Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The Boston Red Sox are something of a rollercoaster ride…

It’s safe to say that watching them has been rather nauseating at points, as the peaks and valleys not only arise with each passing series, but with each game, inning, and pitch.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was the perfect encapsulation of this on Monday, as he was called upon to pinch-hit for Jarren Duran in the seventh inning of an eventual 8-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Kiner-Falefa, whose only job was to drop down a bunt and advance the runners on first and second, failed miserably and was eventually called out on strikes as he bunted the ball foul — which might just be the worst thing you can do in professional sports. How did he respond? That very same guy lined a two-run single into the right field gap and played what would ultimately serve as the game-winning runs.

No, seriously!

It’s like that one episode of “The Office” where Michael Scott admits during the dinner party that he had three vasectomies for Jan Levinson.

Snip-snap! Snip-snap! Snip-snap!

Does that sound fun to you?

It isn’t, which is why folks should be excited about what this week’s series against the New York Yankees represents.

The Red Sox, despite having done the exact opposite over the last several weeks, have an opportunity to find consistency in their first divisional matchup of the season.

Why?

Connelly Early, Ranger Suarez, and Brayan Bello are slated to start during the three-game set, but if the folks in charge want to get funky, they could replace the latter with Payton Tolle — who is likely to soon receive a call-up thanks to Sonny Gray hitting the injured list — and make it three consecutive left-handed starters against New York.

The Yankees probably won’t be too thrilled to face three consecutive southpaws, as they carry a significantly lower team slash line against left-handers (.185/.283/.393) than they do against right-handers (.232/.340/.417).

Roman Anthony, Masataka Yoshida (please), and Caleb Durbin should help lead the charge offensively, with all three starting to string together consistent at-bats over the weekend. Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras tapping back into their power alongside that trio would go a long way in helping an offense that scores either two runs or nine runs and nothing in between.

The Yankees, who boast one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, are at their worst when facing heavily left-handed lineups.

I don’t want to be the guy who gets clouded by his admiration for one team and his hatred for the other, but things have lined up rather nicely for the home side. It’s too early to call this a must-win series, but it’s about as close as you can get while still recovering from the festivities (either your hangover from watching people run or your dead legs from running yourself) of Patriot’s Day.

Alex Cora’s club is starting to get the hang of this whole small ball thing, is moving in the right direction when it comes to the pitching staff, and should be playing with unmatched desperation.

Call me dumb, but I like their chances of taking two out of three.

Clamoring for someone to lose their job isn’t the best thing to do in the world. However, if you are bad at your job, what reasons should you keep it? It’s just the nature of the real world, when you can’t maintain the standard that your job requires of you, you have to go and someone else should get your job and a chance to make things better.

After the Royals made the playoffs in 2024, the expectations the last two seasons have been to win the division. Well, we know how last year turned out. This year is somehow off to an even worst start.

Before the Thursday meltdown in Detroit, the Royals had scored 2 runs or less in 11 of their first 18 games and in 7 of their last 8. Losing games despite strong starting pitching, with no one running away with the division, makes those early-season games a lost opportunity. Similar to last season, the Royals are losing a bunch of games because their offense is downright terrible.

The Royals have the worst record in baseball at 7-16, losing eight straight contests. They are currently averaging 3.30 runs per game, second worst in the league. They have seven guys who have struck out 17 or more times in the first 23 games. If you took a shot for every pop up or strike out the Royals hit every game, you might be heading to the hospital by the fifth inning. They’ve been shut out three times in 23 games, which makes them to be on pace to be shut out 22 times this season. Finally, they are awful with runners in scoring position. As a team, they are hitting .200/.277/.259 in those situations, a wRC+ of 50 that is dead last in baseball.

Look no further than last night’s debacle against Baltimore. The Royals loaded the bases THREE times, once with nobody out and ZERO times did they hit the ball out of the infield. They have run into more outs on the bases than homers hit, although that might be a Hollins/Wilson issue. The Royals were 5-for-21 with RISP and left 16 guys on base in the loss last night. The performance is preposterous and the lack of runs puts way too much pressure on the bullpen. Yes, I know they’ve struggled, but they have no breathing room. The Royals had 14 hits last night, 12 singles. Meanwhile, guys like Leody Taveras, who has 42 career homers, is crushing grand slams to dead center in Kauffman Stadium. The Royals can’t even hit doubles or triples! Only the Mets have fewer extra-base hits!

The Royals haven’t won a baseball game in which the other team has scored since April 6th.

The best hitters in the lineup, Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez are all struggling. Bobby Witt Jr. is looking for his first home run. Salvy is 2-for-27 with runners in scoring position. Vinnie and Salvy are among the ten worst qualified hitters in baseball by wRC+.

If you want to blame it on the Royals big three mightily struggling as to why the offense is bad, fine you can do that, but what is your solution, bench them? Trade them? Send them down? Salvy sat out on Saturday afternoon and he posted his displeasure on social media on the way it was handled.

Royals director of hitting performance/player development Alec Zumwalt has had a rather long leash and opportunity to prove his worth to stay. He is in his ninth season with the organization – he is a holdover from Mike Matheny’s staff! And what does he have to show for his performance?

Jac Caglianone currently sits at one homer. While he is hitting the ball hard a decent amount of the time, his swing is pounding a lot of balls into the ground. After he crushed homers all throughout the minors, who is to blame for his big league struggles?

Cags isn’t the only hitter to struggle under the Zumwalt regime, Drew Waters was once a highly touted prospect, he is nothing more than an AAAA player now. He is Barry Bonds in Omaha but has consistently been bad when getting run with Kansas City. MJ Melendez was a 40-homer guy in the minors and was then really bad for the Royals. Look at what he is doing so far for the Mets. Ryan O’Hearn and Brent Rooker have also found success with other organizations.

And this isn’t just a three-week sample size to panic over either. It’s a multi-year issue with Zumwalt and the offense. In the 130 games that Zumwalt was the hitting coach in 2022, the team averaged 4.01 runs, which over a full season, would’ve been 23rd best in the league. Since then, the 2024 playoff run looks like an aberration, rather than progress.

Outside of the runs not being scored, the Royals hit a lot of fly balls, and most of them are easy outs. They have a 43.4 percent flyball rate, third-highest in baseball. The Royals are batting .223 as a team currently, but according to Baseball Savant, their expected batting average is just a measly .229, which means they aren’t unlucky. Their at bats stink and when they put the ball in play, it’s either not well struck, or the launch angle is astronomical which makes for a very routine play. As a team they have a 13.8% pop up rate, fifth-highest in baseball.

The Royals also don’t hit for that much power for a team that is trying to hit as many flyballs as they do. In 2022, they hit 138 homers, the 26th most in baseball. In 2023, they hit 163, tied for 26th most. In 2024, they hit 170, which was tied for the 20th most. Last year, they hit 159, which was 26th best. So far this year, they have hit 18, which is tied for 22nd most. So, they’ve always been bottom third of the league in homers, despite putting the ball in the air a lot, and moving the fences in this year.

The Royals may turn it around like last season, but like last season, it’ll probably be too late, and they’ll never truly compete for a postseason spot. We are in the prime Bobby Witt Jr. era, and he has been turned into a singles hitter that can’t be driven in by his teammates. They are also wasting a top three starting pitching staff in baseball. It’s beyond time JJ. The move needs to be made now.

To borrow a phrase from Rex Hudler, “Alec Zumwalt, you got to go!”

It’s been a bit of a tradition around here to have a Community Bold Predictions post. Last week, Demetrius put a boldest prediction post on our Feed. We got some interesting feedback. Let’s sift through these and have a look at some of the great ones.

Win the whole thing

This is a mainstay of the predictions post. Running the table and going all the way always gets a mention. Is it bold? Sure, I think so. It’s been a minute since the Braves have made a deep playoff run. They haven’t advanced to the NLCS since their World Series run. Right now, they’re at +1400 to win it all. That suggests around a 7% chance to win it. That seems a tad low to me, considering how fast the Braves got out of the gate. Yankees are have about a 22% chance to make it to the World Series to lose.

This post is how you play. Pro-Braves and around 2-3% chance of happening? Certified bold.

Walt puts the hurt on WWE

If there was a MMA competition for MLB personnel, I would not want to be in Walt’s bracket. A little taekwondo, a little ground and pound. That’s a no from me. I do think Weiss has to be the leading candidate right now for the National League Manager of the Year competition. MOY is basically awarded to the manager of a team that improves the most year-to-year. And Atlanta’s 2026 is the opposite of last year so far.

Weiss is maybe 30% odds for Manager of the Year for me right now. Summer Slam? I’m not telling him no, even if the Braves will be beating down the Nats that weekend. Bold for me.

Luke Williams gets a save

The MLB rules don’t state it exactly but do imply that a player listed as a shortstop cannot get a save. However, ones classified as a two-way player can and pitchers do. He has a career 54 wRC+ and no true position. He has a lifetime 3.27/4.47/5.13 line and a 61 MPH eephus. So you can squint and say he might have more of a MLB job as a pitcher. That route would might start in Single-A Rome though. Maybe not this season, but soon?

Bold? Oh please please please make this happen, baseball gods.

Braves finish with best run differential in baseball

I’m very curious about this one. So let’s dig in. The Dodgers were +48 coming into tonight (and looking like +57 after they’re done with the Rockies). The Cubs are next at +34.

Coming into this season, the Braves were short five starting pitchers, Sean Murphy, Ha-Seong Kim, and Daysbel Hernandez. Spencer Strider will miss at least a month. It hasn’t mattered. The Braves are 16-7 and in first place at +62 in run differential. They’re second in baseball in wRC+, second in wOBA, second in OPS. They’re first in ERA, sixth in FIP, fourth best at walk prevention.

They’re getting big contributions from the 17th to 26th players on the team. Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes have been great. Even Martin Perez and Jorge Mateo have chipped in. The Braves are also taking pitchers that pick up three-inning saves and cutting them or sending them to Gwinnett. That’s seemingly one large benefit of having an open competition for several spots. Guys threw themselves into Spring Training, and that’s continued into the season. Interestingly the only open lineup spot that had a lot of coverage, left field, has not been great outside of super-utility Mauricio Dubon.

Their starters have been great as well. Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson have been on fire. Michael Harris’ Savant page is filled with giant red bars. Chris Sale has been dominant as well. So they’re gonna run away with the run differential title. Eh, maybe? Let’s look at the other side.

Fangraphs Depth Charts isn’t a Braves fan

These are the Fangraphs Depth Charts estimates right now. This has the Braves’ hitters in eighth in WAR, and the pitchers at tenth. WAR isn’t perfect (and neither is projected WAR), but it can give you a good idea because it’s measured in runs above replacement. So it’s a decent proxy for run differential. These get updated throughout the season.

They do a great job at Fangraphs, but I have a couple of issues with it. One issue with Depth Charts is that it is underselling the contributions of the currently injured players and fringe players (or at least fringe coming into the season). Are Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach going to throw fewer than 60 innings each? Is Spencer Strider perma-broken at 120 innings and 2.0 WAR? Bryce Elder is only getting 110 innings, when he already has 30 and led the team last year?

Are the Braves keeping JR Ritchie and Didier Fuentes down on the farm for under 30 MLB innings apiece? JR has a sub 1.00 ERA in Gwinnett right now. Didier is mowing down practically everybody and looks completely bored in Triple-A for my eyes. With Strider coming back, Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach behind him, and two prospects looking to break down the door, the entry to the Braves’ rotation is going to get higher. They have Martin Perez right now, who has been good and someone that the Braves will likely keep as depth. But he’s not long for the rotation, and may not stay through this week. I think the fifth starter in going to be getting 1.5-2.0 WAR per 150 innings pretty soon, and the top end might be closer to 4.

The other issue is that while I don’t doubt their math, the numbers going into 2026 they they were mathing with have been soured by 2025. A lot of those poor numbers was the injury misfortune and results from the hitting approach from last season. Last year the hitting approach forced some aggressive players into worrying about swing rate and cutting down their swing with two strikes. But look at the turnaround that Michael Harris II has made. He’s just concerned with killing the ball now, and that’s it. And it’s handy because he can do that.

These factors along with some weird choices make me doubt the estimates. Drake Baldwin at 2.9? After a 3.1 WAR rookie year while playing zero DH? He’s already at 0.9 WAR now. Mauricio Dubon at 1.1 WAR was always silly to me. He’s already at 0.6. You can see most of the logic being applied, and FG is very good. But if they’re off to the downside as much as they were to the upside last year, the Braves can win the team WAR title and likely the run differential one as well.

The Braves schedule has been light so far

The Braves will play a heavy schedule early (29 in the first 31 days), but the competition will be light. There’s only one 2025 playoff team in that time, and it’s the Phillies. I think Philly will piece it together soon, but right now they’re a train wreck. It’s been the Kansas City Royals, the (don’t call me Sacramento or any city) Athletics, D-backs, Angels, Guardians, Marlins, Nats, and those underperforming Phillies. It hasn’t been murderer’s row. And they are killing them, like any top team should. But let’s pump the brakes a little. They haven’t met the NL West or NL Central. And outside of the Rockies, they’re decent to outstanding. The Guardians look good, but the Braves haven’t met the Dodgers, Yankees, and Cubs yet. And those look to be the top teams.

The Dodgers might lap the field

Speaking of the Dodgers, they are punishing the Rockies tonight. (Though along with the White Sox, Colorado is barely in professional baseball.) The Dodgers will field Yamamoto, Glasnow, Sheehan, Snell, Ohtani in the rotation. They have Ohtani, Tucker, Betts, Freeman, Smith, Muncy for hitters and on and on. They’re pegged at 47 WAR this season, far and away the best. It’s almost not fair the wealth of talent and pocketbook.

The TLDR

And yet, the Braves have the Dodgers beaten by 5 runs in the run differential race. Can the Braves outrun the Dodgers, injuries, and a tougher schedule? I’ll put it at around 20 percent. Definitely a bold prediction. Let’s just make sure they can beat the Dodgers in the playoffs when it really counts.

Miguel Rojas had three of the Dodgers’ 15 hits in Monday night’s win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, driving in a pair of runs in the 12-3 victory.

The second of those hits was a single off Rockies starter José Quintana in the sixth inning, the 1,000th hit of his career.

“Getting to 1,000 hits in my career is something that I marked on my calendar for this year,” Rojas told Kirsten Watson on the field on SportsNet LA after the game. “It’s a pretty cool personal accomplishment, but at the end of the day the most important part was winning this game with the boys banging at the plate and [Justin Wrobleski] throwing the ball really well.”

This year is a swan song for Rojas, in his 13th major league season. He plans to retire as a player at the end of 2026, and will transition into a role in the Dodgers front office.

“He’s been waiting for this one. He’s big on milestones and moments,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters at Coors Field, as shown on SportsNet LA. “He’s done a lot of good things in this game, so for him to get it was a huge thing for him.”

You’ll notice at the end of that clip that Roberts started to pretend that he was going to throw the ball from Rojas’s milestone hit into the stands. “I wanted to have a little fun with him, but I don’t think I had enough arm to throw it over the screen anyway,” Roberts said.

Rojas, now 37, is in a reserve role now, having started eight of the Dodgers’ 22 games. Five of those starts have come against left-handed pitching, against whom Rojas has nine hits in 17 at-bats with two doubles, a home run, and three walks.

Getting to 1,000 hits seemed like a long shot when Rojas signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in November 2012, then at age 24 hit just .233/.303/.307 with a 74 wRC+ in Double-A Chattanooga. Defense was his calling card, and for that he received high praise. Manager Don Mattingly in 2014 compared Rojas’s glovework to Omar Vizquel, which fueled Rojas making it through nearly all of spring training camp as a non-roster invitee before getting cut.

The Dodgers called up Rojas that June, swapping spots with Erisbel Arruebarrena. On June 8, in his second major league game, Rojas singled in the sixth inning off Matt Belisle for his first major league hit. That hit scored Jamie Romak, who had just doubled for his first major league hit as well.

The timing was perfect, as only one more player batted in that game at Coors Field. The game was called by rain after six innings. Clayton Kershaw struck out nine in his five innings to earn the complete-game victory, two starts before his no-hitter, which Rojas famously helped preserve with an outstanding play from behind third base.

It was defense that kept Rojas in the majors, first in Los Angeles and then eight years with the Marlins in Miami before returning to the Dodgers in 2023. But he’s going out with a relative bang, having hit .279/.333/.410 with a 109 wRC+ in a part-time role since the start of 2024, including .296/.361/.477 with a 134 wRC+ against lefties, the longest sustained run of offensive success of his career.

Rojas will be forever remembered in Los Angeles for his game-tying home run with one out in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2025 World Series. His place in Dodgers history is cemented. But it was a nice touch that Rojas got his 1,000th hit in the same ballpark as his first, a nice bookend to a long major league career.

“It means a lot, because I received an opportunity 13 years ago by this organization,” Rojas said Monday night. “And remembering that this is a special ballpark, because that’s where I got my first hit. All it took was an opportunity.”

Mika Zibanejad has been through a ton of highs and lows over the course of his 10-year tenure with the New York Rangers. 

When Zibanejad was traded to the Rangers in 2016, he joined a team filled with veterans at the tail end of a multi-year playoff run that was simply running out of steam. 

Two years into his time on Broadway, the Rangers’ management released a letter outlining the team’s plan to reshape the roster and get younger, essentially rebuilding. 

From 2018-2021, the Rangers failed to make the playoffs, as they progressed through their rebuild. Over that time frame, Zibanejad emerged as one of the Blueshirts’ cornerstone pieces. 

Once the Rangers rose from the shadows and became a playoff team again, starting during the 2021-22 season, Zibanejad experienced the best statistical seasons of his hockey career. 

The veteran forward posted a career high of 81 points during the 2021-22 campaign and followed that up with a 91-point season during the 2022-23 campaign. 

After two trips to the Eastern Conference Final in three years, the Rangers plateaued in 2024-25, failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Zibanejad’s individual statistics also took a dip, with his 62 points in 82 games being a significant decrease from his output compared to the previous seasons.

Despite the Rangers' further plummeting in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26, Zibanejad had a resurgence, going from 62 to 78 points and regaining his dominant offensive form. 

“I think I proved — to not myself, but maybe to some other people who had a thing or two to say about me last year — what I can do and what I’m still capable of doing,” Zibanejad said. “I’ve still gotta bring it again next year, but of course it was a positive thing for me. … I don’t think I doubted myself too much, but it’s nice to see some results.”

In January, Chris Drury issued a letter outlining the Rangers’ plan to “retool” the roster, putting the team's immediate future in doubt.

At 33 years old and still in the midst of his prime, does Zibanejad have the appetite to sit through yet another retool?

The Swedish forward, who holds a full no-move clause in his current contract, expressed his desire to stay in New York for the long haul. 

Rangers Excited About Chance To Add Cornerstone Piece In Top Five Of Draft The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> will hold a top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Draft coming up on June 26.

Contrary to public sentiment, Zibanejad believes the Rangers could become a competitive team in the immediate future.

“I’ve been here for 10 years. I’ve gone through the ups and downs,” Zibanejad said in his exit interview. “For me, yeah retool or whatever, but you just look around the league and see how fast it can go. I’m optimistic, especially with the young guys coming in, too, and playing. I don't feel like we need a whole lot. I want to be here to turn this around.”

Zibanejad is still under contract with the Rangers until 2030 at a cap hit of $8.5 million, and for now, it doesn't appear he’s going anywhere.

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Runs — or a lack thereof — is the theme of our MLB best bets for today, April 21.

Our MLB expert picks have found the best prices at Polymarket (which allows users coast-to-coast to get in on the baseball action), with a focus on pitching outlasting the wind in Wrigley, a slow start in Kansas City, and Atlanta continuing to roll with Reynaldo Lopez on the mound.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Josh Inglis: CHC/PHI u8.5	+100
Neil Parker: BAL/KC NRFI	-104
Joe Osborne: ATL ML	-133

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Cubs/Phillies Under 8.5

Price: 50¢ (+100) at Polymarket

The 10 mph wind blowing out may be driving some Over action at Wrigley Field, but I’m comfortable on the Under, which has a fair price around -150 and THE BAT projecting 7.79 total runs. Jesus Luzardo is not a 7.94 ERA pitcher and should get things back on track as an elite groundball + strikeout pitcher, while Shota Imanaga has allowed just six hits over his last 17 innings and will be backed by a Cubs bullpen with five LHPs — against a Phillies lineup that ranks last in wRC+ vs. left-handed pitching.

Neil Parker's expert pick: Orioles/Royals NRFI

Price: 51¢ (-104) at Polymarket

The Orioles and Royals rank third and last in percentage of games scoring a run in the first inning, so even with the wind forecasted to be howling out at Kauffman Stadium, I’m expecting starters Shane Baz and Kris Bubic to post zeros in the opening frame. Baltimore hasn’t scored an opening-inning run on the road all season, and Kansas City is the lowest-scoring team in the opening frame for the year — and the second-lowest scoring team overall.

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Braves moneyline

Price: 57¢ (-133) at Polymarket

While both starting pitchers are off to respectable starts, these offenses are miles apart right now, and the Braves' bullpen has been lights out. Atlanta is 4-0 in Reynaldo Lopez’s starts, as he's allowed one earned run or fewer in three of them, and this matchup suits him against a Nationals lineup that ranks 28th in OPS vs. righties over the last two weeks. On the other side, Foster Griffin could struggle against a Braves team that's crushing left-handed pitching and is 6-1 when facing lefty starters.

More MLB best bets for today

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The 1929 Yankees were riding high. Coming off back-to-back World Series sweeps and with the heart of Murderers’ Row still intact, a team which had been an afterthought for most of its history appeared to be cresting a wave. Then, tragedy struck. Beloved manager Miller Huggins, who’d been at the helm for the Yankees’ turnaround and was the only skipper Babe Ruth had played under in New York, died unexpectedly on September 25th. His squad, while in mourning, ended up a distant 18 games behind Philadelphia for the pennant. The next year, under Bob Shawkey, the Yankees finished third as the A’s became a dynasty; it looked like the Yankees’ moment had passed.

That’s when the team’s owner, Jacob Ruppert, hired a new manager to right the ship, a man who’d one day join Huggins in Monument Park.

Joseph Vincent McCarthy
Born: April 21, 1887 (Philadelphia, PA)
Died: January 13, 1978 (Buffalo, NY)
Yankees Tenure: 1931-46 (manager)

Born on a Philly spring day in 1887, young Joe’s father died when he was just three in a cave-in, leaving his son to grow up in poverty. Baseball was a saving grace for McCarthy, netting him first a scholarship at Niagara University and then a long career in pro ball. He was a scrappy and versatile ballplayer, a decent enough hitter who never ran well due to a knee injury sustained in his youth. McCarthy’s determination and wiles kept him afloat in the minors for 15 seasons, throughout much of which he served as a player-manager.

McCarthy was first given the reins while playing in the New York State League for the Wilkes-Barre Barons—a long-ago predecessor of the Yankees’ modern Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. At the age of 25, he was the youngest manager in pro ball. He continued managing into his 30s with Double-A Louisville. Between 1921 (his final year as a player) and 1925, his Cardinals twice won the pennant and became a reliable contender.

It was on the strength of this track record that Cubs owner William Wrigley, Jr. hired McCarthy to lead his squad for the 1926 season. Chicago finished just seven games back of the pennant that year, their best finish since they’d won it in 1919, and would remain in regular contention throughout McCarthy’s tenure. The Cubs made it to the World Series in 1929 but were trounced by Connie Mack’s Athletics four games to one, a resounding defeat that was the beginning of the end for the team’s manager. “I have always wanted a world’s championship, and I am not sure that Joe McCarthy is the man to give me that kind of team,” Wrigley said after the ‘29 loss, a comment that wouldn’t take long to age poorly.

Despite finishing just two games back in the NL the following season, McCarthy was shown the door. The Yankees, still reeling from the loss of Huggins, jumped on the opportunity to recruit the former Cubs skipper, making him a more attractive offer than the rival Red Sox to secure his services — even going so far as dismissing the longtime pitcher Shawkey as their skipper after just one year. The response among the baseball press to the signing was exultant. “The coming of McCarthy to New York is one of the biggest achievements of the American League since Colonel Ruppert engaged the late lamented Miller Huggins 12 years ago,” one paper gushed. “McCarthy is a figure of national importance.”

McCarthy righted the ship in year one, leading his team to 94 wins and a second-place finish. He quickly became known for a reserved, cautious temperament, both with his team and with the press. This remove led to a contentious relationship with the New York media, who would give the manager his propers for the nuts-and-bolts management of his team but withheld the type of adulation they’d heap upon one of his successors, Casey Stengel, throughout the ‘50s. A representative back-handed compliment came from Arthur Daley of The New York Times. “Few men in baseball were ever as single-minded as he. That was to be both his strength and his weakness,” the columnist opined of McCarthy. “Baseball was his entire life and it never was lightened by laughter because he was a grim, humorless man with a brooding introspection which ate his heart out.”

Perhaps the fairest characterization of what made McCarthy great was his ability as a teacher of the game. “Never a day went by that you didn’t learn something from McCarthy,” said no less an authority than Joe DiMaggio of the man under whom he played for the first eight years of his career.

Whatever the reason, the Yankee behemoth was back in full force the following season. Led by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, who combined for 75 homers, and a pitching staff that included future Hall of Famers Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez, the 1932 Yankees became the third team in AL history to win 107 games, coasting to the pennant.

In a sweet twist of fate for McCarthy, his Bronx Bombers would face the Cubs team that had thrown him overboard just two years prior. It was to be a good, old-fashioned beatdown. Ruffing and Gomez hurled complete game victories in Games 1 and 2 and the five future Hall of Famers in the Yankees’ stacked lineup each posted an OPS of at least .900. Gehrig was the star of the show, hitting .519 with three homers to lead the Yankees to a sweep. The resounding victory was vindication for McCarthy, who later called it the greatest thrill of his career. “First, it was my first World Series winner,” he stated plainly. “Secondly, it was against the Cubs.”

The Yankees missed out on October the next couple years and McCarthy’s relationship with the biggest star in the sport waned. Ruth was unhappy that he wasn’t offered the opportunity to be a player/manager in any of the searches following Huggins’ death, and as such, he was not fond of McCarthy. The Bambino’s time as a Yankee was coming to a close anyway, but it was probably best for both sides when Ruth departed the Bronx after the 1934 campaign.

Soon, McCarthy had another star on his hands with DiMaggio joining Gehrig, and a new standard of excellence was set. They won a then-record four consecutive championships from 1936-39 and then two more in ’41 and ‘43. During this time, he not only shepherded his star-studded teams to success on the field but played a pivotal role in establishing the mythos of the “Yankee Way,” ensuring his players adhered to strict standards of dress and behavior, even when outside of the clubhouse. When one player tried to carry on the age-old, impish tradition of giving a teammate a hotfoot, his skipper told him simply, “You’re a Yankee now. We don’t do that.” George Steinbrenner would have been proud.

McCarthy’s teams excelled into the mid-’40s before their momentum was slowed by World War II, which cost them the likes of DiMaggio and Ruffing as well as fellow Hall of Famers Bill Dickey and Joe Gordon. Thirty-five games into the 1946 season, his 16th at the helm in New York, McCarthy resigned, citing a recurring gall-bladder condition (though he was also battling alcoholism). Many at the time assumed a rift with new general manager Larry MacPhail was the true culprit, a theory that gained more credibility when a 60-year-old McCarthy returned to manage the Red Sox two years later. His Boston squads won 96 games in each of his two full seasons there before he retired for good during the 1950 season, once again citing health concerns.

McCarthy enjoyed a long retirement, living on his farm in Tonawanda, New York until dying of pneumonia in 1979 at the age of 90, just a few years after the Yankees dedicated a plaque to him in Monument Park. Well before, he had the chance to travel to Cooperstown to be recognized in 1957 for his excellence with induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame — an achievement well-earned for someone all over the all-time managerial leaderboard. “Little did I think when I was in the minor leagues I would ever make the Hall of Fame,” the normally reserved McCarthy said upon hearing of his induction. “I’m very, very happy.”

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

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The Milwaukee Brewers head to the Motor City to start a series with the Detroit Tigers today, and both teams will see something unfamiliar: an opponent with a winning record.

Detroit has yet to beat an opponent over .500, going 0-4. Milwaukee is facing just its second winning foe after taking two of three over the Rays (who, full disclosure, are over .500 now but weren’t when they played the Brewers).

See why our Brewers vs. Tigers predictions and MLB picks look for the Tigers to win at home.

Who will win Brewers vs Tigers today: Tigers moneyline (-110)

The Detroit Tigers return home, where they have won six straight and are 8-1 on the season.

Only five teams have allowed fewer runs than the Tigers, who've surrendered two or fewer in five of their last six home games, and in three of the four in Boston. Today's starter, Keider Montero, has yet to allow a home run through three starts. 

With injuries to Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and Andrew Vaughn, the Milwaukee Brewers have a skeleton crew lineup. Three starters and the top four bench players are hitting below .200 with an OPS under .600.

COVERS INTEL: A key to Montero's success has been a barrel rate of 2.2%, which ranks in the 89th percentile.

Brewers vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-107)

The Brewers are in the bottom 10 in MLB in home runs, and the Tigers are in the bottom five. Both teams are exactly league average in OPS+, and are in the Top 8 in fewest runs allowed and ERA. 

Brewers starter Kyle Harrison missed his last outing after getting banged up in a collision covering first base.

He’s been cleared and has been outstanding this season, striking out more than a batter an inning and posting a 3.07 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.

Montero has a 3.31, 0.86. The two combined have walked six in 30-plus innings, setting this up as a pitching-forward showdown.

Brewers vs Tigers odds

• Moneyline: Brewers +100 | Tigers -104
• Run line: Brewers -1.5 (+170) | Tigers +1.5 (-178)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+104) | Under 8.5 (-108)

Brewers vs Tigers trend

The Milwaukee Brewers have hit the Team Total Under in 16 of their last 23 away games (+7.55 Units / 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Tigers.

How to watch Brewers vs Tigers and game info

Brewers vs Tigers latest injuries

Brewers vs Tigers weather

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The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will renew a rivalry for the first time this season.

These two teams have been dead-even lately with a 5-5 head-to-head record over the last ten games although the Yankees got the last laugh a season ago eliminating its rival from the playoffs. However, Boston should get a measure of revenge tonight.

My Yankees vs. Red Sox predicitons and MLB picks break down why the Over and the underdog have value on Tuesday April 14.

Who will win Yankees vs Red Sox today: Red Sox moneyline (-115)

For the moment, I’m kind of out on New York Yankees hurler Luis Gil. He needs to regain my trust, and there’s not much to suggest that will happen anytime soon.

He’s posted some of the worst underlying metrics in 2026 to begin the season for any starting pitcher. Getting simply hit hard regularly per inning with an average exit velocity that sits in the bottom 5% of the sport and an overall hard-hit rate that is only slightly better.

The command issues that tanked his 2025 persist, and a 6.40 xERA suggests a player who has been more bad than unlucky. The Boston Red Sox have enough power in the lineup to hurt him. They’ve done it before, and the sixth-best hard-hit rate in the league looms large here.

While Connelly Early’s 2.29 ERA is propped up by a 5.25 xERA, his 74th-percentile run value suggests real competence. At a pick-em price, the Red Sox have the better matchup.

COVERS INTEL:Gil's chase rate has ranked in the bottom 10 percent of baseball for over a full year now.  In the 2025 season, it sat at the bottom one percentile (20.0%) and through two starts this year it has climbed only to the bottom 9th percentile (22.4%)

Yankees vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-105)

It was a fairly easy Over bet for me as I projected a total of 9.4. The cool temperatures probably make this total a half run lower than it would otherwise be, and I get it, but it still isn't enough to overcome the struggles these two pitchers have.

We’ve talked about Gil and why Boston will have success, but New York should be able to score, too.

Early's 13% barrel rate, paired with an average exit velocity that’s actually worse than Gil's, is going to give the Bronx Bombers clear paths to run-scoring opportunities. I’d play this to 9.5 with a fair amount of confidence.

Yankees vs Red Sox odds

• Moneyline: New York -110 | Boston -110
• Run line: New York -1.5 (+150) | Boston +1.5 (-178)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-105) | Under 8.5 (-110)

Yankees vs Red Sox trend

The New York Yankees have hit the Team Total Over in 31 of their last 50 away games (+9.25 Units / 16% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Red Sox.

How to watch Yankees vs Red Sox and game info

Yankees vs Red Sox latest injuries

Yankees vs Red Sox weather

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The Chicago Cubs have won six consecutive games and outscored opponents 44-14 in aggregate.

My Phillies vs. Cubs predictions expect their winning ways to continue Tuesday against a struggling Philadelphia team.

Let’s break down why with my daily MLB picks for April 21.

Who will win Phillies vs Cubs today: Cubs moneyline (-120)

The Philadelphia Phillieshave scored two runs or fewer in five consecutive games, and it’s difficult to envision things getting much better tonight.

Philadelphia’s offense has been putrid against left-handed pitching, sporting a .260 wOBA (28th) and .549 OPS (29th). They now have to deal with Shota Imanaga, who has been one of the league’s best starters thus far.

While I believe Jesus Luzardo to be much better than his counting stats indicate, this is a tough matchup to truly get back on track.

The Chicago Cubsrank third in both wOBA and OPS against left-handed pitchers, and recorded 12 hits the last time they faced Luzardo.

COVERS INTEL: Only the Dodgers and Nationals rank ahead of the Cubs in wOBA and OPS vs. lefties.

Phillies vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-105)

Luzardo is sporting a painful 7.94 ERA despite striking out six batters for every walk issued and allowing hard contact just 28.6% of the time. He has a 1.93 xFIP and 2.45 SIERA, excellent numbers that suggest much better days are ahead.

Imanaga has been lights out to date with sparkling metrics in many categories (2.45 ERA, 2.49 xFIP, 12.68 K/9).

With strong bullpens behind these two starters — both teams rank Top 10 in xFIP this month — it’s difficult to envision either team putting up a ceiling performance at the plate.

Phillies vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Philadelphia +108 | Chicago -113
• Run line: Philadelphia -1.5 (+178) | Chicago +1.5 (-186)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-105) | Under 8.5 (+100)

Phillies vs Cubs trend

The Phillies have hit the Under in 10 of their last 15 games (+4.65 Units / 28% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Cubs.

How to watch Phillies vs Cubs and game info

Phillies vs Cubs latest injuries

Phillies vs Cubs weather

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Randy Guzman

Week: 6 G, 24 AB, .250/.419/.750, 6 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 5 BB, 3 K, 2/2 SB (Single-A)

2026 Season: 14 G, 50 AB, .200/.344/.440, 10 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 7 BB, 16 K, 3/3 SB, .226 BABIP (Single-A)

Randy Guzman came into this series hitting .154/.267/.154, still looking for his first extra base hit. The young slugger found his power stroke over the course of the series, hitting a double, hitting a triple, and launching not one, not two, but three home runs. He went 3-5 on April 15th, hitting a triple and two of his three homers for the week, raising his slugging percentage from .129 to .417 in just a single game.

This time last year, Randy Guzman was on few, if any, radars. Coming into the season, he had two seasons of experience, both in the Dominican Summer League, where he was a cumulative .186/.324/.324 hitter in 67 games with the DSL Mets Orange and the DSL Mets Blue. While I, personally, don’t know how close to the chopping block he was, as an older player from the DR without much pedigree and who was not performing well, one imagines that Guzman did not have much going for him. What he did have on his side was the fact that he was the fact that he was a hard worker; Guzman was known to always hustle, to listen to his coaches, and to apply himself. When the 2025 season started, even though his numbers did not necessarily warrant it, the infielder/outfielder was sent stateside and promoted to the FCL Mets, a move meant to boost morale among DSL players by highlighting that hard work and perseverance is noticed.

Improbably, Guzman responded to the promotion. He got off to a strong start to the FCL Mets season and continued hitting. When the Florida Complex League season ended in late July, Guzman had hit .282/.371/.474 with 9 doubles, 7 home runs, and 15 walks to 33 strikeouts. Continuing to challenge the 20-year-old, he was promoted to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets and finished the season in the Florida State League. Guzman picked up right where he left off with the FCL Mets and hit .333/.381/.604 in 26 games with St. Lucie, logging 13 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs, with 6 walks to 21 strikeouts. In 75 games in total, he hit .302/.375/.524 with 22 doubles, 2 triples, and 10 home runs, walking 21 times and striking out 54 times.

Coming into the season, Guzman was ranked 23 on the Amazin’ Avenue Top 25 Mets Prospects list- and had his spot increase two slots when Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat were traded for Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers in late January. The Mets had him begin the year with St. Lucie, but barring some severe regression, I would expect him to eventually make it as high as High-A Brooklyn sometime this year.

The data that we have on Guzman this year so far is so limited as to be nearly worthless, but in that limited dataset, the most striking thing that sticks out are the numerous problematic launch angles Guzman has put balls in play with; at the time of this writing, he is averaging a 6-degree launch angle. As mentioned, the data for Guzman is extremely limited at the moment, but broader trends bear this out: his line drive rate is currently 17.6%, his groundball rate 61.8%, and his flyball rate 20.6%. Hitting so many balls on the ground at this moment, running a BABIP of .226, it is no wonder that his batting average is straddling the Mendoza line at .200. As compared to his numbers in St. Lucie last season, the right-hander should be due for some positive regression. While he may not start playing like a .300 hitter on pace to hit 60 home runs, Guzman undoubtedly should begin playing better baseball as the season progresses.

Jose Chirinos

Week: 2 G (2 GS), 8.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K (Single-A)

2026 Season: 3 G (3 GS), 10.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER (2.70 ERA), 4 BB, 13 K, .304 BABIP (Single-A)

Born in Los Puertos de Altagracia, Venezuela, Jose Chirinos was signed by the Mets on January 15, 2022, the first day of the 2022 international signing period. Receiving a $10,000 signing bonus, the 17-year-old right-hander was assigned to the Dominican Summer League for the year, where he posted a 4.91 ERA in 33.0 innings, allowing 31 hits, walking 18, and striking out 29. He remained in the DSL for the 2023 season as well, posting a nearly identical 4.62 ERA in 39.0 innings with 40 hits allowed, 17 walks, but with a much improved 51 strikeouts.

The organization sent him stateside in 2024, assigning him to the Florida Complex League for the majority of the season, getting a single token inning with the Single-A St. Lucie Mets in September. The results were not great, but rather, more of the same, albeit at a higher level; the right-hander posted a cumulative 6.21 ERA in 37.2 innings, allowing 36 hits, walking 26, and striking out 44. Things changed for Chirinos in 2025, and he began seeing success. Starting the year out back with the FCL Mets, the right-hander made 4 appearances, starting 3 games, and posted a 2.35 ERA in 15.1 innings, allowing 11 hits, walking 6, and striking out 22. Returning to St. Lucie that June, he remained there for the rest of the season and ended up posting a 3.20 ERA in 56.1 innings over 15 games, 10 of which were starts. He allowed 40 hits, walked 30, and struck out 51. In total, the 20-year-old posted a cumulative 3.01 ERA in 71.2 innings, allowing 51 hits, walking 36, and striking out 73.

With his lanky 6’3”, 170-pound frame and long, flowing brown hair spilling out from underneath his cap, and low-effort, whippy, low-three-quarters arm slot, it would be easy to confuse Jose Chirinos on the mound with Jacob deGrom. Unfortunately, a slight physical appearance is where the deGrom comparisons end- at least for now.  

Chirinos has a standard four-pitch repertoire, throwing a two-seam fastball, cutter, slider, and changeup. He generally utilizes his fastball roughly 50% of the time, mixing in his cutter, changeup, and slider at similar intervals, leaning more heavily on whichever pitch he has a better feel for at the time. In general, his slider has been his most effective swing-and-miss pitch, while his cutter has been his least.

His fastball has averaged 93 MPH so far this season, ranging 91 to 95 MPH. The pitch produces average spin rates for a sinker, but in general, because of the amount of active spin on the pitch, it does not have much movement. He commands the ball well, and rather than get his swings-and-misses on his fastball, it better serves as a set-up for his secondary offerings.

Chirinos’ slider is arguably his best strikeout pitch. Sitting in the high-70s-to-low-80s, the pitch has slurvy movement, with good horizontal movement and vertical break. He commands the pitch well and is able to get whiffs with the pitch at the lowest levels of the minor leagues, but will need to tighten up the pitch as he progresses up the minor league ladder.

His changeup sits in the high-70s-to-high-80s, with a much wider velocity band than you’d want for a changeup. Featuring minimal horizontal movement, his changeup is more effective in the lower end of that velocity band, as it acts similar to a bad splitter at the upper reaches of its velocity band. His cutter is arguably his least effective pitch. Sitting in the mid-to-high-80s, the pitch features very little movement; the pitch is effective when tunneled with his fastball or his slider, but in and of itself, the pitch lacks effective bite.

This will be your weekly look at the hottest prospects in the system, highlighting the top performers at the plate and on the mound.

Who’s Hot At The Plate?

Anthony Huezo – Huezo had a breakout year making his way to full-season and he’s off to a nice start this year. This week in six games, Huezo hit .364 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs and 3 stolen bases. Overall he has a .866 OPS through 13 games.

Will Bush – Bush has been really good to start the season and this week was no different. Bush played in five games for the Hooks and hit .333 with 2 home runs, 4 runs batted in and drew 7 walks. He has a .510 OBP with more walks than strikeouts this year.

Cesar Hernandez – Hernandez appears to really have found his swing this year. The 22-year-old played in five games this week for Asheville and hit .600 with 5 runs batted in and didn’t strike out once. On the season he .452 with only 4 strikeouts in 9 games.

Trevor Austin – Austin had possibly his best week as a pro. The utility player for the Hooks hit .313 but four of his five hits were for extra-bases included three home runs. He also walked four times and stole a base this week.

Yamal Encarnacion – Encarnacion has bounced around as a utility player but has been solid this year. This week the 22-year-old hit .444 with 6 stolen bases over 5 games for the Hooks. In 12 games this year he is hitting .318 with 9 RBI and 7 stolen bases.

Who’s Hot On The Mound?

Bryce Mayer – After a shaky first outing for Mayer, he turned in a good one this week. In his one start for the Hooks, the right-hander struck out 7 batters over 4 scoreless innings.

Gabel Pentecost – Pentecost had one great outing and one rough outing coming into this week. This week though, he turned in another good outing striking out 8 batters over 5 innings allowing just 2 runs for the Woodpeckers.

Ethan Pecko – Pecko has been pitching in rehab appearances for the Woodpeckers but his numbers this week were too good to leave off. He made one start in Fayetteville and struck out 8 over 3 scoreless innings. He should be ready for Triple-A soon.

Parker Smith – Smith has a chance to make some noise in 2026 and this week he was solid. In his one start he struck out 7 over 6 innings allowing 3 runs, though all came on a 3 run home run. It was a good outing and another step in the right direction.

TEAM ERA and OPS:

Sugar Land – From 2.17 ERA to 3.16 ERA – From .631 OPS to .682 OPS

Corpus Christi – From 3.18 ERA to 3.77 ERA – From .583 OPS to .673 OPS

Asheville – From 4.66 ERA to 6.52 ERA – From .634 OPS to .739 OPS

Fayetteville – From 5.67 ERA to 6.16 ERA – From .683 OPS to .709 OPS

The Phillies can’t do anything right at the moment. They’ve pitched poorly, their defense has been a mess, and their offense has been almost nonexistent. In addition to playing poorly, they’ve also had absolutely horrendous luck, as their .355 batting average on balls in play against is the worst in baseball entering Monday. In fact, it’s over 25 points higher than the team in second, namely the Houston Astros with a .324 mark. It’s 10 points higher than the all-time leaders in worst BABIP against, the 1930 Phillies (.345), who themselves just barely edged out the 2020 Phillies (.344). None of this is meant to be an excuse, but rather a statement of fact that the Phillies have been on the wrong end of batted ball luck.

However, bad luck and playing poorly are not mutually exclusive. On any given night, poor play can lead to more chances for bad luck, or bad luck can lead to a snowball effect of poor play. Take Saturday night’s loss to the Braves for example. The Phillies entered the third inning leading 1-0 thanks to Felix Reyes’ hitting a home run in his first major league at-bat. Cristopher Sánchez was on the mound and tasked with throwing a desperately needed shutdown inning. He struck out the first two hitters in Jorge Mateo and Ronald Acũna Jr., but then allowed a hard hit single up the middle to Drake Baldwin.

Sánchez was then able to get Ozzie Albies to ground into what should have been the final out of the inning, but Edmundo Sosa bobbled it on his way to tag second base and both runners were safe. Matt Olson then walked on four pitches to load the bases before Austin Riley hit a swinging bunt that only went 104 feet but was in a perfect spot. Couple that with Sánchez not fielding it cleanly, and the tying run scored without a throw on a hit with an expected batting average of .130. Mauricio Dubón then singled on a fly ball to center field that landed perfectly behind Sosa and in front of center fielder Brandon Marsh, scoring two more runs for Atlanta. Sánchez finally got a groundout to end the inning, but the damage was done.

Here we can see how poor play led to bad luck. Sánchez should have been out of the inning unscathed, but Sosa’s error allowed the chance for bad luck to occur, and that’s exactly what happened. Sánchez is not entirely innocent either, as his four-pitch walk of Olson immediately after the error allowed the inning to further spiral out of control. He didn’t allow any earned runs and still pitched well enough to win the game, but the three runs that came across in the inning were more than enough to beat the Phillies lifeless offense that was completely shut down by Chris Sale.

Sunday night was another example, this time on the offensive side. The Phillies had two runners on with two outs in the ninth down 4-2 with Kyle Schwarber at the plate. Schwarber ripped a Raisel Iglesias changeup to right field with an exit velocity of 102 MPH and an expected batting average of .430, but Acuña Jr. was able to chase it down and make a nice catch, robbing Schwarber of a possible game-tying base hit.

In this example, the Phillies frankly shouldn’t be waiting until their last out to generate offense. After all, the team had three combined hits from the second inning through the eighth inning and had a span of only having two base runners after Schwarber’s first inning home run until the fifth inning, both of which were Bryce Harper. You cannot control your luck, but you can control your quality of play. Having better at-bats earlier in the game can ensure that your chances to win don’t hang on your last out. If you play better, there’s less opportunity for poor luck to drastically influence the game.

These are just two of the more recent examples of one of these factors feeding into the other. There’s not much you can do against a perfectly placed swinging bunt or a good catch in the field. Those are things that are out of a player’s control. What is in a player’s control though is making sure games don’t have to come down to perfectly placed swinging bunts or getting robbed in the outfield.

The Phillies batted ball luck will normalize at some point. It’s simply unsustainable to be at the rate it is, even if they eventually end the season with a higher rate than usual. The question is, will it be too late to matter?

This team is starting to show that it has a lot of different ways to beat you. Monday night, Craig Counsell talked in his press conference about seven outs saved by his defense in a single game. I don’t know that all of the metrics will find all seven of those, but if you saw much of this game, you surely caught a highlight reel play or two by the defense. The defense sparkled, Colin Rea and a pair of relievers were fantastic and the Cubs offense put enough runs on the board for this one to feel like a fairly easy one.

You are rarely as bad a team as you appear to be when you are struggling. The same goes in the opposite direction. You are rarely as good a team as you appear to be when you are streaking. This team is on fire right now. The things you were worried about last week when this team had lost three of four games to drop to a season-low two games under .500 haven’t really gone away. Facing the Mets and Phillies when they are down is masking a lot of issues. This team is basically devoid of any frontline pitching right now. They also haven’t found their cohesion offensively.

On the other hand, they’ve been getting frontline type pitching numbers for a while now. And their offense is scoring a lot of runs. How well will all of that hold up as the competition stiffens? Well, we’ll start finding out later in the week. I suspect we’ll see a little more out of these Phillies, maybe even before the end of this series. But for now, it’s six straight wins and I’m not apologizing or giving any of it back. Keep taking advantage of timing. Keep adding on. Hopefully, this team starts getting some injured players back and in the interim, some guys earn playing time well into the time when this roster is healthier.

Baseball is so very fun when everything is going right. This is now a 95.7 win pace. That’ll play.

Three Positives:

• Colin Rea was terrific. Defensive help or no, 20 outs recorded on 28 hitters faced. Six hits and two walks, but only one run. He struck out five.
• Alex Bregman had two doubles in four at bats.
• Moisés Ballesteros is absolutely crushing these cherry picked spots the team is giving him. A hit and a walk in two plate appearances. He scored a run. OPS sitting at 1.020. The Cubs will have to eventually give him some leash against lefties, but this is working like a charm right now.

Game 22, April 20: Cubs 5, Phillies 1 (13-9)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Dansby Swanson (.207). 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
• Hero: Colin Rea (.190). 6.2 IP, 28 BF, 5 H, 3 BB, ER, 5 K (W 3-0)
• Sidekick: Michael Conforto (.084). 0-0, BB, SF, RBI

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Miguel Amaya (-.082). 0-4, DP
• Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.024). 1-4
• Kid: Michael Busch (-.010). 1-4, R

WPA Play of the Game: Dansby Swanson’s three-run homer with two outs in the second extended the lead to four and turned out to be more than enough. (.211)

*Phillies Play of the Game: Aaron Nola got Miguel Amaya to ground into a double play with the bases loaded and no outs, trading the game’s first run for two outs. (.070)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game21 Winner: Michael Conforto received 156 of 263 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Nico Hoerner +10.5
• Michael Conforto +7
• Carson Kelly/Colin Rea +6
• Matt Shaw -7
• Seiya Suzuki -8
• Pete Crow-Armstrong -15

Up Next: Game two of this four-game set with the Phillies. The Cubs are now up 3-1 in the season series and need to win one of the final three to win that season series. Another thing you’ve heard me say before: get greedy. Kick’em when they’re down. Let’s get two or three more while we are at it. No apologies, no regrets.

Shōta Imanaga (1-1, 2.45, 22 IP) makes his fifth start of the season. Last time out, he allowed one run on three hits and a walk over six against this Phillies team. Colin Rea bounced back nice on back-to-backs against the same team. Hopefully Imanaga can do the same.

Jesús Luzardo (1-3, 7.94, 22.2 IP) is also making the fifth start of his season. This has been a nightmarish start for the talented lefty. The Cubs had 12 hits and eight runs against him in just 5.1 innings last week. The Cubs usually aren’t as good against lefties, but this team is showing some promise against southpaws. But they are 2-4 when the other team starts a lefty.

Stay hot. A six pack is great, but seven is heavenly.