Los Angeles, CA - March 15 : Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) looks towards the stands while walking back to the dugout prior to the start of a MLB spring training game between the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers at Angel Stadium on Sunday, March 22, 2026 in Anahiem , CA. (Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Tyler Glasnow is on the mound as the Dodgers finish off their first series of the 2026 season, starting on Saturday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.
Glasnow had a relatively normal spring, unencumbered by injuries or setbacks. He pitched into the fifth inning twice before ending his spring with five full innings and 11 strikeouts against the Angels during the Freeway Series last Sunday in his final spring tuneup.
Joe Davis will be in San Francisco on Saturday, covering the New York Yankees at San Francisco Giants for Fox, so Stephen Nelson will switch booths from radio to television to call the final game of this Dodgers series for SportsNet LA.
Los Angeles, CA - August 29: Former Los Angeles Dodger Jason Heyward receives his World Series ring prior to a baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, August 29, 2025. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Longtime major league outfielder Jason Heyward, who played in two of his 16 major league seasons with the Dodgers, announced his retirement from baseball on Friday.
“I’d like to take one last time to show LOVE to the game of BASEBALL as a player. You’ve taken me around the world. Given me something to dream of and work towards as a kid and a professional,” Heyward said in an Instagram post. “You’ve shown me the value of sacrifice, support, family, friends, competition, winning, respect, growth and many other lessons along the way.”
The five-time Gold Glove Award winner was released by the Chicago Cubs after two injury-plagued seasons in 2021-22. Heyward signed with the Dodgers that winter at the urging of Freddie Freeman, his friend and longtime teammate with the Atlanta Braves since they were both drafted out of high school by the team in 2007 — Heyward in the first round, Freeman in the second.
“I never talked about really the baseball player Jason Heyward, I always talk about the person Jason Heyward,” Freeman told Mookie Betts on the Off Base podcast in 2023. “Because if anybody comes in contact with Jason, for me it’s a life-changing moment for a lot of people. The wisdom, the care, the love that he has for each person that he comes across.”
Heyward immediately held stature in the Dodgers clubhouse, and not just by his 6’5, 240-pound frame. Less then three weeks into his first season in Los Angeles, Heyward was tabbed by manager Dave Roberts to give a speech at the Jackie Robinson statue, delivered to both the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs ahead of their April 15, 2023 game at Dodger Stadium.
Heyward signed on with the Houston Astros to finish out 2024, and he played 34 games last season for the San Diego Padres. In 16 major league seasons, Heyward hit .255/.336/.408 with a 104 wRC+, 186 home runs, and 308 doubles in 1,824 games, totaling 41.5 bWAR and 34.8 fWAR for the Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Astros, and Padres.
“Great teammate, very, very good team leader. He was old school, in the sense of always doing nice things for young players, buying dinners, buying stuff for them, showing them how to be a big leaguer,” Roberts said of Heyward on Friday. “Worked his tail off everyday, was bought into everything we asked of him. He’s had a great career, and I’m happy we got to be teammates for a minute. That was great.”
“I hope he stays in the game in some capacity, whether it be the front office side or the coaching side,” Roberts added. “The game needs guys like Jason.”
The cries of joy in the stands. The stadium shaking. Andy Pages rounding the bases at Uniqlo Field.
The first Dodgers player to homer this season wasn’t Shohei Ohtani or Freddie Freeman. The distinction belonged to Pages, the third-year center fielder from Cuba.
The Dodgers’ Andy Pages celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run on Opening Day. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
And it was no mistake.
His 400-foot shot on Opening Day confirmed what manager Dave Roberts had been saying in recent weeks: Pages isn’t the same player he was last year.
“I was simply trying to pick better pitches than I did in my first at-bat,” Pages said in Spanish.
Pages struck out in his previous at-bat against Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen.
Facing the former All-Star again in the fifth inning, Pages pounced on a curveball that stayed over the plate and golfed the pitch into the left field pavilion.
“I guess he made a mistake and left the ball where he didn’t want to leave it,” he said. “We wait for moments like that to inflict damage.”
Pages isn’t the same hitter who batted .078 in the postseason and was relegated to a reserve role in the final three games of the World Series. He’s not the free swinger who is believed to be the Dodgers player who whiffed on a pitch that was allegedly thrown out of the strike zone on purpose by Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase to help associates with an online wager.
His transformation as an offensive player can be traced back to work he did in a 12,000-square-foot building on the Dodgers’ spring training complex that stands between the team’s clubhouse and practice fields.
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There, Pages stood in against a Trajekt Arc, a machine that can show the windup of a particular pitcher and deliver pitches as if he had thrown them. The device, which is used by players to simulate real-life at-bats, was set to throw balls near the edge of the strike zone. Pages was tasked with determining whether the pitches were balls or strikes.
“He’s learned to be a better hitter, a major-league hitter, not just a slugger,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters in spring training.
That the 25-year-old Pages treated the exercise with the seriousness that he did was evidence of his maturation.
“Right now, he looks like a veteran ballplayer,” Roberts said. “I could think back to a few years ago when he didn’t really like the weight room and really wasn’t the best worker. But now you look at him and he values the weight room, being in shape, scouting and being prepared with the pitchers.
“He has fortunately had the luxury of being around a lot of great ballplayers to learn from. I’m really proud of Andy, and I think he’s going to have an even better year [than last year], I really do.”
The Dodgers’ Andy Pages rounds the bases after hitting a home run Thursday against Arizona. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
So much so that Roberts selected Pages as his team’s “pick to click.” Roberts figured that if Pages could hit 27 homers last year, he should be able to hit even more with improved plate discipline.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to [see him] make an All-Star team,” Roberts said.
However his season unfolds, Pages will be remembered for his catch in Game 7 of the World Series. Entering the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the ninth inning, Pages ran over left fielder Kike Hernandez to grab a line drive by Ernie Clement at the wall for the third out. The Blue Jays had runners at second and third. If Pages hadn’t caught that ball, the World Series would have been theirs.
Pages made another critical defensive contribution Thursday, making a sliding catch to rob Gabriel Moreno of a leadoff single in the seventh inning.
“I just think he’s getting off the ball so well,” Roberts said. “Even last year, there were questions if he could stay out and play center field at a high level. And he’s worked his tail off, he really has. Every single day, he’s putting in work, and he just keeps getting better. His jumps, his line to the ball. Obviously, the arm strength is there. So he’s a complete player, and I’m excited to see what he can do this year.”
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Jeremy Peña #3 of the Houston Astros warms up prior to a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 28, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (0-1) continue their opening 4 game series against the Los Angeles Angels (1-0) tonight at Daikin Park.
RHP Mike Burrows will make his first regular season start for the Astros opposite former Astro LHP Yusei Kikuchi and the Angels.
TONIGHT’S ASTROS STARTER: RHP Mike Burrows was acquired from the Pirates this offseason as part of a three-team, six-player trade in which the Astros sent OF Jacob Melton and minor leaguer RHP Anderson Brito to the Rays, while the Rays sent IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery to the Pirates.
Burrows impressed this Spring, making five starts and posting a 1.50 ERA (3ER/18IP) while allowing a .200 opponent batting average with 17 strikeouts.
IF YUSEI SO: Tonight’s Angels starter LHP Yusei Kikuchi spent a memorable two months with the Astros in 2024, making 10 starts and posting a 2.70 ERA (18ER/60IP) down the stretch.
He was acquired that season from the Blue Jays in a trade that sent OF Joey Loperfido to Toronto.
Loperfido was reacquired by the Astros this season and made yesterday’s Opening Day start in left field.
VS. THE ANGELS: The Astros open this season with a divisional series against the Angels, who the Astros went 8-5 against in 13 games last season. The Astros are 138-83 all time against the Angels and have won the season series against them in every full season dating back to 2015.
SALAZAR OUTRIGHTED: C César Salazar has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple A Sugar Land…Salazar was designated for assignment by the Astros on Wednesday.
SAN FRANCISCO — The only thing that could stop Cam Schlittler on Friday afternoon was not even wearing a Giants uniform.
Because the way he was throwing, the Yankees right-hander just might have finished off a masterpiece all by himself had he not been on a limited pitch count. Instead, he settled for pitching the first 5 ¹/₃ one-hit innings in downright dominant fashion and then watched the bullpen follow his lead — just as he followed Max Fried’s from Opening Day.
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Schlittler and four relievers combined for a one-hit shutout, while Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton provided the offense with their first home run each, as the Yankees cruised to a 3-0 win over the Giants on a beautiful Friday afternoon at sold-out Oracle Park.
After Fried and the bullpen combined for a three-hit shutout in the season opener Wednesday, Schlittler & Co. did them one better Friday, marking the first time in franchise history the Yankees have started the season by pitching back-to-back shutouts.
“To see Max go out there on Opening Night and do something special and then Cam up here following it up with a one-hit performance — the boys have been putting in their work in the offseason, that’s for sure,” Judge said.
Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Oracle Park on March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. Getty Images
Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, Camilo Doval and David Bednar finished off Friday’s gem as the Yankees became the first team ever to hold an opponent scoreless and limit them to five or fewer hits through the first two games of a season.
“Obviously, Max was great [Wednesday], bullpen was great [Wednesday], bullpen was electric today as well,” said Schlittler, who struck out eight. “So I’m really excited for Will [Warren] to get going [Saturday] and get the sweep.”
Schlittler was untouchable, offering a potential preview of big things to come in his sophomore season as he recorded the first 16 outs on 68 pitches. He had a pitch count of 70 because he was not fully built up leaving camp after back inflammation had slowed him early in spring training, though that did little to affect his sharpness.
