Jonathan Sanchez is mobbed by his teammates after he pitched a no-hitter at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, July 10, 2009. (Photo By Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Good morning, baseball fans!
We are in the middle of a new feature for May that I’m calling the “12 Days of Mays-mas” because I won’t be around for this week, and I want to leave you guys with some fun things to watch while I’m gone.
For the sixth day of Mays-mas, I thought we could take a look at a somewhat forgotten gem from the era. So much so that there isn’t even a full version available on YouTube, unfortunately. But before Matt Cain’s perfect game, before Tim Lincecum’s no-hitters, and before the championships started rolling in, there was a bright spot for Giants fans in the form of Jonathan Sánchez throwing a no-hitter in July of 2009.
I think it often gets overlooked considering what came after it, but it definitely deserves some love for Mays-mas. So here’s a highlight video to celebrate the occasion.
What time do the Giants play today?
The San Francisco Giants wrap up this three-game home series against the San Diego Padres this afternoon at 12:45 p.m. PT.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 13: Colorado Rockies President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta looks on as pitchers participate in the second day of spring training workouts at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 13, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)
In life, patience is a virtue. In baseball, it’s a necessity.
The last seven years of Colorado Rockies baseball have exhausted the patience of fans, as the wait for a competitive team became more and more prolonged. Thankfully, the changes instituted at 20th and Blake by the President of Baseball Operations, Paul DePodesta, have started to yield some positive results for the 2026 Rockies. Games have been a bit more competitive, and there have been noticeable development improvements across the organization.
There is legitimate optimism for the first time in years.
The Rockies clearly have a plan for how they go about their business. A big part of that plan seems to be avoiding the folly of being reactionary, something so prevalent in the world of sports. The team is choosing patience, particularly with struggling players.
“We don’t want to be reactionary. We also don’t want our players thinking that if they go 0-for-4 tonight, they’re not in the lineup tomorrow. Or worse, they’re going to Triple-A,” DePodesta said to reporters on May 3.
“We believe in these guys. We also believe in a lot of the guys we have in Triple-A right now, but we want to give them ample opportunities to play.”
The struggles of players like Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle, and Jordan Beck likely inspired these comments from DePodesta. This trio of staples from the 2025 Rockies have been off to rough starts in 2026 and the issues have been obvious as numbers are down, strikeouts are up, and they are being overshadowed by the newcomers to the lineup. Those struggles have left fans and media onlookers clamoring for the promotions of prospects like Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) and Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP).
The Rockies have not indicated that these players are at risk of losing their spots on the roster at the moment, and while it may be an unpopular opinion, I’m fine with the Rockies’ approach of exhibiting patience and letting those struggling players figure things out, despite the frustrations of watching that process.
Players have always needed time and opportunity to grow and settle in during the regular season. Whether you are a rookie or an experienced veteran, baseball takes time. Both Doyle and Beck have seen their playing time reduced, but DePodesta and manager Warren Schaeffer have looked for ample opportunities to put them in match-ups to succeed, particularly against left-handed pitching.
“I think we’ve faced the fewest left-handed pitchers in all of baseball so far. I think that’s right — at least it was as of a couple of days ago,” DePodesta said. “So, we expect that they’ll have more opportunities. And it’s hard when you’re not playing every single day. It’s just hard to get in a rhythm, and then especially if you’ve gotten off to a slower start than you’re accustomed to, it can be really hard.”
The turn towards a platoon could benefit Beck more, as he is slashing .333/.344/.567 against lefties with four of his five extra-base hits, including his lone home run. While Doyle’s numbers aren’t what he’d like, he does have slightly better success against lefties, and the Rockies have experimented with his spot in the batting order. Batting ninth has actually been a great spot for Doyle, where he is 8-for-22. The presence of other successful outfielders has afforded the Rockies the grace of using Beck and Doyle in positions where they could succeed.
As for Tovar, I’m again reminded of Carlos González in 2009.
I won’t rehash the entire story again like I did in 2023, but CarGo was called up shortly after Jim Tracy was named the new manager of the struggling Rockies. CarGo struggled immensely, but Tracy was undeterred. As questions mounted from the media about why he was still playing, Tracy explained that if CarGo was still in the clubhouse, he was going to be in the lineup. Tracy saw the potential and understood the young outfielder needed time to both fail and learn to succeed, and he eventually did in the second half of 2009 en route to a spectacular career in Colorado.
Tovar is receiving the same amount of grace from Schaeffer. It can be hard to remember that Tovar is still just 24-years-old and is far from a finished product. He knows that he chases too much and is diligently working on improving his plate approach. Over the last six games, Tovar just about doubled his walk total for the season to seven while chasing much less. It’s not a barn burner in terms of progress, but small victories can start to stack up as he continues to play every day.
“We want to stay behind those guys and continue to give them opportunities,” DePodesta said,“and we’re confident that we’re going to look up at the end of the year and they will be as productive as they’ve been previously.”
Sticking behind players on the roster plays right into the plan the Rockies have. A problem of the past was rushing prospects to the big leagues out of desperation and reactionary tendencies. Despite excellent play in Triple-A in a brief sample size, those players faced a great deal of struggles at the major league level before they were ready.
That’s a mistake DePodesta isn’t going to replicate. He spent the offseason seeking to build depth and allowing prospects the chance to bloom after the proper amount of time.
“Like, we want to call players up when they are banging down the door where we have to make room for them because they’re just playing so well and that they have the underlying foundation in place to be successful up here — not just to survive, you know, but to be successful,” DePodesta said.
As James Riggenbach pointed out last week, production is not necessarily proof for the prospects in Albuquerque. Condon started hot out of the gate, but over the last 30 days, he has slashed .218/.382/.321 with four extra-base hits. However, he is showing the tools of a quality plate discipline that will bode well while he works on doing more with the ball in play. Carrigg has continued to play extremely well and was recently named the Pacific Coast Player of the Week. There is merit in calling for his promotion, but he is also 31 games into his first season of Triple-A, and it’s okay to allow him to continue solidifying his tools there.
As DePodesta said, the play is great, but the prospects need a solid foundation in which they can succeed and have their Triple-A tools translate against the best competition in baseball. We’ve seen the opposite side of that story far too often over the years.
We all want winning baseball in Colorado, but for the Rockies to succeed in their version of a rebuild, everyone has to be on board with trusting the process. Certainly, the front office, coaches, and players have to be on the same page, but the fans also need to display patience.
Trust that DePodesta and company know what they are doing and have a vision for what they want to accomplish.
Despite notching just four hits, the Isotopes scored seven runs to win an extra-inning affair in Sugar Land. After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Isotopes struck back and knotted the game 4-4 in the top of the fifth. The game remained tied until Albuquerque put up three in the top of the 10th, thanks in part to a two-run home run by Braxton Fulford. The Isotopes struck out 13 times but also managed a staggering 15 walks with every player drawing at least one. Adael Amador led the team with four walks. Valente Bellozo started on the mound and worked four innings, giving up four runs and walking seven batters. However, the bullpen held firm with TJ Shook notably striking out five in his two innings of work. Seth Halverson locked down his third save in the 10th.
