Category: Baseball

In the series opening on Monday night, the Colorado Rockies managed to outlast the Houston Astros after a big fifth inning. Tonight in Game 2, they picked up where they left off, defeating the Astros 5-1.

It was a night of stellar pitching from starter Kyle Freeland and tonight’s closer Antonio Senzatela as well as consistent, timely hitting from Willi Castro and T.J. Rumfield with another Mickey Moniak home run.

The hits keep coming!

The Astros got on the board first with a Christian “Rockies Killer” Walker home run in the second inning. This is his fourth off Freeland and his 15th at Coors Field.

The Astros finished their half of the second with a 1-0 lead.

They would not score again.

But the Rockies would answer back in their half of the inning when Castro hit an RBI single to score Troy Johnston.

Various hits and outs were exchanged in the third inning. Then in the fourth, Castro put the Rockies ahead with a two-run homer.

”Willi’s one of the biggest parts of what we’re trying to do out there,“ manager Warren Schaeffer said, highlighting the veteran’s versatility.

(Willi, if you’re reading, you look great in that purple coat!)

In the seventh, Monika hit his second home run of 2026, giving the Rockies a 5-1 lead.

(Mickey, if you’re reading, you also look great in that purple coat.)

Castro finished the night 3-for-4 with three hits and three RBI.

Meanwhile, don’t overlook Rumfield who continues to be a consistent offensive contributor and also went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.

The Rockies finished the evening with five runs on 10 hits with two walks and — are you sitting down? — just four (four!) strikeouts.

“This is a different team, a new team,” Schaeffer said. “We feel like we’re playing good baseball.”

Kyle Freeland deals

If you’re into commemorating anniversaries, nine years ago today, Freeland made his MLB debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers (6 IP, 1 ER, 6 K) — and tonight he was ready to celebrate in style.

Freeland went 6.1 innings on 81 pitches. He gave up one run on three hits, walked one, and struck out five. He did this on 10 ground-ball outs and a powerful pitch mix. Currently, he has a 2.30 ERA.

“He attacked the strike zone and was really efficient,” Schaeffer said after the game.

Freeland received a well-earned standing ovation when leaving the field.

Do pitchers get to wear the purple coat?

Because Kyle Freeland should absolutely get to wear it tonight.

Senzatela finishes the job

Schaeffer turned the game over to the bullpen in the seventh with Senzatela taking the mound.

He threw two pitches and got two outs, and he did not slow down.

In securing his first career save, Senzatela went 2.2 IP, giving up 0 hits and 0 walks while striking out three.

Schaeffer noted that Senzatela has made significant adjuments, which can be challenging for a veteran, “but he just looks like a different guy.”

It’s not hyperbole to say that he is unrecognizable from his 2025 pitching self.

Tune in tomorrow for Game 3 when Cristian Javier will take on Michael Lorenzen for the Rockies. See you at 1:10 pm.

Oh, and bring your brooms!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

In the series opening on Monday night, the Colorado Rockies managed to outlast the Houston Astros after a big fifth inning. Tonight in Game 2, they picked up where they left off, defeating the Astros 5-1.

It was a night of stellar pitching from starter Kyle Freeland and tonight’s closer Antonio Senzatela as well as consistent, timely hitting from Willi Castro and T.J. Rumfield with another Mickey Moniak home run.

The hits keep coming!

The Astros got on the board first with a Christian “Rockies Killer” Walker home run in the second inning. This is his fourth off Freeland and his 15th at Coors Field.

The Astros finished their half of the second with a 1-0 lead.

They would not score again.

But the Rockies would answer back in their half of the inning when Castro hit an RBI single to score Troy Johnston.

Various hits and outs were exchanged in the third inning. Then in the fourth, Castro put the Rockies ahead with a two-run homer.

”Willi’s one of the biggest parts of what we’re trying to do out there,“ manager Warren Schaeffer said, highlighting the veteran’s versatility.

(Willi, if you’re reading, you look great in that purple coat!)

In the seventh, Monika hit his second home run of 2026, giving the Rockies a 5-1 lead.

(Mickey, if you’re reading, you also look great in that purple coat.)

Castro finished the night 3-for-4 with three hits and three RBI.

Meanwhile, don’t overlook Rumfield who continues to be a consistent offensive contributor and also went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.

The Rockies finished the evening with five runs on 10 hits with two walks and — are you sitting down? — just four (four!) strikeouts.

“This is a different team, a new team,” Schaeffer said. “We feel like we’re playing good baseball.”

Kyle Freeland deals

If you’re into commemorating anniversaries, nine years ago today, Freeland made his MLB debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers (6 IP, 1 ER, 6 K) — and tonight he was ready to celebrate in style.

Freeland went 6.1 innings on 81 pitches. He gave up one run on three hits, walked one, and struck out five. He did this on 10 ground-ball outs and a powerful pitch mix. Currently, he has a 2.30 ERA.

“He attacked the strike zone and was really efficient,” Schaeffer said after the game.

Freeland received a well-earned standing ovation when leaving the field.

Do pitchers get to wear the purple coat?

Because Kyle Freeland should absolutely get to wear it tonight.

Senzatela finishes the job

Schaeffer turned the game over to the bullpen in the seventh with Senzatela taking the mound.

He threw two pitches and got two outs, and he did not slow down.

In securing his first career save, Senzatela went 2.2 IP, giving up 0 hits and 0 walks while striking out three.

