Category: Baseball

As the programs of the Mountain West continue to run through the non-conference portion of the season, we here at Mountain West Connection want to highlight a marquee matchup each weekend until conference play. This week, we will discuss San Diego State’s upcoming series against Saint Mary’s

The Rundown

The Aztecs have had a good season one month in, and it has not been an easy road for them. Just in the last week, San Diego State took on then No. 1 UCLA in a one-game pit stop, Washington in a four-game road set and Long Beach State back home for one match. SDSU went 4-2 in that span, beating the best team in the nation 4-3, splitting the series against the Huskies while losing in run total 16-21 and bouncing back against the Dirt Bags in a 13-10 slug fest.

While San Diego State was climbing the hill of power four teams, Saint Marys had a weekend date with SDSU conference rival San Jose State. The Gaels, who entered last weekend 4-3, took the series against the Spartans in a dominant, 3-1 fashion. Saint Mary’s only lost the third game of the series, getting skunked 8-0 while winning the other three games by a combined 20 runs. They then went back home to take on the UC Davis Aggies, beating the future Mountain West member 7-2.

Both teams are on winning streaks and carrying a lot of momentum heading into Tony Gwynn Stadium, both trying to build up their resumes a bit more before conference play kicks off next week for SDSU and in two weeks for Saint Marys. It should definitely be a good weekend for baseball fans in San Diego.

Saint Marys (8-4) vs San Diego State (8-5)

Location: Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego, Calif.

Dates/Times:

Friday, March 6: 6:00 p.m. PST

Saturday, March 7: 5:00 p.m. PST

Sunday, March 8: 1:00 p.m. PST

Broadcast: Mountain West Network

History: San Diego State is 4-8 against the Saint Mary’s Gaels, with the last series being in 2025 when the Aztecs got swept by the Gaels in three straight games from Feb. 28, 2025-March 2, 2025.

Three key questions to the series

1. Can the Jabin Trosky show continue to put up bangers?

SDSU infielder Jabin Trosky has been tearing it up through the first month of the season, Toting a .377 batting average and a .930 OPS, the redshirt junior who transferred in from Oregon State has mounted 20 hits (most on team), five doubles (second most), a triple and 11 runs (third most) with 27 total bases (best on team). Trosky also has the second most stolen bases, successfully making it three times. When you factor everything, it is no wonder that Trosky made the Brooks Wallace Award (best college shortstop) watch list.

Trosky will have to bring it this weekend, as the Saint Mary’s pitching staff will not make it easy for him or the rest of the Aztecs’ lineup (which will be discussed shortly). However, if the redshirt junior can catch fire and energize the San Diego State bench, there will be some highlights added to his film reel.

2. Will San Diego State be able to rain on the Saint Mary’s fireworks show?

The Gaels have not won two-thirds of their games because of flukes. Saint Mary’s has had a great showing at the plate so far, with seven players boasting a .350+ batting average (two with .400 or better) and five with a 1.000 or better OPS. Saint Mary’s junior outfielder Tanner Griffith poses the biggest threat to the Aztecs’ pitching rotation, as he is going into this weekend’s series with a .515 batting average and a 1.491 OPS. His batting average is currently one of the best in the nation, sitting behind Miami outfielder Derek Williams (.535) and Iowa infielder Gable Mitchell (.521) in third place. 

San Diego State does have great pitching, with two great options in Drew Talavs (2.81 ERA, 16 IP) and Rohan Lettow (2.70 ERA, 16.2 IP) and Alec Belardes (5.51 ERA, 16.1 IP) as starters and multiple relief pitchers sitting below the 3.00 ERA mark (four of them have an ERA below 1.00). However, there are also multiple pitchers in the bullpen that are currently above 4.00 ERA, so the disparity is there. If the Aztecs are able to calm the extremes and pitch solid, there will be no problems. But if the Gaels are able to get to the pitching staff, SDSU will have a hard time keeping up.

3. Will the Aztecs get through the tough pitching onslaught from the Gaels?

It is safe to say that Saint Mary’s has been able to get the most out of their pitchers this year. The program has a team ERA of 4.17, with three starters staying below a 4.00 ERA while pitching at least 12 innings each. Graduate student Jake Hilton has been the ace of the troop, standing atop the Gaels’ starting pitching staff with a 1.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 14 strikeouts. The bullpen has also rocked so far, as three of the four relief pitchers with at least seven innings pitched boast an ERA at 4.50 or lower. 

Saint Mary’s performance has kept their opponents in check, as the combined opposing team batting average is at a .246. San Diego State’s team batting average is .262 at the time of writing, so they are not far off from the Gaels’ opposing average. There is work needed to be done to even the playing field, but if the Aztecs can rally behind its leaders and take care of business at the plate despite the uphill climb, they can win this weekend’s series.

The lines between baseball and video games just got blurred in the most delightful way imaginable. 

The two-time World Series champion Dodgers have announced that on March 31 at Dodger Stadium against the Guardians, the first 40,000 fans in attendance will receive a Yoshinobu Yamamoto x Yoshi from Super Mario Bros. bobblehead. 

Now this is the cultural crossover we’ve been waiting for. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers are giving away this limited edition Yoshinobu Yamamoto x Yoshi from Super Mario bobblehead on March 31 vs the Guardians @SuperMarioMoviepic.twitter.com/4V42fGetk7

— MLB (@MLB) March 6, 2026

The cross-promotion arrives at the same time that the new “Super Mario Bros. Galaxy Movie” lands in theaters on April 1. 

Call it marketing genius, call it cartoon chaos. Either way, the night will belong to the reigning World Series MVP and Nintendo. 

For anyone who grew up with Nintendo controllers in their hands, the connection is obvious. Yoshi — the beloved green dinosaur companion of Mario — has been one of the most recognizable characters in gaming for more than three decades.

But in Los Angeles, the name “Yoshi” suddenly belongs to someone else, too.

In October, Yamamoto delivered a World Series performance that also felt pulled from a video game cheat code. Yamamoto pitched a complete game in Game 2 of the World Series against the Blue Jays. Warmed up in relief in Game 3. Allowed just one run and got the victory in Game 6, and then returned less than 24 hours later on no rest to pitch 2.2 shutout innings of relief to get the win in Game 7. Overall, he was 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in the Fall Classic, earning him a permanent place in Dodgers history. 

Yamamoto’s nickname of “Yoshi” was already floating around the Dodgers’ clubhouse for the last two seasons, but now he can share it forever with the smiling green dinosaur in collectible form. 

Yoshi, the video game character, will wear a Yamamoto jersey in the bobblehead giveaway, because duh, why wouldn’t he?

The club released a short video on Friday that captures Yamamoto doing a pregame stretching routine — calm, focused, almost monk-like — before a mischievous Yoshi bobblehead begins to interrupt the moment. The tiny plastic dinosaur wobbles beside him as the pitcher casually flips himself into a headstand, unfazed by the chaos unfolding next to him, while politely asking Yoshi to “please be quiet.”

Yoshinobu, meet Yoshi.

Join us at Dodger Stadium on 3/31 for the collab we’ve all been waiting for! Get your Yoshi Bobblehead presented by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Tickets are available now at https://t.co/DZQkfNeXIj. pic.twitter.com/wlfyVxn4lY

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 6, 2026

The video is hilarious. The symbolism is perfect. 

It’s the kind of strange, joyful collision that only sports can produce. 

For the Dodgers, this promotion fits neatly into their long tradition of bobblehead greatness. They already have other cultural crossovers planned this year already. Ice Cube in a low-rider, Shaquille O’Neal, even Kobe Bryant got a bobblehead last season wearing the iconic Lakers jersey while holding a baseball bat. 

The Dodgers open the gates on March 31 knowing something special is coming. A stadium full of fans. A sea of green bobbleheads bouncing in the night air. A video game character reborn in a baseball uniform.

Somewhere in the dugout, Yamamoto will probably shake his head and laugh quietly at the whole thing.

Because even a World Series MVP can’t escape becoming a dinosaur in Los Angeles.

Not when your nickname is Yoshi.

The Dodgers’ full bobblehead promotional schedule can be seen here. 

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Box Score

Milwaukee picked up its second straight spring win today behind strong showings from several of their top prospects. Jesús Made, Mike Boeve, Luis Lara, and Eric Bitonti all had RBIs as the Brewers defeated the Diamondbacks, 6-2.

Arizona got on the board in the first inning against Brewers starter Chad Patrick. Jacob Amaya hit a leadoff single, immediately followed by an Oscar Mercado double. That put runners on second and third with no outs, but Patrick bore down, striking out Jordan Lawlar for the first out. LuJames Groover grounded out to second for the second out, but merely putting the ball in play was enough to score Amaya for the first run of the game. Patrick then struck out Aramis Garcia to end the inning, but Arizona took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the first.

Milwaukee quickly tied the game up in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Jake Bauers failed to reach, but Brandon Lockridge singled and stole second to put a runner in scoring position for Christian Yelich, who struck out swinging. Akil Baddoo, however, did not, lacing a single into centerfield to score Lockridge from second.

The first batter that Patrick faced in the top of the second was Manuel Peña. With a 2-1 count, Patrick threw Peña a fastball up in the zone, and Peña sent it 433 feet over the fence to give the Diamondbacks the lead once again. Patrick would end up going three innings, allowing those two earned runs and five hits while striking out five.

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the sixth, when David Hamilton reached on a one-out single. Lara, Milwaukee’s No. 12 prospect per MLB Pipeline, smoked a double into right field to score Hamilton and tie the game. The next batter up was Made, who hit a hard ground ball that got by Diamondbacks second baseman Demetrio Crisantes, scoring Lara from second to give the Brewers a lead they would never relinquish.

The Brewers tacked on another two runs in the bottom of the seventh courtesy of an Akil Baddoo walk that preceded a two-out home run off the bat of prospect Mike Boeve. Milwaukee’s minor leaguers would add on another insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Made, leading off the inning, beat out a ground ball to Adrian Rodriguez at shortstop and took second on a throwing error. After Brady Ebel struck out, Eric Bitonti smoked a line drive that deflected off of first baseman Modeifi Marte’s glove and bounced into right field for a single. Made scored from second for the Brewers’ sixth and final run of the game.

As someone who follows the Brewers’ minor league system, it was really fun to see so many of the Brewers’ top prospects show up today. Made, Lara, Bitonti, and Boeve are all ranked as top 30 Brewers prospects by MLB Pipeline, and their efforts were the reason that the Brewers won this game. Milwaukee’s pitching staff also did a great job of shutting down the Diamondbacks’ offense. Patrick was the only pitcher to allow a run — Jared Koenig, Peter Strzelecki, Brian Fitzpatrick, Will Childers, Mark Manfredi, and Blake Holub all put together scoreless outings in relief of Patrick.

The Brewers will attempt to win their third straight contest against the Los Angeles Angels tomorrow. First pitch is slated for 2:10 p.m. CT.

Amidst the first full day of Western Hemisphere-oriented World Baseball Classic games, spring training took the back seat, if not a full day off broadcasting. Despite no TV broadcast, Seattle was able to benefit from a handful of its young and less-seasoned players taking turns in the limelight. The 5-1 win for the Mariners featured three shutout innings from LHP Kade Anderson and a pair of home runs by 2B Cole Young, along with another strong day at the dish for Spring Training standout OF Brennen Davis.

The main draw (for me, at least) in Friday afternoon’s tilt was another chance to hone in on Anderson. Seattle’s top pick a year ago looked sharp in his spring debut last Friday, and shone again this afternoon. Sometimes the box score lies, but between the broadcast, Gameday, and Kate sending video and feedback from the Surprise Stadium press box, Anderson looked and sounded sharp against a lineup full of big leaguers.

Facing Nimmo twice, and the rest of the lineup once, Anderson worked around a two-strike double from Ezequiel Duran to an otherwise tidy outing. Barrels were dodged like he was playing Donkey Kong, and Anderson said after the game it was a valuable experience to work through high-quality hitters when his stuff felt a step less potent than it had a week ago.

When you play at this level, there’s so many good hitters that you don’t even realize who’s up. It’s they’re all good. So when you really have that mindset, it really it helps you understand doesn’t matter who’s in the box, this is my plan.

Anderson’s command was, aside from the curve he’d have rather buried to Duran, solid. Our friends at Pitcher List have made the most of the universal Statcast data now broadcast out of every Spring Training park, showcasing Anderson’s efforts Friday afternoon. On a slider-heavy day, Anderson was highly effective and once again encouraging that his medley of options and strong command help him perform against top notch competition.

Though I think this undersells what Anderson was doing today, it’s an interesting visual for what does and does not make the southpaw effective. Namely, despite velocity and stuff that remains page-bound, hitters don’t seem to pick him up nor barrel him up often. With Bryce Miller still in a slightly hazy space in terms of his ramp-up time, Anderson will continue seeing chances against the first line of opposing batters.

Apres Kade, déluge non, a blessed mercy following Thursday’s slobberknocker. A solo shot to Evan Carter was the only thing of consequence yielded by Emerson Hancock, while he in recompense scoured the souls of four Rangers hitters, engaging his sweeper to great effect and looking as sharp as he’s been in three innings of his own.

The pitching staff as a whole was sharp, albeit with Casey Legumina, Cole Wilcox, and Robinson Ortiz all racking zeroes against the more zero-ish batch of Rangers substitutes they were matched against. 28 runs allowed over the last two days for the M’s pitching staff feels a little better than 27 over the previous one.

Speaking of runs a-loud, listen to these back-to-back:

Watch it fly, Cole! #TridentsUppic.twitter.com/AVADK6xIZ1

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 6, 2026

Young’s power hasn’t been central to his appeal as a prospect, although the titanic blast he sent last year reminded what he’s capable of at full bore. These max effort swings do seem a bit more geared towards damage, but it’s worth noting his second big fly today would’ve been a nearer thing in Seattle than in the Arizona elevation and heat. Young denied that he’s making any specific emphasis towards power this spring beyond trying to match the barrel to the ball when asked postgame, but acknowledged he’ll use “different types of swings” situationally and depending on the count.

Young’s hotter performance is unsurprising, even as he chuckled about another slow start at the plate this spring to mirror some of his challenges in 2025 upon his call-up.

It’s nice to come into the spring and, you know, fail the last year, fail a lot the last year, and just, you know, work on those failures this offseason and come back this year. Just, you know, being aware of what I need to do.

Those failures may have been challenging for Young, but he’s attempting to use them as context for his efforts this spring, where he’s the frontrunner for the Opening Day second base role so long as he continues hitting like he’s done most of his career.

Davis, by contrast, has little guaranteed. Still, he would’ve needed to Polo Grounds or old Tiger Stadium to contain his blast. The scorched 117 mph tater went nearly 440 feet to left center, and he tacked on another hit that got him driven in by Patrick Wisdom in the 5th. He was one of several players noted by manager Dan Wilson postgame for strong plate appearances, as well as a shoutout to the ongoing strengths of Cole Wilcox on display in the bullpen. The route to the bigs is still challenging for Davis without injuries, but it’s hard to see more that the righty could do on the field in a spring environment to give the club something to consider.

The M’s will be back in action Saturday, with Logan Gilbert on the hill in Peoria, hosting the Chicago White Sox on video through Mariners.TV at 12:10 PM PT.

Mets lineup

1. Marcus Semien – 2B
2. Carson Benge – RF
3. Francisco Alvarez – C
4. Ryan Clifford – 1B
5. Tyrone Taylor – CF
6. A.J. Ewing – LF
7. Austin Barnes – DH
8. Christian Arroyo – 3B
9. Vidal Bruján – SS

SP: Sean Manaea ( LHP)

Marlins Lineup

1. Xavier Edwrds – 2B
2. Heriberto Hernández – LF
3. Connor Norby – 3B
4. Christopher Morel – 1B
5. Maximo Acosta – SS
6. Kemp Alderman – RF
7. Brian Navarreto – C
8. Deyvison De Los Santos – DH
9. Andrew Pintar – CF

SP: Max Meyer (RHP)

Broadcast Info

First pitch: 7:10 PM EST
Radio: Marlins – MIA Audio

Pirates 2 Blue Jays 9

Not that it really matters, but it is nice to have a win.

José Berríos wasn’t great but only allowed 2 earned, with 5 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts and a home run. His ERA is now 3.38 on the spring. Normally, I’d say his spring training numbers don’t matter, but he had a bunch of stuff happen at the end of last season, so doing well will go a long way to make us, and the decision makers for the Jays, feel better.

Other pitchers:

• Jeff Hoffman: 1 clean inning, with a strikeout. He looked good.
• Jorge Alcala: 1 inning, 2 hits, 2 strikeouts.
• Tyler Rogers: 1 inning, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts. I love watching him pitch.
• Brendon Little: 1 inning, 1 walk, 1 strikeout.
• Tommy Nance: 1 inning, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts.

Offense, starters:

• Nathan Lukes: 1 hit, 1 walk, 1k, grand slam home run. .649 BA on the spring. I really want him to have a great spring, and, so far, he is. Not that I think a good, or bad, spring training will change a thing for his regular season playing time. But I still want him to to well.
• Davis Schneider: 0 for 3, 2 strikeouts. .063.
• Addison Barger: 0 for 1, 2 walks. .211.
• Daulton Varsho: 1 for 3. .412.
• Eloy Jiménez: 1 for 3. .391.
• Brandon Valenzuela: 1 for 2, walk. .333. We really don’t have enough Brandons, Brendons, Brendens, Braydons, and other guys whose names start with Br so I’m sure he’ll be on the roster at some point this season.
• Josh Rivera: 1 for 2, walk, k. .182.
• Rafael Lantigua: 0 for 3, k. .500.
• Riley Tirotta: 1 for 2, walk, k. .176.

Replacements:

• Yohendrick Pinango: 1 for 2, 2 RBI, home run. .125.
• Eddie Micheletti Jr.: 2 for 2, home run. .500. I love when guys who we don’t expect to be on the team at least for a year or two, hit a home run in spring. It is a nice way to get me to remember them and I’ll watch third minor league numbers a little more than others. I know one spring home run means nothing, but it makes me pay attention.
• Cutter Coffey: 0 for 2. .077. I still think he’s the best name in the organization.
• Johnatan Clase: 1 for 2, k. Triple. .286. I’ve liked watching his defense this spring. I know it has only been a few innings, but he’s looked more confident out there.
• Geovanny Planchart: 0 for 1. Sac fly.
• Aaron Parker: 0 for 1, k.
• Josh Kasevich: 0 for 1. .438.
• Carlos Mendoza: 1 for 1. .545.
• Sean Keys: 0 for 1, k.

The Jays are now 3-8-2 on the spring. Tomorrow they make the 15 minute drive to Clearwater to play the Phillies. Max Scherzer makes his first start. It is an 11:00 start.

Record 7-7. Change on 2025: +0.5. 5-inning record: 4-9-1.

The D-backs found themselves swept on both sides of today’s split squad double-bill, with fairly weak line-ups in both games. Starting off at Salt River Fields, a pair of three-run homers did all the damage as the White Sox blanked the D-backs 6-0. They were allowed by Landon Sims and Joe Ross; the latter came in to relieve Daniel Eagan with two outs and two on in the second, and didn’t. The best of the relievers for Arizona was likely Andrew Hoffman who struck out three batters in a scoreless seventh. The Diamondbacks were held to four hits and two walks: Angel Ortiz had the only extra-base hit, a double, as the team went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Over in Maryvale, the team did at least pick up a five-inning win, leading 2-1 at that point. But the Brewers scored five unanswered runs to beat the D-backs 6-2. Mitch Bratt started, and walked four over 2.2 innings, but gave up just one run on one hit, with two strikeouts. Bryce Jarvis tossed two scoreless, but Juan Burgos, John Curtiss and Taylor Rashi allowed five runs on six hits and two walks, over their three frames. Gavin Conticello and Demetrio Crisantes each went 2-for-3, while DH Manuel Pena had a homer and drew a walk. LuJames Groover drove in Arizona’s other run with a groundout.

Tomorrow, it’s back to one game: that comes at Salt River Fields against the Giants, with a 1:10 pm first pitch, and Kohl Drake starting for the Diamondbacks.

As the Mets continue camp this spring, here are the latest moves as New York cuts their roster to 26 active players ahead of Opening Day...

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March 6, 6:10 p.m.

The Mets have made another move prior to Friday's game, optioning Dylan Ross to Triple-A. 

Ross' early departure certainly comes as a surprise.

The hard-throwing right-hander finished with a 2.17 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 80 strikeouts in just 54 innings of work across three different levels of the minors last season. 

He earned a call-up to the majors at season's end, but never appeared in a game. 

Ross was viewed by many as one of the up-and-coming arms who could potentially crack the Opening Day bullpen, but instead, he's sent back down without appearing in a spring game. 

New York is now down to 67 players in camp. 

March 4, 4:45 p.m.

The Mets announced their second wave of cuts, optioning LHP Nate Lavender and C Chris Suero to minor league camp. 

Lavender, of course, was picked up by the Rays after being left exposed to the Rule 5 Draft last offseason. 

The southpaw wouldn't appear in a game all year, though, as his recovery following internal brace surgery didn't quite go as planned and he was returned to the Mets this winter.

Back with the organization, he'll look to prove that he can stay healthy to start the year.

Suero, one of the up-and-coming prospects in the organization, impressed during his time in big-league camp. 

The 22-year-old reached base three times over four games, including a homer.  

March 1, 4:50 p.m.

The Mets have optioned RHP Alex Carrillo to Triple-A. 

Additionally, LHP Anderson Severino and LHP Matt Turner have been reassigned to minor League camp.

The A’s were at home today at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona to face off against the NL West’s Colorado Rockies in Cactus League play.  J.T. Ginn got the start against Chase Dollander for the Rockies.

Ginn got off to a rough start giving up his first earned run of the season on a three-run homer to Brett Sullivan in the bottom of the first inning. But the A’s bounced back in the bottom of the inning with a Shea Langeliers double followed by a Max Muncy single. Muncy followed with a stolen base, his first of the spring, but was stranded on second.

In the second, Ginn gave up a Chad Stevens homers to center field to make the score 4-1, in favor of Colorado. Ginn ultimately pitched three full innings giving up four earned runs on four hits (two of them homers), two walks while striking out three Rockies. While it’s still early in the spring, only his third outing, I’m sure Kotsay was hoping for more from Ginn.

Luis Medina relieved Ginn in the fourth and promptly gave up two hits and his second earned run in as many innings. There will likely be more wiggle room for Medina since he missed all last year after his Tommy John Surgery and the fact that he’s out of minor league options.

Brooks Kriske replaced Luis Medina in the top of the fifth and he too gave up a home run, a two-run shot to center field to Kyle Karros bringing the score to 7-1.

Cade Marlow hit his first homer of the spring, his seventh hit in twenty at-bats, to tighten the score to 7-2 in the bottom of the sixth, but TJ Rumsfeld got that run back with the Rox fourth homer of the afternoon, this one off rookie reliever Kade Morris.

Colby Thomas got his first hit of the day in the seventh, a double driving in two runs to tighten the score to 8-5.

Morris continued to pitch three innings, giving up just that one earned run on two hits and a walk. He also struck out two Rockies. The Rockies tagged on two more runs in the ninth off Cole Miller, making his spring debut for the A’s. It was an inauspicious start, giving up three earned runs on two hits and two walks while not registering an out.

The A’s scored one last run in the bottom of the ninth on Thomas’ second hit and third RBI of the day.  That brought the final score to Rockies 11- A’s 6.

Hey everyone! It’s good to be back. Speaking of back, so are the Yankees, and they’ll be looking to wash away the aftertaste of yesterday’s 15-0 drubbing at the hands of the Twins. Their opponents today will be the Rays, with Cam Schlittler making his spring debut against Joe Boyle.

It’s hard to overstate the impact that Schlittler made as a rookie last year with the Bombers — and he only debuted in July! In his 14 regular season starts, Schlittler threw 73 innings of 2.96 ERA ball, with very good peripherals to boot. However, he saved his best work for the postseason, posting eight shutout innings with 12 strikeouts over the Red Sox in the winner-take-all Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. Though his next postseason start—Game 4 of the ALDS against Toronto—didn’t go as well, he still earned the admittedly dubious distinction of being the only Yankee starter to post a quality start in that series. This will be Schlittler’s spring debut, and I’m hoping it will be the harbinger for a strong sophomore campaign for the big guy.

Schlittler will duel against Joe Boyle, whose accolades include eight Oscars, all won for his 2008 film Slumdog Millionare, though die-hards still swear by his 1996 classic Trainspotting — oh wait, wrong Boyle. The Boyle starting today is less decorated than Danny, but that doesn’t mean he’s a pushover. Selected in the 12th round of the 2020 draft by the Reds, he made his MLB debut in 2023 with the Athletics, posting a 1.69 ERA over three starts. After a rough 2024, he was shipped to the Rays as part of a package for Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez, where he split time in Triple-A, where he was an International League All-Star, and the majors, where he posted a 4.67 ERA (4.19 FIP) and 58 strikeouts over 52 innings. Armed with premium stuff, the next step for Boyle is finding the strike zone with consistency. If he does, he’ll be a thorn in the Yankees’ side for the next few years.

The top of the Yankees’ lineup tonight features their big guns, sans Aaron Judge (leading Team USA tonight against Brazil in their WBC opener). Trent Grisham is in center field leading off, followed by Ben Rice at first, Cody Bellinger in left, and Giancarlo Stanton at DH. Ryan McMahon and Paul DeJong will be at third base and second base, batting fifth and sixth. Making his spring debut will be Oswaldo Cabrera—we love you Oswaldo!—coming back after a left ankle fracture ended his 2025 season in May. Max Schuemann will hit eighth and start in right field, and Payton Henry will don the tools of ignorance in the nine spot.

How to watch

Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL

First pitch: 6:35 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES Network

Radio broadcast: WDAE (Rays broadcast on MLB.tv)

Online stream: Gotham Sports Network, Rays.TV

For updates, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

The return of Oswaldo 😁#RepBXpic.twitter.com/v9GUUO61O8

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 6, 2026

Boyle on the bump 💪 pic.twitter.com/UyFciqIsVw

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) March 6, 2026

If you are going to produce few hits, might as well make them count.

The White Sox chased a morbid offensive effort on Thursday night with one not much better on Friday. The difference? Two of the hits left the yard, and with the sacks close to packed. Or, in other words: Five-hit games don’t result in wins very often — but six-run games sure do.

The key blow came early, as Oliver Dunn stepped to the plate with two on and two out in the second inning. Facing reliever Landon Sims fresh in from the pen, Dunn drove a center-cut, 92.3 mph fastball on 1-0 out 429 feet to right. Anyone questioning the strangeness of batting your designated hitter ninth in the lineup (uh, not me, no way) can pack those three runs home in their pipes and smoke ’em.

Just two innings later, it was Jarred Kelenic blasting another three-run shot, his first long ball with the White Sox. And even in the hot air of Arizona and Spring Training pitching always just one meltdown from defeat, Kelenic’s shot put the game away.

The game was over before its midpoint thanks to some outstanding pitching, as the White Sox arms put forth their best efforts thus far in 2026: Anthony Kay, Tanner McDougal and Noah Schultz took on all but two outs and combined to stifle the Diamondbacks on just four hits. None of the three had dominant K stuff rolling, but the White Sox defense backed each up on balls in play, keeping the game scoreless and the Dbacks frustrated.

Schultz in particular was outstanding, needing just 25 pitches to pocket seven outs. His removal with one out in the ninth rang a bit odd, but perhaps leaving right at 25 tosses meant the White Sox are working off a hard cap of 25-30 throws for the tall lefty rebounding from knee issues in 2025.

With the rout, the White Sox got back to better than .500, at 8-7, and return home tomorrow to take on Seattle in a CHSN/WMVP broadcast game. Leigh Allan (yes, undefeated on his four-game coverage season so far) will have your coverage.

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Right after the game, the White Sox announced one demotion to Triple-A and nine other reassignments from MLB camp, none of them surprising:

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The Atlanta Braves are continuing their spring training while some of their star players are off to the World Baseball Classic to include Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr. facing each other today. The Braves will face off against the Minnesota Twins with Reynaldo López taking the mound again.

One of question marks for López after coming off a significant injury was whether he could get his velocity back. Back in 2024, when he arguably had his best season of his career, he averaged 95.5 MPH on his fastball. López was already hitting 94 MPH back on February 19^th.

López has had positive results in spring thus far. He has pitched 5.0 innings while surrendering zero runs, only two hits and accumulating five strikeouts to only two walks. Of course, odds are it will be hard to replicate this over an entire season, but it is most certainly a positive sign.

Reynaldo Lopez consistently sat around 93 mph and hit 94 mph during the second inning of today’s live BP. He seems to be where he needs to be in February. He’s proven he can be effective at 94-95 with the ability to dial up 98 when necessary

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) February 19, 2026

It should also be noted that there is a fun stat on Baseball Reference that measures the opponent quality. It ranges from one being rookie ball to ten being a full MLB squad. So far López has a score of 7.0, which is equivalent of AA opponents.

It could be guessed before the lineup was dropped, but since the Braves are playing away from home, the lineup is largely full of players that will have minimal playing time in the regular season. Red hot Dominic Smith will get the start at 1B looking to boost his hopes for a roster spot now that Profar is done.

The Braves will face an outside-of-the-box trade option for them in Bailey Ober. Ober will be making his spring debut for the Twins who are already down a few rotation arms this year. It will be interesting to see if the Twins decide to go into a full rebuild mode this season.

The Twins’ lineup will feature former top prospect Royce Lewis, as well as old friend Orlando Arcia.

Game Notes

Time: 6:05 ET

TV: Gray TV

Streaming: MLB.TV (free game of the day)

Radio: ESPN 103.7/WIFN 1340

Friday notes…

• FORMER CUBS IN PADRES CAMP: Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Nick Castellanos.
• CUBS STAT LEADERS: (minimum 10 AB): OPS, Dansby Swanson (1.750). BA: Swanson and Dylan Carlson (.500). OBP: Carlson (.652). SLG: Swanson (1.100). HR: Swanson, Jefferson Rojas and Carson Kelly (2). SB: Scott Kingery and Pedro Ramirez (4).

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Under the lights! pic.twitter.com/DM04HwwtsE

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 6, 2026

Padres lineup:

Friday Night Lights pic.twitter.com/lVQMoCWqYo

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 6, 2026

Ben Brown will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Ethan Roberts, Ryan Rolison. Jack Neely, Collin Snider and Grant Kipp.

Germán Márquez will start for the Padres. Other Padres pitchers scheduled today: Marco Gonzales, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan and Jeremiah Estrada.

Today’s game will be televised by Padres TV. It will also be on MLB Network (no blackouts). There will be a radio broadcast via the Padres station KWFN 97.3.

MLB.com Gameday

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

Please visit our SB Nation Padres site Gaslamp Ball. If you do go there to interact with Padres fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 7:05 p.m. CT and 8:40 p.m. CT.

These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Carlos Lagrange continues to turn heads at Yankees camp. 

The young right-hander has arguably been one of the biggest standouts to this point, helping him receive some big-time praise from captain Aaron Judge. 

After a live BP battle between the two earlier in camp, Judge said that Lagrange has all the makings to be a top-of-the-rotation arm in the big leagues. 

On Friday, another Yankee great offered his two cents on the 22-year-old. 

This time, it was ace Gerrit Cole who was left blown away by the consistent heat he showed as the two completed their latest live BP session at Steinbrenner Field. 

“It’s like, silly, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Cole told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "I'm just blown away by the velocity every time."

Lagrange topped out at 101.5 mph during his three innings on Friday, and he only needed three pitches to dispose of Jasson Dominguez during their matchup. 

Dominguez is just the latest to fall victim to the 23-year-old’s heat. 

He’s punched out six batters and allowed just two runs (one earned) while topping out at 103 MPH over his first two Grapefruit League appearances. 

This has been just a glimpse of Lagrange’s big-time potential.

He racked up 168 punchouts last season in 120 innings between High-A and Double-A.

First Pitch (CT):5:05 PM
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: 830 WCCO/Audacy App
Know Yo’ Foe: Battery Power

What to watch: We’re on Roden CF watch yet again. With how well both he and James Outman have been playing this Spring, the Twins will have some hard decisions to make if a trade isn’t done before Opening Day. Also, Twins legends Kyle Farmer and DaShawn Keirsey are in the lineup for Atlanta!

Lineups

Twins	Braves
SP: Bailey Ober	SP: Reynaldo Lopez
1. Alan Roden, CF	1. Jorge Mateo, SS
2. Royce Lewis, 3B	2. Dominic Smith, 1B
3. Josh Bell, 1B	3. Jonah Heim, C
4. Trevor Larnach, LF	4. Brewer Hicklen, DH
5. Ryan Jeffers, C	5. Kyle Farmer, 3B
6. Matt Wallner, DH	6. DaShawn Keirsey Jr., RF
7. Kody Clemens, 2B	7. Luke Williams, LF
8. Orlando Arcia, SS	8. Aaron Schunk, 2B
9. Austin Martin, LF	9. Jose Azocar, CF