The offense came out in full force for Hartford, scoring 10 runs on 15 hits. Eight of the starters had at least one hit, while Andy Perez, Roc Riggio, and Aidan Longwell each had three hits. Riggio notched a pair of doubles while Longwell had a double and belted his fifth home run of the season and drove in three runs. Benny Montgomery also blasted a grand slam for his second home run of the season. Konner Eaton made the start and cruised through 5.2 innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Enjoying some early morning baseball, the Spokane Indians utilized a three-run bottom of the second inning to win the series opener. Kelvin Hidalgo laced a two-run triple to get the Indians on the board before coming in to score on a Roynier Hernadez single. Max Belyeu added some insurance in the sixth inning, belting a solo shot for his fourth of the year. That is all the team would need as Jackson Cox was dealing on the mound. He allowed just one run on one hit, a solo home run in the third, while striking out nine and walking three. The Dust Devils got a run in the eighth and threatened in the ninth, but the combo of Justin Loer and Nathan Blasick secured the win with the latter earning his second save of the year.
Trailing 10-4 entering the ninth inning, the Fresno Grizzlies rallied for six runs to tie the game and go on to win in extra-innings over San Jose in the series opener. Fresno collected 13 hits in the game, led by Roldy Brito’s four hits. They had six doubles in the game, with Ethan Holliday’s two-run double and Jack O’Dowd’s RBI double tying the game in the ninth. Carlos Renzullo’s double in the 10th gave the Grizzlies the lead and later Brito’s single gave them the 13th run of the game. Ethan Cole started on the mound and went just 2.1 innings giving up two runs. Brady Parker followed but surrendered five runs in 2.2 innings of work. Dyland Crooks played stopper later in the game with two scoreless frames, followed by Seth Clausen earning the save. Fresno pitching had 13 strikeouts as a unit against two walks.
This Phillies site over on FanSided is lamenting how much the Phillies could use a player like Mickey Moniak currently. The former number one overall pick was considered a bust back east, but has found a home in Colorado, just as the Phillies struggle with an underperforming lineup, particularly in the outfield.
TJ Rumfield’s approach has been excellent through his first month of big league action. His ability to put bat to ball is impressive, so Thomas Harding caught up with him to chat about his approach.
This week, Evan Lang and I talk about the struggles of the bullpen lately, the joy of Rumfield and Troy Johnston, and bring back Players of the Month for 2026!
Who will win Dodgers vs Astros today: Astros moneyline (+180)
Lance McCullers Jr. is trending up at exactly the right time, generating 13 swings and misses across six innings against Baltimore last week.
The Houston Astros have also been the hotter offense over the last seven days, posting a 107 wRC+ while theLos Angeles Dodgers rank 14th with just two home runs and a .085 ISO.
Nearly 2/1 underdogs with an offense this dangerous is too much to pass up.
COVERS INTEL:Alvarez ranks in the 89th percentile, with a 51.3% hard-hit rate across 117 batted-ball events.
Dodgers vs Astros Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-112)
Glasnow is excellent but has surrendered four home runs this season, and the wind blowing out at Daikin Park on a hot, humid afternoon turns warning-track shots into runs.
The Astros bullpen ranks among the worst in baseball over the last seven days, posting a 5.88 ERA with a 15% home run rate.
Alvarez is a genuine threat to go deep against anyone, and once both starters exit, neither pen inspires confidence.
The Over is 6-4 in their previous 10 meetings, and this total is begging to be cleared.
Phil Naessens' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 5-9, -3.05 units
Over/Under bets: 5-7, -3.16 units
Dodgers vs Astros odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -194 | Astros +186
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (-117) | Astros +1.5 (+113)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-117) | Under 8.5 (+108)
Dodgers vs Astros trend
The Astros are 7-3 in their previous 10 games with the Dodgers. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Astros.
How to watch Dodgers vs Astros and game info
Location
Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Date
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
First pitch
2:10 p.m. ET
TV
SportsNet LA, SCHN
Dodgers starting pitcher
Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 2.56 ERA)
Astros starting pitcher
Lance McCullers Jr. (2-2, 6.32 ERA)
Dodgers vs Astros latest injuries
Dodgers vs Astros weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This was just as well in the wake of manager Gabe Alvarez’s sudden firing on Tuesday. The team could probably use the time to absorb the news, as whatever his violation, Alvarez has had a reputation as a pretty popular and well-liked manager. With Mike Hessman now the interim skipper, the Hens will play two at Fifth Third Park on Wednesday, with Game 1 set for an 11:05 a.m. ET start time. With the team gutted by the Tigers needs and a setback for starter Sawyer Gipson-Long, the Tigers have moved reliever Eric Silva and lefty starter Carlos Peña up to the Triple-A level to help out.
The SeaWolves’ bullpen managed to lock down the late innings as the lineup roared to life in the seventh and eighth innings to come back and bury the Senators on Tuesday.
The SeaWolves had an early lead in this one, but couldn’t keep it. John Peck continued to swing the hot bat, leading off the top of the second with a double. Justice Bigbie was hit by a pitch, and after a pair of strikeouts, Andrew Jenkins reached on a throwing error from the Senators’ shortstop, Seaver King. That loaded the bases, and an infield hit from E.J. Exposito made it a 1-0 game. Brett Callahan pulled a grounder through the right side to score Bigbie, but unfortunately a rocket off the bat of Peyton Graham was hauled in by the center fielder, holding the SeaWolves to two runs.
A Graham throwing error allowed the leadoff man to reach in the bottom half, and Luke Taggart allowed two runs. Thayron Liranzo doubled to start the third inning, and a pair of deep fly balls brought him around to make it 3-2 SeaWolves. Unfortunately, Johan Simon and Duque Hebbert combined to give up two runs in the fourth.
So it was a 4-3 Senators lead, and that didn’t change until Callahan led off the seventh with a game tying solo blast. That was the outfielder’s fifth on the year already. Meanwhile, Hebbert settled things down through the middle innings, giving way to Tyler Owens, who threw a clean bottom of the seventh.
A six-run rally followed from the SeaWolves in the top of the eighth. Bigbie doubled and Chris Meyers was hit by a pitch. Izaac Pacheco smoked a single into center field to load the bases, and Jenkins was walked to force in the go-ahead run. 5-4 SeaWolves. The next two hitters struck out, but a catchers interference call with Graham batting forced in a second run, and then Liranzo drew a walk as well. That brought Peck to the dish with the bases still juiced, and the hot hitting shortstop delivered, dumping a two-run single into right field. Peck then stole second, drawing a throw that went wild, and Liranzo scored from third. When the smoke cleared, it was 10-4, and Trevin Michael would keep it that way over the final two frames in relief.
