Category: Baseball

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Thirty-four hitters went deep yesterday, and I couldn't land one.

Today, on the small slate, I'm going square and hitting familiar names. No +1100 dingers with 200 points of expected value for me today. It's Thursday, and I'm just playing the MLB player prop hits.

The Phillies have a great backdrop with winds blowing out at Wrigley, and the Yankees can club a Triple-A call-up at Fenway. Plus, I'll tell you why Byron Buxton is a great bet to go yard yet again.

These are my favorite home run props for Thursday, April 23.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Bryce Harper	+370
Ben Rice	+520
Byron Buxton	+360
💲Today's HR parlay	+11961

Bryce Harper (+370)

Wrigley Field has to be on the HR card today, as it’s easily the best setting for a dinger.

Double-digit winds are blowing out to left field, which should aid hitters going that way, and Edward Cabrera is a fly-ball pitcher who has been lucky so far with zero homers allowed.

On the Philadelphia Phillies side, both Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper have gone deep vs. Cabrera, but I’ll take Harper at a 110-point discount. Adolis García (+410) also projects well, but I’m not getting cute — sticking with the top-end bats.

There are plenty of lefties in the Chicago Cubs bullpen, and Harper has been better vs. lefties this year. His 42% hard-hit rate leads Philly hitters, and I’m rolling with brand-name bats today.

• Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, NBCSP

Ben Rice (+520)

The New York Yankees bats have a chance to do damage at Fenway Park today with Payton Tolle starting for the Boston Red Sox.

The lefty is filling in for an injured Sonny Gray, and if his prior MLB numbers are any indication, he’s likely to give up homers.

Tolle allowed five long balls over 16+ innings last year, and Boston could be leaning on its B-bullpen as a decent home dog.

When it comes to Yankees hitters, Ben Rice might not be the obvious top option, but it’s hard not to call him their best bat right now. He’s second on the team in homers and has four over the last seven days. He also leads the club in wRC+, wOBA, and WAR, while slugging .743.

He’s not just hot — he’s been one of the most productive hitters in baseball to start the season. At +520, he’s my favorite look in a strong home-run spot for New York.

• Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NESN+, YES

Byron Buxton (+360)

Let’s back the hot hand in Byron Buxton, who has gone deep in back-to-back games and has all five of his homers this year over his last eight games.

His +360 price still shows positive expected value, with a fair range around +320/+330. 

The Minnesota Twins face call-up Christian Scott, who gave up eight homers in just 47 innings last season. He struggles to keep the ball on the ground, posting 94 fly-ball outs to just 49 ground-ball outs last year.

This sets up as one of the hottest bats in the league against a fringe MLB starter and a league-average bullpen.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Twins.TV, SNY

Today’s HR parlay

Bryce Harper	Bet Now +11961
Ben Rice
Byron Buxton

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

1919
Perhaps the most talented White Sox team ever opened the season in St. Louis and destroyed the Browns, 13-4. The offense pounded out 21 hits, which remains tied for 40th-most ever by the White Sox in a game. Lefty Williams got the win, throwing a complete game.

Six months later, after winning the American League pennant, the ‘‘Black Sox’’ threw the series and lost to the Cincinnati Reds. Eight players would be banned the following year, including Williams, and the only franchise capable of stopping the emerging New York Yankees juggernaut was decimated. 

1939
Marv Owen rapped out four doubles in a 17-4 rout over the Browns, tying Mike Kreevich’s club record as well as the major league mark. Kreevich’s achievement had come two seasons earlier, on Sept. 4, 1937.

Owen led off for the White Sox in the win, going 4-for-6 and scoring four times — but with zero RBIs! Kreevich was also in the lineup for the game and had a big one, tripling and homering as part of a 2-for-5, four-RBI game. The Sox clubbed seven doubles and 11 XBH of their 19 hits in the game.

Sadly, though, this blowout performance was a rare highlight of 1939 for Owen, as he hit only five other doubles all season (slashing .237/.302/.284) and clocked in with a miserable -0.8 WAR for the season.

1949
White Sox lefthander Billy Pierce won his first major league game. Pierce threw almost four innings in relief of starter Al Gettel and got the decision in a 12-5 win over the Browns at Comiskey Park. 

Billy would win 186 games with the Sox, make the All-Star team seven times, throw four one-hitters and finish with 211 wins overall in his brilliant career.

1955
The White Sox collected 29 hits and hammered the Athletics, 29-6, at Kansas City. Every starter had at least one hit, including starting pitcher Jack Harshman.

The 29 runs were a major league record that stood until 2007, and remains tied with three other teams for second-most ever. The 23-run margin of victory remains the biggest in White Sox history, and the 29 runs and hits both remain team records.

The Sox hit seven home runs that night, which remains tied for the franchise-most in a game. Bob Nieman went 3-for-4 with two homers and seven RBIs. Sherm Lollar and Minnie Miñoso added five RBIs apiece. 

Perhaps most unique of all, with two hits in both the second and sixth innings, Lollar became the only player in MLB history with two hits in two separate innings of a single game.

1981
The White Sox erupted with 21 singles and 26 hits in an 18-5 doubleheader opener win. The Sox scored in every inning but the seventh and eighth, and put up seven-spots in the fourth and sixth. The top of the order (Bill Almon, Tony Bernazard, Carlton Fisk) went 10-for-17 with nine singles. Richard Dotson threw a complete-game win. The White Sox also took the nightcap, 5-3, improving to 7-3 on the season.

The 21 singles and 26 hits remain tied for the second-most in White Sox history. That hit and run total also were the most record in the American League during the 1981 season.

One oddity, this doubleheader was supposed to be on an off-day, but games earlier in the series postponed due to cold and snow forced this busy day.

1990
It was an unusual event, even for an exhibition game. Utility player Steve Lyons played all nine positions for the White Sox during the annual “Crosstown Classic” game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Manager Jeff Torborg moved him all over the field during the contest, won by the Sox, 6-5. It was an incredibly exciting finish, as outfielder Dave Gallagher threw out the potential tying run at home plate to end the game.

1991
A silly citation, perhaps, but when Orioles hurler Dave Johnson hit Carlton Fisk with a pitch leading off the second inning of a 10-4 White Sox win, it was the first hit-by-pitch at new Sox Park.

The New York Yankees, ranked first in the AL East with a 15-9 record, face the Boston Red Sox, who are fifth in the AL East with a 9-15 record. The New York Yankees are favored with a -150 moneyline compared to the Boston Red Sox's +125. Starting pitchers are Cam Schlittler for New York and Payton Tolle for Boston.

How to watch New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

• Date: Thursday, April 23

• Time: 6:10 p.m. ET / 3:10 p.m. PT

• Where: Fenway Park, Boston, MA

• TV Channels: FS1, NESN+, YES

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• New York Yankees: 15-9 (first in AL East)

• Boston Red Sox: 9-15 (fifth in AL East)

Odds (via BetMGM)

• Spread: New York Yankees -1.5

• Moneyline: Boston Red Sox +125 / New York Yankees -150

• Over/Under: 8

Starting pitchers

New York Yankees: Cam Schlittler (2026 stats: 2-1, ERA: 1.95, K: 36, WHIP: 0.76)

Boston Red Sox: Payton Tolle (2025 stats: 0-1, ERA: 6.06, K: 19, WHIP: 1.59)

Series: Game 3 of 3

Weather: 60°F at first pitch

It was an action-packed day in the Dodgers minor league system, with an extra game as the Tulsa Drillers played a doubleheader against Frisco. Blake Snell made a rehab outing and took the loss as Ontario faced San Jose.

Player of the day

For nearly five whole innings, Charles Serwinowski was absolutely flawless against the Roughriders, delivering his finest outing of the year. The left-hander kept the ball in the ground, allowing just two flyouts, and quite often, the RoughRiders didn’t even put the ball in play, striking out eight times and walking none.

Overall, in what turned out to be only a seven-inning affair as the Drillers won comfortably 7-0, nearly half of their outs came by way of the strikeout, with Kelvin Ramirez coming on in the seventh. Serwinowski left the game with a little over 80 pitches, earning his first win of 2026.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Guess who’s hot again? None other than James Tibbs III, who was one of the protagonists of a high-scoring win for the Comets over the Rainiers. The cleanup hitter, Tibbs III, was responsible for the Comets’ only homer of the game in this 9-7 victory, smashing a three-run shot in the third.

It was a lousy day for pitchers on both sides, with the two offenses combining for 19 walks and only 10 strikeouts. Still, under that context, one is encouraged by the fact that Christian Romero allowed just a pair of runs in his five innings of work, another minor leaguer who earned his first win of 2026.

Leadoff hitter Ryan Fitzgerald also had a fine showing, reaching base in three of his five plate appearances with a couple of knocks and a walk. Fitzgerald is now up to a .373 batting average this season.

Double-A Tulsa

Tulsa hammered Frisco on both legs of this doubleheader, winning by a combined score of 17-6. The first of these games was a quick one, which we already touched on in the Player of the Day section—the RoughRiders had no shot against a dominant Serwinowski, and the five runs were more than plenty from the Drillers’ offense, whose only extra-base hit came from their ninth hitter, Sean McClain, a triple by the way. Josue De Paula was their most prolific hitter, going three for four with a run and one RBI.

The 12-6 score might indicate smooth sailing for the second win, but it was the opposite. Trailing 6-1 by the fourth inning, the Drillers had to mount quite the comeback, overcoming a forgetful effort from starter Roque Gutierrez.

Much like it was the case in game 1 of this doubleheader, the Drillers did all of their scoring without the benefit of long balls. Catcher Nelson Quiroz, who came in for the second of these games, earned four hits in five plate appearances, the most in this game. Scoring half of their 12 runs in an eighth-inning rally to take a commanding lead, the Drillers had a great game with runners in scoring position (6-18).

The bullpen also deserves congratulations for shutting the door on the RoughRiders, covering six scoreless frames after the initial blowup. The veteran Nick Robertson, who covered two of those innings, earned the win, and is now 3-0 on the season.

High-A Great Lakes

The Loons won 9-5, but what to make of a game in which your starter allows seven walks in just 3.1 innings? Well, that’s what happened with the Loons against the Sky Carp, as Jakob Wright seemed to battle himself more than anything else—considering he only allowed one hit and a pair of runs—keeping the Sky Carp from capitalizing on what could’ve been a truly disastrous outing.

Action on the basepaths was behind this win for the Loons, with just second baseman Nico Perez stealing a whopping four bases in the game, finishing 2 for 3 but reaching base four times, also with a pair of walks. Overall, the Loons were outstanding on the basepaths, stealing six bags and not getting caught once.

Responsible for the Loons’ only home run of the evening, designated hitter Mike Sirota reached base safely five times, going three for four and also earning a pair of walks.

Class-A Ontario

The 4-2 defeat by the Tower Buzzers takes a backseat to Blake Snell’s rehab appearances in San Jose, with the left-hander laboring through 32 pitches in what turned out to be just one inning of work since he didn’t retire any hitters in the second before leaving the game.

Outhit 10-4 in a matchup marked by defensive errors on both sides—seven of them total—the Tower Buzzers didn’t score until the eighth inning, and they did so in the most discouraging way if you’re seeking a comeback, on a couple of outs, a sac fly, and a ground out.

Wednesday’s scores

• Oklahoma City 9, Tacoma 7
• Frisco 0, Tulsa 5
• Frisco 6, Tulsa 12
• Beloit 5, Great Lakes 9
• San Jose 4, Ontario 2

Thursday’s schedule

• 9:05 a.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Logan Allen) vs. Tacoma (Randy Dobnak)
• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Sean Patick) at Beloit (TBD)
• 4:35 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Patrick Copen) at Frisco (Winston Santos)
• 6:00 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at San Jose (TBD)

The Los Angeles Dodgers, tied for first in the NL West with a 16-8 record, face the San Francisco Giants, who are fourth in the NL West with an 11-13 record. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -160 moneyline compared to the San Francisco Giants' +135. Starting pitchers are Tyler Glasnow for the Dodgers, with a 3.24 ERA, and Logan Webb for the Giants, with a 5.10 ERA.

How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants

• Date: Thursday, April 23

• Time: 3:45 p.m. ET / 12:45 p.m. PT

• Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA

• TV Channels: NBCS BA, SportsNet LA

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Los Angeles Dodgers: 16-8 (tied for first in NL West)

• San Francisco Giants: 11-13 (fourth in NL West)

Odds (via BetMGM)

• Spread: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5

• Moneyline: San Francisco Giants +135 (40.9%) / Los Angeles Dodgers -160 (59.1%)

• Over/Under: 7.5

Starting pitchers

Los Angeles Dodgers: Tyler Glasnow (2-0, ERA: 3.24, K: 29, WHIP: 0.84)

San Francisco Giants: Logan Webb (2-2, ERA: 5.10, K: 27, WHIP: 1.40)

Weather: 63°F at first pitch

Shohei Ohtani struck out seven in six scoreless innings on Wednesday night against the San Francisco Giants, continuing his strong pitching start to 2026. He’s gone exactly six innings in each of his four starts and has only allowed two runs, one of them earned.

That gives Ohtani a minuscule 0.38 ERA so far this season, currently atop the National League. He doesn’t lead the majors because Angels right-hander José Soriano has been even more stingy, allowing only one run in 37 2/3 innings for a 0.24 ERA.

Ohtani will be on the leaderboard for one day, until Thursday when the Dodgers play their 25th game. Ohtani has 24 innings, and pitchers need at least one inning per team game played to qualify. He has been atop the NL in ERA after each one of his starts, continuing his league leading on an intermittent basis.

Ohtani pitched six scoreless innings on March 31 against the Cleveland Guardians, in the Dodgers’ fifth game of the season. His 0.00 ERA was tied with 17 other qualified National League pitchers at that point.

The Dodgers played their sixth game of the season on April 1, but didn’t play their seventh game until April 3, so Ohtani had two more days still with enough innings to qualify. At the end of the day on April 1, Ohtani was one of eight qualified NL pitchers with a 0.00 ERA, a group that trimmed down to six pitchers on April 2.

Ohtani made his second start on April 8 in Toronto, and pitched six more innings to give him 12 innings through the Dodgers’ 12 games to that point. He allowed one run that night to the Blue Jays but it was unearned, keeping his ERA at 0.00. Through April 12, Ohtani was tied with Eduardo Rodríguez of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Bryce Elder of the Atlanta Braves for the league lead.

The Dodgers were off on April 13, giving Ohtani one more day on the leaderboard, and through that day it was just him and Elder at the top with a 0.00 ERA.

The Dodgers using a six-man rotation meant Ohtani didn’t pitch again until April 15, the team’s 18th game of the season. He pitched exactly six innings again, giving him 18 innings and one more day of qualifying. The New York Mets scored a run off Ohtani, who also struck out 10 that night in the win and led the NL by himself with a 0.50 ERA. A Dodgers off day on April 16 meant another day for Ohtani atop the NL ERA heap.

On Wednesday against the Giants, Ohtani’s six scoreless innings gave him 24 innings through 24 Dodgers games, and one more day atop the NL.

Ohtani will fall off the pitching leaderboard on Thursday, when the Dodgers play their 25th game, and will likely continue most of the season. That’s the nature of being a two-way player and in a six-man rotation. It’s going to be hard for Ohtani to get to 162 innings on the season. In his three best pitching seasons with the Angels (2021-23), Ohtani pitched 130 1/3 innings, 166 innings, and 132 innings. He finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022, the one year he qualified for pitching leaderboards.

Here are the dates Ohtani has led the NL in ERA to date in 2026:

• March 31: 0.00 ERA (tied with 17 others)
• April 1: 0.00 ERA (tied with 7 others)
• April 2: 0.00 ERA (tied with 5 others)
• April 8: 0.00 ERA (tied with 2 others)
• April 9: 0.00 ERA (tied with Bryce Elder)
• April 15: 0.50 ERA
• April 16: 0.50 ERA
• April 22: 0.38 ERA

After a two-day hiatus as a designated hitter, Drake Baldwin is back behind the plate and catching the Braves’ series finale at Washington Thursday afternoon.

No doubt it’s smart to sneak in some days off and this stretch of 10 games in as many days certainly takes a toll. But it’s good for the Braves to have Baldwin behind the dish once more as it paves the path for Dominic Smith’s return to the lineup and designated hitter role on Thursday.

Smith, after playing in nine of 10 games earlier this month, has been on the bench in each of the last two. He’s hitting seventh Thursday and will look to continue to add to his gaudy RBIs rate of 17 in 18 games this season.

Michael Harris II remains in the sixth hole for the second straight night after homering twice on Wednesday, and Mike Yastrzemski is all the way down to the nine spot in the order as he looks to break out of his extended slump to begin his Braves tenure.

Yastrzemski is one of only two current Braves who has faced Washington starter Cade Cavalli. He’s 0-for-3 against him with a strikeout. Bench player Kyle Farmer is the other and has had more success, going 2-for-3 with a double against Cavalli, who will be making his first start against Atlanta.

The Nationals shuffled some players and the batting order from Wednesday’s lineup. DH José Tena (0-for-8 with four strikeouts in this series) was moved up from the eighth spot in the lineup to third. Third baseman Brady House is getting an off day, replaced by Jorbit Vivas, who moves over from second base and will hit eighth. Nasim Nuñez (.181 average but 10 stolen bases in 22 games this season) is filling in at second base and hitting seventh.

Considering 22-year-old right-hander JR Ritchie is making his major league debut on the mound for the Braves, no one in the Nationals lineup has ever faced him before at this level. The lineup presents a tougher task for Ritchie that one would think based on recent production in this series.

The times, they are bad.

The vibes, they are also bad.

Pretty much everything associated with the Phillies right now is bad. Nothing is going right and the product on the field is approaching (if it hasn’t already reached) unwatchable. Change has been demanded by many that follow the team, but realistically, what can they do? What are some of the change

Firing a member of the coaching staff/manager

The one that many seem to want now is for the manager to be fired. Rob Thomson’s seeming complacency with all that is happening around him makes those on the outside feel as though he doesn’t care or is implicit in the team’s demise. To an extent, there is truth there. He has made some baffling decisions in his tenure, but so does any other manager. Ask the Dodgers fanbase what they thought of Dave Roberts prior to their opening up the checkbook even wider and started winning World Series titles.

However, Dave Dombrowski has already come out and said that firing Thomson is not going to happen. That makes sense since a lot of this early season struggle is on the players’ heads instead of the manager’s.

Now, firing a coach, particularly a hitting coach? That is something that may have to be considered. The team’s offense is the largest target of ire and has been for some time (even though they usually are in the top half of the league in runs scored). Yet this stretch that is currently happening, there are many players that just seem broken beyond repair, even for a coach as good as Kevin Long. Maybe a new voice should be heard in the batting cages under the stadium.

Release a player

Maybe the group needs a shakeup.

Maybe they need to see that no one is safe.

Maybe they need to see that when the performance doesn’t match the expectation level given, a change needs to be made.

Now, realistically, we know that a lot of the players will not be straight up released. The dead salary and importance to the roster construction as it currently is means they are sticking around no matter what.

But what exactly is going to happen with Taijuan Walker? Once Zack Wheeler returns, what purpose does he serve? Sure, he could be a long reliever in the bullpen, but wouldn’t simply rotating that roster spot be a better usage of it than whatever it is that Walker is giving them right now? They saw that in Nick Castellanos and did away with his tenure (even though these are way different circumstances outside of the actual performance on field). Does it solve all the problems the team has? No, but maybe simply showing anyone that might be frustrated within the clubhouse that the front office actually cares may be enough. [UPDATE: they did!]

Alter the batting order

Wednesday night’s lineup, where Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner swapped spots was at least a “try something different” moment. Using Felix Reyes as a cleanup hitter is at least something they can try as well.

The lineup hasn’t been good enough that anyone on the team should be considered locked into a spot right now, so maybe a bit more experimentation needs to happen.

Make a permanent lineup change

Alec Bohm needs to be moved out of the lineup at this point. Regardless of what his outside issues are right now, he is unplayable in his current state. For a team that considers itself one able to chase down a World Series trophy, they have dug themselves such a hole that getting out of it is going to mean riding some hot hands whenever they arrive and moving out cold hands if a better option is available. For example, if Harper runs cold, there really isn’t anyone else that can do his job. But with Bohm, they at least have Edmundo Sosa willing and able to play the position and hit in the lineup.

That change should have already happened.

It could be a permanent thing for only a week, giving Bohm time to get his head straight before he returns. It could be something they leave until Sosa himself runs ice cold, something he has been prone to do in the past.

For a team that has lost eight games in a row, it’s something that needs to happen.

Promotion from the minor leagues

Seriously though, who else is left? Is there anyone else at Lehigh Valley that can come up and do a better job? Judging from some of the reports we’ve seen, Reyes was probably the best option and they pulled that lever. Had Aidan Miller been healthy and productive, we might have seen that happen by now, but he’s not.

For better or worse, they’re stuck.

What we’re seeing now is a roster that is ice cold and incredibly unlucky at the moment. That combination usually leads to bad results and it has to the tune of an eight-game losing streak that really doesn’t look like it will end any time soon.

But what else can they actually do that they haven’t already done?

Worcester: L, 6-7 (BOX SCORE)

Anyone noticing Dave O’Brien and Lou Merloni having some sophomoric fun during the Red Sox’s second consecutive scoreless game by repeating the 6-7 meme about, as our own Bryan Joiner put it, “about 6-7 months late”, the scoreboard of the WooSox game has some bad news.

The game looked to be heading in a different direction following another fantastic start by Jake Bennett. He’s now got 21 innings under his belt to start 2026, and tonight marked just the second run he’s allowed. The Mets contributed all of their offense in the middle innings and kept the WooSox at bay enough to retain a one-run lead in the late going. But, still, folks might be a bit curious about why Jake Bennett remains on this Worcester roster and Double-A standout Eduardo Rivera was allowed to pitch 3 1/3 scoreless against the Yankees. Still, Bennett’s got some control left to master before he becomes yet another big lefty to debut.

Portland: L, 8-13 (BOX SCORE)

Is a .450 batting average almost three weeks into the season good? Is five home runs in two weeks good? After watching the Red Sox infield looking lost at the plate, I won’t blame you if you’re hoping for Franklin Arias to keep climbing the development ladder until he eventually “saves the season,” even though he’s only 20. Still, Arias’ offense as well as Tyler McDonoughs’ home run was no match for the team allowing eighteen hits to the Yard Goats (Rockies AA). Arias’ emergence raises the question: does this organization wait too long to strike when the prospect iron is hot, promoting only when the iron is no longer hot? It happened with Roman Anthony, and it’s currently happening with Payton Tolle to some degree. Please, Craig, give the man a ladder!

Greenville: W, 11-10 (F/10) (BOX SCORE)

Yoelin Cespedes went 3-for-5 with two doubles against Asheville (Astros High-A) and helped put the Drive into prime position to pull the game within reach in the ninth inning. Isaiah Jackson made the unthinkable happen with a bases-loaded, two-out grand slam to tie it up, and Salem did its thing from there. Jackson’s home run was spectacular, bringing the team from a 4.5% chance of winning all the way back. Justin Gonzales’ two-RBI double was a mark that signified that the ten-inning affair was practically two separate games.

Salem: : L, 6-7 (F/10) (BOX SCORE)

Oh, make it the 6-7 madness stop! The Nationals walked off the RidgeYaks in a fashion that may not have even warranted such a close game if not for Jacob Mayers’ strong performance. Salem actually started this game down 6-0 in short order, but couldn’t quite take this game even with two home runs in the 8th and 9th frames. Salem struck out 14 times and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. It was just a matter of what team wanted to lose less, and on Wednesday, it was not Salem.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (12-8) POSTPONED

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (10-7) won 12-1 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board first thanks to a Ferreras 2 run HR in the 4th inning. Mayer got the start for the Hooks and pitched well allowing 1 run over 4.1 innings while striking out 8. The Hooks added on getting 2 runs in the 7th on a Baez 2 run double and 2 runs in the 8th on a Guillemette single. The pen was great tossing 4.2 scoreless innings as they closed out the win.

Note: Ferreras has 3 HR, 12 RBI in 15 games this season.

• Will Bush, C: 1-for-4, BB
• Trevor Austin, 3B: 1-for-5, RBI, SB
• Joseph Sullivan, CF: 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 SB
• Walker Janek, DH: 0-for-3, R, BB, SB
• Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 1-for-2, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Garret Guillemette, 1B: 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, SB
• Luis Baez, RF: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

• Bryce Mayer, RHP: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 10ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Railin Perez, RHP: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (WIN)
• Derek True, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (4-13) lost 11-10 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville jumped out to an early lead getting a Frey RBI single in the first, Powell RBI groundout in the second and Holy RBI groundout in the third. In the 4th, the offense added 2 more on Nunez and Frey groundouts. Santos got the start for Asheville and pitched well allowing 2 runs over 5.1 innings. Asheville would get 2 more in the 7th on an error and Rosario single and then 2 more in the 8th on a Call 2 run triple. Serrano pitched in relief but struggled allowing 7 runs, including 5 in the 9th as the Drive tied it. The game went to extra innings and the Drive scored two in the top of the 10th. Asheville got one back in the bottom but that was it as they fell 11-10.

Note: Thomas has a .992 OPS this season.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 2-for-3, R, 2B, 3 BB
• Alejandro Nunez, 2B: 1-for-6, R, RBI
• Ethan Frey, LF: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
• Jason Schiavone, 1B: 1-for-5, R, RBI, BB
• Chase Call, RF: 2-for-5, R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI
• Max Holy, SS: 0-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB
• Hemmanuel Rosario, C: 3-for-5, R, RBI
• Caden Powell, DH: 1-for-5, R, RBI

• Yeriel Santos, RHP: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Jose Serrano, RHP: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (5-12) won 12-8 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning on a Neyens RBI single and Huezo sac fly. In the 2nd inning, Cauro added a 2 run home run. The offense rallied for three more runs in the third on a Flores RBI double and Diaz 2 run home run. Potter got the start and went 3 innings allowing 1 run. He was relieved by Oakes who allowed 3 runs over 3.1 innings. The offense blew it open scoring 5 runs on a Sierra RBI single, Alvarez RBI triple, Neyens RBI single, Monistere RBI triple and Huezo RBI single. Baez allowed 4 runs in relief but the pen held on for the 12-8 win.

Note: Diaz has a .967 OPS this season.

• Kevin Alvarez, RF: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 3B, RBI
• Xavier Neyens, SS: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
• Nick Monistere, 2B: 1-for-3, R, 3B, RBI, SB
• Anthony Huezo, CF: 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI
• Arturo Flores, 1B: 1-for-5, R, 2B, RBI
• Camilo Diaz, DH: 1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI
• German Ramirez, 3B: 1-for-3, R, BB, SB
• Juan Sierra, LF: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI
• Carlos Cauro, C: 2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI

• Nick Potter, RHP: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Kellan Oakes, RHP: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Jhoster Baez, RHP: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 0 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Jason Alexander – 5:05 CT

CC: James Hicks – 6:35 CT

AV: TBD – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 5:35 CT

Yesterday was a tough day for the Friar Faithful.

The San Diego Padres broke up a three-game win streak, falling 8-3 to the Colorado Rockies. They’ll now play their second consecutive rubber match today hoping for a series victory.

The problem lately has been scoring runs, and that problem finally reared its ugly head when the Padres’ pitching faltered for the first time in the last three games. It hadn’t been an issue until now.

The Friars managed to barely scratch seven runs across the board before yesterday. But it hadn’t mattered because they limited opponents to two runs in that same time span.

That was not the case on Wednesday night. Walker Buehler gave up four runs in only 2 2/3 innings, and none of the San Diego relievers pitched a scoreless outing.

The one shining star of the night was Luis Campusano. He went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run, notching the only extra-base hits the Friars had on Wednesday’s game.

It’s easy to look at an offensive dry spell like this and fear the worst but, remember, it wasn’t long ago the Padres had an even worse time scoring runs than they do now. And that ended with an eight-game win streak and the second-best record in baseball.

Taking the mound

Ryan Feltner (COL) v. Matt Waldron (SD)

Feltner has had a rough start to 2026. He’s pitched to a 6.00 ERA across 18 innings and his last outing against the Friars didn’t exactly go well.

In the Padres’ 9-5 win over Colorado two weeks ago, Feltner surrendered six runs. He was chased from the game after only four innings and earned the loss after giving up seven hits (two homers) and three walks to the Friars.

He’ll have to look a whole lot better to beat San Diego this time. Padres hitters have a combined .342 batting average 12 RBI against the right-hander.

With San Diego looking to take the rubber match over the Rox today, they’ll need Waldron to look a lot better than he did last week against the Los Angeles Angels. He gave up six runs that night in only 3 2/3 innings pitched.

The good news? Waldron’s knuckleball should work fantastically in the high-altitude environs of Coors Field. Key word: should. If his knuckleball isn’t on point, then Rockies hitters will have a fun time running up the score today.

Batter up!

With everyone hitting pretty good versus Feltner, the starters will likely be in for San Diego. Nick Castellanos (in spite of his defensive miscues at first base yesterday) could start in the DH spot with a career .333 BA (12 AB) against Feltner. But Miguel Andujar (.600 BA, 1.600 OPS) could start there as well.

The rest of the lineup feels pretty solidified:

1. Ramón Laureano, LF
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
3. Jackson Merrill, CF
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Miguel Andujar, DH
7. Gavin Sheets, 1B
8. Luis Campusano, C
9. Jake Cronenworth, 2B

It’s possible manager Craig Stammen gives one of his top five a day off, possibly slotting in Bryce Johnson in somewhere for one of the starting outfielders (maybe Merrill?). But apart from that, the lineup feels pretty set.

Campusano could potentially get the start over Freddy Fermin despite starting yesterday’s game. He had a great offensive showing in yesterday and has the better career numbers against Feltner. That being said, Stammen could still tab Fermin to maintain an even balance between the two backstops.

Relief corps

Like I said, none of the Padres’ relievers exited Wednesday night unscathed. Kyle Hart, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta combined to allow four runs across 5 1/3 innings. The only good thing about that? There’s plenty of high-leverage options available out of the ‘pen.

Jason Adam, Ron Marinaccio, Adrian Morejon, Bradgley Rodriguez and closer Mason Miller will all be on call for today’s series finale. Marinaccio or Rodriguez will likely be out first, as both are able to cover multiple innings.

Adam and Morejon can cover multiple innings as well, but the Padres have shown a preference for using them as specialty instruments as opposed to blunt-force tools.

Miller is one inning away from tying the franchise record for scoreless innings set by Cla Meredith (33 2/3 IP). He could very well accomplish that feat today. If the Friars have a lead in the ninth, he’ll be the only one heading to the mound.

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The Philadelphia Phillies lost to the Chicago Cubs on April 14, and the Phillies have dropped another seven straight since while the Cubbies haven't lost.

Wrigley Field will play host to their series finale on Thursday, April 23, and my top Phillies vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks are calling for the North Siders to fly the W and hand Philly a ninth consecutive loss.

Who will win Phillies vs Cubs today: Cubs moneyline (+107)

The Philadelphia Phillies have lost eight straight while scoring just 16 total runs.

I’m confident starter Cristopher Sanchez (1.59 ERA and 2.21 xFIP) will pitch well, but the Chicago Cubs are cruising along on an eight-game winning streak while averaging 7.25 runs pergame. They also rank second in wOBA against lefties for the year.

Chicago starter Edward Cabrera has been effective with a 2.38 ERA. His 4.32 xFIP and 4.24 xERA highlight he’s overachieving, but as noted, the Philadelphia lineup is scuffling and ranks last in wOBA during the highlighted skid.

COVERS INTEL: Cabrera has limited opposing hitters to a miniscule .282 SLG and .285 wOBA through 22 2/3 innings.

Phillies vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-139)

While the wind is forecasted to be blowing out to right field on Thursday afternoon, the highlighted struggles of the Philly lineup paired with Sanchez’s dominant 31.7 K% and 59.2% ground-ball rate point me to the Under.

This is also a getaway game, and both the Phillies and Cubs play road games Friday. I don’t expect Sanchez or Cabrera to face the toughest lineups their opponents can send to the dish here.

Phillies vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Phillies -113 | Cubs +108
• Run line: Phillies -1.5 (+144) | Cubs +1.5 (-150)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+113) | Under 9.5 (-117)

Phillies vs Cubs trend

The Cubs have won each of their last eight games (+8.40 Units / 82% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Cubs.

How to watch Phillies vs Cubs and game info

Phillies vs Cubs latest injuries

Phillies vs Cubs weather

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Just for curiosity, I checked the math on flipping a coin and getting heads eight consecutive times. You’d expect to find four such sequences out of 10,000 flips, or about once every 2,500 times. I think I could take that math and apply it to once every 15 years if you were a team that played around .500 ball. I feel safe in saying there are some assumptions in there that don’t hold up to scrutiny. This isn’t a coin flip. The last six of these wins are at home. Even if we give both of these two teams credit for their capabilities and not how they’ve played over the first month of the season, I suspect the Cubs are a bit better than a coinflip at home against them.

Without drifting into the abstract, we know that the Cubs last won eight in 2023. As we talked about yesterday, that team wasn’t particularly good (winning 83). So this kind of streak isn’t necessarily a launching pad. That said, if you figure 88 wins is an almost definite playoff berth, the team accomplished nine percent of the wins they will need for the season over the last eight games. There are never guarantees, but this kind of stretch can alter the trajectory for a team. It’s way too early for “if the team played .500…” but if they played .500 the rest of the way, they’d win 84. The point is, the team doesn’t have to do much to reach 85 wins which is either going to be just in or just out of the playoffs.

It’s going to get harder, but enjoy this.

The formula is much the same as what it has been throughout the streak. The Cubs held the Phillies to two runs. They’ve allowed 20 runs over the eight wins (2.5 per game). But it’s not a one way equation. The offense put up seven. They’ve scored 58 runs over the eight wins (7.25 per game). So a 7-2 win is right within the center of the range of outcomes.

The top offensive performers? Alex Bregman, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong. So in brief, the guys who they didn’t get much production out of over the first 20 games are leading the way now. A seamless rotation and passing of the torch. Everything you’d hope for out of a team. My confidence in this team in the regular season is based exactly on what we are seeing. In the grind of the regular season, roster depth is the key to piling up enough wins to be a playoff team. The sheer number of Cubs, particularly offensively, who can beat you is significant.

The Cubs had 13 more hits in this one. Seven different Cubs had hits. Seven different Cubs scored. This was a deep and balanced attack. The pitching was terrific. Seven singles, two doubles and no walks. It was not enough offensive production for the Phillies to sustain any offense.

Another fun win. Four-game series sweeps are pretty rare. The last one of those for the Cubs was back in 2021. Yep. Another not good season. So these rare occurrences are certainly not predictive. Hopefully this streak puts quite a bit of win in the sails of this team. This probably isn’t a great team. But perhaps it can ride this wave for quite some time.

Three Positives:

• Alex Bregman gets my top spot with three hits including a triple. He scored a run. He’s heating up.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong also had three hits, one a double. He drove in two. Pete’s also heating up. He’s hitting .345 over his last eight games.
• Ben Brown. I felt like the game was very much in the balance when he came in. He faced 10 batters, retiring seven, five of those by strikeout. It was 4-2 when he entered and 6-2 when he left.

Game 24, April 22: Cubs 7, Phillies 2 (15-9)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Alex Bregman (.220). 3-5, 3B, R
• Hero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.127). 3-4, 2 RBI, SB
• Sidekick: Michael Busch (.093). 2-4, HR, RBI, R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Moisés Ballesteros (-037.). 1-4, 2B, R
• Goat: Dansby Swanson (-027.). 0-3, BB
• Kid: Nico Hoerner (-017.). 1-5, R

WPA Play of the Game: Edmundo Sosa batted in the second with runners on first and second with one out, the Phillies down one. He doubled and a run scored. (.157)

*Cubs Play of the Game: PCA batted with a runner on second and two outs in the second. He doubled in a run. (.115)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 23 Winner: Shōta Imanaga received 247 of 258 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Nico Hoerner +9.5
• Michael Conforto/Shōta Imanaga +7
• Seiya Suzuki/Jacob Webb -8
• Pete Crow-Armstrong -13

This was a “rotation” game for the Rizzo award. Every one who was on the positive side for the game had been on the negative side for the year and vice versa. H&G has so much inertia towards the center.

Up Next: Next stop Javy Báez? I’ve given you my favorite No. 7, my favorite No. 8 and now let’s see if we can get to my favorite No. 9. It won’t be easy, but I don’t want this ride to stop. In a rare occurrence, three-fifths of the NL Central lost Wednesday night. The Cubs move into sole possession of second, half a game behind the Reds. The Brewers drop to last. The win pace sits at 101.25. Unbelievable.

Edward Cabrera (2-0, 2.38 ERA, 22.2 IP) starts for the Cubs. He had a quality start and a win last time out and then got an extra day off. The Phillies start Cristopher Sánchez (2-2, 1.59, 28.1) for the sixth time. Last time, he was a tough-luck loser, throwing six innings and allowing eight hits and no earned runs. He struck out eight and has struck out 39 already.

It’s a tough one on paper. But find a way and keep this rolling.

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The New York Yankees will try to complete a road sweep of the Boston Red Sox tonight behind the electric Cam Schlittler.

My Yankees vs. Red Sox predictions believe Boston righty Payton Tolle is completely outmatched, and my MLB picks will take the Bombers moneyline on Thursday, April 23. 

Who will win Yankees vs Red Sox today: Yankees moneyline (-143)

I’ve tried to find a scenario where the Boston Red Sox should be less than a +150 underdog to avoid the sweep against New York Yankees righty Cam Schlittler, and I just can’t get there. I’d play this to around -160.

Schlittler threw eight scoreless innings and registered 12 strikeouts against his boyhood team in last year's postseason.

Schlittler's most thrown pitch, the fastball, has been one of the best pitches in baseball, ranking in the 100th percentile of run value.

Boston righty Payton Tolle, meanwhile, is walking over 10% of batters he faces and is carrying a 4.70 xERA.

New York shouldn’t need to score much to get the win.

COVERS INTEL: Schlittler’s chase rate sits at 41% through five starts, ranking him in the Top 2% of the sport.

Yankees vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-120)

I’m not sure this one looks much different from yesterday when Max Fried threw eight scoreless innings in a near-shutout win. I’ll back the Under here with a projected total of 8.1. 

This Under lives and dies with Schlittler, and I'm fine with that. He’ll get plenty of chase, as Boston’s Top 7 whiff rate and Bottom 7 chase contact rate looms large..

Tolle's command issues could let the Yankees get to four or five runs, but this still doesn't feel like an eight-run ballgame.

Yankees vs Red Sox odds

• Moneyline: Yankees -150 | Red Sox +130
• Run line: Yankees -1.5 | Red Sox +1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Yankees vs Red Sox trend

The Red Sox have hit the Under in 24 of their last 40 games at home (+7.35 Units / 17% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Red Sox.

How to watch Yankees vs Red Sox and game info

Yankees vs Red Sox latest injuries

Yankees vs Red Sox weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Team News

Vargas on a heater to begin 2026, bringing unexpected power to D-backshttps://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/ildemaro-vargas-hits-two-home-runs-for-d-backs-against-white-sox

Ildemaro Vargas Powers Diamondbacks to Ugly Win Over White Soxhttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/ildemaro-vargas-powers-diamondbacks-ugly-win-white-sox

Latest Ildemaro Vargas-Diamondbacks reunion paying off big-time early: ‘He always brings energy’

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/ildemaro-vargas-keeps-coming-back/3618328/

Taylor Clarke a different pitcher in 2nd D-backs stint

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/taylor-clarke-2/3618520/

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-23

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/April_23

Women buy 96% of candles produced.

According to a survey, 4% of men who buy candles are either buying it as a gift or for a female they are related to.

Germany has a unique tradition for newlyweds.

Polterabend is a German wedding custom that symbolizes life after marriage. Just before couples are wed, their families and friends would break things such as dinnerware and vases – with the exception of glasses. After their loved ones have trashed the place, the couple should then clean the whole place.  

 There were female gladiators in Ancient Rome! A female gladiator was called a gladiatrix (plural gladiatrices). They were extremely rare, unlike their male counterparts.