“Nothing I can do about it, it’s out of my control,” Schlittler said of the limited pitch count. “Partially my fault, dealing with that little bit of a setback. But again, keep building from this week to next week and then hopefully get up to 90 pitches in a couple starts.”
The only Giant to reach base against Schlittler was Heliot Ramos, who slashed a two-out double the other way in the second inning. The Giants only had two more base runners the rest of the way, on a walk by Cruz in the seventh and another from Bednar in the ninth.
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) tosses his bat after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The 25-year-old Schlittler came out pounding the strike zone, including a 10-pitch, 10-strike first inning with an assist from Austin Wells, who had the only ball turned into strike three via an ABS challenge. That helped keep his pitch count in check and he turned on cruise control from there.
“Just right where he left off last year,” Judge said, referring to Schlittler’s historic performance against the Red Sox in the AL wild-card series. “It’s impressive. He’s got the 100 mph fastball, but the feel for the offspeed and filling up the zone, especially with the defense we have, it’s going to be big-time for him.”
Judge and Stanton, meanwhile, took care of the run support as the Yankees improved to 53-7 when both go deep.
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (right) celebrates with third base/outfield coach Luis Rojas (67) while rounding the bases after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Judge was the only Yankee without a hit in their 7-0 win Wednesday, and entered the sixth inning Friday 0-for-7 with five strikeouts. But after challenging Robbie Ray’s 1-0 strike and turning it into a ball, Judge worked a full count and then clobbered a moonshot down the left field line for a two-run, 405-foot shot that gave the Yankees a lead.
Two batters later, Stanton crushed a 414-foot homer to stay hot in the early going and ensure the Yankees will go for the sweep Saturday.
“[Judge] didn’t play the way he wanted to [Wednesday], but he looked great today,” Schlittler said. “I had no doubt that he was going to go do something like that today.”
Bo Bichette hits a sacrifice fly during the Mets-Pirates game on March 26, 2026.
A promising season opener is worth virtually nothing. One out of 162 is the equivalent of about 17.8 seconds of an NBA game. The Mets will not score 11 runs per game and knock out every opposing starter in the first inning.
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The manner in which the Mets won Thursday, though, is what the team can find encouraging. Lengthy at-bats, many against maybe the best pitcher in the world, and a deep lineup filled with a combination of stars and grinders is how David Stearns envisioned this overhauled group.
Among the not-sustainable happenings from what became a party at Citi Field: Bo Bichette’s first four Mets at-bats came with seven runners on base.
Among the heartening signs for the Mets: Bichette is supposed to be stepping up to the plate with runners on base. This is what he and the Mets signed up for.
One of the most accomplished players in baseball at hitting with runners in scoring position is batting behind Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. When Bichette landed with the Mets as a free agent, did he wonder what his RBI totals would look like?
Bo Bichette hits a sacrifice fly during the Mets-Pirates game on March 26, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“Well, I know I’m going to have a ton of opportunities,” Bichette said with a smile. “So I just got to be ready for those opportunities.”
In his Mets debut, Bichette authored what might be the most hopeful 0-for-4-with-three-K’s-and-a-sac-fly days in baseball history and immediately reminded everyone why the longtime Blue Jay became the immediate fallback when Kyle Tucker chose the Dodgers.
The memorable first inning might have looked much different if Paul Skenes could have put Bichette away. After Lindor and Soto reached, the Pirates ace reached into the upper 90s to get ahead, 0-2. Bichette, protecting, fouled off a hard four-seamer.
“Two strikes, he gets behind in the count,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We talk about the importance of getting guys in once we get in scoring position.”
Which is what Bichette did, staying with a diving changeup and lofting a sacrifice fly to right for the first run of the Mets season.
Coming through in the clutch, either with hits or just putting bat to ball, is what Bichette is known for. Since he broke into the majors in 2019 through 2025, Bichette hit .330 with runners in scoring position. In the span, 360 hitters logged at least 300 plate appearances in such situations, and Bichette’s average ranked fourth.
“I think it’s just competing,” Bichette said about his approach in those situations. “… I would love to have that focus all the time.”
It is surely part mental but also part physical. Last season, Bichette’s average bat speed for a swing registered at 69.1 mph. With two strikes, that average tightened to 67.6 mph. He shortens up to maximize his chance at making contact.
Which he did in the fifth inning, when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded, one out and the Mets ahead, 7-4. At some point, Bichette’s battle with righty Isaac Mattson graduated into a melee, a 13-pitch duel in which Bichette fouled off eight consecutive pitches with two strikes.
Bo Bichette swings during the Mets-Pirates game on Mach 26, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I know he probably wants a strikeout there,” Bichette said. “Trying to compete, see the ball as long as I can, try and outlast him. But I didn’t.”
