KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 08: Wenceel Perez #46 of the Detroit Tigers hits an RBI double during the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 08, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Detroit Tigers (18-21) vs. Kansas City Royals (18-21)
Time/Place: 7:10 p.m., Kauffman Stadium SB Nation Site: Royals Review Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Ty Madden (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (3-2, 3.05 ERA)
CHICAGO - AUGUST 09: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Indians pauses during a heavy rain storm during the tenth inning against the Chicago White Sox on August 9, 2020 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images) | Getty Images
May 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brock Stewart (41) pitches during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
LOS ANGELES — Blake Snell was activated off the injured list on Saturday to start against the Atlanta Braves, after missing the first six-plus weeks of the season with left shoulder fatigue. To make room on the active roster, Brock Stewart is back on the injured list, this time with a bone spur in his left foot.
With Tyler Glasnow sidelined with back spasms, the Dodgers turned to Snell, who was scheduled to pitch five innings in his final rehab start for Class-A Ontario on Saturday, with a proposition he was eager to accept.
“You try to figure out if [Snell] is open to taking the five innings here versus on rehab,” manager Dave Roberts said Friday. “And he was. he couldn’t be more excited to do that.”
Saturday is the 39th game of the season for the Dodgers, who to date have only used six starting pitchers in an incredibly stable rotation to date. This is the latest into a season the Dodgers have used their seventh different starting pitcher since 2021, when it took until game number 40 with opener Jimmy Nelson.
Stewart was just activated on Wednesday after missing the first 36 games while rehabbing from last September’s shoulder surgery. Stewart pitched in both games in which he was active, throwing scoreless innings on both Wednesday in Houston and on Friday against the Braves, totaling three strikeouts and a walk among his seven batters faced.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 21: Dustin May #3 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot park on April 21, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dustin May will get the Saturday night start at Petco Park for the Cardinals as he’ll do battle with Randy Vásquez who will take the mound for the Padres. First pitch is set for 6:15pm central time and the musical chairs broadcast schedule has the game being broadcast on Fox Saturday night.
May 8, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; The Kansas City Royals celebrate a walk off win in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
One of my favorite things that happens on Royals Review is Suff76’s Path to 90 wins. Now that we’re at the quarter-point of the season, I wanted to check in on that. If the Royals were following that path, they’d have been 19-19 entering this series, and would want to be 21-20 exiting it. Instead, they entered it 17-21 and are now 18-21. If they at least split tonight’s game and tomorrow’s, they’ll be 19-22, only two games off the pace they’d need for 90 wins, assuming they can follow the path the rest of the way. Especially considering the 8-game losing streak, they’ve made up a TON of ground already.
One of the things I preach but don’t always practice is trying to view the season in homestand/away trip chunks rather than on a game-by-game basis. Going game by game, that Cleveland series was disappointing, but looked at from a series perspective, it was solid. Going series by series, the Oakland series was disappointing, while the Mariners series was terrific; from a road trip standpoint, a 4-2 trip was fantastic.
If we look at it from a homestand perspective, after the Royals take at least two out of three from the Tigers, that would be a good homestand. Win more games on a homestand/road trip than you lose, and you’re always making up ground, even if you lose individual games or even individual series.
What that means is the Royals have a chance to guarantee themselves a good homestand and give themselves a chance at a terrific homestand tomorrow with a win tonight. But that also means if they do win tonight and lose tomorrow, that’s not a lost opportunity, that’s a successful homestand. Baseball is, famously, a marathon rather than a sprint. But we fans so often treat individual games as if they will make or break a season.
The Royals, on paper, should have an excellent opportunity in front of them tonight. Michael Wacha will take the mound for KC, and five of his seven starts to begin the year have been of the above-quality version. A quality start is, of course, six innings and three runs. All five starts were that good, but all of them saw him allow fewer than three runs, and multiple saw him go more than six innings. He did have a couple of rough starts against Baltimore and the Athletics, but he rebounded with seven innings of two-run ball against the Guardians earlier this week in one of the Royals’ wins.
Wacha hasn’t faced the Tigers this year, but he faced them in every series the two teams played last year. He had two quality starts, one start where he allowed only 2 runs in 5.1 innings, and a final start that was a bit of a dud where he gave up 4 runs in 4.2 innings, but had some terrible sequencing luck as he only allowed 5 hits and 1 walk. Hopefully, he’ll pitch something more like the seven shutout innings he gave KC on May 31 last year, when the Royals won 1-0.
The Tigers had originally planned to throw Tarik Skubal in this one. Unfortunately for them, he had a loose body removed from his elbow earlier this week so he’s unavailable. As Rex might say, the Royals won’t be sending any sympathy cards. Instead, the Tigers will use old friend Burch Smith as an opener and likely follow him with bulk reliever Ty Madden.
Smith has had a rough time since pitching for KC, he bounced around the majors for a couple of years before spending 2022 in the NPB and then even took a stab at the KBO in 2023. He returned to the states in 2024 and pitched a few subpar innings for the Orioles and Marlins. Last year, he pitched exclusively for Pittsburgh’s AAA affiliate before signing a minor league deal with Detroit over the offseason. They recalled him on April 22, and he’s been pretty good with a 1.59 ERA in 11.1 innings. He can be hard to hit, but when he does get hit, he gets hit hard.
Ty Madden is a rookie who pitched a handful of big league innings for the Tigers in 2024, though he remained in the minors all of last year. He came into the season ranked 27th among the Tigers’ prospects by FanGraphs. He was pretty mediocre in 2024, but his bulk relief appearance against the Red Sox earlier this week saw him pitch five shutout innings with seven Ks and no walks. He had trouble finding the zone in that start, though; the Red Sox just kept chasing. If the Royals can be more patient, they ought to find more success.
Lineups
The Tigers have put their dangerous lefties back in the lineup. Things won’t be easy for Wacha. On the other hand, Quatraro has actually removed Isaac Collins in favor of Lane Thomas. I’m not sure why, but hopefully it will pay off.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 04: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, May 4, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last night, the Yankees opened up a three-game series in Milwaukee, and it could’ve gone better for them. Young phenom Jacob Misiorowski shut down the Bombers, striking out 11 in six innings and keeping them off the scoreboard. Tonight, the Yankees will look to bounce back, as they send their own best young starter to the hill.
Cam Schlittler will get the start for the Yankees looking to even the series up. Even though he only allowed one run in 5.2 innings, Schlittler is coming off a bit of a struggle, for him, as he uncharacteristically walked three batters and gave up seven hits.
Elsewhere in the lineup, recent callup Spencer Jones will make his first ever start in the field in this one. Jones will be playing center field and hitting eighth in the batting order.
For Milwaukee, Kyle Harrison will take the ball. The Brewers picked up Harrison in an offseason trade with the Red Sox, and he’s gotten off to a very impressive start. Through six starts and 29.2 innings, Harrison has a 2.12 ERA with a 2.86 FIP.
We hope that you’ll come join us in the game thread for tonight’s action.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 01: Julio Rodríguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates in the dugout with Rob Refsnyder #30 of the Seattle Mariners after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at T-Mobile Park on May 01, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Baseball is so weird. Emerson Hancock pitched his poorest outing of the season yesterday and got a win after being handed a loss in what was probably the best-pitched game of his career last outing. And it was still one of the more normal games the Mariners have played in the Windy City, where things always seem to go sideways. Today Luis Castillo takes the ball for the Mariners and will try to stave off the weirdness. Meanwhile, the White Sox will attack the Mariners with yet another lefty starter, forcing the Mariners to their righty-heavy lineup and Luke Raley, hero of yesterday’s game, to the bench to start the game.
Lineups:
News:
Some updates from Ryan Divish in Chicago:
Bryce Miller will start Wednesday in Houston. With 14 games in 14 days , Mariners will use a six man rotation and then reassess after the road trip.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 9: Brent Rooker #25 of the Athletics celebrates with Nick Kurtz #16, Carlos Cortes #26 and Shea Langeliers #23 after hitting a three RBI home run during the third inning as catcher Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 9, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Bill Streicher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The A’s came out on top for the second day in a row, beating the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 in convincing fashion and setting themselves up for a series sweep tomorrow afternoon.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 05: Mauricio Dubon #14 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after a two RBI double during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 05, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well losing the Chris Sale game was really not what the doctor ordered for the Braves playing at the Dodgers, particularly the way that the game was lost, but they have a chance to even things up tonight behind Spencer Strider.
There are a number of notable changes to the Braves’ lineup, as Mauricio Dubon returns to the leadoff spot, bumping Baldwin, Albies, and Olson down a spot each. Sean Murphy is catching tonight, batting seventh, and he has hit well against Snell, with two walks, a single, double, and homer in 8 plate appearances. Jorge Mateo returns to the lineup at shortstop against the lefty Snell, batting ninth, after Jim Jarvis took a few days due to Mateo jamming his finger. Additionally, Michael Harris plays centerfield for the second consecutive night, a good sign that his quad continues to feel better.
May 9, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays left field Jesus Sanchez (12) dives back to first base in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Gerry Angus-Imagn Images | Gerry Angus-Imagn Images
Angels 1 Blue Jays 14
The only inning that really mattered was the fifth. The Jays scored seven runs in the bottom of the inning and that was more than enough. But the Jays added six more runs in the seventh and eighth.
Trey Yesavage was good enough, for four innings. He allowed four hits, two walks and six strikeouts, while not allowing a run. He was helped out by Addison Barger making a terrific throw from right, cutting down what should have been an easy run. Unfortunately, Trey threw a lot of pitches in those four innings, leaving the game with 87 pitches. Pitching deeper into a game would be nice. You can’t get the W if you throw just four innings.
Five different relievers did a good job too:
Mason Fluhardy got two strikeouts in the fifth. He got the win.
Braydon Fisher had a clean sixth.
Joe Mantiply a clean seventh.
Tyler Rogers gave up the Angels only run in the eighth, off 3 hits.
Tommy Nance allowed 3 hits in the ninth, but didn’t allow a run in the ninth.
We had 20 hits.
George Springer had two with a double.
Addison Barger didn’t have a hit but had two walks and scored a run. And he threw out a runner from pretty deep right and throwing at 101 mph to get the runner from third.
Vladimir Guerrero had two hits, with a run and an RBI.
Kazuma Okamoto was one for four with an RBI.
Jesus Sanchez had two hits, three runs, 2 RBI. One of those hits was a popup that landed just inside the left field line, falling between the third baseman, shortstop and left fielder.
Daulton Varsho was three for five with two runs scored.
Ernie Clement was five for five, with three runs and two RBI.
Andres Gimenez was o for four with an RBI.
Brandon Valenzuela went four for five with three runs, four RBI, a double and our only home run.
The Angels defense was terrible, which helped out. The only had one official error, but could have had three or four if they
Jays of the Day: Varsho (0.12 WPA), Clement (0.12) and Barger (0.10, plus the throw from right) and Yesavage (0.21) get the number.
Other Award? Well, George Springer had the number (-0.10).
Tomorrow the Jays go for the sweep with Eric Lauer (1-4, 6.03) going against José Soriano (5-2, 1.74). It is a 1:30 start time.
May 3, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
Mets lineup
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – SS
MJ Melendez – DH
Mark Vientos – 1B
Carson Benge – RF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Brett Baty – 3B
Francisco Alvarez – C
Tyrone Taylor – CF
Clay Holmes – RHP
Diamondbacks lineup
Ketel Marte – 2B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Gabriel Moreno – C
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Merrill Kelly – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:15pm EDT TV: FOX Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
San Diego, California - May 08: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres runs after a single against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning at Petco Park on Friday, May 8, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
St. Louis Cardinals (23-15) at San Diego Padres (22-16), May 9, 2026, 4:15 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
May 8, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) advances to second on a two-base error during the seventh inning as Texas Rangers first baseman Justin Foscue (14) attempts to apply the tag at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Apr 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are looking to parlay their win in the series opener against the New York Yankees into a series win on Saturday night. They were able to shut out the Yankees potent lineup on Friday night, the first shutout the Brewers have had against the Yankees since 1992.
On the mound trying to repeat that performance, albeit with fewer triple-digit fastballs, will be the lefty Kyle Harrison. Harrison has been off to a great start in his first season with the Brewers following the February trade with the Boston Red Sox.
Harrison has a 2.12 ERA across his six starts and his last two have been his best. He struck out 12 over 6 IP against the Pirates and then his last time out went 6 IP again, allowing just one run in a win over the Nationals.
On the mound for the Yankees will be the right-hander Cam Schlittler, who has a stellar 1.52 ERA on the season.
With a righty being on the mound for New York, Pat Murphy is loading his lineup with left-handed hitters. Jackson Chourio and William Contreras are the only right-handed hitters in the order tonight, hitting leadoff and third, respectively. Brice Turang is in between them. Then the 4-9 spots in the order are all lefties and switch-hitters; Jake Bauers, Tyler Black, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Luis Rengifo, and David Hamilton.
The Yankees, meanwhile, are going a little atypical with 38-year-old first baseman Paul Goldschmidt batting leadoff. Goldschmidt has killed the Brewers over the course of his 16-year career with a .295 average, 30 homers, and .932 OPS. Ben Rice, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger follow him. Spencer Jones, the hotshot prospect who made his debut facing Jacob Misiorowski’s 104-mph heat, is back in the lineup playing center field and batting eighth.
The Brewers made a transaction today, placing Brandon Lockridge on the IL with a right knee laceration and contusion following his scary crash into the LF wall yesterday. Blake Perkins was recalled from Triple-A to take his place.
Pat Murphy told reporters that “At the shortest, it’s a month,” that Lockridge will be out. But he’s still yet to get an MRI as they wait for the swelling to go down. The MRI is scheduled for Monday.
The Brewers offense will have a tough task again with a quality starter on the bump for New York, but their man on the mound is no slouch either. First pitch is at 6:10 p.m.
25 Feb 2000: Manager Bobby Cox #6 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a studio portrait during Spring Training Photo Day in Kissimmee, Florida. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport | Getty Images
Earlier this afternoon, the Atlanta Braves announced the passing of Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox. He was 84.
In six decades in the organization, Cox spent two separate stints as Braves manager; served as the team’s general manager; and was a player with the organization’s minor leagues prior to the beginning of his coaching career.
Cox’s death comes the same week as the passing of former Braves owner Ted Turner, who twice hired Cox to leadership roles in the organization.
Cox was born in Oklahoma in 1941 and moved with his family to California three years later. He began his playing career in 1960 after signing with the Dodgers organization out of high school.
After making it to Double-A with the Dodgers, he spent the 1965 season in Triple-A with the Cubs organization and split 1966 between the Cubs and Braves Triple-A ranks, playing for Austin in the Braves organization. In 1967, the Braves affiliate moved to Richmond, and he had a productive season with a .849 OPS.
The New York Yankees gave Cox an opportunity at the MLB-level in 1968 and he spent that and the 1969 season in the big leagues before his playing career wrapped up with parts of two seasons in the minors in 1971. Primarily a third baseman, Cox ended his big league career with 220 games played with nine home runs.
When his playing career concluded, it was only a few years until the beginning of what would become an iconic managerial career.
After several seasons of managing and coaching in the minor leagues and in winter ball, Cox became the first base coach for the Yankees in 1977 under manager Billy Martin. When the Braves moved on from manager Dave Bristol, they tabbed Cox as the team’s manager for the 1978 season.
Cox spent four seasons at the helm of a rebuilding Braves team that had a young Dale Murphy and added third baseman Bob Horner with the first overall pick in the 1978 draft. Unfortunately for Cox and the Braves, the team finish as high as fourth in the National League West only once – a 81-80 season in 1980.
The Braves weren’t able to build on the success of the 1980 season, finishing just below .500 in the first and second half of the strike-impacted 1981 campaign. Turner opted to replace Cox as manager, but when asked about the type managerial candidate that would be ideal to lead the Braves, it was Cox who Turner named.
Joe Torre, the former Braves All-Star player, would be hired to replace Cox and the two would both go on to have Hall of Fame careers.
The Toronto Blue Jays wasted no time hiring Cox as manager in 1982. Cox lead the Jays to back-to-back 89-win seasons in 1984 and 1985 and then took the squad to the American League Championship Series after a 99-win season in 1985. It was the first American League East title in franchise history.
Despite coming off of the best season of his managerial career, when Turner and the Braves came calling with an offer to become Atlanta’s general manager, Cox opted to return to the Braves.
As general manager, Cox oversaw a rebuild of the team’s minor league system with a focus on pitching. It was a painful era of Braves baseball at the big league level with the team losing 97-or-more games in three consecutive season, including the 106-loss 1988 season. But, by shifting from aging veterans to young, developing talent, Cox was setting a coarse for what would be a historic run for Atlanta.
During the 1990 season, Cox was faced with firing manager Russ Nixon after a 25-40 start. In doing so, he took over as skipper of the team. The team’s on-field record didn’t improve, but when John Schuerholtz was brought in from the Kansas City Royals as general manager, it was Cox he wanted to continue leading the team as manager.
The 1991 worst-to-first season for the Atlanta Braves changed everything for the Braves, the city of Atlanta and all of Braves country. The excitement, electricity and magnitude of that season is difficult to encapsulate 35 years later, but that season – and the run of 14-consecutive division-winning seasons (1994 notwithstanding) – has yet to be bested in MLB.
With the fiery Cox as skipper, the Braves won more than 100 games six times, and of course won the 1995 World Series. On the field and in the clubhouse, Cox was revered by players – many of whom he called by homespun nicknames that ended with -y – and respected by opponents as he was viciously loyal to his guys, a notion that was underscored by his MLB-record 162 ejections as manager.
Off-the-field, Cox dealt with a domestic abuse issue during that 1995 campaign, although charges were dropped and Cox did not miss any time during the season.
Cox led the Braves to the playoffs in every season there was a post-season from 1991 through 2005. Atlanta missed the playoffs in 2006, finishing below .500 for the first time since 1990, but returned to the post-season in 2010 – Cox’s final season as manager – when the team finished second in the NL East but claimed the Wild Card.
Cox’s post-season success was marginal, he ended his career with a below .500 record with the Braves and Blue Jays, and his sole World Series Championship was often sighted as a blight on an otherwise historic 15 years of dominance by the Braves.
He retired with 2,504 career victories, fourth most all-time, and led his teams to the post-season 16 times – 15 of those coming with the Braves. He won 15 division titles, five pennants and managed five All-Star games, including the 2000 contest in Atlanta. His 67 career post-season wins are fourth-most all-time. He also led the Braves to the 1995 World Series Championship.
Cox was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2011.
A four-time manager of the year winner, Cox was inducted into the the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 – a class that included Torre and fellow manager Tony La Russa as well as two of his former starting pitchers, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.
Cox suffered a stroke in 2019, the day after appearing at Trust Park for Opening Day, and made limited public appearances in the years that followed. His last appearance with the Braves was in 2025, on August 22, when the 1995 team was honored.
Cox, who was teammates with Mickey Mantle in New York, led teams in Atlanta that included future Hall of Fame players Fred McGriff, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones and John Smoltz. As general manager, he drafted Chipper Jones and traded for Smoltz. He notoriously almost pulled off a trade for Barry Bonds in 1987 – five years before the Braves attempted to do a deal for Bond with Pittsburgh for a second time.
Cox’s 2,149 regular season wins are the most in Braves franchise history – with more than an 1,100 win gap between him and fellow Hall of Fame manager Frank Selee who has the second-most wins if franchise history. Cox is also third all-time in wins in Blue Jays history.
Each of the three managers who followed Cox in the position have ties to him with Fredi Gonzalez and Brian Snitker both serving as coaches on his staff while current manager Walt Weiss played under Cox from 1998 to 2000. Snitker (3) and Gonzalez (6) are both in the top six in wins in franchise history.
After a decade of being marketing as “American’s Team” on TBS by Turner, the Cox-led Braves became one of the powerhouse teams of the 1990s, transiting Atlanta from an also-ran franchise to one of the top brands in the sport.
The outpouring of messages from his former players in the hours following the new of his passing showed the reverence they held for him. Andruw Jones called him a “second Father” and outfielder Ender Inciarte labeled him, “a wonderful person, a great human being” while numerous others called him the greatest manager for whom they played.
To honor Cox during his final season, the Braves had a game-day give away that was a poster of Cox comprised of photos of every player he had managed, a fitting honor for a manager who still wore spikes like he did when he a player.
The image of Cox hobbling out of the dugout to argue a call, kicking dirt and get ejected for defending his players and his team, is one that resonates across many Braves fans who are mourning the loss of their skipper this afternoon.
The Atlanta Braves and their fans lost the person responsible for building the foundation for the success the Braves franchise has had for the past 35 years.
