HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 31: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park on March 31, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox cannot wipe away this road trip fast enough. Fenway Park, here they come.
Another loss to the Houston Astros, a 6-4 final on Wednesday, spelled more of the same. Too many strikeouts. Too many errors. Not good enough in any phase. Not even Crochet Day could put the Red Sox back in the win column. Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony tried to save the day with late home runs, but Boston heads east with just their Opening Day win in Cincinnati to show.
Here are three takeaways from Bostonâs series finale in Houston.
Shaky, not sharp for Crochet
The Astros certainly do not fear the 2025 American League Cy Young Award runner-up. In fact, they attacked him unlike any other offense since he donned the Red Sox uniform.
Houston tagged Crochet for five runs in just four innings of work last August. Wednesday at Daikin Park marked more of the same for the lefty. Crochet finished five innings, the only Red Sox pitcher of the series to do so. The Astros took flight in that span with six hits and five runs (four earned) in another offensive burst.
The southpaw struck out seven, though Carlos Correa delivered the backbreaking swing of the start. The veteran infielder walloped a 1-2 sweeper into the Crawford boxes. The Astros took the lead, knocked Crochet out following the inning and delivered another gut punch to the visitors.
Bostonâs backup catcher was an offensive liability last season. He didnât log his first extra-base hit until July 25.
Well, aided by Carlos Narvaezâs mysterious scratch, Wong is as hot as any Red Sox hitter thus far. He roped his third double of the season Wednesday afternoon. Sustainable? Doubtful, but weâll see. In any measure, a serviceable Wong would be a welcomed Red Sox surprise.
So long, Mr. Alvarez
The good news? The Red Sox are done pitching to Yordan Alvarez (for now).
The bad news? Theyâll see him again in exactly a month.
Alvarez is as much of a Red Sox killer as any slugger to ever face Boston. The stat ran through multiple broadcasts during the series: No qualified hitter (100 at-bats) has a higher OPS (1.280) in history against Boston than Alvarez â next in line in that stat is some guy named Babe Ruth. The 2021 ALCS MVP continued his reign with another monstrous series to the tune of a .545 average with two homers and a 1.888 OPS. He added two more hits and a pair of runs scored Wednesday, along with a staredown of Crochet after Bostonâs starter plunked the Houston slugger.
Alvarez comes to Fenway Park with the Astros the first weekend of May. Beware.
The Mets dropped Wednesday's rubber match with the St. Louis Cardinals, falling 2-1 in 11 innings.
Here are the key takeawaysâŠ
-- With the game tied at 1-1, this one went to extra innings, the Mets' third such game in their first six contests. In the top of the 11th, the Mets loaded the bases with one out, but Brett Baty grounded into a force-out at the plate, and Marcus Semien flew out to end the threat. In the bottom half, with two outs and a runner on third, Masyn Winn blooped a single to right just in front of a diving attempt from Carson Benge, giving the Cardinals the win.
-- It was a pitchersâ duel through the early innings, as both Freddy Peralta and Matthew Liberatore were on point early. Peralta allowed just one hit the first time through the order, striking out five. Liberatore, meanwhile, started by retiring the Mets nine-up, nine-down, inducing six ground balls.Â
Mark Vientos finally notched the Metsâ first hit of the afternoon with a line drive double down the third base line with two outs in the fifth. Dating back to Tuesday nightâs loss, the Mets had gone 0-for-22 before Vientosâ hit. Heâd be left stranded there, though, as Francisco Alvarez went down swinging to end the inning.Â
-- Just when the Mets looked like they caught a break in the sixth inning, as Francisco Lindor reached on an error by Nolan Gorman, Lindor was immediately caught sleeping and picked off at first base. It was the second mental error of the game for Lindor, who also forgot how many outs there were defensively earlier in the game.Â
But Juan Soto picked Lindor up, blasting a high, towering solo home run to right, which hung in the air forever before glancing off the foul pole. Sotoâs first home run of the season put the Mets up 1-0, and snapped a 17-inning scoreless streak.
-- Peralta ran into some trouble in the fifth, starting the inning by allowing a walk and a single. But he got out of a second-and-third, one-out jam without allowing a run.
Peralta pitched into the sixth inning, when he was pulled with a couple runners on base. Unfortunately for the Mets, Huascar Brazoban allowed one of the inherited runners to score on a Gorman RBI single, tying the game.
Peralta went 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
-- As a team, the Mets went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.
GAME MVP
Liberatore, who allowed just one earned run in 6.0 innings.
Photo caption:Â Feb 2, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (22) shoots the puck against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have signed defenseman David Jiricek to a two-year, $3 million contract extension. Starting next season, he will have a $1.5 million average annual value.
The Flyers acquired Jiricek from the Minnesota Wild at the 2026 NHL trade deadline in exchange for forward Bobby Brink. Since then, the right-shot defenseman has played well at the AHL level with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Now, he has landed himself a solid contract extension from Philadelphia because of it.Â
In 10 games with the Phantoms since being acquired, Jiricek has recorded two goals, eight assists, and 10 points. This is after he had two goals and 10 points in 24 AHL games with the Iowa Wild before the trade.
Jiricek also played in 25 games for Minnesota before the deal, where he had zero points and 14 penalty minutes. In 84 career NHL games over four seasons, the 2022 sixth-overall pick has recorded two goals, 11 assists, and 13 points.Â
WASHINGTON â Paul George exploded for his most points as a Sixer on Wednesday night and at times looked like he couldnât miss.Â
George delivered a brilliant performance in the Sixersâ 153-131 win over the lowly Wizards at Capital One Arena. He posted 39 points on 15-for-22 shooting, six assists, zero turnovers, five rebounds and three steals in 30 minutes.Â
Tyrese Maxey had 28 points and nine assists for the Sixers, who improved to 42-34. Washington dropped to 17-59.
VJ Edgecombe added 23 points on 10-for-15 shooting and 10 assists.
The Sixers will host the Timberwolves on Friday night. Here are observations on their victory in D.C.:Â
George attacks off the batÂ
George continued to look quite sharp both in the flow of the Sixersâ half-court offense and in transition. He hit two mid-range jumpers for the teamâs first four points and also made a strong driving layup in the early going.
When he saw Wizards center Tristan Vukcevic switched on him, George blew past to the rim, drew two free throws and knocked them down. He sunk a step-back three-pointer over Vukcevic in the first quarter, too.
Georgeâs directness has been a major positive in the four games since he came back from his 25-game suspension. More often than not, heâs read the game well, recognized where his advantage lies and gone right to work. The best answerâs frequently been simple for George â a catch-and-shoot three; a comfortable pull-up jumper; a no-nonsense downhill drive.Â
Itâs notable that Wednesdayâs performance came against the team with the Eastern Conferenceâs worst defensive rating, but the Sixers have to be very pleased with how George has played post-suspension. He had 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in the first quarter.Â
Defense far from its bestÂ
Adem Bona started in Embiidâs place. His and-one layup gave the Sixers an 18-8 lead.Â
On the other end, Vukcevic had a hot start. He reached 15 points when he drilled a three over Andre Drummond with 9:36 left in the second quarter, although he picked up his third foul shortly after and had to sub out.Â
Washingtonâs second unit outplayed the Sixersâ early in the second quarter. Jaden Hardy leaked free for an easy fast-break dunk to put the Wizards up 45-42. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse called timeout and brought George and Maxey back in.Â
The Sixersâ defense did not offer a great degree of resistance in the first half. When the Sixers briefly moved to a zone, Bub Carrington drained a three. A Justin Champagnie second-chance basket inside extended the Wizardsâ lead to 10 points.
Maxeyâs crafty, speedy driving helped the Sixers stay close and eventually find some momentum despite their defensive problems. He shot 8 for 11 inside the arc in the first half and just 0 for 1 from three-point range. The Sixers entered halftime with a 73-71 lead thanks to a George triple with 2.9 seconds to go in the second quarter.Â
So close to 40Â
George didnât turn cold at halftime.
He added two more three-pointers and a driving lay-in early in the third quarter. By that stage, George had already notched his sixth game as a Sixer with at least 30 points.Â
A Maxey three bumped the Sixersâ lead up to double digits. The game soon entered blowout territory and the main lingering question was just how many points George would score.Â
The nine-time All-Star exited one point shy of 40 at the 3:38 mark of the third quarter. The Wizards never threatened a comeback, but Nurse subbed George in for a final stint with 6:55 to go in the fourth.
George didnât force the issue. He missed an open three and a contested runner, and Nurse ultimately pulled the plug with a little under three minutes left. George couldnât crack 40 for the first time since the 2023-24 season, but he obviously still gave the Sixers a tremendous outing Wednesday night.Â
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 1: Kevin Gausman #34 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during the first inning of their MLB game against the Colorado Rockies at Rogers Centre on April 1, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rockies 1 at Blue Jays 2 (10)
It was one of those games where the starting pitcher was going to have to be almost flawless for his team to win. Kevin Gausman was up to the task and did his damnedest in holding the Rockies at bay for six innings, a but bullpen wobbles and a lack of hitting, first timely and then outright, undermined the effort as the Blue Jays fell in 10 innings.
Gausman was especially dominant over the first four innings, almost perfect really as he set the first 12 batters in order. The fastball was popping and well located, the splitter diving off the plate as he struck out six of those and a liner to third the only time the Rockies got close to touching him. Hunter Goodman had a particularly rough time, befuddled as Gausman dispatched him.
He was more human the last couple ininngs, as Ezequiel Tovar battled him for a long at-bat and lined a single up the middle to start the 5th. Hesitation on a roller allowed Tovar to beat the throw the second and create a real jam, though Gausman extricated himself with a couple strikeouts. After another hard hit in the 6th, he got another pair of strikeouts to end the inning in double digits for the second time, finishing 6 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts.
