Category: Baseball

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were scuttled by the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 5-3.

Vince Velasquez gave the I-Cubs a solid start as he allowed just one run on five hits over 4.2 innings. Velasquez walked four and struck out seven.

Yacksel Rios pitched the bottom of the ninth, gave up a two-run home run and got the loss. Rios allowed one hit, one walk and struck out one in the one inning of work.

First baseman BJ Murray went 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the sixth inning. Murray also scored on an Owen Miller sacrifice fly in the second inning. He was 0 for 3.

A great defensive play by shortstop Ben Cowles.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies made the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins) blue, 3-0.

Grant Kipp and Luis Martinez-Gomez combined on the shutout. Kipp was terrific, allowing just one walk over five innings. He struck out seven and walked no one,

Martinez-Gomez got the four-inning save after allowing four hits but walking no one and striking out four.

Right fielder Alex Ramírez was 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the second inning. He also stole two bases, including stealing home in the first inning as part of a double steal of second and home.

Left fielder Jordan Nwogu was 1 for 3 with two walks and an RBI single in the second inning.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs crashed out against the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 6-5.

Starter Cole Reynolds gave up two runs on just one hit over four innings. Reynolds walked three and struck out three.

Kenton Egbert pitched the next three innings and took the loss. He surrendered two runs on two hits and a walk. Egbert struck out four.

South Bend trailed the Sky Carp 6-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth. They scored three times but were unable to get the fourth run home from second base when center fielder Kane Kepley grounded out. But Kepley scored the first run of the game when he walked to lead off the bottom of the first, stole second, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly. Kepley went 0 for 3 with two walks and the two steals.

Third baseman Reginald Preciado was 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the fourth. Preciado also scored a run in the ninth on an error.

Here’s Kepley getting his uniform dirty in the first inning.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were shot down by the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), 5-2 in ten innings.

The Birds got three strong innings from starter Edwardo Melendez, who allowed only one hit. Unfortunately, it was a solo home run to lead off the second inning. But the only other baserunner Melendez allowed was a hit batsman and he immediately removed that baserunner with a 4-6-3 double play. Melendez struck out five.

Jordan Henriquez pitched the top of the tenth and took the loss. Henriquez gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits. He struck out one and did not walk anyone.

Third baseman Derniche Valdez hit his first Pelicans home run with the bases empty in the second inning. Valdez went 1 for 4.

The Pelicans had just three hits in this game.

The Valdez home run.

Unbelievable!  

This Nebraska Cornhusker team has fought and scratched all season when they are down and have treated their fans to some incredible wins, including some walk-off wins that have made the drive home quite a bit happier.  None of them compare to what happened tonight!  

Total pandemonium broke out in the bottom of the tenth inning when Mac Moyer laid down a picture-perfect bunch that pitcher Sax Matson threw past first baseman Adrian Lopez toward the rightfield corner.  Rhett Stokes, who previously, reached on a walk, never slowed down once he saw the bunt down and charged all the way around the bases to score the winning run.  Oh, what a ballgame!  Nebraska 8, USC 7.

It didn’t start out that way.  In fact, casual fans may have left the game before Nebraska got back in the game on this chilly night.  Those who have followed the team all season knew they didn’t dare!

Southern Cal’s Mason Edwards is one of the premier pitchers in college baseball this season.  He had a 6-0 record and a 1.35 ERA coming into the game.  That went along with 95 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched.  He was every bit as good as advertised tonight against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  Fortunately for the boys from Lincoln and their dedicated fans, his night was done after seven innings.

In fairness to the Cornhuskers, they roughed up Edwards more than he had been up to this point in the season.  The eight hits they got off him was the most he had given up all season, and they got a couple of runs in the sixth inning when Case Sanderson led off the inning with a single and scored two batters later on a Jett Buck double.  Drew Grego also doubled to score Buck and after six innings it was 5-2 SC.

The Trojans grabbed those two runs back quickly as scored twice off Kevin Mannell in the top of the seventh on a two RBI single by Kevin Takeuchi.

Edwards’ night was over after seven complete innings having struck out 12 Cornhuskers and throwing a total of 105 pitches.  Down 7-2, there was a window now for the Cornhuskers, but it was pretty narrow as it was just two innings.  Fortunately, Nebraska crashed through that window thanks to some timely hitting, some incredible bounces, and USC errors.

After Drew Carey struck out for the third straight time in the game to open the bottom of the eighth, Jett Buck smoked his second double of the game off freshman reliever Gavin Lauridsen.  The rookie seemed a little rattled and walked designated hitter Will Jesske.  Drew Grego then reached on a fielder’s choice to put two on with two out.  Up came a resurgent Joshua Overbeek who smashed a three-run homer to the right-centerfield berm.  That cut the lead to 7-5.

Ty Horn came on to pitch the top of the ninth and sat the Trojans down in order with a strikeout and two ground outs to Carey at shortstop.  His fire gave the fans, and his teammates hope for a big ninth inning.

Coach Andy Stankiewicz had gone to his closer, Adam Troy, to get the last out of the eighth inning striking out Jeter Worthley.  He was set to face the heart of the Nebraska lineup in the ninth, writing the perfect script for the drama that had unfolded.

For Case Sanderson and Drew Carey, it was time for the dudes to be dudes.  Both of them were 1-4 on the night and both of them had struck out three times.  Both of them are very capable of hitting balls to the gap or over the wall.  What happened over the course of the next nine pitches had to be seen to be believed.

Sanderson hit a hard grounder back up the middle that skipped off the mound and then hopped into centerfield as SC’s shortstop tried to field it.  He then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Troy.  Carey then hit one that the second baseman booted for an error, sending Sanderson to third.  They didn’t have big hits, but they put the bat on the ball and Carey represented the tying run.

With runners on the corners and no outs, Jett Buck muscled a fly ball to right field that was deep enough to allow Sanderson to tag and score.  7-6 Trojans.

Preston Freeman came in to hit in Jesske’s spot and walked.  Freeman, the winning run, was on first base and Carey stood on third.  Troy was definitely feeling the pressure at this point and threw yet another wild pitch.  Carey crossed the plate and the game was tied!  Freeman hustled all the way to third on the wild pitch and got around the tag to put the winning run 90-feet from the plate.  

That brought up Overbeek, who had homered the previous inning, to face Troy.  Stankiewicz saw his closer struggling and in the middle of the at-bat, and brought in a lefty to face Overbeek.  Overbeek switched to the other batter’s box, but Sax Matson got him looking on two pitches.  The damage was done though, and the game was tied 7-7.

