Earlier in the day, Christian Scott said he was ready to leave his rough first start behind him. And that's exactly what the young Mets right-hander did on Friday.
Going up against the Angels, Scott wasn't his sharpest, but showed improvement, going five innings in the Mets' eventual 4-3 win. But it could have gone sideways fast, and it almost did, for Scott and the Mets in the first inning.
Scott allowed a one-out single to Mike Trout and two batters later, Jorge Soler took him deep. The Mets, losers of 17 of their last 20 games, were already down two runs. But Scott settled in.
Aside from the third inning when he hit Zach Neto with a pitch to lead off, and he eventually scored on two stolen bases and a throwing error by Francisco Alvarez,the Angels could not get anything going off of Scott. Scott would retire the last nine batters he faced.
"That first inning, coming back from that last outing and he kept going," manager Carlos Mendoza said of Scott's outing. "He didn’t put his head down and kept attacking and gave us five innings and a chance to win a baseball game."
"When you go down 2-0 pretty early, you can start to overthink things," Scott said. "I think I did a good job going pitch by pitch, attacking the strike zone, bearing down and competing when I had to."
Scott, whose first big league start in almost two years was spoiled by erratic control that forced him out of the game after just four outs, said Friday's start felt like any other, and that his mindset was on attacking the zone, getting ahead and staying ahead. Scott credited Alvarez for being on the same page as him and calling a good game, but also leaned on his confidence to get over his rough first start and Friday's tough first inning.
"I’m confident in myself and my stuff," Scott said. "I know I belong here and my stuff plays at a high level when it’s in the strike zone. Just have to be consistent... Just do that consistently is my goal moving forward."
"That’s what makes him. Not just because of the stuff, but he has a good head," Mendoza said. "Doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low. Could have been easy for him to just put his head down after the last outing. First inning, he goes, ‘here we go again.’ And he didn’t show any sign. I’m not surprised by it. Goes to show you he’s a mature kid."
Once Scott was out after five innings and the score still 3-0, the comeback commenced. In the sixth, the Mets scored three runs on a pair of two-out singles. Ronny Mauricio then completed the comeback with a go-ahead solo homer. The bullpen continued what Scott started, retiring every Angels hitter they faced to finish the game.
"I’ve given up homers before, it’s not the end of the world," Scott said of overcoming the first-inning homer. "But I thought the offense did a really good job battling the whole day. Bullpen came in and not giving up a baserunner was nice to see them bearing down and competing at a high level. It’s early in the game, just have to give the team a chance to win and I thought I did that."
Scott not only gave the Mets a chance to win Friday's series opener, but Mendoza said the 26-year-old set the tone for the rest of the team.
"It started with Scotty. When he got punched, he punched back," Mendoza said. "He set the tone there."
Entering play Friday, the Mets held the worst record in baseball (10-21). Their offense was stagnant and questions regarding Mendoza's job security were rampant. But the team stuck together and prevailed, and it began with Scott's bounce-back start.
Ronny Mauricio picked a good time for his first home run of the season.
The Mets' ninth batter and starting shortstop in Friday's 4-3 win at the Los Angeles Angels took José Fermin's 94 mph pitch deep to right-center field on a 1-1 count with one out, giving New York (11-21) enough of a window to complete a four-run comeback in Anaheim, Calif.
"It feels great to be able to help the team in a situation like that," Mauricio said through an interpreter. "... We're coming out here, we're working, we're doing everything that we have to do to go out in front."
"It says a lot, especially after what we've been going through," Mendoza said. "You get down early in that first inning -- that two-run homer out of the gate -- but they fought back and they found a way. That's a good sign -- when you're able to come back and lock it down, good at-bats, continue to just create some traffic ... it was a solid team win."
With two more games at the Angels (12-21), led by Saturday's 9:38 p.m. start on SNY, the Mets have an opportunity to build as the initial series and overall nine-game road trip begins.
"Every win means a lot, especially when we've dug ourselves into a hole like this," said Marcus Semien, whose two-RBI single with two outs in the sixth inning capped the Mets' three-run rally to tie the game at 3-3. "Especially a comeback win on the road -- that's big. It's big for the group.
From Christian Scott's career-high-tying eight strikeouts in a bounce-back start to the timely hits and the Mets' four-man bullpen consecutively retiring the final 12 batters, Mendoza saw his team dig deep.
"I think they're all different, but every time you get an opportunity to win a game like that -- we haven't been able to win games like that when you get down 3-0 and the feeling's like, 'All right,'" he said. "Today, it wasn't the case. It was something different -- the energy in the dugout, the guys playing loose, the guys playing their game and we saw that. And it started with Scotty -- when he got punched, he punched back. So, it kind of set the tone there."
"We always feel like we're in the game," Semien added. "It's nine innings of baseball. We're all major league players, so we're working hard to scratch and claw to get back into the game."
Maybe in the case of our 2026 Astros, it could be the daily viewing of “As The Losses Mount”.
Seemingly with each passing day, it feels as if meaningful baseball in October will elude us once again. Consider just how long ago it actually was, since we Houstonians endured consecutive postseasons sitting idle.
You’d have to go back to 2014.
In 2014, Dusty Baker wasn’t even managing, having been released by the Cincinnati Reds. Speaking of managers, for a portion of that 2014 season, Houston was led by Bo Porter.
Carlos Correa was still in the minors.
Rob Manfred wasn’t even “officially” MLB Commissioner.
Neither Biggio nor Bagwell had been enshrined in Cooperstown.
Center Field still featured Tal’s Hill.
The A’s still played in Oakland.
Okay, you get where I’m going with this. The injection of historical context, (even in early May) is only fitting because if the trend of dropping series continues, the Astros season will be history and they’ll be home in October for consecutive seasons.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 01: Brent Rooker #25 of the Athletics hits a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians in the bottom of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on May 01, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
May has officially begun, and the A’s begin the month with a series-opening loss to the Cleveland Guardians, falling to their AL Central foes in a high-scoring 8-5 contest. The starting pitching wasn’t great, the bullpen allowed three runners to cross home plate, and while the offense provided five runs they left 10 on base tonight and let this game slip away. The Mariners lost tonight but the Rangers won. The division lead is still ours and still at one game.
Teams trade early runs
Righty J.T. Ginn got the ball tonight looking to continue the solid streak he’s been on since joining the starting staff. He ran into some early trouble tonight though as the first three batters he faced all reached, loading the bases with nobody out before most people had found their seats. Not a good start.
This tough spot didn’t faze the young righty though. He buckled down and got two huge strikeouts before getting out of the early jam with a high flyout to right fielder Colby Thomas to end the threat:
Now it was the A’s turn to bat. Shea Langeliers got things going with a one-out single against Cleveland starting pitcher Joey Cantillo. After a flyout from Kurtz it was Brent Rooker up to the plate with two outs and he absolutely smacked the second pitch he saw over the wall in left field, giving the A’s the first lead of the game:
Pretty amazing considering how this game started. That was Rooker’s third of the season and he really needed that one. Snapped an 0-for-20 streak at the plate, longest of his career. He wasn’t done there tonight either.
While Ginn pulled some magic in the first, he couldn’t do it again in the second. A walk and single started the inning and Ginn got two outs right after that, but he got tagged for a two-run double that tied this game up at 2. Could have been worse.
The middle frames
From there Ginn actually settled in for a bit. He went three up, three down in the third and fourth innings, at one point retiring seven in a row.
On the other side, the A’s were getting contact against Cantillo and broke through again in the fourth. A pair of back-to-back walks to open the frame was followed by a sac bunt to put two runners in scoring position for Zack Gelof. Once considered a building block of the organization but beginning the year in Triple-A, Gelof came through with perhaps his biggest hit of the year to date, a two-run single to retake the lead for the Green & Gold:
Things have been rough for Gelof over the past couple of seasons but he’s already had a couple moments for this club so far. Gelof would actually be thrown out at home when Jacob Wilson grounded a ball to short to end the frame. Not a great call, going for home with only one out, but we like the aggressiveness. That’s a moment too.
Again, once the A’s took the lead Cleveland began to rally. Back-to-back walks to the top of the lineup to open the fifth was Ginn just asking for trouble. While he escaped the wrath of Jose Ramirez, another walk loaded the bases and veteran first baseman Rhys Hoskins made Ginn pay with a two-run double after that that tied this game back up. And at 88 pitches, that was the final straw for Mark Kotsay to come get his starter and turn things over to the bullpen.
For someone whose control had been a major selling point, it was a bit disappointing to see Ginn’s command off essentially all night long. Cleveland made him pay for those free passes as three of them ended up crossing home plate. Considering his streak entering tonight he shouldn’t be in danger of being passed over for his next scheduled start, which lines up to be against the Phillies in Philadelphia next Friday.
Hogan Harris replaced Ginn and gave up a sacrifice fly that gave Cleveland their first lead of the game, which was charged to Ginn, though he did get Bazzana to strike out to end the threat. Still, the damage was done and the A’s offense had work to do.
Comeback attempt falls short
It took a couple innings but they got something going in the seventh. Starting with a Wilson single and a pair of walks, Rooker came to the plate with no outs and delivered a base knock that whittled the Cleveland lead down to three:
Of note, one of those walks was to Nick Kurtz, which was the 20th straight game he’d drawn a walk. That officially surpasses Barry Bonds in the modern era:
Nick Kurtz receives a standing ovation after earning a walk for the 20th consecutive game 👏 pic.twitter.com/MvD8GKVEzX
Next up, the all-time record by Roy Cullenbine in 1947, who walked in 22 straight games. Think Kurtz can do it?
Anyway, the bases were still loaded with no one out. The A’s were in business. But it was the Guardians’ turn for some magic. Now into the Cleveland bullpen Darell Hernaiz struck out, then Soderstrom, and finally a fly ball that looked on its way out of the yard was instead robbed by Guardians center fielder Steven Kwan. Owch:
Absolutely horrible luck. On the bright side the fire in the A’s wasn’t out quite yet. Still down three runs, the bats continued to work. A Jeff McNeil double and Jacob Wilson on base via error put runners on the corners in the bottom of the eighth with just one out. Tying run at the plate, and the heart of the order coming up. Instead Langeliers and Kurtz both struck out swinging, ending the threat. Another big owch.
The A’s went down in order in the ninth to seal this one. Their record now stands at 17-15 after the first game of May. Hopefully this isn’t another year where the season is sunk by a terrible May. Not off to a good start in that regard.
Tough pill to swallow, this one. The A’s offense came through tonight for five runs, but the pitching couldn’t hold down a Guardians offense that didn’t allow a hit to Jose Ramirez. Ginn was shaky tonight and clearly didn’t have his control in this one. Kurtz, though he drew that record-breaking walk, went 0-for-4 and came up short in some moments. Everyone of the other starters other than Hernaiz got at least one hit tonight (and Hernaiz drew a pair of walks). It doesn’t help when your bullpen doesn’t keep the deficit to a minimum but still. For someone who was a darkhorse candidate for AL MVP, Kurtz has been a bit absent in the early going.
It’s going to be a quick turnaround as the series continues tomorrow afternoon in the second game of the series. For the A’s it’ll be left-hander Jacob Lopez getting the ball for his sixth start (seventh appearance) of the season. Things have not gone all that smoothly for Lopez in his second full season with the A’s, and his spot in the rotation has to at least be feeling insecure. With other arms in the system ready to jump at their opportunity Lopez needs a big game tomorrow or else the voices calling for a change will get bolder and louder. He’ll be opposed by Guardians right-hander Slade Cecconi, who’s in line for his seventh start of the year. He saw the A’s twice last year, first going seven shutout innings against us in June before, strangely, giving up six runs in nearly nine innings of work in a Guardians win. Should be another good one at Sutter Health Park tomorrow!
May 1, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) throws a pitch during the first inning against San Francisco Giants at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images
It may have taken some time to get his sea legs back, but Shane McClanahan pitched with a level of conviction we haven’t seen since before the injuries. As a result, he turned in his best outing of the season and set the table for the Rays second shutout in their last three games. His six-shutout innings were the most he has thrown in nearly three years. It was the sharpest he has looked post injuries and sight for sore eyes, especially in the wake of the news that Ryan Pepiot would be out for the remainder of the season. Having Mac back on the mound in any capacity this season would have been a positive for the Rays. To see him return to form this quickly is as good as the Rays brass could have hoped for.
Opposite McClanahan was San Franciso Giants starter, Robby Ray, who also turned in a strong performance but left trailing and took home the loss. McClanahan and Ray battled it out over the first six innings and Mac came out on top as Ray made a few costly mistakes to the big boys, Yandy and Caminero.
The first mistake, if you can even call it that, came in the bottom of the second inning when Yandy Diaz flicked a outside fastball over the wall in right field to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. His fifth homer of the year and a perfect Yandy blast at that.
Two innings later Junior Caminero turned on a high and inside fastball and deposited it deep into the left field stands. It was his ninth homer of the year and it traveled 432 feet.
Then in the sixth inning, Walls doubled to lead off the inning, quickly stole third, and scored on a Chandler Simpson sacrifice fly. The Rays took a 3-0 lead and that score would hold.
That was essentially all the action in this one. McClahanan worked quickly striking out five and walking none while scattering five hits across his six innings. Ray only allowed four hits, but three of them went for extra bases. he also struck out five and walked none.
The Rays pen did their job again as Seymour, Sulser, and Baker held the Giants scoreless and to just one hit. Baker took home the save, his eighth of the year.
The Rays staff as a whole has been fantastic over the. Across their last eight games, they have allowed a total of just eleven runs. They have gone 7-1 over that stretch. The Rays are firing on all cylinders right now. They are hitting for power, limiting runs, and the defense has improved. They are playing winning baseball at a high level and will look to continue that tomorrow and secure a third straight series win.
Following the confirmation that he will be transitioning to the rotation and following in the footsteps of Rasmussen, Springs, and Littel, Griffin Jax will make his second consecutive open/start opposite Landen Roupp of the Giants.
BRONX, NY - APRIL 17: Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9) celebrates with Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) during the MLB professional baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York, NY. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Tonight’s match was about the closest you can get to playoff baseball on May 1. Bryan Woo and Cole Ragans are both considered aces on their staffs, though you might not know it from how they performed tonight, and each took home a no-decision. There were multiple lead changes, and the bullpens were tested to their limits. In the end, the Royals emerged victorious in their first contest of a new month.
Things got off to a fast start for KC. If you sat down a little late, you’d have found KC in front 3-0 before you even got logged into Apple TV. Maikel Garcia singled to right, Bobby Witt Jr. singled to shortstop, and Vinnie Pasquantino – freshly returned to the lineup after aggravating a back injury during the first contest in Sacramento – also singled to right to drive in the first run of the game. Connor Joe had a fielding error, and the Royals had a run in with runners at second and third with no outs for Salvador Perez.
Perez, of course, has been a lightning rod for criticism during the Royals’ slow start, but he whalloped a sinker that got a little too much of the plate down the left field line to drive in both runners. Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone both made outs, but Isaac Collins parachuted a pop-up down the left field line to bring home Salvy with two outs and give the Royals a 4-0 lead.
Cole Ragans, unfortunately, was not destined to look like the same guy who had absolutely dazzled the Angels. He walked J.P. Crawford, struck out Cal Raleigh, and then gave up a massive two-run home run to Julio Rodríguez. Rodríguez, of course, is known for turning things on once May starts, and he didn’t take any time with that tonight. Ragans settled down a bit until the fifth inning – though he still flashed some poor control at times. In the fifth, he allowed Connor Joe to bash his first MLB home run in more than two years. Fortunately, the bases were empty, and the Royals still led 4-3.
Over the same span, however, Bryan Woo hadn’t allowed a single baserunner since Collins’ single. But Vinnie put an end to that really quickly, leading off the sixth.
Two outs later, Jac joined his Italian-American brother.
Those dingers felt even more important as Cole gave up his third home run of the night in the bottom of the inning to Randy Arozerena. He was pulled for Nick Mears, who got the job done, recording the final two outs of the inning despite walking the first batter he faced.
Daniel Lynch IV, only recently installed as the Royals’ preferred seventh-inning pitcher, had to face the 9-1-2 hitters in the bottom of the inning. He got behind Leo Rivas 3-0 before striking him out looking, walked Crawford, struck out Raleigh, but gave up a game-tying home run to the magma-hot Rodriguez. Game tied. Lynch became the tenth Royals’ reliever with a Meltdown this year. The only players to pitch in relief for KC and not accrue one are Bailey Falter, Mitch Spence, Mason Black, and Tyler Tolbert. In other words, the only guys who haven’t been allowed to pitch in high leverage.
But hey, Sal was leading off the top of the eighth. What could go wrong? Nothing! He led off with a double into left center, advanced to third on a Carter Jensen groundout, and then Matt Quatraro made the controversial decision to pinch-hit Lane Thomas for Jac Caglianone. It worked, and Thomas drove in the go-ahead run by flipping an inside changeup over the second baseman’s head.
Matt Strahm pitched a scoreless eighth, striking out two and walking one. Then it was Lucas Erceg’s turn in the ninth inning. He needed to record a clean inning in order to prevent Julio Rodríguez from getting a chance to finish what he had started.
We diagnosed Erceg’s issues with his slider just yesterday, so Lucas led with his four-seam fastball and sinker against two lefties and the switch-hitting Raleigh. He threw no changeups; he threw only two sliders. For what it’s worth, he doesn’t often throw his slider against left-handed hitters; only about 22% of the time compared to 33% of the time against righties. Regardless, he got two pop-ups and struck out Crawford with a beautiful front hip goofy slider. It took Erceg only 12 pitches, 8 of which were strikes, to pitch a perfect ninth. It’s still a bit concerning to see his slider and changeup MIA, and he had trouble locating the four-seamer, but a win is a win!
The Royals have now scored 6+ runs in 6 of their last 9 games. Wouldn’t you know it, they’ve won 6 of their last 9! It’s probably not a coincidence that they did this while Vinnie was going 6-for-24, all but 1 for extra bases, plus walking 6 times and only striking out 3. Oh yeah, Salvy has gone 10-for-36 with 2 homers and 2 doubles in the same span. It’s almost like having the middle of the order show up in positive ways can make this offense look a lot better! Prior to the nine-game stretch, Salvy had a .536 OPS with Vinnie at .470. Checking in again after tonight’s game, they’re at .615 and .631, respectively. Sure, those still aren’t good, but they represent MASSIVE improvements in a very short span. That highlights how bad they were, how hot they’ve been, and how small the sample sizes still are in this young season.
The Royals will attempt to continue their perfect May tomorrow night, though it promises to be even more difficult than tonight. Seth Lugo (2.63 ERA) will go for the Royals, but Emerson Hancock (2.86 ERA) will go for the Mariners. It’s anyone’s guess if they can pull it off, but it sure would be sweet to go into Sunday afternoon with a chance to sweep their way to a winning road trip.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 01: Ronny Mauricio #0 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 01, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a series loss to the Nationals, which had a blowout loss followed by a heartbreaking late-game loss, the Mets headed west again, starting in Anaheim to face the Angels. Christian Scott was getting his second start of the season, hoping to have a much better performance than his first, which would be difficult not to. All he had to do was get through more than 1.2 innings and/or give up less than five walks.
After an uneventful top of the first for the Mets, Christian Scott’s first inning of his second start seemed to get off to an inauspicious start. A one-out single from Mike Trout turned into a two-out, two-run home run to Jorge Soler to put the Mets in an early 2-0 hole after the first inning, which has proven to be an insurmountable problem for the Mets as of late.
(Author’s note: during the second inning, the broadcast kept dropping out, and I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t immediately think that it could be a blessing in disguise, not being forced to watch whatever disaster was awaiting me in the future innings. Alas, I was cursed with a return of service and the ability to forge ahead.)
It took until the bottom of the third for anything to happen again, with Zach Neto reaching first on a leadoff hit by pitch. He then stole second base, and stole third, and then scored when Alvarez’s attempt to throw him out ended up in left field. So the Mets were then down 3-0 in the third, which was as close to a death sentence as the Mets could get in the third inning.
The Mets weren’t able to get any luck until Bo Bichette, in the top of the sixth, hit a line drive directly into the leg of Walbert Ureña, driving him from the game in favor of Brent Suter. Suter then gave up a single to Soto, and Alvarez, which drove in the Mets’ first run of the game. Baty grounded out to set up runners on second and third with two outs, which has typically been the end of the inning for the Mets this season. The Angels brought in Chase Silseth to face Marcus Semien. And then, the most amazing thing happened.
Marcus Semien got a hit. With runners in scoring position. And two outs. And the game was tied.
Carson Benge grounded out to end the inning, but there was potential for a win for the Mets now, which they were in dire need of. Huascar Brazobán came in to relieve Scott, who had a much better start the second go around this season. Scott gave up three runs (only two earned) on three hits, and eight strikeouts which ties his career high. Brazobán had a clean inning, keeping the Mets in the game.
José Fermin came in to relieve Silseth in the top of the seventh, and he gave up a one-out solo home run to Ronny Mauricio, his first of the season, to put the Mets ahead by one run. Nine outs to go, the Mets had a lead. A slight lead, a scary single run lead, but a lead is a lead.
Raley, Weaver, and Williams each pitched a scoreless inning to keep the Mets ahead to the end and then, unbelievably, they won. The Mets won a game, a one-run game, and their pitching staff was able to retire 21 batters in a row to end the game. It was the 2026 Mets version of an episode of The Twilight Zone.
An optimist could hope that this is the start of something for the Mets, that they could build on this and win another game, maybe sweep, win a series or two or even three on the road against not very stiff competition. A realist would recognize that that idea has been brought up before in the past few weeks without materializing. A pessimist would expect a few losses to follow this win. But all anyone can know at this point is the facts: they play again tomorrow night at 9:38 against the Angels, with Nolan McLean facing Reid Detmers. Anything else would be a stab in the dark.
Big Mets winner: Devin Williams, +20% WPA Big Mets loser: Christian Scott, -12% WPA Mets pitchers: +41% WPA Mets hitters: +9% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Marcus Semien two-run single in the sixth inning, +22.3% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jorge Soler’s two-run home run in the first inning, -18.4% WPA
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 01: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners rolls in the outfield after making a catch during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park on May 01, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Royals 7, Mariners 6
Your Apple TV Winning Moment: Julio Rodríguez, +0.43 WPA Setting your apple on fire: Bryan Woo, -.038 WPA
Noah Schultz was utterly brilliant over six innings on Friday, earning his second career win. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
The White Sox have been worse than .500 all season long, so declaring them a must-watch team seems a bit hyperbolic.
But Friday’s 8-2 annihilation of a Padres team very strong out of the gate — 5 1/2 games better than Chicago entering play — touched on the three players most likely to make you stop whatever you’re doing and stare.
First off, and most substantially, it was a masterpiece start by Noah Schultz, in just his fourth career outing — although it didn’t begin as such. Schultz’s outing began miserably, a miserable first inning that found the wunderkind southpaw walking two Padres on, balking the runners to second and third, and then filling the bases with a third walk. However, the lefty attacked Ty France with three straight fastballs for strikes, generating a ground out to escape the jam.
And from there, that was all she wrote. After throwing just 15 of 29 pitches for strikes in the first, Schultz melted through the next three innings with 20-of-27 strikes, one single and zero walks.
Even better, Padres starter Germán Márquez, who’d already had a sloppy and inefficient first frame, was even worse in the second, issuing four walks. Three of those walks scored on a Sam Antonacci single, Andrew Benintendi sac fly and an Austin Hayes ground out. Then, with two on and two out with a full count, Munetaka Murakami took over the MLB lead in home runs and gave the White Sox a 6-0 lead with a no-doubter to right-center:
Our second must-watch player continues to place himself in rare air in MLB history. Per Sarah Langs, Murakami now ranks third all-time in home runs through 32 career games. Something tells me he is going to be No. 1 on the list by the time we get to Game 50 or so.
And finally, must-watch ABs come from Colson Montgomery as well. And Colson extended the White Sox rout with a first-pitch screamer out to right-center with two outs in the fifth:
That homer should have been a two-run shot, as right before Colson’s clout Miguel Vargas connected on a superb hustle double, turning a standard single to center into a two-bagger with an aggressive, hard cut at the first base bag. Vargas beat the throw but was ruled out on the field; the appeal at second was denied, backed by a claim that Vargas drifted off of the bag during his slide.
Schultz ended up going a scoreless six innings and holding 88.9% of the Padres lineup hitless (Fernando Tatís Jr. was the only one to touch him, with a single in the third and triple in the sixth). The southpaw did not walk a single batter after the first inning, and struck out two.
Kudos to the offense as a whole tonight, for being smart enough to sense that Márquez was on the ropes struggling to get his knuckle-curve over the plate and working at-bats deep. Eight batters had worked counts at least five pitches deep through the first 3 1/3 innings of the game.
Three singles in the eighth rounded the White Sox run total up to eight.
The Padres did finally rally off of the eminently-hittable Osvaldo Bido in the eighth, stringing a walk and three singles together to puncture the scoreboard with two runs.
DENVER, CO - May 1: Colorado Rockies Jose Quintana (62) pitches in the second inning during a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies came out hot.
The Atlanta Braves stirred in the fourth, pushed again in the seventh, and fully woke up in the eighth and ninth.
A 6-0 Colorado lead became an 8-6 loss at Coors Field. The Braves improved to 23-10, while the Rockies fell to 14-19.
For a while, it looked like enough. Colorado built its lead behind a five-run first inning, Mickey Moniak’s ninth home run of the season, and six superb innings from José Quintana. Atlanta answered late, turning Colorado’s best version of the night into a loss.
The Rockies made Atlanta uncomfortable early
The night started with a little weirdness, which felt appropriate.
Atlanta put traffic on the bases in the top of the first before the Rockies escaped with one of the stranger double plays they will turn this season. Ezequiel Tovar and Edouard Julien appeared to miscommunicate around second base, but Colorado still managed to get the force before completing the play at first. Atlanta challenged the call, and the replay was close enough to feel like a coin flip.
Tie stays the same.
The call stood, the Rockies escaped, and then they made Atlanta pay.
Colorado’s five-run first was built on pressure. Hunter Goodman supplied the first real crack, ripping a ground-rule double to left-center to score Julien and move Moniak to third. The Braves helped the inning along from there, but the Rockies had already started it with the thing that mattered most: hard contact.
Then Moniak made sure the early lead did not feel like a first-inning accident.
His ninth home run of the season was not cheap, not Coors-aided, and not subtle: 105.5 mph off the bat, 439 feet, and into the right-center seats to make it 6-0 in the second inning.
At that point, the Rockies had made Grant Holmes work, made Atlanta play from behind, and made the best team in baseball look uncomfortable.
Quintana kept the night under control
For a while, Quintana made it stand.
Quintana did not overpower Atlanta, because that was never the assignment. He did something more important for this version of the Rockies: he kept the night under control.
The veteran lefty worked six innings, his longest start of the season, allowing one run on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts. He did it with the full veteran-lefty toolbox, mixing 31 four-seamers, 18 curveballs, 15 changeups, 12 slurves, and nine sinkers over 85 pitches.
The only real damage was Matt Olson’s solo homer in the fourth. Olson is having the kind of season where pretending he will stay quiet for nine innings feels like bad writing, and he got Quintana for one. Fine. Against this lineup, the Rockies could live with one swing.
Quintana made sure it did not become an inning.
It was more than Colorado could have reasonably expected entering the night. Quintana limited damage, avoided free passes, and continued a run of excellent starts from Rockies pitchers.
Holmes’ final line was not pretty — five innings, seven hits, six runs, five earned, three walks, four strikeouts, and one home run — but after Colorado’s early burst, he still absorbed five innings for Atlanta.
That mattered later.
The lead stopped growing
The Rockies’ offense quieted after Moniak’s homer.
Former Rockie Anthony Molina, cut loose by Colorado this offseason, threw clean sixth and seventh innings for Atlanta, helping the Braves keep the game close enough for their lineup to matter late.
The Rockies did enough early. Every starting position player reached base at least once except Willi Castro, who still drove in a run with a first-inning groundout. Contributions were not hard to find. But the game never became a full Coors Field avalanche.
And against Atlanta, that left the door open.
Then the monster woke up
Zach Agnos made the seventh interesting, but not dangerous. Atlanta scratched across a manufactured run after an Austin Riley single and a Jake McCarthy error, but Agnos kept the damage there. He got Jorge Mateo to roll over softly for the final out, then bounced off the mound with a little extra juice as the Rockies carried a 6-2 lead into the eighth. For seven innings, the Rockies had subdued the monster
In the eighth, it came looking for a fight.
Agnos returned for a second inning of work and ran into traffic, putting two on with one out and Olson coming to the plate. The Rockies went to Jaden Hill, asking him to face the hitter who had already provided Atlanta’s only real damage. Hill walked him.
Then came the swing Colorado had spent the night avoiding: an opposite-field triple that cleared the bases and cut the lead to 6-5.
One batter later, a sacrifice fly brought home the tying run. 6-6 Just like that, the comfortable version of the game was gone.
Hill struck out the final batter to keep the inning from getting worse, but the damage had already changed the night.
Colorado had a chance to answer right away against Didier Fuentes in the bottom of the eighth when Tyler Freeman was hit by a pitch to open the inning, but the response never came. Troy Johnston hit the ball hard, only to ground into a double play, and Castro popped out to send the game to the ninth still tied.
The Rockies had absorbed the punch. They had not answered it yet.
The ninth broke it
Juan Mejía started the inning with a leadoff walk, and from there Atlanta’s contact got loud in a hurry. Michael Harris II followed with the swing that made it feel fatal, launching a two-run homer to give the Braves an 8-6 lead.
After seven innings of clean, controlled baseball, the Rockies gave the Braves the one thing they had mostly avoided all night.
Free traffic. Atlanta turned it into the lead and didn’t give it back.
Fuentes picked up the win, improving to 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA. Mejía took the loss, falling to 0-3 with a 5.87 ERA. Robert Suarez handled the ninth for Atlanta, working around a Brenton Doyle single to finish the comeback.
Seven innings were not enough
That is the hard part.
There was plenty worth liking. Quintana was excellent. The first inning was the kind of pressure inning this team has struggled to create in recent years. Moniak’s homer was loud enough to make the night feel real.
For seven innings, the Rockies had the Braves where they wanted them.
Then Atlanta woke up.
Up next
The Rockies continue their three-game series with the Braves on Saturday night at Coors Field. Atlanta will send Chris Sale to the mound, while Colorado’s starter has not yet been officially announced. It should be Chase Dollander.
If that holds, it will be a fascinating test.
Sale enters 5-1 with a 2.31 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts in six starts. Dollander has been excellent in his own right, entering 3-2 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts over 32 innings across seven games. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. MT.
The Mets won Friday's series opener at the Los Angeles Angels, scoring four runs across the sixth and seventh innings as they started their nine-game road trip on a high note.
Takeaways
In Christian Scott's first start since he "couldn't throw the ball over the plate" -- last Thursday's 10-8 win against the Minnesota Twins -- he rebounded with his best MLB start since July 8, 2024, when he went 5.2 IP and allowed one hit in the Mets' 8-2 loss at the Pittsburgh Pirates. Scott tied his career high with eight strikeouts, a feat that he set May 11, 2024, when he threw six frames in the Mets' 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves. His return from Tommy John surgery has been a winding one, but Scott showed promise Friday. He allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and, most importantly, walked none.
Francisco Alvarez and Marcus Semien delivered in the Mets' three-run sixth inning, capitalizing on the Angels' weak bullpen. Alvarez's one-out single put the Mets on the board before Semien, who left the bases loaded via an inning-ending flyout in the fourth, redeemed himself with a two-out single that scored Juan Soto and Alvarez to tie the game at 3-3.
Ronny Mauricio snapped his 0-for-12 draught with the go-ahead home run on a one-out solo shot to right-center field, showing why the Mets cannot give up on him. He launched his first homer of the season in a clutch moment, rebounding from an inning-ending double play that killed the Mets' third and a fifth-inning flyout to center field when it looked like New York would get shut out.
Soto returned to the outfield for the first time since last Wednesday's reactivation from the injured list, and he looked at home after eight games as the Mets' designated hitter. Soto's 1-for-3 night featured a second-inning walk and the aforementioned single in the sixth inning that sparked the Mets' three-run wakeup. In a struggling Mets offense, the lineup needs Soto healthy and humming. He took a subtle but big step by playing a clean game in the field and coming through at the plate.
Carlos Mendoza's bullpen combination of Huascar Brazobán, Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver and Devin Williams was lights out. The four relievers each went an inning after Scott's exit, retiring 12 straight to end the game. Weaver (hold) and Williams (save) each struck out two.
Who's the MVP?
Walbert Urena, who stifled the Mets with one hit through five innings until Bo Bichette's comebacker knocked the 22-year-old RHP out of the game on the sixth's first at-bat. Urena, in his fifth MLB outing (third start), allowed one run on two hits while striking out four and walking three over five-plus frames. He threw 41 strikes on 68 pitches before exiting. When he did, the Angels unraveled.
It's no secret that the Yankees are on the verge of a roster crunch when it comes to their starting pitching.
Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole are both expected to rejoin the team before the end of June, and that means two spots in the rotation are needed to facilitate their returns. Rodon will likely take the spot of rookie Elmer Rodriguez, who was just called up this week, but whose spot will Cole take?
Will Warren is an option, but if he continues to pitch the way he did in Friday's 7-2 win over the Orioles, the Yankees may have to look elsewhere.
Warren struck out nine batters, allowing two runs (one earned) across 6.1 innings on just three hits and one walk. He's now 4-0 with a 2.39 ERA and 46 strikeouts in seven starts this season. Warren has allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his seven starts, the most in the majors.
"We say he’s the guy we haven’t talked about, and it’s just been the body of the work, starting from spring training, has been excellent over and over again," Aaron Boone said. "Stuff’s been excellent, the strike-throwing is there, he was just in command. ... Just another really strong performance."
Warren had few words when talking about his recent success, almost bashfully when speaking about it, but boiled it down to confidence.
"Feel good," Warren said. "Confident taking the mound every five days."
But it's a bit more than that. Boone pinpoints the experience Warren has gained after pitching most of the 2025 season. Warren made 33 starts and pitched to a 9-8 record and a 4.44 ERA, and while it wasn't great, the trial-by-fire the young right-hander had to endure is seemingly paying off in the early going this season.
Two examples of that learned experience appeared in Friday's game.
Pregame, Warren and Austin Wells figured out that the changeup against lefties will work. Warren threw that pitch 12 times on Friday, 11 to left-handers, and got three whiffs. Of the three hits allowed, only one came off a left-handed bat.
The second was adjusting mid-game. Warren recognized early that he wasn't executing with his four-seamer and so he went more to the offspeed stuff and it worked. Warren throws his fastball 43 percent of the time, which went down to 32 percent on Friday.
"The ability to execute what I wanted to do wasn't there tonight, so we kind of shifted," Warren said. "More offspeed than I’m used to. Just being able to shift and still have confidence throwing out there and getting the results was nice, too."
That perception and confidence is serving Warren well
"We're just talking about a young, talented guy that's shown really good aptitude over the years, and I think a love for the craft and an expectation to be really good," Boone said of Warren's improvement. "He's not satisfied. For all the good he did last year, he’s not satisfied.
"He’s continued to lean into his strengths while also attacking some of his weaknesses…really understanding more this year and doesn’t have to nibble as much. He trusts his stuff in the zone. He knows he can beat you in a lot of different ways."
"Another year under my belt. You learn a lot out there," Warren said of his improvements. "Talk about it in here all you want, but it’s about getting your feet wet and learning as the game goes long. Have a solid staff to ask questions and learn from. It’s a mix of that."
Yankees starters have posted a major league-best 2.70 ERA and 184 strikeouts in 32 starts this season, and Warren has contributed greatly to that. He's pitched at least 6.0 innings in his last three starts, and the Yankees are 6-1 in Warren's starts this year.
So, what will happen when reinforcements do come?
Warren said there's "friendly competition" among the Yankees' starters. While they all want each other to succeed and feed off each other, they have fun trying to outdo the last starter. But Warren knows it's out of his control and all he can do is keep doing what he's doing.
"We’re going to have the best staff in all of baseball when [Rodón/Cole] come back," Warren said. "Best pitchers are going to pitch the majority of innings. I gotta make sure I keep going out there and doing my job."
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 01: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves circles the bases after hitting a 2 RBI home run against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at Coors Field on May 01, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This Braves road trip couldn’t have started much worse, with the team facing a 5-0 deficit in the first inning.
It ended, though, like so many games have this season. With Atlanta celebrating a victory.
The Braves rallied from a 6-0 second-inning deficit for an 8-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a nine-game road trip Friday night in Denver, securing their 12th comeback victory of the season.
The Braves (23-10) got a run back on Matt Olson’s 10th homer in the fourth inning and another on Jonah Heim’s RBI groundout in the seventh.
The real damage, though, was done in the eighth, when Atlanta loaded the bases with one out before Mauricio Dubon promptly unloaded them with a three-run triple down the right-field line. Austin Riley — who had a two-hit night — tied the game in the next at-bat with a sacrifice fly down the right-field line.
After a scoreless eighth from Didier Fuentes, a leadoff walk in the Braves ninth put a runner on for pinch hitter Michael Harris II, who is still producing despite being limited with a sore quad, lofting a go-ahead two-run homer to right with an assist from the thin Denver air.
Robert Suarez worked a scoreless ninth for his first save, preserving Fuentes’ bad night.
Ronald Acuña Jr. and Dubon each had two hits as well for the Braves.
It’s tied for the franchise’s largest-ever comeback at Colorado. And given how it started, it’s that much more impressive.
Atlanta was in a 3-0 hole before Grant Holmes recorded an out in the bottom of the first. On the play where the Braves finally recorded an out, the Rockies tacked on two more runs thanks to a Matt Olson throwing error.
When the dust had finally settled after a first inning which saw the Rockies bring 10 batters to the plate, the Braves were in a 5-0 hole.
Colorado made that 6-0 when Mickey Moniak led off the second with a moonshot to right.
But for as bad as Holmes was early, he saved his outing, relatively speaking, over his final four innings. After a 38-pitch first inning, he needed just 49 pitches to get through the second through fifth.
After the Moniak homer, Holmes allowed just one more hit, one more walk and no strikeouts over his last four innings. At the time, it seemed that was just going to be a good thing for the preservation of the bullpen on the fourth day of a stretch which will see the Braves play on nine straight days.
But as the offense woke up, it wound up being critical that Holmes settled in to keep Atlanta’s dangerous offense in striking distance.
Anthony Molina, called up the major league roster on Friday, followed with two no-hit innings where he allowed just one walk.
After the Rockies had five hits and six runs in the opening one-plus inning, they managed just three hits the rest of the way.
Mind you, it wasn’t a particularly great game for the Braves offense either, which started slow and finished 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
But this team has shown time and time early again this season that it doesn’t need to play its best game to win.
That was certainly the case Friday night at Coors Field.
May 1, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
The Dodgers (20-12) failed to get their bats going in a 7-2 loss to the Cardinals (19-13) Friday night at Busch stadium in St. Louis. The L.A. bats didn’t muster much against the Marlins this week, including in Wednesday’s series finale. They got their first day off in two weeks, and a break was what we thought they needed.
Unfortunately the slumping offense continued for the Dodgers to sour the start of the road trip. The offense has only scored four runs the last three games. Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-5 with a strikeout, and his batting average has now dipped to .261 on the season. Overall, they went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
Small Mistakes add up in 3-Run First
Sheehan made 30 pitches and surrendered four base hits including a home run in a disastrous chain of events in the first inning. A throwing error by Smith and scoring balk called on Sheehan minutes after the fact added fuel to the fire before Gorman dealt the big blow.
With Nolan Gorman batting, Iván Herrera scored on a balk. The umpires convened for a seemingly long time, and they came back to call the balk to bring in the first run of the inning for St. Louis.
Miguel Rojas missed the tag on a pickoff attempt of Iván Herrera on second base. Will Smith’s throw sailed by Rojas into center field and allowed the runners to move to second and third with two outs for third baseman Nolan Gorman.
Then the big blow came. Nolan Gorman crushed a Sheehan four-seamer for a two-run home run to make it 3-0.
After Pages singled, Max Muncy doubled deep off the center field wall on an 0-2 Liberatore pitch to get the Dodgers on the board. Muncy now has 11 hits in his last 10 games.
Sheehan had a nice bounce back inning in the second and retired the side in order, but Alec Burleson took another two-strike pitch deep in the third for a solo home run to make it 4-1.
Smith and Teoscar Hernández opened the fourth inning with back-to-back singles, but the promising start quickly faded and ended in Pages who grounded into a double play.
Jordan Walker went 3-for-3 against Sheehan, doubling with two out in the bottom of the fifth to chase Sheehan from the game. Jake Dreyer came in and did his job to retire the dangerous Gorman and send the game to the sixth.
Smith’s ABS Success Expands with Challenge at the Plate
Smith has been effectively using ASB challenges behind the plate to nab strikes back this season, but he also won a challenge as a batter at the plate to give the Dodgers another opportunity with a runner in scoring position with the first walk of the night for the Dodgers.
A nine-pitch plate appearance by Hernandez brought up Tucker with the bases loaded and one out. The Dodgers doubled their score on a Tucker sac fly. It was also the final batter for Liberatore. Pages lined out to center against St. Louis reliever George Soriano to strand another two runners.
Walker picked up his fourth run of the game, a double off Alex Vesia in the bottom of the seventh. A throwing error on Hernandez allowed Walker to reach third. The Red Birds scored their third run of the inning against Edgardo Henriquez after a spicy Masyn Winn hit-by-pitch and scoring groundout.
Hyeseong Kim doubled with two outs in the top of the ninth to give Ohtani one more opportunity. The slumping slugger flied out to center field to end the game and seal the third consecutive loss for the Dodgers.
Roki Sasaki (1-2, 6.35 ERA, 1.81 WHIP) starts the second game of the series, coming off one of his best MLB starts so far (4:15 p.m.; FOX). Michael McGreevy (1-2, 2.97 ERA, 0.90 WHIP), the California native, starts for the Cardinals.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 12: Daniel Palencia #48 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on April 12, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Connor Noland put the I-Cubs in an early hole after he got battered around for five runs on six hits over four innings. He walked three and struck out one.
Daniel Palencia relieved Noland in the fifth inning. He struck out the first batter looking, then he gave up a single and then got a lineout to center field. Palencia was throwing 100 to 102 miles per hour to the first two batters and more like 98-101 to the third batter, Orlando Arcia. The St. Paul broadcasters said that the single that Kyler Fedko got off of a 101.6 mph fastball by Palencia was the fastest pitch that any Saint has gotten a hit off of in franchise history. Palencia threw 19 pitches before he was pulled, 14 of them were strikes.
Zac Leigh relieved Palencia in the fifth and got a ground out to second to get out of that inning. Then Leigh struck out the side in the sixth. Leigh got the win.
Gabe Klobosits came on in the ninth and allowed two baserunners on an error and a walk. But he retired the other three batters he faced, two by strikeout, to collect the save.
Center fielder Kevin Alcántara hit his International League-leading tenth home run to dead center field in the fifth inning with a man on. Alcántara added a two-run double in the seventh to give Iowa the lead. He was 2 for 4 with a walk and the four runs batted in.
First baseman Jonathon Long had a pair of doubles in a 3 for 5 night. Long scored once and drove one home.
Third baseman Pedro Ramírez was 2 for 5 and scored twice.
Starter Jake Knapp allowed just one unearned run on one hit over 4.1 innings. Knapp walked three, hit one batter and struck out four.
Tyler Ras relieved Knapp in the fifth and while he did allow an inherited runner to score and tie the game, he ended up getting the win after the Smokies scored two runs in the top of the sixth and re-took the lead. Ras’s final line was no runs on three hits over 1.2 innings. Ras struck out one and walked no one.
Right fielder Carter Trice opened the scoring with a solo home run in the third inning,. Trice was 1 for 5.
Left fielder Andy Garriola hit a solo home run in the sixth to break the 1-1 tie in the sixth inning. It was his fifth home run of the year. Garriola went 1 for 4.
DH Owen Ayers broke the game open with a three-run home run in the seventh inning. It was his second home run for the Smokies and eighth overall. Ayers was 1 for 5.
Center fielder Jordan Nwogu was 1 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored once.
Brooks Caple started and gave up no runs over the first three innings. Caple allowed three hits and three walks while striking out two.
Alfredo Romero relieved Caple and allowed just one run over his first three innings of work. But he came out to pitch the seventh and after retiring the first two batters, he walked the next two and then left for Jackson Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick let in both of those runners, so Romero got tagged with the loss.
The final line on Romero was three runs on just one hit over 3.2 innings. He did walk five batters and struck out just one.
Kirkpatrick officially allowed one run on one hit over 1.1 innings. He walked one, hit one batter and struck out three.
Center fielder Kane Kepley went 1 for 2 with two walks and an RBI.
Catcher Justin Stransky was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run batted in.
Mason McGwire continued his big start to the season by allowing just one run on one hit over four innings. McGwire struck out four and walked two.
After Riely Hunsaker got rocked for six runs, five earned, over the three middle innings, the Pelicans came back. Elis Jerzembeck threw the final two innings without allowing a run and got the win. Jerzembeck surrendered two hits and issued one walk. He struck out three.
Catcher Logan Poteet was the hero tonight. Not only did he hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning, he hit an RBI infield single in the bottom of the ninth to end the game. It was Poteet’s third home run this year. Poteet went 2 for 4 with a walk and the home run. He had two runs scored to go with the three RBI.
Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy was 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI single.
Third baseman Derniche Valdez went 2 for 4 and scored once.
Here is a three-run double for second baseman Alexis Hernandez (1 for 4) and an RBI single for Lumpuy.
An game-tying RBI triple for left fielder Jose Escobar.
