Carson Benge is looking more and more comfortable at the big-league level with each passing day, and on Sunday afternoon he put together easily his most complete showing to this point.
The youngster helped the Mets on both sides of the ball as they defeated the Los Angeles Angels 5-1 to secure their first series win in nearly a month.
Benge pieced together tremendous at-bats each of his first two times up, walking on six pitches in the top of the third and then eight pitches in the fourth.
The second one proved to be a big one, as the Mets took the lead just two pitches later when Mark Vientos crushed his first two-run homer of the day.
Benge grounded out in the sixth but was able to do some damage of his own in the eighth, lining an RBI double down the right-field line to give New York an insurance run.
Vientos followed that again with a two-run shot, putting this one away for good.
The 23-year-old wasn’t done there, though, as he made the best catch of his career to this point to rob Vaughn Grissom of extra-bases in the bottom of the ninth.
Benge raced over to the right-field line before laying out full extension to somehow make the pulchritudinous play, as Gary Cohen described it on the SNY broadcast.
"I was kind of surprised to tell you the least," Benge said. "If I see a ball that I think I can get to, I'm going to go after it -- I'm just glad that I was able to come down with that one there."
"If that ball falls that's a completely different inning," Carlos Mendoza added.
This is just the latest of what’s been a string of strong performances from the former first-round pick as he continues finding his footing at the big-league level.
He's now hitting .290 with three XBH’s, four RBI, and a .333 OBP over his last 10 games.
“It just feels like a juiced baseball game now," Benge said. "It kind of took me a while to get my feet settled and different things like that, but now I feel like I’m finding my groove and getting comfortable out there."
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 15: Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after getting the last out as MLB was honoring Jackie Robinson Day during the MLB game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on April 15, 2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After today’s victory against the Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters that closer Raisel Iglesias will be activated from the 15-day Injured List on Tuesday in Seattle where the Braves will be taking on the Seattle Mariners.
Walt Weiss says after the game that closer Raisel Iglesis should be activated Tuesday
Iglesias’ return will help fortify the Braves bullpen has it has dealt with significant turnover in the past two weeks.
The Braves, who are 25-10 after sweeping the Rockies, should also get back catcher Sean Murphy in Seattle, but the exact day Murphy will be activated is not known. With outfielder Ronald Acuña, Jr. going on the 10-day IL due to a hamstring injury and fellow outfielder Michael Harris II nursing a quad injury, Atlanta could have an interesting decision to make with Murphy’s activation. It is possible Harris II could go on the IL.
Iglesias has yet to allow a run this season, striking out 11 in 8.2 inning across eight games. He has also saved five games, which still leads the team.
DENVER, CO - May 1: Atlanta Braves Michael Harris II (23) celebrates after his ninth inning two-run home run during a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As long as baseball continues to be played at altitude in Coors Field, there will be the potential for a whole bushel of runs to be scored in any given game. With the Atlanta Braves running as hot as they have to start this season, there was plenty of potential for the Braves to put in some serious work at the plate.
Even with the Rockies sending some decent starting pitching to the mound for this series, it was clear that they’d have a pretty big task on their hands to keep this Braves team quiet. As it turned out, there wasn’t much that Colorado’s pitching staff could do to stop Atlanta during this series as the Braves did a bunch of hitting early and often. How much damage did they end up doing? Let’s go into detail!
This one got off to an extremely poor start for Grant Holmes and the Braves, as the Rockies lit him up for five runs in the first inning and then added on another one in the second via a solo homer from Mickey Moniak to make it a 6-0 lead. That’s how it stayed through three innings as the Braves were forced to dig themselves out of a hole from the middle innings onward. Fortunately, Holmes ended up staying out there for five innings and was able to successfully pass the baton to Anthony Molina, Didier Fuentes and eventually, Robert Suarez.
Now, how on Earth did Robert Suarez end up getting involved? That’s because Holmes calming down and the bullpen clamping down ended up being crucial as the Braves started to claw their way back. Matt Olson got the Braves on the board with a solo homer in the fourth and then it all came unraveled for Colorado once Jose Quintana exited the game following the sixth inning. A productive out from Jonah Heim cut the deficit to four runs in the seventh and then the eighth was when Atlanta delivered the haymaker.
