Apr 17, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker (99) throws a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Phillies stunk something awful tonight. The offense decided not to show up yet again, a theme that is starting to become a recurring one, but that should course correct in due time.
What isn’t going to course correct itself is that Taijuan Walker again put his team behind in the first inning and then proceeded to make sure they didn’t have a chance to get back in the game in the second inning. When it was over, the Braves had a 6-0 lead and the game was virtually over.
The first inning problems that Walker has had this year continued unabated when he allowed the first three hitters to reach to load the bases. Hope sprung when he somehow got a strikeout and a groundout that maybe he’d get out of the inning further unscathed, but a single made it 2-0. The Phillies had a golden chance to at least answer back somewhat in their half of the frame when they loaded the bases with one out against Martin Perez, but a pretty rough at bat by Edmundo Sosa snuffed out the rally. In the second, the Braves tacked on four more runs, the biggest blow a three run home run by Austin Riley that essentially sealed the game.
Boo birds are out in Philadelphia after Austin Riley hits a home run to make it 6-0 Atlanta Braves
Atlanta got three more runs, but who really cares when the offense decides to bury their heads in the sand in yet another loss at home? Walker ate a few innings for the bullpen, which saw Tim Mayza and Tanner Banks have good outings, Chase Shugart and Orion Kerkering not. The team is struggling badly right now.
The real issue this evening is Walker.
Zack Wheeler is going to make his final start of the rehab process on Sunday, where he’ll hopefully make his next start on the road with the Phillies. The idea is that Walker is going to go to the bullpen to serve as a low leverage long reliever, waiting to jump back into the rotation if/when there is a reason to replace someone, but at this point, what is the actual point? I’ve thought that Walker has done his job admirably these past few years, giving the team a fifth starter that might give a solid start, might not. He’ll at least eat a few innings in each game he pitches, but the regularity with which he puts the Phillies in a hole during his starts warrants a long conversation about his ever returning to the rotation for the Phillies.
It just can’t happen again.
We don’t know their plan for him for real. Maybe he just gets sent packing on his way when Wheeler returns, maybe he does indeed go to the bullpen. Whatever it is, he just needs to get out the spot he currently holds in the rotation for the good of the team.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 17: Jeremiah Jackson #82 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates after hitting a three-run homer during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 17, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles and Guardians traded zeros for six innings before Cleveland took a commanding lead in the seventh. Daniel Schneemann launched a no-doubt grand slam with two outs in the seventh, and Baltimore appeared destined for its fourth straight loss. Fortunately, this team had other plans. The O’s exploded for six runs in the top of the eighth. Weston Wilson delivered a two-run double, and Jeremiah Jackson hit a go-ahead, three-run home run to lead Baltimore to a 6-4 win at Progressive Field.
Both teams threatened early and often without breaking through. Baltimore starter Chris Bassitt ran up his pitch count while laboring through five scoreless frames, and the Orioles failed to bring in a runner in scoring position in each of the first three innings.
The Guardians finally struck first with what felt like a knockout punch in the seventh inning. Steven Kwan started the rally with a seemingly harmless grounder that Jackson failed to field at second base. Chase DeLauter followed with a hard-hit double off reliever Grant Wolfram, and Cleveland found itself in business with two in scoring position and nobody out.
Craig Albernaz made the easy decision to walk José Ramirez with the open base, and the Orioles nearly escaped without any damage. Wolfram struck out Kyle Manzardo for the first out, and new pitcher Anthony Nunez struck out Rhys Hoskins for a big out number two. Unfortunately, the escape act stopped there. Nunez caught too much of the plate with a fastball, and Schneemann blasted Cleveland to a four-run lead.
The Orioles had not scored in the first six innings and suddenly trailed by four. The lead felt insurmountable—until it wasn’t.
Baltimore loaded the bases in the top of the eighth without swinging the bat. Taylor Ward worked a leadoff walk, Pete Alonso got hit by a pitch, and Dylan Beavers worked a free pass to load the bases. Cleveland summoned left-handed reliever Erik Sabrowski, and Baltimore counted with pinch-hitter Johnathan Rodríguez. Rodríguez squared up a first pitch fastball but lined it directly to the right fielder. Ward tagged and raced home for Baltimore’s first run of the game.
Leody Taveras continued Baltimore’s patient approach by working the count to 3-2. Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson punched out Taveras on a pitch below the zone, but the ABS challenge system allowed Taveras to reach and reload the bases.
Albernaz continued to empty the bench against the lefty and sent Wilson to the plate. Wilson got a middle-middle fastball and made the most of his opportunity. The former Phillie smacked the hardest hit ball of his career with a 110 MPH double off the tall wall in left field. Alonso and Beavers raced home to cut the lead to one, and Wilson barely beat a strong throw to second base.
Coby Mayo chased what should have been ball four for the second out, and Jackson stepped in with the tying and go-ahead runs on base. Jackson, fresh off a costly error in the previous inning, wasted no time making up for his mistake. The 26-year-old went to a knee with a big swing, and the ball traveled 390 feet to left center. The Orioles led 6-to-4.
Rico Garcia kept his brilliant season going with a clean eighth. Cleveland nearly brought the tying run to the plate when first base umpire Mark Wegner ruled that Pete Alonso pulled his foot off the bag, but replay corrected his mistake and sent the game to the ninth inning.
Ryan Hesley walked Ramirez before striking out Manzardo and retiring George Valera to earn the save.
Bassitt made some incremental improvement today by completing five frames for the first time in four starts. Bassitt kept the Guardians off the scoreboard, but Cleveland made him work. The 37-year-old threw only 56 of 100 pitches for strikes over five innings.
Five shutout innings is a reasonable result from a backend starter, but it doesn’t exactly match the “innings eater” label. Bassitt struggled to miss bats, and Cleveland hitters rarely looked overmatched. He struck out two, walked four, and allowed four hits.
Bassitt retired the first batter he faced before loading the bases on a pair of walks and a base hit by Manzardo. The veteran used a well-located curveball to generate an infield fly for the second out, and he retired Schneemann with a ground ball to escape the inning unscathed.
Samuel Basallo erased a leadoff single in the second by making a strong throw on a stolen base attempt. Bassitt overcame a leadoff single by Stephen Kwan in the third and a leadoff single by Hoskins in the fourth. The next test came in the fifth inning. Kwan and Ramirez walked and moved into scoring position after a wild pitch, but Bassitt struck out Manzardo to end the threat.
Colton Cowser made a nice running catch in foul territory but banged his knee off the wall in the fifth inning. Cowser stayed in the game but was eventually lifted for a pinch hitter. Albernaz emptied the bench tonight, and the skipper said after the game that Cowser was okay despite suffering a knee contusion.
The thrilling come back also brought Baltimore back to .500 at 10-10. The Orioles have played some chaotic games over the last week, and it’s always fun to be on the right side. Baltimore will look to carry the momentum into tomorrow with Dean Kremer on the mound at 6:10 p.m.
Ryan McMahon became the unlikeliest of heroes as his two-run homer lifted the Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Royals on Friday night in the Bronx.
McMahon entered Friday's game with just five hits on the season, all singles. He also didn't start, with manager Aaron Boone opting to go with the more consistent Amed Rosario.
Subbing in for defense in the eighth, McMahon came up with a runner on and two out with the game tied. The left-hander took a changeup down in the zone the other way for an opposite-field blast.
Here are the takeaways....
-Cam Schlittler had his good stuff on Friday. After allowing three runs in his last start, which was also his worst of the season, the young right-hander was filling up the zone and overwhelming the Royals hitters with his fastball that hit 99 and sat around 97 mph.
He was perfect through 3.2 innings before Vinnie Pasquantino lined an opposite-field single.
Schlittler was cruising until the sixth. He walked Maikel Garcia with one out before Bobby Witt Jr. put a charge into one that went to deep center. Trent Grisham seemed to have a bead on it, but the ball hit the heel of his glove for a two-base error. Schlittler limited the damage, allowing an unearned run on a groundout before striking out Salvador Perez to get out of the inning with a 2-1 lead.
Schlittler would start the seventh, but a leadoff walk and single forced him out of the game, and Brent Headrick was the first arm out of the bullpen. Headrick got a strikeout, pinch-hitter Jonathan India to fly out on a nifty backwards catch by Ben Rice in foul territory, and -- after a throwing error on a pickoff attempt at second -- got Starling Marte to ground out softly to get out of the inning and put an end to Schlittler's line.
Schlittler tossed 93 pitches (63 strikes) across six-plus innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits, two walks, while striking out six.
-The Yankees entered the game second in the majors in PA/BB (8.18) and pitches per plate appearances (4.08), but had a plan to be aggressive against Michael Wacha early, with three of the first four batters swinging on the first pitch. Aaron Judge picked up a one-out double but was stranded by Cody Bellinger (strikeout) and Giancarlo Stanton (popped up).
