Pitching matchups for Sunday’s MLB games

Sunday’s MLB action will begin in the early afternoon when the Arizona Diamondbacks take on the Washington Nationals at 1:05 p.m. The rest of the matchups on the 15-game slate will get started between then and 7:00 p.m. ET. There’s a lot to take in, but we’ve identified some pitching matchups worth keeping an eye on as the day does on.

Best Matchup: Trevor Bauer vs. Blake Snell

Two former Cy Young winners are set to face off in this matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Bauer is looking to repeat after winning the National League’s Cy Young Award in 2020 and is off to a strong start in 2021. He’s struck out at least nine batters in each of his first three starts and hasn’t given up more than three hits in an outing yet. Snell, who won an American League Cy Young Award in 2018, is looking to rebound after getting pulled in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this week. The former Tampa Bay Rays notched eight strikeouts in each of his first two starts and could get back on track against one of the better lineups in MLB.

Sleeper Matchup: Bryse Wilson vs. Kyle Hendricks

The Atlanta Braves’ Wilson is getting his first start of the year. The 23-year-old last pitched in a 10-2 playoff win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has a chance to kick off 2021 with a great start, as the Chicago Cubs have struggled at the plate and rank second to last in total hits this year. Hendricks entered 2021 as one of the dark horses that could compete for a Cy Young Award but hasn't made much notice yet. The 2016 ERA leader and World Series champ, he has yet to get a win under his belt but is one of MLB’s best when he gets rolling.

Here’s a look at the pitching matchups for Sunday’s 15-game MLB slate on April 18th.

Diamondbacks vs. Nationals: Madison Bumgarner vs. Stephen Strasburg
Cardinals vs. Phillies: John Gant vs. Aaron Nola
Rays vs. Yankees: Ryan Yarbrough vs. Gerrit Cole
White Sox vs. Red Sox: TBD vs. Martin Perez
Indians vs. Reds: Shane Bieber vs. Wade Miley
Giants vs. Marlins: Alex Wood vs. Pablo Lopez
Pirates vs. Brewers: Chad Kuhl vs. Freddy Peralta
Blue Jays vs. Royals: Hyun Jin Ryu vs. Danny Duffy
Orioles vs. Rangers: John Means vs. Kyle Gibson
Mets vs. Rockies: Marcus Stroman vs. Antonio Senzatela
Tigers vs. Athletics: Matthew Boyd vs. Chris Bassitt
Twins vs. Angels: JA Happ vs. Alex Cobb
Astros vs. Mariners: Jake Odorizzi vs. Justus Sheffield
Dodgers vs. Padres: Trevor Bauer vs. Blake Snell
Braves vs. Cubs: Bryse Wilson vs. Kyle Hendricks