David Peteson, who will not be starting tomorrow, sits in the dugout before the Mets’ loss to the Dodgers on April 13, 2026 in Los Angeles. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Peterson, according to a club source, is not injured.
The lefty last pitched on Monday against the Dodgers and allowed four early runs. Peterson owns a 6.41 ERA in four starts.
Mets righty Tobias Myers will start Sunday’s game against the Cubs in place of David Peterson. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Myers stretched out as a starter in spring training and has been used in long relief to begin the season.
Myers, who has pitched to a 3.64 ERA in six relief appearances, was last used on Wednesday when he allowed one earned run over two innings.
Apr 18, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17), right, catcher Kyle Higashioka (11) and pitching coach Jordan Tiegs meet at the mound during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Seattle Mariners scored seven runs.
Faced with having to score runs off of George Kirby at T-Mobile Park, a near impossibility, manager Skip Schumaker brought in the infield on the first two opportunities that Seattle had with a runner 90 feet from home, and both times the Mariners shot one through the drawn in infield to score the game’s first three runs.
Both runners reached third base and eventually scored due in part to some shoddy infield defense with Seattle scoring their first run in the bottom of the first after J.P. Crawford doubled off Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi to lead off the game on a shot down the line that first baseman Jake Burger couldn’t field despite appearing to be within stabbing distance.
In the fourth, with a runner on first, second baseman Ezequiel Duran fielded a ball and tried to double off the runner but instead threw the ball into left field which gave the M’s two runners in scoring position and both would score on a single up the middle on the drawn in infield.
The Rangers couldn’t really afford unmade plays or miscues since they were facing Kirby who had gone just about a quarter of a full season’s worth of innings having allowed just one earned run total against the Rangers at T-Mobile Park.
Texas did have a few more chances than usual against Kirby but they squander those on the regular against mortal arms, much less the one pitcher designed in a lab especially to beat them. Overall, they went 1-for-8 with RISP and left an astonishing 16 on base with the one success coming with two outs in the ninth.
The Rangers somehow turned 11 hits and eight walks into just three runs with two of those coming in the ninth in what was then a 7-1 game.
The loss means the Rangers will need to win tomorrow to claim the series and avoid finishing with a losing road trip.
Player of the Game: Josh Jung continued his hot hitting with a solo home run off of Kirby. Jung also singled and walked as his OPS on the year has spiked to .861.
The Jung dong was just the second run that Kirby had allowed to the Rangers in over 40 innings at T-Mobile Park and the first home run that Kirby had ever allowed to a Ranger in Seattle.
Up Next: The Rangers close out this lengthy road trip with a final contest against the Mariners. LHP MacKenzie Gore will make the start in the finale against RHP Bryan Woo for Seattle.
The Sunday afternoon first pitch from T-Mobile Park is scheduled for 3:10 pm CDT and the telecast will be back on the Rangers Sports Network.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 18: Gabe Speier #55 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on April 18, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mariners 7, Rangers 3
Watching the Mariners win: George Kirby, +0.20 WPA Watching the Mariners lose: Josh Naylor, -0.04 WPA
Apr 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
When I was growing up, the term “broken record” never really made sense to me. If a record was broken, to my young and impressionable mind, how would it actually work in the first place? I knew that the general meaning was that if something sounded like a broken record, you’d hear it over and over and over again, but it remained one of those things that I just didn’t comprehend.
I’m reminded of this as the Phillies post another loss at home, one marred by sloppy play that put their starting pitching in a hole and an offense that continues to spin its wheels. It’s the same things that have been at the forefront of their slow start, the plagues and blights on their season.
It’s a broken record.
A marquee pitching matchup was billed between Cristopher Sanchez and Chris Sale and it largely lived up to it. One might have thought that a first at bat home run robbery by Brandon Marsh would be a portend of things to come, but no sir.
Outside of one pitch, Sale shut down a Phillies offense that tried to load up on right handed hitting to try and counter the southpaw. The lone highlight of the evening was Felix Reyes, in his major league debut, taking Sale deep to the opposite field in his first at bat.
However, more just uncalled for errors by the Phillies gave the lead right back. Sanchez got the first two outs via strikeout before Drake Baldwin singled with two outs. Ozzie Albies grounded a ball to Edmundo Sosa, who bobbled the ball and couldn’t record a third out, a crucial error that came right back to haunt them when Matt Olson walked to load the bases. Austin Riley hit a dribbler that Sanchez couldn’t field and the game was tied. Mauricio Dubon hit a duckfart to center and the lead was two.
From there, the game settled into a pitching clinic. The way the Phillies have “hit”, this one was over.
The cold bats are going to happen. Players go through slumps at the plate all the time, even a bunch of them at once. That is something that can be at least understood. Balls finding the Bermuda Triangles seems to be happening to the Phillies a lot lately, the BABIP gods frowning down on pitcher after pitcher on the team’s staff. It’s the sloppy play by the defense that is just baffling, particularly when it’s by normally good defenders. It’s inexcusable for them to play in this manner and cost themselves extra pitches, extra runs and extra losses.
It’s just another broken record in a season full of them so far.
Tobias Myers | (Photo: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images)
The Mets have announced that Tobias Myers, the 27-year-old who came to the Mets with Freddy Peralta in the team’s trade with the Brewers ahead of this season, will start the team’s series finale against the Cubs on Sunday afternoon. David Peterson had been slated to start the game, and according to Mike Puma, Peterson is not injured.
Peterson has been struggling lately, though. After a good outing in his first start of the season, he has an 8.79 ERA over his past three starts. For what it’s worth, he has a 3.43 FIP and a 5.87 xERA over those three starts, and while those two metrics are pretty far apart, both suggest that Peterson hasn’t been nearly as bad as his ERA would suggest.
As for Myers, he’s thrown 13.0 innings so far this season with all of them coming out of the Mets’ bullpen. He has a 3.46 ERA and a 4.00 FIP in that limited sample. And in his time with the Brewers, Myers made 31 starts and had success in both his relief and starting roles.
The Mets are shaking things up some more ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Cubs in Chicago.
New York announced that Tobias Myers will get the start instead of originally scheduled starter, David Peterson.
Myers has not made a start in his first season with the Mets after being acquired alongside Freddy Peralta in a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Myers has made six appearances this season, allowing five runs in 13.0 IP. He last took the mound on Wednesday in Los Angeles when he pitched two innings and allowed one run on three hits and struck out in the team's loss to the Dodgers.
The plan and hope on Sunday is for Myers to "make it through the batting order one time," per The Athletic's Will Sammon.
As for Peterson, Sammon notes that he is available out of the bullpen for Sunday. The Mets did not announce an injury-related reason for the move and could be a strategy to not only help the young southpaw but also to try and end the team's current 10-game losing streak. In this scenario, Myers could start as an opener and Peterson follows.
The Mets are searching for answers when it comes to Peterson. This season, the All-Star starter has struggled mightily. In four starts, his ERA sits at 6.41 (14 ER in 19.2 IP), including three straight starts of four runs allowed or more. Peterson's last start (April 13 vs. Dodgers) saw him allow four runs on five hits and four walks across five innings pitched.
Myers does have starting experience. He made six starts for the Brewers last season, but only pitched five innings once. In 2024, Myers made 25 starts, going 9-6 with a 3.00 ERA.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 21, 2026: Cole Mathis #11 of the Chicago Cubs bats during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the San Diego Padres at Sloan Park on March 21, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Outfielder Dylan Carlson has re-signed with the Cubs and was assigned to Triple-A Iowa.
Jordan Wicks made a rehab start for Iowa today and got some good results. Wicks went three scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. Wicks struck out two and walked one. He threw 37 pitches and 24 were for strikes. That’s a very good first step back.
Ty Blach threw the next 3.2 innings and got the win in his Iowa debut after allowing two runs on four hits. He walked four more and struck out two.
Collin Snider had a rough outing, giving up a three-run home run in the eighth. Snider’s final line was three runs on one hit and no walks over one inning. How? Snider hit three batters and struck out none.
Gabe Klobosits pitched the ninth and got an ugly save, but it was a save. Klobosits gave up a one-out home run to Travis Bazzana and then put two more on with a walk and a single. But two hard hit line drives were caught by left fielder Carlson and third baseman Pedro Ramirez to end the game.
Shortstop Ben Cowles hit a two-run home run in the second inning, his second in three games. Cowles was 1 for 4.
Catcher Christian Bethancourt connected on a solo home run in the fourth inning and then hit a two-run double in the eighth. Bethancourt went 3 for 4 with the double and the home run.
Second baseman James Triantos was 2 for 5 with and RBI double in the seventh inning. He also stole a base.
Cowles’ two-run shot.
Benny Barrels! Ben Cowles' two-run blast makes it 2-0 I-Cubs in the second inning! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Q3tXirlFp8
Starter Jake Knapp took the loss after getting knocked around for six runs on just four hits over 3.1 innings. Two of those four hits were home runs. Knapp walked three, hit one batter and struck out three.
Right fielder Andy Garriola hit a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning and an RBI single in the seventh. Garriola went 2 for 4 with the three runs batted in.
Left fielder Jordan Nwogu was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.
Catcher Ariel Armas was 2 for 4.
First baseman Edgar Alvarez was 1 for 1 with three walks and a run scored.
Koen Moreno gave South Bend four strong innings to start the game. Moreno surrendered just one run and just one hit. He did walk three while striking out five.
Grayson Moore kept Beloit from scoring for 2.2 innings and was awarded the win. Moore allowed two hits and walked one. He did not strike anyone out.
Catcher Owen Ayers hit his sixth home run of the year already when he connected with the bases empty in the eighth inning. Ayers went 2 for 4 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Ayers had three total RBI and scored twice. He also stole a base.
Center fielder Kane Kepley was 2 for 3 with two walks and was also hit by a pitch. Kepley stole three bases, giving him ten already. Kepley drove in two with a single in the second inning. He scored once.
Right fielder Kade Snell went 2 for 5 with a walk and a steal. Snell scored once and had three RBI.
First baseman Cameron Sisneros hit a two-run double in the second inning to open the scoring. Sisneros went 3 for 5 with three total RBI. He also scored twice.
Third baseman Matt Halbach was 2 for 6 with a double and two runs scored.
Left fielder Leonel Espinoza went 0 for 0 with four walks and a steal. Unfortunately, he appeared to injure himself on the steal of second base and left the game for a pinch-runner. Espinoza scored one run.
DH Angel Cepeda also left this game with an apparent injury.
Three Pelicans pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout. Victor Zarraga tossed the first four innings and allowed just three hits. He struck out one, walked one and hit one batter.
Ben Johnson threw the middle three innings and was awarded the win because Zarraga didn’t go five innings. Johnson gave up just one hit. He walked two and struck out three.
Jackson Brockett pitched the final two innings in a non-save situation, giving up just one hit. He struck out one and walked no one.
The Birds took an early lead when right fielder Josiah Hartshorn hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. It was the second of his pro career. Hartshorn was 3 for 4 with a double and the home run. He scored twice.
In the fourth inning, third baseman Derniche Valdez cranked a solo home run, which was also his second of the season and second in two games. Valdez went 2 for 4.
Finally, first baseman Cole Mathis refuses to cool off. In the fifth inning, he hit his seventh home run of the year and fourth this week. It came with a man on. Mathis went 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
Catcher Logan Poteet drove in the other Birds run with an RBI single in the fouth inning. Poteet went 1 for 2 with two walks.
— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) April 19, 2026
Finally, some really easy power out of Mathis. Not only do his seven home runs lead the Carolina League, second place only has four. It also leads all of Low-A.
Apr 18, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante (53) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images
There was a lot to like Saturday night as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros again thanks to a strong effort from Andre Pallante and three home runs. There were also some things not to like about the Cardinals bullpen, but more on that later.
The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead in the 1st inning when JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera were hit by pitches. Nolan Gorman came through with a clutch 2-strike double down the right field line to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead.
Andre Pallante provided the Cardinals a very solid 5 inning effort giving up only 3 hits and 1 run, but that 1 run went a long way thanks to Alvarez in the bottom of the 1st inning cutting the Cardinals lead to 2-1.
The St. Louis Cardinals offense continues to be relentless as Masyn Winn turned on an inside pitch in the top of the 3rd inning slamming a 2-run homer into the Crawford Boxes making it 4-1 St. Louis.
In the 6th inning, José Fermín joined the Cardinals home run parade as he also sailed a ball into the Crawford Boxes in left field extending the St. Louis lead to 5-1.
Alec Burleson decided that the fans in right field deserved a souvenir as he launched a shot into the upper deck making it 6-1 St. Louis. Alec would almost homer twice as he banged a ball high off the left field wall for a double in the 9th.
The charitable Astros decided to gift the Cardinals a run in the top of the 8th inning when Gordon threw a wild pitch which scored Nathan Church who had reached on an 8th inning bunt making it 7-1 Cardinals. If it’s any consolation to Houston, it’s that Church would have scored anyway after JJ Wetherholt reached on an infield single down the 3rd base line on a ball that went off the end of his bat.
The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen had a solid start to their night as Gordon Graceffo held the Astros scoreless in the 6th and 7th innings. However, Matt Svanson entered the game in the 8th and promptly walked Altuve, Alvarez and Correa to load the bases with no outs for Christian Walker. Fortunately, Walker kindly hit into a double play which scored Altuve which made the score 7-2 Cardinals. Svanson did escape the inning only allowing 1 run which was borderline miraculous considering how wild he was. George Soriano came in to pitch the bottom of the 9th inning. He did a brief Matt Svanson impersonation by walking two batters and then giving up a 3-run blast to Whitcomb. That meant Riley O’Brien did not get the night off and came in to close out the Astros which he fortunately did.
The Cardinals will go for the sweep Sunday afternoon when Matthew Liberatore (0-1 with a 4.29 ERA) starts for St. Louis and Mike Burrows (1-3 with a 6.54 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros. First pitch at 1:10pm.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 18: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park on April 18, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Heather Barry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a battle of the lefty aces in Philly on Saturday, as Chris Sale led the Braves against Cristopher Sanchez and the Phillies, with Atlanta seeking to secure a series win.
Ronald Acuna led off the game with a 107 MPH, 404 foot fly ball that landed for an out due to a Brandon MArsh robbery and perhaps the 2026 ball design instead of a home run or an extra-base-hit that it very easily could have been. Notably, in the second, Austin Riley hit a ball at over 111 MPH that landed for a single, but wasn’t able to come around to score.
The scoring got kicked off in the bottom of the second, as Phillies’ rookie Felix Reyes hit a 348 foot home run off of Chris Sale. Fortunately, Atlanta’s offense got a spark with a two out single from Drake Baldwin with some help in the form of an error that they converted into three runs with a walk and two soft singles. There was a lot of fortune involved in this sequence for Atlanta. Sale worked around a Schwarber single to consolidate the lead in the home third, striking out Harper along the way. Ronald hit a 109 MPH single in the fourth, as he continues to hit the ball very hard, but the Braves were unable to bring him around. Ozzie managed a bloop single in the fifth after a clean inning from Sale, but the Braves were again unable to bring him around.
Sale attempted and nearly converted an incredible jump throw on a swinging bunt to lead off the fifth, but the runner was erased on a double-play from Marsh regardless on the way to another scoreless frame. Jonah Heim of all people created a threat with a one out double in the sixth out of the eight hole. Neither Mateo nor Acuna were able to get the hit to bring him home. Jose Alvarado replaced Sanchez in the seventh and Matt Olson managed a lefty-on-lefty double with two outs to give Austin Riley an opportunity to tack a run on. Alvarado struck out Austin to hold the lead to two runs. Sale finished his outing in the seventh, ending up with 7.0 innings of 1 run ball, 1 walk, and 7 strikeouts. Sale also passed Tom Glavine on the career strikeouts list in this outing, which is pretty cool.
The Braves put together another chance for some insurance runs in the eighth, as Jonah Heim poked an opposite-field single through and Michael Harris drew a walk (!!!) with two outs ahead of Acuna. Ronald drew a walk to load the bases, despite Philly challenging a pitch that was at least 3 inches above the zone to bring up Drake Baldwin. Baldwin grounded out, squandering another threat, as Atlanta turned to Dylan Lee to preserve the 2 run lead with 6 outs left in the game. Lee worked a 1-2-3 inning with an assist from a slick diving play by Ozzie. Suarez got the ninth instead of Iglesias in a save situation and was absolutely dominant in a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts.
That’s another series win through seven series now this season and the Braves are 14-7 with a 5.0 game division lead. Join us tomorrow as Grant Holmes leads the attempt of a sweep in Philadelphia against Andrew Painter.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 18: Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) hits a 3-run home run during the fifth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians on April 18, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This was a short and unremarkable game. If you’re are a Guardians fan . . . well, what are you doing reading this blog? OK. If you’re a Guardians fan, there was much to celebrate in Gavin Williams’ seven-inning, three-hit, one-run, eleven-strikeout performance. The current MLB strikeout leader continued a fabulous streak where he’s allowed two ER in 24.2 innings, and now has a 2.12 ERA in 29.2 innings.
But without taking away anything from Williams, for the Orioles, the real story seems to be the bats, which remain missing in action after tonight’s 4-2 loss, a game where they managed just four hits total. The good news: Gunnar Henderson = still a stud. He finished 2-for-4 with a homer. Leody Taveras also went deep. He’s looked like a good signing thus far, doing it with the bat and the glove. Taylor Ward hit a double.
But that’s it, folks. Pete Alonso finished 0-for-4 with four K’s. Golden Sombrero territory is not where we want to be with the offseason’s biggest signing. Dylan Beavers, 0-for-4 with three punchouts. Colton Cowser, another Golden Sombrero. And these are the No. 3-5 hitters in the lineup. How is the team exactly to produce runs while going a combined 0-for-12 with 11 K’s from this chunk of the lineup?
Cleveland’s rotation may be on a red-hot streak, but there have been too many of these performances.
The Orioles made some noise early, but as usual of late, no runs. Taylor Ward doubled in the first, but Dylan Beavers swung through a fastball and couldn’t push him home. Gunnar singled and made it to third on a throwing error in the third inning, but two K’s in a row left him stranded. Cleveland’s Williams fed Pete Alonso and Dylan Beavers a bunch of breaking stuff that they swung through. It was frustrating.
In the top of the fourth, Leody Taveras opened the scoring by walloping a curveball into the right field seats. This is the way the few teams that have scored runs off Gavin Williams have done it—by long ball. It was a good idea, but to make a 1-0 lead stick, you need ace pitching on the other side. Instead, the O’s had Dean Kremer.
Maybe that’s too harsh. I continue to be happy to see Dean Kremer in the rotation. He threw six innings today and struck out seven. He allowed only two hits in that stretch. Regrettably, one of those was a home run with two on, courtesy of Brayan Rocchio. Dean Kremer has, in the past, had the tendency to go “boom” in the fifth inning. Today, he was nearly perfect through four, and then allowed three runs in the fifth. He walked Rhys Hopkins, hung a splitter that Daniel Schneeman roped into right, and then Bryan Rocchio made it 3-1 with that one swing, powering a fastball into the right field bleachers.
I’ll still take it, under the circumstances. He has a 6.12 career ERA in April. Considering, three runs on two hits and two walks in six innings from your No. 5 is fine, frankly.
No, I think we can safely say that the offense is the real problem here. They struck out 16 times and had just four hits, half of which belonged to Gunnar Henderson, who made it a manageable 3-2 game with an eighth-inning solo shot off Hunter Gattis, pitching for the third straight day and not maybe at his freshest. Down just one run, the O’s could smell another comeback.
But no comeback was forthcoming today. Bo Naylor took Albert Suárez deep off a low-and-inside changeup, and this was a 4-2 game. Then Cleveland’s Cade Smith struck out the side swinging in the ninth.
Maybe the bats will heat up as the weather does. But for now, the Birds are not doing it at the dish, and there are lots of questions to be asked and answered. Game Four of the series, a Trevor Rogers start versus Joey Cantillo, is at 1:40 ET tomorrow.
In one of many pivotal points of Saturday’s game, Lawrence Butler was nosed out of a triple by Miguel Vargas in the eighth inning. | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images
When the White Sox took a 5-0 lead in the second inning, the game had the makings of another laugher. Instead, 10 walks by Sox pitchers and eight to go with four hit batters by the A’s staff turned a runaway win into a groaner, with the Sox losing, 7-6, in extras..
The big Sox lead came on two bloops and two blasts. It started with a solo 106.5 mph, 397-foot blast by Colson Montgomery followed by lucky pop-ups (a double by Everson Pereira and RBI single by Reese McGuire) and a three-run shot by Andrew Benintendi. At that point, it sure looked like A’s starter Luis Severino, who came into the game with a 5.55 ERA, was done for.
Instead, Severino would last into the sixth, walking four but only giving up one single after the second. Meanwhile, Erick Fedde lost his sense of direction, himself walking four and surrendering solo runs in the second, third and fifth. Sean Newcomb managed not to walk anyone but gave up a triple to Max Muncy and a sac fly in the sixth, to close the Chicago lead to 5-4.
In the top of the seventh, though, Munetaka Murakami showed how amazingly strong he is by just sort of wrist-flicking the ball 415 feet over the center field wall. The blast gave the White Sox a 6-4 lead and made Murakami the fastest Japanese player to seven homers in history.
The lead lasted all of four pitches from Jordan Leasure, who reverted to his old ways and served up a single and 115.3 mph Nick Kurtz shot. Make it 6-6.
Now, with all the walks and hit batters and actual hits, the White Sox ended up leaving 14 on base and going 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Not to be outdone in causing fan angst, the A’s left 15 on and were 2-for-14 with RISP.
The A’s should have produced the winning run in the eighth when speedy Lawrence Butler led off by lacing a line shot down the right field line, but decided he was speedier than he actually is and created the no-no of trying for third with no outs.
The beautiful relay from Pereira to Chase Meidroth to Miguel Vargas saved the day for the moment, taking advantage of Butler trying to see if he could slide clear into the coach’s box.
There was actually really good defense by both teams, including a running grab at the wall in the gap by Sam Antonacci — but at the plate, he grounded out to end the ninth after the A’s walked the bases loaded. The A’s in turn got two walks from Seranthony Domínguez in the bottom half, but naturally stranded the runners.
To extra innings we go.
The Sox stranded the Manfred Man in the top of the 10th, and after Jordan Hicks failed to field a bunt and ended up putting men on first and third and none out. With the game on the line Will Venable played five infielders, which turned out to be a good idea, thanks to Tanner Murray.
In the 11th, the Sox went for really serious failure, loading the bases with no outs, only to have Montgomery and Pereira strike out and Antonacci pop-up. The A’s made death quick, going sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly for a 7-6 win, wrapping up the game in just 3:34.
One note of worth — cheap homers are legion in Sacramento, but all five in this game were shots, good enough to go out in at least 29 of 30 parks.
Even when things seem rough, the San Francisco Giants stay close as a group. Look no further than the light-hearted moment between Drew Gilbert and skipper Tony Vitello.
Los Gigantes haven't had the start to their 2026 season that they hoped, but there could be signs that things could pick up.
Through 21 games, the Giants have posted a 9-12 record following their 7-6 win against the Washington Nationals after 12 innings on April 18. Matt Chapman hit an RBI single in the 12th inning to lift San Francisco to its third straight victory.
The vibes were high, especially for a team that needed a momentum booster. Outside of Chapman's game-winning RBI, there was no moment better during the game than the moment shared between Giants skipper Vitello and outfielder Gilbert.
Gilbert returned to the lineup after being recalled. He suffered a shoulder injury during spring training that kept him from being listed on the Giants' opening day roster.
During Saturday's game, Vitello and Gilbert were seen on camera playfully shadow-boxing in the dugout.
Nothing to see here, just Drew Gilbert and Tony Vitello sparring in the dugout 🤣 pic.twitter.com/qDg79fC12J
As for who won the shadow match, Gilbert was all smiles, but judging the open looks he had, he'd probably have the higher scorecard if we're keeping count.
Drew Gilbert returns
The two share a history as Gilbert played for Vitello at the University of Tennessee in 2022. Gilbert made his MLB debut for the Giants on August 8, 2025. Vitello is in his first year as a MLB manager. He joined the Giants in October 2025, becoming the first skipper with no previous professional experience. Vitello became the first college baseball coach to jump straight to the pros.
The Giants have one last matchup with the Nationals in their three-game series. Giants look to sweep Washington before going back home to the Bay to host another rendition of their storied rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 21 to 23.
Anaheim, CA - April 17: Second baseman Jake Cronenworth #9 of the San Diego Padres throws out Yoan Moncada (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Angels at first base in the eighth inning of a baseball game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Friday, April 17, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
San Diego Padres (13-7) at Los Angeles Angels (11-10), April 18, 2026, 6:38 p.m. PST
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 18: Starting pitcher Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers throws in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 18, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the unfortunate side effects that we experience in this current era of prestige TV is that it’s all too easy to forget about a great show after it ends. I’m not talking about the Mad Men and Sopranos types of prestige TV shows, the ones that stick around long enough that they firmly embed themselves in the zeitgeist. I’m talking about the smaller, auteur driven shows that flash across our TV screens for just a short season or two before burning out in a way that would make Neil Young proud. I’m talking about shows like Fleabag,I May Destroy You, and Station Eleven. For a few months they dominate the culture, lapping everything else with their originality and voice. We talk about them at bars and in Slack channels, we read recaps and listen to podcasts with their creators. And then they go away. And a few years later we struggle to remember them at all.
Donald Glover’s Atlanta was one of those shows. I adored it, and I will probably rewatch it someday. But despite how wonderful I found it as it aired, it’s not something I think about with any regularity. I can now barely remember certain plot points or even the names of prominent characters. But, for some reason, one particular and not very eventful scene has stuck in my head. It comes at the end of an early season two episode, when Donald Glover’s Earn has planned a night out at the club only for everything to go wrong. He hasn’t had any fun, he’s barely had anything to drink, and he’s failed to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend as he hoped. And then, just as the night is coming to an end, the universe gives him a chance at redemption: Michal Vick is racing any and all challengers in the parking lot.
… and then the chance at redemption passes him by. Of course it does. It’s Michael Vick.
Tarik Skubal against the 2026 Red Sox is the MLB equivalent of Michael Vick racing drunk strangers in a parking lot. You think you have some momentum coming off a walk-off win? You think putting Andruw Monasterio in the two-hole will shake things up? You think Brayan Bello can put up some zeros a few days after his best start of the year to give the lineup a chance to win the game?
It’s Tarik Skubal.
There are some big league lineups that will give Skubal trouble this year. But the lineup of the 2026 Red Sox — with its glaring dearth of power, balance, and veteran nous — is not one of them. The Sox lost this game as soon as the Tigers’ bus pulled onto Jersey Street. It’s Tarik Skubal.
One Lonely Stud
Jovani Moran: 3 IP, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 H, 3 K
I was going to go with the bullpen as a collective for this. But that would’ve been unfair to Moran, who single-handedly kept his team in the game. Moran hasn’t impressed much in his career so far, but that career has also been marked by injury and bad luck. He could turn himself into an unheralded weapon at the back of the Sox’ roster this year.
Three Duds
Trevor Story: 0-4, 3 K
I’m tempted to warn people that this could be the year that Trevir Story falls of a cliff. But let’s face it: Story’s relationship to cliffs has been Homer Simpson-esque ever since he showed up in Boston.
Brayan Bello: 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
Bello wasn’t terrible today. But he also wasn’t good. And he’s going to need to figure out how to be good soon, because right now he’s the weak link in the Sox’ rotation and Payton Tolle is punching the route from Worcester to Boston into Google Maps.
Barometric pressure or cold fronts or whatever
I’m tired of watching cold, raw baseball games and I’m calling on OTM weather guru Matt Gross to fix this.
With Freddy Peralta on the mound, the Mets felt pretty good that their long losing streak could come to an end on Saturday afternoon.
And it was looking good at first. Peralta was matching Cubs starter Jameson Taillon pitch for pitch and held Chicago to just one run over the first five innings. However, the game changed in the sixth.
Peralta got the first two batters out before Ian Happ came to the plate. The outfielder had taken Perala deep earlier in the game, so the right-hander was sure to be a bit more careful, but Happ walked on seven pitches. Seiya Suzuki was next, and Peralta got ahead in the count 2-2. However, Suzuki didn't bite on back-to-back sliders low and out of the zone and he walked.
That spelled the end of Peralta's start.
"I thought I was still competing there," Peralta said of the sixth inning. "Was a very good at-bat from both of them. But I think that I pitched good against Suzuki too. He took a very good at-bat."
Manager Carlos Mendoza brought in Brooks Raley and Cubs skipper Craig Counsell called Carson Kelly to pinch-hit in the spot. Kelly would ambush Raley's first-pitch cutter and deposit a three-run shot into the Wrigley Field crowd. That home run would prove to be the difference in the 4-2 win for the Cubs.
"Tried to move the ball around. Two-out walk to Happ. The Suzuki one, was the one that hurt him," Mendoza said of Peralta's outing. "Ended up costing the game there. He was pretty good, only two walks, and unfortunately, it was the two towards the end there. Overall, I thought he was pretty good, but, again, two outs, two walks ended up costing us."
"They had a big swing, made a good move putting Kelly in there," Marcus Semien said. "I played with that guy, he can do that. And he did it to us today."
The home run made Peralta the pitcher on record on the losing end. He allowed three runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out three batters across his 5.2 innings pitched. It's the third time in his first five starts this season that Peralta has allowed at least three runs.
Peralta was acquired this offseason to be the ace of the staff, and the stopper of streaks like this. Unfortunately for Peralta and the Mets, his two walks led to their downfall and their 10th straight loss, the franchise's longest losing streak in over 20 years.
The right-hander was asked if he felt extra pressure on Saturday to try and stop the streak, and Peralta disagreed with the notion.
"No, no pressure. I have a commitment to myself and everyone else. Just trying to give my best as always," Peralta said. "I thought I was competing until the last pitch. Sometimes you can’t control some of the stuff that happens in a game."
"We just have to keep preparing. I don’t know how difficult it is [to keep a positive mindset], but we’re professionals," Peralta said. "We have to stay together and win some games."
