Containing Kucherov: Senators Face Crucial Test Saturday Afternoon In Tampa Bay

With their season hanging in the balance, the Senators briefly clawed their way back into a playoff spot this week, only to be pushed right back out. Now, with ten games left, they head into Tampa Bay on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m., TSN5, TVAS), staring down a Stanley Cup contender and the NHL’s hottest scorer.

The Standings

The Senators enter play on Saturday just one point behind the New York Islanders. Ottawa actually holds a slightly better points percentage than the Isles, who've played one more game.

The Sens are also two points back of the Boston Bruins (WC1) and four points behind the Montreal Canadiens (A3).

Their opponent today, the Tampa Bay Lightning (A2), are battling for top spot in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. Tampa sits two points back of Buffalo (A1) with two games in hand, and two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the conference lead.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings are once again in a virtual tie with Ottawa. The out-of-town scoreboard has done the Senators no favours... again. For the second time this week, the Buffalo Sabres failed to help Ottawa’s cause, falling 5–2 to Detroit on Friday night.

Around the league on Saturday, the Islanders host the Panthers (1 p.m.), Boston welcomes Minnesota (5 p.m.), and Detroit hosts Philadelphia (8 p.m.).

On Tuesday night, the Senators briefly moved into a playoff spot for the first time in over four months. But a shootout loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday, combined with the usual grim out-of-town results, quickly erased that progress.

The Senators haven't played Tampa since opening night on Oct. 9 when they came away with a 5-4 victory on a late goal by Shane Pinto.

Lineup Notes / Injuries

Both teams have recently been without their top defencemen, but Jake Sanderson is on the trip and could be nearing a return. Lassi Thomson is also close. Meanwhile, Thomas Chabot is out for at least the remainder of the regular season, and possibly longer.

Ottawa may need to continue leaning on rookies Carter Yakemchuk and Jorian Donovan, who both saw increased ice time in Thursday’s game. Donovan jumped from 4:42 in his NHL debut to 9:22 against Pittsburgh, while Yakemchuk went from 12:46 to 17:42 and even saw time in overtime.

The Lightning will be without Victor Hedman, who is on personal leave. Interestingly, Linus Ullmark noted that Hedman was one of his biggest supports during his own recent personal leave of absence in January. The Lightning haven't said anything about Hedman's situation, just asking that Hedman’s privacy be respected at this time.

Kucherov's Historical Heater

Ottawa’s fate on Saturday may hinge on containing Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, the most dangerous player on either roster. Kucherov has an astonishing 104 points over his last 50 games, becoming just the second player in this millennium (Connor McDavid, 2021–22) to hit 100 points in a 50-game span.

The 32-year-old Russian is also tied with McDavid at 121 points this season and has more assists (81) than any Senator has points. Tim Stützle leads Ottawa with 75.


Projected Lineups

(As of Friday, as per NHL.com)

Senators

Drake Batherson - Tim Stützle - Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk - Dylan Cozens - Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins - Shane Pinto - Michael Amadio
Warren Foegele - Lars Eller - Fabian Zetterlund

Tyler Kleven - Artem Zub
Jordan Spence - Nikolas Matinpalo
Jorian Donovan - Carter Yakemchuk

Linus Ullmark
James Reimer

Scratched: Stephen Halliday, Kurtis MacDermid
Injured: Thomas Chabot (upper body), Jake Sanderson (upper body), Nick Jensen (lower body), Dennis Gilbert (upper body), Lassi Thomson (lower body)


Lightning

Brandon Hagel - Anthony Cirelli - Nikita Kucherov
Gage Goncalves - Brayden Point - Jake Guentzel
Zemgus Girgensons - Yanni Gourde - Pontus Holmberg
Corey Perry - Nick Paul - Oliver Bjorkstrand

Darren Raddysh - J.J. Moser
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Emil Lilleberg - Charle-Edouard D’Astous

Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson

Scratched: Scott Sabourin, Steven Santini, Victor Hedman Injured: Declan Carlile (undisclosed), Max Crozier (core muscle), Dominic James (lower body)

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

New closer Edwin Diaz trumpets Dodgers' dream of World Series three-peat

LOS ANGELES — The night began with an exhilarating ring ceremony and marching band ended with the electrifying sound of a trumpet for the guy on the mound who didn’t have a World Series ring.

"Yeah, they got their rings," Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz told USA TODAY Sports, "but I got the ball."

Diaz, making his first appearance as a Dodger, was serenaded onto the field by a local trumpet player, Tatiana Tate, playing "Narco," Diaz's iconic entrance song in New York that he brought along to the West Coast, much to the elation of the crowd of 51,540 at Dodger Stadium.

They erupted when Diaz, the previous All-Star closer for the New Mets, struck out two batters in the ninth and ended the game with second baseman Ketel Marte hitting a weak groundout to end the game and preserve the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"I enjoyed it," Diaz said. "I know the crowd enjoyed it, too."

Oh, did they ever, and after watching the Dodgers’ bullpen shut down the Diamondbacks for the second consecutive night, they’re going to have "Narco" dancing in their heads by the time October rolls around.

"I think we have one of the best bullpens in the league," Diaz said. "We’ll see what happens at the end of the year, but right now on paper, we look amazing."

It’s just two games in a long, grueling season, but the Dodgers already are showing they can beat you in so many ways. They’ll beat you with the long ball, as Mookie Betts showed with his three-run homer in the third inning. They can beat you playing little ball, with Shohei Ohtani hitting a ground ball to the right side in the eighth inning, setting up Kyle Tucker to produce the game-winning hit past a drawn-in infield. They can beat you with their rotation, as Yoshinobu Yamamoto proved in their season opener. By the way, Ohtani pitches next week.

And, their unsung heroes may be their bullpen, which has now pitched 8 ⅔ shutout innings, giving up just four hits.

"We got great arms everywhere," says Tanner Scott, who lost his closer’s role, and has been perfect for the Dodgers in his two outings, striking out Alek Thomas with two runners on and two outs in the sixth inning Thursday, March 26. "The starting rotation. The bullpen. And our lineup is incredible.

"It’s awesome, we got such a deep bullpen and got everyone for every opportunity."

The key is Diaz, who is one of the finest closers in the game, a three-time winner of the Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera awards, exemplifying the game’s top reliever. He opted out of his contract last winter with the Mets, and everyone assumed he’d be back, only for more money. The Mets instead signed Devin Williams, and even though they said they still wanted to re-sign Diaz, he wasn’t so sure just how genuine their interest actually was in bringing him back.

So, he took the Dodgers’ three-year, $69 million offer, and never looked back.

"I didn’t think we had a chance going into the winter," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Edwin Díaz of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on March 27, 2026.

Roberts went on vacation, received a call from the front office to ask him to be on a zoom recruiting call with Diaz and his agents. They spoke for 45 minutes. When Roberts got off the call, he excitedly summoned his wife.

"I go, 'We’re going to get him,’ " Roberts said. "So, I felt really good about it. So that was just a hunch, It was just kind of selling ourselves, talking about how much we value him, and the culture, the team and the ownership, and how we’ll do anything to win.

'If you really want to win a championship, this is the place to be.' "

Perhaps the best recruiting tool, Roberts says, was Diaz’s little brother, Alexis. The Dodgers traded for Alexis Diaz last May, and although he was in the organization barely three months, and appeared in only nine games, he gave his big brother rave reviews about the Dodgers.

"That was a big help because coming here as a call-up from the minors," Roberts said, "and us treating him like a superstar, I think that kind of helped make that decision and comfort going forward."

Certainly, it makes life a whole lot easier for Roberts knowing he finally has a closer he can trust, setting up the rest of the bullpen for a game.

The Dodgers blew 27 saves last year, with Scott blowing 10 of them. They knew if they had a chance for a three-peat, they’d have to fix their glaring weakness. And now that their bullpen is light’s out, you need a microscope to discover any flaws in the Dodgers’ arsenal.

"To be honest with you," Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said, "our expectation is to win every single game. We don’t feel like there’s a game this season that we don’t have a chance to win. That’s the mentality of everybody in this clubhouse."

It’s the reason why the Dodgers certainly enjoyed their elaborate rings, their third in six years, they already are planning on finding a finger for their next championship ring.

"It was really fun to watch those guys get their rings," Diaz said. "So that’s my goal is to be in that moment next year. I want to help this team win. If we can stay healthy, this team has a chance to do it again."

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) poses with players during the World Series ring ceremony before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

Certainly, while Diaz loves being the showman with "Narco" blaring in the background, he realized that the greatest show of the night was the Dodgers’ ring ceremony, leaving the crowd screaming, rejoicing and even gasping at times.

It began with "Shining Star" blaring over the loudspeakers by Earth, Wind & Fire, and comedian/actor Anthony Anderson was the emcee as the players walked along the blue carpet from the dugout to a stage behind the pitcher’s mound, serenaded by the USC marching band playing in center field.

The rings were handed out by Dodgers chairman Mark Walter, who was accompanied on stage with team president Stan Kasten, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and GM Mark Walter, who shook hands, hugged and warmly embraced more than 30 players.

It began with the rookies and part-time players from last year, shifted to the starting pitchers, and then the position players. The loudest ovations went to Kiké Hernández, who has played the most postseason games than any Dodger; Ohtani, who won his fourth MVP; Betts, who won his fourth World Series ring; Freddie Freeman, who hit walk-off homers in back-to-back World Series; and Rojas, who hit the dramatic Game 7-tying home run in the ninth inning The 20-minute ceremony ended with World Series MVP Yamamoto, who won Game 6 and Game 7.

There was an audible groan when Anderson announced the show was over, but then came the curtain call. Orel Hershiser, the 1988 World Series hero, walked to the mound to throw out the ceremonial first pitch when Roberts grabbed the mic. He called back Hershiser, and said he had another left-hander in mind.

Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ retired three-time Cy Young winner and future Hall of Famer, emerged from the dugout and the crowd stood and roared. He walked to the mound, threw the ceremonial first pitch, and seconds later, the entire Dodgers’ team emerged from the dugout to greet Kershaw.

They brought along the World Series championship ring, with Roberts handing it to him, and the ovation became deafening as Kershaw, who will be a special assistant in the Dodgers’ front office, waved to the crowd.

"For me, it's just a great ending to my career," Kershaw said, "so I couldn't have scripted it any better."

Kershaw, just like his former teammates, couldn’t stop staring at the spectacular rings. The 14K yellow gold rings, with 32 diamonds spelling out WORLD and 54 diamonds selling out CHAMPIONS, featured engravings of the 2024 and 2025 World Series trophies on the outside and inside of the rings. The L.A. logo is set with 17 custom-cut blue sapphires, one for every postseason game the Dodgers played. On the underside of the ring their four playoff series victories — against the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays — are listed, along with 11.01.25, the date of World Series Game 7. There’s even the number: 4,012,470, signifying their season attendance.

The coolest part of the ring is that there’s a glass window beneath the ring top with actual dirt collected from home plate from Game 7 in the "ring-within-a-ring" design.

"It’s why we play," Kershaw said, "to win some of these rings. The ring is pretty over the top."

Then again, so are these Dodgers.

"Everybody knows we had a really good team last year," Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández said. "But at the same time, I think we’re excited because this team could even be better.’"

And now, for the first time, they’ll be trying to win it all without one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history in Kershaw, who is gone, but will never be forgotten.

Who knows, he may even pop in once in awhile from his Dallas home in his new role as a special assistant.

"There’s a freedom with retirement," Kershaw said. "If you don’t want to work out, you don’t have to. If your back hurts, it doesn’t matter. If your arm hurts, it doesn’t matter. You get to see a lot more stuff, be around for everything. It doesn’t take away from how special playing this game is, but there’s a lot of really awesome parts about being home."

But for one last time, he was able to celebrate with his teammates, treasuring the greatness they achieved together.

"It was pretty special," Kershaw said. "I know they've got to move on to this season. But I don’t have to. So, I’m just going to keep relishing it.’"

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers dream of World Series three-peat after lavish ring ceremony

Snake Bytes 3/28: Still Looking for a First Win

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates in the dugout after hitting a one run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning of a game at Dodger Stadium on March 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Diamondbacks News

Diamondbacks Fumble Game in Los Angeles
Costly base running errors and the inability to capitalize late cost the Diamondbacks their second game of the season as the Dodger came from behind yet again to beat the Diamondbacks.

The Diamondbacks Have a Baserunning Problem
It is still only two games into the season, but early returns from Arizona’s baserunning adventures have not been good.

What Mistakes Hurt Gallen on Thursday?
Improved execution with two strikes would be a good start for Gallen correcting mistakes.

Other Baseball News

Phillies Sign Sergio Alcantara to Minor League Deal
Old friend alert number one. Sergio Alcantara will take his veteran glove act to Philadelphia now as he continues to kick around as a glove-first utility infielder with a cannon for an arm. While the deal is a minor league one, it won’t shock much of anyone if Alcantara finds himself a few hundred plate appearances in the bigs by the end of the season.

Nico Hoerner Extends with Cubs
The 6-yr/$141 million deal is the fourth largest contract ever given to a second baseman.

Marlins Recall Deyvison De Los Santos
Old friend alert number two. DDLS has been recalled by the Marlins and will soon be making his MLB debut. DDLS was sent to the Marlins in the deal that brought A.J. Puk to the desert.

Joe Espada Reiterates Restriction on Pitchers, ABS
It seems the Houston Astros have a firm rule that their pitchers are not to take advantage of the ABS tool.

Ranking the World Series Contenders
It really shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Diamondbacks rank 18th and are a mystery even to the pundits.

Orioles Extend Shane Baz
After trading for Shane Baz, Baltimore has now inked him to a 5-yr/$68 million extension.

Alec Bohm Suing Parents Over Theft of Millions
This is even uglier than the Ohtani saga.

Royals vs Braves Prediction, Odds & Home Run Pick for Today's MLB Game

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The Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves play the second game of a three-game set on Saturday night at Truist Park.

Reynaldo Lopez takes the mound for the Braves for the first time in exactly a year and faces off with Michael Wacha.

My Royals vs. Braves predictions and MLB picks explain why Bobby Witt, Jr. should have plenty of success on Saturday, March 28. 

Royals vs Braves predictions

Royals vs Braves best bet: Bobby Witt Jr. Over 1.5 Total Bases (-125)


Bobby Witt Jr. was outstanding in the World Baseball Classic and was the only Kansas City Royals hitter to show up Friday night as he collected a pair of singles.

He could’ve done more, given he posted a 94.3 exit velocity and a .856 xBA on the three pitches he put into play. That includes a double-play grounder in the first with a .660 xBA and 103.9 exit velo.

Atlanta Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez saw a massive dip in fastball velocity in spring training, averaging just 89.2 mph in his last outing.

Witt will punish that lack of velocity with an extra-base hit.

Covers COVERS INTEL:Witt posted an xSLG of .737 Friday night on the three fastballs he put into play.

Royals vs Braves same-game parlay (SGP)


I expect both starters to have command issues, setting us up for some early runs.

Lopez had just 13 Ks in just over 15 IP in the spring. Along with the velocity issues, he struggled with command as he issued seven free passes. He also surrendered seven earned runs in his last two starts, encompassing 8 1/3 IP.

Michael Wacha had a rough spring as well, posting a 6.89 ERA with seven walks in 13 2/3  IP. He also allowed a longball in each of the last three outings

Royals vs Braves SGP

  • Bobby Witt Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
  • Reynaldo Lopez Under 4.5 strikeouts
  • F5 Over 4.5 

Royals vs Braves home run pick: Drake Baldwin (+420)

There was no sign of a sophomore slump from Drake Baldwin this spring, as he spent his time slapping piss missiles. He followed that up by crushing one against the Royals on Friday night.

Wacha has a decent arsenal, but he becomes very FB/CH reliant against opposite-side hitters. Those two pitches accounted for two-thirds of his output vs. LHB last season, with a cutter mixed in some of the time.

Baldwin posted a 23% barrel rate and 74% hard-hit rate in spring training. If he’s going to see a limited pitch array, this price is exceptional value.

2026 Transparency record
  • Best bets: 0-0, 0.0 units
  • SGPs: 0-0, 0-0 units
  • HR picks: 0-0, 0-0 units

Royals vs Braves odds

  • Moneyline: Kansas City +122 | Atlanta -135
  • Run line: Kansas City +1.5 (-170) | Atlanta -1.5 (+149)
  • Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Royals vs Braves trend

The Atlanta Braves have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 34 of their last 49 games at home (+16.25 Units / 28% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Braves.

How to watch Royals vs Braves and game info

LocationTruist Park, Atlanta, GA
DateSaturday, March 28, 2026
First pitch7:15 p.m. ET
TVFOX
Royals starting pitcherMichael Wacha
(2025: 10-13, 3.86 ERA)
Braves starting pitcherReynaldo Lopez
(2025: 0-0, 5.40 ERA)

Royals vs Braves latest injuries

Royals vs Braves 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.

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.

Rangers vs Phillies Prediction, Odds & Home Run Pick for Today's MLB Game

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The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers will play the second game of a three-game set on Saturday afternoon as two dynamic pitchers in Jacob deGrom and Aaron Nola face off.

My Rangers vs. Phillies predictions and MLB picks are targeting the former to get tons of whiffs on Saturday, March 28.

Rangers vs Phillies predictions

Rangers vs Phillies best bet: Jacob deGrom Over 6.5 strikeouts (+120)

Jacob deGrom averaged just over seven strikeouts last season, with a 9.5 K-rate per nine innings. There’s a strong precedent for him to quiet the Philadelphia Phillies star bats, too.

Kyle Schwarber is 1-for-17 with eight Ks, and Bryce Harper has 17 punchouts in 44 ABs.

Even after the departure of Nick Castellanos, this is a Phillies team that continues to project tons of swing-and-miss. They finished last season with the third-highest chase rate in the league, and deGrom comes off a year where his chase rate finished in the Top 10% of the league.

Covers COVERS INTEL: Aaron Nola easily posted the worst ERA of his career last season with a 6.01, but he had an expected ERA of 4.13. He should see some positive regression in 2026.

Rangers vs Phillies same-game parlay (SGP)

I've paired my best bet with the Under.

I’ve spoken a great deal about why deGrom should have success in this matchup, and I’m generally bullish in Aaron Nola in 2026, too. He's had strong historical success against this Texas Rangers lineup, limiting them to a combined .733 OPS over 122 at-bats.

He's struck out Brandon Nimmo 23 times in 60 at-bats.

Rangers vs Phillies SGP

  • Jacob deGrom Over 6.5 strikeouts
  • Under 7.5

Rangers vs Phillies home run pick: Wyatt Langford (+470)

I like the value of this number. Wyatt Langford has never faced Nola, but there’s reason to suggest he has some success.

He doesn’t have an overly high chase rate, which Nola is reliant on. In addition to that, he ranks among the best Rangers in hard-hit rate against the fastball and knuckle curveball, the two pitches the righty throws the most.

2026 Transparency record
  • Best bets: 0-1, -1.2 units
  • SGPs: 0-1, -1 units
  • HR picks: 0-1, -1 units

Rangers vs Phillies odds

  • Moneyline: Texas +105 | Philadelphia -125
  • Run line: Texas +1.5 | Philadelphia -1.5
  • Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

Rangers vs Phillies trend

The Phillies have hit the F5 moneyline in 45 of their last 74 games at home (+20.35 Units / 16% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Phillies.

How to watch Rangers vs Phillies and game info

LocationCitizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
DateSaturday, March 28, 2026
First pitch4:05 p.m. ET
TVRSN, NBCSP+
Rangers starting pitcherJacob deGrom
(2025: 12-8, 2.97 ERA)
Phillies starting pitcherAaron Nola
(2025: 5-10, 6.15 ERA)

Rangers vs Phillies latest injuries

Rangers vs Phillies 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.

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.

Saturday morning Rangers stuff

SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers participates in a throwing drill prior to a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Good morning, LSB.

Kevin Sherrington writes that after the opening day thud Jacob deGrom is here to save the season and possibly the world.

Jeff Wilson tells the story of how Andrew McCutchen went from a “90% chance” he wasn’t playing in 2026 to starting on opening day for the Rangers.

Kennedi Landry also wrote about McCutchen and his plans and goals for Year 18 in the bigs.

Elsewhere, Grant did a live Q&A where he fielded questions from Rangers fans.

The Phillies are stacking two of the fastest players in the league on top of each other, something the Rangers had some issues with on Thursday.

And Robinson Chirinos is the latest guest on the DMN Rangers podcast, fresh off his stint with the WBC-champion Team Venezuela.

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers shoot for win No. 1 of the season today at 3:05 with deGrom on the mound for Texas.

Have a good weekend and Go Rangers!

Triple-A Oklahoma City drops season opener

Oklahoma City infielder Hyeseong Kim (6) catches a pop fly during the home opener Minor League baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the El Paso Chihuahuas at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Dodgers minor league season officially started on Friday night, with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets losing to the Albuquerque Isotopes 3-1 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.

Offense was at a premium on Friday, with the Comets’ only run coming after Hyeseong Kim led off the game with a single. An errant pickoff throw got Kim into scoring position, and Zach Ehrhard in his first Triple-A at-bat singled him home.

Kim played all nine innings at second base in the opener, and is expected to play multiple positions with Oklahoma City.

Ehrhard in the third inning also walked and stole second base. But like every other Comet on Friday, he did not score. Oklahoma City in the game managed only five singles to go with five walks.

Cole Irvin started the opener and walked five himself in his five innings. Four of those innings were scoreless, but a three-run second inning spoiled his night.

Player of the day

Paul Gervase followed Irvin on the mound and pitched two perfect innings of relief, with a pair of strikeouts.

Play of the game

Utility man Ryan Fitzgerald played third base on Friday, and turned in incredible double play to end the third inning.

Transactions

Triple-A: In addition to pitcher José Rodríguez and first baseman Matt Gorski starting the season on the 60-day injured list, pitchers Yency Almonte, Nick Frasso, and Ryan Sublette, plus catcher Chuckie Robinson were all put on the 7-day injured list on Friday.

Left-hander Logan Allen was the only player on OKC’s preliminary roster not listed as active on Friday.

Double-A: Outfielder Damon Keith was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. An 18th-round draft pick in 2021 out of Cal Baptist in Riverside, Keith last season hit .226/.296/.386 with 11 home runs in 89 games and a 90 wRC+ for Tulsa.

Friday score

Albuquerque 3, Oklahoma City 1

Saturday schedule

4:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Ryder Ryan) vs. Albuquerque (Valente Bellozo)

Where to watch Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Saturday, March 28

After a day off, the New York Mets will be back on the field to face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of their series. The Mets are favored with a moneyline of -175 and a spread of -1.5. Starting pitchers are Mitch Keller for the Pirates and David Peterson for the Mets.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates: 0-1 (5th in NL Central)

  • New York Mets: 1-0 (T-1st in NL East)

  • Spread: New York Mets -1.5

  • Moneyline: New York Mets -175 / Pittsburgh Pirates +145

  • Over/Under: 8

  • Pittsburgh Pirates: Mitch Keller (2025 stats: 6-15, ERA: 4.19, K: 150, WHIP: 1.26, BB: 51)

  • New York Mets: David Peterson (2025 stats: 9-6, ERA: 4.22, K: 150, WHIP: 1.37, BB: 65)

Weather: 45°F at first pitch

Tom Pidcock pulls out of Volta a Catalunya after ‘horror crash’ down ravine

  • British rider went off road after misjudging corner on Friday

  • Bone and ligament damage to his right knee and wrist

Tom Pidcock has been withdrawn from the Volta a Catalunya because of injuries sustained in a crash during the fifth stage on Friday. The British rider went off the road after misjudging a corner, suffering what he described as a “horror” crash down a ravine.

Although the Pinarello-Q36.5 rider was able to get back on his bike and complete the stage, after medical assessments with his team and also at hospital, it was determined Pidcock could not resume the race.

Continue reading...

Orioles minor league recap 3/28: Six-run rally leads Norfolk to Opening Day win

SARASOTA, FL - MARCH 20: Enrique Bradfield Jr. #99 of the Baltimore Orioles bats during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 6, Nashville Sounds (Brewers) 4 — (7 inn.)

The Norfolk Tides’ season opener was a wet and wacky one. For six innings, the Tides’ offense looked hopeless, garnering just two hits as they fell into a 4-0 hole. But the game flipped on its head in a wild, six-run bottom of the seventh — and I literally mean “wild.” Nashville pitchers issued three consecutive walks after an inning-opening error, with Enrique Bradfield Jr. taking a four-pitch free pass to force home the first run.

That opened the floodgates for the Norfolk bats. Pinch-hitter Willy Vasquez roped a double to score two more runs before Weston Wilson’s RBI single tied the game at four. The Sounds got wild again, uncorking a wild pitch that plated Vasquez with the go-ahead run. With two down, Sam Huff’s RBI knock added an insurance run, completing an inning in which the Tides sent 10 batters to the plate.

The rally came just in the nick of time, as heavy rain enveloped the Harbor Park Field and forced the cancellation of the final two innings. That goes down as a win for the Tides, unconventional as it may be.

Before the late dramatics, Norfolk starter Trey Gibson — the Orioles’ top pitching prospect — struggled in his Opening Day assignment. Gibson lasted only three innings and threw just 44 of his 79 pitches for strikes, issuing an ugly five walks. He also got himself into trouble in the second inning by failing to cover the bag on a grounder to first, putting a runner on base who later scored. It’s safe to say that Gibson still has some things he needs to work on.

Jackson Holliday has already begun his rehab assignment, so it shouldn’t be too long before he’s back with the Orioles. He looked a little rusty in this one, going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and a walk. Bradfield, meanwhile, did a good job setting the table from the leadoff spot, reaching base twice. Catcher Creed Willems had a tough time behind the plate, failing to throw out any of the Sounds’ three basestealers and also committing an error.

Box score

Saturday’s scheduled game:

Norfolk vs. Nashville, 6:35 PM. Starter: Nestor German (season debut)

Columbus Clippers Season Preview

TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 09: Travis Bazzana #64 of Team Australia celebrates hitting a RBI single in the eighth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between South Korea and Australia at Tokyo Dome on March 9, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Clippers are now 0-1, but there’s still time for us to preview their 2026 season.

The Clippers released a preliminary roster yesterday… we say preliminary because some prominent names were missing. One would assume Logan Allen and Franco Aleman are on hold until more clarity is reached with the Tanner Bibee situation. Pedro Avila, Kolby Allard, Jack Leftwich, Doug Nikhazy, Trevor Stephan, also, should be there eventually. Anyway, here’s what we have so far:

Pitchers:

Tanner Burns, RHP, Jack Carey, RHP, Will Dion, LHP, Jay Driver, RHP, Magnus Ellerts, RHP, Daniel Espino, RHP, Yorman Gomez, RHP, Matt Jahec, RHP, Jack Jasiak, RHP, Tommy Mace, RHP, Robin Maltrud, RHP, Izaak Martinez, LHP, Jake Miller, RHP, Steven Perez, LHP, and Ryan Webb, LHP.

Analysis:

This is an interesting group, if not particularly exciting aside from the notable exception of Daniel Espino. We will all follow Espino’s attempt to re-establish himself as a pitcher whose talent will be reckoned with by major league hitters sooner rather than later.

Yorman Gomez, Will Dion and Ryan Webb have fifth starter in the big leagues potential (with Gomez seemingly having a good reliever floor) and I haven’t quite given up on groundball artist Tommy Mace, yet. Steven Perez and Magnus Ellerts highlight the non-Aleman/Espino arms to monitor in the bullpen. Avila is, of course, a delight. We will see if Kahl Stephen and Josh Hartle can join this group, soon. I am also interested to see how Allard takes to being stretched out as a starter as rumored to be planned.

Catchers:

Kody Huff, RHH, Cooper Ingle LHH, and Dom Nunez, RHH.

Analysis:

This group is all about Ingle. Can he improve behind the plate and continue his excellence in contact and plate discipline while getting to more of his power? That’s what we need to watch with this group. If Bo Naylor is having a great season, Ingle could even land a whale in July if needed if he is performing well…

Infielders:

Travis Bazzana, LHH 2B, Juan Brito, SH 2B/3B/1B, Milan Tolentino, LHH SS/3B, Dayan Frias, SH 3B/SS.

Analysis:

Obviously, this is all about Bazzana and him realizing his potential, as well as Brito showing enough to get his shot (three hits including two doubles in game one). But, Tolentino and Frias should be good depth pieces.

Outfielders:

Stuart Fairchild, RHH OF, Petey Halpin, LHH CF, Nolan Jones, LHH OF, and Kahlil Watson, LHH CF.

Analysis:

I am very happy Fairchild ended up in Columbus. His presence will put pressure on Angel Martinez to stop swinging at pitches in the other batter’s box. Watson had a breakout 2025 and looked great in Spring Training and may make himself an option this season. Halpin and Jones are good depth pieces to have. One would expect Wuilfredo Antunez will join this group soon, also.

Columbus should be a fun group to follow as we enjoy seeing a strong Guardians farm system continue to develop.

Which players are catching your eye as the Triple-A season starts? Tell us in the comments below:

Ozzie Albies, Chris Sale move-up on historical leader boards

Mar 27, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) is introduced before a game against the Kansas City Royals on opening day at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

How great does it feels to win on Opening Day? Winning > Losing.

The Atlanta Braves blanked the Kansas City Royals in Atlanta last night, and in doing so, two prominent members of the organization moved up on some notable Braves and MLB leader boards.

When Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies took the field to start the game, his ninth consecutive Opening Day start at second base in his career with the Braves, he broke a tie with Glenn Hubbard for the most consecutive starts at second base in franchise history. (The last Braves player to start on Opening Day at second base? None other than “Dat Dude BP”, Brandon Phillips [AKA Mr. Jade Cargill].)

Albies wasn’t done with some notable Braves historical moments.

When he put the Braves on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning, he became eighth Brave all-time to record three or more career home runs on Opening Day.

That list is a who’s who of organizational legends: MLB and Braves Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews (7), Joe Torre (4), Andruw Jones (3) and Fred McGriff (3) as well as Braves Hall of Famers Brian McCann (3) and Dale Murphy (3). Future both-of-those-things Freddie Freeman also hit three with the Braves. (Hat-tip to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman for that information).

The two hits Albies had on the night also moved him past Torre into 23rd in hits all-time in Braves franchise history. He is nine games away from passing Torre for 27th in games played with the Braves. He’s also now tied with Johnny Logan for 20th for runs scored in franchise history.

Braves left-handed starting pitcher Chris Sale tossed six shutout innings on the way to picking up the win on Opening Day, ringing up six batters along the way. Those strikeouts brought his career total to 2,585 and moved him past Braves legend and inner circle Hall of Fame left-hander Warren Spahn to 30th place in MLB history.

Sale is 23 strikeouts away from passing another Hall of Fame left-hander, and former Brave pitcher, Tom Glavine.

One last Opening Day note, it was Austin Riley’s seventh-consecutive start at third base on Opening Day. That ties him with Chipper Jones and Bob Horner who both started seven consecutive times on Opening Day at third base for the Braves. That is the longest streak for a third-baseman while exclusively in Atlanta. A reminder, Chipper Jones’s overall Opening Day start streak included three seasons as the team’s starting left fielder.

Mathews started 15-consecutive times on Opening Day at third base with the Braves, but only the final year of his streak took place after the team moved to Atlanta.

If Riley can start the next three season at third base on Opening Day with Atlanta, he would become the first third baseman in franchise history to be the only starter at the position for every year in a decade.

Mariners News, 3/28: Angie Mentink, Carlos Santana and Anders Jorstad’s wedding

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 15: Tom Wilhelmsen #54 slides down the Home Run Slide into his teammates Brandon Maurer #37 and Charlie Furbush #41 of the Seattle Mariners during a visit to the MLB Fan Cave on May 15, 2013 at Broadway and 4th Street in New York City. (Photo by Thomas Levinson/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images

The Mariners won their first game of (hopefully) many, it’s a glorious Saturday and today our beLLoved LLinks master gets married! Ders has been writing here for 12 years, while also doing things like high school graduation, college graduation, broadcasting around the country, getting engaged and now, literally today, perhaps even at this very minute as you are reading, getting married. He is dedicated, thoughtful, warm and brilliant, and we are just so fortunate that he chooses to gift us with his time and energy day in and day out. Here’s to a lifetime of joy, a partnership that remains strong even when that joy flags and, of course, to many more links. We love ya!

In Mariners news…

Around the league…

Kansas City Royals news: Royals blues are brighter

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 27: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals hits a single against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning of the home opener at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Matt Quatraro talks about how they’ll handle catching duties between Carter Jensen and Salvador Perez.

“We’ll go day to day with the catching, but Carter’s going to catch,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He and Salvy are going to split — not evenly, 50-50, but game times, travel, the type of game one of them has to catch will dictate what happens the next day. And as far as hitting, [Jensen] will get DH reps as well. We think he’s a really good hitter, so we’re going to find ways to get him in the lineup.”

Sam McDowell writes about how the Royals can become a playoff team.

The Royals scored 84 fewer runs in 2025 than they did in 2024. A few of the above items already covered some ways they can close the gap.

But another? Their swing decisions.

It’s among the items hitting coach Alec Zumwalt and general manager J.J. Picollo mention most frequently. But the Royals swung at the sixth-fewest strikes in baseball — including swinging at the sixth-fewest meatballs — yet they had the ninth-highest chase rate

They had the lowest walk rate in the American League.

Doing more damage at the plate starts with using the pitches on which you can inflict the damage.

Vahe Gregorian writes that the time is now for the Royals.

When I asked him in January about the Royals realizing along the way last year that they needed more veteran leadership, Picollo said he had put a lot of thought into that dynamic — especially when it comes to the young nucleus of Bobby Witt Jr., Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia.

“When you are getting into Year 3, 4 and 5 in the major leagues, at some point it’s your time,” he said. “Right now, Bobby, Vinnie, Maikel, it’s your time.”

Jaylon Thompson writes about how the last time the Royals were in Atlanta, they clinched a playoff spot.

“It was a strange night because we had to wait for some results and we were inside,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro recalled. “And do we stay? You know, there was a rain delay in one of the other games.”

David Lesky gives seven bold predictions for the Royals this year.

Would you believe that the Royals have had four seasons in their history where their offense walked at least 9 percent of the time? Of course you would. The only thing unbelievable about that is that you might have expected it to be fewer than four times. For what it’s worth, the four times are 1973 (10.3%), 1975 (9.5%), 1972 (9.1%) and 1989 (9.0%). This group is one that I believe will join them.

ESPN ranks World Series contenders, with the Royals coming in at #17.

Franchise temperature: 57 degrees. This feels like a good temperature for the Royals, who went into a period of rapid cooling after their contending rosters from the mid-2010s broke up. To the credit of J.J. Picollo and his staff, the Royals have curbed that decline and managed to settle in tepid waters. With a contention-worthy 26-man roster heading into 2026, they hope to wade a little closer to the warm sands of the shoreline ahead.

Did you notice the blue in the Royals uniforms is brighter?

The R&B group CitiLimitz will sing the national anthem for the Royals home opener on Monday.

The Cubs sign infielder Nico Hoerner to a six-year, $141 million deal.

The Orioles sign pitcher Shane Baz to a five-year, $68 million deal.

Kevin Gausman sets a Blue Jays record with 11 Opening Day strikeouts.

Five-time Gold Glover Jason Heyward officially retires.

ABS isn’t embarrassing umpires, its helping them.

Dodgers owner Mark Walter says baseball needs more parity.

The Brewers say ending their agreement with FanDuel Sports cost them $20 million.

Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm sues his parents for mismanaging his money.

Former pitcher Mike LaCoss says Giants president Larry Baer is the most-hated in baseball.

DraftKings will allow bettors to bet on historical games.

Tiger Woods is arrested on suspicion of DUI after rolling over his car in a crash.

The WNBA’s Connecticut Sun are sold and will relocate to Houston.

A professional cornhole player and quadruple amputee is arrested for murder.

CBS News shutters its radio news service after a century of operation.

Why is laughter contagious?

Your song of the day is The Jeff Beck Group with Going Down.

MLB Home Run Predictions Today: Best HR Prop Bets, Picks, Parlay & Odds for Saturday, March 28

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It’s a full slate of games across the majors today, with a total of 15 contests on the schedule. 

My MLB player props and home run predictions will focus on Pete Crow-Armstrong, Colton Cowser, and Eugenio Suarez. 

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HROdds
Cubs Pete Crow-Armstrong+320
Orioles Colton Cowser+520
Reds Eugenio Suarez+420
💲Today's HR parlay+15188

Pete Crow-Armstrong (+320)

Pete Crow-Armstrong showed glimpses of brilliance in his first full season in 2024, but 2025 was the true coming-out party. The Chicago Cubs star smacked 31 home runs while hitting .247.

For a small guy, PCA has serious power. 

While he’s yet to go deep this season, Crow-Armstrong is already hitting .400, and he’ll be looking forward to today’s matchup. The Cubbies face Miles Mikolas of the Washington Nationals, and PCA is 7-for-9 against him.

Five of those hits have left the yard. He has absolutely terrorized the righty, and this is the perfect time for PCA’s first bomb of the year. 

  • Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: Nationals.TV, MARQ

Colton Cowser (+520)

Colton Cowser has shown some pop in his bat over the last couple of seasons for the Baltimore Orioles. He clubbed 24 homers in ‘24 before 16 long balls last season in just 92 games.

Cowser is capable of leaving the yard at any given moment. 

The O’s take on the Minnesota Twins once again today, who hand Taj Bradley the baseball. Cowser is 4-for-10 lifetime off the 25-year-old right-hander, going deep once. He hit 11 of his bombs off righties in 2025.

Bradley was also HR prone at times last season, surrendering 19 in 27 starts. 

  • Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: FS1

Eugenio Suarez (+420)

Eugenio Suarez is back in a Cincinnati Reds uniform, and he’s still one of the most feared power hitters in the show. The slugger went deep 49 times last season between stints with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Seattle Mariners. 

The Venezuelan’s eyes will be lighting up with who is on the mound today for the Boston Red Sox. Sonny Gray takes the ball, and Suarez is 7-for-13 lifetime off the veteran with two home runs. 

He hit 36 of his bombs off right-handed hurlers last year. 

  • Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: NESN, Reds.TV
2026 Transparency record
  • HR picks: 2-for-6, +2.0 units

Today’s HR parlay

Cubs Pete Crow-ArmstrongBet Now
+15188
Orioles Colton Cowser
Reds Eugenio Suarez

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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