PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 08: Mark Vientos #27 of the New York Mets reacts during the game between the New York Mets and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Friday, May 8, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Julia Jacome/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mets defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 in ten innings in Phoenix, coming out on top of a pitchers’ duel in the desert.
The Mets and Diamondbacks traded solo homers in the second inning and the scoring came to a screeching halt after that. Mark Vientos launched a towering shot to left center in the top of the second off Ryne Nelson and the Diamondbacks responded via a Nolan Arenado blast off a Nolan McLean sinker in the bottom of the frame.
Both starting pitchers settled into a nice rhythm after that. Corbin Carroll made an excellent play up against the wall in right field on a deep Bo Bichette fly ball in the third that kept the Mets from building any momentum. But Nolan McLean put forth an incredibly strong effort, striking out six in six solid innings, yielding just the one run on three hits.
The Diamondbacks’ best chance to pull ahead came in the seventh inning against Luke Weaver, who entered the game in relief of McLean. The Snakes mounted a two-out rally against Weaver that began with a walk to Gabriel Moreno, aided by a smart challenge by Moreno on the second pitch of the plate appearance, which was called a strike, but turned out to be outside by a fairly significant margin. Jose Fernandez singled and then Jorge Barrosa walked to load the bases and put the go-ahead run 90 feet away, but Weaver escaped the jam, inducing an inning-ending ground ball off the bat of Geraldo Perdomo.
The Mets had a crisp defensive game and no play was better than the diving play by Marcus Semien to rob Arenado of his second hit of the night in the eighth. With two outs and the go-ahead run on first base, Semien laid out to quash the rally and help Brooks Raley through a scoreless eighth. Devin Williams followed with an impressive 1-2-3 ninth punctuated by a strikeout to send the game to extra innings. Meanwhile, the Mets’ bats were quiet against the Diamondbacks’ bullpen until the tenth when they finally broke through.
Mark Vientos got things started by ripping the first pitch he saw from Kevin Ginkel into left field to score the ghost runner Brett Baty and give the Mets the lead. Vidal Bruján then came in the game as a pinch runner for Vientos. Carson Benge followed with a ground rule double to left-center to score Bruján and extend the Mets’ lead to two runs. Marcus Semien kept the rally going with a heads up bunt single down the third base line; it was a perfectly executed bunt that caught Nolan Arenado unaware, as he was playing back. Ginkel then finally recorded the first out the inning via a strikeout of MJ Melendez and Jonathan Loáisiga came in the game. The Mets still seemed poised for a huge inning when Semien stole second base to put runners on second and third with still only one out, but then Francisco Alvarez hit a grounder back to the mound and Carson Benge was nabbed at home for the second out. And Luis Torrens grounded out to third to end the inning, but the Mets had their first lead since the second.
Tobias Myers came into the game in the bottom of the tenth tasked with protecting the two-run lead and successfully did so to earn the first save of his major league career. Myers retired the Diamondbacks in order, including two strikeouts to emphatically close the door on the Mets’ fifth victory in the last six games as they attempt to claw their way back to .500. The Mets will try for their third straight series victory tomorrow night with their ace Clay Holmes on the mound, facing off against the struggling Merrill Kelly.
Big Mets winner: Mark Vientos, +44% WPA Big Mets loser: Juan Soto, -14% WPA Mets pitchers: +68% WPA Mets hitters: -18% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Mark Vientos’ RBI double in tenth, +38.3% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Nolan Arenado’s game-tying home run in the second inning, -10.9% WPA
With the Mets and Diamondbacks tied at one apiece in the bottom of the ninth, Devin Williams came on and needed just eight pitches to push the game to extra innings.
New York’s offense had gone quiet since the top of the fourth, but they wasted no time cashing in their ghost runner, as Mark Vientos doubled on the first pitch of the 10th.
Carson Benge then continued his recent hot-stretch at the plate, tacking on a huge insurance run with a ground-rule double into the left-center gap.
With a two-run advantage and a low pitch count there had been some thought that Williams would come back out for the save, however, that wasn’t the case.
Carlos Mendoza instead called upon Tobias Myers.
“We talked about it,” the skipper admitted. “But then at the end with how much we’ve been using these guys so far this year, I just decided to go to Tobias -- but we did discuss it.”
And in the end, the decision paid off, as Myers needed just 10 pitches to set the Diamondbacks down in order in the bottom of the tenth and secure the victory.
It was a much-needed bounceback outing after the righty after he was knocked around by the Rockies for four runs in just 0.2 of an inning his last time out.
This was also Myers’ first career save.
“He showed the ability to bounce back,” Mendoza said. “I like his ability to throw strikes, I like the changeup against lefties, the fastball at the top, and he’s been really solid for us no matter what we’ve asked him to do.
“Whether it’s an opener, as a multi-inning guy, today getting the last three outs -- it was just good to see.”
Smokies catcher Owen Ayers (6) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and Birmingham Barons at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tennessee., on May 7, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/ News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Right-hander Frankie Scalzo Jr. was promoted to Triple-A Iowa from Double-A Knoxville.
I-Cubs catcher Christian Bethancourt went on the bereavement list.
Starter Doug Nikhazy didn’t fool anyone early, as he gave up two runs in the first on two solo home runs and four more in the second on a grand slam. But he settled down and pitched two more scoreless innings. His final line was six runs on six hits over four innings. Nikhazy walked three and struck out three.
Ryan Jensen threw the fifth inning and got the win. He allowed a two-out walk, but no other baserunners. Jensen struck out two.
Vince Velazquez came out to pitch the next three innings and allowed just one run from the sixth to the eighth innings. But then Velazquez came out to pitch the ninth. Then this happened.
The injuries just keep coming. Vince Velasquez was making his first appearance with the @IowaCubs since his outing at Dodger Stadium on April 25. He just went down in a heap after throwing a pitch in the top of the ninth. Immediately stood up and walked into the dugout.
So Velazquez ended up being charged with four runs on two hits and five walks over 3+ innings. Gabe Klobosits came on to relieve Velazquez and he allowed two inherited runners to score, one batter whose walk was charged to Velazquez to score, and two more runs of his own. But Iowa’s six-run lead in the ninth was enough to withstand a five-run top of the ninth.
Left fielder Owen Miller homered twice tonight. The first one was with two on in the fourth. The second one was a solo home run in the eighth. It was his first two home runs of the year. Miller went 3 for 5.
Center fielder Justin Dean connected for a solo home run in the fifth. Dean was 2 for 5 with a walk and two runs scored. The home run was Dean’s second this season.
Catcher Eric Yang also homered with the bases empty in the sixth, his second on the campaign. Yang went 1 for 5.
Third baseman Pedro Ramírez was 3 for 4 with a double and he was hit by a pitch. Ramírez scored twice and drove home one.
First baseman Jonathon Long went 3 for 4 with a walk. He scored two runs and had two RBI.
