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We have a stacked 15-game slate on tap Friday, beginning at 2:20 p.m. ET. Before first pitch between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, we’ll take a look at the best games on the schedule, rookies to keep an eye out for, and fantasy spotlight.
Best Games To Watch
There are two games that will be worth tuning in throughout the night on Friday. At 7:10 p.m. ET, we have an AL East division matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. In that game, we will have a tremendous pitching matchup as Steven Matz will face off against Tyler Glasnow. Both starting pitchers are dominating on the mound this season and have played integral parts in their teams success. Matz is 3-0 with an ERA of 1.47, while Glasnow only has a record 2-0 and 0.73 ERA. The 27-year-old starter is tied for fifth in the majors with 36 strikeouts.
The other game to keep an eye on is the San Diego Padres traveling down to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers. The Padres will have Yu Darvish on the mound, who will be opposed by Clayton Kershaw for the Dodgers. These two pitchers faced off against each other last weekend in a tremendous pitchers duel that saw the Dodgers win 2-0.
Fantasy Spotlight
The fantasy spotlight for Friday will be focusing on Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson. The 27-year-old got off to a rough start, just like his team, but they’ve rallied to win 11-straight games heading into Friday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. On April 8, Olson was slashing a disappointing .190/.320/.238 and was in the midst of a 0-for-11 streak at the plate.
However, he has completely turned around his season and played an integral part in the Athletics’ double-digit win streak. Olson is slugging .316 with six home runs (second in the majors), and 15 RBI (eighth in the majors). Over the course of Oakland’s win streak, he has recorded a hit in nine out of 10 games. We have to believe that Olson has been a solid play in DFS and standard fantasy baseball leagues.
Rookies to Watch
We have a few young pitchers on the mound Friday, but one pitcher that will be under the microscope will be Dane Dunning of the Texas Rangers. The 26-year-old only has a record of 1-0 through three starts, but has a stellar 0.60 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 15.0 IP. In his last start last week against the Baltimore Orioles, he allowed five hits and struck out five in 6.0 IP. The rook will try to notch his second win of the season on Friday against the Chicago White Sox.
MLB regular season schedule for Friday, April 23rd
If no streaming option is listed, game is available on MLB.tv pending blackout restrictions.
Brewers vs. Cubs, 2:20 p.m. ET
Athletics vs. Orioles, 7:05 p.m. ET
Royals vs. Tigers, 7:10 p.m. ET
Yankees vs. Indians, 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Mariners vs. Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. ET
Blue Jays vs. Rays, 7:10 p.m. ET
Nationals vs. Mets, 7:10 p.m. ET
Diamondbacks vs. Braves, 7:20 p.m. ET
Angels vs. Astros, 8:10 p.m. ET
Pirates vs. Twins, 8:10 p.m. ET
Rangers vs. White Sox, 8:10 p.m. ET
Reds vs. Cardinals, 8:15 p.m. ET
Phillies vs. Rockies, 8:40 p.m. ET
Marlins vs. Giants, 9:45 pm. ET
Padres vs. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. ET, MLBN
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