There's nothing sweeter than seeing baseball fly out the park and Ohtani and the Dodgers made that happen not once, not twice, but five times in the nation's capital.
The first came in the third inning with the Dodgers down 3-0. Ohtani hit a three-run bomb that went 401 feet between right and center field, as Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages scored to tie the game.
Ohtani finished 2-for-5 with 4 RBIs – also his first of the season – and is batting .217 now. He is 1-0 on the mound with 6 strikeouts in as many innings pitched.
The Dodgers added two more scores in the inning as Mookie Betts followed with a two-run, 380-foot home run that brought home Kyle Tucker. Los Angeles got out of the inning with a 5-3 lead but continued to pour it on throughout the ball game.
Pages got in on the action, hitting the longest homerun of the game. His went 412 feet to left field as he and Hernandez ran across home plate to pad the Dodgers' lead to 7-4 in the fourth inning.
Freddie Freeman smacked one 391 feet in the following inning, scoring Betts. Dodgers dominance carried on. They led 9-4 in the fifth but weren't done.
Tucker added to an 11-4 lead with a solo home run on a 404-foot shot in the top of the seventh. It was also his first home run of the 2026 season.
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the first inning, and the New York Yankees beat the Miami Marlins 8-2 in their home opener Friday for their second 6-1 start in three seasons.
Trent Grisham reached leading off with the first of 11 walks by Marlins pitchers and Judge drove a slider into the left-field seats against Eury Pérez (0-1).
Ben Rice homered and hit a two-run double for the Yankees.
Will Warren (1-0) allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings, including solo homers by Xavier Edwards in the first and Owen Caissie in the fifth.
Miami entered the game at 5-1, matching its franchise-best start, and had spent six days atop the NL East — double its total for 2021-25 combined. Miami pitchers had their most walks since April 2023; they had walked just nine in the team's first six games.
Pérez (0-1) allowed four runs, two hits and a career-high six walks in four innings. He forced in runs on consecutive pitches in the second when he walked Grisham and hit Judge. Tyler Phillips threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the sixth.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero each had two stolen bases and Judge one off catcher Liam Hicks, who has allowed 60 steals in 66 attempts since reaching the major leagues last year.
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 23: Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Cooper Pratt (87) starts a double play during a spring training game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field on March 23, 2026 in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After several days of anticipation, the Milwaukee Brewers have made official the news that many fans have been waiting for: shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt has signed a long-term contract extension.
Reports surfaced on Monday that the Brewers and Pratt had come to terms on a deal, with Pratt himself confirming the news on his Instagram. Eight years with $50.75 million guaranteed and a pair of club options is the reported contract.
The deal begins this year and runs through the 2033 season. The club options are for 2034 and 2035. Because he’s signed the deal, the Brewers have added Pratt to the 40-man roster. To clear space, the Brewers designated outfielder Steward Berroa for assignment.
“We are very excited to make this long-term commitment to Cooper,” said Arnold. “He is a player we feel will be an instrumental part of our future success in Milwaukee. Cooper has all the tools to be a special player, and we are thrilled that he will be in a Brewers uniform for years to come. This commitment continues to show our organization’s passion, led by ownership, to consistently produce a winning team season after season.”
The Brewers did not release the financial details and breakdown for how the money will be paid out to Pratt over the years, though it can be assumed that the deal will be backloaded.
Pratt had just three games of Triple-A experience at the time of his deal, which is the fewest of any player at that level to sign an MLB extension. He’s been held out of the Nashville Sounds lineup all week while the deal was getting finalized. Now that it’s official, we can expect to see Pratt return to the lineup for Nashville.
Pratt is regarded as the best defender in the Brewers’ farm system. It’s that defensive prowess at a premium position that helped convince the Brewers he was worth extending. There is a strong belief in his offensive development despite non-overwhelming numbers in Double-A last season. There should be more power to come, and the Brewers are making a big bet on his bat. If he’s able to be even a decent hitter at the MLB level, he’ll be well worth his contract.
It’s unclear just when the Brewers will promote Pratt to the big leagues. We know that it won’t be immediately, but it still could be soon. With the contract now finished, as soon as the Brewers feel he is ready for the majors, there will be nothing to stand in the way of his promotion.
Stephen Curry went through a full second scrimmage with the Warriors on Thursday, and afterward coach Steve Kerr said, "He looked like Steph Curry."
That's good enough for the Warriors: Curry is expected to be cleared to return to play on Sunday, when the Warriors take on the Houston Rockets on NBC Sunday Night Basketball, reports Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of ESPN.
This was expected, Sunday had been Curry’s target for more than a week. This would give him as many as five games before the end of the season to get his legs under him and rekindle some chemistry with his teammates after a lengthy absence.
Curry has been out since Jan. 30 due to "runner's knee" — and he strained his adductor during rehab — missing 27 games. Without him, Golden State has gone 9-18 and fallen to 10th in the West, which is very likely where they will finish. The Warriors will need to win two games on the road just to get out of the play-in and into the No. 8 seed.
Because of the Warriors' long odds of making the playoffs, there have been some calls to have Curry shut it down for the rest of the season, but that is not something he wanted, according to reports out of the Bay Area. Curry is the greatest Warrior player ever, the biggest draw the franchise has ever had, and with that he has the power — if he wants to play, he will be allowed to do so.
When Curry, 38, has been healthy this season, he is averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists a game, shooting 39.1% from 3-point range. It remains his gravity on offense that opens up everything for everyone else, particularly with Jimmy Butler (ACL) out for the rest of the season.
You can catch Curry's return to the court Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock as part of a Sunday Night Basketball double header (the Lakers at the Mavericks is the early game, a matchup that loses a little luster if Luka Doncic is out due to his hamstring injury).
The Dodgers’ offense isn’t broken. Its superstar hitters aren’t imploding. And the concerns over their opening-week slump, it turned out, might have indeed been prematurely overblown.
For one day, at least, the team finally looked as advertised in a 13-6 win over the Washington Nationals.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani watches his three-run home run during the third inning of an baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams) AP
“Rome isn’t burning,” manager Dave Roberts quipped.
“Nobody in here is panicking,” added shortstop Mookie Betts.
That doesn’t mean there wasn’t frustration with how the offense had started the season. Entering Friday, the Dodgers ranked 22nd in scoring, were hitting just .237 as a team and were coming off a lackluster series loss back home to the Cleveland Guardians.
On what was Opening Day at Nationals Park, however, a three-inning onslaught changed all that.
It started with Shohei Ohtani, who erased an early deficit with his first home run of the year, sarcastically looking to the heavens after a 401-foot drive to right field.
Betts then put the team in front with a two-run homer two batters later.
From there, the Dodgers (5-2) kept on mashing veteran Washington starter Miles Mikolas.
Andy Pages hit a two-run blast in the fourth, continuing his blistering start to the season with a three-hit day. Freddie Freeman ignited a four-run rally in the fifth with a two-run shot of his own. Teoscar Hernández chipped in with three hits, including an RBI double.
And, in a late-game highlight, Kyle Tucker added some late insurance with his first Dodgers home run in the seventh, punctuating his breakout three-hit day.
“Everyone clicking today was kind of nice,” Tucker said. “Hopefully this is just the start of a really good offensive year for us.”
The outburst made Emmet Sheehan’s choppy 5 ⅔-inning, four-run start largely irrelevant.
It also showed, for really the first time this season, how dangerous the Dodgers can be when the top of their lineup is all doing damage.
“There was a lot of hoopla going on in that first homestand,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this will spur something else.”
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Andy Pages, left, celebrates his two-run home run with Teoscar Hernandez during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) AP
What it means
Depends if the Dodgers can keep this going.
Beating up on Mikolas, after all, is no special accomplishment. The former two-time All-Star has a 5.00 ERA over the last four seasons. He’s also been especially bad against the Dodgers in his career with a 7.80 ERA –– ironic, since he has been one of the few MLB players to publicly criticize their recent spending.
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Still, games like Friday are more what the Dodgers envisioned when putting together this year’s record-breaking $415-million payroll. Their Nos. 1-4 hitters alone, who had a combined .161 average entering play, they went 8-for-21 as a group with 10 RBIs.
As Freeman presciently noted earlier this week: “I think our offense is inevitable.”
Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run in the seventh inning of the MLB baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals. (Mandatory Credit: Photo by JIM LO SCALZO/EPA/Shutterstock) JIM LO SCALZO/EPA/Shutterstock
Who’s hot
Outside of Pages, who is now batting a team-best .480, how about the leadoff duo of Ohtani and Tucker –– who not only hit their first home runs in Friday’s victory, but also recorded their first multi-hit games of the season, Ohtani going 2-for-5 with four RBIs and Tucker 3-for-6 with two RBIs.
Entering Friday, the pair had seven total hits (and only one for extra bases) against 14 combined strikeouts. Even after just six games, Roberts was asked Friday morning if he had considered splitting them up at the top of the order.
The manager hadn’t, of course, noting it was far too early for such drastic changes.
However, he did emphasize the importance of Tucker’s No. 2 spot in the lineup directly behind Ohtani.
“Him getting on base and being a threat,” Roberts said, “changes how a team is going to approach Shohei.”
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts hits a two-run home run against Washington Nationals during the third inning of an baseball game, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams) AP
Who’s not
Sheehan did well to limit damage after an early three-run home run by CJ Abrams. But two starts into the campaign, the fourth-year starter still doesn’t look right.
For a second-straight game, his fastball velocity was noticeably down, averaging just 93.8 mph (even with a late uptick at the end) compared to 95.6 mph a season ago. Both Abrams’ homer and James Wood’s leadoff double earlier in the first inning came against heaters that failed to break 95.
Roberts was expecting Sheehan’s velocity to be improved before the game, saying the team’s pitching coaches had identified a flaw in his mechanics.
“I think a lot of what he’s done lately is spin out (of his delivery) more than is typical,” Roberts said. “So getting the direction better, we feel it should increase velocity … and his pitch mix should be better.”
Instead, the search remains ongoing for the right-hander, who now has an 8.00 ERA and an 8-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio through his first two outings.
Up next
The Dodgers continue their weekend series at Nationals Park with a 1:05 p.m. start Saturday. Tyler Glasnow will take the bump, coming off his six-inning, two-run season debut last week. Jake Irvin will start for Washington. The right-hander has a career 4.92 ERA, but gave up just two runs in five innings to the Chicago Cubs in his first outing this year.
All 30 teams are in action on Saturday, April 4, and I'm poring over the odds to make moneyline predictions for all 15 games.
My MLB picks are especially bullish on the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Seattle Mariners.
MLB moneyline picks for April 4
Matchup
Pick
Cardinals vs Tigers
+133
Blue Jays vs White Sox
-156
Dodgers vs Nationals
-270
Astros vs A's
-104
Orioles vs Pirates
+104
Padres vs Red Sox
-133
Brewers vs Royals
+100
Reds vs Rangers
+138
Marlins vs Yankees
+138
Rays vs Twins
+100
Cubs vs Guardians
+113
Braves vs Diamondbacks
-104
Phillies vs Rockies
+186
Mets vs Giants
+113
Mariners vs Angels
-150
Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 4-3.
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Expert MLB moneyline picks for April 4
Cardinals vs Tigers: Cardinals (+133)
Cardinals win probability: 43%
Let's open with a slight upset, as the St. Louis Cardinals can make life miserable for former Redbird Jack Flaherty. The Detroit Tigers right-hander has been extremely uneven over his career, including last season, when he posted a 4.64 ERA over 31 starts. He also issued four walks in just over four innings in his first start, and I like the young St. Louis lineup to step up on the road.
Blue Jays vs Team: Blue Jays (-156)
Blue Jays win probability: 61%
Even though the Toronto Blue Jays haven't announced their starter as of this writing, I'm taking the visitors because of how the lineup rakes against left-handed pitchers like Chicago White Sox starter Anthony Kay. Toronto boasted the third-highest wRC+ against southpaws in 2025, highlighted by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ernie Clement, and George Springer, all of whom recorded an OPS north of .800 in these matchups.
Dodgers vs Nationals: Dodgers (-270)
Dodgers win probability: 73%
Washington Nationals starter Jake Irvin had the highest ERA (5.70) among all qualified starters in 2025. The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't quite turned on the offensive jets this season, but this isn't an advisable position to back the underdog.
Astros vs A's: A's (-104)
A's win probability: 51%
This is mostly a fade of Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who looked very shaky in his MLB debut and now has to contend with the poor pitching conditions at Sutter Health Park against an A's team that has dangerous power up and down the lineup.
Orioles vs Pirates: Pirates (+104)
Pirates win probability: 49%
While no one would expect Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski to maintain a 40% strikeout rate, he looked exceptional in his season debut against the Yankees. But his success shouldn't be a surprise. He has a career 3.27 ERA over 190 innings split between the bullpen and rotation, and I like him to keep the Baltimore Orioles guessing.
Padres vs Red Sox: Red Sox (-133)
Red Sox win probability: 57%
This is a combination of preferring starter Connelly Early to Randy Vasquez and how the Boston Red Sox lineup ultimately matches up against the right-hander. Vasquez racked up the strikeouts in his season debut, but that's not his bread and butter, as he fanned just 13.7% of batters last season.
Brewers vs Royals: Brewers (+100)
Brewers win probability: 50%
Expect a better performance from Milwaukee Brewers rookie Brandon Sproat than what we saw in his first start. He issued four walks in three innings, and while he never had pinpoint command in the minors, this was far worse than anything he was accustomed to.
Reds vs Rangers: Reds (+138)
Reds win probability: 42%
The Texas Rangers haven't announced a starter, and the Cincinnati Reds lineup is an exciting one from top to bottom. More importantly, we're getting an extremely good price here, especially if Sal Stewart, Eugenio Suarez, and Elly De La Cruz get the bats going early.
Marlins vs Yankees: Marlins (+163)
Marlins win probability: 38%
Like with the Reds, I'm taking the Miami Marlins as significant road underdogs largely due to the value at +163. The Marlins have hit lefties like New York Yankees SP Ryan Weathers well in the early going, and this isn't the same perennial loser Miami team as we've grown accustomed to.
Rays vs Twins: Rays (+100)
Rays win probability: 50%
The Minnesota Twins are a disaster in 2026, and while the Tampa Bay Rays may not be much better, I'll fade Mick Abel, who has often struggled with command throughout his career in the majors and minors.
Cubs vs Guardians: Cubs (-113)
Cubs win probability: 53%
Of all of the Cleveland Guardians starting pitchers, Slade Cecconi is the least impressive/daunting. He doesn't overpower anyone, rarely misses bats, and surrenders a ton of hard contact. He lives in the zone, and the Chicago Cubs will make mincemeat of his offerings, giving Shota Imanaga enough of a cushion in case he doesn't have his best stuff.
Braves vs Diamondbacks: Diamondbacks (-104)
Diamondbacks win probability: 51%
Even after a sharp first outing of the season, I don't trust Atlanta Braves right-hander Bryce Elder, especially against an Arizona Diamondbacks lineup featuring Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Geraldo Perdomo.
Phillies vs Rockies: Rockies (+186)
Rockies win probability: 35%
This is my biggest underdog pick of the day. Philadelphia Phillies lefty Jesus Luzardo was snakebitten by the long ball in his season debut, and while I don't expect that to become a new norm for him, a game at Coors Field doesn't bode well.
Mets vs Giants: Giants (+113)
Giants win probability: 47%
The New York Mets haven't looked quite right at the plate so far, and I don't expect that to immediately change against San Francisco Giants starter Landen Roupp at Oracle Park.
Mariners vs Angels: Mariners (-150)
Mariners win probability: 60%
I'm not on board the Emerson Hancock train after one start, but I still expect the Seattle Mariners to knock Los Angeles Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz around enough for the right-hander to secure a win for the visitors.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Apr 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) receives congratulations from left fielder Riley Greene (31) after he hits a two run home run in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Happy Opening Day, Detroit! Today’s home opener marked the warmest Opening Day ever at Comerica Park (70 degrees Farenheit at game-time), and the warmest Tigers Opening Day in general since 1991. The Tigers lineup also warmed up following Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to the Diamondbacks, and new Tigers ace Framber Valdez came through with six shutout innings in his Tigers home debut. Tigers win, 4-0, and win their third straight home opener.
Through the first three innings, Tigers hitters produced some impressive swings, but no runs. Kevin McGonigle, in his first-ever game at Comerica Park and his first-ever game hitting leadoff for the Tigers, lead off today’s game by knocking a ball 403 feet into center field!… and into Victor Scott II’s glove for an out. Then, two hitters later, Kerry Carpenter lasered a ball to right field, 110.3 MPH off his bat!… his hardest ball hit in two years!…and off the right field wall for a long single. As a reminder, Colt Keith practically did the same thing on Wednesday, hitting the ball off the top of Chase Field’s right field wall; that ball staying in the park was the difference in Wednesday’s game.
In the third inning, Javier Báez singled and stole second, setting up a potential RBI for Gleyber Torres. Torres singled, but right fielder Jordan Walker gunned him out on the plate with a 100.6 MPH throw.
Tough luck for Detroit’s bats to start the day. Framber Valdez had their back, however, and opened today’s game by retiring the first eight batters he faced en route to six shutout innings. But although he only allowed five total hits and walks today, Valdez found himself managing traffic before the Tigers gave him a lead. The first potential Cardinals rally came with two outs in the third inning, as Victor Scott II and Masyn Winn notched back-to-back hits before an Iván Herrera groundout ended the threat.
The Cardinals fourth inning rally was more dramatic, and Detroit’s play in the face of adversity allowed them to settle into a comfortable win once the threat was put away. The inning got off to a typical start; Valdez allowed a leadoff single, secured two outs, then produced a ground ball to Spencer Torkelson off the bat of Yahel Pozo. But Torkelson struggled to field the ball, and once he finally got ahold of it and tossed it over to Valdez covering at first, Valdez not only failed to catch the ball, but took it off his throwing hand. Detroit had to check on their newly-signed star to see whether he could continue, and once they elected to keep him in the game, Valdez walked Thomas Saggese to load the bases. With the bases loaded and Tigers hitters in a 18-inning scoring drought, Valdez stayed down in the zone with his sinker and back-to-back curveballs to produce a weak José Fermín fly ball to end the threat. Isn’t it nice to have two aces?
After Valdez worked his way out of that fourth-inning jam, today’s Opening Day festivities truly began. First, after working a full count, Riley Greene sizzled a double to the gap in right-center field, 111 MPH off the bat. From there, rising star Dillon Dingler brought him home.
2-0, Detroit, and home run #2 for Dillon Dingler — and the Tigers period — this season.
Next, in the bottom of the fifth, Kevin McGonigle knocked a one-out double to left field, but was thrown out at third after Gleyber Torres hits into a fielder’s choice. With two outs, the Tigers rebuilt the rally, as Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene knocked back-to-back singles off lefty Justin Bruihl to give Detroit a 3-0 lead. Carpenter’s unlikely lefty-on-lefty hit was a welcome sight after a miserable road trip that saw him go just 2-22 with 12 strikeouts. Greene’s hit, meanwhile, was his 500th hit!
Fun fact: the Tigers have two of baseball’s three top hitters through age-25 of all time: Ty Cobb tops that leaderboard with a staggering 1,433 hits through age-25, and Al Kaline had 1,200 hits through age-25 himself.
The last noteworthy bit of action from today came in the sixth inning, when Parker Meadows was hit by a pitch with two outs. Meadows stole second — his second stolen base of the year — to set up a Javier Báez single that gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead. From there, Will Vest, Kyle Finnegan, and Tyler Holton finished out the day; they redeemed Detroit’s Tuesday bullpen collapse with three combined shutout innings, allowing three total baserunners and striking out four. Holton was only out there for a couple of minutes, as he threw just seven pitches in the non-save situation to close this one out.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 03: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with Mookie Betts #50 after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After struggling mightily on offense in their last series and really in the last four-plus games of the homestand, the Dodgers were understandably confident that their star-studded lineup would get things going. Facing Miles Mikolas helped, as the Dodgers torched the right-hander for four home runs in a 13-6 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday afternoon in Washington D.C.
During the homestand, the Dodgers only scored nine total runs in the first five innings during the six games. They put an 11-spot in 4 1/3 innings against Mikolas on Friday, thanks to the long ball.
Shohei Ohtani’s first extra-base hit of the season was a three-run shot in the third inning. Then Mookie Betts followed with a two-run homer in the same inning, and Andy Pages continued his scorching start with a two-run shot in the fourth.
Andy Pages cracks the @Dodgers 3rd home run of the day!
During spring training in 2024, Mikolas, then with the St. Louis Cardinals, said, “We’re not exactly a low payroll team, but you got the Dodgers playing checkbook baseball. We’re going to be the hardest working group of Midwestern farmers we can be.”
In four starts against Los Angeles since those words, the Dodgers have cashed in off the veteran right-hander, scoring 25 runs in 17 1/3 innings, with 11 home runs off him.
“We had an inkling they were ready to erupt, and we also had an inkling with Mikolas on the mound,” Orel Hershiser said of the Dodgers offense during the SportsNet LA telecast.
Getting some length
The Dodgers gave Emmet Sheehan a lot of run support, but he was working out of a hole for a bit as his team didn’t score until the third inning.
Sheehan had a rough opening frame. He gave up rockets to James Wood and CJ Abrams, the former on the first pitch of the game just off the edge of Andy Pages’ glove in center, and the latter a home run to right field. It was a three-run shot because, in between, Sheehan issued a five-pitch walk to Brady House, who walked once every 34 plate appearances as a rookie last season.
Of concern for Sheehan in his first start was a lack of command, as he needed 83 pitches to get 10 outs. He rebounded Friday after that first inning to pitch into the sixth, getting 17 outs on 98 pitches, and allowed only one more run, though with more walks (three) than strikeouts (two).
Sheehan, who averaged 95.6 mph on his four-seam fastball hasn’t yet hit that in either of his starts, averaging 94 mph last Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks and 93.8 mph against Washington. He also saw his velocity drop as the game progressed in his first start. The drop wasn’t as stark on Friday, with his sixth-inning average the same as the first, but that pitch is lacking the juice it had in 2025.
Start
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
March 27
95.5 (9)
93.7 (6)
94.0 (10)
92.8 (11)
n/a
n/a
April 3
94.5 (8)
93.1 (7)
92.6 (3)
93.5 (6)
93.5 (3)
94.5 (7)
“We’re still digging into that,” manager Dave Roberts said last Friday after Sheehan’s first start of the season. “Our staff has talked to Emmet, and he says he feels good and feels strong. He works as hard as everybody. It’s probably something mechanical, but physical, the player’s got to let us know a little bit, too, and we haven’t heard anything about that part.”
Notes
Thirteen runs in nine innings on Friday for the Dodgers were two more than they scored in the final 40 innings of the homestand.
Kyle Tucker’s first home run of the season, off left-hander Ken Waldichuk in the seventh inning, gave the Dodgers a season-high five home runs. That matches the 2025 season high as well, done twice (May 15 vs. Athletics and May 31 vs. New York Yankees).
Alex Call got into his first game of 2026, playing the final four innings in left field, giving Teoscar Hernández a breather after a three-hit day. Call walked and scored in his only plate appearance. Roberts told reporters in Washington earlier Friday that Call would start Sunday, when the Nationals will start left-hander Foster Griffin on the mound.
Friday particulars
Home runs: Shohei Ohtani (1), Mookie Betts (2), Andy Pages (2), Freddie Freeman (2), Kyle Tucker (1); CJ Abrams (2)
The two teams are back at it again with a slightly later start time on Saturday (4:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Tyler Glasnow makes his second start, with right-hander Jake Irvin pitching for the Nationals.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 03: Framber Valdez #59 of the Detroit Tigers throws a first inning pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the Tigers home opner at Comerica Park on April 03, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was the home opener at Comerica Park for the Detroit Tigers and they made the most of it with Framber Valdez keeping the Cardinals bats quiet as the Tigers defeated St. Louis 4-0.
Framber Valdez only allowed 3 Cardinals hits through 6 innings and the Detroit Tigers bullpen kept St. Louis off the scoreboard, too. The Friday afternoon Comerica Park home opener wasn’t without St. Louis Cardinals highlights, though, as Jordan Walker fired a missile from right field in the bottom of the 3rd inning.
Victor Scott II also made a great play in the bottom of the first and JJ Wetherholt made a diving grab in the bottom of the 8th after he entered the game as a DH later in the game. Michael McGreevy wasn’t nearly as sharp as he was in his first start of the year as he allowed 7 hits and 3 runs through 4 2/3 innings.
All of the offense came in the middle innings as the Detroit Tigers got on the board in the 4th inning when Dillon Dingler hit a 433 foot two run homer to left center.
Riley Greene singled in another run in the 5th inning to give Detroit a 3-0 lead. Javy Baez added another RBI single in the bottom of the 6th inning to close out the scoring. The only St. Louis Cardinals hits came from Masyn Winn, Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, Thomas Saggese and Victor Scott II.
Friday’s loss to Detroit gives St. Louis a 4-3 record for the still very early season. The Cardinals will try again on Saturday, April 4, 2026 when Dustin May gets the start for St. Louis and former Cardinal Jack Flaherty will take the mound for the Tigers in a 12:15pm scheduled start.
Aug 4, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Bailey Falter (36) on the mound with teammates as they take on the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Royals had previously announced Luinder Avila would get the start for tonight’s game, but now we know the corresponding move. Bailey Falter has been added to the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation retroactive to his last appearance in the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s win.
Bailey Falter has made six appearances for KC since being acquired for reliever Evan Sisk and infielder Callan Moss at the 2025 trade deadline, two starts and four relief appearances. He was a disaster last summer after the trade and looked pretty bad in Spring Training. However, he looked pretty good in his final spring performance and first relief appearance of the 2026 regular season. Unfortunately, when he attempted to finish off a rain-soaked blowout on Wednesday night, he struggled to throw competitive pitches. He got one out but walked two and gave up three hits, including a home run, leading to three runs and creating a save situation that Lucas Erceg had to finish off.
Falter becomes the second Royals reliever to go on the IL in the season’s first week after a non-competitive ninth inning performance, after Carlos Estévez was added with a left foot contusion on Wednesday. The Royals weren’t relying on Falter the same way they were Estévez, but that leaves them with only Matt Strahm and Daniel Lynch IV as left-handers in the bullpen, with no one who appears remotely ready to step into such a role in the minors. Hopefully, Lynch and Strahm will remain healthy. The Diamondbacks have attempted to navigate the beginning of their season without a left-handed reliever, resulting in an 8.39 ERA from their bullpen, fourth-worst in baseball.
Of course, the Royals currently sit at 9.00 thanks in large part to the efforts of Estévez and Falter. Hopefully, things will improve from here.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 26: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays fields the ball against the St. Louis Cardinals on Opening Day at Busch Stadium on March 26, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 28: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates while rounding the bases after hitting a two-run home run to left field in the tenth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Home Opener!
Here’s the Cubs lineup:
Cubs 4/3
N. Hoerner 2B A. Bregman 3B I. Happ LF C. Kelly C M. Busch 1B D. Swanson SS M. Shaw RF P. Crow-Armstrong CF M. Amaya DH
Aug 11, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Bailey Falter (36) delivers a pitch against the Washington Nationals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images
The Royals announced they have officially called up Luinder Avila to start tonight’s game against the Brewers, and have placed left-hander Bailey Falter on the 15-day Injured List with left elbow inflammation retroactive to yesterday. Falter faced six hitters on Wednesday night against the Twins and gave up three hits and two walks. Michael Wacha was scheduled to make the start Friday night, but was scratched due to illness, requiring Avila to be called up.
Falter has given up five runs and eight hits in 3.1 innings in his two games so far. The Royals acquired him last July and he has given up 20 runs in 15.1 innings since his trade from the Pirates. The Royals could have non-tendered him last winter, but chose to pay him $3.6 million to provide starting pitching depth. Falter is out of options, so he can’t be sent to the minors without clearing waivers. He was fairly effective in 2024 with the Pirates when he had a 4.43 ERA in 28 starts, although with a low strikout rate.
Luinder Avila appeared in 13 games with the Royals last year, giving up just two runs with 16 strikeouts in 14 innings for an ERA of 1.29. He started the first game for Omaha, and he gave up two runs in three innings with three strikeouts.
Avila is ranked as the #9 prospect in the Royals’ farm system by MLB Pipeline. He throws from a high angle, and tends to induce a lot of groundballs. His curveball had a 48 percent whiff rate in limited big league action. He was also impressive in the World Baseball Classic, throwing 4.1 innings and allowing just one unearned run for Team Venezuela.
BALTIMORE, MD - MARCH 28: Kyle Bradish #38 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 28, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the first time in 2026, the Orioles head out on the road, but they don’t have to go too far. They will begin the six-game trip with a weekend in Pittsburgh.
And let’s not forget about old friend Ryan O’Hearn. The O’s dealt him to the Padres at last year’s deadline, and then he inked a two-year deal with the Pirates in January. So far it looks like a good bit of business. He owns a .421/.522/.737 slash line through five games, and has already gone deep twice.
Kyle Bradish is on the bump for the Birds. His first start of the year was OK. He threw 83 pitches over 4.2 innings, struggling with his control quite a bit. His fastball velocity also seemed to be down. The sinker was averaging 93.5 mph against the Twins. He’s usually closer to 95 (94.7 mph in 2025). Hopefully that is just some early-season rust.
Montreal Canadiens’ blueliner Kaiden Guhle has had a tough season from his own account, but he has really upped his game lately, so much so that he hasn’t been on the ice for a goal against in seven games. Over the course of those seven games, he has a plus-nine rating.
Even though he only got on the scoreboard in one of those seven games, he got a goal and two assists against the New York Islanders on March 21; he has had a huge impact on the games.
In that seven-game span, he has landed 21 hits, including eight in the 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24, and has blocked 18 shots. Guhle’s game took a turn for the better when he was put on a pairing with Alexandre Carrier on March 17, in a 3-2 overtime win over the Boston Bruins. That combination worked very well for the Canadiens’ last season.
For the last two games, though, since Carrier is dealing with an upper-body injury, Guhle has played alongside Arber Xhekaj, and his game has stayed at the same high level. That’s a testament to how well Xhekaj has done since being put back on the blueline, keeping his game simple and playing the right way.
There’s no denying that since the Canadiens started their seven-game winning streak, they’ve had better goaltending than they’ve had through most of the season, but they’ve also had much better play from Guhle, and that makes a difference as well.
In just 35 games this season, the Albertan has put up 10 points, which projects to 23 points in a full 82-game season. Of course, points production is not Guhle’s forte, but getting secondary scoring is never a bad thing for any team.
It’s impossible to deny that having Guhle in the lineup and performing to the best of his potential is a huge plus for the Canadiens. If he could manage to stay healthy and play a full season, it would definitely stabilize the Habs’ defense corps and make Montreal an even better team.
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