Apr 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on after striking out during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
The Dodgers offense spent most of the last week wasting an incredible stretch by the starting rotation, coupled with a suddenly vulnerable bullpen having their worst week of the season. That fueled five losses over the last seven games, and now the Dodgers on Saturday turn to Roki Sasaki, the black sheep of the rotation still looking for some semblance of success to build on.
Los Angeles scored eight runs in their last four games, with four of those runs scored on Friday night though none after the fourth inning. The Dodgers inability to tack on runs has cost them dearly during this dismal stretch, which includes three or fewer runs in six of their last 12 games.
Shohei Ohtani is hitless in his last 12 at-bats, has two hits in 20 at-bats since his last extra-base hit, and is 7-for-43 (.163) since his last home run 13 days ago. Teoscar Hernández is also hitless in his last 12 at-bats and two for his last 28. Even Andy Pages after his impossibly hot start has three hits in his last 25 at-bats.
Sasaki has recorded between 12 and 15 outs in his four starts this season, so Saturday sure feels like a day for Jake Eder to soak up some innings in relief and then get optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for a fresh arm on Sunday with four more games in this stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
On this day 21 years ago, Pablo Ozuna scored one of his two runs as a sparkplug from the leadoff spot, helping the White Sox to their best 20-game start in team history. | (Photo by Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times) (MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images)
1951 White Sox slugger Eddie Robinson hit the first rooftop home run by a Chicago player at Comiskey Park. Robinson’s blast was off of Al Widmar of the Browns, in the third inning of an 8-6 White Sox win. It was the eighth all-time home run over the roof.
Robinson hit 29 home runs that year and drove in 117 runs, as the Sox went 81-73-1.
1968 By losing 3-2 at Minnesota despite outhitting the Twins, 12-3, the White Sox fell to 0-10, the worst 10-game start in franchise history. The scoring would reverse the next day, mercifully snapping Chicago’s losing streak.
1969 Speaking of roof shots, 18 years later Buddy Bradford put a home run over the roof, capping a four-run first that put the White Sox ahead of the Twins, 4-1. Minnesota battled back ahead, 5-4, but the home team prevailed on a bases-loaded single from Carlos May for a walk-off win. It seems odd to say for a team that would finish 68-90 and fifth of six in the AL West, but the thrilling victory pushed the White Sox to 8-5 and into their only day in first place all season.
The towering shot was Bradford’s only hit of the game. It was the fourth White Sox roof shot ever, and the 18th overall.
2004 Coming over from the Bulls organization, Brooks Boyer was named White Sox vice president of marketing, replacing the taciturn and aloof Rob Gallas. Boyerimmediately instituted a series of great ad campaigns (including “Sox Pride” and “Win or Die Trying”) that keyed interest, tweaked the Cubs and generated excitement among the fan base. Things have taken a turn since those early salad days, including running popular play-by-play man, lifelong White Sox fan and Chicago native Jason Benetti into the arms of division rival Detroit.
2005 With a 6-0 win at Oakland, the White Sox improved to 16-4 — topping the 1973 team (15-5) for the best 20-game start in franchise history. Jon Garland moved to 4-0 with a 116-pitch shutout, yielding just four hits and a walk against three strikeouts. The Sox offense jumped on Barry Zito, with Pablo Ozuna (2-for-3, two runs, two steals) and Chris Widger (2-for-4, two-run homer) the unexpected standouts.
2014 It was the first big moment in what would be a stellar White Sox career for José Abreu. The Cuban native smashed a two-out, walk-off grand slam off Grant Balfour to beat the Rays, 9-6. The rookie tallied three hits and six RBIs in the game.
Abreuwould cap off his rookie season by garnering the American League Rookie of the Year award from both The Sporting News and the BBWAA for blasting 36 home runs, with 35 doubles, 80 runs scored, 107 RBIs, a .317 batting average and leading the league in slugging percentage (.581).
2016 Relief pitcher Matt Albers threw his 30th consecutive scoreless outing, breaking the White Sox record set by Jesse Crain. Albers’ streak dated back to Aug. 5, 2015 and spanned 33 innings. Ironically, Albers’ streak was snapped in a game several days later, on April 30 in Baltimore, when a José Abreu error caused two unearned runs to cross the plate, charged to Albers.
Bayern Munich fought back from three goals down to clinch a 4-3 win away to Mainz 05, with substitutes Harry Kane and Michael Olise leading a second-half comeback for the Bundesliga champions. Dominik Kohr, Paul Nebel and Sheraldo Becker scored for Mainz in the first half while Bayern, who had made eight changes to the starting lineup that beat Bayer Leverkusen in Wednesday’s German Cup semi-final, had no shots on target until the break.
The Bayern coach, Vincent Kompany, brought on Kane and Olise after the break and their renewed aggression paid off with Nicolas Jackson scoring in the 53rd minute and Olise finding the net 20 minutes later.
The Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday for their ninth win in 10 games, while Philadelphia has lost 10 straight, its longest losing streak since 1999.
The Phillies will get a big boost on Saturday as ace starting pitcher Zack Wheeler makes his first MLB start since last August.
Blood clots forced Wheeler to have a rib removed in September, and it's not clear that he's shaken off the rust and gotten back to 100%.
That's why my Phillies vs. Braves predictions and MLB picks call for a Braves win.
