Here’s the Royals’ lineup:
Here’s the Guardians’ lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
GAME THREAD: Royals at Guardians, game 12 of 162
Joining in on the extension train with the Phillies
Spring training is a time for hope. It can come in two forms – fans hope their team will put it all together to make a run at a happier ending to their season than the one before while teams hope their players make it through the gamut unscathed. Injuries are a concern and everyone just wants to make it out alive.
Spring training is also a time for contract extensions. Teams were likely working behind the scenes during the winter to talk to player agents in the hopes that they can get a certain player to extend their stay on the roster. The focus for many of those talks are on players that are either really close to free agency or really far away. These past few weeks around the game has seen teams trying to make sure their young talent that is further away from reaching free agency would agree to a deal that would make them instantly wealthy for an extended period of time while also securing their future at cheap reasonable rates while assuming a decent amount of risk that the deal will bust out. There has been a deal in Baltimore where the Orioles made sure Shane Baz sticks around while the Brewers and Mariners made sure their shortstop phenoms would spend their best years in their cities before even making a major league debut. Konnor Griffin jumped on the extension train hours before his major league debut, so it seems as though there is a pattern. The suspicion of teams getting ahead of things prior changes to the CBA, but for the most part, it’s just good business on the part of the team.
It makes one wonder if the Phillies would consider doing the same.
Right now, there are three contenders for getting this kind of extension: Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller. All three would fall into that category of “signing him now to avoid future expense”, but each would be their own special case. Were the team to sign Miller, it would look as though they were just joining in the young shortstop extension fun. With Crawford and Painter, it would be similar in that they were young players the team wished to make sure didn’t get too expensive, but at different positions, it would have a different shade of extension.
Aidan Miller
It seems that the new cool thing to do is signing your young shortstop that has yet to debut. As mentioned before, Pratt, Emerson and Griffin now have their grandchildren’s children set up for life with generational wealth while also preserving the ability to make even more money later on due to their current youth and end date of the contract. Looking down prospect lists and noticing that others might still do the same (Kevin McGonigle, J.J. Wetherholt, Jesus Made to name a few), one might wonder about if the Phillies were interested in doing the same. Where that might end up would depend on a few things.
The first thing to worry about is Miller’s health. They can continue to talk with optimism all they want with regards to his back injury, but those are the ones that scare teams. A lot. Miller would have to prove that he is capable of repeating the kind of season he had in 2025 without the fear that his back was going to give out before the team committed large swaths of money to his future.
The second thing is exactly that: do it again. He had a marvelous season in 2025 that catapulted him to the top of the team’s prospect rankings, yet he also was struggling to begin the season. Maybe seeing him repeat what he did last year, to a certain extent, would help soothe some of the fears that he just rode a hot streak, though scouting reports and under the hood numbers suggest he is more than capable of repeating his 2025 year.
Justin Crawford
Of the three players here, Crawford seems least likely to get an extension offer as it really just doesn’t feel like it would be necessary based on his offensive profile.
Why?
Baseball has been trending to power tools being more highly valued over hit tools for quite a while. The ideal is to find a player that can have both and can be developed and refined at the big league level, but if druthers were to be had, the power would be what teams wanted. We’ve already seen flashes of having both skills from McGonigle, who looks to have a preternatural feel for doing both and doing both quite well. With Crawford, his success at the minor league level is something that cannot be denied. He’s produced at every level he has played at, though maybe missing the power that is desired by major league teams. It’s also simply not his game to have over the fence power, but more of the gap to gap variety. Nothing wrong with that as plenty of players have that same kind of game and have found success. The drumbeats of “Crawford needs to hit the ball in the air more” have gotten louder with each rung climbed on the minor league ladder, yet here he is in the major leagues, performing decently in the early going. No one in the organization was going to expect much this year from him, preferring to lower expectations in his first go ‘round.
Yet for an extension, there has to be some kind of “above and beyond” to his game that we haven’t really seen flashes of just yet. It’s still very, very early in the season and he’s doing pretty much exactly what the team was expecting him to do, yet that isn’t the kind of offensive profile that gets one contract extensions. For those that lean on the negative side, there’s might even be the idea that if he were flashing more in his offensive game (more home run power, more balls in the air), there might even be an idea of “show it more than once” before they even thought of talking about an extension.
So while he’s doing well in his first tour around the majors, there still just isn’t enough there yet that shouts “CONTRACT EXTENSION!” for Crawford.
Andrew Painter
Pitching is expensive. We know this.
