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Chicago and Kansas City open Friday night at Kauffman Stadium with matching 5-8 records, so this is one of those early-April divisional games that already feels a little more important than it should. First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m. ET, and the listed pitching matchup is Davis Martin for the White Sox against Kris Bubic for the Royals. Chicago just blanked Kansas City 2-0 on Thursday to stop its skid, while the Royals have now dropped three straight and are trying to keep this series from getting away from them at home. The market still leans clearly toward Kansas City, though not because of recent form. It is more about the broader talent gap the books are pricing in

Washington heads to Milwaukee for Friday’s opener of this three-game set at 4-8, while the Brewers sit at 8-4 and tied for first in the NL Central. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET at American Family Field. The Nationals have dropped seven of their last eight, including the final two games of their series against St. Louis, while Milwaukee is trying to rebound after Boston took the last two games of its midweek set. The listed pitching matchup is Jake Irvin for Washington against Chad Patrick for Milwaukee, and that is the biggest reason the Brewers opened as a clear home favorite. Patrick enters at 1-0 with a 0.96 ERA, while Irvin has been hit hard early and

B oston heads to Busch Stadium on Friday night trying to build on back-to-back wins after a rough 4-8 start, while St. Louis comes in at 7-5 and has also won two straight. First pitch is set for 8:15 p.m. ET in St. Louis. The Red Sox are still trying to climb out of the bottom of the AL East, and the Cardinals have been better overall, especially at home, where they are 4-2 so far. This one is interesting because the market is making Boston the road favorite, and that usually says more about the pitching matchup than the teams’ records. The probable starters are Connelly Early for Boston and Dustin May for St. Louis. Early enters with a

Colorado and San Diego open this NL West matchup Friday night at PETCO Park with both clubs sitting at 6-6, which feels about right for two teams that have flashed upside without really settling in yet. First pitch is set for 9:40 p.m. ET in San Diego. The Rockies come in on a four-game winning streak after a strong showing in Houston, while the Padres return home after finishing a 4-2 road trip and snapping back to .500. The market still leans clearly toward San Diego despite the even records, and that is mostly about the setting, the lineup floor, and some skepticism around whether Colorado’s recent run travels. The listed pitching matchup is Tomoyuki Sugano for Colorado against Walker