CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 03: Former manager Terry Francona of the Cleveland Guardians talks with members of the media about his 11 years with the club at Progressive Field on October 03, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There was a time when I raged, raged against using all caps in headlines. That time is not now.
The Cincinnati Reds are going to play the Cleveland Guardians tonight – Thursday, March 17th – under the lights at Goodyear Stadium, and THEY ARE GOING TO DO IT ON TELEVISION THAT YOU CAN WATCH WITH YOUR OWN EYES.
Sorry, sorry – I know it’s somewhat hyperbolic. Still, they’ve spent so much time plying their trade in the Land of the Endless Strip Mall so far this March without us being able to see any of it that it’s a tremendous boon to my entertainment repertoire.
That they chose to do so (finally) at the same time that the First Four is being played and when the World Baseball Classic is being played between the USA and Venezuela is a complete bummer, and a very, very Reds thing to do. But perhaps you can track down a split screen or a laptop to allow you to watch all the action and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the most glorious of sports fashions.
Nick Lodolo will be on the mound looking to fine tune his work, while the Reds are rolling out a stacked lineup featuring Matt McLain, Sal Stewart, Elly De La Cruz, Tyler Stephenson, Spencer Steer, Noelvi Marte, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Rece Hinds, and Will Banfield.
First pitch is set for 9:05 PM ET, and you’ll be able to follow/watch it through both the Reds.tv feed and the Guardians.tv feed depending upon your location.
Andrew Benintendi mashed his first homer of the spring for three RBIs in Tuesday’s win. | (Chicago White Sox)
Chicago’s (14-11) bats exploded for five runs in the third behind starting pitcher Anthony Kay. The Athletics (12-14) mounted a comeback but ultimately fell short, as the Good Guys carried home the 6-4 victory. The bullpen was a little rocky at times, but lefthander Chris Murphy was able to shut the door on the A’s and snag the save and secure the win for Kay, now 3-0 on the spring.
Kay was excellent through the first four innings and allowed just three hits: a single in the first from Nick Kurtz that turned into a double play on the next batter, a base hit in the second, and a two-out double in the fourth that turned into nothing. He started the fifth out alright with a ground out, but Andy Ibañez took him deep on a hanging slider inside, which was Kay’s only run surrendered. He struck out one more before being replaced with Jedixson Paez, and outside of the homer, he was efficient and punched out five batters while not walking any.
A five-run cushion while on the mound definitely takes the pressure off, and the South Side offense did just that in the bottom of the third. Chase Meidroth led off the rally with a solo shot to right — his first of the spring — and both Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas walked to put a couple more runners on for the Good Guys. Munetaka Murakami came up to the plate in an ideal situation, but he wasn’t the hero here … yet. Mune got Colson to third by tagging on a fly out, but Austin Hays came in clutch, driving an RBI double to right, giving the Sox a two-run lead.
Hays’ double was enough for the Athletics to head to the bullpen, but Andrew Benintendi poured some salt in the wound by mashing a 416-foot, three-run shot to right to make it 5-0.
Just a couple of innings later, the South Siders tacked on one more thanks to a Murakami moonshot — his first home run in a White Sox jersey and the first of (hopefully) many more to come.
Outside of the homers, shortstop Luisangel Acuña and catcher Drew Romo both blasted doubles in the game to account for the remaining South Side extra-base hits. As a team, the Sox went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left five on base, but they did enough to hold on to the win.
The Athletics were attempting to claw back, adding two runs in the fifth and then two more in the eighth. Paez took over for 2 1/3 innings after Kay, giving up one run on one hit and a walk, though he fanned three and has been much more efficient after a rough outing early in the month.
It was a lefty-heavy day as Sean Newcomb entered the game in the eighth, and things got dicey for a minute, but he was eventually able to work his way out of it to maintain a two-run lead. Newcomb was able to get two outs fairly quickly after walking the leadoff batter, but naturally, before he was able to get the third out, a pinch-hit home run from Shane McGuire cut the South Side lead down to two, 6-4.
