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Garrett Anderson, who played the first 15 seasons of his career with the Angels and finished up with the Dodgers in 2010, died at age 53, the Angels announced on Friday.

Anderson was born and raised in Los Angeles, and played at Kennedy High School before getting drafted by the Angels in 1990. I first saw him play with the Class-A Palm Springs Angels in 1992. Anderson made three All-Star teams and drove in the go-ahead runs in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series to help clinch the Angels’ only championship.

With the Dodgers, a 38-year-old Anderson played sparingly, but did notably drive in the only run of a 14-inning win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 2, 2010. It marked the first time the Dodgers had won back-to-back 1-0 games for the first time in 26 years.

Freddie Freeman, who grew up in Orange County, told Jack Harris of the California Post that Anderson was his favorite player:

“You always hear, ‘Don’t meet your heroes,’” Freeman told The California Post. “But then I got to meet him, and I was like, ‘I’m glad I did.’ Because he was a beautiful man. And I wish he was still here. He meant a lot to so many people … I’m at a loss for words really.”

Anderson remembrances

• from Gabe Lacques at USA Today
• from Steve Henson at the Los Angeles Times
• from Jim Alexander at the Orange County Register
• from Tyler Kepner at The Athletic

Hyeseong Kim talked to Jack Harris of the California Post about getting optioned to the minors at the beginning of the season, and his subsequent return two weeks ago when Mookie Betts was placed on the injured list. Manager Dave Roberts praised Kim’s swing, noting improvement from late in spring training: “I think he’s into the ground much better. I think the swing decisions are better mechanically. It looks great. So really proud of the work.”

Earlier Friday, Katie Woo at The Athletic noted the improvement of Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, and Blake Treinen in the Dodgers bullpen in the first three weeks of the season. Through Friday, that trio has combined to allow only one run in 22 2/3 innings with a 27.7-percent strikeout rate.

The Rockies love versatility. 

They collect it. They prioritize it. They build around it — players who can move, adjust, and fill gaps across the roster. 

Under the current front office, that emphasis has been explicit. 

In theory, it works. But, like any philosophy, it only works if you know when to stop applying it. 

Tyler Freeman might be that moment. 

The Rockies didn’t invent the experiment — but they’ve kept it going

Freeman wasn’t developed as a utility player. 

In the minors, he was overwhelmingly an infielder — developed at shortstop with the expectation he’d eventually slide to second base as his long-term home. 

Cleveland began expanding that role late, even moving him into center field in 2024 and asking him to learn a new position on the fly. By the time Colorado acquired him, the flexibility was already part of his profile. 

The Rockies didn’t create that version of Freeman. They chose to keep going. 

The Rockies saw a problem — and chose more flexibility 

In 2025, Freeman hit .281, posted a .354 OBP, and still finished with negative bWAR  

Because, as Joelle Milholm wrote here on the Row — he “raked at the plate, tanked in the field.” 

The Rockies have a real reason to hesitate here. Freeman struggled defensively across positions, including second base.

And in 2026, they’ve already leaned on players like Willi Castro and Edouard Julien to cover those innings. That approach isn’t irrational, but the response has been more movement for Freeman. 

And defense, especially in the infield, is built on repetition. 

Freeman hasn’t gotten that. 

The profile has never really changed 

For years, the reports have been consistent: 

• Elite bat-to-ball skill  

• Advanced feel for contact  

• Modest but developing gap power  

• A likely defensive home at second base  

Statcast tells a similar story now: 

This isn’t a star profile. But it is: An everyday, contact-oriented profile the Rockies haven’t fully defined 

So what’s missing? 

The last step. 

Freeman makes contact as well as almost anyone. But he hasn’t consistently turned that into damage. 

And development like that doesn’t happen in abstraction — it happens in routine. 

It’s the same glove. The same angles. The same pre-pitch rhythm. The feel of the dirt under your cleats, every inning. 

Freeman hasn’t had that. 

Instead, it’s been different gloves, different sightlines, different responsibilities. One night he’s reading hops on the infield dirt, the next he’s standing in the outfield grass, waiting instead of reacting. 

That instability matters — even if the exact effects are hard to isolate. 

Sports psychology research consistently shows that role clarity can influence confidence, decision-making, and perceived effectiveness. Baseball-specific evidence is more limited, but the general principle holds: players tend to perform best when expectations are stable. 

And when things aren’t stable, hitters often get more conservative. 

They shorten up. They put the ball in play. They avoid risk. 

So a player with developing pop can become: a contact hitter who never fully taps into it 

That’s not proven cause and effect, but it’s a pattern worth considering. 

What happens if they choose a lane?

Make Freeman the everyday second baseman.

Not because it’s guaranteed to work, but because it hasn’t really been given a chance to.

Once that decision is made, the rest of the roster starts to organize itself.

Ryan Ritter isn’t part of the current roster, but that actually reinforces the point. His path isn’t as a primary second baseman — it’s as a true super-utility player. When he’s up, his value comes from moving between the infield and outfield, not competing for a single position. Castro already fills a version of that role at the major-league level, rotating through shortstop, second, and third base in a way that makes the roster more flexible without blurring development.

The real redundancy is elsewhere.

Freeman and Julien share a similar offensive identity — contact-driven, bat-first players whose value comes from what they do at the plate. Both have been moved around defensively. Both have below-average defensive track records. But they’re not interchangeable.

Freeman brings more athleticism. He was developed as an infielder. His profile — contact, speed, and just enough developing pop (maybe) — fits more cleanly at second base if given the chance to settle there.

Julien’s path is narrower. His value likely comes as a bat-first option moving between second, first, and DH. And if that role overlaps too heavily with Freeman’s, the Rockies eventually have to decide whether carrying both actually creates value — or just duplicates it.

Just as importantly, the outfield stops being a catch-all.

Instead of absorbing infield uncertainty, it can stabilize around players like Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak, Jordan Beck, Troy Johnston, and Jake McCarthy — players who are actually being evaluated as outfielders, not filling gaps created elsewhere.

That clarity extends beyond the active roster.

With Freeman anchored at second, the path for the next wave — Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP), Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP), Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) — becomes easier to see. Not guaranteed, not blocked, but defined. They’re no longer competing against positional drift; they’re competing within structure.

And that’s the real point. Choosing a lane for Freeman doesn’t just answer one question.

It forces the Rockies to decide which overlapping skill sets they actually believe in — and which ones they don’t.

The clock is ticking 

Freeman is 26 and under club control through the 2028 season. 

That gives the Rockies a limited window to define him, develop him, or extract value.  

Right now, they’re still figuring out what he is. 

Let him be the exception 

Purple Row has already documented the Rockies’ embrace of optionality. The front office has been clear about valuing adaptability. 

That philosophy has value, but it still requires decisions. 

Tyler Freeman doesn’t need more positions. He needs a clearer role.

On the Farm

Triple-A: Oklahoma City Comets 13, Albuquerque Isotopes 12

The Isotopes (10-9) fall just short to the Comets (10-9) in a scoring bonanza. Charlie Condon led the way, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, while Cole Carrigg drew two walks and Chad Stevens stayed hot with a 2-for-5 performance. On the mound, Luis Peralta took the loss as pitching struggled to contain the Comets’ offense. Welinton Herrera was a bright spot, tossing two scoreless innings to open the game.

Double-A: Richmond Flying Squirrels 7, Hartford Yard Goats 4

The Yard Goats (5-8) fell to the Flying Squirrels (11-2) in a hard-fought game. Aidan Longwell led the way on offense, going 3-for-5 with a home run, while Andy Perez added three hits of his own. Pitching proved to be the difference, as every arm allowed at least one run, with starter Alberto Pacheco taking the loss after giving up three earned runs in 2.1 innings.

High-A: Vancouver Canadians 0, Spokane Indians 1

The Indians (6-7) walked it off in the 10th inning, edging the Canadians (4-9) after a scoreless battle through nine. Robert Calaz delivered the game-winning single in extras to seal the win. On the mound, Jordy Vargas and Fisher Jameson were outstanding, combining for a shutout. It was a tightly played game throughout, with pitching dominating until the final swing.

Single-A: Fresno Grizzlies 5, Ontario Tower Buzzers 4

The Grizzlies (9-4) edged the Tower Buzzers (6-6) in a close contest, scoring five runs on just five hits despite striking out 11 times. Wilder Dalis provided the biggest swing of the night, going 1-for-3 with a crucial three-run homer in the seventh. On the mound, Austin Newton delivered a strong start, allowing one run while striking out six over 5.2 innings. It was a gritty win, with Fresno making the most of limited opportunities.

Through early season bumps, Tovar’s on trip ‘to the next level’ | MLB.com

In this piece by Thomas Harding on MLB.com, Ezequiel Tovar is off to a slow start, but underlying metrics suggest better results could be on the way. The Rockies remain encouraged, as he looks to turn those signs into production while aiming to reach a higher level this season.

Snow covers Coors, inspiring impromptu snowman | MLB.com

Snow blanketed Coors Field before the Dodgers-Rockies game, where Emmet Sheehan even paused to admire a snowman near the field. Crews cleared it in time, but the scene added a perfect “only in Colorado” twist to an April night at the ballpark.

Albuquerque Isotopes 2026 walk-up songs | Purple Row

Renee Dechert of Purple Row takes a fun look at the Albuquerque Isotopes’ 2026 walk-up songs, highlighting the mix of personality and culture throughout the roster. From hip-hop and reggaeton to rock and country, the playlist reflects each player’s style and adds a behind-the-scenes feel to the team’s at-bats.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

At the moment, I’m not on the IL. I am, however, perpetually listed day-to-day.

• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Who is Cubs’ new closer? Chicago has replacement plan for injured Daniel Palencia. “Caleb Thielbar, the 39-year-old lefty veteran who has some closing experience in his career, is an option. Hoby Milner, another veteran lefty, doesn’t have much closing experience, but it’s not completely foreign. Jacob Webb? Ben Brown?”
• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Cubs reveal 2027 timeline for Cade Horton after Tommy John surgery. “”Cubs Cade Horton had his elbow surgery,” Rogers reports. “Looking at a 15-16 month recovery, per Craig Counsell. Horton being out 15-16 months means that, beyond simply missing the rest of the 2026 MLB season, he’s also going to miss the first few months of the 2027 season.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Could Be Only Option for Giolito, Who Might Settle for Discounted One-Year Deal. ““The two teams linked are the Padres and the Cubs,” Jon Heyman told 104.3 The Score on Thursday. “Now, the Padres are creative, but they have zero money. So it’s not gonna be easy to sign a free agent of that ilk with zero money. So, of the two teams linked, [the Cubs]’re the only one who has a dime, so they probably have a shot at Giolito.”
• Brian Kelder (North Side Baseball): Just How Good is Michael Busch? “He’s off to a rough start, but do the Cubs have a star at first base?”
• Michael Avallone (MLB.com): Cubs No. 8 prospect carries sizzling spring into the regular season at Triple-A. ‘Ramirez has been one of the most consistent hitters in the Minors to start 2026, reaching safely in all but three of the 16 games he’s appeared in.“
• Thomas Domol (North Side Baseball): Michael Conforto’s Regression to the Mean Is All the Cubs Really Need. “Even when accounting for his slow start, Conforto wields a wRC+ of 137. Is his surge sustainable? Possibly, though his .500 BABIP mark is terrifying.”
• Jeremy Teckkiel (North Side Baseball): Jameson Taillon’s Homer-Happy Ways Are Back. What Can the Cubs Do to Help Him Adjust? “A drop in velocity has led to an ugly start for the Cubs’ veteran right-hander. What can Jameson Taillon do to turn it around?”
• Field Level Media (Deadspin): Cubs LHP Matthew Boyd (biceps) begins rehab assignment. “Boyd gave up three runs on four hits over 3 2/3 innings for Triple-A Iowa, while throwing 64 pitches (46 for strikes) at Columbus. He had one walk and six strikeouts. Boyd could return to the Cubs’ rotation as early as next week, according to manager Craig Counsell, with Chicago set to face the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Jed Hoyer addresses the elephant in the room talking about rash of Cubs injuries. “Regardless of the cause, the fact (the injuries) are happening with such regularity, paired with the Cubs having not yet proven they can consistently develop long-term pitching solutions, is a major long-term concern..”
• Tony Andracki (Bleacher Nation): Is the Cubs Offense … Back? “The Cubs scored 28 runs in three games in Philadelphia, including blowout wins Tuesday and Wednesday. For perspective, the Cubs scored only 29 runs in the previous six games.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Chicago Cubs’ pitching situation means they better be right about Edward Cabrera. “All this uncertainty emphasizes the potential value and inherent risk associated with Edward Cabrera.”
• Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery): Chicago Cubs Fans Need to Slow Their Roll on Kevin Alcántara. “This week is the perfect example of the boom-or-bust nature of Alcantara’s season so far. In two games this week, he’s 2-for-10 with 2 HRs with six strikeouts. Out of 225 qualified hitters in triple-A, Alcantara’s 38.1% ranks ninth-highest.”

“Every page these days has some form of advertising. {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.“

Food For Thought:

D Man is the driving force behind D Man & The Alley Hounds, a prominent blues-rock outfit based in Louisville, Kentucky. D Man is recognized for his “High Energy Blues & Rock ‘n’ Roll Show,” often interacting closely with the audience. His performances are characterized by soulful vocals and a repertoire that honors legends like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf while keeping a modern edge.

An Arkansas athlete donned 55 T-shirts and ran a half marathon

Most Unique Places to Visit in the USA | Hidden Gems Travel Guide

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Toledo Mud Hens 6, Louisville Bats 2 (box)

Dylan File put together a nice start and Max Clark had a big night as the Hens took down the Bats and evened the series 2-2.

Clark singled but was picked off in the first inning, but in the top of the second, Eduardo Valencia led off with a single. Jace Jung followed with a single and Corey Julks reached on an error. After a Tyler Gentry strikeout, Ben Malgeri lifted a deep enough fly ball to get the run in, but that was all they’d get from the inning. 1-0 Hens.

File cruised through four innings without much trouble in the meantime, although he certainly wasn’t racking up the whiffs. He allowed two hits and two walks, and then watched his team add on a run in the top of the fifth. Trei Cruz led off with a single and Clark lined another single to right field. Gage Workman doubled in Cruz, but Clark was thrown out trying to score on a Valencia ground ball, and the Bats escaped the inning with the Hens leading 2-0.

File allowed a run in the bottom half, but escaped a minor jam on a Blake Dunn double play ball and wrapped up a pretty good outing overall.

Gentry and Malgeri immediately got the Hens going in the top of the sixth with back-to-back doubles to make it 3-1. A pair of ground outs followed, but Clark stepped to the dish and crushed a 108.4 mph blast to right field for a two-run shot, his first Triple-A home run. 5-1 Hens.

Max Burt tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the eighth to make it 6-1. Matt Seelinger allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth, but wrapped this one up without much trouble.

Clark: 4-5, R, 2 RBI, HR

Jung: 2-4, 2B, BB

Julks: 2-5, K

File (W, 1-0): 5.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Saturday.

Harrisburg Senators 2, Erie SeaWolves 0 (box)(F/7)(Gm1)

Knuckleballer Kenny Serwa survived issuing five walks, surrendering just a pair of runs, only one earned, but it was a quiet game from the SeaWolves offense.

Brett Callahan doubled and drew a walk, but Justice Bigbie was the only other player with a hit. Harrisburg right-hander Davian Garcia wasn’t exactly dominant, but he had a solid night and got good defensive work behind him.

Woo-Suk Go did post his second straight outstanding outing, striking out five and giving up one hit in two scoreless innings.

Callahan: 1-2, 2B, BB

Serwa (L, 0-3): 5.0 IP, 2 R, ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 3 K

Erie SeaWolves 5, Harrisburg Senators 2 (box)(F/7)(Gm2 )

Carlos Pena gave the SeaWolves a good outing, and the bats had enough to take down the Senators on Friday.

The SeaWolves started quickly as Seth Stephenson lead off with an infield single, and Peyton Graham doubled him in. A pair of ground outs got Graham home for a 2-0 lead.

Pena allowed a two-run homer in the top of the second as Harrisburg tied it up, but he shut the Senators down from there, striking out eight without a walk allowed, scattering four hits on the night.

The SeaWolves came right back as Justice Bigbie singled to lead off the game, and E.J. Exposito cracked a two-run homer to re-open a 4-2 lead.

Pena got in a bit of trouble in the fourth after a single allowed, and then a two-out double, but a relay from left fielder Chris Meyers in to Graham and home to Bennett Lee cut down the runner and ended the inning.

The SeaWolves made it 5-2 in the bottom half after Bigbie led off with a single, Exposito walked, and Lee singled in Bigbie.

Peña finished his outing by striking out the side in the fifth. Trevin Michael walked three in two innings of work, but collected the save anyway.

Exposito: 1-2, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB

Stephenson: 2-3, R, K

Bigbie: 2-3, 2 R

Pena (W, 1-1): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 8 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:35 p.m. ET start on Saturday.

West Michigan Whitecaps 6, Lansing Lugnuts 4 (box)(F/7)(Gm1)

The Whitecaps got a good outing from Lucas Ellisalt and just held on against a late charge from Lansing to take Game 1 on Friday.

Elissalt only went four innings in this one, but he blanked the Lugnuts, striking out four. Meanwhile, his teammates gave him an early lead to work with. Patrick Lee and Ricardo Hurtado hit one-out singles in the top of the first, and Garrett Pennington reached on an infield single to load the bases. Andrew Sojka paddled a single through the right side of the infield to plate Lee and Hurtado, though Pennington was thrown out trying to take third base, and Cristian Santana flew out. Still is was a 2-0 lead.

Lee got them started again in the fifth when he hammered a deep drive to center field for a triple. Hurtado walked, and their first baseman, Pennington, did first baseman things by ripping a three-run shot the opposite way to make it 5-0.

Duque Hebbert took over for the ‘Caps after a clean fifth from CJ Weins. Hebbert got knocked around a little for two runs in the sixth.

In the top of the seventh, leading 5-2, Hurtado drew a one-out walk and Pennington singled him to third. A Sojka fly ball was deep enough to get the run in for a 6-2 lead.

Hebbert got into trouble in the bottom of th eseventh, but held on to wrap this one up.

Pennington: 3-4, R, 3 RBI, HR

Hurtado: 2-2, 3 R, 2 BB

Patrick Lee: 2-4, 2 R, 3B, 2 K

Elissalt: 4.0 IP, 0 R, H, 2 BB, 4 K

West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Lansing Lugnuts 1 (box)(F/7)(Gm2)

The Whitecaps swept the Lugnuts despite Lansing outhitting them 11 to 4. That makes it four straight for the Whitecaps in this series, and five straigth overall.

On a bit of a makeshift night from the bullpen, the Whitecaps built a lead right away and managed to hold on despite all the traffic on the bases. The game started with Patrick Lee reaching on an error, and Juan Hernandez, just up from Lakeland, followed with a single. Garrett Pennington stepped in and launched his second three-run bomb on the day, and it was 3-0.

Zack Lee got the start, and he tossed three scoreless innings. Lefty Ethan Sloan handled the fourth, and then Ryan Harvey took over in the fifth. Harvey allowed a pair of singles before getting a strikeout and a pop-up. Another single drove in the Lugnuts only run of the game. One more single to Nolan McCarthy in left, making his High-A debut, saw McCarthy cut down Gunner Gouldsmith trying to score to end the inning.

The Tigers signed RHP Seth Chavez to a minor league deal back on April 8, and he took over for the final two innings. Hunter Dobbins singled in the top of the seventh, advanced to second on a Clayton Campbell soft tapper to the pitcher, advanced to third on a balk, and scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1, where it ended.

Pennington: 1-3, R, 3 RBI, HR

Patrick Lee: 0-2, R, 2 BB

Lee: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, K

Coming Up Next:

Lakeland Flying Tigers 5, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 2 (box)

Zach MacDonald remains red hot at the plate, and the Flying Tigers got good pitching on a bullpen day to win again on Friday.

The Flying Tigers got out to a quick lead when Jesus Pinto singled and MacDonald walked with one out in the first. Beau Ankeney doubled to left and both runners came around to score.

Charlie Christensen is off to a nice start in his pro career, and he tossed two scoreless to start this one off. Cale Wetwiska had a little more trouble, striking out five, but giving up two solo shots that tied the game in his two innings of work.

In the fifth, MacDonald, playing left field in this one, crushed another hard hit homer at 111.4 mph to make it a 3-2 lead. Wetwiska started the fifth, but came out of the game with an injury, though there was nothing obviously wrong and his velocity had been good all night.

Scott Effross and Eliseo Mota got the Flying Tigers through the fifth, sixth, and seventh without a baserunner, combining for five strikeouts.

In the top of the ninth, Jack Goodman singled, and catcher Sergio Tapia pulled a fly ball to left for a two-run shot to make it 5-2, where it ended. Donye Evans was a little shaky in his two innings of work, but collected the save.

While Zach MacDonald is tearing it up, Bryce Rainer continues to struggle pretty terribly after his long absence. He’s struck out 19 times in 10 games this season and his approach is a mess currently. It’s very early though.

MacDonald: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB, K

Tapia: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, K

Espinal: 1-2, 2 BB

Wetwika (W, 1-0): 2.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, BB, 5 K

Mota: 1.2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The series is even at two games apiece. First on Saturday is set for 6:05 p.m. ET.

Just like that, there is no real reason to parse scoring stats for the Cubs anymore. With 33 runs over their last three games and 47 over five, they are now up to 106 runs in 19 games (~5.6/game). Last season, over the whole season, they averaged about 4.9 runs per game. Summer weather and rosters depleted by injuries and/or trades haven’t happened yet.

I know some were worried about the offense after an anemic open to the season, but just like that, the Cubs offense is clicking. To be fair, when they struggled over those early games, I noted that the distressing thing is that they really hadn’t had to go through very many elite pitchers. That was a daunting aside at that point. Now, through this earlier schedule, they’ve produced very well. The wear and tear of a season and those elite arms still lay ahead. But the Cubs offense has shown that they can be dangerous.

There is a lot of baseball to be played. I’m not going to be exuberant about things based off of three straight wins, just like I wasn’t in the doldrums when they had gotten off to a sluggish start. Even the worst teams look good sometimes and even the best teams look lousy sometimes. Through a little less than 15 percent of the season, the team is 10-9. Over 162 games, that would be an 86-win pace. I’m going to bet most of you won’t quibble that this team has felt like about an 86-win team over the course of the season.

The real question from here is does the team stay around that level? Or does this team take off from here? I’ve learned that, despite the marathon nature of baseball, a lot of fans suffer from a lot of recency bias. So this is a weird conversation for me to have with many of you. I thought they were a 90-95 win team before the season. So these three wins feel like some signal that they can be that kind of team. But if you thought they were an 80-85 win team, you are probably looking at the whole 19 and saying this is going to be a bumpy ride.

Either way, enjoy it when things swing up like this.

Three Positives:

• Moisés Ballesteros had two hits, one a three-run homer that blew the game open early.
• I love Nico Hoerner, he’s my favorite current Cub. That said, if I had to list Cubs who might put up MVP caliber numbers over a 20 game period, he’d be well down the list. I would be highly surprised to see a Hoerner like player do well in the MVP voting, but he’s having that kind of run right now. Three more hits, one more a homer and two more runs driven in. Second in all of baseball in RBI. Largely from the lead-off spot.
• Michael Busch had two hits, a walk and scored twice. The numbers are rebounding some and I’m hoping the power numbers start to fall in place next.

Game 19, April 17: Cubs 12, Mets 4 (9-8)

GRAPH

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Moisés Ballesteros (.226). 2-2, HR, 3 RBI, R
• Hero: Nico Hoerner (.156). 3-5, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Sidekick: Seiya Suzuki (.077). 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Carson Kelly (-.044). 1-4, R, DP
• Goat: Pete Crow-Armstrong (-.030). 0-3, BB
• Kid: Dansby Swanson (-.029). 1-2, BB, 2 R

WPA Play of the Game: Moisés Ballesteros hit a three-run homer with two outs in the first to add to an early 1-0 lead. (.206)

*Mets Play of the Game: Marcus Semien with runners at first and second and no outs in the second, scoring one and decreasing the Cub lead to three. (.122)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 18 Winner: Nico Hoerner received 145 out of 244 votes.

Up Next: Game two of the three-game set. Jameson Taillon (0-1, 4.86, 16.2 IP) makes his fourth start and seeks his first win. Old nemesis Freddy Peralta (1-1, 3.86, 21 IP) makes his first start as a Met against the Cubs. This is his fifth start for the Mets.

I have no objections to a fourth straight win. If the Mets want to implode, I’m definitely here for it.

Good morning, baseball fans!

Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball is drawing to a close, which means it’s time to pick our Player of the Week!

They say there’s a song for any and every occasion, and I guess the one for today is “Slim Pickins” by Sabrina Carpenter. Because there was not a lot to cheer for this week. As of the time this is being written, the Giants have lost every game so far this week.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t silver linings, I guess. So I’m going to give the honors to Jung Hoo Lee this week. He has been heating up a bit over the last few games, and even got his first home run of the season in last Friday’s win over the Baltimore Orioles. The last recorded win as of the time this is being written. So that’s something to celebrate.

Who is your pick for Player of the Week?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants continue their series against the Washington Nationals today at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Yesterday was bad. The bullpen was bad. The situational hitting was bad.

Today is a new day. Gavin Williams pitches at 6:10PM ET. Let’s get back on track.

AROUND MLB:

Royals, Tigers and Twins lost. White Sox won.

Yesterday afternoon, the baseball world received stunning news. Former Angels outfielder Garret Anderson, who earned three All-Star nods, won the 2003 Home Run Derby and All-Star Game MVP, had the game-winning hit in 2002 World Series Game 7, and sits atop the Angels franchise leaderboards in several categories, passed away at just 53 years old, having suffered a fatal heart attack. As the Anderson family, not to mention the baseball world at large, let us honor his career in the best way an opposing fanbase can: by remembering the times we cursed his name.

You see, Garret Anderson belongs to a small fraternity of certified Yankees Killers — players who, no matter the situation, always found a way to come up big against the Bombers. His numbers, of course, speak for themselves. Overall, he had a career .293/.324/.461 slash line across his 17-year career — good for a slightly above-average 102 OPS+ despite multiple seasons of sub-100 offensive production at the end of his career dragging it down. Against the Yankees? That line skyrockets to .319/.338/.486 — the fourth-best against teams he played at least 100 games against and honestly pretty close to the .312/.341/.497 he had against Boston, his most victimized foe.

The thing is, though, a lot of players have great numbers against a particular team. What made Anderson a Yankee Killer, though, was the context. It didn’t matter how the Yankees approached him. Send out Andy Pettitte or David Wells as the day’s starter, giving you the platoon advantage against the lefty Anderson? It didn’t matter — in 83 plate appearances against Pettitte, he had three homers and posted a .402/.410/.549 slash line, and in 66 against Wells, he had two homers and posted a .400/.409/.569 slash.

Bring in a top LOOGY like Mike Stanton late in the game in a big spot? He still got on at a .375 clip and walked him off as well. Was future Hall of Famer Mike Mussina starting that day? Moose did a tad better, getting his batting average under .300, but he still posted a .283/.321/.528 slash with three home runs in 53 plate appearances. These were some of the best arms the Yankees had during his career, and Anderson simply pummeled them.

It was characteristic of Anderson’s Angels, who stood alone in their dominance of Joe Torre’s dynastic Yankees. They were the only AL opponent with a winning record against them during Torre’s tenure, going 61-55 from 1996 through 2007. Anderson certainly did his part in twisting the knife.

Furthermore, when the Yankees faced the Angels during the postseason, Anderson went nuclear. During his first career playoff series after nine years in the majors, Anderson went 7-for-18 with a walk, one home run, and five runs scored (good for a 1.088 OPS) against New York in the 2002 ALDS. His leadoff homer off playoff veteran Orlando “El Duque” Hernández in the eighth inning of Game 2, tying the game at five apiece, was arguably the series’ turning point, as it helped prevent the Yankees from jumping out to a 2-0 series lead.

Fellow Halos nemesis Troy Glaus immediately followed with a solo shot of his own, and the eventual champion Angels never looked back in an upset series victory over the four-time defending AL champs.

Three years later, the Yankees and Angels squared off in another Division Series, this time with no one taking Anderson’s club for granted. He didn’t smolder quite as much as he did in 2002 and was held to five hits — and none in three of the five games. But Anderson still managed to muster a .934 OPS because he absolutely made his hits count. At 0-for-8 entering Game 3 at the old Yankee Stadium with no less a lefty-neutralizing demon than Hall of Famer Randy Johnson on the bump, Anderson greeted him in the first with a three-run bomb.

It was the first of four hits on the night (including a triple) for Anderson in an 11-7 win. A split series turned in the Angels’ favor, and Anderson clubbed his second long ball of the series off Mussina in the Game 5 clincher at the Big A. Thankfully, the Yankees never had to face Anderson in the postseason again, as by the time they got their vengeance on the Angels in the 2009 ALCS, he and the club had parted ways, finishing out his career with the Braves and Dodgers.

But there’s one last Anderson/Yankees story to tell. Do you know the answer to the trivia question, “Who has the most runs batted in against the Yankees in a single game?”

By now, you probably have a sneaking suspicion, and it’s correct: Garret Anderson. On August 21, 2007, he laced a two-run double off Mussina in the first, drove in Vladimir Guerrero in the second with another double to right off Moose, drilled a three-run shot off Edwar Ramírez in the third, and deposited a grand slam into the right field seats in the sixth off Sean Henn.

By the time the game had mercifully ended in an 18-9 Angels victory, Anderson had accrued 10 runs batted in — a pretty decent month all in one day! To this day, he is one of just 16 players in MLB history since 1900 with a 10-RBI day, just like 2005 Alex Rodriguez.

When Anderson finally retired ahead of the 2011 season, the Yankees were certainly glad to see one of their greatest pests leave the field for the final time — the ultimate sign of respect you can give an opposing player. He was voted into the Angels Hall of Fame in 2016, and it probably felt fitting that the ceremony took place before a game against those same Yankees.

Rest in peace, Garret; we wish your family the best.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (9-9)

SYRACUSE 5, SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 3 (BOX)

Ronny Mauricio had himself a day in Buffalo, going 3-4 with a dinger and a stolen base. Jack Wenninger continued to build his case as a future big leaguer, tossing five and a third innings of one-run ball, giving up just three hits and two walks against five strikeouts.

• CF Nick Morabito: 1-4, R, K
• SS Ronny Mauricio: 3-4, 2 R, HR, RBI, SB
• RF Ryan Clifford: 0-3, BB
• DH Ji Hwan Bae: 2-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K
• 2B Jackson Cluff: 0-4, 2 K
• LF Cristian Pache: 0-4, 2 K
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 2-4, R, HR, RBI
• 1B Trace Willhoite: 0-3, K
• C Onix Vega: 0-2, K
• P Jack Wenninger: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• P Jonathan Pintaro: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• P Ryan Lambert: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• P Daniel Duarte: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (6-6

BINGHAMTON 4, AKRON 1 (BOX)

Jacob Reimer and Eli Serrano III both collected big hits as the Rumble Ponies evened the season at 6-6. The Binghamton pitching staff struck out ten while giving up four hits and six walks in the win.

• 2B Marco Vargas: 1-5, RBI, K, SB
• 3B Jacob Reimer: 1-4, R, 2B, BB, SB
• CF Eli Serrano III: 1-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K
• RF Jose Ramos: 0-4, 2 K
• LF D’Andre Smith: 0-3, BB, K, SB
• C Kevin Parada: 1-2, R, 2B, 2 BB, SB
• 1B Nick Lorusso: 0-3, R, BB, K
• DH Matt Rudick: 0-2, 2 BB, K
• SS Wyatt Young: 1-4, RBI, 2 K
• P Joander Suarez: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• P Brian Metoyer: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• P Gabriel Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• P Carlos Guzman: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (3-9)

GREENSBORO 3, BROOKLYN 2 (BOX)

Hoss Brewer gave up two runs in the Cyclones loss to the Grasshoppers. Mitch Voit hit a home run, but the rest of the Brooklyn offense was more or less asleep, with just two hits on the day.

• SS Mitch Voit: 1-3, R, HR, RBI, BB
• 2B Antonio Jimenez: 0-4, E
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-4, 2 K
• CF John Bay: 1-3, R, 2B
• C Ronald Hernandez: 0-2, RBI, BB, E
• 3B Colin Houck: 0-4, 3 K
• 1B Yohairo Cuevas: 0-3, K
• LF Kevin Villavicencio: 0-3, K
• RF Diego Mosquera: 0-2, K
• P Wyatt Hudepohl: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
• P Bryce Jenkins: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• P Hoss Brewer: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• P Joe Charles: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• P Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (6-7)

ST. LUCIE 6, DAYTONA 4 (BOX)

St. Lucie jumped out to an early lead, but had to claw back after Joel Lara gave up three earned runs in the bottom of the third. Conner Ware was the star of the bullpen, tossing five innings of relief while allowing just one run on two hits and four walks, while striking out seven.

• SS Elian Peña: 1-4, R, BB, K
• 3B Sam Robertson: 1-4, R, BB, K, SB
• LF Randy Guzman: 1-3, RBI, 2 BB, E
• DH Julio Zayas: 1-5, R, RBI, K
• 1B AJ Salgado: 1-4, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB, K
• RF JT Benson: 0-4, 2 K
• C Chase Meggers: 2-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K
• 2B Branny De Oleo: 0-4, 2 K
• CF Sam Biller: 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB, K
• P Joel Lara: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• P Caden Wooster: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• P Conner Ware: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K

Rookie: FCL Mets (0-0)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Ronny Mauricio

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Colin Houck