Former Angels great Garret Anderson passed away on Friday at age 53. Anderson holds several career records for the Angels and was a three-time All-Star. Our condolences go out to his family, friends, former teammates and the Angels organization.
Brittany Ghiroli gets reaction to the record sale from around MLB, (The Athletic sub. req.) including how it is going to be tough for MLB owners to cry poverty in the upcoming collective bargaining talks after this sale price for a non-major market team.
One thing the Rockies are doing this year is “suggesting” pitches from the dugout. (The Athletic sub. req.) The Marlins are outright calling pitches from the dugout, but the Rockies are taking a softer stance to the same thing, saying that their pitchers and catchers are free to ignore the suggestions. But they say they mostly don’t.
Bryan Horowitz reports on the band Korn sending Miller a whole bunch of swag and inviting him to a concert after they found out that their song “Blind” was Miller’s walk-out music. Of course, the Padres picked the song for Miller since he was born after the song was popular, but he still appreciates it.
Casey Drottar reports that Taiwanese fans continue to support Guardians minor league outfielder Stuart Fairchild after he played for Chinese Taipei in the WBC. Fairchild has never been to Taiwan, but he hopes to go this upcoming offseason and he wants to take his mother, who left the island for America when she was 12 and hasn’t been back.
Only in @milb do you have someone in the front office with a perfect Mickey Mouse impression to announce our Mickey Mouse Night starting lineup 🐭 pic.twitter.com/iZAbqh22tB
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 17: Warming Bernabel #25, Juan Mejia #47 and Ezequiel Tovar #14 of the Colorado Rockies celebrate after winning the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Sunday, August 17, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
For most folks, the start of their career means the end of school. It doesn’t matter if you work in finance, healthcare, the arts or athletics. However, that is not the case for all athletes. The Colorado Rockies provide continuing player education, helping their Latino players learn English language and get acquainted with US culture.
It’s an essential part of player development for future Rockies who are not from the United States. After all, learning a new language and becoming comfortable with a new culture provide off-the-field challenges, and all of this happens while players are continuing to develop their baseball skills.
In this multi-part series, I will be taking you behind the scenes of the Rockies Cultural Education & Development Program.
First up, how it came about.
A brief history of the program
The Rockies Cultural Education & Development Program was first established in 2012 by Josh Rosenthal – brother of former Rockies assistant general manager, Zack Rosenthal. Josh was a former Peace Corps volunteer and felt the need for the players to do more than be able to speak English. He pitched the program to Vice President of International Operations Rolando Fernández, and the rest is history.
Within the year, they hired Angel Amparo – a former systems and structural engineer – as the Cultural Education & Development Coordinator.
“We pretty much started from scratch with this,” Amparo said. “We were like, ‘What do you want this to look like?’ So we decided on a curriculum in terms of what we needed and a syllabus that we thought was beneficial for our players. This was with a lot of feedback from the coaches, the player development staff and the front office. So we wrote this – I don’t think we knew what we were doing for the first couple of years. They were pretty touch and go, learning and trial by error. But as the years went by and we got more into it… I was focused primarily on just the kids in the Dominican Republic, and Josh could focus on the kids in the States.”
After eight years, Rosenthal left the Rockies organization, and Amparo and a team of four teachers have continued to administer the program from the Dominican Summer League all the way through Double-A:
Julio Medina – Lead Teacher (Dominican Summer League)
Steven Baumann – English Teacher (Arizona Complex League)
Dr. Yulonn Harris – English Teacher (Fresno & Hartford)
Paul Worley – English Teacher (Spokane)
The Rockies originally had a formal program for players in Triple-A and the major leagues, but found it to be challenging due to the constant roster turnover.
“I still communicate with them and we still do a lot of virtual teaching,” Amparo said. “We still offer them any type of English language learning programs that we use and they have access to it. But since they’re at that level and they’re older and more mature – not that we’re babysitting them – we give them the option. We want to tailor to what [they] need.
“So what I do with the Triple-A and major league kids is ask ‘What do you want? What would help you this season?’ And based on what they tell me in their feedback, I design something specific for them that can help them.”
Teacher hiring process
The interview process for teachers is extensive.
“I look for someone who has some experience with either inquiry-based learning, project-based learning or Socratic teaching,” Amparo said. “Knowledge of baseball isn’t a game changer. It’s nice if they have it, but Yulonn (Harris) didn’t know anything about baseball when she was first hired, but she was so qualified and she’s learned so much over the years about the team. I look for unorthodox-type teachers, very outside-the-box teachers.
“I have them create a lesson plan for me, and then I have them do a mock class with their affiliate,” Amparo continued. “I’ll be there and I want to observe. And based on that, I make my decisions. But I’m picky. When I hired Steven (Baumann), we interviewed 74 candidates. And I ask the players who they like afterwards because obviously they work together for the whole season, or multiple seasons, so I want to make sure they have a good connection with this person.”
