Giants first-time manager Tony Vitello, who was a college coach at Tennessee last year, told reporters after the game he didn't see what caused the disagreement between his closing pitcher Erik Miller and Reds rookie Sal Stewart, who was struck out to end the game.
"I looked up and everything was going on," Vitello said. "I know the guys were joking but Miller doesn't say much to anybody, so I don't know who talked first between those guys, or if it's one-sided, but I think something was said. You know, maybe people reacted because of what went on early in the game. I didn’t have a great view."
Feb 28, 2026; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) throws a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The big league team may be off, but we got a full slate of minor league games including a pair of rehab appearances. Spencer Strider makes his first rehab appearance, while Sean Murphy makes his second appearance. Let’s take a look at who is playing around the organization today.
It’s going to be a bit easier for Will Klein to catch ’em all these days.
The Dodgers pitcher revealed on Wednesday he recently netted a custom baseball mitt that features an actual Pokemon card implanted inside of it.
Klein said the guys over at 44 Pro, who’ve created custom gloves for him and other athletes for years, surprised him with it after they out of the blue asked him what his favorite Pokemon was.
Will Klein’s new glove has a Pokemon card actually stitched inside of it.
“Obviously I said Tyranitar because that’s the only right answer,” Klein said. “They were like, ‘All right,’ and they went to work.”
Klein — a massive Pokemon fan — said he had no idea what his mitt-making friends were up to, but this week, he got an unexpected package from them wrapped in foil.
“I whip this bad boy out,” he said, “and I didn’t even know you could do anything like this.”
Will Klein called the new Pokemon-themed glove “probably now the coolest thing I own.”
The glove is all Dodger blue with some red accents, and on the webbing, a Tyrantir card can be prominently seen.
Klein said he’s unsure if he can actually use it in a game, but he nonetheless is considering it one of his most prized possessions.
“It’s probably now the coolest thing I own,” he said.
Klein later revealed in addition to Tyrantir, he’s got love for Nidoking, Flygon and Swampert — perhaps indirectly presenting a whole new set of challenges for 44 Pro folks.
Former Yankees prospect Oswald Peraza had himself some series against his former team.
The infielder helped lead the Angels to an 11-4 win over the Yankees on Thursday afternoon with a home run and three RBI that helped Los Angeles split the four-game series.
And while his teammate Mike Trout will get the headlines for his five-homer performance in the series, you can't overlook what Peraza did against the Yankees. His former manager, Aaron Boone, certainly didn't.
Peraza got the scoring started out of the cleanup spot with a two-run shot off of Max Fried to give the Angels a 2-0 lead in the first inning. But he wasn't done; his game-tying double in the sixth knocked Fried out of the game, and led to the four-run inning that gave the Angels the lead for good.
In the four-game set, Peraza started just three but went 5-for-10 with two home runs and four RBI, while playing his usual slick defense at third base. As Boone said, it was the type of offensive performance they hoped for when he eventually came up to the bigs.
“A lot of good memories here,” Peraza told the media before the series began. “It’s business, it’s baseball. Now I’m with the Angels and enjoy every day.”
While he found playing time with the Angels last season, he struggled offensively. This season, however, he's gotten off to a much better start. He has four home runs this season (18 games) when he had five all of last year (106 games), and has launched three longballs over his last five games. Overall, he's slashing .368/.478/.947 (7-for-19) with four runs, two doubles, three home runs, six RBI, four walks and two stolen bases over his last seven games.
"He looked like what we were excited about several years ago," Boone said after the game. "And then obviously, went through a couple of years of struggling. He’s super talented, always has been. He’s fast-twitched, has power, can run and can do all those things. Clearly, in as good a place as he’s been in a few years. And he absolutely hurt us in this series."
"He looked like what we were excited about several years ago...he's super talented, always has been. He absolutely hurt us this series."
Peraza joined the big league club at the end of the 2022 season and was 15-for-49 (.306) in 18 games. That offseason, there was a lot of hype surrounding Peraza and Anthony Volpe as the next generation of Yankees infielders. However, Volpe outplayed Peraza that spring and won the starting shortstop job. With DJ LeMahieu and Josh Donaldson on the roster at the time, Peraza's path to the club was blocked.
The Venezuela native would get his shot that season, but struggled at the plate, going 33-for-173 (.191) in 52 games. Peraza would start the 2024 season in the minors, but injuries and offensive struggles kept him from seeing any time with the big league club.
