Apr 13, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Grant Holmes (66) throws against the Miami Marlins in the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Phillies will try to salvage the final game of their series against the Atlanta Braves. The offense has been largely non-existent in the first two games, as the Phillies have lost by scores of 9-0 and 3-1.
Righthander Andrew Painter will be given the ball in an attempt to avoid a sweep.
Honestly? I thought I was going to be writing another “The Cubs didn’t hit with RISP” recap and that the Cubs would lose this game by not scoring, because they went into the ninth inning 0-for-6 with RISP.
Thank you, Cubs, for proving me wrong. Michael Conforto’s RBI double in the ninth tied the game — and you can imagine how that made the former Met feel! — and Nico Hoerner hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th to give the Cubs their fifth straight win, 2-1 over the Mets. The win gave the Cubs their first series sweep of 2026 and sent the Mets to their 11th loss in row.
To begin at the beginning, Javier Assad threw very well for four innings, allowing just a leadoff single to Brett Baty in the fourth. Baty made it to third, but was stranded.
Then MJ Melendez led off the fifth with a solo homer off Assad. That was it, though — one more hit off the Cubs right-hander was all the Mets could muster, three hits and one run allowed in 5.2 innings was a very good outing for Javier Assad. Here’s more on Assad’s afternoon [VIDEO].
But the Cubs could not do anything with former Brewer Tobias Myers, who threw the first two innings, or David Peterson, who threw 3.2 scoreless frames after that. Pete Crow-Armstrong led off the third with a triple to right-center, but was doubled off third after Nico hit a sharp line drive to second [VIDEO].
After that, Alex Bregman and Ian Happ walked to load the bases, but Seiya Suzuki struck out to end the inning.
The Cubs got good relief work from Jacob Webb (1.1 scoreless innings, probably his best outing as a Cub) and their two Martins. Riley Martin threw a scoreless eighth and Corbin Martin, making his Cubs debut, had a scoreless ninth.
So the Cubs trailed 1-0 going to the bottom of the ninth, and as I said above… things did not look good. But Happ led off the inning off Devin Williams with a single. Scott Kingery was sent in to run for Happ. Suzuki struck out, and Craig Counsell sent Conforto up to bat for Matt Shaw.
Conforto thus represented the winning run on second with one out, but Saturday’s hero Carson Kelly struck out, and then PCA also struck out to send the game to extras.
Caleb Thielbar threw the 10th for the Cubs and retired the first two hitters on pop flies, one to second and one to short left. A ground ball that Nico had no play on went for a hit, but the placed runner (Melendez) had to hold at third.
PCA was the placed runner and former Cub Craig Kimbrel relieved for the Mets. Dansby Swanson tried to bunt him to third and popped both attempts foul. But then Kimbrel threw a wild pitch, sending PCA to third and accomplishing what a sac bunt would have. Swanson, though, struck out.
Based on my research, this was the Cubs’ 999th walk-off win in regular-season games since 1876, first year of the National League.
It was their 901st since 1901, first year of the Modern Era, and their 796th at Wrigley Field.
Of all 999, 957 have come at home.
This was Hoerner’s fourth. He is among 420 Cubs who have done it.
(In case you are wondering how a team could have a walk-off win on the road, in baseball’s early days, teams could choose to bat first at home. In cases like that, the visiting team could have a walk-off win. In practice that hasn’t been done in more than 100 years, but the home team officially batting last wasn’t codified in the rules until 1950.)
It wasn’t pretty, but wins are wins, as you surely know, and when a team comes into Wrigley Field in as much disarray as the Mets appear to be in, it’s good to take advantage, and the Cubs did in multiple ways. Sunday, it was solid pitching and timely hitting.
An annoying little rainshower hit the area around Wrigley not long after the game started and lasted maybe 15-20 minute before passing out of the area. The sun came out, making it a reasonably pleasant afternoon after that, and forecasts are for dry conditions for the rest of the homestand.
The Cubs will open a four-game series against the Phillies Monday evening at Wrigley, hoping to extend the five-game winning streak that began last Tuesday against the Phillies in Philadelphia. It’ll be a pitching rematch of that game, with Colin Rea going against Aaron Nola. (Yes, I know Riley Martin started that game, but it was basically Rea vs. Nola. Let’s hope for a similar result, as the Cubs won that game 10-4.) Game time Monday is 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 15: Trent Grisham #12 of the New York Yankees looks on from the on-deck circle during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on April 15, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! This week, we focus not just on the present, but also on the legacy of the past, as we celebrated Jackie Robinson Day this Wednesday. How did the Yankees acknowledge this important day — as well as the other goings-on of the early season — this week? Let’s find out!
Jackie Robinson Day
As you could probably guess from the top image, the article heading, and the intro, we begin this week with Major League Baseball’s annual celebration of Jackie Robinson, whose story — as timely as ever — needs no introduction.
