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If close baseball games are your thing, you would have been better off skipping Monday altogether. The closest margin of victory in today’s contests was two runs, while the average win came by six runs – a true rarity for a Monday that included a busy 10-game slate. In true irony from the baseball gods, the closest game occurred in what looked like the biggest mismatch, as the Rockies played the Dodgers tough before finally succumbing by a 5-3 score. This means that the NL West will start today’s action with three teams having posted at least 12 wins, while the rest of the league has zero such teams.
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Today’s Headlines
They Might be Giants
After a hard-fought series win in the Bronx, the surprising Giants arrived with renewed confidence at Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies look poised to provide an even harder test. After starter Landen Roupp labored through a 35-pitch first inning in which he allowed three runs and stranded the bases loaded, the balloon appeared close to popping for San Francisco. Instead, a monster frame turned things around for a team that is finding many ways to win ballgames. A key throwing error from pitcher Taijuan Walker opened the door for the Giants, as they plated six runs in the second inning behind the first homers of the season for both Tyler Fitzgerald and Willy Adames. Roupp would settle down after his tough start and made it to the fifth with only one additional run allowed, having thrown a career-high 101 pitches that yielded 20 swings-and-misses and eight strikeouts to ultimately earn the win. The Giants would add four late runs en route to a 10-4 victory, giving them a shocking 12-4 start to the season.
Tyler Fitzgerald, Willy Adames and Mike Yastrzemski all go deep in a @SFGiants W.
Captain Twice Over
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is still almost a year away, but today started with important news that should get everyone excited for the event. After skipping the 2023 edition, where Mike Trout was captain of a Team USA that came painfully close to the championship, Aaron Judge has signed to play and serve as team captain. While the last edition of the tournament was a rousing success, having a marquee player at the level of Judge will certainly raise expectations and ticket sales while serving as an excellent ambassador at the international level. Judge then added to the good news by being part of the Yankees’ 4-1 win over Kansas City, where four of his teammates added solo homers to account for all the scoring.
CAPTAIN AMERICA 🇺🇲Aaron Judge will lead Team USA in the 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic.
Epic Tarik
Following his relatively slow start to the season, reigning AL Cy Young Tarik Skubal appears to have found his groove, posting a second straight superlative start. This time, the southpaw dominated the Brewers during seven shutout innings in which he allowed only four hits, no walks, and struck out nine, leading the Tigers to an easy 9-1 win. Skubal now has evened his win-loss record at 2-2, with a more Skubal-like 2.66 ERA. The Tigers’ offense provided plenty of run support, with Gleyber Torres continuing his hot start (1.032 OPS) and Kerry Carpenter adding his fifth homer of the season. With their eighth win over the past 10 games, the Tigers appear ready to become the clear front-runners in a weak AL Central.
Tarik was terrific 😮
Rays of Power
The Tampa Bay Rays started the season with a limited offense that averaged only four runs per game during their first 15 contests. Today, the positive regression hit hard and all at the same time, with the Rays literally quadrupling that average on their way to a cool franchise milestone. Every starter posted at least one run and one RBI in their dismantling of the ailing Boston Red Sox. Tampa jumped to an early 5-0 lead and then the wheels came off for starter Tanner Houck, as the Rays sent 14 men to the plate and scored nine times in the bottom of the third without the benefit of a homer. However, the power was still in full display, as Kameron Misner went yard twice, while Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero joined in with a homer apiece. Lost among the hitting clinic, Tampa’s starter Shane Baz was also masterful, limiting Boston to two hits and one run over six innings, while striking out 11. This was the second win of the season for Baz, who now sports a sparkly 1.42 ERA.
For the second time in franchise history each player in @RaysBaseball's starting lineup recorded a run and an RBI 👀
Best Moments From Yesterday
#1 to #1
Some baseball facts sound fake upon first inspection, like learning that today’s Paul Skenes–Henry Davis battery was the first in history featuring No. 1 draft picks. However, knowing that only a handful of catchers have ever been the top overall selection (Adley Rutschman and Joe Mauer among them), it all starts to make sense. The historic happenstance paid immediate dividends for the Pirates, as Skenes was mostly dominant and earned his second win of the season, limiting the Nationals to one earned run over six innings. The excitement for Pittsburgh’s ace has gotten to a point where even former major leaguers are using their lifetime pass to catch him in person.
Paul Skenes 🤝 Henry DavisThe @Pirates battery tonight is historic!
It’s a Boy!
Gender reveals have become so commonplace that finding a creative one is increasingly difficult. In the case of Bryce Harper, he found a way of being both understated and endearing. With the help of Trea Turner, the former MVP came up for his first at-bat using a special blue bat, announcing to the world (and his wife) that they are expecting a baby boy. Congratulations to the Harpers and their growing family!
They're having a boy! 👶Bryce Harper gets the gender reveal for his fourth child thanks to a custom blue bat handed to him by Trea Turner 🥹
Flippity Flip
Through six innings, Padres-Cubs promised to be the day’s marquee matchup, a truly even battle between two of the league’s best teams. Alas, Chicago’s bullpen imploded and allowed the Friars to explode for seven runs in the late innings, turning a close affair into a laugher. Amid all the chaos, hitting savant Luis Arraez added a special moment. Not known for his power, Arraez hit a long fly ball that barely cleared the wall, but he reacted as if he had hit a 500-foot blast that left the stadium altogether, carrying his bat through the first base line and then flipping it in dramatic fashion. It was the second dinger of the season for Arraez and only the 30th of his career.
Luis Arraez carried his bat all the way down the first base line and then hit an epic bat flip 😳
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw is set to start a rehab assignment as early as this Wednesday, aiming to ramp up gradually for 30 days before returning to the big league club. The lefty is eligible to return on May 17, providing a clear timeline for a team that should have plenty of available pitchers to round out its rotation.
⚾ In what has become a yearly tradition for the Rockies, the team has placed Kris Bryant on the 10-day IL, this time with a lumbar degenerative disc disease. The extent of the injury is unknown so far, but could potentially sideline the former MVP for a significant amount of time. He had been off to a dismal start in 2025, with a pitcher-esque .400 OPS.
⚾ Following a foul ball that hit him square in the leg during Saturday’s contest, Mets’ outfielder Jose Siri has been placed on the 10-day IL with a fractured left tibia. This type of injury should keep Siri on the mend for several weeks, while fellow outfielder Tyrone Taylor is expected to become the team’s primary starter in center field.
Articles You Should Read
Luis Arraez Struck Out — Leo Morgenstern, Fangraphs
Each Team’s Best Promotional Giveaway in 2025 — MLB.com
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
