ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 14: JJ Wetherholt #26 (R) celebrates with Iván Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals after hitting a solo home run against the Cleveland Guardians in the third inning at Busch Stadium on April 14, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We all love the stock market, right?! Yeah, I figured that’s probably not true, but it is a good way to retire with a nice 401K plan. That mini-Econ lesson aside, we asked a series of Buy or Sell style questions to figure out our positions on certain players and circumstances in the Cardinals organization in our latest episode.
Kaden Joggerst, the human behind the viral @CardinalSTLMuse twitter account joined us to consider just how much of our stock portfolio we should be putting in JJ Wetherholt’s ceiling. We consider what type of sustained success it would take to get fans back to Busch in familiar numbers, ask whether Michael McGreevy can keep outpitching his batted ball metrics, and how to think about the Nathan Church – Victor Scott II situation.
As always, it was a fun conversation, and Kaden was a great guest. He was full of insight and maintained an interesting “buy or sell” portfolio over the course of the episode.
Also, from the whole Redbird Rundown team, the support for our show in the VEB community has been great. Thank you for listening! It would be fantastic if you could subscribe as you listen on your platform of choice!
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 03: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals reacts after he was called out after sliding into home plate during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 03, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Two weeks ago, the Royals had just lost their seventh straight game, it dropped them to 7-15 on the season. Now they just got done sweeping the Mariners in the Pacific Northwest with a 4-1 victory. The Royals wrapped up a 4-2 trip out west and are now winners in 7 of their last 9 contests. They are 15-19 on the season, and 2.5 games out of first place. They are 3-0 in the month of May.
After doing next to nothing through three innings, the Royals found themselves down 1-0. Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino hit back-to-back singles to start the 4th. Salvy got hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded for Carter Jensen with nobody down. Jensen worked back from a 1-2 count to earn an RBI walk to tie it up. Jac Caglianone was up next, and he hit into a forceout, making it 2-1.
Isaac Collins next, skied a ball into medium deep right center, Julio Rodríguez got underneath it and threw a three hopper to the plate, Salvy was initially called out, but empathically told the dugout to challenge, they did and Salvy was safe on a fantastic slide to make it 3-1.
Collins doubled off the center field wall to score Cags with two outs in the 6th, to make it 4-1 as well. For a guy that didn’t have a hit on the road on as of Tuesday, Collins swung the bat very well on the trip, even a good amount of his outs were hit hard.
John Schreiber started the 8th inning, he walked one but got a pair of groundouts as well. Daniel Lynch IV came in to face Josh Naylor with two outs, with a runner on first. He promptly struck him out on four pitches. Lynch stayed in for the 9th, striking out two more and getting a grounder to Vinnie to complete the sweep. It’s Lynch’s first save of the season, Bubic’s third win.
The Royals have a huge next 10 games, they open a seven game homestand against Cleveland tomorrow night, who they are 2.5 games back of at the top of the division, for four games. The Tigers are in town next weekend, and then it’s off to the southside to face the streaking White Sox for three games. A chance to gain ground and get some divisional wins awaits the Royals. The stretch starts tomorrow night at 6:40 p.m. CT, with Michael Wacha getting the start. The game can be streamed on Royals.TV.
For just the fourth time this season, the Mets won a series, as they beat the Angels by a 5-1 score in the rubber game of their series this afternoon in Anaheim. No matter what happened today, the Mets were destined to retain sole possession of the worst record in baseball come tomorrow morning, but a series win sure is a sight for sore eyes for a team that had won just three of its previous twenty games coming into the weekend.
Most of this game was close. The Angels opened the scoring on an RBI single by Jorge Soler in the bottom of the first, but that was the only run Clay Holmes gave up in six-and-two-thirds innings of work. He threw 99 pitches, struck out six, walked three, and gave up four hits, and he has a 1.69 ERA on the season.
The Mets took the lead in the top of the fourth when Mark Vientos hit a two-run home run. And while Vientos continues to struggle with routine plays at first base, his bat turned out to be the best one the Mets had on the afternoon.
After Carson Benge drove in an insurance run with a double in the top of the eighth, Vientos hit another two-run home run to extend the lead to four. And thanks to Luke Weaver throwing one-and-one-third scoreless innings in relief of Holmes before Luke Raley threw a scoreless ninth.
None of the Mets’ pitchers did it alone, as outfielder MJ Melendez and Carson Benge and shortstop Bo Bichette, who played just his second game this season at his old position, each made a great defensive play along the way.
When the game was closer in the early going, the Mets once again didn’t challenge a play that could’ve made a big difference in the game and looked like it would’ve easily gone in their favor. With a runner on first in the top of the third, Juan Soto hit a ground ball to first base that got stuck in the webbing of Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel’s glove as he went to make a throw to second base. He instead took off his glove and tossed it to Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz at first. He bobbled the glove as Soto crossed first base, but the first base umpire called him out.
Fortunately, that wound up being a moot point, and weather permitting, the Mets will attempt to win another series as they travel to Denver to play the Rockies in a three-game series that’s set to get underway tomorrow night.
Big Mets winner: Clay Holmes, +32% WPA Big Mets loser: Marcus Semien, -13% WPA Mets pitchers: +42% WPA Mets hitters: +8% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Mark Vientos hits a two-run home run in the fourth, +22% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jorge Soler hits an RBI single in the first, -9% WPA
The Mets won their first road series in nearly a month after taking two out of three against the Los Angeles Angels thanks to a 5-1 win on Sunday.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The first inning was an unconventional slog for Clay Holmes who needed 27 pitches to get through the frame which is the most he's thrown in any inning this season. Holmes allowed a run on Jorge Soler's one-out single after walking the first two hitters he faced and was in need of a double play to get through the inning. The ground ball pitcher, who surprisingly entered the game with just two double plays turned behind him this season, got exactly what he was looking for at the perfect time, getting Jo Adell to ground into an inning-ending double play and limit the damage to a run.
In need of a quick inning in the second, Holmes walked his third batter in the first seven hitters but managed to induce another ground ball double play, this one handled by Bo Bichette, making his first start at shortstop with New York, who stayed with it after it took a funky hop and turned two to get Holmes out of the inning after just 11 pitches.
From there, Holmes cruised through 6.2 terrific innings and retired 12 of the last 15 hitters he faced, helped out by a diving catch by MJ Melendez in the sixth and a leaping grab at the wall in right field by Carson Benge in the seventh. The last batter Holmes faced reached base on a throwing error by Bichette, but Luke Weaver entered the game and struck out pinch-hitter Yoan Moncada to end the inning.
Holmes' final line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K on 99 pitches (71 strikes) and he lowered his season ERA to 1.69, fourth-best in the majors.
-- Shut out for the first three innings against Jack Kochanowicz despite a few chances with runners on, the Mets finally got to the right-hander in the fourth and it was Mark Vientos who delivered the big blast, launching a two-run shot that went 427 feet and put New York ahead, 2-1.
Benge worked a fantastic eight-pitch walk in front of Vientos, his second walk of the game, that led to the home run and had a solid day at the plate, finishing 1-for-2 with an RBI double and two runs scored to go along with those two walks.
-- The Mets wouldn't score again until the eighth as their collective slump at the plate continued, including strikeouts by Juan Soto and Austin Slater in the seventh with a runner at second base and a chance to extend their lead. Soto went 0-for-5 with two Ks and was visibly upset with himself on a few of his at-bats.
-- New York finally got the insurance run (and a hit with RISP) it was looking for on Benge's double that drove in Brett Baty who led off the inning with a hit by pitch before advancing to second on Marcus Semien's groundout to the catcher. They got two more when Vientos smacked his second two-run homer of the game that put the Mets ahead, 5-1.
-- After hitting a double on Saturday night, Vientos has begun to heat up and show off his power as his last four hits have been for extra-bases. He's now slashing .250/.297/.440 on the season and his four home runs are tied with Francisco Alvarez for the team lead.
-- Weaver turned in a good performance, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and Brooks Raley finished things off in the ninth as Benge made another incredible catch, this one diving to his left on a tailing fly ball.
Game MVP: Mark Vientos
The Mets needed a spark offensively and they got it off the bat of Vientos.
DENVER, CO - MAY 3: Starting pitcher Spencer Strider #99 of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 3, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After letting a sweep slip through their hands on Thursday, the Braves heaped another hurting on the Rockies, scoring 11 runs en route to a blowout win in Spencer Strider’s 2026 debut.
Let’s start with Strider, because besides “yeah this offense rules” and some interesting bullpen stuff, this game felt like a fait accompli at times.
To be candid, Strider looked about as off in this game as I’ve ever seen him. I’m sure Coors Field had something to do with that, but whatever the reason or reasons, it was kind of a nasty outing. Strider walked two in his first inning of work: the leadoff batter, and after a two-out bloop scored the game’s first run, another batter afterwards. Fortunately, he struck out two in the frame, so it wasn’t all bad, but it wasn’t great, either. The second was kind of the same: strikeout, single, walk, strikeout, walk. Things looked like they could get out of hand with Hunter Goodman at the dish with the bases loaded and a 3-1 count, but Goodman took a down-the-pipe 95 mph fastball and hit it deep but not quite deep enough to right for a loud out rather than something that could’ve busted the game open.
Strider didn’t really recover after that inning — the first batter he faced in the third (TJ Rumfield) took a low-in-the-zone 93 mph four-seamer and destroyed it 420-plus feet into right center. There was another strikeout and walk in the frame, but no more damage. And then, to start the fourth, Strider threw another 94ish mph fastball down the middle, which turned into a leadoff triple. It actually could’ve been a leadoff inside-the-park homer off the bat of Jake McCarthy, but McCarthy slid into third rather than picking up the windmill motion of his third base coach. After a final strikeout, Strider departed.
His final line was a weird one: a 6/5 K/BB ratio and a homer allowed in 3 1/3 innings. He faced 19 batters, and twelve had one of the “three true outcomes.” Put that together, and it wasn’t a heartening debut, adding up to a 7.95 FIP and 5.76 xFIP. Hopefully, his next effort at a place less challenging than Coors works out better.
When Strider departed, the Braves had a slim, 3-2 lead, but McCarthy on third was the tying run. In came Aaron Bummer to face the lefty-swinging Mickey Moniak, and three pitches later, Moniak jumped on a sweeper in the zone and crushed it for a no-doubter into right field to turn the game around. It was the third time in four games that Bummer had allowed a homer. I’m not sure if he’s still recovering from his shoulder woes of last year, or if it’s just his time to drop off the aging cliff, but the Braves might want to look into something where he gets a breather, because this is pretty brutal, and it’s not like he was pitching that well before the homers began, either.
Okay, time to talk about the offense. The offense was at Coors Field, and it was great, so put those together and it was a painful afternoon to pitch to them, as it has been throughout this series. The damage came from sources both likely and unlikely, through the whole affair.
The second inning started with a leadoff double from Matt Olson. Kyle Freeland struck out both Austin Riley and Eli White, but Jonah Heim found a hanging curve and smashed it 420-plus feet for a go-ahead no-doubter. On the very next pitch, Jorge Mateo turned on an inside fastball and yoinked it at 112 mph into the left-field corner for another dinger, making it 3-1 Braves. The bottom of the order stranded White after a leadoff triple in the fourth, but then got the lead back after Moniak’s homer in the fifth anyway: Drake Baldwin singled with one out, and Freeland walked both Ozzie Albies and Olson to load the bases. (I’m not sure why Freeland was pitching to the Braves’ lineup a third time through having already gotten thrashed by almost everyone in the lineup previously, but hey, thanks, Rockies.) I fully expected Riley to fall prey to the WPA vortex once again, but he actually “singled” on an 0-2 count by hitting a hard grounder that hit the third-base bag and spun in the air, allowing Baldwin to tie the game. Freeland then walked White to push the go-ahead run across, and after departing, Heim popped a sac fly off Antonio Senzatela.
Oh, but the Braves were nowhere near done. Albies added a two-out RBI single in the sixth, and then Olson doubled him home. There was more pouring on in the top of the ninth thanks to the bottom of the order once again: Albies walked, White singled, Heim doubled, and Mateo blooped another single to push three more across.
After the Braves went ahead 6-4 and chased Freeland, Bummer stayed in for the bottom of the fifth… but two grounder singles and a bunt chased him in favor of Didier Fuentes. This game was interesting because Walt Weiss didn’t do a punt (a la Carlos Carrasco/etc.), but instead went with his in-the-bullpen-right now arms, along with his primary relievers, as a mix-and-match that ultimately worked out. The Rockies got a sac fly and a groundout against Fuentes, who gave way to Lee in the sixth. Lee carved up the top of the Colorado order (nine pitches, two strikeouts, a groundout), and then the Braves inserted Reynaldo Lopez. The Rockies didn’t score on Lopez: weak single, walk, strikeout, groundout, and a hard liner flagged down in right field. Moniak crushed another monster homer in the eighth, this time off Tyler Kinley, but it came with two out and none on; Kinley otherwise struck out two in his frame.
Robert Suarez wrapped up the game despite the five-run difference. His inning included a weird play where Troy Johnston was thrown out after trying to extend a single into a double but then thinking better of it and retreating to first, where Ozzie Albies nailed him with a return throw. After a bloop single, Brett Sullivan lined out hard to Mauricio Dubon in center, and that was that.
It was kind of a weird game for the Braves — their pitching staff had a 13/6 K/BB ratio and allowed three homers while using seven different arms, but because the offense drew six walks and hit two homers of their own, it never really felt like the game was going to slip away. The Rockies maybe should’ve pulled Freeland earlier, but the Braves were feasting on pretty much every pitcher they saw, so it may not have mattered. Heim drove in five of Atlanta’s 11 runs; it remains to be seen whether the Braves retain him once Sean Murphy comes off the Injured List later on this road trip.
Sweep secured, the Braves will now continue westward to face the Mariners in Seattle on Monday night.
Sep 20, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) hits a one run single against the St. Louis Cardinals during the tenth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers continue their road trip to begin the week, as they’ll visit the St. Louis Cardinals for three games beginning Monday evening. The Brewers, who have taken two of three against the D-backs and Nationals in their last two series, are now 18-15 on the season, sitting in fourth place in the deepest division in baseball. Just above them in those standings are the Cardinals, tied for second at 20-14. The Cardinals had their six-game win streak — including a four-game sweep of the Pirates and two wins over the Dodgers — snapped on Sunday.
I already provided a more in-depth rundown of the Brewers’ injured list earlier today, but for the quicker version, read on. The big news here is that first baseman Andrew Vaughn should be back with the team for the first time since Opening Day as he finishes his rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville. Alongside Vaughn, outfielder Jackson Chourio was also expected to return Monday, but after he fouled a ball off his foot/ankle on Saturday night, that return may be slightly delayed. Regardless, we should see him soon. Jacob Misiorowski is the other big name to mention, as he exited Friday night’s win with cramps — he would be slated for the series finale in St. Louis, but the Brewers still have that spot listed as TBD. More on that below. Rounding things out: Angel Zerpa (extended absence as he weighs whether to undergo Tommy John surgery), Brice Turang (day to day after he was scratched with an illness on Sunday), Brandon Woodruff (right arm inflammation; should be back in a couple weeks), Quinn Priester (rehabbing from thoracic outlet syndrome), Christian Yelich (has begun running and hitting as he recovers from a groin strain); Jared Koenig (on a throwing program); Rob Zastryzny (playing catch again); Akil Baddoo (TBD, but no earlier than a June return). Oof.
The Cardinals have a much smaller injured list, as they’re only without outfielder Lars Nootbaar and right-hander Matt Pushard. Nootbaar underwent surgery on both heels and hasn’t appeared in a game this season. On the 60-day IL, he is eligible to come off the IL on May 24, with the team tentatively scheduling a rehab assignment to begin around May 10. Pushard is currently with Triple-A Memphis as he works his way back from right knee tendinitis that has kept him out since the end of March.
The not-so-heavy-hitting Brewer offense is currently led by Brice Turang and William Contreras, both of whom are close to batting .300 (.298 for Contreras, .291 for Turang). Tyler Black, who was recalled last week, has shined in six games with the team, hitting .429 with nine hits (four doubles) and seven RBIs over 21 at-bats. Jake Bauers and Gary Sánchez have provided the little bit of power Milwaukee has had, though they’ve both been sitting with five homers for a couple of weeks. Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, David Hamilton, Greg Jones, Brandon Lockridge, Joey Ortiz, Blake Perkins, and Luis Rengifo round out the offense, though two players will have to be optioned to make room for Vaughn and Chourio this week. As a team, the Brewers .239/.335/.354 (.689 OPS ranks 24th), with 22 homers (29th), 172 runs (eighth), and 38 steals (first).
Jordan Walker got off to a scalding hot start and leads the Cards with 10 homers this season, adding 27 RBIs, 27 runs, and six steals as he’s hitting .307/.373/.591. Rookie JJ Wetherholt adds seven homers, while Alec Burleson, Nathan Church, and Nolan Gorman have five homers each. The Cardinals also have a solid combo of catchers in Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés. Masyn Winn is the team’s starting shortstop, though he’s a defense-first player, with Yohel Pozo, Ramón Urías, José Fermín, Thomas Saggese, and Victor Scott II rounding things out. As a team, the Cardinals are hitting .241/.325/.403 (.728 OPS ranks ninth), with 44 homers (tied for fourth), 166 runs (ninth), and 26 steals (12th).
It seems like we haven’t seen Grant Anderson and Aaron Ashby quite as often in the last couple of series, but they still lead the Crew with 17 and 16 appearances, respectively. Abner Uribe, DL Hall, Shane Drohan, and Brian Fitzpatrick have also been solid recently, and Trevor Megill has improved drastically after a ridiculously cold start. Jake Woodford has served as a long-relief arm in a few of the Brewers’ blowout games this year, as he’s a former starter/swingman for these Cardinals. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.56 team ERA (fifth), including a 3.47 starter ERA (fifth) and a 3.67 bullpen ERA (eighth). They’ve struck out 309 batters (seventh) over 293 1/3 innings.
Justin Bruihl leads the Cardinals’ bullpen with 18 appearances, though he has a 5.29 ERA. Closer Riley O’Brien has been solid, with a 2.20 ERA and nine saves in 11 opportunities. JoJo Romero, George Soriano, and Gordon Graceffo have all been solid, while Ryne Stanek (7.71 ERA) and Matt Svanson (9.68 ERA) have struggled. Jared Shuster, who was selected and DFA’d by the Cardinals earlier this season, rounds out the bullpen after once again being selected on Friday. He’s made three appearances with a 3.18 ERA over 5 2/3 innings this season. As a staff, the Cardinals have a 4.54 team ERA (23rd), including a 4.27 starter ERA (17th) and a 4.92 bullpen ERA (26th). They’ve struck out 236 batters (last) over 307 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Monday, May 4 @ 6:45 p.m.: RHP Chad Patrick (2-1, 2.57 ERA, 4.33 FIP) vs. RHP Kyle Leahy (3-3, 5.52 ERA, 5.64 FIP)
Patrick continues to outpace his FIP, as his 2.57 ERA is nearly two runs lower than his 4.33 FIP through six appearances (four starts) this season. The former fourth-round pick picked up his second win of the year his last time out, allowing two runs on a hit and five walks while striking out five in a 13-2 win over the D-backs. He made three appearances (two starts) against St. Louis last season, going 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA and six strikeouts over 9 2/3 innings.
Leahy, who served as the Cardinals’ set-up man for the majority of last season, has transitioned into a starter this season. Through six starts, he’s an even 3-3, though he has a not-so-pretty 5.52 ERA and 5.64 FIP, striking out 22 over 29 1/3 innings. He picked up the win his last time around against Pittsburgh, allowing three runs on nine hits and striking out seven over 5 1/3 innings. He’s alternated wins and losses in each appearance this year, though, which means he’s due for a loss. In eight appearances (all relief) against Milwaukee, Leahy has a 3.65 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 12 1/3 innings.
Tuesday, May 5 @ 6:45 p.m.: RHP Brandon Sproat (0-2, 6.75 ERA, 6.38 FIP) vs. RHP Andre Pallante (3-2, 3.73 ERA, 4.68 FIP)
It has been a rough start for Sproat in his first season in Milwaukee, as he has a 6.75 ERA and 6.38 FIP with 25 strikeouts over 26 2/3 innings. He made a pair of solid outings against the Nationals and Blue Jays a few weeks ago, allowing just two runs and striking out nine over 10 1/3 innings in those games, but he’s struggled his last two times out against the Tigers and D-backs. Against Arizona on Wednesday, he allowed four runs on six hits (two homers) and a pair of walks, striking out five in a 6-2 loss. This marks his first career appearance against St. Louis.
Pallante, 27, is now in his fifth season with St. Louis and his third as a full-time starter. After a rough -1.1 bWAR season last year, he’s bounced back to begin the 2026 season. Through six starts, he has a 3.73 ERA, 4.68 FIP, and 26 strikeouts over 31 1/3 innings. A former fourth-round pick, Pallante went six innings against the Pirates his last turn through the rotation, allowing one run on five hits and striking out six. A familiar opponent for Milwaukee, Pallante has made 15 appearances (three starts) against the Brewers, with an 0-2 record, a 5.06 ERA, and 19 strikeouts over 32 innings.
Wednesday, May 6 @ 12:15 p.m.: TBD vs. LHP Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 4.50 ERA, 5.84 FIP)
As I noted above, the Brewers haven’t yet announced a starter for Wednesday’s series finale, as this would be Misiorowski’s turn in the rotation. Miz exited Friday night’s game against the Nationals with cramping, but it seems more likely than not that we’ll still see him in this one. If that is the case, I’ll note that Miz had his best stuff in his last outing, striking out eight and allowing no hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings in the win over Washington. He made three starts against St. Louis last year (including his MLB debut), going 1-1 with a 3.95 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings.
Liberatore, 26, is also in his fifth season with the Cardinals. He made 29 starts with a 4.21 ERA a year ago, and he looks to be on track for a similar season in 2026. Through seven starts, he has a 4.50 ERA, 5.84 FIP, and 23 strikeouts over 36 innings. He picked up the win in Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers, going 5 2/3 innings with two runs allowed on five hits and a pair of walks, striking out four. Liberatore has made 11 appearances (four starts) against Milwaukee for his career, with a 4-0 record, a 1.26 ERA, and 31 strikeouts over 28 2/3 innings.
How to Watch & Listen
Monday, May 4: Brewers TV and nationally on FS1; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Tuesday, May 5: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Wednesday, May 6: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
The Cardinals have gotten off to a solid start thanks to a strong offensive showing across the lineup. I think the Brewers’ pitching staff can hold them, though, and the return of Vaughn (and maybe Chourio) should be big for Milwaukee’s inconsistent offense. I’ll take the Crew to win two of three.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 02: A general view of Comerica Park before a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers on May 02, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Yankees appear to have dodged a massive bullet.
Ben Rice is feeling better after leaving Sunday's win over the Orioles with a left hand contusion.
“I feel good,” he said. “It’s a little sore, but should be alright.”
Rice suffered the injury when a Max Fried pickoff caught him awkwardly on his palm in the top of the third.
“I read that the throw low, it was a little lower than I thought it actually was,” he said. “I went down quick like it was going be in the dirt and it kind of just stayed up at the end so I caught it poorly and it kind of hit me in the palm.”
The lefty took some practice swings in the on-deck circle and his hand started to feel better, but it didn’t feel great when he ramped it up towards game-speed.
He was replaced in the field by Paul Goldschmidt in the top of the fourth.
X-rays came back negative, but Rice and the Yanks are still unsure if he’ll play in Monday’s series finale, as they’ll wait and see how he feels in the morning.
Rice was sure to get in on the fun prior to the departure, though, retying Aaron Judge for the team-lead in homers before the captain took it back over a few innings later.
The 27-year-old also doubled down the third-base line in the bottom of the third.
NEW YORK, NY - APR 26: Derek Klena performs during a Savannah Bananas baseball game against the Party Animals at Yankee Stadium in New York, N.Y., on April 26, 2026. (Photo by Bryan Anselm For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! It was a big week for the Bombers, who finished up a road trip with three games in Arlington, hosted the Savannah Bananas at Yankee Stadium, and came back home for a weekend of Star Wars themed festivities with the Baltimore Orioles. How has social media reacted to all these shenanigans? Let’s find out!
Yankee Yellow
As the Yankees were taking two out of three games against the Astros last weekend, the Savannah Bananas were taking their show to the Bronx. Unlike last September’s Banana Ball weekend, this year’s show didn’t quite have as much craziness (at least, according to the Internet — I wasn’t there either time), although Monument Park honoree Tino Martinez did take an AB as a pinch-hitter. What more than made up for it, though in terms of social media was the sheer number of Bananas players who expressed their excitement for the chance to play at Yankee Stadium — including former Giants QB Russell Wilson — whose baseball rights are owned, as you may recall, by the Yankees!
The Bananas had a bit of fun with the fact that they were in New York, by having Derek Klena — who spent 14 years on Broadway — come in to pitch while singing “Phantom of the Opera.” Oh, the Genie from Aladdin showed up too.
Thank You, DJ
For the first time since the 2020 Major League Baseball season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, former Yankees leadoff hitter DJ LeMahieu took to Instagram. This time, it was to reflect on and express his thanks for his years in pinstripes. While officially speaking, he has not retired (he is still owed some $12 million left in the final year of his contract), this seems like a goodbye to the game — a feeling reinforced by the number of former teammates who commented on the post: Aaron Judge, CC Sabathia, Dellin Betances, Harrison Bader, Austin Wells, and long-ago Rockies pal Nolan Arenado, to name a few. Age and injuries might have caught up to DJ toward the end of this time in pinstripes, but there’s no denying that man was indeed an MVP-caliber threat and worthy of the “LeMachine” nickname.
The Yankees farm had two of my favorite moments this week, as George Lombard Jr. got promoted from Double-A Trenton to Triple-A Scranton, while Elmer Rodríguez got to make his MLB debut on Wednesday.
As happens when the Yankees win some ballgames, they passed the Game Belt around quite a bit this week. It really is fun to see the exchange progress from player to player, with the previous winner in the new photo, bestowing the honor on his teammate.
In a rapid-fire of summary of this week’s post, we’ve got Carlos Rodón advertising this year’s Willow Gala, Camilo Doval getting some throwing in, and Roger Clemens remembering his 20-strikeout game (even if it was as a member of the Red Sox), and the latest episode of Behind the NY.
This time around, the YES Network asked the Yankees which teammate would lose their hotel room key. Props to Cam Schlittler, who had the self-awareness to understand exactly why a whole bunch of teammates pegged him as the answer without a moment’s hesitancy.
Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field, Moisés Ballesteros homered and Michael Busch smacked a bases-loaded triple. That, plus six solid innings from Matthew Boyd, helped the Cubs to an 8-4 win over the Diamondbacks, a series sweep and their 11th consecutive win at home.
Arizona scored first, in the top of the second inning, their first lead of the series. Nolan Arenado doubled with one out and one out later, Gabriel Moreno smacked a home run for a 2-0 lead.
The Cubs chipped away in the second. After the first two Cubs struck out, Busch popped a ball into short center that dropped among three D-backs fielders. Those guys are likely going to be very happy to get out of playing outdoors in the wind. Busch’s ball went for a double.
Boyd then started setting down D-backs hitters. After a two-out double in the third, Boyd retired eight of the next nine Arizona batters he faced.
In the meantime, the Cubs extended their lead. Ballesteros drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, followed by Alex Bregman hitting a ground ball to third that wound up as a fielder’s choice when the throw to second was late. Then Ian Happ got a called strike three overturned [VIDEO].
Good call by Happ, and he wound up with a walk to load the bases.
That was Busch’s first triple of 2026 — he had five last year. More on the bases-loaded three-bagger from BCB’s JohnW53:
Busch’s bases-loaded triple was the Cubs 141st since 1901, only slightly more than one per season. It was their 74th at home and 61st at Wrigley Field. The previous one there was by Nico Hoerner, against the Padres, on April 25, 2023.
They have had two on the road since then, by Cody Bellinger at Philadelphia in 2024 and by Dansby Swanson at Colorado on Aug. 29 of last year.
They have been hit by 113 batters. Busch is the 92nd with one. Frank Schulte and Sammy Sosa hit four; Augie Galan, Ray Grimes and Ryne Sandberg, three.
Boyd completed six innings, allowing just the two runs on the homer. He got out of the sixth on a nifty play by Nico. Corbin Carroll was on first with one out, and he took off on a pitch that got popped into short right.
I think that one should end any concerns about whether Nico returned too quickly from the neck issue. That’s a really athletic play and he doesn’t do it unless he’s 100 percent.
As for Boyd, I thought he had a really good outing, the only real mistake the home run ball to Moreno. Boyd struck out five [VIDEO].
That’s about as close as you can get and still get a call overturned. Good call by the hitter. Maton got out of the inning by striking out Ketel Marte.
The Cubs put two more on the board in the bottom of the seventh. Happ led off with a walk, his second of the game. Incidentally, the two walks extended Happ’s on-base streak to 24 consecutive games. Seiya Suzuki followed with a double, with Happ stopping at third.
Hoby Milner threw a scoreless eighth and then Corbin Martin was summoned to finish things off. He did so, but not before issuing a walk and allowing a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Adrian Del Castillo. Here’s the final out of the game [VIDEO].
The game was pretty much well in hand, but after the home run, Craig Counsell got just-activated Daniel Palencia up in the bullpen and I am pretty sure he didn’t want to have to do that. I suspect Martin will be replaced on the active roster sometime soon, perhaps even tomorrow if there’s someone else at Iowa who could take that roster spot. As always, we await developments.
Aside from the ninth inning, this was another outstanding team effort, with guys stepping up who hadn’t done much the last couple of days. That’s always good to see.
One last note on the game from John:
Michael Busch’s three-run triple in the fifth inning completed a team cycle by the Cubs for the second day in a row. They had had only two in their first 31 games, April 22 and 24.
They won each previous game this year. They were 18-1 a year ago with a team cycle and 11-2 in 2024, for a combined 32-3 before today.
The Reds, Cardinals and Brewers all lost Sunday, so the Cubs, now 10 games over .500 at 22-12, lead the Cardinals and Reds by two games and the Brewers and Pirates by 3.5. Good times.
The Reds come to Wrigley Field to open a four-game series Monday evening, just the second series so far this year for the Cubs against an NL Central rival. Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs and Chase Petty will go for the Reds. Game time Monday is 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
iMay 3, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Roman Anthony (19) warms-up before batting against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Squandered is the word of the weekend. It means to waste resources or opportunities through negligence or inaction. In this context, it means leaving runners on base at seemingly every turn. The Red Sox pitched a really good game today. Ranger Suarez threw four shutout innings before leaving the game with hamstring tightness. Tyler Samaniego, Jovani Moran, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman kept the Astros off the board, too.
They played good defense as well, turning a few nifty double plays in the sixth and tenth innings to quell what looked to be big innings. Unfortunately, pitching and defense can only get you so far. The team left 13 runners on base and only managed to score a single run on the afternoon. Some of that was due to poor batted ball luck; Roman Anthony smoked the ball on multiple occasions but only had one hit to show for it, for example.
Winning 1-0 is possible, but it’s not possible to do consistently. The Boston Red Sox, as currently constructed, are going to continue having a hard time winning games. With significant injuries to the rotation, it’s going to be even harder. Astros win 3-1. We go to Detroit for a three-game set starting on Monday.
Three Studs
Jarren Duran
He hit a home run. That was pretty cool.
Roman Anthony
As I mentioned, he crushed a few balls and only had the one hit. He’s starting to get it in the air more, and the production should follow.
Ranger Suarez
His last two starts are a combined twelve innings of scoreless baseball. Let’s hope he isn’t on the shelf for too long with his injury.
Three Duds
Zack Kelly
Navigating the ghost runner in the tenth inning is incredibly difficult, and he was so close to doing it. Unfortunately, a two-run single in the tenth was the difference, and Kelly took the loss.
Caleb Durbin
He’s really great at third base, which only makes things worse, because if you point out how good he is defensively, you look like you’re coping for his lack of offensive ability. When I see “you”, I’m talking about me. Please start hitting, Caleb.
Wilyer Abreu
0-3, three strikeouts. He walked twice, but the Red Sox need him to drive in runs.
Jasson Dominguez hadn’t made much of an impact in his return to the Yankees, but the youngster finally broke through in Sunday's win over the Orioles.
Dominguez came into the day with just two hits over his first 13 at-bats of the season.
He grounded out in his first two plate appearances of the day, then was able to do damage in each of his next three.
The switch-hitting slugger doubled leading off the bottom of the sixth in a 3-3 ballgame, and scored the go-ahead run just two batters later on Ryan McMahon’s RBI single.
Dominguez helped pad onto that slim advantage two innings later, as he stepped up from the left-side of the plate and crushed a two-run homer to right-center.
He received another AB in the inning after the Yanks batted around, and came through again, this time delivering an RBI double from the right-side of the plate.
The 23-year-old finished the much-needed big day 3-for-5 with all three of his hits going for extra-bases, three runs driven in, and a pair of runs scored.
“When you have a game like that and help the team win, it’s awesome,” he said.
Perhaps the most encouraging part of Dominguez’s day was the fact that two of his three hits came from the right-side, which is an area of his game he’s been working to improve.
He hit just .204 with six XBHs as a righty all of last season, but showed tremendous progress to begin this year in the minors, and thus far has carried that over to the majors.
“I’ve been working for a long time on the right-side, so I’m glad it’s showing off,” he said.
“As I’ve always said, it’s his natural side,” manager Aaron Boone added. “When you see him hit and take BP, you can see it’s not an unnatural move -- I’ve always said it’s about reps, it’s about experience, but it’s good to see.”
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 3: Gabriel Moreno #14 of the Arizona Diamondbacks hits a two run home run during the top of the second inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 3, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is my first guest recap on this new (well, since last summer) format. Let’s see how this goes, a bit different than how I usually do things. Today it will be Merrill Kelly against Matt Boyd. One March 30th of last year, he went 5 innings and did not give up a run, but surrendered 4 hits and 3 walks against us. The Cubs bullpen then imploded. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI202503300.shtml Before that, he had been in the AL all of his career. I was surprised he debuted in 2015 when I looked. I guess it’s obvious which “League” I pay attention to.
The last few years I would have had confidence that Kelly would rise up and be the stopper, as it seems he has been so often for us. Today, I am not sure. Let’s see how this plays out. First pitch at 11:20 and per Snake Bitten in the GDT, “The wind is blowing out today towards right center, at 21 mph, and it’s gusting to 33 mph. It’s 55 degrees, with a humidity of 54%, and a chance of rain.”
I’ll be honest, I haven’t been able to watch any of the previous two games. For my lunchtime roll call, I am having brats with Don Franscisco buns, peanuts and Pringles with Coors. Might have some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream later.
The first offering to Marte from Boyd is popped up out of play, he would strike out on a 2-2 count. Perdomo next, bunts, but it rolls foul 3b side. He eventually popped up to Carson Kelly behind the plate. Corbin struck out to end it.
Merrill Kelly against Nico Hoerner to lead things off for the Cubs. He few out to Barrosa, the wind may have aided the distance of the fly ball, this should be fun. Ballesteros, the Cubs DH, singled in front of Gurriel in LF. Alex Bregman hits a ball that short hopped Perdomo a bit, but he recovered and was able to make a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame.
Second inning
Vargas leads things off and pops up the first pitch pretty much straight up and Carson Kelly gets it for the first out. Arenado on a pitch right down the plate doubles between LF and CF. Gurriel struck out. Gabriel Moreno takes a pitch up and away and sends it into the Wrigley Field bleachers! 2-0, Dbacks. Exit velocity 105 and distance is 427 feet. Probably wind aided. That was Moreno’s first home run of the year. Fernandez taps out to the pitcher, Boyd for a 1-3.
Let’s see how Kelly and the defense responds. Braodcast saying Kelly throws the changeup about 29% of the time, and he hasn’t had a feel for it this year. He strikes out Happ for the first out. Kelly is throwing pretty much all of his pitches and is looking good. Suzuki strikes out on a 94 mph fastball low and away. Busch pops up to shallow CF, too far for Perdomo and it bounces away from Barrosa, and Busch goes to 2B. Yet another probable wind aided thing this afternoon. It would probably have dropped either way, but still. Carson Kelly singles past a diving Marte into CF-RF, 2-1 Dbacks. PCA doubles to CF, Carson to 3B. It started well at least. Swanson, 0-2 swung at the first 2 that would have been balls low and away Merrill comes inside for a ball and Swanson strikes out on the next offering which was pretty much where the first two pitches were.
Third inning
Barrosa popped up to CF. So does Marte. Perdomo shows bunt on the first pitch like last time, then smacks the ball down the LF line for a double. They said it was 99 mph off the bat. Corbin Carroll hit a ground ball to Hoerner at 2B for the final out of the frame.
Hoerner leads off their half inning, ground to Perdomo on the outfield grass, jump throw and not in time to get him. Ballesteros hits the 2nd pitch he sees, and Kelly’s 40th, into the LF bleachers. It is now 3 to 2 Cubs. Happ, full count, flies out to Barrosa in CF. Suzuki lines the first pitch he sees past Arenado for a single. First pitch to Busch is away, Moreno held on to it for a bit like he wanted a call, but apparently not worth challenging. Busch with a 3-1 count now, and walks. Full count to Carson Kelly, with 2 runners on, hits a shot to Arenado for the final out. Merrill Kelly is at 63 pitches, after an 8 pitch first inning.
Fourth inning
Vargas leads things off by flying out to PCA. Arenado strikes out, Boyd’s 4th. Gurriel dumps a 2 out single to RF, that offering was Boyd’s 63rd pitch. Moreno grounds out to 2B to end it.
PCA leads things off by hitting a long fly ball to RF, but goes foul and then flies out to RF. Swanson lined out to Perdomo. Hoerner grounded out to 3B. Kelly only needed 6 pitches to get out of that inning.
Fifth inning
Fernandez struck out. Barrosa showed bunt, eventually lined out to LF. Marte grounds out to Swanson.
Ballesteros draws a full count and then walks. Bregman grounds it to Arenado, a bit behind the 3B bag and Arenado tries to get Ballesteros but he is safe. Two on and nobody out. Ryan Thompson has begun to loosen in the bullpen. Happ on a 2-2 pitch takes a pitch away for a called strike 3, immediately challenges. Not even close, call overturned, no idea what Doug Eddings saw. missed by about 3 inches. Happ walks on the next pitch to load the bases. Suzuki on a 0-2 pitch takes a pitch on the outside corner for a strike out, he challenges. This time the call is upheld. The bases are loaded with 1 out. Busch hits the first thing he sees, a 91 mph fastball right down the middle, to RF for a bases clearing triple. This inning wasn’t wind aided. That will chase Kelly, but at his pitch count it was inevitable anyway, Thompson now in the ballgame. Candiotti talking about how he sees some good signs from Kelly. Carson Kelly grounded out to Thompson and then PCA grounded out to Marte to end it. Thompson needed 4 pitches. The score is now 6-2 Cubs.
Sixth inning
The Dbacks have not been swept by the Subs since the 2015 season. Perdomo grounds out to Swanson. Corbin Carroll draws a walk, Boyd’s first of the afternoon. Vargas pops up to Hoerner, who started by the 2B bag but had to run a bit to catch it, he then doubles off Corbin at 1B. “That play encapsulates our road trip pretty well”- 1AZfan1
Brandon Pfaadt is now in the game for the Dbacks. Swanson full count, he walks. Hoerner pops up to Marte, as he throws the bat angrily. Bad bat, bad! The Cubs have a 4 run lead and Hoerner himself has a hit and run scored. Ballesteros hits a chopper past Pfaadt, Perdomo plays it but his only play is to 1B. Bregman popped it up to Vargas at 1B to end it.
Seventh inning
Phil Maton now on to pitch for the Cubs. Arenado grounds out to Busch at 1B, who tosses it to the pitcher covering for the first out. Gurriel singled to LF. Moreno hits one to deep right, caught on the warning track with soe difficulty by Suzuki. That definitely was wind aided. Fernandez hit by pitch on a 0-2 count. Barrosa takes a 3-2 pitch up, rung up, but immediately challenges. It’s over rulled and so he walks. Bases loaded for Marte. He struck out on 3 pitches.
Pfaadt still in the game. Happ walked. Suzuki doubled to LF. Busch flies out to Corbin, both runners advance and it is now 7-2 Cubs. Carson Kelly hits a ground ball past Perdomo for a single, Suzuki scores. PCS hitd s line out to Perdomo for the 2nd out. Swanson then grounded out to Perdomo.
Eighth inning
Hoby Miller in the game now for the Cubs. Perdomo grounds a 3-1 pitch to Hoerner at 2B for the first out. Corbin Carroll hits a tapper to the mound for the second out. Vargas singles past a diving Alex Bregman. Arenado hit a line drive right at Hoerner for the final out.
Pfaadt, still in there to start the inning. Hoerner splits Barrosa and Carroll in CF-RF for a double to lead things off. Ballesteros strikes out on a foul tip. Full count to Bregman, he walks, third walk issued by Pfaadt. Happ shattered his bat, Marte plays it almost on the outfield grass and tosses it to Perdomo can’t get Bregman. Everyone is safe. Sewald on to pitch, bases loaded, one out. Suzuki strikes out on 3 pitches. Busch, sees a pitch that almost got thrown to the backstop. Moreno looked like a short stop. Couple pitches later Moreno takes a pitch off his mask. Busch ends up striking out looking.
Ninth inning
The Dbacks game out ahead 2-0, and currently trail 8-2. Corbin Martin, former Dback patient, now on to pitch. First two pitches to Gurriel not even close. Overthrew the catcher to the back stop. Gurriel walks. Moreno pops up to foul territory on the 1B side, Bush goes after it and jumps over the tarp and of course can’t get it. Moreno strikes out on a pitch that would have been a ball. Fernandez pops it up for the 2nd out to 1B. Del CAstillo will bat for Barrosa. Gurriel takes 2B on a defensive indifference. Full count to ADC, he homers to straightaway CF. The wind blew that, but at least if wet something exciting at the end. Marte struck out to end it. Corbin Martin threw 26 pitches, 14 were strikes, unless I am reading this incorrectly.
Time of the ballgame 2 hours and 45 minutes, 35000+ at Wrigley. The Dbacks were 2-5 with RISP and left 6 on and had 4 runs on 7 hits. The Cubs were 4-13 RISP and left 10 on and had 8 runs on 12 hits.
Decent game day thread, 176 comments as of right now. Tied for most reccs was a comment I made, so I am awarding COTN to 2 people.
The Dbacks have an off day tomorrow and will be back at Chase Field to play the Pirates at 6:40pm. The preview person for that series will be DBE. Next Sunday’s guest recapper will be TheRealRamona against the Mets. Have a good afternoon.
Ranger Suarez throws a pitch during his May 3 start for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox’s nightmare season may have taken another unfortunate turn Sunday.
Starter Ranger Suarez exited in the fourth inning of the final game of their weekend series with the Astros with right hamstring tightness.
Suarez had thrown 70 pitches through four scoreless innings and allowed three hits before exiting the game.
The NESN broadcast appeared to catch the moment that he alerted the Boston coaching staff about the issue.
Ranger Suarez throws a pitch during his May 3 start for the Red Sox. Getty Images
Video showed Suarez walking off the mound into the dugout and telling pitching coach Andrew Bailey something as he went down the steps.
Suarez has had hamstring issues in the past, which included a 15-day stint on the injured list in August 2023 while he was with the Phillies and a seven-day IL stint when he was in the minors in 2018.
The left-hander entered Sunday off a start last week when he allowed one hit through eight scoreless innings in a win over the Blue Jays.
Suarez has made six starts this season and posted a 2-2 record, with a 3.09 ERA over 35 innings on the mound.
Ranger Suarez throws a pitch during his start for the Red Sox on May 3. AP
He hadn’t allowed a run in four of his past five starts.
The Red Sox signed Suarez to a five-year, $130 million deal in January after he spent eight seasons in Philadelphia.
The Red Sox have suffered quite a bit during the start of the season, having already fired longtime manager Alex Cora
They entered Sunday’s game with a 13-20 record and nine games behind the Yankees for the top spot in the AL East.
May 3, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda (8) celebrates a win during the tenth inning against San Francisco Giants at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images
Good teams win close games. The Rays are proving so far this season that they truly are a good team.
Today was another example. Not because every win has to be clean, or because the offense is turning games into batting practice. No, this one was proof in a much more Rays’ way. Tampa Bay beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 in 10 by collecting just enough soft contact, bunts, walks, defensive outs, and pitching to turn a game that could have slipped away early into a walk-off win.
Every little hit counts. Even the weird ones. Especially the weird ones.
That theme showed up immediately, and not in the Rays’ favor.
Rafael Devers doubled in the first inning on a ball that left the bat at just 59.1 mph, the kind of contact that makes pitchers stare into the middle distance and wonder what they did to upset the baseball gods. It was not crushed. It was just enough. One batter later, Casey Schmitt singled to center, Devers scored, and the Giants had a 1-0 lead early.
Rays starting pitcher Steven Matz, to his credit, did not let that strange little rally become something larger. Luis Arraez grounded into a double play to end the inning, and that mattered more than it seemed at the time. In a game where neither defense was going to create much margin for error, Matz keeping it at one run gave the Rays a chance to keep breathing.
The Rays had their own first-inning answer ready, or at least the beginning of one. Chandler Simpson struck out looking, but Junior Caminero singled and Jonathan Aranda followed with a ground-ball single of his own. Suddenly, Tampa Bay had two on with one out and a chance to erase the Giants’ lead right away.
Instead, Ryan Vilade struck out, and Jake Fraley lined out to right.
They needed more. That would become a familiar sentence throughout most of the game.
From there, the game moved into a middle-innings grind. Matz deserves plenty of credit for that. The Giants had found an early run, but Matz kept them from stacking anything on top of it and kept the game close enough for the Rays to eventually make their brand of baseball matter.
Tyler Mahle did his part on the other side, and then some. He gave the Rays very little room to operate. The Rays went quietly through the second, third, fourth, and fifth, with only a few flickers. Ben Williamson singled in the fourth, but Cedric Mullins popped out to end that. In the fifth, Tampa Bay went down in order. Mahle kept the Rays from ever getting into rhythm, and the 1-0 deficit started to feel larger as the innings passed by.
The sixth inning was the first real chance for the Rays to change the vibe. Aranda singled with one out, building on what would become a strong offensive day for him. Vilade reached when Willy Adames made a fielding error, putting two on. Matt Gage replaced Mahle, Jonny DeLuca came in to pinch hit, and the Rays had an opening.
DeLuca struck out. Williamson walked after the Giants lost an ABS challenge, loading the bases. Now the whole game was sitting there, waiting for one swing. Mullins hit a line drive to right, but it found a glove.
Bases loaded, no runs.
The Rays had already missed a first-inning opportunity, and now they had let another one pass but they kept on fighting.
In the seventh, the Giants threatened when Adames doubled with one out, but they could not bring him home. In the eighth, Hunter Bigge gave up a one-out double to Heliot Ramos, only to strike out Devers and Schmitt back-to-back. That sequence was crucial. The Giants had a chance to finally add the insurance run that would have made the Rays’ afternoon feel desperate. Bigge slammed that door shut.
Then, finally, the Rays started making the little things add up.
Ryan Walker entered for San Francisco in the bottom of the eighth, and Caminero walked. Aranda, once again, delivered, singling to center and sending Caminero to third. Aranda was the lineup’s pulse in this game, the guy who kept showing up when Tampa Bay needed a spark.
With runners on the corners and nobody out, Vilade dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Caminero scored head-first, beating the throw, Vilade reached, and the Rays had tied the game without a big swing. Just a bunt, some pressure, and a ball in the right place.
DeLuca followed with another sacrifice bunt, moving Aranda to third and Vilade to second. Now the Rays had the go-ahead run ninety feet away with one out. The small-ball machine was humming.
Then baseball proved it is truly a game of failure. Williamson lined a ball to third, and Matt Chapman turned it into an unassisted double play, catching Aranda off the bag to end the inning. He also caught Aranda in the back on a throw home that was not needed. Inning and rally over with the game tied 1-1.
Matt Chapman turns an unassisted inning-ending double play, but then drills the runner on an unnecessary throw home.
The ninth passed without a breakthrough, just a Hunter Feduccia single for the Rays as the game went to extras and gave Ian Seymour a chance to author one of the most important quiet moments of the afternoon. With the automatic runner on second in the tenth, Seymour retired Jung Hoo Lee, Drew Gilbert, and Eric Haase without letting the Giants move ahead.
That gave the Rays exactly what they needed, with a chance to win, with Chandler Simpson starting at second base, with Caminero and Aranda due up to hit.
The Giants intentionally walked Caminero, choosing to face Aranda. It made sense in the matchup logic of the moment, but it also meant challenging the one Rays hitter who had been making hits all day.
Aranda made them pay as he floated a single into right, Simpson came home, and the Rays had their 2-1 walk-off victory. The 200th walk-off in franchise history.
The Rays’ homestand continues on Monday as they start a series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Nick Martinez is scheduled to start for the Rays with a 6:40 PM first pitch.
