Category: Baseball

There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to follow themselves.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:

This one was all over the place.

For starters, the New York Mets got out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning, highlighted by a pair of two-run home runs from shortstop Bo Bichette, but then right fielder James Wood flipped the script for the Washington Nationals in the bottom half of the inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Wood hit a fly ball to the left field wall that Mets left fielder Nick Morabito — we’ll get back to him — couldn’t handle, and the ball bounced off the wall enough for Wood to pull off an inside-the-park grand slam.

Wood’s grand slam would spark the Nationals, who scored three runs in the third to take the lead, those coming on a solo home run from designated hitter José Tena, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly from third baseman Jorbit Vivas. On the last score, the earlier mentioned Morabito, who was making his MLB debut, made an absurd, leaping catch into the left field stands to record the out.

Washington got two more runs in the fourth on an RBI ground out and infield error. New York scored a run in the top of the sixth on a solo home run from designated hitter Juan Soto, but it was to no avail, as the Nationals won, 9-6.

Wood, who leads the National League with 43 runs scored and 40 walks and boasts a career-high 165 OPS+, finished the game with three hits. While three of the runs were unearned, Mets right-hander Nolan McLean was the pitcher on the mound for each of the Nationals’ nine runs.

Holding a mere 1-0 lead on the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo, who pitched 2 ⅓ innings out of the bullpen, put two of the first three batters on base in the top of the ninth, which prompted manager Dan Wilson to go to his closer, Andrés Muñoz.

Then, Muñoz gave up a game-tying single to White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth, and designated hitter Andrew Benintendi followed with a ground ball to the right side, which Mariners infielders Josh Naylor and Cole Young each went for and missed, with the infield hit driving in the go-ahead and ultimate game-winning run; Grant Taylor struck out the side (all swinging) in the bottom of the ninth, giving Chicago a 2-1 road victory.

Muñoz, an All-Star in each of the last two seasons, has blown three saves this year and owns a career-high 4.82 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.

Seattle’s one run came in the bottom of the first on an RBI force-out from third baseman Patrick Wisdom; the Mariners had one hit, which was a first-inning Julio Rodríguez single. Chicago starter Anthony Kay pitched through 5 ⅓ innings, followed by 1 ⅔ innings from Tyler Davis and scoreless innings from Bryan Hudson and Taylor.

The White Sox have won eight of their last 10 games and are just two games behind the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the American League Central.

The Texas Rangers slapped the Colorado Rockies around at Coors Field from start to finish.

The onslaught began in the opening frame, as infielder Ezequiel Durán hit a two-run double. In the second, Duran, right fielder Brandon Nimmo and first baseman Jake Burger each singled home a run. Later, in the fourth, Nimmo hit a two-run home run to center field.

Then, in the eighth, second baseman Justin Foscue drove in a run on a force-out, with Texas later getting an RBI single from Joc Pederson — who had a game-high four hits — in the seventh and an RBI double from Durán in the eighth. Durán and Nimmo each had three hits, with the former driving in four runs and the latter driving in three runs.

Tyler Alexander pitched the first 1 ⅔ innings for the Rangers, and Kumar Rocker dominated, thereafter, posting seven strikeouts and giving up just six baserunners (three hits and three walks) over 7 ⅔ innings; Jalen Beeks got the final out of the game for Texas, which won 10-0. 

The 10-0 victory marked both the most runs the Rangers have scored and their largest margin of victory this season.

A few seconds ago, the Milwaukee Brewers were in last place in the National League Central. Now, they stand atop the division.

After defeating the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night, 5-2, the Brewers are in first place in the NL Central (28-18), which they’ve won in each of the last three seasons. Milwaukee drew first blood in the opening inning on an RBI single from center fielder Garrett Mitchell and got two more runs in the top of the third on a wild pitch and an RBI single from first baseman Jake Bauers.

Later, in the eighth, second baseman Brice Turang, who had a game-high three hits, gave the Brewers more separation with a two-run home run to left-center field.

