Category: Baseball

The Cardinals had found their replacement for Ozzie Smith, but you don’t actually want to be the guy who replaces the legend. You want to be the guy after that. Poor Royce Clayton, who had to follow his childhood idol, and was perfectly cromulent, but he wasn’t Ozzie Smith. Targeted for free agency and with the Cardinals looking for a new direction, they traded Clayton (along with Todd Stottlemyre) at the deadline in 1998. It was a good trade. They received a couple years of Fernando Tatis senior, later traded for a package that included Steve Kline, and Darren Oliver, who had his best season as a starter in 1999.

But this was not a Brendan Donovan got traded and JJ Wetherholt was ready to step in situation. They Cardinals did not have an in-house replacement for Clayton. Their first choice was Barry Larkin, who was apparently unhappy, because the Reds had just traded Bret Boone, and Larkin was promised the Reds would build around him and Larkin. I think it had less to do with Boone, who honestly wasn’t that good at the time, and more as Larkin puts it: “I feel as if I’m being held hostage by a team with no immediate plans to be competitive.”

Larkin had a no-trade clause, but was willing to be traded to five teams, which included the Cardinals. That’s interesting because the Cardinals did not have a particularly good 90s and didn’t have a good 1999 season either, although Larkin would have helped. But I’ll give some credit to Jim Bowden, who didn’t seem to usually make smart moves. He held out for JD Drew and Rick Ankiel. Larkin had one great year and one good year left, so that would have been a bad trade by the Cardinals. Walt Jocketty thought so too.

So they pivoted. And this is really why I’m writing the article. Because there are a few confusing aspects of the Edgar Renteria trade that followed. It’s the kind of trade that reveals how different front offices operated as it pertained to value than today’s game. The structure of that trade would not get made today. Decisions made prior to that trade would not get made today either.

And it starts with Braden Looper. Looper was the 3rd overall pick in the 1996 MLB Draft out of Wichita State University. Highest draft pick the Cardinals have ever had. And they drafted him that high knowing, essentially, that he would be a reliever. I mean they envisioned a closer, but still. What is the absolute highest round a team will draft someone knowing they will be a reliever now? We all knew the Cardinals would convert Tanner Franklin to starting specifically because of how high he was drafted and he was drafted 72nd. Looper was the THIRD OVERALL PICK.

He did start games at first, but barely. He signed late in the 1996 season, so he didn’t pitch in his draft year. This wasn’t for modern reasons like saving his arm, the draft pick signing deadline was VERY late in the season and a lot of the high picks used all of that time to come to an agreement. He started 12 games at High A in 1997, wasn’t particularly impressive, and then they converted him to reliever. After 12 starts. They promoted him to AA and also moved him to the bullpen at the same time. He honestly still wasn’t that good.

So of course, he made the team out of spring training in 1998. They gave him all of 4 games before they sent him to Memphis. All of this is impossible to wrap my head around. They used a high draft pick and immediately converted him to relief. And with not very good minor league stats and not even at AAA, he made the majors, and they were so confident in this decision that he got demoted after 4 games. He actually struck out 25% of the batters he faced, which is like 30% nowadays, but gave up 4 runs (2 were not earned). He spent the rest of the year in Memphis.

He’s not the only weird part of that trade. Looper wasn’t actually the highest rated prospect in the trade. Which doesn’t sound that weird when I describe Looper the player, but he was the 23rd best prospect in Baseball America. There was no doubt he was a reliever when they ranked him. It is not strange that there was a more valuable prospect than him, but somehow the player ranked above him was weirder.

Pablo Ozuna was the #8 prospect in baseball when this trade was made according to Baseball America. Walt Jocketty got extremely lucky on this one. The Cardinals had signed Ozuna at 16-years-old in 1996 out of the Dominican Republic and if you go to his stats page, you will notice he was not actually 16 in 1996. He could have graduated college in 1996. He was actually 22-years-old.

This was not known at the time of the trade. As far as anybody knew, Ozuna was about to be 19 in 1999. He had just batted .357 in Low A and had stolen 62 bases. In reality, he was 23-years-old and also he got caught stealing 26 times. Which is a horrible success rate. And I guess teams didn’t learn what a good success rate was, because he was allowed to be a bad base stealer for his whole career.

So we have the #8 prospect in baseball and the #23 prospect in baseball, but it was a magic act. It was a soon-to-be 24-year-old who hadn’t played above A ball and a relief pitcher. There was a third player involved, but he had to be considered a throw-in. I can’t imagine this guy had real value then. Armando Almanza was a soon-to-be 26-year-old left-handed relief pitcher with swing-and-miss stuff but spotty control who hadn’t actually pitched in the majors yet.

For two relief pitchers, one of whom is barely a prospect, and a super old for his level infielder who is bad at stealing bases, the Cardinals received four years of 22-year-old shortstop who had 3.5 fWAR as a 19-year-old and then kind of underwhelmed in his next two seasons. You could not ask for a better trade or a better acquisition for the future.

Baseball Prospectus, weirdly obsessed with him maybe being a year younger than he said (it’s mentioned in SIX of their yearly profiles), said this about Renteria: “Good comparisons would be Barry Larkin or Alan Trammell: the power should keep getting better; he’ll take a few more walks and have a shot at an MVP award someday. While he isn’t an ideal leadoff man, the Cardinals don’t have many alternatives.”

Didn’t quite work out that way, although he did have a couple All-Star caliber seasons. After 1999, the Cardinals signed him to a four-year extension with two club options. They picked up his 2004 option, but confusingly apparently the 2005 option was voided because they waited too long to pick up the 2004 option. If anybody has any information on that, I would love to know. I have not heard that one in baseball before. David Eckstein ended up being better than Renteria in 2005, so it worked out, but I definitely would have done one more year with Renteria. They tried to sign him in free agency too, so this wasn’t a no interest situation.

Anyway, this is a perfect Walt Jocketty trade and also… a very lucky Walt Jocketty trade. I really doubt he knew Pablo Ozuna was older than he said. Ozuna’s real age was revealed in 2002 thanks to the September 11th attacks, when foreign-born players had to show their birth certificate to apply for a work visa. Nearly 300 players saw their birthdays change from this. Overnight Ozuna was four years older and a utility player, not a highly touted prospect. And he also did draft Looper 3rd overall, so it’s not like he didn’t agree with the consensus that relievers could be very valuable.

But I will also say for a guy who was known for trading for veterans, our past looks a lot different if he decides to trade for Barry Larkin. Renteria was, mostly, not as good as you remember, because his bat wasn’t very good in his Cardinals tenure – the run environment then was crazy in the steroid era – however he did peak more in line with when the Cardinals were genuine title contenders. Larkin had already peaked, although he did have a peak season left in 1999, but that wouldn’t have made the Cardinals a playoff team.

More importantly, they held onto JD Drew who later net the Cardinals Adam Wainwright. Imagine that alternate history where the Cardinals get Larkin! He would have pivoted, but it is very difficult to imagine the last 25 years going as well as they did if they made that Larkin trade.

The slow decline in the prominence of the starting pitcher in baseball has been in full swing for decades. In the place of hurlers that would routinely throw every pitch of a game when called upon has come an increasingly large carousel of single-inning (or less) relievers.

The prevailing strategy throughout the league can be summed up like this: fewer pitches per pitcher, but more effort per pitch. Whatever you or I think about the aesthetics of this change, it has seen widespread adoption from MLB teams with the understanding that it gives them the best chance to win each game.

As behind the times as the Rockies have been in recent years, even they had adapted to this particular facet of modern baseball before the offseason front office overhaul brought in a new perspective on the sport. Some of what the Paul DePodesta-led front office was trying to change about the moribund franchises’ approach to pitching was signposted clearly (larger pitch arsenals, pitch suggestions from the dugout, and simply throwing the ball in the strike zone more often).

However, perhaps the most profound shift wasn’t noticeable until the season started.

At the start of play on Thursday, the Rockies have had 20 relief appearances that lasted more than two innings. Only the Washington Nationals with 18 such appearances come close to matching this total. The Rockies are on pace to feature a reliever going more than two innings in 120 games this year, which would break the previous record of 116 set by the fledgling 1977 Seattle Mariners (one of only four teams with over 100 such relief appearances).

Unsurprisingly, the Nationals (173.1) and Rockies (170.0) also lead the league in total relief innings pitched this season. At first glance, this would seem to indicate that both teams have similarly used bullpens, but there is something that separates the two: While the Nationals are middle-of-the pack in terms of total number of relief appearances, the Rockies are tied for the fewest in the league.

The Rockies are leaning on their bullpen as a group just as much as anyone, but the shape of that usage is different. They have specifically stacked their bullpen with long-relief arms that are pitching more innings per appearance, but making fewer appearances.

One could assume that this was purely a byproduct of Chase Dollander essentially being used as a starting pitcher without getting that designation officially because he was paired with an opener. The Rockies, however, have so far had five different pitchers throw more than two innings in a game that they entered as a reliever:

• Chase Dollander (six times)
• Antonio Senzatela (four times)
• Tanner Gordon (four times)
• Zach Agnos (four times)
• Valente Bellozo (two times)

That’s just the Rockies major league team. The same strategy is also being employed in Albuquerque.

Isotopes Keegan Thompson, Carson Palmquist (No. 19 PuRP), Gabriel Hughes (No. 12 PuRP), Parker Mushinski, Patrick Weigel, and Collin Baumgartner have had two-plus-inning relief appearances more than once so far this season. This means that if/when the major league pitching staff becomes depleted, either from injuries or trades, there is a surplus of longrelief capable arms ready to be called up.

#Rockies President of Baseball Ops Paul DePodesta addresses the bullpen and how it’s been one of his biggest takeaways from his first season working at elevation pic.twitter.com/sAXLeEr1s1

— Christian Saez🎙 (@DNVRSaez) May 3, 2026

It has become clear, based on comments made by DePodesta in recent weeks, that this was the intended plan coming into the season and not just a natural byproduct of the specific makeup of players in the organization he inherited. This may, in fact, be part of the workload management new bullpen coach Matt Buschman was starting to implement in spring training.

The thinking is pretty obvious: For a team that plays at elevation that lacks a rotation of aces able to go seven every night, the bullpen being composed of one-inning flamethrowers that empty the tank on every pitch leads to extreme second-half swoons. We’ve seen this exact story play out seemingly every year recently where the bullpen will come out the gates looking incredible in April, lead the league in usage, and then fall off a cliff by mid-summer. For evidence one need look no further than Jake Bird’s 2023, Victor Vodnik’s 2024, or Seth Halvorsen’s 2025.

By leaning into arms that pitch less frequently but longer when they do, the hope seems to be that the wear and tear of the same number of innings will be reduced. This could be through either more rest days or simply the idea that pitchers will naturally pace themselves and throw with less max effort if they know they are expected to be out there for longer outings.

Will this work? We won’t know until the grind of the season has had a chance to settle in on this new look bullpen. It is, however, just nice to see the organization genuinely trying new things instead of being content to fail in the same way every year.

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On the Farm

Triple-A:Albuquerque Isotopes 12, Sugar Land Space Cowboys 2

The Isotopes keep raking. All of Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP), Blaine Crim, Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP), Chad Stevens, and Drew Avans had multiple hits including home runs from Stevens and Avans. Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) only had a single hit… but that was because he worked a walk in all four of his other plate appearances. On the mound no one truly stood out, the closest being Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP) who struck out three in two scoreless relief innings, but as a group Erasmo Ramírez, Mason Green, Herrera, and Blas Castaño combined to only allow two runs on six hits.

Double-A:Hartford Yard Goats 3, Binghamton Rumble Ponies 4

This was the Dyan Jorge game as he reached base four times and stole two bases on three attempts. Otherwise the offense was relatively quiet other than a double and a stolen base from Roc Riggio (No. 14 PuRP). Blake Adams was the bulk reliever, coming in after the opener Sam Weatherly, and didn’t allow an earned run over 5.1 innings. Ultimately it came down to a sacrifice fly bringing home a zombie runner in the bottom of the tenth inning that sealed the deal for the Rumble Ponies.

High-A:Spokane Indians 3, Tri-City Dust Devils 2

A tight affair that ended with a walk off RBI single from Roynier Hernandez in the ninth. To start, Jordy Vargas (No. 21 PuRP) took the ball and set the town with 5.2 innings of one run ball before handing it over to Bryan Perez and Fisher Jameson to finish out the remaining 4.1 innings. Almost everyone in the lineup reached base at least once but it was Jacob Humphrey (two for three with a stolen base) and the aforementioned Roynier Hernandez (three for four with a walk) that were the difference makers.

Low-A:Fresno Grizzlies 2, San Jose Giants 12

The Grizzlies had an all around poor showing in this one. On the mound Austin Newton allowed six earned runs on nine hits over 4.2 innings and it only got worse after that when Manuel Olivares walked four and allowed three hits over 1.1 innings and Austin Emener “closed out” the game with another three runs over two innings. In terms of the lineup, while Carlos Renzullo had a nice day at the plate with two hits and a walk, the only runs were accounted for by a two run shot from Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) to go along with his three strike outs.

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The Quiet, Unmistakable Ambition of Kyle Karros | Blake Street Banter

This is an in-depth piece by Eli Whitney that features a wide ranging interview with Karros. It covers everything from the differences between him and his dad, his love of third base, and his dreams of bringing October baseball to Denver. It’s a fantastic interview that I cannot recommend enough.

These young starting pitchers are emerging as MLB aces | The Athletic (Gift Link)

Chase Dollander’s hot start to the season is starting to be noticed by media outside of the Rockies direct orbit. Jim Bowden places him amongst young stars like Cam Schlittler and Jacob Misiorowski as one of the burgeoning aces throughout the league. The particular insights aren’t new to folks who frequent Purple Row, but it is nice to see this start to percolate to the general baseball public.

Mejia embraces new pitching philosophy, K’s 5 of 6 in relief | MLB.com

Thomas Harding talks to Juan Mejia about the adjustments he’s making that are leading to his success early in the season. It’s interesting to see the coaching staff be able to help him through the growing pains of competing at the major league level, especially considering Mejia is one of the few true max-effort short relief options in the Rockies current bullpen.

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Triple-A: Gwinnett Stripers (Braves) 8, Norfolk Tides 6

Norfolk’s offense did some good things in the losing effort. José Barrero hit two home runs, bringing his season total to six. Creed Willems added a two-run shot, which was also his sixth round-tripper of the year. The only other RBI came from Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and the aforementioned RBI. The rest of the Norfolk lineup was rather quiet. The team struck out 12 times and had just two at-bats with runners in scoring position.

But that would have been enough to win if not for a late collapse from the bullpen that saw them allow five runs in game’s final two innings. Six different Tides pitchers took the mound. Cameron Weston started and allowed two runs on two hits, two walks, and four strikeouts over 2.2 innings. Yaqui Rivera followed with one run allowed and four strikeouts over his 2.2 frames. Andrew Magno recorded two outs without allowing a baserunner. Nick Raquet is where the wheels started to fall off. He gave up two runs in his two innings, and then Cameron Foster was handed the loss by giving up three runs and recording just two outs. Hans Crouse came on to retire the final batter of the ninth.

