Baseball News
Martín Pérez will lead the Braves against Parker Messick and the Guardians in the first City Connect Saturday of 2026.
Side note, this picture seems to be from the elaborate light show we now deploy when the opposing team makes a pitching change. They are definitely making use of those state-of-the-art lights and projections… thoughts?
First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 pm ET.
The Twins bounced back in decisive fashion on Saturday afternoon, riding a wonderful start from Joe Ryan and an early crooked number to best the Toronto Blue Jays by a 7-4 final, and even the series at a game apiece.
Early momentum was not in Minnesota’s favor; after allowing 10 unanswered runs in the series opener, the Jays jumped on Joe Ryan early, with a two-run homer off the bat of Daulton Varsho making it a 2-0 Toronto lead before Ryan had recorded an out.
But from that point on, Ryan was nails. The Varsho homer was one of only two hits Ryan would surrender in a robust seven-inning start, the other a fourth-inning Vladdy Jr. single. Minnesota’s number-one starter retired the final 12 hitters he faced from then on, providing the bullpen with a much-needed respite in the midst of a remarkably long early-season stretch of games without a day off.
Meanwhile, the lineup consolidated all their momentum into a single inning. Facing an oft-troubling lefty, this time in the personage of Eric Lauer, the Twins were held off the board in every single frame of the game except the third. In that third, Brooks Lee kept his turnaround narrative hot with a leadoff blast to left to cut the Jays’ lead in half. Call-up Ryan Kreidler would ground out, but then it was off to the races.
Back-to-back singles from Byron Buxton and Austin Martin put set up a walk of Luke Keaschall to load the bases, and then a walk to tie the game when Ryan Jeffers drew a free pass on four straight out of the zone. Varsho’s name would come up again when a questionable read on a towering fly to center wound up going as a Josh Bell two-run single. With a 4-2 Twins lead and two outs later in the inning, Trevor Larnach homered against a left-handed pitcher, a three-run jack into right field that marked his jusf fifth career bomb off any southpaw.
Unfortunately, that was almost literally it for the Twins offense. Brooks Lee singled in the visiting sixth, the only remaining hit for Minnesota.
And while Ryan was great, Kody Funderburk had to tiptoe out of danger in the eighth inning, letting his first two assignments reach base and only just managing to record a shutout inning. Cole Sands was not so lucky; tasked again with the ninth, he gave Toronto two back when Jesus Sanchez launched a two-run shot for his second homer of the year.
The loss wasn’t the worst news of the night for the Jays, either; already absolutely beleaguered by injuries, George Springer suffered a toe fracture after fouling a pitch off his foot. He finished his at-bat, but was pulled for the rest of the game in the DH slot.
And so, with the highlights consolidated into one starting pitcher and one offensive inning, and the usual weaknesses (streaky offense + poor bullpen performance) rearing their heads, it is a somewhat incomplete victory that evens this series, but a victory nevertheless.
The rubber match is tomorrow, and the Twins have a lot to play for — a four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers followed by a road victory against the reigning American League champions would do a lot to alter perceptions of this team in the early goings.
See you there!
STUDS:
SP Joe Ryan (7 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K, HR, W)
RF Austin Martin (1-for-2, R, 2 BB)
LF Trevor Larnach (1-for-3, R, 3 RBI, BB, HR)
SS Brooks Lee (2-for-4, R, RBI, HR)
DUDS:
NO DUDS! TWINS WIN! TWINS WIN!
A Saturday national game, is this the pressure the Red Sox need right now? We at least see a little more normal of a lineup with Roman back in—maybe being the DH will let him focus on one thing at a time and his bat is more important right now. Can the Red Sox stop seeing red and pull out a victory or will Ranger Suárez keep getting pecked by the Redbirds?
⚾️ First Pitch: 7:15pm ET — Busch Stadium, St Louis, MO
📺 TV: FOX
📻 Radio: WEEI
Go Rays!
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Suddenly, the Yankees have dropped three-straight contests after losing two games at home against the Athletics then going down to defeat last night in St. Pete for the series opener. The good news is New York sends its ace to the mound tonight. The bad news is said ace cannot hit.* The worse news is neither can the rest of team, with a couple of exceptions.
*Well, he did win the last NL Silver Slugger for a pitcher, but the Yankees will stick with a DH.
This will be Max Fried’s fourth start of the season. The southpaw is coming off his worst outing thus far, one that was still perfectly cromulent, as Fried allowed three runs over 6.2 innings against Miami in an eventual 7-6 loss. Through 20 innings, Fried is varying his pitches with the effect of minimizing hard contact. He’s thrown each of his four-seamer, sinker, cutter, curve, change, and sweeper between 10 percent and 23 percent of the time. Good luck sitting on any one pitch. Unsurprisingly, opponents’ average exit velocity, barrel percentage, and hard-hit percentage all rest comfortably in the red on Statcast.
Veteran right-hander Nick Martinez gets the start for the Rays, his third this season. Like Fried, he’s thrown six different pitches at least somewhat frequently this season. Also, like Fried, the results have been good. Through 12 innings, Martinez has a 2.25 ERA and his Statcast has a bunch of red. One thing that jumps out: Yankee hitters will need to earn their way on base. Martinez has only issued one free pass so far, though he’s also only struck out seven. We should see balls in play tonight.
It might not matter how well Fried pitches if the Yankee lineup doesn’t figure it out. The bottom of the order has been a wasteland in the opening weeks. Tonight, Jazz Chisholm Jr. boasts the best OPS among the hitters in those slots, with a putrid .469 mark. Exacerbating the issue is that the top of the lineup is not hitting to the back of their baseball cards either, except for Ben Rice and Giancarlo Stanton, though the latter’s power is absent in the opening weeks of the year. Cody Bellinger, for example, has four hits in his last seven games. Aaron Judge has a singular home run in that stretch. And Trent Grisham has a .237 SLG this season. All told, the Yankees enter tonight with a .199 team batting average through 13 games, and five runs scored in their last three.
Let’s get this turned around. A couple of crooked numbers in the run column tonight for the Yankees would be the bee’s knees.
How to Watch:
Location: Tropicana Field — St. Petersburg, FL
First Pitch: 6:10 pm EDT
TV broadcast: YES/Rays.TV
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 / WDAE 95.7 FM, WQBN/1300AM
Online stream: MLB Network (out-of-market-only)
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Well, yesterday’s good vibes did not long endure.
Something is up with Eric Lauer. He was sitting 90 early and about 87 by the fourth, and struggling to locate in a way that he hasn’t really since becoming a Blue Jay. His five walks were his worst since he was a rookie back in 2018. Perhaps it’s the lingering effects of the stomach flu that wrecked the pitching staff last week. He did throw 95 pitches, without evidence of arm soreness or anything like that. The rotation is already in tatters, so the Jays will have to hope that’s all it is.
In other bad news, Myles Straw came out to pinch hit for George Springer in the fifth inning (though as it happened he didn’t get into the game until the sixth). It turns out he broke his toe by fouling a ball off it.
Things didn’t start too badly for Eric Lauer. He allowed just a walk through the first two innings. Then the wheels came off. Brooks Lee lead off the third with a solo home run. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases, and his third walk of the day forced home a run. The Jays could have limited the damage, but a towering Josh Bell fly fooled Daulton Varsho into going back and dropped for a single, scoring two instead of recording the second out. A batter later, Trevor Larnach hit a missile off the facing of the second deck in right to run the Twins’ total up to seven before Lee popped up to end the inning. It was as bad of a meltdown inning as you’ll see. He stayed in the bullpen, presumably to spare the bullpen given Max Scherzer’s uncertain health for tomorrow, and regained his composure from there. In the fourth, an Austin Martin walk was erased when Brandon Valenzuela gunned him down trying to steal second. In the fifth, he sat the Twins down in order. They tried to get one more, and he retired one batter before giving up a walk and being removed from the game. All told, he went 5.1 innings, allowing 7 earned on 5 hits and 5 walks, striking out three. He didn’t give up a hit outside the nightmare third inning. It was a weird afternoon.
Spencer Miles took over, giving up a single to Lee that moved the lead runner to third before inducing Ryan Kreidler to ground into a double play to end the inning. Back for the seventh, he walked Martin but a fly out and a pair of ground outs got him out of it. In the eighth and ninth he retired the Twins in order, picking up a K in each inning. It was a strong performance that did a lot to help the rest of the team set up for what’ll probably be a quasi-bullpen day tomorrow, and he was getting it up over 96 in this fourth inning of work. Miles is looking like a great rule 5 pick and a key part of the bullpen.
The offence, on the other side, started hot against Joe Ryan before going silent. George Springer lead off the game with a walk, and Daulton Varsho put the Jays in front with a two run homer, his second of the year. From there, though, Ryan gave up only a hit batter among the next nine Blue Jays, and erased that with a double play. Vladimir Guerrero jr. lined a single to right to lead off the fourth, but the next dozen Jays batters went in order. Ryan only struck out five, but outside Varsho’s home run they couldn’t lay a finger on him.
They had marginally better luck with the bullpen. Kody Funderburk pitched the eighth. Ernie Clement singled and Andres Gimenez walked, but the rest of the lineup couldn’t capitalize. Facing Cole Sands in the ninth, Vlad hit a hard ground ball single back over the mound to lead off. Jesus Sanchez crushed one deep to right to bring the Jays within three. That was as close as they’d get, though, as Sands ended the inning there.
Jays of the Day: Varsho (0.13)
Less So: Lauer (-0.50)
George Lombard Jr. continues to feel more comfortable in Double-A as his hot start to the minor league season continued on Saturday afternoon.
The Yankees' top prospect went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two walks in the Somerset Patriots' 7-6 loss to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Lombard's season average through the team's first seven games now sits at .464.
Lombard's incredible start also includes two home runs.
It's a promising sign for the Yankees prospect after he struggled when he was promoted to Double-A last year. In 108 games with the Patriots, Lombard slashed .215/.337/.358 with an OPS of .695 and eight home runs.
The infielder wasn't the only prospect in Saturday's game. Ben Hess, the Yankees' No. 5 overall prospect, started the game, but his day was short. The right-hander tossed 2.2 innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out five batters. However, Hess walked five batters, contributing to his 82 pitches (42 strikes).
Saturday was Hess' second start this season after a strong debut when he allowed two runs on three hits while striking out nine batters across five innings.
George Lombard Jr. (@Yankees No. 1 Prospect) smacks a 2⃣ RBI single in the fourth.
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) April 11, 2026
He's up to 12 hits and four RBI through seven games this season. pic.twitter.com/0S07Wc8fkz
Up with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, top pitching prospect Lagrange took the mound to start for the RailRiders.
The right-hander only went 3.1 innings, however, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks. He struck out eight batters as he continues to build his case to make the big league club this season.
Saturday's start saw Lagrange's season-high in strikeouts -- his previous two starts saw him strike out five batters combined -- but he allowed his most runs in the early season. Lagrange allowed one run in four innings in his season debut and one run in 3.1 innings in his second start.
Lagrange's ERA stands at 3.38 after three starts and he took his first loss after the RailRiders' 4-2 loss in the first game of their doubleheader.
Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones went 1-for-3 with an RBI single. The slugger has had a slow start to the season. He's batting just .205 with only two home runs in his first 12 games.
Jasson Dominguez, who isn't a prospect anymore but down with Triple-A to get everyday at-bats, continued his strong season by going 0-for-1 with two walks and a run scored. He entered Saturday's game slashing .375/.468/.575 with two home runs.
Carlos was cookin’ 🔥
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) April 11, 2026
The @Yankees #2 prospect struck out eight and reached triple digits on 27 out of 38 heaters. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/kOm0EOIVxC
The hits just keep on coming for the Blue Jays.
Just not the ones they’d want.
George Springer exited Saturday’s 7-4 loss to the Twins with a left big toe fracture, the team announced.
The four-time All-Star, facing Twins starter Joe Ryan in the third inning, fouled a ball off his foot but remained in the at-bat to ground out to first base.
Playing as the designated hitter, Springer was not officially removed from the game until the sixth inning when Myles Straw entered as a pinch hitter.
Springer, a Silver Slugger winner a year ago, is off to a slow start this season, going 10-for-54 (.185 average) with two homers and six RBIs. It’s not yet clear if the fracture will lead to an injured list stint.
Toronto has been badly bitten by the injury bug early this season. Starter Cody Ponce, signed over after a strong stint in the KBO, tore his ACL while trying to field his position and is now out for the year after needing knee surgery.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk took a foul ball off his thumb behind the dish and suffered a fracture, putting him on the shelf. Infielder Addison Barger was also shut down from baseball activities as he deals with ankle woes.
On top of all this, starters Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios — who are both dealing with elbow issues — have not yet pitched this season. The same goes for playoff hero Trey Yesavage, whose shoulder had kept him off the field.
In all, it’s led to a mediocre start for the defending American League champs, who sit at 6-8.
In last night’s game, the Phillies jumped out a big lead in the first inning, only to do nothing the rest of the way but give back the lead and the win. Today, the roles were switched. Arizona got out to a quick lead, then watched their starter give it all back.
I like it better that way.
Taijuan Walker started for the Phillies and did his usual “let’s spot the opposition the lead” thing that he seems to do each first inning of his starts. Today, he gave up a solo home run to Ketel Marte to begin the game.
Adrian del Castillo followed that with a one out RBI single to give the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead before most people had settled into their seats. It’s a familiar scene with Walker, but has some good news. Once he gives up those first inning runs, he usually settles down after that and give the Phillies a chance to get back into the game. That happened today.
In the bottom of the third, Alec Bohm reached on an error, then went to second when Justin Crawford singled to begin the frame. With one out, Kyle Schwarber stepped up and delivered to get a lead.
What’s nice is that, with Brandon Pfaadt still in, Bryce Harper decided to give it a go on his own, going back-to-back with Schwarber to lengthen the lead.
From there, Walker and the bullpen took over.
Walker was very good once he was able to settle in, going five innings and only allowing those two runs. Tim Mayza and Orion Kerkering got out of a mini jam in the sixth inning before the seventh got a bit hairy. Jose Alvarado came in that inning with two outs and immediately hit Alek Thomas with a pitch. Thomas stole second, then went to third on a throwing error by J.T. Realmuto to put a run 90 feet from home before Alvarado induced a groundball to end the frame.
In the eighth, Brad Keller let in a two-out run thanks to a walk and two singles, but emerged victorious and not relinquishing the lead. Jhoan Duran took the ball in the ninth and went 1-2-3 to lock down what felt like a badly needed victory.
The offense still not scoring too many runs is still an issue, but a win is a win and the Phillies needed one. They’ll try and take the series tomorrow with Andrew Painter on the mound.
Ahead of Game 2 of the Braves-Guardians series Saturday, manager Walt Weiss provided a few injury updates about the roster.
In the good news column, Weiss shared that Spencer Strider is set to begin his rehab assignment from the oblique strain which sidelined him to begin the season on Thursday after throwing a live batting-practice session Saturday. He’s going to start at 40-45 pitches and isn’t expected to be back on the major league roster this month, Weiss added.
Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Strider touched 95 three times during the second inning of his three-inning bullpen. His final fastball was clocked at 94.6. That’s notably lower than the 97 mph or higher he averaged in each of his first four seasons, but given his injury history, it’s fair to wonder if that velocity will be a part of his arsenal going forward.
The less good news is that Weiss said that outfielder Eli White, who would have been in the lineup Saturday with Michael Harris II on the paternity list, is day-to-day as he deals with plantar fasciitis in his foot.
Because of that, the Braves are forced to start Mauricio Dubon in center with Mike Yastrzemski in left for Saturday’s game against Cleveland.
One walk-off was something. Two consecutive walk-off moonshots is something else entirely.
Gavin Sheets was the hero of last night’s game after belting a three-run dinger about as deep as the Friar Faithful have seen a ball go in Petco Park. The crazy part: it wasn’t even his first homer of the game.
Luis Campusano provided another solo shot to give the San Diego Padres a two-run lead. That lead was preserved by a sterling outing from starter Walker Buehler until Adrian Morejon gave up two runs to the Colorado Rockies in the eighth inning, setting the stage for the dramatic finale.
The Friars are now on their second three-game win streak of the season, and will push for four tonight (as well as the series win over Colorado).
The Rockies No. 5 starter has been off to a semi-decent start, with a 4.32 ERA across 8 1/3 innings. He’s spent his entire career in Colorado, never finishing with an ERA under 4.00.
Feltner is working back from an injury-plagued 2025, having only pitched in six games last year. After a solid, albeit short, first start to the year, he gave up four runs against the Houston Astros on Monday.
The Padres who have batted against him have raked, with a combined .348/.423/.391 slash line. If Feltner can’t fix that now, San Diego will crush him.
Márquez will face his longtime former club for the first time since signing with the Friars this offseason. He had a rough debut with San Diego that now feels like a blip after he pitched five shutout innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.
If Márquez can follow that up against the Rox, it’ll go a long way to soothing rotation worries in San Diego.
The San Diego offense continues to be all-around spectacular, with contributions from Campusano and Sheets leading the way last night. Facing the right-hander Feltner will likely see the Friars use a similar lineup to yesterday, with some minor tweaks:
Even with Campusano’s great offensive production lately, Fermin has been the primary starter and they’ve mostly swapped back and forth in the backstop role.
Castellanos was benched yesterday in favor of the hot-hitting Miguel Andujar but will likely give Sheets a rest in the cold corner. That being said, Sheets’ bat is far too good to stay out of the lineup so he’ll probably get a DH day.
San Diego’s production at the plate has been wonderful lately. If they can keep that rolling against the Rockies’ No. 5 man tonight, they’ll cruise to a series victory.
Buehler had a fantastic outing, and boy did he need it. With his job on the line after allowing more runs (7) than he innings pitched (6 2/3), he needed a vintage outing. He delivered with a scoreless six innings, limiting Rockies batters to three hits.
That kept a (relatively) depleted bullpen mostly fresh, with manager Craig Stammen opting to use Kyle Hart in the seventh inning. Morejon came out for the eighth and blew the lead, giving up two runs on four hits.
That’s largely been the story for Morejon for the beginning of this year, with him struggling to a 10.80 ERA, giving up nine runs (eight earned) in only 6 2/3 innings. He’s yet to prove himself to be the dominant reliever he was from 2024-25 (2.42 ERA, 137.1 IP).
With Morejon unable to get out of the inning, Stammen turned to Jason Adam as the right-hander made his 2026 debut. He was easily able to get the out and stop the bleeding. The stranger thing was him not returning to the mound for the ninth.
Instead Stammen went to closer Mason Miller, who’s now pitched three games straight. It was odd given that it was not a save situation, and Adam had only thrown five pitches. Whatever the case, it ended up working out for San Diego, but Miller will likely be unavailable for tonight’s game.
In his stead the Friars will have Ron Marinaccio, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez. The quartet will hope for a clean outing from Márquez, but all four are capable of covering more than one inning if necessary.
Firstly, congratulations are in order for Michael Harris II and his wife, Esther. ICYMI, Michael was placed on the paternity list earlier today and we hope to hear happy news about baby boy Harris soon. MHIII? We shall see! More on the corresponding roster moves here, including a return for Luke Williams.
As a result, Mauricio Dubón will patrol center field and Jorge Mateo gets the start at short and will bat ninth.
The rest of the lineup looks a lot like the last time the Braves faced a lefty, including Mike Yastrzemski in the seven hole, Drake Baldwin DH’ing, and Jonah Heim at catcher.
Braves menace Steven Kwan continues to lead off for the Guardians, but the one to watch here will be José Ramírez. Recently making headlines for setting the club record for most games played (1,620!), Ramírez has the most ABs versus Martín Pérez and has a .263 average and .754 OPS against him. Not only that, MLB’s game preview and Elias note that if he homers, he will be the first Cleveland player with home runs versus all other 29 MLB teams. The drama of trying to deny one of baseball’s stars an additional accolade… here’s hoping the Braves pitching staff will be up to the task today and tomorrow.
Buzzy rookie Chase DeLauter drops from second to fifth and will take a break from playing right field to DH. New faces David Fry and Austin Hedges will bat cleanup and eighth, respectively.
First pitch is set for 7:15 pm ET.
Max Schuemann is the answer to a baseball trivia question: “Who fielded the last out for the Athletics in their final game at the Oakland Coliseum?”
It was September 26, 2024 and the batter was Travis Jankowski of the Texas Rangers.
“I was playing third base, kind of shifted over playing short,” Schuemann said. “The way that at-bat was going, Mason Miller was throwing and there was a lefty at the plate who was kind of slapping it and fouling off a bunch of pitches. I was like, ‘This ball is 1,000-percent coming to me. I need to be ready.’
“Sure enough, he did and I felt like you could hear a pin drop in that stadium, even though the seats were all full. Once I fielded it and as I was going to throw it, it got so quiet. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can not screw this up.’ But I threw a strike over there and hit [first baseman Tyler Soderstrom] in the chest and we won the game.”
After spending the past two years with the Athletics, Schuemann is in the Yankees organization this year with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He was designated for assignment by the Athletics on February 6th. Three days later, the Yankees acquired him in a trade for Rookie ball pitcher Luis Burgos.
Schuemann couldn’t be happier.
“I can’t ask for a better situation to come into,” he said. “The coaching staff at big-league camp and then here have been amazing to me and really helpful. I feel like I’ve learned a ton in the small stint that I’ve been here.”
The 28-year-old hails from Kalamazoo, Michigan — the same hometown as Derek Jeter. Schuemann unsurprisingly idolized the Yankees’ Hall of Fame shortstop.
Schuemann was selected by the Athletics out of Eastern Michigan University in the 20th round of the 2018 MLB Draft (593rd overall). Over the next five years, Schuemann worked his way through various stops in the A’s system — Vermont, Beloit, Lansing, Midland, and Las Vegas — before making his MLB debut on April 12, 2024 against the Washington Nationals. He entered the game in the bottom of the 10th inning as the automatic runner and scored the winning run on a single by Lawrence Butler.
In his sixth MLB game at Cleveland’s Progressive Field on April 20, 2024, Schuemann got his first hit off Logan Allen and first stolen base.
“I had my family on the edge of their seats,” Schuemann said. “I thought I absolutely crushed a ball (in my first at-bat) to left field. It was a colder day, maybe the wind was blowing in from left, which was kind of weird for that ballpark; I feel like it’s pretty hitter-friendly. I thought I got it, but I was running hard out of the box because that’s just the player I am. My family all went nuts, they thought I got it, too. Steven Kwan made a leaping catch at the big wall in left to rob me of my first hit.
“My second at-bat, I came up, first-pitch swinging, I hit a ball pretty well to right field. Again, running hard out of the box, I hit it well and it snuck over the fence. So my first career hit was a homer and they (my family) went nuts. I wouldn’t trade that moment for the world. It was pretty cool, teasing my family like that. You can’t draw that up.”
That season, Schuemann appeared in 133 games and batted .220 (87-for-396) with seven home runs, 34 RBI, and 14 stolen bases.
“I was very happy being part of the last team in Oakland,” Schuemann said. “It was such an amazing year for me, especially that last series. The fans really showed out.”
Last season, the Athletics began playing in a minor-league stadium in West Sacramento while a new stadium in Las Vegas is being built. Not only did the team have to adjust to a new city, but Schuemann transitioned into a bench role. He played in 101 games and batted .197 (36 for 183) with two home runs, 13 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
“Making that adjustment was definitely a learning experience,” Schuemann said. “But I feel like I did OK and I learned from it. Sacramento, we made it what it was. I’m not with those guys anymore, but I’m rooting for those guys. They were my teammates and I came up with a lot of them through the minor leagues. Some longtime friends over there for sure.”
With the RailRiders, Schuemann is part of an infield that includes Oswaldo Cabrera, Paul DeJong, Jonathan Ornelas, and Braden Shewmake. All have MLB experience and all can play second base, shortstop, and third base. Schuemann has a leg up on at least DeJong and Ornelas, as he currently holds a spot on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, so if the situation arises where the Yankees need an infielder, it seems likely that either he or Cabrera would get the call.
That versatility is a strength and gives manager Shelley Duncan plenty of options.
“That was a key part of how I got to the big leagues in the first place, bouncing around everywhere and playing multiple positions,” Schuemann said. “If you go around our infield, I feel like we have guys who do that same thing. It’s pretty special to have an athletic team like we have. I feel like it helps hold everyone accountable. Everybody’s bouncing around, it’s not set in stone. It helps us hold each other accountable to stay on top of our craft.”
Through 10 games with the RailRiders, Schuemann is batting .235 (8-for-34) with two doubles, five RBIs, and two stolen bases. He also has drawn nine walks.
“I had a good spring, so I’m trying to carry that over,” Schuemann said. “Everything I’ve learned in camp has been going pretty well overall. I’ve had a lot of quality at-bats, just waiting for the results to come. It’s a long season, so I feel like they will.
“I’ve been very happy with how it (the trade) turned out. I don’t think I could ask to have come into a better situation. Just to evolve as a player, I feel it’s really going to be good for my career.”
After a tight tilt on Friday night that broke a losing streak, the Tigers looked to carry that momentum into a Saturday afternoon contest against the Marlins. Excellent work from both pitchers and a timely tater gave the Tigers a 6-1 victory and secured a series win, as well as AJ Hinch’s 400th victory as Tigers’ manager.
Casey Mize made his third start of the year for the Tigers; his first, against the Diamondbacks, was very good (even though the Tigers eventually lost that game). His second, against the Twins? Not so much… but the less said about that series in Minnesota, the better. He’s striking guys out, though, which is a good sign.
Facing Mize and the Tigers today was Janson Junk; I gotta think that name’s Dutch. After bouncing back and forth between the majors and minors for four years, and with three teams, he finally found a home in the Marlins’ rotation last year. He doesn’t strike out everybody, but his walk and home run rates are exceptionally low, so he generally keeps his team in the game.
The Tigers jumped on Junk in the first: Kevin McGonigle led off with a double to right, and a Wenceel Pérez groundout pushed him up to third. Colt Keith then doubled to left to put the Tigers up 1-0, and after Dillon Dingler grounded out, Riley Greene singled to right to plate Keith for a 2-0 lead.
In the second, Mize gave up a leadoff double to Otto Lopez, who advanced to third on a groundout. But Mize buckled down and got a strikeout and a foulout to Keith at third, and Lopez was stranded ninety feet (27.43 m) from home. The Marlins repeated themselves in the third, sort-of: leadoff single, stolen base, groundout got a runner to third with two outs. Mize then struck out Agustín Ramírez to end the inning, stranding another runner 90 feet (5.45 rods) from home.
In the bottom of the third McGonigle drew a leadoff walk and Dingler reached on catcher’s interference with two out; they advanced to second and third on a wild pitch with Greene at the plate. Greene battled and fouled-off pitch after pitch, and on the tenth pitch of the at-bat he crushed a waist-high fastball for a long home run to right-centre for a 5-0 lead; it was Greene’s first home run of the year.
The Marlins got on the board in the fourth: Liam Hicks singled, Lopez doubled again, and a sacrifice fly scored Hicks for a 5-1 score. But with two outs and Lopez on third, Pauley fouled-out again, stranding Lopez 90 feet (136 links) from home.
In the top of the sixth Lopez reached on an error by McGonigle, and with two outs Connor Norby hit a ground-rule double to right that bounced into the stands, pushing Lopez to third. That was the end of Mize’s day, and Drew Anderson was brought in. Could the Tigers again strand Lopez 90 feet (15 fathoms) from home?
They could, and they did: a groundout to second base and Lopez was indeed left 288 Big Macs from home.
Anderson carried on into the seventh and sprinkled a walk in between three groundouts. But, before I forget, here’s Mize’s final line: 5 2/3 IP, 6 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts. I will take that every lovin’ day of the week.
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth Greene drew a walk, stole second base, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a soft fly ball to centre by Spencer Torkelson for a 6-1 score. Something something small-ball something something.
Anderson was doing well, and he’s been a starter for years, so it was decided that he’d just carry on into the ninth. He walked Pauley with one out, but he struck out Heriberto Hernández on a high heater, and after an epic battle with CMU product Jakob Marsee that lasted fourteen pitches, Marsee hit a grounder to first to finally end the game and earn Anderson a 3 1/3-inning save. You gotta tip your cap to Marsee on that one, though.
Having traded 2-0 victories (or losses, if you prefer), two of the worst offensive teams in the majors — White Sox 29th in runs per game, Royals 27th — take another stab at trying to figure out where a ball was pitched this afternoon in the third of a four-game series in Kansas City.
The Royals will start four batters hitting .200 or worse. Not to be outdone, the Sox will start six, with the only average better than .242 being Dustin Harris’ .333 — which we would be more impressive if he had more than six at-bats.
Trying to keep Kansas City in the offensive doldrums will be Erick Fedde, who has had a respectable beginning to the season (4.09 ERA and 3.42 FIP over 11 innings in two starts). His mound opponent, Michael Wacha, has been not just respectable but downright amazing, giving up just one run in 13 innings.
Wacha will face a Sox lineup that has the heart of the order, batters two through five, all with averages that begin with a one. To make it more of a challenge for the offense one of the two Sox to have a hit yesterday, Derek Hill, isn’t starting.
Fedde will face a Royals lineup that so far this season consists of Maikel García and Bobby Witt Jr. at the top, Kyle Isbel at the bottom, and a bunch of guys who are struggling in between (well, OK, except for Carter Jensen, who had a homer yesterday).
First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. Central, with a very un-Kansas City-like 74°, a chance of a shower or thunderstorm, and wind blowing out toward left. Usual broadcast suspects.