Category: MLB

Mattingly drops Garcia in batting order, sticks with Turner at the top originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Over the winter, the Phillies took a $10 million gamble that Adolis Garcia would be the formidable right-handed bat that they’ve long lacked.

At the Memorial Day weekend checkpoint, Garcia hasn’t come close to being that.

He entered Saturday night’s game against Cleveland with just one hit in 35 at-bats over his previous 11 games. For the season, he was hitting .203 with four homers, 14 RBIs and a .596 OPS, which was significantly worse than the lackluster .675 OPS he registered with Texas the last two seasons. That performance fueled the Rangers’ decision not to tender him a contract over the winter.

Earlier this season, manager Don Mattingly gave struggling hitters Alex Bohm and Trea Turner a couple of days off to reset. But without “a true alternative, a guy who’d totally be an upgrade offensively,” Mattingly had Garcia in right field Saturday night. However, he dropped Garcia to eighth in the batting order, the lowest he’s hit all season.

“Just trying to get him going,” Mattingly said. “The defense in right field has been tremendous and with this pitching staff, defense is important.”

Entering Saturday, Garcia had just two extra-base hits in his previous 21 games.

“I think it’s still in there,” Mattingly said. “The last homestand, I felt like, ‘This cat’s on the way.’ He was hitting balls in the middle of the field. His outs to center field were hard. His at-bats looked better. Then he got off track a little in Boston and Pittsburgh. I feel like it’s still there. You see it. We’re trying to find it. If he can get it going, he can really help us.”

While Garcia was dropped in the order, Turner remained in the leadoff spot. Mattingly is not considering a change there, despite Turner’s .288 on-base percentage and .234 batting average.

Turner won the National League batting title at .304 last season. He had a .355 on-base percentage.

Turner lowered his chase rate to 31.2 percent last season. It has increased to 34.6 percent this season.

“Trea looks like he’s getting better,” Mattingly said. “You feel like it’s coming. It’s not like all of a sudden he forgot how to hit. He’s heading in the right direction. There’s no need to panic and put someone else there.”

Despite his faith in Turner, Mattingly made it clear the team needs more.

“If we’re going to get where we want to go, these guys have got to go,” he said. “Trea’s a big part of that, and that’s not putting undue pressure on him. But Trea’s going to have to be Trea. (Kyle) Schwarber is going to have to be himself. (Bryce) Harper is going to have to do his thing. Bohm … It’s going to take all of them to get to where we want to go.

“It’s not fantasy baseball where you can just go out and make all these deals and all of a sudden we’ve got all these guys we like. ‘Hey, I like this guy, can we get him?’ It doesn’t work like that. This is our team. We have to be the best team we can possibly be, help our guys be the best they can be, count on them and trust them.”

Worcester: L, 1-12 (BOX SCORE)

The Red Wings (Nationals AAA) had the WooSox’s number for the duration of the night, as only two Worceter batters recorded a hit (Matt Lloyd and Braiden Ward.) But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Jack Anderson got shelled, allowing six runs off nine hits including two home runs, both in the first inning, and Seth Martinez had a rough bullpen outing. It was 12-1 after six innings, and truth be told, given that Worcester was taken for sixteen hits and seven walks, it could have been uglier than that.

Portland: W, 2-1 (BOX SCORE)

John Holobetz put in six shutout innings and kept the Fightin’ Phils (Phillies AA) honest as Portland now wins their second consecutive game by a combined score of 3-1. Before I spend a paragraph on the reason you all clicked (picture below) I want to say that I kind of like John Holobetz, who some may know as the return in the Quinn Priester trade, and I think there’s a chance the 24-year-old could be an MLB level multi-innings guy within the next 12 months. His fastball touches 96 but averages around 93 so nothing too spectacular there, but it has good movement and gathers a lot of swings and misses at the top of the zone. And now, for the reason for these two runs amidst a mostly stagnant offense…

