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Here’s my go at a short poem, or rhyme, or whatever you want to call it to get us started:
It’s the first day of May, and there’s so much to say, but I’ll keep it simple on this Thursday by only mentioning that the stars came out to play.
That’s about as far as I’m willing to go before embarrassing myself further. But the message was hopefully clear because many big names did big things around the majors on Thursday. So, let’s get to it.
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Today’s Headlines
Glad To Have Vlad
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There’s a reason why the Toronto Blue Jays extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr. last month to a 14-year deal worth $500 million. After the Jays stormed back from a 6-0 deficit on Wednesday to eventually win 7-6 in the 10th courtesy of an Alejandro Kirk walk-off single, Toronto rallied once again on Thursday, but this time it was their star first baseman who played hero.
Trailing 2-1 in the eighth of their rubber game with the Red Sox, shortstop Bo Bichette smoked a double to right over the head of Boston’s right fielder, Wilyer Abreu.
The two-bagger put runners on second and third to set the stage for the next batter, Guerrero. With a full count and the series on the line, Vladdy delivered a three-run homer to left center off reliever Justin Slaten’s seventh pitch of the at-bat.
In the ninth, Yimi García entered from the pen and set Boston down in order. The Jays won 4-2, and with the series win, they improved to 15-16 on the year.
Not So Stellar Skenes Struggles Against Cubs
This is the problem when a franchise is overly reliant on one star player, especially if that star is a pitcher. That is the case with the Pittsburgh Pirates and their 22-year-old phenom Paul Skenes. If Skenes has an off day as he did against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon at PNC Park, then the rest of the week looks bleak at best, given their lack of talent elsewhere in the rotation. It’s never a good sign when a team needs an SP to be great every fifth day.
Pittsburgh spotted Skenes an early 2-0 lead, but after a fifth inning that saw Dansby Swanson lead off with a solo homer to center, the damage was only partially done. Later in the frame, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki hit back-to-back jacks to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
Suzuki added an insurance two-run homer in the seventh. For the day, he went 2-for-4 with a pair of long balls and three RBIs.
Chicago added three more runs in the ninth to secure the rubber game of the series 8-3. SP Colin Rea allowed two runs over six innings for his second straight win. Meanwhile, Skenes’s record dropped to 3-3 with the loss.
In short, Skenes didn’t have his best stuff. The right-hander surrendered three runs and five hits over five frames and had only two strikeouts while walking four batters. Pittsburgh dropped to 12-20 with the loss.
Soto’s Two Homers Not Enough For Mets
It was announced before Thursday’s rubber game between the Diamondbacks and Mets that Arizona’s closer Justin Martinez, landed on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation. Martinez split closing duties with lefty A.J. Puk, who had been on the 15-day IL since April 19 with left elbow inflammation. Puk was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Thursday. The point is that both pitchers will be out for a while, and Arizona is once again in search of a ninth-inning man for the foreseeable future.
Fortunately for the D-backs, they have a starting pitcher named Zac Gallen, who seems to love pitching in the state of New York. Gallen hasn’t been good in ’25 (1-4 with a 5.57 ERA coming into Thursday). However, after a 13-strikeout gem on the road against the Yankees almost a month ago to the day on April 2, the former 17-game winner held the Mets to one run over six innings for the quality start. The lone run came off a solo homer by Juan Soto in the sixth inning to cut his team’s deficit in half.
Soto would go yard again in the eighth and was responsible for New York’s only runs of the contest.
Gallen struck out eight and earned his second win of the year. Between his two road starts against both New York teams, Gallen only allowed one run across 12.2 frames. What is it about the northeast that he likes so much? Here are a few clips of his dominant day on the bump.
Back to Arizona’s closer dilemma. Entering the ninth with a two-run lead, the Snakes called on Shelby Miller to close the door. Miller hadn’t allowed a run over 12 appearances this season, and it would remain that way after the right-hander tossed a perfect ninth for his first save of 2025.
The D-backs head to Philadelphia for a three-game series beginning on Friday. The Mets travel to St. Louis this weekend before meeting up with the Diamondbacks again on Monday in Arizona.
A Good Ol’ Fashion Pitcher’s Duel In Texas
Offensive clips aren’t exactly the highlights necessary to show what made this series finale interesting between the Athletics and the Texas Rangers. The home team Rangers managed only three hits for the contest, and the A’s won 3-0, scoring all of their runs via two singles and a sac-fly. Other than the Rangers’ 15-2 blowout victory on Tuesday, the A’s outscored Texas 12-2 in their three wins.
The series finale was a pitcher’s duel between A’s southpaw Jeffrey Springs and Rangers right-hander Tyler Mahle. Springs tossed 68 pitches to get through six innings unscathed. Oddly, he was removed after six frames despite the low pitch count. It’s worth noting that two starts ago, he was replaced after 68 pitches against the Brewers due to hamstring tightness. Springs allowed two knocks and needed only one strikeout to claim his third win of the year.
As for Mahle, he was pretty good as well. Other than allowing an RBI single to Miguel Andujar in the first frame, Mahle was great over six innings of one-run ball. Despite suffering his first loss of the campaign, Mahle’s 1.19 ERA is tied with New York’s Max Fried for the best mark in the American League.
In the end, A’s closer Mason Miller shut the door with a perfect ninth to claim his 10th save of ’25.
Texas fell to 16-16 and is three games behind the 18-12 Mariners in the AL West. The Rangers host Seattle for a three-game series this weekend.
Best Moments From Yesterday
A Momentum Stopping Robbery by Robert Jr.
It came in the first inning of the White Sox and Brewers series finale. With two outs and the bases loaded, Milwaukee looked to take a 4-0 lead on Sox SP Sean Burke. Instead, a grand slam robbery in center by Luis Robert Jr. ended any momentum the Brew Crew thought they would build on this day. The Sox won 8-0 to avoid the sweep at home.
Robert Jr. also had a nice afternoon at the dish. He drove in four runs on two hits for the winning club, including this bases-clearing double in the seventh.
Witt Jr. Extends Hitting Streak to 22 Games
Let’s not kid ourselves by not admitting that if it weren’t for Aaron Judge, then Bobby Witt Jr. would have one MVP in his bag and would be going for consecutive awards this season. Given Judge’s otherworldly start to ’25 and the fact that the Yankees are playing well, likely means that it’s going to take a huge final five months of the campaign for the Royals shortstop to claim his first MVP. However, if he continues to add onto his now 22-game hitting streak, which he got to on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays, then I wouldn’t put it past him to make a run at Judge.
Witt went 1-for-3 with a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth to give KC a 3-1 advantage.
The homer to right was Witt’s third of the season. At day’s end, last year’s runner-up for the AL MVP has a .322/.400/.496 slash line with nine stolen bases and 20 runs scored. KC won 8-2 and completed the three-game sweep of the Rays.
Tampa was coming off an impressive 5-1 road trip against Arizona and San Diego. A road trip that saw the Rays hold the Padres to three runs combined over three contests. Guess how many runs the Royals held Tampa to in this three-game series? If you said anything but three, then you’d be incorrect.
José Becomes 24th Player to Reach 250 Homers and Stolen Bases
Let’s stick with ‘The Best Moments in the AL Central’ theme.
It’s arguable that the most underappreciated MLB star over the last eight years, and certainly one of the least talked about, is Cleveland’s José Ramírez. His 10th-inning do-it-all performance against the Twins on Thursday showed why he is one of the game’s consistently great players. The Guardians and Twins went to extras tied at two. In the 10th, Minnesota jumped ahead 3-2 on a Jonah Bride sac-fly. In the bottom half, with one out and leadoff hitter Steven Kwan at third, Ramirez lined a game-tying single to right.
Then, with one out, the Guardians’ DH on this day made history by stealing his 250th career base on a pitchout by Minnesota’s Justin Topa. Ramirez’s steal of second made him the 24th player in MLB history to steal 250 bags and hit 250 home runs. He became the first player in franchise history to reach that milestone and the seventh hitter to accomplish the feat while playing with the same team. Here’s his 250th stolen base.
Ramirez wasn’t done. For the milestone to truly mean something on the day it happened, Cleveland would need a walk-off victory to put the cherry on top of what was a historical afternoon for the 13-year vet. With one out and runners on first and second, pinch-hitter Angel Martínez singled home Ramirez for the winning run.
The 4-3 win gave Cleveland its third straight victory and three out of four in the series. A great day for Guardians fans.
First primary third baseman in Major League history. ✅
The road to Cooperstown continues for Hosey.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/GXIVhntykn
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 1, 2025
José has graciously donated his jersey from today’s game to the archives. 🐐#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/XVlThTOxbP
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 1, 2025
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ The Rangers demoted first baseman Jake Burger to Triple-A and called up Blaine Crim from the minors. Burger has gotten off to a slow start in his first year with Texas and is hitting .186 and slugging .330. Texas also placed backup catcher Kyle Higashioka on the 10-day IL with a mild left intercostal strain.
⚾ Reds reliever Alexis Díaz, who last year led the team with 28 saves while posting a 3.99 ERA, was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday after surrendering five runs on four hits in one inning on Wednesday versus the Cardinals. In six innings this season, Diaz has allowed four homers and eight earned runs.
⚾ The Giants placed second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald on the 10-day IL with a left rib fracture. Fitzgerald is batting .284 with a pair of homers and seven ribbies this year.
⚾ Relief pitcher Andrew Chafin signed a one-year deal with the Nationals on Thursday to help bolster an MLB-worst 7.12 bullpen ERA. The left-hander has played 11 years in the majors, and last season, between stints with the Tigers and Rangers, he posted a 3.51 ERA over 56.1 frames.
⚾ Angels outfielder Mike Trout sat out Thursday’s game against the Tigers. Trout was removed from Wednesday’s contest versus the Mariners after jamming his surgically repaired knee while running to first base. There’s no update from the team as far as test results are concerned, but Trout’s hope is that it’s nothing more than scar tissue buildup. More information should become available this weekend.
⚾ The Dodgers moved relief pitchers Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech to the 60-day IL to make room for new acquisitions J.P. Feyereisen and Ryan Loutos. Feyereisen was signed off waivers from the Diamondbacks, while Loutos was acquired from the Cardinals for cash considerations.
Articles You Should Read
By the numbers: Did the Rockies just have the worst month in baseball history?— Eno Sarris, The Athletic
7 burning questions as May gets underway — Will Leitch, MLB.com
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