Category: MLB

The San Diego Padres had a happy flight home from their first road trip of the season after an 8-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. That win capped a six-game road trip through Boston and Pittsburgh that saw the Padres take two games from the Red Sox and two games from the Pirates. The 4-2 road trip means San Diego will return to Petco Park to host the Colorado Rockies with a .500 record at 6-6 on the season.

The Padres did not look good at home to start the year losing both series and finishing the homestand with a record of 2-4. San Diego has four games against Colorado starting today and the Rockies could be just the opponent for the Padres to get right at home. If they can win the series, San Diego would at least finish with a .500 home record, and a sweep of Colorado would go above that.

The Padres will try to get the series started on the right foot with Randy Vasquez taking the mound. The pitcher opposing him has not been announced at the time of this writing, but if Vasquez continues his stellar start to the season, the other pitcher will not matter. San Diego hosts Colorado today at 6:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• Michael King turned in a quality start against the Pirates and helped the Padres win the final game of the series with six innings pitched. He left the game with San Diego up 4-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning, after Nich Castellanos hit a two-run double and Jake Cronenworth hit a two-run home run in the top of the inning. King was replaced by Kyle Hart after allowing a leadoff single and a double to the first two batters of the seventh. Hart allowed a sharp line drive to left field to pinch hitter Konnor Griffin, which was caught on a difficult play by Ramon Laureano making it a sacrifice fly, which allowed one of the inherited runners to score. Hart then allowed an RBI-single and the other inherited runner scored to cut the Padres lead to 4-2. Hart issued a walk before getting the final two outs of the inning, one of which was on another diving play in left by Laureano off the bat of Ryan O’Hearn. San Diego tacked on four more runs in the top of the ninth inning to cruise to an 8-2 win.

• Mason Miller made his first professional appearance at PNC Park in Pittsburgh when he entered yesterday’s game in the bottom of the ninth inning. He recorded back-to-back strikeouts to start the inning before a ground out ended the game and his 11 consecutive strikeout streak.

• Padres manager Craig Stammen stayed true to his word that Manny Machado would get more time off this season than in years past. The San Diego third baseman was out of the lineup Wednesday on his first gameday off of the season.

• Jason Adam is close to making his return to the Padres bullpen, but the organization would like to see him pitch one more time at the minor league level and see how he recovers before he is added back to the roster according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

• Jase Bowen continues his torrid start to the season at the Triple-A level hitting another home run. Teammate Samad Taylor, who had a solid spring, also connected on a home run for the El Paso Chihuahuas.

• Dennis Lin of The Athletic released his second installment of Padres mailbag questions and covered various topics including Fernando Tatis Jr., the catching position and the offensive struggles for the Padres.

• Former Padres first base coach Davey Lopes died at the age of 80.

Baseball News:

• Jordan Walker hit his fourth home run in five games and helped the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals, 6-1.

• Rob Refsnyder robbed a home run in Arlington, Texas and received a hat tip from his teammate Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo. The Texas Rangers won the game, however, and completed a sweep of the Mariners for the first time since 2023.

• Boston Red Sox reliever Tyler Samaniego drove 44 miles to make his major league debut at Fenway Park and recorded three strikeouts in an inning of work.

• Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez and Los Angeles Angels slugger Jorge Soler were both suspended seven games for their roles in the fight between the two teams on Tuesday. Soler appealed the suspension and hit another home run off Braves pitching.

• Konnor Griffin and the Pirates agreed to a nine-year extension, keeping the 19-year-old in Pittsburgh through 2034.

• The 2026 season came to an end for Baltimore Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin after one start. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery which will keep him out for the remainder of the year.

• Michael Lorenzen helped the Colorado Rockies sweep the Houston Astros for the first time since 2012 after he allowed just one run en route to a 9-1 win.

It was far from Brady Singer’s finest evening on Wednesday in Miami. The veteran righty was smashed for 10 hits and 6 runs (5 earned) in just 2.2 IP, his own arm contributing a pair of errors that further dented his cause on the night. The end result was a 7-4 loss for the Cincinnati Reds to the Marlins, and that now leaves the club searching for the series victory on Thursday.

The honors of steering that ship will fall to Rhett Lowder, who’ll get the starting nod in the series finale of this four-game set with the opportunity to give the Reds yet another series victory to begin the 2026 season. Cincinnati’s rookie righty was simply brilliant in his most recent outing, firing 6.0 IP of scoreless, 3-hit ball against the Texas Rangers back on April 4th while leaning on his patented repertoire of hitting spots and mixing breaking balls to keep his opponents off-tilt.

Ke’Bryan Hayes is on the bench to begin this one, as Eugenio Suarez gets the start at 3B. Nate Lowe is in the lineup at DH with RHP Max Meyer on the bump for the fish, though Dane Myers will get a rare start against the RHP as TJ Friedl slides over to LF (and Spencer Steer starts in RF over Will Benson).

