Worldwide Sports News

The streak is over. The streak is over. The Phillies actually won a baseball game.

For one night, it was the opposing team making mistakes. And for one night, it was the Phillies who capitalized on them. After a Harper walk with two outs, Mike Yastrzemski tried to lay out on an Adolis Garcia line drive and missed it by a foot. They took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Bryson Stott hit a ball off Truist Park’s massive right field wall and scored Brandon Marsh from first. Bryce Harper got a clutch two-out hit in fifth to give them a 3-2 lead.

Zack Wheeler, one of the all-time Phillies greats, returned to the mound for the first time since August 15 against the Washington Nationals. The Dallas, Georgia native was clearly amped up for his first inning of work, firing 95 and 96 mph fastballs to the top of the Braves lineup.

Against Ronald Acuña Jr, Wheeler went four-seam, four-seam, sinker, and then another high four-seam fastball for a strikeout. He then struck out Drake Baldwin on a curveball.

There was rust, he struggled with command, having three walks, and ran into a 35 pitch fourth inning that nearly ended his night. He walked Baldwin and Olson to begin the inning, Albies singled to load the bases, and the Braves brought in two runs thanks to a sac fly from Harris and a double from Austin Riley. Wheeler was done after the fifth inning on 83 pitches.

But for one night, it didn’t matter that the depleted Phillies bullpen had to cover at least four (eventually five) innings.

It wasn’t pretty but it ended up working, at least for one night. Rob Thomson asked three different relievers to get four outs. Orion Kerkering entered the sixth inning after Tanner Banks had a disastrous three-batter stint against the Braves middle of the order. Matt Olson smoked a sinker past Brandon Marsh and down the left field line with a double. Ozzie Albies took a hanging sweeper to the left center field gap to tie the game at three. Michael Harris II then poked a down and away sweeper to left that gave the Braves a 4-3 lead.

Kerkering worked 1.1 innings of work. Then it was José Alvarado’s turn to get four outs. Brad Keller then entered the eighth inning and got the last four outs before extra innings.

In that span, the Phillies caught their second big break of the night when Braves center fielder Eli White slipped, which allowed Kyle Schwarber to get a leadoff triple to start the seventh. Bryce Harper hit a sac fly to tie the game at five.

None of this is going to match what the tenth inning brought. A determined manager and bullpen mostly worked them to this point but it was up to the offense to bring them home.

The Braves asked José Suarez to work against the top of the Phillies order, with Garrett Stubbs as the ghost runner, to keep the struggling Philadelphia bats down.

But for one night, it was the Phillies turn to take advantage of a short bullpen. Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber walked and loaded the bases, Harper singled in two runs. Brandon Marsh, who’s seen multiple high leverage at bats against left handed pitching the last few days, finally rewarded Rob Thomson for his (forced) faith, smacking a clutch single to extend the Phillies lead to four runs. It was their first four run inning in twelve days.

With the 2026 Phillies, nothing was going to come this easily. Kyle Backus came in to finish the game against the top of the Braves order because there was no other viable option.

Backhus has allowed an .870 OPS against right handed hitters this season, but Acuña hit a lazy flyball to Justin Crawford. Drake Baldwin smacked a single to left that made it 8-5 then Olson hit a blooper right between Turner and Crawford to send the tying run to the pate.

Albies has a .308 batting average against left handed pitching this season with three extra base hits. He rolled over to shortstop for a force out. Harris has crushed the Phillies this season, and delivered the big blow against Andrew Painter the night before. But for one night, really one moment, he didn’t have it and the Phillies ended their longest and most miserable losing streak of the century.

What does it mean? What damage did this losing streak cause? Even if it’s April, is it even possible for the Phillies to make a real run at the division? What about the Alex Cora news?

Those questions might be for tomorrow, or for Monday, or some other date.

For this one specific night, the Phillies won a baseball game for the first time in 12 days.

The Cincinnati Reds welcomed Aaron Harang, Lou Piniella, Brandon Phillips, and Reggie Sanders into their team’s Hall of Fame in ceremony on Saturday afternoon. And while the butts in the seats in Great American Ball Park may well have been there to see them honor the team’s past, it was the present that ended up putting on the greatest show of the night.

The Reds rocked Detroit Tigers starter Jack Flaherty early and often, a 3-run tater by Sal Stewart in the Bottom of the 1st the first big blow. Nathaniel Lowe followed with a homer of his own – his third in the last 24 hours – while both Elly De La Cruz and TJ Friedl eventually homered as the Reds blasted their way to a 9-2 win that secured yet another series victory.

