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It was a wild Saturday for baseball. And in Boston, it’s a Saturday that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. It provided fans a reason to cheer, jeer, and stare confusingly at the future ahead of them. Outside of Boston, there was baseball aplenty. A game was played in Mexico City, a streak ended, another continued; Records were broken, two of them, actually.
Alright. Enough nibbling. Let’s dive in.
Today’s Headlines
Boston Fires Cora and Co.
The Boston Red Sox did everything right on the field on Saturday – more on that later – but it mattered little. Close to four hours after dismantling the Baltimore Orioles, the club fired longtime manager Alex Cora. And that’s not the end of it. Hitting coach Pete Fatse, Bench Coach Rámon Vazquez, Third-Base Coach Kyle Hudson, Assistant Hitting Coach Dillon Lawson, and Major League Hitting Strategy Coach Joe Cronin were also let go. Game-Planning and Run Prevention Coach Jason Varitek was also reassigned to a new, as-yet-unnamed role. It is a shocking move, made even more surprising by its timing.
In a statement, Red Sox Owner John Henry said, “Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude. He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways. These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived.”
Triple-A manager Chad Tracy will be promoted and serve as the team’s interim major league manager.
Cora steered the Red Sox toward their 2018 World Series Championship, returned after a one-year suspension related to the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, and has been a stalwart with the club since. There was no indication before Saturday night that might soon change. Cora still had two years left on a 2024 contract extension. And after a 17-run win yesterday, Cora jubilantly told the press, “That’s f***ing baseball, man. It’s unreal.” Yet before night could even set, the Sox canned Cora. It is a seismic alteration within the organization’s hierarchy, and one that puts power firmly in the court of Craig Breslow, Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer.
The Red Sox enter today 10-17. Their offense is 27th in team OPS, and they are without a full-time manager.
A Statement from the Boston Red Sox: pic.twitter.com/7NXev6jpqe
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 25, 2026
Boston Beats Down Baltimore
In other Red Sox news, Boston’s offense is back. All it took was a 17-1 shellacking of the Baltimore Orioles. Shocking as it may be, it’s true. After scoring just 17 runs in its previous seven games, Boston hung just as many yesterday. How, pray tell? Look no further than Willson Contreras and the most unlikely run scorers on the Sox, like Andruw Monasterio, Caleb Durbin, and Connor Wong. Contreras chipped in with five RBIs, Monasterio with four via a grand slam, Durbin with three, and Wong with just as many.
Boston’s offense wasn’t the only return to normalcy. Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet looked far more comfortable on the bump than he had. Crochet struck out seven over six shutout innings. Though not as dominant as he or Boston would like, it’s a welcome sight after Crochet’s 10.50 ERA in his previous four starts.
Cubs Streak Stops at 10
The bad news for the Chicago Cubs? Their 10-game winning streak is over. Kaput. The worst news? It wasn’t even close. The Los Angeles Dodgers pulverized the Cubbies on Saturday in a 12-4 blowout. Starter Colin Rea acquitted himself cleanly through the first two innings before LA’s bats came to life. A Max Muncy bomb tied things in the third, and a string of hits handed the Dodgers a five-run advantage. It was an avalanche. Another came in the form of a four-run sixth. And it was all done sans the bat of Shohei Ohtani.
That is the good news for the Dodgers. Everyone chipped in and continues to. Alex Freeland tagged an RBI double while Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, and Dalton Rushing each had RBI singles in the fifth. The not-so good news? Starter Roki Sasaki is still unstable. Sasaki coughed up four runs, three of which were courtesy of the longball. Though Sasaki survived the fifth for the second time this season, he progressed no further. His ERA is 6.45. Still, it’s small potatoes when you’re baseball’s prized pony.
Phillies In a New Flow
The Philadelphia Phillies have won a baseball game. That’s right. It’s not a joke. It’s an 8-5 finish, and the Phils have extra innings and some erratic relief pitching to thank. Shortstop Trea Turner led off the 10th with a walk, Kyle Schwarber did the same, and suddenly, with the ghost runner, the bases were loaded for Bryce Harper. Harper, the de facto leader, stepped up. He ditched a pitch onto the outfield grass for a two-RBI single. Brandon Marsh followed suit, collecting two rib-eyes himself and putting things out of reach. Welcome back to the win column, Philadelphia.
Seattle Silences St. Louis
Plenty of offense was found in St. Louis in an 11-9 Seattle Mariners win over the hometown Cardinals. Contentious throughout, neither side budged an inch. When Seattle took an early 4-3 lead, St. Louis plated four to make it 7-3. In response, Seattle peppered runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth to tie it. St. Louis rebutted again, and again, Seattle’s bats followed. Mariners infielder Leo Rivas, though, had the final word. With two on in the top of the ninth, Rivas rocketed a single to score a pair and settle the argument once and for all. The final ledger? 20 total runs scored and 33 hits collected.
Padres Take Game One in Mexico City
All was quiet on the Mexican Front. Then came a laborious seventh inning that handed the San Diego Padres a 6-4 win in the first game of the Mexico City Series. The work to get there went as follows: Walk, single, walk, single, fielder’s choice, sacrifice fly, hit-by-pitch, and another sacrifice fly. An intentional walk afterward reloaded the bases, but Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill couldn’t push any more runs across. Thankfully, San Diego’s bullpen was perfect, per usual. Closer Mason Miller, in particular, was sturdy, retiring three straight en route to a new franchise record. The Padres are now 13-2 over their last 15.
Toronto Avoids Further Turbulence
Closing out a game in Rogers Centre didn’t use to be this hard. That’s what Toronto Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland probably thought after allowing one run to score and loading the bases on Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians. Toronto’s 5-3 lead was now razor-thin. Yet if Varland was fazed by his previous failures, he didn’t show it. He withstood eight pitches to strike out Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, and another five to waylay Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio. Toronto gets a much-needed 5-3 win to keep them afloat amidst a turbulent start.
By The Numbers
⚾102. Jacob Misiorowski’s fastball had the need, the need for speed. The Miz dialed things up to 102.6 once, and then an even more impressive 102.7 twice. That last 102.7 MPH pitch was a strikeout and is officially the fastest strikeout pitch by a starter since pitch tracking began in 2008.
⚾34.2. Padres closer Mason Miller still has yet to allow a run this season, or in any of his last 34.2 innings. He now has the franchise record for longest scoreless streak in Padres history. Look up the word “dominant” in the dictionary, and you’ll see Miller’s picture.
⚾11. Kansas City Royals starter Cole Ragans was lethal on Saturday. He diced the Angels up all night, allowing just one run over six innings while striking out 11. It’s the most strikeouts Ragans had in more than a year, last reaching 11 on April 8, 2025.
⚾425 feet. Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto obliterated a ball 425 feet on Saturday. It is, somehow, the second-longest dinger of his young MLB career, only dwarfed by Friday’s 430-foot shot.
⚾22. With a hit yesterday, Arizona Diamondbacks‘ infielder Ildemaro Vargas’s hitting streak is up to 22 games.
⚾7. In five scoreless innings, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan struck out seven.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Take Me to Church
Lost amidst the fireworks in St. Louis? A little defense. This catch is one of many highlights for Nathan Church, who belted two home runs.
The ball has been flying out of Busch Stadium today …
But this one flew right into Nathan Church’s glove 💪 pic.twitter.com/sGmFt80w7s
— MLB (@MLB) April 25, 2026
Walker, St. Louis Cardinal
Staying in St. Louis…
Jordan Walker went a LONG way to make this catch in foul territory 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/3myYLo8U6z
— MLB (@MLB) April 25, 2026
Belt One Out
The Giants honor one of their franchise greats in fitting honor.
The Captain. The Baby Giraffe.
Whatever you call him, Brandon Belt will always be #ForeverGiant. pic.twitter.com/RbGja2oZPr
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) April 25, 2026
Witt Zero Difficulty
Bobby Witt Jr. can do anything, as Mike Trout learned firsthand.
Bobby Witt Jr. robs Mike Trout of a hit 😮💨
He makes it look easy! pic.twitter.com/4093qz866B
— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2026
The King Has Spoken
In case anyone was wondering what Stephen King thought about Alex Cora’s dismissal.
Instead of firing Alex Cora, the Red Sox might consider firing the team.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 26, 2026
How About Those Views
Suffice to say, the Mexico City Series is a visual success, if nothing else.
Batting practice at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu 😍#MexicoCitySeries pic.twitter.com/8qdhfepZkK
— MLB (@MLB) April 25, 2026
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ The New York Mets and Colorado Rockies had Saturday’s matinee rained out. As such, they will play a doubleheader today.
⚾ Reinforcements are en route to the Great White North. The Toronto Blue Jays officially announced the pending return of starter Trey Yesavage yesterday. Yesavage will take to the hill on Tuesday, when the Blue Jays battle the Red Sox. Yesavage nursed a shoulder injury throughout spring and into this season, so expect a light workload at first.
⚾ The Blue Jays also added outfielder Nathan Lukes to the 10-day IL due to a left hamstring strain. Yohendrick Pinango will fill in for him, being promoted from Triple-A.
⚾ The Philadelphia Philles have one reason to cheer. Pitcher Zack Wheeler was reinstated from the IL and made his season debut last night. Wheeler had a nice welcome, striking out six, though allowing two runs and three walks. To fit Wheeler into the fold, right-hander Alex McFarlane was optioned to Triple-A.
⚾ Bigger than the loss, Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo injured himself on Saturday. Perdomo hobbled off the field after tweaking his lower leg and went straight to the locker room. He is officially day-to-day with a left ankle sprain. Zac Gallen also exited with a right shoulder contusion after getting hit by a comebacker.
⚾ The Big Red Machine is down a key cog, as the Cincinnati Reds announced that Eugenio Suárez is going on the 10-day IL. Suarez’s ailment is a low-grade oblique strain, which Cincy doesn’t seem too stressed over. In other Reds news, pitcher Kyle Nicolas was also optioned to Triple-A. Outfielder JJ Bleday will replace Suarez offensively, and Jose Franco steps in for Nicolas.
⚾ The Chicago White Sox are keeping it simple. Catcher Reese McGuire is out, catcher Drew Romo is in. McGuire played just 11 games with the South Side, hit .170, and posted a .445 OPS.
⚾ It’s a southpaw for southpaw swap in Houston. Lefty Bennett Sousa is up while fellow lefty Colton Gordon will be optioned. Gordon had an 11.57 ERA in four appearances.
Articles You Should Read
Inside The Red Sox’s Crisis of Credibility — Joon Lee
Celebrating Judge’s Magnificent Career (So Far) on His 34th Birthday — Sarah Langs, MLB.com
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