Who will win Phillies vs Braves today: Braves moneyline (-119)
The Atlanta Braves added to baseball's best run differential and have topped five runs in three straight, averaging 6.6 runs over the last five.
The Braves got the win in the series opener, even with their hottest hitter, Michael Harris (.555 in the last seven games), limited to pinch-hitting duty after leaving Thursday's game with quad tightness.
He may play DH on Saturday.
The Philadelphia Phillies hope Zack Wheeler can keep that Atlanta offense in check, but he had a 5.85 ERA in five spring starts with his highest home run rate since 2018.
Even more troubling, his spin and velocity are down significantly.
COVERS INTEL: In his last rehab start, at double-A Reading, Wheeler's fastballs were at 92, with a max of 93, down from 96.1 (four-seamer) and 95.4 (sinker) last season. His sweeper and curve were also slower, and their spin rates were down about 100 revolutions.
Phillies vs Braves Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+100)
The Phillies will have Wheeler on a pitch count, but their key relievers should be rested and able to handle the increased workload.
Braves starter Bryce Elder has a 1.50 ERA this season and a WHIP below 1.000. His strikeout rate is at a career high, while his hit, walk, and homer rates are at career lows.
He's throwing his four-seamer and cutter more instead of relying solely on his sinker, and the result has been increased effectiveness of all three pitches.
Opponents are hitting 30 points lower against the sinker and 80 points lower against the four-seamer. He didn't throw the cutter often enough last year to compare, but foes have just a .200 average against it in 2026.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 8-8, +0.4 units
Over/Under bets: 9-11, -2.31 units
Phillies vs Braves odds
Moneyline: Phillies -117 | Braves +113
Run line: Phillies +1.5 (-178) | Braves -1.5 (+170)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-108) | Under 8.5 (+104)
Phillies vs Braves trend
The Philadelphia Phillies have hit the Team Total Under in 8 of their last 10 games (+6.10 Units / 53% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Braves.
How to watch Phillies vs Braves and game info
Location
Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Date
Saturday, April 25, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
NBCSP, BravesVision
Phillies starting pitcher
Zack Wheeler (1-2, 5.06 ERA)
Braves starting pitcher
Bryce Elder (3-1, 1.50 ERA)
Phillies vs Braves latest injuries
Phillies 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.
CLEVELAND - MAY 22: Head coach Mike Brown talks to Mo Williams #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic during the 2009 NBA Playoffs on May 22, 2009 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers won 96-95. 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 2009 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Wings made of feathers and wax. Flew too high, intoxicated by pride. Sent down crashing by the sun, drowning in hubris inside a dark sea.
Will the Knicks bend, or break?
Here’s the latest before the biggest game since the bounce that changed the Knicks’—now present—future.
On a possible starting lineup change for Game 4: “That’ll be a game-time decision. Like I said (Thursday) night, at this point in the year, anything is on the table — what we do offensively, what we do defensively, what our rotations are, who starts, what we come out with. Everything is on the table. My job is to keep searching, and that’s what we had to do (in Game 3). We found the right combinations. We got a chance to go up three. Couldn’t ask for anything better than that with a minute left in the game, a chance to go up by three, especially with the way we played.”
On not using KAT-Mitch due to matchup concerns: “Because things are matchup-based. If you hypothetically have them both out there, let’s just take their starting five, you put Mitch on Okongwu, put Jalen hypothetically on Dyson Daniels and then you put KAT on Jalen Johnson. And then OG on Alexander-Walker and Josh on CJ McCollum and that’s probably not a good matchup at the end of the day. To play those guys together, it has to fit offensively and it has to fit defensively for it to happen throughout the course of the ball game. At times, it’s a little difficult matchup-wise.”
On paying attention to all details before making a lineup change: “The reality is — any (lineup) decision that I make, I try to think of all the pros and cons. And to back that up, the Charlotte game, I knew he had that streak going on. I threw him out there for five seconds. So everything that I do, I’ll take into consideration for everybody as best I can. And will I whiff sometimes? Yeah. Or will I forget sometimes? Yeah. Or will I say, I know this is going on, but I’m still going to do this or that? Yeah. So anything and everything is on the table. But I try to list the pros and cons for that individual and the repercussions it has throughout the team, whenever I make decisions.”
On the urgency of the playoffs: “The reality of it is, come playoff time, we should be feeling that all the time. There should be a sense of urgency every single possession you’re on the floor. It doesn’t matter who is in front of you or what the score is. You have to play with a level of sense of urgency/desperation, however you want to call it, throughout the course of a ballgame. Even if you’re up 3-0, because I’ve been up 3-0 and when you’re up 3-0 on somebody, they’re playing with a level of desperation, similar to them being a wounded animal, that makes it difficult to close out. That’s definitely something that we want our guys to feel, is that sense of urgency, so that it can be translated to every single possession on the floor when we’re playing in the game.”
On implementing off-ball actions for Brunson: “We called it a few times, you gotta give Atlanta credit. They did a nice job of defending it the few times we called it. But we gotta keep trying to implement it, whether it’s play call or within the flow of what we’re trying to do conceptually on the offensive end of the floor.”
On the need for more paint touches and sprays: “We all have to be aggressive, not just to shoot the ball, but be aggressive to touch the paint on drives. And if you don’t have anything in the paint, you gotta spray it. We haven’t gone anywhere near our sprays that we’ve wanted to in these first three games.”
I’m saying we’re gonna win it. No problem saying it.
