Category: Baseball

The Houston Astros (8-11), who enter tonight’s game on a seven-game home winning streak, look to secure a series sweep tonight in the finale of their three-game series vs. the Colorado Rockies (6-12).

Astros starter RHP Ryan Weiss (0-2, 7.36 ERA) will transition from the bullpen to the rotation to make his first Major League start tonight as he opposes the Rockies and their opener RHP Juan Mejia (0-2, 5.40 ERA).

TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP Ryan Weiss, who’s made five relief appearances this season, is back pitching in the United States in 2026 after spending the last two seasons in the KBO.

He made 46 career starts in Korea for the Hanwha Eagles and posted a 3.16 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP and 305 strikeouts in 270.1 innings over those two seasons.

The Astros signed him to a Major League deal in December.

VS. THE ROCKIES: The Astros were swept by the Rockies last week in a three-game series at Coors Field (April 6-9), which was the Astros first sweep at the hands of the Rockies since a four-game series from May 28-31, 2012. After the 2012 season, the Astros have not lost a season series against the Rockies, winning seven times and splitting twice.

FLEET WEEK HOUSTON: In honor of Fleet Week Houston, a ceremonial first pitch will be thrown out by U.S. Navy Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Tarren Foreman from Lufkin, Texas. A special Play Ball Call will be made by Admiral Karl Thomas, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

TONIGHT’S SPECIAL GUESTS: Astros closer LHP Josh Hader will host a group of kids from BEAR at Thursday’s game as a part of his Hader’s Heart program. The group will also get to experience BP and talk with Hader on the field prior to the game.

TAXI SQUAD ADDITION: The Astros have added RHP Peter Lambert to the Major League Taxi Squad.

A former Rockie, Lambert has spent his 2026 season at Triple A Sugar Land, posting a 1.84 ERA (3ER/14.2IP) in three games (two starts).

ON THE OFFENSIVE: The Astros lead the American League in several key offensive categories: Runs, AVG, OPS, OBP, SLG, Total Bases

THE ORDER: The Astros have used 19 different batting orders in their 19 games so far this season.

Only LF Yordan Alvarez has started every game in the same spot in the batting order (batting second).

HOT START: LF Yordan Alvarez ranks first in the AL in extra-base hits (13), total bases (48), OPS (1.250), SLG (.762) and OBP (.488), ranks tied for first in walks (17), tied for second in RBI (17), tied for third in doubles (6), and tied for fourth in batting average (.333) and runs scored (15).

MR. 2000: 2B Jose Altuve has appeared in 1,994 career games and is looking to become the third player in franchise history to reach 2,000 career games, which would join him with Craig Biggio (2,850) and Jeff Bagwell (2,150).

Only four active players have reached 2,000 career games: Andrew McCutchen (2,274), Carlos Santana (2,212), Freddie Freeman (2,197) and Paul Goldschmidt (2,081).

HARD TO HIT: RHP Kai-Wei Teng, just the second Taiwanese-born player to appear with the Astros in their history, has held opponents to 5×34 on the season for a .147 opponent average.

Overall, Teng has gone 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA (3ER/9.2IP), a 0.93 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 9.2 innings in relief.

ON THE MEND:LHP Bennett Sousa (left oblique strain) is currently on a rehab assignment with Double A Corpus Christi and is next scheduled to pitch tomorrow for the Hooks…Sousa was an integral member of the Astros bullpen in 2025, posting a 5-1 record with four saves and 2.84 ERA (16ER/50.2IP) in 44 appearances.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, April 16, 7:10 p.m. CST

Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Streaming: SCHN+

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Series finale.

⚾️: 7:10pm
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 & 740 AM | Spanish: 102.9 HD2#ChaseTheFight x @reliantenergypic.twitter.com/E8capC4u5h

— Houston Astros (@astros) April 16, 2026

Last one before we head home! pic.twitter.com/K6lgNjnPdS

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 16, 2026

The Bronx was burning — particularly in the stands.

A massive brawl broke out in the seats on a steamy 87-degree Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium during the top of the sixth inning of the Yankees’ 11-4 loss to the Angels.

In a video posted to X, a group of fans was seen throwing punches in the second deck down the left field line as several people tried to intervene and de-escalate the situation.

Early in the clip, one man grabbed another by the throat before he was restrained and brought to the ground.

Another fan wearing a gray Gerrit Cole jersey threw a flurry of punches, with none of them appearing to connect as the rowdy bunch worked its way down the section’s stairs.

fight in my section pic.twitter.com/H3SOZp7dz2

— matthew (@batistanem516) April 16, 2026

“Holy s–t!” one fan could be heard saying in the clip.

One fan in a red shirt is seen being restrained toward the end of the 20-second clip as cooler heads seemingly prevailed.

Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger, who was the closest fielder to the melee, appeared to turn his head and observe the brawl in between pitches.

The brawl unfolded as the Angels staged a comeback in the sixth inning, scoring four runs to take a 6-4 lead.

Los Angeles would later break the game open, powered by Mike Trout’s historic fifth home run of the four-game series and a grand slam from Jo Adell.

The Yankees start a three-game series with the Royals on Friday night before heading on the road to face the rival Red Sox in Boston.

The Athletics entered the fourth and final game of their series against the Texas Rangers seeking a third straight win and a series victory, but the Rangers instead earned a split with a 9-6 win in a wild, wind-swept finale.

Making his second home start of the season, A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez was sharp early, only throwing 25 pitches, striking out two and allowing just one walk over his first two innings. Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter was similarly sharp, issuing just one walk to A’s designated hitter Shea Langeliers in his first two innings of work.

The Rangers broke through in the third. With one out, shortstop Ezequiel Duran doubled, and right fielder Brandon Nimmo followed with an RBI single to make it 1–0, but Lopez retired the next two hitters to limit the damage.

The A’s attempted to answer back immediately. With two outs in the bottom of the third, second baseman Jeff McNeil was hit by a pitch and then Langeliers got the A’s first hit of the game, a single to left. First baseman Nick Kurtz walked to load the bases for left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, who smacked a hard line drive that Nimmo caught in right field to end the hosts’ two-out rally. Through the first few innings, A’s hitters made plenty of hard contact off of Leiter, but failed to score.

Lopez worked around a leadoff double by Josh Jung to keep the Athletics deficit at one. The bottom of the fourth was another wasted scoring chance for the “Green and Gold”. After Carlos Cortes and Lawrence Butler singled, Leiter buckled down, getting the next two hitters to groundout to escape another jam unscathed. It marked the second-straight inning in which the A’s left multiple runners in scoring position.

In the fifth inning, Lopez lost his command, issuing three straight walks. With the bases loaded, Rangers first baseman Jake Burger continued his strong series with a sacrifice fly to double the lead to 2–0. The Rangers left two runners on as Lopez got third baseman Josh Jung to fly out to end the inning.

In the bottom of that inning, the A’s finally broke through against Leiter. Langeliers walked and then with two outs, Soderstrom hit a ground-rule double to right. Shortstop Jacob Wilson blooped a two-RBI single to right field.

✌️ for J Willy pic.twitter.com/ad8lkbEOGh

— Athletics (@Athletics) April 16, 2026

He then stole second and scored on Cortes’ second single of the game. In a matter of minutes, the A’s turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.

Los drives in another 🤝 pic.twitter.com/bovwtdZARf

— Athletics (@Athletics) April 16, 2026

Lopez turned in arguably his best start of the season, only allowing two runs on three hits in five innings. In the sixth inning, A’s manager Mark Kotsay turned things over to his bullpen. Right-handed reliever Luis Medina quickly gave up the lead in his highest-leverage relief appearance of the season. Second baseman Josh Smith’s RBI double scored Joc Pederson, who had walked, to tie the game at three apiece.

The Rangers’ momentum carried over to the seventh. Facing A’s reliever Scott Barlow, Jung hit a fly ball that the wind carried over the short right-field fence for a go-ahead two-run home run. Barlow followed the home run by walking the next two batters, continuing the team’s issues with walks.

The A’s threatened in their half of the seventh, opening with back-to-back singles, but two Rangers relievers combined to retire the next three hitters. In the bottom of the eighth, the wind that hurt the A’s earlier helped them. The Rangers intentionally walked Langeliers, choosing to pitch to Kurtz with the bases loaded and two outs. Kurtz hit a fly ball that left fielder Wyatt Langford lost in the wind as it dropped in front of him. All three runners scored on the misplay, giving Kurtz a bases-clearing hit and the Athletics a 6-5 lead heading into the ninth.

Big Amish 🤝 Big Wind pic.twitter.com/hs6MuPRIPu

— Athletics (@Athletics) April 16, 2026

Three outs away from taking the series, the hosts turned to right-hander Justin Sterner for the save opportunity. The decision backfired as the Rangers scored four runs on four hits against Sterner, responding to the A’s three-run frame the inning prior. The tying run scored on Sterner’s throwing error after he fielded a bunt and threw to third, where the ball was not caught by third baseman Darell Hernaiz. Texas added insurance runs before the Athletics came up empty in their final at-bats.

The Athletics will look to bounce back quickly as the Chicago White Sox arrive in Sacramento for a three-game weekend series to close out the home stand. Aaron Civale will make his first home start of the season, as he seeks to carry over his road success to Sutter Health Park. Civale will be opposed by White Sox right-hander Davis Martin, who is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA.

The Colorado Rockies are riding a season-high six-game losing streak as they prepare for their series finale against the Houston Astros. Despite woes from multiple sources—starting pitching deficiencies, injuries, and a sputtering offense—the games have been close.

The Rockies could use a win tonight, not only to snap their losing streak but also because of what lies ahead: a four-game weekend wraparound series against the dreaded Los Angeles Dodgers. A loss tonight could open the Rockies up to the possibility of an 11-game losing streak… or worse.

