The San Diego Padres found their slug… albeit in an unlikely place.

The Friars came back against the Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday after being down four runs at one point. That was due, in large part, to a four-run seventh inning and two Ty France moonshots.

San Diego also got some help from some defensive miscues from Arizona, with two crucial errors leading to that lopsided seventh inning.

The D-backs got on the board early against Germán Márquez with four runs in the second, but the Padres’ starter locked it down to pitch six full innings before turning it over to the ‘pen. That resilience is exactly why the Friars signed Márquez, and how he’s managed to have a 4.38 ERA and still have a 3-1 record in only five games pitched.

The Padres chased Zac Gallen from the game after only three innings (though not by their offensive prowess) after a comebacker hit him in the shoulder. Following his early exit, Brandon Pfaadt entered the game and eventually gave up the lead alongside reliever Taylor Clarke.

With the Padres atop the NL West by half a game, they’ll hope to take the series finale today of the two-game set in Mexico City. That will hopefully bring some momentum into their series this week against the red-hot Chicago Cubs.

Taking the mound

Ryne Nelson (AZ) v. Michael King (SD)

Nelson has had a difficult start to the year. And that’s putting it mildly. The righty has a 6.97 ERA across 20 2/3 innings. And his WHIP is abnormally high (1.45) compared to last year’s 1.07 mark.

Last season was a breakout year for the right-hander that saw him finish the year with a 3.39 ERA. The D-backs need him to return to form if they hope to contend for a postseason spot.

Things to watch for? Xander Bogaerts, Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. all have batting averages over .350 and OPS marks over 1.000 against Nelson. After last night’s lack of star power from the Friars, perhaps some slug returns to the lineup against Nelson.

King has been nothing but vintage so far in 2026. Even with his early-season rough outing against the Boston Red Sox, the righty has logged a 2.28 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 27 2/3 innings. Going into his sixth start of the year, King is looking to shut down Arizona before they even have a chance to get going.

His odds look good. The team has a combined .117 batting average and .350 OPS against King (40 ABs). That’s a relatively small sample size, but it’s one worth mentioning as the Padres go for the sweep this afternoon.

Batter up!

It’s fair to say that the three aforementioned star sluggers will be in the lineup against Nelson.

It’s possible that Sung-Mun Song gets his MLB debut after being called up from the minors for this weekend, though maybe skipper Craig Stammen will wait until the team is back at Petco Park tomorrow night.

If Song does play, he could take over for Jake Cronenworth (and his middling bat) at second base. That would at least give a theoretically better offensive option at the keystone position, leaving the lineup somewhere around here:

1. Ramón Laureano, DH
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
3. Jackson Merrill, CF
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Gavin Sheets, 1B
7. Sung-Mun Song, 2B
8. Luis Campusano, C
9. Bryce Johnson, LF

Johnson could give Laureano a rest day while still keeping his bat in the lineup. However, Stammen has seemed to prioritize rest days as just that: days to fully rest. Meaning no designated hitter, no nothing apart from a possible pinch-hit opportunity late in the game.

Relief corps

Well, he did it. He really did it. Yesterday Mason Miller etched his name into the record books by closing out his MLB-leading 10th save of the season and continuing his scoreless streak. He now holds the franchise record for scoreless innings pitched at 34 2/3.

With Márquez getting through six frames, the Friars used their three highest-leverage arms in Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Miller. That’s their pitching plan executed to perfection.

Today that will leave Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez in the relief corps. Should King stumble, Hart or Peralta will likely be called on to fill multiple innings. Though Morgan has shown an ability to cover several innings quite well.

Regardless, don’t expect Miller (or anyone else from yesterday’s game) to pitch two games in a row. The Padres will need their star reliever rested, especially with the homestand beginning tomorrow against the Cubs.

Roster moves (Bluesky link):

Sunday notes…

• SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE: This is the Cubs’ 123rd series at Los Angeles against the Dodgers. In 41, one third of them, the teams have split the first two of three-game series. The Cubs then won the third game of 20 and lost the third game of 21. They are 16-11 after winning the first game and losing the second, as they have this weekend. The teams also split the first two games of 15 four-game series. The Cubs won six and lost nine of the third games of those series. So in all 56 series in which the first two games were split, the Cubs are 26-30 in third games. The Cubs won two of three each of the last three years. They won, lost and won in 2023; won, won and lost in 2024; and lost, won and won a year ago. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• THE KID CAN FLAT-OUT HIT: Moises Ballesteros is slashing .397/.446/.690, for an OPS of 1.136. In his two-season, 44-game, 131-plate-appearance career, his line is .348/.420/.583, 1.002. His OPS is highest among 116 players who made their MLB debut as a Cub and had at least that many PA in their first 44 games. Ray Grimes is second, at .968, and Mandy Brooks and Bob Speake are tied for third, at .952. Then come Earl Webb, .937; Kyle Schwarber, .928; Matt Murton, .920; Geovany Soto, .906; Dwight Smith, .885 and Mike Fontenot, .881. Ballesteros is second highest is batting average behind Grimes’ .3651 and ahead of Herman Reich’s .336. Ballesteros is third in OBP, too, behind Grimes’ .472 and Kosuke Fukudome’s .420. And Ballesteros is third in SLG, too, behind Mandy Brooks (.600) and Speake (.597). He leads Schwarber (.560) and Earl Webb (.551). (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• SEIYA, HEATING UP: Seiya Suzuki, last 10 games since April 15: .389/.488/.750 (14-for-36) with a double, four home runs, five walks, seven RBI and nine runs scored.
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY:Don Zimmer hit a one-out walk-off home run in the 10th inning and the Cubs defeated the Reds 3-2. It happened 65 years ago today, Wednesday, April 26, 1961.