The top of the order managed to load up the bases with one out, which set the stage for Mauricio Dubón to continue his surprisingly-good start to the season at the plate with a big hit here. He didn’t hit it out but he hit it to the wall and in an outfield as big and expansive as Coors Field, that’s massive trouble. Dubón’s triple cleared the bases to tie the game and then he scored on a sacrifice fly from Ozzie Albies to tie it up in Atlanta.
The ninth inning rolled around and Michael Harris II was called upon for pinch-hitting duty after Jonah Heim led off the frame with a walk. Sure enough, Money Mike was able to deliver another big hit off of the bench as he crushed one into the seats in right field to give the Braves-partisan crowd in Denver something to roar about. That’s how Robert Suarez ended up getting involved and making his fourth save of the season in order to complete a fantastic comeback win for the Braves.
This one was a bit more straight-forward for the Braves as they ended up rolling to a wire-to-wire beatdown of the Rockies in this one. Drake Baldwin crushed a dinger in the first inning and that was the first of three dingers for Atlanta in this one — and the first two RBI of four on the day for Baldwin. Austin Riley got some frustration out in the fifth inning with a two-run shot that made it 8-1 and then Matt Olson demolished a no-doubter in the ninth inning that brought us to our final score.
While this was all going on, Chris Sale put in another great evening of work on the mound. Sale went seven innings while only giving up one run on three hits and three walks. He also struck out11 batters in the process. Pitching in this series wasn’t easy for anybody so it was very impressive to see Sale go out there and continue to be dominant despite the extremely hitter-friendly environment tripping up other pitchers over the course of this series. Sale’s strong effort meant that the Braves only needed to turn to Dylan Lee and Hunter Stratton to close things out from the bullpen.
The only real blemish in this game for the Braves (outside of missing out on a rare Coors Field shutout win thanks to an RBI double from Jordan Beck) was that Ronald Acuña Jr. strained his left hamstring and ended up having to go on the 10-day IL as a result. The obvious hope is that it’ll be closer to 10 days on the shelf for Acuña rather than anything longer than that but it’s still a bummer to see that the injury bug has once again continued to pester the Braves.
The initial story heading into this game was Spencer Strider’s 2026 regular season debut. This was always going to be a tricky way to start the season for Strider and sure enough, that was the case. He only made it through 3.1 innings and while he did strike out six batters, he walked five and conceded four hits on his way to giving up three runs during his time out there. It also didn’t help matters that Aaron Bummer came in and got knocked around for two runs while he recorded an inning’s worth of outs.
Fortunately, it helped that the Rockies continued to provide little-to-no resistance to Atlanta’s lineup. In fact, this game was all about Jonah Heim, of all people. Heim went into this game with just three RBI to his name over the course of 11 games played. He now has eight, after he pushed five runs across the plate with his bat. Heim picked a great day to collect five RBI (his most in a single game since September 11, 2023 against the Blue Jays) since you can see what the score ended up being. Heim’s breakout ended up making a big difference as his efforts at the plate pushed the Braves to their second sweep so far this season — both on the road, no less!
With the series win, the BravesVision broadcast pointed out that the Braves are now off to their best 35-game start since 1892. Yes, you read that correctly: THE YEAR OF OUR LORD EIGHTEEN-HUNDRED-AND-NINETY-TWO. That is wild and this stat from Sarah Langs of MLB.com with the added contest of the top five 35-game starts makes it even wilder.
Best 35-decision starts in Braves franchise history:
What do all of those other starts have in common? They’re all in the 1800s! This is the best start that any of us currently living have ever seen from the Braves over this many games. Getting this deep into the season with this many wins banked is absolutely vital. They could slow down eventually but even if there is a downturn in form, as long as there isn’t a major slump then the Braves are going to be right in the thick of it as far as Postseason contention for the whole season.
