Category: MLB

For once, we have some good injury news to report here in Braves Country. Earlier today, Walt Weiss provided some new information on both injured pitcher Spencer Strider and injured catcher Sean Murphy. While Strider still seems to be working his way towards health, the return of Murphy appears to be relatively imminent. Walt Weiss informed the media that Sean Murphy will be beginning a rehab assignment on Friday.

Needless to say, this is a very positive development on both fronts. Assuming Spencer Strider’s live BP goes well, that could be the prelude to a rehab assignment for him that should get him back on the field shortly. As far as Murphy goes, he was seen taking BP during Atlanta’s last homestand so this news doesn’t come as much of a surprise since it was apparent that he was ramping up baseball activities in recent times.

The obvious hope is that we don’t hear about any setbacks for either Murphy or Strider — oblique injuries are tricky to deal with in Strider’s case and hopefully Murphy will be pain-free for the first time in a handful of years. It’s still genuinely shocking to know that Murphy had been playing with a bad hip for as long as he did but as long as it’s taken care of and he can return to the lineup and be productive, then that’ll simply be water under the bridge.

So again, it’s lovely to be able to talk about some good injury news around here for once. We’ll keep you posted on any further developments concerning injury updates but for now, we’re getting closer and closer to the Braves getting their intended band back together at some point in the near future.

Maybe this is the spark the Blue Jays need.

A fired-up John Schneider — who literally turned red in the face — got ejected on Tuesday night after arguing what he thought was an improper balk call against his starting pitcher.

In the top of the fifth inning with the Blue Jays trailing 2-0 to the Dodgers, starter Kevin Gausman was called for a balk, allowing Hyeseong Kim to advance from first base to second.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider was LIVID and got ejected after a called balk pic.twitter.com/0e9lec93zl

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 8, 2026

Schneider was immediately incensed and got in the face of home plate umpire Dan Merzel, who called the balk. Merzel promptly gave the Toronto skipper the heave-ho.

But that didn’t mean Schneider didn’t get his money’s worth, as he got right in the face of the ump for over 30 seconds of an impassioned argument.

In the short term, though, the ejection proved unfruitful; Los Angeles’ Alex Freeland brought in Kim with an RBI single during the very same at-bat.

It’s been a slow start to the year for the American League champions, who were 4-6 entering Tuesday night’s showdown, a 2025 World Series rematch.

Toronto started the new season with a series-opening sweep of the A’s but lost back-to-back series to the Rockies and White Sox, the latter a sweep on the South Side of Chicago.

Monday night proved to be another brutal day for the Blue Jays in a 14-2 loss to the Dodgers that saw World Series hero Miguel Vargas pitch the final inning. On top of the loss, starter Max Scherzer left his outing with a forearm issue. And, before Tuesday’s game, the Blue Jays announced starter Cody Ponce is likely out for the year after undergoing ACL surgery.

“I don’t want the woe is me, you know what I mean? It’s what can we do now?” Schneider told reporters Monday night. “Right now, not just our depth is being tested, our creativity is being tested as a group, like, how are we going to cover this, what are we going to do? It’s not always perfect, but we take a lot of pride in that and players do, too. The last five games have been really tough. But they’re in a good frame of mind.”

Every now and then last season, Ben Rice would pay a visit to his Baseball Savant page.

“Especially when things were, in terms of luck, not really going my way,” Rice said Tuesday. “I would just check on it.” 

What the Yankees first baseman would find was a lot of red, meaning most of his underlying metrics — like average exit velocity, hard-hit rate and expected batting average and slugging percentage — were among the higher percentiles in the majors.

Of course, that reassurance only went so far when he was not consistently getting the surface-level numbers that his batted-ball data suggested he should be — which placed him among the best hitters in the game, like having the seventh-best hard-hit rate (56.1 percent, tied with Rafael Devers and just ahead of Juan Soto) and boasting the ninth-best average exit velocity (93.3 mph, between Devers and Bobby Witt Jr.).

“I think you can only put so much stock into it, because the reality is the actual performance was not on par with the best players in the league,” Rice said before the Yankees opened a series against the A’s. “It was solid last year, but it wasn’t what the process stuff said it should be or could be or would be. In my eyes, it’s a performance-driven sport. It’s like, let’s keep finding ways to get better. Of course the process looks good, but how can we make it even better? How can we make it so you can get more power, more hits, more walks, fewer strikeouts?”