Salutations fine Stewart@stewart_salpic.twitter.com/9XNvBafn4P

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 25, 2026

Stewart, who takes home tonight’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game, was once again ridiculous at the plate. He consistently worked deep counts, fouling off countless pitches designed to get him to swing himself out after taking a few initial strikes. He eventually finished 3 for 4 with a walk, homer, and five ribbies on the night, a number that gives him 29 on the season through just 27 games played.

This tweet, for example, came before he drove in two more.

Sal Stewart currently has 27 RBI…

🔴 The most by a Red prior to the month of May
🔴 Ties Albert Pujols for the second-most by any MLB rookie prior to the month of May pic.twitter.com/UDz9XwCcGQ

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 25, 2026

Sal leads all of Major League Baseball in ribbies with 29 as of the time of writing this, something that’s made even more incredible by how poor Cincinnati’s offense as a whole has been through the month of April. Quite simply, he’s been the best, most timely, most clutch hitter in the game so far this season, and he’s a rookie.

Rookie.

He’s Cincinnati’s rookie, though, and for that we are all incredibly thankful.

The Reds moved to 18-9 on the season with the win, tightening their grip on 1st place in the National League Central while improving their start to a season to levels not seen since 2003. On Sunday, they’ll send Rhett Lowder to the bump with a chance to sweep the series, and I’ve been gifted the ability to type the word ‘sweep’ more often this month than in any month of Reds baseball that I can remember.

The goings, folks, they are quite good right now. Here’s to them continuing ad infinitum.

As the Braves looked for another series victory, they faced Zack Wheeler, uncertain of exactly what to expect from the Phillies’ ace coming back from injury, while Bryce Elder started for Atlanta.

Bryce allowed some hard contact for two groundouts in the first, before going up 0-2 on Harper and then seemingly overthrowing to try to get Harper out and ultimately walking him. That turned costly as Yastrzemski failed to complete a diving catch on an Adolis Garcia triple that brought Harper home but might have left Harper on second or third if Yaz had simply moved to cut the ball off. The starting pitchers were able to keep things quiet through the third inning, but the Phillies struck again in the fourth, as a Brandon Marsh single came home for a run off a Bryson Stott .030 xBA triple that hit the right field wall just above Ronald Acuna’s grasp and bounced way back off the wall. Each run that Elder had given up to this point was fairly unlucky, but he had been allowing hard contact all night, so not necessarily undeserved.

Wheeler showed his first real weakness in the fourth, with two walks to Baldwin and Olson to start the inning, challenging a clear ball on the fourth pitch to Olson seemingly out of frustration as well. Ozzie grounded a ball softly up the middle to a spot that drew a diving stop from Turner, but Turner’s flip to second for a potential force out was wide, loading the bases with no outs ahead of the scalding hot Michael Harris II. Mike just missed a grand slam, but brought home Baldwin with a sac fly to the warning track, leaving runners on the corners with one out for Austin Riley. Austin came through huge with a double for his 500th career RBI, bringing home Olson and landing Ozzie on third. Dubon struck out for the second out, unsuccessfully challenging the third strike call, and Yastrzemski struck out looking as well to end the inning with a 2-2 tie, a bit of a disappointing outcome from runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, but better than a 2-0 deficit. The Phils got one run back in the fifth on three singles, the third of which was a soft ground ball single off the bat of Bryce Harper.

Now facing a lefty out of the Philadelphia bullpen, Matt Olson hit a nice opposite field double that almost turned into an out at second as Marsh got a very helpful bounce off the wall and made a nice throw. Right-handed Ozzie hit a double of his own on a line drive to the left field gap to score Olson and tie the game with no outs. Michael Harris dropped a ball over Trea Turner’s head and Ozzie got a great read on it to score from second, giving Atlanta their first lead of the evening. That was all the Braves got from the inning, but it was enough to give the formidable Atlanta bullpen a lead to work with.

Michael Harris II stays hot 🔥

He gives the @Braves the lead! pic.twitter.com/SY9k1odQel

— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2026

Walt Weiss opted to keep Elder in the game facing the bottom of Philly’s order for the third time and he repayed that faith with a strikeout of Crawford and a soft lineout from Marchan before the lineup turned back over to Turner. Bryce got a chopper to first from Turner for the third out and ended his outing with a solid 7.0 innings of 3 run ball with only 2 strikeouts, but also only 1 walk and 0 homers.

Ronald drew a one out walk in the seventh, hoping to add an insurance run and forcing the Phillies to go to Jose Alvarado out of the bullpen. Ronald stole second on Alvarado’s first pitch, giving Baldwin and Olson a chance to bring him home from second with a single. Unfortunately, Alvarado caught Ronald leaning to third, which has been a disturbing trend for Atlanta on the basepaths this season.

Dylan Lee started the eighth and Kyle Schwarber hit a line drive to right center that should have been an easy out, but Eli White took a hard break to it as he misread the ball and tried to stop quickly but slipped on the grass wetted by a late drizzle, turning an out into a triple. Bryce Harper hit a sac fly to bring the run home. Lee was unphased by his misfortune and struck out the final two batters to end the inning. Alvarado came out again in the eighth and got Matt Olson out to start the frame but allowed a double to right-handed Ozzie with one out after a obligatory weird interlude to replace the rosin bags. Alvarado got Michael Harris out and Rob Thomson pulled him for the righty Brad Keller to face Austin Riley with two outs. Austin chopped out the Bryce Harper to end the inning, maintaining the 4-4 tie. Tyler Kinley got the ninth and gave the offense a chance to walk the game off with a scoreless frame, working around a 2-out single.

The bottom of the Braves’ lineup was unable to get anything going in the ninth and sent the game to extra innings with each team back to the top of their order. Tyler Kinley stayed in the game to face the righty Turner and walked him before making way for the lefty Jose Suarez to face Harper and Schwarber. While there is the platoon advantage, Jose Suarez in a tie game in extra innings is a scary prospect for Atlanta, especially with runners on and facing hitters in that caliber. While he didn’t allow a homer, Suarez walked Schwarber and allowed a two-run single to Harper. The two remaining runners were able to advance on a wild pitch and Brandon Marsh singled them home, giving the Phillies a commanding 8-4 lead. Suarez then allowed a line drive single to Bryson Stott. To his credit, Suarez did technically strike out the side, as his strikeouts have been up dramatically this season, but walks have been a recurring issue this season. The Phillies brought in Kyle Backhus to try and close out the game and with it their 10-game losing streak. Baldwin brought home a runner with a one out single to cut the Philly lead to 3. Matt Olson blooped in a single bringing the tying run to the plate, at least giving Atlanta a chance to come back from the huge lead that Philly accumulated in the 10th. Right-handed Ozzie grounded out and Philly took the out at second, but the tying run was still at the plate, now with two outs but in the form of Michael Harris II. Mike grounded out and the series was even at 1-1.

Join us tomorrow at 1:35 PM ET, as the Braves and Phillies decide the series with Chris Sale on the mound against Aaron Nola.

Casey Schmitt was not pleased with the way the series against Miami was going, as shown by this image below from the 2nd inning of Saturday’s game.

Note the expression: the dark shadows under his eyes, his slack-jaw and mouth ajar. Note his posture: the shoulders slumped, his arms thrown over the dugout railing for support. Clearly, Schmitt wasn’t doing too great. He had just made a dumb mental error that completely undermined a chance at an early lead. Thrown out at second base. Back-picked to be exact. He had inexplicably run through the bag on a lead-off double, rounded it too aggressively as the play developed in front of him in shallow left, and realized too late that he had strayed too far. In a desperate attempt to get back to second as the relay throw came in, he slipped well shy of the base. From his his knees, I distinctly remember him stretching out his arms and screaming up at the heavens as the tag was applied. Schmitt slammed the ground with his fist, cursing his stupidity, the hard infield, the studs on his feet before sulking back to the dugout.

Shock, disbelief, embarrassment, anger, bitterness — that’s a stiff emotional cocktail to swallow…again. Because, somehow, this had happened before. The night before to be exact. Not even 24 hours had passed. In the 6th inning in Friday’s game, Schmitt had rounded second on an infield single with an eye on third base, and shortstop Otto Lopez nabbed him as he drifted too far away from second. Lopez’s 180 and throw caught him completely by surprise. He stumbled, tried to scramble back to the bag, but had no chance.  

It’s the kind of mistake a player should make once in a blue moon, or once in their career. Schmitt made it twice in back-to-back games. We’ve all been in his shoes before — just not in front of 40,000 people, not including the viewers at home.

That’s what that vacant expression was in the 2nd: His mind and spirit and body awkwardly processing it all in real time. How could this have happened again?  

But this is a happy story, a story in which our main character goes through impossible hardship and comes out the other side better and stronger for it. This is a story in which Casey Schmitt goes from this

To this

To this

And really, what’s the only explanation to why two grown, professional sports men could be so touchy and friendly and smiley with each other?

Yup, that’s right: Dingers. Hot taters. The day, the series was rescued by three of them: Two solo shots from Drew Gilbert and Heliot Ramos, and a 2-run shot from Schmitt.   

Hit home runs, never feel sadness.

---

Saturday afternoon was shaping up to be another dud. Another lost day at the plate. Another game in which Robbie Ray labors earnestly on the mound while the ungrateful offense bends over and spins around their bats before collapsing into a heap.

Marlins starter Eury Pérez, and his 98 MPH four-seam, stitched together four pretty seamless scoreless innings. In a war of attrition against Ray, the Miami offense scratched a single run in the 3rd for the lead. The RBI cashed on a half-swing accidental single from Xavier Edwards. 

Knowing this offense and the fact that Robbie Ray has been the Matt Cain of 2026, the probability of that excuse-me single being the decisive hit in a 1-0 loss was high. But by the 5th inning, Pérez’s command started to wane. The tall right-hander had to work his way back into the at-bat against Drew Gilbert after falling behind in the count. He grooved a 3-0 fastball on the inside-third of the plate that Gilbert took all the way. He then grooved a 3-1 fastball to the exact same spot, and Gilbert lined it over the Wille Mays wall in left. 

An inning later, the game stilltied, Schmitt awoke from his coma on a mission of self-redemption. Matt Chapman stood in scoring position after his lead-off double. Rafael Devers’s pop up proved useless and unproductive. If the Giants were to take the lead, and if Schmitt wanted to be the one to give it to them, a hit would be needed. Schmitt provided. And he didn’t wait around either. With steam coming out of his ears, he dug into the batter’s box and hurled his bat at the first thing that moved. A fastball, up and in, and Schmitt barreled it, giving the baseabll the dirtiest look imaginable as it turned tail and bolted for the left field bleachers. 106 MPH off the bat. 404 feet from home. A no doubter with some attitude, and not a small bit of relief as well.

Amazing what a home run and a lead can do for one’s mental health. 

And then this was just good for the soul.

With Schmitt in his happy place again, the Giants, as a team, followed suit.

While the bullpen arms handled the Marlins line-up, the Giants’ offense added three more runs in the later innings, with Patrick Bailey and Luis Arraez both collecting 2-out RBI singles, and Heliot Ramos launching his third homer off the year to right in the 8th.

Though it started out looking like an awful case of déjà vu, Saturday’s 6-2 win turned into a much more dynamic display by the offense. After a night which lacked displays of power and hits of consequence, the San Francisco line-up woke up and slugged. 8 of their 11 hits went for extra bases. They also worked 5 walks as a team with two of those free passes coming around to score. Jung Hoo Lee and Matt Chapman both reached base three times. Ramos, Arraez, and Schmitt also had multi-hit efforts.

While the runs came too late to earn Ray a deserved win, it kept him from an undeserved loss. San Francisco will send Landen Roupp to the mound tomorrow to pitch for their third consecutive series win.

The Yankees arrived in Houston with all the momentum and a six-game winning streak following a sweep of the now-skipperless Red Sox at Fenway. A couple days later, they’re eyeing yet another dusting of a rival on the road.

Behind a poised start from Ryan Weathers and an offense that continues to “have liftoff,” the Yankees beat the Astros 8-3 on Saturday night at Daikin Park. The victory pushed New York’s winning streak to eight games—matching the 2025 club’s longest—and secured another road series win victory.

For a team that looked stuck in mud offensively during parts of early April, this recent stretch has been the exact opposite. The Yankees have now scored in bunches, mixed patience with power, and repeatedly punished mistakes. Once again, Houston’s pitching staff learned how dangerous this lineup can be when it gets rolling.

The Yankees were down early after the Astros struck first in the opening frame, but Trent Grisham helped answer and set the tone. He lofted a home run into the left-field seats and directly into the glove of a Yankees fan, one of those road moments that still somehow felt made for the Bronx.

The blast would have been even sweeter had José Caballero not just been thrown out attempting to swipe third base with the lefty Grisham at the plate.

Weathers continued what is becoming an encouraging trend. Fresh off the paternity list after welcoming a baby boy, the left-hander turned in another solid performance and looked in control throughout much of the night. He changed speeds effectively, attacked the zone, and kept Houston from ever building sustained momentum.

This outing came on the heels of his excellent start against Kansas City, and the Yankees have to be feeling increasingly confident about what they have in the 26-year-old. When Weathers was acquired, the appeal was obvious stuff and untapped upside. Right now, both are beginning to show. The final line was not nearly as dominant as his showing against the Royals, but any team will gladly take 5.1 innings of two-run ball with no walks and four strikeouts from one of its back-end rotation starters.

Caballero then put the Bombers ahead in the fifth when he sent his third home run of the season out to left-center.

That swing helped make up for his rougher moments on the bases, as Caballero was thrown out trying to steal third twice, both times with left-handed hitters at the plate. One aggressive mistake can be shrugged off, but repeating it in the same game cost the Yankees chances to make the score even more lopsided.

Carlos Correa evened the score with a home run of his own in the bottom of the sixth, but the Yankees answered immediately. Austin Wells snuck his second homer of the season over the fence in the seventh to put New York back in front, and from there Houston’s pitching staff began printing free passes to first base.

The Yankees drew seven walks over the final three innings, turning a competitive game into a grind for the Astros bullpen. Bases-loaded walks to Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. stretched the lead to 5-2, and the Yankees added another run in the eighth when Ben Rice lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center.

New York tacked on two more in the ninth after a beautifully executed hit-and-run by Amed Rosario and Bellinger. Wells brought Bellinger home, and Ryan McMahon followed by plating Rosario to make it 8-2. The Astros added their final run in the bottom of the ninth on a Christian Walker homer off Tim Hill, but by then the game was already well out of reach.

That late run was the only blemish on the bullpen. Fernando Cruz picked up the win in his fire extinguisher role and handed the ball to Jake Bird, who worked a clean seventh. Camilo Doval then navigated the eighth before Hill came on to finish off the ninth.

Eight straight wins in April do not define a season, but they can shape one. The Yankees now head into Sunday looking like one of the hottest teams in baseball, and suddenly the early bumps in the road feel much smaller in the rearview mirror. During this streak the Yankees are outscoring their opponents, 48-14.

New York will go for a ninth consecutive win—something they haven’t done since early 2022—on Sunday afternoon as Aaron Boone’s team closes out the series in Houston. The Yankees hand the ball to Luis Gil, who is coming off his best outing of the season in Boston. The Astros will counter with right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, with first pitch set for 2:10 p.m. EDT.

Box Score

On April 8, Cole Ragans took the mound in a rubber match against the Cleveland Guardians. Steven Kwan led off and struck out looking on five pitches, including three dotted on the outer edge by Ragans. Angel Martinez struck out looking on four pitches. You could feel it. Cole had everything working for him, and it was going to be nearly impossible for the Guardians to touch him.

Cole got ahead of Jose Ramírez 0-2 before he left a fastball a little too over the plate, and J-Ram lined it off of Cole’s throwing hand. From that moment until tonight, Cole Ragans recorded only 31 outs while giving up 10 runs on 6 hits and 13 walks with only 7 strikeouts.

Tonight was going to be different, and you could tell it from the start.

Ragans started off his night firing fastballs down the middle to Zach Neto and challenging him to catch up; the shortstop couldn’t do it. Cole got ahead of Mike Trout with a low heater, then dotted the outside corner with a knuckle curve, fired a fastball up and away, and then nailed the inner edge for strike three looking. Jo Adell battled a bit harder but ultimately struck out swinging on a 99-MPH fastball above the zone.

If I hadn’t known what happened in between those first two batters in Cleveland and what we saw tonight, I’d have assumed Cole never stopped making guys look foolish. I do know, but it doesn’t make what he did tonight any less impressive.

As you can see in the comparison above, Ragans toyed with the Angels all night long, basically only throwing two pitches. He upped his fastbball velocity 2 MPH over where it had been and added nearly 100 RPMs, but his changeup velo didn’t change much at all. The increased velocity difference meant that the Angels entirely missed literally half of the changeups they swung at.

The most interesting difference might be the fact that he ditched his slider entirely. I’ll be watching that closely in his next start to see if he just didn’t think he needed it tonight or if he stopped liking it for some reason. Remember, adding the slider back into his arsenal was considered one of the keys that turned him from a guy who could be traded for a middling reliever at the 2023 trade deadline into a frontline ace who was too valuable to trade for the proven outfield bat the Royals have coveted for years. But he sure didn’t need it tonight.

Ultimately, he tied his career high with 27 total whiffs and came up one short of his career high in strikeouts, but he still struck out almost two per inning. And – perhaps most importantly – he didn’t walk a soul after setting a new career worst with eight against the Yankees in his last outing.

We are 500 words into this recap, and we haven’t said one word about an offense that scored 12 runs. That’s how mind-numbingly fantastic Cole Ragans was tonight.

But hey, the offense was pretty good, too. As it so often has over the last decade-plus, it started with the captain.

That was the first and only home run hit by a Royal on the night. How do you score 12 runs with only a single solo home run? Every single Royal in the starting lineup reached at least twice, with most of them reaching three times. The team combined for a season-high 10 walks (with only 6 strikeouts!!!) and added 14 hits. The Angels also committed three errors. The line just kept moving.

Vinnie Pasquantino walked 3 times; that raised his walk rate 2 percentage points and added 15 points to his OBP. Jac Caglianone and Isaac Collins each walked twice and added a hit, scoring five times between them. Nick Loftin set a new career-high with 4 RBIs. But beyond Sal’s homer, only Witt and Cags managed extra-base hits, each coming up with a double. The Royals were 6-for-18 with runners in scoring position on the night, including two bases-loaded walks. They scored multiple runs in the second, third, seventh, and eighth innings. Plus a single run in the sixth.

The Royals are now 3-2 on this homestand with a chance to earn their first sweep of the season tomorrow on Sunday night baseball. They’ve averaged seven runs a game after tonight’s escapade. Their run differential went from -32 to -21 tonight (I was going to give you the difference over the home-stand, but they were even in the four games prior to this one, so it’s the same number.)

As I just said, tomorrow’s game will be their first appearance on Sunday Night Baseball of the season. It will be broadcast on NBCSN and Peacock. Seth Lugo and his shiny 1.15 ERA will face off against lefty Reid Detmers and his less-stellar 4.08 ERA. Detmers has pitched better than those numbers, but doesn’t have huge splits, so the Royals’ lefties might be able to get in on the action again. If not, the right-handers did just fine against Kikuchi last night, so we can hope lightning can strike again. The game will air at 6:20 PM Central, and I’m excited to watch a Royals team that has been a lot more fun on this homestand than they were on that devastating road trip last week.

For the last week, the Dodgers had been scuffling offensively.

In the fourth inning on Saturday, they finally looked like themselves again.

With a six-run rally keyed by quality at-bats, timely hits and the kind of relentless approach the team wants to pride itself on this season, the Dodgers built perhaps their best –– and most important –– inning at the plate all season, turning an early deficit into a massive lead en route to a 12-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

“We broke out tonight,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Just up and down the lineup, a lot of good stuff.”

Entering Saturday, the Dodgers had lost five of seven games thanks largely to a lack of production from the lineup.

During the skid, they’d scored more than four runs only twice. They were enduring slumps from Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández. And things had gotten so frustrating, Freeman and Ohtani shared a light-hearted, but telling, moment in the players’ parking lot walking into the ballpark Saturday morning.

“Can we please get hits today?” Freeman joked.

The answer was yes. Salvation was discovered.

Down 2-0 early, the Dodgers initially got on the board when Max Muncy belted a two-run homer off Cubs starter Colin Rea in the third.

The real explosion, however, came an inning later, when the Dodgers erased a 3-2 deficit with a six-hit, two-walk, 11-batter onslaught.

Hyeseong Kim got things started with a one-out single. Alex Freeland lofted a fly ball past Ian Happ in the left field corner that bounced off the top of the short wall for an RBI double. An Ohtani walk was followed by a go-ahead RBI single from Freeman on an opposite-field line drive. And then, with Rea knocked out of the game, Hernández broke things open with a two-run, two-out single through the infield.

Dalton Rushing and Andy Pages would later add RBI singles to make it the Dodgers’ highest-scoring inning of the season.

“We just smelled an opportunity, and we took advantage of it,” Rushing said. “That’s what good offenses do … Just a testament to showing how we just pass the bat in the lineup.”

All the scoring compensated for another uneven, but more optimistic, day from Roki Sasaki. He gave up four runs (three via solo homers) in five-plus innings, yet found better overall command while flashing a new-and-(mostly)-improved splitter; throwing it significantly harder and with much more spin than his traditional fork ball.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

For the first time this year, it allowed him to pitch into the sixth inning, while striking out five batters and finding the zone on 66 of 99 pitches.

And now, it might give him more tangible things to build off moving forward, even with his ERA still at 6.35.

“Today was a really good one,” Roberts said. “And I hope he feels the same way about his outing.”

The bullpen also bounced back from a nightmarish loss on Friday, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the sixth unscathed thanks to a couple strikeouts from Jack Dreyer and an inning-ending grounder from Will Klein.

After that, the Dodgers (18-9) put the game away with four more runs in the next half-inning, two of them coming on a bases-loaded double from Pages.

Just like that, the team’s league-leading offense appeared to be back in form.

What it means

In snapping a 10-game win streak for the Cubs (17-10), the Dodgers have staved off what would’ve been a third-straight dropped series, if you include their disappointing four-game split with the Colorado Rockies last week.

And while they remain in second place in the National League West, a half-game back of the San Diego Padres, they reaffirmed their status as one of the best offenses in baseball.

Even after their recent skid, they continue to lead the majors in team batting average (.280), OPS (.830) and home runs (44).

Those marks were aided by a team-wide effort Saturday. Every starter in the lineup got a hit. Everyone except Freeman and Tucker reached safely at least twice. And they were 7-for-16 overall with runners in scoring position.

Who’s hot

How about the two hitters at the bottom of the Dodgers’ order.

Kim continued his impressive return to the majors, going 2-for-5 to raise his batting average to .357 this year.

Freeland, who struggled mightily in the season’s first three weeks, also continued his recent turnaround with a 2-for-4 day (both doubles). He is now hitting .375 over his last six games.

Who’s not

Muncy and Will Smith, at least physically.

Smith was out of the lineup with some back tightness, though he is expected to be ready to start Sunday.

Muncy, meanwhile, was removed after his third at-bat while feeling “a little under the weather” –– not that it seemed to impact his play much on a day he hit his team-leading ninth homer (including his first non-solo shot of the season) and also walked twice.

Muncy will get a day off Sunday, but is scheduled to be back in the lineup Monday.

Up next

The series rubber match will be on Sunday afternoon back at Chavez Ravine. Justin Wrobleski (3-0, 1.88 ERA) starts for the Dodgers, while left-hander Shota Imanaga (2-1, 2.17 ERA) goes for the Cubs.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs shut out the Louisville Bats (Reds), 5-0.

Connor Noland gave up just three hits over six innings on his way to the win. Noland struck out two and walked just one.

Ethan Roberts relieved Noland in a rehab appearance and pitched the seventh inning. Roberts allowed one hit and one walk. He did not strike anyone out.

There is this, however.

Athletic trainers visited Ethan Roberts mid-inning during his first rehab appearance since slicing his finger in Philly. He stayed in and finished the frame, stranding a pair of runners. As he walked back to the dugout he was staring at the finger again.

— Jason Kempf (@jkempradio) April 25, 2026

Second baseman James Triantos was 3 for 4 with a double and a solo home run in the fifth inning. It was his third home run this year. Triantos had two total RBI.

RBI single for Triantos.

Triantos extends the lead🙌 pic.twitter.com/DX2dSsaRNz

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) April 25, 2026

Triantos’s home run went 375 feet.

James Triantos goes yard!🚀 pic.twitter.com/3KZsID9R3T

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) April 25, 2026

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies couldn’t avoid the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 5-4.

Tyler Schlaffer started this one and got tagged for four runs, but only two earned, on three hits over three innings. He walked four and struck out six.

Catcher Owen Ayers and left fielder Carter Trice both were 2 for 4 with a walk and one run scored.

Third baseman Devin Ortiz was 0 for 1 with three walks. One of his walks came with the bases loaded for an RBI. He also scored one run.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs slew the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 6-1.

Just two pitchers for South Bend today. Brooks Caple pitched the first five innings and got the win with no runs and five hits. He struck out three and walked one.

Alfredo Romero had the four-inning save. He did not surrender a single hit, but he did give up one run thanks to three walks. Romero struck out one.

South Bend combined strong pitching with three home runs. Shortstop Christian Olivo hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, his second on the season. Olivo went 2 for 4.

In the sixth inning, catcher Miguel Useche connected with a man on. It was his second home run of the year and first with South Bend. Useche was 1 for 5.

Finally, right fielder Geuri Lubo smashed a solo home run in the eighth. Lubo was 1 for 4.

Second baseman Drew Bowser was 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. He drove in the first run of the game with a single in the fourth inning and also scored on Useche’s home run.

Third baseman Matt Halbach was 2 for 5 and scored once.

Left fielder Reginald Preciado was 2 for 5 with a a double.

Olivo’s home run.

More like Christian O-Leave the yard. 👋

It's the second @hoosierlottery home run of the series for Christian Olivo!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/4LDSnILr6s

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 25, 2026

Useche’s home run.

USECHE! 💣

Miggy has his first @hoosierlottery home run as a South Bend Cub!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/Hd3rbFfj4G

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 25, 2026

Lugo goes opposite field and just sneaks one over the wall in the corner.

Three big bangs from the bottom of the order!

Geuri Lubo pushes out his first @hoosierlottery home run in High-A.#SBCubspic.twitter.com/QPc6UCw5K8

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 25, 2026

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were winning 5-1 in the third inning when the rains came. They’ll finish this game on Sunday and play a seven-inning game afterwards.

LOS ANGELES — After five losses in seven games and blowing a four-run lead in the series opener, the Dodgers needed some good news, and got in on Saturday thanks to an offense producing enough to overcome any deficiencies in a 12-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium.

Dave Roberts said Max Muncy was feeling under the weather, which was part of the reason he batted third on Saturday, so he could get his at-bats in before coming out later in the game. Muncy made the most of his trips to the plate, including a two-run home run in the third inning and two walks before getting pinch-ran for in the fourth. Muncy leads the team with nine home runs, and this one was his first non-solo shot of 2026.

Max ties it! pic.twitter.com/nLV5aJOG3q

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 26, 2026

The Dodgers made Colin Rea throw 92 pitches to get 10 outs, and by the time the Cubs starter was chased, four runs were already in the bank. Javier Assad walked Muncy but got Kyle Tucker for the second out of the inning, before three straight singles turned it into a six-run frame, the Dodgers’ largest of the season, after scoring eight total runs over their last four games.

---

Roki Sasaki threw strikes on Saturday, including 20 of 23 first pitches for strikes (87 percent), up from 52.9 percent in his first four starts.

Being in and around the strike zone was a blessing and curse, as three of those strikes were hit out — Seiya Suzuki pouncing on a fastball high in the zone in the second inning, Moisés Ballesteros on a splitter right down Broadway in the fourth, and Miguel Amaya expanding the zone to hit an opposite-field shot in the fifth. All three home runs were hit with two strikes, though because Sasaki didn’t walk anyone, nobody was on base and both longballs were solo shots.

With a four-run lead, Sasaki got more rope to open the sixth, but he walked Ian Happ and allowed a single to Suzuki, ending Sasaki’s night at 99 pitches, two thirds of them for strikes. That was the only walk of the game for Sasaki, his lowest total in his 13 MLB starts.

---

A four-run lead even later in the game wasn’t safe on Friday night, so Dodger Stadium was understandably a little queasy when the bullpen gates opened with two on and nobody out in the sixth on Saturday, even more so when Jack Dreyer walked his first batter to load the bases.

But Dreyer recovered to strike out Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong, before Will Klein made a nice stab of a grounder to somehow escape the inning unscathed.

The game was never that close again, as the Dodgers scored four more runs in the sixth. Andy Pages doubled in two with the bases loaded, after Teoscar Hernández drove in two with fourth-inning single. It’s the first time the Dodgers had two bases-loaded hits in the same game since last September 14 in San Francisco against the Dodgers. Los Angeles was 4-for-20 with the bases loaded entering Saturday.

Saturday particulars

Home runs: Max Muncy (9); Seiya Suzuki (4), Moisés Ballesteros (4), Miguel Amaya (2)

WP — Roki Sasaki (1-2): 5+ IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts

LP — Colin Rea (3-1): 3 1/3 IP, 6 hits, 6 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts

Up next

A battle of southpaws commences for the series finale at Dodger Stadium on Sunday (1:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), with Justin Wrobleski and Shota Imanaga facing off with a combined five runs allowed in their last seven starts.