Apr 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle (70) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Boston Red Sox have left us collectively feeling like we’re living with a diabetic.
If you want some juice, you gotta go elsewhere.
Payton Tolle, however, knew we were missing out and brought his own on Thursday, putting together a stupendous performance during his season debut against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park — so if you were more focused on the local hockey club’s playoff game, the drama involving your football team’s head coach, or the world’s biggest job fair, you missed out.
Until you didn’t…
Danny Coulombe and Greg Weissert combined to ruin the entire thing, giving up the lead in the seventh inning in a 4-2 loss that completed the series sweep for New York.
Tolle finished with 11 strikeouts in six innings of work, but perhaps the most impressive part of the start was allowing zero runs after loading the bases with no outs in the fourth inning — eventually sitting down Giancarlo Stanton (strikeout), Randal Grichuk (popout), and Trent Grisham (strikeout).
The bases were loaded with no outs for the #Yankees
Carlos Narváez: I’ll always respect dudes who play well against their former team. Narváez sent one over that big wall in left field, marking his first home run of the season.
DUDS
Danny Coulombe: HOW DARE YOU, SIR!?
Coulombe was tasked with protecting a one-run lead in the seventh inning, but instead loaded the bases before being yanked in favor of Greg Weissert.
Greg Weissert: Weissert didn’t fare much better, giving up back-to-back hits that plated three runs that were ultimately credited to Coulombe.
LOOKSMAXXING/MOGGING OF THE GAME
Jarren Duran tried to steal this award when he almost lost his cool after colliding with Caleb Durbin.
Tolle would not be denied, however, as he looked like a man on top of the world after his first inning strikeout of Aaron Judge. It’s rare that you see that much beef on the diamond, but we’re talking about the size of a weaning calf between these two.
Quiz: Which hands belong to whom? | (Getty Images)
After both teams combined to score 34 runs in the first two games of the series, the rubber match turned into a pitchers’ duel between Davis Martin and Michael Soroka. At least it was until the ninth.
Arizona scored off Martin in the first on a Ketel Marte single and an Adrian Del Castillo double. After that, though, he didn’t allow another runner past first, thanks in part to a fourth-inning play from Munetaka Murakami that showed he’s more than just a slugger.
Davis ended up going 6 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and just one walk while striking out seven. He was matched most of the way by Soroka, who gave up four straight singles to Andrew Benintendi, Murakami, Miguel Vargas, and Colson Montgomery, most of them off curve balls that hung in the middle of the plate, but otherwise kept the Sox off the board.
Soroka gave up one more hit than Martin and had one fewer K, but the key difference is that he threw a lot more pitches per inning and lasted only five frames.
Both bullpens performed well, at least until one didn’t. Grant Taylor relieved Martin with one out and Nolan Arenado on first in the seventh. He gave up a double to Alek Thomas that missed a home run by about a foot, but bounced back with a strikeout and a scoreless eighth.
The Sox had a runner in scoring position in the eighth on Montgomery’s third single of the day (one a lucky pop-up, the others solid), a fielder’s choice, and a stolen base by pinch runner Derek Hill, but that was part of their 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
However, in the ninth, tied 1-1, the Diamondbacks went to their closer, Paul Sewald, who came into the game with a 1.93 ERA. Sewald had only issued one walk all season, but he had no idea where the ball was going this time. He walked Chase Meidroth (2-for-3) on four pitches, one on a challenge, the others not even close. Tristan Peters moved him over with a sacrifice, then he issued another free pass to pinch-hitter Edgar Quero with the balls all completely non-competitive (as Stoney would say). Behind in the count to Andrew Benintendi, he finally tried to steal a strike, and left a 92 mph fastball so middle-middle it might as well have been a game under 1870s rules, where a batter got to instruct the pitcher where to throw it. Benintendi showed his appreciation.
Balls don’t usually carry well in Arizona when the dome is shut, as it was today, but that 104.5 mph shot went 410 feet.
Will Venable handed a three-run lead to Seranthony Domínguez, who managed not to blow the save, getting two strikeouts in a clean ninth.
Only downer — the three consecutive-game homer streaks of Murakami, Montgomery, and Vargas all ended, so Mune will have to settle for tying the team and MLB rookie streak record at five.
The win ended a 4-2 western road trip and raised the Sox record to 10-15. Next, they head home to open a series with the Nationals tomorrow night.
The Boston Red Sox have been one of MLB’s worst teams so far in 2026, and there are no indications that will change any time soon.
Boston is now 9-16 on the season after getting swept by the New York Yankees in its three-game series at Fenway Park. That’s the third-worst record in MLB, behind only the Philadelphia Phillies (8-17) and Kansas City Royals (8-17).
The lifeless Red Sox offense totaled only three runs and 13 hits in the series. They remain tied for last in the league with 14 homers, only three more than Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has hit by himself this season.
None of this is a surprise to those who criticized Craig Breslow and the Red Sox front office for their offseason approach.
After failing to re-sign Alex Bregman, the Red Sox redirected those resources toward Ranger Suarez. Breslow emphasized “run prevention” as the team’s identity entering 2026, a strategy that was easy to buy into given what appeared to be one of the league’s strongest rotations.
Through 25 games, that approach has backfired.
The rotation ranks 25th in MLB with a 4.88 ERA. Garrett Crochet, last year’s American League Cy Young runner-up, has seen his ERA balloon to 7.88 after allowing 15 earned runs over his last two starts. Sonny Gray landed on the 15-day injured list following an up-and-down start, while Brayan Bello has struggled mightily after an encouraging 2025. Suarez has begun to settle in after a rough opening stretch, but that’s hardly been enough to stabilize the group.
This roster wasn’t built to win without an elite rotation. Leaning on pitching as a strength is one thing; depending on it to carry you for 162 games is another.
Boston’s lineup has left little to no margin for error for its starting pitchers. This was predictable. Too much pressure was put on 21-year-old Roman Anthony to carry the offense, and he’s hitting .225 with just one homer in 22 games.
No one has hit well outside of Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras. Jarren Duran, Trevor Story, Caleb Durbin, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Andruw Monasterio are each hitting below the Mendoza line (.200), with Marcelo Mayer (.203) just barely above the threshold.
There’s a fair share of blame pie to go around. Manager Alex Cora deserves a large slice, as do hitting coach Pete Fatse and pitching coach Andrew Bailey. But looking at the issues that consistently plague this Red Sox team, it’s obvious Breslow’s roster-building is the biggest problem.
The most glaring mistake? Failing to solve the outfield logjam. Five players — Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu — are competing for four lineup spots. That has forced Anthony, Duran, and Yoshida to split time as the designated hitter, and although he’s only played in nine games, Yoshida has been the best hitter of the three.
Breslow also should have added at least one slugger to the lineup after essentially replacing Bregman’s bat with Contreras’. With a painful lack of power, the Red Sox have relied on small ball to put runs on the board. As a result, they rank 26th in MLB with 92 runs scored and dead last in slugging percentage at .331.
Sox catcher Carlos Narvaez, whose homer was one of the club’s only highlights in the series vs. New York, voiced his frustrations after Thursday’s loss.
“We’ve been saying, ‘I know it’s early,’ but we cannot have that mentality,” he said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. “It’s time to go. We got to flush it. Of course, it doesn’t feel right, but we got to flush it. We got six important games on the road. We cannot be stuck in the mindset like, OK yeah, we gotta be better. No, of course we know we gotta be better.”
Boston must play with a sense of urgency when it visits Baltimore (12-13) for a three-game series starting Friday night. If that series is anything like the last three games vs. New York, we may be calling this a lost season before the calendar flips to May.
Apr 23, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago White Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi (23) hits a three run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The Dbacks were not able to complete what would’ve been their 5th straight series win on Thursday as they lost to the Chicago White Sox on a 3 run home run in the top of the 9th inning.
After the offensive explosion that happened last night at Chase Field with the 6 home runs, today was very much the opposite type of game. Michael Soroka pitched well today and did a great job quieting the red hot White Sox offense. Soroka was able to go 5 innings and only allowing 1 run, however due to a few particularly long innings with base traffic wasn’t able to pitch into the 6th inning. He was able to notch 6 Ks today generating 13 swing and misses. Soroka’s slurve was especially sharp today generating a 29% whiff rate. Definitely one of the best pitches on this team for sure.
The Diamondbacks bullpen was good for the most part this afternoon as Ginkel, Morillo, and Loasiga combined for 3.1 innings of 0 ER with 4 Ks. However the strange trend with non-save opportunity Paul Sewald reared its ugly head again today as he came in in the 9th, walked 2 batters, and then gave up the go ahead 3 run home run on a fastball that literally could not have been more center cut. I mean when Paul Sewald misses, he misses really really bad. The ball may as well have been on a tee and that simply cannot happen with the game on the line.
Im inclined to just chalk this one up as Sewald maybe just isn’t as locked in in non save opportunities as he is in save opportunities, however I just don’t know how much I buy that. You should always be locked in entering a major league baseball game and there is NEVER a good time to throw pitches middle middle like that. Sewald owns a 27.00 ERA in tie game situations so far this season after allowing his 5th ER in just 1.2 innings of tie game action so far this season. And I feel like the majority of those runs came on center cut fastballs middle middle.
Certainly this was a series you wanted to win if you were the Dbacks, however I also think the White Sox played some pretty good baseball over the past couple of days especially on offense and the series essentially came down to 1 mistake in the heart of the zone.
The other argument here as to why the Dbacks lost this game which is valid is that the offense was only able to piece together 1 run. Especially considering they scored 11 runs in the game last night. Carroll went 0-4 and the rest of the offense was only able to scatter hits here and there while only drawing 1 walk. Pretty tough to win a major league game with offensive performances like that.
The Dbacks will look to get back to winning series in Mexico City on Saturday when they take on the red-hot San Diego Padres in a quick 2 game series. I think it will be fun to see the energy that Mexico City brings to the ball park as well as how the ball plays at almost 2,000 feet ABOVE Coors Field elevation.
Apr 6, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob Degrom (48) throws the ball during the game between the Rangers and the Mariners at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 22: Spencer Horwitz #2 of the Pittsburgh Pirates scores on a double hits by Tommy Pham during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at PNC Park on June 22, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Bubba Chandler (1-1, 3.15 ERA) vs. TBA
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today in the Lone Star State against the Texas Rangers looking to grab a win.
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Apr 23, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder Mickey Moniak (22) hits a solo home run in the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
After a complete victory against the San Diego Padres last night, the Colorado Rockies entered this afternoon’s game with the chance for a series win. Things were going great for the most part… until they weren’t.
Multiple injuries occurred early in the game, but the Rockies persevered and carried a three-run lead into the top of the ninth inning. Unfortunately, a spectacular blow-up in said ninth inning led to the Rockies losing the game by two and dropping the series to the Padres.
Injuries may test the Rockies’ depth
The Rockies had two players depart the game early due to injury this afternoon. Most notably, right-handed pitcher and today’s starter Ryan Feltner was pulled after just two innings. Feltner threw 40 pitches and allowed two earned runs on two hits and a walk—including a double—in the second inning. Felter was later announced to have right triceps tightness. Manager Warren Schaeffer mentioned after the game that the triceps tightness caused numbness in his fingers.
The Rockies are already relying on multiple pitchers for bulk-innings work, including Chase Dollander, Antonio Senzatela, and Tanner Gordon. Left-handed pitcher Kyle Freeland is currently on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder soreness and is eligible to return on April 28th against the Cincinnati Reds.
Infielder Willi Castro also left today’s game with an injury. He went 0-for-1 with a walk and a strikeout before being pulled from the lineup with right knee soreness. He was replaced in the lineup by Tyler Freeman.
Castro has appeared in 21 of the Rockies 26 games so far this season at multiple positions.
A strong effort by the bullpen collapsed
With Feltner leaving the game after just two innings, the Rockies’ bullpen had the herculean task of getting the team through the game with three games to go until their next day off.
Zach Agnos, who is being stretched into more of a long-relief role, performed admirably in three innings of work. While he did give up two earned runs, they weren’t back-breaking. He gave up just one run each in the fourth and fifth innings, one of which was a home run. Agnos had solid command, walking just one batter with three strikeouts.
Seth Halvorsen, freshly recalled from the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes with Jimmy Herget going on the paternity list, made his first big league appearance of the season in the sixth inning. The power arm struck out two batters—though he did issue a walk—in a scoreless inning of work.
Halvorsen gave way to Juan Mejia, who struck out three batters in 1.2 innings but did allow an earned run on three hit and a walk. Victor Vodnik was called in to end the eighth inning and earn a four-out save.
Then it all fell apart.
Vodnik entered the top of the ninth inning with a three-run lead. That lead evaporated almost instantly as Vodnik walked the leadoff batter and allowed three straight singles without recording an out as the Padres pulled within one run.
Then Sheets happened.
Gavin Sheets clobbered a three-run home run on the first pitch he saw—a slider middle-middle—to put the Padres ahead by two. Vondik struck out the next batter but the damage was done. Brennan Bernardino entered the game and quickly finished the inning.
Strong days at the plate from multiple Rockies players should have had this game end in a win for the home team. Edouard Julien went 2-for-5 from the leadoff spot, hitting his first triple in a Rockies uniform for his 200th career hit as he continues a strong April, and TJ Rumfield hit two doubles with a walk in his own 2-for-4 afternoon. Meanwhile, Troy Johnston continues to be an excellent addition to the Rockies roster. The off-season waiver claim went 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs.
The main superstar of the game was Mickey Moniak. Moniak continued to be so fine with a four-hit afternoon that included two home runs. He had two RBIs and scored three times himself.
Normally eight runs would be enough, but things get weird when the Padres come to town. After Vodnik’s collapse, the Rockies had the unenviable task of facing Mason Miller with a two-run deficit.
With one out, Troy Johnston hit a single to show Miller was mortal. However, the hope wouldn’t last.
Ezequiel Tovar swung wildly at a slider in the dirt before watching a slider down the middle for a called strike two. He then grounded into a game and series-ending double play.
Tovar finished the game 0-for-5 and though he didn’t strike out today, he is hitting just .204 on the season.
Coming Up Next
The Rockies are off to Flushing for three games against the New York Mets. The Mets look vulnerable after finally managing to snap a 12-game losing streak yesterday. It could provide the Rockies with a chance to have their first strong series on the road. Michael Lorenzen will start for the Rockies against Mets righty Freddy Peralta. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 PM MDT.
On Thursday, Logan Webb made sure the rivalry left a mark on LA’s catcher, who stirred up controversy earlier in the series when cameras appeared to show him saying ‘F— him’ while San Francisco outfielder Jung Hoo Lee sat at home plate, injured, after being thrown out.
Whether it was well-placed retribution or merely a wild pitch, Rushing, 25, will have a baseball-sized bruise on his midsection to remember the latest series in the 136-year-old rivalry.
Dalton Rushing already left his mark on the Giants-Dodgers rivalry. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectWhether it was well-placed retribution or merely a wild pitch, Rushing, 25, will have a baseball-sized bruise on his midsection to remember the latest series in the 136-year-old rivalry. Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Trailing 3-0 in the sixth inning, Webb squared up Rushing with a 93 mph fastball to the ribs. The 1-0 offering was so far inside the left-handed batter’s box that Rushing’s attempt to jump out of the way kept him in the path of the pitch. Judging by his reaction, it didn’t feel good.
After wearing the pitch for a few moments, Rushing angrily flipped his bat as he took his base.
Great job by Logan Webb sending a message to Dalton Rushing while trailing by 3 runs pic.twitter.com/KLck2IVKaB
Despite the circumstances, there was no sign that Webb intended to do anything more than brush Rushing back off the plate. Giants catcher Patrick Bailey set up high and inside but was forced to quickly adjust his target after the pitch left Webb’s hand.
Rushing, for his part, said the moment in Tuesday’s series opener that went viral was misinterpreted. Lee left the game after the play but was back in the lineup the next day. Nevertheless, Lee told reporters that Rushing reached out through teammate Hyesong Kim, who is friends with Lee, to smooth over any misunderstandings.
Still, only 63 games into his career, Rushing has shown a knack for generating headlines for more than his seven home runs in 29 at-bats to begin this season. Before the Dodgers arrived in San Francisco, Rushing suggested the Rockies might have been up to something “a little fishy” because the Rockies were having so much first-pitch success in the 9-6 loss.
Under new manager Tony Vitello, the Giants haven’t shied away from controversy, either. Reliever Erik Miller was caught on camera directing his own four-letter words toward the Reds after finishing a win that included a benches-clearing incident.
The Dodgers have dominated the Giants on the field in recent years.
But maybe this is the kind of new blood the rivalry needs.
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CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 18:Dean Kremer #64 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Saturday, April 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Sean Finucane/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Even on their off day, the Orioles managed to find a way to put a player on the injured list. The team placed starting pitcher Dean Kremer on the 15-day injured list with an announced right quad strain. As a corresponding move, pitcher Brandon Young was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.
Kremer was the guy on turn to start tomorrow’s game against the Red Sox, so that’s wiped right out by this injury. Young is now set to start the game instead. The roster maneuvering is neat enough. The 27-year-old Young was no good in 12 starts a year ago, though he made a nice first 2026 impression with a five-inning spot start against the White Sox back on April 6. Young allowed two hits while keeping Chicago off the board in that game.
Since this move was announced on the off day, there was not an immediate media availability to give an indication of how severe the team believes the injury to be and how long Kremer might be out. The move is retroactive to April 20. Kremer can be brought back 15 days after that.
This is assuming that Kremer is healthy and ready to go. There was no indication that he might be hurt when he delivered a delightful mid-game interview on MASN earlier in the week. It’s more tough luck for a guy who was shuffled to the minors to begin this season and didn’t get recalled even when Zach Eflin went down with a torn UCL. Kremer only got to make two starts before his own trip to the injured list. He allowed five earned runs in 11 innings, a 4.09 ERA. That is almost perfectly in line with the full season ERAs from 2023, 2024, and 2025.
There are a number of injured Orioles about whom we could get updates from manager Craig Albernaz on Friday. The team certainly knows what was on Jackson Holliday’s wrist MRI by now. There could be updates on any of the relievers Keegan Akin, Dietrich Enns, and Andrew Kittredge. There might be an update or even news regarding Tyler O’Neill’s progression in returning from a concussion.
With Young arriving to replace Kremer, the Orioles also set their remaining starters for the weekend. Trevor Rogers is set to pitch on Saturday, with Kyle Bradish pitching on Sunday. The team has used the off day Thursday to give those guys an extra day of rest. If they had wanted to, they could have skipped Kremer’s turn and had Rogers and Bradish pitch on regular rest on Friday and Saturday.
Apr 22, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Juan Soto (22) is tagged out at second base by Minnesota Twins shortstop Brooks Lee (22) after being picked off first base during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
First Pitch (CT):6:10 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: Amazin’ Avenue
The Mets were able to break their cursed 12-game losing streak yesterday, but the Twins still have a chance to take the series and put the Mets right back where they were at the start of this series: last place. Ace Joe Ryan is on the mound for Minnesota while New York will counter with Christian Scott, making his season debut.
Scott missed all of 2025 and most of 2024 with a torn UCL, but was a top 100 prospect prior to 2024. Prior to his injury, Scott’s sweeper was among the best in the minor leagues, but after missing nearly two calendar years, no one really knows how his pitches will play against MLB competition. Tommy John surgery isn’t the career killer it once was, but it typically still takes some time to get a feel for your pitches after returning. We’ll see if the Twins can capitalize tonight.
A few notable lineup changes:
Matt Wallner is out of the lineup vs a righty for the second time in the past four games. Austin Martin gets the start in his place.
Francisco Lindor was placed on the IL after leaving last night’s game with calf tightness. A big blow after just getting Juan Soto off the IL yesterday.
Not exactly the way you’d want to win a game, but wins are wins. The Cubs blew leads of 6-2 and 7-6, but walked off the Phillies 8-7 in the 10th inning on Dansby Swanson’s bases-loaded hit. The Cubs have now won nine consecutive games and, at 16-9, are tied for first place in the NL Central with the Reds, who were idle Thursday.
Unfortunately, this good news is tempered by yet another pitching injury. Caleb Thielbar left the game after allowing a leadoff homer to Adolis Garcia in the ninth. Here’s the Thielbar news:
Thielbar left with left hamstring tightness, accd to Counsell.
So that’s probably an IL stint and who do the Cubs have left that they can call on? I’d guess Ben Brown will close games now, but the Cubs have to find someone to replace Thielbar on the active roster.
Anyway, that’s a topic for tomorrow. Let’s rewind to the beginning of this wild game, played on a gorgeous spring afternoon at Wrigley Field.
The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the second on a solo homer by Brandon Marsh. The Cubs got that run back in the bottom of the inning. Carson Kelly led off with a double and took third on a single by Michael Busch.
That’s all the Cubs got in that inning, after they loaded the bases on singles by Matt Shaw and Miguel Amaya. Nico Hoerner hit into a force play at the plate and Alex Bregman popped up.
Leaving baserunners was going to be a Cubs theme again in this game.
The Cubs took the lead in the third. With one out, Seiya Suzuki and Kelly singled.
The Cubs got two more baserunners after the homer, singles by Swanson and Shaw, but stranded both runners. The Phillies got to within 4-2 in the fourth on a single by Bryce Harper, who advanced to second on a ground out and scored on a single by Marsh.
Ian Happ with his 7th home run of the season and 2nd to reach Waveland !! Was shorted on distance with the 429 estimation … Would have passed the yellow building on the fly at 450ft if not intercepted by my glove 😉 Cubs lead Phillies 5-2 in the 5th at Wrigley Field. pic.twitter.com/V5jdeS0azi
I put a check mark on my scorecard whenever there’s a really good defensive play. My cards this week have check marks all over them. Today, I made six of them for Cubs defensive plays.
The Cubs made it 6-2 in the sixth. Happ hit an infield single with one out and went to second on a single by Suzuki. Kelly was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
That lead looked pretty safe with Cabrera cruising. He allowed just three hits and two runs through six, and unfortunately, one bad defensive play led to a pair of Phillies runs in the seventh. With one out, Marsh homered for the second time to make it 6-3. A single by Bryson Stott and double by Alec Bohm put runners on second and third. Then Bregman made an uncharacteristic throwing error, allowing a run to score. and another one crossed the plate on a sac fly to make it 6-5, the last two runs unearned.
Cabrera had a nice game against a tough opponent, and the Cubs really teed off on Cristopher Sánchez, iwth 12 hits and two home runs off him, and six runs charged to Sánchez, the most he’s allowed in a game since last August.
The Cubs still led by a run when Hoby Milner entered to throw the eighth. Milner’s been very good, but not this time. He issued a one-out walk to Harper, who was forced at second. But then Milner walked Marsh, and Jacob Webb entered the game. Webb gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa, tying the game, then gave up the third walk of the inning, loading the bases.
Webb struck out Justin Crawford to preserve the tie at 6-6.
You could tell something was wrong right away, possibly Thielbar landed wrong. As noted above, it’s “hamstring tightness,” which you do not want to get worse. I suppose we’ll get an update later today or tomorrow.
Martin then walked Kyle Schwarber, but got the next three hitters, including a strikeout of Marsh, to end the inning.
The Cubs got a one-out double by Moisés Ballesteros in the ninth (his second double of the game, man, that guy can hit!). He went to third on a ground out. The Phillies intentionally passed Bregman, but Happ flied to right to send the game to extras.
Javier Assad, playing whatever role the Cubs now need him to, entered to throw the 10th. He retired the Phillies 1-2-3 on only seven pitches, giving the Cubs a walkoff chance.
Happ was the placed runner. Suzuki was intentionally passed, the Phillies hoping Kelly would hit into a double play. Instead, he blooped a single to center, loading the bases with nobody out.
History was made with this walk-off win, per BCB’s JohnW53:
According to my extensive research, including checking contemporary newspapers of all games that the Cubs won by four or fewer runs before 1901, this was the Cubs’ 1,000th regular-season walk-off win since 1876, first year of the National League.
It was their 959th at home. They had 41 on the road back when the home team did not always bat first.
This was No. 902 of the Modern Era and No. 797 at Wrigley Field.
Not the way you’d have drawn it up, but a win is a win. Still, going 5-for-18 with RISP and leaving 17 runners on base isn’t going to win you too many games. Fortunately, the Cubs pulled this one out — and have won nine in a row with a whole bunch of leverage relievers injured. Hopefully, whatever’s up with Thielbar won’t be too serious.
The Cubs will head west for a tough road trip to Los Angeles and San Diego. The Dodgers just lost two of three to the Giants, so they’ll likely not be in such a great mood when the series opener happens at Dodger Stadium on Friday. Jameson Taillon will start for the Cubs and Emmet Sheehan goes for L.A. Game time Friday is 9:15 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Apple TV (how to watch).
NORTH PORT, FL- FEBRUARY 22: JR Ritchie #92 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins on February 22, 2026 at CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming into today’s matchup, the Braves were coming off of a strong win but one where the bullpen was taxed after Didier Fuentes was removed after three innings – just a single day after Reynaldo Lopez struggled through a little more than an inning of work.
The Braves were looking for a hero – enter Battery Power No. 2 prospect JR Ritchie, who did just that. He not only limited the No. 2 offense in the league to just five hits and two runs but also giving the team much needed length as he navigated through seven innings while making a bit of franchise history.
JR Ritchie today became the first pitcher in franchise history to complete at least 7.0 innings while allowing no more than two runs and striking out at least seven in his major league debut. pic.twitter.com/4LBrBgX3We
What’s so impressive about JR Ritchie this season is that there is no formulaic recipe for success. If we take a look at his last start in Gwinnett (6IP 3H 0R 3BB 8K), Ritchie struggled with his fastball and slider command, his changeup was a non-factor against left handed hitters so he focused on his curveball and used it to not just get ahead, but put away hitters. This ability to recognize that a certain pitch isn’t working, and being able lean on another one shows maturity beyond his age and I’m sure was a reason that led to the Braves promoting him.
While Ritchie may not have a stand alone elite pitch – his ability to use any of his six at any point in time allows him to stay in control and lean on what is working best and we saw that immediately. After a grooved four-seam pitch that was deposited in the stands by James Wood, Ritchie immediately leaned on his curveball and changeup to quickly retire Luis García Jr., and regain composure on the mound. This confidence in being able to throw any of his pitches at any times allows JR Ritchie to be the one in command on the mound, allowing for good sequencing as long as the command is there. JR used the same pitch at least two times in a row just twelve times this game – again showing confidence not just his catcher and their game plan, but also in himself.
While his four-seam isn’t the strongest pitch, with an IVB of 13.9” and coming in around 94 MPH, his ability to command it in the upper third of the zone, as well as to all the quadrants is a great strength. Once he establishes that, he’s able to then either go with his slider or changeup, depending on the handedness of the hitters, before ultimately deploying his plus curveball that had a 43% whiff rate today. Let me say that another way – nearly half of the curveballs he threw (25) were swung at and missed. As if that weren’t enough, his changeup showed average to plus, and he also threw in a cutter (7), and sinker (4).
The best thing to happen out of today was that this kind of performance is absolutely repeatable for the young pitcher. There was nothing that stuck out from today’s game – this is exactly who JR Ritchie is as a pitcher. Nothing elite, but four good offerings, and two more (cutter, sinker) he can use when the occasion rises. JR lives in and around the zone with all six pitches, making for uncomfortable at bats because hitters can’t truly key in on a single pitch in any single at bat. He’s able to locate nearly each pitch to every single quadrant not allowing hitters to really hone in on a single pitch, in a single location. His ability to do that exact thing leads this author to say, hopefully this is the beginning of a very illustrious career for JR Ritchie.
NEW YORK (AP) — All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor was put on a the 10-day injured list by the New York Mets on Thursday, a day after straining his left calf, and manager Carlos Mendoza said “he’s going to be down for quite a bit here.”
Lindor was hurt Wednesday when the Mets beat Minnesota 3-2 and stopped a 12-game losing streak, their longest since 2002. Left fielder Juan Soto returned from a strained right calf that had sidelined him since April 3 and went 1 for 3 with a walk. Soto had missed 15 games.
Lindor labored around the bases while scoring from first on Francisco Alvarez’s one-out double. An MRI Thursday determined the strain was more severe than Soto’s.
“We knew right away with Juan that it was kind of the best-case scenario. He was going to be on the short side of things,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I don’t think we’re dealing with the same thing here.”
“One of those things where you start running and you know that your body’s not 100%” Lindor said. “Once I passed third base, I felt something. And after that, I knew that I’ve got something in my lower leg.”
Lindor grimaced as he rounded third and paused for a moment. He beat the relay throw with a feet-first slide.
“I was in pain,” Lindor said. “But you’ve got to score.”
Asked if he thought he would return this season, Lindor said “100%” and repeated it for emphasis.
“This kills me, not being on the field but I trust the trainers and I know they have good care here,” Lindor said. “I’ll be back I’ll be back. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”
This is just the third big league IL stint for Lindor, who missed the first 19 games of the 2019 season with Cleveland due to a right calf strain. He was sidelined 36 games in 2021, his first season with the Mets — due to a right oblique strain.
Lindor had elbow surgery following last season and missed most of spring training after surgery on his left hamate bone.
Bo Bichette moved to shortstop from third base for Thursday’s series finale against the Twins. The Mets recalled Ronny Mauricio from Triple-A Syracuse to take Lindor’s roster spot and plan to give him regular playing time at shortstop while Bichette continues to get used to playing third.
Mauricio, a longtime prospect who has struggled to reignite his career after missing the 2024 season with a knee injury, hit five homers in his last five games for Syracuse, including three on Tuesday.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 23: Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame arrives prior to the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With two hours until the 2026 NFL Draft gets underway, there are a bevy of rumors flying around not just about your Arizona Cardinals, but about a number of teams heading into the draft.
Let’s check out the latest rumors and how that could impact the Cardinals.
The #AZCardinals will be staring at Jeremiyah Love vs. a trade back. Shades of 2023 when the #Texans came up to 3 for Will Anderson. Fascinating pivot point tonight. As for the #Titans, they feel good about a cluster of players so sliding back and still getting one is tempting. https://t.co/8sMipckoLd
The smoke on the Arizona Cardinals taking Jeremiyah Love continues to build, and the reality seems to be, if they do not get a deal they love, they will take the Notre Dame running back at three.
FWIW, I believe the Arizona Cardinals will trade pick #3 tonight, regardless of the pass rusher available.
I think there's a good chance the parameters of a deal are already done.
If they end up making the pick, I believe it will be Jeremiyah Love.
If they can't trade down, the Cardinals are right now who the league thinks for Jeremiyah Love."@PSchrags on the latest with Arizona at pick #3. pic.twitter.com/8SuJZx6fvA
This would probably be the best thing for the Cardinals. In DJ’s mock draft he has the Cardinals going down to eight and the Saints giving up their 2027 first round pick as well.
Brian Baldinger just said on NFL Network that he believes that the #Commanders will trade up for RB Jeremiyah Love 👀
Are the Cardinals doing a good enough job convincing people they will take Love that now teams are calling to check-in?
“Do the Cardinals feel like they need to leapfrog the Jets at pick #33?”@RapSheet with the very latest on QB Ty Simpson ahead of the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/H3ahygOU7Q
Are the Jets and others doing a good job of making the Cardinals feel like they need to overpay for a quarterback?
"There have been teams calling, trying to come up. If the Cardinals can get the right price, they would move out of three."@AdamSchefter on the #AZCardinals. 👀
SAN FRANCISCO — There’s no such thing as a “must-win” game in late April. Especially not for a team like the Dodgers, who entered Thursday with the second-best record in the majors at 16-8.
Still, after the Dodgers lost four of their previous five and faced a potential sweep at the hands of the Giants, LA manager Dave Roberts did his best to conjure some renewed urgency.
“We got to win today,” he said before the club’s series finale at Oracle Park.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow allowed one hit and struck out nine in eight innings Thursday against the Giants. AP
And in a 3-0 victory, that attitude was evident — both in the way Roberts managed and the way his team played.
On Thursday morning, Roberts shuffled his lineup, moving the slumping Kyle Tucker down the batting order. He also bypassed the temptation to give Shohei Ohtani a day off, despite his six-inning pitching start the night before. Roberts’ hope was that such moves would kick-start a recently scuffling season and salvage something from the end of a road trip in which the team had already clinched a losing overall record.
“I do think that it’ll turn,” Roberts said.
It did, just enough.
Though the Dodgers (17-8) didn’t exactly break out at the plate Thursday, Tyler Glasnow made sure they didn’t really need to, dominating over eight scoreless innings in one of his best starts with the team.
The lineup, meanwhile, manufactured offense when needed, tagging Giants ace Logan Webb with three runs over seven innings.
“Across the board,” Roberts said, “just a well-played baseball game.”
Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott handled the team’s first save opportunity since closer Edwin Diaz went on the injured list. AP
In both their rallies, the Dodgers relied on aggressive baserunning and improved situational at-bats.
In the second inning, Max Muncy walked, stayed out of a potential double play by running on a full-count pitch Andy Pages hit on the ground, then scored on Dalton Rushing’s RBI single.
In the fourth, Tucker snapped out of his slump by hitting a leadoff double. Muncy also doubled in the next at-bat to bring him home. Then Muncy scored on an aggressive send from third base coach Dino Ebel, who wisely tested Heliot Ramos’ weak arm in left field on an RBI single from Hyeseong Kim.
From there, Glasnow went into cruise control while protecting the 3-0 lead. After working around a walk in the first inning, he faced the minimum over the next seven frames, finishing with nine strikeouts and only one hit allowed (which was erased on a double-play ball) in what was the third scoreless eight-inning start in his MLB career.
And in the ninth, Tanner Scott handled the Dodgers’ first save opportunity since closer Edwin Díaz went on the injured list — ensuring that, on a day Roberts felt the Dodgers had to win, they did.
What it means
The Dodgers only went 3-4 on this Denver/San Francisco road trip but at least finished it with some confidence.
They are now one win behind the Braves for the most victories in the majors. They also denied the Giants (11-14) what would have been their first sweep in this rivalry matchup since 2023.
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman (center) and teammates celebrate the victory Thursday in San Francisco. AP
Who’s hot
Glasnow, who has looked increasingly impressive with each start this season.
On Thursday, the right-hander relied heavily on a sinker he has slowly reincorporated into his arsenal since coming to Los Angeles three years ago. He used the pitch almost half the time. It accounted for six of his 16 total whiffs.
“Some days the four-seam works, some days the two-seam works,” Glasnow said. “It’s just having another option to go to … It just [gives opposing batters] so much to cover. And then I can play my slider and my curveball off of those. So it’s really helped me out a lot.”
Indeed, Glasnow also mixed in the rest of his arsenal to effect against the Giants, retiring the final 14 batters he faced while matching his season high for strikeouts.
His ERA is now 2.45, after allowing just one run in 17 innings over two starts on this trip.
His only real regret Thursday? Not pushing to go for a first career complete game with his pitch count only at 105.
“I feel like I should have fought a little harder,” he joked. “But, yeah, that’s fine. I know we have a good ‘pen.”
Who’s not
Tucker got himself out of this category by going 2-for-4. A couple guys hitting in front of him, however, did not.
Teoscar Hernández suffered an 0-for-4 performance Thursday, punctuating a dreadful 2-for-24 showing on this road trip. His batting average is now down to .244.
Ohtani also failed to get aboard for a second straight contest, following his 53-game on-base streak. He struck out twice in an 0-for-5 that dropped his season average to .245.
“He’s expanding down,” Roberts said of Ohtani. “It’s just really hard to slug on balls at the bottom of the zone, and that’s what he’s doing. If we can get him back at the belt and swing at those balls, you’ll see the production.”
Up next
There’s no off day for the Dodgers this week. They return home Friday to open a weekend series with the Cubs, continuing a stretch of 13 games in a row. Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 5.85 ERA) will start against right-hander Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.97 ERA).
