Now that the Dodgers are done with the Arizona portion of spring training, they are back home in Southern California for another decades-long tradition — the Freeway Series against the Angels.

The Freeway Series began in 1962 with a single game in Palm Springs before settling into the mostly annual routine of games in Los Angeles and Anaheim ever since. The two teams meeting was a novelty for a long time, as National League and American League teams did not meet except for the World Series for most of baseball history.

But the Dodgers and Angels have played each other in the regular season every year since 1997, which removes a lot of the shine the exhibition Freeway Series. Given the few breaks in the spring training matchups — no Freeway Series from 1965-68, 1972, 1980, and 2000-02 — there have been more years the Dodgers and Angels have played in the regular season (29) than years when the exhibition Freeway Series was their only matchup (27).

Knowing the Dodgers and Angels will meet six times during the regular season — May 15-17 in Anaheim, and June 5-7 in Los Angeles — means folks won’t really be bursting at the seams for these three exhibition games. But in case you were wondering, here are the stats for the history of the Freeway Series.

The Dodgers are 60-79-6 all-time in the exhibition Freeway Series, with the last tie coming in 2017.

The Angels won that first game in Palm Springs, 6-5. The Dodgers are 33-37-3 at Dodger Stadium in these games, and 27-41-3 in Anaheim. Here are the splits by decade:

Sunday night’s game is at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, with Monday and Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

The Cincinnati Reds made official on Saturday what we’d anticipated regarding their roster, officially informing non-roster invitee Nathaniel Lowe that he would make the Opening Day roster. Cincinnati also opted to include Sam Moll, who is out of options, while using the existing minor league options on spring standouts JJ Bleday, Rece Hinds, and Zach Maxwell to stash that trio in AAA for additional depth.

On Sunday, they’ll play one final time at their home in Goodyear, Arizona before heading to Milwaukee for a pair of exhibition games against the Brewers. Then, on Thursday, the real work begins with Opening Day at home against Garrett Crochet and the Boston Red Sox.

Lowe will get a start at 1B batting cleanup on Sunday vs. the Cleveland Guardians in the Cactus League finale as the Reds roll out a strong, albeit far from peak lineup. Nick Lodolo will toe the rubber for the start, with first pitch slated for 3:05 PM ET.

This game will be watchable via Reds.TV, Guardians.TV, and therefore MLB.tv for subscribers of the lot, so you can use your own eyes to see whether the 14-14 Reds can finish the 2026 Cactus League slate with a winning record, or not.

Here’s the travel roster for the day courtesy of Redleg Nation’s Doug Gray.

It’s officially Opening Week, which isn’t technically a ‘thing,’ but you certainly know of what I speak. Welcome back, baseball!

The Yankees are back in action today on the last sabbath before baseball stats start to matter again. The Bombers take on the Phillies in the final spring training game of the year at GMS Field in Tampa, and dare we label this one a potential pitching duel?

Will Warren gets the ball for New York, and he has quietly become one of the most intriguing storylines in camp. This spring, Warren owns a 1.77 ERA with 16 strikeouts, continuing to build momentum as he pushes to solidify his role. The raw stuff has never really been in question, but what has stood out is how consistent it has looked from start to start.

Fans are buying the early results from Warren. Whether it is the mechanical tweaks or the shift of position on the rubber, there is a growing belief that Warren may be taking that next step.

Because that is what separates arms at this level. Consistency and the ability to competitively eat innings is what turns a depth arm into a major league rotation piece.

Warren entered camp needing to prove he could be trusted in meaningful innings, and so far, he has done exactly that. If this version holds, he should be able to help stabilize the rotation early as the Yankees wait for reinforcements to arrive.

On the other side, Aaron Nola presents a very different kind of storyline. The Phillies’ right-hander returns from the international stage after pitching for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Nola was excellent in the tournament, highlighted by five scoreless innings against Mexico as Italy advanced through pool play.

That outing was more than just a spring highlight. It came with improved velocity and sharp command, signs that Nola may be trending back toward the form that made him one of the most reliable starters in the game. That impressive performance was followed up with four innings of one-run ball against the eventual tournament champion Venezuela in the semifinals.

The momentum has carried into camp, where Nola looks like the steady veteran the Phillies have leaned on for years. For a pitcher like him, this part of the spring is usually about fine-tuning, but the added workload from the WBC suggests he may already be a step ahead.

The Yankees lineup today is the starters minus Austin Wells, so very much a lineup and order we should expect to see a few times over the next few months. Rolling Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero in the six-seven spots in the lineup should make the bottom of the order quite the headache for Nola and the rest of the Phillies staff if they are able to find their way onto the basepaths.

So the questions for today: Will Will Warren keep his momentum rolling in his final spring tune-up? And how will the Yankees’ bats look against a veteran arm ready for the real thing?

Real baseball is almost back!

How to Watch

Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL
First pitch: 1:05 ET

TV broadcast:

• Yankees: YES Network
• Phillies: NBC Sports Philadelphia
• National: MLB Network (out-of-market only)

Radio broadcast:

• Yankees: WFAN 660 AM
• Phillies: 94 WIP

Online stream: Gotham Sports App

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

There’s only three spring training games left and the Opening Day roster is starting to take shape (hello, Didier Fuentes). At this point, it’s all about remaining healthy during the final portions of camp and rounding things out on a high note.

The lineup today is an interesting one — the Braves are on the road and Reynaldo López is starting. He’s joined by Drake Baldwin and Mike Yastrzemski in the lineup, along with Dominic Smith and Kyle Farmer — two players who appear to have earned roster spots as well.

Here’s how the Twins are looking:

This is a pretty close look at what the Twins may be putting out there for Opening Day, so this’ll certainly be a solid final test for Reynaldo López before the regular season gets on underway.

Gray TV will be televising this one in Atlanta’s market, so check your local listings if you want to watch this one on TV. The radio feed will be on good ol’ fashioned 680 The Fan/93.7 FM in the Atlanta area, so tune in if you want to hear some friendly voices for this contest. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. ET. Come join us!

Thomas Harding announced this morning that Rockies right-hander RJ Petit (No. 23 PuRP) has undergone Tommy John surgery after suffering the initial injury on March 4 against Team USA.

Petit was selected by the Rockies in the first round of the Rule 5 Draft back in December from the Detroit Tigers. The 6’8” righty was drafted by the Tigers originally in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and made it up to Triple-A Toledo before being selected by the Rockies.

In three games this spring (not including the Team USA game), Petit pitched three innings and allowed four hits with three runs (all on a three-run homer by Cleveland Guardians’ infielder Milan Tolentino on March 1). He also walked two and recorded one strikeout.

Petit will miss the 2026 season, but the Rule 5 rules will apply to the 2027 season once Petit is reinstated from the 60-day IL. In the meantime, this move will open another spot on the Rockies roster as they begin planning for Opening Day.

This is a developing story and Purple Row will provide more information as it becomes available.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Friends, we have a roster.

The 26th man was a debate for a few days, though maybe it never should have been. A few token appearances by Garrett Stubbs appears to have not swayed the team’s thinking as to who would ultimately make the team.

There will be more bullpen shuffling once the members of the injured list make their return, but for now, this is who will have their name announced on Thursday at home against the Rangers.

Mets lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Jorge Polanco – 1B
5. Luis Robert Jr. – CF
6. Brett Baty – DH
7. Marcus Semien – 2B
8. Carson Benge – RF
9. Ben Rortvedt – C

SP: David Peterson (LHP)

Marlins lineup

1. Javier Sanoja – SS
2. Liam Hicks – 1B
3. Agustín Ramírez – C
4. Owen Caissie – RF
5. Heriberto Hernández – LF
6. Graham Pauley – 3B
7. Kemp Alderman – DH
8. Jesús Bastidas – 2B
9. Andrew Pintar – CF

SP: Sandy Alcantara (RHP)

Broadcast info

First pitch: 1:10 PM EDT
TV: Marlins.TV
Radio: WAQI 710

First pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays is at 1:05 at TD Park and the Rays will be providing tv and radio coverage.

Boston Red Sox vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, March 22, 2026, 1:05 p.m. ET

Location: LECOM Park, Bradenton, FL

How to Watch: Sportsnet Pittsburgh+

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in Bradenton today against the Boston Red Sox looking to grab a win.

Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

The last weekend Spring Training game before the regular season begins happens today at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches when the St. Louis Cardinals will tangle with the Houston Astros starting at 11:05am. According to MLB.com, Michael McGreevy will start for St. Louis while Christian Javier will begin the game for Houston.

For a detailed explanation/FAQ regarding this tournament, click here.

For the First Round results, click here.

For the Second Round results, click here.

QUADRANT 1

1986 (1) vs 2009(12)
G1: 7-1, ’09
G2: 15-2, ’86
G3: 4-3, ’86
G4: 3-0, ’09
G5: 4-3, ’09
Series MVP: Johan Santana

The Whiteyball Cardinals couldn’t do it. Mike Scott and the Astros couldn’t do it. Even winning 5-3 with one out to get, the Red Sox couldn’t do it. But there were the 2009 Mets, celebrating at Shea Stadium as the highest-ranked team in Mets Madness — and one of the best teams in baseball history — was finally eliminated. In their previous two series, the 1986 Mets dropped a game early before firing back to win in four games. It seemed that pattern was destined to repeat itself, as after getting shut down by Johan Santana in Game 1, they annihilated the ’09 squad 15-2 in Game 2 (Ron Darling turned in a four-hit, two-run complete game while Gary Carter slugged two homers) and took a tight Game 3 win on homers from Keith Hernandez and Darryl Strawberry. But then, the four-game formula was foiled. The game that will haunt the ’86 Mets forever is Game 4, in which they got shut out by a quartet of relievers (Ken Takahashi, Pedro Feliciano, Sean Green, and Francisco Rodríguez) while letting Carlos Beltrán beat them by driving in all three of ’09’s runs. The best way for an underdog baseball team to win is by having an ace starting pitcher to shut down the opposition, which might be why the ’86 team has done so much better in the back half of series (facing the weaker portion of a team’s rotation) than in the front half. They needed to win Game 4 to avoid seeing Santana again. They couldn’t do it. ’09 scraped out runs by capitalizing on a Mookie Wilson error and executing a successful squeeze bunt. With first and third and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Wally Backman looked to hit a fly ball to at least tie it — but instead, he grounded the ball to Alex Cora, who flipped it to Luis Castillo, who fired it to Daniel Murphy. Champagne in the visitors’ clubhouse after all.

2002 (10) vs 1968(11)
G1: 8-6, ’68
G2: 5-3, ’68
G3: 5-4, ’68
Series MVP: Greg Goossen

This was a matchup of two teams with two upsets under their belt, and it showed. Each game in the series came down to the wire, packed with clutch rallies and max-effort defensive plays, making it thrillingly balanced — except for the fact that the same team won each one. In Game 1, the 1968 Mets outlasted the 2002 Mets in a battle of ineffective aces Tom Seaver and Al Leiter, with ’02 getting homers from Timo Perez, Ty Wigginton, and Jeromy Burnitz but failing to stack hits in the way ’68 did. In Game 2, a 4-0 ’68 lead turned to 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning thanks in part to a pinch-hit homer from Tony Tarasco, but in the following frame Greg Goossen — a future actor who would be traded the following offseason for a player to be named later (eventually Jim Gosger) — delivered a pinch-hit homer of his own for insurance. In Game 3, ’02’s previous Series MVP Mo Vaughn continued to rake with an early 458-foot, 2-run homer, but ’68 fought back. With the score tied 4-4 and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, up stepped who else but…pinch-hitter Greg Goossen, who lined a walk-off RBI single to left-center. This MVP could have gone to Ed Kranepool, who hit .583 with two homers and five RBI in three games. It could have gone to Tommie Agee, who homered in Game 3 and went 3-for-5 while making an excellent diving catch in Game 1. But unlike Goossen’s trade value, this particular MVP need not be named later; I bestow it upon him, the pinch-hitter (and actor) extraordinaire. 

QUADRANT 2

1969 (1) vs 2017 (12)
G1: 4-1, ’69
G2: 3-1, ’17
G3: 3-2, ’17 (f/11)
G4: 5-4, ’69
G5: 5-4, ’69 (f/13)
Series MVP: Art Shamsky

Upsets? Who said anything about upsets? The 1969 Mets are a one-seed that acts like it! Well, except for the part where they nearly lost this series in four games, and then nearly lost it in five. The 2017 Mets entered hot off a six-game winning streak, and were instantly given a gut check when Tom Seaver steamrolled through their lineup with a complete-game, five-hit, one-run performance in Game 1. ’69 appeared bound to avoid the kind of upset plaguing the rest of the tournament’s top seeds, but they suddenly found themselves staring down elimination after a Jacob deGrom complete game in Game 2 and a devastating extra-inning Game 3 loss (which featured a Wilmer Flores two-out, game-tying hit in the ninth and an Asdrúbal Cabrera walk-off single in the eleventh). In Game 4, they trailed 4-3 in the seventh, but Art Shamsky played the hero by ripping a game-flipping two-run homer off Steven Matz. In Game 5, the ’69 Mets trailed 4-0 in the eighth inning, having been blanked by Noah Syndergaard, but scored three runs on walks and a big hit from Donn Clendenon to make it a 4-3 ballgame. Down to their final out in the top of the ninth, Shamsky came to bat with a runner on third. He slashed an opposite-field, game-tying single just in front of a charging Yoenis Céspedes to keep his team alive. The marathon winner-take-all game rolled on, with neither team able to break through until Wayne Garrett’s walk-off single off Jeurys Familia in the bottom of the 13th inning. And thus, the tournament’s final one-seed lives to fight another day, facing a clearer field than they could have ever imagined. But if this series proved anything, it’s that the Miracle Mets may need to pull off at least a few miracles to win this tournament after all.

1988 (2) vs 1985(3)
G1: 5-1, ’85 (f/12)
G2: 4-2, ’85
G3: 4-3, ’88 (f/11)
G4: 5-0, ’85
Series MVP: Rick Aguilera

If you were forced to look at the box scores for every series in Mets Madness thus far and guess which one was a matchup of top-three seeds, you’d be right on the money. This exquisite, hard-fought battle of ’80s teams with a total of 198 regular season wins between them lived up to the hype off the bat. 1985 Dwight Gooden and 1988 David Cone each allowed only one run in Game 1, prompting an extra-inning affair which finally ended when the ’85 Mets erupted for four runs off Roger McDowell in the top of the twelfth. Game 2 was locked at 2-2 entering the seventh, when George Foster (who hit a solo homer earlier in the evening) laced a two-run double to give ’85 another win. The ’88 offense jumped on Sid Fernandez early in Game 3, with a Keith Hernandez RBI single and Darryl Strawberry two-run homer bringing home three runs in the top of the first inning. But Kevin Mitchell lifted ’85 up, delivering an RBI double in the sixth and then a two-RBI, game-tying double in the eighth to force extra innings once again. In the top of the eleventh, Kevin McReynolds hit a go-ahead sac fly to win it for the ’88 Mets, but it was the last run they would score. Rookie Rick Aguilera fired a complete-game shutout in Game 4, perhaps giving them flashbacks to when another right-handed starter fired a shutout to vanquish their championship aspirations. For the ’85 Mets — the last of the great ’80s teams still remaining in the tournament — their primary obstacle to a championship now waits in the next round, where they will face the 1969 Mets in a clash of the titans.

QUADRANT 3

2011 (8) vs 1974 (12)
G1: 5-3, ’11
G2: 4-3, ’11
G3: 5-0, ’74
G4: 6-1, ’11

After upsetting the N.L. Champion 2000 Mets in the previous round, the 2011 Mets just kept firing on all cylinders. The starting pitching was excellent, with R.A. Dickey allowing two runs in seven innings, Dillon Gee allowing one run in 6.1 innings, and Jon Niese outdueling Tom Seaver. Let me say that again. Jon Niese outdueled Tom Seaver. It’s sentences like those that make this tournament feel especially mad. Offensively, the ’11 lineup continued to prove its potency, with batting champion José Reyes going 7-for-15, Jason Bay providing extra-base pop, and Lucas Duda recording 5 RBI (including a game-tying single off Seaver in Game 2 and a go-ahead single off last round’s MVP George Stone in Game 4). The ’74 team, after upsetting the ’16 Mets and ’90 Mets, only mustered one win in this series thanks to a shutout compiled by Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, and right-hander Harry Parker in Game 3. Along with the ’09 and ’13 teams elsewhere on the bracket, the 2011 Mets are now providing hope that a rather disappointing era of Mets baseball may in fact take home the Mets Madness championship.

2006(2) vs 2019 (6)
G1: 5-4, ’19
G2: 6-5, ’06
G3: 6-5, ’19
G4: 7-4, ’06
G5: 6-0, ’06
Series MVP: David Wright

For the 21st-century Mets fan, this series was as dreamy as it gets. On the 2006 side, there was David Wright, Carlos Beltrán, and Carlos Delgado combining for seven homers, while on the 2019 side, there was Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Michael Conforto combining for five. Jacob deGrom barely outdueled Pedro Martínez in Game 1, and then Pedro completely outshone deGrom in Game 5. Each side even had its own epic walk-off win. In Game 2, after the score was locked at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh, each team traded three-run homers — Beltrán blasting one to right-center off Seth Lugo and Nimmo immediately responding — to eventually set up a bases-loaded, two-out at-bat for Wright in the bottom of the ninth against Edwin Díaz. With a 2-2 count, Wright lined a fastball up the middle to win the game and even the series. In Game 3 at Citi Field, ’06 went ahead 5-0 early with the help of a Delgado three-run homer off Noah Syndergaard, but an electrifying Pete Alonso line-drive grand slam in the fifth and Michael Conforto solo homer in the eighth tied it. In the bottom of the ninth, Jeff McNeil hit a one-out single up the middle, and Juan Lagares dashed home just in time to beat Beltrán’s throw to the plate. ’19 did their best to keep pace with the ’06 team in Game 4, but a 3-for-4 day for Wright with a homer and two doubles was too much to overcome. They tried to pull off one last “LFGM”-worthy rally in the ninth inning of Game 5, but Billy Wagner got Todd Frazier chasing on a ball in the dirt to end it. For the ’06 Mets, the next obstacle on what they hope to be a championship journey is the eight-seed 2011 Mets. They didn’t imagine their route out of the quadrant might bypass the 2000 or 1987 teams, but that doesn’t mean they can take their foot off the gas (see pretty much everywhere else on this bracket for evidence). Their path to the Final Four is clear. Now, it’s just up to them to seize it.

QUADRANT 4

2001 (8) vs 2004 (12)
G1: 4-3, ’04
G2: 5-4, ’01
G3: 5-2, ’04
G4: 3-2, ’01 (f/11)
G5: 6-4, ’01
Series MVP: Al Leiter

It was bound to happen eventually, but it was strange all the same: Al Leiter faced Al Leiter twice in this series. In Game 1, 2001’s Leiter was mightier, firing 7.2 innings of one-run ball, but the 2004 Mets still came away with the win thanks to a late comeback fueled by a Cliff Floyd two-run double and Eric Valent two-run homer. The ’04 Mets were one win from advancing, but found themselves on the short side of an eleventh-inning thriller in Game 4. ’04 trailed 2-0 after eight innings, with lefty Glendon Rusch providing a scoreless start for the ’01 team. They were down to their final out in the bottom of the ninth facing Armando Benítez when Víctor Díaz hit a first-pitch, pinch-hit, two-run homer to left field to tie it, sending Shea into a state of jubilant chaos. The score remained knotted until the top of the eleventh, when Piazza hit a solo shot that stood as the game-winning hit. ’01’s Leiter outdid himself in Game 5 (both symbolically and literally), with the eight-seed seizing an early 5-0 lead on homers from Todd Zeile and Rey Ordóñez. Valent homered again, as did Kaz Matsui, but ’04’s reliance on comeback attempts finally caught up with them. Despite their many clutch moments, they never even held a lead in the series’ final two games.

1999 (2) vs 2013(11)
G1: 3-2, ’13
G2: 5-2, ’99
G3: 6-3, ’99
G4: 11-8, ’13
G5: 6-4, ’13
Series MVP: Matt Harvey

Happy freakin’ Harvey Day, folks. The All-Star Game starter at the peak of his powers was absolutely electric, even while battling a thunderous 1999 lineup, a raucous Shea Stadium crowd, and acts of divine intervention. In Game 1, it became clear what the blueprint for ’99 had to be in this series: get Matt Harvey off the mound. He threw eight innings without allowing a run before the ’99 team began immediately barreling the ball against Bobby Parnell in the ninth, nearly earning a walk-off victory. The next two games played out as planned. ’99’s offense went to work against 2013’s less powerful starters Jon Niese and Zack Wheeler, and scored eight runs in Game 4 — the only problem was, the ’13 lineup shockingly scored eleven (shoutout to David Wright, Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda, Rubén Tejada, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis for multi-RBI games). In Game 5, Harvey bent but seemed impossible to break, evading a bases-loaded-and-nobody-out jam in the fifth and a first-and-second-and-nobody-out jam in the sixth. Two more men got on to begin the seventh, but just as Harvey was ready to get to work on another escape act…the skies opened up. After a brief rain delay, Harvey returned to the mound likely out of his rhythm, and four pitches later he hung a curveball which Mike Piazza hit over the right-center-field fence. ’99 had gotten their miracle. Harvey was out of the game. In the ninth, they even got a break when David Wright couldn’t handle a John Olerud dribbler due to the wet grass (yes, the OOTP play-by-play did in fact specify this). ’99 might have had the heavens on their side, but ’13 had (Josh) Satin, who reached base three times in the winner-take-all game while Lucas Duda hit a clutch homer late to preserve a narrow lead. Somehow, the 2013 Mets overcame the odds — and the gods — and are advancing to the next round.

The Phillies will play their penultimate game of the 2026 Grapefruit League season on Sunday when they travel to Tampa to face the New York Yankees.

Aaron Nola, coming off a strong performance in the WBC will get the ball in his final appearance before the regular season.

The Yankees will go with righthander Will Warren.

Game time is 1:05 PM and will be televised locally on NBCSP.