BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 16: A video shows a blue whale swimming by as visitors look at an immersive presentation of Antarctica and the scientific expeditions of the Alfred Wegener Institute at the "Polar Experience" exhibition at the Arena venue on December 16, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. The Alfred Wegener Institute is Germany's premier scientific institution devoted to arctic and marine studies. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hey hey, its our first day of having four Texas Rangers minor league games!
Hickory starter Jesus Lafalaise went four shutout innings, striking out two. Aneudis Mejia allowed four runs, including two home runs, while returning just one batter.
Dalton Pence started for Hub City, allowing two runs in 4.2 IP, walking one and striking out seven. J’Briell Easley allowed two runs in an inning walking one and striking out one.
Maxton Martin had the lone hit for Hub City, and also stole a base.
Frisco starter Dylan MacLean struck out six and walked two in five innings, allowing one run. Bryan Magdaleno and Josh Trentadue each struck out a hitter apiece in their respective scoreless innings of work.
Dylan Dreiling was 2 for 4 with a homer. Ian Moller had a hit. Keith Jones II had a hit.
For Round Rock, Josh Stephan started, allowing a pair of homers, including one to Rowdy Tellez (who had two bombs in the game), and four runs in four innings, striking out three and walking one. Patrick Murphy allowed a solo homer and struck out one in 1.1 IP. Gavin Collyer struck out two in 1.1 innings. Alex Diaz struck out two and walked one in a scoreless inning, throwing 10 strikes and 9 balls.
Cam Cauley doubled. Justin Foscue and Aaron Zavala each had a hit.
The New York Mets face the San Francisco Giants in Oracle Park tonight at 9:05 p.m. ET for the third of a four-game series.
New York broke out of a three-game losing skid with a resounding 10-3 victory yesterday, and my Mets vs. Giants predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, April 4, see the visitor as the victor once again.
Who will win Mets vs Giants today: Mets (-118)
This line is giving the benefit of the doubt to the San Francisco Giants because Landen Roupp had a phenomenal season debut, and they’re playing at home.
The New York Mets are simply the better team — sitting Top 15 in both runs scored and allowed — while San Francisco is 1-4 at home. I’m buying the reduced price on the visitor.
Roupp struggles with command, walking 4.03 batters per nine innings. Mets starter Clay Holmes has his flaws, but the Giants' league-worst wOBA (.241) against RHP leaves them ill-poised to capitalize.
COVERS INTEL: Holmes altered his pitch mix in his first start, ditching his poor slider (.374 xwOBA) and adding a curveball. All of his offerings, other than his sinker, graded out at 100 or above in Stuff+ in his debut.
Mets vs Giants Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-106)
San Francisco has been the worst team in the league against RHP (55 wRC+). Holmes transitioned to the rotation in 2025 and made 31 starts, posting a solid 3.53 ERA thanks to a 75th-percentile barrel rate and 94th percentile ground-ball rate.
As for the Mets, star slugger Juan Soto departed Friday’s contest in the first inning with a right calf injury. It’d be surprising if he suits up Saturday, likely leaving them without their best hitter in pitcher-friendly Oracle Park.
New York has cashed the Under in five of its last seven games; here’s predicting another.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 1-0, +1.0 units
Over/Under bets: 1-1, -0.04 units
Mets vs Giants odds
Moneyline: New York -106 | San Francisco -114
Run line: New York -1.5 (+155) | San Francisco +1.5 (-180)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-114) | Under 7.5 (-106)
Mets vs Giants trend
San Francisco is 1-4 with a -14 run differential at home. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Giants.
How to watch Mets vs Giants and game info
Location
Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
Date
Saturday, April 4, 2026
First pitch
9:05 p.m. ET
TV
SNY, NBC Sports Bay Area
Mets starting pitcher
Clay Holmes (1-0, 3.18 ERA)
Giants starting pitcher
Landen Roupp (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Mets vs Giants latest injuries
Mets vs Giants 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.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 03: Pete Alonso #25 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on while batting in the first inning during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Seven games into the 2026 season, the Orioles sit below .500 at 3-4. It is not what anyone in Birdland was hoping to see. The O’s needed to blast out of the gate to chase away any lingering worries about the things that plagued the team last year, and instead they’ve managed to start up the season feeling like they’ve picked up a lot of last year’s baggage and carried it into this year with them.
In our survey this week, I polled Orioles fans asking what is the biggest concern area with the team right now out of the following areas: Starting pitching, relief pitching, bullpen, and defense. Here’s how the results came back:
I have to say that I’m surprised that defense is down at the bottom, tied for last with starting pitching at 13%. I’m as confident as I can be about anything with the Orioles that the group of hitters who are here are going to be able to figure it out and at least be decent. The defense, on the other hand, is already trending in a bad direction and there’s no sign of improvement on the horizon as long as the personnel remain largely the same.
Those worried about the offense certainly got some validation with Friday’s loss to the Pirates, what with the Orioles going 1-9 with runners in scoring position. That’s one that feels like it’s carrying over from last year. If I started the survey now, maybe more people would be worried about the starting pitching. This survey was posted before Zach Eflin’s injury and before Kyle Bradish turned in a clunker. There’s a lot more chaos potential for the pitching with Eflin’s likely season-ending injury and with Bradish’s performance more of a question.
If you’re feeling like the actual answer is, “Everything,” I get it. The only reason I didn’t list that as an answer is that I knew it would be a runaway winner.
Apr 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Edmundo Sosa (33) reacts after hitting a two RBI single during the ninth inning Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The unit of the universe is the atom. The unit of a baseball game, however, is the moment. A season is comprised of series, which are comprised of games, which are comprised of innings, which are comprised of plate appearances, which are comprised of pitches and the subsequent swing decisions, and all that results. You’ve heard the relevant sayings about forests and trees. Nearly every moment of a season will be subsumed by the greater sweeps of a full campaign; even the most meaningful moments, upon which entire narratives may swing, only exist because of the gradual piling-up of moments prior. Still, by looking at particular moments in a season, we can find some interesting stories.
By Win Probability Added, the most significant moment of the series against the Nationals was Edmundo Sosa’s ninth inning, 2-RBI, game-tying single. Just after the previous at-bat (Alec Bohm working a free pass to put runners on second and third with two away), the Philadelphia win probability was 18%. After Sosa’s scoring slash, it was 63.4%, a difference of 45.4%.
Any starting point for this story would be somewhat arbitrary (unless we start with the first inning, but that’s a bit of a broader scope than we need). For our purposes, though, we’ll start with the bottom of the seventh, before Sosa was a factor at all. With two away, and a lead that had shrunk to three thanks to a J.T. Realmuto solo shot, the Nationals had Kyle Schwarber to deal with. He represented neither the winning nor the tying run, and the visitors were only one out away from ending the inning. Still, the Washingtons were not keen on surrendering more of their momentum to another homer. Andre Granillo, a righty, was on the mound. Cionel Pérez, a lefty, was called in to provide the platoon advantage against Schwarber. He kept the ball low in the zone against Schwarber, and induced a flyout on a curveball to end the inning.
With two of the three batters due up next for the home team being of the left-handed sort, the Nationals kept Pérez in. But the platoon advantage didn’t stop Bryce Harper from homering to narrow the lead to two. The Nationals kept Pérez in, and he quickly accrued a baserunner, in the form of Alec Bohm, through his shortstop’s fielding error. That would bring Bryson Stott to the plate. The move for Rob Thomson was obvious: get the platoon advantage by subbing in Sosa for Stott.
It didn’t pay off, at the time. Sosa grounded out.
But in the next inning, Sosa came to the plate again. The Nationals had LHP PJ Poulin on the mound, and so they made an obvious choice of their own in bringing in righty Cole Henry to thwart the very platoon advantage that had put Sosa in the game in the first place.
Henry has a four seamer, a sweeper, a sinker, a cutter, and a changeup. The changeup was always a sparingly seen offering from him, and he seems to be making the cutter sparse as well, given that it hasn’t shown up at all through 44 pitches this season. That left him with a trio of offerings with which to attack Sosa.
He started with a pair of fastballs high, getting strikes on both (via foul and whiff, in that order). In full command of the situation with an 0-2 count, Henry moved to finish off Sosa with a same-handed sweeper. Textbook stuff, but there’s a reason why it’s textbook.
The problem was that he left it too high, and put it squarely where Sosa could do damage. You know the rest.
It was all as simple as a badly placed pitch. But that badly placed pitch was built on a series of other decisions, some good, some bad, some neither until Sosa’s swing issued the final verdict.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 17: Spencer Arrighetti #41 of the Houston Astros throws a bullpen session during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 17, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (6-1) won 5-0 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land jumped out to an early lead scoring 3 runs on a Biggio 2 run HR and Biggers RBI single. In the 5th, Biggio added another run on an RBI single. Arrighetti got the start and went 4.1 hitless innings while striking out 9. The bullpen was great as they kept the Jumbo Shrimp hitless through 8 innings. In the top of the 9th, Sugar Land picked up a run in the 9th on a Winkler RBI single. Leach allowed one hit in the 9th but tossed a scoreless frame to close it as Sugar Land won 5-0.
Note: Arrighetti has 13 K in 8.1 innings in Triple-A this season.
Alimber Santa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (0-2) lost 10-2 (BOX SCORE)
The Hooks got on the board first getting a run on a Sullivan RBI single in the 3rd. McPherson got the start and was pitching well but allowed 3 runs in the 5th before being pulled. He was relieved by David who really struggled allowing 6 runs while retiring just two batters. The offense got one run back in the 6th scoring on an error. The rest of the pen was solid with scoreless outings but the offense struggled as the Hooks fell 10-2.
Asheville got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Cruz solo HR. Smith started for the Tourists but struggled a bit as he allowed 7 runs, 4 earned, over 4 innings of work. Asheville got 2 runs back in the 5th on a Hernandez RBI double and a run scoring on a wild pitch. They scored another run in the 6th on a wild pitch. Pena pitched in relief allowing 1 run over 3 innings. The Asheville offense got one run back in the 8th on a Batista RBI double but that was it as they fell 8-5.
Alain Pena, RHP: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (0-1) lost 2-0 (BOX SCORE)
Pentecost made his professional debut and pitched well striking out 7 over 4 innings. He was relieved by Perez who was equally as dominant striking out 8 over 4 scoreless innings. Rosario pitched the 9th but struggled as he walked 3 and allowed 2 runs. The Woodpeckers offense was quiet though collecting just 3 hits, including one by Neyens, as they were shutout in the 2-0 loss.
"There's obviously concern. Every time you send a player for an MRI and those areas, the calf area, could be tricky," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "We just got to wait, but obviously concerned."
Soto appeared to grimace as he was running from first to third and Mendoza said Soto's calf continued to get tight when he was standing on third base. New York's coaching staff noticed something was off when Soto attempted to run home on a ground ball to the pitcher.
Soto, in his second season with the Mets after signing a 15-year, $765 million contract – the largest in pro sports history – played in 160 games in 2025. He finished third in NL MVP voting, hitting a career-high 43 home runs with 105 RBIs and an NL-best 38 stolen bases, but the Mets failed to reach the playoffs.
Soto played right field last season but shifted to left for 2026 with top prospect Carson Benge stepping into an everyday role in right to start the campaign. If Soto were to miss time, the Mets would likely lean on Taylor heavily in a corner outfield spot, perhaps utilizing Brett Baty in the outfield as well, despite his inexperience.
