SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 21: Roldy Brito #8 and Wilder Dalis #3 of the Colorado Rockies runs to third base to score on a double hit by Ethan Holliday during the first inning of the Spring Breakout game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 21, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockies fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The 2026 Rockies season is underway and the minor league seasons are just around the corner. The Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes started their season on Friday alongside the Rockies, the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats start on Thursday, and the lower minors will start on Friday.
In a rebuilding season for the major league team, you can often see the health and future of an organization through its minor league system. So my question to you this evening is this: which affiliate are you most eager to watch in 2026?
If you need a refresher of which players are where, you can read Renee Dechert’s and Evan Lang’s write-up from yesterday.
CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Connor scored 33 seconds into overtime to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.
Josh Morrissey, Isak Rosen and Cole Perfetti also scored, and Mark Scheifele added three assists for the Jets, who were coming off a 4-2 win over the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche.
Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice and Anton Frondell also scored for Chicago, which has lost four in a row.
Bertuzzi’s wrist shot 9:46 into the third period sent the game to overtime.
Connor Hellebuyck made 18 saves in the win for the Jets. Spencer Knight made 20 saves for the Blackhawks.
The Jets won 66.7% of the faceoffs in the game.
Up next
Jets: Visit Dallas on Thursday.
Blackhawks: Start their final road trip of the season at Edmonton on Thursday.
Mar 31, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers (9) watches his home run go over the wall against the Tampa Bay Rays in the eighth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Last season, the Brewers were known for forcing errors and causing chaos in games. If Tuesday is any indication, that’s going to continue in 2026. A pair of strange challenges were the highlight moments in a 6-2 win over the Rays.
Brandon Woodruff got the start tonight, but the Brewers’ first inning troubles continued. It started with a long fly ball from Yandy Díaz that had enough distance, but just hooked foul. Woodruff struck him out, but Jonathan Aranda responded with a home run into the Brewers’ bullpen, and the Brewers started another game behind. Woodruff rebounded with a strikeout of Junior Caminero and fly out from Jake Fraley, but the Brewers were down 1-0.
As for the Rays, starter Shane McClanahan was locked in to begin his first MLB start since 2023. He retired the Brewers in order in the first, striking out William Contreras to punctuate the inning. He allowed his first baserunner in the second when he walked Gary Sánchez, but that was all. He continued to mow through the Brewers’ lineup for the next two innings, not allowing another baserunner.
Woodruff tried to match McClanahan as much as he could. He struck out two batters in a clean second inning. Chandler Simpson created a threat in the third with a leadoff single and steal of second, but Woodruff stranded him there. Caminero singled to give the Rays another leadoff runner in the fourth, but that was it in a scoreless inning.
The Rays added on in the fifth with their second home run of the day, a solo home run by Nick Fortes. That was all Woodruff allowed in the fifth, and it was also the end of his day. The overall line wasn’t too bad — he allowed two runs and four hits in five innings while striking out six. He threw 67 pitches, and his velocity started down but improved as the start went on.
McClanahan entered the fifth with a no-hit bid forming. He had just allowed one walk so far in the game. That would change quickly. Sánchez led off the inning with a walk, then Brandon Lockridge broke up the no-hit bid with a single to left. After Sal Frelick flew out, Joey Ortiz drew a walk to load the bases with two out.
Brice Turang came up to the plate with a chance to cause some damage. He did that with a single to shallow right field, easily scoring both Sánchez and Lockridge. Turang attempted to get to second and was easily caught between bases, but tried to keep a run down going so Ortiz could score. It didn’t appear to work as Turang was tagged out by Mullins covering second, and before Ortiz scored at home. However, the ball popped out of Mullins’ glove as he made the tag, but was ruled as in the process of changing hands. Pat Murphy challenged the call, and on replay it was clear that the ball was not caught cleanly. Turang was ruled safe and Ortiz’s run counted. The end result was a bases-clearing single and two RBI for Turang (the third scored due to the error). The Brewers now had a 3-2 lead.
That ended McClanahan’s day with Cole Sulser coming in to finish the inning. He needed just one pitch as Rengifo grounded to first. McClanahan finished his day with 4 2/3 innings pitched, three runs allowed (two earned), two hits, three walks, and four strikeouts.
