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Reading about Aaron Judge’s Triple Crown possibilities (linked below) made me thankful for an old-school baseball holdover that has yet to fade. No, it’s not batting average or RBIs. It’s the distinction between the American and National Leagues for awards. The two circuits are functionally the same. The universal DH in 2022 and balanced schedules in 2023 made Major League Baseball a homogeneous organization. (To think that it was once a big deal for the Milwaukee Brewers (1998) and Houston Astros (2013) to switch leagues!) When/if MLB expands to 32 teams, we’ll see more significant realignment to maintain division balance based on geographic factors. I accept that the setup will resemble the NFL for scheduling purposes, but I hope the league always maintains separate honors as a thread connecting the sport’s future with its past.
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Today’s Headlines
Pirates Support Skenes in Win
The Pittsburgh Pirates celebrated Paul Skenes Day and the day before their No.1 pick/Rookie of the Year/Cy Young contender’s birthday with a 10-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The bottom of the order did most of the damage. The Pirates’ six through nine hitters went 8-for-16 and scored seven runs. The one through five spots in the lineup went 3-for-22 with two walks, but one of those hits was an Oneil Cruz three-run homer. Skenes threw 67 strikes out of 96 pitches, striking out seven over 6.2 IP. After the game, manager Don Kelly said what everyone in baseball already knows is true and wishes would happen: “He’s definitely a guy you want to build around.” He turns 23 today, so the Pirates have time to figure out how to improve their roster while Skenes is in his prime.
Tigers Comeback Covers Jobe
Jackson Jobe gave up three runs, left the game an out shy of win eligibility, and didn’t meet with the media after the Detroit Tigers came back for a 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. A four-run fifth inning and 4.1 shutout innings from the bullpen, including a two-inning save for Tommy Kahnle, let Detroit add to its league-leading win total. Manager A.J. Hinch talked about Jobe enduring long at-bats but didn’t discuss a specific injury despite the young pitcher’s postgame absence.
Soto Goes 0-for-Sox
Juan Soto had the lowest batting average in the New York Mets lineup after Wednesday’s 9-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Going 0-for-4 in the game and 0-for-10 in the series didn’t help his current OBP of .355, which is .062 below his career mark. Yet for all the talk of Soto’s struggles and questions of hustle, the Mets still have the second-highest win total in the NL (34). Andrew Benintendi had the kind of day the Mets are hoping to see from their star outfielder: 3-for-5 with a triple, a home run, two runs scored, and four RBIs.
Guardians’ Rally Beats Dodgers
Nolan Jones guided a ball to the left side of the infield to bring in two runs, and Angel Martínez drove one deep to left field for three more in a five-run eighth inning that flipped the result in the Cleveland Guardians‘ favor. Clayton Kershaw had gone five innings and allowed a run, and the trio of .300 hitters in the middle of the Los Angeles Dodgers order (Teoscar Hernández, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith) served as the driving force behind a two-run lead going into the eighth. Marquee free agent bullpen acquisition Tanner Scott gave up four of the five earned runs and took the loss and a blown save, and the Guardians won 7-4.
McCullers in, Blanco Out
The Houston Astros got bad news and good news on Wednesday. Ronel Blanco will miss the rest of the season because of Tommy John surgery. He’s the fourth pitcher sidelined by the procedure this season. The good news is that Lance McCullers Jr.’s comeback from right flexor tendon surgery took a leap forward on Wednesday. McCullers struck out 12 batters in six innings, giving up five hits and walking one, and the Astros beat the free-falling Athletics 5-3. 12 Ks matches McCullers’s career high.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Brewers Walk It Off Again
The Brewers made it two walk-offs in two days. Caleb Durbin followed Christian Yelich’s lead from Tuesday by earning his first career walk-off. It took Yelich 1,519 games. Durbin needed 37.
That’s Bo’s Music!
Bo Bichette was out of the starting lineup on Wednesday with lower back tightness, but he broke a 0-0 tie with a ninth-inning pinch-hit two-run home run. The homer was his first career pinch hit and the difference in a 2-0 Toronto Blue Jays victory over the Texas Rangers.
Just a Bit Outside
“Clips the outside corner” is generous. The Los Angeles Angels lost a 1-0 ballgame to the New York Yankees, which is obviously due to more than this pitch, but still. This isn’t a “best” moment, but it’s worth noting at the end of a tight game.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Steven Kwan left the Guardians’ win over the Dodgers in the fourth inning with right wrist inflammation. The team plans to have him back in the lineup on Friday.
⚾ The Diamondbacks signed infielder Nicky Lopez to a minor league deal.
⚾ The Pirates reinstated catcher/infielder Endy Rodríguez from the 10-day IL and placed catcher Joey Bart on the seven-day concussion list.
⚾ The Texas Rangers reinstated shortstop Corey Seager from the 10-day IL and optioned infielder Blaine Crim to Triple-A.
⚾ Giants manager Bob Melvin named right-hander Camilo Doval closer and said right-hander Ryan Walker would move to the setup role. Walker has 10 saves this season, matching his total from 2024, but sports a 4.95 ERA compared to last year’s 1.91.
⚾ The Tampa Bay Rays signed right-hander Kyle Gibson. Gibson was 0-3 with a 16.78 ERA in four starts with the Baltimore Orioles.
⚾ The Angels designated infielder Tim Anderson for assignment, along with catcher Chuckie Robinson. They reinstated right-hander Robert Stephenson from the IL and called up infielder Scott Kingery from Triple-A.
Articles You Should Read
Is the Third Time the Charm for Aaron Judge’s Triple Crown Hopes? — Dave Szymborski, FanGraphs
Mariners’ Cal Raleigh is having an MVP season for the history books — even if he won’t beat Aaron Judge — Dayn Perry, CBS Sports
These April surprises have held up in May — Thomas Harrigan, MLB.com
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