The bats were able to create opportunities early against Kyle Freeland, but couldnât land decisive blows and largely squandered the chance to build a substantial lead:
A lead off single in the 2nd from Okamotot was erased by a Kirk GIDP sanchwiched around another single
Myles Straw blooped a single leading off the 3rd, scoring on a one-out Davis Schneider single after a Springer walk. Vladdy was (barely) hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out and really set up a big inning, but Okamoto struck out and Kirk flared out.
Another Straw single in the 4th put two one after a HBP, but advanced no further.
From that moment in fact, the bats were essentially shut down, managing just two singles over the last 6.2 innings, after eight of the first 17 batters reached over the first 3.1 innings.
So Gausman exited clinging to a slim 1-0 lead. Tyler Rogers was first out and uncharacteristically fallible, allowing a pair of hard singles. In fact, only Addison Bargerâs arm (or the threat thereof) kept a run off the board as TJ Rumfield held up at first after smashing a ball to the wall and would likely have scored from second with two out on the latter single.
The highwire act could onyl last so long however. Tommy Nance was next for the 8th, and it wasnât his day either . Nine hitter Kyle Karros walked leading off, yielding to Jake McCarthy who stole scored in quick order on a single. Another walk, wild pitch, and stolen base created a real mess but John Schneider inflicted a little dose of the Flu(harty), whose two strikeouts prevented the Rockies from taking the lead.
Jeff Hoffman was equally as on point in the 9th, sharp sliders dispatching the Rockies to strikeout the side in order. With Braydon Fisher and Louis Varland down from previous heavy use, that left Brendon Little, and wellâŠ.
Honestly, he wasnât even terrible, but a sharp ground ball up the middle plated the do ahead run. For their part, Springer popped out on the second pitch in the bottom of the 10th before Nathan Lukes battled Jimmy Herget to 12 pitches before ultimately rolling one over. Vladdy cracked a ball, but to dead CF where it was easily caught and so it goes.
Jays of the Day: Gausman (+.36 WPA), Fluharty (+0.25), Hoffman (+0.14), Davis Schneider (+0.12)
Boo Jays: Nance (-0.40) , Vlad (-0.22), Kirk (-0.14), Jimenez (-0.13). Lukes (-0.13) had the number but not giving him one for that 10th inning AB.
Tomorrow, the Jays are now off, with the White Sox home opener now scheduled for 2:10 EDT with Dylan Cease taking the hill against his former team.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 31: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals celebrates a single with Corey Ray #23 in the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Nationals suffered their first truly heartbreaking loss of the season. They had a 5-1 lead in the 7th inning, but could not finish off the Phillies. The veteran laden Phillies took advantage of the young Nats issuing walks and making mistakes in the field. Blake Buteraâs bunch fought, but they could not finish.
It was a bit of a pitchers duel in the first five innings. The Nats made Cristopher Sanchez work, but did not take advantage of most of their opportunities. You could say the same thing for the Phillies offense. Cade Cavalli was not at his best the first four innings, but he survived and only allowed one run.
Cade Cavalli balled out this afternoon, delivering a quality start against the Phillies!
He used a high-velo fastball and a couple of breaking balls to keep the bats silent this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/gGVeCoDxPU
However, Cavalli turned up the heat in his last two frames, retiring the last six hitters he faced. It was a successful outing for Cavalli, and if we were deeper in the season, he probably would have gone out for the seventh. In hindsight, Blake Butera probably should have stuck with his righty instead of going to Andre Granillo.
After manufacturing two runs in the first six innings, the Nats had a big seventh against Brad Keller. It actually started with two quick outs. However, after Daylen Lile got a hustle base hit, the rally was on. The red hot Joey Wiemer got yet another hit and then CJ Abrams delivered with a massive 3 run homer.
At that point, the game seemed out of reach for the Phillies and the home crowd was shocked. However, the wily vets chipped away. It started with a JT Realmuto homer in the 7th. The Nats got out of that inning with just one run though. They still felt in command of the game.
That control began to slip away in the 8th. Bryce Harper homered and then Luis Garcia Jr. was unable to pick the ball on back to back plays at first base. Between Andres Chaparro and Luis Garcia Jr., first base defense has been a big problem for the Nats. Paul Toboni has done a lot of great things, but not picking up a veteran first baseman is a questionable move.
Luis Garcia failed to pick two balls at 1B in this 8th inning so far.
He's got 2 errors already in 2026. Very early in the experiment but he was a -7 in OAA at 2B last year. Doesn't look comfy at his new spot yet.
Defense has been the Nats' one problem area in the first week.
The Nats ended up surviving that inning while keeping things a 3-2 game. However, they used Clayton Beeter to get out of the inning. Beeter came out for the 9th, but he only faced two batters. He allowed a ground out and a single. The Nats ended up pulling him for PJ Poulin.
