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MLB News & Moments: Shohei Ohtani Does it All

Andrew Painter turns boos into a standing O.

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 4/1/2026

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

It took almost a full week of play, but there are no more zeroes in the standings. With the A’s winning in Atlanta, they became the last team to remove the winless tag from their ledger. This means that every team in MLB has now won or lost at least one game, from the mighty Dodgers to the lowly Nationals. While the A’s appeared to have a bad omen by taking a 1-0 deficit since the first inning, they persevered and delivered their best pitching performance of 2026, limiting the home team to only an additional run. The 5-2 victory was punctuated by Shea Langeliers‘ fourth homer of the season, which is tied for the league lead.

 

Today’s Headlines

 

Ohtani the Multitasker

Following a rare shutout in their series opener against the Guardians, the LA Dodgers got back on track in a hurry. With Shohei Ohtani’s pitching debut on the slate, the defending champs had enough of a boost to score a convincing 4-1 win. Ohtani was his usual brilliant self, cruising through six scoreless innings that included only one hit and three walks allowed, as he struck out six. His numbers at the plate were not flashy, but he managed to reach base thrice and had enough run support, including a mammoth Max Muncy homer, to earn his first win of the season. The game included an uncharacteristic rainy ending in Chavez Ravine, with closer Edwin Díaz making things a bit interesting in the ninth, before closing the door on Cleveland.

Hang it in the Louvre

Following a tough start to the season, which included several boo birds amid a 1-3 home stretch, rookie Andrew Painter entered last night’s game aiming to win the crowd in Philadelphia. Let’s just say that he succeeded. Painter, long anointed as the franchise’s pitching gem of the future, delivered upon his promise, tossing 6.1 innings of one-run ball, allowing only one walk against eight strikeouts. His effort was backed up by solo homers from Kyle Schwarber and Adolis García, as the Phillies cruised to a 3-2 victory, giving Painter his first career W. Even as we know that the Philly crowd may turn on him with a bad outing, he will always have the standing ovation he earned as he exited his first game in the Show.

No Way, José!

Following a rough 1-3 start to the season, the Arizona Diamondbacks made some lineup adjustments, including the MLB debut of 22-year-old Jose Fernandez. While Fernandez is not considered a top prospect by any means (ranked 27th among Arizona’s youngsters), he made quite an impression in his maiden contest. Despite facing an early 5-0 hole against the Tigers, Fernandez first cut the deficit with a solo homer, and then provided the exclamation point during a six-run eighth, hitting his second dinger to give Arizona the lead against veteran closer Kenley Jansen, with the 7-5 score holding up in the end. The comeback may have been thrilling, but it was also part of a true bullpen meltdown by the Tigers, with three relievers allowing a combined four hits and two walks in one inning, wasting a masterful Casey Mize outing.

Max Effort

The Yankees continued to impose their pitching brilliance on the opposition, as Opening Day starter Max Fried added to his early AL Cy Young campaign by delivering his second straight gem. The lefty was masterful through seven scoreless frames, striking out six against only three hits and a walk allowed. With Seattle hitters baffled all game long, the Yankees took advantage of a relentless offense that amassed nine hits and went 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position, cruising to a 5-0 win despite not hitting a homer. In his return to the starting lineup, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh went 0-for-4 with two Ks, adding to his early-season woes.

Baby, You’re a Rich Man

Just a day after the Brewers signed prospect Cooper Pratt to a multi-year deal, the Mariners joined in on the fun by also inking their hotshot shortstop to a long-term commitment. In Seattle’s case, Colt Emerson signed the biggest deal ever for a player with no MLB experience, with $95 million guaranteed and a $130 maximum value. Emerson had a solid Spring Training and has quickly risen among the team’s prospects since being drafted in 2023. This extension almost guarantees that he will be called up soon, as he now joins the core of Mariners hitters signed through the next decade, which includes Josh Naylor, Cal Raleigh, and Julio Rodríguez.

 

By The Numbers

 

222 After allowing only one run over six innings against the Rockies, Toronto veteran Max Scherzer earned career win #222. He has now pitched in 19 straight seasons.

4 Munetaka Murakami became the fourth Japanese-born player to get a hit in his first five MLB games, joining Hideki Matsui (2003), Akinori Iwamura (2007), and Seiya Suzuki (2022).

3 The Yankees pitched another shutout, leaving their total runs in 2026 at only three. This matches the 1943 Cardinals for the lowest through five games to start a season.

8 The Houston Astros scored at least eight runs for the fourth straight game, a stretch in which they have gone 4-0 with 37 runs plated against only 19 allowed.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Pre-Game Jitters

On a day where we saw the debut of a prized pitching prospect like Andrew Painter, we also had the season debut of future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, who was caught on camera with his trademark competitive demeanor in full display. Over half an hour before the game was set to start, Mad Max was already in game mode, proceeding with only 83 pitches over six innings to earn the win. Never change, Max.

You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Glove

In an act of pure self-defense, Seattle pitcher Cole Wilcox faced a 107 mph line drive off the bat of Aaron Judge and was able to put his glove to it. However, it was not enough to stop it, as the ball ricocheted all the way to second base, where it was caught at a significantly reduced speed. Your classic 1-4 lineout.

From Whence You Came

The Giants finally delivered a convincing win, collecting 16 hits in a 9-3 rout of San Diego. They still managed to run into some bad luck, though, as evidenced by this Patrick Bailey 96 mph line drive that went straight into pitcher Germán Márquez’s glove. So this is why we use BABIP.

Winner, Winner…Ice Cream Dinner?

The start of a new season always brings out plenty of new promotions and menu item announcements from teams across the league. While the competition to create a buzz-worthy treat is as fierce as ever, the Yankees may have won the battle in 2026. With their home opener set for Friday, Yankee Stadium will now serve a bucket of seemingly two fried drumsticks…only they are actually ice cream. This creative dessert is bound to be a best-seller, and it will be hard to top.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ Yankees lefty Carlos Rodón suffered a setback in his rehab from elbow surgery, but it was not arm-related, fortunately. Rodon had a bout of right hamstring tightness, which could delay his return, though it is important to note he was still able to throw. New York will keep a close eye on the situation, as the southpaw is expected to be an important piece of their rotation. 

⚾ Following Monday’s mid-game injury, Toronto’s Cody Ponce has been placed on the 15-day IL, as the team confirmed he suffered an ACL sprain. Ponce, who was acquired this offseason following a successful run at the KBO, is now expected to miss several months. This injury puts a dent into the Blue Jays’ pitching plans, putting an early test on their depth. 

⚾ Baltimore’s Zach Eflin was removed from last night’s game against the Rangers and then promptly placed on the 15-day IL due to right elbow discomfort. While the extent of the injury is unknown, it is significant enough to warrant an IL stint. A more thorough diagnosis should be revealed today. 

 

Articles You Should Read

 

The 50 Most Bizarre Team Promotions of 2026 — Kiri Oler, Fangraphs

Dodgers Go Crazy for Yoshi and Yoshi Yamamoto — Sonja Chen, 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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