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 19, Altoona Curve (Pirates) 4

This was a seriously impressive showing from the Baysox lineup. They scored more runs than they had hits because they were so darn efficient with runners on base. The club went 9-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left just three runners on base all game. Home runs also helped. Five different Baysox hit home runs and all of them came with runners on base. Anderson De Los Santos hit a three-run shot. Carter Young smacked a two-run dong. Frederick Becosme drove in two with his homer. Ethan Anderson had an Earl Weaver special. And Tavian Josenberg had two RBI on his first long ball of the year. It’s a lovely box score to skim through.

The pitchers, overall, did well too. Sebastian Gongora went six innings and allowed just one run while striking out seven. His season ERA is down to 3.62 on the year, and he has now struck out 35 batters over 27.1 innings. The lefty could be one worth watching. Juan Rojas had a tough day, allowing three runs in his lone inning of work, but it was also just his second appearance at Double-A. Eric Torres closed out the win with two scoreless frames.

High-A: Frederick Keys 11, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies) 5

Here’s another big scoreline from an Orioles affiliate. Frederick collected those 11 runs on 15 hits and three walks, and they went 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Ike Irish continued to rake, going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, a walk, a stolen base, four runs scored, and two RBI. Him and his 1.055 OPS might be ready for another challenge soon. Not to be outdone, Wehiwa Aloy may have been even better on this day. The shortstop was a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, a homer, a walk, one run scored, and four RBI. Victor Figueroa added a double and two RBI while Colin Yeaman hit his first career home run.

It was a mixed bag on the mound. JT Quinn, the starter, gave up two runs (one earned) while walking five and striking out two in his three innings of work. Eccel Correa earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings in which he struck out four batters. Keagan Gillies recorded four outs without allowing a run, three of those came via strikeout. Chandler Marsh allowed two runs over 1.1 innings. And then Braeden Sloan coughed up a run in the ninth.

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 6, Salem Ridge Yaks (Red Sox) 4

Caden Hunter turned in one of the better pitching performances of the day. He tossed four scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and a walk while striking out six. J.D. Hennen was charged with just one earned run, but the Ridge Yaks scored all four runs of the game against him. That is a reflection of the messy game that the Shorebirds played. They made four errors and uncorked three wild pitches. After that, though, it was smooth sailing. Kenny Leiner, Bradley Brehmer, and Riley Cooper combined to throw 3.2 scoreless innings and close out the win.

Raylin Ramos led the offensive effort for Delmarva. He went 2-for-4 as the DH, stealing a base and driving in a run in the process. Braylon Whitaker and Félix Amparo also had two hits each. Amparo added a steal, an RBI, and two runs scored. Jose Perez’s double was the team’s only extra-base hit of the day.

Box Scores

Thursday’s Schedule

Norfolk: vs Gwinnett, 12:05 pm. Starter: Levi Wells (2-2, 4.28 ERA)

Chesapeake: vs Altoona, 6:35 pm. Starter: Juaron Watts-Brown (0-1, 13.50 ERA)

Frederick: vs vs Jersey Shore, 7:00 pm. Starter: Boston Bateman (0-2, 6.35 ERA)

Delmarva: at Salem, 6:35 pm. Starter: Esteban Mejia (0-2, 7.36 ERA)

At the end of last week, Thomas Nestico made the following post and caught many Red Sox fans off guard:

Team Defensive Runs Saved pic.twitter.com/foA56W3MxC

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) May 1, 2026

Yes, that’s the Boston Red Sox up near the top of the teams leaderboard in Defensive Runs Saved, and you know what, I don’t think it’s a fluke.

Up until the last handful of days, the quality of the Red Sox defense has been easy to ignore for several reasons. They include, but are not limited to:

• The Red Sox leading the American League in errors during each of the last three seasons before 2026.
• The Red Sox starting off 2026 with the most errors in the AL again over the first couple of weeks (before really cleaning it up of late).
• The team’s dreadful 9-17 record over the first 26 games overshadowing any finer details.
• Roman Anthony getting the yips for the first few series of the year and having a few bad throws go viral.
• Caleb Durbin’s ice cold bat out of the gate obscuring the fact that this dude can really play some defense.

Understandably, the vibes weren’t great. But now we’re a week into May, and with the dust settling, the metrics under the hood don’t just look good, they look really, really good. So good in fact that if the Red Sox can get the top of this rotation healthy with Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray in the coming weeks, their whole run prevention philosophy just might pay dividends.

Let’s take a more detailed look at what these Defensive Runs Saved figures look like for the ten Red Sox players with the most defensive innings logged so far in 2026 (going into Wednesday night’s game):

Several things jump out here, so let’s take a quick trip around the diamond and understand how the Red Sox might be this good defensively.

First up (and most complex), Roman Anthony — because against all odds, I think the yips or whatever was going on with his throws earlier in the year are actually working to his advantage now. (God I love baseball!) His problem isn’t arm strength (that actually grades out as a weapon with an 89.9mph velocity average), his issue was either mechanical or in his head, leading to a handful of throws so bad they went viral.

However, Roman’s good throws are actually really good. So you’re left with a situation where teams saw the few horrendous throws earlier in the year and wanted to pick on him. But what they’ve actually done in the process is give him more opportunities to throw guys outs, and he’s taken advantage of that, with two assists in one series against the Blue Jays last week. You want a guy that’s impossible to scout against? I give you a left fielder who throws a 35 foot worm burner one week and then nails you from 200 feet away the next.

At the same time, Anthony also makes tremendous reads on the ball off the bat and takes very efficient routes when tracking down fly balls. So even though he’s not the fastest guy in the world and doesn’t make many flashy highlight plays with the leather, he gets to way more balls than you’d otherwise think at first glace. You know how he’s really good at reading a ball out of a pitcher’s hand and therefore knows how to work a bunch of walks at the plate? Well, that’s his superpower all over the diamond. His initial reads are so good that in just 65 career starts in the outfield over both the 2025 and 2026 seasons (37 in right and 35 in left) he’s already racked up a +13 Defensive Runs Saved total.

Is the metric overrating his defense some? Almost certainly yes! But when it comes to the question of whether he’s an above average defensive outfielder, it almost doesn’t matter because anybody who lands this far on the positive side of the spectrum in so few games is good. It’s just a matter of how good when all the details fill in over time. This is a big part of the reason why I was so concerned in early April when he started throwing the ball away. Anthony’s career ceiling is so much higher as an above average defensive outfield as opposed to getting pinned to DH.

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Then we have Wilyer Abreu. In his case, we can just go straight to the video for from last night.

This is a prime example of how the Red Sox run prevention strategy can totally alter a game. They ended up pitching a shutout, but if this ball falls in, it’s at least 2-0 and probably 3-0 Detroit in just the second inning.

Great DRS numbers are one thing, but when you see it in practice, working to propel the team to wins on the field, it’s something to get extremely excited about. Abreu is getting it done.

Elsewhere, Caleb Durbin’s been fantastic defensively, and the more you see him work his glove magic, the more you realize it’s not a fluke. In fact, the biggest threat to losing his defense is his bat potentially being so terrible you just can’t afford to keep him in the lineup every day. However, he’s started to hit a tad more lately, and if that’s a sign of things to come, it again bodes well for the Red Sox defense long-term.

On the other infield corner, you have Willson Contreras, who has been as good as the Red Sox could have hoped for at the position. Even if he’s not going to be this good going forward, the former catcher again has enough innings at first base now to know you’re at least going to get some brand of plus defense here as well.

