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Phil Garner was one of the good guys in baseball. You could just tell by how those around him talked about him. He was the Milwaukee Brewers‘ manager for much of the 1990s, leaving as the franchise’s all-time winningest manager (563-617), but only had one winning season, his first in 1992 at 92-70. His time with the Brewers was my biggest connection to “Scrap Iron.” Garner died Saturday at age 76 following a more than two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. My words don’t do enough to honor Garner. But those of The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner certainly do.
Today’s Headlines
Ohtani Tags deGrom’s 1st Pitch, But Ace Stifles Dodgers
Starting a 10-game road trip 0-3 is never a good idea. Good thing the Texas Rangers had Jacob deGrom as the starting pitcher against the two-time World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. DeGrom struck out nine and allowed just one run over six innings as the Rangers salvaged the finale with a 6-2 win over the Dodgers. It didn’t start well for deGrom. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani hit deGrom’s first pitch of the game deep to right for his second leadoff homer in as many days. But deGrom bounced back and allowed just three singles and three walks in his six innings. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner has a stellar career record vs. the Dodgers with a 2.35 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 15 games and 95⅔ innings. Evan Carter, moved up to the No. 2 spot in the lineup due to Wyatt Langford’s injury, homered and drew a pair of walks, while Brandon Nimmo followed a two-homer game Saturday with two hits and two RBI. Ohtani’s homer extended his MLB-leading on-base streak to 46 games.
Walker Crushes 7th HR, But Red Sox Beat Cardinals
Sooner or later, Jordan Walker’s start to the 2026 season will be either believable or a thing of the past. For now, it is very real. The St. Louis Cardinals‘ right fielder bashed his MLB-leading seventh homer of the season and sixth in eight games, but the Boston Red Sox came away with a 9-3 triumph in the series finale. Willson Contreras had a big game against his former team, going 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBI for the Red Sox.
Angels’ Soriano First To 4 Wins With Another Stellar Start
If you had Los Angeles Angels right-handed starter José Soriano as the first MLB pitcher to earn four wins, come collect your winnings. Soriano became MLB’s first four-game winner of the young season, striking out 10 over seven shutout innings as the Angels hung on to beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-6. Soriano allowed just two hits in lowering his ERA to 0.33. He is also the first pitcher since at least 1900 to throw 25 or more innings and allow 10 or fewer hits and less than two runs. He has allowed one run on nine hits in 27 innings. He has struck out 31, which leads MLB. Four Angels, including Mike Trout, had two hits as L.A. jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Nolan Schanuel also had two hits and drove in three runs.
Busch Snaps Skid, Kelly Clutch For Cubs
Early-season slumps always draw more attention than they deserve. They also bring more pressure on the player. Michael Busch knew he wasn’t 0-for-30 bad, yet that is where the Chicago Cubs‘ first baseman stood when called upon to pinch-hit in the eighth inning. Busch finally broke through with an RBI single and an error that scored a second run and tied the game 6-6. That set the Cubs up for Carson Kelly’s one-out, bases-loaded walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth for a 7-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Garner, World Series Player and Manager, Dies At 76
Phil Garner, who earned the nickname “Scrap Iron” with his hard-nosed play and always-dirty uniform, died Saturday at the age of 76. A three-time All-Star who won a World Series as a player with the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and managed the Houston Astros to their first appearance in the Fall Classic, Garner was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February 2024. One of his last public appearances was throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for the Astros on his birthday, April 30, last year. He debuted in 1973 with the Oakland A’s, who were in the midst of winning three straight World Series (1972-74), but didn’t play in the postseason with the A’s until 1975. Then he was the second baseman for the “We Are Family” Pirates that rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the 1979 Series in seven games over the Baltimore Orioles. After retiring, Garner managed the Milwaukee Brewers (1992-99), Detroit Tigers (2000-02) and Astros (2004-07), guiding Houston to the NL pennant in 2005 and being swept by the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.
By The Numbers
26 The Minnesota Twins have homered in 26 consecutive games in Toronto, going deep 55 times in that span. The last time the Twins didn’t homer in Toronto was Aug. 25, 2017. Tristan Gray and Kody Clemens homered Sunday in an 8-2 win over the Blue Jays.
3 The A’s had three shutouts on the road this week vs. the two New York teams. They had three shutouts in their previous 71 road games against those same teams.
2011 The Washington Nationals notched their first sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers since 2011 and their first sweep in Milwaukee since 2006. The Nats overcame four Brewers homers, including two by Brice Turang, to finish the three-game sweep. Keibert Ruiz had a two-run single to snap an eighth-inning tie and James Wood homered for the fourth time in seven games.
Best Moments From Yesterday
The Price For No. 1
What would you take to give one of the top prospects in all of baseball his first home run ball? For the fan who ended up with Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle’s first MLB homer, it took a bat, a ball and a jersey, all signed by the young star. McGonigle homered in the fifth inning, a two-run shot off 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, in an 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins.
Tricky Pickoff
When you’re got, you’re got. And Logan Gilbert and Josh Naylor of the Seattle Mariners got Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros with this creative pickoff play.
Target Practice
Jorge Soler’s second-inning line drive nailed Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout, who was on third and in foul territory.
Mike Trout got hit by a foul ball off the bat of Jorge Soler but stayed in the game and then scored on a sac flyHe would've been ruled out if he was standing in fair territory
— Talkin’ Baseball (@talkinbaseballbot.bsky.social) 2026-04-12T18:15:57.000Z
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ With the Toronto Blue Jays placing designated hitter George Springer on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left big toe, outfielder Eloy Jiménez was called up from Triple-A to make his team debut.
⚾ The Baltimore Orioles lost outfielder Tyler O’Neill to the seven-day concussion list and then had first baseman Ryan Mountcastle diagnosed with a broken bone in his left foot. O’Neill apparently was ill and passed out from dehydration when he sustained the concussion.
⚾ Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich was removed after two plate appearances with tightness in his left hamstring. Manager Pat Murphy said he expected “bad news” on Yelich.
⚾ Left-hander Martín Pérez was designated for assignment by Atlanta, which called up left-hander Dylan Dodd from Triple-A. Perez had made two starts and a relief appearances this season with a 3.14 ERA.
⚾ Chicago Cubs right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey went on the 15-day IL with inflammation in his right triceps. Left-hander Charlie Barnes was promoted from Triple-A.
Articles You Should Read
Blue Jays’ depth being pushed to the limit with Springer’s injury — Shi Davidi, SportsNet
Does Bradley’s success with Twins impact Rays’ trade record? — Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times
Can Padres’ Miller win the Cy Young Award? It is worth a conversation — Dennis Lin, The Athletic
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
