Category: Sports News

St. Paul Saints 4, Toledo Mud Hens 3 (box)

The Hens lost an early lead in the middle innings, and a late push fell short on Friday night.

After a quiet start to this one, Ben Malgeri singled with one out in the bottom of the third, and Max Clark followed by drawing a walk. Hao-Yu Lee banged a single up the middle to plate Malgeri, and Jace Jung smoked a drive to the wall in right field for an RBI double, scoring Clark. 2-0 Hens.

Unfortunately, that lead didn’t hold up in the middle innings as starter RHP Dylan File and RHP Cole Waites each allowed a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings. It could have been worse for Waites, but Max Clark cut down Alan Roden at home plate to save that run and get the second out before Waites escaped the inning.

RHP Tanner Rainey and LHP Konnor Pilkington each gave the Hens two good innings of work to set up a comeback. They got runners on base in the sixth, but Malgeri flew out to end the inning. In the seventh, the Loons bid to prevent Max Clark from getting a hit failed as he led off with a single. Lee took a called strike three, but Clark stole second for his sixth steal of the season. Unfortunately, Jung popped out and Eduardo Valencia struck out.

The Loons got the first two outs of the ninth, but Clark got a 1-0 curveball down and smoked it to right center field for a triple. The relay went awry, and Clark scored on the play to make it 4-3, but Lee flew out to end it.

Clark: 2-4, 2 R, 3B, BB, K, SB

Lee: 2-5, RBI, K

Malgeri: 1-4, BB, K, SB

File: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 5:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday with the series tied 2-2.

Chesapeake Baysox 11, Erie SeaWolves 6 (box)

Kenny Serwa took another beating in this one, and the bats were pretty quiet as the Baysox took a 3-1 lead in the series.

Serwa gave up a leadoff homer in the second, and that led into a five run inning for Chesapeake against the knuckleballer.

Joe Campagna walked to lead off the third, and he would eventually score on a John Peck groundout to make it 5-1 early in this one, but Serwa allowed another run in the third before finishing his outing with a clean fourth.

In the fifth, Campagna doubled and eventually scored on a Seth Stephenson grounder that went from an error as they desperately tried to rush to get the lightning fast outfielder at first.

In the sixth, Andrew Jenkins and Izaac Pacheco walked before scoring on a Justice Bigbie double to make it 6-4 Baysox.

John Stankiewicz took over in the seventh, but he got in trouble with a wild pitch and a Peck error before giving up a three-run blast in a four-run inning for the Baysox that made it 10-4.

Tanner Kohlhepp allowed a run in the eighth. In the ninth, Campagna hit a two-run shot to make the score a little more respectable. The 29-year-old shortstop bounced around Indy ball for years, occasionally playing in the minor leagues before the Tigers signed him for some depth this offseason.

Campagna: 2-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K, SB

Bigbie: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B

Serwa (L, 0-2): 4.o IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 0 K

Rodriguez: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Saturday, with the Baysox leading the series 3-1.

Great Lakes Loons 3, West Michigan Whitecaps 2 (box)

Lucas Ellisalt wasn’t particularly sharp on Friday night, and the Whitecaps bats were very quiet as the Loons took a 3-1 series lead.

Both offenses were quiet out of the gate, but in the third, a one-out single from the Loons’ Jose Izarra got them started. Elissalt got a fly out, but four straight singles made it 3-0 before he got out of the inning.

Woody Hadeen got a run back in the bottom half as he walked with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jackson Strong struck out, but Garrett Pennington walked as well, and Richardo Hurtado singled in Hadeen to make it 3-1.

Elissalt spun a 1-2-3 fourth, and Patrick Lee immediately crushed a solo shot to dead center to make it 3-2. Patrick Lee has 70 speed, a 70 arm, and at least 60 power. Please, oh baseball gods, let this man hit. Unlikely, as Lee had to find a path through Indy Ball just to reach the minor leagues, but it would sure be fun.

Lefty Ethan Sloan, along with Carlos Lequerica and Logan Berrier, shut down the Tortugas offense entirely the rest of the way, but the Whitecaps weren’t not swinging a hot bat either. They never threatened again.

Lee: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, K

Hadeen: 1-3, R, BB, K

Elissalt (L, 0-1): 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps and Loons play at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. No respect for the Masters at all, smdh.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 2, Daytona Tortugas 1 (box)

The Flying Tigers cannot be contained right now. They moved to 7-0 on the young season behind another strong outing from 2025 second rounder, Malachi Witherspoon, and the longest home run I can ever remember a Tigers prospect hitting off the bat of shortstop Bryce Rainer.

Witherspoon have come right out throwing gas as hoped, and he was an easy 96 mph in the first inning, carving up two Tortugas swinging with some good cutters in the mix. He was up over 97 mph in a quick 1-2-3 second inning. In the third, he got the first out but walked Ichiro Cano and hit Drew Davies to push a runner into scoring position. He got a one-hopper back to himself and recorded the second out, but a single followed for a 1-0 Daytona lead. That was the only blemish on Witherspoon’s card as he breezed through the fourth and the Tigers called it a day as they slowly build up his pitch count.

Here’s a little Zach MacDonald highlight along the way.

After Witherspoon departed, the Tigers third ranked prospect, Bryce Rainer stepped in looking for his first home run of the young season. Rainer has been fine, but after missing the best part of a year to shoulder surgery, he’s been working his way back into things slowly and drawing a ton of walks. He didn’t walk this time, destroying a 96.7 mph fastball and hitting it 477 feet beyond the center field wall. That ball left the bat at 116.2 mph, which few even in the majors can match. With the Artemis II crew splashing down off the coast of Florida at around the same time, the jokes wrote themselves.

Look at this thing.

Tyler Owens took over from Witherspoon to continue his rehab work, and he collected the next five outs, allowing just one hit. Eliseo Mota did better, spinning 2 1/3 perfect innings with four strikeouts.

The score was knotted at 1-1 until the bottom of the 8th, when Nolan McCarthy drew a walk. He promptly stole second base and took third as the throw sailed into center field. Anibal Salas struck out, and Jack Goodman waked and stole second as Rainer was called out on strikes. The run was then balked in anyway to give Lakeland a 2-1 lead.

Xiomer Guacache, what a great name btw, came on in the top of the ninth and quickly racked up three outs, the last a swinging strike three, to end it and earn his first save of the season.

Rainer: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 SO

McCarthy: 0-1, R, 2 BB, SB

Witherspoon: 4.0 IPO, ER, H, BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:00 p.m. ET start in Lakeland on Saturday as the Flying Tigers look to make it 8-0.

En route to a 4-0 loss to the City-less Athletics, Mets’ starter Clay Holmes left the game in the sixth inning with ‘left hamstring tightness.’ Holmes expressed optimism after the game that he could make his next scheduled start, calling the injury “nothing major.” Manager Carlos Mendoza said that how Holmes feels today will determine their course of action going forward.

Even with last night’s abbreviated start, Holmes has looked quite good in his second year as a starer. Over 18 innings thrown, he’s allowed just three earned runs on 12 hits striking out 12 and walking eight. While his 3.87 FIP is showing that his 1.50 ERA might be a bit of a fluke, Holmes has been the third most effective Mets’ starter thus far after Nolan McLean and Kodai Senga.

The only blemish against Holmes in last night’s start was a Shea Langeliers RBI single in the third inning. Holmes was pulled in the top of the sixth with one out after 81 pitches.

The Mets have been bit by the injury bug already this season, with Juan Soto currently on the Injured List with a calf injury and Jorge Polanco missing time with a hamstring injury.

If Holmes does go on the IL, the Mets will have an interesting decision to make. With Sean Manaea and last night’s goat Tobias Myers both acting as long men right now, one of them would likely be called upon to start. However, Manaea’s diminished velocity and walk rate are huge red flags, and the Mets may not want to put him in that role. Christian Scott and Jonah Tong are both available from Triple-A, but the Mets likely wouldn’t want to disrupt their progress for a spot start or two. Hopefully, this is a moot point and Holmes makes his next scheduled start.

Senga takes the hill for the Mets this afternoon against Jacob Lopez for the A’s.

Davey Lopes, the Dodgers infield fixture who spent over 50 years in baseball, died on Wednesday at age 80. Here are a few more remembrances of his life and career.

Lopes’ former teammates and fellow members of The Infield that played together for 8 1/2 seasons Ron Cey and Steve Garvey talked with Jack Harris at the California Post: “He controlled the game at times with his base-stealing capabilities,” Cey said. “He wreaked havoc on defenses … His contributions were immense.”

From former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, who hired Lopes to coach first base in Los Angeles: “Davey was a winner in life & on the field. After an outstanding playing career, he became a coach – the best 1st base coach I ever saw: secondary leads, pitch tips, cutting your steps 1st to 3rd…he looked and taught players to look for every advantage. 1 of 1.”

From former Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner: “Such a straight shooter and a great baseball mind. I’ll never forget being on 1st base for 3 or 4 pitches and him looking right at me and saying, ‘What the hell are you waiting for? Go!’”

From former Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp: “Thank you Davey for being one of the best mentors ever. I can still hear him saying ‘If you don’t steal this base right now, I’m gonna kick your ass!!’ Rest easy.”

From Tim Kurkjian’s article on baserunning at ESPN: “[Johnny] Bench said the best baserunner he ever saw was ex-Dodger Davey Lopes, who was adept at getting a good lead and reading the pitcher.”

Of the 82 major league players born in Rhode Island, Lopes has the fourth-highest Baseball Reference WAR (42.4), behind only Hall of Famers Nap Lajoie, Gabby Hartnett, and Hugh Duffy. Stephen Rosa for the Boston Globe wrote, “For many of us, Davey Lopes was more than a great athlete. He was an example. He was an inspiration. And for a lot of us, he was one of the first people who made success feel real.”

Former Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. called Lopes “the best base stealing coach we’ve ever had.”

Ethan Witte at The Good Phight expanded on Lopes’ tenure as a Phillies coach from 2007-10, one of the most successful stretched in franchise history:

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).

More Lopes obituaries

• From Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register
• From Beth Harris at the Associated Press
• From Steve Henson at the Los Angeles Times
• From Gabe Lacques at USA Today
• From Houston Mitchell at the Los Angeles Times
• From Melissa Lockard and Matt Gelb at The Athletic
• From Matt Breen at the Philadelphia Inquirer
• From JR Radcliffe at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
• From Matt Young at the Houston Chronicle
• From Manny Randhawa at MLB.com
• A video from MLB Network:

Bruce Levine reports that Matthew Boyd will make a rehab start this coming week. More when we know more. We’ll see if Dylan Carlson makes it back to Triple-A.

Shōta Imanaga on the hill versus Carmen Mlodzinski. Let’s hope Mike Imanaga takes the day off. Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ were in the lineup, which was nicely balanced at the outset:

1. Nico Hoerner, 2B
2. Michael Busch, 1B
3. Alex Bregman, 3B
4. Ian Happ, LF
5. Seiya Suzuki, RF
6. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
7. Carson Kelly, C
8. Moisés Ballesteros, DH
9. Dansby Swanson, SS

Game Result:

Pirates 2, Cubs 0.

Shōta pitched well. He allowed the Pirates a big fat zero in 6.0 innings of work. Longtime Cubs nemesis Bryan Reynolds took Caleb Thielbar deep for a two-run homer in the sixth inning. That was it for scoring on this day.

Every page these days has some form of advertising. {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

• Kyle Williams (Chicago Sun-Times {$}): Cade Horton’s Cubs teammates detail their experiences rehabbing after major elbow surgeries. “Jameson Taillon and Hunter Harvey were first-round draft picks who had to deal with elbow injuries early in their career.”
• Kin Leung (North Side Baseball): The five stages of relief. “… let’s run through these stages…”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Can Miguel Amaya be an effective hitter if his bat speed never rebounds? “… Amaya had plus bat speed in 2023, 2024 and 2025. So far in 2026, he’s below-average in that regard. Can he overcome that problem?”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Nico Hoerner has always wanted to find more power. Has he finally done it? “I’m not going into at-bats trying to hit home runs, but I do want to get pitches I can drive.” More from Bleacher Nation. More from the Sun-Times {$}.
• Max Ralph (MLB.com): Seiya back with Cubs for his ’26 debut, reinstated from IL. “His 103 RBIs led the Cubs last year…“
• Shelby Kluver (WQAD): ‘Bleed Cubbie blue’ | Cubs fans tie the knot on opening day at Galesburg Cubs bar. “ For Chris McKillip and Nancy Reed, the start of baseball season doubled as the start of their marriage.”

Food For Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. Thanks for reading.

After five Triple-A games, Konnor Griffin forced the issue — .438/.571/.625 — and debuted in Pittsburgh’s April 4 home opener. 

Less than a week later, the Pirates — hardly a perennial contender — announced a nine-year extension that keeps him under contract through 2034.  

That’s not just a prospect promotion. That’s a team deciding to be aggressive. 

For an organization searching for relevance, the Pittsburgh Pirates are acting like a club that wants to compete now — trusting talent, accelerating timelines, and building around players as they prove ready. 

And early on, it’s translating. 

They’ve opened the season playing winning baseball — getting contributions from their young rotation (having Paul Skenes helps a lot) with just enough offense. It’s a small sample, and by June this could look very different. 

But the intent is clear. 

The Rockies are operating in a similar space: more competitive than projected, treading water behind just enough pitching and solid defense. 

But where Pittsburgh had Griffin and pulled the trigger, Colorado has Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) — and a lineup that still needs impact. 

This lineup isn’t broken — but it’s still volatile 

There are stretches where the Rockies’ offense looks competent — productive and capable of pressure. 

But the volatility remains. 

Strikeouts persist. Walk rates are low. And a swing-first approach means consistency can disappear quickly. When the offense is on, it looks pesky. When it’s not, it stalls. 

There have been bright spots, but production hasn’t been evenly distributed — and that’s where cracks show. 

The outfield, in particular, has struggled. 

Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle and Jake McCarthy — the projected starting outfield heading into the season — have opened cold. The trio has gone a combined 13-93 (.139) with one home run and a 30% strike-out rate entering Friday’s game.

Troy Johnston and Tyler Freeman have hit, but much of their value comes from versatility and time spent in the infield, not as everyday outfield anchors. As a result, the outfield’s offense hasn’t stabilized and is still leaving a clear gap in production.

Mickey Moniak is the clear exception — but comes with a massive trade-off. 

He’s off to a hot start at the plate, and his bat has been vital. But he shouldn’t be anywhere near a baseball glove. Moniak has struggled defensively throughout his career, and the metrics reflect it. If he’s a key offensive contributor from the grass, the Rockies are accepting defensive risk. 

That’s not a sustainable equation. 

Charlie Condon is ready for the next evaluation 

Condon’s case doesn’t hinge on projection anymore.

He had a loud spring — driving the ball with authority — and has carried that into pro ball. He’s produced at every level, and the power stroke is showing up more consistently.

To begin the minor league season, Condon produced a two-homer, five-RBI game in Oklahoma City on March 29th. After a brief absence for a minor procedure to remove a cyst, he returned to Triple-A Albuquerque and picked up right where he left off:

The sample is small, but the takeaway is consistent: performance isn’t slowing his timeline. Condon is batting .286/.405/.976 through 35 at-bats.

And it’s not just the bat.

Condon offers real flexibility — capable of playing first base or right field, and even sliding into a right-handed DH role at times, potentially pairing with Mickey Moniak as part of a platoon. That kind of versatility makes it easier to find a path to at-bats, not harder.

Questions remain, sure. He struck out in 28% of his Double-A plate appearances in 2025, and evaluators still point to recognizing spin as the next hurdle. But those aren’t questions that get answered in Albuquerque. They get answered in the majors.

Condon may be the most immediate answer, but he’s not the only one pushing the Rockies toward a decision.

The next wave isn’t one player — it’s a mix 

Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) feels like the incumbent, even after opening 2026 on the injured list (right knee contusion) and having a tepid start to his season. The version seen this spring looked stronger and more impactful, highlighted by a 468-foot walk-off — if that holds, he can change the lineup. 

Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) offers a different profile; a versatile, high-energy contributor hitting .265 with eight stolen bases at Triple-A, with development centered on refining approach and reducing chase. He’s not the centerpiece. He’s a multiplier. 

Timing still matters — even beyond incentives 

This isn’t just about service time, but it’s not not about service time either. 

MLB’s Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) rewards early promotions with a draft pick, but it comes with guardrails — Top 100 eligibility, award thresholds, and a one-pick-per-organization cap. 

For Condon, the decision is likely more traditional: service time, where teams balance long-term control against present-day impact and development. 

Some organizations still manage timelines carefully; others — like Pittsburgh with Griffin — are accelerating them. The Rockies are somewhere in between.

At some point, it’s about belief 

The Rockies have taken real steps forward — they’re more competitive, the lineup has flashes, and there’s something worth building on. 

But the next step is reinforcing that progress, not waiting on it. Development still matters, but the most important questions get answered against major league pitching. 

If this team is going to reward the progress it’s already made, it starts by trusting the talent that can push it forward. 

On The Farm 

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 8, El Paso Chihauhaus 10

The Isotopes (6-7) fell 8-10 in El Paso, but the offense continued to show life. Blaine Crim led the way with three hits, including a home run, while Nicky Lopez stayed scorching hot with another three-hit game—pushing his line to .375 with a .929 OPS. Braxton Fulford also chipped in, going 2-for-2 with a home run after entering as a defensive sub in the sixth.

On the mound, Gabriel Hughes had a tough outing, throwing 84 pitches and allowing five runs over 4.1 innings.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 6, Reading Fightin Phils 9

The Yard Goats (3-4) couldn’t keep up in Reading, falling to the Fightin Phils 6-9. Connor Capel provided one of the few highlights, going deep to supply some early offense, but pitching told the story. Konner Eaton battled through 5.1 innings and was tagged for five earned runs, while Davison Palermo surrendered four more earned runs in just 1.2 innings of relief, putting the game out of reach.

High-A: Spokane Indians 9, Hillsboro Hops 11

The Indians (3-4) dropped a high-scoring game to the Hops. Jacob Humphrey led the way on offense with two hits and three RBIs, while Max Belyeu added two hits and two RBIs of his own — both staying hot early in the season. But despite the run support, pitching couldn’t hold up. Jackson Cox got the start and allowed four earned runs over four innings, though he did rack up eight strikeouts. The bullpen didn’t fare much better, with all three relievers surrendering multiple earned runs as the game got away.

Single-A: Stockton Ports 9, Fresno Grizzlies 5

Grizzlies (4-3) come up short against the Ports. Ethan Holliday went 2-for-5 and launched his first home run of the season, an encouraging sign as he looks to get going early in the year. On the mound, JB Middleton was excellent. He threw five innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts, continuing a strong start to his season — now allowing just two runs over his first nine innings

Broncos owners buy 40% ownership stake in the Colorado Rockies | The Denver Post

In this piece by the Denver Post, the Walton-Penner ownership group has purchased a significant minority stake in the Colorado Rockies, adding a powerful new financial partner to the franchise. While the Monfort family retains control, the move signals increased resources and potential organizational change. It’s a notable shift in ownership structure — and a clear sign of growing investment in the Rockies’ future.

Paul DePodesta Explains What Rockies’ Surprising Start in 2026 Offers | SI.com

In this piece by Sports Illustrated, Paul DePodesta frames the Rockies’ surprising early start less as a signal of success and more as a data point in a long rebuild. He emphasizes that the early competitiveness is encouraging but not definitive, stressing that the organization is focused on long-term development rather than short-term results. The takeaway: the Rockies may be playing better now, but in DePodesta’s view, what matters is whether that progress is sustainable over a full season.

Pirates, Rockies and Marlins off to great starts — is it sustainable? | MLB.com

In this piece by MLB.com, the Rockies are highlighted alongside the Pirates and Marlins as teams off to better-than-expected starts in 2026. It points out that while the early results are encouraging, it’s still very early — and whether this kind of play can hold over a full season is the real question. For now, the Rockies are showing signs of life, but like the others, they still have to prove it’s more than just a hot start.

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Good morning, baseball fans!

It’s another weekend of San Francisco Giants baseball, which means it’s time to figure out who was this week’s Player of the Week!

Personally, I’ve got to give this week’s honors to Daniel Susac! Not only did Susac have a three-hit game in last Thursday’s 7-2 win over the New York Mets, but he went and did it AGAIN in Tuesday’s 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies!

Those are great numbers for an individual game no matter who you are, but to do it twice in a week as a rookie? Yeah, people are definitely paying attention.

Way to go, Daniel!

Who is your pick for Player of the Week?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants continue their series against the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at 4:15 p.m. PT.

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

This week’s question we asked you where Oneil Cruz should be playing for the Pirates. He has had a solid start at the plate with 4 home runs, 12 RBIs and .292 batting average but he has struggled defensively at center field with multiple errors. So we asked the readers where he should be playing and this was this week’s results.

So there you have it 42% of you guys believe Cruz should be the pirates DH instead of playing in the field. I agree with the results but the tough thing is what should the Bucs do with Marcell Ozuna then. Cruz continues top show that he is a liability at center field and a change might need to happen sooner rather than later.

As usual, don’t forget to drop by FanDuel’s MLB page. You can bet on all kinds of player props as well as the Bucs winning the Worlds Series (+5000) and also for them just making the MLB Playoffs (+164).