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As the club’s all-time home run leader with 267 bombs as a member of the Florida/Miami Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton had his fair share of clutch homers as well over seven seasons with the Fish. One of those came on this day 15 years ago. Against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, Stanton, then known as Mike, came through with a two-run home run in the ninth inning to break a tie and lift the Florida Marlins to an eventual 8-7 victory. Neither team had scored since the sixth inning as the Marlins came to the plate in the top of the ninth to face St. Louis right-hander Eduardo Sánchez on May 4, 2011. With the score tied 6-6, Hanley Ramírez walked to open the inning. Gaby Sánchez followed by striking out. With one on and one out, Stanton came to the plate. After taking the first pitch for a ball, Stanton got a fastball middle-in and didn’t miss it. St. Louis outfielders barely moved as Stanton belted a no-doubter to left-centerfield, giving Florida an 8-6 lead. Juan Carlos Oviedo, then known as Leo Núñez, came in to try to close it out. After retiring the first batter he faced, Oviedo allowed a solo home run to Jon Jay that cut the deficit to 8-7. Oviedo then walked Albert Pujols but was able to get Matt Holliday to ground into a game-ending double play to collect the save. The Marlins never trailed in the contest but did let a four-run lead slip away. After the teams traded two-spots in the first inning, Florida took a 6-2 lead with four runs in the third inning. St. Louis answered with two in the bottom of the frame before drawing even with two more in the sixth. Emilio Bonifácio finished 3-for-5 with a triple and a run scored in the win. Gaby Sánchez and Chris Coghlan each added two hits. Ramírez scored three runs in the victory. Holliday finished with two hits for St. Louis. Although Florida would finish just 72-90 and in last place in the National League East in 2011, the thrilling win put the Marlins at 19-10 for the season. That win came courtesy of a no-doubter from Stanton and on this day 15 years ago. View the full article

The Quad Cities River Bandits and Columbia Fireflies posted wins on Saturday, with Asbel Gonzalez and Derlin Figueroa each launching two home runs in a 12-3 Quad Cities romp. Emmanuel Reyes worked five innings of two-run ball for the win. Columbia's five-run first carried Kendry Chourio's four-strikeout start to victory. Omaha fell 14-8 despite Luca Tresh's 4-for-5 day, and Northwest Arkansas dropped a 7-6 heartbreaker as Hunter Owen took the loss. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Drop Slugfest To Bats Despite Tresh's Four-Hit Effort Omaha fell 14-8 to Louisville on Saturday, undone by a Bats lineup that pulled away with a six-run seventh inning. Cleanup hitter Luca Tresh paced the Storm Chasers offense, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs, and two RBIs. Abraham Toro added two hits, including a two-run homer, while Kameron Misner went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and an RBI. The Storm Chasers tied the game in the third inning, when Misner tripled home Tyler Tolbert, Tresh doubled in Misner, and Toro followed with a two-run shot to right field that knotted things 4-4. Louisville broke the game open in the seventh, scoring six runs on three hits, three walks, and a string of small mistakes that turned a tight game into a comfortable lead. Starter Aaron Sanchez took the longest turn for Omaha, allowing four runs on six hits over three innings, walking two and striking out three. Anthony Gose struggled with command in his outing, walking five over two-thirds of an inning, and Chazz Martinez allowed six runs on three hits in his lone inning of work. Helcris Olivárez and Steven Cruz combined for two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. The Storm Chasers stranded ten runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Tyler Tolbert 5 1 2 0 0 2 Drew Waters 5 1 1 1 0 2 Kameron Misner 4 2 2 1 0 2 Luca Tresh 5 2 4 2 0 0 Abraham Toro 5 1 2 2 0 1 Gavin Cross 2 1 0 0 2 2 Luke Maile 3 0 0 0 0 2 Elih Marrero 2 0 1 1 0 0 Dustin Dickerson 4 0 0 0 1 1 Colton Becker 4 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aaron Sanchez 3 6 4 4 2 3 1 Shane Panzini (L) 2 1 2 2 2 2 0 Anthony Gose 2/3 0 2 2 5 1 0 Chazz Martinez 1 3 6 6 3 1 0 Jose Cuas 1/3 2 0 0 0 0 0 Helcris Olivárez 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Steven Cruz 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Naturals' Late Rally Falls One Run Short In Loss Northwest Arkansas dropped a 7-6 decision to Springfield on Saturday despite a three-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning that brought the Naturals within one. Leadoff hitter Carson Roccaforte went 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI, and a stolen base, while Jack Pineda added two hits, including a solo home run and an RBI triple. The Naturals scored their first three runs in the second inning, when Pineda homered, Canyon Brown singled, and Roccaforte cashed in another run with a single. After Springfield went ahead in the third with a four-run inning, Northwest Arkansas mounted its final push in the eighth. Brett Squires reached on an error, Daniel Vazquez walked, and Spencer Nivens reached on another error that allowed two runs to come home. Pineda then tripled to bring in Nivens and trim the deficit to one, but the rally ended with a groundout. Owen took the loss for Northwest Arkansas, allowing four runs on six hits in three innings with three strikeouts. Zachary Cawyer threw two scoreless frames out of the bullpen, and Brandon Johnson finished with a scoreless inning and a third. The Naturals committed one error and struck out ten times. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 1 2 1 0 2 Rudy Martin Jr. 5 0 1 0 0 1 Sam Kulasingam 4 0 0 0 0 2 Brett Squires 3 1 0 0 1 1 Daniel Vazquez 3 1 0 0 1 1 Spencer Nivens 4 1 1 0 0 0 Jack Pineda 4 1 2 2 0 1 Canyon Brown 4 1 1 0 0 0 Omar Hernandez 0 0 0 0 0 0 Justin Johnson 3 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Owen (L) 3 6 4 4 0 3 1 Andrew Morones 2/3 1 1 0 2 1 0 Augusto Mendieta 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 1 2 1 1 0 2 1 Zachary Cawyer 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Chase Jessee 2/3 1 1 1 3 1 0 Brandon Johnson 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Gonzalez And Figueroa Each Slug Two Homers In River Bandits Rout Quad Cities pounded Wisconsin 12-3 on Saturday behind a pair of two-homer nights from Gonzalez and Figueroa. Gonzalez finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Figueroa went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs. Tyriq Kemp added two hits, two RBIs, and two stolen bases. Cleanup hitter Luke Pelzer went 2-for-5 with a triple and two runs, and Angel Acosta also collected two hits and an RBI. The River Bandits broke a 1-2 deficit open with a three-run fourth, when Pelzer tripled, Jose Cerice doubled him in, an error allowed Cerice to score, and Acosta singled in Kemp. Quad Cities tacked on three more in the fifth, with Gonzalez leading off with his second homer of the year and Figueroa following with a two-run shot. Gonzalez added a second homer in the eighth, capping a five-RBI night between the two power bats. Starter Emmanuel Reyes earned the win with five innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits, walking one, and striking out five. Kamden Edge tossed an inning and a third of scoreless relief with three strikeouts. The River Bandits stranded seven runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 4 0 1 0 2 0 Asbel Gonzalez 5 2 2 3 0 3 Blake Mitchell 3 1 1 0 1 1 Luke Pelzer 5 2 2 0 0 0 Jose Cerice 4 2 1 1 0 1 Derlin Figueroa 5 3 2 3 0 1 Tyriq Kemp 5 1 2 2 0 0 Erick Torres 5 0 1 1 0 1 Angel Acosta 4 1 2 1 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emmanuel Reyes (W) 5 4 2 2 1 5 1 Jacob Widener 2/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Kamden Edge 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Cory Ronan 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 Yimi Presinal 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 Five-Run First Sends Fireflies Past Pelicans Columbia jumped on Myrtle Beach for five runs in the first inning and never trailed in a 7-3 win on Saturday. The Fireflies opened the game with a Henry Ramos single, a Yandel Ricardo hit-by-pitch, and a Josh Hammond walk to load the bases. Cleanup hitter Brooks Bryan walked in the first run, Sean Gamble walked in the second, Hyungchan Um walked in the third, and Roni Cabrera capped the inning with a two-run single. Bryan finished 1-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs, two stolen bases, and a run scored. Hammond went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks, and two runs. Connor Rasmussen added two hits and an RBI, while Cabrera also drove in two. Starter Kendry Chourio worked three and two-thirds innings for Columbia, allowing one run on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts, the lone blemish a solo home run. Jordan Woods earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits over three innings with five walks and eight strikeouts. Andy Basora picked up a hold with an inning and a third of scoreless relief and two strikeouts, and Max Martin finished the night with a clean ninth. The Fireflies stole seven bases and stranded ten runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 5 1 1 0 0 0 Yandel Ricardo 4 1 0 0 0 0 Josh Hammond 3 2 1 0 2 0 Brooks Bryan 3 1 1 2 2 0 Sean Gamble 3 1 0 0 2 1 Hyungchan Um 3 1 1 1 2 2 JC Vanek 5 0 1 0 0 3 Roni Cabrera 4 0 1 2 0 2 Connor Rasmussen 4 0 2 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kendry Chourio 3 2/3 3 1 1 0 4 1 Jordan Woods (W) 3 3 2 2 5 8 0 Andy Basora (H) 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Max Martin 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: 1-for-3, BB, R, K David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HR Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: 0-for-3, 2 BB, R, K Josh Hammond: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 R Ramon Ramirez: DNP Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 3 K Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-4, R, SB Felix Arronde: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vázquez: 0-for-3, BB, R, K Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 2-for-5, 3B, RBI, R, SB, 2 K Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DN View the full article

Much like most of the offense, the Boston Red Sox's pitching staff left quite a bit to be desired in April. For a team that was built around elite starting pitching, the rotation has been surprisingly ineffective thus far. As the month closed the top two arms in the rotation, Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray, were on the injured list and were working their way back to form. That leaves us a limited group of pitchers to choose from, but there are a few standouts who deserve their flowers for trying to hold things together before May. Ranking Red Sox's Best Pitchers In April #3: Aroldis Chapman Chapman gets the number three spot because he’s seen fairly limited action, but he’s been mostly solid when called upon. For the month of April, he posted a 1.35 ERA, 2.25 FIP, a 12.15% K/9, and a 4.05 BB/9. He’s been less sharp than he was last year, but he’s still a dependable closer for the team. There was some initial concern about his lack of velocity early in the season, but he’s been ramping back up to his usual high-90s fastball that tops out above 100 mph when he needs it to. What’s interesting is he seems to be throwing his off-speed pitches a bit more this year instead of just reaching back and throwing gas, so he may be looking to ease some of the stress that years of hurling fireballs has put on his left arm. #2: Connelly Early Early appeared in five games in April and posted a 3.08 ERA, 5.16 FIP, 7.52 K/9, 4.10 BB/9, and an impressive 42.5% groundball percentage. The rookie southpaw has been arguably the most consistent arm throughout April and posted the best start of his career against the Orioles to close the month out. He’s lost a bit of velocity this season, but has showcased his ability to get into the upper-90s when necessary. The biggest knock against Early right now is that he seems quite impacted by the weather on his start days, and he’s sometimes struggled to get past the fourth inning, even when things are going well. That being said, he’s shown a ton of potential so far this season and has the makings of a top-of-the-rotation arm as long as he can remain durable enough to turn over a lineup more than twice. #1: Ranger Suarez Suarez had a rough start to the season, but he has settled down nicely to end the month. He turned in a 2.35 ERA over 30 2/3 innings in April, posting a 2.66 FIP, 1.0 fWAR, and a .208 BABIP. He left 72% of runners on base during the month and worked deep into a handful of games. It’s likely no coincidence that the team’s strongest offers often coincided with Suarez’s best starts of the season. He’s almost the antithesis of the program that Craig Breslow and Andrew Bailey are running; he’s not a fireballer and his K/9 only sits at 7.63 for the month, but he’s effective at getting groundball outs, so long as the defense behind him plays up to par. Suarez felt like a panic signing after the team missed on bringing back Alex Bregman but as April waged on, we started to see the same version of Suarez that helped bring the Phillies to the postseason over the last few seasons. While his contract may be a bit of an albatross in a few years, if he’s going to continue to produce numbers like he did in April, then he’s going to be someone that fans enjoy supporting while he’s on the mound, regardless of what happens during the games he doesn’t start. Not all hope has been lost in Boston, as Crochet and Gray are both nearing their returns and as long as they are able to pitch like we’ve seen in the past, then the Red Sox should be in a better place. The offense can’t be ice cold forever, so everyone on this list should get ample opportunities to either put games away or pitch their way late into games behind multiple runs of support. Chapman, Early, and Suarez weren’t the only bright spots on the pitching side of things, but their performances in April offered the kind of optimism that has been sorely lacking over the past six weeks. View the full article

