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Today’s Headlines
Hit Column? Almost en Blanco
Following his unlikely no-hitter last week against Toronto, Houston’s emergency starter Ronel Blanco appeared poised to channel his inner Johnny Vander Meer and pitch another no-no. While he was not as dominating, Blanco still held the Texas Rangers hitless for 5.2 innings before an Adolis García single ruined the magic. Blanco’s 44 outs before allowing a hit became the longest-ever streak to begin a season for a starting pitcher. Yordan Alvarez provided all the offense Houston needed, with a three-run blast that was enough to secure a 3-1 win. This was only Houston’s third win of the season, with Blanco being a key part of two of them.
Ronel Blanco gave it another run!
His bid for a second straight no-hitter ends after 5 2/3 innings on #SundayNightBaseball. pic.twitter.com/KT7TWi7ygP
— MLB (@MLB) April 8, 2024
Cubs Overpower Dodgers
The Cubs secured a series win over the powerhouse Dodgers, riding an early offensive onslaught and another strong start from Shota Imanaga. A lengthy rain delay prevented the Japanese phenom from getting his second win of the season, but he still sports a sparkly 0.00 ERA after blanking the Dodgers over 4 innings, allowing only two hits and striking out three, including one against Shohei Ohtani. By the time the game was halted, Chicago already led 7-0, while Cody Bellinger added a homer after the resumption to cap a rainy day in the Windy City. With two big wins over this series, the Cubs showed they may have what it takes to contend in the National League.
The @Cubs take 2 out of 3 from the NL West leaders! pic.twitter.com/MAEj55N8hS
— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2024
Tenth Time’s the Charm for Marlins
Following MLB’s first 0-9 start since 2016, the Marlins finally broke through with a win, defeating the Cardinals by a score of 10-3. With Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Nick Gordon hitting three-run homers in the first inning off Kyle Gibson, Miami breathed an early sigh of relief and cruised to the long-awaited win, also helped by Max Meyer’s strong outing, as the righty allowed a lone run over six innings. A 46-minute rain delay in the ninth inning added a bit of drama, but reports off the field could prove to be really dramatic for this season in South Florida. It appears that the new front office decided to void the team’s option on manager Skip Schumaker last winter, making this a true lame-duck season for the skipper who orchestrated a playoff appearance just last season. As it usually happens, the bizarre is just business as usual for the Marlins.
Luis Arraez went 4-for-5 with 3 runs scored to lead the @Marlins to victory! pic.twitter.com/xlx26DzzfE
— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2024
Best Moments From Yesterday
A Stantonian Blast
Giancarlo Stanton’s recent seasons have been far from memorable, instead becoming something of an albatross contract for the Yankees. And yet, there is no doubt that when he connects, balls tend to travel very far, very fast. Exhibit A: today’s grand slam, traveling 417 feet at over 110 miles per hour. Coming with two outs, Stanton’s third homer of 2024 turned a tie game into a blowout, as New York cruised to an 8-3 win.
You're gonna want to turn on your volume to hear this Stanton SLAM… 🔊 pic.twitter.com/Fo0oA0pRzk
— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2024
Raise the Jolly Roger
Just like it happened last season, the Pirates are off to a fast start and trying to turn us into believers. With a chance to take a series against the Orioles, they had the bases loaded and no outs in the ninth, trailing by a run. After a disappointing forceout at home plate, Edward Olivares hit a ground ball up the middle that looked like a potential game-ending double play, only for Gunnar Henderson to rush his throw and turn it into a game-ending error and a Pittsburgh walk-off. The Pirates are now an MLB-best 8-2.
HOLY SMOKES 🤩 pic.twitter.com/KyXjOg2muU
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 7, 2024
Giants Win it Late
In what was a rough day for the usually sure-handed Ha-Seong Kim, the Giants took a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Padres, with all runs being unearned following two critical Kim errors. Matt Chapman’s clutch hit with two outs in the eighth drove in the winning run, giving San Francisco its first series win of the season.
Matt Chapman drove in a pair to lead the @SFGiants to a come-from-behind win! pic.twitter.com/uqaUBpZkra
— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2024
Pepiot Dominates at Altitude
As the biggest return piece in the Tyler Glasnow trade, the Rays have certain expectations of Ryan Pepiot. Today, he flashed some of that potential with a career-best 11 strikeouts, dominating the Rockies over six scoreless innings. While the Rays bullpen made it interesting in the end, Tampa held on to a 3-2 victory for their first series win of the season, along with Pepiot’s first win as a Ray.
Ryan Pepiot struck out a career-high 11 for @RaysBaseball. pic.twitter.com/UknRVhJuHw
— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2024
An Out is an Out
With max-effort pitching and constant injuries in the spotlight, infielder Josh Rojas showed us a possible path towards a more sustainable game. Getting his fourth career pitching appearance, the infielder took the mound on the wrong end of a blowout. His final out was recorded on a 40 mph floater, as a befuddled Gary Sánchez was barely able to pop it up. While position players pitching is not as special as it used to be, there is still the hope of scenes like this one.
40
(•_•)
<) )╯MILES
/
(•_•)
( (> PER
/
(•_•)
<) )> HOUR
/ pic.twitter.com/vqfI4gWvv0— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2024
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ 2023 All-Star Geraldo Perdomo will be sidelined for at least a month, as the Diamondbacks confirmed he has a torn meniscus that will require surgery. Rookie Blaze Alexander should become the short-term replacement, though the team could also look for a stopgap veteran.
⚾ The Brewers have placed pitcher Jakob Junis on the 15-day IL due to a shoulder impingement. An initial MRI showed no structural damage, suggesting a quick recovery for the right-hander, who will be replaced by Aaron Ashby on Milwaukee’s staff.
⚾ Following his late signing as a free agent, Mets DH JD Martinez will have to keep waiting for his debut, as the team reported a setback in his progress. Citing general soreness, Martinez, who missed traditional Spring Training, has no clear timetable for his MLB return, as he should keep getting at-bats in Port St. Lucie.
⚾ Making his first rehab start in the Minor Leagues, Justin Verlander had a rough outing for the Sugarland Space Cowboys, allowing seven runs over three innings
Articles You Should Read
Occam’s Razor and Jackson Holliday’s Demotion — Ben Clemens, FanGraphs
Top 10 Power-Hitting Prospects in the Minors — Brendan Samson, MLB.com
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