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The Padres head to Milwaukee for a possible postseason preview series. Milwaukee has won four straight, including a weekend sweep of the Yankees. San Diego leads the West despite struggling on offense.

The pitching matchup promises to give everyone a spark at the plate. That’s why my Padres vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks look for San Diego to get the road win on Tuesday, May 12.

Who will win Padres vs Brewers today: Padres moneyline (+116)

A division leader with a better record at underdog prices is a surprise, even on the road. The San Diego Padres haven’t been hitting, but they should be able to get things going against starter Brandon Sproat, a rookie who is winless in MLB. 

Sproat walks 5.3 batters per nine and allows 2.1 homers. All of his pitches rank in baseball’s bottom quartile.

The Milwaukee Brewers will face Matt Waldron, who has struggled with a 7.71 ERA this season, but the Padres may have found a solution. He pitched much better after an opener in his last outing and San Diego may try that again.

COVERS INTEL:For his career, Waldron has allowed a .971 OPS and 148 OPS+ in the first inning. He’s allowed 11 first-inning home runs, more than any other inning. 

Padres vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+100)

The Padres have had trouble at the plate, however. In their series split with St. Louis over the weekend, San Diego managed just 14 hits—a franchise record low for a four-game series.

Like the Padres, the Brewers have been below league average at the plate all season and even worse lately. Milwaukee has a .625 OPS with 88 OPS+ over the last week. The Padres are .590 and 76 over the last seven days.

While the starters are shaky for both teams, Milwaukee and San Diego have outstanding bullpens, led by the Brewers’ Aaron Ashby and the Padres’ Mason Miller.

Padres vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: San Diego +117 | Milwaukee -122
• Run line: San Diego +1.5 (-178) | Milwaukee -1.5 (+170)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-108) | Under 8.5 (+104)

Padres vs Brewers trend

The San Diego Padres have hit the Game Total Under in 29 of their last 50 games (+8.25 Units / 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Brewers.

How to watch Padres vs Brewers and game info

Padres vs Brewers latest injuries

Padres vs Brewers weather

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The top two teams in baseball meet for three games when the Chicago Cubs kick off a series against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park tonight.

Chicago has hit a two-game mini-slump after winning 10 straight, but my Cubs vs. Braves predictions and MLB picks looks for that to end with a win over Atlanta on Tuesday, May 12.

Who will win Cubs vs Braves today: Cubs moneyline (+108)

The Chicago Cubs have won 20 of their last 25. However, they were shut out the last two games.

Texas stopped Chicago with starters featuring overpowering fastballs. Atlanta Braves right-hander Grant Holmes throws a fastball 2 mph slower and with 100 fewer revolutions in spin, which should spark an offense that was scoring six a game.

Holmes is also getting squared up consistently, ranking in the 31st percentile in hard-hit rate.

The Braves return from the West Coast. It’s their first home game since losing legendary owner Ted Turner and manager Bobby Cox. An emotional crowd might give Atlanta an early boost, but it will be a tired Braves team by the end of the night.

COVERS INTEL: Holmes actually throws his slider more than his fastball, but that’s also slower than the two Rangers starters that shut down Chicago. The Cubs have two players in MLB’s Top 50 batters against the slider and one in the Top 50 vs. the fastball.

Cubs vs Braves Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+100)

While the Cubs’ back-to-back blankings got more attention, the Braves have actually hit worse than Chicago over the last week. Both have been below league average: .606 OPS and 82 OPS+ for Atlanta, .644 and 94 for Chicago.

Holmes is far from the only pitcher who doesn’t throw as fast as Jacob deGrom, and his 94-mph heater has done well this season. The Braves have won four of his last five starts, and he’s been outstanding at getting batters to chase and swing & miss so far this season.

Chicago starter Colin Rea is 4-1 and has an even better chase rate. He’s been confounding batters with his offspeed stuff, and it should be enough to help keep this final below the somewhat lofty total.

Cubs vs Braves odds

• Moneyline: Cubs +102 | Braves -122
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+157) | Braves +1.5 (-191)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-112) | Under 8.5 (-108)

Cubs vs Braves trend

The Chicago Cubs have hit the Moneyline in 29 of their last 45 games (+9.05 Units / 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Braves.

