Martin Perez has been a stud this season for the Atlanta Braves. He’s gone 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA across six appearances, including six starts. The lefty takes the hill today against the Seattle Mariners, and he’s cashed the Under in earned runs allowed in four straight appearances.
Perez tossed five scoreless last time out against the Detroit Tigers, and he’s had success against Seattle in the past. The veteran has limited them to a .227 average across 75 at-bats, and the M’s have been an underwhelming offensive team this year, ranking 22nd in runs scored.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: BravesVision, Mariners.TV
Zack Wheeler Over 6.5 strikeouts (-102)
Zack Wheeler only made his 2026 debut on April 25, but he’s been dominant since returning. The right-hander has overpowering stuff, and he’s struck out 14 in just 11 innings of work. Last time out, Wheeler racked up eight Ks in six frames against the Miami Marlins.
Today, he’ll face an Athletics group that is towards the bottom of the Majors in strikeouts, and they were just carved up by Cristopher Sanchez on Tuesday, striking out 10 times. Wheeler’s stuff is nasty, and he’s always been a strikeout pitcher. This matchup certainly plays in his favor.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSCA, NBCSP
Aaron Judge Over 0.5 runs (-149)
Aaron Judge is batting .273 this season, and he’s come across the plate 35 times in just 36 games, playing a key part in the New York Yankees offense on a daily basis. Judge has cashed the Over in runs in every contest in May so far, collecting eight runs during that span.
He’ll face Texas Rangers righty Nathan Eovaldi tonight, and he’s 14-for-46 against him lifetime with a .304 average. Judge is getting on base a lot, and his track record of success vs. Eovaldi is hard to ignore. The slugger will keep the run streak alive.
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Prime Video
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 14-27, -0.65 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Ted Turner, the legendary businessman and philanthropist, passed away Wednesday at the age of 87.
His obituary contains layers upon layers, including his status as the founder of cable news, when he formed Cable News Network, now known as CNN. Turner began his career as the head of the advertising agency his father formed, Turner Advertising Company. That is the outlet that Turner spun into WTBS, the first nationally distributed “superstation” in the United States. This network helped change television forever, even before Turner launched what we now call CNN.
But of course, Turner’s legacy also contains two sports layers, and as this is a sports website, we need to discuss those. There is his journey in the world of professional wrestling, where he was an owner of World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and there is his ownership in various Atlanta franchises, most notably the Braves, Hawks, and Thrashers.
There is also his short-lived — as in one day — stint as the manager of the Braves.
If you’ve forgotten that, or are just learning this today, let’s take a step back. During the 1970s, Turner was compiling several broadcast networks in the South, networks that would eventually fall under the TBS umbrella. This is when Turner reached an agreement with the Braves to broadcast their games on WTCG, one of the stations Turner owned, and a station that, thanks to satellite technology, was being beamed into nearly two million households.
Turner, after reaching that initial agreement with the Braves, turned around to sell the broadcasting rights to stations in 24 other states, creating a massive network for Atlanta’s baseball team. With this near-monopoly on Braves media rights, Turner was able to purchase the club — along with the Hawks — ahead of the 1976 season.
He was nowhere near a hands-off owner.
Turner sparked controversy early in 1977 when he reached an agreement with San Francisco Giants outfielder Gary Matthews, before his contract with the Giants had expired. MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn dropped the hammer on Turner, suspending him for a season for contract tampering. Undaunted, Turner fought the suspension in court while he remained in control of the team.
Then came May of 1977.
Atlanta had gotten off to a dismal start that year, and limped into their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 11 with an 8-21 record, and in the middle of a 16-game losing streak. The team had lost a double-header the day before. That afternoon, Turner told manager Dave Bristol to take ten days off.
Turner was going to manage the team.
Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, who was set to start the game for Atlanta, recalled this moment during batting practice.
“I just got through swinging in the cage, and I came out and walked behind the batting cage for the next round and Ted came out of the dugout and he walked behind the batting cage,” said Niekro. “I looked at him and jokingly I said, ‘Ted, what spot you got me hitting in today?’ And he said, ‘Hell, I don’t know. You want to lead off? You want to hit second or third? We just lost 16 in a row. You’ve been around here long enough. Hit wherever you want to.’
“I said, ‘I don’t think that’s going to work, Ted. Put me in that ninth spot.'”
There was Turner, wearing 27, managing the team he owned.
Atlanta lost that night, dropping to 8-22 on the season. While Turner did not make many managerial decisions during the loss — deferring most of them to third-base coach Vern Benson, he did make one. With Atlanta trailing 2-1 in the ninth, calling on reserve infielder Darrel Chaney to pinch-hit with a runner on first.
“I wasn’t much of a hitter, but I had never been asked to pinch hit right-handed in my whole career,” Chaney years later. “So we get in that ninth inning and we get a guy on base and Turner says, ‘Chaney, grab a bat.’ I looked over at my roommate, Rod Gilbreath, and I said, ‘Can you believe this?'”
The switch-hitter dug into the batter’s box against lefty John Candelaria, and laced a ground-rule double to left-center field. Had the ball stayed in the park, it might have brought the runner home to tie the game.
Instead, Pittsburgh brought in Goose Gossage, who closed out the game by stranding runners on second and third.
Despite the loss, Turner was upbeat in defeat.
“I can remember coming off the field, and of course 17 in a row is hard to take,” said Chaney. “And Ted was walking into the clubhouse and, just as loud as he always was, ‘How you like that move, I put Chaney in there!’ We had lost the game. ‘How you like that move putting Chaney in there, hitting that double!’ you know.”
However, MLB had seen more than enough of Turner in the dugout. Citing a rule that anyone who owned stock in a team could not manage it, he was barred from getting back in the dugout the following game.
“They must have put that rule in yesterday,” Turner told the media the next day. “If I’m smart enough to save $11 million to buy the team, I ought to be smart enough to manage it.”
Speaking after the season to Playboy, Turner recalled that he just wanted to see, from the dugout, what was going wrong with his team.
“When things are gong bad, there are 10,000 guys in the stands who think, ‘If I could just take over this ballclub for a while, I’d straighten them out,'” said Turner. “But Kuhn said I couldn’t manage again. I asked him if it was OK if I went and managed in the minors for a year and really learned how to do it. He said, ‘Nope.'”
Bristol returned as manager a few days later and closed out the season for Atlanta, and the Braves finished 61-101.
But Turner must have learned something that night.
As he hired Bobby Cox in the offseason.
Although even that took some time to get right, as it was during Cox’s second stint that the Braves enjoyed an extended run of success, including winning the 1995 World Series.
Because Turner fired Cox after the strike-impacted 1981 season. In his trademark fashion, he quipped to the media after being asked who he wanted as the team’s next manager “[i]t would be Bobby Cox if I hadn’t just fired him. We need someone like him around here.”
A tip of the hat to Ted Turner, entrepreneur, philanthropist and yes, MLB manager.
Bubble gum insert card (from the Tattoo Gum Company) features a colorized photograph of American baseball player Ivy Paul Andrews (1907 - 1970) , of the Boston Red Sox, 1933. (Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Is there anything better than old-timey baseball nicknames? Today, another Hall of Fame-caliber nickname, “Poison” Ivy Paul Andrews, would have celebrated his 119th birthday.
Born to a Walker County, Alabama coal mining family in the spring of 1907, Andrews’ father worked in the coal mines, as several of his siblings did, and for a time it looked like that might be his path as well. However, a young Andrews grew into one of the best athletes in the area, and that gave him a way out of the mines and into a professional baseball career.
Ivy Paul Andrews Born: May 6, 1907 (Dora, AL) Died: November 24, 1970 (Birmingham, AL) Yankees Tenures: 1931-32, 1937-38
Andrews’ road to the majors was similar to many players of the time. It started after he finished high school in 1926 and signed to play with a semi-professional team. As a right-handed pitcher, Andrews featured a fastball, curveball, knuckleball, and later in his career, a screwball. A true junk baller, old scouting reports say Andrews had a funky delivery, several breaking pitches that hitters would get mad chasing, and was a good change of pace from other pitchers of the time.
After his brief and rough debut in 1927 for the Selma Selmians of the Southeastern League, he found his footing the following season. In 1928, he tossed 256 innings and posted an 18-12 record with a 2.47 ERA for the Meridian Mets in the Class D Cotton States League.
In 1929, Andrews was pitching for the Mobile Bears. That season, he had posted a 9-7 record with a 2.45 ERA, and that performance led to the Yankees purchasing his contract. Andrews was still a good way from the majors, though. He spent the end of the 1929 season with the Albany Senators, then split the 1930 season between the Birmingham Barons and the Oakland Oaks.
Andrews’ first opportunity in the big leagues came in 1931. Yankees manager Joe McCarthy handed him the ball for his major league debut in August of that season, and Andrews picked up his first major league win in memorable fashion. He tossed a complete game against the Jimmie Foxx-led Philadelphia Athletics, a powerhouse at the time, and even contributed at the plate with his first hit and a pair of runs driven in to boot. Andrews went on to make three starts and appear in seven games total in 1931. His final line was a 2-0 record, 34.1 innings pitched, and a 4.19 ERA.
Andrews started the 1932 season with the Yankees. He appeared in four games, making one start, before battling influenza and lumbago, which sidelined him for several weeks. After rehabbing in Albany, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox on June 5th, along with Hank Johnson and $50,000, for Danny MacFayden.
That move took Andrews off the eventual World Series champion Yankees, but gave him something he had not fully secured in New York: a bigger and more defined role. In a fun twist, the Yankees tried to give Andrews, along with other players they had traded that season, some of the World Series winnings. However, commissioner Kenesaw Landis prevented the gift. Landis ruled that “a player released to another club in the same league shall not participate in the proceeds of such series as a present or reward from his former teammates,” so unfortunately for Andrews, he was not allowed to receive the $500 bonus.
Andrews spent the rest of 1932 and all of the 1933 season with Boston. He was one of the brighter spots on the roster, but the team struggled overall. In his two seasons with the Red Sox, he posted a 15-19 record with a 4.38 ERA, making 36 starts and appearing in 59 games total.
In December of 1933, the Red Sox traded Andrews and Smead Jolley (quite a trade return in terms of the literal names) to the St. Louis Browns for Carl Reynolds. Andrews spent the next three seasons in St. Louis, the longest uninterrupted tenure of his career. Over those three years, Andrews went 24-30 with a 4.29 ERA, starting about half of the 129 games he appeared in for the Browns.
In January of 1937, the Browns traded Andrews, Lyn Lary, and Moose Solters to the Cleveland Indians for future Yankee Oral Hildebrand, Bill Knickerbocker, and Joe Vosmik. The 1937 season was Andrews’ only one in Cleveland, and it lasted only until August.
In Cleveland, he went 3-4 with a 4.37 ERA in 20 games, mostly as a reliever near the back end of his career. Cleveland placed him on waivers, and the Yankees purchased him for $7,500. It was a full-circle career moment for Andrews, and with Spud Chandler battling injuries, the Yankees needed another arm as they made a run for another title.
Andrews contributed three wins in five starts and appeared in 11 games for the Yankees down the stretch. The team went on to win the World Series, and Andrews appeared in one game of the Fall Classic. He provided 5.2 innings of relief in what would be his only postseason appearance.
The following season for the Yankees, he quietly put together an unusual statistical footnote. In 1938, Andrews posted a 3.00 ERA, albeit in only 48 innings, which at the time technically qualified him for the league lead. Later interpretations of the rule adjusted that distinction, but for a brief period of time, Andrews was listed as the American League ERA leader for 1938.
Andrews’ MLB career wound down soon after. He spent several more seasons in the minors before eventually stepping away from the game. Like many players of his era, he returned to a more traditional life, working as a carpenter and contractor while remaining connected to sports as an official in the Birmingham area.
Andrews passed away in 1970 at the age of 63. While he might not have the résumé of others, the nickname alone might be enough to stand the test of time. Happy birthday, Poison Ivy, or as you were better known to your teammates, Paul.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Baseball: World Series: Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner victorious on field hoisting Commissioner's Trophy after winning World Series vs Cleveland Indians at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Game 6. Atlanta, GA 10/28/1995 CREDIT: Ronald C. Modra (Photo by Ronald C. Modra /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X49462 )
Well, it’s a sad day for generations of Atlanta braves fans as one of the most beloved and most important figures in the history of the franchise has passed away. Former Braves owner and media mogul Ted Turner has died at the age of 87. Turner Enterprises announced the news in a press release and naturally, the first news outlet to report on it was CNN.
It is extremely difficult to imagine where the Braves would be at if not for Ted Turner’s contributions to helping the team’s fanbase from a regional one to a national one. To this day, you will hear players from all over the country and all types of different backgrounds claim that they watched the Braves when they were growing up as a kid — and for the older veterans, it was very likely that they watched them on TBS when they were kids. The Superstation played a vital role in growing the team’s fanbase and it also had an indelible impact on baseball’s media landscape.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Turner during his time as owner of the Braves. For starters, the on-field record for the team from the time he bought the Braves in 1976 through the entire 1980s was pretty poor as the team scuffled most years (outside of a brief period of relative success in 1982 and 1983) seemed far and away from being contenders. Those days were still eventful, with the first thing that comes to mind being the stunts like when Turner made himself manager in 1977 in a pique of ego — only to be shut down by the National League (back when the National League was an actual organization) and then-Commissioner of Baseball Bowie Kuhn.
There was also the time when he had players wear nicknames on the back of their jerseys — this too also got the kibosh when Ted flew a bit close to the sun and had Andy Messersmith go out there with “CHANNEL” and the No. 17 on the back of his jersey, which was a clear violation of advertising rules at the time. Ted Turner’s time as a hands-on owner was fun but it didn’t amount to too much on the field — even if he does deserve credit for elevating Bill Lucas to the position of General Manager during his time as owner which was a historical moment for Black baseball executives at the time (despite never receiving the official title from Ted).
It was only after Turner decided to take a more hands-off approach that the team began to thrive under his stewardship and this eventually culminated in the Braves winning a World Series title in 1995. Here’s more on the legacy of Ted Turner from the Atlanta Braves organization, themselves, via a press release:
“Our good friend and former owner, Ted Turner, was one of a kind – a brilliant businessman, consummate showman and passionate fan of his beloved Braves. Ted’s visionary leadership and innovative approach to broadcast television transformed the Braves into “America’s Team.” Under his stewardship, the ballclub experienced one of the greatest runs of sustained excellence in Major League Baseball history and brought a World Series championship to Atlanta in 1995.
“Ted was also a legendary philanthropist whose compassion and generosity extended across the globe.
“We will miss you, Ted. You helped make us who we are today, and the Atlanta Braves are forever grateful for the impact you made on our organization and in our community.”
If I had to guess, the Braves are probably going to wear a patch or something like that on their jerseys going forward and they’ll very likely pay further tribute to him for the rest of the season. For now, it’s time to mourn an Atlanta Braves legend — one whose unorthodox style eventually led to Atlanta’s team becoming America’s Team.
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees will pay tribute to longtime radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling with a memorial patch on their uniform sleeves, the team announced.
Sterling died at age 87.
After announcing Sterling’s death, the Yankees wore caps with “JS” stitching on the back of their hats during a 12-1 win against Baltimore.
Following the final out, the sound system blared Sterling’s voice booming “Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theee Yankees win!” just before the first strains of Frank Sinatra crooning “New York, New York.”
The Yankees will wear caps with Sterling’s initials through their game against the Mets on May 17 and start wearing the patch the following day against Toronto. The circular patch bears Sterling’s name and microphone over a pinstriped backdrop.
“I love it,” manager Aaron Boone said after New York’s 7-4 win over Texas. “Love it. The JS on the hat I know we’re going to be wearing that for the next couple of weeks until they get lined up on the uniform. “I think it’s appropriate certainly and glad we’ll be able to honor his legacy throughout the rest of the season.”
He was known for extravagant, individualized home run calls and shouting “theee Yankees win!”
Sterling called 5,426 regular-season Yankees games and 225 more in the postseason from 1989 until his retirement in 2024.
His 36-year tenure included calling five World Series championships and a remarkable streak of announcing 5,060 consecutive games from September 1989 to July 2019.
On this day 59 years ago, the White Sox dealt native son Moose Skowron to the Angels. | (Photo by UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
1903 The White Sox were charged with 11 errors in a game in Chicago vs. Detroit. While that’s a big story in itself, it’s not the most remarkable item to come out of this game.
What is the most remarkable item to come out of this game is the fact that the Sox won the game, 10-9, scoring three runs in the ninth inning! First baseman Cozy Dolan had an error, third baseman Frank Isbell made three, shortstop Lee Tannehill had four — and starting pitcher Patsy Flaherty had three!
Chances are, Isbell and Tannehill sent their gloves out to be re-laced after this one. This game was just Chicago’s 12th of the season, and already Tannehill had amassed 11 errors, Isbell 10. And in part thanks to Flaherty’s cloddish fielding, none of his nine runs surrendered over this complete-game win were earned.
The White Sox set this new record for fumbles just two years and one day after a nine-error, 21-7 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. This 11-error game has never been surpassed in White Sox annals, and remains tied with the Tigers (1901), St. Louis Cardinals (1902 and 1909) and Boston Beaneaters (1906) for the most miscues ever committed in a major league game.
Notably, among the 17 games with the most errors (10 or 11) in majors history, four came against the White Sox (so, a full quarter of these games featured the White Sox as the benefactor).
Even more noteworthy, none of the other 16 games of 10 or 11 errors resulted in a win for the leaky team: This White Sox game is the only in history where the team with double-figure errors still won the game.
St. Louis swept Chicago in a doubleheader, with Bob Groom holding the White Sox hitless in a 3-0 nightcap win. It was the sixth time in team history the White Sox were no-hit.
However, the loss marked the end of the eventual world champions’ four-game losing streak (what would be their longest of the season), and the 11-10 club would win 89 of its final 135 games (a .659 winning percentage!) in storming to the sole 100-win season in White Sox history.
Unlike the no-hitter on May 5, the Browns actually played a very good game in this win, and moved one full game ahead of the White Sox in the AL standings. However, St. Louis was not a strong team by any measure, ending the year with just 57 wins.
This is the only time in major league history that a team has been no-hit on consecutive days. And the team no-hit was a 100-win eventual World Series winner.
Also, this was Groom’s last full season in the big leagues, and he would lead the AL with 19 losses, against just eight wins.
Baseball is crazy.
1963 Making an emergency start in Kansas City, White Sox pitcher Gary Peters hit the first of his 19 career home runs. It came in the third inning off Ted Bowsfield. Peterstossed eight innings of one-run ball in the 5-1 win. It was the first win in 1963 for Gary, who’d go on to collect 19 of them and win Rookie of the Year honors. Peters had 189 strikeouts to go along with a 2.33 ERA.
Peters is also the franchise leader in most home runs hit by a pitcher with 15, three more than Jack Harshman.
Peterswas told that he would be that game’s starter late — while on the airplane flying into Kansas City — by pitching coach Ray Berres after scheduled starter Juan Pizarro was felled by the flu.
1964 Dave Nicholson hit what may have been the longest home run in MLB history.
On this night, in the fifth inning, in the first game of a twin bill versus the A’s, Nicholson blasted a shot off of future White Sox pitcher Moe Drabowsky that went over the roof and was found across the street in Armour Square.
Some Sox fans claimed they heard the ball hit the top of the roof, but White Sox officials said when they found the ball it had no signs of tar on it, nor was it scuffed. Longtime Chicago baseball reporter Jerome Holtzman was at the game, and claimed he saw the ball bounce back up after hitting the roof — and then go back out of sight.
Nicholson’sshot went over the roof around the 375-foot sign in left-center field. It was found 135 feet from the base of the wall. Factoring in the elevation needed to get the ball over the roof (approximately 70 feet), hitting a ball on to the roof or over it required a ground-to-ground distance of at least 474 feet.
Unofficial estimates place the drive as traveling 573 feet, eclipsing Mickey Mantle’s shot at Griffith Stadium in Washington in 1956 that went an unofficial 565 feet.
For the night, Dave would hammer three home runs and drive in five in the twin bill as the Sox swept both games, 6-4 and 11-4.
The postscript to the story is that a few months later, on July 12 in Kansas City (the next time Drabowskyfaced Nicholson), he hit him in the forehead with a fastball — opening a gash that required stitches.
1967 The White Sox dealt native son Moose Skowron to California for infielder Cotton Nash, in what was the first-ever trade between the two clubs. Skowron had come to the South Side from Washington three seasons earlier, and remained a solid hitter for the duration of his tenure (4.7 WAR, 107 OPS+ over 347 games).
Nash would appear in just three games for the White Sox in 1967 (0-for-4, with a walk), which also was the brief period of time where the former University of Kentucky basketball star was a two-sport pro (MLB’s White Sox and the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels). After spending 1968 and 1969 in the minors for Chicago, the Sox swapped Nash to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile California released Skowron at the end of 1967, ending his career.
1973 With an 11-2 win to wrap up a sweep of the Yankees and run their homestand to 5-0, the White Sox improved to 15-5 on the young season and pushed their lead in the AL West to two games. The win marked the best start for the White Sox since 1912, and remains tied for the best 20-game start to a White Sox season.
Wilbur Wood went the distance to improve to 7-2. Yes, that’s right, Wood had nine of the first 20 decisions for the White Sox, due in part to weather cancellations of games in April and his ability as a knuckleballer to take on a huge workload. (Wood started the first two games of the White Sox season, the first three of five, four of eight and five of 10.) On offense, Pat Kelly and Bill Melton both had three singles in the rout, while Dick Allen went 3-for-4 with the only White Sox extra-base hit of the game, a triple to lead off the third inning. (Want an idea of how valuable and smart a hitter Allen was? His first hit of the game was … a bunt single to third base.)
Injuries and odd front-office moves by GM Stu Holcomb would eventually torpedo this promising season, as by year’s end the White Sox would fall to fifth place in the six-team division, at 77-85.
GreenJackets infielder Tate Southisene (7) throws the ball during the Augusta GreenJackets and the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers game at SRP Park on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The GreenJackets celebrated Star Wars night with fireworks and a jersey auction. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale - Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK | Katie Goodale-The Augusta Chronicle USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Other than running into some trouble in the sixth inning, it was a really strong pitching performance by Elieser Hernández who mixed his pitches pretty well, but was especially strong with his four-seam that he utilized over 50% of the time. Because he was able to utilize his full four pitch mix (four-seam, cutter, curveball, changeup), his changeup played up and overall, again, generated weak contact and kept hitters at bay. He was removed from the sixth inning with a runner on first, because his pitch count was up to 92, and Ian Hamilton came in, threw a pair of changeups and ended the threat.
The strong pitching continued afterwards as Dylan Dodd (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 1K) needed just 11 pitches to work a scoreless inning. Dodd was able to locate his cutter real well down in the zone against some right handed hitting – something to monitor and see if he’s able to do once he’s back in Atlanta. Following Dylan Dodd was Daysbel Hernández (1IP 1H 0R 1BB 2K) who appears to be rounding into shape after sitting out the start of the season due to injury. The Daysbel slider was at its peak, pretty much rendering hitters useless against it, a very good sign. Also of note, Daysbel was nearly 50:50 with his four-seam, and slider combination which shows confidence in his ability to locate both. We all know of the high upside Daysbel has when he’s able to locate the two pitches and it appears as though he is on the right track. Following Daysbel was Rolddy Muñoz who worked around a hit-by-pitch, and an error and worked a scoreless inning himself. Rolddy featured manly his two-seam and slider, which looked particularly great, but also let it rip with a four-seam fastball. The two-seam continues to be a tantalizing pitch with its 21” IVB.
Offensively, this game had three big highlights that came on three swings. First was a fourth inning solo home run by Ben Gamel to give the Stripers a 1-0 lead.
Fast forward to the seventh and it was Ben Gamel, again, who hit a two run single that scored Aaron Schunk and Brewer Hicklen to then tie the game at 3-3. The final highlight came in the eighth when Nacho Alvarez Jr. connected on his second homer of the season, the eighth pitch of the at bat, to give the Stripers the lead, and ultimately the win.
It was an up-and-down outing for Garrett Baumann who got through 4.2 innings of work. Garrett leveraged his four-seam 30% of the time, a bit of a spike for him, but mixed his pitches very well. By my charting Garrett was four-seam (30%), two-seam (14%), cutter (20%), curveball (13%), and splitter (20%), but struggled to identify a true whiff pitch while often unable to land his offspeed pitches in/close to the zone. Garrett also struggled with the run game a bit – allowing three stolen bases, something he has focused and worked on a lot this season so far. All that said, Garrett still allowed just two earned runs and was followed up by some solid bullpen work as well.
LJ McDonough (1.1IP 1H 1R 0ER 2BB 1K) worked into, and out of trouble, giving up a pair of walks and hitting a batter but was able to get a double play to end any threat. His fastball control struggled as he threw multiple ones too far up in the zone to make hitters swing at it. He was replaced by Ryan Bourassa who gave up a solo home run, but still pitched well. Ryan leveraged all three of his pitches (four-seam, cutter, splitter), and looked as though he executed his plan quite well. The home run was a bit of really nice hitting on a fastball up and away that the batter was able to swing through and connect on. Lastly, Blane Abeyta was fantastic in closing out the game. His sweeper was fantastic and he was starting it outside and locating it inside the zone. He combined that strong sweeper with a fastball that he commanded well at the top of the zone – overall a very strong pitching performance for Blane.
Offensively, the Clingstones went 5-for-18 with runners in scoring position and scored seven runs, but could have scored more if not for some struggles with runners at third. The scoring started early with a Jordan Groshans RBI double in the first. In the third, it was Jordan Groshans again, this time grounding into a double play but scoring Lizandro Espinoza to push the lead to 2-0. The Clingstones would then be held in check until the eighth inning when, who else but Jordan Groshans, hit an RBI triple that scored Luke Waddell. Two batters later the hot hitting Archer Brookman drove in Jordan with an RBI single that ultimately gave Columbus the lead back.
After a solo home run by the Shuckers in the bottom of the eighth inning tied the game, the Clingstones added three more runs in the ninth inning to secure the win.
Unfortunately for Rome it was one of the erratic games for Cedric De Grandpre who struggled throughout the outing and never really got into a groove. He had runners on base in three of his four innings, struggled to land his fastball in the zone, let alone at the top of the zone, and was unable to find a rhythm with the rest of his arsenal. As a result, you get a mixed bag review. Cedric has a ton of arm talent, has a pitch mix that falls in line with everything Jeremy Hefner would love to work with (four-seam, two-seam, slider, curveball, changeup), but has been very inconsistent. There are games where it all comes together and he looks like a top prospect, and then he has games like today where he struggles to land any of them in the zone. The stuff was still there, as he was able to generate 12 whiffs, but the inconsistencies ultimately cost him.
He was relieved by Jacob Kroeger (0.2IP 3H 4ER 1BB 1K) who struggled as well, particularly with his slider, unable to land it in the zone primarily making Jacob a one pitch pitcher. He was then relieved by Drew Christo (1.1IP 1H 0R 3BB 1K), a recent call up to Rome, and he also struggled to land his pitches in the zone, however was still able to get through his outing without allowing a run to score. Finally, Logan Samuels (2IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K) pitched the final two innings and unlike the previous pitchers, was able to land his pitches and attacked batters. 17 of Logan’s 21 pitches were strikes and he threw his four-seam, two-seam, and sweeper all for strikes.
Offensively, it was a never quit attitude for the Emperors. They found themselves down 10-2 after the games first five innings and rallied – scoring seven more runs before ultimately falling. Isaiah Drake was especially strong as he collected three hits including this 97 MPH RBI double.
The Emperors would threaten again in the ninth with John Gil driving in a run on a double play to make it 10-7. Dixon Williams would follow that up with a two run home run of his own later in the inning to make it 10-9, before the Emperors ultimately fell.
(17-11) Charleston River Dogs 3, (15-13) Augusta GreenJackets 5
Logan Forstyhe got the ball for the GreenJackets and was solid. After struggling in the first inning he was able to turn things around and navigate through the final three innings of his outing with his three pitch mix (four-seam, sweeper, changeup). Logan was primarily four-seam – throwing it 65% of the time but it had good shape, and while it didn’t generate a ton of whiffs, was still used to keep hitters in check with it’s solid velocity (94-95 MPH). He was relieved by Aiven Cabral who was strong – allowing just one earned run over the games final five innings. He did a really good job of getting ahead of batters early which allowed him some leeway when he was unable to finish batters. Cabral continued to utilize a four pitch mix of four-seam, two-seam (1?), slider, and splitter. Nothing particularly stood out between the two pitchers, but we did see both of them settle in and provide a solid outing.
Offensively it was a strong game by a lot of the team. The GreenJackets scored their first two runs in the fifth inning with a Cooper McMurray 94 MPH home run. They would tack on three more runs the following inning with a Dalton McIntyre two run single, and a run scoring ground out by Cooper McMurray. They would tack on their final run of the game in the eighth inning with an RBI single by Nick Montgomery.
Beyond the numbers, it was a game of really good approaches by Tate Southisene, Luis Guanipa, and Dalton McIntyre. The trio all showcased strong at bats with minimal expanding, and taking advantage of balls left in the zone. Alex Lodise went 1-for-4, but did expand up high as he is known for. Nick Montgomery continued his strong 2026 that continued to show good swing decisions – a big, and very promising, change from 2025.
25 February 2026, Lower Saxony, Hanover: A meerkat stands in the sunshine at Hanover Zoo. Photo: Julian Stratenschulte/dpa (Photo by Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Aneudis Mejia went 3.1 innings for Hickory, allowing four runs, walking three and striking out three.
Marcos Torres homered. Paulino Santana had two walks and a stolen base. Yolfran Castillo had a pair of hits and a stolen base. Hector Osorio had a pair of hits.
Hub City starter Aidan Curry allowed three runs in 3.1 IP, striking out four and walking four. Andrew Susac struck out two in two innings, allowing two runs.
Maxton Martin homered. Paxton Kling had a hit. Malcolm Moore had a hit. Yeison Morrobel had a double and a walk. Gleider Figuereo was 3 for 4 with a double.
Josh Stephan starter for Round Rock, allowing three runs in six innings while striking out 11. Ryan Brasier struck out one in a scoreless inning. Alexis Diaz walked two, struck out two and allowed a run in an inning. Dane Acker walked three and allowed three runs while not retiring anyone.
Aaron Zavala was 2 for 3 with a walk and a pair of doubles. Cam Cauley had a hit and a walk.
Anthony Volpe of the Somerset Patriots runs the bases during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on May 1, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
When the Yankees announced that Anthony Volpe would not be added to the active roster when he was activated from the injured list, but instead optioned to Triple-A Scranton, manager Aaron Boone indicated that the team had not considered playing him anywhere but at shortstop. Speaking to the media less than 24 hours later, Boone appeared to walk back those remarks, saying “We’ll see. Right now, he’s going to play shortstop” in response to another question about Volpe’s positional flexibility. While I understand the reasoning behind having Volpe at least start playing his accustomed position exclusively, the prudent move for all involved is to get Anthony Volpe some reps at other positions, or at least at second base.
The benefits for Volpe should be clear. There is no shortage of former shortstop prospects who reinvented themselves throughout the league. Once upon a time, Amed Rosario was the No. 1 prospect in the Mets organization, and in 2017, the MLB.com scouting report said, “There is no question he’ll be a shortstop long-term, with the potential to be an elite-level defender thanks to his range, hands, footwork and plus arm.” He did not come anywhere close to that potential, but has instead built himself a nice career as a southpaw-slugging utilityman capable of playing second, third, and both corner outfield spots — not particularly well, but at least passably. Before him, Jurickson Profar had the same career trajectory (before his multiple PED suspensions, of course).
Defensively, Volpe projects as a player who should be able to slide around the diamond, at least a little bit. As a Gold Glove shortstop (and yes, I would still classify him as that despite his struggles with the glove last season, which at this point I’m inclined to blame on his injury), he clearly has the range to move around the diamond, even if I’m disinclined to think that he’ll have the arm for the hot corner his throws from short were clocked at 81.9 mph last year (a career high despite the injury), which ranked 40th among shortstops. That weakness, however, would be minimized at second base. Since Volpe has just 45 professional innings away from shortstop — 18 at second, 27 at third, and all in 2021 with the Tampa Tarpons and the Hudson Valley Renegades — it would be beneficial for Volpe’s future career for him to start getting reps there sooner rather than later.
At the same time, it’s within the Yankees’ best interests for them to see what else Volpe can do besides playing shortstop. Yes, the team already has quite a bit of flexibility at the major league level, with Rosario, Caballero, and now Max Schuemann all capable of playing multiple positions. Of this trio, however, Cabby is already in the starting lineup, Rosario doesn’t play great defense, and Volpe has a higher ceiling and slightly longer track record than Schuemann. If Volpe can reinvent himself as a strong defender at both middle infield positions over the next month or two, he can provide real insurance in the event of a Jazz Chisholm Jr. injury this season (or a departure in free agency this winter).
In truth, there’s really only one person who would not benefit from Volpe increasing his positional versatility: Oswaldo Cabrera, who has struggled to find his footing in Scranton after missing most of last season. And while I love the Yankees’ human Golden Retriever… more competition is never a bad thing.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 6: Colorado Rockies grounds crew use leaf blowers to blow off the snow around the edges of the field on Opening Day against the Atlanta Braves on April 6, 2018 Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Carl Edwards Jr. has elected free agency following his designation for assignment by the Mets.
ESPN handed out grades to every team to start the season, and the Mets did about as poorly as one would expect.
If you’ve ever wondered how to become the biggest baseball fan possible, look to the man who has attended 10,000 baseball games, with the big number 10,000 coming during the Mets’ doubleheader against the Rockies.
Every Mets starter has gotten pushed back a day due to yesterday’s postponement.
Mark Vientos looks to be returning to his 2024 form, just when the Mets need him the most.
Brandon Nimmo is already realizing some major differences between New York and Texas as a player.
Around the National League East
The Marlins designated pitcher Chris Paddack for assignment.
The Braves activated closer Raisel Iglesias, and have sent Dylan Dodd to begin a rehab assignment.
The Phillies continued their winning ways under interim manager Don Mattingly with a 9-1 blowout against the Athletics, with Cristopher Sánchez throwing eight scoreless innings with ten strikeouts and only three hits.
The Marlins lost 9-7 to the Orioles when Andrew Nardi gave up two runs in the top of the ninth on back-to-back RBI singles.
The Nationals were handed a beatdown by the Twins in an 11-3 loss, with Cade Cavalli giving up six runs (though only three were earned) and Andre Granillo giving up four.
The Braves narrowly defeated the Mariners 3-2, with Matt Olson hitting a solo home run in the top of the ninth to give the Braves the lead, and Raisel Iglesias got the save in his return from the injured list.
Around Major League Baseball
The Tigers terminated the contract of Gabe Alvarez, manager of the Toledo Mud Hens, and named former Met Mike Hessman as the interim manager.
New interim manager of the Red Sox Chad Tracy is making subtle changes to try and help the team succeed.
Mike Trout believes that his hot start is a return to form that he can sustain.
Various broadcast booths across baseball have paid homage to the former Yankees announcer John Sterling following his passing.
The Yankees announced they will be wearing a memorial patch for Sterling for the rest of the season, starting with their next homestand.
A reliever who played against and alongside some of the biggest names in baseball has taken a new path post-baseball—auto engineer at Ford.
Tamp Bay Rays pitcher (and former Met) Steven Matz has become the latest Ray to end up on the injured list.
Brewers reliever Angel Zerpa’s season will be undergoing Tommy John surgery on Monday, ending his 2026 season.
Even Shohei Ohtani has his limits, finding himself out of the lineup on days he pitches during a rough start to his offensive season.
Benches cleared in the game between the Tigers and Red Sox after Framber Valdez hit Trevor Story with a pitch following back-to-back home runs by the Red Sox.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Allison McCague published another pitcher meter for the last two weeks of Mets baseball.
Steve Sypa wrote up the Mets Minor League Players of the Week for the sixth week of the season.
This Date in Mets History
Willie Mays, who played for the Mets for a couple years in the early 1970s and had his number retired by the Mets in 2022, was born on this day 95 years ago.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 05: UFC Champion, Alex Pereira throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on May 5, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’ve seen a lot of fighters over the years throw out some pretty questionable first pitches, but not our man “Poatan.”
Alex Pereira was on hand at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx yesterday (Tue. May 5th, 2026) to watch the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 7-4 in the first of a three game series. He was welcomed as a proper two division UFC champion should be — they gave him a Yankees jersey with the number 1 on the back and let him throw out the first ceremonial pitch.
And how did Pereira do? He put the ball straight down the middle and over the plate. It was no heater, but it got exactly where it was supposed to go. Take a look.
Compare that to Conor McGregor’s infamous first pitch during a Cubs game, which went, er, slightly to the right.
When lefty Conor McGregor fired in an absolutely wild first pitch at a Cubs game 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Pk0GmetyIS
— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) April 19, 2026
Pereira was introduced as the ‘former’ two-division UFC champion which is technically true: he relinquished his light heavyweight belt to move up another division, where he’ll face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship. A win over Gane at the UFC White House event on June 14th will make “Poatan” the first fighter to ever hold titles in three weight classes.
Add that to the list of impressive accomplishments alongside his impressive first pitch.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Jacob Degrom #48 of the Texas Rangers reacts after giving up a home run against Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees during their game at Yankee Stadium on May 05, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yankees 7, Rangers 4
That game made me grouchy.
Like the Very Grouchy Ladybug.
Three runs in the first off of Elmer Rodriguez, then one run the rest of the way.
The Yankees were 3 for 8 with runners in scoring position and stranded five. The Rangers were 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12.
And that pretty much explains the ball game.
I don’t want to talk about this game.
Jacob deGrom topped out at 98.7 mph with his fastball, averaging 97.8 mph. Jalen Beeks reached 94.4 mph with his fastball. Tyler Alexander’s sinker reached 92.8 mph.
Jake Burger had a 107.3 mph ground out, a 104.3 mph GIDP, and a 103.3 mph ground out. Ezequiel Duran had a 105.2 mph triple. Andrew McCutchen had a 104.6 mph single. Joc Pederson had a 103.1 mph sacrifice fly. Alejandro Osuna had a 103.0 mph ground out. Josh Jung had a 101.5 mph single.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 13: Jackson Rutledge #44 of the Washington Nationals reacts after giving up a triple in the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 13, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nationals have admitted defeat on yet another first round draft pick from the 2010’s. While the Nats were having a magical turnaround in the summer of 2019, Mike Rizzo drafted Jackson Rutledge with the 17th overall pick. He did not work out, and the Nats new regime officially admitted that last night when they DFA’d Rutledge.
Max Kranick signing is now official. One year deal with club option for 2027. In a corresponding move, the Nats designated Jackson Rutledge for assignment.
The Nats needed to remove someone from the 40-man roster to add new signing Max Kranick, and Rutledge was the guy. Despite Rutledge’s pedigree, the fact he was DFA’d did not come as much of a surprise. He just has not been productive enough to stick around in the big leagues.
Rutledge has appeared in 71 games, with five starts. In his career, Rutledge has an ERA of 6.29. This season he only made one disastrous MLB appearance, where he allowed 7 runs in 1.1 innings. At that point, it really felt like the writing was on the wall for the former first rounder.
Jackson Rutledge, summoned from Rochester to help provide some bullpen depth tonight, hasn't retired any of the five batters he's faced so far in the 6th, turning a 5-1 game into a 9-1 game.
In 2025, Rutledge was a full time big leaguer for the first time. He was a mainstay in the Nats bullpen. While he had some moments of success, there was more bad than good. He posted a 5.77 ERA in 63 outings last year. Despite throwing in the mid-90’s, Rutledge’s fastball was extremely hittable.
That has been one of the stories of his career. For a guy who was touted as having elite stuff coming out of the draft, he has always been hittable. Even in Single-A, hitters were not having trouble picking up his stuff. In 2021, he posted an ERA of 7.68 in various levels of A ball and in 2022, he had an ERA of 4.90 for the Fred Nats. For a 6’8 guy with a mid-90’s heater and a wipeout slider, he was always shockingly hittable.
Part of that is due to the fact that he does not take advantage of his big frame. Despite being a massive pitcher, Rutledge has below average extension down the mound. That means he is not a very deceptive guy. His fastball shape is also very ordinary, which was a problem for him. Coming out of junior college, Rutledge could dominate with pure velocity, but he could not do that in pro ball.
Despite the rough start to his pro career, Rutledge did appear to turn a corner in 2023. He posted a 3.71 ERA in 23 starts split between Double-A and Triple-A. That success earned him a big league call up in 2023. However, the success never came in the big leagues.
Jackson Rutledge struck out seven batters in 5.0 innings of two-hit, shutout ball last night.
That 2023 turned out to be an outlier. Rutledge posted an ERA above 6 in AAA the following year. After that, he became a full time reliever. He had some success in that role in the big leagues at the start of the 2025 season. However, as we mentioned, that success did not last.
There is a pretty good chance that Rutledge goes unclaimed and remains in the Nats organization. If that happens, he will be off the 40 man roster, and will officially just be organizational depth, which he pretty much was already.
Mike Rizzo’s drafts from 2012 onwards were rough, but his stretch between 2017-2019 was his worst work. In that three year stretch, the Nats took Seth Romero, Mason Denaburg and Jackson Rutledge in the first round. Those drafts are a big reason why the Nats had to enter a rebuild.
You can talk about ownership’s lack of spending, and that is a real problem. However, all of those draft misses added up for this organization. It is tough to build an entire team through free agency, especially in a medium sized market like DC. You need homegrown talent to be flowing through the system, and the Nats just did not have that.
Hopefully the new regime can change that, and they are already showing signs that they are. The Nats minor league teams are having more success than they have had in many years. Prospects like Eli Willits, Ronny Cruz, Devin Fitz-Gerald and Seaver King are also having monster years.
As we head into the future, I hope the Nats can build a young core of homegrown players and augment them with free agent talent. That is what the Nats did when they were at their best in the 2010’s. They spent money, but there was also a core of young, controllable players. That eventually dried up once all the draft misses caught up to this organization.
With the 20th pick in that same 2019 draft, the Mariners took a different college pitcher in George Kirby. Obviously that one is working out a lot better. The Mariners taking guys like Kirby and the Nats taking guys like Rutledge are a big reason why the two teams are in such different spots. With a new front office that has a rich history scouting the amateur draft, I think the Nats will be on the winning side of these sorts of things before too long.
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 05: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reads the catcher's signals in the bottom of the third inning during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros on May 5, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We are now over a month into the first season of what Shohei Ohtani can do on both sides of the field throughout the whole year as a Dodger.
Ohtani is seemingly back to his pre-injury, Cy Young award contending form on the mound, as he’s coming off a dominant month of April where he was named the National League Pitcher of the Month. On the other side of the field, where he hit 109 home run in his first two years with the Dodgers, his bat has cooled off recently as he is currently miring in an 0-17 slump dating back to Wednesday April 29 against the Miami Marlins.
Ohtani attempted to mitigate his struggles by taking batting practice before Monday’s 8-3 win over the Houston Astros, but it only resulted in his hitless streak reaching five games. Despite the recent offensive struggles, Ohtani knows that the early portion of the season isn’t his strong suit and has faith that his bat will wake up as the season marches on, notes Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.
“I do feel like over the course of my career it’s just a reality that I’m not exactly hitting at the best of my ability at this time of year,” Ohtani said last week through interpreter Will Ireton. “At the same time, as a player, I do want to be better and get to that position where I’m feeling really good. It’s a balancing act of the two.”
“It is easier to maintain something good when things are going well,” Ohtani said. “But when things are not going well, it’s not easy, in the sense that I have to make sure that I’m healthy and not overdoing it in terms of repetition. So while I’m working on certain things, it’s also a balancing act of making sure I’m not overdoing it physically and making sure that I’m healthy.”
Ohtani has already shown during his time with the Angels that pitching full-time wasn’t the main factor behind an offensive slump, and the reigning two-time MVP is adamant that the adjustment to being a full-time pitcher again hasn’t hampered his ability to hit, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“I don’t think so, personally, that pitching has been affecting my hitting,” Ohtani said through his interpreter following Tuesday’s game. “At the same time, it has been a little bit longer than my expectation (to get going), in terms of the hitting side of things. So, I’ve been getting on base, which is a good thing. I just want to make sure that the quality of balls in play are better. And it’s not ideal that I’m trying to find that in the game (with less time to work in practice), but I just have to continue to do what I’m supposed to do.”
Tuesday was the third time this season that Ohtani solely took the mound, going a season-high seven innings while striking out eight, but his two home runs surrendered made the difference as he took another tough defeat. Ohtani spoke about the tenacity of Houston’s lineup and the ineffectiveness of his two mistake pitches following Tuesday’s game, per Courtney Hollmon of MLB.com.
“It was really mislocated, to the area completely opposite of where I was intending to,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “If the execution was better, I think it wouldn’t have been a homer, but they also put good swings as well.”
May 5, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias (26) celebrates following a victory against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves reinstated right-hander Raisel Iglesias from the injured list on Tuesday, ahead of the late-night matchup with the Seattle Mariners. The club also designated fellow righty Carlos Carrasco for assignment, and lastly, provided updates on the rehabilitation of Dylan Dodd and Ha-Seong Kim.
The #Braves today reinstated RHP Raisel Iglesias from the injured list and designated RHP Carlos Carrasco for assignment. Additionally, LHP Dylan Dodd tonight begins a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett. The club also transferred INF Ha-Seong Kim’s rehabilitation…
Iglesias has been lights-out for the Braves so far this season. In late April, he was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, but he made his return on Tuesday night, where he recorded the save.
As for Carrasco, this marks the second time in a week that Atlanta has designated him for assignment.
The Los Angeles Angels are shutting down lefty Yusei Kikuchi for the next three to four weeks with shoulder inflammation. He is attempting to rehab without surgery.
Martin Perez
Zack Wheeler
Aaron Judge
