ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 14: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on April 14, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Guardians and St. Louis Cardinals had a back and forth battle in game two of the three game series.
José Ramírez kicked off things for Cleveland with a solo homer to right field.
Iván Herrera responded with a solo homer of his own, but Daniel Schneemann has his own home run locked and loaded.
JJ Wetherholt answered back with his second home run of the season to tie it up, again.
It was looking like the only way to score would be home runs. Joey Cantillo had a great outing, pitching 6.0 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. He struck out four but not before the Guards defense turned a gem of a double play.
Things stayed even until the top of the eighth when the Guardians decided to play some Guards Ball. With one out, José hit a single liner to right field. Kyle Manzardo followed up with a single of his own, giving José the perfect hit to go from first to third. George Valera, who was just activated off of the injured list, doubled to left on a crazy hit that originally landed foul just outside of the batter’s box before bouncing fair.
Juan Brito came on to pinch run for Valera. With Brito on 2nd and Manzardo on 3rd, Angel Martínez knocked his own double, scoring two.
Shawn Armstrong pitched in the 7th, only allowing a hit and striking out a batter. Erik Sabrowski had an uncharacteristic outing, pitching the 8th. A walk and JJ Wetherholt’s 2nd home run of the night put a two run blemish on Sabrowski’s otherwise impressive season start. Cade Smith was tasked with closing out the game, getting two quick outs before a fielding error by Juan Brito allowed the game tying run on base. Cade gave up a double, sending the game to extras.
A wild pitch from St. Louis pitcher, Riley O’Brien got the ghost runner, Chase DeLauter, in scoring position. There wasn’t a follow up, leaving it to the Cardinals to lose. Tim Herrin’s wild pitch allowed their ghost runner to move to third and a long fly to right gave them the walk off.
The rubber match is tomorrow, first pitch at 1:15PM EDT.
Apr 14, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Williamson (15) scores against the Chicago White Sox during the seventh inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The Rays took the first game of this series against the White Sox, with Shane McClanahan picking up his first win in well over a year while his teammates gathered twelve hits and six walks. Every player was on base at least once.
This game received national attention because of the White Sox starter: Noah Schultz, a 6’10” top pitching prospect. Although I can’t point to specific games, I do have the deep belief that the Rays have struggled: a. against lefties; b. against pitchers making their major leagues debuts; and c. especially against lefties making major league debuts.
On the other hand, sometimes a pitcher making his debut can have some nerves, get over amped, and generally fall apart, at least in the first inning.
Then on the other side, Shane McClanahan is still a work in progress. No shade on him. You can’t be gone from the game for a year and a half and return with your best stuff and command. So far this year, McClanahan clearly doesn’t have the fastball velocity he did pre-injury (in baseball, sitting at 98mph vs sitting at 94mph are two entirely different pitchers), his control is shaky, and while he shows flashes of great it’s been uneven.
So tonight we had something great — a game whose outcome seemed completely impossible to predict.
The first inning gave us some idea that this might go well for the Rays.
Schultz got Yandy Diaz to fly out, things went south for him quickly thereafter. He walked both Aranda and Caminero, and not as in “pitching around the best hitters” but as in “I have no idea where this pitches are going.” Ryan Vilade doubled home Aranda, and then Ben Williamson (on his own or with prompting from the dugout?) laid down a very smart bunt that died between the plate and the mound. Smart because Williamson did a great job placing it, but also because you are forcing a rattled newbie pitcher to field a ball. Schultz hurried a throw to the plate even though Junior was already at the plate, and he overthrew which then allowed Vilade to score as well. Rays up, 3-0.
Shane McClanahan looked a little shaky in the Chicago half of the first, also walking two batters. But after a visit from Kyle Snyder, he got a quick two outs to retire the side.
The Rays added a fourth run in the in third inning, as Ben Williamson doubled to drive in Ryan Vilade. But in the bottom of that inning, McClanahan unraveled. Meidroth reached on catcher’s interference, when someone on the Chicago bench noticed something about Fortes’ stance and complained. After a walk, Everson Periera homered to put the White Sox within a run, 4-3. McClanahan walked the next batter, who then stole second. All seemed to be well as Tanner Murray hit a sharp grounder right to Junior for what should have been a routine out, but Junior’s rushed throw pulled Aranda off first base, so the runner was safe. Fortunately Junior managed not to botch the next play, that also went right to him. At the end of three innings, McClanahan had thrown 60 pitches and given up four walks.
But you know what, McClanahan came back to pitch efficient fourth and fifth innings. He left on the winning side of the game, and had ten whiffs (albeit just four strikeouts along with his four walks). With the fastball not as fast (although he did hit 97 on a few pitches) he is relying more on secondary pitches with some success.
The Rays got the lead back to three in the sixth inning, playing the smallest of small ball.
Williamson walked, got to third on two ground ball outs. He was then able to score when Fortes did….this:
Two out singles by Walls and Diaz drove in Fortes to make the score 6-3.
The Rays piled on more in the seventh inning. Vilade and Williamson teamed up for a single and run-scoring double, followed by another run-scoring double from Johnny DeLuca.
Would it even be a Rays win without some ninth inning drama? Kevin Cash brought in Yoendrys Gomez to pitch the eighth, and he got through the inning without damage. In the ninth inning, though, he gave up a two run home run to make the score 8-5, and then gave up a single to the next batter. That forced Cash to do what he did not want to do: warm up and then bring in Bryan Baker to get the last out.
Despite the catcher interference call and Junior’s throwing error, the defense was sharp. Here’s a nice catch by DeLuca, playing centerfield tonight:
I heard a few folks wondering about hitting Ryan Vilade in the clean up spot. Well, he was 3 for 5 today.
Ben freaking Williamson. Three RBI today, and some sharp fielding.
I have been a Rays fan for 20 years, and this is the first year they have been a bunting team. It’s remarkable how they’ve gone from almost never bunting to laying down several bunts a game – plain old sac bunts, bunting for hits, bunting for runs. “Don’t flail away trying to hit dingers, bunt!”
Shane McClanahan postgame interview. He’s nearly crying. I’m crying. He’s talking about struggling, about losing his dad, saying he loves his mom, but ultimately feeling satisfaction with getting through five innings and helping the team win.
Apr 14, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Tuesday night’s game at Busch Stadium was a parade of solo home runs for both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Guardians. JJ Wetherholt homered twice and made some epic plays in the field as the Cardinals showed their come-from-behind heart yet again to walk off the Guardians in extra innings.
Michael McGreevy gave the Cardinals a solid start pitching 5 innings allowing just 4 hits and 2 runs over 5 innings to an entirely lefthanded Guardians lineup if you include the switch-hitters. He was touched by two home runs by the Guardians, but fortunately they were both solo shots. Jose Ramirez gave Cleveland a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning while Daniel Schneemann would add another in the top of the 2nd inning.
The St. Louis Cardinals would add a couple of bombs, too, with Ivan Herrera hitting a 401 foot shot in the bottom of the 1st inning.
JJ Wetherholt hit his 2nd home run of the season when he launched a 396 foot shot in the bottom of the 3rd inning which would tie the game at the time 2-2.
Wetherholt would also make an amazing leaping grab on a line drive by Rocchio in the top of the 5th inning, but the problems would fall on the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen yet again. JoJo Romero started out wild and would give up a hit and a walk over his 1 and a third inning, but it was Ryan Stanek who would get touched for 3 late inning runs in the top of the 8th inning giving up a double to Velara which would score Ramirez making it 3-2 Guardians. Martinez would then rip a double down the left field line scoring Brito and Manzardo extending Cleveland’s lead to 5-2.
The St. Louis Cardinals weren’t done as JJ Wetherholt showed his power to all fields in the bottom of the 8th inning by lifting a 366 foot home run barely over the left field wall with José Fermín on base to bring the Cardinals within a run making it 5-4 Guardians.
In an effort to say something nice about the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen, Matt Svanson did a fine job keeping the Guardians quiet in the top of the 9th inning to give St. Louis a chance setting Cleveland down 1-2-3. Herrera deserves a nod for a good ABS appeal to get the final out in the 9th.
The Cardinals would show their fight in the bottom of the 9th inning as they were down to their last strike after Jordan Walker popped out and Nolan Gorman flied out. Masyn Winn reached on an error and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. He would then score on a clutch double by Yohel Pozo to tie the game 5-5. He would be stranded when Thomas Saggese struck out, but that sent the game to extras.
Riley O’Brien was sharp in the top of the 10th inning with the exception of a wild pitch that allowed the designated runner to advance to third, but he was stranded when O’Brien was able to get Brito on a ground out to first.
The Guardians basically handed the Cardinals the game in the bottom of the 10th inning when Herrin threw a wild pitch allowing Thomas Saggese to take third base. He scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Nathan Church. Really close play at the plate, but sucks that the Guardians catcher couldn’t hold onto that ball. Oh, wait. No, it doesn’t.
St. Louis will try to win the series against Cleveland Wednesday afternoon as Dustin May (1-2 with a 9.45 ERA) will get the start for the Cardinals and Slade Cecconi (0-2 with a 5.11 ERA) will be the starter for the Guardians. 12:15pm is the scheduled first pitch at Busch Stadium Wednesday.
Freshman Drew Grego has another big night at the plate. | Nebraska Athletics
Looking to get back in the win column and the fact that the rival Creighton Bluejays were coming to town provided all of the motivation Nebraska needed in the second game of their three-game season series at Haymarket Park.
Pryce Bender got the start against the boys from Omaha, but his night ended up being much shorter than anyone hoped. He struggled to get the ball low in the zone and thus gave up four hits and three runs in the one inning he pitched. Most significant was a two-run homer to Nate McHugh that gave the Jays a quick 2-0 lead. The Jays tacked on another run to make it 3-0 after a half inning.
Tucker Timmerman came in for the second inning from Nebraska. With one out, Bluejay Nick Venteicher smacked a no-doubter solo homer to put Creighton up 4-0.
The story of the game tonight was the bottom third of the lineup making its return. After struggling over the weekend, Grego, Overbeek, and Stokes were the difference in the game tonight as they were responsible for all five of the Cornhusker runs.
In the bottom of the second, designated hitter Preston Freeman led off the inning with a walk and scored when Drew Grego hit an opposite way home run off starter Mac McClellan to cut the Bluejay lead in half, 4-2.
Creighton brought in Evan Stratton to face Nebraska in the third inning. He got a quick out on a come-backer from Case Sanderson but then walked both Dylan Carey and Jett Buck. Preston Freeman then flew out to centerfield to make it two on with two outs.
It was at this point that the game turned, thanks to those bottom three batters in the lineup. Grego singled to bring in Carey. Overbeek singled to bring in Buck. And then Stokes singled to bring in Grego. Nebraska was up 5-4 after three innings. Neither team would cross the plate again.
While you don’t see it in the stats, Dylan Carey made three outstanding defensive plays, covering ground and making outstanding off-balance throws to keep Creighton base runners from advancing and ending innings. After the second inning, three Jay baserunners reached second base, but none advanced any further.
Nebraska pitching also looked very solid after the rough start. Surprisingly Friday starter Ty Horn made an appearance in relief. It is not uncommon for a Friday starter to pitch on Tuesdays as part of their bullpen session, but Nebraska has rarely done it. Horn pitched three innings and threw 30 pitches. He also got the chippiness ramped up by staring down the Creighton dugout a couple of times.
Nebraska did put multiple runners on base in the fourth and eighth innings but were unable to push any additional runs across the plate. That included a well-executed hit-and-run by Jeter Worthley to move Mac Moyer with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. The freshman catcher has some very solid bat skills.
J’Shawn Unger came on in relief of Horn in the eighth inning and finished off the game without giving much hope to Creighton to get back in it. This was Unger’s seventh save in seven opportunities this season.
The win tonight marks the first season series win over Creighton since 2017. It also gets the bad taste out of the team’s mouth from this past weekend with some big games coming up this weekend.
Friday the top-five ranked USC Trojans come to town for three games. This is a huge series with a lot riding on it in terms of post-season implications. It’s time for Cornhusker fans to come out and be a factor. Coach Will Bolt in his post-game comments said he’d like to see 10,000 loud and enthusiastic fans dressed in red in the stadium.
Notes:
Nebraska pitching only gave up one walk tonight, and that happened in the eighth inning. They also had one hit batter.
Grego, Overbeek, and Stokes had five of the team’s seven hits and all five of the runs batted in.
After the win tonight, Nebraska is 16-1 at Haymarket Park this season.
There was a little over 6100 fans for tonight’s game in the best weather yet this season for a game in Lincoln. They were treated to a relatively quick two-hour-and-47-minute game. This is unique this season as most Nebraska games have gone well beyond the three-hour mark.
The bell rang for Round 2 to begin and only the Angels came out punching, delivering a trio of right hooks to Ryan Weathers in the form of back-to-back-to-back home runs in the top of the first inning and then cruising from there as the Yankees fell 7-1 on a warm night in The Bronx.
Angels lefty Reid Detmers silenced the Yankees lineup that broke out for an 11-10 win Monday, putting it right back in the rut it found itself in entering the series opener.
Facing a lineup that did not include Ben Rice, the major league leader in OPS who sat in favor of the right-handed hitting Paul Goldschmidt, Detmers allowed just four hits and one run across seven-plus innings, not letting a runner touch second base until the eighth inning.
“I thought [Detmers] was good, but we know we got to do a better job of creating some things,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We just got to get going.”
Meanwhile, over half of the Angels lineup homered — all solo shots, but damaging nonetheless as Weathers surrendered a career-high four and reliever Yerry De los Santos gave up another late. The five homers matched the number the Yankees pitching staff had given up in their first 16 games combined.
The poor pitching and poorer hitting handed the Yankees (9-8) a seventh loss in their last nine games as they will try again Wednesday to shake this early-season funk for good.
Aaron Judge reacts after he strikes out swinging during the sixth inning of the Yankees’ 7-1 blowout loss to the Angels on April 14, 2026 at the Stadium Robert Sabo for NY Post
“It’s tough for me when we win a game [Monday] night with good momentum, I come in and give up three in the first on three solo shots,” Weathers said. “There was some good tonight, but when I pitch, I want this ballclub to win games and I did not put us in a good position to win a game tonight.”
Weathers came into the night having not allowed a home run through his first three starts (16 innings) this season.
The left-hander had also not received a single run of support from his offense while he was still in any of those games.
Only one of those things changed Tuesday, though, on a strange night in which the left-hander struck out 10 across five-plus innings but had four pitches end up in the seats.
In a span of five pitches in the top of the first, Weathers gave up 1,276 feet worth of homers to Mike Trout, Jo Adell and Jorge Soler.
They all came on low fastballs — Adell’s was actually below the zone — and all came off the bat loudly as the Angels (9-9) stormed out to a quick 3-0 lead.
“They’re a really good low-ball hitting team, and three misfires against a good low-ball hitting team is not a good start,” Weathers said.
Weathers went on to retire 10 of the next 11 batters before former Yankee Oswald Peraza — as part of a 3-for-3 night in which he added a 12-pitch walk — crushed another solo shot in the fourth inning to make it 4-0.
Ryan Weathers reacts as he walks back to the dugout after getting out of the fourth inning during the Yankees’ blowout loss to the Angels. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“You see it all there [with Weathers],” Boone said. “You see all the things that you get excited about. But a little bit tough just command-wise with the heater.”
After Weathers struck out the side in the fifth inning, he issued a leadoff walk in the sixth that ended his night.
Paul Blackburn then entered and evoked some boo birds as he allowed four straight batters to reach base — on three singles and a walk — as the Angels padded their lead to 6-0.
Yoán Moncada later took De los Santos deep to lead off the eighth inning, stretching the lead to 7-0 before the Yankees finally mustered a run in the bottom half.
Mike Trout reacts after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of the Yankees’ blowout loss to the Angels. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Randal Grichuk broke his 0-for-15 start to the season by roping a double into the gap, and after Austin Wells singled, Rice pinch hit for Ryan McMahon and delivered a sacrifice fly to snap the shutout.
“I think you see how streaky this game is,” Goldschmidt said. “You just got to take it in stride. When things are going good, you can’t think you got it all figured out. When we’re struggling, you can’t get down on yourself. … We’ve played a lot of close games. We’ve lost unfortunately too many of them here lately.”
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 14: Cionel Pérez #51 of the Washington Nationals reacts after an inning-ending double play during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was tenuous and I was convinced the Pirates were going to win until that Nick Yorke pop up landed in Curtis Mead’s glove, but the Nats got the job done. They just barely made their early 5-1 lead stick thanks to some solid work by the bullpen. Tonight, the bullpen and CJ Abrams were the stars of the show.
Speaking of Abrams, he has made quite the statement to start this season. He was in the middle of everything good tonight. The Nats shortstop was three for four with a homer and two RBI’s. His homer off of Mitch Keller tied him with Gunnar Henderson for most home runs by a shortstop with six. The Alien is on a roll right now, and he is leading the Nats to victories.
Hot April’s are nothing new for Abrams. He has started the season strong in the two previous seasons, but tailed off in the second half. With this new coaching staff and an extra year of maturity, I am confident that Abrams will make his hot April stick this time. While he is unlikely to hit .356 with a 1.121 OPS the rest of the way, I think Abrams could be in for a career year.
However, Abrams was not the only offensive contributor tonight. The Nats lit up Mitch Keller early, getting three runs in before the Pirates right hander got an out. They could have created even more separation if not for a couple outs on the bases.
It did not end up costing the Nats the game, but it did make things much more stressful. By the bottom of the 5th, it was a 5-4 game after Miles Mikolas did some Miles Mikolas things. If you told me there would be no more runs in the game, I would have called you a mad man.
That is exactly what happened though. Mitchell Parker, Cionel Perez, Clayton Beeter and Gus Varland combined for 4.2 scoreless innings to end the game. Parker looked particularly sharp, showing off a new slider heavy mix that resulted in a lot of Pirates whiffs.
Final: Nats 5, Pirates 4. The bullpen quartet of Mitchell Parker, Cionel Perez, Clayton Beeter and Gus Varland combined to make a 1-run lead hold up over 4 2/3 innings.
It was not smooth sailing for Nats relievers, but they ended up getting the job done. Cionel Perez worked out of a bases loaded jam by getting a double play ball on a 3-1 count. That really felt like the turning point of the game. Pirates manager Don Kelly pulled Brandon Lowe in favor of a right handed hitter, and that decision backfired.
While that may have been the turning point, the result was in doubt throughout. The Nats infield defense was pretty shaky tonight, but Daylen Lile made a stellar basket catch in the outfield that really helped Clayton Beeter get out of the 8th inning.
It was one of the best catches of Lile’s young career. While the hits are not falling the way they did at the end of last year, Lile looks much improved on the defensive side of the ball. I also think his swings are looking a lot better the past few days. He had a couple really unlucky outs tonight.
All of this set up a ninth inning for Gus Varland, who is just coming off his first career save. Now, he was going for save number two. He did not make it easy, allowing a double and a walk to the 8 and 9 hitter. However, Varland locked in with a strikeout of Oneil Cruz. Then he got Nick Yorke to hit a weak pop up to Curtis Mead.
It may have taken some years off my life, but the Nats ended up pulling it out with a 5-4 win. That was a very gritty win, which showed their offensive fire power as well as some positive signs on the mound. Hopefully that can carry over, and the boys can at least split this four game series in Pittsburgh.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 14: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins runs the bases on a solo home run in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Target Field on April 14, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Twins struck first in this game with a Luke Keaschall single scoring Byron Buxton from 2nd. There was a tag play at the plate and he was initially called out but replay overturned it, putting the Twins up 1-0. In the 3rd, Buxton would make it 2-0 with a solo shot to left.
In the 4th, Brooks Lee blasted his 3rd homer of the year, a solo shot. Then, Trevor Larnach lined a ball down the right field line with 2 on, scoring both but getting thrown out at 2nd, making it a 5-0 game. The lineup was able to knock old friend Sonny Gray out of the game after 4 innings. In the bottom of the 6th, Buxton blasted another solo shot into the bullpen in left-center.
That was plenty of run support for the starter, Mick Abel, who looked great tonight. He never allowed more than one baserunner in any of his 7 innings, striking out 10. Taylor Rogers and Cole Sands both pitched scoreless innings to secure the Twins a series win, and their 11th win of the season.
Francisco Lindor checked off his first RBI and home run in one fell swoop.
The Mets shortstop blasted a leadoff home run off Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to give the Amazin’s an early 1-0 lead on Tuesday night before New York fell, 2-1.
Not only did the homer break a drought for Lindor, but it marked the first time the Mets scored a run since the bottom of the seventh inning of Saturday’s loss to the A’s, breaking a scoreless stretch of 20 innings.
Lindor, a notoriously slow starter, was hitting .176 with a .541 OPS through his first 17 games this season.
“There’s always been pressure and I’ve always put a lot of pressure on myself, because I expect a lot of myself,” Lindor said Saturday. “It’s the same every single year.”
Apr 13, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Mike Trout (27) scores a run on a RBI double by Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jorge Soler (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
Monday night was a kind of heavyweight prize fight, with each team trading blow after blow after big home run. Tonight was much more like a heavyweight prize fighter fighting me, with the Angels playing the former role and battering the Yankees all over their home ballpark. LA took off almost immediately, hitting the same number of home runs in the top of the first as outs they made, and they really didn’t look back. New York was shellacked in this one, 7-1 your final.
I suppose that first inning was inevitable, as the one thing we know about Mike Trout is the man loves to study Weather(s):
It would get worse from there, with Jo Adell and Jorge Soler also taking Ryan’s fastballs into the bleachers, three straight solo shots that had the Angels up 3-0 before many Yankee fans had bought their chicken buckets. The Angels clearly came out hunting fastball, with Weathers far better with his slider/sweeper and changeup, and their homework paid off.
Indeed Trout was a particular thorn in Weathers’ side today, even though the home run was the only damage done. The three-time MVP saw 24 pitches in total across three ABs against the lefty, wearing out a pitcher that the Yankees have to at least be questioning the ideal role for. Weathers actually got Trout looking in those other two at-bats, but the pitches necessary ended up costing him, and Weathers was gone after throwing five innings plus a batter.
It was really a game for the FIP lovers, with Weathers boasting an excellent 10:1 strikeout to walk ratio, the kind of outing that might in other circumstances lead to the starter receiving the Player of the Game belt. Those circumstances though, the three home runs in the first and a final dinger from old friend Oswald Peraza, take the start more into the pure bizarre territory. When Weathers was locating with his secondary offerings, he was absolutely dominant, and then he left four of the fattest cookies you could imagine right to MLB caliber hitters. I had mentioned in the gamethread that Ryan might be best off to pitch “backwards”, but he didn’t seem to adopt that strategy tonight. Former #1 overall prospect Yoan Moncada added a trio of RBIs himself, one hit with the bases loaded and one porch job solo shot.
Angels starter Reid Detmers did Weathers one better, with nine strikeouts and no walks, allowing just two hits — one of them a ground ball that third baseman Moncada lost his footing on — through seven innings. The lefty retired 15 consecutive Yankees before Randal Grichuk led off the eighth with a double, his first hit in pinstripes. Grichuk would eventually plate thanks to pinch-hitter Ben Rice:
And uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that’s about it. Aaron Judge added a double of his own in the bottom of the ninth, but nothing came of it, and the Yankees dropped to 9-8 on the year.
From the Department of It Could Always Be Worse, let’s check in on the scene at Target Field:
Willson Contreras is out of the game with a back issue. Jarren Duran flipped off a fan. Vibes are horrendous.
It hasn’t been a very fun week to be a Yankee fan. Last night felt like it might be the start of a hot streak, the kind of inconceivable win that everyone gets a little extra out of the next day. Instead, the Yankees looked just as flat as they did at the Trop, and some of that pitching regression is starting to set in. Luis Gil is set to make his second start of the season after a laborious effort against the Rays last weekend, and will need to set the tone as both the rotation and bullpen have had to work quite a bit in the first two games of this series.
The third game of this series comes at 7:05pm Eastern, the weekly Amazon Prime game. I hope the Yankees see the value in starting the guy who is right now the best hitter in baseball.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 13: Dominic Smith #8 of the Atlanta Braves hits a double in the third inning during the game against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on April 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves’ series win-streak isn’t over yet.
Applying offensive production was the key to this matchup, and that’s exactly what the team was able to pull off in a clutch performance to win the game 6-5 against the Miami Marlins.
The Marlins capitalized in the beginning, starting off the bat (no pun intended) after Reynaldo López went for five innings in his return, but didn’t showcase the strong start we’ve seen for his past three games. Though accomplishing six total strikeouts, he also gave up five hits, three earned runs, and three walks.
Two very strong starters struggling back-to-back is not what this team needed to set the tone and limit the runs of the bat-happy Marlins. It’s fair to observe that it wasn’t necessarily that the fish were that good, but they took advantage when given the opportunity. Drawing walks and collecting hits when they could paid off and made a difference when it was time to drive in runs to start hot.
Was it possible López’s suspension set him back a bit, or was today just an off-day?
Now for the offense, the Braves scored two in the third after an RBI single from Dominic Smith to drive Ozzie Albies in for the first run, and an RBI double from Drake Baldwin to bring in Mauricio Dubón for their second. Matt Olson would collect a double of his own soon after to drive in Baldwin, cutting the Marlins’ lead to a one-run game (5-4).
The eighth inning was where the real action happened. A single from Marlins’ Otto Lopez put the fish in the lead by two runs (5-3). But, it’s true what they say, especially in the game of baseball, “it’s not over ‘til it’s over.” And the Braves are becoming notorious for demonstrating a visual of that saying.
With two outs recorded in the bottom of the eighth, Mike Yastrzemski singled to place Baldwin on third, Ozzie Albies took his base after getting hit by a pitch, and this set the scene with bases loaded and newcomer Dominic Smith to take the plate and get a bases-clearing double to give the Braves the lead (6-5).
The Yankees gave up five solo home runs and couldn't generate any offense of their own on Tuesday night, falling to the Los Angeles Angels, 7-1.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Coming off of an impressive eight scoreless innings in his last outing, Ryan Weathers had a tough first inning on Tuesday night. The left-hander gave up back-to-back-to-back home runs to Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler as the Angels took a 3-0 lead.
Weathers bounced back in the second inning, including winning a 12-pitch battle against Trout with a strikeout to end the frame. He kept it going with a 1-2-3 third inning, adding two more strikeouts to his total.
-- Weathers' struggles continued in the fourth, giving up a solo home run to former Yankees top prospect Oswald Peraza, making it a 4-0 game. He settled down in the fifth with another 1-2-3 inning, including a second strikeout against Trout in an eight-pitch AB. Weathers came out for the sixth inning, but walked Soler and was pulled from the game.
His final line: five runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts and two walks over 5.0+ IP (94 pitches, 61 strikes).
-- The Yankees bats simply could not figure out Angels starter Reid Detmers on Tuesday night, managing just two hits against the lefty through seven innings. Detmers finished after seven-plus innings with nine strikeouts and zero walks, allowing just one run on four hits.
-- Paul Blackburn came in for relief and let up a two-run single to Yoán Moncada, giving LA a 6-0 lead. Yerry De los Santos got through the seventh inning unscathed, but allowed a leadoff solo home run to Moncada in the eighth as the Angels pushed their lead to 7-0.
-- Randal Grichuk recorded his first hit with the Yanks in the eighth inning, hitting a leadoff double against Detmers. Grichuk was 0-for-15 at the plate prior to the double. He ended up scoring on Ben Rice's sac-fly that cut the deficit to 7-1.
Aaron Judge got his first hit of the game in the ninth with a leadoff double, but was left stranded to end the game. He finished 1-for-4 at the plate with two strikeouts and is now hitting .234 on the year.
GAME MVP: Reid Detmers
Detmers was dominant on Tuesday night, shutting down the Yanks' offense after they scored 11 runs in Monday's win.
Highlights
Ryan Weathers strikes out the side in the 5th and is up to 10 strikeouts tonight pic.twitter.com/i05SyC6sGX
Apr 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Alex Bregman (3) hits an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
A night after the Phillies’ hitters had their way with the Cubs’ pitching staff, the Cubs returned the favor on Tuesday. Phillies pitchers couldn’t keep the Cubs off the bases, giving up 15 hits, six walks, and one hit batter. And once those runners got on board, the Phillies didn’t do much to stop them from scoring. The end result was an ugly 10-4 loss.
Early on, it looked like the Phillies might be due for another big offensive night. Edmundo Sosa crushed a home run in the second to stake the team to a 3-0 lead.
The Cubs answered immediately. Aaron Nola got the start for the Phillies, and he had an uneven night. He held the Cubs scoreless in the first two innings, but the Cubs used five hits to score two runs in the top of the third. The damage would have been worse if not for a tremendous throw by right fielder Adolis Garcia to get a runner out at third base.
One team continued to score with regularity, but it wasn’t the Phillies. After Sosa’s home run, they managed only one runner over the next five innings. Meanwhile, the Cubs took advantage of two Nola walks in the fifth, as Alex Bregman tied it up with an RBI single.
Tim Mayza entered the game in the sixth. He’s been a pleasant surprise thus far this season, but this was a bad night. He walked two batters, hit another, and gave up a single in one-third of an inning as the Cubs took the lead. Brad Keller came in to clean up the mess, but he gave up a two-run single to the heretofore slumping Bregman before getting out of the inning.
The Phillies had a chance to make a game of it in the eighth. Sosa led off with a double and scored on a Trea Turner single. A Kyle Schwarber single and walk to Garcia loaded the bases with two outs. With lefthander Caleb Thielbar in the game for the Cubs, Alec Bohm was sent to pinch hit for Brandon Marsh. Like Bregman, Bohm was slumping heading into this game. Unlike Bregman, that slump didn’t end, as he struck out to end the threat.
Tanner Banks gave up a three-run home run to Carson Kelly in the final inning to remove any sense of drama.
Now that both teams have traded ugly wins, they’ll have the rubber match on Wednesday. Jesus Luzardo and Shoto Imanaga will try to provide their teams with less ugly pitching than we’ve seen the past two nights.
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 16, 2026: Kevin Alcántara #13 of the Chicago Cubs runs out an RBI double during the fifth inning of a spring training game against the Cleveland Guardians at Goodyear Ballpark on March 16, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
South Bend right-hander Brooks Caple was named Midwest League Pitcher of the Week.
The Cubs signed left-hander Ty Blach and right-hander Paul Campbell assigned both to Triple-A Iowa.
Connor Noland gave up a run in the first base on a disengagement violation. Other than that, he was pretty strong. Noland gave up just one run on five hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked no one.
Corbin Martin tossed one scoreless inning, Yacksel Ríos threw two and Zac Leigh tossed a scoreless ninth to close out the game.
Center fielder Kevin Alcántara hit two home runs tonight. The first one came in the third inning with the bases empty. The second one was a three-run blast in the fifth. It was The Jaguar’s sixth and seventh home runs on the season. He went 2 for 5.
Third baseman Pedro Ramirez was 2 for 5 with a double and a two-run single in the fifth. He scored on Alcántara’s second home run.
Tyler Schlaffer started and took the loss. Schlaffer gave up four runs on two hits over just two innings. Both hits were home runs—a three-run blast in the first and a solo shot in the second. Schlaffer walked three and struck out two.
Left fielder Jordan Nwogu went 2 for 3 with an RBI single. He also stole two bases.
Knoxville had just four hits, all singles, in this game.
Brooks Caple picked up right where he left off as Midwest League Pitcher of the Week. Tonight he surrendered just one run on two hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out nine and walked no one.
Alfredo Romero did not allow a run or a hit over the final three innings to pick up the save. Romero did walk two while striking out three.
Catcher Owen Ayers continues to rip the cover off the ball on this young season. Tonight Ayers was 2 for 4 with a double and a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. Ayers scored twice.
Right fielder Kade Snell was 2 for 3 and was hit by a pitch. He scored once.
Center fielder Kane Kepley went o for 1 with two walks and was hit by a pitch.
Starter Hayden Frank threw four innings and surrendered two hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Mason McGwire threw the middle three innings and got the win because Frank didn’t go five. McGwire had a terrific outing, giving up just one hit. McGwire struck out five and walked no one.
Jordan Henriquez pitched the final two innings in a non-save situation. He allowed three hits. Henriquez struck out three and walked no one.
First baseman Cole Mathis connected on a three-run home run in the third inning. It was his fourth of the season already. Mathis went 1 for 4.
Shortstop Ty Southisene was 2 for 4 with one run scored.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting a home run during the game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Monday, April 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Dodgers and Mets in the middle game of three in Los Angeles.
Apr 14, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) steals second base during the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
Well, it was bound to happen. Trevor Rogers was bound to have a bad night. Unfortunately, it happened in a game where the Orioles’ offense was unable to make the most of its opportunities. It was really only one bad inning of pitching. But it was too much for the Orioles to overcome, leading to a 4-3 loss.
The Orioles took an early lead off of starter Merrill Kelly. Kelly was making his season debut and was far from perfect. He walked four, for one thing. The Orioles left runs on the table against him, which is frustrating to watch on any night. But on this night, when Rogers could have used a pick-me-up from his offense, it was especially glaring.
The prettiest hit of the day came off the bat of Samuel Basallo to lead off the second inning. He absolutely crushed a fastball. It left his bat at 109.2 mph and landed 431 feet away in the Eutaw Street seats. It felt like a good omen at the time. It was not.
In the third, the Orioles had the chance at a big inning but could not make it happen. After Taylor Ward singled with one out, Pete Alonso and Basallo walked to load the bases. Kelly was struggling with control. All Dylan Beavers had to do was keep the bat on his shoulder and he would have walked with the bases loaded. Instead, he chased three pitches in the dirt for a strikeout.
Leody Taveras was watching, however, and learned what to do. He took a four-pitch walk. Ward scored the second run. Colton Cowser got a fastball down Broadway for his first pitch, and he let it rip. He smoked it at 105 mph, but it was caught in centerfield for the last out. It was a good pitch to hit and Cowser got a good swing on it, but it was also frustrating when Kelly was having such a hard time finding the plate.
Kelly was in trouble again in the fourth inning, but again the O’s offense bailed him out. Jeremiah Jackson led off with a double and Blaze Alexander…bunted? Why? Jackson was already in scoring position. It was the fourth inning. But that’s what he did. Jackson got to third base with Gunnar Henderson coming up and then Jackson GOT HIMSELF PICKED OFF for the second out. Just terrible decisions all around. Henderson struck out to end the inning.
Though Rogers got through the first four innings without allowing a run, he did run into some trouble in each frame. It wasn’t all his fault. The defense left something to be desired, even if no errors were called. In the fifth inning, he was unable to escape again.
James McCann singled to start the inning and Jorge Barrosa walked. Ildemaro Vargas, who replaced Ketel Marte in the lineup not long before the first pitch, got his chance. He made the most of it. His three-run homer put the Diamondbacks up, 3-2. But that wasn’t the last of it. Geraldo Perdomo singled and stole second base, then came in to score on a double by Jose Fernandez. That was it for Rogers. His final pitching line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR. He threw two wild pitches.
One thing that went right on this night was the bullpen. Craig Albernaz turned to Rico Garcia after Rogers, which I really liked. There was a runner on second and the need to keep the game from getting out of hand, so Alby went to the high-leverage guy who normally comes in late.
Garcia got that last out of the fifth, then pitched a perfect sixth. Grant Wolfram followed with a perfect 1.1 innings. Yennier Cano replaced Wolfram and retired all three batters he faced. Together, the three pitches struck out seven batters in 3.2 innings. Is this bullpen actually good?
The offense made some noise in the bottom of the inning but once again were unable to capitalize. Pete Alonso started a one-out rally by challenging a called strike three. He was correct; it was ball four. Basallo followed with a single. Beavers had another chance, but grounded out. Taveras came through again, this time with an RBI single to cut the deficit to one.
Colton Cowser walked to load the bases for Jackson, but he did not have another grand slam in him. He grounded out to end the rally.
With one out in the top of the ninth, Albernaz made the puzzling choice to go to Nick Raquet. Raquet allowed two baserunners but was bailed out on a sliding catch by Cowser to end the inning. It could have been a lot worse. I would like to request that this guy not pitch in high-leverage situations for awhile.
Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald came in for the ninth and made short work of Alexander, Henderson, and Ward. Thus the Orioles lost what felt like a winnable game, even with Trevor Rogers having an off night.
