Category: Sports News

Missouri baseball is rolling into another huge SEC weekend, fresh off its big wins over Missouri State and Kentucky.

​The series against South Carolina kicks off at 7 p.m. Thursday night, followed by 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon. This will be another game at Taylor Stadium underneath the lights, with Tiger fans dressed in black and the bats ready to do some damage.

​Series Expectations

​The Tigers have a current record of 20-14, and a home record of 11-7, after their huge victories against Missouri State and Kentucky. The team has an overall batting average of .287 and a slugging percentage of .438.

​The Gamecocks have an overall record of 15-19, with their away record being 1-8. The team has a .253 batting average and a .446 slugging percentage, with more strikeouts than Mizzou.

​Offensive Side

​The biggest threats Mizzou will have to watch out for are KJ Scobey, with 15 doubles this season, Talmadge LeCroy, with a .496 SLG and Will Craddock, with a .308 AVG and a .598 SLG. Although their weak spots run in the bottom of their lineup, with weaker batting averages.

​Mizzou takes the advantage on the consistency side, with more walks and a better team on-base percentage of .404. The Gamecocks are on the hunt for extra-base hits, so Mizzou pitchers will have to look out for this.

​Although the Tigers have key hitters, such as Tyler Macon, with a .348 AVG, and lots of gap power. Also, Jase Woita has a solid combo of power and consistency, which will hopefully be a big threat for the Gamecocks. Blaize Ward has not gone unnoticed, with an on-base percentage of .467 and key hits when needed most.

​Pitching Comparison

​The Tigers have a team ERA of 5.29 and an opponent average of .235. South Carolina has a lower team ERA of 4.51, with a higher opponent average of .237. That being said, the Gamecocks have the same number of strikeouts as the Tigers do, and an almost identical opponent average.

​To break it down even more, Josh McDevitt is the team’s ace, with a 3.66 ERA and 52 strikeouts for the team. Alongside him, Javyn Pimental has contained low damage during his time on the mound and a 3.33 ERA to go along with it.

​Mizzou’s bullpen is even stronger, with Eli Skidmore proving to be a shutdown reliever and Juan Villarreal’s opponents averaging a 1.46. Sam Rosand, a usual late-game option, started for the first time in his career and secured their win against Kentucky on April 5.

​The Gamecocks have an ace similar to McDevitt, named Amp Phillips, with a 2.59 ERA and 46 strikeouts. Alongside him, Brandon Stone has a 3.11 ERA and 36 strikeouts. For their bullpen, Zach Russell and Logan Prisco have been effective relievers.  

​South Carolina’s 2026 Statistics: https://storage.googleapis.com/gamecocksonline-com/2026/04/ca8ef4f1-bsb_seasonstats_040726.pdf

​Blaize Ward’s On a Roll

​Ward has had nothing short of an impressive season so far, from becoming the SEC Freshman of the Week to going 3-3 against Kentucky during the last game of the series on Sunday, April 5.

​Ward leads the team with his outstanding batting average of .360, with 20 RBI’s and 27 hits in total. His ability to drive in runs for the team when needed most is stellar, and so is his current seven-game hitting streak.  

​Victory against Neighboring Missouri State

​The Tigers put on a show at Taylor Stadium and claimed a 5-2 victory backed by Donovan Jordan and his powerful bat. He delivered the game’s biggest moment when launching a three-run homer on his birthday, breaking their 2-2 tie.

​On the mound, Keyler Gonzalez dominated as a reliever, tossing six innings in total with nine strikeouts to shut down Missouri’s offense. More pitching led the way for the Tigers, as Trey Lawrence came in at the end of the game and secured his first win of the season.

​Wrap Up

​With a chance to extend their SEC success and protect their home-field advantage, Missouri looks ready to make this three-game series a showcase for Tigers baseball at its best.

To follow along and read more about Mizzou Baseball, follow @Rock MNation,@SophBleedsLA and @Henry_C81, on twitter/x.

The minor league season is in full swing, as all four affiliates have now hit the field for a full week of play. The last two weeks, we’ve previewed Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset as the two affiliates containing the closest prospects to the majors. You’ll see a number of these guys in the big leagues in the next two years, whether in the Bronx or elsewhere.

But today, we’re checking out the affiliates full of players who still have a bunch of developing left to do. They come from all different backgrounds. Some are just beginning their professional journeys after being drafted last July (here’s a full list of where they’re all starting this season), while others are international prospects who are looking to continue their climb up the minor league ladder. There are big prospects, former top prospects in need of a bounce-back season, and everyone in between.

This area of the minor leagues is make-or-break for dozens of prospects yearly. Many of the prospects who are released before naturally hitting free agency never reach Double-A. Despite being so far off from the majors, there’s a big microscope on these levels. Everyone’s path here may be different, but they’re all judged the same.

High-A Hudson Valley

As we’ve seen with the upper levels, the organization’s catching depth took a serious beating at last year’s Trade Deadline, when they dealt Rafael Flores Jr., Edgleen Perez, and Jesus Rodriguez for big league help. At the High-A level, we have Josue Gonzalez and Eric Genther.

Gonzalez is another glove-first catcher who’s struggled to get his bat going since making it to A-ball in June 2024. As Low-A Tampa’s backup catcher and first baseman in 2025, he hit just .171 with an OPS under .600 in 265 plate appearances. Genther predominantly played outfield at Rhode Island in college, but the 23-year-old undrafted free agent appears to be utilized behind the plate to start the first full season of his pro career after a strong 17-game cup of coffee in Tampa last year.

The infield is chock full of 2025 draftees, headlined by third-round pick Kaeden Kent and fifth-round pick Core Jackson, who figure to slide around second base, third base, and shortstop, along with a former top prospect. Roderick Arias is coming off two brutal seasons in Tampa, where his strikeout rate was untenably high and his supposed strength, his defense, was equally poor. The 21-year-old is moving up despite not showing real progress in either season, but sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery.

Also on the infield are 2025 10th-rounder Connor McGinnis and 13th-rounder Kyle West. While McGinnis will mop up reps at DH and second base when one of the other three is sitting, West will split time at first base with Josh Moylan, who’s entering a pivotal season after struggling in 2025, and the outfield.

The outfield features another 2025 draft pick in 12th-rounder Camden Troyer, along with Wilson Rodriguez, a former 18th-rounder out of Puerto Rico, and Cole Gabrielson. There are also three guys currently on the 7-day injured list. Robbie Burnett was a priority UDFA out of Georgia in 2025, Tyler Wilson is a former eighth-round pick, and Luis Durango will fill in as a glove-first center fielder with tremendous speed.

On the pitching side, the starting rotation features several Tampa call-ups and 2025 draftees. Leading the way is Pico Kohn, the Yankees’ highest drafted pitcher in 2025 out of Mississippi State. He’s joined by sixth-rounder Rory Fox out of Notre Dame, and Texas Tech’s Jack Cebert, who was picked in the 15th round. You might remember Kohn from his very brief cameo in spring training, when he struck out both batters he faced before the game was called due to rain.

Brandon Decker got a midseason promotion last year from Tampa, and the former 19th-round pick will look to build on a solid campaign that saw him post a 3.61 ERA in 85 innings. Sean Paul Liñan will look to improve his arsenal around his standout changeup in his debut season in the organization after being dealt by Washington in the Jorbit Vivas trade. Rounding out the rotation is Luis Serna, who’s still only 21 despite losing much of the last season due to injury. The Mexico native was a prospect darling in rookie ball and is looking to get back on the saddle.

The rotation even has some built-in depth in case of injury, as Andrew Landry and Franyer Herrera are up from Tampa to serve as spot starters and long relievers. Herrera, who turns 21 next month, only has 10 innings above rookie ball, but was tremendous in the FCL last year. Landry was a 16th-round pick in 2023 who split time in Tampa and Hudson Valley last year and made 22 starts.

Hudson Valley’s bullpen has been one of the best in all of minor league baseball for several years, as the Yankees have routinely signed older UDFA arms with one or two strong pitches whose stuff can play right away in A-ball. While most of those arms are starting in Tampa, they’ll be here soon. 11th-rounder Ben Grable figures to get high-leverage innings right away as he joins a number of holdovers, like Jackson Fristoe, Tanner Bauman, Hansel Rincon, Jack Sokol, Chris Veach, and Tony Rossi, a 26-year-old righty who could be in Somerset before long after a terrific 2025.

They have a number of pitchers still on the shelf who could factor in soon. Brady Kirtner, Aaron Nixon, and Bryce Warrecker figure to be key parts of the bullpen when they return, while we could see Brian Hendry and Ocean Gabonia later in the year. The elephant in the room is the Renegades’ highest-ranked prospect, Bryce Cunningham. He’s on the 7-day injured list, so his return could come relatively soon.

Low-A Tampa

Tampa’s roster is a mix of FCL prospects taking the next step and the rest of the 2025 draft class. One name that will not start the year here is Dax Kilby, who’s rehabbing a minor hamstring issue to start the year. If he gets off to a similar start to the year as George Lombard Jr. did in 2025, expect him not to stay here for long. 16th-rounder Jackson Lovich, who tore the cover off the ball in a small sample last year, is also on the injured list.

The catching room is headlined by Engelth Urena, who will also split time at first base while trying to get going at the plate. He featured very mature power in rookie ball, but struggled to do much in Tampa last year with an additional cup of coffee in Hudson Valley. FCL call-up Ediel Rivera and 2025 UDFA Gregory Bozzo will also get reps.

While Kilby and Lovich rehab their injuries, the infield will feature the likes of 2024 draftee Austin Green, 2025 20th-rounder Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek (son of Mark), holdovers Enmanuel Tejada and Hans Montero, and FCL call-ups Santiago Gomez and Kevin Verde.

