NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Austin Warren #44 of the New York Mets reacts after throwing three straight strikeouts in the ninth inning during the game between the Minnesota Twins and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Evan Yu/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Yesterday’s game between the Mets and Rockies at Citi Field was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader today with first pitch of Game 1 scheduled for 1:40pm ET. Nolan McLean will pitch the first game and Kodai Senga, yesterday’s scheduled starter, will pitch Game 2.
Reliever Austin Warren will be serving as the Mets’ 27th man for today’s doubleheader.
Given the Mets’ starting pitching depth, the leash can’t be that long for Kodai Senga, writes Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post.
Around the National League East
The Phillies rallied to beat the Braves 8-5 in ten innings to snap a ten-game losing streak. Zack Wheeler made his return from surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome for Philadelphia and the results were encouraging for the Phillies; he allowed two runs on three hits, striking out six in five innings of work. The Braves took a one-run lead in the sixth, but Philadelphia tied it in the eighth and put up a four-run tenth against the Braves’ bullpen, who wasted a strong effort from Bryce Elder. Bryce Harper’s go-ahead single was the decisive hit for the Phillies.
Former manager Brian Snitker was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame prior to the game against the Phillies at Truist Park. He was surprised by his son—Mets hitting coach Troy Snitker—who was able to catch a flight to Atlanta to make the ceremony after the Mets’ game was postponed.
The Nationals beat the White Sox 6-3 also in extras thanks to a four-run tenth. Two Nationals pitchers also combined for the rare four-strikeout inning.
The Marlins fell to the Giants 6-2, as Eury Pérez took the loss for allowing four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Around Major League Baseball
After a disappointing 10-17 start, the Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and five members of his coaching staff yesterday in a massive, stunning shakeup.
Yesterday marked the 50-year anniversary of the day two protestors attempted to burn an American flag on the field at Dodger Stadium. Rick Monday, then an outfielder for the Cubs, grabbed the flag from them. The flag, which Monday still owns, will be on loan to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown this summer as part of America’s 250th birthday celebration.
Reds DH Eugenio Suárez was placed on the injured list yesterday with an oblique strain.
The Padres beat the Diamondbacks 6-4 to open the Mexico City Series. With a scoreless inning to close things out, Mason Miller set the record for longest scoreless streak in Padres history.
The Dodgers walloped the Cubs 12-4 to snap Chicago’s MLB-best 10-game winning streak.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
On a new episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series, Brian Salvatore and Chris McShane breathe a sigh of relief that the Mets managed to win a couple of games, but remain concerned about the state of the team, especially with the injury to Francisco Lindor.
This Date in Mets History
Two iconic Mets—Keith Hernandez and Mike Piazza—reached career milestones on April 26: 1,000 RBIs for Keith in 1988 and 400 home runs for Piazza.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 23: Artturi Lehkonen #62 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates his goal with teammates against the Los Angeles Kings in Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 23, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche have battled through three tightly contested games thus far in their first round series, emerging victorious despite, among other things, the stifling defensive tactics employed by the Los Angeles Kings.
With a victory today, the Avalanche can be the first team in the Western Conference to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
1 Colorado Avalanche (3-0)
The Opponent: 2WC Los Angeles Kings (0-3)
Time: 2:30 P.M. MDT/4:30 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT + (Avalanche Broadcast Area), FDSNSC (Kings Broadcast Area), HBO Max, TNT, truTV (US National Broadcast), SN360, SNP, SNW, SN+, TVAS2, TVAS+ (Canadian National Broadcast)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
Scoring had been hard to come by for the Avalanche in the first two games against Los Angeles, with their first goals not coming until the second and third period, respectively. Game Three was a different story, as a shot from Gabe Landeskog ricocheted off the end boards before bouncing off the skate of goaltender Anton Forsberg early in the first period to give the Avs the lead. Los Angeles would tie the game with a bounce of their own off Trevor Moore in the second period, but Cale Makar’s first goal of the playoffs restored the lead. A shorthanded goal from Artturi Lehkonen would give the Avs some breathing room in the third, but a power play goal for Los Angeles would make things interesting late. Brock Nelson would cap off the night with an empty net goal to secure a 3-0 series lead to wrap up a game that featured more end to end action for both teams. Scott Wedgewood stopped twenty-four of twenty-six shots for his third consecutive playoff win.
Despite Game Three being more wide open, it still featured plenty of physical play throughout. After a hard hit from Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson into the boards at the Los Angeles bench late in the first period, Josh Manson would play sparsely in the second period before missing the remainder of the game. Head coach Jared Bednar said yesterday that Manson was “sore” and “unlikely” to be in the lineup for today’s game. When pressed for a further opinion on Manson’s status yesterday, he said, “We don’t know how long he’s going to be [unavailable] yet, so it’s hard to say. […] I won’t have a timeline. I don’t have a timeline. We’ll just take it day by day, and see how he’s feeling, and go from there.”
Manson’s absence opens the door for Nick Blankenburg to step into the lineup for the first postseason appearance of his career. While Blankenburg is certainly capable of physical defensive play in his own right, it would be a pretty tall task to elevate his physicality to that of playoff Manson having never skated in playoff situations before. “We need him to be solid defensively,” Bednar explained. “He’s perfectly capable of coming into our system and being a responsible, defensive player and helping us move the puck out of the zone and into the offensive zone—what we expect from all of our D—anything he can add beyond that is a bonus. […] I feel good about the option we have in [Blankenburg] coming into the lineup and being able to help us. It’s why I’m glad we got him a bunch of games down the stretch. It hasn’t been that long [since he’s played], so he’s been in all the meetings, and he should be in tune with what we’re trying to do here for Game Four.”
Game Three also marked the return of Ross Colton to the Avalanche lineup. When asked about what he’s looking for out of Colton, Bednar said, “Hungry game from [Colton], I felt. Committed, played with great urgency and determination in the game, made his presence felt on the forecheck, and created a couple of really dangerous scoring chances for himself, for his linemates. He added an element of physicality and speed to our game, so I was happy with his game. Again, it is really hard to create offense, but he did a nice job in his time to help us do that, and help the second line.”
It should be noted that Colton had 8:22 of ice time in Game Three, the lowest total ice time among all forwards. Jack Drury (9:26) and Parker Kelly (9:31) were the only other forwards that had fewer than ten minutes of total ice time in Game Three.
The Avs had an extra day of rest coming into today’s game, which could provide some extra spark for them to utilize their speed to help create more offensive opportunities. As has been the case throughout the series, those opportunities won’t come easy, and with Los Angeles on the brink of elimination, they will throw everything they can at the Avs to slow down them down as much as possible. Elimination games are difficult to win, and the Avs have not closed out an opponent to advance in the postseason since eliminating the Winnipeg Jets in the first round back in 2024. A win today would give the Avs some valuable rest before the start of the second round, especially since their next playoff opponent in either Dallas or Minnesota will now be forced to play no fewer than six games in their first round series.
Coming into today’s game, both Landeskog and Lehkonen share the team lead in scoring at two goals apeice, while Lehkonen leads the team in playoff points with three. While there might be some concern in the lack of production from the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Nečas, which had been a staple for the Avs during the regular season, the Avs have also returned the favor on the defensive side of their game as well, having limited the Kings to four total goals across three games. When addressing the media yesterday on his opinion on the low offensive output to this point in the series, Nečas said, “It would be a different story if we’re not scoring much and maybe down 2-1 or something like that, but being 3-nothing up, with not scoring many goals, I think we’re pretty comfortable, and it honestly feels almost better.”
Given Wedgewood’s solid performance in this series, expect him to start in goal today as he looks to earn his first playoff series win.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Parker Kelly – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Gabe Landeskog – Nazem Kadri – Nicolas Roy Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Defense: Cale Makar – Devon Toews Brett Kulak – Sam Malinksi Nick Blankenburg – Brent Burns
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood
Los Angeles Kings
What do you do if you’re the Los Angeles Kings coming into today’s game? The League’s most potent offense, featuring the current Rocket Richard winner in Nathan MacKinnon—who hasn’t scored a goal during this postseason—has been held to eight total goals. The power play has found success in three straight games. The penalty kill has been flawless. Anton Forsberg has been solid. Artemi Panarin has been the primary driver on offense, which is what General Manager Ken Holland was banking on when he made the trade for him.
The ingredients for playoff success are there, and what’s been the end result? An elimination game scenario on your own ice after three consecutive losses to start the postseason.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs giveth, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs taketh away.
Despite the defense limiting Colorado’s high-powered offense to this point in the series, Colorado’s defense has returned the favor in spades. Los Angeles has only led for a total of 3:21 throughout the entire series. That primary offensive driver in Panarin scored power play goals in both Game One and Game Two, but was limited to a single assist in Game Three. Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore have one goal each. Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere have registered only two assists. That same power play gave up a shorthanded goal late in Game Three, which proved to be the game-winner.
In addressing the media yesterday, head coach D.J. Smith said, “We just got to play our best game one time, and then we’ll worry about the next game, but we have to find a way to score more while playing the exact same defense. Is it hard? Yes. Are we going to give it everything we got? Yes. I think you’re going to see our best game of the series.”
For Smith’s roster, an unlucky bounce led to Forsberg kicking the puck into his own goal early in the first period, and with Forsberg on the bench for the empty net late in the third, a neutral zone turnover by Anže Kopitar flipped a potential game tying scenario into the final nail in the coffin and a 0-3 series deficit. While luck can hardly be accounted for in any situation, outcomes like that have the potential to make or break a series.
For Los Angeles, they face the latter. “I think the game plan is correct,” Smith said. “I just think that you want more results, and let’s see if we get them in Game Four, but there’s nothing to feel bad about. I think our team plays hard, I think we’re organized and we’re detailed. We just probably should at least have one win, and we’re probably feeling different, so I like everything everyone’s done.”
The phrase, “There is no tomorrow” holds even more significance ahead of today’s game. “Right now, we’ve got nothing to lose,” Kopitar said in comments to the media yesterday. “It’s focusing tomorrow on the start, having a good start, and just go from there. To think what’s going to happen in a couple of days, or four days or five days from now, there’s really no need for that. It’s just staying in the moment, go down there tomorrow, and play our asses off, and see where that takes us.”
When asked if he was prepared for Game Four to be his last game, Kopitar said, “I hope it’s not going to be [my last game]. Can you ever be emotionally prepared? Probably not, so we’ll see.”
Those sound like words of someone who, rather than playing like he has nothing to lose, feels exactly the opposite.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artemi Panarin – Anže Kopitar – Adrian Kempe Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere Joel Armia – Scott Laughton – Jared Wright Mathieu Joseph – Samuel Helenius – Jeff Malott
Defense: Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci
ST. LOUIS, MO - SEPTEMBER 17: Members of the St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff walk to the dugout prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ali Overstreet/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Like the rest of the NL Central, the St. Louis Cardinals have been at or above .500 for the majority of the season, but despite outperforming expectations, they find themselves in the middle of the way-too-early division race. Thanks to Jordan Walker, rookie JJ Wetherholt, and a new hero each win, the Cardinals have been able to hide the weakness on the field. Through the first 25 games of the year, St. Louis starting pitchers are checking in at 29th in the league by measure of fWAR and the underlying metrics show the alarming truth that they might actually be outperforming expectations so far in 2026.
As we all know, the point of this season was to serve as a fact-finding mission for most every piece on the major league roster. That involved bringing back everyone’s favorite 2025 term “runway” when talking about Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker on the offensive side, as well as including Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante in the rotation. So far, the Cardinals are batting .333 when looking at the early success of these four players. (I am classifying Leahy as an in-progress plate appearance since he is the one with the least amount of track record heading into the season as a starter). All four of them had the right to the first crack at playing time, especially factoring in that Chaim Bloom did not want to get into any 40-man funny business before the regular season got started.
Unfortunately, we have seen the Andre Pallante we saw for the majority of last season, a pitcher with a below-average fastball and inconsistent breaking stuff, which ends up with starts showing lack of command, lack of efficiency, or some combination of both. Positively, Pallante has already won more games than he won the entire second half last year, but he has yet to pitch more than five innings or allow less than six baserunners in any of his four starts. Leahy, on the other hand, has been more effective than Pallante when it comes to strikeouts and walks, but not by much, which is a bummer for a pitcher who had a mediocre 22% K-rate last year so he did not have much wiggle room for regression there, while also losing close to 2mph on his average fastball. The move to the rotation has also impacted his command, as the former reliever is walking hitters more often and allowing more hits and homers than he did out of the bullpen. In a season of fact-finding, the early returns are not pointing to positive data in the Cardinals rotation, potentially forcing more moves than anticipated for a rotation that seemed to be a point of solid, if unspectacular performances.
The Cardinals should utilize the Memphis Shuttle for more than just relievers
The Opening Day rotation featured Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Dustin May, Andre Pallante, and Kyle Leahy, which again simply seemed “fine” for this iteration of Cardinals baseball. However, the early struggles of Pallante and Leahy did not help when surrounded by a couple May blowups (the pitcher not the month), and McGreevy getting hit like the pitch-to-contact hurler he is. Staff number one Matthew Liberatore has also been simply okay thus far, but he is showing concerning command issues and losing his normal strikeout stuff and was hit hard in his start against the Mariners.. For those keeping score at home, that is closer to 0-for-5 than any of us were hoping for, especially with the Cardinals still managing to win ballgames.
The problem with this current rotation alignment is that each of these players should start games as long as they are healthy or unplayable, which is quite the standard to hit in a season where winning is not priority 1, 2, or 3. I truly hope none of the five incumbents get there, but I am also hoping that the need to find answers extends beyond the major league roster and trickles into Memphis for some of the arms that are close to St. Louis. Typically, we see the shuttle bus reserved for struggling or overused relievers, but I would be open to gassing that baby up to transport guys who can pitch more than an inning at a time and still give the team a chance to win. Of course, a difficulty of that is having MLB-ready talent sitting in Triple-A who also match up to schedule and rotation needs, which the Cardinals have not worried about yet thanks to having every Thursday off in April.
One such pitcher who, at times, looked to be the next man up when the rotation was ready was Richard Fitts, who flashed high-90s velocity during Spring and was the face of the revamp we were promised in the minors. However, the minor league injury bug struck yet again in Memphis and Fitts has since undergone season-ending shoulder surgery with the expectation of a full recovery in 2027. Now, Fitts joins a growing list of Cardinals’ prospects who have missed extended time due to injury despite the major league arms seemingly immune to health issues.
Add Packy Naughton and Richard Fitts to the list of minor league injuries. Is anyone worried about this becoming a trend after the #STLCards new shift towards power stuff? https://t.co/a594uvn1rm
A name left off the list but currently rehabbing is other offseason acquisition in Hunter Dobbins, who the Red Sox gave up in order to gain the services of Willson Contreras. Dobbins came to St. Louis already recovering from ACL surgery, but his inability to yet field his position in games limited his exposure to big league hitters during camp. Now, he is back on the mound on what the Cardinals are calling a rehab assignment, meaning the team will have to make a decision on his roster standing when the allotted rehab time is up. The latest news around the organization is that a six-man rotation could be an option to help the Cardinals work through a long stretch of games, and the expectation is that Dobbins will fill that role. The remaining question, then, is if this is just a short three-game audition, or if he is actually going to be up and competing to stick around at the end of the grueling 17-game run.
The current rotation has an interesting setup, with really only Matthew Liberatore and probably Michael McGreevy having the longest leash for the entire season, as Dustin May is likely to be traded after bouncing back well since a rough start, and Pallante and Leahy have to prove their value to stick. The only change for the latter would likely be a move to the bullpen, if anything, as Leahy is 29 years old with an established ability to fill the middle innings. Pallante would be an interesting discussion if any changes were to happen in his role. He broke in and proved himself as a reliever before saving the rotation after stretching out in 2024, but he has never shown dominance as a starter or out of the bullpen. He has an option remaining and becomes arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason, so if the Cardinals find a couple things he needs to work on, a move to Memphis could help. But, if he is closer to a finished product than a work in progress, keeping him in the bigs might be the only option in hopes he can build his value enough to be shipped at the Trade Deadline with May.
If a demotion, role change, or trade were to happen anywhere in the rotation, someone from Memphis will have to be ready. Assuming Dobbins gets first dibs at any vacancy, it is a wide-open competition for who would be the next man up. Former Pitcher of the Year Quinn Mathews has battled adversity since that 2024 season, regressing from a Top-100 prospect to a solid future as a rotation arm, but has been working through command issues. Those struggles continued in the start of the 2026 season, and even with his strikeout stuff getting back on track, these issues could prevent a promotion, even if an injury strikes.
The 2025 Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Cardinals, Brycen Mautz, also looked to be a candidate for a big-league spot, but he has simply been just “fine” outside of a 1.2 inning start where he allowed four homers and four walks in that shortened outing. He is on the 40-man roster and does not have the prospect pedigree of Mathews, so that could actually work in his favor if the Cardinals decide to “rush” Mautz to the bigs for a cameo or two.
Interestingly, and unfortunately, Memphis’ best starter so far has been 31-year-old journeyman Bruce Zimmerman who is putting up the best strikeout numbers of his career while with his fourth organization. Unlike the other lefties, he is not on the 40-man roster, so any move up to the St. Louis for Zimmerman would mean someone losing their spot on the 40-man, as well as on the big league roster. Then, if the Cardinals wanted to send Zimmerman back to the Redbirds, he would have to clear waivers due to being out of options.
I would be surprised if Bloom and Co decide to cycle through the roster outside of Dobbins (or whoever they choose) during the six-man rotation stint. I personally think that any roster changes would happen only due to injury or trade, as we all know that winning is not on the top of mind for the executives this season.
Would you like to see any changes in the current setup? Remember, demoting or trading someone means that someone else has to take their spot, so a simple “DFA Svanson” comment that is usually left for Twitter would not make sense here.
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 24: Andrew Miller #33 of the North Carolina Tar Heels pitches against the Oregon State Beavers during game one of the NCAA College World Series Baseball Championship at Rosenblatt Stadium on June 24, 2006 in Omaha, Nebraska. The Tar Heels defeated the Beavers 4-3. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We are now far enough into the college baseball season that we’re not that far away from starting to seriously start thinking about seeds and hosting for the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina is in pretty good position on that front, especially having won a series last weekend over Georgia Tech, with both teams ranked #2 and #3 by several polls. There’s still some season left and baseball can be a fairly random sport, but the Tar Heels look to be in position to be a national championship contender this year.
UNC baseball have yet to actually take home a national title, but they have come agonizingly close. Thinking about the chances of this year’s teams inevitably takes one back to past great Carolina baseball teams. After all, baseball in general is an excuse and an exercise in “remembering some guys.”
With that in mind, for today’s question of the day, I thought I’d simply ask: who is your favorite UNC baseball player of all time?
My personal answer is former Tar Heel pitcher Andrew Miller for a couple of reasons. One is that he was excellent playing at UNC. He was a member of one of those teams that came agonizingly close to a national title, as an important part of the 2006 Tar Heels. They made it all the way to the finals before losing to Oregon State in the championship series. That year, he was also one of the best individual players in the country, winning a host of awards, including Baseball America’s College Player of the Year.
That season and his career in Chapel Hill led to Miller getting drafted sixth overall in the 2006 MLB Draft, and it was his professional career that leads the other reason why I hold him so dear. From 2015-16, Miller played for my favorite MLB team: the New York Yankees. Over those two seasons, he was an absolutely lights out reliever for the team and also always seemed like a good guy in addition to a good pitcher.
As far as recent Tar Heels go, Vance Honeycutt was an electric player to watch when he was at Carolina. As of now, I would find it a little hard to root for him at the MLB level, as he would be a division rival of my Yankees with the Baltimore Orioles. I wish him personal success, just maybe not his team.
That’s my answer, but what about you? Who is your favorite ever UNC baseball player?
Apr 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) walks off the field against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The team’s Ace returned to the mound last night in Atlanta and had a solid season debut. Wheeler was coming back from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery and what to expect of him was something of a mystery. His velocity vacillated between good and concerning during his rehab starts, but on Saturday, he mostly maintained it in the 94-96 area.
Overall, what was the most encouraging thing you saw out of Wheeler? His control wasn’t pinpoint on the evening, but it was good enough. His secondary stuff was mostly good but with a few holes. It was a promising start to his season.
In the third, Miguel Amaya led off and was hit by a pitch. He took off for second on a wild pitch that bounced in front of the plate and was safe on a close play. One out later, Amaya scored on a single by Michael Busch [VIDEO].
Then the wheels fell off. Rea, who had thrown 73 pitches over the first three innings, allowed a one-out single and then a game-tying RBI double to Alex Freeland. Shohei Ohtani walked and then Freddie Freeman singled in Freeland to give the Dodgers the lead. About Rea’s evening, from BCB’s JohnW53:
Colin Rea gave up six hits and walked four. He was the first Cubs starter in eight games to allow double-digit runners and just the fourth this season. Edward Cabrera allowed 11 vs. the Pirates on April 11 and 10 vs. the Mets on April 17. Javier Assad surrendered 13 at Philadelphia on April 13.
Maybe Craig Counsell should have just lifted Rea after three innings and brought in Javier Assad to start a clean inning in the fourth. As it was, Assad walked the first hitter he faced, loading the bases. He got Kyle Tucker to pop up for the second out, but then the Dodgers smacked three straight singles off Assad, scoring four runs in all (two of which were charged to Rea). If you’ve lost count here, that’s a six-run inning and a five-run Dodgers lead.
The Cubs did have a chance to get back in this game in the sixth. Ian Happ led off with a walk. Then Suzuki singled and Sasaki was lifted for left-hander Jack Dreyer. Counsell left Ballesteros in to face the lefty and Moisés walked, loading the bases with nobody out.
But Dreyer struck out Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong and got Amaya to ground out, so the Cubs turned that opportunity into no runs at all, and then the Dodgers pushed four more runs across the plate. Assad started the sixth and, as was the case for Rea, maybe Counsell should have taken him out and started the inning with Vince Velasquez, who eventually entered after Assad had allowed the first four Dodgers to reach base, followed by two outs, the first of which scored a run. Eventually the Dodgers made it a four-run inning, the last of the runs scoring on a wild pitch by Velasquez.
And that, as they say, was that. The Cubs had just one baserunner after the seventh, Suzuki with a leadoff single in the eighth, but he was erased when Swanson hit into a double play. Props to Suzuki, who had three hits including his home run and is now batting .327/.439/.564 (18-for-55) in 15 games played since his return from the knee injury suffered in the World Baseball Classic.
This is just the third of the Cubs’ 27 games in which they have allowed at least eight runs. The first two were Opening Day, when they lost at home to the Nationals, 10-4, and the 13-7 shellacking on April 13 at Philadelphia. They had given up 100 runs in 26 games before this one — 3.85 per game.
Also, remarkably:
The 12 runs scored by the Dodgers tied for the most they have scored against the Cubs since moving to Los Angeles in 1958. This was the 368th game there between the teams. The Dodgers had scored 12 in four previous games at L.A., beating the Cubs by 12-6 in 1960, 12-5 in 1947, 12-3 in 1991 and 12-4 on April 24, 1998.
They scored more than 12 runs against the Cubs at Brooklyn in 10 games between 1901 and 1953. Their high was in a 16-1 win in 1922.
The Cubs still have a chance for a series win in the finale Sunday afternoon, and hopefully begin another winning streak. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs and Justin Wrobleski will go for the Dodgers, a battle of left-handers. Game time is 3:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and MLB Network outside the Cubs and Dodgers market territories).
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 25, 2026: Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox watches the action from the dugout during the seventh inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park on April 24, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Red Sox beat the Orioles, 17-1. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Saturday saw the Yankees extend their win streak as they picked up another fairly comfortable win over the Astros. Trent Grisham, José Caballero, and Austin Wells all homered as the Yankees picked up the win to take their eighth consecutive game.
The win streak has seen the Yankees vault towards the top of the standings across baseball, but let’s see if they gained any ground with their competition around the AL yesterday.
Boston Red Sox (10-17) 17, Baltimore Orioles (13-14) 1
The biggest news around them came postgame when they fired Alex Cora, but the Red Sox did well on the field on Saturday, obliterating the Orioles.
Even with that final score, the game didn’t actually get too out of hand until late, although Boston was in control for most it. Caleb Durbin opened things up with an RBI double, as the Red Sox scored three runs in the first. They added one in the fourth and three more in the fifth, with Connor Wong hitting a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double.
Meanwhile on the mound, Garrett Crochet was way better than some of his other recent starts. He lowered his ERA to 6.30, having thrown six scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and two walks. Baltimore then did get on the board in the seventh, giving them a brief glimmer of hope, but that door would soon be slammed shut.
In the top of the ninth inning, the Red Sox scored 10 runs on 10 hits, sending 14 batters to the plate over the course of the frame. O’s reliever Keegan Akin was making his 2026 debut, and will leave the game with a 54.00 ERA after allowing six of the 10 runs in the inning.
Despite that dominance, Boston still pulled the trigger on Cora — and several coaches, including franchise legend Jason Varitek (who got away with reassignment) and former Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson — a few hours later. It’s been a less-than-stellar start for them, but that was still an unexpected move.
Toronto Blue Jays (11-15) 5, Cleveland Guardians (15-13) 3
A two-RBI double from Andrés Giménez capped off a three-run sixth inning for the Blue Jays that ended up holding up for a Toronto win.
The Guardians took an initial lead in the third, but the Jays answered on Kazuma Okamoto’s fourth inning homer to tie things up. Two innings later, Toronto broke things open. It was a Daulton Varsho RBI single that gave the Blue Jays the lead, before Giménez plated another two runs.
Cleveland did score two further runs and they did certainly have their chances, putting up nine hits on the day. However, Toronto also scored once more and their bullpen was solid enough to close things down.
Other Games
Seattle Mariners (13-15) 11, St. Louis Cardinals (14-12) 9: Despite getting only three innings out of Bryan Woo, who left after allowing seven runs, the Mariners used a late surge to overtake the Cardinals. Leo Rivas hit a two-run single in the top of ninth to give Seattle the lead after they trailed 9-7 going into the eighth.
Tampa Bay Rays (15-11) 6, Minnesota Twins (12-15) 1: Shane McClanahan and the Rays’ bullpen kept the Twins off the board until the game was basically decided as Tampa Bay came away with the win. Jake Fraley and Ben Williamson had two-RBI games each as the Rays mostly cruised.
Texas Rangers (14-13) 4, Athletics (14-13) 3: Josh Jung’s go-ahead homer gave the Rangers the lead for good as they overcame a 3-0 deficit against the A’s. The artists formerly known as Oakland struck a couple times early, but managed just one hit over the final five innings against Texas’ bullpen, allowing the Rangers to overtake them.
Cincinnati Reds (18-9) 9, Detroit Tigers (14-14) 2: Despite Kevin McGonigle homering in the game’s very first at-bat, the Reds immediately scored four runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back from there. Sal Stewart had a homer for Cincinnati and drove in five runs on the day.
Jiri Kulich (blood clot, Nov. 4; injured reserve - out for the season)
Sam Carrick (upper body, Mar. 31; injured reserve)
Josh Norris (unspecified, Apr 21; day-to-day)
Notes
A win today would give Buffalo back-to-back road playoff wins for the first time since the Sabres won two consecutive road playoff games from April 16 to 18, 2007 at the New York Islanders. It would mark the first time the Sabres have earned two consecutive playoff wins since April 20 to 22, 2011 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Buffalo last won consecutive playoff games against Boston from May 9 to 14, 1999 (three games). A win today would mark the second time in franchise history that the Sabres have earned consecutive road playoff wins against the Bruins (two games; April 18 to 20, 1993).
Owen Power has registered an assist in all three games of the series and he is the third skater in franchise history to record at least one assist in the first three playoff games in their career. Power joined Marc-Andre Gragnani (three games; April 14 to 18, 2011; 0+4) and Richard Smehlik (three games; April 18 to 22, 1993; 0+4). An assist today would make Power the only skater in franchise history to register an assist in the first four playoff games of their career. With any point today, he would join Danny Gare (seven games; April 13 to 29, 1975; 5+3) as the only Sabres skaters to record at least one point in the first four playoff games of their career.
Peyton Krebs (1+2) has also recorded one point in every game of the series and can join Gare with a point today. Krebs has a plus/minus of plus-5 through the first three games of the series, the best mark by a Buffalo skater in their first three playoff games with the Sabres all-time.
Noah Ostlund’s two points (1+1) in Game 3 made him the first Sabres rookie to record multiple points in the first playoff game of their career since Richard Smehlik on April 18, 1993 at Boston (0+2). Ostlund joined Pierre Turgeon (April 6, 1988 at Boston; 2+1) as the only Sabres rookies to record at least one goal and one assist in their first career playoff game. Ostlund, Smehlik, Turgeon and Bill Stewart (April 11, 1978 vs. NY Rangers; 0+2) are the only Buffalo rookies to register a multi-point performance in the first playoff game of their career all-time. He would join Paul Gaustad (April 22 to 24, 2006; 0+3) and Jason Pominville (April 22 to 24, 2006; 3+1) as the only Sabres skaters to collect three or more points in the first two playoff games of their career with a point today.
Alex Tuch has posted at least one point in all three games of the series (2+2) and a point today would give him the first fourgame point streak by a Sabres skater in the playoffs since Pominville from April 16 to 22, 2011 (four games; 1+3). With a point today, Tuch would become the first Sabres skater to register five or more points in their first four playoff games with Buffalo since Dainius Zubrus from April 12 to 18, 2007 (0+5). He would be the 10th Sabres skater to do so all-time. Tuch has two game-winning goals in this year’s playoffs and entering play Saturday, he was tied for 13th all-time among active players with eight career playoff game-winning goals.
Alex Lyon earned a win in his first playoff start with Buffalo in Game 3 and a win today would make him the first Buffalo goaltender to earn two straight playoff wins since Ryan Miller from April 20 to 22, 2011.
Bowen Byram has recorded a goal in back-to-back games and a goal today would give him the first playoff goal streak of three or more games by a Sabres defenseman since Ken Sutton from May 4 to 8, 1993 (three games; 3+0). A multi-point performance would make Byram the first Buffalo defenseman to record back-to-back multi-point games in the playoffs since Tyler Myers from April 24 to 26, 2011 (two games; 1+4). With a goal tonight, Byram would join Mike Ramsey (three games; April 14 to 17, 1983; 3+0) as the only defensemen in franchise history to record a goal streak of three or more games against Boston in the playoffs. He would be the first Sabres skater since Alexander Mogilny from April 18 to 24, 1993 (four games; 6+1) to register a goal streak of three or more games against the Bruins in the playoffs.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 25: Samuel Girard #49 and Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins combine to knock Garnet Hathaway #19 of the Philadelphia Flyers to the ice along the boards in Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
A lot of things went right for the Penguins in their Game 4 win over the Flyers. A handful of them:
Sidney Crosby dug deep, embodying a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality on a two-point night
Kris Letang scored a goal, and beyond that played well over 23 minutes
Pittsburgh won the goaltending battle for the first time, thanks largely to Flyer goalie Dan Vladar coughing up a goal from behind the net but in no small part to Arturs Silovs playing his first game this playoff and performing very well
The penalty kill was perfect, the power play was far from it but did score one goal
Game sequencing mattered; the Penguins had a good start, scored first and never let the Flyers tie the game up again
Add it all up and it’s enough to earn another game.
There are still some problem areas, Anthony Mantha looks like he’s at half-speed at times and is a shell of the player who scored 33-goals this regular season. Egor Chinakhov (five missed shots last night) has not had a great series. The now 19-year old Ben Kindel has not made many plays lately. If the power play keeps messing around then they will give up a back-breaking chance sooner or later. The team is not clicking on all cylinders but at this point they just gotta keep finding a way to make it happen.
Of course, no one does that better than Crosby. The captain set up what would stand as the game winning goal by Kris Letang by kicking the puck back to the defender, then helping the cause by driving to the net to help take away the goalie’s ability to see the shot while drawing a defender with him to give Letang ample space to work into a dangerous spot. It’s the kind of gritty, desperate effort the team needs. The creative pass draws in the attention but the play runs deeper than that, it’s what Crosby did after kicking the puck back that made a big difference.
“(Bringing the series back to Pittsburgh) was our only option,” Rickard Rakell said after the game. “And it wasn’t pretty a lot of times today. But we stuck with it. Obviously, it feels really good. It’s a huge win.”
The game didn’t have to be pretty for it to be effective.
“I think that looked more like our game. It’s probably taken us three games to look like ourselves a bit,” Crosby said. “So, I think that’s something that we can definitely build on.”
While that was team focused and not untrue, Crosby might as well have been talking about himself personally after only registering one point in the first three games. Getting a multi-point effort on the road from their captain was about a necessity for the Penguins to extend their season. Crosby got on track and now the Pens live to fight another day.
The New York Yankees look for a series sweep when they visit Daikin Park and the Houston Astros.
The New York bats are booming, and my Yankees vs. Astros predictions and MLB picks expect the Yankees to pull off a convincing victory.
Who will win Yankees vs Astros today: Yankees -1.5 (+120)
Luis Gil doesn't need to be lights out today. He just needs to hold off the Houston Astros long enough for his New York Yankees lineup to do what it's been doing all season.
Ben Rice is barreling at 21.6%, and Aaron Judge at 24.6%, the Yankees are second in the sport with 39 home runs, and they've beaten up on the Astros six of the last ten times out.
Gil has stymied this Astros lineup in the past, and Houston's bullpen ranks dead last with a 5.94 ERA and 1.85 home runs per nine frames. Let the Yankees prevail!
COVERS INTEL:Spencer Arrighetti has a low ERA, but his xFIP is nearly three runs higher with a 5.08 xERA this season.
Yankees vs Astros Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (-110)
Spencer Arrighetti has a high hard-hit rate, with an xERA of 5.04 and a walk rate over 15% through two starts.
Gil isn't far behind, with an xERA of 5.20, suggesting the Astros and their fourth-best 119 wRC+ will likely chase him after plating some runs.
Both starters are due for regression, and totals set at 9.5 have a way of finding the Over when the bill comes due.
The Over is 7-2-1 across the past 10 H2H meetings, and yesterday's 8-3 final shows this matchup still has teeth. Trust the trend.
Phil Naessens' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 4-5, -0.20 units
Over/Under bets: 4-4, -0.06 units
Yankees vs Astros odds
Moneyline: Yankees -127 | Astros +122
Run line: Yankees -1.5 (+102) | Astros +1.5 (-156)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-108) | Under 9.5 (-104)
Yankees vs Astros trend
The Yankees have covered the run line in 23 of their last 35 away games for +14.05 units and a 37% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Astros.
How to watch Yankees vs Astros and game info
Location
Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Date
Sunday, April 26, 2026
First pitch
2:10 p.m. ET
TV
YES, SCHN
Yankees starting pitcher
Luis Gil (1-1, 4.11 ERA)
Astros starting pitcher
Spencer Arrighetti (2-0, 2.45 ERA)
Yankees vs Astros latest injuries
Yankees vs Astros weather
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FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 15: Worcester Red Sox manager Chad Tracy looks on during a Boston Red Sox workout before a game against the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on March 15, 2024 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who is he and where did he come from?
He’s Chad Samuel Tracy and he comes from the land of baseball lifers. While he is decidedly not the Chad Tracy who spent the bulk of a mid-sized career with the Diamondbacks in the early part of this century, this Chad Tracy has spent his entire life around the game. Chad’s father Jim played professional baseball for eight years, breaking through to the Majors with the Cubs for 87 games while otherwise bouncing around between places like Pompono Beach, Florida and Yokohama, Japan.
Chad never knew his father as a ballplayer, as he was born one season after his old man finally put his glove away for good. But he always knew his father as a coach. Jim Tracy got his first minor league managerial gig with the Peoria Chiefs when Chad was just two years old and then spent the next 20 years coaching in some capacity, culminating in his 11-year stretch as a big league manager with the Dodgers, Pirates, and Rockies.
Naturally, Chad himself was a ballplayer. He starred as a catcher at Pepperdine University, winning the West Coast Conference Player of the year award in 2005 before being drafted by the Texas Rangers in the third round. Tracy spent the next eight years in the minors, slowly climbing the ladder and eventually playing 390 games at the AAA level but never cracking the majors for so much as a cup of coffee.
After spending two years in the independent Atlantic League, the then-28-year-old Tracy finally gave up the dream and followed his father’s footsteps into the manager’s office, making his debut with the single-A Burlington Bees in the Angels organization the very next year. He would go on to spend seven years with the Angels, the last four as their Minor League Coordinator before being hired to lead the WooSox by Chaim Bloom in 2022.
Is he any good?
I will happily die on the hill known as Mount None of Us Actually Knows Whether a Baseball Manager is Any Good. Baseball is not a sport like basketball or soccer, where coaches develop certain tactical schemes and distinct styles of play. It’s not football, where the head coach is often the final decision-maker on roster moves. Baseball is ultimately a players’ game. Modern managers are tasked with keeping the roster focused and engaged for 162 games while implementing the front office’s player personnel plan.
Having said that, there obviously are managers who are better or worse than others when it comes to creating and maintaining a winning clubhouse culture (Terry Francona on the former hand, Bobby Valentine on the latter). Tracy has a few things going for him to suggest he could be a good fit for this Red Sox team.
First and most importantly, he has a ton of experience coaching a lot of players on this Red Sox roster. Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Connelly Early, Patyon Tolle, Brayan Bello, Connor Wong, and Jarren Duran all spent significant stretches playing under Tracy at Worcester. Notably, all of them arrived at Fenway as developmental successes.
Secondly, he does have a winning track record. Tracy’s WooSox teams went 323-295 during his tenure. Win-loss records in the minor leagues don’t really mean anything, obviously — winning isn’t the point in the minor leagues. But you’d certainly rather have a manager used to winning rather than losing. Tracy won enough and was respected enough that his managerial peers voted him as the International League’s “best managerial prospect” two years in a row in 2023 and 2024.
And finally, it’s often said that great players make poor coaches, the theory being that baseball came so easily to them that they struggle to communicate how to play the game to players of lesser talents. If there’s any truth to that, then perhaps the inverse is also true. Tracy spent eight years grinding in the minors and came tantalizingly close to reaching his dreams, only to, like Moonlight Graham, watch them pass him by like strangers in a crowd. Perhaps his particular background makes him a better baseball communicator than most.
What’s he doing in his picture up there?
He appears to be praying, only with a baseball subbed in for the rosary. And that’s the perfectly romantic image of a minor league lifer, isn’t it?
What’s his role on the 2026 Red Sox?
That’s the big question. Right now he has the interim tag attached to his job title and we haven’t yet heard whether Craig Breslow will attempt to find a full-time manager during the season. Tracy may end up being a mere placeholder.
But Tracy is someone who was almost certainly going to become a big league manager one day. And as he prepares to make his debut this afternoon, he’s well-positioned to succeed, managing a roster he’s familiar with that should be performing a lot better than it has so far. If the Sox are able to get things in gear over the coming weeks and months, then maybe Breslow won’t need to post an opening on the Red Sox LinkedIn page after all.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 06: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 06, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You win some, you lose some. However, the Atlanta Braves have yet to lose a series this season and are the only MLB team to achieve this feat. Although they can’t repeat getting a sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies, they have an opportunity to bounce back from yesterday’s rainy day loss.
Chris Sale, boasting a 2.79 ERA and 4-1 record this season, has been impressive from the start. The last outing for the slider master was last Saturday (4/18) against the Phillies, in which he went through seven innings, only giving up one run and seven total strikeouts.
There’s no need to hammer down what must be done to return in top shape for today’s matchup to secure the win. Sale is set to hold it down on the defensive end. Will the offense be ready to reflect that and get some runs on the board early?
Though yesterday didn’t turn out in the Braves’ favor, the Phillies could sleep well at night with satisfaction that they had a game to go their way, finally breaking their 10-game losing streak.
Aaron Nola (5.06 ERA) will be facing the Braves for the first time this season, but his opponents won’t be walking into unfamiliar territory, as at least five of the Braves have over a 1.000 OPS batting against him in the past.
Nola, with the second-best ERA on the Philies’ starting pitching staff, takes every experience head-on. He mentioned earlier this year, while paying for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, that it’s fun for him and many other starting pitchers when they can take their experiences and come up with ways to get multiple guys out in different ways over a course of time.
The pitch that the Braves should look out for is not just his leading four-seamer, but the filthy knuckle-curve that he uses just as much in his arsenal.
The task is clear…the skies, not so much. Another rainy day for the ballgame, but the show must go on. Will the Braves continue their series win streak, or will the Phillies find a way to take advantage of yesterday’s win and pick up where they left off?
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets scrap during their playoff game on Saturday night. Photograph: Abbie Parr/AP
Nikola Jokić and Julius Randle were ejected after Jaden McDaniels made a meaningless – and provocative – layup at the end of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoff victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.
With Minnesota already all but guaranteed victory in a game that ended 112-96, McDaniels chose to make the layup with 2.1 seconds left rather than run out the clock, as is customary. That led to Jokić jogging down from half-court to confront McDaniels, and a shoving match ensued as other players became involved.
“I don’t know what [Jokić] said, to be honest. I just seen someone who was big as hell,” he said of the exchange with the 6ft 11in, 284lbs center.
“I don’t regret it,” Jokić said of his actions. “Because he scored after everybody stopped playing.”
Jokić was ejected for his part in the melee, as was Randle, who joined in the shoving.
McDaniels was already unpopular with the Nuggets after calling Jokić and his teammates “bad defenders” earlier in the series, which the Timberwolves now lead 3-1.
“I didn’t like what McDaniels did,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “The game was over. The game was conceded. In 2026, that stuff just doesn’t happen anymore. That’s something that happens in the ‘80s, where teams would continue to score. But that’s who he is.”
Although McDaniels will attract attention for his part in the game, Ayo Dosunmu, who Minnesota acquired from Chicago in February, was the team’s hero.
Dosunmu scored 43 points, stepping up after injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo with the highest-scoring playoff performance by a reserve in 50 years.
“Ayo was just out of this world, man,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Just play after play after play.”
Dosunmu made 13 of 17 shots, going 5 of 5 from three-point range, and all 12 of his free throws in a season-high 42 minutes. It was the best performance by a sub since Fred Brown scored 45 off the bench for Seattle in a 116-111 loss to Phoenix in April 1976.
Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points. Jokić added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. The Nuggets were just 6 for 27 from 3-point range.
The Wolves have won the last three games and can end the series in Game 5 on Monday night in Denver. “I expect us to have a great effort in Game 5,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “I really trust our two best players will find a rhythm, and they have to find that at home.”
While Minnesota celebrate victory, the injuries to Edwards and DiVincenzo are real concerns for the Timberwolves’ playoff hopes.
Edwards, a four-time All-Star and the team’s top scorer, left in the second quarter after landing awkwardly and injuring his knee. Team officials helped Edwards to his feet and he placed his arms around their shoulders. He put little weight on his left leg as he hobbled toward the locker room.
Earlier in the first half, Timberwolves guard DiVincenzo headed toward the locker room after he injured his right leg on a non-contact play. Early reports indicated that DiVincenzo may have ruptured his achilles tendon.
In Saturday’s other games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a playoff-career-high 42 points to lift Oklahoma City to a road win over Phoenix. The reigning NBA MVP finished 15 of 18 from the floor with eight assists to give the Thunder a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series. Elsewhere, Karl Anthony-Towns totaled 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career playoff triple-double as New York earned a victory over host Atlanta and evened their series 2-2. Meanwhile, the East’s No 1 seeds, the Detroit Pistons, are 2-1 down in their series with Orlando after Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane scored 25 points apiece to give the Magic a 113-105 victory.
'Pens Owen Pickering handles the puck during the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins home opener on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (Photo by Jason Ardan/The Citizens' Voice via Getty Images)
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins finished second in their division this season, which might not sound like a big deal but is a huge deal in the AHL playoff format that grants the top-two teams in the Atlantic Division a pass into the second round of the playoffs. That means a lot considering the first round is only a best-of-three, a format that sunk WBS’s season last year when they finished in fourth place and were quickly eliminated from the playoffs.
Such a result struck again, third place Charlotte (who had a great season to put up 93 points in 72 games) ended up getting bounced in Game 3 by sixth place Springfield. Due to the reseeding, Springfield now moves onto play first place Providence. That left Wilkes to take on the Hershey Bears, who won their first round matchup against Bridgeport.
— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) April 26, 2026
The Bears are the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals and have some quality players. One of them, Ilya Protas, played against Pittsburgh in the final week of the NHL regular season. The 19-year old has two points in two playoff games and won AHL rookie of the year for his 66 points in 69 game. Hershey also boasts veteran goalie Clay Stevenson, who stopped 40/42 shots in the quick sweep of Bridgeport.
The Penguins did carry a 7-3 record against the Bears this season and will be hoping that carries over into their first matchup. The winner of that series will move on to face the winner from mighty Providence or the upset-minded Springfield team in the next round of the playoffs.
Los Angeles, CA - April 25: Starting pitcher Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to the plate against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Bringing a team on the verge of 11 consecutive victories to a screeching halt was the seemingly impossible task for a struggling Roki Sasaki on Saturday. On his first ever bobblehead day, Sasaki did what he could to allow the Dodgers to pounce on Chicago Cubs starter Colin Rea, and it resulted in his first win of the season.
Sasaki managed to pitch into the sixth inning of a 12-4 Dodger victory and while he allowed four runs over that span— including three solo home runs— he tallied a season-high five strikeouts with the biggest improvement being only one walk allowed. The biggest difference compared to his first four starts was an increase in both usage and velocity on his splitter, which he threw 48 times while generating a first pitch strike rate of 90 percent.
There is still more to be desired for the still unfinished project, as noted by Sonja Chen of MLB.com, but Sasaki is hoping to not worry about the length of his starts and instead lean more on the efficacy of what he can do on the mound.
“The first couple games, I couldn’t go deeper. It was kind of frustrating,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo. “But right now, I’m just focused on what I can do, and then at the end of the season, I just want to be who I want to be.”
Links
In our early season predictions post, I mentioned that I planned on attending Saturday’s game against the Cubs, and it’s always nice to see a Dodger win and get a Roki Sasaki bobblehead. But it was the 50-year anniversary and commemoration of Rick Monday’s iconic American flag rescue that stole the show, and it became even more emblematic when during the seventh inning stretch, “God Bless America” was the prelude to the usual ballpark anthem.
While his two former teams competed, Monday later admitted during the game’s broadcast that he had no idea that the Dodgers would be honoring him and felt “very humbled,” per Beth Harris of the Associated Press.
“I had no idea they were going to be here or present me with an honor. Very humbled,” Monday said later on the radio broadcast of the game.
Shohei Ohtani has been on a recent offensive slump since the Dodgers road series in San Francisco, as he is now 2 for 19 over his last five games, striking out eight times and recording zero extra-base hits. While having the everyday leadoff hitter slumping in this manner is worrisome, Dave Roberts has faith that Ohtani will manage to quickly turn a new page at the plate, per Michael Huntley of the Orange County Register.
“He’s a very smart player,” Roberts said. “He certainly deserves more leash and more opportunity than essentially anyone.”
COVERS INTEL:
