Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.
Today’s Headlines
Byron Buxton has a 2-homer day, including a walk-off blast
Baseball fans held their breath when Buxton injured his knee on a slide into second base last week, but the Twin appears healthy and put up an impressive day at the plate on Sunday. To tie the game in the seventh inning, the slugger drove a pitch the opposite way for a two-run home run. Then in the bottom of the 10th, he took a pitch from Liam Hendricks into the upper deck 469 ft. away. It was the longest walk-off home run in the Statcast era, per Sarah Langs.
UnBUCKingbelievable!
😱😱😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/ZYaj8teZTl
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 24, 2022
Astros’ rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña hits first career walk-off home run
Peña has big shoes to fill as he takes over the shortstop position from Carlos Correa. On Sunday, his walk-off home run in extras helped the Astros avoid a sweep by the Toronto Blue Jays. After enjoying some early success in his rookie campaign, Peña came into his 10th inning at-bat in an 0-for-14 slump. His third home run of the season also snapped a streak of 31 consecutive saves for Blue Jays’ closer Jordan Romano.
His time is now. pic.twitter.com/ihxUUHlSnr
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 24, 2022
King Gerrit Cole is back
New York Yankees‘ ace Gerrit Cole was due for a dominant performance. Against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday afternoon, Cole held them scoreless by limited opposing hitters to four hits and one walk. He struck out nine and earned his first win of the season.
This comes after a rough start to the 2022 season for Cole. In his first three starts of the season, he allowed eight earn runs over 11.1 innings with three home runs, seven walks, and 12 strikeouts. This included a disastrous outing against the Detroit Tigers where he was only able to record five outs.
Cole Train Comin' Through.@GerritCole45 🚂 pic.twitter.com/1ilLkCpd44
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 24, 2022
Kyle Schwarber was not happy with home plate umpire Ángel Hernández
After questionable calls behind the plate from umpire Ángel Hernández, Phillies’ slugger Kyle Schwarber erupted in the ninth inning after getting rung up on a pitch that was clearly off the plate. He threw his bat and helmet down and voiced his frustrations with Hernández, earning himself a swift ejection. The strike zone seemed to be expanded for both the Phillies and the Brewers, causing frustration on both sides.
Kyle Schwarber was not happy with this called third strike. pic.twitter.com/WSjs5LyYDQ
— ESPN (@espn) April 25, 2022
Best Moments From Yesterday
Tyler Zombro, a minor league pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays‘ organization, returned to the field after a scary injury last year. Pitching in a 2021 Triple-A game, Zombro was hit in the head by a line drive and would need to undergo emergency brain surgery to save his life. Both teams and the fans in the stadium recognized the significance of his return on Sunday.
The moment @T_Zombro24 was announced as the new pitcher in Norfolk, with both teams coming out of their dugouts to applaud Z.
First class, @NorfolkTides.
Thank you.#KEEPGOING pic.twitter.com/fMx2ihPPBi
— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) April 24, 2022
Freddie Freeman celebrated his home run by high-fiving his dad. Baseball players — they’re just like us!
Freddie Freeman high fived his dad after hitting a home run 🥹
🎥 @Dodgers pic.twitter.com/Eo6WfkQaTE
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) April 24, 2022
Cristian Pache is a really good dude. A young fan tweeted a video and asked how many hits he’d need to meet the Oakland A’s player in person. Pache saw the tweet, reached out to the child’s dad, and said he’d do his best to meet him at Sunday’s game. He kept his word and earned a fan for life.
Priceless moments!
I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity and the honor to meet Jaden, a very kind and polite boy. These are the things I love baseball for. Every time I can make a child like Jaden happy, I feel a happiness that I cannot describe in words. https://t.co/09Jf0gqYUP pic.twitter.com/DR2FBo6PVc
— Cristian Pache (@cristianpache25) April 24, 2022
Last but not least: Joey Votto is a gem. His description of a batting slump sounds a lot like what we all struggle with sometimes.
The experience of being in a batting slump is that it feels like a labyrinth. One feels trapped, alone, and disoriented. When you finally get out you are relieved and can’t believe how easy it was to find the exit. Unfortunately, that exit eventually leads to another labyrinth.
— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) April 24, 2022
Injuries
Eloy Jiménez will likely be out 6-8 weeks with a hamstring strain.
Jacob deGrom is set to undergo an MRI today to re-assess his shoulder injury.
Steven Kwan left Sunday’s game with hamstring tightness.
Liam Hendriks is dealing with back tightness.
Articles You Should Read
Can Chris Paddack Find New Life as a Twin? — Sam Lutz
Shane McClanahan Thrives on Fear — Jack Foley
The Sunday Brief: Top Storylines to Follow This Week — Blair Williams
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)