The Sea Dogs’ offense was almost entirely off the back of Franklin Arias and his two solo shots to boost his total to 10; he’s on pace to hit 30. I mean, what else is there to say? Arias has consistently had an OPS over 1.000 the entire season. He has the power the Red Sox so obviously lack this season. And yet, we don’t know yet if he can hit MLB pitching, and I think it should stay that way for at least another year. I do think Arias’ time in Double-A is over and a call up to Triple-A is overdue and I also think with Trevor Story being, well… not good, there’s no way, if you’re Craig Breslow, you look at the 2027 and beyond iteration of the roster and not figure Mayer and Arias as your infield, and that’s without even picturing where Mikey Romero goes organizationally. But, with Arias being 20, there’s no real reason to rush it and risk messing up a bonafide middle infield power hitter.

Greenville: PPD, Make Up 5/24

Today’s one-game day in Frederick, MD (Orioles High-A) remains untouched as Game 1 of Friday’s doubleheader was outright cancelled following a nasty storm and Greenville will play yesterday’s game two in a double-header tomorrow starting at noon.

Salem, Game 1: W, 3-1 (F/7) (BOX SCORE)

Jay Allmer has had a tough season. He’s been touched up in Portland and Greenville and has been sent down to Low-A to re-tool, and honestly, probably to regroup. He seemed to have it figured out against the Howlers (Guardians A) as he struck out three and navigated the ship in relief on choppy offensive waters. Last year’s 16th round pick, Jason Gilman, had a really good start, allowing two hits and one run, and couldn’t get the last out for the decision win. Avinson Pinto, the shortstop who turns 19 next week, gave the team a lot to celebrate with a clutch seventh-inning long ball to put them up for good.

Salem: : L, 1-2 (F/8) (BOX SCORE)

Jose Bello pitched into the sixth and looked great, giving up three hits and just one run, but ultimately ran into some trouble in the sixth of this abbreviated contest. The game went to extras at 1-1 as just two guys in the Salem offense had knocks (Kleyver Salazar and Stanley Tucker each had two.) Nicolas De La Cruz struck out five in his two innings but, ultimately, walks did him in and he got walked off looking for the final out that would have sent the game to the ninth.

Have a skippy Saturday.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Toronto Blue Jays, May 23, 2026, 3:07 p.m. ET

Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet

Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (6-3, 2.62 ERA) vs. Patrick Corbin (1-1, 4.23 ERA)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Toronto Blue Jays looking to grab a win.

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Back in August, I began a series here at Pinstripe Alley where I was going to put together an All-Star Yankee team of players who were born in a given month. Since then, we as a staff have started doing daily posts for the year 2026, highlighting a Yankee from history whose birthday happens to land on that day. As we near the end of this month, what better way to put a cap on a month’s worth of birthday posts then by using the all-month teams as a way to look back on who we covered? And maybe some we didn’t cover who shared a birthday with someone else?

With that in mind, here are my choices for the All-May Birthday Yankee Team.

Pitcher: Red Ruffing (May 3rd birthday post)

David Wells could be the #2 starter and Andrew Miller would be a strong option out of the bullpen, but the Hall of Famer Ruffing is the choice as the ace of the May team. Ruffing was a star on the mound for six Yankees’ championship teams and was the result of probably the second best ever Yankees’ trade with the Red Sox.

Catcher: Yogi Berra (May 12th birthday post)

Considering he’s probably the catcher on the overall all-time Yankees’ team, yes obviously Yogi gets the start for this team too. The man has a World Series ring for all 10 fingers. Sure, the infrastructure of MLB was obviously quite different than it is now, and there’s a chance if Yankees’ teams of that era had to go through the amount of playoff rounds you have to now, they could’ve been upset a couple times. Still, though, 10 rings, just think about that.

First Base: Miguel Cairo (May 4th birthday post)

Not a ton of obvious candidates for first base for May, so we’ll stick the quintessential utility man Cairo there. He did play 39 games at first across his two stints with the Yankees.