Peraza would get his biggest chance with the Yankees in 2025, but it was more of the same for the infielder. He slashed .152/.212/.241 with an OPS of .453 across 71 games with New York before he was ultimately traded to the Angels for a minor leaguer and international money.
Apr 16, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored nine runs while the Sacramento River Athletics scored six runs.
Brother I don’t know what that was. It was barely even baseball.
Anyhow, the Rangers dropped like ten popups and nearly lost a ridiculous, blustery finale in not-Oakland before the potential shame of blowing a 5-3 lead on a bases clearing popup kicked in and they scored four runs in the 9th to escape Yolo County with a series split.
Player of the Game: Josh Jung had three hits, scored twice, drove in two and had the most wind-aided dong you’ll ever see. It was his first homer of the year.
Up Next: The Rangers continue traveling north along the West Coast with their weekend destination bringing them to Seattle for their second look at the hated Mariners. RHP Jacob deGrom will make the start for Texas in the opener against RHP Logan Gilbert for Seattle.
The Friday evening first pitch from T-Mobile Park is scheduled for 8:40 pm CDT and you can catch it via the Rangers Sports Network.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said he's expecting coach Brian Keefe to return next season after Washington finished with the NBA's worst record.
“Yeah, I anticipate Brian Keefe to be here,” Dawkins said Thursday at his end-of-season news conference.
Keefe took over in the middle of the 2023-24 campaign, replacing Wes Unseld Jr. That was Washington’s first season under its new front office led by Michael Winger and Dawkins. The team eventually took off Keefe’s interim tag.
But the Wizards haven’t been built to win right away under Keefe. He went 8-31 in that first season, then 18-64 in 2024-25. This season Washington lost 26 of its last 27 games to go 17-65, ending any danger of the Wizards losing their first-round draft pick if it wasn’t in the top eight. It’s the first time since 1967 — when the franchise was the Baltimore Bullets — that the team finished with the league’s worst record.
“We put him in a situation this season which was a little difficult," Dawkins said. "We led the NBA in starts for players under 21. I think we had 50-plus different starting lineups. So we threw a lot at him.”
But soon, Washington hopes to turn the focus away from collecting picks and lottery odds and improve its performance on the court. There were certainly some steps in that direction this season, when the Wizards traded for both Trae Young and Anthony Davis, although Young played only five games for them and Davis didn’t play any. If both are healthy next season, Washington could be improved.
The highly touted Pirates 19-year-old shortstop spiked a throw on a potential double play in the top of the fifth inning of Thursday afternoon’s 8-7 loss to the Nationals in 10 innings — moments before launching a game-tying hit.
With one out in the fifth, Griffin fielded a weak grounder from first baseman Luis Garcia Jr., stepped on second and spiked a throw to first into the dirt that rolled into shallow right field to allow all three runners on base to score.
Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez (26) slides into Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) at second base, forcing an error and allowing two runs to score. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The umpire crew ruled runner Nasim Nuñez — whose hard slide into Griffin impacted the throw — safe at second.
The Pirates unsuccessfully challenged the play, which was scored as a throwing error.
Konnor Griffin spikes the ball into ground allowing all three runs to score on a ground ball pic.twitter.com/vELFw8KPsr
The Nationals added another run later in the inning after starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft made a throwing error of his own.
Pittsburgh rallied to tie the game at four before again falling behind 5-4 in the sixth. And that’s when Griffin made up for his miscue.
Griffin’s spiked throw rolled into shallow right field as three runs scored.Griffin made up for his miscue with a game-tying triple in the sixth inning of Thursday’s 8-7 loss. AP
In the bottom of the inning, Griffin launched a ball to center — missing his first career home run by inches — before it caromed far enough for a game-tying RBI triple.
He recorded another hit in the 10th inning on a weak grounder down the third base line, but the Pirates failed to tie the game.
The whirlwind performance encapsulated Griffin’s first few weeks in the majors.
Entering Thursday, Griffin was hitting .189/.279/.243 with five RBIs while striking out 12 times in 37 at-bats.
Griffin, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect in baseball entering 2026, was called up in early April after hitting a scorching .438/.571/.625 in five Triple-A contests.
The ninth-overall pick in the 2024 draft hit an eye-popping .333/.415/.527 with 21 homers, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases over 122 games between three levels in 2025, his first professional season.
Trout demolished a solo home run off of reliever Angel Chivilli in the seventh inning. With that blast, he became the first visiting player ever to hit home runs on four consecutive days against the Yankees (h/t Sarah Langs).
