Trending in opposite directions, the Chicago Cubs host the reeling Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in the second contest of a four-game series.

After Chicago’s 5-1 victory in the opener on Monday, the Cubs extended their winning streak to six — matching the Atlanta Braves for the longest in the majors. Chicago lowered its team ERA to 3.47 on Monday, as the pitching staff has allowed an average of 2.2 runs during the active winning streak.

“We’ve talked about it in this stretch we’re in right now, the starting pitching is the story for me,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “The starting pitching is getting us to a place that makes the relievers’ jobs easier and lets us put the game in order in a good way. So credit to what our starters have done.”

Looking to follow up on Colin Rea’s 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, left-hander Shota Imanaga (1-1, 2.45 ERA) gets the start on Tuesday. The third-year pitcher has allowed just two runs in 17 innings in April, including a one-run, 11-strikeout performance over six frames an 11-2 win over the Phillies on Wednesday.

Chicago starting pitching surrender just one run in each of the last three victories.

“I think it’s a new good spot right now,” Imanaga said of his confidence ahead of his fourth start of the year. “On the mound, if I do give up a hit, I can break it down right away, see what I did wrong and make those adjustments.”

In two career starts against Philadelphia, Imanaga, 32, is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA.

As uninspiring as the Phillies’ offense looks right now, a second series against the Cubs over the last week is the last thing they needed. Philadelphia’s six-game losing streak is the third longest in baseball (Kansas City has lost eight in a row and the New York Mets have dropped 11 straight contests).

Over that span, the Phillies are averaging just 1.7 runs per contest. Manager Rob Thomson insists his team hasn’t given in to its early-season struggles, despite a 7 1/2-game deficit in the National League East standings.

“The energy has been pretty good. They’re fighting,” Thomson said. “They’re cheering each other on and the energy level has been high. I think there’s a lot of hope in there and there’s a lot of pride.”

Hoping to serve as the club’s stopper, left-hander Jesus Luzardo (1-3, 7.94 ERA) will vie to end a woeful personal stretch in the process. After finishing seventh in NL Cy Young voting a year ago, Luzardo has given up at least five runs in three of his first four starts in his second season in Philadelphia.

Last time out, Luzardo allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits against Chicago. The 28-year-old’s 12 hits surrendered tied the most he’s given up in 141 appearances as a major leaguer.

Luzardo will make his ninth career start against the Cubs; he’s 4-1 with a 3.54 ERA in this matchup.

–Field Level Media

The rivalry is back, early.

For the first time since 2022, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are squaring off in April. Their initial three-game series of the season — and their first encounter since the 2025 American League wild-card round — begins Tuesday night in Boston.

New York, which holds a one-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays atop the AL East standings, completed a three-game series sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-0 win on Sunday. Now, a nine-game, three-city road trip begins.

“To put up some big runs was huge,” Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge said. “We’ll definitely take this momentum into those series.”

Judge and first baseman Ben Rice both went deep on Sunday, giving them an MLB-leading 17 home runs this season as a duo. Judge’s two-run shot in the first inning proved to be all that the Yankees needed.

Rice, who hails from Cohasset, Mass., entered Tuesday leading the league in OPS (1.276) after homering in four consecutive games.

While the left-handed hitter sometimes has been held out of the lineup against southpaws, it is becoming increasingly difficult for manager Aaron Boone to make that decision.

“The bottom line is, he’s turning into — or even is — one of the really outstanding hitters in this league,” Boone said.

Eight of the Yankees’ 13 wins this season have featured at least two home runs. Trent Grisham also joined that action with a three-run blast on Sunday.

“This lineup last year had five guys who hit 30 homers,” Grisham said. “That’s felt by other teams.”

Still in search of his first win, right-hander Luis Gil (0-1, 7.00 ERA) will take the ball on Tuesday. He allowed all four runs on three homers across a five-inning start last Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels.

Gil has enjoyed great career success against the Red Sox, posting a 2-1 record and 0.99 ERA in five starts. He pitched 11 innings and allowed only two runs to Boston last season.

The Red Sox scored six runs in the final three innings en route to an 8-6 Patriots’ Day win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday, securing a split of the four-game series.

After scoring four runs over the previous three days, the 12-hit breakout and a win were much-needed, especially with seven relievers being called upon after starter Sonny Gray exited in the third inning with right hamstring tightness.

“Sonny’s gonna get an MRI (Tuesday),” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We don’t think it’s serious, but we have to see what’s going on.”

Monday marked Boston’s first win this season when its starter lasted fewer than six innings (1-13).

On top of the hits, five of which came with runners in scoring position, the Red Sox accepted eight walks and stole three bases. Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-out, two-run double in the seventh was the game-changing swing.

“We put pressure on the opposition. That’s where we’re at right now, right?” Cora said. “There were some good at-bats. … That’s what it’s going to take for us to score runs. We will maximize the roster.”

Cora’s club would certainly benefit from 24-year-old left-hander Connelly Early (1-0, 2.29) giving another quality start as well.

Early has not allowed more than two runs in any of his four outings this season and looks to build upon six innings of one-run ball in last Wednesday’s win over the Minnesota Twins, which was Boston’s last game before the current homestand.

“He looks different out there. He looks just so calm, always,” Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony said. “We saw what he did in his debut, how unfazed he was. He started in the postseason. … He looks like he has 10 years (of experience).”

Early’s only history with New York was a start in the third and deciding game of last season’s playoff series. He fanned six while allowing three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

–Field Level Media