Welcome back to Blue Jays Clutch Plays, a recurring post that highlights the six most pivotal plays (three pitching, three hitting) from the past week of Blue Jays baseball, according to MLB's win probability model. Click here to read last week's edition. For the second consecutive week, the Blue Jays climbed a little closer to .500 after digging themselves quite a hole in early April. Things started well with a key series win against a divisional opponent in the form of the hapless Red Sox, and they had a chance to take 3 of 4 from the Twins on the weekend but were stymied on Sunday by a bullpen they spent the previous two games feasting on. After settling for the split, they're now 16-18 and are 9-5 in their last 14 games. Here are the plays most worth remembering from this past week. Pitching 3. Dylan Cease: Ceddanne Rafaela Groundout, Top 4, 4/27 (+5.5% wPA) Last Monday's opener against Boston had the makings of an all-time pitcher's duel, but Dylan Cease ultimately failed to outdo Ranger Suárez in the end. At the time of this play, though, the Jays were still very much in it. Even against the bottom of the order, a 3-2 pitch with runners on the corners and two outs in a 1-0 game is highly consequential, and Cease got Ceddanne Rafaela to roll over a slider just off the high-and-outside corner to escape the threat. 2. Dylan Cease: Ryan Jeffers Flyout, Bot 3, 5/2 (+5.8% wPA) With a runner on third and one out, Cease was not looking to induce anything in the air past the infield, especially with his team already down by a run, although a sac fly might've been considered a victory against Ryan Jeffers, who tormented the Blue Jays in April. And yet, even with Daulton Varsho's weaker throwing arm in center field, Jeffers couldn't quite get this one deep enough to score Trevor Larnach, and the game remained 3-2. 1. Braydon Fisher: Willson Contreras GIDP, Top 5, 4/29 (+11.7% wPA) It wasn't the most notable week for Jays pitchers in the single-play win probability department, due to the way the club's wins played out on the scoreboard, so Braydon Fisher getting Willson Contreras to ground into a double play on Wednesday afternoon stands as the Clutch Play of the Week for the staff. Of course, had Contreras even singled, Toronto's lead would've gotten uncomfortable in a hurry, so this was a timely grounder that set the stage for the offense to break the game open in the later innings. Hitters 3. Kazuma Okamoto: 2-RBI Single, Bot 3, 4/29 (+16.1% wPA) Kazuma Okamoto's stance adjustment to cover the outer half of the plate paid dividends here, as Brayan Bello's backdoor sinker leaked a little too far into the zone. He didn't try to do too much with it, rifling it into left-center field for a base hit to give the Blue Jays a lead they wouldn't relinquish. These bases-loaded situations gave Okamoto fits at the outset of his MLB career, but after this week, it's safe to say he's built for the moment. 2. Kazuma Okamoto: 2-RBI Single, Bot 3, 4/28 (+17.5% wPA) Red Sox lefty Payton Tolle made Okamoto look silly the pitch before this, blowing a perfectly located fastball by him to even the count. He doubled down with two strikes but couldn't elevate, and his reaction as soon as he let it go says it all. Okamoto turned on it, lacing it over the head of Roman Anthony and off the left field wall on a bounce. He tried to stretch it into a double but was thrown out, a call which surprisingly wasn't overturned after video review. Still, this hit was all the pitching staff needed; they shut Boston out and evened the series. 1. Kazuma Okamoto: RBI Single, Top 8, 5/2 (+25.4% wPA) It's a clean sweep for Okamoto, who was a man possessed last week. This wasn't even close to his farthest hit of the week, but by WPA, it was the most important, tying the game in the eighth and setting the stage for what would become an eight-run inning as the Jays stormed back to win 11-4 on Saturday. What's ironic is that Luis Garcia got the groundball he wanted here, but Okamoto hit it hard enough and took it right back up the middle to avoid the double play. The Jays simply wouldn't have been able to make it a winning week if it weren't for his efforts. View the full article

Three of four San Diego Padres affiliates won Sunday. Eric Yost struck out seven across four innings as San Antonio held off Tulsa 8-7, and Tirso Ornelas drove in the go-ahead run. Lamar King Jr. drove in four runs, and Igor Gil delivered three hitless innings as Fort Wayne edged South Bend 11-10. Qrey Lott went 5-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs as Lake Elsinore won 12-10 in 10 innings. El Paso fell 4-3. Padres Minor-League Transactions No roster moves Sung-Mun Song Homers, But Chihuahuas Drop Finale For Split After being on the wrong end of two blowouts, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas found themselves in a tight one during the series finale. Unfortunately, this one ended like the previous two: with a loss. The host Albuquerque Isotopes scored an eighth-inning run to pull out a 4-3 triumph, splitting the six-game series. Left-handed starter Jackson Wolf kept things from getting out of hand like they did the previous two games, allowing three runs in 4⅔ innings on five hits and two walks with a strikeout. The bullpen of right-handers Garrett Hawkins, Ethan Routzahn and David Morgan only gave up one run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts over the final 3⅓ innings. El Paso jumped out to a 1-0 win in the top of the first as Will Wagner, in his second game of a rehab assignment following a spring training right oblique strain, doubled and took third on a throwing error, then scored on Samad Taylor's single to left. Albuquerque took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third, which stood until the Chihuahuas came to bat in the seventh. Sung-Mun Song hit his first home run as a member of the Padres organization, driving the first pitch of the inning over the fence in right. Mason McCoy singled and stole second, Pablo Reyes walked and a groundout moved the runners to second and third. Rodolfo Duran then lined an opposite-field single through the infield to right to score a pair and tie the game 3-3. But the Isotopes put together a rally in the bottom of the eighth against Morgan, making his first appearance since being demoted by the Padres, that proved to be the difference. Six players had hits for the Chihuahuas, but none had more than one. Reyes walked twice and has reached base in all 22 games he has played. Wagner was also hit by a pitch. EP_0503.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Jase Bowen, CF 3 0 0 0 1 3 Will Wagner, 3B 2 1 1 0 1 0 Samad Taylor, RF 4 0 1 1 0 0 Nick Solak, LF 4 0 1 0 0 0 Sung-Mun Song, 2B 4 1 1 1 0 1 Mason McCoy, SS 4 1 1 0 0 0 Pablo Reyes, DH 2 0 0 0 2 0 Jose Miranda, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 1 Rodolfo Durán, C 4 0 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jackson Wolf 4 2/3 5 3 3 2 1 0 Garrett Hawkins 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Ethan Routzahn 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 David Morgan (L, 0-1) 1 2 1 1 2 2 0 Leandro Cedeno, Tirso Ornelas Lead Missions To Victory While wins have been hard to come by for the Double-A San Antonio Missions, that doesn't mean they don't have some talent on the roster. Leandro Cedeno hit a three-run homer and Tirso Ornelas also homered and drove in three, including the tiebreaking run in the eighth, as the Missions won the series finale 8-7. The Missions (7-20) won two games in a series for just the second time this year. Cedeno, Ornelas, Romeo Sanabria and Braedon Karpathios each had two of the 10 hits for the Missions, who also were issued eight walks. The Missions held a 6-1 lead in the top of the fourth before needing the late heroics. Ornelas homered leading off the second, his fourth of the year, and a wild pitch made it 2-0. Karpathios tacked on an RBI single in the third for a 3-0 lead. After a pair of walks in the fourth, Cedeno cranked a no-doubt three-run blast, with a nice little bat flip, to deep left to make it 6-1. It was Cedeno's third homer of the season. Ornelas made it 7-1 when he drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth, but Tulsa scored three in the bottom of the sixth and three more in the seventh to tie it 7-7. In the eighth, Sanabria got things going with a two-out single and was pinch-run for by Kai Roberts. Ornelas then laced a double on an 0-2 pitch to right-center to easily score Roberts from first. Missions right-handed starter Eric Yost didn't allow a hit, but did give up a run on three walks while striking out seven in four innings. Johan Moreno picked up the win with 2⅓ hitless innings. SA_0503.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas, C 2 2 0 0 3 0 Ryan Jackson, 2B 3 1 0 0 2 1 Leandro Cedeño, DH 5 1 2 3 0 1 Romeo Sanabria, 1B 3 1 2 0 1 1 Kai Roberts, CF 0 1 0 0 0 0 Tirso Ornelas, LF 3 1 2 3 2 0 Braedon Karpathios, RF 5 1 2 1 0 1 Luis Verdugo, 3B 5 0 1 0 0 2 Albert Fabian, 1B 5 0 0 0 0 0 Francisco Acuna, SS 5 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Eric Yost 4 0 1 1 3 7 0 Omar Cruz 1 2/3 3 3 3 0 2 2 Francis Peña 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Harry Gustin 1 3 3 2 1 2 0 Johan Moreno (W, 1-0) 2 1/3 0 0 0 1 4 0 Lamar King Jr. Leads Homer Brigade As TinCaps Win 5th Straight The Padres have another catcher on a bit of a hot streak. Lamar King Jr., Padres Mission's No. 13 prospect, homered and matched his career high with four RBIs as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps won their fifth in a row, fending off the host South Bend Cubs 11-10. Carlos E. Rodriguez hit a three-run homer, while Rosman Verdugo and Jake Cunningham also homered and had a pair of RBIs. King, Rodriguez, Verdugo and Cunningham each had two of the TinCaps' 10 hits. Fort Wayne also drew seven walks. Coming off his first career four-hit game, King, at designated hitter Sunday, homered on the first pitch he saw for a two-run homer for a quick 2-0 lead. It was his second homer of the season. Rodriguez continued the big first inning with his three-run blast and a 5-0 lead, his third homer this year. South Bend scored five in the third to tie it. Verdugo led off the top of the fourth with his fourth homer and Cunningham doubled home a pair for an 8-5 lead. South Bend countered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, then King went back to work in the fifth with his two-run double and a 10-7 TinCaps lead. After the Cubs made it 10-8 in the bottom of the fifth, Cunningham led off the top of the sixth with his sixth homer this year, making it 11-8. South Bend scored twice in the bottom of the sixth, but both bullpens shut out the offenses over the final three innings. TinCaps starter Abraham Parra was tagged for five runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 2⅔ innings. Igor Gil came in during the sixth inning and pitched three scoreless innings, while Clay Edmondson picked up his Midwest League-best fifth save with a scoreless ninth. FW_0503.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells, CF 4 3 1 0 1 0 Rosman Verdugo, 2B 4 1 2 2 1 0 Lamar King Jr., DH 4 2 2 4 1 1 Alex McCoy, LF 5 0 0 0 0 3 Jake Cunningham, RF 4 2 2 2 1 0 Jack Costello, 1B 5 1 1 0 0 1 Carlos Rodriguez, C 4 2 2 3 1 1 Zach Evans, 3B 4 0 0 0 1 1 Dylan Grego, SS 4 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Abraham Parra 2 1/3 5 5 5 2 2 2 Clark Candiotti 1 1 2 2 2 1 0 C.J. Widger (H, 1) 1 1/3 0 1 1 3 1 0 Luis Germán (H, 2) 0 1/3 4 2 1 0 0 1 Igor Gil (W, 2-0) 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Clay Edmondson (S, 5) 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Qrey Lott's Huge Day Helps Storm Rally To Win In 10 You don't have to look far to find the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm in the California League standings. And it is because of wins like this. Down to the final strike of the game, Qrey Lott hit his second homer of the game, a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the ninth, and Luke Cantwell singled home the go-ahead run in a three-run 10th inning as the Storm surged past the host Ontario Tower Buzzers 12-10. The Storm have won five straight after dropping the series opener. Lott's two homers were part of a 5-for-5, six-RBI day. Lott also homered in the second inning, a two-run shot as part of the best day of his young career. Lott had no homers and three RBIs in the first seven games of his career. Lott went undrafted in 2025 and signed with the Padres in July. Cantwell went 4-for-5 and scored a pair of runs, while Truitt Madonna and George Bilecki each went 3-for-6, with Bilecki driving in a pair and scoring twice. Justin DeCriscio also homered. Lake Elsinore trailed 5-4 entering the top of the seventh when Jorge Quintana's one-out RBI single tied it, Bilecki singled home Quintana with the go-ahead run and Lott drove in Bilecki to make it 7-5. But Ontario scored three runs of its own in the eighth to reclaim the lead at 8-7. In the ninth, Kerrington Cross drew a two-out walk and Lott hit a towering two-run blast to center on a 2-2 pitch to flip the script and take a 9-8 lead. But Ontario tied it with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. DeCriscio was the zombie runner and went to third on a wild pitch, then scored on Cantwell's one-out single to right to put the Storm up 10-9. A two-out passed ball put Cantwell on third and Quintana doubled to left that was misplayed to make it 11-9. Bilecki capped the outburst with a single to center for a 12-9 lead. LE_0503.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman, CF 3 0 0 0 0 1 Conner Westenburg, CF 1 0 0 0 1 1 Justin DeCriscio, LF 6 2 1 1 0 1 Truitt Madonna, 1B 6 0 3 0 0 1 Luke Cantwell, DH 5 2 4 1 0 1 Yoiber Ocopio, C 5 0 0 0 0 1 Jorge Quintana, SS 4 3 2 2 2 2 George Bilecki, RF 6 2 3 2 0 1 Kerrington Cross, 3B 3 1 1 0 3 0 Qrey Lott, LF 5 2 5 6 0 0 Jose Verdugo, 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carlos Medina 3 5 2 2 1 4 0 Joseph Herrera 2 2 2 2 0 2 1 Nick Falter 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 Vicarte Domingo (W, 1-0)(BS, 1) 2 4 4 4 2 1 1 Rordy Mejia (S, 1) 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: DNP Ethan Salas: 0-for-2, 3 BB, SB Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, SB, 2 K Kale Fountain: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-3, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, BB, 4 RBI, K Romeo Sanabria: 2-for-3, BB, SB, K Truitt Madonna: 3-for-6, K Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Kavares Tears: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K Bryan Balzer: DNP View the full article

