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Philadelphia heads into Pittsburgh for Game 1 on Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena, and this opener feels tighter than the price suggests. The Flyers closed the regular season on a strong run, while the Penguins did enough to secure home ice in the matchup. That matters, of course, but so does current form, and Philadelphia looked a little cleaner structurally down the stretch. This is the kind of playoff game bettors usually overcomplicate. Pittsburgh has the more dangerous offensive ceiling and the stronger special teams profile, but Philadelphia has been the steadier team at five-on-five lately. That creates a real split in the handicap. If this stays mostly even strength, the dog has a real chance. If the whistles

Houston catcher Yainer Diaz was absent from the starting lineup on Friday when the Astros lost 9-4 to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game interleague series. While the Astros have enjoyed success offensively this season, leading the American League in several categories, Diaz has labored. He is batting .094, with an on-base percentage of .094 and a slugging percentage of .188, since his last multi-hit game on April 4 against the Athletics, a span of eight games. Diaz, 27, is batting .186 for the season, with one homer and nine RBIs. Astros manager Joe Espada said the club is working with him to tweak some things related to his approach at the plate. “You always

Max Scherzer’s off-day preparation includes time on the piano. Don’t knock it until you try it. Scherzer (1-2, 9.58 ERA) will get the ball on Saturday for the Toronto Blue Jays against Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.60) of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The veteran right-handers will meet Saturday in Phoenix in the second game of a three-game set. A three-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer found a keyboard in a room near the Blue Jays clubhouse on Friday and started tapping out Van Halen’s “Right Now.” He has credited the dexterity required to play the piano with extending his career by helping to relieve the discomfort of a troublesome right thumb injury. “When you’re playing different keys and notes and chords, your

The weekend didn’t start well for the Colorado Rockies, but they will have three more chances against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles recorded a 7-1 win in the opener of a four-game series in Denver on Friday night. The Dodgers have won four games in a row and 11 of their last 13 heading into a rematch on Saturday evening. Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA) will be on the mound for Los Angeles against fellow right-hander Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30) of Colorado. It won’t be easy against Sheehan, who has pitched well against the Rockies in his brief career. Sheehan is 4-0 with a 3.75 ERA in four starts against them and is not afraid to pitch at altitude.