Shea Langeliers has been a power force this season for the Athletics. He's already cracked 11 home runs, which ranks seventh in the Major Leagues. The slugger has gone deep in two of his last three games as well, including a two-homer game last weekend. Tonight's matchup heavily plays in his favor against Baltimore Orioles righty Shane Baz.
Langeliers is 4-for-10 lifetime against Baz with one bomb. Baz owns a 4.99 ERA, and three of the four homers he's allowed this year have been against right-handed hitters. With three long balls across the last week, Langeliers could very well make Baz pay for a mistake in the zone.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, NBCS-CA
Home run pick: Gunnar Henderson (+390)
We'll shift to the Orioles now, with Gunnar Henderson in a good position to slug his 10th homer of the campaign as the A's send Aaron Civale to the bump. Henderson hasn't left the yard in May yet, but he's 3-for-7 lifetime against Civale with a bomb, who has also surrendered three of his four home runs to left-handed batters.
Civale's troubles with the long ball have been on the road as well, giving up three away from Sacramento. Henderson has five homers at home, and he's swinging the bat better overall at Camden Yards. Civale is prone to mistakes at times, and Henderson's confidence should be high with him on the mound.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, NBCS-CA
Home run pick: Liam Hicks (+730)
Liam Hicks has been one of the best stories in the big leagues early on. He leads the MLB in RBI with 34, and the backstop is on the verge of double-digits in homers, smacking nine. Hicks has gone deep twice in his last four contests, with five home runs at home. The Miami Marlins host the Washington Nationals.
Zack Littell takes the hill for the Nats, and he's been horrendous. The right-hander sports an ERA over seven, and he's allowed an astounding 13 bombs in only seven appearances. Littell has given up six long balls in his previous three outings alone. Hicks is 1-for-3 lifetime versus Littell, and he's left the ballpark eight times against right-handed hurlers.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marlins.TV, Nationals.TV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 6-30, 1.08 units
Today’s HR parlay
Shea Langeliers
Bet Now +15230
Gunnar Henderson
Liam Hicks
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.
Fading the Angels’ strikeout prone lineup worked last night, and I’m going to do it again with another "K" collector in Trey Yesavage on the mound for Toronto.
Read on to see why with my Angels vs. Blue Jays predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, May 9.
Angels vs Blue Jays predictions
Angels vs Blue Jays best bet: Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts (-105)
Trey Yesavage has incredible swing-and-miss stuff, which should match up well today against a swing-happy Los Angeles Angels squad, making the Over on his 5.5 strikeout total extremely tantalizing.
L.A. struck out 11 times in Game 1 of the series, which suggests the Toronto Blue Jays have a pretty good idea of how to attack these Angels batters, who rank dead-last in strikeout-rate.
That’s a juicy combination to pair with a pitcher like Yesavage, who throws a fastball/splitter combo with great deception. It led to immense success last postseason, and we saw it at work in his last start where he racked up six strikeouts in just four innings.
I also expect his pitch count to be higher than his two previous starts, which should allow him to go deeper into the ball game and have more opportunities to hit the Over on his strikeouts.
The sooner we accept Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as one of the best singles hitters in the game, the sooner we can start profiting from it.
He ranks fourth in singles hit this season and is 3-for-6 lifetime against Jack Kochanowicz, with all three hits being for one base.
For the final leg of the SGP, I’m taking Daulton Varsho to go Over 0.5 hits. He’s 4-for-5 against Jack Kochanowicz in his career and has recorded at least one hit in six of his last eight games.
Angels vs Blue Jays SGP
Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 singles
Daulton Varsho Over 0.5 hits
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Angels vs Blue Jays home run pick: Daulton Varsho (+550)
I’m only betting a half unit on this one, as Kochanowicz is a ground-ball pitcher who doesn’t give up much hard contact, surrendering just two home runs all season long.
However, I’ll hitch my wagon to the player who’s had the most success against him throughout his career and that’d be Varsho, who owns a 1.600 OPS against him.
Additionally, Varsho owns a .400 average and a .600 SLG against the sinker, which is Kochanowicz’ most utilized pitch.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 16-21, -1.25 units
SGPs: 7-30, -1.70 units
HR picks: 8-29, +9.15 units
Angels vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Los Angeles +150 | Toronto -180
Run line: Los Angeles +1.5 | Toronto -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Angels vs Blue Jays trend
The Blue Jays have hit the run line in five of their last six games at home (+5.55 Units / 79% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Angels vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Saturday, May 9, 2026
First pitch
3:07 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet, FDSN West
Angels starting pitcher
Jack Kochanowicz (2-1, 3.05 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Trey Yesavage (1-1, 0.96 ERA)
Angels vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Angels vs Blue Jays 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.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: Sung-Mun Song #24 of the San Diego Padres walks to the dugout after striking out during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park on May 08, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fernando Tatis Jr. is a two-time Platinum Glove Award-winning right fielder, which is why his error on Friday night was inexplicable. Tatis Jr. misplayed a groundball off the bat of JJ Weatherholt with the bases loaded and it resulted in a Little League grand slam that put the St. Louis Cardinals ahead of the San Diego Padres, 4-0. It was evident Tatis Jr. was trying to field the ball in an effort to make a throw toward the infield in order to limit the number of runs scored on the play. Instead, the ball rolled under his glove and continued to roll until it reached the base of the right field wall. It was not something any fan of the Padres expected to see, and it may be the first sign that his struggles at the plate are affecting his play in the field. San Diego never threatened to get back in the game and lost the second game of the series to St. Louis, 6-0.
As bad as the error was by Tatis Jr. the team performance at the plate was worse. The Padres were held to one hit over nine innings of baseball. A lineup that included Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Gavin Sheets and Tatis Jr. in the top five batters was held to a single hit, which came off the bat of Merrill in the bottom of the fourth inning. That was the only inning San Diego threatened to score. After the leadoff single, Bogaerts and Machado hit back-to-back groundouts. Sheets and Tatis Jr. walked to load the bases, but Miguel Andujar grounded out to end the inning and the St. Louis pitching shutdown the Padres for the remainder of the game.
Griffin Canning was on the receiving end of the Tatis Jr. error and was charged with six runs over 4.1 innings pitched. He allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out five. Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta and Ron Marinaccio combined to work the final 4.2 innings and allowed just four hits and no walks, while keeping the Cardinals off the board.
San Diego only drew the two walks in the bottom of the fourth inning but struck out a combined 10 times while being held to one hit. The Padres will try to put the embarrassing loss behind them today in the third game of the series against the Cardinals at Petco Park at 4:15 p.m.
Padres News:
The Padres are just like any other team in MLB and have started to incur injuries to position players. Jake Cronenworth (concussion) and Luis Campusano (fractured toe) were both placed on the injured list this week, which created opportunities for Sung-Mun Song and Rodolfo Duran.
