On this day one year ago, Shane Smith threw a second great start to begin his MLB career. | (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
1963 On this date, one of the biggest “what if’s” in franchise history took place.
As per the rules at the time, the White Sox had to choose between two pitchers signed to “bonus baby” contracts, as only one player signed to a deal for more than a certain amount of money could remain in the organization; the other would have to be waived.
With that in mind, rookies Bruce Howard and Denny McLain square off in an intrasquad game to see who would be released and who got promoted to Double-A Lynchburg. Howard won, 2-1. McLain got his walking papers and was claimed by Detroit the following week. He’d go on to win 131 big league games, including 31 in 1968.
Howardwon 26 in his career, and never could find consistent success. He was traded to the Orioles in November 1967.
1984 After 559 starts in the National League, Tom Seaver made his American League debut in a 7-3 mauling by the Tigers at Comiskey Park. The loss came a day after the South Siders were no-hit by a Detroit team that got out the gate hot and didn’t stop until they won the 1984 World Series. Seaver lasted just 4 1⁄3 innings, surrendering five earned runs, including a solo homer to Kirk Gibson.
After his debut loss, Seaver was defeated again, and took a 7.71 ERA into his third start. The future Hall-of-Famer corrected himself on the season, however, ending up with a 15-11 record and 3.95 ERA/105 ERA+/4.1 WAR. At age 39, he led the White Sox pitchers in wins and was second in WAR.
1991 It was always a “House of Horrors” for the White Sox, but on this day they got the last laugh.
The Sox spoiled the last Orioles home opener in Memorial Stadium by ripping Baltimore, 9-1. Sammy Sosa clubbed homers in the second and eighth innings to lead the rout, driving in five runs on the afternoon. Jack McDowell went the distance for the win, striking out 10.
1995 With teams ramping up quickly to fill out rosters as the labor impasse that cancelled the 1994 World Series ended, the White Sox signed free agent outfielder Mike Devereaux and southpaw starter Jim Abbott for the season.
Devereaux was signed for $1,350,000 and served as the team’s primary right fielder (1.8 WAR, .306/.352/.465, 115 OPS+) before being dealt to contending Atlanta for minor league center fielder Andre King on August 25.
Abbott, famously a star hurler with just one hand, signed for $2 million and had a renaissance season, going 6-4 with a 3.36 ERA and 2.6 WAR in just 17 starts. He was dealt back to his original club, the California Angels, on July 27. Abbott also would mount a comeback with the White Sox in 1998, after sitting out 1997.
2014 The White Sox hit six home runs, including the first two of José Abreu’s career, in a 15-3 rout of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Avisaíl García adds two homers, with Tyler Flowers and Alexei Ramírez getting one apiece. The White Sox scored 11 times in the final three frames, turning a 4-3 squeaker into a 15-3 romp. Jim Margalus covered the rout for South Side Sox.
2021 The Legend of Yermín Mercedes grew, as he clubbed the third-longest home run ever at new Sox Park. Coming against Brad Keller of the Royals, the 485-foot clout was hit in the rain, and in Yermín’s very first 2021 at-bat in front of his home fans.
2025 In just his second career start, Shane Smith threw a no hitter for 5 ⅔ innings, becoming the first MLB pitcher with a least 11 ⅔ innings pitched in his first two starts to allow no more than four total bases. The last pitcher to accomplish this stingy feat was also a South Side hurler: Shovel Hodge, in 1920.
The losing continues for the Detroit Tigers, who dropped their third straight on Tuesday night to the Minnesota Twins, 4-2. To make matters worse, it was the second-straight Tarik Skubal start wasted in defeat.
The ace southpaw struggled in his third game of the 2026 campaign, lasting just 4 1/3 innings while giving up four earned runs on eight hits — plus he issued his first two walks of the season. It doesn’t help that Detroit’s offense has been as robust as a wet noodle, and so now Minnesota is up two games to none in this week’s four-game series.
The Tigers can still force a split, but they need to get things going on Wednesday night behind their high-priced lefty, Framber Valdez. The free agent acquisition has paid off so far, and hopefully, his success continues into his third start.
Opposite him is right-hander Baily Ober, who is no stranger to the Motor City Kitties. Detroit won both games against him last year, tallying 10 earned runs on 14 hits (five home runs) but just one walk with nine strikeouts in 11 innings over those two matchups.
Can the Tigers heat up and snap schneid? Tune in on Wednesday night to find out.
Detroit Tigers (4-7) vs. Minnesota Twins (5-6)
Time (ET): 7:40 p.m. ET Place: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 12: LHP Framber Valdez (1-0, 0.75 ERA) vs. RHP Bailey Ober (0-0, 6.75 ERA)
BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 7: AJ Green #20 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots a three point basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on April 7, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In what can only be described as a tank-off (though I’d argue one team tried a lot more shenanigans than the other), the Milwaukee Bucks fall to the Brooklyn Nets 96-90. The loss brings the Bucks just one game behind the Bulls for the ninth-best draft odds. This win for the Nets means they lead the season series 2-1. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
Shot worse than he had been, but made some big ones down the stretch (including a tough three from the deep corner). Also contributed in other areas such as rebounding. The four assists are nice until you see the turnovers; don’t quit your day job, TP.
A really tough game for Ous, who seems to be hitting a wall as this season comes to a close. It’s understandable, with him never playing this much before, but still, you’d like for him to play better against a team like that. Having that many turnovers is unacceptable.
Was lukewarm for most of the game, but lit it up in the fourth, going 3/5 from three, including a clutch triple to bring the Bucks within two with 32 seconds left. I liked his physicality on defence as well.
It really seems like they’re making a point of using Jericho as a hub as the season winds down. His development as a DHO/short-roll operator has been tremendous.
Didn’t shoot the ball from two as well as he had been, but still had some moments of brilliance. In particular, Ryan had a smooth “Pinoy step” in the second quarter (kind of like a slow euro-step with the shot fake on the first step… YouTube it if that made no sense, LOL).
We might be coming to the end of the line with AJax. Just not a functional NBA player.
Grade: D-
Gary Harris
21 minutes, 7 points, 3/9 FG, 1/4 3P, -11
Did some nice things—including a one-legged three with the shot clock winding down in the first half—but all in all, not much to report, good or bad (in typical Gary Harris fashion). Good on him for wanting to play and compete in a game like this, though.
Grade: C
Doc Rivers
I mean, how much can you really judge Doc when the front office really took over for this one? I’ll keep echoing the point that the team is “playing the right way,” evidenced by having 25 assists on 45 made field goals.
Grade: C+
DNP-CD: Alex Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Inactive: Kevin Porter Jr., Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner, Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, Gary Trent Jr., Ryan Rollins
Bonus Bucks Bits
The Bucks (31-48) have the Pistons, Nets, and 76ers (two likely losses, one that could go either way). The Bulls (30-49) have the Wizards, Magic, and Mavs (one win, one loss, and one that could go either way). If the Bulls win two of those games and the Bucks lose two, both teams will end up with the same record of 32-50, triggering a coin flip for the ninth-best odds (I think).
Prior to the game, Doc answered a question about how long he sees himself continuing to coach in the NBA: “I won’t answer that, but I have grandkids that I want to see. I’ll let you figure it out from there.”
Doc said the Nets getting to the line 23 times to the Bucks’ eight, along with Milwaukee’s 19 turnovers, were the biggest things that lost them the game. Singled out Ous as someone who has to value the ball better.
Back home in New York, Cormac Ryan got a small but loud applause when he scored.
The Nets were doing some shifty tanking stuff, such as not playing E.J. Liddell (their best player on the night) in the fourth quarter. Also, Nolan Traore is playing suspiciously low minutes and coming off the bench. Yes, the Bucks were also tanking (right?), but at least they played their best guys when it mattered.
Milwaukee went on a 15-5 run late in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough.
Up Next
The Bucks are back in action tonight in Detroit at 6:00 p.m. CDT. Catch the game on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 07: Morgan Geekie #39 of the Boston Bruins scores a goal against Brandon Bussi #32 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at Lenovo Center on April 07, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It is Wednesday, my dudes.
There are a few different ways of looking at the current state of the Boston Bruins:
They’ve lost four games in a row.
They’re on a two-game point streak.
They’re a point or two away from clinching a playoff spot.
They’re not looking terribly convincing at the moment.
The good news is that all of those things can be true at once, and last night’s 6-5 OT loss in Carolina was kind of a microcosm of all of them.
The Bruins looked OK early last night against Carolina, holding leads of 1-0 and 3-2 in the first period.
Then the wheels kind of fell off, with the Canes scoring three straight goals and, at times, skating circles around the Bruins.
However, the B’s bounced back, and while they ultimately lost, they left Raleigh with a point.
In the “good” column, Morgan Geekie broke his scoring drought in resounding fashion, recording a hat trick and pushing his season total to 37 goals.
Pavel Zacha also hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career, while David Pastrnak reached the 70-assist mark for the first time as well.
In the “bad” column, Jeremy Swayman got yanked in the second period after allowing five goals on 23 shots, though his removal was less about his individual performance and more about sparking the team in front of him.
Joonas Korpisalo played well again in relief, allowing just one goal on 17 shots (though that came in OT, so….).
If you look at last night’s game, I think you can be happy with some of the effort, concerned with some of the gaps, but ultimately, a point in Carolina isn’t a bad thing.
The B’s end their four-game road trip taking just two points out of a possible eight, leaving their playoff spot up in the air when it could have been done and dusted by now.
Ottawa, Columbus, and Philadelphia won last night, with Ottawa looking particularly impressive in scoring five times in the third period to beat Tampa.
Montreal won as well, meaning the Bruins can pretty much forget about any hopes of chasing a divisional playoff spot — it’ll be wild card or bust.
As of Wednesday morning, the B’s are in the WC1 spot, four points ahead of Ottawa in WC2.
In terms of falling out of the playoff picture, the B’s are six points ahead of Columbus (four games left) and seven points ahead of Detroit and the New York Islanders (four games apiece left).
While the B’s will now enjoy a nice stretch of three days without a game before they host Tampa on Saturday, they can clinch a playoff spot depending on other results.
Columbus plays Buffalo on Thursday, Detroit plays Philadelphia, and the Islanders play Toronto.
If all three of Columbus, Detroit, and the Islanders lose in regulation, the Bruins will clinch a playoff spot. That’s not likely to happen, but hey, it’s a scenario.
Basically, it boils down to this: if the Bruins get two points (in any fashion) over their last three games, they’ll be in.
The Red Wings and Islanders can’t get more than 97 points, and while Columbus can get 98 and equal the B’s in the first tiebreaker (regulation wins), they can’t catch the B’s in the second tiebreaker (regulation and OT wins).
My head hurts, and someone please correct me if I’m wrong.
Just get a couple of more points and save us all the trouble.
In other news, Charlie McAvoy was announced as the B’s nominee for the Masterton Trophy this morning, a deserved nod after he lost around 93 teeth over the course of the season.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 7: Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after the final out of the ninth inning defeating the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 7, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the fisticuffs between Reynaldo Lopez and Jorge Soler, Walt Weiss had a bit of a problem. He had to get 4 1/3 from his bullpen, but ideally, while preserving a small lead. If the game were a blowout already, it would be easy to sacrifice Jose Suarez and move on from there, but that wasn’t a good tactical option in a close game.
When I saw Tyler Kinley coming in, I started to do some math in my head — between Kinley and three “good relievers,” you could straightforwardly get either 3 1/3 or maybe more, depending on whether Kinley came back out after ending the fifth. You’d need Kinley for a full frame to get to 4 1/3. So, I started to think along the lines of, “Okay, fine, these guys are gonna have to pitch more than an inning, and that’s how we solve this problem.”
But that’s not what happened either. Kinley got two outs, one in the fifth, and one in the sixth. Dylan Lee finished the sixth. Robert Suarez was thrown in to face the scary part of this lineup in the seventh, but he was only asked to go an inning. Then we got an “Aaron Bummer in not-meaningless leverage” sighting, but a hit-by-pitch and a “oh rats we used all our ABS challenges already” sequence led to the tying run coming to the plate, so Walt Weiss, Jeremy Hefner and company went with Raisel Iglesias for the remainder of the game. Iglesias even stayed in as the Braves tacked on multiple runs in the top of the ninth.
While we’ve seen a lot of these things before (Iglesias for more than an inning, pitchers for less than an inning for handedness reasons, Aaron Bummer in non-awful leverage, a better reliever pitching earlier to face off against tougher batters), we generally haven’t seen them combined in this fashion. While the starting pitching decisions still trend towards the lackadaisical, we can at least say that Walt Weiss and company are being a lot more aggressive with their bullpen and bench decisions than we’ve seen in the past from this team.
If you were watching last night (which I know is a tough sell given the time for many of you), did the bullpen management surprise you as it happened?
Apr 6, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) comes in to score during the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
Good morning, Phillies fans. You can be forgiven for being a bit bleary-eyed this morning, given that yesterday was another 9:45 eastern start. Fortunately, today’s game is a reprieve in the form of a 3:45 start. But there will be more late nights this season; a road trip to San Diego and Los Angeles in late May will require some coffee.
Or not. Perhaps energy drinks are your beverage of choice for those late baseball nights. Or perhaps you don’t stay up at all. If you’re among those who prioritize health over baseball (I’m not), do you watch a replay of the game the next morning? If so, do you avoid spoilers? Or is a recap your option of choice? We offer those, you know.
Today’s question is: what do you do for the late night games?
I traded my Easter ham for a hot dog last weekend to watch the Orioles take on the Pirates at PNC Park. On paper, it felt like dealing Erik Bedard for Adam Jones and a quartet of pitchers. It’s not like I was skipping Thanksgiving dinner, and it’s always a thrill to catch a game or three at the second most beautiful park in baseball.
There was a legitimate buzz in Pittsburgh leading up to the team’s home opener. A traditionally pessimistic fan base garnered some optimism with the signings of Ryan O’Hearn, Brandow Lowe, and Marcell Ozuna, but the city caught fire when the organization announced they were promoting top prospect Konnor Griffin before the first home game of the season.
The top prospect in baseball? That’s nice. Call me when you go back-to-back-to-back. Baltimore’s lineup should have featured Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Jackson Holliday, but the youngest reamined on the IL recovering from a broken hamate bone. Still, I couldn’t help but smile when the sold out crowd rose to its feet to greet the future of its franchise. Pirates fans are aching for the type of feeling Baltimore enjoyed during a 101-win season in 2023, and Orioles fans are looking to rediscover the magic.
Griffin delivered a big hit, and the Orioles failed to recover from a four-run deficit. Baltimore went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and Gregory Soto danced around a solo homer for his first save of the season. Fans talked some smack in a jovial manner as I left the park. “We’ll get you tomorrow,” I said with a grin, and the fans conceded like it was already a foregone conclusion.
That’s not what happened though. Baltimore let a two-run lead slip away with the type of defense that we all feared would rear its ugly head at some point. Coby Mayo failed to turn a double play. Anthony Nunez couldn’t corral a weak grounder, and the Pirates walked it off for their second one-run win in as many days.
I won’t waste much time on the finale. Chris Bassitt looked old and cold with temperatures in the low 50s. Craig Albernaz yelled at home plate umpire James Jean like a manager watching his team get hopelessly swept, and Jean barked back like a guy unhappy to be working on a holiday. I left the park like a guy who went to three games and all he got was a lousy opening series pin.
I was ready to air grievances like some odd combination of Easter and Festivus, but I don’t post on Monday mornings. Since then, the Orioles traveled to Chicago and clinched a series victory with a pair of close wins. They enter today with a chance of a series sweep and a return to .500. So where does that leave us?
Nothing is coming easy for this team right now. Baltimore finished 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position yesterday with 14 men left on base. The team could have coasted to a comfortable victory but instead needed its closer for a second straight day in April.
Baltimore’s early struggles are manifesting in strange ways. The team desperately needed a hit with runners in scoring position and less than two outs yesterday. Albernaz sent Ryan Mountcastle up to pinch hit in the fifth inning because he couldn’t trust Colton Cowser to put the ball in play right now. Mountcastle drove in a run with an RBI-groundout, but the move said more about Cowser’s inability to handle offspeed pitches than anything else.
Samuel Basallo can hit the ball HARD, but the Orioles still have a rookie batting .167 in the cleanup spot. A team that spent $155 million on Pete Alonso should be able to let guys like Basallo and Beavers cut their teeth a little lower in the order.
Trevor Rogers has looked the part through his first three starts, but the second head of Baltimore’s two headed monster failed to complete five innings in either of his first two outings. The Orioles could use a strong start from Kyle Bradish today with closer Ryan Helsley likely unavailable.
Cade Povich and Brandon Young have already turned in better appearances than free agent signing Chris Bassitt. The 37-year-0ld is 0-2 with a 14.21 ERA on the season. The Birds will need more out of Bassitt with Zach Eflin already on the 60-day injured list.
Henderson, Rutschman, and Taylor Ward look capable of carrying the offense until Alonso heats up, but the bottom half remains a question mark without Holliday and Jordan Westburg. Mayo has yet to offset the defense at third base, and Jeremiah Jackson looks to be the easy option once Holliday returns.
After 11 games, the optics match reality. The Orioles are playing like a team fighting to play .500 baseball. That’s not a disaster, but it’s not enough either. These two close wins in Chicago stopped the sky from falling, but Baltimore could really use a comfortable win to catch its breath. There’s an opportunity to get that win today with Bradish on the mound against University of Maryland product Sean Burke.
Columbus Clippers Travis Bazzana (12) throws the ball to first base during home opener at Huntington Park on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Between 16 hits, 12 walks and two hit by pitches, Columbus scored a whopping 14 runs with 30 baserunners on Tuesday — and somehow they still needed a late rally to pull out the victory.
George Valera led the way, going 4-for-5 with two sacrifice flies and six runs batted in. (He’s ready folks).
Stuart Fairchild went 2-for-4 with a triple, a walk and a hit by pitch. Cooper Ingle reached base all six times, going 1-for-1 with four walks, a hit by pitch and three runs scored. Kody Huff reached base five times, going 2-for-3 with a triple, three walks and four runs scored.
Other standouts included Dayan Frias, who went 1-for-4 with two walks and a stolen base, Travis Bazzana who went 2-for-6 with a walk and a stolen base Petey Halpin, who went 2-for-7 with a double. Milan Tolentino had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-6.
Starting pitcher Trenton Denholm pitched reasonably well, allowing four runs (two earned) on nine hits in 5.0 innings. He struck out six and didn’t walk anyone.
Andrew Walters made his first rehab appearance of the season, allowing two runs on one walk and one hit in an inning. Colin Holderman was tattooed for four runs on three hits and a walk in his lone inning of work.
Also rehabbing was Hunter Gaddis, who pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Franco Aleman closed out the victory with a scoreless ninth inning.
Scoring 12 runs wasn’t enough for the Akron offense on Tuesday. Angel Genao led the way, smacking his second home run of the season, going 2-for-4 with two walks.
Also homering were Jacob Cozart, who went 2-for-5 and Alex Mooney, who went 1-for-5 with a grand slam.
Ralphy Velazquez and Alfonsin Rosario both went 2-for-6 with a pair of runs scored. Wuilfredo Antunez went 1-for-3 with two walks while Nick Mitchell went 2-for-5.
Starting pitcher Dylan DeLucia had an atrocious outing, allowing 10 runs (eight earned) on 11 hits in just 3.0 innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Jay Driver chipped in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief while Zane Morehouse and Reid Johnston both gave up one run.
Alaska Abney pitched a scoreless inning and Jack Jasiak allowed the ghost runner to score with two outs in the bottom of the 10th to take the tough-luck loss.
Lake County didn’t get a ton of offense, but it was timely. Ryan Cesarini led the way, going 2-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base to lead the way offensively.
Bennett Thompson also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Jaison Chourio walked twice and stole a base while Nolan Schubart walked twice and had a sacrifice fly and Anthony Silva went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk and Aaron Walton went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.
Top draft pick Jace LaViolette’s early season struggled continued, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout, although he reached base for the first time of his career with a walk.
Starting pitcher Franklin Gomez looked sensational in his Guardians system debut. He pitched 4.0 shutout innings of four-hit ball, striking out seven and walking just two.
LHP Franklin Gomez made his org debut tonight with the @LCCaptains…
Hill City players got on base, but no one had a particularly great game Tuesday. Dauri Fernandez, Robert Arias and Anthony Martinez all went 1-for-3 with a walk, with Arias also stealing a base.
Yelferth Castillo had the biggest hit of the game, a home run while Yaikel Mijares walked twice and stole a base.
Starting pitcher Aiden Major made his organizational debut, allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 2.2 innings.
Will McCausland also gave up two runs, but impressively struck out eight batters in 3.2 frames of long relief.
The big blow came from reliever Zane Petty, who was tagged for five runs in his lone inning of work, preventing any thoughts of a comeback.
You knew that eventually some of those hard hit balls would start falling in for hits, and that’s what happened Tuesday in Tropicana Field. The Cubs bats kept hitting baseballs hard, and many of them did drop in, leading to a 9-2 win over the Rays. The Cubs had 16 hits in the game, a season high.
The first inning went scoreless, then Dansby Swanson smacked a double to left, hard it. Check out the exit velocity:
The Cubs put two more on the board in the third. Alex Bregman led off with a double and went to third on a sharp single to right by Pete Crow-Armstrong.
That was all off Rays reliever Mason Englert, who I thought was going to be used as an opener in this one — but the Rays left him in through two out in the fourth inning and 65 pitches, a career high for the right-hander. The Cubs took advantage and hit him hard. The last batter he faced, Nico Hoerner, smacked a laser of a line drive to left for a single, their seventh hit of the game in less than four innings.
A note on those back-to-back two-run innings from BCB’s JohnW53:
Going into tonight, the Cubs had scored multiple runs in just two of their last 41 innings. Then they did it twice in three innings, back-to-back.
Javier Assad breezed through the early going in this game, retiring the first 12 Rays on just 46 pitches, really efficient work. It was his usual game when he’s on, not throwing real hard, just keeping Rays hitters off balance and pounding the strike zone. Keep up this great work!
PCA was thrown out trying to steal in the fifth. That was the Cubs’ first CS of 2026 after 11 successful steal attempts this year.
Junior Caminero walked to lead off the fifth, the Rays’ first baserunner. An infield hit by Chandler Simpson broke up any thought of a no-hit bid. Assad eventually got out of the inning with a double-play ball.
In the sixth, Ballesteros led off with a single and one out later, advanced to second on a wild pitch. A walk drawn by Conforto and single by Shaw loaded the bases. Nico Hoerner then dribbled a ball up the middle that the Rays defense turned into an out with some fancy flips, but Ballesteros scored to make it 5-0 [VIDEO].
Assad was lifted with two out in the sixth and 80 pitches, having allowed one hit and two walks, with three strikeouts. He was just outstanding. Here’s more on Assad’s outing [VIDEO].
Hoby Milner relieved Assad and allowed a hit, then finished off the inning with a fly to center. More on Assad’s outing from John:
This was the 11th of Javier Assad’s 55 career starts in which he did not allow a run. The longest was 8.0 innings at Cincinnati on Sept. 2, 2023. The Cubs lost, 2-1. He pitched six innings three times, on April 2, May 5 and May 15 of 2024; 5.1 twice, in 2022 and last year; and 5.0 twice, both in 2022. The two other starts were only 4.0 and 3.1. The fewest hits in any of the previous shutout starts of at least 5.0 was four, five times. The most recent was May 15, 2024, vs. the Rockies.
The Cubs added another run in the eighth. Swanson led off with a single and stole second. Conforto walked, and one out later Nico singled in Dansby [VIDEO].
The Rays got on the board in the eighth with a couple of runs off Phil Maton, who has been… not good so far in a Cubs uniform. This is something that’s going to have to improve. Craig Counsell doesn’t have much of a Circle of Trust in this year’s Cubs bullpen so far. One of the runs scored literally off Maton when Ryan Vilade’s line drive hit him in the back [VIDEO].
Maton had to be relieved by Caleb Thielbar with two out and his season ERA at 13.50. That’s gotta improve.
This is the sort of offense this team is capable of. Let’s hope it shows up more often in upcoming games.
Jacob Webb, who had also struggled in his first few appearances this year, entered to throw the ninth. He walked the first hitter he faced on four pitches, then retired three in a row to end things. Here’s the final out [VIDEO].
That’s the only complaint department item for this one, still a bit shaky among the middle relievers.
As JD says on the clip, that’s a dangerous time to use a challenge — top of the second inning. But Ballesteros was correct. Ultimately he flied to left, but that made Englert throw three extra pitches. Every little bit counts. One day, Ballesteros is going to do this and it will come through for him with a key hit.
The Cubs will go for the series win Wednesday evening in St. Petersburg. Colin Rea will make his first 2026 start for the Cubs, and Joe Boyle goes for the Rays. Game time is again 5:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
The Pittsburgh Pirates and rookie infielder Konnor Griffin agreed to a nine-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday, April 8.
The extension ties the 19-year-old to the team through the 2034 season. Financial terms were not disclosed by the team, but it is reported to be worth $140 million, according to The Athletic and ESPN.
After being baseball's top-rated prospect, Griffin, a Jackson, Mississippi native, was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on April 3, and in 17 at-bats this season, he is hitting .176 with three RBIs."Signing Konnor is a meaningful commitment to this team, this city and our fans. It reflects our belief inKonnor, in this season’s club and in the future of our organization," said Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting in a statement.
"Konnor represents everything we value in a player – exceptional talent, strong character, a team-firstmentality and a maturity that stood out to all of us from the beginning. He is the right person, from the rightfamily. This is another important step in the work we have been doing to build a winning team, for this yearand going forward."
Griffin, who got married in January, was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.
Last season, in 122 games between Low-A Bradenton, High-A Greensboro, and Double-A Altoona, Griffin was spectacular, hitting .333 with 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, and scoring 117 runs.
OFFICIAL: We have signed INF Konnor Griffin to a nine-year contract extension that runs through the 2034 season. pic.twitter.com/eipHszMm6s
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 7: Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammates Kyle Higashioka #11 and Ezequiel Duran #20 following the team's win against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field on April 7, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 3, Mariners 2
A big win for your First Place Texas Rangers.
Yes, that’s right…with the Astros and Angels losing, the Rangers are currently alone in first place in the A.L. West, a half game above Houston and Anaheim.
Also, weirdly, they have the third best record in the American League right now. The only other A.L. teams above .500 are the 8-2 Yankees and the 7-5 Guardians.
The Rangers, having run through a bunch of relievers the day before, needed innings from Nathan Eovaldi. And Nathan Eovaldi gave the Rangers innings.
Six of them, to be precise. Six rather good innings.
The first pitch of the game didn’t go well, I must admit. Brendan Donovan took the first pitch out of the park.
That said, he didn’t exactly crush the ball. With a 94 mph exit velocity and a 34 degree launch angle, its a ball that Statcast says turns into an out 95% of the time.
Unfortunately, Eovaldi experienced the 5%, and the Rangers were immediately in a 1-0 hole.
Eovaldi ended up allowing a pair of runs, the second coming on a single-wild pitch-walk-single sequence. Cal Raleigh’s RBI single came on an 0-2 pitch that he flared into center field. Raleigh didn’t hit it well, but he was able to muscle it into that no man’s land in the outfield where weakly hit flares fall for hits.
Eovaldi had his stuff going on, though. Seven strikeouts in the game, and a whopping 22 swings and misses generated on 93 pitches. He relied heavily on his splitter and his cutter, using them almost a third of the time, and generated 8 whiffs apiece off of those two pitches.
The Donovan homer was off his fastball, and maybe not surprisingly, Eovaldi threw that pitch just nine more times after that.
Jacob and Jakob finished things off, with Latz providing two shutout innings and Junis allowing two baserunners to start the ninth, scaring everyone, before finishing things off and getting the save.
The offense wasn’t good, generating just six hits and no walks, with two GIDPs to boot. George Kirby had the Rangers’ number once again.
But they strung hits together when they needed to, all at the start of the fifth inning.
Joc Pederson started things off with an infield single, advancing to second on a bad throw to first, and scored on Evan Carter’s single.
Then Kyle Higashioka, who led off the third with a blast down the left field line that looked like it would be a homer, but which drifted maybe a foot foul, crushed a Kirby pitch into the left field seats for a home run. And just like that, it was a 3-2 Rangers lead.
Kirby retired the next 12 Rangers hitters in order, but it ultimately didn’t matter, as the three runs the Rangers put up ended up being enough.
Nathan Eovaldi topped out at 95.3 mph with his fastball, averaging 94.4 mph. Jacob Latz’s fastball maxed out at 94.4 mph. Jakob Junis hit 93.8 mph with his fastball.
Kyle Higashioka’s homer was 107.1 mph. Brandon Nimmo had a 104.4 mph ground out. Wyatt Langford had a 102.6 mph ground out. Ezequiel Duran had a 102.2 mph ground out. Jake Burger had a 101.2 mph ground out. Evan Carter had a 100.5 mph single.
Now to finish off a sweep on a Wednesday afternoon and head into the off day with us all being happy.
By the time the carnage ended, the Islanders sat in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, three points outside both third place in the Metropolitan Division and the final Eastern Conference Wild Card spot.
Moneypuck.com moved the Islanders' playoff odds down to just 19.4%.
That almost feels too generous.
The Islanders' tragic number is down to six.
The tragic number is a countdown to when the Islanders are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
Every regulation loss moves the number down by two. From here on in, every time Ottawa and Philadelphia win, it also moves the number down by two.
The number sitting at six signifies just how close the Islanders are to elimination.
If the Flyers and Senators win three of the last four, the Islanders are out. That's also assuming New York wins out.
One loss and all they'd have to do is go 2-2-0, and they'd clinch over New York.
Yes, the Islanders do play the Senators on Saturday afternoon.
But, Ottawa's other opponents to close the year are the Florida Panthers, the Devils, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Not exactly a killer's row. That's three mathematically eliminated teams and the Islanders.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, heads on the road to take on the Red Wings Thursday night, then heads to Winnipeg to face the Jets. They close with a back-to-back at home against the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.
They're much likelier to stumble down the final stretch. Of course, the Blue Jackets also passed the Islanders last night, so it's worth observing their final stretch, too.
Columbus visits Buffalo on Thursday, then Montreal on Saturday. They close with two home games against the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.
Again, like Philly, there's a chance they'll stumble.
Even with the potential for some stumbling ahead of them, the Islanders themselves will be playing with the pressure equivalent to that of walking on a tightrope from the Empire State Building to the Chrysler Building with no safety net.
One trip, one misplaced step, and they'll come crashing down with no chance of making it.
Essentially, the Islanders must go 4-0-0, and hope two of Philly, Columbus, and Ottawa all succumb to the pressure.
The odds are no longer in the Islanders' favor after the entirety of March saw them control their destiny.
New head coach Peter DeBoer has hands full immediately.
Steph Curry’s sneaker free agency tour added another intriguing chapter Tuesday night.
The Warriors star laced up an unreleased “Mastery” ANTA KAI 3 — Kyrie Irving’s signature shoe — during Golden State’s 110-105 win over the Kings at Chase Center, drawing immediate attention across the sneaker world.
Curry, who parted ways with Under Armour after a 12-year partnership in November, has spent the past several months rotating through brands as an on-court free agent. From Nike to Adidas to Jordan, the two-time MVP has used his platform to spotlight a wide range of sneakers — but ANTA continues to stand out.
He previously has worn multiple ANTA pairs in recent months, including customized designs and All-Star Weekend appearances, making Tuesday’s in-game debut another notable data point in his ongoing rotation.
Stephen Curry was spotted wearing the ANTA Sneakerverse SV Eclosion Type 2 with the Curry Brand logo on the heel 👀🤔✍️
While Curry hasn’t indicated any timeline for a decision, ANTA’s continued presence suggests the brand is firmly in the conversation as his next long-term partner.
For now, the sneaker free agency continues.
But with each appearance, the direction feels increasingly worth watching.
The Mud Hens welcomed back their home crowd with a well pitched game and just enough offense to everyone home quickly and out of the cold with a victory on Tuesday afternoon.
Lael Lockhart Jr. got the start and the lefty set down the Saints in order in the first with help from Max Clark on a sinking drive that he had to go to the ground to snare as it fell in front of him.
The Hens quickly got to work in the bottom half. Wenceel Pérez lined out to center, but Clark kept his on-base streak intact with a sharp single to right field. He then stole second base. Trei Cruz struck out, but Eduardo Valencia walked to keep the inning alive, and Hao-Yu Lee, in his first game back with the Hens after a Lakeland rehab assignment, lined a single to left to make it 1-0 Hens.
Clark hasn’t really scorched many balls so far, but he has hit a pair over 110 mph, his hardest hit on record, and his at-bats have uniformly been great. When we start seeing hard contact to the pull side, Clark will be within striking distance of his first major league cup of coffee. It’s early, but he definitely looks like he’ll be forcing the issue by June at this rate.
Max Clark extends his on-base streak to 9 games and has hit safely in 7 straight games on a nice swing to right. pic.twitter.com/9m0rmOaiu6
That was all they’d need. Lockhart only struck out one, but he managed to retire the first 14 hitters he faced in order. The Hens’ defense was sharp, while the Saints batted ball luck was tough. With two outs in the fifth, Lockhart walked old friend Ryan Kreidler for the Saints first baserunner. He was quickly erased by a ground out, and the Saints wouldn’t have many more. Lockhart spun five innings of no-hit ball with just a walk and a strikeout allowed. As you’d imagine, the pace of play was brisk.
Of course the Hens offense wasn’t doing much either. Corey Julks doubled in the fourth but was stranded. Clark beat out an infield single in the fifth with two outs, but that went nowhere either.
Burch Smith tossed a perfect sixth with two strikeouts. Konnor Pilkington took over, and the lefty walked a pair but collected four more outs without a hit allowed.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ben Malgeri tripled to right field with one out after a lengthy battle and a failed dive by the Saints right fielder. He tried to score on a Pérez groundout, but was cut down at the plate. Clark flew out to end the inning.
Pilkington got the first out of the eighth, but then issued his two walks, and right-hander Ricky Vanasco took over. Vanasco and Smith have been the best of the Hens relief corps early on, and he cleaned up the mess, whiffing Alex Jackson and Aaron Sabato both on power curveballs to escape the jam.
Vanasco allowed a walk and a single in the top of the ninth. The first hit of the game for St. Paul was a blooper into shallow right field. Second baseman Gage Workman made a great effort to get out there but couldn’t make the basket catch. Two outs from a combined no-hitter. Vanasco scorned the Saints meager success, and punched out his fourth and fifth hitters on the outing to decisvely earn his first save on the year. The Saints managed just one hit, although the Hens had just six of their own.
The @MudHens were just 2 outs away from their first no-hitter in a decade …
Mistakes plagued the SeaWolves in an otherwise tight game on Tuesday as they dropped the first of their six-game road series against the BaySox.
It was a bullpen day for Erie, and Tanner Kohlhepp and John Stankiewicz got them through four innings without issue. They wasted an opportunity when Seth Stephenson was hit by a pitch to start a game, and he went on to steal second and third while his teammates popped up or struck out.
John Peck finally got things going with a one-out double in the fourth. An Andrew Jenkins single made it a 1-0 game.
Yosber Sanchez took over in the fifth. He issued a leadoff walk and then an Andrew Jenkins throwing error on a grounder made it first and second no outs. Another walk from Sanchez loaded the bases, and an RBI single and then a wild pitch followed before he got out of the inning with the BaySox up 2-1.
Stephenson led off the sixth with a walk, and Brett Callahan singled, but Peck, Izaac Pacheco, and Jenkins all struck out against tough lefty Micah Ashman, who you’ll recall was traded for Charlie Morton last summer.
Sanchez walked the first batter he faced in the sixth and gave way to right-hander Moises Rodriguez, who walked his first batter. The hard throwing sinkerballer avoided the big hit, but a pair of deep sacrifice flies made it a 4-1 game.
Chris Meyers led off the seventh with a double, but again they went in order from there.
Wandisson Charles pitched the eighth, giving up a walk but otherwise having no trouble.
In the top of the ninth, Pacheco led off with a single, and Meyers walked with one out. Justice Bigbie struck out, and a sharp single to left from Peyton Graham didn’t allow Pacheco to score. Bennett Lee struck out to end it.
Peck: 1-4, R, 2B, 2 K
Jenkins: 1-4, RBI, 3K
Kohlhepp: 2.0 IP, 0 R, BB, K
Sanchez (L, 0-1, BS): 1.0 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, H, 3 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
Great Lakes Loons 7, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (box)
Lefty Gabriel Reyes made his High-A debut and was quite wild, walking five hitters in just 2 2/3 innings. Those walks and some sloppy play put the Whitecaps in a hole early and then never fought back.
Reyes walked Mike Sirota to open the game. Sirota stole second and scored on a Charles Davalan single for a quick 1-0 lead. Reyes issued another walk in the inning but got out of further trouble. The Whitecaps loaded the bases with one out as a result of three straight walks, but Ricardo Hurtado grounded into a double play to waste the opportunity.
Reyes just could not get it together. He walked two more in the second and escaped, then walked the leadoff hitter in the third, and did not escape. A Cristian Santana error at second allowed the next hitter to reach, and then Reyes plunked Nico Perez. A sacrifice fly made it 2-0. Perez stole second and Hurtado threw it away as the runner on third scored. Perez showed Hurtado zero respect, stealing third as well, but it was unnecessary as Victor Rodrigues mashed a two-run shot for a 5-0 lead. Duque Hebbert took over and cleaned up the mess.
Meanwhile, the Whitecaps bats were stone cold. Logan Berrier relieved Hebbert in the fifth and promptly surrendered a run on a Rodrigues RBI single. 6-0. Loons.
In the bottom half, Stephen Hrustich led off with a walk. With one out, Samuel Gil singled Hrustich to third, and he scored on a wild pitch to get the Whitecaps on the board. 6-1.
Berrier was fine in the sixth, and in the seventh, Carlos Lequerica took over and punched out the side. However, in the eighth, a leadoff double and a pair of ground outs made it a 7-1 game, and that was about all there was.
Inohan Paniagua made his Whitecaps debut in the top of the ninth, striking out two. Roberto Campos singled to lead off the bottom of the ninth and Garrett Pennington walked. The Loons went back to their pen and a Hurtado ground out advanced the baserunners. A wild pitch from Joseilyn Gonzalez scored Campos. A Samuel Gil single made it 7-3, but Santana flew out to end it.
Gil: 2-4, RBI, K
Campos: 1-3, R, BB
Reyes (L, 0-1): 2.2 IP, 5 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 5 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 12:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday at LMCU Park.
The Flying Tigers built a lead, lost it, got ahead again, and then just held off the Tortugas to maintain a perfect 4-0 record in their home 2026 debut.
LHP Bailey Horn made a short rehab outing to start this one off. He got the first two outs before giving up a single. Pedro Garcia took over and started with a balk and a wide pitch before a grounder tied up Carson Rucker and scored the run. Garcia shut things down from there but it was 1-0 Daytona.
The Flying Tigers struck out in order against Sheng-En Lin in the first, while Tyler Owens came on for a rehab inning in the second, which he handled without much issue.
In the bottom of the second, Lin walked four hitters, handing the Flying Tigers a 2-1 lead.
At that point, LHP Grayson Grinsell, the Tigers’ 2025 sixth rounder out of Oregon, entered the game to make his debut. He spun a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. Jack Goodman stayed hot for Lakeland with a ground rule double down the right field line, but that went nowhere.
Grinsell dug a little hole to open the fourth, but Mason Neville lined into a double play and Grinsell whiffed Drew Davies to escape unscathed.
Zach MacDonald has been a minor revelation early on for the Flygers, and he opened the fourth with a double to right. Sergio Tapia moved him to third with a groundout, and a wild pitch from the Tortugas’ Dominic Scheffler Nolan McCarthy brought the run in while walked Nolan McCarthy. 3-1 Lakeland.
Grinsell struck out the side in the fifth, showing off good sliders and changeups to go with a solid 92 mph fourseamer. However, he got into trouble in the sixth, giving up up two runs as Grinsell and Tapia struggled to control the Tortugas running game. The score was knotted 3-3, but the Flying Tigers came right back.
Beau Ankeney led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. MacDonald struck out and Tapia grounded out, but McCarthy singled and Jose Pinto walked to load the bases with two outs. Bryce Rainer popped up to the shortstop Rafhimil Torres, but he lost the towering ball and dropped it as all three runners scored for a 6-3 lead. Rainer stole second and then third, but Rucker struck out to end the inning.
The wind has been a factor in Lakeland tonight. This pop up by Bryce Rainer barely out of the infield caused three runs pic.twitter.com/Lh68ByQF3Q
Eliseo Mota then conspired to return the favor with a mess of an inning that saw the Tortugas score two until Jorger Petri took over to clean things up. 6-5 Lakeland. Petri was nails, and collected the next six outs with just a walk in the ninth allowed to collect the save.
Goodman: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, K
MacDonald: 1-3, R, RBI, BB, K
McCarthy, 1-2, R, RBI, 2 BB
Grinsell (W, 1-0): 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:00 p.m. ET start in Lakeland on Wednesday.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 07: Ronny Mauricio #0 of the New York Mets celebrates his tenth inning pinch hit game winning single against the Arizona Diamondbacks with his teammates at Citi Field on April 07, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets beat the Diamondbacks 4-3 in a ten-inning, back-and-forth game. The Mets went up by two runs early by way of a Brett Baty sacrifice fly in the first inning and a Francisco Lindor RBI double in the second. The Diamondbacks came back in the fifth, as Huascar Brazobán allowed all three of the runners he inherited from Freddy Peralta to score. But the Mets came back to tie it in the eighth after Jared Young hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly, and they won when Ronny Mauricio hit an RBI single in the tenth inning, his first at-bat since returning to the major leagues.
Ronny Mauricio likely won’t see significant time with his time on the major league roster, with his appearances probably coming as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement.
Juan Soto won’t be doing baseball activities until his calf soreness subsides.
Tom Nieto, a member of the Mets’ coaching staff from 2005 to 2008, passed away.
MLB ranked the top 10 talent-packed minor league rosters, and the Rumble Ponies made the cut.
Around the National League East
The Nationals lost a ten-inning contest against the Cardinals 7-6, in spite of a solid 4.2 inning start from Cade Cavalli in which he gave up just one earned run (though he walked four batters).
It was a big day for extra inning games in the National League East, as the Marlins lost a ten-inning game 6-3 to the Reds, wasting a fantastic 8.1 innings from Sandy Alcantara, who gave up just two runs while striking out six.
The Phillies needed just the regular nine innings to lose to the Giants 6-0, with Cristopher Sánchez giving up four runs on eleven hits in five innings.
The Braves were the only other team in the division to secure a win, beating the Angels 7-2 thanks to a wide spread of offensive contributions, with Eli White leading the team with two RBI.
Around Major League Baseball
Young Cubs star starter Cade Horton needs season-ending surgery on his throwing elbow.
After a young Dominican aspiring baseball player died from too many performance-enhancing drugs, there are renewed interest in an international draft to replace the current international free agency signings.
Mike Petriello is here to ease worries about two stats this early on—as well as substantiating worries in another.
The Orioles traded prospect Brayden Smith to the Cardinals in exchange for lefty reliever Nick Raquet.
Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce needs ACL surgery, likely ending his 2026 season before it ever really started.
Astros ace Hunter Brown has a grade 2 shoulder strain, and won’t be throwing for a few weeks at least.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Steve Sypa delivered this season’s first Mets Minor Leaguers of the week.
This Date in Mets History
On Opening Day in 1969, the Mets inaugurated the Montreal Expos franchise—and gave them their first win in the process.
