HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 7: Manager Mark Deosa of the United States stands for the national anthem before a World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Great Britain and the United States at Daikin Park on March 7, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
The baseball world is looking at Team USA manager Mark DeRosa with a raised eyebrow right now. His club lost to Italy on Tuesday night, 8-6, in their final game of pool play. Italy now leads Pool B with a 3-0 record, USA is second at 3-1, and Mexico is in third at 2-1. Italy and Mexico will play each other tonight at 7 p.m. ET with a berth in the knockout rounds on the line. Team USA needs some help if they are going to advance.
The top two teams advance from each pool. If Italy beats Mexico, then Italy would advance as the winners of the pool, and USA would advance as the runner up, regardless of the score. If Mexico wins, it all comes down to the tiebreaker, which is a calculation of number of runs allowed divided by number of outs recorded. You can read the exact tiebreaker rules on the WBC website. But in short, USA is going to be rooting for an Italy win outright OR a relatively high-scoring game in which Mexico plates at least five runs.
Appearing on MLB Network, DeRosa said “It’s weird. We want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals.”
Obviously, that was not true. What’s worse, it doesn’t sound like DeRosa was alone in his interpretation because he went on to say that “there’s some guys dragging today” due to the team’s prolonged celebration after beating Mexico on Monday. Clearly, the entire team thought that beating Mexico clinched them a spot in the next round, and they did not take Italy seriously.
It makes the entire team look incompetent, and it’s a stain on the World Baseball Classic as a whole. It will be made even worse if Mexico pulls off an entirely possible win over Italy while scoring four or fewer runs.
On the Orioles front, they lost 7-6 to the Astros. but Coby Mayo had himself a day! The third baseman went 4-for-4 with a home run and five RBI. He is going to be the team’s Opening Day third baseman, and it is well deserved. The pitching side of things was not as enjoyable, but none of the pitchers used are expected to part of the big league picture to begin 2026, so let’s not fret.
The O’s will host the Pirates today. First pitch is at 1 p.m. ET.
Orioles 1st base coach Jason Bourgeois on his experience: ‘I can relate’ | Baltimore Baseball We have a whole new coaching staff to get to know this year, well almost. Some of the old guard remained in place as Albernaz stepped in, but many others are fresh. That includes Bourgeois, who is hoping to connect with players that are standing right where he did a decade or so earlier.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Frank Mata turns 42 today. He pitched in 15 games for the 2010 Orioles, his only big league experience.
Rich Hill is 46 years old. The journeyman southpaw played for 14 different teams during his career. That included 14 games with the O’s way back in 2009.
Steve Reed is 61 today. A longtime reliever in MLB, Reed wrapped up his 14-season career in 2005 as a member of the Orioles bullpen.
Phil Bradley turns 67. He spent parts of two seasons with the Orioles from 1989-90, accumulating 3.6 bWAR and a 116 OPS+ in that time. The Orioles dealt him to the White Sox at the 1990 trade deadline in exchange for Ron Kittle
This day in O’s history
1991 – Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, attempting to make a comeback as a non-roster player in Orioles camp, gives up five hits and two runs over two innings against the Red Sox. The very next day he retires for the second time (he had originally retired in 1984), citing a hamstring injury.
Oct 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) reacts after the tenth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
At this point in two weeks, the Grapefruit League of 2026 will be but a memory. We usually wish these games are over as soon as possible, looking forward to the regular season commencing as quickly as possible, but the lingering question is hovering over baseball. Will these be the last spring training games we see for a while?
Free of charge for the discerning reader.Happy birthday, Rich Hill* and other stories.
Today in baseball history:
1901 – The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Baltimore OriolesmanagerJohn McGraw has signed a Cherokee Indian named “Tokohama” to play second base. In reality, Tokohama isn’t a Native American; he is an African-American whose actual name is Charlie Grant, who McGraw is trying to pass off as an Indian, but the ruse does not work. Baseball’s color line will prevent Grant from ever playing a game for the Orioles.
1957 – New York Representative Emanuel Celler, whose committee investigated baseball, calls Ford Frick a “czar” who wishes to “gag” officials; Frick had cautioned Major League Baseball owners about commenting on the recent Supreme Court decision on professional American football coming under antitrust rules.
1974 – CommissionerBowie Kuhn orders the Atlanta Braves to play Hank Aaron in at least two of the team’s season-opening three games in Cincinnati. The Braves had planned to bench Aaron on the road in order to increase his chances of hitting his record-breaking 715thhome run at home.
2018 – One of the few remaining first-rung free agents left unsigned, P Jake Arrieta, inks a three-year deal with the Phillies worth $75 million. Alex Cobb is now the last pitcher still looking for a team.
2021 – Major League Baseball announces that it will be testing out some potential rules changes when the minor league season gets under way. In Triple-A, the games will be played with bases 18 inches in length, instead of the usual 15, and made of a material that performs better in wet conditions, both in order to limit injuries; in Double-A, there will be limits on defensive shifts, forcing all infielders to be placed within the infield dirt boundary when play starts; in High-A, pitchers will be required to step off the mound to attempt a pick-off throw; in Low-A, they will be limited to two such throws per plate appearance, and there will also be either a 15-second pitch clock or a robot umpire to call balls and strikes, depending on the league. The objective is for some of these rule change to make their way to the major leagues if they prove successful, which will happen within two years (except for the robot umpire).
1669 – Mt Etna in Sicily erupts in its largest recorded eruption, killing 15,000.
1779 – US Army Corps of Engineers established (first time).
1824 – US War Department creates the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
1918 – US Army mess cook Private Albert Gitchell of Fort Riley, Kansas becomes the first documented case of Spanish flu; start of worldwide pandemic killing 50-100 million.
1941 – Bronko Nagurski beats Ray Steele in Minn, to become wrestling champ.
1958 – American B-47 accidentally drops unarmed nuclear bomb 15,000 ft on a family home in Mars Bluff, South Carolina; creates crater 75 ft across.
2020 – COVID-19 declared a pandemic by the head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, with 121,564 cases worldwide and 4,373 deaths.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 22: Bryan Reynolds #10 celebrates with Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates after scoring during the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on August 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Pirates fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Pittsburgh Pirates made some moves this offseason to address their offense. And at least so far this Spring, things are looking up in the hitting department. The Bucs sit at 12-5 in Spring Training play, and their 98 runs scored lead the Grapefruit League. What we want to know, is who do you think will the Pirates best hitter this season? Will it be one of their newcomers? Or will it be a veteran?
We thought about adding Konnor Griffin, but according to Ben Cherington, it doesn’t sound like they’re going to run him out there to start the season. So without a clear timeline on when to expect him, we left him off the list.
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 09: Matthew Liberatore #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on March 09, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last week I used creative accounting measures on the projections systems to come up with a scorching hot take taken from the end of days (of the hot stove season): the Cardinals could win over 80 games. I have predicted 85! Several players will outdo their best projections.
As winter is winding down and spring arises, the Cardinals have already illustrated several stories worth of baseball experiences. Two of the Cardinals best spring training hitters have already been sent out of camp, Josh Baez with 3 home runs (4 leads spring training currently) and Chase Davis with 2. Ok it’s a stretch to say Chase Davis is one of our best hitters, but a 113 wRC+ while being second in home runs on the team with Gorman is at least somewhat encouraging. I’m not saying that Chase has turned the corner into being a good player, just not to give up on the guy yet. Baez in particular, has looked superb, leaving spring training with a wRC+ just under 200. He did so well that many fans are mad that he isn’t in our starting outfield. Do you know who is hitting at a Baez level during spring training?
Yohel Pozo! Also barely under 200 wRC+, lol. Go Pozo! So with Baez gone, who is the Cardinals second best hitter for the rest of this spring training? It is exciting to say that JJ Wetherholt currently has a 184 wRC+! Hopefully his spring training success translates into regular season success. Similar to JJ, Nolan Gorman has 2 home runs… the similarity ends there because Gorman is batting below .200. Sigh. His OBP is definitely better, but not really passable. Are there any other bright spots on offense in Spring Training for the Cardinals? Nelson Velasquez and Alec Burleson are both over 150 wRC+! Prettayyy, prettayyyy, prettaaaayyyyy good.
The good stories don’t end there on the topic of spring training offense: Nathan Church is hitting at 137 wRC+. Does he somehow steal Victor Scott II’s starting center field job? Or is he playing himself into a starting corner position with Nootbaar still recovering? That outfield defense would be nearly impenetrable, or at least 2/3 of it.
After that it don’t look so good, with Gorman a below average hitter, Walker even worse, while Fermin and Scott II have been terrible. Blaze Jordan takes the crown of worst Spring Training position player though! Small sample size and whatnot. Who has the most plate appearances so far? Fermin and Jordan. But the Cardinals have given Gorman, Walker, Wetherholt, and Velasquez plenty of looks at the plate as well.
How about Church vs Victor Scott II? VSii only has two more plate appearances, so it could definitely be a competition for starting center fielder. Or maybe they will share a lot of time playing center.
Looking around MLB during spring training, Paul Goldschmidt has a fun batting line of 7 RBI and 2 HR in 14 AB. Konor Griffin has an .894 OPS and Matt McLain of Cincinnati is utterly destroying baseball. Ely de la Cruz is also hitting well this spring, which is good news so far for Reds fans, because those two will need to carry the team with Hunter Greene out. Or whoever ends up hitting better than McLain, heh.
Who are the St Louis Cardinal standouts pitching wise during spring training over halfway through? Matthew Liberatore, similar to his 2025 spring training, seems like a definitive ace. He has 14 K and a rather zen-like WHIP of 1.0. Quinn Mathews was a spring training success story, being close to the MLB lead in strikeouts at 12 (Liberatore is 2nd in MLB) while holding batters to a .185 BA. Perhaps Matthews could be a factor in the rotation this very season. Or maybe they’ll work him into the bullpen somehow as longman or 6th starter.
There are so many possibilities right now, it is rather uncanny. You know who else has been awesome: Kyle Leahy. He’s thrown 9 K and held batters to a .167 batting average! 3.67 xFIP. Pallante is also doing well, outside of his FIP numbers. And McGreevy? He’s doing just fine! 3.24 ERA and safe FIP numbers, while walking very few.
Success out of the bullpen? Yep. Stanek, O’Brien, Soriano, Naughton, Roycroft, Cijntje, Rajcic, Blewett, Svanson, Gastelum, all with a light’s out spring. May and Mautz both have looked really good as well, so far. Fitts throwing really hard, also encouraging.
Game Reviews with Statcast
March 10th: Jared Shuster and Austin Love got hit the hardest today, 2 Cardinal prospects I have never heard of. Yohel Pozo hit a ball the hardest on the Cardinals. Who is this guy? Blaze Jordan and… Victor Scott II? also hit scorchers on this date! 104.2 mph for Victor. Every once in a while he really gets into one. It was a double. Other Cardinals pitchers who got hit hard today? Matt Pushard and Packy Naughton. Who was dialing it up into the upper 90s for Cardinals pitchers? Riley O’Brien and Scott Blewett. Nelson Velazquez hit a home run for the Cardinals.
March 9th: Velasquez hit a 111.9 mph single on this date. Richard Fitts got hit hard by the Astros. Jordan Walker scorched a 109.8 mph single. Fitts was throwing 96.3 to 98.7 mph fastballs. In fact, Fitts threw 17 of the top 20 fastest pitches in this game. Max Rajcic had the highest spin rate for the Cards with his curve, while throwing a 95 mph 4 seam fastball.
March 8th: Pedro Pages hit a double really hard! 110.3 exit velocity! Another catcher of ours, Yohel Pozo, hit a 105.5 mph single. Ryne Stanek was throwing in the upper 90s, 98 to 99.5 mph 4 seam fastballs. Pallante peaked at a 95.9 mph sinker. The Marlins had several pitchers with high spin rates. This game was a low scoring tie with the Marlins.
March 7th: Mautz got hit hard a few times in this game but was able to mostly avoid damage. Riley O’Brien throwing in the upper 90s with a sinker. The spin rate on Kyle Leahy’s sweeper the best of the Cardinals pitchers. I’m so far really glad they stuck with the Kyle Leahy as a starter plan because both horizontal and vertical break on his sweeper has been very good and overall his mix of pitches seems to be working out.
Thanks for reading!
and now for the music…
1981
In 1981, the big time box office movies that I loved as a kid were Raiders of the Lost Ark, On Golden Pond, Superman II, and just cracking the top 10, Time Bandits. Saw all of those in the theater. Outside of the higher grossing movies, Excalibur was another good one. Werewolf movies were definitely “in” back in 1981, and American Werewolf in London and The Howling were my cool older sister’s favorites. Evil Dead was also released but I saw it years later, another classic!
In baseball, a minor league game went almost 8 and a half hours, the longest professional baseball game in history! It was the Rochester Redwings vs the Pawtucket Red Sox in Rhode Island. At the MLB level, there was a player’s strike from June 12 to July 31! This resulted in one of the only split seasons in baseball history. The champs in each division of the first half made it to the playoffs, as did all the champs in the second half of the season. Somehow, the Cardinals missed the playoffs despite having the best winning percentage at the end of the season. They finished in 2nd place during both halves. Especially aggravating was that during the 2nd half of 1981, the Cardinals finished 1/2 a game out of first place. And they were only 1 1/2 out during the first half of the season. The Phillies ended up winning the first half of 1981, and the Expos won the 2nd half.
The Dodgers ended up defeating the Yankees that year, so it was sort of anticlimactic. The bigger news was that Bob Gibson was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility! Fernando Valenzuela won both the Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award! Rollie Fingers one-upped him by winning the MVP and the Cy Young Award in the AL. Mike Schmidt was the NL MVP.
The Tribune bought the Cubs from the Wrigley family.
The first sampler made, the E-mu Emulator was released mid-1981, changing the music world with sampling capabilities. Stevie Wonder was given serial No. 1. High speed rail between Paris and Lyon, France, began.
Top Album Picks for 1981
We will all have our top albums for any given year, but I am hoping to uncover some undiscovered early 80’s gems. Some will be more well-known, but I found some obscure heavy metal releases to round out the end of the playlist.