San Diego pitching prospect Humberto Cruz pleaded guilty to transporting undocumented immigrants within the United States and will have his work visa revoked for up to 10 years.
The Chicago Cubs may never lose again – not really. But they did win their 10th game in a row with a 7-1 win over the Texas Rangers.
Munetaka Murakami hit a home run in the first game of the series between the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners. He has homered in the first game of each series Chicago has played this season. However Seattle won the game, 12-8.
Dylan Cease is adjusting quite well with the Toronto Blue Jays and recorded 10 strikeouts in seven innings to lead his new team to a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
Kochanowicz hasn't allowed a run in the first inning in three straight starts, and he's only given up five earned runs during that span. He faced the Toronto Blue Jays on April 21, and gave up just one earned run. That didn't come until the sixth inning.
As for Yesavage, he's only allowed one earned run across two starts since returning from injury, compiling an impressive 0.96 ERA.
The Los Angeles Angels have scored in the first just once in their last four contests, and the Jays also have just one run in the first across their previous four games, too. The series opener ended 2-0 for the Jays, with both runs coming in the third.
Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, ABTV
Cardinals at Padres: NRFI (-111)
The San Diego Padres have been underwhelming offensively this season, and it's often taken them a while to even score any runs.
They've scored just three times in the first in 27 games against right-handed starters, and Dustin May takes the bump for the St. Louis Cardinals here. While he has gotten in some trouble in the first as of late, the Padres have scored in the first just once in their last four contests.
The Cardinals also haven't scored in the opening frame in five straight games, and Randy Vasquez has only allowed runs in the first once this season in seven starts. He typically comes out and finds a rhythm early, and Vasquez owns a 3.20 ERA overall.
They're in the middle of a three-game winning streak, and Cleveland put up a four-spot in the first on Friday. They also scored three runs in the finale against the Royals on Thursday evening.
The Guards face Minnesota Twins righty Joe Ryan here, and he has a 4.64 ERA on the road compared to 2.60 at home.
Minny isn't scoring in the first inning very much lately. I truly like this pick for the Cleveland angle, as this entire lineup is swinging the bats extremely well.
While Ryan is typically solid, the Guardians could very well jump on him early and put some runs on the board. The likes of Jose Ramirez, Bryan Rocchio, and Steven Kwan have had success against him.
Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Twins.TV, CLEGuardians.TV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
NRFI/YRFI picks: 3-6, -1.07 units
What is a NRFI bet?
NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) bets add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI bet is a wager that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're betting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.
A YRFI bet is the exact opposite. You're betting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.
NRFI and YRFI bets add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for bettors looking for a quick resolution.
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.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 21: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves slides into home plate and scores in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You tell me.
Michael Harris ll with the swim move on a bang-bang play at the plate against Will Smith and, though it was close, he’s out.
Few things are more fun than an unheralded draft pick forcing his way into the Cardinals’ plans. Any draft pick has the odds stacked against them, but players picked outside the top few rounds have a vanishingly small chance of putting together a major league career. This week I found myself pondering whether or not Jalin Flores, a relatively obscure prospect in Peoria, was in the early stages of breaking out and setting a trajectory for Busch Stadium. There isn’t too much to say about Flores in particular, although I will say a few words in a minute, but this inspired me to take a quick walk down memory lane.
The Cardinals organization has a rich history of identifying talent later in the draft. Albert Pujols, of course, is the best example of this over the last three decades. While the Cardinals haven’t identified another inner-circle Hall of Famer in the late-rounds of the draft this century (duh), they have been adept at identifying future contributors, and a few core pieces even much later in the draft. Let’s take a look at the best Cardinals picks in the 10th round and later this century.
2000 to 2004
The early 2000s drafts were not as bad as I remember, but were mostly carried by high-round draft picks Yadier Molina and Dan Haren. The draft at this time had 50 rounds and the Cardinals drafted and signed a total of 12 players in the 10th round or later that eventually made it to the majors. Of those 12 players, three provided positive career fWAR.
Tyler Johnson is not included in the above table as his career fWAR was negative, but he was taken in the 34th round of the 2000 draft. While he only threw 77 big league innings, he etched himself in Cardinals lore by holding opponents to 1 run across 7.1 innings during the 2006 playoffs. Johnson ran a 12/2 K/BB ratio and teamed up with Randy Flores to provide an improbable pair of lockdown lefties at the back of the Cardinals’ pen.
Another player not listed above is Terry Evans. Evans was drafted in the 47th round in 2001 out of Middle Georgia State University. He bumped around the lower minors for a couple of years without doing anything too noteworthy. In 2006, he was having a bit of a breakout season in Double-A as he had popped seven home runs in his first 21 games. At the time I was just getting into avid prospect watching, so I was quite frustrated when the Cardinals traded Evans to Anaheim for a seemingly washed up pitcher with a 6.29 ERA. During the regular season, Dave Duncan did not have much luck resurrecting his career, but come playoff time, Jeff Weaver pulled out a sensational run to help the Cardinals to the title.
Anthony Reyeswas drafted in the 15th round of the 2003 draft. He was actually considered a better prospect than Adam Wainwright when they both debuted in 2005. Reyes had a disappointing rookie season in 2006, putting up a 5.06 ERA across 17 starts. He is remembered for his epic eight-inning performance in game 1 of the World Series when he allowed two runs on only four hits while outdueling Tigers rookie phenom Justin Verlander. What I had forgotten was that this was only Reyes’ second start of the postseason. After a brutal seven-game NLCS with the Mets, the Cardinals were out of pitching and had to choose between Reyes and Jason Marquis to get the start. While Marquis had a horrible season and did not pitch in the playoffs, it was still a gutsy call for Tony La Russa and the staff to go with the rookie pitcher.
The most significant career of the early 2000s group came from another future playoff hero, Jason Motte. Motte was drafted as a catcher in the 19th round of the 2003 draft, but unable to hit at a satisfactory level, he was converted to a pitcher in 2006. The rest is history as Motte blitzed through the minors on his way to a 2008 debut in St. Louis. Motte will forever be remembered for recording the final out of the 2011 World Series and running a 2.08 ERA across 21.2 playoff innings from 2009 to 2012.
2005 to 2011
Jeff Luhnow was hired as Vice President of player development in 2003 and moved to the player procurement side in 2005. After a horrible draft in 2004 that yielded no significant major leaguers, the late 2000s were critical in establishing the deep pipeline of talent that allowed the Cardinals to contend in the post-Pujols era. While there were big wins like Colby Rasmus, Shelby Miller, and Lance Lynn at the top of the draft, the Cardinals started finding real impact across the board. The positive fWAR players in this era were:
The fun started in 2005 when the Cardinals selected Jaime Garcia in the 22nd round of the draft. Garcia would pitch ten seasons in the majors while accruing 14.5 career fWAR. While Garcia battled injuries for much of his career, he was a critical piece of the Cardinals’ rotation, when healthy. The Cardinals struck again in 2006 selecting Las Vegas prep outfielder Tommy Pham in the 16th round. Pham spent parts of nine seasons toiling in the minor leagues before debuting in 2014. He has posted over 18 career fWAR including a 5.8 fWAR season with the Cardinals in 2017.
