MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 24: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Milwaukee looks to pick up its third straight series win after splitting yesterday’s doubleheader with the Kansas City Royals. On the mound is offseason acquisition Kyle Harrison, who impressed in his first start against the Tampa Bay Rays — tossing five innings with eight strikeouts while allowing just one earned run. Harrison faces a stiffer test today against this Royals lineup, but early returns suggest he’s more than up to the task.
Kansas City counters with left-hander Kris Bubic, who posted a 2.55 ERA across 20 starts in 2025 and opened his season by holding the Twins to two hits over six innings.
Brice Turang leads off again, looking to bounce back after striking out five times over two games yesterday. Hitting second and playing third base is Luis Rengifo, who’s doubled twice in five at-bats this series. William Contreras, Christian Yelich, and Gary Sanchez (at first base) make up the heart of the order. Luis Matos will make his first start as a Brewer, batting sixth and playing right field in place of Sal Frelick, who is out after exiting yesterday’s nightcap with what the team called “left side tightness.” Brandon Lockridge (in center field), Blake Perkins, and Joey Ortiz round out the lineup.
Despite Frelick’s absence, Garrett Mitchell isn’t in today’s lineup. Mitchell, who leads the team with 11 RBIs, has recorded an RBI double in each of his last three games.
Today’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. You can catch the game on Brewers.TV, the Brewers Radio Network, and WTMJ 620.
Aug 12, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Team flags showing the current standings of the National League West division fly above the bleachers before the game between the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
This past Wednesday, Brady posted the latest SB Nation Reacts poll question of which of their non-Dodgers NL West Division rivals are the bigger threat this season, and now we have that result.
What are the motivations for this poll response? It’s an important question. Do they see the Diamondbacks as a likely second place team or are they more likely to wind up third as they did last season? In that case, the Giants would be competing to avoid a repeat of fourth place. Or, did voters simply look at the field and vote based on which team they thought could be the biggest threat to the Giants clinching second place in the division?
If we focus on the notion of fan optimism, then we’re led to the conclusion that it’s a battle for second place and, presumably, a Wild Card berth. I’m not sure I can travel that far down the road of optimism, however, as the National League playoff field seems awfully competitive on paper. If you figure the Dodgers are the NL West champs (which is no sure thing, because baseball is usually not so predictable), the remaining five teams could be from an extensive group of teams: the Mets, Atlanta, Philadelphia, the Marlins Cubs, Brewers, Reds — heck, the Pirates are 5-3 of this writing. The Giants, Padres, and Diamondbacks don’t seem to be on the same level as most of those teams (Pirates & Marlins being the most obvious exceptions for the moment).
But after seeing San Diego up close, it makes sense that a lot of voters concluded (either just by watching the Giants play them or by their knowledge of the team’s off-field situation in terms of finances, but also prospect capital) that they simply aren’t the threat they once were and especially when compared to the Diamondbacks who… lost a game 17-2 this past week and were then shutout the next night. So, all three of these would-be runner up to the Dodgers have stumbled out of the gate.
Remarkably, ZiPS projects the Giants to land in second place, with the Padres third and Dbacks fourth. The Padres have also won the season series against the Giants in each of the last four seasons and five of the last six. Or, to put it another way, since 2020, the Giants have won the season series just once (2021). Arizona has won the season series in each of the last four seasons, too, though.
But 51-49 is very close, and that makes a lot of sense. Arizona features Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo, Zac Gallen, and Eduardo Rodriguez while San Diego has Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado, and Ramon Laureano to go with Randy Vasquez, Michael King, and Nick Pivetta. If you put those groups up against Devers, Adames, Chapman, Ramos, Lee, Webb, and Roupp/Mahle there’s a way to make them all roughly equivalent.
The poll questions that weren’t team-specific had to do with viewing the games.
