Expert MLB Picks and Previews

A’s Lawrence Butler eager to heat up as finale vs. Royals approaches Lawrence Butler’s bat has been in a deep slumber, and the 25-year-old outfielder hasn’t resembled the player who topped 20 homers in each of his first two full major league seasons. Perhaps that’s why Athletics manager Mark Kotsay was so excited to see the “Law Dog” deliver a

The San Francisco Giants visit the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, April 30, with first pitch scheduled for 12:35 PM ET. San Francisco enters at 13-16 and fifth in the NL West, but the Giants have played better lately, winning six of their last 10 despite getting shut out 7-0 in the series opener. Philadelphia is 10-19

The Colorado Rockies visit the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Thursday, April 30, with first pitch scheduled for 12:40 PM ET. Colorado enters at 14-17 and fourth in the NL West, but the Rockies have been more competitive lately, going 6-4 over their last 10 and coming off a 13-2 win over Cincinnati. The Reds come in

The Washington Nationals visit the New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday, April 30, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 PM ET. Washington enters at 14-17 and third in the NL East, while New York sits at 10-20 and last in the division. The Mets are favored despite their ugly form, with Freddy Peralta set to face Miles Mikolas

The Arizona Diamondbacks visit the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Thursday, April 30, with first pitch scheduled for 1:40 PM ET. Arizona enters at 16-13 and third in the NL West, while Milwaukee comes in at 15-14 and fourth in the NL Central. The series is tied 1-1 after Arizona answered Tuesday’s blowout loss with a 6-2 win

The Kansas City Royals visit the Athletics at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Thursday, April 30, with first pitch set for 3:05 PM local time. Kansas City enters at 12-17 and has been playing its best baseball of the season, winning four straight before this series flipped into a tight closing spot. The Athletics come in at 15-14

The Toronto Blue Jays visit the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Thursday, April 30, with first pitch scheduled for 7:40 PM ET. Toronto enters at 14-16 and fourth in the AL East, but the recent form looks much better than the overall record. The Blue Jays have won two straight and seven of their last 10, so this is

The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday, April 30, with first pitch scheduled for 12:35 PM ET. St. Louis enters at 17-13 and third in the NL Central, while Pittsburgh is 16-15 and fifth in the division. The Cardinals have taken the first three games of this series, including Wednesday’s 5-4 win, and now

The Detroit Tigers visit the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Thursday, April 30, with first pitch set for 12:15 PM ET. Detroit enters at 15-16 and second in the AL Central, but the road form is a real problem at 5-14. The Tigers have dropped two straight, including Wednesday’s 4-3 walk-off loss, and now have to turn around quickly