In 2007, the Cardinals had seven late-round picks that made major league debuts, but the most prominent was Tony Cruz who somehow hung around for four years while posting -2.5 in cumulative fWAR. 2008 was more fruitful as the Cardinals found Kevin Siegrist in the 41st round. Siegrist had a short but productive career posting a 3.04 ERA across 276 games. His best season came in 2015 when he pitched in 81 games as the Cardinals’ primary lefty reliever and posted 1.3 fWAR.
It turned out that 2009 was the year the Cardinals hit the jackpot three times with late-round picks selecting Matt Carpenter (31.5 fWAR) in the 13th round, Trevor Rosenthal (7.8 fWAR) in the 21st round, and Matt Adams (3.6 fWAR) in the 23rd round.
To cap off the run, in 2011, the Cardinals took Seth Maness in the 11th round. Maness provided a couple of excellent seasons as Mike Matheny’s designated groundball specialist, but was only able to hang on for parts of five seasons when his already low velocity started to slip.
2012 to 2015
After the epic haul in 2009, the Cardinals had much more limited success in the later rounds. The period after Luhnow left the organization and before Randy Flores came onboard yielded only two positive fWAR players in the later rounds of the draft.
The big win in this period of time was selecting Luke Voit in the 22nd round. While Voit hit 90 of his 95 career home runs for other teams, he did bring back Giovani Gallegos in a trade with the Yankees. While the Cardinals had some excellent picks at the tops of the 2014 and 2015 drafts, not a single player even made a major league debut that was drafted after the 10th round.
2016 to present
The Randy Flores era has come with plenty of great draft picks but the late-round gems have still been relatively sparse with only five positive fWAR players since 2016. After the abbreviated five-round 2020 draft, the 2021 draft was shortened from 40 rounds down to 20.
In 2018, the Cardinals selected Kyle Leahy in the 17th round and signed him with a tiny $75K bonus. Leahy has not accumulated much fWAR yet, but his development has been a huge win for the organization as he has provided multiple years of good relief work and could start racking up value much more quickly if he can stick in the rotation. Nathan Church might have the best chance of shooting up the fWAR leaderboards. Drafted as a polished, contact-oriented hitter, he has improved his bat speed and power output enough that he has played himself into a starting role, at least for now.
Looking ahead, who could join the list?
With Church carrying the torch for the 2022 draft, there are some very interesting prospects coming up behind him from the last three draft years.
Jacob Odle is probably the best bet to make a push from the 2023 draft. Odle was drafted as a strong-armed junior college pick and is still just 22 years old. Odle missed all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He got his feet wet with 51.2 innings last year, but walked over six batters per nine. Back in Low-A to start the season, Odle has cut his walk rate from 17.9% to 12.2% and is striking out 28.9% of batters faced. While his numbers are solid, it is Odle’s stuff that has him on the prospect radar. His average four-seam velocity has increased from 94.2 to 97.2 MPH (topping out at 99.4 MPH). Odle has a solid pitch mix as he is throwing his four-seam, sinker, cutter and curveball all over 20% of the time while sprinkling in a changeup and slider here and there.
Deniel Ortiz was drafted in the 16th round of the 2024 draft and has already progressed to Double-A as a 21-year-old. Unfortunately, he injured his wrist in his first game this year and has not seen additional action. Ortiz was ranked 21st in the Cardinals system by Baseball America coming into the year and will be looking to build on a sensational first season when he does return to the field.
Jalin Flores, an 11th-rounder in 2025, is the only position player from the Cardinals class to be pushed to the High-A level. Flores has responded well by cutting his strikeout rate from 32.4% in Low-A to 20.6% this year. He has popped 3 home runs and is running an ISO just under .200 through his first 107 plate appearances. Flores is interesting because of his pedigree. He was a top-100 draft prospect coming out of high school. After a terrible freshman year at Texas, he rebounded as a draft-eligible sophomore putting up an OPS over 1.000 and bashing 18 home runs. After the strong season, he was again considered a top-100 draft prospect and again preferred the college route. A disappointing junior year allowed him to fall to the eleventh round where the Cardinals drafted him and gave him a slightly above slot $175K bonus. Flores is graded as a good defender and is still getting reps at shortstop as well as third base.
So is Jalin Flores actually breaking out? It’s way too early to say. But 107 plate appearances of improved contact, plus the defensive versatility and the draft pedigree, are enough to keep watching. And if the Cardinals’ track record tells us anything, it’s that the guys worth watching aren’t always the ones you’d expect.
May 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the Colorado Rockies in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Probably not the question to be asking after two consecutive losses, but it’s fair. The Phillies are 17-21, yet still maintain decent enough playoff odds by FanGraphs and Baseball Reference. They have played better baseball of late, which has at least made them more watchable.
So, how are we feeling about their playoff chances? The division crown is probably over, though miracles can happen. The third wild card is probably the one they need to be shooting for, so how do you feel about that? Are they still a favorite to make it in your eyes?
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 08: The Baltimore Orioles mascot celebrates after a victory against the Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 08, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You wouldn’t know it by the final score, but this was a one-run game until the last inning, the seventh, when the Stripers erupted for seven runs to turn it into a blowout. Reliever Gerald Ogando got torched for five runs in just two-thirds of an inning, and infielder Willy Vasquez had to take the mound for the final out, though he gave up two runs of his own. Before that, the Wells brothers (not actually brothers) were Norfolk’s pitchers. Starter Levi Wells worked 4.2 decent innings and gave up one run, and Tyler Wells followed with 1.1 frames. Poor Tyler was saddled with the loss despite being the only Tides pitcher not to give up any earned runs. He allowed an unearned run on an error by third baseman José Barrero, which broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth.
Just like the Orioles, the Tides managed just four hits in this game. A Barrero solo homer in the fifth accounted for their only run and only extra-base hit. Norfolk didn’t have a single at-bat with runners in scoring position. Not going to win many games that way.
The normally seven-inning doubleheader game had to go to an extra frame before Norfolk walked it off in the bottom of the eighth. Sam Huff’s RBI single plated the free runner, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, to salvage the split of the twin bill. The Tides offense put up a better showing in the nightcap with nine hits, eight of them singles. Center fielder Jud Fabian was 1-for-3 with a walk from the leadoff spot and also threw out a runner at home.
At any given moment I can never remember whether Albert Suárez is in the minors or in the Orioles’ bullpen, but apparently the answer is the former, because he started this game for Norfolk. He gave up two runs in four innings. Andrew Magno, Ryan Long, and Enoli Paredes followed with four innings of scoreless relief. Long was particularly impressive, working 2.1 frames with no damage.