Blake Butera has pushed most of the right buttons this season, but I think he overmanaged here. I understand the platoon matchup, but Beeter is just a better, more powerful arm than Poulin. The top guys in the Phillies lineup had also seen Poulin yesterday.
Poulin could not stop the bleeding, getting one out, but issuing two walks. That led to another pitching change, with Cole Henry coming in to face Edmundo Sosa. Henry executed very well on his first two pitches, but hung a sweeper on an 0-2 count. Sosa took advantage and drove it into left to tie the game.
After the Nats were unable to score a run in the top of the 10th, the game just felt over. Blake Butera seemed to think so too, as he just kept Henry in the game rather than burning another reliever. The Phillies eventually put the Nats out of their misery with a walkoff single from Justin Crawford.
The Nats fought their tails off this series, but their immaturity and flaws showed. I still come away from this series happy with the effort and the overall performance. However, you can see the flaws in this team. With James Wood just not being the same player since last July, the Nats donât have a consistent home run threat to either get back in games or put them away.
They also do not have a singular lock down closer like the Phillies do with Jhoan Duran. The Nats have some solid bullpen arms, but none of them are dominant. In many ways the Nats outplayed the Phillies this series. However, the Phillies showed why they have made the playoffs in recent years and the Nats showed why they are a rebuilding team.
Zach Bove makes an early trip to the mound as Shane Smith works through a first inning that unraveled in a hurry. | (Jim Rassol/Imagn Images)
The weather may have been warm in Miami, but Chicagoâs bats? Ice cold. The pitching? Somewhere south of that. The White Sox dropped to 1-5 on the young season after getting thoroughly flattened, 10-0, by the Miami Marlins in a game that somehow felt over before most people had finished their first bite of lunch.
If you were hoping for a clean slate after a rough Opening Day for Shane Smith, well, that hope didnât last long. The righthander put together a first inning that can only be described as a full-blown tire fire. Four runs crossed the plate before he could even record a second out, thanks to four hits, a walk, and a throwing error that gifted Miami an extra run. Three earned, one unearned, all ugly. And no, it didnât get better.
Smith came back out for the second and promptly made things worse. A single set the table for a two-run blast by Liam Hicks, pushing the score to 6-0 and effectively turning this one into a glorified bullpen game before the Sox even had much of a chance to battle back.
Manager Will Venable let Smith wear it into the third, where the Marlins tacked on two more runs via the usual suspects â a walk, a double, a single. By the time it was over, the damage was done, the game was out of reach, and the Sox were left staring at yet another early-game crater.
However, in a contest devoid of many positives, the bullpen at least avoided making things exponentially worse. Lucas Sims, freshly called up, tossed two solid innings with just one hit allowed. Chris Murphy added two frames of his own, though he did surrender the ninth run. And Jordan Leasure, well, he did Jordan Leasure things, giving up the final run in the eighth on a solo shot by Otto Lopez.
Can you call it progress? Technically.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Sandy AlcĂĄntara was everything the White Sox were not: dominant, efficient, and completely in control. The Marlinsâ ace carved through the lineup with a complete game shutout, allowing just three singles from Chase Meidroth, Tristan Peters, and Luisangel Acuña. Seven strikeouts, zero walks, and not a hint of trouble. Whether that says more about AlcĂĄntaraâs brilliance or the Soxâs current state is ⊠not a particularly fun debate.
Due to the weather, the Sox will have to wait a bit longer for their Home Opener, now scheduled for Friday at 1:10 p.m. CST. Sean Burke will take the ball for the South Siders, while old friend Dylan Cease will be on the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays, because of course he is.
Strap it in, Sox fans. Itâs April, the team is already 1-5, and if this one was any indication, itâs shaping up to be another long, grinding ride on the South Side.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) â Rookie Justin Crawford had an RBI single in the 10th inning after the Philadelphia Phillies rallied from a four-run deficit for a 6-5 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
The Nationals led 5-1 in the seventh. J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper hit solo home runs to get the Phillies within 5-3. Edmundo Sosa hit a two-run single with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth to tie the game.
With runners on the corners in the bottom of the 10th, Crawford singled to right off Cole Henry (0-1). It was the third hit for Crawford, a first-round amateur draft pick in 2022 who made his major league debut on opening day.
Sosa ended the top of the 10th with a leaping catch of a CJ Abrams line drive, doubling the automatic runner off second base for winning pitcher Jhoan Duran (1-1).
Washington starter Cade Cavalli went six innings, allowing one run, five hits and two walks and striking out three.
Abrams hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning. Daylen Lile, Brady House and Joey Wiemer each had two hits. Wiemer, who entered leading the majors with a .615 average, scored twice.
Cristopher SĂĄnchez pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Phillies, allowing one run, four hits and four walks and striking out seven.
The Phillies took a lead in the first inning when Trea Turner scored on Kyle Schwarberâs double.
The Nationals scored in the second on an infield single and two walks. With the bases loaded, SĂĄnchez struck out Drew Millas on a pitch in the dirt, and Realmuto threw to first base trying to pick off Jacob Young, allowing Wiemer to score. Millas hit an RBI single in the sixth.
The homers were the first of the season for Realmuto and Harper.
Up next
Both teams are off Thursday. The Nationals prepare for their home opener against the World Series champion Dodgers on Friday. Their starting pitcher is to be announced.
The Phillies begin a road trip in Colorado. Aaron Nola (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will take the mound against former teammate Michael Lorenzen (0-0, 6.23) for the Rockies.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 31: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates hitting a home run during the first inning against the Athletics at Truist Park on March 31, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
4-2 sure beats the crap out of 0-7, right? Indeed, the Atlanta Braves have gotten their season off on the right foot following a successful homestand to get things going. Atlanta took the opening series with two straight wins over the Royals to start things off and now theyâve kept things going in the right direction by picking up another series win over the Athletics.
Now granted, the Athletics always seemed like a pretty favorable opponent and that was especially the case after they spent most of their opening series in Toronto whiffing left and right. Still, the Aâs are the type of team that the Braves have to take care of business against if they plan on playing meaningful baseball later on this year and as far as the early test goes, the Braves have passed it in fine fashion. So letâs take a look at how the final series of this first homestand for the Braves.
Well, would you look at that? Two shutouts in four games for the Braves pitching staff â just like all of us predicted, right? Indeed, Bryce Elder got his season off to a fantastic start as he delivered six shutout innings while dancing around even the slightest bit of trouble that the Aâs tried to cause him.
On the offensive side of things, the Braves did most of their damage in the first inning as they rudely welcomed Jacob Lopez to Atlanta with three runs to start things off. Thanks to Elder and the rest of the staff being on point, this was more than enough for the Braves to end up taking the win. Mauricio DubĂłn ended up with three RBI on the night, which was impressive considering that he had a less-than-stellar night in the field with the glove. Thatâs baseball for you.
Atlantaâs first crack at winning this series went awry as one bad inning from Jose Suarez and a lack of opportune hitting from the Braves doomed them to defeat in this one. Drake Baldwin did homer in the first inning (on his own bobblehead night, no less) and that seemed like an auspicious sign but instead, Suarez gave up three runs to the Aâs in the second inning and then eventually staked themselves out to a 5-1 lead once the top of the fifth inning was done.
Despite the offensive effort from the Aâs in the middle game, the Braves had to have felt good about their chances of bouncing back on the mound with Chris Sale going for the Wednesday matinee. Sure enough, Saleâs performance was too tough for the Aâs to deal with on this day as he finished with six innings and just one hit and three strikeouts allowed. The one run came off of a home run from Shea Langeliers, which at this point youâll take a solo shot from him because heâs come out of the gates swinging a bat thatâs on fire. Outside of that blemish, Sale got some excellent results while not even looking particularly dominant, himself.
Aâs starter Luis Severino looked extremely shaky to start out this contest and while the Braves let a scoring chance go by the wayside in the first inning, Drake Baldwin made sure that they didnât waste the next chance. His two-RBI single put the Braves in front in the second inning and Atlanta was able to run Severino from the game after just 3.1 innings and four earned runs. Drake Baldwin collected all four of those RBI that Severino allowed, as his double off of Elvis Alvarado was the blow that eventually put the Braves too far ahead for the Aâs to catch on this day. Matt Olson tacked on an RBI single to make it 5-1 and then the bullpen arms of Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias finished things of to give the Braves their first rubber game victory of the season.
Well, the first homestand of the season is over and the Braves made sure that it was a winning homestand, to boot. Even with the weirdness that is the fact that Atlantaâs gotten picked off four times in six games this season (they got picked off 10 times across all 162 games last season), that didnât take away from the business-like performance that we saw from the Braves over the course of these six games. This was an Aâs lineup that was coming into this series struggling at the plate and whiffing a ton. Outside of one bad inning from Suarez in the middle game, Atlantaâs pitching was on point and continued to make life very tough for the Aâs at the plate.
Meanwhile, the star of the show at the plate so far has to be Drake Baldwin. Last seasonâs NL Rookie of the Year has gotten off to a blazing start â sure, Shea Langeliers may be on fire right now but Baldwin is certainly keeping stride with him, as heâs clubbed seven hits (three of those hits being homers) with seven RBI as well. The rest of the veterans in the lineup have gotten off to a bit of a fitful start at the plate but Baldwinâs great performance is helping to lift the whole team up while those guys continue to get their feet up under them to get this season going.
All-in-all, itâs hard to find fault with a 4-2 start to the season â beggars canât be choosers, either, especially when you consider the calamitous start to the 2025 season. Theyâll have an early test on their hands with another early-season road trip but a trip to Arizona and Anaheim seems a lot more reasonable than visiting San Diego and Los Angeles this early on. Itâs still baseball and the Braves will have to take care of business on the road in order to make sure that this good start keeps moving into the future but for now, the foundation-laying of this season is going smoothly with two series wins right out of the gate.
Umpire C.B. Bucknor was injured by a foul ball in the second inning and left the game between Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday in Milwaukee. (John Fisher / Getty Images)
Umpire C.B. Bucknor's difficult week continued on Wednesday when he left a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers after a foul ball hit him flush in the face mask.
Tampa Bay's Nick Fortes fouled a 100-mph fastball from Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski straight back. The ball struck Bucknor, who immediately turned and dropped to his knees.
The Brewers' training staff checked on Bucknor before he left American Family Field. Chad Fairchild, who had been working as the first base umpire, took over behind the plate.
Bucknor's troubles began Saturday when the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox challenged eight of his six ball/strike calls. Six were overturned by Major League Baseball's new ABS challenge system, including back-to-back strike three challenges by Reds slugger Eugenio SuĂĄrez that delighted the crowd. At one point, Bucknor's chin dropped to his chest.
Bucknor, who has been an MLB umpire since 1996, ejected Red Sox manager Alex Cora after calling Trevor Story out on a check swing. The call ended the eighth inning with two runners on base and the Red Sox trailing by one run.
"He has one job to do. It wasn't his best day," Cora said about Bucknor after the game.
Bucknor, 63, found himself in another swirl of controversy as the first base umpire on Tuesday. Jake Bauers of the Brewers reached base after Rays shortstop Ben Williamson made a throwing error, and Bucknor called Bauers out for failing to touch first base.
The replay clearly showed that Bauers had stepped on the bag, and the call was reversed.
"Yeah, grateful for that," Bauers told reporters about the replay review. "I don't know what happened. Just thankful to get on base and thankful to come around and score."
While it is unclear why Bucknor missed the call at first base, the rash of overturned ball/strike calls is emblematic of the adjustments umpires and players are making to the automated ball/strike challenge system.
From 1995 to 2005, the MLB rule book defined strikes as the area over home plate from the midpoint between the shoulders and the top of the pants, down to the bottom of the knees. ABS, however, defines the top of the zone as 53.5% of a playerâs height, and the bottom of the zone is 27% of the playerâs height.
ABS uses tracking technology â 12 Hawk-Eye cameras â to determine the precise location of a pitch relative to a batterâs specific strike zone. The cameras measure balls and strikes from a two-dimensional plane set in the middle of home plate.
Challenges can be made by the catcher or batter, who tap their head to indicate they want an ABS verdict. In the first few days of the 2026 season, catchers turned 59 of 92 challenges (64.1%) into favorable rulings. Batters were less successful, turning 33 of 78 challenges into favorable rulings.
In 2003 and 2006, Sports Illustrated surveys of active MLB players declared Bucknor as the worst umpire in MLB. A 2010 survey of players by ESPN also ranked Bucknor last.
Apr 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) is doused with water after his walk off game winning RBI single during the tenth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
First, Andrew Painter had a highly successful debut.
Now, Justin Crawford has himself a walkoff hit, giving the Phillies a much needed victory at home, evening their record at 3-3.
One would have thought it was going to be a lot easier the way the game started. Trea Turner walked, stole a base and scored on a Kyle Schwarber double.
However, the second inning saw Cristopher Sanchez struggle with his command a bit and the Nationals continue their series trend of barely getting the ball out of the infield to scrape across a run and tie the game at one. The Phillies had a chance to untie it in their half of the second, loading the bases for Trea Turner, but a line drive to center field and the threat was over.
The chance would find Turner again in the fourth when he had two in scoring position and two out, but a meek fly ball and the feeling of âhere we go againâ started washing over everyone watching it. The game stayed that way until the sixth when the Nationals pushed a run across with two outs to take a 2-1 lead. In the seventh, Washington added on when Brad Keller, on in relief for another day, got two outs and induced a groundball for a potential third out, only to be overturned by replay. Two batters laterâŠ
The ninth is when the real fireworks began. Turner and Schwarber got one with one out, Harper flied out with two outs and Alec Bohm was walked to load the bases. Edmundo Sosa, brought in as a substitute earlier in the game, delivered with an RBI to tie the game at five.
It stayed this way into extra innings with Jhoan Duran on the mound to preserve the tie ballgame. He got the first out, then was aided by a sparkling defensive play by Sosa to keep the game tied.
With the chance to win it in the tenth, Realmuto singled ghost runner Brandon Marsh to third, meaning Justin Crawford had a chance to make his first stamp on the team. He delivered in a big way.
MILWAUKEE (AP) â Christian Yelich hit a go-ahead, two-run single in a six-run eighth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-2 on Wednesday.