Term structure
Classes are provided to all signed Latin players, approximately 120-140 players per season. Classes are offered in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual components for the duration of the season, starting in April and running until September. In the DSL, players take classes every day from 4-7 pm after their morning games. Once players get stateside, the teachers are given more flexibility based on game schedules, but they are still required to meet at least three times per week with two days of asynchronous content. Additionally, the DSL teachers hold office hours for 30 minutes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
In addition to their own internal team, the Rockies also collaborate with other teams across Major League Baseball.
“We have monthly meetings with MLB and all of the other education coordinators,” Amparo said. “We have Zoom meetings, and we always get together at the Winter Meetings as well. I have my little clique with the Twins, the Phillies, the Guardians, the Marlins and the Orioles, so we always get together monthly and we meet at one of our academies. We just brainstorm some ideas because the whole purpose of this is to build better men.”
The main focus of the department is its structured curriculum and syllabus for English-language acquisition through intentional, progressive lessons that are tailored to the realities of a career in professional baseball. There is a standard curriculum, but the teachers are given autonomy to change things as long as it’s beneficial to the players.
“We collaborate on it,” Amparo said. “We have our Rockies Evaluation Matrix with these ‘can do’ statements for different levels. It goes from white, which is rookie, to purple, which is more advanced. So even though we have this as a guideline, I give them the autonomy on lesson plans and projects. One thing that I encourage for the affiliates is to do more interactions with the media and talking with more native speakers. In Arizona, we’ve done presentations to local high schools there. We meet monthly and [the teachers] always come to me with a project or idea that they want to do and as long as it aligns with our matrix of what we’re trying to do, I give them autonomy to do it.”
Other lessons the Rockies have implemented include a spelling bee competition, an egg drop competition, play-by-play commentary, mock commercials, and chess tournaments. Additionally, the players take workshops on financial literacy, contract negotiations and general communications. They also learn vocational skills such as graphic design and PC repair.
Closing thoughts
The Rockies were ahead of the game when it came to helping their Latino players acclimate to working, living, and playing baseball in the United States.
Next week, I’ll discuss the intricacies of the curriculum itself.
Just like the big league club, the Triple-A Rockies beat the Triple-A Dodgers. And while the Rockies made things close at the end, the Isotopes jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back, including a six-run seventh. They scored in every inning except for the second and eighth, and there was scoring by at least one team in every inning. Every single Isotopes starter had at least one hit except for Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP), but he went 0-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and two strikeouts. Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP) was the belle of the ball, going 4-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Adael Amador, Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) and Braxton Fulford each had three hits, and Blaine Crim had two.
On the pitching side, starter Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP) tossed five innings and allowed three runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
Double-A: CANCELLED: Hartford Yard Goats vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels
Sunday’s Yard Goats game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants) was cancelled due to inclement weather and will not be rescheduled since Richmond doesn’t return to Hartford this season. The Yard Goats will begin a six-game road trip to Portland, Maine against the Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) on Tuesday.
The Indians struggled against the Canadians again on Sunday afternoon. The pitching staff performed well, with starter Brody Brecht (No. 3 PuRP) throwing three innings without allowing a hit nor a run while walking two and striking out five. Nathan Blasick pitched 0.2 scoreless innings with two hits, a walk and two strikeouts, but Stu Flesland III struggled in his 3.1 innings of work. The left-hander allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Lefty Justin Loer came in for the final two innings, and allowed two more runs on a home run with two hits and a strikeout.
On the hitting side, only three prospects recorded hits: LF Jacob Humphrey (2-for-4, R, BB), SS Kelvin Hidalgo (3-for-4, RBI, K) and 3B Jacob Hinderleider (1-for-4, R, RBI, K).
While the Triple-A Rockies piled it on the Triple-A Rockies, unfortunately the Single-A Rockies were piled on by the Single-A Dodgers. On the pitching side, the only pitcher to have a clean outing was RHP Manuel Olivares, who allowed two hits with a strikeout in just 0.1 innings of work. Of the six pitchers used, LHP Brady Parker got the worst of it — allowing six runs on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Interestingly, he was one of three that didn’t allow a home run, but was still saddled with the loss.
On the hitting side, Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP), Derek Bernard and Tanner Thatch each recorded two hits. Jeremy Ciriasco recorded one, but the rest of the lineup was silent. That said, they only racked up nine strikeouts as a team.
Ahead of the Rockies game on Saturday, 100-year-old Momoyo Nakamoto Kelley was in attendance and was able to meet her favorite Japanese players — Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tomoyuki Sugano — and Dave Roberts, who was born in Japan. After surviving the atomic bomb at 19, Kelley and her husband emigrated to the US in the 1950’s and now reside in Salt Lake City.