Because the Yankees had a matinee on Saturday, they had some rare free time at night, so after helping beat the Royals on Friday night with six innings of three-hit, one-run ball, Cam Schlittler was among the many celebrities at Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks’ playoff opener. He got a very nice hand from the crowd, who got to see the Knicks take down the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1, 113-102.
The Yankees continued to upload episodes of their YouTube series, Behind the NY.
Welcome back, Paulie!
Over the first couple of weeks of the regular season, the YES broadcast rotated David Cone and Joe Girardi alongside Michael Kay. But you know who was conspicuously missing? That’s right — the Warrior himself, Paul O’Neill. Well, at long last, the former Yankees right fielder made his season debut at the ballpark.
The Yankees invited the players from the new Women’s Professional Baseball League to take batting practice at Yankee Stadium last weekend, a show of support for the new league, which launches this summer.
Of course, the Trop did give us our first “opposing mascot attempts to troll with Meredith Marakovitz during the pregame show.” As the YES Network account said, she truly is a mascot whisperer, and handles their shenanigans like a champ.
The Savannah Bananas will be playing at Yankee Stadium next weekend, as the Bombers are on the road. One of their players posted to Instagram to express his excitement over fulfilling his childhood dream of playing at Yankee Stadiuim.
CHICAGO — Nico Hoerner hit a sacrifice fly off Craig Kimbrel in the 10th inning, and the Chicago Cubs sent the New York Mets to their 11th consecutive loss by rallying for a 2-1 victory Sunday.
Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto tied it for Chicago in the ninth with an RBI double off closer Devin Williams.
Pete Crow-Armstrong opened the 10th on second as the Cubs’ automatic runner. Dansby Swanson fouled off two bunt attempts before Kimbrel (0-1) threw a wild pitch, moving Crow-Armstrong to third.
After Swanson struck out swinging, Hoerner lofted a flyball to right and Crow-Armstrong scored easily.
Caleb Thielbar (1-1) worked a scoreless 10th for Chicago, which posted its season-high fifth straight win.
MJ Melendez homered for New York, which finished with six hits. David Peterson pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings of bulk relief after manager Carlos Mendoza decided to go with Tobias Myers as an opener.
It’s the longest losing streak for the Mets since they also dropped 11 in a row from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 in 2004. They have been outscored 62-19 during the slide, and they are averaging just 2.9 runs over 17 games in April.
The Cubs rallied in the ninth against Williams. Ian Happ hit a leadoff single and pinch-runner Scott Kingery scored from first on Conforto’s one-out double into the right-field corner against his former team, tying it at 1. Conforto was stranded when Williams struck out Carson Kelly and Crow-Armstrong, both swinging.
Melendez began the fifth with a drive to right-center on a full-count fastball from Javier Assad. It was his first homer since he was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.
Chicago had at least one baserunner in each of the first seven innings.
Crow-Armstrong hit a leadoff triple in the third, but Peterson retired Swanson on a grounder to third before Hoerner lined to second for an inning-ending double play.
Up next
Mets: Following an off day, RHP Nolan McLean (1-1, 2.28 ERA) starts Tuesday night against Minnesota in the opener of a nine-game homestand. RHP Mick Abel (1-2, 3.98) goes for the Twins.
Cubs: RHP Colin Rea (2-0, 3.63 ERA) starts Monday night in the opener of a four-game series against Philadelphia.
The New York Mets' losing streak is only growing more extreme, more historic, even more soul-crushing.
The beleaguered squad carried a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth inning at Wrigley Field, but a funky hop off a side wall, a failed effort to score a courtesy runner and continued offensive futility fueled a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, April 19.
It was the Mets' 11th consecutive loss. They haven't lost that many in a row since 2004.
They're now 7-15 – already three games behind the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals, who have payrolls a fraction of theirs – in the NL East.
And on a chilly day at Wrigley Field, they managed only one run – a fifth-inning home run from M.J. Melendez, a scrap heap acquisition who suddenly is the most effective offensive player on a club with a $358 million payroll.
"When you’re playing one-run games, you have to be perfect. It’s hard to play like that," says manager Carlos Mendoza. "We are not impacting the baseball at all, as a team."
Yet, it was a defensive misplay that will sting the most.
How the Mets lost their 11th game in a row
They carried a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth, though closer Devin Williams yielded a leadoff single to Ian Happ, certainly a harbinger of bad things. Williams rallied to strike out Seiya Suzuki, but pinch hitter Michael Conforto yanked a line drive down the right field line.
Tyrone Taylor positioned himself to play the carom off Wrigley's side wall, but his mental protractor was way off – the ball angled away from him and dribbled into the corner. Pinch runner Scott Kingery easily scored.