The Cubs lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Cubs lineup.

Dodgers lineup:

Shōta Imanaga, LHP vs. Justin Wrobleski, LHP

After a somewhat rough first start this year, Shōta Imanaga has been just magnificent over his last four outings: 1.13 ERA, 0.542 WHIP, only two home runs in 24 innings, with just four walks and 25 strikeouts. He went from an 11-K outing vs. the Phillies in Philadelphia to having a game with just one strikeout but 11 ground outs against the same team at Wrigley Field.

Shōta threw four no-hit innings against the Dodgers last year in Tokyo (though with four walks), then got touched up for five runs in five innings (with three home runs allowed) against them at Wrigley Field. He has never pitched at Dodger Stadium.

As always with Shōta, keeping the ball in the yard is key.

Justin Wrobleski is off to a very good start in 2026 in four appearances (three starts), with a 1.88 ERA and 0.875 WHIP and no home runs allowed in 24 innings.

As you can see from the chart below, he doesn’t throw particularly hard, but does have a good pitch mix. He doesn’t strike out a lot of guys (just nine so far this year), though he did last year (mostly as a reliever).

He has never faced the Cubs. Among current Cubs, only Alex Bregman (0-for-3) and Carson Kelly (0-for-2) have ever seen him.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Dodger Stadium.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. It’s also on MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Dodgers market territories).

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Dodgers site True Blue LA. If you do go there to interact with Dodgers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

After a wild one yesterday, the Mariners have secured a series win and come into today looking for a sweep. Emerson Hancock takes the mound for Seattle and will look to improve on a slightly shakier performance last time out when he surrendered three homers in a shortened start against the Athletics.

Lineups:

Josh Naylor is out of today’s lineup with a bruised quad, but it’s more of an off-day situation than an actual injury. He’ll be available to pinch-hit off the bench if necessary.

Game information:

Game time: 11:15 AM PT

TV: Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink, and Brad Adam serving as field reporter

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Gary Hill Jr. and Ryan Rowland-Smith

While yesterday’s extra-inning loss was certainly disappointing, it left little doubt in my mind that this is indeed a different Sox team than the moribund group we’ve become accustomed to over the last few years. Noah Schultz dominated, and while the power surges of Colson Montgomery and Munetaka Murakami have slowed down a bit, other mid-level hitters like Miguel Vargas and Chase Meidroth were there to pick up the slack. The White Sox now have hitters that as a fan you actually want at the plate in a big situation. Despite an early deficit, they mounted a comeback and fought until the end. Not super-used to that one!

Call it “Ricky’s Boys Don’t Quit: Will’s Version,” and they still have a chance to make it three series wins in a row if they can pull out this rubber match against Washington. Sean Burke will go to the mound as the Sox primary pitcher today, with Bryan Hudson — who has been an excellent and unheralded addition to a bullpen that’s been starved for good lefty options — serving as the opener against Washington’s lefty-heavy lineup, which looks like this today:

Righthander Foster Griffin has made a strong return Stateside after a three-year hiatus in Japan, where he ran a 2.57 ERA over three seasons in the dead-ball NPB. He’s won three of his first five starts with Washington without taking a loss, working to a 3.38 ERA over 26 2/3 innings. Here’s the lineup that Will Venable counters with:

Even by the standards of the post-2021 White Sox, that’s a getaway day lineup if I’ve ever seen one. Perhaps they spent too much time out on the town with C.J. Abrams last night. Either way, first pitch is scheduled for at 1:15 p.m. CT, live from Rate Field in Armour Square. If you want to join us, broadcasts are available on CHSN (TV) and WMVP AM 1000 (radio) like always!

The St. Louis Cardinals will try to salvage a game in the short homestand series versus the Mariners on Sunday as Michael McGreevy gets the start for St. Louis while Emerson Hancock will pitch for Seattle. First pitch scheduled for 1:15pm Sunday at Busch Stadium.

Milwaukee has now dropped four straight after last night’s extra-inning loss. The Crew will look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates in this afternoon’s series finale.

Kyle Harrison is on the mound for the Brewers. Acquired from Boston in February, the left-hander has been a steady presence early on. He hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his four starts and brings a 3.05 ERA into today’s matchup.

Pitching for the Pirates is righty Carmen Mlodzinski, who owns a 3.28 ERA through five appearances. Mlodzinski has completed five innings just twice this season, which could put added strain on a Pittsburgh bullpen that covered five innings yesterday. If Milwaukee can get to him early, there’s an opportunity to do some damage.

No major surprises in today’s lineup. The top of the order — Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Jake Bauers — remains unchanged from last night’s contest. Gary Sánchez, tied with Bauers for the team lead in home runs (with five) hits cleanup.

Garrett Mitchell is in center field and batting fifth. He’s followed by Sal Frelick, who recorded a pair of sacrifice flies last night. Rounding out the bottom of the order are Luis Rengifo, David Hamilton (at shortstop today), and Brandon Lockridge.

As usual, you can catch the game on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m.

It’s been a good week. The Yankees swept Boston and likely played a non-insignificant role in that org’s excising the majority of its MLB coaching staff (including skipper Alex Cora), and then New York came down to Houston and have taken the first two games against their hated Astros. Last night’s win was driven by the club’s patience, as Houston hurlers allowed ten walks in nine innings, spotting the Yankees a ton of traffic. The Yanks have won eight games in a row and seek their first nine-game winning streak since 2022.

This may be a key to the game today, as Astros’ starter Spencer Arrighetti has had walk problems in his first two MLB seasons, and has walked 15 percent (!) of the batters he’s faced across his first two starts. He’s benefitted from some sequencing and some luck, as he hasn’t allowed a home run in 11 innings, and just three runs overall. However, he’s faced Cleveland and Colorado, not exactly offenses known for hitting the ball out of the park. Nobody in baseball walks more than the Yankees do, and only the Dodgers have hit more home runs. Arrighetti might just look like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs today.

Meanwhile, the Yankees send Luis Gil to the bump, his fourth start in 2026 and he hasn’t exactly impressed with his results. He’s issuing virtually a walk for every strikeout, and has just a .143 BABIP against so far this year. He increasingly looks like a player that shouldn’t be in an MLB rotation, and we could see some very real fireworks today with these two pitchers squaring off — then again, just saying that makes a 2-1 nailbiter all the more likely.

On the offensive side, it’s another day without the recovering Giancarlo Stanton. Ben Rice will get half a day off as he slides into the DH role and Paul Goldschmidt takes over the cold corner and bats sixth. J.C. Escarra spells Austin Wells after a night game and will be your catcher.

How to Watch:

Location: Daikin Park — Houston, TX

First Pitch: 2:10 pm EDT

TV broadcast: YES / Space City Home Network

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280

Online stream: MLB.tv

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

The Nats showed grit and clutch hitting in their extra inning win yesterday. That evened up the series and set up a rubber match this afternoon. This is a series both teams are going to really want to grab, so this will be a hotly contested game.

For the second time this series, the White Sox have a lefty opener, which made Blake Butera alter his lineup. Curtis Mead will be in the 2 spot at first base, while Luis Garcia Jr. is lower in the order, in the 7 spot. CJ Abrams will be back in the lineup after a day off yesterday. Drew Millas will be back behind the dish. He will be catching Foster Griffin, who has had a very good start to his Nats career.

With a lefty on the mound, we will see some new faces for the White Sox. Tanner Murray, Derek Hill and Drew Romo will make their first starts of the series. Luisangel Acuna will also be back in the lineup. Chase Meidroth will be all the way up in the leadoff spot. For the second time in this series, lefty Bryan Hudson will be the opener. Righty Sean Burke will follow him.

Game Info:

Stadium: Rate Field

Time: 2:10 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

This has been a very evenly matched series, with the Sox taking game one by a single run and the Nats winning game two in extra innings. That should set up for a fun series finale. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats.

Northern Hemisphere Athletics @ Texas Rangers

Sunday, April 26, 2026, 1:35 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

The Shed

RHP J.T. Ginn vs. RHP Kumar Rocker

Go Rangers!

Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday. 

Imai, who has been on the injured list due to right arm fatigue since April 12, threw a bullpen at Daikin Park Sunday morning before the Astros series finale against the New York Yankees. Manager Joe Espada said Imai will start against the Frisco Roughriders if he comes out of that bullpen feeling good.

“He could go four innings, five innings, just depending how efficient he is,” Espada said. “He’s fully stretched out.”

Espada didn’t say how many rehab starts Imai would need being reinstated from the IL.

Imai signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Astros from the NPB’s Seibu Lions, that included opt outs after the first two seasons. He posted a 7.27 ERA in his first three Major League starts and was unable to finish the first inning in his last start on April 10 against the Seattle Mariners.

After he was placed on the IL, Imai revealed that the transition to the United States had been tougher than he expected, but Espada said Sunday he believes things are getting better for the 27-year old.

“We continue to talk with him and encourage him to be open with us,” Espada said. “I know he’s got his strength coach finally here. He feels like he’s more complete when it comes to his progression and his process that he has leading into his next start, into his bullpen, so he’s in a much better place mentally.”