Mar 17, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Pedro Ramirez against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Right-hander Vince Velazquez has rejoined the Iowa Cubs.
Charlie Barnes pitched the first five innings without allowing a run. Barnes allowed four hits, walked one and struck out four.
Luke Little pitched the two extra innings. He let the automatic runner score in the tenth, but he kept Columbus off the board in the eleventh and got the win. The final line on Little was one unearned run on one hit over two innings. He walked one and struck out two.
The I-Cubs managed just four hits today and only one infield single before the eighth inning. But third baseman Pedro Ramírez singled home the winning run in the bottom of the eleventh. He was 1 for 4.
Owen Miller had two of those four hits. He went 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Here’s Ramírez’s game-winning single. As you can see, it would have been a double had the winning run not been on third.
Koen Moreno allowed just two hits over four scoreless innings to start the game. Moreno struck out five and walked two.
Jackson Brockett pitched the next two innings and got the win. Brockett was outstanding and retired all six batters he faced, striking out five of them. The other one grounded out on an 0-2 pitch.
JP Wheat retired the side in order in the seventh. He then came out to pitch the eighth and after retiring the first batter on a foul pop, put two men on with a single and a hit batter. At that point Ethan Bell relieved Wheat and while he allowed one runner inherited from Wheat to score, he went the rest of the way for the save.
The final line on Bell was no runs on two hits over 1.2 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
South Bend scored all three runs in the sixth inning and two of them came on a home run by DH Cole Mathis. It was Mathis’ second home run for South Bend and ninth overall. Mathis was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Right fielder Kade Snell singled right after Mathis’ home run. He then stole second and scored on a Drew Bowser double. Snell’s final line was 2 for 4 with a steal. Bowser went 2 for 4 with the double.
Pierce Coppola dominated the Crawdads in his first appearance of the year. He threw four scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. Coppola struck out five and walked no one.
Edwardo Melendez relieved Coppola got the loss after giving up two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth. Melendez’s final line was four runs on four hits over two innings. Two of the four hits were solo home runs. Melendez walked two, hit two batters and struck out one.
Left fielder Geuri Lubo tripled home Michael Carico in the fourth inning for the first run of the game. Lubo went 2 for 4 and Carico was 0 for 2 with two walks.
Catcher Logan Poteet hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth to close out the Pelicans scoring. It was his fourth home run this year. Poteet was 1 for 4.
For almost a year, DJ LeMahieu disappeared. The two-time batting champion was unceremoniously cut by the New York Yankees after injuries took their toll. Last month, LeMahieu posted a note on social media thanking the Yankees for his time there, but no clue what his future plans were.
Now, it seems LeMahieu has found his next chapter right in his own backyard.
LeMahieu was named manager of the Royal Oak Leprechauns, the team announced Wednesday. He has financially supported the Michigan-based collegiate wood-bat team for years, helping players in his native Metro Detroit region.
A three-time MLB All-Star (2015, 2017, 2019) LeMahieu was one of the most versatile infielders of his generation. He won four Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and batting titles in each league, making him one of two players in MLB history to accomplish that feat.
LeMahieu, 37, is a Bloomfield Township, Michigan, native who starred at Brother Rice High School, where he was an All-American before going to LSU and winning the 2009 College World Series. He was originally drafted by his hometown Detroit Tigers out of high school in 2007 but chose college instead. He was drafted in the second round in 2009 by the Chicago Cubs.
After 15 seasons in the majors, the Yankees designated him for assignment last July, ending a seven-year run in New York. He never signed with another club and never announced his intention to retire. He posted a vague note to Instagram last month thanking the Yankees for his time there.
Now, he is stepping into a dugout for the first time, managing in the same organization where he began as a donor and board member. The league helps college players prepare for professional baseball and exposes them to MLB team scouts.
LeMahieu began supporting the Leprechauns as a primary donor in 2020, funding the numerous renovations to Memorial Park, before transitioning to role of team president. More than $500,000 was initially invested in the field and scoreboard through his backing. He has been active in the Metro Detroit baseball scene even while playing in the big leagues. He owns the area’s premier training facility that serves as the home field for his Brother Rice team.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 05: Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics at bat during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 5, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This one stings. The Athletics had the lead for the majority of the game in Philadelphia this evening but a late-inning rally by the Phillies sunk the A’s as they dropped their second straight contest and their third in the last four games. Now back at .500 the team has got to get a win tomorrow in the series finale if they want to avoid the sweep. Still in first place though!
On the bump for the A’s this evening was left-hander Jeffrey Springs. The veteran came into the season on an absolute hot streak but got hit around the last couple times out. He also had to depart his most recent outing with a hip issue so the fact that he was even available for the start tonight was a positive.