“It means a lot,” Trout told FanDuel Sports Network West after the game. “Obviously, there’s been a lot of great players who have played here. It’s awesome.”
Trout, a three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star, has seen injury issues derail him over the past few seasons, but he was in vintage Mike Trout mode in this series, hitting five home runs and driving in nine.
“He’s not chasing, and he’s deadly in some certain parts of the zone,” Aaron Boone said after the game. “Chivilli, really the entire at-bat against him I thought executed pretty well, and then all of a sudden he goes back to that changeup and he hammers it. Look, he’s clearly healthy and he’s an all-time great... Hurt us this series.
“There are some places that you can go to execute against him, but we weren’t able to do that enough this series.”
“It’s great to see a guy like him…. Obviously not against us, but he’s one of the greatest in this spot and he’s showing it,” added Jose Caballero. “Congrats to him, he’s amazing.”
And while Trout was putting on a tremendous power display, Yankees captain Aaron Judge was nearly just as incredible, hitting four homers of his own while driving in five.
In the first game of the series on Monday, both Trout and Judge homered twice each.
“Yeah, it was really fun,” Trout said. “That first game set it off… It was a fun series.”
“It was a cool, cool showing from him and Judgey all series,” said Giancarlo Stanton, who also homered on Thursday. “Obviously, we don’t want that against us, but you’ve got to acknowledge the great. It was a deciding factor today, so not what we want, but obviously a great talent.”
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 15: Colt Keith #33 of the Detroit Tigers bats (wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson) during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After a rain delay at Comerica Park, the Tigers were looking to wrap up their hopeful sweep of the Royals before heading to Boston for the weekend to take on the Red Sox. Hoping to get them there was Keider Montero on the mound, up against Kris Bubic for the Royals. Montero has had a decent start to his season and has a lot to prove, so he’s showing up eager to each start. The Tigers have floundered this series in terms of converting runs, with two 2-1 wins. They’d also be down one Zach McKinstry as he dealt with a slew of injuries from Wednesday night’s game and the Tigers were taking a wait-and-see approach to decide the best course for him.
When things finally got underway, the Royals went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first. Gleyber Torres got a leadoff walk to start the home half, but a flyout and a double play quickly kiboshed the Tigers’ efforts.
Salvador Perez singled to start the second inning. There was a brief pause in play as it looked like Perez jammed his finger getting to first, but he stayed in the game. Three outs followed, leaving the man stranded and the score still at goose eggs. In the home half, Riley Greene got a one-out walk, but was then eliminated in a force out off the bat of Matt Vierling. A wild pitch allowed Vierling to advance to second, then a Spencer Torkelson double brought Vierling home and put the Tigers on the board. They’d need to settle for just the one run, but it was a good start.
In the top of the third, the Royals went 1-2-3 again. The Tigers, likewise, went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
Bobby Witt Jr. started the fourth with a double. He’s been a relatively minor pest this series, so we were due. With two outs, Carter Jensen singled, bringing Witt home and tying up the game. Feels familiar. In the home half, Dillon Dingler hit a one-out double, followed by a Riley Green single. Dingler was tagged out at home trying for the go-ahead run. Greene ended up on second. A wild pitch then allowed Greene to advance to third. Game hero Matt Vierling then singled, bringing Greene home and putting the Tigers ahead again. 2-1 game, feeling some deja vu right now.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Michael Massey singled for the Royals, but two outs followed. In the home half, Javier Baez got a one-out walk, then Gleyber Torres followed that up with a double to bring Baez home. The 2-1 curse is broken! One out later, Jahmai Jones singled, bringing Torres in. That was it for Bubic, who was replaced by John Schreiber, who then gave up a two-run homer to Dingler. A mighty big inning for the Tigers.
Keider Montero certainly had to be grateful for that extra buffer going into the sixth, especially after he gave up a leadoff double to Bobby Witt Jr. With one out, Perez hit a sac fly to bring Witt home, and that made all the Tigers very grateful for that cushion. In the home half, Alex Lange came out of the Royals’ bullpen. He gave up a leadoff single to Matt Vierling, who then stole second. Jeez, Vierling, what’s gotten into you, we love it! A Spencer Torkelson single pushed Vierling to third. Three outs in a row followed, however, leaving Vierling 90 feet from home.