On the plus-24 Hart-Brunson-McBride-OG-Towns lineup: “I feel like we were getting stops. Getting some good shots. OG had a couple big threes at the end of the shot clock. Deuce shot the ball well. But I feel like we really played off of our defense.”
Game 3 Last 2-Minute Report has one incorrect non-call: NBA says this should have been an and-1 opportunity for Jalen Johnson: "Josh Hart moves laterally into Johnson's path and does not establish a legal guarding position in Johnson's path prior to the contact" pic.twitter.com/GUoAFC8Pii
On dealing with the defense of Daniels and Alexander Walker: “They both are great defenders. You have to be smart, you have to be kind of tactical in what you do. Just being able to not really focus on what they’re doing but focus on your shot and doing the things that I need to do to make sure I’m comfortable shooting the shots I want to shoot and be in positions I want to be in. But you gotta give them credit. They make things very difficult.”
On the Knicks’ mindset entering Game 4: “We’re playing for our lives.”
On the first-round series urgency: “I would say we’re playing for our lives. I mean, it is a seven-game series and it’s the first to four, but it’s ticking away. We don’t want to leave it up to chance. We don’t want to say we wish we could have or we wish we would have done this different. We want to take every opportunity, every chance we can, and take advantage of it, be together as a team and figure it out.”
On his role coming off the pine: “My job is to come in and play defense and come in and make shots. I want to be at the best ability I can to do it. If I can instill more confidence in my guys for me to let it fly with no hesitancy, I want to do it.”
On playing through pain: “I try not to listen to how I’m feeling day to day. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. If I’m supposed to get a stop, I gotta get a stop. If I’m supposed to make a shot, I gotta make a shot. So I try not to think about it. Reality is, I’ve gotta go out there and perform.”
On defending McCollum in the last defensive play: “I knew they had to go quick. Main thing is, he’s a really good player. I’m not happy with my contest. He made the shot. I feel like if I maybe had bumped him earlier, but trying to get a feel for how the game was being called. I don’t want to put him at the free throw line in a sense like that. Maybe just be more aggressive and make it tougher.”
Stephen A. Smith
On the potential fallout if the Knicks crash out in Atlanta: “There’s gonna be another head coach in New York City if they lose this series. Several players are going to be gone from New York City. I’m so sick of what I’m seeing right now. I love Mike Brown, but I’m very unhappy right now. The New York Knicks are stinking up the joint. Leon Rose, the honeymoon is over. Right now, you’re on the verge of going home. You can’t lose Game 4. You can’t go down 3-1 to the Atlanta Hawks.”
On the Knicks’ struggles against the Hawks: “One minute you’re up 14, you’re losing a game. Another minute you’re down 18, you come back and still lose the game. You’re inventing new ways to lose. This is unacceptable. If the New York Knicks lose this series, heads need to roll.”
On Mitch’s usage: “Knicks Coach Mike Brown is SCARED to get mad!!! He’s to nice of a guy to coach the New York Knicks!!! He would rather play OG at the 5, instead of KAT and Mitch at the 4 and 5. Nice guys finish last Coach!”
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 25: Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on and blows a bubble of gum against the Minnesota Twins on September 25, 2020 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds slugger Eugenio Suárez was a late scratch from the Friday evening lineup in the team’s series opener in Great American Ball Park against the Detroit Tigers. Nathaniel Lowe – who eventually ended up swatting a walk-off dinger – was moved into the DH spot for the game, and the initial hope was that it would merely be a one-off lineup change.
As it turns out, though, Suárez is going to head to the injured list. The back problem is actually an oblique issue, albeit a hopefully minor one, and that’s going to land Geno on the shelf for at least 10 days. So said Terry Francona to Charlie Goldsmith last night.
Francona said Suarez is going to the IL with a low grade oblique.
The Reds have not yet announced a corresponding roster move (or Suárez to the actual IL) just yet, but outfielder JJ Bleday was removed from his game with AAA Louisville early on Friday evening. Bleday slugged 20 homers for the Athletics as recently as 2024 and is off to a roaring start in AAA this year (.341/.462/.659 with 6 homers in 104 PA), and as replacements to the offense go, he’s about as good as one can hope for.
Notably, Suárez hitting the shelf removes a corner infield option from the roster, and instead of backfilling with someone with experience there (such as Noelvi Marte), Cincinnati’s front office is apparently turning to Bleday due to the flexibility of the rest of the roster. Spencer Steer has spent more time in the outfield this year that in previous seasons, but he’s got experience all over the infield if need be. Lowe, too, is an accomplished 1B with a Gold Glove under his belt, and his ability to play there regularly would allow Sal Stewart to play more 3B on days when Francona decides they actually need someone who can swing a bat there better than Ke’Bryan Hayes.
That’s the beauty of building a roster with positional flexibility, I suppose. When one player goes down with injury, it allows the front office to select the best offensive option they can instead of having to go glove-first.
My best guess is that you’ll see Lowe in the lineup at DH or 1B every time the team faces a RHP while Geno is on the shelf. That’s a pretty damn good insurance policy, as we witnessed just last night.
PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 24: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2026 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
All hope seemed to be lost for the San Antonio Spurs in Game Three. With 7:30 left in the quarter, the team was down 15 points on the road, with no offensive rhythm, no defensive resistance, and no Victor Wembanyama. That was until a rookie of all people put the team on his back and, in the blink of an eye (or for half a quarter), turned around the game and perhaps the entire first-round series. Dylan Harper scored 12 points in the third quarter, dominating the Portland Trail Blazers on the way to a 120-108 victory.
He and the rest of the Spurs’ young core flipped the switch in the second half. He, Stephon Castle, and Carter Bryant played huge roles in the win despite all being 21 or younger. It was exactly the type of game the Spurs needed to flip the vibe of the entire series. After the win, San Antonio is a -190 favorite to take Game Four on FanDuel.
San Antonio’s young core will lead Game Three’s player grades. As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
This was a coming-out party for Harper, who had been relatively quiet in the first two games. The rookie talked the talk and walked the walk in Game Three. There was no fear, as he jawed at the Blazers while shooting free throws or held up three fingers at their bench after making a three-pointer. When Scoot Henderson scored on him, he talked smack right back to Harper before getting a technical (a masterclass in trolling by the rookie). Then Harper went down to the other end and put Scoot and Robert Williams III on a poster.
Harper’s confidence seemed to infect the rest of the team. All of a sudden, they were attacking Portland rather than getting attacked as they had for most of the game. The team started playing with more pace, rushing Portland into bad shots while they got to the basket or created easy shots in early offense. If the Spurs end up winning this series, we’ll likely be talking about Harper’s performance as the pivotal turning point that got them there.
Fox has been under a lot of scrutiny in this series, but I thought he was masterful in Game Three. He did exactly what a veteran guard should do in the playoffs. He pushed all of the right buttons and didn’t do too much to interrupt the Spurs’ offensive flow. When the team’s ball movement got stagnant, Fox tried to get others involved. Late in the fourth quarter, when San Antonio was starting to take their foot off the gas, and Portland went on a 6-0 run, Fox began to take over, sensing the urgency of the moment.
Toumani Camara, the Blazers’ best perimeter defender, has been stuck on Fox since Wembanyama went out. That has actively taken pressure off the Spurs’ other guards. Fox has handled it well by not trying to do too much.
If it weren’t for Harper exploding offensively, we would likely be talking about Castle as the player of the game. He kept the Spurs afloat in the first half while Portland was shooting the lights out. Castle attacked relentlessly, getting to the free-throw line 11 times, knocking down 10 of those free shots. He was efficient from three, knocking down a trio of triples. Castle helped close this one out, hitting some huge shots in the fourth quarter to extend the lead.
Castle has been most impressive on the defensive end. He and Bryant (more on him later) took Deni Avdija out of the game. The Blazers’ best player went 3-15 from the field for 19 points. Avdija is a bowling ball in the paint, going into his defender’s chest over and over again. Castle has held his ground, without fouling for the most part, and went right back at him on the other end. Friday night was a true two-way performance.
Champagnie was far more aggressive in Game Three, and San Antonio needed him to be. He took some movement threes off screens and attempted to attack the basket when Portland overplayed him. Champagnie can’t afford to be one-dimensional offensively, so it’s good to see him attempting to do more, even if the results have been mixed. Ultimately, if Champagnie continues to knock down threes and battle on the boards, he is doing his job.
Vassell hit some big threes on Friday, including one during their fourth-quarter run to extend the lead. That said, his shot selection was a bit mixed in Game Three. He’s taking some tough mid-range jumpers because Portland is guarding him so hard. Vassell is drawing a ton of defensive attention when he is running off screens, and the Spurs’ guards missed him a few times for what would have been open jumpers.
The Spurs’ wing should get a lot of credit for his defensive effort. He’s been locked in on that end, loading up on stocks (steals + blocks) in this series. He’s been a difference maker even when his shot isn’t falling.
My jaw dropped when Kornet hit a corner three-pointer. It was his first made three-pointer since the 2023-2024 season. That highlight aside, Kornet was awesome on both ends. He battled on the boards, grabbing 5 offensive rebounds, including a put-back dunk where he literally snatched the ball from Williams III’s hands. Defensively, he has been positionally sound and protected the paint with two blocks. Kornet is establishing himself as one of, if not the best, backup centers in the league.
Barnes is essentially out of the rotation at this point. He’s not making an impact offensively, and Bryant has been leagues better defensively. I still think there will be a game when the Spurs get a spark from him offensively, but it did not happen in Game Three.
Johnson continues to fight on both ends, but hasn’t had any luck putting the ball in the basket. The Blazers are a tough matchup for KJ. Their bigs are great at protecting the rim, and their wings are big and physical, keeping him from barreling his way to the rim like he normally does. His poor performances are not due to a lack of effort. He’s still battling on the glass and giving it all defensively, even if Portland is trying to target him on that end.
The rookie whom many thought would barely be in the rotation has taken on one of the most important roles in the playoffs. Bryant has been tasked with playing out of position at center. He’s risen to that challenge. Bryant’s effort is a joy to watch. He grabbed 4 offensive rebounds, blocked 3 shots, and played some of his best defense of the season on Advija. Bryant is usually known for being overly aggressive on defense, but in the second half, he did an incredible job of defending Portland’s best player without fouling.
He could afford to be a bit more confident on the offensive end. There are times when he catches the ball and doesn’t really know what to do with it. He’s proven he can hit open jumpers, and needs to be taking them so the Spurs can take advantage of the perks that come with a small-ball lineup. What he has lacked in shot-making, he has made up for in shot creation. Bryant has made a lot of good decisions with the ball in his hands, and he racked up 4 assists in Game Three’s win.
