Category: Baseball

South Bend right-hander Brooks Caple was named Midwest League Pitcher of the Week.

The Cubs signed left-hander Ty Blach and right-hander Paul Campbell assigned both to Triple-A Iowa.

Catcher Casey Opitz was activated by Iowa.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs sunk the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 8-1.

Connor Noland gave up a run in the first base on a disengagement violation. Other than that, he was pretty strong. Noland gave up just one run on five hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked no one.

Corbin Martin tossed one scoreless inning, Yacksel Ríos threw two and Zac Leigh tossed a scoreless ninth to close out the game.

Center fielder Kevin Alcántara hit two home runs tonight. The first one came in the third inning with the bases empty. The second one was a three-run blast in the fifth. It was The Jaguar’s sixth and seventh home runs on the season. He went 2 for 5.

Third baseman Pedro Ramirez was 2 for 5 with a double and a two-run single in the fifth. He scored on Alcántara’s second home run.

One paw up for Alcántara. This one went 405 feet.

Kevin Alcántara has hit another home run. What else is new? pic.twitter.com/stsaWc57NI

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) April 14, 2026

The Jaguar’s second home run went 387 feet.

MAKE IT A MULTI HOME RUN GAME FOR KEVIN ALCANTARA! HIS THREE-RUN BLAST MAKES IT 8-1 IOWA IN THE FIFTH! ☄️ pic.twitter.com/MCOGVqdAM2

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) April 14, 2026

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were pulled into the water by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins), 5-1.

Tyler Schlaffer started and took the loss. Schlaffer gave up four runs on two hits over just two innings. Both hits were home runs—a three-run blast in the first and a solo shot in the second. Schlaffer walked three and struck out two.

Left fielder Jordan Nwogu went 2 for 3 with an RBI single. He also stole two bases.

Knoxville had just four hits, all singles, in this game.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs speared the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 5-1.

Brooks Caple picked up right where he left off as Midwest League Pitcher of the Week. Tonight he surrendered just one run on two hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out nine and walked no one.

Here are the nine strikeouts.

Midwest League Pitcher of the Week for a reason.

Brooks Caple struck out 9⃣ tonight!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/joHKd9dJsC

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 15, 2026

Alfredo Romero did not allow a run or a hit over the final three innings to pick up the save. Romero did walk two while striking out three.

Catcher Owen Ayers continues to rip the cover off the ball on this young season. Tonight Ayers was 2 for 4 with a double and a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. Ayers scored twice.

Right fielder Kade Snell was 2 for 3 and was hit by a pitch. He scored once.

Center fielder Kane Kepley went o for 1 with two walks and was hit by a pitch.

Shortstop Christian Olivo was 2 for 4.

Ayers’ first home run of the year.

Take a ride with Air Ayers. ✈️

Owen Ayers' first @hoosierlottery home run at Four Winds Field!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/prKBkIYRR8

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 14, 2026

Snell scored a run the hard way.

Some gritty ball from Kade Snell to pad the lead!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/gmJNPTeN3p

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) April 15, 2026

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans defused the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), 4-0.

Starter Hayden Frank threw four innings and surrendered two hits. He struck out three and walked one.

Mason McGwire threw the middle three innings and got the win because Frank didn’t go five. McGwire had a terrific outing, giving up just one hit. McGwire struck out five and walked no one.

Jordan Henriquez pitched the final two innings in a non-save situation. He allowed three hits. Henriquez struck out three and walked no one.

First baseman Cole Mathis connected on a three-run home run in the third inning. It was his fourth of the season already. Mathis went 1 for 4.

Shortstop Ty Southisene was 2 for 4 with one run scored.

Catcher Logan Poteet was 2 for 4.

DH Jose Escobar was 2 for 3 with a walk.

The Mathis home run.

MATHIS MASH !!! pic.twitter.com/ok4rLVyfeL

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) April 15, 2026

Dodgers and Mets in the middle game of three in Los Angeles.

