CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 31: Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a two RBI home run in the 9th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you just look at the box score for this game, it won’t tell you much beyond the Cincinnati Reds getting handed a loss by 5 runs from their division rivals from upriver in Pittsburgh. However, there was a level of nuance to how this one shook out that wasn’t quite so objective, and that’s what I’ll try to spell out for you here.
Yes, Brandon Williamson’s first start since September of 2024 could have gone a whole lot better. He gave up back to back longballs at one point, one of the backbreaking 3-run variety in a 5-run Top of the 2nd by the Pirates. However rusty he was, though, is hidden a bit by the fact that he actually stuck around to throw 94 pitches and almost get through 5 IP (4.2) which helped buy manager Terry Francona a bit more time out of his bullpen after it’s been worked hard through the first few games of the year.
The Reds were also technically no-hit through the first four frames by top Pittsburgh prospect Bubba Chandler, who did look excellent for a lot of his outing. However, they had an initial hit by Ke’Bryan Hayes later (correctly) ruled an error, and Chandler did walk 6 (six!) batters in his 4.1 IP, which meant time and time again the Reds came to the plate with ample runners on base and simply couldn’t cash them in early.
Things remained squirrely late, too. After Chandler was chased, Cincinnati put some thunder in their bats for the Pittsburgh bullpen, and both Elly De La Cruz and the inimitable Sal Stewart even went yard back to back to get this game much, much more interesting in the Bottom of the 8th. Eugenio Suarez then singled in what was then a 6-3 game, Bucs manager Don Kelly got tossed for arguing Geno should’ve been called out on strikes on a check-swing, Dane Myers singled to bring the would-be tying run to the plate in Nate Lowe, and Lowe then hit a liner in between 1B and 2B that nearly cleared the infield…only for it to be caught on a dive and turned into an inning-ending double play.
Before I could get my surrender cobra off my head, Pierce Johnson had served up a 2-run homer to Oneil Cruz, and the game was suddenly 8-3. You’d think that’s where the drama had ended, but the Reds still managed to coax the bases loaded in the Bottom of the 9th with Geno at the plate…only for him to strike out to end a game that was seemingly one big swing away from being a whole lot more fun in retrospect.
The Reds will wrap this series on Wednesday with Opening Day starters Andrew Abbott and Paul Skenes on the mound, with first pitch set for 12:40 PM ET. Given how frustrating the first start of the year was for Skenes, methinks the Reds are going to seriously lament that they didn’t find the big hit tonight to clinch this series since that’s a hammer they simply cannot match.
Mar 31, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches against St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Kodai Senga’s first start of the season went well, but the Mets’ lineup was lifeless as the team lost 3-0 to the lowly Cardinals tonight in St. Louis.
It’s hard to come out of seeing your team get shut out by an unimpressive cast of pitchers, but let’s start with the positive. Senga continued to hit the high-90s with his fastball, and he struck out nine and walked three in six innings of work. Officially, he gave up two earned runs, but even those were not entirely his fault.
Luis Robert Jr. came to the Mets as a sure-thing great defender in center field who’s struggled to stay healthy and was coming off back-to-back disappointing years at the plate. He’s been a hot hitter to start his Mets tenure, but the noteworthy defense in center was notably missing in the bottom of the third tonight. Victor Scott II led off the inning with a well-struck ball to center, but it was one that a good defender should’ve caught.
Instead, Robert Jr. misread it, and Scott wound up on second base with a double as a result. On an ensuing single to center by JJ Wetherholt, Robert Jr. missed the cutoff man as Scott stopped at third, allowing Wetherholt to advance to second unnecessarily. Iván Herrera then doubled to left field to plate both of those runners.
That was effectively when the game ended. Despite the fact that they were facing a starting pitcher who had a 5.31 ERA last year and a bullpen that included Ryne Stanek, the Mets mustered up just three hits in total. Their best chance at scoring came in the top of the sixth, as Juan Soto smoked a double to begin the inning and was followed by Bo Bichette drawing a walk.
But Robert Jr. flew out to center, and Jared Young lined out to shortstop. Bichette didn’t get the best read on that line drive, and he was doubled off first.
Carlos Mendoza opted to turn the game over to Richard Lovelady in the bottom of the seventh, and while you can feel for the person for having been designated for assignment by the same team so many times over the past year, you can’t help but wonder why the Mets have a payroll that far exceeds $300 million but continue to acquire and roster a pitcher like him.
Lovelady served up a solo home run to Ramón Urias to lead off his first frame. If there was a silver lining in this game, it was the fact that Lovelady didn’t give up any more runs and soaked up the eighth inning, too, to keep the rest of the Mets’ bullpen fresh.
And if you’re looking to end this recap on an upbeat note, well, the Mets have a chance to win the series in St. Louis tomorrow at 1:15 PM EDT with Freddy Peralta on the mound. Here’s hoping they can score for him.
Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +7.2% WPA Big Mets loser: Jared Young, -17.6% WPA Mets pitchers: -3.1% WPA Mets hitters: -46.9% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto doubles to start the sixth, +8.1% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jared Young lines into a double play in the sixth, -15.4% WPA
Mar 30, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pinch hitter Matt Shaw (6) hits a single against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. We’ve got a fire going in here. There’s no cover charge. We can check your coat for you. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked you who will lead the Cubs in home runs this year and I stupidly forgot to include Seiya Suzuki as an option. In any case, 60 percent of you picked Michael Busch. Fourteen percent of you picked “other,” which I assume meant Suzuki.
Here’s the part where we listen to jazz. I don’t normally do movie stuff on Tuesday nights, so just enjoy the tunes.
Tonight we’re featuring vibraphonist Sasha Berliner at SFJazz this past December. She’s joined by Tristan Cappel on tenor sax and flute, Javier Santiago on keyboards, Giulio Xavier Cetto on bass and the drummer is Myles Martin.
This is “Did You Get It?”
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.
The natural position for Matt Shaw is second base. Can he play other positions? Sure. But he’s going to be most valuable at second base.
This is a problem for Shaw and the Cubs now that they have signed Nico Hoerner for the next six years. Hoerner is not moving off of second base. Third base, where Shaw played last year, is occupied by Alex Bregman for the next six years. So unless you think Shaw can be a corner outfielder, the Cubs are looking at keeping Shaw as a utility player until he reaches free agency if they don’t trade him first.
At this time last year, Shaw was a Top 50 prospect in all of baseball. After one year in the majors, he still has some of that top prospect sheen. He was the Cubs starting third baseman last year and while his overall numbers weren’t great, they were much better in the second half after he got adjusted to the majors. His defense at third base was good. Baseball Reference and Fangraphs had very different evaluations of his overall WAR (3.1 on BR and 1.5 on Fangraphs) but even if you go by the lower value, a 23-year-old who was worth a win and a half usually has a promising future.
But it doesn’t look like Shaw has a promising future with the Cubs. They’re trying him out in right field and while there isn’t enough of a sample size to draw any conclusions from the stats, Shaw isn’t passing the eye test out there. Maybe he gets better. But is Shaw’s best value as a corner outfielder?
I would argue that it isn’t. Even if Shaw learns to play a decent outfield, I don’t think he’s going to hit like a corner outfielder hits. Shaw profiles as an above-average hitter as a second baseman. I think he’s a below-average hitter as a left or right fielder.
So the answer appears to be to trade Shaw. However, the Cubs had a major weakness last season: their bench. Shaw is a huge upgrade over Jon Berti, Vidal Bruján and everyone else whom the Cubs used as a backup infielder last season. Even Willi Castro, who turned into a pumpkin right after the trade deadline.
So it would seem that the Cubs could really use Shaw this year to shore up their bench. The problem with that is that the longer Shaw plays as a utility player, the less his value on the trade market gets. Sure, some top 50 prospects end up as utility infielders (Iowa Cub Scott Kingery is one), but if another team thinks that Shaw can be their starting second baseman for the next five years, maybe it’s better to trade him now, even if the Cubs have to accept 75 cents on the dollar for him.
So how urgent is the need to trade Matt Shaw? Should the Cubs try to get a deal done as soon as possible, or should they wait until the offseason? That way the Cubs would have Shaw ready to step in for any injuries during the season and there might be a bigger market in the winter. On the other hand, there might be teams looking to dump players who are approaching free agency whom the Cubs could get for Shaw now who would not be available in the winter. No, I don’t think the Tigers are trading Tarik Skubal unless they completely fall out of playoff contention, but there might be other quality players whom teams would deal for Shaw.
Or maybe you think the Cubs should keep Shaw for next season. Maybe you think he can hit and field well enough to be a quality corner outfielder. Maybe you just want to keep him around as a utility super-sub.
If you think the Cubs should trade Shaw as soon as possible, just vote “by the trade deadline.” Most teams aren’t willing to make deals before June, but you never know when a team might suffer an injury that Shaw be the answer for.
Thanks for stopping by tonight. We’ve enjoyed hosting you. Please get home safely. Tell your friends about us. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.
Mar 31, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) runs to first base on an RBI bases loaded walk scoring catcher Tyler Heineman in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Last night, with the series opener, the Colorado Rockies soundly defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in a 14-5 onslaught. In Game 2, the Rockies hit some bad luck and (again) couldn’t seem to get the offense working (again). Add to that a seventh inning that put the Rockies on the back foot.
They ended up ceding the second game to the Blue Jays, 5-1.
More bad luck for Ryan Feltner
The game was fairly uneventful — a bit of a pitchers’ duel between Ryan Feltner and Max Scherzer — until the bottom of the third inning when Feltner was injured on a 106 mph comebacker from Andrés Giménez.
The injury was diagnosed as a “right glute contusion.”
After finishing the inning, he was removed from the game.
Before his exit, Felter looked excellent. He left the game with 3.0 IP, giving up one hit and striking out four on 47 pitches. Given Feltner’s history of injuries in 2025, any potential derailment of his season is reason for concern.
Although there was some traffic on the base paths, the game remained scoreless through four innings.
Manager Warren Schaeffer said of Feltner after the game, “I think we avoided something bad there” since Feltner’s hip tightened up after the contact and prevented him from re-entering the game.
According to Feltner, his hip “just stiffened up,” and he expects to make his next start.
The bullpen takes over
Juan Mejia entered in the fourth. He gave up hits to Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto before pulling off this nifty double play.
However, Mejia was not so fortunate in the fifth where he loaded the bases before handing the ball over to Jaden Hill, who promptly game up an RBI single to Jesús Sánchez, making the score 1-0 Blue Jays.
He then walked Guerrero Jr with the bases loaded, making the score 2-0 Blue Jays. Following that, Hill struck out Okamoto and Lukes with the bases loaded.
In addition, the Blue Jays had used both of their challenges by the end of the fifth inning.
Hunter Goodman enters the chat
The Rockies certainly had their chances early in this game, courtesy of singles from T.J. Rumfield and Brenton Doyle, but neither were able to score.
That all changed in the sixth when the Rockies got on the board after Hunter Goodman hit his first home run of the season, a gorgeous second-decker (435 ft, 110.9 mph).
Scherzer’s evening was done after tossing 6.0 innings. He allowed four hits and one run (earned), walking one and striking out four and the Blue Jays leading 2-1.
Rumfield led off the seventh with a single (sensing a theme here) and made it to second on a wild pitch before being picked off at second and ending the inning.
Blue Jays feather their nest in the seventh
Zach Agnos came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and gave up three singles that led to the Blue Jays taking a 3-1 lead on a Okamoto RBI. Nathan Lukes followed that with another RBI single, and the score was 4-1 Blue Jays. Ernie Clement followed that with a double, and it was 5-1.
With two outs, Jake McCarthy hit a double in the eighth inning, but, again, the Rockies were unable to bring him home.
Old friend Jeff Hoffman entered to close the game, and surrendered a single to Ezequiel Tovar, but, once again, the Rockies were unable to capitalize.
Final score: Blue Jays 5, Rockies 1
Notable numbers
The Rockies finished the evening with one run on seven hits. They walked once and struck out six times (a notable improvement from last season). They were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base.
In addition, it was a long night for the bullpen:
Mejia: 1.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs (earned), 1 BB, 0 K
Hill: 0.2 IP, 1 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 2 K
Bernadino: 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 1 K
Agnos: 2.0 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 1 BB, 3 K
“I’m extremely proud of our ‘pen,” Schaeffer said. “We’ve asked a lot of them this season.”
Looking ahead
Join us tomorrow at 11:07 am when the Rockies will win their series against the Blue Jays. They will need length from starting pitcher Kyle Freeland given the usage of the bullpen tonight.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 31: Ivan Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a two-RBI double against the New York Mets in the third inning at Busch Stadium on March 31, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Andre Pallante pitched 5 strong innings and received offensive support from Ivan Herrera, JJ Wetherholt and Ramón Urías as the St. Louis Cardinals shutout the New York Mets 3-0 at Busch Stadium Tuesday night.
It’s hard to overstate how good Andre Pallante looked as his pitches were down with great movement as he only allowed 3 hits over 5 innings. Kodai Senga was impressive for the Mets, but the Cardinals got all the runs they needed in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Ivan Herrera found his swing and drove in JJ Wetherholt and Victor Scott II who both had 2 hits Tuesday night.
The Cardinals had a few defensive gems, too, with Masyn Winn helping Pallante get out of a 5th inning jam when the Mets had runners on 1st and 3rd with only one out when he was able to double up the Mets when he snagged a line drive and rifled the ball back to first.
The Cardinals added an insurance run in the bottom of the 7th when Ramón Urías crushed a 403 foot home run into the left field stands.
The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen was solid tonight as Andre Pallante was supported by Gordon Graceffo who was just called up from Memphis in place of Matt Pushard who was sent to the IL. Ryan Stanek and JoJo Romero kept the Mets off the scoreboard and Riley O’Brien closed out the game in the 9th. The Cardinals are now 3-2 on the season and will try to take the series against the Mets in a Wednesday afternoon game at Busch Stadium starting at 12:15pm . Matthew Liberatore is expected to get his second start of the season while Freddy Peralta is expected to take the mound for the Mets.
Mar 31, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
It has been a long time since we’ve seen a start from Shane McClanahan. Since August 2, 2023, in fact. But the former All-Star has dealt with bad hand after bad hand in terms of injury, and his path back to the majors hasn’t been an easy one. Tonight, all eyes were on the mound as McClanahan made his triumphant return to the bump, and everyone wanted to see if he still had the same goods he once did. Meanwhile, much has been made of the Brewers’ offseat efforts to bolster their rotation, potentially at the hindrance of other positions (Gary Sanchez taking reps at first? What is this, Moneyball?) It would be an interesting outing to test McClanahan’s mettle. The Brewers, meanwhile, had Brandon Woodruff, who was reliable and efficient in 12 games for the Brewers last year after also missing the enitre 2024 season due to injury.
The Rays wasted little time getting on the board, as Jonathan Aranda hit a one-out home run.
The ABS system then turned around and bit the Rays a little as catcher William Contreras challenged a call and it was overturned, ultimately resulting in Junior Caminero striking out. The Rays would need to settle for the one run as they turned things over to McClanahan and his big moment. Shane didn’t miss a beat, looking like he’d never left his role as an All-Star starter, someone the Rays believed in enough to let him debut in the postseason. He took the Brewers out in order in the home half.
In the top of the second the Rays went 1-2-3. Heading into the bottom of the inning, McClanahan had his first wobble, giving up a one-out walk to Gary Sanchez. He got right back in the swing of it, though, getting the next two outs to end the inning.
Heading into the top of the third, Chandler Simpson challenged a strike call and lost, but then singled to get on base anyway. With one out, Simpson stole second, but two outs followed to leave the baserunner stranded. Nice to see Simpson already in midseason form with the basepath hustle, though. Bottom of the third and the Brewers once again went three-up, three-down.
After nearly putting two Brewers players into the dugout chasing down a high pop-up in foul territory, Caminero hit a single to kick off the fourth. RIP Junior Caminero’s bat. Alas, three outs then followed, once again leaving a baserunner stranded. Thankfully, McClanahan continued to show excellent command in the bottom of the fourth, getting through the Brewers in order.
Nick Fortes decided to lend his starting pitcher a hand in the top of the fifth with a leadoff home run to put the Rays up 2-0. Three outs followed, but we love a man who recognizes the necessity of insurance runs.
In the bottom of the fourth, Gary Sanchez took a leadoff walk, his second walk of the night. With one out, Brandon Lockridge singled, and from that point, McClanahan kind of lost his mojo. Joey Ortiz walked, and then Brice Turang singled. Gary Sanchez got home, but Turang had been caught in a rundown and there was some contention over whether or not Turang actually got tagged out at second. After a review, it was ruled that Turang was safe at second keeping the inning going and probably taking three years off Kevin Cash’s life. The Rays all had to return to the field because everyone had assumed it was an out. The safe call also meant that a run across home by Ortiz after the tagout was now a scoring run, putting the Brewers in the lead. McClanahan’s night was also done. His final line was 4 2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER (Ortiz was counted as an error to Cedric Mullins), 3 BB, 4 K on 79 innings. Not how you’d like to see a really solid start from McClanahan end, but overall there was plenty to like from his return. Cole Sulser came out of the pen to get the final out of the inning.
Woodruff’s night was also done after five innings, as Jared Koenig came out of the Brewers’ pen. Jake Fraley got a two-out single, but the Rays couldn’t capitalize on the baserunner once again. Things just got worse in the bottom of the inning as Gary “Still Not a Good First Base Choice” Sanchez hit a solo home run to center to extend the Brewers’ lead to 4-2. Jake Bauers then singled, and stole second. Lockridge hit a long double to score Bauers. Sal Frelick singled to put runners on the corners. Sulser did finally manage to get out of the inning but the Brewers were up 5-2.
Grant Anderson was in next for the Brewers in the seventh. With two outs, Simpson legged out a strong triple, but it wasn’t enough to give the Rays the edge, as a strikeout then ended the inning. In the home half, Yoendrys Gómez came in and gave up a leadoff walk to Turang. Turang then stole second. Gomez got two outs then intentionally walked Christian Yelich. Despite an attempt from the Brewers to challenge a stike call, the call on the field was upheld to strike out a pinch-hitting Garrett Mitchell and end the inning. No additional damage done despite having two runners aboard.
Abner Uribe came in for the Brewers in the top of the eighth. He gave up a two-out walk to Caminero. Fraley then singled to put runners on the corners. The Rays brought in Richie Palacios to pinch-hit, and he pinch flied-out instead. Things didn’t get much better in the home half when Jake Bauers hit a leadoff home run. Three outs followed, but the damage was really done by that point.
Angel Zerpa was the next Brewers pitcher up in the ninth, hoping to finish things off. He got the first two outs, but a pinch-hitting Ryan Vilade got a walk. It wasn’t enough for the Rays to stage a comeback, though, and the final out came around to end the inning.
Kodai Sengastruck out nine batters while throwing a hard fastball, but the Mets managed just three hits in a 3-0 loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday night in St. Louis.
New York (3-2) batters did manage four walks, but left six men on base and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. St. Louis (3-2) faired slightly better with six hits and four walks but was held to 2-for-11 with RISP and left seven on base.
Here are the takeaways...
- Senga burned in 98 mph fastballs with his first two pitches of the game, a big jump from last season when his average heater clocked in at 94.7 mph. Senga got into some trouble with a leadoff single and walk sandwiching a strikeout on the "ghost" fork, but avoided any damage as he deftly fielded his position on MasynWinn’s bunt attempt and made a funky-but-on-target throw to third.
There were more heaters in the second, as Senga blew 99 mph fastballs past Jordan Walker and Nathan Church and a 98 mph one past Ramon Urias to strikeout the side on 13 pitches.
A couple of mistakes from Luis Robert Jr. put Senga in a pickle in the third. The centerfielder misjudged a liner for a double over his head, and on JJ Wetherholt’s sharp single, threw all the way home, and two were in scoring position. The extra base proved costly as Iván Herrera smoked a hanging slider (107.4 mph) for a two-run double off the wall in left.
After an eight-pitch 1-2-3 fourth with another strikeout, Senga issued back-to-back two-out walks, the first involved Herrera winning two challenges on balls well out of the zone that umpire Hunter Wendelstedt called strikes. Pinching coach Justin Willard's visit worked as he notched a scoreless, 26-pitch frame.
Senga closed his account by striking out the side, two swinging and one looking. His final line: 6.0 innings, two runs on four hits and three walks with nine strikeouts on 92 pitches (56 strikes). He got 16 whiffs on 46 swings and posted a 28.3 called strike plus whiff rate. For the night, he averaged 97.4 mph on his 36 fastballs (up 2.7 mph from last season), and that velocity stayed consistent through the night, with his last pitch being a 98 mph heater.
- Juan Soto ripped a 3-2 pitch into center for a single with one down in the first (110.8 mph off the bat), and started the sixth by smashing a low fastball off the wall in right for a double (109.3 mph) against Cards’ starter Andre Pallante. He went down swinging in the eighth to finish 2-for-4.
- Robert Jr., looking to atone for his defensive miscues, hit the ball hard with runners on first and second and nobody out in the sixth against reliever GordonGraceffo, but it went for a 374-foot out to center. He finished 0-for-3 with a walk.
- Jared Young had an RBI chance in his first at-bat with runners on first and second and two outs in the first, but he struck out swinging on three pitches. After singling up the middle with one out in the fourth, he got another RBI chance with runners on the corners in the sixth, but his soft liner turned into an inning-ending double play as Bo Bichette was cut down at first on a strong throw from Winn. He finished 1-for-4.
- Francisco Lindor worked his sixth walk of the young season with one out in the third but finished 0-for-3 with three groundouts.
- Bichette, with a runner on second, grounded out to third on a 3-0 hack to end the third. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and has started the year 2-for-22.
- Marcus Semien went down swinging on a slider in the dirt in his first at-bat. He finished 0-for-2 with a walk, as he’s struggled at the plate to start the year (2-for-16).
- Carson Benge, who had two hits on Monday, grounded out to short in each of his first two times and struck out swinging to finish 0-for-3.
- Luis Torrens made his first impact behind the plate with an apt challenge leading to a strikeout to start the bottom of the second. He went down swinging his first at-bat and drove one to the gap in left center, but Church ran it down. Torrens finished 0-for-2 as Francisco Alvarez pinch-hit for him in the seventh and flied out to the warning track in right-center to end the inning. Alvarez is now 0-for-27 as a pinch-hitter in his career.
- Mark Vientos made his first start of the season as the DH after getting just one at-bat in the first four games and went 0-for-2 before being lifted for a pinch-hitter to start the seventh, with Brett Baty grounding out to first in his spot against ex-Met Ryne Stanek. Baty bounced out to end the game, going 0-for-2.
- Richard Lovelady allowed a home run to Ramon Urias on a sweeper to start the seventh. A single and one-out intentional walk put two more on, but he escaped without any further damage, thanks to Young making a great diving stop on a smashed ball down the first base line that would've gone for extra bases. Lovelady, pitching for the third time in four days, added a 1-2-3 eighth with a second strikeout of the night.
The Mets look to grab the series in Wednesday's matinee with Freddy Peralta making his second start against Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore in the 1:15 p.m. start on SNY.
Hayden Cantrelle | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Cubs have released a ton of players over the weekend as they clear the rosters and we prepare for the start of the rest of the minor league season. I hope I’m getting all of them here.
RHP Tyler Beede
RHP Walker Powell
RHP Ben Heller
RHP Dominic Hambley
RHP Joel Sierra
RHP Ronny Lopez
RHP Sam Thoresen
RHP Nick Hull
RHP Edward Castillo
LHP Chase Watkins
OF Parker Chavers
SS Christopher Paciolla
SS Jaylen Palmer
3B Albert Gutierrez
There were also a few players released who never made it out of the Dominican Summer League, RHP Johansel Javier and LHP Darlin Ventura.
For only the third time in his career, Riley Martin got the start tonight. Martin pitched well, allowing just one run on three hits over three innings. He struck out three and walked two. The one run came on a solo home run by JJ Bleday, as the ball was flying out of Louisville Slugger Field. Somewhat appropriately.
Vince Velazquez threw the next three innings and he got knocked around for four runs, three earned, on two hits over three innings. Velazquez walked three, struck out two and gave up a solo home run.
Collin Snider came in to get the final out of the eighth inning and he did that, striking out Garrett Hampson. But after the Cubs took a 7-5 lead in the top of the ninth, Snider got rocked in the bottom of the ninth. He allowed a two-run home run to Edwin Arroyo and a walk-off solo home run to Rece Hinds.
The final line on Snider was three runs on three hits over two-thirds of an inning. He struck out two
Third baseman Hayden Cantrelle hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth to give Iowa a temporary lead. Cantrelle went 3 for 4 with a double, the home run and three total RBI. Cantrelle also stole two bases. He scored twice.
Left fielder Justin Dean led off the top of the first inning with a home run to put Iowa up early. Dean went 1 for 3 with two walks.
Later in the first inning, right fielder Kevin Alcántara hit a solo home run, his second on the young season. Alcántara went 2 for 4 with a double and the homer. He scored twice.
Center fielder Chas McCormick was 2 for 4 with a run batted in.
Catcher Christian Bethancourt went 2 for 4 with a double. He scored on Cantrelle’s home run in the top of the ninth.
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson knocked a two-run ground rule double against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Athletics continued their interleague series with the Braves today at Truist Park in Atlanta. Making his first official start of the season for the A’s was 30-year-old righty Aaron Civale. He was 4-9 with a 4.85 ERA last season for three MLB ball clubs. Civale matched up against 28-year-old lefty José Suarez for the Braves. Suarez just pitched in nineteen innings for the Braves last season, going 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA.
After a quiet top of the first inning, the Braves got on the board first when reigning National League R-O-Y Drake Baldwin knocked his third homer of the year to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Brent Rooker led off with a single but was erased on a double play ball by Soderstrom. Max Muncy walked and advanced to second on a balk and scored on a single by Andy Ibáñez. Lawrence Butler and Denzel Clarke each walked and Jacob Wislon hit a ground rule double to drive in two.
Max Muncy doubled to lead off the fourth inning. Andy Ibáñez drove in his second run of the game with a base hit. Headed to the bottom of the fourth, the A’s led 4-1.
Shea Langeliers knocked his fourth homer of the year against the team that drafted him to bring the score to 5-1 for the A’s.
In the bottom of the sixth, Hogan Harris replaced Aaron Civale. Civale’s final line:
5.0 innings, two earned runs, four hits and one walk. He struck out three.
Harris flirted with disaster walking the first two Braves of the inning but buckled down and escaped unharmed.
Denzel Clarke ripped a single into right centerfield, and then Jacob Wilson shocked the stadium with a bunt single down the first base line. Shea Langeliers ground into a double play, erasing Wilson but moving Clarke to third with two outs. Kurtz flied out to left field to end the threat.
Justin Sterner replaced Harris in the bottom of the seventh, he walked Dominic Smith and then Mauricio Dubón reached on a throwing error by Max Muncy. That brought up Ronald Acuña Jr. who struck out swinging.
Scott Barlow replaced Sterner in the eighth. This was his third appearance in the kelly-green and gold. He tossed a 1-2-3 inning to get the A’s to the ninth.
Mark Leiter Jr. was brought in to shut the Braves down in the ninth. It would be his first save opportunity of the year. He didn’t make it easy on himself, but in the end, he struck out former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and got Drake Baldwin to pop out to end the game. The A’s first victory of the season came at the expense of the Atlanta Braves, 5-2.
The A’s go for the series win tomorrow at 9:15 AM PDT.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Chase DeLauter #24 and Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians embrace after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 30, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s see if Jose can get back on track tonight, huh?
Los Angeles, CA - March 30: Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) smiles while standing next to teammate Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) as they receive Silver Slugger awards prior to the start of a MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on Monday, March 30, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 31: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates his solo home with Brandon Nimmo #24 in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 31, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Bill Streicher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles were forced to turn to their bullpen early Tuesday night, which ended in disaster as the Rangers scored seven runs against the pen to down the O’s 8-5.
After starter Zach Eflin left with two outs in the 4th, the Orioles’ pen began a rollercoaster ride that had way more downs than ups. Lefty Grant Wolfram kicked off the 5th by allowing an opposite-field single to Brandon Nimmo. Outfielder Wyatt Langford then turned on a sinker left over the plate, lacing it into the left-center gap. After the ball wedged under the outfield wall padding, Langford ended up on third and Nimmo raced home to score, giving Texas a 2-1 lead.
In a left-on-left matchup against Corey Seager, the two-time World Series MVP slashed a Wolfram sinker into center, with the single just evading the sliding catch attempt of Colton Cowser, allowing Langford to scamper home. The left-handed reliever would avoid any other damage that inning, but his efforts set the unfortunate tone for the bullpen.
The Baltimore bats did their best to try to keep the Orioles in the game. Trailing 1-0 in the 4th, Pete Alonso launched his first home run as an Oriole, turning on the fastball of former teammate Jacob deGrom and depositing the baseball in the Orioles’ bullpen.
Down 3-1 in the 5th, the offense again came through, using a two-out rally to tie the game at three. Blaze Alexander kicked off the rally by flipping a deGrom slider into right field for a single. Taylor Ward then extended the inning by hitting a high chop to deep shortstop for an infield.
After homering on Monday night, Gunnar Henderson came through with another big hit to tie the game. The star shortstop attacked a fastball up and away, sending a towering fly over the head of Langford in left, ricocheting off the wall for a two-run double that tied things at three.
Those efforts proved futile as the relievers couldn’t keep the Rangers off the scoreboard. With the game tied 3-3, Yennier Cano entered in the 6th. The former All-Star gave up a one-out double to Evan Carter, who then moved to third on a groundout. Cano looked to end the threat unscathed against Nimmo, but the Texas leadoff man smacked a broken-bat single into center field to give the Rangers a 4-3 lead.
Things only got worse when Yaramil Hiraldo entered in the 7th. The already much-maligned Hiraldo didn’t help his popularity in Birdland when he gave up a leadoff walk to Seager and a flair single to Jake Burger. His popularity cratered three batters later when he gave up a two-out, three-run homer to Texas catcher Danny Jansen. The longball finally crushed the Orioles’ hopes Tuesday, putting them down 7-3.
Popular rookie Anthony Nunes pitched the last two innings, picking up two strikeouts but allowing his first run in the majors on a solo HR off the bat of Seager. Across four relievers, the bullpen combined line of 5.1 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 1 BB and 4 K.
A desperate, 9th-inning comeback attempt fell short but made the scoreline look more acceptable. Against the oldest active MLB reliever, Chris Martin, Tyler O’Neill started the inning with an HBP and moved to second on a Colton Cowser Single. After two quick outs from Jeremiah Jackson and Alexander, Ward doubled into the left-center gap to clear the bases and give the O’s some consolation runs. With the tying run on deck in the form of Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson grounded out to second to seal the loss.
Adding injury to insult was the injury to the O’s No.5 starter, Eflin. Making his first start of 2026, the 31-year-old right-hander looked really sharp early in the game. After giving up a flyout to the warning track to lead off the 1st, Eflin punched out Wyatt Langford on a sinker at the knees and struck out Corey Seager on an excellent changeup away.
Normally known as a control guy who pitches to contact, Eflin had swing-and-miss stuff throughout the first three innings. He started out the 2nd by striking out Jake Burger on a changeup down and away before getting the second out on a perfectly thrown back-foot sweeper.
After working out of a two-on, two-out jam in the 2nd, Eflin gave up his only run of the evening in the 3rd. Against Rangers No.9 Ezequiel Durán, an 0-1 sweeper caught too much of the plate, and the Texas infielder launched the ball over the left field wall for a solo HR. The blemish didn’t bother Eflin, however, as he bounced back by punching out Brandon Nimmo on a sinker on the inside corner. He then punctuated the 3rd with a backwards K of Burger, dropping a CB right over the outside corner.
The veteran right-hander started off the 4th with his seventh punchout of the night, getting Joc Pederson to swing through a 3-2 changeup away. From there, things started to go downhill for Eflin. With two outs, Jansen hooked a ground ball down the left field line for a double. Eflin then walked Carter to give the Rangers a two-on, two-out opportunity.
The Orioles righty threw one pitch to Duran, a curveball that didn’t come close to the zone, and then signaled for the trainer to take him out of the game. After Grant Wolfram came in and finished the inning, Eflin’s line closed at 3.2 IP on 74 pitches, with 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB and 7 K. Later in Tuesday night’s broadcast, Kevin Brown reported that Eflin left with “right elbow discomfort.”
Despite the frustration that comes with the loss, it was a great day at the plate for some of the newest Orioles. Alonso had the home run and a single off fellow former Met deGrom. The ninth-inning double from Ward was his fourth base knock of the game, giving him the first four-hit game of his MLB career.
Ace Trevor Rogers will return to the mound tomorrow to try and salvage the final game of the series against the Rangers. First pitch is scheduled for 12:35pm ET.
Mar 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Jose Suarez (54) throws against the Athletics in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Looking for another series win, the Braves had Jose Suarez on the mound facing the A’s and Aaron Civale.
Things started nicely for Atlanta and for Suarez, as Jose struck out two of the 3 A’s he faced in the first. Drake Baldwin continued his torrid hitting to start the season with a first inning homer to right center, giving Atlanta a 1-0 lead. Olson notched an opposite field single, but that was the extent of the offensive output in the first.
Baldwin's third homer of the season came off the bat at 105.4 mph. That is the fifth ball he has hit 100 mph or harder this year. Yandy Diaz entered today leading MLB with 9 balls hit 100-plus mph. Michael Harris II was one of 14 MLB players with at least six such exit velos. pic.twitter.com/chpbRPy9xD
Jose allowed some traffic in the second, as he allowed a leadoff single and induced a double play before a walk, a balk, and a single allowed the A’s to level the game up at 1 run. Suarez continued to struggle, issuing two more walks to load the bases with two outs. A ground rule double brought home two more runs for the A’s, as Suarez was lucky it bounced over the fence, sparing a third run from scoring on the play. Suarez was able to limit the damage with a strikeout of former Braves’ prospect Shea Langeliers, but that second inning is exactly the fear when starting a guy like Suarez, even as it didn’t involve any homers.
After three groundouts from Atlanta in the home second, Suarez came back with another two strikeouts and another scoreless inning. The A’s offense broke through again in the fourth with a double and a single to go up 4-1. Suarez got two more outs to finish his second time through the Athletics’ order before Weiss wisely pulled the plug before allowing him to face the top of the order again. Joel Payamps was the first pitcher out of the bullpen and extinguished the threat in a couple pitches. Suarez issued more walks than you would want in a 3.2 inning outing, but he did also miss more bats than you would expect for his profile, accumulating 6 strikeouts and 9 whiffs. After another hapless inning on offense against Civale, Payamps came out and left a sweeper center and up in the zone to Langeliers who yanked it just inside of the left field foul pole for a solo homer, putting Atlanta in a 5-1 hole. Payamps then struck out Kurtz and Rooker before he was pulled for Martin Perez. Perez finished the inning with a strikeout of Tyler Soderstrom.
The Braves clawed a run back with singles from Dominic Smith and Mauricio Dubon and a sac fly from Ronald Acuna. Perez worked a clean sixth on three contact outs. Back to back walks from Austin and Yaz presented an opportunity for Atlanta in the sixth with one out, but righty Ozzie and Michael Harris were unable to convert the opportunity. A line drive single and a bunt single spelled trouble for Martin Perez in the seventh, but a double play and a flyout got him out of the inning.
A walk and an error put two runners on with no outs in the bottom of the seventh for the top of the Atlanta order. Ronald struck out, as he continues to scuffle to start the season, at least in terms of results. Baldwin hit a ball well but it turned into an out and Matt Olson struck out ending the threat and keeping the score at 5-2 going into the eighth. Perez worked another scoreless inning on three contact outs, making for a very efficient 4.1 inning outing with no runs, 6 whiffs, and 3 strikeouts.
The Braves didn’t lie down without a fight in the bottom of the ninth, as singles from Harris and Dubon put the tying run at the plate with one out and Ronald Acuna at the plate as well as Drake Baldwin on deck. Ronald had a pretty brutal at-bat to strike out, handing the keys to the game over to Drake, who got under one and popped up to second base, ending the game.
Join us again for a getaway game at 12:15 PM ET with Chris Sale on the mound to decide the series.
Andrew Painter’s Phillies debut may have come a few years later than originally anticipated, but he made sure it was worth the wait. The 22-year-old right hander tallied 8 strikeouts through 5.1 innings while being charged with one run on four hits and a walk. Painter flashed an impressive arsenal of pitches and poise beyond his years as he acted as a de facto stopper for the Phillies’ three game losing streak. Kyle Schwarber and Adolis Garcia both homered to make sure the rookie’s efforts weren’t wasted.
Brush of greatness
Painter got his career off to a fast start, picking up his first career strikeout on the first hitter he faced in James Wood with a beautifully executed curveball. That started a clean inning in the first on just 11 pitches, with first pitch strikes thrown to all three batters. His fastball velocity sat around 97-98 MPH in his first inning of work.
Painter started the second allowing a pair of singles to Daylen Lile and Jorbit Vivas, but quickly settled back in to retire the next three hitters in order to escape any damage, needing only 14 pitches total. He began the third with his second strikeout, utilizing another devastating curveball in the dirt to get Nasim Nuñez swinging. After a groundout by Wood, Painter notched his third punchout after a called third strike on a changeup was confirmed against Luis García Jr. This was already the Nats’ second failed challenge, as catcher Keibert Ruiz challenged a ball called to Alec Bohm in the second that was upheld, meaning Washington was already out of challenges by the end of the third inning.
Bohm helped Painter out to begin the fourth with a sliding catch in foul territory near the rail for the first out. But Painter’s defense then failed him on the next batter, as Lile hit a high pop up into shallow center that was not seen by any of Trea Turner, Bryson Stott, or Justin Crawford, allowing the ball to fall in and Lile to advance to second. But the young righty showed poise beyond his years, as Painter struck out the next two hitters to erase the mistake, getting Vivas on a changeup to end an eight pitch at bat and Ruiz on a slider.
Painter collected strikeout number six to begin the fifth with a slider to José Tena before Joey Wiemer worked a walk on five pitches. But once again, Painter was able to settle down and strikeout the next two hitters, getting Nuñez again on a changeup and Wood on a high 97 MPH fastball.
Painter emerged for the sixth and got Garcia Jr. to pop up before allowing a single to Abrams, ending his night. Abrams later came around to score after Painter left, but he finished strong on an impressive debut. He commanded all of his pitches, getting whiffs on his curveball, slider, changeup, and fastball. He did not get rattled when things went wrong and, most notably, got ahead of hitters and held his velocity through 84 pitches while averaging 96.7 MPH.
Kyle Schwarber launched his second homer of the season off of the second deck in the third to give his rookie starter an early lead and take some of the edge off of the Phillies offense.
Adolis Garcia added his first homer of the season in the fourth after barely missing one in the second. Garcia has hit the ball hard so far this season but has mostly found gloves. This time he muscled a sinker just over the right field wall for an opposite field home run that gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
The Phillies then loaded the bases with one out in the fifth on singles from Justin Crawford and Trea Turner and a walk to Schwarber. That brought Bryce Harper to the plate who hit a bouncing ground ball to first that was mishandled for an error by Nationals’ first baseman García Jr., allowing Harper to be safe at first and Crawford to score from third to push the lead to 3-0. But that was all the Phillies would get, as Bohm then grounded into an inning ending double play on the second pitch he saw.
Preserving the win
Tanner Banks allowed a run in the sixth in relief of Painter when a single by Lile went to the outfield where Garcia came up firing, but the ball skipped past Bohm into the dugout, allowing Abrams to score. Washington added another run off of Banks in the seventh when a ball hit by Wood deflected off of Banks and past Harper for a double, scoring Nuñez who previously singled. But Banks was able to escape further damage and finished 1.2 IP with three hits, one run, and two strikeouts. Brad Keller walked one in the eighth but that was it, while Jhoan Duran allowed an infield single and a stolen base before a sharp line drive was caught near the warning track by Brandon Marsh to seal the win.
Tomorrow’s matchup
The Phillies will go for their first series win of the young season when they send Cristopher Sánchez (1-0, 0.00) to the mound against Cade Cavalli (0-0, 4.91) of the Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 30: Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper #3 runs down Washington Nationals infielder Jorbit Vivas #84 during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on March 30th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Nationals showed all of the heart and desire, but just did not do enough offensively to get over the line in Philly. While the Nats lost 3-2 tonight, they played well and hung in there despite not having a great offensive performance. It went right down to the wire with James Wood’s line drive being just within Brandon Marsh’s reach to end the game.
Final: Phillies 3, Nats 2. The Nationals' opener strategy worked for the most part, but the lineup couldn't muster much of anything against Andrew Painter in his MLB debut. James Wood drilled a ball to deep left with 2 out in the ninth, but Brandon Marsh just tracked it down.
Unlike last night, the Nats did not have their A game. Andrew Painter was having his way with the Nats lineup in his MLB debut and Zack Littell looked like a guy who signed midway through Spring Training. However, the Nats hung in there and made the Phillies work for their win.
Not rolling over when things don’t go well early is something I love to see from the Nats. While the game never got out of hand, the Phillies always felt in control. However, the Nats were always hanging around and made a valiant comeback attempt.
The Nats actually started this game with an opener. While the concept of an opener has been around for a while now, it is not something the Nats have deployed often. With Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper at the top of the Phillies lineup, Blake Butera wanted a lefty to deal with them in the first inning. That is why he turned to PJ Poulin, who fired off a 1-2-3 inning on just nine pitches. He also made a nice defensive play.
After that, the Nats new signing Zack Littell came into the game. He had an up and down outing. His velocity was up from where it had been in the spring, but his execution was still not perfect. He gave up a pair of solo homers to Kyle Schwarber and Adolis Garcia. It was not a flashy performance by any means, but Littell did go 5 innings while allowing three runs. That is a decent showing for the Nats new right hander.
However, with the Nats offense struggling to hit for impact, those three runs were all the Phillies needed. Andrew Painter made his MLB debut and showed why he is seen as a top prospect. His heater sat at 97 MPH and he mixed in a few secondary pitches as well. Painter looked like a guy who will be pitching in the big leagues for a long time.
The one guy who did see Painter well was Daylen Lile. For the day, he went three for four and did not get out against Painter. Lile is such a pure hitter and is continuing what he did in September of last year. Right now, he is mostly hitting singles, but those extra base hits are coming. Lile is the best hitter on the team.
Overall, I loved the spirit and tenacity the Nats played with, even in a losing effort. Tonight was a loss that you could accept because you could see the team fight to the bitter end. There are some nights where the Nats just don’t have the talent to get over the line yet. This team does not have a Kyle Schwarber type slugger who can swat homers at will. Maybe James Wood gets there one day, but he is not there yet.
You can question the talent on the roster, but one thing you cannot question about this team right now is their compete level. I can see them fighting out there, which is not something you could say often last year, especially down the stretch. It is nice to watch a fun team. Hopefully they can repeat what they did in Chicago and win the first and third games of the series.
