Category: MLB

We were supposed to have our final two affiliates take the field tonight, but South Bend was rained out.

I no longer post anything on Twitter/X. I still go over there because the affiliates are there, but I don’t post any new content. You can find me posting some stuff at Bluesky at @joshftimmers.bsky.social. I’m not quite as active there as I used to be, but I still do some updates.

Everyone wins! Well, not South Bend, but they had a good excuse.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs clipped the wings of the Louisville Bats (Reds), 7-2.

Iowa starter Will Sanders gave up a solo home run in both the first and second innings, but other than that he was quite sharp. Sanders got the win after allowing two runs on six hits over six innings. Sanders struck out seven and walked two.

Iowa manager Marty Pevey then got two scoreless innings out of Collin Snider and one out of Ryan Rolison in non-save situations to close out the game.

Iowa put this one away with a five-run second inning. DH Chas McCormick led off the inning with a solo home run, his second on the season.

After catcher Christian Bethancourt singled and center fielder Brett Bateman walked, right fielder Justin Dean singled home Bethancourt to make it 2-1.

After first baseman Jonathon Long grounded out, second baseman James Triantos crushed this three-run home run to make it 5-1. It was Triantos’ second home run of the year.

McCormick finished the game 2 for 4 with the home run and this RBI double.

Triantos went 2 for 5 with the three RBI. Long went 2 for 5 and scored once.

Second baseman Pedro Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored once.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies defenestrated the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 8-6.

Minor League Rule 5 draftee Zane Mills made his Cubs organizational debut tonight. He pitched 3+ innings and allowed three runs on six hits. Mills walked three and struck out four.

Jace Beck relieved Mills in the fourth inning and promptly walked the first two batters and then coughed up a three-run home run to put Birmingham up 6-5. But he settled down after that and collected the win after the Smokies scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to retake the lead. Beck’s final line was three runs on two hits and three walks over two innings. He struck out four.

Evan Taylor came on for the save in the ninth and he made it a nailbiter after a one-out walk and a two-out double. But with runners on second and third and two outs, Taylor got the strikeout to end the game. He struck out two in his one inning of work.

The third batter of the bottom of the first inning, shortstop Jefferson Rojas, clobbered this three-run home run.

Rojas went 2 for 4 with a walk. He also made this nice play on defense.

Seiya Suzuki played five innings in right field in a rehab appearance. He was 1 for 2 with a sacrifice fly. He also scored on the Rojas home run. Suzuki seemed to be moving fine to my eyes, but he wasn’t really tested out there.

DH Alexander Ramirez led off and was 2 for 3 with a double and two walks in his Cubs organizational debut. Ramirez scored twice and drove in one.

Left fielder Jordan Nwogu was 3 for 5 and scored once.

Catcher Ariel Armas went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI double in the eighth inning. Armas also scored on a wild pitch in the fifth.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs home opener was postponed because of unplayable field conditions. A makeup date has not been scheduled.

Kane Kepley did double in kickball.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans put a muzzle on the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays), 5-4.

Pelicans manager Yovanny Cuevas got three innings each from three pitchers. Starter Noah Edders allowed two unearned runs on two hits. He struck out five and walked no one.

Ben Johnson, a 17th-round pick in 2024 who missed all last season with an injury, finally got to make his professional debut in the fourth inning. Johnson gave up two runs on three hits. He struck out four and walked two.

Jordan Henriquez tossed the final three innings and got his first Pelicans win in his first game in Myrtle Beach. Henriquez held the RiverDogs to no runs and just two hits. He struck out four and walked no one, although he did hit one batter.

First baseman Cole Mathis hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth that ended up being the difference in this game. It was Mathis’ second home run in as many games this year. He finished the game 1 for 4 with a walk.

In the fifth inning, DH Michael Carico tied the game up 2-2 with a solo home run.

Carico was 1 for 3 with two walks.

In the seventh inning, right fielder Josiah Hartshorn crushed his first professional home run on a ball that I still don’t think has landed. It came with the bases empty.

That is some serious power. If you’re down in South Carolina, I’d suggest getting to see Hartshorn this month because he may be in South Bend sooner rather than later.

Hartshorn was 2 for 4 with a walk and three runs scored.

Shortstop Ty Southisene went 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base.

Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy was 2 for 5 with an RBI infield single in the first inning.

Sure, it’s only seven games into a long season.

But after heading into the season with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt sidelined and more than a few question marks surrounding a bullpen that lost Luke Weaver and Devin Williams in the offseason, a historic start to the regular season probably wasn’t considered likely.

With another solid effort by Will Warren and a dominant effort by the bullpen, though, the Yankees’ pitching continues to be elite.

After an 8-2 win over Miami in the home opener in The Bronx, the Yankees have allowed just eight runs in seven games.

That matches the fewest runs by a team in MLB history — along with the 1993 Braves and 2002 Giants.

And the rotation has given up four runs in those games, tied for the best since 1900, matching the 2018 Red Sox and the ’93 Braves.

In Friday’s win, Warren was backed up by Tim Hill — who escaped the two-on, one-out jam Warren left in the sixth — Jake Bird, Brent Headrick and Ryan Yarbrough, as the bullpen combined to toss 3 ¹/₃ shutout innings.

Aaron Judge noted what’s made the staff so tough overall.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

“They’re dictating at-bats,’’ Judge said of his teammates. “They put pressure on guys at-bat after at-bat. We’re feeding off them.”

To Judge’s point, the Yankees didn’t issue a walk on Friday, while striking out 10.

Warren, who survived some rough outings last season, bounced back from a pair of solo homers to pitch into the sixth. After and after Hill got Liam Hicks on a soft comebacker to end the inning, Bird entered and continued his promising start to the year, as he and the lefty Headrick retired all six batters they faced before Yarbrough finished it after Ben Rice put the game away with a two-run double in the eighth.

“We’re playing great baseball,’’ Cody Bellinger said. “It’s unbelievable. Starting with the starters — all four — and the bullpen coming in every time, it makes it easier on the offense.”

Aaron Boone praised Bird and Headrick, perhaps the latest in a long line of reclamation projects the Yankees will turn into reliable bullpen pieces.

Warren seemed to speak for all the Yankee pitchers when he said his key to his results Friday was being “aggressive in the zone.”

“If we attack early, the odds are in our favor,’’ Warren said. “We’re attacking early and throwing strikes and have confidence in our stuff to put us in a position to be successful. … Our lineup is a beast. We know they’re gonna put up runs.”

The Mets are holding their breath.

Juan Soto exited Friday’s 10-3 win over the Giants after the top of the first with right calf tightness and was replaced in left field by Tyrone Taylor.

Soto singled in his lone at-bat and later appeared to grimace as he went first to third on a Bo Bichette RBI single.

Juan Soto left the game after running the bases in the first inning pic.twitter.com/xEddUbmuoD

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 4, 2026

He remained in the game before getting thrown out at home on a Brett Baty double play, but Taylor entered for defense in the bottom half of the first.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said after the victory that Soto would undergo imaging on Saturday.

Soto, one of the few Mets consistently hitting early this season, extended his hitting streak to eight games and now has a .355 average and a .928 OPS.

Taylor went 0-for-4 with a strikeout as his replacement, but the Mets had one of the best offensive outputs of the early season, scoring 10 runs on 15 hits. Francisco Alvarez hit two homers, and Marcus Semien went deep for the first time as a Met.

After hitting a single in the top of the first inning and then running from first to third, Juan Soto was removed from the Mets’ game in San Francisco before the team took the field in the bottom of the inning.

SNY showed the replay of Soto running the bases, and the 27-year-old outfielder grimaced between second and third. The team proceeded to announce that Soto left the game with right calf tightness.

The Mets’ lineup has been struggling mightily since Opening Day, and if Soto were to miss any time beyond the rest of this game, it would be a major blow to the team. Soto has been hot to start the season, as he’s hit .355/.412/.516 with a 161 wRC+.

While there weren’t any major injuries in spring training, Jorge Polanco has gone from the Mets’ starting first baseman to serving as a designated hitter because of an Achillies issue to not appearing in the team’s lineup for this game. We’ll see if he returns to the lineup tomorrow, but if he and Soto miss the same games, it’ll be that much harder for the organization to get the offense going.

Konnor Griffin entered the 2026 season with one of the most anticipated pending debuts in Major League Baseball.

And on Friday, the young Pirate did not disappoint.

The highly touted prospect, who will be 19 for another three weeks, ripped an RBI double in his first MLB at-bat as part of a 5-4 win over the Orioles, elevating the Pirates’ record to 4-3.

“It was awesome,” Griffin said, per MLB.com. “Getting a win, as well, was the cherry on top. That was hands down one of the best days of my life.”

He became the first teenage position player in the majors since Juan Soto did so with the Nationals in 2018.

The RBI double was part of what became a game-deciding four-run second inning.

