MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 24: Luis Matos #29 of the San Francisco Giants takes off after the swing during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on August 24, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Milwaukee has acquired Venezuelan outfielder Luis Matos from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, LHP Sammy Peralta has been designated for assignment.
Matos, the Giants’ No. 7 prospect heading into the 2023 season, made his major league debut in May of that year and recorded at least 150 at-bats in each of the last three seasons. He mashed in the minors, posting an .837 OPS in Triple-A last season, but so far that production has failed to translate to the majors. He had the best season of his career in 2025, but his .690 OPS mark was still below-average.
Matos, who’s still just 24, was DFA’ed by San Francisco last week despite slashing .260/.327/.440 in 50 at-bats this spring. He figures to play a depth role in Milwaukee’s outfield as a right-handed option after the injuries to Andrew Vaughn and Jackson Chourio in the last week. The team has not announced a corresponding move to open a spot on the 26-man active roster.
Also of note: Matos is a certified Brewer killer, with a career 1.255 OPS in 20 at-bats against Milwaukee. If you can’t stop ‘em, get ‘em.
Peralta, 27, was claimed off waivers from the Angels over the offseason. In parts of three MLB seasons with the White Sox and Angels, the lefty has made 30 relief appearances, with a 5.12 ERA, 4.29 FIP, and 37 strikeouts across 45 2/3 innings. He made six appearances this spring, allowing six runs (five earned) with three strikeouts over six innings of work. Sent to Triple-A Nashville to begin the season, he’ll now head back to waivers.
PEORIA, AZ - MARCH 12: Kris Bubic #50 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the San Diego Padres at Peoria Sports Complex on Thursday, March 12, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Baseball returns to Kansas City today as the Royals host the Twins for their 2026 home opener. After going 1-2 over the weekend against the Braves, the Royals will look for a win today to reach .500, as sort of meaningless as it is this early in the season.
Max has you covered on the series preview, as usual, which you can find here. He also has you covered on some of the logistics of opening day.
For today’s game, Kris Bubic takes the hill for the first time this season. We last saw him start a game during the regular season on July 26th, 2025, before he was injured and shut down for the season. He was in the midst of an excellent season in which he threw for a 2.55 ERA / 2.89 FIP / 3.3 fWAR. There was a lot of trade speculation during the offseason since he is entering the final year before free agency, but a trade never materialized. I imagine that speculation will restart in June/July depending on how the Royals are positioned in the playoff race. In the meantime, I just hope to see him healthy.
The Twins send Simeon Woods Richardson to start. He’s a big right-handed pitcher who throws roughly five pitches – a four seam fastball, slider, curveball, split-finger, and changeup. To me, the split-finger and changeup share a similar movement profile; his changeup is just slower. His fastball sits about 93 on average, so he doesn’t bring any overpowering heat and does not get a ton of strikeouts.
Woods Richardson pitched to a 4.04 ERA / 4.52 FIP / 1.2 fWAR in 23 appearances last year across 111.1 innings. He’s definitely hittable. It will be interesting to see if the new fence line at Kauffman will make itself known in the first game. It will be a warm opening day – the ball may carry more than usual for a March game, and Woods Richardson is a fly ball pitcher. The ingredients are here for some fun.
The game starts at 3:10pm US Central time. You can watch the game on Royals.TV, or if you are local to Kansas City, it will be available over-the-air on KCTV5/KSMO. You can listen on 96.5 The Fan or the Royals Radio Network.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 24: Landen Roupp #65 of the San Francisco Giants pitches at Oracle Park on March 24, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants head south to take on their division rival San Diego Padres tonight at Petco Park.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Landen Roupp, who completed the 2025 season with a 3.80 ERA, 3.91 FIP with 102 strikeouts to 45 walks in 106.2 innings pitched.
He’ll be facing off against Padres right-hander Walker Buehler, who completed the 2025 season with a 4.93 ERA, 5.66 FIP with 92 strikeouts to 61 walk in 126 innings pitched between the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. Buehler, of course, is a familiar face in the NL West, having played the majority of his career thus far with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
BALTIMORE, MD - MARCH 29: Royce Lewis #23 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates while rounding the bases after hitting a home run in the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 29, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT): 3:10 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: Royals Review
After a back-and-forth game against the Orioles, the Twins are back in action this afternoon against Bobby Witt Jr. and the Kansas City Royals. The Royals are running back largely the same squad as 2025 and banking on better health from their pitchers and continued improvement from former Top 100 prospects Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen. If that sounds similar to the Twins, you would be absolutely correct!
The Royals are sending lefty Kris Bubic to the mound for his first start of the season. Bubic was phenomenal in the first half last season, leading to an All-Star nod, but faltered down the stretch as fatigue and injuries kept him off the field. The Twins will run out the same lineup they did on Opening Day vs fellow lefty Trevor Rogers, though they’ll need Luke Keaschall and Ryan Jeffers to show some life if they want to get some traction.
SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 22: Batting gloves lie on the dugout railing during game three of the 2026 Colorado Rockies spring training at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona on February 22, 2026. The Colorado Rockies took on the Texas Rangers. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images
As the Colorado Rockies MLB and Triple-A teams move into action, rosters are becoming available for the rest of the organizations farm system.
Triple-A Albuquerque
The Albuquerque Isotopes will field the following roster to start the season:
For the Isotopes, the name of the game is tested depth.
Very few players on this roster are making their Triple-A debut. Instead, the Rockies brought in a group of versatile veterans, and some of them young players. The focus will be letting roster progression happen naturally using that depth rather than promoting players before they are ready.
Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) and Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) are the position players to watch. On the pitching side, LHP Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP) is the big bullpen name. Then of course the roster features two starters on the cusp of promotion: RHP Gabriel Hughes (No. 12 PuRP) and LHP Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP).
Double-A Hartford
This year, the Yard Goats will begin the season with the following roster:
Things become a bit more complicated when looking at the Yard Goats roster.
There are a number of repeat assignments, some of which are clearly warranted. The Rockies decision to send Victor Juárez (No. 44 PuRP) back to Hartford after ending last season in ABQ is an interesting move.
However, there are also a few aggressive promotions, like Jimmy Obertop (who wasn’t impressive in Spokane to end last season). The decision to send Braylen Wimmer (No. 40 PuRP) going back to Hartford is notable. He spent 45 games there last season and to go back to playing at a high level so soon after his brain surgery shows he believes in himself and the organization believes in him as well.
Look for LHP Griffin Herring (No. 10 PuRP) and INF Roc Riggio (No. 14 PuRP) to be in Albuquerque by the end of the season.
That said, that fact that Dyan Jorge (No. 21 PuRP), Zach Kokoska (No. 53 PuRP), and Benny Montgomery (No. 43 PuRP) are still not able to bust past Double-A is a concern.
High-A Spokane
The Spokane Indians will begin the season with the following players:
Here’s where things get interesting.
The Rockies were very aggressive with the pitching staff assignments. Having RHP Yujanyer Herrera (No. 22 PuRP) and RHP Jordy Vargas (No. 21 PuRP) healthy and pitching right out of the gate is excellent, and the organization finally letting RHP Jackson Cox (No. 16 PuRP) off the leash after being overly cautious with him in Fresno last season.
RHP Brody Brecht (No. 3 PuRP) clearly has earned the promotion, and Antoine Jean (No. 46 PuRP) has received an aggressive assignment for his first affiliated professional ball. Everett Catlett is a repeat assignment, but he was solid in Spokane last year and he’ll no doubt be in Hartford at some point this season.
The rotation in Spokane will be one to watch.
The position players to watch are Max Belyeu (No. 15 PuRP) and Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP), both on repeat after short assignments after the draft last year. The Rockies have also promoted Robert Calaz (No. 6 PuRP), who probably should have been in Spokane at some point last season.
Other than that, lots of familiar faces from Fresno getting the bump up to High-A.
The most notable omission? Ethan Holliday, who will start the season in Fresno.
Low-A Fresno
We’ll update the roster when it becomes available.
The Los Angeles Dodgers welcome a postseason team from last season, the Cleveland Guardians, to Chavez Ravine for a three-game set.
Game 1 sees Roki Sasaki make his first start since last May, while Cleveland counters with prospect Parker Messick.
That’s part of why my Guardians vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks expect the Over to hit in this interleague matchup, with first pitch at Dodger Stadium scheduled for 10:10 pm ET on Monday, March 30.
Guardians vs Dodgers predictions
Guardians vs Dodgers best bet: Over 8.5 (-120)
The Los Angeles Dodgers lineup is even more ridiculous with Kyle Tucker in the middle of it, as they scored 16 runs over the weekend.
They face Parker Messick, a lefty making just his seventh career start. Messick isn't a hard thrower, and if he misses his spots against this Dodgers lineup, he could be in trouble.
It’s hard to know what L.A. will get out of Roki Sasaki as a starter, so expect some runs.
COVERS INTEL: The Dodgers ranked third in OPS and fourth in wRC+ when facing left-handed pitching last season.
Guardians vs Dodgers same-game parlay (SGP)
Tucker is off to a solid if unspectacular start with his new team. He's 2-for-11 with two RBI and three runs scored.
I like this matchup for him tonight. He’s a lefty who always hits southpaws as well as he does right-handers, so we’re almost always getting value when he’s got a lefty-lefty matchup.
On the other side, no one’s had a hotter start to the season than Chase DeLauter. The rookie phenom has already slugged four home runs with a 1.412 OPS.
Guardians vs Dodgers SGP
Over 8.5
Kyle Tucker Over 0.5 RBI
Chase DeLauter Over 0.5 RBI
Guardians vs Dodgers home run pick: Mookie Betts (+440)
Mookie Betts is my favorite value to go yard at Chavez Ravine tonight at this price. Betts had a terrible, slow start to last season and ended up with just 20 home runs. Still, seven of those came against left-handers in nearly 300 fewer at-bats.
Betts had a .750 OPS vs. lefties last season and has a career .897 OPS against them. He’s also gone deep once already this season, so I’m betting another early-season slump is unlikely.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 1-1, +0.31 units
SGPs: 0-2, -2 units
HR picks: 0-2, -2 units
Guardians vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Cleveland +154 | Los Angeles -184
Run line: Cleveland +1.5 (-132) | Los Angeles -1.5 (+110)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Guardians vs Dodgers trend
The Dodgers have hit the team total Over in 22 of their last 35 games, good for +8.80 Units and a 22% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Guardians vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Monday, March 30, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
CLEG, SportsNet LA
Guardians starting pitcher
Parker Messick (2025: 3-1, 2.72 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Roki Sasaki (2025: 1-1, 4.46 ERA)
Guardians vs Dodgers latest injuries
Guardians vs Dodgers weather
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.
Luka Dončić will be unavailable for the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Washington Wizards Monday, March 30, after the NBA suspended the MVP candidate one game for accumulating too many technical fouls this season.
"He's disappointed,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick following Sunday's practice, according to reports. “(Dončić) wants to be there for his teammates. ... We're gonna need everybody tomorrow.”
Dončić received his 16th technical foul of the season on March 27, during a game in which he led the Lakers to a 116-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena.
Dončić was seen pushing Nets forward Ziaire Williams, who then retaliated by swinging his arm back and hitting Dončić in the face. Williams received his fourth technical foul of the season and was not suspended.
NBA rules indicate that a player or coach will automatically be suspended without pay for one game once they receive their 16th technical foul of the regular season. The player will be suspended for one regular-season game for every two additional technical fouls that he receives.
DENVER, CO - MARCH 29: Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors reacts on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on March 29, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors walked into halftime with a seven-point lead over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, putting together another strong first half against one of the league’s top teams. But in what has become a familiar script during this portion of the season, that momentum didn’t carry over. The third quarter flipped everything. Denver erupted for 41 points while Golden State managed just 20, ultimately turning a competitive game into a 116–93 blowout loss.
The third-quarter struggles have become an unfortunate pattern for the Warriors. Whether it’s poor offensive execution, defensive lapses, or simply running out of gas, Golden State has repeatedly lost its footing coming out of halftime. And against the elite teams in the NBA, that has been the difference between winning and losing.
Head coach Steve Kerr addressed the Warriors’ third quarter issue, acknowledging it’s become a recurring theme for the team.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr noted Golden State’s “pattern” of underwhelming third quarters.
“We’re playing a really solid half and then we just can’t sustain it. That’s where you really feel the injuries. You need more depth.”
Brandin Podziemski was one of the few bright spots offensively, finishing with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 from three, while committing zero turnovers. Still, even his efficient night couldn’t make up for the team’s mistakes.
In total, the Warriors committed 13 turnovers — just two more than Denver — but the impact told a different story. Golden State managed only 13 points off Nuggets turnovers, while Denver turned theirs into 22 points.
After the game, Podziemski pointed to a key stretch of turnovers late in the second quarter that helped shift the momentum and gave Denver confidence heading into the second half.
Brandin Podziemski highlighted late second-quarter turnovers as confidence boosters for Denver.
“Against a good team when you’re not at full strength on the road, you’ve got to play pretty close to perfect.”
Sunday was another reminder that the Warriors can compete with most teams but sustaining that level throughout the course of the game has been the challenge — especially when playing short-handed and relying on a limited rotation. Until they solve that, games like this will continue to slip away with time running out before the April 14th Play-in Tournament.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Monday, March 30th:
In 10 games now with the Warriors, Porziņģis has a 30-point game and a 28-point game, and both were against the Wizards. His 22-point game came against the lowly Mavericks, and he needed overtime to reach 20 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Playing Jokić and the Nuggets was a new test for Porziņģis. The biggest one yet, perhaps. It’s safe to say the big man stepped up yet again. Yes, Jokić got his. But so did Porziņģis.
He started the game strong and made two threes in the first quarter to give the Warriors an early lead. Porziņģis then scored eight points in the second quarter to bring him 14 first-half points as a plus-6 in a battle with the three-time NBA MVP. The Warriors fell flat in the third quarter, but Porziņģis still scored nine of their 20 points.
The Warriors made what has been described as a determined trade run at the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard in the final hour before the Feb. 5 trade buzzer sounded under the belief that Leonard might be unexpectedly unavailable after LA agreed to ship Ivica Zubac to Indiana. The Clippers ultimately balked then, but it is reasonable to presume that Golden State will investigate that possibility once again.
The Warriors are likewise routinely described by rival teams as one of the few credible destinations for LeBron James’ 24th NBA campaign if James and the Lakers indeed part ways after eight seasons together. “It has some legs,” one league source said of the LeBron link to the Warriors.
I appreciate all of the love. Every challenge I’ve been through in life I’m glad I went through. I’m sure I’ll feel the same about this. 💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/47cW9RbAYp
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has been suspended one game for receiving his 16th technical foul in Friday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets, the NBA announced on Saturday.
Doncic will serve the suspension during Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards.
Doncic and Nets forward Ziaire Williams were assessed double techs with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter of Friday’s game after jostling with each other following an offensive foul called on Doncic.
For a half, a shorthanded Warriors team (no Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, or Moses Moody among others) — was outplaying a legitimate title contender on their home floor.
Then Jokic took over as he’s done so many time as Denver flipped the script completely. The Nuggets finished shooting 50% from the field and 47% from three-point range, going 19-for-40 beyond the arc for the game. Jokic ended with 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists, doing it all with that infuriating casual efficiency that makes you want to both applaud and flip a table.
Follow@unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
This week we have another fantastic episode for you “Birdo” brains! Joe Doyle of http://overslotbaseball.com/ joined Jake and Scott to talk all things MLB draft! The Cardinals own 6 of the top 86 picks in the 2026 MLB draft cycle. We will be covering all of the elements of that in the lead-up to one of the most consequential drafts in Cardinals history!
To follow along with all of Joe’s great insights and his podcast episodes with scouting directors and high-ranking executives, you can subscribe to his Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/Overslot/membership
This week, we talked about the upcoming CBA negotiations that could affect the lower levels of the minor leagues, the Cardinals’ new “type” and players who fit what they’re looking for now (hint: it’s no longer 92 MPH sinkers), players who are projecting in that 13 spot range, JJ Wetherholt and what Joe saw coming out of West Virginia, and much more! Oh, and this week is only 30 minutes so, for those of you who prefer a shorter episode, this ones for you!
Next week we will be doing our first “reader mailbag” episode of the season!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 26: Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets gets doused with water after the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day at Citi Field on March 26, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The New York Mets won 11-7. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. These can be as high-profile as becoming the youngest MLB player to homer, steal, and walk on Opening Day, or as obscure as setting a team record for the most double-digit strikeout games on Opening Day over the past thirteen years — both of which are included in today’s list. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. So without further ado, let the stat party begin…
THURSDAY
Brandon Lowe’s early home run marked only the second time in 21 years that the Mets have surrendered a run in the first inning on Opening Day. In 2016, an Eric Hosmer single put the Royals up 1-0 against Matt Harvey in the first.
Pirates starter Paul Skenes was relieved after just 0.2 innings pitched, marking the shortest start for an opposing pitcher on Opening Dayin Mets history. Since 1983, only two other Opening Day starters (José Berrios in 2022 and Kyle Gibson in 2021) have failed to complete an inning of work.
The Mets’ pitching staff recorded double-digit strikeouts on Opening Day for the ninth time in the past thirteen seasons. No other National League team has done so more than seven times in that span.
The Mets scored eleven runs on Opening Day for the third time in franchise history, having done so previously in 2013 against the Padres and 1994 against the Cubs.
The Mets scored five runs in an inning on Opening Day for the fifth time in franchise history. They most recently did it back-to-back years in 2017 against the Braves and 2018 against the Cardinals.
The Mets hit multiple home runs on Opening Day for the first time since 2014, when Andrew Brown, Juan Lagares, and David Wright went deep against Stephen Strasburg, Tyler Clippard, and Jerry Blevins, respectively.
Carson Benge and Francisco Alvarez gave the Mets their first back-to-back homers on Opening Day since 1994, when José Vizcaíno and Todd Hundley went deep in the top of the third inning at Wrigley Field. Darryl Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds also accomplished the feat in 1988 at Montreal, with Strawberry’s legendary homer hitting the roof at Olympic Stadium.
Benge is one of only two Mets to homer in their MLB debut on Opening Day, joining Kaz Matsui in 2004. Benge is one of just nine Mets to reach base three times in their MLB debut, and the first since Steven Matz in 2015.
Benge is the only player to homer, walk, and steal a base in their MLB debut on Opening Day. Benge is one of just three players in the modern era to homer, walk, and steal a base in their MLB debut, joining Weston Wilson (2023) and Bert Campaneris (1964).
Benge is also the youngest player to homer, walk, and steal a base on Opening Day, coming in just ahead of Bryce Harper and Barry Bonds. (credit: Metsmerized’s Mathew Brownstein)
Eight players made their Mets debut, marking the most in a given game since Opening Day in 1995. (credit: MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo)
For the fifth straight season, the Mets had an Opening Day starting pitcher who had never started on Opening Day for them before (Tylor Megill, Max Scherzer, Jose Quintana, Clay Holmes, Freddy Peralta). That’s only happened one other time in Mets history, from 2013-2017 (Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, Bartolo Colón, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard).
The Mets improved to 42-23 on Opening Day, with a .646 Opening Day winning percentage that ranks first among the 30 current major league clubs.
SATURDAY
The Mets remained locked in a 0-0 tie through nine innings for the first time since April 1, 2024, when they lost to the Tigers to fall to 0-4 on the season.
Luis Robert Jr. became the fourth player in Citi Field history to notch their first Mets homer in walk-off fashion, joining Henry Blanco (2010), Eric Young Jr. (2013), and Jesse Winker (2024).
Robert hit the Mets’ first walk-off home run while trailing in the eleventh inning or later since Dominic Smith did it on the final day of the 2019 season against the Braves. Just over two hours after Robert’s home run, Smith hit a walk-off grand slam in his first game as a member of the Braves. (credit: SNY’s Mets Pregame show)
SUNDAY
Starter Nolan McLean and right fielder Carson Benge were teammates at Oklahoma State, where McLean had more homers than Benge and Benge had more strikeouts than McLean. (credit: MLB on X)
In the first two innings, McLean threw three pitches over 98 mph. During his eight starts in the majors last season, McLean threw just one pitch over 98 mph.
McLean has recorded 65 strikeouts through his first nine career starts. That ties him with Al Leiter and Mark Prior for tenth all-time. Former Mets Dwight Gooden (73) and Nolan Ryan (71) rank sixth and eighth, respectively, while Thursday’s starter Paul Skenes (70) ranks ninth.
Luis Robert Jr. is one of only four Mets to record five RBI and reach base eight times in a season’s first three games, joining David Wright (2008), Mike Piazza (2004), and Bobby Bonilla (1995). He is also the fifteenth Met to record five RBI and five hits in a season’s first three games, and the first to do it since John Buck in 2013.
The Mets have now played extra innings in two of their first three games for the fourth time in franchise history, joining 1965 (Astros), 1985 (Cardinals), and 1991 (Phillies). All four instances have occurred with the Mets as the home team.
Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
Only three Mets have made 10+ Opening Day starts: David Wright (12), Tom Seaver (11), and Bud Harrelson (11).
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 29: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros looks on before a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park on March 29, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With Opening Day and the first series of the year under their belts, the Red Sox stay on the road with three games agains the Houston Astros. This time it’s three games over three days, rather than over four, and the series in Texas will get us into April, a more natural time for baseball to be played.
Ranger Suárez will be making his Red Sox debut. Who is Ranger Suárez as a pitcher? It’s worth checking out Jake Roy’s breakdown on his finesse style. But suffice it to say he’s not blowing the world away with fastball velocity and is still really good. In eight years with the Phillies he put up a 3.38/3.54 ERA/FIP. He strikes out north of 20% of batters and over the last two years has dropped his walk percentage from about 9% to around 6%. He was a little behind thanks to some WBC usage but is still pitching in the fourth game of the season. He’s opposed by veteran Lane McCullers Jr., the first of three righties the Astros are starting. McCullers missed all of 2023 and 2024 due to injury and pitched in 16 games (13 starts) in 2025. The results were bad. He only tossed 8.0 innings this spring and while his walks and Ks were both going in the wrong direction, it was still just 8.0 innings. And even as he struggled in 2025 he was striking out nearly 10 batters per 9 innings. He’s possibly closer to 2022 than 2025. Can the lefty leaning Sox set him back?
The next debut day features Brayan Bello. Bello was brilliant for several months until a rough period down the stretch to close out the 2025 season. Asking Bello to be the #2 may have been too much, even when he shows flashes of great starts. But in the back half of the rotation? He might be the best #4 in the business. He made one start for the Dominican Republic and the WBC and looked good. He was good in Spring Training. These are small samples against varied competition but if he’s healthy he does have the ability to pitch well. Hunter brown finished third in the AL Cy Young voting behind Tarik Skubal and, of course, Garrett Crochet. In his first start of the season he tossed 4.2 scoreless innings while striking out 9. No walks, just four hits.
Boston follows up with the other Cy Young finalist: Garrett Crochet. Crochet basically didn’t miss a beat: 6.0 innings, 8 Ks, 2 BBs, 3 hits, no runs. The Pig is back at it. Mike Burrows for the Astros, however, wasn’t welcomed as warmly to the 2026 season. Over 5.2 innings Burrows gave up 9 hits (2 home runs), allowed 5 runs, walked 2, and struck out 6. Acquired in a three-team trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates that included the Tampa Bay Rays, this was his first outing as part of the Astros organization. The 25-year-old threw 96 innings for the Pirates in 2025 with a 3.94/4.00 ERA/FIP and 97 Ks vs 31 walks. It remains to be seen if the Astros get a little more out of him than Pittsburgh.
After one series Wilyer Abreu is red hot.
Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin are cold.
Connor Wong already has two hits.
And after this series it’s time for the home opener at Fenway Park.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Monday, March 30: Ranger Suárez (— ERA / — FIP) vs. Lance McCullers Jr. (— ERA / — FIP)
Tuesday, March 31: Brayan Bello (— ERA / — FIP) vs. Hunter Brown (0.00 ERA / 1.63 FIP)
Wednesday, April 1: Garrett Crochet (0.00 ERA / 1.24 FIP) vs. Mike Burrows (7.94 ERA / 6.44 FIP)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning at Petco Park on March 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres avoided getting swept this Opening Weekend, winning, 3-0, on Saturday night against the Detroit Tigers.
Everything went great for the Friars in the series finale. The offense gave the San Diego pitching staff some cushion (that they wouldn’t end up needing). Randy Vásquez dominated the Tigers through six innings, and the bullpen handled business afterward.
With that, the first win of the Friars’ 2026 season is in the books, and they’re looking to add more to the win column. Who better to face than their division rivals from the Bay Area?
Taking the mound
Landen Roupp (SF) v. Walker Buehler (SD)
The 27-year-old Roupp will take the mound for San Francisco after impressing last season in his first full year as a starter.
Roupp converted over from the bullpen in 2024 and finished out ‘25 with a solid 3.80 ERA.
The Giants are pinning an abundance of hope on Roupp to perform in order to fill out the back end of their rotation.
More primarily, San Francisco has yet to win a game after being swept by the New York Yankees during Opening Weekend.
Buehler, on the other hand, struggled immensely in 2025 and is somewhat of a reclamation project for San Diego.
He was decent this spring and finished with a 6.60 ERA (most of that came from his final start where he got tagged for seven runs in three-and-a-third innings).
But if Buehler can find some of the form that saw him finish fourth in 2021 NL Cy Young voting, the Friars will see their starting rotation upside become a reality.
Batter up!
With Roupp being only the second right hander that San Diego has faced (and given that this formula worked against Detroit righty Jack Flaherty on Saturday), manager Craig Stammen will probably construct a lineup similar to that Tigers’ series finale:
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Manny Machado, 3B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gavin Sheets, 1B
Ramón Laureano, LF
Nick Castellanos, DH
Luis Campusano, C
It was a surprise to see Cronenworth in the leadoff spot for the Friars, but it will likely not be the last time.
Laureano could bat second after going 3-for-4 on Saturday night, but Tatis has a career .625 batting average against Roupp (eight at-bats). Tatis could even bat leadoff over Cronenworth due to that success.
Campusano is 2-for-2 in his career against Roupp, and he and starter Freddy Fermin have been sharing the backstop role relatively evenly thus far, so it seems possible he gets the start.
The DH spot will likely be filled by Castellanos with his splits versus righties being better than Miguel Andujar’s. But Ty France could also slot into that role since Castellanos has struggled at the plate so far (though France hasn’t been all that much better).
Relief corps
It’s impossible to understate just how much of a gem Vásquez pitched on Saturday night.
Because of that, only Kyle Hart (2 IP) and Mason Miller (1 IP) were used in relief. But with the strange, early off day that the Padres had Sunday, it’ll likely be all hands on deck with everybody available.
Miller was dominant in his 2026 debut for San Diego. The Friar Faithful can hope to see him close tonight so long as the offense can solve Roupp — alongside a shaky Giants bullpen.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Manager Tony Vitello #23 of the San Francisco Giants looks on during the game against the New York Yankees at Oracle Park on March 28, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Tony Avelar/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It sure would be nice for the San Francisco Giants to get a win under their belt this week. Hopefully, that win happens in this series against the San Diego Padres. On the other hand, over the last four seasons, the Giants are just 10-19 at Petco Park. History is probably not a predictor of the present in the sports context, but talent usually is; in which case, it’s worth wondering if the Giants and Padres are that far apart on paper.
It’s expected to be a down year for the Padres, right? The team’s finances are such that AJ Preller couldn’t make a big splash in free agency and years of huge trades has emptied their farm system. They scored just 7 runs in their opening series against the Tiges, tied for third with the Rockies and just behind the Diamondbacks, putting all four non-Dodger NL West teams in the bottom 5 of the sport in terms of runs scored. By wRC+, San Diego’s 66 puts them just outside that bottom 5 at 6th place. Sustainable for all these NL West teams? Probably not. Plus, this series is a matchup of division rivals, so, expect a tough series.
Still, this is quite the series for remembering some guys.
The Padres, like the Giants, also had some pitching holes that needing patching in the offseason after losing Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez to free agency and Yu Darvish to injury, but San Diego went about it in a way that truly highlights their financial situation. Two of the three starters in this series are league minimum veterans who were picked up by San Diego just before Spring Training. Former Dodgers ace Walker Buehler and former Rockies ace German Marquez both have highlights and pedigree, but they are also emergency options. Will they flash former dominance or will the Giants be able to do damage against players who are essentially afterthoughts?
They also added some veteran hitters before Spring Training, picking up Nick Castellanos to DH after the Phillies released him, Miguel Andujar, and one-time All-Star Ty France.
Adding low-cost veteran players to the roster to serve as its depth is what the Angels do every year and it never really seems to work out for Perry Minasian. Will AJ Preller have better luck? His Padres are also being led by a rookie manager who has even less experience than Tony Vitello from an MLB coaching standpoint. The ceiling would seem to be very low.
Then again, they still have Fernando Tatis Jr. They still have Jackson Merrill. Manny Machado is off and running towards another .800+ OPS season (a career .305/.358/.520 in 483 PA vs. the Giants). Ramon Laureano, acquired at last year’s trade deadline, is off to a hot start. Their bullpen features Mason Miller’s 100+ mph fastball and, as usually, a bunch of fairly anonymous names who come in and get the job done.
I can’t believe I’m using this expression, but the Giants are looking to get off the schneid. They need a win, obviously, if only to halt the creeping dread created by another embarrassing homestand at Oracle Park. Rafael Devers seemed to live down to the national naysayers about his talent (and contract) with a lot of swing and miss in the strike zone; and, generally, it would be silly to say anything positive about a lineup that managed just 1 run in 27 innings at home. Logan Webb didn’t look so hot on top of Tony Vitello glitching out and leaving him in too long. The Padres are looking for a little validation too, though, and beating up on a team they’ve been able to handle might just give them the confidence they need to overcome their Los Angeles Angelsesque roster.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (0-3) at San Diego Padres (1-2) Where: Petco Park | San Diego, California When: Monday & Tuesday at 6:40pm PT, Wednesday at 1:10pm PT National broadcasts: Monday (FS1)
Projected starters Monday: Landen Roupp (season debut) vs. Walker Buehler (season debut) Tuesday: Logan Webb (0-1, 10.80 ERA) vs. German Marquez (season debut) Wednesday: Adrian Houser (season debut) vs. Nick Pivetta (0-1, 18.00 ERA)
Players to watch (besides Logan Webb & Manny Machado)
Padres
Gavin Sheets: Their starting first baseman is 0-for-8 to start the season. Last year, he hit 19 home runs and drove in 71 to go with a .746 OPS. In 21 games against the Giants, he’s 18-for-58 with a pair of homers, a triple, and 5 doubles to go with 17 RBI and 7 walks against 8 strikeouts. That’s a line of .310/.403/.534 in 67 PA. He’s 1-for-4 with a homer and 3 walks in 7 PA against Landen Roupp and 7-for-14 with 3 triples against Logan Webb.
Walker Buehler & German Marquez: They both could’ve been Giants in another life… before the team brought aboard two more investors and overcame all the “dead money” obligations that temporarily inflated their payroll. They’ll try to shake off their rough spring trainings (6.60 ERA for Buehler, 7.16 for Marquez) and reestablish themselves as reliable major league starters. They would not be the first players to use performances against the Giants as stepping stones to better things.
Adrian Morejon: Speaking of Spring Training stats (which don’t mean anything if they’re good and everything if they’re bad), the lefty reliever struck out 12 and walked just 1 in 8 IP. Last year, he had a 13-6 record out of the bullpen. He’s given up 6 runs in 26 career innings (19 G; 2.08 ERA) against the Giants while striking out 25 and walking 9.
Giants
Luis Arraez: The Giants’ second baseman will be facing his former team in a stadium where he has a career .294 batting average (139 G, 594 PA).
Jung Hoo Lee: He has a .297 average in 10 games at Petco along with a pair of home runs.
Keaton Winn: It would be really easy to say “Watch Ryan Walker every series,” because a lot of the Giants’ success this season (if that’s in the cards) is tied to how he performs; however, it’s going to take more than Walker to make this a formidable relief corps. The Giants have something in Caleb Kilian, but after that, it’s a rough draft. Winn has the stuff to become the third righty in the ‘pen and having Walker-Kilian-Winn as late inning relief options would shorten the game in a meaningful way.
Tony Vitello watch
Talent makes managing a whole lot easier, but as Tony Vitello demonstrated on Opening Night, that idea has a limit. Yes, Logan Webb is probably the best player on the roster — certainly, the best pitcher — but leaving him on the mound far longer than was warranted not only set back Webb (it’ll take a while to get that ERA down), but created a little doubt about the new manager’s confidence here in the early going. If there’s one area of the game where a manager does make a tangible impact beyond interpersonal relationships, it’s in managing the bullpen/making pitching changes. Beyond that, projecting confidence is one of those top-down behaviors that every successful organization demonstrates. The Giants were quiet and overmatched. A reflection of their manager right now?
This Padres matchup is a great test, because San Diego’s manager Craig Stammen is a brand new manager for 2026, too. He’s also an unconventional hire in that after the former reliever retired in 2023, he joined the Padres’ front office as an advisor before becoming the sixth manager hired by AJ Preller, San Diego’s President of Baseball Operations. He was a major league pitcher, though, which is more major league experience than Vitello had. He also picked up his first win this weekend.
Padres beat writer Dennis Lin wrote about Stammen’s path to the top step of the dugout and this bit stands out:
The modern game may be strengthening the case for pitchers as managers. The universal designated hitter effectively eliminated the double switch. The three-batter minimum simplified the bullpen chess that once demanded encyclopedic knowledge of platoon splits. Analytics script many in-game decisions before the first pitch is thrown. What managing means, more than ever, is handling people.
The “anyone can cook” vibes surrounding the manager position is probably another consequence of making the sport more “efficient” — as big data has the effect of cheapening the role — but Stammen and Vitello have the job, so they might as well take advantage of the opportunity. Admittedly, that might become tough to do if the losses really pile up.
Prediction time
Well, last time out, I said the Giants would avoid the sweep. They did not. However, I feel compelled to go with that again here because the alternative is an 0-6 start. Therefore, the Giants will notch their first win of the season.
Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified Craig Smith as the current coach of Utah.
Utah State announced the hiring of longtime Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson on Monday, March 30, poaching the five-time NCAA Tournament attendee to replace Jerrod Calhoun.
It's a splash hire at the mid-major level, especially with how long Jacobson spent at Northern Iowa. He has four NCAA Tournament wins in his career, including a second-round upset over No. 1 seed Kansas in 2010.
Utah State is one of the best non-Power program jobs in college basketball, and Jacobson will lead the program into the rebuilt Pac-12 next season. There, he'll be conference foes with Colorado State and coach Ali Farokhmanesh, his former player and March Madness hero from 2010.
The Aggies have made six of the last seven NCAA Tournaments, and its coaches have gone on to earn high-profile jobs shortly after their tenure. Calhoun took the opening at Cincinnati after Danny Sprinkle left for Washington, and Sprinkle's predecessor, Ryan Odom, is now at Virginia. Craig Smith was the Aggies coach before Odom and took the Utah job. He was coach of the Utes for four seasons before being fired in 2025.
"I'm thankful for the opportunity to join Utah State as it enters its next chapter in the Pac-12," Jacobson said. "I'm grateful to Cameron Walker for trusting me to lead such a historic program and to continue its tradition as one of the top men's basketball programs in the West. I look forward to getting to know Aggie Nation and the HURD, and for my family to become part of the Cache Valley and Logan community."
Jacobson leads the Missouri Valley Conference in all-time wins (220) and conference tournament wins (24), but the allure of the new Pac-12 was likely too enticing to pass up, as the league will be anchored by powerhouse programs Gonzaga, San Diego State and Utah State, to a lesser degree.
Numerous college basketball coaches commented on the hire in Utah State's announcement, including Purdue's Matt Painter and Nebraska's Fred Hoiberg.
"Ben is not only an exceptional coach but also a truly remarkable person," Painter said. "He has achieved tremendous success at Northern Iowa, and this opportunity at Utah State gives him the chance to build on that success both on the court and within the community. I'm excited for him and his family as they embark on this exciting new chapter in their lives.
Hoiberg added: "Ben Jacobson is one of the great coaches in our sport, and Utah State is fortunate to land a coach of his caliber. He built Northern Iowa into one of the top programs in the Missouri Valley Conference for the past two decades.
"When I was at Iowa State, we played his UNI teams several times over the years, and you always knew you would be in for a battle. I have so much respect for the job he has done over the years."
The Vancouver Canucks continue their road trip on Monday when they battle the Vegas Golden Knights. Monday will be a historic game for Evander Kane, who will play his 1,000th regular-season game in the NHL. Here are the lineup notes for March 30, 2026.
In net for the Canucks will be Kevin Lankinen, who will be making his 39th start of the season. This will be the seventh straight game Lankinen plays in, with six of those being starts. So far this season, Lankinen has played in 42 games, with a record of 8-25-5 and a save percentage of .876.
As for the skaters, only one change is expected on the blue line. Pierre-Olivier Joseph will be coming out of the lineup, while Elias Pettersson returns after being healthy-scratched. The other healthy scratch will be Max Sason as the forward lines are not expected to change.
Feb 4, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) makes a save against Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev (49) during the second period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Buium-Hronek M. Pettersson-Willander E. Pettersson-Mancini
Lankinen Tolopilo
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: T-Mobile Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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COVERS INTEL: The Dodgers ranked third in OPS and fourth in wRC+ when facing left-handed pitching last season.
