Mar 27, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) celebrates after a home run against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves began the 2026 season on a high note after Friday’s 6-0 win over the Kansas City Royals. Ozzie Albies, Drake Baldwin, and Michael Harris II joined in on the fun and each homered. Together, the Braves recorded 11 hits and capitalized on the Royals’ weak spots.
On the other side of the ball, leather was flashed and the pitching staff showed up big. Chris Sale earned the start, and though a bit shaky in the beginning, he finished the night allowing just three hits through six innings. He walked three and struck out six. The bullpen came to play, too, and allowed just two more hits after Sale’s exit.
The Braves go for the series win tonight at 7:15 ET.
More Braves News:
Additional television deals continue to be announced, as Fubo and DIRECTV are now carrying BravesVision.
The Gwinnett Stripers have announced their Opening Day roster, and it does not include Jhancarlos Lara.
MLB News:
Jason Heyward has announced his retirement after a 16 year career.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 25: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees greets his teammates during player introductions prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It would’ve been hard for the Yankees to script a better first two games of their 2026 campaign. Sure, they probably wouldn’t have written in four strikeouts from their captain on Opening Day, but otherwise, things have been stellar, with Aaron Judge busting out with his first home run yesterday in another shutout win. Two games mean little when they’re followed by 160 more, but these two games do show what the glass-half-full case looks like for New York; a carbon copy of last year’s league-leading lineup and elite starting pitching lead to excellence.
On the site today, say hello to the minor league season with our first Baby Bomber Recap, as the RailRiders cruised in their first game. Also, Sam will deliver today’s Rivalry Roundup, while Matt’s entry in our Yankee Birthday series celebrates Vic Raschi, who had a great turn with the Yankees during their midcentury dynasty years.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees at San Francisco Giants
Time: 7:15 p.m. EST
Video: FOX
Venue: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
Questions/Prompts:
1. It’s just one start, of course, but are you letting your imagination run wild after seeing how Cam Schlittler looked in his season debut yesterday?
2. Have any performances from players on other teams particularly caught your eye two days in?
As the dreaded popup rises in a youth baseball game, coaches on the bench and parents in the bleachers tense as the world turns into a slow-motion movie reel.
Who’s gonna get it?
Even big leaguers sometimes hate popups. Just before Carl Yastrzemski hit the one that would end Boston’s American League East pursuit in a famous winner-take-all playoff game in 1978, Graig Nettles, the Yankees’ third baseman, said to himself: “Don’t hit a popup to me.”
But Nettles, one of the best fielding third baseman of all time, camped under it and caught it. Overcoming popups are essential to success in baseball and in reality away from the field.
I would argue most parents don’t often think about these lessons when we watch our kids play. We want them to succeed from the earliest ages.
“Considering the pyramid of ascension in baseball, kids are not gonna be playing major league ball, and many of the kids are not gonna be playing college ball,” says Rotbart, a pediatrician and parenting author who coached his two now-grown sons at baseball, tells USA TODAY Sports. “And if they do it, it will be club ball. So I think that parents have fantasies about their child, if he doesn't make that catch, if he doesn't get the hit with the bases loaded, nobody is gonna sign him.
“He's not going to be drafted anyway.”
While chasing the long odds, have you ever thought about how baseball and softball imitate finding success in life? Rotbart and Davidoff, a veteran sportswriter, have teamed to explore that question.
We spoke with them and picked out 10 tips for parents about how they can apply lessons from baseball for sports and life success.
1. Step into the box: Being comfortable and confident is being successful
The book is about 15 years in the making, after Rotbart coached his two sons (now 34 and 38) through high school, taking meticulous notes that became a manuscript. He connected with Davidoff, who covered Major League Baseball for 30 years for a few New York City-area papers to bring it more legitimacy, to connect it more to the big leagues.
Rotbart was exercising the lesson in Chapter 9 ("The Batter’s Box") and finding his comfort zone. In this instance, Davidoff tied the familiar moment to Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, who liked to chat with fans in the on-deck circle, which made him feel at home as he calmly walked to the plate.
When he stepped into the box, it was his time to be confident in his preparation, focus in and take charge.
“You are the right person, at the right time,” the authors right in the book. “Believe you can face any challenge, any time, and want to face that challenge. You are in the in the batter’s box, right where you belong.
When you step into the box and aren’t successful, though, a matter of inches – up or back, inside or out – can help you get on track.
“You can change your faith oftentimes without making dramatic changes in your life, but even making incremental changes,” Rotbart says.
2. Remember to tag up: Pause and control your anger
Now you’ve made it to one of the bases. If the batter hits a fly ball that is caught, you can’t advance to another without “tagging up.” When the ball leaves the bat, though, your impulse is to run.
But that little pause – that tag up – prevents us from harm and embarrassment. Outside the field, it’s a form of anger management.
How many times have you received an email or text from someone that enrages you? If you respond right away, your reply might be nasty. But if you pause and take a break, your action is more measured and thoughtful.
“There's so much impulsivity in young athletes,” Rotbart says. “They see it in role models. They watch it on TV, the impulsive reaction to umpires, to coaches, to fans. And we have to teach kids to tag up.”
3. Life is a fielder's choice: Decide what is most important
We are told as baseball players to think about what we’re going to do with the ball if it’s hit to us in the field. If runners are on base, we must make a choice.
If our team has a big lead in the game, we get the easiest force play. But if it’s a close game, we might throw across the diamond to third base to get the lead runner.
“It's urgent for you to protect that slim lead and then you translate that over to school,” Davidoff says. “Let's say you're acing chemistry, you're up four runs in chemistry. So, OK, you have homework in five subjects tonight, don't worry about (chemistry) too much. But now you’ve got a “C” in chemistry, you’re only up one run. You need to get that lead runner. You need to turn the double play. You need to really step on the gas with your chemistry and make sure you nail it.”
4. Include everyone: Pinch-hitters and pinch-runners are crucial to the team
We can learn to throw ourselves into whatever role we are given.
“There are players who are not starters, and there are players who may not even be position players by their talent level,” Rotbart says. “But they have other skills that they can bring. They may be a fast runner. They may be able to hit, but not be able to field. And pinch-hitters and pinch-runners teach kids that we should be inclusive and not clickish, that we should want everyone on a team, everyone in our friendship circle, everyone in our class, to be included in activities, becauseeveryone has something different to contribute.”
Even if you're assigned a less prominent or less prestigious assignment on the team, or on the student council, or at the school newspaper, or in a Woody Allen movie with one line, make the best of it:
Go out there and make the catch that nobody expects you to make.
“When the expectations are low, that's when you have the best opportunity to shine,” Rotbart says.
5. If you get yourself into a pickle, you can give yourself up for the greater good
I had a player on one of my Little League teams who was fast and could keep himself caught in a “pickle” between first and second bases long enough for a runner from third base to break for home and score.
The longer a pickle in baseball lasts, the more humorous it gets, and we wonder if the runner who made the “mistake” will still reach a base safely.
“Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't work out, but the analogy in the book is that when you are untruthful, when you say things that are not true, you get yourself in a pickle, and that's when you're lying, and you lose trust,” Rotbart says. “Sometimes you get away with it. Sometimes you advance to the next base. But oftentimes, you get thrown out, and being untruthful, lying is the most common cause for (a) real-life pickle.”
The lesson I like about the pickle is sacrificing yourself. As we know, even with two outs, that run from third base counts if it scores before the player is tagged out.
6. Mound meetings work: Take time to accept advice, or to just catch your breath
Davidoff remembers covering the Yankees’ first interleague visit to play the Colorado Rockies in 2002, and Roger Clemens was having a rough first inning.
He watched third baseman Robin Ventura walk over and chat with Clemens for a few seconds. Davidoff asked Ventura the next day what he had said to the starting pitcher.
“Nothing,” the third baseman told him, “just an excuse to let him exhale and take a deep breath.”
We all need it. Clemens got out of the first inning allowing only one run.
The same concept can apply as a youth coach when you call a timeout as a youth coach or gather your young player on the mound. They often respond by playing better. Sometimes, it’s as simple as you telling them, “I believe in you.”
7. Clean up your messes, and take pride in your spaces
Yoshinobu Yamamoto came to the Los Angeles Dodgers for $325 million in 2023. We know he helped lead Los Angeles to the World Series the last two seasons.
But did you know last October, after he pitched a complete game to even the World Series 1-1 in Toronto, he remained in the dugout and cleaned up trash teammates had left behind?
“Do not leave today's mess for tomorrow,” Rotbart said. “You clean up the dugout, you sweep the field, just like Yoshi Yamamoto did. That's protecting your tomorrow by taking care of your mess today.”
Someone may be playing on the field after you, or an opponent may have hosted you at their home park. You are showing them respect – win or lose – but also showing everyone a piece of who you are.
“Your personal spaces are part of you, signs on the outside of who you are on the inside, like the clothes you wear and how you brush your hair,” the authors write.
8. Stretch for the ball, but know when to pull off the base
Sometimes we want to make a spectacular play by diving for a ball in the outfield, or stretching far in front of us to catch a ball if we’re playing first base.
But what happens if we can’t get to the ball? We miss it, and it rolls to the outfield wall, allowing three runners to score. We don’t reach it and it skips past us at first base and the baserunner to get to second base in a tie game.
Sometimes, we need to slow up and let the ball drop to prevent further damage, or take our foot off the bag to stop the ball from going to the fence. Rotbart has used such analogies when speaking to patients as a pediatrician.
“A clinical example that I have (is) where a parent and an adolescent came into the clinic, and the mom was complaining that her son was doing too much of what his friends, what his cohort was asking him to do,” he says, “and that he would do anything to maintain friendship but he was going too far, doing things he shouldn’t be doing.”
9. Believe in yourself, and don't listen to the chatter
I hear it every time my sons play a high school game. Teams are yelling at each other from the dugout, or fans are yelling from the stands, to try and throw players off their games.
It’s not easy to block out the noise.
“There will always be those who feel better when they’re embarrassing others,” Davidoff and Rotbart write. “In baseball, the best teams and the best players don’t taunt.”
The authors analogize chatter in the book to be like gossip: Saying things that are potentially hurtful, disruptive and distracting or even dangerous (in the case of fly balls).
Chatter might seem helpful in the moment but if a potential coach sees you doing it – in person or on social media – he or she might stop recruiting you.
10. Learn to catch the popup: Take charge and follow through
When the ball is up in the air, we’re waiting for someone on the field to take charge. Maybe it’s the kid who’s under it, but often it’s the one who’s most confident in catching it. Go ahead, call for it.
“Someone has to take responsibility,” Rotbart says. “Someone has to be accountable, and suddenly, the pop fly became a lesson in taking responsibility, following through.”
He thought about it, after watching some of the 700 to 800 kids who came through his baseball program crash into each other on the pitcher’s mound going after a popup. Rotbart reached for his notebook, and the seed of a book was born.
“Double-check everything you do with others to make sure you know who is doing what,” he and Davidoff would craft into lesson No. 48. “If you’re the one ‘calling’ for the ball, make sure others hear you; if someone else is calling for it, make sure you hear them. Messages you send can get lost and so can messages people send to you.
“When it’s important your message – or assignment or project – gets where it’s going and gets seen or heard, follow through and make sure it got there. Otherwise, you’ve dropped the ball.”
Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His Coach Steve column is posted weekly.For his past columns, click here.
Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@usatoday.com
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 11: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 11, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SNY | Phillip Martínez The Yankees are now 2-0 in the 2026 campaign after taking the second game of their three-game set vs. the San Francisco Giants. The 3-0 final score meant that they have now pitched two consecutive shutouts in the Bay Area, led by Max Fried on Wednesday and Cam Schlittler on Friday.
Schlittler, limited to 68 pitches after the minor back/lat scare he suffered in spring training, blanked San Francisco for 5.1 innings, surrendering just a hit and no walks while striking out eight.
MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams The Yankees took a minor-league flier on right-hander Luis García, who won the 2022 World Series with the Houston Astros, on a two-year deal. He is currently rehabbing from a second Tommy John surgery performed in the fall of 2025. He returned from the first procedure and was only able to make two starts, in which he had a 3.52 ERA.
The Yankees are probably aiming for García, who has a 3.60 career ERA and is 29, to return at some point in the 2027 campaign.
NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller Facing left-hander Robbie Ray, Yankees manager Aaron Boone sent the three right-handed hitters and lefty-killers from his bench to the field on Friday: Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario, and Randal Grichuk. Ben Rice, Ryan McMahon, and Trent Grisham were benched.
Boone, however, didn’t commit to this arrangement against all southpaws and clarified that Rice and Grisham, in particular, will be in the lineup sometimes against pitchers of their same hand.
“Not necessarily,” Boone said. “Ben’s gonna play against some lefties. Grish, too. A lot of it has to do with the first three series, first nine games, this is probably the only lefty we’re gonna see, and we certainly want to get those guys in.
“And obviously they bring a lot to the table against left-handed pitching. So I’m excited to see them get their feet wet and get going.”
Los Angeles, CA - March 27:Dodgers Will Smith (16) tags out Diamondbacks Pavin Smith (26) at home plate during third inning action at Dodger Stadium on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Game Summary
The Diamondbacks showed a little more fight compared to their campaign opening loss last night, but still came up short at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium (ugh). Ryne Nelson started the game for the good guys against Emmet Sheehan and very-much-bad-not-good-at-all guys, and it was a bit of a mixed bag for our talented righty. Ryne finished the night with a line very similar to Zac’s from last night, a not incredibly impressive 4 ER over 4.2 IP. Nelson did leave a better taste in our mouth than Zac did thanks to Nelly’s 4 runs all coming in the 3rd before he bounced back and retired the last 7 hitters he faced, compared with Zac mowing the Dodgers down for 4 innings then getting lit up at the end. Nelson has room for improvement, but this was largely a good start for him and I imagine it will be somewhat easier to limit his blow-up innings against teams that don’t stack 8 straight All Stars at the top of the lineup.
The offense showed more punch than the night before as well, but for as many opportunities as they gave themselves with the bat, they took away some key opportunities with mistakes on the base paths. Pavin Smith getting sent from first to home should be something on the Do Not Do list given out to the coaches when pitchers and catchers report in February, but apparently our third base coach was feeling froggy and wasted a prime scoring opportunity in the second by sending Pavin to his doom on Alek Thomas’ first RBI double of the evening. Then, Alek undid his own good when he tried to stretch an RBI double into a triple in the fourth inning. It wasn’t the last out of the inning, and he did actually beat the throw, but having Alek at second with one out and a potential to flip the order over would’ve been a favorable outcome for the Snakes.
The defense was again pretty solid, with the only real miscue being Gabi’s throw into centerfield when trying to throw out a stealing Kyle Tucker, but that didn’t end up hurting the team’s chances. The bullpen was mostly brilliant for the second night in a row, with a single pitcher allowing a run that wound up being the difference on the night. While Loaisiga and Thompson looked solid, almost brilliant, Ginkel and his diminished fastball velocity made one mistake too many and cost his team the game. Giving up a leadoff double to the only Dodger not expected to be an All-Star this year was the death knell as the Dodgers ‘fundamentaled’ the go ahead run in with Shohei’s grounder to second advancing the runner to third and Tucker putting the ball perfectly into the hole between Ketel and Santana to put the Dodgers ahead in the 8th.
Coming into the 8th inning, the Dodgers had scored 4 runs on 2 hits. The D-Backs had quadrupled that hit total, but had still only scored the same 4 runs. The margin for error against this squad is too small for the D-Backs to afford making extra outs on the bases or giving up costly hits to the 9-hole hitter (2-3 with a 2B and HR). Make one mistake and that is all they need.
Loss Probability and Box Score
Outside the Box Score
Geraldo Perdomo greeted home plate umpire Corey Blaser as he walked up to home plate for his first at bat of the ballgame and lingered a little while longer than perhaps is usual with him. Blaser was the umpire who called Perdomo out with that now infamous low Strike 3 call to end the Dominican game against USA in the WBC just a couple weeks ago. Appears all is water under the bridge at this point and Blaser even gave Domo the benefit of a borderline pitch in a 2-strike count later on in the AB, but Will Smith successfully challenged resulting in a strikeout.
Ryne Nelson couldn’t quite match Emmet Sheehan’s 3 strikeouts in the first inning, but he buckled both Shohei and Tucker with beautiful knee-high sliders to ꓘ them starting off the game. Mookie put the first ball in play of the whole game with a soft lineout to Corbin in right.
Alek Thomas delivered a moneyball line drive into the corner in right field with runners at first and second in the second inning. Unfortunately, Pitters immediately went into flashbacks of last season when our third base coach sent Pavin trundling home where he was a dead duck for the third out of the inning. On the bright side, Gabi did score to give the Snakes a 1-run lead, but it’s really annoying to be giving baserunners away yet again in 2026.
Ketel Marte’s homer off Sheehan came on a 3-0 fastball that was absolutely tanked into the right field bleachers. 107.2 mph off the bat and 391 feet.
Gabi got his first ABS reversal of the season (I think?) during Shohei’s second AB of the night when Ryne missed his spot and flew a pitch to the far side of the plate. The pitch was completely inside the strike zone but called a ball because, as it has for generations, when a pitcher wildly misses his spot he loses the benefit of the doubt. This type of situation is exactly what I’m most excited for ABS to correct. The borderline pitches that could go either way don’t usually bother me too much, but the obvious balls/strikes that are missed are what I want to see addressed and glad they can be now.
Nelson had Kyle Tucker struck out in the bottom of the third on a foul tip, but Gabi couldn’t hang on to the tip so Tucker got new life. The next three pitches were all balls and Tucker earned a free pass. That set the table for Mookie’s three run bomb a couple pitches later.
Weird factoid: the first groundball of the entire ball game didn’t come until the last out of the third inning when Will Smith grounded out to Domo. That was the 27th plate appearance of the game!
Pavin Smith earned full count walks in both of his first 2 plays appearances. I’d bet that both of the called Ball 4s could’ve been challenged and overturned to Strike 3. We’ll take it!
After our third base coach, apparently with the last name of House per the fellow Pitters in the GDT, sent Pavin from first to home on a double into the right field corner, there was some banter about Pavin and House combining for more buffoonery when he got a leadoff walk in the fourth. To my horror, Carlos Santana roped a double into the right field corner just like what happened in the second inning. Thankfully for my heart health, House learned his lesson and held Pavin at third to set the table for Alek’s 2-RBI double (thrown out when he overslid the bag trying to stretch it into a triple).
Jonathan Loaisiga made his D-Backs debut in the fifth to face Kyle Tucker with 2 outs and the bases empty. Loaisaga made him look silly finishing him off with 3 nasty changeups to end the inning. I’m really excited for what he could bring to the team.
In Ketel’s at bat in the top of the 6th inning, he was spun around to the right side against Alex Vesia where Ketel is known for his extremely hard swings. In the AB he got a line drive single to left that wasn’t particularly astonishing, but his recorded swing speed was 83.1mph which was the fastest of the game to that point (the second fastest swing for either team was his HR swing earlier in the game, nearly 5.5mph slower at 77.7mph). Interestingly, Corbin Carroll topped that high swing speed in the very next AB with 83.5mph.
Comment of the Game
It wasn’t Opening Night levels, but the GDT was still well populated, finishing at 267 comments at time of publishing. Many went Sedona Red, but first COTG for the season goes to VW Beetle with a game-leading number of Recs with his reaction to Alek’s hit and the base coach assisted TOOTBLAN in the second inning:
Coming Up
The Diamondbacks face the Dodgers for the third and final game of this series tomorrow night at 6:10pm. WBC hero – and the Snakes only LHP – Eduardo Rodriguez will be on the mound trying to stave off a season-opening sweep, while the Fighting Guggenheims counter with Tyler Glasnow. Tune in and join the GDT to give the recapper Dano some company.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 27: Luke Raley #20 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after his two-run home run during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at T-Mobile Park on March 27, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Maddy Grassy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tonight’s game started off on a sour note, with another first-inning bomb from Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter, already his third on the season. It seemed to foreshadow a replay of last night’s loss. But the next batter flipped the vibes, as Cole Young went full extension to corral a hard-hit grounder from Jose Ramírez and get things back on track for Mariners starter George Kirby.
Kirby settled down from there, kicking off a run of retiring 11 of 12 batters with five strikeouts. In some ways, he looked like vintage Kirby, with pinpoint command and touching 98 at times. In other ways, it was an unusual performance for him. He went to his four-seamer almost 50% of the time, about twice as much as last year. The fact that the Guardians’ major threats batted from the left side help explain why Kirby left his sinker on the shelf, and the DeLauter dinger coming on a terrible slider may explain Kirby’s hesitance to return to that pitch. He’s also deliberately trying to use his curveball against opposite-handed hitters more this year.
“[The curveball] is a great weapon, especially against the lefties to start the count or finish it,” he said after the game. “But we were aggressive with heaters, and using the curve just to kind of change their sights a little bit and then go back to the heat. But yeah, the curveball is one pitch I really want to rely on to lefties. Good strike pitch, good strikeout pitch. And the more I throw it, the better it is.”
The plan faltered in the fifth inning, when Kirby gave up rare back-to-back walks to open the inning and, an out later, hit a batter. But for as much as the tension rose in the moment, Kirby says he didn’t feel it: “For me right now the biggest thing is to find a way to get back in control and stay in control. Those runners out there in that situation were the least of my worries. Just go attack the hitter – I think it was Kwan at the time – these guys are on, flush it, get back in control and attack from there. So I feel like I’ve made a big step in that side of my game.”
The result was inducing an easy fly ball to shallow left. A baffling baserunning decision by Rhys Hoskins turned it into the easiest double play of Randy Arozarena’s career—just the way Randy likes it—and the end of the threat.
Kirby came back out for one more three-up-three-down inning to finish the night with six strikeouts, two walks, and just two hits and one run on 90 pitches. After an uneven 2025, this was a very promising first start to 2026 for him.
He also left with the lead thanks to the bottom half of the Mariners lineup. It was another quiet night for the heart of the order, with a meaningless walk from Julio Rodríguez the only time he reached base, Cal Raleigh wearing a golden sombrero, and Josh Naylor also sporting a goose egg for his batting line. But at least Randy Arozarena recovered from last night’s torpor, catalyzing the guys behind him a couple times.
He worked a four-pitch walk in the fourth inning, inspiring Dominic Canzone to do the same. With those two runners on base, Cole Young fouled off two belt-high fastballs in a row. Finding himself in an 0-2 count to a pitcher who’d been struggling with command all game could have overwhelmed Cole Young. He says he “definitely” could not have stayed on top of a 97-mph heater in an 0-2 count last year. But this isn’t last year. Crediting a new routine and his work with machines that simulate a given pitcher’s spin, he feels he’s better able to execute. And that’s just what he did, taking the third pitch into the seats for his first home run of the season to make the score 3-1.
Two innings later, Randy led off with another walk, once again never even feinting that he might swing. But if he was a statue in the box, he was anything but once he reached first base, dancing around like a silent disco with long, fidgety, start-and-stop leads. It seemed to get Guardians reliever Colin Holderman shook, leading to him leaving a very tempting middle-middle cutter to Luke Raley, who drove it out of the deep part of the park. It’s worth noting that Raley pulled that off after attempting a bunt earlier in the at-bat. The delightfulness of that juxtaposition and his earlier 110-mph fly out earns Luke Raley this season’s first Sun Hat Award, an award I give out in my recaps to a player who makes a noteworthy individual contribution to the game.
Kirby’s having pitched that extra sixth inning after seeming to lose it a bit in the fifth meant that the Mariners could use just three relievers tonight, saving arms for the rest of the series. We were treated to the season’s first appearances by Eduard Bazardo, Matt Brash, and Andrés Muñoz, who each allowed a harmless single as they get themselves dialed in and were otherwise the reliable arms you hope for at the back of a bullpen. The biggest highlight of the back three innings was Julio instituting the No Fly Zone in earnest for the first time this season, with a front slide and slick wrist work to wrangle in a ball in the no man’s land behind the infield.
Julio might still be looking for his first hit, but he can’t have one, he’s making damn sure no one else can have one either.
The Dodgers must have wanted to hear the trumpets on Friday night.
Because right as new closer Edwin Díaz began to warm up with the score tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, their previously slumbering lineup finally came back to life.
In a 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers gave what had been a slog of a game a high-octane (and high-priced) finish.
As new closer Edwin Díaz began to warm-up in the bottom of the eighth inning, their previously slumbering lineup finally came to life. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
To break the 4-4 tie, Alex Freeland hit a leadoff double and came around to score on a go-ahead RBI single from Kyle Tucker, his first signature moment since signing a $240 million deal this winter.
That set the stage for the top of the ninth, when Díaz’s iconic, trumpet-filled entrance song “Narco” was performed by live trumpeter Tatiana Tate out in left field.
Díaz took care of the inning, recording his first Dodgers save since inking his own $69 million blockbuster contract this offseason.
And all the offensive frustration that had been building up before then was quickly negated, handing the Dodgers a series win to open their pursuit of a third-straight World Series.
“The two acquisitions this offseason,” manager Dave Roberts said, “came up big tonight.”
Before the late theatrics, the Dodgers (2-0) had struggled to generate much at the plate.
With the score tied 4-4 in the eighth, Alex Freeland hit a leadoff double and came around to score on a go-ahead RBI single from Kyle Tucker. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Their first hit didn’t come until the third inning, when Freeland –– fresh off beating out Hyeseong Kim for the final spot on the roster this spring –– hit a solo home run.
Three batters later, Mookie Betts cranked an opposite-field shot for a three-run homer, turning an early two-run deficit into a two-run lead.
But after that, the Dbacks (0-2) retired 14 Dodgers hitters in a row, preserving what had become a 4-4 tie after Alek Thomas’ two-run double in the fourth.
That left a big task for the Dodgers’ bullpen, which was called into action early after starter Emmet Sheehan pitched only 3 ⅓ innings. Each arm they turned to, however, put a zero on the scoreboard; culminating in the playing of trumpets and a second-straight Dodgers season-opening win.
Their first hit didn’t come until the third inning, when Freeland –– fresh off beating out Hyeseong Kim for the final spot on the roster this spring –– hit a solo home run. AP
What it means
So far, so good for the Dodgers’ two marquee offseason signings.
In addition to his game-winning hit in the eighth, Tucker had two outfield assists on relay plays with Freeland at second. He also followed his eight-inning single with a stolen base, advancing all the way to third on a bad throw.
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Díaz, meanwhile, was able to skirt around trouble in the ninth, stranding a runner at second after a one-out walk and stolen base from Thomas.
He collected two strikeouts in his outing, and ended the game on a groundout from All-Star Ketel Marte.
Alex Freeland didn’t hit much during the spring, winning a platoon job at second base despite a .125 Cactus League batting average. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
Who’s hot
Freeland didn’t hit much during the spring, winning a platoon job at second base despite a .125 Cactus League batting average.
But in his first regular-season start Friday, the 24-year-old rookie validated the team’s faith.
His third-inning home run came after he fell behind in the count 0-2 against Ryne Nelson, only to lay off a couple pitches and launch an inside fastball to the right-field pavilion.
After that, he added his eighth-inning double on a line drive to the right-center field gap, setting up the game-winning rally.
“I wasn’t thinking about any of the outside noise,” said Freeland, whose inclusion on the roster over Kim caused consternation from some corners of the fan base. “I just tried to have a quality at-bat, like I’ve been doing all spring. So nothing really changed.”
Emmet Sheehan was playing catch-up all spring, and in his season debut, it showed. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
Who’s not
Sheehan was playing catch-up all spring, both with his pitching progression (thanks to an illness that put him behind schedule early in camp) and with his fastball velocity (which was a couple ticks below his average of 95.6 mph from last year).
In his season debut Friday, it showed. After striking out the side in the first, Sheehan gave up runs in the second (on a Thomas double) and third (on a Marte 3-0 homer) before allowing two runners to reach in the fourth –– and being removed with his limited pitch count already up to 83.
The right-hander’s fastball velocity remained down, averaging just 94 mph. And while he finished with six strikeouts, he also allowed five hits, two walks and four runs, with the runners he left behind coming around to score against Jack Dreyer.
“I think it’s just my delivery is a little bit off,” Sheehan said. “But we’re working hard on it, so it’s going to get right. I know it will.”
Up next
The Dodgers go for a series sweep on Saturday, when Tyler Glasnow will make his season debut following a promising performance this spring. The Dbacks will counter with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, the veteran pitcher who infamously nixed a trade to the Dodgers at the 2023 deadline.
Following a tradition he started in 2018, Diaz entered the field from the outfield bullpen, then headed to the pitcher’s mound to the sound of trumpets as his walk-out song "Narco" played over the stadium speakers. Diaz struck out two batters to close out the 5-4 win.
For the past three years, he did it at Citi Field as a member of the New York Mets. On March 27, he unveiled the walk-out ritual at Dodger Stadium.
Diaz told reporters in December he was looking forward to the moment after signing a three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers.
“It would be fun,’’ Diaz said at the time. “I think that music will get into the fans right away. That's a nice walk-up song, so I can't wait to, first game of the season, come in the ninth with Timmy Trumpet and get the W for the Dodgers."
The sound of trumpets almost always signals a triumphant moment. Diaz, the 32-year-old from Puerto, has recorded 253 saves in his nine-year MLB career, He also was named the American League Reliever of the year in 2018 and the National Reliever of the Year in 2022 and 2025.
Diaz started using Narco as his walk-out song in 2018. At the time, he was pitching for the Mariners, which provided a few options, according to MLB.com.
Why did he pick the song?
"The trumpets," Díaz told Matt Monagan of MLB.com in 2022. "The trumpets were unique. Something different from what everybody uses. That's why I picked it."
Released in 2017, the hit song is by Blasterjaxx, Dutch DJ and record production duo, and Timmy Trumpet, an Australian DJ/producer.
Upon joining the Mets in 2019, Diaz started using “No Hay Limite’’ as his walk-out song. But he went back to “Narco’’ in 2020 and has remained faithful to the trumpets ever since.
Los Angeles, CA - March 26: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches his RBI double as teammate Shohei Ohtani (not pictured) scores against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh inning of an opening day baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
After the pomp and circumstance that came from the Dodgers’ second consecutive ring night, the Dodgers had a close affair on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, pulling away late to win 5-4.
Emmet Sheehan made his first start of the season, and he made quick work of the first three Arizona hitters by striking out the side in order. The final one of the inning was initially called a ball, but Will Smith issued a challenge and the Dodgers won their first ABS challenge in team history.
Arizona began the top of the second inning by putting their first two hitters on base via a single from Gabriel Moreno and a walk to Pavin Smith. Sheehan managed to strike out Nolan Arenado and get Carlos Santana to fly out, but Alek Thomas got the Diamondbacks in front early with an RBI double that could’ve scored two, but a great relay from Kyle Tucker and Alex Freeland caught Smith at the plate. Arizona padded their lead to two as Ketel Marte launched a line drive home run to right field in the top of the third inning on a 3-0 fastball from Sheehan.
Arizona right-hander Ryne Nelson was one out away from keeping the Dodgers at bay over the first time through the lineup, but Alex Freeland got one of the two runs back with a towering home run to right field— a little thank you to Dave Roberts for adding him to the opening day roster. Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker both walked against Nelson to put the potential tying and go-ahead runners on base, and Mookie Betts, who homered twice on ring night last year, crushed a go-ahead three-run home run to right-center field to give the Dodgers their third four-run inning over their first 11 innings on offense.
Sheehan struggled again in his second time facing the bottom half of Arizona’s lineup, as he allowed his second walk to Smith and a double to Carlos Santana to put the tying run in scoring position. Sheehan was pulled after tossing 83 pitches over just 3 1/3 innings of work, allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six. Jack Dreyer came in relief of Sheehan, and Thomas once again made the Dodgers pay with his second double of the night, this time driving in two and tying the game, but Thomas overran the third base bag going for a triple and was tagged out.
Arizona threatened to retake the lead in the top of the sixth inning, as Ben Casparius allowed two baserunners while recording just two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Dave Roberts went to Tanner Scott for the second day in a row, needing him to put away Thomas with the go-ahead run at second base. The gamble paid off, and Scott struck him out to get the Dodgers out of the jam.
Both Alex Vesia and Edgardo Henríquez tossed a scoreless inning as the bullpen kept the Diamondbacks off the board after the second double from Thomas. The Dodgers couldn’t supply anything offensively after the home run from Betts, going hitless over their next 14 at-bats against Nelson and the Arizona bullpen. Freeland snapped the hitless skid to begin the bottom of the eighth inning with a ringing double to the right-center field gap. Ohtani moved him over to third on a groundout, and Tucker lined a ball into right field past a drawn in infield to put the Dodgers back on top by a run.
This set up the perfect opportunity for Edwin Díaz to make his Dodger debut, and emerged from the left field bullpen to the blaring sounds of “Narco” by Timmy Trumpet for the first time at his new home. Díaz put the tying run on base, but struck out two and tossed a scoreless inning to pick up his first save as a Dodger and help his new squad take the series from Arizona.
The Dodgers last season started the year 8-0. They are a quarter of the way there this time around.
Game particulars
Home runs— Ketel Marte (1); Alex Freeland (1), Mookie Betts (1)
The Dodgers wrap things up against Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday before an off-day on Sunday, with a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians beginning the following day. Tyler Glasnow makes his first start of the season against left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 27: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after hitting a home run on a fly ball to right center field during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 27, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Maddy Grassy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Can’t win them all, I suppose. Although, tonight was a frustrating game in the fashion of the summer 2025 Guardians. Gavin Williams took the mound this evening and really struggled to find the zone. He threw a measly 31% of his pitches in the strike zone, per Statcast. The good news is he generated 15 whiffs! His stuff also looked fantastic across the board, just would’ve been nice if said stuff could’ve been located in that lovely white box that appears on the television. Gavin’s sweeper, especially, looked fantastic tonight. He seems to have tweaked that pitch this offseason, and is now more consistently throwing it east-west.
Some more good news as Chase DeLauter homered AGAIN in his first at-bat tonight, an almost exact replica of his first home run in the opening night game.
Per MLB researcher Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports on X), DeLauter is the third player since (at least) 1900 to record 3 home runs in their first two career regular season games. The most recent player was Trevor Story in 2016.
Anyway, Gavin’s command struggles eventually came back to bite him when he surrendered a 3-run homer to Cole Young (native Clevelander, of course) in the fourth.
Speaking of struggles, the Guardians loaded the bases in the top of the 5th with only 1 out. Hoskins and Naylor walked, and Rocchio was hit by a pitch. Kwan stepped to the plate, weakly flew out to left and, well, if you didn’t watch it live, I’ll let you watch it now.
The Guardians offense was much less fun to watch than it was last night, unfortunately. All good things must come to an end.
DeLauter did have a weird play in the field in the 3rd. Leo Rivas hit a fly ball near the foul line in right, DeLauter seemed to have caught it in his glove, but then dropped it right after. Rivas was awarded a triple.
Newly minted Guardians reliever Colin Holderman came into the game in the 6th and promptly gave up a 2-run homer. Oops!
Another newly minted Guardians reliever Peyton Pallette (Rule 5 pick from the White Sox) made his Guardians debut today, and it went far better than Holderman’s. Pitched 2 innings, struck out 2 (Donovan and Raleigh). Got both strikeouts in his first inning, and did surrender some hard contact in his second, but did not give up a hit. His stuff looked fantastic, per Thomas Nestico (@TJStats on X)
He seems to have spontaneously added almost 5 inches of ride on his fastball in his debut, which resulted in that stellar 114 stuff+ rating.
Anyway, the Guardians look to take the series lead tomorrow night with Cantillo on the mound. It’ll be Bryan Woo for the Mariners.
Harry the K’s, an area in left field at Citizens Bank Park that opened with the stadium in 2004, had been serving as a tribute to longtime announcer Harry Kalas.
But, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday, the team has sold the naming rights of the area to Ghost Energy.
Phillies announcer Harry Kalas throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the game vs. the Braves. Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima
His widow told the outlet that her late husband, who called Phillies games for almost four decades, was “betrayed.”
“Taking down that sign takes away everything he did for the city,” Eileen Kalas told The Inquirer. “I think they betrayed Harry. It’s not about me. It’s about what they’re doing to Harry. I think they betrayed him for everything he did for them.”
A look at the Statue of the late broadcaster Harry Kalas of the Phillies before a game against the Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 17, 2011. Getty Images
According to the Philly outlet, the team declined to comment on the controversy.
Eileen Kalas told The Inquirer that the Phillies paid her $20,000 a year to use Kalas’ likeness.
She will be paid once more this season, since the Phillies missed their deadline to break the contract for 2026, but she will not be paid in 2027.
Phillies fans view the casket of Harry Kalas before their game against the Padres on April 18, 2009 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Getty Images
According to The Inquirer, the Phillies will continue celebrating wins by showing a clip of Harry Kalas singing “High Hopes” on the stadium video board, though Eileen acknowledges that the Phillies will not be able to play the song unless she is paid for 2027.
“They’ll say, ‘Eileen Kalas got rid of it. She’s money hungry,’” she said to The Inquirer. “That’s what they always said. Flip it on me … I don’t mind if they have things. They just have to pay for it. It’s intellectual property. They know that.”
She later added: “They go, ‘Oh, we’re still going to have the statue.’ What are they going to do with the statue? I’ll take it. I’ll send in a truck, pick it up, and get it out if they want that out, too.”
Harry Kalas was the team’s long-time play-by-play announcer from 1971 to 2009 until his death on April 13, 2009, months after the Phillies won the 2008 World Series.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Ty France #4 of the San Diego Padres tosses his bat after striking out to end the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park on March 27, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The highly regarded San Diego Padres bullpen failed to live up to expectations when the Padres faced the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park on Friday. Jeremiah Estrada entered the top of the eighth inning with San Diego clinging to a 2-1 lead. He was unable to protect the one-run margin, instead he allowed three walks and a single, while recording two outs before manager Craig Stammen replaced him on the mound with the game tied, 2-2.
Wandy Peralta needed just one out to keep the game deadlocked with the Padres coming to the plate in the bottom of the inning. However, Peralta allowed a two-out, two-run double to rookie Kevin McGonigle, who was playing in just his second MLB game. Peralta then allowed a single to Dillon Dingler before finally recording the third out of the inning on a pop out by Matt Vierling, but the damage was done and San Diego dropped its second game of the season to Detroit by the score of 5-2.
Michael King started the game for the Padres and allowed just one run on one hit with four walks allowed and six strikeouts. King left the game with a runner on and a 1-0 lead. Adrian Morejon came in for King and allowed just one hit, but that led to a run for the Tigers which tied the game 1-1. Morejon got the final out of the sixth and worked a clean seventh to setup the eighth inning for Estrada.
Michael King strikes out six over five innings in his Opening Week start against the Tigers
The game started with a highlight play in center field by Jackson Merrill in the top of the second inning. Merrill went back to the wall and jumped to make the catch to take a home run away from McGonigle. The play ensured the game remained scoreless. Merrill then doubled to lead off the bottom of the second inning, but back-to-back lineouts from Miguel Andujar and Ramon Laureano, followed by a strikeout from Ty France left him stranded.
San Diego scored the first run of the game off Detroit starter Framber Valdez, who was making his first start with the Tigers. Manny Machado opened the inning with a double down the line and into the left field corner. Merrill then beat out a close play at first base on a ground ball, which allowed Machado to move to third base and put runners on the corners with no outs. Andujar came through with an RBI-single on a sharp ground ball that kicked off McGonigle’s glove at third base and deflected to Javier Baez at shortstop. Baez saw he did not have a play at first base and held onto the ball and the Padres took a 1-0 lead.
San Diego scored its second run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Merrill worked a one-out walk and Andujar flied out for the second out of the inning. An errant throw by Detroit catcher Dingler trying to back-pick Merrill at first base, sailed into right field and Merrill advanced to second base. Laureano followed with a double off the base of the wall in right field that allowed Merrill to score from second base to give the Padres a 2-1 lead.
Mar 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle (7) hits a two-run single during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
The first game of the season was a smashing success: rookies mashing, pitchers dazzling, and a can of whoop-butt was opened right off the hop. Would the Tigers be able to duplicate their early success in San Diego on Friday night too? Well, it took a few innings to come to fruition, but just like we’ve seen in the past couple of years, these Tigers seem to have a taste for late-in-the-game comebacks at their best, with a clutch hit from a rookie being the fatal blow in a 5-2 Tigers win.
Making his regular-season Tigers debut was Framber Valdez, the biggest offseason pickup for Detroit. After eight solid seasons in Houston, the last four of which were very good, he came north to reunite with his former manager and maybe pick up a little more hardware, hopefully? In that four-year stretch he averaged a 3.21 ERA (127 ERA+, 3.29 FIP), 1.159 WHIP, a bit below 192 IP, 8.8 K/9IP and 2.3 BB/9IP. He’s also been great at keeping the ball in the park, averaging a scant 0.7 HR/9IP, even pitching half his games in whatever that park in Houston’s called these days, which has tended to favour the hitters a bit.
Facing Valdez tonight was Michael King, who’s in his third year in the Padres’ rotation after a few years spent mostly in the Yankees’ bullpen. He’s been no slouch lately either; in two seasons in a brown uniform he’s sported a 3.10 ERA (134 ERA+, 3.65 FIP). He’s also averaged just over 10 K/9IP, so let’s just say he’s been a solid acquisition for the Padres.
In the top of the second Kevin McGonigle hit a rocket to centre, but Jackson Merrill climbed the wall and took the rookie’s first major-league home run away.
I mean, that’s a pretty short wall, but you gotta tip your cap to any dinger-robbery. Merrill, of course, came up first in the bottom of the second and bashed a double to right, but a pair of lineouts and Valdez’s first strikeout got him out of the inning. He was giving up some solid contact, which isn’t exactly what you want to see.
The Padres got on the board in the fourth: Machado doubled to left, Merrill pushed him up to third with an infield single, and another infield single by Miguel Andujar scored him. A flyout put runners on second and third with one out, and Valdez was in his first jam of the night. Merrill took off from third on a grounder to Javier Báez and got cut down at the plate, leaving runners at the corners; Jake Cronenworth then struck out on a curveball in the dirt, ending the threat and the inning with limited damage.
In the top of the fifth the Tigers had two runners on with none out via a walk and a hit-batter. But then Parker Meadows struck out, Báez grounded out, and Kerry Carpenter struck out on some nasty changeups from King, and that was that.
Gleyber Torres walked to lead off the sixth, which was the end of King’s night. The very-tough Adam Morejon came on, and pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones grounded into what looked like a sure double-play, except a bobble by Machado put two runners on. But then Riley Greene actually did ground into the ol’ twin-killing, leaving Torres on third with two outs. Would the Tigers squander yet another opportunity? They actually would not, as Spencer Torkelson laced a single to left-centre to score Torres and tie the game.
But then Torkelson was thrown out trying to steal — you gotta be aggressive, I guess — and that ended the inning.
Colt Keith, who came into the game in the bottom of the sixth, made a nifty diving play on the first batter he saw on a screaming, 100-mph liner to third. With two outs and Merrill on first, Dillon Dingler tried to back-pick him after he stumbled, but Dingler airmailed the throw into right field; Merrill advanced to second and scored on a double by Ramón Laureano, the Padres retaking the lead 2-1. Ty France then struck out to end the inning, so yet again Valdez limited the damage after a run had scored with more quite possible.
Enmanuel De Jesus, who had a great WBC with Venezuela, took over for Valdez in the seventh, and gave up yet another Padres infield single. But then De Jesus got a pair of strikeouts and a flyout to right, and hey, that was a pretty nice return to the Major Leagues by EDJ after spending two years in South Korea. I’m going to call him EDJ whenever I can, and I hope it catches on.
Jeremiah Estrada, the second normally-lethal arm out of the Padres’ pen, came on in the eighth and with one out walked Carpenter, Torres and Keith to load the bases; his command was clearly off. That brought up Greene, who softly singled to shortstop — holy moly, how many infield singles can a game have?! — to bring home Carpenter and tie the game. Torkelson struck out, Estrada was dispatched in favour of Wandy Peralta, and McGonigle came to the plate for a lefty-lefty showdown. Peralta kept pouring fastballs inside and then a nasty slider down and away, but McGonigle kept fouling them off, one after another. On the tenth pitch of the at-bat he singled to right, driving in Torres and Keith to put the Tigers up 4-2.
What an epic at-bat by McGonigle in a clutch situation; this is his second game amongst the tall buildings, let’s not forget. Dingler then promptly atoned for his previous miscue by also singling to right, scoring Greene for a 5-2 lead. Vierling popped out to third to end the inning, but it’s worth noting that the Padres’ new manager, Craig Stammen, went to Peralta rather than the always-nasty Mason Miller. Who knows how that inning would’ve turned out if Miller was on the mound? Luckily, second-guessing managers is fun and absolutely free, so have at it, folks.
Kyle Finnegan was called upon for the bottom of the eighth, and Machado walked. But Merrill popped out to second, Andujar and Laureano struck out, and just think what a solid Finnegan could do for this Tigers bullpen. A fan can dream.
Kenley Jansen and his Fabulous Cutters made their Tigers debut tonight, to pitch the ninth and earn the save. What’d he do? Struck out Gavin Sheets, struck out Cronenworth, struck out Old Friend™ Nick Castellanos. I could get used to this.
Follow that pitch sequence: up and down, in and out. Six foul balls. One mistake in the zone, kaboom, game-changing hit. Plus, take a look at that video clip above; his swing is powerful but both controlled and balanced. I’m in luuuuurve, everyone.
Notes and Numbers
Wenceel Pérez, who didn’t make the Tigers out of Spring Training, hit a home run in Toledo tonight. Where was that earlier in March? Sheesh.
Did you see Mike Trout clubbed a monster home run on Thursday night, and crushed a screaming line-drive homer on Friday night? Did you know Mike Trout is still playing? I didn’t, but I’m glad he is. From 2012 through 2016, he averaged 9.4 WAR per season. That’s just absolutely bananas.
On this day in 1845, Wilhelm Röntgen was born in what is now northern Germany (but was part of Prussia back then). You may know him as the discoverer of X-rays in 1895. Quite a handy guy to have around, I’d think.
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 27: Andrés Giménez #0 of the Toronto Blue Jays has a Gatorade bucket thrown on him after hitting a walk off RBI single in the ninth inning by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 during the game between the Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Friday, March 27, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Thomas Skrlj/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
That was fun. The pitching was mostly excellent, and interesting where not. The offence struggled but battled and got just enough done. That’s not how the Jays will hopefully do a lot of their winning this year, but it’s nice to be able to come through in multiple ways.
Kevin Gausman was phenomenal. He began his season by striking out the side, and didn’t allow a base-runner until Shea Langeliers opened the scoring with a one-out home run in the fourth. That would be his only blemish on the night. He got through six in just 83 pitches, but I think John Schneider reasonably concluded that that was enough for his first outing of the year no matter how easy he was making it look. His last pitch of the night was a 96mph fastball, which hopefully augurs well for his form for the rest of the season.
Luis Severino looked pretty strong himself early on. A Vladimir Guerrero jr. walk in the first was the only Jays runner through three. They threatened to tie it in the fourth, with Nathan Lukes working a lead off walk and Vlad recording the Jays’ first hit with a ground ball single, but an Addison Barger double play ball and another ground out prevented them from capitalizing. They finally took the lead in the fifth. Kazuma Okamoto walked and Ernie Clement lined a double to set the table. Tyler Soderstrom badly misplayed a soft Andres Gimenez liner, calling off centre fielder Denzel Clarke and then letting the ball get past him. It was ruled a triple, but really it was a three base mental error that put Toronto in front 2-1.
That score would hold for a while. Severino got out of the inning, and Scott Barlow retired the Jays in order in the bottom of the sixth. Louis Varland allowed a walk and a single to open the seventh, but escaped on a double play and a strikeout. Barlow got two more outs in the bottom half around a line single by Okamoto. Hogan Harris took over and walked Gimenez but then got Springer to ground out. Tyler Rogers and Harris traded scoreless eighths.
Jeff Hoffman had an eventful ninth. He got some help from a smart ball challenge by Alejandro Kirk to strike out Nick Kurtz leading off, but then Langeliers’ second bomb of the night tied it at two. Hoffman rallied to strike out Soderstrom swinging, but the third strike was on a slider that bounced in the batter’s box and got past Kirk. It was ruled a strikeout and wild pitch. He rallied, striking out Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson to end the inning. Hoffman becomes the third Blue Jay to record four strikeouts in an inning, following Mike Bolsinger in 2017 and Steve Delabar in 2012.
Justin Sterner came on to try to preserve the tie, and it looked like he was going to do it after he got ground outs from the first two Jays batters. Luckily, it wasn’t to be. Okamoto started the rally with a ground ball single, his second hit and third time on of the night. Clement chopped one softly up the line into left field for his second double, and Gimenez finished it off with a sharp ground ball single to secure the win.
Jays of the Day: Andres Gimenez (0.58!!), Ernie Clement (0.15), Kevin Gausman (0.21), Tyler Rogers (0.12), and Kazuma Okamoto has to get a nod for reaching base three times in his North American debut.
Send em’ back to Dunedin: Addison Barger (-0.18), George Springer (-0.13), Alejandro Kirk (-0.14), Jeff Hoffman (-0.21).
We’ll be back tomorrow afternoon at 3:07pm ET. Jeffrey Springs will take on new Blue Jay Dylan Cease. See you all there.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 15, 2025: Jonathon Long #17 of the Chicago Cubs bats during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Los Angeles Angels at Sloan Park on March 15, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Welcome to another year of the Minor League Wrap. Although for the first week, we’ll just be the Iowa Cubs wrap as they started the season this evening and the other three affiliates wait until next Friday.
Javier Assad got the Opening Night start for Iowa and maybe he wasn’t as sharp as he has been, but he definitely was effective. Assad did not allow the Clippers a run over the first three innings. Assad allowed three hits and walked three, so there were a lot of baserunners, but striking out five helped keep any of them from scoring.
Charlie Barnes, who pitched the last four years with KBO’s Lotte Giants, threw the next three innings and was impressive. He got the win after giving up just one hit and no runs. He did walk three but he struck out seven.
The Clippers got two runs off of reliever Ryan Rollison in the seventh inning. But Collin Snider threw the final 1.2 innings, did not allow a baserunner and got the save. He struck out two.
The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when first baseman Jonathon Long singled, went to second on a ground out and scored after two wild pitches.
The I-Cubs put this game out of reach with a four-run sixth inning. First up was an RBI single for center fielder Brett Bateman. It was Bateman’s first Triple-A hit.