"You never want to lose a guy like that. I don't know how bad it is yet, but I know he works extremely hard and is going to get himself back as soon as possible," second baseman Marcus Semien said.
"The good thing is we have a deep group. The guys on the bench should be starting on this team and somebody else to going to get a chance. We just try and hold it down while he's out."
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 03: Jake Oettinger throws the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Owen Murphy #91 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch during the first inning of a Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Minor League Baseball is officially in full swing as Columbus and Augusta opened their seasons on Friday and the starting pitching for Atlanta’s farm affiliates absolutely dominated across the board.
(4-3) Gwinnett Stripers 8, (1-6) Round Rock Express 1
Simply put, Didier Fuentes look electric in his first start of the season for Gwinnett as he stretches back out to fill a much-needed rotation spot in Atlanta down the road.
Across 3.2 innings of work, the 20-year-old struck out seven batters while surrendering just one hit and one walk.
Fuentes’ velocity was top tier, as his fastball — which he threw 40 times — topped out at 99.5 miles per hour on the night while averaging a gaudy 97.3 miles per hour. The biggest thing in Fuentes’ performance, however, is the fact only two of his 72 pitches were hit “hard” into fair territory, according to Baseball Savant.
Across less than four innings of work, Fuentes managed to get a remarkable 12 swings and misses.
This will come as a shock to absolutely no one, but Didier Fuentes had himself a DAY in his 2026 debut 🔥
Offensively, things went swimmingly for the Stripers as Rowdt Tellez homered not once, but twice on the night including a 104.2 MPH, three-run shot in the top of the ninth.
Jim Jarvis continues to rake at the plate as he went 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in Gwinnett’s win.
Batting a cool .393 with an OPS of 1.036, Jarvis has gotten off to the hottest start among Atlanta’s positional prospects. What could be the biggest difference Jarvis — albeit the fact it’s still extremely early in the season — is that he is striking out at a much lower clip of 17% this year compared to seasons past.
Sure, it’s only a handful of games to start the year, but it’s an encouraging sign for a franchise in desperate need of solid positional prospects in the upper minors.
Columbus, like Rome and Augusta, kicked off their season on Friday and while the final score may not have been where they had preferred, there were several individual performances to write home about.
Above all else is Owen Murphy who, despite giving up a two-run homer in the first inning, put up solid numbers in his first start.
Across 5.2 innings, Murphy settled down after that first inning snafu and bounced back to strike out 10 batters on the night while holding Chattanooga to just three hits and two runs.
Of his 85 pitches, 58 were for strikes and got 15 swings and misses on the night as well, which led all double-A pitchers on Friday.
At the plate, David McCabe — who returns to Columbus to start the year after a brief stint with Gwinnett to end 2025 — homered while newcomer Tristin English also knocked one over the fence as well.
Keeping with a trend on Friday, Cam Caminiti got the start on the mound for Rome and put up decent numbers as well.
Across 4.2 innings of work, the lefty gave up three runs, but also struck out six batters during the process as well — including a beautifully placed back foot breaking ball for his first strikeout of the night and a dot of a changeup in the fourth inning to get an Asheville batter looking.
While Caminiti dealt, his offense wasted no time in providing run support.
Isaiah Drake and Eric Hartman shouldered most of the load for Rome, as Drake launched a three-run homer after turning on an inside breaking ball and pulling it over the right field wall to extend the Emperors’ lead to 7-1 in the fourth inning. Drake also tallied a stolen base on the night, bringing his early season total to three swipes in two games.
Drake also made an impressive leaping catch in the top of the sixth to take away what would have likely been extra bases as well.
As for Hartman, it’s safe to say he put one of his best tools — his speed — to excellent use on Friday as he managed to rip an RBI-triple into the right field corner and tallied a double to the same spot.
Among the more under-the-radar performances on Friday was Ethan Bagwell who got the start in Augusta’s season opener against Fredericksburg.
Going up against names like Fuentes, Murphy and Caminiti means you probably won’t get top billing in any prospect reports on most nights — to no fault of his own, as Bagwell was simply dominant in his own right.
Not only did Bagwell toss six scoreless innings for the GreenJackets, he also held the Nationals hitless through those six innings of work before giving way to the bullpen. The only blemish on his record for the night was that he issued one walk.
— Augusta GreenJackets (@GreenJackets) April 4, 2026
Bagwell last season pitched to a 3.05 ERA in 59.1 innings of work as it was really the first time we got an extended look at the young righty. What he ended up showing us is a high-octane fastball that he’s able to throw and make it look effortless in the process, while also possessing solid command as well.
Again, he may not get the spotlight like other pitching prospects in Atlanta’s system, but that will almost certainly change by the end of this season for Bagwell who has as high a ceiling as any prospect.
While Bagwell was absolutely dominating, the GreenJackets got some encouraging performances at the dish as well, including from catcher Nick Montgomery who homered while also drawing two walks in the process. For a guy who struggled mightily at the plate a year ago, that’s hopefully a sign of better things to come for him.
— Augusta GreenJackets (@GreenJackets) April 3, 2026
Luis Guanipa got the start in right field while 2025 draftee Conor Essenburg made his professional debut in center field — which was a bit shocking as he profiles more as a corner outfielder. Nevertheless, Guanipa laced two doubles and scored a run on the night, while Essenburg went 1-4 with an RBI and a walk to his credit in his first game.
Apr 3, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tyler Mahle (54) reacts after a second home run hit by New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
Translation: Very bad, Trevor Mahle. Not good. Real dice-y right from the jump. First inning — uh oh.
Mahle has two cards tucked up his sleeve — a split-finger and four-seam fastball — and in his second start as a Giant, he couldn’t figure out a way to effectively sneak them out of his hand. His go-to splitter didn’t coax the chase he wanted from New York bats early on which led to a prolonged first frame.