Mattson won, finally — Bichette swung through a slider — but the Mets may have won, too.
A reliever who had expended 26 pitches already in the inning and 13 consecutive to one batter then threw four straight balls to Jorge Polanco for a bases-loaded walk.
“I wrote that down,” Mendoza said. “Because even though [Bichette] struck out, then we see a four-pitch walk right away to Polanco, right behind him.
“He’s going to make them work,” said Mendoza. We got a lot of guys that are going to grind at-bats, and that was the perfect example.”
It is less a small sample size and more a speck of a sample size. But the first look at Bichette the Met hinted that his career high of 102 RBIs in a season could be in jeopardy this year.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants did their best to erase Opening Night and start fresh on Opening Day. They redid the pomp and circumstance under a Friday afternoon sky. The starting lineups were introduced again, sans any comedians or cable cars.
The organization even went so far as to post a graphic on social media declaring Robbie Ray its “Opening Day starter,” despite Logan Webb’s shellacking two nights earlier.
The Giants’ Willy Adames and his teammates were held in check again against the Yankees. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Manager Tony Vitello joked before the game that the day served as a “mulligan” after their 7-0 loss Wednesday. Can he get another?
The Giants’ supposedly vaunted lineup that was held to three hits in their season opener produced just one in a 3-0 loss to Cam Schlittler and the Yankees.
The shutout loss made history: Never in the 143-year existence of the Giants franchise, from New York to San Francisco, has the team been held scoreless its first two games of the season.
What it means
Vitello joined a long line of Giants managers to lose his debut. The list of skippers to fall to 0-2 gets slightly shorter, but the former Tennessee coach still has plenty of company.
There hasn’t been a Giants manager to start 1-0 since Felipe Alou in 2003; Bruce Bochy and Gabe Kapler didn’t earn their first wins until their third games.
The Yankees’ Aaron Judge hit a home run Friday against the host Giants. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Who’s hot
Hard contact was hard to come by against either starting pitcher, as the two lineups combined to produce two balls in play at 100 mph or harder through the first five innings.
Then Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton did their thing.
Judge, held hitless through his first seven at-bats of the season, unloaded on the third straight middle-in fastball he saw from Ray and planted it halfway up the left field bleachers.
Two batters later, Stanton found a similar landing spot for a solo shot and, just like that, the Giants were down 3-0.
Besides Judge’s homer and the double from Paul Goldschmidt that preceded it, Ray limited the Yankees to only three runners over 5 ⅓ innings in his season debut.
Stanton’s home run, off Jose Butto, represented the only run the Giants’ bullpen has surrendered in 7 ⅔ innings to start the season.
Schlittler was operating under a strict pitch count but still managed to pitch into the sixth inning while retiring all but one of the 17 Giants batters he faced.
Who’s not
Through 18 innings, the Giants have produced a total of zero runs, four hits, four walks and 19 strikeouts. Their only hit to go for extra bases was a soft double Heliot Ramos poked down the right field line in the second inning. As a team, they are batting .068 (4 for 59).
Their defense, which was a focus in the spring, continued to disappoint. A sloppy effort in their season opener was followed up by more misplays Friday.
Willy Adames should have been awarded his second error of the season on a would-be double play grounder that resulted in no outs after he had trouble transferring the ball from his glove and then misfired to Casey Schmitt at first base.
Luis Arraez didn’t have the range to stop another ground ball from Jazz Chisholm Jr. from making it into right field. And Jung Hoo Lee, new to Oracle Park’s unique right field dimensions, misjudged a hit into the corner that allowed Goldschmidt to stretch a single into a double.
The Giants were forced to bring the infield in on multiple occasions, and Arraez at least acquitted himself well in those situations, cleanly fielding two sharply hit ground balls and making accurate throws home to prevent two more runs from scoring.
Up next
The Giants will seek to salvage one win in their opening series, or at least get on the scoreboard, behind RHP Tyler Mahle, who will make his club debut against RHP Will Warren.
First pitch is scheduled for 4:35 p.m., nationally televised on Fox.
Mar 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The Yankees stable of arms has come out the gate hotter than the Sun. After a 7-0 victory over the Giants on Opening Night, the Bombers, led by young star Cam Schlittler, continued to post zero after zero on Friday afternoon en route to a 3-0 series-clinching victory. Schlittler combined with four relievers for a one-hit shutout against a listless San Francisco offense, and a pair of sixth-inning home runs from Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton proved to be all the firepower necessary to sew up the win.
Both starters worked brisk first innings—Schlittler collected a pair of Ks, the second of which came after a successful ABS challenge from Austin Wells. Both offenses then built rallies in the second, but both fizzled out. Giants starter Robbie Ray stranded two runners by getting new Yankee Randal Grichuk on a soft liner, then Schlittler navigated around a two-out double from Heliot Ramos.
