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Dodgers 3 at Blue Jays 4

158 days later, the Jays got the job done. With Shohei Ohtani starting the last game of the series, the Jays took a 4-3 lead to the 9th and finished out the job. Granted, the stakes were slightly smaller this time, but snapping a six game losing streak is no small feat either.

It almost went sideways from the very start. 13 pitches in, Dylan Cease had walked Ohtani and Kyle Tucker with the hear of the Dodger order up. He rebounded with a strikeout, and then a stroke of good fortune as Freeman ripped a low line drive right at Ernie Clement. Tucker was caught breaking and easily doubled off. That same drive on a slightly different vector, and this is potentially a very different game.

Cease was immaculate over the next couple innings, until a Will Smith tapped a soft ground ball on which Okamoto had little shot, but a rushed throw went down the line and put him in scoring position to score on an ensuing Freeman single. Dylan ceased to be as effective from that point, allowing a couple more runners in the 5th, before the 6th went off the rails with a pair of walks sandwiched around yet another Freeman single to load the bases with none out.

So it was Varland time, and he largely limited the damage allowing a sacrifice fly to Teoscar before a timely strikeout and ground out to limit the damage to one run. Alas, Mason Fluharty almost repeated the feat in the 7th with a pair of walk sandwiched around an Ohtani ground out. The Jays turned to Tyler Rogers, who did allow a single for another run, but set down the next five batters to hold the line.

It wasn’t clear at the point it would matter, as the bats were once again pretty quiet. They had some traffic early against Ohtani, but only managed a single run in the 3rd when Jesus Sanchez doubled with two out to drive in Daulton Varsho. Ohtani settled in with a couple clean innings.

Vladdy led off the 7th with a double, but but caught up indecisively ona ground ball to short and was TOOTBLAN’d. Ohtani navigated easily out of the inning, but it was the end of the line. Luckily, for the Dodger bullpen finally sprung a leak.

Davis Schneider worked a nice walk against Jack Dreyer, with Heineman singling to put two on for George Springer. He drove a ball off the wall in right centre to make it 3-2, and Varsho followed with a solid single to knot it. Springer had to hold on third, but with one out it was still a golden opportunity to take the lead. Alas, it was Blake Treinan time and after essentially pitching around Vladdy to load the bases, he too got out of the inning.

The go ahead run was again catalyzed by the Davis Schneider, who again walked with one out in the 8th. Andres Gimenez singled him to third, and finally it the turn of an opposing catcher to mess up a throw in a critical spot as Gimenez took second and the ball got away. Schneider scored, and now it was just a matter of closing out a one run lead in the 9th. And when has that ever been an issue?

And let’s be honest, we are were all worried about some deja vu (in a few ways) with Hoffman coming in. And it was neither easy nor clean with a one single and walk, but he too bore down and got a strikeout and comeabcker to the mound to end it.

Jays of the Day: Schneider (+0.25 WPA), Springer (+0.22), Varsho (+0.18), Hoffman (+0.16), Varland (+0.12), Vlad (+0.11). Rogers (+0.05) falls short of the number, but was critical in holding the line until the bats broke through.

Boo Jays: Okamoto (-0.24) and Clement (-0.14)

It’s a good time for the third offday of the season (technically; the season formally started March 25th with two offdays fore the opener). Hopefully a much healthier team takes the field Friday in Minnesota.

Wednesday was a historic day in Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh sports history.

It’s a day that will be remembered for what could be the jumpstart of the new era of Pirates baseball. 

The Pirates officially signed shortstop Konnor Griffin to a nine-year extension that will keep Griffin under contract through 2034.

ESPN’s Buster Olney initially reported the deal, worth $140 million, on Thursday, hours after it was announced that Griffin was being promoted. Speculation ran rampant when nothing was announced days later, until now.

The deal has escalators that could reach $150 million and doesn’t include any options or opt outs.

Griffin’s deal is the highest contract ever signed by the Pirates in franchise history, shattering Bryan Reynolds’ eight-year, $106.75 million deal signed in April of 2023.

“Signing Konnor is a meaningful commitment to this team, this city, and our fans,” owner Bob Nutting said in a statement released by the Pirates. “It reflects our belief in Konnor, in this season’s club and in the future of our organization.”

Only 19-years-old, Griffin signed the deal after only playing five full games in the Major Leagues. 

“Konnor represents everything we value in a player — exceptional talent, strong character, a team-first mentality, and a maturity that stood out to all of us from the beginning,” Nutting said. “He is the right person, from the right family.”

Griffin’s mother Kim, father Kevin, younger brother Kaden, and other family members were in attendance as Griffin sat in between Nutting and GM Ben Cherington at the press conference room inside PNC Park to announce the deal. 

“This is another important step in the work we have been doing to build a winning team for this year and going forward,” Nutting closed in the statement.

The Pirates are 7-5 and the energy around the team is different. The vibe is different. There is a sense of belief inside and out of the clubhouse that the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates are bound for something special. 

Nutting and the Pirates believed less than a week in Triple-A was enough for Griffin to make his debut and the pieces are in place to contend this season.

“I think there’s a real sense and a belief in what we’ve seen in a small sample size,” Nutting said, sitting next to Griffin. “Konnor, having you with the team now makes a real difference in a year where we not only need to be better, are being better, and have full commitment to a team that’s taken a long time to put the foundation in place.”

Baseball’s top prospect, the Pirates drafted Griffin 9th overall in 2024. He only played 127 games in the minor leagues before receiving the call and becoming the first teen since Aramis Ramirez in 1998 to play for the Bucs. 

The Pirates added 69 home runs in Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, and Marcell Ozuna this offseason. Griffin hit 21 homers between three levels of the minor leagues. 

Nutting made it that he is focused on building a sustainable winner in Pittsburgh.

“The commitment from this organization not only to the team, but to the city of Pittsburgh, to the fans, to reflect how serious I am, and we are, about building and sustaining a winning team here in Pittsburgh,” Nutting said. “The fans deserve it, the fans want it, and we saw on Opening Day and in the ballpark already the level of energy, excitement, passion, and commitment that our fans have to this team.”

The Pirates will pay their shortstop, at minimum, $33 million more than Reynolds over the course of the deal.  

Nutting said the contract is, “reflecting the absolute sense of urgency for 2026 to make this team better, now.” 

Griffin doubled in his first-career at-bat, driving in the Pirates first run of the season at PNC Park. He displayed his speed one batter later as the Pirates increased the lead on a base hit by Jared Triolo.

In 18 at-bats over six games, Griffin is hitting .167 with four RBIs, two walks, five strikeouts, a .273 on-base percentage. 

It’s going to take time for the undisputed No. 1 prospect in the sport to get adjusted to the majors, but Griffin has shown signs of his immense ability and potential in a short sample. 

“Since joining the organization, Konnor has consistently demonstrated the traits we want in a Pirate: a daily commitment to improvement, a team-first mindset, and a strong desire to win,” Cherington said in a statement.

Now that the emotions of making his debut have had time to simmer and the deal is done, Griffin can go and play. 

He will be depended on as the cornerstone face of the Pirates franchise for the next decade, and has what it takes to be an all-time great player in Pittsburgh.

“He has met every challenge in front of him, and we are excited to watch him continue that growth alongside his teammates in Pittsburgh,” Cherington said. “We are thrilled he will be a Pirate for a long time.”

At what point do we switch from saying “it is still early?” to “this is legit”? That is what we tried to figure out with Kevin Wheeler from KMOX on Cardinals on My Time this week with the Redbird Rundown crew.

Wheeler is one of our all-time favorites and oh man, did he have a bunch to say about the progression we are seeing from multiple Cardinals’ players so far in the 2026 season. The main talking point, of course, was outfielder Jordan Walker. Now in his fourth big league season, what we are seeing from Walker is one of the most incredible bounce back stories for a guy who was written off by a large amount of the fanbase. Amazing what a little patience can do, right Mo?

Beyond Walker, we talked Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages behind the dish, Michael McGreevy’s velocity, Victor Scott’s outfield matched with his inability to hit, and much more! This was a super fun one and we are excited to hear what you think. What is real and what is a mirage thus far in the 2026 season?

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Thanks as always!

Detroit Tigers (4-7) vs. Minnesota Twins (5-6)

Time/Place: 7:40 p.m., Target Field
SB Nation Site: Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (1-0, 0.75 ERA) vs. RHP Bailey Ober (0-0, 6.75 ERA)

David Peterson pretended he was the weather and remained cold Wednesday.

On a chilly afternoon at Citi Field — even with first pitch moved up three hours for a second straight day because of the numbing forecast — Peterson’s performance quickly transformed the ballpark from refrigerator to freezer.

Buried in a five-run hole early, the Mets never recovered in a 7-2 loss to the Diamondbacks that snapped their four-game winning streak.

Mr. Freeze, whether played by Otto Preminger, George Sanders or Eli Wallach, was Peterson’s equal on this day.

The only redeeming quality of the left-hander’s second straight clunker was he persevered and lasted through the fifth. Overall, he allowed five earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

“A lot of it comes down to leaving balls up and away,” Peterson said.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said he isn’t concerned about Peterson, who struggled against the Giants last week.

“If he’s healthy, which he is, there is no concern,” Mendoza said. “He’s too good of a pitcher, he’s been our guy. We have just got to make a couple of adjustments.”

Sean Manaea, who before the game Mendoza said would remain in the bullpen rather than pitch as part of a six-man rotation, was utilized for an extended relief appearance in a second straight Peterson start.

Manaea threw 70 pitches over four innings on this day to not only save the bullpen for the second time in less than a week, but remain stretched out should the need eventually arise for him to enter the rotation.

Offensively, the Mets mustered only a 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, in their first loss since Juan Soto departed last Friday’s game.

Soto has since been placed on the injured list with a right calf strain.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

Corbin Carroll’s double in the first inning led to the D’backs initial run. Geraldo Perdomo singled and Gabriel Moreno’s sacrifice fly brought in Carroll.

Ketel Marte stroked a bases-loaded RBI single in the second that extended the Mets’ deficit to 2-0.

Carroll’s ensuing two-run double further buried Peterson, and before the inning was complete, Perdomo’s sacrifice fly gave the D’backs a 5-0 lead. Peterson’s trouble in the inning started with the successive singles he allowed to Ildemaro Vargas and Jose Fernandez.

“Not only are teams super aggressive against him, especially early in counts, but [Peterson] is having a hard time executing pitches glove side, meaning inside to righties and there’s a lot of pitches out over the plate and there’s hard contact there,” Mendoza said. “I thought he made some good adjustments after they got him there in the second inning, but I think it’s just the execution part, for the last couple of turns you have seen that.”

In a moment of levity Mark Vientos signaled the crowd to increase the applause after a mock cheer as he caught Vargas’ pop-up in the third inning. Moments earlier Vientos had misplayed a Vargas pop up in foul territory, extending the at-bat.

Brett Baty’s RBI single in the sixth pulled the Mets to within 5-1. Bo Bichette and Luis Robert Jr. each singled in the inning before Baty delivered his sixth RBI of the season, tying him for the team lead.

Jorge Barrosa’s two-run double (a ball that should have been caught) off Robert’s glove in the eighth inning widened the Mets’ deficit to 7-1. Manaea loaded the bases in the inning by allowing two singles and a walk.

Vientos’ sacrifice fly in the eighth recovered a run after Robert and Baty reached on a single and double, respectively.

Peterson could take a measure of satisfaction in his performance after his rocky two-inning stretch at the start.

“I think the third through the fifth [innings] we did a lot better job,” Peterson said. “I felt a little off mechanically the first two innings. I was able to clean that up and get to where I wanted to be.”

Okay, so technically relentless would be scoring in every inning, and the Braves only scored in five of the nine frames available to them, but hey — it worked just fine. The offense started early and didn’t stop until well past clobberin’ time, leading to an 8-2 victory over the Angels. Meanwhile, Grant Holmes did what the team needed him to do despite an ugly second inning, pitching nearly seven frames and letting the Braves avoid using any of their key bullpen arms heading into tomorrow’s off-day. With the victory, the Braves move to 8-5, and have yet to lose a series all season.

The scoring started early. Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with a bloop double behind third base, and then moved around the bases on a couple of outs to score the game’s first run. In the second, Austin Riley drew a leadoff walk, stole second with two outs, and then scored on Jonah Heim’s semi-bizarre ground rule double, which was simultaneously a barrel but also kind of a hanging-up-forever fly ball into the right-field corner.

This portended a cruising-ish game for the Braves, but Holmes had a lot of trouble in the second. For a second there, it looked like the Braves might suffer a disappointing loss due to Holmes’ struggles. The frame started with Holmes hanging a slider to Braves hero and noted pugilist Jorge Soler, cutting the lead in half. Holmes then totally fell apart mechanics-wise (his first was rough but not this rough despite being a 1-2-3 frame), with three walks and a single sandwiched in there to tie the game. The game-tying base on balls was actually initially ruled a strikeout, but ABS is a thing, and it was a facile overturn into an RBI for Logan O’Hoppe.

After that, though, Holmes locked in. He blew Oswald Peraza away on three pitches, and then lucked out when Zach Neto A) randomly tried to bunt with the bases loaded and then B) popped up a down-the-pipe fastball to shallow right. Mike Trout was up next, and Holmes served him a hanging slider on 1-2, but Trout just bounced it weakly back up the middle to Ozzie Albies to keep the game tied.

And then, it was all Braves. Angels starter Reid Detmers grazed Drake Baldwin on 0-2 with one out, and Matt Olson bashed a low liner (so low it wasn’t even a barrel!) over the yellow line in right-center for a two-run homer. Riley followed with a hustle double, and then Mauricio Dubon hit a routine grounder that Neto airmailed, giving the Braves a fifth run. The hits just kept on coming, too. In the fifth, after Detmers departed, Dubon yanked a two-run double. In the sixth, Baldwin dunked a ball into center to score Michael Harris II, who had drawn a leadoff walk and stolen second earlier in the inning.

Meanwhile, Holmes rolled along after his second inning hiccup. The Angels made some pretty good contact here and there, but the Braves’ defense was solid. From the third through the sixth, the Angels got just one baserunner. Holmes struck out the first two he faced in the seventh, but Peraza hooked a well-placed curve for a double, and Neto beat out a slow roller. The Braves swapped Holmes for Joel Payamps to face Mike Trout, and Payamps came through by getting Trout to swing through high heat. Jose Suarez finished the game with two frames, striking out the side in the first and getting a double play in the second. Harris snagged a Peraza liner in center to end the game.

The Braves’ side of the box score looked quite delicious in this one, with five doubles, a homer, six walks, and a hit by pitch. Detmers was overwhelmed (4/2 K/BB ratio, the Olson homer, in 4 1/3); Holmes ended up with a decent line overall (6/3 K/BB ratio, the Soler homer, in 6 2/3) but would’ve been nearly pristine if you removed that second inning from consideration.

The Braves now embark on what is a happier flight home than if this game had gone sideways in the second, and get a well-deserved day of rest after 13 straight games to begin the season. They will open up a homestand with a set against the Guardians on Friday night.

An awful road trip got even worse as the Astros were swept by the Colorado Rockies, falling under .500.

You know those days where nothing goes right straight from the jump? The Astros do too. Today was one of those days.

Looking to salvage the finale of a 3 game series against the Rockies in Colorado, the wheels came off very fast for Houston in a 9-1 drubbing that sent them to their fourth straight loss and a game under .500 at 6-7. The Astros are now 1-5 on the current 10 game road trip.

Cristian Javier continued to struggle with his velocity, bouncing between 91-93 MPH with his fastball, and that was the lesser of his issues today.

Javier had to leave the game after just 1 inning due to shoulder pain. Trainers checked on him before the start of the second inning, and the Astros had to remove him.

A.J. Blubaugh was summoned in relief in an unusual spot – needing to get ready very quickly.

Blubaugh never looked comfortable today and it manifested in a 5-run second inning from which the Rockies never looked back.

Houston was held to just 1 run for the second consecutive game. They did manage 8 hits and 2 walks, but went 1-for-7 with RISP and left 9 men on base.

Complicating matters for the Astros, they also lost centerfielder Jake Meyers in the game. Meyers was injured on a check swing in the top of the 2nd, clutching at his side.

He was replaced in the AB by Brice Matthews, who singled in that at bat, driving in Isaac Paredes for the only Astros run of the game.

Matthews remained in the game in LF and Joey Loperfido moved from LF to CF.

Bryan Abreu came in to pitch the 8th for Houston, and still struggled with consistent velocity and command.

Abreu’s struggles and inconsistencies are still a mystery to the team and Abreu, who is struggling mightily to regain his usual elite form.

The Astros have an off day Thursday before beginning a 4-game series in Seattle against the Mariners. They are expected to go to a 6-man rotation beginning with that series as they will play 13 straight days.

The Orioles won’t be making any Tom Emanski videos with plays like this one.

Baltimore allowed a run to the White Sox in Wednesday afternoon’s 5-3 win … because of a mishap on a throw back to the pitcher.

Starting pitcher Kyle Bradish issued a six-pitch walk to Chicago third baseman Colson Montgomery, which should have just loaded the bases in Chicago

But Bradish whiffed at catcher Adley Rutschman’s throw back to the mound, allowing the ball to get free on the infield grass.

Always keep your head on a swivel

Chase Meidroth's heads up baserunning gives the Sox the lead! pic.twitter.com/2gM1HWKOvn

— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) April 8, 2026

Instead of showing any urgency, though, Bradish casually started walking after the ball. Chase Meidroth, advancing to third on the walk, alertly picked up on the scenario and scampered home. Bradish finally quickened his step before throwing wildly to the plate, and Meidroth scored with ease to give Chicago a 3-2 advantage.

And with the throw reaching the backstop, Montgomery rounded first and reached second when Rutschman double-clutched and did not make the throw in time.

In all, Bradish was chargeed with two errors on the play, one for the missed catch and one for the ugly throw home.

Bradish struck out Andrew Benintendi to limit the damage, and the Orioles took the lead in the top of the sixth, giving the right-hander the win, his first of the year after two straight defeats to start the season.

The starter admitted after the game that he exhibited “childish behavior” in the moment and will make sure not to do something like that again. Bradish added he talked with manager Craig Albernaz immediately after the incident and made clear he was mad at himself for the “mental error.”

“Yeah, just frustration came out,” Bradish said. “It’s unacceptable, it’s childish behavior and that will not happen again.”

The win gave the Orioles a series sweep and improved their record to 6-6.

Game Summary

The Cardinals open up by leaving the bases loaded in the top of the first, but struck for two runs in the second, keyed by a 2-RBI Burleson single. McGreevy came out and worked in his normal workmanlike manner, which was welcome against this line-up, which has really been scoring runs. The Nats got to him for 1 run in the third on some small ball. Jordan Walker launched a 3-2 pitch for a solo HR to extend the Cardinal lead in the fifth. Pozo added a late 2-RBI single to extend the lead.

McGreevy’s final line of 6 IP, 1 R, 4 K, 0 BB, 4 hits was very solid. The bullpen was unscored upon for the final three innings to close things out without any drama.

Line-up (and roster) machinations

• McGreevy starts for the Cardinals. The Nats send out old friend Miles Mikolas.
• A mostly stock “Herrera at the C” line-up for today, except Scott II gets the day off, Church to CF and Sags to LF. Urias at third, Gorman at DH.
• Walker and Gorman remain 4-5 in the line-up, after recent adjustments. Who had this in their pre-season predictions?
• It’s been a fascinating series. Arguably, the Cardinals lost a game they should have won, and then won a game they should have lost. What will the rubber game reveal?

The Game Details

A view from the box score, for those who want a deeper sense of the game.

T1 – Wetherholt grounds out, but Herrera follows with a solid single. Burleson with an infield single. Walker K’s (to Mikolas of all people!). Gorman walks, but Winn grounds out to end the threat.

B1 – The first two batters reach against McGreevy with singles, but a 1-6 force, F8 and 6-3 puts a quick end to the traffic jam.

T2 – Urias 4-3. Sags singles. Church with a solid smash pushing Sags along. A handy passed ball moved the runners up to 2nd and 3rd. Wetherholt with the backwards K. Situational hitting continues to be problematic. Mikolas gives Herrera the open base, but Burleson burns him with a 2-run single. Walker grounds out to end the inning. 2-0 Cardinals.

B2 – K. F7. F9. Quick inning.

T3 – Gorman walks again. Winn grounds into a force. Urias with the backwards K. Sags lines out.

B3 – Single. Another single makes it first and third. Boy, they’ve had trouble getting Wood out. So do a lot of people. An infield out scores a run. GIDP ends the threat. Now 2-1 Cardinals.

T4 – Lord in for Mikolas, who gives way after a short start (3 IP). Lord K’s Church. Weird. Wetherholt 5-3. Herrera 4-3.

B4 – L6. F7. 4-3 on a really nice play by Wetherholt ends the inning.

T5 – Burleson F8. Jordan with a solo HR. Gorman out 3u. Winn backwards K. Been a few of those today. Cards now up 3-1.

B5 – 4-3. 3-1. 4-3. Very workmanlike.

T6 – Urias 5-3. Sags 3u.

B6 – 1-3. 4-3. 1-3. Wetherholt has been outstanding with the glove today.

T7 – Perez relieves Lord. Wetherholt leads off with a walk. See the Cardinals relievers aren’t the only ones with the obligatory lead-off walk syndrome. Herrera follows with his own walk. Burleson singles in another run. Walker K’s. Pozo pinch hits for Gorman. Odd. Pozo GIDP to kill the rally. Now 4-1 Cardinals.

B7 – Svanson in for McGreevy. He issues the obligatory walk. 6-3. L6. Backwards K. Svanson pitching very tentative. He is working his way down the trust chart.

T8 – Winn K’s. Urias P2. Sags K’s. Still 4-1 Cardinals.

B8 – 5-3. 5-3. Svanson out, Bruihl in. He gets Wood out.

T9 – Church backwards K. Wetherholt F8. Herrera HBP. Burleson walks. Poulin replaces Henry on the mound. Walker walks. Pozo with a 2-RBI single to extend the lead. Winn P6. Cardinals now up 6-1.

B9 – O’Brien in for Bruihl. 5-3. 1-3. 3-1. No sweat. Cardinals win.

Post-Game Notes

• Solid starting pitching following by scoreless bullpen work is a good combination.
• The Cardinals finish the road trip with an overall 7-5 record on the season.
• Day off tomorrow, then home against the Red Sox.