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I learned two things for sure writing up today’s article: It’s hard to pick just one iconic modern hardcore band for several large cities with MLB teams, and it’s even harder to find a music video by them that doesn’t run afoul of at least one editorial standard we have around here. So I will leave it up to the reader to track down the music by said bands and also to argue with me on the internet about who I should have picked instead. You’ll get what I mean later on.
Today’s Headlines
New York Mets: W1
LGM
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@mayor.nyc.gov) 2026-04-23T02:30:44.930Z
That’s right folks, Queens’ long national nightmare is finally over as the Mets have snapped their 12-game losing streak. It wasn’t easy or pretty but you don’t get any bonus in the standings for style.
Francisco Lindor put the Mets on the board early with an RBI single in the first inning:
Lindor gets us on the board 🙌
The Twins evened things up in the fourth thanks to a Victor Caratini sac fly, and the Mets countered in the bottom half of the inning as Lindor singled and Francisco Alvarez drove him in with an RBI double of his own:
Lindor scores on the Alvarez double 🤝
Two innings later it was Byron Buxton’s turn to amp the drama up as he tied the game with a 107.6mph laser into the left field seats:
There goes Buck!!! pic.twitter.com/H3YowcgL8V
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 23, 2026
The Mets threatened again in the bottom of the sixth: with two outs, Mark Vientos walked, and then Marcus Semien stung a ball to the wall for a double…but Vientos overextended and got himself thrown out at the plate for the final out of the inning:
Defense DELIVERED. pic.twitter.com/OkDn41giWV
— Twins.TV (@twinstv) April 23, 2026
Boy, that was a terrible send, there’s no way the third base coach thought that Vientos could beat the thr-
-oh. Yeah. Can’t really blame him for feeling like he absolutely had to score there, though, right? In any case, Vientos made up for it in the bottom of the eighth. Newly returned from the IL, Juan Soto singled (he also walked in the game, going 1-3 with the BB) but was then picked off trying to steal second. Luis Robert Jr. flew out, but Brett Baty took a walk. Alvarez followed that up with a walk as well, and Vientos hit a single that brought Baty around to score from second:
Baty comes home 💪
Not that anybody could feel particularly good about a one-run lead in the late innings: going into last night the Mets were 1-5 in one-run games, the Twins 0-3. I suppose that does mean it’s advantage: Mets, though.
It was Luke Weaver, who got the team’s last win two whole weeks ago, who would be called on to get the save on Wednesday, which he did without much trouble, striking out Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis, giving up a single to Brooks Lee, and then ringing up Buxton:
Châteauneuf-du-Sluggerrr
The Royals published their first in-depth proposal for a new ballpark in downtown Kansas City, apparently in a joint effort with Hallmark Cards(?) in the fittingly named Crown Center neighborhood:
We are proud to share our plans for the future of Royals baseball in downtown Kansas City and to begin a partnership that will last for generations to come. Read more: mlb.com/royals/news/royals-hallmark-cards-unveil-landmark-plan-to-bring-major-league-baseball-downtown?t=royals-press-releases
A world-class ballpark, surrounding mixed-use development and reimagined headquarters for both iconic institutions at Crown Center would create more than 20,000 jobs in the construction phase alone. The 85-acre development surrounding a park-like central square with fountains has little if any precedent worldwide for a professional sports project, and the expected private investment of $2 billion or more would be the largest in Kansas City history.
We should always be highly skeptical of the job creation and economic invigoration numbers put out by teams in these proposals, but why don’t we take a look at the renderings of the new park (which we should also be highly skeptical of, but at least they look pretty!)
Kauffman Stadium is the fifth-oldest stadium among the MLB ballparks, and while I am always in favor of stadiums that don’t live in the middle of giant oceans of parking lots, there are a lot of open questions about public funding for this new stadium. This does mean I need to get out to KC to see a game there while I have the chance (and visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Musuem, too!) We’re still very early in the “conceptual” stages of all of this but since Hallmark is involved, I suppose we can hope for a storybook ending.
No Way (To Beat) José
It’s been an utterly incredible 2026 so far for José Soriano, who is currently the owner of a 5-0 record and a 0.24 ERA. He didn’t get a decision yesterday, but that’s through no fault of his own as he stifled the Blue Jays for five scoreless innings. He gave up seven hits and only struck out four, but he walked nobody and nobody scored on his watch as he made some history:
0️⃣.2️⃣4️⃣ pic.twitter.com/zjvu0CDk8D
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 22, 2026
MLB Lowest ERA Through 6 Starts(Earned Runs a stat since 1913)0.24 Jose Soriano 2026 LAA ***0.33 Dutch Leonard 1914 BOS0.33 Al Benton 1945 DET0.33 Fernando Valenzuela 1981 LAD0.35 Walter Johnson 1913 WAS(sorry no Openers)
— James Smyth (@jamessmyth621.bsky.social) 2026-04-22T20:54:36.798Z
That’s a healthy margin between Soriano and the other names on there, too! To bring in some fantasy analysis here, this year Soriano had an ADP of 244.8 on ESPN! Don’t we all feel foolish now.
