Sonny Gray #54 of the St. Louis Cardinals (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Here is some info on where to watch and what to expect for the primetime games on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
Fox has the rights to Saturday’s primetime games, with games airing on Fox and Fox Sports 1.
Cincinnati Reds (14-12) @ Texas Rangers (14-13), 4:05 EST, FOX
Odds: Rangers -130 (ESPNBet)
Probable Starters: Hunter Greene (CIN) 0-2, 4.55 ERA vs. Michael Lorenzen (TEX) 2-0, 2.45 ERA
Preview: The Rangers won the first game of this series on Friday, 2-1, thanks in large part to a late home run by second baseman Marcus Semien in the bottom of the eighth. Both teams have been an even 5-5 in their last ten and have played near .500 baseball all year. Coming off the championship season last year, the Rangers are missing some key pieces to their starting rotation but have had solid contributions from their offseason acquisitions, including Saturday’s probable Lorenzen.
Lorenzen started his career with the Reds, and Saturday marks the first time he’s facing the organization that drafted him. The Rangers have won both games Lorenzen has started this year, including a 6-4 win over the Braves during his last time out. Greene, still searching for his first win of the season, has never faced the Rangers.
(OR depending on the local market)
St. Louis Cardinals (12-14) @ New York Mets (13-12), 4:05 EST, FOX
Odds: Cardinals -125 (ESPNBet)
Probable Starters: Sonny Gray (STL) 2-1, 1.04 ERA vs. Adrian Houser (NYM) 0-2, 7.45 ERA
Preview: St. Louis won the first game of the three-game set on Friday, 4-2. They jumped on Mets starter Jose Butto and scored all four runs in the first three innings. The Mets offense has hit another lull this season as they have failed to score more than two runs in four of their last five games.
Gray is 3-0 with an ERA of 2.60 in three career starts against the Mets. However, his last start against the team came almost three years ago, on July 30, 2017, when he was a member of the Reds. Houser has already had an extensive and successful career against the Cardinals. In 16 appearances and 13 starts, he is 5-6 with an ERA of 3.07.
Arizona Diamondbacks (12-15) @ Seattle Mariners (14-12), 9:40 EST, FS1
Odds: Seattle -165 (ESPNBet)
Probable Starters: Slade Cecconi (ARI) 1-0, 3.00 ERA vs. George Kirby (SEA) 2-2, 5.33 ERA
Preview: The Diamondbacks’ ace, Zac Gallen, left Friday’s 6-1 loss to the Mariners in the bottom of the sixth. By his standards, Gallen has had a mediocre year, going 3-2 and posting an ERA of 3.38. There has been no word as to the extent of the injury yet. The Mariners got off to a slow start to the 2024 season but have played good ball as of late, going 8-2 in their last ten. Their offense has been a major culprit in their lack of early-season success. They are in the league’s bottom half in terms of team batting average and RBIs.
Cecconi started his first game of the season at the Giants last Sunday and earned his first career victory. He has never faced the Mariners. Kirby has had an excellent start to his young career, specifically at home, where he is 12-8 and posted an ERA of 3.18. Many picked him to win his first Cy Young award before the 2024 season but he has had a tough start to the young season. The Diamondbacks and Mariners have streaky offenses; don’t be surprised if this game ends 2-0 or 12-11. Either is very possible.