Francisco Lindor set the tone with a 6-pitch AB that produced a single. Juan Soto followed with a mirror-image plate appearance, working the count full as Mahle attacked low-and-away until a splitter stayed elevated just enough for Soto to yank another single. Already gassed, desperate for some footing, Mahle floated a lazy, first-pitch split over the middle-of-the-plate, and Bo Bichette punched it right back up the middle for the Mets first run of the game.
Missed locations. All types of contact. The inning would continue kind-a like that. The game would continue kind-a like that too.
What was perhaps most frustrating is that despite the early pressure heaped-on by the Mets offense, off-ramps and exits offered opportunity to follow a different path. An alternate timeline presented itslef. A could’ve beenthat almost was in which Mahle closed out at-bats and avoided that laborious, tone-setting first.
Lindor and Soto both had 2-strikes on them, and Mahle played the cards he wanted to — but neither offering had the edge required to put ‘em away. Another full-count to Luis Robert Jr. and a four-seam fastball missed the bottom of the zone by a seam, costing San Francisco an early ABS challenge while loading the bases. And just when the inning was going belly-up, there was another life-line. A choice splitter from Mahle got a lunge-y swing out of Brett Baty, a come-backer that earned an A-B-C, 1-2-3 double play without sacrificing another run.
A glimmer of light — there was a way out of this bleakness…
And then things went dark again. Mahle reverted to pitch like he was trying to pin the tail on the donkey: eyes closed and arms stretched out in front of him, trying to survive on feel when clearly, there was no feel. Mark Vientos walked on four pitches, and another splitter ended up in the outfield to give the Mets a second run in the frame.
Two runs were scraps after New York had set the table for a feast, but it was enough. An early lead has proven intimidating to this toddling Giants offense, and 33 1st-inning pitches from Mahle was the initial quake whose after-shocks would be felt late on. Marcus Semien took on the center field wall in the 4th to double New York’s lead. Two batters later catcher Francisco Alvarez launched his first of two homers on a dead fish splitter flopped out over the plate.
Meanwhile, New York starter Nolan McClean (who started the WBC final for the USA) retired the first 15 Giants hitters he faced. A human saw mill — like he was frisbeeing circular saws from the mound, the type of movement he produced was that shocking. Though right-handed, his low-arm slot and cross body delivery makes him come off as southpaw. And the difference in induced break he gets from the arm-side run on his sinker compared to the glove-side sweeper feels comparable to the wingspan of a California condor.
While that’s an exaggeration — you know, for effect (a condor’s wings, tip to tip averages around 9 feet) — the point is that the Giants hitters had no idea what was about to come at them and where it was going to go. This showed. McLean cruised through 5 perfect frames, and when he dug himself into 3-ball counts, he climbed himself out of it just as easily, because no matter the supposed count leverage. 3-1 fastball down the middle — Jung Hoo Lee was cast under a spell, perplexed and beholden to the right-and-left turns McLean’s pitches made on their way to the plate.
The only one that could break the spell was McLean himself. He seemed to lose his bearings in the 6th. Harrison Bader and Patrick Bailey figured the best policy was just to stand back, watch, and hope for the best. Their walks gave San Francisco their first base-runners of the day, their first runner in scoring position, and set-up their first run, punched in by a lovely, opposite-field gapper by Willy Adames that skipped over the wall for a ground rule double. First hit knocked McLean from the game, and they’d plate one more on a passed ball by Alvarez. Two runs that at the time felt like massive leaps. Just three runs down, the Giants were back in it…
Until they weren’t. Alvarez made amends for his error for a lead-off homer in the 7th off JT Brubaker. Later, Luis Robert Jr. then singled Bo Bichette home after his double to immediately get back the pair of forfeited runs.
West Covina, CA - April 12: Starting pitcher Sterling Patick #9 of South Hills throws to the plate against Walnut in the third inning of a prep baseball game at South Hills High School in West Covina on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
After a low-scoring first game in High-A, the other three Dodgers affiliates all engaged in high-scoring affairs on the first day of all four affiliates playing in 2026.
Players of the day
For a second straight night, a Dodgers affiliate got a strong opening day start from a player drafted on the third day in 2023. One day after 17th-rounder Luke Fox shined for Double-A Tulsa, 18th-rounder Sterling Patick struck out seven in five scoreless frames for High-A Great Lakes.
Patick allowed lone singles in the first and fourth innings and walked nobody. Fort Wayne did not put a runner in scoring position off the left-hander until a two-out double in the fifth inning, but Patick got out of his only real jam with a lineout to right field to end his night. He turns 21 in June.
Jesus Tillero didn’t start, but he struck out eight in five scoreless innings, allowing only two singles in Class-A Ontario’s blowout win. An international signing out of Venezuela in 2023, the right-hander did well in his first taste of Class-A last year, posting a 3.09 ERA with Rancho Cucamonga, but with a 12.9-percent walk rate. On Friday night he walked nobody and retired 15 of his 17 batters faced. Tillero doesn’t turn 20 until May.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets scored seven runs in the first two innings, and it held up to beat the Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics).
Zach Ehrhard had a two-run triple. Ryan Ward had a two-run single in a three-RBI night, and scored two runs. Hyeseong Kim and Ryan Fitzgerald batted first and second, and each one reached base twice and scored two runs.
Ryder was the first of the Ryan brothers to start for the Comets this weekend, and struck out five in his five innings, allowing one run in the first inning and nothing else.
Double-A Tulsa
Drillers pitchers walked a whopping 15 batters and fell behind early in a loss to the San Antonio Missions (Padres).
Adam Serwinowski was wild in his season debut with six walks, including two of them to open the second inning before a double and home run. In all, the left-hander allowed five runs in his 3 2/3 innings, with three strikeouts.
