Spring training roundup: Mike Yastrzemski, Braves blitz Red Sox

Friday’s spring training board played loud, lots of crooked numbers, a few pitching lines that got ugly fast, and multiple games flipped by one massive inning. We also saw a couple late charges that mattered for live bettors, plus one clean walk-off finish in the desert. If you were tracking scoring environment, this slate leaned offense.

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Latest MLB Odds & Lines

If you’re lining up today’s card, start with the moneyline, run line, and totals view on the latest MLB odds and lines board. Spring numbers can move quickly as lineups lock in and arms change, so keep it flexible. Use it to sanity-check how markets are reacting, without overcommitting early.

MLB Picks of the Day

This slate is the type that rewards bettors who stay organized and pick spots, not just teams. For daily angles and quick-hit plays, check today’s MLB picks and keep your card tight.

Top Takeaways

  • Atlanta broke the game open with an 11-run third, and that inning decided everything for anyone looking at live totals and live sides.
  • New York buried Minnesota early with an eight-run second, the kind of fast start that turns full-game bets into bullpen and innings exposure.
  • Detroit’s 11-run sixth changed the entire risk profile midgame, Philadelphia never recovered once that inning landed.
  • Tampa Bay built a lead, then had to survive Toronto’s four-run eighth, a clean reminder that late volatility stays live even with reserve-heavy lineups.
  • Pittsburgh’s five-run seventh was the swing point, a single late inning can erase a quiet start and flip live positions.
  • Colorado got another walk-off homer from Zac Veen, which is exactly the kind of late leverage that makes one-run games dangerous to handicap.

MLB Game Recaps

Atlanta Braves vs Boston Red Sox Recap: Atlanta Braves wins 15-8

Mike Yastrzemski homered twice and Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a grand slam as Atlanta rolled to a 15-8 win in North Port, Fla. Acuna and Matt Olson homered during a huge day at the plate.

The turning point was an 11-run third inning that pushed Atlanta out to a 13-3 lead. Chris Sale allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings, but Boston starter Brayan Bello was hit for five runs in two innings, and the game never found balance after that explosion.

New York Yankees vs Minnesota Twins Recap: New York Yankees wins 17-5

Spencer Jones was one of five Yankees to go deep in a 17-5 runaway win in Fort Myers, Fla. Jones finished with three RBIs and two runs, and he hit his third homer of the spring.

New York’s eight-run second inning did the damage, powered by homers from Jasson Dominguez and J.C. Escarra. Luis Gil allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings for the win, while Minnesota’s late four runs across the final two innings only trimmed the margin.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Baltimore Orioles Recap: Pittsburgh Pirates wins 6-1

Shane Baz was sharp in his Baltimore debut, throwing 2 1/3 no-hit innings with four strikeouts, but Pittsburgh finished stronger in Bradenton, Fla. Pirates starter Mitch Keller also worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

The decisive moment was a five-run seventh that broke the game open, capped by Termarr Johnson’s two-run single. That late inning swing is the whole story from a betting lens, one clean separation after a low-event start.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays Recap: Tampa Bay Rays wins 6-5

Cedric Mullins drove early offense for Tampa Bay, including a third-inning homer, as the Rays held on to beat Toronto 6-5 in Port Charlotte, Fla. Junior Caminero added a first-inning two-run single, and Ryan Vilade delivered a game-winning sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Toronto’s late push mattered, a four-run eighth tied it at 5, forcing Tampa Bay to win it again. Eric Lauer allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings, and the back-and-forth late showed how quickly these spring games can swing.

New York Mets vs St. Louis Cardinals Recap: New York Mets wins 14-3

MJ Melendez homered in consecutive innings and finished with four RBIs as the Mets crushed the Cardinals 14-3 in Jupiter, Fla. A.J. Ewing also homered, scored twice, and drove in three.

Freddy Peralta gave New York three shutout innings, and that stability paired with the power surge put the game away early. For St. Louis, Quinn Mathews allowed one run on one hit over 2 2/3 innings, and JJ Wetherholt homered for his first spring hit, but the overall scoring gap was too wide.

Philadelphia Phillies (ss) vs Miami Marlins Recap: Philadelphia Phillies (ss) wins 10-2

Trea Turner and Adolis Garcia each had two hits as Philadelphia’s split squad beat Miami 10-2 in Clearwater, Fla. The Phillies only hit one homer, but they stacked six doubles and got hits from 10 different players.

Philadelphia jumped ahead 4-0 in the first, giving Aaron Nola room in his first start, he allowed one earned run with two strikeouts over two innings. Robby Snelling was hit hard early, allowing five runs (four earned) in 1 1/3 innings, and Miami’s offense was limited to RBI singles from Heriberto Hernandez and Griffin Conine.

Detroit Tigers vs Philadelphia Phillies (ss) Recap: Detroit Tigers wins 16-8

Detroit blew it open late with an 11-run sixth inning to beat Philadelphia 16-8 in Lakeland, Fla. Tomas Nido had two hits and three RBIs during the extended inning, and Javier Baez hit his first spring homer in the fourth.

That sixth inning was the separator, Detroit turned a competitive game into a rout in one stretch. Jack Flaherty allowed one run on one hit over two innings, while the Phillies went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position compared to Detroit’s 9-for-16, a clean execution gap.

Los Angeles Angels vs Cincinnati Reds Recap: Los Angeles Angels wins 4-3

Logan O’Hoppe hit a two-run homer and Denzer Guzman added an RBI double as the Angels edged the Reds 4-3 in Goodyear, Ariz. Oswald Peraza drove in a run on a ground-rule double.

The late sweat came from Blake Dunn’s solo homer in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to erase the deficit. Brent Suter allowed one run over two innings for Los Angeles, while Rhett Lowder threw three shutout innings with three strikeouts for Cincinnati.

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Chicago White Sox (ss) vs Texas Rangers Recap: Chicago White Sox (ss) wins 3-1

LaMonte Wade Jr. hit a two-run homer as Chicago’s split squad beat Texas 3-1 in Glendale, Ariz. Miguel Vargas went 2-for-3, and Darren Baker added an RBI single.

Chicago got a hitless two-inning start from Erick Fedde, then Mike Vasil struck out four over three innings of relief while allowing one run. Texas got its only run on Cameron Cauley’s double in the fourth, and the Rangers were quiet the rest of the way after Alexis Diaz surrendered all three runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres Recap: Colorado Rockies wins 3-2

Zac Veen hit his second walk-off homer of spring training as Colorado beat San Diego 3-2 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Hunter Goodman also homered, and Colorado struck out 12 batters, starting with Tanner Gordon’s scoreless two innings.

San Diego’s scoring came from a Manny Machado sacrifice fly and a Samad Taylor RBI single, but the game stayed tight until the walk-off swing ended it. Randy Vasquez went 2 2/3 hitless innings with four strikeouts in another scoreless start.

Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago White Sox (ss) Recap: Milwaukee Brewers wins 5-2

Luis Rengifo drove in two runs, including a solo homer, as Milwaukee beat Chicago 5-2 in Phoenix. Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, and William Contreras each added an RBI.

The difference was Milwaukee generating enough offense while Chicago’s lineup struck out 12 times. Edgar Quero produced both White Sox runs with a single and a double, while Brandon Sproat worked 1 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and three hits allowed.

Chicago Cubs vs Cleveland Guardians Recap: Chicago Cubs wins 8-6

Dansby Swanson drove in three runs to lift the Cubs over the Guardians 8-6 in Mesa, Ariz. He homered for two in the first and later added an RBI single in the sixth, with Scott Kingery also going deep.

Cleveland’s big push came in the seventh when Maick Collado, Jonah Advincula and Bo Naylor helped produce five runs, and Joe Lampe’s run in the ninth made it tight again. Chicago had enough early offense to absorb the comeback attempt, while Logan Allen allowed two runs over three innings for Cleveland.

Kansas City Royals vs Athletics Recap: Kansas City Royals wins 7-6

Bobby Witt Jr. went 2-for-2 with a three-run homer as Kansas City came back to beat the A’s 7-6 in Surprise, Ariz. Josh Rojas and Nick Loftin each drove in two, and Loftin’s two-run double in the seventh was the eventual game-winner.

The A’s hit well and got homers from Max Muncy and Jacob Wilson, but Kansas City’s seventh-inning swing made the final difference. Jeffrey Springs allowed four runs in 1 2/3 innings, and Bailey Falter gave up two runs over 1 2/3 in his second spring start.

San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers Recap: San Francisco Giants wins 12-4

Victor Bericoto hit a three-run homer as San Francisco dominated Los Angeles 12-4 in Scottsdale, Ariz. The Giants collected 14 hits, with Patrick Bailey, Daniel Susac, Heliot Ramos and Jared Oliva (four RBIs) all posting multiple hits, and Willy Adames homered as well.

The game was tied 2-2 in the third after James Tibbs III and Santiago Espinal traded RBI swings, but San Francisco’s offense kept stacking damage from there. Robbie Ray allowed one hit and one run in two innings, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed two runs over three innings, and Chris Newell added a two-run homer in the ninth.

MLB Picks and Handicappers

If you’re betting baseball daily, the edge usually comes from consistency, volume, and having multiple viewpoints on the same slate. That’s why it helps to track sports handicappers in one place, compare styles, and avoid leaning on a single voice when the schedule gets dense.

Sportshub also makes it easy to mix in free service plays when you want action without forcing a buy, and to sharpen your process with the Bettor’s Handbook. For baseball-specific strategy, keep the MLB betting guide bookmarked, then scale up when you’re ready through the pricing packages.

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Scott’s Picks
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3. Ryan Davis
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4. Logan Wilson
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5. Sports Central
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Top Winners – This Week
Logan Wilson
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2. Sports Hub Insider
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3. Sports Central
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4. Mikey Sports
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5. Kyle Buchman
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About the Author
Sal Lombardi
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Mr. Lombardi has long been a respected member of the capper community, and, along with his team of experts, offer great material from around the baseball world. You’ll find Sports Hub’s MLB and other baseball content categorized under Sal because of his longtime commitment to providing the best content from the diamond. Sal’s roots run deep, from running the streets of Chicago in the day, to his retirement years in Costa Rica. Not many in the industry get the inside info like Sal. Let him and his team guide you to everything that is baseball. Even though Sal is our baseball consultant, football is his passion and shows through his record every year in the NFL and college football. In fact, he gets sharp action on every sport.