Shortstop Scott Kingery was 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored once.
The Knoxville Smokies swept a doubleheader from the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 8-1 and 3-2.
Brooks Caple had a strong Smokies debut, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings. Caple allowed two hits, walked two and struck out six.
Marino Santy took over for Caple in the fourth and got the win. Santy allowed one run on two hits over 2.1 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
The Smokies scored eight runs in this game on only one hit, thanks to ten walks, a hit batter and two wild pitches. At one point in the fourth inning the Smokies were winning 5-0 and being no-hit. But catcher Owen Ayers cleared the basses with a three-run triple, the only hit of the game for Knoxville. Ayers was 1 for 2 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored once.
In game two, Dawson Netz completely shut down the Barons for five innings. He gave up no runs and no hits. He did walk two while striking out six as he improved his record to 2-0.
Tyler Santana pitched the final two innings and the no-hitter was broken up with a leadoff single in the seventh. Santana ended up giving up two runs on three hits over two innings as he picked up the save. Santana walked one and struck out one.
Left fielder Jordan Nwogu had an RBI single in the third inning (where a second run scored on an error) and an RBI single in the fifth. Nwogu was 2 for 3.
Starter Kevin Valdez gave up two solo home runs to Bobby Boser. Otherwise, his final line was three runs on seven hits over 3.1 innings. Valdez walked two and struck out one.
The win went to Kenyi Perez, who relieved Valdez in the fourth. Perez faced six batters. Five of them he struck out. He walked the other one.
Ethan Flanagan was on the mound after that for a four-inning save. Flanagan allowed seven runs on three hits. He struck out five and walked one.
Left fielder Christian Olivo had a magic night in South Bend. Olivo was a perfect 4 for 4 with a walk and two home runs. The first one was a three-run home run in the fifth and the second one was a two-run blast in the sixth. Olivo now has four home runs this year. Olivo had six total RBi and scored three times.
Second baseman Alex Madera was 3 for 5. He scored twice and drove in two.
Right fielder Leonel Espinoza went 2 for 5. He scored once and had one run batted in.
Shortstop Ty Southisene was 2 for 5 with one run scored.
Dominick Reid turned in a dominant start. He allowed no runs on just one hit over five innings. Reid walked no one, although hid did hit two batters, and struck out six.
Daniel Avita pitched the next three innings and he permitted two runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out five.
The win went to Jordan Henriquez, who retired all six batters he faced in the ninth and tenth innings. He struck out four.
The Pelicans blew this game open with a four-run top of the tenth. Center fielder Alexy Lumpuy plated the automatic runner with a single. Lumpuy went 2 for 5 and scored once.
But the big blow in the tenth was a two-run double by second baseman Jose Escobar. Escobar was 2 for 5.
Both Pelicans runs in regulation came on solo home runs. Left fielder Darlyn De Leon homered in the second inning. He went 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.
In the third inning, right fielder Josiah Hartshorn cracked his fourth home run of the year. Hartshorn went 2 for 4. He was also hit by a pitch and stole a base.
Kaleb Wing’s second pro start didn’t go as well as the first. Wing took the loss after giving up three runs on four hits over 4.2 innings He did strike out eight and walked only two.
At this point, that’s good enough for the Giants, who staved off sole possession of the majors’ worst record Friday with a 5-2 win to start their series against the Pirates.
Robbie Ray walked four batters and was at 72 pitches through three innings, but the Giants’ starter buckled down to complete six frames.
Despite walking the bases loaded in the third, Pittsburgh’s only damage against the left-hander came on a solo shot from Marcell Ozuna.
Robbie Ray walked four batters and was at 72 pitches through three innings, but the Giants’ starter buckled down to complete six frames. APRafael Devers was the solo proprietor of runs for the home team until San Francisco finally broke through Getty Images
Rafael Devers was the solo proprietor of runs for the home team until San Francisco finally broke through for some insurance in its third scoring opportunity of the evening.
Devers’ fourth home run of the season — his second in as many games — matched Ozuna blast-for-blast to tie the score at 1 in the bottom of the second. He singled and scored in his next at-bat to give the Giants a 2-1 lead that would hold up for Ray’s third win in nine starts.
San Francisco added on to its advantage with three runs off the Pirates’ bullpen in the seventh. The rally was started by another slumping slugger, Willy Adames, who added a second knock for his second multi-hit game since April 17.
It proved to be necessary insurance as the Pirates plated one run and brought the tying run to bat in the ninth. Caleb Killian was able to get out of the jam to earn his second save of the season.
Devers’ fourth home run of the season — his second of the home stand — matched Ozuna blast-for-blast to tie the score at 1 in the bottom of the second. Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
What it means
Ray had been the recipient of some of the lowest run support in the majors (2.72 per game) but got more than enough against Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski.
With the Rockies’ extra-innings win over the Phillies, the Giants had to win to keep pace — with the second-worst team in the sport. Thanks to Colorado, San Francisco’s negative-42 run differential isn’t bottom of the barrel. That distinction belongs to the Phillies (minus-44).
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The further away from April the schedule moves, the more Devers is beginning to look like himself. The slugger has officially begun to come out of a season-long slumber over his past eight games, recording hits in all of them while batting .346 (9-for-26) with a 1.041 OPS.
The most encouraging sign might be the pitches Devers is doing damage against. Both his home runs this week have come against fastballs. Over the course of his hitting streak, Devers is batting 6-for-14 against the hard stuff, a vast improvement over his .269 start to the season.
“When he gets going, we start rolling,” Ray said. “If he’s feeling good in the box, if he’s taking at-bats like that, he can carry a team. It’s good to see.”
The five-spot represented one of the best scoring outputs for the Giants this season. AP
Who’s not
The five-spot represented one of the best scoring outputs for the Giants this season — only the second time in their past 10 games they reached that modest total.
But it was hardly an all-you-can-eat buffet for their bats.
Most notably: A group that has taken, by far, the fewest walks in the majors went its third game in a row without working a free pass from an opposing pitcher.
There have only been 12 such stretches previously in the bicoastal history of the franchise. It has happened just once — early on in 2009 — dating back to 1976.
The Giants will try to win consecutive games for the first time since the end of their last home stand. RHP Landen Roupp (5-2, 3.18) gets the ball against RHP Braxton Ashcraft (1-2, 3.02). AP
Still, San Francisco had no shortage of runners and still managed strand five on base.
The Giants haven’t done much hitting or running — last in the majors in both runs and stolen bases — but executed both at the same time to perfection in the third to give them runners at the corners. Luis Arraez rolled over into an inning-ending double play.
The following inning, Casey Schmitt and Devers led off with a pair of knocks, giving the Giants runners at the corners and nobody out. Schmitt was thrown out at home when he broke on contact on a grounder to third from Matt Chapman.
That was only the first out of the inning. The frame came to a close when Chapman, for no apparent reason, got caught between second and third on a single to center from Heliot Ramos. Devers, at least, was able to touch home plate before Chapman was tagged out.
Up next
The Giants will try to win consecutive games for the first time since the end of their last home stand. RHP Landen Roupp (5-2, 3.18) gets the ball against RHP Braxton Ashcraft (1-2, 3.02).
Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan delivers during the first inning of a 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Here an eight-figure salary, there an eight-figure salary, seemingly everywhere an eight-figure salary. There are not too many nights when you can point to a position and say the man playing a certain position for the Dodgers makes $17 million less this season than the opposing player at the same position.
This was one of them. The Atlanta Braves are paying Chris Sale, the nine-time All-Star, $18 million this season. The Dodgers are paying Emmet Sheehan a little less than $1 million.
You might not have bet on this outcome in the sports books or prediction markets: The Dodgers won.
Not because your home team has suddenly become a plucky underdog, even if the Braves (26-13) have a better record. The Dodgers (24-14) dented Sale for three runs in seven innings — one on a home run by Freddie Freeman ($27 million this year), one on a double by Kyle Tucker ($55 million), and one on a single by Shohei Ohtani ($70 million).
“I know the guys think a win is a win,” infielder Miguel Rojas said, “but knowing that we’re facing (the team with) the best record in the league now and those guys have been playing really good, the bullpen showed that they took the ball and knew what they were going to face.
“For me, it’s a pretty good win, because it tells us we are ready for the big picture.”
Two of the Dodgers’ pitching stars on Friday arrived in Los Angeles together, in a little-noticed trade that now stands out as one of Andrew Friedman’s most underrated. In the fifth inning, Alex Vesia relieved Sheehan and induced a two-on, two-out fly out from Matt Olson, who might be the National League’s most valuable player to date.
In the sixth inning, Kyle Hurt stranded two runners on base to complete a scoreless inning and lower his earned-run average to 0.90. In 2021, Friedman acquired Vesia and Hurt from the Miami Marlins for middle reliever Dylan Floro.
Dodgers reliever Kyle Hurt celebrates after striking out Atlanta's Mike Yastrzemski with two runners on base in the sixth inning Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“There’s just real confidence now,” Roberts said. “There’s always been talent.”
Will Klein, Brock Stewart and Tanner Scott finished off the Braves on a night the bullpen delivered 4⅓ shutout innings.
Vesia’s one-batter, one-out performance earned him his first victory of the season, with Scott working the ninth for the save.
Each team scored once in the second inning, with the Dodgers adding an unearned run in the fifth on the Ohtani single and a final run in the sixth on Freeman’s fourth home run — and first since April 6.
In 12 career at-bats against Sale, Freeman has two home runs. Teoscar Hernández is the only other player on the Dodgers’ current roster ever to homer off Sale.
For a left-handed hitter like Freeman, Sale combines a power fastball with a funky delivery.
Freddie Freeman, left, celebrates with Miguel Rojas after hitting his 100th home run as a Dodger on Friday against the Atlanta Braves. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“He’s probably the toughest lefty you are going to face in this game, as a left-handed hitter,” Freeman said. “He’s coming from behind you.”
It is not that Sheehan outpitched Sale. But Sheehan pitched well enough, against a very good opponent and a very good opposing pitcher, for the Dodgers to consider this progress.
“I thought Emmet threw the ball as well as he’s thrown the ball all year, as far as stuff and compete,” Roberts said. “What he gave us was what we needed.
“I think it’s something for Emmet to build on.”
Sheehan fired his fastballs from 94-96 mph in the first three innings, and six of his first eight outs were strikeouts. His fastball velocity dropped into the 92-93 mph range in the fourth and fifth inning, and four of his final eight batters reached base.
“I think it’s just being more consistent with my mechanics,” Sheehan said. “Obviously, trying not to think about that out there but, yeah, I definitely wish I could have held it a little better.”
Atlanta's Michael Harris II reacts after being tagged out by Dodgers catcher Will Smith on a throw from Teoscar Hernández in the fourth inning Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The line was good enough: one run over 4⅔ innings, with one walk and seven strikeouts. How long the Dodgers might stick with a pitcher with a 4.79 ERA could be determined by how long Tyler Glasnow stays on the injured list. Glasnow hit the IL Friday because of back spasms, so the question of whom the Dodgers drop from the rotation to make room for Blake Snell is moot for now. The Dodgers plan to activate Snell from the injured list Saturday and start him against the Braves.
The Dodgers hope to activate shortstop Mookie Betts from the IL Monday, and the question of whom the Dodgers drop from their roster could be determined in part by the status of Rojas, who left the game in the eighth inning.
Rojas slipped getting out of the batter’s box in the second inning and said he had “kind of a dead leg” sensation after being hit while taking a throw at shortstop in the sixth. He said he expected to be “fine” going forward.
Nolan McLean endured the shortest outing of his career, his last time out, lasting just four innings as he was knocked around a bit by the Los Angeles Angels.
The young righty was able to bounce back nicely Friday against the Diamondbacks, though.
McLean didn’t have his best stuff, but he still gave the Mets six solid innings.
“My job is to get as deep into the game as I can every time I go out,” he said postgame. “I was disappointed in myself last time not being able, so it was pretty important for me today.”
McLean worked around a two-out Corbin Carroll double in the first, but then served up a Nolan Arenado homer on just the second pitch of the bottom of the second.
The crafty right-hander found his footing from there, retiring the next six hitters he faced before hitting Carroll with a pitch leading off the bottom of the fourth. McLean immediately rolled a double-play, though, to put up another zero.
He was able to evade a walk in the fifth and then a single in the sixth, ending his night with just the one run allowed on three hits and a walk while striking out eight Arizona hitters.
“He was pretty solid,” Carlos Mendoza said. “He did a good job pacing himself -- the sinker was good when he needed it, the breaking ball, the sweeper, the curveball, and when he needed to let it eat, he put some on it with the velo.
“He found a way to give us six good innings, so pretty solid there -- just the execution, strike-throwing, the attack, the way he was using all of his pitches, he was pretty good today.”
The Mets' bats couldn't back him up, but they finally came back to life in the 10th to rally for the series-opening win.
May 2, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) during the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Dodger Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Braves over the years, and it continued to be so on Friday night as they lost yet again, 3-1. Atlanta had chances to score in seemingly every inning and just couldn’t get the big hit to swing the game. They ended the night 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position with 10 runners left on base.
Yikes.
The lone run came by way of an Austin Riley single up the middle in the second to score Michael Harris. It seemed like more could be on the way, but back-to-back strikes from Mike Yastrzemski and Jim Jarvis promptly ended the threat.
Shortly after the Braves took the lead, the Dodgers quickly responded with an RBI double from Kyle Tucker to tie it up. In the fifth, LA took the lead with a Shohei Ohtani single to make it 2-1. And in the sixth, Freddie Freeman homered to make it 3-1. And that’s all she wrote.
Chris Sale was really strong for seven innings; he deserved a better fate tonight. He struck out seven, didn’t walk anyone, and scattered five hits. One of the three runs he allowed was unearned as Jarvis uncorked a wild throw that ultimately plated the go-ahead run. Aaron Bummer threw a clean 8th inning against the top of LA’s lineup, an encouraging sign.
The series continues Saturday night and all eyes will be on Spencer Strider, who needed 80+ pitches in his season debut to record 10 outs. Strider will be opposed by Blake Snell, who may be a bit limited as he makes his season debut a little earlier than expected. First pitch will be an hour earlier at 9:10 p.m. ET.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 08: Manager Torey Lovullo #17 takes the ball from relief pitcher Kevin Ginkel #37 of the Arizona Diamondbacks during a pitching change in the 10th inning against the New York Mets at Chase Field on May 08, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game Summary
Let’s look back at another close loss for the 2026 Diamondbacks – or don’t and just skip straight to venting in the comments if you wish. For those of you still here, away we go.
Ryne Nelson put together his second straight strong start in May after scuffling through the month of April. He became the third of four Snakes’ starters to pitch into the 7th inning after Torey Lovullo pulled all of his starters into the office and told them they needed to be better. Well, the have been better. Much better. But Torey’s club has lost 3 of the the 4 ballgames since anyway. Tonight, Nelson was very efficient, sticking in and around the strike zone all night and finishing with 2 hits allowed, 7 strikeouts and a lonely walk to the last hitter he faced in 6.2 innings. Nelson’s one crime was a leadoff homer he allowed to Mark Vents in the top of the 2nd inning. After that, he was nails, including a run of 14 straight hitters retired before his walk with 2 outs in the 6th that ended his night. Nelly is looking much more like the pitcher he was for the bulk of 2024-25, which is great news for the 2026 D-backs.
The bullpen was also great, until it wasn’t. Juan Morillo and Brandyn Garcia put in excellent outings to keep the game in reach for the Snakes, but Kevin Ginkel came in for the 10th a gave up back-to-back doubles and a bunt single before finally getting an out before handing the ball to Torey. Jonathan Loaisiga promptly got 2 ground outs to end the frame.
Normally, 2 earned runs wouldn’t sink you, but the Diamondbacks offense right now is not normal. Tonight’s 1-run squeaker by the offense makes it 5 games in their last 9 in which they’ve been held to 2 runs or less. Unsurprisingly, they are 0-5 in those games. Nolan Arenado had a leadoff homer to match Mark Vientos in the 2nd, but after that, it was mostly crickets. They had opportunities, sure, but the good guys went 0-5 with RISP and left 8 on base. To be fair, Nolan McLean is a tough customer, but this is no longer a one-off. Hopefully the offense comes back to life soon, but as we Diamondbacks fans are conditioned to expect, when the offense figures it out, one of the bullpen or starting pitching – or both – will collapse.
Oh well. I’ll still be there to watch it all go down with you all here on the ‘Pit. The Waldschmidt era has arrived and Alek Thomas is out the door. I have a feeling that AT’s exit is only the first in a series of moves the D-backs will begin to make if they don’t figure things out quickly, overhauling much of the regulars we’ve had in the org over the past few years. Buckle up folks!
Loss Probability and Box Score
Outside the Box Score
After Gabi blew an ABS challenge on the first pitch of the game, Nelson came back and struck out Juan Soto on the next 3 pitches, culminating with a whiff on a 98mph fastball right at the top of the zone.
No bearing on the outcome of the game whatsoever, but a gentleman wearing a Dodgers hat caught Nolan Arenado’s home run ball in the third. He was clearly stoked about catching a home run ball. It’s great that no matter who your team is, catching a ball will turn you giddy.
DBacks fandom collectively held its breath at the end of the top of the third inning when Corbin Carroll made a fantastic catch fading/jumping into the right field fence. It looked like maybe his throwing hand was hurt since he was holding in close to his hip and then gave a little hop with a grimace as he ran back in to the dugout. Corbin had his helmet on in the dugout getting ready to hit the next inning so hopefully just a stinger that won’t cause any future issues.
Ildemaro Vargas made a very good diving play at second base to take a hit away from the Mets to lead off the fourth. He quickly spun around through to first while barely getting off the deck. Fernandez, for his part, did well to corral the throw far to the fair side of the bag and complete the putout.
The television broadcast showed a graphic during Corbin’s second AB of the game that showed the difference between his OPS in games the DBacks win vs. games they lose. His OPS is north of 1.300 in wins and around .400 when they lose, the largest gap in MLB so far this year. Corbin is our motor.
Ryne Nelson only had 64 pitches at the end of 5 innings. Looking extremely efficient, with only one 3-ball count through those 5 innings per the broadcast, and a Zone% of 58% (for comparison, Nolan McLean was at 49%).
Jose Fernandez was called out on strikes in the fifth on a curveball that looked pretty far outside, but already being down a challenge thanks to Gabi’s first pitch decision, made the decision to not risk the team’s final challenge at the halfway point of the game. Bummer as it would have brought up a full count with a runner on first and only 1 out instead of being the 2nd out of the inning.
Ryne Nelson owned Juan Soto all night long. 2 strikeouts and a lazy fly out and he didn’t look comfortable in the box all game.
The common refrain when something, anything, goes wrong for the Diamondbacks pitching late in the game, is that Torey was late with his hook for the pitcher. Tonight, he got up Morillo midway through the 7th and after Nelly had back-to-back full counts – with the second one resulting in a walk – Torey went out and got his starting pitcher after 6.2 stellar innings of work. Juan Morillo made quick work of Marcus Semien to strand the runner and, unfortunately, guarantee Nelson would get a No Decision for his work tonight.
Luis Torrens, the Mets catcher tonight, took a foul ball straight off the bottom of his mask from the bat of Jose Fernandez. He was down for several minutes and was clearly in pain based on his reaction to the Mets trainer prodding around his jaw and chin, but – as most catchers are – he’s tough as nails and got the mask back on got back behind the plate. I don’t know if I could mentally get through a full season as a Major League catcher. My hats off to them, that is a brutal position.
The Diamondbacks finally got to face someone other than Nolan McLean in the 7th inning, and the Rattle of the lineup went walk, single, walk with 2 outs to bring up Domo with a chance to put the Serpientes ahead for the first time of the night. Unfortunately, Gerry rolled over to first base for an easy out to end the threat.
Ryan Waldschmidt, fresh off the bus from Reno, came in as a pinch-hitter for ADC with 2 out in the 8th for his first AB in the Majors and spanked single that fell at the feet of Juan Soto for his first career hit in the Bigs. Congratulations on the first of many hits Waldy!
The Mets had runners at the corners with 1 out in the 10th and smartly had Semien steal second to remove the threat of the double play. Good thing for them as the next ball in play was a soft grounder right back to Jonny Lasagna, but since the Mets were running on contact, the Snakes got an easy out at the plate for the 2nd out of the inning and then Jonny induced a soft grounder to Arenado to finish the extra frame. Too bad it was 2 runs too late.
Comment of the Game
The GameDay Thread was very well attended with several topics touched on outside the ballgame (per usual). A final tally of 413 comments at time of publishing. Comment of the Game tonight is awarded to chwalter for this gem:
Coming Up
The Diamondbacks face the Mets for the second game of this 3-game set tomorrow evening with a 4:15pm first pitch televised on FOX. Righthander Clay Holmes (4-2, 1.69 ERA) will take the mound for New York and Merrill Kelly (1-3, 9.95 ERA) takes the ball for the good guys looking to show signs of life. Here’s to Merrill returning to his Mainstay form.
The Mets came alive late to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 in extra innings on Friday night at Chase Field.
Here are some takeaways...
- Nolan McLean was a bit shaky, but he rebounded nicely following the shortest outing of his career. The crafty right-hander was hurt by a solo homer leading off the bottom of the second, but was otherwise solid, holding Arizona to a walk and two other hits across six innings of work.
McLean struck out six batters on the night, including two in a strong final frame.
- Unfortunately for McLean, the Mets' offense couldn't get much of anything going against Ryne Nelson for the second time this season. Mark Vientos' solo homer in the top of the second was their lone tally on the board, which the righty followed by giving up a leadoff single in the third, then retiring the next 14 Mets he faced.
A Carson Benge two-out walk in the seventh ended that stretch and chased Nelson from the game.
- Vientos' homer continued a positive stretch at the plate for the slugging infielder after his dreadful spring training and start to the season. The blast that left the bat at a whopping 104 mph and traveled 401 feet was his fifth on the year and gave him seven RBI since the calendar flipped to May.
- Luis Torrens had a bit of a scare in the bottom of the seventh, as he took a 97.1 mph Jose Fernandez foul ball directly off the bottom of his catchers mask. The veteran backstop was visibly shaken up as he was checked out by the Mets' trainer, but he was able to remain in the ballgame.
- Back in Arizona, an amped up Luke Weaver easily retired the first two batters he faced. The right-hander allowed the next three batters to reach, loading the bases with two walks and a hit, but he was able to get Geraldo Perdomo to roll over to first to escape the jam with the game still even.
- Brooks Raley gave up a two-out pinch-hit single to Arizona top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt in his first career at-bat, but then was helped out by a terrific diving stop by Marcus Semien and Vientos scoop at first to end a scoreless eighth.
- Devin Williams made quick work of the D-backs in the bottom of the ninth, then the Mets' bats wasted no time cashing in the ghost runner in the 10th. Vientos laced a first-pitch double to bring in the go-ahead run, then Carson Benge followed that with a run-scoring ground-rule double of his own.
- New York wasted a first-and-third with no out opportunity to cash in more, but Tobias Myers was able to come on and needed just 10 pitches to lock down the first save of his career.
- The Mets improved to 5-2 through seven games of their nine-game road trip.
Game MVP: Mark Vientos
The red-hot slugger accounted for the majority of New York's offense.
May 8, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) scores during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
It was an electric night in San Diego as a brilliant start by Michael McGreevy and a “Little League grand slam” from JJ Wetherholt led the St. Louis Cardinals to another victory over the San Diego Padres.
It would be easy to start drawing some conclusions that are likely overreactions from Friday night’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres. Let’s start with the possibility that Michael McGreevy is the current ace of the Cardinals staff. He held the Padres hitless until the bottom of the 4th inning when Jackson Merrill managed a single off of him. It’s also probably too early to start thinking of the Cardinals as a team of destiny but there was another sign that might be the case based on what happened in the top half of the 5th inning.
For the first 4 innings, Ivan Herrera was the only Cardinal with a hit (and he had four of them on the night), but it wasn’t until the 5th inning that the Cardinals started mounting a serious threat (which they followed through on admirably). Masyn Winn singled to start off the top of the 5th. Nathan Church reached on an infield single and Masyn advanced to second. After Prieto struck out, Victor Scott II drew a walk to load the bases and that brought up JJ Wetherholt who did not disappoint. In typical JJ fashion, he did something productive that turned into a play that broke the game open. On the third pitch of his at-bat, he ripped a single to right field which went under the glove of Fernando Tatis Jr. and it was off to the races.
Technically, it was a single and a 3-base/2-run error, but for the rest of us, it was a Little League grand slam that gave the Cardinals a 4-0 lead with JJ getting credited for 2 RBI’s. St. Louis wasn’t done, either. Ivan Herrera snuck another single between third base and short followed by a double that was lanced down the left field line by Alec Burleson which advanced Herrera to third. Jordan Walker followed that with a nice 4-pitch walk to load the bases again and Nolan Gorman came through with a single to score Herrera that made it 5-0 Cardinals. Masyn Winn managed a sacrifice fly to score Burleson and make it 6-0 St. Louis. The Rally Dawg had to be proud of the Cardinals 5th inning.
The real story Friday night was Michael McGreevy. Six innings allowing just 1 hit and no runs with 9 strikeouts and just 2 walks is ace stuff. He did not allow the Padres to create any kind of momentum. Big offense from the Cardinals grabbed the headlines, but Michael McGreevy’s performance deserves its own standing ovation.
Gordon Graceffo pitched a solid inning of relief in the bottom of the 7th and also pitched the bottom of the 8th allowing no Padres baserunners. A nice bounce-back from his last outing. Ryne Stanek was brought in to close out the Padres in the 9th inning and he did it without drama giving Riley O’Brien a night of rest. Cardinals pitchers collectively threw a 1-hit shutout. Very nice.
Dustin May will get the Saturday night start at Petco Park for the Cardinals as he’ll do battle with Randy Vásquez who will take the mound for the Padres. First pitch is set for 6:15pm central time and the musical chairs broadcast schedule has the game being broadcast on Fox Saturday night.
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 02: Charlie Blackmon #19 and DJ LeMahieu #9 of the Colorado Rockies celebrate defeating the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in thirteen innings to win the National League Wild Card Game at Wrigley Field on October 2, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the first time in 15 seasons, second baseman DJ LeMahieu finds himself without a Major League team. After injury plagued 2024 and 2025 campaigns, the former Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner is a free agent.
LeMahieu, 37, spent seven seasons as the franchise second baseman for the Colorado Rockies. While donning the purple pinstripes he won three Gold Gloves, was a two-time All-Star, and even took home the 2016 batting title when he hit .348/.416/.495 while being worth 5.5 wins above replacement.
After the 2018 season LeMahieu left Colorado as a free agent and joined the New York Yankees. In the Bronx he won another batting title, two Silver Slugger Awards, a fourth Gold Glove, and made his third All-Star appearance.
LeMahieu has yet to officially announce his retirement and is still open to playing opportunities. In the meantime, he is exploring his next steps in his baseball life: coaching.
The Royal Oak Leprechauns, a collegiate wood bat team in LeMahieu’s native Michigan, have announced that LeMahieu will be the team’s manager for the 2026 season.
“DJ has been hands-on throughout the entire offseason, and that’s meant everything to our staff,” Leprechauns general manager Danny Weiss said Wednesday. “As he steps into the field manager role, that same commitment carries over to the players he leads. He cares deeply about building a culture players want to be part of — and that’s going to set the standard for everything we do in 2026 and beyond.”
LeMahieu has been a long-time financial backer and supporter of the Leprechauns.
With his move into managing, LeMahieu joins a list of former Rockies players who pursued managerial efforts after their playing career.
Former third baseman and current special assistant Vinny Castilla has managed in his home country of Mexico.
1993 Opening Day catcher Joe Girardi has been the skipper for the Miami Marlins, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies.
Former shortstop Walt Weiss managed the Rockies for a few seasons and took over for longtime Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker this season.
Plenty of other former Rockies over the years have pursued Major League or collegiate coaching careers after they hung up their cleats.
What current or former members of the Colorado Rockies do you think would make a good manager or coach? Let us know in the comments!
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 08: Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, May 8, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Derik Hamilton/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
For seven innings, the Rockies looked like they had finally found the easy version of a win.
Then the game lost its mind.
Colorado built a 6-0 lead, gave it all back in one disastrous inning, survived repeated late showdowns with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, and still found a way to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-7 in 11 innings Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.
This was not a baseball game so much as an emotional endurance test.
One night after a thrilling win, the Rockies delivered another chaotic, resilient performance. They are still flawed enough to create their own disasters. But increasingly, they are also showing they can fight through them.
Colorado improved to 16-23 with the win. Philadelphia fell to 17-22.
Dollander sets the tone
The Rockies scored first without a hit.
Jordan Beck walked to open the game, moved to second on a Tyler Freeman groundout, took third on a wild pitch, and scored when TJ Rumfield grounded out to first.
That was enough for an early lead.
Then Chase Dollander made it feel bigger.
The right-hander attacked Philadelphia with upper-90s and triple-digit velocity. He looked calm. He worked with traffic. He did not always command the baseball, but he kept the Phillies from doing much with it.
Dollander used six pitches, leaning mostly on his four-seam fastball and sinker while mixing in his slider, curveball, sweeper and changeup. The stuff was real. So was the occasional scattershot command. He threw 41 balls among his 89 pitches, which helped explain the five walks.
Still, Philadelphia managed only three hits against him.
His fifth inning was the best example. Bryson Stott drew a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position. Dollander fielded a soft comebacker himself, then struck out Justin Crawford and Trea Turner to strand him.
The sixth made the line messier. Schwarber punished Dollander’s first real mistake with a solo homer to right. Harper walked on four pitches. Dollander nearly limited it there, getting Adolis García to fly out and Brandon Marsh to hit into a forceout, but J.T. Realmuto followed with an RBI double to make it 6-2.
Jaden Hill entered and got Stott to pop out.
Dollander finished with 5.2 innings, three hits, two runs, five walks and five strikeouts. His ERA rose to 3.35.
For long stretches, Dollander felt like an ace, even if he did not always look as sharp as one.
The Rockies make contact count
Colorado broke the game open in the fourth.
Rumfield led off with a single. Hunter Goodman followed with the swing that changed the night.
Goodman’s approach is not subtle: he swings violently, and he swings often. But when he squares one up, the damage is immediate. Jesús Luzardo found that out when Goodman launched a two-run homer to make it 3-0, part of a 4-for-5 night that gave the Rockies damage and length in the middle of the lineup.
Brenton Doyle walked. Willi Castro reached on a bunt single. Kyle Karros ripped a two-run double. Ezequiel Tovar added a good piece of hitting with an RBI single up the middle.
Luzardo’s Jekyll-and-Hyde season continued. He struck out six through three innings. Then the fourth swallowed him whole. The Phillies left-hander exited after just three-plus innings, charged with six runs on six hits, three walks and a homer. His ERA rose to 5.98.
The Rockies struck out 16 times as a team. That is usually a problem.
On Friday, it was not the whole story. Goodman went 4-for-5 with a homer. Freeman and Castro each had two hits. Karros doubled. The Rockies stole four bases and kept adding pressure whenever the game gave them an opening.
Still, after Freeman’s solo shot made it 7-2 in the seventh, the offense went quiet for a while.
The game flips in the eighth
The warning came in the sixth.
Schwarber punished Dollander’s first real mistake with a 415-foot solo homer to right. It was loud. It was also survivable.
Brennan Bernardino had delivered one of the biggest outs of the night to end the seventh, striking out Schwarber with a sweeper to strand a runner and keep the Rockies ahead by five. Then Bernardino came back out for the eighth, and the game started to slip.
Harper singled. García walked. Marsh singled home a run.
Then Jimmy Herget entered.
For a moment, it looked like he might stop it. Herget struck out Realmuto for the first out. Then Stott doubled home two runs, cutting the lead to 7-5.
Then Crawford delivered the gut punch.
With two outs, Crawford hit a two-run homer to right-center. Tie game. The 6-0 lead was gone. The 7-2 lead was gone. Most of the good baseball Colorado had played suddenly felt very far away.
One inning changed everything.
Vodnik restores order
The Rockies had a chance in the ninth.
Brett Sullivan was hit by a pitch. Jake McCarthy entered as a pinch-runner. McCarthy stole second with two outs.
Freeman had the chance. He is a hitter the Rockies trust to put the ball in play. He fought through a tense at-bat, fouled off tough pitches, and then struck out. McCarthy stayed at second.
Every Rockies fan watched while gripping the couch. Victor Vodnik made sure they could let go for a moment.
Vodnik struck out Schwarber, got Harper to line out to left, then punched out García. That sent the game to extras.
Then he came back out for the 10th and did it again.
The automatic runner started at second. Colorado intentionally walked Marsh to create force plays. Vodnik got Realmuto to fly out, Stott to pop out, and Edmundo Sosa to line out.
After the bullpen nearly gave the game away, Vodnik gave it back to the Rockies.
The Rockies answer in the 11th
The Rockies did not fold.
After watching a six-run lead disappear, Colorado found another push in the 11th. Troy Johnston, pinch-hitting for Karros, ripped an RBI double into right field to score the automatic runner and put the Rockies back in front.
Inserted earlier as a pinch-runner, McCarthy had already stolen a base in the ninth. In the 11th, he delivered with his bat, lining an RBI single into center to score Johnston and extend Colorado’s lead to 9-7.
Extra innings do not offer soft landings, and Crawford immediately made sure the pressure returned. Crawford, the same hitter who tied the game in the eighth, singled to put runners on the corners with one out.
That brought up Schwarber.
The winning run. Just one easy swing and it is over.
This was the at-bat that could have flipped the whole thing again. Mejía did not pitch around it. He attacked Schwarber with power, reached back for a fastball above the zone, and got the Phillies slugger to check his swing at a pitch he could not do anything with. Strike three.
For seven innings, they looked like they had found the easy version of a win. Then the game lost its mind, and for a while, it looked like Colorado might follow it there.
Instead, the Rockies answered.
They survived the collapse. They survived Schwarber. They survived Harper. They survived themselves.
Up next
The Rockies will try to keep the momentum going Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
Kyle Freeland is scheduled to start for Colorado. He enters at 1-3 with a 5.04 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Philadelphia will counter with Aaron Nola, who is 2-3 with a 5.06 ERA and 40 strikeouts.
First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. MDT. After two straight chaotic wins, the Rockies will look to keep rolling in the second game of the series.
Sean Burke struggled early in a tough outing on Friday night. | MLB Photos via Getty Images
What appeared to be a pitcher’s duel between two young pitchers quickly turned into a game of “first to 10.” After sitting down the Seattle Mariners in order and going into the second inning with a lead thanks to another Munetaka Murakami tank, things quickly unraveled for the White Sox, as they dropped the opener of the homestand, 12-8.
A single and walk started the second inning before starter Sean Burke struck out JP Crawford but threw a wild pitch in the process. While he got Luke Raley to go down swinging, he walked another batter before hitting Cole Young to force in a run. Burke got out of the inning, but things didn’t get much better from there.
After the Good Guys went down in order in the second, Burke got two quick outs before the Mariners inflicted some major damage. Two quick singles and a walk loaded the bases before Raley strolled to the plate. He would not be made a fool twice and made Burke pay for a lazy fastball down the middle, swatting it over the fence to give Seattle a 5-1 lead.
In the past, a four-run deficit was enough to make the White Sox pack up their bags for Saturday, but this team is different. After Sam Antonacci brought in Tristan Peters on a single and two consecutive walks, Colson Montgomery came up to the plate. Montgomery did his best Lee Corso impression saying “not so fast, my friend” as his bases-clearing double tied the game at five heading into the fourth.
The bats for both teams finally cooled for a bit, as the next eight straight were retired before Julio Rodriguez left his mark on the game with a solo shot of his own to give Seattle another lead, 6-5. Thanks to Drew Romo’s ability to catch the Mariners stealing in a manner that would make Paul Blart blush, only one run crossed the plate as reliever Sean Newcomb was able to get out of trouble.
A leadoff double by Chase Meidroth in the bottom of the sixth put the Sox in a great position to equalize, but unlike Denzel Washington in any of the three movies, the White Sox couldn’t finish the job.
The stalemate continued into the top of the seventh when yet again the Mariners caused trouble with two outs. A single and a walk set the stage for Raley yet again, and he gave everyone in attendance déjà vu by mashing his second homer on another lazy fastball over the plate. Again, the lead climbed to four runs and this time, Chicago didn’t have enough in the tank to fight back. A Josh Naylor three-run homer in the eighth gave the Mariners a 12-5 lead and all but put the game to bed.
While the White Sox were able to put three more runs on the board over the final two innings, it was all for nothing as the Mariners held on for the 12-8 victory. In a game that saw both starting pitchers look incredibly shaky, it was the Mariners bullpen that outpitched their Chicago counterparts and escaped Rate Field happy.
May 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash (16) reacts during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
The Rays had an early opening against Connelly Early. Yes, the pun was sitting right there, and unfortunately so were three Tampa Bay baserunners in the third inning that got stranded on the best opportunity to score a run Friday night.
Tampa Bay opened quietly against Early. Yandy Díaz struck out after an ABS challenge overturned the original call, Ryan Vilade flew out, and Junior Caminero lined out sharply to center. Rays starter Jesse Scholtens had to work around a pair of first-inning walks to Willson Contreras on an ABS challenge and Wilyer Abreu, but he escaped with two popups from Masataka Yoshida and Trevor Story. Early baserunners, no damage. Fine enough.
The Rays had their first chance at runs in the second when Jonathan Aranda singled, but Jonny DeLuca, Ben Williamson, and Chandler Simpson could not advance him. At that point, Early still looked hittable. The Rays just needed to string together some hits.
That inning arrived in the third. Nick Fortes singled, moved to second on a disengagement violation, and Taylor Walls followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Then, Díaz was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with nobody out. This was it. This was the opportunity.
Instead, Vilade struck out. Then Caminero grounded into a double play on a chop to Caleb Durbin at third, and Marcelo Mayer helped turn it. Bases loaded, nobody out, no runs.
Boston made that hurt immediately. Scholtens retired the first two hitters in the bottom of the third, but Abreu jumped a low slider and sent it out to right-center for a solo homer. After the Rays failed to cash in their biggest chance, Abreu cashed in Boston’s smaller one. That was the difference in the game through three with the Red Sox up 1-0.
Early settled in from there. In the top of the fourth, he retired the side in order. In the bottom half, Ceddanne Rafaela added another solo homer, pushing Boston ahead 2-0. Scholtens was not bad; the sweeper that stayed up in the zone resulted in the second run allowed, and ultimately, all the scoring the Red Sox would get or need to win the game.
The fifth gave Tampa Bay its last real opening. Fortes singled again, but Walls and Diaz struck out. That was the Rays’ final hit of the night. From there, Early took control, finishing seven scoreless innings and turning the third-inning escape into the moment that got away.
Mason Englert kept the Rays alive after entering in the fifth with two on and two outs. Fresh off the 15-day injured list, he got Masataka Yoshida to pop out, then worked through the sixth after a Caminero error and the seventh after Jarren Duran reached third on a steal and a throwing error. Englert gave the Rays clean innings to keep hope alive, though the bats did not contribute.
Garrett Whitlock handled the eighth, and Aroldis Chapman took the ninth for the Red Sox. Caminero nearly opened the final inning with a hit, but Durbin made a diving stop at third and threw him out and robbed him again. Aranda and DeLuca struck out, and the Rays’ seven-game winning streak was over.
It was a clean, frustrating 2-0 loss built around one wasted rally, two Boston solo homers, and a lineup that went hitless after the fifth. Sometimes the whole game is right there in one inning, and sometimes one inning is all you get.
The Rays have a chance to start a new streak tomorrow at 4:10 PM with Nick Martinez getting the start for the Rays.
Have yourself a night Larry Eugene Fikes III! | Nebraska Athletics
The question Nebraska fans had running through their head before the first pitch against Iowa tonight was whether or not this Cornhusker baseball team would be able to put last week’s dreadful performance behind them. Haymarket Park has been very good to this team this season and Big Red fans filled the seats to find out.
One would think that with the top two hitting teams in the conference facing off, crooked numbers would dot the scoreboard, particularly with a nearly perfect night for baseball and surprisingly, only a whisper of wind.
Carson Jasa had a Carson Jasa start to the game and was lucky to come out of unscathed. Joshua Overbeek booted a hard shot hit right at him by lead-off batter Kooper Schulte and then for a minute it looked like Jasa shrugged it off as the next two guys were put out. However, when Jasa is on the mound, you never know what might happen. In this case, two consecutive hit batters to load the bases. Not to worry though as Matthew Delgado flew out on a lazy fly ball to Mac Moyer in centerfield.
After going down in order in the first inning, Nebraska took advantage of Hawkeye starter Tyler Guerin’s control issues in the bottom of the second inning. Case Sanderson led it off with a four-pitch walk, though he was forced out on a ball hit by Jett Buck on a nice play by the Hawkeye third baseman Jaixen Frost. With Buck on first, Guerin then walked Drew Grego.
With runners on first and second, Overbeek slashed a double the opposite way down the third baseline to score Buck. Big Red was looking for a big inning with two runners in scoring position and one out. That was not to be as Rhett Stokes struck out and pitcher Guerin saved two runs by snagging a line shot by Trey Fikes to end the inning.
Jasa found is groove and was unhittable in the second and third innings, striking out four of the six batters he faced. In the fourth inning he worked around a hit and a walk, thanks in large part to a timely 6-4-3 double play followed by his fifth strikeout of the game to end the inning.
In the meantime, Nebraska put a second run on the board in the bottom of the third when Mac Moyer started a new hitting streak with a single, followed by a stolen base. Will Jesske and Dylan Carey both hit balls that had a good chance to be hits but instead were outs due to the outstanding play of Frost at the hot corner. With two outs, Case Sanderson hit a nice line drive to leftfield that scored Moyer. Nebraska was up 2-0.
Iowa missed a golden opportunity in the top of the fifth, and Jasa did what Jasa does. The Hawkeyes had two runners on base thanks to a hit and a walk with their three-hole hitter Miles Risley at the plate. The two of them faced off in an eight-pitch battle with Jasa falling behind 3-0 before battling to ultimately get a swinging strikeout, bringing Cornhusker fans to their feet in appreciation of his toughness.
With that 105-mph smash back to the pitcher in the second inning at the front over everyone’s mind, Trey Fikes led off the fifth with another hard-hit ball, this time down the third baseline for a double. That brought Coach Rick Heller out of the dugout to take the ball from Guerin and pull in another righty, their top arm out of the bullpen, Kyle Alivo.
Mac Moyer greeted Alivo with his second base hit of the game, moving Fikes to third base. Will Jesske then hit a sacrifice fly to right that put Nebraska’s third run on the scoreboard. Carey followed with a single and the Cornhuskers looked to break it open. That would have to wait as Alivo struck out Sanderson and Buck back-to-back to end it. After five innings, Nebraska held a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth inning, Jasa was back in the zone, sitting the Hawkeyes down in order with a groundout to Sanderson at first base and two strikeouts. Once again, the crowd showed their appreciation and hoped the Cornhuskers could find a couple of insurance runs
Joshua Overbeek was plunked by Alivo with one out and then Rhett Stokes struck out looking. With two outs, can you say Larry Eugene Fikes the 3rd have yourself a day! After crushing the ball twice already, Fikes went yard over the leftfield wall for a two-run homer – his first of the season – to put the Cornhuskers up 5-0.
Jasa pitched the seventh inning before calling it a night, leaving without surrendering a run and recording nine strikeouts, two walks and three hit batters. He threw 106 pitches and dropped his ERA to 3.31. The young man from Colorado has handled the pressure and solidified himself as the Friday starter.
After roughing up Alivo, the Cornhusker offense saw a different righthander in the bottom of the seventh inning, Nick Terhaar. He walked Will Jesske, which brought Iowan Reed Strohmeyer in to pinch-run. Terhaar then struck out Carey, but hit Sanderson to put two on with one out. That was basically repeated as Buck struck out and then Drew Grego earned a walk. That brought Overbeek to the plate with bases loaded and two outs. Hitting from the left-side, Overbeek laced a single that scored two.
Rhett Stokes, who had struggled up to this point in the game, fooled everyone in the ballpark pushing a two-out bunt toward shortstop that no Hawkeye could get to in time to make a play. That drove in Grego, putting the Big Red up 8-0. Fans in the stands were feeling a run-rule ending, especially after Fikes was hit by a pitch to once again load the bases. However, they’d have to wait for a bit as Mac Moyer’s sharp hit to third base was gloved and Frost stepped on the bag to force out Stokes.
Caleb Clark came in relief of Jasa and got the first two Iowa batters to fly out to rightfield. But the Canadian couldn’t close it out, hitting the next two batters. Coach Rob Childress came out of the dugout and called for Tucker Timmerman. He ended it by striking out pinch-hitter Ben Swails.
When Max Buettenback stepped into the batter’s box against Ty Mikkelsen to pinch-hit, there was a sense of anticipation and he delivered, crushing a Roy Hobbs-esque home run well over the rightfield wall. With the lights flashing and the crowd on its feet, Nebraska was one run away from ending it. That came quickly two pitches later when Dylan Carey hit is own towering home run to rightfield. Ball game! Nebraska 10, Iowa 0.
The Cornhuskers answered the question of whether they could come back in a big way. They showed their grit, grinding in the early going with a run here and a run there. They felt the energy of the crowd of 7094 and came up big in the moment late in the game, scoring seven runs in the final three innings. They played solid defense and made plays when they needed to.
This was a good first step into the weekend, but anyone who follows college baseball knows that Iowa is led by one of the best coaches in the game. While they have not faced the level of competition as Nebraska this season, they have won their last two series, including one against Illinois. Rick Heller will have his team ready to play and will put out their best pitcher tomorrow to put one in the win column.
The same two teams will be back at it tomorrow at 2:00. Ty Horn will return to his role as a weekend starter and will face-off against Maddux Frese and his 2.56 ERA. A win tomorrow will secure a top-four finish in the conference standings and the all-important top-four position in the tournament.
Nebraska had 12 hits tonight, one less than all three games last weekend.
Reed Strohmeyer, who came in the came to pinch run for Will Jesske in the seventh inning, looked across the diamond tonight at his older brother Kellen. The two Strohmeyers are graduates of Dubuque Hempstead High School.
Trey Fikes had a huge game going 2-3 with a double, a home run and two RBI. Not bad for a catcher known more for his defense!
Mac Moyer, Dylan Carey, and Joshua Overbeek all had two hits. Overbeek had three RBI.