The Baysox delivered a solid performance both at the plate and on the mound, but the latter was a little better. Four Chesapeake pitchers combined to hold Altoona to just one run, starting with Christian Heberholz (four innings, one run), then two scoreless frames apiece from Daniel Lloyd and Jeisson Cabrera. Left-hander Micah Ashman saved the best for last by striking out the side in a perfect ninth inning. The 23-year-old from last year’s Charlie Morton trade has a 2.00 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 18 innings this year.
The Baysox offense produced nine hits and five walks, and might’ve run up the score a little more if they hadn’t gone 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 1o on base. Even still, they got the job done. Frederick Bencosme went 3-for-4 with two doubles, Thomas Sosa homered, Adam Retzbach drove in two, and a rehabbing Jackson Holliday walked three times. That helped make up for a rare off night for Chesapeake’s two best hitters, Ethan Anderson and Anderson De Los Santos, who were a combined 0-for-9 with six strikeouts.
High-A: Frederick Keys, 11, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies) 10 — 11 inn.
The Keys are the most exciting O’s affiliate right now, and boy, they did not disappoint with this barnburner of a game. After blowing a late three-run lead to send the game to extras, the Keys rallied back from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the 10th and then another two-run deficit in the bottom of the 11th, pulling off a walkoff victory on back-to-back homers by Maikol Hernández and Elis Cuevas. Frederick is now 18-12.
It was certainly a well-balanced offensive attack. Ten different Keys batters had at least one hit. Nine of them scored a run, and seven of them drove in a run. Let’s start at the top of the lineup, where leadoff man Ike Irish had a hit, a walk, and an RBI. A rehabbing Reed Trimble mashed a homer. Vance Honeycutt hit a two-run double. The #7 and #8 hitters, Colin Yeaman and Leandro Arias, each had two RBIs. Wehiwa Aloy did not start but came in off the bench and struck out in both at-bats.
The offense needed to be good, because it was not a banner day for the Frederick pitching staff — specifically, the bullpen. Starter Yeiber Cartaya did great, throwing five shutout innings with one hit and six strikeouts, but a bunch of relievers struggled. Brandon Downer lived up to his name by giving up three runs, and Jacob Cravey coughed up four runs in the 10th and 11th but was bailed out by the Keys’ bats.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 3, Salem RidgeYaks (Red Sox) 2
This was another well-pitched victory for an Orioles affiliate on this night. Right-hander Christian Rodriguez, a 2024 tenth-round draft pick making just his second professional start, delivered a quality outing with six innings of one-run ball. He gave up eight hits, but struck out five without walking anyone.
The Shorebirds did all their scoring in the top of the second. Junior Aybar drove in the first two runs with a double and Braylon Whitaker followed with an RBI single. Three of the Shorebirds’ five hits came in that inning. They were otherwise quiet at the plate, but not on the basepaths, where they stole six bases without being caught. Whitaker and Aybar had two steals apiece.
All year, the Cubs have gone by a “next man up” mantra. Thus, when Matthew Boyd went down with a knee injury this week, Ben Brown was tabbed to make the start in his place. It was Brown’s first start of the year, and his past results as a starter have been uneven.
Like just about everything else that’s happened with the Cubs this year, Brown did his “next man up” job exceptionally well. Expected to go no more than three innings, Brown instead no-hit the Rangers for four innings. Michael Busch added a bases-clearing double and Seiya Suzuki homered in a 7-1 win over the Rangers, the team’s 10th win in a row. That, combined with losses by the Braves and Yankees, leaves the Chicago Cubs waking up this morning with the best record in baseball. Also, the 2026 Cubs are in rare territory:
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, these Cubs are the fifth team in MLB history with multiple distinct winning streaks of at least 10 games before their 40th decision of a season. The 1955 Dodgers, 1941 Cardinals, 1889 St. Louis Browns and 1880 Chicago White Stockings (Cubs) also achieved the feat.
And per Elias, the Cubs are also just the sixth team with a gap of three or fewer games between a pair of winning streaks of at least 10 games. That rare feat was also pulled off by the 1906 Cubs (one game, twice), 1897 Orioles (one), 1880 White Stockings (two), 1978 Pirates (two), and 1955 Dodgers (three).
Further:
The @Cubs are the first team in MLB history to have 2 separate 10+ game winning streaks and a 15+ game home winning streak all before the end of May. pic.twitter.com/AJstxlVQFG
We are all witnessing history… and of the best possible kind.
Now, let’s look at how this one unfolded.
With one out in the top of the first, Michael Conforto bounced a ball into the seats at Globe Life Field for an automatic double. One out later, Ian Happ singled him in [VIDEO].
Suzuki’s fourth-inning home run extended the Cubs’ streak to seven games with at least one homer, a season high. Going into Friday, 11 other teams had had a streak of at least seven games this season. The Yankees had homered in 14 straight games; the Mariners, in 12; and no other team in more than eight.
There were 89 streaks of at least seven games last year, including ones of seven and eight by the Cubs. Twenty-nine streaks were at least 10 games, with a high of 18 by the Giants. The Dodgers had two streaks of 14; the Royals, one.
Brown was just outstanding in his four innings of work. He threw an efficient 46 pitches (31 strikes) and allowed just one baserunner, a second-inning walk to Joc Pederson. He struck out three [VIDEO].
I’ve been critical of the effort to make Brown a starter in the past. But this year, he’s developed additional pitches and has been much more effective in a multi-inning relief role. With a slot in the rotation currently available with the injury to Boyd, perhaps Brown can fill that place. An excellent job done in this one by Brown, whose season ERA dropped to 1.82.
More on Brown’s evening from John:
Brown is just the third Cub to start a game and exit after four no-hit innings — but the second in as many years.
On Opening Day of last season, against the Dodgers at Tokyo, Shota Imanaga was lifted after walking four and striking two.
Matt Clement walked one and struck out three at Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers on May 5, 2002.
That was the first such start since Monk Dubiel walked none and struck out one at home vs. the Reds on May 29, 1949. Under the hazy scoring rules back then, Dubiel was awarded the win, since the Cubs were ahead, 1-0, when he departed. They won, 10-2, as Emil Kush finished up, working five innings and allowing two runs on six hits and three walks, with two strikeouts.
Ryan Rolison relieved Brown in the fifth and walked the first two batters he faced. One out later, an RBI single by Justin Foscue made the score 3-1. At that point Javier Assad relieved Rolison. Assad’s second pitch was a wild pitch, advancing the runners, but he retired the next two Rangers to end the inning.
In the sixth, Busch drew a one-out walk and stole second. The Rangers have a reputation as an easy team to run on, so the Cubs took advantage. That was just the sixth steal of Busch’s 372-game MLB career to date.
The Cubs blew the game open in the seventh. Nico Hoerner reached on an error, Conforto walked and Alex Bregman singled, loading the bases with nobody out. The next two Cubs hit into force plays at the plate, but Busch cleared the bases with this double to make it 7-1 [VIDEO].
