Category: Sports News

Team News

Michael Soroka gives Diamondbacks another strong impression in win over Braves

“I think we fell behind a little more than we would have liked, but (catcher Gabriel Moreno) and I made some good decisions with some pitches late in counts, good pitches with guys in scoring position, let the defense work and got the win,” Soroka said. “I’ve competed as well as I could have hoped. I think that’s the big thing. You’re not going to have everything working on every day, and obviously the finish on pitches was a little bit better last time out.”

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/michael-soroka-braves/3616854/

Sewald flushes loss with dinner and a movie, then earns clutch save for Soroka

“I went in the training room and did the exact same stuff,” Sewald said. “If I had struck out the side, I would have done the same thing. And so, you just go home and I had dinner and watched a movie, and then we came back today, and, like I said, the easiest way to flush it is just to pitch right away.” https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/michael-soroka-throwing-error-help-d-backs-beat-braves

D-backs Win Ugly Game Over Braves Without Recording an RBIhttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/d-backs-win-ugly-game-braves-without-recording-rbi

Torey Lovullo says Diamondbacks need to stop chasing pitches out of strike zone

“Our chase rate is extremely high right now,” Lovullo said. “If we zone in, try not to do too much, wait for our pitch, it‘s the art of hitting and the beauty of baseball. When you do it, it’s sweet music. When you chase, you get yourself into bad counts. Pitchers have nasty stuff. You’ve got to slow the game down, swing at strikes, see the baseball, understand what the at-bat is asking for. That’s the simplicity of hitting for me. We’re a little bit anxious trying to do too much, in my opinion.”

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/torey-lovullo-stop-chasing-pitches/3616821/

D-backs’ Lawlar expected to miss 6-8 weeks with fractured wrist
“It’s frustrating,” Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen said. “I’m sure he’s frustrated more than we are. He looked great. He was doing a really good job in the outfield, and he was having great at-bats. We’re going to miss him, but we’ll keep the train going until he comes back.”

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/jordan-lawlar-broken-wrist

Michael Soroka is Creating a Tough Decision for the Diamondbackshttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/michael-soroka-creating-tough-decision-diamondbacks

The Real Reason Eduardo Rodriguez Has Looked so Much Better in 2026https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/real-reason-eduardo-rodriguez-better-2026

Other Baseball

Breaking down Jo Adell’s three home run robberies
https://www.mlb.com/news/jo-adell-home-run-robbery-breakdown

Murakami rips 1st Chicago long ball, becomes fastest Japanese player to 4 MLB HRshttps://www.mlb.com/news/munetaka-murakami-hits-his-first-home-run-in-chicago

7 of our favorite fun early season stats
https://www.mlb.com/news/fun-early-2026-mlb-season-stats

Rhett Lowder sets Reds record with 1.30 ERA through 8 startshttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48400921/rhett-lowder-sets-reds-record-130-era-8-starts

Mookie Betts Leaves Game Due To Back Injury, Will Undergo MRIhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/04/mookie-betts-leaves-game-due-to-back-injury-will-undergo-mri.html

Juan Soto Day To Day With “Minor Strain” In Right Calfhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/04/juan-soto-to-undergo-mri-for-possible-calf-injury.html

Tigers Place Justin Verlander On 15-Day Injured Listhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/04/tigers-place-justin-verlander-on-15-day-injured-list.html

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-5

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/April_5

Paramount has 22 stars in their logo.

The 22 stars represent the twenty-two actors and actresses that were originally contracted to work for the studio in the year 1916. However, 24 actors were contracted, but only 22 were honored. 

Only 2 animals enjoy spicy food.

Humans and tree shrews are the only known species to seek out spice. Next time you chicken out of those extra hot wings, you can be assured there’s nothing wrong with you.

Originally, tennis was played with bare hands.

During the 12th century, Tennis was first played in France. The game was played by using your palm to hit the ball back to your opponent. 

Yesterday’s game saw this San Diego Padres club do something it hasn’t shown yet this season: fight.

After having a 2-1 lead over the Boston Red Sox for most of the game (in large part due to Randy Vásquez’s sheer force of will), Adrian Morejon came in to pitch the eighth inning. He had hoped to put his struggles from Wednesday’s outing behind him (he did not).

His command struggled, and he gave up back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. He got a big strikeout against Trevor Story before getting Andruw Monasterio to ground out.

Unfortunately, what would have been an inning-ending double play got botched on a low throw from Morejon to Jake Cronenworth. Luckily, the bleeding stopped there, with Morejon able to strike out Willson Contreras to get into the ninth.

But then there’s a problem. San Diego still had to face one of the most dominant relievers in baseball in Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman got two quick outs before Fernando Tatis Jr. redeemed his day (four strikeouts) with a double to center field. That set the table for the red-hot bat of Ramón Laureano to bring him around on a single to left.

That gave the Friars a one-run lead. It was all they would need.

Mason Miller came in to slam the door and did so exceptionally — flirting with an immaculate inning before throwing the first pitch to his third batter for ball one. He still struck out all three to cap off the win for San Diego.

Taking the mound

Ranger Suarez (BOS) v. Walker Buehler (SD)

Despite their incredibly different offseasons, Buehler and Suarez had incredibly similar debuts with their new clubs.

Suarez got off to a rough start after inking a five-year, $130 million deal with Boston this offseason. He was a quick pivot after the club failed to re-sign free agent Alex Bregman.

He figured to be a valuable No. 2 behind Garrett Crochet but started the season in the fourth slot of the rotation.

His performance against the Houston Astros Monday night didn’t help his case to be moved up.

Across only 4 1/3 innings in Boston’s 8-1 loss, he gave up four runs on seven hits.

But Suarez has historically dominated San Diego, holding the team to a .237/.284/.316 slash line. He could do the same as he looks to bounce back from a less-than-memorable debut.

Buehler similarly struggled, giving up three runs on five hits across four innings pitched.

After a dominant two innings, he gave up a home run to Harrison Bader and couldn’t find the zone after that. He got himself into hitter’s counts seven times across his final 12 batters.

But he was mostly solid. Three runs should not be insurmountable, but, thus far, it has been for this San Diego club.

With Buehler returning to Boston to face the club he spent most of 2025 with, maybe the Friars finally can turn up the offense.

Batter up!

With the Padres facing another lefty in Suarez after rookie Connelly Early yesterday, manager Craig Stammen will probably use the same experimental lineup that he went with.

That being said, Ty France will probably be traded out for Gavin Sheets at first base so the lineup may look more like this:

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Ramón Laureano, LF
3. Jackson Merrill, CF
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Miguel Andujar, DH
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Gavin Sheets, 1B
8. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
9. Luis Campusano, C

It was a surprise to see Sheets out of the lineup after his fantastic performance on Wednesday’s game (2-3, 2 2Bs, RBI, BB) so he’ll likely get the start today.

Andujar hit exceptionally for the first time this season, going 3-for-5. Bryce Johnson took over for Merrill in center field but will defer to the starting center fielder in today’s game.

Despite his bat being quite cold to start the season, Machado took his walks yesterday. He walked in his first three plate appearances, showing discipline against the Red Sox starter.

Relief corps

After Vásquez’s second solid outing, the Friars only had to use three of their relievers. Unfortunately, due to the close game, all three were high-leverage options in Jeremiah Estrada, Morejon, and Miller.

That still leaves solid options with Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta, and Bradgley Rodriguez. Of the five, Morgan is the highest leverage choice.

For the ninth, Miller could still come out to pitch in a save situation if the Padres feel it’s needed. But if it’s a rout by either team, he’ll stay in the ‘pen for the upcoming Pittsburgh Pirates series.

Yes, I know that for any Cubs fan, the words “Cade Horton to injured list” in a headline gives feelings of dread.

But here we are. Horton was placed on the injured list today, the move retroactive to Saturday.