On the mound, it was all about “The Miz” for the Brewers — again. Pitching six scoreless innings, right-hander Jacob Misiorowski recorded eight strikeouts and surrendered just four baserunners (three hits and one walk). The flame-throwing right-hander sports a 1.89 ERA, an 0.88 WHIP, an NL-high 88 strikeouts, a 215 ERA+ and 2.1 wins above replacement over 57.0 innings pitched (10 starts).

Elsewhere, Turang has driven in a team-high 29 runs, while possessing a .292/.413/.497 slash line; Bauers has driven in 28 runs, while boasting a .292/.363/.507 slash line. Both Milwaukee infielders have hit seven home runs.

This one was a back-and-forth bout.

First baseman Freddie Freeman got the Los Angeles Dodgers started with a two-run home run in the top of the first, but San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado replied with a two-run homer of his own in the bottom half of the inning. The Padres then took a 4-2 lead in the third on a two-run homer from designated hitter Miguel Andújar.

A fifth-inning RBI ground out from Shohei Ohtani — who reached base three times (two hits and one walk) — and a solo home run from Freeman, which was his second long ball of the game, in the sixth would tie the game at 4-all. Later, the Dodgers did something that had only happened in one game this season: They got Padres star closer Mason Miller to give up a run.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith led off the top of the ninth with a fly out, but third baseman Max Muncy walked and outfielder Alex Call pinch ran for Muncy and got to third on a throwing error. The next batter, center fielder Andy Pages, flied out to shallow right field, and Call snuck into home plate for the go-ahead run.

Will Klein then had a one-two-three ninth inning, closing out a 5-4 Dodgers win.

The Athletics lost in brutal fashion on Monday night, as J.T. Ginn’s no-hit bid ended in the top of the ninth on a walk-off, two-run home run from Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto. That is NOT how Tuesday night’s game went for the A’s.

After a pair of scoreless innings to open the night, the Athletics put six runs on the board in the top of the third on a two-run double from left fielder Colby Thomas, a two-run single from third baseman Zack Gelof and RBI singles from first baseman Nick Kurtz and right fielder Brent Rooker. Kurtz later singled in two runs in the sixth, while Gelof hit a solo home run in the seventh.

The A’s then plated four runs in the eighth on a two-run double from Kurtz and a two-run home run from Rooker. They got another run in the ninth on an RBI single from infielder Darell Hernáiz in a 14-6 Athletics win.

On the season, Kurtz has totaled eight home runs, 34 RBIs and a 151 OPS+, while boasting a .276/.431/.488 slash line; Gelof has totaled six home runs and 16 RBIs, while sporting a .505 slugging percentage; Thomas is batting .344 over 32 at-bats; Rooker has driven in 24 runs.

For the Angels, center fielder Mike Trout hit a solo home run and drove in two runs, while third baseman Vaughn Grissom and outfielder Josh Lowe also drove in two runs of their own.

What happened to the Detroit Tigers?

Yes, back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal is on the mend with an elbow injury, but the Tigers went from being arguably the best team in the AL in the thick of the 2025 season to blowing a 15.5-game lead in the AL Central — granted, they still reached the AL Division Series — to being tied for last place in the division at 20-29 this season.

In losing to the Guardians for a second consecutive night, 4-3, the Tigers have now lost 12 of their last 14 games. As for the damage, Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan had a sacrifice fly in the top of the second, rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana hit a two-run home run in the fourth and shortstop Brayan Rocchio had an RBI ground out in the seventh.

Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run homer in the second and left fielder Riley Greene reached base in each of his three plate appearances (two hits and one walk), alas, in another loss. Meanwhile, the Guardians have won seven of their last eight, improving to 28-22 and good for first in the AL Central.

The Philadelphia Phillies got burned.

Right-hander Chase Burns was exceptional for the Cincinnati Reds in Citizens Bank Park, recording nine strikeouts and surrendering only one run and three baserunners (three hits) over six innings pitched (86 pitches) in a 4-1 win for the Reds. Burns’ only blemish was a solo home run to Phillies star Trea Turner in the bottom of the second.

Cincinnati scored its runs on a pair of fourth-inning sacrifice flies and a two-run seventh inning that included an RBI force-out and an RBI walk. Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson reached base in each of his four plate appearances (three walks and one hit), while right fielder Blake Dunn had a team-high two hits.

