May 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean (26) throws in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Mets lineup
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – SS
Brett Baty – 3B
Mark Vientos – 1B
Carson Benge – CF
Marcus Semien – 2B
MJ Melendez – RF
Francisco Alvarez – DH
Luis Torrens – C
Nolan McLean – RHP
Diamondbacks lineup
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Ketel Marte – 2B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Gabriel Moreno – C
Jorge Barrosa – CF
Ryne Nelson – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 9:40pm EDT TV: WPIX Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 06: Tyler Glasnow #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers leaves the field prior to the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Michaela Schumacher/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
“Tyler came out of the game with some back spasms, got an MRI. Nothing really significant. So I think for us we’re just in kind of a holding pattern, seeing how he feels the next couple of days, and how he responds,” manager Dave Roberts said of Glasnow earlier on Friday, noting that things could change depending on how Glasnow felt. “Then you layer in the Blake Snell situation, and try to figure out if he’s open to taking the five innings here versus on rehab, and he couldn’t be more excited to do that.”
The plan for this weekend is for Snell to start on Saturday, followed by Justin Wrobleski on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. Roki Sasaki, who would have been in line to start on Saturday, will instead start against the San Francisco Giants, possibly on Monday, Roberts said.
Factor in that Friday is the first of 13 straight game days for the Dodgers and they used six relievers to cover the final eight innings on Wednesday in Houston, the need for fresh arms in the bullpen took precedence.
“Some of it has to do with the bullpen and the coverage we might have, and it also depends on Tyler and how he feels as far as improvement over each day,” Roberts said.
Paul Gervase got the call on Friday, called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City for the first time this season. The 6’10 right-hander had a 3.65 ERA in nine games for the Comets, with 17 strikeouts and nine walks in 12 1/3 innings. He last pitched for Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 06: Detroit Tigers Dillon Dingler (13) at bat during the game between Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers on May 6, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI (Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Detroit Tigers (18-20) vs. Kansas City Royals (17-21)
Time/Place: 7:40 p.m., Kauffman Stadium SB Nation Site: Royals Review Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: Game 39: RHP Keider Montero (2-2, 3.48 ERA) vs. LHP Kris Bubic (3-1, 3.32 ERA)
Sean Burke looks to keep his hot streak going. | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After a fairly successful road trip to the West Coast, the Chicago White Sox welcome the Seattle Mariners to kick off a nine-game homestand. Although two straight losses have soured the taste a bit, Chicago is still 6-4 over their last 10 and still very much in the slow AL Central race.
While it hasn’t always been pretty, the White Sox are playing surprisingly complimentary ball as of late, outscoring their opponents 43-31 over their last 10 games. With two huge series against the Kansas City Royals and the dirty Chicago Cubs on deck, the White Sox could use some positive momentum again moving forward.
On the hill for the Sox is Sean Burke, who has found a new gear lately. Over his last three starts, he has pitched more than 19 innings while just allowing 11 hits and two earned runs. He gets a great opportunity to build on his dominant streak against a Seattle Mariners offense that ranks 24th in baseball in runs scored.
On the other side, Emerson Hancock gets the nod for the Mariners. While he has allowed six home runs over his last four starts, he still sports a 2.59 ERA on the season and will look to capture his third win of the season. Hancock has not been known as a big strikeout pitcher so far in his young career, but sat down 14 Kansas City batters in his last outing. Hancock has excelled at making batters miss and not giving free passes, so the Sox will have to put out good at bats to put up some runs.
Here’s how the Good Guys will line up to start the homestand:
Here is the lineup Dan Wilson submitted for the Seattle Mariners:
Tonight’s matchup starts at 6:40 p.m. CT. You can watch on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Spencer Jones #68 of the New York Yankees looks on prior to a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Atlanta Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
On the scoreboard, Thursday’s series finale against the Rangers went quite well, as the Yankes won fairly comfortably, clinching another series win. However, the victory did include an injury to Jasson Domínguez, who has hit the IL after hurting his shoulder crashing into the left field while making a catch.
Domínguez’s IL trip has led to something fairly fascinating, as the Yankees’ have called up Spencer Jones in his place. The former first-round draft pick is an intresting case, as he has otherworldly power, but also some flaws that could hinder his progress in the majors. Either way, we’ll start to find out the answer tonight. Tonight, the Yankees are headed back out on the road, as they head to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers.
Jones is the big story, but tonight’s Yankee lineup does feature Ben Rice making his return. The first baseman sat out a couple days after taking a weird hop to the wrist while fielding a throw. Meanwhile, lefty ace Max Fried will get the start on the mound for the Bombers. He didn’t have his best stuff against the Orioles but left with 5.1 innings and three runs allowed, enough of an effort to keep the Yankees in it during a game they won 11-3. This will be Fried’s first appearance in Milwaukee since his Braves days in 2022.
As for Milwaukee, young star Jacob Misiorowski will take the ball. Misiorowski appears to be one of the best young starters in baseball, and he boasts a wild 59 strikeouts in 38 innings on the season. He was no-hitting the Nationals for 5.1 innings during his last time out a week ago before leaving early with cramping. Now he’s back and ready to go. The Yankees’ lineup is good, but this will be a real challenge, especially for the strikeout-prone Jones in his MLB debut.
There will be interesting things to watch all over the field in this one, and we hope you’ll come join us in the game thread!
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 10: Kris Bubic #50 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium on April 10, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I know the Guardians series didn’t end how any of us wanted it to, but the Royals still split a four-game series against a tough team. That’s a win. Especially if the Royals can win the series starting tonight, against the Tigers.
By all rights, the Tigers should be in a bit of freefall right now. Tarik Skubal is on the IL for a couple of months, Framber Valdez is suspended. Gleyber Torres joined multiple of the Tigers’ key contributors on the IL. With the series being played in Kansas City, the Royals really should at least take this series, and ideally, they’ll sweep it. As of this moment, the Tigers still haven’t announced the starters for the next two games, so if they can defeat Keider Montero tonight, they should be in good shape to take advantage of a division rival in disarray.
Montero is no slouch, of course, so the Royals won’t have an easy time of it tonight, but the offense has been clicking for a couple of weeks now. So hopefully they can do at least as well as they did back on April 16 when they roughed him up for four runs in six innings. That was the gut-punch game that saw the Royals lose 10-9 after a huge comeback and the rain delay, and made fans wonder if the team would ever win again. But the Royals have won a lot since then. So don’t panic.
Montero likes his fastballs – leading with his four-seamer against lefties and sinker against righties. Righties pretty much only get sliders after that, while lefties will see a mix of changeups and knuckle curves. He doesn’t get much chase or whiff, but he’s in the zone a lot and doesn’t give up a ton of hard contact. The Royals will need to hunt their pitches in order to succeed.
Kris Bubic will go for KC. He hasn’t been quite as phenomenal early this year as he was last season, but he’s still been plenty good. That said, the worst start of his season was against Montero and these Tigers. So he’s going to need to tighten things up if the team is going to succeed. Checking his TJStats page, it looks like he really couldn’t rely on his sweeper at all in that game, and it made him far too hittable. Hopefully that won’t be an issue tonight.
Lineups
Q is using the same lineup he’s used for most of May, one that has averaged five runs a game. You’d hope that would be enough to win, most nights. There are several hitters here who are probably doing better than you think, thanks to the lackluster April bringing down their overall numbers. Maikel Garcia had a really rough first four games in the month of May, but he was 4-for-8 in the final two games of that Cleveland series with a double and a walk. Bobby Witt Jr. was 7-for-16 with a walk, a pair of homers, and a double in the series against Cleveland. If those two guys are going to get magma hot, the Royals should be able to keep scoring runs. It will come down to preventing them by the pitchers.
Apr 24, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas shortstop Corey Seager (5) wearing the Rangers’ new City Connect 2.0, which celebrates the Mexican influences across the entire state of Texas during a game against the Athletics at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
The Diamondbacks are calling up their top prospect in their minor league system.
But that means they’re dumping one of their former highly regarded farmhands.
Arizona called up outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt from Triple-A, and to make room for their No. 1 prospect on MLB Pipeline, designated fellow outfielder Alek Thomas for assignment on Friday ahead of a matchup with the Mets.
Less than two years after he was taken with the No. 31 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Waldschmidt reached the top level of the minor leagues and has thrived.
Alek Thomas hits a solo home run against the San Diego Padres during the second inning of the MLB Mexico City Series on April 25, 2026. Getty Images
He has a .289/.400/.477 slash line with 15 extra-base hits in 128 at-bats with Triple-A Reno. It follows a sterling 2025 season in which Waldschmidt hit 18 home runs with 78 RBIs and a .892 with in High-A and Double-A. His year-end performance got him a Double-A All-Star nod from Baseball America.
Thomas, meanwhile, has hit .181 with two homers across 94 at-bats this season. After back-to-back hitless games, he was 1-for-9 with four strikeouts in May.
The DFA is a surprising fall for Thomas, who was Arizona’s top-ranked prospect ahead of the 2022 season and was twice a Futures Game selection (2019, 2021).
Ryan Waldschmidt bats during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Scottsdale, Arizona. MLB Photos via Getty Images
And while he’s provided solid outfield defense (two outs above average this season) and speed on the bases, his bat has never translated to the big league level with a career .634 OPS.
Waldschmidt is not in the starting lineup for Friday’s game against the Mets.
The Yankees suffered a tough blow just one batter into Thursday's game, as they lost Jasson Dominguez for at least a couple of weeks with a left shoulder injury after a scary collision with the left field fence.
While it’s unfortunate to see Dominguez go down during his shot back with the big league team, it does present an opportunity for another youngster to come up and get his chance.
Jones has joined the Yanks for Friday’s series opener with the Brewers, and he won’t have to wait long to debut, as he’s been inserted right into the lineup batting sixth as the DH.
“He fits in really well with the guys,” Aaron Boone told reporters pregame, via YES Network. “He’s gotten off to a really nice start this year down in Triple-A, has been really productive with the bat, and earned the opportunity to be here.
“I think we’re all very excited for him -- obviously, being a first-round pick and working his way through our system, him being here today, it’s well-deserved.”
Jones still has some swing-and-miss in his game, but his at-bats certainly have improved to start this season, as he's reached an impressive .336 rate and has a .958 OPS over Scranton's first 33 games of the season.
Of his 31 hits, 18 have gone for extra bases, and he's driven in 31 runs thus far.
The slugger will have a tall task ahead of him facing Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski in his big-league debut, but Boone is looking for him to keep his same approach at the plate.
“Tonight he's DHing, so I just want him to focus on having good at-bats,” he said. “Obviously, we’re going up against a great pitcher here tonight, but just as much as you can, you take what you've been doing and apply it up here.
“Obviously, he has the ability to impact games, but it’s just about keeping things small and focusing on the at-bat.”
While Jones is handling DH duties out of the gate, he won't strictly be relegated there, as Boone feels comfortable throwing him out in the field and will pick and choose his spots to do so.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 04: Ozzie Albies #1 celebrates with Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves after their back-to-back solo home runs during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 04, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves are starting their most hyped series of the year as they face the loaded Los Angeles Dodgers team. Few probably thought before the season started that the Braves would be the team with a better record going into this series.
There have been several reasons why the Braves have been successful, but the offensive rebounds of key players has played a huge role in the early season success. Players like Michael Harris, Ozzie Albies, and Dominic Smith have had surprising rebounds, and the steady players like Matt Olson and reigning ROY Drake Baldwin have chipped in like they hoped they would.
The Braves will be facing Emmet Sheehan on the mound, and believe it or not he debuted back in 2023 and that was the only season he faced the Braves in. No player on the Braves roster in 2023 has faced Sheehan in more than two at-bats so it is hard to make a conclusion on how well they will do against him. The one player that draws the eye is that Ozzie Albies got a hit both times he faced Sheehan.
With the day off the other question was if Michael Harris’ quad will allow him to play CF or not. With him back in CF it allows Walt Weiss to put together the optimal lineup that would include Dominic Smith or Sean Murphy. We did see Harris play LF to give his quad some rest, but ideally we don’t want to see anyone other than him defensively if he is actually healthy. With Sean Murphy back it also brings the question of what the standard lineup will be versus both LHP and RHP starter. Tonight’s lineup may shine a light on that question.
Michael Harris will be in CF after all in a really fun lineup that has him in the cleanup spot with Baldwin hi and Dominic Smith getting the DH nod.
Chris Sale is on the mound for the Braves, and even though he is one of the more seasoned veterans of the league the Dodgers’ players shockingly don’t have many at-bats against him. Teoscar Hernández leads the team with eighteen at-bats, but then it drops all the way down to nine at-bats, which old friend Freddie Freeman has against Sale. Freddie Freeman has had success in those nine at-bats with an OPS of 1.222, and Hernández has a .818, but no one else is better than .708.
Shohei Ohtani has an OPS of .708 in eight at-bats. Even with this solid Dodgers lineup, the edge appears to go to Chris Sale here.
Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer reacts after allowing a solo homerun to San Diego's Victor Caratini at Petco Park in 2021. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
Trevor Bauer wants to pitch in the majors again — so much so that he's willing to start over in the lowest levels of the minor leagues and work his way up.
And he's willing to do it without being paid.
That's the hypothetical Bauer proposed Friday on X: A talented former Cy Young Award winner signs a minor league deal with an MLB team for a "$0 salary" and can be cut at any time at no financial risk to the organization.
Since his last MLB start on June 28, 2021, as a member of the Dodgers with a $102-million, three-year contract, Bauer has been accused of sexual assault by four women. He served a 194-game suspension for violating the league’s sexual assault and domestic violence policy. He has denied all the allegations and has never been charged with a crime.
While some might think signing Bauer might be a risky move for an MLB organization, Bauer feels his plan is foolproof in that regard.
"Hypothetical: You’re the owner of an MLB team," Bauer wrote. "I offer to take $0 salary and sign a minor league contract and go to Low A. If the 'he sucks now' crowd is right and I get lit up, you cut me, lose $0 and there’s no risk to the big league club.
Hypothetical: You’re the owner of an MLB team. I offer to take $0 salary and sign a minor league contract and go to Low A.
If the “he sucks now” crowd is right and I get lit up, you cut me, lose $0 and there’s no risk to the big league club.
If the “clubhouse cancer” crowd is…
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) May 8, 2026
"If the 'clubhouse cancer' crowd is right, you see it immediately at Low A and cut me. You lose $0 and there’s no risk to the big league club. If there’s massive negative PR, which we already know there won’t be, you just cut me and move on. The story is dead in a couple days, you lose $0, and there’s no risk to the big league club."
In the comments on Bauer's post, someone challenged him on the notion that "we already know there won't be" any negative PR if he is signed. In response, Bauer pointed to his current stint with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League to support his argument.
"Where has the negative PR been?" wrote Bauer, who is 3-1 this season and pitched a no-hitter for the Ducks late last month. "I’m playing in America. In New York of all places. Most 'hostile' media market in the United States. Stadiums are sold out when I pitch. There’s no boycotts. No media frenzy. Where is it?"
Bauer wrote in his proposal that if none of the negatives he laid out earlier happen, then the organization can promote their cost-free pitcher through the ranks, re-evaluating him every step of the way, until he reaches the big leagues — "if I earn it," he wrote, "which you'd be 100% in control of deciding."
"If you don’t think I’m good enough, you lose $0 and there’s no risk to the big league club," Bauer wrote. "You could take away my 'antics'. You could take away my social media. You could ask anything of me. If I don’t comply, you cut me, lose $0, and there’s no risk to the big league club."
One X user asked why Bauer doesn't just take away his "antics" on his own.
"Because no teams actually care about that," Bauer responded. "They enjoy the content. And I’m not going to rob baseball fans of great baseball entertainment just to solve a problem that only exists in the minds of x bots."
Informed that the MLB Players Assn. might have an issue with him playing for free, Bauer replied, "Who gives a crap about what mlbpa does or doesn’t want?"
This isn't the first time Bauer has made what he considers to be a low-risk proposal for an organization to bring him back into the league. In 2024, Bauer spoke with The Times' Bill Shaikin about an offer he made to play for the league minimum.
"The reason for that was, I want to go back to work, and I am trying to find any way that I possibly can to limit the risk and exposure for a team," Bauer said. "I realize there are a lot of other things, outside of the on-field stuff, that go into whether to sign me. So I figured that, if I could limit the on-field risk as much as possible, perhaps that offsets some of the other perceived risks."
It remains to be seen whether any club is willing to take up Bauer on his current offer.
"What logical reason is there to not do this?" Bauer wrote. "At worst, you cut me and there’s no risk to the big league club. At best, you get a Cy Young winner for $0 who you know can still pitch and could help the big league team if and when you see fit."
Former Miami Marlins president David Samson weighed in on Bauer's proposal in a post on X.
"This will never happen," Samson wrote. "First of all, no team wants to sign him. Secondly, no player is allowed to play for $0. And finally, no team wants to sign him."
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 07: José Tena #8 of the Washington Nationals is showered with ice water after defeating the Minnesota Twins at Nationals Park on Thursday, May 7, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After their first home series win of the season, the Nats hit the road looking to keep up the momentum. The Nats have been road warriors, with a 12-7 record away from home. However, series openers have been an issue for them lately. They will do battle with the Marlins for the first time this season.
With a lefty on the mound, Blake Butera made a few alterations. James Wood will be off his feet today, getting the start at the DH spot. That means Joey Wiemer will be out in right field. Curtis Mead will remain the first baseman and hit second. After his fantastic game yesterday, Keibert Ruiz will get another start behind the plate. Foster Griffin will toe the slab for the Nats.
it was revealed to us in an email we get from our comms team
The Marlins have a highly touted prospect making his MLB debut tonight. Robby Snelling, the number 32 prospect in baseball, will be pitching tonight. The lefty has been outstanding in AAA, possessing big time swing and miss stuff. He will be throwing to a rookie catcher as well in Joe Mack. The Marlins middle infield duo of Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards have been outstanding this year, and are at the top of the Marlins lineup.
The Nats come into this series with some good vibes after finally exorcizing their home demons. Now they hit the road to play a divisional foe. This will be a good test for the boys, as the Marlins are a team that will punish you if you are not up for the fight. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Pope Leo XIV (C) reacts wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
The Mariners take their talents to the South Side of Chicago tonight, where temperatures will be in the high 50s, with winds under 10 mph and no rain in the forecast. Could the Mariners possibly play a normal game at Guaranteed Rate Field?
Emerson Hancock will take the ball for the sailors, fresh off one of the great games of recent Mariners history in which he struck out 14 and walked none over seven innings against the Royals. It brought his K%-BB% up to 25.2%, good for fourth among qualified starters, ahead of names such as Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.
Sean Burke will pitch for Chicago, hoping to continue the improvements he’s shown this season, thanks in no small part to the devlopment of his sinker into a real weapon.
Lineups
That sound you hear is the collective sigh of relief across the Northwest upon seeing the most normal starting lineup since the season’s early days. Brendan Donovan has been activated off the IL, and Cal Raleigh will get the start at catcher.
This is their best collection of nine hitters, and they’ve only used it five prior times, and not since April 17th.
The White Sox’ main attraction right now is power hitter Munetaka Murakami, who will play first base and bat second. But I’m curious to get a look at this Jarred Kelenic kid in right field. His stats pages don’t indicate a strong record of production, but he’s apparently a former #6 overall pick.
Game Info
First pitch: 4:40 PDT TV: Mariners TV Radio: Old reliable
Apr 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Pete Alonso (25) hits a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
The Orioles are back home after a brutal 2-5 road trip. Tonight starts a six-game homestand with three games vs the Athletics followed by three games vs the Yankees. It would behoove the Orioles to get off to a good start against the A’s.
The A’s are, in fact, a first-place team. They are just one game above .500 in the extremely lackluster American League. So far this season, the Orioles have scored more runs than the A’s but have also given up way more. Kyle Bradish, tonight’s starter, has been part of that problem with his 5.03 ERA in seven starts.
Starting for the A’s is lefty Jacob Lopez. It’s bad news that he’s a lefty, but good news that he’s given up even more runs than Bradish. In seven games (six starts), Lopez is sporting a 6.60 ERA. His WHIP is 1.900. Both of tonight’s starting pitchers have walked a ton of guys this year. This is kind of an even match up.
I haven’t given up on Bradish turning it around. He has the track record! Also, what choice do we have but to hope he gets better? There aren’t exactly a lot of other options.
With the lefty on the mound, Samuel Basallo has the day off. After his game-losing error yesterday, Coby Mayo is slotted in as the DH tonight. At least from there, only his bat can hurt us. Blaze Alexander will take third in his place. Lefty batting Dylan Beavers is also out of the lineup. Maybe tonight will be the night Tyler O’Neill finally starts mashing lefties.
Orioles lineup
Taylor Ward (R) LF Gunnar Henderson (L) SS Adley Rutschman (S) C Pete Alonso (R) 1B Tyler O’Neill (R) RF Coby Mayo (R) DH Leody Taveras (S) CF Jeremiah Jackson (R) 2B Blaze Alexander (R) 3B
Athletics Lineup
Nick Kurtz (L) 1B Shea Langeliers (R) C Tyler Soderstrom (L) LF Brent Rooker (R) DH Carlos Cortes (L) RF Jacob Wilson (R) SS Lawrence Butler (L) CF Zack Gelof (R) 3B Jeff McNeil (L) 2B
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches against the Cleveland Guardians in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on May 02, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, the Athletics put together one of their most impressive performances of the season to salvage the final game of the team’s three-game series at the Philadelphia Phillies. The A’s hit four two-run home runs, providing more than enough run support for starting pitcher J.T. Ginn, who allowed just one run on four hits over eight innings— the longest outing by an A’s starter this season.
Now, the first-place Athletics are in Baltimore to begin a three-game weekend series against the Orioles tonight. Having lost their previous two series, these next few games are a prime opportunity for the A’s to snap this series-losing streak and maintain their lead atop the American League West. However, the Orioles will be a tough opponent, as they feature a talented offense led by standouts Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and marque offseason acquisition Pete Alonso. After winning two of three at the Miami Marlins, the Orioles seek to continue their winning ways against the A’s.
Left-hander Jacob Lopez will take the mound tonight for the visitors. The 28-year-old has been the weakest link in the A’s five-man rotation this season. Lopez enters his seventh start with a 2-2 record, 6.60 ERA, a 1.90 WHIP and a horrific 23-to-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He did not fare well in his last start against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing six runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings.
The team briefly moved him to the bullpen earlier this season, skipping one start before quickly moving him back into the rotation. If Lopez has another bad outing tonight, that could be the last start he gets for a while. The A’s may move him back to the bullpen or demote him to Triple-A to fix his command issues. In response, the team could call up another pitcher and give him the chance to start a few games.
The A’s are going with the same starting lineup for the second-straight day. It seems like this has become manager Mark Kotsay’s preferred lineup against opposing right-handed pitchers. Zack Gelof is starting at third base once again. He has more than earned everyday playing time, contributing consistently at the plate and seamlessly adapting to center field and now third base — two positions he had not played at the Major League level before this season.
Kyle Bradish will make his eighth start of the season for the Baltimore Orioles. The 29-year-old is off to a poor start this year, carrying a 1-4 record, 5.03 ERA and 1.82 WHIP into tonight’s outing. Like Lopez, Bradish struggled in his last start, allowing five runs on six hits and four walks in four innings. In the wake of scoring 12 runs last night, the A’s offense is primed to generate more runs against the Orioles’ talented but vulnerable starter.
Beyond Henderson and Alonso, the Orioles boast several power threats throughout their lineup. As a result, Lopez will have to be careful against a group capable of launching balls onto Eutaw Street.
Given that both starting pitchers have struggled through the season’s first month, tonight’s matchup could be a high-scoring affair. As such, the A’s offense needs to get to Bradish early to force the Orioles to turn to their bullpen sooner than they would like.
A Friday night win would be a great start to Mother’s Day weekend. Let’s go A’s!
