First, the bad news: The Mets dropped their fifth straight game Sunday, as they were swept by the A’s, finished off by a 1-0 defeat.
Now, for more bad news: As if the ugly stretch at home wasn’t enough, the Mets open a three-game series against the two-time defending champion Dodgers in Los Angeles on Monday.
Access the Mets beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.
On the bright side, at least they won’t get booed for a while, as they were at the end of Sunday’s snoozefest, their second shutout loss in the last three games, as the offense struggles without the injured Juan Soto.
“I’ve been part of big expectations and slower starts offensively,’’ Bo Bichette said. “Nobody likes losing. That’s the best I can put it. But if we’ve got our heads down or worry too much about this, we’ve got bigger issues.”
This latest defeat, which dropped them to 7-9 and finished a homestand in which they lost five of six, came with Freddy Peralta on the mound, and the right-hander was hardly at fault this time around.
Peralta held the A’s to one run over six innings, allowing just a solo homer to Nick Kurtz in the third inning.
Again, the culprit was the nonexistent Mets offense, which has been dormant for nearly the entire losing streak.
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) is caught stealing during the first inning against the A’s on April 12, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Right-hander Aaron Civale retired 13 straight following Jared Young’s two-out single in the first.
After the Mets wasted that scoring chance, with Bichette striking out with a pair of runners on, they didn’t have another base runner until Luis Torrens singled to open the sixth.
With one out, Francisco Lindor picked up his second hit of the day.
But Jorge Polanco grounded into a force, and with runners on the corners against lefty Hogan Harris, pinch hitter Mark Vientos flied to right and the Mets didn’t threaten again.
Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) reacts as he walks back to the dugout after striking out swinging during the seventh inning on April 12, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
They had the bottom of the lineup up in the eighth, and Carlos Mendoza opted to stick with Carson Benge, Luis Torrens and Tyrone Taylor, in part because Luis Robert Jr. was unavailable to do anything but take one at-bat, as the Mets wanted to rest him after playing five consecutive games.
Taylor walked with two outs to extend the inning, but Lindor grounded out.
“It was a tough homestand overall offensively,’’ Mendoza said. “We came back from that road trip feeling good about the way we were swinging the bat. We win the first game here [and] then have a hard time scoring from there.”
The manager noted Sunday the Mets were “at times chasing, passive, in between. There were a few innings of noncompetitive at-bats.”
Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) gives up a solo home run to Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) during the third inning on April 12, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
That led to little traffic on the bases and a long losing streak, as they didn’t drop five in a row last year until mid-June.
“We had some balls hit hard with a little bad luck,’’ Bichette said. “This team is really talented. We’re gonna score runs… We’ll be all right.”
On Sunday, they wasted a solid outing by Peralta, who allowed one run in six innings.
Mets outfielder Carson Benge (3) catches a fly out by Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke (1) during the fourth inning on April 12, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The damage came on a one-out solo shot to Nick Kurtz on an 0-2 curveball.
The right-hander pitched out of trouble in the second inning, as well as the fourth — when Benge robbed Denzel Clarke of a two-run single with an outstanding diving catch in shallow center — before the Mets got three perfect innings from Sean Manaea out of the bullpen.
“I know we are way better than this,’’ Peralta said. “I know we have a great team and believe in each other. The time is gonna come. I know people want us to win, and we want to win, too. This is baseball. We’ve got to get through these moments.”
The Mets were swept at home by the Athletics after being shut out, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Here are the takeaways...
-- After Saturday's slugfest, the two teams were locked in a pitcher's duel in this one as Freddy Peralta and Aaron Civale went toe-to-toe against each other in a low-scoring affair. Peralta allowed the only run between the two when Nick Kurtz took him deep for a solo shot in the third inning for the reigning AL ROTY's first home run of the season and his first hit in the series.
That would end up being Peralta's only blemish of the afternoon as he turned in his best start as a Met by going six innings and allowing four hits, three walks and striking out six on 100 pitches (64 strikes). The right-hander completed six innings for the first time this season, helped out by a 12-pitch sixth which was his first 1-2-3 inning of the day, and got better as the game went on. He lowered his season ERA to 3.86.
-- Peralta pitched well enough for the win but he exited with New York trailing 1-0 thanks to Civale getting the best of the Mets hitters. After allowing two hits in the first inning, Civale retired 13 batters in a row before Luis Torrens' eight-pitch leadoff single in the sixth inning. Prior to that at-bat, Civale was cruising and had thrown 61 pitches through five innings.
Suddenly, though, New York was threatening after Francisco Lindor got his second hit of the game to put runners at first and second with one out. After Jorge Polanco grounded into a force out, the A's turned to their bullpen and brought in left-hander Hogan Harris for the lefty Jared Young. The Mets countered with pinch-hitter Mark Vientos, who was 0-for-15 on the homestand, and he flied out to end the inning.
-- As he's done all season, Sean Manaea entered the game following Peralta's departure and pitched multiple innings in a piggyback-type situation. The left-hander was dominant in his three innings of work, retiring every batter he faced and striking out four. He needed just 41 pitches (33 strikes) to do it and gave his team a chance, leaving it in the hands of New York's offense to scratch out some runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Instead, the Mets made three quick outs on the ground and were swept by the A's, ending a 1-5 homestand in which they lost the last five games in a row.
-- Carson Benge, playing center field for just the third time this year, showed off his glove in the top of the fourth inning on a terrific diving catch on a blooper headed into no-man's land that would've resulted in two runs scoring. On a similar ball hit in the first inning, Benge broke in, stutter-stepped and was unable to come up with it on the dive attempt.
-- Lindor went 2-for-3 at the plate to extend his hitting streak to four games and had half of the Mets' hits. His first hit came leading off the first inning, but he was erased on the next batter trying to steal second on a strike him out, throw him out double play.
Game MVP: Sean Manaea
Manaea pitched wonderfully and is forcing the Mets to make a decision in the starting rotation with other pitchers not pitching great.
The Mets head out to Los Angeles to begin a three-game series against the Dodgers on Monday night as part of a six-game road trip. First pitch is set for 10:10 p.m. on SNY.
LHP David Peterson (0-2, 6.14 ERA) will go for New York while the Dodgers have yet to announce a starter.
Apr 12, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) walks off the field after pitching against the New York Yankees in the third inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
I know this has been said a dozen different ways by people much more eloquent than myself, but my goodness is it ever nice to see games played at the Trop again. Haters gonna hate, but that place is special, and it’s so nice to see games under the dome again.
The Rays were wrapping up their weekend series against the Yankees, with Drew Rasmussen on the mound. A belated congrats to Drew and his family in welcoming his second child, which was why he missed his last start. Congrats to Drew and Stevie! Rasmssen was facing off against Cam Schlittler for the Yankees. Schlittler has had a strong start to the young season, so the Rays would need to get to him early.
Rasmussen got things started with a nice 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first. Into the home half, the Rays wasted no time putting pressure on their foes as Chandler Simpson hit a leadoff single. Junior Caminero singled right behind him, sending the speedy Simpson from first to third. With one out, Yandy Diaz grounded out, but it was enough for Simpson to make it home and score the first run of the game. They’d need to settle for just the one run, but it was a good start.
The Yankees made their first effort to get something going in the second with a one-out double from Jazz Chisholm Jr. But two outs quickly followed to leave the runner stranded and the Yanks scoreless. In the home half, the Rays weren’t willing to rest on just one run. Cedric Mullins got a leadoff triple. A Richie Palacios groundout scored Mullins.
Taylor Walls then singled, and right after that, he stole second. With two outs in the inning, Simpson came up and singled, bringing Walls home. Then, Simpson being Simpson, he stole second. No additional runs scored, but the Rays were up 3-0 at the end of the inning.
Rasmussen continued to deal against the Yankees, getting them three-up and three-down in the top of the third. In the home half, with one out, Yandy Diaz took a walk. After another out, Mullins hit a long fly that went right to the warning track but ended up just being the final out of the inning.
The Yankees started the fourth by losing an ABS challenge. Three outs in a row put the Yankees right back in their dugout. However, in the home half, it was much the same story for the Rays, going down in order.
In the fifth, Rasmussen showed no signs of slowing down against the Yankees, getting them out in order. He had some help this inning with a truly magnificent catch by Palacios for the second out of the inning.
In the home half, Caminero got a one-out single. Then, with two outs, Diaz singled. But with two on, the Rays weren’t able to convert the baserunners.
Things just continued to motor along for Rasmussen as he once against made short work of the Yankees in the top of the sixth. Old friend Ryan Yarbrough was in for the Yankees in the bottom of the inning. Fun story, several years ago the Rays did an audio pronunciation guide for player names, where everyone had to say their own name. This helps broadcasters properly pronounce everyone’s names. Anyway, I’m not sure Ryan understood what he was being asked to do, because in his recording he said, “Ryan Yarbrough?” with a very audible question at the end. So for the rest of time he will forever be Ryan Yarbrough? to me. He gave up a two-out single to Taylor Walls, but the Rays couldn’t make anything work with that.
Drew Rasmussen’s day was done with a final line of 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K on 76 pitches. Really nice outing from Drew, nice to see him get some real run support and fielding support behind it. Cole Sulser came on for the Rays in relief and unfortunately gave up a leadoff home run to Ben Rice. Kevin Cash then came out and argued that because the ball didn’t cross over the yellow poles it went into the outfield padding. The home run was overturned sending Rice back to second base on the new ground rule double. Aaron Judge walked. Cody Bellinger then singled, bringing that Rice run back in again. All with no outs, begging the question if it’s too late to bring Rasmussen back out. A groundout moved both baserunners into scoring position. This, of course, was when the Yankees decided to bring in Giacarlo Stanton and Kevin Cash made a quick move to pull the struggling Sulser. Kevin Kelly came out next, and while Stanton grounded out, he did get Judge home. A sharp lineout to left then ended the inning, but the score had gotten a lot closer than I think anyone would like it to be.
Chandler Simpson got the home half of the seventh going with a triple, chasing Ryan Yarbrough from the game. Camilo Doval was the next reliver out of the Yankees’ pen. Caminero hit a sac fly into left to bring Simpson home. They weren’t able to get any additional runs, but they were happy to get at least one back.
Ryan McMahon singled to start the top of the eighth. Jose Caballero then grounded into a double play. The Yankees couldn’t manage to get anyone else on base. In the home half, Brent Headrick was the next reliever out. He gave up a leadoff single to Jake Fraley. A sac bunt from Mullins did exactly what it was meant to, getting Fraley to second. A pinch-hitting Ben Williamson came on, singling, and getting Fraley over to third. Walls then came up to put down the second bunt of the inning, it was ruled a fielder’s choice as Fraley got home and everyone else was safe on base. A double play then ended the inning, but the Rays had regained their three-run lead.
Turns out they’d really need that buffer. Mason Englert was the next reliever up for the Rays. Ben Rice singled, followed by an Aaron Judge home run, and suddenly it was back to being a one-run game. Chisholm then hit a ball right down the first base line that Williamson hustled to get over to and got to first in time for the out. With two outs Amed Rosario hit a double out to center that should have been caught by Mullins but it went right over his head, literally. I am now reminded, as well, that while it’s nice to play games at the Trop, playing against the Yankees at the Trop is the worst because of the crowd noise. Austin Wells was intentionally walked to put two on. The gambit paid off as McMahon grounded out to end the inning and the Rays held onto their lead, just barely, to sweep the series.
The Yankees dropped their fifth straight game, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday by a score of 5-4.
Here are the key takeaways…
-- Aaron Judge has been mired in an early-season slump, but he made things very interesting in the ninth inning. With the Rays up 5-2, Judge worked a full count and then demolished a two-run homer to right-center, sending one 415 feet to make it a one-run game. Later. with two outs, Jose Caballero lined one just over the reach of Cedric Mullins in center for a double, putting the tying run in scoring position with two outs.
After an intentional walk to Austin Wells, the Rays went after Ryan McMahon, who grounded out on one pitch to end the game and continue his early-season woes.
-- Cam Schlittler allowed singles to the first two batters he faced, and a Yandy Diaz groundout gave Rays an early 1-0 lead.Mullins then led off the second with a triple, and even with infield in, Mullins scored on groundout to shortstop. Chandler Simpson added anRBI single later in the inning, and the Rays were putting pressure on Schlittler early, up 3-0 after two. The Rays had five hits against Schlittler in the first two innings.
Schlittler settled in after the bumpy start, but ended up going just 5.0 innings (85 pitches), allowing three earned runs on seven hits, striking out eight and walking one.
-- It was another tough day at the office for the Yankees’ bats, at least in the early going. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen allowed just one hit, a Jazz Chisholm Jr. double, through his first five innings of work, striking out five to that point.
Following the Chisholm double, Rasmussen retired 14 Yankees in a row, as he ended up going 6.0 innings while allowing just one hit. He struck out seven and didn't walk a batter.
-- But the tide started to change in the seventh. After Ben Rice appeared to hit a solo home run, replay showed it was actually a ground-rule double as the ball got stuck in the top of the wall. But the Yankees capitalized with a Cody Bellinger RBI single to make it a 3-1 game. Later in the inning, with runners at second and third and one out, pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton drove in another run with an RBI groundout, butWells left a runner stranded at third base with two-away, which would have been the tying run.
The next half inning, Chandler Simpson led off with a triple and came in to score on a Junior Caminero sac fly, and just like that, a potential tie game became a two-run Rays lead. The Rays added another run in the eighth, and that ultimately proved to be the winning run.
The Yankees head back to the Bronx for a seven-game homestand, playing the first of four games against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night at 7:05 p.m.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 03: New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) jokes with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) during the MLB game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 3, 2025 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Dodgers continue their homestand with a three-game series against the New York Mets beginning Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
Justin Wrobleski makes his third appearance of the season and second start, after earning the win last Monday in Toronto by allowing one run in five innings against the Blue Jays.
Left-hander David Peterson goes for the Mets, who have lost their last five straight games.
Apr 12, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) celebrates after he hits a home run in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Coming off a sweep in Minnesota, the Detroit Tigers needed to right the ship with some home cooking. They successfully did so, riding three home runs, including rookie Kevin McGonigle’s first, and a strong start from Tarik Skubal, to sweep the Marlins out of Comerica Park. The Tigers record is now back to 7-9, but there’s still some hole left to dig out of for the kitties.
We had a duel of aces lined up as 2022 NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara took on the two-time defending American League Cy Young winner. The game opened with Skubal facing outfielder Austin Slater, who was in camp with the Tigers this spring. Skubal quickly fell behind 3-0, but bounced back and eventually made a nice stab on a solid ground ball back up the middle, flipping to Torkelson at first. A fly out, and then a strikeout of Jacob Marsee quickly wrapped up the top of the first.
Kevin McGonigle flew out swinging first pitch to open the bottom half. Gleyber Torres struck out, though the Marlins did burn a challenge in the process. Ground ball singles from Colt Keith and Riley Greene followed, and then Dillon Dingler stepped in the box with two outs. Alcantara landed a sinker and a slider away from strikes to get ahead, but the Tigers’ catcher fouled off a changeup and then got a second one tailing in on his hands. He turned on it and smashed a three-run homer to left field. 3-0 Tigers. Kerry Carpenter grounded out, and we were on to the second.
Skubal got ahead 0-1 with the help of a successful Dingler challenge, and Otto Lopez grounded out sharply back to the Tigers’ pitcher for the first out of the second inning. Skubal’s fielding was tested early and on point. He then blew away Otto Lopez with a 98 mph heater inside, and carved up Connor Norby with a changeup to end the top of the second.
Alcantara settled into his game, getting Torkelson to ground out, and Zach McKinstry to fly out the opposite way. Javy Báez, playing center field in this one, battled Alcantara to a full count as the right-hander dialed up 98-99 mph, but eventually chased a breaking ball to strike out. On to the third.
Xavier Edwards lined out to Báez to open the inning, and Skubal punched out Deyvison de los Santos for his fourth strikeout of the contest. Javier Sanoja grounded out to McGonigle to send it to the bottom of the third.
McGonigle did McGonigle things to open the Tigers’ half, lining a 2-2 fastball sharply to right field for a single. A grounder from Torres forced McGonigle, but Edwards threw wildly to first, allowing Torres to reach base. Colt Keith flew out to right center field, and that brought up Riley Greene with two outs. Torres reached second on a poor block by the Marlins’ catcher, but Greene whiffed at a sweeper for strike three.
Skubal opened the fourth with four straight balls to Slater to put the leadoff hitter on, with Slater challenging the fourth pitch of the AB and winning. Ramirez worked a full count after a foul pop fly to left evaded McGonigle, but he flew out to Báez jogging into the left center field gap. Marsee grounded to Torres, and the Tigers turned a slick 4-6-3 double play to end the Marlins half of the fourth. Skubal was at 50 pitches, and in good shape to go deep in this one. His command varied from great to just average early on, but as usual the stuff was ridiculous.
Dillon Dingler grounded out sharply, but Kerry Carpenter worked from behind in the count as Alcantara sprayed it a bit, mixing in five different pitches. Carpenter eventually walked, but Torkelson got a meaty cutter up in the zone and lifted a lazy fly ball to left for the second out. McKinstry flew out to center to end the inning.
Skubal got a quick pair of fly outs to open the fifth, but ahead of Norby 1-2, he drilled the Marlins’ first baseman with a 98.3 mph heater, and that didn’t feel great, mostly for Norby. Xavier Edwards grounded out to McGonigle to end the inning. The Marlins had yet to record a hit in this one.
Báez banged a sharp grounder off Alcantara’s glove to start the Tigers’ half, but it went right to Edwards. At that point, McGonigle stepped in, got himself a first pitch heater down the middle and he crushed it at 108.8 mph off the bat to right field for the first home run of his major league career. There will be many, many more, but it had to feel good to get number one. The kid is on fire and his teammates were as fired up as he was as he bounced back to the Tigers’ dugout. 4-0 Tigers.
Torres grounded out, and Keith made a bid to deep left center field, but Marsee hauled it in, and we were on to the sixth.
Skubal punched out de los Santos to start the sixth, and then Sanoja flew out sharply to center field. Skubal had continued to deny access to first base other than Norby, but Austin Slater fought off a heater on his hands and blooped a single into shallow center field to snuff thoughts of a no-hit bid. The Tigers’ ace was less than thrilled, but had a wry smile for his spring teammate at first base. And then he carved up Ramirez for his sixth strikeout to strand Slater.
Riley Greene ripped a sharp single through the right side of the infield to start the bottom half. Dingler hit another ball hard, but flew out to Slater on the warning track in right field. If Dingler starts hitting opposite field homers everyone is going to be in real trouble against him.
Kerry Carpenter fell behind 0-2, but fought off a pitch away and took a changeup away before Alcantara floated a sweeper down and in. Kerry kept a short stroke and golfed that thing to right field for his fourth home run of the season. Masters tribute homer. 6-0 Tigers.
Torkelson singled to left in the wake of Carpenter’s blast, and Alcantara’s day was about over. McKinstry followed by lining Alcantara’s 89th pitch for a single to right center field, and the Tigers were in business again. The Marlins still didn’t even have their bullpen working, which was bizarre, so they held a mound meeting to let Alcantara regroup and get someone warm. They were way too late, as Báez stayed red hot and smoked a fastball to right center field for an RBI single, scoring Torkelson. McKinstry went first to third, and Báez took advantage of the relay to reach second base on the play. 7-0 Tigers.
Alcantara wanted nothing to do with McGonigle again, and quickly walked him to load the bases with one out. Torres grounded a ball to third, and Sanoja came home to cut down McKinstry at the plate. That left it to Keith. Alcantara was at 98 pitches, and it was wild to see the Marlins leave their ace in to take this beating. Ramirez wasted the Marlins last challenge on a first pitch ball to Keith, but they eventually got him to pop out down the third base line to end the parade of Tigers’ baserunners.
Marsee finally got something going for the Marlins when he dumped a fly ball into the right field corner and hooved it around to third with a triple. Lopez lifted a sacrifice fly to Carpenter, and it was 7-1 Tigers.
Skubal was looking a little upset with himself, and tried to settle in, but he ended up walking Heriberto Hernandez. The second walk of the outing brought Chris Fetter out to chill his ace out. The Tigers’ bullpen started getting Kyle Finnegan warm, and Skubal took a few deep breaths as Fetter departed back to the dugout.
After a lengthy battle with Norby, Skubal got the whiff on a good changeup, and that was the end of his day. The crowd roared for Skubal as he left the field, and the Tigers’ ace clapped his glove in appreciation of the home fans in return. 6.2 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K on the day for Skubal.
Edwards flicked a soft single off of Finnegan, but Liam Hicks, former Tigers’ farmhand, pinch-hit for Ramirez. Finnegan got him to ground out to end the inning.
Right-hander Tyler Phillips took over for the Marlins in the bottom of the seventh. Riley Greene challenged a fastball low and won, drawing a walk to start the Tigers’ half. Dingler flew out to center field for the first out. Carpenter grounded into a force of Greene at second, and Torkelson struck out to send us to the eighth.
Finnegan got Sanoja to fly out to start the eighth, but Slater reached on a grounder that pulled McKinstry into foul territory. He made a nice play on it, but Torkelson couldn’t handle the one-hopped throw. It didn’t matter, as Ramirez grounded into an inning ending 5-4-3 double play. McKinstry and Báez lined out in the bottom of the eighth, but McGonigle was enjoying the day too much, and smoked a fastball to right field for another single. The more he takes the junk ball approach and draws a ton of walks, the more they’re going to have to throw him some fastballs, and he is hammering just about every fastball over the plate that he sees.
Torres flicked a line drive single to right field, and McGonigle went first to third on the knock. A wild pitch, really another poor block, to Colt Keith scored McGonigle to make it 8-1. Keith worked a full count, but eventually struck out on a bounced curveball to send us to the ninth.
Right-hander Connor Seabold got the call in the non-save situation. He gave up a one out solo shot to Otto Lopez that made it an 8-2 game, but bounced back to get Hernandez on strikes. Connor Norby kept the game alive with a soft single into left, but Edwards flew out to Greene in left to end it.
With this outing, Skubal is the fourth Tigers starter in a row to throw at least 5.2 IP and allow no more than one run. It is the team's longest such streak in a single season since doing it five games in a row from July 30 – Aug. 4, 2013. https://t.co/XfPjLHRg63
Good win, good series, and much needed for the Tigers here in the early going. They’ll welcome in the Royals for three starting with a great southpaw matchup as Framber Valdez takes on Cole Ragans on Tuesday night.
With three more hits today, McGonigle is now hitting .322/.412/.508 with a 169 wRC+ and has reached base twice in 11 of his first 16 major league games. With Keith, Dingler, and Báez also red hot, the Tigers’ offense is shaping up very well as Greene and Carpenter have broken out of their early funks.
BYB would like to send our condolences to the family and friends of former manager and three-time All-Star, Phil Garner.
The Tigers mourn the passing of former manager Phil Garner and share our condolences with his family and loved ones.
Garner, a 3x All-Star and World Series Champion during his 16-year playing career, went on to a successful 15-year big league managerial career including 2000-02… pic.twitter.com/gbXSAvnAx8
CHICAGO, IL - CIRCA 1985: Phil Garner #3 of the Houston Astros bats against the Chicago Cubs during an Major League Baseball game circa 1985 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Garner played for the Astros from 1981-87. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros released the following statement on former player and manager Phil Garner, who passed away yesterday after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 76 years old:
“Phil Garner had a tremendous impact on the Houston Astros as both a player and manager. On the field, he spent seven seasons with the Astros (1981-87) and was a part of two postseason teams (1981, 1986). As a manager, he led the Astros to their first World Series appearance in 2005, famously rallying that club from a 15-30 start to earn a postseason berth, and, ultimately, the National League pennant. In his four seasons as manager (2004-07), the Astros were 272-252 (.524) with two postseason berths (2004-05). In 2004, his Astros fell just one win shy of reaching the World Series. As a player, Phil earned the nickname “Scrap Iron” due to his hard-nosed style of play. Off the field, he was an extremely popular figure around baseball, known for his wit and engaging personality. Everyone loved “Garr.”
From Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane:
“On behalf of the Astros, Whitney and I send our heartfelt condolences to Phil’s wife, Carol, their children and to his many friends, fans and admirers. Phil Garner’s contributions to the Houston Astros, the city of Houston and to the game of baseball will not be forgotten.”
Prior to becoming a manager, Garner played 16 seasons (1973-88) as an infielder in the Major Leagues with Oakland (1973-76), Pittsburgh (1977-81), Houston (1981-87), Los Angeles (1987) and San Francisco (1988). A three-time All-Star, he played in 1,860 games in his career with 109 HR and 225 stolen bases. He was a key member of the 1979 World Champion Pirates team, hitting .500 (12×24) in the World Series and .417 (5×12) in the NLCS with a HR.
In addition to his tenure as Astros skipper, Garner also served as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers (1992-99) and Detroit Tigers (2000-02).
With an MLB logo emblazoned on his collar, Cameron Young sits at the top the Masters leaderboard on Sunday. But that’s not the only cross-sport connection between golf and baseball on this beautiful American afternoon. At Wrigley Field, the Pittsburgh Pirates broadcast kicked off their coverage of Sunday’s Pirates-Cubs game with a pitch-perfect tribute to golf’s most iconic event. Watch it and weep tears of joy.
“It’s a tradition unlike any other,” Pirates play-by-play announcer Greg Brown croons as the camera pans across a patch of budding flowers. “Welcome the final found at the Wrigely.”
The SportsNet Pittsburgh crew even went as far as to create a mock Masters leaderboard highlighting the Pirates early-season lead at the top of the NL Central. It’s A+ stuff from stem to stern, and one of the few non-Paul-Skenes-related reasons to watch Pirates baseball over the last several seasons. That’s saying a lot, so join us as we tip our “ EGG SALAD” cap to the geniuses who brought this little taste of Augusta National to Wrigleyville on Masters Sunday.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts in the dugout against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers will look to get their second sweep at home as they wrap things up against the Texas Rangers on Sunday. Roki Sasaki makes his third start of the season against Jacob deGrom.
Both Alex Call and Dalton Rushing start Sunday, while Andy Pages gets bumped up to third in the lineup.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 11: J.P. Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates after hitting a walk off single during the ninth inning to beat the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners have a chance for their first series victory tonight.
I was going to say “sweep” but then I remembered the Mariners and Astros actually wrap up this four-game set tomorrow at 1:10 p.m. Still, this would be as good a time as any to take their first series of 2026.
They have the right personnel to do so. Logan Gilbert is on the mound, looking to build off a solid outing in Texas earlier in the week where he went six innings with five strikeouts and no walks. It was a good sign for Gilbert, who’s shown elite stuff for well over a year now but has often struggled with efficiency, unable to make it through six innings.
Brendan Donovan is back in the lineup. Donovan has been out the last few days with an illness, but he was feeling well enough to draw a crucial walk in the ninth inning last night, keeping the ball rolling just long enough for J.P. Crawford to end the game. Speaking of which, Donovan slots right back into the leadoff spot, after Crawford took over Batter 1 duties in his absence. Rather than hitting ninth, however, Crawford is hitting seventh.
The rest of the Mariners’ lineup is as expected. They will face former Mariners’ reliever Cody Bolton, who has a 3.39 FIP in two appearances this year — one as a starter, the other as a reliever. The Mariners have Astros’ pitchers on the ropes, working into the depths of their bullpen in the first two games of the series with 17 walks and 16 hits. The Astros have hung in there with 25 hits and eight walks of their own. But if the Mariners can get to the Astros bullpen early, they may be forced to punt.
Lineups
Game Info
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. PDT TV: Mariners TV Radio: Old Reliable
ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 07: Atlanta Braves outfielder Mauricio Dubon (14) reacts to striking out during the MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Angels on April 7, 2026 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With Michael Harris Jr. on the paternity list and Eli White day-to-day with plantar fasciitis, Mauricio Dubon will make his second straight start in center field for Sunday night’s finale of the Braves-Guardians series in Atlanta.
Dubon will hit eighth in the lineup followed by Jorge Mateo, who will make his second straight start at shortstop. Mike Yastrzemski is also back in the lineup, hitting fifth against a righty starter following Ronald Acuña Jr, Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Austin Riley in the top four spots.
This will be Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee’s second career start against the Braves. He tossed seven shutout, no-hit innings, striking out nine and walking none but not factoring into the decision of Cleveland’s 4-2 11-inning victory in Atlanta on April 27, 2024.
The only Braves hitters who have faced Bibee more than three times are newcomers Jonah Heim (0-for-9 but not in the lineup after he caught Saturday’s game) and Dubon (0-for-4). The current Atlanta roster is a combined 1-for-29 (.034) against Bibee. Ozzie Albies has the only hit, a double.
Cleveland is giving starting center fielder Steven Kwan the night off even though he has had success against Braves starter Chris Sale in a small sample size (2-for-6 with a homer and a double).
Kyle Manzardo is back in Sunday’s lineup, DHing and hitting sixth, after he hit his first homer of the season Friday and did not play in Saturday’s game.
Sale, whose career began with seven seasons in thee AL Central with the Chicago White Sox, has faced the Guardians 33 times (22 starts), third-most of any major league team. He has a 7-8 record and 4.44 ERA against Cleveland, his worst ERA against any team he has faced more than five times.
Current members of the Guardians’ roster, though, don’t have a ton of experience against Sale. Of the team’s 52 at-bats against Sale, longtime Cleveland infielder Jose Ramirez has 30 of them with eight hits (.267), one double, one RBI and more walks (four) than strikeouts (three).
Kwan has the only homer by a current Cleveland player off Sale. Overall, the Guardians’ roster is 13-for-52 (.250) with two RBIs, 11 strikeouts and four walks against the Atlanta ace.
Baseball lifer Phil Garner, who won a World Series as a player with the Pirates and took the Astros to a World Series as a manager, died Saturday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
He was 76.
“Phil Garner passed away peacefully last night, April 11, surrounded by family and love after a two-plus-year battle with pancreatic cancer,” his family said in a statement. “Phil never lost his signature spark of life, he was so well known for, or his love for baseball, which was with him until the end. Special thanks to the Houston Medical Center, MD Anderson, Baylor St. Lukes and all the Doctors and Nurses for their excellent care and support.”
Phil Garner waves to the crowd during a ceremony honoring the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates World Series Championship before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on July 20, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Getty Images
Garner played from the Majors from 1973-88, spending notable stints with the Oakland A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros, most notably.
Garner, who starred with the Pirates from 1977-81, won a World Series with the team in 1979.
Two of his three All-Star appearances also came while representing the Pirates in 1980 and ’81, respectively.
His first All-Star appearance came in 1976, his last with the A’s.
Garner was also a longtime MLB manager after his playing career.
Former Astro Phil Garner throws out the ceremonial first pitch for game one of the American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park on October 13, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Getty Images
Garner led the dugout of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1992-99, the Detroit Tigers from 2000-02, and the Houston Astros from 2004-07.
“He was competitive. He was honest. He told you the truth. He made you accountable — all the great things that leaders do,” said Jeff Bagwell, who played for Garner while with the Astros. “I think Gar just did a tremendous job of that. You could see how much he cared about his players, cared about winning and our organization. It was just a pleasure to play for him and be his friend.”
As a manager, Garner’s best work came with the Astros, whom he led to a World Series appearance in 2005, losing to the Chicago White Sox led by Ozzie Guillen.
Phil Garner of the Pittsburgh Pirates poses before an MLB game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Garner played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1977-81. Getty Images
He retired with a 277-252 record as a manager, with a 13-13 display in the playoffs.
As a player, he put up a career .260 average with 1,594 hits, 299 doubles, 225 stolen bases, 109 homeruns and 738 RBIs.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 10: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros at bat during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on April 10, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (6-9) look to stop a 6-game slide as they play their 3rd of 4 games in Seattle against the Mariners (6-9) at T-Mobile Park.
RHP Cody Bolton (0-0, 3.68 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros opposite RHP Logan Gilbert (0-2, 5.40 ERA) and the Mariners.
ABOUT BOLTON: RHP Cody Bolton will make his second career start today against the Mariners.
In his first career start on Tuesday, April 6 at COL, he allowed two runs on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
AGAINST THE MARINERS: The Astros and Mariners face each other today for the third of 13 scheduled matchups in 2026.
The Astros went 5-8 against the Mariners in 2025, including 2-4 record at T-Mobile Park.
Houston owns a 132-99 all-time regular season record against Seattle.
The Mariners will travel to Daikin Park for the first of two road trips to Houston from May 11-14 for a four-game series.
PEÑA INJURY: Astros SS Jeremy Peña left last night’s game due to right knee posterior tightness. He will get further evaluation today.
ULLOLA INJURY: RHP Miguel Ullola left last night’s game for Triple A Sugar Land due to a left ankle sprain.
ON THE MEND: LHP Bennett Sousa (left oblique strain) began a rehab assignment with Triple A Sugar Land last night…in his outing, he walked one and struck out two in one scoreless inning.
DOWN ON THE FARM: Astros number two overall prospect IF Xavier Neyens went 2×4 with a solo home run, walk and a stolen base. It marked his first career home run as a professional.
AIRCRAFT CARRIER: RF Cam Smith went 4×5 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored last night at SEA. It marked his second career four-hit game, also June 17, 2025 at ATH.
TOMORROW’S PITCHER: RHP Mike Burrows will draw the start in tomorrow’s series finale vs Seattle.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2019 – The Astros outslug the Mariners in Seattle by a score of 10-6.
Houston smacks three home runs, including grand slams from 2B Jose Altuve (2×5) and 3B Yuli Gurriel (3×5). It marks just the third time in club history for the Astros to hit two grand slams in the same game.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, April 12, 3:10 p.m. CST
Location: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 10, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Díaz (3)sits in the dugout after blowing a save giving up three runs to the Texas Rangers in the ninth inning on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES — With a three-run lead in the ninth inning on Saturday night, the Dodgers opted not to use closer Edwin Díaz, whom they signed to a record-setting contract in December. His velocity is down, but Díaz says he’s not hurt, and the Dodgers say they don’t think it’s a mechanical issue. Díaz may or may not be available on Sunday.
“Just talking to the pitching guys, looking at the velocity and some of the things he’s dealt with in the past, it’s a day-to-day thing,” manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. “I’m going to see how he feels in catch play and talk to the trainers and pitching guys, see where we go and make a decision from there.
“I’m confident right now, because everything I hear is he feels fine. For me, you hear it, you want to completely trust it, but you’re also looking at the [radar] gun and making sure. We’re treading lightly, and giving him the benefit of the doubt, and still watching.”
On Saturday night, manager Roberts said Díaz was unavailable due to the previous night’s workload, which completely tracks with the team’s bullpen deployment in the first three weeks of the season. Thus far, there have been only eight instances of a pitcher throwing on back-to-back days, including Díaz on March 27-28. Only one of those outings on no days rest came the day after throwing more than 17 pitches — Edgardo Henríquez threw 25 pitches on April 3 in Washington D.C., then was used the next day in a very low-leverage situation, up by six runs to get the final three outs in the ninth inning.
Ten times this season a Dodgers reliever has thrown at least 20 pitches in an outing. Other than the Henriquez outing, all those pitchers have been given at least one day off before pitching next, and in most cases got two or more days off.
During that outing on Friday, Díaz averaged 95.5 mph on his nine four-seam fastballs, and on the season he’s averaged 95.8 mph. He’s averaged at least 97 mph on that pitch in every other season of his career, including 97.2 mph in 2025.
Starting slow has been the norm recently for Díaz, for whom April has seen his lowest velocity of the season dating back to 2022. He did not pitch at all in 2023 after suffering a torn patellar tendon in his knee.
Year
April
Season
2022
98.1 mph
99.1 mph
2024
96.9 mph
97.5 mph
2025
96.3 mph
97.2 mph
Díaz has pitched only six games, and struck out 10 of his 29 batters faced while allowing four runs in six innings. But his current 95.8 mph would be the lowest velocity month of his career.
“We’re still trying to dig in a little bit,” Roberts said, calling the 2-mph drop from Díaz’s usual average “significant.”
“A couple days ago there were a lot of throws in there, too. Like we’ve done many times is to play the long view with our guys,” Roberts added. “We’re still going to do what’s best for him and the organization. This is a day-to-day thing, it really is. It’s not an IL thing we’re talking about, it’s more day-to-day.”
San Diego, California - April 11: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres attempts to tag out Edouard Julien #6 of the Colorado Rockies at second base during the first inning at Petco Park on Saturday, April 11, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Colorado Rockies (6-9) at San Diego Padres (9-6), April 12, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