The performance at Coors Field was impressive as well. Now granted, the Rockies are the Rockies (which is to say they don’t figure to be great this season) but they also still have to be taken seriously in their home stadium. It’s a venue that can bring up any type of result at any given moment and one where offense is expected but also not a given. If you don’t believe me then take a look at last year’s series for the Braves in Colorado, which is one that they managed to win while scoring only 15 runs (including a game where they only scored one run) and hitting zero home runs. This time, they scored 28 runs and cracked seven dingers. The offense is clearly in a much better place right now than last season and that’s been the engine that has powered the Braves to their lofty spot in the standings so far.
The Braves will now look to continue taking care of business as they will continue their trip out West with a visit to Cascadia to face off with the Mariners. Seattle has gotten off to a mediocre start so far and Atlanta will have to rely on the bottom of the rotation to continue getting the job done. With that being said, we’ve gotten to the point now where the Braves have to like their chances whenever this current version of Bryce Elder takes the mound and JR Ritchie has been encouraging as well. Grant Holmes will need a turnaround performance and hopefully the pitcher-friendly environment of T-Mobile Park will provide that opportunity for Holmes. It’ll be tricky (there’s that word again) but with the way the Braves have been playing so far in 2026, it’s more-than-possible that they can keep this going in Seattle with another series win. We’ll see what happens!
The Mets are banged up, and their lineup remains challenged, but a series victory is no small feat for this careening crew, so their weekend in Orange County should be celebrated, albeit cautiously.
Mark Vientos provided rare thunder Sunday with two home runs, and Clay Holmes’ latest strong performance carried the Mets to a 5-1 victory over the Angels.
Access the Mets beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.
Mauricio joined Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr. and Jared Young among the sidelined position players.
Vientos’ second homer of the day, a two-run shot in the eighth inning, provided breathing room for the bullpen.
Mets’ Mark Vientos tosses his bat after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, May 3, 2026. AP
Luke Weaver pitched 1 ¹/₃ scoreless innings before Brooks Raley recorded the final three outs in a non-save situation.
“That’s our goal, to start winning series,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Holmes kept his string of superb starts intact by allowing one earned run on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts over 6 ²/₃ innings as his ERA dropped to 1.69.
Mets first baseman Mark Vientos (27) gestures after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. William Liang-Imagn Images
Holmes has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his seven starts this season. He’s pitched at least six innings in each of his past three starts.
Holmes walked Zach Neto on 11 pitches to start his day.
After Mike Trout walked, Jorge Soler delivered an RBI single for the game’s first run.
Holmes limited the damage, getting Jo Adell to ground into an inning-ending double play.
“I got out of that with the one run and kind of really settled in,” Holmes said. “The defense made some good plays behind me.”
Vaughn Grissom walked in the second, but Holmes got Oswald Peraza, who beat the Mets the previous night with an RBI single in the 10th inning, to hit a grounder that became an inning-ending double play.
Juan Soto’s grounder to first baseman Nolan Schanuel in the third was notable because the ball got lodged in Schanuel’s webbing as the pitcher, Jack Kochanowicz, ran to cover the base.
Schanuel flipped his glove, with the ball stuck in it, to Kochanowicz for the out. The Mets left two runners stranded in the inning when Brett Baty struck out.
Vientos launched a two-run homer in the fourth that gave the Mets a 2-1 lead.
Carson Benge walked before Vientos crushed a shot 427 feet to left center for his third homer this season and first since April 18 at Wrigley Field.
“I like my at-bats the last two days,” Vientos said. “I just want to keep on it. Keep putting good at-bats together and take it to Colorado.”
Holmes retired six straight batters before allowing a two-out single to Sebastián Rivero in the fifth.
Mets pitcher Clay Holmes, center, celebrates with teammates in the dugout after exiting during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday. AP
But the right-hander got Neto to hit a grounder to Baty at third base that became the inning’s third out.
MJ Melendez’s diving catch in the left-center gap on Soler’s drive kept Schanuel at first base in the sixth. Holmes retired Adell on a fly to left for the third out.
In the seventh, Vientos couldn’t field Bo Bichette’s one-hop throw to first on Peraza’s grounder.
Holmes was removed and Weaver struck out pinch hitter Yoán Moncada to conclude the inning.
In the eighth, Benge stroked an RBI double that gave the Mets a 3-1 lead after Baty got plunked leading off.
Vientos followed with his second homer of the game.