At least early on this season, the process numbers have lined up with the performance numbers, giving the lefty slugger a chance to end up among the game’s best in both areas.

Rice entered Tuesday batting .370 with an MLB-best 1.380 OPS, four doubles and three home runs. He was averaging an exit velocity of 97.6 mph, which was the second-highest mark among qualified hitters, with a league-leading 77.8 percent hard-hit rate.

“It’s good,” Rice said before offering the usual caution that comes with this time of year. “It’s so early. We always say we’ll evaluate at the end of the year. There’s no point in evaluating it now.”

But everything has been encouraging in terms of Rice looking like he is set to take another step up as the middle-of-the-order bat the Yankees believe he can be — including the fact that he has walked in nine of his 36 plate appearances.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

“I think just the consistency of the at-bats every single day and the patience right out of the gate [has stood out],” manager Aaron Boone said. “That’s probably the biggest thing I’ve liked about our offense so far, is the patience, especially this time of year. Guys want to get going, or guys that are off to a little bit of a slow start, you want to get those hits, you start chasing that and then you play into the hands of the pitcher. … Benny’s been really, really good at controlling the strike zone and then when you come in there, he can really hurt you.”

In Rice’s first full season in the big leagues last year, he hit .255 with 26 home runs and a .836 OPS, which ranked 27th among qualified hitters. And yet the Yankees believed he was even better than those numbers indicated because he was hitting into a fair amount of bad luck.

Rice found some validation in those underlying metrics — after coming up through a minor league system in which he was evaluated on those “process-oriented” numbers like hitting the ball hard, he said — but it also helps to see the ball find grass, or a seat.

“There’s always a hole over the fence, so,” Rice said with a grin.

In the small sample size of the early season, Rice was also pulling the ball at a 50 percent clip — notably higher than his 37.7 percent mark last season. But he said that was not by design.

“I never try to do that,” he said. “If I do that, I’m screwed. That’s something that I do naturally. I work more on, at least in my practice, in staying through the middle of the field, because I know in the game, I speed up.”

The San Francisco Giants continue their series against the Philadelphia Phillies tonight from Oracle Park.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be left-hander Robbie Ray, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.38 ERA, 4.39 FIP with 11 strikeouts to three walks in 10.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 7-2 win over the New York Mets on Thursday, in which he allowed two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in 5.1 innings pitched.

He’ll be facing off against Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, who enters tonight’s game with a 0.79 ERA, 1.23 FIP, with 17 strikeouts to four walks in 11.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Phillies’ 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals last Wednesday, in which he allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and four walks in 5.1 innings pitched.

Game #12

Who: San Francisco Giants (3-8) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (6-4)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 6:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

The San Francisco Giants continue their series against the Philadelphia Phillies tonight from Oracle Park.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be left-hander Robbie Ray, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.38 ERA, 4.39 FIP with 11 strikeouts to three walks in 10.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 7-2 win over the New York Mets on Thursday, in which he allowed two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in 5.1 innings pitched.

He’ll be facing off against Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, who enters tonight’s game with a 0.79 ERA, 1.23 FIP, with 17 strikeouts to four walks in 11.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Phillies’ 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals last Wednesday, in which he allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and four walks in 5.1 innings pitched.

Game #12

Who: San Francisco Giants (3-8) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (6-4)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 6:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

At this point in his career, Ronny Mauricio was supposed to be a bigger part of the Mets' plans. 

The talented youngster had five-tool potential coming up through the system, but injuries and ineffective at-bats when given a chance led to Mauricio starting the 2026 season down in Triple-A. It's not uncommon for an organization to want to give young prospects every day at-bats, especially when there's no lane on the big league club. 

But aJuan Soto IL stint has thrust Mauricio back onto the Mets roster, and he made the most of his opportunity on Tuesday.

With the score tied at 3 in the 10th inning, Mauricio pinch-hit for Tyrone Taylor with Francisco Lindor on third base and one out. Mauricio got behind 0-2 to Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald, but the switch-hitter got a fastball he could handle up in the zone and laced a single into right field to deliver the Mets their fourth straight win.

"Baseball. It’s crazy, right?" manager Carlos Mendoza said of the moment. 

Crazy considering how just hours before first pitch, the Mets skipper laid out Mauricio's role on the team while Soto recovers from his calf strain. He doesn't anticipate Mauricio starting games, instead being used like he was on Tuesday. A versatile, left-handed bat off the bench and Mauricio provided just that. 

"Took it well. Appreciative of the conversation we had," Mauricio said of his conversation with Mendoza before the game. "He’s very clear, very transparent. We know the situation is right now. So right now, I'm just here to help the team out in any way possible and I'll be ready once my name is called."

The single was Mauricio's first walk-off of his career. The last Met to record a walk-off hit in their first plate appearance of the season was Alberto Castillo, also an RBI single, back on Opening Day 1998.

"Incredible, honestly," Mauricio said of his feelings about getting the hit. "The first at-bat of the year, to see the ball go over his head. It's really special."

RONNY MAURICIO WALKS IT OFF FOR THE METS! pic.twitter.com/7Q9PoLXtn3

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 7, 2026

"I like that he stayed on the fastball. It’s easy, especially when you get behind 0-2 to start looking for pitches, whether it was the sweeper from Sewald," Mendoza said of Mauricio's at-bat. "He’s a good fastball hitter. I’m glad he stuck to it and he executed."

Mendoza said that he had Mauricio start to get ready for a potential pinch-hit opportunity in the seventh inning. With the D-backs' bullpen bereft of left-handers, he knew Mauricio would be used to take on a right-hander. 

Mauricio said he started to warm up and swing a bat around the fifth inning, but admitted that the most difficult part of his situation is that he doesn't get the same reps. However, it has prepared him to be ready mentally for whenever his name is called. 

"My focus was already to put the ball in play," Mauricio said. "Way before I got to the plate, I was already preparing myself for that. Put the ball in play and hopefully it drops somewhere.”

With Soto out for 2-3 weeks, Mauricio will likely see some more pinch-hit opportunities in the near future. Once the Mets slugger returns, however, Mauricio will likely be sent back down. The 25-year-old understands the situation and is just ready to control what he can. 

"Obviously, in this game, there's a lot of highs and lows," he said. "The most important thing is to continue to work and the rest of it will take care of itself."

Mauricio slashed .226/.293/.369 with six homers and six doubles over 61 big league games (184 plate appearances) in 2025. At still such a young age, the Mets see a role in the organization for Mauricio. While he may not have a lasting impact, the team is confident he can help them win games whenever he's on the roster.

"I’m proud of him. I’m glad he was able to get the job done," Mendoza said of Mauricio. "For the team, they know how hard it’s been for him. Not only going through injuries, but the whole year itself last year, when he didn’t play much. He goes down to Triple-A and he comes back up today and gets a huge hit for us. Shows you, we’re going to need everyone in here. Everyone that walks through those doors they’re important and they’re going to contribute. We’re going to give everyone a chance. I’m glad he got the job done today."

Dave Portnoy is already over the Red Sox. 

The Barstool Sports founder and diehard Boston sports fan ripped the team after their latest gaffe on Tuesday before they won, 3-2. 

“Holy shit this team sucks!” Portnoy wrote on X. “A little league team could have turned that double play.   My god this team sucks.  SELL THE TEAM!  SELL THE TEAM! SELL THE TEAM!!!  #dirtywater”

Holy shit this team sucks! A little league team could have turned that double play. My god this team sucks. SELL THE TEAM! SELL THE TEAM! SELL THE TEAM!!! #dirtywater

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) April 7, 2026

Portnoy appears to be referring to an ugly play involving shortstop Trevor Story and second baseman Marcelo Mayer.

With one out and a runner at first in the top of the fourth against the Brewers at Fenway Park, Milwaukee’s Joey Ortiz hit a chopper up the middle that appeared to be an easy double-play ball. 

Instead, the Red Sox ended up not getting a single out on the play, after a botched exchange between Story and Mayer at the bag and a lousy, late throw to first by the latter. 

The play encapsulates what has been a miserable start to the season in Beantown. 

What are we doing man pic.twitter.com/MZK2cUSBWP

— Lucas Parmenter (@Lucasparmenter0) April 7, 2026

After Tuesday’s game win over the Brewers, the Red Sox sit at 3-8 and in last place in the American League East. 

Portnoy, who vowed to bet on the Red Sox in every game this season, was already fed up with the franchise last week, mere days into the season, ripping ownership and the front office alike in a rant on “Wake Up Barstool” on Thursday.

“Watching every pitch is miserable. It’s ruining my life,” Portnoy said. “And a major part of it is John Henry, the ownership of the Red Sox. 

“Somewhere along the way, the Red Sox and this ownership group stopped trying to win. Content with being average to decent,” he continued. “This team is just to make money, not to win championships.”

The AL East-leading Yankees will visit Fenway Park to take on their rival two weeks from Tuesday. 

Realmuto exits early — and what we learned in Phillies' sloppy loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

SAN FRANCISCO — Finding sustained success at Oracle Park continues to be an issue for the Phillies.

They won the first game of the series Monday, their first win in a series opener in the Bay Area since 2014.

While Cristopher Sánchez taking the ball gave them a good chance to win the series, Philadelphia will now keep waiting for its first series win in San Francisco since May of 2013 after dropping Tuesday night’s contest 6-0 to the Giants.

And the 11th game of the season certainly did not get off to a good start.

In the bottom of the first, the Phillies got some bad news. Giants first baseman Rafael Devers followed a ball back, and it pierced J.T. Realmuto’s foot beyond the foot pad on his leg guard.

It was later announced that the Phillies’ catcher suffered a bruised right foot. The situation felt familiar. During opening week last season, Realmuto left a game with a similar injury after getting hit on March 29.

Rob Thomson, a former catcher himself, was cautious then, and that could very well be the case again after he pulled Realmuto this time. It’s obviously difficult to compare injuries one-for-one, but Realmuto missed only one game last time around. At 35 and on a multi-year deal, being careful with his body makes sense.

Rafael Marchán has been an adequate backup, a switch-hitter and a timely bat when given the opportunity. More to come there.

ROCKY ACE OUTING

While the first inning got off to a rocky start, with Sánchez allowing a run on two hits, the Phillies’ ace continued to work in and out of trouble. The outing was reminiscent of Andrew Painter’s a night ago.

He posted a 74 percent strike rate in the outing and continued to fill up the zone, but the Giants kept putting the ball in play. San Francisco entered the night with the lowest OPS in baseball at .578, but it is not a club that racks up strikeouts, ranking around the middle of the league in team strikeout rate.

The Giants finished with 11 hits. Sánchez has allowed double-digit hits just once in a Phillies uniform before this. The last time came on Aug. 11, 2024, when Arizona collected 12 against him. When the Giants put the ball in play Tuesday, they did it with authority, posting a 44 percent hard-hit rate. That was a big jump from their league-worst 34.2 percent entering the night.

Sánchez’s final line was not one of his best: five and a third innings, four earned runs, six strikeouts and the aforementioned hit total. But that still does not tell the full story.

SLOPPY DEFENSE, BOOST IN RIGHT

And that has a lot to do with the fact that the Phillies have not gotten off to a great defensive start, something that showed up clearly Tuesday.

In the third inning, Willy Adames lined his second double of the night into the left-center gap. Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford did not get a great jump on the ball, one he may have had a chance to catch if he had reached the wall in time.

The rookie is still getting a feel for the different outfields around baseball.

A batter later, though, Adolis García came up firing on a Matt Chapman single and gunned down Adames at the plate. It was a great throw and tag by Marchán, and it kept the score at 1-0 at the time. The ball left García’s hand at 89.2 mph. It was the first tracked throw for him this season, but he ranked in the 92nd percentile in arm strength last year, averaging 91.9 mph.

It is a throw the Phillies are not used to seeing out of right field. Nick Castellanos averaged 81.6 mph on his throws last year. A complete difference.

But the defense continued to wobble.

Otto Kemp, still not a left fielder by trade, badly misread a ball in the bottom of the fifth with two outs. He broke the wrong way, spun around and could not track it down. It is a ball Brandon Marsh, an outfielder by trade, likely catches. That miscue came after Trea Turner couldn’t corral a ground ball at short.

Those plays forced Sánchez to throw more pitches than he should have and added to both his hit total and the overall feel of the outing. It was a pitching performance that should not be judged solely by the box score.

STRUGGLES VS. LHP

It has been an inconsistent start to the season for the Phillies at the plate. There have been bursts of offense, comeback wins and then stretches of total silence, like Tuesday night.

The Phillies faced Giants left-hander Robbie Ray, whose final line was as emphatic as his post-pitch grunts: six and two-thirds innings, four hits, seven strikeouts and no runs allowed. He had the Phillies’ bats twisted up all night. They could not get anything going against the former Cy Young winner.

And Ray’s outing underscored one of the Phillies’ biggest issues to begin the year: hitting left-handed pitching.

The club is slashing .165/.277/.258 against southpaws. That is the worst average in baseball. It should improve with time, but for a team whose two biggest stars hit from the left side, it is worth watching, especially if the right-handed platoon bats are not producing in the matchups they are supposed to help win.

The Phillies will get a right-hander from the Giants in the rubber game of the series. They are set to face the soft-throwing Tyler Mahle, who has posted a 7.00 ERA through his first two starts. Aaron Nola will go for Philadelphia.

Game two in Anaheim, can the Atlanta Braves shift the momentum to show the same team we’ve gotten glimpses of in the earlier series?’

I’ve always been told, if nothing changes… nothing changes. And changes have been made to the lineup to opt for an opportunity to snap this losing streak the team has found itself in. The Los Angeles Angels smell blood and another win to extend their streak to four games.

One thing is for sure… We’ll have something to talk about late tonight. Let’s hope it’s mostly positive.

First pitch is set for 9:38 p.m. EDT.

Game Notes

Preview

Lineups

Game two in Anaheim, can the Atlanta Braves shift the momentum to show the same team we’ve gotten glimpses of in the earlier series?’

I’ve always been told, if nothing changes… nothing changes. And changes have been made to the lineup to opt for an opportunity to snap this losing streak the team has found itself in. The Los Angeles Angels smell blood and another win to extend their streak to four games.

One thing is for sure… We’ll have something to talk about late tonight. Let’s hope it’s mostly positive.

First pitch is set for 9:38 p.m. EDT.

Game Notes

Preview

Lineups

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

You can’t predict baseball, except for the times that you can. The Yankees are off to another strong start, the Dodgers look as great as ever, and the Brewers, despite middling projections, are once again in first place in the NL Central, all developments that are far from shocking. Some things, it feels you can just set your watch to.

But for every expectation met, there’s been an expectation subverted thus far this year. And so we ask, almost two weeks into the season, which of the Yankees’ AL opponents has most surprised you with their start to the year?

Typically, surprises can come in the pleasant variety, but not so in this poll, as we have four shaky starts to choose from here. One is from an AL West rival, with the Mariners sputtering to a 4-7 on the heels of a division title and an ALCS last year. Seattle’s lineup hasn’t hit yet, but they’re at least only two games back of an Angels squad no one expects to remain in first for long.

On the other side, we have the AL East, with the Orioles, Blue Jays, and Red Sox all off to disappointing starts. Baltimore and Toronto are both on four wins apiece, sitting 3.5 games back of the Yankees. The new(ish)-look O’s have just been somewhat shaky out the gate, while the Jays have to be concerned with the toll injuries are taking on their roster, with Alejandro Kirk, José Berríos, Shane Bieber, Addison Barger, and Trey Yesavage all on the IL.

And then there are the Red Sox, 2-8 in their first 10 games. Their bats have slumped to a .682 OPS, nearly every pitcher on the roster not named Garrett Crochet or Aroldis Chapman has gotten shelled (both have still had toughmoments, too), and Roman Anthony’s defense has become an early-season meme, and not in a good way. Boston entered 2026 with hopes of building on a surprisingly strong 2025, but they’ve quickly found themselves 5.5 games back in the division.

So what do you think? Which start has surprised you the most? Is it that of an AL East foe, or the slumping Mariners?

The Houston Astros (6-5) look to get even in this three game series against the Colorado Rockies (4-6) at Coors Field.

RHP Mike Burrows (1-1, 5.91 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros opposite LHP Kyle Freeland (0-1, 2.89 ERA) and the Rockies.

TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP Mike Burrows is set to make his third start of the season. In his last start on April 1 vs. BOS, he allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts in five innings to earn his first win as an Astro.

ROAD TRIP: Tonight is the fifth game of a 10-game road trip for the Astros. After this three-game set at COL, the Astros will travel to Seattle for a four-game series at T-Mobile Park (Fri-Mon.).

The Astros are 1-3 so far on this trip. Houston went 41-40 on the road last season.

WALKER AT COORS:1B Christian Walker has batted .348 (65×187) with 12 doubles, 14 HR, 39 RBI and a 1.045 OPS in 48 career games at Coors Field. His 1.045 OPS at Coors Field is the highest among active players, directly ahead of PHI IF Bryce Harper (1.036 OPS).

AGAINST THE ROCKIES: The Astros and Rockies face each other tonight for the second of six scheduled matchups in 2026.

The Astros went 4-2 against the Rockies in the in 2025, includng a 2-1 record at Coors Field. The Astros own a 110-88 all-time record against the Rockies.

The Rockies will travel to Daikin Park for a three-game series from April 14-16.

BROWN INJURY UPDATE:RHP Hunter Brown has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 Right Shoulder Strain. He will refrain from throwing for a few weeks.

More info on that here: https://www.crawfishboxes.com/houston-astros-analysis/73363/astros-hunter-brown-has-grade-2-shoulder-strain

LEAGUE LEADERS: The Astros lead the Majors in runs (77), doubles (34) total bases (190), hits (111), walks (64) and OBP (.394).

Individually, LF Yordan Alvarez leads the Majors in OBP (.540) and walks (13). 2B Jose Altuve leads the Majors in runs (12) and 1B Christian Walker leads the Majors in doubles (6).

HOT START: The Astros have scored 77 runs this season, which is the most in the Majors. The 77 runs are also the most in the first 11 games to begin a season in franchise history, directly ahead of the 2004 season, where the Astros scored 70 runs in the first 11 games of the season.

ON-BASE MACHINE: 2B Jose Altuve has started the season with a 11-game on-base streak, which is tied for the longest active on-base streak in the Majors.

AL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Yesterday, LF Yordan Alvarez was named the American League Player of the Week for the week of March 30-April 5. Alvarez batted .471 (8×17) with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, seven walks and a 1.733 OPS for the week. This marked the fourth time that Alvarez has been named the AL Player of the Week.

THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER:RF Cam Smith went 2×4 with a home run, double and two runs scored last night vs. COL.

The home run was launched 462 feet, making it the longest home run by any player in the Majors this season, with the second longest home run this season hit 460 feet by PHI OF Kyle Schwarber.

YORDAN’S UPCOMING MILESTONES: LF Yordan Alvarez recorded his 174th career home run on Sunday at ATH. The home run tied him with franchise icon OF George Springer for seventh on the Astros all-time list.

Next up on the Astros all-time list is 3B Alex Bregman (191 HR).

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, April 7, 7:40 p.m. CST

Location: Coors Field, Denver, CO.

TV: Space City Home Network

Streaming: SCHN+

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

The Houston Astros (6-5) look to get even in this three game series against the Colorado Rockies (4-6) at Coors Field.

RHP Mike Burrows (1-1, 5.91 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros opposite LHP Kyle Freeland (0-1, 2.89 ERA) and the Rockies.

TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP Mike Burrows is set to make his third start of the season. In his last start on April 1 vs. BOS, he allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts in five innings to earn his first win as an Astro.

ROAD TRIP: Tonight is the fifth game of a 10-game road trip for the Astros. After this three-game set at COL, the Astros will travel to Seattle for a four-game series at T-Mobile Park (Fri-Mon.).

The Astros are 1-3 so far on this trip. Houston went 41-40 on the road last season.

WALKER AT COORS:1B Christian Walker has batted .348 (65×187) with 12 doubles, 14 HR, 39 RBI and a 1.045 OPS in 48 career games at Coors Field. His 1.045 OPS at Coors Field is the highest among active players, directly ahead of PHI IF Bryce Harper (1.036 OPS).

AGAINST THE ROCKIES: The Astros and Rockies face each other tonight for the second of six scheduled matchups in 2026.

The Astros went 4-2 against the Rockies in the in 2025, includng a 2-1 record at Coors Field. The Astros own a 110-88 all-time record against the Rockies.

The Rockies will travel to Daikin Park for a three-game series from April 14-16.

BROWN INJURY UPDATE:RHP Hunter Brown has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 Right Shoulder Strain. He will refrain from throwing for a few weeks.

More info on that here: https://www.crawfishboxes.com/houston-astros-analysis/73363/astros-hunter-brown-has-grade-2-shoulder-strain

LEAGUE LEADERS: The Astros lead the Majors in runs (77), doubles (34) total bases (190), hits (111), walks (64) and OBP (.394).

Individually, LF Yordan Alvarez leads the Majors in OBP (.540) and walks (13). 2B Jose Altuve leads the Majors in runs (12) and 1B Christian Walker leads the Majors in doubles (6).

HOT START: The Astros have scored 77 runs this season, which is the most in the Majors. The 77 runs are also the most in the first 11 games to begin a season in franchise history, directly ahead of the 2004 season, where the Astros scored 70 runs in the first 11 games of the season.

ON-BASE MACHINE: 2B Jose Altuve has started the season with a 11-game on-base streak, which is tied for the longest active on-base streak in the Majors.

AL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Yesterday, LF Yordan Alvarez was named the American League Player of the Week for the week of March 30-April 5. Alvarez batted .471 (8×17) with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, seven walks and a 1.733 OPS for the week. This marked the fourth time that Alvarez has been named the AL Player of the Week.

THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER:RF Cam Smith went 2×4 with a home run, double and two runs scored last night vs. COL.

The home run was launched 462 feet, making it the longest home run by any player in the Majors this season, with the second longest home run this season hit 460 feet by PHI OF Kyle Schwarber.

YORDAN’S UPCOMING MILESTONES: LF Yordan Alvarez recorded his 174th career home run on Sunday at ATH. The home run tied him with franchise icon OF George Springer for seventh on the Astros all-time list.

Next up on the Astros all-time list is 3B Alex Bregman (191 HR).

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, April 7, 7:40 p.m. CST

Location: Coors Field, Denver, CO.

TV: Space City Home Network

Streaming: SCHN+

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

The Arizona Diamondbacks dropped the series opener to the New York Mets on Tuesday, falling 4-3 in extra innings after squandering a late lead. Leading 3-2 into the eighth, the D-backs watched the game slip away as the bullpen allowed tying and winning runs against Jonathan Loaisiga and Paul Sewald.

This felt like a painfully familiar script for a team built on thin margins: a solid starting pitching effort undermined by an anemic offense and late-inning bullpen trouble. Anyone who has followed this roster closely knows these issues all too well.

The D-backs’ entire offensive output came in the fifth inning. After a successful challenge overturned a third-strike call on Adrian Del Castillo with the bases loaded, he lined the next pitch into right field for a two-run single. Nolan Arenado followed with an RBI double to give Arizona a 3-2 lead. That was it. For the rest of the game — including a brutal extra-inning frame — the offense went silent.

Arizona finished a dismal 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. They repeatedly stranded opportunities, leaving runners on base in key spots and failing to capitalize when it mattered most. Two runs simply aren’t enough in most games, no matter how well the pitching performs.

Zac Gallen delivered a quality start, tossing five innings and allowing just one earned run. He navigated a bumpy first inning in which the Mets’ first three batters reached base, escaping with only one run thanks to a timely strikeout and a pair of flyouts. Gallen leaned heavily on his cutter, which generated swings and misses and helped him settle in effectively.

The defense was serviceable but far from sharp, with the cold, inclement weather playing a role in a misplayed flyball by Corbin Carroll. In the eighth, Geraldo Perdomo had a chance to make a difference on a hot-shot grounder off Brett Baty’s bat (clocked at 100 mph). Shaded properly and positioned nearby, Perdomo couldn’t come up with the play. It wasn’t routine by any means, but it was a gettable ball that could have preserved the lead. Arenado had another play in this game where he wasn’t able to come up with the ball, it wasnt an error like the 2 he already has, however it was a play the Arenado of a few years ago makes no problem.

In the 10th inning, the D-backs failed to advance the automatic runner from second base. Nolan Arenado hit a shallow blooper that didn’t move the runner, Illdemaro Vargas lined out, and Tim Tawa struck out — continuing his early-season struggles. With injuries already thinning the lineup, questions about playing time and production loom larger.

Once the visiting team fails to score in the top of the extra inning, the odds shift heavily against them — especially against a fly-ball pitcher like Sewald. Still, the ending stung. Sewald got ahead 0-2 on Ronny Mauricio but grooved a 90 mph fastball right down the heart of the plate (dead middle-middle). Mauricio singled it into right field to score Francisco Lindor with the walk-off run. Sewald’s velocity sat at 89-90 mph all night, noticeably below his usual 91-92, and he relied almost exclusively on fastballs.

While Sewald has converted his first few save chances this season, a pitch like that in a 0-2 count in a high-leverage spot is concerning. It’s one thing to get beat with premium stuff; it’s another to lose on a hittable, poorly located fastball in a must-execute moment.

The lineup simply lacks the depth to overcome these kinds of offensive blackouts. The bullpen, meanwhile, continues to show vulnerability in tight, late-game situations. Wasting a strong outing from Gallen against a Mets team expected to contend all year feels especially costly — games like this could matter in the standings down the stretch.

For the D-backs to have sustained success, the offense must find a way to produce consistently with runners on base. Otherwise, nights like this — where good pitching goes unrewarded — will become far too common. Here’s hoping for a much-needed spark the rest of the series.

The feels-like temperature, on a miserably windy and frigid late afternoon, dipped below 32 degrees. The Mets’ offense, which had tallied one hit — an infield single — in the previous five innings sure looked ready to retreat into the warmth of the clubhouse to get changed and go home.

Which is right about the time the Mets — who continually blew hot air into hands that were covered in batting gloves, such was the chill — warmed up.

And right about the time the Mets’ bullpen decided conditions like these feel so much harsher for the losing team.

The Mets’ offense awoke late and the back-end of the bullpen that David Stearns envisioned came through in a 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Diamondbacks in front of an announced crowd of 34,753 and an actual crowd that was much smaller and shaking — first out of cold and then excitement when Ronny Mauricio came through with a walk-off single.

The Mets rallied out of a one-run hole in the eighth, watched Devin Williams pitch his way out of trouble in the ninth, saw Luke Weaver strand the ghost runner in the 10th and then walked it off when Mauricio — just called up as Juan Soto was placed on the injured list — drilled a hit to right and jumped around with his teammates in shallow center field after rounding first base.

The Mets, who played extra innings in a third straight home game, have won four straight since dipping under .500. Perhaps this is another sign that the 2026 Mets (7-4) might have better late-game luck than the 2025 Mets.

The rally began in the eighth, when Jorge Polanco connected for a single against former Yankee Jonathan Loáisiga — the Mets’ first hit that reached the outfield since the second inning.

Two batters later, Brett Baty smacked another single through the middle to put runners on the corners for Mark Vientos, whom manager Carlos Mendoza summoned. The sizzling righty was pulled for lefty Jared Young, which worked: Young lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field to tie the game.

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After Williams pitched a scoreless ninth — striking out Adrian Del Castillo to escape a two-on jam, finishing off a strong effort from a Mets bullpen that combined for 5 ¹/₃ innings in which it was charged with zero runs — Weaver was excellent in allowing nothing in the top of the 10th, which he finished by hopping off the mound and raising a fist upon striking out Tim Tawa.

The Mets’ comeback saved them from a loss that largely would have been caused by the automated ball-strike system, which essentially created a three-run swing.

RONNY MAURICIO WALKS IT OFF FOR THE METS! pic.twitter.com/7Q9PoLXtn3

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 7, 2026

The Mets entered the fifth inning ahead by two runs, and Freddy Peralta recorded two quick outs before the trouble began. A Corbin Carroll single, Geraldo Perdomo walk and misplaced curveball to Gabriel Moreno — which plunked his leg on a 1-2 pitch — loaded the bases and forced Peralta from the game after covering just 4 ²/₃ innings on 101 pitches.

Mendoza turned to Huascar Brazobán, who got ahead of Del Castillo, 1-2, and tried a 97-mph sinker that bore in on Del Castillo. Called a strike, the Mets took several steps toward their dugout as Del Castillo touched his helmet for the challenge that would swing the game.

What looked like strike three turned out to be .3 inches inside. What looked like an escape from Brazobán instead turned out to be an obstacle that would not be overcome.

On the very next pitch, Del Castillo singled hard to right field to score two and tie the game, aided by a poor throw from Baty that rolled across rather than sailed over the infield. Nolan Arenado then blooped a single into left-center to score the go-ahead run.

Peralta was charged with those two runs (that scored after he exited) on three hits and three walks in 4 ²/₃ innings. He will bemoan the free passes, but his defense also hurt his rising pitch count.

In the second inning, Lindor booted a soft ground ball from Ildemaro Vargas to begin what might have been a rally. With Vargas on third and Alek Thomas on second, Peralta used a good changeup to strike out Ketel Marte and escape.

Two innings later, Vargas laid down a nice, two-out bunt down the third-base line that Peralta pounced upon and threw hard and high to Vientos. On a tough play, Vientos — who otherwise had a solid game at first — could not hold onto the ball, which prompted Peralta to throw seven extra pitches to retire Alek Thomas and end the frame.