Expert MLB Picks and Previews

Blue Jays in evaluation mode as homestand opens vs. Guardians The Toronto Blue Jays will try to gain some traction during a six-game homestand that starts Friday night against the Cleveland Guardians. The Blue Jays completed a 4-5 road trip with a 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday as they continue to seek the magic of last

Atlanta goes into Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park trying to close out the series with another division win. The Braves are 17-8 and lead the NL East, while Washington is 11-14 and sitting third after dropping Wednesday’s 8-6 game. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. ET in D.C., with streaming coverage listed on MLB.TV. Atlanta turns to JR Ritchie

Milwaukee heads into Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park trying to win the series after Wednesday’s 5-2 loss evened things up. The Brewers are 13-10 and somehow still sitting fifth in the NL Central, while Detroit is 13-12 and second in the AL Central. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. ET, with Brandon Sproat lined up for Milwaukee and Tarik

Philadelphia goes into Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field trying to stop the slide before this series gets away completely. The Phillies are 8-16 and have lost eight straight, while the Cubs are 15-9 and have won eight in a row after Wednesday’s 7-2 result. First pitch is set for 2:20 p.m. ET, and the listed TV coverage is NBC Sports

San Diego heads into Thursday afternoon at Coors Field trying to win the series after Wednesday’s 8-3 loss snapped some momentum. The Padres are 16-8 and tied atop the NL West, while Colorado is 10-15 and still trying to climb out of the division cellar. First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. ET in Denver, with Padres.TV and Rockies.TV listed

Chicago heads into Thursday’s series finale at Chase Field trying to win a second straight road series after taking two of its last three overall. The White Sox are 9-15 and fourth in the AL Central, while Arizona is 14-10 and third in the NL West after Wednesday’s 11-7 win evened this set. First pitch is scheduled for 3:40 p.m.

The Dodgers head into Thursday afternoon at Oracle Park trying to avoid a three-game sweep after dropping the first two games of this NL West set, including Wednesday’s 3-0 loss. Los Angeles is 16-8 and tied for first in the division, while San Francisco is 11-13 and sitting fourth, five games back. First pitch is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET,

The Yankees go into Thursday night at Fenway Park looking for a sweep and trying to keep their five-game win streak alive. New York is 15-9 and sits first in the AL East, while Boston is 9-15 and last in the division. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. EDT, and the listed coverage includes YES, NESN+ and FS1. This

Minnesota heads into Thursday’s series finale at Citi Field looking to grab the road series and get back above .500. The Twins are 12-12, while the Mets are 8-16 after finally snapping their 12-game losing streak with a 3-2 win on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET in Queens, with Joe Ryan lined up for Minnesota and