Apr 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Degrom (48) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Los Angeles Dodgers scored two runs.
In a game where it felt like the Rangers should have won by double-digits, they decided it would be more fun to keep you engaged all afternoon as they avoided a sweep at the hands of the defending champion Dodgers by a margin kept almost inexplicably close until late.
After today’s starter Jacob deGrom gave up his customary solo home run to Shohei Ohtani to give the Dodgers an early lead, the Rangers kept getting runners on base against LA’s wild young starter Roki Sasaki and then kept figuring out the perfect way to do anything but bring them in.
Overall, Texas turned seven hits, eight walks, and an LA error through the first seven innings into just three runs. The dam finally broke in the 8th, however, with two more walks, two more hits, and a wild pitch as Texas added a couple of insurance runs.
Those insurance runs came after deGrom had exited and Jacob Latz allowed his first non-Muncy run of the season as the game teetered on the brink of “how do you lose this one?” as the Dodgers were a potential swing away from taking the lead. Luckily Cole Winn came in and cleaned up and then a third Ja(c)kob on the day got the save with Jakob Junis tossing a scoreless 9th.
Despite not exactly making the most of their opportunities (10 hits, 10 walks, 2-14 with RISP, 12 LOB), the five runs proved to be plenty with deGrom tossing a gem and the bullpen making use of the 8th inning cushion to help Texas escape LA with a sweep avoided.
Player of the Game: Batters of note include Josh Jung who had two hits and two walks, Danny Jansen who walked three times (and used five ABS challenges behind the plate, four of them successful!), Josh Smith who had two hits and the go-ahead RBI, and Evan Carter who homered and reached two other times via base on balls.
But with the current road trip long and without respite, and with the bullpen soaking up a lot of innings in the season’s first few weeks, the Rangers really needed deGrom to be at his most deGromy for as long as possible. deGrom answered with six innings of one-run ball against baseball’s modern juggernaut.
Following Ohtani’s 1st inning homer, deGrom allowed just three more hits. The Rangers’ elder ace did walk three (including an intentional walk to Ohtani) but he also struck out nine as he picked up his first win of the year.
Up Next: The Rangers are forced to trudge to West Sacramento for a series against the formerly Oakland Athletics in their first look at their AL West rivals in 2026. RHP Nathan Eovaldi will make the start for Texas in the opener against RHP Luis Severino for the Northern Californians.
The Monday night first pitch from Sutter Health Park is set for 8:40 pm CT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 12: Ezequiel Tovar #14 of the Colorado Rockies is hit by a pitch during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on April 12, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s hard to describe this game as anything other than… deflating. While the Rockies entered the day on the verge of being swept, they had also kept the Padres on their toes for three games coming off of a sweep of the Houston Astros at home.
Today is where nothing really went right for the Rockies. I would argue one of only a few occasions that’s happened so far this season. It was certainly one of the harder-to-watch games of the young campaign as the Rockies were swept by the San Diego Padres for the first time in a four-game series since June, 1999.
Johnny Wholestaff
Both the Rockies and the Padres had to turn to their bullpens early this afternoon. Kyle Freeland was warming up in the bullpen for his start today but left with training staff before taking the mound. Freeland was later stated to be dealing with left shoulder soreness.
Right-handed reliever Jimmy Herget was forced into short-notice opening duty and struggled somewhat. He hit leadoff batter Ramón Laureano and gave up a single to Fernando Tatís Jr. Back-back-sacrifices then pushed a run home.
Chase Dollander—after throwing 81 pitches on Thursday—took over for Herget in a single inning of relief. He yielded a leadoff double in the second inning to Ty France, who was driven in by another pair of sacrifices by Padres hitters.
It was Valente Bellozo who was then called in to eat as many innings as he could in the series finale. Bellozo had pitched just once since his heroic efforts in the Rockies’ home opener: being on the receiving end of a walk-off home run earlier in this series. The former Miami Marlin made it through 4.1 difficult innings that put the game out of reach for the Rockies. He gave up eight earned runs on four walks and five hits—three of which were home runs—and recorded just a single strikeout. Bellozo was pulled after 90 pitches and left the bases loaded for lefty Brennan Bernardino, who induced an inning-ending 5-3 double play.
The Padres also leaned heavily on their bullpen after starting pitcher Nick Pivetta left the game in the fourth inning due to elbow tightness.
The offense left San Diego early
The Rockies turned in what was one of their worst performances of the season so far as they were held to just two hit against the combined efforts of the Padres pitching staff with only five baserunners. The Rockies struck out 12 times with two walks and a hit batter.
Miraculously, they were not shut out. The Rockies have actually yet to be shut out this season when at this point last season they were in the middle of being shut out for three straight games by these same Padres.
In the top of the fifth inning, Padres reliever Kyle Hart plunked Ezequiel Tovar square in the back and walked Brenton Doyle to give the Rockies their first baserunners of the game. Backup catcher Brett Sullivan then laced a line drive double to right field to score both runners.
The Rockies wouldn’t have another hit until the top of the ninth inning, when Hunter Goodman wedged a single by third baseman Manny Machado with two outs.
Coming Up Next
Thankfully, the Rockies have a much-needed day off tomorrow before heading to Texas on Tuesday for a rematch against the Houston Astros. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher at this time, but first pitch is scheduled for 6:10 PM MDT.
Apr 12, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) runs the bases and later scores a run against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Mariners 6, Astros 1
Tiffany’s! Cole Young, +0.10 WPA Cartier! Luke Raley, +0.10 WPA Black Starr Frost Gorham! Randy Arozarena, +0.12 WPA Talke to me Harry Winston, tell me all about it! Logan Gilbert, +0.21 WPA
The Braves, winners of their first two rubber matches of the regular season, will look to make it three in a row and stand alone as the last major league team to not lose a series this season when they host the Cleveland Guardians for Sunday Night Baseball.
We could be in for quite a pitching duel with Atlanta throwing Chris Sale against Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee in a battle of top-of-the-rotation starters. But these offenses are also quite capable of putting up crooked numbers.
First pitch is at 7:20 p.m. ET. You can watch either on cable (NBC) or streaming (Peacock).
During those five games, they’ve scored a total of nine runs, six of which came in Saturday’s loss. They’ve been shut out twice in the last three days and were outscored 33-12 during their six-game homestand.
Now, New York heads to Los Angeles for a three-game series against the NL West-leading Dodgers who entered Sunday winners of seven out of their last eight games.
Despite the state of the team right now, the Mets are staying the course and believe greener pastures are on the horizon.
“You just gotta stay consistent, you gotta stay positive with the guys,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “There’s a lot of good hitters there and it’s just a bad stretch. You gotta continue to trust the players there – they’re really good – and continue to work with them.”
Unfortunately, those hitters couldn’t come through on Sunday for Freddy Peralta who threw a gem without having his best stuff.
The Mets’ ace went six innings and allowed a run on four hits while walking three and striking out six. He threw one bad pitch, an 0-2 curveball to Nick Kurtz who launched it into right field for a solo homer in the third inning which was the difference in the game.
After that, the right-hander allowed just one more hit and retired eight of the last nine batters he faced.
“For some reason they weren’t swinging at the low changeups,” Peralta said about his outing. “But we made adjustments and we got better as the game was moving on and that’s what I’m happy with because we were able to make adjustments.”
As for the Mets hitters, they were unable to figure out Athletics starter Aaron Civale, who retired 13 in a row at one point, or the rest of the bullpen and scratched together four hits, half of them by Francisco Lindor.
“Today some balls were hit hard and we had a little bit of bad luck,” said Bo Bichette. “But overall I mean this team is really talented so we’re gonna score runs, but just overall everybody needs to have better at-bats and compete better. But we’ll be alright.”
The absence of Juan Soto in the lineup has exacerbated New York’s struggling offense. It was able to tread water for the first few games without him, but has been unable to pick up the slack since.
Still, one player, no matter how important, cannot be the team’s saving grace all year. At some point, other players need to step up as well.
“Nobody will deny the absence of Soto in the lineup, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have the capacity to score runs,” Mendoza said. “It’s a tough stretch for the hitters but we continue to have confidence in the players that are active and their abilities to get out of a slump.
“Obviously it won’t be easy to replace Juan, but at the same time we have the resources necessary to get hits and score runs and we will do it.”
One player who has been great all year for the Mets is Luis Robert Jr. who got the day off on Sunday after playing in five straight games. New York continues to be cautious with Robert whose season ended last year with a hamstring injury and who has had a history of injuries in his career.
Asked why Robert, who is slashing .319/.458/.447 in 47 at-bats this season, didn’t pinch-hit late in the game on Sunday, Mendoza said he wasn’t available to play in the field and would only have got an at-bat with the game on the line.
“Tough homestand overall offensively,” the skipper said.
It’s still early enough in the season for anybody to start panicking, but with such high expectations for the Mets this year and such a disappointing season last year, everything will be magnified.
Nevertheless, New York deserves a little more time to try and get things right before getting too worried. It’s a long season after all.
“I know we are way better than this and we have a great team and we believe in each other and I know that we are gonna do better,” Peralta said. “The time is gonna come. I know that there’s a lot of people who want us to win and we want to win too. But sometimes baseball is tough and we gotta get through this and these moments and I know we have a great team.”
Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field was better than Saturday in every single way.
First, the weather was more than 30 degrees warmer — 80 at game time, a nice day to have in mid-April.
And the Cubs came from behind with good relief work and some excellent baserunning, tying the game in the eighth. Then Carson Kelly’s single walked it off in the ninth for a 7-6 win over the Pirates.
80-degree temps in April generally come with strong winds blowing out at Wrigley and this day was no exception. Six miles per hour, as reported in the boxscore? I think not, as howling winds made the flags look like this pre-game (Bluesky link):
It got so windy that they took the team flags down from the board. Jameson Taillon got taken deep by Oneil Cruz on the third pitch of the game. That one definitely had some help from the wind.
Then in the second, Taillon loaded the bases with two out, one of those outs thanks to a ball-four call that Kelly got overturned [VIDEO].
After that, Taillon threw ball one to Brandon Lowe and then laid one right down the middle of the plate that Lowe did not miss. It still had some help from the wind, but Lowe had a grand slam and the Pirates led 5-0. More on the slam from BCB’s JohnW53:
The grand slam off Taillon was the fifth he has served up among 174 career homers allowed.
It was the first at home. The others were at Cincinnati, in 2018, while with the Pirates, then as a Cub in 2023 at Philadelphia and Detroit, and on June 28, 2024, at Milwaukee.
The slam today was the 40th homer off him since then.
Credit to Taillon: He settled down after that, at one point retiring eight straight Pirates. That streak was ended by Lowe’s second homer of the game in the fifth — and that one had no help from the wind at all.
Meanwhile, the Cubs were inching their way back into the game. They had two solo homers in the third. First, Dansby Swanson [VIDEO].
At that point it was 5-2 and, well, early enough that a comeback was certainly possible. The Cubs got a one-out double from Kelly in the fourth, but he was stranded. Lowe’s second long ball made it 6-2 in the top of the fifth, but the Cubs got that run back in the bottom of the inning. Nico Hoerner led off with a single and went to third on a single by Ballesterois.
So now it’s 6-3, and, well, Cubs pitching is holding the Pirates down. Again, props to Taillon for sticking it out through the sixth and striking out 10. Here are the 10 K’s [VIDEO].
Jameson Taillon is the first Cubs starter since 1901 to pitch exactly 6.0 innings, give up three home runs and strike out 10.
Kerry Wood went 6.0 with three homers and eight strikeouts at Toronto on June 13, 2003.
Yu Darvish went 6.0 with three homers and nine strikeouts at Cincinnati on Aug. 9, 2019.
Taillon gave up six runs on six hits and two walks; Wood, five runs on seven hits and two walks; and Darvish, four runs on four hits and no walks.
Riley Martin threw a scoreless seventh and was replaced after he allowed a one-out single in the eighth. I like what I’ve seen from Martin so far — he doesn’t mess around, goes right after hitters and has a good pitch mix. Always good to have another useful left-hander in the pen.
Meanwhile, the Cubs chipped away in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to some heads-up baserunning. Swanson led off with a walk. One out later, he took third on a double by Nico. Miguel Amaya, batting for Ballesteros, walked to load the bases.
That is just outstanding baseball sense from Swanson. Seeing that Lowe fell over after catching Bregman’s popup, he broke for the plate. The Pirates, not expecting that, didn’t come close to throwing him out and it’s now 6-4. You don’t see too many sacrifice flies to the second baseman. All credit to Dansby for making that happen.
Ethan Roberts relieved Martin in the eighth, hit the first batter he faced, but then set down two Pirates in a row to end the inning.
Then the Cubs tied the game with even more heads-up baserunning. Seiya Suzuki led off the eighth with a walk. Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out, but Swanson also walked.
Michael Busch, given a day off from starting as he’s been in a horrific slump, batted for Matt Shaw, and Swanson did it again [VIDEO].
Busch’s single scored Suzuki easily, but when Bryan Reynolds’ throw to second got away, Swanson picked right up on that and scored the second run of the inning, tying the game. Can’t say enough about how aware Swanson is and how smart he is. That’s two runs basically stolen in this game by Swanson because he was heads-up on the basepaths. Great stuff.
Daniel Palencia retired the Pirates scoreless in the ninth, despite a two-out walk to Cruz, who wore the Cubs out all weekend. Cruz stole second and took third on a passed ball, but Palencia struck out Lowe on a 99 mile per hour fastball to set up the dramatic finish to this game.
Michael Conforto batted for Amaya and doubled. Scott Kingery ran for him. Bregman hit a ball to short and beat Konnor Griffin’s throw, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Ian Happ hit into a force play, with Kingery taking third. Suzuki walked to load the bases.
Like I said — great weather, solid relief pitching, timely hitting and outstanding baserunning gave the Cubs this win, salvaging the final game of this series.
And one more note from John:
According to my research, this is the Cubs’ 998th regular-season walk-off win since 1876, first year of the National League.
It is their 900th of the Modern Era, which began in 1901.
It is their 795th at Wrigley Field, their home since 1916.
I still am not worried about this team, though there are some things that need shoring up. Consider: The Nationals just finished a sweep of the Brewers — in Milwaukee. There have been some very odd results early in this season, good teams like the Blue Jays, Mariners and Phillies have struggled, as have the Cubs. It is still VERY early.
Speaking of the Phillies, the Cubs travel to Philadelphia for a one-series, three-game road trip beginning Monday evening. Javier Assad will start the series opener for the Cubs and Cristopher Sánchez goes for the Phillies. Game time Monday is 5:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
A pair of Mets southpaws were back in action with Low-A St. Lucie on Sunday afternoon as they continue working their way back from respective injuries.
A.J. Minter and Nate Lavender took the mound for their second appearance.
Minter again cruised his way through a perfect inning of work, throwing just seven pitches and striking out a batter in the top of the seventh.
He used his full arsenal and topped out at 94 mph on his fastball.
Lavender was also effective, striking out one as well as he worked around a single in a scoreless inning of his own.
He touched 93, but mainly sat around 92 mph on his fastball.
The pair have now combined to allow just one hit while striking out five in two appearances back with St. Lucie.
Both are expected to require lengthy minor league rehab stints.
Minter is returning from a season-ending lat injury suffered early on last year, but is expected to play a significant role in New York’s bullpen when he returns.
Lavender is still progressing his way back from Tommy John surgery, and will likely start the year down in Syracuse but figures to make his major league debut at some point.
The 26-year-old pitched to a 2.98 ERA across three levels in his last healthy campaign.
Putting the two of them alongside fellow lefty Brooks Raley in the Mets' bullpen could allow Carlos Mendoza to be agressive and creative with his usage.
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 07: Derek Jeter is seen on the field during a game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Texas Longhorns at Michigan Stadium on September 07, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! The third week of the season has seen the Yankees hit their first real snag of the season, as they dropped four of five games, including three straight, to cap off their first home stand of the season. Despite these hiccups on the field, however, the social media game remained strong. What was the team up to this week? Let’s find out!
Congrats, Derek!
It is a great pleasure for me to remind the world that Dan Hurley and the University of Connecticut lost the Men’s NCAA National Championship last Monday. Why does that matter? Well, as a Villanova alumnus, I think that’s all that matters, but for those of you seeking a Yankees connection, Derek Jeter is a Michigan fan.
Despite their losses this week, the Yankees still had a couple of game belts to give out. First, we had Giancarlo Stanton earn the belt last Saturday for his work as a speed demon en route to the Easter Vigil victory over the Miami Marlins.
This past Friday, the Scranton RailRiders had a rain delay, and decided to take this picture of Spencer Jones hanging with the clubhouse crew. Except, I’m going to be honest with you, my eyes do not at all go to Spencer Jones or the clubhouse crew in this picture; rather, the more I look, the more absurdity I see.
🌧️ Sooooo, Game Two with the @DurhamBulls is starting in a rain delay. But, here’s Spencer Jones currently hanging in the dugout with our hardworking clubhouse crew.
Yankees 2022 legend Matt Carpenter posted a highlight of him pitching in youth baseball this week and, uh, I certainly sympathize with him on that hop.
Over the weekend, the Seattle Mariners unveiled a statue of Ichiro Suzuki outside their stadium, and, uh, broke it during the unveiling. Ichiro, quickwitted as always, immediately joked that he “didn’t think Mariano would come out here and break the bat,” to which the Yankees replied on Twitter:
All these years later, and Mo is still breaking bats.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 12: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with teammate Luis García Jr. #2 after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on April 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a 1-5 home stand, the Nationals got off the mat in a big way with a sweep in Milwaukee. The Nats looked like the better team throughout the weekend series against a team that won 97 games last year and dominated the Nats in the season series. This was actually the Nats first sweep in Milwaukee since all the way back in 2006.
That, folks, is the Nationals' first sweep in Milwaukee since June 2-4, 2006. The winning pitchers in that series: Ramon Ortiz, Bill Bray and Tony Armas Jr.
This game showcased who the Nats have been so far. The starting pitching was decent, if homer prone. The bullpen gave fans heart problems and the offense was electric. That is who the Nats have been so far. It is a great watch for neutral fans, even if it is stressful for Nats fans.
The Nats offense got off to a slow start in this one. Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff retired the first nine Nats he faced. However, James Wood got the party started in the top of the fourth with a majestic pull side homer. We are used to seeing Wood go backside, but on this pitch he got his hands inside and powered a ball into the upper deck.
After his sluggish start, Wood has woken up in a big way. His OPS is now over 1.000 and Wood has 5 homers and 14 RBI’s from the leadoff spot. When Wood is seeing the ball well, there are few players as scary as him at the plate. After that homer, the Brewers mostly pitched around Wood, even intentionally walking him once.
On the mound, Zack Littell was solid when he was not giving up home runs. He went five innings, allowing three runs, all on solo homers. Home runs have always been an issue for Littell, but he did not let the solo shots bother him too much.
Heading into the 7th, it was 3-2 Brewers, but the Nats offense woke up. They had a huge top of the 7th once Woodruff departed. Abner Uribe is one of the most underrated relievers in the league, but he was no match for this offense.
This was a true rally, where the Nats were stringing hits together. Jacob Young started things off with a double that turned into three bases with an outfield error. Then Jose Tena delivered a huge pinch hit knock to drive him in.
After Nasim Nunez made the second out, the Nats offense went into over drive. Curtis Mead made the Brewers pay for walking Wood by driving in the go-ahead run. Then, the Nats got another run in after they executed a steal of home on a first and third play. That was a play they could never get right last year, but they have done it right twice this season.
Just playing good offensive baseball has been the name of the game. The base running was not good yesterday, but it was fixed in this game. The broadcast made a comment about how Corey Ray said he was up all night upset after the base running mistakes. It is clear those got fixed, which you love to see.
However, this would not be a Nats game without a bullpen meltdown. After Ken Waldichuk got two outs in the 7th, he suffered an arm injury with the count 2-0 on the third batter. Unfortunately, Cole Henry was not able to pick him up. He walked that batter and then the guy after that. After falling behind Gary Sanchez, he left a cutter over the plate, which the veteran destroyed.
This could have demoralized the Nats offense, but there is no quit in this group. The offense just keeps coming in waves and they are getting production from throughout the lineup.
Keibert Ruiz was the hero in this one. He replaced Drew Millas, who was pinch hit for. Then, in the 8th inning, he got a chance to deliver with men on second and third with one out. For a second straight game, the Nats catcher delivered with a massive hit up the middle to give the good guys the lead.
Ruiz’s overall offensive numbers have not been great, but he has delivered in clutch situations on a couple of occasions. His ability to put the bat on the ball serves him well with runners in scoring position. The Nats have not gotten outstanding play from their catchers, but Ruiz has certainly been the better of the two.
The game still felt totally up for grabs with the Nats bullpen having to get six more outs. However, PJ Poulin and Gus Varland finished off the Brewers in shockingly easy fashion. They retired six straight and closed the door on this one to give the Nats the sweep.
It was Varland’s first career save, and he stepped up with Clayton Beeter unavailable. When Varland is on his game, his stuff looks really crisp. The consistency is not always there, but I am bullish on him.
This was a huge statement series for the Nats, who improved to 7-8. They head to Pittsburgh to face a young and hungry Pirates squad for four games. It will not be easy, but if anyone could solve this Pirates pitching staff led by Paul Skenes, it would be these scrappy Nats.
It's been a frustrating past five days for the Yankees, who have not only dropped all five of their games, but have also scored a combined 13 runs (2.6 runs per game).
In Sunday's 5-4 loss to Tampa Bay, which secured a three-game sweep for the Rays, the Yankees scored four runs, but two came two came in the ninth inning, and it was too little, too late.
And while it's still early, sure, and the Yankees are still over .500 at 8-7, offensive inconsistency has been a trend.
"Guys are having some tough at-bats, but I think we just need to simplify some things at the plate," said Aaron Judge, who hit a two-run homer in the ninth but is still hitting at just a .218 clip for the season. "We’re trying to hit every single pitch we see up there and kind of getting ourselves in some bad counts and some bad situations. So I just think as a group, we simplify some things and refine our approach a little bit, hunt the pitch that we’re looking for and kind of pass the baton, and I think we’ll be in a better spot.
"It’s tough, but it’s our job. We’ve got to go out there and take care of business."
Rays starter Drew Rasmussen allowed just one Yankees hit, a Jazz Chisholm Jr. double, over his 6.0 shutout innings, striking out seven Yankees without a walk.
"He’s a good pitcher, mixes up his cutter shape, plays with his slider shape," said Ryan McMahon, who went 1-for-4. "It’s good stuff, so sometimes you’ve gotta just tip your cap. He had good stuff today and we weren’t able to figure him out."
It's no secret that McMahon has been struggling in a big way this season, as he's now hitting .114 on the campaign. Despite all the Yankees' issues on Sunday, McMahon had a chance to tie the game with a runner on third and two outs, but he grounded out to first base on one pitch to end the game.
McMahon said that he's "working every single day" to get on the right track, and he's not concerned with the team's early offensive problems.
"I hate to use this cliché, but literally that’s baseball," he said. "We’re going to get going, we’re not worried about it. We’ve just go to start doing it."
And the Yankees' captain shared a similar statement, saying the Yankees need to flush this game immediately as they head back home for the start of a seven-game homestand, which starts on Monday night with the first of four against the Los Angeles Angeles.
"It’s baseball. We’ve just got to show up the next day and re-right the ship," Judge said. "You’ve got to have a short memory and move on to the next one. It’s tough, but that game’s over with. Move on to the next one."
Apr 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello (66) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The Red Sox have only six wins this season. We’re not dealing with a large sample size. Still, today felt like the “easiest” win of the season. The offense jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a home run off the bat of Willson Contreras and never looked back. They were up 3-0 when Jordan Walker hit his seventh home run of the season to get a run for the Cardinals, but the Red Sox added four more in the fourth inning, and two more in the ninth. They didn’t need innings from Garrett Whitlock or Aroldis Chapman in a win for only the second time this season.
Brayan Bello also had his best game of the season, throwing 6 2/3 innings while allowing two runs. It was a different game plan from the righty, who went with a sinker-heavy approach. He kept the ball down frequently, moved it from side to side, and got six outs on balls in play with the pitch. As a result of the high-sinker use, he hardly spun the ball at all. He threw nine sweepers and six curveballs. He didn’t have a feel for either pitch at the beginning of the game, but when he located them near the zone, the results were positive. He’s been through so many iterations of his breaking pitches that I’m not confident he’ll ever consistently locate them, and strikeouts will be hard to find without spin, but on his day, he can be effective. It was a great building block for Bello, who will get the Tigers in his next start. They handed the ball to Danny Coulombe and Zack Kelly in relief of Bello, who held the Cardinals to one run, giving the Red Sox a 9-3 victory.
If the Red Sox win every series for the rest of the season, they’ll win the World Series. The record still doesn’t look great at 6-8, but stacking series wins will slowly get them back over 0.500. They’ve won two in a row now and head to Minnesota to face the Twins, who don’t have their best starters lined up. Just keep winning series, mix in a sweep now and again, and you’ll look up one day with the standings much easier to stomach.
Three Studs
Willson Contreras (4-5, 3 RBI)
Contreras’ two-run home run opened the scoring. He added a single in the fourth inning for another RBI. He also played fantastic defense at first base all afternoon, when he was busy thanks to a groundball-heavy day from the pitching staff.
Trevor Story (4-5, 2 RBI)
A ninth-inning double gave the Red Sox some breathing room. When Story gets hot, he gets red hot. Hopefully, it continues into Minnesota and beyond.
Brayan Bello
See above
Three Duds
Roman Anthony (0-5)
An 0 for day for Anthony, who’s now 1 for his last 16. Just growing pains, nothing to see here.
Technology
It was a rough day for NESN and NESN360 customers. I’ll leave it at that.
My MLB App
It’s telling me the Yankees have lost five straight. That can’t be right. Right?
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 08: Ryan Mountcastle #6 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field on April 08, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One way that the 2026 Orioles season continues to emulate the 2025 one is the way that injury news is a daily feature. Following Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Giants, O’s manager Craig Albernaz provided updates on three players who have recently had issues pop up: Ryan Mountcastle, Tyler O’Neill, and Adley Rutschman.
O’Neill was the surprise addition to the list of injured on Sunday when the team placed him on the concussion injured list, which has only a 7-day minimum stay instead of the usual 10. The Orioles had been saying O’Neill was out of the lineup for previous games due to an illness.
Albernaz said that due to O’Neill’s illness, he got dehydrated and fainted on Thursday, hitting his head on the fall and apparently suffering a concussion in the process. O’Neill’s roster spot was, at least temporarily, taken by Johnathan Rodriguez, acquired from the Guardians in a minor transaction back on March 29.
The team had also been awaiting MRI results for Mountcastle and Rutschman. Albernaz did not give the exact diagnosis on Rutschman’s left ankle inflammation, just calling the results “encouraging” and indicating that Rutschman’s stay on the injured list may be a short one. This is a story that I’ve heard before and the first injury update does not always prove to be the final situation, so we’ll see how that plays out. Rutschman was placed on the 10-day injured list yesterday. He’s got a little more time to wait. If he does have a short IL stint, the team may not have him do a rehab assignment.
For Mountcastle, the diagnosis is a broken fourth metatarsal on his left foot. This was apparently suffered during his run on the bases in Saturday’s game. At this moment, he’s not on the injured list and Albernaz didn’t say whether Mountcastle would be placed on the IL. They might see how he responds to “try to play through it after a little rest,” or they might take an easy excuse to place him on the IL. It’s not like there are a ton of good options to replace him at Norfolk.
The Orioles now have 12 players on the injured list and if Mountcastle goes on too, that’ll make 13. It’s a lot of injuries. Despite all of this, the team is in a three-way tie atop the AL East with its 8-7 record. The daily injury updates may be familiar from 2025, but the team managing to stay afloat while absorbing all of the injuries? That’s something new. Hopefully they can keep that going.
Apr 12, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Geraldo Perdomo (2) breaks his bat against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
After a mostly ugly series at San Francisco, a return home to play the Arizona Diamondbacks should have helped get the Phillies back on track. But the ugly play largely continued against Arizona, and a slew of self-imposed mistakes caused the Phillies to lose the game – and the series – on Sunday by a score of 4-3.
The game had a strange vibe from the start when Andrew Painter was scratched from the start by a migraine. Zach Pop got the start in his place, and gave up one run in two innings, partly due to a throwing error by Brandon Marsh.
The Phillies’ offense didn’t do much early on in the game against veteran righthander Zac Gallen. Bryce Harper hit into a double play in the first, and Rafael Marchan flew out with two on, two out in the second. In the fourth, Harper led off with a single but was thrown out at second on an ill-advised attempt to make it a double.
The Phillies got a lift when Painter’s headache cleared up and he was able to enter the game in the third inning. He gave them five strong innings, giving up just one run in five innings. And that one run was partly due to Adolis Garcia playing a single into a double, and Trea Turner unable to catch up to a blooper past the infield.
The Phillies have done this “fun” bit this series where they only score in one inning of each game. And apparently, they chose the sixth on Sunday. Justin Crawford led off with a double, and then Turner hit a shot to right that replay showed just cleared the fence for a two-run home run.
When Marsh’s ensuing single gave the Phillies runners at the corners with nobody out, and it looked like they were on the verge of a big inning.
In came reliever Jonathan Loaisiga, and that pitching change served to kill the Phillies’ momentum. With the infield in, Harper went on contact on Brandon Marsh’s ground ball to second base (why?) and was easily cut down. Garcia then popped up, and then Alec Bohm lined out to end the threat.
The Phillies called upon Jose Alvarado for the eighth. Most of the focus has been on how bad some of the Phillies’ hitters have been, but Alvarado has been pretty shaky in his own right. He gave up a leadoff single, and after a strong play by Marchan got the runner for a fielder’s choice at second, a stolen base and single by Jose Fernandez tied the game up.
Jonathan Bowlan relieved Alvarado and was not any better. He walked the first batter he faced and then surrendered a go-ahead single to Adrian Del Castillo.
The Phillies looked like they might respond by actually scoring in a second inning of the game. Harper led off the eighth with a walk, and Marsh singled to put runners on the corners with nobody out. But Diamondbacks reliever Kevin Ginkel overpowered Stott for a strikeout, and then the Phillies showed exactly what it looks like when a team is playing poorly.
Marsh attempted to steal second and didn’t seem to realize that Garcia (0-10 in the series) had popped the ball up. He was easily doubled off first base to end the threat.
That probably didn’t matter because Alec Bohm was the next batter, and I’m not sure if he could hit the ball off a tee at the moment. (Hitless in his last 17 at bats.) He struck out to start the ninth, Marchan followed with a pop up, and Justin Crawford ended things with an ABS-reviewed strike three on the very edge of the zone.
The Phillies are clearly not playing well right now. Maybe they’re all trying too hard, or maybe this is just one of those “we can’t get out of our own way” funks that teams go through during a long season. The homestand will continue on Monday against the Cubs, and hopefully the Phillies will get their act together and start playing winning baseball.
Apr 12, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Gary Sanchez (99) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers found themselves on the wrong side of a few late-inning rallies by the Nationals on Sunday afternoon, as Washington put up six runs against Milwaukee’s bullpen to pick up a sweep and extend the Brewer losing streak to five.
Brandon Woodruff started the afternoon out looking fantastic, setting the top of the Washington lineup down in order with a pair of strikeouts. Brice Turang started the bottom of the inning with a single, but would be wiped out on a force out from Christian Yelich, who just beat out the throw to first upon review. The lead baserunner would go for naught, though, as Garrett Mitchell followed with a three-pitch strikeout to end the inning.
Both teams then traded 1-2-3 innings until Turang slugged a two-out homer into Milwaukee’s bullpen in the bottom of the third to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead after three.
James Wood responded right away in the top of the fourth, hitting a solo shot of his own for the Nationals’ first hit and first run. The Nats wouldn’t stop there, though as Luis García Jr. reached on a fielding error by Jake Bauers at first before moving to third on a Daylen Lile double and scoring on a CJ Abrams sac fly, putting Washington up 2-1.
The Brewers knotted it back up in the bottom of the inning with another solo shot, this time from Jake Bauers. Woodruff worked around a single and a walk in the fifth to keep the game even at 2-2, and Turang would give Milwaukee the lead right back in the bottom of the inning with his second solo homer of the day, this time to right-center.
Two batters later, though, Gary Sánchez entered as a pinch-hitter for Yelich in an unexpected move. He would pop up, and it was reported by Sophia Minnaert just an inning later that Yelich exited with left hamstring tightness. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more, but hopefully it was just a precautionary move.
After the two teams traded scoreless half-innings in the sixth, things quickly went awry when Abner Uribe took over for Woodruff in the seventh.
Jacob Young started things off with a double into the gap, and after a misplay by Mitchell off the wall, Young coasted into third. Uribe was able to get the next hitter to pop out, but pinch-hitter José Tena got a single through the pulled-in infield to tie it up at 3-3 with still just one out.
Uribe got the next batter, Nasim Nuñez, to line out, and Pat Murphy opted to replace Uribe with lefty Angel Zerpa with the lefty Wood at the plate. After a wild pitch moved Tena up to second, Wood would reach on a walk. Another pinch-hitter, Curtis Mead, entered to face Zerpa, and he dumped a single into center to score the go-ahead run and put runners at the corners with two outs.
Now at 4-3, the Nationals looked to extend the lead with a delayed steal of home, as Mead took off for second and Wood went home on the throw. The throw home was late, but home plate umpire Carlos Torres inexplicably called Wood out. Upon review, it was very clear that Wood beat the throw, and the call was overturned to give Washington a 5-3 lead. Brady House followed with another RBI single to make it 6-3 before the inning was all said and done, and Milwaukee’s offense would have to dig itself out of a hole in the final three frames.
Ken Waldichuk, who had already pitched a scoreless sixth, came back out and got two quick outs. During Turang’s plate appearance, however, Waldichuk fell into a 2-0 hole and, on the second ball, he came up grimacing and clenching his throwing arm. Not a good sign.
Waldichuk was immediately removed, and his replacement, Cole Henry, proceeded to walk Turang, walk Contreras, and fall into another 2-0 hole against Sánchez, the second ball of which was overturned upon a Sánchez-initated review. The next pitch, a cutter near the bottom of the zone, promptly found a home in the left-field bleachers as Sánchez gave the Crew some life and tied the game at 6-6.
PJ Poulin took over for Henry and gave up a single to Mitchell before retiring Bauers to end the inning. It was a long, high-scoring inning, as the Nationals put up four runs before Milwaukee’s three runs to tie it — brand-new ballgame with just two innings left in regulation.
Zerpa remained in for the eighth, but he continued to struggle, giving up back-to-back singles to Abrams and Young to put runners at the corners with one out. Jorbit Vivas followed with a sac bunt that moved Young to second but didn’t score Abrams from third, as Zerpa was pulled in favor of Aaron Ashby.
Ashby got Keibert Ruiz into a 1-1 count before Ruiz was able to fight off a pitch below the zone for a single up the middle, scoring both runners and allowing Ruiz to move to second on the throw. Ashby was able to set the next two hitters down, but the damage was done with Washington now ahead 8-6.
The Brewers went down in order in the bottom of the inning, and Jake Woodford worked around a pair of singles in the ninth to keep the deficit at two.
Former Brewer Gus Varland came on for his first career save opportunity with the Nats up by two, and he made quick work of Joey Ortiz, Turang, and Contreras with a strikeout, groundout, and flyout, respectively, locking up the game and series sweep for Washington.
Woodruff got a quality start with six innings of work, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk while striking out six. Uribe and Zerpa both got roughed up, as Uribe allowed two runs and Zerpa gave up four. Ashby and Woodford both had scoreless afternoons for the bullpen.
Offensively, the Brewers once again got all of their runs via the long ball, with Turang slugging a pair of solo shots, Bauers adding a solo homer, and Sánchez hitting the big game-tying three-run shot that gave Milwaukee some late life. Turang led the squad with three hits and a walk today, while Bauers was the only other player with multiple hits.
It was another rough series for the Brewers after they lost two of three in Boston to begin the week, and they’re now in the midst of a five-game skid. They’ll get another off day on Monday to try to shake off the boogeyman before welcoming the reigning AL Champion Toronto Blue Jays to town for three games beginning on Tuesday night. First pitch in that one is set for 6:40 p.m., with Jacob Misiorowski slated to face Kevin Gausman.
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 12: Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Pete Alonso #25 bases after hitting a two run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 12, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A stellar start by Cade Povich, supported by key contributions at the plate from the previously slumping Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo, led the Orioles to a 6-2 win at Camden Yards on Sunday afternoon. They have now won five of six and are tied for first place in the AL East.
This was the peak version of Povich. The lefty pounded the strike zone, mixed pitches, and limited damage. That combination allowed him to put together one of the best outings of his big league career. Over 6.2 innings, Povich allowed just one run on five hits, no walks, and five strikeouts. Not a bad way to celebrate your 26th birthday.
That one run came in the fifth inning. Casey Schmitt opened the frame with a single, moved to second on a ground out, and then eventually scored on a two-out single. But credit to Povich for keeping things right there. He got Jerar Encarnacion to fly out and conclude the inning. That’s all they would manage against the starter.
Most would have expected O’s manager Craig Albernaz to pull Povich after that. He had gone through the order twice, was in the position to get a win, and he was exiting on a relative high. Instead, Albernaz stuck with him through the sixth inning. Then, he let him start the seventh, and even stayed with him after a lead-off single. Povich rewarded him with a double play before a double from Heliot Ramos pushed Albernaz to finally make a change. He went with Anthony Nunez, who made quick work of Daniel Susace to wrap up the inning.
This felt like a significant performance from Povich. There is pressure on him to perform and become the preferred rotation understudy, in front of guys like Brandon Young, Albert Suárez, or even Trey Gibson this year. There is more work to be done before the lefty can actually cement himself into that role, but his first 12.1 innings of the year are good steps in that direction.
What helped Albernaz make the decision to stick with Povich as long as he did was an Orioles offense that felt more threatening today.
The scoring for the O’s started early. After Pete Alonso worked a two-out walk in the bottom of the first inning, Samuel Basallo gave the good guys a 2-0 lead with a line drive home run to left-center field, his second long ball of the season.
It took until the fifth inning for the Baltimore bats to come back alive. Gunnar Henderson got the two-out rally going with a single into right field. Taylor Ward did the same, scooting Henderson over to third base in the process. Then it was Alonso that broke his cold streak, yanking a two-bagger down the third base line to drive in both runners and make it 4-1 Orioles.
They added on to that lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Leody Taveras set the table with an inning-opening double to right field. He then sprinted home on a Coby Mayo flare into shallow center, giving the Birds a 5-1 advantage.
The Orioles’ final run of the day came home in the seventh inning. Back-to-back singles from Ward and Alonso got the inning going. A one-out walk for the newly promoted Johnathan Rodríguez loaded the bases. Following a strikeout by Taveras, Colton Cowser knocked in Ward with a bouncer that got past the pitcher and became an infield hit.
This was a complete performance from the Orioles lineup. They collected 11 hits, walked five times, and struck out seven times. All but one starter had a hit. Key contributions from Alonso and Basallo in the middle of the lineup made a world of difference. That duo was responsible for four of the six RBI on the day.
Because Povich tossed 6.2 big innings, the bullpen only had to record seven outs. Nunez got the first one, and then Tyler Wells handled the final six. Wells did give up a solo homer to Casey Schmitt, who had three of San Francisco’s seven hits, but the reliever was otherwise fine. Most crucially, the Orioles didn’t have to use any of Rico Garcia, Grant Wolfram, or Ryan Helsley, who seem to be becoming the squad’s high-leverage arms of the moment. That’s important during this stretch without an off day.
The American League is a jumble of mediocre teams right now, and the Orioles are included. Their win today, paired with a Yankees loss to the Rays, means that those three are tied for first in the East at 8-7. Not bad for a team that seemed to be falling apart in Pittsburgh last weekend. Baseball is funny like that.
The O’s will welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Yard for a three-game set beginning on Monday. First pitch is set for 6:35, though we do not yet know who will be throwing that pitch for the O’s. Speculation suggests that it will be Dean Kremer. We shall see.
Most Birdland Player – April 12, 2026
Leave a comment down below with your vote for the “Most Birdland Player” in the Orioles 6-2 win. You can pick whomever you would like, but here are a few worthy nominees:
Cade Povich (win, 6.2 innings, one run, five hits, no walks, five strikeouts)
Pete Alonso (2-for-4, double, two RBI, walk, breaking out of his slump)
Samuel Basallo (1-for-3, two-run homer, walk, breaking out of HIS slump)
