Baseball News
We are treated to one of the better pitching matchups we will see all year between Chris Sale and Cristopher Sanchez tonight, as the Braves go for another series win, this time in Philadelphia.
Join us and discuss the game in the comments below!
Game Date/Time: Saturday, April 18, 7:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia, PA
TV: FOX
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
CHICAGO — Pinch-hitter Carson Kelly connected for a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth inning, and the Chicago Cubs handed the New York Mets their 10th consecutive loss with a 4-2 victory on Saturday.
Ian Happ also homered for Chicago in its fourth consecutive win. Jameson Taillon (1-1) pitched six crisp innings.
It’s the longest losing streak for New York since it dropped 11 in a row from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 in 2004. It has been outscored 60-18 during the slide.
The game was tied at 1 when Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta (1-2) issued two consecutive walks with two down in the sixth. Peralta then was replaced by left-hander Brooks Raley, and Kelly was sent up to hit for Moisés Ballesteros, a rookie who bats from the left side.
Kelly drove Raley’s first pitch into the bleachers in left-center for his second homer of the season, sending a charge through the crowd of 36,189. It was Kelly’s second career pinch-hit drive.
It also was the first homer allowed by Raley since Aug. 13, 2023, stopping a streak of 53 2/3 innings.
Mark Vientos homered for New York. Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. each had two hits.
The Mets scored an unearned run on second baseman Nico Hoerner’s throwing error in the eighth, but Ben Brown escaped the jam when Vientos grounded out.
Caleb Thielbar handled the ninth for his first save of the season. Daniel Palencia, Chicago’s usual closer, was placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a left oblique strain.
New York jumped in front on Vientos’ 434-foot drive to left-center in the second. He went 1 for 25 with eight strikeouts and no walks in his previous eight games.
Happ responded with a leadoff shot in the bottom half, a 431-foot drive to center. Happ also went deep during Chicago’s 12-4 victory in the series opener.
Left-hander David Peterson (0-3, 6.41 ERA) starts the series finale for New York, and right-hander Javier Assad (1-1, 8.10 ERA) pitches for Chicago on Sunday.
Felix Reyes' ‘shot of energy' not enough as Phillies' lefty woes continue originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
When the Phillies called up Felix Reyes on Saturday afternoon, manager Rob Thomson called him a “shot of energy” for the club.
And when the rookie, making his debut, dug into the batter’s box for the first time at Citizens Bank Park, he delivered a shot in more ways than one.
A shot into the right-field seats off nine-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale.
A shot on the third pitch he ever saw in the Major Leagues.
But with the way this season has started for the Phillies, it may be easy to understand why that shot was not enough in their 3-1 loss to the Braves.
It is hard to wash away the moment, though.
It was an electric sequence at the yard. Reyes got a huge cheer from a sold-out Saturday crowd as he rounded the bases, another when he neared the Phillies’ dugout and then a standing ovation — plus a tip of the cap — when he jogged back out to left field. He even lost his helmet celebrating between first and second.
Reyes said the whole thing still did not feel real.
“I still feel like I’m sleeping,” he said. “It’s a dream come true.”
He was hunting for a fastball in a 2-0 count and got one in a spot he could handle.
“At that point, 2-0, I’m looking for a fastball,” Reyes said. “Luckily he got it in a spot where I could do some damage with it.”
And the fact that it came against Sale only added to it.
“We all know who he is,” Reyes said. “Hall of Fame, for sure.”
And still, Atlanta found a way to spoil the moment. And in doing so, it continued a theme the Phillies have run into over and over again to begin the season:
Struggles against left-handed starters.
The Phillies ran into a tough customer in Sale. He is once again looking like himself, even at 37 years old. In his 16th big league season, the southpaw still has his upper-90s fastball and his wipeout slider.
At this point, it is as advertised.
Outside of Reyes, Phillies hitters had very little to show for the night. They put only six baserunners aboard against Sale, who dazzled over seven innings of one-run ball on 101 pitches.
The likely future Hall of Famer only added emphasis to what the Phillies have — or have not — done against left-handed pitching in April.
Sale was the seventh left-handed starter the Phillies have faced in 2026. They are now slashing .155/.236/.254 in those games. They have totaled just six runs on 22 hits across 40 innings and have lost all seven of those contests.
It has become a concerning and repetitive theme for Thomson’s club.
And this was another one of those nights.
“It’s tough to tell off Sale,” Thomson said. “Sale is a tough at-bat, and you’ve got to fight.”
Last season, the Phillies’ success against left-handers — the sixth-best OPS in MLB — was helped by Kyle Schwarber’s dominance. He slugged 23 home runs against lefties and posted a .964 OPS against southpaws. The Phillies also had four other hitters with an OPS above .800 in those matchups: Edmundo Sosa, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm.
This season, despite the much smaller sample, Harper is the only Phillies hitter with at least 10 at-bats against lefties who has posted an OPS above .800. Adolis García is next at .760.
The next highest after that?
Trea Turner at .554.
Even Schwarber has not found much success, posting a 42.5 percent strikeout rate, a .421 OPS and no home runs in 35 at-bats.
The Phillies were not able to capitalize on the jolt from Reyes, just as they could not capitalize on Brandon Marsh’s first-inning home run robbery and, more importantly, Cristopher Sánchez’s solid six-inning outing. The left-hander allowed no earned runs and struck out eight.
At times this year, Sánchez has not been quite as sharp, throwing more pitches per inning at 16.4, his highest rate since 2022. But in his sixth start of the season, he got Atlanta to swing and miss at a 38 percent clip. His changeup alone generated a 54 percent whiff rate on Saturday.
Thomson loved what he got from his starter.
“He was great,” Thomson said. “Fastball command was great. The changeup was swing-and-miss.”
But the Braves took advantage in the third inning.
After Sánchez recorded two strikeouts to open the frame, Drake Baldwin lined a single. Ozzie Albies then reached on a fielder’s choice that was extended by a mishandle from Sosa. A walk followed. Then came a soft infield single, another single and suddenly the Braves were ahead 3-1.
Sánchez kept his composure through the inning, even with the Braves using ABS challenges and finding soft contact.
“That’s part of the game now,” he said. “You’ve got to embrace it.”
And with the way the Phillies’ offense is going right now, that was too big a hole to climb out of.
As for Reyes, his first night in the big leagues still gave the Phillies a moment worth remembering, even in defeat. Thomson was right about the energy.
“Whenever you see a kid come up for the first time and get a home run in his first at-bat, there’s a lot of energy in the dugout for sure,” he said.
Philadelphia just could not do enough with it.
REALMUTO EXITS, AGAIN
The Phillies took another hit in the seventh inning, when J.T. Realmuto left the game with lower back tightness. It was the second time in the first month of the season that he exited early.
Thomson made clear that the club’s backstop began to feel the back tighten on Friday.
“It happened last night when he made the play at the plate,” Thomson said. “The throw from García kind of jammed him.”
Thomson also mentioned Realmuto is unlikely to be available for Sunday’s series finale.
If it were to keep him out of games, that would be another big blow after the Phillies lost Jhoan Duran earlier in the afternoon. Realmuto has been exceptional behind the plate, especially with the new ABS system, and he has also been one of their most consistent hitters at .280 with a .748 OPS.
A further update is expected Sunday.
Prior to tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters that injured shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is likely to participate in a simulated game on Thursday and has been taking batting practice. He is recovering from a broken wrist suffered after falling on ice prior to Spring Training.
Kim, who the Braves claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays last September, opted to become a free agent but re-signed with Atlanta in December 2025 on a one-year, $20M deal. Atlanta had acquired Mauricio Dubón from the Houston Astros in a trade for infielder Nick Allen prior to Kim re-joining the organization.
Dubón, who is a two-time American League Gold Glove winner as a utility player, has seen most of the action for Atlanta at shortstop this season although free agent signee Jorge Mateo has also gotten spot duty when Dubón has appear around the diamond.
Both have excelled in the early-going, but Kim’s return would add additional depth to the team’s infield when he does return. According to Weiss, Kim could go on a rehabilitation assignment within one to two weeks. He will then have 20 days to stay on the assignment, if needed.
Based on that timeline, Kim could re-join Atlanta in mid- to late-May.
Here’s the Orioles lineup:
Here’s the Guardians lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
It’s a strategy familiar to anyone who follows baseball.
Middle innings, team rallying, left-handed hitter comes up. The team on defense sends in a left-handed reliever. The batting team counters with a right-handed pinch-hitter.
That was the scenario in the bottom of the sixth on a sunny, but chilly Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Cubs had two runners on with two out and Moisés Ballesteros due up. The Mets sent in left-hander Brooks Raley. Craig Counsell sent Carson Kelly up to bat for Ballesteros… and Kelly deposited Raley’s first pitch into the left-field bleachers for a three-run homer, which was the difference in the Cubs’ fourth win in a row, 4-2 over the Mets, also the Mets’ 10th straight defeat.
Let’s rewind to the beginning. Jameson Taillon threw a lot of pitches in the first inning (including 10 to leadoff batter Carson Benge, who struck out). Then he served up a solo homer to Mark Vientos in the second, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.
The Cubs matched that in the bottom of the inning, on Ian Happ’s sixth homer of the year [VIDEO].
Happ didn’t hit his sixth homer last year until June 10, the Cubs’ 58th game. He could be on target for a career high (currently: 25).
That’s where the game stayed, a 1-1 tie and pretty good pitchers’ battle between Taillon and Freddy Peralta, until the sixth. Taillon settled down after Vientos’ homer and allowed just five more baserunners, only one of whom reached second base. Another, Luis Robert Jr., was thrown out trying to steal by Miguel Amaya [VIDEO].
Overall, I thought it was a good outing by Taillon, who threw 100 pitches (61 strikes). Here’s more on Jamo’s afternoon [VIDEO].
More on Taillon’s day from BCB’s JohnW53:
This was Taillon’s 40th quality start among 84 total starts as a Cub. It was the 15th QS in which he gave up one run and the seventh of those in which the run came on a home run. He did it three times each in 2024 and 2025.
Say what you want about Taillon, but he has been a perfectly good starter almost all the time he’s been a Cub, and he’s off to a good start in 2026.
Peralta also settled down after Happ’s homer, until he retired the first two batters in the sixth. Then he walked Happ, followed by a walk to Seiya Suzuki — who got ball 4 challenged by the Mets, but the call was confirmed [VIDEO].
That turned out to be very important. After the walk, Peralta was relieved by Raley, and Kelly batted for Ballesteros.
About Kelly’s homer, from John:
According to my research, Carson Kelly’s pinch-hit homer was the Cubs’ 359th of the kind since 1901. They have been hit by 228 batters. Kelly is the 82nd to hit more than one.
The Cubs’ previous three-run pinch homer had been by Miguel Amaya, on Aug. 1, 2023, at home against the Reds. The Cubs led at the time, 17-5.
The last that broke a tie was by Geovany Soto, a walk-off in the 13th inning on June 30, 2011 vs. the Giants.
They had hit six more three-run pinch homers since then before Kelly’s today.
Ben Brown threw a scoreless seventh and then allowed an unearned run to the Mets in the eighth in a very weird inning in which he got five ground balls that all could have been outs. First, a comebacker by Bo Bichette that went off Brown’s leg for a hit. Then Francisco Lindor hit a ball that Dansby Swanson couldn’t quite corral. A grounder by Robert resulted in a force play, and Brown struck out MJ Melendez for the second out.
That was a rare, rushed, bad throw from Nico Hoerner that pulled Michael Busch off first base. Francisco Alvarez was called out, but clearly, Busch’s foot was not on the base and the call was overturned. That resulted in a run scoring to make it 4-2. Brown then got another ground ball, handled smoothly by Alex Bregman, to end the inning.
The Cubs didn’t score in the eighth and Caleb Thielbar was given the save opportunity. He struck out the first two batters he faced, at times hitting 96 on the Wrigley pitch speed meter, and got a little popup to end the game [VIDEO].
Thielbar’s veteran presence made that one seem easy, and even though typically left-handers aren’t used in the closing role, perhaps he can handle it while Daniel Palencia is out.
Here are some postgame comments from Kelly [VIDEO].
The Cubs’ streaks of scoring 10+ runs (three games) and seven+ runs (five games) thus ended, but I’m sure you don’t mind that as long as the “W” flag flies from the Wrigley Field scoreboard. That’s four straight for the Cubs and the first time in 2026 that they have won the first two games of a series. They will go for the sweep Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Javier Assad will start for the Cubs and David Peterson goes for the Mets. Game time is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
The struggles and losses are mounting for the New York Mets.
Following a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, April 18, the Mets' losing streak rose to 10 straight games. The 10th consecutive loss dropped them to 7-14 on the season and tied for the worst record in the MLB just over midway through April. The Kansas City Royals also own a 7-14 record as of Saturday.
The 10-game losing skid is the longest for the franchise since it lost 11 in a row from Aug. 28-Sept. 8, 2004. New York is just 4-8 away from Citi Field so far this season.
Third baseman Mark Vientos gave the Mets a 1-0 lead on a solo home run in the top of the second inning. However, the Cubs responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, on a leadoff home run from Ian Happ.
The game remained tied until the sixth inning, when pinch-hitter Carson Kelly made Freddy Peralta pay for two walks earlier in the inning with a three-run home run. The Mets added a run in the top of the eighth inning, but never drew closer.
The struggles for New York persist despite an MLB-high payroll of $357,626,125 for the 2026 season, entering Opening Day. The Mets handed Bo Bichette a three-year, $126 million contract this past offseason. However, he has hit for a .227 average so far this season, along with a .564 OPS.
At 7-14, the Mets have the worst record in the National League through 21 games and are in last place in the NL East. It also marks their worst start since 1983, when they started 6-15. The Mets finished 68-94 that season.
New York started the 2025 season with a 45-24 record, but finished 38-55 the rest of the way.
Here's a look at the Mets losing streak, by the numbers:
The Mets are back in action on Sunday, April 18, against the Cubs, looking to avoid a sweep. Another loss would tie the franchise record for the seventh-longest losing streak in franchise history.
New York also has losing streaks of 12, 13, 15 and 17 games in its history:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mets' miserable start continues, losing streak rises to 10 games
So… that was fun! The Orioles got shut out for seven innings, gave up a grand slam, and still won. The bottom of the lineup was pivotal in that monster eighth inning: Leody Taveras had a big walk in a key situation, outfielder Weston Wilson doubled with the bases lodaed, and Jeremiah Jackson hit the game-winning Earl Weaver Special. Now hitting .317 with a .923 OPS, Jackson is making it hard to move on from him, even when the regular guys come back from the injured list.
It was a great win, although it would be awesome, I admit, if the offense could show up a little earlier (they were no-hit through eight the night before). The Orioles will have to push their runs across Gavin Williams, a 26-year-old righty who’s 2-1 so far with a 2.38 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a 29:16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in four starts. At 6’6, 250 lbs, the 2021 first-rounder is big, throws hard, and has command of multiple pitches. And he’s been even better his last three starts, with just one earned run over 17.2 innings. This is a tough test for the O’s lineup, no doubt.
Kremer comes in at 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA and 9 strikeouts, having just been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk in time to slot back into the rotation. I will say I am happy to have him back. Despite his reputation for bad Aprils, his recent Norfolk stints showed him getting sharper, and while proving extremely homer-prone (3 HR allowed in five IP) he looked more like himself in his most recent outing against the Diamondbacks: the nine strikeouts were nice.
This looks to be a tough matchup, but if Kremer can keep the ball in the yard and the offense can work some walks and get Jackson or Gunnar to time up a fastball, they could scratch out a win. Crazier things have happened—and just this week!
Orioles lineup
Dean Kremer RHP
Guardians lineup
Gavin Williams RHP
Lefty? Righty? Ben Rice does not care.
The Yankees said over the offseason that they wanted to give Rice more exposure to lefties this year, and he took full advantage of his first start in such situation on Sunday.
The 27-year-old was right back in the lineup against tough Royals southpaw Noah Cameron, and he had no issue crushing a solo shot as part of a five-run bottom of the third.
Rice lifted a 3-1 fastball up in the zone 398 feet to the second-deck in right, giving him homers in three straight games and a total of seven on the season.
He grounded out in his only other at-bat against Cameron, but is now hitting an impressive .313 with a pair of homers and a 1.041 OPS against lefties on the season.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” Aaron Boone said. “He handled his own against [lefties] last year and then some, so Benny’s just continuing to solidify himself as one of the outstanding hitters in the league no matter what hand you throw with.”
The numbers certainly show that to be true.
Even with the homer being his lone knock in the win, Rice is hitting .339 through 42 at-bats.
He’s racked up 13 XBH's, has driven in 17 runs, is getting on-base at a .468 clip, and is slugging .774 which adds up to a 1.224 OPS -- all of which are among the league’s best.
Rice’s early-season prowess has him drawing praise from his teammates.
“Ever since I saw him last spring he’s been hitting the ball hard,” Cody Bellinger said. “He’s got a really good idea of what he wants to do up there -- just a really good plan, really good approach, it’s fun to watch.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen anyone be so consistent impacting the ball the way he’s been doing so far this year,” Amed Rosario added via a translator. “It feels great to see that from him, just really great work.”
Boone plans on having Rice and Paul Goldschmidt in the lineup against lefty Cole Ragans as the Yanks look for the series sweep in Sunday’s finale.
CHICAGO — If there is a baseball hell, the Mets have found it and are threatening to establish permanent residence.
The elements of disappointment change daily, but the constant is the Mets lose. And lose. And lose.
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.
Try it freeSaturday their futility reached double digits. They fell 4-2 to the Cubs at Wrigley Field for a 10th straight loss — one short of the club’s longest losing streak in 22 years.
Manager Carlos Mendoza was later asked if he had a message for the team’s fans.
“They have all the right to be pissed and frustrated,” Mendoza said. “They care, just like we do. We care here. We want to win as much as they do. There’s [only] so much I can say here, because we have got to go out and do it. I understand how they are feeling. I would be pissed, too, if I am a fan. I’m pissed. They’re pissed.” The Mets avoided the embarrassment of a day earlier, when Kodai Senga’s awful performance and sloppy defense were on display, but still played badly enough to continue their free fall.
That meant an anemic offensive showing and a sixth-inning breakdown by Freddy Peralta and Brooks Raley.
Peralta was rolling for a second straight start, but lost the strike zone with two outs in the sixth in a 1-1 game, walking Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. Mendoza summoned Raley and one pitch later the game tilted: pinch hitter Carson Kelly blasted a three-run homer. The Mets never recovered.
It marked the eighth time in the losing streak the Mets scored two runs or fewer.
“Every game has been different,” Marcus Semien said. “We want to play better as an offense. Giving up some big homers kind of hurt us, but we’ve lost a lot of different ways. There’s no pointing a finger at anything right now.”
Peralta allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 5 ²/₃ innings. His shortcoming was failing to record the final out in the sixth.
“We need to keep grinding and keep competing and trying to get better and win some games,” Peralta said.
Mark Vientos’ homer in the second gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. Vientos jumped on a four-seamer from Jameson Taillon and blasted it 434 feet to the left field bleachers for his second homer this season. Later in the inning, Semien singled and Carson Benge walked before Bo Bichette was retired to end the threat.
Happ’s homer leading off the bottom of the inning tied it 1-1. Peralta plunked Suzuki and allowed a single to Miguel Amaya, escaping trouble by retiring Pete Crow-Armstrong and Dansby Swanson in succession.
Luis Robert Jr. singled in the third inning and was thrown out attempting to steal second. Semien walked leading off the fifth, but the inning concluded with Bichette’s double-play grounder. MJ Melendez drew a two-out walk in the sixth before Taillon retired Alvarez.
“I thought we had some decent at-bats, created some traffic, hit some balls hard,” Mendoza said. “But the times we had runners on base we couldn’t get that big hit. We are just having a hard time putting a rally together.
Peralta got two quick outs in the sixth, but never concluded the inning. Happ walked before Peralta ran the count full to Suzuki and threw a slider that missed low and away. Raley replaced Peralta and Kelly crushed his first pitch over the left field wall to bury the Mets in a 4-1 hole.
Nico Hoerner’s throwing error gave the Mets an unearned run in the eighth after Bichette and Francisco Lindor had singled in the inning. Vientos, batting with the tying runs on base and two outs, grounded out to end the threat.
Taillon stifled the Mets, allowing one earned run on five hits and three walks over six innings. The right-hander was removed after 100 pitches.
“We’re putting ourselves in a big hole right now,” Mendoza said. “But there is only one way to do it and that is just come back tomorrow ready to go.”
Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:
For the Braves:
Let’s talk about it.
The Mets and Cubs were in the thick of a pitcher's duel until the sixth inning, when a three-run shot from a pinch-hitting Carson Kelly gave Chicago the go-ahead hit in New York's 4-2 loss on Saturday afternoon.
Freddy Peralta and three relievers combined to allow only five Cubs hits, but two were home runs and accounted for all four Chicago runs.
The Mets have now lost 10 games in a row, the longest since 2004.
-The Mets' offensive explosion -- by their standards -- from Friday carried over early. Francisco Lindor hit a two-out single before Luis Robert Jr. smoked a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. MJ Melendez, who started his Mets tenure 4-for-7, lofted a fly ball to left as the Cubs got out of the inning.
Unlike Friday's game, the wind -- especially in left -- was coming in. A few balls hit that way died in midair, but it didn't matter to Mark Vientos. The slugger, who started at first base, smashed a 433-foot blast to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. The homer came off the bat at 110 mph. It's just the Mets' second home run in the last six games. The Mets made Cubs starter Jameson Taillon work hard in the first three innings, but the veteran right-hander settled down, getting through six innings without giving up another run.
Taillon tossed 100 pitches (61 strikes), allowing the one run on five hits, three walks and striking out four batters.
-Peralta was on the mound and facing a team that knows him very well from his time with the Brewers. Ian Happ took him deep to tie the game at 1-1 in the second inning, but there wasn't much doing for the Cubs lineup against Peralta. However, Peralta just wasn't efficient enough to give the Mets length.
After getting two outs in the sixth, he walked back-to-back batters and his day was done.
Brooks Raley came on in relief and Cubs manager Craig Counsell pinch-hit Moises Ballesteros, who is having a good series, for Kelly. Kelly ambushed Raley, launching the first-pitch cutter that had way too much plate 405 feet over the wall to give the Cubs a 4-1 lead. It's the first time a pinch-hitter launched a homer on the first pitch this season. It also put a bow on Peralta's line.
The Mets ace went 5.2 innings (93 pitches/54 strikes), allowing three runs on three hits, two walks, while striking out three.
-Although the Mets lineup struggled to string together hits, they were a bit unlucky as well. Marcus Semien smashed a pitch to left field that Happ made a leaping grab near the left field wall. It was hit at 103.5 mph and would have been out in six ballparks, but the wind and where it was hit knocked it down.
That luck turned in the eighth. After Bo Bichette picked up a single, a ball that bounced off Ben Brown, Lindor picked up his second hit of the game when Dansby Swanson mishandled the grounder. Robert hit a grounder that could have been a doubleplay, but the slow-developing play allowed Robert to reach first safely after Swanson's throw took Michael Busch off the bag. Melendez struck out, but Francisco Alvarez muscled a grounder between second and first base that Nico Hoerner stopped from going into the outfield, but his throw pulled Busch off the bag, and pushed the Mets' second run of the game, but couldn't get any more.
In the ninth, Tommy Pham, pinch-hitting for Brett Baty against the left-hander Caleb Thielbar, struck out to lead off the inning. Semien struck out and Tyrone Taylor, pinch-hitting for Carson Benge, flew out to end the game. The Mets outhit the Cubs 7-5 but were 0-for-6 with RISP and left eight runners on.
-Baty, starting in right field after a tough game defensively at first on Friday, went 0-for-2 but drew his first walk of the season.
Kelly's home run was the difference in this game
That's WAY outta here!
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 18, 2026
Mark Vientos blasts his second home run of the year! pic.twitter.com/TjTDK6mtdp
Bo Bichette makes the long throw across the diamond to get Nico Hoerner pic.twitter.com/Cdb5amciq0
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 18, 2026
After review, Michael Busch came off first base on Francisco Alvarez's ground ball and a run comes home for the Mets pic.twitter.com/IB0AKcRiBN
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 18, 2026
The Mets and Cubs play the season finale of their three-game set on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2:20 p.m.
David Peterson (0-3, 6.41 ERA) looks to bounce back as the Mets go up against Javier Assad (1-1, 8.10 ERA).
Will Warren continues to impress early on this season, and on Saturday afternoon, the young right-hander delivered arguably his most impressive performance to this point.
It helps that the Yankees offense broke out and spotted him a seven-run advantage through four innings, but Warren still did his job, cruising his way through the Royals’ lineup.
“It’s always nice to go out there with a lead,” Warren said. “You’re not worried about giving up one or two runs -- gave up some leadoff hits, but was able to keep my composure knowing that the boys are banging out there.”
One of those leadoff hits came on the very first pitch, as Maikel Garcia lined a double to open the game, but Warren was able to bear down and retire the next three hitters easily.
The youngster continued cruising from there, pushing the stretch to nine consecutive batters set aside before allowing a leadoff single to Bobby Witt Jr. in the top of the fourth.
Witt was quickly erased, though, as Warren picked him off first.
“I could see him out of the corner of my eye, hopping off the base,” he said. “I had been talking with Ben [Rice] about some stuff and we executed and got him, so I was pretty pumped.”
Warren gave up another knock leading off the fifth, but responded by striking out the next three he faced and then breezing his way through a perfect sixth.
The lone blemish came in the seventh, as the 26-year-old gave up a single, then rookie slugger Carter Jensen jumped him for a two-run shot to right, breaking up the shutout.
Warren rolled a grounder, then finished his day matching his career-high with his 11th strikeout.
He allowed just the two runs on five hits over seven stellar frames.
“The four-seam was really playing well,” Aaron Boone said. “He got a lot of swing-and-miss, the changeup was good today too, I just think it was the overall mix -- it was good to see him take that lead and run with it, really good job.”
Warren pitched to a 2.49 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts through his first five outings.
While Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón are still a few rehab outings away from making their returns, this hot start certainly bodes well for the youngster keeping his spot in the Yankees' rotation.
At least for one day, the Yankees spared themselves the drama.
After each of their previous five wins had come by taking the lead for good in their final at-bats, the Yankees jumped ahead early Saturday and kept piling on — against a lefty starter, to boot — while Will Warren turned on cruise control.
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Try it freeCody Bellinger crushed two of four Yankees home runs and drove in five while Warren dominated across seven innings as the Yankees breezed to a 13-4 win over the Royals on a sunny afternoon in The Bronx.
The Yankees (12-9) had not won a game like this since the home opener on April 3, having to grind for everything in between with nothing coming easy — including 11 of their 13 games in that stretch decided by two runs or fewer, the exceptions coming in blowout losses.
But they finally synced strong pitching and strong hitting on the same day, which made for a much-needed laugher — so much so that Aaron Judge, who had played every inning of every game, got the final three innings off — as they tried to finally break out of this early-season funk with their fourth win in the past six games.
“Obviously, these games are more ideal,” Bellinger said. “We’ve had a lot of close ones recently, had a crazy series against the Angels. Will did a great job of doing what he does and for us to get a few runs on the board, that was big for us.”
That they did it against a left-hander made it even more encouraging, after southpaws had given them trouble through the early going. Entering Saturday, the Yankees’ .535 OPS against lefties was the second-lowest mark in the majors, and they were 2-4 against lefty starters.
Royals lefty Noah Cameron offered little resistance, though, as the Yankees got to him for seven runs across four innings — keyed by a five-run third inning in which Amed Rosario, Bellinger and Ben Rice all went deep.
That alone was more than enough run support for Warren, who tied a career high with 11 strikeouts while easily turning in his best start of the season. Getting ahead early and often, he scattered three hits through the first six innings before finally giving up a two-run homer to Carter Jensen in the seventh, the only damage the Royals (7-13) had against him all day.
“It’s nice to go out there with the lead,” Warren said. “You’re not worried about giving up one or two [runs].”
The Yankees have now hit 15 home runs over their last six games after hitting only 14 through their first 15 games, getting back to the kind of offense they are built for.
Bellinger, the left-handed hitter who crushed lefty pitching last season, took Cameron deep for a two-run shot to the second deck in the third inning before adding another two-run homer against righty Mitch Spencer in the sixth that made it 10-0.
“I was joking with him, he had one homer in two months since the start of spring and then two in an hour,” manager Aaron Boone said. “So it’s a funny game that way. But a lot of good swings from him and obviously up and down the lineup. And against a tough lefty, too, so good to see the bats break out like that.”
Rice’s homer off Cameron marked the third straight game in which he has gone deep, his second left-on-left and seventh overall this season.
“He’s just continuing to solidify himself as one of the really outstanding hitters in the league,” Boone said. “We’re seeing that more and more, whatever hand you throw with.”
Rosario and J.C. Escarra both drove in three runs to help the cause, with Escarra doing so on a double and triple after coming into Saturday 1-for-15 with a single on the season.
The backup catcher got the third-inning rally started when his fly ball to the gap was dropped in a collision between right fielder Jac Caglianone and center fielder Kyle Isbel. He later put an exclamation point on his day with a two-run triple that made it 12-2 in the seventh.
“It’s just being ready — taking lots of swings every single day when no one’s watching,” Escarra said. “It’s great to catch Will and get some knocks in and ultimately help the team win.”