The Mattingly-resurgent Philadelphia Phillies (17-20), they of “8-2 in last ten games” fame, removed another monkey off their backs as they defeated lefty, Jeffrey Springs, and the Athletics (18-18) by a score of 6-3 on Wednesday night, their first victory against a left-handed starter in 11 tries this season.
It was Zack Wheeler’s first home start of the year and he put forth another quality effort, the third straight to open his 2026 campaign. He allowed three runs across six and a third innings of work.
Kokomo’s own, Jack Perkins, walked Kyle Schwarber to begin the frame and erstwhile divisional nemesis, Jeff McNeil, committed his second and the A’s eighth-as-a-team error of the season on an errant throw to second on a fielder’s choice from a Bryce Harper grounder to put two men on with no outs.
A single by Adolis Garcia, his second hit of the night after a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth, loaded the bases. Edmundo Sosa, in turn, got his second hit of the night after swinging at all seven pitches he faced for a go-ahead two-RBI single. An RBI single by Brandon Marsh and an RBI groundout by Justin Crawford completed the four-run barrage.
Brad Keller loaded the bases in the top of the ninth via a single by McNeil and walks to Lawrence Butler and Nick Kurtz, but he got Jacob Wilson to swing for weak contact on the first pitch to end it.
Tim Mayza, Jose Alvarado and Orion Kerkering held the A’s at bay in relief of Wheeler.
The Phillies will take their third stab at a five-game winning streak as they go for the sweep tomorrow night. Andrew Painter will be opposed by A’s right-hander, J.T. Ginn.
May 6, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray (54) delivers in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images
The Detroit Tigers had one goal in mind on Wednesday evening: salvage one win from a three-game home series against the Boston Red Sox. It wasn’t meant to be, though, as the Crimson Hosiery completed the sweep with a 4-0 shutout victory.
Making the start for the Tigers tonight was Jack Flaherty, whose troubles have been well-documented. His previous start, against the Rangers, did not go well: he didn’t make it out of the fourth and had trouble finding the plate as, as we’ve seen before, an inning spins wildly out of control for him. I feel for the guy; he’s been open about the sorts of things he’s been battling when he’s on the mound.
The ageless Sonny Gray started for Boston. He’d been on the shelf since a short start against the Tigers in Boston on April 20, and had only pitched in a simulated game before taking the mound tonight. He had a lot of great years in Oakland, then has bounced around a bit since then. But he’s been pretty reliable striking guys out, not walking too many, and keeping the ball in the yard — plus, has more pitches than a struggling Hollywood screenwriter.
Flaherty started off great, striking out the first five batters he faced with pinpoint control. But, as has been the case too often, a bit of adversity opens up into a whole lot of trouble: in the third an infield single and a hit-batsman was followed by a double, Dillon Dingler doing yeoman’s work behind the plate corralling some pitches in the dirt. When the Red Sox were making contact it was generally hard as well, and you had to think, well, here we go again. A sacrifice fly made it 2-0, and Flaherty managed to limit the damage.
Going back in time to the bottom of the second, a Riley Greene double and a pair of walks to Zach McKinstry and Spencer Torkelson loaded the bases with two out. Jace Jung lifted a shallow fly ball to right field and Wilyer Abreu made a sliding grab to save at least one run, probably two.
The Tigers put together another threat in the bottom of the third when back-to-back singles by Colt Keith and Greene put two runners on, but Dingler struck out and the inning was over.
Flaherty got into trouble again in the fourth: Trevor Story, who is apparently fine after getting a fastball in the back on Tuesday night, popped out to Torkelson at first who made a nice play against the netting. But then a single and a four-pitch walk put a pair on, and after a strikeout for the second out, a grounder to third went right past Keith on a play he should’ve made and both runners scored for a 4-0 Boston lead.
But then Flaherty struck out the side in the fifth inning so, as the kids these days say, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . That was the end of his night, and his final line went thusly: 5 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. I forget what the word for a unique starting pitcher’s line is — “boxscorigami” would be great if that isn’t already it — but if that’s such an instance, I wouldn’t be surprised. Except for those hiccups and when his defence let him down, at this point? I’ll take it. I assume people have a lot to say about Flaherty and his start tonight; feel free to give your opinion. (Let’s face it, you folks never need to be asked twice to give your opinion! But we dig that around here.)
Drew Anderson took over in the top of the sixth, and he had his changeup — the “kick-change” he’d honed in South Korea which acts like a split-fingered fastball — working nicely. He got a pair of strikeouts on it in the sixth, along with another on a curveball.
In the seventh, though, Anderson twice was ahead of a hitter 0-2 and ended up walking him, with the Scarlet Stockings getting runners on the corners with one out. He walked another after being up 1-2, leaving with the bases loaded and one out; Brant Hurter was then brought into the second-stickiest situation there is. Abreu had a big swing at a sweeper for the second out, and Story grounded out sharply to shortstop for the third out, and Hurter admirably got the job done.
In the bottom of the seventh Zach McKinstry walked with one out against rookie righty Tyler Samaniego, but Torkelson struck out and Wenceel Pérez flew out to centre.
Kyle Finnegan took over for Hurter to start the eighth; he’s had a bunch of good outings lately. He walked a pair of batters with one out to get in a bit of a jam, but he turned a comebacker into a 1-4-3 double play to end the inning.
In the past couple of years, this would be the time the Gritty Tigs would make an appearance: behind a bit, top of the order up? Kevin McGonigle lined out to right, but a pair of walks to Matt Vierling and Keith put two runners on… alas, Greene and Dingler both struck out on high cutters, and that was that for the eighth. And the Tigers capped it off by going meekly 1-2-3 in the ninth to complete the sweep.
If a Tiger hitter ever wears the number 96 — nobody has yet — I hope they go with “96 Tears” by Michigan’s own ? and the Mysterians as they come to the plate.
Jack Flaherty struck out the first five batters he faced, and the last four batters he faced. Has that ever been done before? Someone call Jayson Stark!
Old Friend™ Matthew Boyd injured himself while playing with his kids at home. I hear ya, Matty.
On this day in 1889 the Eiffel Tower was officially opened to the public as part of the Universal Exposition in Paris (a world’s fair). It was originally going to only be a temporary structure during the Exposition and then torn down, but I guess people seemed to like it enough to keep it around.
The Royals’ ace, Cole Ragans, left tonight’s game against the Guardian with what is described as elbow/triceps soreness. It’s not safe out there, kids.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 06: Blaze Alexander #23 of the Baltimore Orioles slides into third base after hitting a triple against the Miami Marlins in the eighth inning of the game at loanDepot park on May 06, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the second consecutive game, the Orioles jumped ahead with three-runs in the first inning. Unfortunately, for the second consecutive game, Baltimore failed to hold its early lead. The Birds gave three back in the first, but Brandon Young found his groove. The offense kept its foot on the gas, and Young delivered a quality start in a 7-4 Orioles win over Miami.
Leadoff hitter Gunnar Henderson went down swinging, but a wild Eury Pérez got the rally started. Pérez walked Taylor Ward on four pitches and plunked Adley Rutschman to put two on for Pete Alonso. Alonso fell behind 0-2 before turning on a 99 MPH fastball. The slugger launched the ball 407 feet to left center, and the Orioles held a 3-0 advantage before Brandon Young took the mound.
Young needed only four pitches to record the first two outs, but the Fish used some two-out lightning to get right back into the game. Young came within one strike of a clean inning, but former Oriole Connor Norby worked a six-pitch walk.
Kyle Stowers followed with a base hit to right that put two on for center fielder Jakob Marsee. Young jumped ahead 0-2 before Marsee punched a two-run double to left field. Young got ahead 1-2 on Christopher Morel before losing the designated hitter for the second walk of the inning. Owen Caissie followed, fell behind 0-2, and proceeded to even the game at three with a base hit up the middle. Young finally ended the inning by getting Joe Mack to ground out on a 2-1 curveball.
Both Young and Pérez responded by posting zeros in the second and third innings, but Baltimore found a way to break through in the fourth. Leody Taveras legged out a two-out double, and Dylan Beavers followed with a ground-rule double that gave Baltimore a 4-3 lead.
It felt nice to have the Orioles be the team striking with two outs, and the trend continued in the fifth. Ward earned another free pass, and Adley Rutschman worked the count full before absolutely ripping a ball to right field. Ward, already on the move with the 3-2 count, scored with ease to make it 5-3.
Meanwhile, Young found his footing. The 27-year-old became more intentional with his pitches and gained better command of the strike zone as the game progressed. After allowing three hits and three walks in the first two innings, Young limited Miami to only one single over his final four frames. He notched a quality start with 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, and 5 K.
Ward took his third walk of the game with one out in the seventh, and Rutschman followed with another hard-hit double. The insurance run came in handy when Grant Wolfram allowed a run in the bottom half of the inning. Baltimore extended the lead to three thanks to an opposite-field single by Samuel Basallo and a two-out triple by defensive replacement Blaze Alexander.
Anthony Nunez replaced Wolfram and struck out Norby to end the seventh. The rookie returned and tossed a clean eighth inning to setup Rico Garcia in a save situation. Garcia allowed a leadoff walk before generating a double play ball and striking out Javier Sanoja to end the game.
Young and the Orioles could have spiraled after the three-run first, but Baltimore carved out a true team win. Young demonstrated an ability to make adjustments, and the O’s offense scored in four of the final six innings. Nunez bounced back after allowing a pair of runs last night, and Garcia delivered a drama-free save after recording four outs on Tuesday.
Alonso got the party started with the Earl Weaver special, and Rutschman reached base four times. Henderson finished 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, but Beavers and Alexander both came through with big hits.
Young made a strong case, but maybe you’d like to go off the board. Let us know your pick for the Most Birdland Player of the Day in the comments below!
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 06: Sonny Gray #45 of the Boston Red Sox throws a first inning pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on May 06, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox look like a totally different team the last few days, or at least the one playing with real momentum. The Tigers certainly didn’t amid a .500 start and the loss of Tarik Skubal for two to three months.
The latest victory showed progress in all areas of the game for the Red Sox as they moved to 6-4 under interim manager Chad Tracy.
Here’s three takeaways from Wednesday’s series finale.
OFFENSE SURGING
The usually thump-less offense kept the line moving with momentum throughout the series. Boston tallied 14 runs over the three nights in Detroit.
The Red Sox posted a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings. Carlos Narvaez had a productive night and the weight coming off the players after a few strenuous weeks is getting rather visible by the day.
The improvement of the bats is a big reason the Red Sox are closing in on the .500 mark.
ROTATION WELCOME BACK
Sonny Gray operated efficiently on a pitch count and gave the Red Sox five shutout innings in his first start since April 20. With Garrett Crochet still on the IL and further information waiting on Ranger Suarez, the rotation needed a step back toward normalcy.
Gray certainly provided that with just four hits allowed and a pair of strikeouts.
The bullpen finished the job in the staff’s fifth shutout of the season, tied for the most in baseball.
BROOMS!
The Red Sox swept the series in Detroit, marking the first occasion for Boston in 2026. Despite the frustrating start to the season, the team still got a sweep a month earlier than the 2025 team.
Boston’s sweep of the New York Yankees (immediately followed by the Rafael Devers trade) didn’t come until mid-June.
Mar 17, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Pedro Ramirez against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Right-hander Vince Velazquez has rejoined the Iowa Cubs.
Charlie Barnes pitched the first five innings without allowing a run. Barnes allowed four hits, walked one and struck out four.
Luke Little pitched the two extra innings. He let the automatic runner score in the tenth, but he kept Columbus off the board in the eleventh and got the win. The final line on Little was one unearned run on one hit over two innings. He walked one and struck out two.
The I-Cubs managed just four hits today and only one infield single before the eighth inning. But third baseman Pedro Ramírez singled home the winning run in the bottom of the eleventh. He was 1 for 4.
Owen Miller had two of those four hits. He went 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Here’s Ramírez’s game-winning single. As you can see, it would have been a double had the winning run not been on third.
Koen Moreno allowed just two hits over four scoreless innings to start the game. Moreno struck out five and walked two.
Jackson Brockett pitched the next two innings and got the win. Brockett was outstanding and retired all six batters he faced, striking out five of them. The other one grounded out on an 0-2 pitch.
JP Wheat retired the side in order in the seventh. He then came out to pitch the eighth and after retiring the first batter on a foul pop, put two men on with a single and a hit batter. At that point Ethan Bell relieved Wheat and while he allowed one runner inherited from Wheat to score, he went the rest of the way for the save.
The final line on Bell was no runs on two hits over 1.2 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
South Bend scored all three runs in the sixth inning and two of them came on a home run by DH Cole Mathis. It was Mathis’ second home run for South Bend and ninth overall. Mathis was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Right fielder Kade Snell singled right after Mathis’ home run. He then stole second and scored on a Drew Bowser double. Snell’s final line was 2 for 4 with a steal. Bowser went 2 for 4 with the double.
Pierce Coppola dominated the Crawdads in his first appearance of the year. He threw four scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. Coppola struck out five and walked no one.
Edwardo Melendez relieved Coppola got the loss after giving up two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth. Melendez’s final line was four runs on four hits over two innings. Two of the four hits were solo home runs. Melendez walked two, hit two batters and struck out one.
Left fielder Geuri Lubo tripled home Michael Carico in the fourth inning for the first run of the game. Lubo went 2 for 4 and Carico was 0 for 2 with two walks.
Catcher Logan Poteet hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth to close out the Pelicans scoring. It was his fourth home run this year. Poteet was 1 for 4.
For almost a year, DJ LeMahieu disappeared. The two-time batting champion was unceremoniously cut by the New York Yankees after injuries took their toll. Last month, LeMahieu posted a note on social media thanking the Yankees for his time there, but no clue what his future plans were.
Now, it seems LeMahieu has found his next chapter right in his own backyard.
LeMahieu was named manager of the Royal Oak Leprechauns, the team announced Wednesday. He has financially supported the Michigan-based collegiate wood-bat team for years, helping players in his native Metro Detroit region.
A three-time MLB All-Star (2015, 2017, 2019) LeMahieu was one of the most versatile infielders of his generation. He won four Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and batting titles in each league, making him one of two players in MLB history to accomplish that feat.
LeMahieu, 37, is a Bloomfield Township, Michigan, native who starred at Brother Rice High School, where he was an All-American before going to LSU and winning the 2009 College World Series. He was originally drafted by his hometown Detroit Tigers out of high school in 2007 but chose college instead. He was drafted in the second round in 2009 by the Chicago Cubs.
After 15 seasons in the majors, the Yankees designated him for assignment last July, ending a seven-year run in New York. He never signed with another club and never announced his intention to retire. He posted a vague note to Instagram last month thanking the Yankees for his time there.
Now, he is stepping into a dugout for the first time, managing in the same organization where he began as a donor and board member. The league helps college players prepare for professional baseball and exposes them to MLB team scouts.
LeMahieu began supporting the Leprechauns as a primary donor in 2020, funding the numerous renovations to Memorial Park, before transitioning to role of team president. More than $500,000 was initially invested in the field and scoreboard through his backing. He has been active in the Metro Detroit baseball scene even while playing in the big leagues. He owns the area’s premier training facility that serves as the home field for his Brother Rice team.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 05: Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics at bat during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 5, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This one stings. The Athletics had the lead for the majority of the game in Philadelphia this evening but a late-inning rally by the Phillies sunk the A’s as they dropped their second straight contest and their third in the last four games. Now back at .500 the team has got to get a win tomorrow in the series finale if they want to avoid the sweep. Still in first place though!
On the bump for the A’s this evening was left-hander Jeffrey Springs. The veteran came into the season on an absolute hot streak but got hit around the last couple times out. He also had to depart his most recent outing with a hip issue so the fact that he was even available for the start tonight was a positive.
For the first few innings tonight Springs was on his game and looked like the arm from earlier this season. He spread out a couple hits allowed over the first four frames but otherwise kept the Philly offense from getting any sort of rhythm or rally going.
Meanwhile the offense for the Athletics was facing Philadelphia ace Zack Wheeler. The right-hander had only just returned from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery but looked like the Wheeler we’ve all grown accustomed to seeing over the years. And for the first couple innings tonight the A’s looked like they would be the latest team to experience the return of Wheeler.
The bats broke through against the right-hander in the third inning. Lawrence Butler, manning center field tonight, drew a leadoff walk to start the frame then advanced to second on a productive out. With two outs though the A’s would need a big two-out base hit. And that’s just what they got from shortstop Jacob Wilson, who brought Butler home with an RBI single the other way to right field:
Wilson would finish the day 1-for-5 but that hit was a big one to get the scoring started. That run also probably doesn’t score without some nice sliding from Butler coming into home plate:
The A’s added on another run against Wheeler a couple innings later with another two-out rally. After the first two batters of the fifth went down right-handed hitter Zack Gelof, who was playing third base tonight for the first time in the major leagues, laced a two-out double to put a runner in scoring position and flip the lineup. That meant Nick Kurtz, who was playing in his home town with his dad in attendance, got a chance to pad the lead and he did that with his own RBI base knock to bring home Gelof:
That base hit also extended Kurtz’s on-base streak, tying former Athletic Matt Chapman’s 30-game mark from 2018. Still a long ways to go to reach Mark McGuire’s franchise-record 62 straight games reaching base, but he’s almost half way!
Nick Kurtz extends his on-base streak to 30 games with an RBI single to right that scores Gelof from second, 2-0 A's.
Longest on-base streak by an A's player since Matt Chapman's 30-game streak in 2018.
Kurtz would also steal a bag later in this one, his fourth of the season which is tied for the team lead with Butler.
The Phillies finally broke through against Springs in the bottom half of that frame. A leadoff triple all but ensured that and a groundout prevented Springs from getting his shutdown inning. Still, the A’s were in the lead and it was only the first run allowed from the lefty all evening.
It didn’t take long for the A’s to get that run back though. Leading off the top of the sixth was left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, and he got ahold of the second pitch from Wheeler and delivered a solo home run to left field to push the lead back to two:
That was Sodey’s fifth long ball of the season and that’s his second in the past three games. After a slow-ish start to the year, could the lefty slugger be getting hot?
Now with a two-run lead again Springs went back out there for the start of the sixth at just 64 pitches. After getting Bryce Harper to ground out to start the inning he got tagged on the first pitch to outfielder Adolis Garcia, who delivered a solo blast to halve the A’s lead to 3-2. Another single on the very next pitch and Mark Kotsay had seen enough. At just 75 pitches Springs’ evening was over as he made way for right-handed reliever Justin Sterner.
A quality bounce back outing from Springs, but it only lowered his season ERA a few points to 3.85 in eight starts. He departed with the lead and probably deserved a W on his score card tonight. His next start lines up to be next week in the series-opener at home against the Cardinals.
Sterner got the final two outs of the frame without any added drama and we were off to the seventh. Only nine outs to go. Next up was Jack Perkins, who had a perfect frame with a pair of strikeouts. Looking to roll the dice Kotsay decided to send him out for a second inning of work, a decision that almost immediately backfired.
A leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth is just asking for trouble but Perkins did just that against slugger Kyle Schwarber. An error by Jeff McNeil at second base didn’t help matters but another single loaded the bases with no outs for the Phillies. Danger territory for any pitcher and they made Perk pay tonight. Philly second baseman Edmundo Sosa had the biggest hit of the night for the home team, driving a single to center field that brought home two runners and gave the Phillies their first lead of the game.
It was only a one-run deficit though so the bullpen needed to keep it from getting out of hand. After a lineout it was lefty Hogan Harris’ turn to pitch and he didn’t have much better success, allowing a pair of singles and an RBI ground out to push the score to the eventual 6-3 final.
The A’s didn’t go quietly in the ninth, loading the bases and bringing up Wilson with the tying-run on first base. Unfortunately he went after the first pitch of the at bat and weakly grounded out to the pitcher on a pitch up and in, ending the game and securing the Athletics’ second straight loss in Philadelphia.
This one is tough to swallow. The A’s wasted a quality performance from Springs tonight. The offense had some moments but it’s hard to win games when you are getting out-hit seven to 12. The bullpen struggles cost them tonight and one has to wonder if the lack of set roles is affecting the young arms that make up the relief unit. Structure is good for the youth.
We have one final chance to steal a win in Philly this year. It’ll be right-hander J.T. Ginn on the mound for the visiting squad as he prepares for his sixth start. He had his first real adversity in his previous outing when he allowed five runs to score against the Guardians in a loss. The 26-year-old will be looking for a bounceback performance against a Philly squad that has scored 15 runs in the two games of this series. Ginn will be opposed by Philly’s own young pitcher in Andrew Painter, who will bring a 5.28 ERA into the series finale. The A’s are still in first place, but they’re back at the .500 mark so a win in the finale would do wonders for the team’s morale before heading to Baltimore this weekend.
After an unscheduled day off on Tuesday because of inclement weather in Colorado, the Mets resume their three-game series against the Rockies on Wednesday night.
Before the game, manager Carlos Mendoza spoke about a number of topics regarding his team.
Catching combo, same lineup
For the second game in a row, catchers Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens are in the same lineup, with Alvarez hitting eighth as the DH while Torrens does the catching and in the nine spot.
It worked out for New York the first time as the duo played a big hand in the Mets’ 4-2 win, combining to go 2-for-6 with two doubles (back-to-back in the sixth), two runs and an RBI.
Still, it’s pretty uncommon for a team to have both catchers in the same lineup, but Mendoza is doing what he can to maximize his offense in the face of a ton of injuries while losing nothing defensively.
The skipper broke down what went into the decision to have both Alvarez and Torrens in the lineup, saying it’s a combination of a lot of things, including Juan Soto.
“Soto being able to play in the outfield, having a day game tomorrow where there’s a good chance [Soto’s] gonna DH,” Mendoza explained. “Just looking at okay one of the days Avy’s going to catch, Luis’ is going to catch, the righty today, the lefty tomorrow. So there’s a lot that goes into it and I decided to go with the combination again today.”
With Soto back in the outfield after strictly DHing when he returned from the IL with a calf strain, it frees Mendoza up to be a little more creative with his lineups, especially with a shorthanded roster and a team that has struggled to score runs early in the season.
Speaking of Soto, Mendoza was asked about his comfort level with having the superstar play the outfield the same day it snowed in Denver.
“It’s pretty impressive the work they’ve done,” Mendoza said, referring to the grounds crew at Coors Field. “You look at some of the pictures and some of the things that we were looking at earlier today and the outfield, and the field in general, you gotta give those guys a lot of credit.
“But I’ll make sure I go out there and walk it again. But as of right now we feel pretty good [about Soto in the outfield].”
With MJ Melendez (playing right field on Wednesday) also on the roster, the Mets have a third player who has MLB catching experience which also helps them if anything were to happen to one of their main catchers.
So, will this lineup variation become the new norm for New York?
"It depends," Mendoza said. "... There’s a lot that goes into it, but we’ll see."
Injury updates rapid fire
Jorge Polanco: Off from baseball activities today after running yesterday. Likely won't need a rehab assignment when he’s ready to play, but Mendoza reiterated that he's “day-to-day”.
“It’s been like that for a long time, but we’ll see how this continues to progress.
Luis Robert Jr.: Feeling better, but back in New York.
Kodai Senga: Started playing catch today. Feeling a lot better. The process now is to build him back up.
DETROIT — Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez was suspended for five games and fined on Wednesday, one day after he was ejected for hitting Boston's Trevor Story with a pitch during a 10-2 loss in which he allowed a career-high 10 runs.
Valdez was at first banned for six games by MLB, which cited him for intentionally throwing a pitch at Story, but the penalty was reduced in an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players' association. He started serving the penalty during Wednesday night's series finale and barring rainouts will be eligible to pitch Wednesday at the New York Mets.
Detroit already is missing injured starting pitchers Tarik Skubal (elbow), Casey Mize (hamstring) and Justin Verlander (hip).
"Generally when you have an event like last night where there’s a disruption of play and there’s a guy kicked out of the game for what is deemed throwing at somebody, that doesn’t come for free,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said.
Hinch was suspended for one game for what MLB said was Valdez's intentional actions and was to serve the penalty Wednesday.
Valdez already allowed eight runs in the first three innings when Willson Contreras hit a 449-foot homer on the first pitch of the fourth. Contreras watched the flight of the ball from home plate before flipping his bat.
Two pitches later, Wilyer Abreu boosted the score to 10-2 when he homered into the right-field seats, a 109.1 mph drive. His next pitch was a 94.4 mph offering that hit Story between the numbers on his back. Valdez had not thrown a four-seam fastball since last Aug. 3 when he hit Boston's Ceddanne Rafaela under the left arm with a 95.5 pitch with a 3-1 count leading off the sixth inning. The Astros trailed the Red Sox 6-1.
When home plate umpire Adam Beck and Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler got between Story and the mound Tuesday, the Red Sox dugout emptied, followed by Detroit's bench and both bullpens. There was no physical contact and few harsh words.
Valdez denied hitting Story on purpose, saying the unfamiliar four-seam fastball got away from him.
Last season while pitching for Houston, Valdez denied intentionally hitting his catcher César Salazar in the chest with a pitch almost immediately after he gave up a grand slam in a loss to the New York Yankees. Two pitches after Trent Grisham’s slam in the Yankees’ 7-1 victory on Sept. 2, Valdez crossed up catcher César Salazar by throwing a 92.8 mph sinker to Anthony Volpe. Valdez and Salazar both said after the game the pitch that hit the catcher wasn’t on purpose.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 26: A general overall aerial view of the downtown Phoenix skyline on December 26, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
PIRATES
DIAMONDBACKS
Oneil Cruz – CF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Brandon Lowe – 2B
Ketel Marte – 2B
Bryan Reynolds – LF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Ryan O’Hearn – RF
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Nick Gonzales – 3B
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Marcell Ozuna – DH
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Spencer Horwitz – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Konnor Griffin – SS
Gabriel Moreno – C
Henry Davis – C
Alek Thomas – CF
Paul Skenes – RHP
Michael Soroka – RHP
Just a quick intro today, work continuing to kick my ass. But it’s probably a good thing the D-backs were able to start out the series with a win, because things only get tougher tonight. After Paul Skenes’s Opening Day outing ended with a 2026 ERA of 67.50 (!), normal service has been resumed. In April, he made six starts, with an ERA of 1.62 and 38 strikeouts over 33.1 innings, while walking just five. Even including that initial disaster, opponents are still batting only .174 against Skenes. So it’s not going to be easy for the D-backs’ hitters tonight, and I’m basically going into this one not expecting much. I hope to be pleasantly surprised!
May 6, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) reacts in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Bryan Woo sat in the Mariners media room a week ago, adrift. Normally thoughtful, eloquent, and precise in postgame interviews, Woo’s responses were disjointed, starting sentences and trailing off, as he searched for answers to questions posed by the media about his back-to-back rough starts – answers he didn’t have. The last thing he said, transcribed verbatim, was:
“But…I don’t know. It’s…I got…not a ton of answers.”
Somewhere in the past week he found those answers. It was a much different Bryan Woo who sat before the media today, fresh off a series win against the Braves, handing Atlanta their first series loss of the season. Woo pitched six innings, matching his season-high in strikeouts (nine) against Atlanta, the team that strikes out the least in the National League. He credits his performance to thinking…less.
“It’s like I was good and I wanted to be great. You try to do more, you try to be perfect, and you lose sight of what makes yourself so good. And for me, that’s simplifying and just competing…It felt like the last two starts, just trying to do too much, think too much, dive into scouting reports too much, just thinking too much, honestly. My best brand of baseball is, do my homework before and talk to catchers and whatnot, but when it’s time to go on the mound, just go be. And I feel like I kind of got away from that the last two starts.”
Woo said what got him on track was actually staying on track – creating a plan beforehand, but trusting himself on the mound no matter what. It wasn’t easy for Woo from the start; he had a 24-pitch first inning, battling Matt Olson for nine pitches before eventually walking him. But Woo stuck to his plan, being aggressive in the zone, and he was able to use his slider and sweeper effectively today – he opened the game by striking out reigning NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin on the slider, and then got Michael Harris to fly out harmlessly on the sweeper to end the inning. Shaking off his last two rough starts, Woo was aggressive in the zone as always, throwing 17 of 21 first-pitch strikes, which the Braves offered at 10 times. For his efforts, he was rewarded with a boatload of weak-contact outs; he allowed just one exit velocity over 100 mph, a first pitch fastball that Mauricio Dubón, who has built an entire career out of ambushing those exact pitches, tagged into right field for a single. As the game wore on and Atlanta batters got choosier with swinging at the first pitch, Woo dialed it in even more; six of his nine strikeouts came in the second half of his outing, finishing off his day with a called strike three to Mariners’ sleep paralysis demon Matt Olson.
Bryan Woo dots a slider on the lower black for a huge ꓘ to Matt Olson to clear the 6th inning, scoreless.
The Braves' big slugger thought about using an ABS challenge but ultimately held off. pic.twitter.com/96K1Rr8psy
Having wandered in self-doubt for the past two weeks, Woo was able to find himself again, all while facing the best offense in baseball.
“St. Louis – obviously, I got whacked, but I felt like I was still pitching like myself. And then with Kansas City I think I just tried to do too much and think too much and try too hard. And it also didn’t work. So it’s just being honest with yourself about when are you at your best, and what does that look like, and what does that feel like to you? And then getting back to that as soon as you can.”
In addition to sticking to himself and not overthinking, Woo said he got a lot out of talking to his teammates—pitchers and hitters—about what it’s like to be in the weeds.
“I don’t know what it is about baseball, but it’s like when you’re not committed in yourself, you don’t trust yourself, for some reason the same pitches – whether they’re really, really good, same velocity, same movement – they just don’t work. I don’t know what it is. Baseball is a weird sport like that. You try too hard, you try to be too perfect, and 98 at the top of the zone gets whacked. 93 with conviction and commitment and trust just works. I don’t know what it is. It’ll never show up on a stat sheet but you just have to have a little bit of like, I don’t really give a shit. Excuse my language.”
Unfortunately, as Woo retired Atlanta on a lot of weak contact, and as George Kirby retired Atlanta on a ton of weak-contact groundballs last night, today it was the Mariners’ turn to suffer at the hands of former Texas Ranger and known Lefty Martin Pérez, making a start in place of scheduled starter Grant Holmes, playing the handedness-matchup-game.
The Mariners loaded the bases in the third thanks to some production from the bottom of the lineup. Jhonny Pereda led off with a line-drive single and then Leo Rivas got some of that BABIP devil magic Mateo had last night with a double down the left field line of his own, pushing runners into scoring position with no outs. J.P. Crawford walked to load the bases but Cal Raleigh reached after a changeup on the outer part of the plate for an easy double play, which scored the run but also burned away future scoring opportunities, as Julio Rodríguez chased after that same changeup for an easy inning-ending groundball out. So, a run, but a deflating one.
Still, Woo made that run hold up, turning away Atlanta’s hitters again and again. After Woo’s strong finish, Julio decided to give him a little extra breathing room in the bottom of the sixth, to the tune of 110.4 mph:
The Mariners had a chance to add more after Pérez exited for Tyler Kinley: Randy Arozarena singled through the five-six hole and Cole Young doubled into the right-field corner – but might have actually hit the ball too hard, at 107.3 mph, so Randy couldn’t quite scoot home. Connor Joe couldn’t push across the extra insurance with two outs.
Woo gave way to Cooper Criswell in the seventh, who hung a zero in a tidy 1-2-3 inning. It seemed like he might be back out to face the bottom of the lineup in the eighth, but Dan Wilson went to the higher-leverage Eduard Bazardo. Given the tight score and the off-day tomorrow, the move made sense in theory, but Bazardo was shaky, going to a full count before surrendering back-to-back singles to his first two hitters to put runners on the corners with no outs. Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith brought in the Braves’ first run of the day with a sacrifice fly, turning the lineup over for Drake Baldwin. The Mariners caught a break, as Bazardo picked off pinch-runner Jorge Mateo at first. Postgame, Dan Wilson offered credit on what could have been a game-changing challenge to Mariners replay coordinator Jake Kuruc, and also Josh Naylor, who applied the tag.
“I got to give Naylz some credit. I think the temptation a lot of times is to go get that ball and then go back to tag. He let that ball travel really well and got right to his hip, and that’s what made the difference.”
That pickoff turned out to be significant as Baldwin laced the first pitch he saw—a sinker three apples below the zone—for a single. Bazardo then got Ozzie Albies swinging after the same sinker Baldwin chased for an inning-ending strikeout, saving the Mariners’ bacon.
The Mariners were able to get that run back in the bottom of the inning against Didier Fuentes, working for his second inning. Josh Naylor singled with one out and then stole second because he is Perfect, and then Cole Young followed with his second double of the day, again wearing out that right field corner. This was an especially nice at-bat by Cole, who had a three-hit day. Fuentes worked him away that whole at-bat with a variety of pitches, and, in a full count, when Cole got a slider in the exact same location he’d just seen a 98 mph fastball, he was ready to hit it.
With that little bit of extra breathing room, José A. Ferrer made his third straight appearance of the series, filling in for Andrés Muñoz, who had pitched in back-to-back nights. Ferrer was anxious to get the ball and said he wanted the opportunity to try to get a save, saying the pitching coach initially told him before the game he was down to which he replied, essentially, no I’m not!
“I felt super good when I woke up this morning,” he said through translator Freddy Llanos. “I was ready to go. My arm felt great. So when they told me I was in, I was excited.”
Ferrer gave up some hard contact on a first-pitch sinker to Matt Olson, but the park held it; he then got Michael A. Harris to ground out on a sinker. Mauricio Dubón worked the count full but was called out on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, a 99.5 mph sinker right on the inner edge. Dubón immediately challenged, and the call was upheld.
Was Ferrer sure it was a strike?
“I had faith that it was,” he smiled.
It was a great series win for the Mariners, but also a great win for Bryan Woo, who had been struggling for the past two weeks.
“Sometimes you’re good, and you want to be great, and you just kind of do too much. But I’m human. It sucks when you suck. It sucks to sit on it for two weeks. Those thoughts still creep into my head just as much as anybody else, after a bad game, after two really bad games, it’s not easy to do. But to get back to my brand of pitching, my brand of baseball, was the first thing that I looked at, and that’s what I felt I did today.”
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 30: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on April 30, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (4-2, 3.18 ERA) vs. Michael Soroka (4-1, 4.70 ERA)
The Pirates continue their road trip, traveling out west to face the Diamondbacks in a three-game series at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Bucs Dugout is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
The commenting system was updated during the offseason. They’re still working on optimizing it for Game Day Threads like ours. If you don’t like clicking “Load More Comments”, remember that the “Z” key can be your friend. It loads up the latest comments automatically.
BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 30: Michael Lorenzen #24 of the Colorado Rockies throws during a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 30, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s not May baseball in Colorado without the annual snowstorm that pops up. Denver woke up to a winter wonderland and one of the biggest May snowstorms in a long while. As a result of the ongoing weather today, the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets resume their series with the second game but at a much later start time than originally planned.
Luckily for the Rockies, the groundscrew is always up to the challenge of clearing the field.
Michael Lorenzen (2-3, 6.09 ERA) takes the hill for Colorado, looking to find a groove. Lorenzen has faced some inconsistency at the start of the season, making it hard to gauge what he’s doing to do each start. His last outing against Cincinnati was progressing well until he gave up a two-run home run in the fifth inning to surrender a 2-1 lead. His best outing of the season did come against the Mets, however, as he fired seven innings, allowing just one run on seven hits. Walks and a lot of contact have proven to be the main issue for Lorenzen, especially if he isn’t getting ground balls at home. However, he has managed to deliver two solid starts at Coors Field after his disastrous outing against Philadelphia in the home opener
Freddy Peralta (1-3, 3.52 ERA) makes his eighth start of the year for New York. Among the many things that have gone wrong for the Mets, Peralta has been as solid as ever in the rotation. In his last outing, he faced off against Washington, allowing three runs on four hits over six innings of work. Before that, he allowed two runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings against the Rockies in New York. Peralta’s ability to rack up strikeouts is his greatest tool, but he is prone to walk at least three batters in a game. In four career appearances at Coors Field, Peralta has been quite comfortable with a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings of work with 30 strikeouts against eight walks.
First Pitch: 7:20 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
Juan Soto – LF Bo Bichette – SS MJ Melendez – RF Mark Vientos – 1B Brett Baty – 3B Marcus Semien – 2B Carson Benge – CF Francisco Alvarez – DH Luis Torrens – C
Third base coach Gabe Alvarez #85 and Buddy Kennedy #70 of the Detroit Tigers a solo home run hit by Kennedy during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on March 15, 2024 in Dunedin, Florida.
Tigers Triple-A manager Gabe Alvarez was removed from his position after an investigation into allegations of harassment by a female employee.
Alvarez had his contract terminated on Tuesday “due to violation of club policy.” The Athletic then revealed the harassment allegations in a report on Wednesday afternoon.
The firing is another black eye for the Tigers organization after assistant general manager Sam Menzin resigned abruptly in April 2025 after an internal investigation by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment — the parent company of the Tigers — had discovered he sent lewd photos to female team staffers, The Athletic reported.
The latest issue was brought to light to IS+E on Monday.
Alvarez said in a statement to ESPN that he sent a lone “inappropriate” text message to a female colleague and he regretted it “created this situation.”
“I sent a single text message to a colleague that I intended as a lighthearted joke,” Alvarez told the outlet. “Shortly after sending it, I recognized that the message was inappropriate and did not reflect the values and judgment I strive to uphold, and I immediately reached out to clarify my intent.
“I never intended to cause discomfort or offense, and I regret that the message created this situation. This was an isolated incident and not reflective of my long-standing record of professionalism, respect for colleagues, and conduct over the course of my career.”
The IS+E employee handbook states that a violation of the company’s harassment policy are subject to “including immediate termination,” The Athletic reported.
Alvarez’s dismissal continues a troublesome pattern that has come to light for the organization after Menzin and seven other men employed by the franchise were accused of inappropriate conduct toward women since 2023.
Third base coach Gabe Alvarez and Buddy Kennedy during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on March 15, 2024 in Dunedin, Florida. Diamond Images/Getty Images
Alvarez had been a member of the Tigers organization that was looked at as a possible future big league skipper after being promoted to manager of Triple-A Toledo last year.
Alvarez, 52, was the manager of Double-A Erie when the team won the Eastern League title in consecutive seasons in 2023 and ’24.
When The Athletic released its report in September, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment CEO Ryan Gustafson denied the need for outside counsel to examine the workplace culture.
“Do we need to focus on continued improvement in our culture? Yes,” he told the outlet in September. “But I’m very confident that there isn’t a larger issue from a misconduct standpoint.”
Gabe Alvarez of the Detroit Tigers in action during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan on July 14, 1998. Getty Images
Alvarez had a short stint in the major leagues, playing for the Tigers from 1998 through 2000, when he was traded in the middle of the season to the Padres.
He remained with the Padres for the rest of the 2000 season.
Alvarez started coaching in 2010 when he returned to USC, where he played college baseball in the early 1990s, to serve as an assistant coach.