Schaeffer noted that Senzatela has made significant adjuments, which can be challenging for a veteran, “but he just looks like a different guy.”

It’s not hyperbole to say that he is unrecognizable from his 2025 pitching self.

Tune in tomorrow for Game 3 when Cristian Javier will take on Michael Lorenzen for the Rockies. See you at 1:10 pm.

Oh, and bring your brooms!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Jeff McNeil returned for his first game in New York on Tuesday since his December trade to the A’s, but instead of this series against the Yankees, he’s got the next one circled on his calendar.

“When I got traded over to the A’s, I saw this [trip] pretty early on the schedule, it was pretty cool to get back to New York early in the season,’’ McNeil said before Tuesday night’s 5-3 loss to the Yankees in The Bronx. “These three games are kind of like normal road games for me, but when we go to Citi Field, it will be a little bit different. There will be a little bit more emotion there.”

That comes Friday, as the A’s spend nearly a full week in New York.

And McNeil knows that while there will be plenty of familiar faces when he gets to Queens, there will be several that — like him — ended up elsewhere this offseason.

In addition to McNeil, the Mets also traded Brandon Nimmo to Texas in exchange for Marcus Semien and let Pete Alonso go to Baltimore in free agency after bringing him back a year ago. 

Edwin Díaz being lost to the Dodgers as a free agent was another part of the Mets offseason makeover, although the Mets did try to retain the closer, who chose to go to Los Angeles instead.

“There’s a bunch of new faces over there,’’ McNeil said. “That’s the way the organization wanted to go. There’s a lot of us that were there a long time that are no longer there. It was a little crazy to see, but it is what it is. I’m happy to be an A now.”

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McNeil said the transition has “been crazy.”

“Just getting traded [after] spending seven years with the Mets,’’ McNeil said. “It took me by surprise a little bit. I think I’ve been in trade talks every year of my career. You’re not sure what’s gonna happen, but it finally happened … I enjoyed my time over there. I have nothing but great things to say about the organization. I got traded. I love it over here [with the A’s]. It’s a great group of guys and we’re having a lot of fun.”

Not surprisingly, though, the A’s have gotten off to a rough start in their second season playing in a minor league ballpark in Sacramento while they wait for a planned move to Las Vegas.

McNeil and his new team lost their first four games of the season — and five of their first six — but then took a series against the Astros.

And McNeil started the season just 1-for-13 with six strikeouts, but had hits in four straight games after going 2-for-3 with a run scored, although he was still looking for his first extra-base hit after putting up 20-plus doubles and double-digit homers each of the previous three seasons.

There’s also one noticeable difference he’s experienced from having played in New York.

“It’s a minor league ballpark,” McNeil said of the biggest adjustment to his new home. “They did a tremendous job with the locker room and have great amenities. It just doesn’t quite seat as many people.”

For the third consecutive game, the Red Sox jumped out to at least a three run lead and then immediately began coughing it up. But this time, there were two key differences that allowed them to hang on and escape with a win.

First, Garrett Crochet started the game throwing up six scoreless frames, so when he ran into trouble in the seventh, he was much closer to the high leverage relievers who could milk the lead to the finish line.

After the game, Crochet even talked about how part of his goal as a starter is always to go deeper than the other starter, and tonight he not only did that, but it was kind of the key to the whole affair as the bridge to Whitlock and Chapman was (just barely) short enough to complete without totally collapsing.

I say this because the second key difference for the Sox tonight is they got some good bullpen work from an unexpected place. That occurred when Zack Kelly came into a 3-1 game with the bases loaded and just one out and managed to get both guys he faced despite falling behind each of them 2-0.

Here’s his final pitch to escape the mess with a groundout:

Now as some of you may be aware, I’m not the biggest Zack Kelly fan. He has excellent pure stuff, but the inconsistency from outing to outing and the tendency to melt down mentally when he faces adversity always leaves me on edge. So as far as tonight is concerned, the good news is Zack Kelly got out of it. The bad news is that means we’re probably going to get a lot more of Zack Kelly in high leverage spots, and it’s only a matter of time before the baseball gods come to collect on that debt.

Offensively, the Red Sox managed just three hits all game, but they also got three runs in a single inning when Jacob Misiorowski came unglued in the sixth and walked the bases loaded. It was the classic dominant outing by a starter who ran out of gas look, and because it happened one inning before Crochet cracked, it allowed Trevor Story to get a bases loaded at bat against a middle reliever in DL Hall. The result was an extremely well timed only extra base hit of the night for the Sox and only hit against a left handed pitcher for Story so far this season.

Studs

We’re gonna hand out five of these tonight since it was such a badly needed win.

Garrett Crochet: Obvious first choice! 6.1 innings of work, allowed just two runs, and even though he stumbled in the seventh, he kept the Brewers off the board long enough to outlast Misiorowski.

Garrett Whitlock: Strong bounce back outing after coughing up the winning run last night. He also had to go right through the heart of the Brewers’ order in his scoreless inning of work.

Zack Kelly: Credit where credit is due. The Sox probably don’t win this game if he gives up a missile into the gap somewhere.

Trevor Story: He had by far the biggest hit of the night, and his defense also got better as the game wore on.

