Pelicans pitcher Mason McGwire was named Minor League Pitcher of the Week. That’s for all the minors.

Catcher Owen Ayers was named Midwest League Player of the Week. He was also promoted to Double-A Knoxville.

For the second-straight week, Smokies right-hander Grant Kipp was named Southern League Pitcher of the week.

Corner infielder Cole Mathis was promoted from Low-A Myrtle Beach to High-A South Bend.

Shortstop Geuri Lubo was promoted to South Bend from rookie ball Mesa Cubs.

Right-handed pitchers Daniel Avitia and Connor Knox were both promoted to South Bend from Mesa.

Catcher Miguel Useche was demoted from Knoxville to South Bend.

South Bend third baseman Brian Kalmer was released.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were battered by the Louisville Bats (Reds), 10-3.

Starter Paul Campbell took the loss after getting knocked around for seven runs, six earned, on nine hits over 4.2 innings. He struck out two and walked one.

All three I-Cubs runs came on a three-run home run by left fielder Dylan Carlson in the fourth inning. Carlson was 1 for 4.

Third baseman BJ Murray went 3 for 4 with a double.

Right fielder Chas McCormick was 2 for 3 with a double and one run scored.

Carlson’s home run.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were spotted by the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 4-0.

All four runs in this game scored in the top of the second inning off of Smokies starter Nick Dean. Dean allowed four runs on five hits over three innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Dawson Netz tossed three innings of scoreless relief, giving up just one hit and one walk. Netz struck out four.

DH Andy Garriola went 2 for 4 with a double.

Shortstop Karson Simas was 2 for 4.

Owen Ayers’ Double-A debut was rough. He was 0 for 4 with one strikeout, but the worst part was that he was called for catcher’s interference twice.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs slew the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 16-10.

Kevin Valdez started and put the Cubs in an early hole by surrendering five runs on eight hits over three innings. He struck out four and walked one.

South Bend fought back and took a 10-6 lead after scoring five runs in the top of the eighth. But Nate Williams came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and couldn’t retire a batter. So Ethan Bell relieved Williams and allowed two inherited runners to score, which tied the game up 10-10. But Bell got the win after South Bend scored six runs in the top of the ninth.

The final line on Williams was four runs, two earned, on three walks. For Bell, it was no runs on one hit over two innings. He struck out two and walked one.

Shortstop Miguel Olivo hit his first South Bend home run, a solo home run in the third. Olivo went 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored five times and drove in two.

Right fielder Kade Snell was 2 for 4 with a walk and three RBI.

Third baseman Matt Halbach went 2 for 6 with an RBI double and a two-run single in the ninth.

Left fielder Reginald Preciado was 2 for 4 with two walks and two runs scored.

First baseman Cole Mathis was 1 for 6 in his South Bend debut, but he hit a three-run double in the eighth.

Olivo’s home run.

Mathis’ three-run double.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were hammered by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), 6-2.

Dominick Reid started for the Birds and took the loss after he gave up three runs on five hits over three innings. All three runs came in the second inning. Reid walked two and struck out one.

Right fielder Josiah Hartshorn was 2 for 5 with an RBI single in the seventh inning.

First baseman Michael Carico was 1 for 4 with a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base. He also drove in a run in the seventh with a single.

The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Pittsburgh Pirates scored one run.

Talk about branching paths.

With the Rangers holding a scant 2-1 lead with two outs in the top of the fifth and with two Buccos on the bags for Pittsburgh, Texas hurler Kumar Rocker was nearing that point in the game where he often runs out of bullets. It was at this moment that the fate of tonight’s game was basically decided in an instant.

You’ve heard AJM speak on the most momentum shifting play in baseball, the two-out, three-run home run. Well, Pittsburgh all but enjoyed such an occasion when Oneil Cruz sent one deep to left-center for what looked like his 7th dong of the year, a surely crippling shot.

However, Rangers center fielder Evan Carter sprouted wings and robbed Cruz of providing Pittsburgh with a 4-2 lead as the game was exiting the middle innings.