The misplay only stung even more when Williams rallied to retire Carson Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong, sending the game into an inevitably grim extra inning for the Mets.
An infield single advanced the courtesy runner to third, but a Luis Torrens strikeout stranded him. In the bottom half, reliever Craig Kimbrel's wild pitch – Torrens probably should have blocked it – gifted the Cubs 90 feet. A sacrifice fly easily scored Crow-Armstrong.
And an 0-6 road trip was mercifully over. Not that Citi Field has been any kinder.
Mets' losing streak statistics
It has been top-to-bottom offensive futility for the Mets in this streak:
They are batting .200 in these 11 games.
They are averaging 1.7 runs per game.
They've managed 17 extra-base hits - barely more than one per game.
And they're even more futile with runners in scoring position, batting .145 in those situations.
What's next for Mets?
They return home for a nine-game homestand, ostensibly against gentler competition: the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies and Nationals. Yet, let's put it in perspective: At 7-15, the Mets have the worst record in baseball.
Is Mets manager Carlos Mendoza's job safe?
It's a virtually daily question in the manager's postgame briefings, and likely will continue until the Mets win another game. Managerial firings are rare in April, but Mendoza is not under contract for 2027, which will only accelerate speculation as the hole gets deeper.
"Eleven losses – that’s a lot,' says Mendoza. "Whether it’s April or any point in the season. But nobody’s going to feel sorry for us."
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor defended the third-year manager, who has worked in New York the past seven seasons - four as Yankees bench coach.
"He’s done a fantastic job. This is not on him," says Lindor, batting .205 with one homer and one RBI in 88 at-bats. "We have the information. It comes down to us. Mendy’s our guy. He’s our leader, he’s in control, he’s done a tremendous job.
"The people paddling – we’ve got to paddle and execute."
Fair or not, performance can serve as a referendum on a manager, which the Mets know all too well. And returning home amid such a freefall might not be the panacea.
"It’s going to get very loud. And everyone here knows it," says Lindor. "We’ve just got to stick together."
Mark Vientos contemplates his team’s form during their series against the Cubs. Photograph: Erin Hooley/AP
The New York Mets are finding that money doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. The second-most expensive team in MLB – with a payroll of $381m – lost their 11th game in a row on Sunday as they were swept for a third straight series, this time by the Chicago Cubs.
“Eleven losses, that’s a lot, whether it’s in April or at any point in the season,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game. “Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. We’ve got to find a way.”
On Sunday, the Mets found new and interesting ways to torment their fanbase. They led 1-0 going into the ninth inning before their former outfielder, Michael Conforto, drove in the tying run for the Cubs. Another former Mets outfielder, Pete Crow-Armstrong, then scored Chicago’s winning run in the 10th inning off Nico Hoerner’s sacrifice fly.
“This feeling sucks,” said shortstop Francisco Lindor after the game. “It’s not a good feeling.”
The Mets’ losing streak matches the team’s longest since 2002, and they have scored just 19 runs in their 11 consecutive losses. The Mets’ woes come after a terrible 2025 season in which they collapsed from having the best record in baseball early in the season to missing the playoffs entirely.
The Mets have a small sliver of hope with their best player, Juan Soto, due back from injury in the coming week. But Lindor said Soto should not be expected to work miracles.
“Even when he comes, we’ve still got to get it done,” said Lindor. “It would be unfair to just throw everything on him.”
General manager David Stearns shipped out many of the team’s veterans and much of the coaching staff in the wake of last season’s disappointment, but the new version of the Mets appears to be even worse this time around. After Sunday’s loss they fell to 7-15, the worst record in the major leagues.
Apr 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) look to the video boards in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
For eight innings on Sunday, the Cincinnati Reds looked mostly miserable in the cold confines of Target Field. Minnesota Twins starter Bailey Ober had their number (6.0 IP, 3 H, ER, 4 BB, 10 K) each and every time a Red actually reached a base, with the Reds – at one point – sitting 0 for 11 with runners on-base for the game.
Then, though, the Reds got an idea. An awful idea. The Reds got a wonderful, awful idea!
The Reds – believe it or not – decided the floodgates deserved opening!
Rookie righty Andrew Morris got out of a jam in the Top of the 9th, but the starter-turned-reliever was brought back out for the 9th inning by Twins manager Derek Shelton as a confidence boost, I can only assume. Cincinnati wasted little time in getting right to him, as Spencer Steer singled, Tyler Stephenson singled behind him, Dane Myers coaxed a walk, and Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game TJ Friedl smashed his first extra-base hit into the gap in right-center to clear the bases and give the Reds a 4-3 lead.
The Twins got out of the inning, though, and managed to get a leadoff runner on, over, and in off Reds closer Emilio Pagan to send the game disappointingly into extras. Disappointing for us, I should clarify, as the Cincinnati offense had only just begun to warm up, apparently.
