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The Athletics head to Globe Life Field on Friday night to face the Texas Rangers in an AL West matchup with both teams sitting at 13-12. Texas holds the top spot in the division, while the Athletics are right behind in second, so this is not just another April game. It is early, but these games matter when the division is this tight. First pitch is set for 8:05 p.m. ET in Arlington, with Luis Severino scheduled for the Athletics and Nathan Eovaldi going for Texas. The Rangers are favored at home after beating Pittsburgh 6-1 behind Jacob deGrom’s 10-strikeout outing, while the Athletics are trying to respond after a 5-4 walk-off loss in Seattle. The market has Texas around

The New York Yankees head to Daikin Park on Friday night to face the Houston Astros, with first pitch set for 8:10 p.m. ET. New York enters at 16-9 and first in the AL East, while Houston sits 10-16 and last in the AL West. The Yankees have won six straight, and they have also won three in a row on the road, so this is not a soft spot for the home team. Houston is coming off a 2-0 win over Cleveland, which at least gives the Astros a cleaner feeling after a rough start. Still, this has been an uneven April for them. The lineup has enough high-end production to be dangerous, but the injuries are piling up,

The Seattle Mariners visit the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night at Busch Stadium, with first pitch set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Seattle enters at 11-15 and fourth in the AL West, while St. Louis is 14-10 and third in the NL Central. This interleague matchup has a clear pitching edge on paper for the road team, but the price is not exactly cheap with the Mariners sitting as a sizable favorite. Seattle comes in off a 5-4 walk-off win over the Athletics, a game where Cal Raleigh homered again and Josh Naylor delivered the final swing. The Mariners still have issues, especially away from home, but George Kirby gives them their cleanest path to controlling this game. St. Louis,

The Chicago Cubs head to UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Friday night for a 10:15 p.m. ET matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chicago enters at 16-9 and riding a nine-game winning streak, while Los Angeles sits 17-8 after avoiding a sweep in San Francisco with a 3-0 win over the Giants. The opener is set for Apple TV+, with Jameson Taillon scheduled for the Cubs and Emmet Sheehan expected for the Dodgers. This is a real form-versus-price game. The Cubs are playing their best baseball of the season, and their offense just keeps building innings. The Dodgers are still the better overall roster on paper, especially at home, but they are also coming off a road trip where