of talent. The Cubs have that. Championships are built on elite postseason performances. Clearly, the players most likely to produce elite postseason performances are superstars, but of course, they are no way limited to superstars. The Cubs have enough to win a championship if they were to stay relatively healthy and get hot in the postseason.
To my eye, PCA and Horton are the two guys I think are offensively and pitching-wise, the most likely to produce elite results. That isn’t to knock guys like Alex Bregman or Nico Hoerner or whoever. There are guys who can produce at the highest level. And then there are the guys who are, hopefully, still ascending. I think PCA and Horton are the two most likely to take that next step. Obviously, the World Baseball Classic showed us that guys like Daniel Palencia could be the next stars. But for my money, it’s PCA and Horton. If you already think PCA etched his stardom last year, I get it.
Those are the heavy lifters I see as ascending. On Saturday, Horton led the way. PCA might not have been the key bat. But, he had a pair of hits, for the second straight day. He bunted for a hit. For the second straight day. He stole his first two bases of the year. In turn, he scored two runs. He can be a menace. Horton can be a dominant force. Together, they can anchor this team and lift it even higher. Are they the only path? Of course not. But in any world where this team becomes a championship contender, I’d be surprised if at least one of them weren’t starring and I’d expect both.
Obviously, the Nats are rebuilding. No one is spiking the football on a split of the first two games. A series win on Sunday isn’t going to change any of that. At the end of the day, none of that is fair. That’s the thing about baseball. You don’t draw conclusions in March. This team can compete. There are a lot of things that have to happen. Seasons can be derailed. But, this team is insulated from some amount of issues. No team can survive injuries after a point. This team showed how good they can look Saturday. Unfortunately, they showed how bad they could look on Thursday.
Buckle up, we’re probably in for a very long ride. But I’m pretty certain that you don’t want to miss that ride.
Let’s get to our three stars of the game.
Three Stars:
Cade Horton. This wasn’t his sharpest outing (2 ER over 6.1 IP). But those three perfect innings to start really quieted things down after a rough opener. Like Ben Brown’s relief appearance in the opener, Cade pitching into the seventh minimized the work for the bullpen here in the early gong.
Miguel Amaya has been so injury-plagued in his career. But he reminded us on Saturday that, when healthy, the bat plays, Two hits, two runs, two runs batted in. One homer.
Pete Crow-Armstrong. Two hits and a walk. Two steals. Two runs scored. He’s batting in the middle of the lineup, in what is probably an RBI position. But he helped set the table all day long.
Game 2, March 28: Cubs 10, Nationals 2 (1-1)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Miguel Amaya (.151). 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Hero: Cade Horton (.132). 6.1 IP, 5 H, BB, 2 ER, 4 K (W 1-0)
Sidekick: Michael Busch (.113), 1-4 BB, RR
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Alex Bregman (.042). 0-5
Goat: Matt Shaw (-.001). 1-3, RBI
Kid: Dansby Swanson (.000). 0-3, BB, R
WPA Play of the Game: Michael Busch batted with runners on first and third and two outs in the second, the Cubs up two. He hit a ground ball to short and reached on an error. Two runs ended up scoring on the play. (.126)
*Nationals Play of the Game: James Wood led off the fourth inning with a solo homer, cutting a four run Cubs lead to three. (.062).
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 1 Winner: Michael Busch (249 of 267 votes)
Up Next: Shōta Imanaga versus Jake Irvin as the Cubs go for the series win.
Mar 28, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Luke Raley (20) hits a two-run home run during the tenth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
I’m gonna keep it real with you guys, I worked consecutive eleven hours days this weekend, so I’m actually pretty stoked about the Mariners playing on Sunday night, because I’m just not willing to commit to getting out of bed for 1:10 game at this time. The Mariners hosting the national audience has led to some pretty kooky games in the past. Other than playoffs, does anyone have any personal favorite nationally televised Mariners games from seasons past? Or seasons future if you feel like outing yourself as time traveler. If they have a cool one in 2043 I’d like to know about it. Happy Sunday everybody!
In Mariners news…
Ok, so in the 2026 MLB Predictions piece from Wednesday, one of my predictions that I neglected to elaborate on was that I had Luke Raley penciled in for three things; 3+ fWAR season, ALCS MVP, and a top 10 finish in doubles in the AL. Well the egg is on my face, I clearly should’ve said dingers. Sorry Luke, I should’ve known better.