Starting pitching is really expensive. We know this as well. So why would an extension for Andrew Painter make sense over the other two? The reason is simple: ceiling and money.
Right now, the ceiling that Painter possesses is greater than anyone in the team’s minor league development system. If he reaches that ceiling, the team is looking at having another top tier starter, most days a #2, some days scraping ace-level performances. There might be a few down ballot Cy Young votes along the way, an All-Star appearance or two, all the makings of a very good pitcher. That kind of performance gets paid, handsomely.
Giving Painter an extension now might mean that the team is avoiding those awkward arbitration hearings where players hear how bad they are, contrary to their performance on the field. It would also mean locking in free agent years, however many would be agreed on, at a below market value rate, allowing the team to use possible savings to shore up different parts of the roster. As mentioned before, it makes sense from a roster standpoint so long as the money saved on one player is in turn spent on another (not necessarily a guarantee).
However…
Painter is a pitcher. Pitchers break, as Painter already has. He has made exactly one career start in the major leagues as of this writing (two by the time you read this). That is something teams rarely do for pitchers that have as little experience as Painter has. It’s not to say that teams haven’t given extensions to pitchers with little time. A list of current pitchers are:
- Brayan Bello: 6 years, $55 million – signed after he had 1+ seasons of experience
- Spencer Strider: 6 years, $75 million – highest AAV at the time for pitchers of 1+ seasons of experience
- Hunter Greene: 6 years, $53 million – signed after one year of experience
The list continues, but the theme is the same. The pitchers all had at least a year of experience pitching in the majors before the team agreed to a deal with them.
Painter, while possessing a ceiling that is on par with at least three of these names, hasn’t shown anything outside of at least one decent start that would make the Phillies want to commit long term just yet. Those talks could happen once the season is over provided Painter shows that he is worthy of the deal. There just isn’t any reason for it happen right now.
The team has received an injection of youth from Crawford and Painter so far this year and may get another if Miller proves his talent and health are worthy of a promotion. For now, though, it just doesn’t make any sense to give them guaranteed money without better (and more of a track record of) results on the field.
Mariners Prospect Rankings #4, INF Michael Arroyo
The time has arrived for Michael Arroyo. He’s climbed his way into the upper ranks of this system, and with a debut date rapidly approaching, he’s reached a critical point in his career that will largely signal the future trajectory of his time as a major league baseball player. A tremendously talented player, to what level Arroyo eventually ascends to seems destined to clarify after this season.
Arroyo possesses one of the most complete offensive approaches in all of minor league baseball. A balanced blend of bat-to-ball, OBP, and pop, it’s about as well-rounded as you can get for someone who just started his age 21 season this past weekend. He’s yet to post a season in the minors with an OBP south of .400, and he’s averaging 20 homers a year over the past two seasons, doing so across three different levels. The raw production is immense, even without factoring in the fact he’s accomplished this against players several years his senior.
Analyzing options for where he fits defensively is where things get tricky. Standing at 5’10 (a generous measurement), Arroyo lacks the size of a first baseman, yet his inconsistencies defensively have moved him off his natural shortstop position into a “tweener” 2B/3B profile. Unfortunately, however, his glove is yet to stabilize at either of these positions, and he’s struggled to reliably make plays that need to be clockwork at the big league level. The natural extension would be to move him to a corner outfield spot, but the arm could be a question should he end up making the move. It’s a tricky line to walk that doesn’t have a clean solution at present.
Ty France made an All-Star game as a Seattle Mariner this decade and had similar defensive limitations to Arroyo when he made his way to the organization in the Austin Nola trade. Luis Arraez is playing second base for the Giants right now and has made a mighty fine career for himself despite being a well-below-average glove. Perhaps these “comps” aren’t the most inspiring thing to hear about a player that’s been lauded in this system for years, but Arroyo is capable of putting up a 10 WAR career for the M’s, it has to be considered a development win for both the player and the organization. The bat is more than good enough to get him a shot in the majors some time this season, but finding him a long term defensive home is what will ultimately decide his ceiling as a player.
Rangers Mailbag: Questions And Beefs
MAILBAG: This communique from Rangers Fan In Florida – Sir Al Greenberg – points an accusatory finger at Artemi Panarin:
"Interestingly," says Greenberg, `'the Rangers' late season – and commendable – victory rush coincides with the trading of Breadman Panarin. Considering Artemi's importance to the team, his plus-minus mark of MINUS - 16 hurt the Blueshirts."
Perhaps more than we ever imagined.
Like The Maven, Sir Alan questions aspects of GM Chris Drury's "Retooling" or whatever you choose to call the full-speed ahead youth movement.
"They have a heck of a prospect in (left wing) Adam Sýkora but I'm baffled by the fact that they let him rot in Hartford when he could have flourished in New York. Same with Gabe Perreault, Jaroslav Chmelař and Noah Laba."
Thanks for the "heads-up" Brother Greenberg, too bad you weren't in the general manager's chair; this team could have made the playoffs!
Guardians place Gabriel Arias on IL with hamstring injury, call up Juan Brito for big league debut
CLEVELAND — Gabriel Arias was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Cleveland Guardians due to a strained left hamstring.
Juan Brito was called up from Triple-A Columbus and will make his big league debut during Tuesday afternoon’s game against Kansas City. Brito is batting sixth and playing second base.
“We’ve been excited about Juan for a really long time. And I feel like last year with his injuries, we would have seen him last year at some point, but we just couldn’t be more excited,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “Juan has historically been a good decision maker at the plate. He’s got the ability to make contact and he’s got the power to drive the ball out of the yard. So he’s a complete hitter from both sides.”
Brito — who played in only 31 games last season due to thumb and hamstring injuries — is in his seventh professional season and fourth in Cleveland’s organization. He was 11 for 35 with five doubles and four RBIs in nine games this season for Columbus.
Brito played mostly at third base for the Clippers, but Vogt said he would primarily be at second base while Arias is sidelined.
Arias suffered the injury during the fifth inning of Monday night’s game. The shortstop appeared to get hurt while running to second base on his double to right field.
The injury comes at an inopportune time for Arias, who was 5 for 14 with two home runs and four RBIs in his last five games.
Arias is expected to miss at least a month due to the injury, which has been classified as a moderate hamstring strain.
Brayan Rocchio and Daniel Schneemann will be the primary shortstops. Rocchio had been playing second base during the first two weeks of the season.
Daily MLB Expert Picks & Baseball Predictions April 7
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Bundle up for today's MLB best bets, with a cold front sweeping across the league today.
Tuesday will be one of the coldest days for baseball in recent history with eight games played in the 40s, including five that will dip into the 30s.
— Ballpark Pal (@BallparkPal) April 7, 2026
Home runs per game and the estimated weather effect on similar slates over the years: pic.twitter.com/SBLRjoseXS
Despite the frigid temps, we've polled our baseball experts for their favorite MLB picks today — and thanks to prediction markets like Polymarket, bettors all over the country can join us on the action as well!
- UPDATE: Added best bets for Cubs/Rays.
MLB expert picks for today
| Pick | Odds |
|---|---|
 Josh Inglis: LAD/TOR u7.5 | +113 |
 Neil Parker: WAS ML | -104 |
 Joe Osborne: NYY -1.5 | -104 |
Prices courtesy of Polymarket.
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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Dodgers/Blue Jays Under 7.5
Price: 47¢ (+113) at Polymarket
The Toronto Blue Jays' offense is in a tough stretch, scoring just 10 runs during their current five-game losing streak, and now they draw a difficult matchup against Yoshinobu Yamamoto. On the other side, Kevin Gausman, who has cashed the Under in both of his starts so far, should be given a long leash, with Toronto leaning on its A-bullpen behind him after burning the B arms yesterday. Yes, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a potent lineup, but Toronto’s high-leverage arms should be able to limit scoring late — and with the Dodgers also resting their top bullpen options last night, run production in the final innings should be limited.
Neil Parker's expert pick: Nationals moneyline
Price: 51¢ (-104) at Polymarket
There’s a screaming statistical correction coming for Cardinals lefty Matthew Liberatore, and the Nationals lineup is set to serve it. Liberatore’s 1.64 ERA through two starts is saddled with a 5.28 xFIP, and both his .216 BABIP and 100.0% strand rate are going to take hits tonight against a Washington lineup that paces the majors in on-base percentage and ranks third in wOBA against southpaws.
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Yankees -1.5
Price: 51¢ (-104) at Polymarket
Cam Schlittler couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season, allowing zero earned runs with just three total baserunners and 15 strikeouts across two road outings. He’s supported by a rested bullpen that ranks first in FIP, while the offense is rolling with 5+ runs scored in five straight games. They’ve also dominated A’s starter Aaron Civale, posting a 1.095 OPS in 59 combined at-bats — plus, all seven of the Yankees' wins have come by at least two runs.
More MLB best bets for today
| Pick | Odds |
|---|---|
| Cubs/Rays o7.5 | -115 |
| Read analysis in our Cubs vs. Rays predictions | |
| San Diego ML | +135 |
| Read analysis in our Padres vs. Pirates predictions | |
| San Francisco ML | +132 |
| Read analysis in our Phillies vs. Giants predictions | |
| Milwaukee ML | +136 |
| Read analysis in our Brewers vs. Red Sox predictions | |
| New York Mets -1.5 | +145 |
| Read analysis in our Diamondbacks vs. Mets predictions | |
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.
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.
Dodgers Blue Jays Game 2 preview
Man, if the Dodgers offense had been this hot the last time they were in Toronto, the series would not have gone seven games. But then I suppose we would’ve been robbed of all that amazing drama.
Coming into the middle game of the Blue Jays series, the Dodgers have scored eight or more runs in every game of this first road trip of the season.
On Tuesday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto returns to the mound where he last stood as a World Series champion. Dodger fans remember his heroics, going six innings in Game 6 and then pitching the Dodgers to the championship by handling extra innings duties just a day later. Overall, Yamamoto had an incredible 1.02 ERA against the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. The team is looking for both Yamamoto and the offense to continue their dominance.
Will Smith returns to the lineup after having two days in a row off to rest his legs. Dalton Rushing has filled in splendidly, going 5-for-7 with including three home runs.
That hot offense will face Kevin Gausman, who so far this season has a miniscule 0.75 ERA with 21 strikeouts over just 12 innings. Starter Max Scherzer lasted just two innings in Monday’s game, so the Blue Jays will be hoping for a lot of length out of Gausman. It will be interesting to see which one of these factions wins out. Yamamoto famously doesn’t get a lot of run support.
Yamamoto vs Gausman is a replay of Games 2 and 6 of the 2025 World Series.
In fairness to the Blue Jays, half of the team has been sidelined by the flu, and quite a few more are injured, so they are definitely not playing with a full tank of gas. Still, it is fun to watch this high powered and highly paid offense do what it is supposed to do.
So, apply all of the normal thoughts to this game – Dodgers have scored so many for the last four games they are due for no offense, especially since Yamamoto is pitching. Regardless hopefully it will be an impressive outing by both pitchers, as the last four Dodger games have been blowouts.
Tuesday game info
- Teams: Dodgers at Blue Jays
- Ballpark: Rogers Centre, Toronto
- Time: 4:07 p.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA, TBS
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
Royals vs. Guardians Game 11 Thread
It’s my first regular season gamethread of the year. We’ve made it! Last week’s Tuesday was an off day, so it’s the first Tuesday game of the year. Honored to be back.
Now, we will all be watching this one from the comfort of our homes and, let’s be honest, offices. But if you made the poor decision to go to Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, you’re going to get temps in the 30s in what will be a very uncomfortable baseball game. I don’t know why you’d buy a ticket to see any Great Lakes sports team in early April, because whether it’s Detroit or Chicago or Cleveland this is what you might get.
Noah Cameron will take the mound for Kansas City, with Jensen getting catching duties. Gavin Williams will be taking the mound for Cleveland.
Royals 4/7 lineup
Guardians 4/7 lineup
Also, side note—do you think the Guardians reached out to Marvel to see if they could snag the @Guardians username for the Guardians of the Galaxy Twitter account? They barely post. Kind of lame the Guardians had to grab the @CleGuardians username, but “kind of lame” is an apt description for the club, so. Maybe it matches up.
White Sox place outfielder Austin Hays on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain
CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox placed outfielder Austin Hays on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain.
Hays got hurt during a 2-1 loss to Baltimore. He pulled up while pursuing Tyler O’Neill’s two-out flyball to left in the fourth inning. The ball landed near the line, and O’Neill was credited with an RBI single when Adley Rutschman scored from first on the play.
The 30-year-old Hays signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the White Sox in free agency. He is batting .219 with a homer and six RBIs in nine games this season.
The White Sox also brought up outfielder Dustin Harris from Triple-A Charlotte. Right-hander Mike Vasil, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
The 26-year-old Harris signed a minor league deal with the team in December. He is batting .217 (10 for 46) with two homers and five RBIs in 21 career major league games — all with Texas.
Rangers’ Jacob deGrom had mild discomfort in right knee before Monday start but feels OK
ARLINGTON, Texas — Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom said he felt something in his right knee before Monday night’s start, which limited him to five innings and 78 pitches in the Texas Rangers’ 2-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.
The Rangers said deGrom had mild right knee discomfort, and manager Skip Schumaker said the staff didn’t want to push the 37-year-old too hard. DeGrom allowed only one hit — a first-inning home run to 2025 homer champ Cal Raleigh on a 12-pitch at-bat — walked one and struck out six.
“I feel OK,” deGrom said, “It’s a little tender, but I think we’ll be OK.
“I gave up the homer to Cal, and I was like: ‘I’d better lock this in. This might be a pretty close game.’”
DeGrom went 4 2/3 innings while throwing 78 pitches last Tuesday at Baltimore in an 8-5 Rangers win in his only previous outing this season. He was scheduled to make his first start March 28 at Philadelphia but was scratched with neck stiffness.
DeGrom made his 250th career start, ranking 18th among active pitchers. He was voted the AL Comeback Player of the Year last season, going 12-8 with a 2.97 ERA, after returning late in the 2024 season from a second major reconstruction surgery on his pitching elbow.
“Obviously any day you’re able to put this uniform on you’ve got to be thankful for that,” he said.
Phillies vs Giants Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today's MLB Game
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The Tony Vitello era careened off the tracks before it ever truly got started, leaving the San Francisco Giants with a 3-8 record and in desperate need of a win as they host the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.
Christopher Sanchez takes the mound for the visitors, while Robbie Ray gets the nod for the home team.
My Phillies vs. Giants predictions and MLB picks for Tuesday, April 7 are targeting San Francisco to get back on track at a good price in a low-scoring contest.
Who will win Phillies vs Giants today: Giants (+132)
The Philadelphia Phillies have been anemic against left-handed pitching, posting a measly 59 wRC+ and .165 AVG in 112 at-bats.
Robbie Ray performed admirably at Oracle Park last year (3.50 FIP) and has had plenty of juice in his first two starts (108 Stuff+), so he forecasts for a strong outing.
Facing Cristopher Sanchez is never fun, but he’s down one mph on his fastball and has been unusually hittable (10th percentile average exit velocity, 14th percentile hard-hit rate).
For as bad as the San Francisco Giants have been against RHP, the lineup is close to league-average against southpaws.
COVERS INTEL: Ray has found success against Philadelphia’s lineup in the past, holding their projected lineup to 20-for-87 (.230) with 30 strikeouts.Phillies vs Giants Over/Under pick: Under 7 (-105)
These are two quality starting pitchers, facing two lineups that have had their fair share of troubles — Philadelphia against lefties and San Francisco in general. The Giants have plated four or fewer runs in nine of their 11 games.
Although the surface-level statistics may not show it, these are two quality bullpens. The Phillies have the best SIERA in relief (2.69) but a 4.17 ERA, and the Giants have a quality 3.81 SIERA but a grotesque 4.93 ERA.
Both of those bullpen ERAs are due for positive regression, creating value in the Under in the meantime.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
- ML/RL bets: 2-2, -0.13 units
- Over/Under bets: 2-3, -1.11 units
Phillies vs Giants odds
- Moneyline: Philadelphia -156 | San Francisco +132
- Run line: Philadelphia -1.5 | San Francisco +1.5
- Over/Under: Over 7 | Under 7
Phillies vs Giants trend
Philadelphia has hit the Under in 44 of its last 79 away games. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Giants.
How to watch Phillies vs Giants and game info
| Location | Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA |
| Date | Tuesday, April 7, 2026 |
| First pitch | 9:45 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC Sports Philadelphia+, NBC Sports Bay Area+ |
| Phillies starting pitcher | Cristopher Sanchez (1-0, 0.79 ERA) |
| Giants starting pitcher | Robbie Ray (1-1, 3.38 ERA) |
Phillies vs Giants latest injuries
Phillies vs Giants weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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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.
Brewers vs. Red Sox prediction: Odds, recent stats, trends, and best bets for April 7
After taking the series opener in a hard-fought 8–6 victory on Monday, the Milwaukee Brewers (8–2) look to continue their dominant start to the 2026 season tonight as they take the field at Fenway Park tonight for Game 2 of their three-game series against the struggling Boston Red Sox (2–8).
Tonight looks on paper to be a classic pitchers’ duel with the Brewers sending right-hander Jacob Misiorowski to the mound and the Red Sox summoning their ace, Garrett Crochet.
Last night, Christian Yelich led the Brewers with three hits and Garrett Mitchell drove in a pair as Milwaukee rallied late for their fifth win in their last six games. Willson Contreras picked up three hits for the Sox in the loss. Offense has been the issue to start the 2026 campaign for Boston but with the club scoring 12 runs over the past two games, the hope is the bats are waking up in Beantown.
The Brewers lead the National League’s Central Division by one game over Cincinnati and two over Pittsburgh while Boston sits in the cellar in the American League East already 5.5 games behind the first-place Yankees.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and the opener of this three-game series and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game Details and How to Watch: Brewers vs. Red Sox
- Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
- Time: 6:45PM EST
- Site: Fenway Park
- City: Boston, MA
- Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, Brewers.TV, NESN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Brewers vs. Red Sox
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Brewers (+129), Red Sox (-149)
- Spread: Brewers +1.5 (-171) / Red Sox -1.5 (+141)
- Total: 7.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers: Brewers vs. Red Sox
Pitching matchup for April 7:
- Brewers: Jacob Misiorowski
Season Totals: 11.0 IP, 1-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 18K, 5 BB - Red Sox: Garrett Crochet
Season Totals: 11.0 IP, 1-1, 3.27 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 15K, 2 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Brewers vs. Red Sox
- Christian Yelich is hitting .375 for the season
- Garrett Mitchell is 9-27 on the season (.333) but has struck out 13 times
- Trevor Story is 2-22 (.091) in April
- Roman Anthony is 6-18 (.333) in April
- Prior to his 3 hits last night, Willson Contreras was 5-31 on the season
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Brewers vs. Red Sox
- The Brewers are an MLB-best 8-2 on the Run Line this season
- The Red Sox are 2-8 on the Run Line this season
- The OVER has cashed 7 times in the Brewers’ 10 games this season (7-3)
- The OVER has cashed 6 times in Boston’s first 10 games (6-4)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions: Brewers vs. Red Sox
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Brewers and the Red Sox:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Red Sox on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Run Line.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 7.0.
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Crawfish Boil: Espada’s Miscalculation, Altuve’s Milestone, Cam’s Blast, Job Perks & More
The latest news on your Houston Astros and from around MLB:
The Astros had a plan for yesterday’s game, a game that would have been started by Hunter Brown had he not been injured. The plan didn’t seem like a good one, and it was executed even worse:
The most damning information in this article would be these:
Houston’s coaching staff intended to deploy two pitchers against the Colorado Rockies: Weiss and a 27-year-old right-hander named Cody Bolton. Neither right-hander is stretched out beyond 65 or so pitches, but the team hoped piggybacking them could cover 27 outs and conserve an overworked group of relievers.
Weiss is still learning the nuances of relieving and being ready at any moment of a game. Before this season, he had not made a professional relief appearance since 2023. Weiss sported a 3.16 ERA across 46 starts during the past two KBO seasons.
If Weiss was going to pitch Monday regardless of his role, logic suggested starting him for no other reason than allowing him to maintain his routine. That Espada and pitching coach Josh Miller tabbed Bolton, and not Weiss, to start the game seemed curious. Bolton had never started a major-league game, but had made 35 relief appearances. He finished Houston’s sixth game of the season with three scoreless innings.
With a 3×5 performance, Jose Altuve picked up career hit 2400. (and 2401 and 2402).
Cam Smith’s 462-foot HR was the ninth longest in Astros history. Here are the Top 8:
The Astros will go forward with plans for a 6-man rotation starting April 10:
Cody Bolton stayed in the game after taking a laser to the back in the first inning. The Astros sent him for imaging after the game as a precaution.
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good:
Do the Angels have an ace in Jose Soriano?
This hasn’t happened in over 30 years!
I’m willing to bet Jung Hoo Lee has had worse job requirements:
She’s a lefty!
The Nationals hit 3 eighth inning HRs to take the lead on the Cardinals. (Spoiler Alert: Nats won.)
Cal Raleigh vs Jacob deGrom. 12 pitches. Epic Battle. But in the end, there can be only one:
Willson Contreras vs Brandon Woodruff. The rivalry you didn’t know you needed, until now.
Contreras later came in spikes up on a slide into 2nd:
Contreras was still hot after the game:
Brewers’ Christian Yelich essentially called Contreras act tired (start 2:22):
Woodruff called Contreras’ actions a big act:
Max Scherzer only lasted 2 innings yesterday before he removed due to forearm discomfort, but Blue Jays think he will make his next start.
This is terrific accidental comedy. The word anos without the tilde above the “n” doesn’t mean years, it means something very, very different. Something dead center of where you sit down. But Happy Birthday!
Brewers vs Red Sox Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today's MLB Game
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The Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox face off in the second game of a three-game set at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.
Milwaukee took the series opener, and my Brewers vs. Red Sox predictions are backing the visitors to win again behind a strong effort from Jacob Misiorowski.
Here are my best free MLB picks for this interleague showdown on April 7.
Who will win Brewers vs Red Sox today: Brewers moneyline (+136)
The 2-8 Boston Red Sox are favored because ace Garrett Crochet is on the mound, but the difference in the starters isn't as big as you might think.
Milwaukee Brewers righty Jacob Misiorowski has allowed three runs on six hits with 18 strikeouts through 11 innings. The analytics indicate those numbers are sustainable with the hard-throwing 24-year-old allowing an xBA of .167.
Milwaukee has a big edge with its lineup ranked third in the majors in OPS (.813) and second in runs per game (6.80).
With the Brewers boasting an 8-2 record, they have value as road dogs.
COVERS INTEL: Misiorowski is in the 94th percentile in strikeout rate (40%) and whiff rate (42.2%). Boston ranks 26th in strikeout rate (27.8%) and dead-last in whiff rate (33.3%).Brewers vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Under 7 (-110)
Crochet pitched to a sparkling 2.59 ERA in 32 starts last year. He's coming off an ugly start, but that was against a Houston team that usually crushes lefties.
The 2025 AL Cy Young runner-up should bounce back with a better performance at home.
Misiorowski and a strong Milwaukee bullpen will also shut down a Boston lineup that averages just 3.60 runs per game with an OPS of .682.
Misiorowski struggles with control at times, but the Red Sox are just 26th in walk rate and will chase pitches outside the strike zone.
Rohit's 2026 MLB Transparency Record
- ML/RL bets: 3-2, +0.3 units
- Over/Under bets: 1-0, +1 units
Brewers vs Red Sox odds
- Moneyline: Milwaukee +138 | Boston -144
- Run line: Milwaukee +1.5 (-163) | Boston -1.5 (+156)
- Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+133) | Under 7.5 (-138)
Brewers vs Red Sox trend
The Red Sox have gone Under their team total in 48 of their last 78 games at home (+13.55 Units / 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Red Sox.
How to watch Brewers vs Red Sox and game info
| Location | Fenway Park, Boston, MA |
| Date | Tuesday, April 7, 2026 |
| First pitch | 6:45 p.m. ET |
| TV | BREW, NESN |
| Brewers starting pitcher | Jacob Misiorowski (1-0, 2.45 ERA) |
| Red Sox starting pitcher | Garrett Crochet (1-1, 3.27 ERA) |
Brewers vs Red Sox latest injuries
Brewers vs Red Sox weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Willson Contreras v. Brandon Woodruff: A Brief Beef History
Monday night’s game between the Brewers and Red Sox got chippy out of nowhere.
With two runners on and no outs, Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras stepped to the plate against veteran starter Brandon Woodruff. Woodruff’s first pitch was a high-and-tight sinker just a couple of inches inside. Contreras, known for crowding the strike zone, couldn’t get his hands away in time.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Contreras was actually hit by the pitch, so Milwaukee elected to challenge the ruling on the field. Replay evidence wasn’t strong enough to overturn the call, so Contreras was awarded first base.
MLB.com reporter Adam McCalvy later asked Brewers catcher William Contreras, Willson’s younger brother, whether or not he thought the pitch actually hit the elder Contreras:
Wm. Contreras:“They said it hit him, so it’s a hit-by-pitch.”
McCalvy:From (your) crouch at home plate, did (you) hear anything?
Wm. Contreras:“No.”
Take a look for yourself:
Contreras was irate, slowly walking down the first base line while shouting at Woodruff. He didn’t stop upon reaching the bag, with two Red Sox coaches and first base umpire John Tumpane getting in front of Contreras to try and calm him down.
The next batter was cleanup hitter Wilyer Abreu, who hit a grounder to second baseman Brice Turang for a potential double play ball. Turang flipped the ball to shortstop David Hamilton, who was covering second. As Hamilton tried to turn the double play, Contreras came in with his spikes up, ripping up his pant leg and leaving him doubled over in pain.
Contreras explained his reaction in a postgame interview.
“It’s the 24th time (the Brewers) have hit me in my career. It’s the sixth time that (Brandon Woodruff) has hit me, and they always say, ‘I’m not trying to hit you.’ That gets old. So next time they hit me again, I’m going to take one of them out. That’s a message.”
It’s pretty clear what Contreras is getting at. He thinks the Brewers are doing this on purpose. That’s… a pretty serious claim, one that naturally leads to a question:
Are the Brewers doing this on purpose?