First pitch in the series finale is set for 12:10 PM ET. Here’s how the Reds will line up:

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Wednesday, in case you missed it...

• David Petersonput the Mets in an early 5-0 hole in an eventual 7-2 loss to the Diamondbacks at Citi Field
• There is no rotation shakeup coming despite Peterson's early struggles
• A surgeon explains: How might Juan Soto's calf injury impact him upon his return, and what's the reinjury risk?
• The Mets are not going to a six-man rotation in the near future
• Sean Manaeasaved the bullpen in relief of Peterson
• Jonah Tong had a bounce back start for Triple-A Syracuse, retiring the final 13 batters he faced
• J.D. Martinezthinks this year's Mets are "more talented than the 2024 team by far"
• Jeff McNeilis expecting an emotional return this weekend when the A's visit Citi Field

Aidan “Leeroy” Deakins started for Hickory, throwing four shutout innings, walking one and striking out five.

The Crawdads had just two hits on the day — a double by Paulino Santana and a single by Luis Marquez. Also, a person named Daniel Flames made his full season debut as the Crawdads DH. I don’t know anything about him, but I am rooting for him because I want the Rangers to have a player named “Flames” on their roster.

Hickory box score

Hub City starter Enrique Segura went three shutout, no hit innings, striking out three and walking one. Brock Porter allowed a run on one hit, two walks and a HBP in 2.2 IP, striking out four. Thomas Ireland struck out four in 2.1 IP. Joey Danielson struck out one in a scoreless inning.

Gleider Figuereo hit his first homer of the year. Malcolm Moore doubled. Paxton Kling had a walk and a stolen base. Maxton Martin had a hit and a stolen base.

Hub City box score

Bryan Magdaleno walked one and struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings for Frisco.

Dylan Dreiling was 3 for 4 with a walk.

Frisco box score

For Round Rock, Robbie Ahlstrom struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings. Michel Otanez struck out three and walked one in 1.1 IP. Josh Sborz threw a shutout inning, striking out one and walking one. Ryan Brasier allowed a run in an inning of work.

Alejandro Osuna had a pair of hits. Justin Foscue had a walk and a stolen base. Cam Cauley had a pair of hits, a walk and a stolen base.

Round Rock box score

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The Detroit Tigers look to avoid a series sweep when they face the Minnesota Twins in AL Central Division action at Target Field.

Minnesota starter Mick Abel has struggled, and my Tigers vs. Twins predictions expect Detroit to avoid the broom today.  

Read on for my MLB picks for Thursday, April 8.

Who will win Tigers vs Twins today: Tigers (-130)

Two shaky starters on the mound, but Jack Flaherty's xFIP sits at 6.64 against Mick Abel's 6.75, and on a chilly April afternoon, that tiny edge could be the difference. 

Abel is in historically rough shape with a robust hard-contact rate in the 83rd percentile plus an 11.05 ERA, and this Detroit Tigers lineup boasts enough Statcast pop to exploit him early. 

Once both starters exit, the Minnesota Twins bullpen is walking hitters at a nearly 15% rate. Detroit's relief corps is meaningfully better across every underlying metric. Trust Flaherty and the Tigers' bullpen edge.

COVERS INTEL: The Tigers' bullpen boasts a 77.6% LOB rate, the ninth-best in MLB. The Twins have stranded only 70.3%.

Tigers vs Twins Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+108)

Neither starter figures to pitch deep or stymie anyone, meaning two shaky bullpens should see heavy action, and the Twins' relief corps boasts a 26th-best 4.92 xFIP across 41.1 frames.

Detroit ranks 12th in wRC+ at 104 with the seventh-most Barrels per plate appearance, while Minnesota averages nearly 4.5 runs per game.

This matchup has gone Over in six of the last 10 head-to-heads. Detroit's lineup has genuine pop, and Minnesota has averaged more than six runs per game in its last three home bouts against these Tigers.

Tigers vs Twins odds

• Moneyline: Tigers -122 | Twins +117
• Run line: Tigers -1.5 (+127) | Twins +1.5 (-133)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+108) | Under 8.5 (-113)

Tigers vs Twins trend

The Over is 6-3-1 in their last 10 meetings. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Twins.

How to watch Tigers vs Twins and game info

Tigers vs Twins latest injuries

Tigers vs Twins weather

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Happy Thursday, everyone! While the Tigers continue to struggle in Minnesota (blame it on the weather!), there’s plenty of news to get us through until the afternoon game today. We’ll take a look at Justin Verlander’s injury, how Colt Keith is making a big difference already this season, and how the Pirates have already locked down one of the hottest prospects in baseball. With all these early extensions, is it likely that the Tigers will consider making an offer for Kevin McGonigle? Probably not, but it’s nice to dream.

Let’s just get right into the news of the week.

Detroit Tigers News

• Cody Stavenhagen reports on Justin Verlander’s move to the 15-day IL. Verlander said of the decision to sideline him:

“It was kind of like a wait-and-see game, if it can get good enough. To be quite frank, I think it probably is good enough if we wanted to push it. But A.J. [Hinch] and the front office — and I agree with them — it’s probably not the time of year to do that, unfortunately.”

• The Athletic looked at each team’s early difference maker this season, and it might surprise (or might not) that they selected Colt Keith for the Tigers:

Though he’s yet to hit a home run on the year, Keith has more than made up for it with a .407 average and 1.004 OPS on the back of 11 hits, including four doubles to start his season. Of particular note, Keith has raised his bat speed by 3 mph, going from 70.7 mph (27th percentile) in 2025 to 73.7 mph (74th percentile) in 2026. In turn, his Average Exit Velocity, Squared-Up, Barrel and Hard-Hit Rates have all increased year over year. He’s also chasing and whiffing less than he ever has before. Last year, Detroit sent six Tigers to the All-Star Game. Keith is making an early case to be part of this year’s contingent. — Flores

• Last week’s attendance at the Tigers’ home opener was the best it has been in almost a decade.

• If someone in your life is a big fan of the Fourth Wing series, you’re going to want to get them this special game package.

AL Central News

• The White Sox didn’t waste any time before optioning pitcher Shane Smith. Why did it only take three starts for them to pull him?
• Cole Ragans who was hit in the hand with a ball during his last outing for the Royals, is expected to make his next start.
• Ummmm….

MLB News

• Several would-be contenders are figuring out how to move forward now that they’ve been dealt early season injury woes.
• A look at the sluggish start for some batters who can’t seem to get things going.
• Is Jose Soriano untouchable this year?
• Orioles’ pitcher Zach Eflin will undergo Tommy John Surgery.
• Rob Refsnyder shocked everyone with this home run robbery.
• Konnor Griffin and the Pirates reach a nine-year extension agreement. Still looking at you, Tigers…
• Shohei Ohtani has tied Ichiro Suzuki for longest on-base record by a Japanese player.
• Which players could make the biggest impact for teams if they got called up?
• Three free agent pitchers who could still make a difference this season.
• This will be the last season of baseball as we know it, with some potential major shakeups down the line.
• A look at the wild brawl between the Braves and Angels.
• As expected, suspensions have now been handed down for that kerfuffle.

• Former Tigers enemy Chris Sale had a very bad game, and hit himself in the head with a baseball to show his frustration.
• Four-time All-Star Davey Lopes has passed away at 80.

• Some umpires are worried that the ABS is causing fans to judge them by nearly impossible standards. ($)
• I could simply never leave my house again if this happened to me on a broadcast.

It’s no secret that the Phillies offense hasn’t gotten off to the greatest of starts. Up and down the lineup you can see hitters struggling to get going to various degrees. Many, if not all, of them will figure something out eventually, but it’s the waiting for that to happen and the creeping doubt that it ever will that makes it almost unbearable. Couple that with the looming specter of the past few postseason exits, and you would be well within reason to be annoyed with how the offense has looked out of the gate. 

It’s still way too early to make any sweeping generalizations or major changes, but maybe it’s not too early for a little tinkering. Lineup shuffles are not always the key, but sometimes they can be a way to jumpstart some hitters. Looking at the Phillies current lineup, one change they could consider is flipping Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh. 

Stott’s strong spring has yet to carry over into the regular season, and he’s currently working through adjustments in his approach, namely trying to swing more often earlier in the count. But those adjustments have yet to bear fruit, as Stott was hitting .188 with a paltry .454 OPS at the start of play yesterday. Marsh meanwhile has arguably been the team’s best hitter through the first two weeks of the season, as he entered play yesterday slashing .297/.325/.459. Marsh’s strong hitting goes back to when he returned from injury after a brutal start last season, as he’s hitting .302 with an .831 OPS since May 1st of 2025.

Another option is flipping Alec Bohm with Adolis Garcia. Bohm has struggled mightily since his opening day homer, entering play yesterday hitting .190 with a .563 OPS. Garcia meanwhile came into Wednesday hitting .244 with a .728 OPS. He has drastically cut down on his contact with pitches outside of the zone while still keeping his ability to impact pitches inside the zone, at least in the early going. The Phillies need one of these righties to perform in the cleanup spot behind Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. So far Bohm has not done that.

Again, maybe it’s too early to make a change and maybe it’s unfair to single out one player to drop in a lineup of underperformers. But it is on option on the table to try and get the sluggish Phillies offense going. So, should the Phillies consider a lineup shuffle? Should they flip Stott and Marsh? Flip Bohm and Garcia? Or is there something else you would like to see considered? 

The Yankees took a loss to the A’s on a cold evening in the Bronx on Wednesday. Despite the game being tied into the ninth inning, David Bednar allowed a pair of hits and a run in the top half, which allowed the A’s to cruise to victory. Beyond the action in a chilly Yankee Stadium, there was plenty going on elsewhere around the league, which included a redemption win, and the continuation of a turnaround in the East. Here’s a look at what went down!

Boston Red Sox (4-8) 5, Milwaukee Brewers (8-4) 0

Following a 1-8 skid, the Red Sox won for a second night in a row, finally righting the ship a bit and cooling down the Brewers’ red-hot start. Sonny Gray was making his third start of the season for Boston, and it was his best outing of the year. Although the offense did their job, Gray’s 6.1 shutout innings, in which he allowed just three hits led the charge in their victory.

The Boston lineup did all the damage they needed in two innings. Some small ball with the bases loaded netted them three runs in the third inning against Milwaukee starter Shane Drohan. In the seventh, they added some insurance thanks to an RBI knock from Trevor Story and a productive groundout from Caleb Durbin.

After an abysmal start to the season, back-to-back wins against a very good Brewers team might be the jolt the Red Sox needed, and puts them back into early relevance at 4-8.

Texas Rangers (7-5) 3, Seattle Mariners (4-9) 0

In a similar game, the Mariners were shut down once again in a quiet loss to the Rangers on Wednesday. The newest big-ticket Ranger, Brandon Nimmo played a big role in the Texas win as he racked up a pair of hits and hit a fielder’s choice that plated a run, and caused a throwing error that brought home another in the bottom of the fifth. They did all their scoring in that inning, as a sac fly from Corey Seager put them up 3-0. The story of the night, however, was Mackenzie Gore’s masterful five innings of shutout work, during which he struck out nine and allowed just one hit. Bryan Woo was good for Seattle, giving up an earned run in five innings, but the defensive miscues and the measly two hits on offense for Seattle held them back.

Toronto Blue Jays (5-7) 4, Los Angeles Dodgers (9-3) 3

After getting beat up in their first two chances at redemption in the Fall Classic rematch, the Jays finally answered the bell on Wednesday. Between a gritty start from Dylan Cease and some timely hitting on offense, Toronto gets out of the daunting series with at least a win.

Both squads matched each other with a run in the first four innings, thanks to RBI hits from Jesús Sánchez and Freddie Freeman. Scoring was hard to come by in the early going as Cease and Shohei Ohtani allowed one combined earned run in five and six innings, respectively.

The Dodgers scored a pair in the sixth and seventh thanks to a sac fly from Teoscar Hernández and an RBI single from Will Smith, which put the Jays on the ropes. They would claw back in the seventh though, when huge hits from George Springer and Daulton Varsho tied the game up.

The decisive blow came in the eighth, when Andrés Giménez stole second, which drew an errant throw from Smith behind the plate, and allowed Davis Schneider to cross the plate with the go-ahead run. After a couple of tough losses to the reigning champs, Wednesday’s victory surely was a satisfying one for Toronto.

Colorado Rockies (6-6) 9, Houston Astros (6-7) 1

For a third straight night, the Astros took a tough loss at the hands of the Rockies. Houston was very much in this game when Brice Matthews singled to even up the game in the second, but the Rockies lineup took off just an inning later. After AJ Blubaugh came in for the ‘Stros in the second, he was charged with five earned runs on four hits and three walks, which made the difference in this game. The Rockies continued to add to their tally throughout their game, which included a homer from Hunter Goodman in the fourth. The Astros fall below .500 with a series sweep to the often-beatable Rockies, who climb to 6-6.

Minnesota Twins (6-6) 8, Detroit Tigers (4-8) 6

In a AL Central upset, the supposedly-rebuilding Twins captured another resounding victory against Detroit. The fun started right away for Minnesota, as they ran up a six-spot in the first inning, thanks to four hits against the Tigers’ Framber Valdez, who had a night to forget.

The Twins would pin two more on the Detroit lefty in the fourth and the sixth innings. With eight runs to work with, Minnesota had some breathing room, but they certainly tested their limits. Hits from Kerry Carpenter and Dillon Dingler plated two in the sixth, before Gleyber Torres’ two-run double led the charge in an four-run seventh inning. Although the Tigers shrunk the gap to two, the Twins bullpen held on, as Kody Funderbunk locked down the nail-biting save and secured the win for the now .500 Twins.

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

Turns out there are no problems with the Orioles that a series against the Chicago White Sox couldn’t fix.

The O’s took full advantage of their matchup against the perennial worst team in the American League, completing a three-game sweep with yesterday afternoon’s 5-3 win. In typical Orioles fashion, the club made its fair share of frustrating mistakes, including an embarrassing two-error play by Kyle Bradish on a toss back to the mound that allowed the White Sox to score the go-ahead run. But for the third straight game, the Orioles ultimately proved less inept than their woeful opponent, and eked out another close victory. Check out Andrea SK’s recap for the all the details.

Sweeping the White Sox isn’t necessarily a sign that the Orioles are surging back to life, but it’s not meaningless. You can only play the team that’s in front of you, and the O’s did well to take care of business against a club they should beat. The win got them back to .500 for the road trip and for the season. Incredibly, at 6-6, the Orioles are tied for the fourth-best record in the AL. Only three teams — the Yankees, Guardians, and Rangers — have winning records right now. Just your daily reminder that it’s still very, very early in the season.

While the series in the Windy City continued to expose some of the Orioles’ flaws — sloppy defense, erratic offense, and some mightily struggling homegrown players — there were some promising developments that helped wash away the stink of their previous three-game set in Pittsburgh. This was the first series in which all three O’s starting pitchers worked at least five innings (it’s a low bar, yes, but you gotta start somewhere). Gunnar Henderson surged to life with three extra-base hits, including two homers. Taylor “Two Bags” Ward ripped an astounding five doubles in the three games. And the O’s bullpen was excellent, allowing just one run in 11 innings. There’s something to build from.

Can the Orioles continue the positive vibes against a team that’s not the White Sox? We’ll find out. After today’s off day, they’ll return to Camden Yards for an interleague weekend series against the Giants, a team that’s also struggling but is ostensibly better than the Pale Hose. Their Saturday tilt will pit the Birds against San Francisco ace Logan Webb, so good luck to the O’s offense as they try to figure things out.

Links

Why is Taylor Ward Orioles’ leadoff hitter? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Heck, at this point I would write Taylor Ward’s name into all nine spots in the lineup.

Kyle Bradish owns ‘childish’ lapse during Orioles win, says it ‘will not happen again’ – The Baltimore Banner

Good on Bradish for taking accountability for his foolish defensive play, and good on Craig Albernaz for immediately talking to him about it. The O’s clearly don’t want to be bad at defense. Whether they’ll actually improve, well…

On Opening Night in Bowie, the Chesapeake Baysox also break out new performance center – Steve Melewski

The Orioles’ Double-A affiliate has a spiffy new performance center with state-of-the-art batting cages and much more. I love that the O’s are investing in things like this. It’s a drop of the bucket for the organization that can make a huge difference for the players.

Eflin undergoes ligament-reconstructive elbow surgery in Texas – School of Roch

The sad but expected news about Eflin was announced yesterday. It’s a terrible turn of events for a guy who had fought so hard to come back this year and was expected to be a big part of the team. Maybe an Eflin reunion with the Orioles will be in the cards someday.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on this day, including 2021 five-game righty and Ben McDonald’s nephew Mac Sceroler (31), pitcher-turned-outfielder-turned-pitcher-again Adam Loewen (42), and right-hander and NPB legend Dennis Sarfate (45).

On this date in 1959, the Orioles turned a triple play, becoming the first team in MLB history to do so on Opening Day. It happened in the bottom of the fifth against the Senators, with first baseman Bob Boyd snaring an Ed FitzGerald liner and then doubling off the runners at both second and first base. Despite the nifty play, the Orioles lost, 9-2.

Random Orioles game of the day

On April 9, 1987, the Orioles beat the Rangers, 8-6, to win the rubber game of their season-opening series in Baltimore. Ken Gerhart, Fred Lynn, and Ray Knight each hit their first home run of the season, Cal Ripken was 2-for-5 with a double, and all nine batters in the O’s lineup contributed a hit and/or RBI. The O’s built up an 8-2 lead before the Rangers rallied late to make things close, but Don Aase retired the final three batters to secure the win.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (5-6)

Game One: Buffalo 2, Syracuse 0 / 7 (BOX)

Jack Wenninger was good in game one of the double header, giving up one earned run (and one unearned) over four and a third innings pitched, striking out five. He did walk three, which is a fair bit in four plus innings, but he was good overall. Unfortunately, the Buffalo pitching was better, giving up five hits and walking three in a shutout. Nick Morabito continued his strong start, collecting two of the five hits.

• RF MJ Melendez: 1-2, BB
• DH Nick Morabito: 2-3
• LF Ryan Clifford: 1-3, 2 K
• 1B Jose Rojas: 1-3
• SS Vidal Bruján: 0-3, K
• CF Cristian Pache: 0-3, K
• 2B Jackson Cluff: 0-2, BB
• C Hayden Senger: 0-2, BB, K
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 0-2, E (1)
• RHP Jack Wenninger: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, L (0-1)
• RHP Daniel Duarte: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Dan Hammer: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Game Two: Buffalo 4, Syracuse 3 / 7 (BOX)

Jonah Tong got the ball for game two and got off to an inauspicious start. Tong, he clear top pitching prospect in the Mets organization (now that Nolan McLean has graduated beyond prospect status), gave up a two run home run in the first inning, and buckled down right after. He went five innings with the only hit he surrendered being that home run. He struck out seven on the day.

The Mets took a lead in the third, with MJ Melendez getting them started with an RBI double. Christian Arroyo singled him home to tie it, and Ryan Clifford scampered home on a wild pitch to give the Mets a 3-2 lead.

Tong handed the ball to Austin Warren to protect his lead and, well, he did not, surrendering a two run home run in the eighth, which put Syracuse behind for good.

• LF MJ Melendez: 1-4, R, 2B, RBI, 3 K
• CF Nick Morabito: 1-3, K
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 0-2, R, BB, 2 K, E (2)
• 3B Christian Arroyo: 1-3, RBI, 2 K
• DH Jose Rojas: 0-2, BB
• SS Jackson Cluff: 0-2, BB, 2 K, SB (1)
• RF Ji Hwan Bae: 0-3, 2 K
• C Ben Rortvedt: 1-1
• PR-C Hayden Senger: 0-2, R, 2 K
• 2B Yonny Hernández: 1-3, K
• RHP Jonah Tong: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HBP
• RHP Austin Warren: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, BS (1), L (0-1)

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (3-1)

Game One: Binghamton 11, Somerset 3 / 7 (BOX)

Binghamton’s bats were on fire in this one, with everyone save for Jacob Reimer and JT Schwartz. Chris Suero hit a home run, A.J. Ewing continued his torrid pace, and everyone else did more than enough to contribute. Jonathan Santucci was far from untouchable, surrendering three runs, three hits, and walking four over four innings, but he did strike out eight. The bullpen trio of Jordan Gerber, Carlos Guzman and Felipe De La Cruz combined for three no-hit innings, with Gerber surrendering the only base runners (two walks and a hit by pitch).

• CF A.J. Ewing: 2-4, R, SB (3)
• SS Marco Vargas: 1-3, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB (2)
• 3B Jacob Reimer: 0-3, R, BB, 2 K
• C Chris Suero: 1-4, R, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 K
• RF Eli Serrano III: 2-4, 2 R, 3B, K
• LF Jose Ramos: 3-4, R, RBI, K, SB (1)
• DH D’Andre Smith: 1-3, 2 R, BB, K
• 1B JT Schwartz: 0-2, R, BB
• 2B Wyatt Young: 2-3, 2 R, 2B, HR (1), 6 RBI, BB
• LHP Jonathan Santucci: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K
• RHP Jordan Geber: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, W (1-0)
• RHP Carlos Guzman: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (1-0)
• LHP Felipe De La Cruz: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Game Two: Binghamton 2, Somerset 1 / 7 (BOX)

Game two had a much different vibe than game one, as it was a tense and low scoring affair. Binghamton got off to an early start, leading 1-0 after one when Jose Ramos forced a run home with a ground out. Zach Thornton gave up his only run of his strong outing in the second, surrendering a RBI ground out of his own. That 1-1 score held until the seventh, as both Thronton and Somerset starter Chase Chaney were great. Jose Ramos drove in his second run of the day, this time a walk off solo home run to sweep the double header.

An interesting note: A.J. Ewing played second base today, as normally he patrols center field. It will be worth noting how he moves around the diamond.

• 2B A.J. Ewing: 1-3, R, 2B, K
• 1B Jacob Reimer: 1-3, 2B, K
• DH Eli Serrano III: 0-2, K
• RF Jose Ramos: 1-3, R, HR (1), 2 RBI, K
• C Kevin Parada: 0-2
• CF D’Andre Smith: 0-2, K
• 3B Nick Lorusso: 0-2
• LF Matt Rudick: 0-2
• SS Wyatt Young: 0-2
• LHP Zach Thornton: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• RHP Douglas Orellana: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Ben Simon: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W (1-0)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (0-4)

Jersey Shore 10, Brooklyn 3 (BOX)

The Brooklyn Cyclones are doing their best 2024 Mets impression, as they dropped another game to start the season. Tanner Witt did not have it, giving up six runs and walking four in his lone inning. He did strike out the side, though!

The Cyclones only managed four hits, though Kevin Villavicencio did homer.

• 2B Mitch Voit: 1-5, 4 K
• RF John Bay: 0-2, 2 BB
• SS Antonio Jimenez: 0-4, 2 K
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-2, R, BB
• 3B Colin Houck: 1-4, 2 K
• C Ronald Hernandez: 0-3, R, BB, K
• 1B Trace Willhoite: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, K
• LF Vincent Perozo: 0-4, 3 K
• CF Kevin Villavicencio: 1-4, R, HR (1), RBI, K
• RHP Jonathan Jimenez: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, L (0-1)
• RHP Garrett Stratton: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• RHP Tanner Witt: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
• RHP Hoss Brewer: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (2-1)

POSTPONED (WET GROUNDS)

Rookie: FCL Mets (0-0)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Jonah Tong

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Tanner Witt

Today, I have a list of guys who I personally find interesting as deep sleepers in the Jays system. These are all distant or very flawed players, but I think they have something that might lead them to have a role at some point in the future.

Michael Mesa received the second highest bonus of the Jays’ 2026 International Free Agent Class. The Dominican outfielder has a smooth left handed swing geared for loft, with burgeoning power. He’s an average runner, with the potential to see time in all three outfield spots. This is purely a bet on talent, as Mesa hasn’t even had a chance to appear in the Domincan Summer League yet.

Jackson Wentworth was a fifth round pick out of Kansas State in 2024. He spent all of last season at A+ Vancouver, posting middle of the road results over 26 starts. It’s a deep arsenal of pitches, with a fastball at 90-94 and touching 96, a solid average change-up, and a cutter, slider and curve that can blend into each other, ranging from 80-88 or so. None of it is plus, although if he were to move to the bullpen and get into the mid 90s more regularly the arsenal would be a bit more imposing. I just like the combination of repertoire depth and solid command. I could see him maturing into a #6 starter type, or carving out an MLB role as a middle reliever who can go multiple innings.

Eric Snow was drafted in the sixth round last year. He’s undersized at 5’8” and 190lbs, without loud tools, but he makes elite rates of contact and is a technically sound defender who can handle himself anywhere on the infield. He looks like a depth infielder, but you need that, and I think his well rounded game and hit tool give him a high probability of seeing some kind of MLB time.

Enmanuel Bonilla was a huge bonus signing in the 2023 International Free Agent Class, getting most of the Jays’ bonus pool that year. He hasn’t worked out, failing to get to his calling card power in games while striking out way too much. This is just me not wanting to give up on tools and pedigree in a guy who just turned 20 two months ago. This is his last chance, though. Either he’ll actualize some of the hitting talent that got him signed as a teenager, or be out of consideration.

Irv Carter has climbed the ranks slowly since being picked in the fifth round back in 2021. In 2025, he made 27 appearances as a multi-inning reliever for A+ Vancouver, posting ugly surface stats (a 5.67 ERA) but striking out 62 against 20 walks and allowing just a 69% contact rate. Carter doesn’t throw hard, sitting in the low 90s, but he has a slider and change that both flash above average and solid average command. He’s another guy I could see pitching himself into a depth role, able to get through a lineup once with feel and a complete repertoire in spite of a lack of big stuff.

Elaineiker Coronado was a big bonus signing in the 2025 International Free Agent class. He has no power at all, posting a 6% hard hit rate in the DSL last summer, and his narrow 5’10” frame doesn’t exactly look primed to pack on muscle. On the plus side, he has everything else. A terrific contact hitter, he has an uncommon eye for a hitter of his type and age. If the bat doesn’t get knocked out of his hands at higher levels, he should be a significant OBP threat. In the DSL, his .504 mark was one of the five best in the last five seasons for everyday players. He’s also a plus runner with good hands who projects as an above average glove, although a weak arm likely limits him to second base. Coronado is a study in how good a prospect can be with a true bottom of the scale grade on one of his most important tools, and I’m very interested to see how he fares as he moves over to the US this year.

It was Dusty Baker’s secret ritual after virtually every home game when he managed the Houston Astros, but one night, he was caught red-handed by Astros infielder Mauricio Dubon.

Dubon, who was in his car, couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and quietly approached Baker.

Baker, startled, told Dubon he has been doing this for years, but pleaded with him not to tell a soul. It’s a secret he desperately wanted to keep.

Baker, with zero fanfare, fed the homeless every night after Astros games. He would take the leftover food in the clubhouse that normally would be thrown away, drove out of the parking lot, and stopped under the Interstate 69 underpass.

He would get out of his truck, take out the food that he put in packages, and gave it to the homeless. Other times he would drive downtown, and look for a woman he called, “Mama,’’ who lived in a cardboard box. She would disperse the servings of food to other homeless.

“I was driving home and saw him do that one night,’’ said Dubon, now an infielder with Atlanta “and I couldn’t believe it. But Dusty promised me I wouldn’t tell anyone. He didn’t want any publicity. He didn’t want any cameras. He didn’t want to embarrass the homeless.

“That’s what kind of man he was, someone who was so instrumental to my career, and really in my life. I’ll never forget him. That man believed in me before I believed in myself. I’ll always be grateful for what he did for me.’’

Baker, who said the Astros discouraged him from feeding the homeless in case someone got sick, possibly leaving them open to a lawsuit, but refused to stop. It made him feel good knowing what it meant for the homeless, sharing the same high-quality food the ballplayers ate each night.

It also made him think of his late brother, Vic, who suffered from manic depression and was homeless himself, dying in 2019 at the age of 63.

“Every time I fed them,’’ Baker says, “I would think of Vic. And when I went downtown, I would give four or five meals to 'Mama,' who lived in a well-kept homeless person box. She took pride in what she had. I would give her the food, maybe five or six meals, and she would divvy it out.

“I didn’t think she even knew who I was, but one time we lost, and she said, 'Dusty, ya’ll have got to play better than that.' I was busted.’’

We’re three weeks into the season now, and the Yankees are off to a hot start at 8-3. They swept their opening series, won the next two dropping individual games, and have the chance to win another with the series finale against the A’s today. The AL East was looking asleep at the wheel for the first few weeks while the Yankees charged to the top, but some of them are starting to wake up and are getting back to .500.

While it’s a little early to predict the Yankees’ placement in the division at the end of the year off of just a handful of series, their current form is more than enough to look at the rest of the schedule and try to predict how they’ll be looking when April turns to May. The team has series with the Rays, Angels, Royals, Red Sox, Astros, and Rangers to close out the month, teams that range from middling to good in the early going. There’s a total of 20 games left in April including today’s finale, and a slim 2.5 game lead to hopefully expand on. How long can the Yankees keep their series winning streak alive, and where will they stand when the calendar flips?

Off the bat, the Yankees face a tough task in wrapping up this last game with the Athletics. The bats have been a bit could outside of Tuesday’s big eighth inning in this series, matching the weather in the city lately, but perhaps a getaway day game shakes that up. Then there’s an awkward one-series road trip to Tampa breaking up this homestand from another one, a perfect stumbling block if ever one could be designed. The Angels enter town for a four-game set, notoriously difficult to outright win, but a split for our purposes wouldn’t end the streak so if they make it to that point then there’s good odds it stays alive four more days. The Royals are no slouches, but they’ve only won a single series against the Twins thus far and don’t seem like a team that’s clicking yet — a perfect team to catch early in the year.

Realistically, the streak probably ends by the time the Yankees head back out on the road for a real trip, but if it’s alive then it’ll really get tested at the end of the month. The Red Sox may have started this season out poorly, but they found a bounceback opportunity against a strong Brewers team to win their first series — and frankly, regardless of how good either team is Yankees-Red Sox always manages to be a challenging matchup. Houston’s taken a stumble recently, but they’re also a nemesis that would love to get in the Yankees’ way, and Yordan Alvarez is back to mashing anything close to the zone. The Rangers represent the team with the best record at the moment of any opponent the Yankees will face this month, standing at 7-5 atop the AL West, and their pitching is good enough to compete in any series they enter.

The majority of these series are ones the Yankees should win, and that’ll set themselves up nicely to maintain their hold on the division lead. They’ve been given an early cushion thanks to their rivals starting off cold, and have a couple of them directly in their path to close out April too. I think if they can handle the Athletics today they’ve got a runway to keep the series streak going for a while, with Boston or Houston the most likely to ruin the fun. How long do you think the Yankees can keep the good times rolling?

Today on the site, Peter starts us off with the Sequence of the Week featuring Brent Headrick showing up with a solid showcase of pitch tunneling. Sam recaps the rest of the relevant AL action from Wednesday, as some of the Yankees’ rivals managed to get back on their feet. Jeff wishes a happy birthday to a fan favorite around these parts in David Robertson, and Michael gives us another minor league preview covering the Single-A teams in Hudson Valley and Tampa. After the game, Estevão discusses the upcoming roster shakeup as Luis Gil is set to rejoin the team and complete the five-man rotation while the likely cut candidate in Cade Winquest never managed to make it on the field.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Athletics

Time: 1:35 p.m. EST

Video: YES Network, NBCSCA

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

AM New York | Ashley Cando: Amed Rosario’s two-homer day Tuesday was a validation of the organization’s belief in his ability to impact a team with championship aspirations. “We brought Rosie back because not only is he a really good player, but he is a tremendous teammate,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the journeyman, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal this offseason to run it back with the team that acquired him at last year’s trade deadline. “He sets an amazing example for everyone. I’m happy for him to just get it done.” Although expected to play primarily against lefties, Rosario has started the past two days against righties in a potential harbinger of an expanded role. “Although I’m not playing every day, I try not to let that affect me mentally,” he said of embracing his role as a part-timer. “Over the years, I’ve been able to create a routine to help me do my job.”

CBS Sports | RotoWire Staff: Anthony Volpe could begin a rehab assignment as soon as next week, Aaron Boone told the press Wednesday. The Yankees shortstop has been working his way back from offseason surgery to repair a shoulder labrum tear at extended spring training. Given the length of his layoff, Volpe would likely need a relatively long rehab stint, making him unlikely to return before May. José Caballero has manned short in his absence, though an anemic start at the place has done little to create competition for the starting job upon Volpe’s return.

Sports Collectors Digest | Larry Canale: Ben Rice’s emergence as a middle-of-the-order bat has been a boon to more than just the Yankees. A 2025 Topps baseball card featuring his signature and the “MLB Debut” patch from the jersey he wore during his debut the year prior sold for $68,989 on eBay last month. And, while that astonishing price is an outlier, other cards featuring the first baseman have sold in the thousands due to a nexus of his current status and unheralded prospect status heading into last year.