Tough scene for reliever Nick Anderson, who exercised his upward mobility clause on Wednesday, only to go unclaimed and end up being sent to Triple-A Las Vegas yesterday. If you’re unfamiliar, an upward mobility clause allows any of the other 29 teams add a player to their 26-man roster, in which case the team either has to add them to the 26-man, or trade them.
The New York Mets (2-0), ranked #3 in the NL East, are favorites with a -180 moneyline to win against the Pittsburgh Pirates (0-2), ranked #5 in the NL Central. Nolan McLean will start for the Mets, facing Carmen Mlodzinski of the Pirates.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Freddy Fermin #54 and Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres celebrate on the field after defeating the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park on March 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mason Miller faced off against Kevin McGonigle in the final plate appearance of the night between the San Diego Padres and the Detroit Tigers.
The Padres were looking to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Tigers thanks in large part to the breakout performance McGonigle who was playing the third MLB game of his career. The rookie got off to a blistering start with four hits in the series opener and he followed that with another hit in the second game of the series. There was debate on Friday night about whether Miller, the Padres closer, should have been brought into the game in the top of the eighth inning with the bases loaded and the score tied 2-2. Instead, San Diego manager Craig Stammen went with Wandy Peralta for the left-on-left matchup and McGonigle delivered a two-run single on a 10-pitch at-bat that gave Detroit a 4-2 lead en route to the win.
Miller entered the game on Saturday with the Padres ahead 3-0 and quickly recorded the first two outs. He then walked Spencer Torkelson to set up the matchup with McGonigle who struck out on three pitches giving Miller his first save of the season. The win was also the first of the year for the Padres and the first of Stammen’s managerial career.
Long before Miller faced McGonigle, Randy Vasquez toed the rubber for San Diego. The right-hander delivered a dazzling performance, although it was not always the smoothest outing, with six innings of scoreless baseball. Vasquez finished the night with three walks and eight strikeouts, but the most impressive part of his outing was that he allowed just two hits.
With a performance like that the San Diego offense did not have to do much and three runs was more than enough to help the Padres avoid the sweep.
Fernando Tatis Jr. stepped to the plate in the bottom of the third inning with runners at first and second with two outs. Tatis lined a pitch on the outer half from Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty into right field, which scored Freddy Fermin from second base to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. Jake Cronenworth advanced to third base and San Diego had runners at the corners. Tatis would later steal second and the throw from Detroit catcher Jake Rogers could not be caught belt Gleyber Torres and went into shallow center field. The poor execution by the Tigers allowed Cronenworth to score to put the Padres up 2-0.
San Diego added its third run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Flaherty allowed three consecutive walks to load the bases and Jackson Merrill grounded into a force out, which allowed Cronenworth to score to give the Padres a 3-0 lead.
San Diego is off today, but returns to action against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park on Monday at 6:40 p.m.
Padres News:
The Friar Faithful came into the season with higher expectations of the Padres than many of the national pundits as was revealed in the win projections that was part of the Padres Reacts Survey on Gaslamp Ball.
Matt Waldron and Jason Adam were both back on the mound in minor league appearances and both pitchers looked impressive in their performances.
The Padres still have prospects despite what the prospect rankings tell you. Dennis Lin of The Athletic provides four names of prospects to watch who could affect the big-league club on the major league level on the field or in a trade.
Mar 28, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) gets dosed with water as teammates mob in celebration of getting a three run walk off home run Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz (2) during the eleventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets pulled off a thrilling, walk-off victory for their second win of the year, as Luis Robert Jr. began his Mets tenure with a bang, ending the game on a three-run homer in the bottom of the eleventh. Both offenses were held scoreless until extras on a chilly afternoon at Citi Field, as David Peterson and Mitch Keller traded zeroes. The Mets allowed the ghost runner to score in both the tenth and the eleventh, but managed to tie it in the bottom of the tenth and win it in the eleventh thanks to Robert’s heroics.
Laura Albanese of Newsday proved prophetic in a piece published yesterday in which she posited that Luis Robert Jr. could be the Mets’ X-factor in 2026 if he stays healthy.
The Mets’ offseason retooling is already paying dividends, writes Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
But the Mets are already experiencing learning curves at both first and third base, as Jorge Polanco and Bo Bichette both had mishaps in the field yesterday.
Around the National League East
The Phillies participated in an extra-inning contest yesterday as well, coming from three runs behind to tie the Rangers in the ninth. But Texas defeated Philadelphia 5-4 in ten innings.
Jacob deGrom was scratched from this start for Texas due to neck stiffness, but Jacob Latz had a strong outing in his stead.
The Mets weren’t the only NL East team to triumph in walk-off fashion yesterday. Old friend Dominic Smith hit a walk-off grand slam in his Braves debut to propel Atlanta to a 6-2 victory over the Royals. He became the first player in baseball history to hit a walk-off grand slam in his debut with a team.
The Nationals were shellacked by the Cubs 10-2, as Miles Mikolas’ 2026 is off to a shaky start.
The Nationals acquired infielder Curtis Mead from the White Sox in exchange for catcher Boston Smith. Mead had been designated for assignment earlier this week after failing to make Chicago’s Opening Day roster.
Owen Caissie’s go-ahead single in the eighth lifted the Marlins to a 4-3 victory over the Rockies. Eury Perez pitched seven strong innings in his season debut for Miami.
Unfortunately for Miami, they also lost a key player to injury yesterday when Cristopher Morel hit the IL with an oblique strain after he was a late scratch from the lineup on Friday after experiencing discomfort during batting practice. The Marlins plan to call up first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos to make his major league debut to replace Morel on the roster.
Around Major League Baseball
Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn becomes another victim of the broken hamate bone epidemic. He needs surgery and will miss 4-6 weeks.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider returned to his desk at the Rogers Centre to find a letter addressed to him that had been waiting for him all winter, dated the day after Toronto’s Game 7 loss in the World Series to the Dodgers. “I don’t know you,” it said, “but I felt compelled to reach out after watching your incredible leadership on display during the World Series.” The letter was from Golden State Warriors head coach and nine-time NBA champion Steve Kerr.
It was quite the day for walk-offs yesterday, as Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt followed up his home run in his big league debut with a walk-off knock in the Cardinals’ 6-5 victory over the Rays.
It has been an impressive first few games of the season for the 2026 rookie class, as Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter continued his early run of excellence with an opposite-field two-run homer that helped buoy Cleveland to a 6-5 victory over the Mariners.
Jared Greenspan of MLB.com ran down seven teams who are facing a litany of early injuries and discussed how they can overcome them.
BRADENTON, FL - MARCH 20: Konnor Griffin #75 of the Pittsburgh Pirates poses for a photo with his signed jersey after the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Pirates fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
This week’s question asked about Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin. After a Spring Training in which he showed off his prodigious power, but also some inconsistency at the plate, the Bucs sent Griffin back to Triple-A. He still has a chance to come up later this year, but for now, he’ll start the season in the Minors. We asked if you thought that was the right move?
A full 82 percent agree with the team’s decision. Instead of rushing Konnor, get him a little more seasoning at the Minor League level. Seems like a prudent move.
As always, thanks for voting, and don’t forget to check out the page of our Reacts sponsor FanDuel. They’re still rocking plenty of MLB betting chances, including +225 odds for the Bucs to just make the MLB Playoffs. Which is up since the Bucs lost their first two games of the season.
The Chicago Cubs seek a series victory this afternoon when they host the Washington Nationals at historic Wrigley Field.
Washington has already whiffed a ton during this series, and my Nationals vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks expect Shota Imanaga to take full advantage of this today.
Nationals vs Cubs predictions
Nationals vs Cubs best bet: Shota Imanaga Over 4.5 strikeouts (-120)
Shota Imanaga owns a 24.6% whiff rate, showing he consistently misses bats and generates swings and misses. That gives him a strong edge in this matchup against the Washington Nationals.
Imanaga throws strikes, limits walks (1.53 per nine), and works efficiently enough to pitch into the middle innings. He doesn’t need a dominant outing to get there, just his typical steady execution.
With Washington already prone to strikeouts, the opportunities should be there throughout his outing. This sets up as a solid spot for Imanaga to reach five strikeouts.
COVERS INTEL: Shota Imanaga spun 7.28 strikeouts per nine frames in 2025 and followed this up this spring with 18 punchouts across 20 innings.
Nationals vs Cubs same-game parlay (SGP)
Jake Irvin allowed nearly two home runs per nine innings pitched in 2025, and with the wind blowing out to left, he could have trouble with this Chicago Cubs lineup. I like Imanaga to pitch well, and if he does, Chicago should have no issues winning.
Michael Busch drove in a run on Opening Day and has four hits and two RBI across 11 career at-bats against today's starter.
Nationals vs Cubs SGP
Shota Imanaga Over 4.5 strikeouts
Michael Busch Over 0.5 RBI
Cubs -1.5
Nationals vs Cubs home run pick: Michael Busch (+250)
Busch bashed 34 bombs in 2025. He’s already batting .500 on the season but hasn’t left the yard yet.
That could change today. Irvin coughed up nearly two home runs per nine frames in 2025, and left-handed bats slugged .500 with a .384 wOBA across 100 2/3 innings.
As previously mentioned, Busch has already tasted success against Irvin, and he’s lit up the Nats pitchers during this series.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 0-1, -1.0 units
SGPs: 0-1, -1.0 units
HR picks: 0-1, -1.0 units
Nationals vs Cubs odds
Moneyline: Washington +200 | Chicago -245
Run line: Washington +1.5 (+100) | Chicago -1.5 (-120)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 | Under 9.5
Nationals vs Cubs trend
The Cubs have cashed the moneyline in 42 of their last 64 home games for +9.55 units and a 9% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Nationals vs. Cubs.
How to watch Nationals vs Cubs and game info
Location
Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Sunday, March 29, 2026
First pitch
2:20 p.m. ET
TV
Nationals TV, Marquee
Nationals starting pitcher
Jake Irvin (2025: 9-13, 5.70 ERA)
Cubs starting pitcher
Shota Imanaga (2025: 9-8, 3.73 ERA)
Nationals vs Cubs latest injuries
Nationals vs Cubs weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
When Atlanta Braves designated hitter Dominic Smith stepped into the batter's box with the bases loaded and the game on the line Saturday night, he had someone else there alongside.
It marked the first time in MLB hsitory that a player hit a walk-off grand slam in his first game with a new team.
Smith, 30, had played for five different teams during his MLB career when he came to spring training as a non-roster invitee. He left the team for a little over a week at the start of camp when his mother, who was diagnosed with cancer last September, had what he called a "scare." However, he returned and eventually won a roster spot.
"This team is just so awesome," Smith said. "I'm so blessed because of the love they showed me, the support every day. They're asking about her, asking about her well-being, my well-being, and that's all they really cared about. They didn't care about baseball."
Smith validated his teammates' faith in him by capping off a six-run rally in the ninth with his home run into to the right field seats off Royals closer Carlos Estevez, the major league leader in saves last season with 42.
Although Smith wasn't with his mother when she died in California earlier this month, he said he was looking forward to the Braves' road trip next week to Anaheim, where he will see many of his family members.
"You know, I'm trying to hold back tears now," he said. "I feel her every day. I miss her dearly. It's not a moment I don't think about her. And like I said, I'm just so thankful because this team knows what I'm going through. So they really, you know, picked me up the last few weeks."
The Toledo Mud Hens never got going in a Saturday night 1-0 loss to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
A pair of rehabbing major leaguers set the tone on the mound for the IronPigs, and the Mud Hens couldn’t capitalize, failing to push across the equalizer.
Mud Hens can’t string anything together vs. Wheeler
Toledo faced 11-year MLB veteran Zach Wheeler, who is rehabbing from rib resection surgery he underwent last September to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome. Scheduled for three innings or 45-50 pitches, he only needed 38.
Wheeler struck out the side in the first, all three coming on the curveball. He froze Wenceel Perez on one that caught the outer edge of the zone, and Eduardo Valencia and Trei Cruz swung over balls below the zone. Max Clark drew a one-out, full-count walk, laying off an inside four-seamer, and Jace Jung ambushed a cutter left over the middle of the plate for a pair of baserunners in the inning.
Max Anderson led off the second with a base hit, jumping on a fastball just like Jung. It ricocheted off Carter Kieboom’s glove but would’ve taken a great play to get the out. Corey Julks nearly grounded into a double play, but he beat out the throw to first by less than half a step. Gage Workman grounded out to third, and Ben Malgeri lined out to second.
Wheeler got his lone 1-2-3 inning in the third, getting Perez to pop out to shortstop, Clark to ground out to first and Jung to ground out to short. Again, Toledo failed to hit anything hard. All three outs came off the bat at 75 mph or slower. Workman’s groundout in the second was the only hard-hit ball off Wheeler.
Sammons cruised through four, struggled in fifth
Bryan Sammons got the start for the Mud Hens and was mostly effective through 4 2/3 innings. He gave up one run on five hits and a walk, but most of the damage came in the fifth inning. He retired the side for a clean first inning. Sammons worked his four-seam and cutter in early before turning to the curveball with two strikes. All three outs in the first came on contact, but nothing came off the bat over 94 mph.
Kieboom jumped on a cutter for a 112.1-mph single into left field to open the second — the hardest-hit ball of the day — but Sammons recovered nicely. He got Rene Pinto on the ground to short, Liover Peguero popped out to second and Christian Cairo flied out to center.
It took until the third for Sammons to record a strikeout. He froze Oscar Mercado with a changeup and Sergio Alcantara on a high sweeper. Pedro Leon singled softly into right with two outs, but Sammons struck out the side, getting Felix Reyes to swing over a changeup.
Kieboom worked a four-pitch walk off Sammons in the fourth, but he got the other three batters out with relative ease.
The fifth is where things got out of hand, if only slightly. Cairo and Mercado led off with back-to-back singles, the latter coming on a push bunt into no-man’s-land on the right side. Sammons got two outs, but he gave up an RBI single into shallow center against Reyes. That ended Sammons’ day. Cole Waites came in for four pitches and one out to end the fifth.
Sammons’ velocity was down for most of the night, averaging 89.1 mph on the fastball. He averaged 91.5 the last time he was tracked by Statcast — in 2024. Low velocity is typical this early in the year, and he should ramp it up moving forward assuming there’s nothing wrong.
The cutter drew four whiffs (25%), and the changeup induced a pair of whiffs on as many swings — it also had a very low spin rate of 742 rpm, which is more than 400 below his average changeup a year ago. Sammons didn’t miss any bats with his curve, but he didn’t give up any hits on it either.
Toledo couldn’t hit Lehigh Valley’s bullpen
Toledo struggled to get hits after notching a pair in the first two innings. Lehigh Valley’s bullpen ended up allowing just two hits over the final six innings.
Orion Kerkering, who was also on a rehab assignment, retired the side in order. Valencia grounded out softly to short, Cruz watched a sinker that caught the inside of the buffer zone for strike three and Anderson grounded out to third. Cruz might have seen another pitch if he had challenged, but he opted not to.
Connor Gillespie was responsible for five of the six Toledo baserunners through the final six innings. Workman singled to center field, and a pitch hit Malgeri — both with one out. Perez killed the fifth-inning rally with a lineout to left field that Workman couldn’t get back to second base in time on. Bad baserunning from Workman there.
In the sixth, Clark walked for the second time, stole second base and moved to third on a flyout. Cruz also walked in the fifth, but Jung and Anderson struck out for the first and third outs of the inning. Another double play ended the seventh, this time nullifying a throwing error by Kieboom off the bat of Workman. Malgeri grounded into the 4-6-3 twin killing.
Genesis Cabrera went 1-2-3 in the eighth. Clark tried to sneak a bunt in for a base hit, but it went right back to the pitcher. Chase Shugart earned the save in the ninth, working around a leadoff single from Valencia through the left side — 99.4 mph off the bat. Cruz struck out, Anderson flied out to left and Julks ended the game on a flyout to right.
Mud Hens bullpen mostly matches Lehigh Valley
Toledo threw a different pitcher in each of the final three innings. Burch Smith, Drew Sommers and Tyler Mattison got the ball in that order.
Smith went 1-2-3 in the sixth, striking out Kieboom on a clock violation and Pinto on an eighth-pitch curveball. He was mostly fastball (94.4 mph average), but he drew two whiffs on the other nine pitches he threw. The curveball and sinker combined for four called strikes/whiffs on five tries.
Sommers had to work around a one-out single and walk, but he ended the seventh with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to first from Reyes. The lefty stuck to his sinker-slider mix for 70% of his 20 pitches, throwing three four-seamers and three changeups for just one strike. The slider was solid, drawing three whiffs on six swings.
Mattison allowed the first three batters he faced to reach base. He walked De La Cruz to open the frame. Clark saved a run with a smart throw to third after Kieboom singled off Workman’s glove at second. Pinto’s walk wouldn’t have brought De La Cruz in, but Peguero’s flyout to right would have. Cairo struck out swinging to end the inning.
Tyler Mattison gives up a hit to Carter Kieboom, but Max Clark throws out Bryan De La Cruz at 3rd. pic.twitter.com/j2osdTD4BK
After last night’s epic ending against the Kansas City Royals, which clinched the Atlanta Braves’ first series win of the season, Grant Holmes will be taking the mound to start the early game off with hopes of holding down the defensive end and sweeping the series before facing the Athletics on Monday.
During his five games in spring training, Holmes had solid performances through his outings since returning from the 60-day IL in November.
In the first half of last year, Holmes stood out as a dominant starter who gained enough trust from his team and fans to look forward to his outings to keep the Braves in the game, even through a rough start to the 2025 season. This year, he’s hoping to pick up where he left off, but this time, staying healthier for much longer to keep improving the depth of the Braves’ pitching staff.
Holmes’ slider was used the most (36%) in his arsenal last year and had a 42.8% Whiff rate. If Holmes can pull off a strong season debut today to set the tone, the only thing we’ll have to cross our fingers for will be his health. We know he has the “stuff,” now we need him to carry it out.
On the Royals’ side, they’re looking to avoid a sweep. Seth Lugo will be taking the bump to put an end to a 0-3 start to the season. Coming off the 2025 season with a 4.15 ERA, and most recently a World Baseball Classic appearance with team Puerto Rico, it doesn’t give a full scope of how solid Lugo actually is for the Royals. Relying on 10 pitches in his arsenal, the one that needs to cause awareness is his curveball.
Now, though, Lugo is solid; he isn’t very consistent, and his 8-7 record last year puts him in a below-average percentile. However, it’s not to underestimate what he brings to the table. Let’s just say, if he shows up in his 2024 form today, the Braves might find trouble on offense.
This will be the game to close us out and check the box for series one. Already securing the series, will the Braves complete a sweep as well, or will the Royals successfully avoid a rocky 0-3 start to their season?
Mar 28, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt (26) is doused with water by shortstop Masyn Winn (0) and left fielder Nathan Church (27) after hitting a walk-off two run single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the tenth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
What. A. Weekend! We craved meaningful baseball since late last summer and now that the games really count, we have permission to be excited about what we have seen from the St. Louis Cardinals so far. Before getting into it, I will say it is nice to not have to get veterans “off their feet” in the fifth inning of a blowout like we saw much of the past two seasons, giving the starting lineup a chance to dig out of a hole like we saw on Opening Day.
Is it fair to expect this type of competitiveness all season long?
I sort of answered my question with a subtle dig in the intro. But I also lobbed a softball by using the word “competitiveness” rather than performance or something else that would have me expect the team to go 162-0 with an MVP and Rookie of the Year candidate leading the charge. And on Overreaction Friday (a term I am borrowing from the NFL after arm chair GMs show up in full force after Week 1), the St. Louis Cardinals looked like a team that will surprise the rest of the league. Our very own Jake Wood, along with podfather Daniel Shoptaw (C70) and Rays’ contributor Roman Rodriguez, joined me for my first ever livestream to talk about Opening Day and what we should or should not believe.
Now, after a 2-0 start and more heroics from phenom JJ Wetherholt to back up gutsy starting pitching performances, I want to say I am encouraged, even if the games ended up in the loss column, like they each could have. Calling pitchers’ first starts of the year “gutsy” is kind of a bummer, as that terminology is typically used for grizzled veterans in late August of a playoff race. But both Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy battled through their own issues and gave the team a chance to win. Libby fought through five strong and McGreevy said “here’s 90mph, go get no-hit for six innings” before the bullpen had issues in both games.
And with blown leads and come-from-behind victories in each of the first two games of the 2026 season, it may be too early, but I am going to take a victory lap on my “over 68.5 wins” preseason bet. Despite being on pace for an MLB-record 162 wins, I think the Cardinals will fall back into reality with plenty of longer stretches of pain, but the overall makeup of this team should remain the same for the entire season. And if they are going to play like this on day one of the year, you have to think they could only get better as the year progresses.
The offense is going to go through spurts and what they do is going to set the tone for the team. Though we have not even gone a half a turn through the rotation yet, anticipating four runs from the starter on average I think is a safe place to start. It also gives the offense a “goal” for each game. Another NFL reference from someone who really is not an NFL fan: team defense points per game average gives the offense their expected target to give the team a chance to win. That is how I see the pitching and hitting working in tandem this year.
Looking at the starting lineup, it is hard for me to pinpoint someone on the roster that could be fighting for playing time early on outside of Nathan Church or whoever is playing in left field. While Lars Nootbaar is on the injured list, I think the Cardinals could go with the hot hand approach in the outfield but even that will be with familiar names from Opening Day. To me, that is something worth being excited about in a rebuild. This shows that the team they are going to trot out every game is the one they plan to get through this rebuild with, and potentially even be the building block with which to compete.
Unfortunately, I think we also learned for real that this bullpen is going to be an action-packed group, and not in a good way. In a rebuild, the relief corps is lowest on the totem pole in terms of furnishing, and outside of trade deadline candidate Ryne Stanek and last lefty standing Justin Bruihl, the bullpen was mostly untouched. The rotation underwent reconstruction at the major and minor league levels, so the first half of most games should at least be watchable. In the later innings, though, is when fans like myself who still want them to win every game because tanking in the MLB makes little sense, will get frustrated that another few million was not dispersed on the open market. So far, expected firefighter Matt Svanson has struggled, but Riley O’Brien and JoJo Romero were solid on back-to-back days. Chris Roycroft still has an unreal sinker that moves too much, but he was part of the Miles Mikolas soft contact to death sixth inning on Opening Day.
The bullpen will undergo the most changes out of any position group, as is the case for contending teams as well as those tearing it down. The way that this rebuild differs from others we have witnessed, is the fact the starting lineup figures to be together for an extended period of time, rather than made up of veterans looking to be moved to contenders every deadline. While the starting pitching will undergo personnel shifts, those new arms figure to be pitchers already within the organization, so again we will at least have a sample size to pull from when they make their move to the big league rotation.
Touching on the lineup before I eat the majority of this words as the Cardinals sit 10 games under .500 at the break, I am impressed and hopeful with what I have seen. We have been and will be fooled again by rookie debuts, but Wetherholt is “different” and Alec Burleson is simply an effective major league hitter. Catcher Ivan Herrera can become a force if his offense continues, and Nolan Gorman showed a new approach that has translated so far. Masyn Winn is obviously not the four-hitter of the future, but what a fun way to help him bust out with the bat. The bottom of the lineup will have its questions, maybe moreso than the top half, as the left fielder of the moment, Jordan Walker, and Victor Scott II fight to prove their offensive worth for the future.
I don’t care that we are two games in and much of this Saturday night reaction article won’t hold weight in the future. I am ready for the excitement and roller coaster ride of the 2026 National League Central Champion St. Louis Cardinals.
SELF PROMO OF THE WEEK
Nice and short this week.
No Random Cardinal of the Week since my brother was sacrificing his time for high school softball Spring Break.
I already mentioned my Cardinals on My Time postgame livestream. Make sure you follow/subscribe because I plan to do those a handful of times during the season.
We were guestless on Redbird Rundown this week, but holy cow this weekend gave us plenty to talk about. Check in tonight at 6pm, drop in the chat during the premiere, and let us know your reactions to the 2-0 Cardinals.
Mar 28, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; MLB umpire CB Bucknor (54) ejects Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) during the game against the Cincinnati Reds in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
One of the running storylines through spring training was that J.T. Realmuto was going to be good at challenges with the ABS system coming into place for the 2026 MLB season. Saturday, he was two for two in the final frames.
JT Realmuto nailed another successful ABS challenge in the top of the first.
He's now 5 for 5 on challenges this spring, turning two balls into strikeouts and two walks into strikes.
Yesterday’s game wasn’t the only one that made some news with the ABS system. The Reds and Red Sox had the pleasure of having their game umpired by the enigmatic CB Bucknor, who made his presence felt. Thankfully, the eye in the sky had other ideas with Bucknor’s strike zone.
C.B. Bucknor tried to ring up Eugenio Suárez on back-to-back pitches.
There haven’t been many examples like this so far in the young season, but based on this and others during spring training, what are your impressions of the ABS system? I’m still an old school-ish fan that kind of wishes we had the human element of the umpires behind the plate, but where it is at now, with teams limited on the number of challenges they can have, it feels like the best kind of balance that the game can have.
Let’s just agree that Bucknor should not be a playoff umpire at all.
COVERS INTEL: Shota Imanaga spun 7.28 strikeouts per nine frames in 2025 and followed this up this spring with 18 punchouts across 20 innings.
