Expert MLB Picks and Previews

Brandon Marsh, Phillies eager to continue torrid play in clash vs. A’s When the Philadelphia Phillies were 9-19, it seemed as if nothing was going their way. The rejuvenated Phillies are happy to have some luck on their side as they head into Thursday night’s home game against the Athletics. Since Don Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson as Philadelphia’s manager, the

The Athletics visit the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. It is the final game of this three-game series, and Philadelphia has already taken control after winning the first two matchups, including a 6-3 result on Wednesday. The Athletics come in at 18-18 and still sit first in the

The Baltimore Orioles visit the Miami Marlins on Thursday night at loanDepot Park, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. It is the finale of a three-game interleague set, and Baltimore has already taken the first two games after winning 9-7 on Tuesday and 7-4 on Wednesday. The Orioles come in at 17-20 and third in the AL East.

The Tampa Bay Rays visit the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night at Fenway Park, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. It is an AL East matchup with a pretty clear market tension: Tampa Bay has been the better team all season, but Boston is at home with a young starter who has looked sharp in limited work.

The St. Louis Cardinals head to PETCO Park on Thursday night to open a four-game series against the San Diego Padres, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET. It is a good late-window matchup on ESPN, mostly because both clubs are sitting second in their divisions and neither one feels like a finished product yet. St. Louis comes in

The New York Mets visit the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon at Coors Field, with first pitch scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET. This was supposed to be an off day, but the series had to be rearranged after rain and snow pushed the schedule around in Denver. Now the Mets have a chance to finish off a sweep before moving

The Cincinnati Reds visit the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field, with first pitch scheduled for 2:20 p.m. ET. This is the finale of a four-game NL Central series, and it has been a brutal few days for Cincinnati. The Reds have dropped the first three games of the series, all in walk-off fashion, and now need to

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday afternoon at Chase Field, with first pitch scheduled for 3:40 p.m. ET. This is the finale of a three-game series in Phoenix, and the first two games could not have been much different. Arizona won 9-0 on Tuesday, then Pittsburgh answered with a tight 1-0 win behind Paul Skenes on Wednesday.

The Cleveland Guardians visit the Kansas City Royals on Thursday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET. It is the finale of a four-game AL Central series, and Cleveland is trying to salvage a split after winning 3-1 on Wednesday night. The Guardians come in at 19-19 and first in the AL Central, which says