Jared Koenig was first out of the bullpen for the sixth inning. He allowed a two-out double to Fraley, but nothing else in a scoreless inning. Meanwhile, Sulser remained in the game for the sixth inning. After outs from Contreras and Yelich to start the inning, the Brewers put together some two-out offense. It started with Sánchez’s second home run of the season, a solo shot that increased the lead to 4-2.
Bauers was up next. He hit a 2-0 fastball at second baseman Ben Williamson, but he couldn’t cleanly catch the ball. He recovered and tried to throw Bauers out at first, but his throw was wide and Bauers was safe. However, in what can only be described as a ridiculous call, first base umpire CB Bucknor said Bauers did not touch first base and was tagged out. That was a quick challenge from Murphy, and on replay it not only showed Bauers’ foot on the center of first base, but Bucknor wasn’t even looking at first base at that time. The call was reversed and both managers were laughing at that call.
First base umpire CB Bucknor ruled Jake Bauers did not step on first base and was out.
Here are two stills of him stepping on the middle of the base. The call was promptly overturned. pic.twitter.com/WEv9O4UBds
That kept the inning going with Lockridge at the plate. Bauers stole second to give Lockridge a runner in scoring position, and Lockridge made it count with an RBI double into the right-center field gap.
Frelick kept it going with a ground ball to Williamson that was bobbled, but Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning.
Grant Anderson took the seventh. The Rays made him work, with Fortes taking 10 pitches before grounding out and then Simpson tripling to the right field corner. Anderson kept them off the board with a strikeout of Williams to end the inning. Meanwhile, Yoendrys Gómez came in for the bottom of the seventh. Turang drew a walk to start the inning and stole second. Gómez followed it up with a strikeout of Rengifo and line out of Contreras, then chose to walk Yelich intentionally. Murphy went to Garrett Mitchell to pinch hit, but Mitchell struck out looking to end the inning.
With a three-run lead, the Brewers went to their setup man as Abner Uribe entered the game. His inning started well enough with fly outs of Díaz and Aranda, but then walked Caminero. Fraley singled to left to bring the tying run to the plate, and pinch-hitter Richie Palacios hit a sharp fly ball down the right field line. Frelick was ready for it as he sprinted to the line and caught it running to end the inning.
The save situation would be rendered moot in the bottom of the inning. Bauers did more damage to the Rays’ pitching staff, hitting his second home run of the season just over the right field wall. That made it a four-run lead at 6-2.
Angel Zerpa finished the game for the Brewers. He worked around a two-out walk for a scoreless ninth, securing the Brewers 6-2 win.
Bauers and Lockridge led the offense with two-hit days, each driving in a run as well. Turang’s one hit drove in two runs (and one unearned). Sánchez also brought in a run with his home run, and added two walks as well. Frelick had the other hit for the Brewers’ offense.
The Brewers will play their first rubber match of the season tomorrow afternoon as they go for the series win. The rotation will begin its second time through as Jacob Misiorowski gets the afternoon start. For the Rays, former Brewer Drew Rasmussen will get his second start of the season. First pitch is set for 12:40 p.m., and it will be on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
Munetaka Murakami and the White Sox offense couldn’t get a thing going on Tuesday night. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Classic White Sox defensive miscues across the field, throwing errors and inexperienced outfielders were essentially the difference in this game, as the Miami Marlins rebounded Tuesday to beat the South Siders, 9-2. A fourth-inning rally paired with a few gaffes in the outfield soured Erick Fedde’s season debut, although his final line in the box score doesn’t necessarily tell the full story.
The South Side offense felt in control early in the game, but seemingly stepped off a cliff after the third inning. Miguel Vargas attempted to get something going in the second with a one-out double out to left center, but neither Austin Hays nor Tristan Peters was able to get the job done. No harm, no foul, however, as the offense picked back up in the top of the third with Edgar Quero and Luisangel Acuña ripping consecutive singles up the middle. Chase Meidroth was caught looking on the next at-bat, but the Good Guys took a two-run lead with RBI singles from both Munetaka Murakami and Andrew Benintendi. Mune has now gotten a hit in each of his first five games as a major-leaguer. I think we’re going to like having him around, Sox fans.
Fedde cruised through the first three innings, with his lone baserunner being a walk to Owen Caissie in the bottom of the second. The South Side offense had given him that two-run cushion to work with in the third, but the defense was scattered at best and clueless at worst, easily amplifying any mistakes made.
Xavier Edwards reached on a base hit to start the bottom of the fourth, and the first mishap in the outfield came from a lack of communication from center fielder Luisangel Acuña and right fielder Tristan Peters, with the ball ultimately deflecting off of Peters’ glove to put runners on second and third. Both players were cutting across the field towards each other at full speed, and it seemed like Acuña was ready and able to make the play. That’s Acuña’s ball/call, but instead he allowed Peters to cut in front of him at the last second. It was a silly play from the both of them, and had someone just called the other off it likely would have been an out. The miscommunication led to a two-run double on the next at-bat from Liam Hicks, tying the game at two. So it goes.
Fedde managed to strike out Otto López for the first out of the inning, but back-to-back RBI singles followed, allowing the Marlins to take a two-run lead, 4-2. Both balls were hit out to center, and Acuña wasn’t able to make a throw on-line to the plate, and ended up being charged two errors, one on each throw. The first one unfortunately hit Hicks as he was crossing the plate, but Acuña was given the error as the bad throw allowed Caissie to reach second.
The second error, however, was a bit worse. By worse, I mean nowhere near the plate. The Marlins play-by-play announcer summed it up well enough: “Acuña is having all sorts of problems in center.”
In Acuña’s defense, he’s played all of two regular season games in the outfield before this year, so no, we shouldn’t expect him to be an All-Star overnight. But he certainly has some learning to do.
After that mess, Fedde was able to strike out the next batter and force a fly out to finally get out of the inning. He even returned for a 1-2-3 fifth inning, closing out his season opener on a high note. This was another situation that we probably should be thankful for instant replay. The inning could have gone a whole lot worse had there not been the tiniest amount of evidence that showed Meidroth’s tag barely tipping Edwards on the helmet after attempting to stretch a single into a two-bagger. Crisis averted … for now.
Fedde ended the day with four runs (three earned) given up on six hits across five innings, walking one while striking out four, though he was unfortunately handed the loss. The energy in this game was reminding me more of the 2024 season, where there was little-to-no run support, and a two-run lead felt insurmountable almost instantly. And of course, it was, because the White Sox failed to get a hit after their little rally in the third (their only two other base runners stemmed from walks from Quero and Peters in the fourth and seventh). Miami even struck out the side in the fifth and the ninth.
Not that there was any hitting to show for it, but the South Side bullpen wasn’t doing itself any favors, allowing five more runs (four earned) in the final three innings. Bryan Hudson came in to relieve Fedde, and was solid in the sixth inning, but things got dicey in the bottom of the seventh and Miami added two more runs. One of the runs came from a safety squeeze bunt that Hudson threw home, but Quero wasn’t able to handle it and make the tag. You could probably flip a coin on who to give the error to, but that’s the second time that the Sox reached to tag a player rather than getting more out front to make the tag, and sadly there wasn’t anything to review that time.
Hudson allowed one more on a sacrifice fly on the next batter, and forced Edwards to ground out before being replaced by Jedixson Páez, who was able to get Agustín Ramírez to fly out and end the inning. Páez didn’t fare well in the eighth, however, walking the leadoff batter and giving up a single to put two on almost immediately. One sac fly and a two-run bomb later, and all of a sudden the Marlins had a seven-run lead, 9-2.
It’s been just three outings for Páez, but he’s certainly struggled thus far, giving up his sixth run in three innings pitched. It’s still early in the year, but he’ll need to make some adjustments sooner rather than later to keep his place on the roster this season.
The White Sox have a day game tomorrow down in Florida, and first pitch will take place at 12:10 p.m. CT. Shane Smith will look to bounce back from his rough Opening Day outing, going against veteran righthander Sandy Alcantara, who is coming off an excellent seven-inning start to open the season.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 21 points, Jalen Suggs added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and the Orlando Magic held off the Phoenix Suns 115-111 Tuesday night.
Devin Booker’s 34 points for Phoenix included a 3-pointer that brought the Suns to within two points with 3.1 seconds left. But Tristan da Silva’s two free throws clinched Orlando’s second win in nine games.
Suns forward Dillon Brooks, playing for the first time since breaking his hand in a game against Orlando on Feb. 21, had nine points and five rebounds in 22 foul-plagued minutes. Brooks was called for a technical foul just 89 seconds into the game and was one of 10 players to finish the game with four or more personal fouls.
Paolo Banchero had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Magic, who survived 25 turnovers after committing 28 in Sunday’s 139-87 loss at Toronto. Wendell Carter Jr. added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
HORNETS 117, NETS 86
NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 25 points, Miles Bridges had 19, and Charlotte routed Brooklyn.
Moussa Diabaté finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds while LaMelo Ball had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help the Hornets (40-36) stop a two-game losing streak.
Josh Minott scored 14 points for the lottery-bound Nets (18-58), who have lost 11 of their last 12 games.
Charlotte (40-36) is tied with the Miami Heat for ninth in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Orlando.
BUCKS 123, MAVERICKS 99
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ryan Rollins had 24 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, Kyle Kuzma added 20 points, and Milwaukee beat Dallas to snap a four-game losing streak.
Milwaukee (30-45), which had lost 14 of its last 17 games overall, won its eighth straight meeting with the Mavericks.
The Bucks led 65-51 at the break behind 17 points from Rollins and 16 by Kuzma. Milwaukee made 11 of its first 22 3-pointers of the second half to take control.
A Rollins jumper with 6:26 left in the fourth gave Milwaukee a 31-point lead at 115-84.
AJ Green added 17 points off the bench for Milwaukee. Gary Trent Jr. added 13 points, Pete Nance scored 11 and Myles Turner 10.
PISTONS 127, RAPTORS 116
DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Duren had 31 points and nine rebounds as Detroit defeated Toronto to clinch the Central Division title.
Duren is averaging 23.4 points and 10.5 rebounds in seven games since Cade Cunningham sustained a lung injury on March 17 in 130-117 win over Washington. The Pistons are 6-2 without their star, including a 114-110 overtime loss in Oklahoma City on Monday - a game Duren sat out.
Daniss Jenkins scored 21 for the Pistons, who have won seven of nine, and Duncan Robinson added 19 points. Detroit won its first division title since 2007-08.
RJ Barrett had 24 points for Toronto, who had won six of nine, including a 119-108 home win over the Pistons on March 15. Brandon Ingram added 22 points.
ROCKETS 111, KNICKS 94
HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant had 27 points and Houston took a huge lead early and rolled to a win over New York.
It’s a third straight win for the Rockets after they’d dropped two in a row. The victory comes after New York got a 108-106 win at home in the first meeting this season in February.
The Rockets never trailed and led by double digits for most of the game after scoring 37 points in the first quarter. They were up 20 entering the fourth quarter and were leading by 19 with about two minutes to go when both teams cleared their benches.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks, who lost a third consecutive game after winning their previous seven. Each of their three losses have been by double digits.
Tari Eason started over Reed Sheppard and had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Rockets.
A Tassie dasher yet to set the Test world on fire has been backed to deliver over a rising star once identified as Australia’s next great opener in a season of massive significance, while a western speedster is among those to lose their national contracts.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ryan Rollins had 24 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, Kyle Kuzma added 20 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Dallas Mavericks 123-99 on Tuesday night to snap a four-game losing streak.
Milwaukee (30-45), which had lost 14 of its last 17 games overall, won its eighth straight meeting with the Mavericks.
The Bucks led 65-51 at the break behind 17 points from Rollins and 16 by Kuzma. Milwaukee made 11 of its first 22 3-pointers of the second half to take control.
A Rollins jumper with 6:26 left in the fourth gave Milwaukee a 31-point lead at 115-84.
AJ Green added 17 points off the bench for Milwaukee. Gary Trent Jr. added 13 points, Pete Nance scored 11 and Myles Turner 10.
Cooper Flagg, who entered averaging 22.5 points over his last nine games, had 19 points and 10 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season for Dallas (24-52). Brandon Williams scored 12 of his 18 points in the first half, and John Poulakidas scored a season-high 11.
Dallas starter Daniel Gafford left the game with just under three minutes left in the third after appearing to injure his right elbow attempting to block a Rollins dunk. Williams and Dwight Powell started the second half in place of Gafford and Ryan Nembhard.
The Mavericks have lost their last four trips to Milwaukee and five of the last six.
The game was originally scheduled for Jan. 25, but was postponed when the Mavericks could not get out of Dallas because of a snowstorm.
The Knicks dropped their third consecutive game after a 111-94 loss to Houston, their defense struggling to contain a barrage of threes. The Rockets made 15 of 35 tries from deep, taking an early lead and answering every New York run that followed.
Takeaways
-- Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for his squad with 22 points and eight rebounds on 7-for-17 shooting. Jalen Brunson had 12 points, six rebounds and eight assists on 5 of 14 shooting.
-- Josh Hart scored 13, followed by Jose Alvarado's 12 and Jordan Clarkson's 10.
-- Kevin Durant was scorching, scoring 27 points, grabbing six boards and dishing eight assists while shooting 10 of 18 from the field. Reed Sheppard added 20 points on 4 of 7 shooting from three off the bench while every Houston starter finished in double digits: Amen Thompson and Tari Eason (17 each), Jabari Smith Jr. (15) and Alperen Sengun (13).
-- The Rockets exploded out of the gates behind a flurry of vintage Durant jumpers with the Knicks right in his grill. He had 10 points in three minutes to propel Houston to a 14-1 start, and some sloppy New York turnovers didn’t help.
-- Hart steadied the ship with a pull-up middie and three, taking advantage of Sengun guarding him. But Eason fired back with a couple of threes and a tip-in for his own double-digit spurt, as Houston closed the first quarter up 37-21.
-- New York’s bench started the second on a 14-2 run, led by Alvarado and Clarkson. The two combined for 14 points in under five minutes to swiftly cut the deficit to a couple of possessions.
-- Miles McBride’s second return game went about as well as his first, shooting 1 of 7 with a turnover in his first-half minutes. The Rockets capitalized, jumping ahead in the second quarter via a 20-5 run to go into the half up 63-50.
-- Towns started to get rolling early in the third, drawing fouls, driving hard and nailing his first three. But the Rockets always had an answer, and Durant just kept sniping away.
-- New York failed to kick up its offense or get stops in the halfcourt to create easy opportunities. Houston continually punished them in transition, maintaining a 92-72 advantage after three quarters.
-- Both teams traded buckets to start the final frame, with Towns continuing his tear but the Rockets hitting timely three after timely three. The Knicks failed to even mount a comeback in the final 12 minutes as their opponents coasted to victory.
NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 25 points, Miles Bridges had 19, and the Charlotte Hornets routed the Brooklyn Nets 117-86 on Tuesday night.
Moussa Diabaté finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds while LaMelo Ball had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help the Hornets (40-36) stop a two-game losing streak.
Josh Minott scored 14 points for the lottery-bound Nets (18-58), who have lost 11 of their last 12 games.
Charlotte (40-36) is tied with the Miami Heat for ninth in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Orlando.
The Hornets matched their season low for points allowed. Charlotte also allowed 86 points in a 25-point win at Toronto on Dec. 5.
The Hornets rebounded from consecutive home losses Saturday to Philadelphia and Sunday to Boston by taking a 35-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. Miller scored 16 points on 5-of-5 shooting - including three three-pointers – and Charlotte shot 54.5% (12 for 22) from the field and 40% (6 for 15) from beyond the 3-point line in the period.
Brooklyn trimmed the deficit to 47-39 after rookie Drake Powell hit a 3-pointer with 5:19 remaining in the second quarter, but got no closer. Charlotte outscored the Nets 70-47 the rest of the way.
The Hornets had 28 assists on 41 made field goals and outrebounded the Nets 56-41.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 31: Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a two RBI home run in the 9th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you just look at the box score for this game, it won’t tell you much beyond the Cincinnati Reds getting handed a loss by 5 runs from their division rivals from upriver in Pittsburgh. However, there was a level of nuance to how this one shook out that wasn’t quite so objective, and that’s what I’ll try to spell out for you here.
Yes, Brandon Williamson’s first start since September of 2024 could have gone a whole lot better. He gave up back to back longballs at one point, one of the backbreaking 3-run variety in a 5-run Top of the 2nd by the Pirates. However rusty he was, though, is hidden a bit by the fact that he actually stuck around to throw 94 pitches and almost get through 5 IP (4.2) which helped buy manager Terry Francona a bit more time out of his bullpen after it’s been worked hard through the first few games of the year.
The Reds were also technically no-hit through the first four frames by top Pittsburgh prospect Bubba Chandler, who did look excellent for a lot of his outing. However, they had an initial hit by Ke’Bryan Hayes later (correctly) ruled an error, and Chandler did walk 6 (six!) batters in his 4.1 IP, which meant time and time again the Reds came to the plate with ample runners on base and simply couldn’t cash them in early.
Things remained squirrely late, too. After Chandler was chased, Cincinnati put some thunder in their bats for the Pittsburgh bullpen, and both Elly De La Cruz and the inimitable Sal Stewart even went yard back to back to get this game much, much more interesting in the Bottom of the 8th. Eugenio Suarez then singled in what was then a 6-3 game, Bucs manager Don Kelly got tossed for arguing Geno should’ve been called out on strikes on a check-swing, Dane Myers singled to bring the would-be tying run to the plate in Nate Lowe, and Lowe then hit a liner in between 1B and 2B that nearly cleared the infield…only for it to be caught on a dive and turned into an inning-ending double play.
Before I could get my surrender cobra off my head, Pierce Johnson had served up a 2-run homer to Oneil Cruz, and the game was suddenly 8-3. You’d think that’s where the drama had ended, but the Reds still managed to coax the bases loaded in the Bottom of the 9th with Geno at the plate…only for him to strike out to end a game that was seemingly one big swing away from being a whole lot more fun in retrospect.
The Reds will wrap this series on Wednesday with Opening Day starters Andrew Abbott and Paul Skenes on the mound, with first pitch set for 12:40 PM ET. Given how frustrating the first start of the year was for Skenes, methinks the Reds are going to seriously lament that they didn’t find the big hit tonight to clinch this series since that’s a hammer they simply cannot match.
Mar 31, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches against St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Kodai Senga’s first start of the season went well, but the Mets’ lineup was lifeless as the team lost 3-0 to the lowly Cardinals tonight in St. Louis.
It’s hard to come out of seeing your team get shut out by an unimpressive cast of pitchers, but let’s start with the positive. Senga continued to hit the high-90s with his fastball, and he struck out nine and walked three in six innings of work. Officially, he gave up two earned runs, but even those were not entirely his fault.
Luis Robert Jr. came to the Mets as a sure-thing great defender in center field who’s struggled to stay healthy and was coming off back-to-back disappointing years at the plate. He’s been a hot hitter to start his Mets tenure, but the noteworthy defense in center was notably missing in the bottom of the third tonight. Victor Scott II led off the inning with a well-struck ball to center, but it was one that a good defender should’ve caught.
Instead, Robert Jr. misread it, and Scott wound up on second base with a double as a result. On an ensuing single to center by JJ Wetherholt, Robert Jr. missed the cutoff man as Scott stopped at third, allowing Wetherholt to advance to second unnecessarily. Iván Herrera then doubled to left field to plate both of those runners.
That was effectively when the game ended. Despite the fact that they were facing a starting pitcher who had a 5.31 ERA last year and a bullpen that included Ryne Stanek, the Mets mustered up just three hits in total. Their best chance at scoring came in the top of the sixth, as Juan Soto smoked a double to begin the inning and was followed by Bo Bichette drawing a walk.
But Robert Jr. flew out to center, and Jared Young lined out to shortstop. Bichette didn’t get the best read on that line drive, and he was doubled off first.
Carlos Mendoza opted to turn the game over to Richard Lovelady in the bottom of the seventh, and while you can feel for the person for having been designated for assignment by the same team so many times over the past year, you can’t help but wonder why the Mets have a payroll that far exceeds $300 million but continue to acquire and roster a pitcher like him.
Lovelady served up a solo home run to Ramón Urias to lead off his first frame. If there was a silver lining in this game, it was the fact that Lovelady didn’t give up any more runs and soaked up the eighth inning, too, to keep the rest of the Mets’ bullpen fresh.
And if you’re looking to end this recap on an upbeat note, well, the Mets have a chance to win the series in St. Louis tomorrow at 1:15 PM EDT with Freddy Peralta on the mound. Here’s hoping they can score for him.
Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +7.2% WPA Big Mets loser: Jared Young, -17.6% WPA Mets pitchers: -3.1% WPA Mets hitters: -46.9% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto doubles to start the sixth, +8.1% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jared Young lines into a double play in the sixth, -15.4% WPA
Mar 30, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pinch hitter Matt Shaw (6) hits a single against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. We’ve got a fire going in here. There’s no cover charge. We can check your coat for you. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked you who will lead the Cubs in home runs this year and I stupidly forgot to include Seiya Suzuki as an option. In any case, 60 percent of you picked Michael Busch. Fourteen percent of you picked “other,” which I assume meant Suzuki.
Here’s the part where we listen to jazz. I don’t normally do movie stuff on Tuesday nights, so just enjoy the tunes.
Tonight we’re featuring vibraphonist Sasha Berliner at SFJazz this past December. She’s joined by Tristan Cappel on tenor sax and flute, Javier Santiago on keyboards, Giulio Xavier Cetto on bass and the drummer is Myles Martin.
This is “Did You Get It?”
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.
The natural position for Matt Shaw is second base. Can he play other positions? Sure. But he’s going to be most valuable at second base.
This is a problem for Shaw and the Cubs now that they have signed Nico Hoerner for the next six years. Hoerner is not moving off of second base. Third base, where Shaw played last year, is occupied by Alex Bregman for the next six years. So unless you think Shaw can be a corner outfielder, the Cubs are looking at keeping Shaw as a utility player until he reaches free agency if they don’t trade him first.
At this time last year, Shaw was a Top 50 prospect in all of baseball. After one year in the majors, he still has some of that top prospect sheen. He was the Cubs starting third baseman last year and while his overall numbers weren’t great, they were much better in the second half after he got adjusted to the majors. His defense at third base was good. Baseball Reference and Fangraphs had very different evaluations of his overall WAR (3.1 on BR and 1.5 on Fangraphs) but even if you go by the lower value, a 23-year-old who was worth a win and a half usually has a promising future.
But it doesn’t look like Shaw has a promising future with the Cubs. They’re trying him out in right field and while there isn’t enough of a sample size to draw any conclusions from the stats, Shaw isn’t passing the eye test out there. Maybe he gets better. But is Shaw’s best value as a corner outfielder?
I would argue that it isn’t. Even if Shaw learns to play a decent outfield, I don’t think he’s going to hit like a corner outfielder hits. Shaw profiles as an above-average hitter as a second baseman. I think he’s a below-average hitter as a left or right fielder.
So the answer appears to be to trade Shaw. However, the Cubs had a major weakness last season: their bench. Shaw is a huge upgrade over Jon Berti, Vidal Bruján and everyone else whom the Cubs used as a backup infielder last season. Even Willi Castro, who turned into a pumpkin right after the trade deadline.
So it would seem that the Cubs could really use Shaw this year to shore up their bench. The problem with that is that the longer Shaw plays as a utility player, the less his value on the trade market gets. Sure, some top 50 prospects end up as utility infielders (Iowa Cub Scott Kingery is one), but if another team thinks that Shaw can be their starting second baseman for the next five years, maybe it’s better to trade him now, even if the Cubs have to accept 75 cents on the dollar for him.
So how urgent is the need to trade Matt Shaw? Should the Cubs try to get a deal done as soon as possible, or should they wait until the offseason? That way the Cubs would have Shaw ready to step in for any injuries during the season and there might be a bigger market in the winter. On the other hand, there might be teams looking to dump players who are approaching free agency whom the Cubs could get for Shaw now who would not be available in the winter. No, I don’t think the Tigers are trading Tarik Skubal unless they completely fall out of playoff contention, but there might be other quality players whom teams would deal for Shaw.
Or maybe you think the Cubs should keep Shaw for next season. Maybe you think he can hit and field well enough to be a quality corner outfielder. Maybe you just want to keep him around as a utility super-sub.
If you think the Cubs should trade Shaw as soon as possible, just vote “by the trade deadline.” Most teams aren’t willing to make deals before June, but you never know when a team might suffer an injury that Shaw be the answer for.
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Mar 31, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) runs to first base on an RBI bases loaded walk scoring catcher Tyler Heineman in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Last night, with the series opener, the Colorado Rockies soundly defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in a 14-5 onslaught. In Game 2, the Rockies hit some bad luck and (again) couldn’t seem to get the offense working (again). Add to that a seventh inning that put the Rockies on the back foot.
They ended up ceding the second game to the Blue Jays, 5-1.
More bad luck for Ryan Feltner
The game was fairly uneventful — a bit of a pitchers’ duel between Ryan Feltner and Max Scherzer — until the bottom of the third inning when Feltner was injured on a 106 mph comebacker from Andrés Giménez.
The injury was diagnosed as a “right glute contusion.”
After finishing the inning, he was removed from the game.
Before his exit, Felter looked excellent. He left the game with 3.0 IP, giving up one hit and striking out four on 47 pitches. Given Feltner’s history of injuries in 2025, any potential derailment of his season is reason for concern.
Although there was some traffic on the base paths, the game remained scoreless through four innings.
Manager Warren Schaeffer said of Feltner after the game, “I think we avoided something bad there” since Feltner’s hip tightened up after the contact and prevented him from re-entering the game.
According to Feltner, his hip “just stiffened up,” and he expects to make his next start.
The bullpen takes over
Juan Mejia entered in the fourth. He gave up hits to Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto before pulling off this nifty double play.
However, Mejia was not so fortunate in the fifth where he loaded the bases before handing the ball over to Jaden Hill, who promptly game up an RBI single to Jesús Sánchez, making the score 1-0 Blue Jays.
He then walked Guerrero Jr with the bases loaded, making the score 2-0 Blue Jays. Following that, Hill struck out Okamoto and Lukes with the bases loaded.
In addition, the Blue Jays had used both of their challenges by the end of the fifth inning.
Hunter Goodman enters the chat
The Rockies certainly had their chances early in this game, courtesy of singles from T.J. Rumfield and Brenton Doyle, but neither were able to score.
That all changed in the sixth when the Rockies got on the board after Hunter Goodman hit his first home run of the season, a gorgeous second-decker (435 ft, 110.9 mph).
Scherzer’s evening was done after tossing 6.0 innings. He allowed four hits and one run (earned), walking one and striking out four and the Blue Jays leading 2-1.
Rumfield led off the seventh with a single (sensing a theme here) and made it to second on a wild pitch before being picked off at second and ending the inning.
Blue Jays feather their nest in the seventh
Zach Agnos came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and gave up three singles that led to the Blue Jays taking a 3-1 lead on a Okamoto RBI. Nathan Lukes followed that with another RBI single, and the score was 4-1 Blue Jays. Ernie Clement followed that with a double, and it was 5-1.
With two outs, Jake McCarthy hit a double in the eighth inning, but, again, the Rockies were unable to bring him home.
Old friend Jeff Hoffman entered to close the game, and surrendered a single to Ezequiel Tovar, but, once again, the Rockies were unable to capitalize.
Final score: Blue Jays 5, Rockies 1
Notable numbers
The Rockies finished the evening with one run on seven hits. They walked once and struck out six times (a notable improvement from last season). They were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base.
In addition, it was a long night for the bullpen:
Mejia: 1.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs (earned), 1 BB, 0 K
Hill: 0.2 IP, 1 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 2 K
Bernadino: 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 1 K
Agnos: 2.0 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 1 BB, 3 K
“I’m extremely proud of our ‘pen,” Schaeffer said. “We’ve asked a lot of them this season.”
Looking ahead
Join us tomorrow at 11:07 am when the Rockies will win their series against the Blue Jays. They will need length from starting pitcher Kyle Freeland given the usage of the bullpen tonight.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Bowen Byram flipped a long shot into an empty net with 1:43 remaining to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
The Sabres became the NHL’s 11th franchise to reach 2,000 wins — and the first team not added in the league’s first expansion in 1967 when the NHL went from six teams to 12. Buffalo joined in the second wave of expansion joining the NHL with Vancouver in 1970.
Jack Quinn and Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist, and Peyton Krebs also scored for the Sabres, who reached 100 points for the 10th time in franchise history and first since finishing with 100 in 2009-10. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves for the Sabres.
Brayden Schenn, Calum Ritchie and Anders Lee scored, and Bo Horvat added three assists for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves.
Some three minutes after Lee tied the game at 2, Krebs scored with 3:01 left.
Alex Tuch set it up by circling the Islanders net and feeding Krebs in front for a one-timer.
And Bowen Byram sealed it by flipping a long shot into an empty net with 1:43 remaining.
Schenn scored with 1 second left, bringing the Islanders within 1.
Right off the faceoff to start the third period, Lee and Sam Carrick fought. While Carrick threw punches with his right hand, his left arm was tied up in Lee's jersey at an awkward angle. As Carrick spun and was taken down to the ice, he landed hard. He remained down in obvious pain before leaving for the locker room.
Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff confirmed after the game Carrick injured his left arm in the fight.
