Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.
The Athletics left Sutter Health Park for Denver after a short and unsuccessful debut in their temporary home. After giving up 35 runs in three losses to the Chicago Cubs, the snowy Friday game against the Colorado Rockies may have seemed like a vacation. Home and road splits for the Team Formally Known as Oakland will be interesting to track this year. They started 2-2 with a +6 run differential in Seattle. They nicked the win 6-3 in extras yesterday, so they’re currently above .500 and +9 on the road. It’s a shame that the city of Sacramento can’t be represented on those away jerseys when the team travels the country visiting non-temporary Major League cities. At least they’re not the Las Vegas Athletics of West Sacramento.
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Today’s Headlines
Phillies halt Dodgers comeback
When Tommy Edman hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth, the Los Angeles Dodgers looked ready to make it seven comeback wins in nine games and remain undefeated. Philadelphia Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo’s strong home debut (7.0 IP, 8 K) was in jeopardy of being wasted. The juggernaut went after their next win aggressively, and the Phillies answered the challenge with a challenge. With two outs and two strikes on Max Muncy, pinch runner Chris Taylor took off. The safe call looked iffy at best. Rob Thomson’s earmuffs gesture sent the call to New York for review. Philly fans liked what they saw on the video board, and replay officials agreed. Now the Phillies are even with the Dodgers in the loss column.
Strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play to end it for the @Phillies! pic.twitter.com/N3yzYgBtB8
— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2025
J-Ram Jacks Three Home Runs
We interrupt your coverage of undefeated teams losing and winless teams winning to bring you the supercut of José Ramírez’s second career three-homer game. The Cleveland Guardians and the Los Angeles Angels played the lone late West Coast game, so you might have missed the Guards’ third baseman drilling balls to right field in an 8-6 win. Enjoy.
Atlanta scores 10 and finally wins
Atlanta ended their terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week with a win in their home opener. They looked much more like the team that projections liked before the season started. Spencer Schwellenbach struck out 10 Miami Marlins in eight innings (99 pitches). Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson went back-to-back for their first home runs of the season. Michael Harris II had a three-hit day, and eight of nine starters got at least one hit. Aaron Bummer finished the shutout in the ninth. I put a reminder in my phone to check their record on May 23: that’s the date when the 2019 World Series champion Washington Nationals were famously 19-31. Can Atlanta do better than 18-24 between now and then?
Cubs Give Padres First Loss
Our third record-based first of the day involves the other undefeated SoCal team finally falling. The Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 at Wrigley Field behind 7.1 innings from Shota Imanaga. The Padres outhit the Cubs 11-6, but the Cubs’ seven walks nearly evened out the number of baserunners. It took a week, but every team has a win and a loss.
Marte Leaves Win with Hamstring Injury
Ketel Marte signed a six-year, $116.5 million contract this week. Yesterday, he pulled up abruptly before stopping at second base instead of churning for third. The All-Star second baseman previously dealt with hamstring injuries in 2019, 2021, and 2022. The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Nationals 6-4, but, as manager Torey Lovullo said, “the timing of it isn’t ideal.” That is true any time your MVP candidate goes down.
#Dbacks Ketel Marte hurt his hamstring running out a double in the first inning. https://t.co/NsQPpA1RAL pic.twitter.com/GKjttkLCSI
— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) April 5, 2025
Best Moments From Yesterday
Willy with the Walk-off
Willy Adames knocked in the tying run, and Tyler Fitzgerald decided to come around third on a single to shallow right field and make Adames a game-winner in his first home game for the San Francisco Giants.
Willy Adames walks it off in his first game at Oracle Park with the @SFGiants! pic.twitter.com/g0qo50qp8W
— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2025
Polar Bear Appreciation Day
More of this in professional sports, please. Sign your homegrown players that people love. Let them perform at home and get their flowers. Sure, it’s a business. But that’s not why we show up to the ballpark. This is.
Mets fans are showing all the love to Pete Alonso after his 1st inning homer 🫶 https://t.co/qiYdXpaNrg pic.twitter.com/x6VvTyDuFz
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2025
We are Wally
The Boston Red Sox are going full-on Green Monster mode. First, the leaked City Connects. Now, this home run celebration.
You have to see the @RedSox new home run celebration 😭 pic.twitter.com/j6f3uQFjYe
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2025
50th Reunion of the 1975 Red Sox
The 1975 version of the still-cursed Red Sox didn’t win the World Series, but this squad became legends anyway, and Boston hosted 20 members of the pennant winners before yesterday’s game.
The 1975 AL Pennant winning Red Sox honored before today’s game. The captain of that squad, the great Carl Yastrzemski threw out the first pitcher to Alex Cora.
Some of the other members back from that 1975 team today include Fisk, Evans, Lee, Petrocelli, Lynn, & Rice @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/UBSpyjF0VT
— Mike Uva (@MikeUvaWPRI) April 4, 2025
PCA for Effort
Pete Crow-Armstrong gets extra credit on the group project. He’s not even in the frame until he nearly crashes into the dead ivy and brick wall in Wrigley.
30% catch probability and of course Pete Crow-Armstong hauls it in 😳 pic.twitter.com/ayREVjSOQ4
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2025
And Kyle Farmer gets an honorary PCA award for his effort on this would-be, should-be inside-the-park home run.
Kyle Farmer's game-tying inside-the-park home run was called back because it got "stuck" underneath the fence
It's also snowing in Colorado pic.twitter.com/3oKuqtawUS
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 4, 2025
Betts to White House
Mookie Betts elected not to attend the White House celebration with the 2018 Red Sox, but he’s planning on going with the 2024 Dodgers on Monday, April 7. I’ll let Betts, who addressed the visit before yesterday’s game against Philadelphia, speak for himself:
“Nobody else in this clubhouse has to go through a decision like this except me. That’s what makes it tough. But it is what it is. I’m not trying to make this political by any means at all. All it is is just me being with my team to celebrate something. It’s a privilege to get an invitation like this. I just want to be there with them.”
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ The New York Yankees activated right-handed pitcher Devin Williams from the paternity list and designated right-handed pitcher Adam Ottavino for assignment.
⚾ The St. Louis Cardinals placed infielder Nolan Gorman on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain.
⚾ The Washington Nationals placed right-handed pitcher Michael Soroka on the 15-day IL with a right biceps strain.
⚾ Outfielder Cody Bellinger sat out Friday’s game with a stiff back.
⚾ The Texas Rangers placed right-handed pitcher Jack Leiter on the 15-day IL with a blister and recalled left-handed pitcher Patrick Corbin from Triple-A.
⚾ Jesse Chavez signed a lifetime minor league contract with Atlanta days after being designated for assignment.
Articles You Should Read
Why Is It Always the Year of the (Insert Pitch Here) — Davy Andrews, FanGraphs
MLB’s Umpire School Is Adapting to a New Era of Increased Scrutiny — Emma Baccellieri, Sports Illustrated (from March 27, but I found it today and thought it was worth a link)
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
Completely off topic… but this is driving me crazy. Do you think Luis Garcia jr. and his people are happy with him sitting against every leftie? He’s a young player coming into his own.. potentially a star. He’s never been terrible against lefties and it seems to me that the Nats would want to give him the opportunity to grow into the player he could be. Instead.. Amed Rosario?? They’re potentially stunting a player’s potential so they can play Amed Rosario? In a year in which they’re going nowhere? It seems almost criminal. Does Martinez or Rizzo hate him for some reason or are they just utterly incompetent?
Is there something I’m missing?