The Weekly Nutshell: For a second consecutive week, the Minnesota Twins opened up with an impressive victory, and then it was pretty much all downhill from there. They dropped four of the next five, sinking further below .500 as their leaky relief corps turned the late innings into a recurring horror show. There have been some small positive developments and positive signs mixed in for this club, but they are being vastly overshadowed by setbacks and failure. Sunday's series finale against Toronto brought yet another devastating gut-punch; the modest morale boost of a split-clinching victory was derailed by Joe Ryan exiting with right elbow soreness after just two batters faced. Vibes are bad, and the season already feels like it's on life support here in early May. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 4/27 through Sun, 5/3 *** Record Last Week: 3-4 (Overall: 15-20) Run Differential Last Week: -5 (Overall: +5) Standing: 5th Place in AL Central (4.0 GB) Latest Game Results Game 29 | MIN 11, SEA 4: Bats Awaken as Twins Snap 5-Game Losing Streak Clemens: 2-5, 5 RBI Game 30 | SEA 7, MIN 1: Bullpen Collapses Behind Ryan, Lineup Gets Shut Down Twins offense: 0-10 RISP Game 31 | SEA 5, MIN 3: Bullpen Caves in Late Innings Again, Wasting Bradley Rebound Orze: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 ER Game 32 | MIN 7, TOR 1: Ober Combines with Relievers to Keep Blue Jays in Check Ober: 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K Game 33 | TOR 7, MIN 3: SWR Struggles Again, Twins Can't Escape Early Hole Woods Richardson: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R (4 ER) Game 34 | TOR 11, MIN 4: Bullpen Surrenders Eight in the Eighth to Lose Yet Again García, Banda: 1 IP, 8 R (7 ER), 5 H, 2 BB, 0 K Game 35 | MIN 4, TOR 3: Twins Salvage Split with Win, But Lose Ryan to Elbow Injury Morris: 3.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K IF YOU'D RATHER LISTEN TO THE WEEK IN REVIEW THAN READ IT, YOU CAN GET IT IN AUDIO FORM! FIND THE LATEST EPISODE ON OUR PODCAST PAGE, AS WELL AS ON APPLE AND SPOTIFY. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNELS SO YOU DON'T MISS OUT! NEWS & NOTES Nine pitches into his eighth start of the season, Ryan motioned to the dugout for trainers and quickly headed for the clubhouse. Soon after, the Twins announced that the right-hander was removed due to soreness in his right elbow, which is obviously quite alarming. As we anxiously await details regarding the official prognosis, it's difficult not to despair, given how these things tend to go and how this season has gone. Needless to say, in the event this is a significant arm injury for Ryan, it's going to place a lot of heat on the front office's questionable call to hold both him and Pablo López heading into a doomed campaign. For at least a while, the rotation is going to have to proceed without its top pitcher, and that's also true of the bullpen, which lost Cole Sands to the injured list with a forearm strain on Saturday. Sands hasn't been very good this year but was undoubtedly the team's most trusted option, and his loss stretches an overmatched relief corps even thinner. Earlier in the week, the bullpen lost fellow right-hander Garrett Acton to a shoulder strain. Replacing Acton: 39-year-old right-hander Luis García, who'd been signed to a minor-league deal days earlier after being released by the Mets. Replacing Sands: 24-year-old righty John Klein, one of the last remaining healthy depth options on the 40-man. Klein tossed a scoreless inning in his MLB debut on Saturday. Zak Kent was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for García. Eric Wagaman, who was DFA'ed the previous week to make room for waiver pickup Christian Roa, was himself claimed off waivers by the Mets. HIGHLIGHTS The rotation has been the clear and decisive strength of this team through 35 games. This past week we saw Connor Prielipp build upon his impressive debut, Taj Bradley bounce back admirably from his stumble on the prior road trip, and Bailey Ober continue to defy convention with a sub-90s fastball. Let's take a closer look at each of their performances. Prielipp recorded his first big-league win on Monday against the Mariners, allowing two runs over five innings, and he posted the same line on Saturday against Toronto. His control wasn't as sharp in these two starts as in his debut, as Prielipp issued five walks across 10 innings, but he continued to look comfortable and confident on the mound, allowing just four hits. His slider has proven to be a dominant pitch thus far, as anticipated, and his changeup shows great promise as well. Bradley's last outing against the Rays, in which he allowed four home runs, raised some concerns of a major regression backslide getting underway. He quelled those fears with an excellent outing on Wednesday, holding the Mariners to two runs over seven innings with seven strikeouts, two walks, and four hits allowed. The overall numbers from Taj this year have obviously been impressive, but what has really stood out to me about the right-hander — even when he struggled during his initial stint with the Twins late last year — is his durability and stamina. He's gone on the injured list only once in his major-league career, back in spring of 2024. He's completed five or more innings in 11 of his 13 starts with Minnesota, including six-plus in five of seven turns this year. Bradley not only throws the hardest fastball for a starter in Twins history, but he's able to maintain upper-90s velocity very deep into games, even beyond 100 pitches. He has surpassed that threshold four times this year, and his 114 pitches thrown against Seattle on Wednesday were the most by a Twins starter since Kenta Maeda back in 2020. Traditionally-inclined fans are surely loving this shift. Speaking of appeal to old-school fans, Ober is turning back the clock with his stunning level of success despite a lack of velocity. Against the Blue Jays on Thursday, his fastball averaged 88 MPH and never topped 89.1 MPH. His average FB velo is the lowest in the major leagues, but it hasn't mattered lately. On Thursday he worked through six innings of one-run ball, with a solo homer representing the only damage. Ober's ERA is now down to 3.55 on the season, including 1.47 in his last three starts. We'll see how long he can make it last, but right now Ober is effectively offsetting the death of his fastball by embracing his offspeed arsenal. Opponents are batting .173 against his changeup, and .125 against his sweeper. Nothing short of remarkable. Offensively, it was an absolute monster week for Byron Buxton, who was 10-for-30 with five home runs in seven games. For whatever reason he just seems far more locked in when he's hitting leadoff; he shifted there after batting second in his first eight games (with a .415 OPS), and since the switch has batted .288 with a .615 slugging percentage. A few other hitters worth highlighting from the home stand: Trevor Larnach is starting to see steadier playing time as the parade of opposing lefty starters dissipates, and he's still not losing steam. He notched eight hits, including a pair of doubles, in 21 at-bats last week and kept on controlling the zone with four strikeouts against three walks. His fielding has also been drastically improved, providing a rare defensive bright spot for the Twins. Sticking it to the skeptics who wanted to see him shipped out during the offseason, Larnach's been one of the team's most valuable players thus far. Ryan Jeffers is up there as well, tied with Larnach for second among Twins position players behind Buxton in fWAR (0.9). Jeffers opened the week with three consecutive multi-hit games, finishing 7-for-20 with a homer and five RBIs. Kody Clemens posted a five-RBI night on Monday, and during the home stand he tallied three extra-base hits (two doubles and a home run). His OPS had dropped down to .581 entering the week, but is back up to a more reasonable, albeit unexceptional, .675 following Sunday's game. Austin Martin went 6-for-17 (.353) with two walks and two stolen bases. His .484 on-base percentage leads all big-leaguers with 90+ PA, and nobody else is within 40 points. LOWLIGHTS The consistently strong work from Minnesota's rotation and occasional flashes from the offense are too often going to waste thanks to a bullpen that is predictably one of the least dependable in the game, and in recent Twins history. The late innings have been full of misadventures, featuring a rotating cast of culprits. On Tuesday night Ryan exited in the seventh inning with the score tied 1-1. Kody Funderburk allowed his inherited run to score, and then combined with Sands and García combined to surrender five more, turning a close game into a lopsided loss. The following night saw Bradley in position to pick up the win before Eric Orze melted down in a save opportunity, entering with a one-run lead in the ninth to cough up three earned runs while recording just one out in an eventual 5-3 loss. Saturday's game really took the cake though. The Twins were once again on track for a potential victory, leading 4-3 in the eighth before handing the ball over to García up one. The Jays went single-walk-single-single to chase the veteran from the game. In came Anthony Banda, who committed an error on a comebacker before yielding a walk, a double and a home run. By the time the Twins were able to record a single out in the inning, Toronto had scored eight times and taken an 11-4 lead. García had been released by the lowly Mets a couple weeks earlier. Banda had been designated for assignment by the Dodgers in February despite posting a 3.18 ERA last year. Orze was likely at risk for a DFA by the Rays if Minnesota hadn't acquired him in a low-wattage trade in November. These pitchers had been essentially rejected by their previous teams and were not in demand. For the Twins to be turning to them in high-leverage situations this early in the season is simply an embarrassing reflection of how the team was constructed. And you know, it'd be just as well if it aligned to a coherent larger strategy. When you're not even trying to compete, a capable bullpen isn't going to make much of a difference. The problem is that the Twins openly held onto this notion that they would be competitive despite their lack of investment and effort, and elected not to shop either of their top veteran starters during the offseason as a result. Pending a prognosis on Ryan, this aimless decision-making is at risk of looking like a total disaster, made all the more upsetting by how foreseeable the outcome was. The pitching staff has been mediocre overall, mainly thanks to starters pulling weight, but will be hard-pressed to maintain even that level in the absence of Ryan and Sands. In order to make any inroads back toward .500, the offense — rarely able to muster more than four runs — will need to come alive, and too few hitters appear up to the task. Josh Bell has spiraled after a strong start, with a 4-for-25 week dropping his OPS to .640 on the season. Victor Caratini, the other "big ticket" signing from the offseason, is slashing .217/.317/.265. Matt Wallner snapped an 0-for-19 skid with two hits on Sunday but is still treading dangerously close to a demotion. Royce Lewis looks utterly hopeless, and was justifiably batting ninth in three of his five starts. He managed just two singles and a walk in 19 plate appearances. It's a bad team with a bunch of players performing dreadfully. Aside from Buxton and a few bright spots in the rotation, there's not much here to stoke interest or create a compelling experience for fans. On top of it all, top prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez were both forced out of games for the Saints due to injuries over the weekend. (Rodriguez jammed his thumb sliding into first base on Saturday, and Jenkins hurt his shoulder colliding with the wall on Sunday.) TRENDING STORYLINE Joe Ryan's health is clearly the biggest topic for the Twins heading into a new week. Presumably we will learn on Monday or Tuesday the severity of what he is dealing with. I'm mindful that we've already had a false-alarm health scare with Ryan this year, when he came out of his first spring start with what turned out to be a minor back issue. But of course, elbows are a different animal. And the initial indicators — how quickly he signaled for trainers, how brief the discussion was before he came out of the game, how defeated he looked coming off the mound — all point toward bad news. For now, the Twins and their fans will have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. No matter what imaging tells us, it seems all but certain Ryan will at least be landing on the injured list for some period of time. It's a major blow for a rotation that has already seen its admirable preseason depth whittled away by injuries to López, David Festa and Mick Abel. We can look to Abel as an optimistic example vis-à-vis Ryan's situation. He was scratched from his scheduled start on the previous road trip after experiencing some elbow soreness in a bullpen but his scans came back clean and he was diagnosed with light inflammation. He's already started playing catch and could advance to a rehab stint soon. In the meantime, though, the Twins are probably going to need to find someone else to fill Ryan's rotation spot. They've already called up their top pitching prospect in Prielipp, whose grasp on a rotation spot just got firmer. Andrew Morris, who threw 57 pitches in relief of Ryan on Sunday, could theoretically shift back into a starting role, but that would subtract from a bullpen that is already woefully short on anything resembling power arms. As of now, Zebby Matthews is the most likely candidate to get the call. Really the only credible candidate. He has shaken off a rough start at Triple-A with a string of solid outings, including his most recent on Saturday: 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 7 K. His stuff has been ticking up and unlike, say, Kendry Rojas, Matthews is built up to handle the rigors of starting and pitching five-plus innings in the majors, LOOKING AHEAD The Twins are back on the road, heading to Washington after the day off on Monday to face a Nationals team that has gone 4-12 at home so far this year. Next up will be their first showdown of the season with Cleveland. We'll see who gets the nod for Ryan's turn on Saturday, since it feels safe to assume it won't be him. TUESDAY, MAY 5: TWINS @ NATIONALS — RHP Taj Bradley v. RHP Cade Cavalli WEDNESDAY, MAY 6: TWINS @ NATIONALS — RHP Bailey Ober v. RHP Miles Mikolas THURSDAY, MAY 7: TWINS @ NATIONALS — RHP Simeon Woods Richardson v. RHP Jake Irvin FRIDAY, MAY 8: TWINS @ GUARDIANS — LHP Connor Prielipp v. LHP Parker Messick SATURDAY, MAY 9: TWINS @ GUARDIANS — TBD v. RHP Tanner Bibee SUNDAY, MAY 10: TWINS @ GUARDIANS — RHP Taj Bradley v. RHP Gavin Williams View the full article

There is a certain point in every season when the conversation shifts from what a team could be to what it actually is. For the Minnesota Twins, that moment is arriving earlier than anyone hoped. A slow start in the standings has already created urgency, and the idea of reinforcements from St Paul offered a sense of optimism. Over the weekend, that optimism took a hit. Walker Jenkins, Twins Daily’s top-ranked prospect, exited Sunday’s game for Triple-A St Paul after a frightening collision in the outfield. With two outs in the sixth inning, he tracked a deep drive into right-center, made the catch, and slammed hard into the wall. Jenkins got to his feet but immediately reached for his left shoulder. He was removed from the game without delay, and the initial concern was evident. At just 21 years old, Jenkins is navigating his first full season at Triple-A, and the early returns have been a mix of adjustment and recent progress. After a slow start, he had begun to find a rhythm at the plate with a 1.400 OPS over the last week, showing why he is viewed as a potential impact bat in Minnesota’s future lineup. That momentum now pauses, at least temporarily, as the organization evaluates his shoulder. He is not alone. Emmanuel Rodriguez, another top 100 prospect and Twins Daily’s number four-ranked player in the system, also landed on the injury report this weekend. Rodriguez suffered a muscle strain in his left thumb on Friday night when he dove headfirst into first base. The 23-year-old outfielder left the game early, adding another layer of concern for a team already lacking offensive consistency. There is at least some reason for cautious optimism with Rodriguez. He was seen taking batting practice on the field at CHS Field on Sunday, suggesting the injury may not require an extended absence. Before the injury, Rodriguez had been one of the Saints’ most productive hitters, posting a .247/.417/.506 slash line across 25 games. His blend of patience and power has long made him a candidate to be the next call when the Twins need a boost. That need is becoming more obvious by the day. Minnesota’s lineup has struggled to generate consistent pressure. In that context, the presence of Jenkins and Rodriguez at Triple A represented more than just long-term upside. They were potential solutions, players capable of injecting energy and production into a stagnant offense. For a Twins team searching for a spark, the timing could not be worse. Jenkins was beginning to heat up. Rodriguez looked close to forcing the conversation. Now, both timelines are on hold, even if only briefly. In the big picture, fans will still need to wait for further news on the injuries. Still, these two players are viewed as key pieces of the organization’s future. In the short term, however, it slows what felt like an inevitable push toward their major league debuts. And for a Minnesota club that could use a breath of fresh air, that delay is more than just inconvenient. It is another obstacle in a season that is already trending in the wrong direction. View the full article

