Category: Baseball

No matter how the 2026 season ends up going, we’ll always have the fourth inning of a who-cares Spring Training game on March 9.

The White Sox steamrolled Colorado, 12-3, on the wings of a ridiculous 11-run outburst in the fourth inning.

In the words of White Sox beat writer and witness to the massacre Scott Merkin, who in a quarter-century of coverage may never have witnessed an 11-run inning in Spring Training, and certainly not one accomplished without making an out:

11 straight White Sox hitters reached base to start the fourth. They scored 11 in the inning.

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) March 9, 2026

The White Sox social media account certainly acted like this was commonplace:

An 11-run 4th inning? Love to see it! pic.twitter.com/A5KWt9Fzuu

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 9, 2026

Here’s the blow-by-blow of the miraculous inning:

Oliver Dunn led off with a triple. Drew Romo singled to center field, sending Dunn home. William Bergolla Jr. singled Romo to third, taking second on the throw trying to get Romo. Chase Meidroth tripled to deep right-center field, scoring both Bergolla and Romo. Braden Montgomery singled, sending Meidroth home. Andrew Benintendi singled Montgomery to third, followed by an Austin Hays single to right-center that pushed Benny to second and plating Montgomery.

That seems like a lot, right? The five runs without a single batter retired made the score 6-0, White Sox. But wait — there’s more!

LaMonte Wade Jr. singled to pack the sacks, and then Tristan Peters walked, pushing Benintendi home.

Yes, the White Sox batted around without making an out!

Dunn was back with more power, this time via an RBI single that would keep the bases loaded. After homering in the second and with two hits this frame, Dunn was a double away from the cycle — with nobody out in the bottom of the fourth!

Nice day for Oliver Dunn. The White Sox 3B is 3-for-3 with a HR, 3B, 1B…just a two-bagger shy of the cycle, and it’s only the 4th inning! Chicago poured 11 runs on in the frame.

— Sam Fosberg (@discussbaseball) March 9, 2026

Romo tripled — the third three-bagger of the inning — and sent three players across home plate. Finally, Bergolla grounded out, but still drove Romo in. For those not keeping count, the White Sox had 10 hits in a row, one walk, and three triples before the Rockies recorded a single out.

While this game was all about the bats, the pitching was impressive as well, holding Colorado to three late runs, at a point when the regular lineup was probably having a pizza party in the clubhouse for putting up 12 runs in its first 12 outs.

Starter Jedixson Paez pitched for two innings, only allowing one hit and striking out two. The outing was key, both in that it allowed Paez to bounce back from a six-run disaster his last time out, and perhaps give the White Sox more reason to keep the Rule 5 hurler into the season.

Mike Vasil, who’d also struggled a bit this spring, took over on the in the third inning and allowed one hit, two walks, and a strikeout over three innings. While the pitching was mostly positive today, the real story comes in the fourth inning.

Brandon Eisert came on after that and threw another scoreless outing, two innings with two hits, a walk and a K.

The Rockies attempted a comeback in the eighth when Drew Avans doubled to left field, allowing Roldy Brito to score. They also loaded the bases when Robert Calaz walked, allowing Avans to score. They also had a solo run in the ninth from Roc Riggio, but that was all they could muster.

While the Rockies managed seven hits, it wouldn’t be a match for the 16 White Sox hits.

In other White Sox news: Seranthony Domínguez helped secure a win for the Dominican Republic, knocking out Israel in a 10-1 win.

Seranthony Domínguez closed out today's Dominican Republic win in the World Baseball Classic with 2 Ks 😤 pic.twitter.com/OIZKoQg1YK

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 9, 2026

---

The United States is 2-0 thus far in Pool B in the World Baseball Classic, as is Mexico, which places high stakes on Monday night’s game in Houston in terms of advancing to the quarterfinals.

Italy is also 2-0, and the top two teams advance out of each pool. Team USA plays Italy on Tuesday, and Mexico and Italy on Wednesday. The first of this three-game gauntlet is Monday night, and Paul Skenes is on the mound for the United States.

No Will Smith in the lineup on Monday, with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh behind the plate against Mexico.

Tonight's starting lineup against Mexico! pic.twitter.com/ZWYec0L6qh

— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) March 9, 2026

Monday game info

• Event: World Baseball Classic, Pool B
• Teams: United States vs. Mexico
• Ballpark: Daikin Park, Houston
• Time: 5 p.m. PT
• TV: Fox
• Radio: MLB Audio, Sirius XM

In the first significant cuts of camp, the Yankees optioned a pair of top prospects in outfielder Spencer Jones and righty Elmer Rodríguez. 

Jones enjoyed another strong spring with the major league club, going 6-for-18 with three home runs, a double and three steals. He walked four times and struck out six times in the Grapefruit League.

He is expected to start the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he left off last season and displayed both prodigious power and a tendency to swing and miss too often. 

Jones was never going to make the team out of camp with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham installed in the outfield plus Giancarlo Stanton set at DH. 

The message to Jones? 

“As much as you can, don’t focus on things that right now might be out of your control a little bit,” said manager Aaron Boone, who added that the move is purely transactional and that Jones would be playing in Tuesday’s game. “Reality is he’s coming off a really strong season. I feel like he continues to make really solid adjustments. He came in here to spring and has represented really well. Has performed. You see the signs of him continuing to get better.” 

Rodríguez showed well in camp, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk in six innings in which he struck out five.

The third-best Yankees prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, he only appeared in two games because he left to pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

We’re almost there. In just over two weeks, the Yankees will open the 2026 MLB season in San Francisco against the Giants. Final rosters around the league are still being developed, so we don’t know just yet what each of 30 teams will look like when the season starts. But we know a decent chunk about it now, so why not speculate?

Focusing on the American League, who do you think will be the toughest foe for the Yankees to take down this season? Is it the Blue Jays, who narrowly beat out the Yankees for the AL East last year, took them out in the playoffs, and then nearly won the World Series? They’re probably the favorite, but you don’t have to look too hard around the internet to find people doubting their ability to repeat that magic. Maybe you’re more of a believer in the youthful Red Sox, now also infused with Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras. The Mariners came oh-so-close to dispatching the Jays in the series before the Fall Classic, and their oft-vaunted pitching should stand to rebound from 2025 anyway. The Tigers added more Astros nemesis Framber Valdez to a rotation that also included two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, so Detroit won’t be a walk in the park either.

So make your vote known! And while you’re at it, just for fun, pick a team in the second question’s prompt, which asks about the worst team in the American League. There are certainly some ignominious contenders.

The Yankees optioned Spencer Jones to minor league camp, the team announced on Monday, ending the outfield prospect’s bid to make the big league roster for Opening Day.

It was always a bit of a long shot for Jones to make the Yanks’ roster out of camp with Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge set in the outfield and Giancarlo Stanton at DH, and he was in an uphill battle competing with the speedy, switch-hitting Jasson Dominguez to be the youngster on the bench.

The six-foot-seven outfielder has an abundance of power, to the tune of 82 home runs over his last three minor league seasons, but the big flaw in his game will be that he strikes out at an outrageous rate, 534 times over that same span.

“Those are the challenges of being a big guy,” manager Aaron Boone said recently. “It’s a hard thing to figure out, but if you can do it, [that size is] a massive advantage.”

Jones, who did hit a 427-foot blast early in spring, had six hits in 18 at-bats for the Yanks with three home runs and seven RBI.

“He’s done a nice job. He’s worked really hard this winter to make adjustments to try to hone his craft and had pretty good results here the first few weeks of games,” Boone said recently of Jones, who turns 25 in May.

Jones, now the Team's No. 6 prospect in the system according to MLB Pipeline, is still looking to make his MLB debut.

The club also announced right-hander Elmer Rodriguez, the team’s No. 3 prospect and No. 82 in all of baseball, to minor league camp.

Rodriguez had a solid season at High-A Hudson Valley with a 2.26 ERA over 83.2 innings, and at Double-A Somerset posted a 2.64 ERA over 61.1 innings last season. 

The 22-year-old made one appearance at Triple-A last season and expects to start there this season and could be in line for his big league debut later this summer.

At a time when his rotation-mates are relishing the opportunity, while their catcher is away at the WBC, to try out new tricks, Bryan Woo is dancing with the one that brought him.

Woo looked sharp today in his third spring outing: his pitches were crisp, well-located, and thrown with conviction. He opened with a dominant first inning where he struck out the Diamondbacks’ top three hitters on, in order, an elevated fastball, a backfoot slider, and an elevated sinker at 95 mph. It took him all of 12 pitches. It took him another 10 pitches to retire the D-Backs’ next three hitters, this time working in his sweeper and sinker more. Woo didn’t allow a hit until the third inning, when he missed on a sweeper to Ivan Melendez, but Brendan Donovan helped his pitcher out with an awesome circus catch into the third base line netting for the second out, and Woo was able to coax an inning-ending groundout off the bat of leadoff hitter Ildemaro Vargas after that to end the inning.

Brendan Donovan goes into the net to make the catch in foul territory. He isn't going to take plays off in spring training pic.twitter.com/iuFpKC3wAu

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) March 9, 2026

“Much better today,” said Woo about his outing. “Getting ahead, being in better counts. That’s my brand of baseball right there. That’s exactly what it needs to look like.”

While his fellow starters might be taking the lack of regulars here in camp as an opportunity to experiment, Woo remains laser focused on Opening Day – perhaps even as the Opening Day starter.

“It’s always tempting, but I think that’s kind of the trap with any of us, trying to tweak too much. For me, just getting ready for the season and getting closer to regular season shape is more just doing the little things, so that’s exactly what we did.”

Do your thing, 2️⃣2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/LFDnCMOn1O

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 9, 2026

But as strong as Woo was, Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen matched him blow for blow, mowing through the Mariners the first time through the order, collecting a strikeout in each of his three innings. The Mariners finally got a little traffic on the bases when Gallen departed the game in the fourth. Brendan Donovan opened the inning with what could have been a single but it deflected off the first baseman’s glove and rolled clear to the right field wall, so, “double.” Rob Refsnyder then worked a walk to put two on with no outs. Unfortunately, that brought up the strikeout-prone part of the Mariners lineup, and both Luke Raley and Mitch Garver struck out to bring up J.P. Crawford, who swung at the first pitch he saw for an inning-ending groundout.

The Diamondbacks answered back with traffic of their own, but they were able to turn it into runs. Behind in a 2-1 count, Woo threw his hardest pitch of the day (95.6 mph) but right in the zone for Barrosa to tag for a leadoff double (109 mph EV). Barrosa then moved to third on a groundout and scored on a Pavin Smith ground ball single, but the damage was capped there when Woo was able to get AJ Vukovich to ground into an inning-ending double play on a sinker, cleanly turned by J.P. Crawford and Ryan Bliss.

With new pitcher Andrew Hoffman in for the fifth, the Mariners were finally able to break through in the run column. Connor Joe, who loves to hit the high fastball, continued his strong spring with a well-struck single up the middle. Ryan Bliss worked a walk, and then Rhylan Thomas brought home the run with a single of his own. But an opportunity for more scoring was cut off when Bliss was caught stealing and picked off of second in a rundown that wasn’t particularly close; Donovan singled for his second hit of the day but Thomas wasn’t able to beat out the throw at home, and the Mariners let a good chance to score more runs go by, continuing a frustrating theme this spring.

The teams traded zeroes after that until the dam broke for the Mariners in the bottom of the ninth; Blas Castaño, in his second inning of work, allowed a single, and then Tyler Cleveland couldn’t turn in a clean inning in relief, walking a hitter and then, with two outs, giving up a parachute fly ball to score the runner from second and hand the Mariners their 12th loss of the spring.

Other notes:

• Alex Hoppe worked a hitless inning, walking one but striking out two. Something I noticed today in watching him is Hoppe’s delivery is violent. He really comes down the mound at hitters. The pitches move violently, too; it’s 98 in the dirt, essentially, but then he also has a slider with similar movement that comes in around 88-90 and a cutter around 91. I find his stuff both beautiful and terrifying.
• In addition to his single, Connor Joe also had a hard-hit double in this game, turning on a 95 mph sinker in and stroking it to left field. After being fairly noodle-batted for his MLB career, I’m curious if Joe has made any adjustments with the Mariners or if this is just spring training noise. Sure it’s spring training but 108.4 off the bat is 108.4 off the bat.
• Staff writer Nick Tucker was at today’s game and noted that Victor Robles, working back from shoulder soreness, was clearly late with some of his swing timing, but said it looked like Robles was getting better over the course of the game.
• J.P. Crawford got a few chances at short in his first time in the field this spring since opening day of spring training, cleanly turning a double play with Ryan Bliss.
• Colt Emerson got some actual challenges at shortstop today as a defensive replacement for Crawford. He couldn’t quite get to a grounder hit hard past him (111.2 off the bat) but smothered another slow roller and made a strong throw to first.

Once again, a Brewers-Dodgers matchup ended in a low-scoring affair and the Dodgers came out on top with a 4-2 spring training win.

The Brewers got off to a strong start against Emmett Sheehan of the Dodgers with Greg Jones rifling an RBI single in the 2nd inning to give the Crew a 1-0 lead. Aaron Ashby was looking strong as he was stretched out to three ups today. But Ashby gave up an answer by the Dodgers in the top of the 3rd on a Dalton Rushing RBI single.

However, Milwaukee was able to get past their one run per game limit against the Dodgers with a Jake Bauers solo blast in the 5th inning. That’s Bauers’ third home run of the spring and he’s now 9-for-17 on the spring with five walks as well.

Jake Bauers is having a RIDICULOUS spring:

🔵 Homers in back-to-back days
🔵 Three homers in last four games
🔵 .529 AVG
🔵 1.843 OPS pic.twitter.com/JDp6RGEzAV

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 9, 2026

That lead would not last, though. Shane Drohan, who has been pitching well all spring, gave up an RBI single to Ryan Fitzgerald in the 7th and then an RBI single to Seby Zavala in the 8th. He also allowed a run on a double play by Charles Davalan and then his day was done after 3.2 IP and 63 pitches.

The Brewers tried to mount a comeback in the 9th. Josiah Ragsdale, a 7th round pick last year, roped a double into the gap. He later scored on an Ethan Murray infield single. But then Luis Lara and Mike Boeve grounded out to end the game in a 4-3 loss.

The Brewers have an off day tomorrow but will be back in Cactus League action on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Dodgers snapped their two-game losing skid on Monday, as they rallied for a pair of eighth inning runs to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday 4-3.

Emmet Sheehan made his first start of the spring, lasting 2 1/3 innings while tossing 49 pitches (26 strikes) while allowing two hits and one earned run coming via a Greg Jones RBI single, but struggled with his command as he walked three and struck out two. Cody Morse was able to get out of the third inning in relief of Sheehan as he struck out two to escape further trouble.

River Ryan came in relief to begin the bottom of the fourth inning, and despite letting the Brewers pull ahead by a run with Jake Bauers taking him deep to left field, he registered 2 2/3 solid innings of work, with the home run being the only hit he allowed while striking out three and walking one. Ryan now has a 1.59 ERA with seven strikeouts across 5 2/3 innings this spring as he continues to increase his odds of being a part of the starting rotation come the team’s home opener on Mar. 26.

Dalton Rushing plated home the first run of the game with an RBI single to tie the game at 1 in the top of the third. Although the counting numbers look great on paper (two home runs, five RBI), Rushing has struggled at the plate so far this spring, slashing just .200/.250/.440 across 28 plate appearances with a 32.1 percent strikeout rate.

Michael Siani and Ryan Fitzgerald managed to even the score at two runs apiece with a double and an RBI single respectively with two outs in the top of the seventh. The Dodgers took their first lead of the game in the top of the eighth with an RBI single from Seby Zavala, later adding an insurance run with Emil Morales scoring on a double play. The elder Ryan brother, Ryder Ryan, managed to record the final six outs of Monday’s contest despite allowing a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to trim the Dodger lead to one run.

UP NEXT

The Dodgers head back to Camelback Ranch to host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday (1:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Tyler Glasnow gets the start for the Dodgers, facing right-hander Brandon Pfaadt.

The Yankees announced today that they’ve optioned two of their top prospects, Spencer Jones and Elmer Rodríguez, to minor league camp. The two will finish out spring training at minor league camp and will start their seasons with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

Even as they head back to the minors, both prospects showed very well with the major league club this spring. The 6-foot-7 Jones slashed .333/.455/.889 with three homers in 22 plate appearances, with six strikeouts against four walks. Facing pitching that’s roughly equivalent to that of Triple-A, you can in a way view this as Jones continuing to tear up the highest levels of the minors, as he did to close out his 2025 campaign.

Rodríguez is currently with Team Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic, though he has yet to appear in a game. The right-hander made two starts for the Yankees in spring training and was impressive, totaling six innings while allowing two runs with five strikeouts against one walk. He touched 97 mph on the radar gun and showcased a nasty-looking changeup and some solid command, particularly in his first start against the Orioles, in which he held a lineup of regulars scoreless over three frames.

While it was to be expected that players like Jones and Rodríguez, who were longshots at best to make the club out of spring training, would be sent down, it’s always a bit of a bummer to see the top prospects depart, as their presence in camp is one of the more fun reasons to tune into preseason games. If the two of them can perform as well for Scranton as they had thus far in spring, they’ll be among the first names the Yankees call during the season when the need arises.

The Philadelphia Phillies, envisioning a future in which Zack Wheeler is no longer part of their rotation, moved to lock up another stalwart from their staff for the long term.

Left-hander Jesús Luzardo and the Phillies are in agreement on a five-year, $135 million contract extension, a person familiar with the agreement confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been finalized.

Luzardo, 28, was eligible for free agency after the 2026 season, and was coming off perhaps the finest campaign of his career, winning 15 games and posting a 3.92 ERA across a career-high 183 ⅔ innings. While he might have garnered more than a $27 million average annual value on the free agent market, it actually puts him in line with Yankees ace Max Fried, whose eight-year, $218 million deal is worth $27.25 million per year.

Wheeler, the Cy Young Award runner-up in 2024, has indicated he'll retire after his three-year, $142 million deal expires after the 2027 season. The club already retained right-hander Aaron Nola on a $172 million deal signed after the 2023 season, and Luzardo's extension ensures a decent base from which to work.

The club also hopes top prospect Andrew Painter solidifies the back of the rotation and grows into mid- to frontline starter. Now, he'll have both Nola and Luzardo to slot behind in the future.

Luzardo will make $11 million this season in his final year of arbitration-eligibility before his extension kicks in.

Jesus Luzardo stats

• 2025 (Philadelphia): 15-7 record, 183.2 IP, 216 SO, 3.92 ERA
• 2024 (Miami): 3-6, 66.2 IP, 58 SO, 5.00 ERA
• 2023 (Miami): 10-10, 178.2 IP, 208 SO, 3.58 ERA
• 2022 (Miami): 4-7, 100.1 IP, 120 SO, 3.32 ERA
• 2021 (Oakland/Miami): 6-9, 95.1 IP, 98 SO, 6.61 ERA
• 2020 (Oakland): 3-2, 59.0 IP, 59 SO, 4.12 ERA
• 2019 (Oakland): 0-0, 12.0 IP, 16 SO, 1.50 ERA

Contributing: Bob Nightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jesus Luzardo contract extension with Phillies for $135 million

Record 8-9. Change on 2025: +0.5. 5-inning record: 4-11-2.

The pitching was on point for both teams this afternoon. For Arizona, that meant starting with three perfect innings from Zac Gallen, who struck out a trio as he retired all nine batters faced. It took him 41 pitches to get there, and was probably the best start from a D-backs’ pitcher this spring. After him, Juan Morillo put the first two on base, before retiring the next three. Andrew Hoffmann’s zero ERA ended as he allowed a run over 1.2 innings, and it probably would have been worse but for the Mariners running into two outs on the basepaths. Among the “known” names, Taylor Clarke also pitched a scoreless frame.

Not much doing on offense, the Diamondbacks being held to six hits and two walks. The first Arizona run crossed the plate in the fourth, Pavin Smith singling home Jorge Barrosa, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Ivan Melendez had the D-backs’ only other extra-base hit, also a double. That was it until the bottom of the ninth, where two singles around a walk gave Arizona a walk-off win, Adrian Rodriguez driving home Alexander Benua. I don’t know much about either player – neither even fall into the category of non-roster invitees. Looks like between them, they have nine games above A-ball: so all I can say is, welcome to spring, and well done to both. Anyway, five ABS challenges on the afternoon, three of which were successful.

Tomorrow, it’s back over to the West side for the Diamondbacks, who will be taking on the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch. It’s a 1:05 pm first pitch, with Brandon Pfaadt starting. And with that, I’ll cut this short, and go back to celebrating Britain’s victory over Brazil, sealing their participation in the 2029 WBC, while I wait for USA/Mexico to kick off! Feel free to use this as a GDT for that if you’re watching.

The deal many expected to happen this spring has indeed come to fruition, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan is reporting that the Phillies and Jesús Luzardo have agreed to a five-year contract extension that will keep the left-hander in Philadelphia through 2031. Luzardo, now 28 years old, will be 34 when his contract expires.

BREAKING: Left-hander Jesús Luzardo and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a five-year contract extension, sources tell ESPN. Luzardo, 28, was set to become a free agent after this season. The new deal will begin in 2027 and locks up one of baseball’s best young arms.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 9, 2026

Passan also reported that the deal is worth $135M, putting Luzardo 12th among all active pitchers in total value and average annual value.

Jesús Luzardo’s five-year extension is for $135 million, sources tell ESPN. The deal, negotiated by Roger Tomas and Brodie Van Wagenen of Roc Nation, puts Luzardo among the highest-paid left-handed pitchers in baseball and solidifies the Phillies’ rotation going forward.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 9, 2026

Luzardo arrived in Philadelphia prior to last season in a trade with the Miami Marlins. He turned in the best season of his career in 2025, going 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA while setting new career highs in innings (183.2) and strikeouts (216). Outside of a brutal two start span in June where he allowed 20 runs in 5.2 IP, Luzardo was excellent all season for the Phillies and, most importantly, finished a season healthy for the first time since 2023. The lefty also added a strong performance in the postseason, pitching six innings while allowing two runs with 5 Ks in his only start in Game 2 of the NLDS and adding an 1.2 scoreless in relief in Game 4. Luzardo now joins Cristopher Sánchez, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Aaron Nola as Phillies players under contract through at least 2030.

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Japan has survived back-to-back scares following tight wins over Korea and Australia. But there’s a good chance the Samurai return to their dominant form when they take on Czechia in their final pool stage game.

In a game where Japan is such a heavy favorite, where is the value? My Czechia vs. Japan predictions and World Baseball Classic best bets picks break it all down for this Pool C clash.

Czechia vs Japan prediction

Czechia vs Japan best bet: Over 9.5 (80¢ at Kalshi)

Japan’s pitching staff wasn’t going to be as dominant as 2023, with Yoshinobu Yamomoto being the main holdover. We’ve seen that in close results against Australia and Korea.

Luckily, they still have Shohei Ohtani and a bevy of other major league talent leading a lineup that has plated 25 runs over three games in this tournament, with Ohtani going deep twice and owning a crazy 2.025 OPS.

Czechia is a good story, but this team full of part-time players already has a -25 run differential. The best bet here is to back Japan to power this game Over the total.

Czechia vs Japan players to watch

If Japan wants to defend its World Baseball Classic crown, it will likely have to outslug their opponents. Luckily, they have the lineup to do just that.

Shohei Ohtani is leading the way, going 5-for-9 with three extra-base hits and six RBI. But don’t overlook Masataka Yoshida, who has been nearly as good.

The Boston Red Sox outfielder is 5-for-10 with three extra-base hits and six RBI. 

Slowing down the Samurai will be tough for a Czechia pitching staff with a 10.88 ERA in this tournament.

Czechia vs Japan opening odds

• Moneyline: Czechia 3¢ | Japan 97¢
• Run line: Czechia +2.5 | Japan -2.5
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 | Under 9.5

How to watch Czechia vs Japan and game info

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.

PHOENIX –– After Joe Ryan was scratched from Team USA’s roster for the group stage of the World Baseball Classic last week, one Dodgers player glanced toward Tyler Glasnow’s locker at Camelback Ranch and wondered aloud:

Why wasn’t the Dodgers’ All-Star right-hander picked to be a replacement?

The answer: He had other priorities this spring.

Late last season, Glasnow found a comfort level that had eluded him for much of his first two years in the Dodgers organization, when injuries and inconsistent performance marred his acclimation to the team.

For starters, he was healthy, returning from an early-season shoulder issue (as well as the elbow problem that ended his 2024 campaign early) to pitch the second half of the year without any significant disruptions.

But more importantly, he was convinced in his mechanics; embracing delivery tweaks that pitching coaches Mark Prior and Connor McGuiness suggested ahead of the postseason, en route to what became a dominant October performance.

In six playoff outings, Glasnow did it all for the Dodgers, posting a 1.69 ERA that (among teammates with more than five postseason innings) was bested only by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.

The team went 3-0 in his three starts, highlighted by his scoreless six-inning gem in their National League Division Series clincher against the Philadelphia Phillies. Three other times, he pitched in relief, including a first-career save in Game 6 of the World Series and 2 ⅓ crucial innings in Game 7 the following night.

By the end of the team’s title run, the 32-year-old was described by manager Dave Roberts as the player who “grew as much as anyone” over the course of the season.

And going into the winter, Glasnow felt he’d finally formed a stable foundation –– one he saw a chance to build upon entering 2026.

“I’ve been in such a good spot since last year,” he said this spring. “It feels natural to me now, to where I’m not thinking about it. I’m just pitching.”

Thus, as he told the California Post recently, Glasnow expressed to Team USA officials early in the WBC selection process that his preference this spring was to stay in Dodgers camp.

He wanted to build on the progress he made at the end of last year. And he wanted to lean into the trust he had built with the team.

“I have so much trust in them, to where I don’t feel like I have to do everything on my own,” Glasnow said. “Now, it’s just like, ‘What do you guys got?’ And then I go out and just do whatever they tell me. It’s not as much tinkering. I can rely on them.”

Tinkering, of course, has long been one of Glasnow’s biggest internal impediments.

The 10-year veteran is a notorious “overthinker” and self-described “perfectionist.” His lanky 6-foot-8 frame gives his delivery many moving pieces. And a long history of injuries has often forced him to seek health-conscious adjustments.

That meant, when Glasnow first arrived on his $136.5 million contract three offseasons ago, he and the Dodgers’ coaches needed time to acquaint themselves.

“I think it’s taken us a couple years to kind of understand the nuances of his delivery, and really matching his feel versus the output (of what he’s doing),” Prior said. “With a lot of guys, we’re trying to get things narrowed down to one or two things that we can really hit somebody between the eyes with. But I joke with him, like, ‘Hey man, you got 50.’”

That’s why, near the end of last year, Prior and McGuiness tried to hone in on a few specific tweaks. They adjusted the alignment of Glasnow’s feet and hips. They crafted a mental cue with how his glove arm leads his body through his throwing motion. They tried to simplify the sequence of his release to the plate.

Now, Glasnow said his throw feels more consistent than it has at any point in the previous four years.

“It has just allowed me to go out and pitch and be athletic,” he said. “It’s not like you’re thinking of something and trying to limit where my body’s going or this or that.”

It helps, Glasnow noted, that this is the first time he has pitched under a long-term contract, with his Dodgers deal still containing two years (plus a team option for another).

“Having a contract and knowing you’ll be somewhere for quite a while, maybe allows you to trust a bit more,” he said.

But mainly, his faith comes from recognizing that he is surrounded by “really good staff members.”

“I will run whatever they tell me through the gauntlet of a lot of questions,” he said. “And when you get to understand everyone is telling you something for a reason, and it’s really thought through and not just words, it really means something. It’s easier for me to decide, ‘Alright, I trust you.’”

Prior gave much of that credit back to Glasnow, noting how he has learned to give himself more grace as he goes through starts.

“Those guys don’t want to face him,” Prior said. “So he’s got room for error, where a lot of pitchers don’t, even when he’s not dialed in.”

This spring, however, Glasnow has looked dialed in more often than not.

His changes from last year have been further cemented. His confidence from the playoffs has given him a new edge. When things do feel off, he waits for a bullpen session, when Prior or McGuiness can identify a fix. And after a long acclimation period with the Dodgers, he seemed primed for maybe his best season yet.

“I think now, for the first time, I’m allowing everyone else to just be like, ‘What do you got?’” Glasnow said. “Everything is so buttoned up here. It’s nice to know a bunch of people have your back.”