Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Thanks for being here.

If you’re a cat, Andrés Muñoz is the nicest guy in the world. Human being? That probably depends on whether you’re standing in the box against him.

The Mariners’ closer is a beloved figure in the clubhouse. He’s also an animal lover who brings his cat — a 14-year-old Persian named Matilda — on road trips and recently partnered with a local shelter to help felines in need. (Check out the story of Muñoz’s shelter visit from our own Daniel Kramer here.) On Wednesday, Muñoz will bring his easygoing charm to Chatting Practice powered by Zoom Events, where you’ll be able to ask him about pitching, pets and anything else you’re curious about.

Of course, there’s nothing gentle about Muñoz on the mound — just upper-90s fastballs and wipeout sliders. So opposing hitters likely have a far less cuddly view of the 26-year-old, who was named April’s American League Reliever of the Month.

Muñoz is unscored upon through 16 appearances this year, tying Marc Rzepczynski’s franchise record for the longest streak to start a season. He also has tallied 12 saves, becoming just the seventh pitcher since 1969 (when saves became an official stat) to not allow a run and record at least 12 saves over his first 16 games in a season. Muñoz joins Josh Hader (2022 Brewers), Andrew Miller (2015 Yankees), Francisco Rodriguez (2014 Brewers), Trevor Hoffman (2009 Brewers), Francisco Cordero (2007 Brewers) and Lee Smith (1995 Angels) in accomplishing the feat.

Muñoz still has a ways to go to eclipse Mike Myers’ record for the longest scoreless streak to open a season since at least 1901. Myers went 33 straight games without allowing a run to open his season while pitching for the Rockies in 2000, though it should be noted that the lefty specialist was often facing just one batter in those appearances. Muñoz has a much tougher job.

Granted, we certainly aren’t ruling out Muñoz making a run at the record. Not when he has that blazing heater and a slider that has batters whiffing on six out of every 10 swings this year.

— Thomas Harrigan

Chandler Simpson’s 104 steals last season told us his speed could play quite well in the Minors, but you never know how a skill set will translate to the bigs. After just 14 games, it looks like the Rays rookie has what it takes to run circles around the competition in The Show, too.

Simpson, who’s hitting .296 with six steals in seven chances for the Rays, scored from second on an infield hit at Yankee Stadium yesterday, reaching a top speed of 31.3 feet per second. He’s already fifth in the Majors with 16 Bolts, defined as a dash in which a runner’s Sprint Speed reaches at least 30 ft/sec. Said teammate Taj Bradley: “It’s another level to the game, stuff that I feel like people weren’t really seeing as much of.” Not anymore.

• Giants @ Cubs (7:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): Two of the NL’s best clubs meet at Wrigley for the first of three, and if it comes down to the bullpens, the Giants could hold an advantage. San Francisco, pushing for a fourth straight win tonight, has the second-best bullpen ERA in baseball at 2.50 — nearly two full runs better than the Cubs at No. 22 (4.48).

• Mets @ D-backs (9:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): They won’t be wearing their new purple and teal City Connects until Friday, but the D-backs get another crack at the Mets just a few days after taking two of three from them in Queens. Arizona will be up against Griffin Canning, one of the most pleasant surprises of what’s been easily the Majors’ best rotation through the season’s first five weeks.

• Mariners @ A’s (10:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): Over the weekend, the Mariners briefly held the AL’s best record, which eight consecutive series wins will get you. They can get a jump on a ninth straight tonight behind Bryce Miller, who’s been steady despite a slight dip in velocity compared to last year, but it won’t be easy: The A’s rank sixth in the Majors in slugging percentage (.421).

A lot of baseball fans who tuned in to the Kentucky Derby this weekend were surprised to learn that Jayson Werth is a big-time player in the arena of horse racing. The former All-Star and 2008 World Series champion with the Phillies is the co-owner of Flying Mohawk, who competed in the Derby. Of course, this was far from Werth’s first, uh, rodeo – another horse he co-owned, Dornoch, won the Belmont Stakes in 2024, which Werth told Front Office Sports felt “comparable” to winning the Fall Classic.

Flying Mohawk didn’t fare quite as well: Entering with 30-1 odds, Werth’s horse did not place on Saturday. But it’s still impressive to even have a horse in position to Run for the Roses, and clearly Werth has been opening some eyes in the thoroughbred world.

Also making an impact was Werth’s striking outfit, which drew comparisons, at least in this office, to a character from the Christopher Nolan magician thriller “The Prestige.” (It’s a compliment!) Even if you don’t know much about horse racing, it’s common knowledge that you have to bring it from a sartorial standpoint if you go to Churchill Downs for the big day, and as with his horse ownership, Werth clearly has hit the ground running in that regard.

Special shoutout to Dexter Fowler, whose fit was relatively muted compared to Werth’s, but no less sharp.

— Bryan Horowitz

• A midgame rally by the Double-A Springfield Cardinals on Saturday was interrupted by not one but two ducks on the field. Allison Mast breaks down the latest instance of feathered or furry friends on the field.

• The Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette plans to represent Brazil, his mother Mariana’s home country, in next year’s World Baseball Classic. Bichette, who might have had the greatest hair in the game before cutting it last winter, is set to join his older brother Dante, a key contributor for Brazil during the Qualifier round in March.

• No. 4 Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias could try a million times to recreate the quirky feat he pulled off Friday, but he’d probably never succeed. Arias hit a liner to the Green Monster-esque wall in left field at Fluor Field, and the ball sailed straight through the scoreboard panel designated for the top of the eighth inning. You can call it the wall that 8 a baseball.

• One more impressive prospect feat from the weekend: Jac Caglianone hit one out of Hammons Field and onto the roof of a neighboring building on Saturday. The Royals’ top prospect, who added his sixth homer of the year yesterday, is slashing .314/.395/.543 at Double-A.

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