Second Base: Billy Martin (May 16th birthday post)

We’re making Billy pull double duty, as he’s going to be player-manager for the May team. Martin said “I may not have been the greatest Yankee to put on the uniform, but I was the proudest.” at his jersey retirement ceremony, which I’ve always found to be a wonderful quote.

Shortstop: Jerry Hairston

Shortstop is another position without a ton of obvious options for May, so we’re putting the 2009 championship bench extraordinaire there.

Third Base: Charlie Hayes

Chase Headley is another option to put at third, but it’s hard to go against the guy who caught the final out of the 1996 World Series. Plus, we can post the video of it!

Left Field: Bob Cerv (May 5th birthday post)

Cerv is probably best known as being the roommate of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle during the duo’s 1961 home run chase season. Sadly, his body was found in the Baltimore harbor with stab wounds, after which his union reelected him as treasurer despite his death.

PLEASE NOTE: That last sentence very much DID NOT happen, but if you can guess why I made that joke, I’ll give you a metaphorical pat on the back.

Center Field: Felipe Alou

We didn’t give Alou a birthday post, as he shares the day with Yogi, who’s a bit more important in Yankee history. However, the longtime MLB manager and father of current Yankees’ third base coach Luis Rojas did have a stint as a player in the Bronx.

Right Field: Bobby Murcer (May 20th birthday post)

The longtime outfielder and broadcaster is one of the most popular figures in Yankees’ history who never ended up winning a ring.

Designated Hitter: Reggie Jackson (May 18th birthday post)

The flipside of that is Jackson, who didn’t have a long Yankees’ career in the grand scheme of things, but he packed some big moments into it. We just have to worry about the interactions with his May manager/teammate over at second base.

TODAY’S GAME:
The Astros and Cubs will play the second game of their three-game series this afternoon at Wrigley Field. Houston will send RHP Kai-Wei Teng (2-3) to the mound against Cubs RHP Colin Rea (4-2).

IN THE DAYTIME:
Today marks the third of four consecutive scheduled day games for the Astros. Wednesday’s series finale in Minnesota began at 12:40 p.m., and all three games this weekend at Wrigley Field are scheduled for 1:20 p.m. starts. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Astros played four consecutive day games was April 2-6 of last season.

ROADIES:
Today is the fourth game of a 10-game, three-city road trip for Houston, with the club currently sitting at 2-2 on the trip. The Astros went 1-2 in Minnesota on the opening leg of the road swing. Following this series in Chicago, Houston will return to Texas for a four-game set against the Rangers at Globe Life Field from Monday through Thursday.

VS. THE CUBBIES:
The Astros took two of three games from the Cubs during the clubs’ only meeting last season, which took place June 27-29 at Daikin Park. Prior to this weekend, Houston’s last visit to Wrigley Field came during a three-game series in April 2024, when the Cubs completed a sweep.

Since 2019, the Astros are 8-5 against Chicago. All-time, Houston holds a 386-338 record against the Cubs, marking the second-most wins the franchise has recorded against any opponent. Only Cincinnati has faced Houston more often, with the Astros holding a 404-455 all-time record against the Reds.

The first official game in Houston franchise history also came against the Cubs. On April 10, 1962, the Colt .45s defeated Chicago 11-2 at Colt Stadium behind a complete-game victory from left-hander Bobby Shantz.

RARE VISIT TO WRIGLEY:
The current series marks just the Astros’ second visit to Wrigley Field since 2013, the same season Houston transitioned from the National League to the American League.

ON THE KAI-WEI TO SUCCESS:
RHP Kai-Wei Teng has found success this season in both starting and relief roles, posting a 2.61 ERA (9 ER, 31.0 IP) across 16 appearances, including three starts.

His most recent outing came on May 16 against the Rangers, when he tossed 5.0 scoreless innings in a 4-1 Astros victory. Teng was acquired by Houston in January through an offseason trade with the Giants.

A native of Taiwan, Teng is just the second Taiwanese-born player in Astros history, joining RHP Chia-Jen Lo, who made 19 relief appearances for Houston during the 2013 season.

YESTERDAY’S RECAP:
RHP Spencer Arrighetti delivered 5.0 scoreless innings to help lead the Astros to a 4-2 victory over the Cubs in Friday’s series opener at Wrigley Field.

C Christian Vázquez paced the offense, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Arrighetti’s final line included 5.0 innings pitched, two hits allowed, no runs, four walks, and five strikeouts.

LHP Bryan King recorded the final four outs to secure his fifth save of the season, while Brice Matthews added a pinch-hit RBI single.

LONG TIME COMING:
Friday’s win marked the Astros’ first victory at Wrigley Field since a 4-3 win on June 22, 2013.

SPENCER’S GIFTS:
Since making his season debut on April 15, RHP Spencer Arrighetti has emerged as one of the top starters in Major League Baseball.

With Friday’s victory, Arrighetti improved to 6-1 in seven starts while posting a dominant 1.32 ERA (6 ER, 41.0 IP). Opponents are batting just .169 against him, with only 24 hits allowed across 41 innings pitched.

Since April 15, Arrighetti’s six wins are the most in the American League.

MODEL OF CONSISTENCY:
Arrighetti has allowed one earned run or fewer in six of his seven starts this season and has yet to allow more than two earned runs in any outing.

In May, he owns a 3-1 record with a sparkling 0.78 ERA (2 ER, 23.0 IP) across four starts.

RECENT STROS:
The Astros are 4-3 over their last seven games and 5-4 across their last nine contests as they continue their road trip through Chicago.

CLOSE CALLS:
With Friday’s 4-2 victory over the Cubs, the Astros improved to 9-8 in two-run games this season and 4-2 in one-run contests.

FOR STARTERS:
The three Astros starters scheduled for this series have combined for a 2.43 ERA (29 ER, 107.1 IP) with 105 strikeouts across 107.1 innings pitched.

• Spencer Arrighetti — 1.32 ERA
• Kai-Wei Teng — 2.61 ERA
• Colton Lambert — 3.57 ERA

THROWING SOME LEATHER:
The Astros’ 19 team errors are tied for the second-fewest in the American League this season. Houston entered Friday with the fewest errors in the AL before committing two miscues in the 4-2 win over Chicago.

THERE IS A SANTA:
RHP Alimber Santa, who was selected from Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, has been outstanding this season.

In 18 relief appearances, Santa owns a 4-2 record with a 1.42 ERA (3 ER, 19.0 IP), while limiting opponents to just 10 hits and a .159 batting average. He had not allowed a run in his previous six appearances spanning 5.2 innings prior to his promotion.

PEN PALS:
The Astros bullpen has quietly put together a strong stretch recently. Since May 8, Houston relievers have combined for a 3.57 ERA (18 ER, 45.1 IP).

Several individual relievers have also been on impressive runs:

• RHP Bryan Abreu — 0.00 ERA in his last seven outings (6.2 IP, 0 ER)
• RHP AJ Blubaugh — 2.18 ERA in his last eight outings (12.1 IP, 3 ER)
• LHP Bryan King — 1.54 ERA in his last 10 outings (11.2 IP, 2 ER)
• LHP Steven Okert — Seven strikeouts over his last 3.2 innings (four appearances) with a 3.68 ERA in his last eight outings (7.1 IP, 3 ER)

AIR YORDAN:
Yordan Alvarez is batting .303 this season with 11 doubles, 15 home runs, 31 RBIs, and a 1.017 OPS (.412 OBP/.605 SLG).

Among American League hitters, Alvarez currently ranks:

• 1st in total bases (113)
• 2nd in OPS and slugging percentage
• 3rd in on-base percentage
• 5th in batting average and home runs
• Tied for 9th in RBIs (31)

ROAD WARRIORS:
The Astros have been one of the American League’s top offensive teams on the road during the 2026 season.

Entering today’s game, Houston leads the AL in road batting average (.267) and on-base percentage (.336), while also ranking third in slugging percentage (.409) and OPS (.745).