Grade: A-
Inactives: Victory Wembanyama, Harrison Ingram, David Jones-Garcia, Emanuel Miller
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 14: Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 14, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles hit so many home runs last night that they put up a message on the video board that there were no more fireworks to be had. This turned out to not be the case in the most literal sense, as the small little post-victory burst of fireworks still went off. It was fun, though. Their challenge for today: Do something almost as fun.
Due to expected rain later in the day, what had been scheduled for a 4:05 start was moved up, with the agreement of both teams and the league, to this 12:05 start time. It’s an early start for an MLB game. If that’s a disruption to anybody’s routine, hopefully it throws off the Red Sox more than the Orioles.
Also hopefully the shift in the start time doesn’t cause any problems for people who were hoping to get their hands on the Orioles hockey jersey giveaway, which seems to be one of the more desired ones on the list in the 2026 season. It looks like a neat one and unique compared to the usual array of shirts and hats with maybe a hoodie mixed in.
This is a reeling Red Sox team. We got to see some of why in last night’s game. The list of the struggling players includes today’s Boston starter, Garrett Crochet. He’s rocking a 7.88 ERA across his first five starts. As this is only year 1 of a five-year, $170 million contract for Crochet, I dare not hope that he will continue to be so bad. The batted ball luck has not been on his side, with a .368 BABIP allowed. That’s likely to come down. He’s still been getting elite numbers of strikeouts.
A win here would put the Orioles back above .500. The 2025 Orioles were never above .500 again after having a 3-2 record through their first five games. At times, this year’s team has felt eerily familiar to last year’s. Other times, they have shown they might be better able to weather their early problems and avoid the collapse that removes any possibility of something good happening later.
Orioles lineup
Taylor Ward – DH
Gunnar Henderson – SS
Adley Rutschman – C
Pete Alonso – 1B
Tyler O’Neill – RF
Jeremiah Jackson – 2B
Leody Taveras – CF
Coby Mayo – 3B
Blaze Alexander – LF
This is an “OK, we’re facing a lefty today” lineup that upsets me a lot less than some of the ones we’ve seen recently, because the only totally out of position guy is Alexander in left field. Hopefully it works out.
The Orioles are sending their own lefty the mound in the form of Trevor Rogers. So far in 2026, he’s not making like it’s 2025 again. I’ve said before and will say again that he was never going to carry a sub-2 ERA over a full season this year. Hopefully he can pitch well enough today to start lowering himself towards a 3.25 or so. If he can hold around there, I think the Orioles would be happy with that.
Ernie Clement cashed his base total for a sixth time in his last seven games last night, and with a southpaw on the mound for Cleveland today, I’m expecting that trend to continue this afternoon.
Read on for my Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Guardians predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, April 25.
Guardians vs Blue Jays predictions
Guardians vs Blue Jays best bet: Ernie Clement O 1.5 total bases (+110)
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement to go Over his base total has been a pretty safe bet over the past week, as he’s 6-1 to the Over in his last seven outings.
Throughout this seven-game stretch, Clement is averaging 2.57 bases per game with six extra-base hits.
With a hit rate like that, it’s too much value to pass up his bases total again at plus-money (+110).
Additionally, with Cleveland Guardians lefty Joey Cantillo on the mound, it’s a great matchup for Clement, too. He had a terrific .900 OPS against lefties last season and owns a .317 average against them again so far this year.
COVERS INTEL:Right-handed batters, like Clement, own a .786 OPS against Cantillo this season with six extra-base hits.
Guardians vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)
When Kevin Gausman has his splitter dancing, he’s nearly unhittable. This is often the case when facing this lineup, which owns just a .196 average against him with 26 K’s in 92 at-bats.
I’ll take the Over 5.5 strikeouts tonight for Gausman against a team that struggles against the splitter.
I’ll double down on the Gausman strikeout market by taking Guardians' Bo Naylor to strike out. He struggles against Gausman, going 0-5 in his career with three K’s.
Guardians vs Blue Jays SGP
Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases
Kevin Gausman Over 5.5 strikeouts
Bo Naylor Over 0.5 strikeouts
img loading="lazy" width="100%" height="null" src="https://img.covers.com/editorial/2026/jaysmlcbp.jpg" alt="Canada’s best price for Jays"
Get the best Jays ML odds at BET99 — every game.
Guardians vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto. (+425)
I’ll make this a half-unit wager.
Cantillo has been prone to giving up quite a bit of power. He ranks in the 31st percentile in hard-hit rate and in the 28th percentile in average exit velocity.
The Jays third-baseman owns a .571 batting average against lefties who throw him that pitch with a 60% hard hit rate. He also owns a 1.107 OPS over the last seven days.
Mike DiStefano's 2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 6-18, -9.15 units
SGPs: 3-21, -8.25 units
HR picks: 4-20, -1.35 units
Guardians vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Cleveland +127 | Toronto -140
Run line: Cleveland +1.5 (-165) | Toronto -1.5 (+145)
Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)
Guardians vs Blue Jays trend
The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the Team Total Under in 13 of their last 20 games (+5.50 Units / 24% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Guardians vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Saturday, April 25, 2026
First pitch
3:07 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet One
Guardians starting pitcher
Joey Cantillo (1-0, 3.20 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Kevin Gausman (1-1, 2.54 ERA)
Guardians vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Guardians vs Blue Jays 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.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 08: Brent Rooker #25 of the Athletics hits a sacrifice fly during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on April 08, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Great news — Brent Rooker’s recovery from an oblique strain is way ahead of schedule, so much so that the A’s hinted he could be activated as soon as during this season. With the day off Monday, perhaps the more likely outcome is that Rooker rejoins the team Tuesday when they return home to take on the Kansas City Royals.
