On this episode of The Dodgers Post, Jack Harris and Dylan Hernandez wrap up the Dodgers’ recent road trip to St. Louis and Houston and review the state of some early predictions they made at the start of spring training.
Much can still change, of course, with the season only 20% complete.
But already, the guys were feeling good (or, more often, not so good) about the picks they made for Shohei Ohtani’s season stats, players who would be better or worse than they were in 2025, and who would draw the most ire from the fan base.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow, off to a 3-0 start, left Wednesday’s game after the first inning with a lower back injury.Getty Images Despite hitting just .248 so far this season, Shohei Ohtani leads MLB in ERA at 0.97.AP
Lastly, they look ahead to a potential postseason preview series coming up this weekend, when the MLB-leading Braves visit Dodger Stadium for a high-profile three-game set.
All that and more on this latest edition of Dodgers Post.
With the Mets and Colorado Rockies tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday, manager Carlos Mendoza turned to veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel to keep the score intact.
However, things went sideways fast.
Kimbrel let up back-to-back singles and then walked Willi Castro to load the bases with no one out. New York was out of challenges, so Kimbrel or Francisco Alvarez couldn't challenge what was called ball four on a full count, as the pitch looked to clip the top of the zone. After that, Kimbrel allowed a grand slam to Jake McCarthy down the right field line as the Rockies took a 6-2 lead.
Mendoza and Kimbrel both thought reviews would reverse the call as the ball appeared to land in foul territory beyond the RF pole, but the call stood. Kimbrel said he was "hoping it was foul," but took the blame for missing on a couple of pitches that cost the team.
"On the home run pitch, it was just location. I was trying to go up and I yanked it down," Kimbrel said. "It really all started with the leadoff guy. I got ahead of him, tried to bury a breaking ball, left it up, gave him an opportunity to put it in play and got a hit. And then the hit-and-run.
"Just really, right there with first and third was trying to get a strikeout. Felt like I did, they didn't feel like he went on the check swing. Then it turned into a walk, which turned into a grand slam."
Mendoza was asked about the decision to go to Kimbrel, noting Luke Weaver was unavailable, and explained what he saw from the veteran right-hander.
"They were aggressive, especially on his fastball," Mendoza said. "Back-to-back singles to start the inning, and then obviously there was a walk there. Again, I think they were just pretty aggressive on his fastball. Got too much over the plate and they took advantage of it."
As for the grand slam being fair or foul, Mendoza said there wasn't a good camera angle to change the call on the field.
"It was close, especially from our angle," Mendoza said. "I couldn't tell. Whatever they called on the field, I was pretty sure it was going to stand. And then we called down, and Harrison said the same thing, there's not an angle there that you could tell fair or foul. It just didn't go our way there."
New York will look to put the loss behind them as they travel to Arizona and faces the Diamondbacks on Friday.
Betts has been dealing with an oblique injury that’s kept him out of action since April 4.
Betts has seen limited action this season, playing in just eight games. He's gone 5-of-28 at the plate with seven runs, seven RBIs and two home runs. He's walked four times.
The eight-time All-Star is scheduled to be in Oklahoma City for a rehab assignment with the organization's Triple-A affiliate. An announcement from the Oklahoma City Comets' official social media account states that Betts will play on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9.
The Dodgers have compiled a 17-12 record in the 29 games played without Betts. The Dodgers remain at the top of the National League West standings with a 23-14 record, splitting their last 10 games with a 5-5 record.
Welcome to The California Post’s weekly Dodgers recap, where baseball writers Dylan Hernández and Jack Harris review the week that was, hand out very official awards and take stock of the state of the season.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Justin Wrobleski (1 start, 6 innings, 0 runs this week; 5-0, 1.25 ERA this season)
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The Dodgers can’t demote Justin Wrobleski, can they?
By continuing his spectacular early-season run, the 25-year-old Wrobleski might have saved his job. Blake Snell should be activated from the injured list following a rehab start this weekend. If back problems don’t force Tyler Glasnow to skip his next start, someone from the group of Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki will be pushed out of the rotation.
As harder throwers with larger frames, Sheehan and Sasaki look more like prototypical frontline starters, but how can you argue with the results? In the five games Wrobleski has started this season, he has a 0.56 ERA.
His most recent victory was Sunday in St. Louis, as he blanked the Cardinals over six innings to snap the Dodgers’ four-game losing streak. The Dodgers’ scuffling offense wasn’t terrible in that game but didn’t light up the scoreboard, either. The 4-1 win marked the sixth game in a row in which the Dodgers didn’t hit a home run.
Once again, Wrobleski’s inability to miss bats was a storyline, as the left-hander became the first Dodgers pitcher in 25 years to pitch six shutout innings without registering a strikeout. Wrobleski continues to be viewed with suspicion, as evaluators around the game wonder if his pitch-to-contact style is bound to get him in trouble.
“I’m out there trying to get outs,” Wrobleski said. “However I get them, that’s great.”
As long as he gets them, he’s here to stay, regardless what happens with Snell and Glasnow in the next week.
“Every start he makes, I feel good about us winning a game,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So that’s most important.”
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Andy Pages (10-for-25, 3 HR, 8 RBIs this week; .336 average, .945 OPS, 8 HR, 33 RBI this season)
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In a lineup full of superstars and former MVPs, Pages might be becoming the team’s most pivotal hitter.
Consider: In the club’s 23 wins this year, he has eight home runs, 32 RBIs and a 1.097 OPS. In the team’s 14 losses, he has no homers, one RBI and a .680 OPS.
Another way to think about it: When Pages has an RBI, the team is 13-1. When he doesn’t, they are 10-13.
So, is it really, as Pages goes, so do the Dodgers? With so many others having scuffled this year, it has at least felt that way.
Which made this week a refreshing return to form for the 25-year-old slugger. After watching his blistering start to the season cool off over a 19-game stretch in which he batted .221 with a .556 OPS, Pages rebounded with back-to-back three-hit games Tuesday and Wednesday.
In the first one, he had three singles. In the next, he hit three homers. Guess which one the Dodgers won and lost.
“[I’m] just having a lot of confidence in what I’m doing up there,” Pages said through an interpreter after Wednesday’s game. “And being optimistic that the plan and the approach is going to come with results.”
Indeed, Pages said his refined approach this year, which helped him bat over .400 through his first 19 games, was tested during his recent cold spell –– when he felt like he “was hitting the ball well and hitting the ball hard, just not finding a lot of holes.”
“I was just trying to stay confident in that approach,” Pages added. “Keeping that mentality that things were going to come and turn in the right direction.”
Based on this last week, which has also seen Pages record a hit in eight straight games, they have once again. It could be a major boon to the Dodgers’ efforts to reignite their offense.
PROSPECT OF THE WEEK
Mike Sirota (7-for-14, 4 HR, 6 RBIs this week; .329 average, 1.157 OPS, 6 HR, 15 RBIs in High-A this season)
During a doubleheader with the High-A Great Lakes Loons last week, the 22-year-old Sirota had a career afternoon.
He homered three times between the two games and reached base in six of his eight plate appearances.
It was the kind of performance that epitomized Sirota’s potential, as a versatile outfield prospect whom the Dodgers acquired from the Reds for Gavin Lux a couple offseasons ago.
The Northeastern University product impressed in his first season with the club last year, hitting .333 with 13 home runs between Single- and High-A before a knee injury ended his campaign in July. This year, he seems to be picking up where he left off, standing out as one of many talented outfielders in the club’s farm system off to a hot start.
FUTURE DODGER OF THE WEEK
(Where we identify a potential Dodgers’ future acquisition –– sometimes far-fetched, sometimes not)
Tarik Skubal, Tigers (ETA: 2027)
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Skubal was previously mentioned in this section, but his entry has to be updated.
The prediction last time was that the Tigers would be out of contention by the trade deadline and would trade the impending free agent in August. Skubal recently underwent a procedure to remove loose bodies from his elbow and might not return before the trade deadline, which decreases the chances of the Tigers dealing him.
Ironically, the procedure could actually increase his chances of pitching for the Dodgers. If Skubal doesn’t look like his usual self upon his return, teams might be reluctant to offer him the monster deal he was expected to sign before his injury. The Dodgers could have an opportunity to sign Skubal to a short-term deal with a record-breaking average annual value.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Are the Dodgers out of their offensive slump?
They sure hope so, after snapping a recent 5-9 slide (in which they averaged barely four runs per game) by winning three of their last four on this week’s road trip (while averaging more than six runs per game).
The recent 3-1 spurt also included three 10-hit performances, matching the number they had in their 14-game rut previously. They also finally started hitting some homers again, racking up five during a three-game series in Houston after hitting just three in their prior 12 contests.
The real answer to this question, however, will likely come this weekend when the Dodgers host the Braves (26-12), MLB’s joint-winningest team. In that series, they will face former Cy Young winner Chris Sale, former All-Star Spencer Strider and early-season breakout star Bryce Elder.
This tough task will truly show if the Dodgers are back on track at the plate.
The Mets lost to the Rockies on Thursday after Craig Kimbrel allowed a grand slam.
DENVER — Craig Kimbrel didn’t record an out until he faced his fifth batter Thursday, by which time the Mets’ sweep dreams had been mostly obliterated.
Offensively, the Mets sputtered following a recent uptick, but the afternoon went haywire in the eighth inning when Kimbrel entered a tie game against the Rockies and loaded the bases with nobody out. Jake McCarthy smashed the second pitch for a grand slam, sending the Mets to a 6-2 loss at Coors Field that snapped their three-game winning streak.
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Kimbrel, chosen to pitch the eighth a day after the Mets used much of their bullpen and then went heavy on relief following a short Christian Scott start, threw a 94-mph fastball that McCarthy hooked around the right field foul pole — the home run call stood on replay — leaving the Mets feeling Rocky Mountain low.
“There is not really an angle there where you can tell if it’s fair or foul,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And it didn’t go our way there.”
Luke Weaver, who pitched an inning the previous night, is Mendoza’s preferred choice in the eighth inning but was unavailable. That left the job to the 37-year-old Kimbrel, who previously had given the Mets three straight scoreless appearances.
“We had to use a lot of our guys [Wednesday], and some of them weren’t available today,” Mendoza said. “I am not going to blame that on them. We had chances today.”
The Mets fell to 4-2 on the road trip and will begin a three-game series Friday at Arizona.
Kimbrel allowed singles to TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston to begin the winning rally before walking Willi Castro to load the bases. McCarthy jumped on the second pitch.
Craig Kimbrel reacts after allowing a grand slam during the Mets’ May 7 loss to the Rockies. APJake McCarthy hits a grand slam during the Rockies’ May 7 win over the Mets. AP
“On the home run pitch, it was location; I was trying to go up and I aimed it down,” Kimbrel said.
At the plate, the Mets went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Scott was removed at 82 pitches before he could face the Rockies a third time through the order. The right-hander allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks over 4 ²/₃ innings with six strikeouts. Scott, returning from a missed season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, will be handled with care, according to Mendoza.
Jake McCarthy rounds the bases during the Rockies’ May 7 win over the Mets. Getty Images
“We had a number of pitches in mind, and he pretty much went over that number of pitches,” Mendoza said. “He did his part. We just couldn’t close it out.”
It was Scott’s second start of this road trip in which he kept the Mets in the game. Last week, he held the Angels to three earned runs over five innings before the Mets rallied for the victory.
“[The Rockies] did a good job of making me work the second time through the order,” Scott said. “I would have liked to work deeper into the game, but they did a good job of making me battle there.”
The Mets jumped on Jose Quintana for two runs in the second to take a 2-0 lead. Andy Ibáñez drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and Tyrone Taylor’s RBI single extended the lead. Austin Slater’s leadoff single and Marcus Semien’s ensuing walk started the rally, with the runners advancing to second and third on a wild pitch.
Juan Soto’s one-out triple in the third was wasted when Mark Vientos, following a walk to Bo Bichette, grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Mark Vientos breaks his bat during the Mets’ May 7 loss to the Rockies. Getty Images
Scott sailed into the fourth before allowing an RBI single to Castro that trimmed the Mets’ lead to 2-1. Tyler Freeman bunted for a single and Johnston walked before Castro delivered. But with runners on the corners, Scott struck out McCarthy to avoid further damage.
Huascar Brazobán got the final out in the fifth after Scott walked Edouard Julien and was removed. Brazobán surrendered a bloop RBI double to McCarthy in the sixth that tied it 2-2. Austin Warren walked Kyle Karros to load the bases before striking out Brett Sullivan to end the inning.
Soto batted with runners on first and second in the seventh, following walks to Francisco Alvarez and Vidal Brujan, but popped up for the final out.
“You are always trying to get [the sweep],” Mendoza said. “But then you look back and say, ‘OK, we won the series, move on to the next one.’ That is the bottom line. We have got to continue to win series.”
The St. Louis Cardinals head to Southern California for a four-game series with the San Diego Padres beginning Thursday night.
The opener features Matthew Liberatore and Michael King on the bump, and will be televised on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET.
My Cardinals vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks for Thursday, May 7 are taking a shot on the underdog Redbirds to win outright.
Who will win Cardinals vs Padres tonight: Cardinals moneyline (+150)
The San Diego Padres are a tad overvalued in this spot due to starting pitcher Michael King’s 2.95 ERA.
He’s achieved that with a bit of smoke and mirrors. His botERA of 5.21 is a red flag, as is his career-low Stuff+ (93) — down from 101 a year ago.
The St. Louis Cardinals rake against right-handed pitching (109 wRC+). San Diego is less potent against LHP (88 wRC+) and will face southpaw Matthew Liberatore (4.39 botERA, 99 Stuff+).
I’ll take the value with the Cardinals, winners in seven of their last nine contests and one of the hottest teams in The Show.
COVERS INTEL:King has pitched around loud contact (20th percentile barrel rate) thus far, but that’ll be difficult to manage against a St. Louis ballclub with the second-highest barrel rate (11.1%).
Cardinals vs Padres Over/Under pick: Under 8 (+102)
This is a high total for a night game at Petco Park, which has the second-lowest Park Factor (97).
San Diego’s poor results against LHP (.661) inspire bearishness on the offense, whereas King has been effective enough on the mound to demand a certain level of respect.
Mason Miller leads a Padres bullpen with a stellar 3.18 SIERA (second in MLB). The Cardinals will have all of their top relief arms available and are well-rested thanks to Tuesday’s rainout, and closer Riley O’Brien (1.43 FIP) has thrown just three pitches in the last four days.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 10-9, -0.99 units
Over/Under bets: 13-7, +5.62 units
Cardinals vs Padres odds
Moneyline: Cardinals +150 | Padres -178
Run line: Cardinals +1.5 | Padres -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8
Cardinals vs Padres trend
The Cardinals have won five of Liberatore’s seven starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Padres.
How to watch Cardinals vs Padres and game info
Location
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date
Thursday, May 7, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Cardinals starting pitcher
Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 4.50 ERA)
Padres starting pitcher
Michael King (3-2, 2.95 ERA)
Cardinals vs Padres latest injuries
Cardinals vs Padres 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.
I’m running out of superlatives to describe what the 2026 Chicago Cubs are doing, but I’m certainly going to try, because the Cubs keep topping themselves every single day.
On a coolish Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Cubs decided they’d had enough of late-inning comebacks and walk-off wins and instead dominated the Reds in nearly every aspect of the game, winning 8-3. That gave the Cubs a four-game sweep, nine wins in a row and 15 consecutive victories at Wrigley Field. The latter streak is the second-longest home winning streak for the Cubs in the Modern Era.
Let’s begin at the beginning. Shōta Imanaga had s solid first two innings, allowing a single in each but also striking out a pair in each.
The wind was shifting all over the place during the game. At the time of Conforto’s homer, it was blowing in pretty good — he nailed that blast at 105 miles per hour.
Imanaga allowed one more hit in the third and issued a walk in the fourth. None of the Reds runners through four got past first base.
The Cubs blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth, in part due to a brain fart from Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson.
Reds starter Rhett Lowder walked the first two hitters in the inning, Alex Bregman and Ian Happ. Then he threw ball one to Michael Busch and left the game with the trainer. This is why:
Rhett Lowder left today’s game with right shoulder discomfort.
Ke’Bryan Hayes stepped on third, retiring Busch. But that took the force play off at the plate, and Stephenson needed to tag Happ for an out, and as you can see… he did not do that. What Hayes probably should have done is throw home; that might have resulted in a 1-2-3 double play. But he didn’t, and Happ was safe, making the score 3-0.
As you can see, the throw beat Amaya to the plate, but Stephenson couldn’t hold on to the ball. While that throw came in, Nico took third, where he scored on this sac fly by Moisés Ballesteros [VIDEO].
Here are some facts about the Cubs’ seven-run fourth from BCB’s JohnW53:
The Cubs’ seven-run fourth inning was their biggest outburst of the season. They had scored five runs three times: April 1 at home the vs. Angels, April 8 at Tampa and April 13 at Philadelphia.
This was the Cubs’ 22nd game since the last of those.
They last had seven runs in a 12-1 win at home over the Cardinals on Sept. 26 of last year. That was 42 games ago.
The Cubs had two other seven-run innings last year and an eight-run eruption on May 20 in a 14-1 romp at Miami.
Imanaga continued to dominate. He finally allowed a Reds runner past first base in the fifth on a single and walk, and a solo home run by Sal Stewart made it 8-1. As we know, home runs have been a problem for Imanaga, but I think we can forgive a solo homer with an eight-run lead. He’s still allowed just four home runs this year in 47.1 innings.
This was the 16th quality start by a Cubs pitcher and the team-high fifth by Imanaga. He has allowed one run in three of his five and none in the two others.
Edward Cabrera has four; Jameson Taillon, three; Colin Rea, two; and Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton, one. With the win today, the Cubs are 14-2 when they get a QS. ….. Imanaga’s 10 strikeouts were one shy of his career high, achieved twice: Sept. 16, 2024 at home vs. the Athletics and April 15 this year at Philadelphia. He pitched 6.0 innings in both games.
He had 10 twice before, both at home, in 7.0: July 21, 2024 vs. the Diamondbacks and Aug. 6, 2024 vs. the Twins. The Cubs won all four games.
Trent Thornton, just up from Triple-A Iowa and off his solid 10th inning Wednesday night, threw a scoreless seventh, allowing a hit and a walk. Gavin Hollowell, also up from Iowa replacing Corbin Martin on Thursday, served up a solo homer to Blake Dunn in the eighth. Then he was left in to throw the ninth, likely Craig Counsell wanting to save all his leverage relievers in a blowout.
This did not work. Hollowell struck out the first batter he faced in the ninth, then issued a walk. A fly to center was the second out, but another walk followed that. Hollowell did get JJ Bleday to pop a ball into short center, but too shallow for PCA to catch. It dropped for a double, scoring the Reds’ third run. After another walk loaded the bases, Daniel Palencia had to be summoned, something I’m sure Counsell did not want to do on this day, especially since it began raining in the middle of all that.
In fairness to Hollowell, he threw 49 pitches in this game. He hadn’t thrown that many in any of his outings at Iowa this year, and hadn’t thrown as many as 40 since April 2. He likely just ran out of gas.
Palencia painted the inside corner with a 100 mile per hour fastball. Lowe challenged — I mean, what did he have to lose? But it was a strike, and the game ended. And since the tying run was on deck when Palencia entered the game, he qualified for a save. Fortunately, it was a quick seven-pitch outing.
The Cubs did nearly everything right in this series, coming from behind, taking advantage of situations, and in this game using that advantage to make it a blowout. Nine wins in a row. Fifteen straight at home, the franchise record in the Modern Era is 18, set in 1935, the year the team won 21 in a row on the way to the NL pennant (the last three of that streak were on the road). John tells me that “it appears” the Cubs have never won two entire homestands of at least seven games in a single season — until this year. Good stuff, Cubs. Keep it going. The Cubs now lead the NL Central by four games over the second-place Cardinals. The Pirates are third, five games back; the Brewers, fourth at 5.5 behind; and the Reds, who have lost seven in a row, are last, six games behind the Cubs.
Lastly, let me say a mea culpa about Conforto. I wasn’t in favor of this signing, didn’t see the point, thought Dylan Carlson might be a better bench bat. Conforto has been outstanding in his limited role and after going 3-for-3 in this game with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI, he is batting .361/.467/.667 (13-for-36) with five doubles and two home runs. Granted, small sample size, but he’s proven to be a really useful player and seems to have accepted this role well.
The Cubs head on the road, where the first stop is Arlington, Texas, to face the Rangers in a three-game series beginning Friday evening. The Cubs starter for the series opener is listed as TBD for now. That would have been Matthew Boyd’s turn. It’s possible Javier Assad, who threw 17 pitches on Tuesday, could take the start. Kumar Rocker will start for Texas. Game time Friday is 7:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 7: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after his sixth inning RBI double against the New York Mets at Coors Field on May 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The skies cleared, the temperatures rose, the snow melted, and the Rockies played a game of make-up baseball on a Thursday afternoon with the goal of ending their homestand with a win and snapping a six-game losing streak.
Thanks to excellent pitching and an unexpected hero, the Rockies did just that as they defeated the New York Mets at Coors Field, 6-2.
Happy Anniversary
Left-handed veteran José Quintana continued to settle in as a solid contributor in the Rockies’ pitching rotation. Quintana turned in his third straight outing of allowing two runs or fewer while going at least five innings.
On the 14th anniversary of his Major League debut (originally with the Chicago White Sox), Quintana worked 5.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks. Two of those hits and both earned runs came in the second inning, where a leadoff walk and a single got Quintana into trouble early. A wild pitch and a single would plate two, but Quintana was sharp for the remainder of his outing. After giving up a two out single in the top of the sixth inning, he was lifted for reliever Juan Mejia, who ended the frame with a quick flyout.
After today, Quintana joins Tomoyuki Sugano and Chase Dollander as members of the Rockies’ rotation with a sub-4.00 ERA at this stage in the season.
The Rockies bullpen had another solid afternoon in relief of José Quintana, doing exactly what was needed and keeping the Mets off the scoreboard until the final pitch.
Juan Mejia struggled somewhat with his command and walked two batters, but he also tallied two strikeouts in his single inning of relief work. Meanwhile, Brennan Bernardino—entering the game with runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the seventh inning—took four pitches to record his out.
Antonio Senzatela—one of the league leaders in wins above replacement for relief pitchers—was tasked with recording the final six outs of the game. After a 1-2-3 eighth inning he entered the top of the ninth with a lead. After a leadoff walk and a bloop single by Mets top prospect Carson Benge, he quickly locked in. Senzatela struck out his next two hitters before the final out was recorded via a popout.
His ERA for the season now sits at just 1.11 in 24.1 innings of work.
For much of this series against the Mets, the problem for the Rockies has been a failure to score runs and a failure to capitalize on opportunities to do so. The Rockies found themselves down late in a low-scoring affair despite strong performances from the pitching staff. Mickey Moniak’s hitting streak was brought to an end and all seemed quiet.
Then Jake McCarthy happened.
You’d be forgiven if you hadn’t expected much of McCarthy. The off-season trade acquisition from the Arizona Diamondbacks got off to a cold start. Through his first 15 games in a Rockies uniform he hit just .200/.300/.314 with two doubles and a triple. He had drawn a decent number of walks and limited his strikeouts, but overall there just wasn’t much to talk about with his at-bats.
However, McCarthy’s bat had quietly started to click over the last few weeks. Coming into this afternoon, he was hitting .333/.382/.600 over the last 12 contests with three doubles and a triple. He hit his first home run of the season last night, and had drawn three walks to three strikeouts.
This afternoon, McCarthy was responsible for tying the game. In the bottom of the sixth with runners in scoring position he blooped a double into center field.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Rockies had the bases loaded thanks to back-to-back singles by TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston combined with a Willi Castro walk. The Rockies needed something they had struggled to get from their hitters all season: a clutch hit.
McCarthy delivered, slugging a high fly ball over the right field wall for—after being reviewed for potentially going foul—a grand slam. It was the Rockies’ first home run worth three or more runs of the season.
The Rockies are headed to the City of Brotherly Love (and cheesesteaks) for a three game set against the Philadelphia Phillies. Chase Dollander will be making the start without an opener against Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 04: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates his solo home run during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 04, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good evening, folks! Well, it’s the quiet before the storm, as the Braves are currently on an off-day before they get set to head into the snake pit that is Dodger Stadium for a three-game series that’ll certainly have plenty of eyes on it while it’s happening. Still, we’re just over 24 hours from that game getting underway so there’s still some time to chat about whatever before we get into tomorrow’s action.
What I’m watching tonight
ESPN has a double dip that doesn’t seem all that bad — and it’ll also give us folks on the East Coast a chance to gear up for another late night. Tampa Bay vs. Boston is interesting enough because of the divisional rivalry but the 10:10 p.m. ET game following that one will be the start of another NL showdown out West. The Cardinals have gotten off to a really strong start and the Padres have been keeping stride with the Dodgers so far. The matchup itself is intriguing but apparently we’re all on Home Run Watch for Fernando Tatis Jr. — being that he still hasn’t hit any dingers yet. That’s strange.
The Athletic hires a new Braves writer
David O’Brien’s retirement was a bit sudden and it left a bit of a void for Braves coverage over at The Athletic vertical. That void has now been filled, as former Baseball America writer Jesús Cano will be covering the Braves for them going forward.
What will the rotation look like going forward?
I put this Feed post on the homepage earlier and I’m sharing it again because it’s a very good question: What happens at the back of the rotation?
This is a pretty good problem to have but it’s still something that needs to be solved going forward. We’ll see what happens.
May 7, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Huascar Brazoban (43) tosses his glove in the air after being pulled in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
With a lineup that more suited for a spring training game than a May 7th game, the Mets snapped their three-game winning streak with a 6-2 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field. This was the makeup from a snowed out game on Tuesday, another anachronism for early May.
The game began with both the Rockies’ Jose Quintana and Christian Scott trading zeroes, with Quintana getting three quick ground balls and Scott striking out the first two batters on just three pitches apiece.
The first run of the game came in the top of the second. Austin Slater led off the inning with an opposite field single, which was followed by a Marcus Semien walk. A wild pitch by Quintana moved both runners into scoring position. Andy Ibañez floated a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Slater. After a Francisco Alvarez strikeout, Tyrone Taylor hit a soft liner to left, which scored Semien before Taylor was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double.
The Rockies got on the board in the fourth after Scott threw a flat sweeper to Willie Castro, who singled home Tyler Freeman. Scott looked a bit tired after practically breezing through the first three innings, but was able to strike out Jake McCarthy to end the two-on, two-out threat.
The tiring of Scott became more clear in the fifth, where he started each of the three batters he faced with 2-0 counts. After walking Eduoard Julien, Carlos Mendoza pulled Scott after four and two-thirds innings of one-run ball. With Scott still somewhat recovering from Tommy John Surgery, the Mets are, rightly, being extra cautious with him.
Huascar Brazobán was first out of the Mets’ bullpen, and he induced a groundout from Mickey Moniak to end the inning. Brazobán would come back out for the sixth, but two walks, a wild pitch, and a double off the bat of McCarthy tied the game at two apiece. Austin Warren was next out of the bullpen and, after walking the bases loaded, struck out Brett Sullivan on a held foul tip to escape further damage.
Juan Mejia relieved Quintana with two outs in the sixth, and faced five batters across an inning of work, allowing two walks and striking out two. After the walk to Vidal Brujan, Mejia was pulled for lefty Brennan Bernardino who was called upon to get Juan Soto out. He did just that, inducing a Soto pop up to end the frame.
Warren pitched the bottom of the seventh, and worked around a one-out walk to Moniak by inducing a double play and taking the tie game to the eighth. Craig Kimbrel entered to pitch the eighth for the Mets and continued his tightrope walk from the first game of the series, where he worked around a triple.
This time, he fell off the tightrope and faceplanted.
Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no one out. A McCarthy grand slam on a 94 mile an hour meatball ended the Mets’ hope of a sweep right quick.
To the Mets’ credit, they would not go quietly into the night. Marcus Semien walked and Carson Benge lofted a single down the left-field line. Alvarez and pinch hitter MJ Melendez would both strike out before bringing up Brujan. Brujan would pop out to end the game.
While this Mets team has looked much improved from the team that the Rockies swept in New York a few weeks ago, they must have a better option than washed Kimbrel to bring in to tie games in the eighth inning.
The Mets travel to Arizona for a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Nolan McLean and Ryne Nelson square off in game one on Friday night at 9:40pm.
May 7, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians players react in the dugout during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Guardians attacked Seth Lugo from the start, and it paid off quickly. Steven Kwan led off the game with a sharp single to center followed by a hard-hit double down the rightfield line by Jose Ramirez two batters later. Next up, cleanup hitter Kyle Manzardo pounded a double of his own to drive in two before scoring when Daniel Schneemann singled him home.
Five batters in, it was 3-0 Cleveland with just one out.
Seth Lugo labored through four innings in which he tossed 102 pitches. He surrendered seven hits and walked four while striking out five. He took the loss.
To give the Royals a modicum of credit, they never stopped fighting. Multiple times today the Royals sent up to the plate a batter who represented the tying run. Ultimately, that never came to fruition, and the closest the Royals came to the Guardians was a three-run deficit.
Kansas City batters, led by Bobby Witt Jr., collected a dozen hits and walked five times versus only seven strikeouts, though some of those whiffs were incredibly untimely. Seven of the Royals’ starting nine collected at least one base hit with Maikel Garcia joining Bob with multiple hits.
Bobby Witt Jr. went 4-for-4 with a walk and a home run, his fourth of this season. He launched a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh after the Guardians took their largest lead of the game, 8-2. When Vinnie Pasquantino followed with a homer of his own, suddenly the Royals were back within a slam with nine outs to spare.
Pasquantino came up again the next inning with two on and a chance to tie it. Instead, he struck out. That pretty much put the game away as the Royals went quietly in the ninth when Cleveland’s closer, Cade Smith, struck out Salvy and Jensen before getting Cags to weakly fly out to end the suffering.
The name of the game today was missed opportunities. In the bottom of the first, the Royals loaded the bases against Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi. But on the first pitch of his at-bat following a walk by Jensen, Caglianone grounded out to first.
In the fifth, the Royals finally got on the board when Garcia singled home Massey, but then Garcia gaffed on the basepaths when the next batter, Witt, hit one hard to the second baseman, rookie Travis Bazzana, who bobbled it. It didn’t get nearly far enough away from Bazzana for Garcia to try to take third, but try to take third he did, and the young Aussie nailed him, deflating a could-be rally.
The Royals threatened again the very next inning. Nick Loftin lined out to center with the bases loaded, but Jensen scored, making it a 5-2 game. Lane Thomas then walked to re-load the bases for Garcia. Garcia got ahead in the count, 2-0, but then swung at a pitch that was clearly outside the zone. The at-bat turned after that, and Garcia meekly flew out to right.
Bobby Witt Jr. led off the next inning with his homer.
Salvador Perez continues to struggle. He went 0-for-5 with a strikeout. He’s back under The Mendoza Line with an equally ugly .573 OPS. I would say he shouldn’t stay in the cleanup spot, but if not him, then who? Jensen and Cags aren’t exactly lighting it up, and as well as Isaac Collins is hitting, he’s not meant for that role.
Lest Lugo and the batters take all the blame, 3/4 of the relievers also struggled, though Nick Mears got out of it unscathed. Alex Lange and Eric Cerantola can’t say the same. The former allowed one run to score in his only inning of work while the latter allowed the biggest hit of the game, a three-run homer off the bat of Bo Naylor that gave Cleveland its 8-2 lead in the seventh. And wouldn’t you know it, the Guardians won by three.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 06: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres reacts after they beat the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on May 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres have had plenty of games that started this way.
It was a pitcher’s duel for the whole of Matt Waldron and Adrian Houser’s respective outings. The two pitched through the first six innings giving up a solo shot each. But Houser was (surprisingly) lifted in the seventh after only 74 pitches and the Padres made it count.
Keaton Winn walked Ramón Laureano before getting Nick Castellanos to ground out and inducing a shallow flout from Freddy Fermin. With runners on second and third, San Francisco went with Matt Gage to face Sung-Mun Song. The Friars countered by pinch-hitting Ty France. It paid off immediately.
France tripled and scored both baserunners, giving San Diego a two-run lead. The Padres would extend the lead to four runs the following inning, with Xander Bogaerts hitting a two-run shot off of Ryan Walker.
The last two games have been a wonderful return to the Padres’ offense that put them on an eight-game winning streak earlier this year. They’ll need to keep it up for their four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals starting tonight.
Taking the mound
Matthew Liberatore (STL) v. Michael King (SD)
Liberatore has been solid for the Cardinals thus far, posting a 4.50 ERA across 36 innings. St. Louis has had to piece together a pitching staff that has impressed far beyond its expectations, helping them along to a 21-15 record.
But Liberatore’s biggest problem has been limiting free passes and home runs. The lefty owns a 35.2 percent fly ball rate (MLB average of 24.1 percent). If the Friars can wait for a pitch to do damage on, tonight will be a cake walk. Watch for lots of baserunners and tons of fly balls.
King has looked vintage in his first seven starts of the year, pitching to a 2.95 ERA in 39 2/3 innings. His most recent start against the Chicago White Sox was mostly solid, but he ended up surrendering four runs to the Southsiders.
Prior to that, King had only given up nine runs in the entire month of April. If he can return to that form against the Cards, the Friars should have no problem outslugging their opponents.
That being said, St. Louis has had a sneakily good offense. It’s not easy to get to 21 wins this early, and they have. King can’t underestimate the ability of this younger group to do damage.
Batter up!
Manager Craig Stammen got creative with the lineup (yet again), and it paid off. He’s shown a marked difference from former-skipper Mike Shildt’s set-it-and-forget-it policy with the lineup. That’s worked out well thus far and worked even better these last two games.
Jackson Merrill has gone 4-for-9 in his last two games batting leadoff, Song has already impressed in his debut, and Fernando Tatis Jr. has showed signs of turning things around despite being dropped to the No. 5 spot in the lineup.
Jackson Merrill, CF
Miguel Andujar, DH
Manny Machado, 3B
Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Ramón Laureano, LF
Ty France, 1B
Nick Castellanos, RF
Rodolfo Durán, C
The Padres will probably continue with this lineup against St. Louis. That being said, with the lefty Liberatore on the mound, it’s possible that’s not the case.
Durán will be making his MLB debut tonight behind the dish. With Luis Campusano sent to the IL with a fractured toe, Durán is the only catching depth the Padres possess in the minors. This season he holds a .238/.356/.429 slash line in Triple-A.
Andujar has been hot lately and the club seems to trust him slightly more against left-handers. He’s become somewhat of the de-facto DH for San Diego. Bogaerts has actually hit better against lefties (.320) than righties (.265), and he’s homered in two consecutive games.
France came off the bench yesterday and delivered so he could supplant Sheets at first. Sheets has been used a lot lately and could benefit from some rest, though he hit a towering shot to left field in the series finale yesterday. He’d still be available off of the bench in a pinch-hit scenario.
Relief corps
Stammen got a bit creative with the pitching as well, and it also went well for San Diego. Bradgley Rodriguez served as the opener before Waldron pitched in bulk relief. Waldron had his best outing yet and may have even earned himself another start with the club. He went five full innings, giving up two hits and striking out seven batters.
Morejon covered the seventh and eighth innings splendidly, and Mason Miller slammed the door in the ninth for his MLB-leading 11th save. He notched two strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 1.04.
That leaves plenty of options for tonight’s game against St. Louis. Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta make up the group available out of the ‘pen.
Of those five, expect Matsui or Peralta out should either team have a sizable lead. But, if it’s close, Adam and Estrada represent the more high-leverage choices for Stammen.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 01: Cade Povich #37 of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on May 01, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Where to watch: MASN/MASN+
Probable pitchers: LHP Cade Povich (1-1, 4.41 ERA, 11 K) vs. RHP Max Meyer (2-0, 2.68 ERA, 40 K)
Turns out the only thing the Orioles needed to rejuvenate their season was a quick trip down to Miami. After being outscored 39-10 during a four-game sweep in the Bronx, the O’s are back on track after their last two wins over the Marlins. After a 9-7 win on Tuesday and a 7-5 win last night, the O’s have had two of their nine biggest offensive outputs in their first two contests with the Marlins.
Pete Alonso has been at the heart of the offensive boom, as he enjoy terorizing his former NL East rival. Over Games 1 & 2, Alonso is 3-for-8 with two doubles, a homer and 5 RBIs. The star 1B is currently on a seven-game hit streak, slashing .360/.448/.880 with three home runs.
The Orioles will need a better outing from starter Cade Povich if they want to complete the sweep of the Marlins and get a game closer to .500. The Baltimore left-hander was roughed up in Game 1 of the Yankees series, giving up five runs over four innings while allowing a pair of long balls. Tonight will be Povich’s first career start against the Marlins, and he’ll hope to improve upon his previous outings against the senior circuit. In 11 career appearances against the National League, the lefty has a 5.09 ERA with a 1.41 WHIP and 10 home runs allowed.
Opposing Povich is 27-year-old right-hander Max Meyer. The former 1st-round pick is coming off the best start of his career, throwing seven innings of shutout ball against the Phillies while only allowing one hit and punching out seven. Meyer is also facing an opponent for the first time tonight, and like Povich, has a suspect track record in Interleague games. In six starts against the AL, Meyer has a 6.60 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP and seven home runs allowed.
If the O’s can complete the sweep against the Marlins, it will be their second sweep of the season, having swept the White Sox in Chicago last month. Baltimore has already won the season series against Miami for the first time since 2023 after winning the last two nights
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 17, 2026: Spencer Jones #68 of the New York Yankees puts on his helmet prior to an at bat during an intrasquad scrimmage game on Billy Martin Field 1 at the Himes Complex on March 17, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
With outfielder Jasson Domínguez headed to the injured list after crashing into the outfield wall earlier this afternoon, the New York Yankees have opted to promote top prospect Spencer Jones, according to reports.
Soon after, it was reported that, following the bullpen day, the Yankees were recalling Kervin Castro from the minors as well; he likely will be taking Brendan Beck’s spot on the roster, as the right-hander will probably be sent back to Scranton so he can remain stretched out as a starter.
Yankees are calling up big power/speed OF prospect Spencer Jones The Post has learned
By this point, Yankees fans are well-acquainted with Jones, whose rise through the minor league system has come under more scrutiny than any of the organization’s recent prospects, with the possible exception of the man he is replacing. Originally taken with the 25th overall pick of the 2022 draft, the 6-foot-7 left-handed outfielder has steadily climbed through the organization, tantalizing scouts and fans alike with a power potential that is truly only rivaled by now-teammate Aaron Judge – and a similarly high strikeout rate. After yet again making adjustments in an attempt to improve his contact rate, this time by drawing on Shohei Ohtani’s swing as inspiration, Jones has continued to, well, be himself so far this spring, posting a .258/.366/.592 slash line in 33 games, smashing 11 homers and striking out a whopping 46 times.
While Jones was the last outfielder on the 40-man roster not injured or already in the majors, it seemed at first glance like necessity might simply force the organization’s hand. The presence of veterans Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera in Scranton, however – not to mention the ability of Cabrera, Amed Rosario, and Jose Caballero to play the corner outfield spots – means that the Yankees didn’t have to bring him up to ride the pine as the team’s fourth outfielder. And with Giancarlo Stanton already on the shelf – the whole reason the Martian was up in the first place – and Ben Rice missing the last four games due to a hand contusion, it’s clear that the Yankees are finally looking to see if their former top prospect can make the jump to The Show and, like White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami, simply outhit his strikeout woes.
Exactly how the Yankees will line up remains to be seen. Expect Jones to play the outfield more consistently than Domínguez did, however, as defense has been the youngster’s calling card ever since he was drafted. Whether this means that Aaron Judge will get more DH days, or that they will cycle the DH spot through Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Rice (when he’s healthy, that is), we’ll know soon enough.
The Yankees are also calling up Venezuelan RHP Kervin Castro, who will return to MLB, per sources.
Castro, 27, last appeared in MLB in 2022 (Cubs, Giants).
He posted a 1-0 record with a 3.14 ERA in 14.1 innings and 10 strikeouts at Scranton Triple-A.
Kervin Castro, a 27-year-old pitcher out of Venezuela, was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster last winter to avoid him being taken in the Rule 5 Draft — which is, coincidentally, how the Yankees acquired him from the Astros in 2023. Although he lost the competition for the final bullpen spots, he has pitched well enough in Scranton, posting a 3.14 ERA in 14.1 innings, that the Yankees feel comfortable bringing him up to reinforce a bullpen that needs some fresh arms after an unexpected bullpen day.
This is not Castro’s MLB debut, however. He scattered 20 appearances with the Giants and Cubs between 2021 and 2022, allowing 15 runs in 25.2 innings.
Update
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves: •Recalled RHP Kervin Castro (#74) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. •Placed OF Jasson Domínguez on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder AC joint sprain. •Recalled OF Spencer Jones (#78) from…
The transactions are official! We kind of wish Jones got to wear a more normal number, but those are the breaks with the Yankees and all those ones out of circulation. (And Domínguez and Will Warren were still wearing high ones until quite recently.)
The Mets failed to complete the sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon, losing by a score of 6-2.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Making his 12th career start (third this season) and still searching for his first career win, Christian Scott looked primed to do that after needing just nine pitches to retire the side in order, with two strikeouts, in the first inning. It was a reversal of fortune for Scott, who had to waste a lot of bullets in the first inning of his first two starts this season.
Scott set down the next four batters he faced before Kyle Karros doubled for the Rockies’ first hit of the game. Scott retired the next two after a couple of long at-bats to leave the inning unscathed.
-- Prior to that, the Mets gave the right-hander the lead by scoring two in the second against former Met Jose Quintana thanks to an Andy Ibañez sacrifice fly and Tyrone Taylor’s RBI single. Austin Slater began the inning with a single as he and Ibañez, as well as Vidal Brujan, were all in the lineup against the left-hander. Slater was the only one of the three to get a hit, finishing 2-for-3.
-- New York had another chance to get to Quintana in the third after Juan Soto tripled high off the right-field wall with one out. But after Bo Bichette walked, Mark Vientos grounded into an inning-ending double play to thwart the threat.
-- From there, the Mets’ bats went quiet as Quintana, who pitched 5.1 innings of one-run ball against New York at Citi Field two starts ago, managed to do it again against them. This time, Quintana lasted 5.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits.
-- Still, Quintana left the game with his team down 2-1 because of the job Scott was able to do. The rookie allowed a run on three hits and two walks in 4.2 innings while striking out six, but was pulled after a season-high 82 pitches (53 strikes).
Scott pitched well enough to get that elusive first win, but he’ll have to wait until his next outing to try again. Nevertheless, he lowered his season ERA to 3.27.
-- Huascar Brazoban was the first man out of the bullpen and after finishing off the fifth inning, he went back out for the sixth. With New York still clinging to a one-run lead inside Coors Field, Brazoban issued a one-out walk and then unleashed a wild pitch to put the tying run at second base. After a strikeout and another walk, Brazoban gave up a double to Jake McCarthy that tied the game and knocked him out.
-- Austin Warren then entered and loaded the bases with a walk before getting a strikeout to end the frame. Warren faced the minimum in the seventh and gave way to Craig Kimbrel in the eighth.
-- A day after scoring 10 runs on 15 hits, the Mets offense went back to old habits, mustering just six hits and going scoreless after the second inning. They went 1-for-9 with RISP and bypassed a great chance to take the lead in the seventh when Soto came up with runners on first and second. Soto was precisely who New York wanted up in that spot, but he popped out to shortstop to end the inning. Soto finished 1-for-4 atop the lineup.
-- The Mets' inability to tack on runs cost them when Kimbrel loaded the bases to start the eighth on two singles and a walk. McCarthy, who tied the game in the sixth, untied the game two innings later with a grand slam to put Colorado ahead for the first time all game, 6-2. Kimbrel's ERA is now 7.56.
Game MVP: Jake McCarthy
McCarthy tied it, then untied it with one big swing in the eighth inning.
COVERS INTEL: 