As mentioned in the clip, Busch saw 37 pitches in this game (the Rangers threw 187 pitches overall). That’s more than seven pitches per plate appearance, a sign of a really good, patient hitter. After a very slow start, Busch is batting .300/.413/.489 (27-for-90) over his last 24 games with three home runs and 21 RBI.
So. The two 10-game winning streaks, sandwiched around a three-game losing streak, obviously make the Cubs 20-3 over that span. That’s three games better than anyone else in MLB over that time (Yankees and Rays, 17-6), and I’ve noted the other things the Cubs have done with the streaks this year, matching things that haven’t been done in decades or in some cases, in over a century. You are witnessing amazing history, something to remember forever.
The Cubs will go for 11 straight wins Saturday evening against the Rangers. Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs and Jack Leiter goes for Texas. Game time is 6:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
0-for-31. That was the hitless stretch buried inside Brandon Marsh’s poor start to last season.
He landed on the injured list in late April with a strained hamstring. It was supposed to be his year as the Phillies’ everyday center fielder.
Marsh went to Lehigh Valley to rehab and try to find himself again. Garrett Stubbs was there. And what followed was less about mechanics than most people would assume.
“Nothing that he doesn’t already know — which is that he’s a superstar player,” Stubbs said. “When you go through those lulls, it’s hard to remember that. You get on hot streaks and sometimes you feel like you’re never going to get out. And then when you go through the lows, the same thing happens in the opposite direction.”
Marsh will tell you the same thing. The swing was not the problem.
“Physically, I didn’t really change much,” Marsh said. “I liked where my swing was. I was swinging at bad pitches. It was more in my head than physically. Stubby helped me out tremendously, just with the mental side going into the game and approaching your day.”
Marsh finished his rehab assignment with consecutive multi-hit games and returned to the Phillies on May 3. Since then, he owns the highest batting average among National League hitters at .311, trailing only Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz for the best mark in baseball.
Stubbs watched it happen up close. He knows what it takes to turn that kind of stretch around, and he has made it part of his role to help teammates through it.
“Coming down to Triple-A, letting the shoulders down, relaxing and just remembering how good of a player he is, regardless of what result was currently happening — that was a huge part of it,” Stubbs said. “It’s not always a mechanical thing. Sometimes it is, but there’s a big mental side to the game.”
Now, Alec Bohm is the one trying to find his way through.
The Phillies gave Bohm a pair of “reset” days on Thursday and Friday. He enters Saturday hitting .159 through his first 126 at-bats — the second-lowest average by a Phillie through the club’s first 38 games since 1901, with a minimum of 120 plate appearances. His .433 OPS is the lowest by a Phillie through that same stretch.
The circumstances make it harder. Bohm is in his final arbitration season before free agency, and he is carrying off-field noise after filing a lawsuit against his parents, alleging financial mismanagement. The Phillies need the hitter they have seen before, though.
There is reason to believe he is still there. Last season, through his first 94 plate appearances, Bohm slashed .198/.223/.264 with no home runs. The rest of the way, he hit .308 with an .801 OPS and 11 home runs. His teammates have not forgotten that.
“He’s one of the best hitters ever to play the game. He knows he is. We all know he is,” Marsh said. “He’s going to come out of it and be better from it. It’s all going to be water under the bridge. He’s going to be fine.”
Stubbs knows the daily grind of a stretch like this from the inside. The attention makes it harder.
“You walk into this locker room and you see media members,” Stubbs said. “They look at you. They know what story’s going on. You’re not playing well. They know you’re not playing well. It’s just a snowball effect of pressure that consistently happens.”
The ways a clubhouse can help are not always formal. Stubbs, who goes by the “Chief Vibes Officer,” knows that better than most.
“It’s the moments in the locker room or on the bench — [Bohm and I] talk all the time,” Stubbs said. “It’s not always related to something serious. Sometimes it’s about going to play golf on the next off day. Blowing off some steam and hanging out with the boys, having a few beers and forgetting about whatever went on that day.
Through 162 games, you’ve got to have times like that where you take a deep breath and forget about the day-to-day.”
Interim manager Don Mattingly’s decision to give Bohm two days off came from the same place — not as a warning, but as a recognition that sometimes the hardest-working players need permission to step back.
“He’s been working so hard, hitting extra all the time,” Mattingly said Thursday. “I encouraged him to take a reset day from the standpoint of — grind, grind, grind, take a step back. And then we get back after it.”
The Phillies are not simply waiting for things to turn. Mattingly said Kevin Long, the hitting group, the front office and others have been working through video and biomechanics, comparing the current Bohm to the version of him that hits the ball to all fields and drives in runs.
“Nobody’s just looking away, saying, ‘He’s going to hit,'” Mattingly said. “You’re trying to figure out solutions. Most of the time, a guy catches a feel, gets a couple of knocks, and then he’s off to the races. He’s going to hit, and I’ll believe that till the day I’m not on this earth.”
Stubbs, who considers Bohm a close friend, was careful not to speak for him directly. But everything he said about what a struggling player needs applies to what is happening right now.
“Knowing that the other guys in the locker room understand how good of a player you are — that is, to me, the most important thing,” Stubbs said. “Everyone on the outside doesn’t always realize how difficult it is to play this game. They also don’t always realize that we’re human beings, and we have family matters, whether they’re public or not, that happen daily, weekly, monthly.”
A year ago, Marsh was the one who needed to find his way back. Stubbs helped him get there — not by overhauling anything, but by reminding a good player that he was still a good player.
Bohm got his reset. The belief in the room has not changed. And neither has the memory of what Marsh looked like before it all turned around.
That is the point Stubbs knows better than most. Sometimes it starts with remembering who the player already is.
BRONX, NY - CIRCA 1970's: Pitcher Jim Catfish Hunter of the New York Yankees pitches during a circa late 1970's Major League Baseball game at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York. Hunter played for the Yankees from 1974-79. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The date is October 2, 1978. With the Yankees down two in the seventh and two runners on, a light-hitting shortstop steps to the plate at Fenway Park. After fouling a ball off his foot, he turns on one.
Deep to left! Yastrzemski will not get it, it’s a home run! A three-run home run for Bucky Dent and the Yankees now lead by a score of 3-2. Bucky Dent has just hit his fifth home run of the year into the screen.
In a franchise whose history is chock full of indelible moments, this one ranks near the top. Dent’s soaring shot above the Green Monster keyed a Yankee victory in a one-game playoff against their most hated rivals, erasing what had been a 14-game division deficit and setting them on the path towards their 22nd title. Of course, Dent never would have been in position to make history if not for contributions up and down the Yankees’ roster all season long.
Here in 2026, Yankees’ starting pitchers are neck-and-neck with the Dodgers’ for the best rotation ERA in baseball. To be sure, we’re still in the early going, but with Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole set to reinforce this already exemplary group in the near term, we appear to have the makings of a special rotation. The last time the Yankees led MLB in rotation ERA? Nearly 50 years ago on that ‘78 squad. It was a top-heavy group, led by an all-world Ron Guidry. But the Yankees could neither have led baseball in rotation ERA nor mounted their historic regular-season comeback without the high floor provided by all the members of their pitching staff.
Let’s dissect the anatomy of a league-best rotation, starting with its ace. Guidry’s ‘78 season is the stuff of legend. After earning a starting role the year prior, going 16-7 with a 2.82 ERA, he transformed into the best pitcher in the game at the age of 27. He led baseball in wins (25), ERA (1.74), and shutouts (9). In particular, that ERA ranks third in club history behind a mid-World War II Spud Chandler season and a 1910 Deadball Era Russ Ford campaign aided by the emery ball. Gator also struck out 248 which slotted third behind Nolan Ryan and J.R. Richard that year but remained a Yankees record until surpassed by Cole in 2022 — a much more high-strikeout era.*
*For one point of comparison, when K% is weighted to adjust for the circumstances of the league at the time, 1978 Gator scored a 198 K%+, whereas 2022 Cole had a 146. It’s no shade on Cole, just a testament to Guidry,
This is the year Louisiana Lightning set a Yankees record with 18 strikeouts in a game (“holy cow!”), began a Yankee Stadium tradition with the two-strike clap, captured the Cy Young, and finished runner-up to Boston’s Jim Rice in MVP voting.
Tomes have and will be written about Guidry’s historic campaign (here’s a great piece by Mark Feinsand if you want a deeper dive). And while, of course, the lanky lefty’s utter dominance is the primary reason Yankees starters led the game in ERA, I’m going to focus more on the less-heralded supporting cast who made sure one of the greatest pitching seasons in baseball history was not for naught.
1975 was Bobby Bonds’ first season in pinstripes after coming over in a surprising trade for fan favorite Bobby Murcer. Despite going 30/30, it would also be Bobby’s last. Before the ’76 season, the Yankees made a controversial deal, shipping the established star off to the Angels for two promising youngsters who would become pillars of their late-’70s run: center fielder Mickey Rivers (an excellent player in his own right) and starter Ed Figueroa. Figueroa was a steady contributor throughout his time in New York who posted his best season in ‘78. The right-hander from Puerto Rico won 20 games while pitching to a 2.99 ERA, finishing seventh in Cy Young voting. And, in a season that saw injuries to some key starters, Figueroa joined Guidry as the only Yankee to stick in the rotation all season.
In what will become a trend, the 29-year-old performed much better in the second half than the first. He went 13-3 with a 2.46 ERA after the All-Star break. This included a season-saving performance in game 161. With the Yankees clinging to a one-game lead over the red-hot Red Sox, Figueroa twirled a complete-game shutout against Cleveland to help the Yankees keep pace, winning his 20th game in the process.
The mid-season boost may have come at least in part due to a change at manager. “(Billy Martin) treated me like dirt, a second-class citizen,” Figueroa recounted about his contentious relationship with the divisive Yankees skipper. “He has told people I’m gutless and cannot pitch under pressure. He never said anything good about me.” Conversely, he felt that Martin’s replacement, the mellow Bob Lemon, “treats me like a man. He lets me pitch to the hitters my way. I have more confidence with him.”
Behind the two stars at the front of their rotation, the man with the most starts in ‘78 was Dick Tidrow. A swingman who started just nine games the prior three seasons combined, injuries forced the 31-year-old into the rotation for nearly the whole year (he ended up starting 25 games). Despite going 7-10 in those starts, he pitched to a solid 3.83 ERA, keeping the train on the tracks as New York worked through quite a bit of turmoil. While Tidrow would pitch for six more seasons, he’d start just one more game, making the ‘78 season an unexpected but pivotal last hurrah for him as a starter.
Next up was a rookie named Jim Beattie, who ended up starting 22 games. Drafted in the fourth round in 1975 out of Dartmouth, the 6-foot-5 right-hander quickly ascended through the minor-league system, earning a spot in the starting rotation to begin the ‘78 season. And, while he was the weakest cog in the Yankees’ rotation for much the year, he was a more than capable number-five starter, posting a 3.73 ERA and 98 ERA+. Beattie’s shining moment came during the famed “Boston Massacre,” a four-game sweep from September 7-10 in which the Yankees outscored the Red Sox 42-9 and pulled even in the standings. Beattie started the second game of the set and, with two outs in the eighth, was on track for his first complete game and his first shutout. That’s when an error by backup catcher Mike Heath, who’d come on to replace Thurman Munson in the rout, led to two unearned runs and chased Beattie before he could finish the job. Beattie would go on to greater success with the Mariners before moving to the front office, serving as a GM with both the Expos and Orioles as well as a longtime scout with the Blue Jays.
The most ill-fated member of the ‘78 Yankees’ rotation was Don Gullett. A former first-rounder who’d burst on the scene with Cincinnati in 1970 at the age of 19, Pete Rose once said the fireballer was “the only guy who can throw a baseball through a car wash and not get the ball wet.” By the fall of 1976, he was a two-time champion and a seasoned veteran, signing with the Yankees on one of the first notable free agent contracts and posting an impressive 14-4 record. But his shoulder was starting to give out. He’d make just eight starts in ‘78 before undergoing shoulder surgery that would end his career at the age of 27. Years later, he continued to rue the premature end of his once-promising career:
“I’ll always wonder what I might have done with seven or eight more years. It’s the goal of every player to get into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. I’m not saying I would have or could have made it. But we’ll never know.”
Still, in those eight starts, Gullett went 4-2 with a 3.63 ERA. In a regular season that ended in a tie, it’s certainly possible that his efforts to persevere for as long as he did through his shoulder problems made the difference in getting to game 163.
Seven others started games for the Yankees in ‘78. Six of them appeared in six or fewer games and factored minimally into the rotation’s ERA crown. The seventh ended up in the Hall of Fame.
By 1978, Catfish Hunter was no longer the ace who’d finished top-four in Cy Young voting four years in a row. Diagnosed with diabetes that spring, he was also plagued by arm problems and developed a groin surgery along the way. His nadir came on July 27th, when he allowed six runs without getting an out against Cleveland. “I was doubtful at mid-season if I’d ever pitch again,” he conceded later in the year.
Amidst this crisis of confidence, the Yankees’ team physician performed some manipulations to break up adhesions that had formed in the eight-time All-Star’s shoulder. He was a man reborn. Catfish allowed no runs in 17 innings across his first two starts in August and, in 11 August and September starts, went 9-1 with a 1.71 ERA. “When he had to have it, he had great stuff,” said Lemon, a Hall of Fame pitcher himself, admiringly of Hunter’s resurgence. “He was in command and was getting the pitches where he wanted them. That was a pitcher out there.”
With the chance to clinch the AL East in game 162, Lemon handed the ball to Hunter. He reverted to his earlier form, allowing five runs in 1.2 innings en route to a trouncing that set up the one-game playoff. In that game, while not as unhittable as he’d been for most of the season, Guidry kept his team in the game with 6.1 innings of two-run ball.
After Dent keyed the victory that day, the rotation was up-and down in the playoffs. Figueroa allowed eight runs without making it out of the second in either of his first two starts, doing little to refute Martin’s cruel barb that the pitcher could not perform under pressure. Tidrow was bounced to the bullpen, allowing one run in 4.2 World Series innings. Beattie acquitted himself nicely in two starts, including a pivotal two-run outing in Game 5 of the World Series that staked New York to a 3-2 series lead and netted him his first career complete game.
Guidry was in typical form, allowing just one run in each of his two outings. And Hunter gutted out three starts, culminating in nailing down the World Series clincher in his 22nd and final playoff appearance.
While you can never anticipate the kind of season that Guidry put up in ‘78, the Yankees have the type of front-of-the-rotation talent in Cole, Rodón, Max Fried, and Cam Schlittler to go toe-to-toe with any rotation in the league. As we’ve already seen, though, as injuries take their inevitable toll, a rotation’s success also hinges on its depth. The likes of Will Warren and Ryan Weathers have significantly raised the floor that can be expected from Yankees’ starters. It’s a potent formula for regular-season dominance that mirrors one of the greatest staffs in franchise history.
PHOENIX — On a team littered with superstars, fat bank accounts and glossy resumes, there is first baseman Mark Vientos.
The New York Mets, with a payroll of $352 million, are led by Juan Soto’s MLB-high $61.9 million salary this year.
They have seven All-Stars.
And, here they are, heavily relying on their 20th-highest-paid player, earning only $33,750 more than the MLB minimum, to help lead them through these troubled times.
Vientos, the cleanup hitter out of necessity, almost singlehandedly won the game for the Mets on Friday night, a 3-1, 10-inning victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
It was Vientos’ leadoff homer in the second inning homer that not only produced the Mets’ lone run through the first nine innings – but half of their two hits.
And it was Vientos who hit the go-ahead, run-scoring double in the 10th inning for the game-winner, giving the Mets their fifth victory in seven games on this three-city, West Coast road trip.
“The cleanup spot, I love it," Vientos said. “It feels pretty good. I feel like I’ve been doing it for a while now.’’
The Mets, of course, still are in a world of hurt, thanks to a brutal 3-17 stretch that has them with a 15-23 record.
But, perhaps, they still have a pulse.
If they’re miraculously going to get back in the race, they badly need the 2024 version of Vientos, who hit 27 homers with 71 RBIs and an .837 OPS. He struggled last season, hitting .233 with 17 homers and 61 RBIs with a .702 OPS, and looked even worse this spring and in the WBC, playing for Nicaragua.
He came out of the gate hot hitting .476 in the first seven games of the season but when the Mets went into a tailspin after the 11th game of the season, Vientos went down too, hitting just .160.
Now, after hitting two, two-run homers on their trip against the Angels, and hitting the ball hard but little luck in Colorado, Vientos came to the rescue in the desert.
While the Mets’ top of the order with Soto, Bo Bichette and Brett Baty went 0-for-12 without drawing a walk, and the entire lineup producing just two hits and one walk in nine innings, Vientos stood tall.
And, suddenly, that confidence is surging.
“I feel good right now for sure." Vientos said. "I’ve just got to be stacking the days, and continue to be consistent."
Said Mendoza: “This is a guy that when he gets going, he gets locked in mentally, and it helps him big time. He’s a very good hitter, and it’s just good to see him continue to have good results."
The biggest difference, Mendoza says, is that when Vientos gets balls in the strike zone, he’s not missing them. He has struck out just five times in the last seven games, and drove the ball to the outfield in each of his four at-bats Friday.
“He’s not missing good pitches to hit," Mendoza siad. “When he’s getting pitches in the zone, he’s doing damage, and that’s what he does best. He’s driving the ball the other way, but staying in the gaps, staying short at times, and just controlling the strike zone.
“He’s pretty dangerous, and we’ve seen the power over the years."
Certainly, the Mets are going to need him and all their mega-stars to perform if they’re going to be relevant later in the season. Soto, their $765 million man who missed two weeks with a calf strain, has just four homers and 10 RBIs. He’s hitting .148 in the first seven games of this road trip with only two RBIs.
Bichette, who signed a three-year, $126 million contract, has just two homers and 16 RBIs. He doesn’t have an extra-base hit on this trip.
Francisco Lindor, the $341 million shortstop, was hitting just .226 with two homers and five RBIs when he injured his calf. He’s expected to be out at least another month.
Jorge Polanco, who signed a two-year, $40 million contract to replace Pete Alonso at first base, isn’t close to starting a rehab assignment with his right wrist contusion. He was hitting just .179 in 14 games until his injury.
And you wonder why the Mets have scored the second-fewest runs in baseball.
They’ll also need more pitching performances like the one Nolan McLean delivereed giving up just three hits and one run in six innings, with four different relievers pitching four shutout innings, yielding just two hits.
“Hopefully," Mendoza said, “we can get things going here."
Considering their dreadful start, they’ve got no choice.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 14, 2026: Emil Morales #96 of the Los Angeles Dodgers warms up during a minor league spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch on March 14, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Ian Cundall at Baseball America recently watched Dodgers prospect Emil Morales with Ontario as well as San Francisco Giants prospect Jhonny Level, then compared and contrasted the two 19-year-old California League shortstops ranked in the top 100.
“Morales has the makings of a power-over-hit player and is likely a corner infielder. There’s considerable variance in his profile but also a very high ceiling if he can make enough contact to tap into his raw power,” Cundall wrote. “That’s why he’s ranked slightly higher at this point. He’s the type of player you can envision developing into a bat-first impact regular if everything breaks right.”
Old friend Josh Suchon, a longtime host of Dodger Talk who is in his 14th season calling games for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, dug into the history of minor league rehab assignments, and found that St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Silvio Martínez was very first player to appear in a minor league game on a rehab assignment, 46 years ago.
On May 23, 1980 … a new four-year agreement was reached between the MLB Players Association and the 26 clubs.
The two sides agreed to set aside the issue of free agent compensation for further study and negotiation. Ultimately, the two sides could not reach an agreement, which led to the two-month strike in 1981. Buried in the new agreement was a provision known as the “medical rehabilitation program.”
The city of Torrance is trying out a new shuttle service two and from Dodger Stadium, beginning this weekend, with trips costing $2 each way: “The pilot service will operate on Sunday, May 10; Sunday, May 31; Sunday, June 7; and Sunday July 5, 2026, offering direct service to and from the stadium.”
Saturday’s MLB picks card is loaded with strong pitching matchups, heavy favorites, and a few live underdogs worth backing.
From the Blue Jays and Cubs in favorable spots to the Braves battling the Dodgers late night, these are the MLB moneyline picks standing out most based on current form, pitching edges, and overall team metrics.
MLB moneyline picks for May 9
Matchup
Pick
Angels vs Blue Jays
-186
A's vs Orioles
-122
Astros vs Reds
-156
Rays vs Red Sox
+108
Nationals vs Marlins
+127
Rockies vs Phillies
-170
Twins vs Guardians
-117
Cubs vs Rangers
-133
Tigers vs Royals
+104
Mariners vs White Sox
-117
Yankees vs Brewers
-163
Mets vs Diamondbacks
-127
Cardinals vs Padres
-138
Pirates vs Giants
+100
Braves vs Dodgers
+108
Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 5-9.
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Expert MLB moneyline picks for May 9
Angels vs Blue Jays: Blue Jays (-186)
Blue Jays win probability: 65%
Toronto still gets the edge behind Tomoyuki Sugano, who’s been excellent early with a sub-1.00 ERA. The Blue Jays also hold the cleaner overall pitching profile, while the Angels remain vulnerable once traffic starts building on the bases. LA has enough power to stay dangerous, but Toronto looks like the steadier team over nine innings.
A's vs Orioles: Orioles (-122)
Orioles win probability: 55%
This is still an ugly matchup because neither side inspires much confidence on the mound, but Baltimore gets the nod at home. Aaron Civale has pitched well statistically, though the Orioles lineup is capable of creating pressure quickly against contact-heavy arms. Slight edge to Baltimore’s offense and late-game upside.
Astros vs Reds: Reds (-156)
Reds win probability: 61%
Hunter Greene versus Spencer Arrighetti is a much tighter pitching matchup than before, but Cincinnati still has value at home. Greene’s swing-and-miss stuff gives the Reds a real ceiling advantage, and Cincinnati’s bullpen has quietly stabilized lately as well. Houston is dangerous offensively, but the Reds still feel live behind the better strikeout arm.
Rays vs Red Sox: Rays (+108)
Rays win probability: 48%
The Rays remain the cleaner overall team entering this matchup. Better pitching depth, stronger run prevention metrics, and a lineup that consistently pressures defenses with speed. Boston’s offense has been too inconsistent to fully trust right now, especially against deeper staffs.
Nationals vs Marlins: Nationals (+127)
Nationals win probability: 44%
This pitching matchup flipped dramatically, but Washington still has a path because Miami’s offense remains limited overall. Zack Littell’s numbers are ugly, though the Nationals continue to own the stronger power profile and should generate enough offense against a Marlins lineup that struggles to sustain rallies consistently.
Rockies vs Phillies: Phillies (-170)
Phillies win probability: 63%
Aaron Nola’s ERA looks rough, but this still profiles as a bounce-back opportunity against Colorado away from Coors Field. The Phillies lineup is too experienced to stay cold forever, and Kyle Freeland continues to allow plenty of contact and baserunners. Philadelphia remains the more battle-tested offense in this spot.
Twins vs Guardians: Guardians (-117)
Guardians win probability: 54%
This becomes much riskier with Tanner Bibee struggling early, but Cleveland still has the stronger overall run-prevention profile at home. Joe Ryan has been solid, though the Guardians' bullpen remains one of the steadier late-game units in this matchup. Tight game that leans Cleveland in the later innings.
Cubs vs Rangers: Cubs (-133)
Cubs win probability: 57%
Chicago continues to profile as one of the best offenses in baseball, ranking near the top of the league in OPS, OBP, slugging, and runs scored. Edward Cabrera has also been solid lately, while Jack Leiter’s 5.45 ERA and command issues continue to create problems. Big edge to the Cubs offensively.
Tigers vs Royals: Tigers (+104)
Tigers win probability: 49%
This still feels close to a coin flip, but Detroit’s overall pitching profile gives them the slight edge. The Tigers have been steadier in both ERA and WHIP all season, and their bullpen depth remains more trustworthy late. Low-scoring game where one clean inning probably decides it.
Mariners vs White Sox: Mariners (-117)
Mariners win probability: 54%
Luis Castillo’s ERA looks ugly, but Seattle still owns the stronger overall pitching infrastructure entering this matchup. Chicago’s offense has improved statistically, though the White Sox remain vulnerable once games turn into bullpen battles. Seattle’s overall staff depth still separates these teams.
Yankees vs Brewers: Yankees (-163)
Yankees win probability: 62%
Milwaukee’s starter has been excellent, but the Yankees continue to hold massive offensive edges nearly everywhere statistically. New York ranks near the top of baseball in runs, OPS, slugging, and homers, and even against strong pitching, they’re capable of breaking games open quickly. Hard to fade this offense right now.
Mets vs Diamondbacks: Mets (-127)
Mets win probability: 56%
The Mets' offense has been inconsistent, but Clay Holmes versus Merrill Kelly is a sizable statistical pitching mismatch. Holmes has been dominant early with a sub-2.00 ERA, while Kelly’s 9.95 ERA speaks for itself. Arizona can absolutely score, though this matchup heavily favors New York on the mound.
Cardinals vs Padres: Padres (-138)
Padres win probability: 58%
San Diego still gets the edge at home behind the cleaner overall pitching profile. Randy Vasquez has quietly stabilized things lately, while Steven Matz continues to struggle with consistency. The Padres' bullpen and overall run prevention remain stronger entering this matchup.
Pirates vs Giants: Pirates (-100)
Pirates win probability: 50%
This is tougher now because Landen Roupp has pitched well for San Francisco, but the Giants' offense still ranks near the bottom of baseball in nearly every major category. Pittsburgh has simply been the more complete offensive team overall and should create enough chances to stay live here.
Braves vs Dodgers: Braves (+108)
Braves win probability: 48%
Even with Spencer Strider still rounding back into form, Atlanta remains the side because of the overall offensive ceiling and the matchup against Roki Sasaki. The Braves rank near the top of baseball in runs, OPS, and slugging, while Sasaki’s command issues have created major problems early this season. Atlanta still profiles as the more complete side tonight.
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.
Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum, throws in the first inning, during game one of the National League Division Series between the San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday Oct. 7, 2010. (Photo By Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Good morning, baseball fans!
We are in the middle of a new feature for May that I’m calling the “12 Days of Mays-mas” because I won’t be around for this week, and I want to leave you guys with some fun things to watch while I’m gone.
For the ninth day of Mays-mas, I thought we’d continue with our Tim Lincecum love-fest, and take a look at Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS, arguably Lincecum’s best playoff start. He pitched a complete game with 14 strikeouts and showed the rest of the baseball world exactly why he was San Francisco’s beloved superstar.
So grab your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!
What time do the Giants play today?
The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game home series against the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight at 6:05 p.m. PT.
Shea Langeliers
Gunnar Henderson
Liam Hicks
COVERS INTEL: The Angels own a 27.6% whiff rate, 
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