BRYAN’S SONG:
After a slow start to the season, RHP Bryan Abreu has been dominant out of the bullpen.

Abreu has not allowed a run in his last seven appearances, covering 6.2 innings while allowing just three hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Over his last nine outings, he owns a 1.04 ERA (1 ER, 8.2 IP) with nine strikeouts.

ON THE LEADER BOARD:
As a team, the Astros currently rank among the top offensive clubs in the American League.

Houston ranks:

• 2nd in hits (431)
• 2nd in total bases (704)
• 2nd in slugging percentage (.403)
• 3rd in batting average (.247)
• Tied for 3rd in OPS (.724)
• 4th in home runs (61)

MONSTER SEASON:
C/1B Jason Schiavone, who was recently promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi, currently leads all of Minor League Baseball with 18 home runs in just 38 games.

Schiavone opened the season with High-A Asheville before earning his promotion after a scorching start at the plate. Across his time in the minors this season, he has posted 18 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 42 walks while slashing .277/.444/.745 with a remarkable 1.189 OPS.

The Astros selected Schiavone in the 11th round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

It’s a mixture of sunshine and overcast here in Atlanta, and rain is expected to come in later in the evening, but the show must go on…until further notice.

Let’s look at these Saturday lineups.

An impressive walk-off from a line-drive RBI single from Chadwick Tromp ended yesterday’s game one matchup against the Nationals in extras. Now, appearing in the starting lineup for tonight’s matchup, the Braves are looking for him to have another productive outing with Grant Holmes on the mound.

Mike Yastrzemski and Mauricio Dubón are also making a return to join Tromp at the bottom of the batting order.

So far, the only player on the squad to average over a 1.000 OPS against Washington’s pitcher Jake Irvin is Ronald Acuña  Jr. However, Michael Harris II, who’s moved back up to the second slot, and Matt Olson, batting behind him, have seen numbers passing a .800 OPS to take their bases comfortably against the righty.

On the Nationals’ side, James Wood is the only player who has produced well against Holmes, averaging a 1.666 OPS against him. Players Daylen Lile and Nasim Nuñez have yet to face Holmes’ sharp arsenal, and through only three at-bats, CJ Abrams hasn’t seen success with a .000 OPS.

It’s going to be a tough matchup with the Nationals’ offense exceeding expectations and the Braves continuing to deliver solid pitching performances. Just a few hours away, first pitch is set for 4:10 p.m.

This season’s first 2 months have always been about treading water. The A’s have a gloriously average squad that has been, well, average : Since April 10th, the A’s have been been between 1 game under .500 and 3 games over .500 each and every day.

The ability to stay neck and neck in the standings with their competitors has been enhanced by Seattle floundering (Mariners like fish, after all) under .500. And so the A’s approach Memorial Day where they would have hoped to be: in or near 1st place with a roster that is poised to improve.

Will Memorial Day bring said improvement in the form of a “high upside” starting pitcher? One can rely only on tea leaves, not on any formal announcements, at this point. Here’s what we know:

– JT Ginn will start tonight against the Padres trying to build on his sensational 8 no-hit innings in Anaheim and hoping to avenge the disappointing final 4 minutes of that start.

– Jacob Lopez is on turn for Sunday afternoon’s game in San Diego. Lopez is fresh off of a shaky start in which he was handed a 6-0 lead and could not complete the 4th inning. His season ERA now stands at 6.14.

– The A’s have been non-committal around Sunday’s SP, offering multiple possible paths and stating that bullpen usage Friday and Saturday could even inform the decision at the 11th hour. Those paths include Lopez taking his normal turn, an “opener” with Lopez to follow, or a “bullpen game”. Really the only option the A’s seem to have ruled out is calling up a new SP — it seems the current group will handle the game in some way.

– Gage Jump pitched on Wednesday, so he is not on turn to pitch until Monday at the earliest. So he has never been an option for the Padres series but would be ready for any of the games with Seattle. Jump’s start Wednesday was his best of the season: 7 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K.

What does this all suggest might be in the cards? Certainly there are very banal outcomes still on the table, such as that Lopez makes the Sunday start as the A’s continue to hope he rediscovers his 2025 form and the rotation stays on turn with Aaron Civale opening the Seattle series on Monday.

Or … are the tea leaves suggesting that Lopez is headed to the bullpen to give the A’s a valuable long relief arm and lefty option, making room for Jump to debut as an electric and unknown arm the Mariners have to face in a big head-to-head showdown? (I say “big,” even though it’s still May, because the path to the AL West crown runs through Seattle and this represents 3 of 13 “two game swing” games.)

The A’s would have to make a corresponding move on the 40 man roster to call up Jump. The obvious casualty would be Jose Suarez, since shifting Lopez to the bullpen would give the A’s a second lefty. Also, Suarez just isn’t anything special and was a stopgap pickup at best — or least that’s how it should be.

Coming into the season the A’s hoped Luis Morales would give them a plus arm at the front of the rotation, allowing Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs to settle into more mid-back of the rotation roles. That just didn’t work out, but without question it would buoy the A’s chances to contend significantly if they could find and insert a plus arm into the rotation.

The best hope for this has always been Jump, a top prospect in MLB and the only top A’s pitching prospect who is a step away from the big leagues. It was has been, since Jump’s solid spring training showing, not a matter of “if” but rather “when” he would join the 2026 rotation.

Is that time now? If so, Happy Memorial Day indeed.

Go Rays!

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The weekend series between the Cardinals and Reds will finally start with a day-night doubleheader on Saturday, May 23. The foul weather changed the pitching matchup for the nightcap, and injured list moves on both teams have tweaked the rosters.

The results of both lean in Cincinnati’s favor, as my Cardinals vs. Reds predictions and MLB picks for Game 2 explain.

Who will win Cardinals vs Reds tonight: Reds moneyline (-105)

Andre Pallante was initially scheduled to start for the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, but with the rain, the Redbirds flipped the rotation.

The Cincinnati Reds will now face his 95th percentile breaking ball and 89th percentile ground ball rate in Game 1.

That pushes the more hittable Kyle Leahy to the nightcap. Leahy is in the Bottom 20% in MLB in fastball and offspeed run value, and allows more hits, walks, and homers than Pallante.

The Reds also get Eugenio Suarez back, while the Cardinals placed outfielder Nathan Church on IL.

COVERS INTEL: Opponents have a .584 OPS in their first appearance vs. Leahy, which rises to .821 the next time up, and 1.177 the third time up.

Cardinals vs Reds Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (-105)

The Over/Under cutoff is high, but it’s earned in this game. The bullpens will be taxed in the second game of a twin bill, and Leahy will be challenged by a Reds order hitting 25% over league average across the last two weeks.

St. Louis has been struggling on offense, but the Reds will start former top pick Chase Petty, called up for the doubleheader and ready to make just his fourth MLB start.

He’s allowed four home runs and 10 walks in 11 2/3 big-league innings and was struggling at Triple-A Louisville, with a 6.32 ERA and 1.628 WHIP.

Cardinals vs Reds odds

• Moneyline: Cardinals -110 | Reds -110
• Run line: Cardinals +1.5 | Reds -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 | Under 9.5

Cardinals vs Reds trend

The Reds have hit the Over in 28 of their last 40 games (+14.55 Units / 33% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Reds.

How to watch Cardinals vs Reds and game info

Cardinals vs Reds latest injuries

Cardinals vs Reds weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Ahead of their second game against the Marlins this weekend, the Mets recalled right-handed relief pitcher Jonathan Pintaro. In a corresponding move, the Mets optioned left-handed starter Zach Thornton to Triple-A Syracuse.

Pintaro, in his age 28 season, appeared in one game last season for the Mets, giving up two earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. He’s having a nice season in Triple-A thus far, appearing in 15 games and pitching to a 2.81 ERA with 32 strikeouts to 12 walks and allowing one home run.

Here is how our Steve Sypa described Pintaro’s aresenal of pitches in our season preview:

The right-hander throws fastballs nearly 75% of the time, mixing in a high-spin cutter, a mid-90s fastball, and a low-90s sinker. He supplements those pitches with a mid-to-high-80s changeup that gives him a north-south option and a low-to-mid-80s sweeping slider that gives him a horizontal option.

Thornton, a soft-tosser in his age 24 season, made his major league debut on Wednesday evening against the Nationals. Thornton was stung by a first inning three-run home run off the bat of C.J. Abrams, but he settled in nicely after that, allowing just three more baserunners over the next two and two-thirds innings.

The bad news was Friday night’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds was rained out. The good news is that means a doubleheader today. For game 1, it appears that the Cardinals will have Andre Pallante make the start while the Reds will have Friday’s planned starter Chris Paddack on the mound. Note that Bryan Torres is set to start in left field for St. Louis. First pitch for game 1 is scheduled for 12:10pm central time in Great America Ball Park.

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Jesus Sanchez has been quietly heating up this month, and I expect him to continue swinging a hot bat this afternoon. 

Read on to see why with my Pirates vs. Blue Jays predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, May 23. 

Pirates vs Blue Jays predictions

Pirates vs Blue Jays best bet: Jesus Sanchez Over 0.5 hits (+100)

Jesus Sanchez has been quietly consistent recently, currently sporting a five-game hitting streak, while going Over his 0.5 hits total in nine of his last 10 outings. 

Sanchez owns a .333 average against the four-seam fastball and a .294 average against the sinker, the two pitches that Paul Skenes uses the most. 

Additionally, Sanchez is just one of three batters in the Toronto Blue Jays lineup to have a hit against Skenes in their career, going 1-for-3 with a double.

COVERS INTEL: Sanchez has a .283 xBA, which ranks him in the 87th percentile in all of baseball. 

Pirates vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Another Blue Jay swinging a hot bat is Daulton Varsho. I’ll take Over 0.5 hits for the Jays outfielder, who has eclipsed this total in eight of his last 10 outings with a .324 batting average in that stretch.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 21st in OPS vs. lefties this year, so Patrick Corbin could get through most of his start unscathed. He'll eventually give way to a Blue Jays bullpen ranked seventh in xFIP this month.

Pirates vs Blue Jays SGP

• Jesus Sanchez Over 0.5 hits
• Daulton Varsho Over 0.5 hits
• Pirates team total Under 4.5

Pirates vs Blue Jays home run pick: Jesus Sanchez (+725)

Lets continue with the Sanchez train and bet a quarter unit on him hitting a home run tonight. 

Homering off Skenes isn’t easy, but Sanchez has been a consistent hitter for the Blue Jays and has some pop in his bat, ranking in the 69th percentile in average exit-velocity. 

He also owns a 46% hard-hit rate and a .467 xSLG against the four seamer, Skenes’ most used pitch.

Pirates vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Pittsburgh -155 | Toronto +130
• Run line: Pittsburgh -1.5 | Toronto +1.5
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

Pirates vs Blue Jays trend

The Blue Jays have covered the F5 run line in seven of their last eight games (+5.90 Units / 63% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Pirates vs Blue Jays and game info

Pirates vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Pirates vs Blue Jays weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Today’s roster move: Here

Saturday notes…

• SEVEN WOULD NOT BE HEAVEN: The Cubs have not lost a seventh consecutive game since July 14, 2022, when they were beaten at home by the Mets, 8-0. They have played 610 games since then, winning 327, for a percentage of .536. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• STREAKING THE WRONG WAY: In their six straight losses, the Cubs have held only two leads, both last Sunday at the White Sox. A 4-1 cushion lasted from the middle of the fourth inning until the bottom of the fifth. An 8-7 lead in the middle of the 10th ended on a one-out homer in the bottom. They have not led in their last four games and in 16 of all 22 losses. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• WHERE ARE THE RUNS?: Since the last game of their 10-game winning streak, a 7-1 win at Texas on May 8, the Cubs have scored 31 runs in 12 games. Eighteen came in two games and 13 in the remaining 10, with no more than three in any of the 10. They scored 0-2 runs in the first five of the 12 games and have scored 0-3 in the last four. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs and Cardinals went scoreless through nine in St. Louis. In the 10th, Javier Baéz hit a two-run homer. The Cardinals came back with a run in the bottom of the inning but Craig Kimbrel struck out their last two hitters and the Cubs won 2-1. It happened five years ago today, Sunday, May 23, 2021.