The Royals love doubles. Jonathan India got the seventh inning going with a leadoff double. A Jac Caglianone single then brought India home, and that was it for Montero. His final line for the game was 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K on 83 pitches. Lots of contact unfortunately, but not the worst start we’ve seen this season. The run support really helped. Drew Anderson came in to replace him. A pinch-hitting Lane Thomas walked. There was then a very lengthy game break for the home plate umpire to… go to the clubhouse? He didn’t appear to be injured, so perhaps nature just made an unfortunately timed call. There was some umpire shuffling and the game resumed. A Kyle Isbel bunt advanced both baserunners. A Maikel Garcia single then scored Caglianone. A Witt single then scored Thomas and suddenly that lead wasn’t looking so healthy anymore. Anderson was then pulled, replaced by Tyler Holton. A wild pitch by Holton advanced Witt, and then a Perez home run scored three runs to put the Royals ahead. At this point there was a lengthy game delay because of inclement weather. We gotta keep it dramatic, I guess. After the delay, Holton was done, replaed by Enmanuel De Jesus who gave up a single to Jensen. The final out of the inning came with no additional damage done, but it was plenty bad enough already.
Nick Mears came in for the Royals in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a leadoff triple to Kevin McGonigle. A sac fly from a pinch-hitting Kerry Carpenter brought McGonigle home, putting the Tigers back within one run of tying.
Dillon Dingler hit a long fly and Isbel came out of nowhere (well, out of center field) for one of the best catches I’ve seen in ages. I mean, it sucks that he caught it, but credit where credit is due. Riley Greene then doubled. Colt Keith came on for Vierling, and Keith missed a couple of opportunities to make good ABS challenges, but instead, he grounded out to end the inning.
In the top of the eighth, Thomas got a one-out single. With two outs in the inning, De Jesus was done, making way for Connor Seabold. Seabold got the final out of the inning. Daniel Lynch IV came on for the Royals, and the Tigers quickly went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
The Royals extended their lead in the ninth as Vinnie Pasquantino got a one-out solo home run. The Tigers had at least two run to make up now to tie the game, three if they were going to get a walk-off win, and it was all down to the bottom of the ninth inning. Lucas Erceg was out for the Royals. Torres got a leadoff single. McGonigle finally remembered the team had all their ABS challenges and had a called strike overturned into a walk, putting two on. Riley Greene laced a run right down the right field line, scoring two runs to tie up the game. Colt Keith then hit a walk-off single, scoring Greene and the Tigers actually had a comeback miracle. They also completed the series sweep.
The matchup for the 2026 NBA Mexico City Game is set.
USA TODAY Sports has learned that the Denver Nuggets will face the Indiana Pacers at Arena CDMX on Nov. 7, 2026, marking the 35th NBA contest played in the city since 1992.
It’s an intriguing matchup that should feature a fully healthy Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers star point guard who missed the entire 2025-26 season as he recovered from the torn Achilles tendonsuffered during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The Pacers are also likely to end up with a top selection in the 2026 NBA Draft after they finished with the second-worst record (19-63) in the league.
The Nuggets, one of the premier teams in the Western Conference, are led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, who averaged a triple-double this season. This will mark the second game in Mexico that the Nuggets play, while the Pacers will be making the trip for the first time.
And, for the third consecutive season, the game will coincide with the Día de los Muertos festivities across the country. To commemorate that, the game will be played on a themed court.
The NBA has continued to expand its reach across Latin America, with Mexico as its most prominent market. In fact, removing the U.S. and Canada, both of which are home to current and former NBA franchises (including the Vancouver Grizzlies), no country has hosted more NBA games than Mexico since 1992, when the first NBA game was played in the country.
That game, an Oct. 27 preseason matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, spawned a relationship that will enter its 34th year when the Pacers and Nuggets square off.
"The NBA Mexico City Game continues to give fans in Mexico a front‑row connection to the league, its teams and its players," Raul Zarraga, NBA Latin America and Canada senior vice president and head of operations, said in a statement. "Hosting our 35th game in the country reflects the depth of the NBA’s relationship with Mexico and the role this event plays in bringing the global game to fans locally, across Latin America and around the world."
The NBA will make the formal announcement with Zignia Live, a live event promoter, about the matchup Thursday, April 16. As is typical with the NBA’s international games, the league will offer social programs and activities in Mexico City to engage with the local community.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 12: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts after a double during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 12, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here’s the Orioles lineup:
Orioles 4/16
T. Ward LF G. Henderson DH P. Alonso 1B J. Rodríguez RF S. Basallo C J. Jackson 2B C. Mayo 3B L. Taveras CF B. Alexander SS
Mike Trout punctuated his outstanding series in The Bronx by making some Yankee Stadium history.
The Angels superstar launched another home run against the Yankees during Anaheim’s 11-4 win Thursday afternoon, his fifth blast of the four-game set, putting himself in the record books.
Trout’s 446-foot solo homer in the seventh inning made him the first visiting player in history to homer in four straight days at Yankee Stadium, per MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.
Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout hits a home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees on April 16, 2026. APTrout made history by becoming the first visiting player in history to homer in four straight games at Yankee Stadium. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
After struggling through a myriad of injuries over the past five seasons, the three-time MVP’s performance turned back the clock to his peak form — a reminder of the dominance that once made him the game’s most feared hitter.
On Tuesday, Trout, Jo Adell and Jorge Soler went back-to-back-to-back in the first inning against lefty Ryan Weathers as the Angels slugged their way to a 7-1 win.
Trout hit a go-ahead home run off Luis Gil in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s tilt, a game the Yankees rallied to win on a walk-off hit by José Caballero.
On Thursday, the Yankees led 3-2 going into the sixth inning before the Angels’ offense erupted for nine total runs across three of the final four frames.
Trout’s latest blast came against reliever Angel Chivilli, who was making his Yankees debut, putting the Angels ahead 7-4.
Adell hit a grand slam in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
Trout’s solo blast came against reliever Angel Chivilli who was making his Yankees debut. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Judge, who hit his fourth home run of the series in Thursday’s loss, had high praise for Trout earlier in the week.
“He’s the greatest… he’s the greatest of all-time,” Judge told reporters after the sluggers each slugged two bombs apiece Monday night. “He’s been fun to watch his whole career.
“Coming up at such a young age and to instantly put yourself at the top of the list, it’s special. He’s led those boys over there for quite a few years. I know he’s had some tough injuries over the years but [it’s great] to see himself put himself back in a better spot.”
Trout is now tied for second in the majors in home runs with seven, trailing Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker and Judge (eight).
“Every time he comes to The Bronx, he puts on a show, I hate to see it,” Judge added with a laugh.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 16: Luka Doncic #77 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Phoenix Suns on March 16, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Unfortunately for the Lakers, there hasn’t been much positive injury news regarding their two biggest stars, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Both missed the last five games of the regular season and have been ruled out indefinitely. Reaves is dealing with a Grade 2 oblique strain with a timetable of 4-6 weeks, and Dončić is suffering from a hamstring strain.
While Reaves has remained in LA, focused on returning to the court, Dončić went to Spain for “specialized medical treatment” to speed up his recovery.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has already confirmed the duo will be out to start the playoff series against the Rockets, and a recent article by Dave McMenamin of ESPN indicates that the franchise is moving forward assuming neither will play at any point during this series.
And as they prepare for it, sources told ESPN they have no expectation of having either Doncic or Reaves back at any point in the first round. But they also have not completely ruled out the possibility of one or both of them becoming available the longer the series lasts.
It’s a devastating blow for the Lakers if they have to play an entire playoff series without their two best players. Luka was the NBA’s leading scorer and averaged 33.5 points per game. It’s not just Dončić’s scoring that will be missed, he averaged 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game as well.
Reaves is just as important, averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game during the regular season. The only positive here is that the Lakers have been able to prepare with the understanding that they’ll be playing without their starting backcourt.
For now, they just have to focus on figuring out how to outrebound the Rockets, limit turnovers, win Game 1 and ultimately this series.
And if Reaves or Dončić can make an appearance late in the first round against the Rockets, that’d be a great best-case scenario. Until then, though, they will have to try to extend their season without them.
Apr 16, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; /41/ talks with Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Patrick Corbin (46) and Toronto Blue Jays catcher Tyler Heineman (55) in the fourth inning against there Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Blue Jays 1 at Brewers 2
For the second straight day, the Jays took an early lead on the Brewers, failed to build on it, and then were undone by some small ball as they fell 2-1 to the Brewers and dropped yet another series 2-1.
It’s particularly unfortunate since Patrick Corbin was in the fine form of his heydays in the late-aughts, working into the six th inning with a final line of 5.2, allowing only 4 hits and a walk while striking out 6. If there was a blemish it was allowing leadoff hits in three innings, including the 4th inning in which he yielded his only run. Brice Turang and Williams Contreras hammered balls for a double and single to put runners at the corners with none out, but Corbin limited the damage to a sac fly.
After retiring the first two in the 6th, John Schneider apparently wasn’t willing to give him a chance to finish the inning, and it almost cost him as Tommy Nance’s trip through the heart of the order was…bad. And nearly disasterous. Another single for Contreras followed by a walk to Gary Sanchez created a jam, before a flare on the infield ended the inning.
Having already skirted danger, the second time proved the undoing as Nance walked Garrett Mitchell leading off the 7th. Then the Brewers executed the ball, bunting him to second before David Hamilton beat out a perfect bunt off Joe Mantiply and Joey Ortiz brought the run home with yet another bunt which proved ultimately decisive.
The very questionable wisdom of using Tommy Nance against the middle of the order in a critical situation aside, let’s the honest that real fault lies however witb the offense. In fairness, Brandon Sproat despite poor numbers thus far was was very good (as I’ve seen him do in the minors many times in the Mets’ system), and one run a game just isn’t going to get things done. In three of the first five innings, the Jays went down in order. The 4th had a ground rule double by Lenyn Sosa, but with two out so not exactly a prime scoring opportunity.
The exception was the 3rd, with Andres Gimenez grounding a double to lead off before Ernie Clement cracked a single. The Jays did a little small ball of their own as Tyler Heinemann laid down a bunt to push the run across. But that was it after a couple flyouts at the top of the order. Was small ball the right call? One one hand, you’re not scoring much and it’s your backup catcher. On the other hand, with the top of the order up you still have to cash the runner without a hit (and Davis Schneider’s fly ball would have), and you hurt the chance of a big inning.
Wherever you come out on that, the bigger issue was squandered a golden opportunity to retake the lead and even maybe put up a crooked number (perish the thought). Schndier walked leading off the 6th, with Varsho singling behind him and the heart of the order up. But Vladdy grounded into a double, and there went any wind out of their sails. He did single leading off the 9th, but three ground outs ended things. If you’re going to only reach base 7 times, you’d better take advantage of the opportunities you do get.
Jays of the Day: Corbin (+0.21 WPA)
Boo Jays: By the numbers, Okamoto (-0.20), Sosa (-0.13), Mantiply (-0.11) and Jesus Sanchez (-0.10). But it really feels like Vladdy (-0.06) belongs there too, and Nance (-0.02) too. Really it could just be the entire lineup for the last two days in toto.
Stymied twice now in the Midwest, the Jays will move on and try their luck out West, in Arizona Friday when Eric Lauer will take on a rejuvenated Michael Soroka with the late 9:30 ET start time.
Through the first six series of the season, the Orioles are sitting with a .500 record and have played exactly like a .500 baseball team. Tonight in Cleveland, manager Craig Albernaz will take on his former team, looking to prove that the Orioles can rise above their recent mediocrity.
The O’s come into Cleveland with a 9-9 record, 77 runs scored vs. 78 allowed, the 16th-ranked offense in runs/game, and the 14th-best team ERA. Eight of their nine losses have come by three runs or less, while six of their nine victories have also come by small margins.
The talent on this team is better than the record suggests, but some mental lapses, poor defense, and the occasional bullpen have left Birdland wanting more. Shane Baz, the O’s starter who perhaps most epitomizes “leaves you wanting more,” takes the mound tonight in Progressive Field, looking to put the O’s back above .500.
Baz took the loss his last time out against San Francisco, as he scattered nine hits across five innings while allowing three runs. In his only road start of the season, 12 days ago in Pittsburgh, he dazzled—finishing with a final line of 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, and 5 K.
Baz has the tools to be a dominant starter; namely, his fastball that sits at 97 and touches triple digits, paired with his sharp knuckle curve. Results haven’t always matched his stuff, though, with opponents hitting .529 with a .824 slugging percentage against his heater through three starts.
The 26-year-old right-hander will make his second start of his career in Cleveland, after pitching in Progressive Field for the first time last year. That night, Baz took the L, despite putting up a quality start of 6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, and 7 K.
Opposing the Orioles No. 3 starter is rookie left-hander Parker Messick. A former Florida State Seminole and Cleveland’s No. 5 prospect, Messick has acclimated quickly to the majors, allowing only one run over 17.2 innings in his first three starts. Last time out against the Braves, he tossed 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and punching out five.
The O’s did well facing their first left-handed starter of the season yesterday, tagging Arizona’s Eduardo Rodríguez for four runs and six hits over five innings. With normal lefty mashers Ryan Mountcastle, Tyler O’Neill, and Adley Rutschman on the IL, Albernaz turns to former Guardian Johnathan Rodríguez as he looks to beat his mentor Stephen Vogt, and the Guardians.
