The Boston Red Sox panic meter is cranking up, and they’ll try to turn around a dismal road start in today’s matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Boston slipped to a 3-2 loss at Busch Stadium last night, falling to 1-6 on its travels this year, and my Red Sox vs. Cardinals predictions signal another nervy contest here, with St. Louis chasing a fourth straight win.
Get the lowdown on this April 11 battle with my free MLB picks and betting nuggets.
Who will win Red Sox vs Cardinals today: St. Louis Cardinals (+122)
At 4-9, the sky is already threatening to fall for this Boston Red Sox squad. While it’s still early days, Boston is tied for the third-fewest runs this season and managed just five hits last night against Dustin May, admittedly without Roman Anthony in the lineup.
Then you layer on some concerns around the Red Sox’s starter tonight, Ranger Suarez, who drags in an ugly 8.64 ERA and hasn’t made it past the fifth inning in either of his outings this year.
That opens the door for the St. Louis Cardinals here at plus odds, and I’m buying into their 5-2 home record.
COVERS INTEL:Suarez’s stuff hasn’t traveled well lately – he’s given up 3+ earned runs in five of his last seven road starts.
Red Sox vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-117)
Despite Boston’s struggles at the plate, I like the Over on this total, particularly with St. Louis sitting inside the Top 10 in runs and OBP.
The Over is 6-2-2 in the past 10 meetings between these teams, and the Cardinals have plated 5+ runs in five of their last six contests, led by the in-form Jordan Walker, who’s put together a six-game hit streak.
Both of Suarez’s outings this year have gone past this O/U number, so given his search for form and the 5.40 ERA for St. Louis starter Kyle Leahy, we should see steady offense in this one.
Tom Oldfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 0-1, -1.0 units
Over/Under bets: 1-0, +1.0 units
Red Sox vs Cardinals odds
Moneyline: Red Sox -127 | Cardinals +122
Run line: Red Sox -1.5 (+133) | Cardinals +1.5 (-144)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-117) | Under 7.5 (+113)
Red Sox vs Cardinals trend
Dating back to last season, the Cardinals are 13-7 in their last 20 home games. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Cardinals.
How to watch Red Sox vs Cardinals and game info
Location
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Date
Saturday, April 11, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Red Sox starting pitcher
Ranger Suarez (0-1, 8.64 ERA)
Cardinals starting pitcher
Kyle Leahy (1-1, 5.40 ERA)
Red Sox vs Cardinals latest injuries
Red Sox vs Cardinals weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Boston Red Sox, ranked fifth in the AL East with a 4-9 record, face the St. Louis Cardinals, who are tied for first in the NL Central at 8-5. Boston's Ranger Suarez (0-1, 8.64 ERA) will pitch against St. Louis's Kyle Leahy (1-1, 5.40 ERA). Despite being the away team, Boston is favored with a -145 moneyline.
How to Watch Boston Red Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals
The San Francisco Giants (6-8), tied for fourth in the NL West, face the Baltimore Orioles (6-7), tied for second in the AL East, in the second game of their series. San Francisco is favored with a moneyline of -120, while Baltimore is at +100. Giants' Logan Webb (1-1, 5.00 ERA) faces Orioles' Chris Bassitt (0-2, 14.21 ERA).
How to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Baltimore Orioles
WICHITA, KS - JUNE 13: Pascanel Ferreras #5 of the Corpus Christi Hooks smiles for the camera before the game between the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Wichita Wind Surge at Equity Bank Park on Friday, June 13, 2025 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Lexi Ashcraft/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (8-5) won 5-2 (BOX SCORE)
Lambert started for Sugar Land and pitched really well allowing 1 run over 6 innings while striking out 8. The offense got on the board in the bottom of the 6th when Winkler tied the game on a solo home run. In the 8th, the offense added 4 more runs on a wild pitch, a Winkler 2 run single and a Nelson RBI single. Leach allowed a run in the 9th but held on as Sugar Land won 5-2.
Peter Lambert, RHP: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Sam Carlson, RHP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Alimber Santa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (WIN)
Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (4-3) won 2-1 (BOX SCORE)
McPherson started for the Hooks and was solid striking out 5 over 4.1 scoreless innings. The pen pitched well with Sanchez coming in and tossing 2 scoreless innings. True came on for the 8th and allowed a run as the Missions took the lead, but in the 9th inning, Ferreras connected on a 2 out go-ahead home run to give the Hooks a 2-1 lead. True tossed a scoreless 9th as the Hooks won 2-1.
Smith got the start for Asheville and was solid allowing 2 runs over 5 innings while striking out 3. Asheville got on the board in the 6th when Nunez connected on a go-ahead 3 run home run. They picked up another run in the 8th when a run scored on an error. Guedez pitched in relief and allowed 1 run over 3.2 innings. Wohlgemuth came on with 2 outs in the 9th and picked up a strikeout to close out the 4-3 win.
Parker Smith, RHP: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (WIN)
Jose Guedez, RHP: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Nate Wohlgemuth, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (SAVE)
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (1-6) lost 8-2 (BOX SCORE)
Forcucci got the start making his professional debut and tossed a scoreless inning with 2 strikeouts, though he did walk three. The Woodpeckers got on the board first getting a run in the 3rd inning on an Alvarez RBI single. Weber relieved Forcucci and tossed 3 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts. Pentecost came on in relief but struggled allowing 6 runs over 2.2 innings. After the RiverDogs got a few more runs, the Woodpeckers responded with one in the 8th on an Alvarez RBI single. The offense went down quietly in the 9th as the Woodpeckers fell 8-2.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — George Klassen landed at Long Beach Airport at 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. He picked up his bags and began driving to his hotel, uncertainty still weighing on his mind after the two-hour flight from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Klassen, the No. 3 prospect in the Los Angeles Angels organization according to Baseball America, brought the 24-year-old right-handed pitcher up from Triple-A to be on standby after Ryan Johnson — the Angels’ scheduled starter for Sunday — had fallen ill.
At 11 p.m. Pacific Time, Klassen got the call: the Angels needed him to start on Sunday. Klassen, on short notice, would be making his Major League debut.
“I didn’t really know how to react,” Klassen told USA TODAY Sports. “I was like, ‘Alright. Yeah, let’s do it!’”
The first thing Klassen did when he hung up the phone was to pick it back up and start dialing. It was 1 a.m. in Port Washington, Wisconsin, but Klassen got hold of his parents, Jim and Lani, his sister, Sarah, and his girlfriend.
“You guys need to get out here,” Klassen told them.
He got his sister a flight and within four hours, the entire Klassen family was on a plane bound for Southern California to watch him step on a big league mound for the first time at Angel Stadium.
“It meant the world to me that they could make it,” he said.
Klassen’s debut on April 5 quickly turned into a high-leverage situation after Seattle Mariners outfielder Luke Raley jumped on his first pitch — a 97 mph fastball — and lined it down the foul line in right field for a leadoff double. Raley moved up to third on a groundout by Cal Raleigh on the next pitch, putting him 90 feet away from home.
He would stay there, though, as Klassen buckled down to fan Julio Rodríguez, making the slugger reach on a slider up and outside for his first career strikeout as a Major League pitcher and drawing a flyout from Josh Naylor to work himself out of the jam.
Klassen’s day would be over just two innings later after allowing two earned runs on three hits with five walks and four strikeouts as the Angels went on to beat the M’s 8-7 in extra innings. But it was enough to leave a good impression on Angels manager Kurt Suzuki.
“You’re gonna be nervous. I know he was nervous,” Suzuki told USA TODAY Sports. “I know there was some anxiety in there. Which is good, it means he cares. I thought he handled himself great, I thought he made pitches when he had to.
“Obviously two innings is not the line he wanted, but it could’ve been two innings and six runs. Instead, it was two innings, two runs and he gave us a chance to win.”
But not too long ago, the only thing Klassen wanted was to be comfortable on the mound again.
George Klassen's 'scary' 2025 concussion
On May 11, 2025, Klassen was starting the first game of a doubleheader for Double-A Rocket City against the Montgomery Biscuits. His mom and sister were in the crowd, having made the trip to see him play on Mother’s Day.
In the top of the fourth inning, Klassen threw a pitch to Hunter Stovall. His memory goes blank from there until he woke up a few moments later, arms outstretched as he lay on the mound facing the sky, thinking to himself, “I took one to the head, didn’t I?”
Stovall had made contact on his swing and hit a line drive directly back at Klassen, who tried to turn away right as the ball ricocheted off of the right side of his head. Klassen crumpled to the ground and lay motionless for a couple seconds as Trash Pandas manager Andy Schatzley and athletic trainer Dylan Culwell rushed out to attend to him on the field.
George Klassen was struck by a batted ball and had to leave the game with assistance from the trainer. pic.twitter.com/qxso0g3hrD
Mitch Farris, Klassen’s teammate, was warming up in the bullpen as he was scheduled to start the second game that day when he saw it happen. He was speechless, and could only hope that his friend was okay.
“It looked pretty bad when he went down,” Farris told USA TODAY Sports. “Didn’t look like he knew where he was at, and then it was kind of tough having to lock back in to get ready for my start the next game.”
Farris had grown especially close with Klassen as well as fellow Angels pitching prospects Sam Aldegheri and Samy Natera Jr. throughout their time together in the minors. The four regularly get together when they’re under the same roof, whether it’s Natera taking them to a local favorite Mexican food spot in Arizona during spring training or Aldegheri cooking up authentic Italian food during the season.
Farris, like most pitchers, has taken his fair share of comebackers over the years — though never one to the head — as well as some close calls.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to tell how hard they’re coming back at you,” he said. “Anything off the bat looks really hard and some of them are slower — which those too, can be dangerous because you react too quick, honestly.”
Suzuki was a catcher for 16 seasons in the big leagues and while he never saw any of his pitchers get hit in the head, he also saw a lot that came very close.
“It’s more of like, ‘Holy crap,’” Suzuki said. “The guys throw hard and then they hit the ball hard, so you don’t have much time to react. It’s a scary thing, man, it’s scary. I understand it’s part of the game, but you just never want to see it or be a part of it.”
Klassen wobbled off the field, leaning on Schatzley and Culwell, when he noticed his mom coming down the stands. She wasn’t crying, which was a reassuring sign for Klassen.
“Happy Mother’s Day!” he shouted out.
She laughed.
George Klassen's road to recovery was more mental than physical
Nine months earlier, in late August of 2024, Klassen — who had just been traded to the Angels along with Aldegheri from Philadelphia for Carlos Estévez a month before — threw a curveball that was chopped back towards him. The dirt in front of home plate usually slows down balls like that, but this one skipped the dirt entirely and bounced straight onto the infield grass, where it sped up and nailed Klassen right between his nose and upper lip.
Klassen needed four stitches and was on a smoothie diet for the next five days. On the sixth day, he could finally open his mouth enough to eat some solid food and treated himself to pasta with red sauce and ground beef mixed in.
“It was the best thing ever,” he recalled with a chuckle.
Based on that first time getting hit in the head, the second go around wasn’t as bad for Klassen, even with the three-day hospital stay. He already knew what the recovery would entail and what he needed to do.
He started running and throwing after five days, and spent a few more weeks in concussion protocol and missed three starts as it took him a couple tries at the memory reaction test before he was cleared to get back on the mound.
But once he got there, Klassen wasn’t expecting to find out that there was still a mental side of his recovery that he still had to go through.
When he started throwing off the mound, Klassen noticed that he would be pulling off at the end of his delivery. Or when he started facing live batters, he subconsciously — almost instinctually — began to shield himself.
“Your body is gonna wanna try to protect itself, so I mean it’s gonna do whatever it can without you knowing,” Klassen told USA TODAY Sports. “I wouldn’t say (it’s a) mental block, but like just another hurdle.”
And just like any physical hurdle, Klassen knew the best way for him to overcome this mental one was by tackling it head-on.
After talking it out with people around him, Klassen came to realize he was dealing with automatic negative thoughts (ANTs), a pattern of involuntary, repetitive and pessimistic thoughts that immediately affect mood and behavior and can often drive depression and anxiety, according to a 2025 study published by the National Institutes of Health.
“Your brain’s always gonna go with what went wrong or bad instead of thinking it was positive,” Klassen said. “So, that was a big thing that I stuck with and really tried to just keep on working with.”
Klassen effectively had to rewire his whole way of thinking while on the mound. He had to put aside what went wrong or what could go wrong — in this case getting hit before and the fear of getting hit again — and instead think of what could go right. Positive thinking sounds simple enough in theory, but it took a while for Klassen, about five weeks, he estimated, to fully buy into the concept.
But once things clicked, Klassen saw the end goal in sight. He could finally be himself on the mound again.
"I had a lot of support to get here."
The moment of realization for Klassen on April 5 didn’t come until he was throwing his pregame bullpen session at Angel Stadium.
“This isn’t spring training. This isn’t whatever,” he said to himself. “This is the real deal.”
Klassen had made it.
“It was an awesome feeling. It was really cool.”
For Farris, it’s been a full-circle moment simply getting to be in the Majors with one of his closest friends. Even if they’ve technically been competing against each other in trying to get called up, Farris says they’re so close that it doesn’t feel that way.
They are, after all, going through the same process together, stride by stride.
“Any success he has, I’m happy for him. Any success I have, he’s happy for me,” Farris said. “ … So, whatever information and advice I have for him, I give him and vice versa.”
And it’s not just Farris that Klassen’s seeking advice from. Throughout the first week he’s spent in the Angels clubhouse, he’s picked the brain of every player he can. He’s asked about pitch grips, cues, how they get themselves back into the moment whenever they’re feeling off that day and how they keep the bad from taking over their headspace. Then he looks for ways he can implement that advice into his own routine.
Just under a year ago, Klassen was just trying to get back to feeling like himself. Now, he’s trying to unlock the next level of where he feels he can get to, which in itself is a testament to how far he’s come.
“It’s crazy,” he said, reflecting on his path. “I definitely had a lot of help from my family side, coaches side, players side. Asking questions, just taking all the knowledge up I can.
“... I had a lot of support to get here, for sure.”
The San Francisco Giants seek their fourth win in a row on Saturday night when they take on the Baltimore Orioles.
It’s been a nightmare start to the season for Baltimore starter Chris Bassitt, which is why our MLB odds have the Giants favored to claim the victory and clinch the series.
My Giants vs. Orioles predictions have MLB picks for the side and total as I explain why Bassitt’s struggles are likely to continue.
Who will win Giants vs Orioles today: Giants (-113)
Getting ground-ball outs becomes important when playing in Oriole Park. Logan Webb does that well, ranking in the 91st percentile a season ago and the 86th percentile in 2026.
Baltimore Orioles starter Chris Bassitt is struggling to get outs. 54% of his pitches to RHH this season have been fastballs, which is more of a local than an express.
