The two-time All-Star left his Thursday afternoon start against the Diamondbacks in the second inning after a concerning drop in his fastball velocity.
Woodruff, whose heater has averaged 92.5 mph this season, per Baseball Savant, did not throw a fastball above 86.9 mph during his 21-pitch outing Thursday.
Brandon Woodruff was pulled in the second inning of his start today.
His fastball velocity was in the mid-80s after being in the low-90s in his previous outings this year pic.twitter.com/WINt00WHZa
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff walks off the mound with an injury in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
After he delivered an 83.8 mph cutter for a ball to Arizona batter Nolan Arenado in the top of the second inning, Brewers manager Pat Murphy and the team’s training staff immediately came out of the dugout to check on their starter.
Following a brief visit, Woodruff handed the ball over to Murphy and walked off the mound with trainer Brad Epstein.
“He wasn’t himself,” Murphy later said to Brewers.TV reporter Sophia Minnaert during a mid-game interview. “He felt kind of dead. He said he didn’t feel any pain, just nothing was coming out. We’ve seen a little bit of this, but never at this level, where he can’t get the ball over 85 mph.
“He’s so important to us. We’re not going to risk anything, maybe long-term by having him try to step on it.”
Woodruff was in the midst of a solid 2026, sporting a 2-1 record with a 3.77 ERA and 23 strikeouts across 28.1 innings. Getty Images
Entering play Thursday, Woodruff was in the midst of a solid 2026, sporting a 2-1 record with a 3.77 ERA and 23 strikeouts across 28.1 innings.
Woodruff, who missed most of the past two seasons due to injury, recorded at least five innings in each of his first five starts.
He missed all of 2024 after undergoing right shoulder surgery to repair his anterior capsule and despite returning to the mound last season, managed just 12 starts before going down with a season-ending lat strain.
If Woodruff misses an extended stretch, the Brewers – who traded ace Freddy Peralta and swingman Tobias Myers to the Mets during the offseason – will have to lean on their depth to cover his absence.
Flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, Kyle Harrison and a healthy Woodruff have been solid to begin the season for Milwaukee, which entered play Thursday with a 15-14 record.
“He’s going through this process and hopefully [will] be okay and he’ll work himself into his form,” Murphy added. “Because even with him maybe not throwing his normal 95 he can still get outs and win. As long as he doesn’t risk injury I’ll go with him every time.”
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 30: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in game one of a doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park on April 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 San Francisco Gianta are discovering new ways to lose. In the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader, it was a blown save and a walk-off infield single.
Ryan Walker (0-1) gave up a game-tying triple to Bryson Stott in the 9th inning and Stott scored on Justin Crawford’s two-out infield single to give the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 comeback win. The blown save wasted an excellent pitching effort from Logan Webb and some standout defensive plays to drop the Giants to 13-17.
The game began with such promise. With a 9:30 AM local start, earlier than some of your favorite McCovey Chronicles scribes generally wake up, the Giants put together a first-inning rally that made some early risers rub their eyes in disbelief. Two doubles? In a row? One of which only advanced the runner on second base to third?
It was not a dream. Heliot Ramos started off his three-hit afternoon (with a walk!) with a double to center, then Matt Chapman doubled off the wall for an almost-home run. According to @MLBNearHR, an invaluable resource on X.com the everything app, Chapman’s blast would have been a home run in another major league ballpark! Well, one of them at least.
🚨 NEAR HOME RUN! 🚨
Matt Chapman (San Francisco Giants) vs Cristopher Sánchez (Philadelphia Phillies) 💨 100.1 mph 📐 27.0° 📏 354.0 ft 📍 Top 1 inning 🏟️ Citizens Bank Park Would be a HR in 1/30 ballparks! Result: Double
Thinking the ball might be caught, Ramos only advanced to third, but it didn’t matter after Contact King Luis Arraez came through with an RBI groundout to second. Casey Schmidt and his .523 slugging percentage followed with an RBI single and the Giants had a 2-0 lead against 6-foot-6 Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez.
The Phillies cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning when Webb left a 3-2 cutter over the middle of the plate and Kyle Schwarber hit it halfway to Scranton for his 350th career home run. That tied two-time Giants All-Star Charles “Chili” Davis on the all-time list.
Davis left the Giants as a free agent primarily because of how much he hated playing in Candlestick Park to which we say: Fair.
That was the lone run allowed by Webb, who went seven innings and gave up seven hits and two walks, while striking out six. It wasn’t the cleanest appearance, but Webb consistently pitched his way out of jams.
In both the 3rd and 5th innings, Webb wisely walked Schwarber with one out, then got Bryce Harper to ground into an inning-ending double play, the second handled by Willy Adames all by himself.
In the fourth, Adolis Garcia singled on a ball he lined off Webb’s inner thigh, then Brandon Marsh followed with an opposite-field double that rolled about 170 feet past a shifted infield to put runners on second and third with no outs.
But Webb got a strikeout, then got a great play by Matt Chapman throwing out Garcia at the plate. After a successful bunt single by Crawford loaded the bases and deeply confused the Giants broadcasters, who weren’t sure why he opted for a two-out bunt with a runner in scoring position and an .085 hitter on deck. Said hitter, catcher Rafael Marchan, grounded out to Rafael Devers on a play that nearly paralyzed the still-new first-sacker with indecision at first.
No outs with runners on second and third, and Logan Webb got out of the jam 👏 pic.twitter.com/IBGf5RBbcn
In the 7th inning, Patrick Bailey, who went 1-for-4, made a great play to throw out Crawford trying to steal for Webb’s penultimate out. Surely Crawford’s speed wouldn’t hurt them later!
While Webb was thwarting the Phillies, the Giants’ bats weren’t doing much damage against Sanchez, who gave up two runs, four hits, and three walks while striking out seven in 6.2 innings. Ramos singled and Chapman walked in the 5th, but Sanchez got Arraez to fly out and battled back from a 3-0 count to retire Schmidt.
After the first inning, Sanchez allowed just one hit and two walks. Twice, Sanchez retired eight hitters in a row. Ramos and Chapman gave him trouble, which is why he was pulled for Orion Kerkering with Ramos coming up with two outs in the 7th.
The Giants threatened again in the 8th when Chapman and Schmidt both singled. Left Tanner Banks relieved Kerkering and struck out Devers and retired Adames. They got two more runners on in the 8th when Ramos and Bailey got hits with two outs, but Chase Shugart struck out Chapman to end the inning and eventually earn his first win of the season.
They had chances to pad their lead, but the Giants are like a California homeowner near an earthquake fault line: It’s way harder than it should be to get insurance.
In the 9th, Garcia got his second infield hit of the game on a ball Arraez knocked down on the far side of second base but couldn’t throw him out. Then defensive positioning hurt the Giants again when Stott pulled a ball down the right field line with Jung Hoo Lee shifted well into center field against the left-handed batter. Lee had to run forever to get the ball and Stott got an easy triple.
Manager Tony Vitello made defensive substitutions for the bottom of the 7th, bringing in Drew Gilbert to play center and moving Lee to right. The move may have been motivated by the left-handed Sanchez exiting the game, though Gilbert had to face a lefty in the 9th anyway.
Vitello may have also been motivated by Encarnacion’s own defense, specifically when he clearly believed there were only two outs when he caught an inning-ending fly ball in the second inning. He received a razzing from his teammates and an adorable thumbs-up from Lee.
The Giants gave Encarnación a hard time after he appeared to forget how many outs there were in the bottom of the second 😂 pic.twitter.com/D5BdSqaNVW
The Giants don’t have time to dwell on the loss since they’re making like Ernie Banks and play9ing two. Don’t eat too many hoagies from Wawa or fill up on Tastykakes during the break, fellas!
Los Angeles Kings forwards Andrei Kuzmenko and Scott Laughton are both due for new contracts this summer as pending UFAs.
On Wednesday, the duo spoke with the media at the end-of-season press conference and were asked about their intentions and future with the Kings organization.
Both Kuzmenko and Laughton gave different answers in terms of their interest in signing a contract extension with Los Angeles, one more encouraging than the other.
"The interest level is high for me, for sure," Laughton told reporters. "The opportunity I was given here, the guys here, the staff, the way I was treated, my family came down and absolutely loved it... so yeah, the interest level is high."
Laughton featured in 21 games for the Kings this year in the regular season. He put up five goals and eight points while averaging 15:46 of ice time in Los Angeles, which is more than two minutes compared to his stint with the Maple Leafs this season.
The veteran center added that "the culture and the players in place" give him a real reason to stay, too.
Furthermore, earlier this week, David Pagnotta believes that the Kings will take a chance at keeping Laughton. The NHL insider also shared that clarity on who the next head coach will be for Los Angeles is a big part of that potential agreement.
Scott Laughton (Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images)
Kings coach D.J. Smith utilized Laughton well, but he was just an interim bench boss for the dismissal of Jim Hiller. The expectation is that Holland will provide an update on whether Smith is staying on board or if the organization will look for a different candidate.
At any rate, the interest is there for Laughton to stay, as he puts it. The 31-year-old just wrapped up a five-year contract that carried a $3-million salary cap hit.
The Russian left winger completed the regular season with 13 goals and 25 points in 52 appearances. He inked a one-year deal with the Kings last summer, at a $4.3-million cap hit.
If Kuzmenko does move on from the Kings to another NHL club, it'll be the fifth team he's suited up for in the past three years.
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The Detroit Pistons leaned on their size in Game 5 to keep this series alive, but that kind of emphasis typically invites adjustments in the postseason.
If nothing else, the Orlando Magic shouldn’t allow the boards to be dominated again.
Jalen Duren isn’t getting anywhere near his usual offensive workload in this series. The Detroit Pistons center hasn’t cleared 12 points in a game after averaging 19.5 in the regular season, largely because he’s taking just 7.6 shots per game compared to 11.5.
Even with four second-chance points on five offensive rebounds in Game 5, Duren finished with just 12 points.
Don’t expect him to shine offensively. The postseason isn’t built for players like Duren to score in volume.
SGP leg #2: Jalen Duren Under 9.5 rebounds (-155)
Duren has yet to reach double-digit rebounds in this series after averaging 10.5 per game in the regular season. Even with five offensive boards in Game 5, he finished with just nine total rebounds.
This leg is heavily juiced, but that doesn’t deter this same-game parlay, as the Orlando Magic’s Game 6 adjustment should further limit Duren’s rebounding.
SGP leg #3: Magic +3 (-110)
If Duren is slowed in Game 6, Orlando should continue its trend of going 4-1 against the spread in this series, exceeding bookmakers’ expectations by more than seven points per game — even including the lone ATS loss.
Get Douglas Farmer's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Pistons vs Magic predictions for Game 6.
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The Buffalo Sabres head to TD Garden with another chance to close out their series against the Boston Bruins in Game 6 tonight.
My top Sabres vs. Bruins predictions and NHL picks are backing Buffalo to punch its ticket to Round 2 on Friday, May 1.
Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. ET in Boston, with the game airing on TNT and Sportsnet 360.
UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.
Sabres vs Bruins Game 6 prediction
Who will win Sabres vs Bruins Game 6?
Buffalo Sabres: This is a letdown spot for the Bruins after leaving it all on the line to eke out the Game 5 win on the road.
Buffalo won both of the first two games in Boston, and the Sabres have won the possession and expected goals battle at five-on-five, so I fully expect the series to end in Game 6.
Sabres vs Bruins best bet: Sabres moneyline (-115)
Jeremy Swayman stole Game 5 for the Boston Bruins with seven high-danger saves and 2.80 goals saved above expected, and I fully expect a dip from Swayman to allow the Buffalo Sabres to capitalize on enough chances to win Game 6.
Swayman’s scattered just 0.71 GSAx across the other four games of the series, after all.
Buffalo has also dominated the time of possession at 5-on-5 with a 55.6 Corsi For percentage, and the Sabres held the Bruins to just 11 goals and 15.56 expected goals through five games, including only 2.75 xGF at TD Garden.
Sabres vs Bruins Game 6 same-game parlay
Don’t let some of the high scores in this series fool you. Boston has only scored once in the first period through five games, and four of Buffalo’s five first-period goals came in Game 4. With another elimination game on tap, expect to see attention to defensive detail to be on full display.
Turning to the final leg of this same-game parlay, Alex Tuch has been a force for the Sabres. He found the scoresheet in each of the first four games of the series and has been on the ice for an impressive 8.89 expected goals.
The eight-time, 20-goal scorer continues to generate quality scoring opportunities, and he’s receiving consistent top-six minutes at 5-on-5 while also jumping the boards with the No. 1 power-play unit, so he's in the right role to break through in Game 6.
The Buffalo Sabres have won 19 of their last 25 away games (+14.25 Units / 50% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Bruins.
How to watch Sabres vs Bruins Game 6
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Friday, May 1, 2026
Puck drop
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN, Sportsnet 360
Sabres vs Bruins latest injuries
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BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: The sneakers worn by Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers announced Thursday that its G-League affiliate South Bay Lakers will no longer play their home games at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, instead moving the team to the Greater Palm Springs region and renaming them the Coachella Valley Lakers.
At the start of the 2026-27 NBA G-League season, the Coachella Valley Lakers will play their home games Acrisure Arena, an 11,000-max capacity multi-purpose event venue in Palm Desert.
"I have enjoyed a long-time relationship with Jerry and Jeanie Buss, Lon Rosen and Linda Rambis. And I am beyond thrilled to have the Coachella Valley Lakers call OVG’s Acrisure Arena their home. Go Lakers," Oak View Group Senior Partner Irving Azoff said in a news release.
The venue has been mainly used for concerts, comedy shows and hockey games. The facility serves as the home of the American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The Lakers have also hosted a couple of NBA preseason games at Acrisure Arena in 2024, against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns on Oct. 4 and 6, respectively.
"Moving the Lakers G League team to the Coachella Valley is an incredible opportunity for the organization,” Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen said in a press release. “The Lakers have had a strong presence in the region for decades, from the Showtime Lakers holding training camp in the 1980s to more recent preseason games.
"We are looking forward to extending that experience and becoming a staple for Coachella Valley sports and entertainment. Acrisure Arena is the perfect modern venue that provides an incredible fan-first experience, while ensuring players have the premium facilities and space they need on game day."
Season ticket deposits starting at $100 per account are available online at coachellavalleylakers.com. Season tickets are fully refundable at the time of seat selection, the team said.
In two decades, the franchise has recorded 60 NBA call-ups across 38 players.
The Lakers' G-League team has a knack for finding raw talent and developing them into quality NBA talent, from current Laker Austin Reaves, two-time champion Alex Caruso, NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball and even Kyle Kuzma, who played a role in the Lakers' 2020 NBA championship.
And it's been the case most recently with Bronny James Jr., Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, Kobe Bufkin and Nick Smith Jr. This past season, the South Bay Lakers clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 26-10 regular-season record.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 28: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals hits a single in the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on April 28, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats won yet another road series with a gutsy 5-4 win against the Mets. It was a glorious win for the Nats and an agonizing loss for the Mets, who are now a shocking 10-21. This game was always going to be decided by a clutch hit, and the Nats were the team that got the big hit when it mattered most.
Going back to the very start of the game, this contest could have been very different if not for an insane defensive play by James Wood. The Nats 6’6 right fielder needed every inch to rob a Juan Soto home run. Wood made another great defensive play later in the game. It really feels like Wood is much more comfortable out in right field.
Perhaps powered by the momentum from that play, the Nats offense went to work in the second inning. After a Jorbit Vivas single, a ground ball hit to the pitcher by Nasim Nunez led to Vivas scoring all the way from first after a comedy of errors by Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta. Jacob Young then delivered later in the inning, driving in Nunez on a base hit.
After the Nats tacked on another run in the third, and now it was up to Miles Mikolas to make the 3-0 lead stick. Ultimately, he was not able to. The Mets put together a two out rally in the third that was punctuated by a three run homer by MJ Melendez on a pitch that was about head high.
It is tough to blame Mikolas for allowing that homer. A red hot hitter just put a crazy swing on a well executed pitch. In his last few outings, Mikolas has thrown the ball better. He only went four innings today, but he gave the Nats a chance to win.
After that, it was a deadlock for a little while. Both offenses went quiet in the middle innings. That is until the Mets got something going against Mitchell Parker in the 6th. Mark Vientos made the Nats pay for pitching around Juan Soto, driving him in on an rbi double.
Mitchell Parker was far from excellent and did not have his best stuff, but he did well to only allow one run in his three innings of work. That set the stage for the fateful 8th inning. Luis Garcia Jr. led things off with a knock. After Daylen Lile hustled to beat out a double play, it was up to CJ Abrams.
After briefly going cold, the Alien announced he was officially back. He destroyed a Luke Weaver changeup. Abrams knew he got it, pointing into his dugout to fire up his teammates. Citi Field was stunned as Abrams rounded the bases to make it a 5-4 ballgame.
However, the work was still far from finished. The Nats bullpen needed six outs against a Mets team that was desperate to comeback. After a Juan Soto double, Richard Lovelady got two key outs before turning things over to Gus Varland.
It was now up to Varland to get the four biggest outs of the game. He got Tyrone Taylor to end the 8th for the first out. After not adding an insurance run due to some poor base running and situational baseball, it was time for Varland to hold his nerve.
When I talked to Varland a few weeks ago, he talked about how he has been on a journey to find confidence. He felt like his mindset was in the best place it had been in a long time. Varland would need that confident mindset to hold on and get the win.
He got two quick outs, but allowed a double to Francisco Alvarez. With a full count to Ronny Mauricio, the gutsy Varland fired off a perfect slider, which got him the strikeout. Varland pumped his fist as the Nats improved to 15-17 and won yet another road series.
Washington Nationals Gus Varland seals Nationals' 5-4 win!
The Nats are now 12-7 on the road, but they need to show that they can carry some of this momentum to Nationals Park, where they are 3-10. This was a fun and satisfying win. Extending Mets fans’ misery gives me great joy. The Nats did that with a nice team win this afternoon.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 29: Austin Reaves of Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the NBA playoffs game 5 between Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets at the Crypto.com Arena on April 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
He received a loud ovation from Lakers fans and played like he didn’t miss a beat. Reaves was back, knocking down shots, drawing fouls and injecting the team with his try-hard energy.
The result didn’t go in LA’s way, as they lost to Houston, but after the game, Reaves talked about enjoying the moment and feeding off the energy the home fans gave him.
“As I ran out tonight, for the first time in a long time, I got a really good chills feeling with the atmosphere, the crowd,” Reaves said. “And I think that’s just because when something you love is taken away from you for four weeks with an injury and then you get, like I said, thrown in the fire in a game like this. I could say I wouldn’t want it any other way, but I kind of do, but it was a lot of fun.”
Ideally, Reaves would’ve never gotten hurt and could’ve played in all these games, but the fact that he was able to come back and be this impactful immediately is a testament to his quality as a player and the competitive fire he has.
Austin Reaves’ return for Game 5 wasn’t a surprise considering that he was questionable for Games 3 and 4, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. With Reaves dealing with a Grade 2 oblique strain, which typically takes 4-6 weeks to recover from, the Lakers weren’t expecting him to play during the first round.
Not only did he come back earlier than expected, but if they advance to the second round, it’ll likely be because of Reaves’ play.
After the game, Reaves talked about the effort he’s put into getting back as soon as possible.
“It’s been a grind,” Reaves said. “I’ve been running around Los Angeles doing everything I could possibly do to get back to this moment. We’ve done it and it feels good. I love playing basketball. It’s my happy place and it was nice to get back out there. Obviously, I wish I played a little better. I wish I made a couple more shots. But at the end of the day, I had fun out there and it was good to compete.”
While Reaves’ return was the only good news the Lakers got from Game 5, it is a positive update. Reaves is back, played well, and if he can replicate that for Game 6, hopefully, it means there won’t be a Game 7.
These are the moments players live for, and thanks to his recovery, Reaves is in a position to have a special moment in this series and help LA finally eliminate this pesky Rockets squad.
The South Bay Lakers will be renamed the Coachella Valley Lakers and will relocate to the Greater Palm Springs region.
The Lakers are relocating and renaming their South Bay G League team, with the transition happening ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The South Bay Lakers will be renamed the Coachella Valley Lakers and will relocate to the Greater Palm Springs region, playing their home games at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, the team announced on Thursday.
“Moving the Lakers G League team to the Coachella Valley is an incredible opportunity for the organization,” Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen said in a statement.
The South Bay Lakers will be renamed the Coachella Valley Lakers and will relocate to the Greater Palm Springs region.Google The South Bay Lakers will be renamed the Coachella Valley Lakers and will relocate to the Greater Palm Springs region. The South Bay Lakers will be renamed the Coachella Valley Lakers and will relocate to the Greater Palm Springs region.NBAE via Getty Images The South Bay Lakers will be renamed the Coachella Valley Lakers and will relocate to the Greater Palm Springs region.Facebook/South Bay Lakers
“The Lakers have had a strong presence in the region for decades, from the Showtime Lakers holding training camp in the 1980s to more recent preseason games. We are looking forward to extending that experience and becoming a staple for Coachella Valley sports and entertainment. Acrisure Arena is the perfect modern venue that provides an incredible fan-first experience, while ensuring players have the premium facilities and space they need on game day,” Rosen added.
The Lakers have played at least one preseason game at Acrisure Arena, which opened in December 2022, every year since 2023.
Acrisure Arena, which has a capacity of around 11,00 spectators, also hosts the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken.
The Lakers G League team went 26-10 during the 2025-26 G League season, securing the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference before falling to the Stockton Kings in the conference finals.
The Lakers G League team started as the Los Angeles D-Fenders in 2006 in the NBA’s D-League (renamed the G League in 2017), playing at the then-Staples Center before moving to the Toyota Sports Center ahead of the 2011-12 season.
The G League team rebranded as the South Bay Lakers in 2017, playing at UCLA Health Training Center over the last nine seasons.
Season ticket deposits, which start at $100 per account and are fully refundable at the time of seat selection, opened to the public starting Thursday.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees runs to the field before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Anthony Volpe’s return from shoulder surgery will probably be judged in extremes. If he comes back looking like the polished two-way shortstop Yankees fans once imagined, every line drive, diving stop, and stolen base will reignite the belief that a true breakout might finally be here.
If the offensive line remains parked where it has spent too much of the last three seasons, the familiar frustrations around strikeouts, on-base percentage, and whether the bat will ever fully arrive will return quickly. The truth, as usual, likely lives somewhere in the middle.
That is what makes Volpe’s 2026 campaign so fascinating. This is less about whether he can suddenly become the star many once hoped for and more about what a healthy, age-25 Anthony Volpe should realistically look like. For Yankees fans, that means separating three different buckets: what to expect, what to accept, and what to hope for from Volpe.
What to expect: Volpe returns as the Yankees’ shortstop
When the Yankees bring Volpe back up to the big league club, it will not be as a bench player. Barring a setback, he is rehabbing to resume being the club’s everyday shortstop. Fans may debate it, but that is the organization’s plan. Even if he’s not playing, say, seven games in seven days because the Yankees aren’t going full-bore yet so early in the season, Volpe will get the vast majority of time at the six.
Players returning from shoulder surgery often need reps for timing, trust, and everyday rhythm to fully return. Entering play yesterday, Volpe had hit .276/.300/.379 in 30 plate appearances while looking steady, but not anything more than that, in the field. That is perfectly fine. The point of rehab is readiness, not domination.
If the shoulder is healthier, the biggest gains may not show up first in the traditional counting stats like batting average and OPS as much as it will in better contact quality, more line drives, and harder hit balls in play. Too much of Volpe’s offensive profile drifted toward weak popups last season as his line-drive percentage fell six percent below his career normal. A compromised shoulder can do that, especially for a hitter whose game depends on quickness through the zone and the ability to drive the gaps.
If the surgery corrected that issue and rehab strengthened it, the expectation should be a healthier version of the player the Yankees already know: not superstardom, but a player entering his prime years who has already shown double-digit power, speed, and quality defense. Thus, fans should expect Volpe to start and have an extended run to fully earn the spot … with the word “earn” meaning he produces slightly better than his career numbers while playing good defense.
What to accept: Caballero has earned a role and is ready
Volpe’s return should not create panic about José Caballero. It should create excitement about roster depth. I am fully on the “start Caballero every day” train, but I also accept that he is a role player with a clearly defined place on this roster. That role is exactly what he has been doing, now with a little whipped cream and a cherry on top at the plate thus far, plus the added value of defensive versatility.
Since Volpe began his rehab assignment, Caballero has been one of the hottest Yankees on the roster. From April 14th onward, he’s hit .347/.396/.510 with two doubles, two homers, six stolen bases, and a .906 OPS, while injecting energy into nearly every game. Aaron Boone acknowledged that reality this week, saying Caballero has “earned a lot of opportunities” and has been “right in the middle of us winning a lot of games.”
That matters. Caballero has provided exactly what winning teams crave from role players: versatility, speed, defensive flexibility, and enough offense to force his way into the lineup.
However, it is worth remembering Caballero got off to a slow start. From opening night against the Giants until April 14th, he was actually hitting a disappointing .179/.220/.286 with a 28.8-percent strikeout rate in 59 at-bats. My colleague Andrés Chávez further broke down Caballero’s contributions in a piece worth reading.
Volpe returning does not mean Caballero disappears. It means Caballero becomes a true utility weapon who can move between shortstop, second base, and third base, even having the ability to man the outfield if a need arises. Amed Rosario should, and will, remain part of that rotation as well.
The Yankees will give Volpe runway to reclaim his everyday role. That is reasonable given what the organization has invested in and communicated about him over the last several years. At the same time, the team now has a much clearer picture of what it has in Caballero and Rosario, and that depth already matters and should continue to matter over the course of the season.
Boone’s comments on Wednesday reinforce that balance. The Yankees still view Volpe as their starting shortstop when healthy, but they have also been clear that Caballero is more than just a placeholder, praising his ability to impact the game in multiple ways and expressing confidence in him holding things down in the meantime.
Fans should resist turning this into a one-week referendum. If Volpe struggles after returning, patience is warranted, even if criticism is fair. If he struggles for a month while Caballero continues producing, then the conversation certainly changes — and that’s to say nothing of top prospect George Lombard Jr., who will likely have his own adjustment period but was just promoted to Triple-A. We have all seen that Caballero can play an effective shortstop and, at least for the half a month of the season, is what we have all hoped Volpe would become at this point of his career offensively.
What to hope for: The Dansby Path
For much of Volpe’s career, he has lived inside comparisons that were never fair to begin with. Because he is a homegrown, righty-hitting shortstop in pinstripes with leadership traits and polished media instincts, the Derek Jeter parallels arrived before his own game ever had a chance to develop.
I am sure that like all of us in a certain generation, Volpe dreamt of being Jeter or as close as possible, and now as fans we would love to see Jeter 2.0. However, the healthier and more realistic hope is not Jeter, a no-doubt Hall of Famer and an outlier. It is Dansby Swanson.
Although a few years older when he was drafted out of Vanderbilt in 2015, Swanson stormed to the majors with star-level pedigree and quickly became a lightning rod for debates about strikeouts, offensive inconsistency, and whether the bat would ever fully match the reputation. His age-24 season with Atlanta in 2018 was affected by injury, and he posted a .238/.304/.395 line.
Then came the rebound. Following offseason surgery and a clean bill of health, Swanson returned in 2019 and slashed .251/.325/.422 while pairing that 91 wRC+ offense with strong defense. He stopped feeling frustrating and started feeling dependable. Over the next four years, Swanson hit a combined .259/.325/.441 with a 108 wRC+ and 16.8 fWAR for the Braves and Cubs, becoming a two-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner.
The similarities between the two are not just narrative, either. Among qualified shortstops in 2024, Volpe ranked 16th in batting average while Swanson ranked 17th. In OBP, they sat 17th and 14th, in slugging 17th and 15th, and in OPS 17th and 15th.
That is not just stylistic similarity. That is the same offensive neighborhood. The same held true again in 2025. Volpe ranked 24th among shortstops in batting average to Swanson’s 20th, 24th in OBP to 21st, 16th in slugging to 14th, and 21st in OPS to 17th.
Even in what felt like a disappointing season, Volpe remained within just a few slots of one of the league’s most accepted veteran shortstop standards, albeit at a dramatically different price point and with Swanson’s bat not quite as electric as his 2020–23 peak. And honestly, that contrast is part of the point. It is easy to live with this profile on a rookie deal if you are the front office. It becomes a much different conversation once a salary climbs north of $20 million annually.
If Volpe lands in the “2018 Swanson” zone over roughly 100 games, something around .238/.304/.395 with mid-teens power and steals, Yankees fans should probably walk away happy. The public projection systems are already pointing almost exactly there. ZiPS projects Volpe for 103 games with a .230/.292/.397/.689 line, 13 home runs, and 16 steals. Steamer is nearly identical at 102 games with a .232/.297/.399/.696 line, 13 home runs, and 16 steals.
Both systems also land on 1.9 WAR, which is exactly the kind of quietly valuable full-season pace contenders take from the bottom of the lineup bats. If the healthy shoulder restores some of the line-drive contact that disappeared last year, there is a realistic path to something even closer to Swanson’s 2019 jump. The realistic hope should be that Volpe lands somewhere above 2018 Swanson, while understanding that the 2019 version likely represents the true ceiling for 2026 at this point.
That is exactly why the Swanson comp works so well as the hopeful path. Swanson has built a long-term career as a 2–4 WAR shortstop, which is exactly the range Volpe is trending toward. That is the hope for Volpe. It’s not that he suddenly becomes an MVP candidate, but that his age-25 season becomes his version of Swanson’s settling point — a player who moves from polarizing to reliable entering their prime seasons. More directly, a shortstop who quietly helps a team win every single day and shows some of the potential that made him an early draft pick has developed into skills and talent.
The bigger picture
Volpe does not need to be Derek Jeter to matter. He does not need to become a superstar to justify patience. He does not need to settle a fan debate the moment he is activated. However, he may need the last bit of grace fans have left for him as he works his way back into the flow of an MLB season. The better question is simple: What does this Yankees team actually need from Volpe?
They need him to be an above-average shortstop whose offense trends upward from last season and his career norms, and whose presence gives the Yankees more ways to win. If he can make a Swanson-like jump while Caballero remains a versatile contributor, the Yankees will have something more valuable than nostalgia or prospect dreams. They will have options, and good teams win with options.
If Volpe struggles, the Yankees appear to have an in-house option ready for the moment. However, there is also a very real possibility that they have two similar and productive players. Neither projects as a star, but both could become valuable contributors for a winning roster this season and beyond. If the Caballero momentum keeps building, Yankees fans will make their voices heard. The front office is already showing they are not wasting time this season after they designated OF Randal Grichuk for assignment after Jasson Domínguez’s hot start in Triple-A, and deciding to call up top prospect Elmer Rodríguez after Luis Gil struggled.
Until then, it is worth hoping for improvement while expecting the numbers to not look great for Volpe right out of the gate. However, he deserves and will receive at least the same runway that was just granted to Caballero to start the season.
Apr 30, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) watches from the dugout during the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The headline says it all: the Mets lost again today at Citi Field, losing 5-4 to the Nationals, and have now lost 17 of their last 20 games. Something has to change, and quickly.
Freddy Peralta looked sharp early, despite walking James Wood to start the game. Peralta struck out the side after allowing the free pass. In the top of the second, Peralta continued to look sharp pitching, but his fielding bit him.
Jorbit Vivas singled with one out. Nasim Nuñez hit a ball to the right of the pitcher’s mound, and Peralta had to rush, throwing an errant throw to Mark Vientos at first, who was not able to handle the throw. Vivas was already at second by the time the ball got away from Vientos, and he not only took third but also came home and scored, while Nuñez got all the way to third. Jacob Young would single Nuñez home, putting the Nats up 2-0.
Peralta wouldn’t be out of the weeds just yet, as in the third Luis Garcia Jr. doubled to lead off the inning. CJ Abrams singled him home one batter latter to put the Mets down by three.
The Mets were struggling to make anything happen against former Cardinal Miles Mikolas, who is having an absolutely atrocious season. In the bottom of the first, Juan Soto hit what looked to be a solo home run to right field, but Wood, calm and measured, jumped and nestled it into his glove. But aside from that and an MJ Melendez single, the Mets weren’t putting anything really on the ball.
That changed in the bottom of the third when, with two outs, Bo Bichette walked and Soto singled to put two on. Melendez then turned on a ball and tied the game with one swing.
With the game now tied, Peralta settled in, not allowing a baserunner in the fourth or fifth inning. In the sixth, Peralta walked José Tena and Vivas back to back. But after a mound visit, Peralta emptied the tank, throwing his hardest pitches of the game and getting Nuñez to pop out to end the frame.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Mets played some small ball, and it paid off. Soto walked to lead off the inning, and was pushed to second on a sacrifice bunt by Melendez. Mark Vientos doubled and scored Soto to put the Mets up 4-3.
Brooks Raley pitched a perfect top half of the seventh inning, and the Mets stranded Carson Benge on second in the bottom half. Luke Weaver would get the eighth, and things did not go very well.
Garcia singled to start the frame, and Daylen Lile hit into what could’ve been a double play ball, but Ronny Mauricio took too much time on a throw to first, and Lile was safe. Abrams was up next, and he deposited a changeup into the bullpen to put the Nationals up 5-4.
Old friend Richard “Dicky” Lovelady pitched the eighth for the Nats. Juan Soto greeted him with a double off the centerfield wall that just missed being a solo home run. Pinch hitter Austin Slater hit a weak grounder to short, not advancing the runner for the first out. Vientos hit a sharp liner right into Nuñez’s glove for the second out of the inning. Gus Varland came in to face Tyrone Taylor and, three pitches later, Taylor hit a weak fly out to left to end the frame.
Devin Williams pitched the ninth, and was greeted by a single, a stolen base, and a sacrifice fly, putting Nuñez on third with just one out. A hard two-hopper by Young to short was fired back to Luis Torrens at home to get Nuñez. Young then tried to steal second, but was thrown out by Torrens, keeping it a one-run game going into the ninth.
The Mets got a two-out baserunner when pinch-hitting Francisco Alvarez pulled a double down the left-field line. Mauricio represented the winning run at the plate, and he struck out on a breaking pitch (shocker) to lose the game and the series.
The Mets travel to Orange County, California for three with the Angels. Christian Scott takes the ball Walbert Urena.
Big Mets winner: MJ Melendez, +29.0% WPA Big Mets loser: Luke Weaver, -46.0% WPA Mets pitchers: -32.0% WPA Mets hitters: -18.0% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: MJ Melendez’s home run, +29.6% WPA Teh sux0rest play: CJ Abrams’s home run, -48.4% WPA
Apr 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk off RBI single during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Pitching matchups are fun when they are marquee matchups. Logan Webb against Cristopher Sanchez is something one might consider marquee. It was that way for a while, but a wild ending propelled the Phillies to a victory, one that gave them their first series win since Easter.
The Giants opened the scoring by getting to Sanchez early. Heliot Ramos doubled on the first pitch of the game, then scored when Luis Arraez grounded out, giving the Giants a lead. Matt Chapman, who had doubled after Ramos, scored when Casey Schmitt singled him home and the lead was 2-0. In the bottom of the first, Kyle Schwarber responded by hitting a titanic shot off of starter Logan Webb, making it 2-1.
From there, the pitchers settled in and dominated the game. Webb looked excellent, setting down the Phillies with relative ease while Sanchez also traded zeroes on the scoreboard. The biggest threat on offense was in the fourth inning. Adolis Garcia and Brandon Marsh singled and doubled, respectively, to open the frame with no one out.
Then Bryson Stott struck out in an ugly, ugly at bat with the infield back, conceding a run.
Then Edmundo Sosa grounded out with the infield in, making Garcia a sacrificial lamb at home.
Then Justin Crawford bunted.
The Phillies didn’t score.
Things looked bleak as they had wasted their best chance then and weren’t doing much of anything outside of perfecting the art of grounding into double plays on the first pitch thrown. Yet in the ninth, with Ryan Walker on trying to end it for the Giants, the offense came alive. Garcia singled to open things, followed by a strikeout by Marsh. With that one out and Stott up, it was a reminder that the last time the Phillies fired a manager midseason, Stott hit a walkoff home run in the first weekend of the new manager’s tenure. Things didn’t happen the same this time, but how about an RBI triple?
The kid has had his struggles this year, but he also has now two walk off hits for the team. That’s going to play in the major leagues.
As mentioned above, this was the Phillies’ first series win since Easter. They begin the Mattingly regime with two victories and now we can say they’ve won three out of four.
LeBron James hit his breaking point after the Los Angeles Lakers let another one slip against the Houston Rockets.
“I’m too old for that shit,” he snapped — and honestly, he’s not wrong. Asking a 40-year-old to carry the scoring load in a must-win Game 6 on the road is a bad process.
If the Lakers are getting out of Texas with a series win, it won’t be because LeBron James goes nuclear as a scorer — it’ll be because he controls the game.
My Lakers vs. Rockets predictions and NBA picks for Friday, May 1, all point to one thing: LeBron leaning into playmaking mode and piling up assists, with Over 7.5 dimes the clearest edge on the board.
UPDATE:Added a prediction for who will win tonight.
Lakers vs Rockets prediction
Who will win Lakers vs Rockets Game 6?
Lakers: We knew balance would be restored to this series after the Lakers grossly overperformed in the opening three games. The Rockets have rallied, but Reaves’ return in Game 5 gives L.A. an extra attacker, and he’ll look much sharper in Game 6 after shaking off the rust.
Lakers vs Rockets best bet: LeBron James Over 7.5 assists (-130)
After soaring well beyond expectations in the opening three wins versus the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers have fallen back to earth with all the grace of a dinosaur-killing asteroid.
Poor shooting and too many turnovers have flushed possessions down the crapper, sending the Lakers’ assist-to-FGM rate from north of 70% in the first three games to below 61% in those two defeats.
But what goes up must come down... and then go back up a bit.
Los Angeles leveled off in Game 5, and it will be LeBron James who steadies the ship. He’s still creating opportunities, but the team’s bad offensive efforts have burned his setups. LeBron has squeezed just 22 assists out of 37 potential assists over the past three contests.
Austin Reaves’ return should help cash in on those passes. He led L.A. in usage in Game 5 but looked rusty, going 4-for-16 in his first action since April 2. I expect Reaves to be much sharper on Friday, along with the rest of the Lakers’ offense.
In games with Reaves in and Luka Doncic out, James becomes the primary ball handler. And if we look across the Lakers’ season, we see LeBron dishing out around 10 assists per contest in those Luka-less spots with Reaves available.
LeBron had only seven assists on 13 potential dimes in Game 5, and his projections for Friday lean toward eight assists. With improved shooting and tightening the belt on turnovers, I don’t see L.A. pissing away James’ passes this time around.
Lakers vs Rockets same-game parlay
The Lakers will clean up their play with sharper shooting and fewer turnovers. Those miscues have gifted Houston 48 total points across the past two outings. The Rockets have capitalized on those mistakes for easy buckets, but they struggle when forced into a half-court game.
Reaves will work out the kinks and provide L.A. with a reliable scoring option alongside LeBron. He still finished with 22 points in Game 5, drawing fouls and converting at the line, and that will continue on Friday.
Lakers vs Rockets SGP
Lakers +4.5
LeBron James Over 7.5 assists
Austin Reaves Over 22.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Lone Star LeBron
Although LeBron might be too old to play games with the press, he’s more than spry enough to put the Lakers on his back.
On top of his passing prowess, James is projected to score 23+ points and grab 7+ rebounds — essentially his average stat line for this series.
LeBron is preaching offense heading back to Houston. He’s a man of his word.
Lakers vs Rockets SGP
Lakers moneyline
LeBron James Over 22.5 points
LeBron James Over 7.5 assists
LeBron James Over 6.5 assists
Lakers vs Rockets odds for Game 6
Spread: Los Angeles +4.5 (-110) | Houston -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Los Angeles +150 | Houston -180
Over/Under: Over 206.5 (-110) | Under 206.5 (-110)
Lakers vs Rockets betting trend to know
The Lakers are 10-4 SU and ATS in their last 14 games as underdogs. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Rockets.
How to watch Lakers vs Rockets Game 6
Location
Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Date
Friday, May 1, 2026
Tip-off
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
Lakers vs Rockets latest injuries
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 11: Hunter Dobbins #73 of the Boston Red Sox walks off of the field during the second inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on July 11, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game Summary
Two first inning homeruns by Wetherholt and Walker spotted the Cardinals to an early 3-0 over Paul Skenes, who would ultimately require 100 pitches to make it through five innings. Burleson and Gorman tacked on RBI hits following Pirate mistakes (error, WP). Another game where the Cardinals 3-4-5 hitters collect RBI. That seems like a good sequence.
On the pitching side, Hunter Dobbins leads out with 3.2 hitless innings, then comes unraveled when a hit breaks the sequence, and subsequently walks five of the next seven batters, allowing the Pirates to cut the lead to 5-3. The bullpen continued the parade of free passes and HBP, further slicing the lead to 5-4.
A late game (8th inning) eruption plates five runs for the Cardinals to make this game a bit of a laugher, as much as can be funny with the recent bullpen history. Pittsburgh plates a late but ultimately useless run in the bottom of the ninth (aided by a throwing error by Walker) to produce the final score of 10-5.
The Cardinals’ bullpen was a mixed bag. Tasked protecting a 4-run lead over 4.2 following innings, they did accomplish that, with assitance of the offense. Bruihl allowed 2 inherited runners to score. Graceffo with a pretty clean 1.1 IP. Romero gave up a solo HR. Stanek with a pretty nice relief inning. Svanson gave up a run in his inning when the game was out of hand. Only 1 walk over 4.2 relief innings, coupled with 4 K. Like I wrote, mixed bag.
It all totalled up to a win and a Cardinals sweep (a mop?) of the Pirates! And they come home with a bullpen that has piled up a lot of innings and walks. The middle of the Cardinal order had 7 RBI today, and the line-up in total had 14 hits to overcome 12 Ks.
Line-up (and roster) machinations
An early start today, 1235a Eastern.
Pretty standard line-up against LHP, if you view Church a fixture in LF.
Ryan Fernandez optioned to Memphis to make room for Dobbins.
Tink Hence optioned to Cardinals’ FCL (Florida Complex League) affiliate in Jupiter. He gets some time in the pitching lab down there. @DGoold reports that the option to FCL is in lieu of placement on the MiLB development list. Apparently, because Hence is on the 40-man roster, he can NOT be placed on the MiLB development list. Assigning him to FCL accomplishes the same thing – gets him to Florida to work in the lab, outside game situations.
The Game Details
T1 – Wetherholt leads off with a solo HR. Herrera reaches on throwing error (E5). This was later changed to a hit. Burleson backwards K. Walker with a towering 2-run HR. Gorman K. Winn K. Odd inning. Cards up early 3-0.
B1 – K. F-8. K. Good start for Dobbins.
T2 – Church K. Pages single. Scott II bunts Pages over the second, but JJW pops out to strand the runner.
B2 – P6. L9. 4-3. Dobbins doing well, but some deep counts adding to pitch count.
T3 – Herrera K. Burly awarded a single on a dribbler to short that Griffin threw away, error on the throw, putting Burly on second. Walker lines out. Gorman picks up the RBI. Winn bounces back to Skenes 1-3. Cards now up 4-0.
B3 – Griffin K. Infield single. Davis GIDP to make a quick inning.
T4 – Church P5. Pages K. Scott II K. Skenes strikeouts piling up now.
B4 – 4-3. 4-3. A double breaks the hitless string. A walk extends the inning, as does another, and yet again another walk with the bases loaded. Dobbins becomes unnerved giving up his first hit????? Griffin grounds out to end the threat. Pirates cut the lead to 4-1.
T5 – Wetherholt singles. Trying to figure out all the fuss about the Skenes guy. Herrera backwards K on a failed challenge. WP. Boy, the Pirates make a lot of mistakes. Burleson singles in JJW. Walker K. Gorman out 5-3. Cardinals now up 5-1.
B5 – Leadoff walk. Cruz walks. Dobbins walks have really piled up now. Bruihl in for Dobbins. He starts his day with a pitch clock violation. A deep fly to center gathers an out but advances two runners to scoring position. A double Reynolds plates 2 runs for the Buccos. 4-3 ends the rally. Pirates cut the Cards lead to 5-3.
T6 – Ramirez in for Skenes. Winn K. Church grounds out 6-3. Pages with an infield hit (yes, an infield hit!). Scott II out 4-3.
B6 – Graceffo in for Bruihl. Cardinals are going to have to find another 12 bullpen outs today if they want to sweep. He avoids the obligatory first batter walk syndrome with an HBP, instead. He follows with a P4, K and 5-3 to navigate the inning. Cardinals still up 5-3.
T7 – Montgomery in for Ramirez. Wetherholt walks. Herrera lines out L8. Burleson F8. Walker forces out Wetherholt.
B7 – Graceffo back out. 4-3. Romero in for Graceffo. Starts with a K. Lowe HR (416 ft) tightens the game some more. Gotta love that lefty lane. Will see them in the ninth, again, I suspect. A walk extends the inning. A K finishes it. Pirates cut the lead to 5-4. No more room to cut.
T8 – Mattson in for Montgomery. Gorman singles. A Winn line drive is misplayed for an error, advancing runners to second and third. This later re-scored to a hit, as well. Church doubles in two runs. Pages F8. Scott II walks. Wetherholt L8. He has hit the ball hard today. Herrera walks. Devenski in for Mattson. Burleson singles in two more. Walker with an RBI single. Gorman K to end the eruption. Cardinals now up 10-4.
B8 – Stanek in for Romero. 3u. F8. Single. Backwards K. Pretty clean inning for Stanek, noticeably lacking in walks.
T9 – Winn P4. Church L8. Pages K.
B9 – Svanson in for Stanek. 4-3. Single. Double, plus throwing error by Walker plates a run. F8 advances runner to third. L7 ends the game (not as nerve-wracking as yesterday’s last out!). Cardinals win 10-5.
Post-Game Notes
In The Feed, check out Today on the Farm – Thursday 4/30 for updates on MiLB action.
The Cardinals head back home today with an upcoming homestand against LAD and MIL before heading west. Expecting Wrobleski, Sasaki and Sheehan as the Dodgers’ trio of pitchers.
The Cardinals ran themselves out of challenges early, which was unfortunate because this umpire missed a number of strikes later.
To my eye, the Pirates got out-managed at every step this series. Probably starting with the 8-pitcher bullpen game to start the series. It was a brilliant move until it wasn’t and set a lot of things in motion that could go wrong. And things did go wrong for them, in bunches. A good pitching team gave up a ton of runs to a team that is not an offensive juggernaut, and likewise couldn’t find a way to overcome a bullpen having trouble throwing strikes.
Pirate mistakes were a theme of this series … unforced errors, wild pitches, passed balls, throwing to wrong base. The scorer can change them back to hits all he/she wants, but they are still plays not made. Much to clean up for them.