In came J’Shawn Unger for the tenth inning.  He did not disappoint the raucous crowd as he struck out all three Trojans he faced and let out a roar on the last one to match the crowd! 

That set the table for the Stokes walk, Moyer bunt and Matson’s wild throw, resulting in the Nebraska dugout emptying to chase down Stokes and Moyer to celebrate in centerfield.  Ball game! 

While this year’s version of the Southern Cal Trojans is not known for its offense, they tried to put the game out of reach early on.  With the wind blowing out to leftfield, they took advantage of a struggling Cooper Katskee, making his first Friday appearance of the season.  With one out in the top of the first, catcher Isaac Cardena sent a blast over the wall near the party porch to put his team up 1-0.

Even though he’s a slow starter, Katskee was not himself tonight as he missed big and left pitches over the plate where the Trojans put the barrel on the ball.  They scored two in the second inning when they started off with three straight hits, a couple of singles wrapped around a double and increased their lead to 3-0 and sending seven batters to the plate.

Edwards used a successful recipe, throwing a first pitch strike and then moving breaking pitches around the strike zone.  In one stretch, he struck out six consecutive Cornhuskers, with none of the Cornhuskers taking a swing at the first strike.

He was good, but he didn’t go the distance and Nebraska made the bullpen pay.  What’s wild is that those relievers from Southern Cal are very good as well.  And, the coaching staff used their three best, so hopefully that bodes well for the Cornhuskers for the remainder of the weekend.

The job done by Jalen Worthley in the middle three innings cannot be lost in everything else that happened tonight.  He shut down the Trojan offense facing only ten batters and took the momentum away from the boys from SoCal to give the Cornhuskers a chance to get on course.  To see him pitching well in recent weeks is a good sign as the team continues the second half of the season.

It is yet to be seen how the teams will respond to the result tonight, but with the weather improving over the course of the next couple of days, Nebraska fans should pour into Haymarket Park to find out.  This is the second heavyweight bout for Nebraska in as many weekends and after tonight, they have picked themselves up off the mat.  You can bet that round two will be a battle as well.

Carson Jasa will take the mound for the Big Red at 2:00 tomorrow against Grant Govel.  Both pitchers are carrying a 7-0 record and both have a 2.13 ERA.   Looks like it will be another good one! 

Notes:

• It sounds like Ty Horn will be in the bullpen the rest of the season.  He may also be that guy that starts a game in a long tournament run if needed.  He has been very effective in this new role the last two games, and having only thrown 11 pitches tonight, he will be available again this weekend.
• Mac Moyer and Jett Buck both had three hits tonight against tough pitching.  Moyer’s bunt was a beauty in the tenth inning.  Buck also had a pair of doubles and two RBI.
• After getting six hits off Cooper Katskee, USC only got three more hits in the game.  Jalen Worthley, Ty Horn, and J’Shawn Unger did not give up a hit.
• While tonight’s win was huge, Nebraska has to win at least one more this weekend to keep hope alive to host a regional.  Nearly as important is to stay at toward the top of the conference standings as with a new tournament format there is a huge advantage to finish the season in the top four.

The Cubs injury list now includes their closer.

Daniel Palencia was added to the 15-day injured list with an oblique strain on Friday.

Palencia, who wasn’t needed in the Cubs’ 12-4 thrashing of the Mets, aided Venezuela to the World Baseball Classic championship before the regular season, and entered the 2026 campaign riding high.

The 26-year-old now joins a long Cubs IL that includes fellow pitchers Matthew Boyd, Phil Maton, Porter Hodge, Hunter Harvey, Jordan Wicks, Ethan Roberts, Justin Steele, Shelby Miller and Cade Horton, along with first baseman Tyler Austin.

Even the team’s No. 1 prospect, pitcher Jaxon Wiggins, is on the IL with right elbow inflammation.

“I felt something weird there,” Palencia said following a bullpen session early Friday. “It got a little tight. Just trying to be smart. Hopefully, I’ll be ready soon.”

Cubs manager Craig Counsell hinted at further testing to determine the exact seriousness of the injury.

“If it lingers, yes, we will,” Counsell said of potential imaging for Palenica. “The fact that his bullpen went well, gives us some optimism. I don’t think he’d be able to do that with a high-grade strain, but we’ll know more in the coming days.”

Palencia became the team’s closer last season, logging 22 saves with 61 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings with a 2.91 ERA.

He began this season with similar ferocity, having yet to allow a run through five innings, recording one save and five strikeouts against two walks.

During the WBC, Palencia pitched five perfect innings with three saves and nine strikeouts to just one walk.

Game Summary

After a long and successful road trip, the Diamondbacks kicked off this six game homestand with a nearly drama-free victory over the defending AL Champs. It felt like a downright walk in the park to have a 3-run lead going into the 9th inning. What sorcery is this?! The Snakes didn’t play mistake-free ball, but they didn’t allow the Jays to capitalize on the mistakes they did make and they fully exploited the mistakes made by the opposition. We used to find ourselves on the other side of these; nice to be on the good side for a change!

Michael Soroka made his first start as an official member of the D-backs top-5 rotation after he beat out Brandon Pfaadt for the final slot once Merrill returned and it was good to see the good results didn’t disappear into thin air. Soroka cruised through his 7 innings of work, only allowing multiple baserunners in 1 of those innings. His strikeout numbers weren’t where he had been over the first few starts, but he was dialing up groundballs early in the count which allowed him to complete the 6th inning for the first time this year and then complete the 7th for good measure.

The defense was mostly wonderful, with the highlight being Geraldo Perdomo’s fantastic ‘tip drill’ double play to pour some water on a late Jays’ rally, but there were a couple miscues. Tim Tawa lost a routine fly ball in the open roof sky resulting in a 1-out double (stranded by Soroka), but the most egregious error of the night came by someone not even wearing an MLB jersey. One of the Golden Glovers down the right field line tried to glove a line drive that had just stayed fair, he knocked it down, which may or may not have helped him out as it rolled slowly to the fence. When Corbin made it to the ball, he grabbed and threw directly to the cutoff man Ildemaro who was playing second base on the night and then Vargas turned and threw a perfect strike from short right field to third base to nab Gimenez at third. Alas, it didn’t count due to the interference from the Golden Glover, but it was a great play to know that we’re capable of and it deserves a second look. Soroka once again was able to strand this double, picking up his defense just like his defense has mostly picked him up throughout the year.

The bullpen did it’s part, taking over a 5-2 advantage and only allowing 1-run. Jonny Lasagna wasn’t quite fully baked, allowing the lone run, but Paul Sewald continues to stack outs, getting a 1-2-3 9th with a strikeout. I’m still fully convinced the wheels will fall of Sewald at some point this year, but I’m really enjoying the display of competence he’s been having currently.

The offense was the final piece of this puzzle tonight and they did a good job capitalizing on opportunities and regularly keeping the pressure on the Jays’ pitchers. The biggest blow came in the 7th when young Jose Fernandez came up with runners at 2nd and 3rd and 2 outs. Fernandez hit a squibber up the first base line and hustled his way to the bag. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fielded the ball cleanly, but either lost concentration or rushed his toss with Fernandez busting it down the line and lost control of the ball in the transfer. The Jays’ pitcher was hustling over himself and found himself in nearly perfect position to pick up the ball and step directly onto the first base bag, but he, too, rushed the whole thing and swatted the ball with his glove instead of picking it up. Fernandez ended up safe at first and 1 run scored on the play. Then Arenado got another big base hit, on top of the homer he hit earlier in the game, by lining a ball to center to score the runner from third and give the bullpen a 3-run lead to play with, a luxury they aren’t accustomed to.

The Blue Jays are hurting right now with many key players on the injured list (which is the only possible reason Joe Mantiply could be on the Jays’ active roster and multiplying runs for us instead of against us now) and possibly another joining that unit is old friend Daulton Varsho who left the game in the second inning with “knee discomfort”. I hope Varsho gets well soon, but the Diamondbacks capitalized on a team that’s not playing good baseball right now and they need to keep that up the rest of the weekend.

Win Probability and Box Score

Comment of the Game

The GameDay Thread was a little slow to get going, and finished with a total of 143 comments at time of publishing. Tonight’s COTG goes to Snake_Bitten concerning longtime dreams coming true:

Coming Up

The Diamondbacks face the defending AL champions for the second game of this 3-game set tomorrow afternoon with a 5:10pm first pitch. Max Scherzer (1-2, 9.58 ERA) will take the mound for Toronto and Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.60 ERA) takes the ball for the good guys.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: the Jays lost and suffered an injury. Daulton Varsho left the game in the third with what’s being described as knee discomfort. It’s not clear what happened, he hadn’t had any particularly awkward plays in the field and he struck out looking in his one at bat. Vladimir Guerrero jr. also jammed a finger recieving a throw at first and had to call time and speak with the trainers. He stayed in the game but was clearly favouring his glove hand. Other than that things went fine, assuming you also ignore the three fielding errors.

The offence continued to sputter. The first baserunner came on an Ernie Clement double with one out in the third. They got creative to manufacture a run in the fourth inning. Myles Straw and Jesus Sanchez singled to put runners on the corners with one out. John Schneider put on the squeeze play with Lenyn Sosa at the plate. He laid down the bunt perfectly, allowing Straw to score but being thrown out at first. After a 1-2-3 fifth inning they added on a second run the old fashioned way, as Straw wrapped a solo home run around the foul pole in left field. In all, they managed two runs on five hits off Michael Soroka, who went seven innings.

Braydon Fisher did a bit of a high wire act as the opener for Toronto. Geraldo Perdomo hit a two out ground rule double and advanced to third when Fisher botched a pickoff throw. A ground out avoided damage, though.

Eric Lauer looked better tonight, sitting more in the 90-92 zone that’s his norm than the 87-89 we saw the last couple of outings as he dealt with illness. He cruised through his first two innings of work before giving up a solo home run to Nolan Arenado in the fourth. He struggled a bit more in the fifth. A walk and a couple of line singles manufactured a second run for the Diamondbacks, and Jose Fernandez snuck a grounder up the middle for a third, making it 3-1.

Arizona picked up another in the seventh. Spencer Miles struck out his first batter but then gave up a single and a walk. A ground out advanced the runners. Miles go Fernandez to tap to first, but Guerrero fumbled the ball trying to make the toss to Miles at the bag, allowing a run to score and prolonging the inning. Arenado lined a single to plate another, making it 5-2.

The Jays got what looked like a rally going in the top of eight, but some tough luck put a damper on it. Heineman and Lukes lead off with back to back singles. Straw hit a soft grounder to second base that bounced off the heel of second baseman Ildemaro Vargas’ glove but right into shortstop perdomo’s hands, allowing him to turn an error into a double play. Vlad managed a broken bat single that at least plated Heineman to cut the gap to 5-3 before Sanchez struck out to end the inning. Joe Mantiply gave the run buack in the bottom half. James McCann singled on a grounder up the middle, and Tim Tawa lined a double to make it 6-3.

Paul Sewald retired the Jays in order to end the inning.

Jays of the Day: No.

Less so: Lauer (-0.13), Miles (-0.14), Okamoto (-0.13)

Game two is at 8:10pm ET tomorrow evening. Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.60) will go for the Diamondbacks, while Max Scherzer (1-2, 9.58) will try to better his dismal recent efforts as he battles forearm tendinitis.

Snow flurries rolled through Coors Field earlier in the day, but once the game began, it was the Los Angeles Dodgers who brought the heat as they defeated the Colorado Rockies 7-1.

First pitch pressure 

Shohei Ohtani set the tone immediately with a leadoff double, and from there, the Dodgers settled into a rhythm that never really broke.

They worked counts, didn’t chase out of the zone, and when they got pitches to hit, they did damage — often in the air. It wasn’t one big inning; it was steady, controlled pressure that built throughout the night. 

Tomoyuki Sugano spent his outing trying to manage that pressure. He battled early and even flashed some resilience, striking out Teoscar Hernández to escape the first inning with limited damage, but the traffic never stopped. The Dodgers consistently forced him into deep counts and hitter’s counts, and the contact followed. 

No wasted at-bats 

Max Muncy delivered the loudest swings, turning a misplaced cutter into a home run in the top of the second. But the story wasn’t just Muncy — it was the entire lineup. There were no empty at-bats, no easy outs, and very few mistakes that went unpunished. 

Sugano’s final line reflected that grind: 4.0 innings, 9 hits, 5 runs, 5 earned, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, 1 home run. He took the loss, falling to 1–1 with a 3.92 ERA, worn down more than blown up. 

One side in control 

The contrast was just as clear on the other side. 

Tyler Glasnow was in complete control, delivering 7.0 innings of two-hit, one-run baseball with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts. He worked efficiently, stayed ahead, and never allowed the Rockies to build momentum. Even when Colorado made contact, it rarely turned into anything sustained. 

The Rockies didn’t strike out excessively, but they were just a bit off — unable to consistently extend counts, unable to string together quality contact, and unable to turn opportunities into runs. Where the Dodgers were deliberate and punishing, Colorado was reactive and scattered. 

The Rockies lone run reflected that. Mickey Moniak doubled, advanced on a groundout, and scored on another ground ball from Troy Johnston. It was a manufactured run — clean, efficient, but isolated. 

Agnos steadies the game 

Zach Agnos provided one of the more important positives for Colorado. Entering after Sugano, Agnos immediately gave up a homer to Muncy — his second of the game.

But ultimately, Agnos settled in and worked 4.0 innings, allowing 3 hits and 2 runs (both earned) with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts, stabilizing a game that had the potential to get out of hand. He attacked the zone, limited traffic, and gave the Rockies length. Agnos didn’t stop the Dodgers, but he did steady the game. 

Brennan Bernardino handled the ninth, allowing one hit and striking out a batter. Colorado used just three pitchers on the night — a quiet but meaningful positive given recent bullpen usage. (There was a brief moment in the third inning where I was wondering if we would see a position player on the mound tonight.) 

No late rally 

The problem was that the gap had already been established. 

Jack Dreyer worked the eighth and ninth for Los Angeles, and the Rockies never mounted a serious threat. A leadoff walk in the ninth provided a brief opening, but it quickly disappeared — a force out, a failed ABS challenge, a strikeout, and a flyout to end it. 

The 7–1 final score felt less about one moment and more about the accumulation of many, well-executed ones — on one side. 

Up Next

The Colorado Rockies will continue their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday at Coors Field.

Right-hander Ryan Feltner (0–2, 5.40 ERA) is expected to take the mound for Colorado, while the Dodgers are slated to counter with right-hander Emmet Sheehan (1–0, 3.27 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. MT. Colorado will look for a better result against a Dodgers team that has shown few weaknesses early this season. 

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Brent Headrick was solid in getting out of a jam he inherited in the seventh and David Bednar picked up his sixth save of the season in a 4-2 win over Kansas City on Friday in The Bronx. 

But even on a night when the bullpen was mostly good, Camilo Doval nearly spoiled it for the Yankees. 

The right-hander gave up a game-tying homer to Kansas City’s Vinnie Pasquantino, the latest chapter in another poor stretch from Doval — who also gave up a home run to Mike Trout in a loss to the Angels in his previous outing Monday. 

He’s allowed seven runs in six innings over his last seven appearances. 

Aaron Boone said Doval has been “really good, sharp [and] the strike-throwing is there.” 

But the manager acknowledged he’s made mistakes to Trout and then to Pasquantino, who got Doval with two out and no one on in a one-run game. 

“He missed in the slug zone, but the three outs around that were really good,” Boone said. “I know he’s gotten hurt with a couple of long balls. He’s close to being dialed in.” 

Boone and the Yankees have little choice but to keep going to Doval, who was expected to be the setup man. 

“He’s gonna be in the fire,” Boone said. “The good thing is he’s got all the equipment to get it done. If he can just get the last layer of consistency, the stuff and way of throwing is there.” 

While Anthony Volpe continued his rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Friday, José Caballero was at shortstop again in The Bronx. 

The results continue to be mixed, as Caballero has struggled at times in the field and was woeful at the plate until a recent uptick. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

When the Yankees acquired Caballero last year from Tampa Bay, he was expected to be a utility player with great speed and defensive versatility — and not the everyday shortstop. He appeared in games at short, second and third last year, as well as left and right field. 

Caballero said he’s fine returning to that role whenever Volpe gets back to the majors following offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. 

“I wish him the best,” Caballero said prior to Friday’s game. “I hope he’s healthy as soon as he can be.” 

I try to focus on myself and the team and help as much as I can.” 

Boone said he spoke to league officials Friday and acknowledged the balk called during Thursday’s loss to the Angels was the right one. 

Boone wanted clarity on the play where first base umpire Ryan Additon called left-hander Ryan Yarbrough for a balk when he attempted a pickoff at first with runners on first and second. 

On the play, first baseman Ben Rice was away from the bag and the play involved him going over to the base as Yarbrough threw to the bag — which was more of a challenge with Rice being “a moving target.” 

Boone said he was told the issue was that Yarbrough’s throw didn’t go directly to first base. 

“The reality is you’ve got to get it to the base when it’s unoccupied,” Boone said. “It definitely didn’t get to the base. My contention was intent and vicinity should have mattered. We were trying to throw to first base. It was a little behind and [Rice] had to adjust. So I understand the call. I certainly accept that. We’ve got to do a better job on a play like that.” 

He added that despite their problem with the play, the Yankees won’t hesitate to try it again. 

The Yankees entered Friday tied for 11th in their success rate for challenging pitches at the plate, according to Statcast. 

Cody Bellinger challenged successfully Friday, but they lost both challenges in Thursday’s loss and Boone wasn’t thrilled with either attempt, as Trent Grisham and Jazz Chisholm Jr. missed. 

“I thought our two challenges [Thursday] weren’t great,’’ Boone said before Friday’s game. 

But he doesn’t want them to stop challenging. 

“We’re trying to learn from all of them,’’ Boone said of the ABS system. 

The hottest team in baseball, the coldest game in franchise history.

And a California kid on the mound, battling the inclement elements, this time beating the 35-degree chill.

Last April, a deluge in Philadelphia derailed the Dodgers and Tyler Glasnow in a frustrating defeat against the Phillies.

On Friday, in his first game at Coors Field, the Dodgers’ towering right-hander proved his manager Dave Roberts right: “He’s grown exponentially. I don’t see that these conditions are going to affect him today.”

Indeed not. The former Santa Clarita Hart High standout got the better of the weather and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. And his Dodgers teammates put runs on the board like they were logs in the fireplace, scoring at least one run every inning until the sixth inning en route to a breezy 7-1 victory.

Sparked by Max Muncy’s leadoff home runs in the second and fifth innings, the hot hitters up and down the Dodgers’ lineup sapped the suspense from the first of a four-game wraparound series.

Most of the crowd of 28,783 loved to see it. Thousands of dutifully bundled Dodgers supporters chanted and cheered as their boys in blue notched their 15th victory in 19 games, maintaining momentum in the first game of a 13-consecutive-game stretch.

Colorado right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano took the loss after leaving the game after the fourth inning with the Rockies trailing 5-0, having given up five runs on nine hits and thrown 91 pitches (just 51 of them for strikes).

Conversely, Glasnow (2-0) got the win, going seven innings and yielding just one run and two hits, striking out seven and walking two on 92 pitches. The Rockies (7-13) scored only in the fourth inning, when Troy Johnston’s groundout pushed across Mickey Moniak to make it 5-1.

The Dodgers’ first run came on much more quickly, when Will Smith’s one-out sacrifice fly brought home Shohei Ohtani, who’d led off the game with a double — he went two for three off Sugano on Friday, making the Dodgers’ superstar six for seven all time against his countryman.

Smith’s first RBI was his ninth this season, in his 35th game at the famously hitter-friendly park, though he still had another in him.

Muncy’s 434-foot home run in the second made it 2-0 and his double down the line in the third drove in Smith, who’d reached on a broken-bat single that sent Roberts scurrying in the dugout. That gave the Dodgers their third run before Andy Pages’ sacrifice brought home Freddie Freeman to make it 4-0.

The Dodgers pushed it to 5-0 in the fourth inning when Smith singled to left to score Kyle Tucker, who’d doubled off the center field wall.

And then Muncy led off the fifth with his second solo shot, giving him his 21st career multi-homer game, and his fourth at Coors Field. After Alex Freeland hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Pages, the Dodgers led 7-1.

Hyeseong Kim was one of three Dodgers who didn’t score, but the speedy South Korean reached on a single and a walk and twice stole second.

For all the contributors keeping warm up and down the Dodgers’ lineup, the members of the Rockies’ ground crew were the real heroes of Friday’s game. They plowed the outfield grass and shoveled away the couple inches of snow that piled up between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to prepare a playable field by gametime at 6:40 p.m.

In the second game of the four-game series Saturday, Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60) is expected to face the Rockies’ right-hander Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30).

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

DENVER –– As snow fell from the sky and temperatures plunged into 30s outside, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sat in his office at Coors Field on Friday afternoon and reminisced on the coldest game he ever played.

“I think I recall in Buffalo, I played in April in 2000,” Roberts said, thinking all the way back to his minor-league days. “Snow, wind, cold. I mean, it was in the 20s. Miserable.”

The kind of conditions, he added, that make for a “mindset game.”

The Dodgers’ series-opener against the Colorado Rockies later that night wasn’t quite as bad. The snow let up a few hours before first pitch. The grounds crew was able to clear the field of its thick white coating. And while the 35-degree reading at first pitch was the lowest on record in Dodgers history, it was a “dry cold,” Roberts joked, after the skies finally cleared.

Still, such a setting posed a challenge, almost “testing your soul a little bit,” as Roberts quipped.

Then, during a 7-1 win, his team passed in every phase.

“You can’t complain about it,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “You got to go out there. They have to play through it also.”

In a relentless offensive onslaught, the Dodgers (15-4) scored in each of the first five innings to jump out to a big early lead.

In a seven-inning, one-run gem, Tyler Glasnow preserved the advantage against the Rockies (7-13) and their woeful lineup, striking out seven batters despite the frigid weather.

Muncy led the way at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and an RBI double after entering the game in a 1-for-17 skid.

Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith also had two hits, while Andy Pages and Hyeseong Kim each reached base twice.

It was everything Roberts was hoping to see pregame, when he challenged his hitters to “overcome the cold.”

“It’s gonna be uncomfortable. Your hands are gonna hurt,” he said. “This is one of those days you’ve just got to kind of hunker down and lock in for three hours and lock in for your four at-bats or five at-bats and give the best effort.”

The same went for Glasnow, who turned in his best start of the season while showing further growth and maturation –– especially compared to this time last year, when he came unglued during another bad weather day in the rain in Philadelphia.

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“I think he’s grown exponentially,” Roberts said.

For him and the rest of the team, it was mind over matter.

What it means

The Dodgers just keep on rolling during this opening month.

They’ve now won four in a row, 11 of the last 13 and are the first team in the majors to reach the 15-win mark.

Glasnow’s performance continued a particularly strong run from the starting rotation, marking the third time in this four-game winning streak the Dodgers have gotten at least seven innings from their pitcher.

“I’m usually super hot and sweaty, so it was almost nice,” Glasnow said. “My body temperature is so high to where I went out there and didn’t feel cold, didn’t sweat a ton … I think just feeling good was helpful.”

Who’s hot

Muncy had been in a cold spell following his three-run homer game last week.

All it took was the cold Colorado temps, apparently, to heat his bat back up.

In the second inning, he jumped on a down-the-middle cutter from Tomoyuki Sugano and slugged a 452-foot solo blast deep to center. In the fifth, he turned on an inside cutter from reliever Zach Angos and pulled another solo drive 419 feet.

In between that, Muncy also accomplished a quirky season-first, when he lined an RBI double into the right-field corner to key a two-run rally.

Before that, all five of Muncy’s RBIs on the season had come via solo homers. When Smith crossed the plate on his double, he became the first batter other than Muncy himself that the third baseman had driven in this year.

“I really like the things that I’m working on,” Muncy said, after raising his batting average back up to .254. “I just need to get it to take hold in the game and once that happens, I feel like things are really going to start taking off.”

Who’s not

Sugano.Especially when he faces Ohtani.

Entering Friday, Ohtani had faced his fellow Japanese countryman twice in their careers: Going 2-for-2 in a Nippon Professional Baseball league game in Japan before Ohtani came over to the majors, then going 2-for-2 again with two home runs during Sugano’s debut MLB season with the Baltimore Orioles last year.

Now a member of the Rockies, Sugano didn’t have much better luck when Ohtani and the Dodgers arrived at Coors Field.

Ohtani led the game off with a double, extending his on-base streak to 49 games before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Smith later in the inning. In the second, Ohtani then singled, adding to an eventual total of nine hits that the Dodgers collected off Sugano in his four-inning, five-run, 91-pitch grind of an outing.

The good news for Sugano: He finally retired Ohtani on a ground ball in the fourth.

By then, however, the Dodgers were already putting the game out of reach.

Up next

The Dodgers and Rockies continue their series on Saturday, and this time there’s no snow in the forecast. Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA) will square off against Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30) for the 5:10 p.m. PT first pitch.

The temperature in Denver was a frigid 35 degrees at first pitch, but the bats of the Dodgers stayed red hot. Max Muncy led the Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense with two solo home runs in their 7–1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on a snowy Friday night at Coors Field.

Baseball was ready to be played at Coors Field after five hours of snow removal and field preparation by the impressive Rockies grounds crew before first pitch.

The cold never bothered Max Muncy anyway.

The Dodgers slugger went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, two runs, and three RBI. Every hitter in the lineup sans Teoscar Hernandez had a base hit on the night.

After a day off at the plate, but not the mound, Shohei Ohtani collected his first base hit since Sunday to extend his on-base streak to 49 games. The lead-off double was scorched down the right field line on two strikes.

The Dodgers got on the board first thanks to a Will Smith sac fly.

Muncy, bundled up under his jersey for warmth, doubled the score in the next inning with a huge home run 435-feet over the center field wall.

Glasnow attacked the strike zone early and mowed down four straight Colorado batters. He cruised through seven innings and only allowed two hits.

Muncy doubled in a third run for the Dodgers with one out in the top of the third. Freddie Freeman scored the fourth run on a Pages sac fly.

Sugano served up the third double of the night to Kyle Tucker with one out in the fourth. Smith drove in Tucker to make it a 5-0 Dodgers lead.

The Rockies picked up a run on an RBI groundout by Troy Johnston in the bottom half of the fourth. Mickey Moniak doubled and scored for the Rox.

Muncy was in maximum form. He hit his second leadoff home run of the game, a solo shot off Colorado reliever Zach Agnos in the fifth.

The hit parade continued as Andy Pages and Hyeseong Kim both singled. Pages scored on a Freeland sac fly which looked like it should have been an out for anyone but the Rockies.

Hernandez was the only one without a hit in the Dodgers lineup. Hernandez struck out to end the sixth and break the string of five straight innings of runs scored. He ended up going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.

Jake Dreyer pitched two scoreless innings out of the Dodgers bullpen and struck out three to shut the door on the Rockies for the series opener win.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Max Muncy 2 (6)

WP — Tyler Glasnow (2-0): 7 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts (92 pitches)

LP — Tomoyuki Sugano (1-1): 4 IP, 9 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts (91 pitches)

Notes: Hyeseong Kim stole multiple bases (2) for the first time this season. Max Muncy has second multi-homer game of the season.

Up next

Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) looks for his third straight win for the Dodgers when he starts Saturday night (5:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA). Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30 ERA, 1.70 WHIP) takes the ball for the Rockies.

The much anticipated MLB debut of pitching prospect Coleman Crow resulted in a Milwaukee Brewers victory to extend the winning now to three games. An immediate course correction following a six game losing streak in the preceding games.

Coleman Crow, the Crew’s 23rd ranked prospect, showed off his impressive arsenal of five pitches against the Marlins, highlighted by a curveball that averaged 3,022 RPMs and 18 inches of horizontal break with 66 inches of drop. All of that equals pure filth.

At the end of the day, Crow went 5.1 IP, scattering four hits, allowing two earned runs, with one walk and four strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches, so he remained fairly efficient and put the Brewers in an excellent spot to win.

DL Hall came on in reliever of Crow in the 6th and was charged with his first earned run of the season when he gave up a homer to Otto Lopez. He was the last remaining pitcher on the Brewers staff to have not given up a run this season.

Meanwhile, on the offensive end, the Brewers were Brewers-ing again. Garrett Mitchell’s infield single with the bases loaded gave the Crew their first run of the game. Then Greg Jones followed with an RBI groundout. Jones promptly stole second base and Agustin Ramirez’s throw went into the outfield, allowing a third run to score.

The Brewers added some insurance in the 6th inning when Luis Rengifo doubled home Jake Bauers. Rengifo was in the midst of an 0-for-20 stretch coming into this game, but he had a huge night to break out of that going 2-for-4 with a run and RBI.

It was a 4-3 game in the 8th inning when Angel Zerpa came out of the Brewers bullpen and gave up an RBI double to Agustin Ramirez. That tied the game at 4 and gave the Marlins huge momentum. But Abner Uribe got the job done in the 9th to send the game to extras.

In extras, the Brewers took advantage of mistakes yet again. With the bases loaded, Luis Rengifo went first pitch swinging and hit a grounder to second. Xavier Edwards’ throw home was wide, allowing Brice Turang to score. Then it was Garrett Mitchell’s turn and he ripped a double to the opposite field to bring home two more and make it a 7-4 Brewers lead.

That’s what they handed to Trevor Megill, who was placed back in a save situation, and although he allowed the Manfred Man on 2nd to come around to score, he got the job done and secured a 7-5 Brewers victory.

Next up for the Crew will be a battle of the grizzled veteran aces with Brandon Woodruff and Sandy Alcantara.

Eugenio Suárez knew the Cincinnati Reds had just gone out and traded for Ke’Bryan Hayes last summer when he chose to sign with his old club again this winter. Geno surely knew of Hayes’ chops defensively as well as his contract – one that could run all the way through 2030 if the Reds so choose.

Geno inked his one-year deal to return under the premise that he’d get some time at 1B, perhaps. Sal Stewart, though, has looked the part as one of the best hitters in the game already while manning that spot. That meant DH was very much in the cards for Geno, even though he knew that he’d get a start here or there at his old home at the hot corner from time to time.

One of those here-theres came on Friday night in Minneapolis as the Reds began their road trip. It also just happened to be on a vintage April night in Minnesota, a night that had wind chills in the 20s and the ball played about as dead as it could.

No problem for Geno, though. Cincinnati’s old 3B turned tonight’s 3B put in a defensive performance for the books, making a trio of vital plays with the glove at the hot corner in a 2-1 Reds win where just about every batted ball could have otherwise determined the game. Oh, and he also went 2 for 4 with a 2-run double that was the single biggest hit of the low-scoring affair, a performance that was 100% good enough to earn tonight’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game.

Other Notes

• Brandon Williamson, a native of central Minnesota and one-time gigantic Twins fan, got the start in Minneapolis tonight. He had literally hundreds of friends and family in the stand to watch, and he turned in a rock solid outing. He fired 5.1 IP of 1 ER ball, scattering a trio of hits and fanning a pair. He seemed to get squeezed just a bit on the top and bottom of the zone on the night – he did walk 4 guys – but many of the pitches that didn’t go his way were pretty textbook execution while missing by hairs. The Twins hitters just simply didn’t bite despite the placement.
• Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan, and Emilio Pagan – who returned from his tight hammy – looked brilliant again down in the ‘pen. Cincinnati is now what, 10-0 in games decided by two runs or less this season? That’s the mark of a bullpen that’s completely locked-in.
• The Reds have a 3B who hits and, when he gets the chance, can make plays like he did tonight. I think that’s the guy they should be playing at 3B everyday, personally.
• It was cooold, and balls died left and right all night. Nate Lowe, who got the start at DH, tanked a 105.4 mph laser to CF in the Top of the 7th at 24 degrees off the bat only for it to die casually at the warning track 402 feet away. On a decent day in GABP, that would’ve hit the batter’s eye.
• Geno’s pair of RBI gave him 960 for his career, to date. That ties him with Hall of Famer Barry Larkin on the career ribbie list.
• Andrew Abbott gets the start on Saturday and it’s an afternoon affair. Taj Bradley will go for the Twins (a righty), with first pitch set for 4:10 PM ET.

Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Angels are mourning the loss of Garret Anderson, who died at the age of 53, the team announced on April 17.

Anderson played 17 MLB seasons, most of them in Anaheim from 1994 to 2008, before playing for the Braves and Dodgers for one season, each. He was a three-time All-Star and named All-Star Game MVP in 2003. He was named a Silver Slugger Award-winner in 2002 and 2003. Anderson helped the Angels win the World Series in 2002.

He was named to the Angels Hall of Fame and the ballclub honored him during their Friday game against the San Diego Padres.

More: Appreciate Garret Anderson's greatness – even if late Angels star strived to lay low

"The Angels organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons," said Angels owner Arte Moreno in a statement. “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success.

"Garret will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Angels fans for his professionalism, class, and loyalty throughout his career and beyond. His admiration and respect for the game was immeasurable. We extend our deepest condolences to Garret’s wife Teresa, daughters Brianne and Bailey, son Garret ‘Trey’ Anderson III, and his entire family.”

To kick off tonight’s game, JJ Wetherholt singled on a ground ball to third baseman Carlos Correa. Iván Herrera flew out to center fielder Taylor Trammell for the first out of the game.

Alec Burleson singled on a line drive to center fielder Taylor Trammell. JJ Wetherholt advanced to 3rd.

Jordan Walker singled on a sharp line drive to center fielder Taylor Trammell. JJ Wetherholt scored. Alec Burleson ran over to 3rd. It was 1-0 Cardinals!

Leahy looked good in the first inning. The Cardinals were up again and Church singled, and was then erased by a Pedro Pages ground into double play. Victor Scott II grounded out. 1-0 Cards still.

The top of the 3rd began with both Wetherholt and Herrera getting hit by a pitch. Neither were hurt. Alec Burleson walked to load the bases, but then Jordan Walker struck out. And then Nolan Gorman struck out. Right when it seemed like we would have another LOBster fest, Masyn Winn hit a seeing eye single between the 3rd baseman and shortstop! This would score two runs, Herrera and Burly. Nathan Church logged the third strikeout of the inning, but it was now 3-0 Cardinals!

After striking out multiple batters and looking like a good starting pitcher to begin the game, Kyle Leahy gave up solo home runs to Christian Vazquez and Yordan Alvarez! 3-2 Cardinals. It can never be easy, can it? Leahy has been good in innings 1 & 2, but once the third inning comes around, his effectiveness falls off a cliff so far this season.

In a hilarious beginning to the 4th inning, Pedro Pages hit a screaming double towards the left field line but still well fair, and Astros left fielder Joey Loperfido threw the ball directly into the ground. Even though the Astros stadium had a roof, the field looked wet and even sloshy, but not super obvious. I am not sure if the ball stuck to his hand somehow or what but it was awkward. Pedro Pages advanced to third on the throwing error.

Victor Scott II struck out, then JJ Wetherholt grounded out… Pedro Pages hit was not wasted though, Ivan Herrera singled sharply to center, scoring Pages!

To end the inning for the Cardinals, Alec Burleson struck out.

The Cardinals were up 4-2 and Kyle Leahy was still in the game. Could he keep it at just 2 runs?

Cardinals challenged the play at 1st, the call on the field was upheld: Christian Walker reached on a fielding error by first baseman Alec Burleson. Loperfido grounded out. Christian Walker was at second. Catcher interference was called on Pedro Pages. Runners at first and second, 1 out. Taylor Trammell singled on a hit that was batted down by an awesome play by JJ Wetherholt, who almost had it in his glove. This ended up preventing a run because Kyle Leahy was able to strike out Christian Vasquez and Isaac Paredes, ending the inning!

He could hold it to two runs even with the bases loaded! This would be his 6th strikeout of the game!

The new guard of Cardinals could not do anything this inning, Walker and Gorman both struck out, then Winn grounded out.

Leahy was out again to pitch the 5th, and gave up another solo shot to Altuve! 4-3 Cardinals.

Despite a Church walk to begin the 6th inning, Pages, Scott and Wetherholt all failed to do anything about it.

Much to the cringe of some, Justin Bruihl relieved Kyle Leahy for the 6th inning. Justin Bruihl danced through the inning, unscathed. Loperfido, Smith, Trammell, 1-2-3.

The 7th inning was the Cardinals inning to break out. After Herrera flew out, Burleson almost hit a home run! It was a double off the wall towards left center. Then Jordan Walker got on base with a walk. After Gorman had looked kind of dejected most of the night, he clobbered one over the left field wall, a moon shot! This three run home run put the Cardinals up 7-3 and took the edge off this game, big time!

JoJo Romero made short order of the Houston lineup. We are blessed to have him on the team. I will enjoy it while I can, surely he will be good trade bait and we will not compete this season.

The Cardinals offense would not be done for the night. The 8th inning brought more rewards. While the inning began without promise, Pages and Scott ground out and strike out, respectively, the never give up attitude of the Cardinals offense was on display with a JJ Wetherholt walk, an excellent at bat… which set up #2 hitter Ivan Herrera, who was due! Herrera launched one in Houston, off the left field terrace wall (is that what it is called?). 9-3 Cardinals!!!

Ryne Stanek was into the game to pitch the 8th. Stanek toyed with Cardinals fans with a juggling feat involving high WHIP and a near disaster, but he also struck out the side and only gave up a run. What a miracle!

The Cardinals didn’t do anything in the 9th so it was up to George Soriano to finish it off, and he did! Altuve, Alvarez, and Carlos Correa all put down by big George.

• Wetherholt on base 2 out of 5 times in the leadoff spot, a hit and a walk
• Herrera hit his 2nd home run of the year and it was a 3 RBI shot!
• Burly was the WPA player of the game, narrowly edging out Herrera because he was on base 3 times tonight
• Walker extended his hitting streak to 12 games early in the game tonight!
• Masyn Winn had a key hit and was also a WPA player of the game along with Herrera and Burleson… Winn had 2 RBI on the night from that 1 hit
• Gorman matched Herrera’s three run home run with one of his own!
• Church and Pages actually contributed tonight but VSii was 0-4
• Astros starter Peter Lambert was bad enough tonight to have the worst WPA effect on the game…
• Except for bullpen arm Bryan Abreu who was even worse! 2 hits, 3 ER, a HR, in 6 batters faced

The Astros don’t seem to be the level of quality team we are used to, at least after watching this one game.

Next game is 6:10 CDT in Houston! Cardinals win 9-4 tonight, perhaps their most solid win of the season, even though Kyle Leahy was a bit shaky and the bullpen a little bit iffy.

Joe Ryan was good enough to win, but the Twins were 0-for-everything with RISP and you don’t win too many games that way. Inning-by-inning notes:

1: Joe Ryan’s Express sends the Reds down on 11 pitches. Brandon Williamson does the same with 14.

Von Ryan’s Express was a late-60s Frank Sinatra movie involving Toughness and Action to prove Sinatra was still a big star. It did make money. This was around the same time Sinatra was hanging around the set of Rosemary’s Baby to make sure his wife Mia Farrow didn’t have any sexy scenes with co-star John Cassavetes. Sinatra was a talented dude but he definitely had… issues.

2: Rookie star Sal Stewart leads off with a single, but doesn’t score, leaving him Only The Lonely at 2B.

Radio Guy Kris Atteberry says that “none other than Pat Reusse told me” Williamson making the majors is the biggest news to hit Sherburn, MN, since some other sports thing that happened in Sherburn. To which my thought was “wait Pat Reusse is still around?” To be fair, when he writes Twins history he generally does a good job. Twins hitters do not do a good job.

3: This game is sure zipping right along, which means the last three innings will have about 50 pitching changes and replay challenges. Byron Buxton makes a nice catch. He is very good at The Routes.

Matt Wallner gets HBP. That’s his third on the season. Backup catcher Victor Caratini has four. Former Twins catcher A.J. Pierzynski always used to get HBP a lot, but it wasn’t because he leaned out over the plate or anything. It’s ‘cause A.J. was a mean little trash-talking pest. On the field, that is. Maybe off the field he rescues lost puppies. And then eats them.

Anyhoo Buxton smacks a two-out single to move Wallner up. Austin Martin gets an eight-pitch walk. Bringing up Luke Keaschall, who is having a hard time getting going so far this year. He’s still having a hard time. He takes Strike Three, challenges the call, loses the challenge. It WAS really, really close, barely nicking the corner.

4: A one-out double by Snoop Dogg’s favorite Red, Elly De La Cruz. Stewart hits one right to Ryan Kreidler and he makes the throwing boo-boo; De La Cruz advances. Stewart steals second. Eugenio Suárez whacks a hanging breaking ball for a double, and Atteberry tells us “that error really hurts the Twins,” which is helpful because otherwise we wouldn’t have known. Ryan does strand Suárez, so the Twins don’t have to give up out of futile despair just yet. Be nice if they hit something against the bottom of the Cincinnati rotation, though. I spelled Cincinnati right on only two tries.

They do not hit anything against the bottom of the Cincinnati rotation. Reds 2-0

5: I put too much mustard on my hot dog and slopped a big amount on my shirt. I’m going to take this as an omen. We’ve piled too many early-season hopes on the Twins and it’s all gonna start oozing away. OR, because it’s a black shirt, the mustard won’t stain, AKA that 2-run-inning won’t stain this game. That’s the fun with omens, you can always read ‘em any way you want to.

Also, IS there such a thing as too much mustard on a hot dog?

Leadoff walk to Wallner. Ryan Kreidler tries bunting for a hit but it goes foul; he ends up taking the walk, though. Then Buxton walks. Austin Martin hits one hard into the alley and Will Benson makes a nice sliding catch to keep it just a sac fly; Wallner scores.

Then still-struggling Luke Keaschall says “the mustard was a BAD omen” and grounds into the inning-ending DP. Redlegs 2-1

6: Atteberry and Dan Gladden are having a fascinating argument about whether a whole bat just flew into the stands or just MOST of the bat because it broke real close to the handle. I am lying about this; it is NOT a fascinating argument. 1-2-3 for Ryan.

The OTHER Ryan, Jeffers, somehow pops up a pitch below the strike zone, and Josh Bell singles. Williamson now gone; Connor Phillips comes in with a 2.38 ERA. The Reds’ pen has been good so far this year. They do have old friend Emilio Pagán on the staff, but he’s got “a tight hammy and probably will be unavailable considering the chilly conditions,” per falcolntimmy. Alas. Bell doesn’t get any further.

7: Justin “On” Topa “Spaghetti” in for the Twins. Suárez greets him with a single. Then Buxton does his Jumpman thing at the wall for a loud first out. Jumpman was a 1983 video game I played on a Commodore 64; I copied it from a friend. On tape. Yes, you could load programs via cassette tapes in those days. I am older than most of you. Topa starts a nice 1-4-3 DP.

Graham Ashcraft (1.80 ERA) in. Gets one out, then Trevor Larnach (pinch-hitting for Kreidler) takes a walk; Tristan Gray (whoooo?) pinch-runs. Austin Martin singles… bringing up Keaschall again. I don’t need to tell you what happens next.

8: Kody FunderburK pitching. Keaschall at least makes a nice fielding play on a bunt.

Tony Santillan (0.00 ERA) in. Jeffers singles; Bell flies out. Caratini moves up Jeffers on a FC; James Outman now running for Jeffers. Matt Wallner (also struggling) on with two outs. Hits it hard (110.3) but it’s still an easy flyout.

9: Cole “Alberta Tar” Sands pitching. De La Cruz takes a one-out walk. Stewart beats out the back end of a DP; the guy can hit dingers (7 so far) and be fast, too. Suárez takes Strike Three for the last out. Atteberry with an actual useful fact; the Reds are 8-0 on games decided by two runs or less. I mean I saw their ERAs on BRef and I knew the bullpen was doing well, so it’s not THAT useful, but it’s not arguing about bat shards.

Guess what! It IS Pagán!

Brooks Lee pops up the first pitch. Gray strikes out. Buxton is fast but not fast enough on a grounder; Twins lose.

Studs: Joe Ryan (6.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K), Minnesota boy Brandon Willamson, and both teams’ bullpens. Duds: Keaschall, Wallner.

COTG go goose for reacting to to the early (incorrect) news that Pagán was unavailable: “Noooooooooooooooo (our one shot at winning!),” SooFoo for the ninth-inning “Can’t believe Pagán is about to ruin another twins game,” and sandwiches for “50 Shades of Tristan Gray”

History COTG to Nagurski for “The reds to me are a kind of mirror of the cowboys in the nfl… both teams become good in the late 60s but are kept from winning the whole enchilada, for the cowboys it was the Packers and colts and the reds were blocked by the pirates, Orioles and the A’s until both broke thru in the 70s. The big red machine was loaded and played in the second best world series ever, the 75 red sox series which was one of the last I remember with Gowdy broadcasting”

See, there’s ONE of you older than me. Thanks to everybody who joined in on the gamethread.

Tomorrow’s game is at 1:10, featuring something called an Andrew Abbott against red-hot Taj Bradley.