Following their 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday, the Yankees optioned right-hander Luis Gil to the minors after he struggled on the mound once again.
Outfielder Jasson Dominguez is being called up from Triple-A, according to multiple reports. (Dominguez's call-up could be the corresponding move for Gil, or could be related to Giancarlo Stanton's injury status, as the Yanks said they would make a decision on whether the DH needed a stint on the IL ahead of Monday's game against the Rangers.)
Gil lasted just four innings in New York’s series finale in Houston and allowed six earned runs on five hits, including two home runs, three walks and a hit by pitch.
“His velocity was there, his pitch movement was there, but, unfortunately, we missed locations and those guys in the other clubhouse didn’t miss,” said catcher J.C. Escarra. “Two big home runs there with men on base.”
Through four starts this season, the 27-year-old is 1-2 and owns a 6.05 ERA (1.34 WHIP) with nine strikeouts in 19.1 innings. Gil has also allowed the most home runs (six), walks (11) and earned runs (13) among Yankees starters despite pitching 12 fewer innings than anybody else on the staff.
“Just been struggling to get consistency with his, I think, delivery and fastball profile,” said manager Aaron Boone. “Again, we’ve seen flashes of it. It feels like it’s getting better in some ways and then the secondary: some good, some miss.”
The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year began the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre despite having no injury designation but failing to impress the organization enough in spring training, where he had a 4.66 ERA in six starts and allowed 20 hits, including six home runs, in 19.1 innings.
In one start for the RailRiders, Gil went 4.2 innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits and four walks. Still, the right-hander was called up on April 10 when he made his season debut against the Tampa Bay Rays and allowed three earned runs in four innings during that outing.
Since then, aside from a strong start against the Boston Red Sox, Gil has been the weak link of a very good starting rotation that ranks second in the majors with a 2.90 ERA and who has reinforcements on the way with aces Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon nearing returns from injuries.
“Just gotta pass the page on this one and concentrate on the next one,” Gil said through an interpreter after the game.
Sean Burke was terrific, but his offense let him down. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Despite a terrific outing from Sean Burke, the White Sox couldn’t hit the ball this afternoon, collecting just four singles over 10 innings. Both teams carried zero runs into extra innings, and the White Sox fell to the Nationals, 2-1, in the 10th to collect the series loss.
Bryan Hudson, who opened for Burke, had a clean first frame for the second straight game. Chase Meidroth started with a leadoff single, advanced on a balk, and stole third on a wild pitch with two outs. Alas, it was all for nothing for one of the few White Sox hitters to make it to third base today, as Everson Pereira struck out.
The game moved on at a quick pace, with neither offense mounting any rallies, or landing anything for extra bases. As Burke continued to shut down Nationals batters, Foster Griffin was doing the same for Washington.
However, while Griffin worked at a solid starters’ efficiency (91 pitches over seven innings), Burke again shifted into super-efficient mode, pitching to contact and trusting his defene. Burke threw just four pitches in the top of the seventh, and pitching into the eighth got three outs with nine pitches. Overall, Burke went 7 1/3 innings using just 76 throws. That may have yielded just four strikeouts, but in stifling the Nats to just two singles and a double, who cares?
Nasim Nuñez started the top of the ninth with a single off Burke. Nuñez, who is known for his speed, stole second and advanced to third when Drew Millas flew out to center. Manager Will Venable collected his pitcher, but not before a standing ovation for an incredible outing.
Sean Newcomb came in to face the top of the order with a runner on third and just one out. Wood was intentionally walked, which worked out in favor of the Sox, as the last two Nationals both managed pop-outs to end the threat.
The White Sox ended up having just as frustrating a ninth inning. Everson Pereira singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Richard Lovelady, now pitching for the Nationals, tried to pick off Pereira but instead threw the ball away, allowing the runner to advance to second. After Tanner Murray walked, it came down to Derek Hill with two outs, but he struck out on three pitches and sent the game to extras, 0-0.
Seranthony Domínguez stepped in for the Good Guys, but faced a runner on third with just one out after a productive ground out by Jorbit Vivas to start the frame. CJ Abrams screamed a liner to left-center, which Murray made an incredible diving catch for the out — but a run scored to put Washington up, 1-0. (Murray left the game after a shoulder injury from the catch.) Coming in to pinch-hit, José Tena destroyed a center-cut fastball on 3-1 to put the Nationals up, 2-0.
That insurance run would prove valuable to Washington, as Tristian Peters had an RBI single to send ghost runner Hill home with one out, making it just a one-run game with one out. But Chase Meidroth and Miguel Vargas both went down on strikes, giving the White Sox 13 total by game’s end.
Apr 26, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder (30) rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
Offense was thin on the ground for the Mariners in their series finale against the Cardinals, but once again the bats were able to produce just enough for a 3-2 win, neatly bookending the 3-2 win from the series opener with a wild, potentially season-altering one sandwiched in between. As Victor Robles would say: sorry ‘bout it, that’s a sweep.
As was the case in the series opener, the starting pitching and bullpen teamed up to hold down the Cardinals offense, although it took Emerson Hancock an inning or so to lock in. After getting a first pitch flyout, Hancock labored through the rest of the first inning, falling behind hitters and giving up some hard contact on the ground and in the air, as well as walking Jordan Walker in a 3-1 count. But Hancock escaped without damage, able to bail himself out of trouble with an inning-ending strikeout on the changeup. Hancock used his changeup heavily today as well as his cutter, backing off the sweeper, which seemed difficult for him to harness. A shot on the broadcast of Hancock being tended to for the team trainer for a blister or torn fingernail might explain that.
Hancock’s stuff might have been too crafty for the Cardinals hitters, as they BABIP’d him to death with a bunch of little low exit-velocity hits. Behold this curséd image:
However, the only damage the Cardinals hitters were able to make out of that was off a solo home run from JJ Wetherholt, who tattooed a Hancock sinker at the top of the zone over the right field fence. Said fence now bears an outline of Luke Raley, who made a heroic yet unsuccessful attempt at the kind of home run robbery that has tortured the Mariners so far this season:
Ahhh you’ll get ‘em next time, Luke.
Meanwhile, the Mariners also struggled to get their hits to add up to anything off Cardinals starter Michael McGreevey, who completed six innings with a season-high six strikeouts. The only damage he allowed was a solo home run to Cal Raleigh, making the curious choice to serve Cal a changeup, a pitch he slugged .500 on last season. Thank you, I guess?
The Cardinals would go ahead in the sixth on a home run from the very annoying Nathan Church, who got ahold of a Hancock changeup he was able to drop the barrel on and smoke (110.1 mph EV) for a solo homer. But that was all the damage against Hancock today, who gave the Mariners and their tired bullpen a solid six innings. It’s especially impressive considering Hancock was working without one of his best weapons in the sweeper, and a testament to his ability to limit damage by limiting the free passes he hands out; last year, Hancock walked 8.1% of the batters he faced; this year, that number so far this season is 3.8%. As long as he can keep batters off the bases ahead of those solo homers and keep the weak-contact hits from stacking by not making things worse for himself, that’s a very different Emerson Hancock from previous years – and one who pushes the Mariners into interesting decision-making territory when Bryce Miller is able to return.
After McGreevey was finally out of the game the Mariners were able to tie it up against Matt Svanson in the seventh. Connor Joe brought some of that BABIP luck back the Mariners’ way, poking a little hustle double into left field, and Cole Young brought in the tying run with a nice piece of two-strike hitting.
This was especially nice for Young, who had been having a bit of a rough game offensively – he recorded the Mariners’ first hit of the day, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double, and then in his next at-bat, he struck out on three pitches in a largely noncompetitive at-bat, stranding a runner, and looking very frustrated with himself. Kudos to Young for shaking that off and coming up clutch, in addition to providing a steady hand at second base.
Also deserving kudos: the bullpen, which provided three scoreless innings between Gabe Speier, Eduard Bazardo, and José Ferrer, allowing no hits and not letting the Cardinals have any breathing room. Special kudos to Ferrer, who earned his first save as a Mariner, stepping in for Andrés Muñoz and not making the moment look too big for him.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals bullpen couldn’t do the same for their starter, save for former Mariner Ryne Stanek, who magically found pinpoint command and struck out all three hitters he faced. But the tax the Mariners offense put on the Cardinals bullpen showed up in the ninth, as the Cardinals turned again to lefty JoJo Romero, who had a 12-pitch outing yesterday. Romero wasn’t sharp, but somehow got ahead of pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder 0-2 thanks to a disastrous first-pitch strike call from home plate umpire John Bacon. Bacon went to punch out Refsnyder on a changeup that was even further outside than his first blown strike call and Refsnyder challenged immediately, turning a strikeout looking into a 1-2 count. Ref kept battling in the box, taking pitches that were well off the plate and fouling away the one that was close until he got a sweeper right in his happy zone that he crushed for a go-ahead homer.