Through 10 starts, Burns, whom Cincinnati selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has posted a 1.83 ERA, an 0.95 WHIP, 64 strikeouts, an NL-high 241 ERA+ and 2.9 wins above replacement over 59.0 innings pitched. The Reds held the Phillies to just three hits and one walk altogether.

The 4-1 loss ended a five-game winning streak for Philadelphia.

Game 1 of a three-game series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates was a seesaw in action.

St. Louis led 3-0 after four innings, but a four-run fifth gave Pittsburgh the lead, which the Cardinals took back in the bottom of the sixth. Then, the Pirates tied the game in the top of the ninth with an RBI ground out from Marcell Ozuna and an RBI single from first baseman Spencer Horwitz, which ultimately sent the game to extra innings.

After Pittsburgh didn’t get a run home in the top half of the 10th, Iván Herrera made the Pirates pay, as the Cardinals’ designated hitter hit a walk-off, three-run home run for a 9-6 win; Herrara now has an .808 OPS.

Herrera’s home run was one of four for St. Louis, which got blasts from infielders JJ Wetherholt, Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson. Gorman drove in two runs for the Cardinals, who got multi-hit performances from Wetherholt and Burleson. For Pittsburgh, Jared Triolo had a game-high three hits.

The Cardinals (28-19) are a half-game behind the Brewers for first place in the NL Central.

This one came in the ninth inning and with the team that hit it trailing before the homer.

The Arizona Diamondbacks trailed the San Francisco Giants 3-1 entering the bottom of the ninth and two of the first three batters of the inning didn’t reach base. Then, D-backs designated hitter Adrian Del Castillo singled home a run, with center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt being given first base on a catcher’s interference in the next at-bat.

And then it happened.

After failing to reach base in his first four at-bats, D-backs star Ketel Marte cranked a slider below the strike zone over the left-field wall for a walk-off, three-run home run.

Sticking with the dramatics, the D-backs got their first run of the game in the first on a de facto, inside-the-park home run, as right fielder Corbin Carroll laced a triple to left-center field, the throw to third base hit his head (Carroll lost his helmet in-between first and second base), got away from Giants third baseman Matt Chapman and Carroll came around to score. Carroll, a two-time All-Star, has totaled seven home runs, 24 RBIs, six triples, six stolen bases, a 166 OPS+ and 2.5 wins above replacement, while boasting a .285/.395/.563 slash line. 

The walk-off, 5-3 win gave Arizona a winning record (24-23).

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Ronald Acuna Jr. doubled, walked twice and scored three times in his return and the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 8-4 on Tuesday.

It was Acuña’s first game since being sidelined May 2 because of a left hamstring strain. He batted leadoff as the designated hitter.

Mauricio Dubon had three hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning. Matt Olson walked twice, had two hits and drove in three runs, while Michael Harris II homered and singled for the NL East-leading Braves.

Dubón reached on a two-out infield single to put Atlanta ahead 5-4 after Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher (4-3) walked Mike Yastrzemski, Ha-Seong Kim and Acuña to load the bases. Olson followed with a two-run single to make it 7-4.

Kim added an RBI single in the ninth.

Dylan Lee (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief for the win.

Braves starter Martin Perez allowed four runs and five hits and struck out a career-high 10 in five innings.

Harris’ leadoff drive in the sixth tied the game at 4-4. He drove Marlins reliever Andrew Nardi’s first pitch over the wall in center for his ninth homer of the season.

Miami erased a 2-0 first-inning deficit with three runs in the bottom half. Xavier Edwards hit a leadoff homer and Kyle Stowers added a two-run double.

Esteury Ruiz’s sacrifice fly in the third made it 4-2 before Olson’s RBI double in the fifth narrowed the gap.

Ozzie Albies’ sacrifice fly and Harris’ RBI single against Marlins starter Braxton Garrett gave Atlanta the early lead.

Garrett allowed two runs and three hits in three innings. It was Garrett’s second outing after missing last season because of elbow surgery.

