Category: Baseball

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.

Good morning, baseball fans!

We are in the middle of a new feature for May that I’m calling the “12 Days of Mays-mas” because I won’t be around for this week, and I want to leave you guys with some fun things to watch while I’m gone.

For the seventh day of Mays-mas, I thought we would continue in our series of no-hitters and revisit Tim Lincecum’s first no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in 2013. This one was on the road, and it was a blood bath on both ends, with the Giants scoring nine runs and taking the stress off early and Lincecum himself dealing and crushing the hopes and dreams of Padres players hoping to not get embarrassed.

I know we revisit this one fairly often, but honestly can you ever really watch these too many times? (I will make an attempt to give it a good long rest before we do these again, I promise.)

In the meantime, grab your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants are off today, but they will welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates to Oracle Park tomorrow to begin a three-game series.

Today’s Reflections

I was just wrapping up Cub Tracks for you good folks, checking for mistakes and broken links, giving the news feed one last refresh—

I (and probably a lot of Cub fans) feel like they are standing on the precipice of either the second World Series appearance in a decade (the Dodgers just moved to the AL, the Angels moved to the NL) ….. or utter devastation. Standing on that cliff, we look behind us and see an offense, mostly starting to click really well, foaming at the mouth, waiting for their chance to SMASH BASEBALL!

Then we look over the edge of the cliff and see the pitching staff — anybody that stands 10 inches above the height of home plate — and they are just ….. foaming, and decaying, period.

We turn back to the hitters and tell them:

Here’s an interesting quote from below: “This is the most unlucky and unfortunate injury-impacted season in recent Chicago Cubs memory”. Obviously, Mr. Cerami isn’t anywhere near old enough to recall 1985. This is where we call upon Al: Wrigley Field History, April 16, 1985:

Everything looked great for the Cubs that year, even into June; they won on June 11, running their record to 35-19, four games in first place. But then the starting pitchers began to get injured. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. All five starters — Sutcliffe, Eckersley, Scott Sanderson, Steve Trout and Dick Ruthven — spent time on the DL.

It’s not a mirror image and we still have Shota. And we’re used to a couple dozen bullpen injuries at a time. But, yeah. PLEASE be careful, Shōta! Let someone brush your teeth for you, for God’s sake! You, too, Colin Rea! I don’t want to see another 37 stories in a row about YOUR injury. Or xxxxx’s, or xxxxx’s, etc.

(Sigh) Let’s at least start the links with what yesterday was SUPPOSED to be about — recollection and celebration:

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

• Jesse Rogers (ESPN): ‘What even is that pitch?’ An oral history of Kerry Wood’s 20-K day. “It was an otherwise nondescript day. In fact, it was a forgettable one.”
• Jordan Llanes (Clutch Points): Cubs’ Jed Hoyer preaches patience on big trades, but has team in position to strike. “Chicago Cubs president of baseball ops Jed Hoyer preaches patience when it comes to blockbuster trades yet has the team in position to strike.”
• Ryan O’Rourke (Cubbies Crib): Injury to huge potential Cubs trade target could change the equation at the deadline. “(Joe Ryan’s) imaging showed no structural damage in his elbow and he’s expected to make his next start, but you can bet the Twins – and any team with interest in shoring up the rotation this summer will be keeping a close eye on him.”

• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs hit with crippling surprise Matthew Boyd injury news (with bizarre origin story). “A meniscus trim would likely have Boyd back in the rotation by the end of July. A meniscus repair would sideline Boyd for the remainder of the season ….. No, it wasn’t anything Boyd was doing on the field that caused the injury. Instead, he was sitting down to play with his kids.”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): No, Freakin’ Way: Now Matthew Boyd Is Getting Surgery (UPDATE). “You have GOT to be kidding me. According to Taylor McGregor, Matthew Boyd is getting surgery on his meniscus (knee) and “will be out for the foreseeable future.” I don’t even know what to say, other than this seals it: This is the most unlucky and unfortunate injury-impacted season in recent Chicago Cubs memory.“
• Tommy Erbe (SportsNetOnTap): Chicago Cubs Trade Target Emerges In Wake Of Matthew Boyd News. “After the Chicago Cubs announced Matthew Boyd would be on the shelf for “foreseeable future,” a possible trade target has come forward.“

Just before we learned that Chicago left-hander Matthew Boyd needs meniscus surgery, @jonmorosi shared a name to watch for the Cubs on the trade market — Twins right-hander Bailey Ober. pic.twitter.com/4zvlCfzSzy

— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) May 6, 2026

• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): How Ryan Rolison Explains the Universe (Kind of) (For Now). “The Cubs have won back-to-back games in walkoff fashion, and each time, the win has gone to an unlikely pitcher. Lefty reliever Ryan Rolison is an emergency fill-in for a bullpen with higher-octane arms. He’s also what makes the Cubs great in 2026, in microcosm.”
• Nick Hudson (SportsNetOnTap): Carson Kelly Proves Knowing The ABS Zone Is A Game Changer. “Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly’s use of ABS is ridiculously good. The system is improving games and creating real momentum swings.”

• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): Alex Bregman’s Power Is Coming Back and in a Really Encouraging Way. “In the first year of a $175M deal, yeah, we’re justified in expecting more. But here’s the thing, I actually do think that’s coming. In fact, it’s already started, and in a sustainable way.”
• N.B. Linberg (Fangraphs.com): Which Young Player Will Your Favorite MLB Team Extend Next? “Franchises have never been more aggressive in extending their top prospects. These are who could be next.”
• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times{$}): Nico Hoerner, MVP of smoking-hot Cubs so far, has more and more people talking. “Given the Cubs’ 13-game Wrigley Field winning streak entering Wednesday, it seemed like a fine time to ask around about who is “the man” on a team with a long list of guys playing well.“
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Winning Is Fun, Which Means Cubs Baseball Is Very Fun Right Now. “It’s like experiencing the Platonic ideal of a chair, only to then be forced to go back and use highly imperfect recreations in perpetuity.”
• Max Ralph (MLB.com): Rojas, Cubs No. 4 prospect, hits 4th homer to continue strong Double-A start. “Jefferson Rojas had a shaky start to his time in Double-A as a 20-year-old last season. Now with another trip around the sun under his belt, the Cubs’ No. 4 prospect is raking at the level.”
• Tommy Erbe (SportsNetOnTap): Numbers Suggest Michael Busch Is Climbing Back Up To Normalcy. “Michael Busch is heating up offensively; the numbers prove it. When Busch is on, so too are the Chicago Cubs.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): With Wrigley Field rocking, the Cubs are setting the stage for a big trade deadline. “All things considered, the first-place Cubs (24-12) are in excellent shape.”
• Zachary Cariola (Sporting News): National League Central labeled one of the most ‘chaotic’ by MLB expert. “According to MLB.com’s Will Leitch, the National League Central is considered the third-most chaotic division in Major League Baseball, with a score of 7/10.”
• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Alex Bregman Has Been Fine for the Cubs So Far. Is ‘Fine’ Good Enough? “In many ways, Alex Bregman has been exactly who the Cubs thought he was when they signed him to a five-year deal this winter. In other ways, they’re still waiting for him to get going.”
• Nick Hudson (SportsNetOnTap.com): Carson Kelly Proves Knowing The ABS Zone Is A Game Changer. “Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly’s use of ABS is ridiculously good. The system is improving games and creating real momentum swings.”

ABS overturned in #Reds at #Cubs (Top 8).
Carson Kelly challenged the ball call on Ben Brown's pitch to Will Benson.
Ball -> Called Strike.
HP: Manny Gonzalez | Upheld 47.3% (26/55).
Result: Will Benson called out on strikes. pic.twitter.com/5EKkWjq1lJ

— ABS Auditor (@ABS_Auditor) May 5, 2026

• Anthony Laurila (Fangraphs.com): Cubs Prospect Jonathon Long Has a Long Swing That Pairs Power and Contact. “Ranked 17th on our recently released 2026 Cubs Top Prospects list with a 40 FV, the 24-year-old first baseman has a profile that is promising, yet in some ways concerning.”
• Zachary Draves (ClutchPoints): What Pete Crow-Armstrong said about Michael Conforto’s clutch walk-off home run.

"I think it is super cool when somebody can end a baseball game in that sort of way after having to be ready each time that there may be a pinch-hit opportunity."

PCA loved every moment of Conforto's walk-off 😁 pic.twitter.com/Eqp3jjbdc5

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 5, 2026

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs’ Moisés Ballesteros is always on the attack: ‘He’s just incredibly confident’. “Moisés Ballesteros carries a mantra with him into the batter’s box.”
• Joe Maddon (The Athletic {$}): Joe Maddon: These are the 3 best leaders I managed in MLB. “In a dugout during the game, if someone screwed up on the field, I never had to walk down and tell the player on the bench.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic{$}): As Moisés Ballesteros navigates breakout season, Cubs have clear vision for rookie. “As yet another line drive rocketed off Moisés Ballesteros’ bat during spring training, Cubs manager Craig Counsell was business as usual as he turned to the club’s hitting coaches assembled in the dugout: We need to talk.”

Food For Thought:

Muddy Waters was, in many ways, the archetypal bluesman. He was raised as a sharecropper in the Mississippi Delta, where he learned to play an acoustic guitar. He went to Chicago in 1943, and the band he assembled established the electric blues sound. Over the next three and a half-decades, his band became a springboard for many of his sidemen, launching a prominent school of blues performers.

Muddy Waters was born McKinley A. Morganfield on April 4, 1913 at a small enclave in Issaquena County, Mississippi known as Jug’s Corner. Muddy usually cited Rolling Fork as his home. The area, near the Mississippi River, was wet, and his grandmother nicknamed him because of the mud puddles in which he played. Muddy’s mother died when he was very young, and her mother raised him. She moved north to the Stovall Plantation outside of Clarksdale before Muddy was three years old. He stayed there, for the most part, until he was thirty years old.

Animal rescuers in British Columbia came to the rescue of a blue heron that turned out to have a talon stuck inside a giant oyster’s shell. The Dewdney Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge shared a video explaining rescuers responded Saturday to a report of a blue heron that appeared to have its leg caught between rocks in the water off Vancouver’s Stanley Park. The rescuers arrived to find the rocks in question were actually the two halves of a giant oyster’s shell.The post joked that the oyster “got shellfish and clammed up, which really shucked.”

The bird and the oyster attached to its toe were taken to the animal hospital to be separated. Veterinarian Adrian Walton injected fish anesthetic into the oyster’s shell and was then able to pry the shell open and release the heron’s talon. The heron suffered some torn ligaments, so it was fit with a splint and transferred to the Wildlife Rescue Association of British Columbia for rehabilitation. (VIDEO)

7 Travel Destinations for 2026 Nobody’s Talking About (VIDEO)

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Joey Cantillo, Austin Hedges stealing multiple bases, and a very timely challenge were the magic recipe for a victory over the Kansas City Royals. Nick has the Game 3 recap here. First pitch for Game 4 is today at 2:10PM EDT.

As Hedges continues to have a successful start to the season, many can’t help but look at Bo Naylor’s lackluster start. Quincy took a look at Bo Naylor’s offense yesterday to break down his stats.

With the Guardians win last night, Cleveland remains in first place of the AL Central and returned to .500. The Detroit Tigers are 1.0 games back from the Guardians. The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays are the only team in the American League above .500. The Cleveland Guardians and Athletics are the only other teams in the AL at .500.

Around the League

The Tigers are having a rough go of things. Framber Valdez was suspended for 6 games (1-2 starts) for hitting Trevor Story. A.J. Hinch was suspended for a game for the same altercation. On top of the suspensions and recent injuries, the Tigers fired their AAA manager due to an inappropriate text message sent to a female colleague.

Matthew Boyd injured his left meniscus and will require surgery.

Carlos Correa will miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury. No, not that ankle, the other ankle.

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

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

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!

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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