Category: MLB

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

Turns out there are no problems with the Orioles that a series against the Chicago White Sox couldn’t fix.

The O’s took full advantage of their matchup against the perennial worst team in the American League, completing a three-game sweep with yesterday afternoon’s 5-3 win. In typical Orioles fashion, the club made its fair share of frustrating mistakes, including an embarrassing two-error play by Kyle Bradish on a toss back to the mound that allowed the White Sox to score the go-ahead run. But for the third straight game, the Orioles ultimately proved less inept than their woeful opponent, and eked out another close victory. Check out Andrea SK’s recap for the all the details.

Sweeping the White Sox isn’t necessarily a sign that the Orioles are surging back to life, but it’s not meaningless. You can only play the team that’s in front of you, and the O’s did well to take care of business against a club they should beat. The win got them back to .500 for the road trip and for the season. Incredibly, at 6-6, the Orioles are tied for the fourth-best record in the AL. Only three teams — the Yankees, Guardians, and Rangers — have winning records right now. Just your daily reminder that it’s still very, very early in the season.

While the series in the Windy City continued to expose some of the Orioles’ flaws — sloppy defense, erratic offense, and some mightily struggling homegrown players — there were some promising developments that helped wash away the stink of their previous three-game set in Pittsburgh. This was the first series in which all three O’s starting pitchers worked at least five innings (it’s a low bar, yes, but you gotta start somewhere). Gunnar Henderson surged to life with three extra-base hits, including two homers. Taylor “Two Bags” Ward ripped an astounding five doubles in the three games. And the O’s bullpen was excellent, allowing just one run in 11 innings. There’s something to build from.

Can the Orioles continue the positive vibes against a team that’s not the White Sox? We’ll find out. After today’s off day, they’ll return to Camden Yards for an interleague weekend series against the Giants, a team that’s also struggling but is ostensibly better than the Pale Hose. Their Saturday tilt will pit the Birds against San Francisco ace Logan Webb, so good luck to the O’s offense as they try to figure things out.

Links

Why is Taylor Ward Orioles’ leadoff hitter? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Heck, at this point I would write Taylor Ward’s name into all nine spots in the lineup.

Kyle Bradish owns ‘childish’ lapse during Orioles win, says it ‘will not happen again’ – The Baltimore Banner

Good on Bradish for taking accountability for his foolish defensive play, and good on Craig Albernaz for immediately talking to him about it. The O’s clearly don’t want to be bad at defense. Whether they’ll actually improve, well…

On Opening Night in Bowie, the Chesapeake Baysox also break out new performance center – Steve Melewski

The Orioles’ Double-A affiliate has a spiffy new performance center with state-of-the-art batting cages and much more. I love that the O’s are investing in things like this. It’s a drop of the bucket for the organization that can make a huge difference for the players.

Eflin undergoes ligament-reconstructive elbow surgery in Texas – School of Roch

The sad but expected news about Eflin was announced yesterday. It’s a terrible turn of events for a guy who had fought so hard to come back this year and was expected to be a big part of the team. Maybe an Eflin reunion with the Orioles will be in the cards someday.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on this day, including 2021 five-game righty and Ben McDonald’s nephew Mac Sceroler (31), pitcher-turned-outfielder-turned-pitcher-again Adam Loewen (42), and right-hander and NPB legend Dennis Sarfate (45).

On this date in 1959, the Orioles turned a triple play, becoming the first team in MLB history to do so on Opening Day. It happened in the bottom of the fifth against the Senators, with first baseman Bob Boyd snaring an Ed FitzGerald liner and then doubling off the runners at both second and first base. Despite the nifty play, the Orioles lost, 9-2.

Random Orioles game of the day

On April 9, 1987, the Orioles beat the Rangers, 8-6, to win the rubber game of their season-opening series in Baltimore. Ken Gerhart, Fred Lynn, and Ray Knight each hit their first home run of the season, Cal Ripken was 2-for-5 with a double, and all nine batters in the O’s lineup contributed a hit and/or RBI. The O’s built up an 8-2 lead before the Rangers rallied late to make things close, but Don Aase retired the final three batters to secure the win.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (5-6)

Game One: Buffalo 2, Syracuse 0 / 7 (BOX)

Jack Wenninger was good in game one of the double header, giving up one earned run (and one unearned) over four and a third innings pitched, striking out five. He did walk three, which is a fair bit in four plus innings, but he was good overall. Unfortunately, the Buffalo pitching was better, giving up five hits and walking three in a shutout. Nick Morabito continued his strong start, collecting two of the five hits.

• RF MJ Melendez: 1-2, BB
• DH Nick Morabito: 2-3
• LF Ryan Clifford: 1-3, 2 K
• 1B Jose Rojas: 1-3
• SS Vidal Bruján: 0-3, K
• CF Cristian Pache: 0-3, K
• 2B Jackson Cluff: 0-2, BB
• C Hayden Senger: 0-2, BB, K
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 0-2, E (1)
• RHP Jack Wenninger: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, L (0-1)
• RHP Daniel Duarte: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Dan Hammer: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Game Two: Buffalo 4, Syracuse 3 / 7 (BOX)

Jonah Tong got the ball for game two and got off to an inauspicious start. Tong, he clear top pitching prospect in the Mets organization (now that Nolan McLean has graduated beyond prospect status), gave up a two run home run in the first inning, and buckled down right after. He went five innings with the only hit he surrendered being that home run. He struck out seven on the day.

The Mets took a lead in the third, with MJ Melendez getting them started with an RBI double. Christian Arroyo singled him home to tie it, and Ryan Clifford scampered home on a wild pitch to give the Mets a 3-2 lead.

Tong handed the ball to Austin Warren to protect his lead and, well, he did not, surrendering a two run home run in the eighth, which put Syracuse behind for good.

• LF MJ Melendez: 1-4, R, 2B, RBI, 3 K
• CF Nick Morabito: 1-3, K
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 0-2, R, BB, 2 K, E (2)
• 3B Christian Arroyo: 1-3, RBI, 2 K
• DH Jose Rojas: 0-2, BB
• SS Jackson Cluff: 0-2, BB, 2 K, SB (1)
• RF Ji Hwan Bae: 0-3, 2 K
• C Ben Rortvedt: 1-1
• PR-C Hayden Senger: 0-2, R, 2 K
• 2B Yonny Hernández: 1-3, K
• RHP Jonah Tong: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HBP
• RHP Austin Warren: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, BS (1), L (0-1)

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (3-1)

Game One: Binghamton 11, Somerset 3 / 7 (BOX)

Binghamton’s bats were on fire in this one, with everyone save for Jacob Reimer and JT Schwartz. Chris Suero hit a home run, A.J. Ewing continued his torrid pace, and everyone else did more than enough to contribute. Jonathan Santucci was far from untouchable, surrendering three runs, three hits, and walking four over four innings, but he did strike out eight. The bullpen trio of Jordan Gerber, Carlos Guzman and Felipe De La Cruz combined for three no-hit innings, with Gerber surrendering the only base runners (two walks and a hit by pitch).

• CF A.J. Ewing: 2-4, R, SB (3)
• SS Marco Vargas: 1-3, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB (2)
• 3B Jacob Reimer: 0-3, R, BB, 2 K
• C Chris Suero: 1-4, R, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 K
• RF Eli Serrano III: 2-4, 2 R, 3B, K
• LF Jose Ramos: 3-4, R, RBI, K, SB (1)
• DH D’Andre Smith: 1-3, 2 R, BB, K
• 1B JT Schwartz: 0-2, R, BB
• 2B Wyatt Young: 2-3, 2 R, 2B, HR (1), 6 RBI, BB
• LHP Jonathan Santucci: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
• RHP Jordan Geber: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, W (1-0)
• RHP Carlos Guzman: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (1-0)
• LHP Felipe De La Cruz: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Game Two: Binghamton 2, Somerset 1 / 7 (BOX)

Game two had a much different vibe than game one, as it was a tense and low scoring affair. Binghamton got off to an early start, leading 1-0 after one when Jose Ramos forced a run home with a ground out. Zach Thornton gave up his only run of his strong outing in the second, surrendering a RBI ground out of his own. That 1-1 score held until the seventh, as both Thronton and Somerset starter Chase Chaney were great. Jose Ramos drove in his second run of the day, this time a walk off solo home run to sweep the double header.

An interesting note: A.J. Ewing played second base today, as normally he patrols center field. It will be worth noting how he moves around the diamond.

• 2B A.J. Ewing: 1-3, R, 2B, K
• 1B Jacob Reimer: 1-3, 2B, K
• DH Eli Serrano III: 0-2, K
• RF Jose Ramos: 1-3, R, HR (1), 2 RBI, K
• C Kevin Parada: 0-2
• CF D’Andre Smith: 0-2, K
• 3B Nick Lorusso: 0-2
• LF Matt Rudick: 0-2
• SS Wyatt Young: 0-2
• LHP Zach Thornton: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• RHP Douglas Orellana: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Ben Simon: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W (1-0)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (0-4)

Jersey Shore 10, Brooklyn 3 (BOX)

The Brooklyn Cyclones are doing their best 2024 Mets impression, as they dropped another game to start the season. Tanner Witt did not have it, giving up six runs and walking four in his lone inning. He did strike out the side, though!

The Cyclones only managed four hits, though Kevin Villavicencio did homer.

• 2B Mitch Voit: 1-5, 4 K
• RF John Bay: 0-2, 2 BB
• SS Antonio Jimenez: 0-4, 2 K
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-2, R, BB
• 3B Colin Houck: 1-4, 2 K
• C Ronald Hernandez: 0-3, R, BB, K
• 1B Trace Willhoite: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, K
• LF Vincent Perozo: 0-4, 3 K
• CF Kevin Villavicencio: 1-4, R, HR (1), RBI, K
• RHP Jonathan Jimenez: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, L (0-1)
• RHP Garrett Stratton: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• RHP Tanner Witt: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
• RHP Hoss Brewer: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (2-1)

POSTPONED (WET GROUNDS)

Rookie: FCL Mets (0-0)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Jonah Tong

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Tanner Witt

Today, I have a list of guys who I personally find interesting as deep sleepers in the Jays system. These are all distant or very flawed players, but I think they have something that might lead them to have a role at some point in the future.

Michael Mesa received the second highest bonus of the Jays’ 2026 International Free Agent Class. The Dominican outfielder has a smooth left handed swing geared for loft, with burgeoning power. He’s an average runner, with the potential to see time in all three outfield spots. This is purely a bet on talent, as Mesa hasn’t even had a chance to appear in the Domincan Summer League yet.

Jackson Wentworth was a fifth round pick out of Kansas State in 2024. He spent all of last season at A+ Vancouver, posting middle of the road results over 26 starts. It’s a deep arsenal of pitches, with a fastball at 90-94 and touching 96, a solid average change-up, and a cutter, slider and curve that can blend into each other, ranging from 80-88 or so. None of it is plus, although if he were to move to the bullpen and get into the mid 90s more regularly the arsenal would be a bit more imposing. I just like the combination of repertoire depth and solid command. I could see him maturing into a #6 starter type, or carving out an MLB role as a middle reliever who can go multiple innings.

Eric Snow was drafted in the sixth round last year. He’s undersized at 5’8” and 190lbs, without loud tools, but he makes elite rates of contact and is a technically sound defender who can handle himself anywhere on the infield. He looks like a depth infielder, but you need that, and I think his well rounded game and hit tool give him a high probability of seeing some kind of MLB time.

Enmanuel Bonilla was a huge bonus signing in the 2023 International Free Agent Class, getting most of the Jays’ bonus pool that year. He hasn’t worked out, failing to get to his calling card power in games while striking out way too much. This is just me not wanting to give up on tools and pedigree in a guy who just turned 20 two months ago. This is his last chance, though. Either he’ll actualize some of the hitting talent that got him signed as a teenager, or be out of consideration.

Irv Carter has climbed the ranks slowly since being picked in the fifth round back in 2021. In 2025, he made 27 appearances as a multi-inning reliever for A+ Vancouver, posting ugly surface stats (a 5.67 ERA) but striking out 62 against 20 walks and allowing just a 69% contact rate. Carter doesn’t throw hard, sitting in the low 90s, but he has a slider and change that both flash above average and solid average command. He’s another guy I could see pitching himself into a depth role, able to get through a lineup once with feel and a complete repertoire in spite of a lack of big stuff.

Elaineiker Coronado was a big bonus signing in the 2025 International Free Agent class. He has no power at all, posting a 6% hard hit rate in the DSL last summer, and his narrow 5’10” frame doesn’t exactly look primed to pack on muscle. On the plus side, he has everything else. A terrific contact hitter, he has an uncommon eye for a hitter of his type and age. If the bat doesn’t get knocked out of his hands at higher levels, he should be a significant OBP threat. In the DSL, his .504 mark was one of the five best in the last five seasons for everyday players. He’s also a plus runner with good hands who projects as an above average glove, although a weak arm likely limits him to second base. Coronado is a study in how good a prospect can be with a true bottom of the scale grade on one of his most important tools, and I’m very interested to see how he fares as he moves over to the US this year.

It was Dusty Baker’s secret ritual after virtually every home game when he managed the Houston Astros, but one night, he was caught red-handed by Astros infielder Mauricio Dubon.

Dubon, who was in his car, couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and quietly approached Baker.

Baker, startled, told Dubon he has been doing this for years, but pleaded with him not to tell a soul. It’s a secret he desperately wanted to keep.

Baker, with zero fanfare, fed the homeless every night after Astros games. He would take the leftover food in the clubhouse that normally would be thrown away, drove out of the parking lot, and stopped under the Interstate 69 underpass.

He would get out of his truck, take out the food that he put in packages, and gave it to the homeless. Other times he would drive downtown, and look for a woman he called, “Mama,’’ who lived in a cardboard box. She would disperse the servings of food to other homeless.

“I was driving home and saw him do that one night,’’ said Dubon, now an infielder with Atlanta “and I couldn’t believe it. But Dusty promised me I wouldn’t tell anyone. He didn’t want any publicity. He didn’t want any cameras. He didn’t want to embarrass the homeless.

“That’s what kind of man he was, someone who was so instrumental to my career, and really in my life. I’ll never forget him. That man believed in me before I believed in myself. I’ll always be grateful for what he did for me.’’

Baker, who said the Astros discouraged him from feeding the homeless in case someone got sick, possibly leaving them open to a lawsuit, but refused to stop. It made him feel good knowing what it meant for the homeless, sharing the same high-quality food the ballplayers ate each night.

It also made him think of his late brother, Vic, who suffered from manic depression and was homeless himself, dying in 2019 at the age of 63.

“Every time I fed them,’’ Baker says, “I would think of Vic. And when I went downtown, I would give four or five meals to 'Mama,' who lived in a well-kept homeless person box. She took pride in what she had. I would give her the food, maybe five or six meals, and she would divvy it out.

“I didn’t think she even knew who I was, but one time we lost, and she said, 'Dusty, ya’ll have got to play better than that.' I was busted.’’

We’re three weeks into the season now, and the Yankees are off to a hot start at 8-3. They swept their opening series, won the next two dropping individual games, and have the chance to win another with the series finale against the A’s today. The AL East was looking asleep at the wheel for the first few weeks while the Yankees charged to the top, but some of them are starting to wake up and are getting back to .500.

While it’s a little early to predict the Yankees’ placement in the division at the end of the year off of just a handful of series, their current form is more than enough to look at the rest of the schedule and try to predict how they’ll be looking when April turns to May. The team has series with the Rays, Angels, Royals, Red Sox, Astros, and Rangers to close out the month, teams that range from middling to good in the early going. There’s a total of 20 games left in April including today’s finale, and a slim 2.5 game lead to hopefully expand on. How long can the Yankees keep their series winning streak alive, and where will they stand when the calendar flips?

Off the bat, the Yankees face a tough task in wrapping up this last game with the Athletics. The bats have been a bit could outside of Tuesday’s big eighth inning in this series, matching the weather in the city lately, but perhaps a getaway day game shakes that up. Then there’s an awkward one-series road trip to Tampa breaking up this homestand from another one, a perfect stumbling block if ever one could be designed. The Angels enter town for a four-game set, notoriously difficult to outright win, but a split for our purposes wouldn’t end the streak so if they make it to that point then there’s good odds it stays alive four more days. The Royals are no slouches, but they’ve only won a single series against the Twins thus far and don’t seem like a team that’s clicking yet — a perfect team to catch early in the year.

Realistically, the streak probably ends by the time the Yankees head back out on the road for a real trip, but if it’s alive then it’ll really get tested at the end of the month. The Red Sox may have started this season out poorly, but they found a bounceback opportunity against a strong Brewers team to win their first series — and frankly, regardless of how good either team is Yankees-Red Sox always manages to be a challenging matchup. Houston’s taken a stumble recently, but they’re also a nemesis that would love to get in the Yankees’ way, and Yordan Alvarez is back to mashing anything close to the zone. The Rangers represent the team with the best record at the moment of any opponent the Yankees will face this month, standing at 7-5 atop the AL West, and their pitching is good enough to compete in any series they enter.

The majority of these series are ones the Yankees should win, and that’ll set themselves up nicely to maintain their hold on the division lead. They’ve been given an early cushion thanks to their rivals starting off cold, and have a couple of them directly in their path to close out April too. I think if they can handle the Athletics today they’ve got a runway to keep the series streak going for a while, with Boston or Houston the most likely to ruin the fun. How long do you think the Yankees can keep the good times rolling?

Today on the site, Peter starts us off with the Sequence of the Week featuring Brent Headrick showing up with a solid showcase of pitch tunneling. Sam recaps the rest of the relevant AL action from Wednesday, as some of the Yankees’ rivals managed to get back on their feet. Jeff wishes a happy birthday to a fan favorite around these parts in David Robertson, and Michael gives us another minor league preview covering the Single-A teams in Hudson Valley and Tampa. After the game, Estevão discusses the upcoming roster shakeup as Luis Gil is set to rejoin the team and complete the five-man rotation while the likely cut candidate in Cade Winquest never managed to make it on the field.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Athletics

Time: 1:35 p.m. EST

Video: YES Network, NBCSCA

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

AM New York | Ashley Cando: Amed Rosario’s two-homer day Tuesday was a validation of the organization’s belief in his ability to impact a team with championship aspirations. “We brought Rosie back because not only is he a really good player, but he is a tremendous teammate,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the journeyman, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal this offseason to run it back with the team that acquired him at last year’s trade deadline. “He sets an amazing example for everyone. I’m happy for him to just get it done.” Although expected to play primarily against lefties, Rosario has started the past two days against righties in a potential harbinger of an expanded role. “Although I’m not playing every day, I try not to let that affect me mentally,” he said of embracing his role as a part-timer. “Over the years, I’ve been able to create a routine to help me do my job.”

CBS Sports | RotoWire Staff: Anthony Volpe could begin a rehab assignment as soon as next week, Aaron Boone told the press Wednesday. The Yankees shortstop has been working his way back from offseason surgery to repair a shoulder labrum tear at extended spring training. Given the length of his layoff, Volpe would likely need a relatively long rehab stint, making him unlikely to return before May. José Caballero has manned short in his absence, though an anemic start at the place has done little to create competition for the starting job upon Volpe’s return.

Sports Collectors Digest | Larry Canale: Ben Rice’s emergence as a middle-of-the-order bat has been a boon to more than just the Yankees. A 2025 Topps baseball card featuring his signature and the “MLB Debut” patch from the jersey he wore during his debut the year prior sold for $68,989 on eBay last month. And, while that astonishing price is an outlier, other cards featuring the first baseman have sold in the thousands due to a nexus of his current status and unheralded prospect status heading into last year.

Columbus Clippers 5, Worcester Red Sox 8

The Clippers offense was held to just five hits on the day, three of which came from Dayan Frias. Nolan Jones also went 1-4 with an RBI and a BB. He continues to mash AAA pitching.

Everyone’s favorite innings eater Pedro Avila got the start today, he allowed one run on four hits in three innings pitched while also striking out two. Tommy Mace also tossed 2.2 scoreless innings while striking out three batters.

Akron RubberDucks 2, Harrisburg Senators 4

It was a tough day for the RubberDucks offense, as a single from Christian Knapczyk in the 9th inning saved them from being no hit in this one. It is noteworthy that top prospect Angel Genao went 0-1 with FOUR walks in this one. He continues to have an incredible start to the season as he is hitting .375 with a 1.315 OPS thus far.

It was Matt Wilkinson’s(also known as Tugboat) AA debut today and he looked great. He allowed just one run on three hits with six strikeouts and two walks in his four innings pitched. Carter Rustad threw two scoreless innings in relief.

Lake County Captains 4, Dayton Dragons 3

Guys, I think we really have something here with Justin Campbell. We knew he was super talented when we drafted him, but I wasn’t sure what to expect after he missed three seasons due to various injuries. I certainly did not expect THIS. Not only does his stuff look on par to what it was in college, it actually looks…better. His heater is sitting mid 90s, and the breaking balls are filthy. You would expect after missing as much time as he did that the command would be spotty, especially the secondaries, but that hasn’t been the case at all. If he can maintain his health as he continues to stretch out, we could be looking at a call up to AA sooner rather than later with an addition to the 40 man roster at the end of the season as well. I am super excited about him.

Jaison Chourio has looked a lot more like the player we thought he was this season now that he appears to be healthy. He’s hitting the ball with much more impact than we saw last season. He went 1-4 tonight but had multiple hard hit balls. Dean Curley went 2-5 with two strikeouts. Aaron Walton went 1-4 with a double and a walk. Bennet Thompson continues his hot start to the season, going 1-3 with two walks. He is now hitting .333 with an OPS of 1.223. Maick Collado went 1-4 with a clutch RBI double in extra innings.

Hill City Howlers 5, Fredericksburg Nationals 0

Dauri Fernandez went 1-3 with a walk tonight, he is a prospect to keep an eye on as the season goes on. I love his swing. It’s been a slow start for him and Juneiker Caceres, but it’s only a matter of time before they get going. Cannon Peebles went 1-4 with a double. Yerlin Luis went 1-3 with a two RBI double. Yaikel Mijares also went 1-3 with a double.

It was a very exciting performance from 2025 draft pick Nelson Keljo tonight. He tossed four scoreless innings and struck out six while walking just one.Miguel Flores was also excellent tonight, with four scoreless innings of his own with five strikeouts and no walks. It was a dominant pitching performance overall from the Howlers tonight.

The New York Rangers ended their home campaign at Madison Square Garden with a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night. 

With the Rangers playing their last home game of the 2025-26 season, let's take a deep dive into the team’s play at the world’s most famous arena over the course of the year. 

The season opened up at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Going into that matchup, there was a lot of excitement, yet uncertainty as the Mike Sullivan era was set to begin.

Against Sullivan’s former team in front of a full house at MSG, the Rangers were outplayed and lost 3-0 in what would ultimately be a sign of things to come. 

The Blueshirts failed to score a goal over their first three home games, marking the second-longest scoring drought to start a season at home. 

They also lost their first seven games at home before finally recording their first win on Broadway against the Nashville Predators on Nov. 10. 

During this tumultuous stretch, the Rangers became the first NHL team in 98 years to be shut out in five of their first seven home games. 

Through the first handful of games, despite struggling to score goals, the Rangers were putting up shots and generating offense at a high rate. It was constantly preached by both Sullivan and veteran leaders in the locker room that they were playing the right way and would eventually be rewarded. 

“'I’ll go back to when you look at the first 20 games of the season, there were a lot of games that we felt pretty good about our overall game from a process standpoint, and we struggled to score goals for whatever reason in particular, at home,” Sullivan said. “We were creating offense. We just weren't scoring.”

Over time, as the Rangers’ scoring woes persisted, their confidence wavered, and the positive messages that used to come out of the locker room turned into cryptic messages and seeds of doubt.  

Playing in the comfort of your own building is usually an advantage, but the mounting pressure on the Rangers in the confines of MSG overwhelmed them to the point that playing on home ice became a disadvantage. 

“To a certain extent, it took a life of its own because our guys care deeply about playing in front of the home crowd and the people that support us,” Sullivan said. “We have a sincere appreciation for that, and so sometimes that becomes a challenge because you're trying so hard to try to win at home. Sometimes it gets in the way of your instincts and you don't play with a free mind and instinctive mindset, which is when players are at their best.”

By the midpoint of the season, the Rangers managed to scrap together just five home wins compared to their 14 wins on the road. 

“It’s a passionate fanbase. It’s hard when things are not going well, and then you squeeze a little tighter to get out of it,” J.T. Miller said. “Maybe you play a little differently than you would when you're a little more loose. It’s hard mentally.”

With the Rangers well out of the playoff race late in the season, they’ve brought life back to MSG and have played their best hockey despite the games being meaningless from a standings perspective. 

Tye Kartye Happy With How Things Have Worked Out With Rangers When the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> claimed Tye Kartye off waivers, the team likely couldn’t have expected the impact he’s provided since then.

The Rangers have won five out of their last seven games at home, while scoring three or more goals in each of those five victories. 

“It's not like we've changed our game plan,” Sullivan said. “I think we've got back to a pretty consistent team game. We're generating a lot of offense, and we're scoring a lot of goals. I wish I could have solved it earlier. Sometimes you can't always control whether the puck goes in the net, but what you can try to control is the process.”

To finish the season, the Rangers held a 14-20-7 record at home. The franchise record for fewest wins at home is 13, set back during the 2003-04 season.

In the grand scheme of things, this hot stretch to close out the year will likely get lost in the shuffle of a season haunted by failure and disappointment. 

Through it all though, there’s a sense at least from the players’ words that they’ve been able to recapture an identity that you can only hope can be carried into the 2026-27 campaign.

“I just like the way at the end of the year you can look at it like we're not playing for anything, but I think that we've done a good job of flipping that like, ‘Hey, we're playing for something, playing for the Rangers in Madison Square Garden. We're going to show up.’ I think the results lately have shown that,” Miller said. “I feel good about the way we are playing.”

Things were very different in 2013. Barry Zito was completing a wildly successful eight-year contract with the San Francisco Giants. America was falling in love with a prehistoric family called The Croods and an up-and-coming rapper from the Pacific Northwest named Macklemore. Anthony Weiner was running for mayor and Toronto mayor Rob Ford (R.I.P.) was smoking crack. It was also the last year the Philadelphia Phillies won a series in San Francisco.

That streak continued Wednesday as the Giants shut out the Phillies for the second game in a row. Tyler Mahle and four relievers combined on a four-hit shutout, with Matt Gage getting the first win of his career after Rafael Devers got the Giants on the board with a three-run home run in the 6th inning.

The 411-foot blast was Devers’ second of the season and delighted all the fans perusing the organic garden in center field. Devers finished the day with four RBI when he singled in Luis Arraez in the 8th. Arraez scored two runs, as did Willy Adames, who celebrated his teammate’s big day, by, what else, throwing a big bucket of Gatorade on him.

Adames scored on the Devers bomb and scored from first when Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado threw away Arraez’s sacrifice bunt in the 8th inning. He and Adames each went 2-for-4, with Adames adding a double and Arraez tripling in the first, though he was stranded after two strikeouts. Arraez is now hitting .320 and clearly heading for another batting title.

The 31-year-old Mahle had his best start as a Giant, yielding three hits — one on the infield — and four walks in 5.2 innings, striking out six. He retired eight straight Phillies after Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper got hits in the first, then pitched his way out of a third-inning jam after walking those same two Phillies and throwing a wild pitch, by getting Alec Bohm to ground out to third baseman/baseball vacuum Matt Chapman.

Mahle couldn’t retire Schwarber, who hat a hit and two walks, but the other Phillies went 2-for-18 with two walks against him. Gage replaced Mahle with two outs in the 6th and 94 pitches on Mahle’s count after Adolis Garcia singled and retired Brandon Marsh.

Gage gave up a pinch-hit to Otto Kemp and Caleb Killian relieved him, walking Trae Turner on four pitches. But he finally retired Schwarber, striking him out with his knuckle curve, and getting Harper to ground out. Daywalker Blade Tidwell and Erik Miller pitched perfect innings for a Giants bullpen that struggled to hold leads recently. Gage, Killian, and Tidwell still have spotless ERAs for the season.

Phillies starter Aaron Nola pitched well into the 6th, escaping trouble with strikeouts in the first and getting Devers to ground into a double play with two runners on in the 4th. But he couldn’t escape Devers and dropped to 1-1.

Jose Avila got his first hit as a Giant with a pinch-hit single in the 8th. Center fielder Harrison Bader couldn’t stick it to his old team, going 0-for-4 in the game and 1-for-10 in the series.

The Giants are now 5-8 and are 2-2 in their series, which isn’t actually a stat that counts in the standings but still feels good after some miserable games against the city of New York to start the season. They’re making what Boyz II Men would call an East Coast swing for the next week and a half, heading to Baltimore for a three-game series Friday, then hitting Cincinnati and our nation’s capital. Get ready for some crabs, spaghetti covered in chili, and some serious legislative gridlock, fellas!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockies fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The 6-6 Colorado Rockies have made it through their rotation 2.4 times so far and each starter has had at least one road start and one home start (except for José Quintana, of course, who is on the IL with a hamstring injury).

We’ve seen some dominant performances and some not-so-dominant performances so it begs the question: how is the new Rockies’ pitching philosophy playing out in real time?

But before we answer that question, since we’re still in small sample size territory, I’d rather ask you this: how would you grade the starting rotation so far in 2026?

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

David Bednar had earned a save in each of his five appearances this season prior to Wednesday’s loss, but the closer has struggled recently, with his fastball velocity down a bit. 

Both Bednar and Aaron Boone said they are unconcerned about the dip with his four-seamer and his splitter, but the right-hander gave up a run for the third time in his last four outings in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the A’s. 

“It’s early in the season and the weather [is cold],” Bednar said. “It’s nothing to panic about.” 

Bednar could also be feeling the effects of recent consecutive appearances in which he combined to throw 73 pitches.

He struggled again against the A’s, as he allowed a pair of hits and the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly. 

In his last four games, Bednar has thrown 4 ¹/₃ innings and allowed eight hits, a walk and three runs, while striking out six. 

“I got ahead of guys and couldn’t put them away,’’ Bednar said of his performance Wednesday. “That can’t happen in a game like that. I got in a jam, tried to get out of it and unfortunately wasn’t able to.” 

In an interesting peek at what was and maybe what could be, Jasson Domínguez returned to center field Wednesday for the first time since 2024. 

Domínguez — who had begun his professional career in center then was moved to left field, where he exclusively played in the majors last season and where he had begun this season — was the center fielder for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in his eighth minor league game this year, going 0-for-5. 

With Domínguez moving over, Spencer Jones received his first start in left field this season. Aaron Boone said the Yankees want to give the top prospects looks at different spots. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

“You never know when things pop up,” the manager said. 

Injuries pop up and sometimes so does underperformance. The Yankees major league outfield is filled — with Cody Bellinger in left, Trent Grisham in center, Aaron Judge in right, Giancarlo Stanton at DH and Randal Grichuk as a righty bat off the bench — which has meant the Yankees have a star-studded prospect outfield at the top level of the minors. 

With the outfield remaining healthy, neither Domínguez nor Jones had a real shot at cracking the Opening Day roster. Boone said he was happy with Domínguez’s spring at-bats, particularly a few later in the Grapefruit League as a righty, including launching a home run against Philadelphia lefty Tanner Banks. The switch-hitting Domínguez has struggled in the minors and majors from the right side. 

“I know he’s had a homer and an extra-base hit from the right side down there,” Boone said. “I saw him make a really good play in left field the other day in their day game that I was watching. So off to a pretty good start.” 

If Domínguez and Jones prove capable at both the corners and center field, the Yankees would be able to pick the better performer when they have a major league need. That need could arise out of injury or if, say, Grisham is not able to replicate his strong 2025 season. 

Carlos Rodón was set to throw two simulated innings during a bullpen session. The lefty, whose progress from offseason elbow surgery was paused because of a tight hamstring last week, was able to throw through the setback. 

Boone was not immediately sure of the next step for Rodón, who had been close to starting a rehab assignment before the hamstring issue. 

“We want to make sure he’s in a good spot before he goes and does something live or in a game situation,” Boone said. 

When the Yankees travel home from a series in Tampa this weekend, they expect Anthony Volpe to join them. 

Volpe, who has been getting at-bats at the club’s spring facility, could start a rehab assignment next week, Boone said, “but we’ll see in the next few days.” 

Honored as 2025 Silver Slugger Award winners before the game: Judge (outfield), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (second base) and the entire Yankees offense, which won the team award.

Well the Braves are quietly cruising so far this season, with a strong 8-5 record and tied for the MLB lead in run differential. The rotation hasn’t been a weakness yet overall, though the fifth spot had been pretty rough, and while the offense hasn’t been truly humming, only 3 teams in MLB have scored more runs. With Sean Murphy and Spencer Strider seemingly only a few weeks away from their return and further reinforcements coming later on with Ha-Seong Kim and potentially a handful of talented pitchers, it sure feels like the Braves could be near the top of the standings this season based on the first two weeks of baseball. When Ronald Acuna gets going and Austin Riley recovers some of his form at the plate, this team could be a force to be reckoned with at full strength.

Braves News

Reynaldo Lopez received a 7 game suspension for his brawl with Jorge Soler, which he appealed down to 5 games, avoiding a missed start.

Sean Murphy will be resuming his rehab assignment in AAA Gwinnett, as his return to MLB is seemingly approaching rapidly.

The Braves finished their West Coast trip with a win against the Angels, as they have still not lost a series this season.

MLB News

Guardians’ starting shortstop Gabriel Arias is set to miss a month or two with a hamstring strain.

Orioles’ starter Zach Eflin will get Tommy John surgery, ending his season and perhaps eating into some of his 2027 season.

Astros’ Cristian Javier left his start with shoulder tightness on Wednesday.

Right-hander Dawson Netz was promoted from South Bend to Knoxville. He hadn’t yet pitched for South Bend this year and pitched for both teams last season.

Everybody wins!

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs rained all over the parade of the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 12-4.

Charlie Barnes started and got the win after allowing just two runs on four hits over five innings. Both runs came on a two-run home run in the fourth by Kameron Misner. Barnes struck out four and walked no one.

Barnes has now pitched in three games this year and is 3-0, although this was his first start.

The I-Cubs took an early lead when second baseman Pedro Ramirez hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. It was Ramirez’s fourth home run of the year already. His career-high in a season is only eight. He also hit an RBI double in the sixth inning, giving him three total runs batted in today. Ramirez went 2 for 5 and scored twice.

In the second inning, catcher Eric Yang made it 5-0 with a three-run home run. He also chipped in an RBI single in the third inning that made it 6-0. Yang went 3 for 4 with a double, the home run and four total RBI. He scored twice.

In the sixth inning, third baseman BJ Murray cranked a three-run home run, which was also his fourth home run this year. Murray went 2 for 5.

First baseman Jonathon Long went 2 for 5 with an RBI double in the sixth. Long scored twice.

The Ramirez home run.

Yang’s home run.

Long’s double went in the the right-center field gap.

Murray’s home run.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies took out the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 8-7 on a walk-off two-run single by Ariel Armas.

Tyler Schlaffer’s season debut had some good and some bad. The bad was that he gave up three runs on three hits over three innings. The good was that he struck out six and walked just one.

Erian Rodriguez relieved Schlaffer and his appearance was pretty much all bad. Rodriguez put the Smokies down 7-4 after giving up four runs on four hits and three walks over three innings. He struck out just one.

Netz kept the Trash Pandas in check with two scoreless innings of relief in his season debut. Evan Taylor pitched the top of the ninth and got the win. Taylor allowed a one-out single, but no other baserunners. He struck out two.

Arias pinch-hit for Ethan Hearn in the eighth inning, flew out and then stayed in the game to catch the top of the ninth. He came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and delivered a two-run single up the middle to win the game.

Left fielder Jordan Nwogu hit a solo home run in the third inning. Nwogu was 2 for 4 and scored twice. He was also hit by a pitch.

Center fielder Carter Trice was 2 for 4 with two runs scored. He was intentionally walked in the ninth to face Armas.

Third baseman Karson Simas went 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored. He also singled home the first run of the game in the second inning.

Shortstop Jefferson Rojas was 2 for 5 with a double.

Seiya Suzuki took two at-bats as the designated hitter before exiting. He struck out in the first inning and walked in the second inning. He may have had a plane to catch.

Here’s Nwogu’s home run.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs mauled the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 13-1.

It was a great first start of the year for Brooks Caple, who got the win after pitching five innings and allowing just one unearned run on one hits. He dominated the plate with seven strikeouts and no walks. He did hit one batter.

Alfredo Romero was just as good, getting a four-inning save. Romero gave up just one hit and no runs. He struck out five and walked no one.

Shortstop Angel Cepeda opened the scoring with a two-run single in the third inning. Cepeda wasn’t done as he had another RBI single in the fourth. The final line on Cepeda was 3 for 5 with a walk and the three RBI. He also stole a base and scored once.

Third baseman Reginald Preciado also had a great game, going 2 for 5 with a solo home run in the third inning. Preciado scored twice.

Catcher Justin Stransky hit his first professional home run in the seventh inning with two men on. He had earlier hit an RBI single and a sacrifice fly, giving him five RBI on the night. (That doubles his career total in one night.) Stransky was 2 for 4 and scored twice.

Center fielder Kane Kepley doubled twice in a 2 for 6 game. He also stole third base and scored twice.

Second baseman Drew Bowser was 2 for 5 with two doubles. He drove home two and scored twice.

First baseman Matt Halbach was 3 for 5. He had one RBI and scored once.

Right fielder Kade Snell went 2 for 5 with a double and one run scored.

Preciado’s home run.

One of Bowser’s doubles.

Stransky’s first professional home run.

One of Kepley’s doubles.

Some nifty defense at third base by Preciado.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans went to 5-0 with a 14-9 win over the Columbia Fireflies (Royals).

Thomas Frank started and turned in a solid 3.2 scoreless innings, Frank allowed on hit. He walked three and struck out three.

Luis A. Reyes had a pretty disastrous performance in relief of Frank. He entered the game with two outs in the fourth and after walking the first batter, he got a pop up to end the inning. Then Reyes came on to pitch the fifth inning and walked the first five batters before he was pulled from the game. All five of those walks came around to score.

Edwardo Melendez came on to relieve Reyes with the bases loaded and no outs and he got out of the inning, but not before allowing all three inherited runners to score. However, Melendez was awarded the win as the “most effective” pitcher since Frank didn’t go five. Melendez’s final line was no runs (of his own) on three hits over two innings. He did strike out five and walked one.

Shortstop Ty Southisene went 2 for 5 with a bases-loaded walk and an RBI triple in the fourth inning. He drove in four runs total.

Left fielder Jose Escobar was 3 for 6 with a double. He also had four RBI and scored once.

Second baseman Ludwing Espinoza went 2 for 3 with a double and three walks. He scored twice and drove in the first run of the game with a single in the second inning.

First baseman Josiah Hartshorn was 2 for 4 with two walks and a stolen base. Hartshorn scored one run.

DH Michael Carico went 2 for 4 with two walks. He scored twice and drove home one.

Catcher Logan Poteet went 2 for 5 with a sacrifice fly. He scored twice.

The Pelicans won despite their pitching staff issuing 12 walks. It helped that their lineup walked 16 times.

Jose Escobar’s double.

There's not much to critique the 2026 Yankees so far this season.

Even with their 3-2 loss to the Athletics, the Yankees (8-3) have the best record in the American League and lead their division by 2.5 games. But what Wednesday night's defeat showcased was that the offense will have its off days, but for Ryan McMahon, those days seem more common, especially early on this year.

McMahon has never been a consistent hitter in his career. His two best seasons came in 2019 and 2021 with the Rockies when he batted around .250 and slugged 23-24 home runs. But across his first 10 games this season, the veteran infielder is 2-for-26 after going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts -- the second punchout being the final out of Wednesday's loss with him as the tying run.

"If I knew, I don’t think I’ll be in the slow start," McMahon said after the game. "Hey, I’m grinding. I’m not happy about it, I’m sure other people aren’t. At the end of the day, it’s about the team winning. I’ll keep working and try to turn it around."

McMahon, who is best known for and still is a plus-defender, has struggled ever since being acquired by the Yankees at last year's deadline. In 54 games with the Yanks in 2025, McMahon slashed .208/.308/.333 with an OPS of .641 to go along with four home runs, eight doubles and 18 RBI. 

The third baseman took questions from the media following the loss on Wednesday and when asked about the whys and hows of his slow start, McMahon answered with every variation of "I don't know" you could think of. 

It's an early-season issue that manager Aaron Boone and the organization hope resolves itself. In the meantime, Boone has changed up the lineup, benched McMahon for Amed Rosario against certain pitching matchups and even started McMahon at shortstop to get both him and Rosario in the lineup. 

Wednesday was McMahon's first start at short, and the Yankees skipper said he looked "great" and made tough plays "look routine." But defense has never been the problem with McMahon wherever he plays on the diamond. And with Jose Caballero struggling at the plate while the team awaits the return of Anthony Volpe, the left side of the Yankees infield needs a jolt. 

Boone believes McMahon can provide that and defended his third baseman by pointing out how early it is in the season and that he will continue to use him in the lineup as he sees fit. 

"Mac's a good major league hitter. It's 10 games in, okay?" Boone said. "He's scuffling right now, but the reality is, the last three games, he's been on base four times too, with walks and hits and big at-bats.

"We want him to improve even who he's been obviously in his career, and he's off to a slow start right now, but a number of our guys are, as well. He'll get it rolling and trust that he will, especially against some of these good right-handed matchups."

Boone is correct that it's very early in the season, and that others on the team have not hit to the back of their baseball cards. But it's also hard to ignore that after 65 games as a Yankee, McMahon hasn't shown that consistent offensive presence the team needs.

Aaron Boone was asked what he's seen from Ryan McMahon at the plate:

"Mac's a good major league hitter. It's 10 games in, okay? He's scuffling right now, but the reality is, the last three games, he's been on base four times too, with walks and hits and big at-bats.

We want him… pic.twitter.com/1A2jSjoz2H

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 9, 2026