PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 14: Mitchell Parker #70 of the Washington Nationals in action during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a disastrous 2025 season, Mitchell Parker knew he had to change a lot. That point was driven home even further when the former rotation mainstay was sent to the minors on March 13th. Coming off a season where he posted a 5.68 ERA, Parker had to become a new pitcher to stick around in the big leagues.
The Nationals have made the following roster moves:
Optioned to Triple-A Rochester -LHP Andrew Alvarez -LHP Jake Eder -LHP Mitchell Parker
Reassigned to Minor League camp -RHP Trevor Gott -INF Seaver King -INF Trey Lipscomb -1B Matt Mervis
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) March 13, 2026
Parker has done just that in 2026, totally changing up his arsenal. Last season, Parker threw his 4-seam fastball 55% of the time and his slider at a 12% clip. This year, he is throwing the slider at a crazy 58% rate and throwing the heater just 31% of the time. Who knows if this will work long term, but Mitchell Parker is a very different pitcher these days.
It is not just the usage that has changed though. The shape of Parker’s slider is also quite different. It is almost 2 mph slower than last year, but has much more break. When you look at the pitch plot, you can see how much Parker subtly manipulates the shape as well.
Despite heavy usage, the slider is really fooling hitters. Parker is generating whiffs almost 40% of the time on the slider, despite using it as his primary pitch. Batters are hitting a decent .259 off the pitch, but their expected batting average is .233.
The heavy slider usage is also helping Parker’s fastball be more effective. Batters are hitting .167 off his heater and whiffing almost twice as often this year. Parker’s whiff and chase rates this year have been elite, both ranking in the 93rd percentile. While this has only led to a 4.05 ERA so far, his underlying numbers suggest more improvement is in store.
Parker’s FIP and xFIP are 3.43 and 3.44 respectively. Last season both of those numbers were around 5. It is clear that Parker’s changes have made him a better pitcher. However, it is not just those changes that are allowing him to thrive. He is also in a new role as a multi-inning relief arm.
He is only going 2 or 3 innings per appearance. That allows him to spam those sliders without hitters catching on to it. If he used this approach as a starter who is meant to see hitters two or three times, he could be in trouble. However, this new mix and Parker’s experience as a starter makes him perfect as a multi-inning reliever.
Before the season, we talked a lot about the Nats cutting back on fastball usage. After being at the top of the charts for fastball usage last year, the Nats are now bottom 10 in that category. Parker is one of the guys who has benefited the most from that philosophy change. He was throwing a ton of heaters, but his fastball is not an elite pitch.
When Parker got recalled from AAA, you could immediately see his massive changes. In his first outing, Parker threw his slider over 60% of the time and was racking up the whiffs. It was pretty wild to see a pitcher you thought you knew transform that quickly.
Mitchell Parker has four strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Here's his pitch mix tonight compared to last season. Six whiffs on 14 swings against his slider. pic.twitter.com/7cBk7mx3Dy
Now, these changes are not going to make Parker an ace, or even part of the Nats long term pitching plans. However, it is clear that this slider heavy approach has made him a better pitcher. He now has a clear plus weapon that he can lean on to get big league hitters out. Parker’s slider has good movement and he is commanding it very well. When he does not command it, he is in trouble, but he is doing a great job putting it just underneath the zone.
Before the season, I would not say I was that interested in Mitchell Parker. He was a pretty generic arm with no real out pitch. I figured he would get a couple spot starts here and there, but that he would just be an ordinary arm. With his mix changes, that has changed.
Again, these tweaks have not made him a star, but they could make him a viable big league arm. Last season, Parker was in the big leagues, but was not a big league caliber arm. Now, he is a guy who has a chance to be a nice multi-inning relief weapon for this team.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 10: Manager Don Kelly #12 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pirates will be down pitcher Chris Devenski for the first two games of the Diamondbacks series and manager Don Kelly for one after Major League Baseball suspended Devenski for intentionally throwing at Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game against the Reds.
The league announced the moves, which are accompanied by undisclosed fines, on Tuesday. Devenski was originally suspended for three games, but a settlement was reached to knock it down to two. Kelly will still be suspended for Tuesday’s game, and bench coach Kristopher Negrón will be the manager.
This all started over disagreement when Sal Stewert stepped outside of the box and messed with the timing of Devenski. There was some arguing going on between the two then Devenski went inside on a pitch and Stewert voiced his frustration over that.
It was then determined by crew chief Alan Porter that Devenski did it on purpose. The veteran pitcher got replaced by Yohan Ramirez who got Stewert to fly out to right field.
Personally, I don’t think Devenski did that on purpose at all. This is his 11th season in the Majors and there has been no history of him being a dirty pitcher or a pitcher who likes to throw at batters.
Devenski said after the game that he had no intentions of throwing at Stewert and that it was just a pitch that missed the spot. Stewart struggled vs the Pirates pitching going 0-13 in the series which also resulted in Cincinnati getting swept.
The timing of this could be a big deal especially with how much the Bucs have been using their bullpen to start the season. Through 35 games, Pirates relievers had worked 143 2/3 innings, which is the sixth-most in MLB.
Kelly being suspended is not a massive deal for the team since he is only slated to miss Tuesday night’s game vs the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kelly will be back to his managing duties Wednesday night with Paul Skenes set to pitch.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 29: Don Mattingly #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies walks off the field prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on April 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The game between San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies has been postponed. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park Tuesday in a much better place than when they left it.
Rob Thomson began last week at the helm of a struggling 9-19 team that had suffered a 10-game losing streak and had lost 11 of 12. Dave Dombrowski reacted and replaced Thomson with his new bench coach, Don Mattingly.
Everyone said the right things in the days after the switch. No one expected Mattingly to magically fix everything just because he was a reasonably successful manager in Los Angeles and Miami.
One week later, the 15-20 Phillies have won two consecutive series and are 6-1 in Mattingly’s first seven games at the helm. They are playing crisper baseball, making fewer mistakes and, by no coincidence, are winning again.
So is it Mattingly Magic, as we discussed on the latest Hittin’ Season podcast from WHYY?
The Phillies are 6-1 under Don Mattingly. Are we witnessing Mattingly Magic? Or are the Phils simply getting back to normal thanks to strong starting pitching and weaker competition? We discussed on an all NEW Hittin' Season, powered by @WHYY!
You can listen to the FULL Hittin’ Season podcast here:
It’s almost impossible to say Mattingly himself has radically changed how the Phillies have played, but multiple players have mentioned the firing of Thomson as a wakeup call. To the average fan, it’s bewildering that a team of star players whose lone goal is to win a World Series would need a wake up call like that in the first place, but Bryce Harper appeared to say as much after Monday night’s 1-0 victory in which his solo homer in the second inning was the game’s only run.
“I think we were all just waiting for that ball to drop, waiting for something to happen,” Harper said. “If Topper was going to get fired or he wasn’t, it was just kind of, ‘We need to get over this hump and get through this,’ whatever that looked like. So as a team, I think it’s just coming out, playing our game, understanding that we didn’t play well the first couple weeks of the season.
April’s behind us. We’ve got to step forward and understand that we’re stacking days and playing better and just keep it going, no matter where we’re at, what’s happening in the game or anything. Just stack the days and be where we want to be at the end.”
Perhaps it’s less magic, and more the return of outstanding starting pitching.
Here is how Phils starters have fared over the past week:
Jesus Luzardo vs. Giants: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 Ks
Cristopher Sanchez vs. Giants: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 Ks
Bullpen Game
Zack Wheeler at Miami: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 Ks
Andrew Painter at Miami: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 Ks
Luzardo at Miami: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 Ks
Aaron Nola at Miami: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 Ks
Over the past week, the Phillies piled up 45 strikeouts against 8 walks and gave up a total of 6 earned runs over 37 innings. That’s a 1.46 ERA. That kind of pitching will make any manager look better.
Starting pitching was always supposed to be this team’s strength. That they were so ineffective through the first 28 games was a genuine surprise. Over the past week, the starting five finally began to put together the kinds of performances we were expecting of them.
Were Phils pitchers simply not as dialed in under Thomson? Did they focus more after the managerial change? Did Mattingly unlock some mechanical adjustment that helped them throw more strikes and fewer meatballs over the middle of the plate?
The schedule also provided some needed relief. While the Phillies’ 12 straight games against the Cubs and Braves were challenging, one of the reasons those teams were so “red hot” was in part because they were facing a struggling Phillies team. That being said, there was an obvious drop off in competition against a Giants team that has scored the fewest runs in the Majors, and a Miami team that is obviously less talented than the Phils.
And while the upcoming schedule doesn’t feature a slew of cupcakes, there are three winnable series in a row coming up.
3 vs. the Athletics (18-16) at home
3 vs. the Rockies (14-22) at home
3 vs. the Red Sox (14-21) in Boston
It’s a nice respite ahead of another jump in competition thereafter that will hopefully allow the Phillies to creep close to .500 by the time they leave Beantown.
The defense has also improved over the last week. It’s still not great, but for a team tied for the 7th-most errors (19), in dead last by Defensive Runs Saved (-24) and tied for 26th in Outs Above Average (-10), the Phillies made their first error of the Mattingly Era on Sunday, his seventh game.
Are the players more dialed in? Focusing more? Doing extra drills? Mattingly has talked about stressing more fundamental play, but it’s hard to imagine Thomson didn’t also stress playing fundamentally sound baseball.
At the end of the day, the Phillies are winning games for a multitude of reasons. Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm are suddenly contributing at the bottom of the lineup. Bryce Harper remains hot. The starters have been great, and the bullpen, although shaky at times, has largely held up and will welcome closer Jhoan Duran back to the ‘pen on Tuesday. There have been fewer baserunning gaffes, too.
It’s hard to ascribe the turnaround to any one thing that Mattingly has done, but perhaps the dismissal of Thomson has had the desired, nebulous effect of re-focusing the team on playing better baseball.
Chris Devenski was ejected without warning following this pitch in the 6th ⬇️😨 pic.twitter.com/8Fxkt4Xj71
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) May 2, 2026
Though the pitch missed Stewart, multiple umpires determined that the pitch was meant to hit him. Devenski was ejected from the game.
In addition, Pirates manager Don Kelly will serve a one-game suspension for his involvement in the incident.
Stewart has been one of the biggest reasons for the Reds' early surge to a 20-15 record. He is currently slashing .252/.338/.504 with nine home runs in 35 games. That is good for a 129 OPS+, the second-highest of any Red with at least 25 games played this year (Elly de la Cruz, 147).
When will Chris Devenski's suspension begin?
Devenski's suspension will begin May 5 as the Pirates begin a road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kelly will also serve his suspension during the same game.
Sal Stewart's comments on Chris Devenski
Following the May 2 game, Stewart was asked about the incident, to which he said he was glad someone (the umpires) still cared about his safety. He said he was glad the umpires took care of it.
"It was pretty blatantly obvious," Stewart said. He added, "Literally, I have no clue [why]. No one said anything."
"I saw that there was 17 seconds [on the pitch clock], so I just waited a second, you know, called time. Next thing you know, ball was just running through my ribs. I really don't know what happened."
MLB suspensions this year
Since the start of the MLB season, only one other situation has led to suspensions. An early April scuffle between the Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta Braves wound up getting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez and slugger Jorge Soler suspended for seven games each.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 03: Chase Burns (26) of the Cincinnati Reds delivers a pitch during an MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 03, 2026 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds righty Chase Burns is fresh off a brilliant outing Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In it he pitched through a career-best 7.0 IP, held the Bucs scoreless, and lowered his season ERA to a tiny 2.20. He owns a 201 ERA+, 1.024 WHIP, and is striking out a wonderful 10.1 batters per 9 innings pitched.
When the stats were tallied by Baseball Reference overnight and run through their supercomputer’s extensive modeling system, it turns out that Burns currently sits atop the National League leaderboard for WAR accrued by pitchers so far in 2026 at 1.8.
It’s a testament to Burns, obviously, who at just 23 years of age seems to be putting all his immense tools together and lead this rotation. It’s also a testament to the Reds themselves, who have spent the entire season so far without ace Hunter Greene and rock-solid starter Nick Lodolo yet still boast a starting pitcher who’s atop the Wins Above Replacement leaderboard in their league.
The fun part is that I feel quite confident that this won’t be the last time we get a leaderboard update that has Burns atop the list in WAR. He’s got every tool needed to completely dominate this sport, and we’re getting an early glimpse of it right now despite him still having just 15 career starts under his belt.
SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 01: (L-R) Emerson Hancock #26, Cole Young #2, Randy Arozarena #56, Dylan Moore #25 and Jorge Polanco #7 of the Seattle Mariners celebrate after a game against the Minnesota Twins at T-Mobile Park on June 1, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I asked y’all in the FEED about who has impressed you so far this season and the LL hive mind did not disappoint! Thanks to everyone who weighed in. Since there were many similar answers, I’m going to start with the top three players that were named and then I’ll break it down a bit more with my Trademarked Mariners Hot Take Ranking System:
Okay let’s break it down by the numbers here.
Your third most popular response for which Mariners starter has impressed you so far is….
A two-way tie between George Kirby and Randy Arozarena!
Two mainstays of the team that had sorta down seasons in 2025, Kirby in particular, but are now off to very positive starts in 2026. Randy is leading the team in fWAR with Kirby right behind him. Kirby is running a HR/9 rate and BABIP in line with his 2022-2024 seasons and is certainly the team’s most reliable starter at this moment given Woo’s recent volatility and Gilbert’s very bad slider issues.
Randy, occasional defensive and base running lapses aside, has quietly been very reliable at the plate. He’s walking more and striking out less than the last 2 seasons and is currently running his highest wRC+ (130) since he joined the Mariners. And occasionally he’ll make a catch like this one:
Next up, your second most popular response for which Mariners starter has impressed you so far is….
Emerson Hancock!
What a blessing our boy Emerson Hancock has been this season. With Bryce Miller out for a still undetermined amount of time, Hancock stepped into the rotation and has pitched like a dad 3 beers deep mowing down 8-year-olds in wiffleball. Just racking up K’s with movement previously thought impossible from this lad. He also got Felix’d for the first time this past Saturday on Randy Johnson number retirement night, chucking 14(!!!) K’s and getting a no-decision, which was all sorts of poetic. Hancock is truly a Mariners starting pitcher now. Welcome to the party, pal.
And now, your most popular response for which Mariners starter has impressed you so far is….
Cole Young!
I need to fill out an apology form for Yung Cole because given what I saw from him last season, I never saw this coming. Perhaps I was too quick to judge, and people smarter than me (Kate, et al) were all aboard the Cole-Train coming into the season and they were right! There have been many games this season so far where I was suddenly only looking forward to Cole Young at-bats because he was the most reliably professional and patient hitter in the lineup many nights. He doesn’t swing out of his shoes, he takes pitches, and he’s hitting for average and slugging .375, too. Delightful!
Now to highlight some other assorted takes!
Poster qrtqrt2 says: “All right. My real take: Rob Refsnyder. Initially I couldn’t warm to him. His name sounded too much like Rob Schneider who I don’t like. And Refsnyder? Sounded like someone jammed referee and John Schnider’s name together. Then he started saying nice things about the fans. And talking about the difficulties adjusting to a platoon role. And hitting home runs. And now he’s just “Ref” to me and I’m rooting for him to become another favorite son on this team on their way to a World Series win.”
Rob Schneider does suck and has never actually been funny. But our guy, Ref? By all accounts he’s a great teammate, nice person, takes the game very seriously, and knows his time in MLB is nearly up and is trying his damnedest to stay afloat. Did you see how the dugout reacted to his home run that only happened because he correctly challenged a pitch? That’s the clearest sign that Ref being an occasional contributor will produce a vibes boost of immense volumes. I rate this take an Iwakuma because there’s a lot of truth here, but he’s ultimately an underdog with an uphill battle.
Poster chicagomariner says: “Yes, Cole — hoorah, Emerson — and Randy has been a rock. But you want a scalding hot take? Julio! He has shaken off the offseason rust quicker than usual, and I predict we’ll get ¡Julio de agosto en mayo!”
Yesssss, Julio Haters are in SHAMBLES as our guy has been quietly smacking the ball all over the field and into the stands. “But what about his declining defense?!?!” Hey. Shut up. He’s still young, he’ll bounce back. A grounder through the 5-hole is unfortunate but very fixable. I rate this take as BRASH because it’ll incense every fan who thinks just because Julio has a “large” contract that he should be hitting like steroids-era McGwire and fielding like early to mid 90’s Ken Griffey, Jr.
Poster wishfuleephus says: “I was impressed by Cole Young in spring training and a believer from then. But I’d like to give some love for Jose Ferrer. After a start with some bad luck, he’s stepped up to be a reliable reliever in middle or even late innings. If Brash goes on the IL, I think it will be Ferrer who takes his place and has been played as Brash’s left-handed role counterpart already.”
This was posted before Brash went on the IL and so Ferrer has definitely seen more higher-leverage spots since then. His bad BABIP luck has unfortunately continued, but I think he will regress to his normal level of production soon. New team, no longer in the NL, no longer pitching for a team no one was watching…it’s all a big adjustment. I rate this take (sadly ironically) as BRASH because while I think Ferrer will get better results going forward, they will not be on the level of Matt Brash and honestly few pitchers are.
All right, thanks for all the participation, friends! I’ll be back with another prompt in the FEED soon. Go Mariners.
(Original Caption) The fans and sports scribes all agree that Joe DiMaggio's one-handed stab of Hank Greenberg's 450 foot drive in the 9th was one of the greatest bits of single handed "robbery" to be applauded at the Yankee Stadium in some time. Hank Greenberg (L) was robbed of a triple at least. Hank, in case you don't know, is the Detroit hitting ace who is second home run hitter in the big leagues.
Six years ago, I embarked on a Star Wars Day tradition, diving into the historical archives to discuss the close relationship between the New York Yankees and arguably the most famous villain in science fiction history, the Evil Empire. That year, I looked at the term itself, and sought to find when it was first used to refer to the baseball team from the Bronx. The following year, I considered the rising payroll parity within the sport and posed the question, “Can the Yankees still claim to be baseball’s Evil Empire?” 2022 saw me complete the trilogy by looking at how the Evil Empire years shaped how people have viewed the sport and how its shadow contributed to the most recent lockout.
After a three-year hiatus, I channeled the spirit of George Lucas and opted to write a prequel, returning once more into the archives to study the history of previous Yankees nicknames. To begin, we looked at the story behind Murderers’ Row, and how either a prison in New York City or a street in Soho created the nickname, which was then applied to power-hitting lineups for New York baseball teams before being enshrined forever as the name for the ‘27 Yankees. Murderers’ Row, however, is not the only nickname to come out of those Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig squads. At some point during this time, the Yankees became known as the Bronx Bombers.
These days, the Bronx Bombers nickname is so intertwined with the New York Yankees that the Wikipedia page “List of baseball team nicknames” does not even cite a source for the Bronx Bombers — something that, technically speaking, isn’t supposed to happen in encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, but occasionally can happen when a particular fact is so well-known that it is considered common knowledge.
Unfortunately, as anyone who has studied history knows, historical facts that are “common knowledge” can be difficult to track down, and the origin of the Bronx Bombers is no exception. The BR Bullpen has the following entry on the term:
The nickname has stuck through the years and is still commonly used in the 21st century.
That’s it: no sources cited, no references, no nothing. On what authority do they say the term dates to the 1920s? While I generally tend to trust the Bullpen, in this instance, their version of events isn’t the only one out there. A website called The Forkball, for example, claims the nickname dates back to a boxing match at Yankee Stadium in 1936, in which boxer Joe “the Brown Bomber” Louis fought. Meanwhile, Frank Thomas, writing for FanGraphs’ The Hardball Times, refused to take a stand on the issue in 2013, saying only “For sure it wasn’t before Yankee Stadium opened in 1923” — because, you know, the team played in Manhattan until then. Writing for The Ithacan (Ithaca College’s student newspaper) back in 2016, Angela Weldon investigated the origins of Ithaca College’s Bomber nickname, dating their nickname to 1938 and suggesting that it may have come when the college’s baseball team “people compared the college team to the New York Yankees.”
Faced with such a disparate set of popular discussions, I did the only thing a historian with access to the New York Times archives can do: head into the archives, and search for “Bronx Bombers.” And the first instance of the newspaper using the term comes from September 30, 1936, in an article about betting on the World Series matchup between the Yankees and the Giants. Within, writer Roscoe McGowen uses the term just once, saying, “Even so, the Bronx Bombers were a jovial lot on the even of hostilities.”
So what we have here is a terminus ante quem for the use of Bronx Bomber in relation to the Yankees. But we can also conclude from this that, even if this is the first use in the Times, this is not the origin of the term. McGowen does not explain the term, and already has it capitalized, suggesting that his audience would have been familiar with the term. If we expand our search from just the New York Times to all historical newspapers from the state of New York (shoutout to Andrew Mearns for having access to that database), we get two earlier uses of the term “Bronx Bomber.” The first, in 1930, refers to a boxer from the Bronx named Al Singer. More interestingly, the second use — on August 7, 1935, in The Glens Falls Times — refers to… Detroit Tigers first baseman Hank Greenberg, who was born in Greenwich Village, attended James Monroe High School on East 172nd St., attended NYU after rejecting a contract offer from the Yankees (who already had Lou Gehrig manning first), and ultimately signed with the Tigers after the Giants opted not to give him a contract.
This would mean that the term predates the Joe Louis fight, but that its first use was unrelated to the Yankees, which ultimately means we can’t disprove the theory, but it does cast some doubt on it. It does, though, make the BR Bullpen account seem unlikely, as it seems hard to believe that, given how the term Murderers’ Row was treated, a nickname associated with those dominant squads would have been transferred to a player who never played for the Yankees.
So where does this leave us? Unfortunately, it seems that we can’t truly find the origin of the Bronx Bomber name, at least using the online databases that I have been able to gain access to. This is, alas, the reality of history as a field: sometimes, the evidence only exists after something comes into existence, not at its moment of creation. We can use the evidence we found to limit the parameters — the term could not have existed before 1923, exists in the baseball world in 1935, may or may not have ties to boxing, and is a known nickname of the Yankees by the 1936 World Series. But to get any more specific than that? Well, if you find anything, by all means, please let us know!
Sure, the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani, but can they do this? Members of the Savannah Bananas ball club rock a kick line before a 2025 game in Seattle. (Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)
Chris Clarke had gone the traditional route, pitching for three years at USC after starring at Newbury Park High, then toiling for six more seasons in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system after being a fourth-round draft pick in 2019.
But his big-league dream abruptly became a wake-up call last August when the Cubs released him a week before his wife gave birth to their first child. No more paychecks. No more health insurance.
"It was surreal," Clarke said. "In fact, it was so incredible, I didn't feel anything. My body went numb. There was a moment in the third inning when everybody was screaming. I couldn't hear myself talk."
It was the most people ever crammed into Kyle Field, the nation's fourth-largest college stadium, trailing only Michigan (107,601), Oregon (106,572) and Ohio State (102,780).
Texas A&M is ROCKING hours before the Savannah Bananas and Texas Tailgaters start the game at 8pm ET pic.twitter.com/FoY7ydGuwN
Clarke pitched for the opposing team, the Texas Tailgaters, one of five squads created by Bananas founders Jesse and Emily Cole that serve as touring partners to face the yellow-clad star attraction. All six teams practice at a complex in Savannah, Ga.
The game in College Station attracted the largest crowd in the Bananas' six-year history, and Clarke shined, striking out five in four innings. He also entertained, as all players in the Banana Ball Championship League are cheerfully required to do.
"The amount of joy it brings to fans and even people online, it's really something," Clarke said. "There definitely is a winner and a loser — which holds some weight — but for the most part, fans are there because it's a really good show."
Clarke, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, was the third overall pick in the inaugural Banana Ball draft held in November. Tailgater coaches contacted him beforehand to gauge his interest and he told them, "Pick me."
That level of bold fits right in. Banana Ball is fast-paced, hilarious and maximizes fan engagement. It features innovative rules: Fouls caught by fans count as outs, for example, and batters who walk get to run the bases until all nine defensive players have touched the ball. Choreographed dances, acrobatic tricks, a pitcher on stilts and other antics keep the entertainment flowing.
"I like to think of every game as a stepping stone to the next show," Clarke said. "Whether it goes well or is terrible, we will make it better for next time. Banana Ball is a relaxed culture, so when it comes to the entertainment stuff, there is no fear of failure. We are seeing what works and what doesn't."
Guest stars are frequent and on Saturday, the Bananas sent Texas-grown YouTube sensation Tyler Toney, a member of the sports comedy troupe Dude Perfect, to the plate as a pinch-hitter. Clarke struck him out on four pitches: a called strike, a swinging strike, a ball Clarke purposely launched high into the stands for laughs, then strike three swinging on a cut fastball.
It was a rare humbling moment for Toney, who, with fellow Dude Perfect members Cody Jones, Garrett Hilbert, and twins Cory and Coby Cotton, generates more than $20 million annually from YouTube, merchandise and tours.
Clarke had watched Dude Perfect videos religiously when he was at USC and was starstruck to meet them in person.
"Dude Perfect is the reason I failed econ twice," he said. "I watched every single Dude Perfect video. To meet them and shake their hands was fun. It was the only moment in my life where I was a fanboy."
He's also a breadwinner again for his family. The burgeoning popularity of Banana Ball has made the gig more lucrative than playing in the minor leagues.
"I'm making five times as much and playing half the time," Clarke said. "My contract is also for 12 months of the year. In affiliated baseball, it's only six months. So, there's that. I've never met anyone in baseball who has had the luxury to spend time with a newborn child. To come to Banana Ball and actually feel like there is respect, a culture and guidelines, that was something I hadn't experienced."
It is also giving him notoriety. Twenty-five Banana Ball games this year are being streamed on the ESPN app and Disney+, with select games airing across ESPN networks and ABC. The first Bananas broadcast on ABC will take place at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., June 27 and 28. The games have been sold out since October.
Highlights from Saturday's game flooded social media and traditional outlets alike. Family friends and former teammates reached out to Clarke. What was it like pitching in front of 100,000 people? Are you improving your dance moves?
"The entertainment side of it takes pressure off performance," he said. "Performing well is still very much there, but there is a level of relaxation that makes it easier."
Clarke admits he thinks back to USC and the 2019 season, when he posted a stellar earned-run average of 1.03. He also occasionally misses the heightened competition and quest to make the major leagues of affiliated baseball.
He pitched two seasons in triple A and is only 27. Would he leave Banana Ball next year if an MLB team offered him an invite to spring training?
"I'm not in a situation to close any doors," he said. "That's the mindset that got me here. I wanted to investigate Banana Ball and I told them I'd give them a full year for us both to evaluate it. Either way, I think it's a win. Just comes down to what's best for my family."
Meanwhile, more games in packed stadiums await. In addition to a handful in football stadiums against the Bananas, the Tailgaters will play three games a week against other Banana Ball League teams throughout the summer, mostly in minor league baseball stadiums from Tulsa, Okla., to El Paso, Texas, to Nashville, Tenn., to Charlotte, N.C.
Exponentially larger crowds than those venues are accustomed to are a given.
The Boston Red Sox will look to make it two in a row as they continue their road series against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
Framber Valdez takes the mound for Detroit, and I’m counting on him to give his team the edge in my Red Sox vs. Tigers predictions below.
Read on to see my full analysis and get my free MLB picks for Tuesday, May 5.
Who will win Red Sox vs Tigers today: Tigers -1.5 (+137)
The Detroit Tigers are struggling with injuries to their pitching staff, but they still have a healthy Framber Valdez to take the mound tonight.
Valdez is a solid 2-1 with a 3.35 ERA so far in his first season in Detroit, and the Tigers are 5-2 in his starts this season.
The Boston Red Sox will use open Jovani Moran tonight. And while that’s fine on the surface, the fact that Brayan Bello (1-4, 9.12 ERA) will try to pick up the bulk of the innings is concerning given his struggles so far this season.
With a massive advantage on the mound at home, I’m taking Detroit to cover the run line.
COVERS INTEL:The Red Sox are fifth in the majors in batted ground ball percentage at 45.7%, which should play into the hands of Valdez, who has averaged a 61.2% ground ball rate in his career.
Red Sox vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-115)
The Red Sox have struggled to score runs all season long. At 3.86 runs per game, Boston is one of just five teams in the majors averaging less than four runs per contest, and its .671 OPS ranks 27th in the league.
If Valdez can handle his business against the Red Sox, it will come down to Detroit to carry this total. But the Tigers have averaged only 4.28 runs per game over their last seven games, so it’s far from certain they’ll put up huge numbers tonight either.
The total of 8.5 runs is close to correct, but given reason trends, the Under is my play.
Ed Scimia's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 5-10, -5.31 units
Over/Under bets:5-8, -3.43 units
Red Sox vs Tigers odds
Moneyline: Boston +140 | Detroit -155
Run line: Boston +1.5 (148) | Detroit -1.5 (+134)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+105) | Under 8.5 (-116)
Red Sox vs Tigers trend
The Tigers are 4-1 overall in Valdez’s last five starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Tigers.
How to watch Red Sox vs Tigers and game info
Location
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Date
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
First pitch
6:40 p.m. ET
TV
NESN, DSN
Red Sox starting pitcher
Brayan Bello (1-4, 9.12 ERA)
Tigers starting pitcher
Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.35 ERA)
Red Sox vs Tigers latest injuries
Red Sox vs Tigers weather
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.
NEW YORK — Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Chris Devenski has been suspended for three games and fined for intentionally throwing at Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart, Major League Baseball announced.
Devenski intentionally threw at Stewart in the top of the seventh inning of Pittsburgh’s 17-7 win at PNC Park. He was ejected following the incident.
Pirates manager Don Kelly also was suspended for one game and received an undisclosed fine, MLB senior vice president for on-field operations Michael Hill announced.
Devenski’s suspension is set to start when the Pirates open a road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. If Devenski appeals, the suspension would be put off during that process. His fine was not disclosed.
(Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Inspiration.
In the game thread on 1 May, there was some doubt about the sustainability of the Diamondbacks’ performance (16 wins, 14 losses before the game started).The game was close, with the Diamondbacks losing by one run.
For whatever reason, the Diamondbacks are not pitching well in the first inning. With my optimistic viewpoint, I’m confident the problem can be fixed. Perhaps the fix is as simple as using an opener for every game (as suggested in the thread).
The first inning ERAs for Diamondbacks pitchers (3 game minimum, games through 3 May) follow:
Nelson, 12.79 ERA
Soroka, 10.5 ERA
Kelly, 9.0 ERA
Gallen, 6.43 ERA
Rodriguez, 6.00 ERA
Pfaadt, 3.00 ERA
Fixing the first inning pitching would go a long way toward the Diamondbacks reaching a wild card berth into the playoffs. Let’s look at how likely is it that the Diamondbacks will reach the playoffs?
Wins needed to be a wild card – Last 4 seasons.
The following list shows wins needed to gain a NL wild card berth into the playoffs. The list only includes seasons after the playoff format changed.
2022, 87 wins.
2023, 84 wins.
2024, 89 wins.
2025, 83 wins
My conclusion: this season, if the Diamondbacks win 84 games they will have a 50% chance of a wild card; win 87 games they will have a 75% chance of a wild card; and win 89 games they will have a 99% chance of a wild card.
Wins needed to be a wild card – 3 projections.
On 29 April, two projections (Baseball Reference and Baseball Prospectus) showed 86 wins would earn a wild card. The FanGraphs projection showed that 83 wins would do it, but it projected the Diamondbacks with only 82 wins.
How many games will the Diamondbacks win?
My final preseason prediction was that the Diamondbacks will win 85.1 games. That was about the same as my Too Early Win Projection. Based on historic wins needed, 85 wins would give the Diamondbacks slightly over 50% chance of a wild card. However, this season is unusual because the range of possible wins is very wide.
“This season is unusual because of the wide range of possible wins. My view is that the Diamondbacks will win between 81 and 89 games, depending on the health and performances of nearly all Diamondbacks players. Therefore, my confidence that they will reach the playoffs is less than 50%. Nevertheless, there is a realistic chance of reaching the playoffs…. Makakilo, 23 March Round Table
An Alternate way of predicting whether the Diamondbacks will be a wild card.
The team with the most triples in a 3-game series.
Teams with at least 3 stolen bases in a 3-game series.
Teams that win an epic battle.
Teams with at least 9 RBIs in a 3-game series.
Let’s expand that view to regular season games against likely wild card teams. Through 3 May, the Diamondbacks played 3 teams that could be NL wild cards:
2 game series against Padres. 11 hits per game, 1 triple, & 8 RBIs per game indicate that the Diamondbacks could do well as a wild card.
3-game series against the Brewers. 6.7 hits per game, & 3.7 RBIs per game indicate that the Diamondbacks could be average as a wild card.
3-game series against the Cubs. 7.3 hits per game, & 3 RBIs per game indicate that the Diamondbacks could be average as a wild card (despite the Cubs sweeping the series).
Perspective: Sustainable Performance.
Batting is a strength of the Diamondbacks. In games through 3 May, the Diamondbacks 4.55 runs per game ranked 11th in the Majors. Players such as Nolan Arenado seem to be improving during the season.
Pitching sustainability will be boosted by players returning from the injury list.
In 1-run games through 3 May, the Diamondbacks’ 6 wins and 5 losses (39 runs scored and 38 runs allowed) was about average. However, this could improve because my feeling is that the Diamondbacks are at their best in 1-run games.
Leveraged batter run value is encouraging.
A hat tip to Preston Salisbury because in a game thread he made a comment about base runs. That prompted me to look at Baseball Savant and found the following data about batter run value.
In games through 28 April, the Diamondbacks batters created +15 leveraged runs, which was higher than most other NL contenders for wild card berths. Examples were the Cubs (+21), the Padres (+6), Pirates (+3), the Phillies (negative 19), and the Mets (negative 24). The Diamondbacks ranked eighth highest in the Majors.
Summary: Will the Diamondbacks reach a wild card berth into the playoffs?
First inning pitching is a problem. All things considered, my prediction is the Diamondbacks will win 85 games.
Looking at the broad range of possible season wins (81 to 89 games), how well the Diamondbacks play could greatly impact their chances, either negatively of positively. It’s encouraging that the Diamondbacks batters created more leveraged runs than most NL contenders for wild card berths. The Diamondbacks performance may be sustainable for several reasons.
In two of the last four seasons, it only took 84 wins to obtain a NL wild card berth in the playoffs. Three different projections estimate that this season it will take between 83 and 86 wins.
With the problems that the Phillies and Mets have experienced, and with the Diamondbacks [recently] above 500, there is a real chance (about 50%) for the Diamondbacks to reach a wild card berth into the playoffs!
The Padres will likely be a NL wild card. If the Diamondbacks win most of their games against the Padres (they play 11 more times this season) that will be a big step in controlling their destiny.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 01: Cade Denton #31 of the Salt River Rafters throws a pitch during an Arizona Fall League game against the Scottsdale Scorpions at Scottsdale Stadium on November 1, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Original photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images 11/1/2026
The hard-throwing righty had just helped his Oral Roberts Golden Eagles go deep in the 2023 College World Series by posting a 1.83 ERA over 35 appearances and carried a 12.1 SO/9 over 64 innings of work. You might have overlooked both Denton and Oral Roberts as that was the season Paul Skenes took Louisiana State all the way, but the Rockies didn’t, signing him for above slot value and quickly assigning him to their farm system.
He made eight appearances that season: four with the Arizona Complex League following the draft and four with the Low-A Fresno Grizzlies to end the season.
However, Denton seemed to largely fly under the radar during his minor league career and hasn’t been ranked among the organization’s top prospects despite solid results. He spent most of the 2024 season with the Grizzlies, posting a 2.86 ERA in 26 relief appearances, but struck out just 23 batters in 28.1 innings.
Following a late-season promotion to the High-A Spokane Indians, Denton made an additional five appearances. However, he struck out just three batters and had a 7.36 ERA over 7.1 innings.
Denton was assigned again to Spokane for the 2025 season, where he found his footing. A workhorse reliever for the Indians, Denton made 42 appearances and posted a 3.73 ERA with 63 strikeouts over 50.2 innings. He also tallied seven saves. He did struggle somewhat with his command, issuing career high 20 walks for a 3.6 BB/9—a career high tying his metric during his initial four-game stint in Fresno. He also gave up a career high eight home runs.
Once there, Denton quickly stood out. He struck out 18 batters and walked only four over 13 innings of work for the Salt River Rafters. He did allow five earned runs, but all five came in one bad inning that included a grand slam on October 16th. Denton finished the Fall League with a 3.46 ERA due to his combined efforts outside of that outing.
An important part of Denton’s success in Arizona was finding rhythm with his fastball. Delivering out of a low arm slot, Denton’s fastball rides upwards and is at its best when he places it at the top rail with higher velocity—maxing out around 96 MPH. Denton had lost velocity on the pitch in 2024, but during the Fall League, he had regained the velocity and control.
“During the Fall League I finally got [the fastball] to the top of the zone where I wanted it to be. It’s not a four-seam carry fastball, but pitching coaches prior [had said] that it’s a deceptive arm slot,” Denton explained of his success. “So just trying to get that ball to the top of the zone to get whiffs, just trying to keep emphasizing filling up the zone, filling up the top of the zone with the fastball and everything else will keep working the way that it’s supposed to.”
“That was really cool,” Denton said. “After a rough second outing—I think it was—in the Fall League where you go out there and you give up a grand slam. You’re like ‘yeah, pitch [well] the rest of the Fall League, put your name out there.’ [I] didn’t expect to be reliever of the year. There was quite a few guys that that I think were also deserving of that honor, but I was super excited. It was really cool.”
He went on to praise his wife and family for the support and excitement they’ve shown for him.
“My wife was really excited whenever that happened. Those are the moments that you get to share that joy with other people and family and friends and stuff,” he said. “So it was definitely a good fall and definitely a cool award to get.”
Denton has continued to emphasize the importance of family throughout his baseball journey.
“It’s been amazing,” he continued. “I mean, without them, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. They came to probably about every college baseball game I played in, and they were just here for spring training. It’s really cool to just share that with the people that are closest to you and the people that got you to the place you are now. Now you’ve just got to go out and prove it to everybody else.”
Denton joined the big league camp multiple times during spring training and appeared in three Cactus League games as the Rockies tried to grow on the momentum he gained during the fall. He gave up one earned run on one hit—a solo home run—while striking out four batters and walking one over 2.1 innings. Denton also appeared in the Spring Breakout prospect showcase game.
“With the the new the new pitching directors here, pitching staff, there’s a lot of the mental side of the game that I think comes into play [in spring training] where you’re trying to find a way to get into a groove.”
Denton was assigned to the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats to start the season. As he works with the new pitching development staff in the organization, their philosophies remain aligned.
“The philosophy, like I said, it’s ‘fill up the zone to two strikes’ and then then, you know, ‘kill.’ That’s what they said, is ‘Get there and your stuff’s meant to get guys out with two strikes. You’re not trying to generate whiffs as early in counts. You’re trying to get strikes. Whiffs are fine. Whiffs are good. Whiffs will always be okay, but fill up the zone, strike guys out and finish at bats when you can.’”
Once again, the Albuquerque Isotopes managed to split a game series, winning the final three games against the El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres). It marked the third time since the six-game format was implemented that Albuquerque won the final three contests to earn a split after losing the initial three games. The Isotopes outscored El Paso 49-18 over the final three games of the series. On Friday, Albuquerque exploded for 26 runs, the most scored in franchise history, as every player recorded at least one hit, an RBI, and a run scored. The following day, they scored 19 runs to win 19-7 after being down 5-0 in the first inning. On the homestand, they ended up batting .332/.433/.484 with 41 strikeouts and 40 walks. Meanwhile, pitching posted a 6.67 ERA, allowing 53 runs (40 earned) on 74 hits with 45 strikeouts and 28 walks.
⬆️ Stock Up:Cole Runnings
Not that his stock needed much more raising, Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) had himself quite the week, earning Player of the Week honors in the Pacific Coast League. During the series against El Paso, Carrigg slashed .583/.615/.875, going 14-for-24 with two doubles, a triple, a homer, eight RBI, and four stolen bases. He led the PCL in runs scored (11) and stolen bases (four), while tying for first in hits (14) and placing third with 21 total bases. This also comes as Carrigg is in the midst of a 24-game on-base streak and a 13-game hitting streak. Last Saturday, he also went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and five RBI, tying career highs in all three categories.
It was an amazing weekend for our bats, and Cole Carrigg led the way! He's been named PCL Player of the Week.
Carrigg was 14-for-24 with four extra-base hits, eight RBI and four steals in the set. His best performance was a four-hit, five-RBI night on Saturday vs. El Paso. pic.twitter.com/6e9FmwfJUM
⬇️ Stock Down:Turbulence on the flight of the Condor
After a hot start out of the gate, Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) has hit a bit of a rougher patch where he isn’t seeing much success at the plate. During the home stand, Condon slashed .150/.393/.150, going 3-for-20 with three RBI. His plate discipline remains impeccable, as he drew six walks and had just five strikeouts and increased his on-base streak to 24 games. In 59 plate appearances at home this season, Condon has just one extra-base hit. Hopefully, Condon can tap back into the damage he can do with his bat and complement the discipline even more.
Upcoming
The Isotopes head to Sugar Land, Texas, to face off against the Space Cowboys (Houston Astros).
The Yard Goats ended up splitting the series against the Reading Fightin’ Phils (Philadelphia Phillies). They were outscored 40-32 including both a 12-6 victory on Sunday, as well as an 11-3 loss on Friday and a 15-5 loss on Thursday.
⬆️ Stock Up:Take a good look, you won’t see it for Long-well!
Aidan Longwell went on an absolute tear this week, going 9-for-23 with three doubles, a triple and three home runs in six games. The first baseman also recorded nine RBI with just one walk and three strikeouts.
In 26 games this season, Longwell is slashing .282/.333/.524 with 11 doubles, one triple, four homers, 20 RBI, six walks and 18 strikeouts. The double lead only Andy Perez (10); he’s tied with Dyan Jorge and Benny Montgomery with one triple apiece; the four homers rank second behind Bryant Betancourt; and the 20 RBI lead the team ahead of Roc Riggio’s (No. 14 PuRP) 16.
Aidan Longwell makes it look wayyyy too easy with his 3RD HR THIS HOMESTAND🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/wBU2zReKTL
⬇️ Stock Down:Pa-checo yourself before you Pa-wrecko yourself
LHP Alberto Pacheco had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad outing this week. He came in to relieve the titular Cade Denton in the third inning of April 30’s contest against the Phils and did not record a single out, but gave up seven earned runs on three hits (though one resulted in a grand slam). He also hit a batter and walked three without any strikeouts.
Upcoming
This week, the Yard Goats will head to Binghamton for a series against the Rumble Ponies (New York Mets).
High-A: Spokane Indians (1-5, 9-18 overall)
The Spokane Indians have struggled so far in 2026, which was reflected in their week against the Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco Giants). Despite having two off days last Monday and Tuesday (which resulted in a Saturday doubleheader), they only managed one win on Friday. Additionally, they were outscored 34-17 (including an 11-0 loss in Game 1 of the doubleheader and an 8-1 loss on Sunday). They did, however, win 7-1 on Friday behind an excellent two-pitcher performance (see below).
⬆️ Stock Up: The Cat-lett is out of the bag
LHP Everett Catlett had an excellent outing this week, earning him Northwest League Pitcher of the Week honors.
Catlett made one appearance on Friday against the Emeralds and absolutely dominated in the 7-1 victory. He threw six innings behind starter Lebarron Johnson Jr., who pitched three innings and only allowed one run on one hit in three innings of work.
Catlett finished the game with six scoreless innings of work, allowing twice as many hits as Johnson Jr. (2) but striking out 11 and only walking one batter. That lowered his ERA from 5.09 to 3.80 in five starts for the Indians.
In his previous start on April 24th, Carlett threw 4.2 innings and allowed one run (a solo homer) on two hits with five walks and seven strikeouts. His stock is definitely climbing!
⬇️ Stock Down:Min Belyeu
Max Belyeu (No. 15 PuRP) struggled this week at the plate, going just 2-for-15 (.133) with one RBI, three walks and 10 strikeouts. He attempted to steal one base, but was caught. Belyeu has struggled in his repeat High-A assignment (though he only played 21 games there last year after the Draft. In 22 games, Belyeu is slashing just .185/.290/.395 with a team-leading 38 strikeouts.
Upcoming
This week, the Indians will welcome to Avista Stadium the Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels).
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (3-3, 15-12 overall)
The Grizzlies equalized the Stockton Ports (Athletics), outscoring their competition 43-33. They started off the week with a bang, shutting out the Ports 10-0. They also had two 9-8 games directly following, one being a win and the other being a loss. They scored nine runs for a third time on Saturday en route to a 9-4 victory.
⬆️ Stock Up:Jolly Holliday
Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) is becoming more comfortable, as was evident this week. The fourth-overall draft pick went 6-for-12 with a double, two home runs (one of which was a grand slam), 11 RBI, eight walks and just three strikeouts.
Not to be outdone, Roldy Brito (No 11 PuRP) also had himself quite a week. He went 8-for-21 with three doubles, two home runs (including a grand slam), seven RBI, three walks and three strikeouts.
Brito flips the script in grand fashion!
Roldy Brito's grand slam regains the lead for the Grizzlies in a back and forth game in Stockton
While the infield soared, the backstop struggled. Matt Klein went just 1-for-16 with a run scored. He also recorded three walks, but struck out five times. Klein is hitting just .156/.304/.313 in 18 games this year.
Upcoming
The Grizzlies will travel to San Jose for a series with the Giants (San Francisco Giants).
The Arizona Complex League kicked off on Saturday, and the ACL Rockies have played two games so far, winning both. They beat the ACL Angels on Saturday 4-0 and the ACL Giants on Monday 4-3.
⬆️ Stock Up:U-got-it, Ronny!
Over two games, 21-year-old Ronny Ugarte had quite the showing! The Venezuelan first baseman went 5-for-7 with a double, a home run and three RBI with zero strikeouts and one stolen base.
⬇️ Stock Down:Garci-oh
On the flip side, 19-year-old Dariel Garcia has yet to record a hit. The Puerto Rican shortstop went hitless (0-for-6) with a walk and two strikeouts.
In 2001, the Cubs were coming off a 97-loss season. The Dodgers were good, but hadn’t made the playoffs in four years.
That was the backdrop to what began as an ordinary Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Cubs, off to a good start that year, entered the day at 17-11, two games in the lead in the NL Central. They had shut out the Dodgers the day before, 4-0, led by seven strong innings by Kevin Tapani. The Dodgers were 17-12, also in first place in the NL West.
And the game was fairly ordinary — for a while. Sammy Sosa and Todd Hundley hit two-run homers in the fourth off Darren Dreifort for a 4-0 lead. The Dodgers were shut out by Julian Tavarez for five innings before future Cub Eric Karros hit an RBI single in the sixth to make it 4-1.
That’s where things stood going to the bottom of the seventh. A perfectly ordinary game…
Damon Buford and current Cubs radio announcer Ron Coomer singled, followed by an RBI single by Eric Young Sr.., making it 5-1. Ricky Gutierrez attempted a sacrifice bunt (remember those?), but wound up safe on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases.
Bill Mueller singled in a pair of runs, now it’s 7-1. RBI hits by Sammy Sosa and Rondell White made it 9-1. Hundley struck out, but Julio Zuleta smashed a three-run homer and the Cubs had an eight-run inning, leading 12-1 heading to the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth, Gutierrez hit a one-out double, followed by a walk by Mueller. A comebacker by Sosa to Dodgers pitcher Jose Nuñez was thrown away, with Gutierrez scoring and runners winding up on second and third. Another walk loaded the bases and Hundley struck out.
Now there are two out, the bases loaded and the Cubs with a 13-1 lead.
Cubs pitcher Courtney Duncan walked, forcing in a run. Buford singled in two runs, now it’s 16-1. Another single by Coomer re-loaded the bases again, and Augie Ojeda hit a grounder to third that could have ended the inning, but it was booted by Dodgers third baseman Dave Hansen (another guy who briefly played for the Cubs). Two runs scored on the error, making it 18-1.
A single by Gutierrez, batting for the second time in the inning, scored Coomer to make it 19-1. Mueller walked, loading the bases, and Sosa drew a walk, scoring the 20th run.
The Dodgers went out meekly in the ninth and the Cubs had their 20-1 victory, with back-to-back eight-run innings. Sadly, no extensive highlights survive from this game, though the first minute or so of this highlight video from that day show a few plays from the game:
The Cubs swept that 2001 series against the Dodgers, winning the final game 3-2 on a walkoff hit by Hundley, and eventually led the NL Central by 3.5 games before losing eight in a row later in May. They followed the eight-game losing streak with a 12-game winning streak, going back into first place where they’d stay until mid-August. Their final record of 88-74 was a 23-game improvement over the previous year, but they missed the then-single wild card spot in the NL by five games.
The Cubs’ 20-1 blowout of the Dodgers happened 25 years ago today, Saturday, May 5, 2001.
As the Mets' 2026 season spiraled early, with New York going from 7-4 to 7-16 before bottoming out at 10-21 as their shockingly bad nine-game homestand against the Twins, Rockies, and Nationals concluded this past weekend, it was easy to lose sight of why New York had fallen so far.
Yes, they were a bad team. And it seemed kind of beside the point to bother to dig beyond that given how deep their struggles were, how rare the wins were, and how bleak it seemed.
But focusing on the why was important when it came to diagnosing the problem and envisioning the possibility of a recovery.
The why, of course, was the offense.
During their 12-game losing streak, the Mets mustered just 22 runs, an average of 1.83 per game.
It was more of the same during their 3-6 homestand against the Twins, Rockies, and Nats, when New York scored 13 runs combined over their six losses -- an average of 2.16 per game.
There were other issues at play during that 10-21 start, including way too many mental and physical errors, along with the serious struggles of Kodai Senga (who pitched himself out of the rotation before landing on the IL) and David Peterson (who has excelled in relief this season, but struggled when handed the ball to start).
But the takeaway here is that the Mets have the kind of pitching that could anchor their rise back to respectability and (yes, it's still possible) contention.
Apr 3, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. / Neville E. Guard - Imagn Images
First, let's look at the rotation...
Nolan McLean is an emerging ace with wipeout stuff who has a 2.97 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. His 2.13 FIP leads the National League, and his hits per nine rate (5.9) and strikeout rate (11.7) are elite.
Clay Holmes' 1.69 ERA is the second-best in the NL and his 0.98 WHIP ranks sixth. His 3.66 FIP and relatively low strikeout rate (6.5) suggests there will be some regression to the mean, but Holmes has become a legitimate rotation weapon. And when it comes specifically to the low K rate, it's mitigated by Holmes' ability to get hitters to chase and to pound the ball on the ground -- his ground ball rate this season is in the 94th percentile.
Fredy Peralta has been steady, if not spectacular, posting a 3.52 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 42 strikeouts in 38.1 innings. He's been rounding into form lately, pitching 5.2 innings or more in each of his last four starts while seeing his fastball velocity tick up.
Christian Scott remains a bit of a mystery in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, but his second start was eye-opening, with the right-hander firing four no-hit innings after allowing two runs in the first frame. Scott has the kind of swing-and-miss stuff to excel.
The fifth starter spot is still being pieced together, but it's fair to believe Jonah Tong -- who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of his most recent start for Triple-A Syracuse -- will be a factor by June or July.
Then there's the bullpen.
There were some early hiccups, including a brutal four-game stretch where Devin Williams couldn't harness his stuff and back-to-back appearances for Luke Weaver where he allowed six combined runs.
But Williams has four straight scoreless appearances under his belt, and has been dominant during that span -- allowing just one hit in four innings while walking none and striking out five. Meanwhile, Weaver has been terrific since his aforementioned two-game hiccup, allowing two runs in 7.2 innings over his last seven appearances dating back to April 18.
May 1, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) and pitcher Devin Williams (38) celebrate the victory against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. / Gary A. Vasquez - Imagn Images
Elsewhere in the bullpen, Huascar Brazoban (1.08 ERA, 0.84 WHIP in 15 appearances) and Brooks Raley (1.42 ERA, 0.86 WHIP in 14 appearances) have been tremendous.
The relief corps will also get a boost soon, with A.J. Minter expected to be activated off the IL in the next few days.
One thing the Mets will arguably have to do in the near future when it comes to their bullpen is adjust the configuration. It's very hard to maintain success when three relievers (Peterson, Sean Manaea, and Tobias Myers) are ordinarily used for multiple innings at a time, which limits how often they can pitch and has a trickle down effect on the other relievers. Peterson has been very good in relief, while Myers has been stellar in his role. Manaea, whose fastball velocity has not returned after his injury-riddled 2025 campaign, has a 6.55 ERA and 1.63 WHIP.
But again, the Mets have the pitching to succeed, and their overall runs allowed (151, seventh-best in the NL) is inflated due in part to the three starts where Senga surrendered 17 runs in just 8.1 innings.
This takes us to the caveat, which is a huge one.
Will the Mets, still without Lindor, Polanco, and Robert, hit enough to be able to take advantage of what their pitching staff can do?
As far as how much they'll have to hit, it's fair to believe that -- given the quality of their pitching staff -- the Mets will win far more often than not if they can simply be about average offensively.
For example, while winning three of their last four games, the Mets have scored four, five, and four runs. Not exactly an offensive onslaught.
New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) greets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) after defeating the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium / William Liang - Imagn Images
But just being average will require a massive improvement from what they've been most of the year, since New York has scored only 122 runs -- the second-fewest in baseball.
That paltry run total is obviously colored by everything that was covered above, including the absence of Soto, the current injuries, and most of the Mets' key offensive players going through prolonged slumps at the same time earlier this season.
In that regard, things seem to be going in the right direction.
Soto's return has helped stabilize things, Bo Bichette has looked more comfortable, Mark Vientos has hit enough to lift his OPS to an above average level, Francisco Alvarez has emerged from the doldrums and hit in four straight games, MJ Melendez has come up from the minors and posted a .906 OPS, and Carson Benge is starting to get his feet under him at the plate in his first taste of the majors.
Over his last 11 games, Benge is slashing .303/.361/.545 with two homers and two doubles.
Potentially huge will be getting Polanco and Robert back, which could happen sooner rather than later. As far as Lindor and his calf injury, more will be known when he undergoes reimaging in about 10 days, with a "relatively quick progression" possible if all goes well.
In any event, while the worst seems to be behind the Mets, they still have a very tall mountain to climb.
Notable when it comes to New York's expected chances of scaling that mountain is that the FanGraphs playoff odds currently give the Mets a better chance to reach the postseason than about half the league, including the 21-14 Cardinals and 20-15 Reds -- teams that just so happen to be holding two of the three Wild Card spots in the NL.
Those odds should be taken with a grain of salt, but the Mets have the ability to rise up, even if they haven't yet earned the benefit of the doubt that they will.
Minor League Baseball: View of starting lineups for San Jose Giants and Fresno Grizzlies before game at Excite Ballpark. San Jose, CA 5/7/2021 CREDIT: Brad Mangin (Photo by Brad Mangin/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X163609 TK1)
It’s been a tough go for the Colorado Rockies, who have lost their last four games, including the series opener with the New York Mets. However, the Rockies will have to wait for Game 2 since snowstorms across the Front Range led to postponing today’s game.
So we interrupt our regularly scheduled MLB game thread and instead will focus on the Rockies minor league affiliates today.
(We’ll add more game details as they become available.)
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (18-15) @ Sugar land Space Cowboys (17-16)
The Isotopes and Space Cowboys meet for the first of four series on the year, including two in Sugar Land (other: July 7-12). The Isotopes will look to extend their winning streak to four and hope to see as much success this week as they did last when they went on a hitting frenzy. The last time Albuquerque has been over .500 in May was May 20, 2019 (23-22).
Starters: RHP Velente Bellozo (0-1, 6.87) vs. RHP Tatsuya Imai (1-2, 5.79) on a rehab start.
Game 1 First Pitch: 5:05 p.m. MDT
TV: MiLB.TV
Radio: MiLB.TV
Lineups:
For the visiting Isotopes:
We open a six-game series on the road at Sugar Land tonight!
— Binghamton Rumble Ponies (@RumblePoniesBB) May 5, 2026
High-A: Spokane Indians (9-18) vs. Tri-City Dust Devils (16-11)
The Spokane Indians host the Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels affiliate) this morning for the opener of a six-game series. The Indians are optimistic that being back home gets them back on track after finishing their road trip through Everett and Eugene with a 3-9 record. Spokane continues to struggle offensively, scoring just 41 runs in their 12 games on the road (3.41/game) while allowing 67.
They’ll have their work cut out for them today though, with Angels No. 1 prospect and last year’s No. 2 overall pick Tyler Bremner on the mound for the Dust Devils in the series opener.
STARTERS: Tri-City Dust Devils RHP Tyler Bremner (0-0, 1.08) vs. Spokane Indians RHP Jackson Cox (0-1, 5.16)
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (15-2) @ San Jose Giants (17-10)
It’s a big week for the Grizzlies as the take on the California League-leading Giants. Fresno opens the set against a San Jose club that leads the California League in runs (198), average (.292), OBP (.387), slugging (.467) and OPS (.854). The Grizzlies counter with 33 home runs, 147 walks and an .801 OPS, giving this series plenty of offensive punch on both sides.
The Grizzlies bring one of the league’s most disciplined approaches into San Jose, ranking second in the California League with 147 walks and posting a .367 on-base percentage (4th). Cameron Nelson (24 BB, 2nd in CAL) and Ethan Holliday (17 BB, T-8th) continue to set the tone, helping Fresno grind out at-bats against a Giants staff that has issued just 113 walks — fewest in the league — setting up a strength-on-strength battle at the plate.
Starters: Fresno Grizzleys LHP Ethan Cole (2-1, 4.58) vs. San Jose Giants RHP Keyner Martinez (1-1, 5.17)
COVERS INTEL: 
