Saturday’s game began with Dustin May on the mound for the Cardinals and Jack Flaherty for the Tigers, but neither was sharp and the game ended up being a slugfest including a grand slam from Jordan Walker, but the Tigers would rock Dustin May and the Cardinals bullpen and win 11-6 after being called an official game by rain.
The scoring started early for the Detroit Tigers as they put 3 runs on the board in the bottom of the 1st inning on a single by Torres and a throwing error on Victor Scott II that allowed Keith to score. That was followed by a 2-run homer by Carpenter that put the Tigers up 3-0 in the first frame.
The Tigers would add to their lead with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 3rd inning by Carpenter. McKinstry homered in the bottom of the 4th inning and Vierling followed that with a sacrifice fly to give Detroit a comfortable 7-1 lead. Or, at least they thought it was comfortable as the St. Louis Cardinals came storming back in the top of the 5th inning as Alec Burleson doubled to left field scoring JJ Wetherholt who had walked. Jack Flaherty then had a hard time finding the strike zone as the Cardinals loaded the bases for Jordan Walker who unloaded them with a monstrous grand slam that traveled 459 feet and had an exit velocity of 113.7 mph.
The Detroit Tigers would strike back in the bottom of the 5th inning as McKinstry singled in Greene to make the score 8-6. In the bottom of the 7th Torres hit a drive to right field that Jordan Walker appeared to have caught, but his back hit the wall which allowed the ball to sail over his glove into the bushes for a home run making in 9-6 Tigers.
Matt Vierling hit another home run in the bottom of the 8th inning giving the Tigers their final score of 11-6. Dustin May’s final stat line was a disappointing 3 innings and a 1/3 giving up 7 earned runs on 7 hits. His ERA is now a hefty 15.95. The Cardinals bullpen including Svanson, Bruihl, and Roycroft were responsible for the other 4 Tigers runs. The game was finally delayed with one out in the 9th inning by rain before it was eventually called.
The Cardinals, now at an even .500 at 4-4 for the season, will try not to get swept by the Tigers when they play Sunday night. According to MLB.com, Kyle Leahy will make the start for the Cardinals while Keider Montero will take the mound for the Tigers.
Apr 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
A bullpen day this early in the season is tough, and many of the regulars are tired. But you can’t put Brandon Little into a one run game unless all of the other options are literally deceased. John Schneider did, and as a consequence the Blue Jays lost.
Of course, it isn’t all on Little. The Jays managed just two off Anthony Kay, which is its own problem. And bad base running and fielding compounded the issue. Regardless of how you attribute blame, it was a bad game to lose, and a bad way to lose it. The Jays now find themselves in the position of needing a win tomorrow to stay above .500 in the easiest stretch of the season. And they’ve suffered two major injuries in that stretch to boot. You can’t panic in a season as long as baseball’s, especially not in April, but fair to say the good vibes coming out of the gate have at least temporarily dissipated.
Grant Taylor was as untouchable as he was yesterday, opening the game by sitting the Jays down in order on 8 pitches. Mason Fluharty wasn’t as good today, giving up a one out single and a double off the left field wall to get into a jam. The lead runner came home on a sac fly, but he was able to get a pop out to stop the damage there.
Anthony Kay came on as the bulk guy for the White Sox in the second. Kazuma Okamoto worked a walk, but was traded for Ernie Clement on a fielder’s choice. Clement stole second to put a Jay in scoring position with two out. That almost paid off, as Myles Straw hit a hard liner, but it was right into third baseman Miguel Vargas’ glove. After a quiet third, Davis Schneider lead off the fourth with a ground ball single. Vlad came within about a foot of giving the Jays the lead, golfing a towering fly ball to the power alley in left that Austin Hays caught against the top of the wall. Okamoto lined a single that advanced Schneider to second. First baseman Munetaka Murakami booted a hard grounder off Daulton Varsho’s bat and all three runners advanced safely. Again they failed to capitalize, as Clement popped out and Straw flew out to left. Tyler Heineman was robbed of a hit by Vargas in the fifth on a scorched one-hopper, the only excitement in the inning.
They finally landed a punch on Kay in the sixth. Schneider worked a walk and Vlad didn’t miss on his second chance, launching a low slider 437 feet to left to put the Jays in front 2-1. Kay got Okamoto to ground out before being lifted for Chris Murphy. Murphy was able to hold it there, getting the next two batters.
Lazaro Estrada followed Fluharty for the Jays. He looked sharp in the second, setting the White Sox down in order. He got the first two batters in the third, but then walked Vargas, who was able to steal second. He escaped the jam by getting the dangerous Murekami to chase a high fastball for a strikeout. He issued his second walk, to Colson Mongomery, in the bottom of the fourth, but again got out of it with a line out and a pop out. The fifth was quieter, as he sat the White Sox down in order. In total, Estrada worked four innings, giving up two walks but no hits and striking out three. It was a clutch fill-in performance that took a load off the regular major league bullpen that it wasn’t in a good position to bear.
I guess deciding that they really didn’t need to win this afternoon after all, John Schneider called for Brandon Little to handle the bottom of the sixth. It took him five pitches to blow it, with Vargas doubling and Murakami launching a two run shot to dead centre field. A Montgomery solo shot one batter later gave Chicago an insurance run. Tommy Nance came in to mop up, preserving the deficit at 4-2.
Myles Straw bunted for a single to lead off and advanced on a Gimenez ground out. Heineman then lined a single to centre to bump Straw to third. That forced Murphy out of the game. Replacement Jordan Hicks walked George Springer to load the bases. Nathan Lukes was called on to pinch hit for Davis Schneider. He flew out to shallow right. It was just deep enough for the speedy Straw to tag and score, cutting the Sox’ lead to one, but Heineman foolishly tried to sneak into third behind him and got himself thrown out. That took the bat out of Vlad’s hands with what would have been the tieing runner in scoring position anyway. Just an unacceptable decision from a guy who should be one of their savviest players. Nance stayed in for a 1-2-3 bottom half.
Hicks got the first to Blue Jays in the eighth before giving way to Sean Newcomb, who walked Varsho but got Clement to ground out. Braydon Fisher took the home half and looked tired, missing spots and getting hit. He walked Vargas, got Murakami to line out, and gave up a hard line single to Hays. He got Montgomery swinging for the second out. Luisangel Acuna then tapped a grounder to Clement at second. Ernie didn’t have a play at first, but for some reason Vargas rounded third, and Clement was able to toss it to Okamoto to get him in a rundown. So far so good. But then Heineman sailed the second throw of that rundown into left, allowing two runs to score. Acuna tried to come to third and was tagged out, ending the inning, but the damage and embarrassment were done and the White Sox lead 6-3.
Addison Barger hit for Straw to lead off the ninth, facing Seranthony Dominguez, and worked a walk. Gimenez grounded into a fielder’s choice for the first out. Jesus Sanchez, hitting for Heineman, lined a broken bat single to left, bringing the tieing run to the plate. Springer couldn’t do anything with the opportunity, striking out swinging and neither could Nathan Lukes, who grounded out.
Jays of the Day: Estrada (0.18), Vlad (0.16),
Less So: Little (-0.44), Fisher (-0.10, but only because he eats the WPA hit for Heineman’s error), Lukes (-0.17), Clement (-0.16), Gimenez (-0.13), and Heineman (who doesn’t have the number but who richly deserves it)
One more game in the series, tomorrow at 2:10pm ET. Eric Lauer (1-0, 3.38) is set to start after being bumped back from today’s appearance due to illness. Hopefully he’ll be able to go, as the bullpen is gassed. Davis Martin (1-0, 5.40) goes for the Sox.
Today’s expected roster move, Cade Horton to the IL and Riley Martin called up, has not been officially announced yet by the Cubs. When it is, I’ll have a separate post on the front page.
Saturday notes…
STREAKING THE WRONG WAY: The Cubs have lost six straight games at Cleveland: two in 2021, three in 2024 and yesterday. That is their second-longest losing streak at any American League city. They lost eight in a row at New York in 2005-22 (12 including two each in the 1932 and 1938 World Series). They dropped five in a row at Detroit (2001-15), Minnesota (2006-12) and Toronto (2014-22). (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE NICO FILES: Nico Hoerner has a six-game on-base streak in which he is batting .350/.462/.550 (7-for-20) with four doubles, four stolen bases and five walks. He continues to lead MLB with the four steals.
STEALING BASES: The Cubs have eight steals, ranking fourth in MLB, and have not yet had a runner thrown out trying to stea.
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Jake Arrieta threw seven shutout innings and the Cubs won 9-0 on Opening Day in Anaheim. It happened 10 years ago today, Monday, April 4, 2016.
Shōta Imanaga’s first 2026 start wasn’t terrible… but it wasn’t all that good, either. He allowed one home run, unfortunately that came with two men on base. Hopefully he can keep the ball in the ballpark this evening. He did strike out seven Nationals in that first outing.
His outing last year against the Guardians, July 2, 2025 at Wrigley Field, was a similar game to his first start this year, except with more home runs (three solo homers). So, again, keeping the ball in the yard would be the key to his success, I’d think.
You’ll note in the graphic below that he averaged 92.1 miles per hour on his fastball in his first start this year. That’s up significantly from last year’s 90.8 miles per hour. If he can maintain that, this should be a good year for Shōta.
Slade Cecconi got torched by the Mariners in his first 2026 start last Sunday in Seattle — 4.1 innings, six runs allowed. He threw 93 pitches and, as noted, did not finish the fifth inning.
He has never faced the Cubs. Only two Cubs — Alex Bregman (0-for-4) and Michael Conforto (0-for-3) have ever faced him.
Today’s game is on Fox-TV (regional — coverage map, scroll to the bottom of that link for the map). A reminder that if you have MLB.TV or MLB Extra Innings, you can watch this game via those services even if it’s not on the Fox-TV affiliate in your market. Fox announcers: Adam Amin and John Smoltz.
Please visit our SB Nation Guardians site Covering The Corner. If you do go there to interact with Guardians 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.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Apr 4, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Zach McKinstry (39) receives congratulations from catcher Dillon Dingler (13) after he hits a two run home run in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The Tigers made it 2-0 at home and 4-4 overall with a convincing show of power on Saturday. The pitching, particularly Jack Flaherty, was pretty sketchy, but four home runs from the Tigers set things right in a game that devolved into a slop fest in the bottom of the eighth and top of the ninth, inducing a lengthy delay and full shenanigans mode from the broadcasts as the tarps were pulled with one out in the final frame. After a lengthy delay, the game was finally declared official with the rain showing no sign of letting up.
A newly engaged Jack Flaherty took the mound looking to bounce back after a messy first outing of the season. Things stayed messy for a few minutes. The right-hander fired three straight balls to rookie J.J. Wetherholt, fought back in the count, and then walked him anyway. Wetherholt stole second with ease, and Flaherty nicked Ivan Herrera with a fastball to dig himself an early hole.
He did bounce back, however. A flurry of breaking balls punched out Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman grounded out on the first pitch he saw, advancing the runners. Jordan Walker stepped in and Flaherty got ahead 1-2. A slider bounced and got away from Dingler. Wetherholt broke home but Dingler recovered and got the ball back to Flaherty at the plate. Wetherholt retreated, but there was a possibile play on Herrera retreating to second, but Flaherty decided to calm things down and focus on the batter. He dialed up 96 mph and Walker got locked up to end the inning.
Things would eventually get extremely messy for Flaherty again.
Colt Keith started things off for the Tigers and immediately did damage. That damage was in the form of a smoked ground ball off starter Dustin May’s lower leg. Keith reached with a single, and May needed a while to shake that one off. Once he did, he locked up Kevin McGonigle with a high sweeper that found the zone.
May dropped in another high sweeper to Gleyber Torres in an 0-1 count, and that pitch was something to watch out for as it’s both sneaky and crushable. May missed twice to make it 2-2. The next sweeper got inside-outed by Torres, lining a single to right that sliced away from center fielder Victor Scott II. He briefly misplayed it, Joey Cora initiated the windmill protocol, and Keith raced all the way around first to home for a 1-0 lead. Kerry Carpenter stepped in, got back to back changeups away, and flicked the second one the opposite way for a two-run shot. 3-0 Tigers.
May, perhaps shaking off the effects of Keith’s ball, walked Riley Greene, but was firing 97-98 mph in there, getting Dillon Dingler on a high fastball tipped into the glove. Zach McKinstry worked a 2-2 count, really pushing May’s early pitch count, but Riley Greene ran on a high sweeper and was thrown out by Pedro Pages to end the inning.
Flaherty punched out Thomas Saggese to open the second, but he walked Nathan Church, and then a fourseamer sailed in on Pages and nicked him for a second hit batter. The Cardinals helped him out with a Scott sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Wetherholt fought off a couple of good breaking balls, but Flaherty reared back and blew him away with a high fastball to escape again.
McKinstry and Torkelson both struck out after somewhat lengthy at-bats to start the bottom of the second. May wasn’t getting any whiffs in the zone and was already dumping in five different pitches to keep hitters off balance as he felt for his command. He didn’t find it against Parker Meadows, issuing a two-out walk as his pitch count reached 55. That brought Keith back around, and he ripped another hard shot into right center field this time. Unfortunately, while Meadows cruised to third, Keith tried to stretch it into a double, but Jordan Walker in right cut him down at second.
Maybe stop running on Jordan Walker guys.
Herrera jumped on a get me over 91 mph heater for a double to open the third, and Burleson grounded out to first, getting Herrera to third. Flaherty punched out Gorman with the high fastball, and another pair of well located fastballs put Walker down 0-2. but he spat on a few breaking balls and eventually got the high fastball, pulling it into left field for an RBI single. Saggese grounded out to Keith at third to end it, but Flaherty’s pitch count was up to 60 and on pace to require at least four innings from the bullpen.
With Justin Verlander hitting the 15-day IL and Keider Montero not stretched out fully to start, A.J. Hinch was going to have some tricky decisions as to how to use his long relievers in this one.
While I pondered the contingencies, Kevin McGonigle led off the bottom of the third with a solid single up the middle. A wild pitchto Torres got away from Pages, and McGonigle beat feet to second. In a 2-2 count, Torres thoughtfully stayed inside a 2-2 May offering to bounce one to the right side and move McGonigle to third. Carpenter then did his job as well, lifting a fly ball out to Scott in center. McGonigle tagged and Scott’s throw was wide. 4-1 Tigers. Greene lifted a towering flyout to left to end the inning.
After some shaky command early on, Flaherty got himself pretty dialed in and that produced a quick fourth. Church popped up a first pitch slider to open the fourth, and he carved up Pages for his sixth strikeout for good measure. Scott flew out to McKinstry in right to end a pretty snappy inning. Just what the doctor ordered for Flaherty.
May clipped Dingler with a fastball that sailed inside to start the Tigers half. McKinstry fell behind 0-2, but May tried to drop in a sweeper and left it up a bit. McKinstry launched it to right for a two-run shot and a 6-1 lead. Torkelson grounded out, but Meadows hammered a drive deep to left center field and Scott and Church didn’t communicate well and it dropped in with Meadows flying around the bases to third for a triple. That was it for May, as left-hander Justin Bruihl came out of the Cards’ bullpen.
That got Hinch to pinch-hit in Matt Vierling for Keith. I get Hinch wanting to get Vierling into the game as he hasn’t had much work so far, but it’s pretty tough to put Keith’s hot bat out of the lineup. Still, moving McKinstry to third and Vierling in the game in right field improved the defense with a big lead, and so was hard to argue with. Vierling did the job, lifting a fly ball deep enough to left that Meadows tagged and scored easily. 7-1 Tigers. McGonigle grounded out to end the inning.
As good as Flaherty looked for a few innings, Tigers fans know he can completely lose the plot at times, and that quickly unfolded in the fifth. Flaherty hit his third batter to open the fifth, yanking a one-hopped changeup into Wetherholt’s leg. As hot as Wetherholt has been early on, that’s not the worst outcome, but it was another leadoff man reaching. He followed that up by walking Herrera in classic Flaherty rollercoaster fashion. Burleson got a first pitch knuckle curve down and drilled it into the left field corner, and just like that Flaherty was crumbling. 7-2 Tigers. A walk to Gorman followed, and a pretty good outing for Flaherty went completely sidewise as Drew Anderson entered with the bases loaded, no outs, and a run already in.
It’s worth noting that Drew Anderson has been in a starting role the past two years and is entirely unused to this scenario. You can’t plan for your starter melting down that quickly. Still, the job is the job, and Jordan Walker got a 1-0 fastball on the inner edge and torched it deep to left center for a grand slam. 7-6 Tigers.
Woof. Quadruple woof. Would we even drink without a bullpen to fear? We may never find out.
Anderson got two quick outs after the salami, but then sailed a breaking ball that hit Pages for the Tigers fourth hit batter. Brant Hurter was warming. Anderson punched out Scott to finally end a nightmare inning for the Tigers, but it was a whole new ballgame.
Torres struck out and Carpenter lined out to second against Bruihl, but Riley Greene drew a two-out walk. Oli Marmol turned to RHP Matt Svanson to face Dingler. The Tigers’ catcher challenged a called strike three and won, and ultimately walked as well. That brought up McKinstry, and he ripped a single through the right side to score Greene for an 8-6 lead, and he and Dingler advanced on a throw into home. Torkelson made a bid, but it fell short on the warning track in left to end the inning.
Hurter came on in the sixth, continuing the irritation by throwing six straight balls, walking Wetherholt, but getting Herrera to ground to Torres, who got the out at second on a bang-bang play. Burleson grounded to Torkelson, who fired to McGonigle at second and the Tigers’ shortstop gunned it to Hurter at first for the ol’ 3-6-1 double play.
Svanson threw a 1-1 cookie to Meadows to start the bottom of the sixth, and he lined it to left for a leadoff single. Vierling then grounded into a double play, and McGonigle popped out to send up to the seventh.
With storms working into Wayne County, holding the lead was crucial in the seventh, and Hinch went to Will Vest. He blew away Gorman for the first out and got ahead of Walker 0-2. The athletic right fielder got to 1-2, and flicked a slider down below the zone off the end of the bat for a single to center. Vest picked off Walker, but Walker just kept running, beating Torkelson’s throw to second. Maybe his cleat came off the bag, but the Tigers didn’t challenge. Vest dug in and refuted the Cardinals attempt at scoring by getting routine grounders from Saggese and Church to end the frame.
That was huge. The lead was still 8-6 as the groundscrew got the tarps prepped. Gleyber Torres helped the cause with a drive to right that just cleared the wall and Walker’s outstretched glove for his first homer of the year. Hey, the power showed up. Three homers on the day was what the doctor ordered. Home cooking, folks. 9-6 Tigers.
Carpenter made a bid to right field but came up short, and Riley Greene grounded out. The Cardinals had missed a couple of challenge opportunities in the game, but they finally used one on a two strike pitch to Dingler and won, striking him out.
Tyler Holton took over in the eighth, and Marmol pinch-hit right-hander Ramon Urias in for the catcher Pages to get the matchup. Holton somehow managed to nick Urias to give up the leadoff baserunner. That made six total hit by pitches in this game, five of them from Tigers’ pitching. Yahel Pozo pinch-hit for the center fielder Scott as the rain started falling in Comerica Park.
Holton got Pozo to ground into a double play 6-4-3, and that was well timed, as Wetherholt singled to right field. Holton and Herrera locked into a lengthy battle as fans fled the seats for the concourse. Torkelson laid out on a 2-2 foul flare beyond first base but just couldn’t make the play. The next pitch was a grounder up the middle with McGonigle playing toward third base against the right-handed hitter. Torres ranged deep beyond second base to make the play and fired a long off-balance throw to get the out at first. Nice play. 9-6 Tigers headed to the bottom of the eighth.
Right-hander Chris Roycroft took over for the Cardinals, and now it was really dumping down rain as Zach McKinstry stepped into the box. He grounded out, but Torkelson sprayed a cutter the opposite way for a single. Meadows took a called strike three on a good pitch on the inner edge. With rain falling down the brim of his helmet, it was Matt Vierling who provided the thunder, hammering an opposite field shot over the right field wall for an 11-6 lead. Four home runs for the Tigers today, and further justification for Hinch’s decision to insert Vierling.
Ok that’s great, but let’s move this along guys. Kevin McGonigle isn’t going to give up on an at-bat no matter the scenario though. He challenged a called strike and was, of course, correct, drawing a two-out walk. Roycroft walked Torres as well, and we salute all the fans who brought ponchos or simply accepted the deep, thorough soaking being delivered to stay in their seats. Carpenter struck out, moving us mercifully to the ninth with Kenley Jansen coming on as he’d been warmed up throughout the whole inning prior to Vierling’s shot.
The veteran closer took over and now it was absolutely pouring and Jansen was just trying to get a grip. He walked Burleson, but Jansen dusted Gorman with a high cutter, and that was it as conditions were downright ridiculous. Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson called for the tarp as Jansen and Burleson laughed about the absolute downpour they were playing in.
Dirks began lecturing on proper tarp unrolling technique with Benetti, and it was time to just wait for this game to be called official. The broadcast crew took viewer questiosn, and we learned about the wonder of leeches in Michigan ponds, the cost of a tarp ($7000-$10,000), and there was brief consideration of trying to set a record for most people to macarena at once with the remaining home crowd, which Tiger would make the best world leader (Dingler, McKinstry, and Will Vest all drew consideration) and so on.
Finally the game was called with the rain showing no sign of letting up, and the Tigers moved to 4-4 on the year.
The Tigers finished with 12 hits, 4 homers, and 6 walks drawn in this one. With Justin Verlander on the IL, Keider Montero will get the start on Sunday evening as the Tigers look to get on the good side of .500 before heading to Minnesota for four starting on Monday.
The Yankees began the season with a four-man rotation thanks to the many off days they had, but now that they're about to get back to their normal schedule, Luis Gil's return is around the corner.
Before Saturday's game between the Yankees and Marlins, manager Aaron Boone was asked about Gil's potential return to the starting rotation. The Yankees skipper said that Gil will pitch Sunday in Triple-A and then will join the team for his turn in the order.
"With the off day, we’ll take our normal turn through [the rotation]," Boone said. "He’ll be that fifth starter after [Ryan] Weathers’ next one."
Weathers is set to pitch Saturday night, and Max Fried will pitch the series finale on Sunday. The Yankees have Monday off before hosting the Athletics for three starting Tuesday. That series will see Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Weathers pitch before they head down to Tampa to take on the Rays. The series opener on Friday is when Gil is set to make his season debut.
Gil is coming off an injury-plagued 2025. He made 11 starts and pitched to a 3.32 ERA, but wasn't as effective as he was the previous season when he won AL Rookie of the Year.
With so many starters vying to come out of camp, Gil lost out to the current batch of arms, largely due to his subpar spring.
Gil made six spring starts and allowed 11 runs (10 earned) in 19.1 innings pitched. While he struck out plenty of batters (24), he just couldn't keep the opposing team off the board consistently enough.
It should be noted that Gil dominated his final spring start. Going up against the Orioles, Gil struck out seven batters and allowed just one hit and one walk across five scoreless innings.
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 15: Manager Brian Snitker #43 of the Atlanta Braves exchanges lineup cards with Manager Stephen Vogt #12 of the Cleveland prior to the game between at Progressive Field on Friday, August 15, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Can’t say that you can really blame the Braves for not changing anything… did you know they have a better record than the Dodgers right now? This will their fifth time using this lineup in nine games.
The Diamondbacks are making a few changes. Adrian Del Castillo missed the first few games of the season with a calf issue, but is back DHing and hitting fifth. He’s hit pretty well in the minors but has a sub-.300 xwOBA in the majors, even if his career wRC+ is 111 because he massively outhit hit xwOBA back in 2023. The Braves will also get another look at Jose Fernandez, who hit two homers in his MLB debut but hasn’t done anything since.
Every Brave in the lineup has faced Michael Soroka at least once, with the exception of leadoff hitter Ronald Acuña Jr. However, the PA tally is limited — Dominic Smith leads the gang with a whopping six PAs. Collectively, we’re talking about a .392 wOBA and .333 xwOBA in all of 20 PAs.
Six Diamondbacks in tonight’s lineup have faced Bryce Elder before, and the success level has been meh in a small sample: 31 PAs and a .335 wOBA, but a .296 xwOBA. Only Nolan Arenado has double-digit PAs against Elder, and he’s the one guy that hasn’t hit Elder well in terms of either inputs or outputs.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 02: Starter Ryne Nelson #19 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the fifth inning at Chase Field on April 02, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It’s early days, but we had seen each starting pitcher for the Diamondbacks once this year. That’s surely plenty to be able to make a pronouncement about who’s going to be our Cy Young candidate for 2026, isn’t it? Things do get a little more complex because of the injury situation. Merrill Kelly is going to get his season under way when everyone else has already had a couple of starts ahead of him, and theoretical “ace” Corbin Burnes will not be taking the mound until even later in the schedule. These factors, and the lack of any obvious answer, is exactly why we had this week’s poll. And the envelope, please:
Despite a wobbly first start – and a second one which was not much better (including the unearned runs, anyway) – the SnakePit is still keeping its faith in Ryne Nelson. That’s understandable: his body of work last year after coming into the rotation was impressive, and a couple of shaky outings don’t negate all that. However, I’m very concerned about the peripherals. Nelson has walked (6) almost as many as he has struck out (7), and the long-ball problem from last year seems to have got worse so far, with four homers allowed in only 9.1 innings. Indeed, so far Ryne has allowed one hit which didn’t leave the yard, for a BABIP of .043. That’s going up, I suspect.
The impressive first outing by Eduardo Rodriguez certainly opened eyes, and helped boost him into third place. Last night’s game made him the first Arizona starter since Curt Schilling in 2002 to open the season by throwing consecutive games without allowing an earned run [some pitchers have done it in their first two starts, such as Nelson in 2022, just not right at the beginning of the year]. Probably the biggest surprise might be the low level of support, down in single figures, for Merrill Kelly. I get him not out-performing Nelson based on 2025 numbers, but I definitely expected him to come ahead of E-Rod and Gallen. Zac hasn’t been truly good since the first half of 2024, with an ERA from July 1, 2024 of 4.62 across 51 starts.
It’ll be interesting to revisit this around the All-Star break, and see whether opinions have changed, with a bit more significant of a sample size to look at.
Oct 31, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) throws a pitch in the ninth inning for game six of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Tyler Glasnow makes his second start of the season for the Dodgers (5-2). Right-hander Jake Irvin starts for the Nationals (3-4).
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Expert MLB moneyline picks for April 5
Orioles vs Pirates: Pirates (-122)
Pirates win probability: 55%
Braxton Ashcraft pitched well in his debut, but the Pirates lost 2-0. However, the outing showed command and should help build confidence.
I’ll back him against Chris Bassitt in this matchup. Expect a sharper effort and better run support overall.
Dodgers vs Nationals: Dodgers (-186)
Dodgers win probability: 65%
Roki Sasaki vs. a back-end starter is a significant talent gap on the mound.
The Dodgers' lineup will chase Foster Griffin early, and they have a good enough bullpen to get the job done.
Marlins vs Yankees: Yankees (-285)
Yankees win probability: 74%
Max Fried is dominant at home, and Chris Paddack has never fully recovered his early-career form after Tommy John.
Miami's small-ball approach is the worst style to bring against a shutdown lefty.
Padres vs Red Sox: Padres (+122)
Padres win probability: 45%
Walker Buehler is a proven veteran arm and is coming off a tough start, but Ranger Suarez is a gas can that the Padres' lineup can hammer for a solid road win.
Expect a bounce-back outing for Buehler and a Padres plus-money victory.
Cubs vs Guardians: Guardians (+104)
Guardians win probability: 49%
Parker Messick shut out the Dodgers in his opening start and gets a Cubs offense that has scored fewer than three runs in three of their last five contests.
The Guardians’ sticks should get the best of Edward Cabrera and his history of command issues.
Brewers vs Royals: Royals (-122)
Royals win probability: 55%
Kyle Harrison is a quality young arm, but Kris Bubic is coming off a two-hit outing against the Twins.
Bobby Witt Jr. hits .313 lifetime at home against lefties, and I expect the Royals to win.
Rays vs Twins: Rays (+104)
Rays win probability: 49%
Nick Martinez has the sharper stuff right now and looked solid in his first outing. Simeon Woods Richardson is steady, but his history against this Rays lineup is sketchy.
Tampa Bay needs a win and gets it on Sunday.
Blue Jays vs White Sox: Blue Jays (-177)
Blue Jays win probability: 64%
Eric Lauer faces Davis Martin, and the gap is clear. Martin profiles as a replacement-level arm, while Toronto’s lineup should create plenty of chances regardless.
The price is steep, but the talent edge heavily favors Toronto.
Reds vs Rangers: Reds (+117)
Reds win probability: 46%
Chase Burns is a legitimate arm, and Elly De La Cruz has been on a tear.
The Reds' offense will inflict enough damage against Jack Leiter, and Burns should hold up his end for a solid road win.
Phillies vs Rockies: Rockies (+186)
Rockies win probability: 35%
Taijuan Walker has been a disaster early in 2026, and Coors is the last place you want to back him.
Tomoyuki Sugano looked sharp in his first start, holding Toronto to two hits, and while he's prone to the longball, so is Walker.
Back Colorado in what shapes up as a high-scoring slugfest.
Astros vs Athletics: Astros (-117)
Astros win probability: 54%
Houston starter Lance McCullers opened the season with a dominant outing, while Jacob Lopez walked five and got lit up in his first start.
The Astros' offense has been clicking at twice the rate of Oakland's. Take Houston to prevail.
Mets vs Giants: Mets (-104)
Mets win probability: 51%
Kodai Senga gets a generous matchup against a struggling Logan Webb.
Webb coughed up nine earned runs and five walks over his last two starts.
The Mets got the lumber going on Friday night, and with Webb hard to trust right now, I'll back the Mets.
Mariners vs Angels: Mariners (-170)
Mariners win probability: 63%
Luis Castillo is a true top-of-rotation arm going up against Angels starter Ryan Johnson.
Johnson got lit up in his first start, and the Mariners offense will likely chase him early.
Seattle has dominated the Halos in recent history and is a good bet to secure another road win.
Braves vs Diamondbacks: Diamondbacks (-104)
Diamondbacks win probability: 51%
Brandon Pfaadt is 16-7 at home over the last two seasons, and Arizona beat Detroit despite him struggling in his last outing.
Atlanta will likely go with a bullpen game in this one, so I'll ride with the Diamondbacks at home.
Cardinals vs Tigers: Cardinals (-104)
Cardinals win probability: 51%
Keider Montero steps in for injured starter Justin Verlander.
Kyle Leahy has decent command, and St. Louis gets a favorable matchup against a Tigers bullpen posting a 4.58 xFIP.
Back the road dogs at -100.
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The Houston Astros (5-3) travel to the Athletics (2-5) this afternoon in Sacrament0 in the second game of a three game series.
Astros game three starterRHP Tatsuya Imai will make his second start of the season for the Astros, this time opposite RHP Luis Morales and the Athletics.
Saturday’S TILT: The Astros and Athletics will play the second game of their three-game series this afternoon as Houston looks to bounce back after last night’s loss.
ON THE HUNT: RHP Tatsuya Imai is making his second career start after getting knocked around in 2.2 innings in game four. He carries am 13.50 ERA with four strikeouts and four walks.
Imai did not give up any runs this spring in more than ten innings of work. He is coming in off a sparkling career in the Japanese Professional League and remains a high ranking rookie of the year candidate this season.
ASTROS VS. Morales: The Astros are squaring off against Morales for the first time. He pitched in only ten games last year as a rookie.
RIVALRY VS. THE ATHLETICS: The Astros and Athletics have squared off 182 times in their history. They have a 101-82 against the Athletics in their lifetime. However, the Athletics were 8-5 against the Astros in the 2025 season and 0-1 so far on the 2026 season.
MR. 500: LF Yordan Alvarez recorded his 500th career RBI last night on a sac-fly RBI in the third inning…became the 15th player in franchise history to record 500 RBI…is also the fastest player in franchise history to record 500 career RBI doing so in just 685 games, passing 1B Jeff Bagwell, who recorded 500 RBI in 717 games.
BALTIMORE, MD - MARCH 29: Shane Baz #34 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 29, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Probable pitchers: RHP Shane Baz (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4 K) vs. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (0-0, 4.15 ERA, 8 K)
Where to watch: MASN/MASN+
The Orioles’ Game 1 loss in Pittsburgh followed the same script we’ve seen far too often this young season: the starting pitcher gives up a big inning early and the offense struggles to claw the O’s back into the game. Friday night, the O’s fell just short, with Pete Alonso striking out against former Oriole Gregory Soto to seal a 5-4 loss. This afternoon, Baltimore will look to get off to a faster start and tie the series with the Pirates at one game apiece.
Offseason acquisition and newly minted $68M man Shane Baz will take the ball for the O’s, looking to improve on his first start in the black and orange. Like Kyle Bradish yesterday, Baz ran into early trouble in his Orioles debut vs. the Twins. In the 2nd inning of his start vs. Minnesota, Baz allowed the first four base runners to reach before allowing a bases-loaded double that put Baltimore in a quick 4-0 hole. The 26-year-old right-hander would rebound from there, keeping the Twins off the scoreboard from there and giving the offense the time to rally back for an 8-6 win.
Still, a final line of 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER and 4 K was a disappointing debut for the hard-throwing righty, especially coming immediately in the wake of his five-year contract extension. Baz could have the perfect “get-right game” opportunity against the Pirates, however. In his only previous meeting with Pittsburgh, at the start of last season with the Rays, Baz blanked the Buccos over six innings while collecting 10 strikeouts. That outing came in the hitter-friendly confines of Tampa’s temporary home at Steinbrenner Field, meaning Baz may get even more of a boost in the more pitcher-friendly PNC Park.
However, yesterday’s matchup showed that this is a different Pirates offense in 2026. After finishing last in runs, home runs and OPS in 2025, the revamped Pittsburgh order is putting up nearly five runs/game through their first seven games of 2026. Konnor Griffin, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, sparked yesterday’s game-defining rally for the Pirates with an RBI double in his first career AB. Oneil Cruz, former AL East rival Brandon Lowe and former Oriole Ryan O’Hearn have also been crucial for Pittsburgh’s offensive revival.
Opposing Baz and looking to shut down the Baltimore bats is 27-year-old right-hander Carmn Mlodzinski. The South Carolina native began last season in the Pirates’ rotation, but ultimately ended up back in the bullpen after posting a 5.67 in nine starts and spending a month in Triple-A.
The O’s will look to pounce on Mlodzinski early, as the righty has a 4.45 career ERA as a starter (compared to 2.71 as a reliever) and only averages just over 3.1 IP per start. The former first-round pick out of South Carolina did look solid in his first start of the year against the Mets, posting a line of 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER and 8 K. Mlodzinski is also a reverse splits guy, with opposing RHBs posting an OPS 43 points higher than LHBs. That could set up well for Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso, who have already gotten off to strong starts at the top of the Orioles’ order.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 03: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with James Wood #29 after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After a deflating blow out loss yesterday, the Nats have to get back on track. That will not be easy against the mighty Dodgers. Hopefully the Nats pitching can give them a better chance of success this afternoon. The Nats have had a mostly positive start, but the vibes will turn sour if this losing streak extends.
The Nats are making a couple of changes in the lineup. Brady House will be back at third base. Curtis Mead will make his Nats Park debut and play first base. That means Luis Garcia Jr. will slide to DH. Jorbit Vivas is preferred to Nasim Nunez at second today. The Nats will continue to rotate at catcher, with Drew Millas behind the plate today. Jake Irvin was sharp in his first start, but he will need to limit the long ball today.
There is only one change to the Dodgers lineup. They have an old friend in the lineup, with Alex Call hitting ninth and playing left field. Otherwise, it is the same faces who terrorized the Nats yesterday. Blake Butera has talked about the depth of this lineup a couple times, and it is really crazy to see. Tyler Glasnow will be on the mound.
The Nats have been hitting the ball well, but the pitching has been a problem at times. Jake Irvin looked sharp in his first start, but the Dodgers will be a massive test for him. We will see if he is up for the challenge. Follow along in the comments and let’s go Nats.
The Philadelphia Phillies have won three in a row, including a 10-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies in the opener of their series on Friday night. Jesús Luzardo is scheduled to start for the Phillies against Brennan Bernardino.
How to Watch Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 28, 2026: Sammy Peralta #57 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws a pitch during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Fields of Phoenix on February 28, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies announced Saturday afternoon that they had claimed left-handed reliever Sammy Peralta off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Rockies have optioned Peralta to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.
Peralta, 27, is not related to left-handed reliever Luis Peralta, who is also currently in Albuquerque. He was originally selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 18th round of the 2019 draft out of the University of Tampa. He made his big league debut with the White Sox in 2023 and posted a 4.37 ERA over 45 2/3 innings across parts of two seasons with 37 strikeouts and 24 walks.
Since 2024 Peralta has spent time with multiple organizations—including several individual stints with the White Sox—and was briefly called up by the Los Angeles Angels in 2025. Over five appearances with the Angels he yielded 12 runs—nine earned—over 10 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and six walks.
Peralta utilizes a mix of five pitches, none of which average more than 89 MPH: a slider, a sinker, a changeup, a four-seam fastball, and an occasional sweeper.
To clear space on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher McCade Brown has been moved to the 60-day injured list.
Brown, 25, made his MLB debut directly from Double-A last season. He posted a 7.36 ERA over seven starts and struck out 23 batters through 25 2/3 innings. Brown missed the entirety of spring training with right shoulder inflammation. He was most recently schedule to throw batting practice against live hitters on March 28th.
The Chicago Cubs (3-4) face the Cleveland Guardians (5-3) in the second game of their series. The Guardians won the opener 4-1 on Friday. The starting pitchers are Shota Imanaga for the Cubs and Slade Cecconi for the Guardians.
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