ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 31: Shea Langeliers #23 of the Athletics celebrates a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on March 31, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not much to write home about here after yet another series dropped to begin the 2026 campaign.
Luis Severino took the bump. His second start of the season, following an outing on opening day where he pitched…fine. Across five frames against the Blue Jays he gave up 2 ER while striking out three. Everything would go up today (good and bad). His 7K’s seem a little less impressive when you hold them next to the 4 ER and 5 BB also offered up by the big righty.
Drake Baldwin’s single to left field would net Atlanta their first set of runs. Ozzie Albies and Dominic Smith scored on the base hit, making it 2-0 Braves.
That would be the score going into the 4th inning when none other than Shea Langeliers got ahold of one. That’s five home runs! Five dingers in the first six games.
He’d walk away from today’s action with the lone A’s hit against Atlanta’s ace Chris Sale, continuing to be the only real bright spot in an otherwise dopey start to the season.
Speaking of…
Just a half a frame later, Drake Baldwin would get ahold of another one. This time a double off of Elvis Alvarado which scored Dominic Smith and Mauricio Dubon. Both runs would be charged to Severino, who exited the game on 91 pitches in less than four innings pitched.
Matt Olson’s single to right brought in another.
5-1 Braves going into the 5th inning and it would stay that way through the final out.
Another tough day at the plate for A’s hitters. Tough day all around actually. The only real bright spot came in the form of Denzel Clarke’s home run robbery of Drake Baldwin in the 7th. His bat might be non-existent but hey, maybe he’ll bring home a gold glove soon.
The A’s will be given an off day tomorrow and then it’s off to West Sacramento, where they’ll play host to the Houston Astros in their first series of the season at Sutter Health Park.
Maybe the day off will do them good. They can collect themselves, go grab a drink, see a flick. It’s been an unforgiving past six days for the green and gold and any break in that action couldn’t hurt in the slightest.
If you plan on attending any of the games this weekend, feel free to let me know! I’ll be at all three and ready to talk ish with anyone. Let’s have a little fun this weekend and hopefully the energy will help propel the A’s to their first series win of 2026!
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 03: Adrian Houser #12 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a first inning pitch against Team United States during an exhibition game at Scottsdale Stadium on March 03, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants conclude their series against the San Diego Padres this afternoon from Petco Park.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Adrian Houser, making his Giants debut. Houser finished the 2025 season with a 3.31 ERA, 3.81 FIP, with 92 strikeouts to 38 walks in 125 innings pitched between the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.
He’ll be facing off against Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta, who finished the 2025 season with a 2.87 ERA, 3.49 FIP, with 190 strikeouts to 50 walks in 181.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Padres’ 8-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, in which he allowed six runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks in three innings.
ST. LOUIS — A back issue has landed SNY's Keith Hernandez on the injured list at the start of the 2026 season.
Hernandez, who cited a slipped disc in his back during the broadcast during the team's series with the Cardinals for excruciating pain, will miss the upcoming five games on the Mets' road trip to receive treatment.
Who is replacing Keith Hernandez in SNY booth for Mets games?
Todd Zeile arrived in St. Louis on Wednesday afternoon to do color commentary alongside Gary Cohen for the Mets' series finale against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Hernandez's back issue will force him to miss Wednesday and the entirety of the team's upcoming four-game series against the Giants at Oracle Park, beginning on Thursday.
The 72-year-old Hernandez, who had his No. 17 retired by the Mets in 2022, agreed to a three-year deal to help broadcast games on SNY and PIX11 for the next three seasons.
Hernandez has long suffered from back issues. He underwent surgery in 2019 to help alleviate pain from a ruptured disc and has stenosis in his lower back.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 01: Dylan Beavers #12 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Colton Cowser #17 after hitting a home run in the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 01, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What a difference a day makes. After two games of a frustrating lack of offense and problems with the starting pitching, the Orioles came into Wednesday afternoon looking to avoid a sweep by the Rangers with #1 starter Trevor Rogers on the mound. Even with the challenge of Texas pitcher Nathan Eovaldi awaiting them, the hitters were able to break out, Rogers continued to pitch well, and the team came away with an 8-3 victory to even up their record at 3-3 for the season.
The early games of the 2026 season have not done a lot to dispel any concerns that carried over from last year, when the team was often unable to shake off setbacks within a single game or from a game-to-game basis. Fighting to avoid this sweep is another point towards thinking maybe these guys are different. They will still have challenges to overcome, such as Zach Eflin’s injury from Tuesday, the impact of which is still not totally known on the roster. Just, maybe they’re capable of overcoming the challenges sometimes.
One thing that always helps on the road to victory is when the bottom of the order can deliver. It was the 6-9 batters in the order who opened up the scoring against Eovaldi in the game’s early innings. Consecutive one-out singles by Colton Cowser and Leody Taveras put men on the corners in the bottom of the second. The #9 batter, Jeremiah Jackson, succeeded at his job of putting the ball in play productively, delivering a deep fly ball that handily scored Cowser from third. Taylor Ward continued Tuesday’s explosion by adding an RBI double, giving the O’s a 2-0 lead heading into the third inning.
The bottom of the third saw Pete Alonso lead off the inning with a walk. He was still on first base two outs later, then came some bottom of the order contribution again. Dylan Beavers hit a single and Cowser drew a walk to load the bases. The light-hitting Taveras was able to capitalize with a double off the wall in right field, plating two more runs.
This 4-0 lead proved to be all that the Orioles would need to win the game, not that you could have known it at the time. Texas got Rogers on the ropes a bit in the top of the fourth, scraping together four singles in a row after Rogers had gotten two outs. This brought two runs home, cutting the deficit in half. The fourth inning also saw Rogers throw over 30 pitches in that one frame.
Rogers was able to keep the game from spiraling and add another two more innings on top of that, finishing the day with two earned runs allowed over six innings. It’s only disappointing if you were expecting him to carry last year’s 1.81 ERA or better all season.
The Orioles offense also proved to be capable of adding on further runs after scoring some early in the game. The inability to do this year ago was another frustrating feature of that season. None of that on Wednesday. After a quiet bottom of the fourth, Samuel Basallo announced his presence with authority. Leading off the bottom of the fifth, the Orioles catcher was heaved a middle-middle mistake and he did not miss.
There was a satisfying crack of the bat, a majestic flight path apparent even before the camera cut away to show the ball in flight, and by the time the ball landed in front of the batter’s eye beyond center field, it had traveled a Statcast-estimated 437 feet. That’s the good stuff.
After Eovaldo walked the next batter, Coby Mayo, he got the hook from the game. Texas brought in reliever Tyler Alexander, who allowed the inherited runner to score plus one more of his own as, again, the bottom of the order helped get things done. The Orioles even scored two runs over the remainder of the inning after laying down a tactically-unsound sacrifice bunt, which is how you really know things were going in their favor in the game. Jackson and Ward cashed in with an RBI apiece as the Orioles lead grew to 7-2.
With a safe-seeming lead and three innings left to cover, the Orioles turned to Albert Suárez to get them the rest of the way. The 36-year-old Suárez rejoined the team as the player called up when Eflin landed on the injured list. He needed to be called back up after not making the roster following spring training. Suárez’s objective for the game was to make sure the Orioles would not need to use any of their other pitchers.
Although there was some traffic on the bases in the seventh and Corey Seager led off the top of the eighth with a solo homer, Suárez proved up to the task that he was asked to do. He notched a classic three-inning save, allowing the one run on the solo shot over his three innings. The bullpen gets a day to rest, so hopefully it will be at full strength when the series against the Pirates opens on Friday.
Former Orioles minor leaguer Carter Baumler, who’s now with the Rangers as a Rule 5 pick, pitched two innings for Texas. He gave up a solo home run to Beavers across his two innings. Maybe he’ll pitch badly enough that he’s offered back to the Orioles. Maybe it won’t matter all that much whether he’s offered back or not.
The game wrapped up on an amusing note that’s only possible in this era of Automated Ball/Strike challenges. Suárez tossed a 1-2 pitch to Evan Carter that looked to be in the strike zone yet was called a ball. Basallo, behind the plate, tapped his helmet immediately, initiating a challenge. The replay came back and showed a clear strike in the zone, reversing the ball and ending the game on a third strike looking instead. In all, the Orioles made three challenges and won each of them.
The team will be back in action in Pittsburgh on Friday. The game is the Pirates home opener, so there’s a weird 4:12 scheduled start time. Kyle Bradish and Mitch Keller are the currently-scheduled starting pitchers.
As this game has ended in an Orioles victory, it is time to proclaim a Most Birdland Player for the game. Who is your pick for the player who made the most unlikely and/or fun contribution to the O’s winning the game? Nominate your choice in the comments below.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After opening up the new season on a West Coast road trip, the Yankees are finally headed home this weekend. However before they do, there’s till one more game to finish up, as they’re set to play the Mariners one last time. The Yankees dropped the opener in Seattle on a Cal Raleigh walk-off, but they rebounded last night thanks to another excellent effort from Max Fried. Although they already have a winning road trip guaranteed (5-1 or 4-2), they won’t rest on their laurels, and they will try to take a second-straight series on the new year.
The first time around in the rotation, Fried threw a scoreless outing on Opening Day, and was followed by Cam Schlittler doing the same in San Francisco for Game 2. Today, Schlittler will attempt to repeat that pattern after Fried kept the M’s off the scoreboard on Tuesday night.
Despite facing a righty in George Kirby, the Yankees are giving starts to both Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario, in an otherwise normal lineup. At least in the case of Rosario, that may have something to do with Ryan McMahon looking lost at the plate so far this season. This will be Goldschmidt’s first appearance of the season, as Ben Rice shifts to DH and Giancarlo Stanton takes a seat on the bench. Stanton’s been hotter than just about anyone in baseball, but the Yankees perhaps understandably being cautious with the oft-injured 36-year-old is nothing new.
As mentioned, Kirby will take the mound for the Mariners, coming off a season debut where he held Cleveland to one run in six innings. The M’s will roll out a similar cast of characters to last night in their starting lineup, though they did tag in Dominic Canzone for Rob Refsnyder at DH and Luke Raley for Victor Robles in right field. Offseason trade acquisition Brendan Donovan also returns to the leadoff spot after hitting sixth against Fried.
We hope that you’ll come join us in the game thread for this afternoon’s action, and here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game.
How to Watch
Location: T-Mobile Park — Seattle, WA
First pitch: 4:10 p.m. ET
TV broadcast: YES Network (NYY) | Mariners.TV (SEA)
Mar 31, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) is forced out at second as Seattle Mariners shortstop Leo Rivas (76) throws to complete a double play during the third inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: John Froschauer-Imagn Images | John Froschauer-Imagn Images
Lousy Smarch Weather! Hey look at that, no more March baseball, which really shouldn’t even be a thing. Now we’re playing in April, like the good baseball gods intended where it is also cold and rainy. Nevertheless, DAY BASEBALL on a WEDNESDAY! Let’s get into it.
The Mariners had their first true stinker of a game last night in a lifeless 5-0 shin-kicking by the Yankees, but the M’s can bounce back today and stroll off with a series win versus the big baddies of the AL East. Taking the mound for the Mariners is Furious George Kirby versus Cam Schlittler, who has all the letters in his last name for multiple frowned upon words and names. Fun fact: Kirby, who grew up in Rye, New York, has pitched at least 7.0 innings in both of his career starts against the Yankees. Let’s see if he can match or top that in today’s tussle.
Lineups!
And these guys:
I will begrudgingly hand it to them for the cool 80’s Fleer/Topps mash-up style baseball card graphics, though. Big shoutout to friend of the site Dave Sims, too.
First pitch: 1:40 PM PDT TV: Mariners TV, which you can a subscription to online or watch on several cable networks. Kate’s got the details. Radio: 710 KIRO, in Rick Rizzs’s final season
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Gavin Fien #8 and Eli Willits #2 of the Washington Nationals look on prior to a spring training Spring Breakout game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Nationals minor league rosters are here. We now know where all of the Nats prospects will start the season. Every level has intriguing names, but the Fredericksburg Nationals and Rochester Red Wings look like must watch teams. With a new player development focused regime in place, it will be very interesting to watch the Nats minor league teams this season.
The Fred Nats are the team I am most excited about, so let’s start with them. They have some of the best collection of 18-20 year old talent you will see in the minor leagues. Eight of the Nats top 30 prospects will start the season in Low-A, including four of the top 10. The star of the show is number one overall pick Eli Willits, but there is so much more than just him.
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) March 31, 2026
This team is stacked across the board. Gavin Fien, who was the headlining piece of the MacKenzie Gore trade, will also start his season in Low-A. Interestingly, Fien was listed as an infielder/outfielder. Most evaluators thought Fien would be a third baseman in pro ball, but the Nats seem like they will give him reps in the outfield.
Another infield prospect who will be getting time in the outfield is Luke Dickerson. The Nats second rounder from 2024 is repeating Low-A after a lackluster first season. However, he has the tools to be a breakout candidate. One guy on this team who has gotten a lot of buzz this spring is Ronny Cruz, who came over in the Michael Soroka deal. He played last season in rookie ball, but was really impressive in my viewings of him and always seems to be on the tip of Paul Toboni’s tongue.
On the pitching side, we saw some aggressive assignments. I figured Landon Harmon and certainly Miguel Sime Jr. would start their seasons in rookie ball. However, they are both with the Fred Nats. That shows the Nats front offices’ belief in these two teenaged arms. Both have massive upside.
Moving on to High-A Wilmington, the Blue Rocks are not as stacked but have some interesting names. They should also be seeing some of the players who are on the Fred Nats right now at some point this season. To start the year, they have a couple solid names though.
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) March 31, 2026
Two guys who stick out are Devin Fitz-Gerald and Angel Feliz. Fitz-Gerald has only played 10 games in Low-A and Feliz has only played 31. However, with the amount of infield talent the Nats have at the lower levels, some of those guys had to go to High-A. Picking those guys shows confidence in their skills, as well as their ability to handle adversity.
Ethan Petry is another intriguing name to watch. He has big power upside but will have to keep his swing and miss in check. Former top prospects who have lost their shine, such as Elijah Green and Cristhian Vaquero are also here. Wilmington is a bit light on the pitching side, with Yoel Tejada being the best arm there.
Moving up to Double-A Harrisburg, the Senators roster is filled with a mix of journeymen, bounce back candidates and some top prospects. Seaver King is one guy I will be watching very closely. He has performed in the AFL and in Spring Training, but he needs to do it in the real games.
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) March 31, 2026
An under the radar name in Harrisburg is Sam Petersen. He has not been very durable in his pro career, but whenever he has been on the field, he has raked. Caleb Lomavita is another guy who is trying to regain some momentum.
On the pitching side, it is a weird and interesting mix. The top prospect here is Alex Clemmey. Despite being around for what seems like a long time, he is still just 20 years old. That means he is ahead of schedule being in Double-A. I am interested to see how his game evolves this year. Davian Garcia and Eriq Swan are two more arms to watch. Shinnosuke Ogasawara is also down here.
We have already talked a bit about the Rochester Red Wings, but I am going to talk about them some more. It is such a fascinating roster filled with prospects and guys who used to be top prospects. Of course, the biggest name down here is Dylan Crews, who is trying to get his career back on track.
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) March 27, 2026
However, Crews is far from the only guy at this level. Harry Ford, Robert Hassell, Abimelec Ortiz and Christian Franklin are a few more big name bats in AAA. All of these guys are hungry to establish or re-establish themselves as big leaguers. Most should get an opportunity at some point this season, but they will have to earn it.
It is not just bats though. There are a number of really intriguing arms. Mitchell Parker was a mainstay in DC the last two years, but he is a Rochester Red Wing now. Luis Perales and Riley Cornelio are two fun prospects in the Red Wings rotation. Andrew Alvarez proved himself last September, but he is back in Rochester.
There are also a number of relievers with MLB experience. We will see a lot of current Red Wings in Nats uniforms this year. This is the most exciting AAA team I think the Nats have ever had.
There is a lot of depth throughout the organization now. That is so exciting and it is a new phenomenon. The biggest names are in Low-A and Triple-A, but every level has guys who fans should be interested in seeing. If you are a Nats fan into minor league baseball, you should have a blast this year.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 31: Spencer Torkelson #20 of the Detroit Tigers warms up on deck during the third inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on March 31, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Detroit Tigers (2-3) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (2-3)
Time/Place: 3:40 p.m., Chase Field SB Nation Site: AZ Snake Pit Media: Detroit Sportsnet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: LHP Tarik Skubal (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Zac Gallen (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 1: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves runs to second base after hitting a double in the fourth inning during the game against the Athletics at Truist Park on April 1, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves took on the Athletics today in the series finale as both staff aces took the mound. Both teams have struggled offensively to start the season, which may be shocking to some because both team’s lineups look solid on paper in comparison to the rest of the league.
The key to this game seemed to be if the heart of the Braves’ lineup can come through. Outside of Drake Baldwin, the rest of the top four have struggled to start the season. It looked like they may get the ball rolling in the first inning. The Braves showed patience with Ronald Acuña drawing a walk after an ABS challenge, Drake Baldwin walked, and Austin Riley walked. However, no runs were score and it was partly due to Acuña being picked off. The pickoffs have hurt the Braves multiple times this season already.
4 pickoffs, 1 SB (T-Last) and 3 CS (Most) through 5 games and 1 out. not having fun. https://t.co/Pi3kWGehz3
Olson and Yastrzemski both struck out, resulting in zero runs on three walks in the inning. The Braves kept putting runners on in the second inning to put the pressure on and finally produced some runs. Albies walked, Smith singled, and Acuña walked again. Harris struck out and Dubón popped out along the way, but with the bases loaded this time Drake Baldwin continued his clutch start to the season with a single to score two and put the Braves up 2-0. Olson struck out to end the inning, but it was clear that the Braves had Severino’s number today up to this point.
Severino had his revenge in the third inning by striking out the side, but that did not stop the Braves from continuing to put pressure on him. In the fourth inning Severino struck out Harris, but then gave up back-to-back singles to Smith and Dubón which led Elvis Alvarado relieving him. This strategy did not pay off. Acuña moved Smith over to third on a 103.4 MPH fly out and then Baldwin came through yet again with a two run double to make the score 4-1.
Olson finally got out of his slump and hit a single to knock in Baldwin for another run. Riley flied out, but the damage had been done. The only other offense from the Braves was a single by Riley, but the five runs were enough. The pitching yet again was the main story of the day.
Chris Sale looked to continue his scoreless streak as he just came off a six inning outing where he surrendered zero runs. He looked good today. One could argue that he looked even better than last game even though he gave up a run.
Sale sat down the first eleven hitters he faced picking up two strikeouts along the way until former Braves’ farm hand Shea Langeliers took him deep to left field in the fourth inning to make the score 2-1 Braves. Sale was not shaken and struck out Brent Rooker to end the top of the fourth. Sale ended up pitching six total innings and did not surrender another base runner.
A slightly developing story is that Chris Sale is inducing grounders at a career high rate. In his first game this season Sale induced a ground ball 53.8 percent of the time. His career average is only 42.7 percent. Today alone he induced seven ground balls today. Do we have an evolving Sale? All-in-all Sal had an excellent start.
Saurez, Lee, and Iglesias came in and finished the job allowing a combined two hits, and zero runs while striking out two and giving up zero walks. The bullpen has been lights out for the Braves so far this season.
This 5-1 win was much needed in a game that was important in a sense that it was a game that the Braves were supposed to win. With so many injuries, the Braves must win these types of games if they want to stay in contention.
The key takeaways are that Drake Baldwin continues to rake, pickoffs need to slow down, the offense plate discipline is looking nice with five walks, the bullpen is still lights out, and Chris Sale may be a groundball pitcher now.
Next game is 9:40 PM EDT against the Diamondbacks.
Apr 1, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Leody Taveras (3) gestures to his dugout after driving in two runs with a double during the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Baltimore Orioles scored eight runs.
If you had told me that the first week of the season would end with Texas taking their first two series on the road but with their two losses coming in the starts made by Nathan Eovaldi, I would have said “well, ok, baseball do be like that sometimes” but it certainly wouldn’t have been my first guess.
Near my last guess would have been how hittable Eovaldi has been so far. Like in his outing on Opening Day, Eovaldi ran into two-out troubles with Baltimore scoring their first four runs — two in the 2nd, two in the 3rd — after Eovaldi had retired two hitters.
That isn’t to say Eovaldi was unlucky. He simply wasn’t good today. And even after he got through those two-out run-scoring rallies, he allowed a home run in the fifth and saw another inherited run hit his ledger all while finishing the day with just four innings pitched with six runs allowed on eight hits and three walks with five strikeouts.
You know Eovaldi isn’t on track when he’s walking guys. Eovaldi hasn’t had a season in which his walk rate was a number above 2 since 2019. Mostly though, Eovaldi just hasn’t looked right so far this season in his two starts. For a guy coming off a great season, albeit one that was lousy with various injuries, it certainly a concern but one the Rangers are hoping their veteran bulldog can work through.
Ironically, the Rangers had their own two-out rallies going against Baltimore starter Trevor Rogers, but though they scored two runs off of one in the top of the 4th to cut the lead to 4-2, another died without a run in the previous inning and eventually the Orioles padded their 4-2 lead before Texas could mount a comeback.
Overall, the Rangers had a successful first stint to open the year with two series wins. Now they just have to see how Eovaldi bounces back.
Player of the Game: Old LSB comment section punching bag Leody Taveras had his revenge on the Rangers today as he went 2-for-2 with two walks, two RBI, and a run scored while reaching in each of his plate appearances.
The 6-9 hitters for Baltimore had seven hits, reached three more times via walks, and drove in five runs. You won’t win many games when the opposing bottom of the order does that much damage.
If you’re looking for a positive from the Rangers, Josh Jung had a couple of hits and an RBI after an abysmal first handful of games to start the year.
Up Next: The Rangers will take a day off on Thursday before opening up their home slate with a series against the Cincinnati Reds. The starting pitcher for Texas is still TBD but perhaps it will be RHP Kumar Rocker. The Reds, meanwhile, will expected to opt for RHP Brady Singer.
The Friday afternoon home debut first pitch from The Shed is set for 3:05 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 31: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres slides home to score a run ahead of the throw to Patrick Bailey #14 of the San Francisco Giants during the third inning at Petco Park on March 31, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Francisco Giants (2-3) at San Diego Padres (1-4), April 1, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
Mar 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after scoring a run on a single hit by outfielder Kyle Tucker (not pictured) against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Taking the mound against the Dodgers this Wednesday will be Gavin Williams, a pitcher who, in a way, sort of defied the odds over the last year or so to put up solid numbers despite concerning peripherals. Look no further than the 11.8% walk rate Williams ran last season in order to contemplate that his 3.06 ERA is no model of sustainability. Well, start number one in 2026 didn’t inspire much confidence in his ability to take steps forward in that department—Williams’s final line of two runs allowed in five innings of work against the Mariners represented a strong performance, but how he got there despite walking six batters is quite the surprise.
Although Shohei Ohtani leads the league in walks in this early sample, with six, the Dodgers as a team haven’t been that prone to the free pass. Ultimately, though, unlike in Williams’ case, in which the first sample of 2026 merely follows an established trend in the past, the Dodgers’ ability to be patient is well-known. If they can replicate that against Williams, there might be room for a blowup in here for an offense that hasn’t surpassed five runs in a game since Opening Day.
Early wins have come primarily on the backs of pitching and complementary pieces rising to the occasion. Sure, the stars have had their moments here and there, like that Mookie Betts three-run shot against the Diamondbacks, but we’re waiting for their first massive game. Something else to keep an eye on regarding Williams, a right-hander, is that he had pretty aggressive reverse splits last year, and he’s been better against lefties over the course of his career.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 31: Jose Fernandez #11 of the Arizona Diamondbacks is dunked with gatorade following the MLB game against the Detroit Tigers at Chase Field on March 31, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Tigers 7-5. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
TIGERS
DIAMONDBACKS
Colt Keith – 1B
Ketel Marte – DH
Kevin McGonigle – 3B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Gleyber Torres – 2B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Riley Greene – DH
Gabriel Moreno – C
Dillon Dingler – C
Ildemaro Vargas – 2B
Kerry Carpenter – RF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Matt Vierling – LF
Jose Fernandez – 1B
Parker Meadows – CF
Tim Tawa – LF
Javier Baez – SS
Jordan Lawlar – CF
Tarik Skubal – LHP
Zac Gallen – RHP
Last night’s debut hero, Jose Fernandez, remains in the line-up for this afternoon’s game. However, in an interesting move, he goes across the diamond, taking the place of Carlos Santana at first-base. Fernandez has only 139.1 innings of experience at the position – just sixteen starts. Eight of those were in 2024 with High-A Hillsboro, and the other eight last year at Double-A Amarillo. After last night’s remarkable performance, it feels like Torey Lovullo simply was unable to leave him out of the line-up. Certainly, he did better than Nolan Arenado had done at third; with Santana’s OPS+ being negative 14, the bar is similarly low at first!
Of course, this afternoon, he’s only having to face the back-to-back Cy Young winner, in Tariq Skubal. Now, being the reigning champion there doesn’t preclude you getting knocked around. Just ask Paul Skenes, who didn’t even make it out of the first inning on Opening Day. But that fate certainly did not befall Skubal in his inaugural appearance, who tossed six innings on three hits, allowing only an unearned run, with no walks and six strikeouts. It’s definitely nice for the D-backs to have secured the series win already: a victory here would therefore fall into the “house money” category.
We will certainly need Zac Gallen to pitch a damn sight better than he did. After more or less cruising through four innings, the wheels came off in the fifth, where Gallen was charged with four runs, without recording an out. I also note Alek Thomas getting a day off, with Jordan Lawlar moving over to centre, and Tim Tawa getting the start in left. Ketel Marte moves to DH, with Ildemaro Vargas playing second in his utility role. I’m under no illusions that this is going to be other than a tough game for Arizona, going up against one of the best pitches in baseball. They’ll need to play clean, and take advantage of whatever opportunities they can find, if they are to complete the sweep and get back to .500.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 31: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park on March 31, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (4-2) look to sweep the Boston Red Sox (1-4) in an afternoon series finale at Daikin Park.
RHP Mike Burrows, who grew up a Red Sox fan from Waterford, CT, will get the start for the Astros today opposite LHP Garrett Crochet and the Red Sox.
APRIL FOOLS!: The Astros and Red Sox will play an April Fools Day matchup today with the Astros going for a sweep in what is the finale of their seven-game homestand.
ABOUT BURROWS: RHP Mike Burrows was acquired from the Pirates this offseason as part of a three-team, six-player trade in which the Astros sent OF Jacob Melton and minor leaguer RHP Anderson Brito to the Rays, while the Rays sent IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery to the Pirates.
Burrows impressed this Spring, making five starts and posting a 1.50 ERA (3ER/18IP) while allowing a .200 opponent batting average with 17 strikeouts.
ASTROS VS. CROCHET: The Astros are seeing LHP Garrett Crochet today for the first time since they worked him for five runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings on 86 pitches in an Astros 7-6 win on Aug. 11, 2025 at Daikin Park. That start was Crochet’s shortest start, in terms of innings, of the 2025 season.
GOIN’ STREAKING: The Astros have won four straight games and are going for a five-game winning streak today, which would match their season high from 2025 (reached twice last June). Only the Astros and Rangers have four-game winning streaks this season, with both streaks active going into play today.
OUT OF THE BLOCKS: The Astros are off to a 4-2 start, their best start since also going 4-2 in their first six games of 2022. Should the Astros win today, it would be their best seven-game start since they went 6-1 to open the 2021 season.
CRAZY EIGHTS: The Astros have scored eight-plus runs in four straight games for the first time since July 26-30, 2021. The offense has scored 37 runs in their last four games, while hitting .319 (44×138) with 14 doubles and six homers in that span. The Astros franchise record is five straight games with eight-plus runs, accomplished just once, from Aug. 29-Sept. 3, 2004.
LEAGUE LEADERS: The Astros lead the Majors in runs (39), doubles (17) and total bases (93), while ranking tied for first in hits (55) and second in walks (20), OBP (.371), SLG (.458) and OPS (.829).
Individually, 2B Jose Altuve leads the Majors in runs scored (7), LF Yordan Alvarez leads the Majors in total bases (19) and 1B Christian Walker leads the Majors in doubles (5).
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, April 1, 1:10 p.m. CST
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels close out their series after splitting the first two games. Yusei Kikuchi takes the mound for the Angels against Matthew Boyd. The Cubs are favored with a moneyline of -165.
How to Watch Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago Cubs
Date: Wednesday, April 1
Time: 2:20 p.m. ET / 11:20 a.m. PT
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago
TV Channels: Marquee Sports Network, FanDuel Sports Network West
