Category: Baseball

The 2026 Cubs are off to an historic start. It’s an exceedingly rare occurrence to have two distinct 10-game winning streaks over a team’s first 39 games. Certainly none of us have seen the Cubs do anything like this before. For what it’s worth, just from an overall standpoint, it only took the 2016 Cubs 40 games to win 29. The Cubs will take at least 41 to get there and that would mean sweeping this series. After reaching 29 wins, though, that 2016 team lost three straight. If these Cubs split their next four games, they will have matched those Cubs through 43 games.

I traditionally abhor comparisons like that. Chasing the best seasons (or best players) in your team’s history just sets you up for failure. This team is very much different than that one. But more importantly, this team could win more games than that one in the regular season and not win a championship. Or, it could lose more regular season games but go on to win anyway. While regular season success has some correlation to postseason success there are many factors that can be predictive of postseason success. That’s why I don’t like comparisons. Instead, I like to let each season breathe and be its own thing.

Through a fresh lens, I’m able to relax and enjoy myself more. To enjoy what each win can bring. Right now, I’m enjoying underestimating this team. I’m normally such an optimist when it comes to them. I feel like I’m usually a little bit disappointed because that they leave some winnable games on the table. Not this team, though. Over the first few weeks of the season, maybe they let one or two get away. But over these last 23 games? Just one game in San Diego that maybe a couple more plays might have flipped. Otherwise, this team just keeps winning. They win when everything clicks. They win when things are rough.

20 wins in 23 games. It really is quite remarkable. It’s the kind of run that an all-time great NBA team might go on. It’s usually the kind of run we only really see out of the best few NCAA hoops teams in a given year. It is a wholly remarkable streak for an MLB team to have. It’s frankly inconceivable. And a whole lot of fun. And I just don’t want it to end. Keep the greed rolling. I don’t know where all of this ends, but let’s just keep tearing up the script.

Three Positives:

• Ben Brown got things started (hat tip to two red-hot Cubs in Michael Conforto and Ian Happ for staking him a lead four batters into the game). Ben threw four innings with just one walk standing between him and perfection. I thought for sure that three innings would be the best we could possibly expect. And he beat that expectation.
• Seiya Suzuki gave the Cubs some cushion with a two-run homer. He also drew two walks and ended up scoring two total runs.
• Javier Assad threw 3.2 innings of relief, needing 12 batters to get 11 outs. Between Assad and Brown, they faced 25 Rangers and allowed two walks and one hit. The Rangers offense was kept very, very quiet.

Hat tip to just about everyone, but particularly Pete Crow-Armstrong, who had two more hits including a double the other way and stole a base. OPS .721 and climbing (wRC+ 103)

Game 39, May 8: Cubs 7, Rangers 1 (27-12)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Ben Brown (.212). 4 IP, 13 BF, 0 H, BB, 0 ER, 3 K
• Hero: Javier Assad (.194). 3.2 IP, 12 BF, H, BB, 0 ER, K (W 3-1)
• Sidekick: Seiya Suzuki (.133). 1-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Ryan Rolison (-.155). 0.1 IP, 4 BF, H, 2 BB, ER
• Goat: Carson Kelly (-.056). 0-4
• Kid: Nico Hoerner (-.052). 0-5

WPA Play of the Game: Seiya Suzuki’s two-run homer with no outs in the fourth extended the Cub lead to three. (.159)

*Rangers Play of the Game: Justin Foscue singled with runners on first and second and one out in the fifth, scoring the Rangers only run and briefly cutting the Cub lead to two. (.106)

Player of the Game:

Game 38 Winner: Shōta Imanaga received 204 of 289 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Michael Conforto +12
• Shōta Imanaga +10
• Michael Bsuch +9
• Dansby Swanson/Jacob Webb/Caleb Thielbar/Phil Maton -6
• Matt Shaw -9
• Seiya Suzuki -13

Current Win Pace: 112.15 wins

Up Next: Game two of the three-game set on Saturday night in Texas. Edward Cabrera (3-0, 3.27, 41.1 IP) makes his eighth start as a Cub. He’s thrown at least five innings in every start and has allowed exactly three earned runs in five consecutive starts (winning three of those). So you kind of know what to expect out of him. In two road starts, he’s allowed three runs in 11.1 innings.

26-year-old Jack Leiter (1-3, 5.45, 38) makes his eighth start of the year. The second overall pick by the Rangers is one of five different family members to pitch professionally. Most of us know his cousin Mark Jr. best, former Cub. Al Leiter is Jack’s dad and Mark Leiter Sr. his uncle. One can only imagine what a family softball game might look like. Jack has made 45 appearances at the big league level, 42 of them starts, with a 4.91 ERA. So he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype of the 2nd overall pick yet. But he does have 43 strikeouts in his 38 innings, so the stuff is real. Last time out, he allowed five runs on five hits and a walk in 6.2 innings, striking out 10. He was the loser in that one and hasn’t won since his season debut back on March 30.

Keep finding ways to win.

Go Cubs.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (17-20) lost 2-1 (BOX SCORE)

Pecko started for Sugar Land and was solid tossing 3.2 scoreless innings while striking out 5 batters. Hendrickson pitched in relief and went 4.1 innings allowing 2 runs. The offense got on the board on a Nelson solo home run in the 9th inning but that was it as Sugar land fell 2-1.

Note: Pecko has a 1.04 ERA in Triple-A this season.

• James Nelson, DH: 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• CJ Alexander, LF: 2-for-4
• Carlos Perez, C: 1-for-4
• Cavan Biggio, 1B: 1-for-4
• Tommy Sacco, 2B: 1-for-2, BB

• Ethan Pecko, RHP: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Sam Carlson, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Josh Hendrickson, LHP: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Alimber Santa, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (14-16) won 11-8 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning scoring 3 runs on a Sullivan solo home run, Encarnacion RBI single and Guillemette RBI single. They picked up another run in the third inning on an Austin solo home run. McPherson started for the Hooks but struggled allowing 7 runs over 3.1 innings. The Hooks picked up 3 more runs in the 5th on an Austin 2 run home run and Lytle RBI single. The offense tied things up in the 6th on a Holy steal of home. In the 7th, the Hooks took the lead on a Lytle RBI double and Garcia RBI single. The Hooks got one more in the 8th on a Whitaker RBI single. David tossed a scoreless inning in relief and the game was called due to lightning as the Hooks won 11-8.

Note: Holy is hitting .500 in Double-A.

• Joseph Sullivan, CF: 1-for-5, R, HR, RBI
• Max Holy, SS: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, SB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI, SB
• Trevor Austin, DH: 2-for-4, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB
• Tyler Whitaker, LF: 1-for-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB
• Garret Guillemette, 1B: 1-for-5, RBI
• Mason Lytle, RF: 2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI
• John Garcia, C: 1-for-4, RBI
• Alberto Hernandez, 3B: 2-for-4

• Brandon McPherson, RHP: 3.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Michael Cuevas, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
• Alex Santos, RHP: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (WIN)
• Ramsey David, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (SAVE)

A+: Asheville Tourists (8-23) lost 13-8 (BOX SCORE)

Smith started for Asheville but struggled allowing 9 runs, 7 earned, over 1.2 innings. He was relieved by Pena who allowed 2 runs over 3.2 innings. Asheville got on the board scoring 2 runs in the 4th on a Daudet RBI single and Walker RBI groundout. They scored 2 more runs in the 5th on a Frey solo home run and Call RBI double. Rome picked up 2 more runs to extend their lead. In the 9th, the Asheville offense battled getting a 3 run home run from Frey and a solo home run from Schiavone, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough as Asheville fell 13-8.

Note: Frey is hitting .294 over his last 8 games.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 1-for-4, R, BB
• Ethan Frey, LF: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
• Jason Schiavone, C: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI
• Chase Call, RF: 2-for-5, R, 2B, RBI
• Narbe Cruz, SS: 2-for-4, R, 2B
• Zach Daudet, 3B: 2-for-4, RBI
• Kyle Walker, 2B: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB

• Parker Smith, RHP: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Alain Pena, RHP: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Eurys Martich, RHP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (12-19) lost 10-4 (BOX SCORE) 

Dixon started for the Woodpeckers and allowed 2 runs over 3.1 innings while striking out 7 batters. The offense got on the board in the 2nd inning scoring a run on an error. Serrano relieved Dixon but struggled allowing 5 runs, 3 earned, over 2.2 innings. The offense picked up 3 runs in the 6th scoring 2 runs on an error and another run on a Sierra RBI double. Wells relieved Serrano and allowed 3 runs as the Warbirds put the game out of reach. The Woodpeckers were unable to respond and fell 10-4.

Note: Sierra is hitting .349 over his last 13 games.

• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 1-for-3, R, BB
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 2-for-4, R
• Juan Sierra, RF: 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI

• Joey Dixon, RHP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
• Jose Serrano, RHP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• Jackson Wells, RHP: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Brandon Cassedy, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Brandon Bielak – 6:05 CT

CC: Brett Gillis – 6:05 CT

AV: TBD – 5:05 CT

FV: Ryan Forcucci – 6:05 CT

Good morning ,LSB.

The Rangers lost to the Cubs last night with what was, by my count, their fourth horrible loss in five games.

Evan Grant focuses on maybe the worst defensive play in MLB this season in his game story.

Kennedi Landry writes about the weird night for Kumar Rocker.

Jeff Wilson says far and away No. 1 on the Rangers list of needs is for Corey Seager to get it in gear.

Elsewhere the Rangers offered updates on a whole heap of injured pitchers, including Cody Bradford and Jordan Montgomery.

Josh Sborz has entered baseballs mechanical maintenance program.

Grant says don’t sell off quite yet in his weekly Rangers stock report.

MLB Pipeline released its first official 2026 mock draft.

And Shawn McFarland tells the story of how rookie reliever Payton Gray has drawn inspiration from his mother’s battle with cancer.

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers look to bounce back today against the Cubs at 6:05 with Jack Leiter on the mound for Texas.

Have a great weekend!

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It's another full slate across the Major Leagues today, and there's no shortage of value in my MLB player props. I'll include Shea Langeliers, Otto Lopez, and Jack Leiter. 

Read more for my MLB picks for Saturday, May 9. 

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Shea Langeliers	Over 1.5 total bases	+100
Otto Lopez	Over 1.5 hits	+159
Jack Leiter	Over 16.5 outs recorded	-120

Shea Langeliers Over 1.5 total bases (+100)

Shea Langeliers has served as one of the Athletics' best hitters this year. He's batting .333 with 11 home runs, and Langeliers has already smacked six hits in May. The slugger has cashed the Over in total bases in three of his last five contests. While Langeliers was just 1-for-5 on Friday, he finished 2-for-5 in the finale against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday with a long ball. 

Langeliers will face Baltimore Orioles righty Shane Baz today, who has a 4.99 ERA. Langeliers is 4-for-10 lifetime against him with a pair of doubles and a home run. Only one of his hits versus the right-hander hasn't been for extra bases. He's also hitting .323 against righties, and Baz is a very inconsistent arm.

• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, NBCS-CA

Otto Lopez Over 1.5 hits (+159)

Otto Lopez has emerged as one of the top hitters in the Majors in 2026. He leads the MLB in hits with 50, and the infielder has cashed the Over in hits in back-to-back games. Lopez finished 3-for-4 in the series opener against the Washington Nationals on Friday evening, and he was also 2-for-4 on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles. 

Lopez will be excited for this matchup as the Nats send Zack Littell to the hill, who owns an ERA north of seven. While Lopez is 0-for-3 vs. Littell, it's a small sample size, and Littell has allowed 40 hits in 32.1 innings of work this season. Lopez is batting .341 at home, and he's also hitting .454 in May so far. 

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marlins.TV, Nationals.TV

Jack Leiter Over 16.5 outs recorded (-120)

Jack Leiter may not have the best ERA early on, but he's pitching deep into games lately. The Texas Rangers starter has hit the Over in outs recorded in back-to-back outings, lasting six innings on April 27, and another 6.2 frames last time out. While he gave up nine earned runs combined in those starts, the Rangers have given him a longer leash.

He's also pitched better at home, compiling a 4.50 ERA compared to a 6.14 ERA on the road. Leiter also has just four free passes across his last three starts, which is a big reason Texas has left him out there longer than usual. Facing the Chicago Cubs won't be easy, but Leiter will battle and keep his team in the game.

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, CW33

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.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Offense may be in short supply for two losing teams

The New York Mets look to win their third series in a row as they play game two in Arizona. Despite the recent run of success, New York is still tied for the worst record in the National League.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are only 2.5 games better, however.

Neither team has been hitting, but the Mets have the better end of the pitching matchup. That's why my Mets vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks have the Mets winning as a road favorite.

Who will win Mets vs Diamondbacks today: Mets moneyline (-108)

Both teams have been punchless, but pitching has been the difference. The New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks each scored under five runs in seven of 10 games.

But New York is 3-4 as their pitchers matched opposing zeroes, while Arizona lost all of them.

The Mets are in better shape Saturday, with NL ERA leader Clay Holmes on the mound. His walk rate is the lowest in four years, and his hit rate is the lowest in five.

Arizona counters with Merrill Kelly, who has been a disaster so far this year. He's walking 7.1 batters per nine innings and allowing a home run every three innings.

COVERS INTEL:Kelly literally could not be worse so far this season. He's in baseball's bottom 1% in pitching run value, both fastball and offspeed run value, expected ERA, and opposing batting average, as well as opponent barrel percentage.

Mets vs Diamondbacks Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-108)

The Mets rank at the bottom of MLB in OPS and second-to-last in runs per game. They've hit slightly better over the last week, but were still 6% below league average over that span.

If Kelly, who missed spring training with an injury, can't figure out what to adjust to regain his old form, the Mets should be able to score. But in that case, Kelly likely won't be around very long.

The D-Backs have been better, but still below league average, at the plate all season, but their bats have abandoned them lately. Arizona is hitting .171 with .548 OPS over the last week, 42% below league average.

Mets vs Diamondbacks odds

• Moneyline: Mets -108 | Diamondbacks +104
• Run line: Mets -1.5 (+150) | Diamondbacks +1.5 (-156)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+104) | Under 9.5 (-108)

Mets vs Diamondbacks trend

The New York Mets have hit the Game Total Under in 16 of their last 23 away games (+9.30 Units / 37% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Diamondbacks.

How to watch Mets vs Diamondbacks and game info

Mets vs Diamondbacks latest injuries

Mets vs Diamondbacks 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.

Friday in the Dodgers minors featured two rehabbing major leaguers, a doubleheader split, and a wild comeback for naught.

Player of the day

Tyler Fitzgerald hit his first two home runs since joining the Dodgers organization, including a game-tying grand slam with one out in the ninth inning for Oklahoma City.

Fitzgerald, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays on April 28, drove in six runs on the night. He started at second base, then shifted over to third base after rehabber Kiké Hernández played his seven innings.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Given new life by Fitzgerald, the Comets allowed two runs in the 10th inning in a loss to the Salt Lake Bees (Angels). Starter Christian Romero allowed seven runs in his five innings, but was off the hook thanks to the ninth-inning grand slam.

James Tibbs III and Jack Suwinski each had two hits and scored a run.

Rehabbing Dodgers

Mookie Betts singled once in three at-bats and played five innings at shortstop in his first minor league game in 11 years. The plan is for Betts to play once more for the Comets on Saturday, then possibly be activated off the injured list Monday.

Kiké Hernández was 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in his third rehab game. He played seven innings at third base on Friday, after playing five innings at the hot corner on both Tuesday and Thursday.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers split a doubleheader with the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners), dropping the first game then pitching a shutout in the second contest. Payton Martin struck out six in four scoreless innings in the nightcap, working around three singles and two walks to keep Arkansas off the board.

Chris Newell had three hits and drove in a pair in the nightcap. Kole Myers homered.

Tulsa in the first game only had two hits, including a solo home run by catcher Frank Rodriguez in the sixth inning for the Drillers’ only run of the opener.

High-A Great Lakes

The Loons lost a back-and-forth game to the Lake County Captains (Guardians).

Second baseman Nico Perez hit a two-run home run for Great Lakes, his third of the series to go with 10 RBI in the last four games.

This was a planned piggyback outing for Loons ace Christian Zazueta after starting his first five games this season. He entered with two on and two outs in the fourth inning and stranded a pair of runners, then finished out the game. Zazueta struck out seven and walked none but also allowed three runs in his 4 1/3 innings, including a solo home run to take the loss.

Mike Sirota singled once in his five at-bats, extending his on-base streak to 23 straight games. His extended hot streak was chronicled on Thursday by Michael Avallone at MLB.com.

Class-A Ontario

The Tower Buzzers managed only four hits in a road loss to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Emil Morales had two of them.

Brady Smith struck out nine in his start over 3 1/3 innings and allowed only one run, but got stuck with the tough-luck loss.

Ariona Complex League

Outfielders Brendan Tunink and Landyn Vidourek joined shortstop Kellon Lindsey to rehab in Arizona, giving the ACL Dodgers three position players from Ontario. Vidourek hit a two-run home run on Thursday in his first game since April 18, then homered again on Friday.

Tunink, who strained his hamstring on April 14, had two hits in his first game with Arizona on Thursday, then was 0-for-4 on Friday. Lindsey walked three times and stole a base on Friday and in his five games thus far in Arizona is 4-for-17 with a home run, double, and four walks.

Great Lakes catcher Gio Cueto has been out since early April, but he also joined the ACL Dodgers on rehab. On Friday, Cueto homered.

Friday scores

• Salt Lake 9, Oklahoma City 7 (10 innings)
• Arkansas 5, Tulsa 1 (Game 1)
• Tulsa 5, Arkansas 0 (Game 2)
• Lake County 8, Great Lakes 6
• Rancho Cucamonga 6, Ontario 0

Saturday schedule

• 2:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at Arkansas (Ryan Sloan)
• 3:35 p.m.: Great Lakes (Aidan Foeller) at Lake County (Jackson Humphries)
• 4:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (TBA) vs. Salt Lake (TBA)
• 6:30 p.m.: Ontario (TBA) at Rancho Cucamonga (Derek Clark)

MJ Melendez was thrust into a challenging situation last month. The struggling New York Mets faced the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road, amid what would become a 12-game losing streak. Seeking a spark, Melendez was plugged into the lineup and laced two doubles and notched an RBI against Shohei Ohtani. Though the Mets lost 8-2, Melendez has since been a reliable asset.

Melendez has been contributing in the heart of the order for the Mets, an unexpected development for the preseason playoff favorites. On Wednesday in Colorado, he added a triple, a walk, and a check-swing single. Keith Hernandez remarked after the lucky single, “When you’re hot, you’re hot,” on SNY.

The club lost eight more games after Melendez’s debut, but he has not been at fault. In just 16 games as DH and outfielder, the fifth-year player has blown away his career numbers, posting a 158 wRC+ and .912 OPS to lift a struggling lineup.

The question remains: can he put up numbers anywhere close to that for a sustained period? Injuries and poor offensive consistency have put the Mets in a deep hole in the standings despite an enormous payroll. Asking a reclamation project in Melendez to help carry the lineup is a tough ask, but he says he’s up for the challenge.

“It’s really cool to have that so-called pressure,” he told the media in late April. “I think that it’s something that you either love or you hate. I feel like I love that kind of thing.”

Melendez was drafted by the Royals in 2017 and ranked the No. 42 overall prospect by Baseball America upon his May 2022 debut. He was a league-average hitter as a rookie before declining the next two seasons. He spent most of 2025 in Triple-A before the Royals declined his option.

Getting another shot in the majors, Melendez has been the second luckiest hitter on the Mets so far this season; his .458 BABIP trails just Austin Slater’s .556, whos number is obviously enhanced by his mere 12 plate appearances. Melendez’s wOBA of .398 vs his xwOBA of .271 shows that somehow he keeps finding ways to produce, with the help of a lucky bounce here and there. Meanwhile, 13 of the 17 Mets who have registered at-bats this season have recorded the opposite results. The only other players overperforming their expected metrics are Ronny Mauricio and Jared Young, who are both on the injured list, and Slater in extremely limited playing time.

Melendez will likely regress at some point, but he remains a valuable depth piece for an injury-plagued team. Perhaps if Melendez comes back down to earth, the rest of the lineup will also regress to the mean. New York would gladly take some middle ground, given the deep hole they face.

Even if Melendez cannot sustain his current pace, a change of scenery and his motivation to prove himself after being let go by the Royals may help him remain a valuable and surprising contributor to the Mets roster.

The Yankees opened their series with the Brewers on a low-note, getting shutout by Jacob Misiorowski for six innings while Max Fried dropped his worst start of the season on the other side. Unfortunately, Spencer Jones’ MLB debut was overshadowed by the team at large struggling on Friday, collecting just three hits on the night. New York’s misfortune is the rest of the league’s opportunity though, so let’s see how the field fared.

Boston Red Sox (17-22) 2, Tampa Bay Rays (25-13) 0

The Rays were set up to capitalize and claim first place in the division back, but the Red Sox had other ideas. Connelly Early tossed seven innings without allowing a run, striking out eight batters and walking one with just four hits on the day. The Rays did get one chance in the third inning to strike, loading the bases with no outs on a pair of singles and a walk. Early got Ryan Vilade to strike out for the first out, and induced a 5-4-3 double play out of Junior Caminero to escape the jam.

Wilyer Abreu made the missed opportunity sting even more in the bottom half, hitting a solo home run to right field to put Boston on the board. Ceddanne Rafaela followed suit in the fourth, hitting one out to left to make it 2-0. No other Boston batter made it past second base, but they hardly needed to with Early dealing. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman combined to make the eighth and ninth innings seamless, securing the win.

Toronto Blue Jays (17-21) 2, Los Angeles Angels (15-24) 0

The Jays got an ace performance of their own on Friday, riding Dylan Cease to seven scoreless as well. Cease one-upped Early, striking out 10 with no walks, though he did allow one more hit. The same couldn’t be said for Reid Detmers, who lasted only 3.2 innings for the Angels and coughed up the lead in the third. A leadoff single and a one-out walk came to bite him as Kazuma Okamoto singled home one run, and then Ernie Clement lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home the second run. The Angels bullpen did yeoman’s work covering 4.1 innings without incident, with just one hit allowed over that span, but there was no hope of cracking the Jays’ pitching staff this time around.

Other Games

Cleveland Guardians (21-19) 6, Minnesota Twins (16-23) 4: The Guardians put up a four-spot in the first inning to take a commanding lead, benefitting off of an error to score their first run before a sacrifice fly brought in a second and Travis Bazzana hit his first MLB homer to double the lead to 4-0. The game stayed quiet after that for a while until the Twins started a rally, getting on the board in the sixth with a Ryan Jeffers RBI single before scoring two in the seventh on a Byron Buxton two-run homer. Cleveland got some breathing room with runs in the seventh and eighth. The Twins got back-to-back hits to start the ninth, but a double-play cut the rally short despite scoring a run, Josh Bell striking out to end it right after.

Kansas City Royals (18-21) 4, Detroit Tigers (18-21) 3: The Tigers and Royals traded a run each in the second inning, but Detroit jumped ahead with a two-run sixth inning. A leadoff walk was nearly wasted after the next two Tigers made outs, but Wenceel Pérez doubled to center to drive them in and Spencer Torkelson doubled him in right after. Kansas City tied things up in the eighth thanks to a pair of RBI singles from Kyle Isbel and Maikel Garcia, and Isbel walked it off in the ninth with a single to left.

Seattle Mariners (19-20) 12, Chicago White Sox (17-21) 8: A back-and-forth affair saw the Mariners break away late. Munataka Murakami tied Aaron Judge with his 15th home run of the season to start the scoring, but a bases-loaded hit by pitch tied the game in the second inning. Luke Raley put Seattle up with a grand slam in the third, only for Chicago to tie it back up in the bottom of the third with a bases-clearing double from Colson Montgomery doing the heavy lifting.

Julio Rodríguez got the Mariners back on top with a solo shot in the fifth, but it was the seventh inning where they started to pull away as Raley launched another homer, this time a three-run shot. The eighth saw Josh Naylor get in on the action with a three-run blast of his own, making it 12-5, but Chicago got two back in the bottom half on a single from Jarred Kelenic and an RBI double from Tristan Peters before former Yankee Randal Grichuk led off the ninth with a homer. The rest of the White Sox went down in order to end the threat, but it was topsy-turvy from the get-go.

Chicago Cubs (27-12) 7, Texas Rangers (17-21) 1: Ben Brown has been in the bullpen all of 2026 up until he started on Friday, but he made a case to get more starts in the future as he pitched four no-hit innings. Kumar Rocker’s night began with a delay as he had to go change his undershirt thanks to the white sleeves he was showing, and the Cubs made him pay for the delay striking for a run in the first inning before adding two more in the fourth on a Seiya Suzuki homer. The Rangers got their lone run in the fifth on a Justin Foscue single, but the Cubs kept going adding an RBI ground-rule double from Pete Crow-Armstrong in the sixth before Michael Busch lined a bases-clearing double that made it a laugher.

Jaylon Thompson writes about how a visit to a pitching facility in Georgia helped Daniel Lynch IV.

McLaughlin saw an avenue that could help Lynch. He uncovered that Lynch had his glove positioned lower throughout his throwing motion.

So as Lynch turned to throw the baseball, he wasn’t staying balanced through his delivery. It caused him to be erratic and lose his command.

And ultimately, that led to more walks and fewer strikeouts.

“His back was almost turned to the hitter when he was driving down the mound,” McLaughlin said. “And it would make him spin off and spin open. So we went back to an old move when he was at the University of Virginia where he got his glove higher in the air.”

Vahe Gregorian writes about how Bobby Witt Jr. is evolving into a leader.

“When you are getting into Year 3, 4 and 5 in the major leagues, at some point it’s your time,” Picollo said then. “Right now, Bobby, Vinnie, Maikel, it’s your time.”

Not that anyone wants Witt to be anything but himself. Or that it’s suddenly all about his vocal stylings.

It’s just that he’s got so much to offer, especially in terms of the diligence, unwavering process and stress on mental performance that animate his superb talents.

Controlling the controllables, as Witt likes to say.

Kevin O’Brien looks at what the Royals do in the wake of injuries to Cole Ragans and Carlos Estévez.

David Lesky recaps the series finale against Cleveland and Vinnie Pasquantino’s struggles with runners on base.

I will say that this does not make up for the struggles. He answered questions and criticized himself with language that would make Lucas Erceg blush after the game. He still is hitting just .194/.277/.366. He does now have five home runs and 18 RBI, which is getting closer to the sort of pace we saw from him last year, at least on the RBI front. And he’s hitting .302/.380/.628 since April 22, whic his another arbtirary day, but it’s the day he broke out of an 0 for 16 slump. But even in that stretch, he’s hitting .182 without an extra base hit with runners in scoring position. He’s hitting just 263 without an extra base hit with runners on period. He is RAKING with the bases empty.

No, that doesn’t mean he’s a garbage time hitter or anything like that. But he has struggled in the spot that you want your middle-of-the-order bat to succeed.

Anne Rogers writes about Salvador Perez’s relationship with his mother, Yilda.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, but Perez tries to thank his mom every day for the work she did. Perez’s work ethic and passion are two of his greatest attributes. He has Yilda to thank for that.

“I don’t think you appreciate it until you start to grow up,” Perez said. “When you start to work for yourself or for your family, when things are hard, that’s when you realize that your mom did a pretty good job for you and that she was working hard. I try to thank her every day for the things she did for me. I realize it was hard for her.

“She’s definitely one of my inspirations. I’ve got my kids and my wife, too. But it’s like, ‘If she can do it, why can I not do it?’ She fought as hard as she could, so I can get through a lot, too. When it gets hard, just keep going. She’s one of my inspirations every day.”

Joel Goldberg writes about some of the amusing unscripted moments in recent post-game interviews.

Christian singer TobyMac will headline Faith Night at Kauffman Stadium.

Elliot Kalb at NBC Sports profiles Bobby Witt Jr. ahead of their Peacock broadcast.

Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd will miss a month after knee surgery.

Blake Snell should make his season debut today.

The Diamondbacks call up top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt and designated outfielder Alek Thomas for assignment.

The Marlins have some catching depth.

This is turning into a solid rookie class.

Which teams could take out the Dodgers?

Who are some surprise contenders that could make a playoff run?

The Cubs could be looking at Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta.

MLB’s new TV deals have seen strong early season viewership.

Baseball America finds the origins of the injury rehab assignment in baseball. [$]

The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will expand to 76 teams.

The sale of the Seahawks is receiving soft interest.

The owner of Dunkin’ Donuts may be going public.

The first playgrounds were for adults, not kids.

The Pentagon releases files on UFO sightings over the years.

Your song of the day is Sniff ‘n’ the Tears with Driver’s Seat.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Chicago Cubs are the hottest team in baseball, having won 10 consecutive games.

They are favored to extend their winning streak in Texas, but my Cubs vs. Rangers predictions see the home team keeping it close.

Let's dive deeper into my MLB picks for Saturday, May 9.

Who will win Cubs vs Rangers today: Rangers +1.5 (-135)

Jack Leiter has posted an xFIP of 3.44 and SIERA of 3.52, putting him in company with Joe Ryan, Landon Roupp, and Braxton Ashcraft among today's starters. Those arms have ERAs comfortably in the threes, yet Leiter sits at 5.44.

It's almost the opposite story for Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera. His ERA sits at 3.27 despite a 4.21 xERA. He has allowed plenty of hard contact and ranks in the 11th percentile in barrel rate.

With both starters showing misleading surface stats — and the Cubs riding a 10-game winning streak — there is value in backing the Texas Rangers to keep it close.

COVERS INTEL: Cabrera ranks in the 37th percentile in expected batting average allowed.

Cubs vs Rangers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-105)

Leiter has allowed 20 runs over his last five starts. While I expect him to earn better results moving forward than he has thus far, it's a stretch to suggest he'll completely slow a Cubs offense that leads the league in runs per game and on base percentage. 

The Rangers are also a threat to score several runs in this game. Their offense has posted some respectable numbers beneath the surface, ranking seventh in hard hit rate, 10th in fly ball rate, and 13th in wOBA against right-handed pitching over the last month.

They should cause problems for Cabrera.

Cubs vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Cubs -140 | Rangers +120
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+115) | Rangers +1.5 (-135)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)

Cubs vs Rangers trend

The Cubs have hit the game total Over in 20 of their last 30 games (+10.05 units, 30% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Rangers.

How to watch Cubs vs Rangers and game info

Cubs vs Rangers latest injuries

Cubs vs Rangers 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.

Don’t make too much of their recent troubles scoring runs. Or how they have a bunch of old players on their roster. Or how it feels as if you have a better chance of seeing a dinosaur at Dodger Stadium these days than a Shohei Ohtani homer.

Regardless of what happens in the regular season, the Dodgers will be the team to beat in October.

Just as they were last year. And the year before that.

You never want to make too much of a regular-season game, particularly one that’s six weeks into a 162-game schedule, but their 3-1 victory over the Braves was more than a win.

The triumph was a reminder of why the Dodgers are the two-time defending World Series champions.

Brighten the lights, raise the stakes, improve the quality of pitching, and the Dodgers will show they have a little something no other team has.

“I don’t know what it is about this team,” shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “When a big series comes up, we always find a way to lock in and play our game.”

And this was as big a series that could be played at this stage of the season.

The Braves came into Los Angeles tied with the Yankees and Cubs for the best record in baseball.

Their scheduled starters for the series resembled a postseason rotation, with reigning Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale on Friday, Spencer Strider on Saturday and Bryce Elder on Sunday. Strider and Elder are former All-Stars.

What unfolded in the series opener was reminiscent of many of the games the Dodgers have played in recent postseasons.

“Tonight was a typical October game in the sense of, you’re going to see really good pitching, on the margins you gotta be able to take advantage of mistakes,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You gotta prevent runs and use the arms in the ‘pen that you got. And we prevented runs tonight and got enough hits. So, yeah, similar to an October game.”

Including the result.

The Dodgers predictably didn’t have many chances against the left-handed Sale, who came into the game with a 6-1 record and 2.14 ERA. But when opportunities presented themselves, the Dodgers capitalized. And when the Braves made mistakes, the Dodgers pounced.

In the second inning, Kyle Tucker pulled a slider beneath the strike zone into the right field corner for a double that drove in Teoscar Hernandez from first base. 

The game remained deadlocked at 1-1 until the fifth inning when Rojas reached base and advanced to second on a throwing error by shortstop Jim Jarvis. Rojas scored on a single to right by Ohtani.

An inning later, the Dodgers extended their lead to 3-1 when Freddie Freeman punished Sale for one of his few mistakes, a down-the-middle fastball that he sent over the wall in left-center field.

“The damage all came from our left-handed hitters today,” Rojas said. 

Roberts relied on his relievers the way he often does in the postseason. With two outs in the fifth inning and runners on the corners, Roberts removed starter Emmet Sheehan and called on fireman Alex Vesia, who forced Matt Olson to fly out to left field.

“There’s still a lot of time between now and October,” Roberts said. “But I think you can see the energy, sort of how I managed the game tonight. I wanted to win.”

Roberts didn’t mess around, and his bullpen wound up covering the final 4 ⅓ innings.

Kyle Hurt pitched the sixth inning, Will Klein the seventh, Brock Stewart the eighth and Tanner Scott the ninth.

“You get a chance to beat Chris Sale,” Roberts said, “you gotta try to do everything you can.”

When reflecting on the relievers’ roles in the victory, Freeman mentioned how the bullpen was also forced to cover the final eight innings of a win in Houston on Wednesday after starter Tyler Glasnow was forced out of the game with back spasms. Glasnow was placed on the injured list Friday.

“You’re playing against the team with the best record,” Freeman said. “They’ve been playing really good baseball. We obviously put together a really quality, quality game.”

The kind of quality game that delivers results in October.

The Dodgers still know how to win a game like that, no matter how much they have looked like a diminished version of themselves over the last six weeks.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It’s another packed slate across the big leagues, which means plenty of opportunities for balls to leave the yard.

My home run prop breakdown spotlights Shea Langeliers, Gunnar Henderson, and Canadian backstop Liam Hicks.

Read more in my MLB picks for Saturday, May 9. 

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Shea Langeliers	+340
Gunnar Henderson	+390
Liam Hicks	+670
💲Today's HR parlay	+15230

Home run pick: Shea Langeliers (+340)

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

Today’s HR parlay

Shea Langeliers	Bet Now +15230
Gunnar Henderson
Liam Hicks

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.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

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.

COVERS INTEL: The Angels own a 27.6% whiff rate, sixth-worst in the majors.

Angels vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

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

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. 

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

Angels vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Angels 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.

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.

• Jase Bowen added two more home runs to his season total with a standout performance for the El Paso Chihuahuas.

• 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.

Baseball News:

• Jacob Misiorowski had a dominant outing and helped the Milwaukee Brewers get a 6-0 win over the New York Yankees.

• 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.

• Freddie Freeman hit his 100th home run as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and helped his team defeat the Atlanta Braves, 3-1.

• 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.

• The New York Mets got a strong start from Nolan McLean and were able to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in extra innings.

• Robby Snelling made his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins, but his day was spoiled by the Washington Nationals who got a 3-2 win.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels clash this afternoon at Rogers Centre in a game where runs should be a precious commodity.

That matchup headlines my favorite MLB picks for today in the "no run first inning" and "yes run first inning" markets.

Here are my best NRFI and YRFI bets for Saturday, May 9.

Best NRFI/YRFI bets today

Pick	Odds
/ - NRFI	-120
/ - NRFI	-111
/ - YRFI	+100

Angels at Blue Jays: NRFI (-120)

Two good arms take the hill in this matchup as Jack Kochanowicz and Trey Yesavage battle it out.

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. 

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FOX

Twins at Guardians: YRFI (+100)

The Cleveland Guardians are rolling right now offensively.

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

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.