Tonight's #Dodgers starting lineup for Game 2 against the Mets. pic.twitter.com/Kt0DMIF9HL

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 14, 2026

Tuesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Mets
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Well, it was bound to happen. Trevor Rogers was bound to have a bad night. Unfortunately, it happened in a game where the Orioles’ offense was unable to make the most of its opportunities. It was really only one bad inning of pitching. But it was too much for the Orioles to overcome, leading to a 4-3 loss.

The Orioles took an early lead off of starter Merrill Kelly. Kelly was making his season debut and was far from perfect. He walked four, for one thing. The Orioles left runs on the table against him, which is frustrating to watch on any night. But on this night, when Rogers could have used a pick-me-up from his offense, it was especially glaring.

The prettiest hit of the day came off the bat of Samuel Basallo to lead off the second inning. He absolutely crushed a fastball. It left his bat at 109.2 mph and landed 431 feet away in the Eutaw Street seats. It felt like a good omen at the time. It was not.

In the third, the Orioles had the chance at a big inning but could not make it happen. After Taylor Ward singled with one out, Pete Alonso and Basallo walked to load the bases. Kelly was struggling with control. All Dylan Beavers had to do was keep the bat on his shoulder and he would have walked with the bases loaded. Instead, he chased three pitches in the dirt for a strikeout.

Leody Taveras was watching, however, and learned what to do. He took a four-pitch walk. Ward scored the second run. Colton Cowser got a fastball down Broadway for his first pitch, and he let it rip. He smoked it at 105 mph, but it was caught in centerfield for the last out. It was a good pitch to hit and Cowser got a good swing on it, but it was also frustrating when Kelly was having such a hard time finding the plate.

Kelly was in trouble again in the fourth inning, but again the O’s offense bailed him out. Jeremiah Jackson led off with a double and Blaze Alexander…bunted? Why? Jackson was already in scoring position. It was the fourth inning. But that’s what he did. Jackson got to third base with Gunnar Henderson coming up and then Jackson GOT HIMSELF PICKED OFF for the second out. Just terrible decisions all around. Henderson struck out to end the inning.

Though Rogers got through the first four innings without allowing a run, he did run into some trouble in each frame. It wasn’t all his fault. The defense left something to be desired, even if no errors were called. In the fifth inning, he was unable to escape again.

James McCann singled to start the inning and Jorge Barrosa walked. Ildemaro Vargas, who replaced Ketel Marte in the lineup not long before the first pitch, got his chance. He made the most of it. His three-run homer put the Diamondbacks up, 3-2. But that wasn’t the last of it. Geraldo Perdomo singled and stole second base, then came in to score on a double by Jose Fernandez. That was it for Rogers. His final pitching line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR. He threw two wild pitches.

One thing that went right on this night was the bullpen. Craig Albernaz turned to Rico Garcia after Rogers, which I really liked. There was a runner on second and the need to keep the game from getting out of hand, so Alby went to the high-leverage guy who normally comes in late.

Garcia got that last out of the fifth, then pitched a perfect sixth. Grant Wolfram followed with a perfect 1.1 innings. Yennier Cano replaced Wolfram and retired all three batters he faced. Together, the three pitches struck out seven batters in 3.2 innings. Is this bullpen actually good?

The offense made some noise in the bottom of the inning but once again were unable to capitalize. Pete Alonso started a one-out rally by challenging a called strike three. He was correct; it was ball four. Basallo followed with a single. Beavers had another chance, but grounded out. Taveras came through again, this time with an RBI single to cut the deficit to one.

Colton Cowser walked to load the bases for Jackson, but he did not have another grand slam in him. He grounded out to end the rally.

With one out in the top of the ninth, Albernaz made the puzzling choice to go to Nick Raquet. Raquet allowed two baserunners but was bailed out on a sliding catch by Cowser to end the inning. It could have been a lot worse. I would like to request that this guy not pitch in high-leverage situations for awhile.

Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald came in for the ninth and made short work of Alexander, Henderson, and Ward. Thus the Orioles lost what felt like a winnable game, even with Trevor Rogers having an off night.

The Diamondbacks evened the series at a game apiece with a win over the Baltimore Orioles tonight. The victory was powered by a strong 2026 debut from Merrill Kelly and timely offensive contributions from the team’s hottest hitters, Ildemaro Vargas and Jose Fernandez.

Merrill Kelly’s return was a welcome sight after the D-backs brought him back this offseason. His season debut was delayed a couple of turns through the rotation due to a nerve issue that surfaced early in spring training, so it was great to see him back on the mound. Kelly delivered a solid outing, tossing 5.1 innings while allowing just two earned runs. He did struggle with control at times, issuing four walks—including a bases-loaded free pass—which was uncharacteristic for the veteran right-hander. Still, he threw 86 pitches, kept the D-backs in the game, and picked up the win in what was overall a very encouraging performance.

Ildemaro Vargas continued his torrid start to the season, delivering a big three-run homer in the fifth inning. According to the D-backs TV broadcast, Vargas set a franchise record by recording hits in his first 11 games to open the season. It’s worth noting that he was a late addition to the leadoff spot and second base after Ketel Marte was scratched pregame with back tightness. Jose Fernandez kept up his own impressive start, collecting two hits—including a rocket of an RBI double to dead center that missed a home run by just two feet. The ball came off the bat at 102.8 mph and traveled 399 feet. What a dynamic duo these two have been early on!

Geraldo Perdomo showed signs of life at the plate with three hits, but he committed a costly error in the bottom of the eighth. He dropped the ball on the transfer, which would have been an inning-ending double play. That miscue allowed the Orioles to push across a run a couple of batters later and forced Juan Morillo to throw more pitches than ideal. It was the kind of fundamental mistake that runs counter to the brand of baseball manager Torey Lovullo has been emphasizing this season. The error nearly cost the D-backs the game, but Ryan Thompson came in and calmly escaped a bases-loaded jam on just one pitch.

Paul Sewald then closed it out for the save. At this point in the season, it’s remarkable to note that Sewald is a perfect 6-for-6 in save opportunities and leads all of Major League Baseball in saves. With how many one-run games the D-backs have played early on, it’s hard to imagine where the team would be without him.

Tonight was a good one for D-backs fans—especially with Kelly’s return and bouncing back from yesterday’s heartbreaker to even the series. Arizona will look to clinch its third straight series victory tomorrow afternoon, with Eduardo Rodriguez toeing the rubber. Giddy up!

Fresh off their stunning Weekend 1 Coachella performance, BigBang cruised to Dodger Stadium to catch Los Angeles’ Tuesday night matchup with the Mets — and more than one Dodger was seen fanboying out over the iconic K-pop group.

G-Dragon and Daesung scored field-level access a few hours before the game’s first pitch, and Dave Roberts immediately showed them love after they caught his eye.

The LA manager gave them big hugs and chatted with them for a while.

Blake Snell then walked over, signed some baseballs for the pair and started up a lengthy conversation as well.

Roki Sasaki, too, stopped what he was doing to greet the duo, before he doled out a couple autographs.

The attention shouldn’t surprise many — BigBang was one of the stories of Coachella on Sunday.

The group, comprised of G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung, drew a massive crowd at the festival’s Outdoor Theatre, and entertained for around an hour with hits like “Bang Bang Bang” and “Fantastic Baby.”

They’ll be back in Indio again for one more show on Weekend 2, but none of the Dodgers will be able to see them because of a road series with the Rockies — a clear blow to a lot of the Boys in Blue.

LOS ANGELES — Technically, Wednesday’s series finale against the New York Mets is the first day Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is eligible to return from the injured list. But he won’t be returning any time soon from his oblique strain, taking a more deliberate approach in his rehab.

“He’s moving well. I see him throwing, stretching out a little bit. I’m not sure when he’s going to start swinging the bat,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. “But in talking to him, he doesn’t feel any symptoms.”

Betts injured the oblique during the Dodgers’ game on April 4 in Washington D.C., likely while running the bases in the first inning. On Tuesday, Betts told David Vassegh of Dodger Talk that the oblique strain doesn’t bother him with everyday activities, but he feels it while doing sport-specific exercises.

“It’s not that it hurts. It’s just you feel it and — you don’t want to feel it, because the more that you feel it, that means it’s still healing, and any quick movements from there could just re-injure it,” Betts said. “Then we’re in a much worse spot.”

Betts was on the field at Dodger Stadium before Tuesday’s game, throwing and going through various pregame activities. He’s done rotational work while in the weight room, but hasn’t yet swung a bat.

“I’m able to throw. Running, I feel it, but it’s not that bad. I haven’t started hitting yet, but we’re doing med ball throws,” Betts told Vassegh. “We want to get fully comfortable with throwing the med ball, and not having really any hesitation with that before we start swinging, just because I don’t want to start developing bad habits because I’m scared to swing.”

Because Betts hasn’t yet started swinging a bit, there’s no specific timetable yet for his return, nor when he might start a minor league rehab assignment, if he even plays in the minors at all before returning. Betts didn’t play in any rehab games after missing 11 weeks with a broken hand in 2024, for instance.

“We don’t really know how long he’s going to be out for, but I do know there are sim-game opportunities, and he’s not one who loves going on a rehab assignment,” Roberts said. “So we’ll put a pin in that one.”

Betts missed 15 days on the injured list in 2018 with an oblique injury while with the Boston Red Sox. But now, at age 33 instead of 25, Betts and the Dodgers are taking the older, wiser approach.

“I think the oblique is something that is good until it’s not,” Roberts said. “You want to make sure that you’re really mindful of the process to get back and build up.”

“Things are going great,” Betts told Vassegh. “It’s just an oblique and things are going to take time.”

It’s rainy and gray in Seattle but the Mariners are enjoying sunny skies in San Diego for the next three games. After mopping up the Astros this weekend in a weird wraparound series, the Mariners will hope to keep their offensive improvements going against a San Diego team that isn’t quite as battered as the Astros.

Lineups:

Look at the Padres social team trolling Mariners fans with our old first baseman:

Roster updates:

Rob Refsnyder is headed to the paternity list; Patrick Wisdom is up from Tacoma to fill in. Find out more here.

Mariners roster news: Rob Refsnyder to paternity list, Patrick Wisdom selected

For the Padres, they announced pregame they have placed RHP Nick Pivetta on the IL with right elbow inflammation and recalled RHP Alek Jacob.

Game information:

Game time: 6:40 PT

TV: Mariners.TV with Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.

As a reminder, we’ll be watching Thursday’s game at the Rebel in Wallingford – come through if you can! 21+, food and drink specials, and prizes.

If you’re looking for MiLB games to watch tonight, the Rainiers game has been postponed because of rain; it will be made up as a doubleheader on Thursday the 16th.

In what is becoming a theme in this short season, the Kansas City offense no-showed and the bullpen again blew a slim lead as the Tigers beat the Royals 2-1 in Detroit. 

Until the late innings, the first inning and half contained all the action, and it started very quickly. With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Kevin McGonigle poked a fly ball to left field. As Isaac Collins tracked the ball, it drifted foul, into the seats just around a sneaky corner. Collins didn’t see the seats coming and went head over heels.

Status alert: Isaac Collins leaves game Tuesday.pic.twitter.com/deS4UKuqtU

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) April 14, 2026

Collins did not come down with the ball, and to make batters worse he banged up his knee in the process. Tyler Tolbert came in to replace him, and Cole Ragans even walked McGonigle with the next pitch. It was not a good few minutes, but fortunately the Royals escaped without the Tigers doing any damage. 

In the second inning, the Royals got some good fortune. Salvador Perez blooped a bouncing single through the right side of the infield, and Tigers starter Framber Valdez mishandled a Vinnie Pasquantino dribbler and barely got Salvy out at second base. Starling Marte singled on a grounder up the middle and Jonathan India walked to load the bases. Carter Jensen–or should I say Young Carter, Eric Hosmer’s nickname for him–made weak contact. But the weak contact prevented a double play and resulted in one (1) run.

Anytime I watch Valdez, I just wonder how anyone scores off him. For his career, Valdez has struck out batters at a healthy 23.4% clip, and when he does allow contact, he induces ground balls 60% of the time. It’s infuriating to watch; when he’s on, like he was tonight, he looks unstoppable. He threw strikes. He got an endless supply of ground balls. Kansas City’s offense was absolutely and completely overwhelmed, in other words. 

Fortunately for the Royals, Cole Ragans was very good. Ragans wasn’t quite at his occasional “world-destroying monster” level, and he only had one strikeout against four walks (two leadoff). But Ragans had the Tigers constantly guessing, and Detroit only managed a single hit against the imposing lefty across six innings in part thanks to some solid defense, like this over-the-shoulder catch from Bobby Witt Jr. 

There aren't many players that can cover ground like Bobby Witt Jr.

This play is a prime example. #Royalspic.twitter.com/5fN7c9uEUS

— Jaylon T. Thompson (@jaylonthompson) April 14, 2026

Ragans left with a 1-0 lead. But with such a slim margin for error and Kansas City’s, shall we say, suspect bullpen, Royals fans could smell what was inevitable to happen next. It seemed like that would be immediate, as Matt Strahm stepped into the seventh inning and surrendered a leadoff single to Dillon Dingler and walked Spencer Torkelson a few batters later. 

But while Strahm got out of it, that feared result happened in the eighth. Nick Mears also started off the eighth inning by surrendering a leadoff hit–but this one was of the extra base variety, a Zach McKinstry double. A Gleyber Torres groundout moved McKinstry to third base, and Mears uncorked a wild pitch to allow McKinstry to score. After a McGonigle walk, Dingler doubled to third base on a ball that Maikel Garcia probably should have gotten. It allowed McGonigle to score from first. 

The Royals made it interesting in the ninth inning, with Lane Thomas singling off Kenley Jansen and stealing second base to put a runner in scoring position with no outs. But Jansen overpowered Salvy and Vinnie to get meek back-to-back ground outs, and Marte popped up to center field on what should have been a walk–but Marte didn’t challenge a clear miscall by the ump even though the Royals had both challenges and were about to lose the game.  

Kansas City is now 7-10, and 17 games into the season you and I have combined for as many home runs as Witt, Pasquantino, and Caglianone have, so that’s fun. Should the Chicago White Sox win later tonight, the Royals will be back to their comfortable resting ground of last place (or tied for it, as it were).

Mets lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Luis Robert – CF
3. Jorge Polanco – DH
4. Bo Bichette – 3B
5. Francisco Alvarez – C
6. Brett Baty – RF
7. Mark Vientos – 1B
8. Marcus Semien – 2B
9. Carson Benge – LF

SP: Nolan McLean – RHP

Dodgers lineup

1. Shohei Ohtani – DH
2. Kyle Tucker – RF
3. Will Smith – C
4. Freddie Freeman – 1B
5. Teoscar Hernandez – LF
6. Max Muncy – 3B
7. Andy Pages – CF
8. Hyeseong Kim – SS
9. Alex Freeland – 2B

SP: Y. Yamamoto – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 10:10pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

The San Diego Padres officially announced that starter Nick Pivetta, who suffered an injury while pitching on Sunday, is being placed on the 15-day injured list. It will be retroactive to April 13. The diagnosis is right elbow inflammation. Pivetta was in the fourth inning of a perfect start against the Colorado Rockies when his velocity dropped and manager Craig Stammen walked out and took the ball.

Starter Matt Waldron and reliever Alek Jacob have been brought up from Triple-A El Paso with Waldron saying (per Padres media) that he will be starting on Friday in Anaheim against the Angels. Waldron has had starts for the Chihuahuas with 12 innings pitched and has allowed seven hits and no runs with 12 strikeouts.

His last start was April 9, going five innings with two hits and no runs with three strikeouts. Friday would normally be the spot for Germán Márquez, following Walker Buehler on Thursday, but the starting pitchers past today’s game against the Mariners have not been announced by the Padres.

Jacob can be activated and used out of the bullpen until Waldron is needed to start. That would give the bullpen a fresher arm to relieve some stress on the current pitchers. Jacob last pitched 1.2 innings on Sunday for El Paso. He has pitched 7.1 innings over five games with a 0.00 ERA. He has six strikeouts and three walks.

Pivetta was placed on the injured list by the Boston Red Sox, his team in 2024, with a right elbow flexor strain and he was activated after a month on the IL. He also experienced what was described as arm fatigue during Spring Training this year and was shut down for a start before resuming his build up.

There was no announcement regarding elbow imaging done or if that is in the plan for Pivetta.

The Tigers are happy to be home. They had an incredible weekend sweep against the Marlins, and with division rivals the Kansas City Royals in town for a three-game series, they were hoping to keep climbing in the AL Central standings. For the first game of the series, Framber Valdez was up against Cole Ragans. Valdez had a rough go in his last outing and was looking for some redemption at home.

In the top of the first, Maikel Garcia reached on a fielding error by Kevin McGonigle at third. Bobby Witt Jr., who is certain to be a problem for the Tigers this series, grounded into a double play, and another out wrapped up the ending with no damage done. In the home half, Matt Vierling hit a one-out single. Isaac Collins, the Royals’ left fielder, chased down a Kevin McGonigle foul, landing in the seats and soon exiting the game entirely.

Isaac Collins injury pic.twitter.com/uiYJfEaJAL

— Bobby (@welcometoMLB) April 14, 2026

McGonigle ended up walking, but then a double play ended the inning.

Salvador Perez kicked off the second with a single. A groundout then resulted in possibly the funniest out of the season, as Framber Valdez knocked down a ball from Vinnie Pasquantino, going to the ground and struggling to get a grip on it before making the slowest toss in history to second and still managing to get the out. Pasquantino did manage to get safely to first, though. Starling Marte then singled. Jonathan India walked to load the bases. Carter Jensen grounded into a force out, eliminating India, but scoring Pasquantino, putting the Royals on the board first. The Royals would have to settle for the one run, though. In the bottom of the inning, Ragans got the Tigers out in order.

In the top of the third, Valdez finally got his feet under him a little better, getting two outs before giving up a walk to Lane Thomas. In the home half, the Tigers went down 1-2-3 again.

The fourth finally went entirely smoothly for Valdez as he got the Royals to go three-up, three-down. Matt Vierling for MVP of this game as he got on base for the second time in the game, this time with a walk. A McGonigle groundout advanced him to second. A Dingler groundout got Vierling to third. On a lengthy plate battle (and hoping to finally, finally get on base) Wenceel Perez went to a full count, before a called strikeout, which he then challenged, and good for him, because it was ruled ball four and got him a free base. The Tigers couldn’t manage to get a run across though.

The top of the fifth saw the Royals go 1-2-3 again. Hurray! In the bottom of the inning Spencer Torkelson took a leadoff walk twice. The first time the ball four call was overturned on a challenge, then he worked the count again and got on base. The effort didn’t pay off, though as a pop out and double play ended the inning.

Bobby Witt Jr. got a leadoff single in the top of the sixth. Three outs followed, including Valdez’s first strikeout of the game. The man just really loves inducing a ground ball, what can I say? Speaking of groundouts, the Tigers got two of them in the bottom of the inning, plus a lineout for a little fun.

The Royals went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh. In the home half, it was getting on to crunch time for the Tigers, who needed to act soon if they were planning to make some kind of comeback and not lose the game by a single run. The Royals were the first to go to their bullpen, bringing in Matt Strahm. Dingler got things going with a leadoff single to the infield, beating out a slow throw by Maikel Garcia. With two outs, Torkelson drew a walk, and it was up to Javier Baez. But death by groundout continued, and the Tigers left the inning with a goose egg on the scoreboard.

Valdez’s day was done, with a final line of 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K on 87 pitches. Having a pitcher who is good at inducing groundballs is swell, but you need to have the infield defense to make it work for you. Unclear at this point if the Tigers have the necessary combo for success. Still, decidedly a better outing for Valdez overall. Will Vest came on to replace him. And you know who does strikeout batters? Will Vest. He did it three times in a row, in fact, and man, there’s just something extra enjoyable about watching fastball strikeouts after watching a pitcher who specializes in weak contact. Mmmm, fastballs. In the home hald, Nick Mears was the newest Royals pitcher to face the Tigers. Zach McKinstry got a leadoff double. Gleyber Torres hit a grounder to get McKinstry to third. Colt Keith came off the bench to pinch hit for Vierling. He hit a liner down the middle but Bobby Witt Jr. is a menace and smothered what would have been an RBI single for the second out of the inning. It’s really rude when he’s good against us. A wild pitch by Mears and heads up baserunning scored the Tigers’ first run of the game to tie things up.

WILD pic.twitter.com/cY2mpQ4Reu

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 15, 2026

McGonigle took a walk. Dingler then drove the ball right down the third base line and McGonigle went first to jome on the double, giving the Tigers the lead. The Tigers wouldn’t get any more runs, but they had the lead, and the best closer in the business (historically speaking) coming up.

RUN ROOK RUN pic.twitter.com/Sg3fgrcoPc

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 15, 2026

Kenley Jansen came in for the ninth. Lane Thomas got a leadoff single. Thomas stole second, and while McKinstry did try a really fun jump-over-the-runner-and-tag-him-on-the-head play, it was just a little too slow. A Perez groundout advanced Thomas to third. A Pasquantino groundout put the Tigers just one out from victory, and one runner 90 feet from a tie game. Let’s all hold our breath. Jansen was dialing his cut fastball up over 96 mph, which is a great sign after sitting 92-93 mph early on. A flyout to Baez after getting to a full count ended the game, and Jansen managed to snag himself a save that puts him alone at third all-time saves leader with 479.

Final: Tigers 2, Royals 1

Before the start of the 2026 season the San Diego Padres were projected to win 79-80 games by FanGraphs and PECOTA. The assumption was the bench was not deep or talented enough, the starting pitching was not deep or talented enough and the bullpen wouldn’t be as good with the departure of closer Robert Suarez.

It is obviously way too early to prove any of those assertions wrong. The returns so far show that the Padres have the potential to be way better than assumed and a lot rests on the starting pitching.

The one thing no one expected, not the so-called experts or anyone who covers, or is a fan of the team, was for new closer Mason Miller to overwhelm baseball.

Coming to the Padres from the A’s at the 2025 trade deadline, in exchange for top prospect Leodalis DeVries, Miller was the setup man for Suarez. And he was really good. He pitched in 22 games and 23.1 innings with a 0.77 ERA, allowing 10 walks with 45 strikeouts. His fastball topped out at 104.5 mph in the playoffs against the Chicago Cubs – the highest velocity of any pitch in postseason history.

While no one on the outside of the organization knows exactly what changes were made between last year and this year, there are observable differences that might help explain what we are all seeing Miller do so far this year.

Defying gravity

Modern day pitchers increasingly rely on two things in order to get hitters out. Their velocity and their ability to spin the baseball. Command is a constant in baseball with every successful pitcher needing good command of their pitches.

The “rising fastball” description is a myth. No pitch can rise after being thrown. The term “Induced Vertical Break” (IVB) was developed to describe the illusion of a ball rising as it approaches the plate. What actually occurs is that the spin the pitcher puts on the ball causes it to drop less than we expect due to the forces of gravity on the pitch. That is called the “ride” of the pitch and backspin is the only way to induce it.

What Mason Miller does incredibly well is throw both of his dominant pitches (fastball and slider) for strikes consistently and also has the most break on his slider this season that he has ever had.

The hitters are timing up for a fastball that normally comes at them from 100-104 mph (his average is 101.4) and they often get a slider that looks like it’s coming right over the plate and ends up off the plate.

In 2025, Miller had a 44.4% K-rate and a 45.2% whiff rate with a 35.7% chase rate over the entire season. Those are all great numbers and put him in the 98-100% ranking among all pitchers. He threw these pitches from a 35-degree arm angle. In his previous professional seasons, his arm angle was fairly consistent, between 34-36 degrees.

2026 dominance

In the 7.1 innings pitched so far this season, Miller has thrown to 24 batters and has struck out 19 of them. 18 of those are swinging strikeouts. The best K-rate for a pitcher normally is 40-50%, exactly where Miller sat last season.

His success this year puts him at a 79.2% K-rate with a 60.8% whiff rate and a 57.1% chase rate against those 24 batters. Some of this can actually be explained. Miller has more IVB on his slider this season than ever before. Measured in inches, his previous slider broke 1.6 inches more than expected and he currently is sitting at three inches more break than expected. Sliders break laterally and down, as opposed to fastballs that appear to rise when they don’t drop as much as expected. Breaking pitches either move down or laterally and some do both.

His arm angle has changed significantly from previous seasons. He is now throwing from a 39 degree angle and that could explain the significant difference in his slider break from last season.

The effect on his fastball is less dramatic with less than an inch difference from last year to this year. (Stats per Baseball Savant)

Ben Clemens of FanGraphs wrote an article for the site detailing how dominant Miller has been and how unprecedented this dominance is. 

We’re still squarely in small-sample season, but Miller stands out even there. His slider is missing more bats than anyone else’s in baseball, of course. The gap between his slider’s swinging-strike numbers and second place (Erik Miller) is the same as the gap between second and 11th place. That 80% whiff rate looks just as silly. Mason Miller has recorded as many swinging strikes on his slider as Jesús Luzardo, a slider-dominant elite starter. But Luzardo has thrown more than twice as many sliders! They’re tied for the sixth-most slider whiffs in the majors so far this year – and Miller has gotten there in only 7 1/3 innings.

Can he sustain this?

The obvious answer is no. 

The Cy Young conversation has begun in baseball because of how dominant he has looked in this young season. The last reliever to win a Cy Young Award was Eric Gagne in 2003. 

Miller is fast approaching the record for scoreless innings for a Padres reliever, held by Clay Meredith at 33 ⅔ innings in 2006. Randy Jones holds the record for starters at 30 scoreless innings. Miller currently sits at 28 ⅔ scoreless innings dating back to last August.

All over baseball, the Mason Miller appearance is considered must-watch. MLB Network put together a compilation showing his progress through his career and how dominant he has become.

Mason Miller is on ANOTHER level 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mSjAIc3ThT

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 11, 2026

No matter what happens this season with Miller, he has elevated the excitement on a national level and brought more attention to the Padres with his performances. His new walk-up music and the video show that Petco Park presents when he enters, also went viral at the start of the season. 

All eyes remain on Miller while he tries to continue his dominance and set new records. The Friar Faithful have the best reliever in baseball. Enjoy it.

Mets right-hander Jonah Tong was dominant in the early innings of his start for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, but it did not end the way he would have wanted.

Going up against the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Tong struck out the side in the first inning, which included Jasson Dominguez and Oswaldo Cabrera.

Tong allowed one run across his first four innings, but the fifth was not kind to the youngster.

After walking the leadoff batter, Ernesto Martinez Jr. took Tong deep and cut Syracuse's lead to 6-3. Tong bounced back to strike out former big leaguer Paul DeJong, but Payton Henry homered to make it 6-4.

Dominguez doubled before Tong struck out Oswaldo Cabrera. Tong got behind Max Schuemann in the count, 2-1, when the infielder lined a single to score the fourth run of the inning, and ended Tong's night.

Dan Hammer replaced Tong but gave up a double to Spencer Jones as the RailRiders tied the game at 6-6, with all six runs going against Tong. 

Tong finished Tuesday's start, throwing 86 pitches (53 strikes), allowing six earned runs on five hits (two home runs) and three walks. He did strike out a season-high 10 batters.

Tuesday was Tong's fourth start at Triple-A this season. His last start saw him allow just two runs on one hit through five innings, but it's been an inconsistent beginning to Tong's minor league season.  

His ERA now stands at 7.04, but his high strikeout rate is still intact. He's now punched out 23 batters across 15.1 innings.

Jonah Tong strikes out the side in the first for Syracuse! pic.twitter.com/Nri5BWAxwn

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) April 14, 2026

Texas Rangers @ Athletics

Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 8:40 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

Sutter Health Park

LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. LHP Jeffrey Springs

Go Rangers!