Cubs lineup:

Astros lineup:

Colin Rea, RHP vs. Kai-Wei Teng, RHP

Colin Rea’s last start was pretty bad, so let’s try to ignore it. (Yes, I know you can’t really do that.)

In fact, over his last five starts Rea has posted a 7.04 ERA and 1.913 WHIP and has allowed four home runs in 23 innings. Yikes, do better, Colin.

Last year against the Astros, June 28, 2025 in Houston, he allowed two runs in five innings. That would be an improvement over recent outings.

Kai-Wei Teng, a native of Taiwan, originally signed with the Twins back in 2017 and was traded to the Giants two years later. He made 12 appearances (seven starts) with the Giants in 2024-25 and the results were pretty bad (7.30 ERA, 1.697 WHIP).

He was traded to the Astros for a minor leaguer last offseason and had thrown mostly in relief before recently being added to Houston’s rotation. Last time out, May 16 vs. the Rangers, he threw five shutout innings and 76 pitches.

He has never faced the Cubs. The only Cub who’s ever seen him is Michael Conforto (0-for-1).

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Astros site The Crawfish Boxes. If you do go there to interact with Astros 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.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, ranked first in the NL West with a 31-20 record, face the Milwaukee Brewers, who are first in the NL Central with a 30-18 record. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -120 moneyline compared to the Milwaukee Brewers' +100. Starting pitchers are Roki Sasaki for Los Angeles, with a 5.09 ERA, and Robert Gasser for Milwaukee, with a 4.50 ERA.

How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers

• Date: Saturday, May 23

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET / 4:15 p.m. PT

• Where: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI

• TV Channels: FOX

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Los Angeles Dodgers: 31-20 (first in NL West)

• Milwaukee Brewers: 30-18 (first in NL Central)

Odds

• Spread: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5

• Moneyline: Milwaukee Brewers +100 / Los Angeles Dodgers -120

• Over/Under: 9.0

Starting pitchers

Los Angeles Dodgers: Roki Sasaki (2-3, ERA: 5.09, K: 39, WHIP: 1.45)

Milwaukee Brewers: Robert Gasser (0-0, ERA: 4.50, K: 3, WHIP: 1.25)

Weather: 56°F at first pitch

Hickory starter Kamdyn Perry allowed two runs in 4.1 IP, strking out six, walking one and giving up a homer. Michael Trausch struck out one and walked one in a shutout inning.

Hector Osorio doubled, walked twice, and stole a base. Yolfran Castillo had a walk and two stolen bases. Paulino Santana had a double and a walk.

Hickory box score

Hub City was rained out.

Frisco starter Winston Santos struck out five and walked three in five innings, giving up three runs. Wilian Bormie struck out two in a shutout inning.

Dylan Dreiling had a single and a double. Keith Jones II was 3 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. Cody Freeman continued his rehab assignment, and was 0 for 3 while playing third base before being lifted late in the game.

Frisco box score

Josh Stephan started for Round Rock and it didn’t go well, as he allowed 11 runs in 4.1 IP, including three home runs, walking three and striking out two. Veteran Joe Ross, the brother of former Ranger Tyson Ross, was just signed to a minor league deal by the Rangers, and gave up three runs in 1.2 IP, including a home run by Nick Solak, walking one and striking out one. Thomas Ireland walked one and struck out one in two shutout innings.

Round Rock box score

Caden Scarborough continued his rehab assignment with the ACL Rangers, striking out two in 2.1 IP while allowing two runs.

ACL Rangers box score