The Rockies have been tinkering with their pitching strategy. Thomas Harding specifically cites Chase Dollander, Antonio Senzatela and Zach Agnos as positive developments in the bullpen, as the Rockies attempt to not burn it out too early in the season.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: A general view of the New York Yankees playing against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
It’s a new week of San Francisco Giants baseball, so let’s take a look at what’s on deck for the week.
The Giants are off today, but they’re heading back home to Oracle Park for both series this week.
First up, the Los Angeles Dodgers are coming to town tomorrow for a three-game series. After that, it will be a three-game series against the Miami Marlins over the weekend.
Any other week, I would pick the Dodgers series as the one I am most interested in for the week. But I’m actually going to be attending a game this weekend, so I’m going to have to say the Marlins series. Not only because I will be in attendance, but because they might actually stand a chance of winning some of those. Maybe. The Marlins are fairly good so far this year. But I’ll take them over the Dodgers, I guess.
Which series are you most interested in this week?
Apr 19, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder Starling Marte (0) reacts after being hit by a pitch during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Right now, it seems Kansas City can’t get out of its own way. It’s playing out on the field and off it. Winning is going to relieve the tightened grip the Royals have on the bats they swing and the pitches they throw.
But they know they’ve got to execute.
“Everybody’s frustrated,” Quatraro said. “Nobody wants to have a start like this. But it is early, mid-April, and we play better baseball, that’s what’s in our control. If we’re able to do that, we’ll dig ourselves out. There’s way too much talent in there. There’s way too many high-character guys in there.”
“Little confused,” Perez said of Quatraro’s pregame comment. “It’s a little confused, you know, not the right communication. … I’m good. My family is good. Everybody is good. I got reached out by a lot of people yesterday after the game. They sent me what Q said. I don’t have any problem with Q. We talked today.
“I know people are surprised I didn’t play yesterday, but everybody has an off day in the big leagues. You know, it’s kind of hard to play 162 games, especially behind the home plate.”
Perez continued: “Everything is fine. He didn’t mean to say that. People understood that in the wrong way. That’s the easy way. Social media, you guys know how it is. It’s kind of crazy sometimes. He didn’t mean to say that I need a mental breather. He knows me, you guys know me. I like to be in the lineup every day. And I like to play and have fun.”
Defensively, the Royals contributed to the Yankees’ fifth-inning rally. Cody Bellinger hit a pop fly to shallow left field that fell between Maikel Garcia and Isaac Collins.
“It was very similar to yesterday,” Quatraro said. “Both called it. They both called it multiple times, and they both kind of scared each other off of it. And, you know, obviously, that’s not acceptable. We know we have to be better than that. And they know that as well. It’s something that we have to tighten up.”
“I actually wasn’t arguing,” Quatraro said. “I was just trying to get some clarification. We’ve been told that if the pitcher is on the rubber, he’s about to start. And then he goes to touch the PitchCom, it should be a balk because it’s essentially starting, stopping twice.”
Quatraro took issue with the non-balk call.
He initially thought Yankees starter Will Warren could’ve balked with Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia on second base.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 13: Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after giving up a walk against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game at Target Field on April 13, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the Red Sox finally got something resembling momentum going with back-to-back series victories against a very good Brewers team and a Cardinals team that has made anybody following MLB say “Hey they actually aren’t as bad as I thought they’d be,” they go out and lay eggs like that over the past week. That display during the first two games in Minnesota was brutal—more on that first game in just a bit—while I feel like I’d be able to buy SB Nation myself if I had a dollar for every time Boston failed to capitalize with runners in scoring position over the weekend against Detroit.
They couldn’t even climb back to a .500 record for the week during Margaritaville Day on Sunday. If the Sox can’t get up for Jimmy and his memory, maybe we really are doomed this season.
I suppose being this far below .500 a few weeks into the season beats being 2-8, but only just barely. “Yeah, no shit Fitz,” I hear you clicking away at your keyboard, “that’s how numbers work.”
That’s fair, but at least there had been some signs of life in recent days. Your ace getting his ass kicked to begin the week was awful, but six runs that night was nothing to sneeze at even if the game was completely gone. Another crooked number in the finale against the Twins was nice, even if the offense was then sluggish the next few games. Ranger Suarez had himself a great night Friday, making it two quality starts in a row. My wife got one of those City Connect cooler cups on Friday, so that’s an improvement I guess.
Jokes aside, while there were some positive-ish developments in recent days, I can’t shake the sense of disappointment thus far—and I’m sure you can’t either, dear reader.
It’s Monday Morning Brushback time, y’all.
