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Phillies shut out Giants, 7-0, in new manager’s first game

Jesus Luzardo throwing a pitch
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 28: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo #44 pitches the ball during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants on April 28th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The struggling Philadelphia Phillies got a masterful start from Jesús Luzardo Tuesday night. He held the San Francisco Giants to two baserunners and three total bases in seven innings of work, striking out eight including a hat trick of Matt Chapman. The only thing he didn’t go was close, leaving with a five-run lead after 88 pitches in the Phillies’ 7-0 victory.

After all, Luzardo (2-3) started the game and left with a big lead. In this game, by rule, Jesus didn’t save.

Giants starter Tyler Mahle dropped to 1-4 in a game where he pitched quite well for five innings, holding the potent Phillies lineup to three hits and a single run, after a Trea Turner single, two walks, and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Brandon Marsh.

But the wheels came off in the 6th, when Willy Adames bobbled Turner’s grounder up the middle and the Phillies shortstop reached on an infield hit, one of his four hits in the game. After Mahle walked Kyle Schwarber for the second straight time, Bryce Harper doubled in Turner to make it a 2-0 game, then Adolis Garcia followed with another double to push Philly’s lead to 4-0 and chase Mahle.

Both doubles came on Mahle splitters that broke right over the center of the plate. His final line was 5 IP, 5R, 5ER, 3BB, 3K and his ERA rose to 5.87. Matt Gage relieved and let Garcia score on an Alec Bohm double, which was the Phillies’ third RBI on balls hit towards Heliot Ramos.

At the same time, it didn’t really matter what Mahle did in a game where the Giants got only two hits. Luzardo, Orion Kerkering, and Tim Mayza combined to retire the Giants’ final 17 hitters and only two Giants managed to hit the ball out of the infield after Luis Arraez doubled in the 4th inning. For the game, the Giants left the infield only four times, including a leadoff double by Ramos followed by three straight strikeouts on Luzardo sweepers in the 4th.

Chapman had the worst night, earning the dreaded Golden Sombrero by striking out four times in a game. Patrick Bailey struck out twice, dropping his batting average to .143 before manager Tony Vitello pinch-hit Jerar Encarnacion for him in the 9th. Who also struck out.

Philadelphia added on the their lead in the 8th inning after Brandon Marsh singled and stole second with two outs. That may or may not violate the unwritten rules of baseball, which we’ll know if Marsh gets beaned in the second inning of Wednesday’s game.

After Marsh’s steal, Justin Crawford singled him and came around to score on Turner’s fourth hit of the night, a single off daywalker Blade Tidwell that completed the night’s scoring.

Perhaps the Phillies got a boost from Tuesday morning’s dismissal of former manager Rob Thomson. Bench coach Don Mattingly took over as interim manager and is now 1-0 as skipper of the Phillies, whose even-keeled fans will surely give their new leader plenty of patience and support.

Or perhaps everyone looks good against the Giants anemic offense. How do they get back on track? We suggest cheese steaks for everyone.

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They’re not done yet — led by Joel Embiid, Sixers take another game in Boston to force Game 6

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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

We’re not going anywhere just yet.

The Sixers stole another one in Boston, winning Game 5 113-97 to send the series back to Philly at 3-2.

Joel Embiid found himself in the third quarter, leading all scorers with 33 points shooting 12-of-23 from the field along with four rebounds and eight assists. Tyrese Maxey was much more assertive, going for 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on 10-of-18 shooting.

Paul George put up 16 with nine rebounds and seven assists shooting 6-of-13 from the floor. VJ Edgecombe could at least make a three this time. He finished with 10 points going 3-of-8 from the field. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 24 while Quentin Grimes had 18 off the bench.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