Elly De La Cruz was the Manfred Man at 2B to begin the inning, and the fortuitous way that worked out meant he was set to wreak havoc on the bases immediately. That happened with 1-out as Eugenio Suarez topped a grounder between short and 3B that was booted by the Twins infield, and Elly motored initially to 3B. However, the Minnesota LF bobbled the ball, and Elly reversed reversing course to sprint home and give the Reds a lead they wouldn’t relinquish this time. After the Twins intentionally walked Will Benson to set up force outs, Rece Hinds cleared the bases again with a clutch double into the LF corner, and that put Cincinnati up 7-4.
Graham Ashcraft, who had literally never saved a game before in his life, came on to pitch the Bottom of the 10th, and he wrapped the game up in short order.
That’s a sweep for the 14-8 Cincinnati Reds, who sit alone atop the NL Central leaderboard.
Other Notes
Each of Cincinnati’s three hardest-hit balls of the day resulted in outs. Elly smashed a grounder at 109.3 mph that went for an out, while Sal Stewart blasted a bal 108.8 mph that went for a lineout.
There were no homers socked by either team this entire series in the cold weather up north.
Friedl went 2 for 3, and after his clutch double his slugging percentage (.167) is now higher than his average for the year (.154).
Ke’Bryan Hayes, meanwhile, went 0 for 2 before being subbed. He’s down to .058/.125/.058 on the year.
Brady Singer battled early and admirably kept the Reds in the game (6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K on 104 pitches). He still doesn’t look ‘right’ and his peripherals remain ugly, but that’s a serviceable outing any way you look at it.
The four fastest pitches of the game were all thrown by Connor Phillips (up to 99.3 mph). He’s got all the makings of Cincinnati’s closer of the future, as well as (perhaps) the present.
PJ Higgins ended up catching in extra innings after Will Benson came on to pinch-run for (and score for) Tyler Stephenson in the crucial 9th inning rally. He’s a master of the strike zone, and the game actually ended on his challenge of a ball call on a pitch by Ashcraft that was, in fact, actually a strike.
The Reds will get warm, dry, and cozy on the next stop of their road trip as they head to Tampa and their rebuilt dome. First pitch on Monday is set for 6:40 PM ET, and Rhett Lowder will toe the rubber for the Reds. The Rays have yet to announce their starter at the time of publishing.
Apr 19, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; The Milwaukee Brewers meet on the mound against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
In a battle of young, tall, flamethrowing phenoms, Jacob Misiorowski stumbled out of the gate, and even though he recovered nicely, it was ultimately too much to come back from on a Sunday afternoon in Miami.
Misiorowski allowed the first three batters he faced to reach base, though one was due to an error by shortstop David Hamilton. Faced with bases loaded and nobody out in the first inning, Misiorowski then threw a wild pitch, then hit Kyle Stowers with a pitch before getting Agustín Ramírez to ground into a double play that scored a run. Liam Hicks singled to add a third run, and very quickly the Marlins had a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Eury Pérez held down the Brewers offense completely through the first five innings, scattering just three hits in them. The Brewers finally broke through in the sixth inning with a Hamilton leadoff walk. He promptly stole second, and the throw went into centerfield, allowing Hamilton to take off for third. Garrett Mitchell brought him home with an RBI groundout to make it 3-1.
DL Hall entered for Misiorowski in the bottom of the sixth and allowed a pair of hits and a pair of walks, leading to two runs for the Marlins and a 5-1 Miami lead. He was relieved by Grant Anderson after getting just one out.
The Brewers had some chances in the eighth with a Sal Frelick pinch-hit single, followed by walks from Garrett Mitchell and Brice Turang to load the bases. Gary Sánchez delivered two runs with a single to center to make it 5-3. Trying to capitalize on the opportunity, Pat Murphy decided to have William Contreras come off the bench to pinch-hit. The Marlins responded by bringing in righty Calvin Faucher, and Faucher got Contreras to fly out to left to end the inning.
Pete Fairbanks sat the Brewers down in order in the ninth inning to secure the save and a 5-3 Marlins win over the Brewers.
The four-game winning streak gets snapped, but they’ll get a chance to start one again Tuesday as they travel to Detroit to start a three-game series against the Tigers after an off day tomorrow.
Apr 19, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) hits a single against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images
The first half of Sunday’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros was a pitcher’s duel. The second half of the game not so much as the Cardinals bats woke up in the 5th inning against the Houston Astros in the weekend series, but it would be extra innings heroics by Masyn Winn that would give them a series sweep.
