Jeff McNeil and Luis Severino returned to Citi Field for the first time since they departed Queens and were treated to tribute videos by the Mets ahead of the team's series opener against the Athletics.
Severino, of course, left after a great 2024 campaign, his only one with the Mets, before signing a lucrative deal with the Athletics that offseason.
The right-hander pitched to an 11-7 record and a 3.91 ERA while making 30 starts for the first time since the 2018 season. He was also solid in the postseason that year, throwing 16.2 innings and going 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA across three starts.
While Severino impacted the Mets for one season, McNeil was in Flushing for eight and experienced plenty of highs and lows. He made two All-Star teams with the Mets, was sixth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2018, and was the batting champion in 2022 after batting .326. While his offensive production fluctuated over the years, his versatility on defense was invaluable to New York.
Across his eight seasons with the Mets, he slashed .284/.351/.428 with an OPS of .779 to go along with 80 home runs and 367 RBI.
"I played hard, I played with passion every single day," McNeil told SNY's Steve Gelbs before Friday's game. "I'm a fiery guy, but you know I cared. I wanted to win, I wanted to do well. I think the fans knew that. I just wanted to be known as a player who played the game the right way, gave it his all, and enjoyed being in the Mets organization."
McNeil was traded to the Athletics this offseason for RHP Yordan Rodriguez in what was an organizational re-tool that saw Pete Alonso leave to Baltimore in free agency and Brandon Nimmo traded to the Rangers.
San Diego, California - April 09: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after striking out Willi Castro #3 of the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning at Petco Park on Thursday, April 9, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
What. A. Game.
The San Diego Padres had their first walk off of the year last night and, with it, this team is starting to look like itself once again.
After failing to score more than one run—despite plenty of opportunities—San Diego entered the tenth inning against the Colorado Rockies with Jeremiah Estrada on the bump.
He was mostly solid, but allowed the Rox to put a run on the board, putting the onus on the Friars to score in the bottom of the frame. San Diego delivered and went into the eleventh, where Estrada gave up another run.
The inning shifted back to the Padres who, down to their final out with two runners on, saw Luis Campusano lace a double into left field, scoring the tying run.
That brought San Diego into the 12th, where the Rockies were finally unable to score.
Fernando Tatis Jr. laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third base. Colorado intentionally walked Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado to load the bases, thinking that Valente Bellozo could get Xander Bogaerts to ground into a double play.
They were wrong.
Bogaerts turned on a 89.6 mile per hour sinker and launched it into left field for a walk-off grand slam (the first of either for San Diego this year).
Going into tonight, the hope is for an offensive show so that the onus is taken off of the now-taxed pitching staff.
Taking the mound
Tomoyuki Sugano (COL) v. Walker Buehler (SD)
After a serviceable first year in MLB with the Baltimore Orioles (4.64 ERA, 157.0 IP), Sugano was signed by Colorado in hopes to bolster a starting rotation that was a big part of their historically bad 2025.
So far, he’s lived up to the one-year, $5.1 million deal. He’s pitched to a 1.69 ERA with nine strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings.
Sugano’s yet to face most of the Padres in this lineup so it will be interesting to see how he fares now that the Friars’ bats seem to have woken up.
Buehler has been the one sore spot of an otherwise (surprisingly) sterling San Diego rotation. Giving up seven runs across only 6 2/3 innings has hurt his case for a back-end spot once Griffin Canning comes back from the injured list.
The stuff is still there, and there’s positives from his outings. But if he doesn’t limit runs—and soon—his job will be in jeopardy.
Batter up!
After yesterday’s all-around extra-innings heroics, the offense is looking good. But the extra-innings hits made everyone quickly forget about the lack of hitting in the first nine innings (five hits).
But that doesn’t mean the offense is unhealthy, it’s looking infinitely better now than it did the first week of the season. With the righty Sugano on the mound, the Friars will likely look something like this:
Ramón Laureano, LF
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gavin Sheets, 1B
Miguel Andujar, DH
Luis Campusano, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Laureano will probably return to batting leadoff after Cronenworth hit first yesterday. His bat has been solid and he deserves more at-bats in that spot before being bumped, especially against righties.
Campusano likely gets the start over Freddy Fermin since the latter started yesterday. Campusano came in late and hit the aforementioned game-tying double that ended up being a difference-maker in San Diego’s win.
Relief corps
Randy Vásquez kept rolling with 5 2/3 of one-run ball, that seemed to save the bullpen … but then the extra innings came. The back-and-forth finale forced San Diego to use five of their relievers.
Skipper Craig Stammen has continued to show a difficult relationship with bullpen management. He got off to a good start bringing out Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon, and Mason Miller. But the decision to not leave Miller in for the tenth was an odd one.
Miller used to be a starter and has the ability to go more than an inning from time to time. Instead, Stammen ended up using Estrada and David Morgan to close out extra innings.
Now the Friars will only have Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio and Wandy Peralta. Thankfully, each of those are multi-innings options.
Should Buehler stumble early (like he has in his first two starts), those three options will be first out of the ’pen.
KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 05: Kansas City Royals pitcher Kris Bubic (50) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 5th, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
When last I sat down to write a game thread, the Royals were at .500, and while they had just lost to the Twins, they’d absolutely whalloped them the night before in the rain. Things were looking up as a really tough opponent came into town. That night, I got to write a recap about a doubleheader split, which saw the team score eight more runs in a game. Since that night, the Royals have only won one more contest and scored a total of twelve runs in their last five games.
One reason I always advocate for evaluating the team no more often than a series-by-series basis is that a loss like last night’s can feel devastating, but if they win the next three, it won’t register nearly as poorly. Of course, to do that, the Royals will have to win the next three, and that starts with winning tonight.
The good news is that the White Sox do not currently have a lefty scheduled for the rest of the series, and that also starts with tonight. Chicago will send a journeyman double-first-namer, Davis Martin, to the mound in the second of four against the southsiders. Martin is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA to start the year. And sure, those numbers are shiny, but the underlying metrics seem to suggest he’s basically the same pitcher as last year. That would be the year he had a much less impressive 4.10 ERA.
Martin faced the Royals three times last year and got progressively better each time. He allowed 4 runs in 4.1 innings the first start, 2 runs in 6 innings the second start, and pitched 6 scoreless in his final outing against the good guys. The White Sox only won that middle game, though. He mixes six pitches together pretty evenly, but his offspeed and breaking stuff gets absolutely destroyed when it gets hit, but his fastballs aren’t much better. His sinker does good numbers, so that will be the pitch to avoid swinging at if possible.
Kris Bubic will take the bump for KC, wearing their new City Connects for the first time. He’s had kind of an odd season through two starts; he’s struggled through the first inning of each of them and then dominated for the remainder of the game. It’s a bit reminiscent of late-aughts starter Kyle Davis in that regard, though he is much better once he gets going than Davis ever was. Hopefully, the Royals won’t need to attempt similar shenanigans as they did with Davies. For those that don’t remember him, for a period of time the Royals had him pitch a simulated first inning in the bullpen to try and get him over that hump. It didn’t work.
Regardless, pitching hasn’t really been the Royals’ problem – setting aside the bullpen games last Saturday and on Wednesday, at least. So the Royals will need to hit. Bobby Witt Jr. has started tattooing the ball, but Kyle Isbel’s hot streak seems to have worn off, and not enough other guys are helping the star out, either. Maybe that will change tonight.
Lineups
The Royals are bringing a lefty-heavy lineup against Martin with five southpaws plus a switch-hitter. Michael Massey is getting his first start at second base after a less-than-optimal start in left field earlier this week. That makes sense because Martin has struggled far more against lefties this year, last year, and over his career. It makes the team vulnerable to left-handed relievers because after Salvy in the four-spot, only Collins in the eight spot breaks up the parade of wrong-handers. Still, that’s why Lane Thomas, Jonathan India, and Starling Marte are on the bench, I suppose.
The White Sox have only got two lefties in there to face Bubic. That shouldn’t matter much, though, except that maybe he can give one of them a golden sombrero.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics pitches during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park on April 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A week in New York? Not bad a deal for the green and the gold. After kicking it around The Bronx for three games, a quick trip on the Metro brings them to Citi Field for another trio. This time against the Metropolitans who enter the series at 7-6.
Clay Holmes is the starting foe and he’s been on a roll. Two starts, two wins, and only two runs given up. His last start was a seven inning shutout against the Giants. Which I guess isn’t much of an accomplishment, given how poorly the Giants have swung the bat through the first two weeks.
Not like the A’s been much better though, but there’s reasons to be optimistic. After all, they’re coming off their first series win in Yankee stadium in ten years and apparently the first 1-0 victory over the evil empire since 1979!
I hope JT Ginn spent some quality time with Jeffrey Springs today. He could benefit from wielding some of the same magic that led Jeffrey Springs to a one-hit shove piece yesterday afternoon. What a way to show for your squad! I mean, this bullpen has been TAXED over the fast five days or so. Really since the last time Jeffrey took the ball in West Sacramento last Friday.
That’s not to say there haven’t been some quality starting performances in that stretch. Aaron Civale held down the fort on Tuesday. Aside form Sevy’s first inning, he too tossed the rock with a little kick.
They just weren’t at the level in which Springs was operating. Because now, not only are the A’s coming in with limited travel, they’re also showing up with hot arms. And everyone knows that a mediocre arm is at its best when it’s hot.
Just ask Scott Barlow.
On the offensive side, we’re working with a Rooker-less starting nine. Just a couple of hour ago, the A’s announced they were moving B-Rook to the ten-day, in response to his to awkward swing that took him out of the game’s first inning yesterday. Called up in his place and immediately dropped on the bench is Zack Gelof. Gelof has been on an absolute tear to start the season down in AAA.
Look at this pimp job from April 3rd.
Don’t you dare forget about Zack Gelof.
He is absolutely mashing in Triple-A to begin the season, having clobbered four home runs in his first seven games. 💣#Athleticspic.twitter.com/UKGs7ywDeT
Don’t let the Las Vegas heat fool you into thinking he’ll be doing anything like that this weekend. I’d be shocked if he gets anything more than a pinch hit or defensive replacement. This is Jeff McNeil’s weekend. His first time playing against his former team, for who he was at one point the longest tenured player.
There’s got to be a little pep in McNeil’s step ahead of his first go around against the Mets. They did, in a way, sort’ve give up on their former batting champion. Shipping him away to A’s in exchange for computer generated reliever. It had been a terribly unproductive season so far McNeil, before his mild hit parade against the Yankees in game one and two.
Here’s how the rest of the lineup shapes up around McNeil’s homecoming…
Carlos Cortes slots into Brent Rooker’s usual spot as designated hitter. Nick Kurtz is also FINALLY not hitting leadoff against a right handed pitcher. Now I know I went into the season saying how I was into it, but it has just not been effective. He’s also striking out at an Adam Dunn-esque clip and who in their right mind puts their biggest strikeout hitter in the lead-off spot?
…Lawrence Butler is a guess a better option?
MARK KOTSAY PLEASE READ THE ATHLETICS NATION COMMENT SECTION FROM TIME TO TIME
JT Ginn’s first start this season happens to be against the team that drafted him. The team the A’s acquired him from for Chris Bassitt. I happen to love when it happens like this and I’m confident that Ginn is going to be pitching with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. He’ll need it against a Mets offense that has some generational hitters sprinkled throughout it.
Oh how I’ve missed Marcus Semien. Even though he’ll never be remembered as an Oakland A I will always say his name with pride. I remember the days where he was the worst defensive shortstop in baseball. Back in the day when he could only hit twenty home runs a season and literally nothing else. I hope he hasn’t forgotten about those days either. He should’ve been this generation’s Mark Ellis.
Not a member of the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers.
It’s a potent lineup the Mets possess if they can get all of the pieces moving at once. Let’s see if JT Ginn and the A’s have what it takes to come into New York and takes back to back series against the Yankees and Mets!
Mar 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) works around Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
April 10, 2026
Location: Toyota Center – Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)
Online: Rockets App , SCHN+, Amazon
Time: 8:30pm CST
Probable Starting Lineups
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: Brady House #12 of the Washington Nationals bats against the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park on April 07, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a rough home stand for the Nats, particularly for the pitching staff. They went 1-5 on the home stand, and things are not going to get any easier. The Nats are squaring off with the Brewers, who had the most wins in baseball last year. The Brew Crew are also off to a hot start, with an 8-4 record.
With the Brewers deploying a unique pitching strategy, Blake Butera responded accordingly. The Brewers are using a lefty opener, but following with a right handed pitcher. That means Curtis Mead will play first base and hit second. However, Luis Garcia Jr. will still be in the lineup, but he is hitting 7th to avoid the opener. Joey Wiemer is in the lineup against the team that drafted him, hitting 6th. Jorbit Vivas and Keibert Ruiz are also back in the lineup. Jake Irvin will look to bounce back from a rough start against the Dodgers.
The Brewers lineup is one of the better ones in the league, especially at the top. Brice Turang, William Contreras and Christian Yelich are a formidable trio at the top. Garrett Mitchell is a player that has gotten off to a really hot start for the Brewers. As usual, they have grinders at the bottom of the order. On the pitching side of things, lefty Aaron Ashby will open, while righty Chad Patrick will follow him. This approach was likely designed to counter the Nats lefty bats.
The Nats were unable to take advantage of their theoretically lighter matchup against the Cardinals. That means they will be 4-8 entering a series against a team that smacked them around last year. The boys will need to answer the bell if they do not want to be totally cut adrift early. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 3: Landry Shamet #44 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Toronto Raptors on March 3, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks (52*-28) host the Toronto Raptors (45-35) tonight at Madison Square Garden in their penultimate game of the regular season. The Knicks have a chance to firm up their grip on the East’s No. 3 seed while the Canadian Club is wrestling with the Hawks and the Magic for the middle seeds.
Tip off is 7:30 p.m. EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is RaptorsHQ. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Extend kindness to your fellow humans. And go Knicks!
* Should be one more, but NBA Cups are cyborgs sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor.
CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 9: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on February 9, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Are we looking at a first-round playoff preview? Tonight, we could be looking at a matchup between the one seed — the Detroit Pistons — and the eighth seed — the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets, however, are not your typical eighth seed. They are one of the hottest teams in the East, and they have been since late January. They have shooting all over the floor, plenty of ball handlers, and play a quality team defense. The Detroit Pistons are healthy, so they could treat this game as a serious statement of intention against a potential opponent. Or they could treat it as a bit of a laboratory. Coach JB Bickerstaff has talked about using the season’s final two games to get certain lineup combinations experience on the floor. Chief among them is Kevin Huerter and some of the starters, and Daniss Jenkins playing alongside Cade Cunningham with the other three-person units. They will play to win, but they might also forgo the best potential situational lineup to ensure he can test these lineup combos.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Odds: Pistons +5
The legendary broadcaster shared on Friday, April 10 on his social media page that he went in for a biopsy on Friday to look into some of the "abnormalities" that were found on a series of routine tests that he had done last week. It's the second update in as many days from Vitale.
"Just leaving hospital after biopsy/now anesthesia has worn off," Vitale wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) to go along with a photo of him sitting in a wheelchair outside of a hospital. "Hope & pray for good results as they did study of my lungs where spots showed in Pet Scan & MRI's!"
Just leaving hospital after Biopsy / now anesthesia has worn off. Hope & pray for good results as they did study of my lungs where spots showed in Pet Scan & MRI’s ! pic.twitter.com/CwllVW1cZ1
In his latest update before Friday, Vitale mentioned that he feels "great physically" and "sharp mentally" and that his doctors recommended some additional testing to determine the next steps of his latest battle. He underwent a PET scan, a CAT scan and two MRIs in his last round of tests, which showed those "abnormalities."
He also mentioned that "the roadmap" for his recovery would be determined after the biopsy, which he underwent on Friday.
Vitale has had multiple health battles, including with several types of cancer, over the last few years. He was declared cancer-free last year and made his return to broadcasting, which included a pair of broadcasts alongside Charles Barkley this season, one coming in the First Four of March Madness in Dayton, Ohio.
"I'm still doing games," Vitale told USA TODAY Sports back in March ahead of the First Four. "It's a miracle. It's absolutely a miracle. I get emotional about it sometimes."
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 12: Luis Gil of the New York Yankees pitches in a game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 12, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees head into their first AL East series of the season tonight with a little more curiosity than usual. For the first time, New York gets a look at the reopened Tropicana Field, which officially returned to action on April 6th after a 561-day closure caused by Hurricane Milton’s devastating roof damage. The Rays spent all of 2025 playing their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, where the Yankees went 9-4 overall against them, including a 5-1 mark in the oddly familiar “road” setting.