  • The Sixers opened the game slowly plodding their way to an Embiid midrange jumper that missed wide. Their possessions got better as Maxey was able to collapse the defense, leading to the ball swinging around the horn for a George three. Kelly Oubre Jr. got into the paint for a layup before George nailed a contested three.
  • Boston’s 1-of-7 start to the game wasn’t capitalized on because the Sixers followed it up with a 1-of-8 stretch of their own. The Sixers were generating open threes for Maxey and Embiid but as this series has gone, they couldn’t get them to fall. Only allowing one offensive rebound and 0 second-chance points on the Celtics’ first 10 misses though was a considerably better start on the glass.
  • That finally came to an end when they lost Neemias Queta getting back down the floor. He was able to scoop up and put back a botched lob attempt, potentially committing basket interference in the process. Embiid finally made his first field goal on a midrange Maxey set up with a pocket pass, but didn’t get in a groove as he missed a runner the next time down the floor.
  • For some reason, Andre Drummond remained Embiid’s backup to start, who just could not keep up closing out on the perimeter against Boston playing 5-out with Nik Vucevic on the floor. It was a better start than the previous game. The Sixers trailed by two after the Celtics shot just 1-of-10 from three in the first.

Second Quarter

  • Self-inflicted errors have also been a big theme of this series, and the Sixers opened the second with some pretty sloppy basketball. Embiid got whistled for a couple cheap fouls, one of which became a three-point play for Boston. Grimes threw the ball into two Celtics trying to kick out of a drive, and they missed two free throws on top of that.
  • The Sixers’ defense looked as nonexistent as it was in Game 4 to start the quarter with the Celtics easily making seven of their first nine shots. Derrick White fouling Grimes on a three stopped that flow just as things could have gotten really ugly for the Sixers. They got a couple more stops, including a steal leading to a fast break layup to stay within striking distance. The four-point play was the Sixers’ first bench points of the game.
  • Embiid took only a 90-second break and he was still struggling to find any sort of rhythm. Maxey again found him wide open near the restricted area but his shot rimmed out. He got one to fall coming out of a timeout, but nearly pump faked himself into a shotclock violation a few possessions later. He was able to end his half with a trip to the line that cut Boston’s lead to seven at the break.

Third Quarter

  • It took the Sixers a couple minutes to get going in the second half, minutes they were quickly running out of. Sam Hauser beat a scrambling defense to get to the rim, Jaylen Brown beat the Sixers getting back down the floor for an open cut, and White got to the line to give the Celtics their largest lead of the night. Embiid got rolling, posting up Vucevic, but the Sixers still had their moments shooting themselves in the foot. Right after an away-from-play foul gave Boston an extra free throw, they let Jordan Walsh grab an offensive rebound to bail out a shot clock violation.
  • As Embiid kept beating Vucevic in the post, he felt more comfortable with his jumpers as well. They continued to put together stops on the other end. Maxey was able to nab a bad Jayson Tatum pass, starting a fast break that led to an Edgecombe three that pulled them within one.
  • Right when Embiid was really rolling offensively, he came down favoring his left leg after rising up to contest a Brown layup. Not only did the rebound fall to the Celtics for another second chance three, but Embiid looked like he hyperextended his knee. He left the game for a quick trip to the locker room but not before the Celtics responded with a 7-0 run.
  • The rest of the Sixers did shoot it really well in the third as well though. Going 7-of-12 from behind the arc prevented the Celtics from going on an extended run that could have put the game away. Maxey became the latest, coming off a screen to pull the Sixers within one again entering the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

  • Things kept going the Sixers’ way as PG knocked down a three off the catch to give the Sixers their first lead since the first quarter. The Celtics proceeded to turn the ball over twice in a row, but the Sixers couldn’t capitalize. They only got one basket during a stretch where they forced five stops, a symptom that’s plagued them all series. 
  • The Sixers were able to answer a couple of Boston threes with Maxey and Embiid getting baskets for themselves before Grimes drew a foul on a three. Somehow, they survived a possession where they gave up three straight offensive rebounds. Grimes’ impact in this one was massive. Right after knocking down another three he picked up Brown chasing down a loose ball and locked him up for the length of the shot clock.
  • Embiid continued to have a lot of success offensively in the post. He continued to look tired as the quarter dragged along having hardly sat in the second half. The Celtics, really struggling offensively, put Payton Pritchard back on the floor. He was able to get an open jumper but missed as the Celtics missed 11 straight field goal attempts.
  • Edgecombe had been the only Sixer on the floor really struggling from the field. Like he did so many times in the regular season, he still hit a big three in the fourth that pushed the Sixers lead to 15 with about two and a half minutes remaining. A few seconds later, both teams started emptying their benches.
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Slaughter is the best medicine: Phillies 7, Giants 0

Apr 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) celebrates his RBI double against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

In the wake of Rob Thomson’s sacrificial demise as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies (10-19) earlier today, the team put together their most complete win of the season for new boss, Don Mattingly, in a 7-0 dismantling of the San Francisco Giants (13-16).

Jesus Luzardo and company held the Giants to two hits and combined for 12 strikeouts.

Luzardo had his best start of the year, lowering his ERA nearly a point and a half by going seven clean innings with eight Ks. He allowed both of the Giants’ baserunners on doubles by Heliot Ramos and Luis Arraez in the third and fourth innings. Orion Kerkering and Tim Mayza each pitched a two-K 1-2-3 frame in relief.

The Phillies opened the scoring against Tyler Mahle in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Marsh after a Trea Turner single and walks to Kyle Schwarber and Adolis Garcia loaded the bases.

The bulk of the damage was inflicted in the bottom of the sixth inning when the entire lineup came to the dish and cashed in three RBI doubles by Bryce Harper, Garcia and Alec Bohm.

The Phillies would tack on two more in the bottom of the eighth after Marsh led off the inning with a single, stole second, and came home on a hit by Justin Crawford. Crawford scored two at-bats later on Turner’s fourth hit of the game.

Really the lone blemish on the evening was due to Bryson Stott’s three strikeouts, but he and Rafael Marchan each worked a walk that achieved every Phils’ hitter reaching base safely on the night.

The shutout victory is the Phillies’ first this season after tallying 14 last year.

Cristopher Sanchez takes the mound for Game 2 of the Mattingly era tomorrow night against Logan Webb.

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Cassidy Comments on Golden Knights Departure: ‘I Would Have Liked to See it Through’

On March 29th, the Vegas Golden Knights made a change behind the bench with just eight games left in the regular season. They relieved head coach Bruce Cassidy of his duties and subsequently brought in John Tortorella to take his place.

From broadcasters to the media to fans, this move caught the hockey world by surprise. And when Cassidy joined the NHL on TNT intermission panel nearly a month after the incident, he admitted that it shocked him, too.

“Yeah,” said Cassidy on Tuesday. “You know, you grind for 74 games, and you want to be there at the end. That’s the payoff, right? Playing for the cup, getting your name on the cup again… Great guys in that locker room, great players. I’m excited for the guys, but disappointed I didn’t get a chance to finish the job with them.”

Throughout their nine-year history, the Golden Knights have earned a reputation as a team that will do whatever it takes to win. This move is a bit too extreme to be par for the course, but it’s not completely without precedent.

“Vegas, they have their standards,” Cassidy acknowledged. “They felt we weren’t there, so they made a change.”

In 2022, the Golden Knights hired Cassidy as their third head coach in franchise history. The move immediately paid dividends, and he led them to their first Stanley Cup in 2023. Typically, Stanley Cup Champion head coaches get a longer leash; in this case, the floundering Golden Knights needed a spark, and Cassidy was the casualty.

“I think somewhere along the way, we lost our spirit, and we lost our energy as a team,” said general manager Kelly McCrimmon after the coaching change. “You need to make hard decisions, and the easiest thing in the world to do is nothing… If we didn’t have the expectations and the belief in our team that we do, we probably would’ve let this thing ride out.”

Following the coaching change, the Golden Knights went on a 7-0-1 run to close out the regular season.

“I would have liked to see it through, I’ll definitely say that,” Cassidy admitted. “We’d won once before, so we knew what it looked like to win… Yes, I would have loved to have the opportunity. But it didn’t work out that way, so you start thinking about your next challenge.”

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Mets' offense explodes with seven-run fourth inning in 8-0 win over Nationals

The Mets' bats woke up in a big way, scoring seven runs in the fourth inning en route to an 8-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Here are the key takeaways...

-- Bo Bichette smacked a leadoff home run to right-center field on the first pitch he saw from Zack Littell to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. It's his second homer of the season and seventh career leadoff HR.

-- The Mets waited until the fourth inning to record their next hit on MJ Melendez' one-out single. That got New York going as Mark Vientos and Brett Baty both walked to load the bases for Marcus Semien, who's grounder got under Jorbit Vivas' glove at third base, allowing two runners to score.