How to watch Cubs vs Braves and game info

Cubs vs Braves latest injuries

Cubs vs Braves weather

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What baseball god has it out for Sean Murphy?

After a long and windy road that includes his season-ending hip surgery and rehab after, Murph has played four (4) games since returning on May 4. The initial X-rays were fine per Mark Bowman, and Walt Weiss seemed optimistic. But the the catcher’s interference play in the Dodgers series finale on Sunday is officially a fractured left middle finger for #12. He has been placed on the 10-day IL backdated to yesterday, May 12. Absolutely brutal.

And exactly like the last time Murphy went down, the veteran Sandy León will step up to back up Drake Baldwin. Confused and wondering why he was a free agent to begin with? You’re not misremembering – León was with the team on a minor league contract and played ten games with the Gwinnett Stripers this season. However, the Braves granted him his release per his request on April 22 to pursue an opportunity with the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. Now that we are Heim-less, the Braves have gone with the veteran and beloved presence in León instead of the current Triple-A options of Chadwick Tromp and Jaír Camargo.

Outfielder José Azócar also knows what the revolving door feels like, and here he is back with the major league club. To recap briefly, he was DFA’d May 6, elected free agency May 8, and signed his new minor league contract yesterday, May 11. He’ll occupy the fourth OF / pinch runner role. And as many predicted with the return of Ha-Seong Kim, Jim Jarvis (of MLB’s play of the week fame) has been optioned down to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired outfielder Alek Thomas from the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for teenage prospect Jose Requena.

The teams announced the deal on Tuesday, May 12, after the D'backs had designated Thomas for assignment during the weekend to create a roster spot for top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt.

Thomas, 26, is a skilled defensive center fielder, but he's not been very productive at the plate over his five seasons in Arizona, producing a career OPS of .634.

The Dodgers currently have Andy Pages as their everyday center fielder, though Thomas could provide additional depth and a potential platoon partner against tough right-handed pitchers.

Add another $1.45 million to the Dodgers’ payroll with the acquisition of CF Alek Thomas https://t.co/gSMoTKoZGb

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 12, 2026

The Dodgers have yet to announce an official roster move to add Thomas, who does have minor-league options remaining and could be sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City to begin his tenure with the team.

Recently, Eric Stephen made the following observation on BlueSky, referencing the extinct dodo bird in relation to MLB physical tickets.

I was going to respond, but then I realized I could channel my inner Brennan Lee Mulligan and tie together a couple of stories I had been meaning to write about, as I stumbled upon all this information across various threads, which I now combine into a single article of moderate success.

In other words, if I had to go down a rabbit hole on a train of thought, I now share what I found with everyone.

Eric Stephen is not alone in missing physical tickets. With the rise of smartphones and the MLB Ballpark app, the march to an all-digital baseball experience seemed inevitable. Rebecca Tauber of The Athletic recently covered how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend.

Digital tickets became increasingly common in the 2010s, with the rise of smartphones. The convenience of a digital ticket was clear; no need to worry about losing a physical ticket. Security concerns persist — digital ticket theft remains a risk — but digital ticket holders typically have stronger buyer protections, especially in the resale market. If stadiums were already heading in an all-digital direction, the pandemic hastened that change. Like restaurant menus and MetroCards, the world went digital and never returned.

But the desire for paper tickets persists, and not just among fans without smartphones.

While one can use the MLB Ballpark app as a digital record of attendance and travel, there is something to be said for having a physical reminder of an outing. On a surface level, it would seem an apt analogy for MLB physical tickets and the now-extinct Dodo, but ultimately, looks can be deceiving.

Pity the Dodo

In order to understand the true comparison, we must first detour to examine the poor flightless extinct bird. The Dodo was killed off by a combination of overhunting by the Dutch in the 17th century. The Dodo did not stand much chance in hindsight, as the birds were unused to humans, and the invasive animals the Dutch brought with them, like cats and dogs, also drove the bird to extinction.

Perhaps it was this shortsighted mindset that led the Dodgers to try to deny longtime season-ticket holder Errol Segal his physical season tickets earlier this year. Why honor a relationship where there is a quick buck to be made?

Alex Rozier and Robert Westermann of KNBC Channel 4 reported on the story in early April about how the Dodgers initially refused to print Mr. Segal’s season tickets. In the initial report, Mr. Segal eventually went to the ticket office to receive four physical tickets and had previously paid a surcharge for his season tickets because he lacked both the ability and the equipment to handle purely digital tickets.

It’s not that the Dodgers couldn’t print his tickets; it’s that they wouldn’t.

Two weeks later, after public outcry, KNBC reported that the Dodgers relented.

The team had initially offered to buy the tickets back from him, but Segal refused….

After his story was seen by millions online, the Dodgers changed their minds.

“It makes me so happy when I hand them the ticket and the smile on their face,” Segal said. “There’s nothing like an original paper ticket.”

The faithful Dodger fan now looks forward to cheering his favorite team on in person.

What Mr. Segal failed to realize was that physical tickets are now essentially a luxury item and another source of revenue for teams. So if the Dodo is the wrong bird, and you have taken notice of the title, you might be asking yourself a very obvious question.

What is an ortolan?

An ortolan is a small, endangered European songbird that, like the dodo, eaten by man. Where one can understand that 17th-century sailors might not have been fully aware of or understand conservation efforts, modern chefs cannot claim the same excuse.

Modernly, ortolans are usually drowned in brandy, which serves as both a method of dispatch and a marinade, and is eaten whole by diners minus the beak.

It is generally illegal to eat these birds, as morally dubious chefs used to blind them, tricking them into thinking it was perpetually nighttime, allowing them to gorge themselves to double or triple in size. Traditionally, one wore a napkin over one’s face when eating ortolan to capture all the flavors and hide one’s shame from God.

These birds have been featured as a minor plot point on shows like Billions, Succession, and Hannibal. Accordingly, consumption of these birds has led to an entire mythology surrounding their consumption as a status symbol for the “morally flexible,” ultra-wealthy, which is a tautology if ever there was one.

Even with the consumption of the palm-sized bird being outlawed since 1999, estimates suggest that about 30,000 ortolans are consumed in France annually, with each bird sold for around 150 euros. Whether these birds are doomed to extinction is an open question outside the scope of this essay.

Ortolans and Paper Tickets

For those straining to see the connection, paper tickets were once given freely and were not status symbols or sources of extra revenue for teams, unlike now. However, tnlike the songbird, no one will generally judge a person for obtaining a paper ticket.

There is even a boutique market for creating commemorative paper tickets. Once again, Ms. Tauber:

In the collectibles world, the market for paper tickets pales in comparison to items like sports cards or game-used equipment. Of course, pieces of history fetch a price, like a 1947 ticket stub from Jackie Robinson’s debut, which sold in 2022 for $480,000, and a 1984 ticket from Michael Jordan’s debut, which sold that same year for $468,000.

Some stadiums will still print tickets on demand; sometimes, fans can pay extra for printed tickets for special games. But many don’t print tickets purchased online for everyday games, disappointing fans who want a built-in souvenir and driving up the cost for the rare stub from a noteworthy occasion. Paper tickets from Konnor Griffin’s Pittsburgh Pirates debut on April 3 against the Baltimore Orioles (only available at the PNC Park box office for an additional fee), for example, are currently selling for hundreds of dollars in good condition.

And as interest in paper tickets has persisted — possibly more for nostalgia-fuelled souvenir collecting than actual utility — some artists and businesses are trying to fill the gap. Entire souvenir companies specialize in printing commemorative ephemera, including fake versions of paper tickets to a concert or baseball game a fan might have attended, as well as digital tickets. One website, The Creative Lane, sells custom commemorative tickets for $8.99 to $10.99.

(Emphasis added.)

I can attest to this highlighted fact in my travels. I bought commemorative tickets that either used the honor system of where I was sitting in Arizona (Walker Buehler’s near no-hitter in 2021) and San Francisco (NLDS Game 2) or insisted on accuracy by checking my MLB Ballpark app before selling me a ticket (Arlington 2025).

For Ohtani’s 50/50 game, the Marlins were just selling tickets off a reel with no rhyme or reason for seats in the upper deck, which was closed off during the game, and an area where no one sat. And yet I bought two, selling one for cost to another fan I ran into at the hotel in Miami who could not wait in the lengthy, impromptu line for a souvenir physical ticket.

While the Giants sold an official commemorative ticket, I had to get creative for Game 7’s ticket, using an eBay vendor to source a facsimile.

Considering how hard the Blue Jays have been leaning into “AL Pennant” winning promotions, one would imagine that had Game 7 gone the other way, the amount of merchandise would be enough to float the finances of the province of Ontario.

At the end of the day, one should not have to go through as many hoops to eat an endangered songbird to get a paper ticket, as one act is decadent and monstrous, and the other is the collection of a bygone memento to indicate how one enjoys their fandom.

I will leave it to you, dear reader, to identify which topic is which.

As the Colorado Rockies embark in earnest on their rebuild, attention turns to what’s happening in their farm system, especially with the pitching staff. One of those players is RHP JB Middleton (No. 7 PuRP), currently on the Fresno Grizzlies.

Actually, I’ll turn it over to Purple Row’s prospects expert Jeff Aberle:

Middleton became the highest-ever drafted pitcher for Southern Mississippi when the Rockies took him 45th overall in the 2025 draft (Middleton was 41st in MLB Pipeline’s draft rankings), signing the now 22-year-old right-hander to a $2.072 million bonus that was $100k under slot. Middleton doesn’t possess ideal size for a modern day hurler (he’s only 6’0”), but his repertoire includes a good three pitch mix (fastball, slider, change) that he throws for strikes. He throws from a three-quarter slot with a quick arm action, a mid-90s fastball, a late-breaking slider that gets whiffs, and a good change-up to keep lefties honest.

Although he sent on the seven-day IL last week, prior to his injury in early May, Middleton had a 4.95 ERA (1.70 WHIP) over 20.0 IP. That number includes 18 strikeouts, 3 home runs, and 13 walks.

That said, he was excellent on April 11, 2025, when he strike out five and allowed only one run over five innings.

Purple Row caught up with Middleton at spring training as he recounted what he’d worked on over the offseason and what he antici`pated in 2026 as he was on the eve of making his debut as a professional baseball player.

Middleton said he had some takeaways from his final year of college baseball — that would be his 2025 with the Eagles when he tallied 105.1 IP with a 2.31 ERA that included 122 strikeouts and just 25 walks.

“Just being yourself, having confidence, learning how to pitch, and going out there and winning games for your team,” Middleton said.

His offseason focus was the natural next step: pitching development.

To be specific, according to Middleton, “just pitch shapes, trying to dial everything in and be consistent in the zone and just efficiency pitching — throwing strikes.”

The focus, too, has been on his slider, a pitch that Middleton only threw as some 10% of his pitches.

“I think we’ll probably use it a little more this year,” he said.

Tied to that has been his early work with the Rockies new pitching staff. “It’s kind of been great, everybody on the new staff,” Middleton said. “It’s amazing to think everybody’s on the same page and just go out there and fill up the zone and put guys away.”

He’s also eager to embark on his professional career.

“It’s exciting,” he said of making his debut. “You know, it’s an honor to get to be able to do this and go out there and have fun.”

And his goals for 2026?

“Just stay healthy, go out there, and try to be the best version of me I can, and just have fun.”

Weekly Pebble Report: May 5th-11th

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (5-1, 23-16 Overall)

The Albuquerque Isotopes continue to play a solid brand of winning baseball, taking five of six against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros), and maintain a two-game lead atop the Pacific Coast League standings.  Albuquerque won a road series at Sugar Land for the first time, and it was also their first series win on the road against an Astros affiliate since taking three of four in Oklahoma City back in 2012. The Isotopes offense continues to produce as they launched 10 home runs in the series, their most ever in Sugar Land.

⬆️ Stock Up:Carrigg-ing On

Picking up where he left off as the reigning PCL Player of the Week, Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP), enjoyed another fantastic series in Sugar Land. Over five games, he slashed .320/.370/.600, going 8-for-25 with two home runs, a double, four RBI, and six runs scored. Additionally, he added another five stolen bases, bringing him to a season total of 24 bags. Carrigg also extended his hitting streak to 18 games, the longest active among all players in affiliated pro ball.  During that stretch, he is slashing .452/.506/.685 with four doubles, two triples, three homers, 18 RBI, and 14 steals. He has also reached base in 30-straight games now.

⬆️ Stock Up:I’ll have the Beef Welinton

Bullpen reinforcements are sometimes difficult to predict in Albuquerque, but Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP) has continued to impress working out of the pen in his first year of Triple-A ball. The lefty made appearances in the Sugar Land series, working two innings each time. In those four innings, he allowed just one hit while striking out four against just one walk. In his 16.1 innings of work on the year, Herrera owns a 4.41 ERA, allowing runs in just four of his 12 outings while tallying 24 strikeouts against 13 walks. The Rockies need more left-handed relievers, and the prospects of the 22-year-old are getting brighter and brighter.

Upcoming:

The Isotopes are back home to host the Oklahoma City Comets (Los Angeles Dodgers). Notably, utility player Kiké Hernandez and right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol are beginning rehab assignments with the Comets en route to returning to the Dodgers.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (5-1, 16-16 Overall)

A much-needed winning series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets) helped to lift the Yard Goats up to .500 and back in the Eastern League fight. Hartford won three of their first four and then swept a Sunday double header.

⬆️ Stock Up:Roc’s Feather

Roc Riggio (no. 14 PuRP) has really hit his stride over the last few series and turned in an excellent performance against the Rumble Ponies. Riggio went 10-for-20 during the series with three doubles, three home runs, and six RBI. He had two three-hit games and had multiple hits in three of the five games he appeared in.

⬆️ Stock Up:Call of Juarez

Right-handed pitcher Victor Juarez has quietly been one of Hartford’s best relievers. Operating mostly in late innings, Juarez has a 1.69 ERA in 12 appearances with five saves. Juarez made three relief appearances against the Rumble Ponies. In 4.1 innings he gave up just one unearned run and one hit while striking out five batters with no walks.

Upcoming:

The Yard Goats look to keep the wins coming against the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) at home this week in a series that includes their first Chivos de Hartford night of 2026.

High-A: Spokane Indians (4-2, 13-20 Overall)

The Spokane Indians are still figuring things out. Pitching—expected to be a strength—has struggled somewhat while the offense has had difficulty finding their footing in the Pacific Northwest. However, the Indians made some great progress this week. They finally won their first six-game series of the season with four wins against the Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels)

⬆️ Stock Up:Cox of the Rox

Jackson Cox (no. 16 PuRP) continues to show he’s recovered from his Tommy John surgery and is able to thrive with the limiters off by showing what made him worth a second round pick back in 2022. Cox made the longest start of his professional career against Tri-City and looked good doing it. Through seven complete innings he gave up just one earned run on one hit—a solo home run—while striking out nine batters for the second time this season.

⬆️ Stock Up:Roynier. Royfar. Roywherever you are.

Second baseman Roynier Hernandez went 7-for-19 against the Dust Devils with three RBIs, two walks, and just one strikeout. His best performance came on Wednesday when he went 3-for-4 and hit a walk-off RBI single to deliver the Indians victory.

Upcoming:

The Indians are off to Oregon to face the Hillsboro Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks). The Hops currently sitting at the bottom of the Northwest League standings.

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (4-2, 19-14 Overall)

The Fresno Grizzlies continue to excel as the season rolls on with a record over .500 and a fantastic series against the reigning champion San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants). The Grizzlies took four games of the six and scored at least eight runs in each win. The pitching has been quietly solid, but it’s the offense that is surging. Many players in the Grizzlies lineup are hitting with an OPS close to or above .900 so far this season.

⬆️ Stock Up:The Return of the Roldy Brito Award for Weekly Excellence at Being Roldy Brito

The ever-exciting Roldy Brito (no. 11 PuRP) put together another strong week, going 10-for-28 with a double, a home run, four RBIs, two stolen bases, and two walks to only one strikeout. Brito kicked off the week going 4-for-5 against the Giants and had at least one hit in every other game during the series.

⬆️ Stock Up:Cam you dig it?

Wake Forest outfielder Cam Nelson was one of the more intriguing picks the Rockies made in the 2025 draft. Only a sophomore and having missed playing time due to injury, the Rockies drafted Nelson in the fifth round and paid above slot value to get him into the organization. Nelson’s bat is starting to come around, but where he has really shined is displaying an ability to get on base. With a .403 on-base percentage he has walked a whopping 26 times. He also has impressive speed with four triples and nine stolen bases.

Nelson had one of his best series of his young career against the Giants, going 9-for-26 with two doubles, a triple, a stolen base, and four RBIs.

Upcoming:

The Grizzlies head home to host the Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks) with hopes to continue their winning ways.

Arizona Complex League: ACL Rockies (4-1, 6-1 Overall)

The ACL Rockies were dominant in their first full week of Complex League play, scoring at least five runs in all of their wins. The only loss they suffered is against the ACL Royals (Kansas City Royals) with whom they are tied for the best record in the Complex League.

⬆️ Stock Up:Kamuel is smokin’

18-year-old infielder Kamuel Villar is one of two members of the Rockies’ 2025 international class to make it stateside for the Arizona Complex League this season. In his last five games, playing a mix of second and third base, Villar went 6-for-12 with a double, a triple, five RBIs, five walks to two strikeouts, and two stolen bases.

⬇️ Stock Down:Penalized

20-year-old right-handed pitcher Eliezer Pena—a member of the 2023 international class—made two starts for the ACL Rockies this week. While he did strike out nine batters over 6.1 total innings, he also gave up nine runs (eight earned) on 13 hits and six walks.

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After taking game one of the weekend series in Miami and getting back to within 1 game of .500, the Nationals dropped the final two games to lose the series to the Marlins, who stormed ahead in the 8th inning of both Saturday and Sunday’s games. They didn’t play badly in either of the losses, but didn’t do enough to secure the series win, and now they will head to Cincinnati to take on the 22-19 Reds.

While the Reds are 3 games above .500, they are also tied for last place in the NL Central, which is looking extremely competitive in 2026. Offensively, the Reds are receiving big years from their star shortstop Elly De La Cruz and rookie first baseman Sal Stewart, but outside of those two, it has been a struggle, as their team’s wRC+ of 90 is 4th worst in MLB. One player you may not know is a Red and who the Nats will face off with this week is Nathaniel Lowe, who is one of the only other productive bats in the Reds lineup with a 139 wRC+ in 29 games.

On the pitching side, the Reds have a rotation filled with great young talent, such as Hunter Greene (who is currently on the IL), Chase Burns, and Rhett Lowder, but they rank 25th in baseball in starting pitching ERA regardless, with regression from starters Brady Singer and Andrew Abbott hitting them hard. The bullpen has not been much better either, ranking 22nd in bullpen ERA. Despite being 3 games over .500, the numbers show the Reds are a flawed team currently, and one the Nats could surprise in this three-game set.

Game One – Tuesday 6:40 PM EST

WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (1-3, 7.44 ERA)

CIN: Brady Singer (2-2, 5.63 ERA)

Mikolas hasn’t quite eaten innings at the rate he was expected to this season, going at least 5 innings only twice, but the results have been much improved since his disaster start in the home opener against the Dodgers, having not allowed more than 3 runs in a start since. He’ll now face a struggling Reds lineup located in a dangerous hitters’ park.

Singer has played the innings-eater role in the Reds’ rotation, but has struggled to limit damage at the same time, giving up 4 runs in his last two starts against the Pirates and Cubs. The home run ball has plagued him in 2026, and the Nats will look to hit a few of their own off him tonight.

Game Two – Wednesday 6:40 PM EST

WSH: RHP Jake Irvin (1-4, 5.22 ERA)

CIN: LHP Nick Lodolo (0-1, 6.75 ERA)

Irvin logged yet another start where he went at least 5 innings last time out against the Twins, but did get tagged for 4 runs in the process. If Irvin can keep the ball on the ground and limit walks, he should have success against the struggling Reds’ lineup.

Lodolo made his return to the Reds rotation from injury last time out against the Astros and looked fine, going 5 1/3 innings but allowing 4 runs. Lodolo had a breakout 2025 campaign, with a 3.33 ERA in 29 starts, and will look to get back to that level here in 2026.

Game Three – Thursday 12:40 PM EST

WSH: LHP Foster Griffin (4-1, 2.12 ERA)

CIN: RHP Chase Burns (4-1, 2.11 ERA)

Foster Griffin continued his run of excellence with 7 innings of 1 run ball against the Marlins in their game one win Friday night, striking out 9 hitters in the process. He’s now down to a 2.12 ERA on the year, and has gone 20 innings of 1 run ball in his last 3 starts.

The 2nd overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Burns has electric stuff and has looked very sharp to begin 2026, throwing 6 innings of 1 run ball in his last start against the Astros. He has allowed 2 or fewer runs in all but one start this season, so the Nats may need to get scrappy at the plate and on the bases to manufacture some runs.