The Yankees also arrive in St. Petersburg hoping the bats warm up along with the setting.
After being blanked 1-0 and held to just one hit by the Athletics in Thursday’s series finale, New York closed out its cold-weather homestand dropping the series to the A’s. The Yankees currently sit at 8-4 and are looking for some offensive life after the lineup seemed to go cold right alongside the New England-style chill that settled over the Bronx this past week. There may not be a better reset than heading indoors for a weekend under the roof in Florida, where the Yankees will hope the controlled environment helps wake the offense back up.
Tonight’s opener also comes with a little extra intrigue for everyone watching on TV or in the ballpark alike. The Trop’s upgrades including improved lighting, a rebuilt roof, and refreshed interior systems, it will be interesting to see whether the television feed finally looks cleaner than the dim, gray/sand version of Tropicana broadcasts everyone had gotten used to over the years or if the haze will somehow remain.
The baseball matchup is not lacking in intrigue either. With the Yankees needing a full five-man rotation for the first time this season, Luis Gil will rejoin the big league club for his 2026 debut. To make room on the roster the Yankees sent their first Rule 5 draft pick in almost two decades, Cade Winquest, back to the St. Louis Cardinals. Gil, the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year, spent the opening stretch of the season in Triple-A as a roster-timing move, and now gets the ball in the Rays series with his first chance to try and claim a spot in the rotation as each turn through gets the Yankees closer to the return of Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole.
Gil’s sophomore 2025 season was uneven, largely because he missed a significant stretch and never fully looked like the dominant rookie version of himself. Still, the raw results remained strong enough, as he posted a 3.32 ERA across 57 innings in 11 starts. The bigger concern was underneath the ERA, where both the strikeout and walk rates took steps in the wrong direction. The good news for Yankees fans is that the spring version of Gil looked at least a little closer to the pitcher who won Rookie of the Year. Across 19.1 spring innings, Gil punched out 24 hitters against just five walks, the kind of line that suggests the fastball shape and secondary feel were back in sync. If that version of Gil can appear tonight the Yankees may be getting some house money to play with when those aforementioned starters return. However, it is worth noting Gil’s last minor-league start was rocky at best albeit, in tough weather conditions.
The Rays offense has been off to a hot start currently ranking sixth in team batting average, but they have only posted one more run than the Yankees this season as they have been struggling to convert. Gil will have his hands full with righty Yandy Díaz who has posted a .362/.455/.553/1.008 line thus far. The other hot hitters for the Rays are lefties in Richie Palacios, Chandler Simpson, and Jonathan Aranda so Gil will have a handedness disadvantage as he tries to cut down the Rays’ lineup.
Steven Matz gets the ball for Tampa Bay, adding another chapter to one of the more “hey, that guy always plays against us” paths in baseball. After six seasons with the Mets, a year in Toronto, four in St. Louis, and another one-and-done season but this time in Boston, Matz has now traded his red socks for flip-flops and landed in the Rays’ starting rotation. The Yankees saw Matz briefly last year while he was in Boston, getting to him for two hits and one earned run across 1.2 innings. In two starts this year, he has posted a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings with only ten strikeouts. The Yankees should have opportunities if they force deeper counts and make him work through the middle of the order.
With the Rays sending a lefty to the mound, we once again get to see the Yankees’ break out the Righty Platoons chess-match 2.0 lineup. Fresh off yesterday’s experiment, Professor Aaron Boone has concocted a lineup that will have Paul Goldschmidt setting the table, Amed Rosario batting fifth and playing third, and Randal Grichuk getting the nod in left field for back-to-back games. The Yankees’ hottest hitter Ben Rice gets the night off and Jazz Chisholm Jr. returns playing second base and batting sixth.
Tonight begins the 13-game season series between the Yankees and Rays, which always gives the first matchup of the year a little more weight than the calendar suggests. Every April division game is one less result you have to chase later in the summer. Do the Yankees get it done tonight?