The pitcher’s duel continued into the middle innings. Schlittler in particular was in a groove, working efficiently through four—requiring only 54 pitches. He struck out Rafael Devers and Willy Adames back-to-back to end the home fourth with six Ks. Ray responded by needing just five pitches to retire the side in order in the top of the fifth, but that just gave Schlittler the opportunity to rack up two more strikeouts in a row in a 1-2-3 bottom half.
So, don’t you think there’s a player who’s been conspicuously absent from this recap so far? A Bay Area native who tends to bring the fireworks? Well, wonder no longer: Aaron Judge has arrived in 2026. After a leadoff double from Paul Goldschmidt to start the sixth, Judge turned around an inside fastball and kept it fair down the left-field line for a towering two-run home run. His first hit and homer of the year made it 2-0 Bombers.
Ray would depart from the game a batter later, with that one blemish tarnishing what was a very strong season debut for the veteran. But the power party continued after he left the game, as Giancarlo Stanton had a mighty greeting for reliever Jose Buttó: a 414-foot moonshot to left field for a 3-0 Yankee edge.
It looked like Schlittler could have kept pitching for six more innings, but since he isn’t fully built up yet, Aaron Boone opted to lift him for Fernando Cruz just before the third time through the order. He got about as far as Boone could have hoped, finishing his season debut with a sparkling line: 5.1 innings, no runs, one hit, no walks, and eight strikeouts. He was ruthlessly efficient, with just 68 pitches and 49 strikes.
With the combined performances of Schlittler and Max Fried on Opening Day, the Yankees got scoreless outings from each of their first two starters. That matches just one other team in Yankees history: the 2003 squad with Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.
The Giants’ offensive futility continued in the seventh, as even Tim Hill grabbed a pair of punchouts; both Devers and Adames fell by way of the K against the funky lefty. Then former Giant Camilo Doval continued his triumphant return to Oracle Park in the eighth by striking out the side amid groans from orange-and-black-clad partisans.
The Yankees threatened to expand the lead a few times in the late innings, but those attempts fell by the boards. José Caballero nearly manufactured a run by himself in the seventh, but was thrown out at home on a contact play gone awry. Then Caballero got an opportunity with the bases loaded in the eighth before rolling over to Matt Chapman at third base to end the inning.
So in a three-run game, it was up to David Bednar to grab his first save of the year. He started out with a groundball to third from Harrison Bader, then got WBC foe Luis Arráez to roll over to second. A two-out walk to Matt Chapman gave the Giants a pulse and handed an opportunity to habitual Yankee-torturer Devers, but the former Red Sock pounded a ball into the dirt for the 27th out. Bednar’s save capped off a nearly perfect pitching performance—just one hit allowed.
Tomorrow, the Yankees go for the sweep. (That’s right: they don’t play on Sunday.) Will Warren will get the ball against veteran righty Tyler Mahle, with first pitch coming at 7:15 PM. It’s another national TV game: FOX will have the call.
Cam Schlittler shoved in his first start of the 2026 season while Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton left the yard as the Yankees defeated the Giants, 3-0, on Friday afternoon in San Francisco.
It's the 60th time Judge and Stanton homered in the same game.
After Max Fried and the bullpen blanked the Giants in Wednesday's opener, the Yankees had an encore. Through two games, Yankees pitching has allowed zero runs on just four hits.
Here are the takeaways...
-Schlittler was on his game early, getting two strikeouts in the first inning, including getting Rafael Devers looking -- thanks to a successful ABS challenge by the Yanks. Schlittler would continue to keep the Giants lineup off balance with his impressive pitch mix, even striking out four consecutive batters at one point.
His only mistake came in the second when Heliot Ramos doubled off of him. That would be all the Giants would get on Schlittler, who finished with eight strikeouts across 5.1 innings. He got 13 whiffs, most coming from his four-seamer, which averaged 98.5 mph.
Schlittler wasn't stretched out in camp because a strained oblique set him back, so he only threw 68 pitches (49 strikes). His limit was at 70 pitches.
-Manager Aaron Boone used a right-handed heavy lineup on Friday as the Yankees were going up against the southpaw Robbie Ray. Ray is the only lefty starter they expect to see over the next week, so he felt it was a good chance to get Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario and Randal Grichuk in the starting lineup. However, the former Cy Young winner got the top of the order in order to start the game and wiggled out of trouble in the second after Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jose Caballero singled with two outs.
Ray mowed down the Yankees lineup until the sixth. Goldschmidt led off with a double that was assisted by a carom off the wall on the right field side. Then Judge entered the box for his third at-bat. Ray took care of Judge in the first two, but the two would battle. Judge got a low strike overturned using ABS and Ray battled back from 3-0 to get the full count. However, the reigning AL MVP would get the last laugh, getting around a 93 mph four-seamer on the inside part of the plate to deposit a homer over the left field wall. The blast went 405 feet.
Ray would get one more out before he was pulled. The southpaw went 5.1 innings (89 pitches, 57 strikes), allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four.
-Stanton, after narrowly missing an opposite-field homer earlier in the game, launched a homer of his own in the sixth. The blast went 414 feet (108 mph off the bat) off reliever Jose Butto. After getting two hits in the opener, Stanton picked up another two and finished 2-for-4.
-Judge, who went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in the season opener, flew out in his first AB against Ray and struck out swinging after his check swing couldn't hold up on a 1-2 slider in the dirt. His third at-bat was the homer, but he then struck out looking in his fourth time to the plate. Judge finished 1-for-4 with the home run. After two games, he's struck out six times.
As for the right-handers Boone put in the lineup, Grichuk went 0-for-2 before Trent Grisham came in the seventh innings. Rosario also went 0-for-2 before Ryan McMahon pinch-hit for him in the sixth, while Goldschmidt finished 1-for-5 but stayed in for the entire game.
-Five Yankees pitchers allowed just one hit on Saturday. After Ramos' second-inning double, Schlittler, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, Camilo Doval and David Bednar allowed just two baserunners (both walks) in 3.2 innings. Here's how the bullpen broke down:
Cruz: 0.2 IP, 1 BB
Hill, 1.0 IP, 2 K
Doval: 1.0 IP, 3 K
Bednar: 1.0 IP, 1 BB
Game MVP: Cam Schlittler
The Yankees were in a pitcher's duel early and Schlittler kept the Giants off the board long enough for Judge and the offense to push across some runs.
WASHINGTON DC - August 29TH: Franzia, Chile, 5-liter box: Like Bazooka Joe chawed down on a bid wad of bubble gum and used it to filter storm water runoff shot on August 29th, 2017 in Washington DC. (Photo by Goran Kosanovic for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Friday at 7pm CT on ESPNU, Saturday at 1pm CT on SEC Network, and Sunday at 11am CT on ESPN2.
This might be the first time in 20 years that neither us, nor the Franzia Funnelers to the East are ranked. Gross. Clearly, ESPN didn’t think this would happen to both of us, as they put all three games on actual cable networks, and not just the app/SECN+.
The Knoxville Buttchuggers (NR)
‘26Record: 18-7 (3-3 SEC). In OOC play, The Chuggers opened with a series sweep over Nicholls before the wheels came off and they lost 2 of 3 to Kent State. They also lost to UCLA, but just as with Clanga, losing to the #1 team is nothing to hang your head about. In that same mini-tournament, they beat Arizona State and Virginia Tech. They also took 2 of 3 from the Wright State Freds to close out OOC play as a decidedly middle of the pack SEC team.
In conference play thus far, they dropped 2 of 3 from Ugga in Athens, and then took 2 of 3 from Missourah (spits).
In short, they’re not very good. Seeing as we are also currently not very good, and we’re at home, there’s at least a chance we can take this series.
That’s about as much enthusiasm as I can whip up right now, as I’m still reeling from the news that the cavalry is never coming for our pitching staff this season:
…and the Emily Dickinson Velociraptor is dead. This is a doomed, doomed season. https://t.co/6sdwxtYNBJ
Player to Watch: Honestly, not as many as we were accustomed to in the Tony “The Calf” Vitello era of Chuggers baseball. I’ll go with the very old corpse and horseless motor-carriage tycoon #9 Jr. 3B Henry “Detroit Zombie” Ford (.344/.400/.646 with 5 2B, 8 HR, and 25 RBI). They’re not mashing like they used to, so you might want to pitch around the Detroit Zombie.
Anchor of Gold Tiger Beat Hottest Pitcher: #9 Fr. LHP Cam “Apple Cheeks” Appenzeller (3-0; 1.77 ERA; 0.79 WHIP). He’s a freshman reliever who’s thrown 20 & 1/3 IP, and, well, he’s not exactly giving up many hits or walks.
Andrew VU ‘04 2026 All-Name Team Nominee: Not all that many options here, either, though they do have one classic “right out of central casting” style baseball name:#27 RS So. C Stone Lawless. That’s the type of name that comes with a free bag of Big League Chew.
On the Mound
Friday @ 7:00pm on ESPNU
Vanderbilt #39 Jr. RHP Connor “The Spice” Fennell (2-1; 5.74 ERA; 12.35 K/9)
vs. THEM #21 So. RHP Tegan “And Sara” Kuhns (1-2; 4.35 ERA; 11.61 K/9)
Mar 27, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Bunting hangs on the wall before a game between the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals on opening day at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Somehow, I’m not only doing the game coverage for Opening Day, but also for the second game of this series.