“We haven’t seen that in a while, but when he gets hot, he can carry a team,” Mendoza said. “That is the power and the hitter he is capable of being.”
In the ninth, Benge went full extension by the right field foul line to rob Grissom of an extra-base hit.
Benge, who reached base three times in addition to the defensive gem, had maybe his strongest game this season.
“I was kind of surprised, to say the least,” Benge said of his catch. “If I see a ball I think I can get, I’m going to go after it.”
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 3: Tyler Soderstrom #21 of the Athletics celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park on May 3, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Kelley L Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following two-straight losses to open the series, the Athletics sought to win the series finale and prevent the Cleveland Guardians from completing their first series sweep of the season. They did just that, defeating the Guardians 7-1 in front of a sold-out Sunday afternoon crowd to salvage the final game and remain in first place in the American League West.
Cleveland Wastes Early Scoring Chances
Making his seventh start of the season, A’s right-hander Aaron Civale got into some trouble in the first inning. He allowed two singles before striking out Cleveland’s third baseman Daniel Schneemann to escape that early jam unscathed. His counterpart, Guardians left-hander Parker Messick, also turned in a scoreless first inning of work.
Cleveland threatened again in the second inning. Second baseman Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, led off the inning with a single and then he stole second base. The Guardians left him at third, wasting another early scoring chance.
A’s Strike First
A’s right fielder Colby Thomas gave his team the early lead with his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field off of Messick on his first pitch of the bottom of the second inning.
In the third, the Guardians attempted to immediately respond. Jose Ramirez and Kyle Manzardo hit two-straight singles with two outs. Like in the first inning, Civale got Schneemann out to end the inning and keep his team in front. Through three innings, the Guardians had five hits, yet went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Chase DeLauter Continues to Haunt the A’s
With one out in the fifth inning, Guardians red-hot rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter tied the game with his sixth home run of the season. He finished this series 8-for-11, playing a major role in Cleveland’s success this weekend.
A’s Offense Answers Back
The Athletics instantly regained the lead. Center fielder Zack Gelof led off the bottom of the fifth inning with his second home run of the season, a solo blast that landed way beyond the left field fence.
The A’s were not done scoring runs that inning. With one out, third baseman Darell Hernáiz and second baseman Jeff McNeil singled. Shortstop Jacob Wilson grounded into a force out for the second out. That brought up designated hitter Brent Rooker, who hit an RBI infield single scoring Hernáiz for the A’s third run of the frame.
Pitching with the lead again, Civale recorded his second shutdown inning of his outing. He only allowed DeLauter’s home run over a season-high six innings, giving the A’s the quality start they desperately needed this afternoon.
A’s Increase Their Lead
In the bottom of the sixth, the Athletics extended their lead off Guardians reliever Peyton Pallette. The hosts loaded the bases with one out as Gelof and Wynns walked and Soderstrom singled. Hernáiz did not come through as he flew out too shallow to center field. However, McNeil made sure the scoring chance did not go to waste. His two-out bases-clearing double down the right field line extended the A’s lead to 7-1.
With a six-run cushion, the A’s turned things over to their bullpen. Right-handed relievers Justin Sterner, Mark Leiter Jr. and Joel Kuhnel finished off the game, each throwing a scoreless inning as the Athletics snapped their two-game losing streak.
More importantly, the win ensured the team finished the home stand with a .500 record. The A’s now get to enjoy a happy flight to Philadelphia. They have an off day tomorrow before beginning a three-game series against the Phillies on Tuesday. Luis Severino will open the road trip on the mound for the A’s, while the Phillies have yet to announce their starting pitcher for that matchup.
The New York Yankees stormed out to the best record in the American League without Anthony Volpe. And now that their shortstop is healthy enough to return, they've decided to carry on without him.
The Yankees returned Volpe from his minor league rehab assignment and assigned him to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, May 3, a moderately surprising move for a player that was once seemingly a part of the club's core.
Volpe, who turned 25 on April 28, underwent off-season surgery on his left shoulder and missed all of spring training, and a lengthy rehab assignment was always in the offing. Yet the club has received pleasantly surprising production from backup Jose Caballero, who has four home runs and a career-best .711 OPS.
For now, he will hold down the spot for the 23-11 Yankees, who can sweep a four-game series from division rival Baltimore on Monday. In the bigger picture, Volpe also faces significant competition from top prospect George Lombard Jr., who was recently promoted from Class AA to AAA and is batting .304 with a .913 OPS and four homers across the two levels.
That would mark a precipitous fall for Volpe, who was drafted 30th overall in 2019 and emerged from a crowded field of prospect shortstops to win the full-time job over Oswald Peraza. He hit 21 home runs and finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 but his lifetime .283 on-base percentage and defensive misadventures lowered his stock.
The start of Monday's Mets-Rockies game has been bumped up due to potential inclement weather.
First pitch is now scheduled for 5:40 p.m. ET.
New York will be looking to keep the good times rolling after their series win over the Angels.
Manager Carlos Mendoza announced following Sunday's victory that lefty David Peterson will pitch behind an opener.
There had been suggestions that would be Tobias Myers, but his availability is unknown after throwing 2.2 innings during Saturday night's loss.
Whoever it is will be countered by right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who has pitched to a strong 2.84 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over his first six starts this season.
Colorado has lost four in a row, and are coming off a sweep at the hands of the red-hot Braves.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 03: Luis Castillo #58 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals was ruled safe after sliding into home plate during the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at T-Mobile Park on May 03, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was bad. It was boring. It was a third straight loss.
The Mariners lineup snoozed through a 4-1 loss on Sunday as the Royals completed a sweep in Seattle. The short-side of the Mariners platoons, once again, frankly stunk, sending the minimum-plus-one to the plate over the final five innings.
Lefty Kris Bubic took the ball for the Royals. He was excellent last year, with a 2.89 FIP in 20 starts, so this wasn’t expected to be an easy task. The Mariners seemed to agree, allowing Bubic to work through seven innings with minimal effort. The Mariners began the day 22nd in baseball with an 86 wRC+ lefties, in what’s been perhaps the most discouraging sign from the early going. The lineup Sunday looked especially suspect, as Cal Raleigh sat out with soreness in his side region.
To their immense credit, the Mariners scratched across the first run of the game in the third inning. Leo Rivas fell behind 1-2 but drew an eight-pitch walk. Julio Rodríguez later singled him over to third, and Josh Naylor plated a run on a fielder’s choice.
That was it. They picked up two singles and a walk the rest of the way.
Luis Castillo got the start, looking to bounce back after getting shelled in Minnesota last week. It’s been a tough go since he went six scoreless in his first outing of the season against the Yankees, with a couple middling starts sandwiched between blowouts. With Emerson Hancock pitching well and Bryce Miller progressing in a rehab stint, there’s been some question about Castillo’s spot on the depth chart.
He seemed to make a case for sticking around early. He struck out Bobby Witt Jr. in the first inning on three pitches, getting a chase on a slider out of the zone. Then he struck out Vinnie Pasquantino, getting three more swings out of the zone. In the second, he got Carter Jensen to punch out on three straight fastballs, elevating each more than the last until Jensen swung at his eyes.
Castillo gave up a single to leadoff the third, but quickly got Michael Massey to chase a fastball in for a fourth strikeout. On the next pitch, Jhonny Pereda — making his first start for the Mariners with Cal out — gunned down Isaac Collins trying to steal second.
Things immediately went down hill for Castillo on the second turn through the order. Witt and Pasquantino lead off with hard-hit singles. Castillo then hit Salvador Perez to load the bases with no outs. He walked the next batter to plate a run, got a ground out to plate another, and gave up a sac fly to make the game 3-1.
This has been the story for Castillo most of the season. He entered the day with a 2.59 FIP on the first trip through a lineup, and a 6.33 FIP on the second.
Castillo settled down with minimum strife in the fifth, but a two-out walk and a sharp double off the wall in the sixth made the game 4-1. He struck out his final batter of the game — his first since the initial pass through the order —to finish six innings with five strikeouts, two walks, six hits, and 11 hard hit balls allowed.
The Mariners are now 16-19. They are still the favorites in the AL West, given nobody else wants to win the division, either. But we’ve seen the flaws of this roster create inconsistency, at the very least. The loss to the Royals is the third time the Mariners have been swept this year, and it’s come after they clawed their way back to .500 at the end of April with back-to-back series wins. It doesn’t get any easier with the 25-10 Braves in town next.
As first reported by The Post’s Joel Sherman, Volpe was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday after being reinstated from the 10-day IL.
The Yankees had to make a roster move with Volpe by Tuesday, as his 20-day rehab window ended after his hitless day with Double-A Somerset.
In his comeback from offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, Volpe has not hit well in the minors, and the Yankees have seen his replacement, José Caballero, exceed expectations.
So what was once considered almost a formality — that Volpe would reclaim his starting job at shortstop with the Yankees as soon as he was able — is now on hold.
Anthony Volpe swings during Somerset’s April 17 game. Charles Wenzelberg
And the player, who appeared in just 22 Triple-A games before winning the starting shortstop job out of spring training in 2023, is headed back there.
Before Sunday’s 11-3 win over Baltimore in The Bronx — another victory with another solid showing from Caballero — Aaron Boone said no decision had been made, in part because the Yankees have been playing as well as any team in the majors and Caballero had been a significant part of that success.
“Caballero is playing the heck out of the position and is playing really well,” Boone said. “That complicates it. … José has [earned] himself more playing time. I love the idea of José being in a super-utility role because he’s so good at it, but you also can’t ignore he’s played so well defensively at shortstop [and] been a real spark for us offensively.”
Boone also noted they’d have to figure out the best role for Volpe, who the manager said “is getting ready to play shortstop” and not preparing for a utility spot.
José Caballero is pictured during the Yankees’ April 19 game. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
That they can have Volpe in the minors is a luxury for the Yankees, who have won 13 of their past 15 games even without their starting shortstop of the past three years.
And it’s a change from the stance they had just a few weeks ago.
On April 10, shortly before Volpe’s rehab assignment began, general manager Brian Cashman said of Volpe returning to his everyday job, “That’s always been the plan. But ultimately, that’ll be the manager’s call.”
Caballero entered Sunday with a .935 OPS in his previous 19 games with seven stolen bases — while also in the midst of a 17-game errorless streak.
In the minors, Volpe has just one extra-base hit in 49 plate appearances, and the Yankees haven’t skipped a beat without the 25-year-old, who disappointed on both sides of the ball last year while playing with the injured shoulder.
“We’re off to a really good start,” Boone said of the team. “[Caballero] has been right in the middle of that defensively [and] offensively. So he’s earned some opportunities there. It’s really as simple as that [and] then weighing what’s the best thing for our team moving forward.”
Boone also noted, “It’s a long season” and “there are gonna be so many opportunities for different guys. The fact is, we’re probably as deep as we’ve ever been. We have real competition for real spots and real roles on the team that we haven’t had in some portions of seasons.”
That will almost certainly include Volpe, but not yet.
Detroit Tigers designated hitter Jace Jung (17) bats against Texas Rangers during the second inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 2, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (17-17) vs. Texas Rangers (16-17)
Time/Place: 7:20 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: Lone Star Ball Media: NBC Sports Network/Peacock, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: LHP Tyler Holton (0-1, 5.54 ERA) vs. RHP Jack Leiter (1-2, 5.17 ERA)
The Yankees have officially reached a decision on Anthony Volpe.
New York optioned the shortstop to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre upon his activation from the IL on Sunday.
Sunday, of course, marked the 20th and final day on Volpe's minor league rehab assignment which is what led to the club having to make the difficult decision.
While Volpe put together a strong showing on his road back from offseason shoulder surgery, Jose Caballero has been tremendous in all aspects of the game for the Yanks in his absence.
Caballero's hitting .259 with four homers, five doubles, 12 RBI, 13 stolen bases, and a .711 OPS.
“You also can't ignore that he's played so well defensively at shortstop, been a real spark for us offensively, especially after kind of getting off to a slow start probably the first 10 days, two weeks of the season,” Boone said. “He's really picked that up and been in the middle of us winning games.
“At the end of the day, we're going to try and do what's best for our team and then individual players that we care about too and know that are going to be important contributors to our team -- we weigh all that."
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 14: JJ Wetherholt #26 (R) celebrates with Iván Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals after hitting a solo home run against the Cleveland Guardians in the third inning at Busch Stadium on April 14, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We all love the stock market, right?! Yeah, I figured that’s probably not true, but it is a good way to retire with a nice 401K plan. That mini-Econ lesson aside, we asked a series of Buy or Sell style questions to figure out our positions on certain players and circumstances in the Cardinals organization in our latest episode.
Kaden Joggerst, the human behind the viral @CardinalSTLMuse twitter account joined us to consider just how much of our stock portfolio we should be putting in JJ Wetherholt’s ceiling. We consider what type of sustained success it would take to get fans back to Busch in familiar numbers, ask whether Michael McGreevy can keep outpitching his batted ball metrics, and how to think about the Nathan Church – Victor Scott II situation.
As always, it was a fun conversation, and Kaden was a great guest. He was full of insight and maintained an interesting “buy or sell” portfolio over the course of the episode.
Also, from the whole Redbird Rundown team, the support for our show in the VEB community has been great. Thank you for listening! It would be fantastic if you could subscribe as you listen on your platform of choice!
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 03: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals reacts after he was called out after sliding into home plate during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 03, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Two weeks ago, the Royals had just lost their seventh straight game, it dropped them to 7-15 on the season. Now they just got done sweeping the Mariners in the Pacific Northwest with a 4-1 victory. The Royals wrapped up a 4-2 trip out west and are now winners in 7 of their last 9 contests. They are 15-19 on the season, and 2.5 games out of first place. They are 3-0 in the month of May.
After doing next to nothing through three innings, the Royals found themselves down 1-0. Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino hit back-to-back singles to start the 4th. Salvy got hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded for Carter Jensen with nobody down. Jensen worked back from a 1-2 count to earn an RBI walk to tie it up. Jac Caglianone was up next, and he hit into a forceout, making it 2-1.
Isaac Collins next, skied a ball into medium deep right center, Julio Rodríguez got underneath it and threw a three hopper to the plate, Salvy was initially called out, but empathically told the dugout to challenge, they did and Salvy was safe on a fantastic slide to make it 3-1.
Collins doubled off the center field wall to score Cags with two outs in the 6th, to make it 4-1 as well. For a guy that didn’t have a hit on the road on as of Tuesday, Collins swung the bat very well on the trip, even a good amount of his outs were hit hard.
John Schreiber started the 8th inning, he walked one but got a pair of groundouts as well. Daniel Lynch IV came in to face Josh Naylor with two outs, with a runner on first. He promptly struck him out on four pitches. Lynch stayed in for the 9th, striking out two more and getting a grounder to Vinnie to complete the sweep. It’s Lynch’s first save of the season, Bubic’s third win.
The Royals have a huge next 10 games, they open a seven game homestand against Cleveland tomorrow night, who they are 2.5 games back of at the top of the division, for four games. The Tigers are in town next weekend, and then it’s off to the southside to face the streaking White Sox for three games. A chance to gain ground and get some divisional wins awaits the Royals. The stretch starts tomorrow night at 6:40 p.m. CT, with Michael Wacha getting the start. The game can be streamed on Royals.TV.
For just the fourth time this season, the Mets won a series, as they beat the Angels by a 5-1 score in the rubber game of their series this afternoon in Anaheim. No matter what happened today, the Mets were destined to retain sole possession of the worst record in baseball come tomorrow morning, but a series win sure is a sight for sore eyes for a team that had won just three of its previous twenty games coming into the weekend.
Most of this game was close. The Angels opened the scoring on an RBI single by Jorge Soler in the bottom of the first, but that was the only run Clay Holmes gave up in six-and-two-thirds innings of work. He threw 99 pitches, struck out six, walked three, and gave up four hits, and he has a 1.69 ERA on the season.
The Mets took the lead in the top of the fourth when Mark Vientos hit a two-run home run. And while Vientos continues to struggle with routine plays at first base, his bat turned out to be the best one the Mets had on the afternoon.
After Carson Benge drove in an insurance run with a double in the top of the eighth, Vientos hit another two-run home run to extend the lead to four. And thanks to Luke Weaver throwing one-and-one-third scoreless innings in relief of Holmes before Luke Raley threw a scoreless ninth.
None of the Mets’ pitchers did it alone, as outfielder MJ Melendez and Carson Benge and shortstop Bo Bichette, who played just his second game this season at his old position, each made a great defensive play along the way.
When the game was closer in the early going, the Mets once again didn’t challenge a play that could’ve made a big difference in the game and looked like it would’ve easily gone in their favor. With a runner on first in the top of the third, Juan Soto hit a ground ball to first base that got stuck in the webbing of Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel’s glove as he went to make a throw to second base. He instead took off his glove and tossed it to Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz at first. He bobbled the glove as Soto crossed first base, but the first base umpire called him out.
Fortunately, that wound up being a moot point, and weather permitting, the Mets will attempt to win another series as they travel to Denver to play the Rockies in a three-game series that’s set to get underway tomorrow night.
Big Mets winner: Clay Holmes, +32% WPA Big Mets loser: Marcus Semien, -13% WPA Mets pitchers: +42% WPA Mets hitters: +8% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Mark Vientos hits a two-run home run in the fourth, +22% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jorge Soler hits an RBI single in the first, -9% WPA
The Mets won their first road series in nearly a month after taking two out of three against the Los Angeles Angels thanks to a 5-1 win on Sunday.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The first inning was an unconventional slog for Clay Holmes who needed 27 pitches to get through the frame which is the most he's thrown in any inning this season. Holmes allowed a run on Jorge Soler's one-out single after walking the first two hitters he faced and was in need of a double play to get through the inning. The ground ball pitcher, who surprisingly entered the game with just two double plays turned behind him this season, got exactly what he was looking for at the perfect time, getting Jo Adell to ground into an inning-ending double play and limit the damage to a run.
In need of a quick inning in the second, Holmes walked his third batter in the first seven hitters but managed to induce another ground ball double play, this one handled by Bo Bichette, making his first start at shortstop with New York, who stayed with it after it took a funky hop and turned two to get Holmes out of the inning after just 11 pitches.
From there, Holmes cruised through 6.2 terrific innings and retired 12 of the last 15 hitters he faced, helped out by a diving catch by MJ Melendez in the sixth and a leaping grab at the wall in right field by Carson Benge in the seventh. The last batter Holmes faced reached base on a throwing error by Bichette, but Luke Weaver entered the game and struck out pinch-hitter Yoan Moncada to end the inning.
Holmes' final line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K on 99 pitches (71 strikes) and he lowered his season ERA to 1.69, fourth-best in the majors.
-- Shut out for the first three innings against Jack Kochanowicz despite a few chances with runners on, the Mets finally got to the right-hander in the fourth and it was Mark Vientos who delivered the big blast, launching a two-run shot that went 427 feet and put New York ahead, 2-1.
Benge worked a fantastic eight-pitch walk in front of Vientos, his second walk of the game, that led to the home run and had a solid day at the plate, finishing 1-for-2 with an RBI double and two runs scored to go along with those two walks.
-- The Mets wouldn't score again until the eighth as their collective slump at the plate continued, including strikeouts by Juan Soto and Austin Slater in the seventh with a runner at second base and a chance to extend their lead. Soto went 0-for-5 with two Ks and was visibly upset with himself on a few of his at-bats.
-- New York finally got the insurance run (and a hit with RISP) it was looking for on Benge's double that drove in Brett Baty who led off the inning with a hit by pitch before advancing to second on Marcus Semien's groundout to the catcher. They got two more when Vientos smacked his second two-run homer of the game that put the Mets ahead, 5-1.
-- After hitting a double on Saturday night, Vientos has begun to heat up and show off his power as his last four hits have been for extra-bases. He's now slashing .250/.297/.440 on the season and his four home runs are tied with Francisco Alvarez for the team lead.
-- Weaver turned in a good performance, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and Brooks Raley finished things off in the ninth as Benge made another incredible catch, this one diving to his left on a tailing fly ball.
Game MVP: Mark Vientos
The Mets needed a spark offensively and they got it off the bat of Vientos.
