Expert MLB Picks and Previews

Houston heads back into Coors Field on Tuesday night for an 8:40 p.m. ET first pitch, trying to stop a two-game skid after Monday’s 9-7 loss in Denver. The Astros are 6-5, the Rockies are 4-6, and this one sets up as a classic early-season Coors handicap: strong Houston offense, shaky pitching depth, and a total already pushed into double

The Braves and Angels run it back Tuesday night at Angel Stadium, with first pitch set for 9:38 p.m. ET in Anaheim. Atlanta comes in at 6-5 after dropping three straight, while Los Angeles is also 6-5 and has started to stabilize a bit after beating the Braves 6-2 on Monday behind a strong José Soriano outing. This one is

Philadelphia heads to Oracle Park on Tuesday night for a 9:45 p.m. ET first pitch, with the Phillies sitting at 6-4 and trying to steady themselves after a choppy first stretch of the season. San Francisco is 3-8 and has dropped three straight, so this is one of those early-April spots where the home team already feels a little pressure

Chicago heads to St. Petersburg for Monday’s 4:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Tropicana Field, where both clubs enter 4-5 but with very different moods. The Cubs just split a Sunday doubleheader in Cleveland after Saturday’s rainout, while the Rays won two of three in Minnesota and now come home for their first regular-season game back at the Trop since

Kansas City opens AL Central play Monday night at Progressive Field, with first pitch set for 6:10 p.m. ET in Cleveland. The Royals come in 4-5 after dropping the series finale to Milwaukee, while the Guardians are 6-4, leading the division after splitting Sunday’s doubleheader with the Cubs. The stream is on MLB.TV, and the market has Cleveland installed as

San Diego opens this series at PNC Park on Monday night, with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh. The Padres come in 4-5 and third in the NL West after winning back-to-back games in Boston, while the Pirates are 6-3, third in the NL Central, and riding a five-game winning streak after sweeping Baltimore. Regional coverage is

Cincinnati opens a four-game set at loanDepot Park on Monday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET in Miami. Both clubs are 6-3, but they got there differently. The Reds just swept Texas on the road and allowed only four runs all weekend, while the Marlins had to survive a long rain delay and a late comeback to

Milwaukee opens a three-game set at Fenway Park on Monday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 p.m. ET in Boston. The Brewers come in at 7-2, 2-1 on the road, and sitting on top of the NL Central. Boston is 2-7, 1-2 at home, and trying to stop another slide after dropping two straight to San Diego. The game

St. Louis opens a three-game set at Nationals Park on Monday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 p.m. ET in Washington. The Cardinals come in 5-4 and fourth in the NL Central after salvaging the finale in Detroit, while the Nationals are 3-6, fifth in the NL East, and trying to stop a five-game slide after getting swept by