The Miami Marlins are addressing an immediate weakness by promoting somebody who they hope will prove to be a long-term building block. Catcher Joe Mack is being recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville, as first reported by Craig Mish of Marlins.TV following Sunday's loss. The corresponding roster move will be optioning Agustín Ramírez to Jacksonville. The Marlins won't be announcing the move until Monday. Mack was the 31st overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft. It wasn't until the 2024 season that he began emerging as an impact player in their farm system. Now ranked third on the Fish On First Top 30, he has spent more than a full year at Triple-A. In those 123 games, he is slashing .249/.334/.444 with 21 home runs and nine stolen bases. But the 23-year-old projects to be even more valuable on defense. Minor League Baseball's 2024 Gold Glove award winner at catcher, Mack possesses a plus-plus arm and at least average ability as a receiver, blocker and framer. In 23 games at catcher this season, he has a 29% caught stealing rate (the International League average is 22%). Without Mack's services, the Marlins have allowed an MLB-high 42 steals. They also were the league's worst in that department in 2025. Not only does Mack stand out among Marlins position player talent, he's ranked 50th overall on Baseball America's Top 100 MLB prospects list and 54th on MLB Pipeline's. Meanwhile, second-year backstop Liam Hicks has dramatically boosted his stock, emerging as the Marlins' leading run producer. Mack figures to start the majority of games behind the plate moving forward, but Hicks should get ample playing time at designated hitter and first base while still catching about twice per week. Although demoting Ramírez is entirely justified, the timing of this move came as a surprise because the Marlins had been continuing to give him regular reps. Playing in 31 of a possible 34 games, the "Gus Bus" is slashing .239/.328/.358 (86 wRC+). He has homered only twice despite being gifted with elite raw power. Ramírez had all three of his minor league options intact entering this year. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS INF Murphy Stehly assigned to Double-A Wichita Saints Sentinel St. Paul 8, Iowa 7 Box Score SP: Andrew Bash: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: Ben Ross (1), Ryan Kreidler (4) Multi-hit games: Ryan Kreidler (2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB), Orlando Arcia (3-for-5, 2B, R, RBI), Alex Jackson (2-for-4, 2B, R) Andrew Bash was magnificent in his start. The righty authored his finest appearance as a Saint, collecting six strikeouts across three innings with just a hit and a walk earned against him. Even the walk ended up not mattering; Bash immediately picked off the runner. Evidently, the Saints felt inspired by their starter’s dominance, as they scored a flurry of runs in the game’s opening act. Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia collected RBI knocks in the first, then—in an effort to diversify their offensive ability—St. Paul flexed some power. Rather, Ben Ross popped his biceps; the shortstop sent a three-run homer over the elevated right-center wall, his first AAA blast. Aaron Sabato then tripled (!?!?) with the help of an odd carom, and scored off a Tanner Schobel sacrifice fly. That’s six runs across three innings. Times were good, and vibes were great until disaster struck in the sixth: while making an excellent running catch, Walker Jenkins collided with the outfield wall. He was pinch-hit for the next half-inning. The injury must have caused a dire grief to fall upon the Saints, as they nearly blew their tremendous lead. St. Paul pitchers coughed up runs in every inning from the sixth through the ninth, resulting in Grant Hartwig standing on the mound in the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs in a one-run game. St. Paul was once up 7-1. Hartwig ran the count full to Eric Yang—of course—before blowing a 93 MPH sinker past the batter for the game’s final out. There’s no such thing as an easy win. Cubs prospect Kevin Alcántara ranks third in their system; the 23-year-old outfielder homered once in five at-bats. The lanky outfielder homered for the third straight game and hit one in four of the five games he played this week. He leads the International League with 12 homers. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, Arkansas 8 Box Score C.J. Culpepper: 2 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: Murphy Stehly (1), Ricardo Olivar (7) Multi-hit games: Ricardo Olivar (3-for-4, HR, R, RBI), Jorel Ortega (2-for-3, R, BB) The Wind Surge were bested on Sunday. Lazaro Montes followed up his three-homer decimation of the Wichita pitching staff with a first-inning two-run shot. Perhaps C.J. Culpepper’s wisest option was to flash four fingers and move on with his day. While the Wind Surge answered back with three unanswered runs to take the lead—thanks to a Murphy Stehly solo shot, and a two-run single by Hendry Mendez—the Travelers fought back with a furious vengeance (or, they should be referred to as the “Mad Mallards,” as that was the name the team took on for the day. No reason was given for why the waterfowls were so upset.) Aaron Rozek took over for the blonde hurler but surrendered two runs in as many innings. Darren Bowen allowed a score as well. Jarrett Whorff escaped unharmed, but Luis Quiñones and Kyle Bischoff couldn’t say the same. By the time the dust settled, the Mad Mallards had crossed home plate eight times off the strength of 15 hits. The aforementioned Montes is the 37th-ranked prospect in MLB, thanks in large part to his titanic power, which—as Wichita pitchers now know—can be game-breaking. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 6, West Michigan 5 (10 Innings) Box Score SP: Ivran Romero: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Miguel Briceno (3), Eduardo Tait (5) Multi-hit games: None The Kernels won on a walk-off on Wednesday. So, they did on Wednesday as well; something about this author possesses Cedar Rapids to be victorious in dramatic fashion. For a time, it appeared this outcome was out of reach for our heroic ears of corn. They entered the ninth down 4-1, as a Miguel Briceno solo shot provided the team’s only run. Yet, the team rallied, coming alive for three runs in a do-or-die scenario, merely three outs away from failure. Eduardo Tait homered. Then Brandon Winokur singled, Jacob McCombs did the same, and a stolen base/throwing error combo allowed Winokur to cut the deficit to one with the trailing runner advancing to third. A simple Rayne Doncon infield hit completed the comeback. The Whitecaps plated their complimentary Manfred runner but did no more—a missed opportunity for the away team as Cole Peschl’s wildness could have portended more. Cedar Rapids’ rally in the 10th was furious. Marek Houston was hit by a pitch, and Tait chopped a grounder the opposite way, pushing the third baseman to “oley” the game-tying run. Danny De Andrade singled in the winning run two batters later. MLB’s 30th-ranked prospect played for the Whitecaps on Sunday. Shortstop Bryce Rainer was Detroit’s first-round pick in 2024; he’s developed into one of the finest infield youngsters the sport has to offer. He doubled once in five at-bats. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 2, Daytona 5 Box Score SP: Justin Mitrovich: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Ryan Sprock (2-for-4, 2 R), Quentin Young (4-for-4, 2B) The Mighty Mussels struggled to find offense on Sunday. “Not I,” said Quentin Young, probably. The 19-year-old collected a career-high four hits, totaling half of the team’s knocks on the day. The outburst was a nice pick-me-up for the youngster, as he entered the day slashing .184/.263/.276 on the season. Unfortunately, the bottom third of the Fort Myers lineup couldn’t take advantage of the clogged bases; they went a combined 1-for-11 on the day, which is somehow better than the first five hitters, as they put up a 1-for-16 mark. Justin Mitrovich made his Twins system debut. The 2025 ninth rounder out of Elon posted an impressive Freshman season in 2023, holding a 3.68 ERA across 63 ⅔ innings with 66 strikeouts. His next two years were forgettable—and his 2024 summer league foray was dreadful—but the Twins still saw enough in the righty out of Trenton to select him in last year’s draft. Our scouting report on him can be found here. You can also see his 45-minute Twins Spotlight interview here. And in his first start, he was great. Mitrovich scattered three singles and two walks across his four frames, punching out five with just 60 pitches. He never allowed a baserunner to reach third. Ryan Sprock, Fort Myers’ DH in the game, was a teammate of Mitrovich's in college, and the Twins selected him one round before the hurler. Cincinnati’s ninth-ranked prospect, pitcher Sheng-En Lin, entered as a reliever and tossed four innings while allowing one run. He struck out four. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Justin Mitrovich Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 1-2, R, BB #4 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, HR, R, RBI #7 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-2, K #9 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, K #12 – Andrew Morris (Twins) - 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #13 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, R, 2 K #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 4-4, 2B #16 – Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 1-3, 2 RBI #18 – C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - 2 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 0-0, R MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Pirates @ FCL Twins (11:00 am CT): TBD View the full article

Owen and Jesse marvel at Kazuma Okamoto's power outburst before taking stock of where the Jays find themselves after an injury-riddled first month of the season. The guys then get into how the roster will look as the Jays continue to get healthy, and dig deep on Brandon Valenzuela versus Tyler Heineman. Jesse has thoughts on Jesús Sanchéz and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s quiet series before the guys break down the starting pitching performances of Kevin Gausman, Patrick Corbin, Dylan Cease, and Trey Yesavage and preview the upcoming series in Tampa against the Rays. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

Weekly Snapshot: Record Last Week: 4-2 (Overall: 18-15) Run Scored Last Week: 40 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 14 Standing: 4th in NL Central *** Game 28 (4/28) | MIL 13, AZ 2 Game 29 (4/29) | AZ 6, MIL 2 Game 30 (4/30) | MIL 13, AZ 1 Game 31 (5/1) | MIL 6, WSN 1 Game 32 (5/2) | MIL 4, WSN 1 Game 33 (5/3) | WSN 3, MIL 2 *** Game 28 | Brewers 13, Diamondbacks 2 MIL Starter: Chad Patrick (5.0 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, 1 ER, 5 K) Top Performers: Tyler Black (3 H, 3 RBI) David Hamilton (2 H, 2 B, 2 RBI) Brice Turang (2 H, BB, 2 B) The Brewer offense was all over both Merrill Kelly and Andrew Hoffman in Tuesday's series opener, tallying 14 hits and 13 runs against the Snakes before the sixth inning had concluded. That provided a nice blanket of coverage for Chad Patrick, who struggled with his command through five innings, walking five but coming away with the win while only surrendering a single run. Sal Frelick finds the bleachers (+10.5 WP%) Game 29 | Diamondbacks 6, Brewers 2 MIL Starter: Brandon Sporat (4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 ER, 5 K) Top Performers: Brice Turang (2 H, 2 2B, RBI) DL Hall (2.1 IP, H, BB, 0 ER, 3 K) Brian Fitzpatrick (1.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 0 ER) Arizona roughed up Brandon Sproat, who, despite a dominant start, coughed up four runs in the 4th inning. Meanwhile, the combination of DBack starter Eduardo Rodriguez and four relievers was able to keep the Brewers' offense in check, keeping the Brewers at just two runs of scoring to even the series. Brice Turang’s RBI double (+10.6 WP%) Game 30 | Brewers 13, Diamondbacks 1 MIL Starter: Brandon Woodruff (1.1 IP, H, BB, 0 ER, 2 K) Top Performers: William Contreras (4 H, BB, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) Shane Drohan (4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 4 K) Brice Turamg (2 H, 2 BB, RBI) It was a short turnaround for the Crew to get back to their hitting ways, as once again, they hung 13 runs on the Diamondbacks to win the series rubber match. There was some bad news, though, as Brandon Woodruff exited the game in the 2nd inning with an injury, souring the Brewers' 13-1 win. William Contreras leaves the yard (+7.5 WP%) Game 31 | Brewers 6, Nationals 1 MIL Starter: Jacob Misiorowski (5.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K) Top Performers: William Contreras (4 H, 3 RBI) Tyler Black (2 H, 2 2B, RBI) David Hamilton (2 H, BB) Jacob Misiorowski was at his best as the Brewers traveled to the nation's capital to play the Nationals, twirling 5 1/3 innings of no-hit baseball before a cramp ended his start prematurely. That was plenty for the rest of the team, as William Contreras recorded his second straight game with four hits, while the bullpen closed the door behind the Miz for a 6-1 win. Misiorowski’s dominant outing Game 32 | Brewers 4, Nationals 1 MIL Starter: Kyle Harrison (6.0 IP, 7 H, BB, 1 ER, 5 K) Top Performers: Brandon Lockridge (2 H, 2 RBI) Trevor Megill (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER) Kyle Harrison had a busier day than Misiorowski the day before, but the results were much the same in Saturday’s game. That being the Nationals scoring only a single run, this time to a different tune of Kye Harrison working around seven hits and a walk in his six innings of work, while a three-run first inning made up the majority of the Brewer offense in a 4-1 win. Brandon Lockridge plates a pair (+14.2 WP%) Game 33 | Nationals 3, Brewers 2 MIL Starter: Logan Henderson (6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 8 K) Top Performers: Brandon Lockridge (2 H, 2B) Sunday's game was headlined by Logan Henderson's return to the big leagues, and as he's proven to be in his young career so far, he was effective. Henderson tossed six innings of 2-run ball on just 76 pitches. On the other side, though, Washington was able to avoid the sweep, using five pitchers to hold the Brewers' offense to just 2 runs of their own. Henderson's strong outing Transactions: 05/03/26 - Recalled RHP Logan Henderson from AAA Nashville. 05/03/26 - Optioned RHP Easton McGee to AAA Nashville. 05/01/26 - Placed RHP Brandon Woodruff on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. 05/01/26 - Recalled RHP Easton McGee from AAA Nashville. 04/29/26 - Sent 1B Andrew Vaughn on a rehab assignment to AAA Nashville. 04/29/26 - Placed LHP Angel Zerpa on the 15-day injured list with left forearm tightness. (Retroactive to April 26, 2026) 04/29/26 - Sent CF Jackson Chourio on a rehab assignment to AAA Nashville. 04/29/26 - Selected the contract of LHP Brian Fitzpatrick from AAA Nashville. Notes Brandon Woodruff left his start on April 30th in the 2nd inning with his velocity down significantly. Tests showed Woodruff avoided any arm damage, and it is believed that his IL stint will be short. Jacob Misiorowski left his start on May 1st with leg cramps. He was not placed on the IL, although his next scheduled start against St. Louis is currently TBA. Angel Zerpa is currently mulling over season-ending Tommy John surgery. Jackson Chourio’s rehab hit a roadblock after Chourio fouled a ball off his foot. X-Rays are negative, but the Brewers need to see how the injury progresses before he is reinstated from the IL. Brice Turang was scratched from Sunday’s game with an illness. Looking Ahead: 5/4 - Brewers @ Cardinals - 6:45 PM CDT 5/5 - Brewers @ Cardinals - 6:45 PM CDT 5/6 - Brewers @ Cardinals - 12:15 PM CDT 5/8 - Yankees @ Brewers - 6:40 PM CDT 5/9 - Yankees @ Brewers - 6:10 PM CDT 5/10 - Yankees @ Brewers - 1:10 PM CDT View the full article

San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. has seen his career-long power output come to a grinding halt. The crazy part is that his exit velocity, hard-hit percentage, and other hard-hit related metrics are off the charts. What's the reason Tatis hasn't hit a home run through the first month of the season? We reveal it in this video. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs may have a Kevin Alcantara problem. While it may seem odd to say that about somebody who has paced the International League in home runs, the Cubs essentially have four choices on what to do with their mashing third-ranked prospect. They can promote him, help him transition positions, trade him, or have him ride out some contract situations in Triple-A. View the full article

From March 26, when the 2026 campaign officially started, until the end of April, the Chicago Cubs had the second-best offense in baseball with a 121 wRC+, very close to the top spot held by the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 123 mark. Simply put, the Cubs are raking. That’s precisely why it was so challenging to select the hitter of the month on the Cubs. The team is just full of productive offensive players, a big driving factor behind its division-leading 21-12 record after their win on May 2. The NL Central appears to be tougher than ever, so Chicago’s hitters will need to continue to mash if they want to come out on top in late September. Luckily, there’s plenty of talent. These three hitters stood out above the rest and were the most productive ones for the Cubs in the season's opening month. Ranking Cubs' Best Hitters In April #3: Moises Ballesteros April Stats: .338 AVG, .392 OBP, 15.2 K%, 8.9 BB%, .282 ISO, 179 wRC+ Just 79 plate appearances were enough for Ballesteros to leave his mark on the 2026 Cubs. He is hitting a fantastic .338/.392/.620 with a 179 wRC+, five home runs, 16 RBI, and an excellent 15.2 percent strikeout rate. Basically, Ballesteros has been a monster, combining contact with on-base ability and power like few other hitters in the league. The designated hitter had already shown his worth last year when he posted a 143 wRC+ in 66 plate appearances, but he is taking it up a notch in 2026 and looks ready to fully break out. He is more than living up to the absurd profile he cultivated as a top prospect in the minor leagues. #2: Nico Hoerner April Stats: .291 AVG, .370 OBP, 9.6 K%, 8.9 BB%, .157 ISO, 132 wRC+ Hoerner, who hit seven home runs each in 2024 and 2025, is already up to four after the conclusion of the first month. He is also sporting a career-high 132 wRC+ and has been, by fWAR, the best Cubs player so far by a comfortable margin. Hoerner racked up 37 hits since the start of the season until the end of April, including eight doubles and the aforementioned four homers. He also stole seven bases without getting caught and had almost as many walks (13) as strikeouts (14). Not too shabby for the recently extended Gold Glover. #1: Seiya Suzuki April Stats: .328 AVG, .430 OBP, 24.1 K%, 12.7 BB%, .239 ISO, 180 wRC+ If you take a quick look at Suzuki’s stats, you don’t even notice he played just 18 games in April, starting the season on the injured list while dealing with the PCL injury he suffered in March. The star slugger hit .328/.430/.567 with a .998 OPS, a 180 wRC+, five home runs, 14 runs scored, and nine RBI in the opening month, not missing a beat after a very productive 2025 campaign. Per Statcast, Suzuki has been above-average to elite in virtually every offensive metric you can think of. From long-term fears about his health to being the Cubs’ hitter of the month, it’s clear Suzuki has come a long way. Now, he seems well on his way to putting up his best performance yet, which is no small feat after his 2025 onslaught. He remains one of the most undervalued sluggers in the game. Honorable mentions: Ian Happ, Carson Kelly, Dansby Swanson View the full article

Jake Bennett is a tall, left-handed starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox who just made his MLB debut. Bennett was originally a 2022 second-round pick by the Washington Nationals before being traded to Boston in December 2025 for Luis Perales. Because of injuries to Sonny Grey & Garrett Crochet, Bennett got his first taste of The Show. View the full article

MIAMI, FL — For Miami Marlins starting pitcher Chris Paddack, his struggles on Sunday weren't subject to bad luck or being BABIP'd—he just wasn't good. Paddack allowed six runs to the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning and was removed in the top of the third. The Marlins remain winless in games that Paddack has started this season, and in this case, they were forced to use much of their bullpen during a stretch of 10 straight games with no days off. Trea Turner led off the game with a double. Paddack proceeded to walk both Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Alec Bohm grounded into what would've been a fielder's choice, but the Marlins were not able to get any outs out of it, allowing Turner to score and give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Paddack then walked Brandon Marsh with the bases loaded to allow another run. J.T. Realmuto sac fly got the first out of the game, but the Phillies added their third run of the game. The big blow came from Bryson Stott when he took Paddack deep for his second home run of the season. Both of Stott's home runs have come in this series. It gave the Phillies a 6-0 lead. In the top of the third inning, Justin Crawford knocked in his club's seventh run. "I just sat on the bench and kind of reviewed the game on the iPad," Paddack said. "A lot of uncompetitive pitches with two strikes is what I saw the trend was. What I mean by that, is just some pitches that were just completely out of the zone led into those 3-2 counts, the three walks there I felt like I never could get into a groove. I noticed I was pulling some fastballs early. Never drove any fastballs to the bottom of the zone. They were able to lay off some changeups below. Being a guy that commands the baseball, throws the ball where I want to, I just felt off tonight." As Paddack was coming off the field, fans let him know their feeling, booing him. This was not only a sign of frustration amongst the fanbase boiling over, but likely what could be a sign that the decision to continue having Paddack in the rotation may not be the right one. Right now, it wouldn't make sense to move on from Paddack altogether. A move to the bullpen could potentially benefit him. He has struggled to go deep into game, so using him in shorter bursts could be the best fit, as he seems to have found some success in that type of role. Through seven appearances this season (six starts), Paddack has a 7.63 ERA, 5.01 FIP, 7.92 K/9 and 2.93 BB/9. Paddack has described his season as a "roller coaster." "I've been here before. It definitely sucks," Paddack said. "I feel like this year I haven't been able to allow things to continue over. Right when we think we're getting in a good place, I get hit in the mouth again. There's no excuse for it. I'm a competitor. I work my butt off. Trying to be the best teammate that I can and a role model for some of our younger guys in the clubhouse. I got to look at myself in the mirror, and I have to clean some things up, and that starts with myself." In Triple-A right now, Braxton Garrett has a 1.71 ERA in 26 ⅓ innings pitched. Garrett was originally sent down to build back up as he underwent Tommy John surgery, missing the entire 2025 season, but at this point, he has shaken off all of the rust. Along with Garrett, Fish On First's No. 2 prospect Robby Snelling leads Triple-A with 44 strikeouts. He also has a 1.86 ERA, 290 FIP, 13.66 K/9 and 4.66 BB/9 in six starts this season. Just like Garrett, Snelling has nothing left to prove in the minors. His call-up may take a bit longer given he is not on the 40-man roster and Garrett has a half-decade of major league experience. McCullough shut down any potential speculation regarding Paddack's future in the rotation, saying that he will be making his next scheduled start, which is on Friday in the series opener against the Washington Nationals. "Outside of today, Chris is throwing the ball well," McCullough said. "He has probably ran against some tough luck in some outings, but he has thrown the ball and kept us in the games that he's pitched. Today it was a tough one from pitch one till it was over." After Paddack, a group comprised of John King, Tyler Phillips, Josh Ekness and Calvin Faucher shutout the Phillies lineup, allowing five hits and striking out five. Phillips, who had received most of the high-leverage situations after closer Pete Fairbanks was placed on the injured list, threw three innings, 47 pitches, essentially knocking him out for the next two days. "He's been built out and he's done that on a number of occasions for us," McCullough said. "That's the best way for us to try to navigate through today, try to preserve as many options as we have for the next couple of days going forward. We have a really good bullpen, and we have guys that can throw in a lot of different places and can do things. Tyler has done that on a lot of occasions, as have a lot of other guys. His ability to also provide that type of length either way, but in a game like today, does a lot to just save everyone down there from getting taxed." The Marlins offense didn't get much going until the bottom of the seventh inning. Leo Jiménez, who got the start at third base, was hit by a pitch and Esteury Ruiz took Phillies starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo deep for his second home run of the season. It also marked Ruiz's second home run this week, with his first coming on Wednesday in the series finale against the LA Dodgers. Ruiz is now slashing .286/.286/.786/1.072 with two home runs, three RBI and a 189 wRC+. It has only been seven games for Ruiz this season, but early on he is making a strong impact when he's been on the field. "He's been a performer in Triple-A," McCullough said. "He is someone that our group targeted this offseason. Certainly, the speed and ability to play all three outfield spots, but felt like offensively, there was some potential there for something to translate to the major league level if given the opportunity." Fish On First's No. 20 prospect Josh Ekness made his MLB debut, tossing a 1-2-3 inning. His fastball topped out at 98.4 mph, averaging 97.9 mph. With the loss, the Marlins drop back down to two games under .500, 16-18. With Janson Junk on the mound, Miami will go for a series split. First pitch is at 6:40 pm. View the full article

Misfortunes are the results of injury often enough. But even the most generous analysis of the 2026 Mets season would be unlikely to attribute their play to the lack of healthy players. But now they have reached a point where the bad play precipitates the injuries. More than a few errors, mistakes in judgment, and now injuries have resulted from players pushing themselves too hard to get through the horrors they find themselves in. In a key part of the game yesterday, when a base hit batting righthanded (a very rare occurrence) was within reach, Ronny Mauricio dove for first, and, well, now we're firing up the transaction machine. Transactions, 5/2/2026 GOING COMING Placed on 10-Day Injured List with Left Thumb Fracture Designated for Assignment Added to Roster, Promoted from Syracuse Infielders Ronny Mauricio Eric Wagaman Vidal Bruján S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 35656 High Level: MLB (2026) S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 High Level: MLB (2026) No, you don't want to blame the Mets' play on injuries, but they've reached #3 on the shortstop depth chart. With Francisco Lindor and now Ronny Mauricio both bit by the Dark Fairy of Trying-Too-Hard, the Mets turn to Option #3. And while two-time All-Star Bo Bichette makes for an attractive enough third option, it forces the Mets to rob Peter (Schourek?) to pay Paul (Sewald?) Presumably, they return to the classic Brett Baty/Mark Vientos platoon at third, and catch-as-catch-can at first. Jorge Polanco is suddenly hearing his name spoken of with need, but until he comes back, please get to know Vidal Bruján, switch-hitting veteran of five MLB seasons. Vidal also sports a 27.00 ERA in four MLB appearances pitching mopup in blowout games, and that data is far less irrelevant than Mets Roster Central would like it to be. Your 2026 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Clay Holmes Nolan McLean Freddy Peralta David Peterson Christian Scott R/R DoB: 1993-03-27 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 2996-06-04 L/L DoB: 1995-09-03 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 Relief Pitchers Huascar Brazobán Craig Kimbrel Sean Manaea Tobias Myers Brooks Raley Austin Warren Luke Weaver R/R DoB: 1989-10-15 R/R DoB: 32291 R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 L/L DoB: 1988-06-29 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1993-08-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Devin Williams Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Vidal Brujan Andy Ibáñez MJ Melendez R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 R/R DoB: 1993-04-03 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 Infielders Outfielders Marcus Semien Mark Vientos Brett Baty Carson Benge Austin Slater Juan Soto Tyrone Taylor R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 R/R DoB: 33951 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 R/R DoB: 34356 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Tylor Megill Kodai Senga Jonah Tong Alex Carrillo Reed Garrett Joey Gerber Justin Hagenman R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1997-05-03 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 On 60-Day Injured List with torn right UCL. On 15-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Inflammation With Syracuse With Syracuse On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery and nerve relocation surgery. With St. Lucie on Rehab Assignment On 60 Day Injured List with fractured rib. Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders A.J. Minter Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Hayden Senger Francisco Lindor Ronny Mauricio L/L DoB: 1993-09-02 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 With Syracuse on Rehab Assignment On 60-Day Injured List — right UCL surgery. With Syracuse With Syracuse With Syracuse On 10-Day Injured List with Strained Left Calf On 10-Day Injured List with fractured right thumb. Infielders Outfielders Jorge Polanco Nick Morabito Luis Robert, Jr. Jared Young S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 R/R DoB: 1997-08-03 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 On 10-Day Injured List with right wrist contusion. With Syracuse On 10-Day Injured List with Lumbar Spine Disc Hernitaion On 10-Day Injured List with torn left meniscus. Deslgnated for Assignment Relief Pitchers Infielders Carl Edwards, Jr. Eric Wagaman R/R DoB: 33484 R/R DoB: 35656 DFA'd, 2026-04-30. DFA'd, 2026-05-02. Your Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Hitting Coordinator Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Ass't Pitching Coach Carlos Mendoza Kai Correa Justin Willard Jeff Albert Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado Dan McKinney DoB: 1979-11-27 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 DoB: 1989-06-06 Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Practice Pitcher Equipment Manager Bullpen Catchers Bullpen Catchers Troy Snitker Danny Barnes J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Kevin Mahoney Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Reconditioning Coordinator Reconditioning Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB: 1972-07-17 DoB: 1978-??-?? DoB: Circa 1980 DoB: 1988-06-23 DoB: 1996-??-?? DoB: 1987-??-?? DoB: 1991-??-?? DoB: ????-??-?? DoB: 22846 View the full article

Box Score Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan: 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (9 Pitches, 5 Strikes, 55%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Andrew Morris (0.22), Victor Caratini (0.11), Luke Keaschall (0.09) Win Probability Chart (Via BaseballSavant): The Twins' slide into irrelevance continues, as they entered Sunday's game against Toronto losers in 13 of their past 16 games. To make matters worse, today's game was shown exclusively on Peacock, a streaming service used by approximately no one and which has lost NBC/Universal half a billion dollars and counting because our media landscape totally makes sense. At least the Twins were trotting out their ace, Joe Ryan. Except he exited with elbow soreness nine pitches into the game, forcing the Twins to turn to their beleaguered young swingman, Andrew Morris, who threw well enough to escape the inning without any damage. Does anyone remember the last time Joe Ryan exited early with injury? I remember. Opposing Morris was postseason hero Trey Yesavage, who still has more playoff innings than regular season. His command was a little wobbly, but his rising fastball and devastating splitter were a big challenge regardless. After retiring Byron Buxton in the first, Yesavage allowed a base hit to Trevor Larnach and Austin Martin drew an impressive walk. Victor Caratini then singled through the right side to bring home the game's first run. Meanwhile Morris was really good, hitting 97 MPH on his fastball and locating his sweeper to keep the Blue Jays honest. He allowed two hits and a walk in 3 ⅔ innings, striking out three. He didn't allow much hard contact and really didn't face any trouble while keeping the Twins in the game. The offense loaded the bases in the third, making Yesavage work and putting him on the ropes before the young righty got Royce Lewis to swing through a fastball in the zone to end the threat. He was done after 81 Pitches and four innings. Braydon Fisher came on for the fifth inning, and the Twins jumped all over him. Caratini walked and scored on a Luke Keaschall double. Keaschall would score on a Kody Clemens double to the same spot in left center. Then, in a moment that surprised everyone, Matt Wallner made contact off of a lefty, and scorched it to the same gap and off the wall to score Clemens. By my unofficial count, this was the first hit by Wallner against a lefty and his first hit to the opposite field since the Biden administration. Aaron Gleeman was then awoken like the undertaker to post some cherry-picked stats (probably). The Jays made some noise in the sixth against the withered husk of Taylor Rogers. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a single off his fists, followed by a deep drive by Jesus Sanchez over Wallner's head in right. Sanchez slipped making the turn around first, making it a long single. Rogers managed to strike out Lenyn Sosa on a backup slider, but Dalton Varsho hit a perfect bunt up the first base line, beating Rogers to the bag and scoring Guerrero for Toronto's first run. Rogers ended up allowing three hits and hitting a batter, but escaped the inning by inducing a pop-up from catcher Taylor Heineman. Things quieted down a bit from there, with the Twins putting up goose eggs against Blue Jays reliever Tommy Nance, while Rogers, Eric Orze and Kody Funderburk did just enough to keep the Jays offense dormant. The ninth inning was handed to Justin Topa, who allowed an infield single before Kazuma Okamoto hit his fourth home run of the series to cut the deficit to one. Guerrero then smashed a single right under Keaschall's glove to put the tying run on base. Sanchez hit one nearly as hard that nearly took out Topa, but Sosa hit a hard grounder to Keaschall that he turned into a game ending double play. Things I'm Tracking: Austin Martin looks unconscious, spitting on anything remotely close to being out of the zone and squaring up everything in it. With him, Larnach and Buxton all scorching hot, its kind of crazy that this team is losing so much. Caratini has cooled off after a fairly competent start to his Twins career, with his OPS below .600. He did reach base a few times today and his OBP is acceptable, but him being a professional hitter was a big reason why the team won eight of nine in that one good stretch that now seems a distant memory. Luke Keaschall is showing signs of life, with three doubles, including two today, in the past two games. Lewis looks pretty cooked, swinging out of his shoes and whiffing against fastballs in the zone What’s Next: The Twins head to the nation's capital to face the Nationals in a three game set. Taj Bradley (3-1, 2.85 ERA) will face Cade Cavalli (1-1, 3.82 ERA) in a matchup of post-hype prospects. Cavalli has been hittable (1.66 WHIP, .772 OPS against) but has a good strikeout rate. Bradley has been great and should have a good matchup provided he can handle Washington's main stars, James Wood and CJ Abrams. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOT Orze 28 0 33 0 24 85 Morris 0 19 0 0 57 76 Banda 22 14 0 18 0 54 Rogers 13 0 8 0 32 53 Topa 0 12 0 10 17 39 Garcia 0 0 9 18 0 27 Funderburk 0 0 0 14 3 17 Klein 0 0 0 12 0 12 View the full article

The Twins have some glaring weaknesses with their infield in the majors right now, and some positions don't look to have great defense coming up behind them in the minors. Jamie and Jeremy address each position that needs immediate help and how soon each could see improvement if the Twins choose to shuffle things up from their current depth chart order. View the full article

As Ernie Clement slides into the starting second baseman role, it'll be up to him (among others) to make up for the offensive void left by Bo Bichette's departure. How is Clement holding up his end of the bargain to start the 2026 season? We dove into his advanced analytics in this video! View the full article

The Mets affiliates went 1-3 on the night, with Brooklyn's combined one-hit shutout the lone bright spot. Channing Austin fired five and two-thirds shutout innings with seven strikeouts, and Hoss Brewer earned the save as the Cyclones blanked Frederick 2-0 on Ronald Hernandez's solo home run. Syracuse blew a 6-1 lead at home, falling 9-6 to Lehigh Valley after surrendering eight unanswered runs. Binghamton stranded twelve and lost 4-3. St. Lucie fell 5-2 in Tampa. Mets Transactions No Roster Moves Syracuse Bullpen Coughs Up Five-Run Lead In 9-6 Loss Syracuse held a 6-1 lead through five innings before the bullpen unraveled, dropping a 9-6 decision to Lehigh Valley after surrendering eight unanswered runs across the final three frames. The Mets jumped ahead in the bottom of the first when A.J. Ewing singled, Nick Morabito walked, Ryan Clifford singled in Ewing, Eric Wagaman drove home Morabito with a sacrifice fly, and Christian Arroyo singled to plate Clifford. Two more runs scored in the fifth on Arroyo and Cristian Pache walks, a Ben Rortvedt walk that loaded the bases, and a Jackson Cluff groundout to push the lead to 6-1. Jonah Tong delivered a brilliant start, allowing one hit and no earned runs across his six innings while striking out six and walking two. The bullpen could not hold the lead. Joey Gerber surrendered three runs on two hits and two walks in his lone inning of relief in the seventh, trimming the lead to 6-4. Anderson Severino allowed an unearned run in the eighth on a Syracuse fielding error, and Luke Jackson was charged with the loss and a blown save after giving up three runs while recording just one out in the ninth. Ryan Lambert and Ofreidy Gómez followed, but the damage was done as Lehigh Valley plated four in the inning. Pache went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, and a stolen base. Ewing finished 2-for-5 with a stolen base from the leadoff spot, Wagaman went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Arroyo added a 1-for-4 line with an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Syracuse drew six walks but stranded eight runners. Syracuse Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 5 1 2 0 0 1 Nick Morabito 3 1 0 0 2 2 Ryan Clifford 5 1 1 1 0 2 Eric Wagaman 4 0 2 2 0 0 Christian Arroyo 4 1 1 1 1 1 Ji Hwan Bae 4 0 0 0 0 0 Cristian Pache 3 1 2 0 1 1 Ben Rortvedt 3 0 0 0 1 0 Jackson Cluff 3 1 0 1 1 0 Syracuse Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonah Tong 6 1 1 0 2 6 0 Joey Gerber 1 2 3 3 2 1 0 Anderson Severino 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 Luke Jackson (L) 1/3 1 3 3 2 0 0 Ryan Lambert 1/3 0 1 1 2 0 0 Ofreidy Gómez 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Binghamton Strands Twelve In 4-3 Loss At New Hampshire Binghamton stranded twelve runners and watched a late comeback fall short, losing 4-3 at New Hampshire in a frustrating contest. The Rumble Ponies drew ten walks but converted only three runs across nine innings. Jonathan Santucci took the loss after three and two-thirds innings, allowing one hit, two earned runs, six walks, and one home run while striking out five. He surrendered a two-run homer in the bottom of the second that gave the Fisher Cats an early 2-0 lead. Brian Metoyer settled things down with one and one-third clean innings, but Jefry Yan was tagged for two runs on a home run in the bottom of the sixth that pushed the lead to 4-1. Zach Peek and Matt Turner each tossed a clean frame to close out the staff's work. Binghamton chipped one back in the top of the fourth on a Jacob Reimer double and a Jose Ramos RBI single. The Rumble Ponies came alive in the top of the ninth and plated two runs to pull within one, but the comeback ended without the tying run crossing. Reimer led the offense at 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, and Ramos went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk. Nick Lorusso added a 1-for-5 line with a double and an RBI, and Diego Mosquera contributed a 1-for-3 effort with an RBI. TT Bowens drew three walks and reached base in all five trips without recording a hit, while JT Schwartz drew two walks of his own. The Rumble Ponies struck out nine times and could not find timely hits in clutch spots. Binghamton Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Jacob Reimer 4 1 2 0 1 0 Jose Ramos 4 1 2 1 1 0 Kevin Parada 4 0 0 0 1 3 JT Schwartz 3 0 0 0 2 1 Nick Lorusso 5 0 1 1 0 0 TT Bowens 2 1 0 0 3 1 Matt Rudick 2 0 0 0 2 0 Wyatt Young 4 0 0 0 0 2 Diego Mosquera 3 0 1 1 0 2 Binghamton Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonathan Santucci (L) 3 2/3 1 2 2 6 5 1 Brian Metoyer 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jefry Yan 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 Zach Peek 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Matt Turner 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Brooklyn Combines For One-Hit Shutout In 2-0 Win Brooklyn put together one of its sharpest pitching performances of the season, combining for a one-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory over Frederick. Channing Austin set the tone with five and two-thirds dominant innings, scattering one hit, walking two, and striking out seven before being lifted in the sixth. Juan Arnaud followed with one and one-third hitless innings and a strikeout, Hunter Hodges added a clean inning with a strikeout, and Hoss Brewer closed it out with a one-two-three ninth to lock down the save. The Cyclones' lone offense came in the bottom of the sixth. After John Bay struck out, Ronald Hernandez homered to right field with one out for a 1-0 lead. Daiverson Gutierrez followed with a single, Colin Houck added a single, and Trace Willhoite walked to load the bases before Vincent Perozo grounded out to second base, scoring Gutierrez for the second run. Hernandez finished 1-for-2 with the home run, an RBI, two walks, and a run scored. Bay went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, and Willhoite added a triple in his only hit of the night to go with a walk. Gutierrez chipped in a 1-for-3 line with a run scored, and Houck contributed the only other hit. Brooklyn drew five walks and stranded eight runners, but capitalized when it mattered. The Cyclones' pitching staff allowed only one Frederick baserunner via hit while issuing two walks across the entire game and striking out nine. Brooklyn Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Antonio Jimenez 4 0 0 0 0 1 John Bay 3 0 1 0 1 2 Ronald Hernandez 2 1 1 1 2 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 3 1 1 0 0 0 Colin Houck 4 0 1 0 0 2 Trace Willhoite 3 0 1 0 1 1 Vincent Perozo 4 0 0 1 0 0 Kevin Villavicencio 3 0 0 0 0 0 Yohairo Cuevas 2 0 0 0 1 2 Brooklyn Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Channing Austin (W) 5 2/3 1 0 0 2 7 0 Juan Arnaud 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hunter Hodges 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hoss Brewer (S) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 St. Lucie Falls 5-2 As Tampa Cashes In Early St. Lucie could not solve Tampa's pitching and dropped a 5-2 game, with the Tarpons doing all of their damage in the first five innings while the Mets managed just four hits across nine. The Mets struck first in the top of the first when Edward Lantigua reached on a hit-by-pitch, and Randy Guzman drove him in with a sacrifice fly to left, but Tampa answered with a two-run bottom half on a leadoff baserunner reaching on a Branny De Oleo throwing error, an RBI single, and a deflected ground ball that allowed a second run to score. Tampa added single tallies in the second, third, and fifth to push the lead to 5-1. Jose Chirinos took the loss after four and one-third innings, allowing seven hits, five runs, two earned, two walks, and no home runs while striking out six. Elwis Mijares stabilized things with two and two-thirds innings of three-hit, scoreless relief, fanning one. Jorge De Leon worked a clean inning to close the staff's night. St. Lucie's only response after the first came in the top of the ninth, when Guzman singled to right, AJ Salgado popped out, Julio Zayas singled up the middle to bring Guzman home, and Chase Meggers grounded into a game-ending double play with the tying run on base. Guzman finished 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored, and a sacrifice fly, while Zayas added a 1-for-3 line with a walk and an RBI. Newly added Jamari Baylor went 1-for-3 from the bottom of the order, and Chase Meggers added the team's other hit. The Mets drew just one walk, struck out 10 times, and committed two errors that contributed to three of Tampa's runs being unearned. St. Lucie Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 0 0 0 0 1 Edward Lantigua 3 1 0 0 0 2 Randy Guzman 3 1 1 1 0 1 AJ Salgado 4 0 0 0 0 1 Julio Zayas 3 0 1 1 1 1 Chase Meggers 4 0 1 0 0 1 Simon Juan 3 0 0 0 0 3 Branny De Oleo 3 0 0 0 0 0 Jamari Baylor 3 0 1 0 0 1 St. Lucie Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jose Chirinos (L) 4 1/3 7 5 2 2 6 0 Elwis Mijares 2 2/3 3 0 0 0 1 0 Jorge De Leon 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: 2-for-5, R, SB, K Jonah Tong: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Ryan Clifford: 1-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K Jacob Reimer: 2-for-4, 2B, R, BB Jack Wenninger: DNP Elian Pena: 0-for-4, K Mitch Voit: DNP Nick Morabito: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K Jonathan Santucci: 3 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K, HR (L) Chris Suero: DNP Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Ryan Lambert: 1/3 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-4, K R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

The month of April is likely one that most members of the Boston Red Sox are hoping to forget; enough members of the team underperformed to the point that Alex Cora and the bulk of his coaching staff lost their jobs during the last weekend of the month. Since then, the team has played .500 baseball thanks to the offensive production from a handful of guys that are trying to put the team on their backs. It's a long road between now and contention, but Chad Tracy has seemingly inspired a bit more fire from the roster. There weren't a ton of candidates for this award, but three players in particular stood out for the offensive steadiness in an otherwise difficult month. Ranking Red Sox's Best Hitters in April #3: Ceddanne Rafaela The Gold Glove center fielder has proven through the first full month of the season that he has grown as an offensive player and will likely outplay the contract he signed two seasons ago. For the month of April, he slashed .266/.348/.367 with eight RBIs, a 100 wRC+, and a 0.3 fWAR. Where Rafaela has shown the most growth at the plate is in his pitch selection and his ability to work counts in his favor. While his strikeout rate is still higher than you’d like, 23.6%, it’s come down considerably to start the season and he no longer feels like just a guy who can come through in a clutch situation. When he’s standing in the box, you get excited instead of penciling a swinging strikeout most of the time. Both former manager Alex Cora and interim manager Chad Tracy have moved Rafaela up in the lineup and he’s continued to hit. If he keeps this offensive production up, he’s going to make his contract look even more like a bargain by the end of the season. #2: Wilyer Abreu The platoon training wheels have been taken off of Abreu and it’s paying dividends already. He slashed .287/.368/.404 with a 115 wRC+ and a 0.6 fWAR last month, knocking two home runs while driving in eight runs. He’s looking far more confident at the plate so far this season, and has been great at handling southpaws, hitting over .300 against them prior to May. His swing mechanics are noticeably different against left-handed pitchers—he’s shortened his swing and is getting the head of the bat around to the ball much quicker. Like Rafaela above, he looks more confident at the plate and his strikeout and walk rates prove that, sitting at 17.9% and 11.3%, respectively. His back-to-back Gold Gloves mean he’s locked into the starting right field role for years to come in Boston, but with his bat coming around against all types of pitchers, then he could be playing his way to a contract extension some time during or after the 2026 season. #1: Willson Contreras In what should be a shock to absolutely nobody, Contreras has been the best hitter on the Red Sox during the start to the season. For the month of April he slashed .289/.387/.556 with seven home runs, 20 RBIs, and a 157 wRC+, adding up to 1.3 fWAR. His offensive approach is feast or famine; he’s striking out 29.2% of the time, but when he’s making contact, he’s doing damage. He’s been the spark in the lineup during almost every series so far, and even when he went cold for a couple of weeks, his personality helped keep his teammates in games. He has been the best addition that Craig Breslow made during the offseason without a doubt, and this team would likely be in (worse) shambles if it wasn’t for him. His play at first base has been a breath of fresh air and the passion he brings to each game, even if it’s sometimes a bit overboard when the Brewers are involved, is something this team desperately needs. There’s not been too much to enjoy through April for the Red Sox, but these three hitters are all showing that we have something to look forward to if the front office and Chad Tracy can figure out how to get the most out of this roster. No one had the Red Sox being this bad on their bingo card, but it's a long season. More of the same from Rafaela, Abreu, and Contreras can only help push Boston back into relevancy. View the full article

The Brewers got Shane Drohan in exchange for Caleb Durbin and the rest of the team's third base depth chart at the time. What does the former Red Sox prospect look like now that he has made his big league debut? The early numbers are promising, showing a varied pitch arsenal and ability to bury the ball for a high groundball rate. View the full article

The hits just keep on coming. The New York Mets put infielder Ronny Mauricio on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left thumb and selected the contract of infielder Vidal Brujan from Triple-A Syracuse. First baseman Eric Wagaman was designated for assignment to make room for Brujan on the 40-man roster. Mauricio was injured in the seventh inning of Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. He hit a chopper that was fielded by the first baseman and was in a footrace to the bag with the pitcher. Both players slid into first base, which is when Mauricio was injured. Mauricio had been filling in at shortstop for injured superstar Francisco Lindor, who is out with a strained left calf. Now, the Mets are down to their third option at the key defensive position. Offseason acquisition Bo Bichette is likely to see more time at his old position after being the regular third baseman. Brujan was acquired from the Mets in January after he was DFA'd by the Minnesota Twins. In 24 games at Syracuse, Brujan had a .241/.304/.313 slash line with one homer and seven RBIs. View the full article

One new guy is set to debut, while another is on the shelf for a bit. The San Diego Padres activated right-hander Griffin Canning from the 15-day injured list before Sunday's start against the Chicago White Sox, while right-handed starter German Marquez went on the 15-day IL with nerve inflammation in his right forearm Canning has not pitched since rupturing his left Achilles in June while with the New York Mets. He signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Padres as spring training began and made five rehab appearances with Triple-A El Paso. With the Mets last year, Canning had a 4.04 FIP (3.77 ERA) in 76⅓ innings, with a 10.7% walk rate and 21.3% strikeout rate. Marquez has had a rocky start to his Padres career. He signed for one-year, $1.75 million at the same time as Canning did after a 10-year career with the Colorado Rockies. In six starts this year, Marquez has a 6.69 FIP (5.76 ERA) with 12 walks and 19 strikeouts in 29⅔ innings. Marquez started Friday and was roughed up by the Chicago White Sox, allowing seven runs on five hits with five walks and two strikeouts in five innings. View the full article