Carson Benge then came through with a two-RBI single and Bichette tacked on another with a a sac-fly, making it 6-0. New York's biggest inning of the year continued as Juan Soto launched a two-run home run to left-center field, pushing the lead to 8-0.

-- Clay Holmes retired the first seven Nationals he faced before letting up a one-out single to Drew Millas in the top of the third inning. The right-hander then walked James Wood with two outs to give Washington a scoring chance, but was able to win his first challenge of the night by striking out Luis García Jr. to end the frame.

Holmes kept it going through the sixth inning, getting three groundouts to keep Washington scoreless. He didn't come back out for the seventh inning having already thrown 94 pitches, finishing after 6.0 IP with six strikeouts, allowing just three hits and one walk.

-- Tobias Myers tossed scoreless seventh and eighth innings, allowing just one baserunner on a walk. Craig Kimbrel shut things down in the ninth, striking out the side to lock up New York's second shutout of the season.

-- The team finished with six hits as Benge was the only Met to have more than one, going 2-for-4 with two RBI in the win. He's improved to 7-for-16 at the plate over his last five games.

Game MVP

While the bats came through for New York, Holmes kept Washington's quiet as his season ERA now sits at 1.75. Holmes became the first Mets starter to earn a win since he did back on April 4 against the San Francisco Giants.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets continue their three-game series against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

David Peterson (0-3, 5.06 ERA) will take the mound against RHP Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.01 ERA).

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Mets take advantage of opportunities in easy win over Nationals

Juan Soto hits a home run in a home white Mets uniform
Juan Soto | (Photo: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)

The Mets’ lineup took advantage of its opportunities tonight at Citi Field, as the team beat the Nationals by an 8-0 score. Clay Holmes pitched well, and a big error by the Nationals helped the Mets blow the game open, but there’s nothing wrong with any of that as far as the Mets are concerned.

Bo Bichette opened the scoring with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first on the first pitch that he saw from Nationals starter Zack Littell, who entered the game with a 7.56 ERA on the season. His teammates didn’t do any further damage through the bottom of the third, but that changed in a big way in the fourth.

With the bases loaded and one out in that inning, Littell induced a ground ball off the bat of Marcus Semien that had the potential to turn into an inning-ending double play. But Nationals third baseman Jorbit Vivas misplayed it entirely, allowing the ball to end up in left field and plating the Mets’ second and third runs of the game.

That left runners on second and third, and Carson Benge single to left-center to bring both of them home and give the Mets a 5-0 lead. After a Ronny Mauricio single put runners on the corners, Bichette hit a sac fly to bring in the Mets’ sixth run, and Juan Soto followed that up with a two-run home run to left-center field. The Mets were up 8-0, which was more than enough to win the game.

As for Holmes, he threw six innings without allowing a run, struck out six, walked one, and allowed just three hits. He now has a 1.75 ERA on the season, an impressive number even if the underlying metrics don’t fully support it.

Tobias Myers took over in the top of the seventh and went on to throw two scoreless innings before Craig Kimbrel retired the Nationals in order in the ninth to finish the game.

The Mets need to do much more than win one game against the Nationals, but it is obviously a good thing that they snapped a three-game losing streak. David Peterson takes the mound tomorrow night, and he and the Mets’ lineup will try to get the team a series win.

SB Nation GameThreads

Amazin’ Avenue
Federal Baseball

Box scores

MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added

FanGraphs WPA graph for Mets/Nationals on April 28, 2026

What’s WPA?
Big Mets winner: Clay Holmes, +22% WPA
Big Mets loser: none
Mets pitchers: +23% WPA
Mets hitters: +27% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Two runs score on a Jorbit Vivas error in the fourth, +13% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: CJ Abrams singles in the top of the fourth, -3% WPA

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Reds 7, Rockies 2: Not enough offense (again)

Colorado Rockies outfielder Troy Johnston (20) and right fielder Tyler Freeman (2) misplay a pop off in the first inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The Reds led 4-1 after three innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After sweeping the New York Mets over the weekend, the Colorado Rockies hoped to continue on their winning track in Game 1 against the Cincinnati Reds. However, it was not to be as the Rockies, despite getting on base throughout the game, could never manage to bring runners home and lost the series opener, 7-2.

Edouard Julien powers an offense that can’t finish the job

The Reds took the lead in the first inning on a weird bloop single from Elly De La Cruz that scored Dane Myers. Spencer Steer followed that up with a two-run homer, and the Rockies were down 3-0 as the first inning ended.

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(FWIW, Steer is now 3-for-8 against Kyle Freeland.) Making matters worse, it took Freeland 31 pitches to get out of the inning.

“Not a good first inning for us after sweeping the Mets,” manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game.

The Rockies got their first hit in the second inning with a Tyler Freeman lead-off single, but nothing came of it.

Also, I would not be doing my job if I did not share with you this De La Cruz defensive gem:

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The Rockies got on the board in the third when Edouard Julien, who walked in the first inning, hit a lead-off home run, making the score 3-1.

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The Reds re-established their three-run lead in the bottom of the third, however, when De La Cruz tallied his second RBI of the night, and the score was 4-1.

Julien struck again in the fifth inning when he hit an RBI single to bring home Jake McCarthy, and made the score 4-2.

The Rockies tried to rally in the sixth with runners on second and the third with one out following a Troy Johnston double, but they were unable to capitalize.

The sixth inning was the last for Chase Burns. He finished the evening with 6.0 IP, giving up two runs (both earned) on seven hits. He struck out nine and allowed one walk. After that, the Reds went to their bullpen, which finished the job Burns had started.

The Reds did not score again until the eighth inning when De La Cruz hit a two-run homer, which put the Rockies behind 6-2.

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It was another stellar outing for De La Cruz who finished the evening going 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI.

After that, the Reds continued to get hits, and by the time the eighth inning ended, the score was 7-2.

The Rockies continued to get players on base but failed to bring them home — in fact, they had baserunners on base each inning. All told, the Rockies went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They struck out 12 times and walked twice.

While hits were spread through the Rockies lineup, the standout was Julien who was 3-for-4 with a walk, a run, and two RBI.

“Situational baseball, not good today,” Schaeffer said.

Freeland has a solid return

Stop me if you’ve head this one before, but it was a first-inning-of-unfortunate-events for Kyle Freeland that involved an RBI bloop single in addition to Troy Johnston botching a pick-off attempt at first. (It was not a great defensive night for Johnston.) The starter’s only real mistake was that pitch to Steer that resulted in a two-run homer.

The consequences were twofold. First, Freeland was already down 3-0 at the bottom of the first; second, he threw 31 pitches, which meant his time on the mound would be short, especially given that he was coming off the IL.

In the end, Freeland (again) did his best to keep the Rockies in the game and got stronger as the evening progressed, but the offense struggled to figure out Burns and provide some run support.

Freeland finished the evening with 5.0 IP in which he gave up four runs (all earned) on five hits. He struck out four and walked one.

In short, Freeland was better than the box score indicates.

“I thought Free was really good. Free kept us in the ballgame,” Schaeffer said.

“I definitely got stronger as the game went on,” Freeland said. He added that he did not experience any shoulder issues.

Tanner Gordon was good — until he wasn’t

Schaeffer turned the game over to Tanner Gordon in the sixth inning. Gordon was good for two innings, but allowed some damage in the eighth inning.

His final line was three runs on six hits over 3.0 IP. He struck out three and issued no walks.

Up Next

Join us for Game 2 tomorrow afternoon at 4:40 when Tomoyuki Sugano will face Brandon Williamson.

See you then.

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St. Louis Cardinals Rain Baseballs into the Allegheny-Beat Pirates 11-7

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 28: Nolan Gorman #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates his solo home run with teammates during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 28, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images

A lot of things went right for the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night. Kyle Leahy pitched a solid 5 innings, multiple Cardinals tried to drown baseballs in the nearby Allegheny River and the St. Louis bullpen was adequate enough for another road victory.

The Cardinals lineup struck early and often with Nolan Gorman crushing a 413 foot home run into the sidewalk next to the river making it 1-0 Cardinals in the top of the 2nd inning.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning, JJ Wetherholt showed why he’s more than just an offensive threat making an acrobatic grab on a ball that was headed into right field before he smothered it and then fired a throw to first that Alec Burleson somehow managed to catch and strafe the bag for a Sportscenter highlight out.

St. Louis added to its lead in the top of the 3rd inning as Victor Scott II did the opposite of bunting for a change and instead launched a ball 2 feet further than Gorman which ended up in the Allegheny River.

JJ Wetherholt showed his power to all fields following up Victor’s bomb with a ball into the left-center field gap. He would later score on a two-out single by Jordan Walker giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the 5th inning, JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera would both walk. Alec Burleson then connected for a ground rule double that would score JJ making it 4-0 Cardinals. Jordan Walker hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Herrera upping the St. Louis lead to 5-0. Gorman would follow suit with his own sacrifice fly scoring Burleson making it 6-0 Cardinals.

If you were just judging Kyle Leahy by his first five innings, you would say it was an epic outing. However, he did lose his mojo in the bottom of the 6th inning as he gave up a long home run to Oneil Cruz putting the Pirates on the board. A couple of batter later, O’Hearn would crush a two-run homer cutting into the St. Louis lead to just 6-3. Gordon Graceffo would put out that fire, though, getting a sweet double play to end the inning. Kyle Leahy would end the night after having pitched 5 1/3 inning giving up 9 hits, 3 earned runs with 7 strikeouts and no walks. All things considered, a very positive outing for Leahy.

The St. Louis Cardinals offense continued to be relentless playing small ball in the top of the 7th inning. After Herrera and Burleson walked, Jordan Walker smoked a single to center scoring Herrera and advancing Burleson to third making it 7-3 Cardinals. Gorman grounded out, but Burleson scored on the fielder’s choice upping the St. Louis lead to 8-3. Walker would then score on a single by Masyn Winn giving St. Louis its 6-run lead back making it 9-3 Cardinals.

St. Louis would pile on in the top of the 8th inning as JJ Wetherholt was hit on the hand by a pitch and would advance to third on a double by Herrera. Alec Burleson, in a moment of Deja vu, hammered a double to right center scoring both Wetherholt and Herrera upping the Cardinals lead to 11-3.

While he didn’t make any highlight reels, Jordan Walker made a lot of good decisions at the plate Tuesday night going 2-4 with 3 RBI’s and a run scored. Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson were also 2-4 on the night. Pedro Pagés was the last starter to get a hit as he dumped a single into right field in the top of the 9th inning. Nearly every Cardinal contributed to this lopsided win. Positives in the St. Louis bullpen including 1 2/3 innings of hitless baseball from Gordon Graceffo. Justin Bruihl allowed 3 hits and a 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th, but the Cardinals lead was secure at that point at 11-6. He was bailed out by a Masyn Winn double play to end the crisis. Matt Svanson pitched the 9th inning for St. Louis giving Riley O’Brien yet another down day of rest. He gave up a solo shot to Konnor Griffin which game the Pirates a consolation run for the final score of 11-7 Cardinals.

An honorary tip of the cap to Pirates pitcher Hunter Barco who was tasked with pitching 4 2/3 innings of relief throwing a staggering 84 pitches. Yes, he was shelled with 5 of the Cardinals 11 runs, but he was given the glory-less task of finishing up a lost game for Pittsburgh.

The St. Louis Cardinals are scheduled to start Andre Pallante in game 3 of their series versus the Pirates Wednesday night, but be aware there is rain possible in the forecast that might interfere with the scheduled 5:40pm central time first pitch at PNC Park.

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Dodgers on Deck: Wednesday, April 29 vs. Marlins

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 26: Tyler Glasnow #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws in the outfield before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Opening Day at Dodger Stadium on March 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Dodgers finish off their stretch of 13 game days in a row with a rare weekday daytime start at Dodger Stadium, hosting the Miami Marlins on getaway day Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Tyler Glasnow takes the ball for the Dodgers in the homestand finale, coming off nine strikeouts in eight scoreless innings, the latter tying a career high. He’ll duel with Marlins ace and former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara.

Wednesday is one of only two weekday daytime starts in Los Angeles this season, both against Florida teams. On June 17 against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Dodgers will play another 12:10 p.m. game.

Wednesday game info
  • Teams: Dodgers vs. Marlins
  • Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
  • Time: 12:10 p.m.
  • TV: SportsNet LA
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
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Mets prospect A.J. Ewing picks up three hits, including a triple in Triple-A debut

Mets prospect A.J. Ewing made his Triple-A debut on Tuesday night and impressed his new team.

Ewing announced his arrival with a standup triple to lead the game. He launched a 93 mph fastball from Alan Rangel of the IronPigs to left center field. The ball was hit with an exit velocity of 104.4 mph and centerfielder Steward Berroa could not catch up to it. The ball caromed off the wall and trickled away from the fielders, allowing Ewing to get to third base unimpeded. He would eventually come around to score on a Christian Arroyo homer three batters later. 

In his second at-bat, Ewing jumped on a fastball from Rangel again, but it stood in the air long enough for left fielder Otto Kemp to catch it on the run. 

Ewing walked on a five-pitch walk in his third at-bat, and singled to lead off the seventh in his fourth at-bat. Two batters later, Ryan Clifford hit his fifth home run of the season to bring home Ewing.

In the eighth, Ewing came up with one out and runners on second and third when he doubled down the left field line to drive in his first runs with Syracuse. 

Ewing finished 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and two runs. 

In 18 games with Double-A this season, Ewing hit .349 with a .481 OBP and 1.053 OPS, hitting two home runs with seven RBI and 12 stolen bases. SNY's Joe DeMayo listed Ewing, who has experience in center field and second base, as the Mets' No. 3 overall prospect, behind Nolan McLean and Carson Benge.

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Elly De La Cruz wrecks Rockies in Reds win in series opener

sunrise over San Juan Mountains off Dallas Creek Road. (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Remember roughly five minutes ago when Sal Stewart’s start to the season was the talk of at least one particular corner of the baseball world?

To be a bit more transparent, Sal’s still swatting the heck out of the baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. He even doubled and scored a run in the Reds series opening victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night in Great American Ball Park. But as the Reds rose up to a 7-2 win, it became a little bit evident just how red-hot his teammate over at shortstop has been so far this season, too.

Elly De La Cruz homered as part of a 3-hit day, driving in 4 runs to lead the Reds on the night. In the process, he actually bumped his average up to .291 for the season – just ahead of Stewart’s .290 mark – and his homer was a team-leading 10th. Not to be outdone, he even swiped a pair of bags on the night to overtake Stewart for the team lead, 8 to 7, in a game that had all of his talents on full display.

And when I say ‘all of them,’ I truly mean all of them.

Elly gets to take home tonight’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game after a performance that truly showed why he’s one of baseball’s great five-tool talents.

Other Notes

  • Spencer Steer hit a big 2-run homer early as part of his great current run. He entered play tonight with an .822 OPS and 4 dingers over his previous 21 games, and tonight’s dinger followed that very same path.
  • Chase Burns, at times, looked a little less than ‘brilliant’ tonight yet a quick look at the final box score shows just how good he can still be when not at his absolute best. He scattered 7 hits across his 6.0 IP, allowing a pair of earned runs, but he fanned 9 while walking a lone Rockie on the night.
  • Nate Lowe got the start (against a lefty) and chipped in with a 2-hit night and drove in a run. He’s a proven regular who puts together excellent at-bats and is playing for a legitimate contract next fall – I really don’t see how you don’t keep him in the lineup in some form and fashion just about every single day going forward.
  • The Dane Myers acquisition continues to look quite brilliant. He started against a LHP again – as he is wont to do – and scored 3 runs while being on-base all over the place on the night.
  • Brandon Williamson will look to get right with the start on Wednesday when these two clubs meet again. First pitch is once again set for 6:40 PM ET.
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Yankees promoting top prospect George Lombard Jr. to Triple-A

The Yankees top prospect is officially taking the next step in his journey through the system. 

George Lombard Jr. is being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to YES Network's Jack Curry. 

It's felt like it was only a matter of time before Lombard took the leap to the next level, as he's gotten off to a scorching hot start to this season back with Double-A Somerset. 

The 20-year-old come out swinging after struggling to master the level down the stretch last year, hitting .324 with four homers, eight doubles, 10 RBI, and a 1.008 OPS through 19 games. 

He's also drawn 12 walks, helping rack up an impressive .414 on-base percentage. 

Lombard has appeared in six games at the hot corner, 15 at shortstop, and two as the DH. 

Curry reports that he'll spent time at both third and short as he kicked things off with the RailRiders. 

The Yankees feel the youngster is big-league ready from a defensive standpoint, now they'll see how his bat progresses in Triple-A before deciding if they want to give him one more call. 

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Javier Baez injury update: Tigers All-Star carted off in Atlanta

Detroit Tigers center fielder Javy Baéz was taken from the Truist Field playing surface by a cart after an awkward slide into first base resulted in an apparent right leg injury in the fifth inning Tuesday, April 28.

Baéz hit a ground ball to Atlanta Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubón, whose throw to first was high and wide of the bag. Baéz made a last-second decision to slide feet first into the base, and his right leg appeared to get caught under the weight of his body.

Baéz stayed down for several minutes and could not put weight on the leg before Detroit's training staff helped him to the cart.

Detroit Tigers starter Casey Mize also left the game early, diagnosed with right groin tightness after departing in the third inning.

Baéz, a 2025 All-Star, is batting .256 with a .677 OPS and two home runs this season.

Atlanta won Tuesday's game 5-2.

Javier Baez injury update

Baez has a right ankle injury and is slated to have an MRI on April 29.

"That one looked scary," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said, per the Detroit Free Press' Evan Petzold.

Baez said he was feeling "much better" after getting treatment and can "put pressure on my ankle now." But, he noted, "we'll see what's going to happen."

This story has been updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Javier Baez injury update after Tigers All-Star is carted off

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Royals vs. Athletics game 29 preview and thread

Maikel’s back!
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 22: Maikel Garcia #11 of the Kansas City Royals pops out in the third inning during a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium on April 22, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/IOS/Getty Images) | Getty Images

I’ll never get used to the Sacramento Athletics, and frankly I’m stunned that the MLB owners even allowed the Athletics’ ownership to do what they did. But everyone has dollar signs for eyes, I guess, and the sooner the A’s situation gets resolved the sooner that owners can get those sweet, sweet expansion fees in their pockets.

But here we are. Tonight, the Royals start their annual West Coast Road Trip by playing a midweek series against the A’s. The A’s, actually, are pretty good. Former Royal Brent Rooker is hitting cleanup, while Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz is hitting third. The A’s will be sending out Aaron Civale to the mound.

Meanwhile, the Royals will counter with Kris Bubic and a lineup that features the return of Maikel Garcia. Huzzah!

Athletics lineup

Royals lineup

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Dodgers trade for infielder Tyler Fitzgerald

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 24: Tyler Fitzgerald #49 of the San Francisco Giants throws for an out at Oracle Park on March 24, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are collecting as many Fitzgeralds as possible for their Triple-A Oklahoma City roster. On Tuesday they acquired infielder Tyler Fitzgerald from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations.

The Dodgers also have Ryan Fitzgerald, who was acquired via waivers in January 9 and later sent outright off the 40-man roster. Ryan Fitzgerald has played mostly third base for Oklahoma City, plus some time at second base, first base, left field, and right field this season. Tyler Fitzgerald in his three major league seasons thus far (2023-25) has played mostly shortstop and second base, plus some time mixed in at third base, first base, and all three outfield spots.

This is the third organization for Tyler Fitzgerald, who played the last three seasons for the San Francisco Giants before getting traded to Toronto on April 5. The Blue Jays designated him for assignment last Friday to make room for catcher Willie MacIver.

Fitzgerald in his three major league seasons with the Giants hit .252/.309/.430 with 21 home runs and a 106 wRC+ in 618 plate appearances. The right-handed hitter, 28, is a career .280/.347/.495 hitter with a 134 wRC+ in 203 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers. This season in nine Triple-A games between Sacramento and Buffalo had three hits in 32 at-bats with one walk and 19 strikeouts.

Fitzgerald has one year, 108 days of major league service time and one option year remaining, having used options in 2024 and 2025.

To make room for Fitzgerald on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers moved pitcher Landon Knack to the 60-day injured list. Knack has been out since late March with an intercostal strain. Not sure of his rehab timeline, but this move guarantees he can’t be activated until at least May 21.