That extended to six of the first eight batters, but they didn't lead to positive results until the fourth inning. Bellinger hit a leadoff bloop single and two batters later, Rice went down and launched a changeup down in the zone over the short porch in right to put the Yankees up 2-0. On a windy night in the Bronx with hard-hit balls dying in the outfield, Rice's 103.3 mph laser cut through the wind.
-The Yankees threatened in the fifth after Jose Caballero led off with a walk and moved to second on a groundout. Caballero stole third, catching the Royals third baseman sleeping. Judge walked and stole second without a throw, but Bellinger flew out to center as the Royals got out of the jam.
New York had another chance in the seventh with two runners on and two outs for Judge. But Judge grounded out to third. The Yankees were 0-for-5 with RISP and left six runners on base.
-After Headrick, Camillo Doval was called on to pitch the eighth. After getting the first two out, Pasquantino took a Doval sinker deep to right field to tie the game at 2-2. It was the same spot that Rice took Wacha deep.
David Bednar came on for the save in the ninth and, after walking the leadoff hitter, got the next three batters in order to lock down the win.
-Rosario, starting against a right-hander instead of McMahon, went 0-for-3 but had two of the top five hardest hit balls in the game according to StatCast.
-The Yankees entered Friday with 25 stolen bases, the most in the AL and tied with Miami for the second-most in the majors. They added to that total with two more swipes. Caballero logged his ninth stolen base of the season, which now puts him in first in the AL.
Game MVP: Ryan McMahon
McMahon was able to put his struggles behind him for one night and ended up being the hero.
SEATTLE, WA - JULY 8: Ryon Healy #27 of the Seattle Mariners holds up bat belonging Mitch Haniger #17 of the Seattle Mariners that he used to hit a home run during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Safeco Field on July 8, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners won the game 6-4. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the Texas Rangers swept the Seattle Mariners over three games last week, I don’t think anyone blamed the Mariners’ starting pitching. So the good news is that the Mariners are slated to throw the same three starters back at the Rangers this weekend, beginning tonight with Logan Gilbert. Gilbert is fresh off what I rated as his best start in a year, with his slider finally looking as crisp as it had in 2024.
The bad news is that the Mariners’ offense will have to face the same three starters the Rangers threw at them, beginning tonight with deGrom. Gilbert v. deGrom would be a compelling matchup on the strenght of their pitching alone, but the narrative adds a little something to the mix on the basis that they’re both alumni of Stetson University. They’re two of just ten Hatters to make it to MLB. While they both pitched great when they faced off last Monday, the Rangers ultimately eked out a 2-1 victory.
This is in the Game Info section below too, but something cool about this game is that the Mariners are back on basic cable: Tonight’s game will be simulcast on both Mariners TV and KING 5. And that’s not all! Ryon Healy will be joining Aaron Goldsmith in the booth to do color commentary. I’m not sure what to expect in terms of insight, but I do think his himbo energy will be a perfect foil for Goldy. For a preview, enjoy this video the Mariners produced shortly after the trade that brought him to Seattle. Come for Mitch Haniger eating normal food back before he went off the rails, but stay for Ryon melting at the dessert at 0:57.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 17: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves hits a three-run home run in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 17, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves entered Friday’s series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies hot. The Phillies…did not.
That showed up on the field as the Braves jumped out to a big lead early and coasted to a 9-0 throttling of the Phillies in the first game of the three-game set at Citizens Bank Park, earning their major-league-leading fourth shutout of the season.
Martín Pérez and Jose Suarez combined for the shutout (a truly crazy thing to write), giving up just six hits and three walks while stranding eight runners.
Austin Riley sparked the offense with a pair of homers, giving him three in the last two games after he had none through 18 games this season.
The game didn’t seem to be going down this path when both teams had prime scoring chances in their respective first innings. The Braves loaded the bases with no outs, while Philadelphia did so with one out.
Atlanta struck for two runs on a groundout and a Mike Yastrzemski infield single before Pérez escaped the jam to keep the Phillies off the board. As it turned out, that set the tone for the game.
The Braves took command in the second inning when they plated four runs, all with two outs. Matt Olson’s RBI single made it 3-0 before Riley’s first homer doubled that advantage to 6-0, bringing out the boo birds in Philly.
Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (1-3, 9.16 ERA) was rocked by the Braves lineup, allowing seven runs on seven hits over four innings, striking out four and walking three.
Pérez (1-1) escaped the first-inning jam he put himself in with a hit-by-pitch, single and walk with a strikeout of Edmundo Sosa on an elevated fastball and by inducing a J.T. Realmuto flyout to left.
He managed just one 1-2-3 inning across his six shutout frames but consistently navigated trouble, scattering four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Through four games (three starts) this season, the veteran has allowed five runs over 20 1/3 innings for a 2.21 ERA.
Atlanta tacked on two more in the eighth on Michael Harris II’s third homer of the season, a two-run shot for his third hit of the night, and Riley closed out the scoring with a line-drive solo shot to right.
Suarez preserved the shutout as well as the bullpen by working the final three innings, working around two hits and a walk.
Feb 26, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller (50) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
A familiar face was back at T-Mobile Park on Friday.
“Hello, hi, yes, it’s me, I’m back. Yes, hi, hello,” said Bryce Miller in his familiar Texas accent as he ambled down the clubhouse hallway, greeting the assembled media like a visiting dignitary in a receiving line.
It’s been a long layoff for Miller, who hasn’t pitched since February 26th, when he made his first start of spring and then promptly went on the IL with a left oblique injury. The injury is unrelated to the right elbow injury that kept Miller out at times for last year, but it’s not less frustrating for the amiable Miller, who – as is typical – joked about his injury in a media availability prior to Friday’s game.
“I was on a 27 year streak without an oblique injury, so if I restarted it, that gives me another 27 or so.”
Miller said he didn’t learn a new pitch during his long layoff, despite “scouring” social media looking for one, but said he has been messing with his cutter and trying out a new grip on his slider that he picked up from Houston’s Bryan Abreu; he’s curious to see how the slider will play in Seattle’s colder air after it was really “depthy” in Arizona.
“I’m just trying to get some kind of breaking ball I can get more whiff on. That’s something I struggled with the last few years, so hopefully this is the one – I’ve tried every slider grip possible. This is one I think I’ll be able to throw in any count, and hopefully have a little bit of leeway if I do miss. The slider of the past kind of felt like if I missed it, it kind of got punished.”
Miller will have a chance to try out his new slider when he makes his first rehab start for Tacoma tomorrow, although he’ll only have about two innings and 30 pitches to work on it. His next start will progress to three innings and 45 pitches, and then on to four, five, and six innings and 60-plus pitches. Mariners GM Justin Hollander says Miller will be on an every-sixth-day schedule, allowing him to pitch once per series on the minor-league schedule. Miller will alternate between Tacoma and Everett when those teams are at home over the next month, allowing him to remain close to T-Mobile Park.
The thing the Mariners have been monitoring with Miller is how quickly he’s been bouncing back after outings. What was slowing Miller earlier in the rehab process was lingering soreness for days after he’d thrown; that soreness abated and then eventually disappeared, at which point the team determined it was time to send him out on a rehab assignment.
“It was kind of a roller coaster of a rehab process,” said Miller, “because I’d get to a point where it felt really good, and then I’d throw a bullpen, it’d go really good, velo would be great, and then the next couple days I just wouldn’t recover quickly enough.”
But Miller said he finally has gotten to the point where he bounced back quickly after a bullpen, feeling “100% completely normal” in the days following his last outing.
“Over the last week, 10 days, we’ve gotten to the point where he feels great all the time,” said Hollander. “He doesn’t feel any aching or soreness while he’s throwing, and he doesn’t feel any soreness afterwards. So that’s the progression.”
While the team will be monitoring Miller’s mechanics over his rehab outings, making sure he’s not changing anything to compensate for any lingering injury, they probably won’t need to wThere’s been no downturn in Miller’s stuff, which was looking great in his lone spring training outing before he was shut down with the oblique injury. His fastball has been up – 98 and touching 99 – consistently through his bullpens.
Miller says the thing he’ll be focusing on is all the little details he didn’t get to do with no spring training or competitive games, things like pitching on a pitch clock, holding a runner, or doing pickoff moves, something he said Logan Gilbert—who completed his first successful big-league pickoff to first last homestand—has offered to help him with.
“I’ve seen him for ten minutes in there, he’s already brought it up,” said Bryce.
Miller also this recent spate of injuries, after a lifetime of being fortunate in that regard, has taught him the importance of controlling what he can control.
“I’ve just been really trying to make sure I do everything I can to take care of my body, make sure I’m ready to go, not skip anything on the prep side, nothing on the recovery side. And then if I do all that and something happens, then it’s out of my hands, but I can’t look back and be like, damn, if I would have just prepped a little more, maybe it would have been fine.”
The question hanging over all of this is: what does the team do when Miller is ready to return to the big-league club while his replacement Emerson Hancock has been so effective? Hollander, unsurprisingly, says that’s a bridge the organization will cross when it comes.
“There’s one thing that I never lie there at night, not able to sleep, thinking about, and that’s what if we have too many good starting pitchers. It’s just not a thing that happens to almost anyone. If we get to be a month from now and that’s what happens, we’ll figure it out. We haven’t made any decisions on that whatsoever.”
“And truthfully, God bless us if it’s a problem we have thirty days from now.”
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 17: Daniel Schneemann #10 of the Cleveland Guardians throws to first for an out in the fifth inning during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Friday, April 17, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Sean Finucane/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Bibee was okay today. Gave up a lot of hard contact but managed to navigate through 6 innings without giving up a run.
On both sides of the ball, Daniel Schneemann was unbelievable today.
In the 5th, he made this superman catch to nab this Taylor Ward 102mph grounder.
In the 7th, Kwan reached on error, DeLauter doubled, and Jose was intentionally walked. Both Manzardo and Hoskins made outs, but Schneemann obliterated this fastball to right-center.
Armstrong came on in the 8th and loaded the bases (all reached via walk), and then Sabrowski gave up a sac fly and an absolute missle of a double down the line in left. Brogdon came on and immediately gave up a 3-run homer to Jeremiah Jackson.
Jose walked 4 times today, and only got home once.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 17: Jeremiah Jackson #82 of the Baltimore Orioles rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Friday, April 17, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Sean Finucane/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It is Friday night.
The Orioles have beaten the Guardians, 6-4, storming back from a 4-0 deficit late in the game on the strength of a go-ahead Jeremiah Jackson home run. Chris Bassitt started the game with five rocky but still scoreless innings, Weston Wilson had a clutch hit before the homer, and Rico Garcia and Ryan Helsley closed the door to bring the Orioles back up to .500.
Davis Martin hopes to parlay his strong (and lucky?) start to the season into a White Sox win in Sacramento. | (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)
For their first West Coast road trip of the year, the Chicago White Sox need to find some gold. They’re looking to do so against the hot Athletics, who are 9-4 in their last 13 games. It’ll be a tall task, but if the Sox were able to dig deep and sweep the Toronto Blue Jays, they’ll have to find that same energy against the A’s to turn the season around.
Ahead of tonight’s series start, the Sox made the following roster move:
Prior to tonight’s series opener at the Athletics, the Chicago White Sox recalled left-handed pitcher Doug Nikhazy from Class AAA Charlotte and optioned left-hander Tyler Gilbert to Charlotte.
Doug Nikhazy has two career MLB games under his belt, his most recent — coming the same year he made his debut — on July 4, 2025. Drafted as a starting pitcher in 2021’s second round, Nikhazy will take up a bulk-innings role in the bullpen.
With the bullpen acting as a revolving door to begin this season, the stable Davis Martin will take the bump for the South Siders, and he’s been a bright spot for the struggling Sox. For one, he’s been the only Sox starter to notch a seven-inning start this season, although the Sox did lose that game, 2-0, against the Kansas City Royals. Second, while this game takes skill, we all know it takes luck too, and Martin has been on the receiving end. Between too good to be true 2.50 ERA (5.07 xERA) and being in the bottom 10% for ground ball and hard-hit rates as a pitcher known for inducing the ground ball, Davis has been able to overcome the numbers and help manufacture a couple of wins for the Good Guys. Hopefully, tonight, the numbers and luck continue to feed off each other for a White Sox victory.
Longtime AL Central foe and former White Sox (for 13 starts!) Aaron Civale will share the mound with Martin this evening. In his first season with the Athletics, Civale has been worth his one-year, $6 million deal so far: Across three starts, Civale is pitching to the tune of a 1.72 ERA (3.72 xERA) and has only given up three earned runs while coming off a 5 2/3-inning shutout performance against the New York Mets. Unlike Martin, Civale has yet to pitch into the seventh inning, and I know our Sox would love nothing more than to head into the A’s bullpen early.
Given his eight-way tie for second on the MLB triples leader board, Andrew “Wheels” Benintendi (2) finds himself leading off while the normal leadoff hitter, Chase Meidroth, drops down to the eighth spot.
In the home dugout, the A’s will assemble like so:
To counteract the wheels of Beninchickentendies, Tyler Soderstrom and Max Muncy, with one triple apiece, will bat fourth and sixth. In a five-way tie for third on the MLB leader board with six home runs, Shea Langliers bats second.
For your late-night West Coast viewing pleasure, you can catch tonight’s Sox game on CHSN at 8:40 p.m. CT.
Baseball: NLDS Playoffs: Overall scenic view of Miller Park during Milwaukee Brewers vs Arizona Diamondbacks game. Game 1. Milwaukee, WI 10/1/2011 CREDIT: John Biever (Photo by John Biever /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X86468 TK1 R4 F63 )
The Jays are in beautiful, downtown Phoenix, Arizona (well, I don’t know if it is beautiful or not), for three games against the Diamondbacks. Yet another park with a retractable roof. I remember how strange it was when the Jays had the retractable roof, all those years ago. They had real grass in Phoenix until 2019 when they put in fake grass. They say it was to save water, as Arizona does have water supply issues.
My parents did the snowbird thing to Arizona, every year, for many years, Yuma. I haven’t been there, but it seemed like a nothing little place in the desert. One of the ways I’m different than they were: I like the idea of going somewhere new, instead of going to the same place all time. But then, they had their friends and activities there.
I’d like to go to Phoenix sometime. Not in the next three years, but maybe sometime after that.
July 18, 2008; Anaheim CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels left fielder Garret Anderson (16) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Garret Anderson, the multitalented outfielder who became the Los Angeles Angels’ career hits leader and led the team to its only World Series title, has died. He was 53.
The Angels announced Anderson’s death Friday morning without immediately disclosing the cause or location.
Anderson reached the majors with the then-California Angels in 1994 and played for the club until 2008, primarily as a left fielder. He was a fixture in the heart of their batting order for his entire tenure, becoming the franchise’s career leader in games played (2,013), hits (2,368), RBIs (1,292), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489) and grand slams (8).
“The Angels organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons, Garret Anderson,” Angels owner Arte Moreno said in a statement. “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons, and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success, highlighted by the 2002 World Series championship. Garret will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Angels fans for his professionalism, class and loyalty throughout his career and beyond. His admiration and respect for the game was immeasurable.”
The Angels will wear a memorial patch this season bearing Anderson’s initials, the team announced. They will hold a moment of silence Friday before the Angels host the San Diego Padres.
Anderson was a three-time AL All-Star who finished as high as fourth in the AL MVP balloting during his 17-year major league career. He won two Silver Slugger awards, and he memorably won both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game MVP award in 2003 in Chicago.
“Garret Anderson was a huge part of Angels history and inspired so many of us who wear this uniform,” Trout wrote on social media. “Keeping his family in my thoughts and prayers.”
In 2002, Anderson batted .306 and drove in a team-leading 123 runs for the then-Anaheim Angels, who won 99 games and earned a wild-card playoff berth. The Halos stormed through the playoffs to this franchise’s only championship, overcoming a 3-2 series deficit to Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants to win the World Series.
Anderson was a key factor in the Fall Classic, batting 9 of 32 with six RBIs. He drove in the final three runs of the series with a tiebreaking three-run double in the third inning of the Angels’ 4-1 victory over the Giants in Game 7.
Anderson’s other baseball accomplishments included a 10-RBI game on Aug. 21, 2007.
Anderson finished his career with Atlanta and the Los Angeles Dodgers before his retirement in 2011. He batted .293 with 2,529 hits, 287 homers and 1,365 RBIs in the majors.
Anderson was inducted into the Angels’ Hall of Fame in 2016, and he had regularly worked for the team as a television broadcaster on its pregame and postgame shows over the ensuing decade. He lived in coastal Newport Beach with his family.
Anderson was born in Los Angeles on June 30, 1972. He attended Granada Hills High School in the suburban San Fernando Valley before the Angels drafted him in the fourth round in 1990.
The Angels said Anderson is survived by his wife, Teresa, daughters Brianne and Bailey, and son Garret “Trey” Anderson III.
Aerial view of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, United States, looking northeast to Camelback Mountain, featuring the Westward Ho Hotel and the red-roofed Post Office building, 1970. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) | Gado via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
BLUE JAYS
DIAMONDBACKS
Davis Schneider – LF
Ketel Marte – 2B
Daulton Varsho – CF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Vladimir Guerrero – 1B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Jesus Sanchez – RF
Jose Fernandez – DH
Lenyn Sosa – DH
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Andres Gimenez – SS
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
James McCann – C
Ernie Clement – 2B
Tim Tawa – LF
Tyler Heineman – C
Jorge Barrosa – CF
Eric Lauer – LHP
Michael Soroka – RHP
The D-backs come home after a road-trip which likely surpassed all expectations. I know I would not have minded too much if they had gone 4-5 over those nine games. 5-4 would have been a good result. But for the D-backs to go 6-3, winning all three series, was beyond anything I would have predicted. Now, it is worth noting that the three teams they faced have all been struggling. The Mets, Phillies and Orioles, were all initially expected to be contenders this year. ZIPS preseason projection had the trio each winning between 88-91 games. Instead, they are all below .500, with a combined record of 24-32. Even discounting our games, they’re 21-26: not as good as expected.
The Mets, in particular, are startling. Their cash payroll is over $360 million, most in the majors by thirty million dollars. But it’s as if the D-backs broke them. Beginning with our two victories over them, New York have now lost nine games in a row, and have slumped to a mark of 7-13. After today’s loss in Chicago, that currently gives them sole possession of the worst record in the National League. Hard fact: no Mets team in history that lost nine games in a row, has won more than 77 games that year. I think maybe it’s a scheme to get out of a salary cap, because Manfred can point at the Mets and say, “See? Money isn’t everything!” [Adjusts tin-foil hat]
Anyway, back in D-backs land, the scuttlebutt has Lourdes Gurriel Jr. joining the team at some point this series. It’ll be interesting to see what the move it. Luken Baker has only have five PA since being called up on April 7, so would seem a credible option – especially with Gurriel being expected to play mostly at DH initially. He doesn’t have any options left, so sending him down would involve a DFA. That would open a 40-man roster spot, although worth noting they do NOT have to do so for Gurriel. He has been on the 10-day IL this season, so still requires his own 40-man slot. So they could alternatively option Tim Tawa down to Reno.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs expect right-hander Cade Horton to miss 15 to 16 months following season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow, manager Craig Counsell said on Friday.
They will also have to get by without reliever Daniel Palencia for the next few weeks after placing him on the 15-day injured list because of a strained left oblique.
The 24-year-old Horton underwent an ulnar collateral ligament revision on Thursday, his second reconstructive surgery on the elbow. He had Tommy John surgery as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2021.
“Cade talked about just kind of worrying about today and make today the best you can and just keep doing that, and that’s how you somehow speed this process along a little bit,” Counsell said. “But if you get too far ahead of yourself, it’s certainly a long recovery and that doesn’t help.”
Horton walked off the mound in Cleveland on April 3 after just 17 pitches. His velocity had dropped from 96 mph in the first inning to 93.8 mph on his final pitch before he waved toward the dugout. He beat Washington a week earlier in his season debut, holding the Nationals to two runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Horton finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting last year. He was 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA in 118 innings last season.
Palencia is 1-0 with a save and has not allowed a run in five appearances. He had 22 saves last season.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 19: Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pithes in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 19, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers continue their weekend series against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night in Denver, with Emmet Sheehan coming off his best start of the season.
Sheehan struck out six in six innings against the Texas Rangers last Saturday at home, allowing three runs. The right-hander has started three times at Coors Field and won all three games, with a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings, with 22 strikeouts against only two walks.
Right-hander Ryan Feltner starts for the Rockies. He’s allowed 10 runs in 12 1/3 innings in his three starts this season, with nine strikeouts and six walks.
Athletics pitcher Aaron Civale will get the start tonight at home against the Chicago White Sox. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Athletics are back at it this evening at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento as they begin a three-game series against the American League Central rivals, the Chicago White Sox. The 6-13 White Sox are currently sitting in last place in the AL Central while the A’s are 10-9 and are tied for first place with the Texas Rangers
Aaron Civale, the 30-year-old righty will get the start for the A’s tonight. He’s currently 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his first season with the Athletics. He’ll go up against 29-year-old righty Davis Martin for the White Sox. Martin is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts for Chicago, while tossing 15 strikeouts in 18 innings of work.
Martin will go up against this lineup for the homestanding Athletics:
