ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 29: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Drake Baldwin #30 after hitting a walk-off two-run homer in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves secured a nother series win Wednesday in a game pitched by Tarik Skubal and that really is a symbol of how things have gone for Atlanta so far this season. Atlanta comfortably has the best record in baseball and the best run differential in baseball to back it up. Franchise player Ronald Acuna’s production hasn’t really hit it’s expected level, even as he’s been hitting the ball well, and Austin Riley continues to struggle, but Atlanta has an MVP candidate in Matt Olson, has gotten tremendous seasons from a number of star position-players so far, has gotten good if perhaps lucky production from the rotation, and seems to have a dominant bullpen. To make matters even better, they have a host of reinforcements incoming, as Sean Murphy and Spencer Strider are expected back in the next week or so, Ha-Seong Kim seems to be a few weeks away from his return, and some of Atlanta’s young pitching seems to be progressing well from their surgical procedures. This has been a special and exceedingly fun start to the season and there are plenty of reasons to think that this Braves team can carry something resembling this success forward as the season goes on.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 29: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks hits a three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at American Family Field on April 29, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I don’t think it’s a particularly hot take to say that I hate blackouts. They inherently limit the number of fans who can view their team and forces those fans to subscribe to a dizzying number of broadcast services just to watch the games. It’s one of the reasons why I listed their elimination as my number one priority if I were magically granted the role of baseball commissioner for a day. I think it would fundamentally improve the game’s accessibility and by extension its popularity. This is a long-winded qualifier that I didn’t get to actually watch any of tonight’s game and instead had to piece it together by the Gameday feed and the Arizona radio. It was still a fun game regardless of how it was consumed though as the D-Backs marched onto the same field on which they were shellacked last night and played a crisp team win that was badly needed to set up a rubber match tomorrow afternoon.
To put it mildly, last night’s game was not a shining moment for the Arizona pitching staff, giving up 13 runs on 15 hits and walking an additional six batters. But with the new and improved Eduardo Rodriguez starting tonight and surprise staff ace Michael Soroka starting tomorrow, I felt pretty good coming into the game. Unfortunately, Rodriguez continued his slide of reversion back towards his mean of the last two seasons in the desert rather than the excellent form he showed in the World Baseball Classic and the first three starts of this season. Once again, the veteran lefty struggled with his command, walking four batters and striking out just four while throwing a middling 55% of his 87 pitches for strikes and generating only five whiffs. Those kinds of numbers rarely equate to a good pitching performance and tonight was no exception as he had his shortest outing of the year, but was able to limit the damage from Milwaukee to just two runs. The Brew Crew opened the scoring with a pair of doubles from Brice Turang and Jake Bauers in the opening frame and plated another in the third when Turang doubled home Brandon Lockridge. Outside of those two plays, the home team created plenty of traffic on six hits and four walks, but failed to capitalize on any scoring opportunity – combining for a miserable 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranding 8 runners on the game.
I’m fairly convinced that Milwaukee’s American Family Field (which still feels wrong to write out) sits on top of a magical pitching fount that’s able to turn reclamation projects into dominant relievers that the front office can then flip for more prospects from unsuspecting franchises. But for the first time in a hot minute, the Brewers have multiple exciting young pitching prospects in Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, and Brandon Sproat all of whom have had uneven starts to their careers but still have plenty of talent upside. We got to see both sides of Sproat tonight as he completely shut down the D-Backs through the first three innings, allowing just three baserunners, but lost his command and hit a wall in the fourth that significantly curtailed his outing. After collecting his fifth strikeout of Corbin Carroll to open the fourth inning, he gave up a solo home run to Adrian Del Castillo, singles to Ildemaro Vargas and Lourdes Gurriel Jr, and an absolute moonshot of a three-run blast to Nolan Arenado that gave the D-Backs the lead for good. The offense mostly shut down again thanks to the Milwaukee bullpen until the visiting half of the ninth when Ketel Marte and Carroll jacked consecutive homers to pad the lead and make it a much more comfortable outing for Paul Sewald to earn the save.
Sewald’s 13-pitch dramaless save was simply the cherry on the cake for an Arizona bullpen that was absolutely lights out tonight. The unit ended the night by retiring 13 batters in a row and allowed just one baserunner across the final 4.1 innings of the game after Rodriguez exited in the fifth. It’s part of a maddeningly inconsistent pattern for the relief corps that could just as easily be incredible or one of the worst in the entire major leagues. Optimistically though, this period could just as easily be seen as an evaluation period before some of the team’s higher-leverage relief arms return from injury later this season – namely AJ Puk and Justin Martinez – that can further bolster and stabilize the entire unit. If the team can correctly identify which relievers can be the most consistent and find their appropriate roles, the bullpen could be a genuine strength for the team for the first time in a long time.
Every time the Mets appear to take one step forward lately, they respond by taking two steps back.
That was again the case on Wednesday night.
After their offense finally broke through with one of their best showings of the season Tuesday, they came back and got blown out by the Nationals in the middle of a three-game set.
David Peterson had the matchup the Mets were looking for, but his struggles continued, as he lasted just 3.2 innings and allowed seven runs in his return to the starting rotation.
And things only spiraled after he was pulled, as Sean Manaea entered with the bases loaded and hit the first batter he faced, then gave up a grand slam to officially put this one out of reach.
The two combined to allowed 13 of Washington's 14 runs on five walks and 12 hits.
New York's offense did have opportunities to show some sign of life, but other than the locked in Juan Soto,theycouldn’t deliver the big hit needed against Washington's pitching staff.
So with the Phillies having the night off due to rain, the Mets’ loss now puts them in sole possession of the worst record in baseball through their first 30 games (10-20).
Having dropped 16 of their last 19, Carlos Mendoza isn’t looking for excuses.
“We have to be better,” he said. “It’s been a long period of time where we’re not playing well, we have to fix it.”
With the opening month of the season set to come to a close on Thursday, New York certainly must get things fixed sooner rather than later.
They’ll look to end the brutal month on a high note with Freddy Peralta on the mound.
“It’s easy to let things compound, it’s easy to get caught up in it,” Peterson said. “But the only way we’re going to get out of it is by taking things one day at a time, trying to attack, and just trying to win tomorrows game.”
And because the state of their pitching staff is so bad, Peterson will almost certainly remain either in the rotation or used behind an opener the next time through the rotation.
“He’s a big part of this team,’’ Carlos Mendoza said.
Peterson said his issues stemmed from falling behind in counts.
He also walked three batters, but insisted he could right himself.
“I’ve done it before,’’ Peterson said. “And I believe in myself and I know I have the stuff to do it.”
Mendoza also expressed belief that Peterson has the ability to be effective.
“We’ve seen flashes of it,’’ Mendoza said. “He’s got more than enough to compete in the strike zone.”
David Peterson wears a dejected expression during the fourth inning of the Mets’ 14-2 loss to the Nationals on April 29, 2026 at Citi Field. Jason Szenes for New York Post
Peterson’s ERA in five starts this season is 8.10, compared to his success out of the bullpen, where he’s allowed one run in seven innings in two appearances.
And he’s also allowed six earned runs in the first inning of his five starts.
“Out of the bullpen in his last couple of outings, he comes in aggressive and attacking,’’ Mendoza said. “He uses all his pitches and is competing in the strike zone.”
In the rotation, though, it’s a different story, but with so many pitchers struggling, the Mets have little choice but to keep going to the lefty.
David Peterson looks on from the bench after being taken out in the fourth inning of the Mets’ blowout loss to the Nationals. Jason Szenes for New York Post
Sean Manaea was as bad in relief as Peterson, allowing six runs in 2 ²/₃ innings.
Luis Robert Jr. remained sidelined by lower back tightness.
The center fielder had an MRI exam Wednesday, and Mendoza said they were awaiting the results following the latest loss.
The Mets have limited Robert’s playing time in an attempt to prevent the injuries that have plagued him the previous two seasons.
It’s not off to a great start.
“[His back] didn’t improve much after treatment,” Mendoza said before the game. “We’re doing everything in our power to keep him on the field.”
With Robert out and Juan Soto limited to DH duties as he deals with left forearm tightness, the Mets are willing to take advantage of Carson Benge’s ability to play all three outfield spots.
Soto, who went 3-for-5 with a solo homer in the Mets’ loss on Wednesday, entered the day swinging at the highest percentage of pitches outside the strike zone of his career (23.1 percent).
Juan Soto rips a solo homer in the third inning of the Mets’ blowout loss to the Nationals. Jason Szenes for New York Post
His career mark is a more selective 17 percent.
With Francisco Lindor out and much of the rest of the offense not hitting, Mendoza was asked if opposing teams will avoid giving Soto good pitches.
“Regardless of who’s in the lineup, a lot of teams pitch around him,’’ the manager said. “I feel like he continues to get, maybe not as many, [but] pitches to hit. If not, he’s got to trust his teammates.”
Francisco Alvarez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and is now hitless in his last 12 at-bats, with Mendoza saying the catcher is “in-between” in his at-bats.
A.J. Minter, rehabbing from last year’s lat surgery, is expected to pitch in two more minor league rehab games Friday and Sunday.
If all goes well, Mendoza didn’t rule out the possibility of the left-hander being activated at some point next week.
“We’ll see,’’ the manager said. “We said we’d take it slowly.”
Tommy Pham, designated for assignment by the Mets, cleared waivers and elected free agency. The veteran outfielder went 0-for-13 in his second stint in Queens.
He was replaced on the roster by another right-handed hitting outfielder, Austin Slater.
The Mets signed shortstop Jamari Baylor to a minor league deal.
The 25-year-old spent last season in the independent Atlantic League and has never played above High-A in the minors after being selected in the third round in 2019 by the Phillies.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 18: Pitcher, Tanner Gordon stands for a photo during media day at spring training for the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Field at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 18, 2026. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images
The Rockies’ new pitching philosophy is no longer a secret. They promised to leave no stone unturned, and one month in, the results have been genuinely impressive. Depending on your preferred WAR metric, Colorado has had one of baseball’s most valuable pitching staffs — at altitude, no less.
That story has been covered well, including here at Purple Row. So here’s the next question: When does experimentation become refinement?
I started thinking about that while watching Tanner Gordon on Tuesday. The shapes of his fastball, changeup and sinker all looked…. similar. So, naturally, I spent my Tuesday night in a Baseball Savant rabbit hole.
While looking at Gordon’s movement profile, the arm angle caught my eye: He is up from 43° last year to 46° this year.
The slot and the sinker
That arm-angle change makes the curveball experiment logical. A higher slot can help create a more vertical breaking ball, giving Gordon a different plane from the fastball/changeup/slider foundation.
The sinker, though, is harder to defend.
Gordon has not been given a start yet, so this is an imperfect evaluation. He has mostly worked out of the bullpen, and the sample sizes are tiny. His sinker has made up only 12% of his pitches — 23 total.
Still, in that tiny sample, hitters are batting .667 against it with a 2.000 slugging percentage, 100.4 mph average exit velocity, and no putaways. Hitters are not just seeing the sinker; they are ordering it off the menu.
The concern is not only the results. It is the shape. The sinker visually lives too close to the fastball/changeup lane. If it is not creating grounders, weak contact, or a different plane, it risks becoming another version of a pitch family Gordon already has.
Fewer pitches, better fit?
The Rockies have had early success letting pitchers find footing in the bullpen, and Gordon can still offer rotation value because his command is legitimately excellent. He does not need overwhelming stuff to survive, but the pitch mix has to be coherent.
Of course, pitches take time. Michael Lorenzen is a useful reminder. His curveball was barely part of his mix in 2023 at 1%, then grew to 8% in 2024, 11% in 2025, and 15% this season. That is what refinement can look like: not instant reinvention, but gradual trust.
Still, patience and commitment are not the same thing.
The Rockies may not need Gordon to throw more pitches. They may need him to throw fewer pitches that make more sense.
So, After Dark: keep developing the sinker, reduce it, or lean harder into the curveball/changeup path?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 24: Dansby Swanson #7 and Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs celebrate Swanson's two-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the bopping-est bar for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. So glad you decided to stop by. It’s been a great day and we hope to make it better. The dress code is casual. The hostess can seat you now. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
The Cubs beat the Padres today 5-4, which wraps up a 3-3 road trip to Southern California. Considering how good those two teams are and that they’re both likely to be playoff teams. that seems like a very good result.
Last night I asked you if the Cubs should continue to let Moisés Ballesteros catch or whether he should be made a full-time DH. The vote was close, but 53 percent of you would continue to develop him as a catcher whereas 45 percent would just let him hit (and maybe play first base once in a while).
Here’s the part where we listen to jazz and talk movies. You can skip ahead if you want.
Tomorrow—or today (April 30) depending on when you read this—is International Jazz Day and the home city this year is Chicago. An all-star concert will be held at Millenium Park starting at 3 pm tomorrow and you can watch it online if you can’t make it to the show.
International Jazz Day was Herbie Hancock’s idea when he was a UNESCO Ambassador and was adopted by that organization in 2011. Here’s Hancock in a 2018 International Jazz Day concert in Osaka, Japan. Also in this All-Star show was Kenny Garrett (alto sax), Marcus Miller (electric bass), John Scofield (guitar), Roy Hargrove (trumpet), Terri Lyn Carrington (drums), Josh Johnson (alto sax), Courtney Pine (tenor sax), Steve Turre (trombone), Mike Cottone (trumpet), Takuya Kuroda (trumpet), Sheila E. (percussion) and Pete Escovedo (percussion).
This is “Hang Up Your Hang Ups.”
Generally I only tell you about the films that I’ve watched that I liked, but the only film I’ve watched in the past few days is Wife vs. Secretary (1935), a romantic comedy directed by Clarence Brown with an all-star cast of Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy. It also has a pre-star James Stewart in one of his first big supporting roles. It’s a typical mid-century (or so) story of a wife (Loy) who gets jealous of the secretary (Harlow) of her workaholic husband (Gable). Unfortunately, despite the powerhouse cast, the film is very light on the “comedy” part of a rom-com. Maybe the jokes just don’t translate after ninety years, because I didn’t get it.
Gable plays Van “Jake” Stanhope, a magazine executive who is madly in love with his wife Linda (Loy). He also is married to his work, which puts him in constant contact with his super-competent secretary “Whitey.” (Harlow) Jake comes up with a plan to expand his magazine’s reach by acquiring another publication, which means he is spending all of his time at the office to complete the merger. It’s also top secret, so no one can know his plans other than Whitey, who has to help him.
Linda is initially quite understanding and trusting of her husband, knowing that he deeply loves her. Whitey’s fiancé Dave (Stewart) isn’t so understanding when she gets called into the office at all hours and he wants her to quit her job after they get married. But Whitey actually loves her job and is super good at it and doesn’t want to quit it to marry Dave. Obviously she’s someone whom 40 years later would be an executive herself and not a secretary.
Anyways, all the gossipy other executive wives tell Linda that they’d never let their husbands spend so much time with a secretary that looks like Jean Harlow. That plants a seed in her head. And while Jake deeply loves Linda and thinks of Whitey as more of a business partner, a series of coincidences and random comments makes Linda start to doubt her husband’s fidelity. Meanwhile, Whitey isn’t quite sure who really has her heart, Jake or Dave, even though Jake has made no indication that he sees her as anything other than a secretary.
So it’s a basic misunderstanding plot with a double love triangle, although Stewart’s Dave really isn’t in the film enough to be more than a minor diversion. (He does get the last words, however!) The problem is that none of these misunderstandings are actually funny. They are just very ordinary basic things associated with the business deal and Jake’s complete inability to get anything done without Whitey’s help. All four of those actors have made very good comedies elsewhere, but none of them get to show that talent here. Jake is just clueless about his wife’s suspicions. Whitey isn’t sure if she’s not falling in love with Jake, but she’s a good girl and would never be “the other woman.” Linda just goes from trusting, loving wife to a helpless, green-eyed woman.
There were a few things about the film I liked. For one, Loy is allowed to play a very sexual wife, at least early in the film. This is a break from the stereotype of the dowdy wife versus the hot secretary. Conversely, Harlow plays Whitey as very professional and is dressed most of the time in proper business attire for women of the 1930s. (She does have a few sexy evening gowns when the situation calls for it.) Harlow is very much trying to shed her “blonde bombshell” image in this film, playing a capable businesswoman who doesn’t flaunt her obvious attractiveness. You can almost see her trying to have Katharine Hepburn’s career here as she aged had she not tragically died of kidney failure two years later.
The other thing I loved was the gorgeous Art Deco apartment that Jake and Linda lived in. In fact, most of the sets were in the best style of the era with a classy sophistication. The costuming was also a nice touch, with the wife Loy wearing a lot of attractive, stylish and sexy outfits and the secretary Harlow dressing down most of the time in some smart business attire. Gable also wore some fine menswear, although I couldn’t tell if he wore an undershirt. (Heh.)
Overall, the purpose of a comedy is to be funny and despite the stellar cast, Wife vs. Secretary just isn’t funny. Great looking, but not dramatic enough to be a good drama and not funny enough to be a good comedy.
Here’s the original trailer for Wife vs. Secretary. At least you get to see the great clothes here.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.
The Cubs have finished the first month and change of the season with a record of 19-12, just half a game behind the surprising Reds. They’ve weathered a whole mess of injuries, especially to the pitching staff, and are still in prime position to win the division. They’re tied for second in the league in runs scored and home runs. They’re third in batting average and they lead the league on on-base percentage.
The Cubs’ pitching isn’t quite as good, with an ERA of 4.01. That’s seventh in the league, which puts them right in the middle of the pack. But that’s still not bad considering the number of injuries they’ve had. Probably good enough if the offense continues to produce like it has.
So what grade do you give the Cubs after one month (and change) of the season?
And by “April,” I mean the few games in March too.
Thanks for stopping by tonight. We’ve enjoyed having you all week. Please get home safely. We want to have you stop by again. Please recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 04, 2026: Tommy Troy #98 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats during the fifth inning of a spring training game against the Athletics at Hohokam Stadium on March 04, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Introduction
While it is still early in the season, I can’t help but notice that while the team is struggling at the MLB level, there’s several of the Dbacks top prospects playing very well for the D’Backs AAA level affiliate, the Reno Aces. There are also a couple veteran relief pitchers that have been pitching very well, who merit discussion, but who I won’t be discussing in this article. (NOTE: We’re just just under a full month into the Minor League Baseball season, so small samples abound, especially with the relief pitchers. Just a few good/bad outings and games can turn these numbers upside down, so this is just a fun exercise. It’ll be another month before any Minor League stats should be taken seriously. All stats in this article through 28th April, 2026.)
The Hot Hitting Prospects
Top 100 overall prospect Ryan Waldschmidt (Fangraphs |B-Ref player pages) has unsurprisingly been one of the Reno Aces best hitters. The 23 year old right handed hitting outfielder has played mostly center field in the 2026, but is capable of playing all three outfield positions competently. Through his first 131 plate appearences, he’s hit .303/.400/.505 with a 122 wRC+ and a .408 wOBA.
Tommy Troy ( Fangraphs|B-Ref), the 12th overall pick in the 2023, in his first 122 plate appearences is hitting .317/.405/.481 with a 120 WRC+ and .404 wOBA. Troy has seen the majority (60%) of his starts at second base, but surprisingly has spent a good chunk of time in left field and couple games worth of innings in center.
LuJames ‘Gino’ Groover III ( Fangraphs|B-Ref) through his first 127 plate appearances is hitting .340/.440/.427, with a 123 wRC+ and a .410 wOBA. He’s spent slightly more than half his time in the field this season at third base with the rest spent across the diamond at first.
Kristian Robinson’s ( Fangraphs | B-Ref ) history has been discussed so much that I’m not going to discuss it here other than the very short version. Once a top prospect, legal issues that came as a result of cannabis induced psychiatric episode along with pandemic kept him away from baseball for three years. Robinson is probably not the star outfielder we thought he was, but he is a perfectly servicable outfielder with an intriguing mix of power and speed. In his first 110 plate appearences in 2026, Robinson is hitting .286/.400/.484 with a 119 wRC+ and a .402 wOBA. Robinson is capable of playing all three outfield position as well, with a better throwing arm than any of the other outfielder on the MLB roster.
The biggest reason to not call up any of these four players is finding regular playing time, along with service time and roster considerations. Ryan Waldschmidt and Kristian Robinson are (arguably) an across the board upgrade over current Dback OFer Jorge Barrosa, but if they’re only on the roster as the fourth outfielder, they won’t get as much playing time as needed to further develop as hitters. With his .524 OPS and 46 wRC+, Tim Tawa has been a below average hitter in 2026, so bad that he’s been worth -0.3 WAR. Lourdes Gurriel may only have recently been activated of the Injury List, but he’s already matched Tawa in negative WAR despite having played in 10 fewer games. The aforementioned Barrosa’s job is arguably pretty safe, despite the 79 wRC+, he’s an above average outfielder who’s put up .2 WAR thanks to his defense. In a similar vein, the defensively gifted Alek Thomas is once again struggling offensively, and while he still is putting up positive value, his defense isn’t that much of an upgrade over Waldschmidt’s to make his job safe either. Theoretically Waldschmidt and Robinson could replace Barrosa and Thomas , and while there would almost certainly be a drop off defensively, the potential for a massive offensive upgrade could might very well be worth it.
Tommy Troy, who has the most defensive versatility thanks to his ability to play both infield and outfield, is an obvious choice to replace Tim Tawa on the roster. As long as the Ildemaro Vargas/Nolan Arenado experiment continues to be successful, and Jose Fernandez continues to rake, I can’t imagine we’ll see Groover anytime soon, unless Adrian Del Castillo just completely fails to provide any offense at DH. Which is unfortunate, as Groover statistically has been the best hitter on the Aces, while also having the exit velocity and batted ball data that legitimizes his production as more than a PCL induced fluke.
Pitching Prospects Having Success Shutting Down A Punishing PCL
Amongst the actual ranked pitching prospects on the Aces, Mitch Bratt (Fangraphs|B-Ref) has been the most effective of the starting pitchers in the Aces rotation so far. In his first five starts, he’s put up a 2.84 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, with a 50 ERA-. His 4.35 FIP and 4.64 xFIP aren’t exactly inspiring but overall those are very solid numbers for a starting pitcher in hitters haven that is the Pacific Coast League.
Yilber Diaz (Fangraphs|B-Ref) and Brandyn Garcia (Fangraphs|B-Ref) have combined to form a very effective relief duo. In his 10 relief appearances, he’s put up 13 ⅔ IP while striking out 20 batters (a 34% SO%) and walking just five batters (9.3BB%) His 1.32 ERA and 24 ERA- are absolutely stellar, though his 3.11 FIP and 2.90 xFIP do suggest his ERA won’t stay that low forever. Brandynn Garcia has also appeared in 10 games, putting up 12⅓ IP with 18 strikeouts and 10 walks. His 2.19 ERA works out to a 39 ERA-, though his stats do seem like they’re do for some regression, as indicated by the 4.58 FIP and 4.35 xFIP.
It’s almost certainly a matter of when, not if Yilber Diaz and Brandyn Garcia get called up in 2026, and there are already candidates in the bullpen for them to replace. The most obvious would be Paul Sewald, but arguements could be made for Ryan Thompson as well. Originally I was going to mention Andrew Hoffman, but the latter was sent down for Philip Abner whilst writing this article.
It’s actually somewhat fitting that the most obvious candidate in the starting rotation that Mitch Bratt could potentially replace is the pitcher the Dbacks traded away last summer to acquire him (along with Hagaman and Kohl Drake), Merrill Kelly. To be as blunt as possible, Merrill Kelly has not been good at all so far this season, and his performance so far has been troubling. In his first start back in a 4-3 win against the baltimore Orioles, Kelly pitched 5 ⅓ innings, allowing a pair of earned runs on five hits and four walks. It doesn’t sound that bad, but it was a messy outing saved thanks to Ildemaro Vargas and Jose Fernandez’s offense, though he does deserve some extra credit for a successful pickoff throw of a runner on third. Kelly’s 2nd outing was a disaster: 4⅓ innings, 8 earned runs allowed on 10 hits ans 3 walks. Of those ten hits, half of them went for extra base hits, three of which were homeruns. His most recent outing wasn’t any better. He pitched 5 ⅓ innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits and five walks, with another homerun allowed. All that adds up to a 9.20 ERA with 8.78 FIP, which has cost the Diamondbacks -0.5/-0.6 fWAR/bWAR. It’s still early and he can turn it around, but if his season continues like this, then I would think that eventually a move will have to be made. Alternatively, Ryne Nelson and his 7.71 ERA or Brandon Pfaadt and his 5.54 ERA aren’t exactly lighting the world on fire either.
Conclusion
Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen has quite a few options in AAA that could potentially bolster the Major League roster. Which of these players do you think is most likely to be able to contribute to an MLB roster right now? Is there a prospect on the AAA or even AA roster that you feel is more deserving of a call up?Which player on the MLB roster do you think will be the next to go after Andrew Hoffman? Who do you expect to be called up first? Let me know in the comments down below!
Next Week: We wrap up the Top Prospect series by finally ranking the Dbacks top pitching prospects.
As has been the case all season, Peterson put the Mets behind from the get-go, as Washington was able to jump on him for a pair of runs on three hits and a wild pitch in the top of the first.
He's now racked up an ugly 10.80 ERA in the opening frame through five starts.
Peterson then appeared to find his groove as he retired nine in a row, but things caved in on him in the fourth, as the Nationals made him pay for a one-out walk to Jacob Young.
The lefty gave up two hits and another walk, then almost danced his way out without further damage, but a bases loaded free pass to James Wood to forced in another run and end his night.
Sean Manaea entered and things spiraled from there, as he hit a batter before giving up a grand slam, pushing Peterson’s total to seven runs in just 3.2 innings of work.
“The first he fell behind hitters and they got to him,” Carlos Mendoza said. “In the fourth he lost a feel for all of his pitches -- even with the bases loaded he had a chance to get out to it getting ahead of Wood 0-2, then issues the walk.
“It’s just the feel for his pitches, not able to get in the zone consistently, and it cost him.”
That specific issue has cost Peterson not just throughout the early-part of this season, but also as he was knocked around during the second-half last year.
With his ERA now sitting at an ugly 6.53 through seven appearances (five starts), Mendoza said that the team will have more discussions about how they use him moving forward.
While he’s going through it right now, they remain confident he can turn things around.
“He’s a big part of this team,” the skipper said.
"I've done it before," Peterson added. "I believe in myself and know I have the stuff to do it."
Apr 29, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brian Fitzpatrick (35) makes his Major League Baseball debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
It was a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde night for the Brewers, both for the team’s offense and for their starting pitcher, Brandon Sproat. Sproat showed his immense potential early but ran into trouble later on; that trouble was all the Diamondbacks needed, as a Milwaukee offense that showed some life early went into a deep rut after that and couldn’t come back.
Sproat came in going as hard as William Friedkin in To Live and Die in L.A. With a fastball that hit 99.9 mph, Sproat struck out the side—and this wasn’t some scrubs, either. It was three of the best hitters in the NL: Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, and Corbin Carroll.
In the bottom of the first, the only two lefties in Milwaukee’s starting lineup came through against the left-handed Arizona starter, Eduardo Rodríguez. With one out, Brice Turang lined a double to left center. After a three-pitch William Contreras strikeout, Jake Bauers lined a nearly identical double on a 3-2 pitch. Turang scored, and Milwaukee took an early lead.
In the top of the second, Sproat was nice enough to allow Ildemaro Vargas extend his hitting streak to 22 games early to avoid any sort of drama, a cheapie bloop single to shallow left. But Adrian Del Castillo was Sproat’s fourth strikeout victim, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Nolan Arenado popped out, and it was a pretty easy second inning.
Rodríguez had a quick bottom of the second against the soft bottom of the Brewers lineup. Jose Fernandez led off the third with a base hit, but Sproat got Alek Thomas to fly out and Fernandez was caught stealing. With two outs, Sproat issued his first walk to Perdomo, and Marte put a scare into the Brewer faithful with a fly ball to deep right, but Greg Jones caught it calmly with his back against the wall.
Milwaukee added on in the bottom of the third, and it was the lefty Turang, again. After Lockridge started the inning with a bunt single, Turang hit another hard line drive just to slight center, but he hit it hard enough that Thomas, the Arizona center fielder, couldn’t make the catch going back. It was over his head for Turang’s second double, and Lockridge scored from first to make it 2-0.
Arizona answered in the top of the fourth. After Sproat struck out Carroll for a second time to start the inning, Del Castillo hit an opposite-field homer just over the outstretched glove of Lockridge in left field. After that, Vargas and Gurriel hit back-to-back singles on lazy, looping line drives (77 and 82 mph exit velocity), and Chris Hook was out of the dugout for a visit with runners on first and second and one out.
The mound visit did not work. Sproat threw two sinkers low and in to Arenado; he fouled off the first, but detonated the second one, which went way out to left field (411 feet). Two of the four hits that Sproat allowed in the inning were cheap, but the runs counted just the same, Arizona had a 4-2 lead, and what started as an outstanding night for Sproat had quickly turned sour.
Milwaukee put themselves in a good position to get something back in the bottom of the fourth. Luis Rengifo led off with a double over the head of Carroll in right that bounced into the stands. But Jones unwisely burned the Brewers’ only remaining challenge before striking out and Perkins popped out behind the plate for two quick outs that didn’t advance the runner. Joey Ortiz came from behind to work a two-out walk, and Lockridge walked too, even after a 3-1 pitch that was initially called ball four was overturned by a Diamondbacks challenge. That gave Turang, who already had two doubles, a big opportunity with the bases loaded and two outs. But Turang grounded out, and the rally fizzled.
Perdomo walked to lead off the fifth. Marte hit a ground ball that looked like it might become a double play, but a miscommunication meant no one covered first base and Ortiz could return the throw to first. Still, Milwaukee erased the lead runner, but that was all for Sproat, who was pulled from the game after 4 1/3 innings. DL Hall replaced Sproat and promptly struck out Carroll, the third time he’d struck out on the night, and got Del Castillo to pop out to Rengifo in foul territory.
Sproat’s night featured highs (he struck out the first four batters of the game in extremely impressive fashion) and lows (two homers, four runs in the fourth inning). That’s sort of a microcosm of the Sproat experience thus far this season, but there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the young right-hander.
Contreras hit a ball pretty well to start the fifth but he hit it to the wrong part of the ballpark and it became the first out. Bauers grounded out, but a two-out walk to Sánchez spurred Arizona manager Torey Lovullo to go to his bullpen, a decision that Rodríguez—who, I noted in the game thread, is only four wins from 100 for his career—wasn’t happy about. In any case, Kevin Ginkel entered to flip Rengifo to the left side of the plate; that didn’t work, as Rengifo singled to right and sent Sánchez to third, and Pat Murphy countered the Ginkel move by pinch-hitting Garrett Mitchell for Jones. That didn’t work either, as Mitchell struck out to end the inning.
Hall kept pitching in the sixth and got a 1-2-3 inning, although not without some excitement; with two outs, Arenado hit a grounder to third, and Rengifo’s throw to first went over Bauers’ head. But Arenado tried to go to second, and the ball bounced back to Ortiz in between first and second base, and he threw to Rengifo, covering second, who tagged Arenado out (although Milwaukee had to successfully challenge the play, as Arenado was called safe on the field).
Sal Frelick, who’d entered defensively for Perkins in the top of the inning, led off the bottom of the sixth but grounded out. David Hamilton pinch-hit for Ortiz but struck out looking, and Lockridge struck out swinging. Hall continued in the top of the seventh. He got two quick outs, but issued a two-out walk to Perdomo (his third of the game) and then gave up a single to Marte.
With 42 pitches, Murphy decided to pull Hall and go with the brand-new lefty Brian Fitzpatrick, called up earlier today to replace Ángel Zerpa. A heck of a time to make your major-league debut: two on, two out, and Corbin Carroll at the plate. Fitzpatrick should’ve gotten Carroll, who hit a dribbler up the first-base line, but Carroll is extremely fast and the ball kind of landed in no-man’s land, and he was on with an infield hit to load the bases. But Del Castillo went after the first pitch and popped it up to shallow right, where Frelick made the catch and got Fitzpatrick successfully out of the first inning of his big-league career. Congrats, kid.
The heart of Milwaukee’s order went down quickly in the seventh versus the new Arizona pitcher, Juan Morillo; Turang grounded out, Contreras flew out to the warning track in right, and Bauers struck out. Fitzpatrick continued in the eighth and allowed another infield hit, this one to Gurriel, and walked Arenado to put runners on first and second with one out. But he got Fernandez and Thomas on pop-ups, and in his debut, Fitzpatrick got four outs and didn’t allow any runs (or hits out of the infield).
Former Brewer Taylor Clarke was the pitcher in the bottom of the eighth and had no trouble retiring Sánchez, Rengifo, and Mitchell in order. Grant Anderson, on for the ninth, finally retired Perdomo, but gave up back-to-back bombs to Marte and Carroll, both of them no-doubters. Anderson, who hadn’t allowed a homer all year, was due, I guess. Arizona’s lead doubled.
Milwaukee’s offense, which had looked punchless since the third inning, had a tall task in the ninth, down four runs. It turned out that two would’ve been plenty; Paul Sewald got Frelick, Hamilton, and pinch-hitter Tyler Black in order, and the game was over.
Not a whole lot to write home about: this was a pretty standard, anonymous regular season baseball loss. Turang was the offensive standout, as he was 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored. Rengifo also had two hits, and Bauers added his RBI double. On the mound, we covered Sproat’s outing; Hall completed 2 1/3 solid, scoreless innings, while Fitzpatrick created a nice memory with his 1 1/3 inning scoreless debut.
The series will be decided tomorrow, when Brandon Woodruff faces off with Arizona’s Michael Soroka. It’s an early one, at 12:40 p.m.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: Brady House #12 of the Washington Nationals, center, celebrate with teammates at home plate after he hits a grand slam during the fourth inning of a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on April 29, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Heather Khalifa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats lit up the Mets like a Christmas tree in their 14-2 mauling on a rainy night in Queens. This was a comprehensive beatdown, where the Nats dominated from start to finish. The bats and the arms were both top tier in this one, which led to the big win.
On the mound, Cade Cavalli followed up an excellent start against the Braves with an even better one tonight. The Nats right hander threw six innings of two run ball while striking out 10. This is the second straight outing that Cavalli has fanned 10 batters. He joins Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Gio Gonzalez as the only Nats to do that. Scherzer accomplished that feat on a crazy 20 occasions.
Back-to-back 10-strikeout games in Nats history: Max Scherzer (20 instances) Stephen Strasburg (6 instances) Patrick Corbin Gio Gonzalez Cade Cavalli
Cavalli’s curve was dominant tonight, getting both whiffs and called strikes. This is the second straight outing where his curveball has looked like a dominant pitch. After a rocky start to the season, Cavalli is starting to come into his own.
However, the offense is an even bigger story. The unit cooled off a bit after a red hot start to the season, but they picked it up in a big way in this game. They came out of the gates hot, scoring two runs off of David Peterson in the 1st inning. CJ Abrams opened the scoring with an RBI knock. The Nats shortstop had a big day, racking up 3 hits to bust out of his mini-slump.
Abrams was one of four Nats to have multi-hit days. Curtis Mead had the most hits on the night, with four, including a home run. The Aussie seemed to be in the middle of everything good that was happening for the Nats offense tonight. In the fateful fourth inning, Mead drove in a run by getting hit by a pitch. Mead already has a career high in home runs, with four. He has been a solid addition for the Nats.
Joey Wiemer also had a multi-hit day, which was nice to see. While Wiemer has inevitably cooled off from his historic start to the season, he has still been a useful contributor, particularly against left handed pitching. He also seems like a big personality in the locker room.
The Nats effectively won the game with one swing of the bat, and it came from a softer spoken figure in Brady House. After a great Spring Training and good start to the season, House had cooled off these past few weeks. He has not been on time for fastballs, which has led to the strikeouts piling up. However, he was on time for Sean Manaea’s 90 MPH heater and hit it into the stands for a grand slam.
It turned a 3 run inning into a 7 run inning, and broke the game open. After the grand slam, boos rained down, as Mets fans accepted that they were about to fall to 10-20. It was a team effort, but House was the man who busted it open.
On a rainy night at Citi Field, it felt like both teams wanted to go home once the 7th inning rolled around. The Nats bullpen fired off three scoreless innings against a hapless Mets offense to win it 14-2. After a pair of blowout wins for both teams, the stage is set for a rubber match tomorrow afternoon.
Feb 26, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Chas McCormick (55) hits a double in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
Starter Ty Blach gave up three runs in the second inning, but nothing else as he picked up the win. Blach’s final line was three runs on four hits (including one two-run home run) over five innings. Blach walked one and struck out six.
Third baseman Pedro Ramírez tied the game in the top of the third inning with a two-run home run. Ramírez went 1 for 4 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch (on a 35 mph pitch from a position player). He also stole two bases and scored three times. Ramírez now has eight home runs this year, which ties a career-high for a season for him and we’re not finished with April yet.
Right fielder Chas McCormick was the big star tonight, going 3 for 4 with an RBI double and a two-run home run in the fifth. It was McCormick’s fourth home run this year. McCormick had the three RBI and scored twice.
First baseman Jonathon Long went 3 for 6 with three RBI and one run scored.
Second baseman James Triantos was 2 for 5 with a walk and two steals. He scored two runs.
Shortstop Hayden Cantrelle was 2 for 5 with one run scored.
Center fielder Brett Bateman was 1 for 3 with an RBI double and two walks.
Left fielder Kevin Alcántara left this game in the sixth inning. It wasn’t immediately clear why, but I-Cubs broadcaster Jason Kempf said Alcántara appeared to grab his back after a foul ball. Alcántara was 1 for 3 with a walk and one run scored.
Starter Cole Reynolds pitched 3.1 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits. Reynolds struck out five and walked just one.
Jackson Brockett relived Reynolds and gave up a two-run home run in his first inning in High-A. Brockett got the loss after surrendering two runs on three hits over 1.2 innings. Brockett did not strike anyone out, but he also didn’t walk anyone.
All four South Bend runs came in the fourth inning. Left fielder Reginald Preciado was responsible for three of them with his second home run of the year. Preciado was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Center fielder Kane Kepley went 1 for 3 with a walk, a stolen base and a sacrifice fly.
The South Bend social media team reminding us that Preciado was part of the Yu Darvish deal—and the last one who is still on the Cubs.
We'd like to personally thank the Padres for Reggie Preciado! 👍
David Bracho threw the first 3.2 innings without allowing a run. He did give up seven hits, but Bracho didn’t walk anyone, although he did hit one batter, and he struck out three.
Aiden Moffett pitched the middle innings and got his first professional win. Moffett did not allow a run or a hit over 2.1 innings. He did walk one batter while striking out four.
Jordan Henriquez went the rest of the way for a three-inning save. He gave up just one hit, but it was a two-run home run in the top fo the ninth to spoil the shutout. Henriquez walked two and struck out four.
The Pelicans jumped out to an early lead with a four-run bottom of the first inning. The big blow was a two-run home run by left fielder Jose Escobar. Escobar was 2 for 4.
In the second inning, DH Eli Lovich hit a solo home run. It was his third of the season and his second in two games. Lovich was 1 for 4.
In the eighth inning, catcher Logan Poteet added an insurance run with a solo home run, his second on the season. Poteet was 1 for 3 with a sac fly and two total RBI.
The Pelicans had just six hits, but three of them were home runs. They also drew five walks.
Apr 29, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson (23) follows through on a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
After the bats woke up in the first game of the series with the Nationals, David Peterson and Sean Manaea collectively got shelled in another terrible loss, 14-2. On Gary Cohen’s birthday no less.
The Mets were down from the top of the first, when Peterson allowed singles to three of the first four hitters in the game, which resulted in the first run of the game. A passed ball and an RBI ground out made it 2-0 before the Mets came to the plate.
The Mets loaded the bases in the bottom of the first against Cade Cavalli, but Tyrone Taylor struck out to end the frame without any scoring. The Mets added their first run in the bottom of the third when Juan Soto hit an opposite-field solo home run.
Peterson started to tire in the fourth. After striking out CJ Abrams, he walked Jacob Young and allowed back to back singles to Daylen Lile and Joey Wiemer, scoring Young. Two more walks with a strikeout sandwiched in between made it 4-1, and Peterson was done. Sean Manaea entered the game and promptly forced in a run when he hit Curtis Mead. Brady House then hit his first career grand slam, and it was 9-1. The pain continued.
The Mets put men on in almost every inning, but only managed to score in the fifth, when three straigth singles to lead off the inning led to Bo Bichette scoring the second run of the game. However, a Francisco Alvarez double play and a Brett Baty strikeout ended the bases loaded, no-out threat right quick.
The Nats continued to tattoo Manaea, adding a tenth run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. That would be enough for Carlos Mendoza, who pulled him in favor of Carl Edwards Jr. An infield single, a strikeout, a walk, and a single by Young brought in the thirteenth run of the game for Washington.
At one point, Edwards had struck out five Nationals in a row, but that streak was ended when Curtis Mead hit a solo home run, making it 14-2.
Two small bits of Mets minutia/Immaculate Grid information: Austin Slater made his first appearance as a Met, flying out in his only at-bat and playing left field, and Luis Torrens made his first appearance since 2021 (and first as a Met at first base).
The Mets hope to take the series tomorrow afternoon with Freddy Peralta facing Miles Mikolas.
Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, 17.0% WPA Big Mets loser: David Peterson, -30.0% WPA Mets pitchers: -44.0% WPA Mets hitters: -6.0% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto’s home run, 11.3% WPA Teh sux0rest play: C.J. Abrams’s first inning single, -9.2% WPA
Five weeks into the season and with a sky-high payroll, the mismatched disaster that is the Mets roster was overmatched again in a 14-2 loss to the lowly Nationals at Citi Field that wasn’t as close as the score might indicate.
“We have to be better,” Carlos Mendoza said after his team’s 16th loss in 19 games. “There’s no excuses. It’s been a long period of time here that we’re not playing well. We’ve got to fix it.”
Whether that’s even possible is a serious question.
With their latest defeat, when they allowed a season high in runs, the Mets fell to 10-20.
David Peterson reacts as he walks back to the dugout at the end of the first inning of the Mets’ 14-2 blowout loss to the Nationals on April 29, 2026 at Citi Field. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
That’s a half-game behind their NL East rivals, the Phillies, who were rained out and remained 10-19.
The weather was not as kind to the Mets faithful, as a few thousand masochists stuck around on a miserable, wet night in Queens to watch … what, exactly?
David Peterson delivered his latest awful start, as the lefty’s ERA as a starter jumped to 8.10 after allowing seven runs in just 3 ²/₃ innings.
Another rotation castoff, Sean Manaea, was called upon to replace Peterson and gave up a grand slam in the fourth.
And the offense, which briefly awoke during a seven-run fourth inning in Tuesday’s win, went back to its typical ineptness against Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli.
Sean Manaea reacts after giving up a grand slam to Brady House during the Mets’ blowout loss to the Nationals. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The lone exception to the collapse was Juan Soto, who looked to be in peak form.
He homered in a second straight game and added a single and a double.
But as everyone from Mendoza to David Stearns to Soto himself has said, even Soto can’t carry the team by himself.
The Mets, though, apparently wanted to test that theory against the Nationals, as Soto — serving as the DH again as he deals with left forearm discomfort — provided just about the only positives for a Mets team that’s now dropped four of five.
And there are five months to go.
“The challenge is coming back tomorrow with a good attitude, a good mindset, work hard and try to take care of tomorrow’s game,’’ Peterson said. “It’s easy to let things compound. It’s easy to get caught up in it, but the only way to get out of it is to take it one day at a time and attack and win tomorrow.”
As Mendoza said before the game: “We’ve got to play better baseball, period. Regardless of who we’re playing, we’ve got to start winning series. We haven’t been able to do that for a long period of time now.”
New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez reacts after he strikes out looking against the Washington Nationals in the first inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
And they may have even made it harder on themselves Wednesday during their rare win Tuesday, when Mendoza went to Tobias Myers — who has pitched well out of the bullpen — for two innings with an eight-run lead.
So the right-hander was unavailable to either open for Peterson — who started because Washington had two left-handers among their top four hitters — or take over for him in the fourth.
Honestly, it’s hard to fathom any combination of pitchers or position players — short of cloning Soto — would have helped the Mets on Wednesday.
An announced crowd of 32,624 — and fortunately, not nearly that many actually showed up — made its displeasure known throughout the latest defeat.
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change against the Washington Nationals in the seventh inning. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
As there has been with alarming frequency this season at Citi Field, the booing could be heard at some point during nearly every inning.
With five months to go in what’s already been an interminable season, the Mets surely have hit rock bottom.
But as they’ve proven consistently so far this year, there’s apparently always lower to go.
Apr 29, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) and left fielder Nathan Church (27) and right fielder Jordan Walker (18) celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
At times it wasn’t pretty, but the St. Louis Cardinals got it done again as they beat the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday night 5-4 thanks to Andre Pallante, two doubles from JJ Wetherholt and a game-saving catch by Nathan Church.
Let’s start with the excellent start from Andre Pallante as he went deeper into Wednesday night’s game than any of his appearances this season. He tossed 6 strong innings giving up only 1 run before he turned the game over to the bullpen. More on that almost dumpster fire later.
The St. Louis Cardinals got on the board first when JJ Wetherholt continued his homecoming party doubling to the opposite field in the 3rd inning which scored Urias making it 1-0 Cardinals.
St. Louis would add to their lead in the top of the 5th inning when Alec Burleson hammered a 411 foot home run to left-center giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.
The Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t roll over as they answered in the bottom of the 5th inning cutting into the Cardinals lead 3-1. Victor Scott’s speed would become a factor in the top of the 7th inning when he stole a base and scored on a single by Ivan Herrera increasing the Cardinals lead to 4-1.
Herrera would score on a single by Jordan Walker also in the top of the 7th inning making it 5-1 St. Louis and they would need that additional run because…the bullpen. Ryne Stanek would come in for the bottom of the 7th inning and he was ineffective and that’s being kind. He walked Konnor Griffin then gave up a single to Bart. Griffin would advance to third on a wild pitch by Stanek. Ryne followed that up with a walk to Cruz to load the bases. Manager Oli Marmol went to the bullpen for emergency help in the form of JoJo Romero. He would immediately give up a single to Yorke scoring 2 runs cutting the St. Louis lead in half 5-3. Reynolds was then walked, but JoJo was fortunately able to get O’Hearn on a strikeout followed by a groundout by Ozuna to end the bottom of the 7th.
George Soriano was brought in for the bottom of the 8th inning, but drama followed him, too, not all of his doing. Gonzalez singled followed by a walk to Horwitz. Mangum grounded into what should have been at least a force-out if not a double play to Masyn Winn, but he bobbled it for an error leaving everyone safe. Cruz would ground out on a fielder’s choice for the 2nd out to JJ Wetherholt, but a run scored on the play making it 5-4 Cardinals.
Riley O’Brien came in for the save in the bottom of the 9th and he succeeded – barely. After getting Reynolds to ground out to start the 9th, O’Hearn hit a bloop single to left. Riley struck out Ozuna for the second out, but the final out would be dramatic. Gonzalez hit a ball to deep left that looked like it would be a walk-off winner for the Pirates, but Nathan Church did a very Nathan Church thing.
St. Louis will go for the 4-game sweep against Pittsburgh on Thursday as Hunter Dobbins will take the mound for his first St. Louis start against a guy you’ve probably heard of named Paul Skenes. First pitch scheduled for 11:40am central time Thursday.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 29: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Ozzie Albies #1 after hitting a walk-off two-run homer in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Tigers needed their ace tonight, and they got him.
Tarik Skubal was as advertised. Outside of one blemish to start the game, he did not allow a Braves runner in scoring position in his seven innings of work. It would’ve been a well-deserved, tip-your-cap type of win.
But the 2026 Braves simply won’t be denied. Pitching by Ritchie, Lee, and López kept them in it, and our patience was richly rewarded with a Matt Olson walk-off home run to clinch another series win for Atlanta.
JR Ritchie’s first inning set the tone for his home crowd debut: serviceable, but not as dominant as what we’d seen in the DC matinee. The Tigers worked deep counts and didn’t go down 1-2-3 in any inning he pitched. In the first inning, he worked around a Gleyber Torres walk and Colt Keith single, but got two K’s to strand them.
In the bottom half of the first, the Braves drew first blood against Skubal by way of a Drake Baldwin single and an Ozzie Albies home run that looked identical to the one he hit to left field last night.
However, Ritchie would give those runs back in the top of the second in a two-out rally by Detroit. Wenceel Pérez, who spoiled last night’s shutout with a homer off Aaron Bummer, doubled to left. Ritchie walked the recently-recalled nine hole hitter Jace Jung. Hitting machine Kevin McGonigle’s single made it 2-1. An ill-advised pickoff attempt would tie it up 2-2.
Unfortunately, Skubal settled in to shut down the Braves, sending us to the third. Riley Greene’s leadoff homer would give the Tigers the lead, 3-2.
The next few innings would be largely uneventful. Drake Baldwin notched a second hit off Skubal, Ritchie worked around runners on the corners in the fourth. In their respective innings, Matt Olson and Michael Harris II tried to set the table for a Braves offensive rally, only to be erased by double plays by Austin Riley and Jonah Heim, respectively.
Ritchie came back out for the sixth and walked Kerry Carpenter, but got Spencer Torkelson to fly out before exiting to an appreciative ovation from the fans at home. Ritchie’s final line: five and a third innings pitched, five hits, three earned runs, four walks, and the homer to Greene. It wasn’t as efficient or commanding as his performance against the Nationals, but selfishly, I hope he is able to stick around to start in his hometown vs Seattle next week.
Dylan Lee, back from his one-day stint on the paternity list, finished off the sixth and set them down in order in the seventh.
Midway through Matt Olson’s at bat in the seventh, Tarik Skubal summoned his coaches and trainers and seemed to indicate that he was feeling something in his elbow or forearm. But after seemingly easily convincing him that he was fine enough to stay in, he looked more than fine as he struck out Olson, Riley, and Dubón in order.
Reynaldo López came trotting out of the bullpen to relieve Lee and only needed eight pitches to retire the Tigers in order. Efficient, but sideyeing that velo a little as he irons out his mechanics. Another thing to watch? Michael didn’t seem comfortable after gloving a sharp lineout.
Former National Kyle Finnegan came in to face the Braves in the eighth. He struck out Mike before Walt Weiss went to his bench to pinch-hit for White and Heim. Mike Yastrzemski flew out, and Dominic Smith worked an ABS-assisted walk. Ronald walked and the table was set for our clutchest boy, Drake Baldwin. It was looking promising as he fouled off pitch after pitch and the speedy Jorge Mateo ready to rev the wheels and tie it up on a base knock. But it wasn’t to be as he grounded out to end the inning. Disappointed, but not in you, sweet Drake. Never in you.
Reynaldo went back out for the top of the ninth and threw another nine pitches to get three outs.
Old friend Kenley Jansen took the mound for the Tigers looking for a save to add to his illustrious career. But he must still harbor some love for his ATL days, as he walked Ozzie on six pitches and getting the leadoff man aboard for Matt Olson. Matt had been hitting the ball pretty hard all night without much to show for it. Austin Riley lurked on the on deck circle. But all Riley had to do was watch it go off the bat of Matty O.
Bring out the Dubble Bubble bucket hat! This one feels especially good after Tarik Skubal did Tarik Skubal things for so much of the evening. That’s another series win, and an extension of the winning streak vs Detroit we mentioned earlier.
The Braves will go for the sweep in some brunch baseball tomorrow. Elder and Valdez will face off starting at 12:15 pm ET.
