Category: MLB

No one is coming to save the Mets. Rosters cannot be overhauled in April.

Yes, Juan Soto is returning from the injured list Wednesday. And yes, at times during their 12-game streak, this Mets offense looked a mere Juan Soto shy of normalcy.

But that time was a few series ago, when at least some things were going right. After a huge home run from Francisco Lindor and a would-be Nolan McLean no-hitter evaporated into a 12th straight loss Tuesday, it is safe to say nothing is going right for the Mets anymore.

“It sucks,” Carlos Mendoza said.

No one will ever know how many times out of 10 this roster David Stearns assembled for Mendoza would start this badly. It is not hard to imagine a universe in which Bo Bichette started hot or Jorge Polanco slid in seamlessly or Brett Baty translated a promising spring into a big April or the return of Kodai Senga’s velocity led to the reemergence of an ace...and so on. But none of that happened in this universe, which has thus far proven to be home to several worst-case scenarios at once.

For example: In this universe, Devin Williams looks vulnerable to New York again, not inoculated against it. Tuesday night, with the game tied in the top of the ninth, the All-Star walked the first two hitters he faced. A bunt loaded the bases. A bouncer over third that would have been an easy out or two with the infield back hopped over the drawn-in left side and gave the Twins their first lead. Another walk doubled it for them. Williams blew a save in the Mets' last loss, which came to the Cubs at Wrigley on Sunday. The outing before that, he surrendered a grand slam.

“Honestly,” Williams said. “I would say all three outings were [caused by] something different.”

Maybe, given that Edwin Diaz needs elbow surgery, the Mets would have found themselves facing ninth-inning questions even if that part of their offseason had gone differently. But as things stand now, they must turn to Williams and other internal options for answers. No teams are selling yet. The Mets, who can rightfully assume they will not play this way forever, might not even know exactly what they should be buying. Because almost no one in their lineup is performing as intended.

Quite clearly, the Mets' biggest problem is their so-far relentless inability to sustain offensive pressure beyond a few innings a game. And in that way, Soto should help. The Mets have scored a total of 22 runs over the course of the streak, or 1.83 runs per game. Soto has 702 career RBI in 1,104 career games — or roughly .635 runs batted in per game. In other words, if Soto were to produce runs at his normal rate upon returning, he would increase the Mets' nightly run production by 33.3 percent.

Obviously, that math ignores some statistical nuance. Still, those numbers are illustrative: Soto can increase the Mets' offensive production dramatically. But even if he adds exactly six tenths of a run driven in per game, the Mets could then count on just fewer than 2.5 runs per game – at least if they keep scoring as rarely as they have during the streak. No other team in baseball is averaging fewer than 3.30 runs per game this season.

“We can’t wait for [Juan] to come back and do his thing. At the end of the day, I hope everybody doesn’t put all the pressure on him,” Lindor said Tuesday. “That would be a little unfair. But I know he’s going to help us a ton. He’s a top three-hitter in the league.”

The Mets had four hits Tuesday night, the fifth time during the streak they have been held to five or fewer. They own the lowest on-base percentage in baseball. Only two teams have hit fewer home runs. Maybe in other versions of this season, a lineup composed of these players would fare better than it has during the first month of this season, when everyone is struggling at once. Maybe, a recovery to a better offensive mean is inevitable.

But right now, it feels impossible. Soto is coming to help, but no one is coming to save them. There is, as Lindor put it, only one way for the 2026 Mets to end this spiral, let alone become the first team in history to lose 12 straight games and still make the postseason: “By winning.”

Everyone is getting their shots in at the Mets these days. 

The Twins took to social media on Tuesday night after they defeated the Amazins 5-3 in Queens to poke fun at the Mets’ 12th straight loss, which is now the franchise’s longest since it lost a dozen straight in 2002. 

“Things you can get in a dozen,” the Twins official account wrote in a post on X. “Eggs, Roses, Mets losses.”

Things you can get in a dozen:
– Eggs
– Roses
– Mets losses pic.twitter.com/qACxaxYOn4

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 22, 2026

The Mets have not won a game since April 7, when Ronny Mauricio hit a walk-off single to right field in the 10th inning as the Amazin’s defeated the Diamondbacks 4-3.

Since then, things have reached a critical point for the Mets as the team reached a new low in 2026 on Tuesday night and found themselves in a spot that doesn’t provide much hope going forward. 

The Mets blew a three-run lead and their offense completely shut down after the fifth inning, when they couldn’t produce another hit. 

The Twins aren’t the only team that has used social media to clown the Mets’ predicament. 

MLS club Charlotte FC, made their own joke at the Mets’ expense earlier in the day while posting a recap video from their win over New York City FC. 

NYCFC call Citi Field home on occasion when their home matches conflict with the Yankees’ schedule at Yankee Stadium. 

“Wins at Citi Field since April 8,” the post started off before noting that the Mets have zero wins there and NYCFC have zero wins there. 

The latest Mets loss casts a further pall over the baseball season in Queens and will likely further calls for changes to be made, namely a change at manager after Carlos Mendoza has not been able to turn things around. 

Wins at Citi Field since April 8:

– Mets: 0
– NYCFC: 0
– Charlotte FC: 1

End to End in full : https://t.co/9Dl7DpqiRNpic.twitter.com/dmK8KAflCz

— Charlotte FC (@CharlotteFC) April 21, 2026

The Mets face the Twins on Wednesday and Thursday before beginning a three-game series with the Rockies. 

Superstar Juan Soto is expected back from his calf injury on Wednesday.

Patrick Corbin turned in a second pretty good start in a row today, giving the offence time to overcome a slow start. Jeff Hoffman continues to be disturbingly combustible, but the rest of the bullpen did good work. Louis Varland picked up his first MLB save, and you have to wonder whether he’ll start to get some more opportunities with the way he’s been dominating.

Amazingly, this was their first series win since sweeping Sacramento to open the season. They’ve dug a hole, but this little three game win streak hopefully represents the turning point.

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We had a scoreless pitchers’ duel for the first half of tonight’s game. The Jays got runners in each of the first three innings against Jack Kochanowicz, but couldn’t score. Ernie Clement lined a single in the first, and Jesus Sanchez and Daulton Varsho singled in the second, while Kochanowicz hit Lukes in the third. A pair double plays helped erase all the runners, though. An Eloy Jimenez walk and Varsho’s second hit put a pair on in the fourth, but again they were stranded. Kahanowicz faced the minimum for the first time in the fifth.

Patrick Corbin, on the other hand, retired the first six Angels hitters before walking Vaughn Grissom to open the third. The Jays got their own double play, though, on a nice backhand flip by Clement and a strong turn by Andres Gimenez. Corbin again allowed no runners in the fourth.

Finally, Oswald Peraza broke up the no-hitter with one out in the fifth, on a grounder into left field. Nolan Schanuel followed with another single to put runners on the corners. That set the table for Grissom to break the stalemate with a sac fly to centre field, putting LA in front 1-0. Corbin then walked Logan O’Hoppe, but got a ground out to escape the jam.

Vlad reached on a throwing error after grounding to third with one out in the sixth. Sanchez pulled a grounder through the gap into right to advance him to third, putting them in the same position the Angels had been in in the previous half inning. And like the Angels, they got a sac fly to plate their first run. This one came courtesy of Eloy Jimenez and tied the game at one. Sam Bachman was called from the bullpen to take over for Kochanowicz. He got Varsho swinging to preserve the tie.

Spencer Miles took over in the bottom of the sixth, working a clean inning including a strikeout and a nifty bare-hand on a Mike Trout broken bat tapper back to the mound. Bachman remained in the game, taking care of business against the bottom third of the Jays order.

In the seventh, Gimenez made an amazing leaping grab on a broken bat liner by Jorge Soler for the first out. Peraza bunted for a single, prompting John Schneider to call on Mason Fluharty to face the lefty Schanuel. He got his man, and Brandon Valenzuela got Peraza at second to turn the strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play.

Drew Pomeranz took over for the eighth, and Schneider decided to get deep into his managerial bag to counter. Myles Straw pinch hit for Lukes and flew out to right, but Clement laced a double down the left field line. The Angels intentionally walked Guerrero to get to Lenyn Sosa, who was hitting for Sanchez. That proved to be a mistake, as Sosa doubled off the wall in right. Clement scored standing up, and Vlad narrowly beat the throw at the plate to put Toronto ahead 3-1. Davis Schneider came on to run for Sosa, and Jimenez hit a ground ball single to bring him around and increase the lead to three. I’ll admit using Straw to hit and Schneider to pinch run is not how I would have done it, but you can’t argue with the results. Tyler Rogers came on to protect the newly acquired lead, gettin his usual three easy ground outs.

Old friend Nick Sandlin pitched the ninth for the Angels and retired the Jays in order. In the bottom half, Jeff Hoffman had yet another meltdown. He struck out Zach Neto, but then Trout lined a single. Hoffman hit the next two batters to load the bases, then gave up a hard line single to Yoan Mondaca, plating one to make it 4-2. That finally prompted Schneider to give Louis Varland a chance to pick up his first major league save. It took him one pitch to get Schanuel to ground into a double play.

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Jays of the Day: Varland (0.33), Sosa (0.31), Sanchez (0.12), Corbin (0.12)

Less So: Hoffman (-0.29), Okamoto (-0.18), Gimenez (-0.12)

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It’s a day game tomorrow, with first pitch at 3:07pm ET. Eric Lauer (1-3, 7.13) will look to keep working his way back into form, while Jose Soriano (5-0, 0.28) looks to continue what’s been a breakout year for the Angels. After that it’s a travel day, with the Jays coming home to host the Guardians over the weekend.

The highest-scoring team in the majors managed only three hits on Tuesday night at Oracle Park, and when the Giants scored three runs in the first inning that proved to be enough to beat the Dodgers 3-1 in the series opener in San Francisco.

Chaos reigned in the bottom of the first inning, beginning with Hyeseong Kim airmailing a throw from shortstop into the Giants dugout. Yoshinobu Yamamoto issued only his fourth walk of the season and loaded the bases before recording an out. All three runners scored during the four-hit frame, including on a sacrifice fly in which Teoscar Hernández collided with Alex Call, who started in center field with Andy Pages getting his first off day of the season (at least until pinch-hitting in the ninth.

But after that 26-pitch first inning, Yamamoto locked in, retiring 11 in a row and 16 out of 17 batters at one point, enough to get through seven innings without allowing another run, and on just 101 pitches to boot.

Yamamoto nearly gave up a fourth run thanks to a pair of two-out hits in the sixth, but Jung Hoo Lee’s mad dash around the bases in the rain was for naught, thrown out at home plate trying to score on a single.

GET HOSED!!! 🎯
Spectrum customers with both Internet and Mobile services can watch Spectrum SportsNet LA and live #Dodger games with SNLA+.
🔗: https://t.co/3Pk48S45KSpic.twitter.com/5rhkZxPI2x

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 22, 2026

Yamamoto followed this by striking out the side in the seventh inning, completing his night.

MLB teams through Monday had a .674 winning percentage when their starting pitcher completed at least six innings this season. The Dodgers are now 12-3 (.800) in those games after Tuesday’s loss. Two of the three losses are Yamamoto starts.

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The Dodgers managed only one single off Landen Roupp, though they did make him work. He walked four batters in the fourth inning alone, though the Dodgers scored only once in the frame, which ended on a double play grounder by Call.

Roupp needed 106 pitches to complete five innings thanks in part to five walks, the most by any pitcher against the Dodgers this year. It might have been six walks, but Alex Freeland seemed allergic to challenging what appeared to a three-ball pitch outside the strike zone for the second time in three days. Roupp was able to limit the damage during his outing thanks to seven strikeouts.

It only took two batters after Roupp exited for a Dodger to reach second base on his own volition, thanks to a Teoscar Hernández one-out double into left field in the sixth inning. But Max Muncy struck out and Dalton Rushing flew out on the first pitch he saw to end that rare threat by the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Shohei Ohtani singled in the seventh inning, extending his on-base streak to 53 games, matching Shawn Green (2000) for the longest streak in Los Angeles Dodgers history. In modern franchise history (since 1900), only Duke Snider’s 58-game on-base streak in 1954 for Brooklyn is longer than Ohtani’s. It’s also the longest MLB on-base streak since Orlando Cabrera reached in 63 straight games for the Angels in 2006.

Ohtani’s single put another runner in scoring position, but Kyle Tucker struck out.

Los Angeles had the tying run either on base or at the plate in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, but was hitless in five at-bats with runners in scoring position on Tuesday, with three strikeouts.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: none

WP — Landen Roupp (4-1): 5 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts

LP — Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-2): 7 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts

Sv — Ryan Walker (2): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts

Up next

Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound in the middle game of the series on Wednesday night (6:45 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), with right-hander Tyler Mahle pitching for the Giants.

When the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies get together, anything can happen, especially at Coors Field where games can quickly escalate into unruly slugfests.

That wasn’t the case tonight, however, when both teams’ pitching staffs silenced the opposing team’s offense in a game that can only be described as almost meticulous in its pitching.

In the end, however, the Padres managed to eke out a 1-0 run win to kick off the three-game series in what would be only the 12th 1-0 game in the history of Coors Field, and just the fourth time the Rockies were on the losing end of one. (It last happened in 2006, when it happened three times!)

A Rockies pitching clinic

Opener Jimmy Herget got the game off to a sparkling start by striking out the side (Ramón Laureano, Fernando Tatís Jr., and Jackson Merrill) on a tidy 14 pitches, 10 for strikes.

Chase Dollander took the mound in the second and was absolutely on fire with his slider and four-seamer especially effective.

In the third inning, Dollander struck out Laureano which began a string of six consecutive Ks until Miguel Andujar grounded out in the fifth. (For those keeping score at home, Germán Márquez set the Rockies record for consecutive strikeouts in 2018 with eight.)

The Padres did not have a player in scoring position until Jake Cronenberg hit a double in the sixth inning. And that’s when things got complicated for Dollander. Tatís Jr. hit a soft single, and then Dollander grazed Merrill, loading the bases for Manny Machado.

Dollander walked Machado on six pitches, and the Padres took a 1-0 lead.

He came back to strike out Xander Bogaerts, but the Rockies were down in a game that had seen little offense.

After allowing the run, Dollander returned to pitch the seventh inning and retired the side after hitting Fermín.

His final line was 6.0 IP giving up one run, earned, on three hits. He walked one and struck out nine on a career-high 102 pitches, 67 for strikes.

Currently, Dollander has a 2.88 ERA in 25 total innings.

Also worth noting, Dollander’s nine Ks ties the Rockies record for strikeouts by a reliever, which was set by Bruce Ruffin in 1993.

“He was great tonight. What a well-pitched ballgame on both sides of the ball,” manager Warren Schaefer said. “He looks like a completely different guy this year.”

The Rockies turned to the bullpen in the eighth when Juan Mejia entered the game. He allowed one hit, but no runs.

The ninth inning went to lefty Brennan Bernardino. After getting two quick outs, he allowed a two-out single to Andujar followed by a Fermín double — only the second Padres extra-base hit of the evening. With the count 2-2, Cronenworth took a pitch that was called a ball. Goodman was quick to tap his helmet, and the call was overturned.

Inning over.

In total, the Rockies pitching staff struck out 15 — the most strikeouts the Padres have recorded in a game this season. They issued only one walk and allowed one run (earned) on six hits.

A Padres pitching clinic, too

On the Padres side of Coors Field, starter Randy Vásquez was dealing. Although the Rockies were able to get players on base in every inning until the fifth, none of them managed to get past second base.

Vásquez went 7.0 IP giving up just three hits and no runs. He struck out three and did not issue a walk and now has a 1.88 ERA.

“Vásquez was awesome. It was the cutter,” Schaeffer said. “We just didn’t have an answer for it tonight.”

For the eighth inning, the Padres sent out Jason Adam, who easily handled the bottom of the Rockies order.

In an odd move, the Padres did not bring in stellar closer Mason Miller for the ninth. Instead, that duty fell to Adrian Morejon, who made quick work of the top three hitters.

A work-in-progress offense

On a low-scoring game when the Rockies needed offense, they could not figure out Randy Vásquez and fared no better against the Padres bullpen. They managed only three hits and were 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position.

Rockies hitters struck out eight times and had no walks. They did not manage a hit after Goodman’s single in the fourth inning.

That said, although no one likes losing, this was an encouraging showing for a rebuilding team.

One other note: In the postgame, Dollander gave a shoutout to Alon Leichman for his pitch calling.

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Join us for Game 2 tomorrow night at 6:40. Walker Buehler will start for the Padres while Tomoyuki Sugano will take the mound for the Rockies.

See you then.

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One of the most unfortunate things about being an American sports fan is you’re relentlessly inundated with erectile dysfunction advertisements. Are you unable to perform like you used to? Having trouble getting it up? Not making enough hard contact?

The saving grace is these inquiries are generally quarantined to the commercial breaks. But lately, and especially tonight, the bottom half of every inning at Fenway Park is resembling one of these uncomfortable questionnaires.

The Red Sox didn’t just get shutout tonight. They were held to a mere two hits over 6.1 innings against Luis Gil, who entered the game with a 7.00 ERA and has stuff so underwhelming, even this lineup walked more times (three) than they struck out (twice). Not a single pitch thrown by a Yankee arm tonight registered higher than 96mph, and the Red Sox couldn’t do anything in the box. These are the games you’re supposed to post crooked numbers! If the Sox are getting shutout and frankly not coming close to scoring runs against this competition, what are they possibly going to look like when they start facing some real flamethrowers?

Accompanying this latest listless performance was an 0-7 effort with runners in scoring position, which now leaves Boston with a .159 batting average with runners in scoring position on this homestand.

Needless to say given the score, the bats once against failed to go deep, which means they’ve now hit just five home runs in their last 16 games. During this stretch, they’re more likely to score two runs or less in the game (seven times) than they are to hit a home run at any point in the game (five times).

The at bats were so terrible and widespread in this one, it’s not even worth dissecting any key moments because there weren’t any that stood out. It was just one never-ending conveyor belt of uninspiring and boring at bats. They were so bad they didn’t even create a key spot in the game to fail in.

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On the mound, Connelly Early was mostly solid until the sixth inning when he lost command of the zone and walked three guys. The overall outing was a mixed bag, but with a normal offense, this would have been enough to make it a competitive game that likely would have been decided in a nail biter in the ninth.

Unfortunately, the impotency of this lineup is anything buy normal. Ask your front office if a power hitter is right for you.

Studs

No player is going in this category tonight, but we can give it to …

The Pitch Timer: Not only did it get this disaster class game over with in a reasonable amount of time, but it also provided a couple of the most interesting exchanges of the night (both involving Jose Caballero).

In the sixth inning, when Jack Anderson came in to relieve Connelly Early, Caballero successfully baited Anderson into a violation twice by waiting until the eight second mark (when you have to be ready and address the pitcher) to address Anderson. As a result, Anderson was early both times and got called for it.

But then, Anderson showed us a little something and came back to to strike out Caballero, including on a perfect pitch down and in on 3-2.

Then in the eighth, Caballero got the tables turned on him and ended up getting rung up on a pitch timer violation of his own.

Not only has the pitch timer improved the game by tightening it back to where it was for the majority of last century, but it also provides some drama as teams push the edge.

Three Duds

It really should be the entire offense, but we’ll specifically give it to the three guys who never got on base.

Wilyer Abreu: 0-4 tonight, and his OPS has fallen from 1.101 to .796 over his last nine games.

Masataka Yoshida: 0-4, easily his worst day at the dish so far this season.

Strikeouts: 0-3 with two strikeouts. The only reason he wasn’t 0-4 like the others is because the lineup was so bad it didn’t get around to him again. He’s now hitting .155 with a .475 OPS on the season.

Play of the game:

There was this really sweet highlight reel catch from Ceddanne Rafaela tonight. It’s just too bad it happened late in this complete nothing game instead of to keep the score tied in the eighth or something like that.

Looking ahead to tomorrow, this offense gets to face Max Fried. I’ve been told it’s not possible to score negative runs in a baseball game, but if it is, these guys are going to find it soon.

Nolan McLean was outstanding again on Tuesday night. 

After being handed an early 3-0 lead on a Francisco Lindor homer, the young right-hander was doing everything he could to make sure he brought the Mets’ 11-game losing streak to an end. 

McLean absolutely cruised his way through the Twins’ lineup in the early-going, retiring the first 15 batters he faced and picking up eight strikeouts along the way over the first five innings. 

Matt Wallner immediately brought both the perfect game and no-hit bids to an end, though, leading off the top of the sixth with a clean single. 

The righty retired the next two hitters easily, but then fell behind Byron Buxton 3-1 before he lifted an up-and-away cutter for a towering two-run homer down the left-field line. 

McLean gave up another hit but was able to escape without any further damage. 

Even with the youngster starting to show some signs of fatigue, Carlos Mendoza elected to stick with him to start the seventh, and Minnesota was quickly able to break through again. 

Back-to-back knocks from Kody Clemons and Luke Keaschall completely flipped the script, evening things up at three apiece and chasing McLean from the game. 

“He’s our guy,” the skipper said afterwards. “With the way he was throwing on a day when we had a couple of our guys down, we knew we were going to push him, so we felt good with where he was at and he gave us a chance."

"I’d like to go a bit longer," McLean admitted. "But Bux made a good swing and things snowballed from there."

The 24-year-old finished giving up just three runs on five hits while matching his career-high with 10 strikeouts.

McLean was outstanding the first two times through the order once again, but this isn’t the first time that he’s been hit a bit harder that elusive third time around. 

As pointed out by Anthony Dicomo of MLB.com, opponents have just a .075 average against him over the first five innings, compared to a .360 mark in the sixth and beyond. 

It’s something McLean knows he has to work on moving forward. 

“These guys are getting paid to play baseball, too,” he said. “At the end of the day, I just have to execute a little bit better, maybe do a little bit more homework on how guys are adjusting, but I just have to execute better at the end of the day.”

The Mets are in the midst of a lengthy losing streak that has seen some of the best hitters in the league go cold, and starters and relievers implode in various ways.

On Tuesday night, it was Devin Williams' turn. After blowing his first save as a Met on Sunday, Williams was called upon to keep the team's series-opener against the Twins tied at three in the ninth. Williams, however, just could not control his signature changeup and allowed two runs on a hit and three walks in the team's 5-3 loss at Citi Field.

"Felt a little out of sync, mechanically," Williams said of his outing after the game. "Couldn’t really land my changeup for strikes. It was tough to beat guys with just the fastball." 

“Today, the command. Getting behind hitters, not able to execute," manager Carlos Mendoza said of his closer. "Once you start walking people, you’re in dangerous territory there. He’s gotta come back in the zone, and when he’s getting behind, good hitters are going to make him pay. Overall, the walks kinda hurt him there."

Williams has thrown his changeup 48 percent of the time this season, but he just couldn't rely on it on Tuesday. Of the 21 pitches he threw, Williams only tossed eight to the five Twins hitters he faced; only one was thrown for a strike.

For a two-pitch pitcher, their job is much harder when one of those pitches is taken away from them. But is it the reason for Williams' recent struggles? After allowing four runs in 0.1 innings against the Dodgers on April 15, Williams allowed a run in the aforementioned blown save in Chicago before Tuesday's performance. 

Those seven earned runs have ballooned his ERA to 9.95.

But Williams and Mendoza said today's outing was the result of bad command. Williams, who inked a three-year, $51 million deal with the Mets this offseason, was asked if the team's now 12-game losing streak is adding more pressure on him to perform. The right-hander, who is in his eighth season, didn't agree but can't pinpoint anything specific for his recent tough stretch.

"Obviously, you want to do well," Williams said of pitching during the losing streak. "We’re in a tough stretch here. It’s the same as any other game."

He added, "All three outings were something different. Today, I didn’t have command. Couldn’t throw my changeup for a strike. It’s tough to be one-dimensional."

Although he doesn't place blame on the added pressures of the Mets' losing streak for his recent performances, he acknowledges that it hasn't been easy.

"It’s tough, man. I’ve never been a part of something like this," he said of the streak. "I think we just need to get the one win out of the way and I think everything else will take care of itself. It’s proving pretty difficult right now... Every day is a new day. We have a chance to win a new game every day. Everyone knows the situation; it’s just stacking on top of each other." 

 

 

 

The Orioles coughed up two different leads on Tuesday night as starter Shane Baz was, yet again, inconsistent, and the team’s bullpen had a rare stumble. All of it led to a frustrating 6-5 loss to the Royals, evening up the series at one game apiece.

The Orioles’ half of the second inning felt like a game-changer in the moment. They made Royals starter Kris Bubic throw a ton of pitches. Jeremiah Jackson saw five pitches before singling, Weston Wilson walked after nine pitches, and Leody Taveras lined out on the seventh pitch of his at-bat.

That all happened before Coby Mayo gave the O’s an early lead with his first home run of the season, a 114-mph bomb that went 439 feet down the left field line. Swings like that are why the organization continues to believe in Mayo.

Normally, when someone throws 38 pitches in one inning, they aren’t in for a long night at the office. Bubic would prove otherwise. The southpaw rebounded from the nightmarish second frame and then delivered four consecutive scoreless innings to protect the Royals bullpen for as long as possible. That is both an indictment of the Orioles’ offensive showing for much of this game, but also an impressive bit of veteran moxie from the 28-year-old Bubic.

Orioles starter Shane Baz had himself yet another uneven outing in the black and orange. Over 6.1 innings, the righty allowed four runs on eight hits, two walks, and four strikeouts.

Kansas City’s first run of the day came in the bottom of the second. Carter Jensen doubled with one out, moved to third base on a wild pitch, and then trotted home on a Michael Massey sac fly to right field. That made it a 3-1 Orioles advantage.

Baz worked out of trouble in both the third and fourth inning. The third saw him get a big groundout of Vinnie Pasquantino with two outs and two runners in scoring position. In the fourth, he again stranded runners at second and third by getting a strikeout followed by a pop out.

That luck would run out in the fifth inning, when the Royals would tie the score up at 3-3. Kyle Isbel opened the frame with a double, and then moseyed home on a single by Maikel Garcia. The speedy Garcia then scooted to second base on a ground out before stealing third base. That then put him in position to cross the plate on a Pasquantino sac fly to knot things back up.

It seemed like O’s manager Craig Albernaz was testing Baz from there. The righty worked a shutout sixth inning, which included two big strikeouts on what felt like a finale to his day. But he had only thrown 85 pitches, and the bullpen was thin after going to extra innings on Monday. So, Albernaz brought the starter back for the seventh. That would prove to be a poor decision.

Isbel doubled yet again to begin the inning. This came right after he had taken a pitch that was called ball two but should have been strike three. The Orioles had a challenge to use, but Rutschman decided against it. After the double, Isbel advanced to third on a wild pitch and was then joined on base by a Garcia walk. Albernaz followed that with a visit to the mound, where it seemed like he was prepared to yank Baz from the game. Instead, they had a quick chat, and he stuck with him for one more batter. That batter was Bobby Witt Jr. It worked out fine, relatively. Witt did drive in Isbel with a sac fly, and Baz was then removed. But Grant Wolfram came in and limited the damage from there, leaving his one inherited runner stranded and keep the game at 4-3 after seven innings.

The Orioles would go back ahead in the eighth inning. Gunnar Henderson led off with a double down the left field line. Then Adley Rutschman, fresh off of his brief IL stint, came up clutch with a two-run homer to left field off of reliever Matt Strahm.

Despite a really rough patch in the game’s middle innings, somhow the Orioles found themselves ahead 5-4 going into the late frames. Considering how good their bullpen has been to this point, it felt like a win was incoming.

Think again.

Rico Garcia was called on for the eighth inning. Prior to today’s game, the righty had basically been perfect this season. He had yet to allow a hit or run on the year. That streak ended with the first batter he faced on Tuesday. Michael Massey led off the eighth inning with a solo homer to give us yet another deadlock, this one at 5-5. Garcia did look really good outside of that at-bat, but the damage had been done.

The Orioles failed to score in their half of the ninth inning, and then they brought on closer Ryan Helsley for the bottom of the frame. He had not control in this one, as he issued walks to both Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. to begin the inning. A strikeout of Pasquantino didn’t help much because it came on a pitch in the dirt that allowed the two runners to advance anyway. Then, with Salvador Perez at the plate, Helsley spiked another pitch in the dirt. Rutschman blocked it, but it bounced too far away from him in front of the plate, leaving plenty of time for Garcia to sprint home from third as the winning run.

This was one of the rare Orioles losses that can mostly be pinned on the bullpen. That’s not to say that Baz was great, because he wasn’t. But he provided 6.1 innings. And that’s not to say the offense had some incredible performance, because they didn’t. But they scored five runs and produced a lead late. The Orioles need to count of the duo of Garcia and Helsley to lock down those wins. It didn’t happen tonight.

There was good news buried within the loss.

Rutschman’s return was a welcome one. He instantly adds depth and credibility to the lineup. It also freed up Samuel Basallo to be a pinch-hit option late in the game. It turns out that when your best players are healthy, your team is more dangerous. Very interesting discovery, that is.

Mayo’s homer was awesome too. The young slugger still has some runway here while Jackson Holliday is out to figure things out at the plate. Could that dong be the first step? We sure have to hope so. The Orioles, as a team, need to be hitting more home runs. Mayo should be a reliable source of them.

Outside of that, it was just a tough loss to the take. Can’t dwell on it. Just go get the series win tomorow.

Speaking of which, he Orioles will wrap up this series, this roadtrip, and the 13-day run without a day off on Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City. Chris Bassitt (0-2, 6.19 ERA) will be on the bump to face Michael Wacha (2-0, 1.00 ERA). First pitch is set for 2:10 from Kauffman Stadium.

If only he were doing this in Queens.

Ronny Mauricio had a three-home run night for the Syracuse Mets on Tuesday in a 12-3 road win over the Worcester Red Sox. 

The three-homer night by Mauricio was the 17th time in franchise history a Syracuse player has done it and the first since Trayce Thompson homered three times in a game on May 17, 2024. 

It has continued Mauricio’s strong start to the minor league season. 

Not one, not two, but THREE homers for Ronny Mauricio @Mets | @SyracuseMets | @MetsPlayerDevpic.twitter.com/ata75CqorP

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 22, 2026

His first home run of the night came in the top of the fourth when Mauricio sent a blast to right-center field on a 1-0 slider from Red Sox pitcher Isaac Coffey. 

Mauricio hit his second of the evening when he sent a ball over the center field wall in the top of the fifth inning for a two-run homer that helped the Mets open up a 5-0 lead. 

Three innings later, he completed the hat trick when he sent another ball to center field, which struck a screen, to give the Mets a 12-1 lead. 

Mauricio now has five home runs in his last four games and six total homers since the start of the minor league season. 

The third baseman has 17 hits on the season, with 13 RBIs, five stolen bases and a batting average of .315. 

It’s been a wild ride to start the 2026 MLB season for Maurio. He was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse after a strong spring down in Port St. Lucie. 

The Mets then called him up on April 6 after Juan Soto was put on the injured list and the next day, he recorded his first career walk-off hit in a win over the Diamondbacks.

It was the Mets’ last win as the big club extended their losing streak to 12 games with a 5-3 loss to the Twins at Citi Field on Tuesday night. They have scored one run of less six times during that stretch.  

Mauricio was optioned back to Syracuse on April 13 in order to make room for Tommy Pham on the MLB roster.

It’s another Tuesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents nd Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us. New friends or old, all are welcome. The dress code is casual. We’ve still got a few tables available. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

The Cubs won their seventh-straight game, beating the Phillies 7-4. For all the early-season nail-biting, this team looks pretty darn good right now. Let us hope they stay that way.

Last night I asked you what the Cubs should do with Jordan Wicks after he returns from the injured list. The majority of you said “Leave him in Iowa” as 56 percent voted for that. Another 34 percent thought he should go into the Cubs depleted bullpen.

On Tuesday nights I don’t normally do a movie essay, but I always have time for jazz and that time is now. You can skip ahead if you wish.

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Today we’re continuing our series on Chicago jazz in anticipation of International Jazz Day in Chicago on April 30. This is Chicago’s own saxophonists Clifford Jordan and Von Freeman at the Chicago Jazz Festival in 1988. This sax battle features Willie Pickens on piano, Dan Shapera on bass and Robert Shy on drums.

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Welcome back to those of you who skip all that jazz.

Since Moisés Ballesteros, also known by the nickname “Mo Baller,” was called up to the majors for good last September, he’s done nothing but hit. So far in his career, he’s hitting .333/.405/,529 with five home runs in 39 games. When you throw out his numbers from his first stint in the majors last May, the numbers are even better.

This year, Mo Baller is hitting .378/.420/.600 with three home runs in just 50 plate appearances. I don’t need to tell you that’s elite production. Those are the kinds of numbers where you don’t care whether or not he ever learns to be a catcher. You just stick him in the lineup at designated hitter and let him do his thing.

The problem with this, of course, is that the Cubs aren’t just sticking him at DH and letting him do his thing. Ballesteros is being strictly platooned, playing only against right-handed pitching. So far, manager Craig Counsell’s strategy has been to start Ballesteros against right-handers and then pull him for a pinch-hitter (usually Matt Shaw or one of the other two catchers) if the other team brings in a left-handed reliever to face Ballesteros. Then Counsel goes to Michael Conforto as the DH if a right-handed pitcher comes in later.

So far, this strategy has worked. Saturday’s game was the best example, and I know some of you grumbled when Counsell pinch hit for Ballesteros in the sixth inning. Of course, everyone who did happily reversed themselves when Carson Kelly hit a pinch-hit three-run home run, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it was the right call in the situation. Sometimes in baseball, the wrong call works out and the right call fails.

So far, Ballesteros is hitting .405 with a .447 on-base percentage against right-handers and .000 with the same on-base percentage against lefties. Of course, that’s only three at-bats against lefties. Counsell has been pretty strict about not letting Mo Baller face a lefty.

Ballesteros has mixed success facing left-handed pitching in the minor league. Last year in Iowa versus left-hnaded pitching, Ballesteros managed to hit just .230/.296/.281 in 152 plate appearances. That would argue that Counsell is doing the right thing by sitting him. But in 2024, between Iowa and Tennessee, Ballesteros was actually better against left-handers than right-handers. He hit .302 with a .356 OBP against lefties in 2024 and “just” .285 with a .354 OBP versus right-handers. So there is some evidence that Ballesteros can hold his own versus left-handed pitching if given the chance.

Should Counsell let Ballesteros face more left-handed pitching? No one is arguing Ballesteros should be starting everyday, against both lefties and righties. At least not at this stage of his career. What I am asking is whether you think that Counsell should be less aggressive in pinch-hitting for Ballesteros mid-game. Letting him get some at-bats against lefties would serve two purposes. The first is that it would give him more experience facing lefties, which he needs if he’s going to be an everyday DH. The second would be that it would leave Ballesteros in the lineup for the late innings if the opposing team goes to an right-handed reliever later on.

Of course, the argument against this is that what Counsell is doing now appears to be working. Having Michael Conforto on the bench lessens the risks of pinch-hitting for Ballesteros.

So what would you do with Mo Baller? Would you let him at least get his feet wet against lefties? Or would you just stick with what Counsell is doing now? Again, we’re not asking if Ballesteros should start every game, just whether or not Counsell should not automatically pinch-hit for him mid game. Maybe get a rare start against a left-handed pitcher.

Thanks for stopping by tonight. We’re always glad to see you stop by. Please get home safely. Don’t forget anything around your table. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.

The Phillies have had their share of poorly pitched ballgames this season. While they have had games in which they’ve given up more runs, there’s a case that this was actually their worst pitched game of the season. The Phillies’ pitching staff gave up 12 hits, walked ten batters, and hit two others for good measure. The pitchers and the strike zone were not in sync all night. There were several instances in which pitchers looked either scared to throw a strike or simply had no idea where the strike zone actually was.

The only reason the game wasn’t more of a blowout was because Cubs left a staggering 17 runners on base. But that ultimately didn’t matter as the Cubs still scored enough runs to hand the Phillies a 7-3 defeat, their seventh loss in a row.

Jesus Luzardo got the start for the Phillies, and had a relatively uneventful first inning, giving up a mere single. In the second, he allowed two hits but stranded them both. Because he apparently likes patterns, in the third, Luzardo put three runners on bases thanks to two walks and a hit batter, but he once again was able to strand them all.

After stranding two more in the fourth, Luzardo put two runners aboard in the fifth. Rob Thomson decided that Luzardo had pressed his luck far enough and called upon Orion Kerkering to record the final out of the inning. Kerkering was notoriously bad with inherited runners in 2025, and that was again a problem on Tuesday night. He walked the first two batters he faced to put the Cubs up 1-0.

The Phillies had done little on offense up to that point, but when Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run in the sixth to make it 1-1, you might have thought it would be deflating for the Cubs.

Kyle Schwarber goes yard to tie the game in Chicago! pic.twitter.com/YE5oEHK7KN

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 22, 2026

Any deflation was countered by the ineffectiveness of Tanner Banks in the bottom of the sixth. Banks gave up three hits and walked two batters, and the Cubs went up 3-1.

Tim Mayza followed Banks, while he threw more strikes than the others, two of those strikes went over the fence courtesy of Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki, and the Cubs established a 6-1 lead.

The Phillies got two runs thanks to a Bryce Harper home run in the eighth, but Jose Alvarado handed one of them right back. Alvarado walked a batter, gave up two hits, threw a wild pitch, and then hit a batter before being pulled with what was reported as a back spasm.

The Phillies showed a little bit of life in the ninth. They got a few runners aboard, and Alec Bohm got one home on a sacrifice fly. They actually had the tying run at the plate in the form of Trea Turner. But anyone familiar with Turner’s game knew how that was going to go. Sure enough, Turner weakly popped up to end the game.

They’ll be back in action Wednesday night when Taijuan Walker will get the ball after an opener. While that doesn’t sound promising, the Phillies pitchers on Tuesday set the bar extremely low. Let’s see if Walker and company can clear it.

Pelicans pitcher Mason McGwire was named Minor League Pitcher of the Week. That’s for all the minors.

Catcher Owen Ayers was named Midwest League Player of the Week. He was also promoted to Double-A Knoxville.

For the second-straight week, Smokies right-hander Grant Kipp was named Southern League Pitcher of the week.

Corner infielder Cole Mathis was promoted from Low-A Myrtle Beach to High-A South Bend.

Shortstop Geuri Lubo was promoted to South Bend from rookie ball Mesa Cubs.

Right-handed pitchers Daniel Avitia and Connor Knox were both promoted to South Bend from Mesa.

Catcher Miguel Useche was demoted from Knoxville to South Bend.

South Bend third baseman Brian Kalmer was released.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were battered by the Louisville Bats (Reds), 10-3.

Starter Paul Campbell took the loss after getting knocked around for seven runs, six earned, on nine hits over 4.2 innings. He struck out two and walked one.

All three I-Cubs runs came on a three-run home run by left fielder Dylan Carlson in the fourth inning. Carlson was 1 for 4.

Third baseman BJ Murray went 3 for 4 with a double.

Right fielder Chas McCormick was 2 for 3 with a double and one run scored.

Carlson’s home run.

First homer of the year for Dylan Carlson!🚀 pic.twitter.com/opfIW9FGot

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) April 22, 2026

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were spotted by the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 4-0.

All four runs in this game scored in the top of the second inning off of Smokies starter Nick Dean. Dean allowed four runs on five hits over three innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Dawson Netz tossed three innings of scoreless relief, giving up just one hit and one walk. Netz struck out four.

DH Andy Garriola went 2 for 4 with a double.

Shortstop Karson Simas was 2 for 4.

Owen Ayers’ Double-A debut was rough. He was 0 for 4 with one strikeout, but the worst part was that he was called for catcher’s interference twice.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs slew the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 16-10.

Kevin Valdez started and put the Cubs in an early hole by surrendering five runs on eight hits over three innings. He struck out four and walked one.

South Bend fought back and took a 10-6 lead after scoring five runs in the top of the eighth. But Nate Williams came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and couldn’t retire a batter. So Ethan Bell relieved Williams and allowed two inherited runners to score, which tied the game up 10-10. But Bell got the win after South Bend scored six runs in the top of the ninth.

The final line on Williams was four runs, two earned, on three walks. For Bell, it was no runs on one hit over two innings. He struck out two and walked one.

Shortstop Miguel Olivo hit his first South Bend home run, a solo home run in the third. Olivo went 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored five times and drove in two.

Right fielder Kade Snell was 2 for 4 with a walk and three RBI.

Third baseman Matt Halbach went 2 for 6 with an RBI double and a two-run single in the ninth.

Left fielder Reginald Preciado was 2 for 4 with two walks and two runs scored.

First baseman Cole Mathis was 1 for 6 in his South Bend debut, but he hit a three-run double in the eighth.

Olivo’s home run.

Olivo leaves the yard!

It's the first High-A @hoosierlottery home run for Christian Olivo!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/fa7vR2zZJY

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 22, 2026

Mathis’ three-run double.

Cole Mathis, YOU are a South Bend Cub.

First High-A hit is a big one for the No. 14 @Cubs prospect!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/RBObWovMCv

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 22, 2026

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were hammered by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), 6-2.

Dominick Reid started for the Birds and took the loss after he gave up three runs on five hits over three innings. All three runs came in the second inning. Reid walked two and struck out one.

Right fielder Josiah Hartshorn was 2 for 5 with an RBI single in the seventh inning.

First baseman Michael Carico was 1 for 4 with a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base. He also drove in a run in the seventh with a single.

The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Pittsburgh Pirates scored one run.

Talk about branching paths.

With the Rangers holding a scant 2-1 lead with two outs in the top of the fifth and with two Buccos on the bags for Pittsburgh, Texas hurler Kumar Rocker was nearing that point in the game where he often runs out of bullets. It was at this moment that the fate of tonight’s game was basically decided in an instant.

You’ve heard AJM speak on the most momentum shifting play in baseball, the two-out, three-run home run. Well, Pittsburgh all but enjoyed such an occasion when Oneil Cruz sent one deep to left-center for what looked like his 7th dong of the year, a surely crippling shot.

However, Rangers center fielder Evan Carter sprouted wings and robbed Cruz of providing Pittsburgh with a 4-2 lead as the game was exiting the middle innings.

Evan Carter robs Oneil Cruz of a homer! 😱 pic.twitter.com/jneXDntom2

— MLB (@MLB) April 22, 2026

Who knows what could or would have happened if Carter hadn’t stolen from the Pirates in broad rooflight, right in front of their stunned bullpen.

Would Rocker have been lifted having disappointedly coughed up the lead even though he appeared on his way to a stellar start?

Would an already overworked bullpen be forced to continue eating more innings as this homestand begins?

Would the softer underbelly of the ‘pen be called in, potentially allowing Pittsburgh to blow the game open further?

Would the bats have stayed quiet with all the air squeezed out of the balloon on one swing of Cruz’s bat?

We’ll never have to understand the mysteries of that other universe as Carter showed us the newest most momentum shifting play in baseball.

Buoyed by Carter, the Texas lineup put together a three-run bottom of the inning to turn what could have been a 4-2 deficit into a 5-1 lead that would eventually become the final score. With the win, the Rangers begin their homestand and this series with a victory as they climb back over the .500 hurdle.

Player of the Game: While Carter certainly had the play of the game with his home run thievery, Rocker did collect 17 other outs during his six innings of one run work which deserves a hat tip.

The former Vandy first-rounder was aided by Carter, sure, but he also ultimately allowed just the one run on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts in his first Quality Start of the year and first big league start in which he made it beyond five innings since 6.1 innings against the Detroit Tigers in mid-July of last season.

Up Next: More Pirates and Rangers with RHP fellow Vandy Boy Jack Leiter next up for Texas opposite RHP Braxton Ashcraft for Pittsburgh.

The Wednesday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.

Box Score

The Milwaukee Brewers began a three-game series with the Tigers in Detroit on Tuesday night, and things couldn’t have gone much better for the Crew. Even after a few close calls on the pitching side early, the Brewers pulled away late with some insurance in the seventh before a big eighth inning to win 12-4.

With Keider Montero on the mound for Detroit, he started things off with a harmless inning, working around a two-out single from Jake Bauers. Lefty Kyle Harrison, making his first start in 10 days, hit Gleyber Torres with a pitch before a passed ball by William Contreras allowed Torres to move to second. Harrison settled in from there, recording a lineout from rookie Kevin McGonigle before getting Matt Vierling to fly out.

The Brewers put together some offense in the second, as Garrett Mitchell reached on an infield single (he was initially called out, but the call was overturned upon review), Luis Rengifo walked, and Sal Frelick singled to bring Mitchell in. David Hamilton followed with a bunt single to load the bases. After Blake Perkins struck out, Brice Turang singled home two more.

Extending the streak and driving in runs @BRiCEcTuRANGhttps://t.co/fI26baZDnzpic.twitter.com/of64I5GaEh

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 21, 2026

Turang found himself caught in a rundown between first and second, and Hamilton was thrown out trying to score as Turang tried to get out of the pickle. Contreras flew out to end the inning, but Milwaukee was out to a 3-0 lead.

Harrison allowed a pair of singles in the second but got out of the jam with a strikeout and flyout before Montero bounced back for a 1-2-3 inning in the third.

Harrison once again dealt with traffic in the third. After Perkins very casually robbed what would have been a homer by Jahmai Jones, Harrison allowed a two-out double to McGonigle before walking Matt Vierling. With Dillon Dingler — Detroit’s home run leader — representing the tying run, Harrison set him down with a strikeout to hold the 3-0 lead.

Very casual HR robbery by @TheBlakePerkins

→ https://t.co/68EQQYUZ6Zpic.twitter.com/nrjHx5LaYP

— Brewers.TV (@BrewersdotTV) April 21, 2026

For the fourth consecutive inning to begin the evening, Harrison dealt with traffic as he loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a single. That marked the end of the night for him, as he lasted just three-plus frames on 72 pitches, allowing four hits and three walks, striking out three. Grant Anderson took over from there and immediately got Javier Báez to roll over into a 6-4-3 double play, allowing a run to score but putting the Crew in a good position to escape with minimal damage. Kerry Carpenter pinch-hit for Jones and proceeded to strike out, as Anderson walked the tightrope to keep the lead at 3-1 through four.

Anderson also got the fifth inning, working around a single and recording another double play. Trevor Megill took over in the sixth and recorded a quick 1-2-3 inning as he’s looked much better in his last few outings after being demoted from the closer role last week.

You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned Milwaukee’s offense in a minute. That’s because while all of this was happening, they had four consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. That would continue with two outs — both hard-hit flyouts to the warning track — to begin the seventh as they stretched to 15 consecutive at-bats without reaching base, but Hamilton brought the streak to an end with a single.

Perkins followed with a walk, and after an E1 by reliever Enmanuel De Jesus on a pickoff attempt at second, Turang made him pay and singled Hamilton in to extend the lead to 4-1. Contreras then hit another run-scoring single to make it 5-1 before the inning came to an end on a Bauers groundout.

The Milwaukee Brewers are a two-out run machine@bricecturang x @Wcontreras42pic.twitter.com/PhLrwENhVG

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 22, 2026

Aaron Ashby took over for Megill in the bottom of the inning and worked around a pair of walks while recording two strikeouts.

Then things unraveled for Detroit.

Gary Sánchez started the eighth with a triple(!), just the fourth of his career and his first since 2024 (also with the Brewers). Not to be outdone, the rest of the inning went as follows:

• Mitchell triple (6-1 Brewers)
• Rengifo single (7-1 Brewers)
• Frelick walk
• Hamilton single
• Perkins hit by pitch (8-1 Brewers)
• Turang sac fly (9-1 Brewers)
• Contreras single (10-1 Brewers)
• Bauers double (11-1 Brewers)
• Sánchez groundout (12-1 Brewers)
• Mitchell groundout

Gary Sanchez 🤝 Garrett Mitchell

Hitting triples? pic.twitter.com/VkS6iBIDCF

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 22, 2026

With a 12-1 lead, Jake Woodford took over for Ashby to close things out. Joey Ortiz, in as a defensive replacement, had an error, but Woodford worked around it for a scoreless eighth.

The Milwaukee Brewers have batted around in the eighth 🔄 pic.twitter.com/is6bEBys6q

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 22, 2026

Detroit’s backup catcher, Jake Rogers, took over on the mound in the ninth and — after striking out Rengifo on a 61.5-mph eephus — worked around two singles for a scoreless inning.

The Tigers finally found some life in the bottom of the ninth, but it was a case of too little, too late. With two outs and a runner on, Wenceel Pérez and McGonigle both singled, and Vierling doubled to cut the score to 12-4 before Dingler flew out to end the game.

It was a strange night for the Brewer offense, as they recorded 16 hits (no homers, just three extra-base hits) and three walks wrapped around 15 consecutive outs in the middle of the game. Hamilton had his best game as a Brewer, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored. Turang went 2-for-5 with a team-high four RBIs, and Contreras, Bauers, and Mitchell each had a pair of hits.

On the mound, Anderson picked up the win as he went two scoreless innings, allowing just one of three inherited runners to score. Megill and Ashby each had a scoreless inning in relief, while Woodford had a scoreless eighth before slipping up a bit in the ninth, allowing three runs on four hits.

The Brewers are back at it tomorrow as they’ll look to secure another series win. Chad Patrick gets the start, with former No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize starting for Detroit. First pitch is at 5:40 p.m. CT.