Tejada is the big name here, as he looks to get back to his 2024 form, where he was hitting .300 before tearing his ACL in July. He and Montero could be in Hudson Valley before long. Gomez’s bat regressed in 2025, but he hit .321 in 2024 in the FCL and will also be the designated position player-pitcher, having entered 12 different games in mop-up duty in the last few years.

Brando Mayea is the headliner in Tampa’s outfield, as the former top international prospect makes his full-season debut after injuries and underperformance hurt his trajectory over the past two seasons. Willy Montero will get plenty of reps alongside him, as will 2025 UDFA Logan Maxwell and 2024 17th-rounder JoJo Jackson, who’s only played 12 games in his first two professional seasons due to injury.

Tampa’s rotation is similar to HV’s in terms of composition. 2025 draftees Justin West, Tyler Boudreau, and Blake Gillespie will start down here, and there are reasons to like each of their arsenals. Danny Flatt is a holdover from an injury-riddled 2025 and could be a strong start away from a promotion, while Allen Facundo has a strong case to already be in Hudson Valley after pitching to a 1.85 ERA in 39 innings last year after recovering from injury. Former top prospect Henry Lalane will also look to build up after an injury-riddled 2025, looking to get back to the tremendous stuff that had turned heads in rookie ball.

The bullpen will be erratic all year, but the org will look to find some diamonds in the rough. 2024 fifth-rounder Greysen Carter is looking to bounce back after an ugly 2025, where he walked 67 in 54.2 innings. UDFAs Matthew Tippie (who throws a forkball!) and Parker Seay will look to follow the blueprint that many have utilized, while FCL call-ups Jose Ledesma, Jose Martinez, Jordarlin Mendoza, Jose M. Rodriguez, and Josh Tiedemann look to make a name for themselves. Look out for former seventh-round pick Wyatt Parliament to factor in at some point this summer as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

In 2024, Javier Assad ascended from swingman to the Cub rotation and made 29 starts in a very effective season. Between injuries and other options emerging in 2025 he was an afterthought. Tuesday night, he was summoned from Iowa to fill one big hole in the Cub rotation.

In 2025, Colin Rea was signed for a swingman role but filled a large hole in the Cub rotation that arose when Justin Steele was lost to an elbow injury. In 2026, the Cubs obtained even more depth and on top of Assad starting in Iowa, Rea was relegated to long reliever. Another elbow injury and a (hopefully) much less significant injury to 2025 All-Star Matthew Boyd opened two spots in the rotation.

Assad re-emerged on Tuesday and gave the Cubs a huge lift with a very strong start, just missing six innings and a quality start (by definition). On Wednesday it was Rea’s turn to re-emerge. And re-emerge he did. He followed Assad’s script and pitched what felt like a real quality start. At just five innings, it doesn’t meet the accepted statistical definition. With two hits, two walks and just one run, it was an awfully effective one.

It can never be said enough. You just can’t ever have too much pitching depth. Hopefully, Matthew Boyd comes back strong and Justin Steele also finds his way back to being an effective pitcher for this team. None of us are ever going to be fully comfortable with a rotation that includes Rea and Assad as well as Jameson Taillon and Shōta Imanaga. Each of them has been a mixed bag in the early going. Never quit adding. In some bizarro world where there aren’t enough innings to go around, there are always at least half a dozen teams willing to part with real talent for a quality pitcher.

On the other side of the ball, this is the best the Cub offense has looked over a two-day period. It isn’t just 15 runs in two games (just one better than they had in games 1 and 2). It was 15 runs in two days that felt like maybe it could have been 20 or more. They still left a number of runners on base and had a handful of fly balls that died at the warning track.

On Tuesday, the primary weapons were Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong with three hits apiece. On Wednesday, it was Nico Hoerner with three hits and two more by Carson Kelly. Even Michael Conforto chipped in a timely double that scored three runs. On Friday, Seiya Suzuki should return to the lineup and make the lineup a little bit deeper.

It’ll be interesting to see who heads out with Seiya back. Scott Kingery has gotten just two appearances and no plate appearances so far, but is the most obvious player to play center field if/when you finally rest Pete Crow-Armstrong. Kingery hasn’t had regular playing time since the 2020 season and at 32, isn’t particularly a valuable piece. Dylan Carlson has four plate appearances over three games. I can’t see anyone other than the two of them going. I know a lot of people will expect Conforto to go. While I do wonder how productive his bat will be when it gets much less playing time, he has shown a bit of value at the plate in this series. I’d drop Kingery and figure out center when you need it later on. Conforto is the left-handed bench bat at this time.

It was good to see Conforto produce while Ian Happ was out of the lineup a couple of days. It was so rare to get any production out of the bench in 2025. Maybe he and the non-playing catcher give the Cubs a couple of good bench options, at least at the plate, as well as Matt Shaw who should head to the bench.

Hello .500, old friend. It’s been, what? Three days since we last saw you?

Let’s look at the results from this one.

Three Positives:

• Nico Hoerner. Three hits, two runs, two runs driven in. Professional hitter. Team leader in RBI? Who’d believe?
• Colin Rea. Another big lift for the pitching staff. Quietly, the Cubs starters are putting together a decent run of games and providing some length. He didn’t get run support until the fifth inning.
• Carson Kelly had a pair of hits, one a double, and scored a run.