While he didn’t get a decision out of Wednesday’s game, the Angels did fight back to win the game 7-3. The Anaheim offense was provided in large part by Nolan Schanuel, a guy I will always like because his profile is so unlike a prototypical first baseman. Jo Adell got the Angels on the board in the third with a sac fly. Schanuel then hit his third home run of the season in the fourth:
Schanuel sends one out 🤟 pic.twitter.com/7KMVhxElhP
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 22, 2026
In the fifth, it was Mike Trout’s turn to send one out, as he continues his incredible renaissance year:
Troutta here in a HURRY 💨 pic.twitter.com/ZORaAf0gNu
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 22, 2026
Trout went 1-for-2 with two walks, bringing his line for the season up to .239/.417/.557 with eight home runs, which all adds up to a 168 wRC+. That’s a top-15 wRC+ in baseball!
The Blue Jays tied it up in the seventh thanks to a two-run double from Nathan Lukes and an RBI single from Ernie Clement. Then, in the bottom of the inning, a Trout walk, Adell single, and Yoán Moncada walk loaded the bases for Schanuel, who cashed them all in with a bases-clearing double (with some bonus related swag from the TV booth):
MOOD 🙌 https://t.co/xRomXdH6oe pic.twitter.com/Wa43S7K3nl
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 22, 2026
He would get to third base on a bad pickoff attempt and then score thanks to a Vaughn Grissom pop-up “single” that Clement couldn’t quite handle:
Hot Bats In Phoenix
It was an absolute shootout in the desert last night as the Diamondbacks and White Sox slugged back and forth in what ended up being an 11-7 Arizona victory. Among the offensive highlights:
Nolan Arenado: 4-4 with a walk, 3 RBI, 3 R, 1 HR
Ildemaro Vargas: 2-5 with a walk, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 HR
Corbin Carroll: 3-4 with a walk, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 3B
Geraldo Perdomo: 3-4 with a walk, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 3B
Miguel Vargas: 2-4 with a walk, 1 RBI, 3 R, 1 HR
Everson Pereira: 2-4 with a walk
Munetaka Murakami: 3-5, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 HR
That makes five games in a row with a dinger for Murakami, giving him 10 on the year, which is a new record for Japanese players:
Munetaka Murakami’s 10 home runs are the most of any Japanese-born player in his first 24 MLB games He has four more than any other Japanese-born player in first 24 MLB games, ahead of Shohei Ohtani, who had six in his first 24 games as a hitter
— Sarah Langs (@slangsonsports.bsky.social) 2026-04-23T04:08:15.702Z
It also ties the MLB rookie record for home runs in consecutive games and the White Sox team record.
Let’s enjoy, shall we?
Munetaka Murakami did it AGAIN. Five straight games with a homer. 10 on the season. And his 10th homer was crushed (110.2 mph EV / 451 feet).
— Brent Maguire (@bmags94.bsky.social) 2026-04-23T04:01:39.397Z
🖐 straight games with a homer for No. 5️⃣Munetaka Murakami simply crushes baseballs
18 runs, 26 hits, the first time in MLB history where the teams combined for six triples and twelve homers in the first two games of a series. I can only assume tomorrow will be a 1-0 game and the winning pitcher will toss a no-hitter, right?
Giolito: Dad
San Diego announced a new addition to their rotation on Wednesday:
Welcome to San Diego, Lucas!
We have signed right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito to a one-year contract with a mutual option for the 2027 season. pic.twitter.com/2fF8lMmYn6
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 22, 2026
The Padres signed Lucas Giolito to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027. It’s a somewhat complicated contract given the context:
Giolito Padres deal:
$3M guaranteed
$1.5M base
$1.5M buyout on $8M mutual option
Escalators on buyout based on starts up to $3M more
Award bonuses up to $2M https://t.co/WltLLq9gmJ— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 22, 2026
Giolito will be starting off at High-A, but the contract also comes with a guarantee that he be called up from the minors within 25 days (he does still need a “proper” Spring Training.) San Diego is far from the only team to experience some crushing pitcher injuries/underperformance early in the year, and this contract is a far cry from what Giolito was said to be looking for over the winter. He did throw 145 innings with a 3.41 ERA for Boston in 2025, but it came with a 5.01 xERA and 4.17 FIP. His K% also dipped to the lowest mark, 19.7%, that it’s been since 2018. He’ll look to get another shot at a bigger free agency deal, and he could definitely have a worse home park to try and line things up in.
By The Numbers
52 consecutive games safely reaching base for Shohei Ohtani, until his streak came to an end against the Giants last night, tying the franchise record set in 2000 (that time it was Shawn Green).
8 straight wins for the surging Cubs, who are suddenly only half a game behind the NL Central leading Reds.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Top Rope Oneil
Braxton Ashcraft continued his strong season, pitching seven strong, but the thing you gotta see from the Pirates’ 8-4 win is this three-run dong from Oneil Cruz.
Oneil Cruz bounced a homer off the top of the fair pole
I can’t imagine anybody sitting in that section thought they were going to have the chance to catch a home run ball.
Logan Olé!
Seattle walked off the Athletics yesterday on a Josh Naylor single, which is cool, but the coolest thing in the game may have happened in the first inning:
Logan Gilbert just caught the ball inside his jersey on a comebacker
I dunno if Logan Gilbert would call it “cool” necessarily. I don’t know if that’s even how I should be describing it, really. But it’s something! You very seldom see a live ball get caught in a uniform like that, but we do actually have rules specifically to handle it. Unfortunately, instead of counting for bonus outs, it’s actually a dead ball and the umpires get to use their judgment to send base runners wherever they think they should be. I guess that’s better than the rules around intentionally using non-glove equipment to stop a ball in play, which is an automatic triple.
Hardcore Baseball Fans
The O’s are having one of the coolest special ticket package nights in baseball history this summer:
Join us Friday, July 10 for Turnstile Night at The Yard, featuring the Baltimore native, Grammy Award-winning band 🤩
Grab a special ticket package to receive a limited-edition Turnstile Orioles themed jersey and a ticket to the game!
🎟️ https://t.co/k8pZJMUNOX pic.twitter.com/TEXzFyf2Wh
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 22, 2026
In related news, does Jackson Holliday walk up to this song?
Because he should. Actually wait, are the Orioles gonna do that Minor League thing where the whole team uses the same band/song for their walkup? Because they should.
This has also made me mad that the Tigers haven’t done a special night for The Armed, or LA for Touche Amore, or NY for Glassjaw (unfortunately, METZ are actually from Ottawa), or Toronto for PUP, or Boston for Converge or…well you get the idea.
The Return Of The Turtleneck Dickie
Do you guys remember Alex Lange? He got 26 saves for the Tigers back in 2023 but more importantly, he became a fashion icon for this author thanks to his constant use of a turtleneck dickie. Well, he pitched a grand total of 18 innings in 2024 and a single one in 2025 and they were mostly unremarkable. But he’s back this year with the Royals and guess what he brought with him?!
We will simply not talk about any of those stats.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ The Mets may have won the game, but they may have lost Francisco Lindor due to left calf tightness. He’s going to be getting an MRI and the Mets are calling up Ronny Mauricio.
⚾ Atlanta is making a couple of pitching-related moves, calling up their top prospect JR Ritchie and also selecting the contract of Carlos Carrasco. Ritchie will be starting Thursday’s game, and Carrasco will be available to back him up and potentially piggyback against the Nationals. Unfortunately, Didier Fuentes is being sent back to AAA as the corresponding move.
⚾ Wyatt Langford is going on the IL with a grade 1 flexor strain. He seems optimistic that the IL stint will be short.
⚾ The Phillies have placed J.T. Realmuto on the IL due to back spasms.
⚾ Jackson Holliday is going for an MRI on his surgically repaired right hand after experiencing discomfort following a rehab appearance.
⚾ Boston is calling up Payton Tolle to start Thursday’s game against the Yankees. I look forward to seeing his moustache.
⚾ Atlanta released catcher Jonathan Matos Morales after he was arrested on several charges, including vehicular manslaughter after causing a multiple car accident in Florida and then fleeing the scene.
Articles You Should Read
How Nasty Is Yankees Phenom’s 3-fastball Arsenal? Let Him Break It Down For You – Jared Greenspan, MLB.com
Nolan McLean Feels Like a Video Game Pitcher – Ben Clemens, FanGraphs
But WHY is Mason Miller Good – Bradley Woodrum, Baseball Prospectus (sub req’d)
What Is Life Really Like For MLB Players On The Road? We Answer Your Questions – Stephen J. Nesbitt, The Athletic (sub req’d)
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
