SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 13: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners is seen on the field prior to the game between the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Monday, April 13, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Connor Jalbert/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mariners will look to avoid dropping another series to the Rangers.
The second game of the second series between the Mariners and Rangers begins Saturday at 4:15 p.m. on FOX. The Mariners were swept in Arlington last week. Then they swept the Astros over four games in Seattle. Then they were swept by the Padres in San Diego. And last night, they dropped the first game of the new series to the Rangers. The Mariners are now 8-13, having struggled to get going at the plate against everyone but the Astros’ putrid pitching.
It gets no easier for the Mariners’ Saturday. The Rangers send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound, who struck out seven in their first matchup in a game the Mariners would lose 3-2. The Mariners are also without Brendan Donovan, who left last night’s game with a hip injury. Donovan is day-to-day, per Dan Wilson. Leo Rivas plays third and bats ninth.
George Kirby takes the mound for the Mariners. He pitched against Eovaldi last time, too, with a home run to Kyle Higashioka the difference in that game. Kirby has generally been quite good this year, going 6 innings or more in each start with lots of ground balls and weak contact.
In other Mariners news, Bryce Miller takes the mound tonight for Tacoma.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 17: Nolan Gorman #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a three-run home run against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Daikin Park on April 17, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will follow up a 9-run outburst Friday with a Saturday night game against the Houston Astros. Andre Pallante will start the game for the Cardinals while Lance McCullers Jr. will take the mound for the Astros. With Friday’s victory, St. Louis is now 11-8 on the season while the lowly Astros are 8-13.
The Houston Astros (8-13) will play the second of a three-game series with their former division rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals (11-8), tonight at Daikin Park.
RHP Lance McCullers Jr (1-0, 5.87 ERA) will make his fourth regular season appearance for the Astros tonight opposite the Cardinals and starter RHP Andre Pallante (1-1, 4.80 ERA).
TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP Lance McCullers is making his fourth start of the season as he tries to get back to the form we saw before he went down in 2022.
This season, McCullers opened the season with a brilliant seven inning outing, but has since struggled to get through the fifth inning. Those two outings came on the road and McCullers returns home where he had that brilliant outing.
HOME-COOKIN’: Tonight is the fifth game of a six-game homestand for the Astros, in which they’ll host a pair of NL opponents in the Rockies (2-1) and Cardinals (0-1). The Astros have been good at home in 2026, going 7-4, including a seven-game winning streak, before losing two games in a row.
VS. THE CARDS: This series is a matchup of former division rivals, who spent 19 seasons together in the NL Central from 1994-2012.
Overall, the two teams have played each other 722 times, with the Astros going 336-385.
These teams also have postseason history, with the Astros going 7-6 vs. the Cards in the playoffs. The two clubs faced off in back-to-back NLCS in 2004-05 with St. Louis taking the ‘04 NLCS in seven games and Houston winning the ‘05 NLCS in six games.
THIS WEEKEND’S GIVEAWAYS: Tonight 10,000 fans will receive an Astros Ice Cream Bucket Hat, presented by Texas Bay Credit Union.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVE: The Astros have claimed OF Dustin Harris off waivers from Chicago (AL)…to make room for Harris on the 40-man roster, the Astros have designated RHP J.P. France for assignment.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, April 18, 6:05 p.m. CST
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KTRH 740 AM & 99.1 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 17: Matt Waldron #61 of the San Diego Padres delivers a pitch to the plate during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 17, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres saw their win streak finally come to an end against Los Angeles Angels’ ace José Soriano last night. It was an unfortunate end to the winning streak, but not entirely unexpected.
With the best pitcher in baseball so far this season on the mound for Los Angeles versus knuckleballer Matt Waldron, it wasn’t much of a pitching duel from the get-go. That became increasingly clear as the Friars were shutout for the first time this season.
It’s easy to be worried, but it’s not an indictment of the San Diego offense. It’s merely a showcase of the absolute ace that Soriano is becoming for the Halos. The real verdict will come if San Diego can’t put up enough runs tonight.
Taking the mound
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) v. Germán Márquez (SD)
The reason for that verdict is due to Kikuchi being a downright awful pitcher. If he was on just about any other team, he’d be sent to the minors. But he’s on the Angels, and they need the pitching.
What Kikuchi lacks in stuff he makes up for in mostly – serviceable innings. He pitched a career-high 33 starts with Los Angeles last year and was their “ace” (though that’s not a word I would use to describe him).
If the Friars can’t get to Kikuchi, it’s a bad omen of a serious departure from the recent slugfest that has been San Diego. Their only problem will be scoring enough to make up for Márquez.
Here’s the thing, Márquez hasn’t been as bad as some worried. But he also hasn’t been good enough to justify a spot in the rotation if not for injuries on the Padres’ roster.
Márquez seemed to turn around his early slump with a scoreless five innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But he shortly followed that up with a rough five innings against the Colorado Rockies in which he gave up four runs. He earned his first win with San Diego in that outing because their offense outpaced Colorado’s, but it’s still disheartening.
That being said, if Márquez can turn it around against anybody, it’s the Angels. Despite the fact that they’re top 10 in MLB in on-base (.338) and slugging percentage (.414), they’re 20th in batting average (.231). And the only reason that they’re high in OBP is because they’ve been issued an MLB-leading 98 walks.
Márquez has limited his free passes well this year, giving up only five across four starts. So long as he can limit hard contact, he should have a decent outing.
Batter up!
Leadoff man Ramón Laureano was out of the lineup yesterday as part of manager Craig Stammen’s constant rest philosophy. It’s boded well so far for San Diego, and Laureano’s presence in the lineup likely wouldn’t have changed much in the Friars’ 8-0 loss.
That being said, Laureano will be back in the top spot tonight. Not only is he the obvious option, he has a career batting average of .308 against Kikuchi (26 at-bats). In fact, the Padres have a combined .337 average against the left-hander.
That means the lineup will likely be business as usual. Except for a few things: Jackson Merrill has played a lot lately, and Miguel Andujar has been raking (and does so especially against lefties). The latter will probably slot into the lineup, while the former sits the bench for a rest day:
Ramón Laureano, LF
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gavin Sheets, 1B
Miguel Andujar, DH
Bryce Johnson, CF
Luis Campusano, C
Jake Cronenwroth, 2B
Cronenworth took the leadoff spot in last night’s game and has continued to disappoint. He lowered his batting average to an unfortunate .138 mark.
Campusano will likely continue his stretch as the lone backstop with Freddy Fermin still being dealt with cautiously after his concussion scare.
Relief corps
With Waldron only managing to pitch 3 2/3 innings, the ‘pen was relied on heavily. David Morgan gave up his first runs of the year on a two-run shot. Wandy Peralta, Bradgley Rodriguez and Kyle Hart pitched a clean 3 2/3 to finish out the game.
After some trouble lately, Rodriguez looked especially sharp, striking out all three batters faced. He lowered his ERA to 0.84 to start the year and has been on a tear lately. If not for a guy named Mason Miller, he might be viewed as the best reliever in this group.
Speaking of, the dominant closer will hopefully emerge from the bullpen for the bottom of the ninth tomorrow. He’ll be available after getting plenty of rest yesterday. Also available out of the ‘pen are Jason Adam, Ron Marinaccio and Adrian Morejon.
All four represent high-leverage options for Stammen to pick from, though he’ll likely tab Marinaccio if the Padres have a sizable lead when Márquez exits.
Saturday's loss to the Cubs had the same result as every other game the Mets have played over the last week and change, but the journey was different.
Yes, the Mets' 4-2 loss in Chicago had their losing streak reach 10 games, a feat the franchise hasn't seen in over 20 years, but it's the way they lost that has shades of the Twilight Zone.
The Mets have lost in a myriad of ways during this stretch. They've been shut out, they've lost slugfests, the bullpen has imploded, and defensive errors and miscues have cost them games. But Saturday showed something new. This time, a pinch-hitter took one swing and delivered the winning blow.
"Just haven’t been able to play a complete game," manager Carlos Mendoza said after the loss. "It’s either the offense… starting pitching. Not making a pitch, not making a play. Not getting the big hit. Just having a hard time playing a complete game right now."
The Mets have been outscored 60-18 during the 10-game losing streak. And while the offense is not the only reason for this stretch, it's the biggest. Mendoza and the players have said multiple times that there are always discussions among them and that no meeting or player needs to stand up in front of the team to get the ship righted, but the message among them continues to be to move on to the next day and get the win then.
"It’s frustrating to lose baseball games. Any time you lose, no matter how long the streak is, it compounds," Marcus Semien said after the game. "This is a big boy league. There’s no time to dwell on tonight; tomorrow is a new day."
Semien is part of a group of newcomers to the Mets acquired this offseason. He, along with Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco, was brought in to give the offense more consistency with their contact-first approach. So far, it hasn't worked, although the lineup has picked it up a bit over the last few games -- outhitting or tying in hits three of their last four games.
"Every game has been different. Obviously, we want to win as an offense. We’ve lost a lot of different ways. There’s no pointing the finger," he said. "Just coming out with a win. If it takes a 12-10 victory, a 1-0 victory, we have to do something to get the win to come."
And for Semien, who has played in the league for 13 seasons, he's been a part of a lot of streaks, both winning and losing. In his experience, the only cure for these trying times is to find that one win that can steer them in the right direction.
The veteran infielder was asked question after question regarding the losing streak and how they can turn it around. He often chuckled, almost defiantly, when answering what the answer to breaking the streak is or how challenging it is for the team.
"It’s not. It’s not [challenging]. It’s as simple as showing up tomorrow with a good attitude," Semien said. "That’s how I’m going to approach it as a veteran on this team. Hopefully, other guys see the smile on my face when I show up. I understand the game does not owe you a thing. The game does not owe you any wins. We have to go out and get it.
Semien added, "Just winning the game. It's hard to win a big league game. It always has been. Right now, it hasn't gone our way. If we had a magical way to win every single game, we would definitely be doing it. I think that at the end of the day, everybody in here has enough talent to get a win tomorrow and that's how we're going to approach tomorrow."
"We haven't been playing good baseball. That's the bottom line," Mendoza said. "When you look at it, you've got five-and-a-half months ahead of you. You have an opportunity to write our own story. We're putting ourselves in a big hole right now, but there's only one way to do it - come back tomorrow ready to go."
The Mets will hope to salvage a win Sunday when they take on the Cubs before heading back home.
Apr 13, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) delivers a pitch against the Athletics during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 17: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with Matt Olson #28 after hitting 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
We are treated to one of the better pitching matchups we will see all year between Chris Sale and Cristopher Sanchez tonight, as the Braves go for another series win, this time in Philadelphia.
Join us and discuss the game in the comments below!
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, April 18, 7:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia, PA
CHICAGO — Pinch-hitter Carson Kelly connected for a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth inning, and the Chicago Cubs handed the New York Mets their 10th consecutive loss with a 4-2 victory on Saturday.
Ian Happ also homered for Chicago in its fourth consecutive win. Jameson Taillon (1-1) pitched six crisp innings.
It’s the longest losing streak for New York since it dropped 11 in a row from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 in 2004. It has been outscored 60-18 during the slide.
The game was tied at 1 when Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta (1-2) issued two consecutive walks with two down in the sixth. Peralta then was replaced by left-hander Brooks Raley, and Kelly was sent up to hit for Moisés Ballesteros, a rookie who bats from the left side.
Kelly drove Raley’s first pitch into the bleachers in left-center for his second homer of the season, sending a charge through the crowd of 36,189. It was Kelly’s second career pinch-hit drive.
It also was the first homer allowed by Raley since Aug. 13, 2023, stopping a streak of 53 2/3 innings.
Mark Vientos homered for New York. Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. each had two hits.
The Mets scored an unearned run on second baseman Nico Hoerner’s throwing error in the eighth, but Ben Brown escaped the jam when Vientos grounded out.
Caleb Thielbar handled the ninth for his first save of the season. Daniel Palencia, Chicago’s usual closer, was placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a left oblique strain.
New York jumped in front on Vientos’ 434-foot drive to left-center in the second. He went 1 for 25 with eight strikeouts and no walks in his previous eight games.
Happ responded with a leadoff shot in the bottom half, a 431-foot drive to center. Happ also went deep during Chicago’s 12-4 victory in the series opener.
Up next
Left-hander David Peterson (0-3, 6.41 ERA) starts the series finale for New York, and right-hander Javier Assad (1-1, 8.10 ERA) pitches for Chicago on Sunday.
Prior to tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters that injured shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is likely to participate in a simulated game on Thursday and has been taking batting practice. He is recovering from a broken wrist suffered after falling on ice prior to Spring Training.
Kim, who the Braves claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays last September, opted to become a free agent but re-signed with Atlanta in December 2025 on a one-year, $20M deal. Atlanta had acquired Mauricio Dubón from the Houston Astros in a trade for infielder Nick Allen prior to Kim re-joining the organization.
Dubón, who is a two-time American League Gold Glove winner as a utility player, has seen most of the action for Atlanta at shortstop this season although free agent signee Jorge Mateo has also gotten spot duty when Dubón has appear around the diamond.
Both have excelled in the early-going, but Kim’s return would add additional depth to the team’s infield when he does return. According to Weiss, Kim could go on a rehabilitation assignment within one to two weeks. He will then have 20 days to stay on the assignment, if needed.
Based on that timeline, Kim could re-join Atlanta in mid- to late-May.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 17: Shortstop Daniel Schneemann #10 of the Cleveland Guardians fields a ground ball hit by Taylor Ward #3 of the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning at Progressive Field on April 17, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s a strategy familiar to anyone who follows baseball.
Middle innings, team rallying, left-handed hitter comes up. The team on defense sends in a left-handed reliever. The batting team counters with a right-handed pinch-hitter.
That was the scenario in the bottom of the sixth on a sunny, but chilly Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Cubs had two runners on with two out and Moisés Ballesteros due up. The Mets sent in left-hander Brooks Raley. Craig Counsell sent Carson Kelly up to bat for Ballesteros… and Kelly deposited Raley’s first pitch into the left-field bleachers for a three-run homer, which was the difference in the Cubs’ fourth win in a row, 4-2 over the Mets, also the Mets’ 10th straight defeat.
Let’s rewind to the beginning. Jameson Taillon threw a lot of pitches in the first inning (including 10 to leadoff batter Carson Benge, who struck out). Then he served up a solo homer to Mark Vientos in the second, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Happ didn’t hit his sixth homer last year until June 10, the Cubs’ 58th game. He could be on target for a career high (currently: 25).
That’s where the game stayed, a 1-1 tie and pretty good pitchers’ battle between Taillon and Freddy Peralta, until the sixth. Taillon settled down after Vientos’ homer and allowed just five more baserunners, only one of whom reached second base. Another, Luis Robert Jr., was thrown out trying to steal by Miguel Amaya [VIDEO].
This was Taillon’s 40th quality start among 84 total starts as a Cub. It was the 15th QS in which he gave up one run and the seventh of those in which the run came on a home run. He did it three times each in 2024 and 2025.
Say what you want about Taillon, but he has been a perfectly good starter almost all the time he’s been a Cub, and he’s off to a good start in 2026.
Peralta also settled down after Happ’s homer, until he retired the first two batters in the sixth. Then he walked Happ, followed by a walk to Seiya Suzuki — who got ball 4 challenged by the Mets, but the call was confirmed [VIDEO].
That turned out to be very important. After the walk, Peralta was relieved by Raley, and Kelly batted for Ballesteros.
According to my research, Carson Kelly’s pinch-hit homer was the Cubs’ 359th of the kind since 1901. They have been hit by 228 batters. Kelly is the 82nd to hit more than one.
The Cubs’ previous three-run pinch homer had been by Miguel Amaya, on Aug. 1, 2023, at home against the Reds. The Cubs led at the time, 17-5.
The last that broke a tie was by Geovany Soto, a walk-off in the 13th inning on June 30, 2011 vs. the Giants. They had hit six more three-run pinch homers since then before Kelly’s today.
Ben Brown threw a scoreless seventh and then allowed an unearned run to the Mets in the eighth in a very weird inning in which he got five ground balls that all could have been outs. First, a comebacker by Bo Bichette that went off Brown’s leg for a hit. Then Francisco Lindor hit a ball that Dansby Swanson couldn’t quite corral. A grounder by Robert resulted in a force play, and Brown struck out MJ Melendez for the second out.
That was a rare, rushed, bad throw from Nico Hoerner that pulled Michael Busch off first base. Francisco Alvarez was called out, but clearly, Busch’s foot was not on the base and the call was overturned. That resulted in a run scoring to make it 4-2. Brown then got another ground ball, handled smoothly by Alex Bregman, to end the inning.
The Cubs didn’t score in the eighth and Caleb Thielbar was given the save opportunity. He struck out the first two batters he faced, at times hitting 96 on the Wrigley pitch speed meter, and got a little popup to end the game [VIDEO].
Thielbar’s veteran presence made that one seem easy, and even though typically left-handers aren’t used in the closing role, perhaps he can handle it while Daniel Palencia is out.
The Cubs’ streaks of scoring 10+ runs (three games) and seven+ runs (five games) thus ended, but I’m sure you don’t mind that as long as the “W” flag flies from the Wrigley Field scoreboard. That’s four straight for the Cubs and the first time in 2026 that they have won the first two games of a series. They will go for the sweep Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Javier Assad will start for the Cubs and David Peterson goes for the Mets. Game time is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
The struggles and losses are mounting for the New York Mets.
Following a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, April 18, the Mets' losing streak rose to 10 straight games. The 10th consecutive loss dropped them to 7-14 on the season and tied for the worst record in the MLB just over midway through April. The Kansas City Royals also own a 7-14 record as of Saturday.
The 10-game losing skid is the longest for the franchise since it lost 11 in a row from Aug. 28-Sept. 8, 2004. New York is just 4-8 away from Citi Field so far this season.
Third baseman Mark Vientos gave the Mets a 1-0 lead on a solo home run in the top of the second inning. However, the Cubs responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, on a leadoff home run from Ian Happ.
The game remained tied until the sixth inning, when pinch-hitter Carson Kelly made Freddy Peralta pay for two walks earlier in the inning with a three-run home run. The Mets added a run in the top of the eighth inning, but never drew closer.
The struggles for New York persist despite an MLB-high payroll of $357,626,125 for the 2026 season, entering Opening Day. The Mets handed Bo Bichette a three-year, $126 million contract this past offseason. However, he has hit for a .227 average so far this season, along with a .564 OPS.
At 7-14, the Mets have the worst record in the National League through 21 games and are in last place in the NL East. It also marks their worst start since 1983, when they started 6-15. The Mets finished 68-94 that season.
New York started the 2025 season with a 45-24 record, but finished 38-55 the rest of the way.
Mets losing streak by the numbers
Here's a look at the Mets losing streak, by the numbers:
2: The Mets have two home runs during the losing streak. Vientos hit the second on Saturday.
3: Marks the number of times New York has been shutout during its 10-game losing skid.
15: The Mets have had two 15-game losing streaks in franchise history, with the last coming in 1983.
17: The longest losing streak for New York came in its inaugural season; it lost 17 straight between May 21 and June 6, 1962.
18: Represents the number of runs the Mets have scored during the losing streak. They have scored more than four runs once during that period.
Longest Mets losing streaks
The Mets are back in action on Sunday, April 18, against the Cubs, looking to avoid a sweep. Another loss would tie the franchise record for the seventh-longest losing streak in franchise history.
New York also has losing streaks of 12, 13, 15 and 17 games in its history:
17 Games: May 21 – June 6, 1962
15 Games: May 15 – June 1, 1963; Aug 16 – Aug 30, 1982
13 Games: May 19 – May 31, 1962; July 30 – Aug 12, 1980
12 Games: July 23 – Aug 5, 2002
11 Games: Five times (1962, 1963, 1965, 1991, and Aug 28-Sept 8, 2004)
So… that was fun! The Orioles got shut out for seven innings, gave up a grand slam, and still won. The bottom of the lineup was pivotal in that monster eighth inning: Leody Taveras had a big walk in a key situation, outfielder Weston Wilson doubled with the bases lodaed, and Jeremiah Jackson hit the game-winning Earl Weaver Special. Now hitting .317 with a .923 OPS, Jackson is making it hard to move on from him, even when the regular guys come back from the injured list.
It was a great win, although it would be awesome, I admit, if the offense could show up a little earlier (they were no-hit through eight the night before). The Orioles will have to push their runs across Gavin Williams, a 26-year-old righty who’s 2-1 so far with a 2.38 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a 29:16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in four starts. At 6’6, 250 lbs, the 2021 first-rounder is big, throws hard, and has command of multiple pitches. And he’s been even better his last three starts, with just one earned run over 17.2 innings. This is a tough test for the O’s lineup, no doubt.
Kremer comes in at 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA and 9 strikeouts, having just been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk in time to slot back into the rotation. I will say I am happy to have him back. Despite his reputation for bad Aprils, his recent Norfolk stints showed him getting sharper, and while proving extremely homer-prone (3 HR allowed in five IP) he looked more like himself in his most recent outing against the Diamondbacks: the nine strikeouts were nice.
This looks to be a tough matchup, but if Kremer can keep the ball in the yard and the offense can work some walks and get Jackson or Gunnar to time up a fastball, they could scratch out a win. Crazier things have happened—and just this week!
The Yankees said over the offseason that they wanted to give Rice more exposure to lefties this year, and he took full advantage of his first start in such situation on Sunday.
The 27-year-old was right back in the lineup against tough Royals southpaw Noah Cameron, and he had no issue crushing a solo shot as part of a five-run bottom of the third.
Rice lifted a 3-1 fastball up in the zone 398 feet to the second-deck in right, giving him homers in three straight games and a total of seven on the season.
He grounded out in his only other at-bat against Cameron, but is now hitting an impressive .313 with a pair of homers and a 1.041 OPS against lefties on the season.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” Aaron Boone said. “He handled his own against [lefties] last year and then some, so Benny’s just continuing to solidify himself as one of the outstanding hitters in the league no matter what hand you throw with.”
The numbers certainly show that to be true.
Even with the homer being his lone knock in the win, Rice is hitting .339 through 42 at-bats.
He’s racked up 13 XBH's, has driven in 17 runs, is getting on-base at a .468 clip, and is slugging .774 which adds up to a 1.224 OPS -- all of which are among the league’s best.
Rice’s early-season prowess has him drawing praise from his teammates.
“Ever since I saw him last spring he’s been hitting the ball hard,” Cody Bellinger said. “He’s got a really good idea of what he wants to do up there -- just a really good plan, really good approach, it’s fun to watch.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen anyone be so consistent impacting the ball the way he’s been doing so far this year,” Amed Rosario added via a translator. “It feels great to see that from him, just really great work.”
Boone plans on having Rice and Paul Goldschmidt in the lineup against lefty Cole Ragans as the Yanks look for the series sweep in Sunday’s finale.