Up next

LHP Chris Sale (6-3, 1.96 ERA) will start for the Braves on Wednesday against Marlins RHP Janson Junk (2-4, 4.14).

Reporting by the Associated Press

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Chase Burns struck out nine over six innings and lowered his ERA to 1.83 in another terrific start for the Cincinnati Reds in a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.

Burns (6-1) allowed only Trea Turner’s solo shot in the third as he helped the Reds end a three-game losing streak and move back above .500 (25-24).

Bryce Haper scorched a line drive off Burns with two outs in the sixth. Burns collected the ball and threw out Harper at first base to end the inning.

Burns ran off the field on his own and headed straight down the dugout tunnel to the clubhouse. He did not return for the seventh, though there was little reason to pitch another inning with the Reds up 4-1.

Tony Sillitan worked the ninth for his second save and helped snap the Phillies’ five-game win streak.

Not even fans who stripped off their shirts and waved them in the rain — part of the “tarps off” trend — could rally the Phillies in the final innings of their loss.

Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber — who leads the majors with 20 home runs — sat out the second straight game with an illness.

Jesus Luzardo (3-4) struck out five and gave up two runs in five innings in a start in which it was 95 degrees (35 Celsius) at the first pitch.

Elly De La Cruz hit a leadoff triple in the fourth, Spencer Steer hit an infield single and Sal Stewart walked to load the bases and set up a pair of sacrifice flies by Dane Myers and JJ Bleday for the 2-1 lead. The Reds scored twice more in the seventh on a fielder’s choice and De La Cruz drew a basesload walk.

Burns allowed three hits, walked none and drew 18 swings and misses. The right-hander has allowed two or fewer runs in nine of 10 starts this season and one or fewer runs in seven of 10 starts this season.

The 23-year-old Burns, the second overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft, went 0-3 with a 4.57 ERA in eight starts over 13 appearances for the Reds last season. With the way he’s pitching this season, Burns’ next appearance in Philadelphia could come in the All-Star Game.

Up next

The Reds send LHP Andrew Abbott (3-2, 4.21 ERA) to the mound against Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (2-3, 5.91 ERA) on Wednesday.

Reporting by the Associated Press.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Gerrit Cole is scheduled to return from Tommy John surgery Friday night and make his season debut for the New York Yankees against Tampa Bay.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced the plan Tuesday before his team’s game against Toronto.

Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since October 2024 in Game 5 of the World Series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Been a long time,” Boone said. “We’re thrilled to get him back.”

Even after fellow Yankees ace Max Fried landed on the 15-day injured list last weekend with a left elbow bone bruise, Boone said the team still intended to have Cole make a seventh minor league rehabilitation start this week before rejoining the big league rotation.

But after the 35-year-old right-hander threw 86 pitches over 5 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against the Syracuse Mets on Saturday night, Cole and the Yankees changed course.

“When we all looked at it and just considered all the variables, it checked all the boxes,” Cole said.

He will start the series opener at Yankee Stadium against the AL East rival Rays, who swept three games from New York last month in Florida and entered Tuesday with the top record in the majors at 31-15.

“I expect it to be intense. Tough matchup. Lot of balls in play. Control the running game,” Cole said. “Lot of pressure from the other team.”

Reporting by the Associated Press

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to follow themselves.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:

Athletics right-hander J.T. Ginn pitched his heart out. “You were really brave. You put your arms out there. You slit your wrists. You said, ‘World, this is my blood. It’s red just like yours, so love me.””

But then the Los Angeles Angels put his heart in a shredder.

Ginn was pitching a no-hitter, had recorded 10 strikeouts and given up just one walk entering the bottom of the ninth inning before second baseman Adam Frazier led off the inning with a single. Then, shortstop Zach Neto hit a walk-off, two-run home run to center field for a 2-1 Angels win.

A literal nightmare for any pitcher.

The dramatic turn of events ended a six-game losing streak for the Angels, while the Athletics have now lost six of their last eight games.

Neto’s walk-off homer provides a bright spot in what has been an otherwise slow offensive start for the Angels’ shortstop, who averaged 24.5 home runs, 69.5 RBIs, a .458 slugging percentage and 5.1 wins above replacement per season from 2024-25. Through 49 games this season, Neto is hitting just .225 and has racked up an American League-high 68 strikeouts. As for Ginn, the right-hander has a 2.98 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP over eight starts/11 appearances altogether (51 ⅓ innings).

One way to get the first hit of your MLB career is by sending a pitch where nobody on the field can catch it.

In the bottom of the eighth, Seattle Mariners third baseman Colt Emerson hit a three-run home run to right field off Chicago White Sox reliever Trevor Richards, marking Emerson’s first MLB hit in what was just his second big-league game.

Emerson, whom Seattle selected with the No. 22 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, signed an eight-year, $95 million extension with the Mariners in April. Prior to getting called up to the big leagues last week, the 20-year-old Emerson totaled seven home runs, 26 RBIs and 10 stolen bases over 38 games in Triple A, boasting a .255/.347/.469 slash line.

As for the rest of Seattle’s offense, center fielder Julio Rodríguez hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first, left fielder Randy Arozarena — who had two doubles on the night — doubled in a run in the third and first baseman Josh Naylor — who had a game-high three hits — singled home a run in the sixth. Starter Bryan Woo pitched six shutout innings, posting eight strikeouts and paving the way for a 6-1 Mariners victory.

San Francisco Giants southpaw Robbie Ray spent five-plus seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2015-20). Unfortunately for the 2021 American League Cy Young Award winner, his old team had zero warm feelings about Ray making a start at his old stomping grounds.

In the bottom of the first, D-backs third baseman Nolan Arenado hit a grand slam off Ray, who would go on to surrender 13 baserunners (11 hits and two walks) and 10 runs (nine earned) over 4 ⅓ innings. Ray entered Monday night with a 3.04 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He left the night with a 4.28 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP.

Catcher Gabriel Moreno — who hit a two-run homer in the fifth — second baseman Ketel Marte and left fielder Tim Tawa each drove in two runs, while center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt went 3 for 3 with two doubles and a walk in a 12-2 win for Arizona.

On the season, Arenado has hit seven home runs and sports an .810 OPS; Moreno’s home run was just his second long ball of the season; Waldschmidt is 10 for his first 32 in the big leagues (.313/.371/.438 slash line).

Arizona has won three of its last four and is now .500 (23-23); San Francisco is 20-28.

The New York Mets blew a two-run lead in the seventh inning, with the Washington Nationals scoring a run in the seventh and eighth innings to ultimately force extra innings. Both teams failed to get a run to cross home plate in the 10th, but each scored a run in the 11th. Granted, the Nationals stranded runners on second and third after tying the game.

And the Mets made them pay, dearly.

In the top of the 12th, New York scored 10 runs in an inning where it tallied nine hits and triggered Washington putting infielder Jorbit Vivas on the mound to get the final two outs of the inning after five runs had already scored; the Mets won, 16-7.

In total, the Mets had 18 hits, which included three-hit performances from right fielder Carson Benge and shortstop Bo Bichette, who, along with fellow infielder Brett Baty, hit a solo home run. Baty, designated hitter Juan Soto and outfielders A.J. Ewing and Tyrone Taylor each had two hits.

The Mets have won six of their last seven games.

Scoring 16 runs in 12 innings is impressive, but the Tampa Bay Rays only needed six innings to reach the 16-run mark.

Tampa Bay tattooed Baltimore Orioles pitching, scoring eight runs (seven earned) off starter Trevor Rogers and four runs apiece off relievers Cameron Foster and Dietrich Enns. Designated hitter Yandy Díaz had a game-high four hits — including two doubles — and four RBIs for the Rays, who got a 3-for-3 performance from right fielder Ryan Vilade. 

Meanwhile, third baseman Junior Caminero hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth and drove in four runs altogether. Caminero has hit a team-high 13 home runs and boasts a .506 slugging percentage; Díaz has logged a team-high 53 hits, while sporting a .310 batting average; Vilade is hitting .317.

The 16-6 thrashing of the Orioles improved the Rays to 11-2 in AL East play and an MLB-best 31-15 on the whole.

It took the Milwaukee Brewers one try to do what they couldn’t against the Chicago Cubs in the 2025 National League Division Series: win a game at Wrigley Field.

Leading off the top of the second, Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich demolished a Shota Imanaga sweeper off the right-field scoreboard, which would be an omen of what was to come.

Milwaukee plated four runs in the fourth on RBI singles from Jake Bauers and Jackson Chourio and a two-run double from right fielder Sal Frelick. Then, Bauers launched a three-run homer in the top of the fifth, which gave the Brewers an 8-0 lead and knocked Imanaga out of the game. The left-hander gave up 12 baserunners (nine hits and three walks) across 4⅓ innings.

Chicago’s offense briefly came to life in the bottom of the fifth, with shortstop Dansby Swanson hitting a two-run homer and first baseman Michael Busch doubling in a run. That said, Yelich — who has driven in 13 runs over just 18 games this season — would double in a run in the sixth, and Milwaukee won 9-3.

The Brewers have won nine of their last 11 games. As for the other dugout, the Cubs have lost three consecutive games, which comes after they recently lost four consecutive games. Milwaukee now trails Chicago by a half-game for first place in the National League Central.

After losing two out of three to the New York Mets and trailing the team that eliminated them in the playoffs last season in the seventh inning (the Toronto Blue Jays), the New York Yankees looked destined to lose their eighth game in 10 tries.

Until the bottom of the seventh inning happened.

The first two batters of the inning failed to reach base. Then, Yankees superstar Aaron Judge singled, which fellow outfielder Cody Bellinger followed up with a game-tying, two-run home run. Following a Trent Grisham walk, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. brought the roof down with a go-ahead, opposite field home run off the foul pole.

While closer David Bednar gave up three baserunners (two walks and a hit) and a run in the bottom of the ninth, he got the save for the Yankees, who beat their AL East rival 7-6.

As for the seventh-inning standouts, Bellinger has totaled six home runs, 32 RBIs, a 138 OPS+ and 2.6 wins above replacement through 47 games, while owning a .271/.377/.476 slash line; while off to a slow start, Chisholm is nine for his last 16 with three walks.

Miguel Andújar — who had two of the Padres’ four hits — blasted a solo home run for the San Diego Padres in the bottom of the first, and that’s all the run support that right-hander Michael King would need.

The Padres’ ace tossed seven scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting nine strikeouts and giving up just six baserunners (four hits and two walks). Jason Adam and Mason Miller proceeded to shut the door with a pair of scoreless innings in a 1-0 San Diego win.

The Dodgers wasted an exceptional outing from star right-hander Yoshinobo Yamamoto, who logged eight strikeouts and gave up just one run and five baserunners (three hits and two walks) over seven innings. The 1-0 loss marked just the second time this season that Los Angeles has been shutout. 

Through 10 starts, King has recorded a 2.31 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, 59 strikeouts, a 176 ERA+ and 2.1 wins above replacement across 58 ⅓ innings pitched. The slim win puts the Padres a half-game ahead of the Dodgers for first place in the NL West.

Some fast food chains have a bell you can ring near the exit if you feel that the service was satisfactory. The Minnesota Twins rang that bell twice on Monday night.

In the bottom of the second, designated hitter Josh Bell hit a solo home run and later unloaded a two-run homer in the fourth. Bell finished with a game-high three hits and four RBIs, which was the impetus for a 6-3 Twins’ victory over the Houston Astros.

Elsewhere, second baseman Luke Keaschall drove in two runs on a single in the sixth for the Twins, who used a combined seven pitchers. Left-hander Kendry Rojas, who made his first three MLB appearances as a reliever, posted three strikeouts and didn’t give up a run over four innings in what was his first big-league start.

Bell has struggled out of the gate, but Minnesota’s designated hitter has driven in nine runs over his last seven games, while owning a .286 batting average and a .571 slugging percentage over that span.

The Atlanta Braves went fishing in South Florida and ended up being the ones on the line.

The Miami Marlins had their way with Atlanta’s pitching staff, most notably striking for five runs in the bottom of the fourth and six runs in the fifth. Regarding the fourth-inning surge, Miami got a two-run double from designated hitter Liam Hicks, a two-run single from catcher Joe Mack and an RBI single from second baseman Xavier Edwards. 

In the fifth, Miami got a grand slam from infielder Javier Sanoja, a solo home run from Edwards and an RBI walk from Mack. Starter JR Ritchie and reliever Aaron Bummer each gave up six runs for the Braves, who lost 12-0. The Marlins’ other run came on an RBI ground out from Mack in the second.

The 12 runs that Miami plated were a season-high. Its second-highest run total this season? The Marlins have scored 10 runs in three games, one of those times coming against the Braves on Apr. 13.

As for some of Monday’s primary run-producers, Hicks leads MLB with 42 RBIs; Edwards boasts a .322 batting average, which is seventh in MLB, while Edwards’ double-play partner, shortstop Otto Lopez, leads MLB with a .337 batting average; Mack’s four RBIs account for two-thirds of the runs he has driven in (six).

On the hill, Miami got six scoreless innings from Max Meyer, who now has a 2.85 ERA, followed by scoreless innings from John King, Calvin Faucher and Lake Bachar. The Marlins held the Braves to four hits.

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Munetaka Murakami has a fun handshake with fellow infielder Miguel Vargas. He playfully agreed that a magic wand routine with teammate Mike Vasil helped him slam another homer. His No. 5 jersey dots the stands at Rate Field.

The Japanese slugger wasn’t supposed to end up with the Chicago White Sox. But it’s working out quite well at the moment.

Murakami looks right at home with a promising group of young position players in Chicago, and they have been mashing the ball so far this season. Murakami has an AL-leading 17 homers and a team-high 32 RBIs through Sunday’s action, and the surprising White Sox are tied for second in the majors with 66 homers overall.

“It’s the full lineup, one through nine. Feeding off each other,” Murakami said through his interpreter, Kenzo Yagi. “It’s a great confidence builder, seeing other players get good results. I just want to be that contributor and contribute to the lineup and contribute to the team’s wins.”

Murakami’s 17 homers are tied for third-most by a player in major league history in his first 45 games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He went deep in a record eight consecutive series openers from April 14 to May 8.

When Murakami strides to the plate, one of baseball’s three true outcomes is the likely result. He also ranks among the major league leaders with 36 walks and 66 strikeouts.

“He’s a superstar. There’s no other way to do it,” White Sox pitcher Davis Martin said. “You play against guys like (Mike) Trout, you play against guys like (Aaron) Judge and Yordan Alvarez and he’s doing the same things that they are. It’s an incredible thing to watch.”

Murakami is the fourth Japanese-born player to play for the White Sox, joining Shingo Takatsu (2004-05), second baseman Tadahito Iguchi (2005-07) and outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (2012). Takatsu managed Murakami in Japan.

“He’s had to make a ton of adjustments to get comfortable,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “And I know that probably is not easy for him. So yeah, he’s just a guy who has that flexibility to come into different environments and then get comfortable and I think this speaks a lot to his character and who he is.”

[Touching Base: Inside the White Sox’s ‘1% Chance’ and Hot Start for Slugger Munetaka Murakami]

The 26-year-old Murakami was Central League MVP in 2021 and ’22. He was limited to 56 games last season because of an oblique injury, but he batted .273 with 22 homers and 47 RBIs.

He entered MLB’s posting system in November. When the market was lighter than expected — there was some exaggerated concern about his ability to handle velocity — the White Sox signed the slugger to a $34 million, two-year contract in December.

During Murakami’s fast start this season, White Sox general manager Chris Getz has fielded some laudatory calls from other GMs.

“One GM said ‘Congratulations, you beat the industry on this one,’” Getz said, “so that was nice to hear, and it’s worked out and you know we feel really excited about having him in a White Sox uniform and he’s helping us win baseball games.”

Murakami was a late arrival for his first spring training game after he got caught in some traffic. But it has been smooth sailing most of the time.

He hit a solo homer in his first three regular-season games. He crushed a 431-foot grand slam in a 9-2 victory at the Athletics on April 17, beginning a five-game homer streak. He connected for a three-run shot in an 8-7 victory over the Angels last month.

With Vasil continuing to wave a magic wand in the White Sox dugout, Murakami went deep twice in his first career multihomer game on Saturday night against the crosstown Cubs.

He isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore.

“He’s a dangerous hitter and a guy you definitely have to be careful with,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said.

Murakami wants to get better, too. He said his biggest challenge has been adjusting to new pitchers every day, and he is growing more comfortable at first base.

Asked about his biggest challenge in moving to the majors, he paused and smiled.

“Compared to Japan, here, the environment’s totally different,” he said. “The space, the fields and everything is really nice. That’s the … biggest surprise.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Roki Sasaki’s eventful major league career finally appears to be going the way most everyone expected when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers at the start of last season.

Sasaki pitched a career-high seven innings of four-hit ball in a 10-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, turning in the longest and most dominant start of his strange tenure in blue.

The 24-year-old right-hander racked up a career-best eight strikeouts with no walks, doing it all with a burgeoning confidence he lacked for most of last season. Sasaki (2-3) repeatedly baffled the Halos while attacking the strike zone with a 98 mph fastball and his proliferating selection of breaking pitches.

“I think he has confidence in who he is as a big league pitcher, and we’re seeing some of the fruits right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Although he did it against the team with the worst record in the majors, Sasaki’s stuff is clearly working at a high level he has rarely reached as a starter stateside.

He was already a ballyhooed young star in January 2025 when he chose the Dodgers as his big league home for at least the next six years. But after a rookie season in which almost nothing went as planned, Sasaki has only recently shown why every team in the majors wanted him in their rotation.

“I actually felt better in my last outing, but today I felt able to throw strikes a little bit more,” Sasaki said through his interpreter. “Also the offense did a great job of scoring a lot of runs.”

Sasaki hasn’t been dominant in most of his starts, but Roberts said he is clearly trending upward. He is also working well with catcher Dalton Rushing, who received credit from Roberts for calling an outstanding game at Angel Stadium.

“He looked really good today,” Rushing said. “Obviously it’s really good momentum for him to carry forward, but at the same time, there’s opportunities for him to be even better. We know that’s not his ceiling. What he just did is obviously the best we’ve seen him to this point, but I trust that guy has got a lot more in the tank, and we’re going to continue to push. But it was fun to watch.”

Sasaki is again trying to carve out a permanent spot in the Dodgers’ rotation this season after famously failing to do so as a rookie. He subsequently missed 4 1/2 months with shoulder problems, but improbably returned as Los Angeles’ closer during its playoff run to a second straight World Series title.

Sasaki’s success as a reliever was a lifesaver for the short-handed Dodgers, but it didn’t change their long-term plans for him. Sasaki returned to spring training as a rotation member again — but then he repeatedly pitched poorly in Arizona and damaged his confidence.

Exactly half the batters he faced in spring exhibitions reached base, and Sasaki struggled for any control.

Roberts said the Dodgers’ message to Sasaki has been consistent: Stop worrying about minor mechanical tweaks or fine-tuning new pitches, and simply attack the strike zone with your already formidable talent.

It took a while for Sasaki to hear it, but now it’s loud and clear — and it turns out his aggressiveness is also improving his delivery. Sasaki generated 18 swing-and-misses from the Angels, a big factor in his career-high strikeout total.

“I think one of the reasons is mechanical,” Sasaki said of his recent success. “Things are kind of clicking, and I was able to execute really well throughout the game today.”

The Dodgers need Sasaki to be sharp as they attempt to get through yet another year of major pitching injuries. High-priced starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are out once again, and closer Edwin Diaz is also on the shelf along with Jack Dreyer, their most-used reliever.

Los Angeles is still pitching superbly, going into the weekend with the third-lowest ERA in the majors. Rushing and Roberts both expect Sasaki to be a big part of the effort to keep it that way.

“Pretty much it’s a confidence thing,” Rushing said. “He needs to trust his stuff, understand how good his stuff is, and execute. … With the stuff he has, it’s easy to miss barrels, and we hadn’t quite got to see that just yet. Today was obviously a big step forward.”

Reporting by the Associated Press

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports