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From extra innings, to late-inning heroics, Friday’s slate of minor league games had plenty of action. Let’s dive into it all.

(16-9) Gwinnett Stripers 3, (12-13) Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 6

• Jose Azocar, LF: 1-3, HR, RBI, R, BB
• Luke Williams, 2B: 1-4, RBI
• Jim Jarvis, SS: 0-4, BB, 3 K
• Lucas Braun, SP: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, BB, 6 K

Box Score

It was a disappointing night all-around for Gwinnett as the pitching staff didn’t do its job while the offense was rather stagnant in the Stripers’ loss.

Lucas Braun got the start and put up what was definitively his worst start of the 2025 campaign. In 5.1 frames of work, Braun gave up six runs (five earned) on five hits while issuing a walk and striking out six. While he did manage to get 14 swings and misses in the process, that doesn’t necessarily mean much when you give up a pair of homers on the night.

The biggest blow to Braun’s outing came in the second inning as he gave up a solo homer to Kemp Alderman and followed it up later in the inning by giving up a three-run shot to Jared Serna to give Jacksonville an early 4-0 lead that Gwinnett never could dig themselves out of.

Although, it wasn’t entirely his fault as his defense also didn’t do him any favors, as the Stripers committed a pair of errors on the night as well.

Offensively, while the score may reflect it was a somewhat solid night, it was the contrary for Gwinnett.

Scoring three runs on six hits, the only knock of major consequence came off the bat of Jose Azocar in the bottom of the second as he tallied a solo homer — at a staggering 108.7 MPH off the bat — to cut the deficit to 4-1 in the early going.

One other offensive performance of note was Jim Jarvis, who again went hitless on the night. It appears as though the shortstop may be coming back down to earth after a scalding start to the season.

While he did go 3-3 on Thursday night, Jarvis is just three for his last sixteen at-bats, during which he has struck out five times. He has, however, managed to draw at least one walk in each of his last nine games including Friday, so perhaps not all is lost and it’s simply just a bad stretch for Jarvis.

(11-8) Columbus Clingstones 5, (8-11) Birmingham Barons 3

• Jordan Groshans, 3B: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
• Lizandro Espinoza, SS: 1-4, 2B, R
• David McCabe, DH: 2-4, RBI
• Herick Hernandez, SP: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Box Score

It took extra innings, but Columbus managed to scratch out a win against Birmingham on Friday.

Herick Hernandez got the start and it was another discouraging outing from the lefty as he again failed to make it beyond three innings for the second straight start. The main issue, as it always has been with Hernandez, has been his inability to throw strikes and when he does hit the zone, it’s often up which leaves him vulnerable to get knocked around.

Hernandez’ overall numbers are solid as he’s carrying a 2.84 ERA on the season. But the current trajectory he is on is worrisome and hopefully it’s just a blip on his radar and he can get his control taken care of.

At the plate, Columbus did just enough to get the job done.

David McCabe laced an RBI-single to put the Clingstones on the board in the first inning and the game went back-and-forth from that point forward.

However, the Clingstones got a significant boost from Jordan Groshans who, in the top of the ninth while trailing 3-2 with two outs, took a 1-0 pitch and crushed it over the left field wall to send the game into extra innings. It was Groshans’ fourth homer of the season for Columbus.

Shay Schanaman came on in relief and tossed two innings of scoreless ball to keep Columbus in the game in the eighth and to send the game to the tenth as well. Schanaman struck out three while giving up just one walk in his two frames of work.

In the top of the tenth, Columbus capitalized on a Birmingham mistake, as Ambioris Tavarez — who came on to pinch-run — scampered home on a wild pitch to give the Clingstones a 4-3 lead. Tristin English later came around to score on an RBI-single off the bat of Cal Conley to provide an insurance run and extend the lead to 5-3.

Elison Joseph was called upon to get the save and did so despite giving up a hit and issuing a walk.

(9-10) Rome Emperors 11, (12-7) Greensboro Grasshoppers 3

• Dixon Williams, 1B: 2-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R
• Eric Hartman, DH: 1-3, R, 2 BB
• John Gil, SS: 1-4, RBI, R
• Colin Daniel, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 K

Box Score

The Emperors got back in the win column following a loss on Thursday, as Colin Daniel spun six innings of three-run ball while getting a massive night at the dish from 2025 draftee Dixon Williams.

Across his six innings of work, Daniel limited Greensboro to three runs on five hits while striking out five. The best news is that he did not issue a single walk on the night. He also managed to get 18 swings and misses on the night, which was good for second-best across all high-A performances on Friday based on when this recap was written.

In four starts this season, Daniel has sort of been a middle of the pack type of starter. His stuff hasn’t exactly been overwhelming and he’s given up his fair share of homers — four to be exact — but he has somehow managed to put up somewhat decent numbers.

At the plate, it was the Dixon Williams show who homered not once, but twice to pace Rome’s offense. It was Williams’ first (and second) homers of the season, as he works his way to full speed after starting the season on the injured list.

The first of Williams’ homers came on an inside-the-park shot with two outs in the top of the first that bounced off the right center field wall and he beat the throw home to score. What is ironic is that his second homer, which came with two runners on in the top of the fourth inning, managed to go over the wall in almost the same exact spot his inside-the-park shot hit off the wall.

In five games for Rome thus far, Williams has posted an OPS of 1.054 while striking out six times and walking four.

In other offensive news, while it wasn’t his typical three-homer night performance, Eric Hartman had a decent night at the plate as he went 1-3 with a run scored and a pair of walks to his credit. John Gil also drove in a run and later came around to score as he finished 1-4 on Friday.

(11-8) Augusta GreenJackets 11, (10-9) Columbia Fireflies 10

• Tanner Smith, C: 2-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, R, BB
• Tate Southisene, 2B: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
• Alex Lodise, SS: 2-6, 2 R
• Luis Guanipa, CF: 2-5, RBI, R, 2 SB
• Ethan Bagwell, SP: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K

Box Score

When your starting pitcher gives up six runs in just 4.1 innings of work and a reliever gives up another four runs, you can pretty much chalk it up as a loss almost every time.

The key word in the previous sentence is: almost.

That was not the case for Augusta, as the GreenJackets rode an 11-run, 12-hit performance on Friday to an exciting victory where Tate Southisene got the opportunity to play hero and he did so with swagger.

Getting the start was Ethan Bagwell who simply did not have his best stuff. In 4.1 innings, Bagwell struggled by giving up six runs (five earned) on five hits, while walking four and striking out four. It was Bagwell’s shortest outing of the season, and the third consecutive in which he has given up two or more earned runs after his stellar six-inning shutout to open his season on April 3.

As mentioned, thankfully the Augusta offense showed up and showed out after scoring just three total runs in the previous two games.

Southisene got the party started for Augusta — and he would ironically end it later in the game — by drawing a leadoff walk in the first at-bat of the game and proceeded to swipe second for his 13th stolen base of the season. Southisene later came around to score on an RBI-single off the bate of Luis Guanipa who eventually stole his 11th and 12th bases of the year as well.

From that point forward, there were a total of seven lead changes between Augusta and Columbia throughout the remainder of the game.

The biggest breakthrough of the night came in the top of the ninth inning.

Trailing 10-8, Southisene came to the plate with two outs, the bases loaded and on a 1-0 count, the 2025 first round draft pick took a fastball to the opposite field, lacing it over the right fielders head to unload the bases and give the GreenJackets the 11-10 lead.

Despite the late-inning heroics from Southisene, the GreenJackets would need a bit more to go their way in the final half-inning.

With two runners in scoring position — and the tying run just 90 feet away — Luis Guanipa fielded a pop out into shallow centerfield for the second out, but proceeded to fire the ball home which was in time to get the tagging runner for the final out of the inning and the game.

Catcher Tanner Smith had a tremendous night at the plate as well, as the former University of Miami backstop hit a home run and a double, driving in a whopping four runs on the night. He also drew a walk on Friday and managed to raise his season OPS to .936 while batting .293 for Augusta through eight games.

Southisene’s night extends his hitting streak to six games, while also increasing his season OPS to .951. It is an incredibly encouraging start to the year for Southisene who has shown an improved zone recognition and increased raw power as well early on this season.

The Yankees won their seventh straight game on Friday, demolishing the Astros to the tune of 12-4 thanks to the entirety of their infield hitting home runs. The win came with a cost, as Giancarlo Stanton left in the sixth inning after appearing to aggravate something in his leg while running the bases, but the prospect of a Stanton IL stint in any season is more of an inevitability rather than a possibility at this point. Hopefully it’s nothing major and he’ll be back after a short recovery period, but the Yankees will have to press on in the meantime.

Thanks to their success on the diamond though, the rest of the field is once again pressured to play catch up. With one rival covered by their own play, how did the rest fare?

Baltimore Orioles (13-13) 10, Boston Red Sox (9-17) 3

The Red Sox are reeling, and after getting swept by New York they took another gut punch as they traveled down to Baltimore. The Orioles greeted Brayan Bello with a barrage of hits, totaling 13 against Boston’s starter and scoring eight runs in just 3.1 innings, and five of those hits left the yard. The fireworks started right away with Gunnar Henderson leading off and pulling one 410 feet, and Adley Rutschman followed suit with a two-run shot to right. Pete Alonso flew out for the first out of the inning, but Dylan Beavers launched the third homer of the frame to make it 4-0 in a hurry.

Wilyer Abreu got one back with a solo shot in the second, but a Rutschman grounder restored the four-run lead in the bottom half. Then in the third, Samuel Basallo became the fourth Oriole to take flight with a solo shot, and in the fourth Rutschman capped off the scoring against Bello with — surprise — another homer, and yet another two-run blast. The home team was quite literally firing off more fireworks than they could’ve expected, as they had a display set up for each bomb they hit on the night, and they didn’t end up prepared for how well they’d do.

The physical fireworks may have run out, but the bats didn’t. Coby Mayo made it six homers for the birds with a leadoff shot in the fifth, and Rutschman concluded his six-RBI night with a base hit to score one in the seventh. The eighth inning was uneventful for a change, one of just two innings where the Orioles didn’t score all game, but it hardly mattered by that point. The Red Sox had no answer for the onslaught, dropping their fourth straight game and six of their last seven.

Cleveland Guardians (15-12) 8, Toronto Blue Jays (10-15) 6

It was apparently en vogue for AL East rivals to go down a bunch of runs early on Friday, because the Jays followed suit in their matchup with Cleveland. The Guardians put up a five-spot in the first inning, starting off strong with a Daniel Schneeman leadoff blast. The Jays managed to get to two outs without surrendering any more runs, but George Valera made it 3-0 with a two-run double and Angel Martínez launched a two-run shot to keep the rally going.

Toronto clawed a good portion of that back quickly though, getting two runs in the bottom of the first with Jesús Sánchez hitting a solo homer before Kazuma Okamoto hit one of his own in the second. Martínez struck again in the third, however, clubbing another two-run shot to give Cleveland the eventual game-winning runs. It didn’t stay a laugher though, as the Jays continued to close the gap with runs in the fifth and sixth innings to make it 8-6. Then in the ninth, the first two batters managed to get aboard to bring the winning run to the plate. Unfortunately for Toronto, that batter was a pinch-hitter in Eloy Jiménez who promptly hit into a double play to effectively kill their chances at a walk-off. Davis Schneider popped up to officially end it a batter later, dropping Toronto back to five games under .500.

Other Games

Tampa Bay Rays (14-11) 6, Minnesota Twins (12-14) 2: The Rays managed to buck the trend of the rest of the division, instead steadily building their lead throughout the game. Junior Caminero started them off with a solo shot in the first inning, and Nick Fortes led off the third with a double and came around to score on a groundout to make it 2-0. The fourth inning saw Jonathan Aranda add to the mix with a home run, and while the Twins finally got on the board with a Brooks Lee solo homer in the fifth the Rays got it right back with another Aranda blast in the sixth. Caminero put up the only crooked number of the game with a two-run homer in the seventh inning to ice it, as the Twins managed only a garbage time Royce Lewis solo homer in the ninth.

Cincinnati Reds (17-9) 9, Detroit Tigers (14-13) 8: The Tigers are clawing their way back from an early slump, but they ran into a barnburner in this one against a very good Cincy squad. Detroit jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the fourth inning thanks to homers from Riley Greene and Javier Báez, but the script flipped starting in the fifth inning. Matt McLain hit a two-run shot to get the Reds on the board, Nathaniel Lowe hit a solo shot in the sixth to cut the lead down to 5-3, and then LcLain hit another homer in the seventh to tie it. Lowe later reached on an error that scored a run to put Cincinnati ahead, and Tyler Stephenson hit an RBI double to push them ahead 7-5.

That wasn’t the end of things, though. Detroit answered back in the eighth, with Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter hitting home runs to take the lead back and go up 8-7. Then in the ninth, Cincinnati went down to their last out before getting the tying run aboard and brought Lowe to the plate as the winning run. Lowe delivered, launching the walk-off homer to keep the Reds tied for the best record in baseball.

Athletics (14-12) 8, Texas Rangers (13-13) 1: The A’s continue to hold onto the AL West lead with an outburst against the Rangers, scoring all eight of their runs on five home runs including three in the first inning. Carlos Cortes got a hold of two of them, joining in the initial derby in the first before providing a three-run shot in the fifth inning. That was plenty enough for old friend Luis Severino, who pitched 6.2 innings of one-run ball and handed it off to the Athletics ‘pen for a scoreless end to the blowout.

Seattle Mariners (12-15) 3, St. Louis Cardinals (14-11) 2: The Cardinals outhit the Mariners eight to four in this game, but the only offense St. Louis could capitalize on came in the fourth inning when Masyn Winn hit a two-run single. Seattle, on the other hand, managed to find three opportunities to score despite the meager contact: Randy Arozarena doubled in the second and scored on a Cole Young single, Josh Naylor walked and later scored on a Dominic Canzone single in the fourth, and Naylor homered into the Cardinal bullpen in the sixth.

Although a rain drop has not fallen yet, the Mets and Rockies postponed today’s game in anticipation of poor weather. The game will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader tomorrow, starting at 1:40pm.

In the modern age, rainouts are complicated by a variety of features, including giveaways and themed nights. And so, both the Queens Culture Day and the Mr. Met at the Unisphere Light-Up Bobblehead giveaway will both be moved to other dates to be announced. Additionally, a ticket to today’s game will not be valid for tomorrow’s doubleheader. I’lll let the official Mets’ press release explain:

Fans currently holding a paid ticket in their account valid for entry to today’s game will receive a digital voucher loaded into their My Mets Tickets account (accessed by clicking the Vouchers tab) and will be accessible tomorrow morning. Digital ticket vouchers can be exchanged for a ticket comparable in price and location to select Mets 2026 regular season home games at Citi Field including Sunday’s doubleheader (exclusions apply*), subject to availability. 

Ticket holders for today’s game with a prepaid parking pass will automatically receive a digital parking voucher. Digital parking vouchers can be accessed via My Mets Tickets and are redeemable for prepaid parking for select Mets 2026 regular season home games at Citi Field (exclusions apply*), subject to availability. 

Ticket and parking exchanges for eligible games through June are available now. Exchanges for eligible games in July-September will be available when tickets go on sale to the public at a later date. Fans can view eligible games by logging into their My Mets Tickets account to redeem their vouchers. 

Complimentary tickets to today’s game and those marked “NO RAINCHECK” have no value and do not constitute a rain check.

*Dates excluded from exchanges are May 15-17 vs. Yankees, July 24-26 vs. Dodgers, August 1 vs. Miami (1986 World Series Reunion & Celebration) & September 19 vs. Philadelphia (Carlos Beltrán Mets HOF Induction & Number Retirement); additional blackout dates may apply.

Today’s pitching matchup was supposed to be Kodai Senga against old friend Jose Quintana. Presumably, they will pitch in one of the games tomorrow.

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It’s another busy slate across the Major Leagues for Saturday, April 25.

My MLB player props home run analysis will include Tyler O’Neill, Randy Arozarena, and Yordan Alvarez.

Read more for my MLB picks for Saturday, April 25. 

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Tyler O'Neill	+490
Randy Arozarena	+440
Yordan Alvarez	+290
💲Today's HR parlay	+11272

Tyler O'Neill (+440)

Tyler O’Neill isn’t having the best campaign so far, hitting just .241 with one home run. However, it’s well known that the slugger has big-time power, and he can go deep at any given moment. He’ll face his former team today in the Boston Red Sox, with Garret Crochet on the mound.

Crochet has struggled. He owns a horrible 7.88 ERA through five starts, allowing five bombs in the process. Three of them have come on the road, and the Red Sox visit the Baltimore Orioles. O’Neill is 1-for-5 lifetime off the lefty with a homer. His only long ball this year was at Camden Yards as well.

• Time: 12:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN

Randy Arozarena (+440)

Randy Arozarena is also getting to face his ex-team today, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Seattle Mariners star will see another struggling lefty on the hill in Matthew Liberatore. He’s already given up five home runs, and opponents are hitting .269.