I Don’t Even Have A Fun Pun For This Section
I don’t know how to properly start this section other than by simply asking: what in the world happened to Garrett Crochet on Monday?
In less than two innings of work, he coughed up eleven runs (ten of which were earned; kinda funny to me that one of those runs was unearned but I digress) across nine hits. One of the best strikeout pitchers in the game failed to retire anybody by way of the K in his abbreviated start, by far the worst one of his Red Sox tenure thus far. Let’s hope it remains as his worst start for Boston, I guess.
Our very own Keagan Stiefel did a nice write-up on a not-so-nice appearance from our ace, so I’d suggest reading that if you want to dive a bit more into that disaster class. The headline you need to know after this stinker, though, is that the stuff was down across the board. The velo specifically dropped by at least a full tick on all of his offerings in Minnesota.
Garrett Crochet has given up 10 runs and gotten three outs against the Twins.
For what it’s worth, both Crochet himself along with the coaching staff said there were no injury concerns after the game. Crochet was even surprised that there were dips in the velo.
Alex Cora didn't have a reason for Garrett Crochet's diminished velocity, but nothing is physically wrong.
Garrett Crochet didn't seem to know his velocity was down after the game. When he found it, he said it wasn't anything to fret about it.
"I don't really have anything to say, I'm just gonna flush it as best I can. Move on to the next one. They had a good approach." pic.twitter.com/3qS5DrGvMc
A couple of things here. First, I’m glad he’s seemingly healthy. A BBQ chicken alert for the ace of the pitching staff would be so deflating. Yet at the same time, I don’t know whether to express concern that no one seems to know what the hell happened against the Twins or to just laugh at that fact. Your prized pig goes out and gets slaughtered and then you just throw your hands up and mumble “I dunno” in confusion—that’s just funny.
Maybe it really was just a one-off, bad night that we can laugh about in the future………
……….but is it almost as bad to just drop a complete, regular turd?
—————- (EVERYTHING I WROTE BEFORE THIS POINT WAS ON SUNDAY MORNING; THE REST IS SUNDAY EVENING)
I mean, I guess I’m a dumbass. I don’t have the energy (nor the time; I have a real life job I gotta be ready for) to dive into what the hell happened on Sunday. I can’t hit you with “WELL ACTUALLYYYYYYY” points when Crochet—the guy who is supposed to be the stopper—goes and does whatever the fuck that was on Sunday. No excuses for that; you’re a smarter reader than that, so I will not patronize you with the “bright side” after that display.
To his credit, Crochet is facing the music.
Garrett Crochet took a long time with the media after the game. Made sure to answer every question.
Made it clear the team is frustrated.
"You can't be out of the playoffs in April. There's still a lot of time for us to start playing our best baseball. If we were doing it right… pic.twitter.com/ltp87EHKob
I dunno man. I’m pissed. I’m tired. Let’s move on; I don’t wanna think about this bad performance anymore. What’s gonna happen? Am I gonna complain about another pitc———
Cut The Crap
Have you noticed how often Red Sox pitchers, specifically Red Sox starters, have been throwing cutters this year?
After featuring it as a secondary pitch in year’s past, Sonny Gray has made it his primary offering by throwing it 22% of the time. The cutter had overtaken the four-seam fastball as Crochet’s most-thrown pitch thus far in 2026 (prior to Sunday’s start, for full transparency). Ranger Suarez has thrown it 20% of the time, which would be a career high if that usage keeps up.
It seems like we’re building most of the plane out of cutters. In a vacuum, perhaps that idea has some merit. The bite of a cutter can be lethal in either extend the zone to get guys to chase, or to tie batters up with something on their hands, all while keeping batters honest with some velo to go along with the movement. Mixing the glove-side movement of a cutter along with, say, any arm-side movement you could get with a sinker is a solid combo. When executed well, it’s a damn good type of fastball.
That’s the thing, though: it’s not always executed well. Not everyone has a Mariano Rivera-y cutter.
The cut fastball for Mr. Gray, for example, has worked for him so far. Opposing batters have only slugged .263 when hacking at Sonny’s cutter, and that pitch’s expected slugging percentage is only at .327. It’s not like he’s getting barreled up on that pitch (maybe on other pitches, but that’s another story). While the Minnesota game might have thrown a wrench into Crochet’s 2026 sample, the cutter worked really well for him last year; hitters facing Garrett in 2025 slugged south of .400 and had an xwOBA (translate to “quality of contact” for those of you who like plain English; can’t blame ya, feels like there are new analytical stats invented every day!) just below .300 when facing his cutter.
But consider someone like Brayan Bello, who’s cutter usage has jumped from 16% last year to 26% this year. It’s overtaken his sweeper as his primary glove-side offering in 2026.
My question about that change is simple: Why? Why are we doing that? I understand I’m doing an armchair pitching coach thing here, but when you look at the numbers here it’s a bit of a head scratcher. Bello’s cutter has, by and large, not been a valuable pitch.
He introduced a cutter into his arsenal (1-2 to Man City, uggh) in 2023—and he only threw it 38 times that year, so I recognize that it’s not a significant enough a sample to base an entire thesis on—to the tune of a 1.083 slugging percentage and a .665 xSLG. Maybe that’s why he didn’t throw it a lot in 2023; in fact, he shelved it completely in 2024. After a fallow year, Bello threw his cut fastball 423 times in 2025, though the results were still not amazing: .437 slugging percentage, but a .506 xSLG.
I don’t know about you, but when I look at those numbers I don’t see a pitch that is screaming to become the second-most deployed offering and the primary pitch to throw if you’re looking for any glove-side movement. With that in mind, maybe you understand why I’m confused about an uptick of ten percentage points for this cut fastball from Bello. You may also not be surprised to learn that after 94 cutters thrown in 2026, Bello’s slugging percentage surrendered on that pitch is .471 (so, worse than last year) on a .541 xSLG (again, worse that last year). Bello is throwing a not-great pitch more often this season and getting not-great results.
The one thing I’ll say in defense of his cutter is that he’s getting a ton of swings-and-misses on it so far this year (57.4% whiff rate, damn), but forgive me if that put away potential isn’t moving me a ton considering that he’s failed to make it through five innings in three of his first four appearances this year.
The dude had a 3.35 ERA last year! The FIP was north of 4.00 in 2025, sure, but there’s a solid starter in there that doesn’t need to have his repertoire scrambled to succeed. I’m all for trying new things on the mound to see if it works, and perhaps we’re still in the tinkering phase. Not all experiments work, though, and I’m curious to see if/when the Sox pull the plug on a cutter-dominant approach for Bello in 2026.
Cool As Hell
Fortunately for you, dear reader, I come bearing great news: I have secured two water cooler cups from Fenway Park.
I love consuming. Consuming—especially at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts—is my favorite activity in the world.
And isn’t that the most important factor of the last two home serieseseseseseses? The fact that I’m still consuming? The fact that that why we play at Fenway? Everything is great! I love baseball! Everything rules! Nothing is bad! It’s illegal to say that things are bad! We’re good! Baseball! Sports!
Song of the Week: “Electric Zoo” by SpongeBob I Think???? I Dunno Here’s A 10 Hour Version
Who will win Tigers vs Red Sox today: Tigers moneyline (+123)
Jack Flaherty turned around an early-season stinker, allowing only two earned runs while adding 13 strikeouts across his last 11 2/3 innings.
He draws a Boston Red Sox lineup that ranks 23rd against right-handed pitching with a 25% strikeout rate and the second-lowest ISO against righties.
Sonny Gray gives up hits. His .295 xBA means the Detroit Tigers, who are slugging .403 against right-handed pitching, will put the ball in play all afternoon.
Detroit has won eight of its last nine, and is the right bet today.
COVERS INTEL:Gray’s strikeout rate has plummeted to 12.5% this season, well below his 24.1% career mark.
Tigers vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-105)
Neither of these offenses is built to put up crooked numbers, and everything about this matchup points in the same direction.
Gray controls the strike zone as well as anyone in the rotation and keeps the ball on the ground, while Flaherty has enough swing-and-miss stuff to strand traffic.
Boston has scored only four runs and is 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, while Detroit is 5-for-16 with RISP during this series.
Five of their previous six meetings have gone Under the total, and today's will too.
Phil Naessens' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 3-3, +0.65 units
Over/Under bets: 3-2, +0.94 units
Tigers vs Red Sox odds
Moneyline: Tigers +122 | Red Sox -127
Run line: Tigers +1.5 (-194) | Red Sox -1.5 (+144)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+108) | Under 8.5 (-113)
Tigers vs Red Sox trend
The game total has ended Under the total in six of their previous 10 meetings. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Red Sox.
How to watch Tigers vs Red Sox and game info
Location
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Date
Monday, April 20, 2026
First pitch
11:10 a.m. ET
TV
DSN, NESN
Tigers starting pitcher
Jack Flaherty (0-1, 4.05 ERA)
Red Sox starting pitcher
Sonny Gray (2-1, 4.43 ERA)
Tigers vs Red Sox latest injuries
Tigers vs Red Sox weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 15: Former Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz greets Boston Marathon personnel during a finish line dedication ceremony in recognition of the ten-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings and One Boston Day on April 15, 2023 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello and happy Monday, folks.
Happy Marathon Monday, to be specific.
A huge shoutout to all of those who will be running in the marathon today, and another huge shoutout taking the time to go out and cheer everybody on. Patriots Day is a special day here in the Bay State—go on and have a good time with it.
The Sox play today as well; I have no clue whether this post is gonna be posted before the first pitch at 11:10 a.m.
Drop your favorite Marathon Monday memories in the chat below.
Apr 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm (28) reacts against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
I’m usually the one around here that looks for the optimistic point of view with the Phillies. They’re still a talented team that will likely make the playoffs this year, even if right now it’s bleak. The baseball gods have frowned on them in a rather substantial way (or is it the ghost of Harry Kalas?)
I’m also not blind: this team stinks something terrible right now.
There is still plenty of season left and plenty of time to right the ship. They’ll get on track soon enough…
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: Wilber Dotel #66 of the Pittsburgh Pirates makes his MLB debut as he pitches in the ninth inning during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park on April 19, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With a depleted group of relievers, the Pittsburgh Pirates promoted one of their top prospects ahead of their Sunday contest against the Tampa Bay Rays.
23-year-old Wilber Dotel got the call to pitch for Pittsburgh while on a road trip with Triple-A Indianapolis. Originally slated to start for the Indians on Saturday evening, Dotel instead found himself making his MLB debut with the Pirates, helping to close out their victory over the Rays.
The Dominican Republic native was called upon in the ninth inning, and said he was filled with emotion coming out of the bullpen.
“On my way to the mound, I wanted to get there as fast as possible just to get on the mound and start throwing my pitches,” Dotel said.
Dotel first faced Junior Caminero and gave up a homer, but remained poised during the rest of his outing. The next three batters were retired with no more hits or runs allowed, and Dotel had eight pitches registered at more than 98 mph. He would pick up his first big league strikeout against Jonathan Aranda.
Pirates’ manager Don Kelly was pleased with Dotel’s performance.
“That was impressive,” Kelly said, “Especially for a guy making his debut in the ninth inning with a lead and give up a homer and then come back with triple digits and stay in the zone. That was phenomenal.”
Dotel was signed by the Pirates in 2020 as an international free-agent at 18-years-old. Known for blazing fastballs, Dotel has quietly but effectively moved up the Minor League ranks, and has been a real fixture in the Pirates’ farm system since 2023. 2025 was Dotel’s best season to date. With Double-A Altoona the righty had a 7-9 record with a 4.15 ERA over 125.2 innings. His 131 strikeouts ranked third in the Eastern League, while he had a career low in walk rate (3.1 BB/9) and a career high for strikeout rate (9.4/9). Dotel made just three starts in Indianapolis before being promoted.
Despite not having played in relief in three seasons, it is the spot that Dotel is most valuable right now and figures to be where he is used at this season with Pittsburgh. He did pitch two innings out of the bullpen for the Buccos in Spring Training, so he’s optimistic that the transition will not be that difficult. Time will tell if Dotel is a full time reliever for the Pirates, but it is a group that could use some fresh blood as it has struggled in 2026.
Wilber Dotel is the Pirates’ 12th ranked prospect.
Mason Miller has been untouchable all season. And so have the San Diego Padres lately.
Miller's scoreless streak is now at 32 ⅔ innings, just one shy of the Padres' franchise record. And perhaps most impressively, the best closer in the game has struck out 27 of 38 batters faced this season, his 71.1% strikeout rate the highest by a pitcher in his first 11 appearances since 1900.
But it takes a good team to give a closer a chance to shine and the Padres are just about baseball's best right now. They've won 13 of 15 to close within a half-game of the Los Angeles Dodgers - and zoom seven spots to No. 2 in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.
At 15-7, the Padres have baseball's second-best record, thanks in large part to their closer with the wipeout fastball-slider combo that's proven untouchable. Or, as Fernando Tatis Jr. put it, "Game over."
Miller's next task? Preserving his scoreless streak through mile-high Coors Field and Phoenix this week.
A look at our updated rankings:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)
Nothing like Coors Field to humble a club on a 126-win pace.
2. San Diego Padres (+7)
Jackson Merrill has robbed three home runs - still impressive even if Jo Adell did that in one game.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 17: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB Trade Rumors | Charlie Wright: The Yankees made a minor trade on Sunday, trading infielder Braden Shewmake to the Astros for Wilmy Sanchez. Shewmake has appeared in the majors for the Braves and White Sox and was signed as a minor-league depth infielder. As for who the Yankees have picked up, Sanchez is a 22-year-old pitching prospect who started this season in Double-A and will indeed report to the Somerset Patriots.
NJ.com | Bob Klapisch: This season, the Yankees have began starting their early afternoon games at 1:35 pm ET, as opposed to 1:05 pm ET. That apparently came after a request from some of the veteran players, who believe the change has actually helped them in their game preparation.
New York Post | Joel Sherman: Cam Schlittler made a bit of a impression last October, not only for his performance against the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series, but also for his willingness to chirp at Boston fans, whom he grew up amongst. Well this week, he’s set to make his first career start back in Fenway Park, and that’s become a bit of an event. Schlittler has reported that he and family members have received death threats, and while the pitcher doesn’t believe there’s anything serious to them, that shows the nature of how he’s gotten in some fans’ heads since last October.
MLB.com: Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch weighed in alongside 29 other personalities at MLB.com to offer insight on early-season developments that the team they cover can believe in. Like many, Hoch’s been impressed by the hard-hitting Ben Rice thus far, calling him a future All-Star — and this was published before he homered in his fourth consecutive game. After going yard yesterday (lefty/lefty off Cole Ragans, too), he’s now hitting .338/.476/.800 with eight dingers and a 246 wRC+ in 84 PA. Modest.
CHICAGO — Devin Williams’ last two appearances for the Mets have sounded the alarms.
After an ugly performance Wednesday against the Dodgers in a non-save situation, the right-hander got hit with his first blown save this season in Sunday’s ninth inning. Michael Conforto’s game-tying RBI double against Williams helped sink the Mets in their 2-1 loss to the Cubs in 10 innings.
“I missed down the middle, and he put a good swing on it,” Williams said.
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Williams allowed a leadoff single to Ian Happ before the pinch hitter Conforto, with one out, delivered to tie the game.
In his previous appearance Williams recorded only one out and allowed four earned runs on three hits and one walk. He owns a 7.11 ERA in seven appearances.
It probably hasn’t helped that his usage has been limited by the scarcity of save situations. Sunday’s appearance was only his third in 14 days.
“That’s what comes with the job,” Williams said. “My job is to be there and be prepared and finish games when they get me the ball and I didn’t do that today.”
Mets catcher Luis Torrens, left, talks with relief pitcher Devin Williams during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, April 19, 2026. AP
The Mets will face the Twins, Rockies and Nationals during a nine-game homestand that begins Tuesday. At some point during that stretch, Juan Soto is expected back in the lineup. Soto has missed the last 14 games rehabbing a right calf strain.
“He is so irreplaceable, and having him back is going to help us a lot,” Francisco Lindor said. “Hopefully he is back and he’s in the top three hitters in the league, probably the top two. He’s going to help us a ton and lengthen our lineup. But even when he comes we still have got to get it done. It would be unfair to throw everything on him as a team.”
Conforto’s ninth-inning double was the second game-tying hit of his career as a pinch hitter. His other was with the Mets on April 13, 2017 at Miami, a double in the eighth inning.
Brett Baty snapped an 0-for-22 skid with a single in his first plate appearance.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Harris II homered and had three hits as the streaking Atlanta Braves defeated the slumping Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 on Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep of their NL East rivals.
Ozzie Albies hit an RBI double and Austin Riley also drove in a run for the Braves, who have won five in a row and nine of 11. It was Atlanta’s first series sweep of at least three games at Philadelphia in 10 years.
Kyle Schwarber went deep for the Phillies, who have lost five straight and 10 of 13. They were outscored 56-33 on a 2-7 homestand against the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Braves, leaving Philadelphia 6 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the division standings.
Raisel Iglesias escaped trouble in the ninth inning for his fifth save. Philadelphia put runners on first and second with one out, but Trea Turner struck out and Schwarber lined out to right field on an excellent running catch by Ronald Acuña Jr.
Tyler Kinley (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win.
Schwarber’s two-run shot in the first gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.
Harris homered leading off the third before the Braves went ahead in the fifth with three runs against rookie starter Andrew Painter (1-1) and lefty reliever Tim Mayza.
Painter was lifted after he opened the inning by allowing singles to Harris and Acuña. Mayza loaded the bases with a walk, and the Braves tied the game on Matt Olson’s groundout. Riley’s dribbler to third went for an RBI infield single, and Albies’ double to the left-field wall made it 4-2.
Riley saved at least one run while ending a Philadelphia threat in the bottom of the fifth with a stellar defensive play at third base.
Braves starter Grant Holmes allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings.
On a chilly night, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto sat out after leaving Saturday’s game with lower back tightness.
Up next
Braves: Begin a four-game series Monday night at Washington. RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 0.77 ERA) opposes Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (1-2, 6.16).
Phillies: Open seven-game trip Monday night with the first of four games against the Cubs. RHP Aaron Nola (1-4, 4.03 ERA) faces Chicago RHP Colin Rea (2-0, 3.63).
A different lineup — Giancarlo Stanton received a day off after starting six days in a row and Paul Goldschmidt started against a lefty as Ben Rice got a turn at DH — had a different leadoff hitter.
For the first time this season, Rice batted atop the lineup in front of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Goldschmidt.
Rice has been among the game’s best hitters this season, but manager Aaron Boone said the slot would not become typical. Rice more often hits in the heart of the order and was moved up as a result of several off days (Jazz Chisholm Jr., too) and a unique matchup against lefty Cole Ragans, who has been better against righties than lefties.
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Sunday, Ragans was not effective against any Yankee, particularly Rice.
Rice, who homered and drew two walks in five plate appearances in the 7-0 rout in The Bronx, is simply hitting everyone.
“I just got to continue to get the reps [against southpaws] and continue to swing at good pitches, work good at-bats,” said Rice, who is killing both lefties (1.332 OPS) and righties (1.255 OPS). “That’s all I can do.”
Even when Rice has been out of the starting lineup against lefties, Boone has been aggressive in pinch hitting Rice early, but reasons to ever sit him are dwindling.
Against Ragans, one of the game’s premier lefties, Rice worked a walk in the first inning right ahead of a Judge home run and then smacked his eighth homer of the season (and fourth in four games) in the second inning.
Ben Rice (22) home run during the second inning when the New York Yankees played the Kansas City Royals Sunday, April 19, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“I thought he was going to be on base a lot, going to make my job easier to get him in scoring position and drive him in, like I did in the first,” Judge said of the afternoon’s leadoff hitter. “Definitely going to be some headaches for opposing pitching staffs. … He’s top of the league right now.”
Boone said he likes Rice “pretty much against everyone” and emphasized that more goes into the lineup decision than just whether a pitcher is righty or lefty.
Apr 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (18) hits a double against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
It was a big weekend for Philadelphia sports. The Sixers and Flyers began their first-round playoff series, while the Phillies hosted the first-place Braves for a three-game series. The Flyers came through with a hard fought 3-2 win on Saturday night. But the rest of the weekend did not go well for the city (that was one of the worst playoff performances I’ve ever seen by the Sixers), capped off by a 4-2 loss by the Phillies on Sunday night that looked similar to so many other losses this season.
The game actually started off well. Trea Turner led off with a single, and Kyle Schwarber hit a home run that reviews confirmed did clear the fence before hitting a fan.
When Bryce Harper followed with a walk, it looked like the Phillies might be in for one of those big offensive nights that they give us every so often. But that was not to be. The next three batters got out rather easily, setting the tone for the rest of the night.
Andrew Painter got the start for the Phillies and was generally okay. Unfortunately, with the way things are going for the Phillies, okay isn’t enough. He gave up a solo home run to Michael Harris in the third and then got out of a second-and-third, one out jam in the fourth.
But unless you’re facing the 2026 Phillies, if you keep putting baserunners on, eventually it’s going to cost you. Painter allowed consecutive singles to start the fifth, and manager Rob Thomson chose to pull him in favor of Tim Mayza.
The remainder of the inning was a great representation of how things have gone lately for the Phillies in that they were both bad and unlucky.
Mayza walked his first batter, and then Matt Olson hit a grounder to second that wasn’t hard enough for the Phillies to turn a double play. The Phillies got the out at second, but the Braves tied the game. Austin Riley followed with what was by my calculations, the 200th infield single against the Phillies in the last three weeks, to put the Braves in front 3-2.
Ozzie Albies then hit a ball to left field, and I’m still not sure what Brandon Marsh was trying to do out there, but he sure didn’t catch it. The result was a 4-2 Braves lead.
The Phillies had an opportunity to get back into the game in the bottom of the inning. With Turner on first base and two outs, Schwarber doubled into the corner (at least someone had a good game), but surprisingly, Turner had to hold up at third. Bryce Harper then followed up with a ball to third that he almost beat out, but beating out close plays isn’t what the Phillies do these days.
The Braves seemed like they wanted to let the Phillies back into the game. They couldn’t tack on against some of the lesser lights of the Phillies’ bullpen, and in the seventh, gave the Phillies two baserunners thanks to a walk and hit batter. But Bryson Stott meekly popped up and Rafael Marchan watched strike three to end the “threat.”
The Phillies dashed our hopes one last time in the ninth. A Stott double and Justin Crawford walk put the tying run on base for the top of the order. But as he so often does in clutch spots, Turner was overmatched by a fastball for a strike out, and then Schwarber hit a liner to right field that Ronald Acuna was somehow able to track down to end the game.
At least the Phillies won’t have long to stew in this ugliness. They’ll travel to Chicago to start a three-game series for the Cubs. Monday night’s game will be on at the same time as the Flyers, so the hope is that the hockey team can provide us with a little bit of distraction. I doubt a road trip will do much to improve their play, but it will at least provide a respite for all the fans who were subject to watching this ugliness this weekend.
COVERS INTEL: 