Griffin, who was drafted in the first round at No. 9 overall in 2024, finished the day with 1-for-3 with a walk at the plate while hitting seventh in the order.

“He just went right down and hit his stride and was able to reset in a couple of days,” manager Don Kelly told reporters after the win. “Which again, for anybody, is really impressive, especially for a 19-year-old kid whose hopes and dreams were to make the big leagues.”

WELCOME TO THE SHOW, KONNOR GRIFFIN

The 19-year-old phenom mashes an RBI double in his first MLB at-bat! pic.twitter.com/htbNc5pRBQ

— MLB (@MLB) April 3, 2026

Griffin slashed an incredible .438/.571/.625 line in just five games this season with the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis.

Additionally, across 122 games last year in the minors, Griffin hit .333, blasting 21 home runs with 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases.

As a result of his production, he was later honored with Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Griffin had originally committed to baseball powerhouse LSU, but ended up forgoing a career in the SEC to head straight to the pro ranks.

Griffin also earned a signing bonus of $6.53 million upon joining the Pirates organization following the 2024 Draft. He’s in the midst of finalizing a reported $140 million extension.

The Los Angeles Angels have used that name since 2016, but California state legislation could result in that changing.

California Assembly member Avelino Valencia has brought the legislation forward, asking to revert the name of the MLB franchise to the Anaheim Angels as a requirement of any sale or new lease of the stadium property, according to the LA Times.

The bill is named the “Home Run for Anaheim Act.”

Anaheim was dropped from the name after the team was previously called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2005 to 2015. The team was previously known as the Anaheim Angels from 1997 to 2004, including during its championship season in 2002.

Well. What a game. Cantillo was nearly perfect this afternnon, going 5 1/3 innings of “1-run” ball. He notched 6 strikeouts, walking only 2. I put 1-run ball in quotations because, if you watched the game, that run being earned is nonsense. For those who might not have watched, Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a lazy fly just past the infield to which Jose, Arias, and Kwan all converged. Arias called off Jose and Kwan, and then proceeded to let the ball drop. PCA got to second on that error-that-somehow-wasn’t-an-error. The Cubs brought PCA home right after. Cantillo wasn’t in the zone much today, but got the Cubs to chase quite a bit. He did a fantastic job of limiting hard contact, only surrendering 1 batted ball over 100 mph. That ball, for reference, was a groundball that escaped up the middle of the infield.

A few innings after the Cubs scored, the Guardians put guys on second and third with DeLauter coming up to bat. Counsell had brought in submarine lefty Hoby Milner to face the top of the Guardians’ order, and DeLauter did this against him:

The kid just won’t stop hitting. Arias, shown in this video, did in fact get thrown out at the plate… somehow. From a different angle, it looked like he got a pretty bad jump. Despite there being two outs, he got a bad jump. Speaking of jumps, Connor Brogdon pitched the 7th. Facing Matt Shaw, he surrendered a ball that was smoked to right-center, and Daniel Scheneemann was able to reel it in with this unbelievable play.

On the bright side — with Arias — he smoked this Hunter Harvey slider in the bottom of the 7th to give the Guardians the lead.

With two outs in that same very inning, Kwan walked. DeLauter came up, worked a 3-1 count, and then obliterated an inside fastball.

DeLauter went 3-4 in his regular season debut in Cleveland, notching 2 singles and a 2-run homer. For those keeping count, he’s slashing .346/.370/.923 through 27 plate appearances, good for a 271 wRC+. He’s up to 5 HRs and 8 RBI.

Flying somewhat under the radar was what is, somehow, an almost routine thing for Jose Ramirez. After the homer, he softly served a liner into center. What made that a signature Jose play was him somehow turning that into a double. Not many people turn 73 mph line drives up the middle into doubles.

And not to let CTC figurehead Quincy Wheeler’s favorite reliever go unnoticed… Matt Festa pitched today! He came on for Cantillo with runners on, and got back-to-back pop-ups to end the 6th.

Armstrong pitched a clean 8th, and Cade shut the door in the 9th. Cade was much better today. He was able to throw his splitter more consistently for strikes, which had been a problem for him so far this year. Hopefully, that’s a good sign.

It’ll be Cecconi vs. Imanaga tomorrow.

The San Francisco Giants continue their four-game series against the New York Mets tonight at Oracle Park.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Tyler Mahle, who finished the 2025 season with a 2.18 ERA, 3.37 FIP, with 66 strikeouts to 29 walks in 86.2 innings pitched. His first start this season was in the Giants’ 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees on Saturday, in which he allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk in four innings.

He’ll be facing off against Mets right-hander Nolan McLean, who finished the 2025 season with a 2.06 ERA, 2.97 FIP, with 57 strikeouts to 16 walks in 48 innings pitched. His first start this season was in the Mets’ 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, in which he allowed two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in five innings.

Game #8

Who: San Francisco Giants vs. New York Mets

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 7:15 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area, KNTV

National broadcast: MLB Network

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

J.P. Crawford is back in the lineup Friday as the Mariners begin their first road trip of the season.

Crawford was activated from the injured list Thursday. He makes his 2026 debut in what very well may be his last season with the Mariners.

Bryan Woo is on the mound and will look to build off a solid six inning, nine strikeout performance last week against the Guardians.

The Mariners send their lefty lineup to face Reid Detmers, who Jake Mailhot covered in our series preview.

Lineups

Game Info

First pitch: 6:38 PM PDT
TV: Mariners TV and MLB Network (for those out of market). For how to watch, Kate’s got the details.
Radio: 710 KIRO

A little over a week into the MLB season, and the catch of the year might have already occurred, thanks to Cody Bellinger.

The Yankees outfielder, playing left in the team’s 8-2 home opener win over the Marlins, turned a misplay into a spectacular grab to save a would-be extra-base hit.

In the top of the ninth inning, Miami’s Xavier Edwards smoked a hard liner at 96.4 mph to left off lefty reliever Ryan Yarbrough, sending Bellinger back toward the warning track.

Bellinger leapt off the edge of the outfield grass, knocking the ball down but could not snag it.

However, as he came back down to earth, Bellinger blindly swiped at the ball with his gloved hand and came up with it for the out.

Bellinger lifted up both of his hands as he rested against the outfield wall, with adoring fans in the Yankee Stadium bleachers cheering him on.

HOW DID CODY BELLINGER CATCH THIS BALL?! pic.twitter.com/g2JHdvX09V

— MLB (@MLB) April 3, 2026

He admitted after the game that he got a bit “lucky” with the snag.

“I feel like I had a good bead on it the whole way,” he told reporters after the victory. “I think it caught off my wrist. I really don’t know. I’m just glad I came down with it.”

Bellinger has been known for his defensive prowess during his career, winning a Gold Glove with the Dodgers during the 2019 season. During his first season in pinstripes, Bellinger recorded seven outs above average to rank in the 93rd percentile in the category, according to Baseball Savant.

The outfielder went 1-for-4 at the plate with a double, walk and run scored.

Greensboro Grasshoppers 9, Greenville Drive 5, 11 Inns. (BOX)

The Greenville Drive fought back late in their season opener before ultimately falling in extras to the Greensboro Grasshoppers, 9-5 in 11 innings on Thursday.

The Drive had been shut out through eight innings before Freili Encarnacion delivered a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game 3-3. It was an oppo blast, and Freili was deservedly fired up.

Each team scored in the tenth, with Greenville tying the game once again due to a balk, before the Grasshoppers opened things up with five runs in the eleventh.

Spring training helium lefty Juan Valera got the start and struck out seven batters in 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits. Reliever Joey Gartrell relieved Valera, pitching 2 1/3 shutout innings. The loss went to Jay Allmer, who allowed four runs (two earned) in the tenth and eleventh innings. Third baseman Jack Winnay had the lone multi-hit effort for the Drive.

Kyson Witherspoon will make his debut tonight at 6:45 ET, toeing the rubber for the Drive.

Salem RidgeYaks 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 4 (BOX)

Minor league franchises are meant to have outrageous, multisyllabic, and often fictitious nicknames. The Salem Red Sox did not qualify. The RidgeYaks sound badass. And they won in their first game of the rebrand.

Dylan Brown was the Red Sox’ eighth-round pick in 2025 out of Old Dominion, and in his first minor league start, he threw a beauty. Brown struck out six in five shutout innings, allowing only two baserunners. He threw a tidy 52 pitches, which got him through five to qualify for the Win.

On the offensive side for the RidgeYaks, Skylar King had two doubles, which knocked in a total of three runs on the day. Starlyn Nunez and D’Angelo Ortiz each had two hits, with Nunez stealing a base and Ortiz stealing two.

On Friday at 6:35 ET, Madinson Frias will make his first outing of the season.

Worcester Red Sox at St. Paul Saints (ppd.)

Thursday’s game in St. Paul was rained out. The teams will try again tonight at 7:37 ET with Worcester’s starter TBD.

The Portland Sea Dogs will kick things off this evening at 6:35 ET as Blake Wehunt takes the hill.

Mets lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Luis Robert – CF
5. Brett Baty – 1B
6. Mark Vientos – DH
7. Marcus Semien – 2B
8. Carson Benge – RF
9. Francisco Alvarez – C

Nolan McLean – RHP

Giants lineup

1. Willy Adames – SS
2. Rafael Devers – DH
3. Luis Arráez – 2B
4. Matt Chapman – 3B
5. Jung Hoo Lee – RF
6. Heliot Ramos – LF
7. Harrison Bader – CF
8. Patrick Bailey – C
9. Casey Schmitt – 1B

Tyler Mahle – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 10:15pm EDT
TV: WPIX
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

he Houston Astros (5-2) travel to the Athletics (1-5) tonight In Sacrament0 in the first game of a three game series.

Astros game three starterRHP Cristian Javier will make his second start of the season for the Astros, this time opposite LHP Jeffrey Springs and the Athletics.

Friday’S TILT: The Astros and Athletics will play the first game of their three-game series tonight as Houston goes for their sixth straight win.

ON THE HUNT: RHP Cristian Javier is making his second start of the season after getting knocked around in 4.2 innings in game three. He carries am 11.57 ERA with one strikeout and four walks.

Javier came back in August of last season following Tommy John surgery. He finished 2-4 on the season with a 4.62 ERA in 37.0 innings. He added 34 strikeouts and 15 walks in those innings.

ASTROS VS. Springs: The Astros are squaring off against Springs for the fifth time in his young career. He is 3-0 with a 3.55 ERA and ten strikeouts against the Astros. Springs comes in with a 0-0 record and 3.38 ERA after his first start.

RIVALRY VS. THE ATHLETICS: The Astros and Athletics have squared off 182 times in their history. They have a 101-81 against the Athletics in their lifetime. However, the Athletics were 8-5 against the Astros in the 2025 season.

TODAY’S ROSTER MOVE: The Astros have placed IF Isaac Paredes on the Bereavement Leave…to take his place on the active roster, Houston has recalled IF Shay Whitcomb.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Friday, April 3, 8:40 p.m. CST

Location: Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, CA

TV: Space City Home Network2

Streaming: SCHN2

Radio: KBME 790 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Astros Lineup

SS Jeremy Pena

DH Yordan Alvarez

2B Jose Altuve

3B Carlos Correa

1B Christian Walker

RF Cam Smith

CF Jake Meyers

C Yainer Diaz

LF Brice Matthews

Athletics Lineup

1B Nick Kurtz

C Shea Langeliers

LF Tyler Soderstrom

DH Brent Rooker

SS Jacob Wilson

RF Lawrence Butler

3B Max Muncy

2B Jeff McNeil

CF Denzel Clarke

Jorge Polanco is not in the Mets' lineup on Friday as he misses his second of the team's last four games with what the team is calling Achilles tendinitis.

It's a condition that Polanco has dealt with since the second game of the regular season. The Mets have tried to accommodate Polanco by having him start as the DH to get him off his feet, and it seemed to be working, but playing in Thursday's loss set the veteran infielder back.

"Better today, but after the game last night, he was sore," manager Carlos Mendoza said before Friday's game. "That’s why we decided to give him the first half of the game off. And see how he was going to feel this morning. Luckily, in a better place."

With the up-and-down nature of how Polanco has been feeling, Mendoza was asked if he's concerned, and the Mets skipper downplayed it a bit. 

"I’m not going to say concerned, it’s a day-to-day [situation]," he said. "He’s got days where he feels it more. For the past couple of days, he was in a pretty good place until last night. We’ll have to continue to monitor it. He’s getting a lot of treatment. Trainers are working really hard with it. As of right now, it’s day-to-day type deal, and we’ll go from there.

"He’s going to have some good days and out of nowhere, he’s going to start feeling it. And that’s what happened last night."

With Polanco DHing, Mark Vientos and Jared Young have started at first base. But with Polanco out of the lineup altogether, that's allowed Brett Baty to man first base with Vientos starting at DH for the second game of the team's four-game set in San Francisco. 

So far this season, Polanco is 4-for-23 across six games. 

Carlos Mendoza says that Jorge Polanco is feeling "better today" as he deals with Achilles tendonitis pic.twitter.com/d2ZP6YhmZH

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2026