Caleb Durbin: It’s very, very rare to give a stud out to a guy who went 0-1 as a pinch hitter, but do you know why he’s here? Situational baseball! Durbin came to the plate with runners on second and third and one out after Trevor Story’s two run double, and you know what he did? He put the ball in play and produced the winning run.

This is not a sexy play, but tonight, that run proved to be the difference maker, and it was so much better than watching a guy with less than elite power strike out swinging for the fences.

Three Duds

Marcelo Mayer: 0-2 with an error before being pinch hit for by Durbin.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 0-3 and didn’t run out of the box on a ground out. The boo birds will come after him hard if things don’t improve.

Hitting David Hamilton: This is a situation and not a man, but it’s worth noting because this was almost the key play of the game in what would have been a hideous loss. To put it bluntly, David Hamilton stinks at hitting! The only way he can hurt you is with his legs, so when he came up with the bases loaded and one out in a 3-0 game, all Garrett Crochet had to do is be around the zone and Hamilton is probably carved up. Instead, Crochet plunked him on the first pitch and nearly let Milwaukee back in this one.

You could also say Alex Cora left Crochet in too long (107 pitches), and it would be a fair criticism. I just can’t use a dud on that here because the alternative was going to Zack Kelly even earlier, so it was an extremely sticky spot.

Play of the game:

Overall, the headline of the night is how good Crochet was for the first six frames. He did exactly what an ace needs to do for most of his outing. Here’s his seven strike outs:

Since the start of last season, Garrett Crochet leads all of baseball with 12 wins in games after his team lost. Oddly, the guy who is second on that list with 11 is Sonny Gray, and he starts the series finale tomorrow afternoon at 1:35pm.

For the third consecutive game, the Red Sox jumped out to at least a three run lead and then immediately began coughing it up. But this time, there were two key differences that allowed them to hang on and escape with a win.

First, Garrett Crochet started the game throwing up six scoreless frames, so when he ran into trouble in the seventh, he was much closer to the high leverage relievers who could milk the lead to the finish line.

After the game, Crochet even talked about how part of his goal as a starter is always to go deeper than the other starter, and tonight he not only did that, but it was kind of the key to the whole affair as the bridge to Whitlock and Chapman was (just barely) short enough to complete without totally collapsing.

I say this because the second key difference for the Sox tonight is they got some good bullpen work from an unexpected place. That occurred when Zack Kelly came into a 3-1 game with the bases loaded and just one out and managed to get both guys he faced despite falling behind each of them 2-0.

Here’s his final pitch to escape the mess with a groundout:

Now as some of you may be aware, I’m not the biggest Zack Kelly fan. He has excellent pure stuff, but the inconsistency from outing to outing and the tendency to melt down mentally when he faces adversity always leaves me on edge. So as far as tonight is concerned, the good news is Zack Kelly got out of it. The bad news is that means we’re probably going to get a lot more of Zack Kelly in high leverage spots, and it’s only a matter of time before the baseball gods come to collect on that debt.

Offensively, the Red Sox managed just three hits all game, but they also got three runs in a single inning when Jacob Misiorowski came unglued in the sixth and walked the bases loaded. It was the classic dominant outing by a starter who ran out of gas look, and because it happened one inning before Crochet cracked, it allowed Trevor Story to get a bases loaded at bat against a middle reliever in DL Hall. The result was an extremely well timed only extra base hit of the night for the Sox and only hit against a left handed pitcher for Story so far this season.

Studs

We’re gonna hand out five of these tonight since it was such a badly needed win.

Garrett Crochet: Obvious first choice! 6.1 innings of work, allowed just two runs, and even though he stumbled in the seventh, he kept the Brewers off the board long enough to outlast Misiorowski.

Garrett Whitlock: Strong bounce back outing after coughing up the winning run last night. He also had to go right through the heart of the Brewers’ order in his scoreless inning of work.

Zack Kelly: Credit where credit is due. The Sox probably don’t win this game if he gives up a missile into the gap somewhere.

Trevor Story: He had by far the biggest hit of the night, and his defense also got better as the game wore on.

Caleb Durbin: It’s very, very rare to give a stud out to a guy who went 0-1 as a pinch hitter, but do you know why he’s here? Situational baseball! Durbin came to the plate with runners on second and third and one out after Trevor Story’s two run double, and you know what he did? He put the ball in play and produced the winning run.

This is not a sexy play, but tonight, that run proved to be the difference maker, and it was so much better than watching a guy with less than elite power strike out swinging for the fences.

Three Duds

Marcelo Mayer: 0-2 with an error before being pinch hit for by Durbin.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 0-3 and didn’t run out of the box on a ground out. The boo birds will come after him hard if things don’t improve.

Hitting David Hamilton: This is a situation and not a man, but it’s worth noting because this was almost the key play of the game in what would have been a hideous loss. To put it bluntly, David Hamilton stinks at hitting! The only way he can hurt you is with his legs, so when he came up with the bases loaded and one out in a 3-0 game, all Garrett Crochet had to do is be around the zone and Hamilton is probably carved up. Instead, Crochet plunked him on the first pitch and nearly let Milwaukee back in this one.

You could also say Alex Cora left Crochet in too long (107 pitches), and it would be a fair criticism. I just can’t use a dud on that here because the alternative was going to Zack Kelly even earlier, so it was an extremely sticky spot.

Play of the game:

Overall, the headline of the night is how good Crochet was for the first six frames. He did exactly what an ace needs to do for most of his outing. Here’s his seven strike outs:

Since the start of last season, Garrett Crochet leads all of baseball with 12 wins in games after his team lost. Oddly, the guy who is second on that list with 11 is Sonny Gray, and he starts the series finale tomorrow afternoon at 1:35pm.

For the third consecutive game, the Red Sox jumped out to at least a three run lead and then immediately began coughing it up. But this time, there were two key differences that allowed them to hang on and escape with a win.

First, Garrett Crochet started the game throwing up six scoreless frames, so when he ran into trouble in the seventh, he was much closer to the high leverage relievers who could milk the lead to the finish line.

After the game, Crochet even talked about how part of his goal as a starter is always to go deeper than the other starter, and tonight he not only did that, but it was kind of the key to the whole affair as the bridge to Whitlock and Chapman was (just barely) short enough to complete without totally collapsing.

I say this because the second key difference for the Sox tonight is they got some good bullpen work from an unexpected place. That occurred when Zack Kelly came into a 3-1 game with the bases loaded and just one out and managed to get both guys he faced despite falling behind each of them 2-0.

Here’s his final pitch to escape the mess with a groundout:

Now as some of you may be aware, I’m not the biggest Zack Kelly fan. He has excellent pure stuff, but the inconsistency from outing to outing and the tendency to melt down mentally when he faces adversity always leaves me on edge. So as far as tonight is concerned, the good news is Zack Kelly got out of it. The bad news is that means we’re probably going to get a lot more of Zack Kelly in high leverage spots, and it’s only a matter of time before the baseball gods come to collect on that debt.

Offensively, the Red Sox managed just three hits all game, but they also got three runs in a single inning when Jacob Misiorowski came unglued in the sixth and walked the bases loaded. It was the classic dominant outing by a starter who ran out of gas look, and because it happened one inning before Crochet cracked, it allowed Trevor Story to get a bases loaded at bat against a middle reliever in DL Hall. The result was an extremely well timed only extra base hit of the night for the Sox and only hit against a left handed pitcher for Story so far this season.

Studs

We’re gonna hand out five of these tonight since it was such a badly needed win.

Garrett Crochet: Obvious first choice! 6.1 innings of work, allowed just two runs, and even though he stumbled in the seventh, he kept the Brewers off the board long enough to outlast Misiorowski.

Garrett Whitlock: Strong bounce back outing after coughing up the winning run last night. He also had to go right through the heart of the Brewers’ order in his scoreless inning of work.

Zack Kelly: Credit where credit is due. The Sox probably don’t win this game if he gives up a missile into the gap somewhere.

Trevor Story: He had by far the biggest hit of the night, and his defense also got better as the game wore on.

Caleb Durbin: It’s very, very rare to give a stud out to a guy who went 0-1 as a pinch hitter, but do you know why he’s here? Situational baseball! Durbin came to the plate with runners on second and third and one out after Trevor Story’s two run double, and you know what he did? He put the ball in play and produced the winning run.

This is not a sexy play, but tonight, that run proved to be the difference maker, and it was so much better than watching a guy with less than elite power strike out swinging for the fences.

Three Duds

Marcelo Mayer: 0-2 with an error before being pinch hit for by Durbin.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 0-3 and didn’t run out of the box on a ground out. The boo birds will come after him hard if things don’t improve.

Hitting David Hamilton: This is a situation and not a man, but it’s worth noting because this was almost the key play of the game in what would have been a hideous loss. To put it bluntly, David Hamilton stinks at hitting! The only way he can hurt you is with his legs, so when he came up with the bases loaded and one out in a 3-0 game, all Garrett Crochet had to do is be around the zone and Hamilton is probably carved up. Instead, Crochet plunked him on the first pitch and nearly let Milwaukee back in this one.

You could also say Alex Cora left Crochet in too long (107 pitches), and it would be a fair criticism. I just can’t use a dud on that here because the alternative was going to Zack Kelly even earlier, so it was an extremely sticky spot.

Play of the game:

Overall, the headline of the night is how good Crochet was for the first six frames. He did exactly what an ace needs to do for most of his outing. Here’s his seven strike outs:

Since the start of last season, Garrett Crochet leads all of baseball with 12 wins in games after his team lost. Oddly, the guy who is second on that list with 11 is Sonny Gray, and he starts the series finale tomorrow afternoon at 1:35pm.

The Cubs signed right-hander Tyler Beede and assigned him to Iowa. If you’re confused and thought the Cubs signed Beede over the winter, they did. They also released him two weeks ago and re-signed him today.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs got blown over by the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 8-1.

Iowa starter Connor Noland gave up two-run home runs in the second and fifth innings and ended up with the loss. His final line was five runs on just three hits over 4.1 innings. Noland walked three, hit one batter and struck out just one.

The only Iowa run of the game came on a home run by right fielder Kevin Alcántara. It was the third-straight game that Alcántara homered in and was his fifth over just nine games to start the season.

Alcántara went 1 for 2 with a walk.

Iowa had only three hits tonight and first baseman Jonathon Long had the other two. He was 2 for 4.

Here’s the Alcántara home run.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies trashed the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 14-6.

Jake Knapp pitched the first four innings and gave up four runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked one.

Nick Dean threw the next 2.2 innings and got the win because Knapp didn’t go five. Dean surrendered one run on four hits. He struck out four and walked one.

First baseman Edgar Alvarez put the Smokies on top 2-1 in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run. Alvarez finished 1 for 2 with three walks. He scored twice.

After Knapp gave up the lead a two-run home run in the top of the second, Knoxville struck back with an eight-run bottom of the second inning. Karson Simas started the party with a three-run home run. Simas went 3 for 4 with a triple and the home run. He scored twice. It was his second home run this year.

Shortstop Jefferson Rojas singled in another run in the second to make it 6-3 Knoxville. But his big blow was a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning, also his second on the season. Rojas finished 2 for 5 with four total RBI. He scored twice.

Left fielder Jordan Nwogu hit a two-run double in the second. Nwogu went 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Carter Trice was 2 for 4 with a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. He scored once.

Seiya Suzuki played seven innings in right field and went 3 for 5 with two doubles. He scored three times.

Every batter in the starting lineup had at least one hit.

Here’s the home run by Rojas. [VIDEO]

Suzuki’s three hits.

South Bend Cubs

The good news is that South Bend finally got to play a game tonight. The bad news is that South Bend was blasted by the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 10-1.

Koen Moreno started, but he didn’t make it out of the first inning. Moreno was hammered for seven runs on five hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. One of the hits was a three-run home run by Anyelo Encarnacion.

Center fielder Kane Kepley went 2 for 4 with a double that led off the game. He scored South Bend’s only run on a single in the first by catcher Owen Ayers. Ayers also went 2 for 4.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans captured the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 5-1. The Pelicans are now 4-0 to start the year.

Victor Zarraga started and allowed a solo home run in the second inning but nothing else crossed the plate. Zarraga allowed one run on five hits over three innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Mason McGwire threw the next two innings and got the win. McGwire gave up no runs and just one hit. He struck out three and walked three. Still too many walks, but that’s probably the best outing of McGwire’s career.

Riely Hunsaker, whom the Cubs took in the 16th round out of Lamar last year, was strong in his professional debut. Hunsaker went three innings and allowed just one hit and no runs. He struck out five and walked only one.

The Pelicans scored five runs on just five hits. But five walks and three hit batsmen helped their cause. So did three sacrifice flies.

Left fielder Eli Lovich went 2 for 3 with an RBI single in the fourth inning. Lovich also walked once and scored twice.

Shortstop Ty Southisene was 2 for 5 with a stolen base. He scored one run and drove in one.

The Cubs signed right-hander Tyler Beede and assigned him to Iowa. If you’re confused and thought the Cubs signed Beede over the winter, they did. They also released him two weeks ago and re-signed him today.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs got blown over by the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 8-1.

Iowa starter Connor Noland gave up two-run home runs in the second and fifth innings and ended up with the loss. His final line was five runs on just three hits over 4.1 innings. Noland walked three, hit one batter and struck out just one.

The only Iowa run of the game came on a home run by right fielder Kevin Alcántara. It was the third-straight game that Alcántara homered in and was his fifth over just nine games to start the season.

Alcántara went 1 for 2 with a walk.

Iowa had only three hits tonight and first baseman Jonathon Long had the other two. He was 2 for 4.

Here’s the Alcántara home run.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies trashed the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 14-6.

Jake Knapp pitched the first four innings and gave up four runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked one.

Nick Dean threw the next 2.2 innings and got the win because Knapp didn’t go five. Dean surrendered one run on four hits. He struck out four and walked one.

First baseman Edgar Alvarez put the Smokies on top 2-1 in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run. Alvarez finished 1 for 2 with three walks. He scored twice.

After Knapp gave up the lead a two-run home run in the top of the second, Knoxville struck back with an eight-run bottom of the second inning. Karson Simas started the party with a three-run home run. Simas went 3 for 4 with a triple and the home run. He scored twice. It was his second home run this year.

Shortstop Jefferson Rojas singled in another run in the second to make it 6-3 Knoxville. But his big blow was a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning, also his second on the season. Rojas finished 2 for 5 with four total RBI. He scored twice.

Left fielder Jordan Nwogu hit a two-run double in the second. Nwogu went 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Carter Trice was 2 for 4 with a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. He scored once.

Seiya Suzuki played seven innings in right field and went 3 for 5 with two doubles. He scored three times.

Every batter in the starting lineup had at least one hit.

Here’s the home run by Rojas. [VIDEO]

Suzuki’s three hits.

South Bend Cubs

The good news is that South Bend finally got to play a game tonight. The bad news is that South Bend was blasted by the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 10-1.

Koen Moreno started, but he didn’t make it out of the first inning. Moreno was hammered for seven runs on five hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. One of the hits was a three-run home run by Anyelo Encarnacion.

Center fielder Kane Kepley went 2 for 4 with a double that led off the game. He scored South Bend’s only run on a single in the first by catcher Owen Ayers. Ayers also went 2 for 4.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans captured the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 5-1. The Pelicans are now 4-0 to start the year.

Victor Zarraga started and allowed a solo home run in the second inning but nothing else crossed the plate. Zarraga allowed one run on five hits over three innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Mason McGwire threw the next two innings and got the win. McGwire gave up no runs and just one hit. He struck out three and walked three. Still too many walks, but that’s probably the best outing of McGwire’s career.

Riely Hunsaker, whom the Cubs took in the 16th round out of Lamar last year, was strong in his professional debut. Hunsaker went three innings and allowed just one hit and no runs. He struck out five and walked only one.

The Pelicans scored five runs on just five hits. But five walks and three hit batsmen helped their cause. So did three sacrifice flies.

Left fielder Eli Lovich went 2 for 3 with an RBI single in the fourth inning. Lovich also walked once and scored twice.

Shortstop Ty Southisene was 2 for 5 with a stolen base. He scored one run and drove in one.

The Cubs signed right-hander Tyler Beede and assigned him to Iowa. If you’re confused and thought the Cubs signed Beede over the winter, they did. They also released him two weeks ago and re-signed him today.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs got blown over by the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 8-1.

Iowa starter Connor Noland gave up two-run home runs in the second and fifth innings and ended up with the loss. His final line was five runs on just three hits over 4.1 innings. Noland walked three, hit one batter and struck out just one.

The only Iowa run of the game came on a home run by right fielder Kevin Alcántara. It was the third-straight game that Alcántara homered in and was his fifth over just nine games to start the season.

Alcántara went 1 for 2 with a walk.

Iowa had only three hits tonight and first baseman Jonathon Long had the other two. He was 2 for 4.

Here’s the Alcántara home run.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies trashed the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 14-6.

Jake Knapp pitched the first four innings and gave up four runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked one.

Nick Dean threw the next 2.2 innings and got the win because Knapp didn’t go five. Dean surrendered one run on four hits. He struck out four and walked one.

First baseman Edgar Alvarez put the Smokies on top 2-1 in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run. Alvarez finished 1 for 2 with three walks. He scored twice.

After Knapp gave up the lead a two-run home run in the top of the second, Knoxville struck back with an eight-run bottom of the second inning. Karson Simas started the party with a three-run home run. Simas went 3 for 4 with a triple and the home run. He scored twice. It was his second home run this year.

Shortstop Jefferson Rojas singled in another run in the second to make it 6-3 Knoxville. But his big blow was a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning, also his second on the season. Rojas finished 2 for 5 with four total RBI. He scored twice.

Left fielder Jordan Nwogu hit a two-run double in the second. Nwogu went 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Carter Trice was 2 for 4 with a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. He scored once.

Seiya Suzuki played seven innings in right field and went 3 for 5 with two doubles. He scored three times.

Every batter in the starting lineup had at least one hit.

Here’s the home run by Rojas. [VIDEO]

Suzuki’s three hits.

South Bend Cubs

The good news is that South Bend finally got to play a game tonight. The bad news is that South Bend was blasted by the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 10-1.

Koen Moreno started, but he didn’t make it out of the first inning. Moreno was hammered for seven runs on five hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. One of the hits was a three-run home run by Anyelo Encarnacion.

Center fielder Kane Kepley went 2 for 4 with a double that led off the game. He scored South Bend’s only run on a single in the first by catcher Owen Ayers. Ayers also went 2 for 4.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans captured the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 5-1. The Pelicans are now 4-0 to start the year.

Victor Zarraga started and allowed a solo home run in the second inning but nothing else crossed the plate. Zarraga allowed one run on five hits over three innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Mason McGwire threw the next two innings and got the win. McGwire gave up no runs and just one hit. He struck out three and walked three. Still too many walks, but that’s probably the best outing of McGwire’s career.

Riely Hunsaker, whom the Cubs took in the 16th round out of Lamar last year, was strong in his professional debut. Hunsaker went three innings and allowed just one hit and no runs. He struck out five and walked only one.

The Pelicans scored five runs on just five hits. But five walks and three hit batsmen helped their cause. So did three sacrifice flies.

Left fielder Eli Lovich went 2 for 3 with an RBI single in the fourth inning. Lovich also walked once and scored twice.

Shortstop Ty Southisene was 2 for 5 with a stolen base. He scored one run and drove in one.

Carlos Beltrán has mixed emotions when he reflects on his time with the Mets. But that seven-year tenure will soon be immortalized in team history. 

Beltrán spoke for the first time since it was revealed he will have his No. 15 retired by the Mets and be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on Sept. 19. 

“It really means a lot, even though at times I feel like I was misunderstood,” Beltrán said before Tuesday’s 4-3 series-opening win in 10 innings against the Diamondbacks at Citi Field. “It’s sweet, it’s … bitter at times because I felt there were moments where I was doing everything possible to try to connect with the fan base and for some reason, at times it was hard, because the message that was delivered sometimes, out there, about me didn’t allow me to connect with the fans. But believe it or not, this was the team where I feel like I grew the most. As a character, as an individual, as a player.” 

Working as a special assistant to president of baseball operations David Stearns, Beltrán says his relationship with the fans — when he interacts with them around the ballpark — is better.

That experience, too, with New York media and all the added attention that comes with playing here has helped in his evaluation of players and as a mentor for them. 

“I feel sometimes that you have to dig deep and to see if that player wants to come to a city like New York,” Beltrán said. “That attention is gonna be different. And at the same time, I always try to [make] myself available to have conversations with those players, just to share my experience. Hopefully, some of those experiences can help.” 

Manager Carlos Mendoza said he “considers him like a brother. Every time he’s around, he impacts all of us in here.” 

Having his number retired by the Mets is not something Beltrán expected, given the length of his tenure with the team and his mixed relationship with fans. 

So, the honor provides him with a clear indication of what he meant to the organization, even if it wasn’t always a perfect marriage. 

“I believe that it’s validation of the effort of my career as a ballplayer,” Beltrán said. “In the years that I played here, there’s no doubt that I went through a lot of ups and downs as a player. Being able to recognize that I deserve to have my number retired is very, very special for me.” 

The jersey retirement comes after Beltrán found out he will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This year has been so good to him that he joked he might get a “2026” tattoo. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

Beltrán will wear a Mets hat on his Baseball Hall of Fame plaque. Despite a tenure filled with friction, he will forever be a Met.

“My identity as a baseball player,” Beltrán said, “is here.” 

Taj Bradley and Tarik Skubal traded scoreless innings tonight, until the Twins broke through in the 5th. After a pair of 1-out walks by Byron Buxton and Austin Martin, Luke Keaschall singled up the middle for the first run. Then, Ryan Jeffers doubled down the right field line, scoring 2 more runs. Two batters later, Josh Bell doubled to left for the 4th run of the inning, knocking the Tigers ace out of the game.

Taj Bradley kept the Tigers off the scoreboard through 6 innings, working his way out of a bases loaded jam in the 2nd, and stranding baserunners in various others, picking up 9 strikeouts. In the 7th, with the pitch count approaching 100, Derek Shelton left him in the game. After Spencer Torkelson and Parker Meadows singled, Taj picked up strikeout number 10 against Jávier Baez. Taylor Rogers entered in relief, getting Jahmai Jones to fly out before Kevin McGonigle singled to score Torkelson. He ended the inning by striking out Gleyber Torres looking.

In the top of the 8th, Rogers got Riley Greene to strike out before giving way to Cole Sands. After a line out, Sands gave up two walks. Eric Orze entered, and got Kerry Carpenter, the tying run, to strikeout to end the threat.

The Twins made some more noise with the bats in the 8th, but left the bases loaded, taking their 3 run lead to the 9th. Orze gave up a double to Baez and a double to McGonigle to make it a 4-2 game, with Justin Topa coming in for the save. He got Torres to ground out, and, after a Greene walk, Dillon Dingler grounded out to end the game.

Studs:

Taj Bradley: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 10 K

Josh Bell: 3-4, 2B, RBI

Ryan Jeffers: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Duds:

NO DUDS TWINS WIN!!

Taj Bradley and Tarik Skubal traded scoreless innings tonight, until the Twins broke through in the 5th. After a pair of 1-out walks by Byron Buxton and Austin Martin, Luke Keaschall singled up the middle for the first run. Then, Ryan Jeffers doubled down the right field line, scoring 2 more runs. Two batters later, Josh Bell doubled to left for the 4th run of the inning, knocking the Tigers ace out of the game.

Taj Bradley kept the Tigers off the scoreboard through 6 innings, working his way out of a bases loaded jam in the 2nd, and stranding baserunners in various others, picking up 9 strikeouts. In the 7th, with the pitch count approaching 100, Derek Shelton left him in the game. After Spencer Torkelson and Parker Meadows singled, Taj picked up strikeout number 10 against Jávier Baez. Taylor Rogers entered in relief, getting Jahmai Jones to fly out before Kevin McGonigle singled to score Torkelson. He ended the inning by striking out Gleyber Torres looking.

In the top of the 8th, Rogers got Riley Greene to strike out before giving way to Cole Sands. After a line out, Sands gave up two walks. Eric Orze entered, and got Kerry Carpenter, the tying run, to strikeout to end the threat.

The Twins made some more noise with the bats in the 8th, but left the bases loaded, taking their 3 run lead to the 9th. Orze gave up a double to Baez and a double to McGonigle to make it a 4-2 game, with Justin Topa coming in for the save. He got Torres to ground out, and, after a Greene walk, Dillon Dingler grounded out to end the game.

Studs:

Taj Bradley: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 10 K

Josh Bell: 3-4, 2B, RBI

Ryan Jeffers: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Duds:

NO DUDS TWINS WIN!!

Taj Bradley and Tarik Skubal traded scoreless innings tonight, until the Twins broke through in the 5th. After a pair of 1-out walks by Byron Buxton and Austin Martin, Luke Keaschall singled up the middle for the first run. Then, Ryan Jeffers doubled down the right field line, scoring 2 more runs. Two batters later, Josh Bell doubled to left for the 4th run of the inning, knocking the Tigers ace out of the game.

Taj Bradley kept the Tigers off the scoreboard through 6 innings, working his way out of a bases loaded jam in the 2nd, and stranding baserunners in various others, picking up 9 strikeouts. In the 7th, with the pitch count approaching 100, Derek Shelton left him in the game. After Spencer Torkelson and Parker Meadows singled, Taj picked up strikeout number 10 against Jávier Baez. Taylor Rogers entered in relief, getting Jahmai Jones to fly out before Kevin McGonigle singled to score Torkelson. He ended the inning by striking out Gleyber Torres looking.

In the top of the 8th, Rogers got Riley Greene to strike out before giving way to Cole Sands. After a line out, Sands gave up two walks. Eric Orze entered, and got Kerry Carpenter, the tying run, to strikeout to end the threat.

The Twins made some more noise with the bats in the 8th, but left the bases loaded, taking their 3 run lead to the 9th. Orze gave up a double to Baez and a double to McGonigle to make it a 4-2 game, with Justin Topa coming in for the save. He got Torres to ground out, and, after a Greene walk, Dillon Dingler grounded out to end the game.

Studs:

Taj Bradley: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 10 K

Josh Bell: 3-4, 2B, RBI

Ryan Jeffers: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Duds:

NO DUDS TWINS WIN!!

Huascar Brazobán thought he had just gotten out of a big-time jam in the top half of the fifth inning on Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field. And in all other years of Major League Baseball’s history, the Mets' reliever did just that.

But this season is different from all others before it, and home plate umpire Brian O'Nora’s called strike three was merely an initial ruling and not the final word declaring Adrian Del Castillo guilty of being caught looking at a fastball on the inside corner to leave the bases loaded. 

The Diamondbacks’ DH initiated the appeals process and the ABS challenge system quickly overruled O’Nora’s enthusiastic call as the right-hander’s pitch was 0.3 inches off the plate. 

“It plays a big factor, big role,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of ABS after the game. “It was a really good challenge from [Del Castillo], really close pitch. Gotta give them credit there.”

Brazobán, who celebrated as a reliever is expected to after believing they ended a threat and preserved a 2-0 lead, had to quickly regain his composure for a 2-2 count. But it was Del Castillo who triumphed, driving the very next pitch, a 90 mph changeup that went right over the heart of the plate, into right field for a game-tying single. 

“They got him there,” the manager said.

Mendoza added that the mental side of the new ABS challenge system was something they discussed with the players at the start of spring training.

“That particular spot right there, when there’s traffic, when there’s runners on. And you think you executed a pitch, you get the call, and then the hitter challenges,” Mendoza continued. “And then you gotta get back on the mound. That’s not an easy situation, and it’s new for all of us here.

“You think you’re out of the woods, and before you know it, you gotta get back on the mound.”

Reliever Luke Weaver called the situation the “challenge part” of the new system.

"I think that is the perfect example of what the ABS has for us,” Weaver said. “We want to get things right. We want the hitter obviously wanting to be right, and he was, but it's very close.”

He added that while he hasn’t gotten to experience the emotion of a big overturn going against him, “I just imagine that your body just kind of tends to want to lean towards the celebratory part of it, but you've kind of got to hold yourself.”

“It's kind of like the play in the field when the challenge happens. You see it as an out, and then you start to walk, and the umpire holds you up. There's this weird no man's land feel,” he continued. “I think it's a similar thing with the ABS, and in a crucial moment like that in a big inning, it's just so close.

“It can be disheartening, but I think if you're in a good frame of mind, which it's not always going to happen, I think you've got to fight for that. I think you've got to fight to be prepared for the worst and then be excited when it happens, because it's going to happen your way at some point."

The Diamondbacks took advantage of baseball's new reality by scoring three runs, including an RBI bloop double one batter later, but for Brazobán and the rest of the Mets, the learning experience was served with a side of victory after a walk-off win in the 10th. 

Huascar Brazobán thought he had just gotten out of a big-time jam in the top half of the fifth inning on Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field. And in all other years of Major League Baseball’s history, the Mets' reliever did just that.

But this season is different from all others before it, and home plate umpire Brian O'Nora’s called strike three was merely an initial ruling and not the final word declaring Adrian Del Castillo guilty of being caught looking at a fastball on the inside corner to leave the bases loaded. 

The Diamondbacks’ DH initiated the appeals process and the ABS challenge system quickly overruled O’Nora’s enthusiastic call as the right-hander’s pitch was 0.3 inches off the plate. 

“It plays a big factor, big role,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of ABS after the game. “It was a really good challenge from [Del Castillo], really close pitch. Gotta give them credit there.”

Brazobán, who celebrated as a reliever is expected to after believing they ended a threat and preserved a 2-0 lead, had to quickly regain his composure for a 2-2 count. But it was Del Castillo who triumphed, driving the very next pitch, a 90 mph changeup that went right over the heart of the plate, into right field for a game-tying single. 

“They got him there,” the manager said.

Mendoza added that the mental side of the new ABS challenge system was something they discussed with the players at the start of spring training.

“That particular spot right there, when there’s traffic, when there’s runners on. And you think you executed a pitch, you get the call, and then the hitter challenges,” Mendoza continued. “And then you gotta get back on the mound. That’s not an easy situation, and it’s new for all of us here.

“You think you’re out of the woods, and before you know it, you gotta get back on the mound.”

Reliever Luke Weaver called the situation the “challenge part” of the new system.

"I think that is the perfect example of what the ABS has for us,” Weaver said. “We want to get things right. We want the hitter obviously wanting to be right, and he was, but it's very close.”

He added that while he hasn’t gotten to experience the emotion of a big overturn going against him, “I just imagine that your body just kind of tends to want to lean towards the celebratory part of it, but you've kind of got to hold yourself.”

“It's kind of like the play in the field when the challenge happens. You see it as an out, and then you start to walk, and the umpire holds you up. There's this weird no man's land feel,” he continued. “I think it's a similar thing with the ABS, and in a crucial moment like that in a big inning, it's just so close.

“It can be disheartening, but I think if you're in a good frame of mind, which it's not always going to happen, I think you've got to fight for that. I think you've got to fight to be prepared for the worst and then be excited when it happens, because it's going to happen your way at some point."

The Diamondbacks took advantage of baseball's new reality by scoring three runs, including an RBI bloop double one batter later, but for Brazobán and the rest of the Mets, the learning experience was served with a side of victory after a walk-off win in the 10th.