First, let’s start with a few simpler questions.
Does Willson Contreras get hit a lot?
What about on a per-game basis?
Contreras has played 1,089 career Major League Baseball games, totaling 4,318 plate appearances. He’s been hit by 131 pitches. In other words, Contreras has been hit by a pitch in about 12% of the games he’s played in.
Since 2018, hit-by-pitch rates have been rising. The average batter now gets plunked 10 times per 1,000 plate appearances, or 1%. Contreras has been plunked 131 times in 4,318 plate appearances, or roughly 3%.
So yes, he gets hit by pitches a lot — three times as much as the average player.
Contreras is also widely considered to be a player who “crowds the plate.” He stands very close to the plate, so pitches that might not hit someone with a more open stance are more likely to hit him.
Does Woodruff hit a lot of batters?
Brandon Woodruff has hit 33 batters over 755 2/3 career innings pitched. Per Baseball Reference, pitchers average about 0.04 hit batters per inning. 33 divided by 755 2/3 works out to 0.044 hit batters per inning, or just slightly more than average.
It’s worth noting that four of the six Woodruff v. Contreras hit-by-pitches have come on sinkers, while the other two have come on fastballs. Both pitches are characterized by arm-side run, which means they break in on right-handed batters. If Woodruff misses with a sinker a couple of inches off the plate, he’s more likely to hit Contreras than he is the average batter. As you can see on the scatter plot of all six hit-by-pitches, only one of them is an egregious miss.
To quote Bob Uecker, these all look like he tried the corner and missed.
Does Contreras get hit by pitches more when facing the Brewers?
Contreras has been hit 24 times in 468 career plate appearances against the Brewers, which works out to 5.1% of the time. So, also yes. Here’s the pitch chart of every Contreras hit-by-pitch against Milwaukee:
The vast majority of these pitches are sinkers or four-seam fastballs, which isn’t a coincidence. The Brewers are a smart organization. The conventional approach against a hitter who crowds the plate is to establish the inner half early by throwing hard pitches that run in on the hands, forcing the hitter to back off the plate while creating weak contact — jam shots, broken bats, etc. When you’re consistently attacking inside with pitches that have arm-side run, misses tend to come further in than intended.
I also want to point out that none of these pitches are at the head (dirty, potentially intentional) or feet (more respectful, but still potentially intentional). All of these pitches — save for that Devin Williams changeup, which just looks like a miss — follow the pattern that you would expect when a pitcher is attacking Contreras. Tried the corner and missed.
So, are these hit-by-pitches intentional, as Contreras implies?
Probably not, no. But I did just say the Brewers are a smart organization, and it would be very smart of the Brewers to disguise their malicious beanings of Contreras to avoid repercussions.
I don’t get paid enough to break down every career Contreras vs. Brewers hit-by-pitch, so let’s look at every Contreras vs. Woodruff hit by pitch:
Contreras v. Woodruff: A Brief Beef History
Twitter has everything, including a video of every time Woodruff has drilled Contreras:
HBP #1: The catcher sets up on the inside corner, Woodruff misses his spot by a few inches, Contreras is in on the plate and gets hit in the elbow. Verdict: Unintentional.
HBP #2: Contreras is off the plate a bit more; it looks like the ball just gets away from Woody. The catcher sets up low and inside, but he misses high and inside. If the Brewers were trying to bean Contreras, they probably would have set up high and inside to provide more plausible deniability. Verdict: Unintentional.
HPB #3: Contreras is in on the plate, the catcher sets up high and inside, Woodruff’s pitch comes in at the height of the catcher’s glove but misses the plate by a couple of inches, Contreras stands there and takes it off the elbow guard. If Contreras had tried to get out of the way at all, it wouldn’t have hit him. That’s not a bad thing; the smart thing to do as a baseball player is to take the free base, but it also provides more evidence that this hit-by-pitch was, in fact, unintentional.
HBP #4: Contreras’ elbow is basically on the plate, and the pitch is close enough that he swings at it. Verdict: Unintentional.
HBP #5: It’s a little hard to tell because of the angle this was filmed at, but it doesn’t appear that Contreras is egregiously close to the plate. However, thanks to Statcast, you can tell that the ball looks to be right off the edge of the batter’s box when it hit him. Verdict: Unintentional.
Conclusion
The Brewers do not have a vendetta against Willson Contreras. They are not trying to intentionally injure the older brother of their All-Star catcher. They are trying to win baseball games.