For pitchers, the IL is 15 days. The “fortunate” thing, if there is one regarding this stint, is that the Cubs have two off days during that span. Horton will be eligible to return April 19. With those off days, it’s possible Horton, if deemed healthy, could start that day against the Mets, thus missing only two starts.

In any case, we will have to wait until Tuesday, probably, for any updates. After Friday’s game, manager Craig Counsell suggested that Horton would stay with the team Saturday, return to Chicago Sunday and probably have imaging done Monday. Until then, as always, we await developments.

Left-hander Riley Martin was called up from Triple-A Iowa to take Horton’s spot on the 26-man active roster. Martin was the Cubs’ sixth-round pick in 2021 out of Quincy University in western Illinois, and this will be his first call-up to the major leagues at age 28.

Right-hander Ethan Roberts will join the team Sunday as the 27th man for the doubleheader.

Martin has made one appearance for Iowa this year, starting last Tuesday vs. Louisville and throwing 47 pitches over three innings. He allowed three hits and one run and struck out three. This hints that Martin would be stretched out for a long-relief role and one of the two long relievers currently in the Cubs pen, Colin Rea or Ben Brown, would slot into Horton’s rotation spot, which next comes up Wednesday in Tampa.

Welcome Riley Martin to the Cubs, and honestly, how can you not love a success story like this? (Bluesky link)

Today’s doubleheader preview will post at 10 a.m. CT.

Robbing a home run is a special feeling for an outfielder.

Imagine doing it three times in one game, to help your team preserve a 1-0 win?

That is exactly what Los Angeles Angeles outfielder Jo Adell did on Saturday night, pulling back three would-be home runs to help the Angels secure a 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.

His thievery began in the top of the first, when he climbed the wall in right field to deny Cal Raleigh of a potential solo shot:

The outfielder was just getting warmed up.

Zach Neto blasted a 443-foot home run in the bottom of the first to stake Los Angeles to an early 1-0 lead, which the Angels held deep into the contest. But that lead was threatened in the top of the eighth inning, when Seattle’s Josh Naylor lofted a drive deep to right field.

Enter Adell:

Adell was clearly fired up after this catch, clapping and then slapping his chest in celebration.

The celebrations would be even bigger in the top of the ninth.

J.P. Crawford led off the final inning with a blast towards the right-field corner. Adell raced over from his spot in right field and launched himself skyward to track down the fly ball, crashing into the first row of the bleachers.

He then held up his glove — with the ball inside — while still standing among the fans to show his third robbery of the night:

Here is another angle of Adell’s third dramatic catch of the night:

Adell’s defensive performance earned praise from none other than former outfielder Torii Hunter, who works in the Angels’ front office. The former outfielder called Adell’s night “probably the greatest defensive game I’ve seen.

“I’ve never seen three home run robberies in one game, and I’ve never seen a guy on the third one fall into the stands, catch the ball and keep his feet in like he’s a wide receiver,” Hunter added. “I was jumping up and down. I almost passed out.”

Adell, who was a Gold Glove finalist in 2024, talked about the three plays after the game, crediting “grit” for the third.

“After the first one, I was pretty fired up,” Adell said. “When I got to the second one, which looked identical to the first, I thought, ‘Wow, my routes are on point tonight.’ The third one was just grit. Top of the ninth, you have to get it done. It was crazy.

“You just get there, then it’s decision-making. The ball was hit high enough to where I could get there. I watched it (into my glove), fell over and ended up in somebody’s lap. I don’t know who it was, but it was a softer landing than I expected. The fans were as fired up as me.”

According to Sports Info Solutions, a sports data service, Adell is the first player with three home run robberies in a single game since they began tracking that statistic in 2004:

So yes, you can make the case this was the best defensive performance ever.

The early years of the Yankees’ franchise famously weren’t great until they acquired a certain Babe Ruth. There were some good seasons here and there, occasional pennant chases, and a few superb individual seasons. They just never got to the World Series or brought home a title until Ruth began donning the pinstripes in the 1920s.

However, it would be a disservice to act like franchise history only began on the day that Ruth’s sale from the Red Sox went through. Plenty of players had a role in getting the franchise to that point. Today happens to be the 149th birthday of one notable Highlander: Wid Conroy.

William Edward “Wid” Conroy
Born: April 5, 1877 (Philadelphia, PA)
Died: December 6, 1959 (Mount Holly, NJ)
Yankees Tenure: 1903-08

Conroy was born in Philadelphia but was mostly raised in neighboring Camden, NJ. He gained his nickname as a youth in Camden, as it was “Widow,” eventually shortened to “Wid.” His SABR bio says that people began calling him that name because he used to look out for younger kids in the neighborhood and had what was described as a “motherly interest.” I’m basically imagining a bunch of kids in flat caps roaming around, all talking like they’re in the movie Newsies.

Conroy also developed an interest in baseball as a youth, which led to a career in the sport. Conroy first caught on with a pro team in 1896 with the Carlisle (PA) Colts. His travels eventually led him to a stint with the (first) Milwaukee Brewers of the American League. His second season in Milwaukee was in 1901, which was the first in which the AL was recognized as a “major league.”

However after 1901, Conroy jumped over to the National League and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. (The Brewers themselves decamped for St. Louis, where they became the Browns.) While in the Steel City, he notably got into a fight with the Cubs’ Joe Tinker—of “Tinker to Evers to Chance” fame—leading to him receiving a 20-game suspension.

Ahead of the 1903 campaign, Conroy became one of a number of Pirates who jumped to the AL and joined the league’s new New York Highlanders. The 1902 Bucs utterly dominated their opposition en route to a 103-victory, pennant-winning season, with a staggering .741 winning percentage over 140 games that would equate to a record 120 in a 162-game slate. The upstart AL attempted to poach several of the team’s starts, as the league was still trying to find its footing. Rumors about that began going around the Pittsburgh clubhouse before the 1902 season, and Conroy ended up as one of a couple Pirates branded as a “spy” for the AL. In the end, Conroy and several of the team’s stars made the jump to New York, including future Hall of Fame pitcher Jack Chesbro. Things ended up alright for the Pirates though, as Conroy’s departure opened up the regular shortstop position, which ended up occupied by Honus Wagner instead.

While they made runs at Boston and Chicago for the AL pennant in 1904 and 1906, respectively, the Highlanders often weren’t great during Conroy’s tenure at Hilltop Park. However, Conroy himself frequently fell within the range of decent-to-very good. Upon coming to New York, Conroy moved to third base, with the team already employing a decent shortstop in Kid Elberfeld. Modern stats state that he was worth 10.7 fWAR and 11.5 rWAR for the Highlanders from 1903-06.

Conroy’s best overall season came in 1904, when New York came agonizingly close to toppling the defending World Series champions for the AL pennant. At the plate, he peaked in 1905, when his .723 OPS equated to a 120 OPS+.

By 1908, Conroy’s hitting skills had fallen off, and the Highlanders sold him to the Washington Senators. He spent the last three seasons of his MLB career there. Conroy continued playing on in the minors for a little while after that and later managed the Elmira Colonels to the 1914 New York State League pennant. He also spent some time as a major league coach for the Phillies. He did appear on the 1945 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, but fell off after receiving only one vote.

After leaving baseball, Conroy settled back in New Jersey. On a sad note, the son who was named after him was killed in action at age-23 while serving as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II. Conroy passed away himself in 1959 at the age of 82.

Conroy is by no means an all-time franchise great nor a Hall of Famer. However, he was one of the first notable players in Yankees history, and that’s something.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Society has advanced past the need for Jo Adell. Happy Sunday everybody!

In Mariners news…

• After exiting Friday’s game early, Brendan Donovan was absent from last night’s lineup versus the Angels. Ryan Divish caught up with him before the game and it seems like he is ok and the Mariners are just being cautious.
• Should Brendan need to miss an extended period of time, Colt Emerson would presumably be the next man up, so it’s of the utmost important that he stays healthy at all costs.

Around the league…

• Juan Soto left Friday’s game in the first inning with tightness in his calf. Soto got an MRI yesterday afternoon that revealed a minor calf strain and he’ll be day-to-day for the time being.
• Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts exited yesterday’s game after aggravating his lower back while running the bases.
• Justin Verlander was scratched from his first start at home in Detroit yesterday and placed on the 15-day IL with inflammation in his left hip.
• All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk was placed on the 10-day IL with a fracture in his catching thumb. Kirk and the Blue Jays will find out on Monday if surgery is required.
• Being born on the same day as your baseball team sounds like the plot to a truly delightful romantic comedy, instead it’s reality for this Nationals fan, who took their ceremonial “first sip” on the field before the start of yesterday’s game in D.C. Worth noting, I’ve seen many people take their first sip of beer. I remember my own first sip of beer. That was not her first sip of beer.

Nick’s pick…

• The Masters, one of my personal favorite sporting events of the entire calendar, starts on Thursday. With it comes memories of last year’s incredible tournament that saw Rory McIlroy finally secure the career Grand Slam after eleven years of trying, a moment that was captured beautifully by legendary photographer Ken Griffey Jr.

The last time Giancarlo Stanton stole a base in a regular-season game, there were no fans in the stands because of the pandemic. The pitch clock was years away, let alone automatic balls and strikes.

But even then, a half-decade ago in August of 2020, he was a few years removed from his last healthy season. Even then, the big-bodied slugger seemed worn enough that his best years were behind him, and that his future would be determined by how much he could produce in the limited duty that body would allow as it aged. 

So when Stanton took off for second base in the Yankees’ 9-7 win Saturday night, advanced on a ground ball, then scampered home on a passed ball to provide a much-needed run in the seventh, it highlighted the ways in which he has spent the first week of this season — and really, most of last — defying an aging process that has not always been kind to him. 

“The boys were fired up,” Cody Bellinger said. “…he’s just playing really well. It’s really good to see.”

It must be noted that Stanton did steal a base in the 2024 ALDS, but a regular-season base — when the stakes are not as high nor the urgency to win the same — signals something different.

Stanton, now 36, is four seasons removed from his last All-Star appearance, not to mention nearly a decade removed from his only career MVP Award. Focus has always been on his health, most recently elbows, which pushed him to the injured list last year. 

But despite his disclosure that those elbows are not well enough to “open a bag of chips,” Stanton spent spring training hitting near home run after near home run while hitting four real ones in 11 games. So far in the regular season, he is hitting .393 with a 1.004 OPS. It was his two-run single in the bottom of the eighth that put the Yankees ahead for good in a back-and-forth game. 

“You go back to the end of ‘24 and the playoff run in ‘24 and what he was, then last year, he might have been as good as ever when he came back [from injury],” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said this weekend. “He was such a massive presence in the middle of our order, as he was in ‘24. I feel there was real consistency to what he was doing. Despite being older, man, he’s still so good — and in a lot of ways better.”

Boone was right about Stanton being as good as ever in 2025: In 77 games, Stanton hit .273 with 24 homers for a .944 OPS. Over a full 162, that would project to 50 homers — his second-highest single-season total ever.

How about the wheels on Giancarlo Stanton? 😤

He steals second base and then later runs home to score on a wild pitch! pic.twitter.com/6V5VnyLZgQ

— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2026

Of course, the reason Stanton only has one 50-homer season to his name is health, not talent. And after his stolen base, he would not go so far as to agree with the idea that taking off for second suggests his legs must be healthier than ever. 

“I’m out there playing,” Stanton said. “So we’re good.”

Perhaps obviously, Stanton will not play anywhere close to 162 games this year precisely so the Yankees can ensure he is available to reemerge as a postseason buzzsaw when they need him in October. 

Still, his resurgence serves as a reminder of how prolific he has been when healthy: For example, coming into Sunday’s series finale, Stanton is 46 home runs away from 500 in his career. He likely will not get enough at-bats to reach that number this season, in part because it is better for the Yankees that he be healthy in October than chase history in September. Still, the way he is hitting in the at-bats he is taking suggests one of the best-ever versions of one of this era’s best pure sluggers might be back. 

“I just think he’s gotten great at the preparation game for him personally: What does he need to do mentally, physically to be ready to go up and produce in a game,” Boone said. “He is just so mentally tough and disciplined to what he has to do that you really sense that and feel that being around him the last several years.” 

Stanton has always been one of this team’s more respected clubhouse pillars — less publicly-facing than Judge and quieter than the rest, but as perceptive and even-keeled as they come. He did not need to produce like he did in the old days to be crucial to the success of this era of Yankees. But as they boast a team with all the necessary pieces to challenge for a title, it certainly would not hurt.

The Red Sox have taken some flak for their rocky start in this young season, and I’m about to pile on. It’s about the pelvic thrust hit celebration. I’ll say up front that I don’t care about being “family friendly” or anything like that. Here are my issues with it.

It’s not okay with female fans

I have lost a large amount of enthusiasm for the 2026 team since I first saw that celebration. It’s made it difficult for me to watch my beloved team.

Why do women dislike this particular display of testosterone? In case it needs explaining, I can tell you that most girls and women have surely lost count of the number of times a guy (a stranger, classmate, coworker, the friend of a friend at a party, the list goes on) has thrust his pelvis in her direction. I mean without an invitation and outside of a dance-floor context. It starts early, it’s aggressive, and it’s not funny.

For a moment I had an idea to ask other female fans about the Red Sox hit celebration and publish their thoughts and reactions. The first person I asked said she was grateful that the hit celebration wasn’t [redacted: truly obscene gesture that women are uniquely subjected to, involving two fingers and flashing tongue]. She had a point, and I dropped the idea after that.

Aren’t female fans entitled to more than a pathetic level of gratitude that things aren’t worse? Why do women have to pay this price to watch and try to enjoy men’s professional sports?

It’s weak

It’s nowhere near the same league as some of the Red Sox earlier hit (and home run) celebrations. The airplane wings celebration was unique, hilarious, and a little weird. It served as a rallying point after that turbulent flight. The monster hands and the hip shimmy were fun. There’s more leeway with home run celebrations, since they’re not confined to the bag, and the Sox have really showed the depth of their creativity with those. The laundry cart and Wally head are classics. Putting on the medals from the Boston Marathon and Alex Cora’s 5K were meaningful and sweet celebrations. If they put their minds to it, I’m sure the current team can come up with something just as great.

It’s unsportsmanlike

In the NFL, that is. Rico Dowdle of the Carolina Panthers was given a 15-yard penalty and fined almost $15,000 in November 2025 for a similar celebration. It’s unusual to find myself in alignment with the NFL, but sometimes the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Kudos to DeMarcus Lawrence of the Seattle Seahawks for trying to come up with acceptable alternatives! Here’s his discussion with the referee in November 2025 about that.

Note that the ref replied, “As long as you don’t give me that motion [offers light pelvic thrust for clarity], I’m okay with that one [the suggested alternative].”

It’s unoriginal

It’s a little tired at this point! The celebration is based on a 2013 skit from Key & Peele. NFL players have been working with this source material for years. The list includes Lance Moore in 2013, Von Miller in 2015, Aaron Rodgers and others in 2020. It was back in the pop culture spotlight again in 2025 because of Dowdle. Why are the 2026 Red Sox rehashing something from the last NFL season? Can’t the Red Sox find something fresh to do on the field? [Insert joke here about their poor start to the 2026 season. Go ahead, I’ll wait.]

This charmless celebration leaves me in the difficult position of rooting for it to be replaced due to a sustained losing streak or more flight turbulence. Don’t put me in that position, Sox.

[Author’s note: This being said, it appeared by Friday’s home opener that the celebration is undergoing alterations. Marcelo Mayer performed an abbreviated version that toned down the pelvic thrusting, and devoted more time and energy to a two-handed pointing gesture toward the dugout. It was an improvement.]