With MLB’s media rights deals set to end after the 2028 season, Commissioner Rob Manfred appears to be gearing up to offer all of the teams media rights as part of a large streaming package. What will that mean for viewers in the future? Probably nothing good. And while this poll isn’t a meaningful sampling of the sport’s viewership demographics, it does speak to a truth that there are too many platforms, subscriptions, and plain ol’ logins in this wacky world. MLB is careening towards this situation:
Making it easy to watch games makes it easier to watch games for other teams. Part of the fun of baseball is knowing who all the dudes are.
That question was asked as a follow up to this one. As you’ll recall, the Giants hosted the Yankees for the very first “Opening Night,” which became the sole MLB game to kickoff the season. It was also hosted on a global streaming service which means everybody saw the Giants pantsed and run up the flag poll so that people could pelt them with produce and make fun of their appearance. If you’re not a fan of either team or aren’t into blowouts, you had no recourse other than to maybe look for something else to watch on the service. Unsurprisingly, fans weren’t that into Opening Night:
That’s an overwhelming rejection of the league’s idea, which probably means it’ll stick around for next season.
If you’re interested in being a survey participant, you can sign up for SB Nation Reacts polls here.
Mar 30, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) looks on during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
The vibes in Birdland right now are…not great. It’s only been eight games, but so far the Orioles look discouragingly similar to the flawed, frustrating team of 2025 that was out of contention by Memorial Day. Their starting pitching has underwhelmed and has already lost a key member, likely for the season. Their offense has too often lacked the big hit. Their defense and bullpen have been as bad as feared. It’s not a good combination. Now the O’s are in danger of being swept by the Pirates in their first road series of the year.
As last year’s Orioles demonstrated, a slow start to the season can easily spiral into something worse, so it would behoove the Birds to turn things around sooner rather than later. Maybe today will be the day. Chris Bassitt takes the mound for his second start as an Oriole after a woeful performance in his debut (4.1 IP, 4 ER, 4 BB, and a throwing error). Bassitt, a veteran leader, could establish some positive momentum for the Orioles if he can deliver a quality performance today. But he’s had his struggles against the Pirates’ big hitters — Brandon Lowe, Bryan Reynolds, and Ryan O’Hearn — each of whom has a .971 or better OPS in at least 17 career PAs versus Bassitt. Lowe has four homers off Bassitt in 20 at-bats.
Meanwhile, some of the Orioles’ key hitters need to get on track. Pete Alonso is 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in this series. Samuel Basallo is OPS’ing .544 for the season. They’ll be batting third and fourth in today’s lineup. Two other struggling Orioles, Colton Cowser and Coby Mayo, have the day off as Craig Albernaz searches for the right mix of hitters. Leody Taveras is back in the lineup and Tyler O’Neill makes his first start in five days. They’ll be facing Pirates righty Braxton Ashcraft, who I definitely will accidentally call “Ashton Braxcraft” at some point. The former second round pick has a 2.74 ERA in 27 games (nine starts) since debuting last year.
The O’s made a roster move before the game, placing scuffling reliever Yaramil Hiraldo on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation. Perhaps the injury explains Hiraldo’s struggles, or maybe it’s just an easy way to rid him from the roster for a while. He’ll be replaced by Cade Povich, who’s up from Triple-A Norfolk. Povich is a candidate to start against the White Sox this week in place of the injured Zack Eflin. I really thought we would get further than two weeks into the 2026 season before we had to watch a Cade Povich start, but I guess that’s a problem for another day.
Let’s go, Orioles. It’s time to look alive.
Orioles lineup:
LF Taylor Ward SS Gunnar Henderson 1B Pete Alonso C Samuel Basallo RF Tyler O’Neill DH Dylan Beavers CF Leody Taveras 2B Jeremiah Jackson 3B Coby Mayo
RHP Chris Bassitt
Pirates lineup:
CF Oneil Cruz 2B Brandon Lowe DH Bryan Reynolds RF Ryan O’Hearn 3B Nick Yorke SS Konnor Griffin 1B Spencer Horwitz C Henry Davis LF Jake Mangum
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 01: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks gets ready in the batters box against the Detroit Tigers at Chase Field on April 01, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals entered this season minus many veteran players who were traded away for prospects by President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom. Many are struggling with the change of scenery with one very big exception. These are the most recent stats going into Sunday’s games. Yes, the sample size is still very small, but this is just a check-in.
Nolan Arenado – Arizona Diamondbacks
Nolan Arenado has continued the downward trend that started with the St. Louis Cardinals as he only has 5 hits in 27 at-bats for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Going into this weekend’s games, Nolan has only scored one run with an average of just .185 and an OPS of .370. His defense has not been stellar either as he’s started 7 games at third base for the Diamondbacks and has already registered an error. Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Jose Fernandez was recently called up and took Nolan’s place at third base and promptly homered twice in his debut.
Willson Contreras – Boston Red Sox
Another former Cardinal who’s off to a chilly start wearing a different uniform this season is Willson Contreras. In 27 at-bats for the Boston Red Sox, Willson has a miserable stat line with a .185 average, but he might be about to turn that around as he now has a home run and a couple RBI’s during Friday’s game at Fenway.
Sonny Gray – Boston Red Sox
Sonny Gray had a shaky Spring Training, but has started the 2026 season with 1 victory in 2 starts for the Boston Red Sox. Sonny has thrown 10 innings total and has an ERA of 4.50. His victory came in his Fenway Park debut Friday.
Miles Mikolas – Washington Nationals
While Mikolas signed with the Washington Nationals and wasn’t traded by Chaim Bloom, many are wondering how our old pal Miles is doing. The answer is great if you’re the team playing the Nationals with Mikolas on the mound. Miles Mikolas has started two games for the Nationals and has been shelled in both starts. Yes, it’s very early in the season, but his stat line of no wins, 2 losses and an ERA of 14.46 over just 9.1 innings pitched isn’t what you strive for because, DUH.
Brendan Donovan – Seattle Mariners
There’s good news and bad news for former St. Louis Cardinal and new Seattle Mariner Brendan Donovan. He’s started the 2026 season with his new steam absolutely on fire at the plate. He’s currently batting .370 with 2 home runs, 4 RBI’s and an OPS of 1.152.
Former St. Louis Cardinal and MVP Paul Goldschmidt has not seen much action for the New York Yankees so far this season, but 1 of his 2 hits in 9 at-bats was a home run, though.
Harrison Bader – San Francisco Giants
Harrison Bader is off to a rough start after signing a 2-year $20.5 million dollar free agent deal with the San Francisco Giants. Going into Sunday’s games, Harrison is only batting .129 in 33 at-bats. He has a meager 4 hits, but does have 1 home run and 3 RBI’s. Still very early in the season, but that’s not the type of start the Giants or Bader were hoping for.
Dylan Carlson – Chicago Cubs
Dylan Carlson has gone to the dark side, but has yet to see regular season game action in 2026. He made the Chicago Cubs opening day roster due to injuries for outfield depth, but I have yet to confirm that he’s made an appearance in a game so far.
Tommy Edman – Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s been awhile since Tommy Edman was a Cardinal, but if you’re wondering how he’s doing for the Dodgers, injuries are unfortunately still dogging him. Tommy has had a slow recovery from right ankle surgery last year and was put on the IL just prior to the start of the 2026 season. He’s now been cleared to take swings from both sides of the plate and run, but has yet to see any game action in 2026.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 31: Bryan Reynolds #10 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates after hitting a home run against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing against the Baltimore Orioles for the first home series of the season at PNC Park.
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 04: Freddy Fermin #54 of the San Diego Padres is greeted in the dugout after scoring off a hit made by Bryce Johnson #29 of the San Diego Padres during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 04, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (3-5) at Boston Red Sox (2-6), April 5, 2026, 10:35 a.m. PST
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GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 16: Hyeseong Kim #6 of the Los Angeles Dodgers tosses the ball during a Spring Training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Camelback Ranch on March 16, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Betts walked and scored on a double by Freddie Freeman in the top of the opening frame on Saturday against the Washington Nationals. Betts did not take the field in the bottom of the first inning, replaced at shortstop by Miguel Rojas.
Dave Roberts said Betts tweaked his oblique on a check swing during his AB, but really felt it running when he scored on Freeman’s double. #Dodgershttps://t.co/X9qLyAfsZ7
Hyeseong Kim, who did not play for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday night in Las Vegas, was recalled to replace Betts on the roster.
Kim in six games for the Comets had nine hits, including a double, in 26 at-bats, with four walks, a hit by pitch, and seven strikeouts (a 21.9-percent strikeout rate, down from 25.1 percent in Triple-A last season), hitting .346/.438/.385 with 11 runs scored.
With left-hander Foster Griffin starting for the Nationals on Sunday, Miguel Rojas starts at shortstop with switch-hitter Alex Freeland at second base, and Santiago Espinal starts at third base in place of Max Muncy. Roberts on Sunday said Kim and Rojas will share time at shortstop with Betts out, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
Deron Johnson (No. 15) had some big moments for the Sox in 1975 — only they were Red, not White. | (Photo by Tom Landers/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
1974 The White Sox opened the season at home under freezing conditions versus the Angels and Nolan Ryan. Wilbur Wood started, which caused broadcaster Harry Caray to comment that the game was “The tortoise against the hare.” This time the hare won, as Ryan and the Angels got an easy 8-2 victory.
The game did have its moments, however. The streaking craze had hit college campuses and, on this day, a few young ladies in the upper deck decided to partially streak while a young man jumped the outfield fence and ran naked through left field before being hoisted back into the stands by his friends. White Sox manager Chuck Tanner had one of the best lines anywhere when asked what he thought about the outfield streaker:“I wasn’t impressed by him.”(nudge, nudge, wink, wink … say no more!)
1975 Hoping for a bounce-back season from him, the White Sox inked free agent first baseman Deron Johnson. Hopes of improved play did not materialize, however, as Johnson slashed just .232/.292/.378 over 148 games of -0.6 WAR, clubbing 18 homers but striking 117 times (seventh-most in the AL).
The White Sox traded him to Boston in September, where he caught fire and went 6-of-10 with a homer to end the season; however, Johnson was released by the Red Sox on June 4 of the next season, ending his career.
1977 A few hours before the team was to head north to open the season, owner Bill Veeck traded shortstop Bucky Dent to the Yankees. Salary was the reasoning behind it, and Veeck’scomment (“I’d trade Dent even-up for any other starting shortstop in the American League”) didn’t help matters.
In return, the White Sox got outfielder Oscar Gamble, pitcher Bob Polinsky, minor league pitcher LaMarr Hoyt and $200,000. Gamble would be a big part of the 1977 hitting orgy, belting 31 home runs (a White Sox record for lefthanders), while Hoyt would take the 1983 Cy Young Award as a 24-game winner.
1983 A miserable season start continued for the White Sox, and their second loss of the season was a bit of a bloodbath. The game itself was no blowout, Texas knocked off the visitors, 4-1. But rookie Scott Fletcher made two errors, one on a grounder and another on a throw to first, to contribute to the loss. Worse, closer Jim Kern, who was coming off of a 1.8 WAR season, blew his elbow out on the fourth batter he faced in this, his 1983 debut.
Off the field, Jimmy Piersall was fired from Sportsvision TV by Sox ownership, via telegram, for personal and “vitriolic” attacks against the team — namely manager Tony La Russa.
