CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 7: Max Scherzer #31 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during the third inning of a spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on March 7, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jays 1 Phillies 0
The best part of this one was that Max Scherzer started and threw 4 no-hit innings, allowing just 1 walk with 1 strikeouts. He was helped out by some defensive play, but he got through the four innings on just 40 pitches (29 strikeouts). Max was terrific. I didn’t think he’d be ready for opening day but clearly (barring something bad happening) he will be. He did a good job of getting ready, before signing with the Jays.
Other pitchers:
Chase Lee: 1 inning, 1 walk, 1 k.
Josh Fleming: 1 inning, 2 hits.
Lazaro Estrada: 2 clean innings, 1 strikeout.
Connor (two o’s) Seabold: 1 inning, 3 strikeouts. Very nice job. Throwing 94-95 mph. He hit a batter.
On offense, we only got 5 hits, but scored the run they needed.
Myles Straw: 0 for 2, walk, k. .176. He was also picked off first.
Jesús Sánchez: 1 for 3. .227.
Eloy Jiménez: 0 for 3, 2 k. .346.
Daulton Varsho: 2 for 3. .450.
Tyler Heineman: 0 for 2, k. .222.
Nathan Lukes: 1 for 2. .176.
Carlos Mendoza: 0 for 2. .462.
Josh Kasevish: 0 for 2. .389. Made a couple of very nice plays.
Charles McAdoo: 0 for 2. .316. Looked good on defense again.
Others:
Rafael Lantigua: 1 for 1. .529.
Riley Tirotta: 0 for 1. .167.
Sean Keys: Walk. .211.
Jonatan Clase: 0 for 1, RBI. .267.
Edward Duran: 0 for 2. .000.
Yohendrick Pinango: 0 for 1. .118.
Josh Rivera: 0 for 1, k. .167.
Arjun Nimmala: 0 for 1. .143.
Cutter Coffey: 0 for 1, k. ..071.
The Jays are 4-8-2 this spring. And they have a split squad day tomorrow, both 1:00 Eastern.
Jays at Orioles: Cody Ponce vs. Tyler Wells.
Tigers at Jays: Bryan Sammons vs. Kevin Gausman.
And Team Canada beat Columbia 8-2 today. USA plays Great Britain today at 8:00 tonight
1 min: The kick-off’s sent long, and Newcastle win a throw deep in City territory on the left. Hall launches long. The ball nearly drops first to Woltemade, then Elanga, but neither can get an effort on target and turn themselves into the Jackie Milburn de nos jours. The 45-second mark ticks over without the scoreboard being troubled.
Newcastle United get the ball rolling. City are kicking towards the Gallowgate in this first half.
Mar 7, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
The Mets came from behind to defeat the Cardinals 3-2 in Kodai Senga’s first Grapefruit League outing.
Despite giving up two solo homers, which represented the entirety of the Cardinals’ runs, Kodai Senga looked solid in his spring debut. He touched 99 with his fastball and struck out two batters with the ghost fork working. Senga was working on his breaking stuff in the outing and filled the zone, not issuing any walks in 2 2/3 innings of work.
Down 2-0, the Mets threatened in the fifth, but Ronny Mauricio got picked off of first base for the second out of the inning, quashing a potential rally.
The Mets had a couple of web gems in this game. Luke Weaver made a nifty diving play on a roller toward first base in the bottom of the fifth, speeding to the bag and laying out, touching his glove to the bag to make the out; it was part of a scoreless inning of relief for Weaver. In the sixth, Cristian Pache showed off his range by leaping up against the wall to rob Nolan Gorman of a double.
The Mets finally broke through and cut the Cardinals’ lead in half in the sixth thanks to a Mike Tauchman RBI double, as he continues to make a strong case for the right field job. The Mets could have added on, but unfortunately Bo Bichette ended the rally by grounding into a double play and they had to settle for just the one run.
The Mets tied the game in the following frame, as Brett Baty and Luis Torrens sparked a seventh-inning rally with a pair of singles. Cardinals shortstop Yairo Padilla then committed a throwing error on a slow roller up the middle on which he rushed the throw, which skipped on by the first baseman toward the dugout to plate the tying run. Once again the Mets could not add on and left the bases loaded in the inning.
But the Mets put runs on the board in three consecutive innings late in the game, as a walk, a single, and an RBI hit from Wyatt young gave the Mets the lead in the eighth.
Jack Wenninger earned the win for pitching three scoreless innings to cap off the come from behind victory, striking out five Cardinals in the process. Brooks Raley and Luis García also each contributed a scoreless inning of relief.
The Mets take on the Yankees at Clover Park at 1:10pm EDT tomorrow afternoon. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward!
Chelsea survived a major scare at Cae Ras, twice coming from behind before beating 10-man Wrexham in extra-time
7 min Chelsea look happy to move the ball around and take the sting out of the atmosphere. Wrexham aren’t seeing much of the ball but haven’t been troubled defensively.
4 min A pretty quiet start to the game, at least on the field. The Wrexham fans are still making a very decent noise.
Angel Obando never made it out of the Dominican Summer League, hasn't been affiliated with a Major League Baseball team for eight years yet, at the age of 27, was one strike from pitching Nicaragua to an epic upset over Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic on March 7.
Instead, up two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the bases empty and two strikes on the batter, Obando saw a dream outcome for Dusty Baker's Nicaragua squad turned into a nightmare by three major league stars.
Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddane Rafaela dunked a squibber into right field - exit velocity, 76.7 mph - to bring the tying run up. San Diego Padres All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts dribbled a ball down the third base line - that struck the bag for a fluke double.
And then, Obando delivered a first-pitch fastball over the heart of the plate to three-time All-Star Ozzie Albies, who with a simple flick sent the ball over the right field wall at loanDepot Park, delivering the heavily favored Netherlands a stunning 4-3 victory that keeps itself alive in Pool D in Miami.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026
Albies got the standard ice bath after crossing home plate, though his teammates were likely too stunned to produce a garish celebration.
So, too, were the Nicaraguans.
Obando cursed into his mitt after Rafaela's ball dropped into right, as if to foresee the coming calamity. Baker, soon to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, chomped on his toothpick, per usual, in the Nicaraguan dugout.
Yet nine innings of nearly pristine baseball got undone in just three batters, capping a brutal 18-hour sequence for Nicaragua.
They held leads of 1-0 and 3-2 against a Dominican Republic squad that thoroughly outmanned them on paper, and carried a 3-3 tie into the bottom of the sixth in their March 6 opener. But Junior Caminero's home run snapped the deadlock and the dam burst: Dominican Republic 12, Nicaragua 3.
Undaunted, Nicaragua came back just hours later and broke a 1-1 eighth-inning tie on Jeter Downs' two-run homer. Obando, who'd pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against a lineup of five current or recent major league regulars, came back out to close it out.
The first two outs came easily, as a group of Nicaraguan fans gathered behind home plate to video the final out of this upset. Instead, they were left to witness a stunning Netherlands celebration.
And was just one strike, one good hop, away from doing so.
Grant Holmes took the mound against the Orioles, as the Braves stacked their lineup with most of their regular bats.
Holmes had a mixed day on the mound, as he issued 3 walks in 2.2 innings, something Grant has been prone to in his major league career, but striking out 3 and holding the Orioles scoreless during his time on the mound. He also drew a solid 7 whiffs over his 58 pitches. Tyler Kinley and Dylan Lee each worked scoreless innings in relief with a strikeout each and Kinley issuing a walk. Didier Fuentes came into the game in the sixth and opened some eyes hitting 98 with his fastball, and ultimately ending his first inning with a whiff on 98 above the zone. He did get some defensive help from Drake Baldwin, throwing out a runner attempting to steal second who had never been thrown out in his minor league career. Fuentes came back out for the seventh and was even more dominant, striking out the side and topping out at 98.8 MPH on his fastball. Fuentes drew an impressive 7 whiffs in his 25 pitches. James Karinchak continued his dominant spring, allowing a baserunner on a soft grounder that led to some confusion between Riley at third and Gil at shortstop, but striking out 3 in a scoreless eighth.
On the offensive side, the Braves were pretty quiet for the first half of the game. Michael Harris did draw a walk early in the game, as he continues to look more patient and discerning with pitches this spring than he has been so far in his career. The offense broke out in the sixth, as Drake and Olson started the inning with two hard hit outs and then Austin Riley and Mike Yastrzemski went back to back with two solo homers as those two have been hitting the ball well this spring.
Hot prospect John Gil continued to demonstrate his advanced approach, drawing another walk in the eighth. The Orioles were able to tie things up at 2 runs on a bit of a weird sequence in the ninth, giving some Braves prospects a chance to walk things off in the ninth, but the youngsters were unable to muster a baserunner, leaving the game as a tie.
Overall, the Braves generally did what you want to see from a spring game. The bats mostly hit the ball well and the pitchers that are of any relevance looked anywhere from fine to great. We’ll be back tomorrow for another 1:05 PM ET start against the Rays.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) throws in the outfield during spring training workouts Saturday, February 14, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are back in action on Saturday afternoon as they’ll travel to take on the Los Angeles Angels for Brandon Woodruff’s spring debut.
Woodruff, the only pitcher to not appear this spring of the non-Quinn Priester variety (Priester’s availability to begin the season is in doubt as he deals with wrist discomfort), will get the start for the Crew. DL Hall, Trevor Megill, Grant Anderson, Easton McGee, and Drew Rom are also slated to pitch in this one.
The Brewer offense will take on Grayson Rodriguez, who was traded to Los Angeles from Baltimore this offseason. Sal Frelick bats leadoff and starts in center today, followed by Blake Perkins and Andrew Vaughn. Gary Sánchez bats cleanup as the catcher, with Luis Rengifo and Brandon Lockridge rounding out the middle of the order. Luke Adams bats seventh as the DH with Cooper Pratt and Jesús Made bringing up the back of the lineup.
The Angels are rolling with most of their starters, as a split-squad day means many of their reserves will be in Las Vegas taking on the A’s.
First pitch is slated for 2:10 p.m. CT on 620 WTMJ and the Brewers Radio Network.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 16: A general view of the MLB spring training baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 16, 2021 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just time for the barest of Gameday Threads this afternoon. Here’s our line-up, which saw a late change with Crisantes coming in to replace Torin. There were also some shuffling of other positions, like Vargas moving over to 3B and Fernandez covering short in place of Torin:
Lineup Update:
3B – Vargas 2B – Crisantes C – Moreno 1B – Smith SS – Fernandez CF – Barrosa LF – Vukovich DH – Luis RF – Conticello SP – Drake
A busy day of World Baseball Classic baseball is already well under way. Michael Soroka started for Canada in their 8-2 win over Colombia. He went three innings, and allowed a run on four hits, with a walk and a pair of strikeouts. He was followed o the mound by Indigo Diaz, who posted a zero in the fourth, allowing one walk but striking out a pair. Jatoine Kelly started for the Netherlands, as they also won, 4-3 over Nicaragua. He pitched a pair of scoreless innings on one hit, one walk and three K’s. Druw Jones went 2-for-3 with a walk in that game too.
This game is on the radio, through Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 05: CJ Kayfus #2 of the Cleveland Guardians rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 05, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Jacob Latz #67 of the Texas Rangers participates in a fielding drill prior to a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today the Texas Rangers head over to Scottsdale, AZ for a Cactus League matchup against the San Francisco Giants.
Taking the mound for Texas will be LHP Jacob Latz in his latest audition for the fifth spot in the rotation. Opposing him will be LHP Carson Whisenhunt for San Francisco.
Today’s Lineups
RANGERS
GIANTS
Sam Haggerty – RF
Willy Adames – SS
Wyatt Langford – CF
Matt Chapman – 3B
Corey Seager – SS
Patrick Bailey – C
Jake Burger – 1B
Casey Schmitt – 2B
Kyle Higashioka – C
Bryce Eldridge – 1B
Joc Pederson – DH
Luis Matos – LF
Josh Smith – 2B
Grant McCray – CF
Mark Canha – LF
Jerar Encarnacion – RF
Ezequiel Duran – 3B
Daniel Susac – DH
Jacob Latz – LHP
C. Whisenhunt – LHP
The Giants have a telecast which will also be on MLB Network out of market, otherwise you can listen via 105.3 The Fan or follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Scottsdale Stadium is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.
MILWAUKEE, WI - FEBRUARY 25: Evan Mobley #4 and James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers look on during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 25, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
INDEPENDENCE — James Harden’s ability to make each of his new teammates better in different ways has stood out in the first nine games with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The instant chemistry he’s developed with Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Sam Merrill has been easy to see. Evan Mobley is looking to be the next Cavalier to benefit from playing alongside the all-time great guard.
“He’s not scared to take risks,” Mobley said about playing alongside Harden after practice on Saturday. “There’s a lot of benefits with how he just controls the game.”
Mobley hasn’t had the same time to develop chemistry with Harden. He missed Harden’s first few games with the team due to a calf strain. As such, they’ve played in just five games and 99 minutes together, but the results have been impressive.
It’s a much smaller sample size when Mobley is the only center on the court (just 57 possessions). Groups with Harden and Mobley, but without Allen, have been better offensively as they’ve posted a 122.8 offensive rating (95th percentile). The defense hasn’t been as good as they’ve had a 120 defensive rating (20th percentile) and just a +2.8 net rating (65th percentile). It’s worth noting that the Cavs have been without Dean Wade in most of these lineup configurations, which likely hurts how they’ve performed defensively.
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Offensively, these groups have thrived due to Mobley knowing exactly what he needs to do to make things work on that end.
“I got to be dominating the paint,” Mobley said. He pointed out that it includes setting good screens and being aggressive offensively so that Harden can attack in the pick-and-roll.
Being a more physical screen setter is an area Mobley needs to improve. He is good at finishing in the pick-and-roll and can have success alongside Harden by just slipping screens. However, doing so doesn’t create the same space for Harden that a physical screen does. And he knows this.
“Hitting my screen hard,” Mobley said when asked how he could help Harden. “They’re going to put the best defenders on him, make sure we get [his defender] off James.” Mobley also mentioned that they want to get switches in these actions, which requires him to roll hard to the basket to do so.
There’s a learning curve that comes with playing alongside a new pick-and-roll partner, which is something the duo is still working through.
“Tendencies, that’s the main thing,” Mobley said. “When they like to throw it. How they like to throw it, how they would like to come off the screen as well. When he looks to attack, when he doesn’t. … I’ve been watching him most of my life, so I know some of his tendencies, but as you play with him, you learn more and more.”
Plugging Harden into the offense has worked incredibly well so far for the Cavs, but there are still areas that the team needs to work through. And they only have 19 games to do so. As of now, they’re confident that’s enough time for everyone to get up to speed.
“We’ve done a great job so far,” Mobley said. “All the guys fit in pretty well. We just got to keep sharpening it.”
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 29: Baltimore Orioles pitcher Cionel Pérez (58) throws a pitch during the game between the New York Yankees versus the Baltimore Orioles on April 29, 2025 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD.(Photo by Charles Brock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Washington Nationals added two experienced relievers on minor league deals right as camp was starting. Drew Smith and Cionel Perez have been quality big league relievers in the not too distant past, but have seen their stock fall due to injuries in the case of Smith and a dropoff in production for Perez. Now, they will look to bounce back on a team with plenty of bullpen spots up for grabs.
Each have made two scoreless appearances so far, and have looked good. Perez has been particularly sharp. After a rough year, it seems like Perez was in the lab this offseason. His fastball is in the mid to upper 90’s and his breaking ball has looked really sharp. He caught Ronald Acuna Jr. looking on a nasty slurve the other night.
At this point, I would be very surprised if Perez did not make the team. From 2022 to 2024, Perez made at least 60 appearances each season and was a valuable member of the Orioles bullpen. At just 29 years old, there is a decent chance last year was just a blip on the radar.
Perez’s BABIP in 2025 was .391, which is just unsustainably high. The Nats infield might be somewhat problematic for the ground ball heavy lefty, but that batting average on balls in play number is inevitably going to come down. His career BABIP is .303, so I really think last year was a fluke in that regard.
There are some pitchers, like MacKenzie Gore, who run high BABIP numbers because of the quality of contact they allow, but Perez is not like that. His expected batting average number was low at .213 and he does not allow many barrels. Perez’s ERA is inevitably going to come down, just by getting better batted ball luck.
One thing I am more worried about is his control. He has always allowed his fair share of walks, but that number spiked in 2025. His 16.4% walk rate is simply too high. Perez is going to walk people, but he needs to get that number closer to 10%, which is where he was before 2025.
If Perez does become a contributor, I think he will become a bit of a fan favorite. The amount of velocity he gets from a small frame is crazy. He also seems like a big personality. Perez has long flowing hair and can be quite fiery on the mound. He also had a funny tradition of catching home runs with his hat while sitting in the O’s bullpen. I wonder if he will bring that to DC.
The situation for Drew Smith is a bit less straightforward in my opinion. He has thrown the ball well so far, but I do not think he is a lock to make the team out of camp. I certainly think we will see him at some point, but I think he could benefit from some time in AAA.
Smith had not pitched since June of 2024 before this spring. He underwent Tommy John Surgery, the second one of his career. Coming back from a second TJ can be quite dicey. I would not be surprised to see the Nats give Smith some time to acclimate before throwing him in the big leagues.
The 32 year old was an effective reliever for the Mets from 2021 until his injury in 2024. He has missed a lot of time though, which is why he had to settle for a minor league deal. Smith is a strikeout artist who can really spin the ball though.
He has tossed two scoreless innings this spring, but his velocity has been down a tick. However, his fastball has always relied more on its shape than the pure velocity. The shape has been solid. He has been leaning heavily on his slider. The velocity of that pitch is down over 3 MPH, so I wonder if this is a different type of slider than what he was throwing before.
Non-roster invitee Drew Smith #Nationals made a favorable first impression, retiring the side and recording a strikeout during the bottom of the third. He threw 13 pitches (9 strikes – 69.2 Strike%) with one whiff. #sleeperalertpic.twitter.com/OXhQPXvPV5
Before picking up Smith and Perez, the Nats bullpen was painfully short on experience. These guys are not sure things, but they have been there and done that before. That is more than you can say for most of the other guys in the Nats ‘pen. They should also be very hungry to prove themselves.
If Spring Training is any indicator, these could be shrewd additions for Paul Toboni. You just never know with relievers though. At this time last year, I was hyping up Lucas Sims and Colin Poche, and we all know how that turned out. Hopefully these guys prove to be better than that, and help the Nats bullpen improve after they were the worst unit in baseball last year.
What does the fact that Luisangel Acuña is starting at second again mean? | Getty Images
The White Sox hit the road to face a Mariners team that’s a whole lot better than its spring record, so they may be doing a whole lot of experimenting so far. The Sox can hope the experimenting continues, which is likely given all the players the Mariners have on international rosters at the moment. One problem with that: They’ll start out facing a member of the regular rotation, in Logan Gilbert.
Gilbert, who has given up one run in 4 2/3 innings in his first three spring starts, will face a White Sox lineup that has Luisangel Acuña at second base. This is the second time in a row Acuña has been in the infield, despite the fact he was acquired ostensibly to take over center field after Luis Robert, Jr. was traded for him. Maybe the Sox have figured out what the Rangers and Mets had determined before them — Acuña’s a very good infielder but a weak outfielder. If so, that will have repercussions, good or bad, for several other players.
The Sox aren’t going the usual route of beginning the game with a regular starter, instead beginning the parade with reliever Grant Taylor. Taylor has had a nice spring so far, giving up just two hits and no runs over three one-inning appearances while walking just one and striking out four. He faces a Mariners lineup badly depleted by the absence of 18 WBC players. Yep, 18.
First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Central (for the last time, since Arizona change to DST). CHSN has deigned to carry this game, as has ESPN 1000.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 26: Kris Bubic #50 of the Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game two of a doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium on July 26, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The World Baseball Classic is in full swing now, but Spring Training soldiers on with those left behind. Sure, Harry Ford continued his weird dominance of the event while Shohei Ohtani continued to do very Shohei Ohtani things, and Oneil Cruz still hits a ball harder than anyone when he can make contact. Seth “Quarterrican” Lugo pitched four scoreless innings to lead Puerto Rico to victory, and Michael Wacha had a weird outing in relief for USA during their win over Brazil. But guys like Brandon Drury and Kevin Newman still want to find a way to play in MLB this year, so the games in the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues must go on.
Here’s today’s lineup; it continues to be uninspiring while seemingly half the team is scattered around the globe doing mercenary work for their ancestral homes.
Nothing against those guys I mentioned earlier, but when they join with Josh Rojas to form the heart of your order, it’s difficult to expect much of interest to happen.
Kris Bubic will take the mound for his second official appearance of spring. The stuff looked completely normal last time out, so the goal is just to see him continue to build up and not get hurt as we trudge toward Opening Day. Here are the guys on the roster who could pitch after him:
Sanchez, Aaron RHP
Way, Beck RHP
Chamberlain, Christian LHP
Cawyer, Zachary RHP
Johnson, Brandon RHP
Panzini, Shane RHP
Olivárez, Helcris LHP
Patteson, Hunter LHP
The odds are heavily against any of these pitchers making the Opening Day roster, though I did attempt to wishcast Olivárez onto the team in my latest roster prediction. But hey, if you don’t want to listen to this extremely Spring Training game, there is still plenty of WBC to watch! Team Italy is taking on Brazil as this post goes live, and Panama at Puerto Rico isn’t far off.
Don’t lose heart, Opening Day is less than three weeks away!