With difficult outings from José Quintana and Michael Lorenzen eating into the bullpen, and Kyle Freeland on the injured list, the Rockies find themselves mixing things up on the mound. As such, they’ll be utilizing an opener tonight.

That opener will be right-handed reliever Juan Mejia. Mejia currently holds a 5.40 ERA over seven appearances and 8.1 innings this season with four walks and just five strikeouts. After impressing during the World Baseball Classic for the Domincan Republic, Mejia has struggled to find his footing. His last time out—at the beginning of this Houston series—he pitched a scoreless inning but also gave up two hits. Prior to that he had given up three earned runs in 0.1 innings against the Padres.

The Houston Astros also appear to be running a bullpen game this evening, and right-handed reliever Ryan Weiss will make the start for them. Weiss currently holds a 7.36 ERA over five appearances with 15 strikeouts over 11 innings of work.

Weiss has just one career appearance against the Rockies and it did not go well for him. Earlier this season at Coors Field he gave up seven runs—six earned—on eight hits and two walks over 2.2 innings. Weiss’ primary offering is a four-seam fastball that averages 95.7 MPH, and his secondary pitches consist of a sinker, a changeup, and a sweeper. He also throws the very occasional curveball.

First Pitch: 6:10pm MDT

TV: Rockies.tv

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

Lineups:

Series finale.

⚾️: 7:10pm
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 & 740 AM | Spanish: 102.9 HD2#ChaseTheFight x @reliantenergypic.twitter.com/E8capC4u5h

— Houston Astros (@astros) April 16, 2026

Last one before we head home! pic.twitter.com/K6lgNjnPdS

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 16, 2026

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The automatic ball/strike system sure was a White Sox buddy this afternoon.

That is, until a time came when even your friends couldn’t help enough.

The Rays tried to be friendly, too, leaving 14 runners on base. That is, until the Sox pitching staff decided it was unfair not to let them score.

The first three White Sox hitters had three of their five hardest hit balls of the day, totaling 324.2 mph, but nothing came of it. That was all the excitement of the first two innings.

Then the early ABS help was huge. First, Edgar Quero got two balls changed to strikes against Yandy Diaz with the bases loaded in the top of the third, leading to an inning-ending pop up. Then, in the bottom of the inning, Miguel Vargas successfully challenged what would have been strike three and then plunked the next pitch 380 feet and over the left field fence:

The Sox and Anthony Kay politely allowed their guests to tie the game in the top of the fourth, as the bottom of the Rays order went walk-single-single. But in the sixth, Chase Meidroth led off with a double off Griffin Jax and his ERA of eight or so, and Quero scored him on a ground-rule double:

Of course, that called for courtesy to visitors again, so Grant Taylor put two on in the seventh and Sean Newcomb gave up a tying RBI single.

Still, the White Sox kept counter-punching. In the top of the eighth Everson Pereira got a hanging sweeper from Kevin Kelly, who had come into the game with another eightish ERA, and didn’t miss:

Ergo, Sox held another lead, 3-2, just three outs away from an actual win and closer Seranthony Domínguez stalking to the mound. Unfortunately, it only took Domínguez three pitches to toss a gopher ball to Junior Caminero to tie the game, and THEN proceeded into quite the meltdown for a big-bucks closer, needing 32 pitches to get through a third of an inning and leave the bases loaded. That brought in Lucas Sims, who played the gracious host to the tune of walking in two runs and handing the Rays a 5-3 advantage.

In the bottom of the ninth, Andrew Benintendi led off with a walk that would have been strikeout except the Rays were out of challenges, not being as good as Quero at that newfound art (which he used nicely many times during the game, until his fortune ran out), but then it was pop-up, ground out, pop-up and the game was over.

The White Sox only left seven on base, half the Rays total, as they garnered eight hits and four walks. Then again, Rays pitchers got through the game on an economical 142 pitches despite all that activity, 80 pitches fewer than the Sox staff somehow felt obliged to use — but then, they didn’t walk seven and strike out 10.

The sweep drops the White Sox to worst in all of baseball, as they pack up for a trip to Sacramento to start a series with the A’s.

---

When Dalton Rushing hit a grand slam against the Mets on Wednesday night, Edwin Diaz had conflicting feelings.

On one hand, he was overjoyed for Rushing, the second-year catcher who has made the most of his limited playing time as Will Smith’s backup.

On the other hand …

“I wanted to go in the game,” a chuckling Diaz said in Spanish.

Rushing’s home run had turned a save situation into a blowout. With a series in hitter-friendly Colorado set to start on Friday, manager Dave Roberts elected not to use Diaz in the ninth inning, even though he hadn’t pitched in five days.

Diaz, the former Mets star who signed with Los Angeles on a $69 million contract this offseason, consoled himself with a reminder the Dodgers will play his former team again in late July, this time in New York.

He said he’s confident that will happen, downplaying the issues with his surgically repaired knee that sidelined him for most of last week.

“I feel ready to continue pitching,” he said.

Deactivate the alarm bells — for now.

Diaz’s improved status should be a major relief for the Dodgers. Of their early-season concerns, Diaz’s health could be the most impactful. The Dodgers can win without Kyle Tucker performing like an MVP-caliber hitter or Roki Sasaki pitching like a major leaguer. 

Being able to count on Diaz to close games, however, is critical for a team whose bullpen was a weakness for extended periods last season. With the ninth inning spoken for, Roberts has been able to deploy Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen in favorable situations. The Dodgers’ bullpen ERA is 3.24, fourth best in the National League.

---

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Diaz blew his first save of the season in his most recent appearance, which was against the Rangers in the opening game of the Dodgers’ recently completed homestand.

He said he experienced discomfort in his right knee, which he injured in a celebration at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. 

“After what happened to my knee,” he said, “it sometimes feels a little weak.”

But not like this.

“I knew that something wasn’t right,” he said. “I’ve been pitching for many years, and I know my repertoire. I felt the ball wasn’t jumping out of my hand.”

He averaged 95.5 mph with his fastball, down from 97.2 mph last year. His slider was flat.

“I didn’t have either pitch that day,” Diaz said. “I didn’t have velocity and life on my fastball. There was no life on my fastball. It was dead.”

He knew something wasn’t right when he gave up a homer to Evan Carter.

“I almost never give up a home run on an inside fastball to a left-handed hitter,” he said.

Diaz alerted the training staff of what he felt, which led to him taking a couple of days off. He said he was ready to pitch Tuesday in the second game of the three-game series against the Mets, but that the team asked him to test his knee in a bullpen session.

Feeling back to normal, Diaz was ready to pitch in the series finale the next day, and he went as far as to warm up. Then, Rushing homered.

Before the opening game of the series, Diaz had a chance to catch up with Mets owner Steve Cohen, who said in February that he was perplexed by Diaz’s decision to leave his team and sign with the Dodgers over the winter.

“We have a good relationship,” Diaz said. “He understands this is a business.”

“We talked about many things. We didn’t talk about my decision. We talked about our families, how he was doing, how the boys were doing. My relationship with Steve goes beyond sports. They treated me really well in New York, and we always had good communication.”

In a game marred by delays, it looked like the Royals would take the series finale against the Tigers to avoid the sweep, and this after trailing by five runs midway through the game.

Unfortunately, the top of Detroit’s lineup had other plans.

The game started after an hour-plus rain delay. Detroit struck first in the bottom of the second when Spencer Torkelson doubled to left, scoring Matt Vierling. Not very long after, the Royals tied it in the top of the fourth when Bobby Witt Jr., who doubled to lead off the inning and then moved to third on a very long fly ball by Vinnie Pasquantino, scored on an infield single by Carter Jensen.

Carter scores Bobby to tie it up. pic.twitter.com/wwuJTg6zdO

— Royals.TV (@kcroyalstv) April 16, 2026

By the end of the game, the Royals, who had greatly struggled scoring runs and hitting with runners in scoring position lately, finished 5-for-10 with RISP. Bobby Witt Jr., who had only scored one run entering today’s contest, scored three times.

Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic ran into trouble in the fifth inning, which the Tigers entered winning 2-1. By the end of the frame, Bubic was out of the game and Detroit had extended their lead to 6-1 thanks in large part to a two-run home run by catcher Dillon Dingler off reliever John Schrieber. In all, Bubic lasted only 4-and-2/3 innings while allowing five earned runs on six hits and three walks to go along with three strikeouts. He did not look sharp.

The Royals didn’t fold, though, instead chipping away at the lead. In the top of the sixth, Bobby Witt Jr. once again led off the inning with a double and once more moved to third on a fly out by Pasquantino, who hit several hard ball outs during the game. Bob ended up scoring his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Salvador Perez, who roped a screamer to left that Riley Greene caught sliding.

6-2, Tigers.

Alex Lange entered for the Royals against his former team, and while he allowed a runner to reach third, escaped the sixth with the score intact. In the next half-frame, the top of the seventh, the Royals bats busted open as the team batted around while scoring six runs to take a 8-6 lead.

The fun started with a lead-off double by Jonathan India who scored when Jac Caglianone singled up the middle on a ball that hit the second base bag. It was Cags’ first RBI of the season. I’ll note here that in the fourth, Cags, who had three hits and a walk yesterday with an outfield assist, nailed a runner at the plate for yet another outfield assist. Couple of good days for the youngster.

Lane Thomas then pinch-hit for Michael Massey, today’s starting left fielder. Thomas drew a four-pitch walk. Kyle Isbel then sacrificed Cags and Thomas over. The lineup flipped and Maikel Garcia drove in Cags to cut the lead to 6-4.

Bob followed with a check-swing infield single that scored Thomas and made it a one-run game. Pasquantino lined out to bring up Salvy with two on and two out. After completely whiffing on an 86-MPH cutter right down the middle, Perez battled back, and on the 10th pitch of the at-bat, ended up on one knee as he corked a go-ahead three-run homer to left. Thus ended an 0-for-22 with RISP skid for Salvy. 8-6, Royals.

KC – Salvador Perez 3-run HR (3)
⚡ Go-ahead HR ⚡

📏 379 ft | 💨 97.9 mph | 📐 36°
⚾️ 85.1 mph changeup (DET – LHP Tyler Holton)
🏟️ Out in 30/30 MLB parks

KC (8) @ DET (6)
🔺 7th#FountainsUppic.twitter.com/MQMZcnEXY8

— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) April 16, 2026

Immediately, the fourth and final delay of the game took place as rain briefly poured. About 40 minutes later, the game resumed, as Carter Jensen singled, but India fanned to end the big inning.

Nick Mears entered for the Royals, and hoo boy, was that an adventure. Kevin McGonigle tripled to start and scored on a foul-out by Kerry Carpenter. 8-7. Isbel then robbed Dingler of extra bases with a fantastic sliding catch at the wall. After giving up another hit, Mears escaped with the Royals clinging to the lead.

What a catch, Izzy! 👏 pic.twitter.com/g3UgO2LyZp

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) April 16, 2026

Not much happened for either team in the eighth. Daniel Lynch IV kept the Tigers at bay and the game headed to the ninth. In the top half, Pasquantino finally hit a hard ball fair, and it went out for his first homer of the season. The Royals had their insurance run, and Lucas Erceg came out to close down the game.

Erceg couldn’t do it. He allowed the first two batters to reach, on a single and walk, respectively. He then struck out Carpenter and induced a line-out by Dingler. Two down.

Next up, Riley Greene, who on the payoff pitch lined one down the first-base line. Torres scored easily from second with McGonigle not too far behind him. Erceg slapped his glove in frustration.

The game ended in the next at-bat as Colt Keith singled home Greene. Cags had a chance to get him, but Greene slid in ahead of the throw. Ballgame: 10-9 Detroit.

WELL WORTH THE WAIT

TIGERS WALK IT OFF ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Nx4fxRnavJ

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 16, 2026

Now the Royals are 7-12 and begin a three-game trip to the Bronx tomorrow night against the Yankees.

Today’s game was great, and it would’ve been fantastic to write about a Royals win to staunch the bleeding and move them to 8-11. Instead, the Royals are suddenly five games below .500 and don’t return home until Monday.

Tempers flared between the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds causing both dugouts to clear following the last strike to secure the Giants' 3-0 win at Great American Ball Park on April 16.

Giants first-time manager Tony Vitello, who was a college coach at Tennessee last year, told reporters after the game he didn't see what caused the disagreement between his closing pitcher Erik Miller and Reds rookie Sal Stewart, who was struck out to end the game.

"I looked up and everything was going on," Vitello said. "I know the guys were joking but Miller doesn't say much to anybody, so I don't know who talked first between those guys, or if it's one-sided, but I think something was said. You know, maybe people reacted because of what went on early in the game. I didn’t have a great view."

The big league team may be off, but we got a full slate of minor league games including a pair of rehab appearances. Spencer Strider makes his first rehab appearance, while Sean Murphy makes his second appearance. Let’s take a look at who is playing around the organization today.

(11-6) Gwinnett Stripers @ (12-5) Memphis Redbirds

How do you rage bait a Redbird? Asking for a friend.

📍: Autozone Park
⏰: 7:45pm
📻/📺: https://t.co/cmnejywP0P
🗒️: https://t.co/Q3LxzhPsVSpic.twitter.com/453Xaz0ao2

— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) April 16, 2026

(6-5) Biloxi Shuckers @ (6-5) Columbus Clingstones

Lineup's locked! 🔒

⏰ 7:06 PM
🏟️ @synovus Park
📺 Bally Sports Live | https://t.co/O45DUFHogx
📻 SportsVisions 92.1 pic.twitter.com/O7RkyWdnIT

— Columbus Clingstones (@GoClingstones) April 16, 2026

(7-3) Jersey Shore BlueClaws @ (4-7) Rome Emperors

Loaded Lineup Tonight. pic.twitter.com/HuFIJE0ljG

— Rome Emperors (@GoEmperors) April 16, 2026

(2-9) Fayetteville Woodpeckers @ (6-5) Augusta GreenJackets

Howdy!

🕖 7:05
📺 Bally Sports Live & https://t.co/CBHdWGYeBj
📻 https://t.co/DKfaxGf4Ww
📸 Andrew Bebelos pic.twitter.com/I2D2R6f7jM

— Augusta GreenJackets (@GreenJackets) April 16, 2026

Who is tuning in? What game are you tuning into? Let’s hear what you got to say about today’s slate of minor league games below.

It’s going to be a bit easier for Will Klein to catch ’em all these days.

The Dodgers pitcher revealed on Wednesday he recently netted a custom baseball mitt that features an actual Pokemon card implanted inside of it.

Klein said the guys over at 44 Pro, who’ve created custom gloves for him and other athletes for years, surprised him with it after they out of the blue asked him what his favorite Pokemon was.

A Pokémon card inside of Will's glove?! pic.twitter.com/0mYLV7I56A

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 16, 2026

“Obviously I said Tyranitar because that’s the only right answer,” Klein said. “They were like, ‘All right,’ and they went to work.”

Klein — a massive Pokemon fan — said he had no idea what his mitt-making friends were up to, but this week, he got an unexpected package from them wrapped in foil.

“I whip this bad boy out,” he said, “and I didn’t even know you could do anything like this.”

The glove is all Dodger blue with some red accents, and on the webbing, a Tyrantir card can be prominently seen.

Klein said he’s unsure if he can actually use it in a game, but he nonetheless is considering it one of his most prized possessions.

“It’s probably now the coolest thing I own,” he said.

Klein later revealed in addition to Tyrantir, he’s got love for Nidoking, Flygon and Swampert — perhaps indirectly presenting a whole new set of challenges for 44 Pro folks.

Former Yankees prospect Oswald Peraza had himself some series against his former team.

The infielder helped lead the Angels to an 11-4 win over the Yankees on Thursday afternoon with a home run and three RBI that helped Los Angeles split the four-game series.

And while his teammate Mike Trout will get the headlines for his five-homer performance in the series, you can't overlook what Peraza did against the Yankees. His former manager, Aaron Boone, certainly didn't.

Peraza got the scoring started out of the cleanup spot with a two-run shot off of Max Fried to give the Angels a 2-0 lead in the first inning. But he wasn't done; his game-tying double in the sixth knocked Fried out of the game, and led to the four-run inning that gave the Angels the lead for good.

In the four-game set, Peraza started just three but went 5-for-10 with two home runs and four RBI, while playing his usual slick defense at third base. As Boone said, it was the type of offensive performance they hoped for when he eventually came up to the bigs. 

“A lot of good memories here,” Peraza told the media before the series began. “It’s business, it’s baseball. Now I’m with the Angels and enjoy every day.”

While he found playing time with the Angels last season, he struggled offensively. This season, however, he's gotten off to a much better start. He has four home runs this season (18 games) when he had five all of last year (106 games), and has launched three longballs over his last five games. Overall, he's slashing .368/.478/.947 (7-for-19) with four runs, two doubles, three home runs, six RBI, four walks and two stolen bases over his last seven games.

"He looked like what we were excited about several years ago," Boone said after the game. "And then obviously, went through a couple of years of struggling. He’s super talented, always has been. He’s fast-twitched, has power, can run and can do all those things. Clearly, in as good a place as he’s been in a few years. And he absolutely hurt us in this series."

"He looked like what we were excited about several years ago...he's super talented, always has been. He absolutely hurt us this series."

Aaron Boone on Oswald Peraza: pic.twitter.com/gdkHawHviO

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 16, 2026

Peraza joined the big league club at the end of the 2022 season and was 15-for-49 (.306) in 18 games. That offseason, there was a lot of hype surrounding Peraza and Anthony Volpe as the next generation of Yankees infielders. However, Volpe outplayed Peraza that spring and won the starting shortstop job. With DJ LeMahieu and Josh Donaldson on the roster at the time, Peraza's path to the club was blocked.

The Venezuela native would get his shot that season, but struggled at the plate, going 33-for-173 (.191) in 52 games. Peraza would start the 2024 season in the minors, but injuries and offensive struggles kept him from seeing any time with the big league club.

Peraza would get his biggest chance with the Yankees in 2025, but it was more of the same for the infielder. He slashed .152/.212/.241 with an OPS of .453 across 71 games with New York before he was ultimately traded to the Angels for a minor leaguer and international money.

The Texas Rangers scored nine runs while the Sacramento River Athletics scored six runs.

Brother I don’t know what that was. It was barely even baseball.

Anyhow, the Rangers dropped like ten popups and nearly lost a ridiculous, blustery finale in not-Oakland before the potential shame of blowing a 5-3 lead on a bases clearing popup kicked in and they scored four runs in the 9th to escape Yolo County with a series split.

Player of the Game: Josh Jung had three hits, scored twice, drove in two and had the most wind-aided dong you’ll ever see. It was his first homer of the year.

Josh Jung goes the opposite way for a go-ahead homer! pic.twitter.com/LWwq7x0YKE

— MLB (@MLB) April 16, 2026

The game was drunk but Jung was imbibing.

Up Next: The Rangers continue traveling north along the West Coast with their weekend destination bringing them to Seattle for their second look at the hated Mariners. RHP Jacob deGrom will make the start for Texas in the opener against RHP Logan Gilbert for Seattle.

The Friday evening first pitch from T-Mobile Park is scheduled for 8:40 pm CDT and you can catch it via the Rangers Sports Network.

Welcome to the Konnor Griffin experience.

The highly touted Pirates 19-year-old shortstop spiked a throw on a potential double play in the top of the fifth inning of Thursday afternoon’s 8-7 loss to the Nationals in 10 innings — moments before launching a game-tying hit.

With one out in the fifth, Griffin fielded a weak grounder from first baseman Luis Garcia Jr., stepped on second and spiked a throw to first into the dirt that rolled into shallow right field to allow all three runners on base to score.

The umpire crew ruled runner Nasim Nuñez — whose hard slide into Griffin impacted the throw — safe at second.

The Pirates unsuccessfully challenged the play, which was scored as a throwing error.

Konnor Griffin spikes the ball into ground allowing all three runs to score on a ground ball pic.twitter.com/vELFw8KPsr

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 16, 2026

The Nationals added another run later in the inning after starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft made a throwing error of his own.

Pittsburgh rallied to tie the game at four before again falling behind 5-4 in the sixth. And that’s when Griffin made up for his miscue.

In the bottom of the inning, Griffin launched a ball to center — missing his first career home run by inches — before it caromed far enough for a game-tying RBI triple.

He recorded another hit in the 10th inning on a weak grounder down the third base line, but the Pirates failed to tie the game.

The whirlwind performance encapsulated Griffin’s first few weeks in the majors.

Entering Thursday, Griffin was hitting .189/.279/.243 with five RBIs while striking out 12 times in 37 at-bats.

Trip-Trip-Triple for Konnor! pic.twitter.com/5MacjOK1lx

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 16, 2026

He hit a booming double in his MLB debut, but notched just six hits in the 11 successive games before Thursday.

Griffin, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect in baseball entering 2026, was called up in early April after hitting a scorching .438/.571/.625 in five Triple-A contests.

The ninth-overall pick in the 2024 draft hit an eye-popping .333/.415/.527 with 21 homers, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases over 122 games between three levels in 2025, his first professional season.

Griffin inked a nine-year, $140 million extension this month to stay with the Pirates long term.

The Yankees fell to the Angels by a score of 11-4 on Thursday afternoon, and while the two teams ended up splitting the four-game series, Mike Trout did something that no visiting player has done in the Bronx.

Ever.

Trout demolished a solo home run off of reliever Angel Chivilli in the seventh inning. With that blast, he became the first visiting player ever to hit home runs on four consecutive days against the Yankees (h/t Sarah Langs). 

“It means a lot,” Trout told FanDuel Sports Network West after the game. “Obviously, there’s been a lot of great players who have played here. It’s awesome.”

Trout, a three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star, has seen injury issues derail him over the past few seasons, but he was in vintage Mike Trout mode in this series, hitting five home runs and driving in nine.

“He’s not chasing, and he’s deadly in some certain parts of the zone,” Aaron Boone said after the game. “Chivilli, really the entire at-bat against him I thought executed pretty well, and then all of a sudden he goes back to that changeup and he hammers it. Look, he’s clearly healthy and he’s an all-time great... Hurt us this series. 

“There are some places that you can go to execute against him, but we weren’t able to do that enough this series.”

“It’s great to see a guy like him…. Obviously not against us, but he’s one of the greatest in this spot and he’s showing it,” added Jose Caballero. “Congrats to him, he’s amazing.”

And while Trout was putting on a tremendous power display, Yankees captain Aaron Judge was nearly just as incredible, hitting four homers of his own while driving in five. 

In the first game of the series on Monday, both Trout and Judge homered twice each. 

“Yeah, it was really fun,” Trout said. “That first game set it off… It was a fun series.”

“It was a cool, cool showing from him and Judgey all series,” said Giancarlo Stanton, who also homered on Thursday. “Obviously, we don’t want that against us, but you’ve got to acknowledge the great. It was a deciding factor today, so not what we want, but obviously a great talent.” 

After a rain delay at Comerica Park, the Tigers were looking to wrap up their hopeful sweep of the Royals before heading to Boston for the weekend to take on the Red Sox. Hoping to get them there was Keider Montero on the mound, up against Kris Bubic for the Royals. Montero has had a decent start to his season and has a lot to prove, so he’s showing up eager to each start. The Tigers have floundered this series in terms of converting runs, with two 2-1 wins. They’d also be down one Zach McKinstry as he dealt with a slew of injuries from Wednesday night’s game and the Tigers were taking a wait-and-see approach to decide the best course for him.

When things finally got underway, the Royals went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first. Gleyber Torres got a leadoff walk to start the home half, but a flyout and a double play quickly kiboshed the Tigers’ efforts.

Salvador Perez singled to start the second inning. There was a brief pause in play as it looked like Perez jammed his finger getting to first, but he stayed in the game. Three outs followed, leaving the man stranded and the score still at goose eggs. In the home half, Riley Greene got a one-out walk, but was then eliminated in a force out off the bat of Matt Vierling. A wild pitch allowed Vierling to advance to second, then a Spencer Torkelson double brought Vierling home and put the Tigers on the board. They’d need to settle for just the one run, but it was a good start.

Tork gets us started! pic.twitter.com/CTd1c56jHY

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 16, 2026

In the top of the third, the Royals went 1-2-3 again. The Tigers, likewise, went down in order in the bottom of the inning.

Bobby Witt Jr. started the fourth with a double. He’s been a relatively minor pest this series, so we were due. With two outs, Carter Jensen singled, bringing Witt home and tying up the game. Feels familiar. In the home half, Dillon Dingler hit a one-out double, followed by a Riley Green single. Dingler was tagged out at home trying for the go-ahead run. Greene ended up on second. A wild pitch then allowed Greene to advance to third. Game hero Matt Vierling then singled, bringing Greene home and putting the Tigers ahead again. 2-1 game, feeling some deja vu right now.

Matty V brings Riley home 🤝 pic.twitter.com/g9tz8MOqcE

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 16, 2026

With one out in the top of the fifth, Michael Massey singled for the Royals, but two outs followed. In the home half, Javier Baez got a one-out walk, then Gleyber Torres followed that up with a double to bring Baez home. The 2-1 curse is broken! One out later, Jahmai Jones singled, bringing Torres in. That was it for Bubic, who was replaced by John Schreiber, who then gave up a two-run homer to Dingler. A mighty big inning for the Tigers.

the gley way pic.twitter.com/GuMLp6fL7a

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 16, 2026

hi Jahmai pic.twitter.com/T0VvVxiC6c

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 16, 2026

DESTROYED BY DING ‼️ pic.twitter.com/UZP5O7bi1p

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 16, 2026

Keider Montero certainly had to be grateful for that extra buffer going into the sixth, especially after he gave up a leadoff double to Bobby Witt Jr. With one out, Perez hit a sac fly to bring Witt home, and that made all the Tigers very grateful for that cushion. In the home half, Alex Lange came out of the Royals’ bullpen. He gave up a leadoff single to Matt Vierling, who then stole second. Jeez, Vierling, what’s gotten into you, we love it! A Spencer Torkelson single pushed Vierling to third. Three outs in a row followed, however, leaving Vierling 90 feet from home.

The Royals love doubles. Jonathan India got the seventh inning going with a leadoff double. A Jac Caglianone single then brought India home, and that was it for Montero. His final line for the game was 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K on 83 pitches. Lots of contact unfortunately, but not the worst start we’ve seen this season. The run support really helped. Drew Anderson came in to replace him. A pinch-hitting Lane Thomas walked. There was then a very lengthy game break for the home plate umpire to… go to the clubhouse? He didn’t appear to be injured, so perhaps nature just made an unfortunately timed call. There was some umpire shuffling and the game resumed. A Kyle Isbel bunt advanced both baserunners. A Maikel Garcia single then scored Caglianone. A Witt single then scored Thomas and suddenly that lead wasn’t looking so healthy anymore. Anderson was then pulled, replaced by Tyler Holton. A wild pitch by Holton advanced Witt, and then a Perez home run scored three runs to put the Royals ahead. At this point there was a lengthy game delay because of inclement weather. We gotta keep it dramatic, I guess. After the delay, Holton was done, replaed by Enmanuel De Jesus who gave up a single to Jensen. The final out of the inning came with no additional damage done, but it was plenty bad enough already.

Nick Mears came in for the Royals in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a leadoff triple to Kevin McGonigle. A sac fly from a pinch-hitting Kerry Carpenter brought McGonigle home, putting the Tigers back within one run of tying.

Magoo turns on the jets 💨 pic.twitter.com/zH2d1Y0a9y

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 16, 2026

Dillon Dingler hit a long fly and Isbel came out of nowhere (well, out of center field) for one of the best catches I’ve seen in ages. I mean, it sucks that he caught it, but credit where credit is due. Riley Greene then doubled. Colt Keith came on for Vierling, and Keith missed a couple of opportunities to make good ABS challenges, but instead, he grounded out to end the inning.

In the top of the eighth, Thomas got a one-out single. With two outs in the inning, De Jesus was done, making way for Connor Seabold. Seabold got the final out of the inning. Daniel Lynch IV came on for the Royals, and the Tigers quickly went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.

The Royals extended their lead in the ninth as Vinnie Pasquantino got a one-out solo home run. The Tigers had at least two run to make up now to tie the game, three if they were going to get a walk-off win, and it was all down to the bottom of the ninth inning. Lucas Erceg was out for the Royals. Torres got a leadoff single. McGonigle finally remembered the team had all their ABS challenges and had a called strike overturned into a walk, putting two on. Riley Greene laced a run right down the right field line, scoring two runs to tie up the game. Colt Keith then hit a walk-off single, scoring Greene and the Tigers actually had a comeback miracle. They also completed the series sweep.

WELL WORTH THE WAIT

TIGERS WALK IT OFF ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Nx4fxRnavJ

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 16, 2026

Final: Tigers 10, Royals 9