Then from there, you have what I think might be the most exciting part of the calculus. Ceddanne Rafaela and Marcelo Mayer haven’t even hit their defensive strides yet. We know how good Rafaela can be in center, and he hasn’t shown that yet in 2026. Mayer meanwhile can play anywhere in the infield and make it look smooth as butter. While his 2026 numbers don’t jump out in limited innings at second base yet, I’m confident that he’ll not only improve there, but that he’s also capable to taking the reigns from Trevor Story at shortstop at some point. If that happens, you then also potentially improve Trevor Story’s defense with a move to second base, where he was excellent in 2022.

In other words, so much of the momentum driving the Red Sox production in the Defensive Runs Saved department has been on the corners (Durbin, Contreras, Anthony and Abreu), but between Rafaela in center and a swap between Mayer and Story that feels like it needs to come at some point this season, the Red Sox can actually unlock a whole additional level of defense right up the middle of the diamond they haven’t really displayed yet.

Their defense isn’t just good; it has the chance to be above average everywhere. And the deeper we get into the season, the more this is going to matter as game-saving defensive plays are often contagious. If what’s going on under the hood is remotely real, it’s only a matter of time before the Red Sox start stealing a bunch of games with their gloves.

With Sonny Gray returning to the rotation last night and Ranger Suarez (hopefully?) avoiding a trip to the IL, it’s time to stop and reassess what’s the best version of the Red Sox rotation going forward.

Garrett Crochet last pitched on April 25th and would be eligible to come off the IL as soon as next Tuesday (although there are reports that he won’t be ready that quickly). Regardless of the exact date, the Red Sox are on track to get Crochet, Suarez, and Gray back as the top three guys in the rotation by the second half of the month, which means we might have a good debate on who should be the No. 4 and No. 5 guys soon.

Is it just Payton Tolle and Connelly Early and that’s the end of the conversation? Does Bello get more shots as the bulk guy? Does Jake Bennett impress with his opportunity? The next handful of days could make a huge difference for everybody.

Talk about this and whatever else you’d like in this thread here, and as always, be good to one another!

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The Kansas City Royals hope to wrap up their four-game set with a series win when they host the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium.

Seth Lugo has been dynamite, and my Guardians vs. Royals predictions expect the Royals to wrap up the series in style. 

Read on for my MLB picks for Thursday, May 7. 

Who will win Guardians vs Royals today: Royals moneyline (-135)

Seth Lugo has been one of the best starters in the American League this season.

He’s recorded five quality starts in seven outings with a 2.68 ERA and a 99th-percentile breaking ball that the Cleveland Guardians' below-average offense is ill-equipped to handle. 

Bobby Witt Jr. leads the Kansas City Royals with a .387 xwOBA and 50.4% hard-hit rate, while Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi has allowed hard contact all season, resulting in a 6.56 ERA. 

With the pitching advantage firmly in Kansas City's favor, the Royals are worth backing on the moneyline and run line. 

Guardians vs Royals Over/Under pick: Under 9 (+102)

The Guardians and Royals rank 21st and 22nd in wRC+, respectively, and Cleveland's lineup has been even worse against right-handed pitching, posting a 91 wRC+ on the season. 

Neither offense has shown the ability to generate consistent run support, with both clubs sitting below the league average in OBP, SLG, and ISO. 

These two offenses have combined to go Under in seven of their last 10 head-to-head matchups, and a total of nine runs is simply too generous for two of the more anemic lineups in the American League.

Guardians vs Royals odds

• Moneyline: Guardians +127 | Royals -133
• Run line: Guardians +1.5 (-156) | Royals -1.5 (+150)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+104) | Under 9.5 (-108)

Guardians vs Royals trend

The Kansas City Royals have hit the Game Total Under in 24 of their last 40 games (+6.65 Units / 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Royals.

How to watch Guardians vs Royals and game info

Guardians vs Royals latest injuries

Guardians vs Royals weather

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Hello, friends.

Here’s a hot take: It’s a lot more fun when the Orioles win than when they lose. We thankfully got another reminder of the fun of winning last night as the team kept piling on runs against the Marlins, eventually winning 7-4 to guarantee a win in the three-game set. Check out Alex Church’s recap of the game for more of the lovely totals. The team has a chance to sweep as the series concludes at 6:40 tonight. No getaway day afternoon game? Weird.

The Orioles wins against the Marlins in these first two games is a reminder of the occasionally-invoked baseball saying that you’re never as good as you look when you’re winning and you’re never as bad as you look when you’re losing. In fairness to anyone who was primed to believe that the O’s are as bad as they looked against the Yankees, we experienced several consecutive years of Orioles baseball from 2018-2021 where the team was, in fact, as bad as they looked.

We may still hope these Orioles were not as bad as they have recently looked. There’s no question that there’s stuff that’s going to need to go better. A lot of ifs are involved in the story of durable 2026 Orioles improvement. If Rogers, Bradish, and Baz can be the 1-2-3 that Mike Elias apparently thought they were going to be. If the defense can stabilize at merely mediocre rather than outright bad. If Coby Mayo and/or Colton Cowser start playing better or are sent to the minors to give someone else a chance.

None of these lingering uncertainties are things that can be answered in a day or a week. They are just going to have to start going better until one day you wake up and something that “everyone” was complaining about and you were worrying about is going better. Some players have already managed this. Samuel Basallo had a rough first three weeks. His batting numbers look fine now. Pete Alonso is on the path towards being the guy the Orioles wanted him to be when they signed him. Yennier Cano, who probably no one was counting on for good things this year, has re-emerged as a possible back-end bullpen stalwart.

Can the Orioles pull off a sweep and keep people feeling good? Sure, maybe. They have the potential to be good enough to do it. It’s just that a lot of the time so far this season, they haven’t met that potential, so here we are. Cade Povich and Max Meyer are the scheduled starting pitchers for this series finale.

Orioles stuff you might have missed

Orioles’ plan for limiting self-inflicted mistakes: “Go play reckless” (The Baltimore Sun)
I can’t help but note that playing reckless seems like a recipe for more, rather than fewer, self-inflicted mistakes.

Orioles path to success is possible, but it won’t be easy (Baltimore Baseball)
The season isn’t over! It only felt like it was on the path to being over after getting thoroughly outclassed in that Yankees series. If the Orioles can keep making good things happen as they finish with the Marlins and move on to the Athletics, that will help people feel better.

The Orioles poor start draws criticism just about everywhere you turn (Steve on Baseball)
Former Oriole Brad Brach delivers advice for players to get off social media. I would also suggest that for players.

Five Orioles prospects who may be promoted soon (Orioles On The Verge)
Subscription required for the full article. The photo being Joseph Dzierwa is a strong clue about one of the five prospects on the list.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

In their 37th game one year ago, the Orioles beat the Angels, 4-1, to raise their season record to 14-23. Tomoyuki Sugano pitched 7.1 innings with just one run allowed and Gunnar Henderson drove in two runs with a triple and a home run. This year’s Orioles have three wins more than that team.

There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2019 outfielder Keon Broxton, 1994-96 outfielder Mark Smith, 2000-03 catcher Brook Fordyce, and 1956-58/61-62 utility man Dick Williams. Williams, who passed away in 2011 at age 82, is in the Hall of Fame as a manager.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: philosopher David Hume (1711), poet Robert Browning (1812), composer Johannes Brahms (1833), composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840), Baltimore Colts legend Johnny Unitas (1933), and YouTuber MrBeast (1998).

On this day in history…

In 1664, the Palace of Versailles was inaugurated. The opulent royal residence constructed by France’s Louis XIV stayed in the family until the 1789 French Revolution, and has been a public museum area since 1837.

In 1718, the city of New Orleans was founded. Its founder, Montreal-born Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, served multiple stints as the colonial governor of France’s North American claims.

In 1824, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony had its premiere performance in Vienna. Due to Beethoven’s loss of hearing, a different conductor, Michael Umlauf, directed the orchestra, though Beethoven did supervise the process.

In 1915, the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat, killing 1,199 people. Among the dead were 128 Americans. This is one of the developments credited with turning sentiment in the US against the German side of what we now call World War I.

In 1992, the state of Michigan ratified a constitutional amendment that had been in limbo for 203 years, putting the 27th amendment into effect. The amendment prevents any mid-term increases to Congressional pay. Maryland was the first state to ratify this amendment, approving it on December 19, 1789.

**

And that’s the way it is in Birdland on May 7. Have a safe Thursday. Go O’s!

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (19-15)

SYRACUSE 3, ROCHESTER 1 (BOX)

A rather ho-hum win, the Mets scored a run in each of the first three innings to put them out in front quickly. Ryan Clifford hit a monster of a solo home run in the first, registering at 112.6 mph and 404 ft., Hayden Senger doubled a run home in the second, and Christian Arroyo singled their third and final run home in the third inning.

On the other side, Jack Wenninger threw another gem, going six scoreless, surrendering just two hits. He did not strike out many (five), and walked a few (three), but overall he was great. The bullpen surrendered a single run, but held firm after that.

• RF A.J. Ewing: 0-3, BB
• CF Nick Morabito: 1-4, R, K
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 2-4, R, HR (6), RBI
• 2B Christian Arroyo: 1-4, RBI, SB (4)
• DH Ji Hwan Bae: 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB (7)
• LF Cristian Pache: 0-4, 3 K
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 1-3, R
• C Hayden Senger: 1-2, 2B, RBI, BB, K
• SS Jackson Cluff: 0-2, BB, K
• RHP Jack Wenninger: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP, W (3-1)
• RHP Dan Hammer: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP, H (2)
• RHP Alex Carrillo: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, H (2)
• LHP Anderson Severino: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, S (4)

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (11-18)

BINGHAMTON 4, HARTFORD 3 / 10 (BOX)

Chris Suero’s fifth home run of the year came in the first inning, giving the Ponies 1-0 lead. That lead did not hold long, as two Hartford runs in the second and one in the fifth put Binghamton down 3-1 going into the latter half of the game.

Binghamton would inch their way back, starting with a Wyatt Young RBI single in the seventh, and a Jose Ramos solo home run in the eighth, which tied the game. Binghamton would go home happy, with Eli Serrano walking the Yard Goats off with a sacrifice fly in the tenth.

• RF Eli Serrano III: 0-4, RBI, 2 K
• C Chris Suero: 1-4, R, HR (5), RBI, K
• LF Jose Ramos: 2-4, R, HR (4), RBI, K
• DH Kevin Parada: 2-4, 2B, K
• 3B Nick Lorusso: 0-4, K
• 1B TT Bowens: 2-3, R, BB, K, E (1)
• CF Matt Rudick: 0-4, K
• 2B Wyatt Young: 1-4, R
• SS Diego Mosquera: 0-3, K, E (1)
• RHP Brendan Girton: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP
• RHP Brian Metoyer: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• RHP Douglas Orellana: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• RHP Ben Simon: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Zach Peek: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, W (2-0)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (7-20)

BOWLING GREEN 8, BROOKLYN 4 (BOX)

Joel Díaz put the Cyclones behind the eight ball, giving up six runs in the first three innings of the game. The Cyclones. to their credit, battled back and made it a game, as they scored four in the first four innings, including tying the game at three apiece on a John Bay single. However, Hoss Brewer would surrender two in the eighth, which put the nail in the coffin for Brooklyn.

• SS Antonio Jimenez: 0-3, R, BB, K
• 2B Yonatan Henriquez: 1-5, 2B
• 1B Ronald Hernandez: 2-4, R, K
• DH Corey Collins: 0-3, 2 K
• C Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-4, K
• CF John Bay: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, K
• 3B Colin Houck: 1-4, 2 K
• LF Vincent Perozo: 1-4, R, HR (1), RBI
• RF Yohairo Cuevas: 0-4, 3 K
• RHP Joel Díaz: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, L (0-5)
• LHP Gregori Louis: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Parker Carlson: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Hoss Brewer: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (13-16)

LAKELAND 5, ST. LUCIE 4 (BOX)

Lakeland got off to a fast start in this one, scoring in the first inning on an error by starting pitcher Joel Lara. They added three more in the third, one on a triple and one on a two run home run, putting the Mets behind 4-0.

They battled back to tie it, first breaking the shutout on a wild pitch. Randy Guzman hit his seventh home run of the year, a two run home run, to make it 4-3, all in the sixth inning. Branny De Oleo singled in the seventh to tie the game. However, the comeback would not be seen to the end, as a sacrifice fly in the seventh made it 5-4 Lakeland, the eventual final score.

• SS Elian Peña: 1-5, R, 2 K, SB (11)
• CF Edward Lantigua: 0-4, 2 K
• 1B Randy Guzman: 1-2, R, HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
• DH AJ Salgado: 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB (5)
• LF JT Benson: 0-4, 3 K
• C Chase Meggers: 0-3, BB, K
• RF Simon Juan: 1-4, R, SB (3)
• 2B Sam Robertson: 1-4, K
• 3B Branny De Oleo: 2-3, R, RBI, BB, SB (3)
• RHP Joel Lara: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, E (1)
• RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• LHP Conner Ware: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, L (1-4)

Rookie: FCL Mets (1-2)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Jack Wenninger

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Joel Díaz

Edmundo Sosa is such a fascinating ballplayer. He was in swing at everything mode in the eighth inning, but he managed to foul off enough pitches well outside of the zone until he got one to hit and delivered the go ahead, two-run single. And because of it, the Phillies are now 1-10 in games started by a left handed starting pitcher.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Cristopher Sánchez was in Cy Young-caliber form Tuesday night, and his performance was the latest in a string of strong starts from the Phillies staff that is turning their season around. ($)
• A’s young star Nick Kurtz grew up in Lancaster and was a die-hard Phillies fan. Now, he’s cherishing his time playing in the ballpark he went to games at with his family.
• Bryson Stott is starting to shake off his slow start, but there’s another member of the Phillies infield that hasn’t found his stroke yet.

MLB news:

• A massive blow was dealt to the Astros yesterday, as they lost shortstop Carlos Correa for the rest of the season due to a torn tendon in his ankle that requires surgery.
• Speaking of the Astros, former Astro and current Tiger Framber Valdez was suspended six games for intentionally throwing at the Red Sox Trevor Story on Tuesday night.
• Tyler Glasnow of the Dodgers exited his start before the second inning yesterday with lower back pain.
• Baseball America has released their updated 2026 Top 100 prospects list. ($) Three Phillies are featured on the list, although two will be graduating soon.

The Brewers had announced over the winter that they would be inducting both CC Sabathia and Dave Parker into the team’s Wall of Honor outside American Family Field. Both had been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame the previous year.

Both Parker and Sabathia are worthy inductees for the Brewers Wall of Honor despite having only short stints in Milwaukee. Parker played one season in Milwaukee in 1990, where he was named to the All-Star team, earned MVP votes, and won the Silver Slugger award. The 1990 season was a fairly forgettable one in Brewers history, but how can you not have a Hall of Famer who was an All-Star for you in your Wall of Honor?

Sabathia had even less than a full season with Milwaukee, just three months, but it was arguably the greatest three-month stretch for any pitcher we have ever seen. Sabathia lifted the Brewers on his back and carried them into the playoffs, ending the franchise’s 26-year postseason drought. No one had more of an impact on this team and this city in such a short amount of time. Of his 17 starts, seven of them were complete games. Despite being in a contract year, Sabathia selflessly put his body on the line to get this franchise to the playoffs, and this city is forever grateful to him for that.

That offseason after 2008, Sabathia left and signed a massive contract with the New York Yankees.

He will be inducted on Friday night before the Brewers play against…the New York Yankees.

It is the absolute perfect night for the Brewers to bring Sabathia back to Milwaukee and honor him. The Yankees and their fans will have to watch one of their favorite players, one of their Hall of Famers, don Brewers gear, throw out a ceremonial first pitch, be inducted into the Brewers Wall of Honor, and be cheered and adored by Brewers fans, not Yankees fans.

It works out great for Sabathia as well to see two of his old clubs at the same time, but it’ll be on the Brewers home turf.

Sabathia’s contributions were so critical to Brewers culture, one could even argue he’d be worthy of induction into the Walk of Fame as well. Generally, the criteria for the Walk of Fame is a higher bar to clear, and since he didn’t have multiple years in Milwaukee, it would be difficult in the eyes of some voters to get there. But in terms of impact, no one did more for this franchise in a shorter amount of time.

I walked around a street fair in Irvine over the weekend, checking out the crowd while waiting for my daughter’s dance team to perform. We were a few short miles from Angel Stadium, but you wouldn’t have known it: lots of people wearing Dodgers caps, someone wearing a Shohei Ohtani cap, someone else wearing an Ohtani jersey, someone else wearing a Clayton Kershaw jersey, a dog wearing a Dodgers bandana, and people repping the Padres, Giants, Athletics and Yankees.

After 25 minutes, someone walked by in an Angels cap.

If the passion wanes, apathy can set in. I wondered if that is where the Angels might find themselves now, with a slice of their fan base finding a more enjoyable way to spend its summers than watching one losing season after another, and with the shadow of baseball’s best team extending ever more securely into Orange County.

Something else happened over the weekend that made me wonder. On the heels of a winless road trip, and on the day before the Angels would claim the worst record in the major leagues, Angels general manager Perry Minasian said this to reporters: “Our best baseball is in front of us. There’s no doubt about that.”

No doubt?

On the Angels’ broadcast the previous night, reporter Erica Weston presented play-by-play announcer Wayne Randazzo with a birthday gift: a figurine of Grogu, a character in the Star Wars family. Randazzo said he would keep Grogu in the broadcast booth, as a good luck charm for the Angels.

“We certainly could use one,” Randazzo said.

Minasian, the sixth-year general manager, has yet to deliver a team that finished better than 17 games out of first place. On Wednesday, I asked him to explain why he was so confident in saying he had “no doubt” the team’s best days were ahead.

“We’ve been very competitive,” Minasian said. “Our wins and losses aren’t where we want them to be, but we have lost a lot of one-run games, a lot of tough games.”

The Angels have lost six one-run games. So have the Yankees, the team with the best record in the American League.

Read more:Tigers' Framber Valdez suspended six games for hitting Red Sox's Trevor Story with pitch

The Angels’ run differential is minus-14. They are four games behind in the AL West, where the first-place Athletics have a .500 record and a minus-21 run differential. You never know.

So far, however, the Angels’ offense is all about the three true outcomes: They strike out the most of any major league team and rank among the top six in walks and home runs, but they do not rank among the top 10 in runs. Only five teams have given up more runs.

“Going to the bullpen has been a harbinger of danger for the Angels,” Randazzo told viewers. The Angels’ bullpen entered Wednesday with a 5.35 earned-run average, the highest in the AL.

Owner Arte Moreno cut payroll this year, amid the implosion of the FanDuel regional sports networks. Edwin Díaz was not walking through the bullpen door.

But the Dodgers find solid bullpen arms in ways beyond buying them: Evan Phillips was cast off by the Baltimore Orioles during a 110-loss season; Alex Vesia was acquired from the Miami Marlins after putting up an 18.69 ERA in his first five major league games.

“We’ve had guys like that,” Minasian said.

He cited Brock Burke, a waiver claim who gave the Angels two solid seasons in middle relief. Minasian traded him last winter for outfielder Josh Lowe, and any general manager would trade a middle reliever for a middle-of-the-order bat. To this point, Lowe has a .198 on-base percentage and a .287 slugging percentage.

Lowe is but a data point in illustrating this primary point: Minasian’s margin for error is smaller than it otherwise would have been if Moreno had not withdrawn from the market for top-tier free agents or had approved trading Ohtani for elite prospects that would have accelerated rebuilding. Smaller, but other teams do more with less.

Read more:Angels say rodent infestation at one offending stadium concession stand has been cleaned

“We’ve got to be able to develop our own players,” Minasian said.

On the day Minasian said he had “no doubt” better days were ahead for his team, the Angels, their triple-A affiliate and their double-A affiliate all were in last place.

Analysts perennially rank the Angels’ farm system among baseball’s worst. Minasian said he’ll put his faith in four homegrown starters: José Soriano, Reid Detmers, Jack Kochanowicz and Walbert Ureña. Their combined ERA so far: 2.99.

“When you look at good teams and sustainable winners, they build rotations, whether that’s through trades or free agency or your own,” Minasian said. “We’re doing it with our own. You can’t microwave that overnight.”

You can’t make fans wait forever for October either. Angels fans have heard enough about building a competitive team and needing patience.

They have not seen their team in a playoff game in 12 years. When are they going to see that?

“I’m not in the prediction business,” said Minasian, whose contract expires after this season. “They’re going to see a team that plays hard every day. They’re going to see young, talented players day in and day out.”

That’s fine, but when are they going to see a winning team?

“The proof will be in the pudding,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what I say. I could say all these things. At the end of the day, we’re going to go play 162 games. We’ll see where we end up and who’s done what, and we’ll go from there.”

On Wednesday, the Angels won a series for the first time since April 13. They’re 3-2 with Grogu in the broadcast booth.

The schedule gets more challenging: a trip to Toronto and Cleveland, then back to the Big A to play the Dodgers. The same distant Angel Stadium seat available on the resale market for Wednesday's game for $5 (fees included) is available for $103 for the opener of the Dodgers series.

Orange County loves a winner. There was a long line at that Irvine street fair to collect souvenirs from one booth — the one for the Anaheim Ducks.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

A two-time World Series champion, “Old Tom” Zachary spent parts of three seasons in New York. In addition to playing for the Yankees, Zachary is tied to Yankees lore as the pitcher who gave up No. 60 to George Herman Ruth back in 1927.

Being tied to the Babe is usually enough to keep you relevant for generations. However, in Zachary’s case, in addition to that moment, he was able to make a 19-year run in the pros, appearing for seven organizations. That run resulted in 3,126.1 innings pitched, 185 complete games, and an ERA of 3.73.

Jonathan Thompson Walton Zachary
Born: May 7, 1896 (Graham, NC)
Died: January 24, 1969 (Burlington, NC)
Yankees Tenures: 1928-30

Zachary was born into a family of Scotch-Irish Quakers in 1896 near Graham, North Carolina. Both of his parents were from families deeply rooted in the area. After graduating high school, Zachary went to Guilford College, where he played baseball from 1916 through 1918. As a lanky left-handed pitcher, Zachary was not known for overpowering any batters, but excelled with excellent control and a deliberately slow delivery.

In 1918, Zachary used the alias Zach Walton to attempt to play pro ball and not lose his college eligibility. Zach Walton impressed Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics and made two starts for the team, going 2-0, albeit with a 5.63 ERA. After the season, he signed up with the Red Cross for service during the war.

Zachary saw service in France before being released in June of 1919. Philadelphia had not placed him on their reserve list or ever officially signed him, making him free to sign with any team. That freedom led to him being signed by Clark Griffith and the Washington Senators. He debuted, under his real name, Jonathan Thompson Walton Zachary, with an inning of scoreless relief in Chicago on July 18, 1919.

That would start a seven-year run with the club that included making the 1924 and 1925 World Series, the former of which the Senators won in a seven-game classic over the New York Giants. Zachary played a key role for Washington, winning Game 2 with 8.2 innings of work, and then forcing a Game 7 with a one-run, complete-game effoty against John McGraw’s club. In the February after Washington’s ’25 World Series loss to Pittsburgh,, the Senators traded Zachary and Win Ballou to the St. Louis Browns for Bullet Joe Bush and Jack Tobin.

Zachary spent the 1926 season and part of the 1927 season in St. Louis before he was traded again, this time midseason. This trade sent him back to the Senators for Alvin “General” Crowder. The timing of this trade would later allow for history to be made at Zachary’s expense.

In the eighth inning on September 30th, Ruth would connect with a low fastball from Zachary for his 60th home run of the season, sailing into the right field bleachers. In total, Ruth hit nine home runs off Zachary in his career, but that one, the last, would be the most memorable.

After spending most of the 1928 season in Washington, Zachary was placed on waivers in August. The Yankees would claim him and start his three-season run with the club. The Yankees needed Zachary, as Herb Pennock was injured and the club was in the middle of a pennant run. Zachary rose to the occasion, tossing three complete-game victories in six starts.

The Yankees would meet the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Zachary drew the nod for Game 3. After a rocky first inning, Zachary settled in and delivered seven strikeouts in a complete-game 7-3 victory. The Yankees swept the series 4-0.

The 1929 season found Zachary still in pinstripes, and he posted one of his best seasons as a professional. That year, he appeared in 26 games, making 11 starts. Zachary posted a 12-0 record with a 2.48 ERA. That 12-0 mark still stands as the best record for a season without a loss.

The record was threatened in 1941 by Howie Krist, who finished 10-0, in 1985 by Dennis Lamp, who finished 11-0, and by Yankee cult hero Aaron Small in 2005, who also went 10-0 from July 20th until the end of the season. Zachary would start the 1930 season with the Yankees but would be placed on waivers in early May. Zachary’s career as a Yankee saw him post a 16-4 record with a 3.21 ERA, his second World Series ring, and a spot in the record books.

The Boston Braves would scoop him up off waivers in 1930, and that would start a five-season run there. In Boston, Zachary appeared mostly as a starting pitcher. He made 98 starts and went 42-42 overall. The Braves tenure came to an end after he was placed on waivers on May 28, 1934.

Zachary would go unclaimed but signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers on June 7th. He would spend the rest of that season, all of 1935, and part of the 1936 season in Brooklyn before he was placed on waivers again. This time, Zachary was claimed by the Philadelphia Phillies.

In case you lost count, this was his seventh and final team. He would appear in seven games but was released at 40 years old after posting a 7.79 ERA. So, in 1936, after 19 seasons that started at age 22, Tom Zachary was done playing professional baseball. He settled into life as a farmer, though he did notably return to the Bronx in June 1948, when an ailing Ruth’s No. 3 was retired. Zachary was one of several former teammates on hand for the event, and he of course had his own special tie to Ruth from that 1927 season. The Great Bambino passed away two months later; it was would be another two decades before Zachary joined Ruth in the great ballpark in the sky, passing away from a stroke in 1969.

Happy birthday, Old Tom!

---

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Toledo Mud Hens 4, Memphis Redbirds 3 (Gm1)(box) (F/8)

Gage Workman’s eighth inning single walked Game 1 off for the Mud Hens as the first of a doubleheader after Tuesday night’s rainout.

Right-hander Dylan File was knocked around a bit, but hung in there to toss 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball while striking out six on the day.

A pair of singles in the top of the first were cashed in when File allowed a two-run double. New acquisition Paul DeJong doubled in the bottom half for his first Mud Hens at-bat, but was stranded. File gave up another run in the top of the third, but the Mud Hens kicked it into gear at that point.

Max Clark singled in Andrew Navigato in the third, and Eduardo Valencia cracked a solo shot in the fourth to make it a 3-2 Memphis lead. In the sixth, Corey Julks singled and Workman doubled him to third, where he eventually scored on a Navigato ground out. That was all they’d get, but it made it a 3-3 game while Drew Sommers took over from File successfully.

Tanner Rainey spun a scoreless eighth, an extra inning as this was scheduled for seven. DeJong started on second for the Hens, and was wild pitched to third. Workman stepped in and banged a ground ball through the right side for a walkoff single.

🚨Mud Hens Walk-Off Win🚨

Gage Workman singles through the drawn-in infield and Toledo wins game one of today’s doubleheader 4-3. pic.twitter.com/qJAwDpciT9

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 6, 2026

Workman: 2-4, RBI, 2B, K, SB

Julks: 2-3, R, BB

File: 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, BB, 6 K

Memphis Redbirds 3, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (Gm2)(box)(F/7)

The Redbirds fought back in a low scoring Game 2. Lefty Carlos Peña, up from Erie to help out, gave up a run in two innings of work. Konnor Pilkington took over, allowing a two-run third inning. Scott Effross and Jack Little kept Memphis in check the rest of the way, but no comeback was forthcoming.

Luke Ritter tripled with one out in the bottom of the third, but was cut down at home on a Ben Malgeri ground ball. Finally in the sixth, Corey Julks led off with a walk, eventually scoring on a Tomás Nido double. Max Clark drew a two out walk in the bottom of the seventh, and Julks followed with a walk, but Workman’s magic was already used up on thsi day, and he grounded out to end it.

Nido: 1-2, RBI, 2B, BB

Clark: 1-3, BB

Julks: 1-3, R, BB

Pena: 2.0 IP, ER, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The series is even at a game apiece headed into a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Thursday.

Erie SeaWolves 13, Harrisburg Senators 6 (box)

The SeaWolves banged out 12 hits and drew six walks to overcome a shaky start from Lael Lockhart Jr. on Wednesday.

Lockhart allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, but in the third the SeaWolves came back. Bennett Lee led off the third with a walk, and scored on a Peyton Graham triple to center field. John Peck reached on a soft single to third base, and Justice Bigbie doubled in Graham. An Andrew Jenkins sacrifice fly scored Peck and made it 3-2 SeaWolves.

Unfortunately, Lockhart allowed a run in the bottom half, and then another in the fifth before departing, leaving the game with it 4-3 Senators.

In the seventh the comeback arrived courtesy of RBI knocks from Peck and Bigbie to make it 6-4 SeaWolves. Dariel Fregio gave a run back in the bottom half, but in the eighth, Aaron Antonini led off with a walk, and Peyton Graham singled with one out. Peck pulled a ball to shortstop but Seaver King threw it away, scoring Antonini. Bigbie singled in Graham, and a Jenkins grounder to third allowed Peck to score ahead of the throw. Two walks followed, forcing in a run to make it 10-5.

John Peck rips an RBI double to left to tie the game for Erie. pic.twitter.com/7JdXF9drIc

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 6, 2026

Tanner Kohlhepp allowed a run in relief, but the SeaWolves weren’t done scoring yet either.

Graham was hit by a pitch in the top of the ninth, and Peck reached on another error. He and Graham pulled off a double steal, but it wasn’t required as Bigbie struck out, and then Jenkins blasted a three run homer, his fifth of the year, to cap the scoring.

Andrew Jenkins smashes a 3-run homer to left that puts Erie up 13-5 in the 9th. It’s his 5th home run of the year. pic.twitter.com/nwIiO5xwuo

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 6, 2026

Jenkins: 3-4, R, 5 RBI, HR, BB

Graham: 2-4, 4 R, RBI, 3B, BB, K, SB

Peck: 2-6, 4 R, RBI, 2B, SB

Lockhart: 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves have a 2-0 lead in the series heading into Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. ET start time in Harrisburg.

Dayton Dragons 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (box)

The Whitecaps losing streak hit 10 games on Wednesday, and once again, they lost it in the ninth inning. It’s no consolation that this one was at home and so not a walkoff.

Left-hander Ben Jacobs, at least, continued to pitch very well in his second Midwest League outing. He punched out seven over four innings of work, allowing just a solo shot to Kien Vu in the first inning.

In the bottom of the first, Jackson Strong drew a leadoff walk, but was cut down trying to steal second. Ricardo Hurtado and Garrett Pennington followed with singles, and Bryce Rainer lined a single to left to score Hurtado. Pennington was cut down trying to go first to third, so that was all they’d get.

In the third, Strong tried again, walking and successfully stealing second. Pennington singled him home, and Rainer walked, but Samuel Gil and Cristian Santana struck out.

CJ Weins and then Thomas Bruss got the ‘Caps through the eighth still holding a 2-1 lead, and then Rainer rifled a line drive home run to left field for his first with the Whitecaps.

Bryce Rainer shoots a line drive home run over the left field wall. It’s his 1st at Hi-A, and his 2nd this year. Left his bat at 103 MPH and went 364 feet. @ThatDanHasty calls it. pic.twitter.com/sRoTaC7oFd

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 7, 2026

Things looked good, and after Logan Berrier closed out the eighth, he was back for the ninth. Unfortunately, he allowed a one out walk, a single, and then made an error on a comebacker. An error from Junior Tilien in left contributed as the Dragons scored three unearned runs to take the lead. The Whitecaps went 1-2-3 in the bottom half.

Rainer: 2-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB

Pennington: 2-5, RBI

Jacobs: 4.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: It’s an 11:00 a.m. ET start on Thursday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 5, St. Lucie Mets 4 (box)

Rookie Cash Kuiper put together his best outing so far this year, and the Flying Tigers used a mix of power and speed on the bases to win on Wednesday.

Kuiper no-hit the Mets for 3 2/3 innings in this one. He walked two, and struck out six, giving his team every chance to build a lead.

They got started quickly, as Jesus Pinto led off the bottom of the first with a walk and quickly stole second base. Max Anderson grounded out to move him to third, but a comebacker from Jordan Yost was thrown away the Mets’ Joel Lara and Pinto scored.

They started to break it open in the third when Yost singled up the middle and Zach MacDonald hammered a triple to the wall in center field. Yost scored, and MacDonald rode home on Beau Ankeney’s second home run of the year. 4-0 Lakeland.

Beau Ankeney with a 2-run rocket to left center that puts the Flying Tigers up 4-0. This one left his bat at 110 MPH and traveled 414 feet. @AaronArnstein on the call. pic.twitter.com/v28i4I9eOC

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 6, 2026

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be enough as a rehabbing Preston Howey got into trouble in the sixth and allowed a run and then a two-run shot that made it a 4-3 game.

Luke Hoskins gave up a run in the seventh that tied it up. In the bottom of the seventh, Javier Osorio drew a walk and stole second base. Pinto walked and Osorio stole third as well. A Max Anderson sacrifice fly was enough to score the go ahead run. Pinto then stole second, but a rocket from Yost to right was caught, and MacDonald struck out.

So it was up to Yendy Gomez to lock this one down. He started poorly in the eighth, walking the leadoff hitter, but Gomez has good stuff, up to 98 mph with his sinker, and he bounced back. A strikeout and a pop-up followed, and then Gomez picked off the runner at first to end it. Gomez got in a little trouble in the ninth as well, but was able to wriggle out of a jam to collect the save.

Ankeney: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 K

MacDonald: 1-4, R, RBI, 3B, 3 K

Kuiper: 3.2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start in Lakeland on Thursday with the series tied up 1-1.

The Mets did not let the absurdly cold conditions impede them tonight during their 10-5 win against the Rockies. Freddy Peralta and Michael Lorenzen faced off for the second time in two weeks but, unlike their first meeting, this time the Mets’ bats were wide awake.

Juan Soto started things off quickly with his first career leadoff home run. After a Bo Bichette ground out, MJ Melendez tripled on a line drive to right field. The first inning ended with no more runs scored, but the tone was set for the evening.

In the fourth, Brett Baty drew a leadoff walk, followed by a double by Marcus Semien, sending Baty to third. Carson Benge continued his offensive hot streak by hitting a line drive into right field for a two-RBI single. Francisco Alvarez kept the inning going with a single that sent Benge to third and, after Luis Torrens grounded out, Alvarez’s good base running confused the Rockies’ infielders enough that he was able to avoid the tag, returning to first base safely, and allowing Benge to score, putting the Mets up 4-0. 

Peralta was able to keep things quiet on the Rockies’ side through five innings, though his pitch count remained inefficient, throwing 91 pitches over five innings. The Rockies threatened on a couple occasions, putting two men on in the second, third, and fourth innings, but Peralta left the Rockies 0-6 with runners in scoring position.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Mets’ lineup let loose again, starting with a single from Semien on a ground ball to right field. Benge hit a double to send Semien to third base, followed an RBI single by Alvarez, driving in Benge and moving Semien to third. 

That would be it for Lorenzen, who was relieved by Zach Agnos. Agnos promptly hit Torrens with a pitch, and the inning unfolded from there. Soto hit a sacrifice fly to score Benge and Bichette hit an RBI single to score Alvarez. Tyrone Taylor (who pinch ran for MJ Melendez in the fifth) grounded into what should’ve been a double play, but a throwing error by Edouard Julien, allowed him to move to second base and Torrens to score. The Mets were up 8-0 when Tobias Myers replaced Peralta in the bottom of the sixth. 

In two thirds of an inning, Myers gave up a home run to TJ Rumfield, doubles to Tyler Freeman and Troy Johnston, a home run to Jake McCarthy, and a single to Julien, good for four runs, and the Mets’ lead was cut in half. Brooks Raley and Luke Weaver calmed things down and combined for two and a third scoreless after Myers, but things got dicey again in the ninth.

Thankfully, the Mets got some insurance in the top of the ninth, when Semien hit a line-drive home run, scoring Benge and putting the Mets up 10-4.

Sean Manaea took the ball in the ninth, and it was not good. Manaea allowed three singles in a row to Mickey Moniak, Hunter Goodman, and Rumfield before hitting Freeman and forcing in a run. In what should not have been a save situation, Devin Williams had to come in. He looked strong, striking out the final two batters and ensuring the Mets’ win.

The final game in the series will be played tomorrow at 3:10 PM EDT, after weather delays postponed yesterday’s game and pushed back today’s game. With any luck, the temperature will be warmer, as promised, and the Mets can maintain some momentum when Christian Scott takes on old friend Jose Quintana.

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Freddy Peralta +28.0% WPA
Big Mets loser: Mark Vientos -9.0%
Mets pitchers: +32.0% WPA
Mets hitters: +18.0% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Carson Benge’s two RBI single, +19.4% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jake McCarthy’s two-run home run, 8.8% WPA