Game 12, April 8: Cubs 6, Rays 2 (6-6)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Michael Conforto (.156). 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
• Hero: Colin Rea (.123). 5 IP, 20 BF, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 2 K (W 1-0)
• Sidekick: Nico Hoerner (.109). 3-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Alex Bregman (-.039). 0-3, BB
• Goat: Pete Crow-Armstrong (-.035). 0-4, DP
• Kid: Matt Shaw (-.023). 1-3, BB, CS

WPA Play of the Game: Michael Conforto batted with the bases loaded and no outs in the fifth inning, the game tied at one. He hit a double into the right center field gap, not missing a homer by much. The throw back to the infield was wild as was the throw to the plate and the Cubs netted three runs and a runner on third. (.183)

*Rays Play of the Game: Jonny DeLuca led off the third inning with a single while the Rays were down only one. (.044)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 11 Winner: Javier Assad received 178 out of 190 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Edward Cabrera +6
• Nico Hoerner +5 (+1 this game)
• Hoby Milner/Ian Happ/Colin Rea +4 (Rea +2 this game)
• Matt Shaw -6 (-1)
• Phil Maton -6
• Alex Bregman -7 (-3)

Up Next: An off day Thursday and then the Cubs return to Wrigley Field to face the Pirates. The Pirates have been a bit of an early surprise and have won seven of 10 after dropping the first two games of the season and looking sloppy doing it. The Pirates are 4-2 at home and 3-0 against teams under .500. So they are still needing to show that they can win away from home and against good teams. I still think the Cubs are ultimately one of the good ones.

Shōta Imanaga (0-1, 4.50, 10 IP) gets the start for the Cubs. He looked better on Sunday in his second start of the year. He’s 2-0 with 0.35 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates. 27-year-old Carmen Mlodzinski will start for the Pirates. I can’t help shedding a tear for a future game between Carmen and Milwaukee’s opening day starter. Keyboards will be broken. Carmen was a compensatory pick for the Pirates in the 2020 draft (31st overall) out of South Carolina. Carmen has no decisions yet and a 4.00 ERA in nine innings of work. In parts of four seasons, he’s made 111 appearances, 19 of them starts with a 3.28 ERA.

How about three straight for the first time?

There will be a few baseball obituaries about Davey Lopes written in the coming days, most of them better written than this. Going over the full career of Lopes as it pertains to his playing days would require me talking about his days with the Dodgers, days in which he was part of a hated rivalry between them and the Phillies. Perhaps his most infamous moment as a member of the Dodgers playing against the Phillies came on a play in the 1977 playoffs, where he was incorrectly called safe on a bang-bang play in the ninth inning of Game 3 of that NLCS.

He was out, but the decision to not bring in a substitute for Greg Luzinski was arguably as critical, but I digress.

Lopes’ real impact with the Phillies came during his coaching career with the team from 2007-2010, where he transformed that team into a terror on the bases. It’s one of the parts of the game that isn’t as noticeable with its impact on the field compared to hitting, pitching or fielding, but it can still be something that takes good team into a different territory. It’s what happened with the Phillies during that time period and Lopes was the conductor.

Being a good coach means you make players better. A lot of times, that might show up on the field right before our eyes. If a hitter that was struggling turns his game around under the tutelage of a new voice, the hitting coach gets the credit. We’ve seen what happens when a pitching coach has his finger on the pulse of a staff when it comes to Caleb Cotham as he has become one of the better pitching coaches in the game. Heck, even Bobby Dickerson has somehow made Alec Bohm into something resembling an average fielder.

It’s those other guys, the infield coaches, outfield coaches, guys like Dickerson, that improvement sometimes isn’t truly seen on pages of data. When it comes to Lopes, his impact on the team’s running game was undeniable. During his tenure with the team, the Phillies were the best baserunning team in baseball. It showed up in the traditional stats like stolen bases, where Lopes’ expertise in analyzing the opposing pitchers made them the most efficient team around (84% success rate). It also showed up in the other things that make baserunners good. Fangraphs tracks different advanced baserunning stats with their publicly available information. The Phillies of 2007-2010 were the best in several of these categories, including wSB (stolen bases and caught stealing runs above average – 43.8), speed score (5.3) and baserunning runs (77.5).

It’s no coincidence that in the years after Lopes left, the team fell to the middle of the pack. His being let go had an impact on the team. Of course, the team during this time had several baserunners that excelled at the skill in Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley and Jayson Werth to name a few. Sometimes, it helps having better clay to mold from, but almost to a man, Lopes was given a lot of credit for helping them improve in an underrated facet of the game.

The Phillies of that time period gave the city its first extended taste of championship baseball in nearly 30 years. It culminated in a world championship in 2008 that saw all parts come together in a glorious run. Lopes was an important part of that team.

Rest in peace, Davey.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Royals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Royals have started the season 5-7. It feels a lot worse than that, probably because the Royals’ run differential of -12 means that they could easily have a worse record. There are some reasons to think the team will get out of this slump and still do well on the year, but it can absolutely be hard to consider those when the team is coming off its worst loss of the season. Especially when that loss included the team’s ace exiting the game before he was able to complete a single inning due to yet another injury. Sure, it’s a thumb contusion caused by a comebacker to the mound, not a muscle or ligament injury that’s likely to sideline him for long. But it feels like it fits the pattern.

But outside of that, the starting rotation has been pretty good. So maybe your concern is the outfield, which is doing much better than last year, but hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire with its power. Or maybe the bullpen, which has already allowed a pair of walkoffs to opponents to begin the year. Or maybe it’s even the infield, where Bobby Witt Jr and Vinnie Pasquantino are having their traditional slow starts, and Salvador Perez hasn’t added much beyond his two home runs.

Regardless, vote in this poll and let us know where your biggest concerns are so we can talk about them.

(7-4) Gwinnett Stripers 5, (5-5) Nashville Sounds 0

• Jim Jarvis, SS: 1-3, RBI, R, BB
• Deshawn Kiersey Jr., LF: 1-2, 3B, RBI, R, BB
• Victor Mederos, RP: 2 IP, 3 K
• Didier Fuentes, SP: 6 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 8 K

Box Score

Gwinnett rode an excellent start from Didier Fuentes to a shutout victory on Wednesday, as the Stripers moved to 7-4 on the young season.

In six innings of work, Fuentes scattered just two hits while striking out eight in the process. The only blemish for the young righty, is that he issued four walks during the process.

Regardless, Fuentes’ stuff was still incredible despite the shaky command. His fastball topped out at 99.8 MPH on the night while averaging 96.9 MPH. As for his breaking stuff, Fuentes’ only threw two changeups on the night while relying heavily on his sweeper, which was somewhat inconsistent, especially on the inner third of the plate for RHH.

Overall, Fuentes was as solid as ever, getting a team-high 13 swings and misses during the process on the night as well, while only five of his 86 pitches were hit “hard” into fair territory, per Baseball Savant.

At the plate, it was sort of an “all-hands-on-deck approach for Gwinnett, as Jim Jarvis went 1-3 with an RBI, while DeShawn Kiersey Jr. laced an RBI-triple in the process as well.

On another note, relatively new farmhand Victor Mederos was spectacular in his organization debut.

Across two innings pitched, Mederos dominated as he struck out three in those two frames. What was more impressive is his two-seam fastball averaged 96 MPH with more than 16’ of horizontal break and 7’ of vertical break. In addition to his fastball, Mederos threw a cutter and slider, both of which he used 19% of the time in his outing.

If he can keep up numbers like that from out of the pen, the Braves may have another interesting bullpen piece to add to the big league roster eventually.

(1-4) Columbus Clingstones 7, (3-1) Montgomery Biscuits 2

• Lizandro Espinoza, CF: 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
• Ambioris Tavarez, 2B: 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Herick Hernandez, SP: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Box Score

Keeping with what has been a trend for Atlanta’s minor league affiliates so far this season, pitching was the key to the game for Columbus as they picked up their first win of the year on Wednesday.

Herick Hernandez got the start and struck out seven across 4.2 innings of work while getting 14 swings and misses — good for fourth-best in all of double-A on Wednesday. While he did scatter three hits and issue three walks, the lefty limited the damage and managed to keep Montgomery off the scoreboard while he was on the mound.

The star of the show at the plate was Lizandro Espinoza, as the 23-year-old utility player went 2-4 with a homer and a double to go along with a pair of RBI, a pair of runs scored and a walk in the process.

Ambioris Tavarez finally notched his first homer of the season, as he took a 2-1 fastball on the inner third of the plate and pulled it over the left field wall for a two-run homer. The shot registered at 104 MPH off the bat, which is a good sign for Tavarez who has struggled mightily at the plate over the course of his pro career.

With Wednesday’s performance, Tavarez has seen his OPS jump to 1.025 across eight games, which is admittedly a small sample size, but it’s encouraging for the 22-year-0ld nonetheless.

(3-2) Rome Emperors 5, (3-2) Bowling Green Hot Rods 6

• Eric Hartman, DH: 2-4, HR,2B, RBI, R
• Owen Carey, LF: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R
• Jeremy Reyes, SP: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

Box Score

As the only minor league affiliate to come up short in terms of a win on Wednesday, Rome still had several individual performances to stand out.

Starter Jeremey Reyes didn’t have his best stuff on Wednesday, but still showed flashes of his above-average stuff. In 5.2 innings of work, Reyes was tagged for four runs on three hits while striking out five. The largest detriment to his performance were walks, as he issued three of them.

While it may not have been the outcome he wanted, his fastball did touch 98 MPH and his breaking stuff looked sharp at times as well.

Getting the start at DH, Eric Hartman put the barrel on the ball tremendously last night. Hartman laced a 101 MPH double off the bat in the second inning and also crushed a 103 MPH solo homer in the top of the first — not to mention hitting it off a LHP — to get the scoring started for Rome on the night.

Owen Carey was excellent as well, as he went 2-4 with an RBI and a rocket of a double that checked in at 104 MPH and just narrowly missed leaving the yard in the third frame.

(2-3) Augusta GreenJackets 11, (1-4) Delmarva Shorebirds 1

• Tate Southisene, 2B: 2-6, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
• Caden Merritt, RF: 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI, R, 2 BB
• Derek Vartanian, SP: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 7 K

Box Score

The GreenJackets absolutely dominated Delmarva, winning by a final of 11-1.

Augusta got standout performances from both the usual and unusual suspects in the process, as Tate Southisene launched his first career homer — a 431 blast that registered at 108 MPH off the bate — while driving in three runs and scoring two in the process to lead the charge.

As for the unusual suspects, Caden Merritt was excellent on Wednesday night, as he went 2-3 with a double and three RBI as well. Through 16 at-bats, the undrafted free agent out of Gainesville, Virginia is batting .313 with an OPS of .825 to start the season.

Starter Derek Vartanian was solid in his first career minor league start as the Campbell University product has dealt with a plethora of injuries over the course of his career.

In 4.2 innings of work, Vartanian gave up six hits, but limited the damage to just one earned run while striking out a whopping seven batters in the process.

Hopefully the 22-year-old righty can stay healthy to give the Braves a longer look, because the talent and stuff is absolutely there.

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The Colorado Rockies head to Petco Park for a four-game series with the San Diego Padres, with Game 1 taking place tonight.

These two teams are deadlocked at 6-6 in the NL West standings after Colorado’s surprising four-game winning streak.

See why the underdogs may not cool off so quickly in my Rockies vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks for Thursday, April 9.

Who will win Rockies vs Padres today: Rockies moneyline (+170)

Randy Vasquez was all the rage in spring training and in his first start due to his increased velocity. 

Turns out, that was illusory, as Vasquez was back down to his 2025 level (93.6 mph) during his April 4 start. His 5.37 xERA and 4.6% K-BB% with that velocity a year ago hardly indicate future success.

Colorado Rockies right-hander Chase Dollander is up a tick to 98.8 mph, has a solid 102 Pitching+, and will throw in tandem with an effective bullpen (2.74 SIERA).

The San Diego Padres have a lowly 85 wRC+ against RHP, so there’s cause for concern both at the dish and on the mound.

COVERS INTEL: Vasquez was one of the most fortunate hurlers in 2025 as his xERA and xFIP (5.51) both undersold his 3.84 ERA. The increased velocity from his first start is gone, as is the cold and windy weather from his second.

Rockies vs Padres Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-109)

Neither lineup has performed well enough to have confidence in an offense-oriented game. Colorado checks in with a 94 wRC+ while San Diego is even worse at 81.

The Padres have one of the most talented bullpens in the league, whereas the Rockies have been one of the most effective. 

Colorado has been an Under bettor’s dream this season, cashing tickets in nine of their 12 contests. 

Dollander has an effective 3.86 ERA on the road, holding batters to a .208 AVG, and his increased stuff to start the year should pay dividends against a down lineup.

Rockies vs Padres odds

• Moneyline: Rockies +164 | Padres -196
• Run line: Rockies +1.5 (-134) | Padres -1.5 (+112)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)

Rockies vs Padres trend

The Rockies have hit the Under in 14 of their last 20 away games. Find more MLB betting trends for Rockies vs. Padres.

How to watch Rockies vs Padres and game info

Rockies vs Padres latest injuries

Rockies vs Padres weather

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There's a small board to choose from for our MLB pickstoday, but our baseball experts have still found some value to get action on.

Our baseball experts are double-dipping on today's White Sox/Royals matchup, as well as banking on the Mets to bounce back, for their favorite plays today at Polymarket — which allows MLB fans all across the country to join in on the action.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Josh Inglis: CWS/KC u9.5	-108
Jon Metler: KC ML	-170
Joe Osborne: NYM ML	-156

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: White Sox/Royals Under 9.5

Price: 52¢ (-108) at Polymarket

This is a big number for a Kansas City Royals squad that has been one of the best Under teams in the league at 4-8 O/U. The offense is coming off a three-game set in Cleveland, where it managed just seven runs and cashed the Under in each game. They're also sending Seth Lugo, who has allowed just three total runs through two starts, to the mound today against the White Sox. The wind is blowing out, which is inflating this total, but it feels like an overreaction given that both teams have recently been lined closer to 7.5.

Jon Metler's expert pick: Royals moneyline

Price: 63¢ (-170) at Polymarket

The Royals are trading as a 63% favorite, and this price still isn’t short enough — I make them closer to a 69% favorite in this matchup against Chicago. Seth Lugo features a deep arsenal, mixing seven different pitches, with his curveball serving as his primary weapon. That variety of off-speed pitches should create significant problems for a young White Sox lineup, which is anchored by Munetaka Murakami, who thrives when he can hunt fastballs... but that’s not what he’ll be seeing from Lugo today. If Murakami isn’t able to provide power in the middle of the order, the White Sox offense looks much less threatening.

