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Happy Easter! You might have the day off, but baseball doesn’t. Though far from the drama of last Saturday, this week still had its headlines. Both New York teams won, the Yankees in a far more topsy-turvy fashion than the Mets. The Pirates provided our only walk-off; The Astros smacked around the A’s. Oh! And Jo Adell robbed three home runs. Speaking of, let’s get to that.
Today’s Headlines
Angel in the Outfield
The Los Angeles Angels won 1-0 on Saturday. The star of the show should be the pitching. And it might’ve been if outfielder Jo Adell hadn’t saved it time and time again. Adell robbed not just one, not just two, but three home runs on Saturday. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill jumping-at-the-warning-track type of snags either. The first sees Adell jump to stop a Cal Raleigh scorcher from hitting the scoreboard just above the right field fence. The second saw Adell do much the same. The third and final, though, stands alone. It’s the top of the ninth. The Angels’ 1-0 lead is on the ledge. J.P. Crawford provides the necessary push and powers a ball. Adell sticks his arm out over the fence, catches the ball in the stands, and tumbles into the seating after it. All three need to be seen to be believed.
New York Nixes Miami
The New York Yankees handled the Miami Marlins 9-7. No surprise. The road there, well, that bore some twists. The Marlins led the Yanks 4-0 through four. Aside from some walks and one hit, it was a veritable breeze. Turbulence, though, came in the fifth. Reigning MVP Aaron Judge singled and scored thanks to a Cody Bellinger homer. Miami’s lead was now halved. More wind came in the sixth, and by its end, New York had the lead. They’d relinquish said advantage in the eighth only to regain it when Giancarlo Stanton ripped a two-run single with the bases loaded.
That said, the Marlins didn’t relent. The Fish foisted Yankees closer David Bednar into trouble. Three singles and a walk scored a run and loaded the bases for outfielder Griffin Conine. Bednar was now up to 30 pitches. He needed just three more. Conine took the first in the zone and swung through the second and third to strike out and end the game. Yanks win 9-7. All told, expected destination, unexpected journey.
Mets Starting to Mash
Here comes the New York Mets. After losing three straight last week, the Mets seem to be meeting their expectations. Starter Clay Holmes delivered seven scoreless innings, but it was the offense that led the way. Luck and some bad San Francisco defense plated three in the second. Bites and blasts scored five in the fifth. The former took the form of four straight singles to make it 5-0. The latter appeared as a Tyrone Taylor pinch-hit three-run bomb, which made it 9-0. It was a rout, New York’s second in as many days. A key unexpected ingredient in both? Mark Vientos. The infielder’s gone from pariah to persona grata. He has six hits in this series, three RBI, and touts a 1.291 OPS.
Yorke and the Yinzers
What started with an error led to so much more for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s the bottom of the eighth in PNC Park. The Pirates trail the Baltimore Orioles. Two are on for pinch-hitting outfielder Jake Mangum. Mangum bounces the ball toward the mound. Orioles reliever Anthony Nunez collects the ball but can’t corral it. By the time he had, Pittsburgh’s Nick Yorke scored to tie the game. Yorke would find himself in the spotlight one inning later. This time, two were on with him at the dish instead of on the dirt. Yorke drilled a Ryan Helsley slider 336 feet to score the game-winning run. Pirates win 3-2 and are winners of four straight. All because of a ball in play one inning earlier.
Astros, Imai Bring Their A Game
Sometimes, baseball provides viewers with a good game. Other times, it provides a good old-fashioned beatdown. Such was the case Saturday afternoon in Sacramento as the Houston Astros annihilated the A’s 11-0. Second baseman Jeremy Pena collected two hits, left fielder Yordan Alvarez walked four times; First baseman Christian Walker kept his hot start going with two RBI doubles and a home run. He is now hitting .344 with a 1.042 OPS.
Starter Tatsuya Imai fared much better than in his last start. The Japanese import struck out nine in 5.2 scoreless innings. Credit for the former goes toward Imai’s slider. The pitch was responsible for five of Imai’s nine strikeouts and showcased some nasty break. Equally impressive were Imai’s 15 swinging strikes on the afternoon. Overall, it was sleight work, albeit a slaughter.
The Quiet Tigers
One glance at the scoreboard of Detroit’s 11-6 win over St. Louis would lead one to look toward the usual suspects. And they did play a part. DH Kerry Carpenter collected three hits; second baseman Gleyber Torres belted one himself and scored twice. But this game wasn’t always lopsided, and its turning point didn’t come courtesy of an expected face.
Once ahead 7-1, the Tigers watched as a five-run fifth from St. Louis made things 7-6. The game could go one of two ways from here on out. With two on and two outs a half-inning later, utilityman Zach McKinstry nudged fate in a favorable direction. McKinstry singled to give Detroit much-needed breathing room. Three innings later, with St. Louis still standing, outfielder Matt Vierling delivered the knockout blow in the form of a two-run bomb. That’s why you’ve got to watch out for the quiet ones, even in baseball.
T + L + M = W
San Diego’s 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox started with Fernando Tatis Jr., because of course it did. Tied 2-2 in the eighth with Aroldis Chapman on the bump, Tatis sailed a sinker for a double. One batter later, San Diego outfielder Ramón Laureano licked a splitter to left. Boston’s Roman Anthony played the ball on a hop and pitched it toward home. Tatis had him beat. What he started, Padres closer Mason Miller finished. Miller struck out the side to seal a slim victory.
One Out of Two Ain’t Bad
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Sproat’s night was cruising along. He piggybacked off starter Logan Henderson and had yet to allow a hit. Then came the sixth inning. Royals captain Salvador Perez pelted a solo shot. Two batters later, second baseman Jonathan India singled. Catcher Carter Jensen and outfielder Isaac Collins did the same. The latter plated a pair and ended Sproat’s night. KC offense kept piling on, winning 8-2.
The evening victory was a revenge of sorts for Kansas City, which lost to Milwaukee in the first leg of a doubleheader yesterday afternoon. That game saw the roles reversed. Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell carried the Brew Crew and was responsible for all five of their runs scored. Starter Chad Patrick and Co. did the rest in the 5-2 win. Such was a solid, split doubleheader.
By The Numbers
⚾ Inches. That’s how close Jordan Walker came to intercepting this Gleyber Torres homer.
"He ain't got it!"
Gleyber Torres puts one JUST beyond the reach of Jordan Walker 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ZL0kBU53gk
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2026
⚾ Six. That’s how many RBIs Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell tallied during Saturday’s doubleheader. Mitchell, by the by, entered yesterday with five rib-eyes on the season.
⚾ Eleven. That’s how many strikeouts Philadelphia Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo collected against the Colorado Rockies.
⚾ 104.8 miles-per-hour. That’s how fast a ball from Mauricio Dubón was travelling when it tore through (literally) Geraldo Perdomo’s glove.
The ball ripped straight through Geraldo Perdomo's glove pic.twitter.com/kqxrq4rrQj
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 5, 2026
⚾ 459 feet. That’s how deep Jordan Walker’s grand slam went. On top of it, Walker stole a base and collected three total hits. He is the first Cardinal to do all three in a single game since Ray Lankford on May 7, 1997.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Eraserhead
Royals pitcher Daniel Lynch IV wasn’t letting this one go.
An UNBELIEVABLE effort by Daniel Lynch IV to tag the runner out! pic.twitter.com/EeLK0zyt4x
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2026
Friedl, Friedl, Friedl, He’s Made Out of Clay
No ball is safe from TJ Friedl. Neither is TJ Friedl.
TJ Friedl somehow makes this play as he's falling down 😮 pic.twitter.com/N4vuKaB542
— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2026
Welcome to Chicago
In an otherwise quiet 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, Munetaka Murakami endeared himself to the South Side.
Munetaka Murakami is here, @WhiteSox fans 🤩 pic.twitter.com/1g5QAoGfdn
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2026
Uh, Minnesota?
April showers usually are in reference to rain, not snow, right?
Snow baseball in Minnesota! pic.twitter.com/a9IgChMCnA
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 5, 2026
BBQ on the Bay
No, this is not a scene from a Thomas Pynchon novel.
"That's outstanding!"
BBQ on the kayak in San Francisco 🤣 pic.twitter.com/bvuC01mtme
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 5, 2026
Hello Kitty?
Is this a usual entry? Is this news? Does it even qualify as a moment? Probably not. And yet one thing must be asked: How often does a human get inside a life-size baseball-themed Hello Kitty costume?
Uh-huh. Now you get it.
Hello Kitty throws out the first pitch at the @RedSox game 🥰 pic.twitter.com/Tkr9OY2gyD
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2026
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Mets fans, exhale. The team announced that an MRI on superstar outfielder Juan Soto revealed only a minor calf strain. An IL trip is possible depending on how Soto’s body responds. As of now, it’s a day-to-day situation.
⚾ Dodgers fans, panic. Star shortstop Mookie Betts exited Saturday’s game with lower back pain. Betts will undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury.
⚾ The Toronto Blue Jays placed All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk on the 10-day IL. The diagnosis is a left thumb fracture. The injury, meanwhile, is due to a foul tip during Friday’s matinee against the Chicago White Sox. Jays catching prospect Brandon Valenzuela will join the club, and backup Tyler Heineman will assume the role as catcher No. 1.
⚾ In other Blue Jays news, the club acquired utilityman Tyler Fitzgerald from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations. Fitzgerald was DFA’d last week. The 28-year-old touts a .252/.309/.430 slashline through three seasons.
⚾ There’s a bump in the road of Justin Verlander’s storybook ending. The Detroit Tigers added the three-time Cy Young-winner to the 15-day IL due to inflammation in his left hip. It’s a tough blow for a Detroit rotation already short-staffed with pitchers Jackson Jobe, Reese Olson, and Troy Melton already injured.
⚾ Though there is no replacing the now-injured Cade Horton, the Cubbies promoted pitcher Riley Martin from Triple-A.
⚾ It’s a two-fer for the Colorado Rockies. The club claimed lefty Sammy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers and moved pitcher McCade Brown to the 60-day IL. The latter welcomes Peralta to Colorado’s 40-man.
⚾ The White Sox’s Jedixson Paez experiment is over. The Rule 5 Draft pick cleared waivers without a claim and, as such, will return to the Boston Red Sox. In Paez’s three games this season, he allowed six runs to the tune of an 18.00 ERA.
⚾ The New York Mets have signed journeyman reliever Luke Jackson to a minor league deal.
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