Category: Sports News

After going 2-4 in the Opening Week homestand, the San Diego Padres have now improved their record at Petco Park to 9-4 with a perfect 7-0 homestand. The Friars cannot seem to lose.

Last night’s win was particularly fantastic with Walker Buehler proving his last start (0 R, 6.0 IP) wasn’t a fluke. He went five-plus innings, giving up two runs but earning his first win as a Padre.

Tonight the Friars will have their work cut out for them against the Los Angeles Angels. But if the knuckleballer can pull off some magic in Anaheim, San Diego might just eke out a victory.

Taking the mound

José Soriano (LAA) v. Matt Waldron (SD)

Soriano has been absolutely incredible for the Halos so far this year. He’s pitched to a 0.33 ERA across 27 innings. He’s had a crazy breakout this season, limiting batters to a .103 average.

The right-hander has only allowed one run this season. That lone run came in his longest start of the year (8.0 innings) against an Atlanta Braves offense that has been potent. The Padres will have to hope they can do what no other team has yet: get to Soriano. If they don’t, they’ll hope to at least get a shot at the Angels’ lackluster bullpen.

Waldron pitched three scoreless outings in Triple-A after rehabbing his way back from preseason surgery. He’s the last remaining true knuckleball pitcher in MLB. This will be Waldron’s first start with the big-league club since his lone 2025 start against the Philadelphia Phillies.

He’s struggled with consistency in the majors. But if Waldron can get off to a good start against Los Angeles, it’ll go a long way to soothing concerns about Nick Pivetta’s temporary absence from the rotation.

Batter up!

With a right-hander on the mound in Soriano, the Friars will likely go with a similar lineup as yesterday’s. That being said, Ty France has good numbers against Soriano (4-for-8 with 5 RBI) so he could see time at first base.

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

Campusano will keep getting starts at catcher until Freddy Fermin returns from his recent concussion scare. That’s a-ok for the Friars since Campy has been destroying baseballs lately (and owns a .500 career average against Soriano).

Tatis has also put up some slug against the righty. Perhaps he could finally end his season-long homer drought tonight?

Relief corps

With Buehler going five-plus innings, the winning formula for San Diego was on full display: the starter leaves with a lead, and the ‘pen does exactly what it does best. Never was that more true than last night.

Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Mason Miller covered four scoreless innings. Morejon continues to look more and more like his dominant self, and Adam continues to wow in his return from injury.

Miller took Randy Jones’ place on the Padres’ leaderboard after last night with 30 2/3 scoreless innings pitched. The only one standing in his way from the top spot is Cla Meredith’s 33 2/3 mark.

For tonight’s game, that leaves Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta. The first out of the bullpen if San Diego has a lead would be Hart, given his lack of use in the last few games. But it wouldn’t be surprising to see Morgan come out in a high-leverage spot.

Brandon Williamson gets the start on Friday evening in the Twin Cities as the Cincinnati Reds hit the road after their 3-3 homestand. The Minnesota Twins will counter with Joe Ryan.

First pitch is set for 8:10 PM ET. Lineups for both clubs are listed below!

Go Rays!

After a great 5-2 road trip, the Washington Nationals come back home looking to keep the good times rolling. It has been a small sample, but this team has been much better on the road so far. At home, they are just 1-5. The Nats will look to add a second home win tonight.

Blake Butera has shuffled up his lineup a bit. Daylen Lile will be in the 6 spot, the lowest he has been this season. Butera told me this was strictly a matchup based move. After getting hit in the hand yesterday, Jacob Young is not in the lineup, but Butera said he was available off the bench. Joey Wiemer will be in center instead. Jose Tena will be at DH today and Keibert Ruiz will be behind the dish. The dependable Zack Littell will be on the mound.

The Giants offense has not been great so far this year, which has Tony Vitello searching for answers. His top 3 hitters have been reasonably effective, but Rafael Devers has been off to a slow start. The Giants picked up Daniel Susac in the Rule 5 draft, and he has earned more reps behind the plate with his red hot start. Logan Webb has been one of the steadiest and most underrated arms in the league. He will be on the mound tonight.

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV and Fox 5 WTTG

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

The Nationals have been playing solid baseball so far, but that has mainly been the case on the road. It would be nice to give the home fans a taste of Butera ball. The Giants are struggling right now, but they have solid talent and cannot be taken lightly. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

Maybe the greens wull change the mojo of this team? Pretty please with a cherry on top?

⚾️ First Pitch: 7:15pm ET —Fenway Park, Boston, MA

📺 TV: Apple TV

📻 Radio: WEEI

The San Francisco Giants begin a three-game road series against the Washington Nationals this afternoon.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters today’s game with a 5.25 ERA, 3.20 FIP, with 21 strikeouts to nine walks in 24 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, in which he allowed four runs on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks in six innings.

He’ll be facing off against Nationals right-hander Zack Littell, who enters today’s game with a 4.20 ERA, 7.16 FIP, with 10 strikeouts to five walks in 15 innings pitched. His last start was in the Nationals’ 8-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, in which he allowed three runs on six hits with three strikeouts in five innings.

Game #20

Who: San Francisco Giants vs. Washington Nationals

Where: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.

When: 3:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

The Mets came to Wrigley Field riding an eight-game losing streak in which they had been outscored 44-12.

Those sorts of things are usually ripe for the losing streak team to break it, especially with the wind blowing out at the ol’ ballyard.

Not in this one. The Mets looked like a team in disarray and now have a nine-game losing streak in which they have been outscored 56-16 after the Cubs demolished them 12-4 on a warm, windy April afternoon.

The Cubs wasted no time getting the bats going after Edward Cabrera threw a scoreless first. With one out, Michael Busch walked and Alex Bregman singled him to third. Ian Happ struck out, but this bloop single by Seiya Suzuki made it 1-0 Cubs [VIDEO].

That 1-0 lead quickly became 4-0 courtesy of Moisés Ballesteros [VIDEO].

About the four-run first, from BCB’s JohnW53:

The Cubs’ four runs in the first inning equal their total in the first in their previous 18 games. That had been their fewest in any inning. They began today having scored six each in the second and fourth.

The Mets made it 4-3 off Cabrera in the second with four hits in the inning, and it could have been more if not for this terrific throw from Pete Crow-Armstrong [VIDEO].

The Cubs got two of those runs back in the bottom of the second on another homer. With one out, Dansby Swanson walked and Nico Hoerner put one in the bleachers [VIDEO].

That was Nico’s third of the year. Last year he hit his third home run on June 28, in the Cubs’ 79th game.

Cabrera had an easy third and fourth thanks to two double plays, one of those a strikeout-throwout DP by Carson Kelly [VIDEO].

The Cubs then extended the lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth. Swanson singled with one out and Hoerner and Busch also singled, loading the bases. Bregman hit a sharp line drive right to Francisco Lindor at short for the second out, and then this happened [VIDEO].

The Mets have some definite holes in their defense and it showed there. Meanwhile, the Cubs were getting some slick defense from Hoerner. This one ended the fifth [VIDEO].

This leaping catch by Nico was the second out in the sixth [VIDEO].

Hoerner was 3-for-5, his third three-hit game in his last eight. Between that and the great defense, if he keeps this up he might be NL Player of the Week, or even Player of the Month for April. He’s just been outstanding.

Cabrera finished up with six innings, allowing eight hits and three runs. Not a great outing, but good enough with the offense the Cubs provided. Riley Martin, who I am liking better and better with each outing, threw a scoreless seventh which included Kelly getting this ball call overturned for a strikeout [VIDEO].

Then the Cubs blew the game open in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Suzuki doubled and scored on this double by Matt Shaw [VIDEO].

Shaw advanced to third on a single by Kelly, and scored on this wild pitch [VIDEO].

PCA walked to load the bases, and Swanson scored Kelly with this sac fly to make it 10-3 [VIDEO].

Jacob Webb allowed the Mets a run on four hits in the top of the eighth, and the Cubs did that one better in the bottom of the inning. Busch led off with a single and one out later, Happ launched this towering home run to Waveland [VIDEO].

Check out the height and distance on that one! [VIDEO].

Hoby Milner entered to throw the ninth and allowed a leadoff single, but one out later ended the game on this double play [VIDEO].

A note from John on the Cubs’ three straight 10+ run games:

The Cubs had last scored at least 10 runs in three consecutive games Sept. 13-15, 2019, when they crushed the Pirates at home, 17-8, 14-1 and 16-6, setting a franchise record for total runs in a three-game series. This is the Cubs’ ninth three-game double-digit streak since 1901. Their record is five in a row, June 1-6, 1930.

And about the Cubs’ three wins in a row:

The Cubs’ previous three-game winning streak was the final three games of last season, when they swept the Cardinals at Wrigley Field, 12-1, 7-3 and 2-0.

Their last four-game streak was Sept. 14-17, when they beat the Rays at home, 4-3, then swept at Pittsburgh, 4-0, 4-1 and 8-4.

This is the sort of offense I think we will see more of from this team — some long-sequence innings, some home runs, taking advantage of the other team’s errors.

Unfortunately, there was bad news that broke just before the first pitch today, the Cubs announcing that Daniel Palencia was going on the 15-day IL with an oblique strain. Here’s how that happened (Bluesky link):

At this writing the Cubs have not announced who’s being called up to replace Palencia on the active roster. There aren’t a whole lot of choices, to be honest. As always, we await developments.

More on the game from Craig Counsell [VIDEO].

The Cubs will go for four straight wins Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The weather will be much colder with the wind likely blowing in, which could be good news for Jameson Taillon, who will start for the Cubs. Old NL Central friend Freddy Peralta goes for the Mets. Game time is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and MLB Network outside the Cubs and Mets market territories).

The Atlanta Braves have not lost any of their first six series of the season, the last team in the majors who can make that claim.

They’re atop the NL East at 12-7 and are now taking aim at the two-time defending division champions in the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game series which begins Friday evening at Citizens Bank Park.

Atlanta turns to Martín Pérez (0-1, 3.14 ERA) on the mound against Philadelphia right-hander Taijuan Walker (1-2, 7.36 ERA) for the series opener.

Let’s see if the timing to take on the Phillies (who have lost three straight series) is as good as it looks for the Braves.

Game Notes

Preview

Lineup

After another bad outing by Kodai Senga on Friday, manager Carlos Mendoza was hesitant to commit that the right-hander would make his next start for the Mets.

Senga went just 3.1 innings against the Chicago Cubs, allowing six earned runs on six hits, including two home runs, and three walks in an eventual 12-4 loss. In his last start against the Athletics at Citi Field, Senga lasted 2.1 innings, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits and two home runs in a game New York lost 11-6.

"He didn’t execute and they made him pay," Mendoza said.

Prior to his struggles which come on the heels of a rough end to his 2025 season, Senga got off to a good start, allowing four earned runs and striking out 16 over 11.2 innings in his first two outings. He also had an impressive spring training and looked like he was back to being the ace-caliber pitcher he was for the Mets in 2023 and the first half of 2025.

"Started off pretty good the first couple of outings," Mendoza said. "Coming out of spring training we saw a different guy, but then the last two I think the intent hasn’t been there. We saw the velo at the beginning and now it’s more like feeling for the strike zone, more like pitchability -- trying to mix cutters, sweepers as opposed to going right after people which is what we saw in spring training and the first two outings."

Now New York will need to make a decision on Senga whose next turn in the rotation would likely be April 23 against the Minnesota Twins. However, the Mets have an off day before then that they can use to their benefit.

Whatever New York decides to do, though, it's in a tough spot either way with its right-hander who is known to be fastidious with his craft and can harp on his mechanics, often to a fault, while sometimes also being overcritical of himself.

"It’s hard to figure it out, especially with him," Mendoza said. "But the number one thing is his health and he's healthy... I think he's gotta go back to trusting his pitches in the strike zone. He's gotta be able to compete in the strike zone, that's what it comes down to. If you get behind hitters at this level, they're gonna make you pay."

When asked about what's been the biggest difference for him during his last two starts, Senga agreed with his skipper.

"Not getting ahead, not getting first pitch strikes, getting into hitter's counts," he said.

Yet, despite the results, Senga believes he's "not all that far off" from where he needs to be.

"A lot of this stuff is the pitches just not being as strong near the hitter or near the catcher at home plate and I'm not being able to deceive them as much," he said. "... I just need to go out there and perform."

“We’ve improved defensively,” David Stearns said pregame Friday. 

“We have not been perfect, but overall, I can’t point at our defense and say that our defense has been a problem.” 

Just a few hours later, the Mets’ defense was a problem. 

With Huascar Brazoban attempting to keep the Cubs at bay in a three-run game in the bottom of the fourth, Brett Baty booted a potential double-play ball to load the bases. 

While it was ruled a hit, leaving the bat at 97 mph, it's a play he feels he should've made. 

And the miscue ended up costing the Mets two batters later, as Brazoban got the next man to lineout then appeared to escape the jam, but Baty botched another should be routine grounder off his glove to prolong the inning. 

A strikeout ended the threat, but Chicago stretched the lead to four with some help from the miscues. 

“I’ve gotta make both of them, simple as that,” Baty said postgame. “I feel like I make those plays 10 times out of 10, I gotta make them -- I don’t care that the first one is a hit, the play should be made.”

New York, of course, went on to be blown out by Chicago as they suffered their ninth consecutive loss. 

This continues what’s been a tough stretch for Baty on both sides of the ball. 

The 26-year-old was tremendous at second and third last season, but with Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette in town, he's struggled to find his footing in his transition to first and right field. 

He also hasn't been able to carryover his breakout at the plate thus far, as his 0-for-2 on the afternoon pushed his team-worst streak to 20 consecutive hitless at-bats. 

Baty is now hitting .197 on the season, and "terrible" is how he described his play. 

“I need to get back to my approach,” he said. “Swing at strikes, hitting the ball hard all over, and play defense better than I did today because I was terrible -- it’s a long season but it sucks right now for sure, just gotta keep going.”