Matthew Liberatore had a stellar start only allowing the Astros 3 hits and 1 earned run due to a bizarre sequence in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Trammell tripled off of the right field wall after his backswing hit Pedro Pagés in the side of the head. After he looked back to check on Pagés, he began to circle the bases when Jordan Walker overthrew the cutoff man and missed third base trying to throw out Trammell, but Nathan Church alertly backed up the throw preventing Trammell from scoring. He would score on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Correa to short center field when Victor Scott II’s throw hit the pitcher’s mound giving the Astros a 1-0 lead. Liberatore would end up throwing 6 innings for St. Louis Sunday.
Mike Burrows had a perfect game two outs into the 5th inning for the Houston Astros, but a hit by Masyn Winn broke that up and seemingly caused Burrows to lose his control. Nathan Church walked after Winn’s single. Pedro Pagés beat out an infield single (yes, you read that right) which loaded the bases for Victor Scott II. Burrows walked him to tie the game 1-1 which brought up JJ Wetherholt who slammed a single to right field scoring both Church and Pagés. Pedro looked like he stepped on a slick patch of ice crossing home plate.
Iván Herrera followed Wetherholt’s RBI single with one of his own to score Victor Scott II.
Ryan Stanek was brought in to relieve Liberatore in the 7th inning. He was helped by an excellent diving catch by Nathan Church. JoJo Romero entered the game in the bottom of the 8th inning. He got the first two outs, but gave up a long home run to Alvarez to draw the Astros closer at 4-2. Altuve followed that with a hard hit single to left field. After that, Walker walked which inspired manager Oli Marmol to bring in closer Riley O’Brien. After a wild pitch that moved both runners up a base, he was greeted by Paredes who smacked a single to right-center field to tie the game 4-4. He was able to get out of the 8th inning by picking Paredes off first.
The Cardinals mounted a threat in the top of the 9th inning when José Fermín doubled into the left-center field gap. Pedro Pagés was unable to move him over to 3rd base when he missed a bunt attempt and then struck out. Yohel Pozo pinch-hit for Victor Scott II. He did move Fermín to third base by grounding out to 2nd base. That brought up JJ Wetherholt who was hit by a pitch for the 4th straight game tying a record held by current Cardinals coach Jon Jay. Ivan Herrera grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the Cardinals 9th inning.
Riley O’Brien held the Astros scoreless through the bottom of the 9th inning sending the game into extras. Ivan Herrera was the designated runner in the top of the 10th inning. Alec Burleson was unable to move him over when he flew out to short centerfield. Jordan Walker reached on an error by third baseman Matthews. Ramón Urías then pinch-hit for Nolan Gorman who was 0-4 in the game. He was hit in the foot by a pitch which loaded the bases for Texas native Masyn Winn. He cleared the bases with a screaming double into the left field corner making it 7-4 Cardinals.
Justin Bruihl was brought in to handle the bottom of the 10th inning. His time would not be without drama as Trammell reached on a dribble infield single. That brought up Carlos Correa as the tying run. His tapper back to Bruihl would result in Matthews being tagged out in a rundown between third and home for the first out. Alvarez lined out to Winn at short for the second out. Gordon Graceffo was then brought in to get the last out. Altuve managed to get a two-strike infield single that was kept from going into the outfield by Winn. Christian Walker came up as the potential winning run, but Graceffo was able to get him out on a fielder’s choice by Urias.
The Cardinals will move on to Miami for a 3-game series versus the Marlins. Michael McGreevy is scheduled to start for the Cardinals for a 5:40pm start Monday night.
Logan O'Hoppe (14) of the Los Angeles Angels gets out of the way as Jake Cronenworth (9) of the San Diego Padres falls after he was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 18, 2026 in Anaheim, California.
Jake Cronenworth took a 97-mile-per-hour pitch to the face and didn’t leave.
The San Diego Padres infielder was up to bat against Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi with a man on second in the top of the fifth inning when a 97-mph fastball struck him in the cheek.
Scary moment as Jake Cronenworth was hit in the face with a pitch. He walked it off to first base pic.twitter.com/3ykXiHD8ZL
Cronenworth, luckily, wasn’t hit dead on and didn’t even come out of the game, taking a second to gather himself before heading to first base.
Still, it was a pretty frightening experience for those in attendance.
Cronenworth finished the game 1-for-1 with two walks and an RBI.
Cronenworth is a two-time All-Star from his seasons in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Logan O’Hoppe (14) of the Los Angeles Angels gets out of the way as Jake Cronenworth (9) of the San Diego Padres falls after he was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 18, 2026, in Anaheim, California. Getty Images
The Padres later won the game 4-1, improving to 14-7 this season, and are just 1.5 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West, who are 15-5 to start the year.
Cronenworth is only hitting .152 this season, but the 32-year-old infielder remains a fixture on the Padres roster in his seventh full season with the team.
San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (9) goes down after being hit by a pitch in the face while Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe (14) dives for the ball during an MLB baseball game played on April 18, 2026, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Though the Padres haven’t won the NL West since 2006, the team has been to the playoffs four times in six years, reaching the NLCS in 2022 and the NLDS in 2020 and 2024.
The team has also just had one losing season during that timeframe, making them one of the more successful National League teams in recent years despite their lack of deep playoff trips.
Mark Vientos | (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
For a while there, it looked like the Mets would finally win a baseball game. But they’ll have to wait until at least Tuesday to break their losing streak, as Devin Williams blew his save opportunity in the bottom of the ninth before the Cubs scored a walk-off sac fly in the bottom of the tenth.
Until Williams allowed that run in the ninth, MJ Melendez had provided the entirety of the scoring in the game with his solo home run in the top of the fifth. In total, the Mets had just six hits on the afternoon.
Tobias Myers got the start for the Mets and used as an opener, and to his credit, he threw two innings, didn’t allow a run, struck out two, walked one, and allowed just one hit. He needed just 28 pitches to get through those innings, and he now has a 3.00 ERA on the season.
David Peterson, who had struggled mightily in his last three starts, took over from there. And he fared much better today, as he completed three-and-two-thirds innings without allowing a run. He struck out just one opposing hitter, but he didn’t walk anyone and gave up just three hits.
Things got a bit dicey when Peterson was pulled from the game with a runner on third and two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Huascar Brazobán issued a pair of walks to load the bases but struck out Seiya Suzuki to get out of the inning unscathed.
Brooks Raley and Luke Weaver combined to maintain the shutout in the seventh and eighth, but Michael Conforto faced Williams as a pinch hitter and doubled in the Cubs’ run in the ninth—because of course he did.
The Mets’ lifeless offense then failed to score despite having the Manfred runner on second base in the top of the tenth, and it felt like a sure thing they’d lose in the bottom of the inning. And then they did, as Pete Crow-Armstrong advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Craig Kimbrel and came in to score the winning run on a one-out sac fly off the bat of Nico Hoerner.
The Mets are 7-15, and by the end of Major League Baseball’s slate of games today, they’ll either still be tied for or have sole possession of the worst record in baseball.
What’s WPA? Big Mets winner: David Peterson and Luke Weaver, +21% WPA each Big Mets loser: Craig Kimbrel, -37% WPA Mets pitchers: -5% WPA Mets hitters: -45% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: MJ Melendez hits a solo home run in the top of the fifth, +14% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Michael Conforto doubles to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, -49% WPA
CHICAGO — The Mets changed the script slightly Sunday, but the final scene of this horror show was all too familiar, with the opponent celebrating a victory.
Devin Williams wore the goat horns, blowing the save in the ninth before Nico Hoerner’s sacrifice fly against Craig Kimbrel in the 10th extended the Mets losing streak to 11 games with a 2-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
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The losing streak matches the club’s longest since 2002.
“Eleven losses, that’s a lot, whether it’s in April or any point of the season,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We have got to find a way.”
A sputtering Mets lineup managed only 10 runs in six games on the road trip. On this day the Mets went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
“This feeling sucks,” Francisco Lindor said. “[But] we’re professionals and we have got to find a way to do whatever it takes to end up on top after 27 outs and sometimes 30 outs. It’s not a good feeling, but no one here is hanging their heads. Everybody has got their head up high, fighting for each other.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, right, watches his team during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs. AP
Lindor, who has only one RBI, pointed blame toward himself.
“I came up in situations to drive runners in and didn’t do that,” he said. “It just came down to the last two outs. When I get guys in scoring position and I don’t drive them in, I don’t help the team.”
Kimbrel threw a wild pitch to advance automatic runner Pete Crow-Armstrong to third base with nobody out in the 10th before Dansby Swanson struck out and Hoerner won it with a fly to right.
Mendoza was asked about the possibility Kimbrel could have intentionally walked Hoerner, with slumping Michael Busch on deck, to set up a potential inning-ending double play.
Luis Torrens, left, talks with relief pitcher Devin Williams during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, April 19, 2026. AP
“In that situation, especially with Hoerner, you put him at first base, they are going to take second base there,” Mendoza said. “There is a contact situation there, but they have got some of their best hitters coming up after that too, so just going right after him.”
Michael Conforto tied it against Williams with a pinch-hit RBI double in the ninth. Tyrone Taylor didn’t field the ball cleanly in right field, allowing Ian Happ to score easily. Happ led off the inning with a single against Williams, who struggled in his previous appearance, allowing four earned runs over one-third of an inning against the Dodgers.
“They gave me a lead,” Williams said. “It’s my job to hold it and I made a mistake. It cost us the game today.”
Tobias Myers, in an opener’s role of sorts, gave the Mets two scoreless innings before David Peterson entered for the third. Peterson pitched 3 ²/₃ scoreless innings in relief — his most effective outing since his first start of the season.
Peterson allowed a triple to the first batter he faced, Crow-Armstrong, but escaped the inning with help from Hoerner’s line-drive double play, on which Crow-Armstrong was caught off third base.
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (r.) throws out the Cubs’ Alex Bregman to complete a double play in the first inning on April 19, 2026. AP
MJ Melendez — one of the few Mets showing life offensively — homered against Javier Assad leading off the fifth. Melendez worked the count full before clearing the ivy in right for his first Mets homer. Melendez is 5-for-14 since his recall from Triple-A Syracuse.
Peterson drilled Crow-Armstrong with two outs in the fifth, but Crow-Armstrong was thrown out by Luis Torrens attempting to advance to second.
Hoerner singled in the sixth and stole second with one out. Huascar Brazobán replaced Peterson after Busch was retired. Brazobán walked two batters to load the bases before striking out Seiya Suzuki to preserve the one-run lead.
Matt Shaw singled leading off the bottom of the seventh inning but was left stranded at second base — following Brooks Raley’s wild pitch — as Luke Weaver retired Swanson for the final out.
Weaver returned to pitch a scoreless eighth before Williams entered for the ninth.
“You got to the ninth inning feeling good, but when you are playing one-run games you have to be perfect,” Mendoza said. “It’s hard to play like that. It’s a tough stretch right now.”
The Mets were swept by the Chicago Cubs, losing Sunday's game by a score of 2-1 in 10 innings despite leading after eight innings.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- The Mets held a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning, but Devin Williams couldn't make the lead stand. After allowing a leadoff single, Williams allowed an RBI double to former Met Michael Conforto, with pinch-runner Scott Kingery scoring from first base, sending this game to extras and giving Williams his first blown save as a Met.
Despite a pair of runners in scoring position with two away, the Mets couldn't score in the top half of the tenth. Craig Kimbrel came on to pitch the bottom half of the tenth, uncorking a wild-pitch to move Pete Crow-Armstrong to third with no outs. NIco Hoerner cashed in with a sacrifice fly to right, giving the Cubs the win.
-- Carlos Mendoza's decision to go with an opener paid off.
Tobias Myers ended up going 2.0 scoreless innings in his role as opener, pitching around a leadoff walk in the first inning. Myers allowed one hit and struck out two while walking one.
-- David Peterson entered to start the third inning, and he was immediately greeted by Crow-Armstrong, who tripled to right center to lead things off. But Peterson got out of the jam without allowing a run, thanks to a line-drive double play hit right to Marcus Semien, who threw behind Crow-Armstrong to get the third out at third base.
Peterson pitched into the sixth inning, leaving the game with a runner on third base. Huascar Brazoban came on and walked the first two batters to load the bases for Seiya Suzuki, but then struck him out to end the threat. That closed Peterson's line at 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out one without a walk.
-- The game stayed scoreless into the fifth inning, but MJ Melendez jumped on a Javier Assad pitch for a solo home run, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. Melendez has provided a spark to the Mets' lineup since being called up, as he's now hitting .357 with a 1.152 OPS.
-- After the piggybacking plan worked to perfection, the Mets had their bullpen lined up well with Brooks Raley to pitch the seventh, Luke Weaver to pitch the eighth, and then Devin Williams to close things out. Raley and Weaver (four outs) kept things scoreless, but Williams couldn't match.
-- Brett Baty snapped his 0-22 slump with a line drive single to left in the third, the Mets’ first hit of the game.
Game MVP
Hoerner, who had one hit and the game-winning sac fly RBI
San Diego, CA - April 14: Ramón Laureano #5 of the San Diego Padres hits a triple in the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park on April 14, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres played a seven-game home stand after taking 4-of-6 on the road. They swept the Colorado Rockies in dramatic fashion with a Xander Bogaerts walk-off grand slam one night and a Gavin Sheets walk-off the next night. They added eight home runs to their season total in the four games.
The Friars then swept the Seattle Mariners over three games and Bogaerts added another home run to his total. They won using power, base running, small ball and situational hitting; showing the range of talent they possess up and down the line up. A far cry from the 2025 season that started with a similar winning way but almost all the production came from the top of the line up.
Dia de los Muertos
The Padres debuted their new City Connect jersey during the homestand, paying tribute to the Dia de los Muertos holiday as well as the colors for the 1998 Padres team. They won for the first time in their new duds. The organization also sold $1.1 million of merchandise on the day of release (April 9).
Veterans have off days
Padres manager Craig Stammen has been liberal with off days for his veteran players, giving playing time to the bench and moving Fernando Tatis Jr. from right field to second base on Saturday and Sunday during the Rockies series. Both Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth got days off while Tatis Jr. became reacquainted with the middle infield.
When asked, Stammen explained his desire to keep his players fresh throughout the season and it all began with giving Manny Machado a day off in April. Machado had his first day off in 2025 during the month of September. He also slumped drastically the end of last season, admitting to being fatigued. It seems Stammen is determined for that to not happen this year with Machado or anyone else.
Padres visit the IL
When Jason Adam came off the IL to join the Padres after his injury rehab, Jeremiah Estrada took his place with elbow tendinitis. His velocity had been noticeably decreased with his fastball, down 3-4 mph from his top of 97 mph. His other pitches also showed a loss of velocity and he was being hit hard.
Nick Pivetta left his start on Sunday versus the Mariners after three perfect innings. It was obvious that something was really wrong as he kicked at the rubber, yelled into his glove and bit it as Stammen and a trainer walked out to the mound. There was minimal discussion and Pivetta left the game. It was revealed the next day that Pivetta would go on the IL and he was diagnosed with a flexor strain. A serious injury, flexor strains take weeks to months to heal at best.
The Padres had a scare when catcher Freddy Fermin took two deflected balls into his face mask on April 15, but he did not need the concussion protocol and was rested for two days before returning to the lineup. For back up, the Padres pulled catcher Rudolfo Duran from El Paso minutes after Fermin was removed in San Diego. He was with the Padres the next day, on the taxi squad, in case of any issue with Luis Campusano.
Sung-Mun Song optioned to Triple-A
The Padres signed Song during the offseason to serve as a super utility player for the Padres. He came to Spring Training recovering from an oblique strain and aggravated the injury during camp. Starting the season on the IL, Song completed his rehab on Wednesday and was reinstated then optioned to El Paso.
His stats with the Chihuahuas have improved in most areas but with a few concerning spots. Although he is hitting .276/.364/.310 in 58 at-bats he has eight walks and 17 strikeouts. He has no home runs and two doubles with no stolen bases. Defensively, he has played 3B, 2B and SS but has not played in the outfield. He has also been the DH. Making better contact and cutting down on strikeouts will need to happen before he can be considered a better option than what the Padres currently have.
Luis Campusano on a tear
After starting the season slowly, Campusano was the quiet hero during the homestand. Although he didn’t hit the game-winning hits in any of the comeback wins or rallies, Campusano hit a home run and multiple doubles during almost every rally. He is currently hitting .300/.364/.533 with an .897 OPS. He has four doubles and a home run with six RBI. The faith and confidence that the Padres have shown since the start of Spring Training is being repaid. It seems that what Campusano needed was an opportunity, and some confidence, in order to show what he can do.
Ramon Laureano is the man
An adage often heard among the Friar media and fans is that the Padres will go as Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. go. It is usually true that those two lead the team offensively in one way or another. But to start 2026, after the first 20 games, left fielder Ramon Laureano leads in almost all categories while Machado and Tatis Jr. are hitting .203 and .233 respectively. Tatis Jr. still doesn’t have his first homer of the year.
Laureano is first in average at .290, first in slug at .551 and first in OPS at .906. Machado has the OBP of .363 due to his 16 walks, which leads the team. Laureano has four home runs and 13 RBI, both tops though Bogaerts and Jackson Merrill also have 13 RBI.
Bench power
The Padres bench has been superior to what we have seen in the past so far, especially the bench of 2025. The contributions of Campusano are not to be compared to the sub-.200 batting average of the past back up catchers. The combination of Ty France/Miguel Andujar/Nick Castellanos has far outperformed last year and could rival the 2024 bench. The three combined have seven doubles, a triple and a home run with eight RBI.
Defensively, France is the best first baseman on the team and has a Gold Glove from 2025 to prove it. Andujar can cover for Machado at third when needed and has been the DH. Castellanos doesn’t appear to have a good defensive position but pinch-hitting and occasional filling in at right or left field has been his role.
Mason Miller
Miller’s outstanding performance so far this season has been discussed almost every day around baseball. What he is doing is unprecedented and we should all just be grateful we get to experience it on our team. In his 9.1 innings pitched, he has 23 strikeouts, two walks, two hits and seven saves. That brings his total from last August to 31.2 innings pitched with no runs allowed, passing Padres icon Randy Jones and closing in on Cla Meredith.
In comparison, Randy Vasquez has 25 strikeouts in 21.1 innings pitched. The Rockies’ Chase Dollander has 23 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched.
After an inning-ending flyout to left field in the third and a one-out lineout to shortstop two frames later, Volpe led off the seventh with a single through the middle against Luke Russo.
Following Volpe's second knock, which had an exit velocity of 104.2 mph, he stole second base.
Through 11 at-bats with Somerset since last Tuesday, Volpe (left shoulder surgery recovery) has four hits -- all singles -- and three strikeouts. He has two stolen bases and one walk.
That's 104.2 mph off the bat for Anthony Volpe! 🔥
He rocks a base hit up the middle for his first multi-hit game of his MLB rehab assignment. pic.twitter.com/Qj2IdYpN6V
