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MLB News & Moments: Paul Skenes is on another level

Paul Skenes is always on no-hitter alert.

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 2 Hours Ago

Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.

On a Tuesday that displayed some of the best and brightest players MLB has to offer, the day began with significant news off the field, as MLB and the Players’ Union conducted their first formal meeting to discuss collective bargaining. While the meeting was reportedly tame and included nothing more than each side’s opening presentations, it marks an important step for what could become a dark cloud hanging over the rest of the season.

Baseball continues to build momentum, ratings, and popularity, but it could all come to a screeching halt if the fight over a potential salary cap gets nasty. For a sport that knows all too well how a strike/lockout can derail several years of public attention, let’s hope that negotiations are productive and fruitful throughout the summer.

 

Today’s Headlines

 

Paul Ball

With Tarik Skubal momentarily on the IL, the debate regarding the best pitcher alive is currently moot. Paul Skenes continues to get better and better, as it now seems inevitable that he will pitch a no-hitter or perfect game. Facing the lowly Rockies, the matchup was just unfair, as Skenes struck out the first six batters he faced, while the seventh hit a bunt just to avoid that embarrassment. Skenes would retire the first 14 Rockies, with a two-out hit by pitch ending his quest for perfection. Undeterred, he struck out the side again in the sixth, and allowed his first hit until the seventh. Skenes finished the day with eight scoreless innings, with ten strikeouts and no walks, earning his sixth win of the season. Despite his horrific Opening Day start, his ERA now stands at 1.98, as he continues to look like a lock to start the All-Star Game and cruise to another Cy Young award.

All That Yaz

Despite their success this season, Atlanta has overcome several slow starts and injuries to become the best team in baseball. Opening a series against their closest competition for the top record in the NL, two of those underachievers were key to secure a win. It began with Austin Riley, who hit a solo homer to tie the game at two, and Mike Yastrzemski, who started the game with no homers and an OPS below .600, would add the exclamation point. Yaz delivered a vintage swing to hit his first long ball of 2026, as Atlanta took a 4-2 lead and then rode their bullpen to a commanding 5-2 win over the Cubs. If Atlanta finds a way to get these guys going, a 100-win season could become only a matter of time.

It Was a Good Day (for the Giants)

With Ice Cube throwing the ceremonial first pitch on his bobblehead day, it all seemed set for a Dodgers party in LA. Considering how lopsided the pitching matchup looked (World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto against winless Adrian Houser and his 6+ ERA), the sounds of “I love LA” to end the game appeared inevitable. The Dodgers scored a run in the first and then retook the lead with a Shohei Ohtani solo homer in the third, but that would be all the scoring from the home team. Shockingly, the confounding Giants earned their fourth win in five tries over their rivals, posting a 10-hit effort that was highlighted by backup catcher Eric Haase hitting two solo homers, as he became the first Giants catcher to ever have a multi-homer game at Dodger Stadium. With a slim 3-2 lead in the seventh, the Giants added on with a three-run frame, while their bullpen squashed a bases-loaded mess in the eighth to secure the game. The 6-2 win gave Houser his first W as a Giant, while Yamamoto fell to 3-3.

Watchin’ the Wheels

With the Phillies storming out to a 1-0 lead in the first, via yet another Kyle Schwarber homer, it seemed that the Red Sox had a plan against Zack Wheeler: swing early, swing often. Wheeler got three outs in the first with only six pitches, via a ground ball and two fly outs. The lead would increase to 2-0 in the second, but things remained the same for Boston, as they would be retired in six pitches again, even as Wheeler put a man on base via a hit by pitch. The third was even more extreme, as a one-pitch single was followed by a fly out and a double play, making Wheeler the first pitcher in at least 25 years to complete three innings in 16 pitches. Even as Boston adjusted and the game became a more standard affair from there, they would never find success against the ace, as Wheeler allowed only one run, needing 87 pitches to cruise through 7.1 innings. While closer Jarren Duran ran into some trouble in the ninth, he got the job done, as the Phillies secured the 2-1 win, and are now only a couple of games below .500.

Ober the Moon

As the Minnesota Twins have been a pleasant surprise in 2026, playing competitive ball most days, most of the success has been attributed to a resurgent offense. Last night, they added a masterful pitching performance to that ledger, as Bailey Ober pitched one of the most remarkable Madduxes of the past decade. Facing the usually-pesky Marlins, Ober made quick work of them inning after inning, needing only 89 pitches (with 64 strikes) to earn his first career shutout. Ober allowed only two singles and struck out seven, with no Marlin even reaching second base. While Miami starter Eury Pérez was also strong to start the game, he ran out of gas in the fifth, allowing three runs, as a Ryan Jeffers two-run homer and a Byron Buxton steal of home plate were enough for Minnesota. The run support was more than enough for Ober, as the Twins won with a 3-0 final score.

 

By The Numbers

 

5 Kyle Schwarber hit a homer for the fifth consecutive game, reaching 17 for the season to lead MLB. He has tied the Phillies’ mark for most straight games with a home run, which is shared by seven other players. The list includes several Philly legends, like Mike Schmidt, Chase Utley, and Bobby Abreu.

10 With a win over the Blue Jays, the Tampa Bay Rays have started the season by winning 10 of their first 11 games against their AL East rivals (5-0 against Toronto, 3-0 versus the Yankees, and 2-1 facing Boston). They are the first AL East team in over 30 years to achieve this.

1 Eric Haase became the first MLB player to hit two homers in the same game against Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Only one other hitter (Ezequiel Tovar) had even achieved multiple long balls against Yamamoto, albeit in separate contests.

124 Paul Skenes has now faced 124 straight hitters without issuing a walk. His last base on balls came on April 13 against the Nationals, when he walked James Wood after a seven-pitch battle.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

The Ewing Theory

The Mets have had few reasons to celebrate in 2026, and taking an early 2-0 deficit at home against the Tigers appeared to add to that narrative. However, this game featured the MLB debut of prospect A.J. Ewing, recently recalled following the multiple injuries to the roster. Batting 8th, Ewing started his career with two walks and a stolen base in his first three plate appearances, as the Mets took control of the game and the energy around the stadium flipped. With a 6-2 lead in the seventh, Ewing created what should be the first of many memorable moments, with an RBI triple for his first hit as a major leaguer. As Citi Field cheered on, no one was more excited than Ewing’s family, delivering an emotional moment perfect for the occasion. The Mets would go on to win 10-2, with the rookie ending his day with 3 walks, two runs, and two RBI.

A True Lead-Off Homer

The term “lead-off home run” has been awarded to every homer by either team’s first batter on the first inning of the game. For example, Joc Pederson was credited with one last night, despite being part of the home team. In this author’s opinion, lead-off homers should only count for the away team, as they are the ones who truly lead off the game. The Yankees had Paul Goldschmidt deliver a true lead-off homer, not only because they were batting at the top half of the first, but also because he did it with the first pitch of the game. Goldy’s blast set the tone for New York, as they would cruise to a 6-2 win over the Orioles, finally breaking their four-game losing streak.

Simply Unfair

As a product of Milwaukee’s never-ending pitching factory, Abner Uribe has taken over the closer role following the rough start of Trevor Megill. While he does not light up a Baseball Savant page, it is clear that he throws hard, very hard, and can sometimes become unhittable. Last night, his nastiness was in full display, as Uribe earned his fourth save of 2026 and helped the Brewers reach five straight wins. The second out in the ninth included an unfair sequence against Freddy Fermin, as he opened the at-bat with a 100mph heater, followed by three sliders, ending with a 101mph sinker that Fermin could only flail at. Hitting is usually hard, but this kind of movement makes it impossible.

 

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ The Yankees have placed shortstop José Caballero on the 10-day IL with a right middle finger fracture, prompting the call-up of the divisive Anthony Volpe. While Volpe had been initially projected to be the team’s starting shortstop, with Caballero serving as a utility wiz, but the latter’s strong play had relegated Volpe to the minors. Manager Aaron Boone indicated that the IL stint should be short, and that Caballero will remain the team’s starting SS when he is healthy. 

⚾ Atlanta has placed catcher Sean Murphy on the 10-day IL with a fractured left middle finger, which he suffered during a catcher’s interference last Sunday. He is expected to miss eight weeks, adding a new setback to his recent run of injuries, as Murphy played less than 95 games in both 2024 and 2025. With Drake Baldwin serving as the primary backstop, Atlanta will now use journeyman Sandy León as the main backup. 

⚾ The Dodgers and Diamondbacks completed a rare intra-division trade after Arizona shipped outfielder Alek Thomas to LA. In exchange for Thomas, the Dbacks received minor leaguer Jose Requena. The speedy outfielder had become the odd man out for the Dbacks following the promotion of prospect Ryan Waldschmidt, and he will now bring his defensive prowess to Los Angeles.

 

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Parker Messick Conquers the American League — Mike Baumann, Fangraphs

A Three-Way Player? — Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com

 

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Pablo Figueroa

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Pablo Figueroa is a Baseball Writer here at Pitcher List, with experience as a writer since 2013. He lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico - proud home of Los Rieleros. When he´s not thinking about baseball , he's a husband, owns two dogs, watches random episodes of The Sopranos , plays padel, and works on his day job to pay the bills.

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