Garrett Mitchell added a two-run double during the decisive rally, Blake Perkins drove in a run with a groundout and David Hamilton capped the inning with an RBI single as Milwaukee (5-1) broke open a 2-2 game.
Brice Turang tied it earlier with a two-run homer in the third after the Rays took the lead on Yandy DĂazâs two-run shot in the top half of the inning.
Milwaukee starter Jacob Misiorowski (1-0) struck out seven and allowed four hits and two runs in six innings. The right-hander walked two before handing the game to the bullpen. Grant Anderson, Aaron Ashby and DL Hall combined for three scoreless innings, with Hall striking out three in the ninth.
Tampa Bay (2-4) starter Drew Rasmussen allowed one run and two hits while striking out eight in five innings.
The Brewersâ eighth-inning surge opened after Joey Ortiz reached on a fielding error by shortstop Carson Williams. Turangâs sacrifice bunt was mishandled at first base, putting runners on first and second. William Contreras then singled to load the bases.
Yelich followed with a ground-ball single to right field that scored Ortiz and Turang for a 4-2 lead. Mitchellâs double to right brought home two more runs before Perkinsâ RBI groundout and Hamiltonâs single extended the lead to 8-2. Milwaukee went 5 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Griffin Jax (0-2) took the loss after allowing five runs in the eighth inning.
Umpire C.B. Bucknor left the game in the second inning after being struck in the mask by a foul ball off Nick Fortesâ bat on a 100.2 mph fastball from Misiorowski.
Up next
Chad Patrick (0-0, 2.08 ERA) will make his second start of the season against the Kansas City Royals on Friday, while Joe Boyle (0-0, 3.00 ERA) takes the mound for Tampa Bay on Friday against the Minnesota Twins.
Apr 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Colorado Rockies right fielder Tyler Freeman (2) reacts after win over the Toronto Blue Jays after the tenth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
What began as a pitcherâs duel resulted in an extra-inning victory for the Colorado Rockies as they defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 to conclude their first road trip of the season.
Despite an offense that struggled to connect, the Rockiesâ pitching matched the reigning American League Champions and secured their first series victory of 2026. By contrast, the Rockies didnât win their first series until June of last season.
Five for Freeland
It took one cycle through the rotation, but the Rockies finally got a starting pitcher to go five innings. Kyle Freeland worked through plenty of traffic but managed to navigate five innings while giving up one run on five hits. He was the definition of attacking the strike zone, throwing 60 of his 88 pitches for strikes, and ended up allowing just one walk while punching out six.
The lone run against Freeland came in the third inning on a one-out single to right field by Davis Schneider that scored Myles Straw. With runners on second and third, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hit by a sweeper on the tip of his back foot to load the bases. Freeland escaped with a strikeout of Kazuma Okamoto, followed by a soft lineout by Alejandro Kirk. The knuckle-curve was quite effective on the day as he threw it over 25 times.
Unfortunately for the Rockies, Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman was just as effective. The Colorado native was on point from the get-go and was perfect through the first four innings. He ended up going six innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 Rockies hitters.
With 21 strikeouts, Gausman set a franchise record with the most strikeouts through the first two starts of the season by a Blue Jays pitcher. He is also the first pitcher since at least 1901 with 21 or more strikeouts and zero walks through his first two starts of a season. Gausmanâs splitter and fastball were lethal as he carved up the Rockies and generated 19 swing and misses.
The Rockies got their first base runner against Gausman courtesy of a leadoff single from Ezequiel Tovar in the fifth inning. T.J. Rumfield then hit a dribbler on the infield that Toronto flipped to second base for a force out. Tovar was initially called out, but a replay challenge overturned the ruling, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Gausman then struck out Jordan Beck and Brett Sullivan before getting Brenton Doyle to ground out to end the inning.
Troy Johnston had a one-out double in the sixth inning, but Hunter Goodman and Willi Castro struck out to end that threat.
Bullpen Relief
The bullpen was excellent for the Rockies as they prevented the Blue Jays from scoring another run. Antonio Senzatela followed Freeland with two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Victor Vodnik and Brennan Bernardino dealt scoreless innings with Jimmy Herget nailing down the save in the bottom of the 10th. The pen allowed just two hits over five innings of work.
The Rockies struck out a whopping 17 times in 36 at-bats while drawing just three walks. They managed six hits, including the aforementioned double, while going 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Johnston led the day with a two-hit performance, while five Rockies had two or more strikeouts. The only starter that didnât strike out was Rumfield. Still, the team continued its running ways, stealing two bases, bringing the teamâs total to 10. Jake McCarthyâs stolen base in the eighth proved most beneficial as he was then able to score on Johnstonâs RBI single and tie the game at one.
Still, when it mattered most, Tyler Freeman, just activated from the injured list, poked an RBI single to center field in the top of the 10th to drive in the winning run for the Rockies.
The Rockies have the day off on Thursday before welcoming the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game set at Coors Field on Friday. Michael Lorenzen (0-0, 6.23 ERA) will take the mound in the home opener and face off against Aaron Nola (0-0, 5.40 ERA) for the Phillies.
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 26: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates as he walks back to the dugout during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Brewers picked up another win on Wednesday afternoon, wrapping up their season-opening homestand with another series win behind a solid pitching performance and a late offensive surge.
Jacob Misiorowski got off to a strong start, setting down the top of Tampa Bayâs lineup in order bookended with a pair of strikeouts. Drew Rasmussen had similar success in the bottom of the inning, putting Milwaukee down 1-2-3 with a strikeout of Christian Yelich.
After picking up a pair of strikeouts to begin the second, a foul tip off the bat of Nick Fortes (on a 100-mph fastball) flew directly into home plate umpire C.B. Bucknorâs mask, who fell to his knees and was visibly shaken up. Bucknor eventually got up and walked off the field under his own power, flanked by members of the Brewersâ training staff. It was a pretty scary moment, so hopefully Bucknor is alright.
After the delay, Misiorowski gave up a single to Fortes and a walk to Chandler Simpson, but he got out of the inning with the game still scoreless. After Rasmussen worked around a single and steal by Garrett Mitchell, Misiorowski found himself struggling in the third.
Miz hit the leadoff man, Richie Palacios, to put a runner on with nobody out. Up next was Yandy DĂaz, who lofted a fastball over the right field fence for a two-run homer, putting Tampa up 2-0. Misiorowski then got a flyout before giving up a double to Jake Fraley, but he struck out the next two batters to keep the deficit at two.
The Brewers didnât take long to respond in the bottom of the inning, as David Hamilton reached on a throwing error by Junior Caminero before swiping second base. After Joey Ortiz hit a deep fly ball that was caught by a sliding Cedric Mullins on the warning track, Brice Turang got a hold of one and put it into the Brewer bullpen to knot the game at 2-2. Caminero had another throwing error one batter later, but Rasmussen struck out the next two to keep the score at 2-2.
In the fourth, Miz allowed a one-out single to Simpson, who was wiped out at second on a spectacular diving play and throw by Turang. He then walked Palacios but got out of the inning with a soft grounder by DĂaz.
Fresh off hitting a bomb, Brice Turang makes a nice diving snag
Rasmussen continued right where he left off in the fourth, striking out Milwaukeeâs outfield trio of Mitchell, Sal Frelick, and Blake Perkins in order on just 12 pitches. Misiorowski was even more efficient in the top of the fifth, inducing three flyouts on just six pitches.
That would be indicative of the quiet innings to come, as Rasmussen worked around a Turang walk in the bottom of the fifth, Miz set the Rays down in order in the sixth, and Rasmussenâs replacement, Ian Seymour, allowed a leadoff single but then got a double play and strikeout for a clean bottom of the sixth.
Misiorowskiâs day was over after six frames, as he allowed two runs on four hits and a pair of walks with seven strikeouts. He was slightly overshadowed by Rasmussen, who went five innings with two runs allowed (only one earned) on two hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.
Grant Anderson took over for Miz in the seventh, setting the Rays down 1-2-3 before Seymour did the same in the bottom of the inning. Aaron Ashby allowed a leadoff walk in the eighth but got an inning-ending double play, and this one would be decided in the final at-bat for each team.
Griffin Jax got the ball in place of Seymour in the eighth, and immediately found himself struggling, with no help from his defense to boot. Ortiz singled (note: this was originally ruled an error, but the scoring was changed the next inning) to start the frame, and Turang followed with a sacrifice bunt. But Caminero failed to make the catch at first â his third error of the day â and both runners were safe.
The ball kept rolling from there, as William Contreras singled to load the bases with no outs. Yelich, who delivered the huge go-ahead hit in the eighth on Sunday, did exactly the same today, singling in both Ortiz and Turang to give Milwaukee the late 4-2 lead. Jake Bauers followed with a walk to once again load the bases.
Mason Englert took over for Jax, and he didnât fare any better, allowing a two-run double to Mitchell â making it 6-2 Brewers â before Perkins brought in another with a groundout.
DL Hall got the ninth and picked up a trio of strikeouts while working around a hit by pitch and single.
It was another solid day for the Crew, as they moved to 5-1 on the season. Ashby took the win with his scoreless eighth, while the staff as a whole scattered five hits, three walks, and a hit batter, giving up two runs (both credited against Misiorowski). Offensively, Turang, Yelich, and Mitchell led the way, as all three picked up a pair of RBIs. Perkins and Hamilton added an RBI each, and Turang and Mitchell had the only extra-base hits on a homer and double, respectively.
The Brewers get their first off day on Thursday before beginning a two-city interleague road trip this weekend. Theyâll first head to Kansas City to take on the Royals. First pitch in Fridayâs game is at 6:45 p.m. CT, airing exclusively on Apple TV, though you can also listen on the Brewer Radio Network.
