Category: Sports News

It’ll be a black and orange fest at Camden Yards this weekend as the San Francisco Giants roll into town for an interleague matchup. The two similarly colored teams from opposite coasts and opposite leagues are infrequent opponents. The Orioles have faced the Giants just 27 times in their history, going 14-13. This is the Giants’ first visit to Camden Yards since 2024, when the Orioles averted a sweep on Anthony Santander’s walkoff homer in the series finale. The Giants also took two out of three from the O’s in San Francisco last year.

One familiar name in the Giants lineup is Rafael Devers, a longtime division rival of the Orioles during his Boston days. San Francisco took on the disgruntled Devers and his $300+ million salary from the Red Sox in a shocking trade last June, and since then his bat hasn’t resembled his Beantown best. Devers is hitting just .220/.278/.360 with two homers in 13 games this year. The O’s, who also have a high-priced first baseman who is currently hitting well below his career numbers, can commiserate.

Otherwise, though, the Giants’ infield has been carrying the team offensively, with veterans Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and three-time batting title winner Luis Arraez all hitting well so far. The outfield, on the other hand, has been a huge problem. Corner guys Jung Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos each have an OPS+ of 29, which is horrid, but not as horrid as Harrison Bader’s 2. Yes, that’s an OPS+ of two. The veteran center fielder, signed as a free agent, is batting .114/.149/.205 with five hits in 47 PAs.

Overall, the Giants’ team OPS of .618 is tied for the third-worst in the majors. They’ve hit only five homers all season, last in MLB. They didn’t score their first run of the season until their third game, and didn’t score their second until Game 4. This is a struggling lineup that Orioles pitchers really need to exploit.

San Francisco’s pitching staff hasn’t been much better. Their longtime ace and Jesse Plemons lookalike Logan Webb has a 5.00 ERA through three starts, though most of that damage was done on Opening Night when he gave up seven runs to the Yankees. The rest of the rotation has been decidedly mediocre aside from Robbie Ray, who has a 2.08 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP in three starts. The O’s, fortunately, will miss him in this series.

The Giants, like the Orioles, have a rookie manager, but San Francisco’s was a much more unconventional pick. The Giants hired Tony Vitello, previously the head coach at the University of Tennessee, who became the first manager in MLB history hired directly from the college ranks. The early returns on Vitello haven’t been great, and fans are already mad at him for airing the team’s dirty laundry, among other things.

Game 1: Friday, 7:15 PM, Apple TV+

RHP Landen Roupp (1-1, 4.22) vs. RHP Shane Baz (0-0, 4.09)

Roupp (pronounced ROOP, not ROWP) is a third-year righty with excellent taste in birthdays who moved to the Giants’ rotation full time last season. He’s a league average-ish pitcher who gets by on his quality offspeed pitches — a curveball and changeup — rather than his underwhelming fastball. At least there aren’t any Orioles hitters who struggle to hit breaking balls, right? …Right?

The last time Baz walked off the mound on April 4, his ERA was 3.27. Now it’s 80 points higher, thanks to a scoring change from his start in Pittsburgh that changed an error to a hit (and an unearned run to an earned run). Still, his Pirates outing was a nice bounceback from his rough O’s debut a week earlier. This will be Baz’s first career outing against the Giants, one of six MLB teams he’s never faced. But he has faced Devers, and has been dominant against him, holding him hitless in eight at-bats.

There is no local broadcast of this game. It will stream exclusively on Apple TV+.

Game 2: Saturday, 7:15 PM, FOX

RHP Logan Webb (1-1, 5.00) vs. RHP Chris Bassitt (0-2, 14.21)

Woof. On paper, this is the biggest mismatch of the series. As mentioned, Webb got lit up by the Yankees in MLB’s season-opening game, but he’s been one of the most reliable starting pitchers in baseball for the past six years, earning Cy Young votes every season from 2022-25. He’s a true workhorse in a day and age when such things are rare; Webb has thrown at least 204 innings in each of the past three seasons. He’ll generally allow his share of hits but they rarely turn into sustained rallies, because he doesn’t walk many batters (career 2.1 BB/9) and rarely allows home runs (0.6 HR/9). The two Orioles who have faced him the most, Pete Alonso and Tyler O’Neill, are a combined 5-for-30, so this might not be the day for the Polar Bear to break out of his deep freeze.

Meanwhile, Bassitt’s introduction to Baltimore has gone as badly as possible. In two starts, he’s been bombed for 10 runs, 12 hits, and six walks — plus three HBPs — in just 6.1 innings. It’s the full Charlie Morton experience. Unless the 37-year-old Bassitt has just hit the wall, he’s not supposed to be this bad (the Orioles hope). If he aims to bounce back against the Giants, he’ll need to be very careful with Devers, who has owned him with a 10-for-20, three-homer performance in his career. On the other hand, Bassitt has been brilliant against Adames (0-for-11, five strikeouts).

Game 3: Sunday, 1:35 PM, 1:35 PM, MASN

RHP Adrian Houser (0-1, 3.97) vs. LHP Cade Povich (0-0, 3.18)

Show of hands, who picked Game 15 of the season as the first time we’d see a Cade Povich start this season? With all due respect to Cade, I was hoping that number would be in the triple digits. Or not at all. But with Zach Eflin having Tommy John surgery and Dean Kremer still stuck in the minors, the O’s are once again giving a shot to Povich, whose first 36 major league starts resulted in a 5.20 ERA and all too many abbreviated outings. I’m not expecting much from Cade, though he did have a workmanlike performance in long relief against the Pirates last week.

The Giants counter with the journeyman Houser, playing for his fifth team in the last four years. He was drafted by Mike Elias during his Astros days, a second-round pick in 2011, before being traded as a minor leaguer to the Brewers in 2015. After seven years in Milwaukee he bounced around to the Mets, White Sox, and Rays before landing with the Giants this offseason. The 33-year-old has faced the Orioles just twice in his career, including once with the White Sox last season, when he allowed nine baserunners in 6.1 innings but still managed a quality start. If the Orioles’ bats are going to heat up, this is the kind of pitcher to do it against.

How many games do you think the Orioles will win in this series? Let us know in the comments below.

Not much was made of the March 28 trade between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago White Sox, when the Nats sent minor league catcher Boston Smith for first baseman Curtis Mead, who was designated for assignment three days earlier.

A 25-year-old now on his fourth franchise, he had posted just a .231 batting average, .304 on-base percentage, and .632 OPS with 6 home runs and 34 runs batted in across 460 MLB at-bats. He secured a spot on the major league roster after the conclusion of the team’s first series and has absolutely run with every opportunity he’s been given.

The season is still in its earliest stages, but of all the issues plaguing the Nationals in their early 4-8 skid to open the season, Mead has certainly not been one of them. Mead was a former top 50 prospect in the sport, so this is a player with pedigree. He was known as a pure hitter in the minors, but so far that has not translated in big leagues. However, there is a chance, even if it is slim, that he has unlocked something in DC.

He’s seen 17 total plate appearances in 6 games since being activated, and has come out to a flaming hot start. After going hitless in his first 2 games against the Philadelphia Phillies, the first team he saw time in the minor leagues with, he’s recorded a hit in 5 of his last 11 at-bats. Of those hits, 2 have been doubles and 1 was a home run, tacking on 3 RBIs, a stolen base, and 3 walks en route to a .333/.412/667 slash line on the season so far.

Obviously, it’s unreasonable to make any definitive statements on a player just a handful of games under their belt. It’s far from a rare occurrence to see players come out swinging and quickly taper off, but the rise in advanced stats has made it far easier to predict what’s real and what’s a facade.

Baseball Savant is by far the most popular database for under-the-hood metrics, and taking one look at Mead’s full profile shows some extremely favorable signs. Every single one of his listed offensive statistics grades out at an above-average percentile, albeit he hasn’t yet recorded enough batted ball data to qualify for a full breakdown. What is available, however, should spark plenty of hope among the Nats fanbase.

Throwing out a few numbers, he’s posted an expected batting average (xBA) of .321, an average exit velocity of 94.2 MPH, and is squaring up the ball at a borderline elite level, all while rarely whiffing at anything.

For the record, while these numbers can lead to a comfortable regression to the mean, they definitely aren’t an end-all be-all. Even so, it would be unwise to chalk up his electric Nationals introduction to just fluky April baseball. Mead has flat-out been a fantastic baseball player to begin his Washington tenure, and if he can continue to post at the plate, President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni might have his first big analytical win since joining the organization.

Hey, look! The Cubs don’t have to face Paul Skenes in this series — and he’s made more career starts against the Cubs than any other team, seven of his total of 58. Skenes, incidentally, currently has the highest ERA of any Pirates starter. Don’t expect that to be the case much longer, though.

Austin Bechtold is a writer at our SB Nation Pirates site Bucs Dugout. Here’s what he has to say about them.

Make no mistake about it, the Chicago Cubs dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025. 

The division rivals played 13 times last season. Chicago won 10. The Cubs outscored the Pirates 54-26 and hit .256 against Pittsburgh’s pitching. 

Chicago smacked an impressive 16 home runs, compared to the Pirates’ five, and earned a .740 OPS. The Pirates batted .182 as a team with a .523 OPS.

In all its charm, Wrigley Field has been a house of horrors for the Pirates in recent years. 

The Pirates (7-5) look to set a new precedent in 2026, beginning this three-game series at Wrigley on Friday.

In his first full season as manager, Don Kelly has watched a dreadful offense come to life through the first 12 games. 

After hitting a league-worst 117 home runs, the Pirates have already smashed 12, tied for eighth in MLB, and at one point held the National League lead.

A big reason why is offseason additions Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn, who have hit three apiece. 

The offense ranks tied for 9th in hits per game (8.3), 9th in average (.247), 6th in on-base (.338), 8th in slugging (.383), and 7th in OPS (.721). The Bucs consistently ranked in the bottom third, if not last, in every category last year.

One early carryover is strong starting pitching. Pittsburgh owns the 6th best starters ERA at 2.87, third in the NL behind the Cubs (2.72) and Atlanta Braves (2.79).

Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller pitched in the Padres series at PNC Park, meaning the club will be without their top two arms against a vaunted Cubs (6-6) lineup.

Carmen Mlodzinski gets the ball on Friday, opposite Shota Imanaga, who has dominated the Pirates for what feels like more than a decade (despite it only being three years).

Mlodzinski has allowed two runs in each of his first two starts, but hasn’t been able to pitch out of the fifth inning. The third time through the order is where Mlodzinski, primarily a reliever in his career, has struggled to get through innings.

Saturday plates Braxton Ashcraft against Edward Cabrera, who hasn’t allowed a run in 11.2 innings for Chicago since being traded from the Marlins.

Ashcraft has been Pittsburgh’s surprise starter after an impressive rookie year. Ashcraft earned a 2.71 ERA over 69.2 innings spanning 26 appearances, eight starts.

He has pitched six frames in each of his first two outings and allowed two runs or fewer both times. 

All three games have solid pitching probables, but Sunday’s might be the most fascinating.

Former Pirate Jameson Taillon takes the ball against Bubba Chandler. The No. 11 overall prospect and second-highest ranked pitcher at the start of the season, Chandler touches 101 MPH with his fastball.

The problem is, you don’t always know where it’s going. Chandler’s control remains a main concern, as he has walked 10 batters in 8.2 innings. He didn’t allow a hit over 4.1 innings in his season debut at Cincinnati, but walked six and struck out six.

Chandler walked four against the Padres on Monday and allowed five hits and three runs. He has elite stuff, but has work to do to become a consistent pitcher that the rotation can depend on. 

Chicago was the preseason favorite to win the NL Central, providing three important games in April for who might take the grand prize in late September.

If the Pirates are going to begin to prove that their start and chances to compete in the Central aren’t a fluke, it begins on the road against a very good team.

Fun facts

The Cubs have played 2,621 previous games against the Pirates, their most against any opponent. They have played 2,525 vs. the Cardinals and 2,429 vs. the Reds.

Their 1,286 wins and 1,317 losses both are the most vs. an opponent. Their 605 losses at home are their most and their 690 wins at home are their third most, behind 715 vs. the Cardinals and 700 vs. the Reds.

Since 2015, the Cubs have won the season series against the Pirates every year while going 113-68-1 overall and 57-31 at Wrigley Field. They were 10-3 last year, including 5-2 at home.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.200 WHIP, 3.15 FIP) vs. Carmen Mlodzinski, RHP (0-0, 4.00 ERA, 1.556 WHIP, 1.27 FIP)

Saturday: Edward Cabrera, RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.686 WHIP, 3.15 FIP) vs. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP (1-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 2.32 FIP)

Sunday: Jameson Taillon, RHP (0-1, 2.53 ERA, 1.219 WHIP, 5.40 FIP) vs. Bubba Chandler, RHP (0-1, 3.12 ERA, 1.731 WHIP, 4.31 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

I keep picking two of three. Last series I was even right! So I’m doing it again here, two of three.

Up next

The Cubs travel to Philadelphia for a three-game series against the Phillies beginning Monday evening.

Good morning everyone and happy Friday!

The Mariners kick off the first of 13 games in a row today with a four-game homestand against the rival Astros. With several Mariners struggling through the first two weeks, this will serve as an opportunity to bounce back. Which player are you picking to right the ship during this stretch? I’m going with Josh Naylor.

In Mariners news…

• Angela Lim at The Seattle Times outlined what you should eat at T-Mobile Park this year.
• Jim Bowden argued that even when Bryce Miller comes back from injury, the Mariners should not consider trading a starting pitcher.
• Brendan Donovan has been hot with the bat to start the season, but he’s still getting used to his new defensive home at third base. Shannon Drayer has the story.
• Are you familiar with the secret door at T-Mobile Park that provides Gonzo cocktails? Zach Geballe shared the details of this new delight.
• Friend of the site Sarah Enni is back with her regular M’s newsletter — and a podcast!

Around the league…

• Former Dodgers second baseman Davey Lopes passed away on Wednesday at the age of 80.
• Old friend Jorge Polanco is off to a slow start to the season with the Mets, and is now dealing with an Achilles issue that has kept him out of the lineup for a few days.
• The Astros are calling up former Mariner Taylor Trammell in advance of their series against Seattle.
• Dan Szymborski broke down the Pirates’ extension with teenage phenom Konnor Griffin.
• Jorge Castillo at ESPN told the story of the unlikely rise of Yankees first baseman Ben Rice.

Morning A’s fans and welcome to another Friday!

The club has wrapped up the first New York series this week with a series win over the Yankees. The last couple of games were especially close but they managed to pull through and get their record to 5-7. Now they depart from the Bronx to head to Queens to take on the Mets for three games this weekend.

We have a new member of the rotation making his first start of the year for the club tonight. Right-hander JT Ginn will be called upon for the first start by someone other than someone in the Opening Day rotation, taking the place of Luis Morales, who was optioned to Triple-A earlier this week. As a fun little tidbit, Ginn will be pitching against the team that drafted him (the A’s acquired Ginn in exchange for Chris Bassitt way back in 2022), so he might have some extra motivation in him tonight. The 7-5 Mets await the Athletics for some weekend baseball.

Ginn began the year among the starting candidates for the Opening Day rotation, though he was never a favorite for a spot in the starting five to begin the season. The 26-year-old righty would have needed to seriously impress the coaching staff if he was going to leapfrog Morales or Jacob Lopez or otherwise hope for an injury. The club gave him a serious opportunity this spring with four starts (6 total appearances) but he struggled mightily, giving up 17 earned runs in just 15 innings of work. That made it obvious that he would not be among the starting five and the expectation at the time was that after a tough camp he’d be the odd-man out and head to Triple-A to start the year.

We had a surprise for the Opening Day roster however as Ginn made the cut over Jack Perkins, who went down to Las Vegas instead. It was a long man role but Ginn still was in Toronto to open the year against the Blue Jays. As the team’s designated long reliever to start the year Ginn has only made three appearances. His first one went fantastic as he pitched nearly four full innings in relief of Morales, who had a short start against the Jays. His most recent two outings have not been as smooth, allowing two runs in each appearance. The right-hander seems stretched out enough to handle the first few frames and that’s likely the plan tonight. If he can make it through the Mets’ batting order one time without getting hit around then the A’s would gladly take that.

The A’s have made a roster move to bolster their staff for tonight’s series opener when they recalled Perkins from Las Vegas. It looks like he’ll be piggybacking after Ginn as the two of them will form a 1-2 punch against the Mets tonight. Perkins was in the same boat as Ginn this spring: theoretically a candidate to break camp with the club in the rotation, but realistically on the outside looking in. Since being in Triple-A he’s actually only made three appearances in relief. He’s been so-so, with one blowup appearance, a quality outing, and then another decent performance last time out when he only allowed a solo home run. What can we expect from the righty in his first big league game of the year?

The rest of the series lines up to be Jacob Lopez versus Kodai Senga on Saturday morning, and Aaron Civale gets the ball for the finale against Freddy Peralta. Thanks to the A’s winning the series against the Yankees they have a chance to finish the road trip with better than .500 record. That’d require a sweep but the A’s are starting to play some good baseball. And with the Mariners faltering hard in the early going the A’s can put some distance between themselves and last place in the AL West.

The Mets are doing solidly enough in the early going as well but they’ll be down their best player in Juan Soto during this upcoming series. The A’s are catching them at the right time in that regard, but the A’s may be down one of their big boppers themselves after Brent Rooker exited yesterday’s finale early. No word yet on the severity of it but his consecutive games played streak is now in jeopardy of being broken. Fingers crossed our DH can make it into the lineup tomorrow, or at the very least be available off the bench.

Have a great weekend guys. And go A’s!

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Take Down The Yankees 1-0 in New York
• DH Brent Rooker exits in 1st inning in finale vs. Yankees
• A’s roster moves: Jack Perkins recalled, Michael Kelly optioned
• A’s Bullpen Blows Yet Another Game
• Luis Morales Optioned to Triple-A
• A’s Add Former Yankees Reliever as Bullpen Depth Option
• Armchair 101: The Challenge Of Judging Decisions In Real Time
• Las Vegas Single Game Ticket On Sale
• A’s Biggest Camp Question is Already Becoming a Strength in 2026
• A’s feed off electric crowd in breakout opener
• Extensions To Colt Emerson And Konnor Griffin A New Trend?
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Observes The Wild Denzelope In Its Natural Habitat
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Toes The Rubber With Pitching Coach Scott Emerson
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Catches Up With Starting Pitcher Jacob Lopez

MLB News and Interest:

• Angels right-hander Robert Stephenson undergoes season-ending elbow surgery
• Orioles starter Zach Eflin undergoes Tommy John surgery
• Dodgers legend Davey Lopes passes away at 80
• Nationals have not made extension offer to outfielder Daylen Lile
• Lopez, Soler receive suspensions for brawl
• MLB average salary hits $5.34M
• Royals starter Cole Ragans expected to make next scheduled start
• Manager Craig Albernaz calls out Orioles’ longstanding culture amidst slow start
• Here is a potential impact call up for each team
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Encouraging update on Rook, but we’ll have to wait for tonight to see how good he’s really feeling:

Perhaps we’ll soon be getting a Gelof sighting? He’s been demolishing the ball in Triple-A:

A quick look back at Springs’ dominance yesterday:

We all think so!

Diamondbacks News

(New York Post) Mets waste Nolan McLean’s strong start as pen falters late in loss to Diamondbacks

For six-plus innings Thursday night, Nolan McLean dazzled at Citi Field. He allowed just a pair of hits and his stuff was especially filthy, as Arizona hitters were largely overmatched.

But lefty Eduardo Rodríguez was nearly as good for the Diamondbacks, and when McLean faltered in the seventh inning, Luke Weaver came in and got knocked around, as the Mets lost their second straight, 7-1.

(SI.com) Explosive D-backs Offense Finally Rewards Rodriguez’s Gem vs Mets

The D-backs, missing Corbin Carroll from their starting lineup due to a minor hip issue, struggled to come away with enough base traffic to cause problems for Mets starter Nolan McLean. With a rested New York bullpen, the path to victory looked bleak.

Until it didn’t.

(Arizona Sports) Diamondbacks finally get Eduardo Rodriguez run support in series-clinching win over Mets

The D-backs had no answers for Mets starter Nolan McLean at that point in the ballgame. Corbin Carroll was out with a tight left hip flexor, which is not expected to be serious, and Gabriel Moreno was on the bench after catching the previous two games, leaving the lineup shorthanded.

But then, Geraldo Perdomo led off the seventh inning with a walk, and Jose Fernandez flared a one-out single to center.

MLB News

(SI.com) Next Shohei Ohtani? MLB Fans Buzzing About New 2-Way Prospect

Again, there hasn’t been another player like Ohtani in baseball and it’s going to be very hard for Major League Baseball to find someone else who can do what he can. But fans around the league should start learning about another two-way prospect: Austin Smith of the Toronto Blue Jays.

(CBS Sports) Does Shohei Ohtani have an unfair advantage during his warm-up pitches? Blue Jays seem to think so — again

During Wednesday’s series finale, the Blue Jays again raised the issue of Shohei Ohtani’s warm-up time between innings when he’s getting ready to pitch. Ohtani ended the top of the first inning on second base, then returned to the dugout to ready himself to throw. He got to the mound with less than one minute remaining on the two-minute between-innings clock and was granted additional time for his eight warm-up pitches.

George Springer, Toronto’s leadoff hitter, checked with home plate umpire Dan Bellino about the two-minute timer. The Blue Jays raised the same issue during the World Series last year, specifically during Ohtani’s Game 7 start.

[Ed. Note] This is just such a dumb argument to me. As the article notes, they’re just playing by the same rule that has always been on the books regarding a pitcher getting extra time after running the bases. It just only applies to Ohtani now since there is the universal DH.

And what are they trying to accomplish with this? None of the other 28 teams have brought this issue up. Do the Blue Jays think that they are the sole defenders of the sanctity of the pitch clock? Honestly, it just comes across as being sore losers after the World Series. Not a good look, imo.

(Yahoo! Sports) MLB City Connect jerseys 2026: Ranking all 8 uniforms unveiled Thursday

A new MLB season means a new batch of City Connect uniforms, and the league opted to unveil all eight in a coordinated rollout on Thursday.

Each City Connect is meant to be distinct from its team’s regular uniforms while incorporating various elements from its setting. There are some true highlights out there — and also some of the ugliest uniforms you’ll see on a professional baseball player.

The 2026 group of eight uniforms has a variety along those lines. Here’s how we ranked them:

[Ed. Note] I like the Pirates one, but most importantly, Rest In Hell to the horrible sherbet Padres uniforms

With former Red Sox great Dustin May taking the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals against his former team this evening (how many cheesy dad jokes will there be about the “Early May” pitching matchup this evening?), it got me thinking about the levels of the Rafael Devers fallout. Even if you were in favor of dumping Devers’ “underwater” contract, or felt that his decision not to “just pick up a glove” warranted a trade, it might be the subsequent moves that are more bothersome.

The Red Sox received pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks, outfield prospect James Tibbs III, and pitching prospect Jose Bello in the deal. The only player who remains with the franchise is Bello, a 35 FV prospect who is in A-ball.

Harrison was sent to Milwaukee as part of the Caleb Durbin deal. He has opened the season with two strong starts (1-0, 2,61) with 14 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings. According to Brewers reporter Curt Hogg, “The Red Sox tried teaching him a new kick changeup last year, but Kyle Harrison couldn’t ever figure out. Fast forward to one grip suggestion from an old Giants teammate and trade to the Brewers later, and he’s suddenly discovered a new, nasty pitch.” Wonderful.

Tibbs only played 30 games at Portland before being flipped to the Dodgers for five subpar starts from the aforementioned Dustin May. Tibbs had a .900 OPS at Double-A for them last year, and now, albeit in the launching pad Pacific Coast League, he has seven bombs in twelve games, good for a 1.376 OPS and a 252 wRC+ at Triple-A.

Jordan Hicks had an 8.20 ERA for Boston in 21 games. There’s a strong argument to be made that he was the worst relief pitcher the team has employed for that many outings in this century. He was moved to the White Sox this winter, and the team had to attach prospect David Sandlin just to get rid of the contract. But not all of the contract. The Red Sox are still paying Hicks $4M this year and next. Hicks has a 7.94 ERA with Chicago and a negative-11.1 K-BB% in six outings.

Which of these things bothers you most: Devers, Harrison, Tibbs, or Hicks? Sound off in the comments, and be good to each other.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Athletics play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Friday night...

5 things to watch

Will the power output heat up with the weather?

With the exception of the relatively balmy weather on Opening Day (when the Mets smacked two homers and erupted for 11 runs), all of their home games so far (there have been six total) have been played in suboptimal conditions.

It was so cold on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Diamondbacks that the game times were shifted from 7:10 p.m. to 4:10 p.m.

This has created an environment where the ball is not carrying much, and resulted in a near total power outage during the recently completed three-game series against Arizona. Luis Robert Jr. hit a long solo homer on Thursday, but that was the only dinger hit by either the Mets or D-backs during the series.

Overall, the Mets -- who have also played four games at cavernous Oracle Park in San Francisco -- have hit just 10 home runs this season, which is more than just six teams.

Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette, and Jorge Polanco have yet to go yard, but perhaps the overall deep freeze lifts during the series against the A's, with the temperature expected to be around 60 degrees for all three games. 

The Jorge Polanco situation

Polanco has been in and out of the lineup and limited to DH duty lately due to an Achilles issue that could require an IL stint.

With Polanco hobbled, it has been Mark Vientos and Brett Baty getting most of the starts at first base.

Beyond the defensive adjustments being made in light of Polanco's Achilles (and more important) is the fact that the lineup is shortened when he's not in it.

And Polanco's absence has been felt even more since the Mets are already without Juan Soto, which means two of the regular top four hitters in their lineup are missing on days when Polanco sits.

Can Kodai Senga keep it going?

Senga has been stellar to start the season, carrying over his spring training success.

In 11.2 innings over two starts (both on the road), Senga has allowed just four runs on nine hits while walking five and striking out 16.

Senga's FIP (1.69) is more representative of how he's looked so far than his ERA (3.09).

But the most important thing is that he again looks healthy. And if it stays that way, it's fair to believe the results will follow.

During his four-year MLB career, Senga has a 3.00 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with a strikeout rate of 10.2. Translation? When he's healthy, he's an elite performer. 

Jeff McNeil's return

McNeil, who was traded to the A's during the offseason, will be at Citi Field as a visitor for the first time.

The infielder, who spent the first eight years of his career in Queens, has started to heat up after a slow start to the season.

Over his last six games, McNeil is slashing .389/.476/.444 in 21 plate appearances.

That includes a pair of two-hit games against the Yankees in the Bronx. 

The hot and cold A's

The A's are 5-7, but are coming off a series win over the Yanks.

Their offense has been all over the place and ordinarily all or nothing. 

For example, they scored 23 runs in two wins over the Astros earlier this week, but were shut out in their one loss to Houston.

And even while taking two out of three games in the Bronx, the A's mustered just seven runs total.

One thing to keep an eye on is the health of slugger Brent Rooker, who exited Thursday's game early due to a back injury.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Luis Robert Jr.

Without Soto, Robert has been the toughest out in the lineup and the biggest source of power, hitting .333 with an NL-leading .480 OBP.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Freddy Peralta

Peralta, who gets the ball on Sunday, has looked better than his results. Expect that to start to match up. 

Which A's player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Shea Langeliers

Langeliers is off to a strong start, with a 182 OPS+ over his first 45 at-bats.

Xander Bogaerts had to have felt a little disrespected when the Colorado Rockies elected to load the bases on back-to-back intentional walks to Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado to load the bases with Jake Cronenworth on third base. Bogaerts took the first pitch of the at-bat for a ball and then belted the second pitch deep into the left field bleachers for the walk-off grand slam that gave the San Diego Padres a 7-3 win in the bottom of the 12th inning. Randy Vasquez started the game for San Diego and the late-game heroics covered up his third stellar start of the season. The right-hander worked into the sixth inning allowing one run, which came on a solo home run by Brenton Doyle, and did not allow a walk. Vasquez recorded eight strikeouts in the game. The Padres continue their series against the Rockies at Petco Park tonight at 6:40 p.m. and they will wear their City Connect 2.0 uniforms in a game for the first time.

Padres News:

• The San Diego minor league affiliates were in action all week, but they had to compete with the weather as much as the opponent on the field. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball provides details about which prospects are drawing attention in the Padres organization.

• Adrian Morejon has had a rough start to the 2026 season and Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball says he needs to get right quick if the San Diego bullpen is going to be the dominant force all of baseball expects it to be.

• Jason Adam was back in the Padres locker room but remains on the IL until San Diego makes his return to the bullpen official.

Baseball News:

• Seven other teams joined the Padres in unveiling their new City Connect uniforms on Thursday. See all of the new looks here.

• A’s pitcher Jeffrey Springs took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium and said he did not know anything about it.

• Parker Meadows collided with Detroit Tigers teammate Riley Greene and he was transported to the hospital where he spent the night.

• MLB.com provided the most recent injury roundup. See who landed on the IL here.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It’s another full slate of MLB games today, which means lots of opportunities for homers.

My MLB player props and home run analysis will include Kerry Carpenter and Josh Bell.

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, April 10.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Kerry Carpenter	+440
Josh Bell	+490

Kerry Carpenter (+440)

Kerry Carpenter is only hitting .184 so far, but he’s already clubbed two home runs. That’s after going deep a career-high 26 times last season.

The slugger has smacked a homer twice in his last five contests. The Tigers take on a Marlins team sending Chris Paddack to the hill tonight.

Paddack has had a shaky start to the campaign. He’s already allowed two home runs in just 8 1/3 innings of work while posting an 8.31 ERA.

Opponents have a .475 xSLG against him, and Carpenter has already taken him deep, going 3-for-5 with a bomb. 

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marlins.TV, DSN

Josh Bell (+490)

Josh Bell is thriving early in his first season with the Twins.

The slugger is batting .317 with three home runs and 10 RBI, and he just went deep on Thursday evening against the Tigers, finishing the game 3-for-4.

Bell is up against a familiar arm tonight in Patrick Corbin, who won’t be happy to see Bell in the batter’s box. 

The veteran is 4-for-16 lifetime versus Corbin with three bombs. He’s already smacked one homer this season off a left-handed hurler, and Corbin allowed 21 home runs last season.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Twins.TV, SN

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

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Cincinnati Reds are off to a strong 8-5 start, trailing only the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers in total wins.

With rising talent Chase Burns set to take the mound, my Angels vs. Reds predictions have Cincinnati defending home field with a win in the series opener.

Let’s break down my MLB picks for Friday, April 10.

Who will win Angels vs Reds today: Cincinnati Reds (-170)

Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns has allowed next to nothing through two games, holding opponents to a .154 average, .213 wOBA, and .77 ISO.

Burns leads all of today’s starters with a 37.2 K%, a 42% whiff rate, and a 20.6% swinging strike rate. He is giving up little to no contact and sitting hitters down at an electric rate.

Los Angeles Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz is not nearly as capable at missing bats, and he allows a lot of good contact to lefties – something top of the lineup bats Elly De La Cruz and TJ Friedl could exploit.

Expect the Reds’ pitching advantage to shine through.

COVERS INTEL:Chase Burns owns a 34.2% soft contact rate, the lowest of today’s starting pitchers.

Angels vs Reds Over/Under pick: Under 9 (-104)

Burns has been dominant to start the season. While he showed some vulnerability to lefties last year, the Angels’ lineup is right-handed heavy.

Most of their notable bats – including Zach Neto, Mike Trout, and Jorge Soler – are righties, working in Burns’ favor.

The Angels rank 22nd in wOBA and 27th in line drive rate against right-handed pitching. They’re not a team that should cause Burns problems. 

On the other side, Kochanowicz looks improved with a .211 average and .285 wOBA allowed. He draws a Reds offense sitting 28th in wOBA vs. righties.

With both sides struggling against righties and a good pitching matchup, the Under is appealing.

Angels vs Reds odds

• Moneyline: Angels +163 | Reds -170
• Run line: Angels +1.5 (-122) | Reds -1.5 (+117)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+122) | Under 9.5 (-127)

Angels vs Reds trend

The Cincinnati Reds have hit the Game Total Under in 29 of their last 50 games at home (+13.45 Units / 24% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Reds.

How to watch Angels vs Reds and game info

Angels vs Reds latest injuries

Angels vs Reds weather

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