Arozarena is 2-for-5 lifetime against him with a home run, and he’s 3-for-7 across his last two games with a pair of doubles. Arozarena is also batting .364 against left-handed pitchers, and .314 on the road. Liberatore has allowed three homers at Busch Stadium.

• Time: 2:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Mariners.TV

Yordan Alvarez (+290)

Yordan Alvarez sits atop the big leagues in home runs with 11, and he’s also first in hits (35) and average (.357). The slugger is raking, going 7-for-12 across his last three contests. He’s left the yard four times across his previous seven appearances as well.

The Houston Astros star faces Ryan Weathers of the New York Yankees tonight. While he’s never faced him before, Weathers has surrendered four bombs in five outings. Alvarez also destroys lefties, hitting .424 with five home runs.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: YES Network

Today’s HR parlay

Tyler O'Neill	Bet Now +11272
Randy Arozarena
Yordan Alvarez

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Chicago Cubs are riding a 10-game winning streak as they take on the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. The teams have identical 17-9 records after the Cubs won Friday’s series opener. Scheduled starting pitchers are Colin Rea for the Cubs, with a 3.00 ERA, and Roki Sasaki for the Dodgers, with a 6.11 ERA.

How to watch Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

• Date: Saturday, April 25

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET / 4:15 p.m. PT

• Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

• TV Channels: FOX

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Chicago Cubs: 17-9 (No. 1 in NL Central)

• Los Angeles Dodgers: 17-9 (No. 2 in NL West)

Odds

• Spread: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5

• Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers -150 (57.4%) / Chicago Cubs +125 (42.6%)

• Over/Under: 9.5

Starting pitchers

Chicago Cubs: Colin Rea (3-0, ERA: 3.00, K: 20, WHIP: 1.04)
Los Angeles Dodgers: Roki Sasaki (0-2, ERA: 6.11, K: 17, WHIP: 1.87)

Weather: 64°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 56,000 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

The San Diego Padres had a happy flight from Denver to Mexico City after Gavin Sheets hit a three-run home run to cap a five-run ninth inning for the Padres against the Colorado Rockies, which resulted in a 10-8 win. San Diego took those positive vibes to Mexico City where they will play two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks and got out in the community to meet with and give back to the community. It was not a bad way for the Padres to spend their off-day and although they were baseball players who were in Mexico on a business trip, they took time to unwind and give back.

Padres News:

• Fernando Valenzuela was a beloved pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers long before he pitched for San Diego. AJ Cassavell of Padres.com takes a look back at what it was like for Valenzuela when the Padres visited Monterrey, Mexico in 1996.

• Nick Castellanos is learning a new team, a new position and a new role within the team after joining the Padres following his release from the Philadelphia Phillies.

• The San Diego minor-league system took some blows this offseason and the baseball pundits would have Padres fans believe the system is talentless and doomed to years of mediocrity. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball relives the week that was in the Padres pitchers.

• Padres prospect Kale Fountain will miss some time after his recent addition to the injured list.

Baseball News:

• The Chicago Cubs kept their win streak alive thanks to some late inning heroics from Dansby Swanson.

• MLB and Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin hit his first home run if the season. In the same game, Pittsburgh starter Paul Skenes flirted with a no-hitter, but it was unable to complete the task without surrender

• Munetaka Murakami has found his power stroke with the Chicago White Sox, and he does not appear to be slowing down, adding another home run to his season totals.

• The Baltimore Orioles recorded 2o hits, six of which were home runs, en route to a win over the Boston Red Sox.

• The New York Yankees pushed their win streak to seven games with a win over the Houston Astros.

• The Phillies dropped their 10th consecutive game with a road loss to the Atlanta Braves.

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The Boston Red Sox got thumped in their series opener Friday against the Orioles, stretching their losing streak to four games.

The Orioles look to make it two series wins in a row, and they’re slight home favorites for this Saturday matinee.

My Red Sox vs. Orioles prediction and free MLB picks has the home team extending the Red Sox’s misery for another game on April 25.

Who will win Red Sox vs Orioles today: Orioles moneyline (-104)

The Baltimore Orioles have ripped off wins in three of its last four, and it’s the offense that’s been pulling the strings.

In each of the O’s last three wins, they’ve scored at least seven runs, including a 10-3 pounding of the Boston Red Sox on Friday, going yard six times.

The hot bats get Boston’s struggling lefty Garrett Crochet, who has last two straight starts, giving up 16 hits, four home runs and 15 earned runs in 6+ innings of work.

Baltimore’s Trevor Rogers is struggling himself, but he did own Boston in two starts last year, surrendering just one earned run and striking out 12 in 13.1 innings of work.

COVERS INTEL:Adley Rutschman has been on fire after just returning from the injured list, going 5-for-9 with three HR and eight RBI. He’s in great shape to improve his 1-for-6 line against Crochet.

Red Sox vs Orioles Over/Under pick: Over 8.0 runs (-105)

Friday’s 10-3 Baltimore win broke the streak of five straight Unders in this head-to-head.

But this trend might just continue, considering how much both pitchers have gotten touched up in recent starts.

Rogers has been tagged in two straight starts, giving up five earned runs in an 8-4 loss to the Guardians, a game after getting tagged for four runs and getting chased in 4 2/3 vs Arizona.

These were two middle-of-the-pack offenses, which is encouraging for the BoSox, one of only five MLB teams yet to crack 100 runs scored on the season.

Baltimore will do more of the heavy lifting, but the Red Sox pushing some runs in will help.

Red Sox vs Orioles odds

• Moneyline: Boston -100 | Baltimore -104
• Run line: Boston -1.5 (+170) | Baltimore +1.5 (-178)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+117) | Under 8.5 (-122)

Red Sox vs Orioles trend

Boston has just three wins in its last 11 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Orioles.

How to watch Red Sox vs Orioles and game info

Red Sox vs Orioles latest injuries

Red Sox vs Orioles weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

I think 20 hits and six home runs against says it all. Thank you, next.

Studs

Wilyer Abreu (2-for-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI)

You go down 4-0 after a single frame, what would you hope happens? A home run in the top of the 2nd could have been just what this team needed to turn things around. Maybe last year’s team would have taken advantage.

Duds

Everyone Else

The only reason Brayan Bello isn’t in the bullpen or frankly in AAA is because there’s no Sonny Gray or Johan Oviedo. Even at that point, I’d rather have Payton Tolle take Bello’s spot at this point. Caleb Durbin may be the worst hitter in baseball. Jarren Duran still looks absolutely lost. This team has absolutely no spark. Frankly, I’m thinking this isn’t just a firing Pete Fatse solution, as much as that’s the first course of action bar none.

Play of the Game

Doubles are cool.

This was the major realization I came to half asleep on my couch after the Marlins offense recorded their third lead-off double in as many innings off of Giants starter Adrian Houser.

In my groggy state, I continued to muse. Is it better to hit a lead-off double than a lead-off home run?

A dumb question in one sense with a simple answer: in a game of preventing runs, one swing equals a run, one swing does not. I’m sure many arms would take the second chance of preventing a run. But with some flips, stretches, and somersaults of mental gymnastics, it can be like the solo shot never happened. There is no evidence of it left on the base paths. The pitcher can just go back into his wind-up and start again, start over.

The presence of the double, however, lingers. The double changes behavior. The pitcher has to throw from the stretch to keep an eye on the runner lurking behind him. The middle infield defense gets pulled out of shape to manage the runner’s lead, creating less-than-ideal gaps in their alignment, perhaps making a less loud but just as effective hit more likely. A slow roller slapped through the 5.5 hole, good for an RBI single, then starting the whole rigamarole over again: another hitter becoming a runner, meaning more stress for the pitcher, dividing their attention. 

Would Adrian Houser have preferred Jakob Marsee’s 107 MPH double in the 1st to have cleared the wall in right? Trading the one run and a chance to restart rather than the eventual three runs to come around as well as the stress of managing the running game, of pitching for consecutive strikeouts. Houser was so close, one out away from stranding Marsee at third. He fanned Kyle Stowers on three pitches. Otto Lopez got beat by a hanging slider for another strikeout. 

But as the inning dragged on and the pitch count grew, Houser’s location around the zone got wonky. He fell behind 3-1 to a dangerous hitter in Xavier Edwards. Then he overcorrected and grooved a four-seam fastball right down the middle that Edwards turned on easily for an RBI double. A double that rescued the inning for the Miami offense, broke the seal on the scoring, and really won Miami the game. Five pitches later, the hot-hitting Liam Hicks punched a 2-run shot over the bricks in right.    

A double might be my favorite hit in baseball — at least that’s what I decided as I watched from the couch as Edwards’s low liner short-hopped the right field wall. I like seeing a batter leave the box and know they have to become a runner. I like that brief moment when watching on television you see the ball leave the bat and shoot out of frame. You see through the hitter’s eyes. They get wide, calculating, and you know that wherever it lands, tucked along the foul line and burying itself in the corner or splitting the outfield defense in the gap, that it’s going to be trouble. 

It must feel so good to hit a double.

The Giants doubled their hit total from their previous game against Tyler Glasnow within the first three hitters on Friday night. That was nice, but they just couldn’t figure out a way to make it mean something. Rubbing two sticks together supposedly makes fire. Two hits rubbed together supposedly make a run too. Just not when the Giants do it. The two singles off the bat of Luis Arraez and Matt Chapman made smoke, but no flame. 

The secret: doubles help. Double plays don’t. Don’t be fooled: double plays are not doubles.  

Have the Giants ever hit a double?

I legitimately wondered this after the first inning. I understand that individual players who wear Giants uniforms have hit a double in their career, but like…when? 

Going into the game the Marlins and Giants were actually tied with 40 doubles total in their first 25 games. Fangraphs team leaderboard said that — but I didn’t believe that. 40? That seemed really high. And tied with the Marlins? After Friday night’s first inning, not anymore.

Then the number continued to get more outdated. The Marlins doubled four times in the first three frames. Three of those doubles led-off innings, and all of those doubles eventually scored. In the 4th, when the lead-off man didn’t double, he still reached second with nobody out, and he still scored.   

Doubles aren’t everything though. Patrick Bailey didn’t hit a double last Wednesday. He hit a home run. That’s a double double. Unfortunately the Marlins did that too. Hicks in the 1st, and then number-9 hitter Connor Norby launched a 3-run double double in the 4th. That’s two times. Double double doubles. 

How come the Giants can’t do that? How come they can’t hit doubles and double-doubles that ring out across the stadium like a lonely toll of a church bell, like a hammer hitting a nail into a coffin? Rafael Devers hit a double on Wednesday, but that was Wednesday. And it didn’t even score a run. It didn’t ring out or announce anything or intimidate. It didn’t mean something. 

Casey Schmitt and Heliot Ramos both had a double last Sunday in Washington, but the Giants got shutout in that game, so they didn’t mean anything either. Schmitt and Ramos did double in the 2nd and 3rd innings in their 7-6 win last Saturday. Going back through the records, it appears that these doubles, did in fact, contribute to a couple of runs. So to answer my previous question, that was the last time the Giants hit a double, a real one. 

All this double talk, and they manifested. Heliot Ramos yanked a one-out double in the 5th off Miami starter Sandy Alcantara. And Eric Haase with another double, scored Drew Gilbert from first after his RBI single. Arraez then cashed in Haase with a 0-2, 2-out slap to the opposite field. That was rubbing sticks together!  That was the arithmetic that was missing: A pair of doubles plus a pair of half-doubles equals three runs. 

But were those real doubles? Like an Xavier Edwards double? A double that means trouble?

Their timing was way off. Already down 8-runs — the long-awaited doubles didn’t do much to change the tone of the game. Better to have them than not, sure. There was potential and opportunity in those three runs, each one of them essential in constructing a comeback, in building momentum — but momentum can’t stop, it needs to keep building. Those “comeback runs” lose their value as “comeback runs” the moment the opponent takes back those runs. The Marlins did that. They did that with a two-out double, another half-double, off of JT Brubaker the very next frame. There was hope in an 8-3 deficit. Only confirmation of defeat in a 9-3 deficit. 

Overall, the Marlins lined six doubles in the game and eight total extra base hits. They collected 11 hits in total, producing eight earned runs in the first four innings, inflating Adrian Houser’s ERA nearly two points, from 5.40 to 7.36. In five starts, the right hander has pitched through the 6th inning once, and surrendered at least 4 earned runs in four outings. 

Lee recorded his second homer of the year. The solo shot in the 8th ended up in the Cove but didn’t clear the railing on the walkway below to count as an official splash hit. Both Arraez and Lee had three hits apiece. They’ve been doing their job in the box, but their job just doesn’t add up to much without contributions from Adames and Devers and Chapman, who went 1-for-13 on Friday night. Devers has yet to get hot. Adames has been in a nose-dive for awhile now. Both seem to be perpetually in an 0-2 count and have little feel for the zone. Of the three, Chapman has the highest OPS at .703. 

Singles need doubles.