In better news, the bullpen struggles ended there, as Murphy shut it down in the ninth and the Sox obtained their 14th win of the season. The Good Guys have the day off tomorrow but will have a split-squad matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 15: Aaron Judge #99 of Team USA looks on prior to the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team USA and Team Dominican Republic at loanDepot park on Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The World Baseball Classic finals will feature an epic clash between the United States and Venezuela. According to ESPN, the US will have Nolan McLean start the game while Venezuela will send Eduardo Rodriguez to the mound.
Mar 15, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; United States catcher Will Smith (16) celebrates after defeating the Dominican Republic in a semifinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Tuesday evening is for multi-tasking, with the World Baseball Classic championship game starting at 5 p.m. PT, followed by the Dodgers playing the Royals in Surprise one hour later.
Will Smith gets the start at catcher for Team USA on Tuesday night, his second straight game behind the plate.
Tonight's starting lineup in the World Baseball Classic Championship Game against Venezuela pic.twitter.com/JApvM7KDL4
The Mets don’t have many roster decisions left as we draw closer and closer to Opening Day, but the big one remaining is the final bullpen spot.
Carlos Mendoza confirmed on Monday that Huascar Brazoban will make the team as long as he is healthy at the end of camp, leaving just one more opening over the final few spring games.
Among those still in the mix is veteran righty Craig Kimbrel.
Kimbrel’s faced a bit of an uphill battle since joining the club on a minor league deal, and he’s been shaky at times over his first five Grapefruit League appearances.
Kimbrel came on in the bottom of the fifth and was immediately hurt by a leadoff walk, as Miami’s Owen Cassie stole second before eventually scoring on an RBI single.
That marked just the second run he’s given up on the spring, but it was also his fifth free pass issued to go along with a pair of hit-by-pitches.
The long-time shutdown closer has also seen his fastball velocity drop off a bit, as he averaged just 92.1 mph on the pitch this afternoon, a drop-off from his peak form.
Still, he’s relatively encouraged with how things have gone.
“We’re getting close to the end here,” Kimbrel said. “My body feels good -- I wish I could show a bit more velocity-wise, but I’m throwing most of my pitches like I want to at this point.”
With one spring outing left under the bright lights on Thursday night, the 37-year-old does feel there’s still time remaining to get his arsenal where he wants it to be.
Even if he doesn’t, though, he believes he still has what it takes to help this team.
“It depends on what they want the roster to look like and who they think is going to help the team most,” Kimbrel said. “Do I feel like I can do that? Absolutely, but it’s not my choice.”
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 16: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws in the outfield prior to 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
A National League West showdown is upon us on Wednesday afternoon, with the Dodgers back at Camelback Ranch to battle the San Francisco Giants. Shohei Ohtani will pitch in his first game this spring in this one, manager Dave Roberts told reporters at Camelback Ranch on Tuesday.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 13: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of Team United States hits a ground double play against Team Canada during the sixth inning at Daikin Park on March 13, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is a lot of baseball for fans to watch tonight, exactly one week ahead of Opening Day – which will inexplicably be exclusively carried by Netflix, UGH – as the World Baseball Classic comes to a thrilling conclusion when Bobby Witt Jr. and Team USA take on Maikel (Pronounced like Michael, not the way we’ve all been saying it for years) Garcia and Salvador Perez in the Championship Game. An hour after that game starts, the Royals will go live with what I believe is their final televised Cactus League game of the year.
Team USA’s behavior will certainly make Bobby Witt Jr.‘s first plate appearance must-see TV with Salvador Perez behind the plate.
And here’s the Royals’ starting lineup for their Cactus League game:
I had thought that Bailey Falter was supposed to start tonight, but it looks like Aaron Sanchez will get the nod with Falter coming in as a reliever later in the match. At first I thought perhaps the Royals had finally traded the lefty, but no announcement has been forthcoming so I suppose only time will tell on that front. Here’s a list of every pitcher scheduled to throw tonight:
Bailey Falter
Lucas Erceg
John Schreiber
Aaron Sanchez
Hector Neris
You can tell we’re getting close to the regular season by how the scheduled pitcher list keeps shrinking. Almost there!
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 15: Manager Mark DeRosa #9 of Team United States leaves the field after removing Paul Skenes #30 (not pictured) from the game against Team Dominican Republic during the fifth inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tonight we have the World Baseball Classic final, with the United States squaring off against Venezuela. One game, winner take all.
The lineups are as follows:
USA
Witt — SS
Harper — 1B
Judge — RF
Schwarber — DH
Bregman — 3B
Anthony — LF
Smith — C
Turang — 2B
Buxton — CF
Nolan McLean is the starting pitcher for the USA.
Venezuela
Acuna — RF
Garcia — 3B
Arraez — 1B
Suarez — DH
Torres — 2B
Tovar — SS
Abreu — LF
Perez — C
Chourio — CF
Eduardo Rodriguez starts on the mound for Venezuela.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 16: Ronald Acuña Jr. #21 of Team Venezuela celebrates hitting an RBI single in the seventh inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Italy at loanDepot park on Monday, March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
At long last, we’ve come to the end. The World Baseball Classic concludes tonight at loanDepot park in Miami, and two teams who have forded adversity in the tournament will compete for the coveted championship. Team USA, the 2017 champions and 2023 runners-up, will host Team Venezuela, who defeated Italy last night to reach their first ever Classic final.
Venezuela’s victory over the plucky Italian squad marked their second consecutive come-from-behind win in an elimination game against an undefeated opponent. They had previously clawed back from a 5-2 deficit against defending champion Japan to prevail 8-5, thanks to outstanding relief pitching and a three-run homer from Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu.
Manager Omar López’s squad relied upon a similar formula against Italy. After starter Keider Montero lost control, López was able to count on clutch performances from relievers Ricardo Sánchez and Luinder Avila to keep Italy’s white-hot offense at bay. When a three-run, seventh-inning rally off Michael Lorenzen gave Venezuela their first lead, the back-end relievers erased all possibility of a counter-rally. Andrés Machado and Daniel Palencia collected a pair of strikeouts apiece in the final two innings to seal the deal.
Of course, Team USA has that defeated Italian team to thank for being in their current position. After shockingly losing 8-6 to Francisco Cervelli’s group in pool play, the Americans only advanced because Italy trounced Mexico the following day. Not content to waste that second opportunity, they beat first-time quarterfinalist Canada 5-3, then found a way to outlast the high-powered Dominican Republic in a 2-1 nailbiter. Now they’re in position to take home their second WBC crown.
Let’s meet the starting pitchers! USA manager Mark DeRosa will be sending Mets rookie Nolan McLean to the hill for this title game. McLean made his Classic debut in that loss to Italy, allowing three runs on a pair of homers while striking out four across three innings. Fans unfamiliar with McLean got to see both his wipeout stuff and his penchant for surrendering the long ball, an issue which has dogged him throughout his time as a professional. He’ll attempt to keep a potent and confident Venezuelan offense in the yard tonight.
On the other end is veteran lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. The 2018 World Series champion has plenty of big game experience, though the most enduring image of him on the big stage is spiking his glove after surrendering a homer to Yasiel Puig. Rodriguez has ridden the struggle bus the past few seasons in Arizona, and had trouble in his first Classic start against the DR—surrendering three runs on three hits despite picking up five strikeouts. He’ll get a chance for redemption against an American lineup that feels like it still hasn’t truly fired on all this cylinders this tournament.
Will the United States send bombs bursting in air? Or will Venezuela dance tambor all night long? Tune in and share your thoughts as the game progresses in this open thread!
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 16: A general view of during the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Italy at loanDepot park on Monday, March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Jays made a bit of news today:
Jonatan Clase has been optioned to Buffalo. This is his last option year.
And Javen Coleman, Michael Plassmeyer, Geovanny Planchart, Sean Keys, Charles McAdoo and Arjun Nimmala have been assigned to the Jays minor league camp. Some of those guys got a fair bit of playing time, especially after some of the Jays players went to the WBC.
Tonight Ed Rodriguez starts for Venezuela, he was hit pretty hard earlier in the WBC. And, apparently, MLB teams have been asking them not to use any of the pitchers they used yesterday, which seems hardly fair.
Nolan McLean, who was also hit hard earlier, in the WBC. He made one start for the Mets last season. You would think the USA would have someone better.
The Milwaukee Brewers' Luis Rengifo, right, steals second as Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts waits for a late throw during Monday's game. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
After a few days away, Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts returned to Camelback Ranch over the weekend, now a father of three after his wife, Brianna, gave birth.
The 33-year-old Betts said earlier in camp he was looking to ease into spring training ahead of his 13th major league season in an effort to turn the page from a career-worst statistical year in 2025. There have been encouraging signs as he's hitting .316 in Cactus League play, which includes a home run in Sunday's split-squad win over the Chicago Cubs.
“I just want to get better,” Betts said. “I’m not content with being where I’m at. I want to continue to get better in life and everything, and you know, be able to kind of teach my son how to be great. You know, I’ve got to go through it first. When you’re open-minded, there’s endless possibilities.”
Betts kept an open mind when he first learned of teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s unique workout routine, which includes javelin throwing, yoga, and working with personal trainer Osamu Yada. Betts credits his improved defense at shortstop to the new training methods that he’s adopted.
“I’m not fully in his whole routine,” Betts said of Yada, who is often referred to as Yada Sensei. “But I wake up every morning and do my stretch routine that Sensei showed me, throwing the javelins every day. I think throwing javelins is the reason why I can make a play in the hole like that and throw it in the air on a line. I’m really grateful for Yoshi and Sensei, because they have definitely changed my perspective, changed my life, changed my game.”
Betts graded as a below-average defender in his first season at the shortstop position in 2024, posting a minus-6 in Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-3 in Outs Above Average. Last season, he saw a sizable improvement, leading MLB shortstops in DRS (plus-17) and placing in the top-third in OAA (plus-6).
It wasn’t hard for Betts to look at Yamamoto and think that the Japanese superstar may have been onto something.
“So I mean, Yoshi came over and [got] $300 million, and he hadn’t even thrown a pitch over here,” Betts said. “So, I’m pretty sure he does something right.”
Betts has yet to see the workouts translate offensively, but expects that to come in due time.
“He said eventually I’ll feel where it helps me hitting, but I haven’t gotten to that point yet,” Betts said. “I think he should be back, so you’ll see us back working, and eventually I’ll get it, but he said it will take a little time.”
In the meantime, Betts believes he’s found an easy fix that should return him to the MVP-caliber player he had been for close to a decade. Betts says he lost 10 mph in bat speed last season.
“I think the most important part is now that I think I’m 178 [pounds] now, almost 180, so I’m able to just have speed,” Betts said. “When I lost all the weight, I was down 10 mph in speed. You’ve got guys throwing 100 mph with a slow bat, it’s going to be hard to do. It’s not an excuse, but it’s a fact. So, now I’ve got my speed back, I don’t have to hurry up and make decisions so fast.”
Said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts: "I like where he's at physically. He looks stronger."
A stomach illness prompted Betts to lose 15 to 20 pounds last spring, putting him behind the eight-ball, and he never quite caught up after that.
“[I was] down 10 mph in bat speed,” Betts said. “Do you know how hard it is for somebody that weighs 160 [pounds] to gain bat speed, to gain strength and play a game all at the same time during the season? It’s tough to do. I tried it. I failed at it. But we’re in a new spot now, and we’ll try to stay here.”
Shohei Ohtani to pitch in Cactus League game
Shohei Ohtani, who was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, will pitch in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the San Francisco Giants at Camelback Ranch, his first Cactus League action this year.
Roberts said he was uncertain how many innings he would pitch against the Giants and that he'll likely pitch one of the Freeway Series games against the Angels next week as he continues to ramp up to be part of the Dodgers' starting rotation.
"Even with the buildup, he was very clear on what he was going to do to prepare for the season," Roberts said.
Roberts also said Yamamoto is scheduled to start Friday's Cactus League game against the San Diego Padres.
Mar 16, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Venezuela center fielder Jackson Chourio (1) advances to third base in the seventh inning against Italy during a semifinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Here we are!
After starting with 20 teams earlier this month, we’re down to just two squads vying for the World Baseball Classic title in tonight’s championship game.
Team USA took down the Dominican Republic on Sunday in a closely fought 2-1 game, while Venezuela beat previously undefeated Italy 4-2 on Monday night.
Tonight’s game features a few of the Brewers’ top players, including second baseman Brice Turang for the USA (batting eighth) and catcher William Contreras (not in the lineup), outfielder Jackson Chourio (batting ninth), and lefty reliever Ángel Zerpa for Venezuela.
Mets’ pitcher Nolan McLean gets the start for the USA, while the Diamondbacks’ Eduardo Rodriguez starts for Venezuela. Team USA is the home team in this one, though based on how loud the Venezuelan fans were in last night’s win, it may feel more like a road game despite being played on home turf in Miami.
First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. CT on Fox, and the full lineups are included below.
The Cubs are continuing to evaluate Seiya Suzuki, whose MRI on his right knee showed a strained posterior cruciate ligament. Cubs manager Craig Counsell: “We got good news.” The club will wait until the weekend before making a decision on Suzuki’s Opening Day availability.
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: For those interested, there will be a separate game thread posting at 6:15 p.m. CT for the WBC championship game between the USA and Venezuela that begins at 7 p.m. CT.
Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs. The only other Cubs pitcher scheduled today is Javier Assad, now back from the WBC. Looks like the Cubs might be doing a piggyback two-pitcher game as they did last night against the Guardians.
Mitch Farris will start for the Angels. Other Angels pitchers scheduled today: zzzz
No TV today. There will be radio broadcasts on WSCR The Score and the Angels flagship station, KLAA 830.
Please visit the Angels site Crashing The Pearly Gates. If you do go there to interact with Angels fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 8 p.m. CT and 9:35 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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Mar 10, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; United States starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) pitches against Italy in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 07: A general view of the World Baseball Classic logo on the field prior to the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool D game presented by Capital One between Team Israel and Team Venezuela at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA
And it all comes down to this.
Tonight the home United States team will welcome Team Venezuela to the championship game of the World Baseball Classic.
If the US wins, it will be their first WBC championship since 2017. This will be Team Venezuela’s first appearance in the WBC title game.
And now to the lineups.
Venezuela will start LHP Eduardo Rodriguez who has had one previous outing in the 2026 WBC. When facing the Dominican Republic, he went 2 2/3 innings and surrendered home runs to Juan Soto and Ketel Marte.
The rest of the lineup looks like this:
Ronald Acuña Jr., RFF
Maikel Garcia, 3B
Luis Arraez, 1B
Eugenio Suárez, DH
Gleyber Torres, 2B
Ezequiel Tovar, SS
Wilyer Abreu, LF
Salvador Perez, C
Jackson Chourio, CF
In addition to Ezequiel Tovar, don’t forget that RHP Antonio Senzatela is on Team Venezuela.
For the United States, RHP Nolan McLean will toe the rubber. In his most recent appearance against Team Italy, he allowed three earned runs in three innings.