1995 Three days after the end of the labor impasse that saw the 1994 World Series cancelled, the White Sox snapped up veteran outfielder Dave Martinez. Thanks to a very modest, $650,000 deal (almost a 50% cut from his 1994 salary with San Francisco), Martinez turned out to be one of the best value signings in White Sox history. He logged a 2.2 WAR in just 118 games with the club, then re-upped for two years and produced 7.9 WAR over 1996-97.
Those latter two campaigns were far better than anything that the 16-year veteran produced before, or would generate in the future.
On a trivial note, Martinez’s closest player comp over his career (95.5% similarity) was White Sox broadcaster Jimmy Piersall, who had a memorable April 5 of his own, to appear in a future edition.
2004 New manager Ozzie Guillén figured he had his debut game all wrapped up, as the White Sox took a 7-3 lead into the ninth inning at Kansas City. Twenty minutes later, the Royals had scored six runs to take the game, 9-7. The amazing rally set the modern record for the most runs scored in the ninthinning to win a game on Opening Day. Damaso Marte faced three batters, gave up three hits (two of them home runs) and allowed five runs to score in getting the loss.
Ozzie became the first Venezuelan manager in baseball history in the loss.
2010 It was Opening Day and for Mark Buehrle, it was his eighth Opening Day start, setting a franchise record.
Buehrle was brilliant in the 6-0 win over Cleveland, but what everyone was talking about after the game was the play he made on a hard-hit ball off the bat of Lou Marson in the fifth inning. Both ESPN and the MLB Network called it the play of the year.
Marson’s shot ricocheted off of Buehrle’s leg and was hit so hard it headed towards foul ground on the first-base side of the field. Buehrle sprinted off the mound, fielded the ball with his glove and flipped it between his legs to Paul Konerko, who made a barehanded catch to nip Marson by a step. It was simply an incredible play.
Also on that day …
President Barack Obama threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Nationals Park, marking the 100th anniversary of the first presidential first pitch, made by William Howard Taft on April 14, 1910. White Sox diehard Obama wore a Nats jacket for warmth, but donned his familiar White Sox cap for the pitch.
Round 2 of Sunday Night Baseball is a good one when the St Louis Cardinals match up with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers will aim for a sweep and have a good opportunity to do it with a converted reliever still finding his footing as a starter on the mound for the Cardinals.
My Cardinals vs. Tigers predictions and MLB picks break down the matchup and why we’re backing the Tigers on Sunday, April 5.
Who will win Cardinals vs Tigers today: Tigers (-132)
This game presents a nice conundrum. While I’m slightly less bullish on the Detroit Tigers than the market and believe in the St. Louis Cardinals, I also hate this matchup for converted reliever Kyle Leahey.
Ultimately, I sided with the Tigers, seeing about eight cents of value.
Transitioning to Leahey's strengths, he wants to be a dominant groundball pitcher. He posted a Top 40 percentile groundball rate last season and showed some signs of improvement, even in an awful debut against the Mets.
However, this Tigers lineup excels at avoiding ground balls, with the lowest groundball rate in the sport last season and among the league leaders in line drives.
COVERS INTEL:Keider Montero's Bottom 2% breaking ball run value (-12) was the worst among Detroit's starting pitchers last season.
Cardinals vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+105)
I have more conviction here, aided by a brisk wind that will blow out to left field. Neither of these pitchers will miss many bats. Leahey’s is mostly by design, and Montero just doesn’t have much swing-and-miss stuff.
The former’s whiff rate sat at the Bottom 11 percent of baseball last season, with some troubling metrics surrounding that.
His 4.67 xERA and .260 xBA tell you the ball is in play constantly, and this Cardinals offense has shown some signs of improvement compared to last season, as they’ll arrive at this game rating fifth in the majors in solid contact rate.
Solid contact may be all it takes for them to push this Over with the wind and the Tigers pushing runs across themselves.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 2-1, +1.29 units
Over/Under bets: 4-0, +4.04 units
Cardinals vs Tigers odds
Moneyline: St. Louis +115 | Detroit -135
Run line: St. Louis +1.5 (-180) | Detroit -1.5 (+150)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Cardinals vs Tigers trend
The Tigers have cashed the first five team total Over in 38 of their last 60 home games for +15.85 units and a 23% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Tigers.
How to watch Cardinals vs Tigers and game info
Location
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Date
Sunday, April 5, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
Cardinals starting pitcher
Kyle Leahy (0-1, 7.20 ERA)
Tigers starting pitcher
Keider Montero (2025: 5-3, 4.37 ERA)
Cardinals vs Tigers latest injuries
Cardinals vs Tigers 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.
Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) and pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) react after Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Andres Gimenez (0) is hit by a pitch in the fourth inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
A mere 156 days after hoisting a championship trophy on the field at Rogers Centre, the Dodgers will be back in Toronto on Monday to battle the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series.
Justin Wrobleski, who got four outs in relief in Game 7 and during the World Series pitched five scoreless innings, starts for the Dodgers on Monday. Max Scherzer takes the ball for Toronto.
The series opener, in addition to being televised locally by SportsNet LA, will also be on FS1 in a non-exclusive broadcast that won’t be blacked out in the home markets.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 04: Pitcher Luis Curvelo #57 of the Texas Rangers throws during the seventh inning of a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against Team Brazil at Surprise Stadium on March 04, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have placed righthanded pitcher Carter Baumler on the injured list with a right intercostal strain, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled righthanded pitcher Luis Curvelo.
Baumler, a Rule 5 pick from the Baltimore Orioles, seemed destined to have an injured list trip at some point this season, both because he has a history of being injured and because he’s a Rule 5 selection, and Rule 5 guys are going to be more likely to be placed on the injured list due to minor ailments since they can’t be sent down to the minors, and thus the i.l. move is the only way to get the player off the active roster without risking losing the player. Baumler has made four appearances this season, and had his first 1-2-3 inning yesterday against Cincinnati.
Curvelo was one of the last cuts in spring training. He threw 19 innings over 17 appearances in 2025 for the Rangers, putting up a 5.68 ERA, striking out 20 and walking 10. In three games so far this year for Round Rock, he has thrown three innings, allowed two runs, struck out three and walked two.
Curvelo gives the Rangers what one would assume would be a more reliable righthanded late inning arm than Baumler, as the team sorts through its reliever options and tries to figure out roles.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: A general view as tarp covers the field during a rain delay before the game between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Nationals Park on April 5, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers have their first rain delay of the season, with the start of their series finale against the Washington Nationals delayed by rain at Nationals Park in Washington D.C.
The originally planned start time for Sunday was 1:35 p.m. ET, with rain expected to last well into the 2 p.m. hour locally. The game was scheduled to start at roughly 3:45 p.m. ET, or 12:45 p.m. PT, and ended up getting underway one minute earlier, putting the total delay at two hours, nine minutes.
Approximately 3:45 pm ET start time for Dodgers/Nats, the Nationals say.
Up next for the Dodgers after Sunday’s game in Washington D.C. is a trip north across the border to Canada to face the Toronto Blue Jays in a World Series rematch beginning Monday at Rogers Centre.
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 03: Brandon Nimmo #24 of the Texas Rangers bats in the second inning during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for April 5, 2026 against the Cincinnati Reds: starting pitchers are Jack Leiter for the Rangers and Chase Burns for the Reds.
Texas will try to avoid being swept against Cincinnati today as they finish out their first home series of 2026. Josh Jung gets a day off.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Langford — LF
Seager — SS
Burger — 1B
Pederson — DH
Carter — CF
Higashioka — C
Smith — 2B
Duran — 3B
1:35 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -125 favorites.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 03: Gus Varland #47 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning at Nationals Park on April 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats pitching staff has been up and down to start the season, with more downs lately. However, one guy who has been impressing me lately is Gus Varland. He is not a well known name, and he has bounced around, but I have liked what I have seen from the 29 year old. I had the chance to chat with him a bit earlier today.
He is clearly a sharp and introspective guy. One thing he talked about was his search to find confidence. After a couple rough outings in Spring Training, he said he talked to the Nats pitching coaches about the mental side of his game. He wanted to solve the “age old question of how you get confidence”.
For him, there are two ways to get confidence, either through results or through a strong mentality. Varland wanted to gain a more confident mentality. I loved how he described his new approach. He said, “If I am going to pitch today in the big leagues, am I going to be scared or am I going to be confident. I am choosing to be confident no matter what happens”.
This is something that applies to life as well as sports. Varland’s winding path has given him plenty of reasons to be scared or discouraged, but right now, he is choosing to be confident.
With his stuff, there is reason to be confident as well. Varland has a dynamic fastball/slider mix. The heater has a ton of life at the top of the zone and the slider looks like the fastball until it drops off the table. So far, Varland has been executing those pitches at a high level as well.
Varland was one of a few guys who the Nats have picked up off of waivers. The waivers process is unique, and players can be unaware of their fate for many days. Varland said he was in limbo for five days this time, before landing with the Nats. It was not the first time Varland has been in DFA limbo, but it still must be a very odd experience.
Back in 2024, Varland actually spent some time with the Dodgers, before getting DFA’d and going to the White Sox. That means he knows some of the players, and was Shohei Ohtani’s teammate at one point. Varland has gotten the better of Ohtani so far this series, striking him out twice. He called that experience, “the best because he is the best. The fact I can get him out gives me even more confidence”.
Ohtani and Varland actually have a history beyond just being teammates. When his mother was courageously battling cancer, Ohtani actually made a donation and covered a large part of the medical expenses. Varland’s mom is now cancer free!
Aquí vemos un turno de Shoei Ohtani siendo ponchado por Gus Varland el día de ayer 3 de abril. Algo normal de un juego de béisbol.
Lo que pasaron por desapercibido del momento, es el reencuentro. Ohtani ayudó a salvar la vida de la madre de Gus Varland, su ex compañero de… pic.twitter.com/n6Y1IacF8Q
While that was obviously an awesome story, Varland is now carving his own path in DC. If he keeps pitching like he has so far this season, he will be in high leverage spots before too long. The one thing Varland thinks he needs to do to get there is improve his execution.
Execution is something Varland touched on a couple times, and it is something that is important for him. He will mix in a changeup on rare occasions, but Varland is basically a two pitch pitcher. That makes command very important. Hitters know what is coming, but if Varland is commanding it well, hitters will still struggle.
After talking to him, Varland is a guy I will definitely be rooting for. He missed almost all of last season, and he told me that he has had four different surgeries in his career. However, despite all the adversity he has faced on and off the field, Gus Varland is confident and ready to prove himself with the Washington Nationals.
The Rangers turned back the clock to accommodate Daylight Saving Time. What they also wanted to do was turn back the CALENDAR!
"'All of a sudden, they're skating like a playoff team," says The Old Scout. "It's too bad they didn't play this way when it counted."
True enough but the 4-1 win over the playoff-seeking Red Wings yesterday at The Garden delivered playoff hope – in the future.
"If Gabe Perreault can play next season like he did against Detroit," adds The Old Scout, "he'll automatically become the cornerstone of the offense. Ditto for some of the other kids."
Adam Sýkora and Jaroslav Chmelař could easily be Rangers next season but it was Perreault's hat trick that had the matinee crowd thinking that GM Chris Drury's no-fooling around "Retool" is for real.
Truth is Reality starts in October but – for tonight we'll see how Gabe and his chums fare against Alex Ovechkin who very likely will be making his last appearance before the Manhattan crowd.
If so, it's high time we salute one of the most exceptional players in the history of the game: YAY! OVIE.
COVERS INTEL:
