CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 13, 2026: José Barrero #96 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during the third inning of a spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on March 13, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 7, Durham Bulls (Rays) 2
Norfolk scored the only win on the farm last night. José Barrero led the charge with a pair of home runs and a triple. He finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs and four runs scored.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand played the Robin to Barrero’s Batman. Encarnacion-Strand finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Ryan Noda and Bryan Ramos added the only other Norfolk hits.
Tides starter Nestor German matched Barrero’s big day with 10 strikeouts on the mound. German allowed one run on three hits and one walk over 4.1 innings. He threw 49-of-81 pitches for strikes.
After allowing 30 runs yesterday during a doubleheader, Chesapeake limited New Hampshire to only 12 runs on Thursday. Neither team scored in the first four innings, but the Fisher Cats sprung for six runs in the fourth. Baysox starter Evan Yates recorded only one out in the inning. He ended the day with six earned runs on six hits and six walks.
Frederick Bencosme and Douglas Hodo III cut the lead in half with RBI singles in the fifth, and Bencosme trimmed the deficit to two by putting the ball in play in the eighth. Unfortunately, the Fisher Cats posted their second six-spot of the day in the bottom half of the inning. Eric Torres and Christian Herberholz posted zeros, but Ben Vespi allowed the game to get out of hand with six earned in the eighth.
Tavian Josenberger plated two with a double in the ninth.
High-A: Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees) 5, Frederick Keys 2
Frederick starter Joseph Dzierwa took the loss after allowing three runs in five innings. Baltimore’s second round pick from 2025 surrendered a two-out, two-run single in the top of the first. He settled in with four scoreless innings, but he left after issuing a leadoff walk in the sixth. Dzierwa ended his day with only two hits allowed, but the four walks proved costly. Juan Rojas allowed the inherited runner to score.
Frederick struggled to get things going at the dish. Vance Honeycutt scored the team’s first run on a bizarre play in the fifth. With the bases empty, Honeycutt snuck a ball beyond a diving center fielder. Honeycutt slipped when rounding second, but the throw sailed over the third baseman’s head. Honeycutt came all the way around to score on a little league home run.
Honeycutt plated Ike Irish with a base hit in the bottom of the ninth.
Delmarva struck first when Stiven Martinez raced home on a wild pitch in the first, but Fredericksburg rattled off six straight runs. DJ Layton plated Martinez with a single in the sixth, but the Nationals tacked on two more to prevent things from getting interesting.
The Shorebirds managed only four hits in the game. Layton and Andrés Nolaya singled, Jordan Sanchez doubled, and Martinez tripled in the sixth.
Todd Kniebbe kept Fredericksburg off the board over the final 2.1 innings. Starter Brayan Orrantia allowed three earned over four innings, and Dalton Neuschwander coughed up five over 1.2 frames. Box scores
Friday’s Schedule
Norfolk: at Durham, 6:45 pm. Starter: Levi Wells (1-1, 1.26 ERA)
Chesapeake: at New Hampshire, 6:03 pm. Starter: Luis De León (1-1, 6.00 ERA)
Frederick: vs Hudson Valley, 7:00 pm. Starter: JT Quinn (0-0, 1.00 ERA)
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas speaks at a press conference on Friday, Jan. 23, 2025. (Emily Curiel/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The Kansas City Royals are 7-12 and just lost a heartbreaker to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon. Despite that, I imagine that there were still plenty of smiles at 1 Royal Way yesterday after the KCMO City Council passed a stadium financing ordinance that could provide up to $600 million for the construction of a new stadium in the “Washington Square Park/Crown Center area.” The vote passed 11-1-1. This vote was a big step for KCMO to keep the Royals in the city, but it’s just a step with more to come. This legislation authorizes KCMO City Manager Mario Vasquez to officially start negotiating with the Royals, as we see in Section 3 of the bill:
Section 3. That the City Manager is hereby directed to negotiate, in coordination with the appropriate agencies, a comprehensive lease and a comprehensive development agreement with the Kansas City Royals organization, developers, city incentive agencies, and other relevant parties for the development of a new stadium and team offices in the Washington Square Park/Crown Center area.
Kansas City Star reporter Dylan Lysen wrote a quality article on what this does and does not mean, and what steps are next:
It mostly sets up a general framework and roadmap for city officials to reach agreements with the Royals and other government agencies who would all be involved in bringing the stadium to life.
Getting the project any further along will not only require buy-in from the team and the state, but the City Council will also still need to approve any funding promises, a lease and other details at a later date before construction can begin.
The Royals seem pleased with the vote; they released a statement stating:
The Royals remain grateful for the work and attention of local leaders. We respect the process, which includes the City Council and Parks Board consideration, and the City Manager’s presentation of a term sheet for review and negotiation, with a long-term vision that we expect to include one of the largest private investments in Kansas City history. As always, our motivation is to find the best solution for our team, our fans, and our community. We’re excited by the possibilities this opportunity presents for our hometown
The team’s success in local politics did not translate on to the field, as the team lost 10-9 in a walk-off in Detroit. Lucas Erceg, who blew the save in the ninth inning, shouldered the blame for the loss:
“We finally turn the corner, and I just come out and blow the lead like that and lose the game. So, I feel like this loss is on me. But, then again, there’s always tomorrow. And I’m going to be ready for tomorrow. I hope that I’m in the same situation tomorrow night and get back to winning.”
For something more positive, Kiri Oler referenced a piece of literature I’d never heard of breakdown of Seth Lugo’s pitches that was way above my head but still an enjoyable read:
In defense of the hitters, Lugo gives them a complicated set of variables to consider during the small window of time allotted for a swing decision. He’s got seven(ish) pitches to his name, and they all make an essential contribution to who he is as a pitcher.
Maybe the Royals can channel the power of Mike Trout when they face the New York Yankees this weekend. The slugger hit his fifth home-run in the four game series at New York on Thursday.
Old friend Mark Canha has asked to be released by the Texas Rangers so he can pursue big league opportunities with another team.
Old friend Richard Lovelady has been acquired by the Washington Nationals from the New York Mets.
The San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds had their benches clear after the final out of the Giants 3-0 victory.
The San Diego Padres could be sold as early as next week that could approach a record $3.5 billion.
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach expects a lot of trades during the 2026 NFL Draft.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 16: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick (77) stands on the mound after pitching eighth no-hit innings to start the ninth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians on April 16, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Guardians got a big opening series win vs. The Orioles last night, featuring fans getting excited about Parker Messick and worried about Cade Smith.
Here’s Zack Meisel’s recap of the no-hit bid from Messick. He extolled Austin Hedges’ work behind the plate:
Stephen Vogt talked a little about Cade’s struggles:
“I think Cades still not 100% where he needs to be, and he knows that… their at bats off him tonight were unbelievable”#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt on Cade Smith’s outing#GuardsBall x @WEWSpic.twitter.com/2PUq0oF93z
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 16: Blaze Alexander #23 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts after striking out swinging during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 16, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Remember four days ago, when the Orioles were in first place? It was fun while it lasted. The momentum arrow has swung decisively downward since then, with the O’s suffering three straight losses to drop back under .500 for the season.
Last night in Cleveland, the Orioles didn’t just lose. They nearly ended up a patsy for their opponent’s bid for the history books. Guardians rookie Parker Messick, making just his 11th major league start, kept the O’s hitless into the ninth inning. The Birds were on the brink of being no-hit for the first time since Hisashi Iwakuma in August 2015. Messick is having a sensational year in the early goings, but the Orioles’ performance last night didn’t make fans feel much better about the erratic O’s offense thus far. John Beers recapped all the action, of which there wasn’t much.
If there’s room for positivity, it should be noted that the Birds put up a heck of a fight in that ninth inning. Leody Taveras broke up the no-no with a leadoff single, and three other Orioles strung together hits after him, plating a pair of runs as the Guardians were forced to turn to their closer, Cade Smith. In fact the O’s might well have tied the game if not for a game-ending diving stop at second base by Juan Brito that robbed Samuel Basallo of a hit. What a comeback that would have been. I suppose the Orioles already used up their “no hits for eight innings followed by an incredible game-winning rally in the ninth” magic on Yoshinobu Yamamoto last year. You can’t expect lightning to strike twice.
Perhaps that ninth-inning eruption can serve as a spark plug for the O’s offense to put up some runs for the rest of this series. At least they won’t have to worry about facing Parker Messick again (not until the O’s host the Guardians in September, anyway). Whatever it takes, it’s time to start stringing some Ws together. The Orioles have been hovering around mediocrity for a while now. If they’re planning to take a step forward, any chance they can do it soon?
Guardians skipper Stephen Vogt arranged a welcome-home prank for his BFF Craig Albernaz that poked fun at his diminutive stature. As someone who is the same height as Albernaz, I must object. I only sometimes use kid-sized furniture.
It’s been a steep fall for Chayce McDermott, one of the Orioles’ top pitching prospects a couple of years ago who’s now being shipped off for a DSL lottery ticket. Knowing the Dodgers, they’ll of course transform McDermott into an elite reliever.
Watching Rico Garcia pitch this year, you’d never believe that six teams gave up on him, including the Orioles themselves four years ago. Let’s ride this wave however long it lasts.
A bit of advice for the Orioles offense: next time, maybe start getting hits before the ninth inning?
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on this day: right-hander Logan Gillaspie (29), third baseman Craig Worthington (61), and catcher Dave Huppert (69).
On this date in 1965, in a game at Fenway Park, O’s starter Robin Roberts was knocked out of the game after just two innings, giving up five runs. He was replaced by a 19-year-old right-hander who’d signed with the Orioles as an amateur free agent the previous August. The youngster issued a pair of walks and threw a wild pitch but made it through two scoreless innings in his major league debut. His name was Jim Palmer, and one legendary, 19-year career later, he joined Roberts in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
And on this day in 1993, the Orioles somehow ended up with three runners at third base at the same time. With the bags full, Mike Devereaux hit a sinking liner to center that was trapped by the Angels’ Chad Curtis. Jeff Tackett, thinking the ball was caught, headed back to third base, while Brady Anderson jogged from second to third and Chito Martinez motored all the way over from first to third. The Angels tagged the three runners and easily completed a double play. (The only reason it wasn’t a triple play is because there was already one out.)
Random Orioles game of the day
On April 17, 1959, the Orioles beat the visiting Washington Senators, 4-3, at Memorial Stadium. O’s starter Milt Pappas went the distance, holding the Senators to three runs. The Birds trailed 3-1 in the sixth before Jim Finigan’s two-run single knotted the score, and the O’s took the lead in the eighth when Washington walked the bases loaded to set up a Gene Woodling sacrifice fly. A 22-year-old Brooks Robinson did not start but came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth.
Sep 10, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; General view of the helmet used by the Milwaukee Brewers before the start of the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The Brewers had a rough week, as they were swept by the Nationals and battled with the reigning AL Champion Toronto Blue Jays this week. They’re now back on the road, as they’ll head to Miami and Detroit this week.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.
Apr 15, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Bryce Harper (42) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Things are a bit tense in the Phillies fanbase. A series victory against the Braves would do a lot to remedy that. A series loss against them would do a lot to make things tenser.
It’s a three game series, so those are the only two options.
Free of charge for the discerning reader.Happy birthday toCap Ansonand a mighty host of others, plus more baseball stories, such as the first pro game, Jackie’s first hit, Sam Snead’s big hit, Mickey LOVED Washington, and the debuts of Clemente, Aparicio, Drysdale and Frank Robinson.
Today in baseball history:
1869 – The first professional baseball game ever played sees the Cincinnati Red Stockings defeat the rival Cincinnati Amateurs, 24-15.
1951 – Golf great Sam Snead tees off from home plate and hits the center field scoreboard at Wrigley Field before the Cubs’home opener. The Associated Press reports: “Sammy Snead settled a long-standing argument today over whether a golf ball could be driven from home plate over the towering scoreboard at Wrigley Field. It can, by a golfer like Sam. Wearing street clothes, Snead sent a ball zooming well over the scoreboard with a No. 2 iron after hitting the board with a swing with a No. 4 iron. Snead calculated the carry was 175 yards. The scoreboard rises 89 feet in the air some 50 feet behind the 400-mark on the centerfield wall.”
1974 – C George Mitterwald has a career day in leading the Cubs to an 18-9 win over the Pirates. He goes 4-for-4 with a walk, a double, three homers, and eight RBI. The next Cub catcher to hit three homers in a game will be Dioner Navarro, in 2013.
1976 – At Wrigley Field, Mike Schmidt leads a Philadelphia Phillies assault with a single, four home runs in consecutive at-bats, and eight RBI to overcome a 12 – 1 deficit after three innings and beat the Chicago Cubs in 10 innings, 18-16. The Cubs tie the game in the ninth after the Phillies have taken a 15 – 13 lead. Hitting .167 going into the game, Schmidt connects for two homers off Rick Reuschel, one off Mike Garman, and the last, a two-run shot off Reuschel’s brother Paul in the 10th inning. Schmidt also becomes the first National League player in modern times to hit four home runs in a row.
858 – Benedict III’s reign as Catholic Pope ends with his death.
1492 – Christopher Columbus signs a contract with Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I to find the “Indies” with the stated goal of converting people to Catholicism. This promises him 10% of all riches found and the governorship of any lands encountered.
1853 – US Marine Hospital at Presidio, San Francisco forms.
1860 – Champion of England Tom Sayers and American John Heenan fight a brutal 2-hour, 27-minute draw that ends only after police stop the fight near Farnborough in England, acknowledged as the first world title bout.
1875 – Modern snooker is invented by Sir Neville Chamberlain, a bored British officer in Jabalpur, India.
1993 – Two Los Angeles police officers convicted in federal court of violating Rodney King‘s civil rights and sentenced to prison, while two others are acquitted, leading to the L. A. Riots. When the riots ended six days later, 63 people had been killed, 2,383 had been injured, more than 12,000 had been arrested, and estimates of property damage were over $1 billion.
2015 – American jazz composer and saxophonist John Coltrane is awarded a posthumous Special Citation by the Pulitzer Prize board.
2015 – Marianne Winkler finds “message in a bottle” on the shore of the German island of Amrum; it had been dropped in the North Sea by British marine scientist George Parker Bidder on November 30th, 1906, making its length of time spent adrift 108 years, 138 days
KMOX’s pre/post-game host Matt Pauley sets the stage for us for the Astros upcoming weekend series vs. St. Louis.
Q: Is Jordan Walker now the face of the franchise?
A: Interesting question. I’m not sure I’d say he’s the face just yet, but his start to the season has been spectacular.
He was literally one of the worst hitters in baseball the last couple of years, and I’d heard from fans and they were ready to move on from him, but now seeing what he’s doing, it’s unexpected. Some felt even coming out of spring training that he should’ve been optioned to AAA Memphis.
On Monday night, he hit his 8th home run in the first 16 games of this season. The only Cardinals players to accomplish that feat in team history are Stan Musial, Mark McGwire, Scott Rolen and Albert Pujols. He’s in rare air.
Q: Did you think J.J. Wetherholt would be this strong defensively?
A: No, I didn’t. His reputation is being an incredible hitter, so to see what he’s doing, especially going to his left, he’s getting just about everything which has been a surprise.
Q: One of the worst words in sports is “rebuild”. Are the Cardinals fully immersed in that process?
A: This is the first true rebuild year. Prior, they were trying to serve two masters. Last year didn’t work.
This is the first time in a while that there’s been clear intention of what they’re doing. It doesn’t mean they won’t be competitive. I know in talking to you, you lived through it in Houston 15 years ago. That was a complete and total tear down.
Q: Who will we see in this weekend series for the Cardinals’ starters taking the mound?
A: It will be a mix of Kyle Leahy, who actually throws six different pitches. He has a nice repertoire as someone coming from the bullpen originally.
Andre Pallante last year really struggled. He’s added a changeup but struggled against Boston recently. You’ll also see Matthew Liberatore, who is the leader of the rotation. He was the opening day starter. They believe he can be the guy to lead this staff.
The Detroit Tigers are on a roll after a perfect 6-0 homestand that erased a five-game losing streak and put them over the .500 mark for the first time since late March. Next up on the agenda are the Boston Red Sox, who will host the Motor City Kitties for a four-game series at Fenway Park starting on Friday night.
The BoSox got off to a slow start to the 2026 campaign, dropping five straight after their season-opening win at the Cincinnati Reds, but have since earned series wins over the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. Boston enters the weekend coming off a series loss at the Minnesota Twins, but it did prevent a sweep with a win on Wednesday’s finale.
Opening things up on the mound for the Olde English D is right-hander Casey Mize, whose trademark splitter appears to be finally reaching its long-awaited potential. Opposite him is lefty Ranger Suarez, who has had modest success so far this season.
Make note that Friday night’s tilt will be broadcast on AppleTV, while Monday’s matchup starts at an eye-rubbingly early 11:10 a.m. ET.
Detroit Tigers (10-9) vs. Boston Red Sox (7-11)
Time (ET): 7:15 p.m. Place: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts SB Nation Site:Over the Monster Media: AppleTV,Tigers Radio Network
Game 20: RHP Casey Mize (1-1, 3.94 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suarez (1-1, 5.02 ERA)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 16: Jose Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees reacts to the loss to the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on April 16, 2026 in The Bronx borough of New York City. The Los Angeles Angels defeated the New York Yankees 11-4. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees wrapped up a four-game set with a split series on Thursday, dropping a game that spiraled out of control late and ended up an ugly 11-4 loss. Truth be told, the series ended in a split was extremely fortunate compared to how well the Yankees played this week, as their two wins were both ninth inning comebacks while their losses leaned towards blowouts. If it weren’t for the sleeper cell known as Jordan Romano, they could very well have been staring at a four-game sweep and the continuation of a nine-game losing streak entering this weekend — whether that’s looking at the glass half full, or realizing that they’re in the midst of a truly poor stretch of play, is up to interpretation.
While we wait for the team to retake the field tonight, let’s run you through what we have in store. Matt starts us off with a preview of the pitching matchups for this series with the Royals, and Sam takes us through what the rest of the league was up to on Thursday in the Rivalry Roundup. Jonathan celebrates the birthday of a man who left a legacy across multiple sports in Zack Clayton, Jeff takes the bottom of the lineup to task in examining the lineups struggles, and later in the day I’ll be back to answer your latest mailbag questions.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals
Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
Video: YES Network, Royals.TV
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Questions/Prompts:
1. Are you more annoyed that the Yankees let the Angels outplay them or relieved they somehow pulled out a split considering their play right now?
2. Is the rotation experiencing regression to the mean, or just going through a rough patch?
Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki walks back to the mound after a pitch during the third inning of Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Fans chanted his name. Teammates toasted his name. His manager deified his name, claiming he had just unleashed one of the greatest bullpen performances in baseball history.
Remember his first October appearance last fall, finishing the clinching game of the wild-card series against the Cincinnati Reds, one hitless inning, two strikeouts, everything disappearing at 100 mph out of this skinny kid’s right arm?
That was the beginning of the chants, arguably louder than for any other player in Dodger Stadium history, stronger than Moo-kie, deeper than Fred-die, chants thundering enough to seemingly be heard for a lifetime.
“Ro-ki, Ro-ki, Ro-ki!”
Remember what happened next? He finished off the first two wins of the division series against the Philadelphia Phillies amid a taunting mob in Citizens Bank Park, becoming the first pitcher in history to record his first two career saves in the playoffs.
Then, back home, he created what was, at the time, the highlight of the season.
With a depleted pitching staff needing him, with the Dodgers' teetering hopes balanced on him, Sasaki came through with three perfect innings to essentially win the clinching Game 4.
Remember this? He started his work in the eighth inning by blowing past Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm. He finished his work after the 10th by being hugged by jubilant manager Dave Roberts while still on the field.
The Dodgers won it in the 11th on that incredible throwing error by Phillies’ reliever Orion Kerkering and the rest is shiny blue history.
The Dodgers couldn’t have won the World Series without Sasaki and, judging from their reaction after that clincher against the Phillies, they thought they had found their closer of the future
“One of the great all-time appearances out of the pen,” said Roberts.
Fellow Dodger pitcher Tyler Glasnow went even farther, saying, “Since … coming in from the bullpen, he’s honestly one of the best pitchers I’ve ever seen.”
The highest compliment, though, was paid by teammate Miguel Rojas, who raised a post-game clubhouse toast in his honor.
He can’t find the strike zone. He can’t find his fastball. He can’t find himself.
He gives up five hits and five walks in four innings. He requires the use of four relievers. He is eventually saddled with an 0-2 record with a 6.23 ERA after piling up a 4.46 ERA in eight starts last season.
The fans faintly begin chanting his name, then their voices disappear into a hush. Nobody is coming to hug him. Nobody is coming to call him the greatest pitcher ever.
He’s no longer the benefactor of a toast, because he is toast.
Remember Roki Sasaki?
Not like this, you don’t.
The former star reliever has become their most embattled starter and one who has made the season’s first big move seem inevitable.
They’ve got to put him back in the bullpen, no?
They’ve got to put him back to where he found his greatest success, where his lack of a variety of pitches will not hurt him, where he can throw 100 mph for 20 pitches and save the team with his strength.
As last October showed everyone, the bullpen is where he belongs. The rotation, featuring budding star Justin Wrobleski, will survive without him. The bullpen needs him more.
Don’t believe the Dodgers’ public shrugs about the recent dead-arm condition of Edwin Díaz. Something was wrong. Maybe nothing serious, nothing long-term, but something was wrong.
You don’t bring in the highest-paid closer in history and then not use him in consecutive save situations unless something was wrong. You don’t have him throw a bullpen for Dodgers officials unless something was wrong.
That “something” may have already been fixed, as Díaz was available to pitch Wednesday after being sidelined for four days, but still. He could need help, and that is exactly what Sasaki offers and exactly what should happen.
C’mon Dodgers, send him across the field and into the left-field corner where he belongs.
Bullpen him, now.
“My goal is, kind of, go deeper in the game a little more,” he told the media Sunday through his interpreter Kensuke Okubo.
No, no, no. He doesn’t possess enough pitches to go deeper in games. He possesses just enough pitches — a fastball and a splitter — to last two innings, tops.
Look at this startling statistic:
In his first two innings of work, in three starts, he’s allowed zero earned runs.
In his other seven innings of work, he’s allowed nine earned runs.
Enough said. He’s a two-pitch pitcher who needs to be moved from the rotation into relief, and don’t think it hasn’t been done here before.
Eric Gagné made 48 starts from 1999 until 2001. At that point, the Dodgers decided he didn’t have the arsenal or attitude to be a starter, so they moved him to the bullpen.
He made 354 relief appearances without ever starting again, using his strength and skill and, yes, perhaps steroids, to convert a record 84-straight save chances while winning a Cy Young and coining the phrase “Game Over.”
Gagné was like Sasaki long before Sasaki. Even his entrance song, “Welcome to the Jungle,” matches Sasaki’s “Bailalo Rocky” with its ominous tones.
This is all so obvious, it’s a miracle the Dodgers haven’t put him in the bullpen already. But this is just the Dodgers being the Dodgers, an organization that puts the players first.
“We were just honest with him, that as things stood, the only real pathway … was in the bullpen,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters at the time. “But we wanted his full buy-in.”
Sasaki, who had mostly started while growing up in Japan, told the Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun he was “very hesitant” to make the switch but only agreed when the Dodgers promised it would be temporary.
“Because they will let me try to start again next season, it was a relatively easy decision to make,” he said.
Now it is the Dodgers who have the relatively easy decision. Sasaki will be upset, but the bullpen is surely a better option than an extended stay in Oklahoma City, where there are triple-A hitters whom he has already dominated. He’s too good for the minors. The problem is, as a starter, he’s also not good enough for the big leagues.
Into this limbo, the bullpen fits perfectly and if he’s unhappy, well, he was given a $6.5-million signing bonus to accept the ramifications of the following numbers:
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 14: Mitch Keller #23 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park on April 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the first group of MLB Power Rankings has been released, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are somewhere we are not used to seeing them: near the top.
Sports Illustrated has released their first MLB Power Rankings since right before Opening Day, and your Buccos are sitting pretty in fourth place. Here’s what SI has to say about our squad:
How about those Pirates?! After an uncharacteristic Opening Day meltdown, ace Paul Skenes has righted the ship for the Buccos, Braxton Ashcraft is quietly pitching like an ace and Mitch Keller continues to be a quality start machine. But it’s been the Pirates’ rebuilt lineup, led by an apparent breakout year from Oneil Cruz and hot starts from newcomers Ryan O’Hearn and Brandon Lowe, that has Pittsburgh residents already dreaming of the club’s first postseason appearance since 2015.
So while SI isn’t as presitgious these days as the power rankings on MLB.com, it’s nice to see Pittsburgh being recognized for their 11-8 start. Right now, that puts the Bucs on a 92-win pace, which is better than any of us predicted here on the staff. I think most importantly, baseball has been fun, which hasn’t been the case here in Pittsburgh for a while. I legitimately enjoy watching each member of the starting five, and now that the team is hitting the ball a little bit, it’s been a pretty good watch on that side of the ball as well.
Since I am an elementary teacher, I don’t usually get to games in person until the summer, so it would be nice for the games I attend to matter for a change. It’s been a while since the Bucs were still playing for something in June, July and August when I can actually go. Let’s hope the power rankings hold. Go Bucs!
MESA, AZ - MARCH 24: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Julia Jacome/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: The day after finding out Gerrit Cole is headed to Double-A to begin his rehab assignment, we got some details. Cole’s pitch count is expected to be in the mid-40s and the Yankees plan to build him to a “higher threshold” during his rehab then be conservative with him once he returns to the major leagues — so don’t expect to see Cole back in pinstripes after only a few rehab starts. He’ll make several but that kind of timeline dovetails nicely with the end of May or so. The Cole Train could be approaching the station soon.
MLB | Rhett Bollinger: Kids these days don’t understand how incredible Peak Mike Trout was. Or, before this week’s series at Yankee Stadium, they didn’t. The future Hall of Famer, whose career arc was derailed by injury, was absolutely in his bag against the Yanks: five home runs in four games, at least one in each. After he homered in his last game at Yankee Stadium last season, he’s now only the second player to homer in five straight games at the Stadium (joining Aaron Judge, who put his own power on display this week). He also joins George Bell, Darrell Evans, and Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx as the only players who’ve ever clubbed five round-trippers in a single series against New York. Good work. Now go away.
NJ.com: YES broadcaster Michael Kay is dissatisfied with the Yankees’ handling of Ben Rice in the early part of 2026. He decried what seems like a platoon arrangement at first base, pointing out that it’s depriving the club of one of its best bats. He’s also not convinced by the late game pinch-hitter argument. But Kay is no mere angry fan. He brings a possible solution with his complaint: get Rice ready to don the tools of ignorance. Having Rice backup Austin Wells would allow Paul Goldschmidt to start at first base against lefties while keeping Rice’s bat in the lineup.
The Athletic | Eno Sarris ($): This is perhaps not the most opportune time for this article to come out, considering Max Fried’s ugly start Thursday against the Angels. But we have a new set of Sarris’ pitcher rankings. All four Yankee starters appear, with two in the top 20. Fried lands at #6, with Sarris highlighting his pitch mix, velocity, and command. Cam Schlittler meanwhile, comes in at #20. Sarris’ Stuff+ model has been sold on Cam since last season and Sarris wraps up his thoughts on Schlitter with “Put the bubble wrap on him, this kid’s arm is golden.”
Ten years ago, Adolis García did not look much like the player Phillies fans see today.
Back then, the top Cuban prospect was listed at 6-foot and 175 pounds, still slight, and years away from becoming the broad-shouldered right fielder who now plays with the force and edge that earned him the nickname “El Bombi.”
In 2016, García was 23 and still trying to fulfill his dream of playing in the Major Leagues, where his brother Adonis was the everyday third baseman for the Braves.
That spring, after winning MVP honors during a Serie Nacional title run in Cuba, Adolis left his homeland for Japan and signed with the Yomiuri Giants. It was the first real stop of his career outside the baseball world he knew, and the adjustment hit him immediately.
“I went to Japan straight from Cuba,” García said through Phillies interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “At first, it impressed me because I didn’t know anything else from a cultural standpoint.”
But his game never clicked in Nippon Professional Baseball. García appeared in only four games for Yomiuri and roughly two dozen more in the minors before the club released him. He still points to that stop; however, as a turning point, saying he learned “discipline and work ethic,” which felt “completely new and different from what I knew at that point.”
For Cuban players of that era, the path to MLB was not a direct one. Opportunities to play abroad existed, and Japan became one sanctioned outlet for Cuban players. Others had made similar stops there. García, though, navigated it without any real connection to those paths. He was the only Cuban in the Yomiuri organization without a single familiar face.
Instead of returning to Cuba, García defected and went to the Dominican Republic, beginning the process of establishing residency as an international free agent.
García was living that uncertainty, three countries in one calendar year. In real time, though, looking back, he sees it simply as part of the process of becoming the player he aspired to be.
“I think it was all part of becoming a Major Leaguer,” he said. “From a work ethic standpoint, from a getting-better standpoint. So a lot of things to learn on that end.”
It also helps explain the way García sees the turbulence that followed.
The climb did not smooth out once he reached the United States. García signed with the Cardinals organization in 2017 and debuted in the majors a year later, but never found a real foothold there. He spent all of 2019 in Triple A, hit 32 home runs and still did not get recalled. After the season, St. Louis designated him for assignment.
Texas took a chance on him, but the COVID-shortened 2020 season limited his opportunities. Before the 2021 season, he was DFA’d again. García went unclaimed, received a non-roster invitation to spring training – where he’d rake – and broke camp with the Rangers’ big league club. His exceptional play that year earned him his first All-Star nod.
“I think from the moment that I started playing in the big leagues, I never had any doubt that I could do it, that I could be here,” he said. “Of course, slumps can happen, bad years can happen, everything that’s happened in my career can happen, but that’s just part of the process. So on that point, I’ve never doubted that I belong here.”
That level of confidence and passion was on full display two years later, when he became a playoff hero in Texas. He hit 39 home runs, drove in 108 runs and made his second All-Star team in 2023. He won ALCS MVP, playing his way into the spotlight of October as Texas charged to a championship, but setbacks returned.
This time, they were physical. His 2023 postseason ended with an oblique injury in the World Series.
In 2024, he dealt with a lingering left patellar tendon issue that required eight weeks of rehab after the season. In 2025, he suffered an oblique strain in camp, then ran into more injuries later in the year. Across those two seasons, he posted a weak .675 OPS. The Rangers non-tendered early this past offseason.
The 2023 version is what made him so appealing to the Phillies, though. And even with the recent struggles, they were still bringing in a right fielder who offers big power, premium defense with an elite arm. On a one-year, $10 million deal, the organization still felt he offered more upside than Nick Castellanos, whom they are paying over $19 million to play elsewhere.
It starts with the range. Last season, García posted 16 Defensive Runs Saved, the best mark among Major League right fielders. And this year in Philadelphia, he’s already tallied two outfield assists. His arm has been a huge difference maker — sitting at 94.2 mph on average, which ranks in the top two percent among outfielders. That alone gives the Phillies an element of the game they did not have at the position a year ago.
Offensively, the goal has been clear: get him closer to the hitter he was in 2023, before the chase rate soared and his plate discipline fell.
When García arrived at camp this year, the Phillies’ hitting coaches made clear in camp that they believed in his bat. He said the focus was on “a few tweaks and adjustments” — improving his pitch recognition, going after good pitches and building from there.
In 2023, García’s chase rate was 29.3 percent. By 2025, it had ballooned to 35.7 percent. This season, it is back down to 30.5 percent. His in-zone contact rate has jumped to a career-high 87.5 percent, and his hard-hit rate is running about three points higher than his 2023 numbers. All positive signs.
So far, much of his success with the Phils has come against left-handed pitching, something the club has struggled mightily against. He is slashing .333/.375/.462 in those matchups. He also leads the Phillies in multi-hit games.
“Ever since we had those conversations [in camp], I think we’ve had good results with it, and it’s just keep going forward with it,” he said.
Slight tweaks to his batting stance and hands early this spring have stuck. Adjustments are the common thread that have carried through García’s career. Both on and off the field.
When asked what keeps him grounded now, it’s not some elaborate routine. It is the path itself, and the people attached to it.
“It’s just thinking about my family and the long road that I’ve had all the way here,” he said. “I think that’s what keeps me focused — thinking about my family and just staying present in the moment.”
That road began in 2016.
Now it runs through Philadelphia, where García is trying to prove himself once again for a club with World Series expectations. For him, that’s familiar territory.
Apr 16, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) throws to first base during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
Ever since Artemis II launched a little over two weeks ago, I’ve felt an itch in my bones. The itch for Kerbal Space Program. I finally gave in tonight, while watching the Seattle Mariners get swept by their legally mandated rivals, the San Diego Padres. Tonight’s 5-2 loss comes on the heel’s of last night’s 9th inning disaster and puts a sour taste in the team’s mouth as they head back north. But whereas last night the Mariners were gallant right up to the bitter end, tonight’s game they were just goofus. It almost looked like the game of baseball was alien to them.
For those not in the know, in the video game Kerbal Space Program, the player takes on the task of guiding little green aliens to outer space using real rocket science and orbital mechanics. It is not an easy game, nor a simple one, but it is, and this is important, incredibly goofy. The rockets wobble and explode, the buildings burn, the satellites crash, and through it all the little green guys just keep smiling. And, in a strange way, I see either the Seattle Mariners in them, or Kerbals in the Mariners. Watch this old announcement trailer and see if you catch my meaning.
When Brendan Donovan led off the game with a walk, it was a nominal liftoff. And then he detached his boosters before they were out of fuel, and got himself picked off at first for the second out of the inning. Whoops. Later on, Luke Raley hit a nice line drive in the second inning, but activated the parachutes too early. So instead of banging a double off the wall, he allowed Fernando Tatís Jr. to make a shoestring catch to end the inning.
In KSP, the player’s main adversaries are two forces of nature: atmospheric drag and gravity. But for the Mariners, the padres have been playing so well and are on such a streak that they may as well be considered forces of nature, as inexorable as the force that guides the arc of a home run ball. Or in the case of the Padres, a bunch of annoying seeing-eye ground balls that get through for singles and score a run. But hey look! One of them hit a hot shot to Naylor at first! Now he can turn a double play!
Uh-oh, Josh dropped it. There he learned a valuable KSP lesson: you can’t go too fast too low. Just Josh rushing to transfer the ball while still in a crouch caused him to drop the ball, your rocket going too fast too low in the atmosphere is just going to waste fuel and produce unnecessary heating. In rocket science, just as in baseball, it’s often better to slow down, take your time, and take some of the (atmospheric) pressure off yourself. But because Josh wasn’t able to turn that double play and end the inning, one run scored directly, and then two more Padres came across the plate to make it a 4-0 ballgame.
Offensively, the Mariners looked a little lost at the plate, as if Walker Buehler’s sweeper was as incomprehensible to them as the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation. I mean, what part of Δu = Veqln (mf/me) − g0 ⋅ tb is hard to understand? The Mariners made two big threats. The threat in the 4th failed to even go suborbital as a pair of leadoff singles by Donovan and Raleigh were left stranded.
The threat in the 6th succeeded in breaking through the atmosphere, however. This time, after a pair of leadoff singles by Young and Donovan, Cal hit a line drive that made splashdown in right field and scored Cole Young easily. Now finally mortal, the Padres were forced to replace Buehler.
Julio followed up Cal’s Apollo mission with an Artemis mission, also hitting a line drive into right that scored a runner from third. Now, with runners on first and second with nobody out, then the bases loaded with one out, the Mariners were poised to finally enter orbit a tie or take the lead from the Padres. But then they ran out of fuel. Connor Joe pinch hit for Luke Raley and struck out on a high fastball, and J.P. hit a routine groundball to end the inning. There would be no orbit and, for the Mariners, no more spaceflights. They’d never get so close to the Padres again.
In fact, the Padres managed to rub some salt in the wound in the 7th when, with runners on second and third, Cole Young lost a pop up in the San Diego sky and dropped it, giving the Friars another run.
Mercifully, that inning, and the remaining two, were soon ended, completing the San Diego sweep putting the Seattle Space Program on hold. Perhaps its time to go back to the drawing board in the Vehicle Assembly Building and start over with a new design. Put Julio at first base. Make Cal pitch. Have George Kirby play shortstop. That’s the kind of thing I do in KSP when my rocket just flat out isn’t working. And you know what? It usually works.
The Mariners return home tomorrow for a 3-game set against the Texas Rangers. After also being swept by Texas a couple weeks ago, some wins against a divisional rival are exactly what this team needs right now. The most demoralized fans among you would say that beating the Rangers this weekend is a dream. But what can I say? I like to shoot for the moon.