Who knows what could or would have happened if Carter hadn’t stolen from the Pirates in broad rooflight, right in front of their stunned bullpen.

Would Rocker have been lifted having disappointedly coughed up the lead even though he appeared on his way to a stellar start?

Would an already overworked bullpen be forced to continue eating more innings as this homestand begins?

Would the softer underbelly of the ‘pen be called in, potentially allowing Pittsburgh to blow the game open further?

Would the bats have stayed quiet with all the air squeezed out of the balloon on one swing of Cruz’s bat?

We’ll never have to understand the mysteries of that other universe as Carter showed us the newest most momentum shifting play in baseball.

Buoyed by Carter, the Texas lineup put together a three-run bottom of the inning to turn what could have been a 4-2 deficit into a 5-1 lead that would eventually become the final score. With the win, the Rangers begin their homestand and this series with a victory as they climb back over the .500 hurdle.

Player of the Game: While Carter certainly had the play of the game with his home run thievery, Rocker did collect 17 other outs during his six innings of one run work which deserves a hat tip.

The former Vandy first-rounder was aided by Carter, sure, but he also ultimately allowed just the one run on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts in his first Quality Start of the year and first big league start in which he made it beyond five innings since 6.1 innings against the Detroit Tigers in mid-July of last season.

Up Next: More Pirates and Rangers with RHP fellow Vandy Boy Jack Leiter next up for Texas opposite RHP Braxton Ashcraft for Pittsburgh.

The Wednesday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.

Box Score

The Milwaukee Brewers began a three-game series with the Tigers in Detroit on Tuesday night, and things couldn’t have gone much better for the Crew. Even after a few close calls on the pitching side early, the Brewers pulled away late with some insurance in the seventh before a big eighth inning to win 12-4.

With Keider Montero on the mound for Detroit, he started things off with a harmless inning, working around a two-out single from Jake Bauers. Lefty Kyle Harrison, making his first start in 10 days, hit Gleyber Torres with a pitch before a passed ball by William Contreras allowed Torres to move to second. Harrison settled in from there, recording a lineout from rookie Kevin McGonigle before getting Matt Vierling to fly out.

The Brewers put together some offense in the second, as Garrett Mitchell reached on an infield single (he was initially called out, but the call was overturned upon review), Luis Rengifo walked, and Sal Frelick singled to bring Mitchell in. David Hamilton followed with a bunt single to load the bases. After Blake Perkins struck out, Brice Turang singled home two more.

Turang found himself caught in a rundown between first and second, and Hamilton was thrown out trying to score as Turang tried to get out of the pickle. Contreras flew out to end the inning, but Milwaukee was out to a 3-0 lead.

Harrison allowed a pair of singles in the second but got out of the jam with a strikeout and flyout before Montero bounced back for a 1-2-3 inning in the third.

Harrison once again dealt with traffic in the third. After Perkins very casually robbed what would have been a homer by Jahmai Jones, Harrison allowed a two-out double to McGonigle before walking Matt Vierling. With Dillon Dingler — Detroit’s home run leader — representing the tying run, Harrison set him down with a strikeout to hold the 3-0 lead.

For the fourth consecutive inning to begin the evening, Harrison dealt with traffic as he loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a single. That marked the end of the night for him, as he lasted just three-plus frames on 72 pitches, allowing four hits and three walks, striking out three. Grant Anderson took over from there and immediately got Javier Báez to roll over into a 6-4-3 double play, allowing a run to score but putting the Crew in a good position to escape with minimal damage. Kerry Carpenter pinch-hit for Jones and proceeded to strike out, as Anderson walked the tightrope to keep the lead at 3-1 through four.

Anderson also got the fifth inning, working around a single and recording another double play. Trevor Megill took over in the sixth and recorded a quick 1-2-3 inning as he’s looked much better in his last few outings after being demoted from the closer role last week.

You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned Milwaukee’s offense in a minute. That’s because while all of this was happening, they had four consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. That would continue with two outs — both hard-hit flyouts to the warning track — to begin the seventh as they stretched to 15 consecutive at-bats without reaching base, but Hamilton brought the streak to an end with a single.

Perkins followed with a walk, and after an E1 by reliever Enmanuel De Jesus on a pickoff attempt at second, Turang made him pay and singled Hamilton in to extend the lead to 4-1. Contreras then hit another run-scoring single to make it 5-1 before the inning came to an end on a Bauers groundout.

Aaron Ashby took over for Megill in the bottom of the inning and worked around a pair of walks while recording two strikeouts.

Then things unraveled for Detroit.

Gary Sánchez started the eighth with a triple(!), just the fourth of his career and his first since 2024 (also with the Brewers). Not to be outdone, the rest of the inning went as follows:

• Mitchell triple (6-1 Brewers)
• Rengifo single (7-1 Brewers)
• Frelick walk
• Hamilton single
• Perkins hit by pitch (8-1 Brewers)
• Turang sac fly (9-1 Brewers)
• Contreras single (10-1 Brewers)
• Bauers double (11-1 Brewers)
• Sánchez groundout (12-1 Brewers)
• Mitchell groundout

With a 12-1 lead, Jake Woodford took over for Ashby to close things out. Joey Ortiz, in as a defensive replacement, had an error, but Woodford worked around it for a scoreless eighth.

Detroit’s backup catcher, Jake Rogers, took over on the mound in the ninth and — after striking out Rengifo on a 61.5-mph eephus — worked around two singles for a scoreless inning.

The Tigers finally found some life in the bottom of the ninth, but it was a case of too little, too late. With two outs and a runner on, Wenceel Pérez and McGonigle both singled, and Vierling doubled to cut the score to 12-4 before Dingler flew out to end the game.

It was a strange night for the Brewer offense, as they recorded 16 hits (no homers, just three extra-base hits) and three walks wrapped around 15 consecutive outs in the middle of the game. Hamilton had his best game as a Brewer, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored. Turang went 2-for-5 with a team-high four RBIs, and Contreras, Bauers, and Mitchell each had a pair of hits.

On the mound, Anderson picked up the win as he went two scoreless innings, allowing just one of three inherited runners to score. Megill and Ashby each had a scoreless inning in relief, while Woodford had a scoreless eighth before slipping up a bit in the ninth, allowing three runs on four hits.

The Brewers are back at it tomorrow as they’ll look to secure another series win. Chad Patrick gets the start, with former No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize starting for Detroit. First pitch is at 5:40 p.m. CT.

With the Twins trying to avoid extending their losing streak to 5, Simeon Woods Richardson was tasked with out-dueling the Mets Nolan McLean. The assignment proved to be difficult, as McLean would take a perfect game into the 6th inning. Meanwhile, old nemesis Francisco Lindor smashed a 3-run homer in the third off of SWR, in what looked like, at the time, a killing blow. The next two innings for Simeon went by scoreless, but as McLean continued to deal, it was looking like it would be the Mets that would end their 11 game losing streak.

However, Matt Wallner broke up the perfect game and no-hitter with a single to left leading off the 6th inning. Then, two outs later, Byron Buxton blasted his 4th home run of the year to get the Twins within 1. In the 7th, a Kody Clemens double followed by a Luke Keaschall single tied the game.

The game remained tied until the top of the 9th, with Anthony Banda, Justin Topa, and Cole Sands tossing scoreless innings after SWR exited. Josh Bell and Ryan Jeffers led off with walks. Then Clemens laid down a sacrifice bunt up the first baseline and Vientos tried to get the out at 3rd but failed, loading the bases. Keaschall hit a single past the drawn-in infield for an RBI, then Wallner walked to force in another run to make it 5-3, Twins.

Austin Warren relieved Devin Williams, striking out the next three Twins, but the damage was done. Cole Sands pitched a shutout 9th to end the 4-game losing streak, and extend the Mets losing streak to 12.

Studs:

Byron Buxton: 1-5, HR, 2 RBI

Luke Keaschall: 2-4, 2 RBI

Kody Clemens: 1-3, 2B, R

Cole Sands: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K

Duds:

NO DUDS TWINS WIN!

Birmingham never wins the West Valley League baseball championship. But the Patriots are certainly putting themselves within striking distance of first-place El Camino Real.

They remained one game behind El Camino Real after an 8-0 win over Granada Hills on Tuesday in which Carlos Acuna gave up one hit in six innings and struck out 11. He also had two hits. Sebastian Valadez and Toni Mendoza each had two hits and two RBIs.

El Camino Real and Birmingham play a two-game series beginning April 29.

Harvard-Westlake 2, St. Francis 0: Junior Justin Kirchner threw six scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts and Ira Rootman had a home run and two RBIs.

Loyola 9, Bishop Alemany 3: Sophomore Austin Junk had a three-run home run and double and Luca Marucci also homered in the Cubs' Mission League win. Mikey Martinez homered for Alemany.

Chaminade 12, Crespi 5: Bronson Jackson, Isaiah Hearn and Robby Morgan each hit home runs in the Mission League win. Kystan Bell had three hits for Crespi.

St. John Bosco 6, Servite 0: Julian Garcia showed off overpowering stuff, striking out 12 with no walks while giving up two hits to help the Braves (17-5, 9-1) remain in first place in the Trinity League. Jaden Jackson had two hits and two RBIs.

Orange Lutheran 6, Santa Margarita 3: The top-ranked Lancers scored four runs in the seventh to overcome a 3-2 deficit. Hamilton Friedberg had three hits and three RBIs and CJ Weinstein added three hits.

Mater Dei 6, JSerra 5: Logan Miller had two hits and two RBIs for the Monarchs. Blake Bowen, Brise Boop and Owen Mescall hit home runs for JSerra.

Newbury Park 6, Calabasas 5: Jack Laubacher had two hits and three RBIs in the Panthers' eight-inning win.

Westlake 5, Thousand Oaks 3: The Warriors stayed in first place in the Marmonte League. Jaxson Necklen hit two home runs and Blake Miller added a home run, double, single and two RBIs.

Newport Harbor 8, Fountain Valley 1: Gavin Guy threw six innings in the Sunset League win.

Huntington Beach 6, Los Alamitos 3: Jared Grindlinger hit two doubles to keep Huntington Beach unbeaten in the Sunset League.

Gahr 2, Warren 1: Andres Gonzalez hit a two-run home run in the first inning for Gahr.

La Mirada 6, Downey 1: Michael Burgueno went four for four and Jacob Oropeza contributed two doubles.

San Clemente 4, Aliso Niguel 1: Bob Erspamer gave up two hits with six strikeouts in a complete game.

Villa Park 5, Anaheim Canyon 2: Jack McGuire struck out 10. Aidan Young had two hits and two RBIs.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On April 21, 2024, the Braves began the day with a six-game winning streak. It ended in fairly routine fashion: the Braves took an early 3-0 lead over the Rangers, but Darius Vines couldn’t prop it up, and they lost, 6-4. That was the last time (before now) the Braves had a winning streak of six games or more when the wins actually mattered. On April 21, 2026, the Braves also began the day with a six-game winning streak. This one ended in far more ignominious fashion, as the pitching (and defense) had a horrific day en route to an 11-4 walloping at the hands of the Washington Nationals.

Though many Braves arms struggled in this one, Reynaldo Lopez set the tone, or whatever the correct idiom is for being horrendous out of the gate. When Bryce Elder struggled early in the series opener on Monday night, it was attributed to a mechanics deficiency associated with the cold weather, and, perhaps, the dreaded “road pitcher first inning penalty” associated with a starter warming up and then having to sit before going back out and pitching. I don’t know if either of those two reasons applied to Lopez tonight, but either way, it was just terrible.

Lopez’ first pitch of the night was a sub-89 mph “fastball,” and that was only the beginning of his issues. For the entirety of that inning, his pitches were either nowhere near the zone, or basically right down the middle. Walk-single-single plated the first run, then there was another walk, then a run-scoring walk on five pitches that all missed the zone, and then a bloop hit to make it 3-0. Lopez managed to get out of the inning with some pitches that were in the middle of the zone but taken or mishit, but it wasn’t a very good start.

And then got it far worse, when he once again could barely flirt with the strike zone against James Wood to start the second, only to throw a 93 mph fastball on a full count that caught enough of the zone to be absolutely obliterated into left field. I’ve seen fielders stop and watch (or not watch) on pulled homers before, but on an opposite field shot on a cold day? Yowza. A single by the next batter chased Lopez, who had one of the worst outings of his career in this one — a 1/3 K/BB ratio and a homer allowed while getting just three outs.

The procession of Braves’ pitchers that followed Lopez wasn’t much better. Jose Suarez actually pitched three scoreless frames with four strikeouts… but he also walked four, including three in his final inning of work before escaping with a weak flyout. Dylan Dodd got two strikeouts and a pop out (great), but was victimized by a couple of bloops that led to the fifth Washington run. After Aaron Bummer mercifully worked a 1-2-3 frame with a strikeout, the Braves gave Ian Hamilton a shot to do something… and it went terribly. A couple of walks and a single loaded the bases, and then Luis Garcia Jr. hit a mediocre line drive into the right-center gap that should’ve been caught, except Ronald Acuña Jr. basically flubbed the catch, leading to two more runs. A groundout scored another. So, then, the Braves went with Joel Payamps, who issued two walks ahead of a three-run homer by Curtis Mead, who entered the game in the middle innings as a pinch-hitter.

Basically, in this game, the Braves’ arms walked twelve Nats, only struck out ten, and gave up two homers. Gross. Both Lopez and Grant Holmes feel like they’re going to be bullpen-bound eventually. Before the season, I surmised that they’d be deficient in availability and not performance, but instead, it’s been the opposite: no injury troubles yet, but other than whatever results they’re scrounging up from pitching in front of a defense that’s played well, they’ve been disappointing.

Offensively, the Braves did some stuff, but they couldn’t really keep up with the 11-run drubbing that their soft underbelly arms (and Lopez) handed to the Nationals on a gilded platter. The first inning had a bizarre sequence where, with Laz Diaz behind the plate, both Acuña and Nationals catcher Drew Millas challenged consecutive pitches, with neither challenge succeeding and Acuña striking out. Back-to-back doubles by Mauricio Dubon and Michael Harris II plated a run against Foster Griffin in the second, and Drake Baldwin took him deep in the third. Eli White then collected his first homer on the year with a hard shot into the right-field corner, which pulled the Braves within one, until the Other Relievers gave it all back and then some. The Braves scored their fourth and final run on a bizarre play that went 3-6-3 but wasn’t a double play, as the throw from the first baseman was not anywhere near the second base bag but ended up being corralled and returned to first for an out anyway. Braves batters ran a fine 6/3 K/BB ratio and hit two bombs to go with three doubles. The problem was that a bunch of their grounders didn’t get through (seven different grounders off Braves’ bats went 100+ mph but turned into outs)… and also that the pitching was really bad.

Well, tomorrow is a new day and a chance to start another, and hopefully longer, streak. Thankfully, whatever the Mets are doing right now is not baseball but rather some kind of abstract performance art trying to communicate the flavor of despair, and the Phillies currently resemble the zombies in a cerca-1988 straight-to-TV zombie movie, so the Braves can afford a pitching stinker like this one. But it’s more fun when they don’t do that and just hit a bunch of dingers and win.

The nightmare in Flushing continued Tuesday night and it’s getting late early at Citi Field.

As their season spirals down the drain, the Mets lost their 12th straight game on Tuesday, this one 5-3 to the Twins.

They expected it to be loud in Queens and it eventually was, as the Mets blew a three-run lead, didn’t get a hit after the fifth inning and then saw Devin Williams implode in a tie game in the top of the ninth.

It left the Mets at a new low point in 2026, with the worst record in the majors (7-16) and little reason for optimism that their fortunes will change anytime soon. No team has ever reached the playoffs after dropping 12 consecutive games.

“It’s not an easy situation,’’ Carlos Mendoza said. “We understand where we’re at, but there’s also a lot in front of us. We’ve got to go out and do it. The history will tell you otherwise, but we still believe in the players. It takes one.”

At this point, it’s hard to know when that one will come, as they’re in the middle of the franchise’s longest skid since another 12-game losing streak in 2002 — and they’re creeping closer to the team record of 17 set in 1962.

“We’re all very aware of it,’’ Francisco Lindor said of the streak.

Lindor seemingly had the Mets on their way to a different outcome, hitting a three-run homer in the bottom of the third and Nolan McLean didn’t allow a base runner until the sixth inning.

But if we know anything about this Mets team, it’s that they simply don’t do easy victories.

Or, these days, they don’t do victories… at all.

Everything went downhill after the sixth, as the Mets got just one hit the rest of the way, the Twins rallied to tie the game in the seventh and went ahead in the ninth.

The new rock bottom for the season came as Williams, off to a horrendous start as closer in Queens, walked the first two batters he faced in the top of the ninth and they didn’t record an out when Kody Clemens bunted to first and Mark Vientos tried to get the force at third, but his throw was too late.

With the bases loaded and the infield in, Luke Keaschall hit a chopper through the left side of the infield to give the Twins the lead. 

Williams followed by walking Matt Wallner to force in a run, exiting to a loud chorus of boos.

Austin Warren entered and kept it close by incredibly striking out the next three batters, drawing several loud ovations.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

But there was no rally in the bottom of the ninth.

“It’s tough, man,’’ Williams said. “I’ve never been a part of something like this. I think we just need to get the one win out of the way and I think everything else will take care of itself. But it’s obviously proving pretty difficult right now.”

McLean, who also took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Giants on April 3, remained perfect through the fifth before faltering in the sixth.

Wallner led off the inning by breaking McLean’s bid for perfection with a single to left.

McLean then got Royce Lewis to fly to right and then whiffed Brooks Lee for the second out.

But Byron Buxton followed with a two-run shot to left on a 3-1 cutter to make it a one-run game.

McLean got out of the inning with the Mets still up by a run, but gave up the lead in the seventh thanks to a Clemens double and a base hit by Keaschall.

Following a visit to the mound, McLean allowed a hard-hit grounder up the middle to Wallner, but Lindor stabbed it and got the out at first to preserve the tie.

But not for long.

And the Mets are searching for answers, with Lindor knowing there’s only one way to change the course of the season: “By winning.”

The New York Mets' losing streak has reached 12 games.

The Mets blew a 3-0 lead in a 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, April 21. Mets relief pitcher Devin Williams allowed two runs without getting an out in the top of the ninth as Minnesota pulled away for the victory.

The Mets (7-16) have been one of the biggest disappointments to start the 2026 MLB season. Superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor is slugging just .341 with two home runs so far this season. The Mets' big offseason acquisition in Bo Bichette is doing even worse. However, the biggest disappointment is their record.

The 12-game skid makes the Mets the first team to lose that many games consecutively since the 2022 Los Angeles Angels lost 14 consecutive games. You heard that right. Even the historically bad 2024 Chicago White Sox and 2025 Colorado Rockies never experienced losing streaks of this magnitude.

The Mets — sitting in last place in the NL East — are the owners of the worst record in the National League. The Met's next chance to put their embarrassing losing streak to an end comes on Wednesday, April 22 against the Twins (7:10 p.m. ET). Giving the Mets some hope moving forward will be the return of Juan Soto from a calf strain that has sidelined the outfielder since April 4.

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