Braves left-hander Chris Sale allowed a pair of runs over five innings to earn a win over the Red Sox on Thursday. He’s defeated Boston in all three starts since getting traded before the 2024 season. Sale has a 1.50 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 18 innings against his former club.
1. Jones makes his return
Pirates right-hander Jared Jones is expected to make his season debut on Friday against the Twins. The hard-throwing righty is making his way back from UCL surgery. He missed the entire 2025 season. Jones pitched well as a rookie in 2024, delivering a sub-4.00 SIERA with more than a strikeout per inning across 22 starts. The recent top prospect was forming a strong 1-2 punch with Paul Skenes before going down with the elbow issue. Jones has excelled in five rehab starts, racking up 24 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings with a 2.89 ERA. He’ll likely replace Carmen Mlodzinski in the rotation.
2. Martinez chasing ERA crown
Rays right-hander Nick Martinez faces the Angels tonight with a chance to move into the top spot on the ERA leaderboard. He’s been stuck behind Cam Schlittler, who tossed six innings of one-run ball last time out to keep his mark at 1.50. Martinez quieted Schlitter’s Yankees in his last outing, working around nine hits to post a quality start. He has an ERA of 1.51 through 10 appearances. Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez overtook both Martinez and Schlittler on Wednesday with yet another scoreless start. A 4.25 xERA and a 4.49 SIERA suggest Martinez’s run won’t last, though he draws an Angels offense that ranks 28th in wRC+ against righties in May.
3. Bello behind an opener
Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello will operate as a bulk reliever on Friday. Lefty Tyler Samaniego will draw the start and cover an inning or two. It’ll be Bello’s fourth appearance out of the bullpen. His results have been wildly different as a traditional starter compared to a bulk reliever this year. The righty has a 9.68 ERA in 30 2/3 innings as a starter. Coming out of the bullpen, he’s put up a 0.98 ERA over 18 1/3 frames. With Samaniego on the mound in the first inning, Bello will duck lefties Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter the first time through the order. He’ll also avoid switch-hitter Jose Ramirez.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