Getting Rooker back is definitely a plus for the A’s as he recently hit his 100th HR as an Athletic after just 3+ seasons in the green and gold. He was off to a slow start but was heating up and looking like his old self when he took the fateful swing that landed him on the IL.
Sure Rooker strikes out more than you would ideally like (28.1% for his career) and his slow starts make watching him the first couple weeks of the season painful. But the weakness he brings to a roster is not at the plate where overall you will take him and be glad he’s on your side.
Rooker is not a good fielder, capable of playing the corner outfield but severely limited in his range or overall acumen. His best position is DH, which works well so long as the rest of your players excel in the field. But the 2026 A’s are not built that way. They have multiple players who give back value in the field and you just hope they provide enough offense to make it worthwhile to start them.
The most glaring example is Max Muncy, whom optimists point out is still relatively new to 3B and whom pessimists rebut by noting that his range and his throwing arm have been concerns ever since he turned pro. But now Platinum Glove candidate Denzel Clarke has hit the IL leaving the A’s with outfield decisions to make, and suddenly plus outfield defense is no longer a given.
And there is the matter of Carlos Cortes. Cortes may not wow anyone with his glove but my oh my is he wowing with the bat. With each passing day he is becoming more and more indispensable and his success is looking less and less fluky or driven by small samples.
Cortes’ career body of work is still rooted in “small sample” territory with 161 PAs. Nonetheless, he is currently a career .320/.354/.573 hitter with a 14.9% K rate who only seems to be getting better as he gets more regular playing time.
A glance at Cortes’ Statcast page screams “not a fluke!” and he isn’t even profiling as a platoon player: so far this season Cortes has had 3 plate appearances against LHPs and has produced a single and 2 doubles. He’s 5 for 8 in his career thus far against southpaws.
It seems clear the A’s need to keep Cortes’ bat in the lineup until further notice, at least against RHPs, even though his recent work in RF in Seattle was frighteningly shaky and might have cost the A’s a chance to sweep the series. Right now his bat is so good you have to find a spot for him — even if the ideal one is about to be rightfully claimed by Rooker.
Options do abound for solving this conundrum, they just come with caveats of which we must be emptor. Here are some of the options for a primary alignment:
1. Rooker DH, Soderstrom LF, Butler CF, Cortes RF
This one feels likely and comes at a great cost: Butler is a poor defensive CFer (worse than you might think as he doesn’t get to balls that look like maybe they just weren’t reachable, but which most CFers catch thanks to a better read, route, and speed), and Cortes is certainly worse than Butler in RF. How much is not yet clear — he’s probably much better than he looked in the Seattle dome but he’s slow and a bit awkward in the field. So you have to sacrifice a fair amount of defense to get all 4 bats in the lineup, and one of them, Butler, isn’t even hitting so far this season.
2. Rooker DH, Soderstrom LF, Gelof CF, Cortes RF
This one might best balance keeping your outfield sufficiently speedy and athletic with finding spots for 3 of your best hitters. It also assumes Gelof is as solid as he looks so far in CF, and more significantly it assumes the A’s are willing to sit the outfielder they committed to, just a year ago, with a significant contract extension.
3. Rooker DH, Soderstrom LF, Gelof CF, Butler RF
This one feels unlikely since it puts 2 questionable hitters in the outfield and their best hitter, so far in 2026, on the bench. But Cortes was no more than a 4th outfielder coming into the season and this gives you the best defensive look, so it’s on the table as a “defense first” option that presumes Gelof and Butler might hit far better than they have in the recent past. Certainly both are talented and have shown, over a half season, flashes of brilliance at the plate.
You can find other iterations if you put Rooker in the outfield, but the A’s aren’t going to do that because he is pretty clearly the worst fielding outfielder of the bunch (-22 DRS/-18 OAA career). Cortes is clearly superior so no point in flipping them.
Does one of these 3 options feel to you like the best one, and if so does it seem realistic the A’s might choose it as their most common alignment on the upcoming homestand? Or is there a 4th option you favor, and think might be realistic?
One way or the other the A’s are going to faced with some difficult decisions around how they employ Butler and Cortes, how much they commit to Gelof, and whether they emphasize hitting or outfield defense. It’s a really nice problem to have to get Rooker back in the lineup — and it still creates problems that don’t have obvious or foolproof solutions.
Portrait of Russ Ford (1883 - 1960), Right Handed Pitcher for the New York Yankees during the Major League Baseball American League season circa May 1913 at the Polo Grounds Stadium in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Keystone View Company/Archive Photos/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If I asked you to name a great single season from a player in Yankees’ history, you can probably come up with a few strong options. That player will probably also be a legend in franchise history. Feats like Joe DiMaggio’s 1941 with his 56-game hitting streak, Aaron Judge’s 62 homers in 2022, and Ron Guidry’s Cy Young 1978 probably come to mind first. Hell, any one of a number of Babe Ruth campaigns could be your answer.
The thing about individual seasons as opposed to great careers is that it’s possible to have an outstanding season and then somewhat fade back in obscurity. You’re more likely to be a pretty good player overall if you put up a great season, but random successes aren’t unheard of.
In Yankees history, Russ Ford had a couple solid campaigns in general, but then also had one of the best single pitching seasons in franchise history — despite being someone whose name you might not know. With today being his birthday, let’s look back on the original Ford pitching standout and his unbelievable 1910 season.
Russell William “Russ” Ford Born: April 25, 1883 (Brandon, Manitoba, Canada) Died: January 24, 1960 (Rockingham, NC) Yankees Tenure: 1909-13
Born in 1883 to Walter and Ida Ford — the latter of whom was a second cousin of soon-to-be U.S. president Grover Cleveland — Russ Ford was born in Manitoba, Canada. In his childhood, the Ford family — which also featured Russ’ older brother and fellow future big league pitcher Gene — emigrated to the United States and eventually settled in Minneapolis.
While there, he caught the eyes of some teams, and began to pitch in the minor leagues after his schooling. Ford started off his baseball career with the Springfield Senators in 1905. He played the next couple season with them, the Cedar Rapids Rabbits, and the Atlanta Crackers. It was with Atlanta in 1908 where he figured something out that would forever change him as a pitcher.
One day in Atlanta in 1908, Ford was warming up before the game on what had been a rainy day. He was a little bit wild, and one pitch got away from the catcher and struck an upright on the stands which they had been throwing under. After the ball was returned to him, Ford started to notice some odd movement on his next couple throws. He examined the ball and noticed that it had been scuffed up a bit where it had hit the upright. He then started to grip the ball opposite the scuff, and suddenly began to see some severe movement, as he had discovered what was set to take him to the big leagues.
The then-New York Highlanders picked up Ford after the 1908 season, and he ended up making the roster out of spring training for 1909. Tabbed for his MLB debut in the 11th game of the season, Ford ate some innings after Highlanders starter Jack Quinn got knocked out early by the Red Sox. Ford went four innings that day, allowing six runs. Shortly after that, he was assigned to the minor leagues, joining the Jersey City Skeeters. He had a good season there, experimenting with using an emery board to scuff up the ball, leading to him returning to the big leagues for 1910, when he would have his legendary season.
With his emery pitch, Ford hit the ground running when he returned to the big leagues in 1910. After coming out of the bullpen once, he was given his first major league start on April 21st. Tasked holding down that year’s World Series champions, the Philadelphia Athletics, Ford fanned nine batters en route to a complete-game shutout victory. Of Ford’s first nine MLB starts, only one didn’t end in a Yankees win, as he racked up 51 strikeouts across them.
Arguably the most impressive outs of Ford’s rookie season came on July 19th. Facing off against the St. Louis Browns, Ford’s defense behind him let the pitcher down, as an error allowed St. Louis to score a run in the top of the first. After that, Ford was dominant, at one point retiring 19 hitters in a row. As the offense took and grew a lead, Ford continued his dominance, and still had allowed no hits as the game moved to the ninth inning.
After issuing a walk and then getting the first out of the inning, Ford allowed a blooper hit by Danny Hoffman that was headed towards shortstop. However, Highlanders shortstop Roxey Roach misjudged the fly ball, allowing it to gently drop in for a Browns hit. Ford got out of the inning after that, finishing with a one-hitter, but came incredibly close to a no-no, which would’ve been the first in Highlanders/Yankees franchise history.
In total, Ford finished his rookie season with a 26-6 record, a 1.65 ERA (160 ERA+), a 1.87 FIP, 209 strikeouts, and would’ve led the league with just 5.8 H/9, had that been a stat calculated at the time. MLB awards didn’t exist back then, but Ford would’ve been in strong consideration for several of them. He almost certainly would’ve been a Rookie of the Year lock, and while this was the Walter Johnson Era and a Cy Young would’ve been a longshot, he would’ve earned some down-ballot consideration for that and the MVP. Ford’s 26 victories that season also set an AL rookie record, which still stands and will likely never be broken.
From 1911-13, Ford was still somewhere between good and very good, but he never quite matched 1910 again. He dealt with arm fatigue in 1913, which led to the Highlanders/Yankees’ contract offer for 1914 including a sizeable pay cut. That led him to leave the team and jump to the newly founded Federal League with the Buffalo Buffeds. He looked the part in 1914, leading the FL in a number of pitching stats.
However, the leagues all began to ban the use of the emery ball, and that plus Ford’s injury issues led to a massive drop-off in 1915. The Federal League also disbanded after 1915, and no AL or NL team were interested in the pitcher. He played in the minors before a few years but could never get back to close to his best. He eventually left baseball and move to his wife’s native North Carolina, where he passed away in 1960. Years later, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame honored the Manitoba-born Ford by inducting him in 1989.
Ford was not remotely good enough for long enough to merit induction to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, but that one season in 1910 is a better single season than many Hall of Famers have ever had.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Apr 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Game time was moved up due to inclement weather. Can this be the shakeup that begins to turn things around for the Sox? We’ll just have to see how this plays out.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: Manager Blake Butera #10 of the Washington Nationals walks across the field during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on April 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Overall, I think Blake Butera has done a solid job in his first few weeks as Nats manager. Sure, there are some bullpen decisions you could question, but he does not have many great options. However, I thought the Nats first year manager showed his inexperience in a big way last night.
Clearly there was a script to use both Miles Mikolas and Riley Cornelio. After opener PJ Poulin surprisingly got five outs, the ball was handed to Mikolas. The veteran right hander was solid, going 3.2 innings, allowing 2 runs. He was not outstanding, but he gave the Nats a chance to win.
When Mikolas ran into trouble in the 6th inning, Butera turned to Richard Lovelady, not the debuting Cornelio. That move made sense as there was a stack of left handed hitters coming up. The Nats got out of that inning only allowing one run, which set up the 7th inning.
With the Nats holding a 3-2 lead, Butera had a choice. He could either stick to the script and use Cornelio, or use more traditional high leverage relievers. Butera turned to Cornelio, which ended up being a mistake. It was just an unfair spot to put the kid into. Cornelio is a starter by trade, and does not really have experience in the bullpen.
He was inevitably over-amped and did not have his command in this outing. After walking the first two batters of his career, Cornelio then made an error on a bunt hit to him. The White Sox ended up taking the lead in that inning. After the Nats tied the game in the top of the 8th, Butera should have turned to another reliever. I get the plan was to use Cornelio for multiple innings, but it was pretty clear the kid did not have it.
Instead, Butera kept Cornelio in the game. Just like his first inning, Cornelio was erratic and allowed the go-ahead run to score. This was a situation where Butera should have used some feel instead of sticking with a script that was not working.
Blake Butera saw the 7th inning and decided to bring Cornelio back out for the 8th…
This is a really rough couple days for Blake Butera.#Natitude
That was not the only mistake Butera made last night either. He tried to run the first and third play again, this time with nobody out. It is pretty clear that teams know the Nats have that play in their back pocket. Butera has lost the element of surprise and probably should not run that play for a while.
He also elected not to pinch hit for Nasim Nunez in the top of the 9th inning in a one run game. I get Joey Wiemer and Curtis Mead are better against lefties, but I have more faith in them to make something happen than Nunez. Overall, it was just a rough night for Butera.
The biggest mistake was that Cornelio move though. It was just unfair to the kid, who was clearly emotional after the game. Putting a debuting starting pitcher in a high leverage relief role is just not a smart idea, and it predictably backfired.
The Nationals decided to throw Riley Cornelio into the fire tonight, and it didn’t go well for the rookie, who was holding back tears after taking the loss. https://t.co/4J6vLq9Lpr
I do not want to rag on Butera too much. I still like Butera as a manager and think he has brought much needed energy to this clubhouse. His youthful enthusiasm is something that has been missing for a couple years now. However, he showed his inexperience last night and hopefully he can learn from his mistake.
The Flyers on Saturday night have the chance to sweep a playoff series for the first time since 1995, when they took out the Rangers in the second round.
They’ll try to eliminate the Penguins in Game 4 of their best-of-seven first-round matchup.
The Flyers know Pittsburgh won’t be easy to close out.
“We expect to get their best,” Cam York said Saturday after morning skate. “We’ve kind of had their number there the last three games, but they’re a veteran group that has been in the situation before.”
Rick Tocchet’s club will have an urgency, too. The Flyers know if they can win the series early, the better their chances could be in the second round.
“We want to win just as bad as they do,” York said. “Rest is obviously important in the playoffs. If we win this one tonight, we get a good chunk of time off before the next series starts. It’s definitely something that we’re pushing for.
“We’re not going to change what we’ve done or be overaggressive because we really want to win this game. We’ve got to stick to the game plan and take it one shift at a time.”
Owen Tippett expects the crowd to be fired up at Xfinity Mobile Arena despite the not-so-nice weather in Philadelphia.
“Given that it’s a weekend, later start,” Tippett said. “Not the best day, but it’s always sunny in Philly. It should be a fun game and we’re all looking forward to it.”
Puck drop is scheduled for around 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with Flyers Pregame Live.
Rick Tocchet addresses the Flyers after skate. Flyers have a chance to sweep a playoff series for first time since 1995, when they took out the Rangers in the second round. pic.twitter.com/n1E2GZAjVw
Dan Vladar at skate preparing ahead of Game 4. Flyers have chance to sweep Penguins. Coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET on @NBCSPhilly. pic.twitter.com/f0jeujmjYj
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 22: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 22, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The latest news on the Houston Astros and from around MLB:
Some injury updates for the Astros:
Tatsuya Imai threw a bullpen today and “looked good,” manager Joe Espada said. His next step is a Minor League rehab outing.
Yordan Alvarez is pulling the ball at a career-high rate early this season. Astros staff view that not as a conscious effort but a byproduct of other things Alvarez is doing to fuel his torrid start: https://t.co/OhJv2YPgI3
How ugly was it for Lance McCullers Jr. vs. Yankees Friday? Only 5 swings and misses.
Lance McCullers Jr. against the Yankees: 5+ IP, 6 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 92 pitches, 51 strikes, 31 swings, 5 whiffs, 95.4 mph average exit velocity. After five starts and 25.1 innings, McCullers' ERA is 6.75
Why won’t the Astros open the roof at Daikin Park? The team wouldn’t make anyone available to discuss. Some players past and present prefer it open. Other teams with roofs — including one in Texas — try to open whenever possible. Story with @SamBlum3 – https://t.co/6Sxn1cit9f
Paul Skenes with 7 shutout innings. He had a perfect game through 6 2/3 innings. His career ERA: 2.01 He has now had an MLB-record 23 scoreless starts in his first 63 starts, per @CodifyBaseball
COVERS INTEL:
