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The Los Angeles Angels are on fire, and they’re using the long ball to torch their opponents. Winners of six straight — the team’s longest winning streak of the season — the Angels are hitting like a club with something to prove. With 15 homers during the streak, and eight of those coming in this series alone, the Angels are looking to cap off a four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics Thursday afternoon in West Sacramento, Calif. Wednesday’s 10-5 win featured four more homers, and the team now boasts 17 extra-base hits through three games. The Angels’ recent offensive eruption has been led by young stars and surging veterans alike. Logan O’Hoppe, the team’s promising catcher, has smacked three homers

There’s no shortage of motivation in the Motor City this week. The Detroit Tigers, one of baseball’s early-season surprise stories, are set to host the Cleveland Guardians for the first time this season — a four-game set that comes packed with postseason flashbacks and divisional weight. The last time these two clubs squared off was in the American League Division Series, where Cleveland halted Detroit’s Cinderella run in five games. The Guardians tagged Tigers ace Tarik Skubal with the series-ending loss, and he’s already locked in to pitch the series finale on Sunday. But before that, Detroit’s attention is on Thursday’s opener, where right-hander Jack Flaherty will look to build on a strong bounce-back performance and help set the tone

For the San Diego Padres, the last five days have been nothing short of a nightmare. With a five-game losing streak in progress, an offense stuck in neutral, and a defensive implosion on Wednesday that saw four errors — including three by star third baseman Manny Machado — it’s safe to say the club is reeling. Following a 14-0 drubbing at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Padres now find themselves having been outscored 17-0 through the first two games of this three-game set. Even more troubling? San Diego has gone an astonishing 0-for-32 with runners in scoring position during their skid — a number that looms large as they prepare for Thursday’s series finale. Manager Mike Shildt

Jasson Dominguez is wasting no time making his presence felt in the Bronx. After returning from Tommy John surgery, the Yankees’ top prospect is quickly becoming one of the key pieces in a surging New York lineup. On Wednesday night, in freezing temperatures, Dominguez delivered what could be his defining moment of the 2024 season — at least so far. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Dominguez launched a solo homer off Rangers closer Luke Jackson to walk off the Texas Rangers and give New York a dramatic 4-3 win. It was his fourth homer in his past nine games, during which he’s hitting .273 (9-for-33), raising his average to .241 overall. “When pitchers make mistakes, he’s