The Houston Astros (6-7) travel to the Mariners (4-9) this evening in Seattle in the first game of a three game series.
Astros game three starterRHP Tatsuya Imai will make his thirdstart of the season for the Astros, this time opposite RHP Emerson Hancock and the Mariners.
Friday’s TILT: The Astros and Mariners will play the first game of their three-game series this evening as the Astros look to end their four game losing streak
ON THE HUNT: RHP Tatsuya Imai is making his third career start after hurling 5.2 hutout innings in Sacramento. He carries a 1-0 record with a 4.32 ERA with thirteen strikeouts and seven walks in his first two starts.
ASTROS VS. Hancock: The Astros are facing Hancock for the third time in his career. He has a 1-0 record against the Astros with a 3.38 ERA in eight innings. Both outings were starts.
RIVALRY VS. THE MARINERS: The Astros hold a commanding 132-97 record lifetime against the Mariners and that doesn’t include their three game sweep in the 2022 ALDS. The Astros were 5-8 against the Mariners last season including the decisive three game sweep the Mariners laid on the Astros late in September last season.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Astros placed RHP Cristian Javier on the 15-day IL (retro 4/9) due to a grade two right shoulder strain and OF Jake Meyers on the 10-day IL (retro (4/9) due to a grade two right oblique strain…to take their spots on the active roster, the Astros have selected RHP J.P. France and OF Taylor Trammell from the Triple A Sugar Land…to make room on the 40-man roster, the Astros transferred RHP Ronel Blanco to the 60-day IL.
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 10: Detroit Tigers center fielder Javier Báez (28) rounds the bases after hitting a homer during a regular season MLB game between the Miami Marlins and the Detroit Tigers on April 10, 2026, at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Tigers certainly had to be happy to get out of Minnesota after a brutal series against the Twins. They were welcomed back to Detroit with similarly chilly temperatures, and also facing off against an old friend. To open their weekend series against the Marlins, they were squaring off against Chris Paddack, who had a brief stint with the Tigers last season. He was up against Keider Montero, eager to prove himself after a rough first game of the season. The Tigers were also down one Parker Meadows, who headed to the IL, while Wenceel Perez was called up for the interim.
With one out in the top of the first, Xavier Edwards laced a triple to right, but despite getting a runner on third that early, the Marlins couldn’t convert the run. The home half started with a classic Pitch Com delay before getting underway. Kevin McGonigle won an ABS challenge, then right afterwards singled. With one out, a wild pitch allowed McGonigle to advance to second. Two outs followed, though, leaving McGonigle stranded.
Brief pause here to point out how visually confusing it is for the Tigers to be wearing solid orange while playing the Marlins. The new Friday home jerseys are nice, though. In the top of the second, Owen Caissie took a one-out walk. Two outs quickly followed. Perhaps the guys were hoping to wrap up early so they could watch the Artemis II splashdown? In the home half, Dillon Dingler got things going with a leadoff single. Kerry Carpenter singled right behind him, pushing Dingler to third. Then Spencer Torkelson came on to bring Dingler home with a single, and put the Tigers on the board first.
With two outs, McGonigle had a nice battle against Paddack that ended in a walk, but the Tigers couldn’t manage to get any additional runs.
Montero had a nice 1-2-3 inning against the Marlins to get through the third efficiently. Colt Keith got the bottom half going with a leadoff single. Unfortunately a Riley Greene flyout was followed by a double play, and the Tigers were still stuck with just one run.
On the first pitch of the fourth inning, Kevin McGonigle made an incredible play, snatching up what could have easily been a base hit and getting it right over to first. Two outs followed, and Montero was just grooving.
The Tigers were three-up, three-down in the bottom of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, the Marlins finally got someone on base again with a one-out single from Connor Norby, but two outs followed. The Tigers wasted no time getting things going in the home half as Javier Baez hit a solo home run to left.
With two outs, Keith got a single, but was once again left on base.
In the top of the sixth, Montero continued dealing, and the Marlins used their last ABS callenge unsuccessfully on a called strike. Montero got the Marlins out in order. That was it for him for the night, going 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, on 80 pitches. A really nice outing for him. The Tigers went down in order in the home half, so hopefully the bullpen was sufficiently warmed.
Brant Hurter came in for the seventh and wasted no time or pitches getting through the Marlins in order. The Marlins made a pitching switch in the seventh as well, turning things over to Lake Bachar, who genuinely looks like Blake Snell wearing a wig. Perhaps he is, because he got the Tigers out in order.
Hurter was done after a single inning, being replaced by Kyle Finnegan. Finnegan gave up a leadoff walk to Norby. Graham Pauley then lined into an unassisted double play, and a groundout ended the inning. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Riley Greene singled. Dingler was then hit by a pitch after a bit of a battle. On review, this actually looked like catcher interference but the hit by pitch ruling seemed to stand. Either way, the free baserunner ended up not mattering because the Tigers didn’t score any additional runs.
Kenley Jansen came on for the ninth, of course. Jansen did exactly what the Tigers hired him for, getting the Marlins out in order to hang on for the save. It was his 478th career save, tying him for third most saves of all time.
Apr 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) pitches in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies dropped a hard-fought extra-innings game last night to the San Diego Padres, and the 7-3 final doesn’t quite reflect how close things were, Colorado stayed competitive behind a solid pitching effort and a strong night at the plate from Brenton Doyle, who connected on his first homer of the season. The sting of the loss fades a bit on what is a significant day for the organization off the field, as news of new minority ownership marks a notable moment in franchise history.
It’s been that kind of start for the Rockies — fun, unpredictable, and sneaky competitive (even when the results don’t always follow) — and at 6-7, they’ll look to reset quickly and get back to .500 as the young season continues in San Diego against the 7-6 Padres.
Taking the mound for the Rox tonight is Tomoyuki Sugano. Sugano has been a steady presence early, posting a 1.69 ERA with a 0.84 WHIP through his first 10.2 innings. He’s leaning on his four-seamer (30%) while using his cutter, splitter and sweeper in a fairly even mix (18%-19%). He’s not missing a ton of bats, but with a 51% ground-ball rate and just three walks in 41 batters faced, he’s done an excellent job limiting traffic and keeping things under control.
Opposing Sugano is veteran righty Walker Buehler. Buehler is still working his way back into form and has looked a bit uneven to start the season – seven earned runs and five walks across 6.2 innings of work. He’s been able to generate ground balls, but command lapses have led to traffic on the bases and some short outings. Buehler uses his cut fastball and curveball about half the time but has mixed in as many as seven different pitches this season. That variety adds some unpredictability but also points to a pitcher still searching for a consistent feel.
Colorado’s ultra-aggressive offense will be tested against a pitcher who has struggled early — can they show a bit more patience and take advantage of mistakes?
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated by teammate Bradgley Rodriguez #72 after a defensive play to end the top of the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 09, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Colorado Rockies (6-7) at San Diego Padres (7-6), April 10, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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The Dodgers, more than any other team in the big leagues, are well-equipped for the kitchen sink of predictable and unpredictable problems that the baseball regular season will throw your way. That has to do with a level of organizational depth that only a team that couples the resources and savviness that the back-to-back reigning champs do is able to accomplish. While the focus will be on how that translates into their starting pitching usage, the importance of bullpen options for different moments of the regular season shall not be overlooked. With that in mind, we decided to ask Dodger fans, out of all the appealing options currently in the minors, who they are most excited to see getting that call-up when the inevitable transactions start to occur.
Kyle Hurt won it in a landslide.
A little over five years ago, the Dodgers made one of their better trades for the value it generated in an otherwise routine move. Alongside Alex Vesia, who is now a core piece of this bullpen, the Dodgers also acquired the then-youngster Hurt from the Miami Marlins for the services of Dylan Floro. Ever since then, Hurt has been moving through the system with more than his fair share of bumps and bruises—most notably having to undergo Tommy John surgery back in 2024—after he had shown some promise following a transition from a starting pitcher to a reliever.
Hurt only came back for a cameo in 2025, but was at the very least able to dip his feet in the pool once again, with a little under 10 solid innings for Oklahoma City. That being said, the source of excitement in order for him to win this poll in a landslide is how the right-hander looked in the spring. Hurt showed enticing stuff by earning 12 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings of work in spring training, at the very least placing his name in the back of many people’s minds as someone who might make an impact for the Dodgers in 2026.
The early results in OKC haven’t been as encouraging. While it’s too early to look at a great number of things, and the strikeouts are still there, the fact that Hurt has walked five hitters in 4 2/3 innings raises some questions about his command—particularly in contrast with what we saw in spring (two walks in 7 1/3 innings). With no transaction imminent, there is still some time for Hurt to right the ship and build on that trust he earned not so long ago.
Strictly from a narrative standpoint, if the Dodgers were to be able to turn Hurt into a productive reliever for them, it’d be particularly entertaining—a trade in 2021 that few people gave much thought to, still reaping benefits on multiple fronts. For the sake of context, while Vesia has become one of this team’s most important relievers, flourishing in the regular season and the playoffs, and Floro has moved around through four different organizations since that trade.
Mar 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will see several familiar faces when they take on the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium Friday night. According to MLB.com, Dustin May will get the start for St. Louis while Connelly Early takes the mound for Boston. The current schedule doesn’t show former Cardinal Sonny Gray starting against St. Louis this series, but expect to see Willson Contreras in the lineup for the Red Sox. Maybe hitting him with a pitch is a bad idea?
The best way to bring fans to Rate Field on a Tuesday night in August: Give away some Pope gear
The White Sox added a signature Pope hat to their list of popular home giveaways this year. Initially launched as a limited-edition item available only to specialty theme night ticket purchasers on August 11 against the Reds at 6:40 p.m. CT, the viral sensation Pope hat created to honor Pope Leo XIV will now be given to all attending fans.
Specialty night ticket purchasers will receive a separate, exclusive item in addition to the Pope hat.
Brooks Boyer, Chicago’s chief revenue and marketing officer, commented on the promotion’s popularity.
“The fans have spoken, and unlike some of our more limited quantity promotions, the White Sox Pope Hat is one we believe all fans should have the opportunity to take home,” Boyer says. “We viewed the promotion as a creative way to celebrate one of the franchise’s most popular fans, and by the overwhelming response we received, White Sox fans certainly agreed.”
Like the slated giveaways, this Pope hat is guaranteed to draw fans in. Even if the product on the field doesn’t have a winning record, Sox fans know that the promotions are always a home run. Come for the giveaways, stay for the food (and maybe the team).
Apr 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martinez (1) and right fielder Chase DeLauter (24) celebrate after the Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch in the second inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, March 29, 2026. The game was scoreless after three innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It’s early April but for tonight, we can say it’s Early-May 🥁 I know the pun is awful, but it kicks off the second of four consecutive series against Midwest based teams. Can the Sox find more momentum off of their first series victory against the Brewers or will the Redbirds emerge on top?
Also Masa taking the opportunity to go sightseeing gives me a good chuckle.
Javier left the game before the start of the second inning after he felt something in his throwing shoulder.
Starting pitcher Cristian Javier of the Houston Astros walks off the field with a member of the training staff before being unable to pitch in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 8, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Getty Images
“I think it will be good results, hopefully,” Javier said through an interpreter after the game, per MLB.com. “I’m trusting in God that everything comes back fine and I can be able to make my next outing. … I did a couple strength tests [on the shoulder] and they came out pretty good.”
The team is now down two starters as they plan to go to a six-man rotation for a tough stretch on the schedule over the next couple of weeks.
The two injuries come as the Astros are dealing with the loss of two-time All-Star Framber Valdez, who left Houston for a three-year, $115 million contract with the Tigers.
Javier was a key part of the Astros’ starting rotation in 2022-23, posting a 3.59 ERA over those two seasons.
Starting pitcher Cristian Javier of the Houston Astros delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 8, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Getty Images
But arm issues became a problem in 2024.
After just seven starts that season, Javier underwent Tommy John surgery and didn’t return until late last season.
Upon his return, Javier posted a 4.62 ERA over eight outings.
Javier has allowed 13 earned runs over just 9 ⅓ innings across three starts thus far this season.
The Astros have lost four games in a row and sit at 6-7 heading into Friday’s game against the Mariners.
Keep that arm loose, Davis Martin, the White Sox offense is going to need you to be stingy tonight. | (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
If I’m the Royals, and even just two weeks into the season the WHITE SOX are tied with me in the standings, I’m much displeased. But thankfully, despite some significant time logged in Kansas City, I am not the Royals.
The good news? Davis Martin is on the hill, and so far this season that has meant some good, good stuff. The unofficially team/spirit captain has been a rock in the rotation in the early going, and with an lineup that comes into the game as exactly replacement level, 0.0 WAR, the righthander will need to be at the top of his game.
First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. CT, available at the usual TV and radio spots.
Jeff McNeil and Luis Severino returned to Citi Field for the first time since they departed Queens and were treated to tribute videos by the Mets ahead of the team's series opener against the Athletics.
Severino, of course, left after a great 2024 campaign, his only one with the Mets, before signing a lucrative deal with the Athletics that offseason.
The right-hander pitched to an 11-7 record and a 3.91 ERA while making 30 starts for the first time since the 2018 season. He was also solid in the postseason that year, throwing 16.2 innings and going 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA across three starts.
While Severino impacted the Mets for one season, McNeil was in Flushing for eight and experienced plenty of highs and lows. He made two All-Star teams with the Mets, was sixth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2018, and was the batting champion in 2022 after batting .326. While his offensive production fluctuated over the years, his versatility on defense was invaluable to New York.
Across his eight seasons with the Mets, he slashed .284/.351/.428 with an OPS of .779 to go along with 80 home runs and 367 RBI.
"I played hard, I played with passion every single day," McNeil told SNY's Steve Gelbs before Friday's game. "I'm a fiery guy, but you know I cared. I wanted to win, I wanted to do well. I think the fans knew that. I just wanted to be known as a player who played the game the right way, gave it his all, and enjoyed being in the Mets organization."
McNeil was traded to the Athletics this offseason for RHP Yordan Rodriguez in what was an organizational re-tool that saw Pete Alonso leave to Baltimore in free agency and Brandon Nimmo traded to the Rangers.
San Diego, California - April 09: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after striking out Willi Castro #3 of the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning at Petco Park on Thursday, April 9, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
What. A. Game.
The San Diego Padres had their first walk off of the year last night and, with it, this team is starting to look like itself once again.
After failing to score more than one run—despite plenty of opportunities—San Diego entered the tenth inning against the Colorado Rockies with Jeremiah Estrada on the bump.
He was mostly solid, but allowed the Rox to put a run on the board, putting the onus on the Friars to score in the bottom of the frame. San Diego delivered and went into the eleventh, where Estrada gave up another run.
The inning shifted back to the Padres who, down to their final out with two runners on, saw Luis Campusano lace a double into left field, scoring the tying run.
That brought San Diego into the 12th, where the Rockies were finally unable to score.
Fernando Tatis Jr. laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third base. Colorado intentionally walked Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado to load the bases, thinking that Valente Bellozo could get Xander Bogaerts to ground into a double play.
They were wrong.
Bogaerts turned on a 89.6 mile per hour sinker and launched it into left field for a walk-off grand slam (the first of either for San Diego this year).
Going into tonight, the hope is for an offensive show so that the onus is taken off of the now-taxed pitching staff.
Taking the mound
Tomoyuki Sugano (COL) v. Walker Buehler (SD)
After a serviceable first year in MLB with the Baltimore Orioles (4.64 ERA, 157.0 IP), Sugano was signed by Colorado in hopes to bolster a starting rotation that was a big part of their historically bad 2025.
So far, he’s lived up to the one-year, $5.1 million deal. He’s pitched to a 1.69 ERA with nine strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings.
Sugano’s yet to face most of the Padres in this lineup so it will be interesting to see how he fares now that the Friars’ bats seem to have woken up.
Buehler has been the one sore spot of an otherwise (surprisingly) sterling San Diego rotation. Giving up seven runs across only 6 2/3 innings has hurt his case for a back-end spot once Griffin Canning comes back from the injured list.
The stuff is still there, and there’s positives from his outings. But if he doesn’t limit runs—and soon—his job will be in jeopardy.
Batter up!
After yesterday’s all-around extra-innings heroics, the offense is looking good. But the extra-innings hits made everyone quickly forget about the lack of hitting in the first nine innings (five hits).
But that doesn’t mean the offense is unhealthy, it’s looking infinitely better now than it did the first week of the season. With the righty Sugano on the mound, the Friars will likely look something like this:
Ramón Laureano, LF
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gavin Sheets, 1B
Miguel Andujar, DH
Luis Campusano, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Laureano will probably return to batting leadoff after Cronenworth hit first yesterday. His bat has been solid and he deserves more at-bats in that spot before being bumped, especially against righties.
Campusano likely gets the start over Freddy Fermin since the latter started yesterday. Campusano came in late and hit the aforementioned game-tying double that ended up being a difference-maker in San Diego’s win.
Relief corps
Randy Vásquez kept rolling with 5 2/3 of one-run ball, that seemed to save the bullpen … but then the extra innings came. The back-and-forth finale forced San Diego to use five of their relievers.
Skipper Craig Stammen has continued to show a difficult relationship with bullpen management. He got off to a good start bringing out Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon, and Mason Miller. But the decision to not leave Miller in for the tenth was an odd one.
Miller used to be a starter and has the ability to go more than an inning from time to time. Instead, Stammen ended up using Estrada and David Morgan to close out extra innings.
Now the Friars will only have Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio and Wandy Peralta. Thankfully, each of those are multi-innings options.
Should Buehler stumble early (like he has in his first two starts), those three options will be first out of the ’pen.
KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 05: Kansas City Royals pitcher Kris Bubic (50) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 5th, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
When last I sat down to write a game thread, the Royals were at .500, and while they had just lost to the Twins, they’d absolutely whalloped them the night before in the rain. Things were looking up as a really tough opponent came into town. That night, I got to write a recap about a doubleheader split, which saw the team score eight more runs in a game. Since that night, the Royals have only won one more contest and scored a total of twelve runs in their last five games.
One reason I always advocate for evaluating the team no more often than a series-by-series basis is that a loss like last night’s can feel devastating, but if they win the next three, it won’t register nearly as poorly. Of course, to do that, the Royals will have to win the next three, and that starts with winning tonight.
The good news is that the White Sox do not currently have a lefty scheduled for the rest of the series, and that also starts with tonight. Chicago will send a journeyman double-first-namer, Davis Martin, to the mound in the second of four against the southsiders. Martin is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA to start the year. And sure, those numbers are shiny, but the underlying metrics seem to suggest he’s basically the same pitcher as last year. That would be the year he had a much less impressive 4.10 ERA.
Martin faced the Royals three times last year and got progressively better each time. He allowed 4 runs in 4.1 innings the first start, 2 runs in 6 innings the second start, and pitched 6 scoreless in his final outing against the good guys. The White Sox only won that middle game, though. He mixes six pitches together pretty evenly, but his offspeed and breaking stuff gets absolutely destroyed when it gets hit, but his fastballs aren’t much better. His sinker does good numbers, so that will be the pitch to avoid swinging at if possible.
Kris Bubic will take the bump for KC, wearing their new City Connects for the first time. He’s had kind of an odd season through two starts; he’s struggled through the first inning of each of them and then dominated for the remainder of the game. It’s a bit reminiscent of late-aughts starter Kyle Davis in that regard, though he is much better once he gets going than Davis ever was. Hopefully, the Royals won’t need to attempt similar shenanigans as they did with Davies. For those that don’t remember him, for a period of time the Royals had him pitch a simulated first inning in the bullpen to try and get him over that hump. It didn’t work.
Regardless, pitching hasn’t really been the Royals’ problem – setting aside the bullpen games last Saturday and on Wednesday, at least. So the Royals will need to hit. Bobby Witt Jr. has started tattooing the ball, but Kyle Isbel’s hot streak seems to have worn off, and not enough other guys are helping the star out, either. Maybe that will change tonight.
Lineups
The Royals are bringing a lefty-heavy lineup against Martin with five southpaws plus a switch-hitter. Michael Massey is getting his first start at second base after a less-than-optimal start in left field earlier this week. That makes sense because Martin has struggled far more against lefties this year, last year, and over his career. It makes the team vulnerable to left-handed relievers because after Salvy in the four-spot, only Collins in the eight spot breaks up the parade of wrong-handers. Still, that’s why Lane Thomas, Jonathan India, and Starling Marte are on the bench, I suppose.
The White Sox have only got two lefties in there to face Bubic. That shouldn’t matter much, though, except that maybe he can give one of them a golden sombrero.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics pitches during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park on April 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A week in New York? Not bad a deal for the green and the gold. After kicking it around The Bronx for three games, a quick trip on the Metro brings them to Citi Field for another trio. This time against the Metropolitans who enter the series at 7-6.
Clay Holmes is the starting foe and he’s been on a roll. Two starts, two wins, and only two runs given up. His last start was a seven inning shutout against the Giants. Which I guess isn’t much of an accomplishment, given how poorly the Giants have swung the bat through the first two weeks.
Not like the A’s been much better though, but there’s reasons to be optimistic. After all, they’re coming off their first series win in Yankee stadium in ten years and apparently the first 1-0 victory over the evil empire since 1979!
I hope JT Ginn spent some quality time with Jeffrey Springs today. He could benefit from wielding some of the same magic that led Jeffrey Springs to a one-hit shove piece yesterday afternoon. What a way to show for your squad! I mean, this bullpen has been TAXED over the fast five days or so. Really since the last time Jeffrey took the ball in West Sacramento last Friday.
That’s not to say there haven’t been some quality starting performances in that stretch. Aaron Civale held down the fort on Tuesday. Aside form Sevy’s first inning, he too tossed the rock with a little kick.
They just weren’t at the level in which Springs was operating. Because now, not only are the A’s coming in with limited travel, they’re also showing up with hot arms. And everyone knows that a mediocre arm is at its best when it’s hot.
Just ask Scott Barlow.
On the offensive side, we’re working with a Rooker-less starting nine. Just a couple of hour ago, the A’s announced they were moving B-Rook to the ten-day, in response to his to awkward swing that took him out of the game’s first inning yesterday. Called up in his place and immediately dropped on the bench is Zack Gelof. Gelof has been on an absolute tear to start the season down in AAA.
Look at this pimp job from April 3rd.
Don’t you dare forget about Zack Gelof.
He is absolutely mashing in Triple-A to begin the season, having clobbered four home runs in his first seven games. 💣#Athleticspic.twitter.com/UKGs7ywDeT
Don’t let the Las Vegas heat fool you into thinking he’ll be doing anything like that this weekend. I’d be shocked if he gets anything more than a pinch hit or defensive replacement. This is Jeff McNeil’s weekend. His first time playing against his former team, for who he was at one point the longest tenured player.
There’s got to be a little pep in McNeil’s step ahead of his first go around against the Mets. They did, in a way, sort’ve give up on their former batting champion. Shipping him away to A’s in exchange for computer generated reliever. It had been a terribly unproductive season so far McNeil, before his mild hit parade against the Yankees in game one and two.
Here’s how the rest of the lineup shapes up around McNeil’s homecoming…
Carlos Cortes slots into Brent Rooker’s usual spot as designated hitter. Nick Kurtz is also FINALLY not hitting leadoff against a right handed pitcher. Now I know I went into the season saying how I was into it, but it has just not been effective. He’s also striking out at an Adam Dunn-esque clip and who in their right mind puts their biggest strikeout hitter in the lead-off spot?
…Lawrence Butler is a guess a better option?
MARK KOTSAY PLEASE READ THE ATHLETICS NATION COMMENT SECTION FROM TIME TO TIME
JT Ginn’s first start this season happens to be against the team that drafted him. The team the A’s acquired him from for Chris Bassitt. I happen to love when it happens like this and I’m confident that Ginn is going to be pitching with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. He’ll need it against a Mets offense that has some generational hitters sprinkled throughout it.
Oh how I’ve missed Marcus Semien. Even though he’ll never be remembered as an Oakland A I will always say his name with pride. I remember the days where he was the worst defensive shortstop in baseball. Back in the day when he could only hit twenty home runs a season and literally nothing else. I hope he hasn’t forgotten about those days either. He should’ve been this generation’s Mark Ellis.
Not a member of the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers.
It’s a potent lineup the Mets possess if they can get all of the pieces moving at once. Let’s see if JT Ginn and the A’s have what it takes to come into New York and takes back to back series against the Yankees and Mets!
