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A day later, the Boston Red Sox are still the talk of MLB for what they did Saturday. Not long after a 17-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow fired manager Alex Cora, who had guided the team to a 10-17 start. Six coaches were also removed from the major-league staff, with Triple-A manager Chad Tracy named the interim skipper. The Red Sox handled Cora’s firing like a hand grenade: poorly. Players weren’t directly told, instead finding out via social media or being FaceTimed by another teammate or some other source when many were sequestered at the team hotel. Breslow and owner John Henry didn’t gather the players together until Sunday morning and then didn’t let them ask the brass any questions, which caused shortstop Trevor Story, among others, to be furious. This is clearly on Breslow now. If the team doesn’t respond, he will follow Cora to the unemployment line.
Perhaps the baseball gods were looking down when they determined the outcomes of Sunday’s games as there was a distinct Red Sox flavor to another couple games.
Today’s Headlines
Post-Cora, Red Sox Begin With Win
Players are always the ones responsible for the on-field performance. Except you can’t fire 26 MLB players and get 26 new ones the next day. So managers and front-office personnel are the ones who bear the brunt of a flailing team. Following the Red Sox’s bloody Saturday, the players responded Sunday. Willson Contreras homered and rookie left-hander Connelly Early turned in a very good start as the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 in the first game under interim manager Chad Tracy. Contreras hit a two-run homer as part of a three-run fifth inning and Ceddanne Rafaela had an RBI triple and scored in the sixth. Early kept the Orioles mostly quiet, going 6⅔ innings, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Postgame, the players gave Tracy a celebratory shower of beer and other liquids.
Sale Moves Up As Atlanta First To 20 Wins
Where will Atlanta left-handed starter Chris Sale end up on some of the most prestigious lists in MLB history? Time will tell, but for now, Sale continues to climb those ladders. Sale moved into 28th place on the career strikeout list and won his 150th game in Atlanta’s 6-2 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies. The victory made Atlanta the first MLB team to 20 wins this season. Sale, formerly of the Red Sox, struck out nine in six innings, passing Chuck Finley for 28th place on the strikeout list. He now has 2,617, which is seventh-most among left-handers. Matt Olson hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Eli White a two-run blast in the second for Atlanta.
Harrison Fans 12 As Brewers Roll
It would appear Kyle Harrison’s wrist is doing just fine. In his second start after being skipped due to a wrist injury, the Milwaukee Brewers left-hander struck out a career-high 12 while allowing one hit in six shutout innings of a 5-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Acquired this spring from the Red Sox in a six-player trade for Caleb Durbin, Harrison had the best of his five starts with the Crew. Harrison, who hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any start this year, surpassed his previous career best of 11 set with the San Francisco Giants in 2024 and came within one of tying the most by a Brewers left-hander (Teddy Higuera and Eric Lauer). The Brewers didn’t hit a homer for the seventh straight game, but strung together enough hits to score five run in the fourth inning, capped by Brandon Lockridge’s two-run single.
Royals Overcome Rain, Get Dramatic HRs To Beat Angels
Twice the Kansas City Royals were down to their final out. Twice they hit the right button and came out with a victory and a three-game sweep. After a day plagued by bad weather, Jac Caglianone tied it with a two-out two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth and Lane Thomas walked it off with a three-run blast in the bottom of the 10th as the Royals beat the Angels 11-9. The game was moved up three hours due to anticipated rain, then delayed for 1 hour, 29 minutes when the skies opened up. The Royals exploded for seven runs once the game resumed.
Challenge To Hit A Homer Challenge
There are hundreds of moments a team can point to during a season where a team can say that was a moment that made a difference. Few are as quantifiable as the one involving Rob Refsnyder in the Seattle Mariners‘ series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. Refsnyder was called out on strikes in the top of the ninth inning. But he tapped his helmet and successfully challenged the strike—it wasn’t close—keeping his at-bat alive. Four pitches later, after a foul and two balls, Refsnyder drilled a go-ahead solo homer with one out that sent the Mariners to a 3-2 victory over the Cardinals. That gave the Mariners a three-game road sweep and gave the team some much-needed momentum that could pay off down the road. And if there is a one-game difference in a playoff race, Refsnyder’s challenge—one of eight in the game—will have made it possible.
Astros Give Judge An L For His Birthday
Don’t say that the Houston Astros weren’t thoughtful hosts. The Astros allowed New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge to hit his 10th homer of the season on his 34th birthday, but Houston came out on top 7-4, snapping the Yankees’ eight-game winning streak. The Astros tagged Yankees right-handed starter Luis Gil for four runs over the first three innings and six overall in four-plus innings. Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes each hit two-run homers off Gil, with the pair combining for five hits, four runs and all seven RBIs. After the game, Gil was optioned to Triple-A.
By The Numbers
1,341 Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman struck out the 1,341st batter of his career, passing Goose Gossage for second place for strikeouts by a relief pitcher. Chapman needs 23 more to pass leader Hoyt Wilhelm.
797 Mike Trout’s ninth homer of the season was his 797th career extra-base hit, snapping a tie with Garret Anderson for the most in Angels history.
5 Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson’s solo homer in the seventh inning was the fifth game in a row he has gone deep. Torkelson’s streak ties the club record set by Hank Greenberg. The MLB record is eight, held by three players.
Best Moments From Yesterday
That First Feeling
Think Hao-Yu Lee of the Detroit Tigers was pumped after his first MLB homer?
Hao-Yu Lee's first MLB home run is a pinch-hit, go-ahead 2-run drive off Reds reliever Sam Moll, and to say he was hyped would be an understatement. 4-3 Tigers in 7th.
— Jason Beck (@jasonbeck.bsky.social) 2026-04-26T19:34:36.954Z
Who Challenged What?
Have you ever seen a batter and a catcher challenge the same pitch?
RT @JomboyMedia: Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing and Cubs batter Nico Hoerner both challenged the same pitch
— Talkin’ Baseball (@talkinbaseballbot.bsky.social) 2026-04-26T21:09:13.000Z
Ho-Hum: Another Gem
You know someone is really good at what they do when they make the spectacular seem routine. That is what Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong does. Take this catch for instance.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ The New York Yankees are calling up outfielder Jasson Domínguez and have optioned right-hander Luis Gil, Sunday’s starter, to Triple-A. The Dominguez move could be a precursor to putting Giancarlo Stanton (right calf tightness) on the injured list.
⚾ A’s designated hitter Brent Rooker (strained right oblique) was activated from the 10-day injured list. Infielder Andy Ibáñez was designated for assignment.
⚾ Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe went on the 10-day IL with a fracture in his left wrist, sustained when he was hit with a foul ball Saturday. Catcher Sebastián Rivero was called up from Triple-A.
⚾ Washington Nationals right-handed reliever Clayton Beeter was placed on the 15-day IL with right forearm soreness. Right-handers Paxton Schultz and Andre Granillo were called up from Triple-A, while first baseman Andres Chapparro was optioned.
Articles You Should Read
Cora is the latest castaway in the Red Sox’s endless game of survivor — Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic
“Yesterday was definitely painful.” What Breslow, Kennedy said about Cora firing. — Cam Kerry, Boston Globe
Tigers’ McGonigle stays grounded while obliterating performance expectations — Chris McCosky, Detroit News
A mircowave and a steamer? How MLB players break in their gloves — Ayako Oikawa, MLB.com
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