Peck: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B, SB
Callahan: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB, K
Liranzo: 1-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB, K
Pacheco: 2-4, R, BB, K, SB
Hebbert: 2.2 IP, ER, H, K
Coming Up Next: It’s an 11:00 a.m. ET first pitch on Wednesday in Harrisburg as well.
The Whitecaps losing streak reached a shocking nine in a row as they again dropped a close game on Tuesday. In the past week and a half they’ve been walked off twice, and despite putting up solid run totals, just havent’ been able to get their pitching staff going.
Right-hander Hayden Minton got the start in this one, and true to form for much of the rotation recently, he wasn’t terrible but still leaked three runs in 3.2 innings of work. Inohan Paniagua took over to finish the fourth inning, but then he allowed a run on two hits in the fifth.
So it was a 4-0 lead for the Dragons when a leadoff single from Jackson Strong, followed by singles from Juan Hernandez and Andrew Sojka produced the ‘Caps first run. That was all they’d get but in the bottom of the fifth. Seth Chavez allowed a leadoff triple in the top of the sixth, but second baseman Samuel Gil got a ground ball and cut the runner down at the plate and Chavez escaped unscathed.
In the bottom of the sixth, Garrett Pennington singled and rode home on a two-run shot from Clayton Campbell that made it a 4-3 Dayton lead. Unfortunately, Luke Stofel allowed a run in the top of the ninth for some Dragons’ insurance.
Strong led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk and eventually scored on a Cristian Santana sacrifice fly, but that was as close as they’d get.
Campbell: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 K
Strong: 2-3, 2 R, BB, K
Rainer: 0-4, 3 K
Minton (L, 0-2): 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: There is hope for the Whitecaps pitching staff now that Ben Jacobs has moved up from Lakeland. His first start in the Midwest League was impressive. Kelvis Salcedo and lefty Grayson Grinsell probably aren’t too many weeks from joining him there. The Whitecaps will look to end their skid at 6:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Grayson Grinsell had a tough day on the mound, and the Flying Tigers’ offense didn’t do a whole lot at the plate in this first of six at home.
Beau Brieske made his first rehab appearance the spring. The Tigers could really use him back about now, so it was a positive sign seeing him toss a perfect first inning with a pair of strikeouts. He was 95-96 mph with the fastball, so a move to Toledo to complete his rehab work won’t be long. With any luck, he could rejoin the Tigers by sometime next week.
Grinsell took over in the second and had his first rough pro outing after looking great in April. He allowed a triple that turned into a run before tossing a clean third inning. However, in the fourth everything went sideways. A single and then a homer allowed with one out started things off poorly. Then a double and a Jordan Yost error on what would have been the second out set the table for a three-run shot that made it a 6-0 game.
The offense was missing in action until the seventh when Jesus Pinto led off with a double. Jude Warwick doubled Pinto home with two outs, and then scored on a Sergio Tapia single. Max Anderson went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in his rehab assignment.
May 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) throws a pitch against the Athletics during the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Death, taxes, Cristopher Sanchez pitching well at Citizens Bank Park. Makes you wonder if the mound there is perhaps different than the mounds across the game. There was always the allegations that the mound at Dodger Stadium was taller than anywhere else, so maybe there is something different.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 7-6 at Worcester Red Sox
2B George Lombard Jr. 0-3, 2 BB SS Anthony Volpe 2-4, 2B, SB LF Spencer Jones 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K — impressive opposite-field shot RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-5, 2 K 3B Oswaldo Cabrera 1-5 DH Seth Brown 1-4, BB, 2 K 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 2-4, K C Payton Henry 2-3, 2B 3 RBI, BB, K CF Duke Ellis 0-4
Carlos Rodón 6.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR — not quite the outing he was looking to wrap up his rehab Yordanny Cruz 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K (loss, blown save)
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 14-12 at Reading Fightin Phils — crazy game, Somerset led 12-9 in the eighth but coughed up five runs
DH Jace Avina 1-6, HR, RBI, BB, K RF Garrett Martin 2-5, BB, K, SB, CS LF Jackson Castillo 1-6, 2 K 2B Marco Luciano 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB — got a 1.107 OPS, maybe he can get himself to Triple-A before long 1B Coby Morales 3-6, RBI, K, SB 3B Tyler Hardman 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 2 K — red hot, homers in four straight games CF DJ Gladney 3-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K C Manuel Palencia 2-5, BB SS Owen Cobb 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 6-1 vs. Winston-Salem Dash
2B Kaeden Kent 1-4, SB SS Core Jackson 0-4, 2 K 1B Kyle West 0-4, 2 K DH Eric Genther 0-3, BB, 3 K 3B Roderick Arias 1-2, HR, RBI, BB RF Wilson Rodriguez 0-3, K LF Josh Moylan 0-3, 3 K CF Camden Troyer 0-3, 3 K C Josue Gonzalez 0-3, K
Gerrit Cole 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR — pounded the zone but gave up some loud contact Brandon Decker 0.2 IP, 1 H 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR Bryce Cunningham 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K — second appearance of the year for the 2024 second rounder Wilmy Sanchez 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
BINGHAMTON, NY - MARCH 31: Will Watson #17 of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies poses for a photo during the Binghamton Rumble Ponies photo day at Mirabito Stadium on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Dave Garrett/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Ryan Clifford drove in a run in the bottom of the first to give Syracuse the initial lead, but it wouldn’t last long. In the top of the fourth, the newly signed Jack Weisenburger allowed three runs, giving the Red Wings a 3-1 lead. Christian Pache got Syracuse within a run in the sixth with an RBI single- had Nick Morabito not been thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double, he would’ve tied the game- but they quickly ran out of time. Rain began falling, and the umpiring crew decided to call things off there.
It was a disastrous start for Will Watson, who came into the season with high expectations but has fallen far, far short of them so far. The right-hander did not even get out of the first, recording just two outs. He labored, throwing 20 of his 37 pitches for strikes, and allowed four runs on three hits- one of which was a grand slam- and two walks. His replacement, Tanner Witt, did not fare much better, allowing 4 runs in 1.1 innings. Suffice to say, down by eight runs in the second inning, the Rumble Ponies failed to make this one a competitive ballgame. Of note, Wyatt Young pitched not just one, but two innings, and did not allow a run, scattering three hits. This is, unbelievably, the third game that he’s pitched this season, and has a 2.25 ERA on the year, allowing one earned run in 4.0 innings over three games. Move over, Nolan McLean!
St. Lucie already had the lead thanks to a Chase Meggers RBI in the second, but a five-run fourth gave them plenty of extra room. In the inning, JT Benson hit a two-run homer and Elian Pena a three-run homer. Tyler McLoughlin allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, breaking up the shutout that R.J Gordon, Daviel Hurtado, and Ryan Dollar had going, but outside of that blip, the Flying Tigers never really threatened at any point.
After last night’s rainout was announced, I scoffed and thought, what’s there to do now. Well, it just means I have more time to write about the Cardinals! That and, of course, it becomes apparent that the Cardinals aren’t meant to play many games vs their NL Central counterparts this early in the year. Today will only be the 6th game vs our own division, out of 35 games so far. Blink, and you will miss the 1/4th point of the season, coming up this weekend.
The Cardinals are 5-0 against their own division. Pretty good. Pretty, pretty, pretty good! A list of teams that have a better record than the Cardinals include only one NL Central team, the Cubs… and other first place teams like the Dodgers, Braves, and Yankees. Add to that list the Rays, who we battled with gloriously to begin the season back in late March. Our entire division is still over .500, including our current opponent, the last-place Brewers.
How are we this good? I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I think a lot of it has to do with the defense. Since we are in a good division, how does Cardinal defense stack up with the NL Central?
The Cubs along with having probably the best offense have arguably the best defense with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner being extremely valuable freaks of nature by Fielding Run Value on baseball savant. The two account for a +14 FRV! To compare to the Cardinals, that’s more than JJ Wetherholt, Pedro Pages, Nolan Gorman (+3 FRV, surprisingly), Masyn Winn, and Nathan Church put together! Now, I don’t really trust this stat completely, but that says something. The Cubs really do have an elite defense. Michael Busch is also really good on defense, and Seiya Suzuki ain’t bad either.
As for the rest of the NL Central, they cannot really hang with all of that. The Brewers are the next-best defensively, with the Reds and Pirates not-so-good on defense, outside of Ely De La Cruz.
Tiering NL Central Batters (using bat speed)
EliteDestructive Force (average bat speed over 78 mph)
Jordan Walker
Oneil Cruz (Pirates)
These two are tearing it up this year. You might be surprised to hear that Cruz is making slightly more contact than Walker. Cruz is taking more competitive swings and has a .262 BA so far this year, which for him seems quite high. These two might be a fun comparison going forward, with their similarities in extreme power hitting.
Terrible Force (ave bat speed 75-77)
Garrett Mitchell (Brewers)
Jake Bauers (Brewers)
Konor Griffin (Pirates)
The young Konor Griffin already showing off extreme bat speeds. Had no idea those two Brewers were swinging that hard!
Swinging So Very Hard (ave bat speed over 74 mph)
Ely De La Cruz (Reds)
Ivan Herrera
Pete Crow-Armstrong*
I notice the Cubs are not present here at 74+, in the top tiers of bat speed. I guess they don’t need to swing hard at Wrigley! heh heh heh. I’d like to point out here a stat called swing length, and that Walker and Herrera have the largest swings in the NL Central. The hardest swinging Cub? Pete Crow-Armstrong, who finishes at 73.9 average swing velocity, but figured I’d round up to be nice.
Ok enough of that bat speed nonsense! Swinging hard isn’t everything. Who is actually barreling the ball the most in NL Central? Rookie sensation Sal Stewart of the Reds! He is #5 in all of MLB at barrels %. Our good buddy Jordan Walker is #2 in the Central after Stewart in barrels %. More Reds players Spencer Steer and Ke’bryan Hayes are also really good at this. How about other Cardinals good at barrels/pa? Nathan Church (good sign!) and Lord Alec Burleson. And another Reds hitter Elly De La Cruz. Maybe that Reds offense is nothing to scoff at.
Are all these NL Central offenses for real? It looks like the Brewers and Pirates will stay about the same. The Reds and Cardinals could be in for some improvement, going by xwOBA, while the Cubs could come crashing down to earth a little bit. What could be a very interesting stat: the Cubs offense might not be a ton better than the Cardinals or Reds lineups. Their xwOBA is .336 with the Cardinals and Reds at .331.
So we are looking at three awesome offenses here. The Cubs and Reds are tied in home runs and the Cardinals are only two home runs behind. If you thought the Cardinals would be tied for 6th in home runs in MLB, on May 5th, you probably are Nostradamus (or related to him).
Forget the Cubs, they’re getting old. The Cardinals have the edge on the NL Central in hard hit %, and the Reds have been the team with the highest barrel % in the National League.
Most likely NL Central hitter to cool off: Seiya Suzuki
Best overall hitter in the NL Central so far: Brice Turang… so I guess I should not write off the Brewers just yet… what an interesting division
Who could end up being the best hitter in the Central: Jordan Walker ain’t far behind where Turang is at right now!
Best DH in the NL Central: Cubs’ Moises Ballesteros, so far anyways… currently the best DH in the NL
Best NL Central Hitters by Position
C Ivan Herrera (or Carson Kelly if you think he can keep up a .382 wOBA… obviously another hot start for Kelly this spring)
RF Jordan Walker (honorable mention Seiya Suzuki)
LF Ian Happ
CF Oneil Cruz
SS Ely De La Cruz
1B Sal Stewart
2B Brice Turang
3B Nick Gonzalez
DH Moises Ballesteros
So as good as some of our guys are, we are in a stacked division. JJ is of course #2 best hitting 2b in the Central, but the Pirates made a pretty good move of bringing in Lowe so Gonzalez could move over to 3b. The Pirates organization probably did just enough to keep them in the race this season. You know what’s the opposite of the NL Central? the AL Central! Their best team is at .500.
One more thing before I get to the music, I wanted to take a look at the Cardinals splits so far…
Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn have been killing left handed pitching in 2026. Vs righties? Jordan Walker hits them too, and so does Ivan Herrera and Alec Burleson. Masyn Winn is not faring too well vs RHP but not terrible at 88 wRC+. The award of worst splits goes to Alec Burleson however, who absolutely looks awful vs LHP so far.
Home Field Advantage: Jordan Walker and Nathan Church love hitting at Busch Stadium
Road Warriors: Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, and JJ Wetherholt have been tearing it up on the road
The big takeaway: Alec Burleson while hitting so well on the road is a below average hitter at Busch
High leverage hitters: Wetherholt, Herrera, Winn, and Gorman up their numbers in high leverage situations so far in 2026!
RBI Hog: Alec Burleson ups the ante with runners in scoring position and has 24 RBI, Clutch Burly
Walker and Gorman also have over 20 RBI, which means Gorman has been quietly productive with his +3 Fielding Run Value and RBI production when needed. JJ Wetherholt rounds out the top 4 Cardinals RBI guys.
1989
1988 set a fire in the music scenes of North America and around the world, and 1989 was the evidence of its mounting flame of change and intense rock n roll as well as advancements in musical technologies and new forms of music. I am constantly amazed at how the transitional times between decades yields so much classic, good music, but I’m here to talk about it and well, this year ended up being ridiculous in the quality finds. I usually do 20, or maybe only 10 albums, but for this year it has doubled. I bring to you, whoever is reading this blog, 40 albums of can’t miss music!
Top Tier Albums of 1989
Ministry – ‘The Mind is a Terrible Thing To Taste’ Chicago industrial scene mavens reach the beginning of their peak state and release this masterpiece, a defining sound for 1989
Cows – ‘Daddy Has A Tail’ this could very well be my favorite punk rock album of all time, it grows on me with every listen, must be listened to LOUD, and is full of catchiness, humor, and a huge wall of rock n roll barely contained by expert lo-fi production
Melvins – ‘Ozma’ I view this as sort of a sequel to Gluey Porch Treatments, its predecessor, but it’s just as good, if not better… a refining of the sound introduced a couple of years before and part of a huge year of grunge music catching fire into what would be a nationwide cultural movement a few years later
Skinny Puppy – ‘Rabies’ while grunge was starting to catch fire, industrial music was also coalescing into a near mainstream movement, and Rabies by Skinny Puppy was a close second to the genius on display with Ministry’s ‘Mind…’ album. The primary difference being Skinny Puppy was less metal/punk oriented and more goth/techno. Both albums are extremely important in understanding where music tech was at in 1989
Nirvana – ‘Bleach’ for a minute I had this as album of the year in 1989, and it is not a bad pick… the best Nirvana album, I would argue. Something about this album’s mix of lively but dirty tones and hyper-catchy song structures began to reinvent the wheel of rock music. Not to mention the amount of energy brought here… If Melvins were the spark for the grunge movement, Nirvana and the next band were the fuel for the fire…
Soundgarden – ‘Louder Than Love’ Soundgarden entered their prime years with this album, which is one of their best and defining of the pacific northwest grunge movement… Chris Cornell would become the ultimate voice of rock n roll for a while, and this is the roots of that and maybe his most powerful vocal performance! or just listening to the pure fire, subtle bass playing throughout this album
Sepultura – ‘Beneath The Remains’ thrash death metal at its best, riding that creative wave in 1989 from down in Brazil, Sepultura would become legends because of this masterpiece of an album, should be higher but this year is just absolutely stacked
Beastie Boys – ‘Paul’s Boutique’ here’s another album that should be higher on the list! one of the best hiphop albums ever made, capturing that NYC sound
Dog Faced Hermans – ‘Every Day Timebomb’ actually THIS album could be #1 on the list! How many times am I going to keep saying this about 1989? Don’t sleep on this one, they’re on to something here, something highly unique and memorable, inventive even
Morbid Angel – ‘Altars of Madness’ many would argue, the best death metal album ever made… defining masterpiece of the genre. If you like horrific sounds beyond the limits of the human world and ultra fast precision, look no further… a defining album in the heavy metal canon (honestly had this one as #1 for a minute, too!) florida metal
#11-20
Nine Inch Nails – ‘Pretty Hate Machine’ if you haven’t heard it, what are you waiting for!? Another genre-defining classic for industrial music in 1989, the ultimate soundtrack for an industrial dance club setting
Faith No More – ‘The Real Thing’ sure you have some absolute bangers in songs like “Epic” and “From Out of Nowhere” but this album is a great full album listening experience, classic rock at this point! “Zombie Eaters”, “The Morning After”, “Surprise! You’re Dead”, and “Falling To Pieces” some of the more underrated songs on the album
Vasilisk – ‘Acqua’ here is my big find of my music deep dive into 1989… the big discovery… soundtrackish
Carcass – ‘Symphonies of Sickness’ defining moment for grindcore here! Carcass re-defined the whole relatively new genre that Napalm Death started, taking it in a new “gore-grind” direction. Aside from that, this album sounds absolutely disgustingly heavy, next level, even…
Kool G Rap – ‘Road To The Riches’ while the Beastie Boys were putting out the definitive hiphop album in 1989, Kool G Rap along with other innovators was starting new sounds, is this the first gangster rap album?
Meat Beat Manifesto – ‘Storm The Studio’ speaking of sonic innovators, Jack Dangers and Meat Beat Manifesto started a new sound, melding industrial music with hip hop! Band leader and producer Jack Dangers would go on to become one of the best music producers of all time, in my opinion
Coroner – ‘No More Color’ absolute thrash masterpiece i just discovered, give me some time
Bolt Thrower – ‘Realm of Chaos’ if anyone used to play any table top RPG like Warhammer 40k, I guess this album was advertised in White Dwarf, a magazine for table top war gamers. The cover art of this album even looks like some of the art for these games. Absolutely THE soundtrack for wargames.
Pestilence – ‘Consuming Impulse’ dare I say it again, this band was ahead of their time, with their technical death metal skills right up there or ahead of Death, perhaps the godfather of technical death metal skills
Godflesh – ‘Streetcleaner’ it feels wrong to rank this here, but 1989 is just a ridiculous world… many would probably rank it higher, but then again, many wouldn’t even listen to it, so there’s that… defining industrial metal classic, at the very least; opening track “Rats” is my favorite but it’s a banger start to finish
Tim Berne – ‘Fractured Fairy Tales’ best jazz album of 1989! absolutely fantastic listening experience
#21-30
De La Soul – ‘3 Feet High and Rising’ the third defining hiphop album on the list, perhaps the first “alt-hiphop” album? My brother loves this album, it is super catchy and fun after all
NoMeansNo – ‘Wrong’ punk rock classic and peak moment for NMN! sick and tired of the same old thing? check this album out! so underrated
Terrorizer – ‘World Downfall’ an early defining moment for grindcore which just so happens to feature the rhythm section and singer of Morbid Angel, but owning the grindcore world in another band! Florida metal
The Work – ‘Rubber Cage’ avant garde rock n roll similar to This Heat ten years ago, not to compare them to another band because this is highly unique, but only band I can think of similar
Negativland – ‘Helter Stupid’ one of the greatest conceptual art pieces of all time, in the form of edited audio snippets arranged in perfect composite… this album might make you go insane, or heal all your wounds
Schizo – ‘Main Frame Collapse’ the first true obscurity on the list, if you want to enter the realms of underground metal, this is a pretty good entry point! early and defining extreme metal sounds here, black metal at its best
Bitch Magnet – ‘Umber’ classic noise rock probably a bit ahead of its time, precursor to Helmet?
Branca – ‘Symphony No. 6’ explore the album, but here’s an excerpt on the outer limits of the guitar sound
Toxik – ‘Think This’ absolutely phenomenal heavy metal thrash album, just be prepared for the old school power metal thrash vocals which are actually done pretty tastefully, an overlooked classic of the metal genre
The Cure – ‘Disintegration’ understated, beautiful sounding album that sounds like it could have been released at any time in the 1980s but just barely eclipsed the end of the decade
#31-40
Mudhoney – ‘Mudhoney’ no 1989 list talking about early grunge sounds could possibly leave this album off a listing, it’s way better than you might expect, rock n roll legends
Caspar Brötzmann Massaker – ‘Black Axis’ art rock, noise, a new form of jazz? you’ll enter new zones here
Bad Brains – ‘Quickness’ Bad Brains begin to crossover: hardcore punk to metal… perhaps their perfect blend between the two, with their best production so far in their career but not as polished as the ones after… guitarist Dr Know goes next level here with his solos and super tight rhythm playing
Tad – ‘God’s Balls’ I got to see this band live when i was in high school and it is still one of the heaviest bands I’ve ever seen, so tight… and always just as punk as it was metal, another early grunge movement gamechanger
Fugazi – ‘13 Songs’ album opener would be on my college soundtrack album, awesome live band!
Saw Throat – ‘Indestroy’ crazy primitive crust punk sounding heavy caveman metal, wild stuff! heavy psychedelic insanity proto black metal and sludge
Repulsion – ‘Horrified’ insanely fast early grindcore that sounds like it was recorded in a sewer!
Death Side – ‘Wasted Dream’ awesome Japanese hardcore punk!
Thinking Plague – ‘In This Life’ ending my 1989 list with this album because there isn’t much streaming online from it, you’ll just have to buy it but it’s well worth it, I bought a digital copy years ago, one of the best prog rock albums from the 1980s! Bandcamp with a couple more songs streaming or purchase option
You might be thinking, “Didn’t we just celebrate 50 years of Brewers baseball a few years ago?”
Technically, yes. The Major League Baseball team that is the Milwaukee Brewers turned 50 in 2020. But the name, as many know, has been around for a lot longer than that. Since 1901, to be exact.
Other smaller clubs used the name Brewers, but none were on the professional level. The first professional Brewers club was a part of the inaugural season of the American League. And let’s just say it was a season to forget for Brewers fans 125 years ago — they finished dead last, 35 1/2 games back of first place, behind powerhouses like the Chicago White Stockings, Boston Americans, and the Detroit Tigers.
125 years ago today in 1901 the Milwaukee Brewers were born, facing the Chicago White Sox. The team would end up leaving to St. Louis to become the Browns and then end up becoming what we know now as the Baltimore Orioles. pic.twitter.com/f5fuYsxcu7
Before there was American Family Field and County Stadium, there was the Lloyd Street Grounds, the first home of Brewers baseball. The ballpark was constructed in 1895 on the south end of West Lloyd Street, between North 16th Street and North 18th Street. It was praised for several things, most importantly, the accessibility. Milwaukee, at the time, had a world-renowned streetcar system, which dropped off pedestrians in front of the stadium. The cost of construction was $7,400, according to sabr.org, which, in today’s dollars, would be about $291,000.
Following the conclusion of the 1901 season, the Brewers were moved to St. Louis amid financial distress. Thus, the Browns were born.
It didn’t take long for baseball to return to Milwaukee, as a new edition of the Brewers joined the American Association and played in town from 1902 through 1952. The Crew began as a Class-A ballclub before becoming a Double-A team for almost 40 years. They saw a ton of success in the American Association, winning league titles in 1913 and 1914, and then not again until 1936.
For most of their time in the American Association, they weren’t affiliated with anyone, operating as an independent ball club. However, there were a few short years they spent with some big league clubs. Their first affiliation was with the same team that left Milwaukee the first time around, the St. Louis Browns. From 1946 until their final season in the American Association, they were associated with the Boston Braves. During their time with the Braves, they won two championships, one in 1947 and another in 1951.
During this time, Borchert Field was the home of Brewers baseball, which was located between North 7th, North 8th, West Chambers, and West Burleigh Streets. This ballpark was built in 1888 and stood for nearly 70 years before being demolished after the opening of County Stadium. Today, in its place is I-43, which was built on top of it.
The 1952 season would be the last time the world saw the Brewers until the Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee before the 1970 season, giving the Brewers another life.
Through all the ups and downs of professional baseball in Milwaukee, the Brewers have been the mainstay, and it continues to be over 125 years later.
Happy birthday to Bill Hands, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1998, RookieKerry Wood ties the ML record with 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, pitching a one-hitter to lead the Chicago Cubs over the Houston Astros, 2-0. This and other stories are posted as well, including a trio of examples of stellar excellent sportswriting.
1941 – Hank Greenberg makes his last game before entering the U.S. military a memorable one as he hits two home runs with three RBI helping the Detroit Tigers to a 7-4 victory over the New York Yankees.
1953 – Bobo Holloman of the St. Louis Browns pitches a 6-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia A’s, to become only the third pitcher in majors’ history to fire a no-hitter in his first start. Holloman will win only two more games during a brief one-year career and will never pitch another complete game in the majors.
1955 – Roberto Clemente crashes Willie Mays‘s birthday party at the Polo Grounds, by banging a 430-foot triple over the Mays’s head to lead to a 3-2 Pirate win over the Giants. Jesse Abramson of the New York Herald Tribune reports: “Roberto Clemente tripled so far over Mays’ head that even Willie on his charger, shedding the cap, couldn’t catch it…”
1958 – Exactly three years later, Roberto Clemente again disrupts Willie Mays‘s birthday, if not quite so dramatically. Bob Stevens of the San Francisco Chronicle reports: “Only a spectacular catch by Clemente on a 400-foot blast by Mays in the sixth with the bases loaded prevented San Francisco from making a genuine rout of the thing.” Circus catch notwithstanding, the Bucs suffered a 7-0 defeat.
1960 – As fate would have it, Roberto Clemente‘s first visit to the newly-opened Candlestick Park coincides with the 29th birthday of his one-time mentor Willie Mays, and once again Mays’ student steals the spotlight. While all three Willies – i.e. Mays, McCovey and Kirkland – go deep to power San Francisco‘s 5-1 win over Pittsburgh, it’s Clemente who gets the crowd’s attention with a shot to left center into the teeth of a vicious wind. Arnold Hano, California-based biographer of both Mays and Clemente, witnesses this moment: “Clemente’s bat hit the ball, and the result absolutely clubbed the crowd into awed silence for a long moment. Right into that wet whipping wind the ball carried. Right on through, hit 120 feet high in a long soaring majestic parabola that came down finally over 450 feet away. There is just no way of telling how far Clemente’s home run blast would have traveled had it not been for that wind. Suffice it to say partisan Giant fans suddenly broke their shell-shocked silence and let loose a gigantic roar. For two innings the stadium buzzed. For days the Giants talked about it. Even today if you slip up behind a Giant pitcher and suddenly whisper in his ear: ‘Remember the home run Clemente hit?’ he’s likely to jump as high as if he’d been caught putting spit on baseballs.”
2005 – Preserving a 6-5 win over the Cardinals, Trevor Hoffman becomes the third pitcher in ML history to save 400 games, joining Lee Smith (478) and John Franco (424) to have also reached this milestone.
2010 – The Texas Rangers manage to blow an 8-0 lead to the Royals, but come back in dramatic fashion for a wild 13-12 win. Texas scores the tying and winning runs on back-to-back solo homers by Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero off Royals closer Joakim Soria with two outs in the bottom of the 8th.
2012 – Both teams end up having to use position players on the mound when a game between the Orioles and Red Sox goes into extra innings. O’s manager Buck Showalter turns to DH Chris Davis to take the mound in the 16th inning with the score tied at 6-6. Davis gives him a pair of scoreless innings. The Sox turn to OF Darnell McDonald. However, he surrenders a three-run homer to Adam Jones; he then grounds into a double play against Davis to end the game in the bottom of the frame. It is the first time both teams use position players to pitch in the same game since October 4, 1925, when future Hall of FamersGeorge Sisler and Ty Cobb both got to pitch on the last day of the season.
2019 – Pablo Sandoval becomes the second MLB player since 1900 to throw a scoreless outing, hit a home run and steal a base in the same game in the Giants’ 12-4 loss in Cincinnati. (Also Christy Mathewson in 1905.)
1626 – Dutch colonist Peter Minuit organizes the purchase of Manhattan Island from Native Americans for 60 guilders worth of goods, believed to be the Canarsee Indians of the Lenape
1733 – First international boxing match: Local fighter Bob Whittaker beats “The Venetian Gondolier”, Tito di Carni at James Figg’s academy amphitheatre in Marylebone, London
1837 – US blacksmith John Deere creates the first steel plough in Grand Detour, Illinois
1889 – Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) in Paris opens with the recently completed Eiffel Tower serving as the entrance arch; the lifts in the tower are not ready, so intrepid visitors have to climb 1,710 steps to reach the top
1937 – German airship Hindenburg explodes in flames at Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 35 of the 97 on board and one on the ground
1954 – English athlete Roger Bannister becomes the first to run a sub-4-minute mile, recording 3:59.4 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford
1960 – US President Eisenhower signs Civil Rights Act of 1960
1994 – Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait sets fire to the guest chair on NBC’s “The Tonight Show”
1994 – Nelson Mandela and the ANC, finally confirmed winners in South Africa’s first post apartheid election
May 5, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) celebrates after scoring a run in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Good morning Birdland,
Our five-game nightmare is over! The Orioles got back into the win column on Tuesday night, beating the Marlins 9-7. The offense gets the credit for the win. Each time the Marlins would claw their way back into the game, the Baltimore bats would nudge it just a little further away.
Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo combined to go 5-for-7 with three doubles, a triple, two walks, five runs, and six RBI. They were terrific. Despite that success from Basallo, who was a homer shy of the cycle, O’s manager Craig Albernaz turned to Adley Rutschman off the bench in the ninth inning. That would prove to be a wise decision! Rutschman came through with the go-ahead RBI single that put the game out of reach once and for all.
It was far from a perfect game for the offense. Colton Cowser had three more strikeouts. Coby Mayo went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. What the team does with those two is tough to say. They are trying to get them going, but nothing at the big league levels seems to be working. If there was an ideal alternate solution, it feels like the club would have pulled the trigger on it by now.
On the mound, Chris Bassitt was quite bad. His command, particularly on breaking pitches, was terrible. He was lucky to only give up the four runs in his four innings of work. His season ERA is up to 5.91. The Orioles didn’t expect Bassitt to be an ace or anything, but they need more length and quality from the veteran, especially given their current rotation makeup with Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, and Zach Eflin on the IL.
Negativity aside, the Orioles won a game. That is a good! Believe it or not, despite all of the awful things that have happened to them recently, at 16-20 they are just one game back of the final wild card spot in a brutal American League. There is time for them to figure things out. Beating an equally flawed Marlins squad was a good step in that direction. Hopefully they do it again tonight.
Links
Basallo flirts with cycle as O’s chase Alcantara before mounting late rally | Orioles.com Here is the MLB version of last night’s recap, which includes some quotes from within the Orioles clubhouse. Albernaz credits the team for being “locked in on every pitch” despite their recent struggles. The offense shows these sorts of glimmers on occasion. The potential is there for them to carry the team. Finding consistency is another matter.
Leftovers for breakfast | Roch Kubatko Roch shares oodles of stats, including some about the decision to pinch hit Rutschman for Basallo. The numbers don’t really back up Albernaz’s decision, but it worked. Ultimately, those are the sorts of decisions that managers’ get paid for. Credit were it’s due.
Top MLB starting pitchers who are candidates to be traded at the deadline | The Athletic This is a pretty straightforward article. Good pitchers near free agency that are on bad teams are candidates to be traded. Rogers is mentioned. Whether the Orioles trade him or not, they need him to be better than he has been. I think he will be. Most of his peripherals are better than his top line numbers.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Yohan Ramirez turns 31 today. The journeyman reliever has played for eight different clubs across seven big league seasons. That includes a five-game stint with the Orioles in 2024.
Gerardo Parra is 39 years old. The Orioles traded for the outfielder at the 2015 deadline, sending Zach Davies to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange. Parra would struggle in his brief time with the Birds, hitting .237/.268/.357 across 55 games.
Mike Kinkade is 53. He came to the Orioles as part of the Mike Bordick deal with the Mets in 2000, but would play in just 64 big league games as a utility bench option before being released after the 2001 season.
Tom Bolton turns 64. The southpaw tossed 23.1 innings for the Orioles in 1994.
The late Leo Burke (b. 1934, d. 2023) was born on this day. A native of Hagerstown, Maryland, Burke began his major league career with 12 games played for the Orioles between 1958 and ‘59.
This day in O’s history
2012 – The Orioles beat the Red Sox 9-6 in 17 innings. Both teams have to use position players on the mound. The Orioles opt for Chris Davis, who goes 0-for-8 at the plate but delivers two scoreless innings. The Red Sox turn to Darnell McDonald, who coughs up a three-run homer to Adam Jones.
He will be replaced by Mike Hessman, who played 1,436 games at the Triple-A level and hundreds more at lower levels. Hessman has been a hitting coach with Toledo since 2023 and worked with the Tigers before that, accepting a demotion to the minor-league staff after the 2022 season.
"I talked to Hess this morning to establish the cadence that goes on with him," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before Tuesday's game against the Boston Red Sox. "Obviously, I don't have a comment on the whole thing. In terms of my confidence in Hess and the transition, he's going to handle it very well. He communicates. He's got the trust of the players. He and I talked regularly already, even as he was the hitting coach. Now as the manager, the conversations change a little bit, but we have full confidence in Hess being able to continue on in making our players better and communicating to me and my staff what he needs to in order to get the players who come up here ready to play."
Alvarez was named as the Tigers manager ahead of the 2025 season after three seasons as Double-A Erie's manager before that, where he had a 232-178 record and three division titles.
"We will have no further comment," the Tigers said in a statement.
Contact Andrew Birkle via email at abirkle@freepress.com.
Free Press sports writer Evan Petzold contributed to this report.
Just when the Detroit Tigers needed someone to step up and be a presence in a sea of calamity, someone to throw them a life raft, someone to make them feel like their world isn’t collapsing around them, along comes Framber Valdez acting like a human Titanic.
Valdez is the Tigers’ new ace, their highest-paid player, the one the Tigers desperately are relying on to keep their postseason hopes alive until Tarik Skubal returns to the mound later this summer.
And on Tuesday evening, he melted down for the entire Tigers’ franchise to see, reminding everyone of the ugly warts in this talented left-handed pitcher.
Valdez’s selfish act of immaturity was so outrageous in the Tigers’ 10-3 shellacking to the Boston Red Sox that when he intentionally hit Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story with a 94.4 mph fastball in the middle of his back during his latest temper tantrum, even his own manager couldn’t stand up for him.
“We play a really good brand of baseball here,’’ Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said in his press conference after the game. “That doesn't feel like it. That's not judging intent. I have no idea.
“But when you go out on the field and end up in those confrontations, you usually feel like you're in your right.
“It didn't feel good being out there."
In other words, how are you going to actually fight for your own teammate when you feel like punching him yourself?
“I understand," Hinch said. "I understand their (Red Sox) frustration and the optics. I understand the whole thing.’’
Valdez, who gave up nine hits and 10 runs runs (seven earned) in just three innings, insisted with a straight face that he wasn’t deliberately trying to hit Story after giving up back-to-back homers, saying the pitch simply got away from him, and there’s no way he deserved to be ejected.
“Not at all," Valdez said through interpreter Carlos Guillen. “It was not on purpose. It might've looked like that but it wasn't. I was trying to throw a strike after two consecutive home runs, and the pitch just came out of my hand.
There is no chance that this same man who drilled his own teammate in the chest with a fastball last season with the Houston Astros would now intentionally hit an opponent.
No way, right?
Right?
Anyone else believe him?
Yes, just in case anyone forgot, this is the same guy who was so angry after giving up a grand slam to New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham last September, that he crossed up teammate and catcher Cesar Salazar by throwing a 92.8 mph sinker that slammed into his chest protector. Instead of apologizing, Valdez turned his back in disgust.
Valdez, summoned into Astros manager Joe Espada’s office after the game, told reporters it was simply miscommunication.
And you wonder why he was still on the free-agent market a week before spring training, signing a three-year, $115 million contract when he was expected to receive a deal close to free-agent starter Dylan Cease’s six-year, $210 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays?
Now, with the Tigers badly needing an influx of help, with three members of their opening-day starting rotation and 14 players on the injured list, they are about to be playing one man short.
Valdez, 2-2 with a 4.57 ERA, surely will be suspended at least five days for his actions that should be announced Wednesday.
“I do not expect to get suspended,’’ said Valdez, who chose that moment to throw his first four-seam fastball of the season.
Maybe he should look around the room, and see if there’s a soul in the Tigers’ clubhouse that feels the same.
If you gave them a lie detector test, they’d probably all come to the same conclusion as Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy.
“I thought it was weak and I thought everybody saw it,’’ Tracy told reporters. “Their side, our side, I think everybody saw it. It was weak.”
Really, once Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu opened the fourth inning by hitting mammoth home runs off Valdez, with Contreras flipping his bat after his 449-foot shot, Story could sense it was coming.
“I was in there ready to hit,’’ Story said, “and it showed up way behind me, off the numbers. I think we all know what’s what ... it’s pretty indisputable.’’
Story glared toward Valdez after being hit, players poured out of the dugouts, but there were no punches thrown or even shoves. Why fight when everyone is in full agreement of what happened?
“We handled it,” Story said. “We said what we said on the field, and I think that’s where it stays.”
Now, Michael Hill, senior vice president of on-field operations for MLB, will have his say.
And, perhaps behind closed doors in a meeting with Valdez, Hinch will have plenty to say, too.
NEW YORK - JULY 19: New York Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling speaks during the teams 63rd Old Timers Day before the game against the Detroit Tigers on July 19, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the outpouring of grief and good memories flowed after John Sterling’s passing on Monday, I’m sure many of us found ourselves watching old Yankees clips and listening to Sterling’s calls. It’s been oft-repeated this week, but there truly was no one like Sterling, and going through his many fun, bizarre, and quirky calls has been a sad but joyful walk down memory lane.
Let’s keep on walking down that road. Sterling was perhaps known better for his home run calls than anything else. What began as a gimmick deployed for certain players turned into a signature, with Sterling committing to deploying a unique (and often whimsical) home run call for every individual player at some point during the 2000s. Every Yankees fan probably has a favorite. What was yours?
Our own Andrew Mearns helpfully ranked all 144 distinct player home run calls we have on record, so peruse those rankings if you need to as you try to pick out your favorite. Maybe the classic “Bern baby Bern” takes your top spot. Perhaps it’s the simple “El Capitan” that sprang from John’s voice every time Derek Jeter went deep. For me, there was nothing better than hearing “Robbie Cano! Don’tchaknow?!” every time the sweet-swinging second baseman sent one out of the park.
It’s hard to pick just one, so if you can’t narrow it all the way down, go ahead and give us a top-three or -five. Heck, feel free to, as Sterling would, get as creative as you want; if there’s a specific play that or call that stands out in your mind, however famous or obscure, please highlight it.
On the site today, Andrew reviews a packed Tuesday of action in the American League, and Jonathan profiles Ivy Andrews, a pitcher born on this day in 1907. Also, John posits that it’s in both the Yankees’ and Anthony Volpe’s best interests for Volpe to get some exposure at other positions, perhaps second base. Later, Andrés analyzes Elmer Rodríguez’s second start in the majors, Kento chronicles the long road in the wilderness the Yankees walked at first base before finding Ben Rice, and Scott discusses Jonathan Ornelas, a lower-profile prospect succeeding with Triple-A Scranton this year.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers
Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
Video: Amazon Prime Video, Rangers Sports Network, MLB Network
Bob Skinner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is shown here in uniform posing with a baseball bat.
The Pittsburgh Pirates family got some bad news, when it was announced that former Bucs outfielder/first baseman/coach and World Series champion Bob Skinner died at age 94 in San Diego. The cause was not released, but when you make it to 94, it could be just about anything.
Skinner spent 12 years in the MLB, including 9 seasons with the Pirates as well as spending time with the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds. He also spent some time later in his career as a manager with the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies.
Skinner was a two-time All-Star who hit .277 for his career. He was never a big power guy, with his most homers in a year sitting at 20, but he did have four seasons in which he hit over .300.
He played with the Bucs in 1960 World Series, but he got hurt in Game 1 and only returned in Game 7, where he scored a late run to help lift the Bucs to the huge upset over the New York Yankees. He also won a World Series with the 1964 Cardinals, who also beat the Yankees for the title.
Skinner played until 1966 and then started managing the Phillies in 1968, but had a losing record in 1968 and 1969. He later became a hitting coach for the Pirates and was part of the 1979 World Series winners.
Pirates owner Bob Butting had this to say about the former Pirates star:
“Bob was an important part of one of the most beloved teams in our storied history and helped deliver a moment that will forever be woven into the fabric of our city. Bob was a talented player, a proud Pirate and a respected member of the baseball community.”
COVERS INTEL: 