Maddux Bruns made the first relief appearance of his professional career. The Dodgers’ first-round pick from 2021 started his first 77 minor league games before Friday, when he struck out four in his first two innings scoreless but, keeping with the theme of the night for Drillers pitchers, also walked three, then allowed three hits and three runs in his third inning of work, recording just one out.
Nick Nastrini reached the majors with the Chicago White Sox in 2024 but it’s in question whether he ever makes it back. The 26-year-old right-hander followed Bruns in the seventh inning on Friday and walked all three batters he faced, throwing just one strike. The former fourth-round pick of the Dodgers in 2021 who was sent to Chicago in the Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly trade in 2023, Nastrini last season in Triple-A walked more than he struck out, including 18 walks and 10 strikeouts in his final nine innings in Charlotte and then Jacksonville before re-joining the Dodgers last July on waivers. Nastrini last year with Oklahoma City walked seven of his 10 batters faced and threw three wild pitches.
Kendall George had three infield singles and stole second base after all three hits. Josue De Paula walked three times, singled home a run, and for the second straight night stole a base. Zyhir Hope doubled.
First baseman Joe Vetrano had two hits for Tulsa, including the Drillers’ first home run of the season, a three-run shot in the eighth inning. Once trailing 11-2, Tulsa scored three runs in the seventh, three more in the eighth, and had the tying runs on base in the ninth to make the final score closer.
The Loons exchanged runs with the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres) in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, with Great Lakes riding the odd innings to a 2-1 victory.
First baseman Cameron Decker hit a solo home run for the Loons’ first run of the season.
— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) April 3, 2026
Third baseman Logan Wagner led off the seventh with a double, then after an infield single and hit by pitch, catcher Victor Rodrigues walked for the game-winning RBI.
Jacob Frost had a wild ride in his professional debut, with the 2025 10th-round draft pick walking three and allowing a run in his two innings, with his two strikeouts. By the timing of the runs scored, Frost earned the win. Logan Tabeling retired six of his seven batters faced with two strikeouts, closing out the game with a two-inning save.
Class-A Ontario
The Tower Buzzers put up crooked numbers in five different innings in a rout of the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres).
Shortstop Emil Morales had four singles, with three runs scored and three RBI, and also stole a base. Leadoff man Jaron Elkins walked twice, singled, stole two bases, and scored four runs. Joendry Vargas was the designated hitter on Friday and hit an RBI double to go with two walks.
Ontario batters provided a lesson in patience early in facing Kruz Schoolcraft, the San Diego Padres’ first-round draft pick last year making his professional debut. The left-hander retired only three of his 11 batters faced, and was pulled after walking three batters and allowing a single to open the second inning. In all, four Tower Buzzers walked against Schoolcraft and plated six runs against him.
ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 03: Leo Rivas #76 of the Seattle Mariners makes a throw to first during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning everyone and welcome to the weekend!
The Mariners notched their first extra-innings win of the season yesterday in a 3-1 victory over the Angels thanks to strong pitching performances from Bryan Woo, Matt Brash, Andrés Muñoz, and Gabe Speier.
It really is incredible to watch this M’s bullpen in action. Do you have a favorite member of that bunch? We all know that fellow Lookout Landing author Zach Mason is the president of the Speier Choir, and I’m personally partial to Muñoz.
In Mariners news…
Farah Jordan at King 5 interviewed Leo Rivas to help fans get to know him a bit better.
Thursday’s Tacoma Rainiers game included some fun history, with both starting pitchers in the contest being primary knuckleballers.
Around the league…
We’ve got a scare in Queens as Mets outfielder Juan Soto was pulled from yesterday’s game with a right calf issue. He will undergo an MRI.
The White Sox will retire the jersey No. 13 in honor of longtime player, manager, and broadcaster Ozzie Guillen.
Thomas Nestico broke down some pitchers he has been impressed with since Opening Day, highlighting Emerson Hancock as a standout.
Some teams are off to unexpectedly rough starts to the season. Dan Szymborski put their poor performances into context and looked at how a team’s playoff odds can change after one bad April.
Baseball America published its first in-season update to it’s top 100 prospects list. Mariners starter Ryan Sloan made the biggest jump in the sport, going from No. 60 to No. 22.
Don’t look now, but Cole Young has been the most valuable defender in baseball so far.
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 03: Derek Hill #25 of the Chicago White Sox slides safely into home with the winning run in the 10th inning during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees’ hot start to 2026 hummed along yesterday in their home opener. Aaron Judge and Ben Rice brought the lumber as Will Warren outpitched talented young Marlins righty Eury Pérez, and the Yankees woon, 8-6. At 6-1, the Yankees have the best record in baseball. So call the season there! It’s over!
No? Whatever, Manfred. We’ll roll on tonight as the Yankees take on the Marlins again. In the meantime, we’ll catch up on tbe other notable American League action from yesterday.
Toronto Blue Jays (4-3) 4, Chicago White Sox (2-5) 5 (10 innings)
The defending AL champions got to start off 2026 with a cushy nine-game slate before their April 6-8 rematch with the Dodgers, and they seemeed on track to take care of business by sweeping the A’s in their Opening Day series. Since then, though? They inexplicably dropped two of three to the rebuilding Rockies at Rogers Centre, where they rarely lost in 2025, and now they’ve begun their first road series of the year by falling to the White Sox, who have lost 324 games across the last three seasons. Yikes.
The afternoon both began and ended with sloppy plays from Toronto that proved costly. Chicago grabbed an early 1-0 lead when Dylan Cease dropped a throw from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base, allowing Chase Meidroth to score. Addison Barger and Alejandro Kirk responded with back-to-back doubles in the second to tie it up, but from there, bulk guy Sean Burke stymied Toronto on two hits, no walks, and seven strikeouts while tossing six innings.
On the strength of a two-run double off Cease from newcomer Austin Hays, the White Sox carried a 3-1 lead into the eighth. But one of Toronto’s lightest hitters, Andrés Giménez, silenced the excited South Side crowd:
Both sides had a chance to push across the go-ahead run to break the tie in the ninth. But after Daulton Varsho’s two-out double, White Sox skipper Will Venable called upon free-agent signing Seranthony Domínguez to strand him, and he did by fanning Kazuma Okamoto. The Pale Hose missed their first shot at walking off despite having the winning run at second with one down in the ninth. Tyler Rogers got Meidroth to fly out, intentionally walked Munetaka Murakami, and then got Miguel Vargas to ground out.
Vargas would compound his problems in the top of the 10th, as his two-out throw from third on a grounder ever-so-slightly pulled Murakami off the bag, bringing home the zombie runner. So Toronto handed a 4-3 lead to closer Jeff Hoffman, and it seemed like a done deal when Colson Montgomery grounded out and Hays went down swinging. During the Hays at-bat, however, a foul ball might’ve changed the course of the final result, as it went straight off Kirk’s thumb behind the plate. He was immediately in pain and had to leave (X-rays were still pending as of the time I write /this), forcing Toronto to put in backup Tyler Heineman.
Down to their last out, Derek Hill made the bold call to surprise the defense by dropping down a bunt, and Heineman was quickly tested. His throw to Guerrero went down the right-field line to score their zombie runner and give 26-year-old rookie Tristan Peters—purchased from the Rays in December—a chance to win the game. Peters did just that, roping a single to right to make the White Sox winners in their home opener.
Both San Diego and Boston were off to shaky starts to 2026, but since they squared off against each other on Friday, someone had to get back on the right track. It would be the Red Sox, as the fans at Fenway for their home opener went home happy. It was a pitching matchup of former Yankees, with Michael King squaring off against Sonny Gray (who only overlapped in 2018 spring training), and the latter trade acquisition had the edge early with four scoreless while King allowed RBI hits to Ceddanne Rafaela and Caleb Durbin.
The erstwhile Baby Bomber Durbin had been 0-for-18 to start the season after coming over from Milwaukee and got booed early on, but his single scored Jarren Duran to make it 2-0, Red Sox.
The parade of old friends making an impact on this game continued in the fifth, when Miguel Andujar tripled off his former teammate Gray on a ball that Rafaela seemingly lost in the sun. He scored on a Gavin Sheets single, and Sheets came around himself on a Luis Campusano double.
The 2-2 tie held until the home half of the sixth, when Boston knocked King out of the game and took the lead for good. Willson Contreras delivered his first homer in a Red Sox uniform, a 423-foot blast to put Boston up, and after Wandy Peralta (hey, another former Yankee) relieved King, 2021 fourth-overall pick Marcelo Mayer went yard for a decisive two-run blow.
Although Ron Marinaccio (another!) pitched a scoreless frame after Peralta left, the Padres never chipped away. With Carlos Narváez (another!!) behind the plate, the Boston bullpen trio of Greg Weissert (another!!!), Justin Slaten, and Aroldis Chapman (one more for the road) closed it out with three hitless innings.
Seattle Mariners (4-4) 3, Los Angeles Angels (3-5) 1 (10 innings)
Offense was hard to come by during the first game of 2026 from “The Big A,” as Bryan Woo and Reid Detmers engaged in a pitchers’ duel. On paper, it was no contest. The 2025 M’s ace was nearly perfect, permitting just three baserunners across his seven innings of work with the lone hit coming on a measly infield single from Oswald Peraza (bonus!) in the third. Mike Trout was the only Angels to reach twice against Woo, via a plunking in a walk. Peraza and Trout reached in separate innings, and the Halos went down on five strikeouts across a perfect eighth and ninth from Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz.
However, the Angels’ own surprisingly good pitching also shut out Seattle through nine. Detmers walked four and allowed three hits, but he did match Woo in zeroes across 6.2 innings because the Mariners just couldn’t push a run across. They stranded at least one baserunner in almost every frame — most egregiously in the fourth, when Brendan Donovan grounded out with two on and one out before Detmers fanned J.P. Crawford—and the eighth, when another two-on, one-out jam went by the wayside at the hands of veteran reliever Drew Pomeranz. Cal Raleigh had walked and Julio Rodríguez singled to set it up for Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena who … popped up and hit a comebacker, respectively.
Mercifully for Mariners fans, the trend came to a halt once Seattle inherited its zombie runner in the 10th. Cole Young led off with a triple into the right-field corner off Brent Suter.
That was nice, but since Rob Refsnyder and Cal Raleigh followed with unproductive outs, there was a chance that Seattle would have to settle for one and hold on for dear life in the home half of the 10th. However, Suter intentionally walked J-Rod and he moved to second on a ball in the dirt. Naylor came through this time with a two-run single and Seattle had a more comfortable 3-0 lead.
Gabe Speier entered to close it out in the Halos’ half of the 10th, and Naylor’s insurance proved to be valuable. The zombie runner Trout scored on a groundout and a sacrifice fly, but at that point, Seattle was happy to trade him for outs. Yoán Moncada struck out to end it, completing a combined extra-inning one-hitter for the Mariners.
Houston Astros (5-3) 4, Athletics (2-5)11
The A’s second home opener as West Sacramento tenants turned into a whooping of the Astros in a hurry. Cristian Javier quite plainly didn’t have it for Houston, as he got waxed for six runs on six hits and five (!) walks while recording just 11 outs. The A’s scored three in the third to go ahead 4-1 and then doubled that inning’s output in the fourth, knocking out Javier and beating up reliever Roddery Muñoz for six more runs.
Lawrence Butler and Max Muncy the Younger were the stars of those two frames, with both contributing RBIknocks in the former, then muscling up in the latter for homers on back-to-back offerings from Muñoz.
Jeffrey Springs was superb on the A’s pitching side, firing six innings of two-hit ball with seven K’s, a third-inning sacrifice fly the only damage on his record. By the time Muncy’s homer landed, this one felt all but over since the A’s were into double digits, and the Astros—who had long since pulled Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Christian Walker—merely mustered a few garbage-time runs at the end to make the final score at least a smidge closer.
Detroit Tigers (3-4) 4, St. Louis Cardinals (4-3) 0
The Tigers began their 2026 slate at Comerica Park with an efficient 4-0 shutout of St. Louis. Big free-agent signing Framber Valdez got to make his first start in the Old English D, and he turned away the Cards with six shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks while fanning five to earn his first win with Detroit.
Batterymate Dillon Dingler helped out his pitcher too, getting the scoring started in Detroit with a 433-foot shot for a two-run homer against Michael McGreevy. The Tigers tacked on insurance runs in the fifth and sixth via RBI knocks from 2025 All-Stars Riley Greene and Javy Báez, and three scoreless from the ’pen locked in the shutout.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 19: Dean Kremer #64 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Triple-A: Memphis (Cardinals) 5, Norfolk Tides 4
One notable thing that happened here is that the Tides stuck with their original plan of having erstwhile Oriole Dean Kremer make the start for this game. That rules him out as an option for when Zach Eflin’s turn next comes up in the MLB rotation. Prior to this, a callup would have taken some roster juggling to manage. If the Orioles wanted to do it, they could have done it. They didn’t.
Kremer did not pitch in such a way that he was demanding an immediate promotion back to MLB. He allowed three runs over a 4.2 inning outing and seems to have been yanked for effectiveness reasons rather than pitch count: He’d only thrown 62 pitches when his day ended. He should have been better than these guys and he wasn’t. Will we see him in a week? Will it be longer? We won’t know til we know. This is one point in the favor of those who thought “let Kremer’s bad April happen in the minors” was a strategy worth following.
The Tides offense was unfortunately putrid against former Oriole Bruce Zimmermann. Two solo home runs were the only damage they could muster in the six innings that he was in the game. Rehabbing Oriole Jackson Holliday had one hit in five at-bats, and also drove in two runs. Other than Holliday, it’s a sad lineup down here to start their season. Norfolk had its share of chances but with 0-6 with RISP they could never get the big hit to really break the game in their favor.
Baysox pitchers issued 11 walks and gave up 12 hits in the game. That’s a tough way to win unless your offense absolutely explodes – as we’ll see for Delmarva in a later section today. Chesapeake, though, did not score until the eighth inning of the game and had just six hits in the game.
Not much consolation for the Baysox, but at least the three most interesting hitting prospects all avoided taking an 0-for in the game. Griff O’Ferrall had a hit and walk out of the leadoff spot. My guy Aron Estrada went 1-4, as did outfielder Thomas Sosa, whose lone hit was an RBI double. Estrada and Sosa are each 21 as they start the year at this level. Interesting guys to follow, and they’ll be more interesting if they’re able to put together some strong results as the season goes along.
Those who watched the prospect-oriented Spring Breakout game last month may have remembered the relief appearance of pitching prospect Joseph Dzierwa. The Orioles second round pick from last year didn’t pitch after the draft last year and was assigned straight to High-A this year. He had an absolutely dominant outing, mowing down the Spartanburgers (really) inning after inning.
Dzierwa ultimately struck out nine batters over six innings while allowing just one hit and one walk, and he’d only thrown 78 pitches, so he might well have been pushed deeper if the team was so inclined. That’s a heck of a pro debut. I hope he’s able to keep up something like it in his subsequent outings.
Plenty to like about the offense here too, where fellow high 2025 draftees Ike Irish and Wehiwa Aloy made good things happen. Irish hit a pair of doubles across five at-bats, while Aloy had a triple in three at-bats and also drew a pair of walks. In the leadoff spot, Nate George had a hit, walk, and stolen base, and scored two runs. Pretty good stuff. Not everyone shared in this bounty; spring training fun story Vance Honeycutt went hitless, drawing a walk over four plate appearances.
We’ve got a donnybrook on our hands! The two teams combined for 22 hits, 18 walks, and five errors. The South Atlantic League is a long way from MLB and some games remind one of this much more than others. Many of the players on both teams are making their full-season affiliate debuts as the 2026 campaign begins and, well, it shows.
Let’s focus on the good. Five players in Delmarva’s starting lineup had multi-hit games, led by the three-hit effort by 19-year-old outfielder Junior Aybar. Have I ever in my life thought of this player before right now? No. Now I’ll be paying attention to him for the rest of the year because he drove in five runs the first time I did a minor league recap in 2026. 2024 sixth round pick DJ Layton, also 19, was also making things happen, with two hits and two walks across five plate appearances.
This is a very young team. Not much good has come from young Delmarva teams in the past few years. It’ll be nice if some players in this group can turn that around.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 03: The Kauffman Stadium video scoreboard displays that the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals is postponed due to weather on April 03, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Friday’s game was rained out, to be made up as a doubleheader on Saturday. Anne Rogers has details.
Saturday’s originally scheduled game will be moved up to 1:10 p.m. CT, with Friday’s makeup game scheduled for 6:10 p.m. CT.
Friday’s tickets will be honored for the rescheduled game Saturday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Fans do not have to exchange their original tickets if they elect to attend the rescheduled game.
First, it happens. Second, while it does happen, it’s not a great look, especially at this point in the season. It has an impact on the team. After catching a marathon game on Wednesday, Salvador Perez was due for a day off behind the plate and was in the initial lineup as the DH. Those plans were scuttled when the Royals decided to remove Jensen from the starting lineup. Then, once Perez was out of the DH spot, the Royals moved Jac Caglianone there from his spot in right to DH and inserted Lane Thomas into the lineup. That’s not the kind of matchup you want against the right-hander Taj Bradley. Thomas went 0-4.
In 18 plate appearances, Jensen is hitting .125 with a .480 OPS. He has a home run, but he is also striking out 44.4% of the time and only walking 5.6% of the time. Furthermore, his wOBA is only .207, and his xwOBA is even worse at .188. For context, the Royals rookie catcher posted a .403 wOBA and .447 xwOBA in 69 plate appearances last season.
A microcosm of Jensen’s struggles this year can be seen in this plate appearance against Minnesota reliever Kody Funderburk on Opening Day at Kauffman Stadium on March 30th. On a 3-2 count, Funderburk serves him up a fastball right down the middle. It’s a pitch Jensen would’ve mashed a season ago. Unfortunately, Jensen, obviously pressing, watches it for strike three.
The Royals will play the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night and the game will only be available to watch on Apple TV. It’s one of four games this season that will be shown exclusively on Apple TV. Four more will be on Peacock. Ten Royals games that will be simulcast on KCTV (Ch. 5) or KSMO (Ch. 62) this season.
It begs the question: Why can’t (or won’t) Major League Baseball and the Royals simulcast those Peacock and Apple TV games on local TV, whether it’s KCTV or another channel?
Meanwhile, Kansas City leaders for almost a year have publicly floated available stadium incentives worth hundreds of millions of dollars using tools such as tax increment financing, a sales tax exemption on construction materials and tax-free bonds.
Officials also have suggested that Washington Square Park would be simple in terms of land assembly, at least when it comes to the two main properties containing a stadium. But the Royals also aim to build a mixed-use ballpark district, and it’s not clear whether the team or potential partners have locked down any nearby parcels.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 03: Washington Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas (36) hands to ball Washington Nationals manager Blake Butera (10) after giving up 10 runs during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals on April 03, 2026 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. (Photo by Charles Brock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
If you watched yesterday’s game, one thing stuck out like a sore thumb, and that was the ineffectiveness of Miles Mikolas. After two great innings to start the game, the veteran got tattooed, allowing a club record 11 earned runs. That begs the question, how long will Blake Butera and Paul Toboni stick with the veteran right hander?
Miles Mikolas has officially been charged with a Nationals club-record 11 earned runs.
Hopes were not very high when the Nats signed Mikolas on a one-year deal. Over the last three seasons, Mikolas had posted a 4.98 ERA in 98 starts. Now, the right hander was a year older and playing in front of a worse infield defense. The signing was a bit curious, but hey it was just a one-year deal and Mikolas has been a known innings eater.
Nats fans knew Mikolas would have some outings that weren’t great, but the hope was that he could deliver some quality starts and go five to six innings each time. So far, we have only seen the bad. In Mikolas’ defense, he has faced two high powered lineups that have owned him in the past. I also did not think he was that bad in his first outing, he was just hurt by his defense.
However, the overall results have been ugly so far. Mikolas has allowed 17 runs and 15 earned runs in his first 9.1 innings. There are innings where Mikolas hits his spots and looks good, but the margin for error is so small for the veteran. When he misses his spots, he gets absolutely clobbered.
That is due to a lack of pure stuff. Mikolas has never had great stuff, but in his first two starts this year, the stuff looks diminished. At 37 years old, this should not be much of a surprise. His already hittable 4-seam fastball went from 93 MPH to 91.9 MPH so far this season. Mikolas does not have the secondary pitches or deception to make up for this velocity loss. He is just a sitting duck when he is not perfect with his command.
Miles Mikolas did not have a good Friday as he allowed 11 ER across 4.1 IP against the Dodgers pic.twitter.com/Txd1bc2dTZ
In 2026, the average fastball from a righty starter is over 95 MPH. Stuff is better than ever, which makes Mikolas an easy target for these hitters so used to high velocity heaters. When Mikolas was at his best in 2018 and 2022, his 4-seam fastball averaged 94.1 and 93.5 MPH respectively. He has never been a guy with put away secondary pitches, so he has needed to rely on the fastball.
Right now, the fastball just is not there. While Blake Butera heavily indicated that Mikolas will be making his next start, if this continues much longer, it will be time for uncomfortable conversations. The Nats do not have a shortage of options at the AAA level right now.
One guy I would like to see back in the big leagues is Andrew Alvarez. Since coming up in September of last year, he has been very impressive. He posted a 2.31 ERA in 5 starts last year, and looked good this spring. After a shaky first start in Rochester, he dominated last time out, throwing five scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts.
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) April 3, 2026
Like Mikolas, Alvarez does not have a power fastball. However, he does have the kind of sharp secondary pitches that Mikolas does not possess. It is also a little easier to be a soft tosser as a lefty. Southpaws just tend to create more awkward angles and deception with hitters. With Mikolas, you are not getting any of that deception.
It seems like the Nats will give Mikolas some time to try and figure it out. However, I think the leash should be short. They did not commit much to him financially, and the results have been catastrophic so far. If the results don’t turn around in the next couple starts, the Nats need to pull the plug. Admitting when you mess up is a sign of an intelligent front office. No GM bats 1.000, and it looks like the Mikolas signing will be a miss.
I get giving the veteran some time. Mikolas has accomplished a lot in his career, so pulling the plug after two starts would be rough, especially on a rebuilding team. However, it really seems like the writing is on the wall with this experiment. Hopefully, Mikolas turns it around, but I do not have faith.
Miles Mikolas made two All-Star teams and had some great years in St. Louis. However, father time is undefeated. It really seems like Miles Mikolas is at the end of the line here. He better bounce back next time out, or the pressure will really ramp up on the Nats new regime to solve this problem.
COVERS INTEL: Holmes altered his pitch mix in his first start, ditching his poor slider (.374 xwOBA) and adding a curveball. All of his offerings, other than his sinker, graded out at 100 or above in Stuff+ in his debut.