There was a time where I used to be in game threads a lot. Those times are over, for many reasons. I’ll pop in here and there. But, just a reminder that problems (and you know what I mean) are resolved by flagging posts. If you don’t flag, nothing can happen. Be the change you want to see in the game thread.
Also, about the body of the game thread post — what do people actually want to see in here? I never have any idea. The Statcast game preview actually makes far more sense for the lineups post, but that leaves this one barren. If you have inspired ideas, tell me — but not here, because I probably won’t see it here.
Anyway, the Braves and Royals have an Opening Day duel set, with two very good lefties in Cole Ragans and Chris Sale set to battle. For more info, refer to the preview and lineups and such. I just hope both teams have fun or whatever.
San Diego Padres starter Joe Musgrove was in the bullpen during team introductions on Opening Day. Along with the rest of the starting pitchers, Musgrove was there to support Nick Pivetta before his start. He had already done his work for the day, revealing in pre-game interviews that he has begun playing catch.
Musgrove started an exhibition game against the Great Britain World Baseball Classic team on March 4 and hasn’t appeared in a game since. He had a bullpen on March 8 and hadn’t thrown since then until this week. He revealed that an MRI was done on his repaired right elbow about two weeks ago and showed no new issues.
In his usual effort to be honest and forthcoming, Musgrove was unwilling to put any timeline on his progression to returning to pitching. He knew that what he was feeling during spring work wasn’t what he wanted his arm to feel like but kept hoping that things would improve and he would “breakthrough.” That never happened and it was decided to put his throwing program on pause, giving his arm a chance to rest and recover from the inflammation that seemed apparent.
President of baseball operations A.J. Preller seemed optimistic when speaking about Musgrove’s status:
“It’s not like he’s been down for six to eight weeks, so hopefully he can get going here,” he said Thursday in his media availability. “But we’re not going to really know until he gets through days like today, where he starts to play catch and he puts some volume on what he’s doing and he starts to build up innings and we’re seeing the bounce-back.” – Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union Tribune.
Musgrove also spoke in the clubhouse during Thursday’s media time.
He will have to progress from playing catch to bullpen sessions and then to live BP and a minor league or sim game appearance before considering building up to be able to start a Padres game. Common sense would lead one to think at least a May/June comeback if all goes well.
He emphasized that this was an expected development in his progress back from surgery but he had hoped it wouldn’t happen. His 15-day IL stint was back-dated to March 22. By not putting him on the 60-day IL it seems they are hopeful for a quicker bounce-back.
Yu Darvish goes on the Restricted List
Preller also discussed the status of Yu Darvish on Thursday. The Padres placed Darvish on the Restricted List on Wednesday. . He will not collect any salary for the 2026 season and will have limited contact with the team during this season. His desire is to rehab on his own and at his own pace but in consultation with Padres medical staff. He will have no commitment to being at Petco, travel with the team or be around the team before or after games. He wishes to break from the routine of the set rehab and spend more time with his family and handling his recovery himself.
Darvish has not announced his retirement and Preller explained that there will be a reassessment of his status as he gets further down the road in his rehab. He also stated that Darvish is on track with is rehab so far. The team has known for a long time that the money owed to Darvish this season would not be paid to him, that he intended to do what was best for the organization financially. This is not unprecedented as Darvish also went on the Restricted List in 2024 while dealing with personal issues that required him to leave the team for an extended period.
Preller explained this took some time because of the legal issues and the amount of people involved in the decision-making but the process began a long time ago when Darvish decided to pull away from baseball after his surgery last year.
The Padres also have starter Griffin Canning rehabbing from Achilles surgery and there has been no timeline announced for his return. Relievers Yuki Matsui and Jason Adam also began the season on the IL and both are retroactive to March 22.
Jason Heyward accomplished a lot in his career: five gold gloves, an All-Star appearance and a memorable World Series title.
But after 16 years in the big leagues, the outfielder is calling it a career.
The 36-year-old told “MLB Central” on the league’s TV network on Friday that he is officially retiring from the game, saying he’s looking forward to being a “mentor” to up-and-coming players of the next generation.
Jason Heyward of the San Diego Padres hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on May 20, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Getty Images
“I look forward to being a potential mentor to any of the young players coming up, anybody that is in the game right now. I feel like the game’s in good hands in that sense, and I look forward to being a fan and seeing what other ways I can give back,” Heyward told ”Central.”
“Thank you to everybody that’s been there to support: the fans, teammates, coaches, staff, ownership groups, everyone and so on. Thank you for allowing me to live out my dream.”
Heyward, who was born in New Jersey but grew up in Georgia, was drafted by his hometown Braves in the first round of the 2007 draft and made his MLB debut in 2010. In his first big league at-bat, Heyward crushed a three-run home run at Atlanta’s Turner Field.
It proved to be the catalyst in a memorable rookie campaign that saw him get named to the National League All-Star team and finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Giants catcher Buster Posey.
Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves makes a catch against the Baltimore Orioles at Turner Field on June 16, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images
He played four more years in Atlanta and won his first two Gold Gloves before getting traded to the Cardinals ahead of the 2015 season. He produced a .797 OPS and another Gold Glove in St. Louis that season, which earned him an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs.
The contract mostly didn’t pan out, as he hit .245/.323/.377 over seven seasons, but he did win two more awards for his defensive prowess.
However, memorably, during Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, Heyward gave a speech to his Cubs teammates during a rain delay after Chicago had blown a lead late to Cleveland.
Chicago Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward (22) holds up the commissioners trophy during the Chicago Cubs World Series victory rally on November 4, 2016, at Grant Park in Chicago, IL. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Cubs rallied in the 10th inning to win their first World Series in 108 years.
“I told them I love them,” Heyward told reporters after winning it all. “I told them I’m proud of the way they overcame everything together. I told them everyone has to look in the mirror, and know everyone contributed to this season and to where we are at this point.
“I said, ‘I don’t know how it’s going to happen, how we’re going to do it, but let’s go out and try to get a W.'”
Heyward later had stints with the Dodgers and Astros before finishing his career with the Padres last season. He finishes with 186 home runs, 730 RBIs and a .744 OPS.
It has been a busy six months since the 2025 season ended at Coors Field with a loss to the Giants, capping off the most torturous season in franchise history.
The Rockies finished 2025 on a six-game losing streak enroute to 119 total losses on the season — a number that still doesn’t quite feel real.
A lot can change over the winter.
This offseason brought sweeping changes. Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes were brought in to reshape the front office, signaling a long-overdue investment in analytics, player development, and infrastructure. A new coaching staff followed, reinforcing what the Rockies hope is a philosophical reset from top to bottom.
PECOTAprojects the Rockies for around 60 wins in 2026. That’s not contention, but a record of 60-102 would represent a 17-win improvement. No one is confusing this team with a miracle turnaround like the 2024 Royals, but for the first time in a long time, there’s at least a sense of direction.
The roster looks very different.
Over half the team has changed since last Opening Day. Kyle Karros will make his Opening Day debut, while TJ Rumfield is set for his Major League debut tonight. Overall, the roster is young — especially on the position player side, with only Brett Sullivan north of 30. The rotation is more experienced but features three new faces aiming to provide stability.
This may be the most intriguing Opening Day in franchise history — not because of expectations, but because of what could be taking shape. And it all starts tonight at loanDepot Park in Miami.
On the mound for Colorado is veteran lefty Kyle Freeland, making his franchise-record fifth Opening Day start (2019, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026). A Colorado native, Freeland enters his 10th season coming off a 5–17, 4.98 ERA campaign across 31 starts. He’s at his best working with tempo and generating weak contact, mixing a fastball, curveball, cutter, and sweeper to keep hitters off balance.
Opposing him is former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara for Miami. After returning from Tommy John surgery in 2025, the right-hander posted a 5.36 ERA over 31 starts but looked more like himself down the stretch, going 7–3 with a 3.33 ERA in his final 13 outings. He brings a balanced five-pitch mix anchored by an elite fastball.
One thing to watch early: the offense.
The Rockies quietly put together a strong spring, leading MLB with an .858 OPS andscoring 202 runs in 31 games. Just as encouraging, they cut down on strikeouts, finishing the spring with the 13th fewest.
The pitching lagged behind — posting the second-highest team ERA andallowing 209 runs — but the Rockies still finished the spring with a 15-15 record. For a team coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons, that’s meaningful progress.
The question now: do those offensive gains carry over, and can the pitching catch up?
Luis Severino gets the Opening Day nod for the Athletics against the reigning American League champion Toronto Blue Jays | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images
The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. A’s Opening Day baseball is hours, minutes or just seconds away. Granted, it’s not “our” opening day at “our’ our ballpark, we’ll have to wait another week for that celebration, but it is the start of the most promising season in recent memory.
There’s a buzz around this team that I haven’t sensed in a while, and it will all get started today as the reigning American League champs host our A’s for the weekend! Let’s hope that watching the Blue Jays hoist the American League Pennant will serve as even more motivation for this young and uber-talented team to take their play to the next level.
Taking the mound for the A’s today will be Luis Severino. The 32-year-old righty hopes to improve upon a rough first season in the Kelly-green and gold where he went 8-11 with a 4.45 ERA in 162 innings. He ended last season with a definite upswing and pitched well in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) this spring, so there is reason for optimism.
Severino will go up against 35-year-old righty Kevin Gausman. He finished the year with a 10-11 record over thirty-two starts. He logged a 3.99 ERA with 189 strikeouts for the Jays.
Gausman will face off against this lineup for Mark Kotsay’s A’s tonight at the Rogers Center in Toronto:
