Yankees-Red Sox! and some other teams also play this weekend
I’ll have much more to say about last night’s stunning Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Sunday’s post, but for now… “What did I just watch???”
In the meantime, baseball is center stage this weekend with three marquee series:
- The first-place Cubs visit the first-place Tigers
- The surprisingly struggling Braves face the surprising Giants
- And the iconic Yankees–Red Sox rivalry kicks off for the first time this season
📺 Today's TV Games
- ⚾ Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees – MLB Network
- ⚾ Chicago Cubs @ Detroit Tigers – Apple TV+
- ⚾ Atlanta Braves @ San Francisco Giants – MLB Network
🎯 Today's Pick 10 (7:10pm ET/4:10pm PT)
⚾ Chicago Cubs @ Detroit
Tarik Skubal enters as the clear favorite with dominant numbers:
2.26 ERA, 1.88 FIP, 14.14 K/BB ratio, and averaging 10 strikeouts per game over his last 7 starts.
The Cubs’ offense is rolling—scoring at least 7 runs in 3 of their last 4 games—but they’ve had limited exposure to Skubal. The real concern is starter Ben Brown, who trails statistically (5.72 ERA, 1.46 WHIP), though his 3.11 FIP hints at possible upside. Brown’s unfamiliarity could play to his advantage against the Tigers’ lineup.
- Ben Brown – Over/Under 4.5 hits allowed
- Pete Crow-Armstrong – Over/Under 0.5 hits
- Tarik Skubal – Over/Under 7.5 strikeouts
- Gleyber Torres – Over/Under 1.5 hits + runs + RBIs
⚾ Atlanta @ San Francisco
Atlanta arrives frustrated after a brutal 9th-inning collapse yesterday, surrendering 6 runs to the Diamondbacks before flying cross-country to face a Giants squad that recently shook up its lineup.
Spencer Schwellenbach gets the edge on Hayden Birdsong tonight. Schwellenbach is coming off back-to-back 11-strikeout outings and has pitched into the 7th inning in each of his last 7 starts. Both are young arms with little history against opposing hitters—giving pitchers a slight advantage in the cool, foggy air of Oracle Park.
- Matt Olson – Over/Under 1.5 hits + runs + RBIs
- Ronald Acuña Jr. – Over/Under 0.5 runs
- Alex Verdugo – Over/Under 0.5 strikeouts
- Jung Hoo Lee – Over/Under 1.5 hits + runs + RBIs
- Heliot Ramos – Over/Under 1.5 hits + runs + RBIs
- Patrick Bailey – Over/Under 0.5 hits
🏆 Pick 5 Margin (7:05pm ET/4:05pm PT)
⚾ Boston @ NY Yankees
Tonight’s contest is all about offense, which is great given the uncertainty on the mound.
Walker Buehler brings a strong track record from his Dodgers days but has historically struggled against current Yankees hitters from his NL days.
On the other side, Will Warren continues an up-and-down campaign in his first full season starting. He has strong strikeout upside and will hope that Boston’s unfamiliarity with his stuff—and a slumping Red Sox—gives him the edge before turning it over to the bullpen.
- Rafael Devers – Hits+Runs+RBIs
- Wilyer Abreu – Hits+Runs+RBIs
- Aaron Judge – Hits+Runs+RBIs
- Paul Goldschmidt – Hits+Runs+RBIs
- Cody Bellinger – Hits+Runs+RBIs