For the first few innings tonight Springs was on his game and looked like the arm from earlier this season. He spread out a couple hits allowed over the first four frames but otherwise kept the Philly offense from getting any sort of rhythm or rally going.
Meanwhile the offense for the Athletics was facing Philadelphia ace Zack Wheeler. The right-hander had only just returned from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery but looked like the Wheeler we’ve all grown accustomed to seeing over the years. And for the first couple innings tonight the A’s looked like they would be the latest team to experience the return of Wheeler.
The bats broke through against the right-hander in the third inning. Lawrence Butler, manning center field tonight, drew a leadoff walk to start the frame then advanced to second on a productive out. With two outs though the A’s would need a big two-out base hit. And that’s just what they got from shortstop Jacob Wilson, who brought Butler home with an RBI single the other way to right field:
Wilson would finish the day 1-for-5 but that hit was a big one to get the scoring started. That run also probably doesn’t score without some nice sliding from Butler coming into home plate:
The A’s added on another run against Wheeler a couple innings later with another two-out rally. After the first two batters of the fifth went down right-handed hitter Zack Gelof, who was playing third base tonight for the first time in the major leagues, laced a two-out double to put a runner in scoring position and flip the lineup. That meant Nick Kurtz, who was playing in his home town with his dad in attendance, got a chance to pad the lead and he did that with his own RBI base knock to bring home Gelof:
That base hit also extended Kurtz’s on-base streak, tying former Athletic Matt Chapman’s 30-game mark from 2018. Still a long ways to go to reach Mark McGuire’s franchise-record 62 straight games reaching base, but he’s almost half way!
Nick Kurtz extends his on-base streak to 30 games with an RBI single to right that scores Gelof from second, 2-0 A's.
Longest on-base streak by an A's player since Matt Chapman's 30-game streak in 2018.
Kurtz would also steal a bag later in this one, his fourth of the season which is tied for the team lead with Butler.
The Phillies finally broke through against Springs in the bottom half of that frame. A leadoff triple all but ensured that and a groundout prevented Springs from getting his shutdown inning. Still, the A’s were in the lead and it was only the first run allowed from the lefty all evening.
It didn’t take long for the A’s to get that run back though. Leading off the top of the sixth was left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, and he got ahold of the second pitch from Wheeler and delivered a solo home run to left field to push the lead back to two:
That was Sodey’s fifth long ball of the season and that’s his second in the past three games. After a slow-ish start to the year, could the lefty slugger be getting hot?
Now with a two-run lead again Springs went back out there for the start of the sixth at just 64 pitches. After getting Bryce Harper to ground out to start the inning he got tagged on the first pitch to outfielder Adolis Garcia, who delivered a solo blast to halve the A’s lead to 3-2. Another single on the very next pitch and Mark Kotsay had seen enough. At just 75 pitches Springs’ evening was over as he made way for right-handed reliever Justin Sterner.
A quality bounce back outing from Springs, but it only lowered his season ERA a few points to 3.85 in eight starts. He departed with the lead and probably deserved a W on his score card tonight. His next start lines up to be next week in the series-opener at home against the Cardinals.
Sterner got the final two outs of the frame without any added drama and we were off to the seventh. Only nine outs to go. Next up was Jack Perkins, who had a perfect frame with a pair of strikeouts. Looking to roll the dice Kotsay decided to send him out for a second inning of work, a decision that almost immediately backfired.
A leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth is just asking for trouble but Perkins did just that against slugger Kyle Schwarber. An error by Jeff McNeil at second base didn’t help matters but another single loaded the bases with no outs for the Phillies. Danger territory for any pitcher and they made Perk pay tonight. Philly second baseman Edmundo Sosa had the biggest hit of the night for the home team, driving a single to center field that brought home two runners and gave the Phillies their first lead of the game.
It was only a one-run deficit though so the bullpen needed to keep it from getting out of hand. After a lineout it was lefty Hogan Harris’ turn to pitch and he didn’t have much better success, allowing a pair of singles and an RBI ground out to push the score to the eventual 6-3 final.
The A’s didn’t go quietly in the ninth, loading the bases and bringing up Wilson with the tying-run on first base. Unfortunately he went after the first pitch of the at bat and weakly grounded out to the pitcher on a pitch up and in, ending the game and securing the Athletics’ second straight loss in Philadelphia.
This one is tough to swallow. The A’s wasted a quality performance from Springs tonight. The offense had some moments but it’s hard to win games when you are getting out-hit seven to 12. The bullpen struggles cost them tonight and one has to wonder if the lack of set roles is affecting the young arms that make up the relief unit. Structure is good for the youth.
We have one final chance to steal a win in Philly this year. It’ll be right-hander J.T. Ginn on the mound for the visiting squad as he prepares for his sixth start. He had his first real adversity in his previous outing when he allowed five runs to score against the Guardians in a loss. The 26-year-old will be looking for a bounceback performance against a Philly squad that has scored 15 runs in the two games of this series. Ginn will be opposed by Philly’s own young pitcher in Andrew Painter, who will bring a 5.28 ERA into the series finale. The A’s are still in first place, but they’re back at the .500 mark so a win in the finale would do wonders for the team’s morale before heading to Baltimore this weekend.
After an unscheduled day off on Tuesday because of inclement weather in Colorado, the Mets resume their three-game series against the Rockies on Wednesday night.
Before the game, manager Carlos Mendoza spoke about a number of topics regarding his team.
Catching combo, same lineup
For the second game in a row, catchers Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens are in the same lineup, with Alvarez hitting eighth as the DH while Torrens does the catching and in the nine spot.
It worked out for New York the first time as the duo played a big hand in the Mets’ 4-2 win, combining to go 2-for-6 with two doubles (back-to-back in the sixth), two runs and an RBI.
Still, it’s pretty uncommon for a team to have both catchers in the same lineup, but Mendoza is doing what he can to maximize his offense in the face of a ton of injuries while losing nothing defensively.
The skipper broke down what went into the decision to have both Alvarez and Torrens in the lineup, saying it’s a combination of a lot of things, including Juan Soto.
“Soto being able to play in the outfield, having a day game tomorrow where there’s a good chance [Soto’s] gonna DH,” Mendoza explained. “Just looking at okay one of the days Avy’s going to catch, Luis’ is going to catch, the righty today, the lefty tomorrow. So there’s a lot that goes into it and I decided to go with the combination again today.”
With Soto back in the outfield after strictly DHing when he returned from the IL with a calf strain, it frees Mendoza up to be a little more creative with his lineups, especially with a shorthanded roster and a team that has struggled to score runs early in the season.
Speaking of Soto, Mendoza was asked about his comfort level with having the superstar play the outfield the same day it snowed in Denver.
“It’s pretty impressive the work they’ve done,” Mendoza said, referring to the grounds crew at Coors Field. “You look at some of the pictures and some of the things that we were looking at earlier today and the outfield, and the field in general, you gotta give those guys a lot of credit.
“But I’ll make sure I go out there and walk it again. But as of right now we feel pretty good [about Soto in the outfield].”
With MJ Melendez (playing right field on Wednesday) also on the roster, the Mets have a third player who has MLB catching experience which also helps them if anything were to happen to one of their main catchers.
So, will this lineup variation become the new norm for New York?
"It depends," Mendoza said. "... There’s a lot that goes into it, but we’ll see."
Injury updates rapid fire
Jorge Polanco: Off from baseball activities today after running yesterday. Likely won't need a rehab assignment when he’s ready to play, but Mendoza reiterated that he's “day-to-day”.
“It’s been like that for a long time, but we’ll see how this continues to progress.
Luis Robert Jr.: Feeling better, but back in New York.
Kodai Senga: Started playing catch today. Feeling a lot better. The process now is to build him back up.
DETROIT — Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez was suspended for five games and fined on Wednesday, one day after he was ejected for hitting Boston's Trevor Story with a pitch during a 10-2 loss in which he allowed a career-high 10 runs.
Valdez was at first banned for six games by MLB, which cited him for intentionally throwing a pitch at Story, but the penalty was reduced in an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players' association. He started serving the penalty during Wednesday night's series finale and barring rainouts will be eligible to pitch Wednesday at the New York Mets.
Detroit already is missing injured starting pitchers Tarik Skubal (elbow), Casey Mize (hamstring) and Justin Verlander (hip).
"Generally when you have an event like last night where there’s a disruption of play and there’s a guy kicked out of the game for what is deemed throwing at somebody, that doesn’t come for free,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said.
Hinch was suspended for one game for what MLB said was Valdez's intentional actions and was to serve the penalty Wednesday.
Valdez already allowed eight runs in the first three innings when Willson Contreras hit a 449-foot homer on the first pitch of the fourth. Contreras watched the flight of the ball from home plate before flipping his bat.
Two pitches later, Wilyer Abreu boosted the score to 10-2 when he homered into the right-field seats, a 109.1 mph drive. His next pitch was a 94.4 mph offering that hit Story between the numbers on his back. Valdez had not thrown a four-seam fastball since last Aug. 3 when he hit Boston's Ceddanne Rafaela under the left arm with a 95.5 pitch with a 3-1 count leading off the sixth inning. The Astros trailed the Red Sox 6-1.
When home plate umpire Adam Beck and Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler got between Story and the mound Tuesday, the Red Sox dugout emptied, followed by Detroit's bench and both bullpens. There was no physical contact and few harsh words.
Valdez denied hitting Story on purpose, saying the unfamiliar four-seam fastball got away from him.
Last season while pitching for Houston, Valdez denied intentionally hitting his catcher César Salazar in the chest with a pitch almost immediately after he gave up a grand slam in a loss to the New York Yankees. Two pitches after Trent Grisham’s slam in the Yankees’ 7-1 victory on Sept. 2, Valdez crossed up catcher César Salazar by throwing a 92.8 mph sinker to Anthony Volpe. Valdez and Salazar both said after the game the pitch that hit the catcher wasn’t on purpose.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 26: A general overall aerial view of the downtown Phoenix skyline on December 26, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
PIRATES
DIAMONDBACKS
Oneil Cruz – CF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Brandon Lowe – 2B
Ketel Marte – 2B
Bryan Reynolds – LF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Ryan O’Hearn – RF
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Nick Gonzales – 3B
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Marcell Ozuna – DH
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Spencer Horwitz – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Konnor Griffin – SS
Gabriel Moreno – C
Henry Davis – C
Alek Thomas – CF
Paul Skenes – RHP
Michael Soroka – RHP
Just a quick intro today, work continuing to kick my ass. But it’s probably a good thing the D-backs were able to start out the series with a win, because things only get tougher tonight. After Paul Skenes’s Opening Day outing ended with a 2026 ERA of 67.50 (!), normal service has been resumed. In April, he made six starts, with an ERA of 1.62 and 38 strikeouts over 33.1 innings, while walking just five. Even including that initial disaster, opponents are still batting only .174 against Skenes. So it’s not going to be easy for the D-backs’ hitters tonight, and I’m basically going into this one not expecting much. I hope to be pleasantly surprised!
May 6, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) reacts in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Bryan Woo sat in the Mariners media room a week ago, adrift. Normally thoughtful, eloquent, and precise in postgame interviews, Woo’s responses were disjointed, starting sentences and trailing off, as he searched for answers to questions posed by the media about his back-to-back rough starts – answers he didn’t have. The last thing he said, transcribed verbatim, was:
“But…I don’t know. It’s…I got…not a ton of answers.”
Somewhere in the past week he found those answers. It was a much different Bryan Woo who sat before the media today, fresh off a series win against the Braves, handing Atlanta their first series loss of the season. Woo pitched six innings, matching his season-high in strikeouts (nine) against Atlanta, the team that strikes out the least in the National League. He credits his performance to thinking…less.
“It’s like I was good and I wanted to be great. You try to do more, you try to be perfect, and you lose sight of what makes yourself so good. And for me, that’s simplifying and just competing…It felt like the last two starts, just trying to do too much, think too much, dive into scouting reports too much, just thinking too much, honestly. My best brand of baseball is, do my homework before and talk to catchers and whatnot, but when it’s time to go on the mound, just go be. And I feel like I kind of got away from that the last two starts.”
Woo said what got him on track was actually staying on track – creating a plan beforehand, but trusting himself on the mound no matter what. It wasn’t easy for Woo from the start; he had a 24-pitch first inning, battling Matt Olson for nine pitches before eventually walking him. But Woo stuck to his plan, being aggressive in the zone, and he was able to use his slider and sweeper effectively today – he opened the game by striking out reigning NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin on the slider, and then got Michael Harris to fly out harmlessly on the sweeper to end the inning. Shaking off his last two rough starts, Woo was aggressive in the zone as always, throwing 17 of 21 first-pitch strikes, which the Braves offered at 10 times. For his efforts, he was rewarded with a boatload of weak-contact outs; he allowed just one exit velocity over 100 mph, a first pitch fastball that Mauricio Dubón, who has built an entire career out of ambushing those exact pitches, tagged into right field for a single. As the game wore on and Atlanta batters got choosier with swinging at the first pitch, Woo dialed it in even more; six of his nine strikeouts came in the second half of his outing, finishing off his day with a called strike three to Mariners’ sleep paralysis demon Matt Olson.
Bryan Woo dots a slider on the lower black for a huge ꓘ to Matt Olson to clear the 6th inning, scoreless.
The Braves' big slugger thought about using an ABS challenge but ultimately held off. pic.twitter.com/96K1Rr8psy
Having wandered in self-doubt for the past two weeks, Woo was able to find himself again, all while facing the best offense in baseball.
“St. Louis – obviously, I got whacked, but I felt like I was still pitching like myself. And then with Kansas City I think I just tried to do too much and think too much and try too hard. And it also didn’t work. So it’s just being honest with yourself about when are you at your best, and what does that look like, and what does that feel like to you? And then getting back to that as soon as you can.”
In addition to sticking to himself and not overthinking, Woo said he got a lot out of talking to his teammates—pitchers and hitters—about what it’s like to be in the weeds.
“I don’t know what it is about baseball, but it’s like when you’re not committed in yourself, you don’t trust yourself, for some reason the same pitches – whether they’re really, really good, same velocity, same movement – they just don’t work. I don’t know what it is. Baseball is a weird sport like that. You try too hard, you try to be too perfect, and 98 at the top of the zone gets whacked. 93 with conviction and commitment and trust just works. I don’t know what it is. It’ll never show up on a stat sheet but you just have to have a little bit of like, I don’t really give a shit. Excuse my language.”
Unfortunately, as Woo retired Atlanta on a lot of weak contact, and as George Kirby retired Atlanta on a ton of weak-contact groundballs last night, today it was the Mariners’ turn to suffer at the hands of former Texas Ranger and known Lefty Martin Pérez, making a start in place of scheduled starter Grant Holmes, playing the handedness-matchup-game.
The Mariners loaded the bases in the third thanks to some production from the bottom of the lineup. Jhonny Pereda led off with a line-drive single and then Leo Rivas got some of that BABIP devil magic Mateo had last night with a double down the left field line of his own, pushing runners into scoring position with no outs. J.P. Crawford walked to load the bases but Cal Raleigh reached after a changeup on the outer part of the plate for an easy double play, which scored the run but also burned away future scoring opportunities, as Julio Rodríguez chased after that same changeup for an easy inning-ending groundball out. So, a run, but a deflating one.
Still, Woo made that run hold up, turning away Atlanta’s hitters again and again. After Woo’s strong finish, Julio decided to give him a little extra breathing room in the bottom of the sixth, to the tune of 110.4 mph:
The Mariners had a chance to add more after Pérez exited for Tyler Kinley: Randy Arozarena singled through the five-six hole and Cole Young doubled into the right-field corner – but might have actually hit the ball too hard, at 107.3 mph, so Randy couldn’t quite scoot home. Connor Joe couldn’t push across the extra insurance with two outs.
Woo gave way to Cooper Criswell in the seventh, who hung a zero in a tidy 1-2-3 inning. It seemed like he might be back out to face the bottom of the lineup in the eighth, but Dan Wilson went to the higher-leverage Eduard Bazardo. Given the tight score and the off-day tomorrow, the move made sense in theory, but Bazardo was shaky, going to a full count before surrendering back-to-back singles to his first two hitters to put runners on the corners with no outs. Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith brought in the Braves’ first run of the day with a sacrifice fly, turning the lineup over for Drake Baldwin. The Mariners caught a break, as Bazardo picked off pinch-runner Jorge Mateo at first. Postgame, Dan Wilson offered credit on what could have been a game-changing challenge to Mariners replay coordinator Jake Kuruc, and also Josh Naylor, who applied the tag.
“I got to give Naylz some credit. I think the temptation a lot of times is to go get that ball and then go back to tag. He let that ball travel really well and got right to his hip, and that’s what made the difference.”
That pickoff turned out to be significant as Baldwin laced the first pitch he saw—a sinker three apples below the zone—for a single. Bazardo then got Ozzie Albies swinging after the same sinker Baldwin chased for an inning-ending strikeout, saving the Mariners’ bacon.
The Mariners were able to get that run back in the bottom of the inning against Didier Fuentes, working for his second inning. Josh Naylor singled with one out and then stole second because he is Perfect, and then Cole Young followed with his second double of the day, again wearing out that right field corner. This was an especially nice at-bat by Cole, who had a three-hit day. Fuentes worked him away that whole at-bat with a variety of pitches, and, in a full count, when Cole got a slider in the exact same location he’d just seen a 98 mph fastball, he was ready to hit it.
With that little bit of extra breathing room, José A. Ferrer made his third straight appearance of the series, filling in for Andrés Muñoz, who had pitched in back-to-back nights. Ferrer was anxious to get the ball and said he wanted the opportunity to try to get a save, saying the pitching coach initially told him before the game he was down to which he replied, essentially, no I’m not!
“I felt super good when I woke up this morning,” he said through translator Freddy Llanos. “I was ready to go. My arm felt great. So when they told me I was in, I was excited.”
Ferrer gave up some hard contact on a first-pitch sinker to Matt Olson, but the park held it; he then got Michael A. Harris to ground out on a sinker. Mauricio Dubón worked the count full but was called out on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, a 99.5 mph sinker right on the inner edge. Dubón immediately challenged, and the call was upheld.
Was Ferrer sure it was a strike?
“I had faith that it was,” he smiled.
It was a great series win for the Mariners, but also a great win for Bryan Woo, who had been struggling for the past two weeks.
“Sometimes you’re good, and you want to be great, and you just kind of do too much. But I’m human. It sucks when you suck. It sucks to sit on it for two weeks. Those thoughts still creep into my head just as much as anybody else, after a bad game, after two really bad games, it’s not easy to do. But to get back to my brand of pitching, my brand of baseball, was the first thing that I looked at, and that’s what I felt I did today.”
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 30: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on April 30, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (4-2, 3.18 ERA) vs. Michael Soroka (4-1, 4.70 ERA)
The Pirates continue their road trip, traveling out west to face the Diamondbacks in a three-game series at Chase Field in Phoenix.
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CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 30: Michael Lorenzen #24 of the Colorado Rockies throws during a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 30, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s not May baseball in Colorado without the annual snowstorm that pops up. Denver woke up to a winter wonderland and one of the biggest May snowstorms in a long while. As a result of the ongoing weather today, the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets resume their series with the second game but at a much later start time than originally planned.
Luckily for the Rockies, the groundscrew is always up to the challenge of clearing the field.
Michael Lorenzen (2-3, 6.09 ERA) takes the hill for Colorado, looking to find a groove. Lorenzen has faced some inconsistency at the start of the season, making it hard to gauge what he’s doing to do each start. His last outing against Cincinnati was progressing well until he gave up a two-run home run in the fifth inning to surrender a 2-1 lead. His best outing of the season did come against the Mets, however, as he fired seven innings, allowing just one run on seven hits. Walks and a lot of contact have proven to be the main issue for Lorenzen, especially if he isn’t getting ground balls at home. However, he has managed to deliver two solid starts at Coors Field after his disastrous outing against Philadelphia in the home opener
Freddy Peralta (1-3, 3.52 ERA) makes his eighth start of the year for New York. Among the many things that have gone wrong for the Mets, Peralta has been as solid as ever in the rotation. In his last outing, he faced off against Washington, allowing three runs on four hits over six innings of work. Before that, he allowed two runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings against the Rockies in New York. Peralta’s ability to rack up strikeouts is his greatest tool, but he is prone to walk at least three batters in a game. In four career appearances at Coors Field, Peralta has been quite comfortable with a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings of work with 30 strikeouts against eight walks.
First Pitch: 7:20 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
Juan Soto – LF Bo Bichette – SS MJ Melendez – RF Mark Vientos – 1B Brett Baty – 3B Marcus Semien – 2B Carson Benge – CF Francisco Alvarez – DH Luis Torrens – C
Third base coach Gabe Alvarez #85 and Buddy Kennedy #70 of the Detroit Tigers a solo home run hit by Kennedy during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on March 15, 2024 in Dunedin, Florida.
Tigers Triple-A manager Gabe Alvarez was removed from his position after an investigation into allegations of harassment by a female employee.
Alvarez had his contract terminated on Tuesday “due to violation of club policy.” The Athletic then revealed the harassment allegations in a report on Wednesday afternoon.
The firing is another black eye for the Tigers organization after assistant general manager Sam Menzin resigned abruptly in April 2025 after an internal investigation by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment — the parent company of the Tigers — had discovered he sent lewd photos to female team staffers, The Athletic reported.
The latest issue was brought to light to IS+E on Monday.
Alvarez said in a statement to ESPN that he sent a lone “inappropriate” text message to a female colleague and he regretted it “created this situation.”
“I sent a single text message to a colleague that I intended as a lighthearted joke,” Alvarez told the outlet. “Shortly after sending it, I recognized that the message was inappropriate and did not reflect the values and judgment I strive to uphold, and I immediately reached out to clarify my intent.
“I never intended to cause discomfort or offense, and I regret that the message created this situation. This was an isolated incident and not reflective of my long-standing record of professionalism, respect for colleagues, and conduct over the course of my career.”
The IS+E employee handbook states that a violation of the company’s harassment policy are subject to “including immediate termination,” The Athletic reported.
Alvarez’s dismissal continues a troublesome pattern that has come to light for the organization after Menzin and seven other men employed by the franchise were accused of inappropriate conduct toward women since 2023.
Third base coach Gabe Alvarez and Buddy Kennedy during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on March 15, 2024 in Dunedin, Florida. Diamond Images/Getty Images
Alvarez had been a member of the Tigers organization that was looked at as a possible future big league skipper after being promoted to manager of Triple-A Toledo last year.
Alvarez, 52, was the manager of Double-A Erie when the team won the Eastern League title in consecutive seasons in 2023 and ’24.
When The Athletic released its report in September, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment CEO Ryan Gustafson denied the need for outside counsel to examine the workplace culture.
“Do we need to focus on continued improvement in our culture? Yes,” he told the outlet in September. “But I’m very confident that there isn’t a larger issue from a misconduct standpoint.”
Gabe Alvarez of the Detroit Tigers in action during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan on July 14, 1998. Getty Images
Alvarez had a short stint in the major leagues, playing for the Tigers from 1998 through 2000, when he was traded in the middle of the season to the Padres.
He remained with the Padres for the rest of the 2000 season.
Alvarez started coaching in 2010 when he returned to USC, where he played college baseball in the early 1990s, to serve as an assistant coach.
The Mets pulled left-handed reliever A.J. Minter off his rehab assignment on Wednesday after he reported experiencing left hip discomfort before Triple-A Syracuse’s game against the Rochester Red Wings.
Minter, recovering from lat surgery, was scheduled to pitch for Syracuse in Wednesday’s game as part of the first leg of a back-to-back that would’ve been the final step in his rehab process before re-joining the Mets. Now, that process has been put on pause.
“We’re not too concerned, but probably giving him a couple, few days there and then he’ll continue to throw,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But as of right now, we pulled him off.”
Neither Minter nor New York is too worried about the severity of the setback despite the hip discomfort being on the same side that he got surgery on in August 2024 to repair a torn labrum.
Still, it does set the lefty back a bit with the clock on his rehab restarting.
With a downtick in velocity in a few of Minter’s appearances this year, Mendoza was asked if he thinks the hip discomfort had any role to play in that.
“I don’t know because there were days where we saw the velo at 92, 93, couple of 94,” the skipper said. “But there were some ones where it was like 91. But I don’t know, I would have to talk to him personally. I will have to talk to the trainers, but I didn’t get that [sense] when I was talking to the trainers when they gave me the report today.”
Minter hasn’t pitched for the Mets since April 2025, when he suffered a lat strain that required season-ending surgery. He's pitched to a 1.17 ERA across three minor league levels during his rehab assignment.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 1995: Owner Ted Turner of the Atlanta Braves holds the World Series trophy after the Braves win the World Series against the Cleveland Indians on October 28, 1995 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Media mogul, philanthropist and former Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner passed away earlier today at the age of 87.
The bombastic businessman and cultural icon reshaped the media landscape in the latter half of the 20th century after taking over his father’s company, Turner Outdoor Advertising, in 1963.
A rebellious and ambitious entrepreneur, Turner began acquiring radio and television stations, including Atlanta’s WJRJ (channel 17), in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He renamed WJRJ to WTCG (for Turner Communications Group), and by the late 1970s began leveraging the emerging technologies of satellite and cable television to expand his media reach nationwide.
Driven by a need for content and profitability for his stations, Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves in 1976 – and the Atlanta Hawks the following year. Both franchises became central to the success of what became known as the Superstation WTBS, helping drive ratings and advertising revenue as Turner broadcast his teams’ games across the country.
Turner bought the Braves during a transitional period for the franchise. The team had moved to Atlanta only a decade earlier, and Braves legend and inner-circle Hall of Famer Henry Aaron had been traded to Milwaukee two years before Turner’s purchase. With future franchise cornerstone Dale Murphy still a young catcher trying to establish himself in the majors, the first four years of Turner’s ownership saw the Braves lose 90-or-more games including a 101-loss season in 1977.
While the team’s on-the-field performance was at a nadir, the team’s 162-game schedule provided a copious amount of content and that combined with Turner’s larger-than-life personality quickly became part of TBS’s identity. Turner famously branded the Braves as “America’s Team” as his station’s baseball broadcasts introduced the club to fans nationwide, making a superstar of Murphy as his back-to-back National League Most Valuable Player seasons came as cable and satellite service exploded across the country.
Turner’s hands-on approach with his MLB team occasionally crossed into controversy. In May 1977, during a 16-game losing streak, Turner briefly named himself interim manager, replacing Dave Bristol for one game before National League president Chub Feeney forced him to relinquish role. Turner appealed the decision, but commissioner Bowie Kuhn upheld the decision. The Braves lost their 17th consecutive game in Turner’s only turn as the team’s skipper.
In another instance, Turner had free agent signee pitcher Andy Messersmith, who wore the number 17 on his jersey, wear “Channel” as his nameplate until the league made Messersmith remove “Channel” from his jersey because of the blatant – albeit humorously ingenious – bit of advertising.
In 1978, Turner hired Bobby Cox as manager, beginning one of the most important relationships in franchise history. Cox managed the Braves until being fired after the 1981 season. In a press conference announcing the managerial change, when asked who he would ideally replace Cox with, Turner famously answered, “Bobby Cox”.
Turner hired former Braves All-Star Joe Torre as the team’s next manager. Torre led the Braves to the playoffs in 1982 before being fired after the 1984 season after two middling but disappointing seasons based on the expectations created during their 1982 success.
Cox, who had become manager of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1982 and led the team to the ALCS in 1985, returned to Atlanta when Turner brought Cox back into the organization as general manager following the conclusion of the 1985 season.
After rebuilding the organization’s farm system, Cox returned to the dugout during the 1990 season as the team’s manager. With John Schuerholtz brought in the from the Kansas City Royals as new general manager, the Braves “Worst-to-First” 1991 season launched an unprecedented era of success that permanently transformed expectations for baseball in Atlanta.
Turner, who was at his peak of celebrity, and then-partner Jane Fonda became regular fixtures in the stands during the Braves’ postseason run in 1991 and throughout the1990s, culminating in the franchise’s 1995 World Series championship.
While Turner labeled is own tenure running the operations of the club a “disaster” his support of his organization’s leadership and financial backing took the Braves from a cellar-dwelling laughingstock in the late 1980’s to a National League juggernaut in five seasons.
Outside of his sports ownership, Turner built one of the most influential media empires in history. His portfolio included Atlanta-based CNN, TBS, TNT, and Turner Classic Movies. CNN, which launched in 1980, revolutionized television journalism as the first 24-hour-a-day news network.
At the zenith of his success in media, Turner’s eponymous Turner Broadcasting merged with Time Warner in 1996. Half-a-decade later, Timer Warner merged with America Online (AOL) in 2001, creating AOL Time Warner. Although Turner initially retained high-level leadership roles with Time Warner, his influence diminished significantly following the AOL merger despite remaining the company’s largest shareholder.
Turner’s accomplishments extended far beyond media and sports. Through Turner Enterprises, he became the second-largest private landowner in the United States. He founded the United Nations Foundation and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, among other philanthropic organizations. He also created the Goodwill Games as an alternative to the Olympics.
Among the honors Turner received are two lifetime achievement Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award in 1997, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 1990, and Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” in 1991. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The wry-smiling and mustachioed Turner also left a lasting mark on professional wrestling. In 1988, he purchased Jim Crockett Promotions and rebranded it as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), using it as programming for his networks. His enthusiasm for wrestling helped fuel the “Monday Night Wars” of the 1990s, as WCW battled WWF/WWE for television ratings dominance bringing the entertainment product to a higher national profile.
Turner, who began competitive sailing while at Brown University, won the 1977 America’s Cup as the ship’s skipper and was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame.
Turner’s impact on Atlanta sports extended beyond baseball. His ownership of the Hawks helped establish the franchise in the South, beginning with the hiring of coaches Hubie Brown and later Mike Fratello. The team would then acquire the draft rights to Dominique Wilkins in 1982, giving the team their biggest star since relocating to Atlanta. Although the Hawks did not win an NBA title under Turner, they remained consistently competitive for much of his ownership before the franchise was sold in 2004 to Atlanta Spirit, LLC.
Born in Cincinnati, OH, Turner moved to Savannah, GA, as a child and attended school in Chattanooga, TN. He studied at Brown and served in the Coast Guard Reserves. After his father’s suicide in 1963, Turner assumed control of his father’s advertising business, laying the foundation for the media empire.
For Braves fans, Turner’s impact remains immeasurable. His vision of using the Braves as nationally distributed programming created generations of fans across the country and gave the franchise the financial wherewithal to maintain one of the sport’s highest payrolls throughout most of his ownership.
Although his formal ties of ownership to the Braves ended Time Warner sold the franchise to Liberty Media in 2007, his association with the team was a contestant reminder through his namesake Turner Field, the team’s home until relocating to what is now-known as Truist Park in 2017.
Whatever missteps and controversy Turner made during his early years as owner has largely faded with time. Fifty years after purchasing the franchise, his legacy in Atlanta sports and media is undeniable.
Without Ted Turner, the Braves may never have fully established their roots in the Southeast and wouldn’t have become the brand they are today.
Turner was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2000.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 28: Angel Martínez #1 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after reaching second on a fly ball to right field in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field on April 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s get to the action. The Rays’ six game win streak, and streak of 13 straight games of allowing three runs or less to opponents, has by and large been the byproduct of the Flappy Boys’ use of leather.
Taylor Walls made a stellar play from shortstop to end the first inning and keep Kazuma Okomoto’s first inning double from scoring.
Things remained quiet through the third inning, with Patrick Corbin getting two double plays and finishing three frames with more balls than strikes.
Shane McClanahan would go on to match and supplant his fellow southpaw’s goose eggs, going 5 2/3 innings of two hit, one walk, and four strikeout ball, all while earning the win.
Over his last three starts, ‘Sugar Shane’ is sporting a 16 2/3 scoreless inning streak.
Jonny DeLuca drove in Jonathan Aranda from first base with an RBI double in the fourth.
Chandler Simpson would pick up his eighth RBI of the season, driving in DeLuca with a two out single in the same frame. 2-0 Tampa Bay.
Two would be all the Rays would need, as the bullpen shut the door on Canada’s Team with Kevin Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger, and Brian Baker each earning saves, and Ian Seymour earning his first career save.
Undefeated against the AL East (6-0) the Rays are Shipping up to Boston to take on the Red Sox in a four game set from Fenway Park starting on Thursday.