#1 This Heat – ‘Deceit’ Even better than their first album, This Heat perfects their sound then pretty much disbands not long after. Super influential underground classic, inspiring experimental approaches to rock music, new alt punk sounds. Quoting this reviewer because he said it better than I can say myself, “James Joyce once said that “History is a nightmare from which we are trying to awaken” and this album is a graphic evocation of that nightmare.“”
#2 King Crimson – ‘Discipline’ King Crimson reinvent themselves and prog rock in the process by bringing in Adrien Belew to be frontman, another guitar virtuoso to complement Robert Fripp’s complex guitar lines, plus Frippertronics pushing the envelope of music performance push this instant prog rock classic over the top.
#3 Rush – ‘Moving Pictures’ it was tough to decide between KC and Rush here, especially with the epic huge guitar and bass on this album, the musicianship every bit as good but with more synthesizers. Neil Peart’s drumming is at its most musical and subtle here as he drives this music ship into alternate dimensions and parallel futures.
#4 Eskaton – ‘4 Visions’ how do you top the epic bass playing on Discipline and Moving Pictures? Listen to this! A totally surreal, beautiful dream of an album. Speaking of parallel dimensions, I think this is from one. Beautiful vocals soar above it all, singing their own language. More Zeuhl mastery, for fans of Magma.
#5 Dün – ‘Eros’ this is one of my big unheard of finds this week! For fans of Magma and Eskaton or mad prog rock. Fantastic sounding album!
#6 Brian Eno and David Byrne – ‘My Life in the Bush of Ghosts’ my favorite thing that either Brian Eno or David Byrne did! A masterclass in sampling to the point where you don’t even realize what’s happening, you’re just floating in a sea of sounds as well as music genres and it just keeps changing. I have been very into this album since reading ‘Ocean of Sound’ by David Toop.
#7 Glenn Branca – ‘The Ascension’ is this huge sounding, incredibly recorded album of beautifully epic guitar sounds and occasionally drums. 20th century classical music in guitar form. For fans of drone, ambient, experimental punk, avant garde, art rock.
#8 Gang of Four – ‘Solid Gold’ super catchy way ahead of its time punk you just have to hear it. Genius heady party music.
#9 Fred Frith – ‘Speechless’ another big find, if you love guitarists on the more creative side of things, this is for you! The variety of cool songs here is highly impressive.
#10 Takeo Moriyama – ‘Smile’ I feel a little guilty placing this absolutely stunning jazz masterpiece this low, but it was a reallllyyyyyy good year for music.
#11 Eider Stellaire – ‘Eider Stellaire’ another top tier Zeuhl album, 1981 was the year of Zeuhl masterpieces!
#12 Frank Zappa – ‘You Are What You Is’ acerbic comedy music with tons of relatable content to today’s world, but written 45 years ago! Including hits like “Drafted Again”! “Dumb All Over” is my favorite song though. Zappa shows off both his advanced prog side and his unforgiving observational “comedy” which for me at times is a bit cringe but overall, this album is an important chapter in rock music.
#13 Chick Corea – ‘The Three Quartets’ Chick Corea: piano; Eddie Gómez: bass; Steve Gadd: drums; Michael Brecker: saxophone. Perhaps my favorite Chick Corea album.
#14 Hawkwind – ‘Sonic Attack’ one of my favorite Hawkwind albums and now we are getting into the truly epicly cheesy album covers too! This is where it gets fun.
#15 Prince – ‘Controversy’ Prince really hits his stride here and his production job on this 1981 album is so good! Perhaps his most underrated album.
#17 Holocaust – ‘The Nightcomers’ if you’re a fan of early Metallica, you have to hear this!
#18 Riot – ‘Fire Down Under’ omfg that album cover! The music rules too, super tight Australian metal.
#19 Venom – ‘Welcome To Hell’ how this album sounds was super influential to early metal in its most extreme forms. Another one for fans of early Metallica, but even more for fans of early Slayer! Included because it was freakin’ 1981.
#20 Gaskin – ‘End of the World’ that album cover is ridiculous. But the music is ridiculously awesome and the bassist is mixed super loud for a metal album. Unique stuff.
Oct 2, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (38) hits a double in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 27: Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees works out during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 27, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Oh, Anthony Volpe. Once one of the most promising position player prospects the Yankees have produced in recent years, and a feel-good story of the local kid making the team out of spring training back in 2023, Volpe’s penchant for long periods of futility has turned him into one of the most polarizing players on the roster. Hell, it might not even be fair to call Volpe polarizing, as it’s hard to find many members of the fanbase that aren’t fed up with his production as the starting shortstop at this point.
And yet, in spite of it all, it still sounds as though that the starting job is Volpe’s once he’s able to return this season. Odds are, he’ll get another chance to establish himself as a big-league caliber hitter. Since all signs point to another run with Volpe at short, what are the odds of a significant bounce back?
I use the word significant here because I think most reasonable observers would allow that some bounce back should be expected from Volpe, if only because he was so bad for so long in 2025 that at least a tiny improvement seems inevitable. But what about a real improvement, one that brings the Yankees closer to contending thanks to the emergence of an average-or better-player at shortstop in the form of a healthy Volpe?
I’m sure the gut reaction for some will be simple: no chance. But let’s be optimists for a moment. Perhaps the most frustrating part of Volpe’s 2025 campaign was revealed after the season, as it came out that the infielder had played through a torn labrum that needed to be surgically repaired. Volpe injured his shoulder in early May, and before that injury, he was playing some of the best baseball of his career. He was slashing .239/.333/.453 and looked about as good on defense in April as he did during his first two seasons, putting him on pace for a career year in the early going.
Of course, Volpe got hurt, and looked like one of the worst regular starters in the bigs for a solid four-month stretch, posting a .628 OPS from May 3rd until the end of the season while playing sloppy defense. So, the question of whether a notable rebound lurks comes down in large part to whether you believe that better health will lead to much improved form from Volpe. It’s easy to argue that a shoulder ailment serious enough to warrant surgery after the season was a major factor in Volpe’s struggles, but Volpe himself has downplayed the impact the injury had, and one could point out that the injury was to his non-throwing shoulder for evidence that his defensive regression wasn’t health related.
If I had to guess, my bet is that a return to health will help Volpe return to something resembling his 2023/2024 performance, but that that won’t be enough to assuage the concerns so many fans and analysts have about his present and future as a player. What do you think? Is there a fair chance of a real bounce back from Volpe? Or will the Yankees still just be spinning their wheels with their former top prospect?
Today on the site, John will recap Tuesday night’s WBC action, and Michael will preview Austin Wells’ upcoming campaign. Later, Maximo will look at the Cincinnati Reds as part of our 2026 MLB Preview, and John will deliver the latest Making the Team Meter, taking a look at how the Yankees’ few positional battles are playing out so far. Also, Matt wishes a Happy Birthday to a player who had a great, short run in New York, Bobby Abreu.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cardinals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
For the Arizona Cardinals, in year four of the Monti Ossenfort era, with his second head coach, the question becomes how much faith do you have in the Arizona Cardinals GM?
That’s what we want to know heading into today, are you confident in Monti Ossenfort in year four of his tenure as the Cardinals general manager, and what level of confidence do you have?
We know some of the moves that should become official this afternoon for the Arizona Cardinals, but in three free agency periods and three drafts there has not been a whole lot to show for it.
So, will year four be the one that yields some better results for the team and individual players?
Or is the 2026 season going to be the third time in four years the Arizona Cardinals finish at the bottom of the league?
The 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics had plenty of upsets and surprises, but Tuesday night’s World Baseball Classic action might have produced the most shocking international result of 2026.
And Team USA was on the wrong side of it.
The Americans were stunned by Team Italy, 8-6, in a game in which they never led, played sloppily and failed to find the big hit.
Nolan McLean reacts after pitching against Team Italy in the first inning of Team USA’ 8-6 loss to Italy during the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park on March 10, 2026 in Houston. Getty Images
After the game U.S. manager Mark DeRosa fielded questions about whether he thought his team had already secured a spot in the quarterfinals with Monday night’s win over Mexico because of his comments on a television appearance Tuesday morning.
In that interview he said: “Ton of respect for Italy — it’s weird — we want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals because Mexico plays Italy actually tomorrow. So, the way the schedule lines up this is an important game for us.”
In the interview room he said he “misspoke” in that segment and in a later interview outside the clubhouse he reiterated that he did not think they had already clinched a spot.
Mets hurler Nolan McLean got the start for the U.S., and after a dominant first inning where he struck out the side, allowed two home runs in the second to put the Americans in an early 3-0 hole.
Yankees lefty Ryan Yarbrough didn’t provide any relief, yielding a two-run blast to Jac Caglianone in the fourth.
Jac Caglianone of Team Italy celebrates with Kyle Teel after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning of their upset win over Team USA during the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park on March 10, 2026 in Houston. MLB Photos via Getty Images
Things completely unraveled two innings later when reliever Brad Keller turned a possible double-play ball into a run-scoring error when he threw wildly to second base. The Italians then tacked on two more in the inning with a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to take an 8-0 lead after the first five and a half innings.
Gunnar Henderson (a solo shot) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (three-run homer) went deep in the sixth and seventh before Roman Anthony delivered a run-scoring single in the eighth.
But Bryce Harper, who came up as a pinch-hitter for Paul Goldschmidt and represented the tying run, flied out to left field to strand runners on the corners in the eighth.
Crow-Armstrong went hit a second homer, a solo blast, in the ninth, but the U.S. couldn’t pull any further.
Sam Antonacci of Team Italy slides safely into second base as the ball gets past Bobby Witt Jr. during the sixth inning of their upset win over Team USA. Getty Images
Captain Aaron Judge, up with a runner on and two outs, struck out swinging to end the game.
Judge said he is disappointed that the team failed to take care of business against Italy.
“It’s the toughest thing,” he said. “You always like having your destiny in your own hands and we had it right in front of us and Italy came out swinging.”
Judge added that the team will probably gather at the hotel to watch Wednesday’s game.
“It’s out of our control now,” he said. “We just need a little luck and we’ll see what happens.”
Mar 4, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; New York Yankees catcher Payton Henry (79) congratulates pitcher Luis Gil (81) after the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: After winning the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2024, Luis Gil’s 2025 season was not what he wanted. Limited to just 11 starts last year due to injury, Gil’s looking forward to 2026 and so far the early returns of spring have been encouraging. Hoch also has some notes about Jasson Domínguez working to improve his hitting from the right side and the competition for the final spot on the bench with the rest of it mostly figured out.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: With a lot of hype surrounding the World Baseball Classic, it’s easy for players who aren’t participating to get some FOMO. Max Fried, recently announced as the Yankees’ Opening Day starter, spoke on this adding that anyone would want to play that type of competitive baseball, but he passed on the opportunity because he felt he wouldn’t be able to properly build up to that level of competition for March.
New York Post | Dan Kelly: A day after the news broke that Spencer Jones would start the year with Triple-A Scranton, he clobbered his fourth home run of the spring. Barring any significant injuries on the depth chart ahead of him, there was always almost no chance of him breaking camp with the big league club. Still though, his success this spring has given Jones a boost of confidence and he knows his task is not to focus on what he can’t control, but to focus on what he can. He wants to build off his breakout last year and work on being consistent.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: Speaking of the last bench spot, Randal Grichuk took some time to discuss his disappointing 2025 season which saw him garner almost no attention as a free agent. Supposedly the Yankees had initially offered him a major league contract towards the beginning of free agency, but he opted to see what his options were, and the Yankees went on to re-sign Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger, which left him settling for a minor league deal with the club. He seems to think his down year was just a fluke and that he still hit the ball hard. He feels confident in having a path to that last bench spot with the team and definitely feels like he can be a contributor.
Observations from Mets spring training on Tuesday:
Bombs away
Francisco Alvarez launched a 439-foot homer to center field for the Mets in their 6-1 exhibition victory over the Cardinals at Clover Park.
The blast was Alvarez’s first this spring.
Slow spring
Marcus Semien went 0-for-3 and is hitting .190 in the Grapefruit League.
Marcus Semien, hitting earlier in the spring, went 0-for-3 in the Mets’ 6-1 spring training win over the Cardinals on March 10, 2026. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
The veteran second baseman has been batting leadoff in Francisco Lindor’s absence.
Caught my eye
Semien won an ABS challenge, getting a strike overturned to a ball. Alvarez and David Peterson both lost challenges attempting to get a ball overturned to a strike.
Wednesday’s schedule
The Mets have an off-day and resume the Grapefruit League season Thursday against the Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla.
Observations from Yankees spring training on Tuesday:
Four scoreless
Paul Blackburn is back with the Yankees after a rough 2025 split between The Bronx and Queens, and he said he is in a better spot physically than a year ago.
Paul Blackburn, throwing a pitch during an earlier spring training outing, threw four shutout innings in the Yankees’ 4-2 exhibition win over the Phillies on March 10, 2026. AP
Up for a multi-inning job, the right-hander threw four shutout innings against the Phillies.
Up and down
Luis Gil’s velocity ticked up from his past spring starts.
His four-seamer, which averaged 96.6 mph in his Rookie of the Year season of 2024 and dropped to 95.3 mph in a less effective 2025 campaign, averaged 95.5 mph Tuesday, his fourth start of the spring.
“You feel that you keep getting better and stronger and sharper,” Gil said through an interpreter after the 62-pitch, 3 ¹/₃-inning outing.
New York Yankees catcher Payton Henry (79) congratulates pitcher Luis Gil (81) after the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Caught my eye
Garrett Martin, a 25-year-old outfielder who finished last season with Double-A Somerset, smashed a 110 mph single in the top of the ninth.
Wednesday’s schedule
Cam Schlittler will take the mound against the Blue Jays at Steinbrenner Field at 6:35 p.m.
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 07: Seiya Suzuki #51 of Team Japan hits a solo home run in the third inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between South Korea and Japan at Tokyo Dome on March 7, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the coolest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us. You’re always welcome here. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked you what kind of a 2026 season you expect out of Shōta Imanaga. A majority of you are optimistic as 60 percent expect something more like his 2024 season and 40 percent think it will be more like his 2025 season.
On Tuesday nights, I don’t normally write about movies. But I always have time for jazz, so let’s get right to it. You can skip ahead if you want.
Here’s a new one from Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana from her brand new album Filin. Joining Aldana is Gonzalo Rubalcaba on piano, Peter Washington on bass and Kush Abadey on drums. This is “La Sentencia.”
This is a good one to relax to at the end of the day with a martini in hand.
Welcome back to everyone who skips all that jazz.
Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki is off to a strong start in the World Baseball Classic. So far, he’s 3 for 9 with two home runs, five walks and just one strikeout. He admittedly hasn’t faced the toughest pitching in the world, but it does seem like he’s locked in right now.
So that’s one reason for optimism on Suzuki. Another one is the introduction of the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system. I can’t tell you if it’s true or not, but it is a general belief among Cubs fans that Suzuki has been the victim of far more than his fair share of bad strike calls. If he’s able to turn some of those strikes into balls, not only will he draw more walks, but he’ll get another chance to swing the bat. Some of those swings might be home runs.
Over his four seasons in MLB, Suzuki has hit:
2021: 14 HR in 446 plate appearances (3.1 HR percentage)
2022: 20 HR in 583 PA (3.4 HR%)
2023: 21 in 585 PA (3.6 HR%)
2024: 32 in 651 (4.9 HR%)
So Suzuki has improved every year in Chicago and he took a big leap forward last year. He had a much higher home run-to-fly ball ratio last year which might indicate that the power surge was just luck, except that he also had a massive increase in pull rate. Suzuki pulled the ball at a 41.7 percent rate last year as opposed to 33.7 percent in 2024.
So tonight’s question is how many home runs do you think that Suzuki will hit in 2026? Will he give back some of those gains he made last year? Maybe he’ll take advantage of the ABS system and build on his power. Or maybe he’ll just stay where he was in 2025, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Of course, there’s always the chance he gets injured and then he could be just as good as last year but still hit far fewer home runs.
So predict how many home runs Seiya Suzuki will hit in 2026?
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Korey Lee tanked a three-run homer in Chicago’s loss to the A’s. | (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
It was another high-scoring affair for the White Sox (11-8), who broke up their win streak by dropping Tuesday’s matchup against the Athletics (8-10), 11-7. Each team played 18 position players and seven pitchers, and despite exchanging the lead back-and-forth for most of the game, the A’s were able to out-hit the South Siders 16-10, and the Sox beat themselves by committing three errors.
Shane Smith was on the mound and struggled through his 2 2/3 innings, walking four batters against two strikeouts, and two of the five hits he allowed were home runs. In 7 1/3 innings this spring, Smith’s ERA and WHIP have inflated to 9.82 and 2.05, respectively. Shane, unfortunately, also accounted for one of the errors on a pickoff to first, which led to two runs scoring on the next batter as Brent Rooker ripped a double to drive in two of his three RBIs. Smith would, however, end up actually picking off a batter in the second inning.
The bullpen didn’t fare much better. Garrett Schoenle, Mark McLaughlin, and Grant Taylor each blew a save, and the Good Guys surrendered five more runs after Smith’s exit. McLaughlin allowed one run while Taylor let two more in, and ultimately earned the loss.
Lefthander — and typically starting pitcher — Hagen Smith came in for the bottom of the eighth though he, too, wasn’t on his A-game, and he allowed two runs on three hits while striking out one before being yanked with two outs. Swapping out lefty for lefty, Rylan Kaufman re-entered the game to get the final out of the inning. Due to the pitching staff floundering throughout the game, the South Siders were hoping their offense could complete the comeback one last time. Spoiler alert, they didn’t.
Offensively, they had two three-run innings in the first and the third, but the A’s kept clawing back. Four of the 10 White Sox hits were for extra bases, including doubles from Lenyn Sosa, Miguel Vargas, and Ryan Galanie, with the fourth being a three-run bomb from Korey Lee that gave the lead back to the South Siders. Even with 10 hits and seven runs, only Vargas and Luisangel Acuña had multi-hit days, and the Good Guys went 4-for-14 (.286) with runners in scoring position and left another nine on base as a team.
Still holding a winning record in Spring Training, the White Sox will head back home to Camelback Ranch on Wednesday to take on the Los Angeles Angels. Southpaw Anthony Kay will make his fourth start and has been solid so far in Cactus League play, holding a 2.35 ERA.
Colorado Rockies 2026 Hype Video | Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies dropped their 2026 pre-season hype video on Monday morning.
Take a look:
I know it’s only 30 seconds, but there’s a lot going on here (in addition to the gorgeous shots of the Colorado mountains), and it’s worthwhile to sort through what the Rockies are telling fans about the coming season.
(Look, I’m an English major who really enjoys textual analysis.)
But before going into where the Rockies are now, think back to their last attempt to brand a rebuild, “Generation R.”
Here’s how Eddie Pells described it back in 2005: “If things go as planned this season, ‘Gen R’ as the new group of Rockies is being touted on billboards and newspaper ads around Denver will be scrappy, exciting and fun. And as most baseball fans know, ‘scrappy, exciting and fun’ is often the nice way of saying ‘not very good.’”
The advertising campaign met with some skepticism, even though the Rockies would be in the World Series two years later. But that initial resistance contributed to Dick Monfort’s unwillingness to call the last five years a rebuild.
But it’s a new day at 20th and Blake, and this front office is centering it.
The words
Here’s a transcript of Mike Casey’s narration:
Every climb has a beginning, a commitment to the hard work ahead and a belief that every step matters.
Success doesn’t happen overnight, but progress happens every day.
This is the start of our climb with our team, baseball at altitude here for the climb.
Begin by considering the central metaphor: a climb, which is a fitting image for a number of reasons.
First, it’s appropriate because this video promotes a team called “The Rockies,” which has mountains in its logo, and the mountains are a great place for a climb. Second, the outdoors is central to Colorado’s identity, and if you’ve ever taken a hike, you know it requires work, preparation, and determination. Third, a climb ties in to the mythic symbolism of a journey. This is the beginning of getting to another place — and learning some things along the way.
The words also urge fans to be patient: “Success doesn’t happen over night, but progress happens every day.” Plus, it’s a theme consistent with pretty much every interview we’ve conducted with the Rockies coaching and front office staff. All of them stress the need for players to put in the work and keep improving.
Now look at the third line: It’s our team and our journey.
In other words, the players and front office aren’t the only ones on this journey. Fans are participants, too, and part of the team. Plus, “our team” differentiates the 2026 Rockies from the ones that have gone before (and all that losing). As fans, you and I are participants in what’s next.
And then there’s the reference to “baseball at altitude,” which calls attention to the real challenge that has attracted president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes to Colorado: They want to see if they can figure out baseball at altitude.1
The narrator then returns to the central metaphor of the climb/journey.
It works.
I don’t know much about music theory, but I know someone who does: Sam Bradfield, who was a music teacher in a former life. Here’s her analysis:
The music begins with a lone guitar, but the score gains intensity as the clip moves on and more instruments are added the mix. It uses the same three notes as a repeating ostinato, but the second time the first note is used, there is added emphasis (think: 1-4-5-1). Additionally, the notes they use are “perfect” intervals (fourths and fifths in music), which just means they would stay the same whether the score was in a major or minor key — nothing will change as long as you stay the course.
The ostinato sequences up in pitch briefly in the middle, but returns to “home base” one repetition later. Additionally — and most interestingly — the final repetition builds but doesn’t resolve (1-4-5-1-4-5) before the final beat cuts it off. To me, that signifies that the journey isn’t over, it’s just starting.
And finally, the orchestration is simple: guitar, percussion, and some light strings. While this is a “climbing” metaphor, it doesn’t feature soaring horns and sweeping strings. It keeps to its western roots, while still pushing us to start “the climb.”
The best music always reinforces the theme of a text, and you see that at work here.
The images
The graphics are very Colorado-centric, and they harken back not only to the Colorado outdoors but also to the Rockies City Connect uniforms, which symbolize Colorado sunsets.
Initially, the screen shows someone reading a map (just as DePodesta et al have begun mapping out how to build a winning team in Denver). Then there are shots of trees and snow and the trail. The climber laces up their shoes and pulls on a backpack over a black Colorado Rockies jersey.
They’re getting ready.
After that, the camera intersperses clips of Rockies players: Hunter Goodman holds a bat and wears purple pinstripes; Kyle Freeland looks up at the camera; and Ezequiel Tovar strikes a pose in his City Connects.
Clips are also inserted of unidentified players wearing Rockies gear.
And the video closes with this:
The trail is in the background, waiting for the viewer (and the team) to take the next steps and enter the scene while the purple logo appears on the screen: BASEBALL AT ALTITUDE: HERE FOR THE CLIMB.
The Colorado Rockies logo, which, of course, includes mountains, is superimposed on CLIMB linking the two ideas together: the team and the journey. It’s not just about rebuilding; it’s about rebuilding and solving the puzzle that is baseball at elevation.
Too, it’s an invitation for fans: Come with us. This journey won’t be for everyone because it’s going to be hard work, and it’s going to take time.
But we think you — like the team the Rockies are building — are up for the task.
Well done, atRockies.
I’m in.
1 The correct term would be “elevation,” not altitude. I suspect the Rockies went with “altitude” because it’s closer to “attitude,” and it’s a common usage error.