I wish this clip had the full broadcast video because it’s endearing for so many reasons: Justin “Champ” Novak the bullpen catcher, who catches the ball; Cooper Criswell popping up over the bullpen fence like a wacky waving inflatable arm man to celebrate; Refsnyder forgetting he’s supposed to take the trident; and how happy the whole dugout looks for him. Refsnyder, with his positivity, high baseball IQ, and leadership, has been a quick favorite among his peers, and you can really see how much he’s valued by his teammates by the warmth of his reception. Postgame, Refsnyder gave credit to all his teammates and especially called out Cole Young for his game-tying single while also calling him the best defender in baseball; he also said yesterday’s game felt like a special win for the team. Could this be the lightning moment this season has needed? The Mariners head to cold, rainy Minnesota tomorrow to find out.
Rob Refsnyder is the first @Mariners player with a leadoff home run AND a pinch-hit, go-ahead/game-tying HR in the 9th inning or later in the same season … and he’s done it as his first 2 home runs with Seattle. 🧹 #TheMayerGWS
Apr 26, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Josh Smith (8) lays down a bunt single during the sixth inning against the Athletics at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored a run but the Orion Arm Athletics scored two runs.
No doubt about it, the Rangers made some mistakes today.
First of all, they played a baseball game while up only one game above .500. As we know, that’s a guaranteed loss. If you’re asking me, given the circumstances, they probably should have just skipped this one.
Secondly, they got a few runners in scoring position here and there, and even had some dreaded bases loaded opportunities. As we know, that only means those potential runs were guaranteed to not score as they did in all but one of nine attempts, with the one success coming on a bunt single that didn’t even score a run. When they loaded ‘em up with no outs in a one-score game, they went strikeout, strikeout, flyout.
Third of all, they had Josh Jung in the lineup which wasn’t great because when Josh Jung doubled twice Josh Jung couldn’t follow Josh Jung because Josh Jung was already on second base so without Josh Jung at the plate, as we know, the Rangers had no hope of doing damage.
Player of the Game: Ironically, the person who perhaps made the worst mistake of the game (outside of Chris Young for signing Danny Jansen) was also probably the team’s best performer today (outside of Jung but he’s been in this space pretty much exclusively over the last few weeks).
Kumar Rocker started the game with two quick outs on four pitches and then walked the next two batters on nine pitches to bring up Carlos “Barry Bonds” Cortes.
Despite me never having heard of this person just weeks ago, Cortes has torched right-handed pitching this season and has feasted on Texas pitching in the seven games they’ve played in the season’s first month so of course, after working the count full, Cortes hit a two-out, two-run triple laser over the head of Evan Carter to score Not-Oakland’s two runs.
From there, however, Rocker settled in nicely and gave the Rangers six innings of two-run ball for an otherwise quality start marred by a bit of wildness or pacificity allowing the wrong guy at the wrong time up to do damage in what would ultimately be the game’s fateful moment.
Up Next: The Rangers will next welcome the New York Yankees to town for the last leg of the current homestand. RHP Jack Leiter is expected to pitch for Texas in the opener opposite LHP Max Fried for New York.
The Monday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
Apr 23, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie (56) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the sixth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss announced after today’s 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that rookie starting pitcher JR Ritchie will get his second major league start on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers.
Weiss also confirm that former right-handed starter Reynaldo López is heading to the bullpen to work out some mechanical issues that are framed as the culprit of his last two sub-optimal starts.
Ritchie made his MLB debut on April 23, picking up the victory after tossing seven innings of two-run ball. The righty struck out seven against the Washington Nationals.
López, pitched in only one game in 2025 after a sterling first season in Atlanta in 2024. The 32-year-old has made five starts this year for the Braves, logging 21.2 innings. However, he allowed a combined seven earned runs in his past two starts – including four in a single inning of work on April 21.
Rehabbing starting pitcher Spencer Strider pitched five strong innings for Triple-A Gwinnett today and could be activated off the IL within the next week. The Braves have not yet announced if Strider will make an additional minor league start.
Ritchie will make his home debut, weather permitting, as the Braves take on a Tigers squad looking to win the American League Central Division.
After a promising 10-8 win over the Minnesota Twins last Thursday, the Mets’ offense appeared to regress back to the doldrums of their 12-game losing streak on Sunday afternoon, falling to the Colorado Rockies 3-1 in the first game of a doubleheader.
The numbers weren’t pretty. The Mets had just four hits off of Jose Quintana and the Rockies bullpen, they went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and they left six men on.
In both the first and eighth innings, the Mets loaded the bases with one out. But both times, they came away with nothing.
“It’s frustrating, obviously,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “Not having good at-bats and then we had an opportunity with the bases loaded right away and couldn’t’ cash in. Every time you get an opportunity like that, we’ve got to be able to capitalize there, and we haven’t been able to do that.
“We’ve got to get going.”
Mendoza was asked, point-blank, if the offense is fixable.
“Yes. We’ve got to do something,” he said. “That’s not a good showing. We’ve got to fix it.”
Nolan McLean, the Mets' rising star on the mound, was electric in the early going, facing the minimum through the first three innings. He ran into trouble in both the fifth and sixth innings, and ultimately was pulled with the bags full in the sixth.
All in all, he allowed two runs (one earned run) on five hits, striking out seven and walking two.
McLean took the tough-luck loss in Sunday’s first game, but said afterwards that he and the entire pitching staff believe in this Mets lineup.
"The way we see it in the clubhouse is, 'any minute now.' We look at the lineup going out there each day and we know how hard they're working,” McLean said. “It's just a matter of time. We know how good those players are who are in the lineup for us.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 26: Garrett Mitchell #5 dumps water on Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers after a 5-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field on April 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kyle Harrison turned in a brilliant performance, and the Brewers capitalized on a five-run fourth inning to snap their four-game losing streak and avoid a sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The win puts Milwaukee back over .500 ahead of a Tuesday matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Neither team scored until the bottom of the fourth, when Milwaukee broke through against Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski. William Contreras led off with a single, and Jake Bauers followed with a ground-rule double that likely would’ve scored him had it stayed in play. Gary Sánchez then grounded out to second, but Contreras came home from third to give the Brewers their first lead of the series.
Jake Bauers' double leads to an RBI from Gary Sánchez
Garrett Mitchell then struck out for the second out, and Sal Frelick quickly fell behind 1-2. Frelick fouled off the next pitch, but Joey Bart was called for catcher’s interference, sending him to first. From there, Mlodzinski unraveled. Luis Rengifo singled to knock in Bauers, David Hamilton doubled off the right-field wall to score Frelick, and Brandon Lockridge singled to clear the bases.
When the dust settled, the Brewers were up five runs, and Mlodzinski was walking to the dugout. Evan Sisk came in to face Brice Turang, who hit a tailing line drive to left field that hung in the air just long enough for Pirates outfielder Jake Mangum to make the catch.
Mlodzinski couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning, but Harrison was nearly untouchable through six. He pitched like an ace today, and the results showed it. Harrison threw 101 pitches over six innings, striking out 12 while allowing just one hit (a ground-ball single off the bat of Marcell Ozuna) and one walk. The more he pitches, the more promising he looks.
Trevor Megill got into a little bit of a jam in the seventh inning after allowing a leadoff double and a walk, but he bore down to get back to the dugout without allowing a run. In the eighth, Aaron Ashby loaded the bases on two walks and an error by David Hamilton, but also escaped with a scoreless frame. Abner Uribe struck out two Pirates in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to give the Brewers their first shutout win of the season.
Some of the issues that have plagued the Brewers early in the season are still present. The bullpen hasn’t been as dominant as in years past, and Milwaukee managed just two hits after Mlodzinski exited the game.
Still, today’s win felt like a step in the right direction and a reminder of why the Brewers have won the NL Central in four of the past five years. Quality pitching and timely offense are a winning formula, and today, Milwaukee got both.
The Crew will get a much-deserved day off tomorrow before welcoming the Diamondbacks to American Family Field for a three-game series. First pitch for Tuesday’s opener is set for 6:40 p.m.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 26: Foster Griffin #22 of the Washington Nationals delivers a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on April 26, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Zoe Davis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Right as I hit send on a tweet questioning the logic of Blake Butera pinch hitting Jose Tena for Jacob Young, Tena blasted a solo homer in the 10th, which proved to be the difference in the game. It was a pitchers duel, with no runners scoring for either team in the first nine, but the Nats managed to get two runs across in the 10th to win it.
This game felt very different from most of the 2026 Nationals games we have watched so far. Most Nats games this year have been very high scoring, and even when they are not, teams are threatening. However, both pitching staffs shut down dangerous offenses this afternoon.
It was a true pitchers duel between Foster Griffin and Sean Burke in this one. Despite the White Sox using an opener, Burke still managed to toss 7.1 scoreless innings. Burke befuddled Nats hitters with his rising fastball and big overhand curveball. He looks like a real nice arm that could slot into the middle of the White Sox rotation for years to come.
Foster Griffin was matching Burke pitch for pitch though. This was Griffin’s best outing as a Nat, which is saying something because he has been solid each and every start. The crafty lefty threw 7 shutout innings with 8 strikeouts and just two hits. He was masterfully wielding his seven pitch mix today, with the cutter and sweeper being the stars of the show.
Griffin’s deep bag of pitches makes him so unpredictable. It just felt like White Sox hitters were guessing wrong all afternoon. Griffin’s ERA is down to 2.67 on the season. He is also just so much fun to watch because of how smart he is as a pitcher.
A great outing for Foster Griffin today! He threw 7 shutout innings with 8 strikeouts and only 2 hits and 2 BB’s allowed.
Griffin is an arsenal maxxer, throwing 7 pitches at least 9% of the time.
With Burke and Griffin rolling, offense was tough to come by. There were hardly any rallies to speak of. For a while, it just felt like the Nats were speedrunning their at bats. The White Sox made Griffin work a little more, but that was mostly because of how much they were whiffing.
The 9th inning was the first time either team felt like they threatened. In the top of the inning, the Nats had a man on third with one out due to Nasim Nunez getting a single and working his magic on the bases. However, after James Wood was intentionally walked, both Curtis Mead and Daylen Lile popped up to end the inning.
In the bottom half, the White Sox threatened thanks to an Everson Pereira base hit and an error by Richard Lovelady on a pick off attempt. Lovelady got out of the jam by getting two huge strikeouts. He was fired up after getting out of the jam. Lovelady is a real character, and looks to have found a home with the Nats after bouncing around a ton over the past couple years.
It was the 10th inning that proved decisive though. The Nats manufactured the first run. On an 0-2 pitch, Jorbit Vivas did a nice job rolling one over to the first baseman and getting the runner to third. Then CJ Abrams got robbed of a hit, but still got the sac fly. That opened the scoring, but the Nats needed more to feel comfortable.
That was the moment where Blake Butera made the gutsy move to go to Jose Tena. On a 3-1 pitch, Tena unloaded on a fastball that caught the heart of the plate. He knew it was gone and watched his 100th career hit fly. It was an insurance run that was desperately needed.
After being recalled today, Paxton Schultz came on to close the door. While he allowed the Manfred runner to score, he got a pair of massive strikeouts to end the ball game and improve the Nats record to 13-16.
The Nats were playing baseball everyday for a while. They had 17 straight games without an off day. It was a run that the Nats navigated quite well, going 9-8 in that span. That is a great job from the boys, who have a much deserved off day tomorrow.
The Nationals took 2 of 3 from the White Sox and just finished a 17 day stretch without a day off at 9-8.
Really fun team to watch right now. Staff is getting a lot out of the guys and squeezing every drop out of 40 man with players coming and going from minors.
Now, the Nats will head to New York to try and extend the Mets misery. The Mets snapped their 12 game losing streak a few days ago, but now they just dropped a series to the Rockies. Hopefully the Nats can continue being road warriors and keep the momentum rolling.
Apr 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) looks on during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
A weird weekend of baseball ended in a frustratingly conventional way. Kyle Bradish had an uneven day on the mound, Grant Wolfram struggled out of the bullpen, and the Orioles bats lacked punch in a 5-3 loss on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.
This was a laborious start for Bradish. He made it through five innings, but none of them were clean, and many of them required some serious help from his defense in order to survive them.
In the second inning, Ceddanne Rafaela led off with a double. He attempted to tag up and advance to third on the Marcelo Mayer fly ball that followed, but a strong throw from right fielder Tyler O’Neill and a slide that popped Rafaela up off of the base instead gave Bradish two outs.
In the Red Sox side of the third inning, Bradish issued two walks and uncorked a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position with two outs. That’s as far as they would go, Bradish striking out Roman Anthony to escape the jam.
The fourth inning saw Bradish issue another walk, this one a lead-off base on balls to Wilyer Abreu. But the runner would be quickly eliminated when he got too eager to advance on a missed bunt attempt by Rafaela at the plate. Samuel Basallo fired over to first, behind Abreu, and got him scrambling back to the bag.
It was in the fifth inning where Bradish finally succumbed to his struggles. Caleb Durbin led off with a single and then stole second base. An Andrew Monasterio single brought Durbin in for the first run of the day. A few batters later, Willson Contreras launched a two-run bomb to left-center field for a 3-0 lead.
Bradish finished up the fifth inning, and that marked the end of his outing. The righty gave up the three runs on four hits, four walks, and three strikeouts. It wasn’t a disaster, but it was also far from what we normally expect from the 29-year-old. His stuff seemed to be lacking across the board. Spin rates were down. Velocities were down. And whiff rates were down. Maybe it was the colder temperatures. Or maybe it’s just part of the process that comes with building back up after missing most of the 2025 season.
It’s not as if the Orioles offense was doing much to support him. They struggled to handle Boston’s starter Connelly Early. The young lefty tossed four shutout innings to begin the game, scattering two singles and walk in that time.
The Orioles first run of the day came in the bottom of the fifth. Basallo led off the frame with a solo homer to right field, his fifth long ball of the season.
Boston answered right back in the top of the sixth inning. Grant Wolfram had come on in relief of Bradish, and immediately got smacked around. Abreu led off with a single, then came in to score on a Rafaela triple to center field. Mayer followed that with a base knock to bring Rafael home and make it 5-1.
That was all for Wolfram. He faced three hitters and failed to retire any of them. Yennier Cano came on and did an impressive job to get out of the inning without allowing any more runs. That was despite the first batter he faced, Durbin, reaching on an error by Jeremiah Jackson. Gunnar Henderson helped out with a nice snag to get the first out. Cano got the next out on his own, fielding a Monasterio ball back to the mound and then tagging out Mayer as he tried to get home. The final out of the inning came when Basallo nabbed Monasterio trying to steal second base.
Henderson followed his nice glove work with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth inning. His ninth home run of the season came off the bat at 105.3 mph, but it counted for just one anyway. The Orioles trailed 5-2.
In the bottom of the eighth inning the Orioles would score again. Colton Cowser pinch hit for Blaze Alexander and reached base on a single up the middle. A dribbler in front of the mound advanced Cowser to second with two outs. And then it was Henderson that came through with an RBI single to make it a 5-3 game.
That is as close as it would get. Aroldis Chapman came on for the ninth inning and made quick work of the O’s lineup to secure the 5-3 win for the visitors.
What a bummer. This series had started off so well on Friday night. And given how poor the Red Sox had been playing coming in, paired with their Saturday evening/Sunday morning drama, it felt like a chance for the Orioles to get division play off on the right foot. Instead, they wilted today.
The 5-3 scoreline feels kind to the Orioles. The Red Sox went just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, Rafaela got thrown out at third base because he (just barely) popped off the base, and Abreu was picked off at first base because he didn’t wait for a bunt to get down. They could/should have scored more.
The Orioles bats had just two extra base hits (the two home runs) and worked one walk. It was a bad showing against a young pitcher.
At least the Orioles bullpen, minus Wolfram, was good. Cano, Anthony Nunez, Rico Garcia, and Andrew Kittredge combined for four scoreless, hitless innings. They each have ERAs under 2.00 on the year.
The Orioles are off on Monday. They will then wrap up the month of April with a three-game set at Camden Yards against the Astros. That’s another under-performing team that you would like to see the Orioles beat. It has to happen eventually, right? Right!?
Apr 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) tags out Colorado Rockies center fielder Jake McCarthy (31) in the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Mets fell to the lowly Rockies by a score of 3-1 in the first game of the doubleheader. Lack of offense and poor defense was the name of the game yet again in their second straight loss to Colorado.
The Mets did load the bases with one out in the first against old friend Jose Quintana, but both Marcus Semien and Brett Baty struck out to end the threat. Baty thought he had walked but an overturned call ended the inning. That was it on the offensive side until Tyrone Taylor hit a home run to lead off the fifth inning. Quintana had retired 11 batters in a row up to that point. It was a bit of a makeshift lineup given the lefty on the mound and the doubleheader, but this team has no excuse to score only one run against a team with inflated ERAs. Baty struck out three times and Tommy Pham still does not have a hit since his call up..
Opposite Quintana on the mound Nolan McLean was good enough but allowed a run when he loaded the bases in the fourth with nobody out. After Troy Johnston singled to put Colorado on the board, McLean limited the damage with a strikeout and a double play to get out of the inning. Unfortunately the sixth was again his undoing, although in this case he was not helped by his defense. After a double and a walk to lead off the inning, he induced a ground ball, but in attempting to turn a double play, Mark Vientos hit the runner running to second and got zero outs. Huascar Brazobán entered in relief of McLean and got a double play but the go-ahead run came home. That closed the book on McLean whose final line was 5 innings pitched, five hits, two runs, one of which was earned. He also struck out seven and walked two. Brazobán would give up another run in the seventh to put the game further out of reach for this abysmal offense.
The team did manage to load the bases in the eighth but Luis Robert Jr. popped up and Mark Vientos struck out to end the inning. The team pitifully went down in order in the ninth and with the Red Sox already firing Alex Cora you have to wonder how much longer this will continue before changes will be made in the organization.
Big Mets winner: Tyrone Taylor +12% WPA Big Mets loser: Marcus Semien -18% WPA Mets pitchers: -5% WPA Mets hitters: -45% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Tyrone Taylor home run in fifth +16.1 WPA Teh sux0rest play: Mickey Moniak single in fourth -11.3% WPA
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 31: Kodai Senga #34 of the New York Mets looks back after being taken out o the game during the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on August 31, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Vincent Carchietta/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets lineup
Bo Bichette – 3B Juan Soto – DH Francisco Alvarez – C Brett Baty – 1B MJ Melendez – LF Marcus Semien – 2B Carson Benge – RF Ronny Mauricio – SS Tyrone Taylor – CF
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 26: Emerson Hancock #26 of the Seattle Mariners delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on April 26, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Our Fire TV winning moment: Rob Refsnyder, .38 WPA
Setting your TV on fire: Randy Arozarena, -.16 WPA
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 26: JJ Wetherholt #26 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners in the third inning at Busch Stadium on April 26, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Michael McGreevy gave the St. Louis Cardinals a crucial quality start and JJ Wetherholt and Nathan Church provided the power, but the bullpen wasted all of it as the Mariners pulled out a late inning victory 3-2.
Both Emerson Hancock for the Mariners and Michael McGreevy for the Cardinals gave their teams strong starts Sunday. Both offenses were quiet until the bottom of the 3rd inning when JJ Wetherholt turned on a pitch and deposited it in the right-field bullpen with an exit velocity of 107.4 mph traveling 375 feet making it 1-0 Cardinals.
The Seattle Mariners answered in the top of the 4th inning when Cal Raleigh showed proof that his bat is starting to wake up hammering a McGreevy pitch over the wall to tie the game 1-1.
Michael McGreevy’s performance was remarkable. He threw 6 solid innings only surrendering 5 hits and 1 earned run with 6 strikeouts and no walks. He gave the St. Louis Cardinals an absolutely crucial long start at a time when the bullpen need it most. To give credit where credit is due, Emerson Hancock also threw a strong game completing 6 innings allowing 7 hits and 2 earned runs striking out 4 and walking 2.
The St. Louis Cardinals offense would flex its muscle again in the bottom of the 6th inning when Nathan Church unloaded on a Hancock pitch and deposit it in the right-field stands giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. Can you say 110 mph exit velocity? Yes, you can and Nathan Church did.
Matt Svanson gave the Cardinals an efficient start to the 7th inning getting two quick outs including a great defense play by Ramón Urías at third base. However, Connor Joe would double and then score on a 2-strike broken bat single by Young tying the game 2-2.
The Cardinals would threaten in the bottom of the 7th inning when JJ Wetherholt barely missed another home run flying out to deep right-center with a ball caught up against the wall by Rodriguez. Ivan Herrera walked, but was out on a force play when Alec Burleson grounded out. Burleson the pitch before had yanked a foul ball with home run distance. Jordan Walker grounded out to end the Cardinals threat in the 7th.
Ryne Stanek entered the game in the top of the 8th inning for the Cardinals to face the top of the Mariner’s lineup and he was sharp. He got Crawford out looking thanks to a nice ABS challenge by Herrera. Stanek would also punch out Cal Raleigh thanks to a 100 mph corner painter. He would strike out Rodriguez, too, with his 22nd pitch of the 8th inning which was a 101 heater that Rodriguez missed.
The only Cardinals highlight in the bottom of the 8th inning wasn’t a player, but a fan. After Nathan Church flied out to deep left field, Randy Arozarena flipped the ball into the stands which was caught by a gentleman who, without hesitation, handed the ball to a young girl. Well done, sir.
JoJo Romero came in to pitch the 9th for the Cardinals. He was able to retire Arazorena on a flyout to Jordan Walker in right field. However, Rob Refsnyder ruined everyone’s day with a pinch-hit home run into the Mariner’s bullpen in left field giving Seattle a 3-2 lead.
Jose Ferrer was brought in by the Mariners to face the Cardinals in the bottom of the 9th. He got Ramón Urías to flyout to Arazorena in left field. Yohel Pozo pinch-hit for Victor Scott II. He grounded out for the second out. That brought up JJ Wetherholt who popped out to third to end the game.
The St. Louis Cardinals begin a crucial 4-game series in Pittsburgh Monday night as Dustin May will get the start for the Cardinals. The Pirates have yet to announce their starter as of now. First pitch scheduled for 5:40pm central time at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil (81) steps on first base to get an out as Houston Astros left fielder Dustin Harris (37) runs down the line during the second inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Yankees had already locked up their third-straight series win, but were unable to notch their third consecutive sweep on Sunday in Houston. Astros hitters had a perfect gameplan to attack starter Luis Gil — although they may not have needed one — and the Yankee lineup was unable to counter against Spencer Arrighetti. Even after some signs of life in the ninth, the Astros salvaged one game in this set, 7-4.
Plainly put, Luis Gil was terrible. The Yankee righty lasted a couple of batters into the fifth inning, but never looked good. I wrote in the game thread that he was issuing nearly a walk per strikeout, and he actually got worse today, with three free passes and not a single punchout. He has now walked 11 of 85 batters faced this season, against just nine strikeouts. This is not the performance of a Major League-caliber starting pitcher.
Things were bad from the jump, with Christian Walker taking Gil deep for a two-run shot just four batters into the game. I may be a humble blogger, but I don’t think you’re supposed to pitch there:
Don’t worry though, the second home run he allowed on the day, another two-run blast this time off of Isaac Paredes’ bat in the third inning, was a slightly-less-terrible pitch:
The Yankees were down 4-0 before they’d barely gotten through their own batting order once. I’m not going to excuse the Yankee offense today, who outside of one Aaron Judge blast was fast asleep against a pitcher that left a lot of balls out over the zone. Still, as we had seen in the two previous games of this series, when you’re down by crooked numbers early it does impact the way your hitters approach their at-bats. Not much went right at all at Daiken Field today but being down by so much so early had the biggest impact.
Gil allowed Carlos Correa to walk to open the fifth before Yordan Alvarez doubled, and I think we’re all lucky that Darth Vader Yordan didn’t manage to leave the yard in this series for how hard the ball was coming off his bat. Still, the Astros had two men in scoring position with nobody out, and Paul Blackburn was called in to a pretty impossible situation.
He didn’t help himself out though, allowing three more runners to score and finally closing the book on Gil’s day. 4.0+ IP, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 K. His ERA this season is now 6.05, his FIP 8.43, and his xFIP which assumes a relatively normal HR rate, stands at 6.32. The Yankees are a good baseball team, but Gil in his current form cannot be allowed to make another start in this rotation.
There’s not much else to talk about in this game. Jazz Chisholm Jr. had a horrendous challenge and slid down to 1-for-8 on the year, the current worst mark in all of baseball. He did manage a single out of the AB in question, but I think we need to start increasing the alleged $1000 kangaroo court fines for challenges missed that badly.
Jazz slightly made up for the ABS snafu with a really nice double play:
That’s his 10th home run this season, and the third time in his career he’s gone yard on his birthday. Happy 34th, Cap.
There was something resembling a rally in the ninth, albeit everything coming with two outs. Paul Goldschmidt boomed a double into the left-center gap that brought Jazz around to score, and J.C. Escarra answered with a double of his own to make it 7-3. Ryan McMahon, who is starting to look like a representative MLB hitter again, added an RBI single of his own before José Caballero lined out to end the threat.
There are going to be bad games — there’s that old adage about how every team wins 50, loses 50, and it’s what you do with the rest that counts. More particular to these 2026 Yankees, it’s easier to stomach a loss like this when it comes at the end of an 8-1 run with series wins over bitter rivals on the road. Still, there are takeaways from everything; Luis Gil cannot continue to be a starter for this ballclub, and we might want to look at why Judge’s road splits are so off.
The Yankees can wash the taste out of their mouths right away, as they head up to Arlington for a three-game set with the Rangers. Before what should be a dynamite pitching matchup Tuesday, where Jacob DeGrom is scheduled to start against Cam Schlittler, the nominal No. 1 in the rotation goes Monday night with Max Fried tabbed to start. That’s as good as you can hope for coming off a loss, and first pitch comes at 8:05 p.m. Eastern.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 21: Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies held the New York Mets to just one run during their 3-1 victory in the first stage of today’s traditional double-header. With that win, the Rockies have won the series against the Mets.
Now it’s time to play again, and potentially earn a sweep in Flushing.
For the first time this season, right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander will take the mound without an Opener.
The 2023 first round pick has been nothing short of excellent so far this season. Operating in a bulk relief role—usually with an opener—Dollander has a 2.88 ERA in six appearances and 25 innings of work. He has walked seven batters and leads the entire Rockies pitching staff with 32 total strikeouts.
Dollander is considered fully stretched out. His last time out against the San Diego Padres he went a full six innings while giving up just one earned run on three hits and a walk. He tied a career high for strikeouts with nine.
Making the start for the Mets is Japanese righty Kodai Senga 千賀 滉大. Senga is off to a bumpy start for the 2026 season. In four starts he currently holds an ERA of 8.83 with four home runs and a 1.904 WHIP across 17.1 innings. In both of his last two starts he has failed to make it through four or more innings and has given up at least six earned runs.
Senga has historically done well against the Rockies, which could provide both him and the Mets an opportunity to turn things around. In three career starts against the Rockies he has an ERA of 1.47 with only two home runs and 17 strikeouts over 18.1 innings. He uses his arsenal to make opposing batters whiff with a 96.3 MPH four-seam fastball, a cutter, a sweeper, a sinker, and his trademark “ghost” forkball. He has also thrown at least one curveball and slider this season.