How to watch
Location: Tropicana Field — St. Petersburg, FL
First pitch: 7:10 PM ET
TV broadcast: YES, Rays.TV
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280, WDAE 95.7 FM
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 09: Aaron Ashby #26 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of the spring training game at American Family Fields of Phoenix on March 09, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a break-even 3-3 road trip that ended with a two-game losing streak, the Brewers are back home for their second homestand of the season. They will play their next six games at home, starting with a three-game series against the Nationals.
Though Chad Patrick was announced as the original starter for the game, the Brewers have decided to go with an opener and use Aaron Ashby to start the game. Patrick will still get the bulk of the pitching work, but he will enter the game after Ashby instead. Meanwhile, Jake Irvin of the Nationals will make the more traditional start. For more details on the starting pitcher matchup, you can check out yesterday’s series preview.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Brewers recalled Easton McGee from Triple-A. He will fill the roster spot opened after Shane Drohan was optioned yesterday. Also, manager Pat Murphy provided some player updates.
Notes from Pat Murphy
– Brandon Sproat is remaining in the rotation but is available out of the bullpen tonight – Andrew Vaughn got his stitches out, needs that wound to heal before building back up that hand strength – Jackson Chourio is progressing, but not swinging yet
One injured player who is back in the lineup is Brice Turang. After missing the last two games of the Red Sox series with a foot/ankle injury, he is back at the top following three days of rest. William Contreras and Christian Yelich bat second and third, with Garrett Mitchell batting fourth. Jake Bauers, Luis Rengifo, Sal Frelick, and Blake Perkins fill the five through eight spots, and David Hamilton will bat ninth as he gets the start at shortstop.
Here are the lineups for tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m., and it will be on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 06: A general view of Tropicana Field as Cedric Mullins #31 of the Tampa Bay Rays rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Monday, April 6, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Mar 29, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) looks on during the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
After a six-game road trip that saw the Orioles both sweep and get swept, they are back home to kick off a six-game homestand against two NL West teams. First up, it’s the fellow orange and black San Francisco Giants, who are off to 5-8 start and in last place in their division.
There won’t be quite as much orange and black on the field as usual, however, since the Orioles are rolling out their brand new City Connect uniforms. I have always dreamed on the Orioles and Giants facing each other in the World Series on Halloween.
Anyway, tonight’s game, which starts at 7:15, is airing on Apple TV. That is annoying both because you need a separate subscription and because we won’t get to hear Kevin Brown, but such is life. I do have an Apple TV subscription, so join me if you can!
Shane Baz is tonight’s starter for the Orioles. His second start, last weekend in Pittsburgh, was better than his first. Although he did walk three in his 5.2 inning, 1 run effort. Mike Elias is clear he thinks Baz has ace stuff, so any time he wants to show it would be fine with me.
The Giants counter with Landen Roupp. This is Roupp’s third season with the Giants, although I could not pick him out of a lineup. In two starts this year, he has had a six-inning, zero runs game and a 4.2 inning, seven runs game. Sign me up for that second one, please.
Colton Cowser is getting a night off with Dylan Beavers starting in center field. It’s the second straight game with Beavers in center instead of Cowser. The lineup is similar to Wednesday, with only Samuel Basallo replacing Ryan Mountcastle in the batting order. Basallo will DH with Adley Rutschman behind the plate.
If the Orioles can win tonight, that’ll make four in a row. I really like the sound of that.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Landen Roupp #65 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in the top of the first inning against the New York Mets at Oracle Park on April 04, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants begin this three-game road series against the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon. Tonight’s game will only be broadcast on Apple TV, so just a heads up if you don’t have that you’ll have to tune in on the radio.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Landen Roupp, who enters today’s game with a 4.22 ERA, 1.37 FIP, with 14 strikeouts to three walks in 10.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 9-0 loss to the New York Mets on Saturday, in which he allowed seven runs (five earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts and a walk in four and two thirds innings.
He’ll be facing off against Orioles right-hander Shane Baz, who enters today’s game with a 4.09 ERA, 2.88 FIP, with nine strikeouts to three walks in 11 innings pitched. His last start was in the Orioles’ 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, in which he allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks in five and two thirds innings.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 08: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dunks during the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Rocket Arena on April 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Hawks 122-116. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Atlanta Hawks again. This time, the Cavs will be down a few rotation players. We’ll see if they still have enough to get a second-straight win.
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