Command is also Bassit's issue, posting a 15% BB walk rate vs. a 7.5% K rate.
Bassitt is getting destroyed by lefty bats, who are splitting .500/.583/.813 this season. With the short porch in RF, this sets up extremely well for the San Francisco Giants to win.
COVERS INTEL:Rafael Devers has a career .500/1.100/1.600 split vs. Chris Bassitt, with three 2B and three HR in 20 plate appearances.
Giants vs Orioles Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (+103)
I love the Over in this matchup. Webb is the better pitcher, but he’s not been great. He’s been a tad unlucky, given his 5.00 ERA exceeds his 3.50 xFIP, but he’s also rocking a .281 xBA.
The Giants rank near the bottom of the league in wOBAcon and hard-hit rate, and are dead last in barrel rate. The matchup with Bassitt raises their scoring floor.
Despite just 18 runs in the last six games, the Orioles rank fourth in BABIP and eighth in wRC+.
This matchup of two sub-par starters will lead to a third straight Over for the Orioles.
Jason Ence's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 0-2, -2.22 units
Over/Under bets: 2-0, +2.0 units
Giants vs Orioles odds
Moneyline: Giants -113 | Orioles +108
Run line: Giants -1.5 (+156) | Orioles +1.5 (-163)
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.
Apr 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; A general view of signage depicting Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi (44) as fans wait to enter before the home opener between the Guardians and the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Today feels like my first Guardians’ loss “hangover” of the year.
José Ramírez had some solid contact but his worst AB of the game came with the bases loaded as he continues to press. Slade Cecconi continued his pattern of looking like he should probably be a reliever (Cantillo had the same issue, though, so there is time). Matt Festa made me look silly for being his number one defender, or was it Stephen Vogt for thinking he is a fireman against left-handed hitters rather than Tim Herrin? Nick has the recap of an 11-5 loss here.
Good thing we have a game tonight to try to flush it. With Parker Messick vs. Martin Perez on the marquee, this would be a big one to win.
AROUND MLB:
Tigers beat the Marlins, Blue Jays beat the Twins, and Royals beat the White Sox.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his solo home run, to take a 1-0 lead over the Texas Rangers, during the second inning at Dodger Stadium on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
WICHITA, KS - SEPTEMBER 07: Patrick Copen #41 of the Tulsa Drillers pitches during the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Wichita Wind Surge at Equity Bank Park on Sunday, September 7, 2025 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Lexi Ashcraft/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Dodgers pitchers at the four minor league affiliates combined to strike out 43 batters on Friday night. After three wins, a bid for a perfect night was spoiled just two outs away in the California League.
Player of the day
Patrick Copen took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in Double-A Tulsa’s win at Springfield, continuing his fantastic start to the season.
Copen struck out nine in 6 1/3 scoreless innings on Friday night, matching his Double-A high, set last June 6. He allowed single walks in the third and fifth innings, and two walks in the fourth. Springfield stole three bases off Copen in the fourth inning, putting runners in scoring position for the only time against him in the game. All three at-bats with RISP during the frame were strikeouts by Copen.
The no-hitter was broken up on a single with one out in the seventh inning by Springfield right fielder Travis Honeyman. That ended Copen’s night at 88 pitches.
Copen has allowed no runs in 11 1/3 innings in his first two starts of the season. He had three double-digit strikeout games for High-A Great Lakes last season, all in May — 12 strikeouts on May 7, 11 on May 18, and 10 on May 24. The right-hander led all Dodgers minor league pitchers with 152 strikeouts in 2025.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Jack Suwinski’s home run in the sixth inning off Cal Quantrill provided the only run of the game in the Comets’ win over the Round Rock Express (Rangers).
Christian Romero pitched five innings, working around four hits thanks to no walks during his night, with two strikeouts. Wyatt Mills pitched a perfect eighth and ninth innings to earn the save.
Oklahoma City only had three hits in the game, with the other two singles by first baseman James Tibbs III and shortstop Noah Miller, both of whom have reached base in all 13 games this season.
Double-A Tulsa
While Copen put up zeroes on the mound, catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell and center fielder Kendall George provided most of the offense for the Drillers to beat the Springfield Cardinals.
George doubled home Lockwood-Powell and first baseman Joe Vetrano in the third inning for the first tallies of the game. Then Lockwood-Powell hit a two-run shot in a three-run fourth inning that provided more than enough support.
High-A Great Lakes
The Loons had six hits all game, and bunched five of them up in a three-run third inning that provided just enough to outlast the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers).
Great Lakes got a one-out single by Jose Izarra in that third inning, then with two outs got consecutive singles by Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero, Logan Wagner, and Jose Meza, the latter three each plating a run.
A group effort on the mound made that inning hold up, including starter Logan Tabeling with his one run allowed in three innings. Myles Caba struck out four in two scoreless innings, and Davis Chastain struck out five in 2 1/3 innings. Alex Makarewich struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning to earn the save.
Loons pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts in the game, one more than their previous season high set on Thursday.
Class-A Ontario
Accimias Morales allowed three runs in the ninth inning in the Tower Buzzers’ walk-off loss to the Inland Empire 66ers (Mariners). Up 5-3 in the final frame, Morales recorded one out but allowed a walk and four hits, the latter the winning single for the decisive run.
Jesus Tillero, like Copen, also has a 0.00 ERA after two games. After Cam Leiter allowed three runs in the first two innings, Tillero followed with six scoreless frames and five strikeouts, giving him 13 strikeouts in 11 scoreless innings this season.
Shortstop Emil Morales doubled twice and drove in three runs. Second baseman Mairoshendrick Martinus also doubled twice and scored a run.
Transaction
Friday: Right-hander Wuillians Herrera joined Ontario from Arizona. When the 22-year-old from Venezuela first pitches for the Tower Buzzers, it will be his first time pitching at a full-season affiliate.
Mar 3, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) delivers a pitch against Nicaragua during the fourth inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
According to Jon Heyman, the Mets will call up Craig Kimbrel before today’s game against the Athletics. Kimbrel, a 16-year veteran who was an All-Star with the Braves, Phillies, Cubs, and Red Sox, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in January. Kimbrel is currently fifth all time with 440 career saves, just ahead of former Mets Francisco Rodriguez (437), John Franco (424), and Billy Wagner (422).
In six spring training appearances with the Mets, Kimbrel struck out five, walked five, and put up a 4.50 ERA. Kimbrel made one appearance with Single-A St. Lucie this past week, throwing a scoreless, hitless, walkless, strikeout-less inning.
While Kimbrel has a storied career as one of the greatest relievers of the 21st century, no one is expecing that Kimbrel to be who the Mets get. But with both Richard Lovelady and Luis Garcia struggling mightily as of late, it is not surprising that the Mets would begin the fabled bullpen churn.
Over the course his career, Kimbrel has logged a 2.58 ERA in 821.2 innings, with 1,282 strikeouts and a 1.020 WHIP. He has 440 saves, which is the fifth most all-time, and a career 159 ERA+ that’s well above average for a reliever. He’s accumulated 22.7 bWAR in his career, on par with other top closers of his era like Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman.
A lot of that accumulation and excellence came earlier in his career, however, and Kimbrel has turned into a solid relief option instead of a feared closer. His first nine seasons in the major leagues produced some really tremendous work. He had a 1.80 ERA in 470.1 innings with 772 strikeouts, 291 saves, a 0.910 WHIP, and a 222 ERA+. In those nine seasons, he was worth 17.7 bWAR, won Rookie of the Year in 2011 with the Braves, made nine All-Star teams, finished top ten in Cy Young Award voting five times, and even received MVP votes from 2011 to 2013.
Since 2019, when he signed with the Cubs, he has put up a 3.83 ERA in 289 innings and earned just 107 of his career saves, less than a quarter of career total. He has just 414 strikeouts in that time with a 1.204 WHIP and a 110 ERA+, far below his usual dominance. He accumulated just 2.9 of his career WAR during that time as well.
Last year, he was somewhat effective in a limited role. In 12.0 innings with two different teams—the lion’s share being with the Astros—he had a 2.25 ERA with 17 strikeouts and a 1.417 WHIP. He didn’t get any saves, but he had a 197 ERA+ and accumulated 0.4 bWAR in such limited time. He might not have been a star closer, but in an admittedly extremely small sample, he was a good late inning relief option for the Astros down the stretch.
Apr 10, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Kris Bubic (50) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images
“I think being able to locate those in zone and get chase on them when you get ahead in counts (was key),” Bubic said.
“I think to be able to do both of those successfully was huge tonight. “I’m not a guy that’s pumping upper 90s or something like that. But that enabled me to get through those middle innings and get some quick outs there.”
Case in point: Bubic struck out White Sox leadoff hitter Chase Meidroth three times Friday night. The first came on a sweeper – that Perez correctly challenged as a strike – and the next two on sliders.
“The spin can play to both righties and lefties,” Bubic said. “… Just pairing both of those spin to righties with the sweeper early, being able to steal strikes with that, and then finishing with a fastball up or a gyro slider down below. The pairing was really good there, and the mix was really good.”
All I can do at this moment is remind you that we aren’t even 10 percent of the way into the season. Andy Pages has a .438 on base percentage. Aaron Judge has a .488 slugging percentage. These things are going to change a great deal between now and the end of the season. The Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox each have just four wins. They are better than this.
The Royals are supposed to be better than what we’ve seen this week.
The angst is understandable. Scars run deep and we’ve seen plenty to scare a normal person completely off baseball. Some of the action we’ve seen this year—again, especially this week—has been dull and uninspired. Yet the season is young. The story is still being written. That’s why I’m here; that’s why I chronicle this team. I want to see how it ends.
Just two balls even left the infield against Chourio, both coming as flyouts in the second. Despite throwing a first-pitch strike to just six batters, the Royals’ No. 3 prospect finished with a 64.4 percent strike rate (38 of 59). Righty Jhon Reyes and lefty Jordan Woods combined to finish off the shutout, allowing a lone single as a blemish on their marks.
It marks Chourio’s second career start in which he retired every batter he faced, coincidentally having done so against Myrtle Beach on Aug. 14, 2025. Only four members of the Pelicans’ lineup were the same this go-round, with a whole new batch finding out the hard way what Carolina League batters have learned in short order: Chourio’s stuff is legit.
Chourio’s delivery is simple and repeatable, his lean frame athletic and increasingly strong. He commands the strike zone with a poise and confidence that belies his youth. That command, combined with his velocity and movement, gives him a profile that could project as a frontline starter if he continues on this trajectory. Advanced metrics show that Chourio’s season pitching percentiles include below-average wOBA (40th percentile), strikeout rate (55th percentile), whiff rate (31st percentile), CSW percent (40th percentile), swing percent (26th percentile), and SwStr percent (42nd percentile) per FanGraphs. However, he posted a strong ground-ball rate in the 80th percentile and an excellent walk rate in the 74th percentile, at just 7.1 percent, highlighting his ability to control the strike zone and keep hitters on the ground.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 10: The bat on the Ichiro Suzuki statue is broken during the unveiling of the Ichiro Suzuki statue before the game against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 10, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning folks! I hope you’re all having a pleasant Saturday.
The Mariners partied on Friday night, taking down the Astros in an offense-happy affair 9-6.
Believe it or not, Cole Young remains the Mariners’ top position player so far by fWAR. Do you believe in his performance so far? On the one hand, he’s looked very mature as a 22-year old and is playing stellar defense. On the other, he’s got jut a .294 xwOBA.
In Mariners news…
In case you missed it, the Ichiro statue unveiling went wrong when the statue’s bat broke during the big reveal.
Major League Baseball introduced a new all-access YouTube series called “Chasing 162” which will follow Julio Rodríguez and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong in their chase to stay healthy all season long.
Aaron Goldsmith talked about how Randy Arozarena being in a contract year could make things difficult for the Mariners when they call up Colt Emerson.
Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Enrique Bradfield Jr. singlehandedly delivered the Tides a comeback win, driving in all four Norfolk runs — two in the seventh and two in the eighth — to fry the Jumbo Shrimp. For much of the game, the Norfolk lineup was absolutely dominated by Jacksonville starter Robby Snelling, the Marlins’ #2 prospect, who racked up 12 strikeouts in his five scoreless innings. But they rallied against the bullpen. In the seventh, Bradfield socked a game-tying, two-run homer, a 376-foot shot to right. It was Bradfield’s first of the year and just the eighth of his professional career, an impressive bit of power for a guy not known for his pop.
An inning later, Bradfield came up again with the bases loaded in a tie game, and lined a sharp single to center to plate two runners. What a day at the plate for Enrique, who can fast-track his arrival to the majors if he’s able to show this kind of offense on a more consistent basis. No other Tides hitter had a particularly notable day, and Jackson Holliday wasn’t in the lineup.
Starter Nestor German held the Jumbo Shrimp to one run in 4.2 innings in his third start of the year, and four relievers combined to allow just one (unearned) run. Chayce McDermott and Andrew Magno each worked a scoreless frame with two strikeouts. A rehabbing Kyle Stowers was 0-for-3 against his former team.
The Baysox busted out the bats with their first double-digit run total of the season. Nearly everyone in the lineup contributed. Seven of the nine batters had a hit, seven of nine had an RBI, and seven of nine scored a run. First baseman Ethan Anderson went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, Carter Young hit a three-run homer, and Aron Estrada swatted a solo shot. The Baysox also went 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position. You’re going to win a lot of games that way.
The ample run support boosted starting pitcher Luis De León, who gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits in five innings. It was a solid if unremarkable effort from the Orioles’ top pitching prospect. Three Chesapeake relievers allowed a run apiece but each also struck out three.
High-A: Frederick Keys 3, Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox) 2
Joseph Dzierwa is good, y’all. The 2025 second-round pick delivered an excellent seven-inning start, giving up six hits, striking out three, and walking nobody. He has a 1.38 ERA in his first two pro starts after a standout showing in spring training. The Keys assured Dzierwa wouldn’t be left with a no-decision by scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth on a Braylin Tavera RBI double.
Cleanup man Victor Figueroa powered a two-run homer to account for Frederick’s other runs. Wehiwa Aloy went 2-for-4 while Nate George took an 0-for-4 from the leadoff spot, though he did have an outfield assist. Ike Irish did not play. In the bullpen, Hans Crouse and Ryan Cabarcas each worked a scoreless inning to preserve the one-run victory.
Low-A: Augusta GreenJackets (Braves) 7, Delmarva Shorebirds 3
A Delmarva loss prevented the Orioles affiliates from pulling off a clean sweep on this night. It was a tie game entering the seventh before Augusta plated two runs in the sixth and another pair in the eighth. Shorebirds starter Brayan Orrantia gave up three runs in 3.1 innings, and reliever Dalton Neuschwander was tagged with the loss in his professional debut, allowing two runs. Neuschwander was the Orioles’ 10th-round pick last year.
The Shorebirds’ runs were driven in by Jordan Sanchez, on an RBI double, and DJ Layton, on a bunt single. Designated hitter Junior Aybar led the team with two hits, including a double.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 10: JP Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates the two-run home run hit by Randy Arozarena #56 during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 10, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees dropped their series opener against the Rays on Friday, officially creating their first losing streak of the season with their third straight loss. It’s been a reversal of fate in the last week or so, as the team’s bats have gone from doing enough to support their stellar pitching staff to barely managing to get multiple hits in a night. That has enabled their rivals to gain back ground after the Yanks jumped ahead of the pack, and the same was true last night.
Toronto Blue Jays (6-7) 10, Minnesota Twins (7-7) 4
Patrick Corbin’s Blue Jays debut didn’t get off to a great start, as the Twins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first thanks to Ryan Jeffers launching a three-run shot. However, that was as good as it got for Minnesota — they got four hits in the other eight innings, and only one of them helped out with a Brooks Lee solo shot in the fourth getting them their only other run.
On the other side, Toronto was dormant for the first three innings but exploded in the fourth. Three of the first four batters to step to the plate hit doubles, plating two of them, and then Andrés Giménez singled to make it 4-3 Twins. Brandon Valenzuela tipped the scales with a two-run shot — his first career homer — to give the Blue Jays the lead for good and capped off the five-run frame, and from there Toronto scored at least a run in every other inning that they batted in.
St. Louis Cardinals (8-5) 3, Boston Red Sox (4-9) 2
The Red Sox acquired Dustin May at the deadline last year from the Dodgers in a trade that has infamously gone south fast, as the main get for LA in James Tibbs III has been on a tear in the minors since, and then May pitched to the tune of a 5.40 ERA in all of six appearances for the Sox. May became a free agent and signed with St. Louis over the offseason, and just to rub salt in the wound turned around and held them down in his first time facing off with them since the move. He pitched six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) with four hits and no walks against four strikeouts. All of the damage came in the fourth inning, when Trevor Story grounded into an RBI and later managed to steal home on a double steal.
The Cardinals scored the first run of the game back in the second inning, getting a leadoff double from Ramón Urías and eventually a sacrifice fly to bring him home. The fifth inning was when they managed to take the lead back after Connelly Early exited with one out, Zack Kelly entering in relief and immediately causing a jam. He gave up a single to Jordan Walker and walked Urías, surrendered another single to Thomas Saggese that tied the game at two, fired off a wild pitch and then allowed a sac fly to fall behind 3-2. The inning mercifully ended on a Pedro Pagés fly out, but Boston mustered just one hit the rest of the way and failed to score them.
Tatsuya Imai has had a very Jekyll and Hyde beginning to his MLB career, debuting with a clunker of a game against the Angels before rebounding with 5.2 shutout innings against the A’s. The pendulum swung back to terrible, and the results were extreme — he failed to escape the first inning, letting the first five batters reach on three walks, a single, and a hit-by-pitch. A groundout exchanged a third run in the inning for the second out of the frame, but another walk forced Joe Espada’s hand and he relieved his starter after recording just two outs. Imai’s ERA is a gaudy 7.27 now, something that surely would’ve gone over well in New York had the Yankees landed him.
Surprisingly, the Astros managed to get him off the hook for the loss immediately despite the short start. Houston scored three runs of their own in the second, loading the bases with no outs before Emerson Hancock battled back to get two consecutive outs. However, he needed three, and Christian Vázquez doubled instead to clear the bases.
So, with the score knotted at three again the Mariners needed another jolt from an offense that has been fairly dormant thus far, especially the top of their order. Randy Arozarena is one of the few bats that has been turning it on, and he broke out with a two-run shot in the fifth inning to take the lead back for good.
The seventh inning put the nail in Houston’s coffin, as they put up a four-spot to triple their lead. Dominic Canzone smashed a double to the wall in right field to get the scoring started, a wild pitch brought home a second, J.P. Crawford got a much-needed hit to score the third run and raise his batting average to .150 on the year, and Cal Raleigh capped off the rally with a groundout to plate the fourth run. Yordan Alvarez did launch a three-run missile to cut the deficit in half in the eighth, setting up a tense ninth inning when Andrés Muñoz walked two batters to bring the tying run to the plate. Jeremy Peña couldn’t convert, however, grounding out as Muñoz picked up his first save of the year.
Other Games
Detroit Tigers (5-9) 2, Miami Marlins (8-6) 0: The Tigers have hardly been inspirational to start the year, but they got a much-needed gem from Keider Montero to lead the way in a shutout. He pitched six innings, allowing just two hits and striking out seven while his offense converted three-straight singles into a run in the second and Javier Báez managed to pull a ball placed near the bottom of the other batter’s box out to left field for a solo shot in the fifth. He may strike out a ton on that very same pitch, but at least he proved he can do damage to that pitch if he ever makes contact.
Atlanta Braves (9-5) 11, Cleveland Guardians (8-6) 5: For a time, Cleveland looked to be in good position to win this game. They managed to chase Bryce Elder from the game in the fifth inning after working a pair of walks and punching an RBI single to take a 2-1 lead, but it all came crashing down in a disastrous sixth inning. Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with a homer, Matt Olson followed up with a two-run shot two batters later, Dominic Smith punched a run in on a single, and then Michael Harris Jr. fulfilled the rule of thirds with another home run to bring six total runs in across the inning. The floodgates opened from there, Atlanta scoring two runs in the seventh and eighth innings each, while Cleveland mustered up three in the eighth but could do no more than that.
NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 16: Eric Hartman #64 of the Atlanta Braves singles in the seventh inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on Sunday, March 16, 2025 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Hartman continued his strong offensive start to the season for the Emperors despite the loss.
It took some late inning magic and a bit of luck, but Gwinnett managed to get the win by walking off Nashville on Friday to move up to three games over .500 on the season.
Eliser Hernandez got the start on the mound for the Stripers and while he wasn’t exactly dominant, it was enough to keep Gwinnett in the game long enough for them to battle back-and-forth.
Across 5.2 innings of work, Hernandez managed to work around scattering six hits and issuing three walks on the night while holding Nashville to just two earned runs on his part.
One pitching performance to highlight on the night was Rolddy Munoz who tossed a scoreless outing in his 1.1 innings, while striking out three in the process. Through five appearances this season, Munoz has tossed 7.2 innings while striking out seven, while opponents are batting just .120 against him thus far.
It’s a smaller sample size, but encouraging nonetheless from the 25-year-old as he looks to try and break through into the big league bullpen.
At the dish, Gwinnett got several key contributions en route to the win.
Aaron Schunk continued his hot start to the season as he launched his third homer of the season on Friday — a two-run shot to extend the Gwinnett lead to 4-0 in the third — while raising his OPS on the season to .936 as well.
Tied at 5-5 headed into the bottom of the ninth, Ben Gamel reached on an error before coming around to score eventually on a wild pitch, walking things off for Gwinnett.
In other offensive performances, Jose Azocar laced a double on the night while Jim Jarvis also notched a base hit and scored a run as well in the Stripers’ win.
Columbus improved to 3-4 on the young season as the Clingstones rode a solid starting pitching performance and a handful of key offensive contributions in the process.
On the mound, Garrett Baumann managed to work around three earned runs and six hits to produce six innings of work while striking out five and walking two. While it wasn’t his best, it’s a right sight better than Baumann’s first start of the year in which he gave up nine runs (seven earned) in just 3.1 innings of work.
Hopefully it’s just earlt season jitters or something of that nature for Baumann, who is expected to take a significant leap this season.
At the plate, Cal Conley had a bit of a rare night in the sense that he laced not one, but two triples on the night while driving in one of Columbus’ six runs on the night.
A triple from Conley brings Kilpatrick Jr. home! 🤩
In addition to Conley, Ambioris Tavarez continued his solid start to the season at the plate on Friday as well.
Going 2-3 with a run scored and a walk to his credit, Tavarez improved his OPS to 1.071 on the season. While we’ve emphasized that it’s extremely early in the season and a smaller sample size, it’s incredibly encouraging to see Tavarez make significant strides at the plate and show a much more mature approach thus far.
(3-4) Rome Emperors 4, (5-2) Bowling Green Hot Rods 6
Rome fell short against Bowling Green on Friday, losing by a 6-4 final despite a handful of key offensive performances from Emperor batters.
Cam Caminiti got the start for Rome and while he didn’t have his best stuff — as he scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs across six innings while striking out six — he managed to keep Rome relatively in the game for the most part.
Caminiti’s biggest issue so far in this early season is that he has been hit around quite a bit. In 9.2 innings, the southpaw has given up nine hits, including a homer, while opponents are batting .250 against him so far. The good news is that he has only issued two walks on the year, so hopefully he’s able to limit the damage in terms of hits and homers and he’ll be able to build off that moving forward.
Offensively, Rome got key performances from the usual suspects as John Gil launched his second homer of the year and Eric Hartman put up a marquee night as he laced a double and a homer to raise his OPS to a team-high 1.037 on the season to this point.
Augusta got one game closer to .500 on the season on Friday as the GreenJackets rode a solid pitching performance from Ethan Bagwell to a win.
Across seven innings of work, Bagwell did scatter seven hits, but managed to limit the damage to just three earned runs on the night while striking out five and walking not one batter. Through two starts, Bagwell has shown excellent command as he has walked just one batter in 13 innings pitched, while striking out 11 and allowing just the three runs.
It will be interesting to see how Atlanta handles Bagwell and his progression, as he will most likely be ready for a promotion to Rome by the end of May if not sooner.
At the plate, Augusta got a surprise performance out of catcher Tanner Smith, who homered and drove in a pair of runs on the night while Connor Essenburg continues to impress as the 2025 draftee tripled and drove home a run in the process for Augusta on Friday.
COVERS INTEL:Suarez’s stuff hasn’t traveled well lately – he’s given up 3+ earned runs in five of his last seven road starts.