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Mets ML

Price: 61¢ (-156) at Polymarket

Eduardo Rodriguez comes back down to earth tonight with the cooler temperatures in New York. He has a horrible track record at Citi Field, where he was rocked for eight earned runs in an April start last season, while also getting smacked for five earned runs there in a 2024 start. Meanwhile, Nolan McLean has looked sharp early, and Arizona’s offense ranks a brutal 27th in OPS vs righties. Add in a major bullpen edge (with the Mets third in ERA and the Diamondbacks 26th), and this sets up for a bounce-back win for New York.

More MLB best bets for today

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

NEW YORK — Early on in his career with the Houston Astros, J.D. Martinez was trying to find his way.

He was a 20th round pick out of Division II Nova Southeastern — less than an hour north of his native Miami. In his first three seasons with the Astros, he was back and forth between the minor leagues and far from the polished hitter he would become later in his career.

As he looked to become a better player, Martinez sought out help in the Astros clubhouse. In his own words, the veterans "weren't very nice."

"I remember seeing that and asking questions, and them kind of never answering, and them kind of blowing me off and just making my life a nightmare," Martinez said. "I remember saying, ‘If God ever blesses me where I'm in that position, I'm never going to treat a young guy like that, and I'll always answer any questions and help them out any which way,’ because I remember how helpless that feeling was and going through that whole process."

After a standout 14-year career, Martinez, who was a six-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger and 2018 World Series champion, will be able to provide the mentorship that he felt he had been lacking early in his career as a special assistant to Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns.

What will J.D. Martinez's role with the Mets look like?

Martinez said his goal in his new role since playing his last major league game with the Mets in 2024 is to be a resource for the major league team. He feels like he has an experience that can relate with much of the roster, from being a top prospect, to being cut, to rising to one of the best hitters in the game, working through struggles and ultimately retiring.

"Just my knowledge with that and just helping any way I can, anything I see, whether it's in the offense, whether it's the strategy, whether it's mentorship, I'm just here to help out any way I can," Martinez said.

The Mets now have a Hall of Famer in Carlos Beltran and decorated hitter in Martinez as sounding boards for the players.

The addition of Martinez as a designated hitter right before the 2024 seasons served as one of the Mets' pivotal moves in the campaign. While he batted a modest .235/.320/.406 with 16 home runs, 69 RBI and 46 runs, the veteran had a commanding presence as a leader inside the clubhouse.

"It brings back memories to 2024 when he was a huge part for us and the impact, not only on the field but off the field, his knowledge," Carlos Mendoza said of having Martinez back. "Right away yesterday, having those interactions with him and watching him in the cages with the boys, behind the cage in batting practice, it's just the presence to it, not only with J.D. but having Carlos around too.

"Those are great baseball minds, not only in the hitting department but just baseball in general."

Along with the addition of Jose Iglesias, the Mets made a massive turnaround, clawing from 11 games under .500 to clinching a playoff spot on the final day of the season. That run helped endear Martinez to the Mets organization.

"I like what they're doing here. I like the team they built here," Martinez said. "I had a great experience here with the front office, with ownership, with the clubhouse, everything. It was just a really fun place to come. So I said, ‘You know what? Why not? Let's do it.’"

On coming out of retirement

Martinez said he finally put the bat down last spring after trying to prepare to land another spot with a major league team. He left his batting gloves and a bat at a facility after working out at a facility in Miami and never went back.

The Miami native finished his career with a career .863 OPS, including 331 home runs, 1,071 RBI, 897 runs and a bWAR of 30.8.

He used last summer to clear his mind after more than three decades playing baseball year-round. Martinez's Instagram showcases a summer filled with deep-sea fishing and professional pickleball.

But on Monday and Tuesday, it was back on the diamond at Citi Field. He expects to be in steady communication with this year's team with anything they need while coming to New York monthly for a homestand to be around the players.

And maybe he can have his fingerprints on another deep postseason run, albeit in a new, unfamiliar role.

"Obviously, at the beginning of the year, they weren't really scoring, they're starting to score a little bit more now," Martinez said. "Adding Freddy (Peralta) too is huge and the pitching staff, they've added, they're a threat. It's a really good baseball team."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: JD Martinez a mentor in NY Mets role to David Stearns

Team News

Ryne Nelson, Diamondbacks’ offense break out to even series with Metshttps://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/ryne-nelson-beats-mets/3617249/

Third time’s the charm! Nelson overpowers Mets after pair of rocky outings

Nelson’s fastball velocity was right around his season average (96.5 mph) early in the game, but as the sun went down and the wind picked up, it went down a tick. That didn’t seem to keep Nelson from being effective as he gave up just two hits through the first five innings. Of his 86 pitches, 65 were four-seam fastballs and he threw 14 sliders. “Cold day like today, it can be kind of tough to feel the spin [for breaking pitches],” Nelson said. “But that just allows me to use the fastball more, which I want to do anyway and jump ahead of guys, pound the zone with it.”

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/ryne-nelson-bounces-back-in-solid-outing-vs-mets

Corbin Carroll’s Huge Day Sparks D-backs to Victory over Metshttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-game-day/corbin-carroll-huge-day-sparks-d-backs-victory-mets

D-backs Corbin Carroll Stands Alone in This Impressive MLB Record

That 500th contest closed the door on a chapter of Carroll’s career — one in which he sat alone atop an MLB leaderboard. Per the D-backs.TV broadcast, Carroll is the only player in MLB history to record 120 stolen bases, 80 home runs and 40 triples through his first 500 games.

https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/d-backs-corbin-carroll-stands-alone-impressive-mlb-record

E-Rod, McLean set for Classic rematch — with no title on the line this time https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/eduardo-rodriguez-nolan-mclean-world-baseball-classic-final-rematch-d-backs-mets

Diamondbacks Bring Back Controversial Veteran Reliever

“It’s one of those unfortunate parts of baseball where you start to… get behind with some pitching and you need arms. And you know, sometimes you have option-able players, sometimes you don’t. And Joe wasn’t, unfortunately was not throwing the ball that well,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said after the team initially designated the right-hander for assignment.
https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/diamondbacks-sign-controversial-veteran-reliever-ross

Other Baseball

Davey Lopes Passes Away
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/04/davey-lopes-passes-away.html

Dodgers great Davey Lopes, four-time All-Star, dies at 80https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48431732/dodgers-great-davey-lopes-four-all-star-dies-80

Jorge Soler, Reynaldo López Given Multi-Game Suspensions
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/04/jorge-soler-reynaldo-lopez-given-seven-game-suspensions.html

Pirates announce 9-year deal with star prospect Konnor Griffin days after his MLB debuthttps://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/breaking-news/article/pirates-announce-9-year-deal-with-star-prospect-konnor-griffin-days-after-his-mlb-debut-144632043.html

Jorge Soler suspended 7 games, Reynaldo López settles for 5 games after throwing punches in Braves-Angels brawl

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/jorge-soler-suspended-7-games-reynaldo-lopez-settles-for-5-games-after-throwing-punches-in-braves-angels-brawl-035340195.html

Study: MLB average salary hits record $5.34M, led by Mets https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48437380/study-mlb-average-salary-hits-record-534m-led-mets

Ohtani ties Ichiro for longest on-base streak by Japanese-born player
https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-start-vs-blue-jays

Baby kangaroo steals hearts instead of bases at Rangers’ High-A affiliate gamehttps://www.mlb.com/news/baby-kangaroo-attends-rangers-high-a-affiliate-game?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-9

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/April_9

Honey never spoils.

Here’s one of our sweetest did you know facts about food. When honey is heated and strained and sealed properly, it will not be able to absorb moisture and therefore will stay as it is forever. The oldest jar of honey ever found is stated to be over 5500 years old today. 

The Northwest Territories in Canada once wanted to rename itself.

One of the most amazing facts about this is that it was considered due to the recent separation from Nunavut in 1999. One of the names that were highly considered during the meeting was ‘bob’.

The Earth used to be purple.

Green is seen as a symbol of life, but scientists claim that the earliest life on Earth might have been purple. Currently, chlorophyll molecules create the greenish hue of organisms. However, scientists theorize that ancient microbes may have used a different molecule to harness sun rays, giving organisms a violet hue instead.

MINNEAPOLIS – It's early, but the Detroit Tigers are playing losing baseball.

The Tigers have a 4-7 record for fourth place in the American League Central through 11 games, but more notably, they've lost seven of their past nine games. Among the 30 MLB teams, the offense ranks 12th, the rotation ranks 16th and the bullpen ranks 14th.

There are 151 games remaining in the 2026 season.

"Team-wise, you're always pushing to play winning baseball," manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday, April 8, before the third of four games in the series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. "Right now, we haven't done that. We're trying to find ways to get back to our brand of baseball that produces those wins without overreacting."

Before Wednesday's game, Hinch revealed what the Tigers have been working on with all of their players early in the season – which extends throughout the entire 162-game schedule.

For position players, it's refusing to chase bad pitches and hitting the ball hard. For pitchers, it's throwing first-pitch strikes and getting into leverage with two strikes.

The Chicago White Sox are honoring Pope Leo XIV, one of their most famous fans, by giving out pope-themed hats to some in attendance for their home game against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 11.

According to the team, only a limited number of black and green hats, featuring the team's sock logo in the middle and shaped like a Pope's miter, will be given away.

There are caveats to receiving the hat: only fans seated in certain sections known as "pews" can receive one, and tickets must be purchased directly from the team.

Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost, is a Chicago native and longtime White Sox fan, even attending Game 1 of the 2005 World Series against the Houston Astros. The White Sox swept the Astros, winning the title for the first time since 1917.